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Archives for October 2021

AHL Shuffle: 10/14/21

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The NHL is not currently using a taxi squad system like last season, but that won’t stop teams from executing daily transactions to save cap and bring fresh bodies to the NHL. While some of the more notable moves may be mentioned elsewhere, we’ll keep track of every recall and reassignment right here.

Atlantic Division

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Chase Priskie and Matt Kiersted from the Charlotte Checkers, and the latter will be in the lineup for the team tonight. The 23-year-old Kiersted was one of the most sought-after college free agents this spring, and ended up playing seven games down the stretch for the Panthers after his season at the University of North Dakota came to an end.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Andrej Sustr from the AHL, bringing back a former regular after several years away. Sustr, 30, last played for Tampa Bay in the 2017-18 season but has spent the last three seasons in the AHL or KHL, last playing for Kunlun Red Star. The 6’7″ defenseman could replace Zach Bogosian, who is dealing with an injury and could be held out of tonight’s game.
  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Gustavsson from the minor leagues, sending Erik Brannstrom down to make room. The team will carry three goaltenders for the time being as Matt Murray works his way back from injury. Anton Forsberg is expected to start tonight, while Gustavsson will serve as the backup.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

  • After starting off the new campaign on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve, young defenseman Alec Regula is already back in action. Chicago Blackhawks beat writer Carter Baum reports that the team has activated Regula from the IR and assigned him to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Regula played in three NHL games as a first year pro and should get another opportunity with the Hawks at some point this season.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

Islanders Agree To Terms On Eight-Year Extension With Ryan Pulock

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The Islanders won’t be letting their top defenseman get to the UFA market next summer.  Instead, they’ve agreed to terms with Ryan Pulock on an eight-year extension, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).  Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the contract will carry an average annual value of $6.15MM, which will represent a small raise on his current $5MM AAV but a decrease on his current $6.66MM salary.

The 27-year-old, a first-round pick of the Isles back in 2013 (15th overall), has worked his way up from the third pairing at the start of his career to New York’s top blueliner.  He has logged over 22 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons and while his offensive production dipped last year (17 points in 56 games), he had three straight seasons of more than 30 points before that.  He isn’t a prototypical number one defender although had he gotten to free agency in July, he likely would have had a shot at landing considerably more on the open market considering some of the deals that were handed out to impact rearguards last offseason.

While Pulock didn’t land top money with this deal, he did get some trade protection at least as Dreger adds (Twitter link) that the deal contains a full no-trade clause in the first five years plus a limited no-trade clause in the final three seasons.

Between this contract and the eight-year pact handed out to his partner Adam Pelech back in August, GM Lou Lamoriello has locked up his top pairing for around $12MM per season.  Given that they are built as a defense-first team, having that stability at the top of their back end will certainly help to extend their competitive window from a salary cap perspective, especially knowing that top center Mathew Barzal is heading for a significant contract in 2023 when his bridge deal comes to an end.

But that’s a concern for another day.  Once this contract is officially finalized, the core of their back end will be secure and their top pending UFA won’t be getting the opportunity to test the market next summer.  That’s a pretty good piece of business for Lamoriello and the Islanders.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injuries Delaying Roster Decisions For Islanders, Kraken

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The NHL season is now underway and yet the well-documented roster crunches of the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken have gone completely unnoticed even as the league’s 23-man roster deadline came and went. What happened? Well, it may seem counterintuitive, but both teams have been helped out by injuries and health-related absences. However, they aren’t out of the woods yet and may only be delaying the inevitable.

In New York, the Isles knew that they would receive salary cap and roster flexibility by placing defenseman Johnny Boychuk on Long-Term Injured Reserve, but veteran forward Matt Martin also landed on IR. While just one unexpected injury may not seem like a lot, it has had a massive impact on how the Islanders prepare for the start of the season. While the club was successfully able to pass pricier veterans Richard Panik and Thomas Hickey through waivers and on to AHL Bridgeport, they have not yet had to make the tough decision between any of their other more attractive fringe players. Once Martin returns, someone else has to go. Martin’s fourth line replacement Ross Johnston appears to be safe as the apparent next man up, but is at least in the mix. Serviceable veteran Leo Komarov is not expected to be in the Isles’ Opening Night lineup on Thursday, but has been a valuable depth player for years in New York and is even more attractive to other teams now that he is on an expiring contract. Young Kieffer Bellows, whose new contract was finally registered with the league, would also be very interesting to other teams and represents the Islanders’ best top-six substitute. There is no easy choice as all three are more likely than not to be claimed, which explains why GM Lou Lamoriello has reportedly been exploring the trade market.

Things are a little more dire in Seattle, where the league’s newest team would like to keep their Opening Night roster intact but stand little chance of doing so. Already the team has had to make some risky waiver placements, including Kole Lind and Cale Fleury, but have been lucky thus far. Dennis Cholowski’s time on the wire could yield a different result, but even that loss would pale in comparison to what is coming down the line if the Kraken don’t make a move first. The lone holdover from the team’s recent mini-breakout of positive COVID-19 tests, veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok will be available sooner rather than later. Marcus Johansson, placed on injured reserve today, will likely be the next one back and Colin Blackwell is only expected to miss the first month of the season. Further down the road, the team will also need room for Yanni Gourde, who is expected back closer to December. That’s four valuable veterans forwards who all need spots on the Seattle roster, which already sits at 23 members with only one – Lind – that can safely be sent to the minors. On one hand, these early injuries allow the Kraken to take a look at some players who otherwise would not have made the roster, like waiver claim Alex Barre-Boulet for example. On the other hand, these “extra” players will eventually need to be waived, traded, or force the team to trade others instead. Lind and Barre-Boulet seem like easy cuts, but that is just two of four. Would Ryan Donato, who scored the first goal in franchise history on Tuesday, clear waivers? Would young grinder Nathan Bastian? Veteran center Riley Sheahan? The Kraken have a number of questions left to answer and their early injuries have only kicked the can down the road. The longer they wait, especially if the team is playing well, the less likely their fringe players are to clear waivers and the less likely that potential trade partners may be to make a deal rather than wait them out. GM Ron Francis and company have their work cut out for them.

While the preseason trade market remained quiet and there were no earth-shattering waiver claims, this is at least partially due to some unexpected injuries in New York and Seattle. At some point these situations will need to be resolved and, one way or another, players will wind up changing hands.

Minor Transactions: 10/13/21

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The NHL season may be officially underway following Tuesday’s opening pair of contests, but many players are still trying to find homes for the 2021-22 campaign. Follow along as we track these and other notable minor moves across the hockey world:

  • Coming off of a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, the fifth NHL contract of his career despite having played only 30 NHL games and zero since 2016-17, veteran defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon wasn’t so lucky this time around. The 28-year-old has settled for an AHL pact, signing a one-year deal with the Utica Comets per a team release. Wotherspoon has extensive AHL experience, including several seasons of strong production and history as a locker room leader, making him an attractive get for the Devils new affiliate. Whether he can turn this opportunity into an NHL deal next season though remains to be seen.
  • Similarly, defenseman Luke Green has been unable to find a new NHL deal after he was not qualified by the Winnipeg Jets this summer. However, Green could not land an AHL gig either. The 23-year-old has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, per the league’s registry. After two years in the AHL and one season in Finland without any production, Green has to prove that he is more than just his junior numbers in the QMJHL by finding some sustained success in the pros.
  • Fredrik Handemark’s stay in Russia has been even shorter than it was in North America. After coming over from Sweden last season and playing in eight games with the San Jose Sharks and another 14 in the AHL, it was somewhat surprising to see Handemark head back to Europe this off-season. However, he was at least heading to one of the best teams outside of the NHL in KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg. Yet, just 15 games into his contract with SKA and despite having totaled six points already, Handemark and the club have agreed to a mutual termination of his contract, St. Petersburg announced. Swedish source Expressen reports that Handemark is expected to return to the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, where he was captain for several years before jumping to San Jose, and is likely to sign a long-term deal. At 28, Handemark’s days in the NHL (and any other league) are likely over if this is the case.

Snapshots: McAvoy, Kravtsov, Comeau

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Boston Bruins president Cam Neely set off a wave of excitement among fans today when he told reporters including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that the team hopes to “see something here in short order” regarding a Charlie McAvoy contract extension, but don’t assume the deal is done just yet. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that talks are ongoing but there is work to be done, and general manager Don Sweeney clarified by saying nothing is imminent.

If the Bruins do extend McAvoy in the coming months, you can bet the six-year, $57.5MM deal that Zach Werenski signed earlier this offseason will have been used as a comparable. The two took very similar paths to the league, playing two years of college hockey before jumping directly into the NHL, have registered points at a similar rate, and even signed almost identical three-year bridge deals ($15MM for Werenski, $14.7MM for McAvoy). Werenski is currently set to carry the third-highest cap hit among defensemen–$9.58MM–for the 2022-23 season when his extension kicks in.

  • Vitali Kravtsov and his representatives were given permission to seek a trade after he was sent to the AHL again, but it’s not like the New York Rangers are just going to give him away for free. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that while Kravtsov is willing to play in the AHL for another organization, the Rangers are expecting “the potential of a top-six talent” in return for the young forward. Now 21, Kravtsov was the ninth overall pick in 2018 and has four points in 20 career NHL games.
  • The Dallas Stars have placed Blake Comeau on injured reserve retroactive to October 7, according to Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News. The 35-year-old scored just four goals and 14 points in 51 games last season but was still likely to have a spot on the Stars opening night roster if healthy, as a bottom-six defensive option. The team will have to fill that spot and the one belonging to Jason Robertson, who also isn’t currently traveling with the team as they visit the New York Rangers tomorrow night. Both Comeau and Robertson could join the group later on the road trip according to DeFranks. The Stars aren’t set to play their first home game until October 22, the fifth game of the season.

Marcus Johansson Out Indefinitely With Lower-Body Injury

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The Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season hasn’t gotten off to the smoothest start. After a handful of players hit the COVID protocol only for most of them to be cleared just before the game last night, Marcus Johansson–one of the players to be cleared and play–has suffered a lower-body injury and will be out indefinitely. Johansson has been moved to injured reserve. The team has also swapped Kole Lind and Alexander True between the AHL and NHL rosters, with the former joining the Kraken for their journey to Nashville.

Johansson played more than 16 minutes last night, actually logging the sixth-most ice time among the team’s forwards. Now that he’s out, the team will have to reorganize their lines and find another option for the powerplay. The 31-year-old forward signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Kraken this offseason after a disappointing season with the Minnesota Wild, but has long been a reliable two-way option that can play up and down the lineup.

With Calle Jarnkrok still listed in the COVID protocol, Yanni Gourde still working his way back and Johansson now shelved with an injury, the team is already getting thin on capable NHL forwards. This is the difficult part about having only a partial minor league affiliate, as the Kraken only actually have five forwards (not including Lind) in the AHL to draw from, meaning a rash of injuries could put them in a very tough spot. For now, things can be handled with a few recalls, but if many more serious injuries happen look for the Kraken to make a waiver claim, trade, or free agent signing to add to the group. Alex Barre-Boulet, exactly that kind of addition, was not active for last night’s game but could make his Seattle debut in the coming days now that there is another open spot.

Arizona Coyotes Expected To Sign Anson Thornton

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Oct 13: The Coyotes have officially announced the contract, with GM Bill Armstrong releasing the following statement:

We are very pleased to sign Anson. He is a big, athletic goaltender who displayed tremendous poise and calmness in net for us during camp. We look forward to watching him continue to develop.”

Oct 11: How about earning an NHL contract before ever playing a game at the major junior level? That’s exactly what Anson Thornton appears to be doing, after an impressive training camp with the Arizona Coyotes. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports tweets that the Coyotes are close to signing Thornton to an entry-level contract. He adds that the deal will breakdown as follows:

  • 2021-2022: $810K NHL salary, $70K AHL salary $10.5K junior salary, $60K signing bonus
  • 2022-2023: $810K NHL salary, $70K AHL salary $10.5K junior salary, $60K signing bonus
  • 2023-2024: $840K NHL salary, $70K AHL salary, $65K signing bonus

Now 18, Thornton was sent back to the Sarnia Sting earlier this month after participating in the Coyotes rookie camp, earning himself a PTO to attend main camp, and even securing a win in a preseason match. All that came before he ever actually suited up for the Sting, given the OHL did not operate during 2020-21. The third-overall pick in the OHL’s U18 Priority Draft, the 6’3″ netminder also hasn’t played through the team’s first two games, ceding the net to Benjamin Gaudreau, a San Jose Sharks third-round draft pick.

Thornton meanwhile wasn’t picked at all this fall, but obviously impressed the Coyotes enough to earn an entry-level deal as a free agent. There’s obviously quite a bit of development still to do, but the young netminder has certainly done everything he can to secure a professional career to this point. For the Coyotes, who are in a full rebuild, adding talent wherever possible is important.

Dennis Cholowski Placed On Waivers

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The Seattle Kraken have placed defenseman Dennis Cholowski on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Kraken got good news on several players that were in the COVID protocol just ahead of their game last night, meaning Cholowski–who started the year on the injured/non-roster list–isn’t needed right away, and will likely be assigned to the minor leagues should he clear.

Cholowski was expected to play last night for the Kraken until Jamie Oleksiak cleared at the last minute, making it curious how he was even moved to the non-roster list at all. The team could have submitted him to waivers with the purpose of assigning him to the AHL, which would force them to send him down at least temporarily should he clear. While that may have not been the ideal situation for the team, they were going to have to waive defensemen eventually after collecting so many in the offseason.

Without him on the roster, the team is still carrying eight options at the position. William Borgen and Carson Soucy were both scratched last night, but either is more than capable of stepping into the lineup if needed. They also likely pose more of a waiver claim risk, even with Soucy’s $2.75MM contract. After Cholowski’s disappointing 2020-21, he very well could clear unscathed.

A first-round pick in 2016, the 23-year-old defenseman has not developed the way the Detroit Red Wings hoped and finds himself battling to even stay in the NHL. The Kraken are currently sharing the Charlotte Checkers as they wait for their own AHL affiliate to start play in 2022-23, meaning that’s where Cholowski would likely end up should he go unclaimed.

Philadelphia Flyers Claim Zack MacEwen

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The Philadelphia Flyers have claimed another player off waivers, this time grabbing Zack MacEwen from the Vancouver Canucks. The Flyers added Patrick Brown earlier this week.

MacEwen was basically pushed out of the Canucks’ lineup by Alex Chiasson, who finally signed an NHL contract after attending training camp. The 25-year-old forward has never shown much offensive upside at the NHL level with just nine points in 55 games, but does bring a high level of physicality and size. The 6’3″ power forward recorded 65 hits in 34 games for the Canucks last season despite averaging fewer than nine minutes a game, racking up 44 penalty minutes in the process.

Undrafted, he actually has shown a strong offensive touch in the minor leagues, scoring 22 goals and 52 points in the 2018-19 season. But MacEwen isn’t being brought into Philadelphia to play in the top six or the powerplay. Instead, if he gets into the lineup at all he’ll likely be a fourth-line player. The question now is how he fits in, given Brown’s recent addition. Both have experience at center and could be in direct competition for ice time while the team continues to deal with the absence of Kevin Hayes. Hayes was included on the team’s opening night roster but has been moved to long-term injured reserve as he recovers from core muscle surgery.

Both claims, Brown and MacEwen, would need to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the minor leagues. Should the Flyers place them on waivers, their previous teams would have a chance to nab them and send them directly to the AHL, should they be the only team to submit a claim.

Mikko Lehtonen Suspended; One Of Four Players On Waivers

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Oct 13: MacEwen was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers, but the other three have cleared.

Oct 12: The Columbus Blue Jackets have suspended Mikko Lehtonen for failing to report to the AHL after he was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters this week. The team has also placed him on unconditional waivers and will terminate his contract. Lehtonen isn’t alone though, as the Chicago Blackhawks have also placed Matej Chalupa on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Zack MacEwen of the Vancouver Canucks and C.J. Suess of the Winnipeg Jets are also on regular waivers.

Lehtonen, 27, was expected to make a big impact at the NHL level after putting up strong numbers in the KHL, even winning that league’s Defenseman of the Year award in 2020. Instead, he struggled to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis and then was sent to Columbus, where he signed a new one-year, $900K deal this offseason but still failed to make the team out of camp. Instead of going to the AHL, he’ll likely head back overseas where he can once again star as a top-four puck-mover. His NHL career could very well end with just 26 games and six points.

Chalupa meanwhile is just 23, but apparently isn’t going to spend another year in the minors trying to establish himself as a call-up option for Chicago. He played 27 games for the Rockford IceHogs last season and scored seven points, but he too is likely headed back overseas. Both contracts will come entirely off the books for the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks.

MacEwen, 25, will lose his spot to Alex Chiasson, who the Canucks signed today to a one-year deal. The depth forward has actually played in 55 games for the Canucks over the last three seasons, but isn’t much of an offensive contributor at the NHL level and is unlikely to be claimed.

The same can be said about Suess, who has just one NHL game under his belt and is likely headed to the Manitoba Moose. Suess has been dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout training camp and won’t even be the first call-up option for the Jets this season.

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