Maple Leafs Promote Nicholas Robertson
The Maple Leafs have brought young winger Nicholas Robertson back up to the NHL roster ahead of Thursday’s game in Philadelphia, a team announcement states. Toronto only has $344K remaining in its LTIR salary pool, which is not enough to accommodate Robertson’s $797K cap hit, so they’ll need to make a corresponding transaction later today to remain cap-compliant. That transaction will likely transfer defenseman Mark Giordano from IR to LTIR, per CapFriendly.
Robertson, 22, was sent down to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies earlier this month after the activation of Calle Järnkrok off LTIR and the acquisition of Ilya Lyubushkin created a roster crunch. At the time, head coach Sheldon Keefe informed Robertson it wouldn’t be a lengthy stay in the minors, and the organization has stayed true to its word.
The 2019 second-round pick has demonstrated the consistency necessary to remain in consideration for a full-time job on the playoff-bound Leafs. The younger brother of Stars star winger Jason Robertson has eight goals, 11 assists and 19 points in 41 games this season while averaging 11:22 per game, all of which are career highs. Robertson, who recorded 11 points in nine games with AHL Toronto to kick off the season, did not suit up with the Marlies during this brief reassignment.
The California-born winger has posted solid possession during his limited even-strength minutes, posting a 50.3 CF% and a 52.7 xGF%, which are close to team averages. He’s averaged a little north of 30 seconds per game on the power play and remains only a depth option on special teams behind Toronto’s loaded arsenal of star power.
Robertson comes up to the active roster as winger Mitch Marner remains absent from practice after missing this weekend’s win over the Canadiens with a lower-body injury, per Mark Masters of TSN. He remains listed as day-to-day after falling awkwardly after a scoring chance against the Bruins in the second period of a loss last Thursday.
Giordano, 40, has missed five games with a concussion sustained on Feb. 29 against the Coyotes. Placing him on LTIR means he won’t return until March 24 against the Hurricanes at the soonest, assuming the placement is retroactive to when he sustained the injury.
Robertson is in the final season of his entry-level deal and will be an RFA this summer. He does not have arbitration rights but is eligible to be offer-sheeted.
Hurricanes Re-Sign Brendan Lemieux
The Hurricanes announced Monday that they’ve re-signed left wing Brendan Lemieux to a one-year contract for the 2024-25 season. Lemieux will earn the league minimum $775K salary next season, per the team.
Lemieux, 27, gets some stability after suiting up for three teams since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign. Initially a second-round pick of the Sabres in 2014, his signing rights were dealt to the Jets less than a year later as part of that year’s Evander Kane/Tyler Myers blockbuster trade. He signed his entry-level contract the following summer. Lemieux then jumped around the league, providing some sandpaper in a bottom-six role, also suiting up for the Rangers, Kings, and Flyers before heading to Carolina in free agency last summer.
Before signing with the Canes, Lemieux had scored 33 goals and 69 points across 275 career appearances with 484 PIMs. Often a willing combatant in fights, Lemieux’s ability to provide offense has diminished since his career-high nine goals and 18 points in 59 games with the Rangers in 2019-20. His possession metrics don’t paint him as a reliable defensive talent, either, posting a career 47.4 CF% and 48.0 xGF% in relatively even offensive/defensive zone usage. As such, he’s slipped out of a regular role in the lineup on a deep Hurricanes offense this year, recording two goals and an assist in 25 games while averaging a career-low 7:46.
The Canadian national was waived shortly before the trade deadline to give Carolina GM Don Waddell some roster flexibility. However, another team didn’t claim him and was never assigned to the minors.
The 6-foot-1, 213-lb Canadian national was a pending UFA. The extension marks a $25K pay cut from this season’s $800K salary, but it remains a one-way deal.
Blue Jackets Recall Carson Meyer Under Emergency Conditions
The Blue Jackets summoned forward Carson Meyer from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on an emergency loan Sunday, per a team release. As such, his recall does not count toward Columbus’ four permitted post-deadline recalls.
Justin Danforth‘s illness-related absence forced Columbus to play a skater short against the Predators yesterday in a 2-1 loss. Despite the roster limit no longer being in place and having ample cap space, the Blue Jackets have opted to carry a trim roster and leave as many players with their AHL club as possible as they approach the postseason.
Meyer, 26, will slot into the lineup on Tuesday against the Canadiens if Danforth isn’t ready to return, which seems likely given they’ve recalled him multiple days in advance of the contest. It’s his first recall of the season after being waived and assigned to Cleveland during training camp.
A 2017 sixth-round pick of the Blue Jackets, the Ohio native is in his fourth season of pro hockey after two seasons with Miami University and two more with Ohio State. He’s second on the Monsters in goals, scoring 22 times and adding 15 assists for 37 points in 55 games with a -1 rating. He has a goal and four points in 27 NHL games since debuting in the 2021-22 campaign.
Meyer’s possession numbers have been okay in his major-league time, recording a 49.2 CF% and a 42.0 xGF% in his limited even-strength minutes. He’s been used exclusively in a fourth-line role, averaging nine minutes per game throughout his NHL action.
Columbus signed Meyer to a third straight one-year deal last summer, paying him $775K in the NHL and $190K in the minors with a $210K guarantee. He’ll remain under team control this summer as an RFA with arbitration rights.
Blackhawks Sign Landon Slaggert
The Blackhawks have inked one of their more intriguing prospects, signing forward Landon Slaggert to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a team announcement. The deal, which begins immediately, carries a $912.5K cap hit, per Mario Tirabassi of CHGO Sports.
As such, Slaggert will be eligible to make his NHL debut for Chicago down the stretch. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2020 and had his collegiate career with Notre Dame end yesterday after Michigan eliminated him and the Fighting Irish in the Big 10 Tournament. The South Bend, Indiana native ended his stint at Notre Dame with a 20-goal, 31-point showing in 36 games, both of which were career highs.
Slaggert is already decorated internationally, capturing the gold medal as a depth forward with Team USA at the 2021 World Juniors. He returned to the team for the 2022 tournament where he was among their best, posting six points in five games while serving as an alternate captain.
A speedy forward with decent size (6-foot, 190 lbs), Slaggert can play both wing and center but likely slots in at left wing at the NHL level. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler left Slaggert out of Chicago’s top 15 prospects in his latest pipeline ranking in February, while Dobber Prospects lists him as their fourth-best left-wing prospect. If he hits his long-term ceiling, he’s a good fit on a two-way third-line that can be relied upon for depth scoring and checking situations. He has a decent shot but will likely be most effective in the pros with his ability to create puck retrievals out of board battles.
Slaggert will be an RFA when his ELC expires in 2025.
Blues Recall Matthew Kessel
The Blues announced that they have recalled defenseman Matthew Kessel from AHL Springfield ahead of tomorrow’s game in Boston. St. Louis only has $485K in cap space, less than the $884K needed to add Kessel’s contract to the roster, so a corresponding transaction is coming in the form of a reassignment or LTIR placement. With no Blues out of the lineup due to injuries, the former is more likely.
Kessel, 23, will look to build on a decent stretch of NHL play earlier this season. Filling in for Justin Faulk when the veteran was out with a lower-body injury for much of January and February, the right-shot youngster notched two assists and a -4 rating in 22 games while logging 17:25 per game. The Phoenix-born blue-liner is in his third season of pro hockey after signing his entry-level deal with St. Louis in 2022.
The 2020 fifth-round pick is in the final season of that contract, which pays him $832.5K in the NHL and $80K in the minors, along with a $92.5K signing bonus paid out last summer. A pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights, Kessel also has two goals, seven points, and a +1 rating in 34 games with Springfield.
Bringing up Kessel burns the second of the Blues’ four post-deadline standard recalls. They used the first of them on 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc, who they briefly ferried to Springfield to make him eligible for the AHL’s postseason, just after the 2 p.m. CT Friday cutoff.
Kessel’s possession numbers weren’t much to write home about in his NHL stint, posting a 43.2 CF% at even strength and a 40.7 xGF% despite receiving more offensive zone time than you’d expect from someone in a shutdown role. Nonetheless, he’s been on a solid development track in the minors will get a few more chances to show he can be an effective shot-suppression talent.
Flames Recall Matthew Coronato, Jakob Pelletier
The Flames recalled wingers Matthew Coronato and Jakob Pelletier before today’s game against the Panthers, per CapFriendly. Both were ferried to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers on deadline day to make them eligible to suit up in the Calder Cup Playoffs. With ample cap space, no corresponding transactions were necessary.
Coronato, a 5-foot-10 rookie, gets his fourth recall of the season and his second this month. Calgary made him the 13th overall pick in the 2021 draft coming out of the USHL’s Chicago Steel, followed by two seasons at Harvard before signing his entry-level deal in March of last year. He’s been one of the best rookie performers in the minor leagues this season, notching 42 points and a +8 rating in 40 games with the Wranglers, leading them in scoring by a wide margin.
The Flames’ top forward prospect, Coronato will need to battle to remain in the Flames’ lineup as they try and make a miracle playoff run once A.J. Greer and Connor Zary are ready to return from injuries. Both are expected back by the end of the month. He’s fared decently in 16 games with the big club this year, scoring a goal and three assists with a -5 rating while averaging 14:03 per game. Perhaps his best professional outing came just prior to the deadline in a 6-3 win over the Lightning on Thursday, in which he recorded an assist and a +3 rating. His possession metrics have improved from an early-season lull, recording a 51.3 CF% at even strength and a 48.6 xGF%.
Pelletier, 23, was a first-rounder two years before Coronato. A shoulder injury cost him most of the season to date, but he’s notched three points in four games with the Wranglers and three points in nine games with the Flames since returning in January. He’ll slot into a top-six role alongside Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko and, like Coronato, will need to show dependability to remain in the lineup ahead of Greer and Zary if they remain in the playoff hunt over the next few weeks.
These transactions were not made under emergency conditions, according to CapFriendly, so the Flames have used up half of their four post-deadline standard recalls. Thus, expect Coronato and Pelletier to remain on the roster – even if they fall out of the lineup – through the end of the season unless unforeseen cap complications force the Flames to reassign them.
Sabres Recall Lukáš Rousek
The Sabres had winger Lukáš Rousek back in the lineup for today’s shootout win over the Oilers after recalling him from AHL Rochester on an emergency loan late last night, per CapFriendly.
Rousek, 24, is in his second NHL season and his third playing North American pro hockey in the Sabres organization. A sixth-round pick of the team in 2019, he’d suited up in eight major league games heading into today’s action. The smooth-skating winger has solidified himself as a top-line presence in the minors but has yet to blow the doors off in the NHL, recording a goal and an assist with four shots on goal while averaging 10:55 per game. He didn’t get on the scoresheet in today’s game, but he registered an even rating and one shot on goal and logged nearly 13 minutes.
He’s continually progressed throughout his time in Rochester, however, and could very well make some noise for a spot on the Sabres’ opening-night roster in 2024-25. The 5-foot-11 winger has stayed on pace with last season’s totals, clicking at roughly a 0.8 points per game rate with 10 goals, 38 points, and a -8 rating in 48 games with the Amerks this year. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams inked Rousek to a two-year extension with a $775K cap hit last summer, so he won’t reach restricted free agency until 2025. He’ll have arbitration rights upon expiry.
Rousek’s recall does not count against the Sabres’ four post-deadline recalls because it was executed under emergency conditions. Buffalo would have been short a forward today with Rousek as Jordan Greenway was out with an undisclosed injury.
Senators Recall Three Players On Emergency Loans
The Senators thinned out their roster late yesterday but have since reversed those moves. Forwards Rourke Chartier, Jiri Smejkal, and defenseman Max Guenette are back on the active roster ahead of tonight’s game against the Sharks, per the AHL’s transactions log. All three players were briefly assigned to the Belleville Senators, making them eligible to suit up in the Calder Cup Playoffs. CapFriendly notes today’s moves are emergency loans, not standard recalls.
Chartier, Guenette, and Smejkal are projected to play in San Jose. Three forwards and two defensemen are unavailable due to injuries, and winger Parker Kelly is unavailable after being suspended yesterday night.
Chartier, 27, has settled back in as a capable minor-league scoring center after concussion symptoms nearly forced him out of the sport in 2019 and 2020. His time in the NHL has been less fruitful, though, scoring three goals and adding one assist in 55 games since making his debut with the Sharks in 2018-19. The San Jose 2014 fifth-round pick has played in a career-high 36 games this year with Ottawa, recording three points and a -4 rating while averaging 10:45 per game. Despite his limited offensive production, he has some value in the dot with a 50.9 FO% and a solid 50.2 xG%.
He’ll be in for a more expanded role tonight, sliding into a third-line position with Joshua Norris hurt and Vladimir Tarasenko traded to the Panthers before the deadline. Norris is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he searches for other opinions on his third left shoulder injury in the past few years, so Chartier may get an extended run in increased minutes down the stretch.
If the Senators want to assign him to the minors again this year, they’ll need to place him on waivers if he plays at least eight games and remains on the roster for 27 more days. He’s already played in two games and been rostered for three days after last clearing waivers on Jan. 31.
Smejkal, 27, is in his first professional season in North America after inking a one-year, two-way deal ($870K NHL/$82.5K AHL) in May 2023. However, the Czech power forward hasn’t had much impact in the NHL or AHL and is likely to return to Europe this summer. Skating in 10 games with the Sens, Smejkal has one assist and a -2 rating while averaging a minuscule 9:21 per game. He’s gotten caved in terms of possession quality in his limited minutes, recording a 36.6 xGF%. In Belleville, he has 19 points and a -11 rating in 39 games.
The 22-year-old Guenette carries the most intrigue as a somewhat recent draft pick, taken by the Sens in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. While he’s averaged only 11:56 through his three NHL showings this year, he’ll get a shot in the team’s top four tonight alongside Jakob Chychrun with Thomas Chabot out with a lower-body injury. A pending RFA nearing completion of his entry-level contract, Guenette has had a strong season in the minors with five goals, 29 points and a +4 rating in 49 games.
These recalls are under emergency conditions, so they don’t count toward Ottawa’s four allotted post-deadline recalls.
Devils Reassign Akira Schmid
4:10 p.m.: The Devils have returned Schmid to Utica after dropping today’s game against the Hurricanes 4-2. Barring injuries, that’s where he’ll remain for the rest of the season. He likely won’t be needed for Monday’s game against the Rangers as Kahkonen reportedly made it to New Jersey after the loss, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now reports.
10:45 a.m.: After acquiring Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen in separate trades on Friday, the Devils returned goaltender Akira Schmid to AHL Utica. However, his stint will be short-lived for now as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that Schmid has been recalled and will serve as the backup today versus Carolina.
Kahkonen hasn’t made it to New Jersey just yet while Allen will require a work visa, a process that will be delayed due to the weekend so he likely won’t be available until closer to the middle of next week. Accordingly, they needed a second option behind Nico Daws for today so this will qualify as an emergency recall, not one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.
It has been a disappointing season for Schmid so far. After taking over as the starter down the stretch last season and into the playoffs, the 23-year-old has struggled mightily this season, posting a 3.15 GAA and a .895 SV% through 19 appearances. Things haven’t gone any better with the Comets either with his numbers down there (3.47 and .886 respectively) being worse than at the NHL level.
One of the positives from New Jersey’s pivot to a new tandem entirely is that both Schmid and Daws will get to return to Utica for the stretch run, allowing them to both play some meaningful games down the stretch with the Comets in a tight battle for a playoff spot. However, it will be a few more days before that will be able to happen.
Golden Knights Place William Carrier On LTIR, Recall Brendan Brisson
After adding several players in trades leading up to the trade deadline, the Golden Knights needed some more cap space. To create that room in the short term, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve placed winger William Carrier and his $1.4MM AAV on LTIR. They’ve used some of that space immediately as they’ve recalled winger Brendan Brisson from AHL Henderson, per the AHL’s transactions log.
The 29-year-old has missed the last two months with an upper-body injury that he underwent surgery for back in January. At the time he was given a designation of week-to-week so it appears that recovery from the injury has gone slower than anticipated. He joins Mark Stone and Robin Lehner as players currently on LTIR; newly-acquired center Tomas Hertl is out long-term term but is not on LTIR at the moment.
Carrier is a pending unrestricted free agent and missing this much time due to injury certainly isn’t going to help things if he makes it to the open market in July. Before getting hurt, Carrier had five goals and two assists along with 71 hits in 33 games while averaging 11L16 per night, his lowest ATOI since the 2020-21 campaign.
As for Brisson, it’s his sixth recall of the season and he has played well in limited action with the big club. Through 12 appearances so far, the 22-year-old has two goals and four assists while averaging 12:39 a night. He also has 13 goals and 15 assists in 42 games with the Silver Knights. With Vegas only having 11 healthy forwards on the active roster before his promotion, they should be able to classify this as an emergency recall, one that wouldn’t count against their post-deadline limit of four.