Montreal Canadiens Sign Goaltender Cayden Primeau
The Montreal Canadiens continue a busy day by signing yet another top prospect who could turn into a franchise cornerstone. After inking first-round forward Ryan Poehling to an entry-level contract earlier, the Canadiens have done the same with top goalie prospect Cayden Primeau. The team has officially announced a three-year ELC for Primeau beginning in the 2019-20 season. The early upset losses for St. Cloud State University and Northeastern University have been to Montreal’s gain, as Poehling will join the Canadiens immediately and Primeau will get his first taste of the pro game on an amateur tryout with the AHL’s Laval Rocket to end the season.
Primeau, still just 19 years old, has come a long way in just two years since being drafted. A seventh-round pick in 2017, Primeau was known more for his lineage than his talent as the son of former NHLer Keith Primeau. Primeau’s numbers in the USHL had been good but not great and heading to Northeastern for his freshman season was expected to be the backup to incumbent Ryan Ruck. Instead, Primeau appeared in 34 of 38 games for the Huskies last year, posting a sub-2.00 GAA and .931 save percentage. Primeau was a Hockey East First-Team All-Star and Mike Richter Award finalist and helped his team win the Hockey East Tournament. If that sounds familiar, it’s because he accomplished all three of those feats again this season, recording a .933 save percentage and 2.09 GAA in 36 games. Primeau also starred for Team USA at the World Junior Championships this year, earning the starting role over fellow top prospects Kyle Keyser (BOS) and Spencer Knight (2019). Primeau – and Poehling – led the Americans to a silver medal at the tournament, with Primeau posting an immaculate 1.61 GAA and .936 save percentage.
After two outstanding years at Northeastern and a stellar World Junior performance, there was great speculation that Primeau would turn pro despite his young age for a goaltender. For all of his amateur accomplishments, there is still plenty of work to be done for Primeau at the pro level. Fortunately, he has plenty of time and faces little pressure; the Canadiens current keeper isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Carey Price, who will be 32 before next season, is nevertheless signed for seven more years at a $10.5MM AAV. Primeau could find himself as third-string behind Price and Charlie Lindgren as early as next season, but the Habs have no expectations that he will be the starter any time soon. Primeau can take his time and develop in the AHL and maybe could become Price’s backup at some point during his entry-level contract. But with an all-world starter ahead of him, Primeau is still years away from the pressure of a top NHL role and that’s alright for a talented, young goalie.
Northeastern’s Cayden Primeau Expected To Sign ELC With Canadiens
With the elimination of Northeastern University, there could be a number of interesting prospects who could go pro within hours of the team’s loss. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that goaltending prospect Cayden Primeau will be one of those turning pro and will sign an entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens in the coming days. He is expected to join the Laval Rocket of the AHL to finish out their season.
Primeau, the team’s seventh-round pick in 2017, has been lights out in two years with the Huskies. He finished his sophomore campaign with a 25-9-1 record with a 2.00 GAA and a .933 save percentage, almost equaling his freshman year when he surprised quite a few people, posting a 19-8-5 record with a 1.92 GAA and a .931 save percentage, which ranked fourth in the NCAA that year. He also won Hockey East’s Goaltender of the Year.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound has a knack for taking space away from shooters and with that big frame has the ability to control rebounds and avoid second chances. While he is not considered to be an elite-level goaltender, Primeau should provide the Canadiens with a legitimate prospect, who for the moment should provide some depth to a Laval team that already has Charlie Lindgren and Michael McNiven on the roster.
Arizona Coyotes Expected To Sign Erik Kallgren
The Arizona Coyotes have received phenomenal goaltending from Darcy Kuemper this season and have both he and injured starter Antti Raanta under contract next season, with AHLers Adin Hill and Hunter Miska likely to stick around as well as impending restricted free agents. However, it never hurts to have redundancies in net and Arizona is about to add another goalie to the system. Reports out of Swedish news source Sport Bladet indicate that 2015 Coyotes draft pick Erik Kallgren is on his way to the U.S. to sign his entry-level contract. The team has yet to confirm a deal with the young keeper.
Kallgren, 22, was a seventh-round selection by Arizona four years ago out of the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s version of the AHL where most top young players develop before moving to the top-level Swedish Hockey League. While Kallgren had yet to graduate from the Allsvenskan, he has improved each year including a very impressive 2018-19 campaign to cap it off. Kallgren started 32 games for AIK, recording a .920 save percentage and an impeccable 2.02 GAA that ranked in the top five in the league. At 6’3″ and nearly 200 lbs., Kallgren has good size and has actually grown significantly in the years since he was drafted. Yet, it is his athleticism that has been highlighted thus far in his career. With great variation in the size and style of the goaltenders in the Coyotes’ system, it will be interesting to see if Arizona’s coaches push Kallgren to adopt a style more similar to the smaller, quicker Raanta or the bigger, sturdier Kuemper.
Kallgren tells Sport Bladet that he has signed a two-year ELC, likely starting next season. However, as he is currently on his way to Arizona, he is probably set to join the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners on an amateur tryout to end the year. The Roadrunners have eight games left in the regular season, but have a lot of work to do to make the playoffs and more likely than not will miss the postseason. Kallgren stands a better chance of making his North American debut this season if Tuscon falls out of the playoff race sooner rather than later, removing meaning from some of their final regular season games. As for next year, Kallgren states that his goal is to see NHL action in the upcoming season, but he knows that there is a long way to go before that can happen. He seems far more certain that he can win the starting job in the AHL though, which would mean supplanting established third-stringer Hill. The Coyotes were under pressure to sign Kallgren, whose draft rights would have expired on June 1st of this year, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t see him as a legitimate AHL option. It will be interesting to see how the young Swede performs next year and where he fits into the ‘Yotes long-term plans.
Shane Bowers Signs With Colorado Avalanche
Friday: The Avalanche have officially announced the contract that will begin next season. That allows Bowers to sign an amateur tryout with the Colorado Eagles for the rest of this year to get into some game action.
Thursday: As if Boston University hadn’t seen enough of their top players sign this week, Shane Bowers has now added his name to that group. Despite a somewhat disappointing sophomore season, Bowers is now expected to sign his three-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche according to Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal and Bob McKenzie of TSN. The deal can begin this season, but the first year will not be burned given the Avalanche have only five games remaining.
The 19-year old Bowers was originally a first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, but arrived in the Colorado organization as part of the Matt Duchene trade last season. The two-way center got off to a great start at BU in 2017-18 with 17 goals and 32 points in 40 games, but took something of a step back this year. With just 11 goals and 21 points, the teenage center may have muted expectations somewhat but is still a solid prospect to add to the Avalanche development system.
In fact, there’s reason to believe that Bowers can develop into a real key contributor for the Avalanche down the road. The team already has their elite scoring center locked up in Nathan MacKinnon, but likely won’t see many more years of prominence from Carl Soderberg even as the 33-year old experienced something of a renaissance this season. Soderberg has just one year remaining on his current deal and will be 34 at the beginning of next season.
Behind those two the center depth on the Avalanche isn’t quite as clear. Alexander Kerfoot hasn’t progressed much from where he was last season, and it’s not a sure thing that any of Tyson Jost, J.T. Compher or Vladislav Kamenev will be able to step into a full-time top-six role in the middle of the ice. Bowers offers another lottery ticket for the Avalanche to try and develop at the position, not to mention whoever they pick in this year’s draft. The fact that he has been touted for his defense and penalty killing ability could lead Bowers to fill a much needed role for the team down the road.
Has The Status Quo Changed For Patrick Maroon?
It’s been an up-and-down season for Patrick Maroon, to say the least. It may be more accurate to call it an up-and-down calendar year even. Things had not gone according to plan and yet Maroon’s play of late has the arrow pointing back up and it may lead to an extended stay with his hometown St. Louis Blues.
The 2017-18 season was a career best for Maroon, as he totaled 43 points in 74 games with two teams. Maroon began the season with the Edmonton Oilers, but it was after a trade deadline deal to the New Jersey Devils that he truly flourished. Maroon was nearly a point-per-game player for the Devils down the stretch, recording 13 points in 17 games. Unexpectedly though, the market never really developed for the 30-year-old power forward. Rather than land the anticipated upgrade to his previous three-year, $6MM contract, Maroon settled for a one-year, $1.75MM deal ten days into free agency with the Blues. There was plenty of speculation that the St. Louis native had some guarantee of an extension once the team could free up future cap space, which would help to explain why he took a discount after a career year.
However, the start to his tenure in St. Louis could not have gone any worse. It took 16 games for Maroon to record his first goal and through the end of February he had just 16 points through 55 games. Add the Blues’ early struggles in and patience had run out on Maroon by January, when rumors emerged that he was likely to be dealt before the trade deadline. Instead, St. Louis began playing well just in time and opted to hold on to all of their pieces for a playoff push. The decision has worked out well when it comes to Maroon, as he has finally picked up his game when it matters most. Since the beginning of March, Maroon has nine points in 13 games, including a recent stretch with six points in five contests. Maroon is now up to 25 points on the year and is back playing at the top of his game.
So will it be enough to get that extension in St. Louis? Even after playing poorly through the first half of the season, Maroon is outperforming his modest salary this season and is due a raise, likely in both money and term. The Blues have a number of core forwards signed long-term as well as several promising prospects knocking on the door, but Maroon’s resurgence and proven willingness to take a hometown discount could again be attractive to the team. It remains to be seen if Maroon can continue scoring in these final weeks and into the postseason, but if he does it will only make the decision easier for St. Louis to give him a new contract just months after being ready to trade him away.
Philadelphia Flyers Have Nothing To Lose This Off-Season
After re-signing forward Michael Raffl to a two-year extension today, the Philadelphia Flyers are in an enviable position heading into the off-season. New GM Chuck Fletcher has his team in position to enter the summer free agent market without any risk of losing any valuable unrestricted free agents. Add that to ample cap space and a deep pipeline of talent at all positions and the Flyers are in position to only get better this summer and the Eastern Conference should be on alert.
Of course, there are still areas of need in Philadelphia. The one gaping hole is in net, where the team needs a long-term option to pair with young phenom Carter Hart. Of their small list of UFA’s, four are goaltenders: Brian Elliott, recent trade acquisition Cam Talbot, injured Michal Neuvirth, and buried Mike McKenna. However, the price of acquiring Talbot earlier this year – young keeper Anthony Stolarz – has led many to believe that the Flyers see Talbot as that long-term fit. An extension has yet to be signed, but the Flyers very well may have the answer to their question in goal already on the roster.
Elsewhere, forward Phil Varone is perhaps the closest thing to a difficult free agent loss that Philly could suffer this off-season. Varone, 28, had 50 NHL games to his credit over five years prior to this season but has ended up skating in 43 more so far with the Flyers while on a minimum two-way contract. It’s possible that Varone could bolt this summer, but a one-way contract would likely be enough to keep him around and, if he does leave, his seven points would not be hard to make up for. Jori Lehtera has the most name recognition among impending free agent forwards, but the 31-year-old has not been the same players since the move to Philadelphia two years ago and was buried in the minors after recording just three points through his first 27 games of the season. Lehtera won’t be back with the Flyers and is likely on his way out of the NHL altogether. Other UFA forwards include Corban Knight, Tyrell Goulbourne, Michael Vecchione, Byron Froese, Greg Carey, and Cole Bardreau, a group of 25-and-over players who have combined for one point in 19 NHL games this season. Carey, the leading scorer of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, is perhaps the only one of group that the Flyers could see as a loss if not retained.
What the Flyers really need, even with many promising forward prospects, is to add another proven top-six forward to the roster and should be able to do so with significant salary cap flexibility. Even after negotiating new contracts with their restricted free agents, the Flyers should have enough cap room to bid for one of the top forwards on the market if they so choose. Even if they lose out on a top name, their offense cannot be any worse than it was this year and it was still good enough to give the Flyers a shot at the postseason.
On the blue line, the Flyers are deep and versatile with a mix of talented young players and established veterans. Not one defenseman in the entire organization is an unrestricted free agent, so that group will be back in full force next season, possibly with some additions.
Simply put, there is no way that Philadelphia can get any worse going into next season barring a bad trade, an RFA holdout, or some other unexpected calamity. They do not have one unrestricted free agent whose loss could really hurt them (unless a Talbot deal falls through). On the other hand, their cap space and depth of prospects give them a great chance to improve next season one way or another. Right now, the Flyers are a fringe playoff team, which is not any team’s goal. However, Philly should enter 2019-20 with that as their floor and, depending on what they do over the summer, could have a much higher ceiling. And that is a good place to be.
Casey Fitzgerald Signs With Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have inked one of their more experienced prospects to his first pro contract. The team has announced that 2016 third-round pick Casey Fitzgerald has signed an entry-level deal. It is a two-year pact that begins in the 2019-20 season. The 22-year-old defenseman has additionally signed an ATO with the Rochester Americans and will close out the year with the Sabres’ affiliate.
Fitzgerald wrapped up a four-year career at Boston College this past weekend, as the Eagles came within one win of an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament but fell short. Fitzgerald was initially drafted by Buffalo after his freshman year at BC, which also ended up being his most productive with 27 points in 39 games to go with a whopping +27 rating. He had also spent time with the U.S. National Team Development Program and played for several World Juniors entries. The captain of the Eagles for the past two years, Fitzgerald’s offense may not have continued climbing, but he developed into an intelligent, two-way defenseman and a locker room leader.
Those are traits that run in the family, of course. Fitzgerald’s father, Tom, enjoyed a 16-year NHL career and is currently the Assistant GM of the New Jersey Devils, while his older brother, Ryan, is currently in the Boston Bruins system. The extended family also includes Jimmy and Kevin Hayes and Keith Tkachuk and sons Matthew and Brady. Casey is the latest addition to a Boston area family with deep connections to the NHL and hopes to make a name for himself like so many of them have.
NCAA Tournament Preview
For the first time since 1970, Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota have all failed to reach the NCAA postseason – and back then it was only a four-team field. The 2019 Tournament field has been announced and it is truly a changing of the guard in the college ranks. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t still considerable NHL talent on display for the 16 teams whose seasons are still alive. Here’s what the bracket looks like for next weekend’s slate of games:
West Regional – Fargo, North Dakota
1) St. Cloud State University
4) American International College
2) Denver University
3) Ohio State University
St. Cloud State is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. First-rounder Ryan Poehling (MTL) leads a well-rounded group that also includes fellow forwards Patrick Newell (undrafted) and Sam Hentges (MIN), defensemen Jimmy Schuldt (undrafted) and Nick Perbix (TB), and goaltender David Hrenak (LA). They have the easiest first round match-up in the tournament, facing Atlantic Hockey Champion American International. The team has done well for themselves this year, but are the lowest-ranked team in the field and lack any real NHL prospects outside of top scorer Blake Christensen (undrafted). The other half of the region features a tough contest between two talented teams. The Denver Pioneers, led by solid defensive prospect Ian Mitchell (CHI), also feature a deep corps of forwards like Mathias Emilio Pettersen (CGY), Cole Guttman (TB), Brett Stapley (MTL), and Liam Finlay (undrafted), as well as defenseman Slava Demin (VGK) and goaltender Filip Larsson (DET). They go up against the Ohio State Buckeyes and senior captain Mason Jobst (undrafted). The roster also includes forwards Tanner Laczynski (PHI), Carson Meyer (CLB), Dakota Joshua (TOR), and Miguel Fidler (FLA), along with defenseman Ryan O’Connell (TOR). Denver-OSU is arguably the most even first-round match-up.
Northeast Regional – Manchester, New Hampshire
1) University of Massachusetts
4) Harvard University
2) Clarkson University
3) Notre Dame University
Cale Makar (COL), considered by many to be the top prospect in college hockey, heads up a strong UMass team enjoying its best season in program history. Fellow defensemen Mario Ferraro (SJ) and Ivan Chukarov (BUF) are part of a deep blue line, while John Leonard (SJ) and Mitchell Chafee (undrafted) lead the forward corps. They have their work cut out for them though, facing in-state rival Harvard and another elite prospect in blue liner Adam Fox (CAR). He’s not alone either; Reilly Walsh (NJ), Jack Rathbone (VAN), and John Marino (EDM) form a formidable top-four, while Jack Drury (CAR) and Jack Badini (ANA) are capable forwards as well. Elsewhere in the region, Clarkson and star two-way forward Nico Sturm (undrafted) are fresh off an ECAC title. They may need a strong effort from another forward, Nick Campoli (VGK), and starting goalie Jake Kielly (undrafted) to avoid an upset though. The Big Ten champions Notre Dame are a tough out, featuring eight NHL draft picks and several more pro prospects. The blue line is stacked with Andrew Peeke (CBJ), Bobby Nardella (undrafted), Matt Hellickson (NJ), Spencer Stastney (NSH), Nick Leivermann (COL), and Nate Clurman (COL). Meanwhile Cale Morris (undrafted) has been stellar in net, and the forward group including Cam Morrison (COL) and Jake Pivonka (NYI) have been solid as well. It feels like UMass got a relatively easy draw however, especially considering they were the final No. 1 seed.
East Regional – Providence, Rhode Island
1) Minnesota State University – Mankato
4) Providence College
2) Northeastern University
3) Cornell University
The reward for a top seed for Minnesota State? A meeting with Providence in their home city. Fortunately, the Mavericks have defied the odds all season long. Despite lacking any NHL draft picks, the team has gotten strong play in net and in all three zones. Keeper Dryden McKay (undrafted) and high-scoring German forwards Marc Michaelis (undrafted) and Parker Tuomie (undrafted) will continue to be the keys to success. Providence is a strong team even without home ice advantage though; the Friars have ten draftees, including forwards Jack Dugan (VGK), Brandon Duhaime (MIN), Kasper Bjorkqvist (PIT), and Jay O’Brien (PHI), defensemen Jacob Bryson (BUF), Ben Mirageas (NYI), Vincent Desharnais (EDM), and Michael Callahan (ARI), and starting goalie Hayden Hawkey (MTL). Throw in sought-after free agent forward Josh Wilkins (undrafted) and Providence is a dangerous threat. The other two teams in the region are no joke either. Northeastern, another Hockey East power house, is led by star goalie Cayden Primeau (MTL) and freshman forward Tyler Madden (VAN). Add in a blue line that features Jeremy Davies (NJ), Ryan Shea (CHI), and Jordan Harris (MTL) as well as forwards Matt Filipe (CAR) and Zach Solow (undrafted), and the Huskies are a real threat. They face off with Cornell and leading scorer Morgan Barron (NYR), as well as forward Beau Starrett (CHI) and defensemen Matt Cairns (EDM) and Alex Green (TB). Whoever emerges from this region will be battle-tested heading into the Frozen Four.
Midwest Regional – Allentown, Pennsylvania
1) University of Minnesota – Duluth
4) Bowling Green State University
2) Quinnipiac University
3) Arizona State University
The defending champs are a top seed again, as the UMD Bulldogs begin their title defense against Bowling Green. The team lost considerable talent after last season, but still sport a very talented lineup. The team is deep and balanced on the blue line with Scott Perunovich (STL), Mikey Anderson (LA), and Dylan Samberg (WPG) and have top forwards like Noah Cates (PHI), Nick Swaney (MIN), Riley Tufte (DAL), and Cole Koepke (TB) as well. Bowling Green isn’t as loaded, but has enjoyed great seasons from forward Brandon Kruse (VGK) and Max Johnson (undrafted) and have experienced defenseman Adam Smith (NSH) and standout goalie Ryan Bednard (FLA) to fall back on as well. Arizona State makes its first NCAA Tournament appearance in just its third year as a Division I program and could very well pick up their first tourney win behind the tremendous play of goalie Joey Daccord (OTT) and forwards Johnny Walker (undrafted) and Demetrios Koumontzis (CGY). Quinnipiac won’t be easy to beat, though. Goalie tandem Andrew Shortridge (undrafted) and Keith Petruzelli (DET) and a defense core of Chase Priskie (WSH), Karlis Cukste (SJ), and Peter DiLiberatore (VGK) make the Bobcats hard to score against, while Odeen Tufto (undrafted) is a dynamic presence up front. If Quinnipiac can bounce back from an early exit from their conference tournament, they could knock off the defending champs next weekend.
Senators Seeking President Of Hockey Operations
Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion has job security for now, but the team is looking to bring in some assistance for him. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the Senators have begun vetting candidates for the position of President of Hockey Operations. Many teams have a veteran hockey mind in this advisory position, previously including Ottawa with the late Bryan Murray, and the Senators will soon re-join that group.
Garrioch writes that the team continues to have full faith in Dorion, but acknowledges that their complete overhaul of a rebuild could use another set of eyes. The Sens have arguably been the worst team in hockey over the past two years and cannot even benefit from a top draft pick this season, having traded their first-round selection away to the Colorado Avalanche. Yet, judging by their statement made to the Sun, the Senators are confident that they can bring in a top name:
It should come as no surprise that – given the scale of our rebuild and the opportunity to be part of a turnaround fueled by an enormous well of young talent, including elite prospects and draft picks (17 in the first three rounds of the next three seasons) – the Ottawa Senators have become an attractive destination for hockey executives.
The only name specifically mentioned by Garrioch as a top candidate is current Philadelphia Flyers executive Dean Lombardi. Lombardi, who led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup titles as GM, is considered the ideal choice, but it may be tough to land him. As a current Flyers employee, Ottawa would need prior consent to speak with him. Even given that permission, they may not be able to convince him to leave Philadelphia. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that Lombardi is committed to the Flyers and does not believe a move to the Senators would be of interest. LeBrun adds that the team had interest in bringing in former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis last off-season and could revisit that possibility with an improved offer of President of Hockey Ops. Were it not for his contentious relationship with owner Eugene Melnyk, Senators great Daniel Alfredsson would also be a strong candidate for the job, but it remains a long shot with Melnyk still in the picture.
Minor Transactions: 03/24/19
It was a busy day across the NHL yesterday; 28 of 31 teams took the ice, with games in the early afternoon on the east coast to late night on the west coast, the Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets clinched playoff spots, and the Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens won crucial games in their postseason push. There isn’t quite as much action today, with only five games on the docket, but the few match-ups are arguably even more important than any yesterday. After dropping the first game of a home-and-home, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Avalanche, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are also desperate for a win to get them back in the playoff picture, visiting the Vancouver Canucks. The Philadelphia Flyers cling to slim playoff hopes as they visit the Washington Capitals, as the Arizona Coyotes face a tough task of their own, also in dire need of ending their recent skid, as they go up against the New York Islanders on the road. Finally, the Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes could be jostling for wild card seeding when they face off in Raleigh tonight. With another slate of games that stretches all day long, it’s possible to watch each of these key match-ups today. While you’re doing so, follow along here to see what the teams are doing behind the scenes:
- The Anaheim Ducks announced a pair of moves last night, just prior to their game, calling up forwards Sam Steel and Kiefer Sherwood from the nearby San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The Ducks are headed toward a bottom-five finish in the league this season and are testing out their young players as they already look toward next year. Steel, 20, has five points in 17 games with Anaheim this season, while Sherwood, 23, has been a more regular contributor with ten points in 47 games. One would expect both young forwards to be given every chance to earn a starting role in 2019-20, beginning with an increased workload down the stretch.
- Arizona Coyotes prospect Dennis Busby has joined the organization on a tryout basis for the rest of the season. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners announced that the Flint Firebirds standout, who missed much of the past two seasons due to injury, has been added to the roster on an ATO. It is commonplace for junior prospects to get some pro experience in the AHL late in the season on tryouts, but there is a little more at stake for Busby. The 2018 fifth-round pick has yet to be tendered an entry-level contract and the Coyotes may have some concern after he played in just 29 OHL games combined in the last two years. The puck-moving, right-shot defender could be a valuable asset and a strong showing in Tuscon would go a long way in proving to the Coyotes that he is worth holding on to. The Roadrunners also signed a familiar name to a PTO yesterday, adding former second-round pick and fan favorite Akim Aliu to the roster on loan from the ECHL. Aliu, now 29, is hockey’s foremost Nigerian-Ukrainian-Canadian player and, at 6’4″, 225 lbs., plays an entertaining physical brand of hockey, whether he’s lined up at defense or forward.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have swapped emergency defensemen as the team has recalled Dylan McIlrath from the Grand Rapids Griffins and assigned Libor Sulak to the AHL. Sulak had been recalled Wednesday, but has been sidelined by an illness for the last two games, so the team opted to bring in McIlrath to replace him. The 26-year-old McIlrath was the 10th pick overall in the 2010 draft, but has appeared in just 43 NHL games since then and hasn’t played there since playing five games with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17. Since being acquired from Florida that same year, McIlrath has played exclusively for the Griffins since then.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward A.J. Greer from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Greer, who has been going up and down several times already this season, was sent down on Thursday to the AHL. The 22-year-old has fared well in the AHL with 18 goals and 42 points in 48 games with the Eagles. He has a goal and an assist in 15 games with the Avalanche so far this year.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The blueliner has appeared in 25 games for the Sabres this year, but was sent to Rochester in late February to work on his skills. With injuries to Zach Bogosian and Matt Hunwick injured, the team needs Pilut to help out. The 23-year-old was almost a point-per-game defenseman with the Amerks with 26 points in 28 games. He has a goal and six points with the Sabres in his rookie campaign.
- The Los Angeles Kings announced they have recalled Michael Amadio from the Ontario Reign of the AHL and will go with the team on their upcoming three-game road trip. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen adds the team will not take forward Brendan Leipsic on the road trip in favor of Amadio. The 22-year-old has played 37 games for L.A. this season with four goals and eight points, while posting six goals and 22 points in 24 games with the Reign.