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AHL Notes: Marody, Fizer, Johnson, Newkirk, Scheel

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AHL fixture Cooper Marody is returning to the Flyers organization after signing a two-year AHL contract with Lehigh Valley yesterday, per a team release. The 27-year-old became a UFA this summer after the two-year, two-way deal he signed with Philadelphia as a Group VI UFA in 2022 expired.

Marody was a sixth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2015 but never signed with them, instead landing with the Oilers as a free agent after a dominant senior season at Michigan in 2017-18. He spent four seasons in Edmonton as one of the AHL’s most dominant scoring threats, routinely putting up over a point per game, but appeared in only seven NHL games for them during that time. He reunited with Philly on the open market, but much like his time in Edmonton, he didn’t get an NHL shot and spent the entirety of his now-expired two-year deal in the minors.

Lehigh Valley hasn’t gotten the best version of Marody, but he’s still been a bonafide top-six AHL contributor. He led them in scoring last season with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games. Marody has 271 points in 297 career AHL games dating back to his professional debut and will take part in his eighth minor-league season in 2024-25. He’ll play an important role in helping anchor the Flyers’ farm team as they look to graduate prospects from Lehigh Valley in the latter stages of their rebuild.

More updates from the AHL:

  • The Blues’ primary affiliate was busy yesterday as the Springfield Thunderbirds announced a trio of signings. Forwards Tarun Fizer and Reece Newkirk, as well as goaltender Cam Johnson, will help fill out St. Louis’ organizational depth next season. Fizer does still carry a bit of upside at age 23, but the former Western Hockey League All-Star has struggled to keep a full-time role in the AHL since turning pro. The 5’11” winger had five points in 30 games for the Belleville Senators last season but looked quite comfortable at the ECHL level, posting 10 points in a 10-game stint for the Allen Americans. He’ll look to provide scoring depth for the T-Birds but may begin the season on assignment to the Blues’ new ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades. Newkirk, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders and 2019 but became a UFA this summer upon being non-tendered at the conclusion of his entry-level contract. He had three points in 16 games with AHL Bridgeport last season but, like Fizer, was an effective producer in limited ECHL minutes with 14 points in 16 games for the Worcester Railers. Johnson, 30, has backstopped ECHL Florida to three consecutive Kelly Cup championships and will head back there for another campaign. He’s been unreal in ECHL playoff action, posting a .928 SV% and 1.97 GAA with 11 shutouts and a 47-16 record in 63 games over the past three years.
  • The Avalanche continued to replenish their goaltending depth with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles signing Adam Scheel to a one-year deal. Scheel, 25, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Stars out of North Dakota in 2021 but wasn’t given a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired in 2023. He spent last season in the starter’s crease for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, making a career-high 42 appearances with a 2.84 GAA and .907 SV%. He’ll compete for playing time with the Avs’ NHL-contracted depth goalies, Kevin Mandolese and Trent Miner.

Pacific Notes: Draisaitl, Olofsson, Connelly, Hedican

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One of the biggest extension narratives of the offseason has been the contract status of Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Leon Draisaitl. There is no guarantee that a deal will come to fruition this summer but all signs point to the two sides being able to work out a resolution at some point. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reported today that the contract could look a lot like that of star center Nathan MacKinnon, that is to say, an extremely bonus-laden deal with a low annual salary.

On September 20, 2022, the Colorado Avalanche signed MacKinnon to one of the richest deals in NHL history with an eight-year, $100.8MM contract. The term changes yearly, but the contract pays MacKinnon as low as $775K in salary and up to $15.725MM in signing bonus. Unsurprisingly, Draisaitl would be seeking a similar deal as it gives the player quite a bit of financial protection.

Signing bonuses gives players protection in two ways. First, it makes the contract buyout proof. If MacKinnon’s contract were bought out by the Avalanche in year one of his deal, for example, he would only be losing out on $775K that year while still receiving $15.725MM on July 1st. Additionally, the signing bonus also makes the contract lockout-proof. If the NHL were to enter a lockout in any year, Drasaitl would miss out on his yearly salary but still earn his signing bonus on July 1st.

The request for signing bonuses in high-ticket contracts is becoming more common for star players throughout the NHL world with the likes of Connor McDavid and John Tavares having similar contract structures. Now that Draisaitl comfortably finds himself in the upper echelon of NHL talent, the Oilers should be more than happy to agree to his terms.

Other Pacific notes:

  • In a wrap-up piece of the Vegas Golden Knights’ offseason, independent correspondent of the NHL, Paul Delos Santos suggests the Golden Knights could try out new forward Victor Olofsson on the team’s top line next to Jack Eichel. Olofsson spent quite a bit of time on Eichel’s wing during his rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2019-20, and the Swedish had arguably the best season of his career. In only 54 games primarily playing next to Eichel, Olofsson scored 20 goals and 42 points and finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting. It could be risky business for Vegas as Olofsson fell down the depth chart in Buffalo but could be a high-reward move as the cap-strapped Golden Knights look to fill out their roster.
  • Staying in Vegas, there have been some rumblings that the team’s first-round pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Trevor Connelly, may forego his commitment to Providence College and sign his entry-level contract with the Knights. However, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that is not the case and that Connelly will indeed honor his commitment to the Friars. Connelly is coming off a season in which he scored 31 goals and 78 points in 52 games for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL last year and will look to help Providence keep their head above water in a difficult Hockey East conference.
  • The Anaheim Ducks organization is bringing back a brief member of their defensive core. The team’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, announced former defenseman Bret Hedican has been hired as a senior development analyst. After retiring from the NHL as a member of the Ducks after the 2008-09 season, Hedican had been working in the broadcast department with the organization’s rival — the San Jose Sharks.

Toronto Marlies Sign Alex Nylander To AHL Contract

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Alexander Nylander and William Nylander will be playing in the same organization for the 2024-25 season but not on the same team. The AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies, announced they have signed the former to a one-year AHL contract for the upcoming season.

The younger Nylander brother was likely hoping for at least a two-way contract headed into this offseason but absent of other information, it’s not apparent any NHL team was willing to use a contract spot for him. Nylander put together one of the better performances of his career this past season but it was not enough to secure a job in the NHL for the time being.

The former eighth-overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft had played the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization before a mid-season swap last year brought him to the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the need for a body in the middle-six of the team’s forward core, Nylander got a solid opportunity for playing time in Columbus.

He started quickly with the team by scoring 10 goals and four assists in only 20 games. Nylander scored another goal over his last three games with the team and ended the season tied for ninth on the team in goal-scoring. Regardless of his production spike with the Blue Jackets, the Marlies will be getting one of the better AHL performers in the league.

Nylander has played 330 AHL games throughout his career split between the Rochester Americans, Rockford IceHogs, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Swedish forward has scored 94 goals and 116 assists in the regular season with another six points in nine playoff contests. My averaging 0.64 points per game in the AHL, the Marlies are adding an effective top-six option to their lineup.

There is always a chance the Maple Leafs could graduate Nylander’s contract during the 2024-25 season and turn it into a two-way deal which may allow the Nylander brothers to play together in the NHL for the first time. However, with better options available to fill in for injured members of the roster, Nylander will likely spend the entire year in AHL Toronto.

Central Notes: Avalanche, Predators Goaltending, Chau

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Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now offered a few things the Colorado Avalanche could do before next season starts in October. Unsurprisingly, Rawal asserts that the Avalanche would do well by adding more to the bottom six of their forward core.

Currently, Colorado’s bottom line is projected to be comprised of middling NHL options including Joel Kiviranta, Chris Wagner, and Parker Kelly. The Avalanche need to improve upon this facet of their roster if they have any hopes of contending during the 2024-25 NHL season. The team may have three solid forward lines — but it won’t be enough to compete in a hotly contested Central Division.

The team may be able to fill these roster spots internally with prospects like Nikolai Kovalenko but there are still options to add in free agency. At this point in the offseason, Rawal contends that Colorado could pursue the likes of Steven Lorentz to center the team’s fourth line while filling in the rest of the forward core with internal options.

Other Central notes:

  •  In a group effort, The Athletic ranked (Subscription Required) the Nashville Predators with the best goaltending situation in the National Hockey League. The Predators have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Juuse Saros who has maintained a .917 save percentage in 333 starts. Even after signing Saros to an eight-year, $61.92MM extension, the Predators arguably have one of the best goaltending prospects too. Yaroslav Askarov played 44 games for the organization’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee this past season while earning a 30-13-1 record with a .911 SV%.
  • The AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the Springfield Thunderbirds, has made a big addition to the lineup by adding Oliver Chau on an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season (X Link). Chau was an impressive scorer for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades last year after scoring 26 goals and 60 points in 70 games. Outside of regular season success, Chau recorded nine goals and 23 points in 23 postseason contests en route to playoff MVP honors and a Kelly Cup Championship.

Flyers Notes: Kolosov, Petruzzelli, Gahagen

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Flyers goaltender prospect Alexei Kolosov has shown some upside since being selected in the third round back in 2021.  He spent most of last season on loan to Dinamo Minsk of the KHL but made his North American debut late in the year, seemingly paving the way for him to play full-time in the AHL for 2024-25.

However, it appears that this might not be the case.  Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey reports (Twitter link) that the netminder has informed the team that he will not return to the Phantoms next season.

Kolosov played in 47 KHL games last season, posting a 2.39 GAA along with a .907 SV%.  He then suited up in six playoff contests where he fared a little better with his numbers checking in at 2.21 and .925 respectively although it still resulted in a quick playoff exit, one that allowed him to come to Lehigh Valley.  The 22-year-old got into two games with them, putting up a 3.03 GAA and a .885 SV%.

It’s worth noting that Kolosov has two years left on his entry-level contract which will count against Philadelphia’s contract limit regardless of where he plays.  With Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov set to be the NHL tandem and Kolosov’s reported unwillingness to play in Lehigh Valley, it creates some uncertainty as to where he’ll suit up next season.

If his preference is to return home, the Flyers could loan him back to the KHL but their preference at that point might be a contract termination unless they want to hold his RFA rights after his deal expires in 2026.  Alternatively, if he’s open to remaining in North America with another organization, a trade could be a possibility.

With Kolosov seemingly not being in the picture for the Phantoms for next season, they’ve turned their focus to adding some depth behind veteran Cal Petersen who is set to be the starter as things stand, assuming he clears waivers once again.

To that end, Androckitis reports (Twitter link) that Lehigh Valley is set to sign Keith Petruzzelli to an AHL contract.  The 25-year-old was a third-round pick by Detroit but didn’t sign with them although he eventually landed up with an NHL deal from Toronto.  Petruzzelli spent last season with AHL Toronto, putting up a 3.55 GAA with a .867 SV% in 17 games.

Earlier this month, Androckitis reported (Twitter link) that Lehigh Valley was also set to re-sign Parker Gahagen.  The 31-year-old split last season between the Phantoms and ECHL Reading, posting a 2.59 GAA and a .914 SV% in 18 games with the former and a 2.28 GAA with a .936 SV% in 14 games with the latter.  That deal still hasn’t been finalized but Androckitis noted that the deal is still supposed to be done.

Those moves will shore up Lehigh Valley’s goalie depth heading into training camp but now, the questions about Kolosov’s future with the Flyers will start to pick up.

Minor Transactions: 7/26/24

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Beyond the odd re-signing, it has been quiet on the transactions front in recent days across the NHL.  However, there have been a handful of smaller moves with some NHL ties.  We’ll run the ones not already covered elsewhere here.

  • Former NHLer Tomas Jurco is on the move again as KHL Kunlun announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed the winger to a one-year deal. Jurco played in 221 career NHL games between four different teams, tallying 22 goals and 31 assists.  The 31-year-old split last season between Switzerland and Russia and does have a history with Kunlun having spent the 2022-23 campaign with them where he set the franchise record for points per game average after recording 25 points in 32 contests with them.
  • Washington’s farm team in Hershey announced that they’ve signed forward Erik Mittendorf to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old split last season between AHL Utica and ECHL Adirondack.  With the Comets, Mittendorf picked up nine points in 24 games in his first taste of action at that level.  He was much more productive with the Thunder, however, tallying 18 goals and 14 assists in 36 games while tacking on six points in a dozen playoff contests.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights, affiliate of Vegas, announced a pair of recent moves. First, they re-signed blueliner Brandon Hickey to a one-year deal.  The 28-year-old will return for his third season with Henderson after he picked up eight points in 35 games in 2023-24.  They also re-upped forward Jett Jones on a one-year agreement.  The 21-year-old played his first professional campaign last season after spending parts of five years in the WHL.  Jones picked up five points in 31 games with the Silver Knights and added six more in 36 contests with ECHL Savannah.

Evening Notes: Perunovich, Condors, Savoie

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St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich seems set up for a make-or-break season after spending the first three years of his pro career dealing with what seemed like neverending injuries. Forced absences have held Perunovich to just 73 appearances, and 23 assists through his entry-level contract. But despite what’s seemed like years of bad luck in St. Louis, Perunovich shared with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that he wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. He said, “I want to succeed in the league, but the team I want to succeed with the most is St. Louis… They drafted me. Every other team looked over me and they’ve always had confidence in me. This is where I want to succeed, and I’ve never not thought that for a second.”

Perunovich explained how he’s changing his approach after a hardy year with the Blues lineup, adding that he’s hoping to think less and shoot more. Those certainly seem like timely changes as Perunovich approaches his 75th NHL game, still searching for his first career goal. And while goal-scoring has never been Perunovich’s forte, he did flash much more offensive upside in college, where he seemed much more confident in skating the puck across the red line and joining the offensive rush. He’s been much more pass-first at the professional level, though he’s improved his poise in sitting with the puck and waiting for opportunities to open up.

A strong start to the year could quickly earn Perunovich top-pair minutes, with Torey Krug facing injury and little competition coming from Nick Leddy or Pierre-Olivier Joseph. That could give Perunovich the groundwork for a breakout season, though he’ll need to first win out the battle for ice time.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have hired Adam Krug as an assistant coach and Kelly Guard as a goaltending coach. Krug has spent the last decade coaching the NCAA D-III Men’s team at Adrian College, having previously captained Adrian during two seasons of his own playing career. Krug took the team to unprecedented heights, including their first D-III championship in 2022 and a second-place finish in 2023. Adrian has developed into a powerhouse of D-III hockey and a major supporter of collegiate club hockey as a whole, with their ACHA D-II team winning a championship in 2021 and also finishing second in 2023. Meanwhile, Kelly Guard moves to Bakersfield after spending 12 years as the goalie coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He’s overseen some impressive goalie seasons in that span – including Ian Scott’s .932 save percentage in 49 games of the 2018-19 season. He’ll look to carry that momentum into the pro level while Krug adjusts to a big jump in competition as Bakersfield makes two interesting, potentially high-impact hires.
  • Former Oilers forward prospect Carter Savoie is heading overseas on a one-year contract with Liiga’s TPS, per a team announcement. Savoie, 22, didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Edmonton upon the expiration of his entry-level contract last month. The older brother of new Oilers prospect Matthew Savoie, whom they acquired via trade from the Sabres after non-tendering Carter, recorded 18 goals and 33 points in 109 games with AHL Bakersfield in parts of the last three seasons but never received an NHL call-up. Edmonton selected him 100th overall in the 2020 draft.

Prospect Notes: Hemming, Berggren, Willander, Dragicevic

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Dallas Stars 2024 first-round pick Emil Hemming has signed with the OHL’s Barrie Colts for the 2024-25 season. Hemming will forgo the final year of his three-year contract with Liiga’s TPS, where he’s played the past two seasons. Much of his 2022-23 campaign was spent on the TPS U20 roster – with Hemming potting 16 points in 22 games. He returned to the U20 lineup at the start of last season, though quickly earned a promotion to the Liiga after scoring 11 goals and 18 points in the first 13 games of the U20 season.

Hemming took the move to Finland’s top flight in stride, showing off just how physically mature his heavy, shoot-first style was. He only managed 11 points in 40 league games but showed plenty of growth as the year progressed, becoming much more confident in the defensive zone and more aggressive on offense. He curbed a meager two-point performance at the World Juniors with six points in five games at the World U18 Championships, continuing to show his strides as the season went along. All of that was enough to earn Hemming the 29th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, coupling him with a Stars team that’s quickly become known for finding draft-day steals. Hemming has shown he’s sturdy enough to play at a pro level and will now join Utah prospect Cole Beaudoin and Edmonton prospect Beau Akey as some of the many heavy and physical options in Barrie.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Jonatan Berggren is a bit buried down the Detroit Red Wings depth charts, but Max Bultman of The Athletic says he isn’t expecting Berggren to be traded. Instead, Bultman posits the benefits of a role reminiscent of Daniel Sprong’s role: operating on the team’s third line but still managing consistent power-play minutes. Berggren led the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring last season, netting 24 goals and 56 points. He’s also scored a commendable 17 goals and 34 points in 79 NHL games over the last two years. He’ll now have a golden chance to secure a consistent NHL role, with Sprong headed to the Vancouver Canucks on a one-year contract.
  • Vancouver Canucks defense prospect Tom Willander has suffered a minor lower-body injury and won’t play at the World Junior Summer Showcase, shares Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK Sports. Willander was a surprising choice at 11th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, though he showed top-prospect upside during his freshman year at Boston University. Willander scored 25 points in 38 games, ranking second among Terrier defensemen. With injury now holding him out of Team Sweden’s summer games, Willander will shift his focus towards a breakout sophomore season at BU, where he’ll get a full run towards the top-defender role after Lane Hutson signed his entry-level contract.
  • Seattle Kraken defense prospect Lukas Dragicevic has seen his WHL rights traded from the Tri-City Americans to the Price Albert Raiders as part of a massive, seven-asset trade. Dragicevic signed his entry-level contract with Seattle in March after Tri-City missed out on the WHL playoffs. He finished the year with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, recording one assist through his first three AHL games. Prince Albert paid a hefty price for Dragicevic, suggesting that he could be set for a return to the CHL after getting a quick taste of the pros.  If that is the case, he’ll return looking to rediscover his strong scoring touch after recording 25 fewer points this season (50) than he did in 2022-23 (75).

Penguins Sign Brayden Yager To Entry-Level Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed 2023 first-round pick Brayden Yager to his entry-level contract. Contract details have not yet been released. This move will likely turn Yager pro after a successful four-year career with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He was one of many offensive stars on the Warriors lineup, flanked by players like Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychyuk, and, this season, Matthew Savoie. Moose Jaw vindicated such a talented lineup with a WHL championship this year, though they fell to third place in the 2024 Memorial Cup. Yager was a crucial piece all year long, tallying 35 goals and 95 points across 57 regular season games, and 27 points in 20 playoff games.

The season was a fantastic encore to Yager’s draft-year performance in 2022-23, when he managed 78 points in 67 games on a, relatively, weaker Moose Jaw lineup. He showed all of the makings of a top prospect, and even earned top-10 and top-five hype from some public sources. He earned the attention with some fantastic playmaking abilities, showing a special ability to orchestrate play even at top speeds. But a lanky six-foot, 170-pound frame had some teams apprehensive come draft day, ultimately pushing Yager to 14th overall.

Only four players selected above Yager have made their NHL debuts – Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, and Zach Benson – and they’ve each quickly carved out lineup roles. Yager will have the chance to do the same in Pittsburgh’s training camp, and could even wind up an X-factor for an aging Penguins core. But he seems more likely set for a trip to the AHL first, where he could join Moose Jaw teammate Atley Calvert, as well as Tristan Broz and Owen Pickering, as a top prospect fighting for minutes.

West Notes: Rockford, Pryor, Connelly

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The Rockford IceHogs made a handful of signings today as the team announced four separate one-year AHL contracts for Kevin Lombardi, Lucas Brenton, Colin Felix, and Adam McCormick. None of the four are a needle mover at the AHL level but it does improve the team’s overall depth — especially on the blue line.

As the only forward of the group, Lombardi recently ended his five-year NCAA career at Sacred Heart University. Lombardi showed some offensive growth during his last two years at school as he scored 23 goals and 26 assists in 72 games. He has good size for a forward and almost became a member of the IceHogs last season before deciding to return to school for his last season of eligibility.

Felix and Brenton are both physical defensemen who have had success in recent years. The former put up four goals and 32 points in 140 games at the University of Massachusetts from 2018-2022 while helping the program win its first National Championship in 2021. Brenton, on the other hand, spent the last four years with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and earned a berth in the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament after sweeping Portland in the WHL Championship series.

If any defensemen of the trio projects to make an impact on the score sheet it would be McCormick. He recently wrapped up a three-year run at the University of New Brunswick in the USports league in Canada. In his junior campaign, McCormick scored eight goals and 41 points in 28 games which was good for fourth on the team in scoring.

Other West notes:

  • The Colorado Avalanche are reportedly set to hire a new man to lead their Amateur Scouting Department as Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe reports Nick Pryor will be leaving the Penguins organization to take on a new role in Denver. It will be a major change for Pryor as the new vice president of player personnel in Pittsburgh, Wes Clark, looks to reshape the Penguins scouting departments. Pryor previously served as an amateur scout for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-2021 before spending the last three years as director of amateur scouting for the Penguins.
  • According to Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal, there are no long-term concerns for the recent 19th overall pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, Trevor Connelly. The young forward prospect will not participate in the World Junior Summer Showcase and was limited to one scrimmage the the Golden Knights’ development camp due to a knee injury. Connelly is committed to Providence College for the 2024-25 NCAA season and is still expected to start the season on time.

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