Minor Transactions: 03/22/22
After the rush and excitement of trade deadline day blows over, it’s always good to be reminded that hockey transactions do go on. Sure, there will be nothing close to matching the excitement of the deadline until later this summer with the NHL Draft and opening of free agency, but in the meantime there will still be signings involving undrafted college and junior players, prospects receiving entry-level deals, and perhaps some early European additions, not to mention the potential for some minor trades among non-playoff teams getting their offseason started early. There also continue to be roster operations ongoing outside the NHL, with the AHL and European leagues dealing with different rules and timelines. For those “minor” moves, make sure you don’t miss out on any of the action:
- It’s hard to keep all of the NHL trades straight on deadline day, nevertheless noticing an AHL swap. It seems that future considerations had a busy day across both leagues, as that was the return for the Belleville Senators in a deal that saw veteran forward Tyrell Goulbourne head to the Stockton Heat. The team announced that they had acquired the 28-year-old forward, as they look to bolster their lineup for the Calder Cup playoffs. Goulbourne, a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, has never possessed much offensive ability and is scoreless through nine AHL games this season, but continues to provide value with his defensive ability. Though not confirmed by any of the teams involved at either level, Goulbourne is believed to be future considerations himself, as the return of the NHL deal that saw goaltender Michael McNiven head to Ottawa.
- Arizona State standout Colin Theisen isn’t going very far for his first pro experience. The AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners have signed the Sun Devils captain, his now-alma mater announced. A fifth year transfer from Notre Dame, Theisen enjoyed a breakout season to end his collegiate career, recording 19 goals and 42 points in 35 games with ASU. This was far superior than anything he did with the Fighting Irish; in fact, his goals and points totals were better than his two best marks at Notre Dame combined. Though hardly a young prospect at 24, Theisen did enough this year to earn a look in the pros and the nearby Roadrunners were happy to give him a shot. Perhaps the Coyotes will be next if he can prove his game translates to the next level.
- Though far less common in Europe, the end of the playing season marks the beginning of buyout season and one Swiss club is making big cuts. The National League’s SC Bern has bought out a pair of former NHL forwards in Cory Conacher and Kaspars Daugavins as they begin a “remodel”. Conacher and Daugavins were both under contract through 2022-23 and seemingly seemed safe to stick around. Both were among the top six scorers for Bern, as was Vincent Praplan, a player who had already been bought out (with three year remaining on his deal). Though each is on the wrong side of 30, Bern is undoubtedly a worse team without Conacher and Daugavins who will attract interest from a multitude of other European clubs.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Curtis Douglas
One of the things Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was asked about yesterday was whether he considered signing some of his standout AHL players to NHL contracts before the deadline, which would have made them eligible for the playoffs. While he explained that they needed to leave slots open for some college signings, the team has now worked out a future deal with one of those minor league players.
Curtis Douglas has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs that will begin in the 2022-23 season. Douglas is currently playing for the Toronto Marlies on an AHL contract.
Standing 6’8″, the 22-year-old Douglas is an intriguing forward prospect. Originally selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, he ended up an unrestricted free agent when the two sides failed to work out a contract. After spending part of last season playing for the Linz Steel Wings in Austria, he joined the Belleville Senators and played 11 games in the AHL.
This season, with the Marlies, he has eight goals and 27 points in 49 games, good enough to earn himself an entry-level deal. Douglas only turned 22 a few months ago and is still very raw, but at least is showing signs that he is starting to harness his size effectively.
Because it is a future deal, it does not take up one of the Maple Leafs’ remaining contract slots, which could potentially go to college standouts–and U.S. Olympians–Matthew Knies and Nick Abruzzese in the coming weeks.
AHL Shuffle: 03/22/22
Now that the trade deadline is over, and teams are relatively fixed for the rest of the season–save for some college additions as NCAA seasons wrap up–the only way to really change the makeup of your roster is minor league moves. As always, we’ll continue to track that minor shuffling right here.
Atlantic Division
- Taro Hirose has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, after going down yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 25-year-old has been outstanding for the Grand Rapids Griffins and does have three points in four games for the Red Wings.
Metropolitan Division
- After sending him down yesterday, Radim Zohorna is back with the Pittsburgh Penguins today. Unfortunately, someone took his jersey number in the meantime. Rickard Rakell will now wear No. 67 for the Penguins, with Zohorna switching to No. 63.
Central Division
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled Nathan Walker under emergency conditions, meaning, for now, he’ll continue his excellent season in the NHL. Walker has 44 points in 47 minor league games, but has also scored four goals and five points in nine appearances with the Blues. Quite the campaign for the 28-year-old forward.
- Ville Heinola is back with the Winnipeg Jets, recalled under emergency conditions once again. The young defenseman has been bounced up and down all season, though he is still expected to only serve as insurance in case one of the team’s defenders isn’t able to go tonight.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Cam Dineen, who popped down to the AHL just to become eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. Dineen played two games for the Coyotes over the weekend, taking his career total to 16 in this his rookie season.
Pacific Division
This page will be updated throughout the day
Hayden Hodgson Signs NHL Contract
Lost in the shuffle yesterday was an NHL contract, according to CapFriendly, for Hayden Hodgson with the Philadelphia Flyers, rewarding him for his strong play in the AHL this season and making him eligible for the stretch run. The deal is for the rest of this season and will carry a cap hit of $750K.
Hodgson, 26, has 18 goals and 29 points in 44 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, playing on an AHL contract after spending parts of the last five years in the ECHL. The 6’2″ undrafted forward had some other NHL teams “sniffing around” on him according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, but he ended up signing with the organization he was already a part of. He will stay with Lehigh Valley for now.
An NHL contract means that Hodgson could get a chance to play with the Flyers down the stretch, but it also means that he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. He will be eligible for arbitration, though it seems more likely that the two sides would agree on another two-way contract ahead of time, if the team wants to keep him for next season.
Winnipeg Jets Extend Kristian Reichel
The Winnipeg Jets capped off a surprisingly busy trade deadline day by signing forward Kristian Reichel to an extension this evening. The contract is a two-year, two-way deal that carries a $775K AAV. In the first year of the deal, 2022-23, Reichel will earn $750K at the NHL level, along with a $25K signing bonus, and the deal being worth $150K at the minor league level. In the second year, Reichel will earn $775K in the NHL and $175K in the minors. Reichel is currently in his final year of a two-year entry-level contract that he signed with the Jets in June of 2020.
Reichel’s extension comes in the midst of a difficult season for the 23-year-old, who has been called up and sent down several times, and been transferred on and off of Winnipeg’s taxi squad for a majority of the season. After all this, Reichel was placed on injured reserve on February 23rd and activated today. Reichel has played in both the NHL and AHL this season, putting up two points in 12 games for the Jets and 12 points in 26 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
The forward first played in North America with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL in 2017-18, where he excelled with 34 goals and 23 assists in 63 games. Reichel would turn professional the following season and spend parts of the next four seasons with the Moose before making his NHL debut this season with the Jets.
Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Alexei Melnichuk
The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired goalie Alexei Melnichuk from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for forward Antoine Morand, per The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka.
In Melnichuk, Tampa receives a goalie who had strong NHL upside at one point but seems to have bottomed out in North America. The Sharks signed him as an undrafted free agent after a strong 2019-20 season in Russia, where he had a .930 save percentage in 16 KHL games with SKA St. Petersburg. Since coming to the Sharks organization, though, he’s failed to post a save percentage above .900 at any level. He has an .867 in 31 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda this year.
Morand has now been traded in consecutive seasons. Originally a Ducks prospect, he was dealt to Tampa Bay last season. In 44 games with the Syracuse Crunch this season, though, he had just ten points.
Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets Complete Minor Trade
The Los Angeles Kings have acquired Nelson Nogier from the Winnipeg Jets, sending Markus Phillips back the other way. Both players are currently playing in the minor leagues and will likely report to their new respective AHL affiliates. Additionally, the Kings have recalled Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi, and Jordan Spence, after they were sent down on paper to become eligible for the AHL playoffs.
The swap brings a slightly older defenseman to the Ontario Reign in Nogier, but also one with considerably more experience. The 25-year-old has played 11 games in the NHL and is in his sixth full season of professional hockey, after being drafted 101st overall in 2014. Through 25 games with the Manitoba Moose this season he has six points, which is actually not all that far off his AHL career-high of 13. On an expiring contract, he’ll be a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, making this essentially a deadline rental for the Reign, who are second in the Pacific Division and looking for a Calder Cup.
In Phillips, the Moose are getting a 23-year-old who is in just his second full season of pro hockey, after a long career in the OHL. Selected 118th overall in 2017, the left-shot defenseman has five points in 38 games this season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer, without arbitration rights. While he could potentially go unqualified, he’ll at least get a chance down the stretch to show the Jets organization he’s worth another contract, even if it is of the two-way variety.
AHL Shuffle: 03/21/22
It’s certainly a busy day in the NHL today with the trade deadline just hours away plus four games on the schedule. There will be considerable roster movement on the trade front while there will be plenty of paper moves made prior to the 2 PM CT deadline made to give players eligibility to play in the minors down the stretch. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
- The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent winger Radim Zohorna to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The 25-year-old has three points in a dozen games this season with Pittsburgh while adding 15 points in 31 minor league contests.
- The Washington Capitals re-assigned forward Brett Leason to the Hershey Bears of the AHL (link). Leason had just been recalled by the Capitals yesterday, but the re-assignment could be to simply keep Leason’s AHL eligibility for the remainder of the season intact.
Central Division
- The Predators have sent defenseman Jeremy Davies back to Milwaukee, per the AHL’s transactions log. Davies was brought up on Saturday but with Nashville adding Jeremy Lauzon from Seattle late on Sunday, the 25-year-old can head back to the minors.
- The Dallas Stars have sent goaltender Adam Scheel back to the AHL after acquiring Scott Wedgewood yesterday. Scheel, 22, has up as an emergency backup and never actually saw any NHL action. The young netminder is in his first full season of professional hockey.
- The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned Ville Heinola, Jeff Malott, and Kristian Reichel have all been reassigned to the minor leagues, making them eligible. Notably, Cole Perfetti is not with this group, suggesting that his time in the minor leagues is over after impressing so far.
- After making several trades in the past 24 hours, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled two players from the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL: forward Michael Carcone and goaltender Josef Korenar. Carcone has played just two games at the NHL level, both coming this season, however he has been a productive AHL player, tallying 24 goals and 17 assists in 48 games with Tuscon this season. Korenar has not played in the NHL yet this season, but did play in 10 games for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21 and was moved to Arizona this offseason as part of the Adin Hill trade.
- Having traded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild, the Chicago Blackhawks have recalled goaltender Collin Delia from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Delia has had a solid season playing for Rockford, but has only appeared in two NHL games thus far in 2021-22.
Pacific Division
- The Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Kole Lind from AHL Charlotte. Lind has played in seven games with Seattle this season after being their pick in expansion from Vancouver but has spent most of the year in the minors. Seattle has also activated winger Joonas Donskoi off injured reserve.
- The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Brad Malone from the AHL after he played a game with the Bakersfield Condors over the weekend. The 32-year-old is actually the captain of the minor league club, but after converting his contract to an NHL deal has played six games for the Oilers.
- Jake Leschyshyn and Brayden Pachal are heading back up to the Vegas Golden Knights. Leschyshyn’s seen a lot of NHL opportunities this year, getting into 27 games this year and notching his first five NHL points. Pachal made his NHL debut recently before immediately getting sent back down, but he may get another chance here in some NHL games.
- The San Jose Sharks announced they have re-assigned goaltender Zach Sawchenko to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. In addition to this, the team recalled forward Sasha Chmelevski and defenseman Ryan Merkley from the Barracuda, and activated Radim Simek off of injured-reserve.
- After placing Michael Amadio and Zach Whitecloud in COVID protocol and trading away Evgenii Dadonov, the Vegas Golden Knights announced they have called up four players: forwards Paul Cotter and Jonas Rondbjerg and defensemen Daniil Miromanov and Zack Hayes. Of this group, only Hayes does not have any NHL playing experience, spending this season and last in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights, and the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL before that.
- The Vancouver Canucks also made a flurry of AHL assignments, primarily for the purpose of keeping players’ AHL ability alive. The organization announced it assigned forwards Sheldon Rempal, Vasily Podkolzin, and Nic Petan, as well as defenseman Noah Juulsen to the Abbotsford Canucks. Podkolzin and Petan were immediately recalled back to Vancouver.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Danny O’Regan from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. O’Regan, 28, has played parts of four seasons dating back to 2016-17, including four games this season with Anaheim.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Snapshots: Giordano, Braun, Robertson, Martinook
One of the biggest names remaining on the trade-bait list is Seattle Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano. A pending UFA and still producing at a high level, many teams have been calling Seattle about the 38-year-old. Still, the price on Giordano remains high, rumored to be at least a first-round pick. Although this price may be reasonable for Giordano, many teams have balked at the it, some perhaps not necessarily viewing it as unfair, but not a prudent decision for their organization. One such organization is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have made it known that they do not want to trade a first-round pick or a top prospect for a true rental player.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wondered if perhaps Seattle would be willing to take two second-round picks or a second-round pick and a prospect in lieu of a first-round pick (link). LeBrun speculates that if Seattle was willing to accept a package like this, then that may open the market up to Toronto and the St. Louis Blues, another organization who has made it known they do not want to trade a first-round pick. Another team that is in the mix for Giordano’s services is the New York Rangers, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pointed out on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday evening. The Rangers, unlike Toronto or St. Louis, could be persuaded to trade a first-round pick, considering the young talent they have and the fact that they have not been without one in several years. While that does give the Rangers an advantage, Giordano, Seattle’s captain, has made it clear that if he is to be traded, he strongly prefers his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.
- The Philadelphia Flyers plan to make defenseman Justin Braun a healthy scratch for today’s game against the New York Islanders, reports The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. The scratch is not indicative of poor performance or any injury related matters, and is purely an asset-management move ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline, when Braun is likely to be traded.
- The Maple Leafs announced that they have sent forward Nicholas Robertson to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The move does not necessarily mean that the Maple Leafs are planning, or not planning, to trade Robertson, and is more-likely-than-not a result of the Maple Leafs working around salary cap constraints to put themselves in the best position possible for the trade deadline. To date, Robertson has just one goal and zero assists in nine NHL games this season, but three goals and five assists in nine AHL games this season.
- According to Carolina Hurricanes’ head coach Rod Brind’Amour, forward Jordan Martinook will be out of the lineup for a few weeks after being injured in Thursday’s game against the Maple Leafs (link). Carolina expects to have Martinook back this season, however Hurricanes’ alternate captain is a key figure and leader in the locker room, so his absence, even if temporary, could prove costly to the team.
- Friedman also Tweets that he believes the Vancouver Canucks are a team that is considering Travis Dermott at the deadline. Dermott has been the subject of trade rumors well before this year’s trade deadline, and those rumors have only heated up since, and it is believed he will be traded by the deadline regardless. Vancouver has been looking to acquire a defenseman with term, and Dermott is signed through 2022-23 at just a $1.5MM cap hit.
Philadelphia Flyers Recall Owen Tippett
The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have recalled forward Owen Tippett ahead of their game against the New York Islanders this afternoon. Tippett will wear #74 and be available to play for the Flyers in today’s game. The young forward was of course the centerpiece coming back to Philadelphia in exchange for Claude Giroux yesterday, and had been playing with the Florida Panthers’ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, for the past few weeks.
As expected, the trade from Florida to Philadelphia should open some new horizons for Tippett, who has struggled to establish himself in the NHL. Now with the Flyers, who have struggled this year, especially with injuries, Tippett could find himself not only in the lineup more, but with more minutes and more opportunities. The former 10th overall selection in 2017 has not necessarily failed at the NHL level, but he has not yet reached the expectations that lead to him being selected where he was.
To date, Tippett has 14 goals and 19 assists in 93 career NHL games, including six goals and eight assists in 42 games for the Panthers this season. Tippett does still have plenty of promise, headlined by an impressive 18 points in just 12 AHL games this season. Tippett’s AHL production shows he may finally be fully acclimated to the professional game and ready for new challenges. Those new challenges may be the exact ones that Tippett needs to take his game to the next level in the NHL: more high-leverage opportunities. Tippett has found himself on an incredibly talented Panthers team, which boasts incredible forward depth, the past two seasons. Because of this, Tippett has seen more limited ice-time, which could speak more to Florida’s depth and talent, than it does to Tippett’s skill. Now with the Flyers, Tippett could expect not only more ice-time, but more opportunities to play with the Flyers’ best players, and potentially even appear regularly on the team’s powerplay.
As tough as it is for Flyers fans to see Giroux go, they still may have something to look forward to this afternoon and down the road as well.