Minor Transactions: 11/17/20
It’s the dog days of…November? The NHL offseason is moving like molasses these days, with no one-way UFA contracts handed out for the last two weeks. While things may be ramping up again at the end of the month, minor leagues and those in Europe have still continued to finesse their rosters recently. We’ll keep track of the notable moves right here:
- Brandon DeFazio, who played two games for the Vancouver Canucks in 2014-15 and was a standout at the AHL level, has signed with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech professional league. DeFazio has been travelling the world playing hockey in recent years, suiting up in the KHL and Liiga. His numbers dropped off a cliff with Kunlun Red Star last season, but he’ll try his luck again overseas in a new league.
- Cameron Hebig, who was not extended a qualifying offer by the Edmonton Oilers and became an unrestricted free agent, has signed an ECHL contract with the Florida Everblades for 2020-21. Hebig, 23, scored 29 points in his rookie season in the AHL a few years ago but ended up spending half of 2019-20 in the ECHL anyway. The undrafted forward will have to take a big developmental step if he has any hope of making an NHL roster.
- Mads Sogaard, the 37th overall pick in the 2019 draft, has been loaned to Esbjerg Energy in Denmark for the upcoming season. The 19-year-old goaltender had played the last two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL. Joining him is defenseman Mathew Hill of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, a sixth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2019.
- Former Dallas Stars prospect Cole Ully has signed a one-year deal with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, the team announced. Ully returns to the Charleston-based club after playing the whole season with the Stingrays this past year while on an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears. Ully previously played parts of four seasons in the minors for the Stars after being selected in the fifth round in 2013.
- The rumors have been confirmed and top 2021 NHL Draft prospect Brandt Clarke is officially headed to Sweden. Vasby IK of the Allsvenskan announced that Clarke has joined the team, though they do not state definitively whether it is on a loan basis from the OHL’s Barrie Colts or if he has signed on for the full season. Either way, the club did not pull any punches in describing their excitement for Clarke’s arrival (translated):
Sometimes it is easy to use superlatives when describing new acquisitions. But this time, the title super talent is simply the only correct description one can make of the Canadian acquisition… Clarke will probably be the greatest talent in the entire history of Väsby Hockey.
Philip Tomasino Loaned To Team Canada
Philip Tomasino feels he is ready to play in the NHL. But for now, he’ll be suiting up against 46 other top prospects at the Team Canada World Junior Championship selection camp. Tomasino has been loaned to Team Canada today, a move that will happen for many more prospects over the coming hours and days as the young players get ready for a month-long camp that will determine the tournament roster.
Tomasino, 19, was the 24th overall pick in 2019 and is coming off an incredible 100-point season in the OHL. Earlier this summer and before the 2020 draft, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked Tomasino as the 20th-best drafted prospect in the entire league. Wheeler explained that the “result is likely a top of the lineup player and dynamic powerplay option who is equal parts scorer and playmaker.” Not bad for a late-first, but exactly what the Predators need as they look to find a real star to build their forward group around.
That said, even with his excellent season and strong development, Tomasino is not a lock to make the Canadian roster. The forward group that has been invited to camp is incredible, with names like Kirby Dach, Dylan Cozens, Quinton Byfield, and Connor McMichael all expected to take huge roles on the team. This will be Tomasino’s final chance to make the team and a great place for him to show he’s ready for the next step, but he’ll have to battle with some very talented prospects for the limited available spots.
Eetu Tuulola Loaned To Vasterviks IK
November 16: After playing in 11 games with Vasterviks, the player Tuulola had replaced returned from injury, pushing him off the roster. The Flames have found him a new team, loaning the young forward to SaiPa in Finland’s top league until training camps begin in North America. Tuulola had four points in 11 games during his time in Sweden and will try to keep that production going with his new club.
September 22: The Calgary Flames have loaned another prospect overseas, this time sending Eetu Tuulola to Vasterviks IK in the Swedish second league. Tuulola just finished his first season in North American pro hockey, scoring 23 points in 50 games for the Stockton Heat. He’ll be eligible to return to the Flames when NHL training camp opens.
Tuulola, 22, is an interesting prospect after rising from a sixth-round draft selection in 2016. His offensive game has drastically improved since then while maintaining the same work ethic and drive that put him on Calgary’s radar in the first place. Interestingly he already has plenty of experience playing at a high level in Europe, though he won’t be returning to Finland’s Liiga where he spent parts of three seasons before coming to the Heat. Instead he’s headed to the Swedish Allsvenskan where he will try to continue to hone those offensive instincts and polish his overall game.
His older brother, Joni Tuulola a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, also returned to Europe earlier this month when he signed a new deal in Finland. Luckily for the Flames, their Tuulola has two years remaining on his entry-level deal and will have to come back if they want him to compete for an NHL spot.
Jakub Skarek Loaned To Peliitat
The New York Islanders have sent another prospect overseas, this time loaning Jakub Skarek to Peliitat in the Finnish second league. Skarek should be back in time for NHL training camp, if only because the Islanders don’t have any other goaltenders signed.
The 21-year-old join Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin as the only three under NHL deals in the Islanders organization, meaning he would be the default third-string option should anything happen to one of the roster goalies. That’s a lot to ask of a player that has only one professional season under his belt in North America and split time between the AHL and ECHL.
Of course, the Islanders are still expected to sign Cory Schneider at some point, though it is curious why the deal hasn’t happened yet. If they do, Skarek could go back to being a developmental project for the team this season. For now, he’ll get his legs under him back in Finland for the same team he played for in 2018-19. The Czech-born goaltender has a long way to go if he wants to push for an NHL spot, meaning every minute of game action is important.
Golden Knights Loan Ryan Murphy To KHL
It turns out that Ryan Murphy’s time in the KHL hasn’t come to an end after all as Dynamo Minsk announced that they’ve added the defenseman on loan from the Henderson Silver Knights, AHL affiliate of Vegas. The deal is for the duration of the KHL season but Vegas reserves the right to recall him to their farm team at any point before then as well.
The 27-year-old spent last year with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in the KHL after spending most of the 2018-19 season in the minors. Murphy fared relatively well in his first international stint, picking up eight goals and 15 assists in 56 regular season games which was enough to get him another opportunity in North America as he inked a minor league pact with Vegas back in August.
While he’s on an AHL-only deal for the time being, a good showing overseas could help Murphy’s chances of getting converted to an NHL two-way pact. Cap space is going to be an issue for the Golden Knights all season so as long he’s willing to sign for the minimum, it’s possible that he could suit up for them at some point next season and give them an experienced option (he has 175 games of NHL experienced) at a low price.
Snapshots: Next Season, Overseas Prospects, Hajek
Yesterday’s call with the NHL board of governors didn’t result in any sweeping announcements about next season, but insiders around the game have gleaned a bit of information about what was discussed and what is still on the table. Frank Seravalli puts many of those information nuggets into his latest piece for TSN, including the fact that preference now seems to be moving away from hybrid bubbles or “hubs” as commissioner Gary Bettman recently called them, and towards teams playing in their home arenas. Seravalli suggests that regional realignment would be required, but that teams would play a baseball-like series of two or three games to reduce travel.
He also reports that there is “no concept on the table that includes a full-length regular season.” That seemed clear when Bettman publicly spoke about a reduced schedule, something the league was obviously hoping to avoid but is now inevitable. There are no formal proposals on the table yet, but with the January 1 target date getting closer every day, there will need to be a decision at some point in the near future—even if it is just another delay.
- With the hockey offseason moving at a snail’s pace in November, fans have started to scour overseas boxscores to see how their favorite prospects are doing. Mike Shulman of Sportsnet published a piece today going over many of the most interesting names, including several 2021 draft prospects that are still trying to raise their stock. Among the group of already drafted players is Yaroslav Askarov once again, who continues to turn heads every time he hits the ice. Even Shulman sold him a bit short, without updated statistics from the KHL. Askarov returned to the SKA St. Petersburg crease yesterday after dominating at the Kajala Cup and put on another show, stopping 24 of 25 shots in a huge victory over HC Vityaz. Askarov is now toting a .960 save percentage in five KHL games, allowing only five goals on 125 shots.
- Speaking of overseas prospects, the New York Rangers will have another one to keep an eye on as Libor Hajek joins HC Kometa Brno on loan for the time being. Hajek was loaned to Brno originally, then switched to Olomouc, but is now apparently heading back to where he started. The 22-year-old has struggled during his time in the NHL over the last two seasons and will need to take another step in his development before the Rangers can really rely on him as a full-time option.
Snapshots: Ryan, McConnell, O’Connor
In a candid interview with Craig Custance of The Athletic, new Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan spoke about the buyout that ended his time in Ottawa and the free agent process this fall. In one particularly revealing moment, Ryan explains that there was a genuine interest in signing him from around the league, including from some Canadian teams, but that he and his wife decided that because he is getting closer to retirement they wanted to stay south of the border and start setting up their long-term family situation.
Ryan still believes that he has some high-level hockey left to play and told Custance that the opportunity in Detroit was what interested him so much. The Red Wings have plenty of openings in the top-six as they continue their rebuild, giving Ryan a chance to play the scoring role he has always held. The 33-year-old forward has scored 254 goals in his 833-game career, including cracking the 30-goal threshold in four consecutive seasons early in his career.
- The Arizona Coyotes have named Devan McConnell as the team’s high performance director, hiring him to “maximize performance, minimize injury risk, optimize fitness and nutrition levels and execute comprehensive training regiments for all Coyotes and Roadrunners players and club prospects.” McConnell served in a similar role with the New Jersey Devils for part of last season and spent several years with UMass-Lowell.
- Drew O’Connor, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins back in March after his college season ended, was actually loaned to Manglerud in Norway on October 26. He has yet to play, serving out a quarantine first, and will be returned to North America for NHL training camp later this winter. O’Connor will be joined by Blake Christensen, who signed an AHL deal with the Bakersfield Condors for 2020-21 but has also been loaned overseas for now.
Ty Dellandrea Loaned To JYP
Talk about culture shock. Ty Dellandrea has been loaned to JYP Jyväskylä of Finland’s top league until further notice, with the young forward expected to return to Dallas Stars training camp when it gets underway. Dellandrea, 20, has spent the last four seasons playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL, serving as captain since 2018.
The 13th overall pick in 2018, there’s a lot to like about the game Dellandrea brings to the ice. Not only is he talented enough to score in bunches, but his character, leadership, and work ethic are all exceptional. While those things can be said about many players and it’s hard to quantify exactly what they mean on the ice, Dellandrea has continually seen his stock rise directly because of the impact he makes off the ice as well.
At last year’s World Junior tournament he was named an alternate captain for Team Canada and held his own offensively, scoring three goals and five points in seven games. He also managed to get into 11 AHL games at the end of the 2018-19 season, where he scored his first few professional points.
Now old enough to head to the AHL full-time, Dellandrea will first get a taste of international hockey in Finland. At this point, success won’t be a surprise for the young forward, but development is still the goal.
Minor Transactions: 11/11/20
As we wait for tomorrow’s announcement about the upcoming NHL season, minor league and European teams continue to fill out their depth charts. With a few months of offseason still to come, signings and loans will slowly drip out and we’ll try to cover all the important ones. Make sure to refresh this page throughout the day as we keep track of today’s minor moves:
- Graham Knott has signed a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL after he was left unqualified by the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. A second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, Knott’s career hasn’t gone as planned. The 23-year-old 6’4″ forward spent most of the 2019-20 season in the ECHL, playing just 11 games at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Once considered a promising prospect that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky and took home a Memorial Cup, the chances of him ever reaching the NHL are dwindling.
- While Manuel Wiederer was not given a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks, the organization did sign him to an AHL contract for the upcoming season. While he waits for that season to start, he has been loaned back to his hometown team in Deggendorf, Germany where he’ll play in the third-tier until the AHL resumes. Wiederer, 23, scored just 12 points in 35 games for the San Jose Barracuda last season.
- Andrew O’Brien, a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2012, has mutually-terminated his contract with Dinamo Riga of the KHL after just seven games. The 27-year-old dominated the Norwegian league last season, scoring 45 points in 51 games (and recording an incredible 309 penalty minutes) in his first year overseas after several in the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 11/07/20
There have only been four unrestricted free agent signings so far in the month of November, as the NHL market has been stagnant in light of the flat salary cap despite considerable talent still available. However, the impact of delayed season starts continues to result in a number of loans, both at the pro level in Europe and the junior levels in North America. Loans have also begun to displace other players, as a number of notable names are on the move. With some minor moves carrying over from Friday and more expected today, keep track of all of these transactions here:
- 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning second-rounder Jack Finley will get his season started outside of the WHL, but close to home. The Kelowna, BC native has been loaned by his club, the Spokane Chiefs, to the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, the league announced. Finley is one of a large number of western junior players who will get some time in down a level before the WHL opens up next month. A hulking, 6’5″ center, Finley will be a lot to handle for BCHL competition over the next few weeks.
- Goalie Jan Bednar, a recent fourth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, was expected to open up this season with his North American debut with the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Instead, he has been loaned back to his pro club in the Czech Republic, HC Energie Karlovy Vary, for the time being, the team announced. While the Titan have not been one of the Quebec clubs who have lost games due to COVID-19, Bednar still has not joined the team yet this season. After spending the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft on the netminder, Acadie-Bathurst hopes to have Bednar soon and Vary’s announcement implies that he will only play for the team until that point that he decides to finally head overseas.
- Seeking more ice time in the SHL, Carolina Hurricanes’ 2020 second-round selection Noel Gunler has been loaned out for the remainder of the season. Lulea HF announced that Gunler has been loaned to Brynas IF after requesting a move. The team hoped to keep Gunler on the roster, but understood his desire for a greater opportunity. Considered by many to have fallen in the draft, making him a potential steal for the Hurricanes, Gunler is an exciting player to watch who may finally produce at a high level in Sweden now that he has a greater role.
- Also on the move in Europe, although unknown where they will end up at this point, are former NHL defensemen Julian Melchiori and Raman Hrabarenka. The KHL’s Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk has terminated the contracts of both players, the league announced. Hrabarenka had two points in nine games to open up the season, whereas Melchiori had not yet played. With rumors surrounding Neftekhimik and former non-qualified Washington Capitals free agent defenseman Colby Williams, it could be that these departures were made in anticipation of another addition by the team.