Devils Notes: Hamilton, Bastian, Siegenthaler, Halonen
Devils interim head coach Travis Green spoke with reporters today, including Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media, to provide an update on a pair of injured players. He indicated that it’s unlikely that Dougie Hamilton will return at all this season. Hamilton had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle a little less than four months ago and is currently on LTIR. Since the Devils primarily sold at the deadline, they could easily have gotten back into cap compliance to activate the veteran if he was able to return.
Meanwhile, the news is a little better for winger Nathan Bastian. Green indicated there is a chance that the 26-year-old could return from an upper-body injury that has caused him to miss a little more than a month. Bastian has a dozen points along with 143 hits in 54 games so far this season.
More from New Jersey:
- Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler took part in practice today as he works his way back from an upper-body injury, mentions team reporter Amanda Stein (Twitter link). He has missed more than two weeks with this latest ailment, one that came just a few weeks after missing 16 games with a foot issue. Siegenthaler has been limited to just nine points through 49 games so far but as a second-pairing player, New Jersey would certainly like to get him back in the lineup sooner than later.
- Brian Halonen’s daily transactions tour continues. Per the AHL’s transactions log, the forward has been recalled to New Jersey’s roster today after being sent down yesterday. This is his third recall since Wednesday. The 25-year-old made his NHL debut last month, his only appearance at the top level so far. Meanwhile, with Utica, he has fared well with 16 goals and eight assists in just 30 games. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract.
Canucks Sign Ty Mueller To A Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract
The Canucks have signed one of their prospects as the team announced today that they’ve signed forward Ty Mueller to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. GM Patrik Allvin released the following statement on the signing:
Ty has continued to develop and take important steps forward since we drafted him. He is a smart two-way hockey player who we look forward to working with as he makes the transition from college hockey to the pro game.
It hasn’t been all that long since Vancouver drafted the 21-year-old as they picked him in the fourth round (105th overall) last June. At that point, Mueller was coming off a strong sophomore year with Nebraska-Omaha, one that saw him put up a dozen goals and 13 assists in 34 games, good enough to get him drafted in his final season of eligibility. Had he not been drafted then, he instead would have been part of this college free agent class.
Mueller wasn’t quite able to build on those offensive numbers this season as he had 11 goals and 15 helpers in 40 games, good for a tie for third in team scoring. While he could have elected to stay for his senior year and try to end his college career on a high note, he’ll instead turn pro.
The team didn’t note it if this is a contract that burns a year right away in which case he’d finish up the season in Vancouver. If that’s not the case and the deal doesn’t start until 2024-25, Mueller would be eligible to sign an ATO with AHL Abbotsford to play down there for the stretch run with the Calder Cup playoffs now just a month away.
Oilers Sign Olivier Rodrigue To One-Year Extension
The Oilers will be keeping Olivier Rodrigue in the organization for a little while longer. The team announced they have signed the netminder to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms of the deal, which covers the 2024-25 season, were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $125K in the AHL, and has a $150K guaranteed salary.
The 23-year-old was a second-round pick by Edmonton back in 2018 (62nd overall) and is in his fourth professional season, all spent in the minors. Rodrigue has played in a career-best 32 games with the Condors this season, splitting time with Calvin Pickard early in the year and Jack Campbell, who has been with Bakersfield since clearing waivers. In those contests, Rodrigue has a 2.72 GAA and a .915 SV%; the latter number is good for a tie for ninth among qualifying AHL netminders.
Rodrigue has made 85 appearances in the AHL over parts of his four professional campaigns which also saw him spend some time with ECHL Bakersfield plus a partial campaign in the Austrian league. He’s playing on a two-way deal worth the league minimum in the NHL this season and $80K in the minors so he’ll nearly double that guarantee on this new contract. He will, however, have to clear waivers to go back to the Condors next season.
Penguins Recall Ryan Shea, Assign Jonathan Gruden To AHL
Following the news that defenseman Ryan Graves has a concussion, the Penguins have made a pair of roster moves. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays that defenseman Ryan Shea is now on Pittsburgh’s roster while forward Jonathan Gruden has been returned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Shea is in his first season with the Penguins after signing with them as a Group Six unrestricted free agent last July. The decision was a wise one as he broke camp with the big club and spent more than two months on the NHL roster before being waived in mid-December.
Since then, the 27-year-old has been recalled now six times as he’s a trusted option to turn to when injuries arise. Shea has played in 22 games with Pittsburgh so far this season, his first taste of NHL action. He’s still looking for his first point but is averaging a respectable 12:28 per game on the third pairing when he is in the lineup. He has been a bit more productive in the minors, collecting two goals and four assists in 22 AHL contests.
As for Gruden, he has been shuffled back and forth quite frequently this season with seven different recalls under his belt. It hasn’t translated to a ton of action, however, as he has played in just 13 NHL contests this season, notching a single goal while averaging 8:40 per game. The 23-year-old has also played in 46 AHL games, posting 13 goals and 11 assists.
While Pittsburgh likely would have preferred to keep Gruden on the roster, his assignment was salary cap-related as they didn’t have enough cap space to have him and Shea up with them.
Seattle Kraken Recall Cale Fleury, Reassign Gustav Olofsson
In a minor tweak to their blue line, the Seattle Kraken have made a change at the bottom of their defensive core. The organization announced they have recalled defenseman Cale Fleury on an emergency basis, and have reassigned Gustav Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
For the second year in a row, Olofsson has spent much of the season at the AHL level, receiving his first call-up of the year on March 26th. Managing three games for the Kraken last year, Olofsson has only suited up in one for Seattle this season, registering zero points in 14:57 of ice time.
At the AHL level, Olofsson has not been much of an offensive threat either, only scoring 14 points in 61 games for the Firebirds since joining the Kraken organization. Fleury, on the other hand, has been much more productive at Coachella Valley, scoring six goals and 32 points over 60 games this year alone.
Nevertheless, Fleury has not played for the Kraken yet this season after tallying one assist in 12 games for the team last year. Now, the former 87th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft will have the opportunity to play bottom-pairing minutes for Seattle moving forward.
Predators Sign Ryan Ufko To Entry-Level Contract
After being eliminated by Denver University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Nashville Predators quickly signed one of their prospects from the University of Massachusetts. The organization announced they have signed defenseman Ryan Ufko to a three-year, entry-level contract that will begin at the start of next season.
Ufko was originally the 115th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, coming out of the popular Chicago Steel program in the USHL. Nevertheless, Ufko decided to continue his playing experience in the NCAA, joining the University of Massachusetts the following season.
Over a three-year collegiate career, Ufko scored a total of 23 goals and 81 points in 106 games, showing off legitimate two-way potential as a defenseman. Not only did his on-ice play improve over the last three years, but his leadership qualities developed nicely as well, leading to his captaincy during the 2023-24 season.
It is more than likely that Ufko will spend the next year and a half at least with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, but the intangibles are there for him to become a common presence in Nashville’s defensive core. Ufko has shown a keen ability to predict the play before it happens during his time in the NCAA, allowing the Predators organization to work on other teachable areas of his game.
Ducks Sign Nico Myatovic To Entry-Level Deal
The Ducks have signed left-wing prospect Nico Myatovic to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. Myatovic will finish out the 2023-24 season on a tryout with AHL San Diego. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Myatovic, 19, was the first pick in the second round of last year’s draft. The 6’3″ forward was projected as a rather well-rounded offensive talent, notching 30 goals and 30 assists for 60 points in 68 games with WHL Seattle in his draft year.
After capping off his season with a WHL championship, things soured drastically for Myatovic this season. His Seattle club as a whole largely collapsed, losing multiple players to the pros and their remaining stars missing significant time due to injuries, Myatovic included. He sustained an injury just four games into the season that kept him out through January, limiting him to 34 games on the year. Even when in the lineup, he wasn’t scoring at last year’s rate, lighting the lamp nine times. His overall production remained at the same pace, though, adding 21 assists for 30 points. He checks in as the #12 prospect in the organization in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s latest rankings, sitting among 11 other players in what he terms the third tier of Anaheim prospects.
Myatovic will be 20 by January 1, and since he’s already accumulated four years of service in major junior hockey, he’ll be permitted to play in San Diego full-time next season per the NHL/CHL transfer agreement. However, since he’ll still be 19 as of September 15, his contract can slide one season. If he plays less than 10 NHL games in 2024-25, the contract will defer to 2025-26 and expire in 2028 instead of 2027.
The Prince George, British Columbia native is the second member of Anaheim’s 2023 class to sign a contract, joining second-overall pick Leo Carlsson. He’ll be an RFA upon expiry.
Red Wings To Recall Zach Aston-Reese
The Red Wings are expected to recall forward Zach Aston-Reese from AHL Grand Rapids ahead of Saturday’s matinee game against the Panthers. Per Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside, Aston-Reese departed midway through Grand Rapids’ morning skate today and is returning to Detroit to join the team.
An illness making its way through the Detroit room kept forwards Austin Czarnik and Patrick Kane out of last night’s game against the Hurricanes. It didn’t end well for Detroit, who was forced to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen in their absence and lost 4-0 to Carolina, dropping their playoff chances to 15.6%, per MoneyPuck.
Recalling Aston-Reese allows the Wings to return to a typical 12-6 alignment against Florida tomorrow as they enter must-win territory for every game down the stretch. They’re two points back of the Capitals for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but have one less game remaining.
Aston-Reese, 29, has only logged one NHL game this season, playing 6:21 against the Stars in a loss on Dec. 11 while recording two hits. Once a highly regarded shutdown fourth-liner with the Penguins, ZAR is on his third team since Pittsburgh traded him to the Ducks at the 2022 trade deadline as part of the package for top-six scoring winger Rickard Rakell.
He’s had to settle for attending training camp on PTOs in two straight seasons. Last year’s with Toronto was successful, parlaying it into a one-year deal that saw him score 10 goals in 77 games, but a drop-off in his possession impacts and decreased usage (his 10:56 ATOI was a career low) lowered his value when he reached free agency again last summer. The Hurricanes decided to give him a chance on a tryout but ended up cutting him loose. He then signed a one-year, two-way deal ($775K/$300K/$350K) with the Wings just before the campaign began and promptly cleared waivers.
In his first extended AHL action since the 2017-18 season, Aston-Reese has been decent in a middle-six checking role, posting 13 goals and 28 points in 56 games. However, it hasn’t been enough for Detroit to give him an extended look back in the majors, especially as they’ve remained relatively healthy up front this season.
Aston-Reese has been recalled three times this season, all lasting less than a week. This is his first summons to the NHL roster since being assigned to Grand Rapids on Jan. 7.
Blue Jackets Reassign Tyler Angle
The Blue Jackets have returned center Tyler Angle to AHL Cleveland, according to a team announcement Friday.
Angle, 23, played in Columbus’ last two games after they recalled him under emergency conditions Tuesday. The 2019 seventh-round pick averaged 8:20 per game but was held without a point. He went 3-for-9 in the faceoff dot and recorded five hits with no shots on goal. It wasn’t his first showing in the NHL, though – he scored his first major league goal in a two-game trial last season.
His return to Cleveland suggests a couple of currently injured Blue Jackets forwards may re-enter the lineup Saturday in the second half of their home-and-home against the Penguins. Yegor Chinakhov and Alexander Nylander are listed as day-to-day with upper-body injuries and have not been ruled out of tomorrow’s contest.
Angle is already in his fourth season of professional hockey. One of the older players in his draft class with a Sep. 30 birthday, the Niagara Falls native made the jump to pro hockey with Cleveland in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, where he burst onto the scene with 11 goals and 24 points in only 23 games. Angle’s offensive production has been much more conservative in the seasons following, though, averaging less than half a point per game. He’s notched seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 34 games this season.
The speedy 5’10” forward is in the final season of his entry-level contract, which carries a cap hit of $851K. While in the minors, he earns a $70K salary. If the Blue Jackets extend him the $814K qualifying offer he’s due this summer, they’ll retain his signing rights as an RFA.
Ivan Fedotov To Occupy Flyers’ Backup Role, Extension Talks Underway
The Flyers have assigned goaltender Felix Sandström to AHL Lehigh Valley, GM Daniel Brière told reporters Friday (including Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports). The move indicates that netminder Ivan Fedotov, who arrived in Philadelphia and spoke to reporters alongside Brière this morning, will be reinstated to the NHL roster and will be the team’s backup netminder behind Samuel Ersson to close out the regular season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that extension talks between the Flyers and Fedotov, a pending UFA, have begun.
It’s unclear when Fedotov will make his NHL debut, but he is likely to dress for his first game on Saturday when the Flyers host the Blackhawks. Reports yesterday indicated that the 27-year-old, who had spent all of 2023-24 with CSKA Moscow of the Russian KHL, violating his valid NHL contract and an IIHF arbitration ruling, had his contract with CSKA terminated and was en route to join the Flyers.
Speaking on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Fedotov didn’t appear pleased with the chain of events that led him to remain in Russia this season. “The current situation was untenable; he didn’t want to be there, he wasn’t playing well, and the Flyers wanted him in North America,” Friedman said.
In his media availability today, Fedotov gave the following statement (via Kurz):
I’ve been here a long time ago, around eight years. It’s been a long time. So now I’m here and for sure I’m so excited and happy be here. Great feelings, because really difficult two years (it) was for me.
A tough season it was for Fedotov, whose .914 SV% and 2.37 GAA were remarkably the worst of his career since breaking into the KHL full-time in 2019-20. The seventh-round pick of the Flyers back in 2015 has long been one of the most talented netminders outside of North America, who firmly planted himself in the conversation with a 2021-22 campaign that included a Gagarin Cup championship with CSKA, KHL Best Goaltender, and First All-Star Team nods, and a silver medal with Russia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
It was the following summer that the Flyers first attempted to bring Fedotov to the NHL, signing him to a one-year, entry-level contract with plans to have him start the season as the backup to then-starter Carter Hart. However, Fedotov was detained by Russian authorities when trying to leave the country and was accused of skipping out on required military service, missing the entire 2022-23 season as a result.
The NHL tolled his contract, making it valid for 2023-24. However, since Fedotov would be 27 at the end of the contract, not 26 as originally intended, he becomes a UFA upon expiry instead of an RFA. In the unlikely event he hits the open market in July, he’d be free to sign with any NHL club, but all indications point toward Fedotov remaining in Philadelphia through next season at least.
Fedotov hopes to provide some stability to the Flyers’ crease outside of Ersson, who’s largely held the fort after Hart left the team in January to face sexual assault charges. Sandström and Cal Petersen have received tryouts in the backup role but have put up unplayable numbers for a team in the playoff hunt. The former returns to the minors today after being recalled to replace Petersen on Feb. 29, posting a .823 SV% and 3.87 GAA in three starts and two relief appearances during his stint on the roster.
After similarly poor numbers during his time in the NHL last season (3-12-3, .880 SV%, 3.72 GAA in 20 appearances), time is running out for the 27-year-old Sandström. A UFA this summer upon completion of his two-year, $1.55MM extension, it seems highly unlikely he’ll be offered a contract to remain in Philadelphia. The Flyers selected him 70th overall in 2015, four rounds ahead of Fedotov.