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Ottawa Senators Sign Micheal Haley

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The Ottawa Senators have announced another signing to bring some toughness to the organization inking Micheal Haley to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will be worth $700K at the NHL level and $200K in the AHL. Haley played last season for the New York Rangers but was an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement on the signing:

Michael [sic] will bring experience, leadership and additional physicality to our organization. He’s looking forward to serving as a mentor for our young players.

There’s no doubt that the Senators will be a more physical team next season, after bringing in players like Haley, Erik Gudbranson, and Josh Brown through trade and free agency. The former, who signed today, has racked up 687 penalty minutes in his 270 NHL games, including a league-leading 212 in the 2017-18 season. Haley doesn’t contribute anything offensively, scoring just 11 goals in his career, but isn’t asked to in his limited ice time.

The Senators have shown a willingness to dress a player like that before, dressing Scott Sabourin for 35 games this past season despite no real offensive upside. Sabourin had scored just 15 combined points in the two previous minor league seasons, though he did actually have six for the Senators in his short NHL stint. It would be surprising to see Haley reach that amount or even get into 35 games this season for the team, especially if the schedule is reduced.

No, he’s more likely going to see action only sparingly, entering the lineup against select teams to provide some toughness or spending most of the year in the minor leagues. The Senators already have a long list of forwards competing for the 12 starting spots, meaning the 34-year-old Haley almost certainly won’t be a full-time option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Andrew MacWilliam Signs Tryout With EHC Munchen

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After many successful seasons in the AHL, Andrew MacWilliam will test himself overseas—at least for a little while. The veteran minor league defenseman has signed a tryout contract with Red Bull Munchen of the DEL that will allow him to compete with them through December 13. The deal does have an option to extend further, but depending on when NHL/AHL training camps get underway MacWilliam might want to come back to compete for a job in North America.

The 30-year-old defenseman does have some experience at the NHL level, playing 12 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014-15. He hasn’t gotten back to that level since, instead playing for the Manitoba Moose, Albany Devils, and Rochester Americans in the five seasons since. Last year, he posted eight points in 41 games for the Americans while wearing an “A” as an alternate captain, but is not yet signed for the 2020-21 season.

There’s no doubt that an AHL team could benefit from bringing in the experience and leadership of MacWilliam, but with so much uncertainty still surrounding the upcoming minor league season, taking your chances overseas may be a prudent business decision. Not to mention MacWilliam will be joining teammate and defense partner Zach Redmond, who signed with the team earlier this year. Redmond was also an alternate with Rochester the past few seasons and should make MacWilliam feel right at home.

Minor Transactions: 11/11/20

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As we wait for tomorrow’s announcement about the upcoming NHL season, minor league and European teams continue to fill out their depth charts. With a few months of offseason still to come, signings and loans will slowly drip out and we’ll try to cover all the important ones. Make sure to refresh this page throughout the day as we keep track of today’s minor moves:

  • Graham Knott has signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after he was left unqualified by the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. A second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, Knott’s career hasn’t gone as planned. The 23-year-old 6’4″ forward spent most of the 2019-20 season in the ECHL, playing just 11 games at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Once considered a promising prospect that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky and took home a Memorial Cup, the chances of him ever reaching the NHL are dwindling.
  • While Manuel Wiederer was not given a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks, the organization did sign him to an AHL contract for the upcoming season. While he waits for that season to start, he has been loaned back to his hometown team in Deggendorf, Germany where he’ll play in the third-tier until the AHL resumes. Wiederer, 23, scored just 12 points in 35 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season.
  • Andrew O’Brien, a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012, has mutually-terminated his contract with Dinamo Riga of the KHL after just seven games. The 27-year-old dominated the Norwegian league last season, scoring 45 points in 51 games (and recording an incredible 309 penalty minutes) in his first year overseas after several in the AHL.

Overseas Notes: Reunanen, Tuulola, Wiley

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Tarmo Reunanen, who had been previously loaned to TUTO of the Finnish second league, will jump up a tier and join HPK until further notice. The New York Rangers prospect is under contract in North America but hasn’t actually come over yet. Selected 98th overall in 2016, Reunanen has played the last two seasons with Lukko and recorded 19 points in 51 games in 2019-20. In the release, it states that though Reunanen will return for NHL training camp, if he can’t find a spot with the organization he will be returned to Finland to continue his development.

More notes on prospects playing overseas:

  • Eetu Tuulola has parted ways with Vasterviks IK in the Swedish second league after the player he had replaced due to injury is set to return. Tuulola, a Calgary Flames prospect, will have to be found another spot to play by the Flames if they want to keep him on the ice. The 22-year-old forward spent last season with the Stockton Heat, scoring 23 points in 50 games.
  • Adam Helewka, who signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters earlier this offseason, will play in Slovakia until the minor league season begins. The 25-year-old forward has had quite the journey already in his hockey career, traded three times in the NHL, playing for four different minor league teams, and spending time in the KHL and SHL. He’ll play for HKM Zvolen for now, as he waits for his next chance in North America.
  • Wiley Sherman wasn’t given a qualifying offer by the Boston Bruins last month, meaning he became an unrestricted free agent able to sign anywhere in the world. That job search has taken him to Denmark, where he’ll join Esbjerg Energy this season. The 25-year-old defenseman played just 20 games for the Providence Bruins in 2019-20, recording six points.

Winnipeg Jets Agree To Terms With Marko Dano

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The Winnipeg Jets will be bringing back a familiar face, announcing today that they have agreed to terms with Marko Dano on a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a salary of $700K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

Dano spent parts of three seasons in the Jets organization between 2015-18, playing 82 of his 141 career NHL games there. This offseason he was not issued a qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Still just 25, it feels like a decade ago that Dano was picked 27th overall by the Blue Jackets. It was actually just 2013, but after being involved in multiple trades and suiting up for Columbus (twice), Winnipeg, Chicago, and Colorado without much NHL success he has the feeling of someone who will never really find his footing at the highest level.

In 141 career games, Dano does have 45 points but hasn’t recorded a single one since the 2017-18 season. For the last two years, he has been almost exclusively used at the AHL level, including a 30-point season for the Manitoba Moose in 2018-19. That’s likely where he’s heading again this time around, though he’ll obviously compete for a spot in training camp whenever it opens.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Dustin Tokarski

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The Buffalo Sabres have added a bit of goaltending depth to the organization, signing Dustin Tokarski to a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $725K. Tokarski spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an AHL contract.

Now 31, Tokarski has bounced around the minor leagues for more than a decade, suiting up for the Norfolk Admirals, Syracuse Crunch, Hamilton Bulldogs, St. John’s IceCaps, San Diego Gulls, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Hartford Wolf Pack, Charlotte Checkers in addition to the baby Penguins. He’ll be able to fill a role on the Rochester Americans this season and give the Sabres a goalie with some NHL experience in a pinch.

Just like many of the goaltending signings this time of year, one important note is with regards to the expansion draft. The Sabres previously did not have a goaltender that filled the exposure requirements, with both Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season. With a two-year deal, Tokarski will fill that requirement and poses very little risk of being selected by the Seattle Kraken.

Minnesota Wild Extend ECHL Affiliation

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The Minnesota Wild have extended their affiliation with the Allen Americans of the ECHL for the 2020-21 season. The two teams have been partnered since 2018-19, with the Americans serving as a proving ground for raw or unheralded prospects. Tom Kurvers, GM of the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate that will be part of the three-tiered system, had this to say about the new agreement:

We are excited to extend our ECHL affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans. Allen had a tremendous season last year and we look forward to the Americans serving as a development affiliate for our players again this season.

Allen is one of the 13 ECHL teams that is scheduled to begin their 72-game season in early December, playing their first game on December 12 against the Tulsa Oilers. The league is hoping to have a season despite the financial struggles that the COVID-19 situation has incurred on some of the organizations.

The ECHL is used to secure playing time for lottery-ticket prospects, especially goaltenders, but does regularly produce future NHL talent. The Americans specifically have had two such players grace their locker rooms. Jordie Benn, who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks, spent an entire season with the Americans in 2009-10 when he was still trying to get noticed as an undrafted player.

Aaron Dell, who was recently signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, has a similar story. He spent his first year of professional hockey in Allen, though at that time they were part of the Central Hockey league. He would return to the Americans for 12 games in 2014-15 after they had joined the ECHL.

Minor Transactions: 11/03/20

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Today is a big day for news, what with the NFL trade deadline and the MLB’s announcement of the Gold Glove winners of course, but the hockey world has managed to slip a few notable minor moves in as well. The NHL free agent market has quieted down, but other leagues continue to make roster transactions. Take a look:

  • The AHL’s Stockton Heat have added a very talented collegiate player to their 2020-21 roster in former Bemidji State University captain Adam Brady. In an interview with the Smart Sports Podcast’s Darryl Smart, Brady announced that he had signed his first pro contract. While it would not have been a surprise to see Brady draw NHL interest, he states his excitement to be joining the Calgary Flames’ affiliate. A near point-per-game player in his senior season, Brady recorded a total of 81 points in 112 games over three seasons at Bemidji State. Although he is older than the typical NCAA free agent at 25, the skilled center should bring a pro-ready game that will make him an effective player immediately.
  • Vladimir Sobotka did not last very long in the NLA. After his contract with the Buffalo Sabres expired back on October 9, Sobotka signed a temporary contract with SC Rapperswil-Jona in Switzerland. Since then, he played in four games and recorded two assists. However, he didn’t do enough to earn a full-time roster spot. The Lakers announced today that they have declined the option to extend Sobotka’s contract. The veteran NHLer, who also has experience in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic, will be back on the hunt for another landing spot.
  • In contrast, another former Boston Bruin has found employment overseas. Jordan Caron, who has bounced between Germany, Russia, and Switzerland over the past few years, has signed with Austria’s Villacher SV of the IceHL. The team announced the addition of the veteran forward, who will likely play a major role for the club. Caron has been a productive two-way forward in Europe as he was in the AHL, but could never translate that ability to the NHL in stops with Boston, Colorado, and St. Louis.

Marcus Davidsson Terminates Contract In SHL

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Marcus Davidsson, a Buffalo Sabres draft pick from 2017, has terminated his contract with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL. Davidsson wasn’t seeing much ice time with the team and will instead look for an opportunity elsewhere. According to a report out of Sweden, that’s expected to be alongside his brother Jonathan Davidsson with Vasterviks IK. That Davidsson, originally a Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick, is under contract with the Ottawa Senators but is expected to be loaned to the Allsvenskan team.

The Sabres’ Davidsson was the 37th pick in the 2017 draft, and though still just 21, has a lot of work to do if he wants to one day play in the NHL. The forward had just 13 points in 31 games for Vaxjo last season, and a single assist in 12 matches this year. With dwindling ice time he’ll try to get things turned around in the lower league, as he approaches an important threshold in his career.

On June 1, 2021, Davidsson’s draft rights with the Sabres will expire, making him an unrestricted free agent if he does not have an entry-level contract by then. It’s very rare to see players selected so high go unsigned, but it is a possibility in this case if Davidsson wants to stay overseas to continue his development. Of course, the two sides could reach an agreement to sign his ELC and then be loaned back to Sweden, should they agree that he’s not ready (or willing) to play in the AHL.

There was a time where Davidsson looked like a sure thing for NHL duty down the road. In 2017-18 he recorded 21 points in just 39 games with Djurgardens IF of the SHL, an outstanding total for someone so young. He followed it up with another good season for the team in 2018-19, before a move to Vaxjo seemed to derail his performance. Perhaps a reunion with his brother, who was on those Djurgardens teams himself, will spark a resurgence from the Buffalo draft pick.

Minor Transactions: 11/02/20

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The offseason has slowed to a crawl with just a few arbitration hearings to come and a handful of free agents to sign. With the news that the AHL and some junior leagues are targeting February as a start date, however, things will likely pick up in the way of minor signings. We’ll keep track of the notable ones right here:

  • Kyle Wood, who finished the 2019-20 season in the Detroit Red Wings organization, has signed in the German second league. Wood, 24, was a third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2014 but hasn’t actually played a single game in the NHL. It’s not every day that you find a 6’5″ defenseman that can record 43 points in 68 games, but that’s exactly what Wood did as a rookie in the AHL.
  • Yuri Terao is headed back to Japan after his dynamic rookie season in the ECHL, at least until the minor league gets back underway. Terao is playing with his hometown Nikko Icebucks of the Asia League, but is expected to return to North America when the ECHL season starts. For the Utah Grizzlies last year, Terao scored 18 goals and 40 points in 61 games.
  • Chicago Blackhawks forward Pius Suter, who had been on loan with the GCK Lions in the Swiss second tier, has been re-assigned to the ZSC Lions in the first tier. That’s certainly nothing to worry about for Suter, who spent the last five seasons with Zurich and won the league MVP in 2019-20.
  • Jaycob Megna has signed a one-year AHL contract with the San Jose Barracuda, giving the team a veteran defenseman for the lineup next season. Megna, 27, has played 43 NHL games but spent the entire 2019-20 season with the Chicago Wolves, scoring three goals and ten points.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

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