Atlantic Notes: Gionta, Sabres, Gauthier
The captain wants to stay. That’s what Brian Gionta is telling the Buffalo Sabres and their fans, as he plays through the final year of his current contract. Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat published a piece today that quotes Gionta reiterating his hope to stay a Sabre through the end of the season and beyond if they’ll have him.
I’ve made my position pretty clear. I’d like to stay here. I’d like to be here going on in the future. I want to see this thing through.
Gionta isn’t the player that scored 48 goals and 89 points in 2005-06, but he is still a reliable winger and huge leadership presence among a young team building for the future. As the reins are handed over to teenage phenoms and 20-something stars, Gionta could still be a positive influence even at the age of 38. As his $4.25MM contract expires this season, perhaps the Sabres will look to bring him back on a shorter, much less expensive deal in the summer.
- The Sabres in general will be involved in rumors right up to the deadline tomorrow, as Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson are two of the most talked about names left among defensemen. Joe Yerdon of NHL.com reports that the entire lineup including goaltenders is a game-time decision for the Sabres tonight. With the team struggling to find the success of their contemporaries, it’s very likely that they sell off some expiring assets in order to help facilitate the ongoing rebuild. Though the team thought it may be coming out of it this summer, it looks like another bottom-ten finish for the Sabres is on the horizon.
- Brian Boyle will make his debut in the Maple Leafs lineup tonight and he’s bringing help with him. Both Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak are expected to play, meaning that there was no longer room for Frederik Gauthier on the roster. The big centerman was sent to the Marlies when the Leafs activated Marner off injured reserve.
Atlantic Notes: Playoff Push, Carrick, Panthers
The Atlantic is the most exciting division in hockey right now, and not necessarily for the product on the ice. Often thought of as the weakest in the league this season due to the low point totals, three teams made deals today to strengthen their squads, while another continued their sell off of expiring assets. The Maple Leafs acquired Brian Boyle from Tampa Bay, Ottawa brought in Alex Burrows from Vancouver, and Montreal swapped defenseman to get Jordie Benn into the fold.
With just five points separating first and fourth place in the division, the last 20 games are sure to be full of fireworks. With Boston the only squad of the four yet to make an acquisition, time will tell if they feel the pressure of the other three and move to improve their team in the coming hours. We’re now less 46 hours away from the deadline, and things are heating up in the Atlantic.
- The Maple Leafs received some further good news today when they had Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner back as full participants at practice. Both players are expected to suit up tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks alongside the newly acquired Boyle. To make room for Marner coming back off injured reserve, defenseman Connor Carrick has replaced him there according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. If Boyle makes it in time, the team will have to send down another player—likely Frederik Gauthier—before the game.
- Craig Custance of ESPN reported earlier that phones have been ringing in Buffalo after their terrible weekend. Whether anything gets done is still yet to be decided, but Custance assures fretting Sabres fans that at least no Evander Kane conversations were taking place.
- Custance also says that though Radim Vrbata looks like a great fit for the Bruins, “as many as ten teams” are in on the Arizona winger, making it a tough call to project where he’ll end up. After the deals today, perhaps Boston is a little more pressured to acquire a scoring winger like Vrbata.
- The Florida Panthers shouldn’t be ruled out of the playoff picture either, as they’re only three points back of the Maple Leafs for the final wildcard spot. Executive Dale Tallon had a Q&A with NHL.com today, admitting that he is a buyer this year (as is his hope every year). Tallon recently told the media that he wanted to address his powerplay if they were to do something, a unit that has fallen to 25th in the league at just 16%.
Mitch Marner Placed On Injured Reserve, Frederik Gauthier Recalled
The Maple Leafs have officially placed Mitch Marner on injured reserve retroactive to February 15th. In his place the team has recalled Frederik Gauthier from the AHL Toronto Marlies. Though moving Marner to IR sounds bad, he’ll still be available for Thursday’s game if healthy enough to go. As Kristen Shilton of TSN notes Gauthier was scratched in yesterday’s Marlies-Senators game, a curious decision before the call-up was confirmed.
The Leafs have been without their magic rookie for two games already and have felt his absence on the powerplay most of all, going 1/8 without him. Marner is one of the rare wingers that can drive an entire line, holding the puck for long stretches by himself. It had showed with 48 points in 56 games while skating alongside James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak for much of the season.
Gauthier is expected to figure into the lineup for Ben Smith, a fourth-line center that has had a lot of trouble this season between injury and inconsistency. Smith’s faceoffs, that were once considered one of his best skills, have diminished this season since the hand injury that needed surgery earlier in the year. Though Gauthier doesn’t offer much in the dot either, he’s a young former first-round pick that the Leafs want to develop into a shutdown role. He’ll get another chance tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, as Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine go head to head once again.
Minor Transactions: 2/2/17
Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor roster moves:
- The Capitals announced that they’ve assigned center Chandler Stephenson back to Hershey of the AHL. Stephenson got into a trio of games with the Caps over the past week and a half, being held pointless while averaging 8:45 per night. He has spent the bulk of the year at the AHL level, recording six goals and 18 assists in 41 games with the Bears.
- With goalie Antti Raanta taking a leave of absence to be with his wife gave birth to their first child earlier today, the Rangers announced that they have summoned Magnus Hellberg from AHL Hartford. The 25 year old netminder has played in 26 games with the Wolf Pack, going 10-9-5 with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 SV%.
- The Wild announced that they have recalled 2014 first round pick right winger Alex Tuch from Iowa of the AHL. Tuch is in his first professional season and has 11 goals and 11 assists in 34 games at the minor league level this season and has yet to play at the NHL level. He also was named to the AHL All-Star game which took place late last month.
- Anaheim has recalled defenseman Shea Theodore from San Diego (AHL), reports Eric Stephens (Twitter link). He has been back and forth plenty of times this season (this is recall number 12 for him) and has played in 25 games with the Ducks, scoring once while adding seven assists. He has fared better offensively at the minor league level with nine points (1-8-9) in 13 contests with the Gulls.
- Toronto has assigned center Frederik Gauthier back to the AHL’s Marlies, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). Taking his place on the roster is center Ben Smith who had been out since late December with a hand injury. Gauthier has played in 18 games with the Maple Leafs this season, picking up two goals and an assist while winning just over 51% of his faceoffs. At the minor league level, he has a goal and three helpers in 17 contests.
- The Devils announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled forward Joseph Blandisi from AHL Albany. Blandisi spent half the season in the NHL last year, picking up 17 points (5-12-17) in 41 games. However, he has yet to see action with New Jersey this season. However, he has been productive with the AHL Devils this year scoring seven goals to go along with 16 assists in just 28 games.
Frank Corrado Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint
The Maple Leafs have basically refused to play Frank Corrado all season, sitting him in the press box for all but one of their games this year. With that in mind, the team has sent him to the AHL on a conditioning stint that can last up to two weeks. Corrado is allowed to play in seven games before returning, which would feel like an entire season for him at this point.
The team has also sent Byron Froese to the Marlies today ahead of their upcoming road trip. The 25-year old center played in just two games after being brought up to replace an injured Tyler Bozak. The team has inserted young Frederik Gauthier into their fourth line center role after Ben Smith was placed on injured reserve, and from all accounts he’s done well enough to keep it.
These are interesting moves for a team that is about to go on a short road trip through Washington and New Jersey, especially because it’s the Leafs’ annual “Dad’s Trip”, where they bring the players’ fathers along on the road with them. The team now has two empty roster spots for the upcoming trip, meaning only Josh Leivo is there as an extra skater.
Likely there will be a corresponding move, whether it’s a trade or separate call up. It’s nice for Corrado though, who has had a tough year not playing anywhere. The 23-year old has now played just 40 games over the past two seasons with the Maple Leafs, which some would say has stunted his development somewhat. The former fifth round pick was a strong puck mover in junior, but has now played in just 68 games across parts of five seasons in the NHL.
Roster Moves: Auvitu, O’Connor, Dickinson
With the Holiday Roster Freeze still in effect for one more day, teams are headed back to the ice today after a (hopefully) restful Christmas. Six games are on the schedule for tonight, and teams are making minor moves to prepare their teams for the unofficial second half.
- In New Jersey, they’ve recalled Yohann Auvitu ahead of their matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. Auvitu has played 23 games with the Devils this season filling in for various members of their blue line. The 27-year old French-born Auvitu is a rookie in North America this year despite playing in the Finnish leagues for many seasons. He has registered four points across his NHL time.
- The continuing Ottawa goaltending saga has another chapter today, as Matt O’Connor has been recalled once again to backup Mike Condon tonight. The Sens face the New York Rangers tonight, and Craig Anderson will not be with the team. With Andrew Hammond still on the shelf for a while, O’Connor will head to the arena to suit up again after playing last night in the AHL.
- Antoine Roussel hasn’t played since the 20th and will be out for a bit still. The forward was placed on IR today retroactive to his last game. Dallas has recalled Jason Dickinson in his absence, his second appearance in the NHL this season. Dickinson has 14 points in 19 games at the AHL level, and is starting to show the promise that made him a first round pick (29th overall) in 2013.
- The Maple Leafs have recalled goaltender Antoine Bibeau today with the club scheduled for a back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Leafs have played musical chairs with the backup goaltender of late, trying to get Bibeau as much ice time as possible while still having him with the NHL club if needed. Jhonas Enroth, signed in the offseason to be the primary backup to Frederik Andersen, has not performed well enough for the team to trust him any further.
- The Maple Leafs have also recalled both Byron Froese and Frederik Gauthier. The duo was with the team before the holiday break but was given the chance to play in the Marlies’ first game back yesterday. With Tyler Bozak still out and Ben Smith on IR, the team will use the two young centers for the immediate future.
Last Minute Reassignments: Bibeau, Froese, Gazdic, Helgeson (Updated)
UPDATE: (3:30pm): Mike Russo of the Star Tribune tweeted earlier today that the Minnesota Wild have loaned Pat Cannone and Jordan Schroeder to Iowa of the AHL. As Russo points out, the Wild won’t play again until Tuesday thanks to the holiday break while Iowa is slated to host Rockford Monday night. Russo does say that unless Erik Haula or Zach Parise is healthy enough to return Tuesday, the Wild will have to recall a player or two, meaning Cannone and/or Schroeder could be back with Minnesota sooner rather than later. Cannone, who finally made his NHL debut at the age of 30 and after six professional campaigns, was held off the score sheet in three appearances with the Wild.
(1:15pm): While the NHL’s holiday roster freeze officially began at midnight of December 20th, a provision allows teams to reassign or loan waiver-exempt players originally recalled by the parent club after December 11th back to their minor league affiliates. The deadline for those roster transactions passed at 11:59pm on December 23rd (last night). With a majority of AHL teams in action the day after Christmas, a couple of NHL clubs took the opportunity to reassign players to their affiliates with the intent of getting them some game action during the Christmas break.
- The New Jersey Devils announced via their official Twitter account that they have reassigned rugged forward Luke Gazdic and defenseman Seth Helgeson to Albany of the AHL. Gazdic has appeared in four games with New Jersey, failing to register a point while accumulating seven penalty minutes. In 13 contests for Albany, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound winger has two assists and 19 penalty minutes. Helgeson has seen action in just two games, also failing to record a point. (New Jersey Devils Roster)
- Goaltender Antoine Bibeau, along with forwards Frederik Gauthier and Byron Froese were loaned by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the AHL Toronto Marlies ahead of last night’s deadline, as reported by Cap Friendly. Meanwhile Jhonas Enroth was recalled from the minors to fill the void as the Leafs backup netminder. Bibeau has appeared in just one game, his NHL debut, this season for Toronto and took the loss in a 3-1 defeat on December 11th against Colorado. Gauthier tallied his first career NHL goal and has added an assist in three games this season for the Leafs while Froese is scoreless in two outings. Enroth was inked by the Leafs this summer to serve as Frederik Andersen‘s understudy but failed to win a game in four starts for Toronto and posted a GAA of nearly four. His last appearance for the Leafs came on November 30th in a loss at Calgary. Enroth has seen action in just one contest for the Marlies since his demotion to the AHL. (Toronto Maple Leafs roster)
Monday Morning Recalls And Demotions
10:23am: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Mike Babcock announced that Tyler Bozak and Ben Smith are both considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and an upper-body injury respectively.
In Nashville, the Predators have recalled defenseman Adam Pardy from the AHL, as P.K. Subban will be out of the lineup. Subban did not accompany the Predators on their current two-game road trip.
9:53am: A couple Ontario-based NHL teams have made roster moves on Monday morning.
The Ottawa Senators have assigned Casey Bailey and Ben Harpur to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL, according to Bruce Garrioch. The right-winger Bailey was held pointless in two games with the Senators, but has 14 points in 25 games with the AHL’s Senators. Harper appeared in one game and was also held pointless. The defenseman has three assists in 20 AHL games this season. Garrioch reports that the demotions were made because Fredrik Claesson is ready to return after suffering a lower-body injury earlier this month.
The Senators are not skating on Monday, so it’s not yet known how severe Andrew Hammond‘s injury is. Hammond left Sunday night’s game just 16 minutes in with an apparent ankle injury. Should the Hamburglar be unable to go, Garrioch suggests that Matt O’Connor would get the call. Starting goaltender Craig Anderson is away from the team to be with his wife Nicholle, and is not expected back before Christmas.
Over to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs have announced the recall of center Frederik Gauthier. In a related move, injured defenseman Martin Marincin has been placed on injured reserve. Marincin is expected to be out for four-to-six weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury last week. Gauthier has four points in 16 games with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The Athletic’s David Alter reports Gauthier is centering the fourth line at practice on Monday morning.
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The Maple Leafs are without three regulars at practice this morning; defenseman Jake Gardiner, Tyler Bozak and Ben Smith were all missing, so Alter wonders if that explains Gauthier’s recall. Much-scratched defenseman Frankie Corrado was bounced between pairings throughout practice but will be in the lineup when the Maple Leafs host former coach Randy Carlyle and the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.