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Minor Transactions: 11/22/19

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The hockey world may be talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ performance under new head coach Sheldon Keefe a lot today, but there was plenty of other action last night–some with real consequences. The Calgary Flames, who have struggled for an identity all season, were torn apart by the defending Stanley Cup champions and look like a team searching for answers in the wrong textbook. The Florida Panthers completed their second incredible comeback in just over a week and the New York Islanders stayed hot with another overtime victory. As teams take in some video sessions and examine what happened last night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled J.C. Beaudin and Maxime Lajoie for their game tonight, as Vladislav Namestnikov is not expected to play. Beaudin is actually taking up residence as the fourth-line center, with Colin White moved over to the wing for the time being.
  • Christian Djoos is back with the Washington Capitals, after starring with the Hershey Bears for the first month of the season. The 25-year old defenseman has played 108 games in the NHL over the last two seasons but due to cap restraints had to go down to start the year. Tyler Lewington has been returned to the AHL in his place.
  • It is a day that ends in “Y” so Charles Hudon has been involved in a transaction once again. This time he’s back up with the Montreal Canadiens as they prepare for the weekend action.
  • Matt Luff is heading back to the minor leagues, assigned to the Ontario Reign today by the Los Angeles Kings. The 22-year old forward played in four games during this most recent recall, after spending 33 games with the team last season.
  • Givani Smith has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to suit up for the NHL club. Smith was immediately reassigned to the minor leagues where he has played most of this season.
  • The Nashville Predators have sent Steven Santini back to the minor leagues, as they prepare for a game tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues. Santini has played two games for the Predators this year after being acquired in the P.K. Subban this summer.
  • Nicolas Roy has been moved to the AHL by the Vegas Golden Knights, who have been doing this consistently all season to save some cap space. The team is banking room by having fewer than 23 players on the roster on non-game days.
  • With Scott Laughton activated from injured reserve, the Philadelphia Flyers have sent Andy Andreoff back to the AHL. Andreoff has played in six games for the Flyers this season.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have returned Jayson Megna to the minors.  He has played in eight NHL games this season but has averaged less than seven minutes per night.  The move suggests that Tyson Jost may be nearing a return.

Troy Brouwer Ineligible To Play For Blues Until He Receives Work Visa

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  • While Troy Brouwer has been with the Blues for more than a week and recently signed a one-year deal, he hasn’t been given clearance to play just yet. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that the winger is still awaiting his work visa and he can’t suit up until he gets that.  Brouwer was expected to play on Thursday and is hopeful that the issue will be resolved in time for their next game on Saturday.

St. Louis Blues Sign Troy Brouwer

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The St. Louis Blues brought in two veteran forwards on professional tryouts last week in Jamie McGinn and Troy Brouwer. While McGinn was released from his PTO this morning, Brouwer has had better luck. The Blues have revealed that forward Sammy Blais will undergo surgery on his right wrist and is set to miss at least ten weeks. Taking his spot on the roster will be Brouwer, who the team announced has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth a pro-rated $750K.

While Brouwer unofficially began his second stint with the Blues last week, the team had to decide by Thursday whether or not to sign the gritty forward. Given the absence of Blais, as well as Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen, the Blues clearly felt they could use the depth up front. Brouwer brings familiarity with the organization, having suited up for St. Louis back in 2015-16. In fact, that was the last season in which Brouwer cracked 25 points and was one of the more complete campaigns of his long career. A 13-year NHL veteran, Brouwer has developed a hard-nosed, two-way game that has proved dangerous in recent years with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, even as his overall offense dropped off slightly. Brouwer will be a nice depth piece for the Blues, who will take advantage of his experience and toughness in the bottom six.

However, Brouwer is not a seamless replacement for Blais. While the 23-year-old forward has a large frame and a physical style himself, Blais’ skating and offensive skill are superior to Brouwer’s at this point in their respective careers. In fact, Blais was enjoying a breakout season to this point, recording five goals and eight points through 20 games. That mark makes him a top-six scoring forward for St. Louis this season, a role than he has actually been playing more often since Tarasenko and Steen suffered injuries. The Blues will not expect Brouwer to jump in and play with the pace and scoring efficiency of Blais, but it is a convenient time for the team to be able to add a capable option to their forward corps.

St. Louis Blues Release Jamie McGinn From PTO

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The St. Louis Blues have released Jamie McGinn from his professional tryout, but announced that Troy Brouwer will continue his. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently predicted that one of the two was going to earn an NHL contract, but it won’t be McGinn.

The 31-year old McGinn had previously suited up for the Charlotte Checkers on an AHL PTO this season, proving he was healthy enough to play after injuries derailed his 2018-19 season. A big, physical forward, McGinn had provided consistent goal scoring even from relatively limited roles throughout his career.

According to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest, the team has until tomorrow to make a final decision on Brouwer, who is trying to keep his career alive with a familiar organization.

St. Louis’ Sundqvist Fined For Charging Anaheim’s Gibson

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4:02 PM — The hearing is over and Sundqvist did not receive a suspension. He was fined just under $7,400, according to the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno.

12:33 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced that St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing today for charging Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (video here) with 9:51 remaining in the second period of Saturday’s game.

While Gibson went behind the net to play the puck, Sundqvist came around and drove right into him, sparking a fight between the two teams. The 25-year-old was given two penalties, one for charging and another for roughing. Sundqvist has only been suspended once before. He received a one-game suspension on June 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals for a hit to the head against Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk.

Regardless, Sundqvist has been a popular player with the Blues, who received a new four-year, $11MM deal this summer. He scored 14 goals and 31 points last season as well as four goals in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory run. He has three goals and seven points in 21 games this season.

St. Louis Blues Recall Klim Kostin

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The St. Louis Blues recently brought in both Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn to compete for NHL contracts, but it is a young prospect that will get a chance for now. Klim Kostin has been recalled by the Blues for the first time (other than his stint with the “Black Aces” during last year’s playoffs).

Kostin, the 31st selection in 2017, came over to North America immediately following his draft and played in the AHL as a teenager. Though he certainly wasn’t dominant right from the start, he has continued to develop over nearly 150 minor league games and looks like he’s ready to take the next step.

Still just 20 years old, the 6’3″ forward brings a mix of physicality and skill that should fit perfectly into the Blues under head coach Craig Berube. With the team missing several forwards including Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Steen, there is opportunity for a young player to grab hold of an NHL job, and Kostin will get that chance.

Snapshots: Brannstrom, Komarov, Tarasenko

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The Ottawa Senators aren’t competing for the playoffs this season, even if a recent hot streak brought them a little more respectability—the team had won four of their last six before getting pummeled by the Carolina Hurricanes last night. No, this season is entirely about development as they look to turn the page on the old guard and install a new identity under rookie head coach D.J. Smith.

Because development should be their primary concern, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet examines how the team is using one of their top defensive prospects and suggests that Erik Brannstrom could benefit from a little more time in the AHL. The Senators are back in action tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils, in a battle for the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

  • Leo Komarov has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them another one of their veteran forward options for their game tomorrow. That game is against Komarov’s former team as the Islanders welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time this season. The 32-year old forward is a versatile player and registered 26 points for the Islanders last season, but will be playing just his eighth game this year after dealing with injury for the last several weeks.
  • Speaking of forwards missing time to injury, St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko spoke for the first time today and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he’s not sure if he’ll be able to play again this season. Tarasenko underwent shoulder surgery on October 29th and will be re-evaluated in five months, but hopes he can come back sooner than expected like he has from previous injuries.

St. Louis Blues Sign Troy Brouwer, Jamie McGinn To Professional Tryouts

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The St. Louis Blues have decided to go a different route to address their injury woes, signing a pair of veteran forwards to professional tryout contracts in the hopes they’ll show they can still play in the NHL. Troy Brouwer and Jamie McGinn have both been brought in and will practice with the team this week, though neither has been issued an NHL contract yet.

Brouwer skated with the Florida Panthers in training camp this season after playing 75 games with the team last season, but wasn’t able to secure a deal. The 34-year old actually had a nice campaign with them, scoring 12 goals and recording 21 points in limited minutes. Still, it was hard for a Panthers team loaded with talent to justify a contract for the aging forward, especially when they had young stars pushing for playing time in the NHL.

St. Louis fans will be very familiar with what Brouwer can do, after he spent the 2015-16 season with the Blues and was a key part of their Western Conference Finals appearance. Brouwer was actually second on the team in postseason goal scoring behind only Vladimir Tarsenko. Perhaps St. Louis will be able to squeeze some of that magic out of him again.

McGinn meanwhile comes to the Blues after a spending a short amount of time with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL just to prove he was healthy enough to compete. His goal was always getting back to the NHL, and he’ll try to do just that in St. Louis. The 31-year old has played just 35 professional games since the start of the 2018-19 season, but was once a reliable bottom-six forward that provided physicality and a nice touch around the net.

The Blues are without Tarasenko and Alex Steen for a while, but remain in first place in the Western Conference. Any player trying out for them will have to buy-in to Craig Berube’s system that continues to wear down opponents with relentless physicality and puck pressure.

Blues Unlikely To Recall A Replacement For Alex Steen

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  • While the Blues will be without winger Alex Steen for at least a month, they’re unlikely to call anyone up to replace him in the short-term, suggests Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While it leaves them thin up front with just a dozen healthy forwards on the active roster, there could be some longer-term cap considerations at play. While Vladimir Tarasenko is on LTIR which allows them to easily recall a replacement for him and Steen, doing so would whittle away at their minimal remaining cap space (about $20K per CapFriendly); a team in LTIR on a long-term basis generally finishes with zero cap space remaining.  With three players on the active roster with performance bonuses in their deals, anything that they earn will be carried over to next year’s cap if they don’t have enough cap room to absorb it this season.

Alex Steen Out Four Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain

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The St. Louis Blues will be without another veteran forward for the next month, announcing that Alex Steen is out for at least four weeks with a high-ankle sprain. He has been moved to injured reserve.

While losing Steen for a month is obviously not ideal, the injury looked like it might be much worse when his leg got twisted underneath Edmonton Oilers forward Alex Chiasson. Hopefully he will be able to get back on the ice before the end of the year.

For the Blues, this is the second alternate captain to go down to serious injury in just a few weeks. Vladimir Tarasenko is already out for several months with a knee injury, meaning the team will need to rely on a different group of forwards this season. Robby Fabbri was also traded last night, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity in the top-nine of the Blues.

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