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Zane McIntyre Signs In KHL

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A former NHL goaltender has decided to take his talents overseas, as Zane McIntyre signs with Dinamo Riga of the KHL. McIntyre played in eight games for the Boston Bruins in 2016-17 but has been logging starts in an AHL crease ever since. When his 2019-20 contract with the New Jersey Devils expired, he became an unrestricted free agent.

McIntyre, 28, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Bruins back in 2010 but didn’t make his professional debut until the 2015-16 season. After three outstanding seasons at the University of North Dakota, he joined the Providence Bruins where he quickly found success. In his sophomore year, McIntyre posted a .930 save percentage at the AHL level, leading the entire league and earning himself a spot at the minor league All-Star Game. It also landed him a chance with Boston, though those eight games may end up being his only stint in the NHL.

More recently, the Grand Forks native has struggled in the minor leagues, posting save percentages under .900 in each of the last two seasons. He’ll try to increase those numbers in the KHL, though of course, he’ll have to battle for playing time over there as well. Unless he experiences a huge step forward in play, it seems unlikely that we’ll ever see McIntyre at the NHL level again.

Dallas Stars Re-Sign Landon Bow

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Saturday: The Stars have made Bow’s deal official.

Friday: Anton Khudobin isn’t the only goaltender sticking with the Stars. Dallas has re-signed free agent keeper Landon Bow, according to both CapFriendly and PuckPedia. Bow had lost RFA status when the Stars declined to extend him a qualifying offer, but the young goalie has opted to stay in Dallas nevertheless. He has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth the minimum $700K at the NHL level and $90K in the AHL. Bow will be an RFA once again at the conclusion of this contract (if he receives a qualifying offer that is).

Though his limited NHL numbers suggest otherwise, Bow is not exactly considered a current asset for Dallas and may never be. Those he was stellar in a pair of emergency appearances for the Stars in 2018-19, Bow’s AHL numbers are pedestrian. He is buried behind an elite NHL tandem and superior prospects in Jake Oettinger and Colton Point, making him no more than the fifth option in net for Dallas. In fact, though Point spent much of this past season in the ECHL, it would not be a surprise if he leapfrogs Bow this year, making the former WHL standout the third-string option for AHL Texas.

Of course, it never hurts to have depth in net and Dallas could do far worse than the 6’5″ Bow. With a goalie pipeline that is almost entirely bare beyond the pro level, Bow’s experience with the organization and willingness to play a depth role contributed to Stars’ decision to bring him back. Now the 25-year-old just needs to reward the organization’s loyalty by finally putting together a complete season in the minors and re-asserting himself into the prospect battle for NHL opportunities.

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Gustav Forsling

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The Carolina Hurricanes have avoided arbitration with defenseman Gustav Forsling. PuckPedia and CapFriendly are both reporting that the two sides have come to terms on a one-year, two-way contract. The deal carries the minimum $700K NHL salary and a $250K AHL salary. Forsling had been scheduled for a salary arbitration hearing on November 7th.

If Forsling’s case had reached a hearing, it would have been a fascinating argument – at least from the player side. The most critical part of any arbitration case is the platform season, and Forsling did not play a single game in 2019-20. The 24-year-old defenseman was fully healthy, but simply not good enough to crack the Hurricanes’ lineup. He saw NHL action with the Chicago Blackhawks in each of the three years prior to being traded last summer, but has never played more than 43 games in any season. It would have had to have been quite the argument to convince an arbitrator that Forsling was worth more than a minimum salary. Instead, Forsling’s camp likely filed for arbitration with the primary intention of arguing that he was at least worth a one-way contract. Even that case might have been a stretch, so he has agreed to a two-way deal with a sizeable AHL salary.

Forsling’s odds of improving his case before next off-season, when he will again be an RFA with arbitration rights, seem slim. The Hurricanes currently have five established veteran defenseman on the NHL roster, other RFA’s still to sign in Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown, a prospect pushing for time in Jake Bean, and just added a superior depth option in Joakim Ryan. Forsling would need several things to go his way to see NHL action this coming season.

Forsling’s arbitration case was the least of the Hurricanes’ worries. The team still has Fleury and forward Warren Foegele slated for hearings and there is much more on the line with that pair. CapFriendly projects Carolina to have just under $4.5MM in cap space with a current roster of 20, so the ’Canes may need to get creative (or make a move) to add Fleury, Foegele, and one more body to the roster without going over the cap. If the teams deals from their depth on the blue line, they may be able to move considerable salary. Forsling would stand to benefit from such a move as well.

Minor Transactions: 10/23/20

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The off-season continues on with NHL teams keeping busy, but minor league, European, collegiate and junior clubs continue to make moves in preparation for next season and in some cases in reaction to a season that has already begun. With many moving parts at every level, especially as the world continues to deal with the Coronavirus, transactions continue to be frequent. Here are some of today’s notable moves:

  • Carson Meyer has never known anything but Ohio hockey and that is set to continue as he begins his pro career. The Powell, OH native who attended Miami University and transferred to Ohio State University and was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets has signed with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. The club announced that Meyer has inked a one-year AHL contract. Meyer, 23, finished his NCAA career in style with a career campaign that included a near point-per-game scoring pace. The scoring forward could make an immediate impact in the minors next season.
  • Veteran minor league Phil Varone is leaving North America for the first time in his hockey career. The 29-year-old, who has 97 NHL games and over 500 AHL games on his resume, is headed to the KHL. Agent Aljosa Pilko announced that his client has signed with a team in the league. It is believed that he is bound for Barys Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan. Varone split this past season with the Laval Rocket and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and has suited up for five different AHL squads in his nine pro seasons.
  • Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Cole Fonstad is not waiting for the WHL season to begin. His hometown team, the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins, announced that Fonstad has joined the club for the time being. Fonstad will re-join the Everett Silvertips once WHL training camp begins. In the meantime, the fifth-round pick who has logged 65+ points in each of the past three seasons will be make a massive impact for Estevan. He hopes to prove this season that he is worth an entry-level contract when he ages out of junior.

New Jersey Devils Hire Chris Taylor

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The New Jersey Devils have added another assistant coach for the upcoming season, hiring Chris Taylor to join Lindy Ruff’s staff. The team has also added Dave Rogalski as a goaltending coach. The group will be joined by two other assistants, Alain Nasreddine and Mark Recchi.

Taylor is the notable hire here, given his recent stint as head coach of the Rochester Americans. Over three seasons with the minor league team, he led them to a 116-65-33 record though wasn’t able to find much postseason success. Still, Taylor was believed to be a top coaching prospect and even served as an interim assistant with the Buffalo Sabres down the stretch.

While Buffalo cleaned house under new GM Kevyn Adams, Taylor will land on his feet in New Jersey for his first full-time NHL coaching role. He’ll bring a wealth of knowledge to the position, including nearly 20 years as a professional player. Taylor suited up for 151 NHL games over the years, doing most of his damage in the AHL.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Drew Shore

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The Carolina Hurricanes have reached into the European ranks to add an NHL retread to the organization. Forward Drew Shore, who last played in North America in 2017, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Hurricanes, the team announced. It is a one-year, two-way contract worth the minimum $700K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

Shore, 29, has had an interesting career. A big, versatile forward, Shore was a second-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2009 and left the University of Denver early after dominating collegiate competition. As a rookie, he even garnered Calder Trophy votes with 13 points in 43 games with the Panthers. No one would have expected that this mark would stand as his career best. Shore struggled in his limited action with Florida in his second season and was held out of the lineup entirely in his third year until he was traded to the Calgary Flames midway through the campaign. He struggled to find his footing in Calgary as well and was out of the NHL after just a season and a half with the club. Shore made his way to Switzerland to begin the 2016-17 season, but would return to the NHL midseason to sign with the Vancouver Canucks. Again, Shore failed to make the most of the opportunity and was not re-signed. He returned to the Swiss NLA for two seasons, then jumped to the KHL, where he has spent parts of the past two seasons.

Shore has always been a productive player in the minor leagues or abroad, but has never been able to translate that ability to the NHL. Nearing 30 now and three years removed from action at the highest level, Shore does seem like an odd choice to land an NHL contract, especially with so much talent still available. Yet, the Hurricanes must see something they like in the experienced journeyman.

Another strange note on the Shore signing is that a more accomplished Shore, Devin Shore, remains unsigned. This confused even the always-reliable CapFriendly in announcing the deal. Devin, 26, had a down year and was not extended a qualifying offer by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but was a consistent 30+ point player in his first three pro seasons. With the market drying up against the flat salary cap, it’s a real possibility that the superior Shore may not find NHL employment this season, while the older and less proven one plays in Carolina.

New York Islanders Sign A.J. Greer

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After trading for the rights to forward A.J. Greer last week, the New York Islanders have now come to terms on a new contract with the restricted free agent. CapFriendly reports that Greer has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract to begin his tenure with the Islanders. The deal carries the minimum $700K salary at the NHL level and $100K at the AHL level, with a minimum of $125K overall guaranteed.

Greer, 23, landed in New York early last week in a deal that saw defenseman Kyle Burroughs go to the Colorado Avalanche. In four seasons with the Avs, Greer struggled to stick in the NHL lineup. It’s been a theme in the career of the talented forward, who also didn’t fit at Boston University and ended up leaving for the QMJHL. A 2015 second-round pick, Colorado gave Greer chances to carve out a role, but he consistently struggled to make the most of his opportunities. This past season, Greer did not play in the NHL at all. He counts just 37 games and six points at the top level for his career thus far.

With that said, Greer has always showed promise even if it hasn’t translated to the NHL. A big, two-way winger with good AHL numbers, a fresh start may be exactly what Greer needs. In the Islanders’ defense-oriented system, he may actually be an ideal fit in the bottom-six if he can win a job in camp or work his way into the lineup during the season. On just a one-year deal, Greer is hoping to establish his value before another round of RFA negotiations. A strong campaign could land him a multi-year extension, while a failure to make anything of his new chance could cost him a qualifying offer and land him on the open market. It’s a do-or-die season for the young forward.

Minor Transactions: 10/21/20

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The NHL free agent market may have slowed a bit – despite a considerable amount of talent still available – but other leagues are still busy. AHL clubs are cleaning up the fringes of the NHL market, as are European leagues, and NCAA programs are finalizing transfers as they prepare for a hopeful start to the season next month. Here are some of the notable minor moves from today:

  • It was a busy day for the Stockton Heat. The Calgary Flames’ affiliate announced four signings, adding two forwards and two defensemen on one-year deals. Three of the contracts are extensions, as defenders Zac Leslie and Rob Hamilton and grinder Alex Gallant return to Stockton. Leslie, 26, is a former L.A. Kings prospect who led all Heat defensemen in points last season. Hamilton, 26, was also a top-four defenseman last year and led the team in plus/minus. Gallant, 27, is an interesting story. He played hardly any high-level hockey as a prospect, but made a career of his aggressive style, working his way up from the SPHL to the ECHL and then the AHL, logging hundreds of penalty minutes each year. He set a career high in scoring as well last year with five goals and eight points.
  • The other addition to the Heat was Mark Simpson, a hulking forward out of the University of New Brunswick. Simpson, 25, stands 6’5″ and has a more pro-ready build than many players out of the USports system. That might explain why Simpson, who finished outside the top ten in scoring for the Reds this past season, has earned an AHL contract while the program’s other top scorers have not. However, Simpson is likely destined for the ECHL while he continues to develop.
  • After the Florida Panthers opted not to extend him a qualifying offer, defenseman Thomas Schemitsch has decided to take his talents to Cleveland. The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have announced a one-year contract with Schemitsch, who has spent nearly all of the past four seasons with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. Schemitsch is a big, two-way blue liner who was a consistent contributor in the minors. He earned an extension from Florida last summer, but it did not yield any top level opportunities. He hopes to prove to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ brass that he is still an NHL-caliber prospect with his play in Cleveland.

Penguins Loan Cam Lee To HC Slovan Bratislava

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Defenseman Cam Lee is preparing to make his pro debut this season, but it won’t be with the team he expected when he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins this spring. When Lee takes the ice to begin the 2020-21 campaign, it will not be in the NHL or AHL but in the Slovakian Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava. The club announced that they have negotiated a loan with the Penguins that will allow Lee to play in Bratislava until NHL training camp opens.

Lee, 23, embarks on his first pro season after wrapping up an impressive four-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University. Lee notched 20+ points in each of the past three seasons, including 21 points in just 26 games as a senior, and led all Broncos defensemen in scoring in each of the past two years. The nephew of former NHL star goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Lee is a high IQ player who sees the ice well and moves the puck. Lee is unlikely to be rushed to the NHL like some other Penguins’ NCAA free agents, but if he can improve in some need areas over the course of his two-year entry-level contract, he could compete for opportunities at the top level down the road.

Easing in to the pro game by starting in Bratislava rather than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may end up helping Lee in his first season. A former KHL club that is well-regarded and finished second in the Extraliga standings last season, Bratislava is a good team and a place where a young player can learn the game without feeling too much pressure. Former NHL defenseman Andrej Meszaros may also be a great mentor to the young defenseman. With that said, the team stated in their release that they have been disappointed by a slow start to this season, so Lee may also get the opportunity to play a key role for the club in the time before he returns for training camp.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, AHL, Weegar

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While Chicago made an announcement today regarding their plans to rebuild (a process that was already underway), don’t expect an exodus of veterans leaving the team either.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports in the latest TSN Insider Trading (video link) that the Blackhawks intend on holding on to veterans Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook and having them as part of the core that will lead them out of this rebuilding phase.  Toews made his frustrations known earlier this offseason with the lack of communication about this direction although GM Stan Bowman has spoken with that core leadership group.  It remains to be seen how long this plan will take in Chicago but it appears that they will be keeping their long-time veterans around for the process.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • In the same segment, LeBrun mentions that while AHL President Scott Howson believes that his league will ultimately push back their start date to mirror the NHL, there are some NHL teams pushing for the AHL to stick to their December timeline. While it wouldn’t be ideal from a financial perspective given the inability to have many (or any) fans and no notable television contract, it would certainly be good from a player development standpoint for teams to get more of their prospects playing.
  • Kevin Ebbs, the agent for Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, told David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period that his client is disappointed with the status of contract negotiations so far. The 26-year-old is coming off a career year offensively with 18 points in 45 games while averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time as well.  That has him well-positioned to land a raise on the $1.6MM he made last season in his final year of RFA eligibility.  Weegar is one of three players that are scheduled for an arbitration hearing on November 8th so there is still a fair bit of time to reach an agreement beforehand.

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