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Mike Vellucci Named Wilkes-Barre/Scranton GM

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After Bill Guerin decided to take a job with the Minnesota Wild earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Penguins were not only left without an assistant GM but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL were without a GM at all. No longer, as the organization has named Mike Vellucci GM of the AHL club in addition to his head coaching role. Vellucci performed the same double-duty with the Charlotte Checkers previously.

Last season in Charlotte, Vellucci and the Checkers took home the Calder Cup as league champions after slowly building to become one of the most stable and successful franchises in the league. The affiliate for the Carolina Hurricanes has produced near countless NHL players over the last several years, thanks at least in part to Vellucci’s work on the development side as well as behind the bench.

When he left the Hurricanes organization earlier this year it came as no surprise that Vellucci returned to an organization led by Jim Rutherford, given the two have history going back decades. Vellucci will now attempt to get the WBS Penguins back to the playoffs after the franchise missed the postseason for the first time in more than 15 years.

Minor Transactions: 08/29/19

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Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • The Binghamton Devils have signed Michael Paliotta to a one-year AHL contract, giving the well-traveled defenseman a home for 2019-20. Paliotta has only been playing professional hockey for four seasons but has already suited up with seven different teams, including the Stockton Heat in 2018-19. Originally selected in the third round of the 2011 draft, Paliotta went on to star at the University of Vermont before playing two games in the NHL early in his career.
  • The Rochester Americans have signed Michael Houser, Pascal Aquin and Mason Mitchell to one-year AHL contracts according to Brayton J. Wilson of WGR550 in Buffalo, giving the team some more depth. Rochester looks like they’ll be a strong team again this season though all three of these signings could very well spend more time in the ECHL.
  • The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have signed Colin McDonald, Tanner Pond, J.D. Dudek and Evan Buitenhuis to one-year AHL contracts. McDonald comes with the most obvious success of the bunch, having been a three-time AHL All-Star in the past and playing 148 games in the NHL. Dudek is another interesting name however, after only graduating from Boston College earlier this year. Dudek’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2018 as part of a deal for Patrick Maroon, but he failed to sign with the team and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this month.

Free Agent Profile: Scott Darling

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Veteran goaltender Cam Ward called it a career today, signing a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, who he served for 13 seasons to begin his NHL career. The 35-year-old finally moved on from the Hurricanes last season, but struggled in a backup role with the Chicago Blackhawks. With his numbers slipping and age catching up with him, Ward decided now was the time to retire.

Interestingly enough, Ward’s failed replacement in Carolina, Scott Darling, also remains an unsigned free agent, waiting for a market to develop. Just two UFA goaltenders – Anthony Stolarz and Jared Coreau – have signed an NHL contract since July 2nd and no goalie has been inked in 50 days. The market is dead quiet, but Ward’s exit leaves Darling as the obvious top name if a team does come calling. Darling, 30, is just hoping at this point that he too doesn’t have to consider retirement.

It was not long ago that Darling was actually considered one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL. A 2007 draft pick, Darling was a slow-developing prospect who played another year of juniors, two years in college, and four years bouncing around the minors before he ever saw NHL action. However, when he broke through in 2014-15 with the Chicago Blackhawks, he immediately impressed. Darling spent three seasons as the backup to Corey Crawford, with his role increasing each year, and in total posted 39 wins, a .923 save percentage, and a 2.37 GAA in 75 appearances.

The Hurricanes believed they were getting a bargain when they acquired Darling for a third-round pick in the summer of 2017 and signed him to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. However, it quickly became clear that the star backup was not cut out to be a starter. Darling was unable to overtake Ward despite ample opportunity, posting an .888 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 43 appearances. Darling made 40 starts to Ward’s 42 and was outplayed by the aging veteran, which is not what either he nor Carolina had hoped for.

The ‘Canes essentially cleaned house last summer, letting Ward walk in free agency and burying Darling in the AHL, replacing them with the far more effective duo of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. Darling did make eight spot starts for Carolina this past season, but somehow performed even worse than he did the year prior. In the minors, Darling sat behind lauded prospect Alex Nedeljkovic and when he did get a chance to play – he made just 14 appearances – the results were just as bad if not worse than his NHL performance. Not wanting to be weighed down by Darling’s $4.15MM cap hit any longer, the team traded him to the Florida Panthers this off-season along with a sixth-round draft pick for a new backup in James Reimer. The Panthers quickly bought out Darling, making him a free agent.

Potential Suitors

It has now been more than two years since anyone has been impressed by Darling’s efforts on the ice. With that said, the free agent market at goalie is slim pickings, with Darling easily headlining a group that includes Michal Neuvirth – who has signed a PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs – Chad Johnson, Al Montoya, and Michael Leighton. Each of those players is both older than Darling and was last considered a legitimate NHL option far prior to Darling’s downfall. Darling is simply the best of a poor group, but is looking for redemption. Unlike Ward, Darling will have no expectations of any role or guaranteed play time. He will instead be looking for an opportunity to show that he can still be an effective NHL backup, likely by seeking a third-string role with the chance to battle for play time at the top level.

Accepting a role such as this could open some opportunities for Darling, especially once training camp begins. Injuries to starters or backups can shift the paradigm for an NHL team and leave them searching or an experienced option. The Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers are examples of teams with shallow depth in net and injury concerns who could turn to Darling in the even of an incident.

It’s also very possible that several teams are already aware of their weaknesses in goal and simply waiting to see how their current keepers look in training camp and the preseason and potentially even early on the in the regular season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the one team that everyone is focused on in net, as the team is set to have former backup Joonas Korpisalo and newly-signed European prospect Elvis Merzlikins begin the year as a young, unproven tandem. Early concerns could lead to Columbus looking for additional support, with Darling as the top option other than trade or waivers. The Colorado Avalanche are also in need of depth in net. Their top two of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are likely to be fine this season, but the lack of any other experienced name behind them could be a cause for pause, especially given this will be Francouz’ first full NHL season.

Ironically, the Florida Panthers are one final team that could be in the goalie market and would have been a good fit for Darling. The team understandably bought out Darling’s hefty contract, but could’ve actually used a player of his experience. The Panthers spent big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s this summer and will likely ask him to start 65+ games this season, but young Samuel Montembeault is currently slated to be his backup with other untested prospects behind him. Montembeault’s performance in the backup role, as well as the effect on his development of sitting so often, could lead the Panthers to search for a veteran option. Darling won’t be the answer now, but one has to wonder if the two sides connected at all prior to what was clearly an orchestrated trade-and-dump.

Projected Contract

It’s nearly September and teams are getting ready for training camp, yet Darling still sits without a contract. At this point, he will receive a PTO or nothing. Even if he proves himself in camp, it will likely only result in a minimum $700K NHL cap hit on a one-year, two-way deal. If that’s what it takes to climb his back way into the NHL though, Darling will surely take it. After all, he’s receiving a nice pay check from the Panthers for four more years anyway.

Minor Transactions: 08/28/19

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Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • Veteran AHL forward Austin Fyten has decided to take his talents to Germany for the 2019-20 season. Fyten split last season between the Providence Bruins and Belleville senators, recording just ten points in 51 games. The 28-year old has played 280 games in the AHL over the years, but has never stuck around long in one place. Suiting up for minor league clubs in Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Lehigh Valley, Hershey, South Carolina, Providence and Belleville, he’ll now get to experience a little different atmosphere in Europe.
  • Cody Bass has decided to retire, hanging up his skates after more than a decade in professional hockey. The Ottawa Senators draft pick played 85 total games in the NHL over his career but was a heart-and-soul member of many AHL clubs. Bass spent last season with the Colorado Eagles where he recorded six points in 35 regular season games.

Minor Transactions: 08/27/19

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Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • Dante Salituro was a lottery ticket signing by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016, hoping his offensive explosion at the OHL level could carry over to professional hockey. After short stints in the AHL with the Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild affiliates, Salituro spent most of the last two seasons in the ECHL where he was dominant. Left unqualified by Minnesota this summer he became an unrestricted free agent and has now signed with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel for 2019-20. Salituro had 61 points in 66 games for the Allen Americans last year and should be another top performer in the low minors.
  • After four years at Yale University, 24-year old defenseman Charles Curti will begin his professional career with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. Curti was never a big offensive performer in college but will see if he can add a little more production to his game as he transitions to the new league.
  • 17-year old forward Andrei Bakanov has decided to sign with the Guelph Storm and bring his talents to the OHL, keeping his game in front of North American scouts ahead of the 2020 draft. The big bodied winger was born in Russia but has been playing in the United States for several years, including a full season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL last season. He was selected 38th overall in the CHL Import Draft earlier this summer and could potentially go in the first few rounds of the NHL Entry Draft next June if his offensive game takes another step forward.
  • Former NHL defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka is remaining in the KHL, but moving on from HK Sochi. Sibir Novosibirsk has announced a one-year deal with the free agent Finn. Jokipakka, 28, recorded 24 points in 59 games last season for Sochi and his new Siberian club hopes for that or more this year.

Minor Transactions: 08/26/19

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Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced their roster for their upcoming prospects tournament today, which included a slew of recent draft picks as well as recently signed young players. It also featured a large group of prospects currently signed to AHL deals with the Toronto Marlies, including two previously unreported extensions. According to the roster, incumbent forwards Ryan Moore and Hudson Elynuik have re-signed with the Marlies. Moore, 22, played in just one AHL game last season, but was effective in the ECHL just as he was at the junior level, despite a diminutive frame. He’ll be hoping to impress in the tournament in hopes of getting a chance to show his size won’t limit him at the next level either. Elynuik, 21, was a third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, but the team opted not to sign him. In his first pro season last year, the massive center skated in ten games with the Marlies and was a near point-per-game scorer in the ECHL. He should be ready to take on a larger role in the AHL this coming season.
  • Philip Samuelsson is headed overseas. The 28-year-old defenseman, one of three hockey-playing sons of Ulf Samuelsson, has done all he can to stick in North America for several years. A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and a standout at Boston College, Samuelsson entered the pro game with high expectations. However, over his eight-year career to date, Samuelsson has been almost entirely relegated to the AHL, skating in just 13 total NHL games and recording zero points. In fact, Samuelsson failed to even land an NHL contract last season, playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a minor league pact. The Swedish-American defender has been a solid AHL contributor, but is looking for more in his career. He hopes to find it with Mountfield HK of the Czech Extraliga, who announced a one-year deal today. Samuelsson will undoubtedly be one of the best players on the team, but the question is whether he will be dominant enough at the top Czech pro level to turn any heads back in the NHL.
  • Anyone hoping for an NHL return for Damien Brunner can put those thoughts to rest. The 33-year-old Swiss forward has signed a three-year extension with the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne, the team announced, all but guaranteeing that his days in North America are over. After dominating the NLA early in his career, Brunner made the jump to the NHL in 2012. He enjoyed a pair of strong – albeit injury-riddled – seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils, totaling 51 points in 101 regular season games and a great 2013 postseason with five goals and nine points in 14 games. However, as soon as that production began to slip in his third NHL season, Brunner returned to Switzerland. As he continued to struggle with injuries, Brunner failed to re-gain his dominant form over the last few years. That is until last season, when he notched 37 points in 50 games for a well-timed bounce back campaign in a contract year. Biel-Bienne clearly did not want to lose their veteran leader, locking him down on a multi-year deal, something no NHL team would have entertained.

Cody McLeod Signs In AHL

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The run of eleven consecutive seasons in the NHL appears to be coming to an end for Cody McLeod. The 35-year old forward has signed an AHL contract with the Iowa Wild along with Olivier Archambault and Kyle Bauman. McLeod played last season with the New York Rangers and Nashville Predators.

Undrafted out of the WHL, McLeod battled his way through the minor leagues before breaking into the NHL as an enforcer for the Colorado Avalanche in the 2007-08 season. A scrappy fourth-line player that could chip in now and again he actually recorded a career-high 15 goals in his sophomore season, but was known more for his physical presence and fisticuffs than anything else. Across a 776-game NHL career, McLeod has recorded 1,630 penalty minutes and 127 points. The last time he played in the AHL was during that 2007-08 season with the Lake Erie Monsters.

Archambeault and Bauman meanwhile are just depth options for the Wild, though the latter comes with a solid college pedigree. The 26-year old Bauman played four years at Bemidji State University and captained the team during the 2017-18 season before making his professional debut. In his first full AHL season last year he recorded 18 points in 67 games for the Ontario Reign.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Dahlin, Alzner

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The Ottawa Senators are very much a brand new team entering the 2019-20 season. Gone are the likes of Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Cody Ceci, and Zack Smith. New to the team are names like Artem Anisimov, Nikita Zaitsev, Ron Hainsey, and Connor Brown, while prospects like Erik Brannstrom, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, and Max Veronneau are set to push for regular roles. On top of all of the roster turnover, the team also has a new head coach in D.J. Smith. Given these considerable changes, Smith’s comments to Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan comes as little surprise. First and foremost, Smith tells Scanlan that the Senators will not name a captain in the coming season. The team did not have a captain last season following the departure of Erik Karlsson and now has even fewer tenured veterans. He did say that there will be veteran members, old and new, who he will rely on to play leadership roles in the locker room, but simply feels that the team must wait for a captain to naturally emerge. It also may not necessarily be one of the established veterans, as Smith notes that he will make a “conscious effort” to share ice time and responsibility evenly between the older players and many young players pushing for an opportunity. More than anything, Smith states that he hopes to change the culture in Ottawa, instilling a sense of belief and confidence in the new additions, young players, and perhaps even some of those long-time Senators who have survived a couple of difficult seasons. Based on Smith’s comments, it seems that the Senators will be a very new team indeed in many ways this coming season.

  • A young leader is developing for one of the Senators’ divisional rivals, the Buffalo Sabres. Phenom Rasmus Dahlin, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 and a Calder Trophy finalist last season, is not afraid to speak his mind and knew what he was doing when he made some bold predictions to the Associated Press’ John Wawrow. “We’re going to be a winning team and be in the playoffs,” Dahlin told Wawrow, “I’m putting more pressure on myself… I think everyone is putting more pressure on ourselves now, and we’re ready to go… I feel more prepared. I feel more mature. Like that one year of experience, I know what’s coming this season. I feel more comfortable in my position… we’re going to get something good going on here.” It’s a strong statement from Dahlin and one that will surprise many. The Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011 and finished 13th in the Eastern Conference this past season after a late-season collapse. The team arguably plays in the toughest division in the game as well, as Atlantic powerhouses Tampa Bay, Boston, and Toronto will almost certainly claim the top three seeds in the division, leaving Buffalo to fight for one of two wild card spots. Yet, the Sabres have to be happy that their 18-year-old centerpiece is bold enough to put those playoff expectations on his shoulders and will look to follow him back to postseason glory this season, no matter how tough the road may be.
  • Montreal Canadiens defenseman Karl Alzner would like to be part of his team’s playoff push next season as well. Unfortunately, Alzner’s poor play left him relegated to the AHL for all but nine games last season. After spending the summer working out with teammates Carey Price and Shea Weber, Alzner tells TVA’s Louis-André Larivière that he feels he is ready to once again be a regular contributor and hopes he is given a fair shot to compete for such a role in the team’s upcoming training camp. While Alzner stated that he does not want to waste years of his career, whether or not he has an NHL role is ultimately up to him. His own play and taxing $4.625MM cap hit are why he spent last season with the Laval Rocket and he must prove that he is worth keeping on the roster. Alzner revealed that he did not formally request a trade last season, but that he will likely do so if he is cut from Canadiens camp this fall. However, there may not be much of a market for his services and likely even less interest in promising him a regular role at the NHL level.

Minor Transactions: 08/23/19

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As the RFA market shows slight signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey and fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:

  • Three defensemen have jumped right from their NHL entry-level deals down to ECHL contracts today. All three are returning to the teams they spent the majority or entirety of last season with. The first, Chris Martenet, was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2015. Martenet is a hulking 6’7″ defenseman whose skills and skating never quite caught up to his stature. He has opted to stay with the Brampton Beast on a one-year deal, the team announced. Next, the Orlando Solar Bears are happy to have Cody Donaghey back for another year, after the blue liner recorded 43 points in 64 games last season. Although Donaghey, a prospect of the Ottawa Senators and then San Jose Sharks, has just one AHL game to his credit, he has proven to be an adept puck-mover in the ECHL. Finally, Michael Downing will return to the Florida Everblades on a one-year deal, the team announced. Downing, who was in fact an effective AHL regular early in his career, still failed to live up to his fourth-round selection back in 2013 by the Florida Panthers, as well as a his standout collegiate career with the University of Michigan. Nevertheless, he stands the best chance of the trio of fighting his way back to the AHL level.
  • After spending more than half the 2018-19 season in the AHL, Craig Wyszomirski has signed with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. The 26-year old defenseman recorded seven points in 34 games split between the Utica Comets and Ontario Reign, while playing the rest of the season with the Manchester Monarchs at the ECHL level. The former Merrimack College stalwart will have to try again to prove he is good enough to play in the higher minors.
  • Josh Winquist is trying to prove the same thing after playing just five games last season due to injury. Once a solid offensive contributor at the AHL level, the 25-year old has signed on with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL to resurrect his career. The last time he played a full season in the ECHL he put up 53 points in 55 games for the Orlando Solar Bears.
  • After four years at Bowling Green State University, Stephen Baylis is trying to catch on with the Los Angeles Kings organization and will participate in their rookie tournament. Baylis ended his college career as captain of the Falcons, scoring 22 points in 37 games last season. The 25-year old was undrafted out of the CCHL.

Stefan Matteau Signs AHL Contract

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After failing to see any time in the NHL last season, Stefan Matteau has settled for an AHL deal this time around. The 25-year old forward has signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Monsters. Matteau qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency after playing last season with the Chicago Wolves.

Originally a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Matteau actually jumped directly into the NHL as a teenager. Playing 17 games with the Devils before heading to junior during the 2012-13 season, the big forward seemed to be on track to quickly become a key part of their forward group. Even the next year playing with the Albany Devils things still seemed on the right track, as Matteau scored 26 points in 67 games as one of the youngest players in the AHL. Unfortunately he was unable to ever really take that next step, and found himself shipped to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly in 2016.

From there, the young forward has found himself in the minor leagues for entire seasons save for eight games with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18. While he is still a decent AHL player he never became the dominant power forward that some believed he could be. Now with just 64 NHL games under his belt and an AHL contract in his pocket, he’ll have to really take another step forward if he’s ever to make it back to the best league in the world.

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