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Seattle Kraken Re-Sign Ryan Donato

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After not being given a qualifying offer this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent, Ryan Donato is heading back to Seattle anyway. The Kraken have signed Donato to a one-year, $1.2MM contract. General manager Ron Francis released a statement:

Ryan elevated his game last season and we’re happy to have him return to the Kraken. He completed a career year and will hopefully eclipse that in 2022-23.

While Donato’s qualifying offer would have been less than this, it would have opened up the possibility of arbitration which would have almost certainly resulted in a higher cap hit than $1.2MM. The 26-year-old forward reached new career-highs with 16 goals and 31 points in 74 games this season, after signing a one-year, $750K deal with the team in 2021.

It’s been a rollercoaster career for Donato since turning pro in 2018. He registered three points in his first game for the Boston Bruins and looked like he might be a key member of the team in the years to come. Before the end of his first full NHL season, he would be traded to the Minnesota Wild as part of the package for Charlie Coyle, and less than two years later would be sent to the San Jose Sharks for a third-round pick.

At the end of the 2020-21 season, he was left unqualified by the Sharks after scoring just six goals, leaving him without a clear path forward. With the Kraken, he has put his career back on track and now looks to take advantage of his second contract with the expansion franchise.

The Kraken, despite only entering the league a year ago, now have more than $80MM committed for 2022-23, leaving them with just over $2.2MM in cap space. Donato will try to continue carving out ice time in a forward group that has added Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and potentially Shane Wright this summer, depending on what the team does with the latter.

Edmonton Oilers Announce ECHL Affiliation

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For the last few seasons, the Edmonton Oilers had been partnered with the Wichita Thunder for their ECHL affiliation, using the minor league team to help develop their prospects. That will change after the team announced a new agreement with the Fort Wayne Komets. The two teams had been previously affiliated between 1988 and 1990.

Oilers assistant general manager Bill Scott released the following statement:

On behalf of Ken Holland, Keith Gretzky and the entire Edmonton Oilers organization, we are thrilled to announce our new affiliation with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. As one of the premiere clubs in the ECHL with a rich history of professional hockey in Indiana, we are very excited to have our future Oilers in Fort Wayne.

One of the most notable connections with the two organizations will be Colin Chaulk, who had his number retired by the Komets in 2017 after a long outstanding career with the team. Chaulk was named the new head coach of the Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, last month after serving on an interim basis after Jay Woodcroft’s promotion last season.

The Komets won the Kelly Cup as ECHL champions as recently as 2021, while partnered with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Tyler Graovac Re-Signs In KHL

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After a relatively successful debut in the KHL, Tyler Graovac is going to stay overseas. The free agent forward has signed a new contract with Vityaz Podolsk for the upcoming season, ruling out any return to North America this summer.

Graovac, 29, last played in the NHL during the 2020-21 season, when he suited up for 14 games with the Vancouver Canucks. The 6’5″ forward scored three goals during that short stint, while also putting up nine points in nine games while on loan to the Manitoba Moose. Prior to that, he had played in 70 other NHL games, most notably during 2016-17 with the Minnesota Wild, when he appeared 52 times.

The 2011 seventh-round pick spent last season with Dinamo Minsk, scoring 26 points in 44 games, while averaging over 17 minutes a night. That’s way more playing time than he ever experienced in the NHL, where he was limited to fourth-line duty even at the best of times. It appears as though his time at that level is in the past, with this new contract moving him even further away from his last appearance.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Tanner Laczynski

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The Philadelphia Flyers have reached an agreement with restricted free agent Tanner Laczynski, signing him to a two-year contract. The first year of the deal, (2022-23) will be a two-way contract, while the second will be one-way. It will carry an average annual value of $762.5K at the NHL level, meaning it is worth the league minimum in both years. Per CapFriendly, the deal breakdown is as follows:

2022-23: $750K NHL / $125K minors / $175K guaranteed
2023-24: $775K NHL

Laczynski, 25, is an interesting candidate for a bottom-six role with the Flyers this season, after playing six games with them since turning pro. A sixth-round pick in 2016, he played four years at Ohio State University before joining the organization in 2020, and has spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Still, with his versatility–Laczynski can play both center and wing–size, and work ethic, he could be in line for a shot at the opening night roster. That is likely helped by another injury, this time to Bobby Brink, coming down the pipe in recent weeks.

One thing that could hurt his chances is his waiver-exempt status, which will allow him to be freely moved to the minor leagues this season. That status will change in 2023-24 when his contract also switches to a one-way deal, suggesting that the Flyers plan on having him in the NHL by that point. There’s no guarantee that happens though, and Laczynski will still need to fight and claw for ice time if he wants to be a full-time option. If he can accomplish that, he’ll set himself up for a nice negotiation down the road, as this contract will take him right to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Janne Kuokkanen Signs In Switzerland

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After being bought out by the New Jersey Devils this offseason, Janne Kuokkanen is headed overseas. The free agent forward has signed a one-year deal with Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss National League.

Kuokkanen, 24, will earn $325K from the Devils in each of the next two seasons thanks to a buyout that gave him an opportunity to go elsewhere. It is somewhat surprising that the elsewhere he chose is overseas, given his regular place in the NHL the last two seasons, but it certainly doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of him.

Selected 43rd overall in 2016, the Finnish forward played in 57 games for the Devils this season, recording six goals and 17 points. While the $1.825MM cap hit that he would have carried this year may seem like a lot, there is likely at least some value to squeeze out of him for a lower cost. We’ll see if that happens next year, when he will still be young enough to qualify for restricted free agency–meaning a team signing him to a one-year deal in the summer of 2023 would actually be buying another year of control past that.

This might be a particularly appealing scenario if he performs well at the Swiss level, a league that is drawing more and more in-their-prime foreigners for its increasing competitiveness.

Roman Ahcan, Cole Fonstad Land Professional Tryouts

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The number of professional tryouts for Columbus Blue Jackets training camp continues to grow, with CapFriendly reporting that Roman Ahcan and Cole Fonstad will both be invited. They join three other players who had previously signed PTOs as the team gets to work early on their camp roster.

Ahcan, the brother of Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan, played 24 games with the Cleveland Monsters this year after finishing his career at the University of Wisconsin and will now try to land an NHL entry-level contract. The 23-year-old forward went undrafted and is actually already signed to an AHL deal with the Monsters for the upcoming season, though that wouldn’t pose a problem if Columbus wanted to put him on an NHL deal. In his short AHL stint last season, he scored three goals and seven points.

Fonstad, meanwhile, was a fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2018 and saw his rights expire with them in 2020 after failing to sign an entry-level deal. The 22-year-old forward played this season with the Cleveland Monsters, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 45 games, and will now try to earn a new deal with the Blue Jackets.

Bobby Brink Undergoes Hip Surgery

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The Philadelphia Flyers can’t catch a break. Bobby Brink, one of the team’s most exciting young players, recently underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. He has been given a recovery timeline of five months, according to Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic.

Brink, 21, made his NHL debut at the end of last season after an outstanding year with the University of Denver that included winning the national championship and leading the NCAA in scoring. While he didn’t score a goal during his ten-game stint with the Flyers, he showed enough talent and upside to suggest he would break camp with them this season.

Now, his next chance to suit up will be in the middle of the year, if the recovery timeline is accurate.

This news follows other injury announcements from the team, including one to Joel Farabee, the team’s other talented young winger, which could force him to miss the start of the regular season as well. Not to mention Ryan Ellis, whose future is still completely unclear, and Ivan Fedotov’s uncertain Russian situation. A lot of the reasons to get excited about Flyers hockey this season have been removed from the picture, at least temporarily, meaning it will be a tough task for new head coach John Tortorella at the start of the year.

Hopefully, Brink will return to full strength on schedule and will be able to contribute to the Flyers this season. He enters the second year of his entry-level contract, and is scheduled for restricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Minor Transactions: 07/26/22

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It may not seem like it but we’re now just about six weeks away from players starting to gather in their respective cities to prepare for the season, with training camps opening just a little while after that. That’s despite several top free agents still being unsigned, now nearly two weeks into free agency. Meanwhile, minor league teams are starting to fill out their rosters and players who aren’t going to get a good NHL offer are accepting deals overseas. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • The Tucson Roadrunners have signed Adam Cracknell to a one-year, AHL contract, bringing in the veteran minor league forward after he spent the last two seasons with the Bakersfield Condors. Cracknell has long been one of the most consistent players in the AHL, and showed it again with 21 goals and 47 points in 58 games this year, while also suiting up for Canada at the Olympics. Now 37, he isn’t ready to hang it up just yet.
  • Alexei Emelin is staying in the KHL, after signing a new one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk for 2022-23. The 36-year-old is a three-time Gagarin Cup champion, and has been back in Russia since 2018, when he decided to leave his NHL career behind. In 456 regular season games, mostly with the Montreal Canadiens, Emelin has 81 points.
  • Former top prospect Justin Pogge has signed a deal with a new DEL team, going from Kolner Haie to Grizzlys Wolfsburg for the upcoming season. The 36-year-old netminder is replacing Chet Pickard, another former top NHL prospect, who has decided to retire after spending the last seven seasons in Germany. Pogge, selected 90th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2004, appeared in seven NHL games. Pickard, 18th overall in 2008 by the Nashville Predators, never hit the ice for an NHL match.
  • Cam Morrison has signed a one-year two-way minor league contract with the Charlotte Checkers, after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Chicago Blackhawks. The 23-year-old forward was a second-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche back in 2016 but never signed with them, instead becoming a free agent after a four-year career at Notre Dame. In 43 games with the Rockford IceHogs this year, he recorded 14 points.
  • The Chicago Wolves announced they’ve signed three players, including two players who failed to receive NHL qualifying offers a few weeks ago. Most notable out of those players is former Nashville Predators defense prospect David Farrance, whose strong offensive game failed to translate from college to the pros with just 14 points in 50 games with the Milwaukee Admirals last season. He is still just 23 years old though, and it’s a nice get for the Carolina Hurricanes organization on an AHL deal. They also signed former Chicago Blackhawks goalie prospect Cale Morris and undrafted free agent forward Eric Cooley, the older brother of top 2022 draft pick Logan Cooley.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Edmonton Oilers Sign Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Edmonton Oilers have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi, agreeing on a one-year, $3MM contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Puljujarvi was the next scheduled arbitration hearing, set for this Friday, which will no longer be necessary.

The 24-year-old winger had been issued a qualifying offer before he filed for salary arbitration and had a rather strong case after scoring 36 points in 65 games this season. Selected fourth overall in 2016, Puljujarvi has had a rocky career with the Oilers so far (including a stint spent in Finland) but is starting to show signs of being a strong two-way winger that can contribute and help drive play.

This season, he set a career-high in points, assists, shots, and average ice time, while also even earning a fourth place Selke Trophy vote. His defensive ability has developed nicely, even if his overall offensive ability is still incredibly inconsistent.

There have been many who believe a change of scenery is the best option for both the Oilers and Puljujarvi, a thought only amplified when Ken Holland said at his end-of-year media availability that he had to “sort out” the situation and talk to the coaching staff before making a decision. Reports have continued to surface in the weeks since that though there were a handful of teams interested, the Oilers would be selling him for a relatively low return.

That could still happen after this agreement, and in fact, it might help any trade talks move along. Teams rarely target players headed for arbitration as acquiring them means preparing for the hearing as well. In Puljujarvi’s case, figures would have been exchanged tomorrow and once the hearing began, no settlement is allowed.

Now, the Oilers sit over the cap with a 19-man roster, though Mike Smith and Oscar Klefbom are both expected to spend the entire season on long-term injured reserve, giving the team a bit of flexibility. Edmonton still has two key restricted free agents to go, including Kailer Yamamoto whose arbitration hearing is set for August 7. When that case is settled, they will receive a short buyout window that could be used to clear additional cap space, if they chose to use it.

Arizona Coyotes Hire John Madden

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The Arizona Coyotes have added another coach to the mix, hiring John Madden as an assistant for Andre Tourigny’s staff. The team’s general manager Bill Armstrong released a statement on the move:

We are very pleased to add John to André Tourigny’s coaching staff. John is an experienced coach and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. He’s a proven winner who had a very good NHL career as a defensive specialist. I’m confident that he will be able to help our penalty-killing unit and he will be a great addition to our staff.

Madden, 49, has been with the San Jose Sharks the last two seasons but parted ways along with the rest of the staff when the team gave general manager Mike Grier the choice of the next coach. Before that, Madden served as head coach of the Cleveland Monsters for three seasons and as an assistant with the Florida Panthers.

That’s where his playing career ended as well, with Madden hanging up his skates in 2012 after more than 1,000 total games in the NHL. That includes 141 playoff contests, which, as Armstrong notes, resulted in three Stanley Cup championships. He is a Selke Trophy winner, having taken home the trophy in just his second year in the league, after a long grind to get to that level.

Undrafted, Madden played four years at the University of Michigan and two years in the minor leagues (where he was an absolute superstar) before playing his first full NHL season at the age of 26. For a team that is trying to build a program from the ground up, an experience like that can only help the young talent that will need to fight and claw for ice time.

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