Arizona Coyotes Recall Jan Jenik
Before the team’s game tonight against the Seattle Kraken, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, on an emergency loan. The news of Jenik’s call-up likely means that forward Barrett Hayton will not be able to make his return to the lineup in tonight’s contest.
This transaction will mark Jenik’s third call-up of the season, with the last coming in mid-November. During that callup, Jenik was able to play in his first and only game of the season for Arizona, registering zero points in just 8:21 of ice time.
In what has become a recurring theme throughout his tenure with the Coyotes organization, Jenik has been given a much larger opportunity and thus has produced much better in Tucson. In 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, Jenik has scored 16 goals and 36 points, good for third on the team in scoring.
Even though his season down in the minors has been respectable, it is a marketable drop-off from his recent production in Tucson. Over the last two years prior, Jenik has scored 24 goals and 70 points in 81 games, a 0.20 PPG increase compared to his current output.
Still, with the Coyotes still maintaining 12 healthy forwards on their active roster despite Hayton’s absence, it is unlikely that Jenik will be able to build upon his 2023-24 season at the NHL level. When Hayton is healthy enough to return to the lineup, Jenik will rejoin the Roadrunners for the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, as they have already clinched a postseason nod in the AHL’s Pacific Division.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Dylan Holloway
Before their potential playoff preview matchup tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled some forward depth from AHL Bakersfield. A few moments ago, the Oilers recalled forward Dylan Holloway from the Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement.
Unfortunately, the recall might be met with some bad news, as radio commentator for the Oilers, Bob Stauffer, is reporting that Connor McDavid is not on the ice for practice. This update does not necessarily mean that McDavid is out with any major concerns, but it is an uncharacteristic move by the team’s captain, nonetheless.
Recovering from a knee injury suffered earlier in the season, Holloway has been the recipient of a few call-ups with the Oilers since returning in January but has not been very productive at the NHL level since then. In 18 games with Edmonton since returning to the organization, Holloway has scored two goals and three points in total, averaging 10:47 of ice time per game.
With the Condors, Holloway has been much more productive, scoring 10 goals and 16 points in 18 games. Thanks to the offensive help provided by Holloway down the stretch, Bakersfield was able to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs for the fifth year in a row.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Juha Jaaska To Entry-Level Contract
Tapping into the European free-agent market, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought in forward Juha Jaaska to a one-year, $775K contract. The contract will begin at the start of the 2024-25 NHL season, any Jaaska will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal.
For the last eight seasons, Jaaska has been a full-time member of HIFK, an organization in the Finnish Liiga. Over 310 games overseas, Jaaska scored 51 goals and 142 points in total while also chipping in 11 goals and 22 points in 55 playoff games.
Over his eight years with the organization, Jaaska and HIFK were able to play in five bronze medal games in the Finnish Liiga playoffs but were only able to win two of those series. Outside of those two medal finishes, HIFK was unable to reach any further in the playoffs over the last eight seasons.
Even though he was never on pace to capture any scoring awards overseas, Jaaska has been a very consistent player for HIFK throughout his tenure and has developed into an intense forechecker. When asked about the signing, General Manager of the Hurricanes, Don Waddell, said, “Juha is a veteran forward who brings energy and intensity to every shift. He’s performed consistently in Finland, and we’re excited to see what he can do in North America.”
Since Carolina is projected to lose some depth at the bottom of their lineup this offseason, Jaaska should have an opportunity to make the team out of training camp. Especially with a league minimum contract, the Hurricanes could take advantage of the additional cap flexibility to be more aggressive in signing Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis this summer.
Flyers Sign Oscar Eklind To Entry-Level Deal
The Flyers have signed undrafted free agent winger Oskar Eklind to a one-year, entry-level contract for next season, GM Daniel Brière announced today. The deal carries an AAV and cap hit of $950K, the maximum allowable.
Eklind, 25, was under contract for next season with Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League, where he spent his 2023-24 campaign. However, the contract can be terminated for a fee as the NHL and SHL have a transfer agreement.
The 6’4″, 220-lb winger has spent his entire career in his home country. His rights have never been held by an NHL team, but career highs across the board this year, plus his appealing size, led to some recent interest.
A power forward, Eklind had 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points in 48 games with Luleå last season, along with a +5 rating and 64 PIMs. His season ended late last month after they were swept in the quarterfinals of the SHL playoffs by Växjö Lakers HC.
He’s coming off his sixth full season playing in the professional ranks and his eighth overall with SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan (the Swedish second-tier pro league) experience. Luleå was his fifth organization in the Swedish tier system in the last seven years, also spending time with the Malmö Redhawks, IK Pantern, Mora IK, and Brynäs IF before landing with Luleå on a transfer last offseason.
Eklind pauses his SHL career for now with 30 goals, 28 assists and 58 points in 160 games, along with 125 PIMs. He didn’t fare much better in the HockeyAllsvenskan, posting 31 goals and 66 points in 183 games with 115 PIMs.
He’s a long shot to make the Flyers’ roster out of camp, and if he does ever crack an NHL roster, it’ll likely be exclusively in a fourth-line role. He has the shot necessary to stay afloat in the league, as he does physicality, but his overall play-driving ability and sluggish acceleration up the ice limit him from having much upward mobility.
Eklind will be 26 this summer, but since his birthday isn’t until after July 1, he should maintain RFA eligibility when his contract expires in 2025. He’ll have his NHL rights controlled by the Flyers indefinitely if the Flyers issue him a qualifying offer at the end of next season, even if he opts not to stick around and return to Sweden.
Capitals Recall Lucas Johansen
The Capitals have recalled defenseman Lucas Johansen from AHL Hershey, GM Brian MacLellan announced today. His recall comes after Rasmus Sandin sustained an upper-body injury yesterday against the Senators – he’s now been ruled out for their upcoming two-game road trip, head coach Spencer Carbery said (via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com). Carbery added that Sandin isn’t guaranteed to return by the end of the regular season.
Johansen, 26, remains in the Caps organization eight years after they selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft. He’s spent nearly all that time in the minors, only skating in nine NHL games.
A career-high six of them came earlier this season when he recorded an assist and a +1 rating while blocking seven shots and averaging 14:16 per game. The younger brother of injured Flyers center Ryan Johansen is still looking for his first NHL goal, a chance he could get if he draws into the lineup down the stretch and plays for the first time since November.
Johansen’s possession metrics when given NHL minutes have been quite poor, however, and have prevented him from having any chance of sticking in the lineup. He’s logged a 35.4 CF% and a 32.3 xGF%, the worst of any Caps skater to suit up this season. Injuries have taken him out of a solid chunk of action with Hershey this year, too, but he’s managed 12 points and a sky-high +18 rating in just 22 games when healthy.
He could draw into the lineup tomorrow in an essentially do-or-die game against the Red Wings. Without Johansen, the Caps would only have two left-shot defenders in the lineup, so he could dress if Carbery doesn’t want to play Trevor van Riemsdyk or rookie Vincent Iorio on their off-side. Washington’s playoff odds would drop to just 10% with a regulation loss to Detroit tomorrow after sitting third in the Metropolitan Division not too long ago, per MoneyPuck.
Losing Sandin at such a crucial point in the season is a tough break for Washington, losers of seven of their last 10 games. He’s the only other Caps defender to average over 20 minutes per game outside of John Carlson this season and has 23 points in 68 games with a -13 rating.
Red Wings Assign Ville Husso On Conditioning Loan
The Red Wings have assigned goaltender Ville Husso to AHL Grand Rapids on a conditioning loan, the team announced Monday. He’s been out for most of the second half of the season and hasn’t played since Feb. 13 with a lower-body injury. He logged under nine minutes of ice time in that game, exiting with a re-aggravation of the lower-body ailment that had previously kept him out since mid-December.
Even before the injury, it was a season to forget for Husso. The 29-year-old has been underwhelming for the Wings in two campaigns since they acquired him from the Blues and promptly extended him in the summer of 2022.
Across those two seasons, he has a respectable 35-27-9 record in 74 starts and one relief appearance but has done so on the back of a lot of goal support, posting a .895 SV% and 3.22 GAA. That works out to -19.6 goals saved above average since inking the three-year, $14.25MM extension.
Detroit has given the starter’s net to journeyman Alex Lyon since Husso’s injury, and he’ll undoubtedly be their Game 1 starter should they crack the playoff picture for the first time in eight years. The 31-year-old Lyon has smashed his previous career-high of 15 appearances, set last year with the Panthers, making 40 starts for the Wings while compiling a 20-17-4 record and .908 SV%.
Husso can spend up to 14 days in Grand Rapids on a conditioning loan, which would keep him there through the end of the regular season. His $4.75MM cap hit continues to count against Detroit’s books in full. If the Red Wings make the playoffs, he can be recalled and would likely sit in the press box while veteran James Reimer, who’s been better and is fresher than Husso, serves as Lyon’s backup.
Flames Recall Ilya Solovyov
The Flames have recalled defenseman Ilya Solovyov from AHL Calgary, per a team announcement. He comes up from the Wranglers after Oliver Kylington left Saturday’s loss to the Oilers late after colliding with teammate Nazem Kadri. Calgary has yet to give Kylington an official injury designation.
This is the 23-year-old Belarusian’s third career recall. The Flames brought him up for a four-day stint in late October and again for over two weeks in December. Both of those recalls were standard ones, while today’s comes under emergency conditions, according to CapFriendly.
The 2020 seventh-round pick has made six appearances across his two previous recalls. In that time, Solovyov captured his first two NHL points, both assists, and recorded a -3 rating with four PIMs, nine blocks, and eight hits. He did so in bottom-pairing minutes, averaging 14:59 per game.
Calgary has eight defensemen on the NHL roster, six of them healthy. Other than Kylington, Joel Hanley is day to day with an undisclosed injury. If Solovyov remains on the roster longer than necessary for the Flames to ice a minimum of six defenders, they’ll need to place him on their roster from his emergency loan.
Solovyov has put together a solid body of work since joining the Flames’ system in 2021, displaying his strengths as a confident outlet passer with a physical edge. He isn’t much of a factor in the offensive zone, but the 6’3″, 207-lb blue-liner has proven valuable in transition. He has 40 points and a +25 rating in 169 games with AHL Calgary and Stockton over the past three seasons, including 14 points and a +2 rating in 50 contests this season.
He’s in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract. He has arbitration rights if he reaches restricted free agency this summer, and he’s due a qualifying offer of $814K.
Blackhawks Reassign Wyatt Kaiser
The Blackhawks have assigned defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to AHL Rockford, Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports reports Monday. This leaves the Blackhawks with only six healthy defenders, suggesting Connor Murphy may be ready to come off injured reserve before Wednesday’s game against the Blues.
Kaiser, 21, has looked promising when given NHL minutes this season. He’s goalless through 32 games but has seven assists, 46 blocks, and only slightly below-average possession metrics on a badly understaffed Chicago blue line. The Minnesota native has largely been limited to bottom-pairing minutes, averaging 17:19 on the season, but had seen over 20 minutes of ice time in three of his last five outings.
He made the team out of camp but was assigned to Rockford in early December, where he remained for most of the season aside from a brief emergency loan later that month. Chicago brought him back a few weeks ago, playing him in each of their last nine games. The left-shot defender has been decent on the farm, where he has three goals and 15 points in 31 games.
A strong skater and good outlet passer, he’s done enough to put himself in consideration for an opening-night job again this fall. He has one season left on his entry-level contract, which carries a $917K cap hit, and will be an RFA in 2025.
Murphy looks to return after missing the last two and a half months with osteitis pubis, the same inflammatory groin issue that sidelined Sharks captain Logan Couture for all but six games this season. The 31-year-old told NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis last week that being “a part of the solution” has pushed him to close out the season back in the lineup. The veteran shutdown man complemented his eight points in 43 games with some of the team’s better possession numbers prior to exiting the lineup in January, posting a 44.4 CF% and -7.4 expected rating.
Hurricanes Sign Bradly Nadeau To Entry-Level Deal
The Hurricanes have signed 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau to a three-year, entry-level contract, GM Don Waddell announced today. The contract begins immediately, allowing him to join the team and potentially make his NHL debut down the stretch.
Nadeau’s contract pays him a $855K base salary each season plus a $95K signing bonus, which works out to the maximum ELC cap hit of $950K. When in the minors, he’ll earn a salary of $82.5K.
The 18-year-old turns pro much earlier than expected after a strong freshman season at the University of Maine. Last year’s 30th overall pick led or tied for the lead on the Black Bears in every notable stat, notching 19 goals, 27 assists, 46 points, and a +20 rating in 37 games.
Nadeau’s recruitment out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees was instrumental in helping the Maine program overcome a years-long stretch of mediocrity. They advanced to the Hockey East semifinals and earned a bid to the national tournament for the first time since 2012. He was named to Hockey East’s year-end Second All-Star Team and was the Black Bears’ nominee for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top collegiate player nationwide.
The victor of back-to-back BCHL championships with Penticton in 2022 and 2023, Nadeau was the highest-drafted player last year who did not play in a major junior, collegiate, or professional league. The now-independent BCHL is a tier below the main Canadian junior circuit, the CHL. Teams hadn’t used a first-round pick on a player selected directly out of the BCHL since the Avalanche took Alex Newhook 16th overall in 2019.
His quick rise and subsequent breakout with Maine has him positioned as the Hurricanes’ top forward prospect and the second-best overall behind Russian defenseman Alexander Nikishin, posits The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. Their third-ranked prospect, blue-liner Scott Morrow, inked his ELC last week and immediately joined the NHL roster, although he’s yet to debut.
Size isn’t his biggest advantage at 5’10” and 172 lbs, but his incredibly accurate and powerful shot gives him a top-six ceiling in the majors. He boasts a rather well-rounded offensive game and is nearly as good a passer as he is a finisher. While his straight-line speed isn’t the fastest, his agility and edgework have made up for it at the collegiate and junior levels.
It’s unlikely Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour will opt to thrust the New Brunswick native into playoff action, but he’s eligible for postseason play if needed. Along with Morrow, Nadeau will likely make his NHL debut over Carolina’s five remaining regular-season games.
Nadeau’s signing age is technically 19, so his entry-level contract is eligible to slide once. Since playing more than 10 NHL games this season isn’t possible, his ELC will defer to 2024-25. It’ll carry a slightly reduced cap hit, too, as his initial $95K signing bonus will be paid out this season. As such, the deal won’t expire until 2027, at which point he’ll be an RFA with five years of team control remaining.
Blue Jackets Place Carson Meyer On Waivers
April 7: Meyer has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minors at will, per CapFriendly.
April 6: It’s not very often that we see waiver activity in April but there was a placement on the wire today. CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets have placed winger Carson Meyer on waivers.
It’s the second time on waivers for the 26-year-old who also cleared at the beginning of the season. At that time, Meyer was assigned to AHL Cleveland where he was relatively productive, notching 22 goals and 15 assists in 55 games, setting new career-highs in goals and points.
That helped earn Meyer a recall on an emergency basis back on March 11th. He had been a regular most nights in the lineup since then as he got into a dozen games with the Blue Jackets, picking up a goal along with 33 hits while averaging a little under ten minutes a night. Because Meyer played in more than ten games on this recall, he has to clear waivers to return to the Monsters. Since the recall came after the trade deadline, he retained his AHL eligibility for the stretch run.
It’s quite likely that Meyer will once again clear on Sunday. If a team were to claim him, he’d be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season at both the NHL and AHL levels. Meyer will be eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency in July, his first opportunity to hit the open market.