Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning Follow Penguins, Oilers With Recent Moves
The Tampa Bay Lightning are following numerous other NHL teams with some of their roster moves.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports - Lightning Follow Penguins, Oilers With Recent MovesThe Tampa Bay Lightning are striking a few players. Canadian defenseman Maxwell Crozier, who scored his first NHL point less than a week ago against the Philadelphia Flyers, is being sent to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch along with Bolts forwards Mitchell Chaffee and Waltteri Merela.
Crozier has made the transition between the leagues four times in a month, and three of those times were within less than a week. He was called up to the Bolts on Jan. 12, sent back to the Crunch two days later, called back to the Bolts two days after that, showed some productivity, and was today sent back down to the Crunch.
All are younger. Crozier is 23, Merela is 25, and Chaffee's 26th birthday was just on Friday.
For Crozier and Merela, this is their debut NHL season.
Crozier has established himself as a two-way defenseman, with abilities at the blue line, good puck-handling and ability to put up solid points for a D.
He could be of great aid to the offense, combining the ability to handle the puck and make assists, giving opportunities to goal-scorers. He has scored a goal and six assists with the Crunch this season.
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This is not Chaffee's first time being sent down from the NHL, and he has proven himself in the AHL.
Even the eldest Chaffee only started playing in the NHL two years ago in the 2021-22 season with the Minnesota Wild, and was then sent to the AHL's Iowa Wild for the 2022-23 season, scoring five goals and two assists in only 10 games played.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native Chaffee is the tied, top goal-scorer for the Crunch, at 11 goals this season, matching Felix Robert. He is also the fourth-highest in points for the Crunch at 25.
All three of those Bolts scored their only goal with them this season very recently, and contributed to the Bolts winning eight of their past 10 games, and stealing the third Atlantic Division playoff spot from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Chaffee scored his one and only goal with the Bolts just this Thursday during their 6-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes.
Finn centreman Merela scored his only goal this season with the Bolts on Jan. 18, when they beat Chaffee's old team, the Wild, 7-3.
Merela, like Chaffee, has also proven himself with the AHL with six goals and 10 assists in 23 games played with the Crunch this season.
Multiple other teams are doing the same heading into the NHL All-Star break. And, like we've already seen in some cases, these sub-par NHL-level players can do better in the AHL.
Edmonton Oilers (Holloway and Kemp):
The Oilers are sending centreman Dylan Holloway to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors, who just last week scored his second goal of the season, and defenseman Philip Kemp as well.
Calgary native Holloway was loaned Saturday, and Kemp Friday.
Kemp, an American former captain for the Yale University Bulldogs men's ice hockey team during the 2019-20 season, has no goals or assists with the Oilers, although has made five assists in 27 games played with the Condors this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins (Puustinen, Shea, and Ludvig):
Finn right-winger, 24-year-old Valterri Puustinen, has been sent to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins alongside American defenseman Ryan Shea, and Canadian defenseman John Ludvig.
Ludvig was re-assigned for "conditioning purposes."
Puustinen has proven himself in the AHL to an extent, with five goals and five assists in 18 games played with the AHL's Penguins this season.
Both defensemen have no goals with the NHL's Penguins this season. Shea has neither any goals nor assists, and Ludvig only has one assist.
Both Shea and Ludvig, sadly, have not demonstrated much ability at the AHL level this season either, with no goals nor assists. Shea has played a mere four games with the AHL's Penguins, and Ludvig two.
One may see the AHL as a second chance for players to do well and prove themselves worthy to return to the national league.
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