Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Lightning Rumors

Minor Transactions: 01/18/20

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The final Saturday before the All-Star break features a busy schedule with a dozen games on the docket which means there should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day.  We’ll keep tabs on those here.

  • The Bruins have reversed yesterday’s goaltender flip, recalling Dan Vladar from AHL Providence while sending Maxime Lagace down, per the AHL’s Transactions page. It appears that Friday’s roster move was solely designed to get Vladar a start to keep him fresh as he made 24 stops in a 2-1 loss to Bridgeport.
  • With its defense numbers down with their extensive injuries, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled defenseman Nelson Nogier from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The 23-year-old played one game for the Jets last season and did make a 10-game appearance back in 2016-17. He has no goals and six assists in 42 games with the Moose.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have assigned defenseman Mark Friedman to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The 24-year-old blueliner has only played in five game for the Flyers, but has appeared in 28 games for the Phantoms, tallying two goals and 10 points there. He is expendable with the return of Justin Braun.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have assigned defenseman William Lagesson to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. With the upcoming all-star break approaching, it’s likely the team wants Lagesson to get more work in. The 23-year-old has only appeared in two games for the Oilers since being recalled on Dec. 29. He has three goals and 18 points for the Condors in 21 appearances.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have assigned forward Mitchell Stephens and defenseman Luke Schenn to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Neither are expected to report, however, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith writes that both are paper transactions to save the team some money over the All-Star break and the team’s bye-week.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have decided to shake things up in their forward corps, announcing the demotions of Max Jones, Daniel Sprong and Chase De Leo and recalling Blake Pietila. This will be Pietila’s Ducks debut if he draws into the lineup. The veteran has 14 points in  games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls this season.
  • Alexander Yelesin has been returned to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the Calgary Flames have revealed. The young defenseman did not see any NHL action while on recall with the Flames, but has played well in the AHL in his first season in North America.

Minor Transactions: 01/17/20

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Alex Ovechkin stole the show on a busy night for the NHL with his 25th career hat trick and 687th, 688th and 689th career goals. That takes him within one of Mario Lemieux who sits as the barrier for the top-10 all-time, a mark the Washington Capitals superstar seems ready to blow past over the last part of the season. Ovechkin has recorded at least 30 goals in each of his 15 seasons and is showing barely any signs of slowing down. As the rest of the league marvels at the Great Eight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:

  • After just a day with the NHL club, Dan Vladar is on his way back to the minors. The Boston Bruins have sent Vladar to the AHL while recalling Maxime Lagace under emergency conditions, who at least has a bit of NHL experience.
  • Yakov Trenin, Alexandre Carrier and Jarred Tinordi have all been sent to the AHL by the Nashville Predators, who have one final game tomorrow evening before a long break. The trio will continue to get playing time in the minor leagues for the time being.
  • With their blue line taking another beating lately, the Winnipeg Jets have recalled Cameron Schilling from the AHL. The 31-year old defenseman has just ten games of NHL experience but has been a solid player in the minor leagues for nearly a decade.
  • Ivan Prosvetov has been returned to the minor leagues by the Arizona Coyotes, who recalled Kyle Capobianco with the extra roster spot. Goaltending has been an interesting position for the Coyotes all season, often carrying more than two on the roster.
  • Otto Koivula has been assigned to the AHL by the New York Islanders, after playing his seventh game of the season earlier this week. The 21-year old is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Alexander Volkov back to the minor leagues, where he has spent the majority of the season. The 22-year old forward has flashed moments of brilliance in the NHL, but still has plenty of work to do to become a regular.

All-Star Notes: Vasilevskiy, Letang, PWHPA

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The NHL has announced that Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will replace Tuukka Rask at the upcoming All-Star Game, though no reason was given for why the Boston Bruins netminder will miss the game. If Rask isn’t injured and doesn’t have a league-accepted excuse for missing the game, he would be subject to a one-game suspension.

Vasilevskiy joins Frederik Andersen as the goaltenders for the Atlantic Division after recently going on an incredible run. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has won his last eight appearances, posting a .946 save percentage in those games. Even more recent were back-to-back shutouts last week that earned him first star honors from the league.

  • In the absence of Alex Ovechkin, who informed the league that he will not be attending the All-Star festivities, Kris Letang has been named captain of the Metropolitan team. Letang was not even originally named to the team, but added when the Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh’s original selection, suffered a season-ending injury.
  • The All-Star competitions will not only feature NHL players this season, as members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association will also take part in a 3-on-3 game during the first day of the event. Hailey Salvian of The Athletic (subscription required) reports the latest details on the game, which is expected to only include players from the PWHPA, a group currently boycotting the NWHL and showcasing their talent in the “Dream Gap Tour.” Members including Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Brianna Decker have been included at the All-Star festivities in the past—with Coyne-Schofield even being an official competitor in the fastest skater event last year.

No Timetable For Mathieu Joseph's Recall

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • The demotion of Lightning winger Mathieu Joseph to the minors late last month came as somewhat of a surprise after being a regular with Tampa Bay for most of last season. Joe Smith of The Athletic notes (subscription required) that the team has no internal timeline for when they plan to bring him back but the fact that Alex Volkov was recalled to serve as injury insurance suggests that it’s going to be a longer-term stay that they don’t want to interrupt with some short-term recalls.  The 22-year-old has been relatively productive so far with AHL Syracuse with six points through his first seven games.

Snapshots: Pinto, Zucker, Palat, Lagesson

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After an impressive performance at the World Junior Championships earlier this month, the Ottawa Senators were hoping to convince forward Shane Pinto to sign with them at the end of this collegiate season. In fact, leDroit’s Jean-Francois Plante (translation required) writes that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion visited Pinto Thursday in hopes of convincing him to sign with Ottawa after his season, but he was turned away.

Pinto, the team’s 2019 second-round pick (32nd overall), has been a revelation. Considered a bit of a reach by Ottawa immediately after the draft, Pinto has taken off, posting nine goals and 15 points in 19 games for the University of North Dakota. He joined the United States team at the WJC and was one of the team’s leaders, scoring four goals and seven points in five games. However, Plante reports that Pinto’s agent would like Pinto to continue his development at North Dakota for at least one more year before likely joining the AHL team when he’s more ready physically to compete.

  • The Minnesota Wild could be getting back some offensive firepower as forward Jason Zucker practiced with the team Saturday and is a game-time decision for their game Sunday against Vancouver, according to NHL.com’s Dan Myers. Zucker suffered a fractured right fibula after getting hit with a slapshot dump-in by Chicago’s Brent Seabrook on Dec. 15. The forward had surgery and was given a 4-6 week timetable, but looks to be ready early. The 27-year-old has 12 goals and 24 points in 34 games so far this season and could provide the Wild with a much needed offensive boost.
  • While Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ondrej Palat missed his first game of the season Saturday with a lower-body injury, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman reports that Palat is still a possibility to play on Sunday against the New Jersey Devils. Palat has struggled with minor injuries throughout his career, but has produced a solid 12 goals and 26 points in 43 games so far this season.
  • The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) breaks down the play of Edmonton Oilers defensive prospect William Lagesson and his potential future with the team. The 23-year-old, currently on the Oilers’ NHL roster, might have trouble cracking the team down the road due to the team’s depth in defensive players and upcoming prospects, which could leave Lagesson on the outside looking in.

Atlantic Notes: Red Wings, Bruins, McCabe

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the Red Wings sitting in last place, there’s no question about what direction they’ll be going at the trade deadline.  However, with a lot of their veterans underachieving, their respective trade values have taken a hit.  Despite that, GM Steve Yzerman stated in an interview on the team’s website (video link) that he’s not looking to be passive and is hoping to bring in picks or young players that can contribute sooner than later.  The last bit is somewhat noteworthy as there have been teams in recent years that have preferred players to picks when they’re selling and it appears as if Detroit is at least open to going in that direction.  As for their recent picks, Yzerman acknowledged that they could give players like Moritz Seider or Joe Veleno a look down the stretch but they likely wouldn’t go as far as playing them ten games to burn the first year of their entry-level deals.

More from the Atlantic:

  • The Bruins have had interest in Kings winger Tyler Toffoli for a while now and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested in the latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that they could do a deal for him at any time and that “they know they’ve got that in their hip pocket”. If that is indeed the case, it would seem that GM Don Sweeney is likely focusing on trying land a more impactful rental or this year’s version of Charlie Coyle, a secondary scoring addition that brings an extra year of control.  With their cap situation, however, Boston would need the Kings to retain some of Toffoli’s $4.6MM AAV to have a chance at getting a deal done.
  • Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe is expected to return this afternoon after missing Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Buffalo doesn’t need to make any roster moves as McCabe remained on the active roster.  The 26-year-old has had a quiet season offensively with only seven points in 41 games but is logging more than 19 minutes a night in a top-four role on their back end.

Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Domingue, Gallagher

at CDT | by 7 Comments

It may come as no surprise, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have made it known around the league that they would like to trade Alex Galchenyuk according to Pierre LeBrun on last night’s edition of Insider Trading for TSN. Galchenyuk was only acquired last offseason in the Phil Kessel trade, but hasn’t found a fit in the Penguins’ top-six.

Bob McKenzie on the same panel notes once again that the Penguins’ priority is finding that top-six forward (even if that’s not what Galchenyuk will bring back at this point) in order to replace Jake Guentzel. McKenzie also suggests that Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford is not necessarily only looking at the rental market.

  • Louis Domingue played in last night’s 6-3 loss for the New Jersey Devils, meaning the Tampa Bay Lightning are getting an extra draft pick. The conditional seventh-round pick sent to Tampa Bay for Domingue earlier this season will now transfer hands thanks to the goaltender playing in his seventh NHL game for the Devils.
  • Head coach Claude Julien told reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet that the Montreal Canadiens are sending Brendan Gallagher for more testing to see why he is having headaches. It apparently could be related to a virus, but the team will not take a chance if it has any connection to the concussion that he only just returned from.

Minor Transactions: 01/10/20

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s a quiet Friday evening around the NHL with only three games scheduled, though one of them is still appointment viewing. When the Pittsburgh Penguins head to Colorado to take on the Avalanche, it’s always a fireworks show between friends Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. The former has been injured for some time, but after traveling with the team there is hope he’ll be able to suit up tonight. As they and the other four teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of the minor moves.

  • The Minnesota Wild have returned Kaapo Kahkonen to the minor leagues after he served as an emergency backup for Alex Stalock last night. The Wild don’t play again until Sunday, and will hopefully have Devan Dubnyk available.
  • There was also a minor league trade today, as John Stevens was dealt to the Utica Comets in exchange for future considerations. The 25-year old forward has five points in 16 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season.
  • Joel Hanley has been returned to the minor leagues by the Dallas Stars, a good sign that John Klingberg is close to returning. Klingberg hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in the Winter Classic.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have returned Ivan Prosvetov to the AHL, after he helped fill in for some injuries in net. Though he didn’t actually get into a game with the Coyotes, he can use this experience with the big club as motivation as he continues his development.
  • Alexander Volkov has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning, returning after spending the last two months in the minor leagues. Volkov played four games for the team earlier this season but has spent most of the year with the Syracuse Crunch, scoring two goals and 15 points in 25 games.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the holiday season wrapping up, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What are the Lightning most thankful for?

The fact that they are still in it.

After a dominant 2018-19 season in which Tampa Bay ran away with the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy with a dominant 62-16-4 for 128 points and no significant changes to its team, most expected another dominant season once again. That has not happened with the team, almost luckily, sitting in third place in a challenging Atlantic Division as a recent six-game winning streak has improved their record to a more respectable 23-13-4 record. The team seems to have found its game in the last few weeks and hopefully will force their way back to the top of the standings.

Who are the Lightning most thankful for?

Victor Hedman.

The 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner has had several great seasons, but the 29-year-old is on pace for career highs across the board. Through 38 games, Hedman has nine goals and 30 assists, which would translate to a point-per-game season, something he’s never accomplished in his remarkable career. Of course, with so many strong defensive candidates this year, he might have a hard time trying to get nominated for the award, but the defenseman has been a rock for Tampa Bay in a tough first half.

What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?

Better goaltending.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, the 2018-19 Vezina Trophy winner had a dominant season last year, posting a 2.40 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 53 appearances. However, this year has been a totally different story as the 25-year-old has been less impressive with a 2.83 GAA and a .909 save percentage. Those numbers aren’t terrible, but hardly numbers you’d expect to see out of last year’s Vezina Trophy winner.

Unfortunately, the team isn’t getting better help from the backup position. The Lightning brought in veteran Curtis McElhinney to create a dominant tandem with Vasilevskiy, but the 36-year-old has struggled in his first year in Tampa after an impressive season with the Carolina Hurricanes last year. He currently has a 3.19 GAA and a .904 save percentage in 11 appearances. The team needs both netminders to bounce back and have a dominant second half.

What should be on the Lightning’s Holiday Wish List?

The team hasn’t gotten the dominant individual performances that they did a year ago. Nikita Kucherov has been impressive, but is well below his 41-goal, 128-point season that netted him the Hart, Art Ross and Ted Lindsay trophies a year ago. Kucherov so far has just 14 goals and 43 points, which would be solid numbers for almost everyone else on the team, but not so much for Kucherov. The team has seen a number of forwards slip as Brayden Point, Mathieu Joseph and Yanni Gourde, to name a few, have struggled more this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Glass, Atkinson, McDonagh

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After a horrible spill in which many feared that Vegas Golden Knights rookie Cody Glass might have suffered a significant knee injury Saturday against St. Louis, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reported that he’s heard from multiple sources that Glass suffered a bone bruise and is not expected to require surgery.

The 20-year-old suffered a similar injury last season with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL, but this injury is the opposite knee. The forward could still miss a significant amount of games, but there is no ACL/MCL tear, which means Glass should be back when they need him, at the very least. Glass has been a fixture on Vegas’ third line as he has five goals and 12 points in 37 games.

  • NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda reports that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson is a 50-50 proposition for playing on Monday against the Los Angeles Kings. The veteran has been out since Dec. 19 with a high ankle sprain. Atkinson did practice today and was on the top power-play unit, suggesting he might be ready. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline adds that high ankle sprains are tricky and there is a big difference between practicing and games. Atkinson said that he still feels a high ankle sprain to his left ankle that he suffered several years ago.
  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh will miss Sunday’s game against Carolina with an upper-body injury. The veteran defenseman went down Saturday and left the game. There is no report on the severity of the injury, so more could come on Monday. McDonagh has had a tough season after a 46-point campaign last year. He currently has just one goals and 11 points in 40 games.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top