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Alec Rauhauser Signs ECHL Contract

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Every year, teams and fans fall over themselves trying to find the next undrafted college free agent that can make an impact in the NHL. More often than not, those players struggle at the next level and are quickly out of the league. That’s exactly the case for Alec Rauhauser, who was not issued a qualifying offer by the Florida Panthers this offseason after his entry-level contract expired. The defenseman has now signed a contract with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits for 2021-22.

In March 2020 when he was signed, the Panthers general manager was still Dale Tallon. At the time, Tallon called Rauhauser a “skilled two-way defenseman” who had proven himself at the college level. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that Bill Zito, who took over the Panthers a few months later, didn’t see it the same way. Rauhauser would be loaned to Slovakia before being stashed in the ECHL for nearly the entire season, where he played 57 games with the Swamp Rabbits.

Now 26, it seems likely that Rauhauser will not receive another NHL contract. That doesn’t mean he won’t work his way up to the AHL level, but for now, he’s heading for the low minors to spend his second professional season.

Minor Transactions: 08/31/21

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It’s the last day of August and training camps are right around the corner. European, minor league and junior teams continue to finesse their rosters with an eye on opening day, meaning there are still lots of minor transactions happening daily. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable ones right here.

  • You know James van Riemsdyk and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but today another brother signed a new contract. Brendan van Riemsdyk, 25, signed a deal with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He was supposed to play for Reading in 2020-21 as well after leaving Northeastern University, but the Royals opted out of the season, leaving him playing for the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL.
  • Matthew Wedman, a seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019, has signed a new contract with the Atlanta Gladiators for 2021-22. The Panthers never did sign him to an entry-level contract, meaning he is an unrestricted free agent after never quite taking the next step in the WHL. Last season for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, he posted eight points in 34 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Bruins Add Matt Thomas To AHL Coaching Staff

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The Boston Bruins have added an interesting coaching prospect to the organization, hiring Matt Thomas as an assistant for the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Thomas will join the staff of new head coach Ryan Mougenel, who released the following statement:

We are all thrilled to have Matt joining our staff in Providence. Matt possesses a unique combination of high energy, innovation, and a proven eye for the game. He understands today’s athlete and his focus on communication, teaching, and forming positive relationships speaks volumes about his values as a coach. Matt is a tremendous fit for our group and understands the Bruins’ philosophy and vision that Trent and I are growing. We are eager to work together and look forward to a seamless transition as we plan our collective approach for the upcoming season.

Thomas, 45, has been a head coach since 2004, when he took over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL. He has also coached the Fresno Falcons, Stockton Thunder, and most recently the Cincinnati Cyclones in that league, winning the ECHL Coach of the Year award in 2019. He holds the league record for most playoff games ever coached with 108. For five seasons between 2013 and 2018, he was the head coach of the University of Alaska-Anchorage program.

A move to an assistant job with Providence is the next step toward the NHL, but this isn’t a fast track. Thomas began his coaching career in 1998 at the age of 22, just after finishing his senior season at R.I.T where he captained the team. This first AHL opportunity has been a long time coming, even though he’s still relatively young for the coaching world.

Central Notes: Tarasenko, Klingberg, Predators

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There has been an expectation of a trade involving Vladimir Tarasenko for several months now with both sides admitting that a change of scenery would be beneficial.  However, between his $7.5MM AAV and his injury history, the interest hasn’t been strong and the veteran remains with the Blues.  Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests that at this point, St. Louis may be better off just holding onto the 29-year-old in the hopes that a good start to next season would boost his value around the league and remove some of the question marks surrounding his health.  That would be an outcome that is better than moving him with retention and/or taking a minimal return just to grant Tarasenko his wish to play elsewhere even though there could be some awkward moments given how public his trade request is.

More from the Central:

  • With Miro Heiskanen’s deal now done, Dallas has shifted their focus towards an extension for fellow blueliner John Klingberg. Mike Heika of the Stars’ team website notes that the negotiations could be tricky with Klingberg’s offensive production (only eight blueliners have more total points than Klingberg over his seven-year career) potentially allowing him to command a sizable raise on his current $4.25MM AAV.  He’ll be 30 when his next deal kicks in which makes it difficult to command a max-term contract and the team already has nearly $18MM tied up in their other three top-four defenders for next season and beyond; adding another big-ticket contract could put them among the highest-spending teams on the back end.
  • The Predators recently announced an affiliation extension with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Nashville has been with them since 2019-20 with Tanner Jeannot and Cole Smith being the players who suited up for the Everblades that have since seen NHL action.  The duration of the extension was not announced.

Carolina Hurricanes Announce ECHL Affiliation

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The Carolina Hurricanes have partnered with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL for the 2021-22 season, once again giving them a three-tiered development system. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a statement on the deal:

We’re excited to partner with the Norfolk Admirals and have some of our Hurricanes prospects playing just three hours down the road in Virginia. Owned and led by former Admirals player Patrick Cavanagh, the Admirals have a proud history and following in Hampton Roads.

The Hurricanes were previously partnered with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but they followed the Charlotte Checkers to an agreement with the Florida Panthers last year. Carolina will now have the Admirals and Chicago Wolves as their two minor league teams, both independently owned and operated. Unfortunately, that means the team will no longer have the geographical advantages that came with having their affiliates so closely grouped.

Still, this is a big day for Norfolk, who will now have the support of an NHL franchise again, one that is relatively close by. The team will be able to house some of the Hurricanes’ more raw prospects, likely including at least one of the team’s signed goaltenders.

Colorado Avalanche Hire Peter Budaj

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A familiar face is heading back to Denver. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that Peter Budaj has been hired by the Colorado Avalanche as the “Development Goaltending Coach”. Budaj returns to the NHL organization responsible for his own pro development to assist with the same for the Avs’ goaltending prospects. Dater states that Budaj will primarily be responsible for communicating with and advising Colorado’s goalies outside of the pro ranks. He will likely have a major presence at development and training camps and could have input into the drafting goaltending prospects as well.

Budaj, 38, only retired in 2019 after a career renaissance extended his playing days well beyond what had been anticipated. A second-round pick of the Avalanche in 2001, Budaj got his start in the NHL in 2005 and spent six years with Colorado. He then moved on to the Montreal Canadiens for several seasons, but by 2016 had spent the past two seasons almost exclusively in the AHL. Yet, injuries to the Los Angeles Kings keepers the following season gave Budaj another chance and he responded with an elite season, the best of his career by far. This led to a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning and then eventually a return to L.A. that extended his career several seasons after it seemed to be winding down in 2016.

Budaj jumped into coaching immediately after retirement, taking an assistant coach position with both the Bozeman Ice Dogs of the NA3HL and at Montana State University with their ACHA club. After a year off during the pandemic, Budaj is ready to take the next step, jumping into a key developmental role for his former team. Interestingly though, it is not clear who Budaj will be working with this season. The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have their own goaltending coach, so if young prospect keepers Justus Annunen and Trent Miner wind up in Loveland despite Jonas Johansson and Hunter Miska also slated for jobs with the Eagles, it leaves little for Budaj to work with. Perhaps if either are demoted to the ECHL or loaned elsewhere, that will become Budaj’s focus this year. The only other prospect goalie in the organization is Russian Shamil Shmakov, who is expected to play in the second tier VHL this year. Regardless of who ends up working with Budaj, they will benefit from the veteran’s experience and knowledge of the position.

Snapshots: Redraft, Cronin, Wellwood

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A few years after any NHL draft it is a fun exercise to look back and see how players would rank if the selections were made today. While it takes some time to get a real perspective of the impact each player in the class brings, it’s also a good tool for scouts to look back and see where they may have made mistakes. That’s exactly what Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did by examining the 2018 class and noting just how accurately he ranked the players now that they have a few years of professional experience under their belts.

The headline-grabbing change is at the top, with Rasmus Dahlin replaced by Quinn Hughes as the first pick, but there are several interesting changes beyond that. Perhaps most notable is Joel Farabee’s placement at fifth after breaking out this season for the Philadelphia Flyers. The entire piece is certainly worth the read, especially for the new thoughts on each player that Wheeler provides.

  • The Colorado Eagles have extended head coach Greg Cronin for the next three years, keeping him behind the bench through 2023-24. Cronin has been with the team since 2018 and has a long, varied coaching career that includes time with USA Hockey at the IIHF World Championship. In his first three seasons with the team, he has an 85-60-12 record. The team has also signed assistants Aaron Schneekloth and Brett Clark to two-year deals.
  • Speaking of minor league head coaches, the Newfoundland Growlers have hired Eric Wellwood as their next bench boss. The ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2019 Kelly Cup and will now hand the reins to the 31-year-old coaching prospect. Wellwood spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Flint Firebirds, turning a program that was in disarray into one of the strongest teams in the OHL in 2019-20. Philadelphia Flyers fans may remember Wellwood from his time as a player, appearing in 31 NHL games over three seasons before an unfortunate, gruesome injury cut his career short at the age of 24.

Mikael Hakkarainen Placed On Unconditional Waivers

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The Vegas Golden Knights have placed Mikael Hakkarainen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Hakkarainen was the sole return for Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this summer, though even the press release at the time indicated that he would remain with the Rockford IceHogs instead of joining the Henderson Silver Knights. Now he won’t even be under contract with the Golden Knights, becoming an unrestricted free agent when the termination goes through tomorrow.

Hakkarainen, 23, had one year left on his entry-level contract but had struggled to find playing time in the Blackhawks minor league system. This season he split the year between the Indy Fuel of the ECHL and Rockford, playing six games for each. In those contests, the fifth-round pick recorded just a single assist. His time in the AHL could be over, as he failed to score a single point in 14 games for the IceHogs since joining them in 2019.

He will be free to sign anywhere, though it’s unclear where his professional future lies at this point. A return to Finland perhaps, though he hasn’t played there since the 2014-15 campaign. Hakkarainen was the 139th overall pick in 2018, after spending two seasons in the USHL.

With Hakkarainen now set for release, the Golden Knights officially have nothing but cap space to show for the Fleury trade.

Minor Notes: Royals, Thomson, Klimovich

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The Reading Royals and Philadelphia Flyers have announced an extension to their affiliation agreement, continuing a partnership that began in 2014. Along with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, Reading and Philadelphia form the “closest geographical chain of affiliates in professional hockey,” giving the organizations some obvious benefits. The agreement, which covers just 2021-22 also includes an option for the 2022-23 season.

Reading is set to enter their 20th season in the ECHL and has been one of the most consistent franchises in the low minors, qualifying for the playoffs nine straight years between 2010-18. They took home the Kelly Cup as league champions in 2013.

  • The Henderson Silver Knights have signed Ben Thomson to a one-year AHL contract, bringing in the veteran minor league forward to fill out the depth chart. Thomson, 28, was a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and played three NHL games in the 2016-17 season, but has spent the vast majority of his career in the minor leagues. In 31 games with the Binghamton Devils last season, he registered six goals and seven points.
  • The Vancouver Canucks expect top draft pick Danila Klimovich to play in the QMJHL next season, according to Harman Dayal of The Athletic. The 41st overall pick in last month’s draft played for Belarus at the recent IIHF World Championship and is expected to take part in Olympic qualifiers at the end of the month. Klimovich was the 29th overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, and will play for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies if he does end up in the QMJHL.

Atlantic Notes: Campbell, Foligno, Walleye

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Toronto goaltender Jack Campbell is now in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer but James Mirtle of The Athletic cautions (subscription link) that an extension at this point is unlikely.  Despite taking over as the starter for the Maple Leafs down the stretch and in the playoffs, the 29-year-old still has less than 100 career NHL appearances under his belt (including the postseason) which makes finding the right price tag a little more difficult than usual.  Instead, the smarter play for both sides may be to wait until closer to midseason to see if he’s able to beat out newcomer Petr Mrazek for the 1A role to get a better sense of whether his strong play late last season is a sign of things to come or not.  Even if he doesn’t accomplish that, he’s still in line for a decent-sized raise on his current $1.65MM AAV.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Maple Leafs, they showed interest in re-signing winger Nick Foligno this summer but in a much more limited role than he wanted, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Toronto viewed Foligno as a veteran mentor with an emphasis on helping off the ice while the Bruins, who ultimately signed the 33-year-old, had a bigger role in mind for him.  Foligno is coming off a quiet year with just 20 points in 49 games but had three straight years of more than 30 points before that and if he lands a top-six role, he could get back to that level of production.
  • The Red Wings are keeping their ECHL affiliate with Toledo as the Walleye recently announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement for three more seasons. The two organizations have partnered up for the last 11 years with 19 players moving on from there to play in at least one NHL game.  Ten of those saw action with Detroit at some point over the years including Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, and Nick Jensen.

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