Minor Transactions: 08/23/21
The NHL season has slowed to a crawl, and the next few weeks could be relatively uneventful. That doesn’t mean things have stopped in European and minor leagues though, as those teams continue to fill out their rosters for the upcoming season. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable moves right here:
- Blaine Byron, who has been a strong AHL performer ever since leaving the University of Maine, has taken his talents to Germany for the upcoming season. The 26-year-old had six goals and six goals and 12 points in 17 games for the Ontario Reign last season, but will play 2020-21 for Eisbaren Berin of the DEL.
- Tyler Steenbergen, who was left unqualified by the Los Angeles Kings, has signed with TPS in Finland. Perhaps best known for his gold medal-winning tally at the 2018 World Junior Championship, Steenbergen had just 13 points in 36 games for the Tucson Roadrunners this past season. He was included in a minor league trade between the Arizona Coyotes and Kings in July, but won’t actually suit up for Los Angeles or their minor league affiliate.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Libor Sulak Signs In KHL
After a strong World Championship performance, there was some speculation about whether Libor Sulak would try his hand in North America once again. That can stop now, as the defenseman has signed with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL for the upcoming season. He’ll be joined by Vojtech Mozik, another former NHL defenseman that Admiral signed today.
Sulak, 27, signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 2017 and actually managed six games at the NHL level. Most of his time was spent with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and when his deal expired, the Red Wings decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. The Czech defenseman played in Russia and Finland over the last two seasons and recently suited up for his country at the Worlds. He had three goals and four points in the tournament, but won’t be coming back to North America anytime soon.
Mozik, 28, actually has seven games of NHL experience to his name, having played for the New Jersey Devils in 2015-16. He too had some strong success in the minor leagues, this time with the Albany Devils, but left North America in 2017 and hasn’t returned. Mozik has played in Russia, Sweden, and China in the years since while also suiting up for the Czech Republic at the Olympics.
Owen Power Returning To Michigan For 2021-22
Friday: The Wolverines have now confirmed that not only Power, but also Beniers and Johnson will return to Ann Arbor this season. The trio of top-ten picks had all hinted at their desire to return to Michigan, where they will be surrounded by numerous other NHL prospects, to take another shot at an NCAA Championship. There is no doubt that this official announcement makes the team the heavy favorites to win it all in 2021-22.
Thursday: The first-overall pick in this year’s draft will not sign with the Buffalo Sabres just yet. Owen Power has made his decision and will return to the University of Michigan for the 2021-22 season, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. This does not mean that Power is refusing to sign with the Sabres or that the team is at any risk of losing his draft rights. Instead, it is just a player that missed out on the full college hockey experience in a COVID-restricted 2020-21, and will return to school to take a shot at a national championship with a loaded Wolverines squad.
There’s no rush for Power to make his NHL debut, especially since the Sabres are going through another rebuild at the moment. Sam Reinhart, Linus Ullmark and Rasmus Ristolainen have all found new homes, while Jack Eichel‘s future with the team is still uncertain. If Power signed right away, the first season of his three-year entry-level deal would be burned on a team that has little hope of making the playoffs–and in truth is hoping for another high pick in the 2022 draft. It’s actually probably better for the Sabres that he’s going back to school, as long as Power doesn’t suffer a career-altering injury or something else that will affect his long-term outlook.
The 6’6″ defenseman was a monster for Michigan as a freshman, scoring 16 points in 26 games and getting better every time he touched the ice. He showed that aptitude for growth again at the IIHF World Championship when playing for Team Canada, starting the tournament as an extra defenseman and finishing it on the top pairing. There’s very little Power can’t do on a hockey rink, as he floats around the ice using long, efficient strides to close off gaps or jump into the rush. While he may not have the offensive upside of players like Cale Makar or even maybe future teammate Rasmus Dahlin, he should be a lock to play big minutes in the NHL when he finally arrives.
With three of the top five picks this year already playing for Michigan, and a fourth in Luke Hughes set to join them, the Wolverines will be one of the most dynamic programs to watch in all of college hockey. Power, Hughes, Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson—should they all decide to return instead of signing in the NHL—form the backbone of a deep lineup that could probably rival some professional teams. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that they go all the way to a title as there are other great programs as well, but there’s little doubt that Power will be playing more meaningful hockey (at least in terms of title contention) by going back to Michigan this season.
It doesn’t mean he won’t see some time in a Sabres uniform though. Depending on how their season goes, the Wolverines could be finished in time for those top names to sign an NHL deal and get playing time down the stretch. Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to see Power returning for 2022-23 (though obviously not impossible), when a full-time NHL role will be waiting for him.
Snapshots: Redraft, Cronin, Wellwood
A few years after any NHL draft it is a fun exercise to look back and see how players would rank if the selections were made today. While it takes some time to get a real perspective of the impact each player in the class brings, it’s also a good tool for scouts to look back and see where they may have made mistakes. That’s exactly what Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did by examining the 2018 class and noting just how accurately he ranked the players now that they have a few years of professional experience under their belts.
The headline-grabbing change is at the top, with Rasmus Dahlin replaced by Quinn Hughes as the first pick, but there are several interesting changes beyond that. Perhaps most notable is Joel Farabee‘s placement at fifth after breaking out this season for the Philadelphia Flyers. The entire piece is certainly worth the read, especially for the new thoughts on each player that Wheeler provides.
- The Colorado Eagles have extended head coach Greg Cronin for the next three years, keeping him behind the bench through 2023-24. Cronin has been with the team since 2018 and has a long, varied coaching career that includes time with USA Hockey at the IIHF World Championship. In his first three seasons with the team, he has an 85-60-12 record. The team has also signed assistants Aaron Schneekloth and Brett Clark to two-year deals.
- Speaking of minor league head coaches, the Newfoundland Growlers have hired Eric Wellwood as their next bench boss. The ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2019 Kelly Cup and will now hand the reins to the 31-year-old coaching prospect. Wellwood spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Flint Firebirds, turning a program that was in disarray into one of the strongest teams in the OHL in 2019-20. Philadelphia Flyers fans may remember Wellwood from his time as a player, appearing in 31 NHL games over three seasons before an unfortunate, gruesome injury cut his career short at the age of 24.
Juuso Valimaki Signs With Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames have inked another defenseman today, this time reaching a two-year deal with Juuso Valimaki. The contract will carry an average annual value of $1.55MM.
Valimaki, 22, has had a turbulent start to his NHL career, including missing the entire 2019-20 season with a torn ACL. He returned this year and played in 49 games for the Flames but failed to really take the big step forward that some were hoping for. He looked outstanding while playing in Finland for the start of the 2020-21 campaign, scoring 19 points in 19 games, but that kind of offense has still failed to materialize in the NHL.
Still, even considering the lost development year, the young defenseman is still a valuable piece for Calgary moving forward. He will be a regular in the lineup again this season and with Mark Giordano now there are a lot of minutes on the left side up for grabs. The Flames did add Nikita Zadorov in the offseason, but that’s really it in terms of players competing with Valimaki for ice time.
There’s a real opportunity to step into the top-four, but that would be quite the leap for a player that has averaged just over 15 minutes a night through his first 73 NHL games. Valimaki was used sparingly on the penalty kill this season as Giordano and Chris Tanev ate up most of the short-handed minutes, but that is somewhere he could really help in 2021-22. The powerplay duties that Giordano held seem likely to go to Noah Hanifin, though that potentially is another spot that Valimaki could compete. He was a big goal-scoring threat in junior when he played with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, but has just three in his time with the Flames.
Overall, this is a very interesting player to watch in Calgary this season as a big step in his development could mean a big step for the Flames in general. Locking him in at a reasonable amount for two seasons could prove brilliant if he runs away with a top-four job. The young defenseman will be arbitration-eligible when the contract expires, but still a restricted free agent under the Flames control.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Seattle Kraken Sign Antoine Bibeau
The Seattle Kraken had just three goaltenders in the organization, meaning they needed to add at least one more before the season began just for depth purposes. Today they’ve done just that by signing Antoine Bibeau to a one-year, two-way contract that will carry an NHL cap hit of $750K. GM Ron Francis released a short statement on the signing:
After a strong season in Chicago last year, we’re excited to add Antoine to our mix of goaltenders. His experience at both the NHL and AHL levels make him a valuable addition to our organization.
There’s no doubt that the Kraken goaltending tandem to start the year will be Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, but every team needs third and fourth-string options in case of injury. Seattle also has Joey Daccord under contract after selecting him from the Ottawa Senators, but he is both inexperienced enough to still need development time in the minor leagues and coming off a serious injury. If you need someone to call up as a backup for a few games, Daccord isn’t really the best option as he needs playing time to continue his transition to professional hockey.
Bibeau on the other hand is very experienced at the professional level, having played nearly 200 games at the AHL level. The 27-year-old is coming off a season with just eight appearances for the Chicago Wolves, though he did post a .912 save percentage in those games. He also has four appearances at the NHL level, including two for the Colorado Avalance in 2019-20.
Though he’ll need waivers to go to the minor leagues, that shouldn’t be an issue for Bibeau who has cleared several times in the past including once in January. The interesting part will be where he plays if he does go to the AHL, as the Kraken were only expected to provide one goaltender for the Charlotte Checkers this season. Because they don’t have a primary affiliate until next season, Seattle is giving just a handful of players (and a coach) to the Checkers, who are the affiliate of the Florida Panthers.
Evgeny Svechnikov Signs AHL Contract
The Manitoba Moose have signed free agent forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, AHL contract for the 2021-22 season. While that may be surprising to many after his history in the NHL, there’s more to the story. Sportsnet contributor Ken Wiebe reports that Svechnikov will attend Winnipeg Jets training camp on a professional tryout and will be given an opportunity to earn a two-way NHL contract should he prove healthy enough.
Svechnikov, 24, was not tendered a qualifying offer from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. That was a far fall for a player selected 19th overall in 2015, but a not totally unexpected one after so many injuries. The young forward has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt, 21 of which came this past year, and has scored just five goals so far.
That doesn’t mean his career is over though. If Svechnikov can prove he’s fully healthy and ready to contribute, there’s no doubt that his talent level deserves an NHL contract. If he doesn’t earn that NHL deal and instead spends the year with the Moose, he’ll still be a very interesting player to watch. Should he stay healthy and productive, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again next offseason looking for a new deal and new opportunity.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Connor Bunnaman
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Connor Bunnaman to a two-year contract. The deal will be one-way, but carries just a $750K average annual value.
Bunnaman, 23, has played 39 games for the Flyers to this point, but has just one goal and three assists. The fourth-round pick posted plenty of offense in his first year in the AHL, but even that has disappeared in recent seasons. If he’s to ever be an impact player for Philadelphia, it’ll have to come on the defensive side of the puck as a bottom-six checking center. A full-time position even in that role seems unlikely this season, but he’ll still probably play a good number of games as an injury replacement or rotating into the fourth line on occasion.
The fact that Bunnaman is waiver-eligible now doesn’t really make much of a difference, since he will likely clear if sent to the minor leagues. Perhaps the Flyers will use him in a similar role as last season, bouncing up and down between the AHL and NHL whenever needed. In fact, signing for the minimum actually could help his case when it comes to NHL playing time. Many of the other Flyers’ depth forwards are carrying slightly higher cap hits, meaning if they get into a crunch, the difference between $925K and $750K could be very important. At the very worst, he has secured a good paycheck for the next two years even if he’s in the AHL.
Philadelphia has just one restricted free agent left to sign–Travis Sanheim, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing later this month.
Detroit Red Wings To Buy Out Frans Nielsen
Aug 20: Nielsen has cleared unconditional waivers and will be bought out.
Aug 19: The Detroit Red Wings gained access to a second buyout window after settling their arbitration case with Adam Erne, and they’re going to use it. CapFriendly reports that the team will buy out the final year of Frans Nielsen‘s contract. Nielsen was owed $5.25MM this season. The team will have the following cap penalties:
- 2021-22: $4.25MM
- 2022-23: $500K
Nielsen has been placed on unconditional waivers.
The move will only save the Red Wings $1MM in cap space this season, but more importantly, will only cost them $500K in actual salary over each of the next two years. Nielsen’s six-year, $31.5MM contract had just $3MM left owed to him in the final year after being heavily front-loaded. It also will open another roster spot for a young forward looking to establish himself on the rebuilding club. The 37-year-old Nielsen is a shadow of his former self and has just five goals and 15 points over the last two seasons, despite playing in 89 games.
Even landing another NHL contract seems unlikely for the veteran forward, who is just 75 games away from 1,000 for his career. His play has declined significantly and the Red Wings weren’t even comfortable with him playing center this season. Once an annual Selke candidate as one of the most consistent two-way centers in the league, Nielsen’s best days are long behind him.
Again, this move isn’t really about the cap space for the Red Wings, who were already more than $18MM under the upper limit. While they continue to rebuild the roster and develop young players, GM Steve Yzerman isn’t committing any long-term money to the current group.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Calgary Flames, Nikita Zadorov Avoid Arbitration
Another arbitration hearing can be canceled, as Nikita Zadorov has reached a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames. The deal will carry a cap hit of $3.75MM and takes the defenseman right to unrestricted free agency next summer. Zadorov had a hearing set for August 26 which will no longer be required.
It’s another fresh start for Zadorov in Calgary this season after spending just a single year with the Chicago Blackhawks. Originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, 16th overall in 2013, he’s onto his fourth NHL team before he even turns 27. There’s been a theme to Zadorov’s entire career. The 6’6″ defenseman is an incredible physical presence on the rink, one of the most dangerous open-ice hitters in the league, but simply has never been able to find enough consistency in his own end. To that end, none of his teams have ever trusted him enough to play him 20 minutes a night despite the obvious raw talent he has.
In 55 games for the Blackhawks, Zadorov recorded eight points and 190 hits while averaging 19 minutes a night. He played a good bit on the penalty kill and had heavy defensive deployment, but once again didn’t do all that well in either area. When the Blackhawks left him unprotected in the expansion draft, the Seattle Kraken essentially forfeited their pick instead of taking him, selected a minor league UFA that has since gone overseas. The Flames sent a third-round pick to the Blackhawks to see if they could do what other teams haven’t been able to–turn Zadorov into a top-four defenseman.
The thing is, Calgary doesn’t have a lot of other options ahead of him. Zadorov should get a great opportunity for the Flames now that he’s signed, for only slightly less than the team’s top three players. Now that Mark Giordano is gone, the depth chart in Calgary is relatively thin. Committing $3.75MM to Zadorov means that he’s obviously a big part of their plans this season; whether he can handle it is still to be seen.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images