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Minor Transactions: 09/23/21

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NHL training camps are off and running, with young players trying to earn attention and playing time across the league. While many of them may end up back on minor league rosters, some will manage to break camp in the NHL. With those battles in mind, AHL teams are still figuring out how to fill their rosters and as always, we’ll keep track of all the notable transactions right here.

  • The Cleveland Monsters have signed Jake Slaker and Zach Jordan to AHL contracts for the upcoming season. Slaker, 25, spent last season with the Texas Stars after coming out of the University of Michigan and registered 12 points in 27 games. The undrafted center had 104 points in his 147-game NCAA career, but will be hard-pressed to keep up that kind of scoring pace at the professional level. Jordan meanwhile was. with the Monsters last season, scoring six points in 27 games. He’ll be back to try and improve on those numbers in his second season of pro hockey.
  • Xavier Bouchard, a sixth-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights who never signed, has inked an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals for the upcoming season. The 21-year-old defenseman had 24 points in 39 games during his final year of junior, suiting up for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack have added Cristiano DiGiacinto and Mike O’Leary on AHL deals, the latter returning to the team after playing 16 games with them last season. O’Leary, 23, scored just three points in those games, but will get another chance to prove the skill he showcased at Notre Dame can be carried over to the AHL level. DiGiacinto meanwhile is coming from the Canadian college level, spending four years with Acadia University after winning a Memorial Cup in 2017 with the Windsor Spitfires. The 25-year-old does actually have some pro experience already, having played 12 games with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL before deciding to go back to school.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets today added goalie Evan Moyse to their training camp roster on a try-out deal. Moyse will play his first full professional season of hockey this year with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks after playing just six games over four years with Ohio State University.
  • After going undrafted in 2021, forward Lorenzo Canonica has signed an amateur try-out with the Los Angeles Kings. The newly 18-year-old native of Switzerland had 16 points in 24 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL last year, which is where he’ll be returning to in 2021-22.

This page will be updated as further transactions are reported

Snapshots: Jets, Makar, Archibald

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The Winnipeg Jets have a deep forward unit, a revamped defense, and one of the best goaltenders in the world, yet they are still sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to contenders for the 2022 Stanley Cup. Perhaps that’s because they’re from a market in snowy Manitoba that has less than a million people, but it’s also because this same core has disappointed over each of the last three postseasons, reaching the second round just once only to be swept out by the Montreal Canadiens.

If you think that the window may be closing on the key group in Winnipeg, you’re not alone–they know it too. Connor Hellebuyck told reporters today including Murat Ates of The Athletic that the Jets are “not getting any younger” and their “time is running out.” Captain Blake Wheeler will play this season at age-35, while he, Mark Scheifele, and Hellebuyck all have only three years remaining on their respective contracts. The rest of the roster isn’t as young as it once was and there’s no guarantee they are going to be better in the years to come than they are right now. There’s optimism that the Jets can be one of the best teams in the league this season, but they also have some pressure to perform while the clock is ticking.

  • When Cale Makar graced the ice today in a non-contact sweater, Colorado Avalanche fans panicked wondering what happened to their star defenseman. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that Makar had a procedure in the offseason and the team will take their time getting him up to speed. Bednar didn’t seem concerned, explaining that Makar would be “good to go” soon enough.
  • Josh Archibald has been confirmed as the Edmonton Oilers player that has declined the COVID-19 vaccination, meaning he may miss 30 or more games this season depending on travel restrictions. Archibald wasn’t on the ice today as he finished a quarantine, but is expected to join his teammates tomorrow. Duncan Keith, who was recently vaccinated in the U.S., will not participate in camp until next Friday as he finishes his own quarantine.

NHL Finds No Evidence Of Evander Kane Gambling On League Games

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Sep 23: Though Kane has been cleared of the gambling allegations, this new investigation will keep him away from training camp for the time being. The Sharks released a statement earlier today explaining the situation:

The San Jose Sharks are aware of additional allegations that are unrelated to the National Hockey League’s initial investigation of Evander Kane. We take the allegations very seriously and have been in communication with the NHL. The League will continue to have our full cooperation regarding the ongoing investigation. 

The Sharks and Evander Kane have agreed that he will not be participating in Sharks 2021 Training Camp until further notice.

Sep 22: The NHL has concluded its investigation into Evander Kane and the allegations that he gambled on league games. They have found no evidence to support those allegations, or allegations that Kane made any effort to negatively impact his own games. The investigation was conducted by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, in conjunction with NHL Security. Earlier this offseason, allegations were made on social media by Kane’s estranged wife, which triggered the investigation.

The report states:

The investigation uncovered no evidence to corroborate Ms. Kane’s accusations that Mr. Kane bet or otherwise participated in gambling on NHL games, and no evidence to corroborate the allegations that Mr. Kane ‘threw’ games or did not put forward his best effort to help the Sharks win games. To the contrary, the evidence raises doubts about the veracity of the allegations.

While Mr. Kane denied the accusations, our findings are not based on these denials but instead on other evidence uncovered during the investigation.

This investigation reviewed social media, public data, court filings from Kane’s bankruptcy and divorce proceedings, sports betting data and analysis, while also interviewing members of the Sharks organization and Kane himself. His wife refused to participate in the investigation.

While he has been cleared of the gambling allegations, the release indicates that a separate investigation into Kane is ongoing:

Additional unrelated allegations, however, involving potential wrongdoing by Mr. Kane have been brought to our attention. These allegations are being thoroughly investigated and the National Hockey League will have no further comment regarding their substance pending completion of that process.

A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reported that Kane’s wife filed a domestic violence restraining order application yesterday as part of her divorce case that alleges sexual assault and multiple instances of domestic battery. Kane’s attorney made it clear that the Sharks forward denies all of those allegations. It is not clear if these are the allegations that the NHL is investigating, or what kind of timeline this separate investigation will be on.

Vladimir Tarasenko Fully Healthy, Taking Part In Training Camp

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It’s day one of the on-ice portions of training camp around the league and at the St. Louis Blues skate, there is a participant not many expected just a few months ago. Vladimir Tarasenko was lining up alongside the recently-signed Robert Thomas and newcomer Brandon Saad in the team’s second group after months of speculation regarding a trade request. The veteran winger wasn’t dealt and has deemed himself fully healthy after suiting up for just 34 total games over the last two seasons.

Speaking to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com, Tarasenko made it clear that he’s completely committed to the Blues as long as he’s a part of the team:

Everything is good. My mindset is good. It’s good to be with the guys. I have good relationships with the guys. It’s been a weird summer, but it’s going to stay between us (and) between me and Doug. I’m here to work. As long as I’m here, I will work for 100 percent.

In the past, the NHL has seen a few players give less than full effort as they try to navigate a trade request, but it appears as though the 29-year-old won’t fall into that category. He’s keeping the details of his trade request private for now and going about his business as if it never happened.

Still, it did happen, and there will be speculation around Tarasenko’s future all season. The Blues managed to get everyone signed this summer without going too far over the cap and should be able to open the season under the $81.5MM upper limit even with Tarasenko’s $7.5MM on the books. If he is healthy, something that certainly hasn’t been proven to this point, he could once again give the Blues an elite goal-scoring option to go along with the rest of their deep forward group. Tarasenko scored at least 33 goals in five consecutive seasons before multiple shoulder surgeries kept him off the ice more than on it.

Remember, Tarasenko still holds many of the cards when it comes to a trade. He has two years remaining on his contract and holds a full no-trade clause, meaning he dictates which teams are possible destinations. The fact that he’s earning $9.5MM in actual salary this season certainly would be a deterrent for some clubs that are still dealing with financial ramifications from the last year, but when that number drops to $5.5MM in 2022-23, it certainly will become a lot more palatable. Even if there is a trade in the future, it appears as though Tarasenko is present, healthy, and ready to help the Blues for the time being.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Evgeni Malkin To Miss First Two Months Of The Season

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are likely going to be without Sidney Crosby to start the year after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this month that will keep him out a minimum of six weeks. There wasn’t any clarity on Evgeni Malkin’s timeline until today, when Penguins GM Ron Hextall confirmed he will likely miss the first two months of the season as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.

That means the Penguins are without their top two centers for the first bit, but Malkin’s considerably longer absence is a bigger concern. The 35-year-old center is coming off arguably the worst season of his career, which saw him record just eight goals–his lowest total–and 28 points in 33 games. Malkin’s ice time dropped to fewer than 18 minutes a night for the first time and he once again missed a huge chunk of the season.

While obviously, the hope is that he comes back at full strength after the first two months and gets back to the player who scored 74 points in 55 games during the 2019-20 season, that may be wishful thinking for the Penguins faithful. The veteran center has dealt with countless injuries over a long career, failing to play in every game of a season since 2008-09 when he won the Art Ross Trophy with 113 points.

Even once Crosby returns, the absence of Malkin leaves question marks at the center position for the Penguins. The team does have Jeff Carter after a deadline deal last season, but he will turn 37 on January 1 and has seen a decline in offensive production in recent years. Teddy Blueger has shown he is likely better suited in the bottom-six, while other options like Evan Rodrigues and Sam Lafferty are not even proven NHL options. The team does have young prospect Filip Hallander, who has shown strong potential down the middle, and veteran Brian Boyle in camp on a PTO, but there will certainly be a void felt while Malkin is on the sideline.

With the ever-competitive Metropolitan Division coming back into play this year, losing Malkin for two months could be devastating. There are at least three teams in the division that are already projected to be equal or better than the Penguins this season, while each of those that missed the playoffs last year are expected to take steps forward. Every game will be important, and now the first 20 or so will be without one of the team’s key players.

Jack Eichel Fails Physical, Stripped Of Captaincy

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As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that Jack Eichel did not pass his physical yesterday and will not be with the team in training camp as he continues to deal with a neck injury. Less expected was what Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said next:

I spoke to Jack two days ago, I spoke to the team yesterday and addressed this, Jack Eichel is no longer the captain of the Buffalo Sabres. From our perspective, the captain is your heartbeat of your team, and we are in a situation where we felt we needed to make that decision.

Eichel was named Sabres captain in October 2018 after a strong sophomore season. At the time, he called it “humbling” a “huge honor” and noted how it showed “how invested [he was] in this city and excited for the future.” Three years later and Eichel isn’t expected to play for the Sabres again.

Adams confirmed that Eichel is not willing to move forward with what the Sabres medical team is suggesting and the two sides will continue to work toward a solution. That solution, it seems, is one of the more difficult trades he’ll ever have to pull off. Eichel is a star player with a huge contract that is set on having a neck surgery that has never been done on an NHL player. The young forward and his team are reportedly pursuing a disk replacement procedure, while the team wants to do a fusion surgery that has been performed on many other NHL players.

At the very least, the Sabres players now have some clarity. Eichel is no longer their captain and won’t be on the ice to help them during training camp.

Alex Chiasson Signs PTO With Vancouver Canucks

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With Tyler Motte on the sideline recovering from surgery, the Vancouver Canucks have brought in a little more competition for the bottom-six. Alex Chiasson has signed a professional tryout with the team.

The 30-year-old Chiasson has played 564 regular season games in the NHL, including 183 over the last three years with the Edmonton Oilers. While he scored 22 goals during his first full year in Edmonton, that’s not the kind of offensive presence that Chiasson usually brings. Instead, he has averaged 13 goals per 82 games in the other seven seasons of his career, a number that still represents a useful bottom-six option.

The fact that he is an effective possession payer and has some special teams versatility makes him a worthwhile PTO candidate for a team that is looking to get back to the playoffs. In fact, this move represents the opposite of so much of the criticism Canucks GM Jim Benning has taken over the years. While in previous offseasons he has committed multi-year contracts to bottom-six players, this is a no-risk move for Vancouver that could result in a useful player.

Of course, that’s if Chiasson signs a deal with Vancouver at all. Tryouts are showcases for the entire league, meaning he could very well catch on somewhere else if an opportunity presents itself.

Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV broke the news earlier today, after originally reporting earlier this week that the team was talking to Chiasson. 

St. Louis Blues Name Peter Chiarelli VP Of Hockey Operations

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The St. Louis Blues have made a few front office changes, naming Peter Chiarelli vice president of hockey operations and Ken Hitchcock a coaching consultant. Dave Taylor, who was previously in the role that Chiarelli was given will assume the role of senior advisor to hockey operations.

Chiarelli, 57, had already been working for the Blues as a consultant but will now have an expanded role in the front office. The long-time executive last held a full-time position in 2019 with the Edmonton Oilers, but was fired early that year halfway through another disappointing season. There’s no lack of experience assuming the role for the blues, as Chiarelli was an NHL GM for 13 consecutive seasons between the Boston Bruins and Oilers. Before that, he held various positions with the Ottawa Senators including assistant GM.

Hitchcock will be well known to Blues fans, given he was head coach of the team for parts of six seasons. His last season in 2016-17 was supposed to be his swan song with the team with Mike Yeo was brought on as a coach-in-waiting, but after a 24-21-5 start, GM Doug Armstrong pulled the trigger early and fired Hitchcock. As Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic tweets, Armstrong never lost respect for Hitchcock, and the legendary coach was already considered a mentor for Blues boss Craig Berube.

Hitchcock is fourth all-time on the NHL wins list with 849 and won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the Dallas Stars in 1999.

Devon Toews To Miss Start Of Season Following Surgery

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The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Devon Toews in the lineup on opening night, as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that the defenseman had shoulder surgery this offseason and has not yet been cleared for contact.

Toews, 27, had a brilliant first season in Colorado after the team acquired him from the New York Islanders last October. The trade, which cost the Avalanche two second-round picks, was followed quickly by a four-year, $16.4MM contract that showed just how much Toews’ new team believed in him. That belief paid off, as Toews became the regular partner of either Cale Makar or Samuel Girard and set new career-highs in goals and points despite playing just 53 games in the shortened season.

Locked in as a top-four option when healthy, Toews’ absence can only mean more minutes for young Bowen Byram and newcomer Ryan Murray as they piece together a group in the early part of the season. Bednar also explained that Kurtis MacDermid, acquired from the Seattle Kraken for a fourth-round pick, will start at defense but could end up playing some wing later on in the year.

The Avalanche still have a deep group on the back end, especially if Erik Johnson proves healthy again after playing in just four games during the 2020-21 campaign. The veteran is expected to be back, though it’s unclear what kind of role he’ll have now at age-33. The team also has Jack Johnson in training camp on a professional tryout, who could perhaps earn a spot if Colorado suffers any further injuries.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign JR Avon

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Sometimes it pays off to take an amateur tryout. Jon-Randall (JR) Avon has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is currently in Flyers camp on an ATO and participated in the recent rookie camp for the team.

The 18-year-old Avon went undrafted this year after missing what was supposed to be his sophomore season in the OHL due to COVID restrictions. After registering just 11 points in 56 games for the Peterborough Petes as a rookie, there certainly wasn’t much to go on, but that was when he was just 16 and buried on the depth chart of a loaded forward group that included the likes Nick Robertson, Mason McTavish, and Akil Thomas.

He has obviously impressed the Flyers brass enough to earn an entry-level deal, which will add him to the organization, though obviously not guarantee him a spot with the team. Instead, Avon will return to the OHL this season where he can continue his development while the contract will slide forward and not burn its first year.

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