- The Senators offered center Chris Kelly a training camp tryout but he declined, reports Postmedia’s Don Brennan. The 36-year-old played in all 82 regular season games last year for Ottawa but he elected to take a PTO with the Oilers instead earlier today. Brennan adds that Ottawa is still looking to bring in a couple of forwards on tryouts for training camp.
Senators Rumors
Minor Transactions: 9/8/17
The last 24 hours has been a busy one in hockey. There continue to be more and more PTO’s as well as a few traditional contract signings as well, both in the NHL, and the following minor league deals:
- The New York Ranger’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, have signed 2016-17 AHL All-Star Joe Whitney to a one-year contract, the team announced. A Boston College alum and former captain of the Eagles, the 29-year-old Whitney has had a fine AHL career and has played an important leadership role for many teams, but has not lived up to the potential many saw in college. Whitney spent the first half of his pro career with the AHL’s Albany Devils, eventually earning an NHL contract with New Jersey and appearing in five games with the team between 2013 and 2015. More recently, he has been more of an AHL gun-for-hire, signing one-year deals with the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche to be a veteran mentor for their young minor leaguers. Whitney was traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Brendan Ranford at the trade deadline this past season to help support the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners down the stretch. However, the Coyotes and seemingly all other AHL teams weren’t interested in a two-way deal for Whitney’s services this season, leading to his AHL deal with the Wolf Pack. Whitney will still be a valuable research in Hartford, bringing leadership and guidance to a locker room with developing young scorers like Ryan Gropp and Adam Tambellini.
- Like Whitney, another former Boston College captain has found AHL employment in Chris Calnan. The big, two-way winger has signed with one of the AHL’s newest teams, the Binghamton Devils, the relocated affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The announcement of the deal by Binghamton received excited recognition from both New Jersey and ECHL-affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. The whole chain of teams hope that Calnan can bring the same character, tenacity, and leadership that he showed at BC to his pro game, regardless of what level he plays at. Calnan, 23, was a 2012 third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, but became a free agent in August after failing to reach terms on an entry-level deal with the team after four years in college. In Binghamton, Calnan will look to show that he has the intangibles to be a reliable bottom-six forward at the NHL level. He may not be his uncle, Jeremy Roenick, but Calnan looks like he may have pro chops.
- Unlike Whitney, a pair of fellow former Coyotes have been unable to lock down even an AHL job this off-season. Branden Troock signed on with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits earlier today, while Henrik Samuelsson came to terms with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads yesterday. Samuelsson, 23, was a first-round pick of the Coyotes back in 2012, but never came close to reaching his potential, beginning with a scoreless three game stint with the ’Yotes in his first pro season in 2014-15 and only going downhill from there. The team ended up trading Samuelsson to the Edmonton Oilers last season for Mitch Moroz, who signed with none other than the Idaho Steelheads this summer. Samuelsson has just 55 points in his three-year AHL career and will have to work if he wants to add to that point total any time soon. Troock, on the other hand, is neither an Arizona draft pick nor an NHL veteran. The 23-year-old was a 5th-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2012 and was traded to the Coyotes this past February alongside the aforementioned and quickly flipped Brandon Ranford for veteran goalie Justin Peters. Arizona did not make any attempts to re-sign Troock, who was a -7 in 20 games with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners to close out the season. Troock is more familiar with the ECHL than Samuelsson, having skated in 28 “AA” games over his three pro seasons.
- A player with similar luck is former San Jose Sharks prospect Patrick McNally. A 2010 fourth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks and a standout at Harvard, the bruising defenseman just couldn’t find any production at the pro level, scoring 18 points in two seasons with the AHL Barracuda. McNally today signed with the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, who ironically play in the former home of the Barracuda, then the Worcester Sharks.
- A pair with better fortunes today was Alex Wideman and Tyler Sikura. The ECHL forwards are now AHL forwards, after inking deals with the Rockford Ice Hogs today, as per a team announcement. Wideman, the younger brother of Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Wideman, is back in the AHL after two full seasons of ECHL playing following a quick stint with his brother on the Binghamton Senators in 2015. The 25-year-old scored 55 points in 70 games last season, the best offensive production of his entire career. Sikura is on an AHL contract for the first time, having only played in the American League on loan after signing with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye out of Dartmouth College in 2015. The former Big Green captain has yet to record an AHL point yet, which will surely be his “goal” when he first hits the ice with Rockford.
- Journeyman goalie Mark Dekanich will be staying stateside this year. He has re-upped with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The 31-year-old Dekanich is a ten-year pro; a 2006 draft pick of the Predators, he made one NHL start in Nashville and many more starts with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, then jumped overseas to the KHL before returning to minor league duty in North America. While Dekanich could end up playing much of the season down in the ECHL, as he has the past two seasons since returning from the KHL, Dekanic’s veteran presence could prove helpful for promising young Flyers goalie prospects Alex Lyon and Carter Hart, especially while Anthony Stolarz remains sidelined. However, between that trio of up-and-coming keepers, the veteran duo of Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth in Philly, and Leland Irving and John Muse also on AHL deals, there may be a few too many goalies in Lehigh Valley and Reading this season.
Injury Updates On Erik Karlsson and Derick Brassard
- There remains no timeline for Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson to resume skating as he continues his recovery from foot surgery back in June, reports Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. At the time of the procedure, the expected recovery time was four months. As a result, his availability for the season opener a month from now against Washington is now in question.
- Another Senators player recovering from offseason surgery is center Derick Brassard, who told Postmedia’s Ken Warren that he feels that his recovery is ahead of schedule. The 29-year-old went under the knife to repair a torn labrum on June 6th with an expected recovery time of four-to-five months. He doesn’t expect team doctors to clear him for contact until at least the four-month mark which makes it unlikely that he’ll play in the opener on October 5th.
Minor Transactions: 9/2/17
With the calendar flipping from August to September, there has been a flurry of activity across hockey. Players who have been holding out for more money or better situations are feeling the pressure of an impending season and finally settling for what they can get. Thomas Vanek is one example, while a plethora of PTO’s in recent days provides another. Outside the NHL, lower tier players are facing the same scenario. Here are some minor moves as evidence:
- Michael Kostka is headed overseas, at least for now. Calgary Flames beat writer Ryan Pike reports that Kostka has agreed to a tryout with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. This is the first time that Kostka has ventured across the pond, as he has made a career out of being a dependable AHL depth option for several NHL teams. A four-year starter and eventual captain for the UMass Minutemen, Kostka signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers out of school in 2008 and and then returned to the Panthers in 2011 after a breakout campaign on an AHL contract in 2010-11. This began a pattern of one-year, two-way contracts for the reliable defenseman. Kostka made his NHL debut in 2012-13, skating in 35 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, then signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and played in nine games with them in 2013-14 and another 19 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning following a mid-season trade. Kostka then played in seven games with the New York Rangers in 2014-15 and 15 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16. All the while, Kostka has provided consistency on offense and defense in the AHL, as well as veteran leadership. However, only last year with the Senators and later the Flames organizations – following the Curtis Lazar trade – did Kostka have his first season since his NHL debut without a game played at the highest level. Now 31 years old, it appears the yearly demand for Kostka as AHL depth has ended and he will now take his talents to Sweden in hopes of playing a major role once again, this time with Skelleftea. Should he fail to make the team or simply wish to return to North America, the veteran blue liner would undoubtedly be welcomed by a number of AHL teams happy to take him on a minor league deal.
- The AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, announced that they have signed defenseman Brandon Anselmini to a one-year deal. The former Ferris State University rearguard played for the AHL’s Texas Stars, the affiliate of Chicago’s Central Division foes, the Dallas Stars, last season. However, Anselmini only skated in ten AHL games, spending the bulk of the campaign with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Although Anselmini performed well in his first pro season at the ECHL level, it’s doubtful that he’s ready for a full-time AHL role. The undersized defender is a good depth option for Rockford, but is likely destined for more time in the ECHL.
- Yet, at least Anselmini found an AHL contract to begin with. A player he could help to replace with the Ice Hogs, Nolan Valleau, has not been so lucky. Valleau, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks out of Bowling Green State University two years ago, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the team this off-season and became an unrestricted free agent. After a 2016-17 season where he played entirely in the AHL, but scored just eight points and played to a -19 rating, there hasn’t been much interest in the 24-year-old in the AHL, nevertheless another NHL team. Instead, Valleau has signed with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the team announced. The Solar Bears’ press release indicated that they are very excited to have Valleau, who could take on a leadership role for the “AA” squad. Perhaps the puck-moving defender could find his way back to the AHL next season and beyond if he makes the most of his time in Orlando.
- Another non-qualified UFA settling for an ECHL deal after being on an NHL contract is Zach Pochiro. Pochiro, a 2013 fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis native, has signed with the Allen Americans, the team confirmed. Unlike Valleau though, Pochiro is extensively familiar with the ECHL. The former Prince George Cougars standout has played in 103 ECHL games since signing with the Blues in 2014. In comparison, he has only skated in five AHL games and of course no NHL games in that span. Even after being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the Nail Yakupov deal last summer, a change of scenery was not enough to change his career trajectory, leading to the Oilers passing on retaining his rights. Perhaps the reality of an ECHL contract will help the once-promising 23-year-old to re-focus.
More to come throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 8/26/17
Just as NHL teams have begun to fill out rosters with affordable deals and tryout offers, such as those yesterday for Drew Stafford (New Jersey) and Jay McClement (Pittsburgh), minor league squads are also trying to get their teams in order with the season set to start in just a little over a month. Here are some recent minor moves:
- The pro game has not been kind to the Rupert twins, but all hope is not lost. Ryan Rupert, a 2012 sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the smaller pieces sent to Ottawa alongside Dion Phaneuf in that massive 2016 exchange, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Senators this off-season and became an unrestricted free agent. After splitting each of his first three pro seasons between the AHL and ECHL, it was unlikely that he would find an NHL contract. However, it was somewhat of a surprise when he and brother Matt Rupert signed ECHL deals with the Indy Fuel back in July. The Rupert twins were both very successful junior players with the OHL’s London Knights, with each wearing the alternate captain “A” for a season and combining for over 400 points during their tenure. After a brief reunion with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in 2014-15, Ryan has amassed 58 points in 149 AHL games and 40 points in 53 ECHL games, while the undrafted Matt has 56 points in 125 ECHL games, as well as a couple AHL games on his resume. The duo seem to at least be worthy of an AHL contract, even if they do spend much of the season in the ECHL. It seems that one team agrees, as the Rockford Ice Hogs have invited the twins to camp on a tryout basis, according to The Sporting News’ Murray Pam. The Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate is set to have some exciting, young players on the roster this season, but could use a couple hard-working minor league veterans like the Ruperts as well. If the tryout doesn’t pan out, the pair will likely return to Indy for the coming season and try to boost their in-season loan value and free agent stock for next summer.
- The San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, announced that they have re-signed defenseman Brian Cooper to a one-year contract. Cooper, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Ducks in 2012, but signed a minor league deal with their affiliate last season after not being offered a pro contract by the team. Cooper played four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha after being drafted, delivering modest offense and a solid defensive game, especially given his 5’10”, 196-lb. stature. The Alaska-native brought the same skill set to the AHL in 2016-17, recording 10 points in 37 regular season games for the Gulls and another pair of clutch points in the postseason, all while playing mistake-free in his own end. Cooper is expected to play a larger role for San Diego next season, as he works towards showing Anaheim that he can indeed be an NHL-caliber player one day.
More to come…
The Oldest NHL Rosters, Looking Forward
The average age of a team is a stat which gets thrown around rarely, but it can be quite telling when it comes to salary cap planning and drafting. The youngest teams tend to have exceptionally talented stars under the age of 25 (Oilers, Blue Jackets), or find themselves out of contention entirely, banking on the rebuilding process (Arizona, Colorado). At the opposite end of the spectrum are the most aged teams, some past their windows of contention and almost all struggling with an identity crisis. However, there are outliers in the group – for instance, Florida is the 5th oldest team at present, while most of the top talent is still in their primes. Still, the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings all have Father Time looming ominously above their franchises. All of these teams could re-structure themselves and find themselves back on the right track, if their drafting improves and their general managers cut loose harmful contracts while able.
Ottawa Senators
The most recently successful of the three, Ottawa fans likely aren’t expecting another Conference Finals finish. The team lost Marc Methot in expansion, and their largest move in the off-season was the signing of 35-year-old Johnny Oduya. With an average age of 29.73, they should be see the effects of age start to impact their performance. Although 36 year-old Craig Anderson was pivotal in their 2016-17 success, he has one year remaining on his contract and Marcus Hogberg will be looking for an opening in the mid-term future. If Anderson’s workload drastically increases, he could find difficulty in maintaining his above average numbers, and that could spell trouble. By re-signing the steady Mike Condon, however, they at least alleviated that concern.
The team had a chance to unload 30 year-old Bobby Ryan to Vegas, but opted against it. They’ll now have his contract on the books until he’s 35. 36 year-old Alex Burrows has two years remaining on his deal, while 32 year-old Clarke MacArthur has three. 32 year-old defenseman Dion Phaneuf has hard mileage on him with his physical style of play, and has four years remaining on his deal. Outside of Colin White, Cody Ceci, and Fredrik Claesson, everyone on the roster is over the age of 25. If Logan Brown pans out, he should go a long way in rejuvenating the forward corps. Filip Chlapik of Charlottestown is certainly no slouch either. On the defensive side, Thomas Chabot has the talent to make a significant impact, but there’s a logjam of older veterans in his way. While Ottawa obviously doesn’t need to entertain a full rebuild, they need to allow their prospects a chance to make the NHL squad and embrace a youth infusion. Signing the Oduyas of the world only prolongs that necessity.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have paid out far too much money to mediocre talent, and it has been death by a thousand papercuts for Ken Holland. The team now finds itself $3.9 MM over the salary ceiling, desperately trying to find a way to shed salary and slip under before year’s start while still signing RFA Andreas Athanasiou. This is another franchise who opted to go with an established veteran on the backend this summer, Trevor Daley (33), when the team was in desperate need of younger legs. The team finds itself second oldest league-wide, with an average age of 29.27. Part of the reason Detroit consistently finds itself among the oldest franchises in the league is that the organization places extreme value on fully maturing its prospects, usually in the AHL, before regularly dressing for the big club. This is a fine ideal, but it usually results in more expensive contracts for RFAs, as the totals posted by well-groomed players are usually superior to those of untested rookies. In the Salary Cap era, having productive players on ELCs is a huge contributor to success.
Henrik Zetterberg, 36, has four more years on his deal, and logs exceptionally taxing minutes. Johan Franzen, 37, is already burning cap space, as his LTIR will be on the books for another 3 seasons. Once the year begins, its not a great issue, but it complicates matters in the off-season. Frans Nielsen, 33, is no spring chicken himself and also takes on greater responsibility in Detroit than he ever did in Long Island. With 5 years remaining on his deal, it begs the question of whether he will be performing at a Selke-caliber when he’s turning 38. Only Xavier Ouellet and Danny DeKeyser are under the age of 30 on defense, with Daley, Mike Green, Niklas Kronwall, and Jonathan Ericsson all having no-trade clauses. The Wings have some enticing prospects on the horizon, but with so many immovable and long-term contracts, it will be difficult for them to find places on the team in the short-term. Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha are both ready for larger roles, but true talents like Michael Rasmussen should get the opportunity to shine in a top-six role. Detroit is in no position to seriously compete, and perhaps it’s time to embrace the necessary partial rebuild. Trading some of the dead-weight contracts would be a solid start.
Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles is only a few years removed from a Stanley Cup win, but it seems like ages past. They have the third-oldest roster on paper at the moment, with an average age of 29.14. The Kings don’t actually have any players over the age of 35, so in that sense, they’ve avoided serious headaches. Marian Gaborik (35) and Mike Cammalleri (35) are the team’s greybeards, and while both had down seasons, they could each realistically rebound under new leadership. The problem for Los Angeles is that they don’t have any bonafide prospects pushing the issue. Adrian Kempe is the surest best to make the roster this year, as he could slot into a bottom-six role quite easily. Defenseman Paul LaDue should see his fair share of work this year as well. Beyond that, they’ll have no players playing on entry-level contracts. It’s simply unsustainable to draft in such a poor manner for so long, and Los Angeles is seeing the hurt now. If Jonny Brodzinski, a former 5th-rounder, could make the leap permanent, it would be a great help.
The Kings are over $6.8 MM under the cap ceiling, so unlike the Wings and Senators the franchise isn’t overly concerned about money. Dustin Brown’s contract is particularly egregious, but there’s not much to be done about it. Los Angeles can still turn things around, but they’ll need more recent draft picks to find a way to contribute going forward. Gabriel Viladri will head back to Windsor for the season, but he could inject a serious shot of youthful speed and creativity into the roster in 2018-19. There’s just not a ton of excitement when it comes to Kings prospects, and considering that Vilardi was the first first-round pick since 2014 (Kempe), it’s easy to see why. Still, Tanner Pearson (25) and Tyler Toffoli (25) should have more prominent offensive roles this year, while some older defensemen were abandoned, so management seems to be righting the ship.
Senators Still Open To Dealing Dion Phaneuf
- Although part of the reason that the Senators were entertaining offers for blueliner Dion Phaneuf prior to expansion was so that they could protect Marc Methot, Ottawa is still open to dealing the veteran defender, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch noted in a radio interview with TSN 1200. Phaneuf still has four years left on his contract with a $7MM cap hit with a no-move clause and Garrioch adds that he doesn’t expect a trade to happen. The Kings had some interest in the 32-year-old earlier in the summer but were asking Ottawa to take an onerous contract (believed to be winger Marian Gaborik) in return.
Bryan Murray Passes Away At Age 74
Long-time NHL coach and executive Bryan Murray has passed away following a long battle with cancer, the Senators announced. Team owner Eugene Melnyk released a statement on Murray’s passing:
“Bryan was one of the greatest men that the game of hockey has ever known and also a great father, mentor and teacher. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Geri, daughters, Heide and Brittany and the entire Murray family on their loss.”
Murray began his coaching career with Washington in the 1981-82 season, compiling a 343-246-83 record over 672 games over parts of nine seasons with the club. He then moved behind the bench of the Red Wings in 1990-91 for three years while also serving as their general manager for four seasons.
Following his time in Detroit, Murray was tagged as the inaugural GM in Florida in 1994, earning NHL Executive of the Year honors in 1996 when the Panthers surprised virtually everyone by making it to the Stanley Cup Final in only their third season of existence. He stayed with Florida until 2000 (while taking on an interim head coaching stint in 1997-98). After that, Murray moved onto Anaheim for three seasons starting in 2001-02, splitting his time once again between coaching (one year) and being the GM (two years).
Murray was most recently known for his time with Ottawa, an organization he joined in 2004 and worked with until today. He had two separate stints as head coach while also serving as GM from 2008 through 2016 before stepping aside due to the cancer. He had been serving as a Senior Advisor with the Senators since then. Back in January, the Senators made Murray the inaugural member of their Ring of Honour. He was also inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Overall, he coached parts of 17 NHL seasons, with his teams going 620-465-131-23 over that span. His teams made 13 playoff appearances (including one Stanley Cup Final) while Murray won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year) in 1983-84.
Everyone here at PHR extends their thoughts and condolences to the Murray family.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Ottawa Senators
Current Cap Hit: $70,187,500 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Thomas Chabot (Three years remaining, $863K)
F Colin White (Two years remaining, $925K)
White signed with the Sens late last season and burned the first year of his ELC in the process although he got into just three games between the regular season and playoffs. As the lone waiver exempt forward on the roster though, he could be a candidate to move back and forth between the NHL and AHL.
Chabot was one of the top junior defencemen in all of the CHL in 2016-17 and many expect him to make the jump to full-time NHL duty, bypassing the AHL altogether. A top-four spot right away would be a tough ask but he should play his way into more minutes as the season progresses.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Craig Anderson ($4.2MM, UFA)
D Mark Borowiecki ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Cody Ceci ($2.8MM, RFA)
D Fredrik Claesson ($650K, RFA)
G Andrew Hammond ($1.35MM, UFA)
D Johnny Oduya ($1MM, UFA)
F Mark Stone ($3.5MM, RFA)
F Kyle Turris ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Chris Wideman ($800K, UFA)
Potential Bonuses
Chabot: $360K
Oduya: $1.25MM
White: $360K
Total: $1.97MM
Ottawa may only have two forwards with expiring deals but both are significant. Turris has established himself as a number one center and with that position constantly being in high demand, he is going to command a significant raise in order to forego testing free agency. If he does make it to the open market, the soon-to-be 28-year-old could come close to doubling his current cap hit. Stone has vaulted from a late-round afterthought in the draft into a legitimate top line winger. His next contract will take him to UFA status one way or the other as he will only be a year away from UFA eligibility next summer. Accordingly, GM Pierre Dorion will likely be looking to sign him long-term which will also require a considerable pay increase.
On the back end, Ceci is easily the most prominent of the group that will need to be addressed. While his offensive game hasn’t progressed quite as they had hoped, he has shown himself to be capable of playing big minutes so he will still be in line for a big raise. If Chabot is ready for a big role quickly though, Ceci could be a candidate to be dealt if they need to free up some budget space to keep their forward group intact. Oduya has a good chance to hit at least some of his bonuses (set in five $250K increments depending on ice time, games played, and making the playoffs) so his final cost should come in above his cap hit as well. Borowiecki, Wideman, and Claesson will all battle for playing time at the back of the lineup and their next deals (or ones for replacements) shouldn’t be considerably higher than they are now.
Between the pipes, Anderson is set to enter his walk year, one that he certainly hopes will be a lot more stable after what his wife went through last season. The free agent market for goaltenders next summer doesn’t have a lot of prominent talent so a strong season from Anderson could help him stand out. However, he’ll also be 37 next summer which could cool his market, something that would be to the benefit of the Sens. Hammond had a year to forget as he lost the backup job and then needed surgery to replace a torn labrum in February, ending his season early. He’s expected to make it through waivers but will still carry a cap charge of $325K at the minor league level.
Expiring NCAA Draft Rights
Will Butcher and Alex Kerfoot have graced many headlines over the last few months, as players who will be heading to free agency next week when their exclusive draft rights expire. Since they finished their senior years without an NHL entry-level contract, they can test the market on August 16th and sign wherever they want.
They’re not the only two, and CapFriendly provides us with a full list of players whose rights will expire next week. Several of the names listed have already signed minor league contracts with various organizations for next year, and will be excluded from the list below. The remaining players are as follows:
Sam Kurker – St. Louis Blues (2nd round, 2012)
Taylor Cammarata – New York Islanders (3rd round, 2013)
Chris Calnan – Chicago Blackhawks (3rd round, 2013)
Rhett Holland – Arizona Coyotes (4th round, 2012)
Zach Nagelvoort – Edmonton Oilers (4th round, 2014)
Will Butcher – Colorado Avalanche (5th round, 2013)
Doyle Somerby – New York Islanders (5th round, 2012)
Dominic Toninato – Toronto Maple Leafs (5th round, 2012)
Evan Campbell – Edmonton Oilers (5th round, 2013)
Connor Clifton – Arizona Coyotes (5th round, 2013)
Teemu Kivihalme – Nashville Predators (5th round, 2013)*
Grant Besse – Anaheim Ducks (5th round, 2013)
Alex Kerfoot – New Jersey Devils (5th round, 2012)
Ben Storm – Colorado Avalanche (6th round, 2013)
Tim Harrison – Calgary Flames (6th round, 2013)
Collin Olson – Carolina Hurricanes (6th round, 2012)
Chris Leblanc – Ottawa Senators (6th round, 2013)
Clifford Watson – San Jose Sharks (6th round, 2012)
James De Haas – Detroit Red Wings (6th round, 2012)
Blaine Byron – Pittsburgh Penguins (6th round, 2013)
Wade Murphy – Nashville Predators (7th round, 2013)
Brendan Collier – Carolina Hurricanes (7th round, 2012)
Jedd Soleway – Arizona Coyotes (7th round, 2013)
Nolan De Jong – Minnesota Wild (7th round, 2013)
*Has signed with Karpat of the Finnish Liiga.
Many of these players spent time in the minor leagues this past spring on amateur tryout contracts, but will become free agents if not signed by end of day on August 15th. That gives teams time to still get them into their system, but in cases like Toninato there may just not be enough room to fit him in on an entry-level contract. Even those on minor league deals will be free agents at the end of their contract, as those do not protect exclusive draft rights.