Kings Recall Andre Lee, Place Akil Thomas On IR
The Kings called up forward Andre Lee from AHL Ontario under emergency conditions on Friday, per a team announcement. Center Akil Thomas landed on injured reserve in a corresponding transaction to open a roster spot.
Lee, 24, returns to the NHL roster after spending most of the season with the big club. He didn’t quite crack the opening night roster but was recalled just a couple of days later, making his NHL debut and skating in 15 out of 18 contests after his recall.
The 6’5″, 206-lb winger didn’t make much of an impact offensively with two assists, but he did make his mark physically with 32 hits without being a significant drag on the Kings’ possession numbers. L.A. controlled 49.6% of shot attempts and 53.8% of expected goals with Lee on the ice at 5-on-5, perfectly serviceable stats for a fourth-line piece.
Selected in the seventh round in 2019, Lee had one assist and a +1 rating in a pair of appearances for Ontario over the past week and a half, his first pair of the season. The Karlstad, Sweden, native had a career-high eight goals and 13 points in 36 AHL games last season and signed a fresh two-way extension in June to avoid restricted free agency.
Meanwhile, Thomas lands on IR with an undisclosed ailment despite being listed as a healthy scratch for their last outing, a 4-1 win over the Jets. If he was banged up, they could make his placement retroactive to his last appearance on Nov. 25 against the Sharks, which means he’d be eligible to return next Wednesday against the Stars. He’ll miss at least two more games with the injury.
Thomas, 24, has been a frequent healthy scratch this season, only appearing in 10 of the Kings’ 23 games. He has a goal and an assist while averaging 11:07 per game. The 2018 second-round pick is fourth-worst on the team with a 50.0 CF% and has managed 14 shots on goal.
Blue Jackets Recall Jet Greaves
The Blue Jackets announced Friday that they’ve recalled goaltender Jet Greaves under emergency conditions. He’ll back up Elvis Merzļikins this afternoon against the Flames instead of Daniil Tarasov, who Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports is dealing with an illness.
It’s the second recall of the season for the 23-year-old Greaves. He was summoned to back up Tarasov for a pair of games in mid-October while Merzļikins was dealing with an upper-body injury, but he did not play.
Greaves, an Ontario native, is now in his fourth season of pro hockey, all of them coming in the Columbus organization. He’s been decent so far for Cleveland this season, posting a 3.23 GAA, .908 SV%, one shutout, and a 7-3-1 record in 11 games.
However, it’s not really the step forward in his development that the Jackets were hoping for. Columbus appeared to have found a diamond in the rough with Greaves, who they inked as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. He’s been solidly above average in his limited NHL action to date, posting a .912 SV% and 3.44 GAA in nine starts and one relief appearance for the Jackets over the past two seasons despite facing over 34 shots per game on average.
The 6’0″ Greaves may not have yet taken a demonstrable step forward in his play in Cleveland this season, but there’s still plenty of runway left in 2024-25 to do so. He remains waiver-exempt this season but will need them to head to the AHL starting with 2025-26.
Tarasov, meanwhile, hasn’t played since Nov. 16 and has backed up Merzļikins for four straight. The 25-year-old has had a tough year, logging a career-low .861 SV% and 4.04 GAA with a 3-4-1 record in eight starts.
Lightning Recall Matt Tomkins
The Lightning announced Friday that they’ve recalled goaltender Matt Tomkins from AHL Syracuse. Presumably, Jonas Johansson or Andrei Vasilevskiy is unavailable or uncertain for this afternoon’s game against the Predators, although the team hasn’t confirmed either’s status yet. The Lightning have an open roster spot and $1.43MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia, so they don’t need to make a corresponding transaction to accommodate Tomkins’ addition.
Tomkins, 30, has a subpar .890 SV% and 3.12 GAA in eight showings for Syracuse this season, although it’s somewhat irrelevant what his numbers are. Tampa Bay has no other option for a recall – they only have three goaltenders under contract. They would likely need to sign 28-year-old Brandon Halverson, who’s outperformed Tomkins by a wide margin in Syracuse this season while on an AHL contract, to an NHL deal if either Johansson or Vasilevskiy is out for any time.
Tomkins, an Edmonton native, is in his second season with the Bolts. The Ohio State grad started last season as Johansson’s backup while Vasilevskiy was on the shelf recovering from back surgery, posting a 3-2-1 record in six starts with a .892 SV% and 3.33 GAA in his first-ever NHL action.
A seventh-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2012, Tomkins spent four seasons playing for their AHL and ECHL affiliates before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2021 and heading overseas, playing two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with Frölunda HC and Färjestad BK. He also appeared for Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics and World Championship, winning a silver medal at the latter as the third-stringer behind Chris Driedger and Logan Thompson.
Tomkins passed through waivers unclaimed at the beginning of the season. He can remain on the Bolts’ roster for up to 30 days or appear in 10 games before he requires them again to return to Syracuse.
Stars Recall Alexander Petrovic
The Stars announced Friday that they’ve recalled defenseman Alexander Petrovic from AHL Texas. No corresponding transaction is required since the team has an open spot on the active roster and nearly $2MM in current cap space, more than enough to accommodate his league-minimum $775K cap hit.
Dallas summoned Petrovic, 32, once earlier this season to serve as injury insurance on the blue line for a few games in mid-October, but he didn’t get into game action. The 6’5″, 207-lb righty is now in his fourth season with the Stars organization, where he’s served as an alternate captain for their AHL club since day one and is off to an unusually hot start offensively, racking up three goals and six assists for nine points in 14 games to tie for the team lead in scoring among defensemen.
Once a depth mainstay on the Panthers’ NHL roster in the mid-2010s, call-ups have been few and far between for Petrovic in the last few years. He made one regular-season and seven playoff appearances for Dallas last season, marking his first NHL action since splitting 2018-19 between Florida and the Oilers.
Petrovic’s recall will likely yield an appearance or two this time, notes team radio analyst Bruce LeVine. He’s expected to replace Mathew Dumba in the lineup tonight against the Avalanche in a third-pairing role alongside Brendan Smith. The duo struggled in the Stars’ 6-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Wednesday, controlling 31.4% of expected goals at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck. This will be Dumba’s third healthy scratch of the season after signing a two-year, $7.5MM contract in free agency that looks like a rare misguided investment from Dallas general manager Jim Nill.
Petrovic’s previous recall lasted five days, so he can remain on the Stars’ roster for 25 more (or play 10 games) before he needs waivers to return to the AHL.
Andy Welinski Signs In Germany
Unrestricted free agent defenseman Andy Welinski has signed a contract with Germany’s Löwen Frankfurt for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, per a team announcement.
Welinski, 31, hasn’t appeared in the NHL since a 13-game stint with the Ducks in 2020-21. He’s spent the last few seasons jumping around the AHL on NHL and minor-league contracts.
The Devils inked the Minnesota native to a PTO during training camp in September but subsequently released him and had him suit up for their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, on a tryout. He was released earlier this month after struggling with one assist and a -6 rating through eight games.
The former Minnesota-Duluth captain now heads overseas for the first time in his 10-year professional career. All of his 46 NHL appearances have come for the Ducks, who drafted him in the third round in 2011, posting a goal and five assists with a -2 rating.
His AHL resume is far more diverse. Aside from playing 149 games for Anaheim’s affiliate in San Diego in parts of five seasons, he’s spent time suiting up for the Flyers, Flames, Rangers, Blackhawks, Wild, and Panthers farm clubs before his brief run in Utica this season. In 327 AHL games over the last decade, he has 42 goals and 111 assists for 153 points (0.47 per game) with 121 PIMs and a -23 rating.
Welinski heads to a Löwen club that suits up in Germany’s top-flight league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club is off to a 9-7-1-3 start and is on pace for their best record since being promoted from the DEL2 in 2022. He joins a squad headlined up front by former NHL grinder Carter Rowney and Blues 2018 first-rounder Dominik Bokk.
Oilers Recall Drake Caggiula
As expected, Drake Caggiula’s stint in the minors was short-lived. The team announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the veteran forward from AHL Bakersfield.
Edmonton re-assigned the 30-year-old back to the minors on Monday alongside defenseman Josh Brown (who notably wasn’t brought back up this time around). With the Oilers off until Friday, the demotions allowed them to exit LTIR for a few days and bank a bit of cap space. While Caggiula is on a contract for the league minimum of $775K, his remaining money is still more than the $382K they can afford per PuckPedia which means they’ll be back into using LTIR once the recall officially hits their books on Friday.
Caggiula has played in four games with Edmonton so far this season, all within the last four weeks. He has one assist in those outings while averaging a little over eight minutes a night of playing time while also spending time in a reserve role. He’s likely to still have a limited role on this stint with the Oilers as well. While he was held off the scoresheet on Wednesday, Caggiula has been much more productive with the Condors, recording five goals and four helpers so far.
With the recall, Edmonton’s roster now stands at 22 players, one below the limit. With them now back in LTIR, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that spot get filled in the near future.
Evening Notes: Smith, McLaughlin, Oesterle, Portillo
The Carolina Hurricanes have brought defender Ty Smith back to the NHL roster per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. He was assigned to the minor leagues in a corresponding move to their recall of goaltender Yaniv Perets, who filled in while Pyotr Kochetkov was day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Smith has been back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL rosters all season, though he hasn’t played an NHL game since 2022-23. His only ice time this year has come through four games with the Chicago Wolves. Smith has three points, all assists, in those outings. Smith has a defined history in North American pros, originally going 17th-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft after a strong WHL career and making his NHL debut in 2020-21. He recorded 23 points in 48 games as a rookie, but has since failed to follow-up – with just 47 games across 123 career games. He’s spent the last two years fully in the minors, recording 67 points across 102 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Smith will now return to a role as Carolina’s seventh defender, hoping to fight for ice time above Sean Walker or Shayne Gostisbehere.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Boston Bruins have assigned forward Marc McLaughlin and defenseman Jordan Oesterle to the minor leagues per the AHL transactions log. The move was first reported by Robert Chalmers of Cohen’s Hockey Media. It’s unclear if the move is a paper move – though Chalmers suggests it could be lasting. Neither McLaughlin or Oesterle suited up in Boston’s Wednesday win over the Islanders. In fact, McLaughlin has only stepped into one Bruins game this season – Boston’s loss to Vancouver on Tuesday. He didn’t record any scoring in that outing but did add one block and three hits in 9:36 of ice time. Oesterle has served a bit hardier of a role – albeit as an injury fill-in for Hampus Lindholm – stepping into three games but yet to find his first point of the year. Oesterle’s only stat changes come through three blocks, three hits, and a -2. Both players will return to the minors, where McLaughlin has scored 10 points in 15 games and Oesterle has eight points in nine games.
- Top Los Angeles Kings goalie prospect Erik Portillo is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday shares team manager of editorial content Zach Dooley. Portillo will take on an Anaheim Ducks with a 5-4-1 record in their last 10 games, though they’ve tied opponents in scoring 31-to-31. The Kings called Portillo up for the first full recall of his career on November 24th. He’s the only Ontario Reign goaltender with a save percentage above .900 – boasting a .906 through six AHL games this year. Portillo was more formally Ontario’s starter last year, recording 24 wins and a .918 through 39 games as an AHL rookie. He was a standout at the University of Michigan, accumulating a .918 save percentage over 87 games and three seasons with the Wolverines.
Snapshots: Hronek, Friedman, Pickering, Sillinger, Chinakhov
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek is expected to miss a “while” with an upper-body injury per Irfaan Gaffar of Daily Faceoff. Hronek seemed to suffer a shoulder injury in Vancouver’s Wednesday loss to the Penguins, after getting hit awkwardly into the boards by Pittsburgh defenseman Jack St. Ivany.
Any extended absence from Hronek would be hard for Vancouver to bear. He’s continued to serve a top-line role this season, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time a game opposite of Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes. Hronek has managed one goal and nine points in 21 games in the role – on pace for 35 points, a dip from the 48 points he scored last season.
Hronek’s stat line may not jump off the page, but he’s seemed to be the key to unlocking a Norris Trophy-level Quinn Hughes. The two have outscored opponents 18-to-10 at even-strength this season, compared to Hughes’ tying opponent scoring five-to-five without Hronek. The two have recorded a 55.07 expected-goals-for percentage since being paired together last year.
The Canucks are expected to recall veteran defenseman Mark Friedman in response to Hronek’s injury, per Noah Strang of Daily Hive. Friedman has four points through eight AHL games this year but has yet to make his season debut with Vancouver. He recorded one assist in 23 games with the Canucks last year, marking his sixth season serving the role of seventh or eighth defenseman for an NHL club. Friedman has tallied 13 points in 88 career games in the minutes he’s earned. Friedman will likely step right into the lineup hole, though he’ll face pressure from Vincent Desharnais on the bench – and Jett Woo and Cole McWard from the minors. With a potential long-term vacancy opening up, all four defenders could find a way into the lineup.
Other Thanksgiving notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering missed another practice due to illness shares Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Head coach Mike Sullivan added that the rookie is still being evaluated, and remains questionable for the team’s road game in Boston on Friday. Pickering sat out of Wednesday’s game against Vancouver. He has one point – an assist – through the first four career games. Pickering will return to competition with Ryan Shea when he’s back to full health.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets will have the services of Cole Sillinger on Friday, but Yegor Chinakhov is “banged up” and questionable, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Both players missed Columbus’ Thursday practice. The two have returned as core pieces of Columbus’ middle-six. They sit next to each other on the team’s scoring ranks, with Chinakhov posting 14 points in 21 games and Sillinger posting 12 in 20 games.
Kraken Recall Ryan Winterton
The Seattle Kraken have recalled forward Ryan Winterton from Coachella Valley. It’s the second call-up of Winterton’s season, with the first awarding him one game – and a return to the AHL one day later. He didn’t record a point in his season debut, dragging Winterton through a 10th career game without his first point – after nine games last season. He currently leads the Coachella Valley Firebirds in goals and points, with seven goals and 15 points in 16 games.
Winterton has worked his way into a top-line role in Coachella Valley on the back of capable and quick play in the offensive end, stepping up as maybe the best playmaker and finisher on the Firebirds lineup. He’s showing noticeable improvements from his rookie AHL season last year, when he posted 22 goals and 35 points in 58 games.
Seattle captain Jordan Eberle is expected to miss the next three months after undergoing pelvis surgery earlier this week. His absence has cemented Tye Kartye and Daniel Sprong in the lineup, despite the pair scoring just four points in 22 games, and one point in six games, respectively. Meager production from his peers could open a chance for Winterton to work his way into minutes, and may even jump up the depth chart with a scoring spark.
Sharks Place Barclay Goodrow On IR, Recall Ethan Cardwell
The San Jose Sharks have placed forward Barclay Goodrow on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He left the team’s Wednesday night loss to the Senators in the first period. Goodrow took a high hit from Ottawa’s Ridly Greig in his first shift and only played through three more 30-second shifts before heading back to the locker room. San Jose made no indication of what specific injury Goodrow suffered, though he’s had bad luck with head injuries – going on a liquid diet for a month after blocking a shot with his face in a game against Ottawa last December. He’ll miss San Jose’s next three games, at least, with this new IR designation.
Goodrow has struggled to find his footing with the Sharks, standing with just two goals in 25 games this season. He’s recorded 31 shots on net, earning a 6.5 shooting percentage – ranked in the bottom 25 of all forwards to score at least one goal this season. It continues his struggling scoring from last year, when Goodrow posted a 6.6 shooting percentage with four goals in 80 games. Despite the snakebite, he’s still offering meaningful veteran value to a young Sharks lineup – filling a routine role on the second unit of both special teams. San Jose is expected to slot Givani Smith in the lineup in Goodrow’s absence, meaning special teams minutes will need to be distributed around the lineup’s younger options.
In a corresponding move, Ethan Cardwell has been called back to the NHL lineup. He’ll step into the role of extra forward but could work his way into the lineup with an extended recall. Cardwell played in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this season, going without any scoring but recording three shots and five hits. He’s recorded one goal and seven points in 13 AHL games this season, slightly below the scoring pace of his 43-point rookie year last season.