Snapshots: Constantine, Jarry, Tulsa Oilers
Kevin Constantine, a former NHL head coach who served as bench boss for the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and New Jersey Devils has been hired as the next head coach of the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild. The 64-year-old American has worked behind the bench of WHL teams before, with a combined eight seasons of experience in the league across two stints with the Everett Silvertips.
Constantine reached the WHL Finals in 2003-04, and since his last stint with the Silvertips ended after 2016-17 he’s had quite the coaching journey. Constantine has coached in South Korea, Poland, and has most recently served as head coach for Fehervar AV19 in the ICEHL and as Hungary’s head coach at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships. Constantine will coach a Wild team stocked with some high-end NHL prospects, including three NHL first-round picks: Matthew Savoie, Conor Geekie, and Zach Benson.
Some other notes from across the hockey world:
- Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry told the media today that he’s feeling “100% right now” in terms of his health. Jarry, 28, recently signed a major five-year, $5.375MM AAV contract extension to remain the Penguins’ number-one netminder for what will likely be the rest of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang‘s playing days. Given the significant investment the Penguins have made in Jarry’s future, his health is of the utmost importance to the entire organization. Jarry has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, so hearing from him that he’s feeling recovered and at his full capacity is encouraging news for the Penguins’ hopes of competing next season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers, extending a developmental and business relationship that began in 2020. While it’s not entirely common to see teams utilize ECHL affiliates to develop premier prospects, the option to develop a player in North America’s third-tier league is still a valuable one to have. The Detroit Red Wings utilized their ECHL affiliate to develop 2021 15th overall pick Sebastian Cossa, and now by extending this affiliation agreement the Ducks have secured their ability to elect a similar path for their own prospects moving forward.
Arizona Coyotes Terminate Alex Galchenyuk’s Contract
July 14: 11:09 a.m.: The Coyotes have completed the termination process, meaning Galchenyuk cleared waivers. The team released a full statement:
We are aware of the incident involving Alex Galchenyuk and strongly condemn this type of behavior. Once the Club was made aware of the allegations, we immediately began the process of terminating his Standard Player’s Contract through the proper channels in conjunction with the National Hockey League. As a result, the Arizona Coyotes today have exercised the team’s right to terminate the contract of Alex Galchenyuk due to a material breach of the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract. The Club will have no further comment at this time.
July 13, 4:40 p.m: The Athletic’s Katie Strang reports that Galchenyuk “was arrested on July 9 on a number of charges including private property hit and run, disorderly conduct, failure to obey, resisting arrest, Threatening or Intimidating.”
Strang also added clarification from Scottsdale Police that the hit-and-run incident was “only property damage and no injuries.”
July 13, 12:25 p.m.: ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports the Coyotes “had discovered an ‘off-ice situation’ impacting Galchenyuk that was previously unknown to the team,” influencing the termination.
July 13, 11:18 a.m.: The Arizona Coyotes are parting ways with forward Alex Galchenyuk after they brought him back to the organization for his third stint just under two weeks ago. The team has placed him on waivers for the purposes of terminating his contract today.
Arizona did not say this is a mutual termination – potentially meaning that Galchenyuk has violated terms set forth in his contract in a manner that is grounds for termination. The team specified they wouldn’t be commenting further, and PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan adds the NHLPA is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Galchenyuk’s termination.
Galchenyuk now lands on waivers, where all 31 teams can claim his one-year, two-way contract for next season for free. He had signed a deal carrying a base salary of $775K, a minors salary of $225K, and a minimum guaranteed salary of $325K with Arizona on July 1. Without any insight into why his contract is being terminated by the Coyotes, though, a claim is unlikely.
The 2012 third-overall pick spent most of last season in the minors with the Colorado Avalanche organization, producing at a point-per-game clip with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He failed to register a point in 11 appearances with the Avalanche after posting 21 points in 60 games with the Coyotes the season before.
Galchenyuk will become an unrestricted free agent again if the termination goes through, permitting him to sign anywhere he chooses inside or outside the NHL.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
There was an expectation of a busy trade market this summer with many teams up against the salary cap and while that hasn’t quite come to fruition, there certainly have been some notable swaps made. Meanwhile, a lower-end free agent market has yielded some different strategies with some players opting for short-term deals in the hopes of landing a better contract down the road.
Our last mailbag came before the draft and was broken into three segments. Among the topics in the first was a look at Linus Ullmark’s possible trade value, the next RFAs to try to force a trade to a desired destination before reaching UFA eligibility, and the goaltending depth in the draft. Included in the second column were Nashville’s roster restructuring, the LTIR ‘loophole’, and if Clayton Keller could be a trade candidate in Arizona. Topics in the third one included Sergei Bobrovsky’s volatility, early playoff predictions, and expansion.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.
Minor Transactions: 07/13/23
While activity on the NHL free agent market has slowed to a crawl, as most notable free agents have found their team for next season, there’s still quite a bit of player movement outside the world’s top league. As always, we’ll keep track of notable transactions made by teams in minor and foreign professional leagues here.
- 2010 Florida Panthers first-round pick Quinton Howden is set to play for Vasterviks IK in HockeyAllsvenskan, according to a report from Expressen’s Johan Svensson. The 31-year-old has had quite the journey since leaving the North American pro circuit for the 2017-18 season. He’s played in Belarus, Russia, Germany, Finland, France, and now returns to Sweden to play there for a second time. He finished last season with Grenoble in France’s Ligue Magnus, managing just three points in 12 playoff games for the club. Now he’ll look to help Vasterviks compete in a highly competitive league full of clubs vying for promotion to the SHL.
- Liam Finlay, an ECHL All-Star as a rookie, has signed a contract extension to remain with the Allen Americans. Finlay, 26, is an undersized forward who has had a successful pro career since leaving the University of Denver. Finlay has been a productive contributor in the DEL2, Slovak league, and Finnish Mestis, and scored 33 goals and 70 points in his 54-game ECHL rookie season. Now, he’ll remain with the Americans and will look to take home a Kelly Cup championship next season.
- The DEL2’s leading scorer, former Toronto Maple Leaf Marcel Muller, has signed a contract with the DEL’s Straubing Tigers. He’ll return to Germany’s top division after scoring 70 points in 50 games for the Krefeld Pinguine in the second division. While he couldn’t lead his club to promotion he himself made his way back to the league where he’s scored 352 points in 541 career games.
- Former Tucson Roadrunner Trevor Cheek has left HockeyAllvenskan after two seasons to join the ICEHL’s Vienna Capitals. The 30-year-old Canadian forward racked up the most penalty minutes in HockeyAllsvenskan in 2021-22 and scored 59 points in 85 games across two seasons. Cheek was a productive player at the ECHL level and now heads to the Austrian capital looking to bring some grit and scoring ability to the ICEHL semifinalists.
- After a productive ECHL rookie season, longtime Ohio State Buckeye Quinn Preston has made the choice to cross the Atlantic and sign with the EIHL’s Belfast Giants. Preston, 25, heads to Northern Ireland after his first full season as a professional. He scored 23 goals and 61 points in just 62 games for the Wichita Thunder, and he brings leadership value having served as an alternate captain for his final two seasons as a Buckeye. He’ll bring those positive qualities to the reigning EIHL champions with the hope of helping them defend their title next season.
- Two-time NCAA Men’s Hockey national champion Louie Roehl has signed a one-year contract extension with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. 2022-23 was Roehl’s first campaign as a professional hockey player, and he got into 60 games for the Nailers and scored 24 points. The five-foot-ten right-shot blueliner was a steady presence on head coach Derek Army’s blueline and his quality play has secured him another year on the squad.
- The ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets have signed two players to one-year ECHL contracts: forwards Parker Saretsky and Kamerin Nault. For Saretsky, 24, this deal is his first professional contract and finalizes where he’ll be beginning his career as a professional hockey player. Saretsky just concluded a four-year NCAA career at Michigan Tech, setting a career-high with 20 points in 39 games as a senior. As for Nault, 27, he’s already got 108 ECHL games under his belt and arrives with the Comets after finishing last season in Scotland with the EIHL’s Fife Flyers.
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Andrew Nielsen has signed with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions. The 65th overall pick at the 2015 NHL draft, Nielsen never quite lived up to the hype he generated after his rookie season in the AHL. The hefty six-foot-four, 230 pound Western Canadian blueliner scored 14 goals and 39 points in 74 games as an AHL rookie, and added 82 penalty minutes on top of that. Although he won a Calder Cup the following season Nielsen has gone from promising young AHLer to ECHLer and AHL call-up option. Nielsen did have a strong season last year with the Utah Grizzlies, though, reaching the ECHL All-Star Game and registering 41 points and 166 PIMs in 47 games. He earned three AHL call-ups and 10 AHL games last season and will look to lead the blueline in Trois-Rivieres next season.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
New York Islanders Name Rick Kowalsky Head Coach Of AHL Affiliate
The New York Islanders have promoted Rick Kowalsky to the role of head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders, their AHL affiliate.
Kowalsky has served as an assistant coach in Bridgeport for the last two seasons, and now with former Bridgeport bench boss Brent Thompson off to the Anaheim Ducks, Kowalsky has been tapped to lead the Islanders’ AHL development efforts.
Kowalsky, 51, has prior experience as a head coach in the AHL. He led the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliate for eight seasons. In that span, Kowalsky’s teams posted a combined 281-249-82 record.
Although he only made the AHL playoffs three times with the Devils and won just one playoff series in eight seasons, Kowalsky’s teams produced some players who would go on to establish themselves in the NHL. Players such as Adam Henrique, Blake Coleman, Mackenzie Blackwood, Kevin Rooney, and Scott Wedgewood each spent time developing under Kowalsky and went on to become legitimate NHLers.
After a difficult 2017-18 season, Kowalsky moved to a role as an assistant coach with the Devils’ NHL squad, and helped shepherd them through some rebuilding seasons. Now, after two seasons spent as an assistant in Bridgeport, Kowalsky will have a second chance to lead an AHL team and will look to deliver NHL talent to Long Island.
The Islanders have some promising prospects set to play in the AHL, such as William Dufour, Ruslan Iskhakov, and Matt Maggio. The hope will be that Kowalsky can help those players develop and build towards NHL readiness.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Olle Lycksell
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed restricted free agent forward Olle Lycksell to a two-year, two-way contract, per a team announcement. The deal is worth $1.575MM and carries an average annual value of $787.5K.
A 2017 sixth-round pick, Lycksell is quickly climbing up the organizational depth chart after a pair of very impressive seasons in other leagues. The 23-year-old Swede posted 45 points in 53 games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season, finishing second on the team in scoring during his first campaign in North America while playing heavy minutes.
It was the season before that where he saw a real breakout, though, finishing off his Swedish pro career (for the time being) with 34 points in 47 games for SHL side Vaxjo Lakers HC while on loan from the Flyers. Now, Lycksell has some financial security for the next two seasons, during which time he’ll attempt to break through into the Flyers’ lineup full-time.
He did make his NHL debut last season, not looking entirely out of place and registering an assist in eight appearances. With some free agent additions (and a healthy Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier) in the fold, however, the chances of him being on the Flyers’ opening night roster are slim.
That being said, he’s set to reprise a top-line role with the Phantoms and continue working toward rounding out his game. With another year of pro hockey under his belt, look for Lycksell to provide some solid value for the Flyers in the second year of this deal.
When his contract expires in 2025, he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
AHL Transactions Ledger: 07/13/23
A busy summer in the minors continues with AHL teams loading up on talent to supplement their players on loan from their NHL parents. We’re keeping a list of today’s moves across the second-best league this side of the Atlantic here:
- The Hartford Wolf Pack have agreed to terms with defenseman Zach Berzolla on a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The move marks his second stint as a member of the Wolf Pack, where he played eight games in 2021-22 and scored one goal. He spent last season mainly with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones while on an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans, finishing second among Cyclones defenders in scoring with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 56 games. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound defenseman is likely destined for ECHL assignment again, heading back to Cincinnati after the Cyclones entered an affiliation agreement with the Wolf Pack and New York Rangers earlier this summer.
- The Rochester Americans signed former Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux to a one-year contract today. The 2018 fifth-round pick made his NHL debut last season, notching an assist in an April 13th overtime loss to the Nashville Predators. After scoring just three goals in 67 AHL games, however, the Wild opted not to issue him a qualifying offer with his contract expiring this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The former captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit still managed 22 points in the minors this season, though, placing him eighth on the Iowa Wild.
- The Rockford IceHogs have signed center Seamus Malone to a one-year, AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Malone, 27, is a former Wisconsin Badger who has spent the last three seasons with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. Malone has scored 97 points in 110 games over the last two seasons and made his first ECHL All-Star game last year. While Malone hasn’t yet had much success at the AHL level (he has eight points in 41 career games in the American League) the IceHogs are hoping Malone’s recent exceptional ECHL performance will translate to the next level.
- The Henderson Silver Knights signed 27-year-old defenseman Peter Tischke to a one-year AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Tischke spent last season with the Rochester Americans, skating in 24 games and notching four points. He’s played 78 career games at the AHL level and has 56 career games in the ECHL, almost entirely from 2019-20, his first campaign as a professional hockey player. The four-year Wisconsin Badger will now compete for a role on new head coach Ryan Craig’s Silver Knights blueline.
- The Milwaukee Admirals have added defenseman Griffin Luce from the Springfield Thunderbirds on a one-year AHL contract. The 25-year-old is a six-foot-three physical presence who played four seasons at the University of Michigan before working his way into the AHL after starting in the East Coast league. Luce only played in 19 games last season but managed 45 games in 2021-22, and he even played in two playoff games as the Thunderbirds made a run to the Calder Cup Finals.
- Former Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Eric Hjorth is reportedly signing a contract with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, according to Uffe Bodin of Hockeysverige. Hjorth, 22, was a fourth-round pick of Columbus at the 2019 draft, and the team allowed their exclusive rights to sign him elapse rather than sign him to an entry-level deal. Hjorth is a six-foot-one right-shot blueliner who has played the last two seasons in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division. The Canadiens could have a relatively crowded AHL blueline due to prospects graduating from junior leagues, so Hjorth could be more likely to play with their ECHL affiliate in Trois-Rivieres than in Laval itself.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Dallas Stars Sign Ty Dellandrea
The Dallas Stars’ most important remaining restricted free agent has a new contract. Today, the team signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a one-year deal worth $900K.
Drafted 13th overall in 2018, Dellandrea’s development has been a slow burn, but he burst onto the scene last season as a full-time player in the strictest sense of the word. One of eight Stars to play in all 82 regular-season games, Dellandrea tallied nine goals and 28 points. Interestingly enough, Dellandrea was not eligible for Calder voting, nor was he considered a rookie – he suited up in 26 games for Dallas two seasons ago in 2020-21, putting him just above the cut-off mark.
Nevertheless, Dellandrea demonstrated high-end two-way upside in a bottom-six role, posting high-end possession numbers and even excelling when used on the penalty kill. Still just 22 years old, there is still plenty of time for his offensive totals to improve. He showed strong scoring flashes in the minors in 2021-22, posting 23 goals and 50 points in 68 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Despite those positive strides, Dellandrea will likely get boxed out of a top-nine role, at least to start next season. The team’s re-signing of Evgenii Dadonov and acquisition of Matt Duchene via free agency gives them one of the best top-nine forward units in the entire league, but it does diminish Dellandrea’s potential for increased ice time. If injuries strike, however, he carries the most upward mobility of any depth forward on the Stars and will get a chance higher up in the lineup.
New York Rangers Sign Ty Emberson
The New York Rangers have negotiated a new contract for one of their more underrated defensive prospects, signing Ty Emberson to a one-year contract extension for 2023-24. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 23-year-old Emberson had a breakout development season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, his first season there after the Rangers acquired him last summer from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for them taking the final two seasons of defenseman Patrik Nemeth‘s contract, which Arizona bought out last month. He posted career-highs across the board, tallying seven goals and 27 points in 69 games, and was also named the best defensive defenseman in the AHL’s Eastern Conference.
He earned those honors by playing consistent top-four minutes for Hartford all season long and finishing second on the team with a +17 rating. Arizona had selected the 6-foot-1 right-shot defender with the 73rd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Wisconsin-born Emberson likely isn’t a candidate to make the Rangers out of camp yet, and might actually slip down the depth chart in Hartford after the Rangers signed Connor Mackey and Mac Hollowell to bolster their AHL depth. That being said, he doesn’t get discussed as much as he should when talking about Rangers prospects, and he’ll look to keep up the strong two-way play in the face of increased internal competition next season.
Emberson will be a restricted free agent again next summer.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Nicolas Beaudin, Lucas Condotta
The Montreal Canadiens have signed a pair of depth players this morning, inking defenseman Nicolas Beaudin to a one-year, two-way contract and forward Lucas Condotta to a two-year, two-way contract.
CapFriendly reports Beaudin’s contract has an NHL salary of $775K, an AHL salary of $90K, and a minimum guaranteed salary of $110K. Condotta’s compensation hasn’t been reported yet.
A 2018 first-round pick, Beaudin found himself in the Canadiens organization this season after they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor-league forward Cameron Hillis just weeks into the campaign. The move has since panned out extremely well for both Beaudin and the Habs.
The 23-year-old defenseman had gone through some troubles adjusting to the pro game while in Chicago, issues undoubtedly exacerbated by the inconsistencies of playing time during the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also got a rather slight frame, standing at just 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds.
But things took off for the left-shot defender with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he scored twice and added 23 assists for 25 points in 39 games after the trade, trouncing last season’s offensive production. He saw some limited minutes at even strength, but he dominated them defensively – per data from Pick224, he was on the ice for just 16 goals at even strength in 42 total AHL games last year. He’s not expected to earn a spot with the Canadiens out of camp, but do look for him to take on an increased role in Laval next year.
The 25-year-old Condotta, meanwhile, made his NHL debut last April against the Boston Bruins, scoring a goal in the process. An undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Condotta scored 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 72 games with the Rocket in his first full pro season in 2022-23. He did so largely in a bottom-six role in the minors, where he’ll likely stick around as some younger and higher-ceiling Canadiens prospects take precedence.
Beaudin will be a restricted free agent again at the end of his deal, while Condotta’s extension walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2025.