Minor Transactions: 11/22/17
With everyone but St. Louis in action tonight before the day off tomorrow, it could be a busy day for promotions and demotions across the NHL. Keep up with all the action right here:
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled blue liner Jakub Jerabek from the AHL, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Jerabek is in his first season in North America after signing with the Habs this summer. However, the Czech native has yet to make his NHL debut, as Montreal has plenty of veteran albeit under-performing defensive depth. However, with the Laval Rocket, Jerabek has 11 points in 17 games and is a +10; impressive totals worthy of a recall. Jerabek also had the option of returning to Europe if he had not been recalled by mid-December, so there is strategy to the Canadiens’ move as well.
- Another young import, Finnish forward Henrik Haapala, could also make his NHL debut tonight. Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, the Florida Panthers have called up the small scoring winger. Haapala is in his first season in North America after scoring 60 points in 51 games in the Finnish Liiga last year. Thus far in 2017-18, Haapala has seven points in 11 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The Panthers have been liberal with number of call-ups and variety of players called up so far this season, as Haapala is just the latest to join the list.
- Philadelphia is bringing in reinforcements. The team announced the return of young defenseman Samuel Morin and the first recall for forward Danick Martel. Morin is a name most fans recognize as a former first-round pick of the Flyers, however it is Martel who may be more intriguing. In his fourth pro season, Martel has exploded this year, leading the AHL with 14 goals. Martel scored just 20 goals last season and already has half as many points in 17 games as he did all of last year in 68 games. The Flyers surely hope that his hot hand continues at the next level.
- In a corresponding move, Philly also sent defenseman Mark Alt and veteran forward Matt Read to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was only a matter of time (and health) before Morin replaced Alt on the NHL roster, but the demotion of Read is certainly a big deal. The long-time Flyer cleared waivers last week and will now head to the minors, his 400+ games of NHL experience not enough to keep him around.
- Colorado has recalled goalie Andrew Hammond and the former Senators keeper could make his Avalanche debut sooner than expected. Hammond was acquired as more or less a salary dump by Ottawa in the recent Matt Duchene–Kyle Turris blockbuster. With Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier in the net, no one thought Hammond would be anything more than a depth asset for the Avs. However, with Varlamov too sick to even suit up, “The Hamburglar” will get his chance. After a remarkable run for the Sens in 2015-16, Hammond struggled greatly in both the NHL and AHL last season and could use a fresh start.
- The Edmonton Oilers have made a flurry of moves already today, first terminating the contract of Ziyat Paigin, who predictably cleared unconditional waivers yesterday. Paigin came over from the KHL last season, but it was never a good fit between the two sides. Paigin failed to record a point in the only 12 AHL games he played. With no chance of a bump up to the NHL, Paigin wished to return to Russia and the Oilers were more than willing to oblige him. Edmonton then recalled defenseman Ryan Stanton from the Bakersfield Condors. A free agent acquisition this off-season, the journeyman rearguard could help out the struggling Oilers with his sound defensive game. In a corresponding move, veteran forward Brad Malone was reassigned to the AHL.
- Julius Honka is headed back to the minors, as the talented, young blue liner was demoted by the Dallas Stars today in exchange for forward Curtis McKenzie, per a team announcement. The Stars have been underwhelming in 2017-18, but their biggest issues continues to be goal prevention. As promising an offensive defenseman as Honka may be, he’s not what Dallas needs right now. Perhaps two-way forward McKenzie, who is also scoring at a point-per-game pace in the AHL, can help the cause.
Anton Rodin, Drew Miller Sign Overseas
On the same day he cleared waivers and had his contract terminated by the Vancouver Canucks, Anton Rodin has returned to Europe. However, the Swedish forward is not going back to Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League, where he spent most of his prime years, including an MVP season in 2015-16. Instead, the 27-year-old winger has signed with HC Davos of the NLA, the Swiss club announced. Davos reports that Rodin has signed a two-year deal that will keep him in Switzerland through the end of the 2018-19 season.
The hope for Davos is obviously that Rodin will perform more like he did in his previous European career than he has in the disastrous past season plus for the Vancouver Canucks. Injury and ineffectiveness left Rodin with only four points in 13 total games, NHL and AHL, over the last two seasons. Davos, which sits in fifth place in the NLA, needs a much better effort than that from their newest acquisition.
Meanwhile, while struggling Swedish squad Brynas may be disappointed that their former superstar Rodin chose not to return home, they made the most of the situation by going out and getting a big name of their own. The team announced that they have signed NHL veteran Drew Miller. The long-time Detroit Red Wings forward was unable to turn a tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks this fall into a contract and has been without a job since. He now makes his first foray overseas, joining a Brynas squad that has fallen on hard times. However, with an intelligent, hard-working forward like Miller now in the fold and playing alongside a player of similar ilk in Daniel Paille, it’s not too late for Brynas to learn to play a smart, two-way game and climb back up the standings.
Gabriel Dumont, Ziyat Paigin Placed On Waivers
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Gabriel Dumont on waivers Tuesday. Both Matt Read and Anton Rodin, who were waived yesterday, have cleared. While Read could end up in the minor leagues, Rodin is headed for the NLA in Switzerland. Additionally, Edmonton has placed Ziyat Paigin on unconditional waivers, likely to terminate his contract and allow the young defender to return to Russia.
Dumont has had the unfortunate luck to be part of the hottest team in the NHL, and couldn’t find a way to regularly get into the lineup. In seven games this season he’s been held scoreless, but won’t have to wait long in the AHL. Dumont has consistently been excellent in the minor leagues, with seasons of 49 and 45 points in recent years.
Paigin was drafted by the Oilers in 2015, but only signed his entry-level contract this past April. Since then, he’s played just 13 games total for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, and it looks like that experiment might be coming to an end. It was just a few months ago that Paigin told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal that he would be willing to go to the minor leagues if that’s what the Oilers wanted for him. The towering defenseman never did register a point in North America.
Vancouver’s Rodin, Philadelphia’s Read Placed On Waivers
Two players have been placed on waivers today. The Vancouver Canucks announced they have placed Anton Rodin on waivers with the intention of terminating his contract. Elliotte Friedman also reports that Philadelphia Flyers veteran winger Matt Read has also been placed on waivers.
As for Rodin, his stint with Vancouver hasn’t been too successful as injuries and lack of opportunites have hampered him since he signed in Vancouver in the 2016 offseason. The 26-year-old winger asked to be released from his contract, according to Vancouver general manager Jim Benning. A former 2009 second-round pick of the Canucks, he has not played in an NHL game this year and managed to appear in just three last year. He had a goal and an assist in seven games for the Utica Comets.
Read was already placed on waivers before the season started on Oct. 2 and cleared. He played five games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, scoring one goal, but was recalled on Oct. 19 and has played four games with the Flyers, averaging just 10:54 of ice time on the year. Friedman tweets that the Flyers put Read on waivers to make room for a defenseman after the suspension to Radko Gudas.
Zac Dalpe Placed On Waivers
After being moved to injured reserve just a few days ago, Zac Dalpe has now been placed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Dalpe’s IR stint was backdated to November 6th when he suffered the upper-body injury, which means he’s eligible to come off and be sent to the minor leagues should he clear waivers.
Dalpe was acquired by the Blue Jackets last season when they plucked him off waivers from the Minnesota Wild. Though he didn’t get into a game for Columbus, he signed a two-year two-way deal with the team before hitting the open market. The 28-year old forward played in 10 games to start the year with the Blue Jackets, but wasn’t particularly effective in his limited role. He was held scoreless and took 13 minutes in penalties, not winning himself any more minutes from the coaching staff.
He could be claimed though, as he has experience at center and actually has a history of excellent play in the minor leagues. The former Carolina Hurricanes prospect has just 24 points in 138 career games, but could provide at least some valuable depth for a team scrambling up front.
Minor Transactions: 11/15/17
A swap of veteran forwards dominated the headlines last night, as the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings got together on a trade. Mike Cammalleri will head north while Jussi Jokinen gets to avoid an Edmonton winter. As teams head into the holiday season, they’ll continue to tweak their rosters and try to find the right mix of players. We’ll be here updating all the minor moves of the day.
- Zach Fucale has been officially sent back to the AHL, after the Montreal Canadiens claimed Antti Niemi off waivers. The team had been using Fucale as the emergency backup given the injuries to Carey Price and Al Montoya, but will now return him to the minor leagues where he can continue his development. With Price returning before long, Niemi’s place on the team is temporary to be sure.
- As expected, the Colorado Avalanche have recalled Vladislav Kamenev now that they’re home from the Stockholm series. In the process, they’ve re-assigned A.J. Greer and Rocco Grimaldi, sending them both to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Kamenev came to Colorado in the Matt Duchene trade, and should get a chance to stick with the NHL club for some time. In four AHL games since the trade, he has four points.
- Jon Gillies has been recalled from the AHL to back up Eddie Lack for the Calgary Flames. The goaltender comes up under emergency conditions as Mike Smith will not be dressing for the Flames against the Detroit Red Wings. Smith did travel to Detroit (though on a flight separate from the team) according to John Shannon of Sportsnet, but won’t be on the bench. He’s considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
- Jason Dickinson will have to wait for his next NHL opportunity, as the Dallas Stars have reassigned him to the minor leagues. The 22-year old was held scoreless in four games with the Stars, and is still waiting for his first real break in the NHL. A first-round pick from 2013, he has three goals in 15 career games.
- Once again Chase Balisy is up with the Florida Panthers, recalled for the third time this year. Still looking for his first NHL point, the 25-year old forward is getting used to the up-and-down nature of being waiver-exempt.
Montreal Canadiens Claim Antti Niemi
With Carey Price and Al Montoya still not back at practice with the team, and Zach Fucale serving as an emergency backup the team has claimed Antti Niemi off waivers from the Florida Panthers. Price today said that he was getting closer to a return, but with Montoya still out indefinitely the team needed a more experienced backup. Fucale, a prized prospect, needs to get back to starting in the minor leagues.
Niemi is onto his third team this year after being previously waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers. That follows a summer that saw him bought out by the Dallas Stars, another team that could deal with his lackluster performance any longer. The Stars will pay him $1.5MM this year as terms of the buyout, but now Montreal will pick up the remainder of his $700K hit—that is, if they were to keep him.
GM Marc Bergevin spoke on the situation today after practice:
[Niemi] gives us some depth. Not knowing how far off [Montoya] is, he gives us a safety net. When Carey is back, we’ll re-evaluate our goalie situation, and same thing when [Montoya] is back.
This move seems destined to lead to another waiving of the 34-year old goaltender as soon as Price returns, unless they decide that having Charlie Lindgren in the minor leagues is better for his development. The young Lindgren has performed admirably in his four starts, showing that he’s ready for an NHL job of some sort.
Niemi of course has history with Bergevin from their days in Chicago. As a rookie in 2010, Niemi led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup while Bergevin served as Director of Player Personnel.
Minor Transactions: 11/14/17
As always, we’ll keep track of all the league’s minor moves right here. Keep refreshing this throughout the day.
- The Washington Capitals have loaned Tyler Graovac to the AHL on a long-term conditioning stint. That allows the Capitals to move Graovac down without having to send him through waivers for the time being. The 24-year old forward hasn’t played since October 17th, but must be healthy enough to get back on the ice.
- Nikita Soshnikov is at practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been called up to replace Frederik Gauthier. Today is when Soshnikov’s KHL out-clause kicks in, meaning he would have to be called up or risk him going back to Russia. While it doesn’t seem like Soshnikov is itching to leave North America, it’s an easy call-up to make at this point. Interestingly though, if Soshnikov plays three more games in the NHL he will lose his waiver-exempt status.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Andrew Crescenzi from the AHL, giving him a chance to get into his first NHL game. The 25-year old Crescenzi has been in the Kings’ system for several years but has yet to get a sniff of the NHL lineup. While there is no guarantee this time around, it at least will provide him with a big-league paycheck for a few days.
- After allowing five goals in the third period last night, the St. Louis Blues have made a change up front. The team has assigned Beau Bennett to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Bennett has played six games for the Blues this year but has yet to register a single point. The 25-year old forward last cleared waivers on September 28th, but hasn’t used up the allotted 30 active roster days (or 10 games) yet, and thus can be sent down without clearing again.
Florida Panthers Place Antti Niemi On Waivers
Antti Niemi is used to this by now. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Florida Panthers have placed the goaltender on waivers today, the third time he’s headed to the wire in the last few months. Niemi was waived by Pittsburgh earlier in the year, and by the Dallas Stars this summer before buying the goaltender out of his contract.
The Panthers had claimed him earlier this season after Roberto Luongo went down to injury, but allowed five goals on just 39 shots in his two appearances. While an .872 save percentage is much better than what he put up in Pittsburgh (.797) it’s still not good enough to stick in the NHL. With Luongo back healthy, the team no longer needs his services.
It will be interesting to see if Niemi is claimed this time around, or if the Panthers are able to keep him around in the AHL. Their minor league affiliate in Springfield has two goaltenders, but neither is off to a spectacular start to the season. Niemi comes with just a $700K cap hit, so would not affect the team’s salary cap if he was sent to the minor leagues.
Morning Notes: Matthews, Waivers, Kulemin
Auston Matthews will miss the first game of his career tonight when the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Minnesota Wild. Matthews was a game-time decision on Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, but ended up playing (and playing well). Today, coach Mike Babcock confirmed that his upper-body injury will keep him out of the match, which sparked an interesting take from former TSN radio host Matt Cauz.
Glad Leafs are resting Auston Matthews. If stars rest the odd game in the less physical NBA than why not in the NHL? Rather have a fresh Matthews in back-to-back vs. Boston.
While Matthews’ injury has been described as “soreness” by Babcock and the team doesn’t seem too concerned about it, it does raise the question about playing through injury or resting to remain healthy all year. Goaltenders are already treated this way due to the demand on their bodies, and perhaps teams should consider it more for their star players. The Maple Leafs though aren’t in the same situation as some basketball teams who decide to give their stars a night off. In the NHL, playoff spots are far from guaranteed throughout the year and any team can surprise on a given night. It’s unlikely that Matthews is sitting just to be fresh for the weekend series against Boston.
- Erik Condra and Brian Ferlin have cleared waivers and will be assigned to their respective AHL teams. Both players started the year injured, and had to clear to be sent to their minor league affiliates. Condra is headed to the Syracuse Crunch where will be welcomed back with open arms as he continues his role of team captain, while Ferlin will be assigned to the Bakersfield Condors to try and get his professional career back on track. The 25-year old Ferlin has been limited by injuries since leaving Cornell University for the pros, playing in just 28 games (playoffs included) over the past two seasons.
- Nikolai Kulemin has been placed on injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them one additional roster spot to call up a forward. Alan Quine came back from his minor league conditioning stint, but many expect Joshua Ho-Sang to get another chance with the big club. Ho-Sang has five points in five games since being sent down, and is a key part of the Islanders’ future up front. New York plays the Dallas Stars on Friday night.