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Comparing Distances Between NHL and AHL Affiliates

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Earlier today, the Colorado Avalanche gained a local AHL affiliate when the ECHL Colorado Eagles became an AHL franchise. The Avalanche were previously using the San Antonio Rampage as an AHL team, but now the Rampage will be affiliates of the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19. The Blues were previously left in the cold when their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, agreed to partner with the Vegas Golden Knights instead.

Having a relatively local AHL affiliate provides ample benefits for an NHL club. Having coaching staff in the same vicinity allows the NHL and AHL club to more seamlessly instil a organization playing system, and reduces travel issues when recalling or reassigning players. But not every team enjoys that benefit. Some teams have AHL affiliates hundreds of miles from the NHL club. Below is a list of each NHL team and their AHL affiliates organized by distance between the two cities.

San Jose Sharks – San Jose Barracuda | 0 miles
Toronto Maple Leafs – Toronto Marlies | 0 miles
Winnipeg Jets – Manitoba Moose | 0 miles
Montreal Canadiens – Laval Rockets | 18 miles
Los Angeles Kings – Ontario Reign | 41 miles
Boston Bruins – Providence Bruins | 51 miles
Colorado Avalanche – Colorado Eagles (Loveland) | 52 miles
Philadelphia Flyers – Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Allentown) | 63 miles
New York Islanders (Brooklyn) – Bridgeport Sound Tigers | 63 miles
Buffalo Sabres – Rochester Americans | 76 miles
Chicago Blackhawks – Rockford IceHogs | 95 miles
Anaheim Ducks – San Diego Gulls | 95 miles
New York Rangers – Hartford Wolf Pack | 112 miles
Arizona Coyotes (Glendale) – Tucson Roadrunners | 128 miles
Washington Capitals – Hershey Bears | 132 miles
Columbus Blue Jackets – Cleveland Monsters | 144 miles
Detroit Red Wings – Grand Rapids Griffins | 159 miles
Carolina Hurricanes (Raleigh) – Charlotte Checkers | 167 miles
Ottawa Senators – Belleville Senators | 167 miles
New Jersey Devils (Newark) – Binghamton Devils | 168 miles
Dallas Stars – Texas Stars (Cedar Park) | 189 miles
Minnesota Wild (Minneapolis) – Iowa Wild (Des Moines) | 243 miles
Pittsburgh Penguins – Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins | 265 miles
Nashville Predators – Milwaukee Admirals | 568 miles
Tampa Bay Lightning – Syracuse Crunch | 1,266 miles
Calgary Flames – Stockton Heat | 1,291 miles
Florida Panthers (Miami) – Springfield (Ma.) Thunderbirds | 1,414 miles
Edmonton Oilers – Bakersfield Condors | 1,765 miles
Vegas Golden Knights – Chicago Wolves | 1,748 miles
Vancouver Canucks – Utica Comets | 2,929 miles

The San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and the Montreal Canadiens all have their AHL affiliate within a thirty-minute drive. At the other end of the spectrum, Vancouver prospects have to traverse the continent to get from Utica, in upstate NY, to Vancouver, out on the west coast. The Vancouver Canucks and the Utica Comets are the farthest paired teams, with over one thousand miles more than the second farthest pairing.

[an earlier version of this article had the Colorado Eagles playing in Denver. They will continue to play in Loveland, Co., about 52 miles north of Denver. Thanks to our eagle-eyed readers for the tip.]

Minor Transactions: 08/18/17

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The Ontario Reign signed a pair of AHL veterans today, signing Jamie Devane and Matt Schmalz. The forwards will add a physical presence to the team as they measure in at 6’5″ and 6’6″ respectively. Devane, 26, was a third-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs but only made it to the NHL for a pair of games a few seasons ago, and had 13 points for the Stockton Heat last season.

Schmalz on the other hand spent 2016-17 in the OHL as a 20-year old, even after making his professional debut in the spring of 2016. He played three games for the Reign that year, registering two points, but he wasn’t signed and actually had his rights expire on June 1st. He’s coming off a season in which he scored just 31 points in 63 games and was limited to a bottom-six role on the Owen Sound Attack. Though he’s still just 21 he has a long road in front of him if he’s to ever make an NHL roster.

  • The OHL’s Windsor Spitfires have acquired Hunter Carrick, who had been drafted by the Ottawa 67s but never played for them. Carrick, the younger brother of Maple Leafs defenseman Connor Carrick, had been playing for the Oakland Junior Grizzlies. The 17-year old defenseman is eligible for 2018 draft, and will look to try and make an impact for the Spitfires as they come off their Memorial Cup-winning season.

Colorado Eagles Will Become 31st AHL Franchise

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While this may not come as much of a surprise following the news earlier this month that the San Antonio Rampage will begin a five-year partnership with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post is confirming that the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles will become the AHL’s 31st franchise. The club will act as the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate for 2018-19.

After the Vegas Golden Knights were added to the NHL, it was expected that AHL expansion would happen eventually. The Golden Knights made an initial affiliation with the Chicago Wolves, leaving the Blues without a minor league club for this season. They’ll send players to the Wolves and various other AHL organizations, but have little say when it comes to playing time and role. NHL teams are moving more and more to geographically close affiliates for the added benefits of player transactions and coaching staff proximity, allowing them to watch over their teams more closely. Now Colorado will enjoy the same benefit.

The Eagles won the Kelly Cup this season as the ECHL’s best franchise, and have a long history of regular season success. With the Avalanche building a large group of young players they might find themselves with early success in the AHL as well. Last year the Rampage went just 27-42-7, but with continued development of young players like A.J. Greer and Chris Bigras, along with the potential addition of older prospects like Andrei Mironov and Dominic Toninato, the team could bounce back in a hurry.

Revisiting The Rare August Trade

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Recent comments by Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has rejuvenated the discussion over Matt Duchene, and where he’ll spend the 2017-18 season. While Sakic still seems open to moving him, it would take a very rare occurence indeed to move him before training camp starts: the August trade.

Lawson CrouseLast year we saw something happen for the first time since 2011, a trade that took place in the month of August in the NHL. That was when the Florida Panthers felt it necessary to move Dave Bolland’s contract out of town and found a buyer in Arizona. It would cost them Lawson Crouse, an 11th-overall pick who had just made his professional debut a few months earlier. The Coyotes would send back a third-round pick plus a conditional selection that ended up being a second, because of the immediate impact Crouse had.

The then 19-year old forward broke camp with the Coyotes, and though he scored just 12 points all season, showed himself physically mature enough to handle an NHL season. He led the Coyotes’ forwards in hits on the season with 160, and put in valuable development time on the penalty kill.

It’s not to say this trade was a steal for either side—the Panthers will likely get a high second-round pick in what is expected to be an extremely deep 2018 draft—just that this is the kind of thing you can expect in the dog-days of August. You have to go all the way back to the summer of 2011 to find the next most recent deals, when Arizona sent Lee Stempniak to Calgary for Daymond Langkow and Minnestoa sold James Sheppard to San Jose for a third-round pick.

August trades are rare in themselves, but August blockbusters are near imaginary. The last real exciting deal may have been the 2008 trade of Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In exchange for a couple of seasons of Meszaros (and an eventual second-round pick), the Lightning gave up Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard and a first-round pick—who ended up as Kyle Palmieri.

The point is that August is not a time for much wheeling and dealing, and even when it is a player like Duchene is rarely involved. While we hope that changes in 2017, it’s not something you should bet on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Eichel, Hyman, De Haas

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The recent signing of Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $68MM contract has put the spotlight on some other players around the league, perhaps most notably Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel is currently in contract negotiations with the Buffalo Sabres on what would likely be an eight-year extension, even though he’s not a restricted free agent until next summer. Darren Dreger of TSN joined WGR 550 in Buffalo today to talk about the potential contract, and he suggested something that few Buffalo fans wanted to hear.

Dreger believes the comparable for Eichel is still Connor McDavid, who signed an eight-year $100MM extension earlier this summer, and thinks the Buffalo center could get as much as $9.5MM on his new deal. That’s a huge number for a player who was limited by injury last season, and would put him among the top-10 players in the league. It seems like a ridiculous amount, but Eichel does have a higher points-per-game rate than Draisaitl and is already a full-time center. The face of the Sabres’ franchise should have a deal done within the next few weeks, as both sides want to get it done before training camp.

  • Zach Hyman knows that he could be pushed down the lineup in Toronto after the Maple Leafs signed Patrick Marleau, but he’s okay with that. Speaking with Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Hyman made it clear that he’s just dedicated to winning and is happy to have even more depth on the wing. After a season in which he faced plenty of crisiticm for his perceived lack of “finish”—Hyman scored just 10 goals and 28 points despite playing with Auston Matthews for every game—he was signed to a four-year contract this summer. A clear favorite of Mike Babcock, Hyman sounded like a future coach when he told Hornby that “it’s good to have this problem.” The 25-year old will likely spend more time in a bottom-six role this year, where he could thrive chasing down weaker defenders in the offensive zone.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed James De Haas to an AHL contract. The 23-year old defenseman was a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, but became a free agent on Wednesday after finishing his four years at Clarkson University. He’s an interesting prospect that found a lot of success in the NCAA but doesn’t have a standout tool. Still, his size, skating and defensive ability could lead him to fill a depth role on the Philadelphia roster eventually. After logging huge minutes at Clarkson, he could step right into a big role for the Phantoms, who rely on more offensive-minded options like T.J. Brennan and Will O’Neill at present.

Linus Soderstrom Loaned To HV71

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Though it was expected that Linus Soderstrom would not come to North America right away, the New York Islanders made it official today when they loaned Soderstrom back to his Swedish club, HV71. The 20-year old goalie will try to build on his outstanding rookie season in the SHL, where he put up a .943 save percentage and won the league championship.

Soderstrom signed his entry-level contract in May after being drafted by the Islanders back in 2014, and now ranks as one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. His size and mobility will give him a real opportunity for success in the NHL, and it could come earlier than most goaltenders. Soderstrom is on just a one-year deal with HV71, and though there is no reason to rush his development he’s shown enough that he could come across in 2018-19.

The Islanders have struggled in goal for some time, and though they’re obviously not a lock to make or succeed in the NHL, Soderstrom and fellow prospect Ilya Sorokin could make up one of the best young duos in the league. Sorokin unfortunately signed a three-year extension recently in the KHL, meaning it will still be some time before a move to North America is even considered.

Marian Gaborik Has “Non-Surgical Procedure” On Knee

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At the Los Angeles Kings’ state of the franchise event yesterday, GM Rob Blake revealed to season ticket holders and media that Marian Gaborik had undergone a “non-surgical” procedure and is still unlikely for camp. That news comes from Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period and the NHL Network, who reports the procedure was to repair ligament and tendon damage in his knee.

While it’s not clear if this is a new procedure or the same one Blake spoke about back in April, but it does cast further doubt on the start of Gaborik’s season. With the less-than-forthcoming way that the Kings are explaining the procedure and injury itself, there deserves to be some speculation on whether or not the team is planning on using some long-term injured reserve time for the aging winger. Gaborik for what it’s worth has posted several videos and photos of him training or biking recently, showing that he’s at least healthy enough to be in the gym.

Gaborik is coming off another dreadful season in which he registered just 21 points and will play this season at 35-years old. With still four years remaining on his contract, there was thought that the Kings might buy him out this summer. That couldn’t happen with his injury, and the opportunity is starting to disappear. With his front-loaded contract, a buyout next summer would result in a still fairly hefty cap hit.

Free Agent Profile: Lauri Korpikoski

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Unrestricted free agent winger Lauri Korpikoski hasn’t been able to build upon the offensive potential he displayed earlier in his career with the Coyotes but he has still successfully carved out a bottom six niche role over the past few years.  Despite being a safe bet for around 20 points in a lower spot in the lineup, he has yet to land somewhere for 2017-18.

Nov 11, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Dallas Stars forward Lauri Korpikoski (38) takes a shot against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY SportsLast year, he hit the free agent market a year earlier than expected as the Oilers opted to buy him out of the final year of his contract instead of carrying a $2.5MM cap hit.  He wound up joining Dallas on a one-year, $1MM deal and fared relatively well for an injury-laden Stars team, picking up 20 points (8-12-20) in 60 games before being flipped to Columbus at the trade deadline.  Things didn’t go as well for Korpikoski with his new team as he was a frequent healthy scratch and got into just nine regular season games (and zero in the postseason) which certainly doesn’t help his cause.

While the hit stat isn’t entirely consistent from team-to-team, it’s at least worth noting that his physical play dropped considerably last season.  While his career average in hits per game is a little over 1.5, he checked in at barely over half of one per night in 2016-17.  It’s easier to make a case for earning a contract as a bottom six player if a player can show there’s a physical element to their game but that’s something Korpikoski can’t say this time around.

Where the 31-year-old can hang his hat is on his ability to play the penalty kill and his speed.  Those are elements that can still get a player a regular spot in the lineup and between that and a consistent level of production in that role, he should be able to land a deal between now and the start of the season.

Potential Suitors

Two types of teams fit the bill.  The first is a team lacking in depth that can use Korpikoski for a few months until a younger player is ready to come up from the minors that would then flip him at the deadline.  The usual suspects come to mind, including Florida, New Jersey, and even his old organization in Arizona where he had the most success of his career.

The other type is more of a veteran team that could use him as a 12th/13th forward to start or who is facing a cap crunch and need cheaper depth.  Washington is certainly a team that needs some veteran forwards and will be looking for bargains to fill out their fourth line and Korpikoski would fit in nicely.  Minnesota, which is where we projected him to sign, is a team that typically covets veteran depth and he’d hedge against some of their youngsters not being ready for full-time duty right away.

Projected Contract

Back in June, Korpikoski landed the 48th slot in our Top 50 Free Agents with a one-year, $800K contract.  With the minimum salary rising to $650K this season, the pre-camp PTO agreements will likely come in around $800K so that’s still a reasonable target as he can’t realistically land much more than that.  As the market has hit its annual lull, he may have to wait a while yet to find his next team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Howden, Somerby, Moroz, Crisp

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After spending most of last season in the minors, forward Quinton Howden is crossing the pond.  The 25-year-old has signed with Dinamo Minsk, the KHL team announced (link in Russian).

The former first round pick (25th overall to Florida in 2010) spent 2016-17 with Winnipeg’s organization after the Panthers didn’t tender him a qualifying offer last summer.  He suited up in 58 games with their AHL affiliate in Manitoba, collecting 24 points (13-11-24).  Howden also got into five games with the Jets, being held off the scoresheet while averaging a career low 8:39 per night.  He has a total of 97 NHL games under his belt in his career and if he rediscovers his scoring touch overseas, he might be one to watch for down the road to see if he takes another chance in North America.

More notes from the open market:

  • The Islanders remain interested in signing defenseman Doyle Somerby who became an unrestricted free agent yesterday, agent Brent Peterson told Newsday’s Arthur Staple. Pederson noted that the interest is mutual although he is still soliciting interest from other teams as well.  It was reported earlier this month that as many as five other teams were likely to show interest in the 23-year-old stay-at-home blueliner.
  • Unrestricted free agent winger Mitchell Moroz has signed a one-year contract with Idaho of the ECHL, the minor league team announced. He became unrestricted after the Coyotes declined to tender him a qualifying offer in June.  Moroz was a second round pick of the Oilers (32nd overall) but didn’t progress past the AHL level in any of his three professional seasons.  Last year, the 23-year-old split the campaign between Bakersfield and Tuscon of the AHL, recording four goals, five assists, and 36 penalty minutes.
  • Canadiens UFA winger Connor Crisp is also ECHL-bound after the Toledo Walleye announced that they signed him to a one-year deal. Crisp was a 2013 third round pick (71st overall) after being unpicked in his first trip through the draft.  He dealt with concussion and other injury troubles on his entry-level pact, playing just over 100 regular season games in total.  Last year, he spent most of the season with ECHL Brampton, tallying 14 goals and 19 assists along with 60 PIMS in 43 games and was also non-tendered in June.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $71,149,167 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Brayden Point (Two years remaining, $687K)
D Mikhail Sergachev (Three years remaining, $894K)

If there was any upside to the injury woes that the Lightning suffered last season, it was the opportunity provided to Point to show that he can be a productive NHL player already.  He wound up producing like a second line forward in his rookie campaign but may be a bit lower on the depth chart when everyone’s healthy.  If he can come close to duplicating his 40 points in 2017-18, it wouldn’t be surprising to see contract extension talks open up next summer.

Sergachev was picked up in the Jonathan Drouin trade just prior to expansion and should be given a long look in training camp.  However, Tampa has seven other defenders on the roster and Sergachev has another year of junior eligibility remaining so it’s not a guarantee he makes the team.  If he does, he’ll likely start in a third pairing role with the potential to move up later on.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F J.T. Brown ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Erik Condra ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Slater Koekkoek ($800K, RFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($2MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($1.938MM, RFA)
F Cedric Paquette ($813K, RFA)
D Andrej Sustr ($1.95MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses

Kunitz: $1MM
Point: $258K
Sergachev: $850K

Total: $2.108MM

Up front, Kunitz was brought in to try to help replace some of Drouin’s offense while giving them another veteran voice as well.  It will be interesting to see how he performs away from the Penguins; if he shows he can do so, he should be able to land a similar deal next summer.  Namestnikov is coming off of a bit of a down year but before that was showing signs of being a top-six forward.  If he can rebound, he’ll be in line for a nice raise but if not, he could become available in a trade with Tampa having several quality prospects in the system.  Paquette’s production has stagnated in the teens so while he’s a decent checker, he shouldn’t command a big raise next summer.  Brown is coming off a dreadful season and could see his roster spot usurped by a prospect before too long while Condra cleared waivers last year and could do so once again come October.

Defensively, Sustr has somewhat quietly carved out a regular role for himself on the third pairing.  However, he may price himself out of a spot next summer as GM Steve Yzerman could look for a cheaper replacement to save some money as his cap hit is starting to get high for someone who’s primarily a depth option.  Koekkoek has yet to lock down a full-time roster spot but as he’s now waiver eligible, he’ll likely get a longer look this time.  He’s on a one-year ‘show me’ contract and if he can land a regular role, he’ll set himself up for a pay bump next summer.

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