Minor Transactions: 04/02/22
The NHL Trade Deadline has passed, but key transactions continue to occur. The college free agent market is still going strong with NCAA standouts landing NHL and AHL contracts, while many leagues in Europe are already deep into the postseason with eliminated teams signing extensions and conversely allowing some notable names to become free agents. So while it may seem like the deadline puts an end to all important transactions until the offseason, there are still plenty of “minor” moves worth paying attention to:
- The Boston Bruins have been busy in the college free agent market, signing Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin to an entry-level contract (he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday), as well as Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi and inking Ohio State defenseman Grant Gabriele to an AHL contract. They are back at it again, announcing a one-year AHL contract for 2022-23 and interim PTO for Omaha forward Joseph Abate. Abate, 23, is leaving college a year early to pursue his pro career. A defensive specialist, Abate only produced 32 points in 85 NCAA games but plays a physical checking game, excelled at the faceoff dot this season, and brings deceptive speed. A project for the Bruins, Abate will be groomed in Providence to potentially play a fourth line role down the road. Interestingly, Abate played junior hockey with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms with fellow Bruins prospects Curtis Hall, Trevor Kuntar, and Riley Duran.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have dipped into the college free agent pool, as their Silver counterparts in AHL Henderson announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract for North Dakota forward Connor Ford. A highly sought-after graduate transfer out of Bowling Green, where he played with fellow Knights prospect Brandon Kruse, Ford joined the Fighting Hawks this season and continued to produce. An incredibly consistent scorer through five NCAA season, the 24-year-old Ford appears to have the mature game that will translate to the pros. Ford finished second in scoring for North Dakota behind only Riese Gaber. Vegas certainly won’t mind if signing Ford help to convince the undrafted sophomore sensation Gaber to turn pro and sign with the Knights this year or even down the road.
- Another NCAA addition is arriving in Lehigh Valley, as the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract with Notre Dame captain Adam Karashik. Karashik, 24, actually played in his first season with the Fighting Irish this season as a graduate transfer, but was named captain based on his veteran leadership and experience and the ability he displayed in four years at UConn. Karashik had always played a sound defensive game on the blue line, but took his offensive game to new heights this season with 16 points, matching his previous three seasons combined. A two-way, right-handed defenseman with a well-developed game, Karashik is a nice piece for the Flyers’ pipeline.
- Moving overseas, NHL veteran Joakim Ryan isn’t rushing back to the NHL after a year away in Sweden. Instead, the 28-year-old has signed a one-year extension with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the team announced. While Ryan was on an NHL contract for all six of his first pro seasons, including playing 41+ NHL games twice, his value had tailed off before he departed for his native Sweden this past offseason. While he could likely still find a depth role in the NHL, no one will blame him for sticking with Malmo for another year after he emerged as a star for the team in 2021-22. Ryan recorded 31 points in 52 games, second on the team and a top-five mark among SHL defensemen.
More to come…
AHL Shuffle: 04/01/22
It’s April, no fooling. The NHL schedule is winding down and playoff races–or, in the case of the Eastern Conference, seeding races–are alive and well. Seven games are on the schedule tonight, including a big matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers. Both teams are in third place in their respective divisions, and both teams are being hunted down by a team (or two) right on their heels. In a game that is nearly a must-win for both teams, who will come out disappointed? As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Filip Kral to the AHL, after Justin Holl was back in the lineup last night. Ilya Lyubushkin missed the game but also may be returning relatively soon, meaning Kral wasn’t really needed anymore. The 22-year-old is still waiting to make his NHL debut, but has been very good for the Toronto Marlies with 20 points in 51 games.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Felix Sandstrom and Max Willman back to the AHL, as they prepare for a game tomorrow night. It’s something of a curiosity, given the fact that Willman scored in two straight games–but he was left off the lineup card last on Tuesday and now Nate Thompson is healthy enough to return.
- Defenseman Robin Salo is on his way back to the Bridgeport Islanders. The New York Islanders sent him down today after he didn’t get into game action during his emergency recall.
Central Division
- Morgan Barron isn’t headed back to the AHL just yet. His emergency recall has been switched into a regular recall for the Jets, who continue to drift further away from the playoff picture. Remember, teams are allowed four regular recalls after the trade deadline until their AHL affiliate is eliminated. Barron played just a few minutes in his Winnipeg debut last night.
Pacific Division
- Jaret Anderson-Dolan is back up with the big club less than 16 hours after the Los Angeles Kings sent him to the minor leagues. The 22-year-old forward is still looking for his first NHL point of the season, after previously playing in seven games.
This page is updated throughout the day
Bowen Byram Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint
In what must come as great news for Colorado Avalanche fans, 2019 4th overall pick Bowen Byram looks set to return to the ice. The Avalanche have announced that they are sending Byram to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles for a conditioning stint. This is Byram’s third attempt this season to get past the concussion issues that have thus far plagued his professional career, and given Byram’s health struggles since he was drafted, it seems like this is a positive development not only for Byram and the Avalanche but also for hockey as a whole.
Byram, 20, is an incredibly talented defenseman who previously starred for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. In his draft year, Byram posted 26 goals and 71 points in 67 games, and he was selected by the Avalanche who were undoubtedly salivating at the thought of adding another young blue-chip defender to a long-term blueline corps that already boasted Cale Makar and Samuel Girard.
But despite those great hopes, Byram’s professional career has been rocky, to put it mildly. Since he finished his junior career having played 188 WHL games Byram has played in a total of 37 contests over two seasons with the Avalanche, a number that illustrates the significant health issues Byram has had as a professional. The Athletic’s Peter Baugh went into detail in a story covering Byram’s first year in Colorado, (subscription required) and in it, Byram reveals that he battled a growing worry that “his career was slipping away” and that he would not be able to continue playing hockey. But Byram overcame those challenges and a bout with COVID-19 to get into the lineup for the Avalanche this season. He has been very impressive in his brief time with the big club, posting 11 points in 18 games, but his ability to succeed kept getting undercut by injury woes. There was a head injury in early November that began to derail his campaign, and he was continually in the process of recovering from injuries only to face new issues. In January, Byram left the team for “personal reasons,” reasons clarified via Baugh to be Byram’s need to deal with the “lingering issues” that stemmed from his original concussions.
Since that point, Byram has been working towards an eventual return where he could finally, hopefully, put those issues behind him and truly begin in earnest an NHL career that holds so much promise. That work to get back reached a new checkpoint tonight, as Byram’s loan means that he is ready to resume playing professional hockey. The Avalanche have a strong defense corps, but also one that is not without its injury issues. Girard has been out for an extended period, and Ryan Murray recently was forced out of the lineup with a wrist injury. Getting Byram back (and even potentially acquainting him on a partnership with new acquisition Josh Manson) would be a significant boon for Colorado as they gear up for what the team expects to be a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Nick Perbix
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added an Olympian to the mix, signing Nick Perbix to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2022-23 and Perbix will play the rest of this season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on an amateur tryout.
Perbix, 23, actually could have reached unrestricted free agency had he waited until the middle of August, but he’ll join the team that decided to spend a sixth-round pick on him five years ago.
Before he even played in the USHL, Tampa Bay grabbed the Elk River High captain 169th overall and have watched him turn into a star at St. Cloud State. This season, as a senior, he managed 31 points in 31 games and joined Team USA for the Olympics, suiting up four times.
Perbix’s brother, Jack Perbix, is also a prospect that may land an entry-level contract in the coming weeks. The younger of the two, Jack is a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks who will be in the Frozen Four as a key member of the University of Minnesota squad.
Nick Perbix though is a nice signing for Tampa Bay, especially because of how close he was to the open market. With a long history of drafting and developing NHL talent in the middle and late rounds, the Lightning will hope that his game can translate to the next level quickly.
AHL Shuffle: 03/31/22
Another busy night in the NHL this evening, as nine games are on the schedule. That includes a battle of the top two teams in the Pacific Division, though the Edmonton Oilers are certainly trying to change those designations. The Los Angeles Kings travel to Calgary to take on the Flames after losing in a shootout to Edmonton last night, and now sit just one point ahead of the Oilers in the division standings. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
- The New Jersey Devils have activated Janne Kuokkanen and Tyce Thompson off injured reserve, with the latter assigned to Utica immediately. Thompson, 22, has played in two games this season and nine overall for the Devils, but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
- The New York Islanders have recalled Robin Salo under emergency conditions. The 23-year-old defenseman is in his first season of North American hockey and has entered 18 games for the Islanders already. Selected 46th overall, he has four points in those games. Cory Schneider is also back up, though he never really left.
Central Division
- Morgan Barron has been recalled under emergency conditions, suggesting he could make his Winnipeg Jets debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. The team is without Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt because of positive COVID tests, meaning Barron is another forward option as they go on a back-to-back.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Hudson Fasching from the AHL following the injury to Clayton Keller. Fasching, 26, has played in eight games so far for the team, recording zero points. In fact, he doesn’t have an NHL point since the 2016-17 season, when he registered one as part of the Buffalo Sabres.
Pacific Division
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Jaret Anderson-Dolan, this time under emergency conditions. The 22-year-old forward has 41 points in 45 games this season for the Ontario Reign, but still hasn’t really managed to establish himself at the top level.
This page is updated throughout the day
AHL Shuffle: 03/30/22
Six games grace the NHL schedule this evening, including an all-important matchup between the two newest teams in the league. The Vegas Golden Knights can’t afford to lose games like tonight’s match against the Seattle Kraken if they have any hope of making the playoffs, as they currently sit a point behind the Dallas Stars for the final wild card position despite having played three more times. Two other important games between playoff hopefuls happen in Edmonton and Vancouver, while several other teams around the league are also in action. As they and others prepare, here are today’s minor league moves.
Atlantic Division
- The Grand Rapids Griffins have signed a pair of local college free agents, bringing in Drew Worrad from Western Michigan and Trenton Bliss from Michigan Tech on AHL contracts that run through 2022-23. Both players had outstanding offensive seasons this year, scoring 45 and 40 points respectively and will now try to carry over that play to the professional level.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- Connor Dewar has been returned to the AHL from the Minnesota Wild, after last playing on March 19. The 22-year-old rookie has suited up 30 times this season but has just five points to his name, and has averaged fewer than ten minutes of ice time in those appearances. It’s been different in the minor leagues, where Dewar has 11 points in 12 games.
Pacific Division
This page is updated throughout the day
Krystof Hrabik Suspended 30 Games In AHL
March 30: After serving 28 of his 30 games, Hrabik has been reinstated by the AHL. This follows an evaluation of his progress in an education and training program, conducted in conjunction with the NHL’s Player Inclusion Committee. He is eligible to re-join the Barracuda for the stretch run, but Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News tweets that Hrabik will continue training on his own while he awaits assignment to the ECHL.
Jan 21: The AHL has issued a suspension of 30 games to San Jose Barracuda forward Krystof Hrabik for a racial gesture directed at Tucson Roadrunners forward Boko Imama. The incident occurred on January 12, and Hrabik was put on indefinite suspension. He has served three games so far and will be eligible to return to the lineup on April 3. He may apply for a reduction in suspension after March 12, based on an evaluation of his progress in the necessary education and training with the Player Inclusion Committee.
AHL president Scott Howson released the following statement:
The AHL stands with Boko Imama. It is unfair that any player should be subjected to comments or gestures based on their race; they should be judged only on their ability to perform as a player on the ice, as a teammate in the locker room and as a member of their community.
The San Jose Sharks, NHL affiliate of the Barracuda, have also released a statement, which in part reads:
The Barracuda and San Jose Sharks organizations were appalled to learn of this incident. We offer our sincerest apologies to Boko, the Roadrunners organization, the AHL, our fans, and the entire hockey community. While we support the ability for individuals to atone and learn from disrespectful incidents in this context, these actions are in direct opposition to the Barracuda and Shark organizations’ values.
Hrabik, 22, is not under contract with the Sharks. He signed a one-year AHL contract last summer which covers the 2021-22 season. In 21 games, he has four points.
Imama, 25, was acquired by the Arizona Coyotes last summer in a deal with the Los Angeles Kings and signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract in August. He has played in 27 games for the Roadrunners this season, recording eight points. This is not the first time that an incident like this has occurred to him in the minor leagues. In 2020–exactly two years ago–Brandon Manning, then playing with the Bakersfield Condors, was suspended five games for directing a racial slur at Imama.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Kim Nousiainen
After signing him to an amateur tryout for their AHL affiliate earlier this week, the Los Angeles Kings have now inked Kim Nousiainen to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in the 2022-23 season and carries an average annual value of just over $859K.
Nousiainen, 21, was selected 119th overall in the 2019 draft, the seventh player off the board for the Kings. He’s now also the seventh player from that class to sign his entry-level deal, following Andre Lee‘s just a few days ago. Standing just 5’8″, the undersized defenseman has been a regular in Liiga for three seasons, suiting up with KalPa Kuopio. This season in 35 games, Nousiainen recorded four goals and 14 points, which actually ranked second among the team’s defensemen.
Just last month, the Kings’ prospect pool was ranked second in the NHL by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, and Nousiainen landed 18th in their group. Wheeler suggested at the time that it would be prudent to bring the young defenseman into the system and give him a chance to prove himself at the AHL level–exactly what they’ve now done.
Not really an overly offensive player, Nousianien is a non-stop workhorse whose feet never stop moving and even engages physically more than you might expect from such a small frame. Whether that frame can handle those kinds of minutes in North America is unclear at this point, but he’s obviously done enough to land a contract from the Kings. The next step is proving he can compete in the AHL, on an Ontario Reign team he joined this week.
Carolina Hurricanes Sign Noel Gunler
Now that his season overseas has ended, Noel Gunler is on his way to North America. The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Gunler to a three-year, entry-level contract that starts in 2022-23, and an AHL professional tryout contract for the rest of this season. The young forward will join the Chicago Wolves for now, something Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell mentioned in a statement:
Noel is a sharpshooter who has the pace to play our up-tempo style. We’re lucky to have him join the Wolves for their playoff run.
Gunler, 20, was selected in the second round in 2020, 41st overall after his first full season in the SHL. After impressing at the World Juniors last year, and finding his way to Brynas, he’s taken his game to an entirely new level, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in 52 games. While those numbers don’t pop out and suggest he’ll become an immediate star in North America, Gunler’s upside is significant.
For the Hurricanes, adding another prospect with a high offensive ceiling is important, but it’s the Wolves who are going to benefit the quickest. Chicago is currently the best team in the AHL with a 40-11-10 record and figure to be a top contender for the Calder Cup. Adding another young talent will only help that chase, and allow Gunler to jump right into a competitive atmosphere to start his career with the Hurricanes organization.
AHL Shuffle: 03/29/22
There may not be another more interesting day on the NHL schedule than today, as the nine games include several hugely important playoff matchups. The Toronto Maple Leafs try to exorcise old ghosts against the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers face the Pittsburgh Penguins in a battle for second in the Metro, the Carolina Hurricanes travel to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of Stanley Cup contenders, and the Colorado Avalanche face the Calgary Flames in a war of the top two Western Conference seeds. Even around those games, there are some must-wins for teams like the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators, making tonight an impressive slate of action. As all of those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Detroit Red Wings announced that they have recalled goaltender Victor Brattstrom from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Brattstrom has yet to make his NHL debut, and has spent a majority of the season with the Griffins, posting a 3.55 goals against average and .890 save-percentage in 20 games at the AHL level, as well as three games with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Islanders have officially recalled Cory Schneider from the minor leagues, as Ilya Sorokin continues to be unavailable for the team. The team explained that though he’s feeling better, Sorokin did not travel with the team and they will reassess in the coming days.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Anthony Angello from the AHL, giving them another body as they prepare for the game tonight. Angello, 26, has played just one NHL game so far this season.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom under emergency conditions, as Carter Hart deals with a minor injury. The team is in Minnesota this evening to take on the Wild, a game that could see Philadelphia officially eliminated from postseason contention.
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Lane Pederson, who has actually played in 27 games for the team this season. It may be hard to remember many of those games though, as the young forward is still sitting on zero goals this year, and has just two points in those 27 appearances.
This page will be updated throughout the day