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Montreal Canadiens Sign Michael Pezzetta

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The Montreal Canadiens have reached a new contract with minor league forward Michael Pezzetta. The one-year, two-way contract will pay him $750K at the NHL level and $82.5K at the AHL level.

Pezzetta, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract signed in 2018, two years after he was selected 160th overall. Over three seasons in the AHL he has scored just 10 goals and 19 points but is known much more for his fighting ability and physicality than offensive production. In his 107 career AHL games, Pezzetta has been involved in 18 fights, including four this season before a facial fracture ended his year prematurely.

Though his offensive numbers don’t suggest he should be playing in the NHL anytime soon, don’t be surprised if Pezzetta gets a few games for the Canadiens should they decide they need some added toughness in the lineup. Either way, he’ll be in the Laval Rocket lineup on a regular basis this season after signing his new deal.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Joseph Duszak

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Aug 5: The Maple Leafs have officially announced the contract, at the reported terms.

Aug 4: The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Joseph Duszak to a one-year, two-way contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will pay Duszak $750K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

Signed as an undrafted college free agent in 2019, Duszak was one of the country’s most productive offensive defensemen at the time. With 47 points in 37 games, the only real questionable part of Duszak’s season was the competition, given he was playing at Mercyhurst College.

Finding out whether he could continue to perform at that level in a professional league was worth it for the Maple Leafs, and Duszak hasn’t disappointed. In his first full year of pro hockey he scored 35 points in 34 games with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, while adding 18 points in 23 games with the Toronto Marlies. Those numbers dropped this season in the COVID-shortened schedule, but he still racked up 12 points in 25 games with the Marlies.

Now 24, it’s unlikely that the 5’9″ Duszak really ever makes a considerable impact at the NHL level, but at the very least he’s a strong depth option for the Toronto minor league system.

Front Office Notes: Penguins, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Rangers

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Once a model organization for goaltending performance and depth, the Pittsburgh Penguins play in net has largely gone downhill since the departure of goaltending coach Mike Bales in 2017. His replacement, Mike Buckley, watched as young starters Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry suffered through struggles and was unable to right the ship. The Penguins have decided that it is time for a new voice, especially after failing thus far in free agency to add a veteran mentor for Jarry. The team has announced that Buckley has been relieved of his duties and former Pittsburgh keeper Andy Chiodo has been hired as his replacement. Though new to the job, Chiodo has been with the organization in a development role since 2018. He has also previously worked as a goalie coach in the OHL and Canadian college ranks. Chiodo was considered a high-IQ goaltender during his playing days and will look to take his knowledge of the game and use it to improve the Penguins’ young, inconsistent net.

  • Across the state, the Philadelphia Flyers have made some new additions of their own. The team announced that ten new names have joined the organization, five in hockey operations, two to the Flyers’ coaching staff, and three to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ coaching staff. The headliner of the group is veteran executive Mike O’Connell, named Senior Advisor to the General Manager. A former GM of the Boston Bruins, made infamous as the architect of the Joe Thornton trade, O’Connell has quietly made a very positive difference for the Los Angeles Kings for the past 15 year in various roles in scouting and player development. O’Connell contributed to two Stanley Cup champions and has now helped to draft and develop arguably the best prospect pipeline in the NHL. Among the other front office hires were Pro Scout Nick Beverley, who has spent the past 16 years with the Nashville Predators and Amateur Scout Matt Bardsley, a former GM of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. In Lehigh Valley, the team named two assistants to Ian Laperriere’s staff, former WHL coach Jason Smith former ECHL coach Riley Armstrong.
  • While the New York Rangers have lost some big names from their front office this off-season, they just poached a notable name for themselves. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Horsby reports that Toronto Maple Leafs Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley has decided to leave the team to become Director of Player Personnel in New York. Lilley has been with Toronto since 2006, including the past three years as leader of amateur scouting and therefore the Maple Leafs’ drafts. His new title means even more responsibility with the Rangers, though Lilley will still be in charge of amateur scouting and will run the draft. The Maple Leafs have not named a replacement.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Josh Jacobs

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There is no such thing as “too many defensemen” when it comes to the Carolina Hurricanes. With a dozen defenders with NHL experience already under contract for next season, the team has decided that there was still room for more. Enter Josh Jacobs. The Hurricanes have announced that they have come to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with the long-time New Jersey Devils prospect. Jacobs will make the minimum $750K NHL salary and a $75K AHL salary, with $100K guaranteed.

Jacobs, 25, was a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this off-season after five plus seasons with New Jersey that resulted in just three NHL opportunities. A 2014 second-round pick, Jacobs always seemed to be on the fringe of an NHL role with the Devils, especially after a 2019-20 season in which he recorded five goals, ten points, and a team-leading +16 rating in 54 games with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and saw two games with New Jersey. Alas, he did not make one NHL appearance this season and decided to try his hand elsewhere.

Carolina is an interesting choice for a player seeking a longer NHL look given the Hurricanes’ immense defensive depth. However, it is easy to see why the Hurricanes liked Jacobs as a depth addition despite their blue line gluttony. Jacobs is everything you want in an AHL replacement defenseman: size, a right-handed shot, sound defense, decent offensive numbers, young legs, considerable pro experience, and a desire to prove himself. Jacobs has shown little to no upside as an NHL regular just yet, but he is a safe plug-and-play option in an emergency and in the meantime will be a dependable minor league player. Jacobs just hopes he can take a step forward from this depth label this season before hitting the market again next summer.

Minor Transactions: 08/04/21

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The offseason has reached a slow crawl as we wait for arbitration hearings later this month, but minor league teams are still filling out rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable minor signings right here.

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Michael Mersch to a two-year AHL contract. The 28-year-old Mersch has played the last five full seasons in the minor leagues, moving between the Ontario Reign, Texas Stars and Americans. He scored 19 points in 28 games for Rochester this year and will add a strong offensive presence to the lineup again for the next while.
  • The Springfield Thunderbirds have signed Blake Christensen to an AHL deal, bringing him back to where he experienced so much college success. A star for the American International College, Christensen split last season between Norway and the Bakersfield Condors, where he had just two goals in ten games.
  • Jerry D’Amigo, who actually played 31 games in the NHL a few years ago, is returning to Germany to sign with Dusseldorfer EG for the 2021-22 season. Now 30, D’Amigo was once a World Junior star, part of the U.S. team that took home the 2010 gold medal, but has let his hockey career take him all over the world in recent years. The last time he suited up in the DEL, he had 22 points in 41 games.
  • Skyler McKenzie, who spent the last three seasons with the Manitoba Moose, is heading to Sweden to play for Vasterviks IK of the second tier. The 23-year-old forward did not receive a qualifying offer from the Winnipeg Jets this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
  • The Texas Stars have signed Josh Melnick to an AHL contract, bringing him back after parts of three seasons with the club. The 26-year-old forward was first signed out of Miami University (Ohio) and scored 22 points in 38 games last season for Texas.
  • Ryan Stanton is on his way back to the Rockford IceHogs, signing a one-year AHL contract. Stanton has played a decade in the minor leagues, including 35 games for the Bakersfield Condors last season. The 32-year-old defenseman will add some experience and leadership to the Blackhawks’ affiliate, something they lost when Cody Franson signed with the Hershey Bears.

Coaching Notes: Condon, Kowalsky, Guite

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The Northeastern Huskies have added former NHL goaltender Mike Condon as a voluntary assistant coach for the upcoming season, giving the 31-year-old netminder a chance to start a new chapter of his hockey career. Condon last played professional hockey during the 2019-20 season, when he split time between the Syracuse Crunch, Charlotte Checkers, and Orlando Solar Bears.

A veteran of 129 regular season appearances, Condon actually signed a three-year $7.2MM contract with the Ottawa Senators in 2017 after he burst onto the NHL scene. After playing in 55 games as a rookie during the 2015-16 campaign with the Montreal Canadiens, he appeared in 40 for the Senators the following season and recorded a .914 save percentage. Things would quickly go downhill in Ottawa, with Condon finding himself in the minor leagues before the end of the second year, and he will now give coaching a go.

  • The Bridgeport Islanders have hired Rick Kowalsky as an assistant coach, bringing him over from the New Jersey Devils staff. Kowalsky had previously been the head coach of the Trenton, Albany, and Binghamton Devils, spending more than a decade in the organization. A recipient of both the ECHL and AHL coach of the year awards, he’ll join Bridgeport head coach Brent Thompson as an experienced voice behind the Islanders bench.
  • The Maine Mariners are now the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, and they’ll be led by a man who once suited up for the NHL squad. Ben Guite, who played nearly 200 games in the NHL (including one for the Bruins), has been named the second head coach in Mariners history. Guite spent the last eight seasons with the University of Maine, serving as associate head coach the last four.

Minor Transactions: 08/03/21

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The free agent frenzy is over and now the slow grind of the offseason is upon us. Though the wait for next season will be shorter than normal, hockey fans will have to cling to any kind of news for the next month. Luckily, the minor leagues still have rosters to fill, meaning we’ll still have some notable AHL signings to cover. As always, we’ll keep track of those right here.

  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Jimmy Oligny and Trent Bourque to minor league contracts. Oligny has signed a two-year AHL contract, while Bourque will continue with the organization on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old Oligny served as an alternate captain this season in Manitoba, while scoring just three points in 21 games. Though not an imposing figure at 5’10”, the veteran defenseman is one of the more physical players in the league and has racked up 32 fighting majors in his minor league career.
  • Jake McLaughlin has signed an AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals, following his first professional season in 2020-21. The UMass alum played in 28 games for the Henderson Silver Knights, registering two goals and three points. Undrafted, McLaughlin spent four years with the Minutemen, playing 138 games at the college level and racking up 42 points.
  • After failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Edmonton Oilers, Theodor Lennstrom is heading back overseas. This time, he has signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. Lennstrom, 26, played one season with the Bakersfield condors, scoring seven points in 19 games and was always just a lottery ticket for the Oilers coming out of the SHL.
  • At least the Bridgeport Islanders know how to announce contracts. The AHL team has signed Jeff Kubiak, Erik Brown, Felix Bibeau, Cole Coskey, Kyle MacLean and Chris Terry to AHL contracts for the 2021-22 season. The group includes relative newcomers to the professional scene and veteran minor leaguers like Terry, who has played more than 600 games in the AHL. The 32-year-old spent last season in the KHL, but attended the AHL All-Star game in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Rochester Americans Hire Mike Peca

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The Rochester Americans are bringing in a face that’s familiar to many Buffalo Sabres fans, hiring Michael Peca as an assistant coach for the AHL club. Peca will replace Adam Mair, who has been named director of player development for the Sabres. Jason Karmanos, GM of the Americans, released a short statement on the hire:

Michael brings a wealth of experience as both a player and coach and will be a tremendous addition to our coaching staff in Rochester. He will play an integral role in the development of our prospects, and we look forward to him making an immediate impact for our organization.

Peca, 47, spent last season with the Washington Capitals as a development coach, but before that was part of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres program. A veteran of nearly 1,000 NHL games, he served as captain of the Sabres for four years, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999. An Olympic gold medalist and two-time Selke Trophy winner, there’s plenty of knowledge and experience that Peca can impact on the young Sabres prospects.

That player development is key for a Sabres team that needs more than just the top picks to become NHL players. If they want to reach a level of contention, some of the team’s mid-round or even undrafted prospects will have to start providing value at the highest level. Peca’s job will now be to help guide those young players along the pipeline, showing them the path he took from the second round to the NHL.

Minor Transactions: 08/02/21

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After a number of busy days on the free agent market, NHL transactions are starting to show signs of cooling down. Those big-league deals will continue throughout the summer, but now the minor deals will increase in frequency as some NHL hopefuls settle for minor league deals or make the jump overseas. Follow along with those contracts here:

  • The San Jose Barracuda announced that they have signed veteran defenseman Mark Alt to a one-year AHL contract. Alt, 29, is entering his ninth NHL season, having previously spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings, as well as their respective affiliates. Alt has logged over 400 AHL games and 20 NHL games. What he may lack in high-end ability, Alt makes up for in dependability as a big, defensively sound blue liner. The former Colorado Eagles captain and Ontario Reign alternate also brings leadership and experience to the AHL ranks, something that the San Jose Sharks will value as they groom their prospects.
  • Goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick has inked a two-year deal with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, the team announced. The St. Louis Blues opted not to extend a qualifying offer to the 23-year-old Fitzpatrick, a somewhat surprising move for a formerly well-regarded second-round prospect. It is equally strange to see him settle for a minor league deal. While Fitzpatrick had struggled in the pros leading up to this past season, he did nothing to damage his stock in a brief 2020-21 showing. In three appearances, Fitzpatrick recorded a 2-0-0 record with a 1.65 GAA and .930 save percentage. While a very small sample size, it also could have marked the beginning of Fitzpatrick meeting his potential. If so, the Checkers stand to gain for not one but two years, unless an NHL competitor swoops in. Charlotte also signed former Florida Panthers prospect Karch Bachman, who spent his first pro season in the ECHL after a standout career at Miami University.
  • Overage forward Simon Knak was drafted in his second go-round this year after another stellar year with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, picked up by the Nashville Predators in the sixth round. However, he won’t make his pro debut in North America any time soon. The 19-year-old Swiss winger signed a two-year deal back home with the NLA’s HC Davos, the team he spent 25 games with on loan this past season. Knak will be under contract through the 2022-23 season, after which time the Predators hope he will be ready to return.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Stefan Noesen

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The Carolina Hurricanes continue to add to their depth, this time agreeing to terms with free agent forward Stefan Noesen. The one-year, two-way deal will pay Noesen $750K at the NHL level, $250K at the AHL level and comes with a $300K minor league guarantee.

Noesen, 28, split last season between the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs, spending more time in the AHL for both organizations. He suited up just once for Toronto and five times for San Jose this year, the fewest NHL games he has played since 2015-16. At that point he was a struggling first-round talent that couldn’t seem to break through, now he’s a veteran depth player that rarely receives a full-time role.

In his 205-game career, Noesen has scored 31 goals and 54 points. None of those came in his six 2020-21 NHL contests, and it’s been several years since he recorded his career-high of 13 goals and 27 points. In Carolina, he’ll likely be used as minor league depth or injury replacement should the NHL roster go through some difficult times. The Hurricanes have added plenty of depth this summer as they hope to go on another long playoff run in 2022.

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