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Minor Transactions: 3/17/18

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All eyes will be on Tampa tonight as the Lightning host the Bruins in a match-up with major playoff implications. Boston trails Tampa Bay by four points for the lead in the Atlantic Division and top seed in the Eastern Conference, but also holds a game in hand. A win for the Bolts would give them considerably more wiggle room, while a win for the B’s would put them in striking distance of the coveted top spot when they square off with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. Outside of this clash of titans though, there are nine other game on the docket on a busy Saturday, yet they might all be caught up in Bruins-Lightning, as it’s been all quiet on the transactions front:

  • The Dallas Stars are back to just two goalies, having reassigned Mike McKenna to AHL Texas. McKenna was briefly called up as a precaution, but did not see any action with Dallas. The veteran journeyman has made 29 AHL appearance this season though, posting a 2.64 GAA and .908 save percentage. Despite those pedestrian numbers, he will remain the next man up for the Stars should injury befall Ben Bishop or Kari Lehtonen down the stretch or (potentially) in the postseason.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will have recently-extended defenseman Dean Kukan back in the lineup, as the team announced that they have activated him from injured reserve. Kukan had missed the past 12 games with an upper-body injury that landed him on IR back in mid-February. It remains to be seen if Kukan will stay in Columbus or instead see some guaranteed game action with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he has 15 points in 32 games this year.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have recalled goaltender Louis Domingue from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. After stopping 26 of 28 saves for the Crunch Friday, the belief is that Domingue will share backup goaltending duties with veteran Peter Budaj, who only recently came back from injury. The belief was that Domingue, who has played eight games for the Lightning, has been stronger in goal than Budaj has been. Domingue has a 5-2-0 record with a 3.07 GAA and a .907 save percentage, while Budaj has a 3-3-1 record with a  3.76 GAA and a .876 save percentage in eight games. The transaction leaves Tampa Bay with just one final recall remaining for the rest of the season as this is the team’s third of four.

Minor Transactions: 03/13/18

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The entire hockey world was watching last night as the league’s top two goal scoring talents went up against each other in the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Though Patrik Laine is quite the challenger, Alex Ovechkin showed once again why he is regarded as one of the greatest of all-time. Ovechkin scored two, including the 600th of his career, just the fourth player in history to do so in fewer than 1,000 games.

As the league sends out congratulations to Ovechkin for his impressive accomplishment, they’ll continue to try and make minor tweaks to their roster to take him down once again in the postseason. We’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here.

Minor Transactions: 03/12/18

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Another week, another set of playoff-deciding matchups around the NHL. With so few games remaining in the regular season, every single day is of huge significance. We’ll keep track of all the transactions taking place on the fringes of rosters.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have officially recalled Peter Budaj from the AHL after his conditioning stint. The goaltender played a pair of games for Syracuse as part of his recovery from a lower-body injury, but will now stick around in the NHL. That move gives the Lightning three goaltenders for the time being, giving them plenty of opportunity to rest Andrei Vasilevskiy down the stretch.
  • Ville Husso is up under emergency conditions for the St. Louis Blues, as Carter Hutton deals with injury. Husso is the heir apparent in St. Louis should Hutton leave in free agency, as the 23-year old has shown he’s more than capable in the AHL. Through 34 games for the San Antonio Rampage, Husso has a sparkling .928 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that Valentin Zykov has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte. Zykov was just recalled on Sunday and did not see any game action. The 2013 second-round pick has put up prolific numbers in each of the past two seasons with the Checkers, but has only two games with the ’Canes to show for it all the way back in March 2017.

Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut

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Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.

  • One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
  • While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.

Snapshots: Emergency Goalie, Lundqvist, Pettersson, College Free Agents

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The Winnipeg Jets may have called up Michael Hutchinson on paper, but they weren’t actually able to get him on the roster in time for their game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. According to the team, Hutchison’s flight into New York was delayed and he was unable to arrive to the game in time. As a result, the Jets were forced to sign an emergency backup to a tryout deal. The man behind Connor Hellebuyck tonight will be Zane Kalemba, a New Jersey native and a friend of Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler. Kalemba played junior hockey with Wheeler for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and went on to star for Princeton University. Kalemba only retired from hockey in 2016, having spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and several European leagues. An experienced keeper who, most importantly, was nearby, will have to do for the Jets tonight.

  • A goalie in the tri-state area with a little more experience than Kalemba is New York Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, when Lundqvist takes the ice tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he will tie former Tampa goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the most NHL starts by a foreign-born goalie. The Rangers report that Lundqvist’s appearance, his 799th, is enough to share the top mark. When the Swedish keeper makes his next start, which could be as early as Saturday, he will not only reach a benchmark 800th appearance, but will also become the most experienced foreign keeper in NHL history.
  • Another Swede setting records is Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson. Pettersson, who was selected fifth overall last year by Vancouver, has been playing in the top Swedish pro league, the SHL, this season. After a four-point outburst today, the Canucks pointed out that Pettersson’s 55 points on the year set a new record for the most points by a player under 20 in SHL history. The Vaxjo Lakers forward snapped a 42-year-old record while also taking over the league scoring lead. That’s not too shabby for a young player who looks to be an absolute stud-in-the-making for the Canucks.
  • Some other young players looking to make an impact in the pros is the 2018 crop of college free agents. While Zach Whitecloud’s deal with Vegas today was the first NHL deal so far, a few other NCAA prospects have already hooked up with AHL teams for contracts and tryout agreements for the remainder of the season and could earn big-league deals if they impress. These transactions include Whitecloud’s Bemidji State teammate Kyle Bauman joining the Ontario Reign (LAK), the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) inking Alaska-Fairbanks’ Zach Frye, Yale’s Ryan Hitchcock going nearby to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), the Chicago Wolves (VGK) adding Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner, and both Derian Plouffe of Niagara and Josh Kestner of Alabama-Huntsville signing with the Toronto Marlies (TOR).

Undrafted Free Agent Signings Dominating Juniors

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Given that each team generally has seven chances to makes a pick in the NHL Draft each year resulting in, until recently, 210 selections, and now 217 moving forward, the bulk of top players in the league come through the draft process. However, no matter the level – Canadian juniors, American juniors and the NCAA, and Europe – there are always players that slip through the crack. Sometimes those particular players don’t slip too far. Case in point: take a look at some of the top players in the CHL this season. A significant proportion of 2017-18’s most valuable players in the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL are not just undrafted, but have also already signed with an NHL team.

In the Ontario League, Aaron Luchuk is the poster boy for the year of undrafted signings. The 20-year-old Barrie Colts center signed an entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators back in December. He’s rewarded them for taking a gamble on him by leading the league with 105 points thus far, including a league-leading 45 goals. This has been a major step up in his production of 60 points in 68 games in 2016-17. The 5’10” forward’s next step will be trying his hand at the AHL next season. Not far behind Luchuk is Sam Miletic, a fellow 20-year-old forward playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs. Miletic is fifth in the OHL with 86 points and also brings a good defensive sense to his game. Miletic signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September after recording 55 points in 65 games with the London Knights last season; Miletic had 54 points in just 35 games with London prior to being traded mid-season. Undrafted netminders are also making a splash in the OHL. The Detroit Red Wings signed 19-year-old Kaden Fulcher back in October and the Hamilton Bulldogs goalie has since been a top goalie in the league, currently fourth in goals against average and seventh in save percentage among starters. Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser is right there with him, as the Oshawa Generals keeper is sixth in save percentage and seventh in goals against average among starters.

The Western League is littered with undrafted free agent signings among its top scorers. The Moose Jaw Warriors’ Brayden Burke has joined that group, having just signed with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Burke, 21, is tied for second in league scoring with 113 points in just 61 games, a pace of nearly two points per game this season. Burke is undersized at 5’10”, 165 lbs., but has done well for himself in the WHL, which is traditionally a heavier league, and will soon turn his sights on the pros. Also in the top ten in scoring are another Penguin, Jordy Bellerive, and the Colorado Avalanche’s Ty Lewis. Both forwards signed prior to the season and have each taken a big step in 2017-18, currently tied for eighth with 89 points. Bellerive, who is only 18, jumped on the opportunity to sign with the defending Cup champs after being passed over in the draft, and the Lethbridge Hurricanes center is now making the Penguins just as excited about the deal. Lewis, 20, has stepped into the top scorer role for the Brandon Wheat Kings left behind by Nolan Patrick and has excelled. Cameron Hebig of the Regina Pats is next in line with 88 points on the year, after signing with the Edmonton Oilers. The WHL also features an impressive undrafted goalie of their own in Cole Kehler, a 20-year-old for the Portland Winterhawks who inked a deal with the Los Angeles Kings in December as well. Kehler has a big frame and a quick glove, which has helped him maintain the best goals against average and fourth-best save percentage among goalies with at least 40 appearances this year.

While the Quebec League doesn’t count as many exciting undrafted prospects among its best, it does feature two consistent torrid scorers who, until recently, had been ignored due to their small stature. Alex Barre-Boulet joined the pro-bound on March 1st, when the Tampa Bay Lightning signed him to an entry-level deal. Barre-Boulet, 20, may stand only 5’10”, 165 lbs., but he is enjoying his third-straight 80+ point campaign. In fact, he is far beyond that in 2017-18, with a league leading 109 points that dwarfs the next-best scorer by 15 points. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada star has at least earned a shot at the NHL. So too has Maxime Fourtier, the Halifax Mooseheads captain who has at least 70 points the past three years. Fourtier is slightly bigger that Barre-Boulet and has clearly focused on rounding out his game this season, after signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in November.

The 2017-18 season shows that the draft is not the end of the line. These standouts make up only a fraction of the talented undrafted players skating in the CHL, some of whom are soon to be signed, and an even smaller fraction of undrafted players across the globe. Talent is always there to discover, even if it doesn’t fully manifest by the age of 18, and these players are proof. Expect to see many of them at the NHL level some time in the not-to-distant future.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs Future, McDonagh, Price, Ferland

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While armed with top talent to make a Stanley Cup run now, the Toronto Maple Leafs will also have quite a few decisions to make after this season. For purposes of their playoff run, the team held onto its two key unrestricted free agents in Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. However, there is an extreme likelihood the team will move on from those two after the season. The team’s salary cap will continue to tighten over the next couple of years, especially with the pending extensions of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. In fact, all three could be extended this summer, although Nylander is the only one who will be a restricted free agent when the offseason begins.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star writes that its unlikely either Bozak or van Riesmdyk will return. Bozak is especially unlikely as he will be highly coveted by teams that are in need of a center and might overpay to sign him, something that Toronto cannot afford to do. Van Riemsdyk is another player, who puts up lots of goals, but lacks in other areas and McGran writes that he could see coach Mike Babcock wanting to move on as well.

What other options are out there? One legitimate possibility would be for the Maple Leafs to go out and sign KHL star and former NHLer Ilya Kovalchuk. The 34-year-old winger might be a perfect replacement for van Riemsdyk and would be much cheaper. Kovalchuk is coming off his best two seasons in the KHL as well as leading Russia to a gold medal and winning the MVP award at the Olympics a couple of weeks ago.

McGran also mentions Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau’s former teammate and buddy would be an interesting possibility to replace Bozak. While he’s coming off a tough injury, Thornton would provide the team with more leadership and experience. Russian defenseman Igor Ozhiganov of CSKA Moscow has also been linked to the Maple Leafs. Among the top in-house candidates, McGran points to wingers Andreas Johnsson and Carl Grundstrom along with centers Miro Aaltonen and Frederik Gauthier as players who could fill out Toronto’s line next season. The team should also have some defensive depth options in Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and Timothy Liljegren.

  • Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that while the Tampa Bay Lightning attempted to pry defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa at the trade deadline, the acquisition of defenseman Ryan McDonagh was hardly a fallback option. The general belief is that McDonagh might prove to be a better fit within the Lightning system. McDonagh, who might be ready to play in Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers, is considered to be the better shutdown guy who has the more well-rounded game than Karlsson. “McDonagh is one of the most well-rounded defensemen in the league,” said two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Brian Engblom, the Lightning’s Fox Sports Sun color analyst. “He’s a No. 1 on any team — a 1A-1B with Victor Hedman, and that’s only because Victor is Victor. (McDonagh) thinks about the right net first. “That doesn’t mean he’s not good passing the puck or making plays. He can play in any situation. He’s really mobile, really smart. He covers up a lot of mistakes by other people. He’s pretty much everything you want to list in an all-around defenseman.”
  • Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price skated for the first time since suffering a condition on Feb. 22, according to TVA Sports Renaud Lavoie. While he still has a ways to go, the hope is that Price will be able to practice with the team soon. Price has had a tough season as the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries. He has a 2.98 GAA and a .904 save percentage, which is not great for a goalie whose eight-year, $84MM extension kicks in next season.
  • Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson writes that Calgary Flames winger Micheal Ferland will return to action on Monday on the team’s top line against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ferland, who is having a breakout season, has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury. He has 20 goals and 14 assists this season, a career-best.

Budaj Really Close To Returning To Lightning

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  • Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith tweets that Tampa Bay Lightning backup goalie Peter Budaj, who hasn’t played since Dec. 29, is really close to returning to the team. The team could have a decision to make, however, as emergency backup Louis Domingue has won four of his six starts and has played well for Tampa Bay. Domingue, who has a 3.29 GAA and a .905 save percentage would have to be officially recalled, however, if they want to keep the 25-year-old. The team has already used two of their four allotted recalls on Anthony Cirelli and Adam Erne, so the team may not want to use a third recall yet and might stick with Budaj. The 35-year-old has struggled with Tampa Bay this year, however, with a 3.80 GAA and a .878 save percentage.

Anthony Cirelli Recalled By Tampa Bay Lightning

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One might think that after trading away so much young talent on Monday, that the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect cupboards could look a little bare. After all, they dealt both Brett Howden and Libor Hajek, two prospects who would be considered among the best of most teams around the league. Those assuming an empty cupboard though, would be mistaken.

Anthony CirelliToday, the Lightning have recalled Anthony Cirelli from the Syracuse Crunch and he is expected to make his NHL debut tonight against the Dallas Stars. Cirelli is leading the Crunch—one of the AHL’s best teams—in scoring this season with 37 points through 51 games, his first (full-season) taste of the professional level. The 20-year old is extremely polished, and looks ready to take the next step and contribute at the NHL level.

Cirelli was selected 72nd-overall in 2015 after just a single season in the OHL, but quickly showed that he should have been taken much higher. In his second season for the Oshawa Generals, he was named captain after Islanders’ prospect Michael Dal Colle was traded midseason, and last year he was a big part of the silver medal-winning World Junior squad for Canada. Cirelli was tasked with a checking role for the squad, but still managed to contribute seven points in seven games.

Now, the Lightning will give him his first taste of NHL hockey where he can start to make an impact as a two-way presence in the bottom of their lineup. Though his game still has some growing to do, he’s a rare prospect that is expected to be as reliable defensively as they are exciting offensively. For the Lightning, who are trying to fend off the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs for top spot in the Atlantic Division, an injection of young talent could be just what the doctor ordered.

Michael Bournival has been returned to Syracuse, and Cirelli’s call-up is under emergency conditions. That means he won’t count towards Tampa Bay’s four post-deadline recalls, unless they decide to keep him after players come back from injury.

Injury Notes: Schneider, Hanzal, McDonagh

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The New Jersey Devils went out and bought at the trade deadline, to try and help Taylor Hall and company into the playoffs for the first time since losing in the Stanley Cup Finals six years ago. Adding Michael Grabner and Patrick Maroon however might have not meant anything if they couldn’t rely on their goaltending, a position that will get a huge boost tonight.

Though Keith Kinkaid has been excellent of late, Cory Schneider will return to the crease for the first time January 23rd tonight when the Devils take on the Florida Panthers. Schneider hasn’t had the Vezina-caliber season he’s capable of, but is still likely the team’s best option in net down the stretch and into the playoffs. The 31-year old goaltender has little experience in the postseason, starting just six games for the Vancouver Canucks during the early part of his career.

  • Martin Hanzal had been dubbed “day-to-day for the rest of the season” by the Dallas Stars, but now things may be even worse for the big-bodied center. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports that Hanzal’s back injury is now “week-to-week” and that he’s not skating with the team. That’s a tough blow for a team that didn’t do anything at the deadline to improve their center depth, and currently sits in danger of falling out of a playoff spot. Dallas is in the top wildcard position in the Western Conference, but have four teams within three points behind them.
  • Ryan McDonagh hasn’t made his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning after being acquired just before the deadline passed, but was skating with the team today according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. To many fans surprise, Andrej Sustr will likely remain in the lineup when the Lightning take on the Stars tonight, a spot that is being held warm for McDonagh when he returns from his minor injury. Though they obviously would love his help to try and secure the top seed in the Atlantic Division, McDonagh was acquired for his potential impact in this year’s playoffs. In 96 career playoff games, McDonagh has averaged nearly 26 minutes a night, recorded 223 blocked shots and put up 41 points.

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