Minor Moves: McKenzie, Green, Beauvillier, Hronek
As many non-professional seasons come to an end across North America and the world, players are starting to sign with their respective organizations to get a taste of the AHL and what lies beyond for them in their hockey careers. Here are some of the latest signings around the league:
- The Utica Comets have signed Brett McKenzie to an amateur tryout after his season ended in the OHL. The North Bay Battalion forward was a point-per-game player for the first time in his junior career and led his team in goals with 29. Selected in the seventh round last season in his final year of draft eligibility, McKenzie will try to adapt his all-around game to the AHL level.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that the Manitoba Moose have signed Luke Green an ATO. The third-round pick of the Jets this past draft had an outstanding year in the QMJHL, scoring 37 points in 60 games split between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix. The 19-year old defenseman will have to return to the junior ranks next year if he doesn’t make the Jets out of camp—which would be quite a feat considering the names he would have to beat out on the right side.
- Wiebe also tells us that the Moose have given Francis Beauvillier an ATO, one of the first out of the CIS (Canadian University) ranks this season. Beauvillier was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2012, but failed to sign with the team before heading to the University of New Brunswick. He even played eight games for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in 2013 on a similar deal.
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned both Givani Smith and Filip Hronek to Grand Rapids after their OHL seasons ended. Both players are already signed to their entry-level contracts, but will not burn a year due to their age as long as they stay in the AHL. Smith leaves the Guelph Storm after another season of moderate point totals and big penalty minutes. A second-round pick in 2016, the winger scored 44 points while collecting 139 penalty minutes in 64 games. Hronek on the other hand—also a second-round pick last summer—excelled in his first taste of North American hockey, scoring 61 points in 59 games. The Czech defenseman was the fourth-highest scoring defender in the OHL, showing his immense upside for the Saginaw Spirit.
- As expected, Adam Ollas-Mattsson has joined the Stockton Heat on an ATO, coming over from his Swedish team. The 20-year old was a sixth-round pick for the Flames in 2014, and has been playing professional hockey since he was 17.
Snapshots: Ristolainen, Sobotka, Monsters
Not known for a dirty or over-the-line style, Rasmus Ristolainen nevertheless was ejected from last night’s Buffalo Sabres-Pittsburgh Penguins game after delivering a bone-crushing open ice hit on Jake Guentzel without the Penguins’ forward ever touching the puck. Ristolainen had decided to hit him before the pass was deflected, and carried through the check likely not realizing it had changed direction.
Guentzel was bloodied, and lost his footing when he tried to stand up. He wouldn’t return to the game, and was immediately diagnosed with a concussion. John Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that Ristolainen may face further discipline from the league, but his head coach doesn’t think he should. “I don’t like the fact that he got ejected,” coach Dan Bylsma told Vogl, saying that his defenseman was committed to the hit, and unfortunately the puck didn’t get there. The Buffalo defender will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety tomorrow afternoon.
- Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reminds us that KHL forward Vladimir Sobotka‘s season came to an end Sunday, but he remains under contract through April 30th. There has been some speculation that Sobotka could rejoin the Blues for their playoff run, but he would have to negotiate an early release from Omsk to return before May. That doesn’t necessarily remove him from the playoff picture, but as we’ve heard from their front office before, it still is a very unlikely scenario.
- The Cleveland Monsters of the AHL have signed two free agents to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the season, inking Scott Savage and Hayden Hodgson today. Savage has just completed his four years at Boston College where he scored 29 points in 40 games as a defenseman this season. Hodgson played this year as an over-ager for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, breaking out with 66 points in 67 games. Neither player is considered much of an NHL prospect, though things can change in a hurry once they enter professional hockey.
Draft Pick Notes: White, Johansson, Radke, Mattsson
Jeff Cox is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White will be signing a contract within the next 24 hours, though still there is no indication whether it will be for this year or next. Recently we wrote about the choice the Senators and White have, between adding him for a playoff run and burning a year of his entry-level contract, or signing him to an amateur tryout and letting him get his feet wet in Binghamton before likely making the roster next season.
White has had another solid season at Boston College, and is widely expected to turn pro. The 21st-overall pick in 2015 has shown an ability to play in both ends of the rink, and could legitimately help a team that has had injury troubles over the past month. Since White is already 20 years old, he would not fall under any entry-level slide regardless of how many games he plays. If the contract is signed for this year to allow him to play in the NHL, he would burn a year.
- Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that Emil Johansson could join the Providence Bruins this weekend. Boston’s seventh-round pick in 2014 had a very good season for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, scoring 17 points in 49 games and generally playing more than 20 minutes a night on the team’s top pairing. If he does come over to North America he’ll be an interesting name for the Bruins to follow, to see if he can develop into a NHL-capable puck moving defenseman.
- The Stockton Heat—Calgary’s AHL affiliate—have signed Adam Ollas-Mattsson to an ATO, bringing him over from Sweden where he had been playing with Johansson for Djurgardens. Not playing nearly as much, though still suiting up for 52 games, Ollas-Mattsson registered just four points this season. The sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2014, he possesses size and strength capable of playing against grown men and has shown it since he was 17 in the highest Swedish league.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that Roy Radke has signed an ATO with the Rockford IceHogs after his OHL season finished. The sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks had 36 points in 45 games this season for the Barrie Colts, and will try to prove he deserves an entry-level contract this summer. The 20-year old hasn’t developed into the power forward Chicago had hoped for, though obviously there is still quite a while before you can write him off.
Minor Moves: Fischer, Moose, Friedman
The Arizona Coyotes have decided it’s time for Christian Fischer to try and make his mark at the NHL level. The team recalled Fischer today and moved Laurent Dauphin down to the AHL. Fischer, the 32nd-overall pick in 2015 has done nothing but score this season for the Tucson Roadrunners. With 43 points in 51 games, the big offensive upside he showed in Windsor last season—when he scored 90 points in 66 games—hasn’t diminished at all.
Scoring two goals in his first three games earlier this year wasn’t a bad start, but he’ll try to prove he deserves a full-time role on the NHL team as soon as next season. As Sarah McClellan of AZCentral notes, this represents the Coyotes’ fourth and final call-up for the rest of the season, meaning they’ll only be able to bring up players on emergency conditions.
- The Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, have signed two players to professional tryouts for the remainder of the season. Kale Kessy and Rob Flick will join the squad from their respective ECHL teams. Kessy, a former fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes has tried to turn himself into more than an enforcer over the years, and scored 23 points in 32 games for the Tulsa Oilers this season. Flick, a former selection of the Chicago Blackhawks, actually has had success in the AHL before, but found himself in the lower level this season. His scoring dominance there—59 points in 59 games—came paired with a penchant for fighting, and 160 minutes in penalties.
- Mark Friedman has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, and will report to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the season. The third-round pick had another impressive season in college and continues to draw comparisons to Shayne Gostisbehere in path and pedigree. While they don’t quite play the same style, Flyers fans should be excited by another puck-moving defenseman who will make his mark on the NHL before long. Though Philadelphia has had trouble solidifying their blue line in recent years, the emerging group led by Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov look like they will fare quite a bit better over the next several seasons.
Morning Notes: Ekblad, Street, McCarron
Aaron Ekblad will return to the lineup for the Florida Panthers tonight, according to Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel. The Panthers superstar suffered his third concussion—not including the bout of “whiplash” he suffered at the World Cup—ten days ago, and apparently has cleared all the procedures to return to the lineup. With the Panthers now eight points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot, they hopefully wouldn’t have rushed Ekblad back at all.
As Matt Larkin of The Hockey News wrote a week ago, the Panthers have to play this carefully or risk Ekblad’s career before it has even truly begun. The 21-year old looks like he will be a force in the game for a very long time, but has now already suffered multiple concussions early on. In comparing him to Eric Lindros, who suffered several head blows within a short time frame, Larkin pleaded with the Panthers to shut him down for the rest of the season to make sure he wasn’t at risk. None of this is to say that the Panthers medical staff is mistreating the situation, but with just 11 games left and four teams between them and a playoff spot, it does seem a bit unnecessary to bring him back at all. Here’s hoping for some continued health for one of the game’s brightest young stars.
- With Ekblad returning, the Panthers have sent MacKenzie Weegar back down to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Weegar never did actually get into a game, with Florida playing Jakub Kindl in the vacant defense position. Weegar will return to the Thunderbirds where he was having an excellent season, scoring 12 goals and 29 points in 51 games.
- The Detroit Red Wings have called up Ben Street on emergency basis after last night’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Detroit lost Darren Helm to an injury on Saturday, though perhaps someone else suffered a minor wound last night. The 30-year old Street is having another excellent season at the AHL level, with 51 points in 57 games this year. The undrafted forward has found much success at the lower level since starting his pro career in 2010, though has only seen an NHL contest 29 times. Held to just two points in those games, he’ll look to make an impact with this chance.
- Steve Ott will draw back into the lineup for the Montreal Canadiens tonight, meaning oft-scratched Michael McCarron will be back in the press box according to Renaud Levoie of TVA Sports. The former first-round pick has played just 26 games for the Canadiens this season, registering five points in less than 10 minutes per night. The 22-year old can’t seem to impress either coaching staff enough to stay in the lineup, despite bringing a physical presence. In 32 games in the AHL this year, McCarron has 19 points.
Calgary Flames Call Up Garnet Hathaway From AHL
After Matthew Tkachuk was given a two-game suspension yesterday for his elbow on Drew Doughty, the Calgary Flames have recalled Garnet Hathaway according to Roger Millions of Sportsnet. Tkachuk will miss games against the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators, two teams they could really use his skill against.
Hathaway has split the year between the Flames and Heat, playing in 26 and 20 games respectively for the two clubs. His 15 points at the AHL level have been a nice surprise from a player who has never really scored at that rate before. Known more for his grit and physical game, Hathaway provides the Flames with an option for their bottom six that won’t hurt you defensively if they decide to go that way.
The other option to re-insert into the lineup is Freddie Hamilton who, as Millions points out, brings a bit more speed and skill to the table. Hamilton has been an excellent offensive player in the AHL, but has never been able to duplicate that at the NHL level. In 22 games for the Flames this year, he has just a single point.
Snapshots: Kunin, Vegas, Vermin
Luke Kunin has done everything the Minnesota Wild had hoped for since drafting him fifteenth overall in 2016 except one—sign a pro contract. It might not be long until he finishes that goal too, as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune expects him to turn pro within the next few days. Kunin went back for his sophomore year this season as the Wisconsin Badgers’ captain and improved in every facet of his game. The offensive performance continued, with 38 points in 35 games but he improved in the defensive zone and on the powerplay as well.
Badgers coach Tony Granato told Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal that Kunin is “ready to play pro hockey,” despite wanting him back to help his team next year. He wishes him well with whatever he decides, and is just happy he got the opportunity to coach him for two seasons. If Kunin does turn pro he would likely head to the Iowa Wild for the remainder of the regular season on an amateur tryout, before starting his entry-level deal in 2017-18.
- SinBin.com reported answers from George McPhee during a non-media Q&A for season ticket holders today, which led to some interesting revelations about the Vegas Golden Knights. While some have argued that the Golden Knights would take a pile of young, prospect-type players in the expansion draft to build for the future, it doesn’t sound like that will be the driving force behind the team. McPhee touched on experience and leadership as a need for the team, while also revealing that Bill Foley will be willing to spend to the cap in the first season. One of the things that is often overlooked in mock drafts is the need to get to the cap floor, which is something McPhee believes will be no problem. “Complying with the rules and spending the amount of money necessary has not been a problem,” he said, lending a little more credence to the idea that he might target some slightly overpaid, yet still valuable veterans that will be left exposed by their teams.
- One important note from the Q&A is also that McPhee said they will announce an AHL affiliate at the end of the season. Though it’s not clear yet who that would be, SinBin.com notes that it is likely the Chicago Wolves and that the Golden Knights will supply the coaching staff and control hockey operations. The Wolves are currently affiliated with the St. Louis Blues, but remain one of only a dozen AHL teams not owned by an NHL club.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Joel Vermin for the second time in three days. The forward was brought up on Saturday, only to watch the game that night from the press box. With Vladislav Namestnikov returning to a full practice today, but Ondrej Palat leaving early, Vermin is likely only up as insurance once again for tomorrow night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Should one of those two miss the contest, Vermin would get into his 12th game of the season in Tampa Bay. He has just three points in the NHL this year, with 28 in AHL action.
Washington Capitals Bring Jonas Siegenthaler Back From Switzerland
The Washington Capitals have decided to bring former second-round pick Jonas Siegenthaler back from Switzerland to join the Hershey Bears for the rest of the season. Siegenthaler had been playing with the Zurich Lions of the NLA this season, after splitting the year between them and Hershey last year. He signed an entry-level contract just days after being drafted in 2015.
Siegenthaler is a big, bruising defender that has been used by Zurich in a shutdown role since he was 17. His defensive acumen has never been in doubt, but as the NHL puts more and more focus on puck movement and offensive play from their blueliners he has fallen a bit behind the curve. Not an elite skater or passer, he could clearly help teams in their own end but will now have to learn how to make quick, effective breakouts in the North American game and build on his physical play. At 6’3, 230-lbs, he’s already easily big enough for the NHL but his game needs a lot of refinement in the minor leagues.
For the Capitals, who are likely losing both Karl Alzner and Kevin Shattenkirk to free agency and may have trouble fitting Dmitry Orlov and Nate Schmidt under the cap (and on the expansion draft list) long-term, defensemen like Siegenthaler will need to develop quickly in order to keep the system flowing upwards. Coming over to the AHL is a good step, and one that will let the organization keep closer tabs on his development.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Mitch Hults To Entry-Level Contract
The Anahiem Ducks have gotten in on the college free agent frenzy, inking Mitch Hults to a two-year deal. Hults will report to the San Diego Gulls on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season, along with Austin Ortega, another NCAA standout. The pair will help San Diego in their playoff run, as the Gulls currently sit in second place in the Pacific division.
Hults has spent the last two seasons at Lake Superior State, where he broke out this year with 34 points in 38 games. The forward led the club in points while being one of only a handful of players that ended the season with a positive +/- rating. A player who looks like a classic late bloomer, Hults never stood out in the USHL in his draft years and only started finding offensive success as a 20-year old in 2014-15 with the Madison Capitols. Cutting down on undisciplined penalties was a big step forward for Hults this year, as he started using his speed—which is excellent—and skill more and more. He’ll try to continue that growth with the Bears for the rest of this year, before being a real threat for an NHL roster spot as soon as 2017-18.
Ortega on the other hand is a classic case of being overlooked because of his size, as he stands at a generously recorded 5’8″ 170-lbs. His offensive skill has never been in question and he showed it off this year at the University of Nebraska with 47 points in 38 games. With three straight 20-goal seasons in the NCAA ranks, Ortega has been able to find a way to limit his weaknesses while preying on some less skilled opponents. That will be much harder to do at the professional level, but the 22-year old has found success at every level and shouldn’t be doubted. He’ll look to earn an AHL deal for next year, and prove down the line that he can keep up with the more physical professional game.
Rochester Americans Sign Alex Kile To AHL Deal
The Rochester Americans—and thus the Buffalo Sabres—have signed Alex Kile to an AHL deal for 2017-18, and an amateur tryout for the rest of this season. Kile has spent the last four seasons at the University of Michigan, and was a very interesting name last spring after a huge junior season. He’ll look to try and regain that momentum from last year with a solid professional debut for the Americans.
Serving as the captain for the Michigan Wolverines, Kile had a very lackluster senior year in which he scored just 14 points in 28 games. The 22-year old winger was coming off a 34 point junior season that had scouts around the NHL paying attention, but failed to repeat on his offensive performance. To be fair to Kile the entire Michigan team struggled this season to a 13-19-3 record, and their leading scorer had just 21 points.
Standing 6’0″ 190-lbs, Kile was known for his excellent skating ability and improving shot, but wasn’t able to utilize either much this season after an ankle injury robbed him of three weeks in the middle of the year. The former linemate of both Dylan Larkin and Zach Hyman will now head to the AHL to try and rebuild his value and prove that an NHL future is still a possibility.