Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NLA

Edmonton Oilers Loan Gaetan Haas, Evan Bouchard

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers continue to send their young players all over the world, loaning them out to European leagues to get them back on the ice while we wait for the start of the 2020-21 season in North America. Today, they announced that Gaetan Haas and Evan Bouchard will be heading overseas to play for the next few months. Both players are expected to return for training camp.

Haas, 28, will return to SC Bern in the Swiss NLA for the time being, the same club he played two seasons for before coming to Edmonton. A star in the Swiss league, he recorded 38 points in 50 games during the 2018-19 season and won the league championship. In his first taste of North American hockey, Haas didn’t have quite the same offensive impact but still represented a solid depth forward for the Oilers. In 58 games he recorded ten points and in April re-signed for the 2020-21 season. He’ll earn $915K on a one-way deal, whenever the next NHL season gets underway.

Bouchard of course doesn’t come with quite as much NHL experience, given he was only drafted in 2018. The tenth-overall pick played seven games with the Oilers that first season, but has spent the rest of his professional hockey in the minor leagues with the Bakersfield Condors. Bouchard did continue his excellent play in the AHL this season, recording 36 points in 54 games, but it’s not exactly clear when he’ll take that next step and become a full-time member of the Oilers defense. Still just 20, there is plenty of time for Bouchard to develop, which is exactly why it was so imperative that he find a place to play for the next few months. Bouchard will head to Sweden and suit up for Sodertalje SK of the second league.

Daniel Carr Signs In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After failing to see much NHL action over the last couple of years, Predators winger Daniel Carr has decided to change things up for a little bit as HC Lugano of the NLA announced that they’ve signed the pending unrestricted free agent.  The deal runs through November 15th with an option to be extended through the end of December which will be dependent on the NHL 2020-21 calendar.

The 28-year-old signed with Nashville as a free agent last summer following a dominant showing in the AHL that saw him post 30 goals and 41 assists in just 52 games.  He was hoping that would propel him to a regular spot in the lineup for the Predators but that failed to materialize.  Instead, he played just 11 NHL games this season and was in the minors for the rest, tallying 23 goals and 27 assists in 47 games with AHL Milwaukee.

Carr has seen NHL action over each of the last five years, getting into 111 regular season games between Montreal, Vegas, and Nashville.  At a minimum, he should have some interest in free agency from teams looking for a high-end producer in the minors that can play a few minutes here and there in the NHL when injuries arise.

That makes this decision to sign a short-term deal in Switzerland a little more interesting.  A good start in that league could help him secure a one-way contract again and give him a possible leg up in training camp but if he doesn’t start strong or gets injured, it could wind up hurting his chances of getting an NHL deal.  There’s some risk/reward potential at play here and it will be interesting to see if any other pending UFAs decide to try a similar path in the coming days; some leagues have started up already while others will be getting underway shortly so decisions will need to be made quickly.

Oilers Loan Ryan McLeod To EV Zug In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Oilers have found a place to play for one of their more intriguing prospects to stay in playing shape.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve loaned center Ryan McLeod to EV Zug of the NLA in Switzerland for the start of their upcoming season.

McLeod was ranked by some publications as a potential first-round pick in 2018 but he wound up sliding to the second round where he was scooped up by Edmonton at 40th overall.  He wrapped up his junior career the following season and saw some AHL playoff action with Bakersfield in 2019 which gave him a bit of momentum heading into his first full professional season in 2019-20.

The results weren’t quite as strong as McLeod or the Oilers would have hoped, however.  He managed just five goals along with 18 assists in 56 games with the Condors before the pandemic hit, a level of production that was a little low for one of their better prospects coming out of the junior ranks.  He was, however, part of their postseason roster.  Now, McLeod will have an opportunity to see game action in the near future which should help give him a leg up whenever the 2020-21 AHL season gets underway.

Blue Jackets’ Calvin Thurkauf Signs With EV Zug

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Just two months after EV Zug of Switzerland’s NLA publicly lamented that alumnus Calvin Thurkauf was working on an extension with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was unlikely to play for the team again, the narrative has gone in the opposite direction. Zug has announced that Thurkauf has returned to his hometown team and will be ready to start the NLA season.

However, before EVZ fans get too excited or Blue Jackets fans get too worried, it is important to note that Zug’s press release specifically states that Thurkauf is only expected to begin the season in Zug. As an unsigned RFA, Thurkauf could not be loaned overseas like many other NHL prospects and instead needed to sign a contract. However that deal is only valid until Thurkauf signs an NHL or AHL contract for the 2020-21.

Thurkauf, 23, is likely to find work, if not with Columbus then elsewhere in the NHL, after recording 26 points in 53 AHL games this season. He also made his NHL debut, suiting up for three games with the Blue Jackets. A big, physical forward who has proven himself capable in the WHL and AHL, Thurkauf is likely to push for a fourth-line role if he returns to Columbus. Zug fans will simply have to enjoy the homecoming while it lasts.

Prospect Notes: O’Brien, Berni, Patera

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Philadelphia Flyers draft pick Jay O’Brien will fulfill his commitment to Boston University, following a year in the BCHL as he sat out due to transfer rules. O’Brien struggled mightily in his first year of NCAA hockey with Providence College in 2018-19, scoring just five points in 25 games, but will try again after showing exactly why he was a first-round pick in 2018.

The 20-year old forward tied for fourth in BCHL scoring with 66 points in just 46 games, earning himself a first team All-Star selection in the process. While there is still a long way to go for O’Brien before he provides any kind of value for the Flyers, getting back into college hockey (whenever it happens) is a good step.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Tim Berni will be playing in Switzerland for the next few months, after being loaned to the ZSC Lions for the time being. Berni will be allowed to return to North America for NHL training camp in November, though it is extremely unlikely at this point that he would make the Blue Jackets roster. The 20-year old was a sixth-round pick in 2018 but has played the last two full seasons in the NLA, recording 11 points in 45 games this year.
  • Jiri Patera, who only signed his entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights a little over a month ago, will begin the year in the Czech Republic with Motor Ceske Budejovice. The goaltending prospect put up a .921 save percentage for the Brandon Wheat Kings this season and will try to continue his development this season against professionals.

Nico Gross To Play In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

He didn’t sign his entry-level contract, but Nico Gross will still be playing professional hockey this season. The New York Rangers draft pick is headed to Switzerland to play for EV Sug of the NLA following a successful OHL career.

The 20-year old Gross was selected 101st overall in 2018 by the Rangers, but since he was coming out of the CHL they owned his exclusive rights for just two years. In June, those rights expired without the team signing him, giving him a chance to re-enter the draft whenever it is held this fall.

In the meantime, a return to Switzerland makes plenty of sense for a player that is still one of the top Swiss-born prospects in the world, especially given the uncertainty of the 2020-21 AHL season.

A member of the Swiss World Junior squad on three different occasions, Gross was a strong two-way presence for the Oshawa Generals, even wearing an “A” as an alternate captain this season. He recorded 33 points in 53 games, and while that may not put him on an NHL track he’s still a name to keep an eye on moving forward.

Washington Capitals Loan Damien Riat, Tobias Geisser To NLA

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Washington Capitals have found some playing time for a pair of prospects, loaning Damien Riat and Tobias Geisser to the NLA for the 2020-21 season. Riat will play for Geneve-Servette HC, while Geiser will suit up for EV Zug. Both players will continue in Switzerland until NHL training camps open, likely sometime in November.

It’s not like these two will be unfamiliar with the league, as both played in the NLA this season and in the past. Riat spent 2019-20 with Biel HC, scoring 22 points in 36 games, but played three seasons with Geneve-Servette between 2015-2018. The fourth-round pick will have to wait to come over to North America after signing his two-year entry-level contract in March.

Geisser meanwhile has a little different of a story. The 21-year old signed his entry-level deal in 2018 and played the entire 2018-19 season with the Hershey Bears. That’s where he started 2019-20 as well, but he ended up loaned back to Switzerland (EV Zug in particular) after just seven games. Geisser has just a single point in 54 career AHL games, but has always been known more for his play in the defensive end.

Minor Transactions: 07/30/20

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL is back, kicking things off with some exhibition action between rivals. As the hockey world focuses on exhibition games, minor league and European teams continue to build their depth for an upcoming season. As minor signings roll in, we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Petteri Lindbohm has signed on with a new NLA team for the 2020-21 season, inking a deal with EHC Biel. The 26-year old played 40 games for the Blues between 2014-2017 but recorded just three NHL points.
  • 2008 second-round pick Danny Kristo will play for Kunlun Red Star of the KHL this season after spending last year in Switzerland. Picked 56th overall in his draft year by the Montreal Canadiens, Kristo never did make it to the NHL.
  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Roope Laavainen has signed a contract with IPK in the Finnish second league, meaning he won’t be coming to North America this season. The 21-year old fourth-round pick played 40 games in the top league in Finland last season, recording four points.

Minor Transactions: 07/28/20

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL is back, kicking things off with some exhibition action between rivals. As the hockey world focuses on Pittsburgh-Philadelphia, minor league and European teams continue to build their depth for an upcoming season. As minor signings roll in, we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • Swiss journalist Gregory Beaud tweets that Lausanne HC of the NLA will announce two more foreign signings once the NHL season is complete, following their deals with Cory Conacher and Brian Gibbons today. While not confirmed yet, he believes that Mark Barberio of the Colorado Avalanche will be one of those to head to Switzerland next season.
  • NHL draft pick Martins Dzierkals will be returning to Dinamo Riga next season, signing a deal with the KHL team after spending last season in Finland. Dzierkals, 23, was picked 68th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 but never signed and subsequently saw his draft rights traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year.
  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Nathan Todd to a one-year AHL contract, bringing back a player who spent 16 games in their uniform this season. Todd is an elite offensive presence at the ECHL level, but has just one point in 27 career AHL games.

Cory Conacher Signs In NLA

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After failing to make the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff roster, Cory Conacher is taking his talents overseas. The pending unrestricted free agent has signed a three-year contract with Lausanne HC of the Swiss NLA. Conacher is still technically under contract with the Lightning, but won’t be playing with them again this summer.

In fact, he didn’t play much for them this entire season. The 30-year old forward spent almost the whole year in the minor leagues with the Syracuse Crunch, suiting up just four times for Tampa Bay. He did put up 38 points in 44 minor league appearances, using his speed and tenacity to continue to find success in the AHL.

Conacher actually played in the NLA previously, spending the 2015-16 season with SC Bern. He won the league championship that season and was a dominant offensive presence, recording 22 goals and 52 points in just 48 games to lead the team.

At his age, a three-year deal in Europe likely means the end of his NHL journey. In 193 regular season games, Conacher recorded 75 points.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top