Yesterday showed just how much parity there is in the NHL these days, as teams like the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders upset dominant Western Conference teams. Tonight 22 teams take the ice in a busy Tuesday to try and get in one last win before tomorrow’s holiday trade freeze. As we approach that deadline, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves made around the league.
- Those Ottawa Senators have made a move to send Drake Batherson back to the minor league after their win last night. Batherson played just 9:24 in the win over the Nashville Predators, though did record a powerplay assist. The 20-year old forward has a bright future in Ottawa, but with the team off until Friday he will spend some time in the AHL.
- After their 4-0 pummeling at the hands of the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens also made a move involving a young player. Victor Mete has been recalled by the team from the AHL, while Noah Juulsen is on his way back to the minor leagues. Mete will travel with the team to Colorado where they play tomorrow night.
- Jean-Sebastien Dea is on his way back to the AHL, re-assigned by the Pittsburgh Penguins today. Dea has played sparingly for Pittsburgh since being reclaimed on waivers earlier this season, and has just six points on the season. The 24-year old winger will try to get his offense going with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
- With the team finally approaching full health, including Zdeno Chara returning to practice, the Boston Bruins have opted to send rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon back to the AHL, the team announced. Lauzon played well in 15 games in Boston, especially considering that injuries pressed him into a top-four role for several games. However, Lauzon hasn’t played in nearly two weeks as the likes of Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo returned to the lineup and is in need of game action. Lauzon should return to a top spot for the Providence Bruins and will likely be Boston’s next man up on the blue line while Kevan Miller and Urho Vaakanainen remain sidelined.
- The Toronto Marlies have added another veteran to their roster, at least for now, announcing that they have signed Tom Sestito to a PTO. The hulking forward has spent the past few seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but was unsigned this off-season. Sestito, 31, has shown to be capable of modest offense at the minor league level, in addition to his undeniable checking ability, and hopes to earn a contract with the Marlies by displaying both sides of his well-established game.
and in other news, belleville likely has more money than the ottawa senators
Lauzon and Clifton definitely have a future with the Bruins….. think Zboril will be more of the same along with Urho further down the line to go along with McAvoy, Moore, Grizz, Carlo and Krug. That’s assuming Miller isn’t still needed by the B’s in FA and Chara retires sooner than later in the next season or two. Would keep all eight guys in the pipeline as the defensive corps for Boston definitely looks bright with some extra depth.