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Minor Transactions: 07/20/22

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We’re now a week out from free agency and Nazem Kadri still hasn’t signed. NHL fans are patiently waiting on the decisions of several key free agents, though plenty of other moves are happening around the hockey world. As always at this time of year, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.

  • Jeremy Bracco, a former top prospect of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL after putting up 54 points in 54 games this season in the DEL. The 25-year-old second-round pick has incredible playmaking ability, even leading to a 79-point season in the AHL a few years ago but never did make it to the NHL.
  • He’ll actually be joined by another NHL draft pick, Jesse Graham, who is coming over from a different team in the DEL. The 28-year-old defenseman was a sixth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2012 and last played in the AHL during the 2018-19 season.
  • Another player that will be joining Barys is Kirill Maksimov, whose entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers was terminated last October. The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Oilers in 2017 and played just 53 games at the AHL level before going back home. He’ll be playing this season on loan from CSKA, who own his KHL rights.
  • Fresh off winning the Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades, goaltender Cam Johnson has signed a two-way AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers. The 28-year-old had actually been on an NHL deal the past two seasons in order to provide some emergency depth for the Columbus Blue Jackets but never did enter a game.

More to come…

Ottawa Senators Sign Tomas Hamara To Entry-Level Contract

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Just the second pick outside of the first round from the 2022 NHL Draft has now signed the entry-level contract. Per CapFriendly, the Ottawa Senators did so today with Czech defenseman Tomas Hamara, who they selected in the third round (87th overall). His entry-level deal carries a cap hit of $852K with the following breakdown:

2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $15K performance bonus, $80K minors salary
2023-24: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary

Most public scouts would agree Hamara was a bit of a steal in that range, with most pegging him to go in the mid-to-late second round. Hamara played in a lot of different leagues and tournaments this past year, but he spent most of his time with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, split between their main team and their junior team. He had a strong performance in juniors with 25 points in 32 games, and played in 24 games in the Liiga as well. He also saw some time in the Champions League tournament with Tappara, playing in four games.

In all likelihood, Ottawa will loan Hamara back to Tappara for the next two seasons, as he’s under contract there until 2024. He’s also a more raw prospect, and he likely needs some more conditioning before he’s even ready for AHL ice. Yet, he projects as a well-rounded two-way defenseman who should add nicely to Ottawa’s defensive depth on the left side with players like Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.

Matt Moulson Joins Maple Leafs Front Office, Signaling Retirement

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Longtime NHL and AHL forward Matt Moulson has joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a pro scout, per the team’s website. The move to scouting signals that Moulson has retired from hockey after a 16-year professional career that included 605 NHL games.

Moulson hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017-18 with the Buffalo Sabres, but he’s been floating around the AHL with the Ontario Reign and Hershey Bears since then, maintaining a solid professional career, although falling short of a Calder Cup. A three-time 30-goal scorer, Moulson did his best work with the New York Islanders alongside current Maple Leafs captain John Tavares.

The point production burnt out quickly after turning 30, though, notching no more than 14 goals or 41 points in a season during his four NHL seasons spent in Buffalo after departing the Islanders during the 2013-14 season. Waived and loaned to Ontario in 2017-18, Moulson made a home for himself tutoring youngsters in the minors, aiding both Los Angeles’ and Washington’s development systems along the way.

Moulson finished a strong AHL career with 424 games played, 159 goals, and 350 points, including a trio of seasons spent with the Manchester Monarchs early in his career, back when he was the property of the Kings in the mid-2000s. Now 38, Moulson will make a swift transition to scouting with the Leafs.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Filip Johansson

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The Vancouver Canucks have nabbed one of the more interesting European free agents on the market this offseason. The team today announced the signing of defenseman Filip Johansson, a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms are unavailable at this time.

Drafted 24th overall in 2018 by Minnesota, the now-22-year-old’s development in the SHL had stalled over the past few seasons, leading the Wild to the decision to not offer Johansson an entry-level contract as his exclusive signing rights expired on June 1. The 6′ 1″, 176 lb defenseman’s best hockey came in the 2022 postseason, notching five goals and two assists in just nine games with Frölunda HC.

Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin evidently disagrees with the Wild’s assessment of the player, saying in the team’s release that Johansson “plays a solid defensive game and has shown consistent improvement over the past three seasons.” Allvin also noted that the team will loan Johansson back to Frölunda for the 2022-23 season, meaning Canucks fans won’t get a chance to see their new prospect on North American ice just yet. However, Johansson will attend Canucks development camp next month.

Johansson joins a Canucks prospect pool on defense that lacks much to be truly excited about other than Jack Rathbone and Jett Woo, and he’ll become a giant wild card for the organization. If Johansson can regain his development and reach the defensive ceiling he had when the Wild drafted him, it’ll be a gamble worth taking for the Canucks. If not, Vancouver gave up no assets to obtain the player other than a contract slot. It’s a solid bet from Allvin and the Canucks organization to take a chance on the Swedish defenseman.

Niclas Almari Signs In Finland

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Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Niclas Almari has headed overseas. The 24-year-old defenseman signed a two-year contract with Lukko in Finland, sending him back to his native country for the time being.

Almari just completed the final year of his three-year entry-level contract. If the Penguins issue him a qualifying offer, they will retain his rights and he will remain a restricted free agent on their reserve list. He could theoretically return to the organization when his contract in Finland is done.

The Penguins actually had sent Almari to Lukko on loan for most of last season. Almari spent 13 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, tallying just two points, and he also had four assists in six games with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. He then spent 15 games back with Lukko, recording two assists. He went pointless in seven playoff games there.

A fifth-round pick in 2016, Almari has yet to solidify any role within the Penguins organization. Barring a gigantic jump in his development overseas, it’s likely the end of Almari’s North American career.

Mackenzie MacEachern Sent On AHL Conditioning Stint

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If the St. Louis Blues are able to get past the Minnesota Wild, it appears as though they might be getting another physical option to insert into the lineup at some point. Mackenzie MacEachern has been loaned to the Springfield Thunderbirds on a conditioning stint, after spending the last month on long-term injured reserve.

MacEachern, 28, has played just 14 games for the Blues this season, but could potentially be used as a bottom-six option if other injuries take place. For now, he’ll join a Springfield team that is headed into a playoff series with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tomorrow evening. Given he hasn’t played since suffering an injury in early April, it may take him a little while before he’s able to step into an NHL playoff game–if they decide to do that at all.

The Blues, known for their physical playoff run from a few seasons ago where they beat and battered opponents into submission, are tied 2-2 with the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The two teams are back at it again tonight, with games six and seven scheduled for Thursday and Saturday respectively.

Nashville Predators Recall Philippe Myers

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In an interesting move, the Nashville Predators have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers from the AHL. He’s not coming back from the Milwaukee Admirals though, as Myers had been loaned out to the Toronto Marlies earlier this season. The move appeared to be connected to the Predators’ acquisition of Alex Biega at the deadline, one which cost them nothing more than future considerations. Given that Myers and the Marlies didn’t end up qualifying for the Calder Cup playoffs, however, it makes sense for him to re-join Nashville for the postseason.

Of course, he also could have been sent back to the Admirals, who start their own playoff series on Friday. Perhaps he still will, but for now, he’s with the NHL squad as they prepare for game one tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Myers, 25, was one of the two big pieces acquired in the offseason for Ryan Ellis, along with Nolan Patrick (who was then flipped for Cody Glass). Unfortunately, things didn’t work out in Nashville for the big defenseman, who played a total of 27 games with the club before being sent down. He cleared waivers just before the trade deadline, likely because of the contract that he still carries that comes with a cap hit of $2.55MM through the 2022-23 season.

It wasn’t so long ago that Myers looked like a player who could make that deal a bargain. The undrafted, 6’5″ defenseman was a star with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for two seasons before making his mark as a full-time option for the Philadelphia Flyers. While the multi-year deal was perhaps a bit premature, it still looked like a decent bet on a player who appeared to be a classic late bloomer. Unfortunately, things have gone the opposite direction, and Myers had just four points in those 27 games before his demotion this season.

Now, with a back-loaded contract set to pay him a salary of $3.8MM next season, Myers appeared to be a prime buyout candidate. If the Predators did so, they would actually earn a cap credit of $616,666 next season, before taking a penalty of $633,334 the year after. If the team is giving him a chance to join the group for the playoffs, perhaps he can change that future.

Joe Snively Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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The Washington Capitals could be getting Joe Snively back as a depth option in the next little while, as the injured forward has been sent to the Hershey Bears on an LTIR conditioning loan. Snively is coming back from wrist surgery and will be eligible for the Bears first-round playoff series, should they want to insert him into the lineup.

Of course, while it’s great news for the Bears and their Calder Cup hopes, there is a bigger prize that the Capitals have their eyes on and Snively could potentially help them get there. This is a player that recorded four goals and seven points in his first 12 NHL games, and could potentially step into an offensive role should the Capitals suffer any injuries along the way.

For now, he’ll need to get back up to speed in the AHL. Snively had 38 points in 35 games to start the year with Hershey and should immediately give them another top-line player to help their playoff run. The team had middling success through the second half of the year and ended up going 34-32-10 on the year, good enough for fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

Damien Riat Signs Extension In Switzerland

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It seems as though Damien Riat’s time associated with the Washington Capitals could be coming to an end. The Swiss forward has spent this entire season on loan to Lausanne HC, and today the club announced that he has signed an extension.

Riat, 25, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer when his entry-level contract expired. The Capitals could continue to hold his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, though that would only last until he turns 27 in two years’ time. Given the fact that he already returned to Switzerland after just half a season with the Hershey Bears in 2020-21, it seems more likely that his time in North America is over.

A fourth-round pick of the Capitals in 2016, Riat burst onto the scene with several impressive international performances at the World Juniors, and then was part of the Swiss team that took home a silver medal at the 2018 World Championship. He’s been a strong performer for years in the NL (formerly the NLA), and this season put up 28 points in 35 games for Lausanne.

Last season, after starting the year in Switzerland, Riat came to North America for the first time and registered nine points in 33 games for Hershey. If that turns out to be his only taste of pro hockey on this side of the pond, it will seem like a bit of wasted potential. Perhaps he will revisit the idea in the future, though it is unclear how long this new multi-year contract extends.

William Eklund To Play In Swedish Junior Playoffs

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When the season came to an end recently for Djurgardens SHL squad, many San Jose Sharks fans wondered if William Eklund would be on his way back to North America to play in a handful of games down the stretch. Not so fast, as instead, Eklund is set to join the junior Djurgardens team to help them try and win a U20 championship according to hockeysverige.se.

The squad will take on Rogle in the semi-finals on Saturday, and have a huge boost with the 19-year-old forward joining up. Eklund, who was selected seventh overall by the Sharks in 2021, showed early on that he could likely handle himself at the NHL level right away. In nine games with the Sharks he managed four assists and was arguably the team’s most dynamic offensive presence early on. After those nine games and before the first year of his entry-level contract was burned, San Jose loaned him back to Sweden where things haven’t gone quite as well.

In 29 games with the senior club, Eklund managed to score just a single goal and register 14 points. That’s after tallying 11 goals and 23 points in 40 games at the same level last season, numbers that drove him up draft boards and into the international hockey spotlight.

Notably, if Eklund returned and played even one more game for the Sharks, his contract would kick in, making him a restricted free agent in 2024. If he doesn’t play again for the Sharks this season, that deal will slide forward, buying the team another year of entry-level control. Importantly though that isn’t the case for the AHL; if Eklund joined the San Jose Barracuda for the stretch run, his contract status would not change.

Unfortunately, it’s not like there’s much to play for down on the farm. The Barracuda are in dead last in the entire AHL with a 20-36-5 record and have just seven games remaining in the regular season. Given that the Sharks are also not in a playoff race, giving Eklund the chance to lead his old junior team to a championship seems like the better move, at least in development terms.

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