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Snapshots: Free Agent Market, Tebow, Portland

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There are still a number of prominent names that remain unsigned on the NHL’s free agent market and there has been absolutely no movement for some time. Outside of the likes of Dustin Tokarski, Marko Dano, and Micheal Haley, there hasn’t been a significant free agent signing in over a month. The continued availability of these top players has been chalked up to a slow market, impacted by the flat salary cap and the unknowns surrounding the 2020-21 season. However, an anonymous agent tells The Athletic’s Thomas Drance that this is not exactly the case. While the agent admits that teams have been calling less frequently in recent weeks, there is concrete interest in a number of UFA’s. It turns out that it is actually the agents advising the players not to sign, as opposed to the teams not making offers. The agent tells Drance that all agencies alike are being cautious with their clients when it comes to the upcoming season, without a start date and format agreed to yet, and how that may impact contracts:

We want to see what develops out of this. At this point, it doesn’t make sense to do something until we know what things look like … If we wanted to have signed already, we could’ve done that. Then again, those teams we could’ve signed with haven’t done anything else yet either.

  • The newest name to become an owner in the world of hockey is one familiar to most sports fans: Tim Tebow. The former college football star turned NFL quarterback turned minor league baseball player has joined the ownership group of the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, reports NBC Sports’s Adam Gretz. Also joining the group are current and former Jacksonville Jaguars players Myles Jack and Reggie Hayward. Tebow, who grew up in Jacksonville and attended the nearby University of Florida, is excited to add both hockey and ownership to his already impressive sports resume that includes playing two sports professionally and broadcasting as well. The Icemen, the “AA” affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, are set to begin their 2020-21 season this month.
  • In other ownership news, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks are in the process of being sold to Kerry Preete, Executive VP of agricultural sciences company Monsanto. Marek notes that Preete does have a hockey background, but this will be his first venture into the CHL. Marek adds that this could just be the beginning, as the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic could cause many junior hockey teams to become available for sale. While Marek notes that current and former NHLers have often looked into purchasing junior teams but have been disappointed by the asking price, but those prices could go down as struggling owners seek to recoup their losses.

Minor Transactions: 12/02/20

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The NHL offseason has come to a standstill, with no unrestricted free agents signed to one-way contracts in a month. Still, the ECHL and many European leagues continue to play or prepare, meaning hockey players signing deals all over the world. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions right here.

  • Brett Pollock, who was a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars back in 2014, has signed with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL for the upcoming season. Pollock, 24, never did make it out of the minor leagues, spending last season mostly with the Allen Americans of the ECHL where he scored 43 points in 49 games. His entry-level contract expired after the 2018-19 season and he was not given a qualifying offer.
  • Another second-round pick Ryan Stoa will continue his international adventures this season in Sweden with HV71. The 33-year-old was selected 34th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005 and played in 40 NHL games before heading overseas for this latest chapter in his hockey career. Since 2014, Stoa has played for four KHL teams and now two SHL teams, recording strong offensive numbers wherever he goes.
  • Macoy Erkamps, who spent most of last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, was one of six Hershey Bears players assigned to the South Carolina Stingrays today. With the AHL season still up in the air, these six can help the Stingrays get off to a good start later this month when the ECHL season gets underway.
  • Ryan Bednard, a goaltending prospect in the Florida Panthers system, was assigned to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits today. That’s where he spent most of last season too, his first professional campaign after signing out of Bowling Green State. The 23-year-old netminder posted a .908 save percentage in 24 games last season.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Garret Sparks Signs In ECHL

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Garret Sparks has decided to take the playing time that comes with an ECHL contract instead of holding out looking for a more lucrative opportunity. The veteran goaltender has signed a contract with the Orlando Solar Bears for the 2020-21 season.

It’s actually something of a homecoming for Sparks, who spent a good chunk of his early professional career with the Solar Bears when they were the affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s the team who drafted the goaltender in 2011, selected 190th overall after just 19 games at the OHL level. That late-round flier was worth it, as Sparks progressed through the minor league development system in Toronto and eventually made his NHL debut during the 2015-16 season.

Now 27, Sparks has 38 NHL games under his belt including one just last year with the Vegas Golden Knights. His results in those games aren’t excellent, but given how well he has played at the AHL level, this ECHL deal is still somewhat surprising. More than anything, Sparks likely knows that playing time is more important than anything right now and the ECHL is the only league of the three that has a firm start date—and training camps opening all over. He’ll surely be in the mix for an AHL or NHL deal down the road, once things get back to (somewhat) normal.

Minor Transactions: 11/27/20

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The NHL offseason lurches forward with little progress, but things are starting to ramp up in the low minors where ECHL training camps are opening. As usual, we’ll keep track of the notable minor moves:

  • The Indy Fuel have signed Antoine Waked to an ECHL contract for 2020-21 after he failed to receive a qualifying offer from the Montreal Canadiens. Waked, 24, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Canadiens in 2017 after his junior breakout, but he failed to ever produce much at the AHL level. In 32 games with the Laval Rocket last season, he recorded just five points.
  • The Jacksonville Icemen have signed Mike Szmatula, bringing in the offensive weapon after another strong ECHL season. Szmatula, 28, scored 49 points in 56 games for the Adirondack Thunder last year and is a proven difference-maker at that level. Adirondack was one of the teams that opted out of the upcoming season.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Brandon Halverson Heading Back To ECHL

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ECHL rosters are being finalized as training camps open, with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits making some notable additions yesterday. Today’s news is brought by the Wheeling Nailers, who have released their own roster and it includes quite a few interesting names.

Brandon Halverson, who was once a top goaltending prospect selected in the second round by the New York Rangers, will start the year with the Nailers. The 24-year-old was not issued a qualifying offer in 2019 and became an unrestricted free agent, eventually spending most of the 2019-20 season with the Norfolk Admirals. Halverson does actually have an NHL appearance, though his minor league career hasn’t quite gone to plan. The netminder is still young though and could potentially work his way up the ladder with more good performances at the ECHL level.

Brady Tomlak, who played for the Air Force Falcons, and Nick Rivera, Minnesota State’s captain, have both turned pro after four-year college careers. They’ll both play out the next chapter in their hockey lives with Wheeling.

One interesting name to keep an eye on is Vladislav Mikhalchuk, a Belarusian winger that has spent most of the last three seasons in the WHL. Mikhalchuk did actually play in a KHL game last season and is still just 21, but wasn’t drafted while eligible. The 6’4″ forward scored 32 points in 40 games for Prince George last season.

Florida Panthers Draft Picks Heading To ECHL

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The Greenville Swamp Rabbits recently agreed to a partnership with the Florida Panthers, keeping them aligned with the nearby Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Today, the Swamp Rabbits received some of the benefits that come along with an NHL affiliation, as two draft picks were added to the roster.

Along with several other additions (including Jacob Ingham, a Los Angeles Kings prospect), the Swamp Rabbits gained Ben Finkelstein and Karch Bachman today. Both players were originally drafted by the Panthers but became unrestricted free agents when they failed to sign entry-level contracts this summer.

Finkelstein, 23, was selected 195th in 2016 before playing four years in college. Two years for St. Lawrence University followed by another two at Boston College will lead the undersized defenseman to a professional career that starts in the ECHL.

Bachman, 23, was actually drafted a year earlier, selected 132nd in 2015. He spent four years at Miami University (Ohio), scoring 31 points in 34 games as a senior and earned NCHC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. He’ll be joining the Swamp Rabbits to start his pro career, but is still a name to keep an eye on as a potential AHL option down the road.

One other notable name among the Greenville additions is Adam Samuelsson, the 6’6″ son of former NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson, who recently joined the Panthers as an assistant coach. The 20-year-old defenseman has bounced all over the place the last few seasons, spending time at Boston College, playing for Sioux City of the USHL, and suiting up 43 times for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL this season.

Morning Notes: Ingham, Robertson, Parayko

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Despite eight teams opting out of the upcoming ECHL season, we’re now just a few weeks from scheduled game action. Friday, December 11 will serve as opening night for the minor league, with five games scheduled. With that in mind, several transactions were announced today, including the addition of Jacob Ingham to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits roster.

Ingham, 20, was a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2018 and signed his entry-level contract earlier this year. The young goaltender had an excellent 2019-20 season at the OHL level, going 33-8-5 for the Kitchener Rangers and winning the Humanitarian of the Year award.

  • One other OHL prospect that is hoping not to have to go back is Nick Robertson, the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick that made his NHL debut in the bubble. As Chris Johnston explains in his latest piece for Sportsnet, Robertson never left Ontario after Toronto was eliminated, avoiding any quarantine time by staying in Canada to train for the upcoming season instead of returning to his family in the U.S. After Toronto added a handful of bargain bin forwards this offseason Robertson has his work cut out for him if he wants to make the roster.
  • Colton Parayko certainly doesn’t have to worry about making a roster, but there will be increased expectations with the St. Louis Blues after the team watched Alex Pietrangelo leave in free agency. No one is doubting the 6’6″ defenseman though, as Lou Korac writes for NHL.com. Pietrangelo especially is excited to see what Parayko does in his absence, calling his former teammate “elite” and telling him to have a sort of “arrogance” on the ice as the leader of the defense.

Snapshots: CBA Talks, Cirelli, Smirnov

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The heads of the NHL and NHLPA haven’t spoken directly in almost a week, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic who tweets commissioner Gary Bettman and executive director Donald Fehr last talked on Thursday, November 19. LeBrun notes that the “communication stalemate is noteworthy” because of the near-constant dialogue the two had through the first part of the offseason.

While LeBrun once again tweets his confidence something will finally get done and points at the next week as an important stretch, Darren Dreger of TSN adds that it has been that way for a while now. Many have pointed to the end of November as a key threshold if the NHL still wants a January 1. start, something that looks more and more difficult to accomplish with every passing day. The biggest issue in talks continues to be amending the CBA that was agreed to just a few months ago.

  • After the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed Mikhail Sergachev this afternoon, LeBrun reached out to the agent for Anthony Cirelli, who remains a restricted free agent without a contract for the 2020-21 season. Pat Morris of Newport Sports told LeBrun that there is “nothing new to report” in Cirelli’s contract talks. With the Lightning now close to $2MM over the salary cap ceiling, contracts for Cirelli and Erik Cernak will be very difficult to fit in without a corresponding move.
  • Denis Smirnov, a sixth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2017, has signed his first professional contract, inking a deal with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL. The Grizzlies signed a trio of players today, including the 23-year-old Smirnov who became an unrestricted free agent when the Avalanche failed to sign him this summer.

 

Minor Transactions: 11/24/20

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Coronavirus updates will dominate the hockey headlines today, but teams around the world are still working to fill out rosters while players desperately try to find employment for the upcoming season. As always, we’ll keep track of any notable transactions right here:

  • After former NHL goaltender Glen Hanlon decided to resign from his job as head coach of the Krefeld Pinguine before the DEL season even got underway, there have been several other departures from the team. Colin Smith, who played one NHL game for the Colorado Avalanche in 2014-15 and was a solid AHL contributor for years, has decided to leave the German club to pursue an opportunity in Sweden. Smith, 27, has spent the last two seasons playing in the DEL.
  • The Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL have snapped up a pair of college players, signing Derek Lodermeier and Jacob Panetta to minor league contracts for this season. Lodermeier, 25, was the captain of the University of Vermont team for the last two seasons, scoring 11 points in 34 games this year.
  • Michael Joly will have to settle for a step down this season, signing an ECHL contract with the Wheeling Nailers after playing the last two seasons entirely in the AHL. Joly, 25, won the Kelly Cup with the Colorado Eagles the last time he played in the ECHL, leading the league in goals and earning playoff MVP honors. He moved up to the AHL with the Eagles in 2018 and had 49 points over the last two seasons.

Minor Transactions: 11/23/20

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As the NHL off-season wears on without much activity, free agents are facing some difficult decisions as they look for employment for next season. Among other minor moves, Monday witnessed a number of payers leaving NHL contracts for minor league pacts and a stagnant market could mean that this is just the beginning.

  • Defenseman Devante Stephens will return to Syracuse next season, but on an AHL contract with the crunch rather than a two-way NHL deal. The 23-year-old, a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and for the first time in his pro career became a regular in the AHL lineup. However, this was not enough to convince the Bolts that he was worthy of a second look. At least the Crunch were willing to bring him back, announcing a one-year contract.
  • For someone who was traded three times in a nine-month span last season, one would think that forward Aaron Luchuk would be in demand. However, the 23-year-old center will not be getting a new NHL deal with his entry-level contract expiring. In fact, Luchuk was unable to even find an AHL deal. The former Senators’, Maple Leafs’, and Canadiens’ prospect has signed a one-year deal with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the team announced.
  • University of New Brunswick product Alex Dubeau upgraded to an AHL contract last season and made three appearances with the Belleville Senators. However, he still played the majority of his games in the ECHL and will return to league next season. Dubeau has signed a one-year deal with the South Carolina Stingrays, the team announced.
  • Cam Knuble, son of former NHLer Mike Knuble, will follow in his father’s footsteps to the NCAA, though not to the same school. While Mike attended the University of Michign prior to his 16-year NHL career, Cam is headed to Western Michigan University, effective immediately according to the program. Knuble had previously been commited to nearby Michigan State University, but recently decided not only to change his commitment but to move up his timeline. The undrafted forward hopes that the move puts him on the fright track for a pro future.

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