Training Camp Cuts: 10/05/23
Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.
Calgary Flames (via a team release)
F Lucas Ciona (to Calgary, AHL)
D Yan Kuznetsov (to Calgary, AHL)
D Jeremie Poirier (to Calgary, AHL)
G Dustin Wolf (to Calgary, AHL)
F Connor Zary (to Calgary, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via a team release)
F Brandon Kozun (released from PTO)
F Joel Kiviranta (released from PTO)
F Jason Polin (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via Aaron Portzline/The Athletic)
D Tim Berni (released from PTO)
G Pavel Cajan (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Corson Ceulemans (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Aaron Dell (released from PTO)
D Stanislav Svozil (to Cleveland, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (via a team release)
D Daemon Hunt (to Iowa, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via a team release)
F Mark Jankowski (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via a team release)
G Jeremy Brodeur (to Utica, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via a team release)
F Tyler Boucher (to Belleville, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via a team release)
F Avery Hayes (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Rem Pitlick (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via a team release)
D Connor Carrick (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Luke Henman (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Cameron Hughes (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Kole Lind (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Max McCormick (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Gustav Olofsson (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Ville Petman (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Mitch Reinke (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Jimmy Schuldt (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Peetro Seppala (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Devin Shore (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
G Ales Stezka (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Marian Studenic (to Coachella Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
Winnipeg Jets (via a team release)
F Henri Nikkanen (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Elias Salomonsson (to Skelleftea, SHL)
This page will be updated throughout the day
Edmonton Oilers Sign Brady Stonehouse To Entry-Level Contract
According to a team release, the Edmonton Oilers announce that the organization has come to a three-year, entry-level contract agreement with forward Brady Stonehouse. An undrafted free agent before the contract, Stonehouse had recently spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.
During his first year in Ottawa, at 17 years of age, Stonehouse would go on to have a relatively quiet year as a rookie in the league, scoring 18 goals and 17 assists in 68 games. Managing only four games as an organization in the postseason of the 2021-22 season, Stonehouse would chip in with only one goal.
In his sophomore campaign during the 2022-23 OHL season, Stonehouse would break out as one of the better goal-scorers in the 67’s lineup. Playing a full 68 regular season games once again, Stonehouse tallied a total of 37 goals and 20 assists, leading the entire organization in goal scoring.
A persistent fore-checker on offense, Stonehouse has the capabilities to be quite a nuisance in the Oilers lineup in the future. Having already played one game for Ottawa in the current year, Stonehouse will continue to grow his abilities at the OHL level, before finally making the jump to professional hockey.
Arthur Kaliyev Suspended Four Games
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on social media today that Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev has been suspended for two preseason games and two regular-season games.
This suspension comes after news broke yesterday that Kaliyev would have a disciplinary hearing for his hit on Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo. While an in-person hearing is not confirmation of any suspension to come, it is typically an indication that a player’s action warrants consideration for serious disciplinary action.
That’s exactly what’s come for Kaliyev, who will now have to sit out the Kings’ first two regular-season games assuming he makes their opening-night roster. Kaliyev’s kneeing on De Leo resulted in just a minor penalty at the time for Kaliyev, but knocked De Leo out of the game.
The play in question began when Kaliyev found himself on the wrong end of a hard check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Kaliyev popped up from the hit, accelerated, and attempted to lay a major check in response to De Leo, who was carrying the puck out of the Ducks’ zone. De Leo attempted to avoid Kaliyev’s check, and in response to De Leo’s evasive action Kaliyev extended his knee forward in order to ensure contact with De Leo would be made. The result was hard knee-on-knee contact.
The Department of Player Safety specifically noted Kaliyev’s kneeing did not come as the result of a sudden, unavoidable movement by De Leo, but instead was something Kaliyev could have and should have refrained from attempting. The Department of Player Safety also noted that De Leo suffered an injury on the play and that Kaliyev has been fined once already in his NHL career.
A two-game suspension for the regular season won’t come at a major cost for the Kings, who have quite a few quality scoring forwards already on their roster. But seeing as Kaliyev did manage 13 goals and 28 points in just 56 games last season, respectable production, not having Kaliyev in the lineup will still likely make things a little more difficult for Los Angeles for those two contests.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Injury Updates: Honzek, Klingberg, Järnkrok
The longer 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek sticks with the Calgary Flames through their preseason, the more likely it becomes that he receives, at the very least, a nine-game trial in the NHL to begin the season. Especially after Calgary Flames winger Jakob Pelletier was lost to a long-term injury, there could be room for Honzek in new head coach Ryan Huska’s forward lineup. But now, the possibility of Honzek making Huska’s opening-night lineup could be in question. CapFriendly wrote on X that Honzek “left last night’s game with an undisclosed injury. He’s considered day-to-day.”
This injury could impact Honzek’s ability to earn an NHL job to start the season, and could hasten his return to the Vancouver Giants, Honzek’s WHL side. According to The Province’s Steve Ewen, Vancouver plans on utilizing Honzek as a center this season, so if Calgary does hope for a future in the NHL for Honzek down the middle, the best route, especially after this injury could be to give Honzek a full season in Vancouver.
Other injury updates:
- Toronto Maple Leafs free agent signing John Klingberg hasn’t practiced for Toronto since suffering an injury last week. That absence could end today, though, as The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that Klingberg was skating in Toronto this morning. A return to full health for Klingberg before Toronto’s season-opening game against the Montreal Canadiens next week could be in the cards, which would be good news for the Maple Leafs. Toronto GM Brad Treliving invested $4.15MM of valuable cap space to acquire Klingberg in the hopes that he’d be a capable offensive threat for the team, and that’s only something he’ll be able to do if he’s healthy.
- Another Swedish Maple Leaf is making his own return to the ice: forward Calle Järnkrok. A neck injury has held Järnkrok out of the team’s preseason thus far, but based on Toronto’s listing of him on the roster for their preseason matchup against the Detroit Red Wings today, it appears he’s back and ready to hit the ice for the team once again. Järnkrok is looking to follow up on a strong debut season in Toronto, having scored 20 goals and 39 points in his first season with the Maple Leafs.
Metro Notes: Foerster, Capitals Recalls, Garand
Although 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster had an extremely encouraging 2022-23 season, scoring seven points in eight NHL games and 48 points in 66 AHL contests, he still has had to battle for an NHL job to start 2023-24. His chief opponent for a role on a scoring line in Philadelphia has been widely regarded as 22-year-old former college hockey star Bobby Brink, a high second-round pick of Philadelphia in 2019. Both players have had impressive training camps, but today PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor reports that Foerster may be one step ahead in their competition.
O’Connor writes on X that Foerster is skating on a line at today’s practice alongside Flyers number-one center Sean Couturier and established top-six contributor Joel Farabee, while Brink “looks like an extra.” This could indicate that Foerster is ticketed for top-line NHL duty to start the season while Brink gets sent back to AHL Lehigh Valley, though it’s obviously not a sure thing. Anything can happen still at this stage of the preseason, though this development does suggest that Flyers fans should expect to see Foerster wearing the orange and black on opening night next week.
Some other notes from what is widely expected to be a hotly contested Metropolitan Division:
- The Washington Capitals have recalled three players who had been previously waived and sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears: forward Riley Sutter and Ethen Frank as well as defenseman Chase Priskie. Each player has likely been returned to the Capitals’ roster in order to beef up its lineup for the preseason, and the trio are all unlikely to factor into Washington’s NHL plans for opening night.
- The New York Rangers have sent goaltender Dylan Garand back to the AHL after recalling him just two days ago. While backup goaltender Jonathan Quick has struggled this preseason, the 21-year-old former WHL star is not yet believed to be under legitimate consideration for the backup role behind superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. He’ll begin the year in Hartford, where he’ll look to continue the progress he made late last season into 2023-24, potentially becoming the Wolf Pack’s true number-one goalie over veteran Louis Domingue.
Minor Transactions: 10/05/23
With the start of the NHL regular season now under a week away, the opening-night rosters of many NHL teams are coming more and more into view. That has a trickle-down effect for the rest of pro hockey, as a player finding out he won’t have his PTO made into a full-time NHL deal could prompt that player to sign a contract with an overseas team, for example. This, alongside the ups and downs of early-season hockey in top pro leagues overseas, has prompted quite a bit of player movement and as always we’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Seven years after he was selected fifth overall at the 2016 NHL draft, former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Olli Juolevi has made the decision to return to Europe to continue his professional career. The 25-year-old Helsinki native has signed a short-term contract with the SHL’s Timrå IK, a club off to a strong 4-2 start. The deal is set to last until Liiga’s November break. Juolevi had previously been playing for the Arizona Coyotes on a PTO but failed to earn a full-time contract in Arizona after a few preseason contests. Last season was Juolevi’s first since the year he made his NHL debut that he didn’t skate in a single game at the NHL level, and he ultimately played in 38 games for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 14 points.
- 2022 Arizona Coyotes second-round pick Julian Lutz has made an interesting move for his development, leaving defending DEL champions EHC Red Bull München in order to play USHL hockey for the Green Bay Gamblers. It’s a somewhat unusual move, as traditionally players move from developmental leagues into top professional leagues, not the other way around. But this move is somewhat understandable for Lutz, who has been buried in a depth role on a stacked Munich team. Going to Green Bay will allow the six-foot-two, 185-pound winger to play against his peers, and will give him the opportunity to have a monster season and put up the kind of box score numbers his resume currently sorely lacks.
- Former WHL and AHL star Brendan Ranford has signed a one-year contract with HC Slovan Bratislava, the club he previously represented for the 2020-21 season. Since leaving the AHL for Europe in late 2018, Ranford has become an impactful, top-line scorer in three different European leagues. He’s spent the last two seasons in the DEL, posting 95 points across 95 total games. Slovan are likely signing Ranford with the hope of adding an elite scorer, which is what Ranford was when he last played in Slovakia, as he scored 12 goals and 32 points in just 29 games. The historic club based in Slovakia’s capital have gotten off to a slow 2-3-1 start in this 2023-24 Tipos Extraliga season, so perhaps this move will give the club the spark it needs to resume its place among the country’s elite clubs.
- The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads have signed two forwards just at the start of their pro careers: Nick Nardella and Daniel Hardie. Nardella, 24, signed an ATO with the Cincinnati Cyclones last season at the conclusion of his NCAA career with Michigan Tech. He ended up scoring one assist in four games in Cincinnati before he moved to the Iowa Heartlanders, where he impressed scoring three goals in three games. Now, he’ll head to Idaho alongside Hardie, who hasn’t yet made his pro debut but was once the leading scorer of a QMJHL team, the 2018-19 Charlottetown Islanders.
- Former College hockey star Trevor Mingoia, once an NCAA Champion with Providence College, has had his contract with Liiga’s Kärpät terminated by mutual agreement. This wasn’t the winger’s first go-around in the top division of Finnish hockey, although Mingoia’s time with KooKoo Kouvola from 2019-2021 was notably more successful. Mingoia spent two seasons with KooKoo and scored a total of 27 goals and 64 points in 73 games. Kärpät were likely optimistic they would get that kind of form out of Mingoia after he starred for two seasons in the DEL with the Wolfsburg Grizzlys, helping them to the DEL semifinals last season, but it wasn’t to be and now both parties will look elsewhere moving forward.
- Veteran Swedish forward Robin Alvarez has decided to test himself playing in Finland for the first time in his career, signing a one-year contract with Ilves Tampere of Liiga. The 36-year-old veteran has exclusively played in his native Sweden so far in his career and has logged over 700 career games combined between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan levels. Alvarez brings extensive Champions Hockey League experience to Ilves, having played a total of 31 games in the prestigious European tournament. Ilves currently sit fourth in the Liiga table and are looking to gain ground on their neighbors Tappara Tampere, the defending Liiga and Champions Hockey League winners.
- Defenseman Teemu Suhonen, once a star blueliner for Jukurit Mikkeli in both its Liiga and Mestis days, has signed a one-month contract with a rival Liiga club: Vaasan Sport. The undersized 34-year-old defenseman spent last season with Liiga’s JYP, scoring 15 points in 46 games. Sport said in its announcement of the deal that the club needed to act quickly to respond to an injury to defenseman Carl-Johan Lerby, and their signing of Suhonen should help the team survive Lerby’s absence.
- Slovakia’s HK Nitra have agreed on an early contract termination with forward Patrick Bajkov, a key summer signing of the club. Nitra were likely hoping that Bajkov’s prolific scoring at the ECHL level (he managed 69 points in 71 games for the Reading Royals in 2021-22) would translate to the top level of Slovak pro hockey. That hasn’t happened, though, and Bajkov will now conclude his tenure with Nitra at six games, a run where he failed to register a point and found himself tagged with a minus-seven plus-minus rating. Bajkov last played for Nitra in their October 1st contest, but skated under 2:30 of total ice time as the club fell by a 9-3 score. As Nitra seek a reboot after a catastrophic start to the season, it’s been agreed upon by both parties that ending Bajkov’s contract is the best path forward for each side, especially seeing as a replacement for Bajkov, Stephen Harper, was brought in a few days ago.
- The so far undefeated Cardiff Devils have made an addition to their forward corps, signing power forward Brandon Alderson to an EIHL contract. The six-foot-three, 194-pound veteran has been a point-per-game scorer in the OHL, ECHL, DEL2, and Slovak league, and is coming off of an exceptional campaign playing third-division pro hockey in Germany. Alderson scored a whopping 37 goals and 79 points for the Hannover Scorpions, and Cardiff are likely hoping that his track record of high-scoring numbers can translate to the top division of pro hockey in the United Kingdom.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Morning Notes: Pitlick, Hämeenaho, Jack
New York Rangers forward Tyler Pitlick is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, according to the New York Post’s Mollie Walker. Walker also relays word from Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette saying that Pitlick would be re-evaluated today. Pitlick, 31, was an offseason signing of the Rangers and had been in contention for a fourth-line role while playing on a $787.5k cap hit.
One how this injury might impact the ongoing battle for the Rangers’ fourth-line right winger spot, if at all. Fellow offseason signing Alex Belzile was waived and sent to the AHL despite holding the versatility to play both center and wing and having outscored Pitlick on a point-per-game basis last season, so if Pitlick remains out Belzile could get another chance. But what’s more likely is that Belzile remains in the minors as he’s already cleared waivers, with Pitlick’s job instead for the time being going to prospect Will Cuylle, whose situation we covered in the recent Big Hype Prospects piece.
Now for some other notes from across the hockey world:
- New Jersey Devils prospect Lenni Hämeenaho is off to a blistering hot start in the Finnish Liiga, and EliteProspects’ Lassi Alanen writes on X that Hämeenaho is off to “one of the hottest starts to the season from any 18-year-old in Liiga history.” Playing for Ässät Pori, a quality middle-of-the-pack Liiga team, Hämeenaho has scored eight goals and nine points in just nine games, putting him at a 53-goal pace should he manage to play a full 60-game season. It’s extremely unlikely Hämeenaho will maintain this pace, of course, but what is likely is that Hämeenaho will finish with a far more productive year than the one he had in 2022-23, and it could be the type of season that vaults the 2023 53rd overall pick into top prospect status.
- The ECHL announced yesterday that its Board of Governors had “approved the Transfer of Controlling Interest in the Allen Americans” to “ALA Hockey, LLC, an entity controlled by Myles and LaSonjia Jack.” For fans of the NFL, that name might be familiar as its of former NFL linebacker Myles Jack, once a key cog in a ferocious Jacksonville Jaguars defense. As our friends at Pro Football Rumors covered, Jack retired in August and now appears to be entering sports ownership alongside his mother. According to the ECHL, this purchase is particularly historic as “Jack, and his mother LaSonjia Jack, are the first African-American majority owners in professional hockey history.” Jack is purchasing a quality team in the Americans, as they’re a two-time Kelly Cup winner, they haven’t missed the playoffs in four seasons, and are Texas’ only ECHL franchise.
West Notes: Kaliyev, Sharks, Avalanche, McDonald
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Kings winger Arthur Kaliyev would have a disciplinary hearing today for his kneeing of Anaheim’s Chase De Leo on Tuesday night. He received a minor penalty for kneeing on the play while De Leo did not return. If it’s decided that supplemental discipline is warranted, the league could opt to suspend Kaliyev solely for preseason games, regular season ones, or a combination of both.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Sharks center Mikael Granlund was injured just before training camp began but Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News reports that the veteran appears to be on track to be ready to play in the season opener. The 31-year-old saw his production drop last year, going from 64 points to 41, resulting in him being a salary matcher in the Erik Karlsson trade. With Logan Couture’s availability for the season opener still in question, having Granlund – who can play down the middle – available would certainly help.
- Also from Pashelka’s piece, winger Kevin Labanc could return as soon as Thursday as he works his way back from an upper-body issue that came up last week against Anaheim. The 27-year-old gave San Jose some secondary scoring last season with 15 goals and 18 assists but that’s still not the type of production they’re expecting on a $4.75MM per year deal, one that runs through the end of this season.
- Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that Rantanen should be ready to go for the start of the regular season next week. Meanwhile, center Ben Meyers, who is battling for a fourth-line spot with the Avs, is also listed as day-to-day.
- The Stars announced that they’ve recalled winger Kyle McDonald from AHL Texas. The 21-year-old was cut back on Monday but now will get another opportunity to make an impression on the big club. McDonald had 52 points in 43 games with OHL North Bay last season and this will be his first year at the professional level.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid 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 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on 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: $83,379,047 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Jake Sanderson (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Sanderson: $1.85MM
We’ll get more in depth on Sanderson’s deal later on but this deal has $850K in ‘A’ bonuses, four valued at $212.5K each. He hit all four last year (All-Rookie team, blocks, ATOI, and assists) and while the first one is no longer available, he has a decent chance of maxing them out again or at least coming very close.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
D Erik Brannstrom ($2MM, RFA)
F Parker Kelly ($762.5K, UFA)
F Dominik Kubalik ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($5MM, UFA)
Tarasenko’s market never really materialized as he was hoping for as even after an agent change, the price tag came in lower than expected with just a one-year term. He didn’t repeat his better than a point-per-game effort from 2021-22 but still produced nicely at a top-six level. This contract is certainly fair for a 50-point player with a track record suggesting he’s capable of more. While it has created the crunch they find themselves in, it’s not a bad value agreement. We’ll see if going this route winds up propelling him into a longer-term deal next summer.
Kubalik came over from Detroit as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade. He had a career year last season although he slowed down as the year went on. If he can get a fifth season of at least 15 goals under his belt, he could position himself for at least a small raise on another multi-year deal. Kelly was a serviceable fourth liner last season, showing he can kill penalties and play with some physicality. The offense needs to come around, however, if he wants to move off the minimum salary.
Brannstrom established himself as a regular last season but his offensive game, one that made him a first-round pick by Vegas several years ago, hasn’t come around just yet. Additionally, his playing time dipped by over three and a half minutes per game as he went from a part-time spot in the top four to a full-time spot on the bottom pair. It’s fair to say that the Sens still see some upside in him as evidenced by this contract but another season like this could have him approaching non-tender territory since he’ll be eligible for salary arbitration. Speculatively, this could be a deal they wind up trying to move to open up cap room.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Jakob Chychrun ($4.6MM, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Claude Giroux ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Mark Kastelic ($835K, RFA)
Giroux showed last season that he can still be a top-line player, posting his best showing since the 2018-19 campaign while giving Ottawa a strong return on that first year. He’ll be 37 when his next contract comes due, however, so the expectation will be that he either goes year-to-year at that point or takes a discounted two-year deal as players in his situation often do. Kastelic had a limited role last season but was effective on the fourth line, earning himself his first one-way deal in the process. As is the case with Kelly, he’ll need to show a bit more offensively to get past the $1MM mark (when he’ll also have arbitration rights) in 2025.
Chychrun came over in a late-season trade from Arizona and really helped to stabilize a relatively inexperienced back end. He hasn’t been able to match his 2020-21 breakout showing offensively with the Coyotes and if that holds up, that will hold back his earnings upside somewhat. Despite that, if he can stay healthy, his next deal could push into the $7MM range. Hamonic took a sizable cut compared to his previous contract to stay in Ottawa although that was going to happen no matter where he wound up. He’s effective in a limited role and this price point works for the Senators.
Forsberg took a step back last season with his on-ice performance while dealing with injury issues that limited him to just 28 appearances. Now set as the backup after GM Pierre Dorion turned to free agency to shore up his goaltending, that workload might be closer to his new normal. It’s a tier below the top backups which is around where he should slot in. He’ll need more years like his 2021-22 showing if he wants to get to upper-end backup money.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Mathieu Joseph ($2.95MM, UFA)
F Zack MacEwen ($775K, UFA)
Joseph showed lots of promise down the stretch in 2022 when Ottawa acquired him, resulting in this contract. Unfortunately for them, he struggled mightily last season, scoring just three times in 56 games which is hardly what anyone was expecting. This is the contract that the Sens are believed to be trying to move right now although in this cap environment, that’s much easier said than done. MacEwen accepted a rare three-year, minimum-salary deal this summer, one that guarantees him a one-way deal throughout. He’s projected to be on the fourth line or as a reserve forward if and when they can carry extra players so it’ll be difficult for them not to get a reasonable return.
Minor Transactions: 10/4/23
With play overseas in several leagues already underway and AHL camps just getting going, there continue to be plenty of signings across the hockey world. We run through some of the NHL-related ones here.
- UFA center Nate Schnarr has signed a one-year deal with Pelicans in Finland, per a team release. The 24-year-old started the season in Montreal’s system before being moved at the trade deadline to Los Angeles but was non-tendered this summer after putting up just nine points in 45 AHL contests. He had attended training camp this year with Columbus but was cut late month.
- Another player who was cut by the Blue Jackets in camp is also heading overseas, defenseman Nicolas Meloche. Salavat Yulaev of the KHL announced that they’ve inked the 26-year-old to a one-year deal. Meloche played 50 NHL contests with San Jose in 2021-22 but cleared waivers early in camp last year with Calgary, resulting in him spending all of last season at the AHL level where he had 21 points in 64 games.
- Former NHL blueliner Yohann Auvitu is on the move again as he has inked a one-year deal plus an option with Vitkovice in Czechia, per a club release. The 34-year-old saw time at the NHL level with both Edmonton and New Jersey but has moved around frequently since then, spending time in Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland.
- Kings prospect Kaleb Lawrence is on the move in the OHL as Ottawa announced that they’ve acquired the 20-year-old forward from Owen Sound. Standing 6’7, Lawrence was a seventh-round pick in 2022 (215th overall) after a season in which he played just two games. Last year, he was much healthier, putting up 37 points in 50 games with the Attack. Los Angeles has until June 1, 2024, to sign Lawrence to an entry-level deal so there will be some extra pressure on him as he enters his overage year.
- Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego announced the signing of Ben King to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Ducks in 2022 (107th overall) but has exhausted his WHL eligibility. After putting up 105 points in 2021-22, King’s production dipped to just 35 points in 30 games last season with Red Deer. Anaheim has until June 1, 2024, to ink him to an NHL contract.