Red Wings Place Christian Fischer On IR, Recall Three Players
The Detroit Red Wings have announced that they’ve placed forward Christian Fischer on the injured reserve retroactive to December 23rd. The 26-year-old was hurt in Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils and will miss the next two games with the injury, making this upcoming Saturday the earliest he can return.
Fischer has dressed in 33 games and has two goals and six assists in his first season in the Motor City. It’s been a disappointing campaign so far for both Fischer and the Red Wings as both sides likely expected more when the Chicago, Illinois native was signed to a one-year deal back on July 2nd. Fischer had become an unrestricted free agent after he was non-tendered by the Arizona Coyotes.
In a trio of other roster moves the Red Wings recalled three players from their AHL affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins. Detroit has brought up forward Jonatan Berggren, center Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson under emergency conditions.
Czarnik and Edvinsson were sent down just two days ago, and their recall is a paper transaction. Berggren on the other hand hasn’t played with Detroit since December 14th. During his most recent recall, the former second-round pick had a good showing as he posted two goals and an assist in three games, despite averaging less than ten minutes of ice time per game. In seven games this season with Detroit, Berggren has two goals and two assists.
Detroit is back in action tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild and currently sits three points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Minor Transactions: 12/24/23
With no games on the NHL schedule until Wednesday, many teams snuck last-minute transactions in before the full roster freeze kicked in. We’ve covered a handful of them here throughout the day in Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and St. Louis; here’s a rundown of the remaining moves. All transactions are via the AHL’s transactions log unless otherwise noted.
- The Capitals returned winger Ivan Miroshnichenko and center Hendrix Lapierre to AHL Hershey. Both players were recalled on Tuesday with Miroshnichenko making his NHL debut. He was held off the scoresheet in his three appearances while Lapierre has five points in 14 games with Washington so far.
- The Red Wings re-assigned center Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson back to AHL Grand Rapids. Czarnik has been shuffled back and forth frequently this month and has one assist in 16 games with Detroit while Edvinsson, who was only brought up Saturday, made his season debut last night.
- The Kings loaned Jacob Moverare back to AHL Ontario after playing just shy of 15 minutes last night versus Calgary. The 25-year-old has been recalled and sent back down ten separate times each since mid-November.
- The Golden Knights have loaned goaltender Isaiah Saville back to AHL Henderson, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). He has been serving as their interim backup with both Adin Hill and Logan Thompson injured. As Thompson remains on the active roster, Saville was eligible to be sent back down. The 23-year-old was activated off SOIR earlier this month and has made three appearances for the Silver Knights.
- The Bruins sent three players back to AHL Providence – defensemen Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon along with center Patrick Brown. Lohrei has five points in 17 games so far in his first full professional campaign while Wotherspoon is logging nearly 16 minutes a night in eight games with Boston. As for Brown, he cleared waivers early in the season and has been brought up four separate times now; he has an assist in nine games at the top level so far.
- Boston also made one other transaction as they converted defenseman Ian Mitchell from an emergency recall to a regular one, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). Mitchell was recalled on Saturday and has two assists in 13 games with Boston so far. The Bruins will now be ineligible to send him down until after the roster freeze lifts.
- The Maple Leafs have returned center Pontus Holmberg to AHL Toronto. It’s the third time he has been sent back down since Wednesday as Toronto has been shuffling him up and down quite frequently. The 24-year-old has an assist in eight games with the big club so far.
- A day after recalling him, the Coyotes have sent center Justin Kirkland back to Tucson of the AHL. The 27-year-old had spent the full year with the Roadrunners prior to yesterday’s move, notching ten points in nine contests.
- Grant Hutton is once again on the move as the Islanders have sent him back to AHL Bridgeport, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). He has been recalled and re-assigned six times apiece in the last month and has been limited to just two appearances with New York so far this season.
Many of these transactions will be undone on the 27th or 28th as NHL teams return to action. In the meantime, these teams will save a bit of salary money and cap space with these demotions. Toronto and Ottawa’s moves could have AHL implications as well as their two affiliates will play on Tuesday so the players they sent down could suit up in that contest.
Red Wings Place Alex Lyon On IR, Recall Simon Edvinsson
The Red Wings have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their final game before the holiday break tonight against New Jersey. The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Alex Lyon has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to December 16th. Taking his place on the roster will be defenseman Simon Edvinsson who has been recalled from AHL Grand Rapids.
Lyon signed with Detroit as a free agent back in July in what was expected to be a third-string role. However, instead of going through waivers and playing with the Griffins, the Red Wings have elected to keep three goalies up with the big club. As a result, playing time has been quite difficult to come by for the 31-year-old. But to his credit, Lyon has played quite well when called upon, posting a 2.14 GAA and a .932 SV% in his seven appearances, numbers that are considerably better than teammates Ville Husso and James Reimer. With the placement being back-dated by a week, he’ll be eligible to be activated for their next game on Wednesday versus Minnesota.
As for Edvinsson, the 20-year-old is in his second full season in North America. The sixth pick in 2021, Edvinsson got into nine games with Detroit last year (meaning he didn’t burn the first year of his contract) and this is his first promotion of 2023-24. He has been quite productive with the Griffins with six goals and ten assists in 25 games, already passing his goal total from a year ago.
Atlantic Notes: Kasper, Edvinsson, Canadiens
Red Wings prospect Marco Kasper spent most of last season playing with Rogle in Sweden before making the trek to North America once his campaign over there came to an end. That won’t be the case this season, however, as the forward told Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that he will report to AHL Grand Rapids if he doesn’t earn a spot with Detroit this fall. Kasper was the eighth overall pick last year and had eight goals and 15 assists in 52 games in the SHL before making his NHL debut with Detroit in early April. The Red Wings have brought in several forwards this summer to reshape their group so it’s quite possible that Kasper will have to bide his time in the minors this season.
More from the Atlantic:
- Still with the Red Wings, defenseman Simon Edvinsson will not be ready to participate in training camp as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery, relays Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. However, he should be cleared by the time the regular season starts. The 20-year-old spent most of last season in Grand Rapids, notching five goals and 22 assists in 52 games. The 2021 sixth-overall pick also got into nine games with Detroit where he tallied his first two NHL goals. With Edvinsson not being available for camp, it seems likely that he’ll be ticketed for the Griffins at least to start the season.
- The bulk of the moves that the Canadiens have made in the last couple of years have been moving out veterans and in doing so, cleaning up their cap situation. Despite that, GM Kent Hughes told Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that the impetus for the moves isn’t to try to become a player in free agency soon. Instead, the focus is on creating openings for their young players to get a chance to develop. Last season, Montreal had five rookies play at least 39 games on the back end and with the trades of Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman, there are now a couple more openings for their younger forwards to try to fill.
Atlantic Notes: Lightning, Edvinsson, Zboril
As is typical for any team once they are knocked out of the playoffs, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports that laundry list of playoff injuries sustained by the Tampa Bay Lightning in their opening-round matchup. Throughout the playoffs, most teams usually keep their player’s specific injuries very close to their chest.
Erik Cernak, who would only manage to play nine minutes in Game One before being removed for the rest of the series, was dealing with a concussion after sustaining a high hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting. Similar to Cernak, trade deadline acquisition Michael Eyssimont was also dealing with concussion symptoms but was able to return to the team and score a goal in Game Five.
Victor Hedman, who would only miss Game Two in the series, was apparently dealing with a hip impingement, and Tanner Jeannot, who would only play three games in the playoffs for the Lightning, had a high ankle sprain. Most impressively, Brayden Point, who had a brutal run into the boards aided by Morgan Rielly in Game Three, had a rib cage cartilage fracture resulting from that play and still managed to play in the rest of the series.
Other Atlantic Division notes:
- The Detroit Red Wings announced that top prospect Simon Edvinsson has undergone successful shoulder surgery, and his recovery timeline will be 4-6 months, meaning he will likely be out to start next season. In his first taste of NHL action this season, Edvinsson played in nine games towards the end of the season in Detroit, scoring two goals. Primarily playing for their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins this year, Edvinsson played in 52 games, scoring five goals and 22 assists.
- Mark Divver of NHL.com reports that Boston Bruins’ defenseman Jakub Zboril will suit up for Czechia in the IIHF World Championship. Zboril, who is on the first year of a 2-year, $2.275MM contract, played in 22 games this year for Boston, scoring one goal and three assists.
Simon Edvinsson Returned To AHL
After playing nine games with the Detroit Red Wings, Simon Edvinsson returns to the minor leagues. By sending him down now, the team will avoid burning the first year of his entry-level contract. In his place, the team has recalled Danny O’Regan under emergency conditions.
Edvinsson, 20, is in his first year of North American hockey, spending most of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. In 51 AHL contests, the 2021 sixth-overall pick recorded 27 points, and generally showed off the top-pairing potential many have tabbed him with.
In nine games with Detroit, the young defender managed to score two goals but was caught behind the speed of the NHL at times, resulting in six minor penalties. He has plenty of time to adjust to that transition as he prepares to battle for a full-time spot next fall.
The Red Wings’ season has not gone according to plan, as they find themselves seventh in the Atlantic Division, well out of a playoff spot. It appeared at times like they were turning a corner on the rebuild, but ended up selling some key pieces at the deadline.
Now, after giving Edvinsson and other young players like Marco Kasper a taste of the NHL, they’ll try to position themselves as a playoff contender for 2023-24.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Edvinsson, Hathaway
The Maple Leafs will be without winger Calle Jarnkrok tonight as he is listed as day-to-day with a minor injury, relays Sports Illustrated’s David Alter (Twitter link). The 31-year-old has done well in his first season in Toronto, notching career highs in goals (19) and points (37). It’s unknown if he’ll get a chance to add to those numbers before the playoffs begin. Wayne Simmonds will take his place in the lineup after being recalled last night.
Meanwhile, while the plan is for Matt Murray to serve as the backup tonight, Alter relays that head coach Sheldon Keefe is unsure if he’ll be able to do so. Murray didn’t participate in the morning skate and with the Maple Leafs lacking the cap space for another recall, they might have to dress an emergency backup if Murray is unable to suit up.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde confirmed to reporters including Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that defenseman Simon Edvinsson will only play in two of Detroit’s final four games this season. That will cap him at nine games, meaning that he will not burn the first year of his entry-level deal which will still have three years remaining on it next season. Edvinsson’s first taste of NHL action has gone relatively well as the 20-year-old has two goals in his first seven appearances while averaging a little under 17 minutes per game.
- While Bruins winger Garnet Hathaway is fitting in well with his new team, he told Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty that he hasn’t given any thought yet about potentially extending with Boston beyond this season. The 31-year-old has five points and 62 hits in 21 games since being acquired from Washington in February and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. For now, Hathaway is focusing on “short-term thinking” with Boston set to enter the playoffs as the top seed.
Detroit Red Wings Recall Austin Czarnik, Simon Edvinsson
The Detroit Red Wings recalled center Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins today under emergency conditions, as announced in a team release.
This is Edvinsson’s first recall to the NHL, and it could mean the 2021 sixth-overall pick makes his NHL debut over the weekend. He takes the place of Ben Chiarot on the roster, who is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The 20-year-old Edvinsson has five goals, 27 points, and a -3 rating with the Griffins this season, his first in North America. Detroit inked him to an entry-level contract at the end of last season after Edvinsson broke into professional hockey full-time with Frölunda HC of the SHL.
Czarnik returns to Detroit after the team returned him to Grand Rapids earlier in the week. The diminutive, versatile forward has two goals and an assist in 15 appearances with the Red Wings this season. He will likely center the fourth line between Adam Erne and Alex Chiasson in tomorrow’s game against Colorado.
While a late-season slide unfortunately took Detroit out of the playoff picture just as the deadline approached, the benefits of selling can be seen here for a young team. Getting Edvinsson into some NHL games down the stretch could go a long way toward creating an NHL-ready player for next season.
Snapshots: Oilers, Edvinsson, Merilainen, Fitzgerald
It appears as if the Oilers will have two of their star performers available for training camp as head coach Jay Woodcroft told 630 CHED (audio link) that both defenseman Darnell Nurse and center Leon Draisaitl are expected to be ready when team activities open up next month. Nurse played through the playoffs with a torn hip flexor and while it was speculated at the time that he would need surgery, that wound up not being the case. As for Draisaitl, he suffered what appeared to be a leg injury in the final game of the first round but still managed to go on a tear offensively in their last two rounds, putting up 23 points in just nine games.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- After missing Monday’s preliminary round game at the World Juniors, Sweden head coach Tomas Monten told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale (Twitter link) that blueliner Simon Edvinsson is expected to play in Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup against Latvia. The Red Wings prospect didn’t suit up last game due to an illness. Edvinsson has a goal and an assist in three games so far while averaging a team-high 22:13 per contest.
- Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen has decided to play in Finland this season over returning to Kingston of the OHL, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 20-year-old was a third-round pick in 2020 and played in 53 games with the Frontenacs last season, posting a 3.29 GAA and a .891 SV%. However, he’s expected to get an opportunity to compete for the starting job with Karpat in Finland’s top division and Ottawa is in agreement that the opportunity to battle for that spot is what’s best for his development.
- After spending the last two seasons with Philadelphia on an NHL two-way deal, the Flyers have brought back forward Ryan Fitzgerald on a minor league contract, per a team release from their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The 27-year-old was limited to just four games last season after undergoing surgery on both hips back in September. The year before, he picked up 21 points in 28 games and a return to that level of performance could help secure him another NHL deal next summer.
Sweden Announces Preliminary Roster For 2022 WJC
While the focus is on the Stanley Cup Final right now, fans will have some more hockey to watch later this summer, when the rescheduled World Junior Championship takes place in August. The event, which was postponed from its normal late-December timeslot because of a COVID-19 outbreak, will kick off on August 9 in Edmonton, Alberta.
All of the same players are eligible for the event, even if they have since turned 20, but with the tournament coming so close to the start of the NHL season, there will be quite a different look for many countries. That’s true for Sweden, who released their preliminary roster today:
G Jesper Wallstedt
G Calle Clang
G Carl Lindbom
D Helge Grans
D Emil Andrae
D Mattias Havelid
D Mans Forsfjall
D Simon Edvinsson
D Leo Loof
D William Wallinder
D Joel Nystrom
F Daniel Ljungman
F Fabian Lysell
F Ake Stakkestad
F William Eklund
F Linus Sjodin
F Victor Stjernborg
F Albert Sjoberg
F Isak Rosen
F Jonathan Lekkerimaki
F Theodore Niederbach
F Oskar Magnusson
F Daniel Torgersson
This is a great opportunity for someone like Lekkerimaki, the top Swede in this year’s draft. He will have already been selected by the time the tournament gets off but it likely means he’ll have a chance to take part in two of these events over just a few months.
If you think you see a number of Detroit Red Wings prospects, you aren’t wrong. Edvinsson’s inclusion is especially interesting as many believe he will challenge for a full-time roster spot next season. Eklund is in the same boat, after already playing nine games for the San Jose Sharks and recording four points.