Snapshots: Brossoit, Fines, Annunen
The Vegas Golden Knights have placed Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve, meaning he is out for at least the next week. The 29-year-old goaltender only just returned a week ago, and flashed one of the best saves of the year on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
An injury to Brossoit is certainly not what the Golden Knights need right now, but they at least don’t have a back-to-back situation for the next little while. Logan Thompson can carry the load, with Michael Hutchinson up serving as his backup.
- The Department of Player Safety handed out a pair of fines from the Vancouver-Dallas game last night. First is a $5,000 penalty to Colin Miller for elbowing, and second is a $2,027.03 fine to Christian Wolanin for slashing. The fines are based on player salary, and are each the maximum allowable under the CBA.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Justus Annunen again, as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend against Dallas and Seattle. The 22-year-old netminder has appeared just once this season, stopping 19 of 20 shots to secure a victory over the St. Louis Blues earlier this month.
Snapshots: Greenway, Jonsson-Fjallby, Avalanche
The San Jose Sharks are one of the most active teams on the market right now, and it’s not only because of Timo Meier. The team is expected to make several other moves, targeting young, cost-controlled NHL assets if possible. They’ve been linked heavily to Dante Fabbro of the Nashville Predators, and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period also believes they are interested in Jordan Greenway of the Minnesota Wild.
The 26-year-old Greenway is signed through 2024-25 and carries a $3MM cap hit, but his offense has completely dried up this season. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also referenced Greenway’s availability in a recent 32 Thoughts column, as the Wild try to position themselves for success this season with an eye on some hefty cap penalties coming down the pipe. With just two goals on the season, perhaps the 6’6″ forward doesn’t fit the team’s plan anymore.
- The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Axel Jonsson Fjallby once again, as Nino Niederreiter is now designated as a non-roster player as he deals with immigration issues. The newest Jet is expected to join the club early this week, though this move throws some uncertainty on when exactly that will be. Niederreiter was acquired from the Predators in exchange for a second-round pick yesterday.
- The Colorado Avalanche have sent Brad Hunt and Justus Annunen back to the minor leagues, as they await their game tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite having Gabriel Landeskog on LTIR, the Avalanche have set their cap up to accrue extra space in the meantime. A goaltender will be recalled tomorrow at the very least, though it could be Jonas Johansson if it’s just as a backup.
Avalanche Assign Jonas Johansson To AHL, Recall Justus Annunen
Following last night’s victory over Winnipeg where he dressed as the backup goaltender, the Avalanche returned goaltender Jonas Johansson to AHL Colorado, per the AHL’s transactions log. In a corresponding move, Justus Annunen has been recalled from the Eagles.
Johansson has spent the majority of the season in the minors, posting an impressive 2.50 GAA along with a .915 SV% in 23 games. The 27-year-old also has made one appearance with the Avs, kicking aside all seven shots he faced in 23 minutes while extending his streak to four years of seeing NHL action.
Annunen, meanwhile, saw his first NHL action of the season last Saturday against St. Louis, stopping 19 of 20 shots for the victory. The 22-year-old has put up similar numbers to Johansson with the Eagles with a 2.53 GAA and a .913 SV% in 29 contests. Still a prospect, it has made sense for the Avs to keep him in the minors and the older Johansson up with the big club to serve as the backup so this move suggests that Annunen might get the start tonight against Calgary.