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Minor Transactions: 03/01/20

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March 1st means one thing. The start of the Gagarin Cup in the KHL, the start of playoffs and playoff runs, which also will include the college playoffs. In the NHL, the Atlantic Division had a dominant day Saturday as the Tampa Bay Lightning broke a four-game losing streak, while the Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a key win over the Vancouver Canucks. However, those wins didn’t aid either team in the division as the Boston Bruins continued their dominance with a 4-0 shutout of the New York Islanders. Should be an interesting month coming up in that Atlantic Division. Teams will continue to make roster moves as we get closer to the playoffs, so keep an eye on these roster moves throughout the day.

  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned prospect Joshua Norris to the Belleville Senators. The 20-year-old got his feet wet with significant minutes in three games for Ottawa, but failed to register a point in that span. However, with a full schedule this week in Belleville and the fact that they are the top seed in the North Division, it’s likely the Senators will want to develop their young forward as a leader of an AHL playoff team.
  • CapFriendly reports that the New Jersey Devils have assigned two players to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. The team has sent forward Jesper Boqvist and also assigned defenseman Joshua Jacobs. Boqvist was recalled Saturday, but was not used and has been sent back already, while Jacobs was recalled Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut.
  • The Winnipeg Jets announced they also have sent two players to the AHL. The team has assigned defenseman Nelson Nogier and forward C.J. Suess to the Manitoba Moose. Nogier was recalled on Thursday, but still hasn’t made his season debut, while Suess was recalled Friday, but did not play either. Suess has appeared in one game for the Jets this season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they he recalled forward Justin Bailey on an emergency basis from the Utica Comets of the AHL. The 24-year-old has been dominant in the AHL with 27 goals and 45 points in 49 games, but has appeared in just two games with the Canucks this season with no points. Bailey was recalled with the status of Jay Beagle considered questionable after blocking a shot Saturday.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have recalled forward Justin Dowling from his conditioning loan with the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dowling has missed 15 straight games with an undisclosed injury, but fared well with the Texas squad, picking up three assists in three games. The 29-year-old has three goals and six points in 27 games with Dallas.
  • With Ryan Miller battling illness, the Anaheim Ducks announced the recall of goaltender Anthony Stolarz from AHL San Diego as well as blueliner Jani Hakanpaa.  Stolarz ranks sixth in the AHL in save percentage this season with a .922 mark and will backup John Gibson in Miller’s absence.  Meanwhile, Hakanpaa has yet to see any NHL action with Anaheim and has a goal and 12 assists in 47 minor league contests this season.

Evening Notes: Marleau, Stamkos, Timashov, Merzlikins

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Just a handful of months ago, veteran winger Patrick Marleau made it clear he only wanted to play for the San Jose Sharks after he was bought out of his previous contract. He did eventually sign with them, but with Marleau’s approval, the Sharks traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline in hopes he might be able to chase a Stanley Cup.

However, with just 51 games remaining before he breaks Gordie Howe’s games played record, many wonder if Marleau might opt to re-sign with the Sharks this summer. When asked, Marleau admitted that might be a possibility, according to Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka.

“Yeah, I think the door’s open maybe to come back,” said Marleau. “I definitely would like to play another season, so that would be good.”

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said that the decision to allow forward Steven Stamkos to undergo muscle core surgery was a tough one, but was the result of multiple tests and discussions with Stamkos and doctors, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. Stamkos will have the surgery on Monday and will miss six to eight weeks, meaning he is likely to miss some of the playoffs. The timing is tough, but Cooper added, “Good thing is when it gets done, it’s done, and now we never have to worry bout it again.”
  • Detroit Red Wings forward Dmytro Timashov, claimed off waivers last Monday, will make his debut with the Red Wings Saturday in Ottawa. However, the forward will not travel with the team back home, however, as the forward is still dealing with visa issues and can only play with Detroit because they are in Canada at the moment, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. “He’ll have to stay in Canada here,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “He has to pick up his passport. So he’s hoping to get that Monday and get back for the game Monday night.”
  • The Athletic’s Alison Lukan reports that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who left last Monday’s game after colliding with Ottawa’s Anthony Duclair, is out with a concussion. The scribe writes that the head injury is considered to be minor, but Columbus is taking the injury cautiously. Merzlikins has a 2.53 goals against and a .922 save percentage in 32 appearances. However, with Joonas Korpisalo back in the fold, the team doesn’t have to rush Merzlikins back quickly.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets should get some much-needed help on their blueline after the team announced they have activated defenseman Ryan Murray from injured reserve. Murray has missed the past 34 games due to a lower-body injury he sustained on Dec. 14.

Murray has appeared in just 24 games with the Blue Jackets as a top-four option. The 26-year-old has two goals and seven points this season after putting up a career-high 29 points last season. Murray has dealt with injuries his entire career, having only played in an full season once in his career, back in 2015-16. He also missed three weeks earlier this season when he broke his hand.

With several defensemen still out, including Seth Jones and Dean Kukan, Murray should immediately slide back into the team’s top-four in hopes of helping the team reach the playoffs. However, the team’s biggest hope was to get Murray back before the trade deadline as he might have been a useful trade chip. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2012 is a solid shutdown defender, but still has one more year remaining on his contract at $4.6MM.

Pacific Notes: Russell, Nygard, Lehner, Meier, Backes

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The Edmonton Oilers have gotten a boost on defense. The team announced they have swapped roster players. The Oilers have activated defenseman Kris Russell from long-term injured reserve, while placing forward Joakim Nygard on IR as well. Russell’s return is well-timed after the team lost Mike Green for an extended period.

The 32-year-old Russell has been out since Jan. 29 with a concussion, but finally appears ready to return to the team’s defense. Russell is expected to step in as a third-pairing defender Saturday. He has appeared in 49 games with eight assists and 93 blocked shots. Nygard has been out of the lineup since Jan. 29 with a broken hand, but the team didn’t place him onto IR until now. He is not expected back until late March.

  • The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) looks into the possibility of whether the Vegas Golden Knights could find a way to keep goaltender Robin Lehner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, in the future. With the estimation of a six-year, $6MM AAV contract as a potential contract for Lehner, Granger notes that it is possible to keep both Lehner and veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, who still has two years remaining at $7MM AAV. However, it would put the team in a very tight cap situation and investing $13MM in goalies doesn’t make much sense. However, the scribe did admit it is possible that the team could conceivably attempt to trade someone like Paul Stastny, who would be in the final year at $6.5MM. Either way, the Golden Knights will have to make some tough decisions this summer.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier is seriously considering playing at the World Championships that will be held in Switzerland. The 23-year-old from Switzerland said he hasn’t given it any real thought yet, but admits it would be a great opportunity to play in front of his own country. Meier did play for the Swiss back in 2018 when they took a silver medal.
  • Recently acquired forward David Backes hopes to get into an Anaheim Ducks game soon, perhaps even Sunday against the New Jersey Devils, according to OC Register’s Eliott Teaford. The 35-year-old was acquired a few days before the trade deadline that saw forward Ondrej Kase headed to Boston for Backes, a 2020 first-round pick and a prospect. Backes, however, has not appeared in an NHL games since Jan. 9, and has spent his time this week getting back into game shape. “I’ve probably reached a saturation point where it’s been just me and a coach out there being in a practice situation,” Backes said. “I’ve done a lot of that, so now it’s bumping and grinding and timing and angles. When you haven’t played in two months, it’s going to be a process. But I’m excited to start that process, hopefully, sooner than later.”

Atlantic Notes: Blashill, Krug, Ceci, Kinkaid

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The Detroit Red Wings find themselves at the bottom of the NHL this season with a dismal 15-47-4 record and already have been eliminated from a potential playoff spot on Feb. 21.

That could spell the end for head coach Jeff Blashill, who could find himself out of a job when the regular season ends. Both general manager Steve Yzerman and president and CEO Christopher Illitch have been supportive of Blashill recently. However, Illitch went a step further on Friday, stating that Blashill’s job will be completely in the hands of Yzerman, in an interview with the Detroit Free Press’ Carlos Monarrez.

“I think Steve had indicated that Jeff and Steve are going to talk after the season’s over and they’ll talk about the future and we’ll see where it goes,” said Illitch. “But at the end of the day, that’s Steve’s call. I support it, but I agree with Steve. I think Jeff’s done a good job in the situation he’s been given.”

Last Monday, Yzerman told the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James that the team can’t blame all the losing on Blashill and was supportive of a coach that he inherited last year when he took over as GM.

“It’s unfair to judge Jeff Blashill on our team’s record, it really is,” said Yzerman. “I put this team together. I had expectations for the year. I don’t think this is a playoff team honestly. A lot of things would have had to go right for us to be a playoff team at the start of the year. Obviously that hasn’t happened. A lot of things went wrong that we necessarily didn’t forsee, whether it be injury or what not.”

  • With rumors that Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, an unrestricted free agent this summer, could be looking for a $9MM per year on the open market and potentially asking for $8MM from the Boston Bruins, WEEI’s Matt Kalman spoke to Krug who said that he hasn’t changed his mindset on negotiations with the Bruins. “No, I’ve been in the same spot from Day One. Just obviously trying to respect the situation here and trying to find a balance of being paid fairly and obviously being part of a winning team too,” Krug said. Krug has eight goals and 45 points this year and is a key piece to the team, but at 28 years of age, the Bruins may be hesitant to hand him a long-term deal. The team did free up some cap room at the trade deadline, unloading the albatross contract of David Backes as well as moving Danton Heinen, but the team has a number of other players it needs to sign as well.
  • While there is no word on when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci might return, the blueliner did participate in Saturday’s morning skate, signaling he might not be that far away from returning, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. “It’s moving along pretty good. [Morning skate] was a nice step for me,” said Ceci, who is out with an ankle injury since Feb. 5. His next step is to take contact at a full practice.
  • In an unusual AHL transaction, the Laval Rocket announced they have re-assigned goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Kinkaid signed with the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason as the backup to Carey Price. However, Kinkaid struggled in six appearances with a .875 save percentage. He has played with the Rocket for 13 appearances with little more success (.876 save percentage) and now will attempt to help out the Checkers, the AHL affiliate, who lost both Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic to the Carolina Hurricanes after their two starters went down with injury. Regardless, it’s an AHL transactions, which means his contract still belongs to the Canadiens.

Pittsburgh Penguins Pick Up Conor Sheary, Evan Rodrigues

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have picked up a pair of players as the Buffalo Sabres have sent forwards Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues to the Penguins for Dominik Kahun, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Sheary returns to the only other team he’s ever played for. The 27-year-old played for the Penguins for three years, but was traded back in 2018 with Matt Hunwick for a 2019 fourth-round pick. Sheary has 23 goals over a season and a half, including nine goals and 19 points this season through 55 games. The winger should add some much-needed depth for the team, which has been riddled with injuries up until now.

Rodrigues asked the Sabres for a trade back on Dec. 31 due to his lack of playing time, who has appeared in just 38 games for the team and has been a healthy scratch off an on this season. Rodrigues has five goals and nine points this season and should add some more depth, alongside Sheary, for a team that has been riddled with injuries all season.

Kahun arrives in Buffalo with some more potential and may be the best player in the trade. The 24-year-old has nine goals and 27 points this year after arriving in a trade last summer in Chicago where he had 10 goals and 37 points. He originally signed with the Blackhawks out of Germany. He should give the Sabres a helpful third-line option. Kahun will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Edmonton Oilers Trade For Ottawa’s Tyler Ennis

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After shelling out quite a bit of draft capital to pick up Andreas Athanasiou, the Edmonton Oilers have spent a bit more to add another forward, picking up Tyler Ennis from the Ottawa Senators for a 2021 fifth-round pick, according to TSN’s Gord Miller.

Ennis, who will now play for his fifth team in four years, signed a one-year, $800K pact with Ottawa, following head coach D.J. Smith, who had been hired away from Toronto who Ennis played with the previous year. The 30-year-old should add even more middle-six depth for the Oilers at a modest price. Ennis is having one of his best seasons  in several years as he currently has 14 goals and 33 goals, numbers he hasn’t come close to since his 2014-15 season in Buffalo.

As for Ottawa, it only further enhances the team’s accumulation of draft picks, who already has picked up a 2020 first, a 2020 second, a 2021 fourth and fifth-rounder and a conditional 2020 third-round pick — and that’s just today. Ottawa now has 13 picks in the 2020 draft, including nine in the first three rounds. This trade gives the team nine picks in 2021.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Vegas’ Pick, Marleau, Sheahan, Archibald

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The NHL announced its Three Stars for last week with Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz getting the top honors. Francouz, filling in for the injured Philipp Grubauer went 3-0-1 for the week, posting a 1.46 GAA and a .941 save percentage along with a 1-0 shutout over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Francouz is in his first full season with the Avalanche and had done an exceptional job as their emergency starter where he ranks fifth in the league with a 2.27 GAA and tied for fourth in the league with a .927 save percentage.

Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers received the second star, scoring three goals and five assists over three games for the Rangers. He helped lead New York to three victories as the rebuilding franchise suddenly is within four points of a playoff spot. Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane takes the third star honors with five goals and six points in three games, which includes his first-career hat trick against Anaheim on Feb. 17.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have been quiet so far on Monday, but the team still managed to pick up a fifth-round pick in 2021 from the Carolina Hurricanes, a condition of the Erik Haula deal this offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Haula was traded earlier today to Florida as part of a package for Vincent Trocheck, which enacted a condition in the Golden Knights trade which stated that the Hurricanes would send a fifth-round pick to Vegas if Haula was traded to another team for a player.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that even though the San Jose Sharks have traded away veteran forward Patrick Marleau to Pittsburgh earlier today, the veteran is expected to be welcome back next year to San Jose if he is interested. The 40-year-old is just 53 games away from breaking Gordie Howe’s all-time games played mark. A reunion would allow him to do it in a Sharks sweater next season.
  • The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that the Edmonton Oilers are currently working on getting extensions worked out for forwards Riley Sheahan and Josh Archibald, both who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Both players are key players on the team’s penalty kill with Sheahan logging the second-most minutes on the PK, while Archibald is fourth. Both players have fared well after singing one-year pacts this summer. Sheahan has seven goals and 14 points in 57 games, while Archibald has with 10 goals and 17 points in 53 games.

Minor Transactions: 02/24/20

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With the trade deadline coming to a close at 2 p.m., many NHL teams are likely to make roster moves to replace or add to incoming/outgoing trades. On top of that, today is the deadline for AHL teams to fortify their rosters for the AHL playoffs, meaning NHL players must be on the AHL roster before the end of the day if they want to play in the playoffs. Keep an eye on this page throughout the day.

  • The Calgary Flames announced that they have assigned forward Buddy Robinson to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. Robinson has been scratched for the past eight games, but has a goal in five NHL games with the Flames. However, with 16 goals and 30 points in 40 games, it’s likely a move to ensure that Robinson gets some playoff time for the Heat, who are currently sitting in first place in the Pacific Division.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned forward Nick Merkley to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL, again a paper transaction so that the 22-year-old is eligible to play in the AHL playoffs down the road. Merkley has fared well in four games with the Devils since his recall, putting up a goal and an assist.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs made a move as they announced they have recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The move could have something to do with trade rumors surrounding Tyson Barrie, but no such move has been made yet. Gravel has one assist in 15 games with the Marlies and is scoreless in three games for the Maple Leafs.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced they have assigned defenseman Cameron Gaunce to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The 29-year-old Gaunce has filled in for injuries to Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak and has fared well with a goal and four points in three games for the Lightning. He is likely headed down after Tampa Bay signed defenseman Zach Bogosian to a contract for the remainder of the year.
  • StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan reports that the Minnesota Wild have assigned forward Gerald Mayhew and defenseman Louis Belpedio to the Iowa Wild in the AHL, which allows both players to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. Iowa is currently in second place in the Central Division and will likely need Mayhew, who has notched 39 goals in 48 games (and another two in Minnesota). Belpedio has 18 points and 98 penalty minutes in Iowa.

Montreal Canadiens Send Matthew Peca To Ottawa Senators

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The Montreal Canadiens announced they have sent forward Matthew Peca to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick and forward Aaron Luchuk.

On the surface, it’s a very minor deal as the Canadiens only receive seventh-rounder and a prospect who has spent most of his time in the ECHL. However, with the Senators having traded away two players in Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Vladislav Namestnikov earier this morning, the team has lost two roster players. The team is likely to call on some of their young talent currently sitting in the AHL. However, Peca can provide help in two areas — either providing a veteran presence for the Senators or, most likely, he will join the Belleville Senators for their upcoming playoff run. Belleville is currently in first place in the North Division as the team hopes to compete for a Calder Cup this season. Peca had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Laval Rocket, but has appeared in five games with Montreal.

Luchuk has now been traded twice in a five-day period. Luchuk was originally with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was traded on Feb. 19 with a 2021 sixth-round pick for forward Max Veronneau. Now the 22-year-old goes on to Montreal. He was dominant with the New Foundland Growlers in the ECHL so far this year with 19 goals and 50 points in 45 games. He played three games with the Toronto Marlies, registering no points. His inclusion is likely just to even out the contacts between the two squads.

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