Minor Transactions: 4/7/2018
With a full-slate of 15 games today on the final weekend of the regular season, most teams will wrap up their regular season today and the playoff order should be more clarified by the end of the night. Most prominent will be which team clinches the final playoff spots. A Philadelphia point will give them the Eastern Conference’s final spot over the Florida Panthers, while the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues will play for the right for the final spot in the West. Colorado needs a regulation victory tonight to vault themselves into the playoffs. In the meantime, several teams are making minor changes for the final weekend of the regular season.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley on an emergency basis. The 26-year-old has played four games with the Coyotes this year, having spent most of his season with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, putting up two goals and 17 assists in 50 games. ArizonaSports Craig Morgan adds the move was made as defenseman Kevin Connaugton is a little banged up.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the Belleville Senators of the AHL and is expected to play today as Ben Harpur is injured. Englund was recalled back in December, but didn’t play in a game. The 22-year-old former second-round pick had one goal and nine assists in 66 games for Belleville.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled defenseman Steven Santini and goaltender Eddie Lack. Both were recalled as the Devils are expected to rest numerous players today, including Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac and Sami Vatanen. With Cory Schneider getting the call to start in goal today, it’s likely the team also intends to rest starter Keith Kinkaid. The 23-year-old Santini has played in 36 games for New Jersey and 27 for Binghampton. Lack will likely serve as backup tonight. He has appeared in eight games this year, four with New Jersey.
- With the New York Rangers’ season over after Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers announced they have assigned forwards Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Steven Fogarty to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL for their upcoming playoff run. Chytil and Andersson were both recalled on Mar. 26 with Chytil picking up a goal and two assists in six games. Andersson had a goal and an assist in those six games. Fogarty was recalled last night and didn’t get into a game.
Minor Transactions: 4/5/18
It’s been a slow day for player movement as the regular season winds down, but some intriguing late action serves as a reminder that teams are still tweaking their rosters even this late in the season. 13 teams have been eliminated from postseason contention, but seven out West and five in the East have clinched spots and the remaining six are still fighting. For those lucky enough to still have eyes on the playoffs, there are important transactions to be made:
- As has been commonplace through this season – and will finally come to an end soon – the San Jose Sharks have reassigned defenseman Tim Heed to their in-house AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda themselves announced. Heed will suit up for the Barracuda tonight, just his sixth game in the minors this season. However, Heed has only skated in 29 games with the Sharks as well, as the 27-year-old rearguard has been passed back and forth continually but under-utilized overall.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled goalie Ville Husso, the recently-named AHL All-Rookie Team keeper, from the San Antonio Rampage. There has been no indication that this is an emergency call-up by the Blues, meaning Jake Allen and Carter Hutton are likely fine and the team will simply ride with three goalies to close out the season. St. Louis trails the Colorado Avalanche by one point with two games remaining, including a head-to-head match-up on Saturday.
- The flood of young talent in Boston isn’t ending any time soon and fans can get another glimpse into the future by watching the remainder of the AHL’s Providence Bruins’ season. Boston assigned junior players Jack Studnicka and Kyle Keyser to their minor league affiliate, per The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, and the pair of Oshawa General teammates reported to the team today. Studnicka, the Bruins’ second-round pick last season, led the Generals in scoring this season with 72 points and did so on a team that featured two potential first-round forwards this June in Serron Noel and Allan McShane. Like fellow Boston prospects Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Studnicka is an intelligent, two-way center who the Bruins hope could grow into a Patrice Bergeron clone. Perhaps more impressive though has been the play of Keyser, an undrafted free agent signing, who has been one of the best goalies in the OHL this season and was recently named the General’s Most Valuable Player. Both Studnicka and Keyser had previosuly signed ELC’s, but will more than likely still return to junior to begin next season; for now they will get a taste of the pro game in anticipation of NHL futures on the way.
AHL Names 2017-18 All-Rookie Team
The votes have been cast, and this year’s AHL All-Rookie Team has been released. The AHL rookie teams are always a mix of top draft picks and surprising prospects, and this year is no different. The team is as follows:
Goaltender: Ville Husso, San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
Defense: Filip Hronek, Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Defense: Sami Niku, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Forward: Mason Appleton, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Forward: Daniel Sprong, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Forward: Dylan Strome, Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)
Obviously winning this award doesn’t guarantee NHL success, but it is a strong sign for players who will experience a long and successful professional career. The past All-Rookie teams have included many eventual NHL All-Stars, and could again in this group.
Strome is obviously the most recognizable name, selected third overall in 2015. He hasn’t been able to find a ton of success at the NHL level, but dominated the AHL in his first season. Scoring 50 points in 47 games he leads all (qualified) rookies in points-per-game, and likely won’t be in the minor leagues again next season.
Of note is two Winnipeg Jets prospects, both selected late in the 2015 draft. Appleton and Niku were picked 168th and 198th respectively, but both had outstanding rookie seasons with Manitoba and are more names to look for in the Jets lineup over the next few years. Niku made his NHL debut last night and scored on his first shot, just the latest accomplishment in his first season in North America.
Cam Fowler, Carl Gunnarsson Face Late-Season Injuries
The Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues are still battling for the last few wild card spots in the Western Conference, and today both announced injuries to defensemen. The Blues announced that Carl Gunnarsson will be out at least six months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL, while the Ducks will be without Cam Fowler for two to six weeks after suffering a shoulder injury. John Gibson also suffered an injury for the Ducks, but is considered day-to-day.
Fowler is obviously the bigger loss, as the Ducks rely on him for almost 25 minutes a night including time on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Though they have other strong defensemen, this means they’ll have to rely more on players like Francois Beauchemin or Marcus Pettersson, neither of which have shown the ability to contribute like Fowler this season. With Kevin Bieksa still out (and ineffective at times even when healthy) it’s unclear how the Ducks’ defense will shake out as they head towards the postseason. After losing players like Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen over the last year, their depth isn’t as strong as it once was.
Gunarsson on the other hand doesn’t play nearly as much for the Blues, who have limited him to just over 16 minutes a night this season. Still, losing a player with his experience only thins out the depth of the team as they approach the postseason and makes them even more vulnerable to injuries in their top-4. The Blues though have to worry about the last few games of the season, as they sit a point back of Colorado for the final spot. Though they have a game in hand on the Avalanche, they’ll have to battle to scratch their way into the first round.
Early Notes: Marchand, Upshall, Formenton
There will be no suspension for Brad Marchand in his latest on-ice incident, instead receiving a $5,000 fine from the Department of Player Safety. Marchand appeared to cross-check a prone Andrew MacDonald in the face during the Boston-Bruins-Philadelphia Flyers game this weekend, but he will escape without missing any time.
This is the third time this season that Marchand has been given some form of supplementary discipline, after receiving a five-game suspension for elbowing Marcus Johansson and a $2,000 fine for a pair of diving/embellishment instances. This is the fourth such season with multiple incidents for Marchand, who despite being one of the best offensive weapons in the league has built quite a reputation for himself as a over-the-line player.
- Scottie Upshall will not return for the St. Louis Blues this season, after suffering a lacerated kidney against the Arizona Coyotes. The injury occurred on a relatively innocuous-looking hit from Luke Schenn, but could mean some missed playoff time for the energy forward. Officially listed as out indefinitely, Upshall won’t be able to help the Blues attempt to catch Colorado or Los Angeles for one of the last few playoff spots.
- Alex Formenton has been assigned to the Belleville Senators, now that his London Knights have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The 18-year old Formenton played one game for the Ottawa Senators at the beginning of the year, but was sent back to junior where he could suit up for Team Canada and register 48 points in 49 games for the Knights. He’ll get a chance to show what he can do at the AHL level before battling for a spot with Ottawa in the fall. If he doesn’t make the NHL team, another trip back to junior is a possibility.
Minor Transactions: 4/1/18
As the Stanley Cup playoffs begin to creep closer, the playoff picture is slowly starting to take shape as teams are slowly clinching playoff spots. While the Western Conference has just three teams that have clinched a spot, the Eastern Conference already has five teams that have earned their way into the playoffs. Throw in multiple injuries and many teams are likely to be making moves today to keep their rosters together for the final week of the regular season.
- After calling him up on an emergency loan on Saturday, the Calgary Flames have assigned defenseman Oliver Kylington to the Stockton Heat of the AHL on Sunday. He did not make it into Saturday’s game. The 20-year-old blueliner
- The St. Louis Blues assigned defenseman Chris Butler to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL after recalling the veteran blueliner on an emergency recall Saturday. He did not get in Saturday’s game as he served as an extra defender.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled defenseman Sami Niku. The 21-year-old has been having an excellent rookie year with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The 2015 seventh-round pick has put up 15 goals and 37 assists this year and is tied for first among AHL-blueliners in points with 52. He could make his debut Monday. Jets insider Jamie Thomas writes that Niku will likely fill in for resting players for the playoffs, while the team also hopes to get a long look at the youngster.
- With the Minnesota Wild facing life without Ryan Suter, the team has recalled Carson Soucy from the AHL. Soucy has recorded 15 points in his first professional season, after signing out of the NCAA last spring. The 6’4″ defenseman’s recall is under emergency conditions, meaning he won’t count to the four post-deadline call-ups.
- Roland McKeown is on his way back up for the Carolina Hurricanes, recalled after just a few days in the minor leagues. McKeown has two points in the seven games he’s played for the Hurricanes this year, his debut NHL season.
Minor Transactions: 3/31/18
Today’s slate of 12 games carries some serious weight, like most days this late in the season. The two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a Florida Panthers regulation loss and their 2016 Cup competitors, the San Jose Sharks, can also get in with a win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Anything less than a regulation win for the Sharks will seal the Pacific Division for the Knights, while a Vegas loss and Winnipeg Jets regulation loss will give the Western Conference title to the Nashville Predators. On the other end of the spectrum, the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas stars are in action today with their tragic numbers down to one. Both teams must win and hope the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues respectively lose to keep their playoff hopes alive. There is a lot at stake; keep track of how the teams are preparing today right here:
- Michal Neuvirth continues to struggle with his lower-body injuries and will be unable to go against the Boston Bruins tomorrow. As a result, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have recalled young Alex Lyon from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an emergency basis to serve as Petr Mrazek‘s backup. Lyon has made 11 appearances for Philly in his rookie season as a dependable option to deal with the team’s many goaltending woes.
- Another emergency recall is defenseman Chris Butler, per the St. Louis Blues. After Jordan Schmaltz left the Blues’ game last night with an upper-body injury and did not return, St. Louis needed a replacement and got one by bringing up Butler from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Butler has skated in just two NHL games this season, but is enjoying a career year in the minor leagues with 29 points and a +12 rating in 60 games.
- The Edmonton Oilers have also made an emergency recall, adding Keegan Lowe to the blue line from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Despite multiple call-ups, Lowe has not yet debuted for the Oilers, but could get his chance against the Calgary Flames today.
- The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled defenseman Oliver Kylington from the Stockton Heat of the AHL as an emergency call-up. He has been added as the extra defenseman in case one of their six defenseman are either injured or ill. Kylington, the team’s second-round pick in 2015, has been having a solid year in his third AHL season. He has five goals and 26 assists in 56 games this season. He has played one NHL game in his career, back in the 2015-16 season.
- The Buffalo Sabres have assigned forward Kyle Criscuolo to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. The 25-year-old forward hasn’t played since Mar. 5 with a shoulder injury and now that he is skating, it is believed he will return to Rochester for their AHL playoff run. Criscuolo has played nine games for the Sabres this season, with no points. He has 15 goals in 50 games with the Americans this year.
Erik Foley Signs Three-Year Entry-Level Contract With St. Louis Blues
As expected, the St. Louis Blues have signed Erik Foley to a three-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2018-19 season. Foley will sign an amateur tryout with the San Antonio Rampage to get into some minor league action before the end of the season. The Providence College standout was acquired earlier this year as part of the package for Paul Stastny.
Getting Foley under contract means that the Jets will not have to give the Blues a 2020 fourth-round pick, which was one of the conditions of the trade. Instead, the talented winger will jump right into the Blues system and give them another interesting forward prospect.
With players like Tage Thompson, Klim Kostin, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas already in the system, the Blues are stocked with forward talent even before bringing Foley in, meaning he will have to fight for his opportunities in the organization. With 35 points in 38 games for Providence this season, he certainly looks ready to do just that.
Selected in the third round in 2015, Foley is an interesting blend of skill and physicality. Though he isn’t very big, he plays a power game and loves to get in on the forecheck and punish defenders who underestimate him. That bang-and-crash game is supported by some nice hands around the net and an ability to score in different ways, though his projection at the NHL level is not as a top-line player.
Early Notes: KHL, Carlson, Foley
The KHL has contracted by two teams again for the 2018-19 season, with Ugra Khanty-Mansiysk and Lada Togliatti both exiting the league. Those two combined for just 33 wins this season, bringing up the bottom of the Kharlamov Division.
That’s the second straight season the KHL has contracted, after previous expansion. The league has dealt with financial disparity since its inception, but will open the doors on September 1st and start their 11th season with 25 teams.
- After initially proposing the idea that John Tavares could be a sign-and-trade candidate for the New York Islanders, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) has expanded that notion to John Carlson of the Washington Capitals. Carlson is in line for a huge payday this summer as the best defenseman on the market, but will be a tough contract to fit into the Washington salary structure. The only real benefit a sign-and-trade has in the NHL is the ability to get an eighth year under contract, which makes it a tough thing to sell to a player before he’s able to talk to all the team that may be interested in his services. LeBrun examines exactly what would have to happen in Carlson’s case.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal is extremely plugged into the college hockey circles in the northeast, and he reports that Erik Foley is expected to sign with the St. Louis Blues after his junior season. The Providence College forward led his team in scoring with 35 points this year, and could make an impact quickly in the NHL. Foley was a third-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, but was included as part of the deal for Paul Stastny last month.
St. Louis Blues Sign Three College Prospects
The St. Louis Blues have announced a trio of signings yesterday, inking draft picks Nolan Stevens and Austin Poganski to two-year entry-level contracts, while also signing free agent Mitch Reinke to a two-year entry-level deal. Stevens’ and Reinke’s contracts will begin this season and will both report to the Blues this week, while Poganski will head to the AHL on an amateur tryout, and see his contract start in the 2018-19 season.
Stevens, son of Los Angeles Kings head coach John Stevens, could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer had he waited until the middle of August. He has just finished his senior season at Northeastern, where he captained the team after his brother, also named John Stevens, left for the New York Islanders organization last year. The younger Stevens is a better offensive player than his brother, and put up a college career-high 24 goals this season, trailing only Vancouver Canucks prospect and potential Hobey Baker winner Adam Gaudette for the team lead. The 21-year old is a big bodied forward that could use some time in the minor leagues, but likely used his pending free agency as leverage to start his entry-level deal this season.
Like Stevens, Poganski also could have become a free agent after four years at the University of North Dakota. The 22-year forward isn’t as creative in the offensive zone, but plays a heavy game with an emphasis on a punishing forecheck and driving to the net. Selected in the fourth round four years ago, he put up solid if unspectacular offensive numbers at UND while filling a two-way role behind more heralded prospects.
Reinke on the other hand was never drafted, but instead starred at Michigan Tech and was a big part of getting them into the NCAA tournament this year. The 22-year old defenseman moves the puck quickly and effectively, and recorded 24 points in 35 games as a sophomore this season. As the NHL sees more and more smaller, mobile defensemen enter the league, Reinke will try to be the latest to make an impact from the college ranks.