The Golden Knights made a pair of roster moves this afternoon, assigning Jonas Røndbjerg and Viliam Kmec to AHL Henderson. With Vegas back in action tomorrow, the transaction list points toward a possible return for Victor Olofsson, who had started fast with four goals in four games before an injury sidelined him early last month.
Røndbjerg has already become a familiar shuttle piece for the Golden Knights this season. The 27-year-old was recalled on October 30, only three days after his previous AHL assignment, and appeared in two games during this latest stint.
He logged 11:02 in Monday’s shootout loss to the Bruins. A steady AHL veteran who can step in when needed, he has spent his entire pro career in the organization after being selected in Vegas’ inaugural 2017 draft.
Kmec’s return to the minors comes after a brief recall on Sunday that still didn’t produce his NHL debut. The 22-year-old defenseman, undrafted out of the WHL, has emerged as a promising late-blooming option with bottom-pairing potential.
At 6-foot-2, the right-shot blueliner brings a balanced game, but Vegas went with Dylan Coghlan on the third pair instead. Kmec should remain in the mix for another call-up later this season if injuries open the door.
On Long Island, the Islanders had three players in red non-contact jerseys this morning: Mathew Barzal, Mattias Maccelli, and Ryan Pulock. Barzal drew the most attention, as his presence marked a step forward in his recovery from a knee injury that has kept him out all season. Last year, he led the club by a wide margin with 72 points in 81 games, and captain Bo Horvat has helped cover the loss by producing at a point-per-game pace through 14 appearances as the team’s 1C.
Maccelli has also been working his way back after a lower-body injury landed him on injured reserve. He had six points in his first eight games with New York after trying to build on his strong second half last spring with Toronto.
Pulock, meanwhile, is dealing with an upper-body injury suffered six days ago against the Wild. The veteran defenseman was expected to be week-to-week, so his return to the ice is at least a positive sign, even if there is still no clear timetable.
The Islanders, currently 7-5-2, are set to face the defending champions of Carolina tomorrow while still missing all three.
In Buffalo, Senators forward Ridly Greig did not take warmups, according to The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch, and Hayden Hodgson moved into his spot on the fourth line. Greig is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is set to miss his third game of the season.
His other two absences came because of a lingering suspension carried over from last year. Through 14 games, the 24-year-old has two goals and four points and is still trying to push past the 13-goal mark he has posted over the last three seasons.
Hodgson brings a very different edge. He is just back from a two-game suspension for a reckless hit on Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke, and he already has 24 penalty minutes in five games this season.
The Windsor, Ontario native set a career high with 10 NHL appearances for Ottawa last year, and his path to the league has been built the hard way. Undrafted after an OHL career that included two seasons as an Erie Otter alongside Connor McDavid, he has played at least 40 AHL games in each of the past five years.
In Other News...
Senators Give Two Depth Names A Big Chance In Buffalo
The Senators finish their five-game road trip in Buffalo with a lineup that looks a lot like the one they used in Anaheim, but there are still a couple of fresh wrinkles for a team trying to get through the stretch without much margin for error. Sammy Blais is set to make his regular-season debut for Ottawa, a chance earned in part by the injuries that have thinned the group and opened a door for depth players to step in and matter.
Carter Yakemchuk is also expected back in the lineup after missing the previous game, giving Ottawa another young option on the blue line as Nikolas Matinpalo sits out with illness. Samuel Ersson gets the start in goal, and with the road trip winding down, the Senators are again leaning on a mix of regulars and call-up energy to get through one more game before heading home. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Catch A Break As Senators Face Another Goalie Issue
An optional skate offered a little hope, but it did not change the outlook for Ottawa in goal. Linus Ullmark took part in the session, yet he will not start against the Buffalo Sabres because of a lower-body injury, leaving the Senators to lean on Samuel Ersson again as they try to manage another night without their usual setup in net.
The lineup hit did not stop there, either. Defenseman Tyler Kleven will also miss the game because of illness, adding another absence for a Senators team already dealing with a thin margin for error as it faces Buffalo. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Power Play Problem Is Starting To Put Travis Green On Spot
The Senators power play has become one of the clearest trouble spots in the early part of the season, and it is starting to put Travis Green in an uncomfortable position. Ottawa has had chances to cash in with the extra man, but the unit has too often looked disjointed, with sluggish puck movement, sloppy passing and too little sustained pressure to make opponents pay.
For a team that needs every edge it can get, the lack of finishing touch on special teams has fed into the bigger scoring concerns around the roster. The encouraging part is that the fix does not seem mysterious, with more shooting and cleaner movement among the adjustments that could help, but until the Senators show they can turn those ideas into results, the spotlight on Green and his staff is only going to get brighter. [Read more 🡒]