Colorado Avalanche Hire Peter Budaj
A familiar face is heading back to Denver. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that Peter Budaj has been hired by the Colorado Avalanche as the “Development Goaltending Coach”. Budaj returns to the NHL organization responsible for his own pro development to assist with the same for the Avs’ goaltending prospects. Dater states that Budaj will primarily be responsible for communicating with and advising Colorado’s goalies outside of the pro ranks. He will likely have a major presence at development and training camps and could have input into the drafting goaltending prospects as well.
Budaj, 38, only retired in 2019 after a career renaissance extended his playing days well beyond what had been anticipated. A second-round pick of the Avalanche in 2001, Budaj got his start in the NHL in 2005 and spent six years with Colorado. He then moved on to the Montreal Canadiens for several seasons, but by 2016 had spent the past two seasons almost exclusively in the AHL. Yet, injuries to the Los Angeles Kings keepers the following season gave Budaj another chance and he responded with an elite season, the best of his career by far. This led to a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning and then eventually a return to L.A. that extended his career several seasons after it seemed to be winding down in 2016.
Budaj jumped into coaching immediately after retirement, taking an assistant coach position with both the Bozeman Ice Dogs of the NA3HL and at Montana State University with their ACHA club. After a year off during the pandemic, Budaj is ready to take the next step, jumping into a key developmental role for his former team. Interestingly though, it is not clear who Budaj will be working with this season. The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have their own goaltending coach, so if young prospect keepers Justus Annunen and Trent Miner wind up in Loveland despite Jonas Johansson and Hunter Miska also slated for jobs with the Eagles, it leaves little for Budaj to work with. Perhaps if either are demoted to the ECHL or loaned elsewhere, that will become Budaj’s focus this year. The only other prospect goalie in the organization is Russian Shamil Shmakov, who is expected to play in the second tier VHL this year. Regardless of who ends up working with Budaj, they will benefit from the veteran’s experience and knowledge of the position.
Minor Transactions: 08/21/21
While the signings on the NHL front continue to dry up, the same can’t be said for other leagues as AHL teams and international squads look to add to their rosters. We’ll keep tabs on some of those moves of note here.
- The Senators’ farm team in Belleville announced the signings of defenseman Xavier Bernard, defenseman Mitchell Hoelscher, and goalie Tyler Parks to one-year contracts. Bernard was a fourth-round pick of New Jersey back in 2018 but wasn’t signed so he finished up his QMJHL career last season. Hoelscher, who was picked two rounds later than Bernard in 2018 by New Jersey but wasn’t signed, played in seven games with Belleville in 2020-21. As for Parks, the 29-year-old spent last season in Slovakia, posting a 1.71 GAA with a .940 SV% in 24 games with HC Slovan Bratislava.
- Mikael Hakkarainen wasted little time finding his new home. After his deal was terminated by Vegas earlier this week, the 23-year-old signed a one-year deal with TPS Turku in Finland, per a team release. Hakkarainen was the return in the Marc-Andre Fleury deal which amounted to Chicago basically just freeing up a contract slot to absorb the veteran netminder into.
- Rangers UFA winger Patrick Newell is off to Norway as Stjernen announced the signing of the 25-year-old to a one-year contract. Newell signed with New York in 2019 as a college free agent but was quiet in two full seasons with AHL Hartford, notching 13 points in each campaign which led to him being non-tendered earlier this summer.
- Defenseman Maxim Chudinov was released by Avangard Omsk of the KHL today, per a team release. The 31-year-old was drafted by the Bruins back in 2010 and since there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and Russia’s hockey federation, they still hold Chudinov’s rights.
Minor Transactions: 08/20/21
With few NHL spots to go around and a fair amount of notable names still available on the open market, players have begun to make other plans for the 2021-22 season. While minor in scope at the current time, these move either include familiar players with NHL pasts or those with NHL futures. Don’t miss out on any of the action:
- Kevin Boyle is on his way to Italy. The former UMass Lowell star who has been a solid AHL goaltender for a number of years is chasing down a greater role overseas, as HC Bolzano of the IceHL has announced a one-year deal with the 29-year-old. Boyle has been on an NHL contract throughout his career, beginning with an entry-level deal with the Anaheim, two extensions with the Ducks, and then a move to the Detroit Red Wings last season. He has only made five NHL appearances, but his stellar play in that small sample size combined with his consistency in the minors made him an attractive depth option. Boyle is a major addition for the Bolzano Foxes, who ironically are replacing another former NHL goalie in departed starter Leland Irving.
- Though Anton Lindholm looked like he might become a fixture on the Colorado blue line early in his career, skating in 60 games with the Avalanche in his first two season in North America, he has only played in six NHL games in the three years since. This included zero NHL opportunities this past season following an off-season trade to the Chicago Blackhawks. Lindholm has decided to move on, signing a one-year deal with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, per a team release. An experienced pro with deceptively good defensive play despite his smaller stature, Lindholm is a nice addition for the Bison. The Swedish native may not wind up back in North America, but at 26 and with ample ability he could still have a long European career ahead of him.
- After three strong seasons in the AHL to begin his pro career, Dave Gust earned a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. However, he ended up playing in just 16 AHL games, recording four points, and did not see any NHL action. Yet, he enjoyed his time with the Chicago Wolves enough that he has decided to stick with the organization. The team has announced a new one-year deal with Gust. At 27, Gust may begin to transition into a veteran mentor role in the AHL, but he will look to bounce back this year and prove that he does indeed belong on an NHL contract.
- The Vancouver Canucks did not feel that 2019 fourth-rounder Ethan Keppen was worthy of an entry-level contract, even after a year in the AHL, but they will give him another minor league deal. The Abbotsford Canucks have announced a one-year contract with Keppen, as the organization will continue to keep an eye on his development. With power forward size and scoring potential, having shown flashes in the OHL, Keppen is a worthy project even if he only managed one point in seven games with the Utica Comets this past season.
Snapshots: Redraft, Cronin, Wellwood
A few years after any NHL draft it is a fun exercise to look back and see how players would rank if the selections were made today. While it takes some time to get a real perspective of the impact each player in the class brings, it’s also a good tool for scouts to look back and see where they may have made mistakes. That’s exactly what Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did by examining the 2018 class and noting just how accurately he ranked the players now that they have a few years of professional experience under their belts.
The headline-grabbing change is at the top, with Rasmus Dahlin replaced by Quinn Hughes as the first pick, but there are several interesting changes beyond that. Perhaps most notable is Joel Farabee‘s placement at fifth after breaking out this season for the Philadelphia Flyers. The entire piece is certainly worth the read, especially for the new thoughts on each player that Wheeler provides.
- The Colorado Eagles have extended head coach Greg Cronin for the next three years, keeping him behind the bench through 2023-24. Cronin has been with the team since 2018 and has a long, varied coaching career that includes time with USA Hockey at the IIHF World Championship. In his first three seasons with the team, he has an 85-60-12 record. The team has also signed assistants Aaron Schneekloth and Brett Clark to two-year deals.
- Speaking of minor league head coaches, the Newfoundland Growlers have hired Eric Wellwood as their next bench boss. The ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2019 Kelly Cup and will now hand the reins to the 31-year-old coaching prospect. Wellwood spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Flint Firebirds, turning a program that was in disarray into one of the strongest teams in the OHL in 2019-20. Philadelphia Flyers fans may remember Wellwood from his time as a player, appearing in 31 NHL games over three seasons before an unfortunate, gruesome injury cut his career short at the age of 24.
Seattle Kraken Sign Antoine Bibeau
The Seattle Kraken had just three goaltenders in the organization, meaning they needed to add at least one more before the season began just for depth purposes. Today they’ve done just that by signing Antoine Bibeau to a one-year, two-way contract that will carry an NHL cap hit of $750K. GM Ron Francis released a short statement on the signing:
After a strong season in Chicago last year, we’re excited to add Antoine to our mix of goaltenders. His experience at both the NHL and AHL levels make him a valuable addition to our organization.
There’s no doubt that the Kraken goaltending tandem to start the year will be Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, but every team needs third and fourth-string options in case of injury. Seattle also has Joey Daccord under contract after selecting him from the Ottawa Senators, but he is both inexperienced enough to still need development time in the minor leagues and coming off a serious injury. If you need someone to call up as a backup for a few games, Daccord isn’t really the best option as he needs playing time to continue his transition to professional hockey.
Bibeau on the other hand is very experienced at the professional level, having played nearly 200 games at the AHL level. The 27-year-old is coming off a season with just eight appearances for the Chicago Wolves, though he did post a .912 save percentage in those games. He also has four appearances at the NHL level, including two for the Colorado Avalance in 2019-20.
Though he’ll need waivers to go to the minor leagues, that shouldn’t be an issue for Bibeau who has cleared several times in the past including once in January. The interesting part will be where he plays if he does go to the AHL, as the Kraken were only expected to provide one goaltender for the Charlotte Checkers this season. Because they don’t have a primary affiliate until next season, Seattle is giving just a handful of players (and a coach) to the Checkers, who are the affiliate of the Florida Panthers.
Evgeny Svechnikov Signs AHL Contract
The Manitoba Moose have signed free agent forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, AHL contract for the 2021-22 season. While that may be surprising to many after his history in the NHL, there’s more to the story. Sportsnet contributor Ken Wiebe reports that Svechnikov will attend Winnipeg Jets training camp on a professional tryout and will be given an opportunity to earn a two-way NHL contract should he prove healthy enough.
Svechnikov, 24, was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. That was a far fall for a player selected 19th overall in 2015, but a not totally unexpected one after so many injuries. The young forward has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt, 21 of which came this past year, and has scored just five goals so far.
That doesn’t mean his career is over though. If Svechnikov can prove he’s fully healthy and ready to contribute, there’s no doubt that his talent level deserves an NHL contract. If he doesn’t earn that NHL deal and instead spends the year with the Moose, he’ll still be a very interesting player to watch. Should he stay healthy and productive, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again next offseason looking for a new deal and new opportunity.
Pat Verbeek Named AHL GM
After the news that Ryan Martin would be leaving the Detroit Red Wings organization to take a job with the New York Rangers, there was an opening that needed to be filled. The Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, was left without a general manager. Instead of hiring someone new for the job, the Red Wings have decided to pass the reins to Pat Verbeek, one of the team’s current assistant general managers. Verbeek will continue in his role as AGM for the Red Wings, but take on this new challenge leading the Griffins.
He released a statement on the new opportunity:
The Griffins are a first-class organization, and Grand Rapids is a fantastic market for hockey. Both of those factors are critical in the successful development of prospects in the American Hockey League and the ability to help them get to the next level. I look forward to continuing the winning culture in Grand Rapids and providing our prospects every necessary resource to develop as professionals and become impactful players in the NHL.
Grand Rapids won the Calder Cup in both 2013 and 2017, both with Martin attached in some management fashion. He served as AGM during the first championship and GM for the second, bringing an experienced voice to the table for more than a decade. Now Verbeek’s challenge will be continuing that history of success, while taking on a role that moves him one step closer to being an NHL GM one day.
Remember, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman brought Verbeek over from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, where he had previously served as AGM and director of player personnel. The two have basically been inseparable during their time in management, as Verbeek first joined the Red Wings scouting department in 2006, the same year Yzerman retired and moved into the Detroit front office. While Julien BriseBois was perhaps the “right-hand man” in Tampa Bay and the obvious choice to take over when Yzerman left the Lightning, Verbeek’s role shouldn’t be overlooked. He’ll now take over the minor league operations, a new step on his management journey.
Minor Transactions: 08/19/21
Another day, another set of minor league, junior and European teams filling out their rosters for the upcoming season. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable moves right here:
- As expected, Sasha Pastujov has committed to the Guelph Storm for the upcoming season. Instead of going to the University of Notre Dame as originally planned, Pastujov signed his entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks and will play in the OHL this season. The third-round pick has huge offensive upside and very well could be one of the top scoring threats in the OHL, depending on linemates and team strength.
- Garrett Wilson has signed an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for 2021-22, meaning he’ll be spending another season entirely in the minor leagues. The 30-year-old forward has 94 games of NHL experience including 54 during the 2018-19 season, but has played the last two exclusively in the AHL. Last year with the Phantoms, he had just one goal and nine assists in 27 games.
- Kale Howarth has signed an AHL deal with the Rockford IceHogs, after becoming an unrestricted free agent a few days ago. By not reaching an entry-level deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who drafted Howarth 148th overall in 2017, he hit the open market and was free to sign anywhere. The 24-year-old played three seasons at the University of Connecticut, scoring five goals and seven points in 18 games this year.
- The Springfield Thunderbirds have signed Shawn Cameron and Nic Pierog to one-year AHL deals, bringing aboard the pair of ECHL talents. Cameron had ten points in 23 games for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits last season, also seeing some time with the Utica Comets, while Pierog finished among the league leaders with 45 points in 61 games for the Indy Fuel.
- After being left unqualified by the Florida Panthers, Jake Massie has signed an ECHL contract with the South Carolina Stingrays. The 24-year-old was signed out of college but was never even able to establish himself at the AHL level, spending last season entirely with Greenville.
- The Iowa Wild have signed Doyle Somerby to a one-year AHL deal, after he split last season between the Stingrays and the Tucson Roadrunners. In 24 games with Tucson, the big defenseman recorded one goal and seven points.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 08/18/21
While we wait for news on some of the big trade targets still on the market, the NHL hot stove has cooled significantly. Still, European and minor leagues continue to fill their rosters and tweak lineups in preparation for a full season. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.
- The Rochester Americans have signed Dominic Franco, Mitch Eliot, Nick Boka, and Matthews Cairns to one-year AHL contracts for the upcoming season. If you recognize Cairns name, it might be because he was a third-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2016 whose draft rights expired this month. The 23-year-old defenseman never did develop any offense while in college, scoring just three goals and 12 points in his four seasons.
- Josh Wilkins, who played most of last season with the Tucson Roadrunners, is heading to Sweden after signing with Vasterviks IK. He did not receive a qualifying offer from the Nashville Predators at the end of the year, making him an unrestricted free agent. In 25 games with Tucson, he scored five points.
- This season, Keegan Lowe is off to Italy to play for HC Bolzano after a long career in the minor leagues. The son of six-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe, Keegan managed just four appearances at the NHL level. He played this season with the San Diego Gulls, recording six points in 44 games.
- The Toronto Marlies have signed former Chicago Steel captain Matteo Pietroniro to a one-year AHL contract. The 22-year-old defenseman spent last season in the ICEHL with HC Bolzano, recording four points in 31 games. Toronto happens to have just hired Ryan Hardy as senior director of minor league operations, who was GM of the Steel in 2018-19 when Pietroniro wore the “C.”
This page will be updated throughout the day
Marc Michaelis Signs AHL Contract
Last offseason, one of the interesting undrafted college free agents on the market was Marc Michaelis. He was coming off an outstanding career at Minnesota State-Mankato, which ended with him as a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The German-born forward is second on the school’s all-time career scoring list with 162 points in 148 games, including an outstanding 20 goals and 44 points in his 31-game senior season.
When the Canucks signed him, it appeared as though they had a pro-ready bottom-six talent who could help on the penalty kill and add some secondary scoring. After all, Michaelis had set a school record with ten career short-handed goals and had even played well at the 2019 IIHF World Championship for Germany. Instead, the college star failed to score a single point in 15 games with Vancouver, registering only three shots on goal. He averaged nine minutes a night and was never used on the penalty kill.
This offseason Michaelis, now 26, was not issued a qualifying offer when his one-year deal expired. That made him an unrestricted free agent once again, but came with a much more unsuccessful recent history. He’ll get a chance to rebuild his stock in the minor leagues, as the Toronto Marlies have signed Michaelis to a one-year AHL contract.
This isn’t a prospect that the Marlies are signing, but it is still one with an uncertain ceiling. After 15 games playing limited minutes, most often skating with Jayce Hawryluk and Tyler Graovac, it’s still not entirely clear that Michaelis can’t handle the NHL. If he can show an ability to dominate the minor leagues like he did the college ranks, there could very well be another NHL contract in his future.