As usual, Saturday presents a large slate of games around the league with 26 teams in action. That means there will likely be plenty of roster movement which we’ll keep track of here.
- The Golden Knights announced that they’ve returned goalie Garret Sparks to Chicago of the AHL. He was brought up on an emergency basis to serve as the backup while Marc-Andre Fleury tended to an illness in the family but it appears that Fleury is ready to return. The team also announced they have recalled forward Nicolas Roy from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. Roy has been up and down between Vegas and Chicago for much of the season. The 22-year-old has played in six games for the Golden Knights, scoring a goal and three points and has appeared in 11 games for the Wolves, tallying two goals and six points. Since it’s an emergency recall, Roy could be recalled while the team determines if Cody Eakin is seriously hurt after taking an elbow to the head Friday against Arizona.
- A.J. Greer’s stint with the Avalanche was short-lived. One day after being recalled, he has been returned to AHL Colorado, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The winger has had two NHL call-ups this season but has yet to play with the big club. Greer has two goals and 44 penalty minutes in nine games with the Eagles so far.
- The Avs also announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned center Sheldon Dries to the minors. He has just one NHL game under his belt this season after playing 40 a year ago. He has been productive with the Eagles though, leading them in scoring with 14 points in 17 contests.
- With Carl Soderberg suffering a lower-body injury late yesterday against Vegas, the Coyotes have recalled center Michael Chaput from AHL Tucson. This will be his first NHL action of the season but the 27-year-old got into 32 games with Montreal last year. He has 12 points (9-3-12) in 15 games with the Roadrunners.
- The Jets announced that they have placed defenseman Nathan Beaulieu on IR, creating a roster spot that they used to recall defenseman Cameron Schilling from AHL Manitoba. With Beaulieu and Dmitry Kulikov both injured, Winnipeg needed to get an extra defender on the roster. The 31-year-old has just 10 games of NHL experience but has played in 512 AHL contests.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The 35-year-old has been a major piece to the Red Wings success over the years, but has been the odd man out as Detroit continues to get younger. Ericsson made the team out of camp, but was placed on waivers on Oct. 23 and sent to the Griffins where he played 10 games for the AHL squad. He was recalled again due to injuries on Nov. 14 and now returns to Grand Rapids. Ericsson is on the final year of a six-year, $25.5MM contract.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned defenseman Jacob Larsson to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Larsson appeared in 25 games for the Ducks so far this season in a bottom-pairing role with a goal, two assists and a minus-three rating, while averaging 17:31 ATOI.