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Two-Way Signings: Schueneman, Aspirot, Gaudette, Gambrell, Poolman, Richard, Entwistle

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The first day of NHL free agency saw over $1B spent for the first time in league history. Much of that went to stars across the league, though general managers are also having to focus on building up their farm programs. Here are five smaller names signed on Tuesday. Each of these deals carry a $775K cap hit at the NHL level, unless otherwise specified.

  • The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Corey Schueneman to a one-year contract. Schueneman, 28, appeared in 64 games with the Colorado Eagles this season, netting four goals, 22 points, 24 penalty minutes, and a +2. He’s a quick-paced, hard-shooting defender who carries a lot of heft in his frame, even at 5-foot-11. He’s already made his NHL debut, appearing in 31 games with Montreal between 2021 and 2023 and scoring two goals and seven points. Schueneman is likely set for a role on the Springfield Thunderbirds lineup, where he’ll compete for ice time with Blues prospects like Marc-Andre Gaudet and Hunter Skinner.
  • The Calgary Flames have re-signed defender Jonathan Aspirot to a one-year contract. Aspirot, 25, spent 66 games with the Calgary Wranglers last season, scoring a career-high 33 points and adding 80 penalty minutes and a -6. It was Aspirot’s first year in Calgary, after spending four years with the Belleville Senators. He totaled 63 points in 161 games with Belleville, and will now be set to reassume his top-end role with the Wranglers next season.
  • Belleville is due for their own reinforcements, with the Ottawa Senators signing Adam Gaudette to a one-year deal (Twitter link). Gaudette, 27, led the AHL with 44 goals last season, in his pursuit of 71 points across 67 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. It was a breakout year for Gaudette, after totaling 27 goals and 51 points in 65 games between the Toronto Marlies and Thunderbirds in 2022-23. Gaudette was formerly a top prospect in the NHL, appearing in 220 games across six seasons in the NHL. He’s only managed 27 goals and 70 points in those appearances, though his recent scoring could suggest upside still untapped. The Senators will hope that’s the case, as they position Gaudette for a premier role in the AHL next year.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Dylan Gambrell to a one-year deal. Gambrell spent all of this seaosn in the minor leagues, playing in 66 games with the Marlies. He managed 14 goals and 36 points – his highest AHL scoring since the 2018-19 season. Gambrell has been based much more in the NHL over the last six seasons, totaling 233 games and 40 points. He’ll be set for a top line role with the Cleveland Monsters, and push for a spot near the bottom of Columbus’ NHL lineup.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Colton Poolman to a one-year deal (Twitter link). Poolman, 28, has spent the entirety of his four-year pro career in the Flames organization to date. The younger brother of Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman had three goals and three assists in 66 games for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers last season.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Anthony Richard to a two-year deal (Twitter link). Richard spent 59 games with the Providence Bruins last year, netting 25 goals and 55 points. It was a small step down for Richard, after netting 30 goals and 67 points last year. He’s also totaled 24 NHL games since 2018, scoring eight points. Richard should be set for a starring role with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, with a chance to push for the NHL roster.
  • The Florida Panthers signed MacKenzie Entwistle to a one-year deal. Entwistle, 24, has spent most of the last three seasons on the Chicago Blackhawks lineup, though he’s managed just 33 points in 188 games. He’ll now join the reigning Stanley Cup champions, though his two-way deal suggests he’ll have to work his way up to the NHL from an AHL start.

Lightning Acquire Lukas Svejkovsky From Penguins

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The Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins have swapped depth forwards, with Pittsburgh receiving Bennett MacArthur and Tampa receiving Lukas Svejovsky (Twitter link).

MacArthur, 23, spent the season in the ECHL, totaling 32 points through 55 games. It was his second year in the league, after playing through his first pro season to the tune of 28 points in 53 games last year. Tampa signed MacArthur as an undrafted free agent in 2022, following the end of his season with the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. MacArthur only played in parts of three seasons in the QMJHL, though he always found his way to strong scoring, recording 42 goals and 77 points in 54 games during his final year in the league. He’ll spend the final year of his entry-level contract pushing for a consistent role in the AHL, before setting his sights on the Penguins roster.

Meanwhile, Svejovsky, 22, was drafted by Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, after a strong year in the WHL. He went on to play two more seasons in the WHL, potting 76 points in 57 games in his final year. Svejovsky totaled a stout 162 points in his 196 career WHL games – seeming like a potentially lucrative prospect for Pittsburgh when he signed his entry-level contract in 2022. But Svejovsky had a slow start in pros, with just 15 points in 47 AHL games last year followed by four points in 19 games this year. Those low totals contributed to Svejovsky’s move to the ECHL partway through this year. He was able to rediscover his spark in the third-tier pro league, scoring 37 points in 30 games. That should be enough to earn him a move back to the AHL, though he’ll have to keep up his scoring if he wants to push any higher.

Canucks Sign Jett Woo To One-Year Extension

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Jett Woo to a one-year, two-way extension. The deal will pay him a league minimum $775K at the NHL level and $150K at the AHL level, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News (Twitter link).

Vancouver drafted Woo in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft – among company like Alexander Romanov, Martin Fehervary, and Sean Durzi. But Woo still sits as one of 12 players from that round to not yet make his NHL debut, instead spending the last four seasons with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. Woo had a slow start to his pro career, scoring just 10 points through his first two seasons, and 70 games, in the AHL. He’s picked up that scoring in the two seasons since, netting 21 points in 68 games last year and 31 points in 62 games this year. Woo has also picked up his intensity, also totaling 189 penalty minutes in the last two years.

The climb towards more high-event hockey earned Woo the first NHL call-ups of his career in February, though he couldn’t slot into Vancouver’s lineup. Still, he’s begun to grab the Canucks’ attention. With the team expected to move on from Nikita Zadorov, Woo could have a chance on this new deal to fight for his NHL debut, and a more confident contract next summer.

Sharks Sign Justin Bailey To One-Year, Two-Way Extension

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The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Justin Bailey to a one-year, two-way extension. The deal will carry a salary of $800K at the NHL level and $375K at the AHL level, with $400K guaranteed, per PuckPedia (Twitter link).

Bailey, 28, willed his way into a full-time NHL role this year, after kicking off the AHL season with 11 points in 16 games. He was recalled in late November and potted five points across his first eight games with the Sharks, earning another promotion to the team’s third line, where he’d spent most of the remaining season. Finally ahold of an everyday role, Bailey posted five goals and 14 points in 59 games – NHL career-highs in all three stats.

And while Bailey could be a candidate to work his way back on to the Sharks roster with this deal, the two-way clause likely sets him up for yet another year in the minors. That’s where Bailey has spent much of his career so far, totaling 241 points in 370 AHL games, across tenures with the Rochester Americans, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Utica Comets. He’s proven a capable minor-league scorer, with at least 30 points in each of his last three full years in the league. Re-signing to a one-year deal should give Bailey a chance to prove his worth in the Sharks organization, and earn his way into a confident NHL future.

Islanders Announce Doug Houda Won’t Return

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The New York Islanders have dismissed assistant coach Doug Houda, general manager Lou Lamoriello shared with Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Lamoriello added that the team will be retaining fellow assistant coaches John MacLean and Benoit Desrosiers. Lamoriello also shared that they will be announcing Houda’s replacement as soon as Monday.

Houda will be moving away from the Islanders after spending the last two seasons overseeing New York’s penalty kill. He didn’t inspire much, though, with the Islanders boasting the worst-ranked penalty kill in the league this season. It was a sharp fall from their top-10 ranking last year, and has seemingly earned Houda the boot.

Formerly a player, Houda racked up 561 career NHL games across 15 years in the league, spending extended time with the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres. He was a heavy, high-event defender who did well in shutdown roles. That’s the mindset he’s brought to his coaching career, which kicked off one year after his retirement, when Houda joined his alma mater Rochester Americans as an assistant coach.

Houda worked his way up to the NHL after just two seasons behind an AHL bench, proceeding to spend 10 seasons on the Boston Bruins’ bench, then six years with the Detroit Red Wings, prior to his pair of seasons in New York. While he certainly didn’t accomplish what he wanted to with the Islanders, Houda’s playing career and reputation as a loyal assistant coach will likely earn him a new role quickly.

Lightning Add J.D. Forrest To AHL Coaching Staff

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The Lightning have hired J.D. Forrest as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, as announced Wednesday. He steps into the position vacated by Daniel Jacob, who’s mutually parting ways with Tampa, per the release.

Forrest, 43, is entering his second decade as a coach after ending his playing career, which he primarily spent in European pro leagues, in 2014. The New York native began as an intern assistant coach for the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he played from 1997 to 2000. By 2016, he’d landed a job in the Penguins organization as an assistant with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he remained up until a few months ago. He was promoted to head coach of the Baby Pens in 2020 and held the role for four seasons before being let go in April.

The 2000 sixth-round pick of the Hurricanes was a candidate for other minor-league coaching jobs, including the Sabres’ vacancy in Rochester, but it didn’t materialize. Instead, he settles for an assistant role in Syracuse under Joël Bouchard, who’s entering his second season behind the bench. Bouchard guided the Crunch to a 39-24-9 record last season before being eliminated in the North Division Final by the Cleveland Monsters.

As head coach of WBS, Forrest recorded a 113-102-24-13 record.

Atlantic Notes: Swayman, Bussi, Houle

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While a Linus Ullmark trade is the expected outcome when it comes to what happens with Boston’s goaltending situation, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe discusses the other possibility on the trade front.  Instead of moving Ullmark and signing Jeremy Swayman to a long-term deal, perhaps extending Ullmark and moving Swayman could be the better way to go for the Bruins.

Swayman has two years of club control remaining (with arbitration eligibility) and is coming off the better year between the two plus a strong playoff showing that saw him post a 2.15 GAA and a .933 SV% in a dozen starts.  His trade value would be considerably higher as a result, giving the Bruins a chance to potentially fill multiple needs, including an impact center and a defensive upgrade.  At this point, it doesn’t seem likely to happen but if trade talks surrounding Ullmark stall out over extension discussions, the Bruins could certainly consider flipping the script.  Considering how quickly the goalie market moves in the summer, however, it’s a decision they’d have to make rather quickly.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Speaking of Bruins netminders, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link) that the team has made progress on a new deal for pending RFA goaltender Brandon Bussi. The 25-year-old is coming off a strong year with AHL Providence where he had a 2.67 GAA with a .913 SV% in 41 games.  Depending on if Boston has to take a goalie back in the eventual trade and how they plan to use their cap space, it’s possible that he could be in line to take over the second-string duties next season despite not having yet made an appearance at the NHL level.
  • Just weeks after signing him to a three-year contract, Jean-Francois Houle is no longer the head coach with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval. The Canadiens announced on Friday that they’ve agreed to mutually part ways with Houle, allowing him to be hired by Clarkson University for their head coaching position.  It’s a return home of sorts for Houle as he played there and also began his coaching career with them as an assistant before moving on to the QMJHL and then the professional ranks.  With free agency on the horizon, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Montreal try to fill this vacancy before the end of the month.

Hurricanes Name Cam Abbott AHL Head Coach

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The Hurricanes announced Thursday that they’ve hired former Swedish Hockey League coach of the year Cam Abbott as the new head coach for their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Carolina, which spent last season without a dedicated minor-league affiliate, signed a three-year agreement to re-partner with the Wolves last month.

Abbott, 40, never played in the NHL but did have a lengthy professional career overseas after playing collegiate hockey at Cornell University. He appeared in six SHL/Elitserien seasons with Luleå HF and Rögle BK between 2008 and 2015, racking up 166 points in 276 games and winning the Champions Hockey League with Luleå in his final season as a player. Sweden remained his home as a coach, first as the bench boss for the Växjö Lakers’ junior club before being appointed Rögle’s head coach midway through the 2017-18 season.]

He remained behind the Rögle bench until he was relieved of his duties in December. In 2022, he coached a Rögle club that included Red Wings first-rounder Marco Kasper to a 27-11-5-9 record and a CHL title, earning him his aforementioned Coach of the Year honor.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Cam to our organization. He brings a long history of excellence in developing NHL stars,” said Hurricanes assistant GM Darren Yorke. “Cam’s meticulous attention to detail, clear communication and ability to inspire and motivate his teams to achieve success make him the perfect fit for our organization.”

Abbott succeeds Bob Nardella, who coached the Wolves to a 23-35-14 record last season in his lone campaign behind the bench. He’ll be the Wolves’ fourth head coach in the past four seasons, a list that includes new Sharks bench boss Ryan Warsofsky.

East Notes: Ullmark, Flyers/Senators Talks, Potulny

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With Jacob Markstrom now in New Jersey, the Senators have stepped up their efforts to acquire Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  Ullmark saw his numbers drop this year compared to his Vezina-winning 2022-23 campaign but he still posted a solid 2.57 GAA with a .915 SV% in 40 games.  Those numbers would represent a significant improvement on the 3.30 and .888 that Ottawa put up as a team in 2023-24.  Ullmark has one year left on his contract with a $5MM price tag and it’s worth noting that he has a 16-team no-trade clause so he does have some say in where he could ultimately be moved.

Meanwhile, Garrioch adds that the Bruins don’t have interest in taking back the final four years of Joonas Korpisalo’s contract as expected.  However, with Anton Forsberg ($2.75MM) set to enter the final year of his deal next season, Boston could be amenable to taking him back, allowing the Senators to reduce the additional salary they’re taking on.  That said, Garrioch notes that there is still work to be done before this possible swap has a chance of reaching the finish line.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • We’ve had three trades announced today and it appears progress was made on another one. TSN’s Travis Yost suggests (Twitter link) that the Senators and Flyers have the framework of a deal in place although it might not be announced until closer to the trade. No specifics as to who was involved were provided but those teams could be worth keeping an eye on in the coming days.
  • It appears that the Rangers are closing in on finding their next head coach at AHL Hartford. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Grant Potulny is expected to become the Wolf Pack’s next head coach.  Potulny spent the last seven seasons at Northern Michigan before resigning recently, citing a desire to pursue a position in professional hockey.  Kris Knoblauch started the season in Hartford before being hired away by Edmonton while Steve Smith served as the interim bench boss for the rest of the season.

Senators Sign AHL Head Coach David Bell To A Two-Year Extension

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Earlier today, it was noted that the Senators were turning their focus toward getting their AHL coaching staff finalized for next season.  It didn’t take long to get the first piece of the puzzle in place as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Belleville head coach David Bell to a two-year contract extension.  His deal was set to expire at the end of the month.

Bell has spent the last five seasons with Belleville.  He started as an assistant coach with them in 2019-20 and was elevated to the interim head coaching role in February 2023.  While they missed the playoffs that season, the interim tag was still lifted, a move that worked out well.  Belleville finished fourth in the North Division this season and then won the opening round of the playoffs over Toronto (their first series win in franchise history) before falling to Cleveland.

Bell has never worked at the NHL level but is certainly experienced behind a bench.  He has ten years of OHL coaching experience under his belt while he had four years of being an AHL assistant before joining Ottawa’s system.  While he’ll have to wait a little longer for his first opportunity at the top level, he now has a bit of stability while looking to build on a strong finish from this past season.

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