College Transfer Roundup: Leddy, Benoit, Emerson, Croteau, Muszelik
While college signings have slowed down in recent days, that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been college activity, as several NHL prospects continue to find new homes for next season. Here’s a rundown of some recent moves on that front.
- Devils prospect Charlie Leddy has transferred to Quinnipiac, notes Cameron Levasseur of The Quinnipiac Chronicle (Twitter link). The 20-year-old blueliner was a fourth-round pick by New Jersey two years ago (126th overall) and spent his first two NCAA campaigns at Boston College. This past season, he had eight assists in 39 games.
- Wild blueline prospect Nate Benoit has also transferred to Quinnipiac, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 2021 sixth-round pick was limited to just 19 appearances at North Dakota this season, collecting a single assist which was not the freshman year he was certainly hoping for.
- Hurricanes youngster Michael Emerson has committed to Merrimack, reports Mike McMahon of College Hockey News (Twitter link). The winger was a sixth-round pick last year, going 190th overall. He started the season at North Dakota but left after six games, opting to go back to USHL Chicago, where he posted 20 points in 27 contests.
- Canadiens goalie prospect Emmett Croteau announced (Twitter link) that he has transferred to Dartmouth. A sixth-rounder two years ago, the 20-year-old had a very quiet first season in college, getting into just six games with Clarkson. There, he struggled, putting up a 3.53 GAA and a .835 SV%. Dartmouth lost their starter to the pros when Cooper Black signed with Florida, so Croteau may have an easier path to playing time next season.
- Panthers prospect Tyler Muszelik is on his way to UConn, reports Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The netminder was a 2022 sixth-rounder, going 189th overall after spending time in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Muszelik spent the last two seasons at the University of New Hampshire but in a backup role. UConn’s tandem has both moved on (Ethan Haider to the pros and Arseni Sergeyev via the portal) so the 19-year-old should have a better path to playing time next season.
Coyotes Assign Conor Geekie To AHL
With the franchise being relocated to Utah for next season, there aren’t many too transactions coming in the near-term future for the Coyotes. However, there was one today as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-assigned center Conor Geekie to AHL Tucson.
The 19-year-old was the 11th overall pick two years ago by Arizona, giving them another potential core piece up front. Geekie got off to a dominant start this season with WHL Wenatchee, notching 20 goals and 29 assists in just 26 games before leaving to play for Canada at the World Juniors where he had three points in five contests.
Upon his return from the tournament, Geekie was moved to Swift Current who was stocking up for what they hoped was a long playoff run. He produced at a similar clip with the Broncos, tallying 23 goals and 27 helpers in just 29 games; all told, finished with 99 points in only 55 appearances, finishing fourth in the league in points per game. However, the playoff run wasn’t as long as they were hoping for having lost to Moose Jaw in the second round. Geekie was still productive in the postseason, however, collecting six goals and three assists in nine contests.
With the assignment to the Roadrunners, Geekie can now get his first taste of AHL action with Tucson, a team that finished second in the Pacific Division and third in the Western Conference. It should be a good test for him as Geekie will be able to turn pro full-time next season.
Kraken Sign Carson Rehkopf, Assign David Goyette To AHL
While Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf is certainly disappointed that his OHL playoffs came to an end, there was some good news for him. The Kraken announced today (Twitter link) that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry an AAV of $950K; CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the deal breaks down as follows:
2024-25: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K ‘B’ performance bonuses
2025-26: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus
2026-27: $855K salary, $95K signing bonus
The 19-year-old was a second-round pick by Seattle back in 2023, going 50th overall. Early indications are that the Kraken got good value with that selection. Rehkopf finished second in the OHL in goals this season, posting 52 in just 60 games with Kitchener while chipping in with 43 assists. He also was productive in the playoffs, notching six goals and five helpers in 10 contests before being swept in the second round by London.
As a result of his elimination in junior, the Kraken can assign Rehkopf to AHL Coachella Valley if they so desire to keep him skating during the Firebirds’ postseason. However, that will not be an option for him for the start of the 2024-25 campaign; he’ll either have to stick with Seattle or return to junior. If the latter happens and he plays in fewer than 10 NHL games, his contract will slide and not start until 2025-26.
While they finalize their plans for Rehkopf, they have elected to send another OHL prospect to the Firebirds. CapFriendly reported on Saturday (Twitter link) that the Kraken re-assigned forward David Goyette to Coachella Valley. The 20-year-old center led the OHL in points this season, tallying 40 goals and 77 assists with Sudbury before adding five goals and five assists in ten playoff contests prior to their elimination at the hands of North Bay in the second round. It’s the second straight year that Goyette has been loaned after the OHL postseason so he’ll get a chance to get some more experience before playing at that level full-time next season.
Rangers Recall Adam Edstrom And Louis Domingue
Several teams have made roster moves today to add some extra depth for the playoffs. The Rangers are the latest to have done so, announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of forward Adam Edstrom and goaltender Louis Domingue from AHL Hartford.
Edstrom is in the second season of his entry-level contract and got his first taste of NHL action this season, getting into 11 games with New York. The 23-year-old picked up two goals while adding 30 hits on the fourth line, averaging just 8:25 per game. He had a more prominent role with the Wolf Pack, however, resulting in more production as Edstrom had 11 goals and five assists in 40 appearances in the minors. He’ll serve as an extra forward to start their series against Washington.
As for Domingue, the netminder won his lone NHL start this season back in November but has spent the rest of the year with Hartford. Through 28 appearances, he has a 2.66 GAA and a .909 SV% while also scoring a goal last Friday. The 32-year-old signed a one-year extension back in March and will now serve as New York’s third-string option for the postseason, a role he’ll likely reprise next year as well.
Wild Notes: Gustavsson, Faber, Injuries, Front Office
After a strong first season in Minnesota, Filip Gustavsson’s second year didn’t go anywhere near as planned. The 25-year-old saw his save percentage drop by 32 points from .931 to .899 while his GAA went up nearly a full goal from 2.10 to 3.06 in 43 appearances. With Marc-Andre Fleury signing on for a final season and GM Bill Guerin indicating he wants to give Jesper Wallstedt a longer NHL look, some have wondered if Gustavsson could be the odd one out. Despite the potential logjam, the netminder told reporters including Sarah McLellan and Rachel Blount of the Star Tribune that he wants to stay. Head coach John Hynes indicated that an improved fitness level will be key to a successful offseason for Gustavsson.
More from Minnesota from McLellan and Blount’s piece:
- Defenseman Brock Faber played the last two months with fractured ribs. The injury certainly didn’t seem to slow the 21-year-old who logged nearly 25 minutes a night in his rookie year while leading Minnesota’s blueliners with 47 points in 82 games, making him a Calder Trophy contender. The injury, however, will keep him out of the Worlds next month. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Guerin try to work out a long-term extension with Faber this summer, one that could push past the $8MM mark based on recent comparables including Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson.
- Speaking of injuries, defenseman Jared Spurgeon and winger Marcus Foligno are expected to be fully ready for training camp in September. Spurgeon was limited to just 16 games this season due to hip and back surgeries but resumed skating four weeks ago. When healthy, the 34-year-old logs big minutes for the Wild and he’ll certainly be a big boost to their back end in the fall. As for Foligno, he missed the final couple of weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery; he won’t be able to return to the ice until June.
- Guerin indicated that the team will likely announce changes to the front office. They didn’t appoint a replacement when assistant GM Chris O’Hearn left so at a minimum, a new assistant will need to be appointed. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic suggest (subscription link) that Mat Sells, who works in analytics and helps with contract negotiations, is a candidate for a promotion to that role.
Stars Recall Derrick Pouliot And Matt Murray
The Stars have made a pair of additions to their roster heading into their opening-round series against Vegas. The team announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Derrick Pouliot and goaltender Matt Murray from AHL Texas.
Pouliot has spent most of the season in the minors, getting into 64 AHL contests where he has been quite productive, notching nine goals and 37 assists, setting new personal benchmarks across the board. That helped earn him five appearances with Dallas where he was held off the scoresheet while logging just over a dozen minutes a night of ice time.
Jani Hakanpaa is making progress in coming back from a lower-body injury that has kept him out for the last month but he’s not quite ready to return. It appears Pouliot will be the seventh defenseman while waiting for Hakanpaa to eventually return.
As for Murray, his addition to the roster isn’t due to an injury to either Jake Oettinger or Scott Wedgewood. Instead, the team has termed his recall as “for purposes of emergency during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs”. There are no emergency (EBUG) options in the postseason so teams will often make sure to have a third netminder on hand which Murray will serve as.
The 26-year-old played in one NHL contest this season, collecting a 23-save shutout over Minnesota back in January. Meanwhile, he got into 31 contests in Texas, posting a 14-15-2 record with a 3.02 GAA and a save percentage of .896.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Lohrei, Cormier, Knight
The availability for Maple Leafs winger William Nylander for tonight’s series opener against Boston is up in the air. He didn’t take part in the game day skate today and head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t have any updates. Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the injury isn’t something he was trying to play through down the stretch (where he struggled, notching just four points – all assists – in his final 11 games). Instead, he woke up with some discomfort on Thursday that has made him uncertain for this one. Despite the late-season struggles, Nylander finished second on Toronto in scoring this season, picking up 40 goals for the second straight year while posting a career-best 58 assists and 98 points.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- The Bruins announced that they’ve returned blueliner Mason Lohrei to AHL Providence, one day after being recalled. The 23-year-old has been recalled to the NHL roster on 11 separate occasions this season, where he got into 41 games, recording 13 points and 63 blocks in just under 17 minutes a night of action, good numbers for a rookie. Lohrei also has played in 19 contests with Providence, picking up a goal and 14 helpers. If Lohrei isn’t going to be in Boston’s lineup, it makes more sense to have him continue to play in the minors but if an injury strikes on the back end in the playoffs, he could be recalled once more.
- The Panthers have added goaltender Evan Cormier to their roster, relays George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 26-year-old was converted to an NHL deal just before the trade deadline, making him eligible to be recalled. Cormier isn’t covering for an injury but instead will serve as Florida’s third-string emergency option and a practice netminder. He spent most of this season with ECHL Florida, posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 SV% in 22 games.
- Panthers netminder Spencer Knight was named the recipient of the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award, per an announcement from the AHL. The award goes to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. Knight spent the entire season in the minors after coming back from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program to receive help with managing obsessive-compulsive disorder. The 23-year-old has a 2.45 GAA and a .904 SV% in 44 games with AHL Charlotte this season and will stay down there to help in their playoff run; he’ll likely take Cormier’s spot as the third-string option once the Checkers are eliminated.
Kings Recall Carl Grundstrom And Aaron Dell
The Kings have made a pair of roster moves as they get set for Monday’s series opener against Edmonton. The team announced that they’ve recalled winger Carl Grundstrom from his conditioning loan with AHL Ontario and also promoted goalie Aaron Dell from the Reign.
Grundstrom hasn’t played with Los Angeles in more than two months due to a lower-body injury but did get into a pair of games with the Reign this past week, picking up a goal and an assist. The 26-year-old played in 50 games with the Kings this season, collecting eight goals and four assists along with 115 hits while averaging a little under 11 minutes a night. With how long he has been out, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll jump back into the lineup right away but there’s a good chance he’ll suit up at some point in the series.
As for Dell, his AHL contract was converted to an NHL one last month, making him eligible to be recalled down the stretch. He played in a dozen games for the Reign after joining them midseason, posting a 2.57 GAA with a .914 SV%. The 130-game NHL veteran will serve as Los Angeles’ emergency third-string option for the postseason, allowing prospects Erik Portillo and Jacob Ingham to serve as Ontario’s tandem heading into the AHL playoffs.
Metropolitan Notes: Fast, Pageau, Shea
The Hurricanes will be without one of their wingers for their series opener against the Islanders today. Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer relay that Jesper Fast will be unavailable for the first game of the series at a minimum due to a neck strain suffered on Tuesday in the final game of the regular season. However, the injury isn’t expected to keep the veteran out for long as GM Don Waddell said that it’s “a matter of days” before Fast returns to the ice though head coach Rod Brind’Amour added the 32-year-old won’t play until he gets at least one full practice in. Fast is coming off a quiet year that saw him collect just 19 points in 73 games but he was one of Carolina’s key secondary scorers in the playoffs last season so they’ll certainly be hoping he can return as soon as possible.
More from the Metropolitan:
- The Islanders have listed center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) as a game-time decision against Carolina, notes Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 31-year-old left Wednesday’s game in the first period and didn’t return. Pageau had a solid regular season on the third line, collecting 11 goals and 22 assists while playing in all 82 games for the first time since 2016-17.
- After clearing waivers on Friday, the Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-assigned defenseman Ryan Shea to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 27-year-old didn’t make his NHL debut until this season but got into 31 games with Pittsburgh, scoring once while averaging 12:37 per night. Shea, a pending unrestricted free agent, has suited up 22 times for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, collecting six points and will continue to play for them in their upcoming playoff action.
Jonathan Drouin Ruled Out For Opening Round Due To Injury; Avalanche Recall Three Players
The Avalanche will be without a key part of their forward group for the opening round against Winnipeg. The team announced today (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Drouin will miss the first-round series due to a lower-body injury.
The 29-year-old suffered the injury in the second period of Colorado’s regular season finale against Edmonton and did not return. It was a game where Edmonton elected to sit as many of its key players as possible while the Avs elected to dress pretty much their intended playoff lineup, a decision that clearly wound up not working out for them.
After a rough finish to his time with Montreal, Drouin elected to take a low-cost one-year deal with Colorado in the hopes of boosting his value for next summer. After a slow start, he certainly did just that. Drouin produced at nearly a point-per-game level over the final two months of the season, earning himself a full-time promotion to the top line in the process. All told, his first year with the Avalanche ended with 19 goals and 37 assists in 79 games; his 56 points rank eighth among all pending unrestricted free agents.
Colorado only has two extra forwards on their active roster at the moment. One is winger Joel Kiviranta, who had just nine points in 56 games this season. The other is Chris Wagner, who Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now reports (Twitter link) has been recalled from AHL Colorado. Both are better suited as fourth-line depth players so some line reshuffling certainly will be happening before their series gets underway on Sunday.
Not long after the injury, the team confirmed Wagner’s recall while also announcing (Twitter link) that Brad Hunt and Arvid Holm have also been recalled. Hunt, a defenseman, had a very productive year, notching 16 goals and 33 assists in 70 games. Holm, meanwhile, will serve as Colorado’s third-string emergency netminder. The 25-year-old, who will become a Group Six free agent this summer, posted a 2.97 GAA with a save percentage of just .887 in a dozen games with the Eagles this season.