Gabriel Bourque Signs AHL Contract With Laval
After a year off from hockey, Gabriel Bourque is back. The Montreal Canadiens may still be focused on their Stanley Cup pursuit, but GM Marc Bergevin and company know opportunity when they see it and have locked in the NHL veteran and Quebec native for the 2021-22 season. Locked him into an AHL contract that is. It is the Laval Rocket who have announced the signing of Bourque to a one-year deal. After a year away from the game, Bourque will have to prove that he can still be an impact player by at least starting the season in the minors.
Bourque, 30, was unable to find an NHL contract last off-season and without much of a PTO market and a then-unknown future for the AHL in 2020-21, the experienced winger opted to take the season off rather than jump to Europe for the first time in his career in the midst of a pandemic. This is not as unusual as it may seem, as a number of players did the same thing. Included in that list is a fellow established NHL veteran in Brian Boyle, who after suiting up for Team USA at the IIHF World Championships is also hoping to make a comeback next season. Bourque also struggled through a lingering lower-body issue in 2019-20, so health may have played a part in his decision as well.
Don’t be surprised if Bourque pushes for more than just a full season spent in the minors, though. A veteran of over 400 NHL games who has also topped 100 points in that time, Bourque is a proven NHL commodity. Since turning pro in 2010-11, the versatile wing has played in at least half of his NHL team’s games in six of nine seasons, including 50+ games played in each of the three seasons leading up to his gap year. A two-way forward with a strong turnover differential and good checking ability, Bourque is an asset as a bottom-six forward. Both the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche kept him around for several seasons as a result, before a one-and-done stay with the Winnipeg Jets. If the Canadiens find that they are impressed by his play in training camp or suffer a bottom-six injury during the season, it would not be a shock to see Bourque get bumped up to an NHL contract. There is also potential for a partnership beyond next season for the local product and the team.
Joakim Ryan Signs With SHL’s Malmo Redhawks
When rumors emerged in early May that Sweden’s Malmo Redhawks were interested in signing defenseman Joakim Ryan, it didn’t make much noise. After all, the Carolina Hurricanes were marching towards the postseason and Ryan was not going to sign before the end of the season, even if he wasn’t seeing regular ice time with the club. Well, the postseason came and went for the ‘Canes and Ryan stayed firmly planted in the press box through two series. It was apparently enough to convince him that perhaps a break from the NHL was in order. Ryan’s camp returned to negotiations with Malmo and the result was today’s announcement that the blue liner has signed a one-year deal with the Redhawks.
This is not exactly the homecoming that some might be thinking. Sure, Ryan is of Swedish descent and holds Swedish citizenship. However, Ryan was born in New Jersey and spent more of his childhood in the United States than in Sweden, including all of his formative hockey years. Yet, what little time Ryan did spent overseas meant something to him. Ryan has stated on several occasions that he has an affinity for the Malmo area and would like to play there at some point in his career. This coming season, he will get that chance.
The real question now is just how long Ryan’s stay in Sweden will last. As part of an incredibly deep Carolina defense corps in 2020-21, it is no surprise that he was used sparingly, playing in four games apiece in the NHL and AHL. However, Ryan is just a few years removed from being an everyday starter for the San Jose Sharks, where he spent the first four years of his pro career. Even last season, spent with the Los Angeles Kings, Ryan only played in 35 games – about have of L.A.’s shortened schedule – but saw top-four minutes when he was on the ice. A player who is known for dependable performance in a pinch, Ryan has demonstrated his value as an NHL depth asset. He seemingly chased a dream with this Malmo signing, but a strong year in the SHL and the potential promise of more money and the chance to compete at the highest level once again could have back home in North America soon. At 27, Ryan still has plenty of gas in the tank.
Josh Currie, Philippe Maillet Sign In KHL
Two more players that saw NHL action this season are headed overseas, as both Josh Currie and Philippe Maillet have signed with Mettalurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL. Each was scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer and spent most of the 2020-21 season in the minor leagues.
Currie, 28, was on a one-year, two-way deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins and suited up just once for the NHL squad. A veteran minor league performer, he added 23 points in 24 games and served as captain for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The former Edmonton Oilers prospect now has 22 NHL games to his name, but will continue his playing career overseas where a new opportunity is waiting.
Maillet, 29, has a very interesting hockey story to this point. Undrafted out of the QMJHL, he signed with the Ontario Reign in 2017 after spending several years at the University of New Brunswick and earned himself an NHL contract with the Capitals in 2019. That two-year, two-way deal is set to expire with just two NHL games played for the minor league forward. Another successful AHL scorer, Maillet recorded 21 points in 16 games for the Hershey Bears this season but failed to register an NHL point in his two appearances with Washington. He’ll also be headed overseas to continue a career that has already been one of determination and perseverance.
Snapshots: Svechnikov, Marincin, Devane
The Carolina Hurricanes may be focused on an extension for head coach Rod Brind’Amour and his staff, but there’s another big-ticket item to work on this summer. Andrei Svechnikov is scheduled for restricted free agency and will be looking for a huge raise coming off another successful season.
If you are a Hurricanes fan hoping for a painless negotiation, you might just get your wish, as Svechnikov told reporters including Sara Civian of The Athletic that he would love to stay in Carolina “forever.” Svechnikov scored 15 goals and 42 points in 55 games with the Hurricanes this season and is an integral part of the young leadership group they have upfront.
- Martin Marincin may be finally moving on from the Toronto Maple Leafs, as a report out of Europe has him expected to sign with HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Republic. Marincin has been with the Maple Leafs since 2015, getting more opportunities at the NHL level than many fans hoped he would. The 29-year-old didn’t play a single NHL game this season though and looks like he’ll be heading overseas to continue his career.
- Not so for minor league forward Jamie Devane, who has signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the 2021-22 season. Devane, 30, is known much more for his physicality and size than offensive performance, racking up 712 penalty minutes in his 366-game AHL career.
Lukas Parik Signs AHL Contract
After bouncing from the Czech Republic to the WHL, back to the Czech leagues, and then to the USHL, all with some World Junior action mixed in, Lukas Parik finally has his first pro contract. The young goaltender has signed a one-year deal with the Ontario Reign of the AHL for the 2021-22 season.
Parik, 20, was selected 87th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2019 with a pick they received from the Washington Capitals in the Carl Hagelin deal. The season that followed that selection, he came to the WHL and played in 32 games with the Spokane Chiefs, posting a 22-7-2 record and .917 save percentage. In 2020-21, he spent most of the season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, going 15-8-4 in the regular season but registering just an .867 save percentage.
That performance really means nothing now, as the Kings will give Parik the chance to show his skills in the minor leagues, but note this is not yet his entry-level NHL contract. He’ll still need to perform in order to receive that, but the team does have some time to continue to evaluate him. According to CapFriendly, the Kings’ exclusive draft rights will not expire until 2023. At any rate, this is a great opportunity for the 6’4″ netminder to get accustomed to professional hockey and test his skills against his toughest competition yet. The fact that both Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen are scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the next two years should be motivation enough for any goaltender in the Kings system. Even if the team extends Petersen, there will be an opportunity to move up the ladder and compete for playing time at some point down the line.
Minor Transactions: 06/08/21
Is this the calm before the storm? It’s been eerily quiet of late in terms of off-season moves, but with the entry draft order all but set following the lottery and soon just four teams left alive in the playoffs, not to mention the NHL Expansion Draft just six weeks away, the trade market seems primed to explode. While we wait, here are some of the notable minor moves being made:
- Veteran net minder Viktor Fasth has announced his retirement. The 38-year-old Swede has been playing at home in the SHL for the past four years and was in the KHL before that ever since departing the NHL in 2015. The former Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers goalie burned bright, but burned up fast in North America. He was a breakout star in 2012-13 and continued his strong play into the next season despite a mid-year trade. Yet, his play fell off immensely in his first (and only) full season with Edmonton in 2014-15 and he left the league for good. Burnout hasn’t been a problem for Fasth since then. Even at his advanced age, he has continued to put up elite numbers in Europe, including a .934 save percentage and 1.79 GAA for the Vaxjo Lakers this season in 31 games, arguably the best season of his career. Fasth has decided to go out on top rather than try his luck heading into his forties next year.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are happy with the play of first year pro Felix Robert in the minors this season and have signed him to a one-year AHL contract extension. Robert, a QMJHL scoring phenom in 2019-20, adjusted well to the pro level despite his small stature. He recorded 13 points in 27 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and added six points in ten ECHL games as well.
- Former Arizona Coyotes prospect Erik Walli Waterholm will be staying in Sweden a while longer. Walli Waterholm opted not to sign with the ‘Yotes earlier this month, letting his NHL Draft rights expire. The forward has not developed as expected since he was selected in 2017, but this was his best pro season in 2020-21 as he recorded 14 points in 44 games. Timra IK certainly believes he has room to improve as well, announcing that they have signed Walli Waterholm to a two-year extension. If he continues to grow, the 22-year-old could still one day be on an NHL radar.
- With his third and final go-round in the NHL Draft around the corner, goaltender Samuel Hlavaj has taken the next step in his career and is hoping that maybe it will change his draft fortunes. Hlavaj is taking his talents to Slovakia, but isn’t just joining any team. Instead, he has signed with the league’s top club, HC Slovan Bratislava, where he will learn behind former NHL keeper Kristers Gudlevskis. The No. 5-ranked goalie in Europe according to NHL Central Scouting in his first draft year in 2019, Hlavaj was widely expected to be drafted, but wasn’t. He was however taken in the first round of the CHL Import Draft by the Sherbrooke Phoenix and was stellar in his first season with the club last year. Again, he was passed over in the draft. The third time is usually not the charm for most draft prospects, but perhaps Hlavaj’s status on a top European team behind a former NHL commodity will change some minds. A goalie with size and the stats to back him up, Hlavaj is just looking for a chance to show he has pro potential.
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
With his entry-level contract set to expire this summer, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has decided to re-sign with the Washington Capitals. The two sides have reached an agreement on a two-year, two-way contract that will carry a salary of $750K in the NHL. Jonsson-Fjallby will receive an AHL salary of $175K next season and $225K in 2022-23.
Now 23, it’s been an interesting few seasons for the Swedish winger. This season was split between Vasterviks IK in the Allsvenskan (Swedish second tier) and the Hershey Bears, where he scored 10 goals and 15 points in 31 games. Just today Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic wrote about the Capitals prospect, noting that Jonsson-Fjallby’s penalty-killing ability makes him an interesting option at the NHL level should someone like Carl Hagelin get injured.
Still, it seems unlikely that the fifth-round pick will ever really be an impact player for the Capitals, even if his speed does make for some interesting potential. Signing him gives Hershey back an important player, though he will have to clear waivers next season in order to report to the AHL. The Capitals have a handful of other restricted free agents to sign, including of course goaltender Ilya Samsonov who is arbitration-eligible.
AHL Approves Schedule Unification For 2022-23
For years, AHL clubs have been playing various schedule lengths depending on which division they were in. In the 2018-19 season, for instance, the Pacific Division played just 68 games while the other three divisions hit the ice 76 times. Before that, even Pacific teams were playing in different amounts, with points percentage being used to determine standings. Now, the AHL has approved a plan for schedule unification by the 2022-23 season. All teams will follow a 72-game schedule at that point in a plan that league president Scott Howson called “fair and equitable.”
This upcoming season, the schedule will still be unbalanced, with the Pacific still playing just 68 games, while the other teams were given the option of 72 or 76-game schedules. The decisions were made as follows:
76 Games:
Chicago Wolves
Cleveland Monsters
Grand Rapids Griffins
Hershey Bears
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Milwaukee Admirals
Rochester Americans
Springfield Thunderbirds
Syracuse Crunch
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
72 Games:
Belleville Senators
Bridgeport Islanders
Charlotte Checkers
Hartford Wolf Pack
Iowa Wild
Laval Rocket
Manitoba Moose
Providence Bruins
Rockford IceHogs
Texas Stars
Toronto Marlies
Utica Comets
68 Games:
Abbotsford (team name not yet released)
Bakersfield Condors
Colorado Eagles
Henderson Silver Knights
Ontario Reign
San Diego Gulls
San Jose Barracuda
Stockton Heat
Tucson Roadrunners
The league has also announced the divisional alignment, which will be similar to the 2019-20 format but include Abbotsford and Henderson in the Pacific.
The number of teams qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs will also be increasing at some point, though the details on that have not yet been finalized or released.
Philadelphia Flyers Name Ian Laperriere As AHL Head Coach
The Philadelphia Flyers have not wasted any time with finding a replacement for their AHL head coach vacancy. While many other teams continue to interview coaches for roles without any formal hires, the Flyers have made the first major coaching decision of the off-season. After parting ways with Scott Gordon less than three weeks ago, the team has announced that Ian Laperriere has been named the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Of course, this means the Flyers now have another position to fill. Laperriere has served as an assistant coach for the NHL club since 2013-14, working under Craig Berube, Dave Hakstol, and Alain Vigneault, as well as briefly under Gordon, the man he is now replacing. Before that, he was the director of player development for the organization, which ties into his new role overseeing the Flyers’ pro prospects. The move thus comes as no surprise, as Philadelphia decides to stay internal with a trusted name, but also allowing Vigneault to bring in a new face for his staff.
Laperriere, 47, transitioned directly from his playing career into his professional career with the Flyers, hanging up his skates in 2012 after playing his final three years in Philadelphia. However, complications from a concussion suffered during the 2010 postseason actually kept him from competing in those final two seasons. Instead, he stayed on in a support role to the organization and was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his efforts. In total, Laperriere played over 1,000 games in the NHL as a fearsome enforcer and two-way forward. His experience both on and off the ice has him set up well to coach the Flyers’ AHL prospects, currently a deep and talented group.
Gabriel Gagne Signs In Norway
The minor league grind for Gabriel Gagne is over, at least for now. The young forward has signed a contract with Stjernen Hockey in Norway, quite a change from Rockford where he spent the 2020-21 season.
Gagne, 24, was originally selected 36th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2015 after an outstanding second season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. The 6’5″ center had scored 35 goals that season and was the intriguing mix of size and skill that scouts dream of. In his second year in the AHL he showed off that goal-scoring prowess, potting 20 with the Belleville Senators. Unfortunately, that 20-goal season came with just five assists as Gagne failed to create any offense for his teammates.
A trade to Toronto brought free agency after the Maple Leafs decided not to qualify him in 2019 and then came only minor league contracts. In seven games for the Rockford IceHogs this season, he had just a single goal. That will be the last AHL hockey he plays for a while as the next chapter of his hockey career will take him to Norway.