Minor Transactions: 12/10/20
The NHL offseason has come to a standstill, with no unrestricted free agents signed to one-way contracts in a month. Still, the ECHL and many European leagues continue to play or prepare, meaning hockey players signing deals all over the world. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions right here.
- Among the season-opening rosters that were announced by the ECHL today are a few interesting names, including 26-year-old Nikolai Skladnichenko listed as “immigration pending” for the Orlando Solar Bears. Skladnichenko once won a bronze medal as part of Russia’s World Junior squad in 2014 but hasn’t to this point tested his game in North America.
- Jonathan Sigalet, who was a fourth-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2005 and played one game in the NHL, was traded in the SHL back to Frolunda HC. Sigalet, now 34, played at Bowling Green State before spending several productive years in the AHL. He left for Europ in 2011 and hasn’t looked back, spending four seasons in the KHL and the last five in the SHL.
- Colton Beck, who was actually under an NHL contract as recently as the 2019-20 season, has signed with EV Landshut in the German second league. The 30-year-old forward spent five seasons with the Iowa Wild of the AHL but scored just 11 points in 47 games last year.
Zach Fucale Loaned To ECHL
When the Washington Capitals signed Zach Fucale to a one-year, two-way contract this summer it made for quite the crowded crease in Hershey, the team’s AHL affiliate. With Henrik Lundqvist taking the other spot in the NHL, Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek were penciled into the third and fourth-string spots. Fucale seemed likely to be headed back to the ECHL and today that’s exactly what happened. The Capitals have loaned Fucale to the South Carolina Stingrays.
Fucale, who is still only 25 despite his draft seeming like decades ago, was selected 36th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013. An elite prospect who dominated at the junior level, winning the Memorial Cup and a gold medal with Canada at the WJC, he was never quite able to replicate that success at the next level.
Still, Fucale is a decorated goaltender on the international stage, winning two Spengler Cups with Canada over the years. For a fifth-string option in Washington, he’s hard to top.
South Carolina starts their season tomorrow with a match against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to kick off the ECHL schedule.
Snapshots: Vegas, Liiga, Sandin
The Vegas Golden Knights have been in the news the last few days after multiple reports surfaced about the potential trade availability of Max Pacioretty. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley threw a bit of cold water on those rumors when he spoke with 8 News Now, saying that though the team does have some cap issues to resolve, they’re not “shopping” Pacioretty.
Still, Foley isn’t the general manager and happened to do the interview from Hawaii, meaning the reports that the Golden Knights have discussed a Pacioretty trade could still hold some truth. Quite frankly, even if they’re not shopping the veteran forward it would be silly not to at least explore trade scenarios, given the team will have to cut salary somehow before the start of the year. The cap ceiling isn’t going anywhere soon and the Golden Knights not only have more than $82MM committed to this season, but also nearly $76MM committed already to 2021-22. The 32-year-old Pacioretty carries a $7MM cap hit for each of the next three years.
- Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets that when Finland’s Liiga returns from the current COVID-pause it is in, every player will be required to wear a full face shield in an attempt to reduce the risk of infection. As Johnston notes, the idea of wearing full face shields is not under consideration for the NHL. Not that many players would choose to wear one anyway, but full shields or cages are currently not allowed in the NHL unless medically required.
- Speaking of Johnston, in a piece for Sportsnet today he also caught up with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who has been working hard in his nine-month break to add strength in an attempt to crack the NHL squad. Sandin played in 28 games for the Maple Leafs last season but did not hit the ice in their postseason qualification round and looks like the odd man out after some offseason additions. The 20-year-old was selected in the first round two years ago and has looked dominant against junior-aged players (and even minor leaguers), but is sometimes outmatched physically at the NHL level. If that changes, he could push for a role on Toronto’s rebuilt blueline this season, especially if the rosters are expanded.
Hockey Canada Cuts Seven From World Junior Camp
The World Junior Championship is just a few weeks away and Team Canada has started making cuts. After sending home five players earlier this week who were deemed unfit to play because of COVID-19 tests or close contact, seven more were cut today. Brett Brochu, Tristan Lennox, Adam Beckman, Tyson Foerster, Hendrix Lapierre, Cole Schwindt, and Shane Wright will not be taking part in the tournament this year. That still leaves Canada with 34 players at their selection camp, meaning nine more will be cut before submitting the final roster.
The headline name here is Wright, though he was always a longshot to make the team this year. The 16-year-old would have been one of the youngest to ever play for Team Canada at the U20 event, but instead, he’ll have to wait a year and go as a 17-year-old next year. The potential first overall pick in 2022 was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early and scored 66 points in 58 games for the Kingston Frontenacs. That earned him the CHL Rookie of the Year award and the honor of being the youngest player in OHL history to wear an “A” as an alternate captain.
One other name that may catch the eye is Lapierre, who was picked 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals this year. The 18-year-old forward was once considered to be in the running for the top few selections, but head and neck injuries have slowed his development considerably. He too will likely get another chance to go next year should he have a full healthy season with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
With two goaltenders cut today, one can assume that the position is set with the three names remaining in camp. Dylan Garand, Taylor Gauthier and Devon Levi will be the team’s goaltending trio, though no starter has yet been named. For all the firepower that the Canadians possess upfront and skill on the back end, the goaltending position is still something of a question mark without that star prospect. Gauthier wasn’t drafted at all, while Levi was a seventh-round pick out of the CCHL.
Nashville Predators Loan Seven To ECHL
December 10: The Predators have decided to send another prospect to the ECHL, this time loaning Tommy Novak to the Everblades until the start of training camp. Novak, a third-round pick in 2015, scored 42 points with the Admirals in his first professional season after coming out of the University of Minnesota. He will likely be a dominant presence in the low minors, though he isn’t expected to be there for long.
December 7: With the ECHL season about to get underway, the Nashville Predators have sent six players to the Florida Everblades. Lukas Craggs, Patrick Harper, Tanner Jeannot, Cole Smith, Josh Wilkins, and Devin Cooley will all report to Florida until the start of training camp for Nashville or the Milwaukee Admirals. These six players are all on two-way NHL contracts, giving Florida quite the influx of talent to start the year.
Cooley, the only goaltender of the bunch, was signed by the Predators in September to a two-year entry-level contract after spending the last three seasons at the University of Denver. The 23-year-old goaltender was never drafted but managed to land a deal even without playing very much at DU. He appeared in just 32 games over the three seasons, and though he played very well, his potential at the next level is still something of a mystery.
Harper meanwhile is coming to pro hockey after four years at Boston University and two appearances at the World Juniors. The 22-year-old forward scored 37 points in 32 games last season and should likely be promoted to the AHL whenever Milwaukee starts their year. Still, he’ll be able to get his feet wet in the low minors first, not a bad way to start your professional career.
Of the others, none of them were actually drafted by the Predators (or anyone else) but have still done enough to deserve entry-level deals. Getting them on the ice and competing in games is important, though how many they’ll actually suit up for is unclear.
Juuso Valimaki, Barrett Hayton Recalled From Loan
With training camp now right around the corner, players loaned all over the world will begin to make their return to North America. For the Arizona Coyotes, that means Barrett Hayton is on his way back, his loan ended with Ilves in Finland after eight games. Hayton registered four assists in his overseas stint and will return to the Coyotes with the hopes of becoming a full-time NHL player this season.
In 20 games last year, Hayton scored one goal and four points. He was allowed to leave and participate in the World Juniors, where he captained Team Canada to a gold medal but suffered a shoulder injury in the process. When the Coyotes returned for the postseason bubble, Hayton suited up three times but failed to record a point. Selected fifth overall in 2018, the 6’1″ forward has plenty of offensive upside and a work ethic to take him far, if given the opportunity. He’ll try to take over as one of the leaders in Arizona this season.
Ilves has also announced that the loan of Juuso Valimaki has ended and the Calgary Flames defenseman will also be traveling back to North America. Valimaki played in 19 games and registered 19 points, a great sign after missing the entire 2019-20 season with injury. The 16th overall pick in 2017, Valimaki had looked ready to take on a full-time role in the NHL when he suffered a major knee injury, tearing his ACL in offseason training. He didn’t play a single game last season but after an outstanding performance in Finland, he looks ready to bounce back as if he missed no development time at all.
Division Realignment Becoming Clear
One of the things that still need to be finalized by the league before training camps begin is the divisional realignment that will be required for the upcoming season. Though there have been reports previously, nothing has been nailed down to this point other than the “All-Canadian” division that is almost guaranteed to be one of the four thanks to strict border protocols. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that his sources are now suggesting a new alignment, which includes a return of the battle of Pennsylvania among other things.
The current (unnamed) re-alignment proposal would look like:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
Florida Panthers
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Vegas Golden Knights
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Winnipeg Jets
Like everything else, this new alignment is not official at this point. The league has still not released any finalized plan for the upcoming season, though there is a call today with the board of governors that will hopefully move things along. This new format would cut down on travel as much as possible while still maintaining some of the biggest rivalries around the sport.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Jalen Chatfield
The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed defenseman Jalen Chatfield to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2020-21 season. Chatfield was a restricted free agent that was eligible for arbitration but had decided not to file. PuckPedia reports that the deal is worth $700K at the NHL level and $125K in the minor leagues.
Chatfield, 24, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Canucks in 2017 and has spent the last three seasons in the minor leagues with the Utica Comets. He’s been recalled a few times to the NHL but hasn’t actually gotten into a game yet with Vancouver, something that he’s obviously hoping to change this year. The former Windsor Spitfires defenseman has shown basically no offensive ability at the professional level, recording just 18 points in his AHL career, but could still be an injury replacement or taxi squad member this season.
As we discussed earlier today, there remains a group of restricted free agents that aren’t expected to draw huge contracts but still aren’t signed for whatever reason. Like Chatfield, who now at least knows he will be employed in the 2020-21 season, many of those unsigned players can’t know for sure where they will be playing given the uncertainty surrounding the AHL campaign. Several of these short-term two-way deals will likely be signed over the next few weeks, even perhaps for players who have more experience and success than the Canucks defenseman.
Toronto Maple Leafs Loan Kalle Kossila To DEL
After playing just 12 games for the Toronto Marlies last season, it appears as though Kalle Kossila may not return. The veteran minor-league forward has been loaned to EHC Red Bull Munchen in the DEL today, without any indication of whether or not he’ll be back for training camp in North America.
The 27-year-old Kossila is on the second season of a two-year deal he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2019 and is due to earn a one-way salary of $700K. Signed along with several other veteran forwards to provide some depth for the organization, he suffered what was believed to be a concussion in last year’s training camp and missed a huge chunk of the season. It was eventually diagnosed as a migraine problem and he scored six points in just 12 appearances for the Marlies.
Now, apparently healthy enough to be loaned out to the DEL, Kossila will try to get his career back on track. The timing of the loan is interesting given the recent news that the NHL could be back training as soon as January, but perhaps this is just to get a bit of a head start. An undrafted signing out of St. Cloud State, the undersized forward has always been an excellent playmaker at the minor league level, recording 147 points in 182 AHL games. His NHL games haven’t gone quite as smoothly, with only three career points in 19 appearances.
Snapshots: Pacioretty, Hoffman, Kase, Sweden
News broke yesterday that the Vegas Golden Knights have had trade discussions regarding Max Pacioretty and the hockey world, desperate for any news right now, exploded with potential scenarios. Fans of nearly every team in the league pictured the 30-goal scorer in their uniform, but Jesse Granger of The Athletic believes that the Golden Knights shouldn’t rush into anything. Though he lists Pacioretty alongside Jonathan Marchessault and Marc-Andre Fleury as three names Vegas has considered moving, he reasons that it would be a step in the wrong direction to trade the former Montreal Canadiens forward due to a lack of scoring throughout the roster.
Tucked away in the piece is another note, however, and that is the Golden Knights have had no communication with Mike Hoffman‘s camp. The free agent sniper was listed as a potential target by Frank Seravalli of TSN when he broke the Pacioretty news yesterday, but it appears as though that may not be the case. The Golden Knights could obviously make contact if they do move a contract like Pacioretty’s $7MM cap hit, but time is running out for Hoffman to sign with a team before training camp starts in a few weeks.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned David Kase to the Czech National Team for the upcoming Channel One Cup, which starts next week. Kase had been on loan with HC Karlovy Vary but will get a chance to compete for his country at the international tournament. At some point, the 23-year-old should be expected to return to North America to quarantine and then take part in NHL training camp, but given the tournament isn’t over until December 20, it won’t be for a little while.
- More bad news for the Swedish World Junior team as the goaltending coach has also tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth staff member in the last few days. At this point, anyone that has tested positive is not supposed to be allowed to travel to the bubble in Edmonton for the tournament, while others are not supposed to be added to the traveling party. That leaves Sweden without several key coaches, including head coach Tomas Monten and assistant Anton Lundberg. At this point, given that several players were also excluded due to positive tests, it’s not clear if Sweden will even be able to take part.