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Archives for August 2022

Minor Transactions: 08/29/22

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The calendar is about to turn to September and training camp is right around the corner. Still, there are several NHL free agents still available and AHL rosters to fill out. As always, we’ll keep track of any notable minor transactions that take place, even in the dog days of summer.

  • The Cleveland Monsters have signed Justin Richards to a one-year, AHL contract. The undrafted forward played one game for the New York Rangers in 2020-21 but has been stuck in the minor leagues ever since. In 67 appearances last year with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he scored 14 points.
  • Nikolai Chebykin, who still appears on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ reserve list, was traded in the KHL and will play for Vladivostok this season. The 25-year-old was a seventh-round pick in 2016 who never came to North America, meaning his NHL rights will be held indefinitely.
  • The Calgary Wranglers have signed three forwards to two-way, AHL/ECHL deals, getting Matt Marcinew, Lucas Feuk, and Calder Brooks inked. Marcinew spent last season overseas playing in Finland and Sweden, while Brooks was mostly with the Rapid City Rush. Feuk, by far the youngest of the three, was a fourth-round pick of the Flames in 2019 and will be entering his first professional season in North America.

San Jose Sharks Sign Jonah Gadjovich

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After reporters last week indicated that talks were getting close between the San Jose Sharks and Jonah Gadjovich, the restricted free agent has apparently come to terms with the club. The two sides have agreed to a one-year, two-way contract; CapFriendly reports it will pay the young forward $750K in the NHL, $120K in the AHL, and includes a $150K minor league guarantee.

Gadjovich, 23, was claimed off waivers at the start of last season by the Sharks, after failing to make the Vancouver Canucks roster out of camp. The 2017 second-round pick provided basically no offense, scoring just one goal and three points in 43 games but still managed to become something of a fan favorite due to his incredibly physical game.

The 6’2″ winger racked up 104 hits and 74 penalty minutes despite averaging fewer than nine minutes of ice time a night, racking up ten fighting majors in the process.

It’s that physicality, combined with some sneaky-good goal-scoring ability that made Gadjovich such a high pick, though he hasn’t shown any of the latter so far at the NHL level. In his last AHL season, however, the big winger did have 15 goals in 19 games, continuing to put the puck in the net at a high rate.

If the Sharks can coax any of that ability out of him in the coming years, they could have a valuable contributor for their bottom six. Otherwise, they’ll have to decide if a dressing pseudo-enforcer is possible in today’s NHL.

It is worth noting that despite his limited minutes, Gadjovich did actually still attempt 69 shots but only hit the net on 36 of those and then had an incredibly low shooting percentage of just 2.8%. If that happens to be more unlucky than skill-based, there may be some upside if given a bigger opportunity in the lineup this season.

2008 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
2nd Overall: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings (2)
3rd Overall: Roman Josi, Atlanta Thrashers (38)

The 2020 Norris Trophy winner was able to edge out a couple of other elite defensemen, as more than 46% of our readers felt Josi was the right choice at third overall. Comparing him to the Zach Bogosian pick that the Thrashers actually went with will certainly drive Winnipeg Jets fans crazy, as Josi has spent his entire career to this point with the team that picked him and is coming off a 96-point campaign that puts him at the very top of the list for offensive seasons by defensemen in the salary cap era.

After Stamkos, Doughty, and Josi come off the board, we move to fourth overall which was held by the St. Louis Blues.

Despite his name not coming up in the first three picks of our redraft, the Blues have never regretted their selection of Alex Pietrangelo. After watching Doughty and Bogosian go off the board, the Blues decided to go another defenseman and selected the King City, Ontario native who had just put up 13 goals and 53 points with the Niagara IceDogs.

Pietrangelo, who actually played with Stamkos on the same summer league minor hockey team, had been a top prospect in the Toronto area for a long time and was seen as a much more well-rounded option than some of the other defensemen available at that point. He had been ranked fifth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and seemed like a potential franchise defenseman that would have been in the running for an even higher pick in some weaker years.

That’s exactly what the Blues got, though it did take a little bit of time for Pietrangelo to actually get there. Unlike Doughty and Bogosian, who both went to the NHL as teenage defensemen, Pietrangelo would only play a handful of games before being sent back to the OHL in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. By the time he arrived full-time in 2010-11, he was pretty much a finished product and scored 11 goals and 43 points while logging 22 minutes a night.

He would have an “A” on his sweater by his fourth season (the same year he won an Olympic gold medal) and would eventually take over as captain of the Blues in 2016.

One of the most consistent two-way defenders in the league, Pietrangelo has 517 points in 879 career regular season games and has averaged nearly 25 minutes. He led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019, even scoring the championship-clinching goal.

Because of that Cup, St. Louis likely wouldn’t trade that pick for anything. But would they have been better off with someone else? Would that Blues team have been even more dangerous with another player?

With the fourth pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, who should the St. Louis Blues select? Cast your vote below.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Hayden Hodgson

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After working his way up from the low minors to earn an NHL contract last season, Hayden Hodgson has cashed in again. The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Hodgson to a two-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $800K in the NHL. The deal is two-way in 2022-23, meaning he will earn a lower number when playing in the AHL, and one-way in 2023-24.

If you want a story of perseverance, look no further than the 26-year-old Hodgson, who was a third-round pick in his OHL draft, went undrafted by NHL teams, and spent parts of four seasons in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular in 2021-22.

Because of his outstanding play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he earned an NHL contract in March and played six games with the Flyers down the stretch, scoring three points and racking up 11 penalty minutes.

The 6’2″ winger blends skill, work ethic, and physicality to provide a pretty interesting late-blooming package, one that has a chance to play more regular minutes with the Flyers this season.

Landing a one-way contract is no joke for a player who had bounced around the ECHL up until a year ago, playing for the Florida Everblades, Manchester Monarchs, Wichita Thunder, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, and Utah Grizzlies (not to mention Detva HC of the Slovak league) between stints in the AHL.

It also takes care of the last remaining RFA for the Flyers, who signed Wade Allison and Linus Hogberg yesterday.

Pacific Notes: Weegar, Flames, Stone

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The Calgary Flames quickly signed newcomer Jonathan Huberdeau to an extension after acquiring him from the Florida Panthers, and will now try to do the same with MacKenzie Weegar, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Weegar met with Flames general manager Brad Treliving last week and both sides apparently have had good discussions about a long-term extension. Calgary, says Pagnotta, hopes to have something done by training camp or at the very latest, the start of the regular season.

  • On the same NHL Network appearance, Pagnotta also noted that the Flames are still looking to add another free agent forward, mentioning Evan Rodrigues and Sonny Milano in particular. Rodrigues had 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games last season, while Milano racked up 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games.
  • When Jackie Spiegel’s latest piece came out for NHL.com, examining the health of Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel, one line caught the attention of many fans. It read that Mark Stone would miss training camp as he continues to recover from back surgery in May. Golden Knights insider Gary Lawless tried to clarify, noting that just because the team has indicated that Stone would be ready for the start of the regular season, it doesn’t necessarily mean he will be missing training camp. A return to full health for Stone would be a huge boost for Vegas, after he was limited to just 37 games last season.

Prospect Notes: Dickinson, Hamara, Lindgren

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The Niagara IceDogs have had a tumultuous 12 months, and things aren’t slowing down. The OHL team will not have top pick Sam Dickinson in camp according to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, confirming earlier reporting from Matt Young of OHL Tonight.

Dickinson, the fourth-overall pick in this year’s OHL draft, was also picked late by the Chicago Steel of the USHL and could see his CHL rights traded to the London Knights according to Young. Both powerhouse organizations are known for being able to recruit talented youngsters, given their elite development programs.

  • The Kitchener Rangers, meanwhile, announced some good news today by signing Tomas Hamara to a standard contract. The Ottawa Senators third-round pick was the 26th selection in the CHL Import Draft and will come over from Finland, where he has played the last several years. The Czech-born defenseman signed his entry-level contract with Ottawa in July.
  • Speaking of 2022 draft picks, Buffalo Sabres prospect Mats Lindgren (son of former NHL forward Mats Lindgren), has been traded from the Kamloops Blazers to the Red Deer Rebels for the upcoming WHL season. Lingren was the 106th player selected last month, joining a Sabres prospect pool that is loaded with young talent.

Arizona Coyotes Promote Lee Stempniak

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The Arizona Coyotes have promoted long-time NHL forward Lee Stempniak to director of player development, after he joined the front office last year as a hockey data strategist.

General manager Bill Armstrong released the following:

We are very pleased to name Lee as our new director of player development. Lee was a hard-working player who had a very good career. He understands what it takes to get to the NHL and we are confident that he will do an excellent job developing our players.

Stempniak, 39, ended his playing career in 2019 after more than 900 games at the NHL level, including parts of two seasons with the Coyotes. A deadline swap seemingly every year, he played on ten different squads over his 14-year career, most notably with the St. Louis Blues, where he reached a career-high 52 points in 2006-07.

In his new role, he will oversee the development of the team’s drafted prospects, along with those in the minor league system.

Hamilton Bulldogs Hire Laura Fortino

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The first female assistant coach in OHL history will be Laura Fortino, who was officially given a full-time position with the Hamilton Bulldogs today. Fortino will not only serve as an assistant coach but also as the team’s director of player development.

Bulldogs general manager Steve Staios released the following:

We are incredibly excited to welcome Laura to our Hamilton Bulldogs family. Laura exudes the passion, character and leadership that we covet in Hamilton. We have witnessed firsthand through our training and development camps over the years, her ability to coach and mentor players. Laura’s playing experience and success speaks for itself, she has been an instrumental part on many Championship teams and undoubtably will carry on that success as a Coach.

Fortino, 31, is a decorated athlete, with Olympic and World Championship gold medals, a CWHL title, and two nominations for the Patty Kazmaier Award. The Hamilton native has been part of the PWHPA for the last several seasons, and had been helping with the Bulldogs’ camps in the past.

The Bulldogs, led by head coach Jay McKee, reached the Memorial Cup final this season, after winning the OHL Championship. The powerhouse club, which included Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish, went 51-12-5 during the regular season.

While that success may be difficult to replicate next season, the program has celebrated two championships in four years and has done a great job preparing young players for the professional level.

Victoria Royals Hire Morgan Klimchuk

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Selected 28th overall, with the pick the Calgary Flames received for Jarome Iginla, Morgan Klimchuk will join the group of players that only ever played a single NHL game. The 27-year-old has joined the coaching staff of the Victoria Royals of the WHL, signaling a definite end to his professional career.

Klimchuk last played during the 2019-20 season with the Belleville Senators, scoring 12 goals and 26 points in 49 games. In 2021-22 he coached U15 prep players at Edge School, a private athletic academy outside of Calgary. Through 274 AHL games, he scored 62 goals and 133 points.

While he has quite a bit of work ahead of him, these kinds of early retirement stories can lead to extremely young head coaches at the professional level. Klimchuk was picked in the same round as Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov, for instance, players who are still right in their prime on the ice.

Five Key Stories: 8/22/22 – 8/28/22

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The final full week of August often marks the start of the final push to get contracts done with training camps now just a few weeks away.  That was indeed the case from the past seven days as the majority of the top stories were on the signing front although there was a notable one on the business side of things as well.

Bridge For Zadina: With Filip Zadina having another up and down season with Detroit last season, a bridge deal was expected.  In the end, that’s what he received as he inked a three-year deal that carries a $1.825MM AAV.  The sixth-overall pick in 2018, Zadina had 10 goals and 14 assists in 74 games with the Red Wings last season which isn’t where he was supposed to be after being a top scorer in junior.  This deal gives Detroit a chance to continue to bring him along slowly and evaluate him at a relatively low cost.  The 22-year-old will still have one year of RFA eligibility remaining at the end of this contract and will be owed a $2.19MM qualifying offer along with salary arbitration rights.

Texier Won’t Play With Columbus: After being granted a leave of absence for the final two months of 2021-22 following the deaths of two family members, it was expected that Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier would be back in the lineup with Columbus next season.  However, that won’t be the case as instead, the team announced that the 22-year-old won’t join the team at all next season.  Instead, an agreement has been worked out between Columbus, Texier, the NHL, and the NHLPA which will result in Texier being suspended for the season while allowing him to sign a one-year deal with Zurich of the Swiss NLA to play closer to home.  The Blue Jackets won’t incur any salary cap charges for Texier next season while the one year remaining on his contract is expected to roll over to 2023-24.

Stastny To Hurricanes: With Max Pacioretty heading for LTIR for most of the season, Carolina had the ability to use some of his cap hit to look for a replacement player.  They did just that as they signed veteran center Paul Stastny to a one-year, $1.5MM contract that also contains $500K in bonuses if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.  The 36-year-old is coming off a quality season in Winnipeg that saw him record 21 goals and 24 assists in 71 games and certainly left money on the table to join Carolina.  He will give them a quality backup plan if Jesperi Kotkaniemi isn’t ready to move into the center spot on the second line following the departure of Vincent Trocheck and with 103 career playoff games under his belt, he’ll be one of their most experienced postseason performers.

Islanders Sign Three: The Islanders took care of their NHL restricted free agents as they announced new deals for winger Kieffer Bellows plus defensemen Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson.  Bellows received a one-year, $1.2MM deal on the heels of a 19-point season, his first with regular NHL action.  Romanov, meanwhile, inked a three-year contract that carries a $2.5MM AAV.  He was New York’s big acquisition this summer after being acquired at the draft from Montreal along with a fourth-round selection in exchange for their first-round pick and will be tasked with locking down a spot in their top four.  As for Dobson, his contract was also for three years at a $4MM AAV.  He is coming off a breakout year that saw him put up 51 points in 80 games while logging over 21 minutes a night.  While the cap hit is certainly a bargain for that production, the term of the deal takes him a year away from UFA eligibility which does carry some risk.

Kessel To Vegas: Phil Kessel will take aim at the NHL ironman record in the opening month of the season as a member of the Golden Knights after Vegas signed him to a one-year, $1.5MM deal.  The 34-year-old had just eight goals with Arizona last season but still managed 44 assists.  The Golden Knights lost some offensive depth on the wing with the departures of Max Pacioretty, Evgenii Dadonov, and Mattias Janmark so Kessel will help to replace some of that lost offense.  In order to afford him, they are dipping into the cap space freed up following the loss of Robin Lehner and his $5MM AAV for all of next season following hip surgery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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