The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, top affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, announced Thursday that the Blue Jackets reassigned defenseman Michael Prapavessis from the ECHL’s Jacksonville IceMen to Cleveland while the Monsters assigned forward Derek Barach to Jacksonville. In six appearances for Jacksonville this season, Prapavessis posted 0-3-3 with four penalty minutes and a -1 rating while Barach appeared in two games for Cleveland this year.

A 6’2”, 181 lb. left-shooting native of Oakville, ON, Prapavessis, 23, was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and signed a two-year entry-level contract with Columbus on September 27, 2018. In 26 appearances for the Monsters last year, Prapavessis tallied 1-5-6 with six penalty minutes and a -3 rating and supplied 0-5-5 with ten penalty minutes and a -1 rating in 17 career ECHL appearances for Jacksonville and the Cincinnati Cyclones spanning parts of the 2017-18 and 2019-20 seasons. Prior to his professional career, Prapavessis logged 7-55-62 with 80 penalty minutes and a -46 rating in 154 career NCAA appearances for RPI spanning four seasons from 2014-18 and wore the captain’s “C” for RPI during his senior season.

A 5’8”, 165 lb. right-handed native of Glenmont, NY, Barach, 24, posted 7-4-11 with six penalty minutes and a +6 rating in 17 appearances for the Monsters spanning parts of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and added 1-0-1 with two penalty minutes and a -2 rating in eight Calder Cup Playoff appearances for Cleveland in 2019. Prior to his professional career, Barach notched 49-95-144 with 160 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 150 career NCAA appearances for Mercyhurst spanning four seasons from 2015-19 and served as the Lakers’ captain during his senior season. During the 2014-15 USHL season, Barach contributed 11-7-18 with 32 penalty minutes and a -1 rating in 55 appearances for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. Barach signed a one-year contract with Cleveland on April 20, 2019.