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Free Agent Profile: Calvin De Haan

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When it became clear that the Chicago Blackhawks would be pursuing a no-holds-barred teardown under new GM Kyle Davidson, many presumed that, at the very least, any player on an expiring deal in Chicago would be dealt by the team at the trade deadline. Davidson traded Ryan Carpenter and Marc-Andre Fleury, two players on expiring deals, but one of the team’s top pending unrestricted free agents, Calvin de Haan, stayed put. It seemed curious that a veteran, experienced defenseman with a defense-first game like de Haan would not be dealt as a deadline rental, but that’s exactly what happened.

Now, de Haan’s offseason free agent market is looking a lot like his trade market: curiously slow. Expecting a vibrant, robust market for de Haan would have been a mistake. The veteran of over 500 NHL games has been on the decline, and his health has been a nagging problem since he began his professional career. De Haan has played in a full 82-game season just once, which is worrying due to the fact that he made his NHL debut in 2011-12. He’s had every opportunity but just hasn’t been able to remain available consistently.

Additionally, de Haan’s game has become a bit one-dimensional. In a league where the two-way, transitional defenseman is in vogue, de Haan’s game is a bit of a throwback. To say de Haan is “defense-first” would be an understatement. He’s “defense-only” at this point in his career, with little in the way of offensive utility. He had just eight points in 69 games, and his issues with shoulder injuries have taken a toll on his puck skills. But, even with all that in mind, it still is a bit of a surprise to see de Haan unsigned in August, especially given the leaguewide sentiment of “you can never have too many capable defensemen.”

Despite all the flaws in his overall profile, there still is a place for de Haan in the NHL. His usage has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He got around 19-20 minutes of ice time per game earlier in his career and now gets around 18 minutes a night with second-unit penalty-killing duties. While some could see his defensive style to be one-dimensional and a negative to his game, others could see value in the steadiness and safety he provides. To use a popular hockey cliche, de Haan is a defenseman who is best when he’s not noticed, and de Haan has become adept at remaining anonymous on the ice as he’s aged. That style isn’t for everyone, but it’s hard to believe that there aren’t any teams in the NHL who want to add that to their roster, even if he does have to spend some time on injured reserve.

Stats:

2021-22: 69 GP, 4G 4A 8pts, -21 rating, 33 PIMs, 107 shots, 18:57 ATOI

Career: 520 GP, 19G 100A 119pts, 0 rating, 195 PIMs, 736 shots, 19:29 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Based on de Haan’s overall profile, he fits best with a team in need of a steady, veteran defenseman to stabilize their blueline and help them integrate young defensemen into the fold. Given de Haan’s status as a still unsigned free agent, he may not be in a strong enough position to be able to pick and choose his destinations. While he undoubtedly would like to sign with a contender, a mentorship role on a younger team could be a better fit at this stage of his career. Additionally, with cap space at an absolute premium, he may only receive the sort of contract he desires from a team with lots of cap space, and most teams with cap space right now are ones not in a “win-now” phase.

One potential fit for de Haan is the Buffalo Sabres. They had an encouraging season last year, but their team is still remarkably young, especially on defense. Their oldest defender who projects to be in their nightly lineup is Ilya Lyubushkin, who is 28 but has just 211 NHL games under his belt, and just seven career playoff contests. The next-oldest defenseman likely to make their NHL roster is Jacob Bryson, who is just 24 and made his NHL debut in 2020-21. If we assume Mattias Samuelsson will partner with Rasmus Dahlin on the team’s first pairing, as he did at times last season, and Owen Power will slide into a second-pairing role next to Lyubushkin, the Sabres have a possible opening for de Haan on their third pairing next to Henri Jokiharju. Jokiharju, a defenseman with puck-moving ability, could be a solid partner for de Haan and someone whose game could be improved thanks to the stability de Haan would provide.

Additionally, the Sabres have a glut of tweener defensemen in their organization, names like Lawrence Pilut, Chase Priskie, and Kale Clague, who could insulate team from a de Haan injury. They also have nearly $20MM in available salary cap space and just one remaining free agent to tie up, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. While there hasn’t been a bidding war for de Haan’s services by any means, the Sabres could make any de Haan deal fit onto their books quite smoothly.

Another fit could be a return to his former team, the New York Islanders. The Islanders’ top-four on defense looks set. The Adam Pelech–Ryan Pulock pairing isn’t going to change anytime soon, and summer trade acquisition Alexander Romanov will likely get a long look next to breakout star Noah Dobson. Their bottom pairing, though, looks a bit more open. Scott Mayfield will play on the right side, but who will be his partner? The team could opt to go young and stick Robin Salo in the role, but if he’s not ready they could be forced to give Sebastian Aho regular minutes, which might not be ideal if the team is intent on returning to the playoffs. De Haan would fit into their current salary cap puzzle and give Salo veteran competition for that third-pairing role, as well as give the Islanders yet another defense-first option to fit into their style of play.

He has familiarity with the organization and a clear place to play in the lineup if the youngsters aren’t ready. Might the team prefer to stick a more up-tempo, pace-pushing option next to Mayfield? Sure, but giving de Haan a contract and a chance to win that job wouldn’t hurt, either.

Projected Contract:

De Haan ranked 49th on PHR’s 2022 Top 50 UFAs list, and was projected to earn a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Ottawa Senators. A role on the Senators as either a seventh defenseman or competition to Erik Brannstrom for a third-pairing role could make sense, but maybe not at the $1.5MM cost we projected, especially if Senators GM Pierre Dorion is still seeking a big-name defensive addition.

It’s difficult to exactly project de Haan’s next deal, as on paper he’s more qualified than the veteran defensemen who have received one-year, two-way league minimum deals this summer.

But, on the other hand, he’s also had issues with availability and many teams place value on a defenseman who is able to stay in the lineup and remain healthy. It’s definitely possible that de Haan has to settle for a minimum contract with a sizeable minor-league guarantee, but that doesn’t seem likely. A one-year deal with one of the above clubs at a cap number similar to our $1.5MM projection seems like a reasonable outcome for his free agent journey, even if the ultimate number does come in a bit closer to $1MM.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Financial information courtesy of CapFriendly.

West Notes: Roy, Lowe, Canucks Coaching

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Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy was one of the team’s few bright spots in what was a difficult 2021-22 campaign, a season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The 25-year-old flew past his career highs in production, playing 78 games and scoring 15 goals and 39 points. Roy is a big center who still has room to grow, and the Golden Knights are understandably bullish on his future. He’s a restricted free agent who did not elect arbitration, and he is currently in the negotiation process with the Golden Knights for an extension.

According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, “contract talks are further along with Roy” than with the other two restricted free agents, Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Hague. (subscription link) Kolesar has an arbitration date later this month. It’s easy to see why the Golden Knights would want to retain Roy, possibly even on a long-term deal, as Granger speculates they could prefer. Roy is currently slotted in as Vegas’ third-line center behind Jack Eichel and William Karlsson, although he could even move up in the lineup along either of the wings if new coach Bruce Cassidy prefers to use Chandler Stephanson in that slot. Granger writes that a long-term pact for Roy could come at around a $3MM cap hit, which would be a strong deal for Vegas, especially in the coming years if Roy continues his trajectory and the salary cap eventually rises.

Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Western Conference teams:

  • Recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Lowe has operated in many roles for the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a coach, a GM, a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, and most recently an important executive. Now, his role is set to change. Per a team announcement, Lowe is retiring from his role as Vice Chair and Alternate Governor of the Oilers. The Oilers state that moving forward, Lowe will “stay connected” to the organization and community as an ambassador, but not in the more senior role he has occupied for many years.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have named a new development and goalie coach for their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Marko Torenius has been named to that role. The Sakyla, Finland native has worked as the goalie coach for SKA St. Petersburg since the 2014-15 season. Torenius has experience working with many talented goaltenders, including Igor Shesterkin, Mikko Koskinen, Magnus Hellberg, Yaroslav Askarov, and Pyotr Kochetkov.

Philadelphia Flyers Re-Sign Zack MacEwen

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6:47 pm: The Flyers have made the deal official (link).

4:59 pm: Another player has settled with his team before their upcoming arbitration date. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Philadelphia Flyers and restricted free agent winger Zack MacEwen have settled on a one-year, $925K deal for next season.

MacEwen, an undrafted player, broke into the NHL in 2018-19 as a fast-rising member of the Vancouver Canucks organization. MacEwen made a successful transition from being a prolific junior scorer in the QMJHL to being a strong AHL performer. In his rookie AHL year, MacEwen had a healthy 33 points in 66 games. In his second AHL season, MacEwen reached another level, scoring 22 goals and 52 points in 69 games, a performance that earned him a four-game look at the NHL level, where he recorded his first NHL fight.

He got a longer look in 2019-20, scoring five goals in 17 games, before sticking in the NHL full-time in 2020-21, albeit with games missed due to COVID-related absence, healthy scratches, and a suspension. His performance in his first year on an NHL roster full-time – one goal and one assist in 34 games – was not the sort of impactful campaign many had hoped for based on MacEwen’s AHL success. As a result, MacEwen was waived by the Canucks at the start of 2021-22.

The Flyers put in a claim for MacEwen, and he ended up in 75 of their games. Philadelphia endured a brutal season last year, and MacEwen’s lack of productivity didn’t help. He had just nine points in 75 games, production that only lowers the odds of MacEwen ever translating his AHL numbers into secondary scoring at the NHL level.

But, with that being said, there are still things MacEwen brings to the table that the Flyers clearly value, perhaps even more so now that they’re under the stewardship of John Tortorella. In his limited ice time per game (under ten minutes last season) MacEwen can bring the sort of energy, physicality, and overall relentlessness most coaches want to see from their fourth liners. MacEwen finished the season with 159 hits, second on the Flyers after perennial hits leader Ramus Ristolainen, and had 110 penalty minutes, racking up quite a few fights.

If the Flyers genuinely want to re-shape today’s Flyers into authentic “Broad Street Bullies,” MacEwen is the sort of player who can help with that.

This one-year, $925K contract gives MacEwen the chance to stick on the Flyers’ roster for another year. The one major threat to his place in Philadelphia’s plans is the signing of Nicolas Deslauriers to a four-year deal. Deslauriers operates in a similar role to MacEwen, albeit with more experience and a bit more flair. It’s possible that the addition of Deslauriers spells doom for MacEwen in Philadelphia, but it’s equally possible that Tortorella falls in love with MacEwen’s style and finds a way to keep him in a depth role. Whichever route the Flyers go in could be entirely up to MacEwen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Oliver Kylington

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5:00 PM: The Flames have officially announced the contract.

4:39 PM: The Calgary Flames and restricted free agent defenseman Oliver Kylington have avoided arbitration. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the team has agreed on a two-year, $2.5MM AAV contract with Kylington.

Notably, this deal will allow Kylington to reach unrestricted free agency once it expires. The deal covers the 25-year-old’s final two RFA years, and will give him the opportunity to hit the open market as a 27-year-old free agent. Kylington was scheduled to appear with the Flames before an arbitrator on August 10th.

Looking at this signing from an on-ice perspective, Kylington had a breakout season last year which definitely earned him this nice raise. Kylington was once a top prospect whose shine had dulled a bit in recent years. He was always seen as the type of pace-pushing, offensively-oriented defenseman who could excel at lower levels but might struggle to put all his tools together to become an effective NHL defenseman. This year, he found the right amount of balance in his game and managed to stay in the lineup and play in 73 games.

Kylington played most of the year next to Chris Tanev, one of the better defensive defensemen in hockey. Tanev’s shutdown game and overall reliability provided Kylington the freedom to operate and to act on his offensive instincts. Kylington helped the Flames reach new heights in the regular season, and he finished 2021-22 with nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. Kylington saw secondary power play time and, generally speaking, proved he could stick in the most difficult league in the world.

While he’s no longer a prospect, there could still be room to grow in Kylington’s game. He’ll head back to Calgary and join a stacked defense corps, hoping to help the Flames build off of last season’s success despite the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Martin Pospisil

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The Calgary Flames have taken care of another restricted free agent, inking forward Martin Pospisil to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750k, per a club announcement. Pospisil is one of the Flames’ final few RFA’s that still need contracts, part of a group headlined by Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington.

Pospisil, 22, was a fourth-round pick of the Flames at the 2018 draft, a selection out of the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. The six-foot-one, 195-pound forward doesn’t have the sort of box score numbers that jump out, save for in one area: penalty minutes. In his first season on North American ice in 2017-18, Pospisil had a whopping 253 penalty minutes in 49 games. While he’s toned his game down a bit from that level, his aggressiveness and rambunctious style are things he’s carried into his professional career.

Pospisil has played the past three seasons with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, save for a brief 21-game stretch with HC Kosice in his native Slovakia in 2020-21. In the AHL, Pospisil has had so-so production, with 25 points in 47 games last season and 11 points in his 14 AHL games in 2020-21.

The one-year extension for Pospisil could be seen as an indication that he will need to show more on the ice in order to secure his spot in the organization’s long-term plans. Pospisil saw some time on the Heat’s power play last season, but did not factor into the team’s penalty kill. For him to have a true path to the NHL, he may need to shore up his defensive game, get some experience on the penalty kill, and prove he can adapt to and thrive in a bottom-six role, where he would likely end up if he made the NHL.

Pospisil has the sort of physical game in front of the net that suggests he can get there, but he’ll need to show some more versatility at the AHL level before getting an extended look in Calgary.

New Jersey Devils Sign Tyce Thompson

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The Devils and restricted free agent forward Tyce Thompson have struck a deal to avoid arbitration. The team announced today that they’ve signed Thompson to a two-year deal. The financial structure of the deal is as follows:

2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $175K AHL salary (two-way)
2023-24: $775,000 NHL salary (one-way)

Thompson, 23, is the brother of Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson and the son of former NHLer Brent Thompson. A 2019 fourth-round pick, Thompson made his professional debut in 2020-21 after a three-year stint at Providence College in the NCAA.

Thompson was a highly productive college forward, scoring 94 points in 101 career games, with time served as team captain in his senior season. Thompson’s time as a pro has been less successful than his collegiate career, although that’s largely for reasons out of his control. Thompson spent most of last season recovering from shoulder surgery, and as a result, only got into 18 games. (two with the Devils, 16 with the AHL’s Utica Comets)

In Utica, Thompson began to show why he was such a strong NCAA scorer. He had six goals and 15 points in 16 games, proving that his collegiate production could translate to the professional game. The Calgary, Alberta native will likely spend the first year of his new deal in the AHL, hoping to repeat his performance from last season in a larger sample size and continue to show Devils management that he’s worthy of NHL opportunities.

If all goes according to plan, 2023-2024 will be the year he becomes a regular NHL-er, as evidenced by the structure of the deal. Thompson was given a one-way contract for that year, meaning he cannot be sent to the minors without clearing waivers, and will not be subject to a significantly reduced minors salary. The Devils clearly believe in Thompson, and should he find his way to the NHL he will join a promising team in New Jersey that could be overflowing with talented youngsters in just a few years.

Minor Transactions: 08/02/22

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It’s been a long, slow grind since the craziness of free agency opening on July 13, with a good number of high-end free agents remaining unsigned. With many other leagues than just the NHL looking to get their rosters set for next season, though, that hasn’t been the case everywhere. Minor-league teams and overseas leagues are making moves and transactions to their squads every day, giving hockey fans something else to look at. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions right here.

  • 2012 first-round pick Jordan Schmaltz is switching leagues. After heading overseas for 2021-22 in order to play for HIFK Helsinki in the Finnish Liiga, and now he’s headed to Switzerland for 2022-23. Per an official team announcement, Swiss club EHC Kloten has signed Schmaltz to a contract for next season. Schmaltz had a successful European debut, leading all HIFK blueliners with 33 points in 55 games last season. His offense-first, pace-pushing style should excite fans in Kloten and help improve their offense. The five-time Swiss champions are making their return to the top-tier of Swiss hockey after being relegated in 2017-18, and their signing of Schmaltz should help them compete next season.
  • After a four-season run in the NHL that saw him suit up for four different NHL teams, Dominik Kahun made the choice to return to Europe to continue his professional career. Kahun signed a deal with SC Bern in Switzerland, and after an extraordinarily successful debut in the Swiss league that saw him score 16 goals and 44 points in just 42 games, Kahun has gotten that deal extended. Kahun’s initial contract ran through 2024, and now Bern has announced that they have extended the contract by three more seasons, through 2026-2027. This is an understandable move for both the team and for Kahun. For Kahun, his experience switching teams every year in order to stick in the NHL may have taken a toll on him, and he could prefer stability at this point in his career, which is what he’s gotten from Bern. For Bern, they keep an in-his-prime player who has shown himself to be an offensive force in their league for many seasons to come.
  • Alexei Lipanov, a 2017 third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is headed back to Russia. Per a team announcement, Lipanov has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Spartak Moscow of the KHL. Lipanov spent 2021-22 playing for three teams: the Syracuse Crunch and Texas Stars of the AHL, and the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. He got into 16 total games last season and had one assist. He heads to Russia to jump-start his pro career closer to home.
  • Daniel Sylwander, the captain of MODO Hockey in Ornskoldsvik, is changing teams. Tingsryds IF, a rival Allsvenskan club, has announced the signing of Sylwander to a one-year deal. Sylwander has served as captain of MODO for the past two seasons and brings experience and leadership to a Tingsryds club looking to improve upon a tenth place finish in 2021-22.
  • Former NHLer Mark Flood is hanging up his skates. Flood, who served as captain of French Ligue Magnus side Rouen last season, has made the decision to retire and join the Ottawa Senators organization, per a team announcement. Flood last played in the NHL in 2011-12 and has played across Europe for the past eight seasons, playing in France, Austria, Russia, and Croatia. Flood, a sixth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens at the 2003 draft, had 32 points in 43 games last season and captained Rouen to a third-place finish in Ligue Magnus.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Frederik Gauthier Signs In Switzerland

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Yesterday, former NHLer Nick Shore signed in Switzerland. Today, the Swiss league adds another former NHL-er: Frederik Gauthier. Per a team announcement, Gauthier has signed a one-year deal with HC Ajoie.

Gauthier, 27, was the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round pick at the 2013 NHL draft, getting selected 21st overall. His choice came off the back of a successful debut campaign for the Rimouski Oceanic, a season where he scored 60 points in 62 games. Gauthier’s big six-foot-five frame intrigued scouts, and they believed that his polished defensive game would provide a solid base for the Maple Leafs development staff to work off of and hope to develop a two-way force.

Unfortunately for Gauthier, though, his game in one half of the ice never really took off. In all three years he spent in the QMJHL, Gauthier’s numbers remained remarkably consistent, which isn’t ideal for a first-rounder in junior hockey. His .97 points-per-game as a QMJHL rookie became a .96 mark as a sophomore, and .86 mark in his shortened final junior season. Whereas some highly-drafted prospects take off as they get older and more experienced in junior hockey, Gauthier’s offense stagnated. This fact was made especially worrying due to the fact that Gauthier was bigger and stronger than most junior players, and was still unable to use that size to overpower younger QMJHL talent as other bigger prospects have typically been able to do.

Along with his defensive game, Gauthier’s lack of progression on offense translated to the professional game. Gauthier was a fast riser, getting into seven NHL games in his first pro season, but he only got time as an NHL regular in 2018-19, after three seasons playing mostly with the Toronto Marlies. Gauthier’s AHL production always left much to be desired. In his final extended AHL stint in Toronto, Gauthier had just 18 points in 57 games. But he still got minutes with the Marlies and NHL opportunities thanks to his defensive game.

As the hopes of a long-awaited offensive breakout from Gauthier have faded, his true professional role has become clearer, and the honesty about what Gauthier is at this point in his career has led to NHL opportunities since his exit from the Maple Leafs organization.

Seeking safe, defense-first depth at the start of last season, the New Jersey Devils signed Gauthier to a two-way contract after a strong training camp playing on a PTO. He did exactly what was asked of him in the Devils organization. He had 32 points in 51 AHL games and also served as a crucial defensive forward. He was head coach Kevin Dineen’s most trusted penalty-killing forward, and his willingness to shoulder much of the team’s defensive burden up front freed top prospects such as Alexander Holtz to focus on the offensive side of the game. Gauthier also got eight NHL games in last season and averaged a whopping 2:49 time on ice per game on their penalty kill in that stretch, showcasing himself as a forward with a well-defined role.

While some might be unable to look past his status as an underwhelming first-round choice, what Gauthier provided to the Devils organization last season was legitimately valuable, especially at a league-minimum, two-way cost. In Switzerland, he’ll likely be a valuable contributor to Ajoie as well.

Ajoie are making a push this offseason after a nightmarish 2021-22 campaign that saw them win just nine games. Earlier this offseason they signed another former NHLer, T.J. Brennan, to bolster their blueline. Ajoie let in 224 goals last season, the most in the Swiss league and nearly 70 more than the third-worst club. Gauthier is a defensive specialist and should be able to help them in that area.

The Swiss league is a strong league with quite a few former NHLers. If Gauthier can continue his strong defensive play, make strides in the offensive side of the ice, and help Ajoie have an improved season from last year, 2022-23 will be a success for him. If he can get to that point, a chance at an NHL training camp in the fall of 2023 won’t be out of the question.

Minor Transactions: 08/01/22

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It’s been a long, slow grind since the craziness of free agency opening on July 13, with a good number of high-end free agents remaining unsigned. With many other leagues than just the NHL looking to get their rosters set for next season, though, that hasn’t been the case everywhere. Minor-league teams and overseas leagues are making moves and transactions to their squads every day, giving hockey fans something else to look at. We’ll keep track of today’s transactions right here.

  • Tim Schaller, a veteran of nearly 300 NHL games, has found a new AHL club for next season. Per a team announcement, the Milwaukee Admirals have signed Schaller to a one-year AHL contract. Schaller was, just a few years ago, a capable bottom-six center for the Boston Bruins. He scored 12 goals and 22 points in 82 games in 2017-18 and looked to have established himself in the NHL. But injury issues and underperformance relegated him to part-time duty with the Vancouver Canucks, and he’s spent the past two full seasons in the AHL. Last year with the Bakersfield Condors, Schaller posted 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games, playing in a similar defense-first bottom-six role to the one he played in the NHL. There is a leadership component to Schaller’s game, as he’s worn letters in both professional and collegiate hockey settings, and he should help an Admirals team looking to graduate its young talent and send them to Nashville.
  • Former QMJHL star, captain of the Quebec Ramparts, and longtime DEL fixture Brent Aubin is headed to France. After a disappointing 17-point season with the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL, Aubin has signed a contract with Grenoble of the French Ligue Magnus. Aubin is a capable forward who has a long resume of productive seasons in Europe. He should help Grenoble defend their Ligue Magnus title next season and chip in as they attempt to make a run in the Champions Hockey League.
  • 2015 third-round pick Blake Speers is headed overseas. The 25-year-old center, who was traded to the Arizona Coyotes as part of the Taylor Hall trade, has signed a one-year deal with Vasteras IK of Swedish second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan. Speers was an accomplished scorer for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, forming a deadly partnership with Boston Bruins 2015 first-rounder Zachary Senyshyn. But since he ended his OHL days, Speers has struggled to make much of an impact in the professional game. Speers has just 42 points in 203 NHL games and will look to help Vasteras achieve promotion to the SHL.
  • Swedish winger Jakob Lilja, who played 37 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019-20, is changing KHL teams. The forward, who has spent the past two seasons with KHL side Nur-Sultan Barys, has signed a two-year, one-way contract with HC Dynamo Moscow. Lilja has been productive in his KHL career thus far, with 62 points in 106 games. He’ll join a Dynamo squad eager to return to the KHL playoffs after a run to the conference semifinals last season.
  • KHL club Amur Khabarovsk announced the signings of two North American pro players today: Cam Lee and Andrew Calof. Lee, 25, was a star defenseman for Western Michigan University and became a regular with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins after turning pro, playing as a bottom-pairing defenseman under coach J.D. Forrest. Calof, 31, was, like Lee, a star in the NCAA. Calof was a top scorer for Princeton University for four seasons, finishing his collegiate career with 123 points in 117 games. After graduating, Calof immediately signed a contract with SHL side Skelleftea AIK, and became an important contributor there. After a poor final season in Skelleftea and a bounce-back year for the Vaxjo Lakers, Calof left for the KHL, where he was similarly productive. He spent last season back with Vaxjo and now heads back to the KHL once again. Both Lee and Calof are capable professionals who should be able to help Amur recover from what was a difficult 2021-22 season that saw them languish near the bottom of the KHL standings.
  • Former NHL-er Brian Gibbons, a veteran of over 200 NHL games, is changing leagues once again. The two-way forward signed with Swiss club HC Lausanne after leaving North America and spent last season  SHL club HC Linkoping. Now, he’s heading to the DEL, signing with German club ERC Ingolstadt, per a team announcement. Gibbons has brought his reliable all-arond game to Europe, although while he was productive in Switzerland he struggled in the SHL. A move to the DEL should benefit him, and be a strong addition for Ingolstadt in their climb up the DEL.
  • Forward Benjamin Baumgartner, a 2020 sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, is switching teams. The forward, who spent 2021-22 with HC Lausanne, has signed a two-year contract with fellow Swiss club HC Bern. Baumgartner has 71 points in 149 career games in the Swiss National League and is part of a growing movement of young Austrian hockey talent that boasts recently-drafted prospects in Minnesota Wild first-rounder Marco Rossi and Montreal Canadiens third-rounder Vinzenz Rohrer.
  • Matt Tugnutt, the son of longtime NHL goalie Ron Tugnutt, is headed for Europe. The 26-year-old spent last season in the ECHL, splitting time between the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and the Idaho Steelheads. The 26-year-old is a center and had 25 points in 53 ECHL games last season. He’s joining the Chamonix Pioneers of Ligue Magnus, with the goal of helping them secure their place in the top division of French hockey for another season.
  • After a long NCAA career, Seamus Donohue has chosen to continue his pro career overseas. The defenseman got seven games with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last season, and now heads to Liiga club SaiPa. Donohue is a crease-clearing defenseman who lacks experience in professional hockey. He joins a SaiPa squad that has abundant opportunities to excel, seeking new faces to help them bounce back from a 2021-22 campaign that saw them finish second-to-last in Liiga. Per the team announcement, Donohue’s contract with SaiPa is a one-year deal with an option for 2023-24.
  • The AHL’s Utica Comets announced today that they’ve signed rough-and-tumble forward Noah Corson to a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal. Corson turned pro in the Southern Professional Hockey League and parlayed that strong production (16 points in 19 games) into a shot with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals. Corson’s ECHL debut was impressive, as he posted 24 goals and 55 points in 57 games to go along with 162 PIM’s. He got a brief call-up with the Chicago Wolves and heads to Utica hoping to make their AHL squad and continue his climb up the pro hockey ladder.
  • The Minnesota Wild’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, announced the signing of defenseman Matt Murphy to a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL deal. Murphy spent time with three teams last season, getting into 21 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets and the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and Providence Bruins. Murphy had 14 points in 21 ECHL games and should serve as dependable depth for the Iowa Wild.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Boston Bruins Sign Brett Harrison

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One of the better players in a thin Boston Bruins prospect pool, Brett Harrison, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team. Per the announcement, Harrison’s deal carries an annual cap hit of $859K.

Harrison, 19, was the 85th overall pick at the 2021 draft and the second selection made by Boston. He’s spent two seasons with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, missing the entirety of 2020-21, save for ten games across two levels with Finnish club KooVee Tampere.

Harrison is a natural center who produced decently well in the OHL last season. In 71 combined regular-season and playoff contests, Harrison potted 31 goals and 68 points. Harrison plays a balanced offensive style and, if everything breaks right, could emerge as a capable middle-six center at the NHL level.

The defensive side of Harrison’s game needs work, especially if he intends on sticking at the center position as a professional. Despite being among their most talented forwards, Harrison featured only sporadically on the Generals’ penalty kill.

Harrison will in all likelihood head back to Oshawa for another season before continuing his development with the AHL Providence Bruins, his most likely first landing spot under this newly-signed contract.

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