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Colton Point Signs AHL Contract

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The development of young goaltender Colton Point hasn’t gone to plan so far, and after going unqualified by the Dallas Stars this summer, he has now signed an AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors.

Selected in the fifth round in 2016, Point would go on to star at Colgate University, winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors along the way and appearing to be a rising prospect in the Stars system. Unfortunately, the 6’5″ goaltender didn’t make a very smooth transition to professional hockey and to this point carries an .882 save percentage through 29 appearances in the AHL.

After spending most of last year in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads, it made sense when Point wasn’t issued a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent. Still, adding a 24-year-old netminder on a minor league deal is a worthwhile gamble for an organization like the Edmonton Oilers, who have struggled to develop young netminders over the past several years. While a minor league contract does not officially make him a member of the Oilers, the team will have control of his development and usage while in the system.

Point, a finalist for the Hobey Baker in 2018 after posting a .944 save percentage as a sophomore, has a long road ahead of him if he is to ever get to the NHL.

Coachella Valley Hires Stu Bickel

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The Coachella Valley Firebirds, AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, have added to their coaching and hockey operations department ahead of their inaugural season. Among the names announced today is former NHL defenseman (and sometimes forward) Stu Bickel, who has been brought in as an assistant coach under Dan Bylsma.

Bickel, 35, is an interesting coaching prospect. After the end of a long playing career that included 94 games at the NHL level, he joined his alma mater at the University of Minnesota as an assistant. In 2020-21, he took over as head coach of the Minnesota Magicians of the NAHL, and took them to the third round of the playoffs. Last season he was an assistant with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, who went to the Calder Cup Final – ultimately losing to the Chicago Wolves.

It’s a quick rise for a long-time AHL tough guy, the kind that will likely soon get the attention of NHL benches. Bickel played 310 regular season games in the AHL, racking up 919 penalty minutes in the process. Given that he also served as an assistant general manager with the Magicians during his short stint, he’ll be a coaching name to follow as he progresses through the AHL this season.

Nelson Nogier Signs In KHL

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After splitting last season between the Manitoba Moose and Ontario Reign, Nelson Nogier is off to the KHL. The minor league defenseman has signed a one-year deal with Barys Nur-Sultan, leaving North America after parts of six years in the AHL.

While a player with just 11 NHL games signing in the KHL isn’t usually much of a story, Nogier’s Group VI unrestricted free agency and subsequent departure ends a decades-long trade tree, one that originated with the most famous transaction in NHL history. As Sportsnet’s Steve “Dangle” Glynn points out, Nogier was the last remaining piece of the Wayne Gretzky tree.

The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Jets in 2014 and actually made it to the NHL just a few years later, but hasn’t been able to establish himself at the highest level. When he was swapped for Markus Phillips earlier this year, he joined the tree, and after Phillips was left unqualified by the Jets and signed with Assat in Liiga, Nogier became the very last branch.

Trade trees are just for fun, but it is somewhat surprising that Nogier wasn’t able to secure at least a minor league deal in the AHL to this point. Perhaps he wasn’t willing to play for that and was looking for a bigger opportunity, but he has been a capable defenseman for years. He is even coming off his longest playoff appearance, where he added three points in five games for the Reign.

Minor Transactions: 09/12/22

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Hockey is so close you can taste it. In less than a month, regular season games will be happening for the 2022-23 campaign and the long grind toward the Stanley Cup will have started. Over the next few weeks, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor signings to see where minor league and fringe players will ply their trade this season.

  • Jake McGrew, who was not issued a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, has signed with AIK in Sweden for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old sixth-round pick spent most of last season with the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 57 games. Now an unrestricted free agent, he’ll try to continue his development overseas.
  • Maxim Letunov, dealt to the New York Rangers at the deadline in exchange for Tarmo Reunanen, has signed with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. Letunov, 26, played three games in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2019-20 and scored one goal.
  • Adam Johnson, last seen with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, has signed with the Augsburger Panther in the DEL. The 28-year-old forward has 13 NHL games to his name, all of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who signed him in 2017 out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

This page will continue to be updated with any further transactions. 

Minor Transactions: 09/09/22

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Another week down and we are getting closer and closer to the start of the regular season. Things kick off in less than a month when the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks battle in Prague, Czechia on October 7 and 8. The regular season in North America begins a few days later.

As we inch toward the starting line, all of the notable minor moves will be covered here.

  • Joseph Blandisi, a player with more than 100 games of NHL experience, has decided to take an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies, staying put after a strong minor league campaign. The 28-year-old had 29 points in 43 games for the Marlies last season, playing very close to his hometown of Markham, Ontario.
  • Defenseman Devante Stephens, a fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Tucson Roadrunners. Stephens spent last season with the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 15 points in 59 games. After spending the beginning of his pro career in the ECHL, Stephens’ play in Abbotsford has seemingly established him as an AHL-caliber player and landed him this one-way AHL deal with the Roadrunners.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Edmonton Oilers Sign Justin Bailey To Professional Tryout

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9/8/22: While CapFriendly reported that Bailey signed a PTO with the Oilers, we now have some more clarity on where Bailey will be playing hockey full-time next season.

Per a team announcement, Bailey has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Oilers’ American League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. So, even if Bailey is unable to earn an NHL deal out of training camp, he will remain within the larger Oilers organization and factor in likely as a scoring-line player for the Condors.

9/7/22: The Edmonton Oilers have added some veteran talent to their training camp roster, signing forward Justin Bailey to a PTO, per CapFriendly.

This move comes after we covered how the Oilers were looking for some additional depth pieces at this stage of the offseason market. After signing Ryan Murray to a one-year league-minimum deal, they have added to their forward depth by getting Bailey into the mix for a job in the preseason.

Bailey, 27, was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres at the 2013 NHL draft and has spent the past three seasons in the Vancouver Canucks organization. Last year, Bailey split time between the Canucks and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. For Vancouver, Bailey got into 14 games and registered 12 hits, six penalty minutes, and six blocked shots in just over nine minutes of ice time per game. Bailey also spent time as a healthy scratch for the Canucks.

At the AHL level, Bailey had more success, scoring 15 goals and 27 points in just 30 games. Bailey has long been a quality AHL scorer, ever since he scored 20 goals and 45 points in his first professional season with the Rochester Americans. In 296 career AHL games Bailey has scored 111 goals and 198 points.

In Edmonton, Bailey will have a chance to compete for a spot at the bottom of the team’s lineup. He’ll likely compete with Tyler Benson, Greg McKegg, and Brad Malone for a depth role. With a strong performance in camp and in the preseason, Bailey could earn himself a two-way deal and a chance to get into games for the Oilers this season. Even if Bailey struggles, though, it’s still overwhelmingly likely that he’d have strong interest on an AHL deal.

Minor Transactions: 09/08/22

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The feeling of hockey is starting to come back, as players report to team facilities to get their workouts in and new faces arrive to start familiarizing themselves with the area. In just a few weeks there will be NHL action, meaning time is running out to make those last-second roster changes. As always, we’ll keep track of any notable minor moves right here.

  • The Hershey Bears have agreed to terms with Michael Kim and Matthew Strome, signing them to AHL contracts for the upcoming season. The Strome last name will certainly draw some attention, though he hasn’t been nearly as successful as his brothers when it comes to professional hockey. Selected 106th overall in 2017 by the Philadelphia Flyers, Strome has been playing in the ECHL for parts of the last few seasons, only seeing a full AHL campaign in 2021-22 for the first time.
  • Alexandre Carrier (no, not that Alexandre Carrier) has signed with the Savannah Ghost Pirates for the upcoming season. This Carrier is a 31-year-old ECHL stalwart, who has made a career in the low minors without ever being much of an offensive threat. In 357 games, he has just 23 goals and 71 points but has racked up 615 penalty minutes.

This page will continue to be updated with any further transactions

Tye Felhaber Signs In ECHL

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In the spring of 2019, as Tye Felhaber was wrapping up an incredible final season with the Ottawa 67s, that saw him score 76 goals in 86 games between the regular season and playoffs, the Dallas Stars signed the undrafted forward to a three-year entry-level contract. It was a lottery ticket that cost nothing more than a contract slot, and gave another outstanding young hockey player a chance to test himself at the professional level.

Felhaber ended up playing 41 games for the Texas Stars the following season but was held to just two goals, as his offensive touch didn’t follow him to the AHL. Earlier this year, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning who have a history of working with talented junior scorers, but even they couldn’t turn things around. By the summer, Felhaber was left unqualified by the Lightning, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Now, he’ll try to work his way back up the ladder by first signing with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. He (along with Logan Barlage and Scott Allan) was introduced by the team today as new bodies for the minor league club.

Given that he is 24, it is likely too late for Felhaber to make it as an impact NHL player. But given his early ECHL performance – 12 goals in 20 games – the Komets may have a star on their hands. Felbhaber’s rights are no longer owned by the Lightning.

Minor Transactions: 09/06/22

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We are less than three weeks away from preseason action around the league and just over a month away from the 2022-23 regular season. NHL teams have a few things left to do before getting started and minor league clubs a few more still. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor transactions around the hockey world.

  • After disappearing completely for the Milwaukee Admirals in the playoffs, Graham Knott has decided to try his luck overseas. The 25-year-old has signed in the Austrian ICEHL for the upcoming season, leaving his North American career behind for the time being. Selected 54th overall in 2015, Knott had 26 points in 61 regular season games but was then held completely scoreless (and registered a -10 rating) in nine postseason appearances.
  • Antoine Morand will not be continuing with the Augsburger Panthers, as his tryout contract has come to an end without extension. The 60th overall pick from 2017 became an unrestricted free agent when the San Jose Sharks failed to extend him a qualifying offer this summer, meaning he can pursue any new opportunities that come his way.
  • Jeremy Brodeur, who played mostly with the Maine Mariners last season, has signed a new contract with the Norfolk Admirals. The son of legendary NHL goaltender Martin Brodeur, the 25-year-old Jeremy has played just a handful of games above the ECHL level and none in the NHL to this point.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Brett Connolly Signs In Switzerland

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Another NHL veteran has opted to sign in Europe to continue his professional career. Swiss club HC Lugano announced today that the team has signed winger Brett Connolly to a one-year contract for the 2022-23 season.

Connolly spent the last season and a half in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, where he ended up playing just 19 NHL games compared to 37 AHL games for the Rockford IceHogs. Connolly had just a goal and two assists in those 19 games across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, while faring much better in the AHL with 35 points in 37 games in 2021-22 for Rockford.

This past season, Connolly’s NHL time was limited in part due to a four-game suspension for interfering with Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero. With his bloated seven-figure cap hit, Connolly also cleared waivers multiple times. Connolly was bought out this summer with one season remaining on a four-year, $3.5MM AAV deal signed prior to the 2019-20 season.

At the age of 30, this could very well be the last we’ve seen of Connolly in the NHL. The sixth overall pick in 2010 currently has a career total of 101 goals, 94 assists, and 195 points in 536 games.

He’ll be strong offensive reinforcement for Lugano, who also fortified their goaltending by bringing former Edmonton Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen back to Europe. They’ll look to make it out of the National League quarterfinals for the first time since losing the championship series in 2018.

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