Hurricanes To Bring In KHL’s Michal Cajkovsky On PTO
The Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said the team will be bringing in KHL defenseman Michal Cajkovsky to training camp, tweets Chip Alexander of the News & Observer.
The 6-foot-4, 236-pound Cajkovsky spent the past two years in the KHL for Yekaterinburg Automobilist, where he posted seven goals and 19 points for the team in 43 games last season. The left-shot defenseman also spent time playing for the Slovakian national team in both the Olympics and in the World Championships. Cajkovsky did spend some time in North America as part of the Washington Capitals organization as he played two years in the ECHL for both the Reading Royals and the South Carolina Stingrays between 2013 and 2015 and was promoted for a 13-game stretch with the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2015.
What Cajkovsky’s chances are to make the Hurricanes is another question. The team is already loaded on the left side of their defense as they already carry Calvin de Haan and Jaccob Slavin for their top-four as well as Trevor van Riemsdyk and Haydn Fleury as two players battling for the final spot on the left side. The team is already deep on the right-side with Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce.
Minor Transactions: 9/7/18
Rookie camps have begun, veterans are returning, and the preseason is right around the corner. Yet, teams and players alike continue to make decisions for the coming season. Here are some of those moves made today:
- NHL veteran Adam Pardy has found himself a nice landing spot for the twilight of his career. The 34-year-old defenseman was forced into the international route last season to continue playing, signing with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League after twelve pro seasons in North America and 342 NHL games. Pardy will now return home by nearly returning home in a literal sense. Pardy has signed with the ECHL’s newest club, the Newfoundland Growlers. The team plays in St. John’s, not far from Pardy’s hometown of Bonavista, Newfoundland. The league announced that the Growlers had signed Pardy to a one-year deal, but the experienced blue liner may find a natural fit as the veteran leader of the young, developmental roster and so close to home, and end up with the team for another year or two longer.
- Former Vancouver Canucks prospect Mackenze Stewart has signed a contract in the ECHL as well, but the 23-year-old is far from the end of his career. Stewart, a 2014 seventh-round pick, became an unrestricted free agent this off-season when his entry-level contract expired and the Canucks opted to not extend a qualifying offer. Stewart has always had good size and played a hard-nosed game and is even one of the few skaters in hockey who can comfortably transition from forward to defense. However, the WHL prospect has never quite developed the high-end skill needed to compete in the NHL or even the AHL. In his three pro seasons, Stewart has 132 ECHL games to his credit compared to just six in the AHL and has struggled to produce at any level. He has improved slightly each year and perhaps he can still develop into a serviceable pro. The Toledo Walleye at least see some potential in the big man; they announced a one-year contract with Stewart and went so far as to confirm that he will have guaranteed role in the defensive corps.
- Reid McNeill likely could have avoided the ECHL in the coming season, but rather than wait around for the right AHL fit and risk spending time at the “AA” level, the former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect has decided to move overseas. McNeill has signed with Dornbirner EC, an Austrian club in the EBEL. The Bulldogs announced a contract with the AHL veteran, adding him to the roster just one week prior to the start of the EBEL regular season. McNeill, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Penguins back in 2010 and spent five years with the organization, almost entirely with their minor league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. At 6’4″, 216 lbs., McNeill is a big, physical player and a punishing defensive presence. McNeill reached free agency last summer and signed an AHL contract with the Syracuse Crunch. He went on to play a leadership role as an alternate captain for the team and had a strong season to boot. Now with Dornbirner, McNeill could be a true No. 1 defenseman for the Bulldogs.
Minor Transactions: 9/5/18
September is upon us, but the hockey futures of many players are still up in the air. While high-profile NHL unrestricted and restricted free agents still remain in the hunt for a big league contract, others are sorting out minor league deals and tryout agreements:
- The Boston Bruins inked veteran defenseman Mark Fayne and German import Marcel Noebels to PTO’s yesterday, but they’ve added another tryout to the camp roster as well. Appearing with the group slated to begin the preseason in Boston, rather than on the road in China, is defenseman Joel Messner. Messner, a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, was a four year starter for the Mavericks and captained the team last season. The 24-year-old blue liner scored more points last year, 23, than he did in his previous three campaigns combined, showing some remaining potential to his game. Given the Bruins dramatic defensive depth, both at the NHL and AHL level, Messner may be only be trying out for a two-way minor league deal to perhaps headline the Bruins’ ECHL defensive unit with the Atlanta Gladiators. Nonetheless, he could make for an intriguing player to watch for in camp.
- Tyler Soy, an unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, has stuck with the organization. Soy signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Gulls today, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate announced. The 21-year-old center played two games with the Gulls at the tail end of the 2016-17 season and must have made a good impression. He also finished second in scoring for the WHL’s Victoria Royals last year, registering 92 points in 66 games. Soy has the ability to be a difference-maker in the AHL and could soon re-establish himself as an NHL prospect.
- The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, have re-signed forward David Gust to a one-year deal, the team announced. Gust, a first-year pro last season, led all Condors rookies with 13 goals and 24 points. The 24-year-old right wing is a former Ohio State standout, recording 41 points in 39 games as a senior. Bakersfield hopes to see some of that upside in the coming season.
- Gasper Kopitar, brother of L.A.’s Anze Kopitar, is staying in the system. The ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs have announced a one-year extension for their Slovenian superstar. Kopitar was under contract, but did not play for the Monarchs last season due to injury. Healthy and re-committed, he is back to work with Manchester. With this deal, the Kings organization has now kept the younger Kopitar employed in North America for more than five years, even though he has never played above the ECHL level. Although New Hampshire is quite a ways from California, it is surely a gesture that the Kings’ captain appreciates.
Minor Transactions: 08/31/18
Noah Hanifin has signed with the Calgary Flames, but we’re still waiting on news of the other dozen restricted free agents. While we wait, we’ll keep track of the minor moves around the hockey world.
- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed Zach Palmquist, Nick Luukko and Branden Komm to AHL contracts for 2018-19. Palmquist especially will give the team some added firepower on the blue line after registering 34 points in 67 games last season for the Iowa Wild. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent out of the Minnesota State University when he signed with the Minnesota Wild in 2015, and earned two more NHL contracts over the last few seasons. Still waiting for his NHL debut, he’ll have to prove that he once again deserves a big league deal next summer.
- Former Bowling Green standout Dan DeSalvo has found a new home in the AHL. The Cleveland Monsters, minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, announced a one-year deal with undersized, but explosive forward. DeSalvo has shown great offensive ability over the past three years between the AHL and ECHL. After close to a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers as well as on loan to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in his first pro season in 2015-16, DeSalvo earned a regular role with Manitoba the next year and posted 40 points in 66 games. While that production slipped somewhat last year, with DeSalvo limited to just 44 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the Monsters have clearly bought in to what he can offer up front. The 26-year-old forward is likely to bring positive returns for the team if put in the right position and given enough ice time.
- Joining DeSalvo in Cleveland for another year is also Miles Koules, who returns for his third season. After working his way through four different ECHL teams in his first two pro seasons, Koules finally found a fit when given a chance with the Monsters in 2016-17. The team has re-signed the winger for a second straight year after he registered 27 points in 68 games last season.
- The University of Massachusetts Minutemen are adding another weapon to their squad and about a week before classes begin no less. The team has announced that former St. Lawrence University forward Joel Pritchard has joined the program as a graduate transfer. Although Pritchard played only three seasons for the Saints, he completed his studies and recently graduated. He will be eligible to play immediately at UMass, where he will reunite with former coach Greg Carvel. Pritchard recorded 20+ points in each of his seasons at St. Lawrence and played a responsible two-way game. He will bring consistency and experience to a young UMass squad that hopes to surprise people in the Hockey East Conference this season.
Minor Transactions: 08/30/18
While many of the NHL’s stars are in Toronto for a training camp, and prospect lists are being released for rookie tournaments, leagues like the AHL and ECHL continue to tweak their rosters for the upcoming seasons. We’ll keep track of the minor moves right here.
- Vincent Dunn has agreed to terms with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears for the upcoming season according to comments he made to Marc Brassard of LeDroit. Dunn noted that playing for Orlando means he’s connected to former Gatineau Olympiques head coach Benoit Groulx, who is now with the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch and Solar Bears are the minor league affiliates of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and will get some added toughness with Dunn, who was included in the Derick Brassard trade from Ottawa to Pittsburgh last season. The 22-year old’s entry-level contract expired at the end of the year, and Pittsburgh did not issue a new qualifying offer.
- Brendan Woods and Jesse Graham have both signed one-year AHL contracts with the Utica Comets, keeping some minor league experience in the organization. Woods played 14 games for the Comets last season, while Graham suited up for the San Antonio Rampage. Both players should see considerable action for the Comets this season as they look to build on a good 2017-18 campaign.
- Panthers unrestricted free agent Greg Chase has signed a one-year deal with Wichita of the ECHL. Florida acquired him in mid-December from the Oilers and used him with their AHL affiliate in Springfield but declined to tender him a qualifying offer in June. Prior to the trade, Chase was with Wichita as they are Edmonton’s ECHL affiliate.
Minor Transactions: 8/28/18
August is almost over and training camps are right around the corner. Yet, players continue to make decisions on where they’ll play this season. On a day with a surprising amount of signing news, here are some other smaller moves around the hockey world:
- The AHL’s Providence Bruins have added another body up front. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that the team has signed center Brett McKenzie to his first pro contract. An unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, McKenzie just wrapped up an OHL career that featured 224 points in 328 games. Most recently, he led the Owen Sound Attack in playoff scoring with eight goals and eight assists in just eleven postseason contests. The big pivot also plays a strong physical game and can make a living lower in the lineup. The P-Bruins are already an extraordinarily deep AHL team and McKenzie may spend some time down in the ECHL, but could fight his way into a consistent role with the team during the season.
- AHL teams tend to be more interested in adding younger players out the junior and college ranks as bottom-six contributors than recycling past AHLers. Hayden Hodgson is a case in point, as the former Cleveland Monsters grinder was unable to find another AHL deal this off-season. Instead, Hodgson has signed with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, the league announced. Hodgson spent some time in the ECHL last year and will be able to play a bigger role at the lower level. It remains to be seen whether he can show the offensive upside to ever climb back up the hockey ranks though.
- The most common route for elite American prospects in recent years has been through the U.S. National Development Program and then into the NCAA or right into the NHL. However, that path didn’t yield the desired results for young defenseman D.J. King. Despite having great size and playing a prominent role on the blue line for both the U-17 and U-18 squads this past season, King went undrafted in June. This likely points to a lack of belief in his offensive abilities, as he produced little in the way of scoring for the USNTDP. In an effort to improve that image before his next go-round in the draft, King has signed with his junior rights holder, the defending OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs. Hamilton has announced the deal with King, who they are excited to bring in after spending a second-round pick on him back in 2016. Former NHL defenseman and Bulldogs President and GM Steve Staios spoke to King’s upside as a prospect, citing his leadership, toughness, and puck-moving ability. Perhaps a change of scenery is all the big defender needs to boost his production this season.
Minor Transactions: 8/23/18
As the start of the NHL season draws closer, players at every level around the globe continue to make decisions on their hockey futures. Keep track of today’s signings here:
- Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Roman Lyubimov allegedly left the NHL last summer because he wanted a chance to play for his native Russia at the Olympics this past winter. However, he was not selected to the Olympic squad after all. It turns out that it might not have been his only motivation for jumping to the KHL anyway. Lyubimov, a free agent this off-season, has decided to stay at home in Russia, with Metallurg Magnitogorsk announcing a contract with the 26-year-old forward. It seems a combination of both wanting to play in the KHL and a lack of production in his one NHL season – six points in 47 games – was likely the cause of his jump overseas last year.
- Avery Peterson, one of the more well-known college free agents to hit the UFA market last week, has settled for an ECHL contract. The Idaho Steelheads have signed the former University of Minnesota-Duluth forward to a one-year deal, the team announced. The big two-way center played a key role in the Bulldogs’ run to the NCAA Championship this past season, but with limited offensive upside, Peterson will have to prove that he can make a difference at the pro level.
- It’s been a while since Matthew Finn has been considered a budding NHL prospect and even longer since he was drafted in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012. Yet, the smart, capable defenseman continues to make a living in the minors. Finn has signed an ECHL deal with the Florida Everblades after spending part of last season with the team while on a contract with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. While Finn has logged plenty of time at the “AA” level, this is his first ECHL contract. The former Guelph Storm captain will bring leadership and experience to the Estero-based squad and if he is able to replicate his production from his last healthy season spent in the ECHL, should be back in contention for an AHL deal next summer. At this point though, it seems unlikely that we will ever see Finn at the NHL level despite his initial promise when drafted.
Golden Knights To Name Fort Wayne Komets As ECHL Affiliate
August 21: The Golden Knights have officially announced the affiliation. It is a one-year agreement for the 2018-19 season.
August 8: Another day, another potential ECHL affiliate off the market for those NHL teams still searching. Justin Cohn of The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana reports that the hometown team is just “a signature away” from becoming affiliated with the league’s newest team, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights. As the organizational depth of the Knights grows even more in the team’s second year, it needs a location for those players who are not getting enough play time at the AHL level. Who better than the Komets, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant‘s first head coaching gig, to solve that problem.
The nature of NHL-ECHL partnerships often varies team-by-team. Some NHL programs maintain strong, lasting relationships with their “AA” affiliate and devote multiple players to their ranks, while others use it solely in an emergency to stash a player or two and switch affiliations frequently. It is always to the benefit of an NHL squad to have an ECHL affiliate, but some teams simply cherish the option more than others. Last season, the Komets were affiliates of the Arizona Coyotes and, as Cohn writes, ‘Yotes prospects Artur Tyanulin, Trevor Cheek, and Michael Houser were a key part of the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals. However, Arizona unexpectedly dropped Fort Wayne as their affiliate in favor of former AHL franchise the Norfolk Admirals. In search of a new feeder team, Cohn relays that the team had been talking to both Vegas and the Nashville Predators, but Nashville has instead chosen to share the nearby Atlanta Gladiators team with the Boston Bruins. With just one contender remaining, it is now all but official between the Golden Knights and Komets.
There have been several changes in allegiance this off-season, but once this affiliation becomes official – as well as Nashville and Atlanta – there will only be a handful of NHL and ECHL teams left un-aligned. According to the league, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning remain without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Orlando Solar Bears, and Rapid City Rush do not have NHL affiliates. There is still some time for some of those teams to figure out a deal before the puck drops on the 2018-19 season.
Minor Transactions: 08/21/18
One day closer to the start of the NHL preseason, and there are more moves happening in other corners of the hockey world. We’ll keep track of them right here.
- Igor Eronko of Sport-Express is reporting that David Desharnais will see his contract terminated in the KHL, only to sign with another team. Desharnais signed quickly this summer with HC Lokomotiv, but is apparently headed somewhere else to start his KHL journey. The diminutive center played 71 games for the New York Rangers last season and actually contributed 28 points, but took a deal just a few days into free agency to head overseas. Now 31-years old, Desharnais could eventually return to the NHL if he can prove his offensive touch is still around.
- Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Martins Dzierkals has signed with Dinamo Riga of the KHL, heading back to his home country of Latvia after several years in North America. Drafted in the third round three years ago, Dzierkals never earned an NHL contract from the Maple Leafs but had been working with their development staff and playing in the ECHL. The talented forward will test his game at a higher level in 2017-18, and could try to earn a contract somewhere else in the NHL in the next few years.
Minor Transactions: 08/17/18
The hockey machine continues to chug along this offseason, with veteran players finding homes overseas and junior stars swapping sweaters. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Matt Frattin has re-signed with Barys Astana in the KHL, returning to the league after playing in Switzerland at the very end of last season. Frattin, a former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect scored 29 points in 42 games during his first taste of KHL action last year and should find success again going forward. In 135 NHL games, Frattin recorded just 35 points but always showed flashes of a high offensive ceiling. Now 30 years old, his NHL career is likely behind him.
- Former NHL defenseman Karl Stollery is heading to Jokerit of the KHL, leaving Dinamo Riga after a successful 2017-18 campaign. Stollery logged huge minutes for the club and also participated for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics. After a great four year career at Merrimack College, Stollery tried to grind his way through the North American minor leagues and only managed to suit up for 23 NHL contests.
- The Hershey Bears have signed Logan Pyett and Adam Morrison to AHL contracts, giving the team some more experience for this season as they look to bounce back. Pyett is a former Detroit Red Wings prospect who has played in the KHL the last few seasons, while Morrison was originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in round three of the 2009 draft. The 27-year old goaltender has spent most of his professional career in the ECHL, but regularly posts solid numbers and should give the Bears some depth at the position.
- The Oshawa Generals have traded four draft picks to acquire Giovanni Vallati from the Kitchener Rangers, bringing in the Winnipeg Jets prospect to give them another puck-moving defenseman for this season. Vallati has a ton of talent though still is learning how to use those skills to lock down the defensive zone and play a more consistent game. Two second and two third round picks was the cost to acquire the 18-year old, meaning the Generals will hope to get immediate dividends from Vallati.