The Ducks have reassigned Isac Lundestrom to San Diego (AHL).
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Columbus Blue Jackets News
Goalie Start
Merzlikins will make his NHL debut on Saturday.
With Joonas Korpisalo starting the season opener vs. Toronto, it sets Merzlikins up for a date with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his NHL debut. The Blue Jackets have high hopes for the 2014 third-round pick, who turned in a .921 SV% in two straight seasons while playing with Lugano of the Swiss-A League. He will have spot-start value this season, but this is a tough spot for him.
Lundestrom has been re-assigned to San Diego (AHL).
Pheonix Copley has cleared waivers and has been loaned to Hershey (AHL).
With top prospect Ilya Samsonov ready to begin his NHL career, Copley was placed on waivers on Wednesday. After clearing, he was sent to Hershey for the first time since 2018, when he was 15-17-4 with a 2.91 GAA and .896 SV%.
The Flyers have re-signed Ivan Provorov to a six-year deal worth $40.5M ($6.75M AAV).
Provorov and the Flyers wrap-up their RFA stalemate with a six-year extension that makes him the highest-paid defenseman on the team (per PuckPedia). After a breakout 2018 campaign, Provorov had a disappointing 26 points (7G / 19A) in 82 games last year. He has not missed a game in three years and is poised to lead the Flyers in ice-time again in 2020.
The Blue Jackets have re-signed Zach Werenski to a three-year contract worth $15 million ($5.0M AAV).
Werenski has been excellent since breaking into the NHL in 2017, scoring double-digit goals in all three seasons and 40-plus points in two out of three. Overall, he is 11th among defensemen in goals (27) and 24th in points (81) over that span.
The Avalanche have signed Valeri Nichushkin to a one-year contract.
The former No.10 overall pick (2013) struggled mightily in 2019 after returning from a two-year stint in the KHL. Nichushkin failed to record a goal while compiling just 10 assists in 57 games with the Stars and has just 74 points (23G / 51A) in 223 career NHL games with Dallas. This is a low-risk signing for the Avalanche and Nichushkin has a chance to produce in a quality bottom-6 that improved this summer.
The Flames have re-signed Ryan Lomberg to a one-year contract.
Lomberg had 29 points (12G / 17A) in 58 games with Stockton (AHL) last season and had a brief four-game showing with the Flames, where he had 17 PIMS. Lomberg is a fourth-line player who could have a spot in Calgary next year after Garnet Hathaway signed with the Capitals this summer.
The Bruins have signed Danton Heinen to a two-year extension worth $5.6 million ($2.8M AAV).
The Stars have placed Valeri Nichushkin on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.
Nichushkin has been a huge disappointment for the Stars since selecting him No.10 overall in 2013. Nichushkin failed to live up to expectations early in his career before going to the KHL for two years (2017 and 2018). He returned to the NHL last year but did not score a goal while collecting just 10 assists in 57 games. Nichushkin has one-year left on his deal that carries a $2.95M cap-hit (per PuckPedia).
The Blue Jackets signed Elvis Merzlikins to a one-year, one-way contract.
Merzlikins, 25, was selected by the Blue Jackets in the third-round back in 2014 but remained with Lugano in Switzerland, where he had a 2.44 GAA and .921 SV% in 43 games this season. Merzlikins represented Latvia at the World Championship, where he had a 2.78 GAA and .914 SV% in five games.
The Predators signed Mathieu Olivier to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Olivier is an undrafted centre who played five years in the QMJHL, where he had 27 goals and 22 assists (49 points) with Sherbrooke in his final season. Olivier turned pro this year, collecting four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 54 games with Milwaukee (AHL).
Monahan (illness) will be a game-time decision on Saturday.
Goalie Start
Copley starts Saturday vs. the Islanders.
Line Change
Monahan is expected to be scratched on Wednesday.
The Flames have clinched a roster spot and it looks like Monahan will be the latest forward to be rested. Mikael Backlund is expected to replace him in the lineup and Derek Ryan will skate on the first line.
Heinen (illness) will not play on Tuesday.
Heinen played through an illness on Sunday but will be replaced by Chris Wagner on Tuesday.
Goalie Start
Copley will start in Florida on Monday.
Goalie Start
Copley is likely to start in Florida on Monday.
Werenski (undisclosed) will play Thursday vs. the Canadiens.
The Predators have signed Dante Fabbro to a three-year, entry-level contract.
