Vancouver Canucks Sign Christian Wolanin
Per CapFriendly, the Vancouver Canucks have signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way deal paying him $750K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL.
Wolanin, 27, has 70 games of NHL experience between Ottawa, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. While it looked like Wolanin had legitimate NHL upside a few seasons ago with a 12-point year in 2018-19 in just 30 games at 23 years old, those days are behind him. A good option for a seventh defenseman, Wolanin adds to the pool of defensive depth Vancouver has built.
He’ll be competing with players like Kyle Burroughs, young Jack Rathbone, Noah Juulsen, and Wyatt Kalynuk to make the Canucks come training camp in September. If he doesn’t make the squad, he’s a risk to get claimed on waivers if the injury bug strikes other teams on defense.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Alex Limoges, Kyle Capobianco
The Winnipeg Jets have signed free agent forward Alex Limoges to a one-year, entry-level contract, per a team tweet today. Financial terms are currently unavailable. Per CapFriendly, the team has also signed former Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kyle Capobianco to a two-year deal worth $762.5K per year. Per PuckPedia, the contract is a two-way deal in 2022-23 with a $750K NHL / $325K AHL split, and a one-way deal worth $775K in year two.
Limoges, a 24-year-old native of Virginia, actually already has a year and a half of professional experience under his belt with the San Diego Gulls. He turned pro in 2020-21 after his college career with Penn State concluded, spending the remainder of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Staying in San Diego for the past two years, he’s been one of the most under-the-radar producers in the AHL during that time. He’s scored 34 goals, 27 assists, and 61 points in 85 games with the Gulls, and he also led the entire NCAA in points in 2018-19.
Now on an NHL contract for the first time, Limoges will get the chance to improve on those numbers in the Jets organization. If injuries strike Winnipeg hard this year, don’t be surprised if Limoges gets a crack at making his NHL debut.
Nashville Predators Sign Kevin Lankinen, Three Others
The Nashville Predators supplemented their NHL/AHL fringe depth on defense yesterday, and they’re doing the same today on offense. The team announced a trio of signings separately on Thursday afternoon, signing Kiefer Sherwood to a one-year, one-way $750K contract, and Mark Jankowski and Cole Smith to one-year, two-way $750K contracts. They also signed former Chicago Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $1.5MM contract to back up starter Juuse Saros.
Despite Nashville receiving strong play from Connor Ingram in limited regular-season appearances and even turning to him as a starter in the playoffs over David Rittich, the team’s opted to bury him on the depth chart for another season. Lankinen had a rough season with the Blackhawks in 2021-22 after an up-and-down rookie campaign the year prior, finishing the year with an 8-15-6 record, 3.50 goals against average, and .891 save percentage. He’ll look to improve on those numbers (and stay healthy) on a more fortified Nashville team.
Sherwood, Jankowski, and Smith will be charged with playing top AHL roles once again, something they’re getting used to in their careers. Sherwood and Jankowski especially will be strong call-up options in case of injury with decent amounts of NHL experience.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Three Players
If you wondered who else would play goal for the Chicago Blackhawks this season, wonder no more. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that Alex Stalock has signed a one-year, $750K contract with the team. They also signed Luke Philp to a one-year, two-way deal ($750K NHL / $250K AHL) and Brett Seney to a one-year, two-way deal ($750K NHL / $400K AHL).
Stalock, 34, is an experienced backup goaltender who played in a backup role for the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild from 2013-14 to 2019-20. Stalock did so with moderate success, and he owns a career .908 save percentage. Stalock’s final year in Minnesota was perhaps his most impressive, as he posted a .910 save percentage playing 38 games. After that year, Stalock missed an entire year of hockey battling a heart condition he contracted after an earlier bout of COVID-19.
Stalock made a recovery and returned to the ice in 2021-22, but could not re-discover his game. In 12 games for the AHL San Jose Barracuda, Stalock went 1-8-2 with a .872 save percentage, and in 46 minutes of NHL action Stalock let in six goals on 28 shots.
The Blackhawks are signing Stalock with the hope that he can return to the form that saw him become one of the more reliable backup goalies in hockey, unless, of course, you subscribe to the belief that GM Kyle Davison and the Blackhawks are intentionally fielding a flawed roster in order to land the highest draft pick possible at the 2023 draft. Because if that’s their goal, Stalock having a similar 2022-23 to his 2021-22 could help them to get them there.
Philp, 26, has spent three productive seasons with the AHL’s Stockton Heat after leaving the University of Alberta. After his first 20-goal season in the AHL last year, he’ll be counted on within the top-six forward group next season for the Rockford IceHogs. The same can be said for Seney, although with him having more NHL experience, he could find a home as an extra on the NHL roster with Chicago’s paper-thin NHL depth.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Davies, Clague, Priskie
The Buffalo Sabres have added a trio of minor league defensemen, signing Jeremy Davies, Kale Clague, and Chase Priskie to one-year contracts. Clague and Davies will have NHL salaries of $750K, while Priskie will earn $800K at that level.
There was a time a few years ago when Clague was considered a top prospect, selected in the second round and playing well at the minor league level. It never did all click for him though, and he has been limited to just 58 games to this point, 36 of which came this past season. The Montreal Canadiens decided not to issue him a qualifying offer this week, making him an unrestricted free agent free to chase better opportunities.
He may find one in Buffalo, though the fact that they signed Ilya Lyubushkin to a two-year contract likely hurts the case of any of these three.
Davies, 25, has just 22 games of NHL experience, even less than Clague, since signing with the Nashville Predators in 2019. He had 31 points in 54 games at the minor league level and appears to be a signing for the Rochester Americans more than anything.
The same could be said about Priskie, who at 26 has played just four games in the NHL. A star at Quinnipiac University, he has been good in the minor leagues but not consistent enough in his own end to warrant NHL play. There may be a handful of games with Buffalo in his future but it’s hard to see him really making an impact at this point in his career.
Free Agency Notes: Hague, Marchment, Kulak
We haven’t heard a whole lot of offer sheet talk yet this offseason, but there is one young defenseman who could come into play. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes that he believes Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague is “a real possibility” as an offer sheet candidate from general managers league-wide. Hague is an important defenseman on the rise in the Golden Knights organization, and while he doesn’t have a lot of leverage on his next contract as he’s not arbitration-eligible, another team could indeed force Vegas’ hand. A second-round pick from their first 2017 draft class, Hague’s notched a solid 42 points in 142 NHL games over the past three years. While he’s been limited to third-pairing minutes on a deep Vegas team, he’s shown really solid play-driving ability as an up-and-coming two-way defenseman. With the Golden Knights’ tight salary cap situation, it’s a reasonable bet that they couldn’t match a healthy offer for Hague.
- TSN’s Pierre LeBrun expects the Montreal Canadiens to make an offer to bring back defenseman Brett Kulak when free agency opens tomorrow. They won’t be alone, though, as LeBrun notes that six other teams could be interested as well. Dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a package that included William Lagesson and a second-round pick at the trade deadline, Kulak is an underrated defensive commodity who’s extremely valuable in a bottom-four role. He’d spent the last three seasons prior to this year in a Habs uniform, and he was a steadying presence in 2021-22 on a struggling team.
- If the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t come to terms with pending UFA Ondrej Palat, The Athletic’s Joe Smith lists Mason Marchment as someone the team could make an offer to in free agency. He’d certainly add a strong checking element to the team’s middle six, and while he likely wouldn’t replace Palat’s value entirely, he’d be a strong value option with a breakout year last season and great underlying metrics. Marchment finished 2021-22 with 47 points in just 54 games.
Seattle Kraken Re-Sign Alexander True
One of the NHL’s few Danish players is sticking around, as the Seattle Kraken have re-signed forward Alexander True to a two-way, one-year contract extension with a $750,000 cap hit, per the team.
True was Seattle’s selection from the San Jose Sharks in last year’s expansion draft. Joining the Sharks as an undrafted free agent, he quickly worked his way up the organizational ranks but hasn’t transitioned into an NHL role yet. It was more of the same this year, with True going without a point in eight games with Seattle, but having a strong campaign with AHL Charlotte. He led the team with 42 points in 60 games, also going point-per-game in the playoffs (seven in seven).
Given the team’s expected activity in free agency and the amount of forwards under contract, the two-way deal is likely an indication that True is slated to be a key player for the inaugural edition of the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. There’s still some upside for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, but a decent NHL showing needs to come sooner rather than later.
Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Stefan Noesen
The Carolina Hurricanes announced Tuesday that the team has reached a new agreement with forward Stefan Noesen on a two-year, partial two-way deal to keep him in the Carolina organization. The contract has a cap hit of $762,500, with the breakdown as follows:
2022-23: $750,000 NHL salary, $500,000 minors salary, $550,000 guaranteed
2023-24: $775,000 NHL and minors salary
Noesen had a successful first year with the Hurricanes, guiding their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to the 2022 Calder Cup. Noesen led the AHL in goals with 48 and added on 37 assists for 85 points in 70 games. He had a strong Calder Cup Playoffs run as well, notching 25 points in 18 games. It marked a full-time return to the AHL for Noesen, who had spent the majority of his time in the NHL from 2016-17.
Now 29, Noesen is still a reliable call-up in case of an injury but doesn’t have much everyday NHL upside anymore. He hasn’t registered a point in the NHL since 2019-20 when he had seven goals and two assists in 40 games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks.
Poised to reprise his role as an alternate captain in Chicago next year, Noesen will be charged with helping lead a group of young Carolina forward prospects that includes Jack Drury, Ryan Suzuki, Jamieson Rees, and Noel Gunler.
Snapshots: Kane, Bowman, Malkin
Forward Evander Kane is nothing if not the most polarizing and interesting free agent on the market this offseason. The 30-year-old power forward has had his fair share of off-ice controversies in his career, including a pending arbitration hearing that may award him back to the San Jose Sharks after the team terminated his contract during the 2021-22 season. Yet Kane was still spectacular on the ice after signing a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the season, notching 39 points in 43 regular-season games and leading the NHL in scoring during the playoffs with 13 goals in just 15 games.
Yet, reports surfaced earlier this week that Kane and the Oilers weren’t close on an extension. Today, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta adds that there haven’t been any conversations yet today between Kane’s camp and the Oilers, adding to the likelihood Kane hits the open market tomorrow. It doesn’t limit Edmonton’s ability to re-sign him, and quite frankly, it’s still the most likely destination for him. Kane’s risk factor is only increased by the pending arbitration decision, and other teams will be hesitant to commit term to Kane without either having a deal in place with San Jose to trade back for him or having clarity on his future.
- Legendary coach and executive Scott Bowman is moving on from the Chicago Blackhawks organization this summer, per the man himself. Now 88, Bowman had been a senior advisor for the Blackhawks since 2008. A winner of 12 Stanley Cups, Bowman will likely have any job he wants if he wants to continue his management career in the NHL.
- Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke spoke today, denying rumors that the team didn’t offer Evgeni Malkin his desired term of four years. He did say that giving a six-year contract extension to Rickard Rakell yesterday didn’t rule out Malkin’s return, and said that “the window is still open” for Malkin. However, with all the varying reports of Malkin’s unhappiness with the situation, his moving on in free agency is likely still a done deal.
Minor Transactions: McIntyre, Huntington, Dronov
While the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins were handing out long-term extensions to Valeri Nichushkin and Rickard Rakell respectively, and as the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired their next starting goalie in Matt Murray, a few bits of business were still getting done around the league, with a pair of minor leaguers getting contract extensions, and the Coyotes extending an invite to training camp.
The first of these is the Minnesota Wild extending goaltender Zane McIntyre with a one-year, two-way contract extension to stay in the organization according to CapFriendly. The contract is worth $750K at the NHL level and $300K at the minor league level, but does guarantee the goaltender a minimum of $325K. McIntyre appeared in eight games with the Boston Bruins back in 2016-17, but has otherwise made a solid career in the AHL, most recently splitting the 2021-22 season between the Tucson Roadrunners and the Iowa Wild.
- Shortly thereafter, the Nashville Predators extended forward Jimmy Huntington on a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level and $80K in the minors, leaving him an RFA at the conclusion of the deal, per CapFriendly. Huntington spent five years in the QMJHL, finishing his career with an incredible 92 point season with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2018-19 before turning pro, spending parts of the previous three seasons between the ECHL and AHL. The undrafted forward spent 2021-22 with the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals, putting up 13 goals and 22 assists in 61 games combined.
- The Arizona Coyotes have made a move to continue looking at depth options, extending a professional tryout to defenseman Grigori Dronov, according to CapFriendly. An undrafted free agent, Dronov has spent his professional career as a member of Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL, featuring as a steady defenseman, though not much of a point producer. Dronov also appeared as a member of team Russia at the 2017 World Junior Championships, where he had one point in seven games.