The NHL is rounding out rosters by finishing restricted free agent negotiations, but that isn’t the only thing going on in the hockey world. With European leagues ramping up, the AHL preparing for a full schedule and junior players getting ready to show what they can do, there are plenty of minor transactions across the landscape. As always, we’ll keep track of notable ones right here.
- Kirill Kudryavtsev, a potential first-round pick in 2022, has signed with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the upcoming season. The 17-year-old defenseman was the sixth overall pick in the recent CHL import draft, and has decided to come over to continue his development in North America. The Greyhounds now list him at 6’0″ 185-lbs. Kudryavtsev recently won the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament with Russia, posting two points in five games.
- Giorgio Estephan, a 2015 draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, has decided to take his talents overseas. The 24-year-old forward has signed with HC Litvinov of the Czech league on a one-year deal with an option for 2022-23. A 2019 Kelly Cup champion with the Newfoundland Growlers, Estephan played 19 games for the Stockton Heat this year.
- Riley Woods played 26 games for the Colorado Eagles this season, but is off to Sweden after signing with MODO. The 23-year-old forward went undrafted out of the WHL, but has dominated at the ECHL level and held his own in the AHL. His deal overseas is just for one year.
- The Belleville Senators have added Zac Leslie, Colby Williams and Tyrell Goulbourne on AHL contracts for next season. Goulbourne, 27, is the only one with any NHL experience, having played 11 games for the Philadelphia Flyers. The former Kelowna Rockets star failed to register a single point in those games and has just five in his last 71 games at the AHL level.
- Ryan Kuffner, who signed an entry-level deal out of Princeton in 2019 and played 10 games with the Detroit Red Wings, has now agreed to a one-year deal with the Iowa Wild. The 25-year-old spent last season playing in Germany, where he registered 14 points in 31 games. Kuffner is actually signing a two-way minor league deal, meaning he’ll make different salaries depending on if he’s playing in the AHL or ECHL next season.
- Vincent Arseneau has signed with the Abbotsford Canucks for next season, staying with the Vancouver Canucks AHL affiliate. The 29-year-old forward has played the last four seasons with the Utica Comets, scoring four goals in 13 games this year.
- The Syracuse Crunch have signed defenseman Ryan Jones to a one-year, AHL deal. The 25-year-old played in 29 games last season with AHL Rochester, his first professional action after completing his college career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
This page will be updated with other minor transactions