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Griffin Reinhart Signs In EIHL

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The Belfast Giants have landed quite a free agent, signing Griffin Reinhart for the upcoming season. The team has also signed J.J. Piccinich, making it quite the day for the EIHL team.

Reinhart, 27, was the fourth overall pick in 2012, selected by the New York Islanders just ahead of Morgan Rielly. While his professional career certainly didn’t go as planned, he still played 37 games at the NHL level and more than 300 in the AHL. The last two years have seen him lace up his skates in China with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL and then the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL.

It’s quite the get for Belfast, who are actually the reigning league champions, though that came back in 2019. The last two seasons haven’t been played in full, with a four-team “Elite Series” taking place earlier this year instead.

Piccinich, 25, is also an NHL draft pick, selected in the fourth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014. He spent last season with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, scoring 29 points in 65 games.

Bruins Add Matt Thomas To AHL Coaching Staff

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The Boston Bruins have added an interesting coaching prospect to the organization, hiring Matt Thomas as an assistant for the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Thomas will join the staff of new head coach Ryan Mougenel, who released the following statement:

We are all thrilled to have Matt joining our staff in Providence. Matt possesses a unique combination of high energy, innovation, and a proven eye for the game. He understands today’s athlete and his focus on communication, teaching, and forming positive relationships speaks volumes about his values as a coach. Matt is a tremendous fit for our group and understands the Bruins’ philosophy and vision that Trent and I are growing. We are eager to work together and look forward to a seamless transition as we plan our collective approach for the upcoming season.

Thomas, 45, has been a head coach since 2004, when he took over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL. He has also coached the Fresno Falcons, Stockton Thunder, and most recently the Cincinnati Cyclones in that league, winning the ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2019. He holds the league record for most playoff games ever coached with 108. For five seasons between 2013 and 2018, he was the head coach of the University of Alaska-Anchorage program.

A move to an assistant job with Providence is the next step toward the NHL, but this isn’t a fast track. Thomas began his coaching career in 1998 at the age of 22, just after finishing his senior season at R.I.T where he captained the team. This first AHL opportunity has been a long time coming, even though he’s still relatively young for the coaching world.

Ottawa Senators Sign Filip Gustavsson

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6:00 PM: The Senators have officially announced the signing.  GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement about his young netminder:

We were very pleased with Filip’s performance last season. After spending the early part of the year playing in Sweden, it was evident to us that he is committed to continually improve his overall game. He’s someone we regard as a high-end talent and we’re looking forward to seeing his progress in 2021-22.

4:59 PM: The Ottawa Senators have inked young goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a two-year contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will be two-way in 2021-22, paying him $750K at the NHL level and $125K in the AHL before turning to a one-way, $825K contract in 2022-22. That means Gustavsson’s new average annual value and cap hit are set at $787,500 moving forward.

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-way deadline deal in 2018, Gustavsson represents the future of the Senators’ crease. Though the team has Matt Murray locked up at a high price for the next three years, it was Gustavsson who was most impressive this season and subsequently protected in the recent Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

Though he played just nine games, the 23-year-old netminder posted a 5-1-2 record and a .933 save percentage for the Senators, showing that he’s already ready for an NHL role of some sort. Whether that comes this season is actually not clear though, as the team obviously has Murray installed and signed Anton Forsberg to a one-year deal in May.

One of the biggest things in Gustavsson’s favor is actually the fact that the Kraken selected Joey Daccord through expansion, taking one of the organization’s other young goaltenders out of the picture. It’s still a crowded depth chart though, with three other young netminders signed to their entry-level deals. Daccord was the only one anywhere near the NHL level though, meaning with him gone it’s just Gustavsson if the team wants to make a switch at some point.

The fact that Senators GM Pierre Dorion got him to agree to a second year seems like a big win, as there’s no doubt he’ll be ready to at least serve as a backup in 2022-23. That means the team has already secured a cheap complementary piece to Murray, or even potentially a new starting option if the veteran continues to struggle. Murray has posted a save percentage under .900 in each of the last two seasons, including a dreadful .893 mark in 2020-21 with Ottawa. If that number doesn’t improve, there’s no way the Senators can realistically take a step forward in their rebuild without handing the crease to someone else. The waiver-exempt Gustavsson will certainly be waiting for his next opportunity and he may not give it back if he’s given the chance.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Prospect Notes: Tuomaala, Mercuri, St. Louis

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Philadelphia Flyers fans could get a closer look at recent second-round pick Samu Tuomaala much sooner than expected. Speaking at the team’s development camp today, Tuomaala told the media including The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that he will be playing in North America this season. The Finnish forward actually hopes to play in the AHL (or NHL), but if not will suit up for the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, his CHL right holder. O’Connor speculates that a decision could be made shortly, with it being more likely he plays junior rather than pro as an 18-year-old, but Tuomaala could have the opportunity to change minds in training camp as well. The No. 46 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Tuomaala was a first-round caliber talent. A gifted shooter with speed and aggression, the only knocks on Tuomaala are his size and hockey IQ both of which could hinder him in the AHL and hurt his development. Sometime pure talent comes out on top though. Keep an eye on Tuomaala this fall.

  • Do the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs know something that no one else does? Or are they simply enamored with a 2020 Carolina draft pick? The Sea Dogs have announced that they have acquired Hurricanes prospect Lucas Mercuri as well as fellow forward Olivier Picard and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Val-d’Or Foreurs in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick and 2024 fifth-round pick. This trade would be more than fair given Mercuri’s ability (36 points in 45 USHL games last year) if not for one crucial detail: Mercuri is committed to UMass and is expected to play in the NCAA this season. There has been no word to the contrary, as by all accounts Mercuri is enrolling in Amherst and playing for the Minutemen this year. After spending the past three years in U.S. playing prep school hockey in Connecticut and then suiting up for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers last season, it certainly seems that the Montreal native is committed to an NCAA development path. So then why give up a top pick? The answer is not Picard, who has 15 points in 77 career QMJHL games, so Saint John either sees enough in the upside of Mercuri to take a shot or they have inside information about a potential unexpected move to the major junior ranks.
  • A new Boston collegiate rivalry is brewing. Lucas St. Louis, son of Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, has committed to play his college hockey at Harvard. St. Louis’ USHL team, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, announced that their incoming recruit has made his commitment to the Crimson, though the 16-year-old will very likely play at least two USHL seasons before joining Harvard in 2023-24. However, older brother Ryan St. Louis will still be in town, as he is joining Northeastern this season. A graduate of the USNTDP and a surprise absence from the 2021 NHL Draft, St. Louis is a major recruit for the Huskies and could be drafted in 2022 but will very likely play all four years at Northeastern. That will provide some crossover for the brothers as they compete for cross-town rivals. Though Harvard and Northeastern do not share a conference, they do compete in the Beanpot Tournament each year and could easily have scheduled non-conference matchups or NCAA Tournament regional clashes. The sons of an electrifying NHLer, the St. Louis brothers bear watching over the next several years, both as college contributors and potential future pros.

Keith Petruzzelli Signs With AHL’s Toronto Marlies

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In a somewhat stunning turn of events, highly-touted goalie prospect Keith Petruzelli will not be playing in the NCAA nor on an NHL contract this season. The 2017 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings had parted ways with his rights holder, allegedly by his own choice, and was believed to be looking for a new NHL home or else returning for a fifth year at Quinnipiac University. Instead, the AHL’s Toronto Marlies have announced that they have signed Petruzzelli and to a two-year deal at that. It is quite the unexpected outcome for the decorated NCAA goaltender.

Petruzzelli, 22, is coming off of an excellent collegiate season in which he was named an ECAC first-team all-star, ECAC goalie of the year, a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s best goaltender,and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player. He posted a .926 save percentage and 1.89 GAA while leading the Bobcats to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. This was reasonably expected to boost his value as an NHL prospect. After all, recent Richter winners include top young pro keepers like Jeremy Swayman, Cayden Primeau, and Thatcher Demko. Petruzzelli was in a unique situation as well. Having played four seasons in the NCAA, Petruzzelli could watch the Red Wings’ draft rights expire in August and sign elsewhere. However, he was also granted an additional fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would have allowed him to return to Quinnipiac if the NHL market did not develop as he had hoped and test free agency next summer instead. When August 15 came and went, as well as a development camp appearance with his hometown Boston Bruins, and there was no contract announcement, it seemed likely that a collegiate return was likely.

Instead, the curveball result is Petruzzelli signing an AHL contract and for two years instead of one. This cannot be the result that Petruzzelli’s camp imagined if and when they did spurn Detroit. It’s difficult to imagine that Petruzzelli did not receive an NHL contract, but his representation misread the market as most others did. The talented goaltender is now locked into a low-money, minor league pact when he ideally would have been on an entry-level contract with a shot at NHL starts. Toronto is also not a great landing spot in particular. The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting storyline to follow in the minors this season.

Minor Transactions: 08/28/21

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The Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet aside, it has been a quiet stretch for NHL transactions and even for minor moves as the summer wears on. However, there are still plenty of notable names available and looking for work. Here are some recent signings from around the hockey world.

  • Former Philadelphia Flyer Taylor Leier is staying in Germany, at least for one more year. Leier left North America ahead of the 2020-21 season after playing on an AHL deal the year prior. He initially signed on with HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Republic, but shortly after jumped to Adler Manheim in the DEL. Leier played well, recording ten points in 20 games and contributing in the post season. He seemingly caught the eye of a rival, as the Straubing Tigers have announced a one-year deal with the forward. Leier will jump right into the action, as Straubing has preseason games beginning this week. Leier, who recorded seven points in 55 games with the Flyers, will join other former Philly NHLers Jason Akeson and Brandon Manning on the Tigers roster.
  • Justin Brazeau, who received considerable attention as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL back in 2019 but ended up signing an AHL contract, is looking for a fresh start after two quiet seasons to begin his pro career. After joining his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs (the parent organization at least), Brazeau will now jump to an arch rival. The New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver reports that Brazeau has signed a one-year deal with the Providence Bruins. The big winger plays a physical brand of hockey that meshes well with the Bruins’ historical preferences, but his skating issues have limited him from transforming into a true power forward, at least in the AHL thus far. In his final year in the OHL, Brazeau recorded 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games with the North Bay Battalion and in his first pro season with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, he notched 27 goals and 55 points in 57 games. Yet, he only has five points in 22 career AHL games. Playing at a level where just being 6’5″ and 220 lbs. is not enough (even for the Bruins who walked away from a similar style of NHL player in Nick Ritchie this summer, who ironically signed in Toronto), Brazeau will need to work on the finer points of his skill game in order to make an impact in Providence.
  • Veteran forward Stephen Harper continues to climb the pro ranks. A former OHL first-round pick and once considered a likely NHL draft pick, Harper’s production and development flatlined over his junior career and he ended up going the collegiate route and playing four years at Acadia University. However, he signed on with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets last year and recorded 31 points in 43 games. It was enough to catch the eye of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who have signed him to a one-year deal. Harper will look to repeat those numbers in the AHL if he can and hopefully continue to elevate to that next level.

Minor Transactions: 08/27/21

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The NHL offseason grinds toward September training camps, as other leagues around the world continue to fill out their rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.

  • The San Jose Barracuda have re-signed Evan Weinger to a one-year AHL contract, bringing the forward back for his fourth season with the team. The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent signing out of the WHL and had eight points in 28 games for the Barracuda last season.
  • The Texas Stars have signed Spenser Young to a one-year AHL contract, giving him a chance to make the leap to professional hockey. The 24-year-old defenseman played four seasons with Providence College, but actually didn’t suit up anywhere in 2020-21. The last time he was on the ice during the 2019-20 season his offense had dried up completely, as Young recorded just three points in 32 games.
  • Rob Klinkhammer, who has been a staple in the KHL for years now, has signed a one-year deal with Dynamo Moscow for this season. Klinkhammer captained Dinamo Minsk in 2020-21, scoring 26 points in 31 games. The 35-year-old has had quite the hockey career, playing nearly 200 games in the NHL, scoring a Gagarin Cup-winning goal, and suiting up for Canada at the 2018 Olympics.
  • The Athletic’s Darren Hynes reports that the Stockton Heat have signed a goalie duo to two-way AHL contracts. Andrew Shortridge and Matt Greenfield will be joining the organization for 2021-22. Shortridge, a 26-year-old Alaska native, actually spent last year in the Heat organization, mostly at the ECHL level. He still put up a .952 save percentage in three appearances with Stockton, though, and could be a legitimate option at that level. Greenfield spent the entirety of last year with Kansas City in the ECHL, posting an 11-9-4 record and .916 save percentage.

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Montreal Canadiens Sign Ryan Poehling

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed restricted free agent forward Ryan Poehling to a two-year contract. In 2021-22, Poehling will receive $750K at the NHL level and $225K at the AHL level. In 2022-23, he will receive $750K as the contract will be one-way.

It seems like a long time ago that Poehling burst onto the scene with a hat trick in his first NHL game. That was only at the end of the 2018-19 season after he signed out of St. Cloud State, but so much has changed in terms of the Montreal depth chart that it might as well be five years ago. Poehling now enters this season having spent the entire 2020-21 campaign at the minor league level and is certainly not a lock for NHL playing time out of the gate.

The fact that he is still waiver-exempt likely means he’s on his way back to the AHL to start the season, and given the young talent up the middle for the Canadiens it’s not clear when he’ll really get another chance. Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jake Evans all have more experience at this point and figure to be on the opening day lineup, not leaving a ton of room for someone like Poehling.

That’s not to say his career in Montreal is over though. The 22-year-old forward is still exactly what they drafted him to be, a big-bodied center with some scoring upside. He had 25 points in 28 games last season for the Laval Rocket and should post strong results in that league again if he does end up in the AHL. A $750K cap hit will actually help him in his quest to earn NHL playing time as the Canadiens navigate a flat cap, but he’s still likely going to need some breaks to go his way.

Minor Transactions: 08/26/21

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Two huge contracts were signed today in the NHL, but there are always plenty of other minor moves that go on in European, junior, and minor leagues that are just as important to those involved. Just like always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves around the hockey world right here.

  • The Iserlohn Roosters of the German DEL have signed Nick Schilkey, who spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. While the 27-year-old’s departure from North America is a notable one, the team’s press release also included an interesting note on Griffin Reinhart. The 2012 fourth-overall pick spent last season with the Roosters, but the team suggests that he is now pursuing a different career path, one focused on his academic development. It’s not clear exactly what that means at this point.
  • Mario Kempe, who last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season, is staying in the KHL, this time signing with Dinamo Minsk. Kempe scored 22 points in 34 games for CSKA Moscow last season and suited up for Sweden at the World Championship. The 32-year-old has 70 NHL games in his career, but recorded just 13 points.
  • The Milwaukee Admirals have signed Bobo Carpenter to a one-year AHL contract after he failed to receive a qualifying offer from the New York Islanders. Carpenter had four goals and seven points in 19 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season, his second professional campaign after signing out of Boston University. The 25-year-old hasn’t been able to replicate the success he had in college to this point.
  • After splitting last season between Europe and North America, Jakob Stukel is on his way back overseas. The 24-year-old forward has signed with HC Pustertal of the ICEHL. Stukel played 35 games for the Bakersfield Condors in 2020-21, scoring seven points.

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Minor Transactions: 08/25/21

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Things are slow in the NHL offseason, but that doesn’t mean the hockey world has to come to a stop. European, junior and minor leagues continue to finesse their rosters in preparation for the season. Like always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.

  • It appears as though Mitchell Miller will be getting a chance to continue his hockey career. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet tweets that Miller is expected to re-join the Tri-City Storm of the USHL for this season. The Arizona Coyotes renounced Miller’s draft rights after his past assault charges came to national attention, and the young defenseman was also cut loose by the University of North Dakota. In 2019-20, he recorded 33 points in 44 games with Tri-City.
  • Colton Beck, who spent last season with the Stockton Heat, has signed with Dornbirner EC of the ICEHL. The 31-year-old forward has a long history in the AHL, mostly with the Iowa Wild, but has never suited up for an NHL game. Beck had just six points in 21 games for the Heat last season, scoring just a single goal.
  • The Seattle Kraken have invited Thomas Milic to both rookie and NHL training camp, bringing in the undrafted goaltender as a local option. Milic is from Coquitlam, British Columbia, but plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. He’ll arrive under an amateur tryout but could potentially earn himself an entry-level contract, the same battle many undrafted players are facing this fall.

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