Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jake Walman

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Jake Walman

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have finished one of their final few negotiations, agreeing to terms with Jake Walman. The restricted free agent defenseman will sign a two-year contract that is two-way in the first year and one-way in 2021-22. Eligible for arbitration, Walman decided not to file. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth the league minimum in both years – $700K next season ($100K salary in the AHL) and $750K in 2021-22.

Walman, 24, made his NHL debut this year when he suited up for a game in January, playing just over 11 minutes of action in an overtime loss. That was the only action he’d see in a Blues uniform, but that doesn’t mean it will be his last.

With a new two-year deal in hand, Walman will continue to be one of the first names called up by the Blues when they face injury issues to their regulars. Unfortunately, perhaps, he is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning he’ll have to clear before going to the minors after training camp.

That is of course if there is a minor league season to go along with the NHL campaign and it becomes possible to transition players between the two leagues without quarantine periods. Walman is exactly the type of player that might be included in an NHL “taxi squad,” traveling around with the team in case of injury (or infection) despite not actually being on the roster. A distinct rule like this has not yet been announced, though some believe it could, depending on what happens with the AHL.

In the case of the Blues, for instance, the organization recently announced a partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. St. Louis is expected to be part of a Central Division in the reworked NHL schedule, playing in a regional bubble of sorts with their closest geographic opponents. Springfield is not central at all, meaning travel between the two teams could be complicated and restricted if the Thunderbirds continue to play in the northeast. This is just one of the logistical problems the leagues will have to work out before hockey starts, with players like Walman greatly affected.

St. Louis Blues Issue Qualifying Offers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have announced that Vince Dunn, Austin Poganski, Mitch Reinke and Jake Walman have all received qualifying offers, keeping them in the organization. That means Derrick Pouliot and Jake Dotchin, who did not receive offers, will become unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The decision to let Pouliot and Dotchin walk doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as both players would have been arbitration-eligible and obviously do not figure into the Blues plans at this point. Each was once an up-and-coming young defenseman with plenty of potential, but both have flamed out over the last few seasons.

Pouliot, 26, was the eighth overall pick in 2012 and quickly became one of the top defensive prospects in the entire league. An incredible final year of junior hockey that saw him score 102 points in 79 games made Pittsburgh Penguins fans salivate at his potential, but after arriving in the NHL the next season obvious warts began to show in his defensive game. Pouliot ended up spending time bouncing between the minor leagues and NHL for years and now six years into his professional career has just 202 games played at the highest level. In 2019-20 he spent almost the entire season in the minor leagues with the San Antonio Rampage, suiting up just twice with the Blues.

Dotchin meanwhile wasn’t a high draft pick like Pouliot, but still quickly found himself playing next to Victor Hedman0 after arriving in the NHL. The sixth-round pick in 2012 debuted with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016-17 and played 83 games with the team over two seasons, but saw his contract terminated in 2018 after showing up to training camp out of shape. Since then, Dotchin has played in 20 games with the Anaheim Ducks but spent the entire 2019-20 season at the minor league level with the Rampage.

Both players could land new deals elsewhere, but a qualifying offer and arbitration award was never going to make sense for the Blues.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/20

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Another week starts in the NHL with four games on the schedule, including the expected debut of Ilya Kovalchuk with the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal will take on the Winnipeg Jets, who Kovalchuk never played for yet holds many all-time records. Those records of course were set when he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers before the organization relocated, the real prime of Kovalchuk’s career. As the teams in action tonight prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Andrew Agozzino while sending Thomas Di Pauli to the minor leagues. Di Pauli made his NHL debut just a few days ago, but will now have to return to the AHL and wait for his next opportunity.
  • Niko Mikkola is on his way back to the NHL from the San Antonio Rampage, flipped for Jake Walman by the St. Lous Blues. Walman made his debut on Saturday night and played just over 11 minutes, but will be replaced by Mikkola who is still hoping to get into an NHL lineup for the first time. The Blues play the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night and will try to get back on track after three consecutive losses.
  • Steven Kampfer has been recalled by the Boston Bruins to serve as an extra defenseman as they head on the road. The Bruins will play the Nashville Predators tomorrow, trying to crack their own three-game losing streak and stay above the pushing Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
  • Dalton Smith has been sent back to the AHL after just 86 seconds of NHL ice time. The veteran minor league forward was given a contract with the Sabres recently but he’ll have to head back to the Rochester Americans for the time being.
  • Joel Kiviranta is back with the Dallas Stars after a short trip to the AHL. The 23-year old forward has already been involved in three transactions since the start of the year, moving up and down between the two leagues.

Minor Transactions: 12/27/19

at CDT | by 2 Comments

As the holiday season comes to an end and teams are back in action, plenty of players will be on their way back to the NHL. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves with 11 games on the schedule for tonight.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Adam Clendening, Gabriel Carlsson, Ryan MacInnis and Jakob Lilja, showing just how many injuries they are dealing with at the moment. All but Lilja are up under emergency conditions after placing Cam Atkinson on injured reserve.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins, another team dealing with plenty of injuries, have recalled Kevin Czuczman, Thomas DiPauli and Joseph Blandisi. The Penguins will take on the Nashville Predators tonight as they continue to try and navigate a difficult season.
  • Jake Walman has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues ahead of their game against the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues sent Niko Mikkola down before the holidays, but perhaps they’ve decided to see what Walman can do instead.
  • Riley Stillman is on his way to join the Florida Panthers, though they won’t play until tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Stillman has spent most of the season in the AHL, but does have three games at the NHL level this year.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, the team has recalled Martin Marincin and Adam Brooks from the AHL. Brooks, who still has yet to make his NHL debut, has 16 points in 20 minor league games and has long been a favorite of head coach Sheldon Keefe.
  • Nico Sturm has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild, after getting into four games before Christmas. Sturm is still looking for his first NHL goal, but looks like he can handle the center position, at least in limited minutes.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Christian Djoos in time for their game tonight against the battered Blue Jackets, as both Michal Kempny and Radko Gudas are both dealing with an illness. The two veteran defensemen are game-time decisions.
  • Andrew Ladd has been returned to the AHL by the New York Islanders, after playing in one NHL game. It appears as though the end is coming quickly for the 34-year old forward, who still has three more years on his contract but has been stuck in the minor leagues.
  • Filip Zadina, Calvin Pickard and Brian Lashoff have all been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend. The Red Wings sit in last place in the entire NHL and are already looking ahead to the draft lottery in the spring.
  • Colin Blackwell and Jarred Tinordi have both been recalled by the Nashville Predators, giving them a full 23-man roster once again. Tinordi, 27, hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2015-16 season.
  • Curtis Lazar has been recalled by the Buffalo Sabres, who were hoping that Johan Larsson would be ready for tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. Lazar has bounced back and forth all year, playing eight games with the Sabres and 18 with the Rochester Americans.
  • Mathieu Joseph is on his way back to the AHL once again, assigned there by the Tampa Bay Lightning today. The 22-year old forward has played in 32 games with the Lightning this season, but needs to get his game back on track and will get some more time at the minor league level to do it.

St. Louis Blues Recall Seven Players

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The St. Louis Blues have recalled their “Black Aces” now that their first round series against the Winnipeg Jets is over. Klim Kostin, Chris Butler, Jordan Nolan, Austin Poganski, Niko Mikkola, Mitch Reinke and Jake Walman are all on their way to join the group. None of these players are expected to get into any game action, but will practice and get to experience the NHL playoff atmosphere.

Notably, Jordan Kyrou and Ville Husso are not among the recalls after being shut down for the season due to injury. Both young players will miss the chance to watch their organization visit the second round and lose any development opportunities that may have presented themselves.

Among the group there is some Stanley Cup experience, as Nolan won two championships with the Los Angeles Kings in the early part of the decade. In 2012 he actually played in 20 playoff games for the Kings, recording two points and 21 penalty minutes in a limited role. He’ll be able to lend his experience, if not his talents, over the next few weeks.

Minor Transactions: 01/08/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Teams around the NHL are beginning their mandated bye weeks, marking an unofficial midpoint of the season. With that, there is only a single game on tap for tonight, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. That won’t stop clubs from making minor moves to improve, and we’ll have all the recalls and reassignments right here.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As is typically the case, Saturday will be a busy day around the league with nine games on tap so there is bound to be a fair bit of roster shuffling.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

  • St. Louis announced that they have recalled defenseman Jake Walman from Chicago of the AHL. To make room for him on the roster, they have transferred blueliner Vince Dunn (illness) to injured reserve.  Walman, one of the better prospects for the Blues, is in his first full professional campaign and has 13 points (2-11-13) in 34 games at the minor league level this season.
  • The Senators revealed via Twitter that they have called up center Colin White from AHL Belleville. This will be his first stint with the team this season; although he was expected to contend for a roster spot in training camp, he broke his wrist early on which set things back.  His first season at the minor league level has been rather bumpy as he has 13 points (5-8-13) in 27 games to go along with a team-worst -15 rating.  White is expected to take the place of Nate Thompson, who was injured on Friday night against San Jose.
  • The Capitals have brought back defenseman Madison Bowey and winger Jakub Vrana from Hershey (AHL), via the AHL’s transactions page. Neither move comes as a surprise as they were just sent down yesterday in an effort to free up a little bit more cap space.  For perspective, it’s the fourth time they’ve been sent back and forth since December 17th.
  • The Islanders annouced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Anthony Beauvillier from AHL Bridgeport on an emergency basis.  The move comes on the heels of New York losing both Josh Bailey and Andrew Ladd to injury last night.  The 2o-year-old has spent the majority of the season with the Isles, picking up four goals and three assists in 31 games.  He has a pair of goals in two minor league contests.
  • The San Jose Sharks activated winger Barclay Goodrow from injured reserve late last night and assigned winger Marcus Sorensen to the San Jose Barracuda, according to Elite Prospects. Goodrow has been in and out of the lineup with a lower-body injury for a couple of months now. He has two goals and two assists in 10 games this year. The 25-year-old Sorensen had three goals in 13 games for the Sharks this season. He has five goals and nine assists in 17 games for the Barracuda.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top