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Archives for August 2021

Logan Stanley Signs With Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed Logan Stanley to a two-year contract, which will carry an average annual value of $900K. Stanley was a restricted free agent after performing admirably in his rookie season. PuckPedia reports that Stanley will earn $800K in 2021-22 and $1.0MM in 2022-23.

A contract that inexpensive could be a huge win for the Jets, as they look to rebuild their defense for next season. The team already brought in Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon, while retaining Dylan DeMelo in the expansion draft. With Stanley in the fold for such a low price and Neal Pionk still to sign, the Jets suddenly have a pretty impressive depth chart on the back end.

The 23-year-old is one of the most imposing figures in the league at 6’7″ and can skate well enough to effectively shut down rushes. Even though there was some concern over his upside in the minor leagues, he stepped into the Winnipeg lineup this season and found almost immediate success. Though his role was limited, the hulking defenseman managed to record four points in 37 games, putting up good possession stats and traditional +/-. Though not always chasing the hit, Stanley’s size obviously gives him a physical advantage over most players, one which he’s still just learning how to effectively use.

While he should figure into the lineup next season, the veterans added certainly does complicate things. The team still has Nathan Beaulieu and prospect Ville Heinola as well, meaning their number of NHL-level defensemen has suddenly reached at least eight. That’s not even considering Dylan Samberg, who looks ready to contribute soon.

That’s a big change from last season when the Jets were searching high and low for defensive help all year. The question now becomes what does Pionk sign for, given the team only has about $6MM in cap space left to sign him and Andrew Copp. Even less if you consider the fact that they only have nine forwards currently on one-way deals, and don’t have an obvious backup goaltender except for the inexperienced Eric Comrie. It will be a tight squeeze in Winnipeg this summer, but Stanley taking such a low-cost contract certainly helps matters.

New Jersey Devils Re-Sign A.J. Greer

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The New Jersey Devils have added their name to the list of teams making transactions today. PuckPedia reports that the team’s re-signed forward A.J. Greer to a one-year, two-way deal. It pays $750,000 at the NHL level and $130,000 at the minor-league level.

Greer joined the Devils organization this year by way of trade. He was part of the package sent to the team by the New York Islanders in the deadline deal that sent Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac the other way. It was a blessing in disguise for Greer, who had an extremely slow offensive start in the AHL with just two points in 10 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. After the trade and subsequent assignment to Binghamton, Greer performed spectacularly with 14 points in just 16 games.

While it may not ever translate to the NHL level, as Greer’s now aged 24, there’s still some possible upside left in the former second-round pick. He’s a reliable body that can be used as a call-up in the case of injury and is a reliable producer at the minor-league level who can help assist young talent that the Devils are trying to develop. While he may not be in the organization’s long-term plans, it’s still a good idea to re-sign him for one year.

Travis Boyd Signs With Arizona Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes signed free agent forward Travis Boyd to a one-year contract, the team tweeted today. Craig Morgan reports that the contract is one-way in nature, and his agent, Ben Hankinson, reports that the deal comes with a cap hit of $750,000.

Boyd, now 27 years old, has yet to truly become a regular in any NHL lineup. With that being said, he’s generally impressed when given the chance. He’s now scored ten points in the NHL for three consecutive seasons, including a 20-point campaign with the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. After impressing again with the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the season (eight points in 20 games), he was picked up by the Vancouver Canucks on waivers, where his game stagnated with just two goals in 19 games.

Boyd will likely be reprising a fourth-line/extra forward role with the Coyotes, but, if he recaptures his offensive touch, could potentially work his way up into third-line minutes and a regular job. It’s a grim outlook for goal-scoring in Arizona, and he could edge out the more defensive-minded Johan Larsson and Jay Beagle for added minutes. How consistently Boyd is able to perform remains to be seen, but it’s a low-risk, solid bet signing for Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes.

New York Rangers Re-Sign Adam Huska

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The New York Rangers are bringing back a familiar face to their goaltending depth chart. CapFriendly reports that the team has re-signed netminder Adam Huska to a one-year, two-way deal for the 2021-22 season. It pays $750,000 in NHL salary and $80,000 in minors salary.

Huska, who hails from Zvolen, Slovakia, re-signs with the only NHL organization he’s ever known. Now 24 years of age, Huska was drafted by the Rangers in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Huska’s spent most of his development playing in North America, including a three-year stint with the University of Connecticut. He’s only spent the last two full seasons playing professionally in the Rangers organization, though, and that’s not counting a pre-season loan this season to Huska’s hometown team.

Despite not putting up spectacular numbers at the AHL level, Huska’s showed signs of promise at the ECHL level with the Maine Mariners and overseas. However, if Huska does want a long-term shot with the Rangers, he’ll likely need to demonstrate solid improvement at the AHL level this season in Hartford. If not, he runs the risk of not being qualified by the team when he’s a restricted free agent again next season. There’s still upside in his game, and could eventually challenge for NHL starts, but he’ll need to give the Rangers a reason to believe sooner rather than later.

Clearance Section: Finding Value In What’s Left

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The 2021 free agent frenzy is over. After more than a billion dollars was signed away in just a few days, the NHL unrestricted free agent market has dried up almost entirely. When Ryan Murray settled for a one-year, $2MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday, he became the only real UFA deal of significance since the calendar turned to August.

Even though things are almost picked clean, there still may be some value out there for a savvy NHL front office. Twelve players from our Top 50 UFA list are still unsigned for next season, though several of those are expected to be in agreement with the New York Islanders and others like Tuukka Rask are unlikely to make a decision anytime soon. We profiled Tomas Tatar recently–arguably the best player still available–and will continue to do the same for the other names from that list in the coming days.

But even beyond those players, there is still NHL talent out there, waiting for the right opportunity (or big enough paycheck). A few of the notable free agents that didn’t make our Top 50 list, but remain unsigned:

Ryan Donato – A second-round pick, a Hobey Baker finalist, an Olympian. All things to describe the 25-year-old Donato, who was cut loose by the San Jose Sharks this summer after just one season with the team. The Sharks decided not to issue Donato a qualifying offer that would have allowed him to elect salary arbitration, putting him on the market after a frustratingly inconsistent season. In 50 games, he scored just six goals and 20 points, but then went to the IIHF World Championship and won a bronze medal. Of note, Donato’s most common linemates this season were John Leonard and Dylan Gambrell, who have a combined 36 points in the NHL. Perhaps in the right situation, he can rediscover the scoring magic that helped him explode onto the scene in Boston just a few years ago.

Jason Demers – Is Demers finished at age-33? The veteran right-handed defenseman certainly seems like a player that could be one of the bargains of free agency, even if his play has declined over the last few years. With the Arizona Coyotes this season he averaged the fewest minutes since his rookie season, but still likely could provide some value to a contender as a depth option. There’s almost no offense left, as Demers registered just four points in 41 games this season, but he can still contribute as a bottom-pairing option, even killing penalties at times.

Alex Galchenyuk – Just a few months ago there was plenty of excitement around Galchenyuk, who had seemingly turned his career around in Toronto. The 27-year-old forward was pulled off the scrap heap by the Maple Leafs and spent time with the team’s development staff rebuilding his game. In 26 contests down the stretch he scored 12 points, and offensively was actually one of the team’s bright spots in the playoffs with four points in six games (and, one brutal turnover). There are certainly plenty of red flags in Galchenyuk’s career, but one-time 30-goal scorers who recently showed flashes of their former self are usually snapped up quickly by rebuilding teams that want to complete a pump-and-dump–give them huge minutes during the first half just to flip for future assets at the deadline.

Erik Gudbranson – You won’t find many statistical defenses of Gudbranson, who has been carved up by the analytics community since basically the moment he arrived in the NHL. The thing is, that arrival was a decade ago now and you can’t find a ton of 29-year-old free agents with as much experience as the 6’5″ defenseman. There’s no reason to think he can play in a top-four, or perhaps even be a regular contributor, but there’s something to be said for the strong play he experienced down the stretch in 2019 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the right situation, surrounded by the right amount of talent and deployed properly, there is still a place for Gudbranson in the NHL.

There are plenty of other names that could end up on an NHL roster next season. At this time of the year none of the signings are going to dramatically change the makeup of a team, but as contending teams have shown year after year in the playoffs, adding depth at the right spots–even players that have struggled elsewhere–can make a difference at the right moment.

Coaching Notes: Condon, Kowalsky, Guite

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The Northeastern Huskies have added former NHL goaltender Mike Condon as a voluntary assistant coach for the upcoming season, giving the 31-year-old netminder a chance to start a new chapter of his hockey career. Condon last played professional hockey during the 2019-20 season, when he split time between the Syracuse Crunch, Charlotte Checkers, and Orlando Solar Bears.

A veteran of 129 regular season appearances, Condon actually signed a three-year $7.2MM contract with the Ottawa Senators in 2017 after he burst onto the NHL scene. After playing in 55 games as a rookie during the 2015-16 campaign with the Montreal Canadiens, he appeared in 40 for the Senators the following season and recorded a .914 save percentage. Things would quickly go downhill in Ottawa, with Condon finding himself in the minor leagues before the end of the second year, and he will now give coaching a go.

  • The Bridgeport Islanders have hired Rick Kowalsky as an assistant coach, bringing him over from the New Jersey Devils staff. Kowalsky had previously been the head coach of the Trenton, Albany, and Binghamton Devils, spending more than a decade in the organization. A recipient of both the ECHL and AHL coach of the year awards, he’ll join Bridgeport head coach Brent Thompson as an experienced voice behind the Islanders bench.
  • The Maine Mariners are now the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, and they’ll be led by a man who once suited up for the NHL squad. Ben Guite, who played nearly 200 games in the NHL (including one for the Bruins), has been named the second head coach in Mariners history. Guite spent the last eight seasons with the University of Maine, serving as associate head coach the last four.

Minor Transactions: 08/03/21

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The free agent frenzy is over and now the slow grind of the offseason is upon us. Though the wait for next season will be shorter than normal, hockey fans will have to cling to any kind of news for the next month. Luckily, the minor leagues still have rosters to fill, meaning we’ll still have some notable AHL signings to cover. As always, we’ll keep track of those right here.

  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Jimmy Oligny and Trent Bourque to minor league contracts. Oligny has signed a two-year AHL contract, while Bourque will continue with the organization on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old Oligny served as an alternate captain this season in Manitoba, while scoring just three points in 21 games. Though not an imposing figure at 5’10”, the veteran defenseman is one of the more physical players in the league and has racked up 32 fighting majors in his minor league career.
  • Jake McLaughlin has signed an AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals, following his first professional season in 2020-21. The UMass alum played in 28 games for the Henderson Silver Knights, registering two goals and three points. Undrafted, McLaughlin spent four years with the Minutemen, playing 138 games at the college level and racking up 42 points.
  • After failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Edmonton Oilers, Theodor Lennstrom is heading back overseas. This time, he has signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. Lennstrom, 26, played one season with the Bakersfield condors, scoring seven points in 19 games and was always just a lottery ticket for the Oilers coming out of the SHL.
  • At least the Bridgeport Islanders know how to announce contracts. The AHL team has signed Jeff Kubiak, Erik Brown, Felix Bibeau, Cole Coskey, Kyle MacLean and Chris Terry to AHL contracts for the 2021-22 season. The group includes relative newcomers to the professional scene and veteran minor leaguers like Terry, who has played more than 600 games in the AHL. The 32-year-old spent last season in the KHL, but attended the AHL All-Star game in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Dallas Stars Sign Joseph Cecconi

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The Dallas Stars have inked Joseph Cecconi to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. The young defenseman was eligible for arbitration this summer but decided not to file. PuckPedia reports that the deal will pay Cecconi $750K in the NHL and $85K in the AHL.

Cecconi, 24, was originally a fifth-round pick of the Stars in 2015, but quickly rose up the prospect charts with his performances at the World Juniors and the University of Michigan. He was part of the U.S. team that won gold in 2017, and developed a little bit of an offensive game to go along with his defensive acumen. The 6’4″ defenseman played 37 games with the Texas Stars last season, recording eight points, and is likely headed back to the minor leagues for 2021-22.

In fact, with other minor league signings like Alexander Petrovic and Andreas Borgman in the fold, the chances Cecconi plays meaningful minutes in the NHL this year seem low. With that in mind, he’s a lock to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent next summer, given he hasn’t played even a single game with Dallas to this point.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Radim Zohorna

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have finished some restricted free agent business, signing Radim Zohorna to a two-year contract. It will be a two-way contract in 2021-22 and a one-way contract in 2022-23, carrying an average annual value of $750K in the NHL. Penguins GM Ron Hextall released a short statement on the young forward.

Radim impressed us last season with his ability to transition to the smaller ice surface quickly and adapt his game. He is a power forward with a lot of potential and we are excited to watch him continue to grow as a player.

Zohorna, the 6’6″ behemoth that came up to play eight games with the Penguins this season, is an interesting player to follow as training camps open and rosters take shape. He scored three goals and 11 points in 12 minor league games and the 25-year-old seems to have legitimately turned a corner in his professional career. Undrafted, he also dominated the Czech league early in the season, one which had usually dominated him in the past. In 21 games for Mlada Boleslav BK, he scored 12 goals and 22 points, matching his career-high in points in fewer than half the games.

If Zohorna can continue that breakout offensively, he suddenly becomes a potential option for head coach Mike Sullivan in the bottom-six. The team essentially lost both Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann to the Seattle Kraken, but have added names like Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn through free agency. Even if he fails to make the team out of camp—and the fact that he is still waiver-exempt does not work in his favor—Zohorna will almost certainly get into some games for Pittsburgh this season as an injury replacement.

St. Louis Blues Sign Jordan Kyrou

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The St. Louis Blues have reached a contract with Jordan Kyrou, signing the young forward to a two-year deal. The contract carries an average annual value of $2.8MM, paying Kyrou a total of $5.6MM.

Kyrou, 23, broke out this season, finally showing off the high-end upside that made him the 35th overall pick in 2016. An outstanding skater, he posted 14 goals and 35 points in 55 games, almost all of which came at even-strength. With players like Jaden Schwartz, Mike Hoffman, and potentially Vladimir Tarasenko all leaving the Blues this offseason, there will be a real opportunity for Kyrou to take another step forward in 2021-22.

If he does, that $2.8MM cap hit will suddenly look like an extreme bargain, given he would have been eligible for salary arbitration next summer. Instead, he’ll lock in at a reasonable number and try to establish himself as one of the team’s most important forwards. Still, he won’t be handed a top-line role right away, as Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad were also added on the wings this offseason. Both will be making quite a bit more than Kyrou, meaning he could still find himself playing third-line minutes and seeing rare powerplay time. That could be a way to keep his next contract down, but it’ll be hard to keep him bottled up if he continues to improve.

For the Blues, a $2.8MM contract leaves them with about $3.5MM left to spend this summer. With Zach Sanford and Robert Thomas still to sign as restricted free agents, that isn’t a lot of wiggle room. The big move will still be Tarasenko, which could clear as much as $7.5MM off the cap if the team makes a trade without any salary retention. Once Kyrou and the others are signed though, the team will know exactly how much it can retain in order to facilitate the best return.

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