Minor NHL Transactions: 7/20/2016
Here is where we will keep track of the day’s minor moves:
- The Florida Panthers, via their team website, have announced the re-signing of forward Logan Shaw to a one-year, two-way contract. The six-foot-three, 202-pound Shaw saw action in 53 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, netting 5 goals and 7 points. He also appeared in 19 contests with the Portland Pirates (AHL) where he tallied 11 goals and 14 points. With the Panthers among the more active teams this summer, adding talent via both free agency and the trade market, it would seem the roster is pretty set meaning Shaw is likely to serve as a depth piece in 2016-17, much as he did this past season.
- Veteran center T.J. Hensick is set to join the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, according to the L.A Kings Insider website. Hensick last appeared in the NHL back during the 2010-11 campaign while a member of the St. Louis Blues. He split the past campaign with Utica and Charlotte of the AHL, scoring 40 points in 65 games. Hensick played with Kings prospect Adrian Kempe for MODO in the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14, suggesting his familiarity with one of the club’s top prospects played a role in this signing.
- Arizona has hired former NHL goalie Doug Soetaert to be the General Manager of their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Most recently, Soetaert was a professional scout in the Arizona organization covering the western region. Prior to that, Soetaert plied his trade in Europe, scouting all professional leagues on the continent as well as the AHL. Soetaert also has extensive experience in the North American junior leagues, serving as Vice President and General Manager of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League from 2002 – 2012. During his playing days, Soetaert appeared in 284 games as a member of the New York Rangers (two stints), Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Pedan, Grenier
According to a team release, the Vancouver Canucks have re-signed restricted free agents Andrey Pedan and Alexandre Grenier to one-year, two-way contracts. Neither player was eligible for arbitration this summer. Grenier will receive $575K ($125K in AHL) plus a $25K signing bonus, per Renaud Lavoie. Pedan will receive $700K ($100K in AHL).
Pedan, 23, made his NHL debut this season, suiting up 13 times for Vancouver. His physical style has never lent itself to much offensive production, and it proved true in the NHL as the blueliner was held pointless in his first taste of the big leagues.
A former third-round pick by the Islanders in 2011, Pedan will be battling for a bottom-pairing spot on the Canucks this season, using his size to effectively remove attackers from the puck in his own end.
For Grenier, 2015-16 also represented his first shot in the NHL as he was called up on two different occasions during the season. He got into six total games, and didn’t contribute a point in just over eleven minutes a night.
Grenier was another third-round pick in 2011, this time by the Canucks themselves. He faired well in the minors and tallied 130 points in 208 career AHL games. Last season, he led the Utica Comets in points with 48, and contributed 16 goals. Still probably a year away from getting a real shot with the Canucks, he’ll look to lead the Comets to another successful season.
With the contracts, the Canucks have signed all of their restricted free agents, and will now turn to any tweaks they might have for the roster going forward. With under $3MM left in cap-space, they can’t take on much more as of this moment.
Atlantic Notes: Boston, Brassard, Stamkos
Yesterday, Boston completed an under-the-radar coaching move, promoting Kevin Dean to head coach with the Providence Bruins. Dean has been part of the Bruins organization for a long time now, including spending the last five seasons as an assistant in Providence.
With his promotion, current NHL bench boss Claude Julien‘s rear-end is now squarely on the hot seat (if it wasn’t already, after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons), and another disappointing year may cause the loyal Dean to make another jump. The 47-year old’s best skill may be his ability to develop young defensemen, and will have a strong group to work with in the AHL this season.
- Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citzen writes that experience was a big factor in the Senators’ decision to trade for Derick Brassard yesterday. The team had to give up 23-year old Mika Zibanejad to do it, but they feel that the veteran Brassard was worth the loss. With 563 NHL games under his belt, the 28-year old has established himself as a legitimate second-line center in the NHL, capable of playing in both ends of the rink. He and Zibanejad will try to build on 2015-16 with their new clubs, after each scored 50+ points last year.
- Yesterday agent Pat Morris was on TSN 1050 discussing the interview window that Steven Stamkos experienced before ultimately re-signing with Tampa Bay this year, and (via Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot) confirmed that a team could have sponsorship representatives in the meeting with the player to entice him somewhat. When asked if the Canadian Tire CEO was in the Maple Leafs meeting, Morris was a little diplomatic in his answer: “If there were any meetings, and if Canadian Tire was there, Canadian Tire owns Sport Chek, and Steven Stamkos has an existing deal with that company.”
Minor Transactions: 7/19/16
Here is where we will keep track of any minor transactions through today:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced the re-signing of Lake Erie Monsters head coach Jared Bednar. The deal is through the 2018-19 season. Bednar led the Monsters to their first ever Calder Cup Championship as the team went 15-2 through the playoffs. In addition to Bednar’s re-signing, the Monsters added assistant coach Steve McCarthy, and assistant general manager Blake Geoffrion. Goalie coach Manny Legace was also brought back for another year.
- Goaltender Kent Simpson has signed with the San Antonio Rampage, AHL affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche. In addition to Simpson, the Rampage also inked netminder Nathan Lieuwen to a one-year deal.
- Forward Nico Hischier has committed to the Halifax Mooseheads. Hischier was the sixth overall pick in the CHL import draft and is considered one of the top prospects for the 2017 NHL Draft. He played for SC Bern last season in the NLA and also for the Bern U20 team.
- The Wild placed Jordan Schroeder on waivers. Schroeder is a restricted free agent awaiting an arbitration ruling. Schroeder had four points (2-2) in 26 games with the Wild while having 34 points (14-20) in 40 games with the Iowa Wild.
- Former NHL goaltender Jason LaBarbera has been hired by the Calgary Hitmen as a goalie coach for the upcoming season. LaBarbera played last season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, notching a 3.02 GAA with an .899 save percentage. The veteran of 187 NHL games is 36-years old.
Senators Sign Matt Puempel To Two-Way Deal
After splitting the last two seasons between the Ottawa Senators and their AHL affiliate Bighamton Senators, Matt Puempel has re-signed with the team for another year. The left winger and former first-round pick will earn $900K at the NHL level, and just $75K if he stays in the AHL.
Puempel has played 39 games in the NHL over the past two seasons, scoring four goals and six points during that time. The 2011 draft choice has performed well at the AHL level however, including 30 points in just 34 games last season.
The Senators will now turn their attention to their two remaining RFAs, Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci, both important players to get under contract. The team has almost $16MM left under the cap, but will assuredly not spend right to the ceiling.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Mark McNeill
According to a team release, the Chicago Blackhawks have come to terms with pending RFA Mark McNeill on a new one-year contract. The 23-year old will stay another season with the team that drafted him 18th overall in 2013.
After being a prolific scorer for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, McNeill has brought those soft hands to the AHL where he has recorded back-to-back 20-goal seasons. The 23-year old made his NHL debut this past season, suiting up for a single game for the Blackhawks.
Though McNeill has shown he can dominate in the AHL, he may still need to wait for a real opportunity with the Blackhawks, after they brought in names like Jordin Tootoo and Nick Schmaltz for this season. He’ll head to camp trying to force his way onto the roster, and prove that he can continue to produce at the next level.
Josh Jooris, Tommy Hughes Sign With New York Rangers
After inking defenseman Dylan McIlrath to a one-year deal avoiding arbitration, the Rangers have also signed free agent forward Josh Jooris according to the team twitter. Jooris played for Calgary last season, recording 13 points in 59 games. The team also announced that they have come to terms with restricted free agent Tommy Hughes on a new deal.
Jooris, 26, went undrafted out of the OJHL before heading to Union College where he would play with fellow Metropolitan Division youngster Shayne Gostisbehere for two seasons. Jooris would put up solid numbers at the college before being signed in 2013 to join the Abbostford Heat of the AHL. He really made his mark in his first NHL campaign however, when he scored 12 goals and 24 points and suited up on the powerplay more than a few times.
For Hughes, New York is the only organization he’s ever known after being signed as a undrafted free agent out of London in 2013. He’s spent the last three seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, putting up 25 points and playing a solid defensive game. After the McIlrath signing locked up a bottom pairing defenseman for this season, Hughes will continue to serve as depth for the team in the AHL, and might make his debut this season should injuries occur.
Hurricanes Sign Sutter, Lowe, Robertson And Woods
The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to deals with defenseman Keegan Lowe, winger Brendan Woods, defenseman Dennis Robertson and forward Brody Sutter.
Sutter agreed to a one-year, $600K deal. The center played 70 games in Charlotte, netting 24 points (13-11) and appeared in eight games with the Canes.
Lowe’s deal is a one-year, $750K contract. Lowe posted career highs with AHL affiliate Charlotte in 2015-16 with 14 points (3-11).
Woods signed a one-year, $650K deal. The 24-year-old forward spent five games with the big club. While with Charlotte, he had 20 points (9-11) in 59 games.
Robertson inked a one-year, $650K deal. He spent the entire season in the AHL, splitting time with Rockford and Charlotte. In 58 games, he had nine points (2-7).
Isles Re-Sign Scott Mayfield To Two-Year Contract
According to this tweet from Arthur Staple of Newsday, the New York Islanders have re-signed RFA defenseman Scott Mayfield to a two-year, one-way deal. The contract comes with a guaranteed AAV of $650K per season.
With Mayfield on board, the Isles would now seem to have a bit of a logjam at the defense position as according to their depth chart on Roster Resource, the club has eight blueliners on their roster. Although it’s likely Mayfield will be used as a depth piece, available to be called up from the AHL in the event of injury to a regular defenseman.
Mayfield saw action in just six NHL games this past season but did notch his first career goal on April 29th against Buffalo. For his career he has appeared in just 11 contests, netting only the one point and adding 18 PIMs, further suggesting the Islanders intend to utilize Mayfield in a depth role and experienced hand for their farm team in Bridgeport.
Securing a one-way, guaranteed deal is a nice piece of work by Mayfield’s representation. It’s also a smart move by the Islanders to add to their organizational depth. Clearly the club is comfortable with Mayfield and as they say, you can never have too many NHL-quality defensemen.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Ceci, Bruins Prospects
As we head deeper into the summer and with many of the bigger name free agents off the board, teams now are focused primarily on locking up any unsigned RFAs they may have. Additionally, many clubs are kicking off their annual prospect development camps which gives us a look at the next wave of NHL talent and a sneak peek at a handful of youngsters who may have a chance to impact their parent club’s fortunes as soon as this season. Along those lines, here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.
- Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News describes the show Sabres’ 2016 first-round pick Alexander Nylander is putting on at the club’s development camp. Nylander, the brother of Toronto Maple Leaf forward William Nylander, was chosen 8th overall in the 2016 entry draft out of Mississauga of the OHL. However, as Harrington notes, unlike most players selected out of the CHL, Nylander is eligible to join the Sabres AHL affiliate in Rochester as opposed to returning to his junior team should he not crack the Buffalo roster out of training camp. This is due to the fact he was not selected in the CHL import draft and was loaned by his Swedish club to Mississauga.
- Harrington’s colleague at The Buffalo News, Jack Goods, writes about Nylander’s World Junior’s linemate, Rasmus Asplund, who was Buffalo’s second-round choice in the 2016 entry draft. Asplund’s development was accelerated by playing against men in the SHL the last couple of years. Like Nylander, Buffalo will have the option of playing him down in Rochester but Asplund himself has said another year in Sweden may be best for his development.
- In a piece for the Ottawa Citizen, Ken Warren looks at the RFA case for D Cody Ceci and opines that recent deals suggest the 22-year-old blueliner is in line for a big payday; particularly if the Senators want him around long term. Teams have been paying big for quality defensemen, both on the UFA market and when retaining their own players, and Ceci certainly should land a sizable deal this summer.
- CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty lists a few of the prospects at development camp who are expected to challenge for regular roles for the Boston Bruins in 2016-2017. Specifically, with the team in need of blueline depth, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk, will be given a chance to make the team out of training camp. Up front, Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen, are mentioned as “dark horses,” in the push for a roster spot.
- Writing for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson lists the 10 worst contracts for the upcoming season. The Atlantic Division placed four players on the list, the largest representation of any of the NHL’s four divisions. F Matt Moulson of the Sabres ranks 10th on Richardson’s list, with G Jimmy Howard (6th) of Detroit and F Ryan Callahan (4th) of Tampa Bay also making the cut. While I think his inclusion on this list might be a tad unfair as he’s still a quality goaltender, the emergence of Petr Mrazek between the Motown pipes has turned Howard into an expensive back-up and the Wings could look to move him ahead of next year’s expansion draft. Topping the list is Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who has five years remaining on a deal that comes with an AAV of $7MM.