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Joseph Blandisi

Minor Transactions: 12/10/17

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There may only be four games on tap today, but with a busy slate yesterday that saw all but seven teams in action, there should be many squads reviewing their performances and making any necessary changes ahead of a new week:

  • After being called up just yesterday, Sonny Milano is on his way back down to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced the demotion of the struggling young forward late last night after an unimpressive performance against the Arizona Coyotes. Columbus came out on top 1-0, but Milano’s only statistic of note was one giveaway in his 8:34 time on ice. Milano has five goals and five assists in 25 games with the Jackets this season, but has scored only once since October 13th. With Columbus’ depth of talent, they don’t have to put up with that inconsistency.
  • NHL.com’s Igor Eronko reports that the St. Louis Blues have recalled Ivan Barbashev from the AHL. After playing in 30 games for St. Louis in 2016-17, Barbashev has only skated in six NHL contests this season and hasn’t seen big league action since October after being held scoreless to begin the campaign. With the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Barbashev has four goals and four assists in 18 games, so the 21-year-old Russian isn’t exactly tearing up the minors either. Barbashev needs to find a rhythm this season if he hopes to stick in St. Louis and this recall is his next chance to do so.
  • The Dallas Stars announced the have recalled center Jason Dickinson from the Texas Stars of the AHL this morning. The 22-year old has played in just four games with no points with the Dallas Stars this season, filling in as an emergency forward. This will be no different as the team still has Martin Hanzal out and the status of Antoine Roussel (elbow) and Greg Pateryn (thigh contusion) are both up in the air for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers. Dickinson is expected to play as the team’s fourth-line center on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. The former first-round pick from 2013 has played well in the AHL, where he has scored 13 goals in 20 games.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they have activated winger Nikita Scherbak, who has been out since Oct. 26 after requiring surgery on his right knee, and has been assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Scherbak had only played with the Canadiens for less than a week when he was injured. He was recalled on Oct. 22 after a strong start with the Rocket when he put up one goal and eight assists in six games. Struggling for offense, Montreal hoped Scherbak might be able to infuse the team with his skills, but he managed to play in just two games and averaged just 7:59 of ice time before injuring his knee.
  • The Anaheim Ducks placed Joseph Blandisi, who was recently acquired as part of the Sami Vatanen and Adam Henrique trade, on injured reserve with an upper body injury. He played in two games with no points after coming over in the trade, but was injured in the Dec. 2 game against the Nashville Predators. He has missed three games and could still be activated for Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team also recalled defenseman Andrew Welinski from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old played four years with University of Minnesota-Duluth and has played well in San Diego as the blueliner has six goals and 11 assists in 21 games. This is his first callup to Anaheim.
  • The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno tweets that the Vegas Golden Knights activated starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury off of injured reserve and assigned Maxime Lagace to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Fleury was reported yesterday to be ready for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He has been out since Oct. 13 with a concussion and has played in just four games this season. The team’s leader has a 2.48 GAA and a 3-1 record. Lagace returns to Chicago after a long stint with the Golden Knights. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut this season and had some good and bad games, wrapping up with the team Saturday as he stopped 36 shots to win his sixth game of the season against the Dallas Stars. He finished his stint having played in 14 games with a 3.79 GAA and a .872 save percentage. Because Lagace was an emergency recall, he does not have to pass through waivers to return to Chicago.

Poll: Who Won The Henrique-Vatanen Trade?

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Yesterday brought a blockbuster trade to the NHL, when Anaheim sent Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a third-round pick. Should the Ducks re-sign Henrique, they’ll send a third-round pick back to the Devils down the road.

Opinions are varied on the outcome of the deal, with some believing that Henrique is an underrated piece up front, while others think Vatanen’s addition will make a much bigger impact. The Ducks and Devils are certainly happy at the moment, adding a player (or players) they can immediately insert into their lineup.

What do you think? Who won the trade? Was it completely even? Make sure to leave your comments below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs

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The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.

  • Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
  • Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.

Anaheim Ducks Trade Sami Vatanen To New Jersey Devils

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The Anaheim Ducks have swung a massive trade with the New Jersey Devils, dealing Sami Vatanen and a conditional third-round draft pick for Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick. The deal immediately addresses the Ducks’ need at center, while Vatanen adds a huge piece to the Devils’ blueline. There is no salary retained by either side.

Sami VatanenThe conditions on the pick are as follows:

  • If Anaheim signs Henrique to an extension prior to the 2019 draft, Anaheim will transfer their 2019 third-round pick.
  • If Anaheim signs Henrique to an extension after the 2019 draft, Anaheim will transfer their 2020 third-round pick.
  • If Anaheim does not sign Henrique to an extension before he becomes a free agent on July 1, 2019, no pick will be transferred.

This deal comes as an unexpected end to a long-standing expectation that Vatanen would eventually be moved out of Anaheim, as the Ducks are flush with defenders and had a hole up front. With injuries to Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf the center depth was tested this season, and was a clear spot for upgrade. Henrique is a versatile forward who can play both center and wing, giving the Ducks options once everyone is healthy.

The 27-year old forward is signed through next season at a $4MM cap hit, but is actually owed $5MM this season and $5.5MM in 2018-19. His relatively back-loaded contract allows the Ducks to acquire Blandisi as well without adding any  cap to their books, as Vatanen carried a $4.875MM hit through 2019-20.

Interestingly, Vatanen’s partial no-trade clause was set to kick in next summer but as CapFriendly points out the Devils now actually have the option to void it. While teams generally try to honor the contract details given out by former employers, it could be in New Jersey’s best interest to get rid of that clause. Vatanen is an extremely valuable trade piece (as seen today) and could be flipped if the Devils aren’t competing quite as quickly as the early season has shown.

The 26-year old Vatanen will immediately fill a role with the Devils as a primary puck-mover, something he’s excelled at over his career. Along with Damon Severson, the team’s right-side now looks formidable as they try to return to the playoffs just a year after winning the draft lottery and picking first overall.

In Anaheim, Vatanen was an expendable piece because of the immediate impact Brandon Montour has made and the depth of their defensive pipeline. Though Shea Theodore was sacrificed in the expansion process, the Ducks still have Jaccob Larsson and Josh Mahura among other young prospects, not to mention Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm already leading the team.

Blandisi, 23, is not to be overlooked in the deal. Another potential center for the Ducks, the sixth-round pick has turned into quite the offensive player over the last few years. He exploded as an over-aged junior player in 2014-15 by scoring 52 goals and 112 points for the Barrie Colts, and has carried that skill over to the professional ranks. In 68 NHL games over the last two seasons he has 26 points, though he had been stuck in the minors this year.

Amazingly, the Devils were able to part with two talented forwards because of the emergence of other options up front. Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt have both made immediate impacts, allowing the team to move on from some of their old guard. With Taylor Hall once again playing to his superstar status, the team has more than enough firepower up front even without Henrique.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Sign Three Restricted Free Agents

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The New Jersey Devils did some house cleaning today, signing Scott Wedgewood, Joseph Blandisi and Mirco Mueller. Mueller will be on a two-year one-way deal that pays $850K per season, Blandisi will earn $680K per season on a two-year two-way deal, and Wedgewood will get the minimum $650K on a one-year two-way contract.

Mueller, the only one of the group who will play next season on a one-way deal was acquired by the Devils last month for a second-round pick from the San Jose Sharks, where he’d not been able to crack the lineup with any sort of consistency. A running gag last season was the incredible amount of times Mueller was moved between the Sharks and the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, usually not playing a game during his NHL stints. In New Jersey, he’ll be afforded a much bigger role and given the chance to grow into the potential that made him a first-round pick a few years ago.

Blandisi has been a sort of 13th forward for the Devils the past two seasons, getting into 68 contests and registering 26 points. The Devils have hoped to coax out some of his offensive talent without giving him too big a role, considering that he scored 52 goals and 112 points as an over-aged player in his final year of junior hockey. There’s clearly talent there, but he’ll likely have to adjust his play style to be able to fit into a bottom-six on a full-time basis.

Wedgewood lost nearly the entire 2016-17 season when he underwent shoulder surgery in November, in what should have been a key development year. After putting up an outstanding 2015-16 campaign that resulted in his NHL debut, he was considered a possible successor to Cory Schneider down the line and at least had a future as an NHL backup. While this wasn’t the end of his career by any means, he’ll have to get back on the ice and prove that he’s still the same goaltender who put up a .933 save percentage in the AHL.

Shero May Not Be Done Dealing

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The New Jersey Devils have had a phenomenal off-season by every measure. They lucked into the 1st overall pick and locked up Nico Hischier. They acquired Marcus Johansson for pennies on the dollar. They’ve shed salaries and ditched older, under-performing players. They bought out Mike Cammalleri and Devante Smith-Pelly for measly penalties and are embracing a full rebuild. About the only thing that could have gone better is if Ilya Kovalchuk’s rights were dealt for a king’s ransom.

According to Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe, GM Ray Shero may not be done in trying to improve his team. Obviously, he needs to round out his depth, as there are only 34 contracts locked up, and the bottom lines and AHL need filling out. He also needs to re-sign RFAs Damon Severson, Stefan Noesen, Joseph Blandisi, and 6 others. Still, his team will find itself in the bottom 5 teams in cap expenditure, with $19.42 MM in space before any of these lesser signings. That leaves the management plenty of room to manuever.

Shinzawa suggests that Shero may utilize his relationship with Nashville GM David Poile to secure some extra scoring, considering the hefty sums they will need to hand out to RFAs Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Johansen. While this is a possibility, it’s hard to see which contract Nashville would be willing to move. It’s perhaps more likely that Shero pursues a young defenseman. Anaheim still has a wealth of talent, and if they wanted to go the more aged route, Detroit is in a financial bind on the backend. Another name which might confuse some but who has a long relationship with Shero is Penguins’ D Olli Maatta. Maatta has vastly underperformed since signing his contract extension in Pittsburgh, and for the right price could be available. Vegas is still very willing to negotiate hockey deals, and their promising defenseman include the likes of Colin Miller and Shea Theodore.

Shero’s best ally right now is the cap crunch other teams are feeling. A productive forward could be sniped from Toronto on the cheap, and Chicago still needs to shed money somewhere along the line if the Marian Hossa LTIR situation goes south. He’s known primarily for his trade prowess which helped solidify the 2009 championship team in Pittsburgh, and it wouldn’t be out of character for him to again heavily work the phones. Hischier will need some sort of support, as the roster as it stands, while better than last year, is still incredibly lean.

Minor Transactions: 2/11/17

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It appears that the Ottawa Senators have given Andrew Hammond a stinker of a birthday gift as they’ve placed him on waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).

Hammond, affectionately known as the Hamburglar, has struggled to find consistency since his dominating performance during the 2014-15 season. In just 24 games that season, Hammond went 20-1-2 and posted a .941 save percentage. Since then, Hammond appeared in 30 games, going 7-13-4 and this season alone, having a goals against average north of four. His save percentage is a paltry .837. This was predictable as Craig Anderson is slated to start tonight for the Senators according to the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren. Additionally, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch tweets that extension talks with Mike Condon signalled the end of Hammond’s time in Ottawa. Should he clear waivers, he will report to Binghamton.

Other minor roster moves from around the league:

  • The Sabres, announced they have brought Evan Rodrigues back into the fold. He has no points in two games this season, but has registered 27 points in 44 games with the Rochester Americans. According to the press release, this is Rodrigues’ third callup this season with the Sabres.
  • The Devils announced via Twitter that they have recalled forward Joseph Blandisi from AHL Albany.  The 22 year old has spent the bulk of the season in the minors, picking up 23 points in 28 games.  He has also got into three games with New Jersey, being held off the scoresheet.
  • After clearing waivers earlier today, the Jets announced that they’ve assigned blueliner Julian Melchiori to their AHL affiliate in Manitoba.  Melchiori has played in 31 games with the Moose this year, recording six points.  He also saw action in four games with the Jets before hitting the wire.

Minor Transactions: 2/2/17

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Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor roster moves:

  • The Capitals announced that they’ve assigned center Chandler Stephenson back to Hershey of the AHL. Stephenson got into a trio of games with the Caps over the past week and a half, being held pointless while averaging 8:45 per night.  He has spent the bulk of the year at the AHL level, recording six goals and 18 assists in 41 games with the Bears.
  • With goalie Antti Raanta taking a leave of absence to be with his wife gave birth to their first child earlier today, the Rangers announced that they have summoned Magnus Hellberg from AHL Hartford. The 25 year old netminder has played in 26 games with the Wolf Pack, going 10-9-5 with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 SV%.
  • The Wild announced that they have recalled 2014 first round pick right winger Alex Tuch from Iowa of the AHL. Tuch is in his first professional season and has 11 goals and 11 assists in 34 games at the minor league level this season and has yet to play at the NHL level.  He also was named to the AHL All-Star game which took place late last month.
  • Anaheim has recalled defenseman Shea Theodore from San Diego (AHL), reports Eric Stephens (Twitter link). He has been back and forth plenty of times this season (this is recall number 12 for him) and has played in 25 games with the Ducks, scoring once while adding seven assists.  He has fared better offensively at the minor league level with nine points (1-8-9) in 13 contests with the Gulls.
  • Toronto has assigned center Frederik Gauthier back to the AHL’s Marlies, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link).  Taking his place on the roster is center Ben Smith who had been out since late December with a hand injury.  Gauthier has played in 18 games with the Maple Leafs this season, picking up two goals and an assist while winning just over 51% of his faceoffs.  At the minor league level, he has a goal and three helpers in 17 contests.
  • The Devils announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled forward Joseph Blandisi from AHL Albany.  Blandisi spent half the season in the NHL last year, picking up 17 points (5-12-17) in 41 games.  However, he has yet to see action with New Jersey this season.  However, he has been productive with the AHL Devils this year scoring seven goals to go along with 16 assists in just 28 games.

Metropolitan Notes: Carlson, Cammalleri, Blandisi, Crosby, Hurricanes

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Washington defenseman John Carlson isn’t experiencing any further issues with a broken ankle he sustained late in February, writes CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir.  He had screws inserted in his ankle at the time of the surgery but doesn’t expect that he will need to have those removed:

“Only if it’s really, really bugging me, and it’s not.  It’s perfect, has been the whole summer. It’s good.”

Carlson was a force on the Capitals’ blueline in the postseason, averaging a point per game while logging nearly 27 minutes per night against the Flyers and Penguins.  He’ll be expecting to log big minutes in 2016-17 as a top pairing rearguard for Washington.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Devils winger Mike Cammalleri is fully recovered from a right hand issue that caused him to miss considerable action last season, he told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. The 34 year old suited up in just 42 games in 2015-16, his lowest total since becoming an NHL regular.  Despite missing so much time, he had quite the productive season, picking up 14 goals and 24 assists, giving him his highest points per game rate since 2008-09.  Cammalleri also told Fox that he expects to surpass the 70 games played plateau in 2016-17, something he hasn’t done since ’08-’09.
  • More with New Jersey, the Devils are expected to keep some spots on the roster open for their prospects (and the potential return of Patrik Elias). Among the youngsters vying for a spot up front is Joseph Blandisi, who told NJ.com’s Chris Ryan that ankle swelling that forced him to miss development camp last month has subsided and that he’ll be ready to push for a regular role in training camp.  Blandisi recorded 17 points in 41 games last season but failed to score a goal in his final 23 contests.
  • Hockey Canada has named Penguins captain Sidney Crosby as team captain for their entry into the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.  Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Montreal’s Shea Weber were named alternates.
  • The Hurricanes have announced their roster for the upcoming Traverse City prospect tournament in mid-September. Among the notable invitees are 2016 first rounders Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier, 2014 first round pick Haydn Fleury, and forward Sergey Tolchinsky, who got into a pair of games with Carolina last season.

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