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Minor Transactions: 2/18/25

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The transaction wire is active again today, with many teams hosting their first practices in over a week. The regular season schedule after the 4 Nations Face-Off resumes this weekend, so the players who teams reassigned to the minors over the break to continue playing will be added back to rosters today and tomorrow to make them eligible to practice with their NHL teammates. Here are all of today’s moves that largely constituted reversals of pre-break demotions.

  • The Hurricanes announced they’ve promoted defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL Chicago. While he’d been off the roster for a few days already prior to the break, he’s been a frequent traveler between Carolina and Chicago this season. He was last rostered for a game on Jan. 28 against the Rangers – his season debut, in which he recorded a fight and a shot on goal in 7:40 of ice time. A routine healthy scratch/extra defenseman, Stillman is close to requiring waivers again to head to the minors after clearing them in November. The 26-year-old has 2-3–5 with 41 PIMs and a minus-three rating in 20 AHL contests this year.
  • The Stars announced they’ve recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel from AHL Texas. He was quietly shuttled down on Feb. 8 after making eight straight appearances for Dallas leading into the break. The 2022 first-rounder has 2-3–5 and a plus-six rating through his first 16 career NHL games, all coming this season, and will continue in a regular role for the time being with Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundkvist on the shelf.
  • The Canucks announced they’ve promoted all of center Nils Åman, forward Arshdeep Bains, and defenseman Elias Pettersson from AHL Abbotsford. They also added goalie Arturs Silovs from the Baby Canucks on an emergency loan and will have Nikita Tolopilo around as a practice goaltender until Kevin Lankinen is ready to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, although the latter won’t take up a roster spot. Åman and Pettersson were sent to Abbotsford on Feb. 8, but this is Bains’ first recall since late November. The 24-year-old winger had one goal and a minus-four rating in 11 games earlier this season but has remained a near point-per-game threat in the minors, posting 7-20–27 in 32 AHL games. He’ll now get another crack at NHL minutes in the final season of his entry-level contract. Silovs, who’s struggled to the tune of a 1-4-1 record and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season, will come up to serve as Lankinen’s No. 2 with Thatcher Demko still dealing with the undisclosed injury that caused him to leave Vancouver’s last pre-break game against the Maple Leafs. Tolopilo’s stay will be brief, and the 24-year-old will return to Abbotsford as soon as Lankinen is available.
  • The Penguins called up winger Emil Bemström and goalie Joel Blomqvist from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and returned netminder Tristan Jarry to the minors in a corresponding transaction, the team announced. It’s a pure reversal of the moves Pittsburgh made after their last game on Feb. 8. Bemström has no points and two shots in two games since being recalled for the first time this season on Feb. 7, while Blomqvist has a 3-8-0 record with a .896 SV% and 3.54 GAA in 11 appearances on the year. The 23-year-old has struggled since taking over for Jarry on the roster, posting a .868 SV% in three starts since the veteran was waived in mid-January. The 29-year-old Jarry will continue to bide his time in the minors as he awaits another NHL chance, knocking on the door with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA in nine games.
  • The Rangers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford. The 22-year-old comes up to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup with Igor Shesterkin not ready to return from the upper-body injury that kept him out of New York’s final game before the break. He’s sporting a .914 SV%, 2.73 GAA, three shutouts, and a 13-7-5 record in 25 showings with Hartford this year.
  • The Blackhawks summoned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from AHL Rockford, a team announcement states. Chicago sent the 22-year-old down at the beginning of the break for additional playing time in the minors, where he posted three shots and a plus-one rating in four games over the past couple of weeks. He has one assist in six NHL games since first being called up in late January and will continue competing for bottom-pairing minutes while Louis Crevier is on injured reserve with a concussion.
  • The Bruins recalled defenseman Michael Callahan, center Matthew Poitras, and left-winger Riley Tufte from AHL Providence – the latter coming up under emergency conditions, per the team. Goaltender Michael DiPietro will also practice with the team while Jeremy Swayman remains with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off but won’t count against the active roster. Callahan’s and Poitras’ recalls are reversals of pre-break assignments, with the former’s recall serving as confirmation that Hampus Lindholm won’t be ready to come off LTIR before Saturday’s game against the Ducks. Tufte’s recall is his first since November, and his inclusion is a solid indication that Charlie McAvoy will be IR-bound after sustaining an upper-body injury and subsequent infection at the 4 Nations.
  • The Jets announced they’ve recalled Kaapo Kähkönen from AHL Manitoba to serve as a practice player with Connor Hellebuyck slated to start for the Americans in Thursday’s 4 Nations championship. He’s played one NHL game since signing a one-year, $1MM deal in Winnipeg last offseason – although it was for the Avalanche, who claimed him off waivers in October but lost him back to the Jets on the wire the following month. The 28-year-old has taken a tumble in Manitoba with a .885 SV% in 20 games – a worse save percentage than he posted on last year’s league-worst Sharks.
  • The Sharks announced they’ve recalled forward Collin Graf and defenseman Jack Thompson from AHL San Jose. They were both assigned to the minors after their final pre-break game, although notably, veteran Andrew Poturalski remains in the minors after being demoted along with Graf and Thompson. The rookies are both likely to play next Sunday against the Flames.
  • Utah announced they’d recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson after the previously reported summons of goaltender Jaxson Stauber. His reinstatement to the roster suggests Logan Cooley won’t be quite ready to return from his lower-body injury this weekend against the Kings, but general manager Bill Armstrong said yesterday he’s not expected out for much longer. Doan has 4-5–9 in 25 NHL games and 11-15–26 in 28 AHL games this year.
  • The Blues will have goaltender Will Cranley join them for practice while Jordan Binnington remains with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the club announced. Cranley, 22, was a sixth-round pick of 2020 and is in his second season of pro hockey. He’s spent almost all of his time in the ECHL, where he has a .911 SV% and 2.28 GAA in 16 appearances with the Florida Everblades this year.
  • The Predators recalled goalie Matt Murray to join them as a practice player while Juuse Saros returns from repping the Fins at the 4 Nations, Emma Lingan of The Hockey News reports. Murray has yet to appear in a game for Nashville after spending the past few years in the Stars organization but has been recalled a few times as injury insurance this season. The 27-year-old has a sparkling .930 SV%, 2.17 GAA, two shutouts, and a 17-7-6 record for Milwaukee.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forwards Gage Goncalves and Gabriel Fortier to join as practice players. Goncalves has served as Tampa Bay’s extra forward for much of the year. His NHL career is still young, and his one goal and seven points in 33 games with the Lightning marks the first scoring of his career. Goncalves has also scored 18 points in 14 AHL games this year. Fortier has spent his whole season in the minors and scored 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games. He ranks third on the Syracuse Crunch in goals and seventh in points.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Canucks Reassign Linus Karlsson, Recall Nils Åman

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The Canucks swapped depth forwards on the active roster Wednesday, reassigning Linus Karlsson to AHL Abbotsford and recalling Nils Åman in his place, per a team announcement. Their active roster remains full.

Karlsson, 25, has suited up in seven straight games for the Canucks, adding to his first two appearances of the season in December. He’s scored once in his nine combined appearances, notching a plus-one rating and eight shots on goal while averaging 9:59 per game.

The 6’1″, 178-lb forward can play both wings but has routinely skated on the right this year with Nils Höglander at left-wing and either Teddy Blueger or Elias Pettersson down the middle. His possession impacts haven’t been significant, controlling only 48.9% of shot attempts at even strength despite a 59.6 oZS%.

In the minors, the former Swedish Hockey League Rookie of the Year has produced over a point per game with Abbotsford since the beginning of last season. His 18 points in 17 games this year are good for a team-leading 1.06 per game, still ranking third with 12 goals despite his significant time spent on the NHL roster. He had 60 points in 60 AHL games last year to lead the team in scoring.

Karlsson was a third-round pick of the Sharks in 2018 but was acquired less than a year later in a swap of Swedish prospects, sending out Jonathan Dahlén the other way. He’s now in his third professional season in North America after coming over from his native Sweden in 2022.

Åman has far more NHL experience than his counterpart, skating in 116 games for the Canucks over the past three seasons. His role with the club has steadily decreased since appearing in 68 games as a rookie in 2022-23, though, and he’s spent most of the season in Abbotsford with only five NHL appearances to his name. He has two assists and a minus-three rating in that quintet of contests, averaging 10:42 per game and going 10-for-23 on faceoffs.

The 6’2″ center has seven goals and 21 assists for 28 points in 32 AHL games, leading the team in outright scoring. He and Karlsson both came over from the SHL in the same offseason, although he was signed as a free agent after the Avalanche, who selected him in the sixth round in 2020, relinquished his signing rights.

With only 12 forwards on the roster, Åman will presumably draw into the lineup Thursday against the Sharks for the first time since Nov. 9.

Canucks Recall Jonathan Lekkerimäki

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Nov. 11: The Canucks announced they’ve reversed the Silovs/Young flip, adding the Latvian back to the NHL roster while sending Young back to Abbotsford. Silovs played in yesterday’s game against the Oilers’ affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, making 23 saves on 25 shots en route to a 4-2 win.

Nov. 10: The Canucks have shuffled their roster in a big way, announcing the recall of 2022 first-round pick Jonathan Lekkerimäki from AHL Abbotsford. He’s likely slated to make his NHL debut on Tuesday against the Flames.

They’ve also switched out their backup netminders. Arturs Silovs has been assigned to Abbotsford after a tough start to the season, while 20-year-old Ty Young has been recalled to serve as Kevin Lankinen’s No. 2 for now.

Arshdeep Bains and Nils Åman were also sent down to Abbotsford in corresponding transactions, giving them an open roster spot. That spot will likely be used to activate Dakota Joshua, who’s on the verge of returning after undergoing offseason surgery to remove testicular cancer, from injured reserve.

It’s far from an unexpected recall for Lekkerimäki. While he was banged up enough to miss last night’s contest for Abbotsford, he’s ready to go and should be available Tuesday. Most thought he would get the summons from the AHL after the Canucks dealt Daniel Sprong to the Kraken for future considerations on Friday, freeing up a lineup spot for a scoring winger. The 20-year-old Lekkerimäki has thrived this season, posting five goals and two assists in seven AHL contests.

Lekkerimäki is in his first full season in North America. The Swedish right-winger spent last season with Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League, where he broke out to lead the club in scoring with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games. The 5’11”, 172-lb sniper closed out the year with a pair of points in six games for Abbotsford after his SHL campaign ended, but he’s taken leaps in his development over the summer. He’ll look to help jumpstart a Canucks offense that’s lagging slightly from last season, scoring 3.23 goals per game compared to 2023-24’s 3.40 mark.

While the Canucks would like to get a little more offense going, their goaltending situation is of much higher concern. While Thatcher Demko remains on the shelf with his popliteus muscle injury, Lankinen had been quite good as their temporary starter, entering last night’s game with a .923 SV%. That number is down to .905 after he conceded seven goals on 27 shots yesterday to the Oilers. At the same time, Silovs had been borderline unplayable as Lankinen’s backup with a .808 SV%, 4.77 GAA and -7.2 GSAA in just three starts and one relief appearance.

It’s not what Vancouver expected out of Silovs after the 23-year-old was forced into playoff action last year, doing well to record a .898 SV% and 2.91 GAA in 10 appearances after Demko and then-backup Casey DeSmith exited with injuries. The 2019 sixth-round pick doesn’t require waivers to head to the minors until next season, so the Canucks will take advantage of his exemption and ferry him back to Abbotsford to get him some additional development time. Silovs, who signed a two-year, $1.7MM contract after becoming a restricted free agent over the summer, now has a 3.17 GAA and .876 SV% in 13 regular-season NHL games dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Meanwhile, Young gets his first NHL recall just two games into his professional career. The 2022 fifth-round pick started the season on assignment to Kalamazoo, where he was lights out with a .974 SV% and 1.01 GAA in a pair of games. He was briefly recalled to Abbotsford last week but will bypass that level entirely for now, as he’s set to dress for his first NHL contest while Lankinen assumedly returns to action against Calgary. The 6’3″ netminder posted a .903 SV%, 2.79 GAA, one shutout, and a 23-11-0 record in 37 games for the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League last season.

Bains has been subject to more than a few paper transactions this season, but with Joshua’s return pending, this demotion might be more permanent. The 23-year-old forward has one goal in seven games this season while averaging 11:40 per night.

Meanwhile, Åman returns to Abbotsford after being summoned solely for yesterday’s matchup with Edmonton. The 24-year-old center cleared waivers last week after sitting in the press box for four straight games. He has two assists and a -3 rating in five NHL showings for the Canucks this year and two assists in two games for Abbotsford.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Canucks Recall Nils Aman And Arshdeep Bains

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The Canucks have been quite busy on the transactions front over the last couple of weeks, shuffling players back and forth to save cap space and, in some cases, pause the waiver clock of certain players.  But with Friday’s trade of Daniel Sprong, they had a roster spot to try to fill on top of the usual paper moves.  They’ve done so by announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of center Nils Aman and winger Arshdeep Bains from AHL Abbotsford.

Aman cleared waivers last weekend after spending the first few weeks of the season in the NHL.  The 24-year-old had a very limited role over that stretch, however, only getting into four games and being scratched for the rest.  He had two assists in those outings on the fourth line but is more known for being a defensive player than a point producer at the top level.  Aman got into two games with Abbotsford following the demotion, picking up a pair of helpers there as well.

As for Bains, he has been no stranger to the shuffle as this is his fifth recall of the season already.  The 23-year-old has a goal in seven games so far this season while collecting 12 hits and averaging 11:40 per night.  Despite the frequent assignments to Abbotsford, Bains has played for them just once so far; he had a goal and two helpers in that contest.

With the promotions, Vancouver is now back to a full 23-player roster.  That said, with the frequency of their moves over the first few weeks of the season, that’s unlikely to be the case for too long.

Canucks’ Nils Aman Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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11/3: Aman has cleared waivers and been assigned to the AHL, per a team release.

11/2: With Dakota Joshua nearing a return to the lineup, the Canucks need to open up a roster spot for him.  It appears that Nils Aman will be the one losing his spot as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed him on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to AHL Abbotsford.

The 24-year-old has taken an interesting route to the NHL.  Originally drafted in the sixth round by Colorado in 2020, Aman didn’t sign with them and then signed with Vancouver two years later.  After a short stint in the minors to start 2022-23, he was up with the big club the rest of the way, getting into 68 games.  Aman also spent time in the AHL last season, collecting 15 points in as many games while also getting into 43 NHL contests, tallying four goals and three assists while his waiver exemption expired.

He signed a two-year, $1.65MM extension in late November, ensuring that he’d remain a low-cost option for Vancouver for a little while longer.  However, Aman has only played in four of their first nine games this season, although he does have a pair of assists but it evidently wasn’t enough to keep his roster spot secure.

As far as waiver placements go, this is one of the more intriguing ones.  Aman already has 115 career NHL games (and 25 points) under his belt and with a cap hit only $50K above the league minimum, he’s a player most teams could afford if they’re looking to either add a depth piece or shake up the back end of their forward group so he’s far from a guarantee to clear.

Interestingly, this isn’t a move that Vancouver necessarily had to make.  They’ve been sending two players back and forth from Abbotsford in recent days with one of them being winger Arshdeep Bains.  The Canucks could have simply elected to send Bains down when Joshua returns to create the roster spot.  Instead, it appears Bains will have a bit more of an opportunity to try to secure a full-time spot in the lineup.

West Notes: Joshua, Seguin, Montour

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Canucks forward Dakota Joshua participated in a full practice on Friday as he gets closer to returning from testicular cancer, relays Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.  The 28-year-old went from a depth player earlier in his career to a key part of Vancouver’s bottom-six forward group while setting career highs in goals (18), assists (14), points (32), and hits (235) in 63 games last season.  That helped him earn a four-year, $13MM extension back in June to avoid free agency.  Despite being LTIR-eligible, Vancouver never moved Joshua there so they won’t have to worry about having to get cap-compliant when he’s able to return which should happen sometime over the next few days.  With Nils Aman on waivers today, it appears they’re getting ready to open up the spot for Joshua to return.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Stars center Tyler Seguin was scratched from the second and final Global Series game today; the team announced (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 32-year-old is off to a good start to his season, notching five goals and four assists in seven games.  However, this is already the second time he has missed time to a lower-body issue after missing three games last month as well which could be cause for concern if it’s a problem that might linger for Seguin.
  • After missing Thursday’s game in Toronto for the birth of his second child, Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour has returned to the team and will play tonight versus Ottawa, notes team broadcaster Piper Shaw (Twitter link). The 30-year-old is in his first season with Seattle after signing a seven-year, $50MM contract on the opening day of free agency.  He has fared quite well with his new team so far, picking up four goals and five assists in his first ten games while recording a hat-trick on Tuesday against Montreal.  Since Montour was never removed from the active roster, no corresponding move is necessary for him to return.

Canucks Sign Nils Aman To Two-Year Extension

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Friday was a good day for Canucks center Nils Aman.  Early in the day, he was recalled from AHL Abbotsford to take the place of Pius Suter on the roster with Suter being placed on injured reserve.  He then made his season debut and picked up a pair of assists in a Vancouver victory.  In between that, the team announced that they signed Aman to a two-year contract extension.  While financial terms were not disclosed, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the one-way deal carries an AAV of $825K.

GM Patrik Allvin released the following statement about the signing:

Nils has worked hard on his development since we brought him into our organization. He is a smart two-way hockey player who uses his speed to his advantage. We will continue to work with Nils to help him grow and improve his game.

The 23-year-old was drafted by Colorado in the sixth round in 2020 (167th overall) but didn’t sign with the Avs in 2022, making him an unrestricted free agent.  Less than a week later, Vancouver inked him to a two-year entry-level deal; he’s in the final season of that agreement this year.

Aman spent most of last season with the Canucks, getting into 68 games where he had four goals and 14 assists in a little under 13 minutes a night of ice time.  He was a bit more productive in a short stretch in the minors, however, notching nine points in 17 contests during a six-week stint with them midseason.

With Vancouver adding more forward depth over the offseason, that pushed Aman to the AHL at the start of this season where he has been quite productive with 15 points in as many games, helping him to earn this promotion.

While it would be reasonable to assume that Aman will be sent down once Suter is cleared to return, that’s unlikely to be the case.  When he plays in his next game for Vancouver, he will lose his waiver exemption, meaning the Canucks would have to waive him to send him back to Abbotsford.  Considering this extension, it doesn’t feel like that’s a route they will want to take which means he might be up with the big club for good now.

Canucks Recall Three Players From AHL Abbotsford

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With the Canucks set to return to action on Monday against New Jersey, they’ve made a trio of roster moves, announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of forwards Vasily Podkolzin, Phillip Di Giuseppe, and Nils Aman from Abbotsford of the AHL.

Podkolzin is the headliner of the three.  The 21-year-old was a regular last season in Vancouver, picking up 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games in his rookie campaign and the 2019 first-rounder was expected to take a step forward this year.  However, he struggled out of the gate, notching just three assists in 16 games, resulting in him being sent to the AHL back in November.  While Podkolzin didn’t light up the scoresheet by any stretch, he still fared reasonably well with Abbotsford, picking up seven goals and 11 helpers in 28 contests prior to the recall.  Vancouver had just ten forwards on their roster before the recall so there’s a good chance that Podkolzkin will be in the lineup against the Devils.

This will be the third recall of the year for Di Giuseppe who had been sent back down when Vancouver hit the bye week.  The 29-year-old has played just one game with Vancouver so far, his first appearance at the top level since 2020-21.  Di Giuseppe has been quite productive in the minors, however, picking up 30 points in 33 games.  He has seen NHL action in seven of the last eight seasons, tallying 16 goals and 37 assists in 202 appearances.

Aman, meanwhile, somewhat surprisingly cracked Vancouver’s opening roster out of training camp in his first season in North America.  He got into 35 games with the team, logging just over 12 minutes a night but managed just a goal and four assists.  That resulted him in him being sent down in late December and the demotion seemed to help him a bit offensively as he was more productive with Abbotsford, collecting four goals and five helpers in 17 contests.

With these moves, Vancouver’s roster now sits at the maximum size of 23 players.

Vancouver Canucks Recall William Lockwood, Reassign Nils Aman

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The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of corresponding transactions today, recalling right wing William Lockwood from the Abbotsford Canucks and sending down center Nils Aman.

Lockwood is having a strong season in the minors, notching 12 goals in 24 games with Abbotsford. It’s already a career-high in the AHL for him.

He’s played once in the NHL this season, registering an assist and a +1 rating in a November 15 win against the Buffalo Sabres. He could easily add to that total over the next few days as he battles with players like Sheldon Dries and Jack Studnicka for a spot in the lineup.

Aman had played in all 35 Canucks games up until this point in the season, so it’s surprising to see him sent down without much indication. A 22-year-old free agent signing out of Sweden, Aman impressed in training camp and has a goal and four assists so far in his young NHL career.

He heads to Abbotsford where he’ll get more ice time and a bit more offensive opportunity.

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