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Minor Transactions: 10/12/19

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It was a relatively quiet night in the NHL on Friday, with just three games on the schedule. However, the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres made the most of spotlight by extending their season-opening point streaks. The ‘Canes are back in action again tonight, looking to stay perfect alongside a number of other unbeaten teams. At least one member of the elite group will fall, as the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers go head-to-head. It’s a busy night of action that could be preceded by a busy day of roster transactions. Keep up with all of the moves here:

  • Golden Knights authority SinBin Vegas reports that it will be Oscar Dansk getting the call from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves to replace the injured Malcolm Subban as the backup to Marc-Andre Fleury. It’s a somewhat surprising decision for a couple of reasons. First, Vegas acquired Garret Sparks from the Toronto Maple Leafs this off-season with what many considered was the intention of making him a quality third-string option who could put pressure on the often unreliable Subban. In their first opportunity to recall Sparks, they passed. Second, in Dansk’s first appearance of the AHL season, he surrendered seven goals on just 25 shots – a .720 save percentage. Dansk looked out of sorts and surely not ready for an NHL promotion. It could be that the Knights are making a short-term move ahead of tonight’s game by recalling a fresh Dansk in case of emergency instead of Sparks, who got the start last night for the Wolves. However, if Dansk remains as the backup moving forward while Subban is sidelined, the team will have to hope he can replicate his stellar performance from a brief call-up in 2017-18 rather than his showing in his AHL season debut.
  • Casey Bailey is back in North America, inking a one-year deal with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. It’s been a somewhat precipitous decline for Bailey, who once seemed like a surefire NHLer. A standout at Penn State University, Bailey left school early in 2015 to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He even played in six games and recorded his first (and only to date) NHL point in that same season. In his first full pro campaign, Bailey put up good numbers in the AHL in a season split between the Toronto Marlies and Binghamton Senators after he joined Dion Phaneuf in the package sent from Toronto to Ottawa that year. The following season, Bailey again performed well in the AHL and skated in seven games with Ottawa, but it wasn’t enough to earn an extension or draw NHL interest as a free agent. After one more season in the minors, again with strong numbers, Bailey opted to head overseas last year, joining HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL. However, he failed to find his footing and recorded just five points in 45 games. With Bratislava leaving the KHL, on top of a tough first season with the team, Bailey had more than enough reason to return to North America. The question now is whether he can turn this opportunity with the Stingrays into something more, perhaps working his way back into relevance at the pro level.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have activated defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk from non-roster injured reserve. The 28-year-old missed training camp and the first few games of the season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. Van Riemsdyk has been practicing with the team for a while already, so he may not require a conditioning stint. He has been a key piece to the Hurricanes’ defense as he has appeared in all but seven games in the past two years. With Carolina, however, loaded in defensive depth, the team hasn’t missed him too much, but could be eventually forced to make another roster move.

Minor Transactions: 10/06/19

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After a loaded Saturday slate, there are just three NHL games on the docket today. However, off-day teams could still use the time to make roster transactions to prepare for the coming week. Meanwhile, minor league and European teams alike continue to tinker with their rosters early in the year. Keep up with all of the action today right here:

  • The KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk made a swap of NHL veterans today, announcing the signing of forward Andrej Nestrasil and the release of defenseman Paul Postma. Nestrasil, 28, has had a strange start to the new campaign. The former Carolina Hurricanes forward was somewhat surprisingly not offered a contract extension by the KHL’s Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk this off-season despite two good seasons with the team since leaving the NHL. Without any options, Nestrasil returned home to the Czech Republic and signed with HC Ocelari Trinec just two weeks ago. After only two games with club – and a team-leading four points in those two games – Magnitogorsk came calling with an offer to return to the KHL for at least one more year and Nestrasil took it. His roster spot came at the cost of Postma’s in a way, whose contract was jointly terminated. Postma last played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 2017-18 and enjoyed a strong first KHL season with Ak Bars Kazan last year. He signed with Metallurg this summer, but lasted just ten games into his new one-year contract before the two sides apparently agreed to part. While there has been nothing yet to link the two sides, Postma spent much of his NHL career with the Winnipeg Jets, who are sorely in need of some defensive depth right now and could potentially look into a reunion.
  • Another former Bruins defenseman, Chris Casto, is headed overseas. After spending last season on an AHL contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Casto has opted to head to Germany. Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the DEL has announced a one-year deal with the 27-year-old former college standout. Ironically, what prompted the move was a season-ending injury to another past Boston defensive prospect, Ryan Button. Like Button, Casto could never take his well-rounded game to that next level in North America, but could be an impact player in Europe.
  • Ben Thomson has found a new home in the AHL. The 26-year-old enforcer has signed a one-year deal with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team announced. Thomson spent last season on the opposite coast with the San Diego Gulls, but will now head back to tri-state area, where he once suited up for three games with the New Jersey Devils. A fourth-round pick of New Jersey in 2012, Thomson made a name for himself with the AHL Devils as an aggressive checking forward a consistent penalty minutes leader. That role has continued to find him employment at the minor league level, but Thomson is unlikely to get back to the NHL any time soon.
  • The jury is still out on who the goalie of the future may be for the Boston Bruins, if any of their current prospects. Dan Vladar has the most history with the organization, while Jeremy Swayman may have the most intrigue as he continues his development at the University of Maine. However, the most likely candidate may be 20-year-old Kyle Keyser, an undrafted signee who finished his junior career off on a high note with a strong OHL season and a World Juniors showing with Team USA. Yet, the Florida native will at least start his first pro season closer to home with the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators. Mark Divver reports that Vladar and free agent third-string Maxime Lagace will begin their seasons with AHL Providence, while the Bruins have reassigned Keyser to Atlanta. It’s not uncommon for young goaltenders, even talented ones, to spend some time in the ECHL for the purpose of consistent starts, but Keyser will certainly be looking to prove he is worth of a look in the AHL right away this season.
  • The Ottawa Senators are certainly not lacking in prospect depth and the team seems likely to switch their talented young names in and out of the NHL and AHL lineups early on to ensure equal ice time until they can get a better feel for who belongs in Ottawa full-time. Today, the team has reassigned Drake Batherson and Filip Chlapik to AHL Belleville. They did not announce a corresponding move, meaning the same duo or two other prospects could be called up in the coming days.
  • With Evgeny Kuznetsov returning from suspension, the Washington Capitals had some salary cap maneuvering to do. The team has announced that forward Travis Boyd has been placed on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. They also announced that rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary has been sent down to Hershey. The 2018 second-round pick performed well in the team’s first three games, but some more seasoning in the minors won’t hurt. As for Boyd, the 26-year-old center is probably safe on the waiver wire, but is more of a risk than last season after recording 20 points in 53 games last season. The team has also “demoted” defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, but it is a paper move expected to be made frequently this season by the Capitals as they look to bank as much cap space as possible while fighting a very tight cap crunch.

Minor Transactions: 09/12/19

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Training camp is upon us and physicals are underway for all players under contract. Yet, many NHL clubs still have work to do, with prominent restricted and unrestricted free agents still without deals for the 2019-20 season. Minor league affiliates, European teams, and college programs are also still making moves to finalize their plans for the coming season. Keep track of those minor transactions right here:

  • Colin Campbell will be in Colorado Avalanche training camp on a professional tryout after spending the first several seasons of his career with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 28-year old forward was part of the 2017 Calder Cup squad and scored 19 points in 63 games last season.
  • Daniel Audette won’t be back with the Laval Rocket this season, instead signing an AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds according to Stephane Leroux of RDS. A former first-overall QMJHL pick, the undersized Audette has never been able to turn his immense offensive skill into an NHL opportunity. He recorded 39 points in 71 games with the Rocket last season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will have Brandon Halverson in training camp on a professional tryout, the second goaltender to take a PTO with the team along with Michal Neuvirth. Halverson has spent the last three seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL in the New York Rangers system, but went unqualified this summer and became an unrestricted free agent.

Morning Notes: Flyers, Canadiens, Colts

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The Philadelphia Flyers have extended their affiliation with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. The two organizations have been partnered for the past five years and have signed a one-year agreement with an option for 2020-21. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained the move:

We are very happy to extend our relationship with the Reading Royals. Over the last five years, we have seen how advantageous it has been to have each of our minor league affiliates, which includes the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in close proximity to Philadelphia, as we continue to develop players within the Flyers system.

The Royals missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a decade, but still posted a 34-28-10 record. Like other teams in the ECHL, Reading is used as a place for raw or long-shot prospects to hone their games in hopes of a chance at the AHL or NHL level some day. The team was led in scoring once again by Chris McCarthy, a 28-year old forward that has become something of a superstar for Reading over the last few seasons.

  • Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin confirmed to Eric Engels of Sportsnet that the team did make an offer to Jake Gardiner before the defenseman signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, but explained that it is a “two-way street” and that the player needs to be interested as well. Gardiner’s market didn’t quite become what many thought it would be this summer as few teams offered him the term he was looking for. The Hurricanes signed him for four years and $16.2MM on Friday.
  • The Canadiens also won’t be bringing in Jason Pominville according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, who notes that the club wants to give their young players a “fair chance” during training camp. Pominville is still unsigned despite a 16-goal, 31-point season in 2018-19 and may need to settle for a professional tryout at this point in order to earn a contract.
  • After Dale Hawerchuk was forced to take a leave of absence from the Barrie Colts coaching staff due to health concerns, the team has brought in a familiar OHL face. Warren Rychel, the long-time co-owner and general manager of the Windsor Spitfires will take over as head coach. Rychel sold his stake in the Spitfires earlier this year and stepped down from his post in the front office. Rychel played more than 400 games in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Minor Transactions: 09/06/19

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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.

Corey Elkins Among Several Dallas Camp Invites

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Scottie Upshall and Stefan Noesen won’t be the only one fighting for a contract when training camp opens for the Dallas Stars. While the the duo had previously been announced as joining Dallas on PTO’s, the team released their camp roster today, which features several other tryout candidates beyond the Texas-native Noesen long-time veteran Upshall. Of that list, the most recognizable name was forward Corey Elkins, who returns to North America for another try at the NHL.

Elkins, though never drafted, was a standout at Ohio State University in the mid-2000’s and was once considered a legitimate NHL prospect. Signed by the Los Angeles Kings out of school, Elkins began his pro career with back-to-back 40+ point campaigns and strong playoff showing for the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. The power forward even played in three games with the Kings and netted his first (and only) NHL goal. However, Elkins’ efforts were not enough to earn another contract from L.A. nor garner an NHL deal elsewhere. He took his talents to the Czech Republic for a year before returning to the AHL in 2012-13. Yet, midway through the season he left for Europe again, signing with HIFK of the Finnish Liiga. Elkins would become a core member of HIFK, playing in parts of five seasons with the club and producing consistent offense. The draw of the NHL brought him back though, as he earned a PTO with his hometown Detroit Red Wings prior to the 2017-18 season. While Elkins failed to make the team, he played yet again in the AHL, this time for the Grand Rapids Griffins.  It was a nice season for the aging forward, but not enough to draw interest at the top level. Elkins signed with Germany’s Grizzlys Wolfsburg last year, but suffered a season-ending injury before ever suiting up. He now enters camp with the Stars likely looking at his last chance to make it back to the NHL, or at least to secure AHL employment and extend his career.

Among other tryout names on Dallas’ roster is forward Brad McClure, who split last season between their affiliates, the AHL’s Texas Stars and ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. McClure signed on for another year with Texas after recording  11 points in 30 AHL games, as well as near point-per-game production in the ECHL, in his first pro season out of Minnesota State. He’ll be looking to show that he’s worthy of an upgrade to an NHL contract. Idaho teammate Tomas Scholl will also be in camp as an extra goalie. Forward Diego Cuglietta, who finished his year with AHL Texas after wrapping up an impressive senior season at Lake Superior State University, will be in camp on an amateur tryout. College teammate Anthony Nellis, who began his pro career last year with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, will also be in attendance. Parker MacKay, the captain of the National Champion University of Minnesota-Duluth, will also participate after signing with AHL Texas this off-season.

Minor Transactions: 09/03/19

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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:

  • Conner Bleackley’s career has taken another turn, this time towards the Idaho Steelheads organization. Originally selected 23rd overall in 2014, Bleackley never signed with the Colorado Avalanche and instead re-entered the draft in 2016 where he was taken by the St. Louis Blues. After a few unsuccessful seasons on his entry-level contract, the Blues decided not to issue Bleackley a qualifying offer this summer making him an unrestricted free agent. He’ll join the ECHL’s Steelheads for 2019-20.
  • If you want to bring a Kelly Cup championship to your ECHL team, why not take a chance on Shawn St. Amant. The 22-year old forward has already won two ECHL championships with the Colorado Eagles in his young professional career, and spent most of last season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The Fort Wayne Komets have agreed to terms with St. Amant for the 2019-20 season.
  • The New York Rangers will have another goaltender in training camp later this month, as Francois Brassard has been added on a tryout. The 25-year old made his ECHL debut last year after spending three years at Carleton University, and posted a .917 save percentage in six games with the Maine Mariners. Brassard was a sixth-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2012 but never signed.

Minor Transactions: 09/01/19

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We’re now into September, but little has changed on the free agent front. Many prominent players, RFA’s and UFA’s alike, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets remain silent. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. With quite a few to report this morning, keep up with further moves throughout the day:

  • Teemu Pulkkinen won’t be making an NHL comeback attempt this year. And he won’t be playing in Switzerland either. The 27-year-old forward, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick who played in 83 NHL games over five seasons in North America, signed with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last summer on a one-year deal. After leading the team in scoring, Pulkkinen shopped himself to all of the major league and ended up signing with Lausanne of the Swiss NLA. However, the Finnish winger has opted to stay in Russia instead. Dinamo Minsk have announced a one-year extension with their top forward, saving what little offense they had from last season after finishing 20th in scoring out of 25 teams. A very effective AHL player, as well as KHL player now, another year abroad does not rule out Pulkkinen eyeing a return to the NHL ranks in the future.
  • Patrick McGrath has played exclusively in the AHL over the past three seasons, but this fall he will have to earn his spot at that level. The 26-year-old undersized energy forward has made a living as a role player with his hometown Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in recent years, but failed to record a single point last season in 24 games. With a lacking market as a free agent this summer, McGrath has settled for an ECHL contract with the Utah Grizzlies, the team announced. However, McGrath will also get the chance to try out for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. If the Eagles need a role player of McGrath’s ability, he would at least provide considerable experience to the team after six seasons of minor league hockey.
  • Goaltender Jake Paterson won’t be afforded the same opportunity. A third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2012, Paterson has struggled throughout his pro career. Through four seasons, the 25-year-old has player the majority of his games in the ECHL in each campaign. Now, it appears he may be at the “AA” level permanently. After his NHL entry-level contract expired two years ago, Paterson managed to find AHL contracts in each of the past two seasons, but now he has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. At least he won’t be alone though; Allen has also added fellow AHL vet Shawn O’Donnell. O’Donnell, 31, actually played in 53 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack last season, but age and inefficient scoring has him settling in the ECHL.

Minor Transactions: 08/30/19

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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 San Diego Gulls are bringing back Scott Moldenhauer on another AHL contract for the 2019-20 season. The 25-year old made his professional debut last season after four years at Western Michigan University, where he served as captain during his senior season. The 6’4″ defenseman had one point in 14 games with the Gulls but was a much more effective presence in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers.
  • Former NHL goaltender Barry Brust is still plying his trade overseas, and this year has signed back with Slovakian club HC Slovan Bratislava who are no longer part of the KHL. The 36-year old Brust was originally selected in the third round by Minnesota back in 2002 and played 11 games with the Los Angeles Kings. Brust has played in the DEL, KHL and NLA over the last several years,

Minor Transactions: 08/29/19

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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.

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