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Joseph Blandisi

Minor Transactions: 10/11/19

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Patrick Marleau and Brayden Point sure didn’t seem like they had any rust on them when they returned for San Jose and Tampa Bay last night, both scoring a pair of goals and leading their teams to victory. Thursday was filled with high-scoring matchups and tonight’s action could be the same as six teams battle in three games. The Carolina Hurricanes will welcome in the New York Islanders and try to stay perfect, while the Buffalo Sabres aim to prove their explosive start isn’t a mirage. As teams prepare for tonight and a big weekend around the NHL, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned Sami Niku to the minor leagues, now that both Dmitry Kulikov and Josh Morrissey are back playing. Even with a ravaged defense corps, the Jets have won two games in a row and now sit just a single point behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division. Niku, 23, will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity, which will likely come whenever the team faces another injury.
  • Gustav Bouramman has landed on his feet in Sweden after accepting a contract termination earlier this month. The 22-year old defenseman has signed a six-week contract with Farjestad BK of the SHL to cover an injury absence, but will have a chance to earn an extension if he plays well enough. In 23 games with the Iowa Wild last season, Bouramman recorded just two points.
  • With Corey Perry approaching a return, Denis Gurianov has been assigned to the Texas Stars after playing in three games with Dallas to start the year. Gurianov didn’t score, but did get some more valuable development time with the NHL as he looks to take the next step in his career. Selected 12th overall in 2015, Gurianov has played 25 games in the NHL so far.A
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Joseph Blandisi under emergency conditions, returning Andrew Agozzino at the same time. Agozzino played just five shifts (1:44 TOI) in yesterday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks. Blandisi meanwhile played six games with the Penguins last year and has 80 under his belt at the NHL level.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have flipped depth defensemen, recalling Ilya Lyubushkin from Tucson (AHL) and sending Kyle Capobianco to the Roadrunners.  Lyubushkin played in 41 games with the Coyotes last season but was left in the minors to start this season to get some playing time while Capobianco sat as a healthy scratch with the Coyotes.  Now it appears that those roles will be reversed.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned Nicolas Roy to Chicago of the AHL, reports SinBin.Vegas.  He was called up more than a week ago but didn’t get into any action.  Roy was the key part of the trade return for Erik Haula over the offseason following a strong showing with Carolina’s farm team in the playoffs.  He’ll likely see a big role with the Wolves and should be in line for another recall at some point later on in the season.

Waivers: 09/23/19

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With AHL training camps getting underway, many players will be put on waivers over the next several days. We’ll keep track of all of them right here:

Buffalo Sabres

F Jean-Sebastien Dea

Calgary Flames

F Byron Froese
F Justin Kirkland
F Buddy Robinson
F Rinat Valiev
D Andrew Nielsen

Carolina Hurricanes

F Brian Gibbons
D Kyle Wood
D Alex Lintuniemi
D Roland McKeown
D Fredrik Claesson

Colorado Avalanche

D Anton Lindholm
D Mark Alt

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Zac Dalpe
F Markus Hannikainen
F Ryan MacInnis
D Adam Clendening

Los Angeles Kings

F Martin Frk

Minnesota Wild

F Kyle Rau
D Matt Bartkowski
F Luke Johnson

Pittsburgh Penguins

F Andrew Agozzino
F Joseph Blandisi
F Joseph Cramarossa
F Thomas Di Pauli
F Ryan Haggerty
D Kevin Czuczman
D David Warsofsky

San Jose Sharks

D Trevor Carrick
G Antoine Bibeau

Training Camp Cuts: 09/23/19

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Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:

Anaheim Ducks (per team release)

F Alex Dostie (to San Diego, AHL)
F Brent Gates Jr. (to San Diego, AHL)
F Luke Gazdic (to San Diego, AHL)
F Johno May (to San Diego, AHL)
F Antoine Morand (to San Diego, AHL)
F Conor Riley (to San Diego, AHL)
F Deven Sideroff (to San Diego, AHL)
F Corey Tropp (to San Diego, AHL)
D Dawson Davidson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Scott Moldenhauer (to San Diego, AHL)
D Steven Ruggiero (to San Diego, AHL)
G Roman Durny (to San Diego, AHL)
G Olle Eriksson Ek (to San Diego, AHL)
F Chase Wouters (to Saskatoon, WHL)
D Matthew Hill (to Barrie, OHL)
G Lukas Dostal (to Ilves, Liiga)

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

F Beau Bennett (to Tucson, AHL)
F Andy Miele (to Tucson, AHL)
D Dysin Mayo (to Tucson, AHL)
D Robbie Russo (to Tucson, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Byron Froese (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Justin Kirkland (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Buddy Robinson (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Rinat Valiev (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Andrew Nielsen (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Glenn Gawdin (to Stockton, AHL)
F Ryan Lomberg (to Stockton, AHL)
F Luke Philp (to Stockton, AHL)
F Matthew Phillips (to Stockton, AHL)
F Martin Pospisil (to Stockton, AHL)
F Adam Ruzicka (to Stockton, AHL)
F Eetu Tuulola (to Stockton, AHL)
D Robert Hamilton (to Stockton, AHL)
D Zac Leslie (to Stockton, AHL)
D Corey Schueneman (to Stockton, AHL)
D Alexander Yelesin (to Stockton, AHL)
G Tyler Parsons (to Stockton, AHL)
G Artyom Zagidulin (to Stockton, AHL)
F Jacob Pelletier (to Moncton, QMJHL)
D Alexandre Grenier (released from PTO)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

F Jacob Nilsson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Philip Holm (to Rockford, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Zac Dalpe (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Markus Hannikainen (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Ryan MacInnis (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Adam Clendening (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Doyle Somerby (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Veini Vevilainen (to Cleveland, AHL)

Florida Panthers (per team release)

D Ethan Prow (to Springfield, AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch (to Springfield, AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers (to Springfield, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Colin Blackwell (to Milwaukee, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Milwaukee, AHL)
F Anthony Richard (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Alexandre Carrier (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Matt Donovan (to Milwaukee, AHL)
G Troy Grosenick (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Connor Brickley (to Hartford, AHL)
F Timothy Gettinger (to Hartford, AHL)
F Nick Jones (to Hartford, AHL)
F Dawson Leedahl (to Hartford, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Hartford, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

F Andrew Agozzino (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Joseph Blandisi (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Joseph Cramarossa (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Thomas Di Pauli (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Ryan Haggerty (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Kevin Czuczman (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D David Warsofsky (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Justin Almeida (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Anthony Angello (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Kasper Bjorkqvist (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Sam Lafferty (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jake Lucchini (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Sam Miletic (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Oula Palve (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Niclas Almari (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Emil Larmi (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Joakim Blichfield (to San Jose, AHL)
F Ivan Chekhovich (to San Jose, AHL)
F Sasha Chmelevski (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
F Noah Gregor (to San Jose, AHL)
D Thomas Gregoire (to San Jose, AHL)
F Artem Ivanyuzhenkov (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
F Joel Kellman (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nikolai Knyzhov (to San Jose, AHL)
G Joseph Korenar (to San Jose, AHL)
F Ivan Kosorenkov (to San Jose, AHL)
F Tristan Langan (to San Jose, AHL)
F Maxim Letunov (to San Jose, AHL)
D Keaton Middleton (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jeremy Roy (to San Jose, AHL)
G Zach Sawchenko (to San Jose, AHL)
G Andrew Shortridge (to San Jose, AHL)
F Marcus Vela (to San Jose, AHL)san
F Jeffrey Viel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Evan Weinger (to San Jose, AHL)
F Vladislav Kotkov (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
D Tony Sund (to TPS, Liiga)

Vancouver Canucks (per team release)

F Reid Boucher (to Utica, AHL)
F Francis Perron (to Utica, AHL)
D Ashton Sautner (to Utica, AHL)
G Zane McIntyre (to Utica, AHL)

Penguins Re-Sign Joseph Blandisi

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Joseph Blandisi will extend his stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquired mid-season from the Anaheim Ducks, Blandisi played in only six games with the Penguins and was held off the score sheet, but did enough to earn a new contract anyway. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Pittsburgh has signed Blandisi to a one-year, two-way deal with a minimum $700K salary at the NHL level.

Blandisi is likely happy to have some certainty heading into next season after being traded in each of the past two seasons. A former New Jersey Devils prospect, Blandisi played well as a rookie, recording 17 points in 41 games to go with a near point-per-game AHL campaign, but was moved to Anaheim in 2017-18 after his numbers failed to improve the year before. However, Blandisi was held scoreless in the three games apiece in each of his two seasons with the Ducks, prompting another trade to Pittsburgh. While his NHL production did not improve with the Penguins, his AHL scoring remained consistent.

Blandisi is not especially big, but plays an aggressive, hard-nosed game. With minor league production that hints at an ability to score – even if the NHL numbers don’t match just yet – and a physical style that can work well in a checking role, the 24-year-old is a nice depth piece and will push for play time in Pittsburgh next season.

 

Minor Transactions: 01/20/19

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Ten teams are on bye this week, but the NHL schedule isn’t slowing down and neither will the transactions as we head toward the All-Star break and the trade deadline. Sunday’s slate of five games is spread throughout the day, with the Capitals and Blackhawks squaring off early this afternoon, two more later matinees, and then two night games. Highlighting the lineup is a battle between two teams active on the trade market and desperate for a postseason berth this season, the Hurricanes and Oilers. With both teams needing a win in the worst way to stay relevant in the playoff race, expect an intense match-up between two teams that normally have little ill will between them. Keep up with all of today’s moves – and there have already been a lot – right here:

  • The Dallas Stars, one of the teams taking the week off, have sent several players to the minors for that stretch, including defenseman Connor Carrick, who is reassigned on a conditioning loan. Young forwards Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov will also head to the AHL’s Texas Stars for at least the coming week. The trio have all seen limited play time in the NHL this season, so rather than let them sit for a week while healthy, Dallas has opted to give them the opportunity to get some work in with the AHL squad.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Fleury, who played in 67 games with the ’Canes last season, has only been with the team for ten contests this year. The 22-year-old was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, but thus far has been unable to show elite offensive ability at the top level. Carolina will continue to give him chances when they can, but behind a deep and talented group of defensemen, Fleury will have to do more with his opportunities moving forward.
  • Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post suggests that the New York Rangers, also on bye, will send top pro defensive prospect Ryan Lindgren down to the AHL during the break rather than make him sit for a week. Lindgren’s recent recall received great fanfare from the Rangers’ faithful and this bye week demotion back to the Hartford Wolf Pack won’t change the team’s plans, which likely are to keep Lindgren in the starting lineup for as much of the remainder of this lost season as possible. Cyrgalis adds that another Rangers rookie, Brett Howden, will not be sent down, as the team hopes some time off will help him break his recent slump.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have reassigned recently-acquired forward Joseph Blandisi to the AHL, the team announced. It wasn’t clear where Blandisi fit in the Pittsburgh lineup after the trade that sent Derek Grant back to the Anaheim Ducks, so the team will let him serve as minor league depth for the time being. Blandisi has found success as a scoring forward in the AHL and will be an asset to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but he has been unable to translate that ability to the NHL in stints with the Ducks and New Jersey Devils and will need to adopt a more physical, energy line role to stick at the top level.
  • The “bye week” claims another, as the resting Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Kevin Stenlund down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. Stenlund made his NHL debut last week and did not look out of place in a bottom-six role, but nevertheless is better suited to get some additional work this week in the minors rather than sitting. Don’t be surprised to see the big 22-year-old center back up in Columbus after the break.
  • CapFriendly reports that defenseman Anton Lindholm has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche. Lindholm has been up and down several times for the Avs this season, but has only skated in two games with the team after suiting up for 48 games last year. The small, but solid stay-at-home defender has shown some more offensive ability with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles but until he can provide a little more production at the NHL level, he’s likely nothing more than a replacement-level depth option. The Avalanche also announced that forward Dominic Toninato has been recalled as well.
  • CapFriendly also adds that the Winnipeg Jets have sent little-used defenseman Cameron Schilling down to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for the bye week. The veteran has only skated in four games with the Jets in his first season with Winnipeg, but did record his first NHL point back in November. Schilling is a ways down the depth chart for the Jets, but has the experience to step in if need be down the stretch. To keep him sharp, they’ll send him back to the AHL, where he’s played 27 games this season. With no game until Jan. 28, the Jets also have assigned defenseman Sami Niku to Manitoba, according to CapFriendly. The 22-year-old has fared quite well filling in on Winnipeg’s blueline.
  • Peter Cehlarik has played well alongside David Krejci and Jake Debrusk since his recall three games ago, but with the Boston Bruins hitting their bye week, they have announced that Cehlarik is headed back down to the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Cehlarik has been perhaps the closest thing to a solution on the Bruins’ second line all season and is sure to be back up after the break. In the meantime, The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver suspects that Cehlarik could replace the injured Ryan Fitzgerald at the AHL All-Star Game.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have placed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic on injured reserve today and have recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton. The team has been without Vlasic for eight games already with an undisclosed injury, so he can return to the lineup whenever he is ready. Vlasic’s number’s and play have dropped a little this season, but the team still misses his blueline skills as the Sharks have now lost two straight. The 23-year-old Middleton has appeared in one game for the Sharks this season. He has two goals and 12 points with the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL.

Anaheim Ducks Trade Luke Schenn, Joseph Blandisi In Separate Moves

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The Anaheim Ducks have continued to make minor moves to adjust the fringes of their roster, and were involved in two more trades in the early morning hours. First the team sent Luke Schenn and a 2020 seventh-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Michael Del Zotto, before then acquiring Derek Grant from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Joseph Blandisi. The Ducks have been involved in four of the last five trades in the NHL as they try to find some sort of fix to their disastrous season.

Anaheim is mired in an incredible 12-game losing streak at the moment and has thrown away any of the success that they found in the first part of the season. While John Gibson was at one point enough to carry them through to wins, the team is now falling faster in the standings than any other NHL team and will soon find themselves closer to a draft lottery spot than the playoffs if they can’t turn things around. The team has now recently sent out Schenn, Blandisi, Pontus Aberg and Andrew Cogliano while bringing up young talent like Troy Terry and Max Jones.

None of those moves though really strike at the core of the Ducks, something that might end up coming closer to the trade deadline or in the summer. Both Del Zotto and Grant are short-term fixes given their status as pending unrestricted free agents, something that can’t really be said about many other players on their roster. Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Miller are the only two impact UFAs that the Ducks really have to send packing at the deadline, and both are currently on injured reserve. If the team is looking to sell at the deadline they’ll have to find teams willing to take on some term.

For the Canucks, there was little chance that Del Zotto would be coming back. The high-risk defenseman had seen his role on the team diminished greatly and with the likes of Quinn Hughes and Olli Juolevi expected to challenge for full-time roles on the team next year there wasn’t any room left. Now 28, Del Zotto has had a roller coaster of a career, at times looking like a front line puck mover and at others struggling to stay in an NHL lineup. If he isn’t re-signed by the Ducks—or whoever they flip him to if that decision is made—there will likely be several teams interested in giving him another chance in the offseason.

As for the Penguins, acquiring Blandisi gives them another option down the middle if they decide to move on from Derick Brassard. While the acquisition doesn’t necessarily mean that a Brassard deal is imminent, several reports have come out recently that he will be sent somewhere else before the deadline. Blandisi has played only 74 games at the NHL level, but is a good offensive player and could perhaps fill a role in the Pittsburgh bottom-six.

Minor Transactions: 10/15/18

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A new week of NHL action is on the docket, with four games set for tonight. Teams will need to adjust their roster for their next test, and we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have just one regulation win through their first four games, but seem to have gotten some good news today. The team has returned Tristan Jarry to the minor leagues after serving as an emergency call-up, and brought up recently waived Derek Grant to fill in. That surely means that Matt Murray is ready to return to action after suffering a concussion recently. Murray backed up Casey DeSmith this weekend, and is key to the Penguins’ hopes this season.
  • Adam Gaudette has indeed been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks to replace Elias Pettersson on the roster, while the young forward deals with a concussion. Gaudette has four points in four games with the Utica Comets of the AHL this season, after signing and making his debut at the end of last year with the Canucks. The fifth-round pick is an exciting prospect for Vancouver, who dominated at the college level with Northeastern.
  • After losing Marko Dano on waivers the Winnipeg Jets have activated Nic Petan from the non-roster list. Petan is still looking to break through and establish himself as a full-time NHL player with the Jets, but can’t seem to find much production thus far in his career. With Dano out of the way there is one less obstacle, but he’ll still need to improve his overall play.
  • The San Jose Sharks have sent Dylan Gambrell back to the AHL, in order to get the young forward on the ice. He hadn’t yet suited up with the Sharks, but will now get another chance to play with the San Jose Barracuda, where he scored three points in his debut this season. Gambrell is a very interesting prospect for the Sharks who was one of the top playmakers in the country at the collegiate level, but is still waiting on his first NHL point.
  • The St. Louis Blues will inject some youth and energy into their lineup, swapping out a veteran grinder for a young power forward. CapFriendly reports that the team has reassigned Chris Thorburn, while recalling Zach Sanford. Thorburn, in his fourteenth season in the NHL, is a serviceable checking line player, but at 35 has slowed down significantly and is no longer much of a two-way threat. He had skated in just one game for the Blues so far this year. Meanwhile, Sanford did not play in the NHL last season, missing most of the year due to injury, but now healthy has looked impressive in training camp and through four games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. In his rookie season with the Blues and Washington Capitals in 2017-18, Sanford scored at a pace comparable to the best seasons of Thorburn’s career and should be a noticeable offensive upgrade over the older forward.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks, CapFriendly reports. The former New Jersey Devils prospect played in three games for the Ducks last season, but hopes to stick around longer this year. Blandisi notched two assists in his first three games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls this season.

Minor Transactions: 10/14/18

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It’s Sunday in the NHL and that means there are only a few games on tap for today, but not that there won’t be much movement. We’re here to keep track of all the day’s minor moves. Keep refreshing this page to see if your favorite team has swapped anyone from the minor leagues.

  • The Washington Capitals have assigned Jayson Megna to the AHL, giving him a chance to get some playing time after being a healthy scratch through the first part of the season. Megna cleared waivers earlier this month meaning he could be sent directly to the minors, and with the Capitals off until Wednesday they can save some cap space by carrying fewer players on the roster. The team will likely make another move to bring up an extra player early in the week.
  • The Toronto Marlies announced they have signed defenseman Ryan Sproul to a PTO. Sproul has been with the Marlies for much of training camp, but didn’t make their opening day roster and now has signed a a PTO with the hopes of eventually working his way onto the Calder Cup champions’ roster. Sproul tried to make the Calgary Flames NHL roster early in training camp, but was let go. The 25-year-old blueliner has appeared in 44 NHL games over his career, but the Detroit Red Wings traded him to the New York Rangers a few weeks into the season last year due to his defensive deficiencies. He played 49 games between the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Hartford Wolfpack last season, posting 11 goals and 29 points and was then called up to the Rangers, where he played 16 games for the rebuilding Rangers.
  • Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the Vancouver Canucks have recalled center Adam Gaudette after the team lost fourth-line center Jay Beagle to a broken hand or wrist in Saturday’s game. While there is no official word of Beagle’s injury, the team knew it needed to replace him. Gaudette signed with the Canucks after he finished his junior year at Northeastern University and played five games for Vancouver. He was one of the team’s last cuts during training camp and returns after posting two goals and four points in four games with the Utica Comets of the AHL.
  • With a rash of injuries to multiple players, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled Joseph Blandisi from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The team is expected to scratch center Carter Rowney with an upper-body injury, which means the team needs Blandisi. The 24-year-old center was part of the Sami Vatanen – Adam Henrique trade last season, but he hasn’t been able to crack the rotation with the Ducks yet. He had two assists in three games with the Gulls so far this year.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled forward Sheldon Dries from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. The 24-year-old was sent down just two days ago, but was brought back for their road trip while the team awaits the return of Sven Andrighetto. Dries has already played in three games for the Avalanche, but hasn’t put up any points. Dries scored 19 goals for the Texas Stars last season, who were the Calder Cup runners-up, but opted to find a better opportunity as a free agent this summer.
  • After a pair of games in the minors, defenseman Jake Bischoff is on his way back to Vegas, their AHL affiliate in Chicago announced.  The 24-year-old earned a spot on the Golden Knights roster to start the season but hasn’t gotten into any games with the big club just yet so they sent him down for the weekend to stay in playing shape.

Devils Notebook: Trading Down, Schneider, Injuries, Kovalchuk

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The New Jersey Devils had a large group of draft picks last year when they possessed 11 picks, including the first-overall pick in which they netted center Nico Hischier. Now the team finds itself with just six draft picks this year after trading away their second and third round picks to add veteran players this season. The maneuvers worked as the team won 10 out of their last 15 games to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in six years. While the team does have the 17th pick in this year’s draft, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes that general manager Ray Shero is willing to consider trading down in this draft to recoup some of their lost draft picks.

“If you’re going to move up, great, but what’s the cost to move up?” Shero said. “Hey, we’d love to move down and get more assets, but you’re never going to know that until you’re on the draft floor and it’s coming to your pick.”

The team moved its third-round pick back in November when they traded centers Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to Anaheim for defenseman Sami Vatenen, which helped solidify their defense. The team then moved its second-rounder at the trade deadline to pick up Michael Grabner, but the winger struggled when he arrived in New Jersey. After scoring 25 goals in 59 games with the New York Rangers, he potted just two in 23 games with the Devils.

  • In the same article, Morreale adds that after a successful four-hour discussion with Taylor Hall after the 2016-17 season about his future, Shero had a discussion with goaltender Cory Schneider after this season. The conversation with Hall did create a change as he put up career numbers and is now a Hart Trophy candidate. Shero hopes a conversation with his goalie will produce similar results. “I basically have higher expectations for him and so does he,” Shero said. “We need better and he knows that. But it’s not like I’m mad at him. It’s just something needs to change. Whether it’s how he trains in the summer or something. When you turn 30-plus years old, guys need to do things differently.”
  • Shero also updated Morreale on the status of Schneider, Hall and Patrick Maroon, who each had surgery recently. Schneider had surgery to remove cartilage in his left hip, while Hall had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his hand. Maroon underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. “I won’t know (if Schneider will be ready for the start of training camp) until we get closer and as we go through the summertime to see how he’s doing. He could return sooner or at the tail end of the (five-month) window. (Coach) John Hynes was up to see Hall this week and he told me everything is going well. In Hall’s case, everything points to him being ready for the start of training camp. Maroon is going to come back to New Jersey on June 11 to make sure everything is going well.”
  • Morealle also asked Shero whether the team is interested in former star Ilya Kovalchuk, who is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team. “I’ve not reached out to Kovalchuk’s representatives and I’ve not heard from them, so there you go,” Shero said.
  • Shero also told Morreale that the team chose not to sign 2016 fourth-rounder Evan Cormier to a contract (thereby allowing him to re-enter the draft this year) because he’s happy with the pipeline of goaltenders the franchise already has in MacKenzie Blackwood, Ken Appleby, Cam Johnson and Gilles Senn.

 

Minor Transactions: 12/20/17

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Despite the NHL being in their holiday roster freeze, there are still minor moves that can be made. As we’ve discussed before, players can still be recalled from the minor leagues during this time, and those who were recalled after December 11th can still be loaned to the AHL until 11:59pm eastern on December 23rd. Thus, the league is not completely frozen and we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Gabriel Carlsson from the AHL, due to an injury to Zach Werenski that will keep him out of the lineup tonight against Toronto. Carlsson played 10 games with the Blue Jackets earlier this season, and is another highly touted defenseman in their system. Though he has quite a few excellent players ahead of him, expect Carlsson to make an impact on the Blue Jackets before long.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have assigned Michael Chaput to the minor leagues, meaning either the move technically went through last night or Chaput had been up previously on emergency conditions. He’d previously been called up on December 6th, and played in three games with the club.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Kevin Gravel from the AHL, bringing the hulking defenseman up for the first time this year. Gravel played 49 games with the NHL club last season, but has been toiling in the minor leagues all year, scoring nine points in 24 games. With Christian Folin headed to injured reserve yesterday, the Kings needed a seventh defenseman for the time being.
  • Tomas Hyka has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Vegas Golden Knights, after sitting out last night’s match against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hyka still hasn’t made his NHL debut after signing out of Europe in the summer, but has 12 points in 16 games for the Chicago Wolves.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been sent to the minor leagues by the Anaheim Ducks, something Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register suspected yesterday. Blandisi has dealt with injury since coming over from the Devils in the Adam Henrique–Sami Vatanen trade, and only played in three games with the Ducks.
  • Shane Prince is back with the New York Islanders after a lengthy conditioning stint, where he registered two points in four AHL contests. Prince spent ten days in the minor leagues with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but is ready to return and contribute for the surging Islanders.

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