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Brandon Davidson Signs In KHL

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After seven NHL seasons and 180 games played, defenseman Brandon Davidson has signed a two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL, per the league.

The writing was on the wall for Davidson who, at age 31, spent the entirety of the 2021-22 season in the AHL for the first time since 2013-14. A member of the Buffalo Sabres organization for the past two seasons, Davidson was an alternate captain for the AHL’s Rochester Americans last year and had six points in 23 games. Davidson last played in the NHL on March 16, 2021, in a game against the New Jersey Devils.

A 2010 sixth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Davidson had made a home for himself in the mid-2010s as a stable seventh defenseman for the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Islanders. He remained entirely in the NHL from 2015-16 until the 2018-19 season, where he was sent to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs for a brief stint as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He’s yet to play a full NHL season since.

Davidson is still decent minor-league depth and could very well get two-way offers or AHL deals when his KHL contract expires in 2024.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Liam Hawel To PTO

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Liam Hawel to a professional tryout contract, per CapFriendly.

23 years old now, Hawel was originally a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2017. After not receiving an entry-level deal from Dallas, Hawel signed an AHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens for 2020-21 after wrapping up his junior career with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.

The COVID-related chaos of the 2020-21 campaign limited Hawel to just seven games in AHL Laval, though, where he tallied just two assists in seven games. Hawel then took the extremely rare step of going to university after starting his professional career, tallying 37 points in 24 games last season for St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Not signed to any sort of contract for 2022-23, Hawel needs a strong training camp performance just to earn an AHL contract in Cleveland. He could earn an NHL contract too if he really impresses, especially given the organization’s weak minor-league depth at forward, at least in terms of those signed to NHL deals.

Charlotte Checkers, Hartford Wolf Pack Make Coaching Hires

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A pair of AHL teams have announced coaching hires, including a trio of former NHLers going behind the bench. The Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, announced the hirings of Jared Staal and Bobby Sanguinetti as assistant coaches on the staff of Head Coach Geordie Kinnear. The two newest hires also join former teammate Zac Dalpe on Kinnear’s staff. Heading up north, the Hartford Wolf Pack have hired Jamie Tardif as an assistant coach and named Casey Torres as Player Development Assistant. Hartford currently serves as the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers.

Tardif, 37, comes to the Wolfpack via the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL, where he served as an assistant coach since 2018-19. A former player himself, Tardif’s first coaching experience interestingly enough came as a Player/Assistant Coach with the ECHL’s Quad City Mallards in 2017-18, his last season as a player. Though he played just two games, Tardif was an NHLer nonetheless as a member of the 2012-13 Boston Bruins. Torres, a former scout with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined the Wolf Pack last season as an assistant coach. Now in a different role, Torres’ diverse experience in hockey should serve well in this position.

Staal, 32, and Sanguinetti, 34, represent interesting hires, joining the coaching staff of a team they each spent a large portion of their playing career with. The two former teammates now join forces again to work under one of their former bosses: Kinnear an assistant coach with the Checkers during the pair’s time on the Checkers. Sanguinetti joins the coaching ranks for the first time, finishing his playing career after the 2019-20 season, which he spent in Germany.

This won’t be Staal’s first coaching gig, however, as he spent the previous three years with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, the first two as an assistant coach and the most recent as an associate coach. Though neither player has any coaching or executive experience with Charlotte, their history playing for the team and under the current head coach should serve them well and bring a sense of familiarity that could ease the transition and help them and the team hit the ground running.

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.

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.

Calvin Thurkauf Signs Long-Term Extension In Switzerland

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Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick and prospect Calvin Thurkauf has signed a long-term extension that will make him a part of HC Lugano through the 2028-29 season, according to the team. The deal will keep Thurkauf at home in his native Switzerland for the foreseeable future and likely closes the book on his potential as a future piece of the Blue Jackets build.

Thurkauf was originally a seventh-round selection of Columbus out of the Kelowna Rockets organization back in 2016. Thurkauf returned to Kelowna after being drafted, breaking out with 33 goals and 37 assists in 60 games for the Rockets in 2016-17, turning pro that offseason. The forward spent three seasons in the Columbus organization, primarily appearing as a member of the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, putting up 22 goals and 30 assists in 154 games. Though Thurkauf held his own, it wasn’t quite the impact many had hoped for after his impressive run in juniors. Still, it was enough to earn an NHL debut, getting into three games with the Blue Jackets during the 2019-20 season.

Following that season, Thurkauf would head back home, signing with Zug EV, his hometown team. Thurkauf was again solid, now in the Swiss league, putting up five points in 22 games. Ahead of 2021-22, Thurkauf moved on to Lugano, but broke out with 16 goals and 19 assists in 50 games. That effort was enough to help him ink this long-term extension. Though it likely forecloses his NHL career, at least for a while, the contract does give Thurkauf security and the chance to be an impact player in his home country.

Minor Transactions 08/25/22

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We’re inching closer to the opening of NHL training camps, and most teams have finalized their offseason work. That being said, there are still some players looking for a spot for next season, especially in minor leagues and in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Luka Burzan, a sixth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche at the 2019 draft, signed a one-year AHL contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per a team announcement. Burzan, 22, spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, scoring 31 points in 41 games. Burzan is a former star WHL forward who should help improve the Phantoms’ forward depth and help them get a bit younger.
  • The ECHL’s Florida Everblades announced the signing of defenseman Cole Moberg to a one-year contract. Moberg, 21, was a 2019 seventh-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks. After turning pro with the Rockford IceHogs in 2020-21, Moberg split last season between the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. The six-foot-three defenseman will look to have a strong year with the reigning ECHL champions and hope that will lead him to an AHL deal for 2023-24.
  • The Hershey Bears announced that they’ve signed forward Shane Gersich to a one-year AHL contract. Gersich has been with the Bears for the past four seasons, and has 90 points in 224 career AHL games.
  • The ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks announced the signings of two players today: forwards Austin Alger and Geoff Kitt. Alger, 24, turned pro last season after a five-year collegiate career, and got into five games with the Idaho Steelheads. Kitt, 25, was the captain of Mercyhurst College last season and will make his professional debut with the Mavericks next season.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Minor Transactions: 08/24/22

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We’re inching closer to the opening of NHL training camps, and most teams have finalized their offseason work. That being said, there are still some players looking for a spot for next season, especially in minor leagues and in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • The Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, added defenseman Adam Brubacher today on a one-year, two-way (AHL/ECHL) deal, per a team announcement. Brubacher, 26, turned pro in 2020 after a four-year career at the Rochester Institute of Technology and made his AHL debut with the Manitoba Moose. Brubacher split time last season between the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets and should add some depth to a Condors blue line that could be without valuable contributors such as Dmitri Samorukov or Vincent Desharnais for extended periods next season.
  • Veteran KHL defenseman and 2010 Boston Bruins draft pick Maxim Chudinov signed a full contract with KHL club Ak Bars Kazan. Chudinov had been with the team on a tryout contract until now. Chudinov did not play in 2021-22 but was a KHL regular from 2010-2019, taking the ice for three KHL clubs.
  • The Kunlun Red Star, the KHL’s Chinese franchise, signed Canadian forward Brett Pollock to a one-year contract. Some might remember Pollock as a former star winger for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL and a 2014 second-round pick of the Dallas Stars. Pollock split time last season between the IceHL and the Swedish Allsvenskan and joins a Kunlun team in desperate need of help after a last-place finish in 2021-22.
  • Former Chicago Blackhawks prospect and 2016 top-50 draft selection Chad Krys is headed overseas. After being traded from the Blackhawks to Toronto last season in exchange for enforcer Kurtis Gabriel, Krys played in 36 games for the Toronto Marlies and has evidently decided that Europe is the best place to continue his pro career. Krys has signed a contract with the IceHL’s Vienna Capitals and will look to help them return to the playoffs this season.
  • Cedric Pare, a former Boston Bruins sixth-rounder who scored 88 points in his final QMJHL season, has signed a contract with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. Pare spent 2021-22 in the AHL with the Belleville Senators, scoring 10 points in 41 games. Pare returns to an ECHL where he has had success in the past, as he scored 40 points in 67 games in his rookie ECHL season with the Utah Grizzlies.

Snapshots: Brewer, Salary Cap, PHF

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After promoting Sergei Brylin to an assistant role at the NHL level, the New Jersey Devils hired Andrew Brewer as an assistant coach for the AHL’s Utica Comets, per a team release. Brewer has spent the past eight seasons in an NHL video coaching role, and now the 36-year-old will get a crack at some more responsibility in the AHL.

Brewer most recently served as the video coach for the Florida Panthers for the past two seasons. Prior to that, he served in the same role for the Detroit Red Wings in the 2014-15 season and for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 through 2020. He’s also gained experience as the video coach for Team Canada at various international tournaments. Brewer will join Ryan Parent (assistant coach) and Brian Eklund (goaltending coach) behind Utica head coach Kevin Dineen.

  • Speaking today during his media tour in Europe, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he believed the NHL salary cap could rise significantly after the 2023-24 season. That marks a change in course from previous league forecasts post-pandemic, which pegged a significant cap jump after the 2024-25 season. The cap will likely raise another $1MM after this year to $83.5MM for 2023-24, but could now increase by much more than that for 2024-25. Some big names, including Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, and Sebastian Aho are slated to hit the free agent market then, potentially making it easier for their current teams to re-sign them.
  • The PHF will continue to stay more accessible to American fans. ESPN announced today that they’ve reached a two-year extension on their broadcast agreement, keeping the PHF on ESPN platforms through 2024. The league’s championship game, the Isobel Cup final, aired on ESPN2 last season, which was ESPN’s first cable broadcast of professional women’s hockey. PHF regular-season games will continue to air on the ESPN+ subscription service.

Snapshots: Ellis, Gallant, Svechnikov

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After two straight nightmarish seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers are desperate to return to contention in 2022-23. Last offseason, the Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators, hoping that adding Ellis, a veteran top-pairing defenseman, would revamp their defense and help out young goalie Carter Hart. Unfortunately for the Flyers, though, Ellis’ health issues limited him to just four games in a Flyers uniform, and the Flyers in his absence struggled to keep pucks out of the net.

Now, it seems Ellis’ absence looks set to continue. When asked by NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman if Ellis would be ready for the team’s season opener, Flyers head coach John Tortorella responded “I doubt it,” and elaborated that despite Ellis’ best efforts it’s doubtful he’d be ready to even participate in training camp. Ellis is currently battling what he termed a “multilayered” issue involving his “whole pelvic region.” While it’s definitely possible that Ellis returns next season and gets into games with the Flyers, Philadelphia spent significant resources this offseason preparing to survive without Ellis. The team traded for and extended Tony DeAngelo to presumably partner with Ivan Provorov on the team’s top pairing, and they also signed Justin Braun to round out the right side of their defense. The Flyers are likely expecting to eventually see Ellis back on the ice, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen any time soon.

Now, for some other news from across the NHL:

  • Forward Brett Gallant has played for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the past six seasons, and now it’s been announced that he’ll be returning for his seventh year there. The Monsters announced today that they’ve signed Gallant to a one-year AHL contract. The physical Gallant, 33, is a veteran of nearly 500 AHL games and last played in the NHL in 2013-14. He had four goals and 98 penalty minutes in 53 games last season and has logged nearly 1,500 penalty minutes in his AHL career.
  • Despite finally playing a year as a full-time NHL-er last season, Evgeny Svechnikov is still without a contract for next season. The 2015 first-round pick played in 72 games last season and scored 19 points. Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that Svechnikov has changed representation, and has joined up with Dan Milstein’s Gold Star Hockey agency, a group that represents a multitude of Svechnikov’s fellow Russian NHLers.

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