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Columbus Sends Sonny Milano, John Ramage To AHL

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After placing John Ramage on waivers yesterday, the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned both him and Sonny Milano to Cleveland of the AHL. Ramage cleared today, after not getting into a single game with the team this season.

Milano was Columbus’ first round selection (fourteenth overall) in 2014, and since has been an effective scoring threat in both the OHL and AHL. He broke into the NHL last season for three games, notching a single assist. After starting the year with the Monsters, he was called up a week ago but didn’t get into a game with the big club.

Ramage, a former fourth-round pick of the Flames wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer after the 2014-15 season and thus became a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jackets tht summer, only to be extended this past March for two more years. The 25-year old is the son of former NHLer and #1 overall pick Rob Ramage, who played over 1000 games in the NHL and collected 564 points.

Wild Waive Teemu Pulkkinen; Assigned To Iowa

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Saturday:  Pulkkinen has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Friday: Only 17 days after claiming him from the Detroit Red Wings, the Minnesota Wild waived forward Teemu Pulkkinen after just eight games with the team. In those eight games, Pulkkinen had one goal and was a -1. Though many felt Pulkkinen didn’t get a fair shake in Motown, his performance in Minnesota fell short of what the Wild brass certainly thought they were getting in a player expected to score goals.

NBC Sports’ Mike Halford wonders if Pulkkinen could be reacquired by the Red Wings, since he would be able to go back to Grand Rapids, not impacting the NHL roster as he did three weeks ago. Halford quotes Wings coach Jeff Blashill as having “an unreal amount of respect” for him. Perhaps a return to Detroit isn’t far fetched after all.

Should Pulkkinen clear waivers, he will report to the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

Snapshots: Oduya, Sproul, Trouba, Fowler

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Mike Heika writes that the development of Dallas’ young defenseman has been helped by the presence of Johnny Oduya. The four defenseman standing to benefit, Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell, have the two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman patrolling the blue line. General manager Jim Nill talked about Oduya’s professionalism and dedication to the sport and how it plays a huge role in the development of younger players:

“It’s hard to tell his age, because he’s in such great shape. He’s a consummate professional, and he’s the kind of guy that players naturally attract to. They want to ask him what he’s eating and why. They want to know how he’s working out.”

Oduya was signed as a free agent by the Stars in 2015 and defenseman Stephen Johns followed from Chicago when he was dealt along with Patrick Sharp to the big D. Johns commented on Oduya’s leadership, especially during a rough series for Johns against Minnesota during the 2016 playoffs. Johns said that Oduya’s words of wisdom were instrumental in his confidence growing.

Though the Stars are 3-3-1, the steady Oduya should help the younger defensive corps bring the Stars back to its expected perch as one of the best in the West.

In other NHL news:

  • The Red Wings have guaranteed one of their young defenseman an extended stay with the big club writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Khan answered a number of questions and regarding young defenseman Ryan Sproul, the club has apparently told Sproul to a find a place to live in the Detroit area. Khan reports that Sproul will duke it out with Alexey Marchenko and Xavier Ouellet for a final spot on the blue line when Niklas Kronwall returns from a knee injury. When Tomas Jurco returns, Khan opines that it will most likely be Ouellet as the odd man out, which would mean being exposed to waivers.
  • Khan also answers about the Red Wings’ likelihood of obtaining Jacob Trouba or Cam Fowler via a trade, but from the sounds of it, Trouba is still a far fetched option while Fowler might end up staying in Anaheim after all. Khan says that the Ducks may reconsider moving Fowler should their offensive woes continue. Trouba, on the other hand, will simply cost too much for the Wings to trade for, and the young, left handed defenseman the Jets seek in return is something Detroit cannot provide.

Snapshots: Murray, Sceviour, Plager

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Matt Murray is finally going to make his 2016-17 debut, it might just have to wait a few more days.  Even though the goaltender has been “going full-speed now for almost two weeks” he won’t start this Saturday versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Instead, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Murray will get one of the west coast back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Penguins visit the Ducks and then the Kings in some inter-conference action.

Murray is coming back from a broken hand he suffered during the World Cup when he backstopped the young guns (Team North America) in the tournament. While the Penguins claimed Mike Condon off waivers earlier in the season to replace Murray, they’re hesitant to lose any of the three solid pieces they have in net. They view them all as considerable assets, and don’t want to lose any for nothing.

  • Colton Sceviour will be moved up in the lineup according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. After getting a season-high 15 minutes in the Panthers latest loss at the hands of the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, the former Dallas Star will replace Kyle Rau on the second line. The Panthers are without Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen due to various injuries and have had to move pieces in and out of their top-six in recent games. While Jon Marchessault is thriving on the top line, the unit of Rau-Trocheck-Smith weren’t as effective against the Maple Leafs.
  • The St. Louis Blues will retire number 5 in honor of Bob Plager this season. Plager has been with the club for almost 50 years since his addition as a player on June 6th, 1967, holding almost every position possible: player, head coach, director of scouting, director of player development and others.  Plager’s #5 will join Al MacInnis (#2), Bob Gassoff (#3), Barclay Plager (his brother and #8), Brian Sutter (#11), Brett Hull (#16) and Bernie Federko (#24) among retired numbers for the Blues.

Anaheim Ducks Assign Theodore, Etem To AHL

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With the Anaheim Ducks signing of Hampus Lindholm earlier today, the team has decided to send defenceman Shea Theodore to the AHL along with the recently claimed and then waived Emerson Etem.

Theodore, one of the leagues top defensive prospects, made his debut last season for the Ducks and scored eight points in 19 games. The 21-year old was the team’s first-round pick in 2013 and has blossomed into an excellent puck moving defender capable of putting up handfuls of points while containing the other team in his own end. While there apparently isn’t room on the blueline for him as of now, the team would likely bring him back up if a trade was worked out for Cam Fowler as has been widely rumored.

Etem was only claimed two weeks ago from the Vancouver Canucks, but this time has made it through waivers and will join the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. A former first-round pick in his own right, Etem has never been able to replicate the success he had in junior when he scored 107 points in 65 games. A gifted goal-scorer, he’s never been able to improve enough in the other areas of his game to keep him in the NHL for long. He’ll head back down to continue to work, and at 24 is far from a lost cause.

Snapshots: Trouba, Ducks, Goaltending

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In the latest edition of Insider Trading on TSN, the panel of Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun discussed a number of subjects. One of them was Jacob Trouba, and the potential of a trade in his future. While Trouba has insisted all along that it isn’t about money in his contract dispute, the Jets are rumored to be willing to go to six-years, $33MM to get the defenceman under contract.

Even though it seems like most teams would want Trouba, Dreger reports that it doesn’t look like there is a fit anywhere in Canada. The Maple Leafs, Oilers and Canadiens have all been rumored to be interested in the 22-year old in the past.

  • On Hampus Lindholm and a possible deal of Cam Fowler, LeBrun reports that it might not be as guaranteed as one would think.  While it still seems likely that one of the Ducks young defenceman will have to be shipped out, the fact that Simon Despres has hit the LTIR and has no timetable on his return the team has a little more wiggle room under the salary cap.
  • In Carolina, Dreger suggests that Ryan Murphy may be on the block, since he’ll likely be exposed at next year’s expansion draft. The 23-year old former first round pick split last season between the NHL and AHL levels.
  • On the goaltending front, Los Angeles sounds like they’re putting all their eggs in the Peter Budaj basket for now. They’re waiting for Mike Condon to hit waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that may not happen for a while as Pittsburgh wants to try and keep or get an asset for the young goaltender.

Maple Leafs Notes: Andersen, Griffith, Reimer

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When Toronto Maple Leafs saw rookie Auston Matthews  score four goals in a losing effort, it was a sign of things to come for the team this season. Despite scoring 21 goals in 6 games, and taking leads into the third period a handful of times, the team is 1-2-3 as they head into tonight’s matchup with the Florida Panthers.

Jamie McLennan of TSN broke down what he thinks is one of the key factors in their record and analyzed the weak play of Frederik Andersen. McLennan says that Andersen has allowed at least one “bad goal” in each game this season, deflating the team and allowing the opposition to come back. It’s not all bad for Andersen though, as the TSN panelist says that his team defense hasn’t helped him very much through the first few games.  He’ll be in net when they take on the Panthers.

  • Seth Griffith will work his way into the lineup for the Leafs tonight, his first game of the season since being claimed on waivers October 11th. The former Boston Bruin is a dangerous offensive talent that hasn’t been able to find his footing in the NHL thus far, but scored 77 points in 57 AHL games last season.  He’ll start on the fourth line, taking Peter Holland’s place alongside another recently claimed player in Ben Smith.
  • James Reimer will make his return to Toronto as a member of the Florida Panthers tonight, though in a backup role to Roberto Luongo.  While Reimer was somewhat of a divisive character among Leafs fans during his tenure with the team, he does rank among the leaders in many all-time categories among Toronto netminders. While he’ll most likely be remembered best for the collapse in game 7 against Boston three years ago, he also could have likely been a part of the re-build had they not decided to go after Andersen this summer.

Ducks, Lindholm Agree To New Pact

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According to Bob McKenzie, the Anaheim Ducks have come to terms with RFA defenseman Hampus Lindholm, signing the Swede to a six-year deal with an AAV of $5.25MM. It had been reported in recent days that the chasm between the two sides had shrunk to around $250K annually but that each had “a line drawn in the sand.” Now, with the new pact coming in short of the recent contract inked by Buffalo blue liner Rasmus Ristolainen, it’s fair to speculate it was Lindholm who lowered his salary demands in order to get a deal done.

At this point Lindholm likely concluded it no longer made sense to miss any more paychecks. If the two sides were in fact hung up on just $250K per year, the Ducks defender will earn more than that in four games under terms of his new deal.

Given the two sides seemed to be locked firmly into their relative positions just 24 hours ago, it’s clear significant progress was made last night in order for the deal to be announced this morning. In fact, Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot provides a timeline demonstrating the “shift” in negotiations based on the reports of insiders Darren Dreger, Elliotte Friedman and McKenzie.

Cap Friendly reports that the Ducks are now about $1.4MM over the salary cap ceiling meaning the team will have to make a roster move or moves in order to clear sufficient space. As Cap Friendly further notes, even if the team sends Emerson Etem – who cleared waivers yesterday – and Dustin Tokarski down to San Diego of the AHL, the Ducks will still be approximately $150K over the cap ceiling.

It’s been widely rumored that the team could look to deal a player like Cam Fowler – $4MM cap charge – and that still might be the case; especially if the Ducks can acquire an impact LW in the trade. It’s also possible the club could simply put C Nate Thompson and his $1.6MM cap hit on LTIR. Thompson had surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury in June and his return date is unknown.

Of course with Simon Despres already on LTIR and temporarily clearing his $3.7MM cap hit from the books, it’s likely the Ducks will still have to trim salary at some point this season when Despres and or Thompson are healthy enough to return.

Despite officially being under contract, Lindholm likely won’t see the ice for Anaheim for at least another week to 10 days, according to McKenzie. Lindholm, who has been in Sweden during the holdout, will require a new work visa and the process, as McKenzie notes, can take up to two weeks.

Milan Michalek, Jamie McBain, Steve Bernier All Clear Waivers

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October 25: Michalek, McBain, and Bernier all cleared waivers, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter link).

October 24: The Toronto Maple Leafs have waived winger Milan Michalek while the Arizona Coyotes have placed defenseman Jamie McBain on waivers, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (Twitter links).  They join Steve Bernier on the waiver wire, whose signing and waiving were reported earlier today.

Michalek was acquired by Toronto last season as a salary throw-in as part of the Dion Phaneuf trade with Ottawa.  He played in just 13 games with the Leafs last season, picking up a goal and five assists.  He’s off to a quieter start this year, with a goal and an assist in five games while averaging just 14:16 per night, his lowest ice time since his rookie season back in 2003-04 (where he played in just two contests).

For his career, the 31 year old has played in 747 games with the Sharks, Senators, and Maple Leafs.  He has 208 goals and 238 assists under his belt as well as four years with 55 or more points, the most recent coming in 2011-12.  However, with a salary and cap hit of $4MM, it’s unlikely that any team will claim him, even if they think he could help their team.  More likely will be that teams will wait to see if Toronto is willing to retain any salary in a trade for him down the road.

As for McBain, he’s in his first year with the Coyotes after signing a one year, two-way deal early in free agency, one that pays him $650K in the NHL and $300K at the AHL level.  He has suited up in three games with Arizona so far this season, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 16:40 per game.

After spending the first four years of his career in Carolina, McBain has bounced around in recent years with stints in Buffalo and Los Angeles on top of his time with the Coyotes.  He has played in 348 career NHL contests, picking up 30 goals and 80 assists.

The move bodes well for Coyotes rookie blueliner Jakob Chychrun who is now one of seven remaining defensemen with the team.  He has played in four games so far and hasn’t looked out of place, picking up three points while logging over 16 minutes per night.

Additionally, Ottawa’s Phil Varone cleared waivers and will be assigned to Binghamton of the AHL.

Maple Leafs Claim Ben Smith Off Waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed Ben Smith off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche, reports TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Smith will be joining Toronto for a second stint with the team.  Late last season, he was acquired from San Jose by the Leafs as a salary throw-in as part of the James Reimer trade and evidently the team liked what it saw from Smith even though they didn’t re-sign him in the offseason.  He had two goals and four assists with the Leafs in 16 games but was held off the scoresheet in six contests with San Jose.

This season, Smith has played in four games with the Avalanche, collecting zero points and a -2 rating while averaging 10:46 per night.  For his career, he has played in 201 NHL contests between Chicago, San Jose, Toronto, and Colorado, picking up 27 goals and 23 assists.

Smith will likely reprise his fourth line penalty killing with the Maple Leafs, who also waived Milan Michalek on Monday.  He’ll earn $675K in the NHL this year and $150K in the minors after signing a two-way deal back in the offseason.  As James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail points out, the Leafs will actually save $275K on the cap by adding Smith in place of Michalek although just over $3MM of Michalek’s salary will still count on their cap if he clears and is sent to the minors.

[Related: Maple Leafs Depth Chart]

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