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Jonny Brodzinski

Los Angeles Kings Assign Four Players To AHL

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The Los Angeles Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs, but the season isn’t over for four of their players. Today the team announced that Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio, Oscar Fantenberg and Paul Ladue are all on their way back to the Ontario Reign to help in their AHL playoff run.

All four are eligible for the playoffs because they were on the AHL roster—or at least involved in paper transactions—at the trade deadline, and will give a huge boost to the Reign when they take on the Texas Stars tomorrow. Brodzinski and Amadio were both point-per-game players this season in the AHL, while Ladue and Fantenberg can log huge minutes on defense.

It’s a tough end to the season for a team like Los Angeles, after fighting all year to just make it into the playoffs. The four game sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights will leave a sour taste in the mouths of the players and front office, and likely lead to changes this summer. While Brodzinski and Amadio are both under contract for next year, Ladue and Fantenberg are two of the team’s several restricted free agents and will be looking for new deals. Both should be back on relatively cheap contracts, but don’t expect either to have a guaranteed role on the NHL club next season.

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups

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Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.

Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:

All times CST

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV

While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  WBS  @  CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM  |  WBS  @  CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM  |  CHA  @  WBS

Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.

Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TOR  @  UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TOR  @  UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  UTI  @  TOR

Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.

Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)

Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SYR  @  RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SYR  @  RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RCH  @  SYR

Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.

Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  CHI  @  RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM  |  CHI  @  RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  RFD  @  CHI

You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)

Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM  |  GR  @  MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM  |  GR  @  MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  MB  @  GR

If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)

Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TUC  @  SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TUC  @  SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM  |  SJ  @  TUC

Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.

Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles) 

Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM  |  TEX  @  ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  TEX  @  ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM  |  ONT  @  TEX

If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.

Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

Jonathan Quick Placed On Injured Reserve; Jack Campbell Recalled

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Though it is not believed to be a major injury, Jonathan Quick has nevertheless been placed on injured reserve by the Los Angeles Kings retroactive to January 24th. The Kings have recalled Jack Campbell from the AHL to take Quick’s spot for at least one game.

Because Quick pulled out of the All-Star game at the last minute, he’ll be forced to sit for Wednesday’s contest. It’s not clear if he’ll return after that, the team calling it a “nagging injury” that caused him to withdraw from the festivities.

Campbell, 26, is a very interesting story for the Kings. The 11th-overall pick in 2010 by the Dallas Stars, he didn’t progress as planned and eventually found himself toiling in the ECHL. Since a trade to the Kings though, Campbell has put up solid numbers for the Ontario Reign of the AHL and rediscovered the potential that made him a high pick. He is carrying a .920 save percentage this season through 22 games for the Reign and could potentially push for the backup role next season as Darcy Kuemper is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

While Quick is clearly the king in Los Angeles, developing Campbell to take some pressure off him as he enters his mid-thirties can only help the team. It doesn’t look like Campbell will get onto the ice right away, but if Quick remains out for any length of time we might get a glimpse of what he can do at the NHL level.

The team has also recalled Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio and Paul LaDue as expected. The Kings take on the Dallas Stars tomorrow night, before heading to Nashville for a game against the Predators.

Minor Transactions: 1/14/18

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With one of the biggest slate of games Saturday, at least since the bye weeks have started, the NHL has just four games today, but several teams will be making moves to prepare for their coming games or their bye weeks.

  • The Winnipeg Jets announced they have assigned three players to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL Sunday, including goaltender Michael Hutchinson, and forwards Brendan Lemieux and Jack Roslovic. With the Jets off until Saturday, all three will be sent down to get more playing time. Hutchinson was an emergency call-up to fill in for goaltender Steve Mason, who left the team with an illness, but the AHL goaltender did not see any action. The 21-year-old Lemieux has played in eight games with the Jets. He has one goal and 19 penalty minutes, while Roslovic, the team’s 2015 first-round pick, has played in four games this year and is pointless.
  • The New York Islanders announced they made an emergency recall of Tanner Fritz from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL Sunday after they placed veteran forward Andrew Ladd on injured reserve. The 26-year-old Fritz is having a solid season with Bridgport, putting up 10 goals and 27 assists in 32 games. He has played three games with the Islanders already this year with no points. Ladd, suffered an upper-body injury Jan. 5 in a game against Pittsburgh, and is still not ready to return. Ladd has nine goals and nine assists this year.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen tweets that the Los Angeles Kings recalled forward Jonny Brodzinski from the Ontario Reign this afternoon. The 24-year-old forward has already played 22 games for Los Angeles and has two goals on the year, but has received just an average of 9:36 minutes of ice time this year. He has been thriving, however, with Ontario as he has six goals and eight assists in 11 AHL games this year.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have reassigned center Lucas Wallmark to Charlotte of the AHL.  Wallmark suited up this afternoon against Calgary but with the team now off on their bye week, this will allow him to keep playing.  He has a goal in four games with Carolina so far this season while adding 23 points in 20 games at the minor league level.

What Your Team Is Most Thankful For: Los Angeles Kings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on.

What are the Kings most thankful for?

After missing the playoffs two of the last three years and a total overhaul in the front office, things weren’t looking too promising for the Los Angeles Kings, who were looking old, injury prone and shy on young talent coming into the season. The roster seemed to be comprised of past-their-prime players on long-term deals with little hope of things improving. Yet, new coach John Stevens started the team on a positive note as the team began the year going 11-2-2 and giving the Kings some much needed hope that the team might still be good enough to compete for a playoff spot. Granted, the team has struggled lately with a more recent 1-6-1 stretch, but the Kings currently hold second place in the Pacific Division and fifth in the Western Conference. That’s a solid way to start the season.

Who are the Kings most thankful for?

The four highest paid forwards on the Kings roster are 30 or older and all are locked up for between four and seven years, and while neither Jeff Carter or Marian Gaborik have accomplished much this year, veterans Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown have proven that they are still the elite in Los Angeles. Kopitar is tied for the team lead in goals with 10 after 23 games, which is better than last year’s 12 goals throughout the entire season. Brown, who already has eight goals and is second on the team in points, hasn’t put up big scoring numbers in years. If those two can continue to lead this team, a playoff berth is very possible.

What would the Kings be even more thankful for?

Continued health from their goaltender.

One big positive is the health of 31-year-old veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick. When healthy, Quick can be one of the best goaltenders in the game. After an injury-plagued season last year, Quick has been healthy and his numbers support that. He’s already played in 18 games this season (he managed just 17 all last season) and sports a 2.44 GAA, but more importantly, a solid .926 save percentage — something he hasn’t had that high since the 2011-12 season.

What should be on the Kings’ Holiday Wish List?

The team has done a nice job attempting to infuse their youth along with their veteran players, but the more they can develop those young players, the more likely the team can continue to win as the long season begins to take a toll on the veterans. The team has relied heavily on 2014 first-rounder Adrian Kempe, who has tallied seven goals so far this year. After a bit of a down season a year ago, the team is getting more out of 25-year-old Tyler Toffoli. Undrafted Alex Iafallo has spent some time on the first line, but so far has just a goal and seven assists to show for his playing time. Other players like Jonny Brodzinski (one goal), Oscar Fantenberg (one goal, five assists) and Michael Amadio (one goal) have contributed, but the team will need more from them if they want to keep winning down the road.

Pacific Notes: Oilers, Theodore, Brodzinksi, Miller

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What has gone wrong with the Edmonton Oilers? After a 7-11-2 start to the season, fans have to wonder what is going on with their team who many expected to be competing for the top spot in the Western Conference. Instead, the team who has two of the top young franchise players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are floundering.

Allan Mitchell of The Athletic (subscription required) details what has gone wrong for the storied franchise this year, pointing to the team’s success in achieving their goal of locking up both McDavid (eight years, $100MM) and Draisaitl (eight years, $68MM), but to their lack of success to bringing in more talent to help this squad. The scribe points out that while Jordan Eberle was moved to the New York Islanders for spare parts to solve cap issues, that deal could have been delayed a year as their cap problems weren’t going to be an issue until the 2018-19 season.

He also suggests that Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli took numerous gambles with few of them coming up gold so far this year. He put a lot of faith in youngsters ranging from Ryan Strome, Jesse Puljujarvi, Anton Slepyshev, Kailer Yamamoto, Matt Benning and Drake Caggiula, all of which haven’t worked out as expected, although Caggiula’s two-goal performance Saturday could change things if he can continue that success. Possibly. Regardless, the Oilers have no choice but to continue putting out their youth, hoping some of them might figure things out and assist a struggling squad.

  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that Vegas Golden Knights’ defenseman Shea Theodore has needed more time than expected to adjust to the NHL game, despite playing a chunk of the season last year with the Anaheim Ducks. The scribe adds that after Theodore’s strong performance against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, he might be starting to turn the corner and become a key cog on Vegas’ defense.
  • Much of the Los Angeles Kings success has been in thanks to the team’s careful infusion of youth into their veteran lineup. The Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes that Jonny Brodzinski scored his first NHL goal Saturday and is the fifth player to pick up their first NHL goal, including Kurtis MacDermid, Michael Amadio, Oscar Fantenberg, and Alex Iafallo. Much of the credit, according to Zupke goes to Ontario Reign coach Mike Strothers, who has worked hard to develop players who could work with the Kings’ quick-movement style of play.
  • Anaheim Ducks backup goaltender Ryan Miller, who has looked good in four appearances since being activated a couple of weeks ago, might miss more time. While the veteran goalie was on the ice this morning taking shots, Miller (lower-body injury) was unable to practice, according to the Orange County Register’s Eric Stephens. Coach Randy Carlyle hopes he might be available next week, but with five games in the next seven days, the team may have to consider starting Reto Berra.

Snapshots: Brodzinski, Eriksson, Hunwick

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Jonny Brodzinski has been assigned to the Ontario Reign of the AHL, as the Los Angeles Kings continue to make tweaks to their NHL roster. The team had called up Justin Auger earlier today, and actually didn’t need to make a corresponding move after they’d placed Kyle Clifford on injured reserve.

Now, the team has just 22 players on the active roster and as Jon Rosen of LAKings Insider writes, Marian Gaborik still isn’t much closer to getting on the ice. Gaborik continues to try and work his way back from a knee injury but is still some time away.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Jonny Brodzinski, Paul LaDue

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The Los Angeles Kings seem determined to sign all of their restricted free agents before the day is up. After inking Kevin Gravel and five others already today, the team announced a two-year deal with Jonny Brodzinski that will pay him $650K at the NHL level. The deal is a two-way contract in the first season, but transitions to a one-way deal in 2018-19. They also announced a one-year, two-way deal for Paul LaDue, which will pay him $874K at the NHL level.

Brodzinski, 24, made his NHL debut this season after lighting up the AHL. Armed with a cannon of a shot and the instincts to find open space he’s scored at every level so far in his career. The next step will be to see if that ability can transition to the NHL, where time and space is much harder to come by. In his six game stint with the Kings, he recorded two assists but did generate 17 shots, a strong effort for his first time in the league.

It’s more likely that Brodzinski is a fringe NHL player at best, as there are there are other things about his game that still need work. The potential he’s shown recently though is what has people in Los Angeles excited as with a new structure under John Stevens and company, they’ll likely be trying out new options to try and turn around the team.

One of those options could also be LaDue, who made it all the way to the NHL in his first full season since signing out of the University of North Dakota. In 22 games with the Kings, LaDue scored eight points and showed he could be an option to replace some of the outgoing minutes from the loss of Brayden McNabb. LaDue, 24, should be battling with newcomer Christian Folin for time on the right side this year.

The Kings have now signed all of their RFAs, leaving them with other decisions for the rest of the summer. With the signing of Gravel, they opened another buyout window that they could take advantage of should they want to move Dustin Brown’s contract. Otherwise, they still have $5.9MM with which to play with, in either free agency or the trade market.

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