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Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Thomas Vanek From Vancouver Canucks

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have continued to add, acquiring Thomas Vanek from the Vancouver Canucks according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Vancouver will get Tyler Motte and Jussi Jokinen in return.

Vanek is the definition of a trade deadline rental, and will play for his eighth club in Columbus. Last season he brought the Detroit Red Wings a third-round pick, but Vancouver decided to target a young player instead.

In Motte, the Canucks receive a 22-year old center that was only acquired by Columbus last summer. Part of the Brandon Saad–Artemi Panarin trade, he looked like a player who could compete for a fourth-line spot and perhaps move up the lineup if his offensive potential started to show. The former Michigan Wolverine scored 32 goals in 38 games in his final NCAA season, but has just 12 points in 64 career NHL games.

Jokinen will be joining his fourth team of the season, and is just a body to even out some of the salary in the deal. After being bought out by the Florida Panthers last offseason, he signed a $1.1MM deal with Edmonton before being flipped for Mike Cammalleri early in the year. He was then claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets, and now flipped again to Vancouver. The veteran forward can play multiple positions, but has just seven points on the season and looks close to being out of the league entirely.

Vanek looks like a great fit in Columbus, who have needed some help on the powerplay all season. After finding chemistry with Brock Boeser in Vancouver this year, Vanek has 41 points in 61 games and can still be a healthy offensive contributor in a sheltered role. The 34-year old was once one of the league’s very best goal scoring threats, but will only be needed to be a secondary option on a deep Blue Jackets roster.

Minor Transactions: 01/24/18

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We’ve already seen a signing today that brought Nathan Gerbe back into the North American fold, but there will be several other minor moves around the league. Right here is where we’ll keep track of all of them.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman from the minor leagues, placing Shawn Matthias on injured reserve. The move could be due to Dmitry Kulikov’s injury, suffered after being hit by Tomas Hertl last night. Poolman has played 13 games this season for the Jets, recording a single point but showing that he could potentially be an answer on defense in the coming years. The 24-year old turned pro out of the University of North Dakota last March, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
  • Oscar Dansk has been loaned back to the Chicago Wolves, now that he is healthy enough to return to action. Dansk was moved off injured reserve this week and will continue his development in the AHL. The 23-year old played in four games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, allowing just five goals and recording a .946 save percentage.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have indeed sent David Booth to the minor leagues now that he’s cleared waivers for the third time. The team recalled Dominic Turgeon, who had only just been sent down this week, to take his place.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Tyler Motte back to the minor leagues, another good sign for Cam Atkinson who is close to returning. Atkinson had his foot broken by a Seth Jones shot just a month ago, but has been skating with the team recently.
  • With James Reimer dealing with a lower-body injury, the Florida Panthers have recalled goaltender Samuel Montembeault from the AHL. That puts the Panthers with a duo of Montembeault and Harri Sateri, who have a combined three NHL appearances (all Sateri). It’s not clear how serious Reimer’s injury is, but we’ll surely find out soon.
  • According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the San Jose Sharks have brought Marcus Sorensen back up from the minor leagues after getting the news that Joe Thornton would be out at least a couple of weeks. Sorensen has played 15 games for the Sharks this season, scoring three goals.
  • The Penguins Penguins have sent goaltender Tristan Jarry to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  This will allow him to play in up to two games in the minors during the NHL All-Star break.  Jarry has lost playing time to Casey DeSmith in recent games so this will serve as an opportunity to keep him in playing shape before deciding whether or not to bring him back afterwards.

Sonny Milano Out Four To Six Weeks; Tyler Motte Recalled

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The Columbus Blue Jackets add another reason to their claim of Jussi Jokinen earlier today, as they announce that Sonny Milano will be out four to six weeks with a torn oblique. The team has also recalled Tyler Motte from the AHL for the time being.

Milano was injured during a game earlier this month against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will miss out on a big chunk of his first full-time chance in the NHL. In 35 games this season, Milano had 13 points. The 21-year old is a big part of the Blue Jackets future, and could be considered a trade deadline acquisition when he’s able to return later in February.

The Blue Jackets, who currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division but have struggled recently, are one of the most interesting teams to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Though Jokinen could be an option to fix some of their powerplay woes and depth issues up front, they likely are continuing to monitor the trade market for a more impactful fix.

Still dealing with injured reserve stints for Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson, Columbus could be a tough team to bring down if they could ever get healthy. With Milano now joining the walking wounded, the team could be forced to make an additional move before long to make sure they don’t fall behind in the extremely competitive Metro. They sit just five points ahead of the last-place Hurricanes, and at any point could fall out of a playoff spot.

Minor Transactions: 1/13/18

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With several teams ending their bye weeks, Saturday is once again shaping up to be a busy day in the NHL with nine games on tap.  Here is where we’ll keep tabs on the minor roster moves of the day.

  • Following their loss to Vancouver on Friday, the Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they have sent winger Tyler Motte and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to AHL Cleveland. Motte has spent the bulk of the season on the fourth line in Columbus but should be in line for more playing time in the minors while Korpisalo’s reassignment has been classified as a conditioning stint.  He has made just two starts at the NHL level since December 2nd but has had a couple of appearances with Cleveland already this month after being sent down earlier in the month.  With Columbus on their bye, both will likely be recalled next week.
  • The Capitals announced that they have returned winger Travis Boyd to Hershey of the AHL.  His stint with the big club was short-lived as he was only recalled yesterday and he did not play in their game against Carolina.  Boyd has been productive at the minor league level this season, tallying 27 points (8-19-27) in 37 games.  Washington has also returned winger Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey to Hershey, via the AHL’s transactions page.  The moves come as no surprise with the Caps on their bye as they have been shuffling the two back and forth on a regular basis recently to save a little bit of cap room.
  • With the Lightning entering their bye, the team has sent goaltender Louis Domingue back to AHL Syracuse, per a team release.  Domingue has made one appearance with Tampa Bay since being recalled, earning a victory over Detroit.  That is his lone win this season as he struggled considerably in six appearances with Arizona earlier this season.  CapFriendly notes via Twitter that Connor Ingram has been recalled to take Domingue’s spot and keep the team at the mandatory minimum goalies on the roster.
  • The Stars have recalled defenseman Dillon Heatherington from Texas of the AHL, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link).  The 2013 second-round pick has yet to play in an NHL game.  He is in his third professional season and has picked up three goals and ten assists in 39 minor league contests so far this season.
  • The Canucks announced via Twitter that they have assigned winger Nikolay Goldobin to AHL Utica.  The 22-year-old has been reasonably productive this season with four points in 14 games but saw just 6:32 of ice time last night as Sven Baertschi’s return dropped him down the depth chart.  He’ll be in line for much more playing time with the Comets where he has averaged more than a point per game (19 points in 18 contests) so far this season.
  • After losing both Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader to injuries during today’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, MLive’s Ansar Khan reports the Detroit Red Wings have recalled Dominic Turgeon from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL this evening for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 21-year-old center was a third-round pick in 2014 and will be making his first trip to Detroit. He has nine goals and 14 assists in 23 games for the Griffins this year.

Minor Transactions: 12/27/17

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As the NHL gets back to its regularly scheduled programming today, league rosters will start to thaw after the holiday season. At 12:00am on December 28th, teams will be once again allowed to trade, waive and loan any player on the active roster. For now, we’ll have to make do with recalls from the minor leagues.

Minor Transactions: 12/24/17

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After a 15-game schedule on Saturday and a three-day holiday break, you would expect little action over the next few days, but a few teams made a few roster moves before starting their vacations. Let’s see if more are coming …

  • The Ottawa Senators made four roster moves this morning, sending goaltender Daniel Taylor, defensemen Andreas Englund and Ben Harpur as well as forward Chris Didomenico to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Taylor was recalled due to the unavailability of goaltender Craig Anderson. DiDomenico was brought up Friday after injuries to Zack Smith and Bobby Ryan and played in 8:47 of ice time in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Florida. Englund was recalled after the team lost forward Gabriel Dumont and Harpur has been up and down all season covering the team’s many injuries. Harpur played in 14:22 on Saturday, while Englund and Taylor were scratches.
  • The Montreal Canadiens assigned defenseman Brett Lernout to the Laval Rocket of the AHL Sunday morning. Lernout got into Saturday’s game to fill in defensive injuries with Shea Weber out, and played 14:43 of ice time and getting two hits in. He was recalled on Thursday.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets made three moves of their own, assigning forwards Jordan Schroeder, Tyler Motte and defenseman Cameron Gaunce to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Both Schroeder and Motte were recalled on emergency loans Saturday for the team’s 2-1 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Both played in the game. Gaunce had been recalled on Dec. 17, but didn’t play in a game.
  • The Los Angeles Kings made a couple of moves Sunday, as they assigned defenseman Kevin Gravel and goaltender Jack Campbell to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Neither player got into a game with the Kings. Campbell was an emergency backup last night as backup Darcy Kuemper was unavailable. Gravel was recalled after the team placed defenseman Christian Folin on injured reserve.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Motte, Schroeder

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a pair of roster moves before tomorrow’s game, recalling both Tyler Motte and Jordan Schroeder. Schroeder is up on emergency conditions, which signals an injury somewhere on the roster. It likely means that Alexander Wennberg, whose status was unclear for the game, won’t be available. Wennberg missed the end of last night’s game against Pittsburgh, though no injury has been disclosed at this point.

Interestingly, the team had just sent down Sonny Milano earlier today and instead recalled Motte and Schroeder. Both players have experience at center, a position that has continuously frustrated the Blue Jackets this season. Without Brandon Dubinsky, the team has been forced to use Nick Foligno at center again recently, something that’s not ideal for their roster. If Pierre-Luc Dubois hadn’t burst onto the scene this season and been able to handle a full load, the team would be in even worse condition.

The Blue Jackets were in on Matt Duchene earlier in the year, and adding a center seems like an inevitable scenario for the team before the trade deadline. While Motte is an interesting player for the future, he doesn’t represent an answer at present. With the team just one point out of first, and seven points out of last in the Metropolitan Division, even the smallest of margins can be the difference between going to the playoffs and going to play golf this season.

Tyler Motte Recalled By Columbus Blue Jackets

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled the other piece of this summer’s Brandon Saad trade, promoting Tyler Motte to the NHL. Motte was acquired along with Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason, in exchange for Brandon Saad and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

Motte has been off to a quick start with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring seven points in his first seven games to lead the team. His five goals also easily pace the club, as the 22-year old is starting to come into his own offensively. Originally selected in the fourth-round by the Blackhawks in 2013, he exploded during his junior year at the University of Michigan to the tune of 32 goals and 56 points in 38 games. Motte was a Hobey Baker finalist while skating on a line with J.T. Compher (Colorado) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg).

The recall of Motte may mean a longer timeline for Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson, who was injured during Saturday’s 4-1 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. Atkinson had a rough night in St. Louis, and is currently out with a lower-body injury. Motte offers some of the offensive game that Atkinson normally provides, and could quickly find himself thrust into important minutes with the NHL club.

Motte did play 33 games for the Blackhawks last season, registering seven points fewer than 12 minutes a night. The young forward has experience at center, though could be tasked to start his Columbus career on the wing. The Blue Jackets, who are already without Lukas Sedlak for another several weeks, will have their forward depth tested should Atkinson remain out for any substantial length of time.

Chicago Blackhawks Recall Baun, Motte, Gustafsson From AHL

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The Chicago Blackhawks have brought up some “Black Aces”, recalling Kyle Baun, Tyler Motte and Erik Gustafsson from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. None of the three are expected to play in the important game four match against the Nashville Predators.

In the playoffs every year, teams recall several AHL players after their season ends in order to fill out the practice facility and get a taste of what playoff hockey preparation is all about. These players are dubbed “Black Aces”—a term that goes back to the forties and Eddie Shore—are the players who could step into an NHL lineup if needed on an emergency basis. It’s often used as a reward for a workman-like season at the AHL, or for young players who will make an impact at the highest level soon.

For the Hawks, these three represent both types. Baun is an undrafted 24-year old forward out of Colgate University, who scored the second most points on the last place IceHogs this season. His 34 points were a solid follow-up to a very disappointing rookie season last year. Gustafsson is a former fourth-round pick who showed off some of his offensive upside this year, tallying 30 points in 68 games from the blue line. He played 41 games with the Blackhawks last season, and has been in professional hockey since he was 18.

Motte on the other hand is just 22 and split this season between the Blackhawks and IceHogs, but had trouble in the bottom-six role he’ll likely have to embrace. The offensive explosion he experienced as a junior at the University of Michigan—56 points in 38 games and a top-10 finish for the Hobey Baker—hasn’t followed him to the professional ranks, and he’ll have to adjust his style to contribute more at both ends of the rink before getting another chance.

Central Notes: Edmundson, Motte, Mitchell

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St. Louis defenseman Joel Edmundson will be out for an ‘extended’ period of time as a result of an upper-body injury sustained on Sunday against Colorado, writes Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The team announced that he has been placed on injured reserve and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

The 23 year old is in his second season with the team and has played in all 13 of their games this season, primarily on the third defense pairing.  He has an assist, 17 penalty minutes, and 23 hits so far this year.

Still with the Blues, Timmermann adds that blueliner Robert Bortuzzo is being re-evaluated today as he continues his recovery from a lower body injury from last October.

The team has recalled defenseman Petteri Lindbohm from AHL Peoria to take Edmundson’s spot on the roster.  He has played in five games in the minors so far this season and has seen time with the Blues in each of the last two years.  St. Louis also assigned right winger Ty Rattie to Peoria on a conditioning stint.  He has played in just one game so far this season, being a healthy scratch the rest of the year.

[Related: Blues Depth Chart]

Other news out of the Central:

  • Blackhawks left winger Tyler Motte left Sunday’s game against Dallas with what looked to be a leg injury. Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune reports that the issue isn’t believed to be serious but head coach Joel Quenneville stated postgame that he may miss some time.  Motte, a 21 year old rookie, is off to a good start with Chicago so far this season, picking up three goals and three assists in his first 13 games while averaging 12:37 per game.
  • Despite clearing waivers over the weekend, Colorado center John Mitchell remains with the team and even played in both games, notes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. GM Joe Sakic told Chambers that the team intends to keep Mitchell and his $1.8MM cap hit for the foreseeable future.  If Mitchell remains with the team for 30 days or plays in 10 games since clearing, he would have to be waived again if they wanted to send him down later on.

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