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Afternoon Notes: Huhtanen, Lyle, Nečas

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have made the signing of forward prospect Niko Huuhtanen official, following reports of the signing yesterday. The three-year, entry-level deal will kick off next year and carries $57.5K in performance bonuses and $92.5K in signing bonuses each season, in addition to its $867.5K cap hit. Huuhtanen is currently playing with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, appearing in two games of the Calder Cup Playoffs but still searching for his first AHL point.

Huuhtanen played through his second full season in Finland’s Liiga this season, recording 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games. Tampa drafted Huuhtanen in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, selecting him out of Finland’s U20 league after he posted 20 goals and 34 points in 37 games. He moved to America in the following season – appearing in 65 games and recording 77 points with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. But his juniors career was short-lived, and Huuhtanen returned back to Finland ahead of last season – posting 17 goals and 30 points in 48 games as a Liiga rookie.

Huuhtanen has scored at every level and served as a staple for Finland’s international teams for the last six seasons. He’s a hefty winger who sacrifices swift feet for strength. He doesn’t lack finesse, though, and knows how to use his strong frame to fight for space and become an option for teammates. From there, Huuhtanen’s shot is strong enough to make him dangerous anywhere in the offensive end. He’ll likely return to the AHL next season, though his strong performances against pro competition in the Liiga could help him rival the Lightning lineup soon.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pending Calgary Flames free agent Brady Lyle has signed with HC Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. Lyle was previously a Group 6 free agent in the NHL, set to become an unrestricted-free agent if Calgary didn’t sign him by July 1st. He’ll now head to Russia, after posting 15 points in 47 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this season. The scoring brought his career point totals up to 51 across 186 AHL games. With Lyle now headed to Russia, Calgary’s only remaining Group 6 free agent is centerman Benjamin Jones.
  • Carolina Hurricanes centerman Martin Nečas is joining Team Czechia for the remainder of the World Championship, reports Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nečas’ NHL season ended with Carolina’s Game 6 defeat on Thursday. He contributed nine points in 11 playoff games – a boost in production after he managed just 53 points during the regular sesaon. This will be the first time that Nečas has played with Team Czechia since the 2019 World Juniors, when he posted four points in five games. He made his World Championship debut in 2018, with five points in seven games.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

Team Finland Announces Final 2024 World Championship Roster

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Team Finland has finalized their roster for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, with the additions of Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen bringing the lineup to a full 23 skaters and three goalies. The lineup isn’t too deep with NHL talent, though it does feature top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Konsta Helenius, who joined the Men’s squad after posting seven points, all assists, in five games at the World U18 Championship. Helenius will have a chance to learn from San Jose Sharks centerman Mikael Granlund – who plays a similar pass-first, high-tempo style. Finland will hope the duo can click, with the support of NHL wingers, as they chase their third gold medal over the last five World Championships.

The full roster is as follows:

F Hannes Björninen (Örebro, SHL)
F Mikael Granlund (Sharks, NHL)
F Konsta Helenius (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Arttu Hyry (Kärpät, Liiga)
F Jere Innala (Frölunda, SHL)
F Juha Jääskä (HIFK, Liiga)
F Pekka Jormakka (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Oliver Kapanen (KalPa, Liiga, Canadiens)
F Saku Mäenalanen (SCL, National League)
F Ahti Oksanen (Oskarshamn, SHL)
F Iiro Pakarinen (HIFK, Liiga)
F Patrik Puistola (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Penguins, NHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (Penguins, NHL)

D Oliwer Kaski (HV71, SHL)
D Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC, National League)
D Olli Määttä (Red Wings, NHL)
D Jesper Mattila (KalPa, Liiga)
D Juuso Riikola (SCL, National League)
D Rasmus Rissanen (Örebro, SHL)
D Vili Saarijärvi (SCL, National League)
D Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Tappara, Liiga)

G Emil Larmi (Växjö, SHL)
G Lassi Lehtinen (MoDo, SHL)
G Harri Säteri (Biel, National League)

The World Championship is set to kick off in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia beginning on May 10. Finland will once again be commanded by head coach Jukka Jalonen set to coach in his 10th World Championship. Jalonen has also manned the Finnish bench at the World Juniors and served as a coach in the KHL and Liiga. He now works with Finland’s Men’s team full-time, building out this year’s roster with general manager Jere Lehtinen. Lehtinen, an 875-game veteran of the NHL and former Stanley Cup winner, has served as the GM for Finland’s men’s team for the last nine seasons.

West Notes: Vilardi, Pietrangelo, Ceci, Strome

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The Jets will welcome a key forward back to their lineup on Saturday against Ottawa as Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun relays that Gabriel Vilardi has been cleared to return.  The 24-year-old has missed the last 15 games due to an enlarged spleen that was diagnosed while treating another injury.  A key part of the return in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade over the summer, Vilardi has been quite impactful when healthy this season, tallying 16 goals and 14 assists in just 38 games.  With Winnipeg losing their last five games, his return will certainly be a welcome one as they look to get back on track and hold onto the third spot in the Central with Nashville closing in quickly.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Golden Knights revealed (Twitter link) that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has joined up with the team on their road trip. The 34-year-old has missed the last six games due to illness, a big blow to their back end.  Pietrangelo has 32 points and 155 blocks in 62 appearances so far this season while logging a little over 24 minutes per night to lead Vegas in that department.  His eventual return – which could be as soon as Saturday – would be a significant addition as the Golden Knights continue to battle for seeding in the Pacific Division.
  • Oilers defenseman Cody Ceci is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Anaheim due to illness, relays Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 30-year-old has played an important role for Edmonton this season, logging just under 20 minutes a night while chipping in with 21 points in 71 games.  If he can’t play, Troy Stecher will likely return to the lineup.
  • The league announced that Ducks forward Ryan Strome was fined the maximum of $5K for a cross-check on Seattle’s Tye Kartye during yesterday’s game. The incident occurred early in the third period with both players receiving penalties on the play, Strome for the cross-check and Kartye for roughing.

Snapshots: Tennyson, Ludwig, Letang, Rielly

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Free agent defenseman Matt Tennyson has been without a contract this season, but he’s found a place to play with a handful of weeks remaining in the campaign. HC Lugano of the Swiss National League announced Wednesday that they’ve signed Tennyson through the end of 2023-24 as they look to bolster their squad for the stretch run.

The 33-year-old spent last season on an AHL deal with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the primary affiliate of the Kraken, and recorded 18 assists and a +20 rating in 71 games (and three assists and a +9 rating in 26 playoff games) as they advanced to the Calder Cup Final. The minor-league mainstay was supposed to play in the Predators organization entering the second season of a two-year, two-way contract, but the deal was mutually terminated in July 2022.

He last appeared in the NHL with Nashville in the 2021-22 season, notching three assists in an eight-game stint. While the right-shot blue-liner has spent most of his professional career in the minors, he does have four goals, 25 assists, 29 points, and a -24 rating in 173 games over parts of nine NHL seasons with the Predators, Hurricanes, Devils, Sabres, and Sharks.

Other news and notes from around the league:

  • The Coyotes have extended and promoted front office staffer David Ludwig to an assistant general manager position under GM Bill Armstrong, the team announced Wednesday. Ludwig, a former player agent, has been with Arizona since 2020 as their director of hockey operations and salary cap compliance. His new role will involve more direct communication with Armstrong, including assisting him “in all aspects of running the Club’s personnel and hockey operations, including salary cap management, contract negotiations, and Collective Bargaining Agreement/legal issues,” the team said. His promotion continues a run of front-office extensions the Coyotes have announced in recent days, mostly involving their scouting department.
  • Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will play against the Panthers on Wednesday after departing Monday’s practice for precautionary reasons, head coach Mike Sullivan said (via Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). The team is down to 18 healthy skaters after placing Noel Acciari and Jansen Harkins on IR with concussions in the last 48 hours and has no salary cap space for a recall from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. As such, the team will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Florida out of necessity to avoid waiving any of their depth defensemen. The 36-year-old Letang has 30 points and a +14 rating in 49 games while averaging 25 minutes in the second season of his six-year, $36.6MM extension.
  • The NHLPA will file an appeal Wednesday on behalf of Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, who was suspended five games on Tuesday for a cross-check to the face of Senators forward Ridly Greig, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports. The appeal for a reduced suspension will go directly to Commissioner Gary Bettman and cannot be forwarded to an independent arbitrator because the initial assessment was less than six games. If Bettman reduces the suspension, but the ruling is not made final until after he’s sat out for five games, Rielly will get a pro-rated salary reimbursed based on the reduction.

Red Wings Loan Jared McIsaac To NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta

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The Red Wings have loaned defense prospect Jared McIsaac to HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League, a release from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, reads. McIsaac, 23, was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2018 and is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, McIsaac was one of Detroit’s most highly-touted prospects. The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenseman put up over a point-per-game with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads in 2018-19 and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 World Juniors, notching a goal and three assists in seven games.

With the NHL and AHL on pause at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Red Wings loaned McIsaac out to HPK in the Finnish Liiga for his first taste of pro hockey in the fall of 2020. He sustained a shoulder injury on his first shift overseas, however, costing him over six months of development time.

That injury put a significant dent in his development, as the high-end transition threat in junior hockey has failed to translate his game to the pros in Grand Rapids. His games played total has steadily decreased from his career-high 70 appearances in 2021-22, and he has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Griffins this season, only playing in 15 games and just two since Christmas.

After nine goals, 52 points, and a -29 rating in 156 outings with Grand Rapids, the Red Wings are giving him a shot at some more minutes overseas down the stretch to see if he can thrive in a professional environment. McIsaac signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $787.5K in the NHL and $70K in the minors last July, although if he doesn’t make an impact during his time in Switzerland, it’s unlikely he’ll receive a qualifying offer.

Ambrì-Piotta hasn’t advanced past the National League playoff qualifiers in five years and looks primed to miss the postseason again, as they currently occupy the second qualifier role as the 10th seed in the league with a 15-19-7-3 record. McIsaac is the only NHL-affiliated player on their active roster, although longtime Coyotes depth forward Laurent Dauphin is among their leading scorers with 28 points in 36 games.

Minor Transactions: 12/20/23

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It’s another busy day across the world of professional hockey, even though there are just three total contests on the NHL schedule. In Europe, big games are set to be played in Czechia, Finland, Slovakia, and more while in North America there are some intriguing contests not just on the NHL schedule but in the AHL as well.

Although the NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze will now stop player movement in the NHL, player transactions are still happening across the wider world of pro hockey. As always, we’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • 2018 New York Islanders second-round pick Bode Wilde has transferred from Slovakia’s HC Banska Bystrica to the EIHL’s Cardiff Devils. Wilde has made the decision to leave his Slovak club after just 21 games there, ending a tenure that began when he signed there in the offseason. Signing with Banska Bystrica marked Wilde’s return to European pro hockey (he spent 2020-21 with HockeyAllsvenskan’s Västerviks IK) and he finishes his time there with nine points in 21 games. The six-foot-three former U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman now heads to Cardiff to join one of the EIHL’s top teams this season.
  • Atro Leppänen, one of the fastest-rising players in Finnish pro hockey, has had an option in his contract exercised by his club Vaasan Sport, meaning he will remain with the club for an additional season. The 25-year-old defenseman was playing in Finland’s fourth tier of hockey as recently as 2018-19, before eventually becoming the second-tier Mestis’ top-scoring defenseman last season. That earned him a shot in Liiga with Sport, and he has excelled so far in his rookie year. His eight goals and 15 points rank inside the top-15 in league defensive scoring and his 23:07 average time-on-ice per game is currently tied for the fourth-highest in the entire Liiga. He’s undoubtedly been a revelation for Sport and the decision to retain his services for another season was likely an easy one for the club.
  • Veteran forward Jonas Berglund, a veteran of nearly 400 SHL games, has signed a two-year contract extension with his current club Luleå Hockey. Berglund, 33, is now in his seventh consecutive campaign at Luleå, the club he developed at starting as a youth player. Although he’s never been a major offensive contributor, the defensive forward has been a consistent presence in the team’s lineup through a highly successful period in club history. While championship glory has eluded Berglund and Luleå, in Berglund’s most recent stretch the club has reached both the SHL and Champions Hockey League finals as well as an additional SHL and CHL semifinal. The hope will be that within this season and the additional two covered by this extension Berglund and Luleå will be able to finally take home some hardware after getting so close over the past few years.
  • Veteran forward Jonathan Hazen has signed a two-year contract extension with an option for a third year with Swiss National League side HC Ajoie, a club he has represented since 2015-16. Although the former Val d’Or Foreurs and Cincinnati Cyclones star never quite made it past the ECHL in North America, he has become one of the best and most important players in Ajoie’s club history. A member of the Swiss second division when he joined, Ajoie has now been part of the first-tier National League and is in its third season with that status. Hazen, who ranks fourth in all-time scoring for the club, scored a whopping 81 points in 46 games en route to the club’s promotion, and his 33 points in 38 games helped save the club from relegation last season. With 12 goals and 21 points in 23 games this year, Hazen remains Ajoie’s most important offensive player and a key piece in Ajoie’s efforts to avoid relegation once again this season.
  • The ECHL’s Florida Everblades have acquired former Vegas Golden Knights fourth-round pick Slava Demin from the Allen Americans in exchange for future considerations. Demin, 23, is in his rookie professional campaign, having concluded a five-year NCAA career last spring. He suited up for three college hockey programs in that span: Denver, UMass, and Merrimack College. Although he never quite put together an overwhelming offensive season Demin’s size allowed him to be an imposing physical presence at times. He’s scored five points with a -15 rating for the Americans and will now join the blueline group with the Everblades, a team that has surrendered the second-fewest goals in the ECHL. He replaces forward Jake Bricknell on the Everblades’ roster, who was released after just one game.
  • 2018-19 Hobey Baker Award finalist Patrick Newell appears on his way out from his ECHL club the Orlando Solar Bears, potentially ending his comeback to North American hockey after just 14 games played. The 27-year-old former St. Cloud State University star signed his entry-level contract with the New York Rangers after as stellar 47-point senior season. He only managed 13 points in his rookie AHL campaign, though, and by the end of 2020-21 he had played his way out of the AHL. He left for Norway, where he starred for Stjernen Hockey, and then split last season between the ICEHL’s Fehérvár AV19 in Hungary and HockeyAllsvenskan’s Södertälje SK in Sweden, helping the latter club reach the postseason.

This page may be updated throughout the day. 

Minor Transactions: 12/10/23

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In what is a relatively uncommon sight for a Sunday, the NHL’s schedule is brimming with interesting contests to enjoy today. Two of the league’s best teams are set to face each other in a 2014 Stanley Cup Final rematch when the New York Rangers take on the Los Angeles Kings, while out west a heated rivalry is rekindled with the Vegas Golden Knights taking on the San Jose Sharks.

The schedule for overseas hockey today is similarly jam-packed, with contests playing out across most of Europe’s top professional leagues. As always, we’ll keep track of notable player movement from that circuit as well as the North American minor leagues here:

  • Former college hockey star Jordan Kawaguchi has decided to retire from the game after two seasons playing professional hockey in order to pursue a career in business. Once a Hobey Baker Award finalist, Kawaguchi was an extremely impactful player for the University of North Dakota. He captained the team in his final season there and racked up 40 goals and 126 points in 136 career games with the program, taking home a multitude of individual awards. After college, he signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Dallas Stars and began his pro career with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. He scored 23 points in 49 games, but that was not enough for the team to keep him in the American League as he spent the following year in the ECHL. His 52 points in 58 games helped the Idaho Steelheads boast the ECHL’s best regular-season record, but injuries continued to accumulate for the player and he decided to move on from the game.
  • Swiss National League club HC Fribourg-Gottéron has re-signed their all-time leading scorer, Julien Sprunger, for an additional season. It’s hard to overstate the importance of Sprunger to HC Fribourg-Gottéron’s modern history. The 37-year-old has been with the club for almost his entire life, emerging as a star in 2005-06 just as the club had to be saved from bankruptcy. Although he has not brought them their first National League championship, he has won an MVP, led the league in goals twice, and led the team on multiple deep playoff runs. The club’s captain since 2014-15, Sprunger has brought Champions Hockey League play to the team on five occasions, and has represented Switzerland at four IIHF Men’s World Championships as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
  • Norwegian right-shot defenseman Johannes Johannesen has signed a two-year contract with Liiga’s Lahti Pelicans, moving on from the SHL’s Rögle BK after playing just 14 games with the club. The 26-year-old earned a shot with Rögle after an impressive two-year stint with Mora IK in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. He scored 22 points in 49 games helping lead Mora on a respectable promotion push. Johannesen also brings extensive international experience, including from this past year’s IIHF Men’s World Championships in which he served as an alternate captain for Norway and helped the nation achieve a historic upset victory over eventual champions Canada. Pelicans are in need of defensive reinforcement as they have surrendered the second-most goals against in the entire Liiga, so the hope will be that the experienced Johannsen can be the kind of impact addition they sorely need.
  • Ässät Pori alternate captain Tuomas Salmela has signed a one-year contract extension with the club. The six-foot-two left-shot blueliner joined Pori after spending a half-decade in Tampere with Ilves. He has nearly 300 games of experience in Liiga and has also represented his club in the Champions Hockey League on two occasions. Pori has been pleased with Salmela’s “unyielding” style of play in a regular role for the club, so the parties have therefore elected to extend their business relationship for another season. Ässät are currently seventh in the Liiga standings although their defense has been outstanding: they have surrendered the fewest goals in league play of any club.
  • With the EIHL’s Sheffield Steelers set to lose blueliner Sam Jones, who represents England at World Championship events, for at least the next six weeks the club has elected to bring in some external help. The Steelers have signed defenseman Zach Vinnell away from their EIHL rival Glasgow Clan, adding a 25-year-old currently playing his first full season of professional hockey. The native of Cochrane, Alberta played four seasons of college hockey at Merrimack College and Bowling Green State University, and he dipped his toes into the waters of professional hockey at the end of last season. He signed a short-term contract with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel, ultimately skating in 18 combined regular season and playoff contests. He scored a solid 11 points in that span, earning him a shot with Glasgow. He scored five points in 15 games in Scotland before yesterday’s transfer news brought him to Sheffield.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 12/01/23

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Just two NHL games are on the schedule today, although things in overseas and minor professional leagues are notably more busy. Highlights from today’s schedule include a battle between two of the AHL’s better teams in Dustin Wolf’s Calgary Wranglers and Brendan Brisson’s Henderson Silver Knights, as well as a massive game in college hockey with third-ranked University of Denver up against second-ranked North Dakota.

The business of the daily hockey schedule is only matched by the activity on professional hockey’s transaction wire. As always, we’ll keep track of notable moves here.

  • Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward and QMJHL rookie of the year Dmytro Timashov has had his trial contract with the Swiss National League’s HC Ajoie converted into a full one-year deal. Ajoie has picked up their club option for the rest of the year on Timashov’s contract thanks to the Swedish international’s stellar production in his first seven games with the club. Although Timashov hasn’t registered on the scoresheet in back-to-back losses against Lausanne and EV Zug, before that he had scored seven points in just five games. A Calder Cup champion and former 49-point scorer in the AHL, Timashov left the North American pro circuit in 2021-22 to join Brynäs IF in the SHL. His 43 points in 52 games last year were not enough to save Brynäs from relegation, and as a result, he’s transferred to Switzerland where he’ll now spend the rest of the season.
  • Once an NHL third-round pick and then a star forward for Boston College, Logan Hutsko left the North American professional game after just two seasons in the AHL. Now, a report coming out of Sweden from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson indicates that Hutsko could be on his way out from his current club, the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn. It’s been a disastrous season for Oskarshamn, who look to be a genuine relegation candidate. They currently sit at the bottom of the SHL with a 5-16-1 record, their 16 regulation losses five more than the next-worst team. Two key offseason additions, Hutsko and 2023 10th overall pick Dalibor Dvorský have not paid dividends. Dvorský hit the eject button and left for the OHL after just 10 games played, while now it appears Hutsko is back on the market after scoring just seven points in 20 games. Perhaps a new club could be what Hutsko, who scored 38 points as an AHL rookie in 2021-22, needs to set the right first impression in European hockey.
  • 2019 Montreal Canadiens draft pick Frederik Dichow, who was not extended an entry-level contract before his rights expired this past summer, has made the decision to transfer from Frölunda HC to a rival SHL team: HV71 Jönköping. The 22-year-old netminder served as Frölunda’s backup last season and into this year, but could not manage to hit .900 in terms of save percentage. He has fared better outside the SHL, though, such as in HockeyAllsvenskan when he posted a .930 save percentage for Kristianstads IK, in the most recent IIHF Men’s World Championships where he had a .911 save percentage in five games played for his native Denmark, or in the Champions Hockey League where he posted a .917 save percentage last season. Dichow signed a one-year deal with an HV71 team in need of improved goaltending. Former Calgary Flame Joni Ortio has just a .884 save percentage in 19 games played so far this year. Dichow will hope to take the number-one job in HV71’s crease from Ortio, helping a club that currently ranks second-to-last in the SHL in both standings points and goals surrendered avoid relegation.
  • 2017 second-round pick Grant Mismash has left HockeyAllsvenskan’s Ostersunds IK in order to sign with Stjernen Hockey of the EliteHockey Ligaen, the top league of professional hockey in Norway. A U.S. National Team Development Program product, Mismash began his pro career in 2021-22 with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. After scoring just 12 points in his 57-game rookie year, Mismash was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the deal that sent Ryan McDonagh to Nashville. Away from the organization that invested a second-round pick to draft him, Mismash dropped from the AHL to the ECHL in 2022-23, spending 32 games with the Orlando Solar Bears compared to just five with the Syracuse Crunch. Mismash was then non-tendered this past season, and he signed with Ostersunds. He only managed seven points in 16 games for the Swedish side, though, and has now elected to join one of the better clubs in Norwegian hockey.
  • Accomplished Czech netminder Miroslav Svoboda has signed a two-year contract extension with his current club, Liiga’s Vaasan Sport. Once a Nashville Predators prospect, Svoboda would dip his toes into the waters of North American pro hockey in 2018-19, fresh off of a stellar rookie year in the Czech Extraliga in which he posted a .920 save percentage in 47 games as the starter for HC Plzeň. After just 14 ECHL games Svoboda returned to Europe and in 2019-20 re-established himself as a top netminder in his home country. He spent the last two years as a tandem goalie for Plzeň, posting a .920 in 28 games last year. So far this season, Svoboda has just an .893 save percentage for Sport. But seeing as he’s provided improved goaltending from what the club got last year from starter Rasmus Reijola, the club has elected to sign him for two more seasons.
  • Journeyman veteran defenseman Joonas Järvinen has had his original two-month contract with Liiga’s Lukko Rauma converted into a full one-year contract. The six-foot-two left-shot defenseman has played in 15 games for the club, and represented the team in four Champions Hockey League contests. Not much of an offensive defenseman, Järvinen brings a wealth of poise and experience to Lukko’s back line. He’s played pro hockey in Finland, Germany, China, and Wisconsin and has represented Finland at two IIHF Men’s World Championships. With Lukko still seeking glory in the Champions Hockey League, Järvinen’s experience will undoubtedly serve as an asset.

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Minor Transactions: 11/09/23

at CDT | by 1 Comment

It’s a busy night on the NHL schedule with 11 games, including an Original Six matchup featuring two teams off to surprising starts in the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. Overseas, however, there’s some news to focus on, mainly in Switzerland, where a pair of teams have made high-profile moves early Thursday. We’re keeping track of all of today’s notable minor transactions right here:

  • Longtime AHL sniper Martin Frk’s stint with Swiss National League club SC Bern is over after just 11 games despite signing a two-year deal this summer. However, he won’t need to travel very far to find his next opportunity – he’s staying in the NL with SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers on a contract for the remainder of 2023-24, according to a team release. The team has been hit with injuries to their import players, including former NHL forward Brett Connolly, who will miss the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery. That opened up a spot for a non-Swiss-born player, so the Czech goal-scorer will enter the lineup. Frk, 30, had three goals and four assists for seven points with Bern until his tenure with the team ended today.
  • With Frk off the roster, SC Bern has exercised the option of another import player with NHL experience – Finnish winger Joona Luoto, who will remain in Bern through the end of the season after signing a tryout contract in September. Luoto, 26, is currently sidelined with an undisclosed injury but is expected to return to the team in December. He’s off to a strong start this year, recording seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 17 games, leading the team in goals. He made seven NHL appearances with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, failing to register on the scoresheet.
  • Former Florida Panthers forward prospect Henry Bowlby is on his way overseas, signing a contract with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League for the remainder of 2023-24. In doing so, Bowlby terminates the one-year AHL deal he had signed this season with the Colorado Eagles after scoring one goal and three points in seven games. The 26-year-old hasn’t shown the ability to produce much more than an average middle-six AHL forward since turning pro in 2020 and will now try his hand in the European ranks of pro hockey.

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