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Four Players Added To AHL All-Star Rosters

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While the NHL All-Star Game has to deal with players pulling out due to injury, the AHL contest also has to deal with players being recalled at a moment’s notice. That forces the league to replace players regularly, and today they’ve added four new names to the upcoming event.

Jordan Szwarz, Christian Wolanin, Nathan Gerbe and Cooper Marody have all been added, given the lack of availability for Ryan Fitzgerald, Lawrence Pilut, Zac Dalpe and Conor Garland. Wolanin was just sent down by the Ottawa Senators today, just in time to play in the AHL even that takes place on Sunday and Monday. The full rosters now sit as follows:

Atlantic Division:

F Greg Carey, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
F Michael Dal Colle, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
F Colin McDonald, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
F Anthony Greco, Springfield Thunderbirds
F Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers
F Jordan Szwarz, Providence Bruins

D Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
D Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
D Trevor Carrick, Charlotte Checkers
D John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack

G Samuel Montembeault, Springfield Thunderbirds
G Vitek Vanecek, Hershey Bears

North Division:

F Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
F Alex Belzile, Laval Rocket
F Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
F Cory Conacher, Syracuse Crunch
F Nathan Gerbe, Cleveland Monsters
F Trevor Moore, Toronto Marlies
F John Quenneville, Binghamton Devils

D Christian Wolanin, Belleville Senators
D Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans
D Calle Rosen, Toronto Marlies

G MacKenzie Blackwood, Binghamton Devils
G Connor Ingram, Syracuse Crunch

Central Division:

F Joel L’Esperance, Texas Stars
F Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves
F Denis Gurianov, Texas Stars
F Jordan Kyrou, San Antonio Rampage
F Cal O’Reilly, Iowa Wild
F Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins
F Logan Shaw, Manitoba Moose

D Erik Brannstrom, Chicago Wolves
D Andrew Campbell, Rockford IceHogs
D Matt Donovan, Milwaukee Admirals

G Troy Grosenick, Milwaukee Admirals
G Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild

Pacific Division:

F Andrew Agozzino, Colorado Eagles
F Joseph Gambardella, Bakersfield Condors
F Cooper Marody, Bakersfield Condors
F Curtis Lazar, Stockton Heat
F Francis Perron, San Jose Barracuda
F Sheldon Rempal, Ontario Reign
F Troy Terry, San Diego Gulls

D Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
D Jacob Middleton, San Jose Barracuda
D Sean Walker, Ontario Reign

G Pavel Francouz, Colorado Eagles
G Josef Korenar, San Jose Barracuda

AHL All-Star Rosters Announced

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While the NHL announced their All-Star rosters this week to the ire of some fans, there are other professional hockey players suiting up in a mid-season exhibition this year. The AHL has released their own All-Star rosters, which include both veteran minor league players and prospects still getting their feet wet at the professional level.

The full rosters are below:

Atlantic Division:

F Henrik Borgstrom, Springfield Thunderbirds
F Greg Carey, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
F Michael Dal Colle, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
F Ryan Fitzgerald, Providence Bruins
F Janne Kuokkanen, Charlotte Checkers
F Colin McDonald, Lehigh Valley Phantoms

D Sebastian Aho, Bridgeport Sound Tigers
D Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
D Trevor Carrick, Charlotte Checkers
D John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack

G Samuel Montembeault, Springfield Thunderbirds
G Vitek Vanecek, Hershey Bears

North Division:

F Drake Batherson, Belleville Senators
F Alex Belzile, Laval Rocket
F Reid Boucher, Utica Comets
F Cory Conacher, Syracuse Crunch
F Zac Dalpe, Cleveland Monsters
F Trevor Moore, Toronto Marlies
F John Quenneville, Binghamton Devils

D Lawrence Pilut, Rochester Americans
D Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans
D Calle Rosen, Toronto Marlies

G MacKenzie Blackwood, Binghamton Devils
G Connor Ingram, Syracuse Crunch

Central Division:

F Mason Appleton, Manitoba Moose
F Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves
F Denis Gurianov, Texas Stars
F Jordan Kyrou, San Antonio Rampage
F Cal O’Reilly, Iowa Wild
F Brandon Pirri, Chicago Wolves
F Chris Terry, Grand Rapids Griffins

D Erik Brannstrom, Chicago Wolves
D Andrew Campbell, Rockford IceHogs
D Matt Donovan, Milwaukee Admirals

G Collin Delia, Rockford IceHogs
G Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild

Pacific Division:

F Andrew Agozzino, Colorado Eagles
F Joseph Gambardella, Bakersfield Condors
F Conor Garland, Tucson Roadrunners
F Curtis Lazar, Stockton Heat
F Francis Perron, San Jose Barracuda
F Sheldon Rempal, Ontario Reign
F Troy Terry, San Diego Gulls

D Kyle Capobianco, Tucson Roadrunners
D Jacob Middleton, San Jose Barracuda
D Sean Walker, Ontario Reign

G Pavel Francouz, Colorado Eagles
G Josef Korenar, San Jose Barracuda

Minor Transactions: 12/26/18

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As the 4 PM CST threshold has passed (meaning roster moves made after that point count only against the cap starting tomorrow), teams can start to bring players back up from the minors.  Teams are already beginning to take advantage of that, announcing some moves in advance of games resuming on Thursday.  We’ll keep tabs of those moves here.

  • The Hurricanes have recalled wingers Clark Bishop and Janne Kuokkanen, per a team release.  Both moves were expected as the pair were sent down just prior to the roster freeze to get them off the salary cap for a few days.  Bishop has played in 16 games with Carolina this year, picking up a goal and an assist while being a bit more productive with the AHLs Checkers, collecting five points in 15 contests.  Meanwhile, Kuokkanen has been held off the scoresheet in four NHL games but has been one of the top AHL producers, tallying 27 points in just 29 games.
  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that center John Quenneville has been recalled from Binghamton of the AHL.  This move was also expected after he was sent down just before the holiday break.  The 22-year-old has been productive in the minors, averaging a point-per-game in 19 AHL contests but that has yet to translate into much NHL production as he is pointless in 11 games with New Jersey so far this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/24/18

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Though teams cannot technically complete any minor transaction today given the full roster freeze for Christmas, some moves from last night are still coming through the wire. Teams have cleared off any players that they can in order to bank extra cap space, given that they won’t be playing again until Thursday at the earliest. We’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here:

  • John Quenneville has been sent down to the minors by the New Jersey Devils, and it will be interesting to see if he returns to them after the freeze is lifted. Seeing limited minutes with the Devils, the 22-year old still hasn’t been able to carve out a specific role for himself. It’s now been nearly two years since his last NHL point, a frustrating notion for both Quenneville and the Devils who invested a first-round pick in him several years ago.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Michael Amadio, Daniel Brickley and Sean Walker to the minor leagues to bank cap space, something they’ve been doing all season long. The Kings are using long-term injured reserve space to stay cap compliant, but with Carl Hagelin expected back at some point in the new year the team is going to have to clear some salary eventually.
  • Clark Bishop and Janne Kuokkanen have been sent down for a similar reason, though in the Carolina Hurricanes case it’s more to save actual money than cap space. Both players earn a significantly lower salary while in the minor leagues on their two-way deals, something the fiscally conscious Hurricanes have to be aware of.
  • Brandon Pirri was returned by the Vegas Golden Knights, something that certainly isn’t because of his play. The offensive-minded Pirri has three goals and four points in his first three Golden Knights games, and saw 16 minutes of ice time on Sunday night against the Kings. He’ll likely be recalled at some point to inject some more offense, though it’s important to note that Vegas still did lose two of those three games.
  • Michael Bunting and Adin Hill are going down to the Tucson Roadrunners, another salary saving move by the Arizona Coyotes. Hill’s season is very interesting, given his solid performance and the goaltending situation in Arizona. The team still has Darcy Kuemper and Calvin Pickard, but still seems to want to keep Hill in the mix at the NHL level. The 22-year old goaltender will likely be back up before long.
  • The Toronto Marlies have a game on Boxing Day, and could very well have one of their best forwards back in the lineup. The Maple Leafs have sent Trevor Moore back down for the time being, though with Zach Hyman and Tyler Ennis out he’ll likely be back up before long.

Jordan Greenway, John Quenneville Assigned To AHL

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The Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils have made some tough decisions with regards to two budding prospects, assigning Jordan Greenway and John Quenneville back to the AHL. Both players suited up last night for their respective teams, but will now be headed to the minor leagues. Greenway will play just two games in the AHL according to Michael Russo of The Athletic,  as Joel Eriksson Ek has returned to full practice for the Wild and is expected to take his spot in the lineup until their upcoming road trip. Quenneville, who played more than 13 minutes last night for the Devils, has already bounced up and down this season and may continue to do so until he shows some improved consistency at the NHL level.

Greenway is an important prospect for the Wild given his physicality and offensive upside, but hasn’t been able to show much of the latter yet at the NHL level. With just two points in his first 15 NHL games, he’ll get a chance to boost his confidence at the lower level and get back to what made him so effective at Boston University and on the international stage. The 6’6″ forward scored 92 points in 112 games for BU, and competed at the World Junior Championship, World Championship and Olympics for Team USA in the span of just over a year. He was an integral part of the gold medal-winning 2017 World Junior squad, scoring eight points in seven games alongside star talents like Clayton Keller and Charlie McAvoy. If he can ever find that level of play in the NHL, the Wild will have another legitimate power forward option to plug into the lineup. For now, he needs to find his footing again.

For Quenneville, there’s not nearly as much rope left on his “top prospect” status. The 30th overall pick in 2014, he now has two full minor league seasons under his belt and has failed to show much at the NHL level in several different stints with the Devils. Through 19 games spread over the last three years, he’s recorded just four points. There is huge potential still in Quenneville, who possesses excellent puck skills and a big enough frame to battle physically, but he needs to show it before he starts being passed over on the depth chart in New Jersey. He’ll turn 23 this season, and is still looking for a way to crack an organization that has shown it is more than willing to give young players a chance.

Minor Transactions: 10/23/18

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While we wait for all the action tonight around the NHL, PHR will be right here keeping track of all the day’s minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Christian Jaros as expected, given that Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur aren’t ready to suit up tonight. The team will welcome the Boston Bruins to town and try to make another statement this season by proving that they’re not the league’s doormat. The Senators are 4-2-1 this season and look much better than many expected, but will have to keep it up if they’re to make any real noise in the playoff race later in the year.
  • The New Jersey Devils have moved Ben Lovejoy and Drew Stafford to injured reserve, while recalling Eric Gryba and John Quenneville from the minor leagues. The team is already dealing with several injuries, and will now have to rely on their minor league depth to keep them competitive. Quenneville especially needs to make an impact, as he’s managed to play in just 18 NHL games so far in his career and hasn’t recorded a point since the 2016-17 season.
  • Nick Ritchie has been activated from his non-roster designation, and will be in the lineup for the Anaheim Ducks tonight. Ritchie was the second last RFA to sign this year, and eventually settled on a three-year $4.6MM deal. His presence is needed desperately as the Ducks look for a way to score while several key forwards remain on injured reserve.
  • Sammy Blais has been sent down to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues, a surprising move after the young forward played in eight games to start the year. Blais hadn’t scored yet and had seen his ice time reduced significantly over the last few games, but with no corresponding move it’s unclear what the plan is for the Blues. Perhaps the team is just using the days between games as a cost-saving measure, or another player will be recalled before Thursday’s game.
  • Brock Boeser is out with a sore groin and has been listed as day-to-day for the Vancouver Canucks, which means Darren Archibald is on his way up to the team to fill his spot. Archibald certainly can’t fill Boeser’s skates completely, but was relatively effective last season in the 27 games he played for the Canucks. The 28-year old forward has six points in eight games this season for Utica, and will try to continue that production at the NHL level if he’s inserted into the lineup.
  • Filip Hronek will be assigned to the minor leagues soon, given Mike Green’s imminent return for the Detroit Red Wings. Hronek has three points in six games this season but will have to continue his season in the AHL for now. The young defenseman is oozing with upside, but will wait for his next opportunity at the NHL while working on his penalty killing ability.
  • Alex Formenton has been activated from injured reserve by the Ottawa Senators, indicating that his concussion symptoms have subsided and he’s ready to get back into game action. The speedy forward has been a pleasant surprise for the team this season, showing his willingness to engage physically while also leaning on his skating ability to create offense.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Nicolas Roy, and could give him his first opportunity of the 2018-19 season. Roy has just a single NHL game under his belt since being selected 96th overall in 2015, but has become a dangerous two-way player at the minor league level. With five goals and seven points in his first six games this season and a 38-point rookie campaign in 2017-18, the 6’4″ forward already has shown more offensive touch than many expected when he was drafted.

Minor Transactions: 10/20/18

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It’s a busy Saturday around the NHL with 13 games on tap so there is likely to be plenty of roster movement throughout the day.  We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

  • Late last night, the Ducks announced that they had sent winger Troy Terry down to San Diego of the AHL and recalled winger Pontus Aberg to take his place on the roster. Terry had yet to record a point with Anaheim in six games so they’re hoping a trip to the minors will get him going.  He’s off to a good start after posting three points on Friday night.  Meanwhile, Aberg was claimed by the Ducks late in training camp but they re-waived him shortly thereafter.  He has a goal and an assist in two games with the Gulls so far this season.
  • With just six defensemen on their active roster, the Senators were expected to bring someone up in advance of tonight’s game against Montreal. They’ve now done so, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve summoned blueliner Christian Jaros from AHL Belleville.  Jaros has already played in two games with the big club after making the team out of training camp, collecting an assist while averaging 10:32 per night.
  • The New Jersey Devils also made a couple of moves late last night as well, as the team announced they have assigned forward John Quenneville to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL, while recalling forward Kevin Rooney. Quenneville, the team’s 2014 first-round pick, made the team out of training camp, but hasn’t recorded a point in four games. The team hopes to get his offense going in Binghamton. Rooney, the 25-year-old penalty-killing forward scored 14 goals with the Binghamton Devils last season and had two assists in five games this year.
  • The Dallas Stars assigned forward Roope Hintz to the Texas Stars of the AHL, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. The 21-year-old had played five games with Dallas to start the season, but has failed to tally a point so far, especially Friday when he was given the opportunity to play on the team’s first line next to Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn with Alexander Radulov out. Hintz played a career-high 17:26 and only posted two shots, a hit and a block. “You get an opportunity like that, you got to be pressuring pucks, you got to be creating more turnovers,” said Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery (via SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks). “Didn’t see enough. It wasn’t a bad game.”
  • With neither Charlie McAvoy or Kevan Miller having skated during the pre-game skate, the Boston Bruins announced they have recalled defenseman Urho Vaakanainen from the Providence Bruins of the AHL on an emergency loan. The 19-year-old is the team’s 2017 first-round pick and has two assists in six games in his first season in North America.

Central Notes: MacKinnon, Jokiharju, Boqvist, Honka

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The Colorado Avalanche had a phenomenal turnaround season last year after many years where the team was considered among the bottom-fodder of the league. Yet in one year, the team now looks like an ever-improving playoff team that is definitely heading in the right direction. The team also has one more thing going for them — that’s Nathan MacKinnon, who in one year also has established himself into one of the top players in the league after posting 39 goals and 97 points last season. The 23-year-old is also, fortunately for the team, locked up for five more years at a very reasonable $6.3MM AAV.

In fact, the young superstar told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that the money isn’t an issue for him even though he could make a salary much closer to that of Edmonton Oilers’ center Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM contract if he was a free agent right now.

“If I was up, I would ask for more than what I’m getting now,” MacKinnon told The Denver Post. “I think you want to get paid what you’re worth. And at the time, I thought I was paid what I was worth. But I’m trying to get better every day and money is the last thing on my mind. It really is. I just want the respect of my teammates, respect from my peers and to reach my own expectations.”

Regardless of MacKinnon’s lack of worry about being paid as a top player, he can’t negotiate a new contract until July 1, 2022, when he’ll be 28 years, so he could be even better then.

  • The Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield feels that Chicago Blackhawks prospect Henry Jokiharju has already made the team and feels it isn’t too early to declare that fact. The 19-year-old first-rounder in 2017 has impressed in camp and has been among the top seven defenseman in camp. On top of that with injuries to Connor Murphy and Gustav Forsling, who are both expected to be out until at least November, Jokiharju has found that opening that should slot him in with Erik Gustafsson as a third-pairing defenseman to start the season. The hope would be that he would earn the right to stay in the first month of the season and force Chicago to make a tough decision when Murphy and Gustafsson return.
  • Speaking of Blackhawks’ defensive prospects, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Madeline Kenney suggests that 2018 first-round pick Adam Boqvist has re-established himself as a candidate for a roster spot on the Blackhawks after an impressive performance Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. Many people felt he would be re-assigned after the game, but head coach John Quenneville stated that Boqvist would be staying with the team – for now.
  • Matthew DeFranks of SportsDay writes that only two players will have played in all three of their recent preseason games, including Tuesday’s game against St. Louis, Thursday’s game against Minnesota and tonight’s game against Florida in defensemen Julius Honka and Gavin Bayreuther. While Honka is a lock to make the roster, head coach Jim Montgomery wants him to play as much as possible to increase his confidence. However, the team also wants to see as much as it can of Bayreuther, who will likely end up with the AHL Texas Stars, but could be the top defenseman to be called up, if Montgomery likes what he sees.

 

Devils Notes: Schneider, Hischier, Smith, Hall

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With New Jersey having made a significant jump in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils now must show that they can continue their success after 27-point increase in the standings and their first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season. The team was carried by Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall and a group of young players who had a quick impact on the team.

However, the team accomplished all this with goaltender issues as 32-year-old Cory Schneider had a second disappointing season as he struggled with injuries throughout the year, while posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage in just 40 games. The team got a great season out of backup Keith Kincaid, who helped the Devils reach the playoffs. However, if the team has any hopes of reaching the playoffs for a second-straight season, the team will need Schneider to be healthy-free and at the top of his game, according to Scott Billeck of NBC Sports.

In fact, there is hope that Schneider can bounce back after two disappointing years as a nagging hip injury was hopefully fixed this offseason when he underwent surgery. He is listed as questionable to start training camp and may miss the early portion of the season while recovering from surgery that has a five-month timeline.

  • In another story, Billeck writes that the team can’t expect Hall to produce at another 93-point season like he did last year. If the team wants to return to the playoffs, they will have to rely on other players to pick up their games. After Hall, the team’s next best scorer was No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier at 52 points, which is a big dropoff. The team will need better secondary scoring. Hischier could provide some of that as Billeck believes that Hischier could become a 70-point scorer in his second year, while the team has to hope that winger Marcus Johansson can bounce back to his 50-point averages after being limited to just 29 games last season.
  • Mike Morreale of NHL.com writes that the team has several top prospects who could complement the team this year if they can prove themselves in training camp as 2018 first-round pick Ty Smith has a chance to earn a spot on a young blue line. He lists the team’s top five prospects, including Smith at No. 1, and while he believes that Smith will likely need another year in juniors, Smith still has a chance to win a spot on an improved, but hardly established blue line. He scored 73 points in 69 games for Spokane of the WHL last season and might be the perfect player to replace veteran John Moore, who left for Boston this offseason. Morreale also writes that the Devils should expect Michael McLeod and John Quenneville to make the teams next year.
  • The Athletic’s Cory Masisak (subscription required) breaks down what the Devils could look like in the 2020-21 season and quickly assumes that New Jersey will lock up Hall to a long-term deal of more than $10MM. Hall has two years remaining on his current deal.

Metropolitan Notes: Brassard, Bjorkstrand, Quenneville

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With a sudden logjam at the center position, there was talk that the Pittsburgh Penguins might look to unload someone with the name of Derick Brassard being near the top of the list. However, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Penguins may now be looking to do something different instead.

The scribe writes that the Penguins intend to experiment with Brassard in hopes of converting the long-time center to the wing and move him up a line. The 30-year-old has played in 716 NHL games and has never played anywhere other than center. However, the belief is that with his skating and shooting skills, Brassard might be a solid wing option for either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin and would free up room for others to fill in the bottom-six center roles.

While Brassard was having a solid season with Ottawa, posting 18 goals in 58 games, he didn’t thrive as well in a lesser role in Pittsburgh, where he went from averaging 18:21 ATOI to 15:12 with the Penguins. However, an increased role in the team’s top-six could be exactly what Brassard and the Penguins both need.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets may be getting close to signing one of their restricted free agents as The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that the Blue Jackets and Oliver Bjorkstrand are closing in on a deal. Portzline follows that up by reporting that his sources say they are not buying out any of his unrestricted free agent years, suggesting it is likely to be a bridge deal, most likely for two or three years. The 23-year-old winger put up a solid season last year for Columbus, posting double-digit goals for the first time in his career, posting 11 goals and 40 points. Bjorkstrand just finished up his entry-level deal and was paid $872K.
  • New Jersey Devils prospect John Quenneville had high expectations coming into the 2017-18 season, but various injuries held him back and the 2013 first-round pick is starting to run out of chances to develop into the highly-touted prospect. In fact, in the team’s exit meeting with Queenville, the team was quite frank with the 22-year-old, telling him to get into shape. The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) writes that Quenneville has done just that this offseason, working with a sports trainer alongside many athletes, including the New York Islanders’ Johnny Boychuk. He has already got himself to 210 pounds with just 9.3 percent body weight in hopes of finding a regular role in New Jersey. He only played two games for New Jersey and managed just 43 in Binghampton, posting 14 goals and 34 points.

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