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.
Minor Transactions: 06/04/21
There are just eight teams left alive in the NHL postseason and by this time next week that number could be down to four. The off-season has arrived for most, with all other major hockey leagues long since wrapped up. While many will wait for the NHL off-season to officially begin before making a decision on their future, other are willing to make a decision right away. Here are some notable moves from the latter group:
- As previously suggested, Joakim Nordstrom has indeed signed with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. The club officially announced a one-year contract with the NHL veteran on Friday. While Nordstrom has never been a scoring threat in the NHL, his early commitment overseas is at least slightly suprising. The two-way forward clearly provides value, as evidenced by six straight seasons of starting at least two-thirds of his teams’ games across stops in Carolina, Boston, and Calgary. A solid checker and shot blocker, Nordstrom is a good defensive presence as a bottom-six forward, but does not provide much upside. Perhaps in Russia he will be able to do more offensively and play a more balanced game. He will be surrounded by plenty of talent with CSKA, a KHL juggernaut.
- Another forward heading to Europe is Tanner MacMaster. The former Quinnipiac University standout has played well in the AHL over the past three years, including playing a top-six role with 30 points for a loaded Toronto Marlies team last season, but has not earned an entry-level contract. He will look to Sweden for a bigger role and more substantial contract after spending this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. MODO of the Swedish second-tier Allsvenskan has announced a one-year deal with MacMaster, who they label as a top-six center for the club.
- After a year off in 2020-21, former NHL enforcer Luke Gazdic has decided to make the change permanent. The veteran of 11 pro seasons has announced his retirement from the game. Gazdic will be remembered most for his three seasons as a fixture on the Edmonton Oilers’ checking line, though he developed into a leader in the AHL as well, spending his final two seasons with the San Diego Gulls.
- Also calling it quits after a long pro career is longtime Cleveland Monsters goaltender Brad Thiessen. Thiessen, 35, has announced his retirement after twelve years at the pro level. Thiessen initially left Northeastern University early in 2009, signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a highly sought-after free agent. Thiessen played three seasons with the Penguins, including seeing action in five NHL games, and another with the Calgary Flames, but since 2015-16 has been with AHL Cleveland. Thiessen helped to develop Columbus Blue Jackets netminders Joonas Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks while continually providing reliable play and even leading the club to a Calder Cup.
Snapshots: Hyman, Tynan, Rantanen
Over the last 24 hours, a rumor emerged that Zach Hyman had been offered a long-term contract worth $5MM per season by the Toronto Maple Leafs only to turn it down. Hyman’s agent Todd Reynolds addressed it directly today, telling media members including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun that it is “not accurate.”
The idea surfaced because of something Jason Gregor said on the DailyFaceoff Podcast, but even if the specifics of him turning down a deal aren’t true, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet still believes that the 28-year-old is going to get quite the free agent offer. Johnston suggests that Hyman could receive close to a $6MM annual average value, something the Maple Leafs would be hard-pressed to match given their tight cap situation.
- T.J. Tynan may only have 19 NHL games to his name, but that doesn’t mean his professional hockey career isn’t a glowing success. The 29-year-old was given the Les Cunningham Award today as the AHL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2020-21 season after scoring 35 points in 27 games for the Colorado Eagles. A third-round pick in 2011 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tynan now has 348 points in 436 AHL games. The pure playmaker, only 71 of those points have been goals.
- Earlier this season Mikko Rantanen was fined $2,000 for embellishment/diving after being dinged on two occasions by the league. According to a report out of Finland, Rantanen had the fine rescinded after sending an eight-point report to the league explaining why it looked like, but wasn’t, a dive. Of course, this was not the first time Rantanen had been fined for embellishment; he also took a $2,000 fine in the 2018-19 season.
Emile Poirier Signs In KHL
In the 2013 draft, the Calgary Flames had three selections in the first round and a chance to really build a core for the organization. With the sixth pick, they hit, landing Sean Monahan, a franchise center and a staple of their first line for years to come. But the other two picks, Emile Poirier and Morgan Klimchuk weren’t quite as successful. The two have combined for just nine NHL games to this point (the two lowest totals of the entire round) and the former isn’t even playing in North America anymore.
Poirier, 26, spent this season with HC Kosice of the Slovakian league and has now signed a contract with Dinamo Riga in the KHL for the 2021-22 campaign. After spending several seasons in the Flames organization, the first-round pick went unqualified in 2018 and was forced to sign an AHL deal. Two relatively unsuccessful years with the Manitoba Moose later and he was off to Europe to see if he could get his career back on track.
He did find success in Slovakia though, scoring 17 points in 18 games and adding another handful in the postseason. Moving to the KHL will test Poirier even further and perhaps give him a springboard for a return to North America if he can perform well in 2021-22. There is certainly plenty of time left for the 26-year-old to earn a new deal in the AHL or even perhaps turn himself into a depth option with a bit of bite. Poirier never was afraid to drop the gloves, with fighting majors in almost every year of his pro career. For at least 2021-22, he will ply his trade in the KHL.
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Joe Snively
The Washington Capitals have re-signed Joe Snively to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. Snively would have become a restricted free agent this summer but will re-up with the team that gave him his first professional opportunity. The deal will carry a salary of $750K in the NHL and $90K in the AHL.
Now 25, Snively went undrafted out of the USHL and spent four seasons at Yale University before joining the Capitals in 2019. The undersized forward has been exclusively in the minor leagues since then, spending the last two seasons with the Hershey Bears where he scored 17 points in 30 games this year. A star in college, he hasn’t quite found the scoring touch he had for Yale but is a competent component for the minor league squad.
Even though it’s an NHL deal, you may not see Snively with the Capitals as much more than an injury replacement. The team has several other younger forwards pushing up the depth chart that will likely get a chance with the big club ahead of him. Still, the Virginia-native has secured another NHL contract and will get a chance to stay with his hometown organization, even if most of that chance is actually spent in Hershey.
Snapshots: Nordstrom, Cracknell, Murphy
A report out of Russia from Semyon Galkevich has linked Calgary Flames forward Joakim Nordstrom to the KHL, suggesting he will sign a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent later this summer when the one-year, $700K deal he signed with Calgary last October expires. Though no one could have been expecting much offense from the bottom-six forward, Joakim still disappointed, scoring just a single goal in 44 games. In 444 career regular season contests, he has just 75 points.
More notes from around the hockey world:
- Adam Cracknell has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, returning after a strong campaign with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate. Cracknell, 35, has played 15 years of professional hockey and can help insulate Oilers prospects while in the minor leagues. In 39 games with Bakersfield this season, he recorded 11 goals and 30 points, proving he’s far from just a locker room leader.
- Ryan Murphy, another long-time minor league star, has won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s most outstanding defenseman for 2020-21. The 28-year-old, who was originally selected 12th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, had 27 points in 37 games for the Henderson Silver Knights this season. In 232 career AHL games, Murphy has recorded 146 points.