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Sam Colangelo

Minor Transactions: 4/17/25

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With several teams seeing their 2024-25 seasons come to an end in recent days (with more to come tonight), there has been an influx of players being returned to the minors.  We’ll keep track of the moves that have not been already covered here.

  • The Ducks have returned wingers Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo to AHL San Diego, per a team release. Nesterenko played in a career-best 20 games with Anaheim this season, potting four goals and two assists.  With the Gulls, he has 13 goals and 21 assists in 48 contests.  As for Colangelo, he had ten goals and two helpers in 32 NHL outings while he’s just shy of a point per game in the minors with 35 points in 38 contests.
  • The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defensemen Kirill Kudryavtsev and Victor Mancini, forwards Aatu Raty, Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, and Ty Mueller, along with goaltender Nikita Tolopilo to AHL Abbotsford. Raty, Sasson, and Karlsson saw the most action with Vancouver this season with Raty being the most productive with 11 points in 33 appearances.  Mancini got into 16 games after being acquired in the J.T. Miller swap, while the other three all made their respective NHL debuts in recent days.  They will be big additions to an Abbotsford team who has been the hottest team in the league over the last several weeks.
  • The Devils announced that they’ve returned forwards Mike Hardman and Marc McLaughlin to AHL Utica. Both players were recalled on Wednesday and suited up in their regular season finale.  Hardman had an assist in two NHL games while contributing 35 points with the Comets.  As for McLaughlin, his NHL season wrapped up with two goals and three assists in 14 games between New Jersey and Boston while adding 19 points in 48 outings between their respective AHL franchises.

West Notes: Oilers, Stancl, Fischer, Colangelo

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Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch provided injury updates to several reporters, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link).  While centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid were ruled out for the week recently, Knoblauch clarified that Draisaitl will be the first one to come back, likely after this week ends or soon after; that suggests McDavid could miss a bit more time beyond that.  Meanwhile, newcomer Trent Frederic could still be multiple weeks away from skating with the team, calling into question if he’ll be able to get into game action before the end of the regular season.  Edmonton recently slipped into third place in the Pacific Division and they’ll have to find a way to at least stay close to getting that spot back while waiting for their two top players to return.

More from out West:

  • The Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield announced a pair of additions. First, St. Louis reassigned winger Jakub Stancl from WHL Kelowna to the Thunderbirds.  The 20-year-old signed his entry-level contract last year but spent the season with the Rockets where he potted 23 goals and 34 assists in 58 games.  This was his only year in major junior after playing professionally in Sweden last season.  His entry-level deal will officially begin in 2025-26 after sliding this season.  The Thunderbirds also added defenseman Lukas Fischer on an ATO for the remainder of the year.  The 18-year-old was a second-round pick last year, going 56th overall and spent this season with OHL Sarnia where he had 15 goals and 22 assists in 51 games.  If he sees game action with Springfield, it will be his first taste of professional action.
  • The Ducks will have winger Sam Colangelo back in the lineup tonight against Boston, relays Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). He had been out for the last two weeks with an upper-body injury.  Colangelo is in his first full professional season and has split time between Anaheim and AHL San Diego.  He has six goals and an assist in 20 games with the Ducks while being quite productive with the Gulls, tallying 19 goals and 16 helpers in 38 outings on the farm.

Ducks Recall Nikita Nesterenko

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With injuries mounting, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled winger Nikita Nesterenko from AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the team announced. He is in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Predators.

This marks the second recall on the year for Nesterenko, 23, who previously registered a goal and an assist during a seven-game stretch earlier this season. In 19 career games with the big club, he has registered three goals and four points.

He has fared much better offensively at the AHL-level, where he has 13 goals and 34 points in 48 games with the Gulls this season, along with 71 points in 118 career AHL games. He’s been particularly hot of late, ranking third among all AHL players in points (19) since the AHL’s all-star break.

The Ducks acquired Nesterenko, defender Andrej Sustr (who never dressed for the Ducks and is now playing overseas) and a 2025 fourth-round selection from the Wild for defenseman John Klingberg in March 2023. Nesterenko was selected by Minnesota in the sixth round (173rd overall) in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

While his recall may be deserving, it also comes with a degree of necessity as forwards Sam Colangelo and Ross Johnston are both out day-to-day with injuries. The 23-year-old Colangelo has scored 6 goals in 20 games this season and his injury comes at a particularly inopportune time, as he scored four goals in his last five games. This included his first career two-goal game at home against the Islanders on March 9. The right-handed winger was selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2020 draft.

Johnston, a veteran of 245 NHL games, has registered just four points in 45 games on the season. Now in his ninth NHL season and second with Ducks, Johnston has averaged just 8:41 of ice time on the year.

Ducks Recall Sam Colangelo, Place Robby Fabbri On IR

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The Ducks announced they’ve recalled right-winger Sam Colangelo from AHL San Diego. Left-winger Robby Fabbri is headed to injured reserve to make room on the active roster.

Fabbri, 29, left Tuesday’s loss to the Sabres with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. He wasn’t at practice today, either, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reports. The team hasn’t issued a return timeline, but the upper-body designation at least means it’s unrelated to the meniscus tear that kept him out of the lineup for over a month earlier this season. The IR placement rules him out for Anaheim’s next three games at a minimum. He’ll be eligible to return next Wednesday against the Canucks, the Ducks’ final game before the March 7 trade deadline.

In the meantime, Colangelo is added back to the roster for the first time since mid-January. The 23-year-old has been a frequent call-up option for Anaheim this season, making 12 appearances after skating in three games at the tail end of the 2023-24 campaign to begin his NHL career. He has a pair of goals across those 15 career contests, posting a minus-seven rating while averaging 11:17 per game.

A second-round pick out of the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League in 2020, Colangelo had a decorated collegiate career with Northeastern and Western Michigan. After a 43-point senior season at WMU that earned him Hobey Baker consideration, he hasn’t missed a beat in his transition to the pros. While not quite ready for a full-time NHL role, he’s been among San Diego’s most productive players with 19-16–35 through 38 games. He suited up in this year’s AHL All-Star Classic and leads the club in goals.

Anaheim is tight on roster space with Trevor Zegras suspended and goaltender John Gibson dealing with a short-term injury, so Colangelo will re-enter the lineup for the first time since Jan. 14 on a line with Cutter Gauthier and Isac Lundeström. That’s an elevation from the fourth line with Jansen Harkins and Ross Johnston, where he’s spent most of his time as a call-up this year.

Anaheim Ducks Reassign Sam Colangelo

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According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks have reassigned forward Sam Colangelo to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The roster move indicates one of Trevor Zegras or Brock McGinn will be activated from the injured reserve before Anaheim’s contest against the Florida Panthers tomorrow.

There is also a very real chance that this move could be performance-related. Colangelo has been more than impressive in his first full year in the AHL with 13 goals and 22 points in 24 games but that level of performance hasn’t translated to NHL action.

Colangelo has skated in 12 games for the Ducks this season over two separate call-ups. He went scoreless from November 19th to December 9th averaging 10:04 of ice time per game and managed only one in his recent four-game stretch averaging 12:46 of ice time per night.

As much as his AHL performance has given credibility to his being on an NHL roster, Anaheim simply needs more from Colangelo if they’re to keep him in the lineup. The Ducks have the league’s worst offense averaging 2.37 GF/G and need more production across the board.

Still, it won’t hurt Colangelo to return to the Gulls on a full-time basis. There are no expectations they’ll compete for playoff positioning in a tough AHL Pacific Division but Colangelo is still tied for the team lead in scoring with winger Sasha Pastujov.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Sam Colangelo

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Sam Colangelo is receiving another opportunity to prove his worth at the NHL level. The Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve recalled Colangelo from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

Colangelo has already accrued eight games with Anaheim this season thanks to a lengthier call-up in mid-November. He was given a consistent role in the team’s bottom six and picked up 14 hits and 10 shots on goal but failed to find the scoresheet.

The Ducks organization isn’t viewing Colangelo’s lack of production in the NHL as an indication of his talent level. The former 36th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft has been flat-out electric at the AHL level scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 24 games during his rookie campaign and is leading the Gulls in scoring.

While Colangelo may not be a top contender for the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award, which is given annually to the AHL’s most outstanding rookie, he is certainly in the running and could potentially earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team by the end of the season.

Unfortunately for Colangelo, unless another roster move is made before the team’s upcoming matchup against the St. Louis Blues tomorrow night, it’s unlikely he’ll crack the lineup given he’s the 14th forward on the active roster. Still, should Anaheim desire more offense in their bottom six, they could swap out Ross Johnston or Jansen Harkins on the team’s fourth line.

Ducks Activate Robby Fabbri, Reassign Sam Colangelo

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The Anaheim Ducks have activated forward Robby Fabbri off of injured reserve. Fabbri hasn’t played since November 10th, after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. He was expected to miss up to six weeks, but will instead return after just over a month out. To make room for the activation, Anaheim has sent 22-year-old forward Sam Colangelo back to the minor leagues. Colangelo was called up on November 19th and has played in eight games since then. He didn’t manage any scoring, with a -3, 10 shots on net, and 14 hits standing as his only notable stat changes.

Anaheim should get a much better chance to assess Fabbri now that he’s back to full health. The veteran was traded to Anaheim alongside a fourth-round draft pick on July 3rd, with goaltender Gage Alexander headed back to the Detroit Red Wings. Fabbri played in the first 14 games of Anaheim’s season before falling to injury, but only posted two goals, a -6, and six penalty minutes. He served as a core piece of the team’s middle six, averaging 16:33 in ice time and minutes on the second-unit penalty kill.

Fabbri is a veteran of nine NHL seasons. Many of those years have been cut short by injury, but he’s nonetheless managed a productive 100 goals and 202 points in 412 career games. Nearly all of that scoring – 146 points, to be exact – have come at even-strength. That 5v5 scoring, and his ability to fill roles on the wings or down the middle, have made Fabbri a routine fixture in NHL lineups, despite routine lower-body injuries.

Winger Brett Leason earned a bump in the lineup in Fabbri’s absence and made strong work of the opportunity. He recorded seven points in the first seven games of the promotion, proudly supporting Anaheim to a 4-2-1 record. Both he and the team have slowed down in the six games since – with Leason only posting one additional point. Still, he’s likely done enough to maintain his spot in the lineup while Fabbri eases his way back to 100 percent.

Minor Transactions: 11/19/24

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As teams continue to try to bank as much cap space as possible, there were quite a few paper moves made today.  We’ll run those down here.

  • The Flames announced that winger Adam Klapka was recalled from AHL Calgary. He was sent down on Saturday and got into two games, picking up two goals and an assist.  While Klapka is now on a five-game point streak at that level, he hasn’t recorded a point in his first five NHL contests so far this season.  He’s likely to serve as the reserve forward tonight versus the Islanders.
  • The Hurricanes are continuing their near-daily movement as they’ve recalled winger Jackson Blake and goaltender Spencer Martin from AHL Chicago, per the AHL’s transactions log. Blake has been sent down five times already but hasn’t played with the Wolves and with five goals and two assists in 17 games with Carolina, he probably won’t anytime soon.  Meanwhile, even though Carolina is using Pyotr Kochetkov and Martin as their tandem with Frederik Andersen injured, the Hurricanes haven’t moved Andersen to IR which allows them to continue to paper Martin down on off days while technically remaining compliant with roster minimums.
  • The Lightning have recalled winger Gage Goncalves, per a team release. He was sent back to the AHL on Sunday in a cost-clearing move and didn’t suit up while on assignment.  The 23-year-old has six assists in five games with Syracuse from earlier in the year and has been held off the scoresheet in his first four appearances with Tampa Bay.
  • A day after being papered back to the minors, Sam Colangelo is back up with the Ducks, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 22-year-old was initially recalled on Sunday but didn’t play in Monday’s game.  Colangelo is off to an impressive start to his first full professional campaign, tallying six goals and nine assists in 14 games with San Diego.
  • While not a direct paper transaction, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Maple Leafs have transferred winger Max Pacioretty to LTIR, freeing up the cap space for today’s recall of Fraser Minten. Pacioretty suffered a lower-body injury on November 9th and must now miss at least 10 games and 24 days from that point.

Ducks Place Mason McTavish On IR; Recall Sam Colangelo, Tyson Hinds

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The Ducks placed center Mason McTavish on injured reserve Sunday with an upper-body issue, the team announced. The move opened up a second spot on the active roster, and Anaheim used both open slots to recall right-winger Sam Colangelo and defenseman Tyson Hinds in corresponding moves.

McTavish, 21, has already sat out three games with the injury, which he sustained on Nov. 8 against the Wild. He was listed as day-to-day as late as Saturday, so the placement doesn’t indicate a change in his return timeline. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement from IR at any time, as he’s already missed more than seven days.

The third overall pick of the 2021 draft is the third Duck to land on IR in the past few days. He joins fellow forward Robby Fabbri, who underwent surgery on Friday to repair a torn meniscus and will miss the next six weeks, and defenseman Cam Fowler, who’s out for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

It’s been a good start to the season for McTavish, who’s averaging a career-high 16:18 per game and is tied for third on the team in points with eight (2 G, 6 A) in 13 appearances. The 6’0″, 213-lb pivot has won 48.3% of his faceoffs and has arguably earned a couple of more points than he’s produced, shooting 3.6 points below his career average of 12.3%.

He has been a slight drag on the team’s possession numbers, though. The Ducks are controlling 41.2% of shot attempts with McTavish on the ice at even strength compared to 45.5% without him. He had been centering a line between Fabbri and Trevor Zegras, with the former now moving up to center Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry with his linemates injured.

Whether Colangelo and Hinds will draw into the lineup Monday against the Stars remains to be seen, although it’s a decent possibility with head coach Greg Cronin continuing to shuffle lines in the wake of injuries. Colangelo, 23 next month, is off to a scorching-hot start in the minors with San Diego. The 2020 second-round pick leads the team with nine goals in 14 games and is second with points in 14, trailing only Jansen Harkins’ 17.

Colangelo, who checks in at 6’2″ and 205 lbs, is in his first full season of pro hockey. The Massachusetts native signed his entry-level contract last spring after transferring to Western Michigan for his senior season, leading them with 24 goals in 38 games. He made his NHL debut down the stretch in 2023-24, averaging 12:33 per contest and recording his first NHL goal in his first game on April 12 against the Flames.

It is, however, the first NHL recall for the 21-year-old Hinds. The lefty was a third-round pick in 2021 and is amid his second professional season, recording 10 points and a -8 rating in 71 appearances for San Diego last year. He’s yet to record an assist in 2024-25 but has already matched last year’s goal total with two in 13 games. The Quebec native, who’s on track to become the capable stay-at-home defender he was drafted to be, was ranked as the 14th-best prospect in Anaheim’s system in McKeen’s Hockey’s preseason ranking.

Ducks Sign Sam Colangelo To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward prospect Sam Colangelo to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins this year (Web link). Colangelo signed an amateur try-out contract with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls on April 1st – recording both a goal and an assist in his professional debut and since totaling four points in his first four AHL games. The Ducks are quickly rewarding the strong start, signing Colangelo to a deal that now allows him to be called up.

This move continues what’s been a whirlwind season for Colangelo, who served as the leading goal-scorer at Western Michigan University before turning pro. He totaled 24 goals and 43 points in 38 games with the Broncos, a significant boost from the 24 points he scored in 35 games at Northeastern University the year prior. Colangelo’s poised playmaking has always been his calling card, but he found a new layer this season – showing an added ability to calmly make plays in a high-tempo offense. He creatively uses space along the boards and at the top of the circles to open passing lanes, and effectively drives the slot when he’s not on the puck.  Those traits helped Colangelo fit right in with San Diego’s forecheck, as he adapted quickly to the AHL’s heavy zone play.

Colangelo will now prepare for his biggest test yet, with The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reporting that he could make his NHL debut on Friday (Twitter link). Stephens added that Colangelo was skating alongside Isac Lundeström and Jakob Silfverberg at practice, giving him veteran support as he tries to hang onto a lineup spot in Anaheim’s last three games of the season.

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