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Minor Transactions: 10/21/20

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The NHL free agent market may have slowed a bit – despite a considerable amount of talent still available – but other leagues are still busy. AHL clubs are cleaning up the fringes of the NHL market, as are European leagues, and NCAA programs are finalizing transfers as they prepare for a hopeful start to the season next month. Here are some of the notable minor moves from today:

  • It was a busy day for the Stockton Heat. The Calgary Flames’ affiliate announced four signings, adding two forwards and two defensemen on one-year deals. Three of the contracts are extensions, as defenders Zac Leslie and Rob Hamilton and grinder Alex Gallant return to Stockton. Leslie, 26, is a former L.A. Kings prospect who led all Heat defensemen in points last season. Hamilton, 26, was also a top-four defenseman last year and led the team in plus/minus. Gallant, 27, is an interesting story. He played hardly any high-level hockey as a prospect, but made a career of his aggressive style, working his way up from the SPHL to the ECHL and then the AHL, logging hundreds of penalty minutes each year. He set a career high in scoring as well last year with five goals and eight points.
  • The other addition to the Heat was Mark Simpson, a hulking forward out of the University of New Brunswick. Simpson, 25, stands 6’5″ and has a more pro-ready build than many players out of the USports system. That might explain why Simpson, who finished outside the top ten in scoring for the Reds this past season, has earned an AHL contract while the program’s other top scorers have not. However, Simpson is likely destined for the ECHL while he continues to develop.
  • After the Florida Panthers opted not to extend him a qualifying offer, defenseman Thomas Schemitsch has decided to take his talents to Cleveland. The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have announced a one-year contract with Schemitsch, who has spent nearly all of the past four seasons with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. Schemitsch is a big, two-way blue liner who was a consistent contributor in the minors. He earned an extension from Florida last summer, but it did not yield any top level opportunities. He hopes to prove to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ brass that he is still an NHL-caliber prospect with his play in Cleveland.

Penguins Loan Cam Lee To HC Slovan Bratislava

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Defenseman Cam Lee is preparing to make his pro debut this season, but it won’t be with the team he expected when he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins this spring. When Lee takes the ice to begin the 2020-21 campaign, it will not be in the NHL or AHL but in the Slovakian Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava. The club announced that they have negotiated a loan with the Penguins that will allow Lee to play in Bratislava until NHL training camp opens.

Lee, 23, embarks on his first pro season after wrapping up an impressive four-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University. Lee notched 20+ points in each of the past three seasons, including 21 points in just 26 games as a senior, and led all Broncos defensemen in scoring in each of the past two years. The nephew of former NHL star goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Lee is a high IQ player who sees the ice well and moves the puck. Lee is unlikely to be rushed to the NHL like some other Penguins’ NCAA free agents, but if he can improve in some need areas over the course of his two-year entry-level contract, he could compete for opportunities at the top level down the road.

Easing in to the pro game by starting in Bratislava rather than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton may end up helping Lee in his first season. A former KHL club that is well-regarded and finished second in the Extraliga standings last season, Bratislava is a good team and a place where a young player can learn the game without feeling too much pressure. Former NHL defenseman Andrej Meszaros may also be a great mentor to the young defenseman. With that said, the team stated in their release that they have been disappointed by a slow start to this season, so Lee may also get the opportunity to play a key role for the club in the time before he returns for training camp.

Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Sam Miletic

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have wrapped up their restricted free agent group. The team has announced that forward Sam Miletic has agreed to a new one-year contract. It is a two-way deal that carries the NHL minimum $700K salary. AHL terms were not disclosed. This signing leaves Pontus Aberg as the only unsigned RFA for Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel notes that he plans to play in Europe this season.

Miletic, 23, is a former OHL standout whose game has more or less translated to the pros, at least through two AHL seasons. An undrafted prospect who earned a contract with Pittsburgh through his efforts at development camp, Miletic has gone on to record back-to-back seasons of more than 30 points. This has placed him among the leading scorers for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins both years and earned him an AHL All-Star nod this past year.

A hard-working forward with a decent amount of skill, Miletic projects as a third-line caliber player in the NHL, but may not get that opportunity this season. Although there is less certainty among the Penguins’ bottom-six than in years past, the starting jobs seem locked up at least to begin the year. Even if there was to be an opening, GM Jim Rutherford never hesitates to look for a trade first. If he does opt to promote from within, Miletic faces competition from Sam Lafferty, Jordy Bellerive, Anthony Angello, and veteran newcomers Frederick Gaudreau and Josh Currie to jump into an NHL role. However, if he can take a step forward in his AHL scoring, perhaps to lead WBS, then later this season or next year he will be more competitive.

Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Joey Daccord

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The Ottawa Senators made a big splash earlier this off-season, first trading for Matt Murray then signing him to a lucrative long-term contract. Murray is the present and the future in net for the Senators, but he is not the only goalie in their plans. Ottawa has announced a three-year extension with restricted free agent Joey Daccord, who just wrapped up his first pro season. The deal carries an AAV of $750K with the following breakdown:

2020-21: Two-way, $700K NHL salary, $175K AHL salary
2021-22: Two-way, $750K NHL salary, $300K AHL salary
2022-23: One-way, $800K salary

This seemingly minor contract actually speaks volumes about the Senators’ plans in goal. Ottawa has a deep stable of prospect goaltenders, but have opted to extend a multi-year contract to 24-year-old Daccord. The pact also includes a commitment to giving Daccord an NHL shot by at least 2022-23, when his NHL salary becomes fully guaranteed as a one-way deal. Meanwhile, Anders Nilsson played well after coming over to Ottawa last year and looks like Murray’s backup when healthy and is an impending UFA, 25-year-old Marcus Hogberg is also on a one-way contract this year and will be a restricted free agent next summer, promising 22-year-old prospect Filip Gustavsson is currently dominating the Swedish minor leagues and is looking for NHL time in the final year of his entry-level deal, 20-year-old Kevin Mandolese just signed a three-year entry level contract of his own, and the club has 2019 second-round pick Mads Sogaard and 2020 third-round pick Leevi Merilainen in the pipeline as well. There are many mouths to feed in Ottawa when it comes to future net share, yet Daccord is now the only name other than Murray with a long-term commitment that includes NHL opportunity.

The Senators clearly like what they have seen from Daccord and believe he will at least be an option to backup Murray in a few years. Daccord has improved dramatically since he was a seventh-round flier out of Cushing Academy in Massachusetts back in 2015. After a so-so season in the USHL, Daccord struggled out of the gate at Arizona State University. Only in his junior year did he finally take off, recording a .926 save percentage and 2.35 GAA for a surprising Sun Devils squad. But that was enough for the Senators to offer a contract and for the young keeper to turn pro early. He then held his own in his first pro season, playing two-thirds of his games in the AHL to the tune of a .915 save percentage and 2.61 GAA. For a net minder with very limited experience against top talent, he handled the jump to the competitive minor league level very well and should only improve with time.

Ottawa clearly expects his game to continuing growing as well. With bigger names and higher draft pedigrees in the system competing for the spotlight, the Senators have made it clear that they believe in Daccord. Murray may be the big name in net now and likely will be for the long haul, but at the current time Daccord looks to be the closest thing to next in line.

New York Islanders To Re-Sign Parker Wotherspoon

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Parker Wotherspoon received a qualifying offer from the New York Islanders, but he’ll take a two-year extension with a decrease in NHL salary and an increase in AHL salary rather than accept a one-year raise. CapFriendly reports that the Islanders have come to terms on a new two-way deal with the young defenseman. Wotherspoon is set to make the minimum $700K at the NHL level this year and $750K in the NHL next year for an AAV of $725K. In the AHL, he will earn $100K ($125K total guaranteed) in 2020-21 and $125K ($185K total guaranteed) in 2021-22.

Wotherspoon, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract with three productive AHL seasons under his belt. In fact, the mobile defenseman’s point total has improved year over year. His 27 points in 2019-20 was good enough for fourth among all skaters for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He also set a career high in penalty minutes as his 6’2″ frame has been put to good use with a more physical presence.

With the departure of Devon Toews and the possibility of more moves on the Islanders blue line, Wotherspoon’s odds of an NHL opportunity have improved, even if New York still has a deep group of defensemen. Given his consistent offense and pro size, Wotherspoon has earned a shot if he can get one. With five defensemen signed to one-way contracts, RFA Ryan Pulock expected to re-sign, and prospects Noah Dobson and Sebastian Aho likely ahead of him in the pecking order, Wotherspoon will need some luck for chances to open up, but once they do he could prove himself as an NHL-ready player.

 

Marc-Andre Fleury Happy To Stay In Vegas, Share Net In 2020-21

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When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Robin Lehner to a five-year, $25MM contract extension, it seemed certain that usurped starter Marc-Andre Fleury and his $7MM price tag would be elsewhere by next season. However, it has been weeks since Lehner’s signing and between the high cost of moving a contract like Fleury’s and concerns over Lehner’s recovery from upcoming shoulder surgery, it now seems more likely than not that Fleury will be back with Vegas next season. If this is indeed the case, the respected veteran is just fine with that.

Fleury tells Jean-Francois Chaumont in a recent piece by Le Journal De Montreal that he too assumed he would be elsewhere next season and is still a bit surprised that the Knights are committing so much cap space to their goalie tandem next season. The following is a translated except from his interview:

I was stressed. I watched the news, it wasn’t always good rumors for me. There are always a ton of rumors, but there aren’t many that come true… I still found it surprising as an outcome. My name was circulating quite a bit for a trade. But I am happy. I am lucky enough to stay in Vegas. I will still play for a good team. I won’t have to move, which is also a good thing…  I am ready to share. This year, I also expect it to be a strange season. There will probably be several games in a few days, there will be a condensed schedule. I think not all teams will have the choice to use their two goalies. For this year, it will be a good thing to have two competitive goalies. It will give our team a good chance.

Fleury’s point about the likelihood of a condensed 2020-21 schedule explains both why there was interest from other teams in the high-priced veteran but also partly why Vegas decided to keep their duo together. Having two competent goalies will be crucial this coming season and the Knights realize, even with their talented roster, that a reliable tandem is key. Fleury himself even admits that Lehner is the future for the Golden Knights and will almost certainly serve as the “starter” once he is back to full strength. And the soon-to-be 36-year-old Fleury is also better off as a “backup” at this point in his career. However, with the high likelihood of fewer days off and more back-to-backs this coming season, it will be more of a 1A and 1B scenario for Lehner and Fleury and the pair could be one of the best goaltending combos in the NHL. What happens beyond next season – Fleury has an additional year remaining on his contract – remains a mystery, but Vegas has figured out their finances and are well-positioned in net for a busy 2020-21.

 

Minor Transactions: 10/14/20

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As the NHL off-season rolls on, the minor league and European transactions get more interesting as NHL opportunities begin to dry up and notable names look elsewhere. Here are some of the more “major” minor transactions from today:

  • After taking a year off to deal with the repercussions of a history of concussions, Rourke Chartier is back. The 24-year-old forward has signed a one-year AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies, the team announced. Chartier played in 13 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2018-19 and another 26 with the AHL Barracuda. However, after he failed to show consistent results over the course of his entry-level contract, the Sharks opted not to extend a qualifying offer. It turned out that Chartier needed the time off anyhow to continue recovering from his numerous concussions. Now feeling healthier, perhaps Chartier can return to the form he showed in the 2017-18 AHL season – playing at nearly a point-per-game pace in an injury-shortened season – but instead stay off the injury list for a time.
  • With brother Dylan Sikura traded away by the Chicago Blackhawks, Tyler Sikura has decided to leave the organization as well. A former Blackhawk himself (contractually), Sikura played this past season on an AHL deal with the affiliated Rockford Ice Hogs, where he skated alongside his brother for much of the year. Now that Dylan is in Las Vegas, Tyler has taken his talents to Cleveland. The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters announced that they have signed Sikura to a one-year contract. Sikura is a productive minor league forward, with two 30+ point seasons out of the past three, and plays a responsible two-way game as well. He should be a regular contributor for the Monsters this season.
  • The Ice Hogs have made an addition of their own, albeit still unconfirmed, in goaltender Cale Morris. The Notre Dame product announced himself that he has signed his first pro contract with Rockford, though no details have been disclosed. Morris started three seasons for the Fighting Irish and if his senior year had gone like his sophomore and junior, this would likely be an NHL contract that he’s signing. Morris was stellar in his first season as the Notre Dame starter in 2018-19. He posted a .944 save percentage and 1.94 GAA in 37 appearances, which was good enough to win him the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goalie and to make him a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. In hindsight, he likely should have capitalized on his sophomore success and turned pro. As a junior, his numbers slipped slightly, but Morris was still one of the NCAA’s best. This past season was more noticeable drop-off; he recorded a .916 save percentage and 2.44 GAA – good numbers by most standards but not among the NCAA’s best and a far cry from his first two seasons. With Rockford, Morris will look to prove that he is still an elite goalie prospect by returning to the form he showed earlier in college. If he succeeds, the Blackhawks may already have a sneaky contender in the organization to fill the currently vacant role of goalie of the future.

Florida Panthers Re-Sign Philippe Desrosiers

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The Florida Panthers are bringing back a depth option in net. The team has announced that Philippe Desrosiers has signed a one-year contract extension. It is a two-way contract, and while no financial terms were disclosed, it is expected to be the same minimum $700K NHL salary as the deal he initially signed last summer.

Desrosiers, 25, has yet to make his NHL debut despite being selected in the second round back in 2013. The former QMJHL star and top Dallas Stars prospect never quite found his footing in the AHL early on, struggling to play well enough to avoid a demotion to the ECHL. That changed when he joined the Panthers last season, sticking in the AHL for a full season for the first time. Despite a 3.05 goals against average, 2019-20 was arguably also his best pro season, as he recorded a career-high .916 save percentage and 29 appearances and won 16 games.

Entering a new year, the situation is status quo for Florida in goal. Sergei Bobrovsky is the bell cow starter for the Panthers in the NHL and Chris Driedger and RFA Samuel Montembeault again seem destined to compete for the backup job with the loser taking over the starting role in the AHL. Ryan Bednard spent most of his first pro season in the ECHL and could do so again. Barring another addition – and a solid backup for Bobrovsky in a condensed season might be a smart move – Desrosiers should likely return to his backup job in the AHL, so long as he can hold off Bednard, and could be an injury away from challenging Driedger or Montembeault himself for an NHL opportunity.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Brendan Gallagher To Six-Year Extension

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So much for all of the perceived drama surrounding the Montreal Canadiens adding right wings Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson on long-term contracts while homegrown star winger Brendan Gallagher was entering the final year of his contract. Montreal’s recent moves apparently have nothing to do with their allegiance to Gallagher and reports that “talks had stalled” were clearly overblown. The team has announced that the two sides have agreed to a six-year, $39MM extension that will begin with the 2021-22 season. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that the contract contains a full No-Movement Clause.

Gallagher, 28, was believed to be heading for free agency next summer for the first time in his career after it appeared that he and the Canadiens were not close on a new contract. Instead, the fan favorite will remain with Montreal through the 2026-27 season at an AAV of $6.5MM. The deal represents a sizeable increase over his current $3.75MM AAV, but it has been well earned. Gallagher played all 82 games and topped 50 points in back-to-back seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He missed some time this past season, but still managed to record 43 points in 59 games, a 59-point pace over an 82-game season which would have been a career best. Given the offensive improvements that Montreal has made, not only off-season additions but in bringing up talented prospects as well, Gallagher could have 60+ point upside over much of the term of this new contract. That would result in this contract looking like a very fair value.

One concern that Montreal will have with Gallagher’s new deal is durability. Gallagher’s injury absence last season was due to a concussion and post-concussion symptoms, which is worrisome in its own right, but moving forward his 5’9″, 184-lb. frame may not hold up as well as he gets older. Gallagher plays an aggressive game and does not let his size hold him back, but he could be more of an injury risk down the line. With this extension already compensating him at his ceiling, the team hopes that they will get Gallagher at full strength as much as possible. Fortunately, he set a career high in ice time per game last season and shows no signs of slowing down in the immediate future.

The other note on Gallagher’s future in Montreal is of course the impending 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. While this new contract carries a full No-Movement Clause, the extension will not kick in until after expansion. As a result, Gallagher can still be exposed for Seattle to select next summer. The odds are slim that this will occur, but with so much money and term locked up at right wing, the Canadiens could get out from under Gallagher’s contract before it begins in the case of a poor performance this coming season.

 

Avalanche Begin Extension Talks With Gabriel Landeskog

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The Colorado Avalanche made a pair of big trades, acquiring Brandon Saad for Nikita Zadorov and adding Devon Toews, but have yet to make a meaningful addition from the free agent market this off-season. With nearly $7MM in cap space and only Toews and Tyson Jost in need of an extension before next season, the Avs have the room to make a move on the open market.

However, the team may already be looking ahead to next season and saving up cap space for some key players in need of new deals. Specifically, Ryan Clark of The Athletic reports that the Avalanche have already had preliminary talks with captain Gabriel Landeskog about an extension. Landeskog, still only 27, is entering his tenth season with Avalanche and the two sides are both hoping it won’t be the last. While he has been a reliable scorer throughout his career, Landeskog has scored at the highest clip of his career over the past two seasons and does not look to be slowing down. Forming an elite line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and as the respected leader of the entire locker room, Landeskog has an undeniable fit in Colorado moving forward.

The question now is what the value of an extension will be and what the opinions are on both side. GM Joe Sakic himself stated to Clark that “everyone is just figuring out where the landscape is going to be”, alluding to the uncertainty of the salary cap and the free agent market moving forward. Beyond that, there are also injury concerns to worry about with Landeskog, which certainly won’t go away as he reaches the wrong side of 30. All signs point to Landeskog and the Avalanche figuring out a deal, and a long-term pact is likely, but there is work to be done to figure out a fair value given some questions about the future.

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