Minor Transactions: 09/11/20
While hockey fans are still engrossed in the excitement of the conference finals, one game per day does feel like somewhat of a letdown after the onslaught of game action over the past six weeks. Combine that with the growing anticipation of free agency and the NHL Draft and the 2020-21 season overall, and day-to-day roster transactions are starting to worm their way back into the spotlight. With plenty going on at all levels and in many different countries, here are some of the top minor moves of the day:
- The AHL’s Laval Rocket have announced an extension with veteran minor league forward Kevin Lynch. It is a one-year, one-way AHL contract for Lynch, who brings physicality and scoring punch to the Rocket lineup. A University of Michigan product who cut his teeth in the ECHL and eventually worked his way into a leadership position with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and to an NHL contract with the Tampa Bay Lighting in 2018-19, Lynch sadly missed that entire season due to injury. He moved to Laval this past year and recorded 21 points in 54 games, finding himself a new home in the process.
- The AHL’s Rochester Americans have announced a new contract of their own, signing goaltender Michael Houser to a one-year AHL contract. Though the press release does not specify, this is expected to be a two-way contract, as Houser has played the vast majority of his career in the ECHL, including the entirety of the past two seasons while technically under contract with Rochester. With that said, Houser was phenomenal with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones over the past two years and has earned his spot on the Americans’ depth chart. The former Florida Panthers prospect has a career 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage in 210 ECHL games and has played well in 73 AHL appearances over the years as well.
- Former NHLer Casey Bailey is off to a new location yet again this season. Once a promising prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs out of Penn State University, Bailey has been all over the place looking for a fit for the past few years. Bailey last played in the NHL in 2016-17 with the Ottawa Senators, but could not find an NHL contract after the season. He signed with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers and had a strong year, prompting him to chase a paycheck in the KHL with HC Slovan Bratislava the next season. However, his offense dried up in the KHL and Bailey made the surprise move to return to North America last year on an ECHL contract. That skepticism proved to be warranted, as Bailey bolted early in the season for Sweden, signing with the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers. Now he’s off to a new European league, inking a one-year deal with the Iserlohn Roosters of Germany’s DEL.
Pittsburgh Penguins Name J.D. Forrest As AHL Head Coach
As the internal coaching carousel for the Pittsburgh Penguins continues, they have again opted to promote one of their own. Following the dismissal of Mike Sullivan‘s entire staff- Sergei Gonchar, Jacques Martin, and Mark Recchi – the Penguins brought back Todd Reirden following his dismissal as head coach of the Washington Capitals and promoted AHL head coach Mike Vellucci. In need of a new head coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to replace Vellucci, the club announced today that assistant J.D. Forrest has been promoted to head coach. The team’s release also revealed that Assistant GM Jason Karmanos has been named the GM for the AHL Penguins. The new WBS GM had this to say about his new head coach:
J.D. has done an excellent job in his four seasons as an assistant coach in Wilkes-Barre, consistently demonstrating a strong ability to develop the young defensemen in our system. His familiarity with the organization, our prospects and the style of hockey we want to play, together with his work ethic and team-first approach, gives us confidence that he will excel in his new role as head coach.
Forrest, 39, has been with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since the 2016-17 season, focusing on the team’s defensemen and the penalty kill. Prior to joining the Penguins, he was the head coach of Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian U-20 league and before that an inter assistant coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Forrest was a product of the USNTDP himself before playing four seasons at Boston College and nine pro seasons in the U.S., Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, and Germany. A well-traveled player and coach, especially fotr his young age, Forrest brings a broad array of experience to his first head coaching position at the pro level and could have a bright future ahead of him.
East Notes: Steen, Fenton, Patrick
Another young player will suit up overseas to begin the season as Boston Bruins minor league forward Oskar Steen has been loaned to IF Bjorkloven in the Swedish second league. Steen has one year left on his entry-level contract and has still yet to make his NHL debut, but did have a decent debut in the AHL. In 2019-20 the 22-year-old forward recorded 23 points in 60 games.
Steen will return to North America for training camp, though it’s still not exactly clear when that will be. Given he dominated the SHL the last time he played in Sweden, the sixth-round pick should find the Allsvenskan easy enough as long as he is given quality minutes.
- Bill Zito is in charge of the Florida Panthers now and he may be bringing in a former NHL GM to help. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Paul Fenton is “on the radar” to join Florida, and Chris Johnston points out that the former Minnesota Wild executive worked with Zito in Columbus this season as a scout. The first thing anyone thinks about when Fenton’s name is brought up is that infamous (and incredible) feature by Michael Russo of The Athletic, which detailed the 14-month period when he was in charge of the Wild. It’s easy to forget that before he was hired by Minnesota, Fenton was one of the most well-respected assistant GMs in the NHL, spending close to two decades beside David Poile with the Nashville Predators. Though his time in Minnesota will certainly color many expectations, it shouldn’t surprise many that he is in the mix for another NHL job.
- The Philadelphia Flyers season didn’t come to the end many were hoping for, but there are reasons for optimism moving forward. Namely, the health of Nolan Patrick, which continues to improve according to GM Cliff Fletcher. Patrick missed the entire season due to a migraine issue, but has been skating for the past few months and is apparently on the road to recovery. Still, Fletcher admitted that his future is still unclear until he starts practicing with contact. Patrick is a restricted free agent and will need a contract this offseason, but has just 61 points in 145 career games to this point.
Mark Barberio Signs In Switzerland
As expected, Mark Barberio has taken his talents to Switzerland after seeing his time with the Colorado Avalanche come to an end. The depth defenseman has signed a three-year deal with Lausanne HC of the NLA, meaning he may well never suit up again in the NHL.
Barberio, 30, already found himself in the press box more often than on the ice, playing just 21 games in the NHL this season. Signed to a two-year, $2.9MM deal after a solid 2017-18 campaign, he’d suit up just 33 more times for the Avalanche and record just three points over two years. A sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008, Barberio totaled 272 regular-season games in the NHL, tallying 56 points. He was a much more effective weapon in the minor leagues, earning the 2012 Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman and being named to the All-Star team four times.
It will be interesting to see exactly how well Barberio’s game translates to the Swiss league, where many different systems are employed and scoring is generally lower. Pius Suter, who just signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, was the league’s MVP in 2019-20, barely edging out former NHL forward Mark Arcobello in the league scoring race.
For now, you can forget about Barberio as a potential option in the NHL. He’ll be 33 by the time this contract expires and he could return to North America.
Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes Announce AHL Affiliates
The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers have both officially announced their new AHL affiliates, continuing the domino-effect changes that have followed the relocation of the Henderson Silver Knights. Carolina, who had been affiliated with the Charlotte Checkers, has now signed a three-year agreement with the Chicago Wolves starting in 2020-21. The Panthers, who previously used the Springfield Thunderbirds as their AHL affiliate, have inked a multi-year agreement with the Checkers.
When the Vegas Golden Knights purchased the San Antonio Rampage and moved them to Henderson, the St. Louis Blues were without an AHL affiliate and the Wolves were without an NHL parent. The Blues then affiliated with Springfield, continuing the musical affiliate chairs and forcing the Panthers to look elsewhere.
The biggest shock is still the breakup of the Hurricanes and Checkers after the two had been so closely linked by affiliation and obviously geography for so long. The Checkers owner, Michael Kahn, even invested in the Hurricanes and became an ownership partner back in 2011.
In terms of details, the Hurricanes announced that Ryan Warsofsky will continue to serve as AHL coach, moving over to lead the Wolves after the new agreement. His entire staff will come with him to the new organization. The move to Charlotte is a big first announcement for new Panthers GM Bill Zito, though the agreement was in place long before he came on board earlier this month.
Adam Huska Loaned To HKM Zvolen
While much of the focus this offseason revolves around the New York Rangers three-headed goaltending problem at the NHL level, another one of their netminders will head overseas to get his game in order. Adam Huska, who spent most of the season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, has been loaned to HKM Zvolen in Slovakia to start the year.
Huska, 23, was a seventh-round pick of the Rangers in 2015 but has consistently developed his game in various North American leagues. The Slovakian-born netminder first joined the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL where he was named the goaltender of the year, before heading to the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. After an up-and-down collegiate career, Huska signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Rangers in 2019.
With just one year remaining on that contract, the young goaltender will have to prove he can handle the AHL before the Rangers commit to another deal. Huska recorded just an .894 save percentage in 28 games and will have some extra competition from Tyler Wall in 2020-21. For now, he’ll get started overseas and try to take his game to another level as we all wait for the AHL season to get underway at some point in the winter.
Edmonton Oilers Loan Gaetan Haas, Evan Bouchard
The Edmonton Oilers continue to send their young players all over the world, loaning them out to European leagues to get them back on the ice while we wait for the start of the 2020-21 season in North America. Today, they announced that Gaetan Haas and Evan Bouchard will be heading overseas to play for the next few months. Both players are expected to return for training camp.
Haas, 28, will return to SC Bern in the Swiss NLA for the time being, the same club he played two seasons for before coming to Edmonton. A star in the Swiss league, he recorded 38 points in 50 games during the 2018-19 season and won the league championship. In his first taste of North American hockey, Haas didn’t have quite the same offensive impact but still represented a solid depth forward for the Oilers. In 58 games he recorded ten points and in April re-signed for the 2020-21 season. He’ll earn $915K on a one-way deal, whenever the next NHL season gets underway.
Bouchard of course doesn’t come with quite as much NHL experience, given he was only drafted in 2018. The tenth-overall pick played seven games with the Oilers that first season, but has spent the rest of his professional hockey in the minor leagues with the Bakersfield Condors. Bouchard did continue his excellent play in the AHL this season, recording 36 points in 54 games, but it’s not exactly clear when he’ll take that next step and become a full-time member of the Oilers defense. Still just 20, there is plenty of time for Bouchard to develop, which is exactly why it was so imperative that he find a place to play for the next few months. Bouchard will head to Sweden and suit up for Sodertalje SK of the second league.
Veini Vehvilainen Loaned To JYP
The short-term exodus of European players in the AHL continues, this time with Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending prospect Veini Vehvilainen being loaned to JYP in Finland. The agreement states that Columbus can recall Vehvilainen at any point, meaning he’ll likely be back for whenever training camp opens in North America.
Vehvilainen, 23, is just another goaltending prospect in the pipeline for the Blue Jackets, who have become something of a goalie factory this season. Both Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins came out of obscurity to put up All-Star numbers in the NHL, and Vehvilainen could potentially be next in line. Selected in the sixth round in 2018, the relatively small goalie has done nothing but dominate at Finland’s highest level. In 119 regular season Liiga appearances, Vehvilainen has posted a .926 save percentage, only increasing that to .929 in his 37 postseason matches. Twice he was named Finland’s top goaltender, while also helping win World Junior and World Championship gold medals.
In his first season in the AHL, Vehvilainen posted a .901 save percentage in 33 games. He and Matiss Kivlenieks, another interesting prospect, could very well battle for the NHL backup role if the Blue Jackets decide to move one of their other talented goaltenders this summer. For an organization that watched a two-time Vezina winner walk away in free agency last summer, the crease looks to be in plenty of good hands.
Snapshots: King Clancy Trophy, Kucherov, Bishop, Holzapfel
Now that the NHL has reached the conference championship phase of the playoffs, so too can the NHL awards, which are expected to be handed out day-by-day over the next couple of weeks. First up is expected to be the King Clancy Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. The trophy will be awarded this evening before the start of Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars. The three finalists for the awards are Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba, New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist and New Jersey Devils’ P.K. Subban.
Dumba has been committed to racial and social justice and the Hockey is for Everyone initiative and helped form the Hockey Diversity Alliance with seven current and former NHL players. Lundqvist supports several different initiatives, including aid for children’s health, education, underprivileged youth, Hockey Fights Cancer and the Make a Wish Foundation. Subban also supports several groups, including initiatives for underprivileged youth, medical support and promoting racial and social injustice.
- Despite the bad news that the Tampa Bay Lightning will have to go through the Eastern Conference Finals without Steven Stamkos, the team did get some good news, however, on the injury front. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that first-line forward Nikita Kucherov is expected to be available Monday for the Lightning’s first game against the New York Islanders. Kucherov was forced to leave Game 5 against the Boston Bruins with an undisclosed injury, but has had almost a week to recover. The 27-year-old has been quite effective in the playoffs so far with four goals and 16 points in 13 games.
- The Dallas Stars will be without starting goaltender Ben Bishop once again as The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that Bishop and defenseman Taylor Fedun remain “unfit to play.” Both skated today, but neither appear ready to play. The scribe did add that forwards Andrew Cogliano and Mattias Janmark are both expected to be game-time decisions today. Bishop has appeared in just three games during the playoffs and hasn’t made an appearance since Aug. 31 against Colorado when he allowed four goals in 13 minutes before being replaced. The team will rely on Anton Khudobin once again, who is 8-5 with a .909 save percentage in 14 games during the playoffs.
- Former AHL forward Riley Holzapfel announced his retirement after spending his four years with the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian League. Holzapfel was a second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006 and five season in the AHL before opting to play overseas in 2013, playing three seasons in the SHL before joining Vienna in 2016. He was never able to break into the NHL, however. The 32-year-old was still productive with Vienna, scoring 18 goals and 46 assists in 48 games.
Minor Transactions: 09/04/20
As if two NHL Game Seven’s weren’t enough today, there have also been several intriguing moves across the hockey world. With some leagues getting ready to start their seasons while the NHL off-season is beginning to draw near, it is an interesting time for roster transactions, both in North America and abroad:
- The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have signed University of Nebraska-Omaha standout Zach Jordan to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. While Jordan’s production slipped in his senior season, he posted back-to-back seasons of 25+ points as a sophomore and junior, leading the Mavericks in scoring across those two campaigns. At 6’3″ and 216 lbs., Jordan is a hulking presence on the ice and projects as a physical, two-way winger at the pro level. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate has done well with developing these types of players in recent years, so Jordan may still be a name that could draw NHL consideration down the road.
- As has proven to be a yearly tradition for the Los Angeles Kings, the club has loaned defensive prospect Jacob Moverare to Europe. A 2016 fourth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018, Moverare has been loaned to Sweden for each of the past two seasons. Things are a bit different this time around though; Moverare has not been loaned back to Frolunda HC, but to SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. The team also notes that the Kings have the right to recall Moverare from the loan for NHL training camp, an option that they seem likely to exercise. While Moverare is still a bit raw, he is a big, effective stay-at-home blue liner who hit his stride last season in the SHL. Another full season in Europe is unlikely to help his development at this point.
- AHL veteran Colin Campbell is making his first foray into Europe next season. After seven pro seasons and over 350 games – all in the AHL – Campbell has signed with the Vienna Capitals of the newly re-named IceHL, the team announced. A hard-working forward who got his start at Lake Superior State University, Campbell signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings out of college and ended up playing six seasons with their affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He moved on to the Colorado Eagles this past season and recorded the best per-game scoring numbers of his career, notching ten goals and 26 points in just 48 games. As he heads to Austria, Campbell will undoubtedly be looked upon as the leader of the Capitals and hopes to continue his strong performance. At 29, his NHL hopes remain alive and well.