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Stefan Matteau Signs AHL Contract

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After failing to see any time in the NHL last season, Stefan Matteau has settled for an AHL deal this time around. The 25-year old forward has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Monsters. Matteau qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency after playing last season with the Chicago Wolves.

Originally a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Matteau actually jumped directly into the NHL as a teenager. Playing 17 games with the Devils before heading to junior during the 2012-13 season, the big forward seemed to be on track to quickly become a key part of their forward group. Even the next year playing with the Albany Devils things still seemed on the right track, as Matteau scored 26 points in 67 games as one of the youngest players in the AHL. Unfortunately he was unable to ever really take that next step, and found himself shipped to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly in 2016.

From there, the young forward has found himself in the minor leagues for entire seasons save for eight games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18. While he is still a decent AHL player he never became the dominant power forward that some believed he could be. Now with just 64 NHL games under his belt and an AHL contract in his pocket, he’ll have to really take another step forward if he’s ever to make it back to the best league in the world.

Minor Transactions: 08/22/19

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As the RFA market shows signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:

  • The Binghamton Devils have signed Eamon McAdam to a one-year, AHL contract. The 24-year old goaltender was in the Toronto Maple Leafs system last season but failed to receive a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. McAdam split time between the Toronto Marlies and Newfoundland Growlers, suiting up for 19 games for each team. Selected in the third round six years ago, he has yet to make his NHL debut.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack have signed Zach Tolkinen to an AHL contract, bringing back the veteran ECHL defenseman after he got his first taste of the AHL last season on a loan. Tolkinen played nine games with Hartford but was held scoreless, serving most of the season as the captain of the Maine Mariners.
  • Veteran winger T.J. Hensick has signed an ECHL contract with Toledo.  The veteran of over 100 NHL games and 600 AHL contests split last season between the Walleye and San Jose of the AHL.  Despite picking up an impressive 20 points in 23 games with the Barracuda, he was unable to secure an AHL deal for the upcoming season.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/19

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As the RFA market shows signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:

  • The Stockton Heat have signed four players, inking Terrance Amorosa, Zach Osburn, Matthew Gaudreau and Mitch Hults to one-year, two-way minor league contracts. Gaudreau is the name that will stick out to Calgary Flames fans for obvious reasons, as he is the younger brother of star forward Johnny Gaudreau. The 24-year old has spent the last two seasons with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL while getting a handful of games at the AHL level.
  • Jonathan Martin’s entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks expired earlier this summer and the team opted not to extend him a qualifying offer. Despite scoring 28 points in 57 AHL games last season, it seems other NHL teams weren’t enamored with the forward either. Martin has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, the team announced. The 23-year-old will look to work his way back into NHL consideration with a strong perfromance this season.
  • Kelly Cup champion Derian Plouffe has signed with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, leaving the Toronto Marlies/Newfoundland Growlers after just one full season in professional hockey. Plouffe put up 23 points in 56 games with the Growlers and took home the championship after spending four years at Niagara University. Fellow former Growler Gabriel Gagne has also left the Maple Leafs organization, as the former Ottawa Senators prospect has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. The towering power forward recorded 16 points in 55 AHL games last season and is a major addition for Allen.
  • Connor Moynihan won’t be playing for the Rockford IceHogs this season, instead signing an ECHL deal with the Tulsa Oilers. The Oilers decided to bring in both Connor and his brother Danny Moynihan, who actually retired from professional hockey temporarily because of a heart condition. He returns after a year off and last played with the Utica Comets and Kalamazoo Wings in 2017-18.
  • The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that forward Tanner Pond has signed a two-way deal with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Pond played in a career-high 46 AHL games with the Providence Bruins last year, playing a reliable energy role. He’ll look to carve out a regular role for himself again in the coming season with Bridgeport.
  • Thomas Beretta has transferred to the University of Vermont after three seasons at Michigan Tech. The senior forward is looking for a fresh start after missing more than half of the 2018-19 season due to injury. His scoring pace was the greatest of his collegiate career last season though, so if he can adjust to the tougher competition of the Hockey East Conference, he could be in for a breakout campaign just prior to becoming a free agent next summer.

Minor Transactions: 08/20/19

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Even while the biggest news of the day revolves around unsigned restricted free agents like Matthew Tkachuk and Mitch Marner, teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:

  • The Hartford Wolf Pack have officially signed Jeff Taylor to an AHL contract, bringing in the 25-year old defenseman after he spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Taylor didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Penguins organization this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He recorded eight points and 33 penalty minutes last season.
  • 17-year old forward Michael Posma has announced his commitment to Boston College for the 2020-21 season. After being selected three times in the USHL draft he is expected to play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders this year before joining BC. In 27 games last season at the high school level, Posma recorded 46 points. He is eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
  • Ryan Verbeek is back from a one-year stint overseas playing in France and will join the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. The nephew of former NHL forward Pat Verbeek, Ryan hasn’t had quite the same smooth path in his hockey career. Nevertheless he’ll start his North American professional journey this season, coincidentally (or not) with the ECHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings where his uncle serves as assistant GM.

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend AHL Affiliation

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a multi-year extension with the Cleveland Monsters, keeping them as their AHL affiliate for the foreseeable future. Blue Jackets’ assistant GM Bill Zito explained why they made the decision to extend:

The partnership has been very successful for both organizations and markets over the past four years and we look forward to having our top prospects continue their development in Cleveland.

When Cleveland started their affiliation with Columbus in 2015-16, they immediately experienced the most success the franchise had ever seen. Going 43-22-11 under head coach Jared Bednar, the team won the Calder Cup championship after an impressive playoff run. That group—still known as the Lake Erie Monsters at the time—was led by some incredible postseason performances by a trio of youngsters including Lukas Sedlak, Oliver Bjorkstrand and 18-year old Zach Werenski. The team also included current Blue Jackets’ like Josh Anderson, Sonny Milano and Markus Hannikainen.

It’s that development success that makes this extension so important for the Blue Jackets, especially given the geographical proximity of the Monsters. Teams all across the NHL are trying to bring their AHL affiliates closer to home in order to take advantage of cap savings and emergency recalls, as well as giving their young players a chance to practice with the veterans at various times throughout the year. There are countless benefits from having a strong partnership with your primary minor league club, and this one has been quite fruitful for the Blue Jackets.

Rob O’Gara Signs With AHL San Antonio

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Once a highly-touted prospect, it looks as though defenseman Rob O’Gara will need to work his way back into the NHL. Newsday’s Colin Stephenson reports that O’Gara has signed with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 26-year-old was a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer after failing to play in 80+ NHL games through his first three pro seasons. Yet, 2018-19 was his first campaign without any NHL action.

A late-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2011, O’Gara played four seasons at Yale University and grew into one of the most effective two-way defenders in the NCAA during that time. He signed with Boston in 2016 and immediately became a key player at the AHL level and also made three NHL appearances. He played in eight more NHL games for the Bruins the following season, but was traded to his hometown New York Rangers in exchange for Nick Holden. O’Gara finished the season with the Rangers, playing in 22 games down the stretch and looking like a candidate for a regular role moving forward.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things played out this past season. O’Gara was cut from training camp and never re-emerged as a top recall option, even as the Rangers struggled. O’Gara was a solid defensive presence for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, but didn’t take advantage of a full year in the minors with an improved offensive contribution. As such, the local product did not earn a new deal with New York and seemingly was unable to find a two-way role with any other NHL team. In San Antonio, he will have to reassert himself as a legitimate NHL option with a consistent, well-rounded game if he hopes to one day make it back to the top level.

Beau Starrett Signs With Bakersfield Condors

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With this year’s big fish of the college free agent market, Chase Priskie, off the board after signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, Cornell University forward Beau Starrett became arguably the top name remaining. Well, he is now under contract as well, albeit not in the NHL. The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have announced a one-year deal with Starrett for the 2019-20 season. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect is still available for an NHL team to sign, but the parent club Edmonton Oilers have the right of first refusal.

The signing has added meaning for the Oilers organization, as Starrett’s brother, Shane Starrett, is a goalie in the system. Shane was an undrafted product who played just two dominant seasons at the Air Force Academy before signing an entry-level contract with Edmonton in 2017. The 25-year-old was stellar in the AHL last season and looks to have a reasonable case for NHL opportunity sooner rather than later. Signing his brother could be added recognition of Edmonton’s commitment to the promising netminder.

Beau did not have as strong a college experience as his brother, though. Despite being the higher-rated prospect of the two, as evidenced by his selection by the Blackhawks in the third round in 2014, Starrett failed to live up to the hype at Cornell. In four seasons with the Big Red, Starrett failed to ever surpass 15 points in a season. Although his eight goals as a senior matched his first three seasons combined, Starrett’s offensive upside at the pro level remains unknown. It could be that the 23-year-old, who was once a star at the junior level in Massachusetts, simply has failed to pan out and will be more of a defensive forward at the next level, or perhaps Cornell was not the right place for his development and the Oilers see more to his game than the Blackhawks did. This season in Bakersfield will be telling as to what to expect from the younger Starrett moving forward, but it’s a risk-free addition to the Edmonton organization as, at worst, it will at least make their third-string goalie happy.

Minor Transactions: 08/19/19

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It’s the dog days of summer, and while many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, major NHL signings are few and far between. Yet, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed John Wiitala to a one-year AHL contract, giving him his first opportunity at the professional level. Wiitala played four years at Ohio State University, scoring 17 points in 36 games as a senior. The undersized forward will try to help the Americans repeat their excellent 2018-19 season which ended in a 46-23-7 record.
  • Ara Nazarian has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Binghamton Devils, following four years at the University of New Hampshire. The 23-year old forward scored 12 goals and 23 points in 33 games as a senior and will get a chance to test himself at the next level.
  • Nashville Predators draft pick Vladislav Yeryomenko has signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL, ending any speculation that he might sign an entry-level deal in the NHL. The 20-year old defenseman was picked 151st overall in 2018 and played the last three seasons in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen. The Predators will now hold Yeryomenko’s draft rights indefinitely.

Minor Transactions: 08/18/19

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It’s the dog days of summer, and while many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, major NHL signings are few and far between. Yet, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • Northeastern University landed a pair of high-quality graduate transfers last week in University of New Hampshire forward Brendan van Riemsdyk and Merrimack College goalie Craig Pantano, both of whom are expected to be major contributors. However, they’ve also now suffered a loss. After two disappointing seasons to begin his collegiate career, center Bobby Hampton has opted to leave the program, reports USCHO. Hampton will enroll at Penn State University and will join the Nittany Lions for the 2020-21 season with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining. Hampton joined Northeastern in 2017 with high expectations after leading the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Rough Riders in scoring the season prior, but recorded just seven points combined in his first two college seasons.
  • Trevor Yates had up and down between the AHL and ECHL last season and he’s already well on his way to a similar start to the 2019-20 campaign. After signing with the ECHL’s Reading Royals on Friday, Jason Guarente of the Reading Eagle already reports that Yates will be in camp with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, trying to instead earn an AHL contract, with Lehigh or elsewhere. A former star for the Cornell University Big Red, Yates’ pro career got off to a slow start last year, but he finished strong with a point-per-game stretch in the ECHL. The 24-year-old forward has the size and intelligence to be a key two-way forward in the AHL or, as he slowed late last season, a top-line forward at the “AA” level.
  • The AHL’s Manitoba Moose have re-signed defenseman Charles-David Beaudoin to a one-year extension, the team announced. Beaudoin has played a part-time role for the Moose in each of the past two seasons, recording 15 points combined over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old righty took an unorthodox route to the AHL, spending two years at the University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres after his QMJHL junior career before jumping from USports to the pros, and will look to take on a larger role in his third AHL season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Carolina Hurricanes

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Carolina Hurricanes

Current Cap Hit: $79,004,791 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Andrei Svechnikov (two years, $925K)
F Martin Necas (three years, $863K)
D Jake Bean (two years, $863K)
F Warren Foegele (one year, $747K)

Potential Bonuses:

Svechnikov: $2.65MM
Necas: $538K
Bean: $500K
Foegele: $20K

With a system full of top prospects, the Hurricanes got an impressive rookie season from Svechnikov, drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018, last season and now will have a top-six option for another two years at an entry-level cost. At 18 years old, he tallied 20 goals and 37 points and should be in line for more playing time and bigger numbers this season as a 19-year-old and could eventually become the franchise winger the team needs long-term. The Hurricanes also have high hopes for Necas to step in and take big role next season at the center position. The 2017 first-rounder had an impressive season for the Calder Cup Champion Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and could provide Carolina with some cheap talent.

Bean, the team’s first-rounder in 2016, has only made two appearances for Carolina, but could get a chance to take a much bigger role after a strong season with Charlotte, which saw his skills take that next step. The 23-year-old Foegele began to show off his offensive skill over the course of the season in Carolina. He scored 10 goals and 15 points during the regular season, but was even more impressive in the playoffs with five goals and nine points in just 15 games. If he can take his game up a notch, the Hurricanes could have an even more impressive offense next season.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Justin Faulk ($4.83MM, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk ($2.3MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($874K, RFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($850K, RFA)
F Brian Gibbons ($725K, UFA)
F Clark Bishop ($700K, RFA)
F Lucas Wallmark ($675K, RFA)

There were rumors that suggested that talks between Carolina and Faulk were no where close on a potential extension and others that said negotiations were promising, however, Faulk could be a legitimate trade candidate if the team can’t eventually work out an extension. The 27-year-old Faulk had a solid season both defensively as he was finally in the positive on his plus/minus for the first time in his career, while also adding 11 goals and 35 points. However, with a number of young defensemen who are waiting for a chance to get an opportunity in Carolina, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Carolina unload him at the trade deadline.

Haula is an interesting acquisition. The 28-year-old was coming off a 29-goal season in Vegas’ inaugural season, but then suffered a gruesome knee injury and never returned. In the end, he played just 15 games, although he was close to returning late in the season with many believing that he would have been available had the Golden Knights had gotten deeper into the playoffs. If he can prove to be healthy, Haula might prove to be one of the best acquisitions of the year. Whether the Hurricanes will re-sign him will obviously depend on how he fares next season.

The team might be ready to move on from van Riemsdyk, who has served as a bottom pairing defenseman, but probably makes too much at $2.3MM to keep around long term, especially since Fleury hasn’t really had a true chance to prove himself and could be a better option at his price.

Two Years Remaining

D Dougie Hamilton ($5.75MM, UFA)
G James Reimer ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Dzingel ($3.38MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.13MM, UFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Martinook ($2MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($738K, RFA)

The team has a number of interesting contracts with two years left, including their entire goaltending situation. The team has Mrazek, who put together a stellar season after years of inconsistency, and new backup Reimer as the new tandem with their top prospect in Nedeljkovic close to ready to step into the lineup. All three will likely stay this season as Nedeljkovic is waiver exempt and likely will just stay in the AHL. However, if he can prove in training camp that he’s ready for the back-up role, few would be surprised if the team found a way to unload Reimer, who had a terrible season last year in Florida.

Despite hearing constant rumors that Carolina was shopping Hamilton around this offseason, it looks like the Hurricanes will have the veteran defenseman for another season. He put up solid numbers, scoring 18 goals an 39 points and is solid defensively, but he could eventually be a trade candidate, perhaps as early as the trade deadline if the team struggles and can’t reproduce the same success it had a season ago. The team also hopes that they can get Dzingel to provide the same type of offense he was producing in Ottawa, rather than his struggles in Columbus. However, he should provide solid value at his pricetag and fit in nicely as a middle-six option.

Three Years Remaining

F Nino Niederreiter ($5.25MM, UFA)

It might have been the trade of the year when the Hurricanes acquired Niederreiter from Minnesota for Victor Rask. While Rask struggled in Minnesota, Niederreiter’s season took off when he arrived, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 36 games and he slotted in nicely on the first line. If he can produce anything close to that, the team has a steal of a deal for the next three years. If his production drops back to what it was in Minnesota earlier in the year (nine goals and 23 points in 46 games) then the team has a contract that could be a burden for some time.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Sebastian Aho ($8.45MM through 2023-24)
F Jordan Staal ($6MM through 2022-23)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM through 2023-24)
D Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM through 2024-25)
D Brett Pesce ($4.03MM through 2023-24)

The Montreal Canadiens did Carolina a favor when they shocked the NHL by signing Aho to an offer sheet that didn’t look difficult to match. While five years likely isn’t ideal, the Hurricanes still now have their top franchise player signed until 2024 and can figure out its plans after that, but now are one of the few teams that have locked up their franchise restricted free agent already, with the rest still waiting to sign a contract. That should provide Aho, who had another breakout season with 30 goals and 83 points, with plenty of time to be ready for training camp and see if he can take his game to another level once again.

His linemate in Teravainen is another key piece of Carolina’s future who keeps producing better and better numbers. The 24-year-old produced 21 goals and a career-high 76 points and is locked up for another five years as well, giving Aho a solid winger to work with. The team, however, may not be as thrilled with the four years it still has in Staal, who produced one of his worst seasons although injuries did play apart. The 30-year-old still has four years at $6MM from a 10-year, $60MM deal he signed back in 2012. After posting just 11 goals and 28 points in 50 games, the team hopes he can bounce back.

One thing the Hurricanes did was locking up its young defenders. The team has seen Slavin develop into a top-line defenseman in the last year and to have him locked up at just $5.3MM for six more years will likely be one of the team’s biggest bargain for a long time. He has been averaging more than 22 minutes per game for three of his four seasons in the league. Pesce has also seen his game increase and is also a steal with the rising cost of young defensemen lately. Pesce saw his minutes break 20 minutes for a second straight season, while his offense increased by 10 points.

Buyouts

F Patrick Marleau ($6.25MM in 2019-20)
F Alexander Semin ($2.33MM through 2020-21)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Salary Cap Recapture

None

Still To Sign

F Justin Williams (UFA)
F Saku Maenalanen (RFA)
D Roland McKeown (RFA)

One question that is still up for grabs is whether Williams will return to the team. The 37-year-old winger has been told he can take as much time as he wants to determine whether he wants to return to hockey. He’s made it clear it’s either Carolina or retirement, but after putting up a solid campaign last year of 23 goals and 53 points, it’s hard to believe that the veteran leader is ready to hang it up if he still is capable of producing as a top-six forward. While he may eventually have to slide down to the third line, the veteran was critical to the team’s deep playoff run and Carolina hopes he will come back.

While McKeown might have a hard time finding playing time in Carolina’s stacked defense, the team will need to get Maenalanen signed at some point. The 6-foot-4 bottom-six winger stepped into the lineup late in the season and was a solid contributor, posting four goals and eight points in 34 games, while skating for just 9:26 of ATOI. He provided some physical play and if he can steal a spot on the fourth line, could be valuable.

Best Value: Slavin
Worst Value: Staal

Looking Ahead

The Carolina Hurricanes have done an impressive job of drafting well, developing their talent and adding veteran talent at reasonable prices. With most of their core already locked up long-term and plenty of talent still on entry-level contracts, the Hurricanes should be able to keep their team competitive for years and keep getting better as the team continues to develop.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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