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Minor Transactions: 06/20/21

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While the NHL rumor mill has certainly been heating up of late, it may still be some time before major moves start to drop and calendar draws closer to the Expansion Draft, Entry Draft, and opening of free agency. In the meantime, there has still been a fairly consistent flow of minor moves out of the minor leagues and European ranks as the off-season has started early for some familiar names. Keep up with all of those transactions right here:

  • A 2021 NHL Draft prospect has cemented his development path. Finnish defenseman Jimi Suomi, who many rankings believe could go as early as the third round next month, will likely be considered a project player anyway. That project will be monitored from afar, as Suomi has decided to stay in Finland. Liiga club TPS has announced a three-year contract with the young blue liner, who spent this past season with the U-20 team for Jokerit. The move is significant, as Suomi had been drafted into the USHL and was on NCAA radars. Instead, he will go the pro route and try to crack TPS’ Liiga roster next season.
  • Another name staying in Europe, perhaps also to the surprise of some, is veteran forward Nick Shore. Shore, 28, has signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk, the team announced. The younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes forward Drew Shore and older brother of Harvard forward Baker Shore, Nick is a veteran of nearly 300 NHL games. However, he played this past season in Europe, starting the year in Slovakia and then jumping to Switzerland when the NLA re-opened. He recorded 37 points in 27 games across the two leagues, one of the better offensive seasons of his pro career. It is unclear if Shore spent the year in Europe due to financial and convenience concerns due to the COVID pandemic or if there was simply no NHL interest. He has played in 63 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets the season prior, so it at least seemed as if he was still valued in North America. However, his early decision to sign in the KHL rather than test the NHL market could be indicative to the contrary.
  • T.J. Brennan is another NHL veteran staying overseas. The journeyman defenseman left for Switzerland this season after four consecutive seasons in the AHL without any NHL action. He found success with HC Thurgau, recording 24 points in 22 games and leading the team to the playoffs. He will try again next season in Austria, signing a one-year contract with EC Salzburg of the IceHL. The team’s release notes his previous scoring success in the AHL and touts him as a major addition to the roster.
  • Texas Stars free agent Derek Barach is leaving the AHL for Europe. The 26-year-old forward has signed with Liiga club Assat on a two-year deal. A productive college player at Mercyhurst, Barach is still trying to find his footing in the pros after stops with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and the Stats this past season.

Oilers Forward Gaetan Haas Signs In Switzerland

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Edmonton center Gaetan Haas has decided to head back home.  After spending the last two years with the Oilers, EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed Haas to a five-year contract.

The 29-year-old decided to try his hand in North America in 2019 following a pair of strong offensive seasons with SC Bern in Switzerland.  However, while Haas was a capable checker in Edmonton, he didn’t produce much offensively in his first NHL season, notching just five goals and five assists in 58 games.  Still, he did enough to earn a second chance, inking a one-year, $915K one-way contract back in April.

But things didn’t go any better this past season.  While he got to spend some time in Bern where his offensive production returned, it failed to carry over when he returned to Edmonton.  As a result, he managed only two goals and one assist in 34 games in 2020-21 despite averaging over 11 minutes a game in ice time.

While Haas could have returned to the open market and tried his hand at catching on somewhere else, this seems like the wiser course of action for him as he now returns to his hometown team.  In the meantime, the Oilers will be looking for cheap depth to round out their roster and could look to free agency to find a replacement although Ryan McLeod has certainly made a case for a full-time roster spot next season and could slide into Haas’ role to start with an eye on quickly moving up the depth chart.

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.

Devils’ Gilles Senn Signs In Switzerland

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As had been speculated of late, New Jersey Devils goaltender Gilles Senn has decided to take his talents back home to Switzerland. Reportedly upset with his role in the organization this season, playing exclusively with AHL Binghamton, the 25-year-old restricted free agent was rumored to be available to Swiss NLA clubs and a return to long-time club HC Davos was the expected landing spot. Davos has now confirmed those expectations, announcing a new three-year deal with Senn.

While the Devils are not particularly deep in net behind Mackenzie Blackwood, especially with Scott Wedgewood and Aaron Dell heading for the open market, the loss of Senn should not make much of an impact. Although the Swiss standout was an exciting signing for the club in 2019 and even played in two NHL games in his first North American season, Senn has done little to impress with his AHL play over the past two years. He recorded an .899 save percentage and 3.06 GAA in 44 games with Binghamton and won just three of his 17 appearances in a poor 2020-21 campaign. Senn was very unlikely to be in the running for the backup job next season as a result. In fact, there is a chance that New Jersey may not have even extended a qualifying offer his way this summer. Senn’s departure now allows for promising prospects Akira Schmid and Nico Daws to potentially battle for AHL appearances right away as they are expected to turn pro for this coming season.

As for Senn, his new contract may keep him with Davos through the 2023-24 season, but it doesn’t completely rule out an NHL return down the road. At 28 years old when his deal expires and already possessing some North American experience, Senn could remain an intriguing option. However, teams have now seen him play in the AHL and NHL and some of the mystery is gone. Senn will have to play very well in Switzerland over the next few years if he wants a realistic chance at seeing NHL action again in his career.

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.

Central Notes: Jones, Brome, Panthers

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The 2019 offseason was a tough one for Columbus who saw several of their top veterans head elsewhere in Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky (among others as well).  Defenseman Seth Jones is a year away from being able to do the same but GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that they won’t be allowing Jones to walk away for nothing, citing that he doesn’t see the team being in the same situation next season as they were back in 2019 when they pushed their chips to the table and had a star player who many expected to go to New York as Panarin eventually did.  For now, the focus will remain on working on a long-term extension for the 26-year-old who averaged more than 25 minutes a game for the third straight season.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Earlier this month, Red Wings winger Mathias Brome told Svenskafans’ Andreas Lundskog that he was open to returning overseas but wasn’t going to limit himself to going back to his native Sweden. It appears he’s zeroing in on the Swiss NLA as Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros and Hans Abrahamsson report that Brome is expected to join Davos.  It was a disappointing first season in North America for the 26-year-old who managed just a goal and an assist in 26 games with Detroit this season despite logging a respectable 13:39 per night.  Brome is set to become a restricted free agent this summer but as he’s a year away from UFA eligibility based on his age, there’s a good chance he’ll be non-tendered if a deal overseas is finalized.
  • Despite missing two of the last three games due to an upper-body injury, Florida center Sam Bennett is available for the series opener against Tampa Bay, notes Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team site. The 24-year-old made an immediate impact after being acquired from Calgary at the trade deadline, picking up six goals and nine assists in just ten games, beating his output with the Flames despite playing in 28 games more with Calgary.  Meanwhile, Olive also relayed (Twitter link) that winger Patric Hornqvist is ready to return after missing the final seven games of the regular season with an upper-body injury of his own.

International Notes: Schneider, Pettersen, Dichow

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With Islanders goalie Cory Schneider not playing once this season while clearing waivers, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll look to stay in the NHL or look at options overseas.  If he opts to consider the latter, Lugano of the Swiss NLA could be a landing spot as Watson’s Klaus Zaugg notes that Lugano is pondering making an offer to the 35-year-old for next season.  It’s worth noting that Schneider holds dual citizenship between the United States and Switzerland which could certainly make him an intriguing option for teams in that league where he wouldn’t take an import position.  If Schneider does decide he wants to keep playing and doesn’t anticipate getting an NHL offer, signing in Switzerland – with Lugano or elsewhere – would certainly make some sense.

More from the international hockey world:

  • Calgary winger prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen has joined Norway’s entry for the upcoming World Championships, notes Torie Petersen of the Flames’ team site. The 21-year-old was a sixth-rounder back in 2018 (167th overall) and recently wrapped his first season in North America, putting up a decent six goals and eight assists in 29 games with AHL Stockton.
  • Canadiens prospect Frederik Dichow has signed a one-year deal with Kristianstad in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, per a team announcement. The 21-year-old goaltender was a fifth-round pick of Montreal back in 2019 (139th overall) and was supposed to play with Sudbury of the OHL this season.  Instead, with that league not playing this year, he was limited to six appearances with two teams in Denmark this season and will undoubtedly be looking for more playing time next season.

Minor Transactions: 04/28/21

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The playoff chase is heating up in the NHL, but elsewhere most leagues are winding down. The KHL season came to an end today with Avangard Omsk hoisting their first Gagarin Cup. The SHL, the Swiss NLA, and the German DEL are all down to just four teams apiece following the conclusion of their quarterfinal playoff rounds, while the Finnish Liiga is halfway through their quarterfinals with just six teams still alive. Even the AHL season is coming to a close, with no Calder Cup up for grabs and the regular season schedule over for some North Division teams and ending early next month for all others. As the leagues come to a close and players turn toward the future, it can cause some notable ripples in the NHL market. Here are some of those minor, but meaningful moves:

  • After a dozen pro seasons, former NHL defenseman Victor Bartley has called it a career. The 33-year-old made the announcement in the most subtle way possible, changing his personal Twitter account to description to “retired professional hockey player” following the conclusion of his brief season with Unia Oswiecim in Poland. Bartley has spent the past four season in Europe, two with the KHL’s Kunlund Red Star and another with the SHL’s Orebrok HK. However, he spent the previous six seasons under contract in the NHL. Bartley spent parts of five seasons with the Nashville Predators, including skating in 50 games with the team in 2013-14. He also spent time with the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild, totaling 121 NHL games between the three clubs.
  • The Boston Bruins won’t be reuniting with Linus Arnesson next season. The 26-year-old defenseman, a 2013 second-round pick, recently became a free agent at the conclusion of his SHL season. A solid stay-at-home defender who played well in a few AHL seasons, there was some belief that Arnesson might look at an NHL return following several strong seasons overseas. However, he has decided to stay at home in Sweden rather than try his luck again in North America, at least for one more year. Djurgardens IF, the program that Arnesson played his developmental hockey with, has welcomed their product home on a one-year deal, the team announced. Perhaps Arnesson will try to re-connect with the Bruins next summer, but his value seemingly decreases with each passing year.
  • The Ottawa Senators are hoping that they can finally bring over one of their own second-round picks, 2017 selection Marcus Davidsson. The 22-year-old two-way forward has had somewhat of an up-and-down stretch over the past few years in the Swedish ranks, with 2020-21 as more of a low point, but was once a highly-regarded prospect and has shown flashes of NHL ability. Davidsson finished the season on a strong note though, joining Sodertalje SK of the Allsvenskan for 14 games and recording 8 points and a +5 rating along the way. However, the team announced today that Davidsson will not be remaining with Sodertalje moving forward. This frees Davidsson up to make the jump to North America if he chooses, perhaps getting back on his development track with some time in the AHL for the Senators. Ottawa risks never getting anything out of the high pick if he remains in Sweden and keeps bouncing around and not taking the next step forward in his career.
  • EHC Munich wrapped up their DEL season recently and today confirmed the departures of a number of player. The list reads as a who’s who of former NHLers, including Derek Roy, Chris Bourque, Andrew Ebbett, and Keith Aulie. None of the four are realistic candidates to return to the NHL at this late point in their respective careers, but could still be off to make a difference elsewhere in Europe and potentially to guide current and future NHL prospects.

Minor Transactions: 03/19/21

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While the NHL trade market is swirling with rumors and the college free agent market has begun to heat up, there has been far more anticipation than actual transactions of late. Yet, in Europe there are teams already looking ahead to next season and players whose current campaigns are coming to an end. The KHL is already through the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, while the SHL, Liiga, NLA, and others are in the stretch run. Keep up with these notable moves and more with today’s minor transactions:

  • After a surprising first-round sweep at the hands of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the off-season has arrived earlier than hoped for perennial KHL contender Jokerit. The Finnish club hasn’t wasted any time with making their intentions for next season known either, quickly re-signing many of their core players who had been on expiring contracts – a group familiar to NHL fans. Jokerit has announced new contracts for four key players: two-year extensions for forward Markus Hannikainen, defenseman Alex Grant, and goaltender Anders Lindback and a one-year deal for forward Henri Ikonen. Hanikainen, 27, just completed his first season in the KHL after spending the past five years with the Columbus Blue Jackets (and briefly the Arizona Coyotes). Lindback, perhaps the most recognizable name, has been in Europe for three years now, but spent eight seasons in North America, totaling 130 NHL games with five different teams. Grant, known more for his status as top defender in the AHL in nearly 500 career games, has spent the past three years with Jokerit since leaving North America. Ikonen, 26, is a former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect who has played in the KHL for the past four years since his entry-level contract expired. With many of Jokerit’s other top players also signed beyond this season, including several more former NHLers, the team will return the bulk of a roster than finished fifth in the KHL’s Western Conference this year and hope that they can take another step forward in 2021-22.
  • The season has also ended abruptly for the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novogord, although not entirely unexpectedly as they were swept in the first round by the powerhouse Ak Bars Kazan, the Eastern Conference regular season champions. With his Russian campaign now over, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled young forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev from his loan, writes Mike Davies of the Peterborough Examiner. Rather than rush SDA back from Russia to play in the AHL right away, the Leafs allowed him to complete his KHL season. The 20-year-old forward recorded six points in 17 games for Torpedo as a part-time player, and did play in all four playoff games but was held off the score sheet. He is now ready to return to more consistent, valued role with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, making his North American pro debut. A former standout with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, SDA is an impressive offensive talent who should be able to make an impact in the minors.
  • Longtime Montreal Canadien David Desharnais is wrapping up his second season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss National League, his third season abroad since leaving the NHL. It’s been his best season in Europe by a wide margin, as Desharnais has recorded 36 points in 39 games and has established himself as a veteran leader for Fribourg-Gotteron, who currently sit in second place in the NLA standings with the postseason approaching. Despite this success and many years of NHL experience, the 34-year-old center does not seem too focused on attempting a return to North America. Instead, he has signed a one-year extension to stay in Switzerland, the club announced. Barring another point-per-game Swiss season next year (and even if then), this likely puts an official end to Desharnais’ NHL career.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/21

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While the NHL season is already past the quarter pole, the AHL is still just getting started and Canadian juniors are still working on a return, while on the other hand the NCAA is headed toward tournament time shortly and European leagues are in the home stretch of the season. With so much variation in seasons, there is no telling what could be happening on any given day. One thing that is certain is that there continue to be notable moves outside the NHL on a daily basis:

  • There is no shortage of demand for Cory Conacher in Switzerland. The veteran NHL forward previously spent the 2015-16 with SC Bern of the Swiss National League before returning to North America. Even before last season ended, and it was clear that Conacher’s four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning was over, there were reports that Swiss clubs were clamoring to bring him back. Conacher wound up signing with Lausanne HC this off-season, but is on the move again. Conacher has left Lausanne to return to Bern, but this is not simply a rental contract between the 31-year-old and the NLA’s 11th-place team. Instead, Bern has announced a three-year deal, including the remainder of this season, keeping Conacher in the NLA through at least 2022-23. Given the fanfare that Conacher enjoys in Switzerland and a new multi-year contract, it is probably safe to say that we have seen the last of him in the NHL.
  • After negotiating his release from the AHL’s Laval Rocket earlier this week, Sam Vigneault has now signed with the Eispiraten Crimmitschau of the DEL2, Germany’s second-tier league. It is a strange transition for Vigneault, a former Columbus Blue Jackets prospect. Granted he has never been able to rise above the AHL in his pro career, but he has still been a serviceable player in the minors. To drop to the level of the DEL2 is unexpected and, though it is only a contract for the remainder of the season, one has to wonder what the future holds for Vigneault.
  • William Wallinder, the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, is looking ahead to next season with the SHL in his sights. A long-time member of MODO, suiting up for their junior teams and over the past two seasons in the second-tier Allsvenskan, the 18-year-old Wallinder will be a free agent after this season and is looking for a new challenge. After being heavily courted by a number of SHL teams, Swedish news source Kvalls Posten reports that Wallinder has elected to sign with the SHL’s Rogle BK. The two sides have only agreed to terms thus far and nothing official has been disclosed, but expect Wallinder to suit up for Rogle for at least one season if not longer. Should he find success at the top level in Sweden, the Red Wings won’t want to wait too long to bring the big, smooth-skating defender to North America.

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