Kristian Vesalainen Returning From KHL
The Winnipeg Jets announced today that Kristian Vesalainen has been reassigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, now that his KHL season has come to an end. Vesalainen was loaned to Jokerit earlier this season after failing to catch on as a full-time member of the Jets. Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun notes that Vesalainen is not expected to play tonight for the Moose as he is still travelling back from Finland.
Vesalainen, 19, ended up with 17 points in 31 games for Jokerit, solid production for a player his age. That came after starting the year with eight points in eight games for the Moose, and notching his first NHL point with the Jets in a short five-game stint. The 24th overall pick from 2017 figures to be a big part of the Jets down the road, but will first try to help the Moose land a playoff spot.
Part of the reason the Jets have been able to afford selling their first round selections the last two seasons is because of players like Vesalainen. As the team decides how to pay all of their young stars, the next wave of talent will have to fill the gaps on inexpensive entry-level deals. That could provide an opportunity as soon as next season for Vesalainen, whose contract is going to slide forward this season if he doesn’t suit up five more times for the Jets down the stretch. That would mean he won’t become a restricted free agent until the summer of 2022.
Par Lindholm Nearly Signed With Winnipeg Last Year
- Par Lindholm told Postmedia’s Ken Wiebe that he gave strong consideration towards signing with Winnipeg last offseason, calling them a close second to Toronto who he ultimately signed with. As it turns out, he wound up with the Jets after all after being acquired late on trade deadline day. The 27-year-old center will once again be an unrestricted free agent this summer and with only one goal and a dozen points in 62 games, he may be hard-pressed to beat his current $925K deal.
Central Notes: Byfuglien, Smith, Perron, Read
The Winipeg Jets got some good news about a pair of their defensemen as head coach Paul Maurice said today that the team expects defensive star Dustin Byfuglien begin skating again later this week, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The 33-year-old has struggled all season with multiple injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 14 after injuring his ankle. Byfuglien has appeared in just 37 games, but has shown his value in those games as he has four goals and 30 points in that span.
Wiebe also added that defenseman Joseph Morrow skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury. He has missed six straight games and is expected to be out Sunday, but could be back later this week. Morrow has six points in 39 games this season.
- The Nashville Predators may be getting back one of their top forwards for today’s matchup against Minnesota as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that Craig Smith has been activated off of injured reserve and is expected to join Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund on the Predators’ second line. Smith has been out with a lower-body injury since Feb. 16 and has 16 goals this season in 61 games. The team might need him as the Wild have won five in a row.
- After scoring no more than two goals per game over their last six, the St. Louis Blues are in desperate need for offense and the team, which has gone 2-3-1 after winning 11 straight. The team truly seems to miss injured forwards Brayden Schenn and David Perron, the latter of which could be ready to return to the lineup soon, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann. With the team not playing again for three days, that could be the time they need, especially with Perron, who has looked good in practice lately. More information will come Monday after the team’s practice.
- The Minnesota Wild got an impressive performance from emergency callup Matt Read, who scored a goal and played an all-around great game Saturday night in Minnesota’s win over the Calgary Flames, according to The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required). Unfortunately, with veteran Zach Parise expected to play Sunday, that could spell the end for Read unless they use one of their official recalls on him.
Minor Transactions: 03/03/2019
Yesterday’s slate of games featured several that re-shuffled the playoff picture, including a comeback upset by the Wild over the Flames, an overtime win for the Hurricanes, a disappointing loss for the Blue Jackets, and key victories for the Penguins and Stars against teams they’re fighting with for playoff position. Today, the docket features more of these potential landscape-shifting match-ups, including a battle between trade deadline standouts, Columbus and Winnipeg, and a surprisingly hot Minnesota team facing a cold Nashville squad. Whether preparing for a game today or the coming week at large, expect some moves today by more than a few teams:
- Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Sun reports that goaltender Eric Comrie, currently on recall while starter Connor Hellebuyck was sidelined temporarily, will be reassigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. Hellebuyck was a full participant in morning skate and is in fact in line to get the start tonight for the Jets. Comrie got in some work with the team this morning as well, but is unlikely to stick around as a third active keeper. The 23-year-old has yet to see any NHL action this season, but has had a heavy workload in Manitoba with 40 appearances already on the year.
- Christoffer Ehn, who was recalled on an emergency loan by the Detroit Red Wings yesterday morning, did not suit up for the team last night and has now been returned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Ehn was called up in case Anthony Mantha, who was battling sickness, was unable to play. When Mantha fought through, Ehn’s emergency conditions were terminated, forcing his demotion back to the minors. Ehn has played in 44 games with the Red Wings this season compared to just 13 games with the Griffins, but for now will have to stick it out in the AHL.
- Carolina Hurricanes’ project forward Steven Lorentz has again been sent to the ECHL, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers announced. It’s the fourth demotion of the year for Lorentz, a 2015 seventh-round pick, who has been a victim of the depth in Charlotte. Among all forwards with more than 15 games played in the ECHL this season, Lorentz is twelfth in per-game scoring with 24 points in 20 games for the Florida Everblades. In the AHL, he has five points in 18 games with the Checkers but, despite fair production given his limited role, has been a frequent scratch and reassignment. Rather than being in the ECHL scoring race or a regular in Charlotte’s bottom-six, Lorentz’ season has been torn between the two leagues, making it appear as if he hasn’t made much of an impact at either level. Lorentz still has another year remaining on his entry-level contract, so Carolina has time for more evaluation. An extended stay and regular play time in the AHL in particular could reveal him to be a solid contributor at that level as well.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kevin Roy from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Roy, who had spent most of the year on season-opening injured reserve after undergoing offseason wrist surgery, was activated and sent to San Diego on Feb. 16. The 25-year-old had a goal and four points in five games with the Gulls and looks ready to return to action in Anaheim. He played 25 games with the Ducks last year, posting six goals and seven points.
Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry Suspended Two Games
Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry was suspended by the Department of Player Safety for two games for his high stick against Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg on Friday.
The incident happened during 14:35 of the third period after a struggle between the two players on the boards. Forsberg registered a hit against Lowry, who then swung his stick and hit him in the face (video here). Lowry had a hearing earlier today and contended that he did not intend to hit him in the face, the Department of Player Safety made it clear that Lowry’s intent was still to hit him with his stick. He received a two-minute minor for high sticking on the play.
Lowry will have to sit out two important games for the Jets as he’s slated to miss Sunday’s game at Columbus and Tuesday’s game at Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old forward has 185 hits this season as well as eight goals and 17 points. The loss of two games will cost Lowry $31,362 for the two game suspension as he is not considered to be a repeat offender.
Jaden Schwartz Receives Max Fine For Cross-Checking
Cross-checking is apparently the flavor of the week for the NHL Department of Player Safety. After handing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot a maximum fine for cross-checking on Monday, they have assigned the same punishment to St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz, per an announcement. Schwartz will be out $5,000 as a result of his actions, the most he could be fined under the CBA.
The hit in question was on Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton in last night’s game between the two teams, a convincing 5-2 Hurricanes win. Late in the first period, Hamilton delivered a hard, but legal check on Schwartz along the boards and Schwartz decided to retaliate with a cross-check up high on Hamilton. The decision cost Schwartz a two-minute minor right away, but has cost him even more in retrospect. It’s another knock against Schwartz in a disappointing season for the 26-year-old winger. Schwartz has just 28 points through 58 games and it could be that his offensive frustration is beginning to boil over into his checking game.
Player Safety might not be done dolling out discipline today. They have also announced that New Jersey Devils forward Kurtis Gabriel will have a hearing this afternoon in regards to a boarding penalty against the Philadelphia Flyers’ Nolan Patrick last night. So too will Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry for what’s being called “high-sticking/slashing” on Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg. With the Devils set to face the Boston Bruins tonight, the department will likely act swiftly in their punishment of Gabriel following his hearing, while they can take more time with the Lowry decision as the Jets are off today.
Minor Transactions: 03/01/19
Eight games on the schedule for a relatively busy Friday night in the NHL, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets providing some must-see television. The winner of the game will assume first place in the Central Division with less than a quarter of the season to go, and stay ahead of the hard charging St. Louis Blues. The Predators are only five points ahead of the Blues with three more games played, meaning matchups like this with Winnipeg are incredibly important. As always, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves around the league.
- The Ottawa Senators made a change to their coaching staff today, and also sent Drake Batherson back down to the Belleville Senators for the time being. The team had Batherson up on an emergency recall, but he’ll return to the AHL where he can take on the Manitoba Moose tonight.
- Interestingly, the Moose will not have Eric Comrie in net for that game as the goaltender has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets. Comrie is up under emergency conditions meaning the Jets must have an injury or illness somewhere in their goaltending group.
- The Minnesota Wild have used an emergency recall on Matt Read, bringing him up in time for their game tomorrow against the Calgary Flames. The Wild are right back in the thick of the playoff race after winning their last four games even despite trading away several key forwards over the last few weeks.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Ken Appleby
One minor move that slipped through the cracks yesterday was the signing of minor league goaltender Ken Appleby. With the Winnipeg Jets busy making more trades on deadline day than any other team, the club opted not to issue a press release solely of Appleby’s signing, but to merely include it among other announcements until it garnered more attention today with the fireworks of the trade deadline now passed. The two-way contract is for the remainder of the season at the minimum $650K. As the deal was processed yesterday though, Appleby is eligible to compete in the postseason for the Jets if need be.
Appleby, 23, joins Evan Cormier, Jeremy Smith, Adam Wilcox, and Chris Driedger as minor league goaltenders who have earned NHL contracts in the past few days to serve as emergency depth for their parent clubs. Appleby has split his time between the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the ECHL’s Jacksonville Ice Men and has missed some time with injuries as well. While his AHL numbers this year – an .865 save percentage and 4.59 GAA in eight appearances – are unseemly, Appleby is just one year removed from a strong season with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and three stellar appearances with the New Jersey Devils. In fact, it was a surprise this past off-season that Appleby first was not issued a qualifying offer from New Jersey and then was unable to find an NHL contract. At the very least, Appleby’s brief NHL experience and strong ECHL stats this year make him a passable depth option for the Jets.
The question that Appleby faces that the aforementioned newly-signed keepers didn’t is whether he is even the fourth-string goaltender for the team. Appleby will glady take the contract either way, but he face extremely long odds at seeing NHL ice this season. With starter Connor Hellebuyck and backup Laurent Brossoit both young and healthy and playing well enough this season, chances are that Winnipeg won’t have to dive into their reserves in net. However, if injury did strike one goalie, well-regarded prospect Eric Comrie would be the clear-cut replacement. Comrie has some NHL experience as well and has been the starter for Manitoba all year. If somehow the Jets were down two goalies, it would stand to reason that first year-pro Mikhail Berdin could be the next man up. The 20-year-old Russian netminder has been phenomenal this season, posting a .931 save percentage and 2.31 GAA in ten AHL games to date. While Appleby has the slightly better ECHL numbers of the two this year, as well as the brief NHL experience, who would get the call is a toss up. The Jets certainly hope it doesn’t come to that, but it never hurts to add some extra insurance in net anyway.
Josh Morrissey Out Until April
The Winnipeg Jets experienced some uncertainty right before the trade deadline after losing Josh Morrissey to injury the day before. It wasn’t exactly clear how long Morrissey would be out, but the team acted quickly by bringing in Bogdan Kiselevich and Nathan Beaulieu to add some depth on the blue line. Today, Jets head coach Paul Maurice announced that Morrissey will miss all of March and is looking at a return in early April.
Morrissey, 23, is an absolutely huge part of the Winnipeg blue line and the anchor of the left side. He averages more than 22 minutes a night and trails only Jacob Trouba in terms of scoring from the Jets defenders. His 31 points in 59 games are already easily a career high, as he has developed nicely into a top-end puck-moving option for the team while not losing any of his shutdown ability. There are few players who can excel like Morrissey does in almost any situation, and it will be an extremely tough task to replace his minutes adequately.
The Jets finish their season on April 6th and will presumably be starting their first playoff series a few days later, meaning Morrissey will have to jump right back into extremely important games and shake off the rust immediately. It’s nice that the team has other top options like Trouba, Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien, but they’ll need Morrissey to be at his best as they try to navigate the Western Conference playoff picture.
His absence will likely create a huge opportunity for one of Beaulieu or Kiselevich to show what they can do. Both players found themselves in the press box on a regular basis with their last teams, but have shown ability in the past. Kiselevich notably was pursued heavily by the Jets before eventually signing in Florida, an indication that the team believes in his talent level and could give him a shot. Beaulieu struggled to find his game in Buffalo but is still just 26 and has experience in the NHL playoffs.
Minor Transactions: 02/25/2019
With the trade deadline upon us, roster restrictions have now been lifted so there should be an influx of recalls today. On top of that, there should be plenty of “paper transactions” post-deadline as teams send down and then recall players in order to preserve their AHL postseason eligibility. Only players on AHL rosters at 3pm ET are eligible to play in the league’s playoffs. While all eyes are on the deadline, today is also one of, if not the, busiest day of the season for minor transactions. Try to keep up right here:
- The Canadiens announced the recall of winger Dale Weise from Laval (AHL). He was sent down last week to accommodate the return of Paul Byron from IR but this move was expected with the 23-man roster limit now removed. Weise played in three games with the Rocket, scoring twice. He will likely battle for fourth line ice time down the stretch.
- The Devils have shuffled their forward group, announcing that they have sent wingers Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to AHL Binghamton while recalling forwards Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, and John Quenneville. Anderson has just three points in 19 NHL games this season while Seney has spent the bulk of the year in New Jersey, collecting 13 points in 50 NHL contests. McLeod, a 2016 first-rounder, has played just once with the big club this season but sits second on Binghamton in scoring and should now get a longer look to assess his development. Bastian has also played just once in New Jersey but leads Binghamton in goals with 17 in 56 games. They also announced that goalie MacKenzie Blackwood has been recalled from Binghamton following the trade of Keith Kinkaid, as well as defenseman Egor Yakovlev, with Eric Gryba heading back to the AHL.
- For the time being at least, the Senators have re-assigned defenseman Cody Goloubef, centers Logan Brown and Filip Chlapik, and winger Drake Batherson to Belleville of the AHL, per a team announcement. The team also made forward Rudolfs Balcers and defenseman Christian Wolanin paper transactions for the inevitable reality of last-place Ottawa having an early end to their season, but Belleville continuing on to the postseason.
- The Flyers have brought back defenseman Samuel Morin from his conditioning stint with AHL Lehigh Valley. He has been working his way back from ACL surgery from an injury sustained in the minor league playoffs back in May and played in a pair of games with the Phantoms. It’s likely that Morin won’t be thrown into action with Philadelphia right away but with the roster limit gone, they can have him on the active roster from here on out. The team also made defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Corban Knight paper transactions. The young Myers was the top defender for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantom prior to his recall, while Knight is an experienced AHLer who can lead a team. Their return for the postseason would be a major boost for the Phantoms.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Matt Donovan from the AHL, placing Dan Hamhuis on injured reserve. Donovan is leading all Milwaukee Admirals defensemen in scoring with 29 points through 55 games, but hasn’t played an NHL game since 2014-15.
- Christian Dvorak has officially been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Tucson Roadrunners, meaning he’ll be back on the ice for the Arizona Coyotes soon. The young forward has missed the entire season up to this point, but could give the Coyotes a much needed offensive boost down the stretch.
- Matt Luff was recalled by the Los Angeles Kings today, only to be returned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign later on alongside Michael Amadio. It’s unclear if this move was intended for AHL postseason means, seeing as the Reign are in last place in the entire league and aren’t going to be heading to the postseason.
- The Vancouver Canucks have returned goaltender Marek Mazanec and forward Zack MacEwen to the AHL’s Utica Comets, the team announced. Mazanec’s demotion is good news for the Canucks; Thatcher Demko has been cleared for action and will dress for the Canucks as the backup tonight.
- Teddy Blueger has been reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, but could be on his way back up shortly. With Tanner Pearson shipped out of town, Pittsburgh needs another forward and Blueger has been the next man up. He should get a chance at regular minutes down the stretch.
- Collin Delia will return to the minors upon the activation of Corey Crawford, Chicago announced. Delia has performed admirably in net during Crawford’s absence and even earned a contract extension with his play, but needs the starts available in the AHL rather than sitting behind Crawford and Cam Ward.
- With the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away Par Lindholm today, stating their desire to open up regular NHL minutes for Trevor Moore, it is no surprise that Moore was an emergency recall by the team. Moore has been the epitome of consistency through his time with the University of Denver and AHL Marlies and now hopes to bring that same dependable production to the NHL.
- The Arizona Coyotes made a pair of paper transactions, assigning defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and forward Conor Garland to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners – to ensure their AHL postseason eligibility – and then called them back up.
- The Carolina Hurricanes followed suit, making forwards Saku Maenalanen and Warren Foegele paper transactions, so that they may compete with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers if need be.
- The Dallas Stars are without Mats Zuccarello after just one game with the trade addition. To fill his roster spot for the time being, the team has recalled Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas. Gurianov has shown flashes, but inconsistency in the pros, but now Dallas needs him to be a reliable option over the next four weeks.
- Daniel O’Regan seemed like a likely trade candidate as a young impending free agent who has not been a fit in Buffalo. The Sabres even showcased him this past week, but to no avail. The deadline has come and gone and Regan is still a Sabre, or more accurately a Rochester American after being demoted today. Tage Thompson was a paper transaction for the club.
- Dylan Sikura was made a paper transaction by the Chicago Blackhawks, as well. While the team would like to see what he can do in the NHL over the next month, the Blackhawks are trending away from the postseason, making Sikura’s best bet at postseason play a return to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. The move today maintains his eligibility to do so.
- The Colorado Avalanche made dependable depth forward Sheldon Dries a paper transaction, but the reassignments of fellow forwards A.J. Greer and Andrew Agozzino were not just formalities. The pair will head back to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, having presumably lost their roster spots to the healthy Colin Wilson and the acquisition of Derick Brassard.
- Goaltender Harri Sateri, defenseman Filip Hronek, and forward Filip Zadina were all made paper transactions by the Detroit Red Wings. Sateri and Hronek are currently filling in as injury replacements and will likely return to the AHL for real in short time, but Detroit wants to see what top prospect Zadina can do in the NHL down the stretch. The Red Wings surely won’t be making the playoffs though, so they made sure the trio can all still experience a postseason run this year.
- The Edmonton Oilers made veteran minor league forwards Brad Malone and Josh Currie paper transactions. The duo is currently helping out in the NHL, but with the Oilers’ playoff hopes all but dead, their major role the rest of the way will likely be as experienced leaders guiding the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors into the postseason.
- Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin, and new addition Ryan Donato were all made paper transactions today by the Minnesota Wild. The trio is very much part of the Wild’s immediate plans this season, as well as their future, but Minnesota may not make the playoffs this year and the forwards could benefit from making a run with AHL Iowa.
- New York Islanders defenseman Devon Toews was another paper transaction. Toews has carved out a role for himself with the club, which currently leads the Metropolitan Division, but should be be available to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers come playoff time, a return to the team at a critical time would only further his development.
- Lukas Radil was a paper transaction for the San Jose Sharks today. The Sharks are hoping to make a deep playoff run this year, but on the off chance that doesn’t materialize, the experienced forward Radil would be of benefit to the AHL Barracuda.
- The Vancouver Canucks currently have defensemen Ashton Sautner and Guillaume Brisebois on the roster as the team battles injuries. However, to make sure the AHL’s Utica Comets were not stripped of two of their top defenders this season, Vancouver made the pair paper transactions today.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have reassigned defenseman Tucker Poolman to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today. The move was expected after the Jets traded for not one but two defenseman today. The move also serves to ensure Poolman can play in the AHL postseason if need be. The same goes for forward Mason Appleton, who was also sent down.
- Peter Cehlarik and Karson Kuhlman have both been returned to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but it remains unclear if this is a paper transaction or an actual move by Boston. With the deadline passed and roster restrictions nullified, one would think that Cehlarik and Kulhman – who have both player regular minutes for the Bruins of late – would be back up. However, no such move has been made and perhaps the team simply wants to give the duo some more ice time in the minors now that their NHL roster includes several more veteran members up front.
- The Anaheim Ducks have demoted defenseman Andy Welinski and forward Sam Steel in favor of defenseman Korbinian Holzer and goaltender Angus Redmond. The move may have something to do with AHL playoff eligibility, but more than anything it is about Redmond’s recall. The Ducks, who continue to struggle with injuries in net, will dress Redmond as their backup tonight with Ryan Miller sidelined with a lower-body injury. It is the first NHL experience for a keeper who has played almost exclusively in the ECHL as a pro.