There are only five games on tap today, but teams may use their time to make some roster adjustments in preparation of a new week of play. Keep up with everything right here:
- Winnipeg Jets insider Jamie Thomas tweets that the Jets will recall defenseman Tucker Poolman to replace defenseman Toby Enstrom, who will reportedly miss eight weeks due to a lower-body injury. Poolman has been up with the team before and has played three games for Winnipeg. He had played seven games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, picking up an assist. The 24-year-old blueliner signed with the club earlier this year after playing three years with the University of North Dakota.
- The St. Louis Blues announced they have sent Wade Megan to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Megan was recalled Friday by the Blues for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, but was a healthy scratch. The 27-year-old center has played in just one game for the Blues, but has played 10 games with the Wolves and has three assists in that span.
- According to Ducks beat writer Eric Stephens, Anaheim has returned rookie Kalle Kossila to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. After making his NHL debut with one game in 2016-17, the French-Finnish forward has already skated in seven games for the Ducks this season and has performed well. A four-year product of St. Cloud State, Kossila was a major scoring threat for the Gulls last year and has shown flashes for the Ducks, with a goal and an assist already. Undersized, but strong on the puck, Kossila is likely to get another shot at the NHL soon enough.
- The Florida Panthers have announced that Curtis Valk is headed back to the AHL, as they have loaned him to their affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Valk made his NHL debut on Tuesday, albeit he played only 3:25 and contributed only three face-off losses, but in doing so reached a level that likely seemed impossible at a time. Despite a solid junior career in the WHL, Valk spent almost all of his first two pro seasons in the ECHL, a rare way for a future NHLer to start out. It was only after a breakout AHL campaign with the Utica Comets last season that he drew any big league attention, signing a one-year deal with Florida on July 1st. Valk is small, but has a scoring touch that should keep him in the AHL for a while and could afford him some more looks at the highest level.
- Arizona Coyotes promising defender Dakota Mermis is on his way back to the AHL, the team announced. Mermis has played in seven games for the ’Yotes thus far, but can get some more work in with the Tuscon Roadrunners, especially with the likes of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jakob Chychrun soon returning from injury. However, Mermis has looked good in his limited exposure and will continue to be the next man up on the Arizona blue line.
- Following the first two games of his NHL career, Andrew Crescenzi has been reassigned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign, their parent club, the L.A. Kings, announced. The 6’5″ forward debuted on Tuesday vs. the Vancouver Canucks and skated again on Thursday against the Boston Bruins, but failed to make much of an impact in limited ice time. He’ll head back to the minors for some more seasoning.