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Minor Transactions: 07/24/19

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As July marches on and we get into arbitration hearings and contract holdouts, 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 Rochester Americans have signed Shaw Boomhower and Frank Hora to one-year AHL contracts. Both players spent the majority of their 2018-19 season in the ECHL, and could be ticketed for that league once again. Boomhower, 20, recorded 94 penalty minutes in 30 games for the Cincinatti Cyclones while scoring just seven points.
  • Alex Dubeau has signed a one-year two-way AHL contract with the Belleville Senators after spending the last four years at the University of New Brunswick. After finishing his senior season, Dubeau suited up six times for the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL and actually posted a .921 save percentage. The 25-year old goaltender will be used as depth in the low minors.
  • Minor league defenseman Chris Summers is taking his talents to the DEL, signing a two-year contract in Germany. Summers has actually played 70 NHL games over a long professional career, but spent the last two seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 31-year old was a first-round pick in 2006, but failed to ever establish himself as a full-time NHL defender.
  • Shane Hanna won’t be back with the Texas Stars this season, as the 25-year old defenseman has signed in Denmark for one year. Hanna suited up 58 times for the Stars last season and recorded 10 points, but will try things overseas to continue his professional career.
  • Cavan Fitzgerald has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the San Jose Sharks earlier this offseason. The 22-year old Fitzgerald played 66 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season, recording 20 points and 42 penalty minutes.
  • The Utica Comets have signed Zach Frye to an AHL contract, another Barracuda defenseman who will find a new home in 2019-20. The 25-year old played most of last season with the Orlando Solar Bears however, posting 16 points in 25 games. Known for his willingness to engage physically, Frye once recorded 214 penalty minutes in just 38 games for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.

Winnipeg Jets Renew ECHL Affiliation

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The Winnipeg Jets have renewed their partnership with the Jacksonville Icemen for the 2019-20 season, once again giving them an ECHL affiliate to help develop their prospects. The teams have been partnered for the last two seasons. Head coach Jason Christie has also been given a multi-year extension, keeping him in the Jets organization.

The Icemen—not to be confused with the ICE, the new junior hockey team in Winnipeg—made the ECHL playoffs last season after a 36-32-4 record in the regular season but were ousted quickly in round one. Like most other low minor teams, they housed several journeymen and plenty of raw prospects looking to develop their skills. Notably on the team was goaltender Mikhail Berdin, who is on his entry-level contract with the Jets after being selected in the 2016 draft. The ECHL is often a place for the organization’s goaltending prospects, giving them a chance to get game action against professionals on a nightly basis.

Christie meanwhile returns for his seventh season as the ECHL coach for Winnipeg, and is the all-time leader in league wins. He is still looking for his first Kelly Cup championship however, something the Icemen will try to bring home in 2020.

Minor Transactions: 07/16/19

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It’s been a shockingly busy day for mid-July and the moves don’t end at the NHL level. There have been even more notable transactions around the minors today to go along with an unexpected surge of signings and trades in the NHL. Keep up with all the action here:

  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have signed three players. The team announced an extension for defenseman Jake Kulevich and the addition of free agent forward Jakob Stukel. College hockey insider Mark Divver also reports that former Providence College defenseman Vincent Desharnais has signed with the club. Kulevich, 26, and Desharnais, 23, are both shutdown defenseman. At 6’4, 216 lbs. Kulevich’s game is in the defensive end, but he also recorded eight points in 29 games for the Condors last year as a part-time player. Desharnais is even bigger at 6’6″, 216 lbs., and just wrapped up an impressive NCAA career with the Friars, capped off by 13 points and a +22 rating in 42 games last year. Stukel, 22, is a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who impressed in Bakersfield last season on a try-out deal late in the year, recording six points in ten games. The performance earned him an AHL contract this year and the shot at a full-time role with the Condors.
  • Cam Johnson has been unable to find a two-way NHL deal and has settled for an AHL pact. The former University of North Dakota standout keeper signed a one-year entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils last summer, but did not appear for the team this season and split the campaign between the AHL and ECHL. His numbers in his first pro season were less than stellar, leaving Johnson without many options this off-season. He has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, the team announced, and will look to get back to his collegiate numbers in the upcoming campaign.
  • When the Colorado Eagles moved from the ECHL to the AHL last season, they took Michael Joly with them and the forward hardly missed a beat. He went from 67 points in 52 games to 30 points in 47 games, continuing to be a key player despite the boost in talent among his teammates and competitors. As a result, Joly has earned a contract extension, the Eagles announced. The 24-year-old will join the team for at least one more year and will again push to be among the top scorers on the roster.

Minor Transactions: 07/11/19

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Another day closer to the start of the 2019-20 regular season, and another few contracts signed by minor league players. Like always, we’ll keep an eye on the fringes for you:

  • The Hershey Bears are bringing back Erik Burgdoerfer on an AHL contract after he spent the last several seasons trying to establish himself in the NHL. An undrafted free agent out of RPI, the defenseman had to battle through several seasons in the ECHL before getting a real shot in the AHL with Hershey in 2014. After playing eight NHL games split between the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he’s back with the Bears for 2019-20.
  • Ben Sexton did enough in 26 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season to earn a new AHL contract with them. The team has re-signed the 28-year old forward to a one-year minor league pact after he recorded 10 points and 31 penalty minutes in those 26 contests. A veteran of just two NHL games (also with the Senators), Sexton will serve as an experienced hand for the Penguins as Mike Vellucci tries to turn the program around.

Snapshots: Appleby, Skinner, Knights

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Goaltender Ken Appleby will have to settle for an AHL contract again this season. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, the team announced. Appleby spent much of last season on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but was signed to an NHL deal at the trade deadline to serve as a depth option for the Winnipeg Jets. Appleby will hope that his play earns him another NHL contract, during this season or next summer.

Appleby continues to be a tough keeper to nail down. A standout with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, Appleby earned a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils as an undrafted prospect. In his first pro season in 2015-16, Appleby largely played in the ECHL, but put up good numbers and performed well in limited AHL action. The next year, he again dominated in ECHL to begin the year but quickly was called up to play a key role in the AHL and put up good albeit unspectacular numbers. In the final year of his ELC, Appleby’s AHL performance slipped somewhat, but he made three NHL appearances and was stellar, posting a .945 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. Yet, Appleby inexplicably failed to garner NHL attention last summer and, after signing with Manitoba, struggled greatly in the AHL and ended up back down in the ECHL. It’s unclear what to expect from the roller coaster goaltender, but at the very least the Admirals add an experienced netminder who has shown flashes of brilliance.

  • New York Rangers prospect Hunter Skinner is shifting his development plan. A fourth-round pick out of the USHL last month, Skinner was expected to play one more year of junior before heading to Western Michigan University. That all changed today when Skinner signed with the OHL’s London Knights, effectively ruling out the NCAA route. London used a fifth-round pick on Skinner in the 2017 OHL Draft and have made good on that gamble by convincing Skinner to change lanes and play major junior. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Michigan native backed out of his WMU commitment. A big right-handed defenseman who is ahead of the game physically but still raw in his skill and IQ, the Rangers reached for Skinner in the fourth round. It’s not a stretch to think that they used that leverage to influence this decision, perhaps preferring to see Skinner play against stronger competition sooner rather than later to start developing those abilities. The Broncos are definitely disappointed to lose a promising prospect, but Skinner is in good hands in London, a premiere NHL feeder program led by Dale and Mark Hunter.
  • Speaking of which, former London Knight Will Lochead has signed his first pro contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Lochead actually began classes at the University of Western Ontario last year and had intended to continue there, but after a breakout season opted to pursue the pro route. The aggressive defenseman recorded a career-high 17 points in 54 games for the Knights and continued to show that he is not afraid to throw his body around and play a fast-tempo game. The Thunderbirds are taking a chance on a young, undrafted player without much production to show for in his junior career, but who brings room for growth and an exciting style.

Minor Transactions: 07/09/19

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There are still several top free agents out on the market, but teams are also busy filling out their organizational depth charts and providing competition at the minor league level. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of those smaller transactions right here:

  • The Toronto Marlies have re-signed Giorgio Estephan, Tanner MacMaster and Alex Gudbranson to minor league deals, adding to their already impressive depth. The Marlies have been one of the most active minor league clubs in free agency and look like they’ll have a strong system again at both the ECHL and AHL levels. The Newfoundland Growlers, who won the Kelly Cup in their inaugural season, will happily welcome back Gudbranson who served as alternate captain last year.
  • Ryan Zapolski, who suited up for the United States at the most recent Olympic Games, will play for the Vienna Capitals of the EBEL next season after struggling for Jokerit in 2018-19. The 32-year old goaltender has found success everywhere he has played, and will now experience a new city and league in Austria.
  • Wayne Simpson, who played for the Rochester Americans last season and has been a strong offensive contributor in the AHL for several years, will play in the DEL next season for ERC Ingolstadt. The 29-year old was never drafted but has recorded at least 36 points in each of his six professional seasons.

Bruins Announce Six AHL Signings

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The Boston Bruins have made only a minor impact on the free agent market thus far, but the AHL’s Providence Bruins have gained plenty. Since May, Boston has re-signed AHL leaders Paul Carey, Anton Blidh, and Ryan Fitzgerald, signed promising prospect Oskar Steen, signed goaltender Maxime Lagace and forward Brendan Gaunce with earmarks for the minors, and signed or extended Brett Ritchie, Par Lindholm, and Peter Cehlarik, all of whom could be candidates to spend time in Providence. Meanwhile, the P-Bruins also added valued stay-at-home defender Josiah Didier on an AHL contract on June 1st. The pipeline continues to pile up, as today the Bruins announced six more AHL signings.

Of these six new additions, two have previously been reported: QMJHL star Samuel Asselin and Providence mainstay Chris Breen. The other four signings had not yet been leaked.

Joining Asselin on a two-year AHL deal is former Carolina Hurricanes prospect Brendan Woods. Woods was a fifth-round pick in 2012 and looked to have the size and scoring ability to make it big, but it hasn’t panned out that way. The big winger has seven NHL games to his credit but has almost exclusively played in the AHL in his six-year pro career. Woods brings some physicality and experience as well as some modest production to Providence, but at 27 he’s no longer the top prospect he used to be.

The team is bringing back defenseman Joel Messner on a one-way deal. Messner split last season between Providence and the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, but did manage to contribute seven points in 32 AHL games. The University of Nebraska-Omaha product is a work in progress even at 25, but clearly did enough last season to prove to the Bruins’ brass that he was worth bringing back.

The other two one-year signings belong to defenseman Alexey Solovyev and winger Robert Lantosi. Solovyev, 24, hails from Russia but spent the past four years at nearby Bentley University. With good size and mobility, Solovyev flew under the radar at a small program but could be a surprise at the pro level. Lantosi, 23, is an import from Slovakia making his North American debut. A product of the Swedish junior ranks, Lantosi has been playing professionally in Slovakia the past two years and dominated in 2018-19 with 58 points in 56 games to finish in the top five of the league. He too has more upside than it may seem on a minor league contract.

AHL Notes: Graham, Archibald, Thunderbirds

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The Dallas Stars are making an addition to their AHL coaching staff and doing so by promoting from within. The Texas Stars announced today that Neil Graham has been named as an assistant coach for the team, leaving his previous post as head coach of the organization’s ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads. During his tenure with Idaho, Graham led the Steelheads to a 166-91-31 record over four seasons, including three consecutive 40+ win seasons and playoff berths. The 34-year-old is climbing through the pro coaching ranks quickly after spending just one year as an assistant at Mercyhurst College before taking the same role with Idaho for three seasons before his promotion to head coach. A standout player at Mercyhurst in the late 2000’s, Graham played three seasons in the minors before turning to coaching. He has an opportunity with Texas, replacing the departed Bob Jones, to learn under the tutelage of Derek Laxdal and continue growing as a coach in what appears to be a promising career in the making.

  • Veteran grinder Darren Archibald has been on and off NHL contracts throughout his pro career, often having to settle for AHL contracts with a chance to earn his way back to the top level. After playing in a dozen games last season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators, recording just two points, Archibald entered the UFA market again facing the tough task of landing another two-way deal. As a result, it’s not surprising that Archibald has settled for a one-year deal with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the team announced. As far as AHL opportunities go, the Marlies tend to be one of the more talented, veteran-laden clubs with substantial media attention, giving Archibald as good a chance as anywhere in the league to prove he can still play in the NHL. In the meantime, the big winger will continue to be both a physical threat and net-front scoring force at the minor league level.
  • The Springfield Thunderbirds have announced extensions for end-of-the-year additions Liam Pecararo and Dylan MacPherson. The duo each signed one-year AHL contracts with Springfield back on April 3rd, and have now renewed those same one-way minor league pacts. Pecararo, 23, wrapped up his NCAA career with 30 points in 37 games for Northeastern University last year and recorded a point in his AHL debut. The Massachusetts native stays close to home in Springfield and hopes to be a force up front. MacPherson, 21, has great size for a defenseman and showed over the past two years with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers that he is capable of consistent offense as well. A right-handed shot who can both move the puck and defend in his own end, MacPherson is a valuable commodity for the Thunderbirds.

Dustin Tokarski Signs AHL Deal

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have added another experienced goaltender, signing Dustin Tokarski to an AHL contract for the 2019-20 season. While adding depth at any position is hardly newsworthy, the Penguins already had three minor league goaltenders under contract including Tristan Jarry, who has been included in trade speculation for some time. In fact, Jarry found himself among the most likely to be traded by The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) recently, alongside Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust.

Tokarski, 29 comes to the organization with a decade of professional experience, including 39 NHL appearances and even five games in the playoffs for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014. The last several years however he has been limited to almost entirely minor league action. Last year, Tokarski split the season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers, winning the Calder Cup (the second of his career) with the latter.

It seems unlikely that Tokarski would be signed to play in the ECHL, though he could serve as a backup for Jarry in the AHL if the team feels comfortable sending their other young goaltenders to the low minors. Otherwise, his presence could mean another trade is coming in Pittsburgh sooner or later.

Minor Transactions: 07/04/19

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We’re now several days into the free agency period for 2019 and things have slowed to a turtle’s pace. After a flurry of moves in the first few hours including Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky and Matt Duchene finding new homes, there’s been almost no movement at all on the UFA market. Ben Chiarot came off the board this morning when the Montreal Canadiens gave him a three-year deal, but otherwise there have only been depth moves. That’s what teams seem to be focused on at the moment, as there are still more minor league signings coming in:

  • The Toronto Marlies have signed Marcus Power, Sergei Sapego and Maksim Zhukov to minor league contracts, adding three more names to fill out the organizational depth charts. Zhukov is a name some Vegas Golden Knights may remember, as he was originally drafted by the team in the fourth round in 2017. Vegas decided not to sign Zhukov this year and had his exclusive draft rights expire.
  • Garet Hunt, a veteran of a decade in the ECHL and one of the toughest 5’8″ players in the world, has signed on with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL. Hunt has amassed 2,666 penalty minutes across his ECHL career, fighting as many as 29 times in a single season. The former Vancouver Giants enforcer will join former NHL players like Adam Cracknell, Spencer Foo and Gilbert Brule on the KHL club this season.

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