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Alex Belzile Agrees To Terms With Montreal Canadiens

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The Montreal Canadiens have decided to reward minor league forward Alex Belzile with a one-year contract extension, agreeing to terms on a two-way deal for the 2020-21 season. Belzile will earn $700K at the NHL level and $225K in the minor leagues, with a $250K guarantee. That’s an impressive accomplishment for a player who went undrafted and toiled in the ECHL for years before developing into an AHL regular.

Belzile, 28, has still never seen a game in the NHL but you can bet that he’s still working towards that goal. The Canadiens clearly think he can contribute to the organization, as GM Marc Bergevin explained:

Since joining our organization, Alex has continued to impress us with his determination and work ethic. He’s a role model for the younger players we have developing in Laval. His on-ice skillset combined with his leadership qualities will help him battle for a roster spot at training camp next season.

After earning his first NHL contract just over a year ago, Belzile has unfortunately dealt with injury and was limited to just 20 games for the Laval Rocket this season. He did record 14 points in that time, but will hope to be fully healthy and contributing a full season whenever hockey resumes.

In 74 games with the Rocket in 2018-29, the Saint-Eloi, Quebec native was the team’s most consistent offensive threat, leading the club with 19 goals and 54 points.

College Notes: Perunovich, Poolman, McLaughlin

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Among the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker award, there are several seniors that don’t have much of a decision coming for them this summer. Their college careers are over, and they’ll be starting their professional careers in one fashion or another. Some of the others however, including St. Louis Blues draft pick Scott Perunovich, still have college eligibility remaining and could return.

The potential Blues’ prospect is one of considerable intrigue, especially after making a post on Instagram yesterday thanking his teammates and the Minnesota-Duluth program. For a player as accomplished as the UMD junior, signing his entry-level contract for 2019-20 and making his NHL debut was a possibility. With the season now up in the air, it’s unclear how the negotiations will proceed. The 21-year old defenseman had 105 points in 115 games at the college level and could be an impact player quickly for the Blues.

  • Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the Calgary Flames are a frontrunner for the services of Colton Poolman, an undrafted collegiate defenseman out of the University of North Dakota. The younger brother of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tucker Poolman, Colton captained UND this season and recorded 17 points in 31 games. Not quite as big as his brother, the younger Poolman is also already 24 and will have to cover a lot of development ground quickly if he wants to become a regular NHL player.
  • Jake McLaughlin, another undrafted college defenseman about to turn 24, has minor league contract offers from six different teams according to AHL reporter Mark Divver. McLaughlin recently finished his senior season at UMass, scoring 14 points in 34 games. UPDATE (3/19): McLaughlin is officially off the market. The Amherst standout, who was one of the NCAA’s best defensive defenseman this season, has signed an AHL deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, per Divver. Seeing as this is a contract beginning in 2020-21, McLaughlin could technically be considered the first ever signing by the future Henderson Silver Knights, the soon-to-be-relocated version of the San Antonio Rampage, who were purchased by Vegas last month.

NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne Pursuing NHL Free Agent Targets

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The Swiss season is over, as the NLA has decided to cancel the remainder of its season. However, that will give perennial contender EHC Biel-Bienne even more time to plan ahead for what they hope is an impact off-season. According to Swedish news source Hockey Sverige, the club plans to go after some impending NHL free agent defensemen. The trio specifically named are all Swedes and include the Anaheim Ducks’ Christian Djoos and Joel Persson and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Gustav Forsling.

Djoos, 25, was just recently traded to the Ducks by the Washington Capitals and is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. A former AHL standout, Djoos grew into a regular contributor for the Caps in the previous two seasons, but roster and salary cap pressure forced him back to the minors this year. However, since the trade to Anaheim he has played exclusively in the NHL, recording three points in nine games which is technically a career-high clip albeit in a small sample size. Given Djoos’ history and RFA status, he seems the least likely of the listed names to jump to Switzerland this summer.

Persson, 26, is an entirely different case, other than the fact that he too will be an RFA. Persson has no NHL history other than his 13 games this season with the Edmonton Oilers. An undrafted prospect who turned heads in the SHL, Persson signed with the Oilers back in 2018 but was loaned back to Sweden last season. He was extended and came over to suit up for the Oilers this year, but failed to impress and has spent the bulk of the season in the AHL. Persson was dealt to Anaheim for next to nothing – ECHL goaltender Angus Redmond and a 2022 conditional seventh-round pick – at the deadline and has not played for the Ducks yet. He could very well depart North America after a disappointing year, but may choose to head elsewhere rather than go back to Sweden. Biel could be an attractive option in this case.

Forsling, 23, is the youngest of the players named and is also the hardest to speculate on. After beginning his pro career with considerable NHL action in each of his first three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, the young defender has played exclusively in the AHL this season following an off-season trade to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are exceptionally deep on the blue line and that isn’t about to change. Heading into next season, Forsling will be eighth or ninth at best on the organization’s depth chart. As such, if the team opts to make him a qualifying offer, he could choose instead to depart North America and play a top role somewhere else. However, it’s fair to argue that remaining in the AHL may still be the better decision for his career. Of the players named, Forsling would be the least likely to stay with Biel long-term, but could produce the greatest immediate impact.

At this point, it is difficult to project that any of these three names will end up jumping to the NLA to play for Biel, especially given that all three are restricted free agents and that Djoos and Forsling have considerable NHL experience for their ages. However, if the top Swiss club pushes hard, potentially using this extended off-season to their advantage, they may be able to convince one of these three or another NHL free agent that a move to Biel to play a top pair role is the right call.

AHL, CHL Temporarily Suspend 2019-20 Seasons

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March 16: The AHL has advised its clubs that the league will not resume before May. Like the NHL, they have now recommended that players return to their primary residences.

March 12: As expected, and like the NBA G-League did last night following the NBA’s decision, the American Hockey League will also temporarily suspend their 2019-20 season. The AHL will follow the lead of the NHL who paused their season earlier today, with hopes of resuming at some point down the road.

The CHL will also temporarily suspend their season, after a meeting between leadership of the OHL, WHL and QMJHL according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The USHL and NAHL suspended their seasons earlier today.

It is not clear if the leagues will return at the same time as the NHL, but for now there will be no high level professional hockey nor any major junior hockey played in North America.

NHL Rosters To Be Frozen During Suspended Season

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According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the NHL will implement a league-wide roster freeze this evening after announcing a new directive for players earlier today. Johnston points to this freeze as the reason for several roster moves today, moving players between the NHL and AHL. We’ll list those moves below:

  • The New Jersey Devils have moved both Janne Kuokkanen and Matt Tennyson to the AHL. Both players are on two-way contracts, earning less at the minor league level.
  • The Minnesota Wild have moved Matt Bartkowski back to the AHL. He hadn’t played in a single NHL game this season and is on a two-way contract.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Mark Letestu from his conditioning loan in the AHL. He is on a two-way deal, but would need to clear waivers in order to be sent to the AHL full-time.
  • The Florida Panthers have moved Sam Montembeault back to the AHL. He is on a two-way deal and is still waiver-exempt.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent both Jani Hakanpaa and Anthony Stolarz to the AHL. Both players are actually on one-way contracts, meaning they don’t earn any less at the minor league level.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent Logan O’Connor to the AHL. The 23-year old is on a two-way contract.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Keegan Kolesar and Brandon Pirri to the AHL. Pirri is on a one-way contract, while Kolesar is still on his two-way entry-level deal.

NHL, AHL Not Likely To Follow Same Course For Potential Return

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While it has been clear that the AHL would follow suit to the same policies that the NHL would put in place when it came to the suspension of play and how they would operate beyond that, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that in the wake of the ECHL cancelling their season due to the COVID-19 epidemic, it’s likely that the AHL will not mirror the NHL when it comes to a potential return to the ice this season as they would have some big challenges in front of them.

Whether that means that the AHL will also cancel their season in the upcoming days is unknown. However, Johnston points out that while the NHL has the reserves and the power to push the playoffs off to the summer, if necessary, the AHL may not have that ability. The league has a number of obstacles, which includes travel and revenue issues that it would have to deal with to postpone the rest of the 2019-20 season and the Calder Cup playoffs further into the season.

The AHL has a number of upper-level teams hoping their season will continue with the Milwaukee Admirals, the Nashville Predators’ affiliate, leading the way with a league-leading 90 points this season as it hopes to get a chance to win the Calder Cup. The AHL decided to suspend their season on Thursday.

 

Minor Transactions: 03/12/20

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Nothing could be more “minor” today than daily recalls and reassignments when the entire NHL and its minor league affiliates have closed their doors for the foreseeable future. However, for the sake of keeping things as hockey focused as possible during these trying times, here are the roster moves made today prior to or in light of the official shutdown announcement:

  • Dealing with injuries up front, the Vegas Golden Knights recalled a trio of forwards late last night: Keegan Kolesar, Brandon Pirri, and Nicolas Roy. The group are among the best per-games scorers on the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this year. However, given the NHL’s break, the team may get healthy enough to avoid using any of them once play returns.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Carolina Hurricanes have sent Morgan Geekie, the team’s sudden rookie standout, and goaltender Anton Forsberg back to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Geekie recorded three goals in his first two NHL games this week and looks like another bright young prospect for the ‘Canes to build around.
  • After being called up yesterday, Colorado’s Martin Kaut, Dallas’ Joel Kiviranta, and the Rangers’ Steven Fogarty have all been reassigned today, per CapFriendly. This likely comes as a response to the shutdown. Kiviranta, signed out of Finland this summer, has played in eleven games with Dallas thus far, but has found more offense in the minors. The team would love to see signs that his scoring ability can translate to the top level before the postseason begins – whenever that is – as depth is crucial in the playoffs. Kaut is in a similar boat with the Avalanche, although the 2018 first-round pick is not as pro-tested and has not produced as well in the AHL this year. Fogarty, the veteran of this group, is in his fourth year with the Rangers’ organization out of Notre Dame and is no stranger to the up-and-down nature of his AHL depth role and is always ready to step in when needed.

NHL Cancels Practices, Will Issue Update On Season Status

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The NHL has issued a directive for teams to cancel all practices, morning skates and media availability today while they continue to work through their response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The league’s board of governors is scheduled to have a conference call at noon according to Darren Dreger of TSN, after which there will likely be an announcement.

Last night, the NBA suspended their season indefinitely after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The Jazz and several other NBA teams that had recently played them were instructed to self-quarantine, but there are also concerns that it could spread to the NHL given that teams in several cities use the same arenas for both basketball and hockey. Since then another Jazz player, Donovan Mitchell, has also tested positive.

The AHL and ECHL have also not made an announcement yet, but are expected to follow the NHL’s lead.

Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post has tweeted that teams around the league have been told the season will be suspended, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has heard that on-ice officials have been told to book flights home.

Troy Brouwer, Aaron Ness Clear Waivers

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Wednesday: Both Brouwer and Ness have cleared waivers and can be sent to the minor leagues.

Tuesday: Even though the season is almost over, teams are still making tweaks to their rosters. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that both Troy Brouwer and Aaron Ness have been placed on waivers.

In Ness’ case, Craig Morgan of The Athletic tweets that the Arizona Coyotes are expecting Jakob Chychrun back this week. Even though teams no longer have a roster limit, Ness is eligible to play for the Tucson Roadrunners and can continue to get some game action in the minor leagues.

For Brouwer, things are a little different. The veteran forward was not recalled until after the trade deadline, meaning he is eligible for AHL playoffs, but he actually hasn’t played a single game at that level this season. It’s unclear if the St. Louis Blues would send him down to the minor leagues in the event he clears waivers.

When it comes to post-deadline waivers, it is important to remember that any claim comes with some restrictions. As CapFriendly pointed out recently, a team changing reserve lists after the deadline is not eligible to play in the regular season or playoffs for his new club. That means even if a playoff team claimed Brouwer or Ness to give them a little more depth, they could not play.

Minor College Signings: O’Leary, Beaudoin, Michigan State

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While many of the NCAA’s elite can jump right into an NHL contract, and sometimes the NHL itself, the majority must work their way up through the pro ranks. Minor league contracts and amateur tryout (ATO) contracts are common at this time of year and after a number of those deals were signed yesterday, a few more rolled in today:

  • From preseason contender to unranked and out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, it was a season to forget for Notre Dame. However, senior forward Mike O’Leary enjoyed the best campaign of his collegiate career, recording 23 points in 37 games. The two-way winger is now on his way to the AHL, signing a contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
  • Another four-year starter up front has found a spot in the pros. Brown senior Brent Beaudoin will stay close to home, joining the ECHL’s Worcester Railers. The New Hampshire native recorded 14 points in 31 games to lead all Brown forwards in scoring.
  • Perhaps the best team to have already called it a year, Michigan State sent Patrick Khodorenko to the New York Rangers yesterday and today saw fellow seniors Logan Lambdin and Butrus Ghafari head to the ECHL. Lamdin will stay nearby, as he has inked a deal with the Kalamazoo Wings. Meanwhile, Ghafari joins the Toledo Walleye. The Lebanese-American defender was a dominating stay-at-home presence at times this year.

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