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Minor Transactions: 01/07/19

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Another week begins in the NHL with a five-game slate including a prime time matchup between the Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs. Both teams are among the very best in the league this season but find themselves behind their division leader at the midway mark. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves that lead up to tonight’s games.

  • Those Maple Leafs have recalled Kasimir Kaskisuo under emergency conditions once again, indicating that Frederik Andersen will not be healthy enough to suit up tonight. The team will go with Michael Hutchinson in net once again, after Kaskisuo allowed five goals in a start for the Toronto Marlies yesterday afternoon.
  • Darren Archibald has been recalled by the Ottawa Senators, a quick promotion for the minor league forward after being acquired earlier this month. Archibald came over in the Anders Nillson trade with the Vancouver Canucks, and will get an NHL opportunity in Ottawa.
  • Brandon Pirri has been recalled by the Vegas Golden Knights, after William Carrier was moved to injured reserve. If Pirri plays three more games with Vegas he’ll need to pass through waivers again before being sent down.
  • All three players on waivers yesterday—Nikita Scherbak, Chris Wideman and Jordan Schmaltz—have been reassigned to the minor leagues. The St. Louis Blues have recalled Samuel Blais in Schmaltz’ place.
  • Ben Street has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks, just a few days after clearing waivers. Street has played 21 games for the Ducks this season, recording five points. The Ducks have also recalled Jake Dotchin, who similarly cleared waivers earlier this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent John Quenneville back to the AHL, another setback in a career that just can’t seem to take the next step. Quenneville remains a talented prospect for the Devils, but now has played 17 NHL games the last two seasons without recording a single point. New Jersey has recalled Egor Yakovlev to fill the roster spot.

Snapshots: Lundestrom, Hudon, McGinn

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When the Anaheim Ducks loaned rookie Isac Lundestrom to Team Sweden for the World Junior Championship in the midst of a campaign split between the NHL and AHL, it was a hint that perhaps the experiment was over with the 19-year-old for this season. This has now in fact been confirmed, as agent Martin Nilsson tells Swedish news source Aftonbladet that Lundestrom has returned to Sweden for the remainder of the season. Although the Ducks’ recent first-round pick, No. 23 overall last June, showed signs of promise in his first foray into North American hockey, he nevertheless had failed to produce. Lundestrom, in burning the first year of his entry-level contract, played in 15 games with Anaheim but only recorded two assists. In 12 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, Lundestrom only managed six assists. After half a season with zero goals and limited opportunity to score them, Lundestrom is set to return to his Swedish club Lulea, where he played exclusively with the top team last season. After a WJC in which Sweden struggled but Lundestrom excelled, recording four points in five games, Nilsson says that the youngster is eager to return home and take on a key role for his club. He remains in conversation with Anaheim and, more likely than not, will be back with the organization to begin next season. In the meantime, the Ducks hope to see more of his offensive potential as he takes on the Swedish Hockey League.

  • Another player who could be on the move soon is Montreal Canadiens forward Charles Hudon. Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic recently sat down with Hudon’s agent, Allain Roy, and discovered that the young forward has asked the Canadiens to give him a chance to play. While Godin would not go so far as to say that Hudon demanded a trade, the 24-year-old did allegedly tell the team that he wants a chance and, if it isn’t in Montreal, he would like to be moved elsewhere. “Charlie wants to play in the National Hockey League”, said Roy, “He’s a good player, and we’re still waiting for an answer whether it’s from Montreal or anywhere else.” After a 30-point performance in his first full NHL season last year, it’s fair for Hudon to be discouraged with how this season is going. Expected to be top-nine contributor, Hudon has instead been a frequent scratch and has played the majority of his 23 games on the team’s fourth line with Matthew Peca and Nicolas Deslauriers, despite ample opportunity to line up elsewhere. The trio has combined for just 17 points and Hudon has only contributed four. The Canadiens have opted to hold on to Hudon rather than risk him on waivers, even at the cost of recent claims Nikita Scherbak and Jacob de la Rose, but continue to deny him an opportunity to succeed. Godin wonders what the market would look like for a player like Hudon, whose size and skill set are ill-fitted for checking line work but who has yet to truly prove himself as a top-nine scoring option. Hudon would most likely not clear waivers if any team could grab him for free, but will anyone be willing to ante up to acquire the eager winger from the Canadiens? If the team doesn’t start giving him a larger role, we’ll soon find out the answer to that question.
  • Already on his way to a new team is Tye McGinn. Unlike Jamie and Brock, the middle McGinn brother is without an NHL contract this season for the first time in his eight-year pro career. McGinn, 28, had been playing for the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, but yesterday was traded to the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. This ended up being the “future considerations” side of the Jets’ acquisition of defenseman Jimmy Oligny from Vegas. With the Knights looking playoff-bound again this season, the McGinn acquisition could yield an intriguing late-season signing option. The team is sure to take a look at how the veteran two-way forward performs for their farm team and could decide he is worthy of stashing as a deep depth piece for the stretch run and postseason. McGinn was last an NHL regular in 2014-15, but has always produced consistently in the minors and shown good checking ability at the next level. Vegas has only two roster spots open as of now, but depending on how their trade deadline plans shake out, could dedicate one of those slots to McGinn later on.

Minor Transactions: 01/05/19

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It’s the first weekend of the new year and the NHL is ready to roll out some marquee match-ups. Two cross-conference contests start the action, with matinees from the Flames and Flyers, as well as the Wild and Senators. Later, P.K. Subban and the Predators visit Shea Weber and the Canadiens, the division rival Sabres and Bruins battle it out for the final time this season, and some of the game’s biggest names clash when the Sharks host the Lightning. With nine games on the docket today and another seven tomorrow, teams are sure to be shuffling their rosters. Expect some movement today and keep track right here:

  • Recently-named AHL All-Star Jacob Middleton has been recalled by the San Jose Sharks, CapFriendly reports. The 23-year-old defenseman has shown off his well-rounded game this season with the San Jose Barracuda, with 12 points and a team-leading +15 rating in just 26 games. At 6’3″, 210 lbs., Middleton has NHL size, but over the past year or so has begun to show NHL talent as well. The 2014 seventh-round pick is exceeding expectations for San Jose, becoming yet another capable option on their deep blue line. The only question now is whether he makes his debut on this recall and, if so, how he performs under the pressure. In confirming the recall, the Sharks also announced that Justin Braun has been placed on injured reserve, which may provide Middleton the opportunity to see some action.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced, somewhat unsurprisingly, that Kasimir Kaskisuo is on his way back up today, courtesy of an emergency recall. With starter Frederik Andersen still sidelined with a groin injury and backup Garret Sparks currently in the concussion protocol, the Leafs turned to newly-acquired Michael Hutchinson to start on Thursday and will apparently ask him to do so again tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. There was optimism that Sparks could be ready to at least dress as the backup tonight, but Kaskisuo’s call-up would indicate that won’t be happening. Toronto simply has to hope that Hutchinson can manage the game well enough, as Kaskisuo’s season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies has been nightmarish (.871 SV% and 3.82 GAA) and he should be nowhere near an NHL net right now, if possible.
  • Another team to frequently swap their goalies around has done so again, as the AHL lists the St. Louis Blues as having recalled Jordan Binnington and reassigned first-year pro Evan Fitzpatrick to the San Antonio Rampage. Fitzpatrick, a 2016 second-round pick, earned his first NHL recall earlier in the week as the organization dealt with the losses of Chad Johnson (waivers) and Ville Husso (injury), but the green 20-year-old did not see any action. Following the acquisition of Jared Coreau, ironically from the same Anaheim Ducks that claimed Johnson, the Blues now have another veteran option in the AHL and apparently feel comfortable bringing Binnington back up. Binnington has enjoyed a strong season in the minors and is St. Louis’ best option behind starter Jake Allen, even if his limited NHL experience does leave a lot to be desired.
  • After clearing waivers, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Martinsen is headed to the AHL, the team announced. Joining him is rookie Dylan Sikura, who has struggled to produce with Chicago so far but is enjoying a fine season with the Rockford Ice Hogs alongside brother Tyler. As for Martinsen, he is no stranger to the minor leagues; the hulking Norwegian played in 64 games with the Ice Hogs last season compared to just nine with the Blackhawks. Martinsen has registered just four points in 24 games in Chicago this season, so the ’Hawks likely won’t be rushing to call him back up.

Andreas Martinsen, Korbinian Holzer Placed On Waivers

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UPDATE: All three players have cleared waivers. Martinsen has been reassigned to the AHL and the same fate is expected of Holzer. Pedrie will see his contract terminated by the Rangers.

The Chicago Blackhawks will be getting Drake Caggiula on the ice as soon as his visa issues are resolved, and today have prepared some room for him. Andreas Martinsen has been placed on waivers according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. In addition to Martinsen, CapFriendly reports that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Korbinian Holzer and New York Rangers prospect Vince Pedrie are also on waivers, the latter being unconditional for the purpose of a contract termination.

Martinsen, 28, has played just 24 games for the Blackhawks this season and has just four points. The big, physical forward has logged more than ten minutes in a single game just once, but still easily leads the team in hits with 83. That kind of bruising presence is needed sometimes, but with the Blackhawks struggling to stay out of the very bottom of the NHL standings a new approach might be in order. There very well could be another team that believes they can get a bigger contribution from Martinsen, but more likely he’ll be heading to the minor leagues shortly.

Holzer is in a slightly different situation given the injury that has kept him out all season, but he too has little opportunity to play for Anaheim. The team is already loaded with defense and has several prospects knocking on the door, leaving little room for the 30-year old to hit the ice. Holzer has never played more than 34 NHL games in a single season, and doesn’t look like he’ll be breaking that mark anytime soon.

Philadelphia Flyers Claim Mike McKenna

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In a move that’s sure to solve their goaltending woes, the Philadelphia Flyers have claimed Mike McKenna off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Canucks now face a dilemma in their minor league crease, given that Thatcher Demko has indeed been recalled as expected. For the Flyers, another goalie was needed after Michal Neuvirth suffered another minor injury. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained the decision:

Mike provides our organization added depth as we continue to battle injuries at the goaltending position. He is a veteran goaltender with a tremendous amount of professional experience.

Tremendous amount of experience may be an understatement when it comes to McKenna. The 35-year old goaltender has played just 34 games at the NHL level, but has suited up more than 500 times in the minor leagues since his debut in 2005. While Carter Hart is expected to carry the load, McKenna is a good option to hold the backup role until Neuvirth, Anthony Stolarz or Brian Elliott are ready to return to action.

McKenna’s claim is an interesting one for several other teams around the league, including the Canucks themselves. The team had only just acquired the veteran goaltender from the Ottawa Senators and obviously hoped they would be able to get him through waivers today. The Utica Comets, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, were already without Richard Bachman due to a long-term injury and have now lost Demko to the NHL. That leaves them without a starting goaltender for now, something that Vancouver will have to address quickly.

Another is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who very well could have put in a claim on McKenna given their own injury woes in net. Frederik Andersen is still out with a groin injury and the team confirmed that Garret Sparks has been diagnosed with a concussion. That leaves Michael Hutchinson as the lone experienced goaltender in Toronto, something they clearly are uncomfortable with.

Mike McKenna Placed On Waivers

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As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have placed goaltender Mike McKenna on waivers today. McKenna was acquired earlier this week from the Ottawa Senators, but will likely swap placed with Thatcher Demko in the AHL so the young goaltending prospect can get a chance at the NHL level with the Canucks. McKenna will almost certainly take over the starting role with the Utica Comets, unless another team believes he can help them more in the NHL.

McKenna, 35, has played all over North America throughout his professional career, hitting the ice for six different NHL teams and 13 AHL cities. Heading to Utica is just the next chapter in a career that has seen it all. During all that time he’s proven to be an extremely capable AHL goaltender, but has struggled at the NHL level. Instead of keeping him as a backup in Vancouver, the Canucks will give Demko the chance to show that he is the next starter for the franchise.

There is a chance that McKenna is claimed, but even with his two-way deal that carries just a $700K cap hit it is unlikely. The veteran cleared before the season started, and there have been other goaltenders with more upside that have passed through recently. Any claiming team would have to try and put him through waivers again in order to send him to the AHL, at which point Vancouver would have a chance to get him back. There’s little reason to believe that McKenna is an upgrade at the NHL level for anyone, though there is always the chance that he’s used as an injury fill-in for a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Chicago Blackhawks Place Brandon Davidson, Jason Garrison On Waivers

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Thursday: All four players have cleared waivers. Garrison will see his contract terminated and will pursue other opportunities, while Davidson has been activated from injured reserve.

Wednesday: Despite clearing regular waivers earlier this week, Jason Garrison now finds himself back on the wire. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks have placed Garrison on unconditional waivers, presumably in order to terminate his contract. The Blackhawks have also placed Brandon Davidson on waivers, while Wade Megan (Detroit Red Wings) and Ben Street (Anaheim Ducks) find themselves there as well.

Garrison, 34, did not report to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL after clearing waivers, leading to his placement on unconditional waivers today. Though the team has not confirmed it yet, it likely means Garrison has agreed to a mutual contract termination after not reporting, and will see the remainder of his one-year deal disappear. The veteran defenseman earned the contract after signing a professional tryout in Edmonton, but was limited to just 17 games before being included in the recent trade for Brandon Manning.

Davidson meanwhile is hitting waivers once again in his career, something that he experienced last season as well. The defenseman 27-year old was waived by the Montreal Canadiens in December 2017 only to find himself on two more teams before the end of the year. Dealing with injury for much of this year, he has suited up just seven times for the Blackhawks. Despite all that, there’s reason to believe that Davidson will be claimed by a defense-needy team given his league-minimum salary of $650K.

Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues Put Three On Waivers

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Wednesday: All three players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Tuesday: The Ottawa Senators have decided that two assists in 37 games from Tom Pyatt just isn’t enough as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Senators have placed the veteran forward on waivers today. A moment later, Friedman added that the St. Louis Blues put a pair of players on waivers as well, including defenseman Chris Butler and forward Jordan Nolan. Friedman also writes that Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jason Garrison cleared waivers.

After losing five games in a row, the move to put Pyatt on waivers comes as no surprise as general manager Pierre Dorion is obviously sending a message to head coach Guy Boucher that the team needs to turn its fortunes around as the new year comes about. Pyatt, a favorite of Boucher, has struggled offensively as he has no goals and just two assists in 37 games as a bottom-line forward, but even more disappointing is his minus-16 rating on the ice. The 31-year-old has already seen his playing time drop to under 10 minutes in the nine of the past 10 games. The move could have been made as Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to return to the ice soon, possibly as early as Wednesday. Pyatt is in the final year of a two-year, $2.2MM contract and could generate some interest from a team looking for some veteran depth options.

Both Butler and Nolan have already been on waivers earlier this season as both cleared to start the season. Butler, however, has already seen 12 games and with the imminent return of defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who has missed quite a bit of time with an upper-body injury, the team was required to place the 32-year-old on waivers. As for Nolan, he has also appeared in 11 games this year and has two assists to go with 14 penalty minutes. The 29-year-old Nolan, who has played parts of eight seasons in the NHL, will likely return to San Antonio where he has seven goals and 15 points there.

Coyotes Send Calvin Pickard To Tucson On Conditioning Stint

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It’s been more than a month since the Arizona Coyotes claimed goaltender Calvin Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. However, in all that time, Pickard hasn’t seen one minute of hockey with the Coyotes, which prompted the team to announce they intend their netminder to the Tucson Roadrunners on a conditioning stint.

Pickard has had a rough time of it the last couple of years as he started with the Colorado Avalanche, but got taken by Vegas in the expansion draft. However, it didn’t take Vegas long to realize that they didn’t want him as their back-up to Marc-Andre Fleury, instead claiming Malcolm Subban on waivers, while putting Pickard on waivers and eventually trading him to Toronto. Pickard only played one game with Toronto, spending most of the season last year with the AHL Toronto Marlies, which he helped win a Calder Cup Trophy. However, he became a popular goaltender at the beginning of the season as he was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers, who were dealing with injuries and made 11 appearances for the team. However, he struggled, posting just four wins and a .863 save percentage. Once the team got healthier, the Flyers placed him back on waivers and was claimed by Arizona.

The Coyotes needed a goaltender to fill in as a backup for Antti Raanta, who is likely out for the season after complications with surgery. However, the play of Adin Hill and backup Darcy Kuemper this season has made Pickard expendable as Hill has filled in nicely for Raanta stead. Regardless, the team holds onto Pickard as insurance and now hopes to get him some work in the AHL.

Nashville Predators Claim Phillip Di Giuseppe Off Waivers

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With injuries mounting, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Nashville Predators claimed forward Phillip Di Giuseppe off of waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and to make room for the young forward, the team placed center Kyle Turris on injured reserve once again with a lower-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan.

In Di Giuseppe, the Predators gets themselves a 25-year-old forward with 147 NHL games under his belt, but the winger hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time role in all the years he’s been with Carolina. He has one goal and four assists in 21 games this season with the Hurricanes. However, with the Hurricanes struggling themselves and Di Giuseppe being a healthy scratch for four straight games, Carolina opted to risk losing him by putting him on waivers. The team already lost Valentin Zykov on waivers to Edmonton (and then Vegas), so it’s another key loss for their minor league team.

Nashville has been plagued with injuries as the team is currently without forwards Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons. Turris has also missed a game and was expected to be out Monday before the team returned him to IR and with Eeli Tolvanen playing at the World Junior Championships, the team opted to bring in Di Giuseppe to provide some added depth. The team also recalled Nicholas Baptiste to help fill in as well. There is no word whether Turris’ trip to injured reserve will be a long one. It’s very likely the Predators used Turris’ injury to open up a roster spot so they could take Di Giuseppe. Turris last played on Dec. 27, so assuming the trip to the IR is retroactive to that game, he won’t be eligible to return until their game on Friday at Detroit. He already spent almost three weeks on IR in late November and early December.

 

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