Minor Transactions: 08/29/19
Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:
- The Binghamton Devils have signed Michael Paliotta to a one-year AHL contract, giving the well-traveled defenseman a home for 2019-20. Paliotta has only been playing professional hockey for four seasons but has already suited up with seven different teams, including the Stockton Heat in 2018-19. Originally selected in the third round of the 2011 draft, Paliotta went on to star at the University of Vermont before playing two games in the NHL early in his career.
- The Rochester Americans have signed Michael Houser, Pascal Aquin and Mason Mitchell to one-year AHL contracts according to Brayton J. Wilson of WGR550 in Buffalo, giving the team some more depth. Rochester looks like they’ll be a strong team again this season though all three of these signings could very well spend more time in the ECHL.
- The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have signed Colin McDonald, Tanner Pond, J.D. Dudek and Evan Buitenhuis to one-year AHL contracts. McDonald comes with the most obvious success of the bunch, having been a three-time AHL All-Star in the past and playing 148 games in the NHL. Dudek is another interesting name however, after only graduating from Boston College earlier this year. Dudek’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2018 as part of a deal for Patrick Maroon, but he failed to sign with the team and became an unrestricted free agent earlier this month.
Ben Lovejoy Announces Retirement
Another veteran free agent is off the market, but it isn’t because of a new contract. Ben Lovejoy has decided to announce his retirement as a player after 11 NHL seasons.
Lovejoy, 35, finished last season with the Dallas Stars after coming over as a trade deadline acquisition from the New Jersey Devils. The undrafted defenseman played well enough down the stretch to find himself among our Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents, but instead of grinding through another contract as a depth piece he’ll hang up his skates. Lovejoy carved out quite the career for himself through the years, suiting up 544 times in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Devils and Stars and recording 101 points. In 2016 he took home the Stanley Cup with the Penguins, playing in all 24 postseason contests and recording six points.
Though many undrafted college free agents never find their way in the NHL, Lovejoy is an example of how an organization can prop up their depth charts with overlooked talent. The Penguins, who inked Lovejoy in 2008, are one of the best examples of this around the league and continue to find NHL talent in unexpected places.
Matt Hunwick Not Expected To Play This Season
The Buffalo Sabres have a glut of defensemen fighting for just a few spots, but at least one of them won’t be in training camp after all. Sabres GM Jason Botterill announced today that Matt Hunwick is not expected to play this season:
After further medical evaluation this offseason, we unfortunately do not expect that Matt will be physically able to play this upcoming season due to a neck condition.
Hunwick, 34, has one year remaining on his contract and carries a $2.25MM cap hit. He will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team requires some additional cap space. That’s a very real possibility for the Sabres as they currently project just over the cap ceiling, though there are more cuts coming on defense even with Hunwick out of the picture. The team has at least eight other players vying for spots on the NHL blueline including five right-handed options, leading many to believe—especially when combined with Rasmus Ristolainen‘s comments earlier this summer—that another trade was coming from Buffalo at some point.
Originally coming to Buffalo in part of the Conor Sheary trade last summer, Hunwick played just 14 games with the club last season and was unlikely to see much action even if healthy this year. Once a reliable option for teams like the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs, Hunwick hasn’t been able to stay healthy or effective since signing a three-year $6.75MM contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017.
While this release doesn’t guarantee that Hunwick’s career is over, it does certainly put his future into question as an NHL player. He will be 35 next summer when he reaches unrestricted free agency and three full years removed from his last season of more than 42 games played.
New York Islanders Agree To Terms With Anthony Beauvillier
The New York Islanders have come to an agreement with another restricted free agent and will sign Anthony Beauvillier to a two-year contract. PuckPedia reports (via Arthur Staple of The Athletic) that the deal will carry an average annual value of $2.1MM.
Beauvillier was the final RFA on the board for the Islanders, who now have their full roster under contract and ready to start training camp next month. The team is expected to have quite the competition for roster spots after adding a player like Derick Brassard recently, leaving them with too many forwards to ice each night. Beauvillier won’t be one of those fighting for a spot however after suiting up 81 times last season under head coach Barry Trotz and scoring 18 goals. Though he’s not a dominant offensive presence, Beauvillier fit into Trotz’ defensive scheme nicely and provided some secondary scoring without hurting the team in his own end. In fact, the 22-year old forward only took four minor penalties all season and posted strong possession numbers suggesting he could be even more valuable to the team if given a bigger role.
Selected 28th overall in 2015, Beauvillier has had a nice start to his career and should be considered a building block for the Islanders moving forward. The team wants to compete now and have shown that desire recently with the re-signings of Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle, but it will be the continued development of players like Beauvillier and Mathew Barzal that will have the biggest impact on whether the team can become an elite contender in the Eastern Conference.
Given how the team has brought back several of their veteran forwards and added a name like Brassard on a one-year deal, it will be up to Beauvillier to continue to force his way into offensive situations this season. He wasn’t always used heavily on the powerplay in 2018-19 and may have to fight Brassard and perhaps even Joshua Ho-Sang for that opportunity if both are on the roster. At the very least he will be a valuable player at even-strength that can move up and down the lineup to complement some of the other top scorers.
The Islanders had more than $7MM in cap space before signing Beauvillier, meaning they have more than enough room to make another addition if necessary. They will also likely be big players at the trade deadline this season as long as things go well in the first half.
Minor Transactions: 08/28/19
Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:
- Veteran AHL forward Austin Fyten has decided to take his talents to Germany for the 2019-20 season. Fyten split last season between the Providence Bruins and Belleville senators, recording just ten points in 51 games. The 28-year old has played 280 games in the AHL over the years, but has never stuck around long in one place. Suiting up for minor league clubs in Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Lehigh Valley, Hershey, South Carolina, Providence and Belleville, he’ll now get to experience a little different atmosphere in Europe.
- Cody Bass has decided to retire, hanging up his skates after more than a decade in professional hockey. The Ottawa Senators draft pick played 85 total games in the NHL over his career but was a heart-and-soul member of many AHL clubs. Bass spent last season with the Colorado Eagles where he recorded six points in 35 regular season games.
Cam Ward Signs With Hurricanes, Announces Retirement
Veteran goaltender Cam Ward has signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in order to retire as a member of the team that he played nearly his entire career for. Ward played parts of 13 seasons in Carolina before joining the Chicago Blackhawks for one year in 2018-19. GM Don Waddell explained what Ward means to the franchise:
Cam was a cornerstone for this organization for more than a decade. From his ‘Cam’s Champs’ program to his efforts with the Hurricanes Foundation and time spent teaching at our hockey camps, he had a tremendous impact on this community. We’re proud that he has chosen to retire with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ward, 35, memorably burst onto the NHL scene in 2006 as a young goaltender with tremendous ability. After struggling through his first partial season something clicked for the rookie in the playoffs, and he took over from Martin Gerber and led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup. Awarded the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP, Ward would forever be remembered in Carolina regardless of what the rest of his career brought.
He wasn’t done.
Ward would quickly become the team’s full-time starting goaltender and go on a solid run for the next decade, twice earning Vezina Trophy votes as one of the league’s best. He holds the franchise records for games played, wins, winning percentage, shutouts and saves. He left Carolina with a .909 save percentage and 318-244-84 record in the regular season, and a .917 mark in the postseason.
It was obvious there wasn’t a lot left for Ward in Chicago last season, but it is fitting for him to return to Carolina before hanging up his pads for the last time. Good luck in retirement, Cam.
Andrei Markov Joins Octagon Hockey
Serious about a return to the NHL this season, veteran defenseman Andrei Markov has hired Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey as his new agent. Markov is training in Florida looking for an opportunity to resume his career in North America after two years in the KHL. Earlier this month the 40-year old explained he would love the chance to play once again for the Montreal Canadiens, but is looking at all his options.
Markov infamously represented himself in negotiations with the Canadiens in 2017 before leaving for the KHL, after former NHL player Sergei Berezin was decertified by the NHLPA. That negotiation broke down with some bitterness but it appears as though Markov is looking to take a different tack this time around. Walsh is one of the most successful agents in the hockey world and represents some of the top players in the entire league.
The question now is whether Markov has anything left to give to an NHL organization. With 990 games under his belt with the Canadiens across 16 seasons he definitely fills the experience quota, but there’s no telling whether he can still keep up with the NHL pace of play. Markov’s skating ability had slowed considerably even before he left for the KHL but thanks to a sharp mind and elite positioning he was still able to provide the Canadiens with quality minutes. In his final two years in Montreal he totaled 80 points in 144 games.
Last season in the KHL however, things seemed to catch up with him. Markov recorded just 14 points in 49 games for Kazan Ak-Bars despite still averaging more than 21 minutes a night. With just a few weeks left before training camp opens it will be interesting to see if he’s will to take a professional tryout in order to prove he can still compete at the NHL level.
Minor Transactions: 08/27/19
Many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets largely remain relatively quiet. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with all of those minor transactions here:
- Dante Salituro was a lottery ticket signing by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016, hoping his offensive explosion at the OHL level could carry over to professional hockey. After short stints in the AHL with the Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild affiliates, Salituro spent most of the last two seasons in the ECHL where he was dominant. Left unqualified by Minnesota this summer he became an unrestricted free agent and has now signed with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel for 2019-20. Salituro had 61 points in 66 games for the Allen Americans last year and should be another top performer in the low minors.
- After four years at Yale University, 24-year old defenseman Charles Curti will begin his professional career with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. Curti was never a big offensive performer in college but will see if he can add a little more production to his game as he transitions to the new league.
- 17-year old forward Andrei Bakanov has decided to sign with the Guelph Storm and bring his talents to the OHL, keeping his game in front of North American scouts ahead of the 2020 draft. The big bodied winger was born in Russia but has been playing in the United States for several years, including a full season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL last season. He was selected 38th overall in the CHL Import Draft earlier this summer and could potentially go in the first few rounds of the NHL Entry Draft next June if his offensive game takes another step forward.
- Former NHL defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka is remaining in the KHL, but moving on from HK Sochi. Sibir Novosibirsk has announced a one-year deal with the free agent Finn. Jokipakka, 28, recorded 24 points in 59 games last season for Sochi and his new Siberian club hopes for that or more this year.
Alexander Khovanov Undergoes Surgery To Remove Tumor
The Minnesota Wild won’t have Alexander Khovanov in their lineup for the upcoming NHL Prospect Tournament, as they have announced the young forward underwent surgery last Friday to remove a benign bone tumor (Osteoid Osteoma) in his left leg. Khovanov is expected to miss four to six weeks, likely meaning he’ll miss his chance to take part in any of NHL training camp.
The 19-year old was selected in the third round in 2018 and experienced a breakout season for Moncton of the QMJHL in 2018-19. Scoring 74 points in 64 games, the Russian forward was impressive at both ends of the rink and is an exciting prospect for the Wild to look forward to. He is expected to return for a final year of junior with the Wildcats.
Minnesota will have an impressive group on the ice at the Prospect Tournament which takes place in Traverse City, Michigan between September 6-10. Nico Sturm, Ivan Lodnia, Will Bitten and Mat Robson will be among the players featured there for the Wild. They will take on teams from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and New York Rangers organizations in the Ted Lindsay Division.
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Eleventh Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
Despite his recent struggles, Shattenkirk still moves up four spots in our redraft and finishes out the top-10, taking the place of draft bust Keaton Ellerby who was originally selected by the Panthers in 2007. Though it took Shattenkirk a few years to make his way to the NHL, his debut there was outstanding in the 2010 season when he recorded 26 points in his first 46 games with the Colorado Avalanche. So good in fact that the Avalanche were able to flip him to the St. Louis Blues in a deal that landed them 2006 first-overall pick Erik Johnson.
Johnson was just 22 at the time and still considered a potential franchise defenseman who had put up 91 points in 203 games with the Blues. Though there were other assets included in the trade (top prospect Chris Stewart went with Shattenkirk for instance), the swap of defensemen would turn out to be the most important part. Johnson would never quite become that Norris-caliber defender in Colorado but is still with the team to this day as a solid contributor, while Shattenkirk became one of the most efficient offensive weapons from the blueline in the league.
Through parts of seven seasons with St. Louis, Shattenkirk recorded 258 points in 425 games and received Norris Trophy votes on three different occasions. His ability to quarterback a powerplay was outstanding, but it unfortunately rarely led to much playoff success for the Blues. In 2017 as he neared the end of his contract and approached free agency, he was flipped to the Washington Capitals for a solid package.
Shattenkirk was recently bought out of his contract with the New York Rangers after concerns with his commitment to defense and overall impact on the game. Signing a much cheaper deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning could allow him to recover some of that perceived value, though even if he doesn’t it has already been quite the career. Shattenkirk trails only P.K. Subban in terms of scoring among defensemen drafted in 2007, and comes in at 12th overall from that year. His climb into the top-10 is warranted, though a rebirth in Tampa Bay would only do more for his eventual legacy.
That takes us to pick number 11 from 2007, which originally belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes. After the Panthers went with a defender just ahead of Carolina, the team decided to reach a bit for a forward with a legendary hockey name. Brandon Sutter was ranked 28th among all North American skaters in 2007, but with bloodlines that included father Brent Sutter and uncles Brian Sutter, Darryl Sutter, Duane Sutter, Rich Sutter and Ron Sutter, it was easy to imagine him experiencing a long and successful NHL career.
The pick was certainly not unanimously praised, as Sutter had scored just 20 goals and 57 points in 71 games during his draft year with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL (who were incidentally owned, managed and coached at the time by his father and included his brother Brett Sutter as another top forward). There was obvious talent there, but some questioned the eventual offensive upside of the young forward. Those questions would be amplified during his first season in the NHL when Sutter registered only six points in 50 games with the Hurricanes, but seemed to be answered the following year. In 2009-10 Sutter recorded 21 goals and 40 points, establishing himself as a full-time NHL option that could contribute at both ends of the rink.
Unfortunately, that 40-point season would end up being the best of Sutter’s career to this point. He has just 32 points in his last 87 games in the NHL, a span that encompasses the last two full seasons thanks to injury. Now with two seasons left on his contract with the Vancouver Canucks it isn’t clear what kind of role he will have in 2019-20 and whether he can ever fulfill his draft (and family) pedigree.
If they had another chance knowing what we do now, you can bet the Hurricanes would pick someone else. But who would it be?
With the eleventh pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Carolina Hurricanes select? Cast your vote below!
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*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.