Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Akito Hirose
The Vancouver Canucks have announced a two-year contract extension for young defenseman Akito Hirose, a relatively recent signing out of college hockey. The deal carries a $787k cap hit for each year, and is a two-way deal with a $350k AHL salary in 2023-24 and a one-way deal in 2024-25.
Hirose, 24, was signed out of Minnesota State University after a successful three-year stint there. The former top defender in the BCHL scored 68 points in 104 games at the college level and stepped right into the NHL after signing from college.
Hirose got into seven contests for the Canucks and scored three points, averaging nearly 17 and a half minutes per game. He’s more of an offensive defenseman and will likely need a little bit of time in the AHL before he’s ready for full-time NHL duty.
The one-way portion of this contract is an indication that the Canucks are very much believers in Hirose’s NHL potential, and now with his contract secured he’ll head to training camp hoping to compete for an NHL roster spot or secure a premier offensive role in the AHL.
Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Justus Annunen
The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed AHL netminder Justus Annunen to a one-year two-way deal with a $775k cap hit and a $225k minor league salary.
Annunen, 23, took a strong step forward this past season with the Colorado Eagles, improving his save percentage from an .893 in his rookie AHL campaign to a .916 in 41 games this year.
The big six-foot-four goalie was a backup goalie for two seasons with Karpat in the Finnish Liiga before joining the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate. In the AHL Annunen has acclimated himself to a far greater workload than what he received in Finland, and his form this past year is an encouraging sign for his NHL future in Colorado.
Incumbent backup netminder Pavel Francouz is 33 years old and will see his contract expire at the end of next season, so this one-year extension provides Annunen an excellent platform to make a push for an NHL number-two job in Denver.
Calgary Flames Sign Jordan Oesterle
The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Jordan Oesterle to a one-year, $925k AAV deal.
With trade winds blowing heavily around the Flames’ top left-handed defenseman, Noah Hanifin, adding a capable left-hander to the organization is an important step to take to protect the team’s depth in the event Hanifin is dealt.
Oesterle is exactly that, a capable veteran defenseman who has over 300 games of NHL experience. He’s spent the last two years with the Detroit Red Wings, where he’s scored a combined 19 points in 97 games, averaging nearly 17 minutes of ice time per night along the way.
While he won’t be effective if asked to play a minutes-eating role for the Flames, he should be able to capably handle a bottom-pairing role and provide some valuable veteran competition for the Flames’ crop of up-and-coming blueliners.
While it might be a preferred scenario for a young defenseman like Jeremie Poirier to beat out Oesterle for a job, this signing gives the Flames a solid option in case one of their young defensemen disappoints and can’t earn an opening-day job.
Montreal Canadiens Sign Lias Andersson
The Montreal Canadiens have signed 2017 seventh-overall pick Lias Andersson, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The deal is a two-way contract with a $775k cap hit and $450k AHL salary, according to the report. PuckPedia later clarified that while Andersson is guaranteed at least $450K during his deal, his AHL salary is actually $375K.
This contract reunites Andersson with some of the executives responsible for drafting him, namely Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, and two members of the Canadiens’ staff who held high roles with the New York Rangers: Gordie Clark and Nick Bobrov. Andersson, 24, didn’t quite live up to the hype as a Ranger and was ultimately dealt to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2020 second-round pick.
Andersson similarly struggled to make an impact at the NHL level with the Kings, although he has become a premier player at the AHL level. Andersson scored 31 goals and 59 points in 67 games for Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and his hefty AHL salary is likely a reflection of the Canadiens’ belief that Andersson will be a top player for the Laval Rocket.
If Andersson can continue to be a top player at the AHL level for the Canadiens, this will be money well spent, even if he’s unlikely to make much of an impact at the NHL level.
Dallas Stars Sign Gavin Bayreuther
The Dallas Stars have signed Gavin Bayreuther, ending the undrafted blueliner’s three-year stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The contract is a one-year, one-way deal with a $775k cap hit.
The 29-year-old is an undrafted player who actually began his pro career with the Stars organization. He earned an entry-level deal in March 2017 from the Stars, and had a strong rookie season in the American league scoring 32 points in 71 games as the Stars made a run to Game Seven of the Calder Cup Final.
Bayreuther earned his first NHL call-up the year after and while he got into 19 games in Dallas he didn’t do enough to remain in the team’s plans for the following season.
He spent 2019-20 entirely in the AHL before signing in Columbus. The Blue Jackets have given Bayreuther a much longer look in the NHL than what he received in Dallas, and he’s played over 100 contests as a Blue Jacket.
He’s averaged bottom-pairing minutes in that time but did sneak onto the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill this season, averaging just under a minute played short-handed per game. Getting a one-way deal in Dallas is a nice reward for Bayreuther after a season where he played in the most NHL games of his career, and getting that deal from a familiar team is a valuable bonus.
Now Dallas gets a familiar face back to bolster their blueline at the AHL level while also serving as valuable depth for the NHL organization. While he’s unlikely to unseat a veteran like Joel Hanley as Dallas’ seventh defenceman, he’s surely going to end up a premier call-up option for head coach Peter DeBoer should the Stars run into defensive injury issues.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Sign Joe Hicketts
The Los Angeles Kings have added a depth defenseman, signing Joe Hicketts to a one-year, two-way deal. The Kings have made improving their defensive depth a priority in this early stage of free agency, and Hicketts is the third blueliner the team has added in the past two days, joining Andreas Englund and Steven Santini.
Hicketts is a 27-year-old offensive defenseman who lacks size but has grown into an impactful offensive defenseman at the AHL level. While he last played in the NHL in 2019-20, Hicketts is coming off of his best season at the AHL level. He scored 48 points in 72 games for the Iowa Wild, and also wore a letter on his jersey for the first time in his pro career.
A Calder Cup champion as a rookie, Hicketts will likely play an important role on the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He’ll get a chance to quarterback their powerplay and have another strong, productive season that would allow him to push for another NHL call-up.
Day One Free Agent Recap: Atlantic Division
The NHL’s Atlantic Division was one of the busiest yesterday, as each team (minus the Montreal Canadiens) spent quite a bit to improve their clubs. Of all 166 signings made yesterday by teams, the Atlantic Division accounted for 33.73% of that. Of the largest contracts handed out in the division, J.T. Compher‘s $25.5MM contract with the Detroit Red Wings and Joonas Korpisalo‘s $20MM with the Ottawa Senators tops the list.
Boston Bruins
F – Morgan Geekie (2-year, $4MM, $2MM AAV)
F – Luke Toporowski (2-year, $1.9MM, $870K AAV)
F – Patrick Brown (2-year, $1.6MM, $800K AAV)
F – Milan Lucic (1-year, $1.5MM)
D – Kevin Shattenkirk (1-year, $1.05MM)
F – James van Riemsdyk (1-year, $1MM)
F – Jayson Megna (1-year, $775K)
D – Parker Wotherspoon (1-year, $775K)
F – Anthony Richard (1-year, $775K)
Buffalo Sabres
D – Connor Clifton (3-year, $9.99MM, $3.33MM AAV)
D – Erik Johnson (1-year, $3.25MM)
F – Tyson Jost (1-year, $2MM)
F – Justin Richards (1-year, $775K)
G – Devin Cooley (1-year, $775K)
G – Dustin Tokarski (1-year, $775K)
Detroit Red Wings
F – J.T. Compher (5-year, $25.5MM, $5.1MM AAV)
D – Justin Holl (3-year, $10.2MM, $3.4MM AAV)
D – Shayne Gostisbehere (1-year, $4.125MM)
F – Klim Kostin (2-year, $4MM, $2MM AAV)
F – Daniel Sprong (1-year, $2MM)
G – Alex Lyon (2-year, $1.8MM, $900K AAV)
D – Brogan Rafferty (2-year, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
G – James Reimer (1-year, $1.5MM)
D – Gustav Lindstrom (1-year, $950K)
F – Timothy Gettinger (1-year, $775K)
F – Matt Luff (1-year, $775K)
Florida Panthers
D – Niko Mikkola (3-year, $7.5MM, $2.5MM AAV)
D – Oliver Ekman-Larsson (1-year, $2.25MM)
F – Grigori Denisenko (2-year, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
G – Anthony Stolarz (1-year, $1.1MM)
F – Kevin Stenlund (1-year, $1MM)
D – Dmitry Kulikov (1-year, $1MM)
D – Mike Reilly (1-year, $1MM)
D – Lucas Carlsson (1-year, $775K)
C – Alexander True (1-year, $775K)
Montreal Canadiens
D – Brady Keeper (1-year, $775K)
F – Philippe Maillet (1-year, $775K)
Ottawa Senators
G – Joonas Korpisalo (5-year, $20MM, $4MM AAV)
D – Erik Brannstrom (1-year, $2MM)
D – Jacob Bernard-Docker (2-year, $1.61MM, $805K AAV)
F – Rourke Chartier (1-year, $775K)
F – Josh Currie (1-year, $775K)
F – Matthew Highmore (1-year, $775K)
F – Bokondji Imama (1-year, $775K)
Tampa Bay Lightning
F – Conor Sheary (3-year, $6MM, $2MM AAV)
F – Luke Glendening (2-year, $1.6MM, $800K AAV)
F – Josh Archibald (2-year, $1.6MM, $800K AAV)
G – Jonas Johansson (2-year, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
F – Mitchell Chaffee (1-year, $775K)
F – Logan Brown (1-year, $775K)
Toronto Maple Leafs
D – John Klingberg (1-year, $4.15MM)
F – Ryan Reaves (3-year, $4.05MM, $1.35MM AAV)
G – Artur Akhtiamov (3-year, $2.555MM, $852K AAV)
D – Marshall Rifai (2-year, $1.55MM, $775K AAV)
D – William Lagesson (1-year, $775K)
D – Maxime Lajoie (1-year, $775K)
Washington Capitals Sign Matthew Phillips, Dylan McIlrath
The depth signings continue today with the Washington Capitals, who have announced contracts for both Matthew Phillips and Dylan McIlrath. Phillips will sign a one-year, $775K, one-way contract, while McIlrath will sign a two-year, $1.55MM, two-way contract.
Given that it is a one-way contract, it’s a reasonable expectation that Phillips will start the year with the Capitals, for good reason. Over the past two years, he has been one of the best forwards in the AHL, scoring 67 goals and 77 assists in only 131 games played for the Flames’ AHL affiliates, also earning a First Team All-Star nod last year. Unfortunately for Phillips, over those two years, he hasn’t gotten a serious look at the NHL level, only appearing in three games for the Flames.
In now what will be his third season in the Capitals organization, McIlrath brings a hard-hitting defenseman to the blue line. He’s not much in the way of points, evidenced by his 23 points in 134 games for the Hershey Bears, but McIlrath is an intimidating force nonetheless. One of the AHL’s most elite brawlers, McIlrath has racked up 201 PIMs in his two years with the Bears.
Calgary Flames Sign Three Players
The depth signings continue for a few teams on day two of free agency, and the Calgary Flames have now joined the fray. The team has announced a two-year, $1.55MM, two-way contract with forward Dryden Hunt, as well as separate one-year, $775K, two-way contracts with Martin Pospisil and Colton Poolman.
Hunt headlines the group, as he was brought over as a trade deadline acquisition from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. It would end up being Hunt’s third team of the season, as he originally started the 2022-23 campaign off with the Colorado Avalanche. It’s not a surprise that Calgary wanted to keep him, as Hunt got off to a torrid start with Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. In 17 games played following his acquisition, Hunt scored five goals and 10 assists as well as chipping in another six points in nine playoff games.
Unfortunately for Pospisil, he wasn’t as big of a factor in the Wrangler’s season last year. Only suiting up in 20 games, Pospisil scored four goals and six assists, failing to appear in any playoff games. The Zvolen, Slovakia native has gotten more playing time in the past with the Stockton Heat, but figures to be a depth scorer at the AHL level at best.
Much like Pospisil, Poolman doesn’t put up earth-shattering offensive numbers but has shown to be a very disciplined shutdown defenseman. The former captain at the University of North Dakota, Poolman put up two goals and 12 assists last year for the Wranglers, carrying a +18 rating and serving only eight minutes in the penalty box. The ability to defend against the opposing team’s top players will always serve as a benefit in any league.
Florida Panthers Sign William Lockwood, Gerald Mayhew
Already signing forward Evan Rodrigues earlier today, the Florida Panthers continue to add to their forward depth, announcing the signing of forward William Lockwood to a two-year, $1.55MM, carrying an AAV of $775K. Shortly thereafter, the team also announced they have re-signed forward Gerald Mayhew, signing him to a one-year, $775K, two-way deal. PuckPedia later reported Mayhew’s minor-league salary is $450K.
Lockwood was originally drafted in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, and stayed within the organization until a trade to the New York Rangers at last year’s deadline. The University of Michigan product has primarily played in the AHL for the Canucks organization but also carries 28 games of NHL experience.
Producing the best offensive output of his minor league career last season, Lockwood played in 43 games split between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 17 goals and 13 assists. In the event that Florida runs into injury trouble next season, Lockwood should serve as a serviceable call-up option for the team.
In the case of Mayhew, the Panthers are continuing their due diligence to keep their AHL team competitive. In his first season with the Panthers organization, Mayhew played 69 games for the Charlotte Checkers, scoring 24 goals and 20 assists. It’s not quite the offensive outburst compared to his 2019-20 campaign with the Iowa Wild, but any 20-20 player will still carry tremendous value to any team.