Minor Notes: Royals, Thomson, Klimovich
The Reading Royals and Philadelphia Flyers have announced an extension to their affiliation agreement, continuing a partnership that began in 2014. Along with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, Reading and Philadelphia form the “closest geographical chain of affiliates in professional hockey,” giving the organizations some obvious benefits. The agreement, which covers just 2021-22 also includes an option for the 2022-23 season.
Reading is set to enter their 20th season in the ECHL and has been one of the most consistent franchises in the low minors, qualifying for the playoffs nine straight years between 2010-18. They took home the Kelly Cup as league champions in 2013.
- The Henderson Silver Knights have signed Ben Thomson to a one-year AHL contract, bringing in the veteran minor league forward to fill out the depth chart. Thomson, 28, was a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and played three NHL games in the 2016-17 season, but has spent the vast majority of his career in the minor leagues. In 31 games with the Binghamton Devils last season, he registered six goals and seven points.
- The Vancouver Canucks expect top draft pick Danila Klimovich to play in the QMJHL next season, according to Harman Dayal of The Athletic. The 41st overall pick in last month’s draft played for Belarus at the recent IIHF World Championship and is expected to take part in Olympic qualifiers at the end of the month. Klimovich was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, and will play for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies if he does end up in the QMJHL.
Colorado Avalanche, Dennis Gilbert Avoid Arbitration
The Colorado Avalanche won’t be going to arbitration this season after settling their one case with Dennis Gilbert. The two sides have agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal will come with an AHL salary of $160K and means the hearing scheduled for August 21 will no longer be needed.
Gilbert, 24, played just three games at the NHL level this season, spending more time with the Colorado Eagles than the Colorado Avalanche. Acquired as part of the Brandon Saad–Nikita Zadorov trade from last fall, Gilbert has just 25 NHL games under his belt to this point. A third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, it’s hard to really project him getting much time with the big club this season thanks to a long depth chart in Colorado.
Even in terms of an injury call-up, Gilbert could be behind names like Jacob MacDonald and Roland McKeown, meaning he’ll be playing a lot in the minor leagues this season. The deal they settled on comes with a nice AHL salary, likely something his camp was pushing for knowing that he may spend the year there. What a one-year contract also does is take Gilbert to Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer, unless he somehow works his way into a full-time lineup spot this season.
There are of course also waivers, which Gilbert will need to clear in order to play in the minor leagues. That wasn’t an issue last year as he bounced up and down untethered, moving from the taxi squad to the minor leagues without issue. There is certainly a chance someone takes a flier on him if he is exposed to waivers, though claims at the end of training camp are still relatively rare.
Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Clarke, Brylin
While the awkward silence from the New York Islanders, who are presumed to have unannounced deals in place with a number of free agents, has drawn headlines this summer, it is the inactivity from the Washington Capitals that should perhaps be gaining more attention. It seems that the oddsmakers have taken notice, even if the national media have not. The current odds from BetMGM, adjusted following the Expansion Draft, NHL Draft, and free agency rush, have the Capitals at 25-1 to win the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. While this may not seem so bad, as Washington is tied with reigning Cup finalist Montreal, they are also tied with the New York Rangers – for the fourth-best mark in the Metropolitan Division. While the Capitals are just outside the top ten league-wide in terms of championship expectations, they first need to make the playoffs to get there. The Carolina Hurricanes (14-1), Pittsburgh Penguins (18-1), and New York Islanders (20-1) top the division’s best bets, which implies that MGM believes that they will receive the automatic bids from the Metropolitan Division.
This isn’t unreasonable; this past season the ‘Canes won the Central Division, the Penguins won the East Division, and the Isles advanced to league semifinals. Meanwhile, the Capitals were easily dispatched in the first round by the Boston Bruins. The real surprise, though maybe it shouldn’t be, is that MGM feels the Rangers have drawn even with the Capitals. New York is a young, up-and-coming team while the Capitals are an older team that has lost Brenden Dillon and Michael Raffl and is listening to offers for Evgeny Kuznetsov. Yet, many would still say there is a gap between the two clubs. The oddsmakers feel differently. With three bids from the division and two wild card spots, with four Atlantic Division teams holding better odds than Washington and the Canadiens holding even, it will not be easy this season for the Capitals to even reach the postseason out of the Eastern Conference, nevertheless take home another Stanley Cup. It doesn’t help that they have made no improvements this summer.
- Capitals prospect goaltender Chase Clark has made his college commitment. The 2021 sixth-round pick out of the NCDC’s Jersey Hitmen has signed on with Quinnipiac University, the Hitmen announced. Clark will join the Bobcats for the 2022-23 season after suiting up in the USHL this year. Clark will return to the Tri-City Storm this season, where he played three games last year, before heading off to college. While the NCDC is usually more of a feeder league for the USHL, NAHL, and prep school level rather than a direct source of NHL talent, Clark did enough this season with a .935 save percentage and 1.92 GAA to earn a flier from the Capitals late in the draft. He will be a long-term project for Washington, but developing at a strong program like Quinnipiac, Clark could turn out to be a solid prospect.
- The New Jersey Devils re-located their AHL affiliate from Binghamton to Utica and now coach Sergei Brylin will make the move as well. The Utica Comets have announced that Brylin will join head coach Kevin Dineen‘s staff as an assistant, transitioning from his role as associate coach with the Binghamton Devils. Brylin, who played exclusively with the Devils in his 13-year NHL career, has been with the organization as a minor league coach since 2012, joining the former Albany Devils immediately after retiring from playing, then in the KHL. The 47-year-old is likely in line for a promotion to AHL head coach or NHL assistant coach the next time a spot opens up.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Janis Moser
Saturday: The Coyotes have officially announced the signing of Moser. The financial terms were not revealed.
Friday: The Arizona Coyotes have worked quickly to get a recent overage draft choice under contract and ready to transition to the North American game. Swiss defenseman Janis Moser has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the ‘Yotes, according to his most recent club, the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Moser, 21, was selected in the second round last month in his final year of NHL Draft Eligibility. Having already aged out of junior eligibility and with his prior pro experience removing him from NCAA consideration, the next step in Moser’s development was either to remain in Switzerland or instead try his hand in the AHL. The two sides seemingly have chosen the latter, as not only did Biel-Bienne announce Moser’s signing, but also wished him luck “in the NHL” and announced that they will begin looking for his replacement. Moser appears headed for the Tuscon Roadrunners next season, at least to begin the year.
Though still a very young player, Moser was actually the captain for Biel-Bienne last season. A native of the city, Moser has played his entire hockey career in the Biel-Bienne system to this point, including previous stints as captain of their U-17 and U-20 junior teams. In 2020-21, already his third full season at the top pro level in Switzerland, Moser was given the honor of captaining his hometown team. Not only that, he also led the team in assists and plus/minus and led all club defensemen in scoring, which included former NHLers Petteri Lindbohm and Yannick Rathgeb. Moser is a mature, well-rounded player with the intangibles that are often underestimated. He could surprise people with his NHL upside, especially given his quick entry into the league.
Minor Transactions: 08/13/21
The NHL free agent market may seem like it slowing down, but the list of unsigned UFA’s remains impressive and there are still plenty of RFA’s in need of new deals as well. With only so many roster spots to go around, there will continue to be frequent minor moves made as NHL hopefuls shift their sights to the AHL and Europe. Keep up with those transactions right here:
- Defenseman Ashton Sautner is back with the Vancouver Canucks, sort of. The 27-year-old is staying in the organization, signing one-year deal with Vancouver’s new AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Sautner has been with the organization his whole career, initially signing as an undrafted free agent in 2015. While he has played 23 NHL games in his career, Sautner has not done enough at either level to show that he has the upside to be a regular at the top level. That doesn’t mean that he won’t one day get back on an NHL contract, but for the coming season he will stick with Abbotsford as a veteran leader in their inaugural season.
- Another player heading from Vancouver to Abbotsford is forward Tristen Nielsen, except this signing comes from the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. The Giants’ leading goal scorer this past season, Neilsen has signed a two-year deal, Abbotsford announced. The junior product is just 21 and has shown recent signs of offensive growth. The Canucks hope that a short-term minor league investment will turn into an NHL prospect down the road.
- Completing the Abbotsford trifecta is forward Jarid Lukosevicius, who the team announced has signed a one-year contract. Lukosevicious joins the Canucks after spending the past two seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins to begin his pro career. A college standout at the University of Denver, Lukosevicius is a hard-working, two-way forward who is still looking to establish a scoring touch in the pros.
- Once considered an up-and-coming NHL goalie prospect, Ryan Bednard will spend this season on an AHL deal as he tries to get his career back on track. The Hershey Bears have announced a one-year pact with the 24-year-old netminder. A seventh-round flier of the Florida Panthers in 2015, Bednard left college early after posting stunning numbers at Bowling Green State University. He entered the pros with high expectations in 2019, but immediately ran into trouble in the AHL. Two years later, Bednard has mostly played in the ECHL in his young pro career with good-not-great numbers. While he has shown improvement, it wasn’t enough for Florida to extend him a qualifying offer this summer. He joins the Washington Capitals organization looking for a fresh start.
- A highly-regard draft pick and the centerpiece of the Jeff Skinner trade return, much was expected of Cliff Pu‘s pro career. After three abysmal seasons split between the AHL and ECHL, it doesn’t seem like that will come to fruition for Pu. After playing for five different teams over three years with results at any level, Pu will make the jump to Europe next season in search of a new opportunity. The Vienna Capitals of the IceHL have announced a one-year deal with Pu, who despite his struggles will be an exciting addition for the team. Perhaps the 23-year-old can rediscover his scoring touch as a centerpiece player in Austria and work his way back to North America in the future.
Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Johnny Kovacevic
Wednesday: The Jets have confirmed the new contract for Kovacevic, as well as the reported terms. Now the big defender just has to make sure that this isn’t the last time this season that he makes Winnipeg headlines as he looks to earn his NHL debut.
Tuesday: Just like that, the Winnipeg Jets have wrapped up their restricted free agent class. After re-signing Andrew Copp earlier today, the Jets have reportedly taken care of business with their final remaining unsigned RFA. CapFriendly reports that Winnipeg and defenseman Johnny Kovacevic have come to terms on a one-year, two-way contract. Kovacevic is expected to make the minimum $750K at the NHL level and $90K at the AHL level.
Kovacevic, 24, is a 2017 third-round pick of the Jets who was an overage selection following a fantastic freshman season at Merrimack College. Kovacevic would eventually leave Merrimack early to turn pro following 54 points in 101 NCAA games over three years. The 6’5″, 220-lb. defenseman outgrew the college level quickly and was ready to match up with pro competition.
In two season in the AHL, Kovacevic still has produced relatively well for a defender of his stature. In 75 games, Kovacevic has logged seven goals and 28 points. This offensive touch to go with his size and strength makes Kovacevic an intriguing package on the back end. Though Winnipeg addressed their lacking blue depth in a major way this season by adding Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon while retaining their existing group through the Expansion Draft, it should only be a matter of time before Kovacevic finally gets his first NHL look. Alongside Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, and Ville Heinola, Kovacevic is part of an impressive next wave of defenders coming up for Winnipeg.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Jacob Moverare
The Los Angeles Kings have reached a deal with another one of their restricted free agents, signing Jacob Moverare to a one-year, two-way contract. The contract will carry an NHL salary of $750K.
Moverare, 22, was a free agent for the first time after spending the last few seasons bouncing around the world. The young defenseman was selected 112th overall in 2016 out of Sweden, but after signing his entry-level deal came to North America to play for the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. In 2018-19 when he had aged out of the junior ranks, he took his game back to Sweden to play two seasons for Frolunda. His time overseas was supposed to end in 2020-21, but since the AHL wasn’t up and running at the start of the season, he ended up playing with SaiPa in Finland. After 50 games there, he joined the Ontario Reign for their shortened campaign, and ended up playing in 26 AHL games, his first professional season in North America.
After just a few months in the minor leagues, Moverare was never going to get more than a two-way deal, but his time in the AHL was certainly impressive. He finished second among all Reign defensemen in scoring with 15 points despite playing just over half the games and showed the polish that comes from several seasons playing against professionals in Europe. The 6’2″ defenseman will likely be on his way back to Ontario for 2021-22, but things are trending towards a potential NHL appearance in the near future.
Notably, Moverare is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning if the Kings want to send him to the minor leagues he will have to be risked to the rest of the league. At the end of this contract, he will once again be an RFA, but this time eligible for salary arbitration.
Boston Bruins Announce Front Office, Coaching Updates
The Boston Bruins have announced several changes in their front office and coaching staff, starting with Chris Kelly who has been named an assistant coach. Kelly previously served as the player development coordinator for the Bruins the past two seasons. Taking his place will be former teammate Adam McQuaid, who will serve in that coordinator role. The team also announced that Ryan Mougenel has been named the head coach of the Providence Bruins.
Kelly, who Boston fans best remember as an important deadline addition during the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship, returned to the Bruins in 2019 after spending a year as a development coach with the Ottawa Senators. He will now move from the development team to the coaching staff in Boston, joining Bruce Cassidy‘s group. Kelly suited up for 288 regular season games for the Bruins during his playing career, recording 101 points.
McQuaid meanwhile was also on that 2011 team, offering his brand of physical play on the blueline. The 6’4″ defenseman was actually drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but found his way to the Bruins in time for his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season. Over a ten-year NHL career, McQuaid played 462 of his 512 games in a Bruins uniform, racking up 652 penalty minutes along the way.
Mougenel has been with Providence for three seasons, serving as an assistant for former head coach Jay Leach. With Leach off to join the Seattle Kraken, there was an opening behind the bench for the AHL Bruins. That spot will be quickly filled by an internal candidate, and one that has plenty of head coaching experience already. Mougenel served as the head coach for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL for four seasons, the same league where he spent most of his playing career.
Minor Transactions: 08/12/21
While the NHL tinkers around the edges, the minor leagues are still filling out roster spots in many cases. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here:
- Chris Bigras, the 32nd overall pick in 2013, has signed a new minor league contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the upcoming season. Bigras has played just 46 NHL games in his professional career, bouncing around the AHL instead. Last season he recorded eight points in 21 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
- The Abbotsford Canucks have added a British Columbia boy for their first season, inking Jarid Lukosevicius to a one-year AHL deal. Lukosevicius was a start for the Powell River Kings of the BCHL before going on to the University of Denver, and has spent the last two seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
- The Rochester Americans have beefed up their depth chart, signing five different players to AHL contracts. Ryan Scarfo, Lukas Craggs, Brendan Warren, Peter Tischke and Mat Robson have all signed one-year deals with the Americans.
Maxime Lajoie Agrees To Terms With Carolina
The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with defenseman Maxime Lajoie, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay $750K at the NHL level, $75K at the AHL level and comes with a minor league guarantee of $100K.
Lajoie, 23, notably stepped into the Hurricanes lineup in the postseason, making his debut with the team against the Nashville Predators in the first round. The young defenseman had played just six NHL games since his breakout season in 2018-19, when he surprisingly made the Ottawa Senators roster out of camp and played in 56 games.
Though he has been limited to mostly minor league duty since, there’s still NHL upside in the young defenseman, as shown by the strong performance he had with the Chicago Wolves this year. In 27 AHL games, he posted 21 points, leading all Wolves defensemen.
There’s little chance that Lajoie finds his way into the NHL lineup this season unless massive injury troubles hit the Hurricanes—they added Ian Cole, Ethan Bear, Anthony DeAngelo and Brendan Smith in the offseason—but he can keep developing in a strong AHL program and potentially push for a spot down the road.
Of course, there are waivers to consider, as Lajoie is not exempt and would need to clear in order to be sent to the minor leagues. That wasn’t a problem last season, when he cleared for the Ottawa Senators (only to be traded a day later), but there’s always a chance that someone decides he’s worth a claim this time around.