Islanders Sign Jon Gillies To PTO
The New York Islanders have announced their training camp roster and it features a few non-roster invites, but none more interesting than goaltender Jon Gillies. Gillies comes over from the St. Louis Blues as an unsigned unrestricted free agent and could actually have a shot at a contract. The other two invites are AHL Bridgeport players, veteran defensemen Seth Helgeson and Mike Cornell.
Whether it be his Providence College connection with GM Lou Lamoriello or simply his status as one of the few experienced goaltenders left available on the open market, Gillies has found his way to the Islanders this preseason and it could be a PTO worth watching. While New York has a stout NHL tandem in Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin, their depth is a concern. 35-year-old Cory Schneider was re-signed, but his 2020-21 season with the Isles resulted in zero NHL appearances and just two abysmal AHL starts. Ken Appleby was signed in April strictly for Expansion Draft purposes and he too was limited last season with just seven AHL appearances. Appleby, 26, played exclusively in the ECHL in 2019-20 as well. Jakub Skarek, 21, struggled with Bridgeport last season, while Tristan Lennox, 18, is not ready for the pros. With a strong camp performance, it is easy to see how Gillies might be able to fill a role for the Islanders this season.
A third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012, Gillies was a top college goalie and NCAA National Champion with the Providence Friars before turning pro early in 2015. Gillies performed well at the pro level immediately and his early returns in the AHL and in a small sample of NHL appearances put him position to battle to be the Flames’ goaltender of the future. However, this was a competition that he would lose to David Rittich. Relegated to the AHL for the entire 2018-19 season, Gillies performed poorly and his NHL trajectory was knocked off course. With that said, he has improved in each of the past two seasons and spent much of last year on the St. Louis taxi squad as the next man up in net. At 27, Gillies still has plenty of tread left on the tires. The Islanders have experience in Schneider and upside in Skarek, but if they truly need a netminder to step in to an NHL role this season, Gillies could be their best bet – especially if he can make the most of his PTO with a strong camp performance.
Minnesota Wild Announce Front Office Changes
The Minnesota Wild have reorganized their front office, announcing several promotions and a few interesting hires. Chris O’Hearn, who previously worked as the team’s director of hockey operations, has been promoted to assistant general manager. Michael Murray, who previously served as an assistant to the general manager, will now be the team’s director of hockey operations and the general manager of the Iowa Wild. Mat Sells has been promoted to vice president of hockey, while J.P. Perpich and Matt Carle have joined as amateur scouts, the latter in a part-time role.
O’Hearn, 39, served with the Arizona Coyotes for more than a decade before coming to Minnesota, and for three years held the same AGM role there that he now has with the Wild. The young executive comes from a hockey family, as his father Mike O’Hearn was an AGM with the Winnipeg Jets in the mid-nineties. With the Wild, O’Hearn will be responsible for player contract research and negotiations, scheduling, salary arbitration and salary cap management.
Murray, 41, joined the Wild less than a year ago as a special assistant to GM Bill Guerin, but will now take over the day-to-day hockey operations, assist in contract negotiations, player development, and scouting. That’s in addition to taking over as GM of Iowa, but that shouldn’t be a problem given his familiarity with the AHL. Murray spent nearly a decade as the minor league’s vice president of hockey operations and before that had experience in the league office of the ECHL.
The addition that may draw the most attention though is Carle, who suited up more than 800 times in the NHL over a long career. It ended in 2017, but it appears as though he’s ready to get back into the NHL, at least part-time. A Hobey Baker award winner, two-time NCAA champion, and World Junior gold medalist, he should certainly have a handle on what it takes to make the transition from the college ranks to the NHL.
Injury Notes: Zary, Samberg, Kempny
Connor Zary, one of the players who found immediate success in the AHL last season despite being too young to normally play there, had a good news-bad news kind of day. The good news is that he won’t require surgery on the ankle he injured this week, the bad news is that he did suffer a fracture in it and will be out on a week-to-week basis.
If you wondered how the Flames are going to add more scoring punch in the years to come, the answer may be Zary, the 24th overall pick from 2020. The 19-year-old center had seven points in nine games with the Stockton Heat before the WHL started up again, and then went back to the Kamloops Blazers to record 24 points in just 15 games down the stretch. This time around, Zary won’t be forced back to the junior level when he returns. He’ll turn 20 tomorrow, meaning he is now eligible for the AHL this season and can report right to the Heat after recovering from this injury.
- Speaking of AHL players on the cusp of a roster spot, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg has lost any chance of breaking camp with the NHL team after suffering a high ankle sprain. The young defenseman will be out six to eight weeks, according to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who spoke to reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic today. Given the newcomers to the Jets blue line Samberg likely still had only an outside shot of landing an NHL spot to start the season, but now he’ll be playing catchup all season to try and get back on the strong development path he has shown thus far. The 22-year-old second-round pick was a star at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and fit right in at the AHL level in 2020-21.
- Michal Kempny is finally pain-free after a brutal two-year stretch of injuries. The Washington Capitals defenseman confirmed to reporters including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that all three of his recent injuries–a torn hamstring in 2019, torn Achilles in 2020 and MCL sprain in 2021–were to his left leg. Incredibly, that MCL sprain that happened last season came when a member of the Hershey Bears ice crew collided with him during his conditioning stint. Kempny ended up playing just two games during the 2020-21 campaign, both at the AHL level, but is ready to resume his career with a Capitals team that he played so well for during the 2018 Stanley Cup run.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Sami Niku
After terminating his contract with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month, Sami Niku has found a new home. The Montreal Canadiens have signed the young defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract, one that comes with a considerable minor league salary. Niku will earn just $750K at the NHL level, but $425K in the AHL and also has negotiated a $475K minor league guarantee.
Niku, 24, has frankly dominated the AHL to this point, racking up 80 points in 114 games and winning the Eddie Shore Award as the league’s best defenseman. That minor league success only translated into 54 games at the NHL level with the Jets though, leading to the eventual parting of ways as he looked for a new opportunity.
He’ll find it in Montreal, where the last few spots of the Canadiens’ blue line are still in flux. With Shea Weber out, there are minutes to go around in various situations and David Savard can only take so many of them. Newcomer Chris Wideman seemed a likely candidate to get some powerplay time, but he’ll now be in direct competition with the much younger Niku. Alexander Romanov and Brett Kulak could rotate out of the lineup at times if the Montreal front office decides to keep eight defensemen on the roster for opening day.
The acquisition gives head coach Dominique Ducharme another talented option, but Niku and his representatives also built in some security should he fail to make the roster. A $475K guarantee is a whopping number for a player so young and shows just how effective Niku has been so far in his short career in North America. Remember, he’ll also have to clear waivers if the team tries to send him down.
Minor Transactions: 09/23/21
NHL training camps are off and running, with young players trying to earn attention and playing time across the league. While many of them may end up back on minor league rosters, some will manage to break camp in the NHL. With those battles in mind, AHL teams are still figuring out how to fill their rosters and as always, we’ll keep track of all the notable transactions right here.
- The Cleveland Monsters have signed Jake Slaker and Zach Jordan to AHL contracts for the upcoming season. Slaker, 25, spent last season with the Texas Stars after coming out of the University of Michigan and registered 12 points in 27 games. The undrafted center had 104 points in his 147-game NCAA career, but will be hard-pressed to keep up that kind of scoring pace at the professional level. Jordan meanwhile was. with the Monsters last season, scoring six points in 27 games. He’ll be back to try and improve on those numbers in his second season of pro hockey.
- Xavier Bouchard, a sixth-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights who never signed, has inked an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals for the upcoming season. The 21-year-old defenseman had 24 points in 39 games during his final year of junior, suiting up for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL.
- The Hartford Wolf Pack have added Cristiano DiGiacinto and Mike O’Leary on AHL deals, the latter returning to the team after playing 16 games with them last season. O’Leary, 23, scored just three points in those games, but will get another chance to prove the skill he showcased at Notre Dame can be carried over to the AHL level. DiGiacinto meanwhile is coming from the Canadian college level, spending four years with Acadia University after winning a Memorial Cup in 2017 with the Windsor Spitfires. The 25-year-old does actually have some pro experience already, having played 12 games with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL before deciding to go back to school.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets today added goalie Evan Moyse to their training camp roster on a try-out deal. Moyse will play his first full professional season of hockey this year with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks after playing just six games over four years with Ohio State University.
- After going undrafted in 2021, forward Lorenzo Canonica has signed an amateur try-out with the Los Angeles Kings. The newly 18-year-old native of Switzerland had 16 points in 24 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL last year, which is where he’ll be returning to in 2021-22.
This page will be updated as further transactions are reported
Injury Notes: Kessel, Kinnvall, Crookshank
The Arizona Coyotes will be without top scorer Phil Kessel for the next few weeks after he suffered a foot injury in his offseason training. Kessel’s current timeline is two to three weeks, as GM Bill Armstrong explained to reporters including Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. Three weeks from today would mean a return on the eve of the Coyotes’ regular season opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Missing a few weeks of training camp isn’t a big deal for most players, but remember that Kessel is currently on a streak of 900 consecutive games played. The veteran forward has played every single game in each of the last 11 seasons, starting his streak way back in November of 2009. That’s the fifth-longest streak in NHL history and could be in jeopardy if he doesn’t return in the expected timeline.
- Johannes Kinnvall of the Calgary Flames suffered a lower-body injury during the team’s prospect camp, and GM Brad Treliving described it as “significant” today at his opening press conference. The 24-year-old defenseman will not be able to participate in the main training camp, obviously a big blow to his chances of making the team to start the year. It was always a long shot, but Kinnvall has played extremely well over the last two seasons in the SHL, racking up 62 points in 83 games.
- Angus Crookshank suffered a major knee injury at the Ottawa Senators prospect camp and will require surgery. The young forward will miss the next four to six months according to GM Pierre Dorion, ending any bid he had of making the club. The 21-year-old Crookshank was a fifth-round pick in 2018, partly because of the competition he faced in the BCHL, but started climbing prospect charts with a strong three-year career at the University of New Hampshire. By the time he was joining the Belleville Senators earlier this year he was on a roll and instantly became a top offensive option for the team. In 19 AHL games, Crookshank registered 16 points, a level of production he’ll have to try to get back to after this long rehab.
Minor Transactions: 09/21/21
Today certainly had a flurry of big-name news, a rarity for this time of year. But even through the Kirill Kaprizov contracts and the Elvis Merzlikins extensions of the world, NHL teams have made a flurry of minor transactions today in preparation for training camps. As camps begin and rosters are announced, players still without a confirmed home for next season will pop up across the league. Here are some of today’s minor transactions:
- The expansion Seattle Kraken have added a good bit of depth on try-out deals. The team’s invited Tye Kartye and Cole Mackay of the Soo Greyhounds to camp, as well as Francis Marotte of the ECHL’s Allen Americans. Kartye and Mackay, both forwards, have been teammates with the Soo since 2018. Both haven’t played hockey since the 2019-20 season due to the OHL’s shutdown in 2020-21. They were both on the path to success, however, potting over 50 points individually. They’ll gain some valuable experience at an NHL camp. Marotte, a 26-year-old netminder, comes in after just one season of professional hockey. He impressed in the ECHL this year, boasting an 8-3-1 record and .917 save percentage.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have added a trio of their own on tryouts, headlined by defenseman Ian McCoshen. Now 26, the former second-round pick by Florida now hasn’t seen NHL action since 2018-19. He’s unlikely to see NHL ice within the Vegas organization, one of the deepest defenses in the league, but could be a solid AHL body if he ends up signing with the team. They’ve also brought in OHLers Kaleb Pearson and Daniel D’Amato. Pearson scored 52 points in 62 games in 2019-20 with the Owen Sound Attack, and he’s headed to Prince Edward Island to play collegiate hockey this season. D’Amato will suit up for his Erie Otters again this year after scoring 32 points in 63 games back in 2019-20.
Training Camp Notes: Bruins, Blue Jackets, Penguins
As development camps begin to wrap up around the NHL, training camp rosters have been released throughout the day and into the evening. There’s been a variety of rather interesting surprises and irregularities as the rosters have been released to the public. One of the more unusual aspects of the day has to do with the Boston Bruins training camp roster. It appears as though veteran AHL defenseman Aaron Ness will be attending camp with the team. While no contract terms have been announced, he had previously signed a professional tryout contract with the Seattle Kraken. A contract announcement can likely be expected in the near future.
Elsewhere from training camps around the league:
- Another surprise inclusion comes in the form of a veteran goaltender. The Columbus Blue Jackets released their roster today, including 30-year-old veteran netminder Jean-Francois Berube. The Quebec native, originally a selection of the Los Angeles Kings in 2009, is returning to the organization after a one-year stint there in 2018-19. It was played entirely with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. While Berube’s numbers have dipped in recent seasons, he was once a capable third-string option and still could provide valuable goalie depth to the organization. Similar to Ness, no contract terms have been released yet for Berube, but it’s something to look out for.
- The Tribune-Review’s Seth Rorabaugh reports that forwards Sam Houde and Josh Williams are attending Pittsburgh Penguins camp on amateur tryout contracts. Both signings could help plug some organization depth weaknesses caused by a cascading injury effect. Houde comes to the team after serving as the captain for the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens, scoring 28 points in 29 games during his final QMJHL season. Williams, a winger out of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, showed off his goal-scoring skills this year with 17 goals and 30 points in 22 games. Both could slot into depth roles in the AHL and could eventually become bigger parts of the organization if signed.
Winnipeg Jets Place Sami Niku On Unconditional Waivers
Sep 21: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Niku has cleared waivers. He can now have his contract terminated and become a free agent.
Sep 20: Somewhat surprisingly, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Sami Niku on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Niku was heading into the second season of a two-year one-way contract he signed in 2020 that carried an average annual value of $725K. That entire cap hit will come off the books with the termination and Niku will become an unrestricted free agent.
While usually these terminations are followed by a contract overseas, it does not appear to be the case for Niku. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweets that Niku is hoping for a fresh start with another NHL organization and Europe is not his current focus. It’s understandable that the 24-year-old defenseman believes he can play at the highest level, given his dominance of the AHL and 54 games in the NHL.
Despite that early experience, it seemed obvious that Niku was not going to get regular playing time with the Jets this season after the team brought in several new options on the back end. Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon have joined the group, while Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, and Ville Heinola all represent young options that have passed him on the organizational depth chart. Niku played just six games for the Jets this season.
A seventh-round pick in 2015, Niku’s stock skyrocketed in the next few years, as he established himself as a top prospect in Finland. He found success at the World Juniors, winning a gold medal in 2016, found regular playing time in Liiga, the highest level of Finnish hockey, and then won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman in an outstanding rookie season in North America. That 2017-18 campaign, when Niku registered 54 points in 76 games for the Manitoba Moose, earned him a one-game call-up with the Jets and a regular role the following season. Since then things haven’t gone as smoothly, but there is still a lot of upside in the smooth-skating defender.
Of course, this is basically just giving Niku a chance to pick his next team. If the Jets had tried to send him down this season he would have required waivers, meaning any team in the league could have claimed him for that $725K cap hit (actually lower than the league minimum this season). A contract termination will allow him to negotiate with whoever he wants and find a spot where he can receive NHL minutes, if available. For teams looking for young assets, there are certainly worse gambles to take.
Zac Rinaldo Not Invited To Blue Jackets Camp
Despite signing a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets just over a month ago, Zac Rinaldo is not invited to their training camp. When speaking with the media today, Blue Jackets president John Davidson explained that Rinaldo has chosen not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and because of that, will appear at the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters training camp instead. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN tweeted the full quote:
Forward Zac Rinaldo, who we signed to a two-way contract this summer, is not vaccinated and because of that – and that’s his decision – the plan is to start him in the American Hockey League and he will not be coming to our training camp.
Rinaldo, 31, has played 374 games in the NHL but is known much more for his skill with his fists than the puck. The veteran forward has just 42 career points but has racked up 758 penalty minutes. The likelihood of him securing a full-time role on the Blue Jackets was already very slim, but appears to be non-existent now as the league’s strict policies make it difficult to carry a player who has refused the vaccine. Recently, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly projected that only 10-15 players on NHL rosters will be unvaccinated by the start of the season. The Blue Jackets announced that the other 67 players invited to NHL training camp are vaccinated.
Still, it is likely that Rinaldo and his agents already knew that he would be playing in the AHL for a good portion of the year since they negotiated a hefty $300K minor league guarantee. Despite his $275K AHL salary, he’ll receive the full $300K even if he fails to play a single game for Columbus.
Additionally, The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the NHLPA will review the situation, considering Rinaldo has not officially been sent to AHL Cleveland as of yet.
Rinaldo played four games last season for the Calgary Flames, scoring zero points.