Minor Transactions: 09/08/21
NHL hockey is almost back, with training camp just around the corner and the regular season a month away. While the focus for many fans will be on the last few remaining free agents, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.
- Patrick Bajkov, who was not given a qualifying offer by the Florida Panthers this offseason, has signed with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. The 23-year-old forward earned an NHL entry-level deal after his outstanding 100-point season for the Everett Silvertips, but managed just 18 games in the AHL before being demoted to the low minors. It’s a good signing for the Royals though, as Bajkov had 39 points in 53 games last season for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
- Speaking of Panthers players who didn’t receive qualifying offers, Brad Morrison has signed with HC Pustertal of the ICEHL. Morrison was a fourth-round pick by the New York Rangers in 2015 and has had quite the ride to this point. He eventually signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 2018, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Olli Maatta in 2020, and then flipped for Vinnie Hinostroza a few months ago. The 24-year-old forward had five points in six AHL games this season.
- The Calgary Flames announced that Daniil Chechelev has signed an AHL contract for 2021-22, meaning he will be playing in North America for the first time. The 20-year-old goaltender was selected 96th overall in 2020 and split last season between the VHL and MHL. He hasn’t yet signed his entry-level deal, but this is a good sign that he will eventually join the Flames depth chart.
- It doesn’t happen very often that a player splits his season between the NHL and AHL only to sign in the ECHL, but that is the current predicament of forward Drake Rymsha. Of course, it worth noting that Rymsha played only two games in 2020-21, one with the Los Angeles Kings and the other with the Ontario Reign. When the young center’s entry-level contract expired and he was not extended a qualifying offer, it seemed that his time in L.A. was likely over. However, one would think that a prospect the Kings felt was worth an NHL look this season might fare better on the open market. Instead, he has returned to the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets on a one-year deal, the team announced. Rymsha spent the majority of his 2019-20 campaign with the Komets.
- Chaz Reddekop is yet another player moving from an NHL contract with the Kings to and ECHL contract. Having not received a qualifying offer, Reddekop has signed a one-year deal on the other side of the country, as the South Carolina Stingrays announced a pact with the young defenseman. A seventh-round pick that was always more project than prospect, Reddekop has shown little so far in his pro career but has earned another shot nevertheless.
San Jose Sharks To Hire John MacLean
5:20pm: The Sharks have officially announced the hiring of MacLean, noting that his primary responsibilities will be the team’s forwards and powerplay. Boughner released a statement explaining why MacLean was hired:
John’s experience speaks for itself, and he checks a lot of the boxes we were hoping to fill with this role. He has won the Stanley Cup as a player and a coach and knows how to relate to today’s player. In doing our diligence for this role, I spoke with many people, and everyone had great things to say about John as both a coach and a person. I’m excited to add him to our staff and look forward to having a great training camp as we prepare to start our season.
3:47pm: After associate coach Rocky Thompson announced last week that he would not be able to fulfill his duties this season for the San Jose Sharks due to the new COVID-19 vaccination protocols, the team has brought in a replacement. As reported by Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider and confirmed by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, the Sharks will be adding John MacLean to the coaching staff for the 2021-22 season.
MacLean, 56, spent the last three seasons with the Coyotes staff and has plenty of experience at the NHL level. A veteran of nearly 1,300 games as a player, MacLean spent most of his career with the New Jersey Devils, setting highs of 45 goals and 87 points.
He even spent a short period of time with the Sharks as a player, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 51 games during the 1997-98 season. He served as an interim head coach with the Devils in 2010-11 and has experience on the Carolina Hurricanes bench as well.
MacLean will join John Madden–a former Devils great himself–on Bob Boughner‘s staff this season.
Seattle Kraken Sign Dennis Cholowski
The Seattle Kraken have reached a contract with Dennis Cholowski, signing him to a one-year, two-way deal. Interestingly enough, the contract will carry an NHL salary of $900K, more than most two-way deals pay.
Kraken GM Ron Francis released a short statement
Dennis is a young defenseman with offensive upside that we were excited to add to our group. We like his strong skating and puck moving ability and are looking forward to working with him.
The 23-year-old Cholowski was the 20th overall pick in 2016, but has just 104 NHL games to his name at this point. He played 52 as a rookie in 2018-19, but was unable to establish himself as a full-time member of the Detroit Red Wings in either of the last two years. In 2020-21, he played just 16 games with Detroit, recording three points.
That high NHL salary–$150K more than the NHL minimum–may actually be built in to give the Kraken some extra waiver protection. If the team wants to send Cholowski down, which seems likely given how many other NHL defensemen they have under contract, he’ll have to clear waivers for the first time in his career. A $900K salary will only help him do that, given the tight cap situation of so many other teams.
It’s a long, talented depth chart on defense for the Kraken, meaning the young Cholowski will have quite a challenge if he wants to break camp with the team. Still, an expansion franchise is exactly the kind of team where talented-but-underperforming players like him could reach the next level. He will still be a restricted free agent next offseason.
Pierre Dorion Signs Extension With Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators fans are desperately waiting for news of a long-term extension, though this isn’t exactly what they had in mind. The Senators have signed general manager Pierre Dorion to a contract extension through the 2024-25 season. Dorion’s previous contract only carried him through 2021-22, meaning he was heading into this season without any security. The new deal, which was completed today, includes a club option for the 2025-26 season.
Eugene Melnyk, the Senators owner, released a statement:
We’re very pleased to sign Pierre to a second extension as Senators general manager. Dating to when he was named GM in 2016, Pierre has worked tirelessly towards building an organization that can compete with the National Hockey League’s best. He’s dedicated, detailed and maintains a sound hockey mind. Under Pierre’s leadership, we have the utmost confidence that this team will soon be recognized as one that is consistently meriting success.
While there have certainly been questionable moves in the past, especially regarding the retention of star talent in Ottawa, there’s no doubt that Dorion has set the team up for success in the future. The collecting of young talent over the last few years has been impressive, and recently the team has had no trouble signing them to long-term deals. Thomas Chabot, Colin White, and Drake Batherson have all committed long-term to the team, though the focus now is on restricted free agent Brady Tkachuk and his next deal. The 21-year-old seems a likely candidate to be the team’s next captain, but there’s no deal in place yet to even have him in training camp when it opens later this month.
Almost regardless of what happens with Tkachuk though, there’s reason enough for optimism in Ottawa. The organization is loaded with high draft picks, both on the roster already like Tim Stutzle or waiting for their entry-level contract like Jake Sanderson. The 2020 draft alone saw Ottawa select at least six players that have a real shot at playing NHL minutes and the roster is already full of players 23-and-under.
There has been good work done by Dorion to take the departures–forced or not–of players like Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Matt Duchene and turn them into positives, giving the Senators have a bright future. Now comes the next phase, of managing the cap and retaining all that talent, something that the Ottawa organization has had trouble doing in the past.
Gustav Nyquist Fully Recovered From Shoulder Injury
One of the things that wasn’t discussed enough last season when the Columbus Blue Jackets struggled to keep pace in the Central Division was the absence of Gustav Nyquist. In early November, months before the season even began, Nyquist underwent surgery to repair a labral tear in his left shoulder. It was an issue that the Swedish forward had been dealing with for years and it finally got to a point where a procedure was necessary.
On November 4, the Blue Jackets announced that Nyquist would be out for five to six months. That gave him plenty of time to return for a playoff run should Columbus get back to the postseason, as they had in each of the previous four seasons. By April, when Nyquist was closing in on that recovery timeline, the Blue Jackets were already out of the race, mired in controversy, and a few months away from trading franchise icon Seth Jones after he was the latest to turn down any extension talks with the franchise.
Now, as the Blue Jackets prepare for a season without Jones, Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, David Savard and others, Nyquist is at full health and ready to contribute, according to Jeff Svoboda of NHL.com. The shoulder injury is behind him and the 32-year-old forward will have a chance to show that he still can be a top-level forward in the NHL, even after a year on the shelf.
A consistent offensive performer, Nyquist finished second in scoring with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20. He has registered at least 20 goals in a season four times and has never recorded fewer than 40 points in any of his seven full seasons. He’ll join an attack that actually may be more dangerous than people are giving them credit for, with Patrik Laine, Jakub Voracek, and Oliver Bjorkstrand likely leading the way. Nyquist represents one of just two players on the roster (Voracek) that are in their thirties, and as Svoboda writes, will be asked to take on a leadership role after the departures of so many key players.
If things don’t go well in Columbus this season, Nyquist could well become a trade deadline chip given his age and contract. Signed through 2022-23, he carries an average annual value of $5.5MM but has no trade protection built in. The Blue Jackets have a massive extension for Zach Werenski kicking in for 2022-23 and some extremely important free agent negotiations to work through, meaning they could probably use the extra salary space moving forward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Transactions: 09/07/21
The shortened offseason is almost over as NHL training camps are just a few weeks away, with the regular season following close behind. European leagues have gotten underway and the minor league season is just around the corner. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here as teams attempt to round out their rosters.
- Patrick Sieloff, who spent last season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, has signed with Kolner Haie of the German DEL for the upcoming season. The 27-year-old defenseman has bounced around to several teams in the AHL over the years, suiting up in Abbotsford, Adirondack, Stockton, Binghamton, Belleville, San Diego, Syracuse, and Hartford, while only receiving two games at the NHL level.
- The Utica Comets have added some toughness, signing Patrick McGrath to an AHL deal for 2021-22. The 28-year-old McGrath split last season between the ECHL’s Indy Fuel and the AHL’s Rochester Americans, being his normally in-your-face self no matter where he was playing. The undrafted forward has carved out a role as a fourth-line agitator and has just nine points in 106 AHL games. Even at the ECHL level, there isn’t much difference, as McGrath has just 15 points in 162 games at the low minors.
- After a short but stellar appearance in the AHL last season, goaltender Parker Gahagen is hoping to make it a whole season. The Milwaukee Admirals have announced a one-year deal with the veteran keeper, who has had a journeyman career to say the least but may be on the cusp of sustained success. Gahagen played in 17 games with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies last year, recording a stunning .929 save percentage and 2.02 GAA, but was even better on loan with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, logging a .939 save percentage and 2.09 GAA for a 2-0-0 record in three appearances. While previous AHL outings have not been as successful for the West Point grad, he hopes to build on his recent results and find a role for himself in Milwaukee behind Connor Ingram.
- Trades in the ECHL are not common, but even more rare is a trade involving names familiar to NHL fans. Such a deal occurred today, as a pair of 2017 NHL Draft selections were swapped for one another. Defenseman Luke Martin was acquired by the Utah Grizzlies in exchange for forward Cedric Pare heading to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Martin was a second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes who played four seasons at the University of Michigan but was not signed by the team when he turned pro last season. Pare was a sixth-round pick of the Boston Bruins who was never signed, but made headlines anyway as the center for Alexis Lafreniere with the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic in 2019-20.
Jake Virtanen Signs In KHL
In an entirely predictable move, former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has signed a one-year deal in the KHL. He’ll suit up for Spartak Moscow this season after being bought out by the Canucks in July.
Virtanen, 25, played his way out of the Canucks future by disappointing over and over, but that’s not the reason he now has to settle for a deal overseas. Earlier this summer, a civil lawsuit was filed in Kelowna, British Columbia, alleging Virtanen sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. On May 1, the Canucks placed Virtanen on leave from the team, releasing this statement:
We have become aware of the concerning allegations made about Jake Virtanen. Our organization does not accept sexual misconduct of any kind and the claims as reported are being treated very seriously by us.
We have engaged external expertise to assist in an independent investigation and we have placed the player on leave as we await more information.
Though the results of that investigation have still not been publicly released, it is obvious that his off-ice issues are a huge part of him failing to sign on with another NHL team. The young forward was the sixth overall selection in 2014 and reached a career-high of 18 goals and 36 points in 2019-20, but has been one of the most inconsistent players in the league since entering it six years ago.
In 317 games, Virtanen compiled 55 goals and 100 points.
NWHL Rebrands As Premier Hockey Federation
The NWHL, North America’s only remaining women’s professional league, has decided to rebrand. It will now be known as the Premier Hockey Federation, a decision explained by commissioner Tyler Tumminia today:
The Premier Hockey Federation is home to some of the best professional athletes in the world who deserve to be recognized for their abilities and to be empowered as equals in sport. This league has come a long way since its inception in 2015 and we believe that this is the right time and the right message as we strengthen our commitment to growing the game and inspiring youth.
The rebrand comes with a new logo and a new focus on the skill and talent of the PHF athletes, rather than their gender. It comes as the league prepares for another season which will begin in November and after a strong 2021 campaign that saw massive sponsorship improvements and a huge salary cap increase. The league has also experienced expansion recently and has hinted at further movement across North America in that regard.
The IIHF Women’s World Championship, which was recently held in Calgary and included players from the PHF, experienced a huge amount of television success in Canada. The gold medal game, played between Canada and the U.S., attracted a record average audience of 836,000 viewers and was peaking at 1.6 million when Marie-Philip Poulin scored the overtime winner.
Poulin of course is part of the PWHPA, a traveling showcase group that has been at odds with the PHF in the past but provides an alternative for professionals in North America. One of the biggest issues in women’s hockey the last several years has been the division of many of the game’s top talents, with many working against the PHF and toward a drastically different league structure. That battle will continue even through this rebrand, though the PHF certainly isn’t going anywhere just yet.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Brian Boyle, Matt Bartkowski To PTOs
The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing in some experience to training camp. The team announced today that both Brian Boyle and Matt Bartkowski have signed professional tryouts with the club and will be at camp later this month.
Boyle, 36, didn’t play anywhere in 2020-21 before joining the U.S. contingent at the IIHF World Championship, where he captained the squad to a bronze medal. He actually opened some eyes with his play, which resulted in two goals and three points in ten games despite his advanced age, and suggested that a return to the NHL could be possible for the 2021-22 season. That chance is now apparent in Pittsburgh, where he’ll battle for an NHL contract at training camp.
There’s a lot to like in the 6’6″ forward, who has played 805 regular season games over a long career. Boyle at one point was on a streak of deep playoff runs, getting to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Though he’ll never again be the 20-goal scorer he was in 2010-11, he’s an excellent faceoff man that can add size to the fourth line and chip in offensively now and again. Even while playing just 12 minutes a game with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20 he managed six goals and 15 points in 39 games.
Bartkowski on the other hand has only played 256 NHL games to this point, last finding a regular lineup spot in 2015-16 with the Vancouver Canucks. He played just one game for the Minnesota Wild last season, spending most of the year with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. That injury replacement role is exactly the kind he’s likely fighting for in Penguins camp, but an NHL contract for the veteran defenseman isn’t out of the question.
One thing to note with any PTO is that it is not just a showcase for the team that signs it, but for the entire league. If Boyle or Bartkowski show enough to catch the eye of another team, they are allowed to sign with anyone they want.
Joe Morrow Signs In KHL
After spending last season in Finland, Joe Morrow isn’t on his way back to North America. Instead, the veteran defenseman has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL.
Morrow, 28, played 162 NHL games before heading overseas last year, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets. After terminating his contract with the New Jersey Devils at the end of 2019, he joined Dinamo Minsk for what was left of the KHL season. He managed just three points in 22 games there, but will now test the waters again with another club.
It’s been quite the ride to this point for the 23rd overall pick from 2011. Morrow was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins but traded to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Morrow (no relation) before the end of his first professional season. Just a few months later he’d be flipped again, this time to Boston in the Tyler Seguin deal, after playing just 17 games in the Dallas system. After a few years in Boston he was left unqualified and signed with Montreal, just to find himself traded again to the Jets at the deadline.
Six different NHL organizations and now three overseas clubs by the age of 28, it’s been a roller coaster for the Edmonton native. There’s still time for Morrow to return to North America before his prime years are over (though a chance in the NHL is unlikely at this point), so he remains a name to keep in mind the KHL season ends next year.