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Steven Kampfer Expected To Sign In KHL

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Utah Hockey Club defenseman Steven Kampfer is expected to sign a one-year deal with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, per Craig Morgan of Go PHNX Sports and Mikhail Zislis of Russia’s Sport-Express (Twitter link). The deal will take him out of unrestricted free agency in the NHL, after not re-signing with Utah. Kampfer will be returning to Russia after spending the 2021-22 season with the Kazan Ak-Bars. He proved plenty productive on the international trip, posting 30 points – a career-high in Kampfer’s professional career.

Once a stout seventh defenseman in the NHL, Kampfer’s role has since dwindled into a starring role in the minor leagues. Utah, then Arizona, traded for Kampfer ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, sending future considerations in return for the Tuscon Roadrunners’ new top defender. That’s exactly the role that Kampfer assumed, totaling 29 points in 60 games with the club since the trade and donning their captaincy this year.

Kampfer, 35, kicked off his pro career with a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NHL Draft, hearing his name called by the Anaheim Ducks though he’d begin his career three years later with the Boston Bruins. He showed stout defense and good grit in a 38-game rookie season in 2010-11, though Kampfer quickly struggled to score at the top level. He’d go on to spend the next 11 seasons bouncing between strong AHL minutes and minimal NHL minutes, ultimately slotting into just 231 career games and posting a measly 39 points. He’s bucked that trend a bit in the minors, with 170 points across 378 career games, though it’s clear that Kampfer’s best offense came overseas. He’ll return to that well next season, looking to make the most of the final years of his career.

Hurricanes Sign Joakim Ryan

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Joakim Ryan to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries a league minimum $775K salary at the NHL level and a $110K salary at the AHL level. Ryan rejoins the Hurricanes organization after spending the last three years with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks. He filled a prolific role with the Swedish club, appearing in all 156 games and totaling 64 points. That includes Ryan’s 31-point season in 2021-22, which marked the second-highest scoring of his professional career, behind a 49-point year in the 2016-17 AHL season.

Ryan’s move to Sweden marked his first time playing hockey outside of the United States, after playing through juniors in the USHL, college hockey with Cornell University, and then being drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Ryan closed out the final two years of his collegiate career before turning pro, ultimately totaling 78 points in 123 games with the Big Red. That production proved strong momentum as Ryan moved to the AHL, where he managed 28 points in 66 games as a rookie in 2015-16. He followed that with a career year in his second pro season, ultimately doing enough to earn a full-time NHL role in 2017-18. But Ryan didn’t do much with the opportunity, posting just 12 points through 62 games as an NHL rookie and slowly losing his grip on a daily role over the next three seasons.

That grip didn’t become stronger even as Ryan moved clubs, with one-year, league-minimum contracts pulling Ryan through stints with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s since totaled 24 points in 145 career games. Ryan showed flashes of rediscovered offense in Sweden, though he’ll need to continue developing that knack should he want to hold onto his returning role in North America.

Top Prospects Could Give Penguins One Last Push

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have, over the last two years, missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in Sidney Crosby’s career. The team has ground to a screeching halt, on the back of one of the oldest rosters in the league and a slim supporting cast for team legends Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Even the addition of Erik Karlsson wasn’t enough to pull Pittsburgh back into the postseason – leaving the team a bit stuck in the mud with little cap space and even less roster space. With no major free-agent additions in sight, Pittsburgh’s search for an X-factor will have to turn towards their recent crop of strong draft picks.

Brayden Yager notably headlines this group, with the Penguins already sharing that Yager will receive a shot at the NHL lineup next season. That opportunity certainly seems timely, with Yager coming off the back of a resilient season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Serving as the team’s captain, Yager marched his way to 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games this season – adding an additional 27 points in 20 playoff games. He proudly served as Moose Jaw’s top-line centerman and starring playmaker, excelling at making plays at top speed – a style that thrived  on a team costarred by fellow NHL prospects Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, and Matthew Savoie. Yager’s tempo and poise were enough to dodge much physicality this year, leaving him a clear heft barrier between him and the NHL, though his ability to dish the puck is clearly reaching a pro level.

Yager isn’t the only starring prospect capable of a pro push – with top WHL defender Owen Pickering also gearing up for a big year. Pickering signed his entry-level contract at the end of 2022-23, though he opted to return to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos this season.

That proved to be the right choice, as Pickering managed a career-high 46 points in 59 games this season – one more point than he totaled last year – while serving as the team’s captain for a second year. The hefty, sharp-moving defender appeared in eight AHL games last season, though he wasn’t able to record his first pro point. That will be his immediate goal entering the 2024-25 campaign, though his size, physical edge even with the puck on his stick, and quick taste of pro hockey could give him the tools needed to quickly adjust to the next level. Pickering undoubtedly faces a long road to the NHL lineup,  sat behind a bolstered left-side with Pittsburgh’s additions of Matt Grzelcyk and Sebastian Aho. But injuries or slow starts could be enough to encourage Pittsburgh to see what they have in their top defense prospect.

Wingers Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen, as well as centerman Vasili Ponomarev, round out Pittsburgh’s list of capable youngsters – with each player managing strong scoring through last season, in the NCAA, Liiga, and AHL respectively. Each of the trio boast strong individual talents – Broz his drive with the puck, Koivunen his shot, and Ponomarev his grit – though they’ve struggled to put their talents to consistent effect. Ponomarev sits as the closest to the NHL lineup, having scored two points in two NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes last year in addition to his 30 points in 45 AHL games. It was clear he knew how to use his hard-nosed drive to good effect, which could go a long way towards boosting his NHL odds. Koivunen carries a similar physical edge – not seeking out contact like Ponomarev but doing well at making plays through traffic – while physical play will be Broz’s biggest adjustment.

The Penguins have made just three first-round picks since 2015 and are now heavily feeling the effects. Luckily, two of those top picks are hoping for smash beginnings to their pro careers  next season. Lucrative trading and late-round successes have given Yager and Pickering a strong supporting cast. Each prospect will look to take important steps towards the NHL lineup at Pittsburgh’s training camp, while the Penguins keep their fingers crossed that young energy is enough to return them to the postseason before Crosby calls it quits.

Minor Transactions: 7/13/24

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The hockey summer has entered a standstill, with moves around Europe headlining much of the news. We’ll keep track of the notable signings here:

  • Starting in North America, former St. Louis Blues forward prospect Keean Washkurak has signed a one-year, minor league deal with the Belleville Senators. Washkurak entered unrestricted free agency this summer, after not receiving a qualifying offer from St. Louis. He didn’t have much to show prospective new teams, with just four goals and 10 points in 63 AHL games last season. It was another low-scoring and low-minutes year for Washkurak, who’s totaled a measly 46 points across 176 AHL games since turning pro in 2020. He’s so far spent his career on two two-way NHL contracts with the Blues – a status that he’ll now have to work his way back to with Belleville.
  • Goaltender Zane McIntyre has signed a one-year deal with the Straubing Tigers of the DEL, Germany’s top league. The move ends McIntyre’s nine-year tour around the AHL; a trip that took him through stops with six different clubs, including the Providence Bruins and Iowa Wild. McIntyre has generally filled a backup role throughout his career, ultimately totaling 153 wins and a .908 save percentage in 300 AHL games. He’s now set for his first full year in Europe, though he did spend a brief six games with the KHL’s Dynamo Riga during the 2020-21 season.
  • Kyle Keyser is joining the string of goaltenders moving internationally, signing a one-year deal with the Kunlun Red Star, China’s KHL club. Keyser has spent the last six seasons with the Providence Bruins, though he’s split his time between the roles of AHL backup and ECHL starter. The 25-year-old Keyser has totaled 29 wins and a .902 in 73 AHL games and 16 wins and a .891 in 42 ECHL across his career. He’ll fight for better production in a more prominent role with Kunlun.

* This post will be updated throughout the day.

Red Wings Sign First-Rounder Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will carry an annual average value of $975K. Detroit selected Brandsegg-Nygård with the 16th overall pick this year, making him the first Norwegian to ever be selected in the first round. He was quickly succeeded by defender Stian Solberg, who the Anaheim Ducks selected at 23rd overall.

Brandsegg-Nygård earns his first NHL contract on the back of a standout year in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league. He spent 41 games with Mora IK, recording eight goals and 18 points. While meager scoring at a glance, Brandsegg-Nygård’s production actually marks the most any draft-year player has scored in the league since 2018 – and the ninth-most of all time. He earned his keep on the back of a very high-energy and responsible game.

He adheres closely to his position – but still shows impressive tempo and heft on the forecheck and quick processing when he fights his way onto the puck. He seems mature beyond his years, a sentiment stamped by his fantastic international performances. Brandsegg-Nygård recorded three goals and five points in five World Juniors games, defiantly leading an outmatched Norway squad. He matched the stat line in seven World Championship games with Norway’s men’s squad this summer, showing his ability to make an impact on any stage.

An entry-level deal will open the possibility of Brandsegg-Nygård joining the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and maybe even vying for an NHL role next season, though he’s currently expected to join the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK. That should prove a plenty viable sparring ground for the high-tempo Brandsegg-Nygård as he looks to add next-level offensive traits to what is a very responsible toolset.

Snapshots: Johnson, Clowe, Jiricek, Karpovich

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Veteran NHL defenseman Erik Johnson is gearing up for his 18th season in the NHL, continuing his streak of playing in every season since his first-overall selection in 2007. And despite a career accoladed by a Stanley Cup win and medals at both the Olympic Games and World Championship, the 36-year-old Johnson told Jonathan Bailey of Philly Hockey Now that he hasn’t considered retirement. Johnson emphasized that he’s ready to fill any role that’d benefit the Philadelphia Flyers, even if it means limited appearances in the lineup. He said, “I’m here to help these guys on and off the ice, whether it’s 20, 30, 40, 50 games, or whatever it is. My days of 25, 26 minutes a night are behind me, and I know that, and I’m comfortable with it.”

Johnson will continue on with the Flyers, after joining the team at the 2023 Trade Deadline and re-signing to a one-year, $1MM contract this summer. He managed three points in 16 appearances with Philadelphia after the move, bringing his season totals to six points in 67 games. Those measly totals might have pushed Johnson out of a routine lineup spot, but his veteran leadership is keeping him around the league. He’ll enter next season competing with fellow vets Nick Seeler and Rasmus Ristolainen for ice time, and mentoring top young defenders Jamie Drysdale and Cameron York.

Other quick notes from around the hockey world:

  • Former NHL forward Ryane Clowe made a big step in his managerial career this summer, stepping into the San Jose Sharks’ assistant general manager role and moving up from a special advisory role with the New York Rangers. Clowe detailed the move to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, sharing that he wasn’t eager to leave New York but was allured by the daily role San Jose promised. Clowe will now return to the club he spent eight years of his decade-long playing career with – serving as the gritty, high-event punch behind legendary Sharks like Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton – who now both support San Jose’s front office as advisors.
  • Top St. Louis Blues prospect Adam Jiricek is expected to move to the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs next season, per Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. It will be a make-or-break year for Jiricek, who missed the majority of the 2023-24 season with a lower-body injury suffered in December. He was among the most acclaimed defenders in the 2024 class during his age-17 season – a value vindicated by his 17th-overall selection in this year’s draft. His long-term outlook should become clearer as he looks to adjust to both a return from injury and North American hockey next season.
  • New Jersey Devils defense prospect Daniil Karpovich has signed a one-year contract with Avtomobilist of the KHL, shares James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Nichols adds that Karpovich will report to the VHL, Russia’s second-tier league. This news returns Karpovich to Russia, after spending last season in his home country of Belarus. Karpovich spent one year of juniors hockey in Russia, recording 35 points in 47 MHL games with Avto during the 2022-23 season. That scoring dipped to just 11 points in 49 games in Belarus’ top league last season – a trend he’ll look to buck with a return east.

Utah Signs Egor Sokolov To Two-Way Contract

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The Utah Hockey Club has signed forward Egor Sokolov to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal was first reported by Mike Gould of Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Utah acquired Sokolov from the Ottawa Senators on July 3rd, sending forward Jan Jenik the other way.

This deal will mark Sokolov’s first move away from the Senators organization after the club selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, after a breakout year in the QMJHL, with 92 points, split evenly, in just 52 games. He turned pro immediately following the draft, recording 15 goals and 25 points in his first 35 games with the Belleville Senators. That production earned Sokolov the first eight NHL games of his career in 2021, though he went without any scoring. Still, he’s maintained his strong offense at an AHL level, ranking in the top three of Belleville’s scoring in each of the last three seasons. That notably includes a career year in 2022-23, when Sokolov managed 21 goals and 59 points in 70 games. He once again earned NHL games with the high-scoring, netting two points in five additional games with Ottawa.

Sokolov again recorded 21 goals this season, though he was limited to 46 total points in 71 games. A hefty, shoot-first winger, he’s still finding how to create and maintain tempo at the pro level, though Sokolov has shown a strong ability to produce on both a juniors and minor-league stage. A two-way deal will give him a chance to prove that potential with the NHL’s newest club this season, though he may have to first work his way up from the minor leagues.

Minor League Signings: 7/9/24

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As the summer calms down for NHL teams, it’s beginning to pick up for minor league programs looking to fill out the depth of their lineup. We cover the notable AHL signings from July 9th here.

  • The Ontario Reign have signed forward Shawn Element and defender John Parker-Jones. Element is moving north after spending the first three years of his career with the Syracuse Crunch. He’s found his groove as a bruiser over the last two seasons, posting 88 penalty minutes in 48 games last season and 100 in 64 games this year. His scoring has stayed consistent during the stretch, with Element marking nine goals and 18 points in both years. He’ll look to bring that grit to a hard-hitting Reign lineup. The same can be said about Parker-Jones, who recorded 90 penalty minutes in 55 games with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions this year. He’s only played 22 AHL games since turning pro in 2022-23, recording just three points, but could get a better shot at ice time as he moves to a Reign lineup in need of defensive depth.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights have signed centerman Mitch McLain to a two-year deal. The move will return McLain to the United States, after spending the last two seasons with the Calgary Wranglers. He recorded 32 goals, 51 points, and 220 penalty minutes in 119 games over the pair of years. The performances have helped McLain further dig his feet into the role of a high-event forward, after posting 17 goals, 23 points, and 113 penalty minutes in 76 games with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2021-22. He’ll hope his bruting presence can continue to Henderson, where he’ll back a young Silver Knights lineup.
  • Henderson has also announced one-year deals for forwards Riley McKay and Braeden Bowman. McKay joins the Silver Knights after two years with the Laval Rocket and a brief stint with Trois-Rivieres. He’s recorded 17 points and 266 penalty minutes in 69 games with Laval – though he’s still searching for the heights he reached in 2021-22, when he managed 27 points and 192 penalty minutes in 51 ECHL games. Meanwhile, Bowman joins the Silver Knights as an undrafted free agent, after playing through a four-year career with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Bowman managed 180 points across 184 games in the OHL and captained Guelph in this past season.
  • The Charlotte Checkers have signed veteran AHL centerman Kyle Criscuolo to a one-year, minor-league contract. Criscuolo has spent the last 10 seasons in the AHL, playing for six different clubs and winning the Calder Cup in 2017. The 32-year-old has managed 143 points and 248 penalty minutes in 430 career games in the AHL. That includes Criscuolo’s career-high 42 points in 63 games this year. He’s also earned spot starts with three different NHL clubs, ultimately totaling 16 games and three points in the league. Criscuolo has a long track record in the hockey world, captaining Harvard University from 2014 to 2016 and since spending five years of his AHL career as an alternate captain. He’ll bring leadership and stout scoring to Charlotte’s lineup.
  • Former Colorado Eagles captain Jayson Megna will stick with the team, after signing a two-year, minor-league contract (Twitter link). Megna spent parts of four seasons with the Eagles from 2019 to 2023, though he opted to sign a one-year, two-way deal with the Boston Bruins last summer. That moved him to the Providence Bruins for the 2023-24 season – to fantastic effect, with Megna posting a career-high 56 points in 69 games. It was the most time Megna has spent in the minors since 2018-19, spending much of his time since then filling a depth forward role int he NHL. He’s earned 33 points and 40 penalty minutes in 204 NHL games over the course of his career, but will instead focus on bringing his newfound scoring back to the Eagles next season.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have re-signed forward Jacob Gaucher to a one-year deal, per Tony Androckitis of AHL.com (Twitter link). Gaucher played through his AHL rookie season this year, posting 16 points, split evenly, in 59 games and adding just 18 penatly minutes and a -7. The measly stat line comes after a tremendous ECHL season last year. In what was his first professional season, Gaucher posted 22 goals and 61 points in 71 games with the Reading Royals, adding 12 points in 11 playoff games. That performance has seemingly played him out of an ECHL role, though he’ll need to find his scoring at an AHL level next year if he wants to keep things that way.

Hurricanes Sign Josiah Slavin

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Josiah Slavin to a two-year, two-way contract (Twitter link). The deal will carry a league-minimum $775K cap hit at the NHL level, and pay out $150K at the AHL level – though $450K is guaranteed.

Slavin was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He transitioned to Colorado College two seasons later, then turned pro following the end of his sophomore season in 2020-21. He posted seven points through his first 15 games with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, setting him up well for a strong rookie season the following year.

Slavin took advantage of the chance, netting 18 goals and 32 points in 49 games in 2021-22. That scoring earned him his NHL debut midway through the year, though an assist in his debut would be Slavin’s only scoring through 15 games with Chicago. The tepid start in the NHL earned Slavin a move back to minor leagues, where he’s been ever since. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Toronto Marlies, where he posted 10 goals and 24 points across 70 games.

It seems Slavin will be destined for the minor leagues once again on his new deal with the Hurricanes, though he’ll get a boost of motivation by joining an organization led in part by brother Jaccob Slavin. Jaccob has carved out a proud, top-line role in Carolina over the last nine seasons, earning plenty of praise for his two-way reliability and leadership along the way. Jaccob’s “gentlemanly conduct” was recognized this season with his second Lady Byng Trophy in the last four years – placing him among a rare list of repeat winners, including Anze Kopitar, Martin St. Louis, and Pavel Datsyuk.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Cajkovic, Leafs, Durandeau

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Just a few months after shopping him around the Trade Deadline, the St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms on a long-term extension with top winger Pavel Buchnevich a year early. But general manager Doug Armstrong acknowledged that the team had to cave to Buchnevich’s term, telling Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post, “We talked [with Buchnevich’s side] again on the first, did the deal on the second. I’ll be honest with you, I budged.” Armstrong added that giving ground on term is the cost of doing business in today’s market.

For their effort in the negotiations, the Blues have now locked up Buchnevich at a manageable $8MM cap hit, set to begin in 2025-26 after his current deal expires. The 29-year-old winger recorded 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games this season, the lowest scoring of his tenure with the Blues. He had a career year in his first year with the club in 2021-22, recording 30 goals and 76 points in just 73 games. Buchnevich scored at a similar pace last year, though an ankle injury would limit him to just 63 games and 67 points.

Buchnevich has emerged as a premier winger in St. Louis, and a great addition to the high-tempo duo of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. He’ll look to really get comfortable in that role next year, after agreeing to what will be the longest contract of his career.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins forward Maxim Cajkovic has signed with HC Verva Litvinov of Slovakia’s Tipsport Extraliga. The Penguins acquired Cajkovic from the Minnesota Wild in January, sending Will Butcher the other way. The deal proved moot for both teams, as Butcher currently awaits a new deal on the free-agent market. Cajkovic, 23, is returning to Europe after spending all year in the minor leagues, tallying five points in 10 AHL games and four points in 13 ECHL games. He’ll be playing in his third European pro league on this deal, after spending time in Sweden’s SHL and Austria’s ICE Hockey League during his U21 career.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a new ECHL affiliation, signing an agreement with the Cincinnati Cyclones set to begin next season. The duration of the deal hasn’t been revealed. Toronto turns to the Cyclones after their previous affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers, ceased operations before the end of the 2023-24 season. The Cyclones are a familiar face in the ECHL, appearing in 23 of the league’s last 30 seasons. They’ve won two Kelly Cup Championships in that span – in 2008 and 2010. Cincinnati will look to return to those heights now in partnership with the Leafs: the fifth NHL club they’ve been affiliated with.
  • Montreal Canadiens winger Arnaud Durandeau has signed with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Durandeau went on a quick tour around the minor leagues this season, playing for three different AHL clubs this season after a mid-year loan was followed with Montreal acquiring Durandeau from the New York Islanders in exchange for Tyce Thompson. Durandeau scored 24 points across 48 AHL games this season, bringing his career totals to 132 points in 215 games. He also appeared in four NHL games during the 2022-23 season, though he failed to score.

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