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Nick Cicek

Minor Transactions: 7/18/24

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As expected, signing activity across the NHL has largely dried up with training camps still more than a month and a half away.  However, there are some NHL-drafted prospects and players formerly on NHL contracts that have found new places to play in recent days.  We’ll run through those moves here.

  • Free agent blueliner Nick Cicek has signed a one-year deal with Adler Mannheim, the DEL team announced. The 24-year-old started last season in San Jose’s system before being moved to Vancouver where he remained in the AHL.  Between the two teams, Cicek had four goals and 12 assists in 67 games, resulting in him being non-tendered last month.  Cicek does have 16 career NHL appearances under his belt, all coming in the 2022-23 campaign where he had four assists.
  • Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has signed with OHL Windsor for the upcoming season, per a team announcement. Protas, whose brother is a regular in Washington, was a third-round pick last month, going 75th overall.  The 18-year-old, who signed his entry-level deal with the Caps earlier this month was the third-overall selection in the CHL Import Draft and the top selection from an OHL-based club following a strong showing with USHL Des Moines.  In 61 games with the Buccaneers last season, Protas had 14 goals and 37 assists.
  • Still with Washington, the Capitals farm team in Hershey was busy today as the team announced six signings, all on one-year contracts. Joining the Bears are forwards Grant Cruikshank, Austin Magera, Micah Miller, Justin Nachbaur, and Tyler Weiss, along with defenseman Jayden Lee.  The five forwards played professionally last year – primarily at the ECHL level – while Lee is turning pro after a five-year stint at Quinnipiac.
  • After being non-tendered by Dallas last month, free agent forward Max Ellis has found a new place to play as he has joined Jukurit in Finland, per a team release.  The 24-year-old spent last season in Toronto’s system, getting into 36 games in the AHL with the Marlies where he had four goals and ten assists.  His signing rights were thrown into the draft day trade for the rights to Chris Tanev but that was simply for contract-matching purposes.
  • Panthers prospect Vladislav Lukashevich has changed his college commitment. Nathaniel Bott of the Lansing State Journal relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner will now play at Michigan State next season instead of Northern Michigan.  The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2021, going 120th overall and spent last season with USHL Tri-City where he had 11 goals and 32 assists in 54 games.

Canucks Recall 13 Black Aces Ahead of Game 2

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The Vancouver Canucks have brought up reinforcements from the minor leagues following the Abbotsford Canucks’ elimination from the AHL playoffs, recalling 13 players (Twitter link). The full list includes forwards Arshdeep Bains, Linus Karlsson, Danila Klimovich, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Vasily Podkolzin, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson; defenders Nick Cicek, Matt Irwin, Cole McWard, Elias Pettersson, and Christian Wolanin; and goaltender Zach Sawchenko.

The list features four of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks top five scorers, following the team’s elimination from the AHL’s Pacific Division Finals at the hands of the Ontario Reign. Abbotsford went on a strong postseason run after tying for fourth in the AHL in goals scored during the regular season. Now, their best and brightest will bolster a Vancouver lineup that’s currently up 1-0 on the Oilers. Thatcher Demko is the only Canuck currently out with injury, likely keeping any of today’s recalls from slotting into the lineup right away. But the team will have a wide array of options to choose from should they need a fill-in – ranging from highly-skilled prospects in Lekkerimäki and Räty, to hard-nosed forwards Bains and Podkolzin, to rangy defenders Irwin and Pettersson.

While Podkolzin, Bains, Karlsson, and McWard have each played in NHL games this season, the former is the only one to earn a significant role. Podkolzin played in 19 games and recorded two assists this season, averaging just under 11 minutes of ice time. He’d likely be the first bet for a fill-in should Vancouver need a forward, while Irwin – the only member of the list with Stanley Cup Playoffs experience – likely leads the defenders.

San Jose Sharks Reassign Jack Studnicka To AHL

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The San Jose Sharks have reassigned center Jack Studnicka to their AHL affiliate the San Jose Barracuda (CapFriendly). The 24-year-old dressed in nine games since joining San Jose but was unable to find the scoresheet during that time while playing over 11 minutes a night. Studnicka struggled at even strength as he spent the majority of his ice time buried in the defensive zone and registered a -6.

The Windsor, Ontario native originally started the year with the Vancouver Canucks and dressed in five games this season with the team scoring a single goal. He was traded by the Canucks on December 15th for Nick Cicek and a sixth-round pick in 2024 and has remained in the NHL since the move. Studnicka’s demotion will give him his first chance to play with the Barracuda and could be an opportunity for him to get back on track offensively. In nine games with the Abbotsford Canucks this season, Studnicka had a goal and six assists.

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL entry draft, Studnicka has bounced between three different organizations and has struggled to score at the NHL level with just six goals and 10 assists in 99 career NHL games. However, at the AHL level he has been a very effective offensive contributor with 35 goals and 68 assists in 126 career AHL games.

Studnicka being sent down might just lead to an opportunity for Kevin Labanc to get back into the Sharks lineup as he has been a healthy scratch for the last four games. The Sharks could also call someone else back up as they look to break out of another ten-game losing streak.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Jack Studnicka

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Confirmation coming by way of the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks will acquire forward Jack Studnicka in exchange for defenseman Nick Cicek, and a sixth-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Acquired by the Canucks in October of last season, Studnicka was originally a member of the Boston Bruins, playing in a total of 38 games wearing the spoked ’B’. Last season in Vancouver, Studnicka played in a total of 47 games, scoring four goals and eight points overall.

Unfortunately for Studnicka, even after a solid showing at preseason camp, he became a victim of the glut of forwards in the Vancouver organization. With 13 players already on the roster, and a few above still above him in the organizational depth chart, Studnicka’s future with the team was entirely blocked.

Now in San Jose, even with a healthy roster, Studnicka should still have access to adequate playing time. However, with three forwards already on the team’s injured reserve, the Sharks now have even more of a need to round out their forward depth as we approach the dog days of the regular season.

Averaging just under 11 and a half minutes of ice time per game throughout his career, Studnicka should continue to average similar ice time in the Bay Area. Given the current makeup of San Jose’s roster, Studnicka should effectively replace either Justin Bailey or Givani Smith in the team’s bottom six of their forward core.

Going the other way to the Canucks, Cicek suited up in 16 games for the Sharks last season, notching four assists before November 30th. Although born in Winnipeg, Cicek spent his junior career playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, a little under a six-hour drive to Vancouver over the border.

Only playing for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, this season, Cicek has suited up in 18 games, scoring one goal and three points. Given the Canucks’ current depth in their defensive core, it is likely that Cicek will suit up for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

San Jose Sharks Recall Derrick Pouliot, Reassign Nick Cicek

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1:03 p.m.: The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka reports today that Pouliot will draw in tonight against Colorado, meaning MacDonald is officially out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury.

12:29 p.m.: The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding transaction, defenseman Nick Cicek was reassigned to the Barracuda.

This is Pouliot’s first recall since signing with the Sharks last Thursday. Pouliot was immediately waived and cleared the following day, re-joining the Barracuda on an NHL contract.

Pouliot, 29, signed an AHL contract with the Barracuda last offseason. His season there has been productive, although he missed nearly two months with an injury that’s limited him to 28 games. The veteran of 267 AHL games has 21 points and a -9 rating in those 28 appearances with the Barracuda.

It’s his second straight season signing an AHL contract that was converted into an NHL contract later in the year. Pouliot started 2021-22 on a deal with the Henderson Silver Knights before signing a contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in mid-March. However, the Seattle Kraken claimed him on waivers just a few days later when Vegas attempted to return him to the minors.

Pouliot was an eighth overall draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2012, mainly due to his offensive acumen during his time in juniors with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. However, Pouliot’s defensive game never developed enough to build a sustainable NHL career,  last appearing full-time with the Vancouver Canucks in 2018-19.

He could make his season debut tonight against the Colorado Avalanche, depending on the status of former Colorado defender Jacob MacDonald. The 30-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury in last night’s 3-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets.

If MacDonald can’t go, Pouliot would be the only healthy defender available on the roster to replace him. Radim Simek is also out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury.

Cicek heads back down to the Barracuda after he served as a scratch for last night’s game. His recall lasted two days.

San Jose Sharks Recall Nick Cicek, Nikolai Knyzhov

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The San Jose Sharks recalled defensemen Nick Cicek and Nikolai Knyzhov from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda on Sunday, per a team tweet.

As The Athletic’s Corey Masisak notes, the recalls give San Jose some extra defensemen on the roster as they embark on a three-game road swing. Defenseman Radim Simek also left yesterday’s 8-3 loss to Washington, and his status is still unknown.

For Knyzhov, it’s a chance to get into his first NHL games since his breakout campaign in 2020-21. After just three previous games of NHL experience, Knyzhov appeared in all 56 games during the COVID-shortened campaign, scoring 10 points and mostly played alongside Erik Karlsson.

He’s played just 12 games of hockey since then, all coming this year with the Barracuda. A groin injury cost him the entire 2021-22 campaign, and an offseason Achilles injury kept him out through the end of January 2023. He hadn’t recorded a point with the Barracuda, but the defensive-minded Knyzhov will still get a chance to show that he can still play a role in the NHL.

Cicek, 22, has four assists in 16 games with the Sharks this season. Signed this past offseason after an impressive performance on an AHL deal last year, Cicek has slid up to the seventh or eighth spot on the organization’s defense depth chart.

San Jose Sharks Reassign Nick Cicek

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Feb 21: Cicek has been returned to the AHL today, but Kaut stays for now. The latter’s San Jose debut went well, with Kaut playing more than 14 minutes in a win against the Seattle Kraken.

Feb 20: The San Jose Sharks may have a few absences today as Timo Meier deals with an upper-body injury, and Kevin Labanc was away for the birth of a child. Martin Kaut and Nick Cicek have been recalled from the minor leagues to give them some extra bodies.

This is Kaut’s first recall with the Sharks since being acquired last month from the Colorado Avalanche. In seven games with the San Jose Barracuda, the 23-year-old forward has put up six points – continuing his history of strong play in the minor leagues. Selected 16th overall in 2018, Kaut has never been able to translate that production to the NHL, however, scoring just three goals in 47 career games with the Avalanche.

In San Jose, he might have a much bigger opportunity, especially if the Sharks decide to sell several assets at the deadline. The story isn’t completely written on Kaut yet, but time is running out for him to live up to the sky-high potential from his draft year. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer and turns 24 before next season is set to begin, so if he wants to be a regular with the Sharks, this may be his best opportunity to prove it.

Cicek has bounced back and forth all season, playing in 15 games so far for the Sharks and recording four assists. The undrafted defenseman has shown well during his short professional career, adding physicality to the lineup in limited minutes. Still just 22, it has been an impressive rise for the former Portland Winterhawk, though the offense he produced at the AHL level in 2021-22 has completely disappeared. Through 21 games with the Barracuda this season, Cicek has just a single assist.

Snapshots: Makar, Lauko, Cicek, Berni

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The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Cale Makar for at least the next two games, as he deals with a head injury. Peter Baugh of The Athletic confirms that it is from the collision with Jeff Carter, and notes that while the star defenseman passed the initial concussion protocol, he woke up feeling unwell the next day. So far, he has only been ruled out through the rest of this road trip, which ends on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

Makar has 45 points in 45 games so far this season and is playing an incredible 27 minutes a night for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has maintained a point-per-game pace through his first four seasons in the league and will likely once again receive Norris Trophy votes. Here are some more minor notes from around the league:

  • The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko, and had him skating on the fourth line as the team awaits the return of Jake DeBrusk. The latter’s flight was canceled, meaning he missed practice today, and head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that DeBrusk isn’t expected to play against Washington on Saturday night.
  • Nick Cicek is back up with the San Jose Sharks after spending the All-Star break in the AHL. The young defenseman has played 14 games this season for the Sharks, last appearing on January 24 and playing just under 15 minutes. Still looking for his first NHL goal, he’ll join San Jose as they continue this road trip in Florida today and Washington on Sunday afternoon.
  • Similarly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have brought Tim Berni back up, ahead of their back-to-back against the Maple Leafs that starts tomorrow night. The 22-year-old defenseman has played 28 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring his first NHL goal and racking up 18 penalty minutes.

Snapshots: Flames, Cicek, Brickley

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The Calgary Flames had one of the wildest offseasons we’ve seen in quite some time, watching two 100-point players go elsewhere and bringing in three All-Star-level talents to try and replace them. It hasn’t gone perfectly, with Jonathan Huberdeau especially looking a little uncomfortable with his new team, but things are starting to move in the right direction.

At least, that’s what general manager Brad Treliving explained to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis in a long Q&A. Treliving also admitted that the team is still on the lookout for a top-nine forward to add to the group, though hinted that it could be an internal candidate. Jakob Pelletier, the 21-year-old first-round pick from 2019 continues to score at a high rate in the minor leagues but has yet to receive an opportunity in the NHL.

  • The yo-yo session continues for Nick Cicek, who was recalled again by the San Jose Sharks today. That’s already three transactions since the month began for the young defenseman, who is getting his first chance at the NHL level and has four points in ten games so far.
  • Daniel Brickley, once a hyped college free agent signing by the Los Angeles Kings, will continue his career with the famous MODO Hockey in Sweden’s second league after a move from Vasterviks IK today. Brickley, now 27, played five games for the Kings in the years following his excellent career at Minnesota State-Mankato but quickly found himself falling down depth charts and toiling in the ECHL. He left for Sweden this season and has scored 28 points in 31 games so far.

San Jose Sharks Reassign Nick Cicek

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Jan 4: A couple of days later, Cicek is on his way back to the minor leagues. It is interesting that they waited so long, given they haven’t played since Sunday, but they can now save a bit of money while waiting for their next game.

Jan 1: The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Nick Cicek from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, according to a team tweet Sunday.

Cicek returns to the Sharks roster after two weeks in the minors. The 22-year-old left-shot defenseman has four assists this season, coming in his first 10 NHL games.

An undrafted free agent out of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, he had a strong professional debut campaign with the Barracuda in 2021-22. His offense hasn’t carried over in the minors this season, though, where he’s without a point in 15 games.

With Radim Simek continuing to deal with some injury issues, Cicek could slot in on the team’s third pairing alongside Mario Ferraro if the team opts to play him over the veteran Scott Harrington.

San Jose is in action tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, but is off for five days after.

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