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.
Minor Transactions: 08/26/19
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 Toronto Maple Leafs announced their roster for their upcoming prospects tournament today, which included a slew of recent draft picks as well as recently signed young players. It also featured a large group of prospects currently signed to AHL deals with the Toronto Marlies, including two previously unreported extensions. According to the roster, incumbent forwards Ryan Moore and Hudson Elynuik have re-signed with the Marlies. Moore, 22, played in just one AHL game last season, but was effective in the ECHL just as he was at the junior level, despite a diminutive frame. He’ll be hoping to impress in the tournament in hopes of getting a chance to show his size won’t limit him at the next level either. Elynuik, 21, was a third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, but the team opted not to sign him. In his first pro season last year, the massive center skated in ten games with the Marlies and was a near point-per-game scorer in the ECHL. He should be ready to take on a larger role in the AHL this coming season.
- Philip Samuelsson is headed overseas. The 28-year-old defenseman, one of three hockey-playing sons of Ulf Samuelsson, has done all he can to stick in North America for several years. A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and a standout at Boston College, Samuelsson entered the pro game with high expectations. However, over his eight-year career to date, Samuelsson has been almost entirely relegated to the AHL, skating in just 13 total NHL games and recording zero points. In fact, Samuelsson failed to even land an NHL contract last season, playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a minor league pact. The Swedish-American defender has been a solid AHL contributor, but is looking for more in his career. He hopes to find it with Mountfield HK of the Czech Extraliga, who announced a one-year deal today. Samuelsson will undoubtedly be one of the best players on the team, but the question is whether he will be dominant enough at the top Czech pro level to turn any heads back in the NHL.
- Anyone hoping for an NHL return for Damien Brunner can put those thoughts to rest. The 33-year-old Swiss forward has signed a three-year extension with the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne, the team announced, all but guaranteeing that his days in North America are over. After dominating the NLA early in his career, Brunner made the jump to the NHL in 2012. He enjoyed a pair of strong – albeit injury-riddled – seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils, totaling 51 points in 101 regular season games and a great 2013 postseason with five goals and nine points in 14 games. However, as soon as that production began to slip in his third NHL season, Brunner returned to Switzerland. As he continued to struggle with injuries, Brunner failed to re-gain his dominant form over the last few years. That is until last season, when he notched 37 points in 50 games for a well-timed bounce back campaign in a contract year. Biel-Bienne clearly did not want to lose their veteran leader, locking him down on a multi-year deal, something no NHL team would have entertained.
Minor Transactions: 08/23/19
As the RFA market shows slight signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey and fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:
- Three defensemen have jumped right from their NHL entry-level deals down to ECHL contracts today. All three are returning to the teams they spent the majority or entirety of last season with. The first, Chris Martenet, was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2015. Martenet is a hulking 6’7″ defenseman whose skills and skating never quite caught up to his stature. He has opted to stay with the Brampton Beast on a one-year deal, the team announced. Next, the Orlando Solar Bears are happy to have Cody Donaghey back for another year, after the blue liner recorded 43 points in 64 games last season. Although Donaghey, a prospect of the Ottawa Senators and then San Jose Sharks, has just one AHL game to his credit, he has proven to be an adept puck-mover in the ECHL. Finally, Michael Downing will return to the Florida Everblades on a one-year deal, the team announced. Downing, who was in fact an effective AHL regular early in his career, still failed to live up to his fourth-round selection back in 2013 by the Florida Panthers, as well as a his standout collegiate career with the University of Michigan. Nevertheless, he stands the best chance of the trio of fighting his way back to the AHL level.
- After spending more than half the 2018-19 season in the AHL, Craig Wyszomirski has signed with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. The 26-year old defenseman recorded seven points in 34 games split between the Utica Comets and Ontario Reign, while playing the rest of the season with the Manchester Monarchs at the ECHL level. The former Merrimack College stalwart will have to try again to prove he is good enough to play in the higher minors.
- Josh Winquist is trying to prove the same thing after playing just five games last season due to injury. Once a solid offensive contributor at the AHL level, the 25-year old has signed on with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL to resurrect his career. The last time he played a full season in the ECHL he put up 53 points in 55 games for the Orlando Solar Bears.
- After four years at Bowling Green State University, Stephen Baylis is trying to catch on with the Los Angeles Kings organization and will participate in their rookie tournament. Baylis ended his college career as captain of the Falcons, scoring 22 points in 37 games last season. The 25-year old was undrafted out of the CCHL.
Minor Transactions: 08/22/19
As the RFA market shows signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:
- The Binghamton Devils have signed Eamon McAdam to a one-year, AHL contract. The 24-year old goaltender was in the Toronto Maple Leafs system last season but failed to receive a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. McAdam split time between the Toronto Marlies and Newfoundland Growlers, suiting up for 19 games for each team. Selected in the third round six years ago, he has yet to make his NHL debut.
- The Hartford Wolf Pack have signed Zach Tolkinen to an AHL contract, bringing back the veteran ECHL defenseman after he got his first taste of the AHL last season on a loan. Tolkinen played nine games with Hartford but was held scoreless, serving most of the season as the captain of the Maine Mariners.
- Veteran winger T.J. Hensick has signed an ECHL contract with Toledo. The veteran of over 100 NHL games and 600 AHL contests split last season between the Walleye and San Jose of the AHL. Despite picking up an impressive 20 points in 23 games with the Barracuda, he was unable to secure an AHL deal for the upcoming season.
Minor Transactions: 08/21/19
As the RFA market shows signs of movement, other teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:
- The Stockton Heat have signed four players, inking Terrance Amorosa, Zach Osburn, Matthew Gaudreau and Mitch Hults to one-year, two-way minor league contracts. Gaudreau is the name that will stick out to Calgary Flames fans for obvious reasons, as he is the younger brother of star forward Johnny Gaudreau. The 24-year old has spent the last two seasons with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL while getting a handful of games at the AHL level.
- Jonathan Martin‘s entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks expired earlier this summer and the team opted not to extend him a qualifying offer. Despite scoring 28 points in 57 AHL games last season, it seems other NHL teams weren’t enamored with the forward either. Martin has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, the team announced. The 23-year-old will look to work his way back into NHL consideration with a strong perfromance this season.
- Kelly Cup champion Derian Plouffe has signed with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, leaving the Toronto Marlies/Newfoundland Growlers after just one full season in professional hockey. Plouffe put up 23 points in 56 games with the Growlers and took home the championship after spending four years at Niagara University. Fellow former Growler Gabriel Gagne has also left the Maple Leafs organization, as the former Ottawa Senators prospect has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. The towering power forward recorded 16 points in 55 AHL games last season and is a major addition for Allen.
- Connor Moynihan won’t be playing for the Rockford IceHogs this season, instead signing an ECHL deal with the Tulsa Oilers. The Oilers decided to bring in both Connor and his brother Danny Moynihan, who actually retired from professional hockey temporarily because of a heart condition. He returns after a year off and last played with the Utica Comets and Kalamazoo Wings in 2017-18.
- The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that forward Tanner Pond has signed a two-way deal with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Pond played in a career-high 46 AHL games with the Providence Bruins last year, playing a reliable energy role. He’ll look to carve out a regular role for himself again in the coming season with Bridgeport.
- Thomas Beretta has transferred to the University of Vermont after three seasons at Michigan Tech. The senior forward is looking for a fresh start after missing more than half of the 2018-19 season due to injury. His scoring pace was the greatest of his collegiate career last season though, so if he can adjust to the tougher competition of the Hockey East Conference, he could be in for a breakout campaign just prior to becoming a free agent next summer.
Minor Transactions: 08/20/19
Even while the biggest news of the day revolves around unsigned restricted free agents like Matthew Tkachuk and Mitch Marner, teams are still working to fill out their organizational depth charts. As we keep track of all the minor moves around the world of hockey, we’ll fill you in right here. Keep checking back as this page will be updated throughout the day:
- The Hartford Wolf Pack have officially signed Jeff Taylor to an AHL contract, bringing in the 25-year old defenseman after he spent last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Taylor didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Penguins organization this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He recorded eight points and 33 penalty minutes last season.
- 17-year old forward Michael Posma has announced his commitment to Boston College for the 2020-21 season. After being selected three times in the USHL draft he is expected to play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders this year before joining BC. In 27 games last season at the high school level, Posma recorded 46 points. He is eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
- Ryan Verbeek is back from a one-year stint overseas playing in France and will join the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. The nephew of former NHL forward Pat Verbeek, Ryan hasn’t had quite the same smooth path in his hockey career. Nevertheless he’ll start his North American professional journey this season, coincidentally (or not) with the ECHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings where his uncle serves as assistant GM.
Minor Transactions: 08/18/19
It’s the dog days of summer, and while many prominent free agents, restricted and unrestricted, remain unsigned, major NHL signings are few and far between. Yet, 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:
- Northeastern University landed a pair of high-quality graduate transfers last week in University of New Hampshire forward Brendan van Riemsdyk and Merrimack College goalie Craig Pantano, both of whom are expected to be major contributors. However, they’ve also now suffered a loss. After two disappointing seasons to begin his collegiate career, center Bobby Hampton has opted to leave the program, reports USCHO. Hampton will enroll at Penn State University and will join the Nittany Lions for the 2020-21 season with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining. Hampton joined Northeastern in 2017 with high expectations after leading the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Rough Riders in scoring the season prior, but recorded just seven points combined in his first two college seasons.
- Trevor Yates had up and down between the AHL and ECHL last season and he’s already well on his way to a similar start to the 2019-20 campaign. After signing with the ECHL’s Reading Royals on Friday, Jason Guarente of the Reading Eagle already reports that Yates will be in camp with their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, trying to instead earn an AHL contract, with Lehigh or elsewhere. A former star for the Cornell University Big Red, Yates’ pro career got off to a slow start last year, but he finished strong with a point-per-game stretch in the ECHL. The 24-year-old forward has the size and intelligence to be a key two-way forward in the AHL or, as he slowed late last season, a top-line forward at the “AA” level.
- The AHL’s Manitoba Moose have re-signed defenseman Charles-David Beaudoin to a one-year extension, the team announced. Beaudoin has played a part-time role for the Moose in each of the past two seasons, recording 15 points combined over the past two seasons. The 25-year-old righty took an unorthodox route to the AHL, spending two years at the University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres after his QMJHL junior career before jumping from USports to the pros, and will look to take on a larger role in his third AHL season.
Minor Transactions: 08/16/19
As August continues and we get further into contract negotiations, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- After spending the last several seasons in the ECHL, Dominic Alberga has decided to take his talents overseas. The 27-year old will play for HC Bolzano in the Italian league this season after scoring 46 points in 41 games with the Norfolk Admirals last year. Alberga actually got his first extended chance in the AHL, suiting up 16 times for the Tucson Roadrunners as well.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson‘s younger brother Kenny Johnson has committed to Penn State University for the upcoming season after spending the last few years in the BCHL. Also a defenseman, the younger Johnson went undrafted but recorded 20 points in 51 games last season split between the Penticton Vees and Victoria Grizzlies.
- Former Cornell standout Trevor Yates has signed on with the Reading Royals of the ECHL, giving them another weapon up front for the 2019-20 season. Yates bounced around the minor leagues last year and split time between the Grand Rapids Griffins, Toledo Walleye, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Wheeling Nailers.
Boston, New Jersey Renew ECHL Affiliates
The Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils have both renewed partnerships with their respective ECHL affiliates, the Atlanta Gladiators and Adirondack Thunder. Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald released a short statement on the extended relationship with the Thunder:
On behalf of the New Jersey Devils, we are pleased to continue our partnership for the 2019-20 season with our ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. Giving players consistent ice-time and exposure in all situations at the ECHL Level will help them develop throughout all levels of the New Jersey Devils organization and its affiliates. We are excited to work together with the management, players and coaches for our third consecutive season in Adirondack.
The Gladiators franchise has been partnered with the Bruins for several years now, starting in the 2015-16 season after they relocated from Gwinnett and parted ways with the Arizona Coyotes. During that time they’ve made the Kelly Cup playoffs just once and have an overall record of 124-133-31. Still, they are a valuable place for the Bruins to continue to develop their raw or long-shot prospects before bringing them into the AHL.
Meanwhile the Thunder have made the playoffs in each of their four seasons in the ECHL, all with some sort of partnership (informal or not) with the Devils. Last season saw them go 37-26-9 under head coach Alex Loh despite using a total of nine different starting goaltenders throughout the year.
Minor Transactions: 08/14/19
As August continues and we get further into contract negotiations, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- The San Diego Gulls have signed six players to one-year AHL contracts. Alex Broadhurst, Brent Gates, Luke Gazdic, Hunter Drew, Steven Ruggiero and Roman Durny will all join (or rejoin) the organization and provide plenty of experience and depth to the minor league club. Notably the group includes two players, Gates and Ruggiero who are set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the week now that their college careers are over. Signing them to AHL contracts keeps them in the organization, though technically does not maintain their exclusive draft rights.
- The Belleville Senators are bringing Francois Beauchemin back on a one-year two-way AHL contract. Not to be confused with the former NHL defender, Beauchemin is a 23-year old forward that played 40 games for the club last season. The undrafted winger also scored 16 points in 27 games for the ECHL’s Brampton Beast, a team he may find himself playing for again this year.
- The San Antonio Rampage have signed Josh Wesley to a one-year AHL contract. The son of former NHL defenseman Glen Wesley was drafted in the fourth round in 2014 but has yet to make his way to the NHL. In fact, the 23-year old spent most of last season in the ECHL.