Minor Transactions: 08/09/22
It’s the dog days of the NHL offseason now, though there is a bit of excitement to keep hockey fans occupied. Today marks the start of the World Juniors, with three games on the docket including the U.S. against Germany. As the next wave of talent battles for international glory, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves around the hockey world.
- The Bakersfield Condors have signed five players to AHL contracts, bringing in Graham McPhee, Matt Boudens, Drake Rymsha, Mark Rassell, and Samuel Dove-McFalls to one-year deals. Three of those players spent parts of last season with the Fort Wayne Komets, Edmonton’s new ECHL affiliate.
- Cole Coskey, a seventh-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2019, has signed on with the Kansas City Mavericks of the ECHL for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old forward never did sign an entry-level contract, meaning he is an unrestricted free agent.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 08/07/22
It’s been another fairly quiet Sunday around the NHL as is generally customary for August, with just one player, Mason Appleton, avoiding arbitration and inking an extension. There’s still been plenty going on in the world of hockey outside of the NHL, primarily on the ice, however, with the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the upcoming World Junior Championships. Today though has been quiet, with the former tournament wrapping up last night in Red Deer and the latter set to begin Tuesday in Edmonton. Still, there has been some buzz off the ice and we’ll take care of that here.
- According to their Twitter, Kunlun Red Star of the KHL have made a pair of North American signings, the first of these being defenseman Vincent LoVerde to a two-year contract (link). LoVerde began his hockey career with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL before spending four years at the University of Miami (Ohio). Now 33, LoVerde has spent the majority of his career in the AHL as a steady veteran defenseman, helping the Manchester Monarchs and Toronto Marlies each to a Calder Cup Championship. The defenseman took his talents to Europe last season, playing with Salzburg of the ICEHL in Austria, winning a championship with them as well. While LoVerde may not be the most high-profile name, he brings with him plenty of professional playoff experience and an invaluable championship pedigree, valuable to any team.
- In addition to LoVerde, Kunlun is also bringing in goaltender and fellow Illinois-native Matt Jurusik, also on a two-year deal (link). Jurusik has bounced around a good bit in his career, playing two seasons at the University of Wisconsin before leaving college hockey to play with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL in 2017-18. Following his season with Sioux City, Jurusik headed back to college, spending two years with Michigan Tech, turning pro prior to 2020-21. This season, Jurusik spent time in both the ECHL and AHL, getting into games with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL and the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins and Texas Stars, both of the AHL.
This post will be kept updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Laxdal, Clune, Klinkhammer
The OHL’s Oshawa Generals today named Derek Laxdal the 35th head coach in team history via a press release. Laxdal, 56, had spent the last eight seasons in the Dallas Stars organization. Before he was promoted midseason to the Stars’ NHL bench as an assistant coach in 2019-20, Laxdal was the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars from 2014-15 to 2019.
The news means that Dallas will indeed undergo a complete overhaul of their core coaching staff from last season. The organization replaced a pair of other assistants this offseason, hiring Alain Nasreddine and Steve Spott to replace Todd Nelson and John Stevens. For Laxdal, the news marks a return to the CHL after eight years, last serving there as the head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2010 to 2014. His resume includes an ECHL Kelly Cup win in 2007 and ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2010 as the head coach of the Idaho Steelheads, a pair of WHL championships with the Oil Kings in 2012 and 2014, and a Memorial Cup championship in 2014.
- The AHL’s Toronto Marlies announced via Twitter today that captain and former NHLer Rich Clune has announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons, moving to a player development role with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clune hadn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16 saw him play 19 games with the Maple Leafs, but since then, he’d been an alternate captain or captain for the Marlies, providing an important leadership voice and mentoring the Leafs’ prospects. Clune joins Toronto’s player development department headed by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser.
- Former NHLer Rob Klinkhammer is returning to the Chicago Blackhawks organization as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, per a team release. The news marks Klinkhammer’s retirement after he spent the last six seasons playing in the KHL. Klinkhammer, an undrafted free agent, played for Rockford from 2008-09 through 2011-12 and made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 2010-11 season.
Calgary Wranglers Announce Name, Sign Five Players
After announcing their name yesterday, Calgary’s AHL affiliate has signed five players to AHL contracts for 2022-23. Formerly known as the Stockton Heat, the Calgary Wranglers will begin play at the Scotiabank Saddledome next season.
The five players signed were goalie Daniil Chechelev (whose NHL rights are owned by Calgary), defenseman Simon Lavigne, center Mitch McLain (signed to a two-year deal), defenseman Rhett Rhinehart, and center Brett Sutter.
Chechelev, just 21, was Calgary’s 96th overall selection in the 2020 draft. He played last season in Stockton on an AHL deal, having yet to sign his entry-level contract. He was sent to the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks for the vast majority of the season, where he compiled a 12-12-5 record, 3.64 goals against average, .894 save percentage, and one shutout. He sits fifth on the organization’s depth chart behind Oscar Dansk and Dustin Wolf, and he’ll likely be loaned back to the ECHL this season.
Lavigne joins the Wranglers after serving as the captain of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada last season, notching six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 65 games. McLain, 28, signs a two-year pact in Calgary after scoring 17 goals in 76 games last season with the Milwaukee Admirals. Rhinehart posted 27 points in 53 games last year as an alternate captain with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Sutter joins his father’s organization after spending the last five seasons as the captain of the Ontario Reign.
Minor Transactions: 08/03/22
It’s been a busy start to the month of August, with the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils both getting some of the biggest RFAs left on the board signed within the past 48 hours. It’s busy elsewhere in the hockey world, too, and former (or possibly future) NHLers are making their way around the minor leagues in North America and professional leagues in Europe. We’ll keep track of those moves today right here.
- After splitting last season between the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Chicago Wolves, former Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Chris Bigras will try his hand in Europe for the first time. Per the team, the KHL’s only Kazakhstani club, Barys Nur-Sultan, has signed him to a one-year deal for the 2022-23 season. Bigras hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since he appeared in 15 with Colorado during the 2017-18 season.
- Defenseman Cole Hults is heading to the Italian club HC Bolzano in the ICEHL after just two seasons in the AHL, per a team release. Hults played in 54 games last season with the Tucson Roadrunners while under contract with the Arizona Coyotes, registering 17 points. He’ll join his older brother Mitch on the team.
This page will be updated throughout the day
West Notes: Roy, Lowe, Canucks Coaching
Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy was one of the team’s few bright spots in what was a difficult 2021-22 campaign, a season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The 25-year-old flew past his career highs in production, playing 78 games and scoring 15 goals and 39 points. Roy is a big center who still has room to grow, and the Golden Knights are understandably bullish on his future. He’s a restricted free agent who did not elect arbitration, and he is currently in the negotiation process with the Golden Knights for an extension.
According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, “contract talks are further along with Roy” than with the other two restricted free agents, Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Hague. (subscription link) Kolesar has an arbitration date later this month. It’s easy to see why the Golden Knights would want to retain Roy, possibly even on a long-term deal, as Granger speculates they could prefer. Roy is currently slotted in as Vegas’ third-line center behind Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, although he could even move up in the lineup along either of the wings if new coach Bruce Cassidy prefers to use Chandler Stephanson in that slot. Granger writes that a long-term pact for Roy could come at around a $3MM cap hit, which would be a strong deal for Vegas, especially in the coming years if Roy continues his trajectory and the salary cap eventually rises.
Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Western Conference teams:
- Recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe has operated in many roles for the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a coach, a GM, a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, and most recently an important executive. Now, his role is set to change. Per a team announcement, Lowe is retiring from his role as Vice Chair and Alternate Governor of the Oilers. The Oilers state that moving forward, Lowe will “stay connected” to the organization and community as an ambassador, but not in the more senior role he has occupied for many years.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have named a new development and goalie coach for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Marko Torenius has been named to that role. The Sakyla, Finland native has worked as the goalie coach for SKA St. Petersburg since the 2014-15 season. Torenius has experience working with many talented goaltenders, including Igor Shesterkin, Mikko Koskinen, Magnus Hellberg, Yaroslav Askarov, and Pyotr Kochetkov.
Calgary Flames Re-Sign Martin Pospisil
The Calgary Flames have taken care of another restricted free agent, inking forward Martin Pospisil to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750k, per a club announcement. Pospisil is one of the Flames’ final few RFA’s that still need contracts, part of a group headlined by Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington.
Pospisil, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Flames at the 2018 draft, a selection out of the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. The six-foot-one, 195-pound forward doesn’t have the sort of box score numbers that jump out, save for in one area: penalty minutes. In his first season on North American ice in 2017-18, Pospisil had a whopping 253 penalty minutes in 49 games. While he’s toned his game down a bit from that level, his aggressiveness and rambunctious style are things he’s carried into his professional career.
Pospisil has played the past three seasons with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, save for a brief 21-game stretch with HC Kosice in his native Slovakia in 2020-21. In the AHL, Pospisil has had so-so production, with 25 points in 47 games last season and 11 points in his 14 AHL games in 2020-21.
The one-year extension for Pospisil could be seen as an indication that he will need to show more on the ice in order to secure his spot in the organization’s long-term plans. Pospisil saw some time on the Heat’s power play last season, but did not factor into the team’s penalty kill. For him to have a true path to the NHL, he may need to shore up his defensive game, get some experience on the penalty kill, and prove he can adapt to and thrive in a bottom-six role, where he would likely end up if he made the NHL.
Pospisil has the sort of physical game in front of the net that suggests he can get there, but he’ll need to show some more versatility at the AHL level before getting an extended look in Calgary.
New Jersey Devils Sign Tyce Thompson
The Devils and restricted free agent forward Tyce Thompson have struck a deal to avoid arbitration. The team announced today that they’ve signed Thompson to a two-year deal. The financial structure of the deal is as follows:
2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $175K AHL salary (two-way)
2023-24: $775,000 NHL salary (one-way)
Thompson, 23, is the brother of Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson and the son of former NHLer Brent Thompson. A 2019 fourth-round pick, Thompson made his professional debut in 2020-21 after a three-year stint at Providence College in the NCAA.
Thompson was a highly productive college forward, scoring 94 points in 101 career games, with time served as team captain in his senior season. Thompson’s time as a pro has been less successful than his collegiate career, although that’s largely for reasons out of his control. Thompson spent most of last season recovering from shoulder surgery, and as a result, only got into 18 games. (two with the Devils, 16 with the AHL’s Utica Comets)
In Utica, Thompson began to show why he was such a strong NCAA scorer. He had six goals and 15 points in 16 games, proving that his collegiate production could translate to the professional game. The Calgary, Alberta native will likely spend the first year of his new deal in the AHL, hoping to repeat his performance from last season in a larger sample size and continue to show Devils management that he’s worthy of NHL opportunities.
If all goes according to plan, 2023-2024 will be the year he becomes a regular NHL-er, as evidenced by the structure of the deal. Thompson was given a one-way contract for that year, meaning he cannot be sent to the minors without clearing waivers, and will not be subject to a significantly reduced minors salary. The Devils clearly believe in Thompson, and should he find his way to the NHL he will join a promising team in New Jersey that could be overflowing with talented youngsters in just a few years.
Minor Transactions: 08/01/22
It’s been a long, slow grind since the craziness of free agency opening on July 13, with a good number of high-end free agents remaining unsigned. With many other leagues than just the NHL looking to get their rosters set for next season, though, that hasn’t been the case everywhere. Minor-league teams and overseas leagues are making moves and transactions to their squads every day, giving hockey fans something else to look at. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions right here.
- Tim Schaller, a veteran of nearly 300 NHL games, has found a new AHL club for next season. Per a team announcement, the Milwaukee Admirals have signed Schaller to a one-year AHL contract. Schaller was, just a few years ago, a capable bottom-six center for the Boston Bruins. He scored 12 goals and 22 points in 82 games in 2017-18 and looked to have established himself in the NHL. But injury issues and underperformance relegated him to part-time duty with the Vancouver Canucks, and he’s spent the past two full seasons in the AHL. Last year with the Bakersfield Condors, Schaller posted 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games, playing in a similar defense-first bottom-six role to the one he played in the NHL. There is a leadership component to Schaller’s game, as he’s worn letters in both professional and collegiate hockey settings, and he should help an Admirals team looking to graduate its young talent and send them to Nashville.
- Former QMJHL star, captain of the Quebec Ramparts, and longtime DEL fixture Brent Aubin is headed to France. After a disappointing 17-point season with the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL, Aubin has signed a contract with Grenoble of the French Ligue Magnus. Aubin is a capable forward who has a long resume of productive seasons in Europe. He should help Grenoble defend their Ligue Magnus title next season and chip in as they attempt to make a run in the Champions Hockey League.
- 2015 third-round pick Blake Speers is headed overseas. The 25-year-old center, who was traded to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the Taylor Hall trade, has signed a one-year deal with Vasteras IK of Swedish second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan. Speers was an accomplished scorer for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, forming a deadly partnership with Boston Bruins 2015 first-rounder Zachary Senyshyn. But since he ended his OHL days, Speers has struggled to make much of an impact in the professional game. Speers has just 42 points in 203 NHL games and will look to help Vasteras achieve promotion to the SHL.
- Swedish winger Jakob Lilja, who played 37 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019-20, is changing KHL teams. The forward, who has spent the past two seasons with KHL side Nur-Sultan Barys, has signed a two-year, one-way contract with HC Dynamo Moscow. Lilja has been productive in his KHL career thus far, with 62 points in 106 games. He’ll join a Dynamo squad eager to return to the KHL playoffs after a run to the conference semifinals last season.
- KHL club Amur Khabarovsk announced the signings of two North American pro players today: Cam Lee and Andrew Calof. Lee, 25, was a star defenseman for Western Michigan University and became a regular with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins after turning pro, playing as a bottom-pairing defenseman under coach J.D. Forrest. Calof, 31, was, like Lee, a star in the NCAA. Calof was a top scorer for Princeton University for four seasons, finishing his collegiate career with 123 points in 117 games. After graduating, Calof immediately signed a contract with SHL side Skelleftea AIK, and became an important contributor there. After a poor final season in Skelleftea and a bounce-back year for the Vaxjo Lakers, Calof left for the KHL, where he was similarly productive. He spent last season back with Vaxjo and now heads back to the KHL once again. Both Lee and Calof are capable professionals who should be able to help Amur recover from what was a difficult 2021-22 season that saw them languish near the bottom of the KHL standings.
- Former NHL-er Brian Gibbons, a veteran of over 200 NHL games, is changing leagues once again. The two-way forward signed with Swiss club HC Lausanne after leaving North America and spent last season SHL club HC Linkoping. Now, he’s heading to the DEL, signing with German club ERC Ingolstadt, per a team announcement. Gibbons has brought his reliable all-arond game to Europe, although while he was productive in Switzerland he struggled in the SHL. A move to the DEL should benefit him, and be a strong addition for Ingolstadt in their climb up the DEL.
- Forward Benjamin Baumgartner, a 2020 sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, is switching teams. The forward, who spent 2021-22 with HC Lausanne, has signed a two-year contract with fellow Swiss club HC Bern. Baumgartner has 71 points in 149 career games in the Swiss National League and is part of a growing movement of young Austrian hockey talent that boasts recently-drafted prospects in Minnesota Wild first-rounder Marco Rossi and Montreal Canadiens third-rounder Vinzenz Rohrer.
- Matt Tugnutt, the son of longtime NHL goalie Ron Tugnutt, is headed for Europe. The 26-year-old spent last season in the ECHL, splitting time between the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and the Idaho Steelheads. The 26-year-old is a center and had 25 points in 53 ECHL games last season. He’s joining the Chamonix Pioneers of Ligue Magnus, with the goal of helping them secure their place in the top division of French hockey for another season.
- After a long NCAA career, Seamus Donohue has chosen to continue his pro career overseas. The defenseman got seven games with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last season, and now heads to Liiga club SaiPa. Donohue is a crease-clearing defenseman who lacks experience in professional hockey. He joins a SaiPa squad that has abundant opportunities to excel, seeking new faces to help them bounce back from a 2021-22 campaign that saw them finish second-to-last in Liiga. Per the team announcement, Donohue’s contract with SaiPa is a one-year deal with an option for 2023-24.
- The AHL’s Utica Comets announced today that they’ve signed rough-and-tumble forward Noah Corson to a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal. Corson turned pro in the Southern Professional Hockey League and parlayed that strong production (16 points in 19 games) into a shot with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Corson’s ECHL debut was impressive, as he posted 24 goals and 55 points in 57 games to go along with 162 PIM’s. He got a brief call-up with the Chicago Wolves and heads to Utica hoping to make their AHL squad and continue his climb up the pro hockey ladder.
- The Minnesota Wild’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, announced the signing of defenseman Matt Murphy to a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal. Murphy spent time with three teams last season, getting into 21 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets and the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and Providence Bruins. Murphy had 14 points in 21 ECHL games and should serve as dependable depth for the Iowa Wild.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
St. Louis Blues Name Kevin Maxwell GM Of AHL Springfield
A few days ago, we covered how the St. Louis Blues were expected to hire former New York Rangers director of pro scouting director Kevin Maxwell to an at-the-time undisclosed role. The move is now official, and Maxwell’s responsibilities have been made clear. Per a team announcement, Maxwell has been named general manager of the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The team has also announced that as part of Maxwell’s responsibilities, he will serve as a pro scout as well.
As previously mentioned, Maxwell had served as the Rangers’ director of professional scouting, operating in that role from 2011-12 to 2020-21. Maxwell has been a director of pro scouting for two other organizations as well, including the now-relocated Hartford Whalers. He is a highly experienced talent evaluator who managed the Rangers’ pro scouting operation at a time of significant team success. With Maxwell on staff, the Rangers made numerous deep playoff runs, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2012, 2015, and 2021.
Maxwell joins a Blues organization that is, like the Rangers, interested in competing in the near-term, perhaps heightening the importance of his professional scouting abilities compared to, say, an executive with an amateur scouting background. Not only are the Blues in “win-now mode,” the Thunderbirds are as well. Springfield made a run to the Calder Cup Final this spring, storming past the league’s Eastern Conference before falling to the Chicago Wolves.
Maxwell will be tasked with not only keeping the Thunderbirds competitive but also maintaining the team’s status as a quality developer of NHL-bound talent. Standout Thunderbirds from 2021-22 such as Charlie Lindgren, Dakota Joshua, and Calle Rosen each earned NHL contracts this summer, with Lindgren getting a relatively sizeable $1.1MM AAV on his deal as well as the chance to enter the fall penciled into the team’s backup goalie role. As their new general manager, Maxwell will be responsible for maintaining the Thunderbirds’ status as a premier developer of NHL talent as well as continuing the historic legacy of minor league hockey in Springfield, Massachusetts.
It’s a major responsibility for Maxwell, but it’s also a great opportunity. With former Springfield GM Kevin McDonald moving on to a post as assistant GM of the Colorado Avalanche, the Blues organization has tapped an extraordinarily experienced executive for this important role. Maxwell is a two-time Calder Cup champion from his time as a player, and perhaps there will be another Calder Cup in his future.