Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

AHL

Snapshots: Markstrom, Vegas, Hartford

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When the 2019-20 NHL season was paused, Vancouver Canucks were right on the edge of returning to the playoffs. It’s not somewhere they’ve been since 2015, so turning things around is an impressive accomplishment for this young group. One of the older players on the team that was around (however infrequently) for that 2014-15 season is Jacob Markstrom, who happens to be scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer.

If you ask him though, this won’t be his last chance to help Vancouver reach the playoffs. Markstrom was on a conference call with reporters yesterday including Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, and explained that he wants to “stay in Vancouver” and has “no plans of leaving.” Markstrom does understand the complicated situation that every team is in with regards to free agents and an uncertain salary cap, but is obviously hoping that he can stick around for a while longer. The 30-year old goaltender was having the best season of his career, posting a 23-16-4 record and .918 save percentage when the season was paused.

  • If you’ve been wondering whether or not the Vegas Golden Knights would ever name a captain, Peter DeBoer has some answers for you. According to Ken Boehlke of SinBin.vegas, DeBoer discussed the captain question on a season ticket holder podcast, explaining that he believes a team should have one and that the Golden Knights have several candidates. For what it is worth, Boehlke expects Mark Stone to be the captain if one is named. Stone is currently the highest-paid player on the Golden Knights and is signed through 2026-27.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack are bringing back some experience for next season, signing Vincent LoVerde and Mason Geertsen to one-year AHL contracts for 2020-21. LoVerde, 31, is. two-time Calder Cup champion that scored 21 points in 62 games for the Wolf Pack this season. Geertsen, 25, won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup in 2017 before establishing himself as a full-time AHL player the last three years.

Snapshots: Egle, Handemark, Cehlarik

at CDT | by

Over the past two years, Clarkson University forward Haralds Egle has been one of the best and most consistent scoring forwards in college hockey. An undrafted prospect out of the USHL, the Latvian-born winger just completed his final collegiate season but truly began to hit his stride last year. In total, Egle accumulated 33 goals and 72 points in 71 games over the past two seasons, leading a national contender. Now, Egle is ready to take on the pros. The AHL’s Manitoba Moose have announced a two-year deal for the 23-year-old scoring forward. Latvia remains an under-represented nation in the NHL, but if Egle’s NCAA ability translates to the AHL its very possible that his he could be the next name from his country to join the ranks of the elite.

  • Swedish forward Fredrik Handemark is no stranger to the NHL rumor mill, with the most recent reports naming the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks as suitors should the SHL veteran choose to make the jump this off-season. It appears he has made his choice though, as Swedish news source Aftonbladet reports that Handemark is expected to sign with the Sharks this summer. After posting a career-high 14 goals and 38 points this season, the 26-year-old Malmo Redhawks captain has decided to take the next step in his career with San Jose. While the terms have not been confirmed, Aftonbladet expects Handemark to sign a one-year entry-level contract with a $900K AAV, which could prove to be a bargain for the Sharks if the Swedish star can replicate his production at the next level.
  • Boston Bruins forward Peter Cehlarik may be eyeing a move to the opposite side of the Atlantic. Slovakian news source TA3 reports that the local product may be considering a move to Europe, namely the SHL, after another season in which he was unable to secure a consistent NHL job. Cehlarik, 24, played his developmental years in Sweden and was drafted by Boston from Lulea HF in 2013. In his four years since coming over from Europe, Cehlarik has played in at least three NHL games each season, including a career-high 20 in 2018-19. However, his considerable scoring ability – 136 points in 185 career AHL games – has not translated to the NHL, where he has just 11 points in 40 games. Beyond just his production, Cehlarik has struggled to find a natural fit in the Bruins’ lineup and has been passed up on the organizational depth chart. A restricted free agent this summer, Boston may qualify Cehlarik as a useful minor league depth player, but he could opt instead to chase a starring role back in the SHL.

Daniel Walcott Signs With Tampa Bay Lightning

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Tampa Bay Lightning have handed out a one-year, one-way contract extension to Daniel Walcott, who was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The team did not announce the financial details.

The minor league defenseman has still yet to play a game in the NHL, instead spending the entire 2019-20 season once again with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. That’s where Walcott has played since the Lightning acquired him in 2015 from the New York Rangers in exchange for a seventh-round pick, and where he’s likely ticketed once again next season.

In 55 games the 26-year old registered seven goals, 19 points and 86 penalty minutes, all career-highs.

Jets Notes: Woodcroft, Moose, Heinola

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets will likely be looking for a new assistant coach next season, as John Buccigross of ESPN reports that Todd Woodcroft has been offered the head coaching position at the University of Vermont. Murat Ates of The Athletic believes Woodcroft will take the position and notes how much time the coach spent practicing with the younger Jets players.

Woodcroft has been part of several organizations around the NHL, spending time as a video coach, scout, director of scouting and assistant coach. He has also been part of several different World Championship coaching staffs, but will now get his chance to lead a college program.

  • The Manitoba Moose, AHL affiliate of the Jets, have signed two forwards to minor league deals for 2021-22. Westin Michaud and Biagio Lerario have both agreed to AHL contracts, giving them a chance to move to the professional ranks. Michaud recently finished his fourth NCAA season and first at the University of North Dakota, where he recorded 28 points in 35 games. The 24-year old had previously transferred from Colorado College. Lerario meanwhile played four seasons at Northeastern University, occupying a bottom-six role to support the more flashy offensive players the program has seen come and go. In 122 NCAA games, the 24-year old Lerario scored 29 points and recorded 173 PIM.
  • When you look at the Jets depth chart for next season it’s easy to pencil in Ville Heinola as a full-time roster player, given the fact that Dmitry Kulikov, Nathan Beaulieu, Dylan DeMelo, Luca Sbisa and Anthony Bitetto are all headed for unrestricted free agency. Heinola was impressive in his debut at the beginning of the season before returning to Finland, but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff cautioned against making any assumptions when speaking with Ken Wiebe of The Athletic (subscription required). The then-18-year-old defenseman recorded five points in eight games with the Jets at the beginning of the year, before starring once again for Finland at the World Juniors. He’ll have to perform just as well at next season’s training camp to secure his spot. Selected 20th overall in 2019, even if they have to wait another year, it seems as though the Jets found another steal in the latter part of the first round.

Prospect Notes: Tychonick, Stockton, Senators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When Johnny Tychonick was selected 48th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2018 he was a high-flying defenseman that had just put up 47 points in 48 games for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and was ticketed for stardom at the collegiate level. Unfortunately that stardom never came in two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where Tychonick was buried on the depth chart of one of the nation’s strongest programs.

Now, Tychonick has entered the transfer portal and will take his talents to the University of Nebraska-Omaha according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 20-year old defenseman told Schlossman that the UND coaching staff is helping him try to be eligible to play for Omaha next season, where he would be starting his junior year. The Senators will continue to hold his exclusive draft rights while he remains in college.

  • The Stockton Heat have signed three undrafted free agents to AHL contracts, inking Greg Moro to a two-year deal, Noah King to a one-year deal and Koletrane Wilson to a one-year deal. Moro, 25, just finished his senior season at Clarkson University, recording seven points in 32 games. The 6’4″ defenseman is an Alberta native who played in the SJHL and AJHL before going the college route. King, 20, broke out this season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, scoring 40 points in 64 games. That total was more than double the combined amount King had registered in his other three CHL seasons. Wilson, another 20-year old defenseman, registered 33 points in 62 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, while racking up penalty minutes as a tough, physical presence. All three players will bring a healthy dose of size and strength to the Heat blueline next season.
  • The Ottawa Senators are focused on the NHL Entry Draft, whenever it happens, and the three first-round picks they own this year. GM Pierre Dorion spoke with reporters including Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet, explaining that just like fans of his team he too is using a lottery simulator daily to fantasize about where his top two selections will land. The Senators of course own San Jose’s first-round pick, which means they could potentially pick first and second overall, but Scanlan writes that the executive believes the top-20 will all be “strong NHL players.”

Jonathan Aspirot Signs With Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After an up-and-down rookie season, undrafted defenseman Jonathan Aspirot has done enough to earn an NHL contract. The Ottawa Senators have signed Aspirot to a three-year, entry-level deal, following his rookie campaign with the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained the signing:

Jonathan is a player, with credit to our amateur scouting staff, that we’ve kept tabs on since he was a development camp invitee in 2018. He’s long demonstrated great hockey sense and exceptional determination to the point where he became a regular among Belleville’s defence corps last season. His progression has collectively indicated to our hockey staff that he has become a legitimate NHL prospect.

The 20-year old Aspirot was never drafted out of the QMJHL after struggling to even find a consistent position at the junior level. Playing both defense and forward for the Moncton Wildcats, he has seemingly made the transition full-time to the blue line in Belleville and that’s where his potential future lies in Ottawa. That led to 16 points in 44 games for the baby-Sens, clearly enough—when paired with his defensive awareness and tenacity—to earn a contract. The second season of his two-year deal with Belleville will be voided in favor of this entry-level NHL contract.

For a rebuilding club like the Senators, lottery tickets like Aspirot are worthwhile investments as they try to find inexpensive NHL talent. While stars like the ones the team drafts this year will lead the next window of competition in Ottawa, Aspirot and others will have to fill in the depth chart.

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, 2021 Memorial Cup, McKay

at CDT | by 1 Comment

If you were perusing the NHL Central Scouting draft lists when they came out yesterday and wondered how exactly the North American and International skaters compared, Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet has you covered. The draft analyst released his latest ranking of the top prospects eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, led as always by Alexis Lafreniere.

Some of the other rankings, however, differ significantly from the Central Scouting lists. Of note is Jake Sanderson, who while fourth among North American skaters on one list, comes in seventh among the same group on Cosentino’s. If you want a riser, how about Dylan Holloway, who Cosentino believes is a top-10 talent despite his ranking of #12 among North American skaters by Central Scouting.

  • Many of the players drafted this year will be competing in the CHL’s 2020-21 season, trying to earn their way to the Memorial Cup tournament. They may have to wait a little longer, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the CHL is considering pushing back the schedule for the 2021 Memorial Cup into June of next year to give them a little bit of wiggle room should the start of the season be delayed. McKenzie notes that the tournament will be held in either Oshawa or Sault Ste. Marie, though that decision has not yet been made.
  • Kirby Dach will have a familiar face at Chicago Blackhawks training camp after the Rockford IceHogs signed Riley McKay to an AHL contract for 2020-21. McKay, 21, played with Dach on the Saskatoon Blades in 2018-19, racking up 149 penalty minutes as one of the toughest players in the Western Hockey League. Undrafted, he’ll try to carve out a role for himself in the minor leagues, while still surely watching his teammates’ backs.

Snapshots: Denisenko, Gerard, Olympics

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers are expected to sign prospect Grigori Denisenko on May 1 after his KHL contract expires, according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. The young forward apparently “refused” to sign an extension with his KHL club and will instead be coming to North America. That’s not a huge surprise after the Panthers used the 15th-overall pick on Denisenko in 2018, but it should create some excitement in Florida as they wait for hockey to return.

The 19-year old Denisenko has twice suited up for the Russians at the World Juniors, earning bronze and silver medals while leading the 2019 tournament in scoring and captaining the 2020 squad. In 38 games with Lokomotiv this season he recorded just 12 points, but even playing regularly at his age is an accomplishment. Even though they already have a formidable forward group in the NHL, there is a lot to look forward to in the Florida prospect system with names like Denisenko, Serron Noel, Owen Tippett, Henrik Borgstrom, and others upfront.

  • The Colorado Eagles have added a prospect of their own, signing Charlie Gerard to a two-way AHL contract for 2020-21. The 24-year old forward recently finished his senior season at Minnesota State-Mankato, where he recorded 30 points in 37 games. The undersized Gerard will be joining an organization that was one of the strongest in the AHL before the season shut down and has routinely rewarded their minor league players with solid salary guarantees.
  • Usually when NHL commissioner speaks about the Olympics he is referring to the winter variety, but today he spoke to NBC Sports Network’s Mike Tirico about how the postponement of the upcoming Tokyo summer games could potentially be beneficial to hockey. Frank Seravalli of TSN examined the league boss’s comments, and explained how without the Olympics taking up several weeks in the summer there is now a “broader window” for the NHL to resume play. There are no firm plans at this point as Bettman and the league plays the wait-and-see game, but he did confirm that they could play “well into the summer” if need be.

AHL Notes: Man Of The Year, Hayes, Aubrun

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The AHL has announced the recipients of their Man of the Year awards, given to one player on each team for their “outstanding contributions to the local community and charitable organizations during the 2019-20 season.” From the group one player is selected for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which was won by Landon Ferraro of the Iowa Wild a year ago.

Nathan Paetsch of the Rochester Americans has been given the individual team award for the fourth time in his career, as he continues his tireless work organizing events and appearances for him and his teammates to give back to the community. You can see the full list of winners here.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights have signed undrafted defenseman Zach Hayes to an AHL contract, giving him a chance to transition to the professional ranks after four years with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. Hayes, 20, scored 23 points in 60 games for the Raiders this season while serving as captain.
  • The Rockford IceHogs have added a prospect of their own, signing Tom Aubrun to a two-year AHL contract. Aubrun, 24, recently finished his senior season at Norwich University where he posted a 23-2-2 record and .967 save percentage in 27 appearances. It’s not often you see a Division III goaltender earn a pro contract so quickly, but after such a dominant college career the IceHogs obviously believe he can be an asset to the organization.

Snapshots: Laviolette, Darling, AHL Signings

at CDT | by 1 Comment

It’s been quite a while since former Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette has coached a game. The 55-year-old coach was fired by Nashville on Jan. 6 and was later hired to coach the U.S. at the World Championships which was cancelled on Mar. 21. However, the head coach has made it clear that he wants to return to the NHL coaching ranks as soon as possible, according to Adam Kimmelman of NHL.com.

The coach has gone back and looked at his successes behind the bench in hopes of improving as a coach.

“Right now, I think I’m just focused on going back to what I found has worked for me as a coach and go back to that,” Laviolette said. “I don’t have a team, I don’t have any players, but what I can focus on is what happens when I can go to a team and I can start to get involved with the players and the identity of the team and building that team, building the organization.”

  • Former NHL goaltender Scott Darling spent the 2019-20 season in Austria, quite a step down from the NHL after he was bought out by the Florida Panthers at the start of the season. While his team Innsbruck struggled last season, his numbers didn’t project those of a former NHL player as he finished with a 3.34 GAA and a .898 save percentage in 33 games. However, the 31-year-old, who played with the Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes, made it clear that his primary goal is to return to North America and resume his career there, even if that means signing an AHL deal and working his way up from there, according to John Dietz of the Daily Herald. “This pandemic has kind of sidetracked everything,” Darling said. “I was talking to some teams here. Ideally I’m going to try and play here next year, whether it be starting in the (AHL) or whatever.”
  • Two junior players signed their first professional contracts as the Toronto Marlies announced they have signed defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer and forward Jeremy McKenna to two-year AHL contracts. the 21-year-old Hoefenmayer was the biggest prize after leading all OHL defensemen in scoring last season with 26 goals and 82 points last season for the Ottawa 67s. Hoefenmayer was originally a fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes, but was never offered a contract by the Coyotes. McKenna scored 40 goals and 82 points with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL this season. Both will join the Marlies next season, a team well-known for developing their minor league players.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top