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Hurricanes Loan Vasili Ponomaryov To Spartak Of The KHL

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Back in October, Carolina signed prospect forward Vasili Ponomaryov to a three-year, entry-level contract.  At the time, it was expected that he’d return to Shawinigan of the QMJHL next season before turning pro in 2022.  Instead, Spartak of the KHL announced today that they’ve added the winger to their roster for the 2021-22 campaign, signing him to a contract that runs through April 2022.

The 19-year-old was a second-round pick (53rd overall) last year following his first season with the Cataractes that saw him impress with 18 goals and 31 assists in 57 games in his first taste of hockey in North America.  While that league had some starts and stops this season, the QMJHL was able to get through a shortened season where he managed 10 goals and 28 helpers in just 33 games while picking up four points in five playoff contests.

Staying with Shawinigan certainly would have made sense but now Ponomaryov will have an opportunity to get his feet wet at the professional level and play closer to home for a year as well.  His contract slid this season since he didn’t see any NHL action and will do so again in 2021-22 for the same reason for Carolina will still have him signed for three years if he returns to North America for the 2022-23 campaign with AHL Chicago.

Bob Hartley, Yegor Chinakhov Win KHL Awards

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It’s been two decades since Bob Hartley lifted the Stanley Cup over his head as the victorious head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, but don’t think that means he stopped winning. The former NHL bench boss was named KHL Coach of the Year today after taking home the Gagarin Cup with Avangard Omsk.

This championship season continues a winning tradition for Hartley. In 1990 and 1991 he took home the title in the CJHL with the Hawkesbury Hawks. In 1993 he was a QMJHL champion with the Laval Titan. In 1997 he won the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears. Then came the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Avalanche and some lean years, but he was back on top as an NLA Champion with the ZSC Lions. Now champion of the KHL, there’s little Hartley hasn’t accomplished (his Latvian World Championship squad even recently downed the Canadians in an incredible upset).

Hartley’s name has been brought up in talks of NHL vacancies, but it’s not clear if he is ready to return to the NHL just yet. If he does decide to put his name in the ring, it’s hard to find a more impressive overall resume at this point.

That wasn’t the only award handed out by the KHL today though. The league named Eddie Pasquale the top goaltender, Chris Wideman the top defenseman and Yegor Chinakhov the top rookie.

Chinakhov may be a familiar name now thanks to the draft day confusion that followed his selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Seen as an “off-the-board” pick by Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, the 20-year-old proved he was worth the 21st overall slot when he scored 17 points in 32 games for Hartley’s team and added another seven in the Gagarin Cup playoff run. Chinakhov signed his entry-level contract at the beginning of May but didn’t have time to get into any games with the Blue Jackets down the stretch.

Minor Transactions: 06/04/21

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There are just eight teams left alive in the NHL postseason and by this time next week that number could be down to four. The off-season has arrived for most, with all other major hockey leagues long since wrapped up. While many will wait for the NHL off-season to officially begin before making a decision on their future, other are willing to make a decision right away. Here are some notable moves from the latter group:

  • As previously suggested, Joakim Nordstrom has indeed signed with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow. The club officially announced a one-year contract with the NHL veteran on Friday. While Nordstrom has never been a scoring threat in the NHL, his early commitment overseas is at least slightly suprising. The two-way forward clearly provides value, as evidenced by six straight seasons of starting at least two-thirds of his teams’ games across stops in Carolina, Boston, and Calgary. A solid checker and shot blocker, Nordstrom is a good defensive presence as a bottom-six forward, but does not provide much upside. Perhaps in Russia he will be able to do more offensively and play a more balanced game. He will be surrounded by plenty of talent with CSKA, a KHL juggernaut.
  • Another forward heading to Europe is Tanner MacMaster. The former Quinnipiac University standout has played well in the AHL over the past three years, including playing a top-six role with 30 points for a loaded Toronto Marlies team last season, but has not earned an entry-level contract. He will look to Sweden for a bigger role and more substantial contract after spending this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. MODO of the Swedish second-tier Allsvenskan has announced a one-year deal with MacMaster, who they label as a top-six center for the club.
  • After a year off in 2020-21, former NHL enforcer Luke Gazdic has decided to make the change permanent. The veteran of 11 pro seasons has announced his retirement from the game. Gazdic will be remembered most for his three seasons as a fixture on the Edmonton Oilers’ checking line, though he developed into a leader in the AHL as well, spending his final two seasons with the San Diego Gulls.
  • Also calling it quits after a long pro career is longtime Cleveland Monsters goaltender Brad Thiessen. Thiessen, 35, has announced his retirement after twelve years at the pro level. Thiessen initially left Northeastern University early in 2009, signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a highly sought-after free agent. Thiessen played three seasons with the Penguins, including seeing action in five NHL games, and another with the Calgary Flames, but since 2015-16 has been with AHL Cleveland. Thiessen helped to develop Columbus Blue Jackets netminders Joonas Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks while continually providing reliable play and even leading the club to a Calder Cup.

 

Emile Poirier Signs In KHL

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In the 2013 draft, the Calgary Flames had three selections in the first round and a chance to really build a core for the organization. With the sixth pick, they hit, landing Sean Monahan, a franchise center and a staple of their first line for years to come. But the other two picks, Emile Poirier and Morgan Klimchuk weren’t quite as successful. The two have combined for just nine NHL games to this point (the two lowest totals of the entire round) and the former isn’t even playing in North America anymore.

Poirier, 26, spent this season with HC Kosice of the Slovakian league and has now signed a contract with Dinamo Riga in the KHL for the 2021-22 campaign. After spending several seasons in the Flames organization, the first-round pick went unqualified in 2018 and was forced to sign an AHL deal. Two relatively unsuccessful years with the Manitoba Moose later and he was off to Europe to see if he could get his career back on track.

He did find success in Slovakia though, scoring 17 points in 18 games and adding another handful in the postseason. Moving to the KHL will test Poirier even further and perhaps give him a springboard for a return to North America if he can perform well in 2021-22. There is certainly plenty of time left for the 26-year-old to earn a new deal in the AHL or even perhaps turn himself into a depth option with a bit of bite. Poirier never was afraid to drop the gloves, with fighting majors in almost every year of his pro career. For at least 2021-22, he will ply his trade in the KHL.

Snapshots: Nordstrom, Cracknell, Murphy

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A report out of Russia from Semyon Galkevich has linked Calgary Flames forward Joakim Nordstrom to the KHL, suggesting he will sign a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent later this summer when the one-year, $700K deal he signed with Calgary last October expires. Though no one could have been expecting much offense from the bottom-six forward, Joakim still disappointed, scoring just a single goal in 44 games. In 444 career regular season contests, he has just 75 points.

More notes from around the hockey world:

  • Adam Cracknell has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, returning after a strong campaign with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate. Cracknell, 35, has played 15 years of professional hockey and can help insulate Oilers prospects while in the minor leagues. In 39 games with Bakersfield this season, he recorded 11 goals and 30 points, proving he’s far from just a locker room leader.
  • Ryan Murphy, another long-time minor league star, has won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s most outstanding defenseman for 2020-21. The 28-year-old, who was originally selected 12th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, had 27 points in 37 games for the Henderson Silver Knights this season. In 232 career AHL games, Murphy has recorded 146 points.

Kenny Agostino Signs In KHL

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a long list of forwards hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, but at least one of them won’t be returning. Kenny Agostino has signed a contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL after spending most of the last two seasons in the minor leagues.

Agostino, 29, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs in 2019, likely believing he’d be an often-used injury replacement after playing 63 NHL games the previous year. Instead, he spent the entire 2019-20 campaign in the AHL, racking up 49 points with the Toronto Marlies. This season was much of the same, though Agostino did receive one game with the Maple Leafs where he went scoreless. In 22 AHL contests, he continued his career point-per-game pace, scoring nine goals and 22 points.

With 30 points in 85 career NHL games and a 30th birthday that doesn’t come until next year, one might have expected Agostino to search for another job in North America. Instead, he’ll head overseas to test himself at the KHL level. While obviously nothing is guaranteed, the veteran forward is certainly talented enough to be a star in Russia.

Minor Transactions: 05/27/21

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The Stanley Cup Playoffs are front and center right now, especially with Round Two now on the schedule, but there still continue to be some meaningful moves made elsewhere around the hockey world. Here are some of those recent notable minor transactions:

  • After a mutual termination of his contract was completed earlier this month, former Boston Bruins prospect Pavel Shen has found his new team; well, a new, old team. After playing with the KHL’s HK Sochi on loan to begin the 2020-21 season, Shen has opted to return to the club on a more permanent basis. Sochi has signed Shen to a one-year deal for next season. Where his career takes him after that remains unknown. Shen flashed good two-way ability in his pair of seasons with AHL Providence and seemed like he was on his way to becoming a solid depth option – a good value for a 2018 seventh-round pick. However, if Boston felt he had long-term NHL upside they would not have terminated his contract so easily. Shen seems destined to spend his career at home in Russia, but continued development could put him back on NHL radars.
  • After a 15-year pro career, including eight seasons in the NHL with six different teams, Andrew Ebbett has decided to hang up his skates. However, he won’t be leaving the game behind just yet. Swiss club SC Bern, where Ebbett spent five seasons following his NHL career, has announced that they have hired the veteran as their “sports director” i.e. general manager. Ebbett brings plenty of experience, including a number of years in the NLA, to the position. He also expanded his knowledge of the European game while playing his final season this year with EHC Munich of the German DEL. A versatile, two-way player and locker room presence throughout his career, Ebbett is well suited to lead the club.
  • In an uncommon move for today’s day and age, U.S. National Team Development Program forward Liam Gilmartin has decided to switch development paths and join the OHL’s London Knights next season. Gilmartin, a 2021 NHL Draft product, was expected to follow the collegiate path like nearly all USNTDP products, having committed to Providence College. Instead, he will forego his NCAA eligibility and join the major junior ranks. A big winger with high-end stick skills, Gilmartin is expected to be drafted as early as the late second round in July after finishing among the top-six scoring forwards for the U-18 team this year. How this development decision impacts his draft stock remains to be seen.
  • The USHL held their Phase I Draft for all 2005 players on Wednesday and the more intriguing Phase II Draft for all other uncommitted prospects on Thursday. While there were many players selected in both drafts with familiar names to past NHL players and executives alike, some of the most interesting picks were those that seem hardly likely to pan out. Presumptive 2022 and 2023 NHL Draft first overall picks, Shane Wright and Connor Bedard respectively, were each selected in the later rounds of the Phase II draft. While neither seems like to abandon their current teams – Wright with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs and Bedard with the WHL’s Regina Pats – this year saw a number of Canadian major junior players jump to the USHL with their own leagues on hold. The Chicago Steel (Wright) and Dubuque Fighting Saints (Bedard) would certainly be excited if their late-round waivers panned out somehow. For a full list of USHL Draft selections, follow this link.

Minor Transactions: 5/26/21

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While things are relatively quiet on the transaction front during the NHL playoffs, there have been a few transactions today around the hockey world.  Here’s a rundown of those involving NHL-affiliated players and teams:

  • Panthers free agent defenseman Emil Djuse won’t be returning to North America. Instead, Rapperswill-Jona of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve inked the blueliner to a two-year deal.  Djuse spent the 2019-20 season in North America between AHL Texas and Springfield and was actually rather productive offensively for a blueliner with 32 points in 53 games but opted to play in the KHL this season instead of re-signing with Florida.  He is set to become an NHL free agent in July.
  • Kings prospect forward Alexander Dergachyov has been traded to Avangard Omsk, the KHL team announced. Going the other way to Vityaz Podolsk is none other than current Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington, as well as minor league forward Alexander Yaremchuk. Kylington, 24, is of course playing in North America, but as a restricted free agent this off-season following a campaign in which he was used very sparingly, perhaps the Swedish blue liner will be intrigued by the opportunity to move the KHL. On the flip side, the 24-year-old Dergachyov was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2015 (74th overall) but hasn’t opted to sign with the team yet, instead preferring to remain at home.  He signed a two-year contract with Omsk following the trade, so any move to L.A. will have to wait a while longer.
  • The Canadiens have signed defenseman Terrance Amorosa to a one-year AHL contract, their farm affiliate announced (Twitter link). The 26-year-old signed a tryout deal with Laval in March and despite playing just five games, he clearly made enough of an impression to get another deal.

Vitaly Abramov Signs In KHL

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The Ottawa Senators depth chart is getting awfully crowded at the forward position, with young players emerging almost daily. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why Vitaly Abramov has signed a two-year contract in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk. Abramov was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. The Senators will be able to retain his restricted free agent rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, keeping him attached to the organization.

Originally selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Abramov was in the NHL making his debut by the 2018-19 season after being part of the Matt Duchene trade. Now 23, he has just five games at that level with the Senators, spending much of his time in the AHL instead. This season for Belleville, he had 19 points in 23 games, a strong showing for the talented winger.

Unfortunately, with the pipeline so packed from high picks over the last few years, it was hard to see Abramov getting a top-six opportunity in Ottawa anytime soon. A return to the KHL will give him a chance to play more important offensive minutes and could help him secure an NHL role down the line. For now, the Senators will have to wait and watch, but his rights won’t expire for several years.

Snapshots: Staal, Mukhamadullin, Peterka, Hlinka Gretzky Cup

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Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and despite the tough year that Detroit had, he isn’t ruling out a return.  The veteran told reporters, including Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News, that he enjoyed the change of scenery from New York and that he’d be open to returning.  Regardless of where he winds up, the 34-year-old will be facing a steep pay cut from the $5.7MM AAV on his now-expiring contract.  Staal averaged 18:25 per night on the back end and acknowledged that he may be interested in playing with one of his brothers; Jordan remains under contract in Carolina while Eric will be an unrestricted free agent as well after playing out the playoffs with Montreal.

More from around the league:

  • Devils prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin underwent successful shoulder surgery and should be ready to play next season, relays Corey Masisak of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 19-year-old was the 20th pick back in October and had a regular role with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL while notching 10 points in 39 games.  He has one more year left on his deal overseas with Masisak adding that New Jersey expects to sign the defenseman at the conclusion of his 2021-22 campaign.
  • Sabres associate GM Jason Karmanos had high praise for prospect J.J. Peterka, telling Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald that had Pittsburgh (where he worked previously) been able to secure a first-rounder last fall, they’d have picked Peterka with that selection. Buffalo wound up nabbing him early in the second round and the 19-year-old had a strong season split between Munchen in Germany and Salzburg in Austria while being dominant at the World Juniors with ten points in five games.
  • After being cancelled due to the pandemic, Corey Pronman of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Hlinka Gretzky Cup could still happen this summer somewhere in Europe, albeit without Canada’s participation. The under-18 tournament is typically the first event on the calendar for draft-eligible prospects and typically features eight countries.

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