Minor Transactions: 09/06/19
It’s now September and teams are still filling out their organization depth charts as they wait on the restricted free agent market to heat up. With moves being made daily in the minor, professional, collegiate and European leagues, we’ll keep track of all the notable ones right here. Check back often for an updated list:
- The Syracuse Crunch have signed Mikhail Shalagin to a one-year AHL contract, bringing him into the Tampa Bay Lightning organization after they used a seventh-round pick on him in June. Shalagin will turn 20 next week and went undrafted through his first two years of eligibility, but after two outstanding seasons in the MHL and his debut in the KHL, the Lightning thought he was worth a selection. The big winger set the MHL record with 48 goals in 43 games last season.
- The team also picked up a one-year option on the AHL contract of Nolan Valleau, a 26-year old defenseman who played 68 games for the Crunch last season. Undrafted, Valleau has bounced around the minor leagues the last several years, suiting up for teams in Rockford, Orlando, Chicago, Milwaukee, Utica and Syracuse.
- The Brampton Beast have signed former QMJHL star T.J. Melancon to a one-year ECHL contract. The 23-year old defenseman has recorded 74 points in 118 games for the Norfolk Admirals over the last two seasons, including 25 goals during that time.
- 6’6″ forward Jay Dickman will play his first full professional season with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, signing a one-year deal with the team. Dickman has played the last four seasons with Bemidji State University and suited up three times with the Florida Everblades this spring.
East Notes: Jacobs, Flyers, Clutterbuck
The Boston Bruins have new ownership. Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the team since 1975, has transferred the ownership to his six children according to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. The franchise will obviously stay in the family, but will no longer be in the hands of the 80-year old owner who is known as one of the most powerful in the league.
Jacobs, 80, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017 and as of now still serves as chairman of the NHL board of governors. He holds immense power among the other owners around the league, though it is not clear if this transition will affect that at all.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have added more names to their front office as Chuck Fletcher continues to put his stamp on the organization. Martin Gendron has been hired as an amateur scout, coming from the Minnesota Wild where Fletcher had originally hired him. Angelo Ricci has been hired as a skills coach, and Vincent Yula is in as assistant video coach. Yula had already been assisting, though will now be part of the staff in an official capacity.
- Cal Clutterbuck underwent surgery to fix multiple back injuries earlier this year, but is feeling much better as he prepares for the season. The New York Islanders forward told Andrew Gross of Newsday that he has “no issues” with his back anymore and that he felt better immediately after surgery. Even while battling through injury last season Clutterbuck played in 73 games and recorded 23 points, but if the 31-year old is at all improved the Islanders could have an even more dangerous bottom-six.
Landon Ferraro To Attend Vancouver Canucks Training Camp
According to Jeff Patterson of TSN, Landon Ferraro will be attending Vancouver Canucks training camp on a professional tryout. Ferraro last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season and missed much of last year due to injury.
Ferraro, 28, was once a top prospect of the Detroit Red Wings, selected 32nd overall in 2009 thanks to a solid year in junior and a famous last name—he is the son of Ray Ferraro, who scored 408 goals in the NHL. Unfortunately things took a slight downward turn almost immediately, as his goal scoring dried up in junior and he spent several years in the minor leagues trying to find his game.
There is offensive talent there, as proven by his multiple 20-goal seasons in the AHL, but Ferraro has never been able to find much consistency at the NHL level. He’ll try to earn himself another two-way contract at training camp to see if he can resurrect his career. The Trail, British Columbia native should feel right at home with the Canucks, and perhaps he can use that familiarity to finally break through and be a nice depth piece for the team. In 77 NHL games, he has 12 points.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Brendan Perlini
The Chicago Blackhawks have settled on a one-year deal with restricted free agent Brendan Perlini, giving him another chance to show what he can do for the organization. Perlini arrived in Chicago as part of the Nick Schmaltz–Dylan Strome trade last season but scored just 15 points in 46 games with the team. The deal will be for just $874,125 which was the qualifying offer extended to Perlini earlier this summer.
Perlini, 23, was a first-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2014 and quickly made an impact at the NHL level by scoring 14 goals in 57 games as a rookie in 2016-17. That goal scoring ability continued in his sophomore season but seemed to disappear last year for the big winger, at least until he got to Chicago. The inconsistency he’s shown at the NHL level—he scored eight of his 12 goals with the Blackhawks in a seven-game span—will need to be corrected if he is ever going to be relied upon as an offensive weapon or climb into the top-six on a full-time basis.
That’s not to say there’s no hope when it comes to Perlini though. Standing 6’3 and well over 200-lbs he will likely have a place in the NHL just because of his size, strength and speed, but this season will be a sort of crossroads in his career to determine whether he’ll be a core piece to build around or just a secondary asset for the Blackhawks. He will be a restricted free agent once again next summer, hopefully with a little more production to base his negotiations on.
Jake Gardiner Signs With Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have added another talented defenseman to their ever-expanding depth chart, signing Jake Gardiner to a four-year contract. The deal carries an average annual value of just $4.05MM, quite a bit less than what many expected Gardiner to command this summer. PuckPedia provides the full breakdown of the deal:
- 2019-20: $3.65MM salary
- 2020-21: $3.90MM salary
- 2021-22: $4.20MM salary
- 2022-23: $4.45MM salary
The deal also includes a seven-team no-trade clause in all four seasons. Carolina GM Don Waddell released a short statement on the signing:
Jake is a solid veteran blueliner with a proven history of contributing offensively, including on the power play. He’s had options this summer, but ultimately decided that Carolina is his best fit, and we’re thrilled to have him here.
At first blush, this is an incredibly team-friendly deal for the Hurricanes. Gardiner came into the offseason as our highest ranked defenseman in the Top 50 UFA list, but after a late-season back injury and implying that he wanted to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs his market never seemed to develop. The $4.05MM cap hit is exactly the same as he has made over the last five years with Toronto, and could result in a real value for the Hurricanes. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet notes that the four-year term may have been the biggest selling point, as there “weren’t many multi-year offers” for Gardiner this summer.
The hesitance to give Gardiner term may be because of the cap as Johnston suggests, or because of the injury, but there’s good reason to like this deal from a Carolina standpoint. The team now boasts probably the deepest group of defensemen in the league, with Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Gustav Forsling, Haydn Fleury, Jake Bean and now Gardiner all being capable NHL options. The team even signed Chase Priskie recently and also has Roland McKeown if injuries were to really pile up. That glut of defensemen will certainly lead to plenty of trade speculation, most notably around Faulk who has been involved in rumors for years.
Faulk and van Riemsdyk are both heading into their final years under contract before reaching unrestricted free agency, and could potentially be moved for an upgrade at forward now that Gardiner is in place to take on some minutes. Though they play opposite sides, Gardiner and Faulk have been compared for some time due to their playstyles as offensive puck-moving options. Both are known to turn the puck over at the most inopportune times, but can generally drive play at an excellent rate and run a powerplay. Gardiner has averaged at least 20 minutes of ice time in every season of his career to this point, and is just a year removed from a career-high 52-point season. The Minnesota native has amassed 245 points in 551 games, very similar to Faulk’s 258 in 559.
It’s not clear where exactly the Hurricanes will deploy the 29-year old Gardiner, but he comes in just ahead of Pesce in terms of salary and could very well take over for Calvin de Haan who was shipped out of town this offseason. de Haan logged more than 18 and a half minutes per game with the Hurricanes, a total that may allow Gardiner to be even more effective on a nightly basis.
San Jose Sharks Hire Ned Colletti
In a head-scratching move, the San Jose Sharks have hired former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti as a professional scout. Colletti will focus on scouting the AHL and NHL levels, a huge change from his near 40-years of experience in the MLB. Sharks GM Doug Wilson released a statement explaining the hire:
Ned has an extensive background working in professional sports and talent evaluation and he will bring a fresh perspective to our organization’s evaluation process. This was a unique opportunity to add someone of Ned’s experience to our staff.
Colletti does have experience with hockey as a journalist, covering the Philadelphia Flyers before starting his career in baseball. Back in 2013, Los Angeles Kings reporter Jon Rosen interviewed the baseball executive about his history with hockey and friendship with former Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Moving to an entirely new sport after several decades will not be easy, but Wilson and the Sharks will hope his experience running one of the biggest organizations in professional sports will help him acclimate quickly.
In the professional scouting role there isn’t likely a ton of pressure on Colletti, though this does beg the question of where his future lies. Will he transition entirely over to hockey for the rest of his career, or is there a return to baseball on the horizon? The 65-year old was taken out of the GM position with the Dodgers in 2014, but remained on as an advisor and worked in broadcasting.
The team has also added Jon Hull and Tomi Kallio to the scouting department.
Joe Thornton Re-Signs With San Jose Sharks
The deal is finally official, and Joe Thornton is returning to San Jose. The Sharks have announced that Thornton will be back on a one-year deal, and Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports it will be worth $2MM.
It never was in doubt, but now that it is official there is plenty of time to analyze the Sharks cap situation and see if there is room for another addition before the season begins. The team now projects to have just under $2.7MM in cap space and could potentially add another forward on a relatively inexpensive deal. For months there has been belief that Patrick Marleau would be that cheap forward, but the two sides both explained recently that there is not going to be a reunion for the franchise icon.
Not so when it comes to Thornton however, who returns for his 22nd NHL season and 15th with San Jose. The 40-year old continues to amaze with his incredible playmaking ability and is coming off a 51-point season (in just 73 games) in 2018-19. Thornton now has 1,478 points in his long illustrious career and could potentially pass Paul Coffey for 13th all-time with a strong season. It seems very likely that he will become just the 14th player in league history to amass 1,500 points, and will undoubtedly end up in the Hall of Fame after retirement.
Amazingly, even with all of his success Thornton has still not been able to raise the Stanley Cup during his career. A winner of the Art Ross, Hart Trophy, Olympic, World Cup and World Junior gold, and even a Swiss-league championship during the 2004-05 lockout, there is still one silver chalice that has stayed out of reach. By re-joining the Sharks for one more season he’ll have a good shot at it once again as even without captain Joe Pavelski returning the San Jose roster is still filled with talent.
It’s important to note that the contract does not include any performance bonuses, even though Thornton was eligible for them. That means the Sharks won’t have to worry about any potential overages and can use their remaining cap space as they see fit. If that means a last-second addition before the season begins or a trade deadline acquisition, GM Doug Wilson would have had a plan before committing to Thornton. The veteran forward has been open all summer about how he would return for whatever the Sharks could afford and felt was reasonable, hoping to have another crack at the Cup next spring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Early Notes: Mangiapane, Rantanen, Okhotyuk
The Calgary Flames have had countless headlines written about their ongoing negotiation with Matthew Tkachuk, but they actually have another restricted free agent still unsigned as well. Andrew Mangiapane is in danger of missing the start of training camp if something can’t get done, which is likely more important for a player that has just 54 NHL games under his belt and is fighting for a full-time roster spot. Eric Francis of Sportsnet reports that the two sides are $200K apart on a one-year deal, with the Flames offering $800K and Mangiapane “looking for closer to $1MM.”
Calgary GM Brad Treliving told Francis that the team isn’t waiting on Tkachuk to sign Mangiapane, but with such a small difference in offers you can bet the team is trying to make sure they don’t overpay even the slightest, knowing they don’t have a lot of wiggle room under the cap ceiling. The Flames currently project to have just over $7.7MM in cap space, though there are a few ways to create some extra room, like placing defenseman Juuso Valimaki on long-term injured reserve.
- Though Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen have raised eyebrows during their negotiations by being linked to clubs overseas, the latter decided to put that idea to rest in an interview with Russian outlet Business Online. Rantanen was very clear that the NHL is “the only option” for him this season and he won’t be discussing contracts with the KHL or other leagues. The Colorado Avalanche forward is coming off his second consecutive season scoring more than a point-per-game and has found a home on the top line beside Nathan MacKinnon. Still just 22, he could potentially become Colorado’s highest-paid player on his next contract.
- The New Jersey Devils won’t be able to get a closer look at prospect Nikita Okhotyuk at the Prospect Challenge this weekend, as the team announced he is out six to eight weeks following surgery on a broken finger. Okhotyuk was selected in the second round in June and will miss regular training camp as well. The 18-year old defenseman is expected to return to the Ottawa 67’s for the 2019-20 season.
Riley Sheahan Signs With Edmonton Oilers
5:15pm: The deal is official now, as the Oilers have announced a one-year contract with Sheahan per the initially reported terms. Sheahan stated that Holland was “definitely a big reason” why he signed in Edmonton, adding that he’s always “had trust in Ken.”
1:00pm: The Edmonton Oilers have been looking for some more depth down the middle, and it appears GM Ken Holland has found it in an old friend. According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet the team is close to a one-year deal with free agent Riley Sheahan who played for years under Holland with the Detroit Red Wings. The contract will be for $900K, giving the team quite the bargain if Sheahan can actually take over as the third-line center.
That third-line pivot role is something that Sheahan has held in the past, but it’s not clear if he can really be a difference maker there anymore. The 27-year old recorded just 19 points last season in 82 games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, which simply isn’t enough for the Oilers if they plan on getting back to the playoffs this season. While Connor McDavid and either Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can create an elite pair of centers on the top two lines, the team desperately needs some more consistent secondary scoring from the third line.
Perhaps the hope is that Holland can bring the best out of Sheahan once again. He experienced his best offensive campaign in 2014-15 when he recorded 36 points for the Red Wings, but was a frustratingly inefficient shooter near the end of his career in Detroit. In fact, Sheahan famously went 79 games without scoring a single goal during the 2016-17 season before lighting the lamp in his last game of the year, giving him an eye-popping 1.8% shooting percentage. While something like that isn’t expected to happen again, he’ll need to do more than just play good defense to really make an impact for the Oilers next season.
After moving out Milan Lucic and buying out Andrej Sekera, the Oilers have a little wiggle room to operate this summer but still haven’t made any drastic overhauls to the roster. The team will have to hope a new coach and management team can make enough of these fringe moves to get them back to the postseason, or more substantial transactions may have to be made.
Snapshots: Barzal, Brodziak, Player Tracking
Mathew Barzal has noticed all the young restricted free agents causing havoc around the league by holding out this deep in the summer, and while he knows he’ll be in the same situation a year from now isn’t focused on it. In Arthur Staples’ latest piece for The Athletic, Barzal explains that he wants to be part of the New York Islanders for a long time and just wants to take the next step as a team:
My mindset is I’m here. I’ve got one year left and then I’m an RFA, I’m not a UFA. There isn’t much to worry about. All those RFAs now are young, like me, so I get the comparison. But I just want us to win.
Barzal, 22, took a step backwards offensively last season in the more structured system new head coach Barry Trotz installed, but was still a huge reason why the Islanders came second in the Metropolitan Division (just a point behind the Washington Capitals) and wound up sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. The 16th overall pick from 2015 has 147 points in 166 games during his short tenure in the NHL and is due for a huge raise on his next deal.
- The Edmonton Oilers will bring in some more center depth with the signing of Riley Sheahan to a one-year deal, but may not have one of their other veteran options. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that the team isn’t expecting Kyle Brodziak to pass his physical after not being able to train all offseason due to injury. Brodziak has one year remaining on his contract and carries a $1.15MM cap hit, which could be placed on long-term injured reserve if he’s not able to return to action. The veteran forward was brought in after a surprisingly excellent 2017-18 with the St. Louis Blues, but only registered nine points in 70 games for the Oilers last season.
- Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan of ESPN are reporting that the NHL has cut ties with Jogmo World Corp, their primary technology partner when it comes to puck and player tracking. Commissioner Gary Bettman listed “organizational and financial challenges” as the reason for the switch, but still expects the technology to be ready for the 2019-20 playoffs.