AHL Transactions Ledger: 07/13/23
A busy summer in the minors continues with AHL teams loading up on talent to supplement their players on loan from their NHL parents. We’re keeping a list of today’s moves across the second-best league this side of the Atlantic here:
- The Hartford Wolf Pack have agreed to terms with defenseman Zach Berzolla on a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The move marks his second stint as a member of the Wolf Pack, where he played eight games in 2021-22 and scored one goal. He spent last season mainly with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones while on an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans, finishing second among Cyclones defenders in scoring with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 56 games. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound defenseman is likely destined for ECHL assignment again, heading back to Cincinnati after the Cyclones entered an affiliation agreement with the Wolf Pack and New York Rangers earlier this summer.
- The Rochester Americans signed former Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux to a one-year contract today. The 2018 fifth-round pick made his NHL debut last season, notching an assist in an April 13th overtime loss to the Nashville Predators. After scoring just three goals in 67 AHL games, however, the Wild opted not to issue him a qualifying offer with his contract expiring this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The former captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit still managed 22 points in the minors this season, though, placing him eighth on the Iowa Wild.
- The Rockford IceHogs have signed center Seamus Malone to a one-year, AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Malone, 27, is a former Wisconsin Badger who has spent the last three seasons with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. Malone has scored 97 points in 110 games over the last two seasons and made his first ECHL All-Star game last year. While Malone hasn’t yet had much success at the AHL level (he has eight points in 41 career games in the American League) the IceHogs are hoping Malone’s recent exceptional ECHL performance will translate to the next level.
- The Henderson Silver Knights signed 27-year-old defenseman Peter Tischke to a one-year AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Tischke spent last season with the Rochester Americans, skating in 24 games and notching four points. He’s played 78 career games at the AHL level and has 56 career games in the ECHL, almost entirely from 2019-20, his first campaign as a professional hockey player. The four-year Wisconsin Badger will now compete for a role on new head coach Ryan Craig’s Silver Knights blueline.
- The Milwaukee Admirals have added defenseman Griffin Luce from the Springfield Thunderbirds on a one-year AHL contract. The 25-year-old is a six-foot-three physical presence who played four seasons at the University of Michigan before working his way into the AHL after starting in the East Coast league. Luce only played in 19 games last season but managed 45 games in 2021-22, and he even played in two playoff games as the Thunderbirds made a run to the Calder Cup Finals.
- Former Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Eric Hjorth is reportedly signing a contract with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, according to Uffe Bodin of Hockeysverige. Hjorth, 22, was a fourth-round pick of Columbus at the 2019 draft, and the team allowed their exclusive rights to sign him elapse rather than sign him to an entry-level deal. Hjorth is a six-foot-one right-shot blueliner who has played the last two seasons in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division. The Canadiens could have a relatively crowded AHL blueline due to prospects graduating from junior leagues, so Hjorth could be more likely to play with their ECHL affiliate in Trois-Rivieres than in Laval itself.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Dallas Stars Sign Ty Dellandrea
The Dallas Stars’ most important remaining restricted free agent has a new contract. Today, the team signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a one-year deal worth $900K.
Drafted 13th overall in 2018, Dellandrea’s development has been a slow burn, but he burst onto the scene last season as a full-time player in the strictest sense of the word. One of eight Stars to play in all 82 regular-season games, Dellandrea tallied nine goals and 28 points. Interestingly enough, Dellandrea was not eligible for Calder voting, nor was he considered a rookie – he suited up in 26 games for Dallas two seasons ago in 2020-21, putting him just above the cut-off mark.
Nevertheless, Dellandrea demonstrated high-end two-way upside in a bottom-six role, posting high-end possession numbers and even excelling when used on the penalty kill. Still just 22 years old, there is still plenty of time for his offensive totals to improve. He showed strong scoring flashes in the minors in 2021-22, posting 23 goals and 50 points in 68 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Despite those positive strides, Dellandrea will likely get boxed out of a top-nine role, at least to start next season. The team’s re-signing of Evgenii Dadonov and acquisition of Matt Duchene via free agency gives them one of the best top-nine forward units in the entire league, but it does diminish Dellandrea’s potential for increased ice time. If injuries strike, however, he carries the most upward mobility of any depth forward on the Stars and will get a chance higher up in the lineup.
New York Rangers Sign Ty Emberson
The New York Rangers have negotiated a new contract for one of their more underrated defensive prospects, signing Ty Emberson to a one-year contract extension for 2023-24. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old Emberson had a breakout development season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, his first season there after the Rangers acquired him last summer from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for them taking the final two seasons of defenseman Patrik Nemeth‘s contract, which Arizona bought out last month. He posted career-highs across the board, tallying seven goals and 27 points in 69 games, and was also named the best defensive defenseman in the AHL’s Eastern Conference.
He earned those honors by playing consistent top-four minutes for Hartford all season long and finishing second on the team with a +17 rating. Arizona had selected the 6-foot-1 right-shot defender with the 73rd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Wisconsin-born Emberson likely isn’t a candidate to make the Rangers out of camp yet, and might actually slip down the depth chart in Hartford after the Rangers signed Connor Mackey and Mac Hollowell to bolster their AHL depth. That being said, he doesn’t get discussed as much as he should when talking about Rangers prospects, and he’ll look to keep up the strong two-way play in the face of increased internal competition next season.
Emberson will be a restricted free agent again next summer.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Nicolas Beaudin, Lucas Condotta
The Montreal Canadiens have signed a pair of depth players this morning, inking defenseman Nicolas Beaudin to a one-year, two-way contract and forward Lucas Condotta to a two-year, two-way contract.
CapFriendly reports Beaudin’s contract has an NHL salary of $775K, an AHL salary of $90K, and a minimum guaranteed salary of $110K. Condotta’s compensation hasn’t been reported yet.
A 2018 first-round pick, Beaudin found himself in the Canadiens organization this season after they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor-league forward Cameron Hillis just weeks into the campaign. The move has since panned out extremely well for both Beaudin and the Habs.
The 23-year-old defenseman had gone through some troubles adjusting to the pro game while in Chicago, issues undoubtedly exacerbated by the inconsistencies of playing time during the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also got a rather slight frame, standing at just 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds.
But things took off for the left-shot defender with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he scored twice and added 23 assists for 25 points in 39 games after the trade, trouncing last season’s offensive production. He saw some limited minutes at even strength, but he dominated them defensively – per data from Pick224, he was on the ice for just 16 goals at even strength in 42 total AHL games last year. He’s not expected to earn a spot with the Canadiens out of camp, but do look for him to take on an increased role in Laval next year.
The 25-year-old Condotta, meanwhile, made his NHL debut last April against the Boston Bruins, scoring a goal in the process. An undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Condotta scored 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 72 games with the Rocket in his first full pro season in 2022-23. He did so largely in a bottom-six role in the minors, where he’ll likely stick around as some younger and higher-ceiling Canadiens prospects take precedence.
Beaudin will be a restricted free agent again at the end of his deal, while Condotta’s extension walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2025.
Hockey Canada Announces Roster For 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first major international tournament of the new league year, and it’s the first major international event for 2024 NHL Draft hopefuls. Today, Hockey Canada revealed their contingent for this year’s event, which starts July 31 and runs through the middle of August. Canada has won the U-18 tournament in three of the past five occurrences, only interrupted by wins from Russia in 2020 and 2022 – as with all other international events, they’re no longer allowed to participate due to their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Canada’s full roster for the tournament is as follows:
F Maxim Masse (Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
*F Malcolm Spence (Erie, OHL)
F Justin Poirier (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
*F Roger McQueen (Brandon, WHL)
F Berkly Catton (Spokane, WHL)
*F Jordan Gavin (Tri-City, WHL)
F Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert, WHL)
F Cole Beaudoin (Barrie, OHL)
F Ollie Josephson (Red Deer, WHL)
*F Porter Martone (Mississauga, OHL)
F Liam Greentree (Windsor, OHL)
*F Michael Misa (Saginaw, OHL)
F Carson Wetsch (Calgary, WHL)
F Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat, WHL)
D Sam Dickinson (London, OHL)
D Ben Danford (Oshawa, OHL)
D Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa, OHL)
D Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor, OHL)
D Charlie Elick (Brandon, WHL)
D Henry Mews (Ottawa, OHL)
D Zayne Parekh (Saginaw, OHL)
G Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga, OHL)
*G Gabriel D’Aigle (Victoriaville, QMJHL)
G Carter George (St. Mary’s, GOJHL)
*Not draft-eligible until 2025
Headlining the forward group is Misa, already the front-runner for the first-overall selection in 2025. The 5-foot-11 center notched over a point per game in his age-15 season for Saginaw after being granted exceptional status into the OHL, finishing second on the team with 56 points in just 45 games.
There’s also Berkly Catton, a potential top-five selection come draft day in 2024. Catton appeared for Canada at last year’s IIHF U-18 World Championship and notched 23 goals and 55 points in 63 games for a struggling Spokane team.
The defense is dotted with three likely top-15 picks in 2024 – Dickinson, Mews, and Parekh, all of whom are already garnering significant attention from scouts. Parekh, a teammate of Misa’s in Saginaw, opened a lot of eyes last year while scoring 21 goals in 50 games, finishing third on the team in scoring despite being a blueliner.
San Jose Sharks Sign Kasper Halttunen
The San Jose Sharks have signed 2023 draft choice Kasper Halttunen to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team said today. CapFriendly reports the deal carries a $940K cap hit with the breakdown as follows:
2023-24: $825K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $30K games played bonus + $82.5K minor salary
2024-25: $855K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minor salary
2025-26: $855K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minor salary
The hulking Finnish winger already stands at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, and he went off the board to the Sharks early in the second round with the 36th overall pick. He didn’t necessarily turn many heads in pro play, recording just one assist in limited minutes throughout 27 games with Liiga club HIFK, but he dominated amongst his age group with 24 points in 18 junior games with HIFK and ten points in five games while captaining the national squad at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship.
The appeal with Halttunen lies mostly with his size and his shot – 18 of those 24 points in juniors were goals, and he had six goals in five games at the U-18s. Some skating issues and concerns about his overall hockey sense let him slip to the second round, and he’ll need a long development track before making an NHL impact.
He’s likely to get loaned back to HIFK for the 2023-24 campaign, which will slide the start of his entry-level contract back another season (assuming he plays less than ten NHL games). It’ll be three or four years before we likely see Halttunen in a Sharks jersey on a full-time basis, but when he does, expect one thing if nothing else – shots on goal.
Boston Bruins Sign Jesper Boqvist
The Boston Bruins have signed forward Jesper Boqvist to a one-year, one-way contract carrying a league-minimum cap hit of $775K, the team announced Wednesday.
Boqvist found himself an unrestricted free agent this summer after the New Jersey Devils opted not to issue him a qualifying offer. He’ll stay within the conference, just a few hours’ drive away from the New York area, on a league-minimum deal.
The contract does come in a few thousand dollars under the qualifying offer he was due from New Jersey, which would’ve carried a value of $917,831 in the NHL. He does secure a one-way agreement, though, something he was likely looking for after playing in 70 games for the Devils last year.
His ten goals, 11 assists, and 21 points weren’t career-highs, however – he had tallied ten goals and 13 assists for 23 points in just 56 games with the Devils the year prior. The 2017 second-round pick is showing he can stick in the NHL full-time as a reliable bottom-six scorer, and the cap-strapped Bruins are more than happy to get his services on a league-minimum deal.
The 24-year-old will maintain his restricted free agent status at the end of next season, meaning he’ll be under team control next offseason. He could slot in as the team’s fourth-line center behind Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle, and Morgan Geekie, and he’ll likely be an everyday player for the Bruins as a gigantic chunk was taken out of last season’s elite scoring depth.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Leo Carlsson
The Anaheim Ducks showed they believe in Leo Carlsson‘s potential when they selected him second overall just two weeks ago, and today they’ve affirmed it. He’s signed a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced, although they didn’t disclose financial details.
While Carlsson was considered a lock to go top-five on draft day, few thought he’d go second overall ahead of reigning Hobey Baker Award winner Adam Fantilli. The Ducks and general manager Pat Verbeek had made their choice internally, though, believing they were getting a better player in Carlsson. They opted to pass on Fantilli, who the Columbus Blue Jackets were happy to select at third overall.
The second overall selection is by no means a reach for Carlsson, though – he would have been in the discussion for the first overall choice in many past drafts. He was named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year last season playing for Orebro HK in the SHL, posting strong totals for a draft-eligible talent with ten goals, 15 assists, and 25 points in 44 games.
It’s impressive scoring for an 18-year-old against professional competition, especially when you consider his 25 points rank as the fifth-highest for a draft-eligible player in SHL history, trailing only Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Elias Lindholm, and Nicklas Backstrom. In addition, Carlsson led all SHL players aged 20 and under in points per game, ranking second in goals and third in total points and assists.
The Karlstad product also made history at the 2023 IIHF World Championship as the youngest player ever to score a goal for Sweden at 18 years and 138 days old.
Where Carlsson actually suits up next season remains unclear. His agent said earlier this month that there was no rush to decide where he’d play in 2023-24, and he now has four options with his entry-level contract out of the way: the NHL, AHL, SHL, or a combination. Being a first-round pick, his ELC with Anaheim takes precedence over the contract he’d signed in Sweden next season with Orebro, although Anaheim could still opt to loan him back to Sweden if that’s what Carlsson and the team believes is best for his development. They can also keep him in North America the entire year if they want, as he’s eligible for assignment to the minors with the San Diego Gulls.
Thomas Greiss Announces Retirement From NHL
Veteran goaltender Thomas Greiss has officially announced his retirement from the NHL after a 14-season career, per the league. The 37-year-old, who last played for the St. Louis Blues and was an unrestricted free agent, ends his career as one of Germany’s most accomplished goaltenders.
During the 2022-23 season, Greiss appeared in just 21 games for the St. Louis Blues in a backup role, finishing with a 7-10-0 record, a 3.64 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage, and one shutout. However, as offers for the upcoming season failed to entice him, Greiss said he ultimately decided to hang up his skates and embark on new ventures outside the sport.
After being drafted in the third round (94th overall) by the San Jose Sharks in the 2004 NHL Draft, Greiss embarked on a journey that saw him suit up for six teams throughout his career. In 368 regular-season games, including stints with the Blues, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes, and Sharks, he accumulated a record of 162-130-37. Greiss posted solid numbers across the board with a 2.77 GAA, a .911 save percentage, and 16 shutouts.
His most notable tenure came with the New York Islanders, where he enjoyed his best statistical seasons. From 2015 to 2020, he compiled a regular-season record of 101-60-17, accompanied by a 2.70 GAA, a .915 save percentage, and ten shutouts. In the playoffs, Greiss wasn’t a member of some recent teams that made it into the Conference Finals, but he did post quite strong numbers on the island in the postseason – recording a 7-8 record, a 2.41 GAA, a .921 save percentage, and one shutout. He did notably play a pivotal part in the Islanders’ first playoff series victory since 1993, helping the team secure a six-game triumph against the Florida Panthers in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round.
The 2019 Jennings Trophy winner sits only behind Washington Capitals legend Olaf Kolzig among tenure-related statistical categories for German goalies in the NHL. While Kolzig represented Germany internationally, he was actually born in South Africa – making Greiss the first Germany-born goalie to surpass the 100-game milestone. Leading his fellow countrymen in games played, he ranks second only to Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken in GAA, save percentage, and shutouts. Internationally, Greiss also represented Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and Germany at the 2006 Turin Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, also playing three seasons with the DEL’s Kolner Haie before coming to the NHL with San Jose.
It’s worth noting, however, that Greiss was banned from representing Germany internationally in 2021 after social media activity that put into doubt “his attitude towards [the national team’s] values.”
It was fair to wonder whether Greiss would play at least another season at home if no NHL offers came, as the national team ban didn’t bar him from competing professionally in the DEL, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. His departure from St. Louis has officially left the door open for youngster Joel Hofer to take a full-time backup spot behind Jordan Binnington next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Arizona Coyotes Hire Blaine Forsythe
The Arizona Coyotes have added longtime Washington Capitals assistant coach Blaine Forsythe to their staff, naming him as an assistant to head coach Andre Tourigny. It’s a multi-year deal for the veteran coach, per the team.
Forsythe, 47, brings quite the track record to the rebuilding Coyotes. He’s served as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals, his only NHL coaching home, for the past 14 seasons, making significant contributions to the team’s power play success. His tenure with the Capitals began in the 2006-07 season when he joined as a video coach before taking on the role of amateur scout in 2008-09. However, Forsythe’s true calling was in coaching, and he rejoined the Capitals’ coaching staff in the 2009-10 season, helping the team capture multiple Presidents’ Trophies, division titles, and a Stanley Cup championship in the meantime.
During his time in Washington, the Capitals’ power play boasted a success rate of 21.8% over the years, leading all NHL teams since 2009. He was let go, along with most of Washington’s coaching staff, after the Capitals and former head coach Peter Laviolette agreed to part ways after the end of last season.
Forsythe also worked closely with Washington’s center corps, helping get the best out of players like Evgeny Kuznetsov while in their primes. Now, he’ll work closely with young Coyotes centers like Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain, trying to develop them into long-term top-nine threats.