Here is where we’ll keep track of the morning’s minor transactions before the free agent market opens up.
- Columbus has signed the 3rd overall pick in last week’s draft, Pierre-Luc Dubois, to a three year, entry level contract, reports Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. He adds the deal should be made official later today.
- Boston prospect Alexander Khokhlachev has signed a 2 year deal with SKA of the KHL, the Russian team announced. He was a 2nd round pick of the Bruins (40th overall) back in 2011. Last year, he scored 68 points in 60 AHL games while being held off the scoresheet in 5 NHL contests. The Bruins will retain Khokhlachev’s rights as they issued him a qualifying offer earlier in the week.
- Arizona forward Sergei Plotnikov also signed a two year deal with SKA, according to a separate release from the team. He split the season between the Penguins and Coyotes, collecting three assists in 45 games.
- The Hurricanes announced that they have hired longtime NHL goalie Curtis Joseph as a goaltending consultant. He’s expected to work primarily with Carolina’s AHL affiliate.
- Washington announced the signing of prospect D Connor Hobbs to a three year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Hobbs was Washington’s 5th round pick in 2015 and spent last season with the WHL’s Regina Pats.
- Detroit has agreed to a deal with D Alexey Marchenko, reports NHL analyst Aaron Ward. MLive’s Ansar Khan adds that it’s a two year deal with a cap hit of $1.45MM.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed pending UFA Tom Sestito just before he hit the market to a two-way, $575K deal. The 28-year old has scored 19 points in 141 career NHL games.
- Also with Pittsburgh, the team has announced they’ve re-signed defenseman Steven Olesky to a similar deal, worth $575K. Olesky played the entire season with the Wilks-Barre Scranton Penguins of the AHL, scoring 19 points in 63 games.