Englund will get a late-season look with the Senators after scoring three goals and 11 assists (14 points) in 65 AHL games this season. The 2014 second-round pick has great size (6-foot-4, 205 lbs.) and has not recorded a pick in six career NHL games.
With Justin Braun heading to IR, Middleton could make his NHL debut on Saturday. The former seventh-round pick has 12 points (2G / 10A) in 26 games with the Barracuda this season.
Hanley cleared waivers on Tuesday but will also draw into the lineup on the same day. Hanley was a healthy scratch on Saturday but will replace Julius Honka tonight.
Backlund has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury but could play on the Flames’ three-game road-trip, which starts Saturday afternoon in Minnesota. Monitor his status as the Flames hit the ice for warmups at 1:00 pm on Saturday.
Hanley has been in the lineup for seven straight games, but will be replaced by Julius Honka on Saturday. Hanley has no points this season.
Strome, who was acquired from the Oilers on Friday, will replace Mats Zuccarello and skate on the wing with Brett Howden and Jimmy Vesey on Saturday.
Strome signed a two-year contract that carries a $3.1M AAV cap-hit. Strome has significantly better possession numbers than Spooner, posting a 53.5 CorsiFor% and +3.2 CF% rel with the Oilers this season. However, Strome has had a really difficult time producing offence, picking up just two points (1G / 1A) in 18 games this season.
Hanley has picked up five points (1G / 4A) in 11 games with Texas this season. Hanley has been called up because John Klingberg has been placed on IR with an upper-body injury.
Hunt was an NHL hopeful but he will start the year in the AHL, where he accumulated 46 points (23G / 23A) in 58 games a season ago.
Farabee is known as a high-character 200-foot player. He served as the captain of the U.S. National U-18 team and scored 33 goals with 43 assists (76 points) in 62 games while playing on a line with Oliver Wahlstrom and projected 2019 No.1 overall pick Jack Hughes. Farabee creates offence with his great speed and compares favourably to Blues’ forward Brayden Schenn.
Whitecloud turns pro after two years at Bemidji State University—he had four goals and 15 assists (19 points) in 36 games this season. There’s no word on who Whitecloud will replace in the lineup.
Backlund missed Monday’s practice but he is good-to-go for tonight’s game vs. the Oilers. Backlund will have Sam Bennett on his wing tonight though because Mathew Tkachuk is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Backlund has just one goal in his last five games.
