Early Notes: Tolvanen, Peca, Latta
Eeli Tolvanen, the Nashville Predators’ first-round pick from the recent draft, has signed on with Jokerit of the KHL for the 2017-18 season. The deal also includes an option for 2018-19, and will provide a landing spot for Tolvanen after his earlier issues. The Finnish winger was planning on staying in North America and joining Boston College, but failed to meet their admissions standards and was rejected.
Instead, Tolvanen will play in the KHL for at least a year before deciding where next to spend his professional career. The undersized winger spent two years in the USHL, where he put up 54 points in 52 games last season for the Sioux City Musketeers. Nashville selected him with the 30th-overall pick.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Matthew Peca to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650K at the NHL level. Peca made his NHL debut last season and spent ten games with the Lightning, scoring two points. The undersized forward had another big season with the Syracuse Crunch, and should be expected to spend the majority of 2017-18 in the AHL once again.
- The Arizona Coyotes signed Michael Latta yesterday to a similar one-year, two-way contract. Latta split last year between the Ontario Reign and Rockford IceHogs, scoring 22 points. Traded mid-season for Cameron Schilling, Latta will now try a new organization for the time being. Never able to quite duplicate the offensive prowess he showed for the Guelph Storm before being selected in the third round, Latta is now AHL depth for the Coyotes.
- Montreal has announced several front office changes, hiring Franvis Bouillon as a development coach, and moving Rob Ramage to Director of Player Development. Ramage will be replacing Martin Lapointe, who has been promoted to Director of Player Personnel, while Vincent Riendeau has moved from Assistant General Manager of the AHL team to Director of Goalie Development and pro scout.
Evening Notes: Blackhawks, Flyers, Palmquist
The Minnesota Wild have locked up 26 year-old defenseman Zach Palmquist to a one-year, two way contract, per Renaud Lavoie. The NHL value of the contract is $725,000. Palmquist has not yet played an NHL game, but played in 72 games for the AHL affiliate Iowa Wild last season. Palmquist is a low-scoring two-way defender, but at barely 6 foot tall, relies more on his skating and stick-checking to find success. He has a decent, accurate pass but cannot be relied upon for consistent offensive production. Still, he was trapped in a gigantic logjam with the glut of defensemen in the Minnesota system. Perhaps he finally gets his cup of tea as a bottom-pairing defender in 2017-18.
- Mark Lazarus of the Chicago Sun-Times contemplates the effect the Chicago overhaul will have on on-ice performance next season. He’s quick to point out that the 2016-17 Blackhawks had the second-best record in franchise history, which is quite storied. That said, it seems unlikely that the Hawks will be able to replicate that regular season success with such incredible turnover. Lazarus may be a little premature in his worry about post-season contention or management firings, but GM Stan Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville will undoubtedly start feeling heat if the season starts off on a sour note. Losing Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson in particular have drawn ire from the fanbase, and it will be interesting to see how much faith ownership maintains if Chicago struggles early in the incredibly deep Central division. Although many of the moves were made out of salary cap necessity, the expectation is to win.
- The Flyers never do seem to fully alleviate their goaltending troubles. Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer is quick to point out that free-agent acquisition Brian Elliott is not the answer to all their woes in between the pipes. He points out with particular concern the unlikelihood of Michal Neuvirth playing a full 40+ game split, which he hasn’t done outside of one season. Ford also attacks the tandem goaltending model, stating that it rarely finds success – though that is certainly a matter of debate. Elliott himself had his best season of his career for the 2011-12 Blues in a tandem with Jaroslav Halak. Ultimately, the franchise seems to be pinning its long-term hopes on either Carter Hart,18 or Felix Sandstrom, 20 – but neither is a sure thing. GM Ron Hextall is still not sold on Anthony Stolarz (even after protecting him in the expansion draft) and will watch his progress closely next season with the AHL Phantoms in Lehigh Valley.
Minor Moves: Grenier, Dansk, Zettler, Malone
Even with the recent signings of Evgeni Dadonov, Radim Vrbata and others the Florida Panthers are still short several forwards. Today, they added a potential name to that group with the signing of Alexandre Grenier to a one-year, two-way deal. The former Vancouver Canucks forward is an excellent AHL scorer but has been held scoreless in his nine career NHL games.
Just 25, Grenier was a Group VI free agent this summer and allowed to sign with anyone in the league. The third-round pick from 2011 had another 45-point season for Utica, and can absolutely manhandle players on the ice when competing his best. The team will hope they’ve found another—though much different sized—Jonathan Marchessault, after the 30-goal season he put up on an extremely cheap contract.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have signed Oscar Dansk to a one-year, two-way deal according to Mike Kelly of the NHL Network. The Golden Knights needed to add some depth goaltending for their minor league affiliates, and after Dansk didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blue Jackets he was a prime candidate. Dansk was a second-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2012, but returned to Sweden after one unsuccessful season in the minor leagues. After two better—but not outstanding—seasons with Rogle, he’ll likely return to play for the Chicago Wolves, Vegas’ new AHL affiliate. Still just 23, he has a long way to go to make an impact at the NHL level.
- Rob Zettler has been named the replacement for Bob Boughner as assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks. Zettler had most recently been the head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, though was fired after missing the playoffs in 2015-16. He previously worked in the NHL with the Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs, two teams he also suited up for in his long playing career. In 569 career games, the defenseman registered 70 points in 920 penalty minutes, only making it to the playoffs for a handful of games. He’ll look to get back there with a San Jose team primed to make another Cup run next year, despite losing Patrick Marleau this summer.
- The Edmonton Oilers have signed Brad Malone to a two-year contract. The 28-year old forward split last season between the Chicago Wolves and Hershey Bears, unable to crack the NHL lineup in Washington or St. Louis. In 176 career games, Malone has 30 points and 188 penalty minutes. He’s likely ticketed for Bakersfield, where he’ll add some depth down the middle to the AHL squad.
Sabres Sign Jacob Josefson
The Buffalo Sabres have signed 26-year old center and former Devil Jacob Josefson to a one-year deal, according to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. The contract is worth $700,000 and is a one-way contract.
Josefson struggled to find his place on a floundering New Jersey Devils squad, only playing for 38 total games and netting only 1 goal to accompany 9 assists. Josefson is a former first round pick from 2009, and has played his entire career in Jersey. His career offensive totals are very unimpressive, but he can provide solid two-way depth to a fourth line. He generally finds himself starting in the defensive zone and until last year had always been a positive Corsi asset.
Buffalo is looking to fill out their lineup with players who are appealing in terms of advanced stats. Josefson is not going to be a negative influence on the ice and comes cheaply. Newly appointed GM Jason Botterill has been quite busy today with sneaky good signings, loading up his AHL affiliate Rochester Americans with a number of players. Josefson will likely find a home as a 13 or 14th forward and will need to fight yet again for his icetime. Last season, he averaged only 12:15. His versatility will be a plus, as he can shift from center to wing with little difficulty.
Boston Bruins Sign AHL MVP Kenny Agostino
As noted earlier today and now confirmed by TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Boston Bruins have signed left winger Kenny Agostino to a one-year, one-way contract worth $875K. The former Yale standout will return to New England in hopes of finally getting a long NHL look. The Bruins have been fairly quiet on the first day of free agency, signing only Agostino, Paul Postma, and re-signing Jordan Szwarz. However, of the three signings, Agostino by far has the highest potential to impact the 2017-18 team.
In 2016-17, Agostino was awarded the AHL’s MVP award after registering 24 goals and 59 assists for 83 points in just 65 games with the Chicago Wolves, the former affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. Agostino led the league in scoring by 15 points and was the top assist man by 11. He also played to a +24 and was a point-per-game player in the postseason as well. In the NHL, Agostino also contributed a goal and two assists in seven games. While Agostino has never had any sustained success at the highest level, the 25-year-old has the tools to succeed if given the chance.
In Boston, Agostino should at least be given some opportunity. Many felt that the Bruins needed a top-six left winger, but GM Don Sweeney has indicated that he did not want to block the development of their younger players like Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, and Anders Bjork. Between Matt Beleskey, Frank Vatrano, and now Agostino, the Bruins have multiple player they can try out on the third and fourth line before dipping into the minors. If it doesn’t work out with Agostino, the Bruins also stand a good chance of passing the 25-year-old through waivers if need be. It is a very low-risk, high-upside signing for Sweeney and company.
Minor Transactions: 7/1/17
Some additional signings that happened today:
- The Carolina Hurricanes added Brenden Kichton to a one-year, two-way contract. The Hurricanes announced that the deal is for $700K in the NHL and $235K in the AHL. Kichton played 63 games with the Manitoba Moose last season, recording 23 points (1-22). Dennis Robertson and Jeremy Smith also signed deals with the Hurricanes.
- The Canucks inked Anton Rodin to a one-year, $700K deal according to Sportsnet. Rodin struggled with injury last year, playing only three games for Vancouver.
- The Detroit Red Wings brought Luke Witkowski into the fold for a “toughness” aspect. Witkowski is a Michigan native and was added with a two-year, $1.4MM deal. Interestingly, it appears that he will shuffle between defense and forward for Detroit. Despite a glut of forwards, Detroit may want him to play the role that Steve Ott did last season, especially since it was Witkowski who broke Anthony Mantha‘s finger in a scuffle last season while with Tampa Bay.
- Winnipeg inked Michael Sgarbossa to a one-year, $650K deal. Last season, he was with both the Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers. The 24-year-old had a combined nine points (2-7) with both teams. The Jets also added Buddy Robinson with a one-year deal worth $650K. It’s a two-way contract.
- Defenseman Seth Helgeson signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Islanders. The former New Jersey Devil played nine games with the big club last season, and spent 48 games with the AHL Albany Devils, scoring two goals and adding seven assists.
- Patrik Nemeth re-upped with Dallas, agreeing to a one-year, $945K deal. Nemeth had three points last season with the Stars in 40 games. Brian Flynn also hammered out a deal with Dallas, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract for $700K. Flynn spent last season with Montreal. Mike McKenna also signed on with the Stars, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract. Dallas also agreed to terms with Brent Regner, who signed a one-year, two-way deal.
- The Sabres signed Matt Tennyson to a two-year deal, with the first year being on a two-way contract while the second is a one-way deal. Tennyson spent last season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he played 45 games. He had six assists. Seth Griffith and Adam Wilcox also inked deals with the Sabres. Griffith agreed to a one-year, $650K deal while Wilcox’s one-year deal is a
- The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reports that Jordan Szwarz signed a two-way deal with the Boston Bruins. Szwarz spent all of last season with the Providence Bruins, where he had 54 points (22-32) in 65 games.
- Derek Grant is on the move according to Darren Dreger, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks for $650K. It’s a one-way contract for Grant, who spent the majority of his time last season with the Buffalo Sabres. He also saw six games with Nashville.
- Montreal and Joe Morrow agreed to a one-year, one-way contract. Formerly with the Bruins, Morrow had one assist with the B’s, but only appeared in 17 games, as opposed to the 33 he saw a season prior.
- Ottawa made a slew of signings, adding Ben Sexton Max Reinhart, Tyler Randell, Erik Burgdoerfer, and Danny Taylor to deals. Reinhart, Taylor and Randell all signed one-year deals, while Burgdoerfer and Sexton agreed to two-year deals.
- Mat Bodie signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bodie appeared in a combined 62 games for Rochester and Hartford of the AHL last season. The Bolts also added Alex Gallant with a one-year deal. Gallant spent last year with the San Jose Barracuda. Finally, Michael Leighton and Jamie McBain both agreed to one-year, two-way deal as well.
- Kyle Rau and Minnesota came to terms on a one-year, $700K deal. Rau’s deal is a two-way deal and brings him back to his home state.
- TSN’s Aaron Ward tweets that Paul Carey agreed to terms with the New York Rangers. Ward reports that the deal is for one-year, and is worth $650K. The Blueshirts also added Cole Schneider to a one-year, two-way contract.
- The Flames brought Marek Hrivik aboard, signing him to a one-year, two-way deal. Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson tweets the move is for organizational depth. According to Fox Sports West’s Jon Rosen, the Flames have also signed their 2016 seventh-round pick Stepan Falkovsky to a three-year entry-level contract.
- The Oilers signed Eddie Pasquale to a one-year, two-way deal. Pasquale was allowed to walk away from the Red Wings organization. Another player signed away from the Red Wings organization was Mitch Callahan, who agreed to a two-year, two-way deal. Both were reported by Ryan Rishaug. Keegan Lowe also inked a one-year, two-way deal. The Oilers weren’t done, also adding Ryan Stanton with a $700k deal. The deal is for two years, and is a two-way contract. Edmonton also inked forwards Brian Ferlin, Grayson Downing and Ty Rattie to one-year deals.
- Nashville agreed to terms with Pierre-Cedric Labrie, who came from the Blackhawks organization. Labrie agreed to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth $650K.
- The Stanley Cup Champion Penguins added some names today, all on one-year deals. Jarred Tinordi, Zach Trotman and Greg McKegg all agreed to a single-year deal. Chris Summers signed on for a two-year deal. In an additional release, the team has re-signed Tom Sestito, Frank Corrado to one-year two-way deals, and goaltender Casey DeSmith to a two-year two-way deal. All three will earn $650K in the NHL.
- The Sharks and goalie Antoine Bibeau signed off on a one-year, two-way deal. Bibeau was not offered a qualifying deal with his former team in Toronto.
- The Maple Leafs weren’t done, as they announced the signings of Colin Greening to a one-year deal (two-way, $750K), and Chris Mueller (two-way, $650K) and Vincent LoVerde (two-way, $725K) to two-year deals.
- The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenseman Cameron Schilling to a one-year, two-way contract. Schilling was with the Rockford IceHogs and Ontario Reign last season, where he scored 26 points.
- The Colorado Avalanche have signed three more players, inking Andrew Agozzino and David Warsofsky to two-year deals while bringing in Joe Cannata for just one season.
- Arizona has signed Zac Rinaldo, Michael Sislo, Andrew Campbell and Joel Hanley to one-year two-way contracts. It’s a fall for Rinaldo, who was once traded for a third-round pick.
- Chase Balisy, Connor Brickley, Reece Scarlett, Harri Sateri and Curtis Valk have all signed one-year contracts with the Florida Panthers. Interestingly, Brickley was the Vegas Golden Knights’ selection from the Hurricanes during the expansion draft but was a Group VI free agent this summer.
- The Devils have added Brian Strait, Bracken Kearns and Brian Gibbons on one-year two-way deals, bringing in the veterans for $650K at the NHL level.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have signed six players. They have signed forward T.J. Tynan and defenseman Brad Hunt to two-year deals at $650,000 per season. They inked forward Paul Thompson, forward Stefan Matteau, defenseman Chris Casto and goalie Maxime Lagace to one-year contracts at $650,000.
Predators Sign Goaltenders Anders Lindback And Matt O’Connor
In two separate team announcements, the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators revealed that they have added some depth in net behind Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros in the wake of parting ways with Marek Mazanec. A familiar name is returning in Anders Lindback, a 2008 draft selection and Rinne’s backup from 2010 to 2012, who has since been an NHL journeyman and spent this past season in the Swedish Hockey League. Lindback signed a two-way deal worth the minimum $650K at the NHL level. Matt O’Connor, the former Boston University star who has spent the past few years in the Ottawa Senators organization, signed a similar deal. The 24-year-old will also play on a two-way contract worth $650K in the NHL and only slightly less than Lindback in the AHL.
Red Wings Acquire Keeper Tom McCollum
On the biggest signing day of the year, the Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings have instead been talking trade. The Flames have agreed to send goalie Tom McCollum, extended only for Expansion Draft purposes, to the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The Flames, who have recently added both Mike Smith and Eddie Lack in net and have to also accommodate prospects Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, were reportedly working to loan McCollum out to another AHL team anyway. Instead, McCollum will head back to Detroit, the organization who drafted him and where he spent the first seven years of his career, presumably to back up Jared Coreau in the AHL.
Boston Bruins Sign Paul Postma
The Boston Bruins have finally entered the free agent frenzy, inking right-handed defenseman Paul Postma to a one-year deal. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that it is a one-way contract worth $725K for the 28-year-old two-way defenseman. The long-time Winnipeg Jet is coming off a career-high in games played (65) and points (14), but nonetheless will have to fight for a roster spot and could very well wind up with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. If he can make the roster, he should provide Boston with much-needed depth, especially with veteran John-Michael Liles not expected back this year.
Flyers Re-Sign Mike Vecchione
If this headline seems familiar, that is because the Philadelphia Flyers did just sign major college free agent Mike Vecchione to his entry-level deal back in March. However, it was just a one-year contract with a promise attached to burn the year with play time in the NHL this past season. Now a restricted free agent, Vecchione is on to his second contract already, inking a two-year, $1.8MM deal with the Flyers. It is also a one-way contract, so Vecchione will be looked on to carve out a role in Philadelphia and could prove to be a major bargain at $900K.
Vecchione played in two NHL games in 2016-17, but saw only minimal ice time and did not record a point. A prolific scorer at Union College, Vecchione is expected to play a much greater role going forward. Scoring at a clip of nearly two points per game in the NCAA last year, if Vecchione’s small, speedy game translates, he could be dangerous for the Flyers right away.
In other small moves, the Flyers re-signed Corban Knight and brought in Ottawa Senators minor leaguer Phil Varone on two-year, two-way contracts this morning as well. Both Knight and Varone are veteran AHLers who add depth and experience to the Flyer’s group of call-up ready players.