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Washington Capitals Recall Hardy Häman Aktell

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With defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin still out of the lineup for Game 2, the Washington Capitals were put in a position to recall some depth from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. According to a team announcement, the Capitals recalled defenseman Hardy Häman Aktell earlier today, and he was with the team for practice.

Even after the recall, it is more than unlikely that he will play this evening against the New York Rangers, as all signs indicate defenseman Lucas Johansen will enter the lineup instead. Johansen, who only has Calder Cup playoff experience under his belt, suited up in six games for the Capitals this season, tallying one assist in total.

If there are any more injuries to the blue line, Washington may find themselves in a precarious enough position to require Aktell to make his postseason debut with the team in his first year playing for the organization. Even though Aktell was drafted with the 108th overall pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2016 NHL Draft, he decided to play professional hockey in his native Sweden before signing an entry-level deal with the Capitals towards the end of last summer.

Aktell’s first season in North America has been decent but he has seen his scoring drop precipitously compared to his last season in the SHL. Over 55 games spent with the Bears this year, Aktell scored two goals and 11 points in total, sitting sixth on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. In early October, Aktell made his NHL debut, scoring one assist in six games for the Capitals.

Capitals Assign Andrew Cristall To AHL

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  • The Washington Capitals have assigned 2023 second-round pick Andrew Cristall to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, following the end of his WHL season. This kicks off the pro career of one of 2023’s most divisive prospects – with Cristall’s 280 points in 191 career WHL games clearly showing his scoring ability, but skeptics pointing out his lack of explosivity and off-puck fundamentals. He recorded 111 points in 62 games this season alone, the most of any Kelowna Rocket since 1996, and will now hope to translate his flashy style into a tougher scene.

Nick Jensen, Rasmus Sandin Remain In Non-Contact Jerseys; Vincent Iorio Day-To-Day

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  • Capitals defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin remain in non-contact jerseys in today’s practice, NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports. It’s not a good sign for the pair’s availability for Game 2 against the Rangers tomorrow. Both have been sidelined for at least a few games with upper-body injuries, and the Caps have already been forced to dip deep into their defensive well by playing rookie Vincent Iorio and farmhand Dylan McIlrath in Game 1’s 4-1 loss. Iorio left that game with an injury as well, which may force yet another player from AHL Hershey to suit up in postseason action for Washington. He’s now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is questionable to play tomorrow, head coach Spencer Carbery said.

Nick Jensen, Rasmus Sandin Out For Game 1; Vincent Iorio Leaves With Injury

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  • The Capitals remain without a pair of defenders in today’s Game 1 against the Rangers, as Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin are absent. Jensen sustained an undisclosed injury last weekend after a scary hit from Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont required him to be stretchered off the ice, but he’s since returned to practice in a non-contact jersey and should be an option for Washington at some point in their first-round series. Before missing the final two games of the regular season, the 33-year-old had a goal and 14 points in 78 games with a -9 rating while averaging 19:38 per game. Sandin, 24, has also yet to graduate from a non-contact designation in practice after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Senators on April 7. Including today’s postseason tilt, he’s now missed six games with the injury, his second-longest absence of the season. The young Swede is in his first full campaign with the Caps after they picked him up from Toronto before last year’s trade deadline. He had three goals, 23 points, and a -13 rating in 68 regular-season games with Washington while averaging 21:07 per game, second among Caps defenders.
  • Things didn’t get any better for Washington on the injury front today, as rookie defenseman Vincent Iorio is questionable to return to the contest with an upper-body injury, per the team. He took a heavy hit from Rangers winger Alexis Lafrenière on the play that ended with Artemi Panarin putting the Blueshirts up 2-0 in the second period. Iorio, 21, was a second-round pick of the Caps two years ago and was playing in his first postseason game. He’s played most of the season with AHL Hershey, logging only six NHL appearances and averaging just 9:50 per game. He has one NHL assist to his name, which game during a three-game call-up last season.

Sandin And Jensen Take Part In Practice In Non-Contact Jerseys

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  • Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin practiced today in a non-contact jersey, notes NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury and with the non-contact designation, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to suit up in the series opener against the Rangers on Sunday.  Sandin was an important part of Washington’s back end this season, logging over 21 minutes a night while collecting 23 points in 68 games.
  • Sandin wasn’t the only injured Washington blueliner who took to the ice today as Gulitti adds (Twitter link) that Nick Jensen also practiced in a non-contact jersey. Jensen suffered an upper-body injury last week against Tampa Bay and was stretchered off the ice.  The 33-year-old spent a lot of time on the Capitals’ second pairing this season, picking up 13 points while averaging a little under 20 minutes a night.  Like Sandin, the non-contact designation likely means he won’t be available on Sunday either.

AHL Shuffle: 4/19/24

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Half the league has played their last games for the 2023-24 campaign, while the other half is gearing up for postseason action starting tomorrow. Either way, squads are making roster adjustments today, whether it’s assigning players back to the minors after their NHL seasons came to a close or recalling reinforcements for their playoff runs. We’ll keep track of all of today’s moves here:

  • The Bruins have recalled center John Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei from AHL Providence. Both will be available for tomorrow’s Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series against the Maple Leafs. The pair of youngsters were assigned to the minors throughout the last week for playing time down the stretch after spending most of the campaign on the NHL roster. They’ll likely be scratches for tomorrow’s contest, but after combining for 93 games played in the regular season, head coach Jim Montgomery won’t hesitate to plug them into the playoff lineup.
  • The Flames have assigned forwards Matthew Coronato and Adam Klapka, defenseman Ilya Solovyov, and goaltender Dustin Wolf to AHL Calgary. The NHL club’s regular season came to an end last night in a 5-1 win over the Sharks, a game all four players involved in today’s transaction played in. Wolf, one of the league’s top goaltending prospects, ended his season on a high note with 16 saves on 17 shots after putting up underwhelming numbers down the stretch for the Flames. All four will play major roles for the Wranglers over the next couple of weeks, at the very least, as they’ve clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
  • The Capitals have recalled goaltender Mitchell Gibson from ECHL South Carolina. The 24-year-old, who has no NHL experience, is in his first full season of pro hockey after spending the last four seasons in collegiate hockey at Harvard. He’ll serve as a Black Ace and emergency backup as their first-round matchup against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers gets underway. A fourth-round pick of the Caps back in 2018, he has a .899 SV%, 2.56 GAA, three shutouts, and a 22-14-3 record in 42 appearances with South Carolina this year, as well as a .915 SV% and a perfect record in two showings with AHL Hershey.
  • In a similar move, the Predators have brought up netminder Gustavs Grigals from ECHL Atlanta. Undrafted, the Latvian had spent the season in the Nashville organization on a minor-league contract before receiving a two-way deal from the Preds on deadline day. The 25-year-old was excellent last year for UMass-Lowell after transferring from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, posting a .924 SV% in 24 games and earning Hockey East Third All-Star Team honors. He’s adjusted decently well to the pro ranks, posting a .900 SV% and three shutouts behind a defensively challenged Atlanta squad in 34 appearances with an 11-19-0 record.
  • The Blackhawks have assigned forward prospect Lukas Reichel to AHL Rockford to finish his season. Chicago expected the 21-year-old to take a major step forward in his development this season and supplant himself as a top-six fixture for the future along with Connor Bedard, but it didn’t work out that way. The 2020 first-round pick was arguably among the worst players in the league this season, limited to five goals and 16 points in 65 games with a -29 rating despite seeing second-line looks for much of the season. His average ice time dipped to almost 14 minutes per game by the end of the campaign, however.
  • The Jets have assigned forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Parker Ford, Brad Lambert, and goaltender Collin Delia to AHL Manitoba. Winnipeg recalled the foursome yesterday to provide reinforcements for yesterday’s regular-season finale against the Canucks. Chibrikov and Lambert made their NHL debuts, with the former notching his first NHL goal in the process. Delia backed up Laurent Brossoit while Jennings Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was given the night off entirely, while Ford was a healthy scratch. Delia was again recalled under emergency conditions later Friday, suggesting he’ll be available as a Black Ace/emergency backup for Game 1 against the Avalanche on Sunday.
  • The Coyotes have made likely the final group of transactions in franchise history, returning forwards Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Aku Raty, and defensemen Michael Kesselring and Vladislav Kolyachonok to AHL Tucson. The sale of the team’s hockey operations to Salt Lake City-based Smith Entertainment Group was approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors yesterday, rendering the Coyotes franchise inactive and establishing a new franchise in Utah. The five youngsters will finish the season in the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Roadrunners. Some of these players, likely Guenther and Doan at a minimum, will travel to Salt Lake City and will be a part of that team’s opening-night squad next season. The others may remain in Tucson, which is expected to serve as the Utah franchise’s minor-league affiliate.
  • The Oilers have assigned defenseman Philip Broberg and winger Adam Erne to AHL Bakersfield. The pair were recalled earlier in the week to allow the Oilers to rest stars like Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard before kicking off their first-round playoff series against the Kings in a few days. They’ll return to playoff-bound Bakersfield for now but will be among the first in line for recalls if necessary.
  • The Kings have assigned forward Alex Turcotte to AHL Ontario. He’d spent most of the last week in the minors on an LTI conditioning loan, but was activated off LTIR and reinstated to the NHL roster on Tuesday. He didn’t play in the Kings’ final game of the regular season last night, though. The 23-year-old presumably won’t be in their Game 1 lineup against the Oilers and will report for playoff action with the Reign.
  • The Islanders have summoned goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport, per the league’s media site. The 23-year-old comes up to serve as the extra/reserve netminder as the Islanders begin their first-round series with Bridgeport eliminated from playoff contention. The 2018 third-round pick has again struggled in the third-string spot, posting a .888 SV% and 7-22-6 record in 36 appearances for the AHL Isles this year. He was passed over for recalls earlier in the regular season in favor of veteran Kenneth Appleby.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Ryan Leonard To Remain At Boston College Next Season

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Following a dominant freshman year at Boston College and the fact that the Capitals are heading to the playoffs, some wondered if prospect Ryan Leonard would opt to turn pro and potentially suit up for Washington in the postseason.  However, that will not be the case as GM Brian MacLellan released a statement (Twitter link) announcing that Leonard will return for his sophomore year:

Ryan Leonard indicated his desire to return for his sophomore season at Boston College. We support Ryan’s decision to return to one of the best programs in the nation to continue his development. Ryan showed great leadership and made tremendous progress during his first year, which saw him score the most goals by a freshman in Boston College program history and the third-most goals in the NCAA. We will continue to monitor his development and progress next year and look forward to watching Ryan build upon his successful freshman season.

The 19-year-old was the eighth overall pick back in June and has only seen his stock go up since then.  Leonard appeared in 41 games with the Eagles this season, tallying 31 goals and 29 assists, good for third on the team in scoring but also fourth in NCAA Division I scoring.  He played a key role for Boston College on their way to the Frozen Four finals where they were ousted by the University of Denver.

Now, Leonard will set his sights on helping the Eagles have another long run next season.  While they’ve lost Cutter Gauthier to the pros, their forward group still features – for now, at least – Will Smith and Gabe Perreault, two high-scoring first-rounders from last year, giving Boston College a very strong core to work from to do just that.

Beck Malenstyn Leaves Game With Upper-Body Injury

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The New Jersey Devils announced that they’ve assigned forward Shane Bowers to the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 24-year-old was recalled by the Devils a little over a week ago and went scoreless in five games to finish out the NHL season. The native of Halifax, Nova Scotia appeared in eight games this season, tallying no points, while averaging 9:27 of ice time per game.

A former first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2017 (28th overall), Bowers hasn’t developed into the power forward many thought he could be back when he played for Boston University. He was part of the package that Ottawa traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Matt Duchene but has never been able to find his scoring touch at the AHL level and has bounced around to two more organizations since then. With Utica this season, Bowers has just nine goals and four assists in 40 games and is -11.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • The Devils also assigned forward Graeme Clarke to Utica of the AHL. Clarke appeared in two games during his most recent recall and three NHL games this season. He has yet to register an NHL point, but the 22-year-old has been a solid AHL scoring option in his four-year professional career. The Ottawa, Ontario native has posted 24 goals and 23 assists in 64 AHL games this season and 147 points in 215 career games at the AHL level.
  • Washington Capitals writer Stephen Whyno is reporting that Capitals forward Beck Malenstyn left last night’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. The 26-year-old was skating through the neutral zone with the puck when he sent a pass and was hit late by Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic. Malenstyn remained on the ice briefly before getting back to his feet and skating to the bench. He immediately walked to the dressing room while receiving assistance from the medical staff. No word yet on the severity of the injury. Malenstyn has dressed in 80 games this season, posting six goals and 15 assists while dishing out 237 hits.

Pacioretty Comments On Why He Wouldn't Waive NMC At Trade Deadline

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  • When Capitals winger Max Pacioretty didn’t move at the trade deadline, it came as somewhat of a surprise. Speaking with Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, the 35-year-old outlined his reasons for not waiving his NTC.  On top of staying close to his family, the veteran has enjoyed playing a notable role after missing so much time the last couple of years; it’s quite likely his role would have been more limited had he accepted a move.  Pacioretty has just four goals in 45 games this season but has added 19 assists while averaging over 14 minutes a night.  He’s certainly playing in meaningful games too with Washington in the thick of the race for the final playoff spots in the East.

Nick Jensen, Rasmus Sandin To Miss Final Two Games

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As expected, the Washington Capitals will be holding out defenseman Nick Jensen for the final two games of the regular season according to Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post. In a positive development, however, Johnson also reports that Jensen was at the team facility today, indicating that the injury sustained last night is not as serious as previously expected.

Joining Jensen in the press box for the final two games will be defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who has been out since April 8th with an upper-body injury. With their eyes on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Capitals will have to defeat the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers without two of their top-four defensemen.

Now that both Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath are on the roster due to two separate emergency loans, one of them will have to draw into the lineup for the final two games of the regular season. Johansen has already suited up in six games for the Capitals earlier this season but may opt to go with McIlrath on the right side to keep some continuity within their defensive pairings.

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