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Roman Ahcan, Cole Fonstad Land Professional Tryouts

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The number of professional tryouts for Columbus Blue Jackets training camp continues to grow, with CapFriendly reporting that Roman Ahcan and Cole Fonstad will both be invited. They join three other players who had previously signed PTOs as the team gets to work early on their camp roster.

Ahcan, the brother of Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan, played 24 games with the Cleveland Monsters this year after finishing his career at the University of Wisconsin and will now try to land an NHL entry-level contract. The 23-year-old forward went undrafted and is actually already signed to an AHL deal with the Monsters for the upcoming season, though that wouldn’t pose a problem if Columbus wanted to put him on an NHL deal. In his short AHL stint last season, he scored three goals and seven points.

Fonstad, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2018 and saw his rights expire with them in 2020 after failing to sign an entry-level deal. The 22-year-old forward played this season with the Cleveland Monsters, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 45 games, and will now try to earn a new deal with the Blue Jackets.

Minor Transactions: 07/26/22

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It may not seem like it but we’re now just about six weeks away from players starting to gather in their respective cities to prepare for the season, with training camps opening just a little while after that. That’s despite several top free agents still being unsigned, now nearly two weeks into free agency. Meanwhile, minor league teams are starting to fill out their rosters and players who aren’t going to get a good NHL offer are accepting deals overseas. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • The Tucson Roadrunners have signed Adam Cracknell to a one-year, AHL contract, bringing in the veteran minor league forward after he spent the last two seasons with the Bakersfield Condors. Cracknell has long been one of the most consistent players in the AHL, and showed it again with 21 goals and 47 points in 58 games this year, while also suiting up for Canada at the Olympics. Now 37, he isn’t ready to hang it up just yet.
  • Alexei Emelin is staying in the KHL, after signing a new one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk for 2022-23. The 36-year-old is a three-time Gagarin Cup champion, and has been back in Russia since 2018, when he decided to leave his NHL career behind. In 456 regular season games, mostly with the Montreal Canadiens, Emelin has 81 points.
  • Former top prospect Justin Pogge has signed a deal with a new DEL team, going from Kolner Haie to Grizzlys Wolfsburg for the upcoming season. The 36-year-old netminder is replacing Chet Pickard, another former top NHL prospect, who has decided to retire after spending the last seven seasons in Germany. Pogge, selected 90th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004, appeared in seven NHL games. Pickard, 18th overall in 2008 by the Nashville Predators, never hit the ice for an NHL match.
  • Cam Morrison has signed a one-year two-way minor league contract with the Charlotte Checkers, after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 23-year-old forward was a second-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche back in 2016 but never signed with them, instead becoming a free agent after a four-year career at Notre Dame. In 43 games with the Rockford IceHogs this year, he recorded 14 points.
  • The Chicago Wolves announced they’ve signed three players, including two players who failed to receive NHL qualifying offers a few weeks ago. Most notable out of those players is former Nashville Predators defense prospect David Farrance, whose strong offensive game failed to translate from college to the pros with just 14 points in 50 games with the Milwaukee Admirals last season. He is still just 23 years old though, and it’s a nice get for the Carolina Hurricanes organization on an AHL deal. They also signed former Chicago Blackhawks goalie prospect Cale Morris and undrafted free agent forward Eric Cooley, the older brother of top 2022 draft pick Logan Cooley.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minor Transactions: 07/25/22

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We’re now a few weeks into the offseason and some big-name free agents are still unsigned. While we wait on those players to choose their next team, there are plenty of minor moves happening around the hockey world. As always, we’ll keep track of those right here.

  • The Syracuse Crunch have signed Jack LaFontaine to an AHL contract, following the Carolina Hurricanes cutting ties with the free agent goaltender. LaFontaine, who left the University of Minnesota midseason to join the Hurricanes, wasn’t issued a qualifying offer at the end of the year.
  • Joey Keane has decided to head overseas following his Calder Cup championship, signing with Spartak Moscow in the KHL. The Hurricanes will retain his exclusive rights after issuing him a qualifying offer this summer. The 23-year-old had 45 points in 80 total games for the Chicago Wolves this season.
  • The Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, a team that haas yet to be named, has signed forward Mitch McLain to an AHL contract, confirms Ryan Pike of Flames Nation (link). McLain spent four years at Bowling Green State University before turning pro in the spring of 2018, signing with the Iowa Wild. The 28-year-old spent parts of four seasons in Iowa before heading to the Milwaukee Admirals for the 2021-22 season, where he scored 17 goals to go with six assists in 76 AHL contests.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Stelio Mattheos

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Two-time Calder Cup champion Stelio Mattheos has re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, inking a new one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $70K and includes a minor league guarantee of $85K. Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell released a short statement:

Stelio has played key roles on championship teams throughout his junior and professional career. He is incredibly resilient and hard-working both on and off the ice, and we are thrilled to keep him in our organization.

Mattheos, 23, was selected 73rd overall in 2017, and has had an interesting experience so far at the professional level. While he is kept almost completely off the board during the regular season, his postseason performances have been excellent so far.

With just 21 points in 92 AHL regular season games it might be easy to write him off as a player who isn’t able to translate his junior production to the pros. But then his energy, forechecking, and tenacity have given the Charlotte Checkers and now the Chicago Wolves a valuable piece as they chased the Calder Cup.

As a restricted free agent this summer with no arbitration rights, there was basically no leverage for Mattheos. But with this new contract in hand, he’ll get another chance to show that he can be a capable, reliable piece, and potentially put his name in the mix for bottom-six action in the NHL.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Trevor Carrick

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One of the most consistent defensemen in the AHL has found his way to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning have signed Trevor Carrick to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season. CapFriendly reports the deal is worth $750K in the NHL, $250K in the AHL and includes a $350K minor league guarantee.

Carrick, 28, has spent the last two seasons with the San Diego Gulls, racking up 42 points in 100 games. A Calder Cup champion with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019, the veteran minor league defenseman is a mix of skill and physicality that can help any organization.

In nearly 500 regular season AHL contests, he has scored 61 goals and 246 points, while racking up 514 penalty minutes. That includes 26 fighting majors, as the 6’2″ defenseman is not one to shy away from dropping his gloves when needed.

For Tampa Bay, Carrick likely represents nothing more than minor league depth, given he has just seven NHL games in his career, though the team has shown a willingness to give defensemen that have been otherwise overlooked a bit of ice time. Perhaps he’ll get into a handful of games this season but more likely he’s headed to the Syracuse Crunch, where he can add some veteran presence to the group.

Washington Capitals Hire Scott Allen

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The Washington Capitals have hired Scott Allen as an assistant coach to replace Scott Arniel, after the latter moved to the Winnipeg Jets this offseason.

Allen, 56, has plenty of experience with the organization, having served as an assistant and then head coach of the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate. He’ll now move up the chain to join Peter Laviolette’s NHL squad, joining assistants Kevin McCarthy and Blaine Forsythe.

This isn’t his first time at this level. The veteran coach has been on the bench with the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Arizona Coyotes in the past, and has a long history in the ECHL and AHL.

In his new role, he will be responsible for coaching the forwards in Washington and running the penalty kill, two things that haven’t really been a problem for the team recently. The Capitals ranked 12th in the league last season on the penalty kill and scored the tenth most goals in the league.

Detroit Red Wings Extend AHL Affiliation

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The Detroit Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins are a perfect match, and they won’t be splitting up anytime soon. The teams announced a five-year extension of their affiliation agreement today, continuing through at least the 2026-27 season.

It’s already been two decades since the teams first partnered, nearly the entire history of the Griffins since arriving in the AHL. In fact, the success of the Griffins and their geographical proximity to Detroit has been emulated by many teams around the league, who have sought to bring their minor league programs closer to home.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman released a statement:

Grand Rapids continues to be a model franchise both on and off the ice and we’re excited to continue our partnership. The winning culture established by the Griffins is extremely beneficial for the development of our young players and the fans in Grand Rapids do a tremendous job creating an exciting atmosphere to support the growth of our players.

That winning culture has resulted in two Calder Cup championships in the last decade, as Grand Rapids took down the Syracuse Crunch in both 2013 and 2017 to hoist the trophy. Even as that success has waned in the last few years, the development program there has still been a huge boon for the Red Wings.

Perhaps there has been no better example of late than Moritz Seider, who spent the entire 2019-20 season with the Griffins after being selected sixth overall. Not only did he make an impact for Grand Rapids but you could see his incredible development as soon as he hit the ice the following season, stepping into the SHL and dominating at both ends of the ice. After winning rookie of the year in the NHL, Seider is set to become another top alumnus of the program.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign William Lagesson

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The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with William Lagesson, who had hit the open market as a Group VI unrestricted free agent. The deal will be a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K in the NHL, $225K in the AHL, and includes a $275K minor league guarantee. General manager Don Waddell released a short statement on the deal:

Lagesson provides a strong, physical presence on the blue line. He has plenty of NHL and AHL games under his belt and adds to the experience of our defensive unit.

Now 26, Lagesson was a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers back in 2014 and took a very interesting path to the NHL. After being picked out of the Swedish junior leagues, he played a year in the USHL and two in the NCAA before returning to the SHL in 2017-18. Two more seasons starting in the AHL and he was finally ready to make his debut with the Oilers, nearly six years after being picked.

Since then, he has played in 60 games at the NHL level, including three with the Montreal Canadiens after being part of the return for Brett Kulak earlier this year.

Now in Carolina, he’ll serve as useful depth and could even battle for a final roster spot depending on what happens with Ethan Bear, who has been in trade rumors for the past several weeks. While he likely won’t play in every game, Lagesson will probably get a chance to hit the ice at least a handful of times with the Hurricanes and show that he can handle himself at the highest level.

Minor Transactions: 07/24/22

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After a busy start to the weekend, it’s been a quiet Sunday morning around the hockey world. Kadri-watch is still on, what the Calgary Flames choose to do with newly-acquired stars Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar is an intriguing storyline, and where veterans like P.K. Subban and Phil Kessel end up is yet to be determined. Still, there has been some action in the minor leagues and overseas worth keeping tabs on, and we’ll track that here.

  • Former Minnesota Wild prospect Bryce Misley is heading overseas, signing with Asiago of ICEHL in Italy (link). Originally a fourth-round pick of Minnesota in 2017, Misley spent four seasons at the University of Vermont, turning pro at the conclusion of his 2020-21 college season. 2021-22 was the forward’s first full professional season, scoring just three goals in 18 games with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, but impressing with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL, where he had 11 goals and 19 assists in 46 games.
  • Defenseman John Gilmour, a veteran of 37 NHL games with the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres, has changed teams in the KHL. After 47 games over two seasons with CSKA Moscow, Gilmour will suit up for Dinamo Minsk next season (link). The 29-year-old was a four-year standout at Providence College, winning a National Championship in 2015 before turning pro for the 2016-17 season, playing with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He would make his NHL debut a year later, tallying five points in a career-high 28 games played for the New York Rangers. Gilmour spent the 2019-20 season in the Buffalo Sabres organization, splitting time between the Sabres and the Rochester Americans in the AHL, eventually heading to the KHL after that season.
  • Keegan Lowe, a longtime AHL veteran, is headed to the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL after spending last season playing for Bolzano in Austria (link). The defenseman began his career with the Edmonton Oil Kings and was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third-round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Lowe would spend parts of seven seasons in the AHL between the Charlotte Checkers, St. John’s IceCaps, Bakersfield Condors, and most recently the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21. After the season in San Diego, Lowe departed North America for Austria, where he impressed with 20 points in 44 games on the blueline. The veteran also got into four games at the NHL level, two with the Hurricanes in 2014-15 and two with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017-18.

Minor Transactions: 07/23/22

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As the fallout from the Matthew Tkachuk, Jonathan Huberdeau, and MacKenzie Weegar blockbuster wraps itself up, there is still plenty happening around the hockey world. We’ll be sure to keep everything updated, whether it’s a superstar for superstar swap or a minor league signing. For news more like the latter, check back here for all the latest.

  • The Providence Bruins announced that they have signed goaltender Francois Brassard to a one-year AHL contract for the 2022-23 season. A 2016 draft pick of the Ottawa Senators, Brassard spent five years in the QMJHL before playing Canadian college hockey for Carleton University. Now 28, Brassard turned pro after his 2018-19 college season and has spent his entire professional career in the ECHL, absent a three game stint with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack this season. The goaltender has absolutely earned himself a chance to shine in the AHL next season, posting a 2.19 goals-against average and .911 ave-percentage in 31 games for the Jacksonville IceMen of the ECHL this past season.

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