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Colorado Avalanche Sign Three RFAs

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The Colorado Avalanche are down to one restricted free agent remaining – defenseman Patrik Nemeth – after announcing three contract extensions today with RFAs. Goaltender Spencer Martin, defenseman Ryan Graves, and defenseman Mason Geertsen, whose deal had already been leaked, have all signed one-year contracts for upcoming season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Martin, the most well-known of the trio, has been a mainstay in net in the minors for the Avalanche for the past few years. Martin has made 84 starts for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage over the past two seasons as well as three NHL appearances. Martin’s numbers at both levels are rather pedestrian, but the 23-year-old was Colorado’s top goaltender prospect until the team used a third-round pick on big Finnish keeper Justus Annunen this June. Between losing that title and the team’s additions of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz in net, Martin is facing a big season in 2018-19 with his relevance in the Avs’ system in doubt.

Graves, 23, was just recently acquired by Colorado at the trade deadline in a swap of defensive prospects with the New York Rangers. The big blue liner was a 2013 fourth-round pick who has produced well in the AHL to this point in his pro career, but has yet to get a shot at the NHL. Graves is far from a polished prospect but still has some upside to his game that brings both physicality and play-making ability.

Like Graves, Geertsen has also failed to make it to the highest level yet in his career. Similar to Graves in size and experience, at 23 Geertsen still lacks a pro-caliber offensive game. Last season was his first spent entirely in the AHL, as Geertsen has previously spent extensive time in the ECHL.

Snapshots: KHL, Steelheads, Buchberger

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According to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, Philip Holm has signed with the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo of the KHL, ending his North American career before it ever really took off. After signing last summer with the Vancouver Canucks, Holm played in one NHL game and was eventually traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Brendan Leipsic. Given no NHL playing time in Vegas, he’s decided to go to the KHL where he should receive plenty of minutes and be able to show off his offensive upside. Holm was given a qualifying offer meaning the Golden Knights will retain his rights.

Former Canucks top prospect Nicklas Jensen will also be remaining in the KHL next year, after agreed to use his one-year option with Jokerit. Jensen scored 37 points to lead Jokerit last season, after failing to carve out a role with the New York Rangers in 2016-17. A talented offensive forward who has dominated the AHL at times, Jensen is now 25 and may not get another chance at the NHL level in his career.

  • The Dallas Stars have reached a two-year agreement with the Idaho Steelheads to continue their minor league partnership, extending a long affiliation with the ECHL club. The Steelheads have won two Kelly Cups during their partnership with the Stars, and will be looking for another one in 2018-19 after going 44-20-8 last season. One of the most successful ECHL teams (and before that WCHL teams) in history, Dallas will continue to supply them with talented players for at least the next two seasons.
  • Kelly Buchberger is the latest New York Islanders assistant coach to find work elsewhere, hired as head coach of the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. When Barry Trotz was brought in as the new head coach of the Islanders it was expected he would bring an entire new staff, and Buchberger has found a nice landing spot as the bench boss of the Americans. Tri-City has been to the WHL playoffs in 14 of the last 15 seasons, though they are still looking for a championship; Buchberger will be asked to take them there.

Flyers Sign RFA’s Taylor Leier And Tyrell Goulbourne

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had a busy morning, announcing new one-year contracts for both Taylor Leier and Tyrell Goulbourne and confirming the signing of Danick Martel, also to a one-year deal which had been previously reported. While Martel simply accepted his qualifying offer, the other two contracts were negotiated. No salary terms were revealed by the team, but CapFriendly reports that Leier will make $720K on a one-way deal, while Goulbourne will likely play on a two-way deal similar to Martel’s.

Leier’s contract is interesting for many reasons. The first, and most pressing, is that it negates an August 3rd arbitration hearing date. Leier had filed for salary arbitration after spending the entire 2017-18 season in Philadelphia. While Leier only played in 39 games, it is easy to see why he might not be agreeable to a two-way deal after avoiding the AHL for an entire campaign. However, Leier’s qualifying offer was of a two-way nature. Rather than agree to that deal, the two sides worked out a contract that actually comes in below the qualifying offer value, but with a one-way status. Leier, 24, collected five points last season and will be looking to improve his production in the coming season.

Goulbourne finally cracked the NHL last season after his first two pro years were spent entirely in the minors, including half a season in the ECHL. The 24-year-old managed to get into nine games with the Flyers, though he was held scoreless and saw under six minutes of ice time per night in a fill-in role. Goulbourne wasn’t super productive with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms either, recording just 19 points in 63 games. Although Goulbourne is a more defensive-minded forward, he’ll need to show a more well-rounded offensive game if he wants to earn another long stay in Philadelphia.

With these three forwards locked up, Philadelphia has just two more restricted free agents to deal with. Defenseman Robert Hagg, who was very reliable in 70 games as a rookie on the Flyers’ blue line, is a interesting case to follow, as the team needs to be careful about the length and value of the contracts they hand out to their many promising young defenseman, as setting a bad precedent could bury them. The situation with goaltender Anthony Stolarz is also curious, as the young keeper missed most of last season due to injury after previously looking like a future star in seven starts with Philly in 2016-17. He now has to compete with Alex Lyon and Carter Hart for the honor of “heir apparent” and the Flyers might be wondering if that is one goalie too many to compete or at least how much they are willing to pay to keep another young backstop around.

Coaching Notes: Cronin, Rallo, Lalonde

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Greg Cronin will be the new head coach of the Colorado Eagles as they move from the ECHL to the AHL for the 2018-19 season. Cronin had served with the New York Islanders for the past four seasons, first as an assistant coach and then as an associate with Doug Weight last season. With Barry Trotz coming in and bringing in a new group, Cronin will head to the AHL where the Eagles are trying to follow up incredible ECHL success with a bang in their first year of AHL contention.

Under Aaron Schneekloth—who will remain with the team as an assistant coach—the Eagles have won two consecutive Kelly Cups in the ECHL. They’ll be trying for the Calder this year, but Schneekloth, assistant Ryan Tobler and goaltending coach Ryan Bach will still be there for the journey under Cronin’s leadership. It is experienced leadership, as Cronin has many years of experience in the NHL as well as time spent as a head coach in both the AHL and NCAA.

  • Greg Rallo won’t have to wait long for his next career to begin, as the 36-year old has been named an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Admirals. Rallo only finished his playing career recently, suiting up for 29 games with the Texas Stars in the 2017-18 season. He’ll join head coach Karl Taylor—who was an assistant coach with Texas while Rallo played there—as part of a new staff with the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have nabbed a coach from the Minnesota Wild organization, hiring Derek Lalonde as an NHL assistant coach for next season. Lalonde had been the head coach of the Iowa Wild in the AHL for the last two years, and is on a fast track to being an NHL head coach one day. He’s flown quickly through head coaching roles in the USHL, ECHL and AHL with winning records at all stops, and will now join a staff in Tampa Bay that is expected to compete for the Stanley Cup. Lalonde was hired to coach the Green Bay Gamblers just a year after now-Lightning head coach Jon Cooper left that organization following a championship season, only to bring the USHL team another championship in 2012.

Avalanche Sign Scott Kosmachuk, Sheldon Dries; Re-Sign Joe Cannata

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The Colorado Avalanche added depth to their team today signing two players when they inked Scott Kosmachuk and Sheldon Dries, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. No terms were announced for the two signings. The scribe also added that the team re-signed goaltender Joe Cannata, who signed a one-year, two-way, $665K deal (via CapFriendly).

Kosmachuk comes over from the New York Rangers organization where he played exclusively for the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL. The 24-year-old winger posted solid numbers there with 15 goals and 42 points. A Winnipeg Jets’ third-rounder in 2012, he has spent most of his career in the AHL, although he did get into nine games for the Jets back in 2015-16.

Dries may have the most upside as the 24-year-old had a solid rookie campaign last year with the AHL’s Texas Stars, on an AHL deal, after a four-year career at Western Michigan. The undrafted free agent scored 19 goals and 30 points, but even more importantly, posted 10 goals in 22 playoff games which took the team to the Calder Cup Finals. Dries’ new NHL deal is a one-year entry-level contract.

Cannata split time between the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles and the AHL San Antonio Rampage, but spent the majority of the season as the starting goaltender for Eagles, who won their second straight Kelly Cup title this year. The 28-year-old played 28 regular season games, posting a .931 save percentage and then followed that up with 22 playoff appearances in which he picked up 16 wins and a .913 save percentage. With the team’s ECHL affiliate now moving to Utah, the team wants to lock down their champion goaltender for another year.

Snapshots: Ouellet, Ryan, Utah

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Xavier Ouellet was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings to open up some roster spots for their young defensive prospects, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be part of an NHL organization next year. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the Montreal Canadiens have “kicked the tires” on Ouellet since his buyout, indicating that there is at least some interest.

Ouellet was actually born in France but played his minor hockey just outside Montreal and captained the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada during his QMJHL career. It would be a homecoming of sorts for the 24-year old defenseman should he sign with the Canadiens, who have a lot of experience on the blue line but found little success there last season. Montreal may not have room to add him on the NHL roster, but he would certainly provide a solid option for the Laval Rocket who are trying to rebuild after a disastrous season that included losing the last twelve games of the regular season.

  • The Calgary Flames are interested in their own version of reconnecting a player with a familiar structure, though this time it’s not a hometown. Derek Ryan is visiting the Flames today according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, a good fit given that his former head coach Bill Peters is now running the show. Peters was the coach who gave Ryan his first crack at the NHL after a long and winding hockey career, and the 31-year old center rewarded him with a 38-point season in 2017-18. Ryan is one of the top centers available this summer behind John Tavares, despite his relatively little experience in the NHL. Making his debut at the age of 29, he has just 153 games under his belt to this point.
  • The Utah Grizzlies are the new ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, extending their organizational structure to a third tier below the newly promoted Colorado Eagles. The Eagles won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup in each of the past two seasons, but were bumped up to the AHL as a 31st team to provide equal numbers with the NHL. Utah wasn’t so lucky, missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. The Avalanche will try to turn that around immediately, and make a commitment to developing a solid prospect base for the Grizzlies to work with.

Sergey Zborovskiy Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Wednesday: Zborovskiy has cleared waivers and will likely see his contract terminated.

Tuesday: The New York Rangers have placed Sergey Zborovskiy on unconditional waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract. Zborovskiy, a third-round pick by the Rangers in 2015, signed his entry-level contract in the summer of 2016 but spent most of this season in the ECHL. After clearing waivers he will now be able to return to Russia and join the KHL, though he would also technically become an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any NHL club.

Zborovskiy, 21, is a big, physical defenseman who put up some fine point totals while in the WHL playing for the Regina Pats, but was always a long shot for the NHL. His skating stride needed work when the Rangers selected him, and apparently hasn’t come far enough for the team to fight to keep him in the organization. This doesn’t necessarily preclude a reunion at some point down the road, but allowing him to go home to compete for minutes in the KHL could be best for his development.

This isn’t the first Russian defenseman the Rangers have lost in this way, after allowing Alexei Bereglazov out of his contract earlier this spring. It’s a tough result for a third-round pick, especially one that was made just two years ago. We’ll see if this affects the way New York targets Russian players in the draft moving forward.

Ryane Clowe Hired As ECHL Head Coach

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The New Jersey Devils have finally rid themselves of Ryane Clowe’s contract, but they’ll now lose any experience and guidance that he could bring to the team. Clowe had been operating as an assistant coach while his contract was put on long-term injured reserve, but is now headed back to Newfoundland as the first head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs new ECHL affiliate. Clowe will take over as head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers, and really begin the second part of his hockey career.

Clowe, 35, saw his career ended abruptly by concussions, as he was advised by doctors in 2015 not to continue playing. At that point, he was in the middle of a five-year, $24.25MM contract he signed with the Devils in 2013, and would have to wait out the rest of it on the sidelines. The big, bruising winger had been a force in the NHL, scoring 45 or more points four times and collecting 618 penalty minutes in just 491 games. Though his signature was his physical play, his offensive game was underrated at times and he’ll try to pass on that knowledge to the next wave of Maple Leafs prospects.

Toronto has built a three-tiered development system with their ECHL club, using it to work with players who may have a glaring weakness or need to improve their physical fitness. Clowe will try to help raw players get off on the right foot in their professional careers, and maybe one day even make it to the NHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs Announce Affiliation With Newfoundland Growlers

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The Newfoundland Growlers are one of the ECHL’s newest teams, and they now officially have an NHL affiliation. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have agreed to an affiliation with the Growlers that will begin in 2018-19, and will continue the three-tiered development system they previously had with the Orlando Solar Bears.

Toronto has been a leader over the last few years in really using their ECHL roster to its full player development potential. For a long time the lower minor league has been seen as nothing but a staging ground for players who would never see the NHL, but it’s now being used as an opportunity for raw prospects to work on individual skills or goaltenders to round out their games by seeing a lot of game action. The Maple Leafs have used it for players like Martins Dzierkals, Mason Marchment and Garret Sparks, and will continue to do so to try and supplement their AHL and NHL rosters with highly regarded talent.

Now back in Canada, the affiliation will return to St. John’s where the Maple Leafs previously held their AHL team. Speaking of the commitment they’ve made to the community and team, new GM Kyle Dubas released this statement:

We are excited to begin our relationship with the Newfoundland Growlers as our newest ECHL affiliate. This is an important investment for our hockey club as we remain committed to giving our players the best resources possible to ensure their development and professional success. To now have our ECHL affiliate in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a town and province which has historically meant a lot to the Maple Leafs, is a truly special opportunity.

The Growlers will debut in 2018-19 and try to take home a Kelly Cup, something that should be up for grabs now that the Colorado Eagles are advancing to the AHL. The Eagles have won back-to-back championships but will become the primary AHL affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche next season.

Minor Notes: DiDomenico, Redmond, Crunch

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After fighting his way back to the NHL for 27 contests over the last two seasons, Chris DiDomenico has decided to return to Switzerland. The Rockford IceHogs announced today that DiDomenico had officially signed with the SCL Tigers of the NLA, leaving the minor league club after an outstanding playoff run. DiDomenico had made it back to the NHL with the Ottawa Senators before being traded to Chicago earlier this year. He never saw any time with the Blackhawks down the stretch, but did record 41 points in 35 games for the IceHogs including both regular season and playoff games.

It’s clear that DiDomenico would rather play in Europe than the minor leagues, as he already left back in 2012. Playing in Italy and Switzerland, DiDomenico dominated the lower leagues before recording 76 points in 94 games in the NLA. Once a sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one would have to think this is close to the end of the NHL dream for the 29-year old forward.

  • On the other hand, the Rochester Americans have signed defenseman Zach Redmond to a two-year AHL contract. That’s a big deal for a Buffalo Sabres franchise that is trying to improve the success of their minor league system without hamstringing the NHL club. Redmond is a veteran NHL player with 133 games under his belt, but won’t even take a contract spot away from the Sabres while he’s playing on this deal. The 29-year old must have either liked how the organization treated him after coming over from Montreal, or not believed that he could get a two-way contract anywhere else—or perhaps, both. Redmond recorded 47 points in 66 games for the Americans last season, and could easily be included in their leadership group this year.
  • The Syracuse Crunch have also locked up a pair of players on AHL contracts, signing forwards Troy Bourke and Brady Brassart to one-year deals. Bourke was actually a third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2012, but hasn’t been able to find his footing in the minor leagues and spent most of last season in the ECHL. He dominated that league though, and along with Brassart will try to make the jump to the AHL on a more full-time basis in 2018-19.

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