The Tampa Bay Lightning showed the NHL just how dangerous they can be now that Andrei Vasilevskiy is back on the ice, as the goaltender was peppered by the Toronto Maple Leafs but found a way to keep nearly every puck out of the net. The Lightning now have an eight-point lead on the second place Maple Leafs, and are easily pacing the NHL. They’ll be off as 16 teams battle tonight, and we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves made throughout the day.
- Sami Niku has been sent back to the AHL by the Winnipeg Jets, as Joe Morrow closes in on his return. The 22-year old Niku played in five games for the Jets but wasn’t able to lock down a full-time role just yet. After taking home Defenseman of the Year honors in the AHL last season, there’s no doubt that Niku will be back in the NHL at some point.
- With Mike Smith suffering a minor injury, the Calgary Flames have recalled goaltender Jon Gillies from the AHL. Smith is listed as day-to-day, meaning David Rittich will get the lion’s share of the work for the next little while. Gillies meanwhile has not played well for the Stockton Heat this season, something that can’t inspire a ton of confidence in Flames fans moving forward. The team has sent Ryan Lomberg to the AHL to make room for Gillies.
- After the Detroit Red Wings recalled Filip Hronek to help fill in for Mike Green, they also sent Brian Lashoff back to the AHL. Lashoff has been up and down all season, and will likely continue to serve as Detroit’s insurance policy this year.
- Stefan Noesen has been placed on injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils and replaced on the roster by John Quenneville. The 22-year old Quenneville has not been able to produce enough to justify the first-round pick that New Jersey used on him, but is off to a great start in the minor leagues this season. Perhaps the talented forward has finally turned a corner and can be a full-time contributor to the Devils down the stretch.
- Denis Gurianov is getting another chance with the Dallas Stars, after continuing his red hot season in the AHL. Gurianov, the 12th-overall pick from 2015, has played just three NHL games so far and put together a relatively uninspiring professional career. That has all changed this year as he is currently ranks fourth in the AHL in scoring with 28 points in 23 games. Healthy scratched at times during the Texas Stars Calder Cup run last spring, he now looks like the powerful offensive presence Dallas believed they had selected.