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Archives for April 2022

AHL Shuffle: 04/02/22

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The first Saturday in April is a busy one with nine games on the docket including what was an eventual matinee game that saw Florida come back from a four-goal deficit in the third to beat New Jersey in overtime.  There should be some roster shuffling throughout the day and we’ll keep track of those movements here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Red Wings announced the recall of center Kyle Criscuolo from Grand Rapids of the AHL. The 29-year-old has played in 49 games with the Griffins this season, picking up 32 points.  With Detroit playing in Ottawa on Sunday, Tyler Bertuzzi will be ineligible to play while Dylan Larkin is day-to-day with a minor injury so Criscuolo will serve as some insurance to make sure they can dress 12 forwards for that game.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • The Coyotes have flipped backup goalies as they’ve recalled Ivan Prosvetov while sending Josef Korenar to Tucson, per the AHL’s transactions log. Harri Sateri was able to join the team recently but will need some time before being game-ready so Arizona is shuffling their backups in the meantime.  Prosvetov has a pair of starts this season for the Coyotes, posting a .893 SV% in those outings.

Pacific Division

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Atlantic Notes: Lundell, Stapley, Berggren

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The Panthers welcomed back a key player back to the lineup for today’s game against New Jersey as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated center Anton Lundell off IR.  The rookie had missed close to a month with a lower-body injury but still sits sixth in rookie scoring with 38 points in 52 games.  More importantly to Florida, Lundell will be a big boost to their penalty kill as he leads all of their forwards in shorthanded ice time per game which is an area that the Panthers will be looking to shore up down the stretch.  Having their top forward in that regard back should only help their cause.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • At this point, it does not appear as if the Canadiens will be signing college prospect Brett Stapley, reports Mathias Brunet of La Presse. The 23-year-old center will be wrapping up his college career next week with Denver and has picked up 41 points in 39 games for the Pioneers this season, putting him in the top 20 of NCAA Division I scoring.  If Montreal doesn’t sign the 2018 seventh-rounder, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on August 16th.
  • While Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren has impressed in his first season in North America, there appears to be some hesitance in bringing him up for the stretch run. As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press points out, Detroit’s farm team in Grand Rapids is still battling for a playoff spot in the minors and it appears the organization may be prioritizing that as being more valuable than a handful of NHL games to finish off this season.  The 21-year-old sits second on the Griffins in scoring with 44 points in 57 games.

Nick Ritchie To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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Something from Friday’s game involving Arizona and Anaheim has caught the eye of the Department of Player Safety although it doesn’t involve the late-game incident that saw Jay Beagle ejected for his actions.  Instead, the department announced that Coyotes winger Nick Ritchie will have a hearing today for a slash on Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.

The incident occurred at the end of the first period and no penalty was assessed on that particular play although Ritchie received a roughing minor for an incident with Dominik Simon at the end of the period.

Ritchie has one previous suspension from 2017 for roughing while he has been fined on three other occasions by the league.  Arizona is next in action on Sunday in Chicago so a ruling will need to be made by then.

Sean Monahan To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

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Calgary’s center depth has taken a hit as the team announced (Twitter link) that Sean Monahan is set to undergo hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.  Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson clarifies (via Twitter) that the injury is the opposite hip to the one that was surgically repaired last summer.

This is certainly a tough way to end what has definitely been a tough season for the 27-year-old.  While several Flames forwards have had strong years offensively, Monahan went in the opposite direction, notching just eight goals and 15 assists in 65 games with his goal and point totals being the lowest of his nine-year NHL career.  Calgary made Monahan a healthy scratch last month after bringing in Calle Jarnkrok to serve as their center on the third line and playing time had been hard to come by since then.

Calgary will place Monahan on LTIR and with a $6.375MM AAV, they will have ample cap space to bring up recalls if they want although they will use up the little bit of banked cap space they have in doing so.  In the meantime, Ryan Carpenter, who was acquired from Chicago back at the trade deadline, seems likely to be used in a more regular capacity in Monahan’s absence.

Meanwhile, the Flames also announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.  Connor Mackey has been recalled from AHL Stockton to take his place.  Mackey played in six games with Calgary last season, recording three points while he has 36 points in 53 games in the minors this season.

Keith Yandle’s All-Time Ironman Streak To End

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The Philadelphia Flyers have made the decision – an odd and unpopular decision – to sit veteran defenseman Keith Yandle in Saturday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo confirmed the move in a media session this morning. Yandle is the current NHL record holder for consecutive games played, an ironman streak of 989 games. That will come to an end tonight at 11 games short of 1,000 as Yandle will miss his first game since March 22, 2009, his sophomore season in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Why this decision is being made now is puzzling to say the least. Admittedly, Yandle has been sick and missed practice on Thursday. However, he was back at practice on Friday – noticeably skating on the “fourth pair”. Yandle has shown all-time durability in his career; if he is healthy enough to practice, he is healthy enough to play. Yet, Yeo and the Flyers have opted to sit him anyway, and with a healthy scratch designation no less. Philadelphia is 31 points outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with nothing left to play for this season, but will voluntarily end Yandle’s record streak anyway.

The major problem with the Flyer’s decision is the timing. Yandle joined the team as a free agent this summer in a move that Philadelphia hoped would help them contend for a playoff spot. Instead, the season went the complete opposite direction. Yandle is not without blame; he has been objectively poor this season, as evidenced by a league-worst -39 rating and complete lack of defensive impact. Yet, at no point was Yandle benched. His ice time was cut significantly, but the Flyers stuck with the veteran and allowed him to pass Doug Jarvis for the longest ironman streak back on January 25. So if respecting Yandle’s historic streak was important enough to keep him in the lineup early in the season when the playoffs were still a possibility, why has it changed now with nothing on the line? Yeo stated that the team wants to evaluate young defensemen like Cam York and the recently signed Ronnie Attard, which is valid. Surely the likes of Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Kevin Connauton wouldn’t have minded taking a night off though, especially to help their teammate to extend a historic streak. Yandle needed just 11 more games to hit 1,000, which would stand as a legendary achievement even if it was eventually surpassed.

Meanwhile, Phil Kessel also passed Jarvis on March 25 and sits at 967 consecutive games played. With Yandle out, the all-time ironman streak is no longer a moving target. Kessel needs just 23 more games to pass Yandle, which seems like a foregone conclusion. By staying in Arizona through the trade deadline, Kessel may have missed out on a chance at a Stanley Cup run, but the respected veteran is assured of a spot in the lineup for the remaining 14 games of the regular season, barring injury. He will then hit the free agent market this summer and, with his massive cap hit behind him, will draw widespread interest and will surely be able to find a team willing to keep him in the lineup for nine more games to pass Yandle, another ten games to hit 1,000, and potentially much longer than that. It’s too bad that Yandle is losing his chance to make it a more interesting race.

Minor Transactions: 04/02/22

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The NHL Trade Deadline has passed, but key transactions continue to occur. The college free agent market is still going strong with NCAA standouts landing NHL and AHL contracts, while many leagues in Europe are already deep into the postseason with eliminated teams signing extensions and conversely allowing some notable names to become free agents. So while it may seem like the deadline puts an end to all important transactions until the offseason, there are still plenty of “minor” moves worth paying attention to:

  • The Boston Bruins have been busy in the college free agent market, signing Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin to an entry-level contract (he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday), as well as Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi and inking Ohio State defenseman Grant Gabriele to an AHL contract. They are back at it again, announcing a one-year AHL contract for 2022-23 and interim PTO for Omaha forward Joseph Abate. Abate, 23, is leaving college a year early to pursue his pro career. A defensive specialist, Abate only produced 32 points in 85 NCAA games but plays a physical checking game, excelled at the faceoff dot this season, and brings deceptive speed. A project for the Bruins, Abate will be groomed in Providence to potentially play a fourth line role down the road. Interestingly, Abate played junior hockey with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms with fellow Bruins prospects Curtis Hall, Trevor Kuntar, and Riley Duran. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have dipped into the college free agent pool, as their Silver counterparts in AHL Henderson announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract for North Dakota forward Connor Ford. A highly sought-after graduate transfer out of Bowling Green, where he played with fellow Knights prospect Brandon Kruse, Ford joined the Fighting Hawks this season and continued to produce. An incredibly consistent scorer through five NCAA season, the 24-year-old Ford appears to have the mature game that will translate to the pros. Ford finished second in scoring for North Dakota behind only Riese Gaber. Vegas certainly won’t mind if signing Ford help to convince the undrafted sophomore sensation Gaber to turn pro and sign with the Knights this year or even down the road.
  • Another NCAA addition is arriving in Lehigh Valley, as the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract with Notre Dame captain Adam Karashik. Karashik, 24, actually played in his first season with the Fighting Irish this season as a graduate transfer, but was named captain based on his veteran leadership and experience and the ability he displayed in four years at UConn. Karashik had always played a sound defensive game on the blue line, but took his offensive game to new heights this season with 16 points, matching his previous three seasons combined. A two-way, right-handed defenseman with a well-developed game, Karashik is a nice piece for the Flyers’ pipeline.
  • Moving overseas, NHL veteran Joakim Ryan isn’t rushing back to the NHL after a year away in Sweden. Instead, the 28-year-old has signed a one-year extension with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the team announced. While Ryan was on an NHL contract for all six of his first pro seasons, including playing 41+ NHL games twice, his value had tailed off before he departed for his native Sweden this past offseason. While he could likely still find a depth role in the NHL, no one will blame him for sticking with Malmo for another year after he emerged as a star for the team in 2021-22. Ryan recorded 31 points in 52 games, second on the team and a top-five mark among SHL defensemen.

More to come…

Poll: Do The Vegas Golden Knights Make The Playoffs?

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2021-22 has been anything but smooth sailing for the (still) new kids on the block. Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Reilly Smith, Robin Lehner, William Karlsson, and Zach Whitecloud are just some of the names that have missed significant time due to injury for the Vegas Golden Knights this year.

With all of that, the team that was projected to be Presidents’ Trophy hopefuls at the beginning of the year now sits out of a playoff spot with under a month left to go in the regular season. They now have just 13 games left to make one last push to re-enter the top eight teams in the Western Conference.

Vegas’ best hope is likely to catch the Dallas Stars and take the second Wild Card spot out from under them. Dallas is one point ahead of Vegas, but they have 16 games remaining as compared to Vegas’ 13 left. The Stars are 6-4-0 in their past ten, and if that .600 points percentage keeps up for the rest of the regular season, the Stars would finish with 98 points. In order for Vegas to reach the 98-point plateau, they would need 20 points out of a possible 26, or roughly a 10-3-0 record in their final 13. Something like 8-3-2 would also get the job done, but the bottom line is that the Golden Knights can’t afford to lose more than three games in regulation the rest of the way.

If they were to try and catch the Edmonton Oilers for the third divisional spot in the Pacific Division, they’d likely need to do even better than that. The Oilers have a slightly worse points percentage than the Stars, but they’re much hotter with a 7-2-1 record in their past 10. If that keeps up, there’s no chance Vegas can catch them.

Now, the Knights don’t have the hardest schedule for the rest of the way. Tonight begins a five-game stretch against non-playoff teams in the West (Seattle, Arizona, and three games against Vancouver). After that, three of their remaining eight games are against-non playoff teams, so eight out of 13 games left in total are against non-playoff teams. One date to undoubtedly circle on the calendar is April 26th, where Vegas heads to Dallas to play their 80th game of the season, one that could ultimately decide their playoff fate if they can bank points.

So, we ask you, PHR readers: is this even a reality worth entertaining? Can the Knights overcome unprecedented injury-related adversity to be one of the 16 teams in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Make your voice heard below:

Mobile users, click here to vote!

Robin Lehner Close To Returning

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During his media availability today, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer revealed that netminder Robin Lehner is medically cleared to play after he was activated from injured reserve on March 30th. While DeBoer defines Lehner as “capable of playing,” he said that Lehner needs more time and practice before returning as the team’s starter.

In the meantime, this means that Logan Thompson will retain the starting role in a stretch of games where every point matters. Thompson has been impressive in recent games, improving his save percentage on the year to .920 in 11 games played. With veteran Laurent Brossoit also injured, Thompson remains the team’s best option as they attempt to salvage a playoff spot out of a hectic, injury-marred season.

Vegas sits one point behind Dallas for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but Dallas has three games in hand. A divisional spot may actually be more realistic for the Knights, as they sit three points behind Edmonton with the Oilers having just one game in hand, but Edmonton is surging with a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games.

Whatever the outcome, Lehner is a large puzzle piece in this team beginning to return to full health for the first time all season.

San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Nikolai Knyzhov

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The San Jose Sharks announced today that the team has re-signed defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to a one-year contract. PuckPedia reports the deal is one-way in nature, with a cap hit of $850,000 ($750,000 salary, $100,000 signing bonus).

Knyzhov, 24, was a pending restricted free agent. If his name doesn’t sound familiar, it would be because Knyzhov has been out of the lineup for the entire 2021-22 season with a lower-body injury sustained during training camp. However, this contract suggests that the team expects him to make a recovery for next year.

Knyzhov broke into the league as a regular in 2020-21, playing in all of the team’s 56 games that year, oftentimes finding a role in the team’s top-four alongside Erik Karlsson. He recorded two goals and eight assists for 10 points and finished the year with a -9 rating. He played his first 3 NHL games the season prior, earning a call-up from the AHL’s Barracuda in his first North American professional season.

The undrafted defenseman was in the final season of his three-year entry-level deal that carried a cap hit of $796,667. He’ll likely return next season to fill out the team’s left defense, forming a group with Mario Ferraro and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

New York Rangers Sign Bobby Trivigno

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2:10 PM: The Rangers have now made the signing official.

10:53 AM: After meeting with him last month, the New York Rangers are expected to sign Bobby Trivigno, according to Corey Pronman of The Athletic. Wherever he does sign, the 23-year-old will be limited to a two-year, entry-level contract following his four-year stint at UMass-Amherst. Undrafted, Trivigno drew interest from several other teams including the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators.

Pronman rated Trivigno as the fourth-best undrafted college free agent available this year, noting that he has a good package of skills but some question marks around his skating ability. That lack of true breakaway mobility didn’t hamper him this year for the Minutemen, where he scored 20 goals and 49 points in 37 games. That performance made him a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker, though he won’t win it, as he wasn’t included in the final three.

Undersized but always working, the young forward will have a long climb if he wants to make that kind of impact at the NHL level. Perhaps some inspiration can come from within the family. Dana Trivigno, his sister, competed twice for the U.S. at the World Championships, earning a gold medal each time. If Bobby can make it to the NHL with the Rangers, it will be quite a formidable duo–even signing his entry-level deal is an impressive step.

In 2016, even though he was performing well at Shattuck St. Mary’s, his future at the professional level was completely uncertain. He fell all the way to the 17th round in the USHL draft, picked 272nd overall. He was passed over in the NHL draft several times. Now he has won a national championship (and the tournament MVP), wore the captain’s “C” for a top program, and has earned an NHL contract. Not bad for someone who turned 23 just a few months ago.

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