Minor Transactions: 02/02/23
The NHL may be at rest for the All-Star break but the hockey world is still kicking. European and minor league clubs continue to make tweaks and changes to their rosters; we’ll detail any notable transactions below:
- Callum Booth has left the Seattle Kraken minor league system to join Frankfurt of the DEL, signing a contract through the end of the season. The 25-year-old played two games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds and nine more for the Kansas City Mavericks, only finding much success at the higher level. A fourth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, Booth never did make an NHL appearance despite a handful of call-ups over the years.
- After terminating his contract overseas recently, John Quenneville has officially joined the Belleville Senators for the rest of this season. The 26-year-old was picked in the first round in 2014 but has just 42 NHL appearances to this point in his career. Through 19 games for Leksands IF in the SHL this year, he had 12 points.
- In January, we covered how former Detroit Red Wings prospect Cole Fraser had left his ECHL club to sign with a team in Scotland, the Dundee Stars. Today, the Stars made that move official, announcing their signing of Fraser. Fraser is an experienced, in-his-prime ECHL veteran who was the league’s most penalized player last season and should be able to add some grit to the Stars’ blueline.
- Two-time OHL champion Brett Welychka is changing clubs. The 28-year-old forward has signed with Dresdner Eislowen, a club in Germany’s second division. Welychka had spent this season so far with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers, where he’s notched 21 goals and 30 points in 35 games. The move should help Eislowen as they make a push for promotion to the DEL, while the sixth-place Panthers will have to deal with the loss of their leading scorer.
- HC Slovan Bratislava, a club in the Slovakian capital, has released defenseman Carl Ackered. Ackered led Slovakia’s Extraliga in points by a defenseman during the 2020-21 season, and made the league’s all-star team. But his success that year hasn’t translated to strong production for the reigning champions, and a major injury has led to this season being a challenging, unproductive one for the Stockholm native. With this mutual agreement on a release, Ackered will be able to look for other opportunities to continue his professional career.
- Ovechkin has been released. Well, Ilya Ovechkin has, that is. HK Aktobe, a club in Kazakhstan, has released the 21-year-old forward, who despite his last name bears no relation to the Washington Capitals star. Ovechkin was a decent player at the Russian junior level, scoring 37 points in 58 games last season, but has struggled in his pro debut. He now finds himself released after scoring just four points in 17 games for the Kazakh side.
This page will be updated with any further transactions
Ilya Mikheyev Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
Feb 2: The Canucks have announced Mikheyev underwent successful knee surgery today, though still did not give a concrete timeline for his recovery.
Jan 28: Although Canucks winger Ilya Mikheyev scored the game-winner in last night’s victory over Columbus, it will be his last goal (and game) for a while. Following the contest, the team announced (video link) that Mikheyev will miss the remainder of the season and will undergo knee surgery. An exact timeline for his recovery is not yet known. However, the expectation is that he will be ready for the start of training camp.
The injury actually occurred back in the preseason when he partially tore his ACL. At the time, the team opted to classify it as a lower-body injury but the 28-year-old only missed the first three games of the year before returning on October 18th. To his credit, Mikheyev did pretty well under the circumstances, collecting 13 goals and 15 assists (tying his career high) in 46 games despite being slowed down due to the tear. Those numbers were fairly close to the ones he had with Toronto the year before that helped him land a four-year $19MM contract this summer.
Since he will be out for the year, Vancouver will be able to put Mikheyev and his $4.75MM AAV on LTIR, giving them some extra flexibility to navigate the salary cap for the stretch run. While the Canucks aren’t likely to be buyers (they sit sixth in the Pacific Division and are a dozen points out of a Wild Card spot), this will give them a chance to be a bit more creative when it comes to salary retention or taking an expiring contract back to facilitate a trade.
Although Vancouver was only carrying 13 healthy forwards on their roster for Friday’s game (including Mikheyev), the team also revealed postgame (Twitter link) that winger Phillip Di Giuseppe was assigned to AHL Abbotsford. The 28-year-old was a healthy scratch against Columbus and has just one NHL appearance under his belt this season. With now just 11 forwards on their roster, more roster moves will be expected once their schedule resumes after the All-Star break.
Trade Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks
With the All-Star break now upon us, the trade deadline looms large and is just over a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with the Anaheim Ducks.
It’s another lost season for the Ducks, who have been out of it since the summer. Last year, the team shed long-time core pieces like Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Rickard Rakell, and they’re poised to do a similar sell-off this time around.
With the ultimate prize of Connor Bedard waiting for whoever wins the lottery, losing every game down the stretch might actually be an ideal scenario. You might see some shocking lineups in Anaheim before the season is over.
Record
16-29-5, 8th in the Pacific
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$36.29MM today, $61.34MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, BOS 2nd, COL 2nd, ANA 3rd, MIN 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th
2024: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, BOS 2nd, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th, ANA 7th
Trade Chips
More than anything else, the Ducks have cap space. They can easily take on some bad contracts, or act as the middleman in a salary retention transaction to secure a few more assets.
But player-wise, they still have a number of interesting chips.
It starts with John Klingberg, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason with the expectation of a move at the deadline. The two sides even built in a no-trade clause that would modify in the middle of the year, giving him the ability to list 10 teams he’s willing to go to. The problem is that Klingberg has played rather poorly, has just 17 points in 42 games, and still carries a hefty cap hit even if the Ducks retain half of it.
Klingberg may not get the return that the Ducks had hoped for when they agreed to the one-year, $7MM deal, but he does still seem likely to be moved at some point. Fellow right-handed defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is also a pending free agent, as is Dmitry Kulikov. They play very different styles but could be of use to contenders looking to beef up their defensive depth.
Upfront, attention will certainly be paid to Adam Henrique and Jakob Silfverberg, who both are signed through next season. The veteran forwards are versatile enough to help out a third line, and cheap enough (with retention) that they could be attractive targets.
But don’t forget about some of the younger forwards too. Max Comtois is a pending RFA and has fallen out of favor in Anaheim, playing fewer than 14 minutes a night this season. The 6’2″ winger plays a greasy game that might have a home in the playoffs, even if his offense has almost completely dried up over the last two years.
Even Anthony Stolarz, who has struggled behind a terrible team this season, could be a potential depth goaltending target for teams looking at bringing in a third option. The 29-year-old did post a .917 save percentage last season and is on an expiring deal worth just $950K. With Lukas Dostal the future in Anaheim, and John Gibson still locked up long-term, Stolarz probably doesn’t have much of a future with the Ducks.
Other potential trade chips: F Derek Grant, F Frank Vatrano, D Nathan Beaulieu
Team Needs
1) Draft picks: The Ducks are still years away from becoming a successful program again, even with the young talented forwards already in the NHL. Adding a bunch of draft picks – especially ones for 2023 – will help accelerate that transition. Basically, anyone that’s on an expiring contract should be shown the door, for whatever mid or late-round draft capital they can acquire.
2) Young centers: Last season, the Ducks acquired defensive prospect Drew Helleson, and young defenseman Urho Vaakanainen in deadline deals. This year, they should be looking to make the same kind of move with the middle of the ice in mind. It’s not that the cupboard is bare at the center – far from it – but building from there will only help them in the long run, even if they need to shift players over at the NHL level.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Kristian Vesalainen Signs Extension In Finland
Last summer, after his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets expired, Kristian Vesalainen went back to Europe. The young forward signed first with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, and then a few months later went back home to Finland to play with HIFK. The Jets retained his exclusive NHL rights by issuing a qualifying offer.
That meant they could potentially bring him back, should Vesalainen want to return to North America at some point. Not so fast, as HIFK announced a one-year extension for the 2023-24 season.
Vesalainen, 23, was selected 24th overall by the Jets in 2017, and it didn’t take long for him to see some NHL action. He played five games in the 2018-19 season, before playing in the minor leagues and eventually the KHL. The following year he was in the AHL full-time, and then in 2020-21 he once again split time in three different leagues.
Last year, though, he was given a great opportunity with Winnipeg. He dressed in 53 games, and even though he was only getting a few minutes a night, it was regular time in the NHL. Unfortunately, that resulted in just three points, and his departure in the summer.
Now, it’s unclear where his future lies. According to CapFriendly, his rights will be owned by the Jets through his 27th birthday, and his NHL upside is completely unknown at this point. It would be hard for another team to trade for him without a good grasp on whether he’d come back, and whether he could make an impact.
It very well could just mean another first-round pick that never does anything in the NHL. Through 70 games, Vesalainen has just five points. He has averaged 8:33 during those and is still something of a mystery. With HIFK this season he has 17 points in 24 games, not exactly lighting the world on fire. For now, he’s just another name on the Winnipeg reserve list.
Rasmus Dahlin To Replace Tage Thompson At All-Star Game
One of the most obvious snubs of All-Star season has gotten an invite, even if it was a little late. Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has been added to the festivities, replacing teammate Tage Thompson, who will miss the event due to injury.
In reality, Dahlin should have already been on the roster. The 22-year-old defenseman has a career-high 55 poinits through 49 games, putting him 21st among all NHL skater. On defense, he trails only Erik Karlsson in both goals and points, while also sitting 13th in plus-minus.
There is little doubt that he is among the best in the league this season, and will be rewarded with his second appearance at the All-Star event.
It is disappointing for Thompson, of course, as he is also having an outstanding season. With 34 goals in 50 games, he’s become one of the most dominant power forwards in the league. He’ll miss out, but there will likely be plenty more All-Star recognition for Thompson in the future.
Boston Bruins Place Vinni Lettieri On Injured Reserve
The Boston Bruins placed forward Vinni Lettieri on injured reserve Wednesday, per a tweet from CapFriendly.
Lettieri lands on injured reserve just a day after Boston recalled him from the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Originally expected to join the team for their ongoing game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he sustained a lower-body injury in Providence’s last matchup and did not travel with the team, head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters yesterday morning.
Boston can activate Lettieri as soon as Wednesday, February 8. With the timing of the All-Star break, the team doesn’t have another game during that timeframe. As Jake DeBrusk is an option to return by the time the Bruins play again on February 11, Boston will likely re-assign Lettieri to Providence when his stint on injured reserve is over.
It’s disappointing for Lettieri, who still stands out as a strong AHL presence. He leads Providence with 37 points in 41 games this season and got his first taste of international experience last year at the World Championships with Team USA.
Mark Stone Undergoes Back Surgery, Out Indefinitely
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone underwent back surgery on Tuesday and is out indefinitely, according to a release from the team. The team expects Stone to make a full recovery.
This is Stone’s second major back injury concern in as many seasons. He was limited to just 37 games last season with back issues, which Stone noted caused severe nerve pain. Stone underwent an offseason back surgery and came back ready to go for the 2022-23 campaign.
The Winnipeg-born winger is in the fourth season of an eight-year, $76MM contract extension he signed with Vegas in March 2019. Considering Stone’s impact on the team and franchise, Vegas’ acquisition price of Oscar Lindberg, Erik Brannstrom, and a 2020 second-round pick to get Stone from the Ottawa Senators seems tame in hindsight.
With just over two months left in the regular season, it’s a fair bet to say Stone won’t play again in the regular season. It opens the possibility for Vegas to place Stone’s $9.5MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve, which would total north of $23MM of cap relief when including the contracts of Shea Weber, Robin Lehner, and Nolan Patrick.
Vegas’ organizational depth is dwindling due to some monster trades in the past few seasons. Does general manager Kelly McCrimmon have something left in the tank to acquire a bona fide top-six piece in Stone’s absence?
With 38 points in 43 games, Stone remains Vegas’ second-leading scorer at the time of writing. His offensive production is hard enough to replace, but the added loss of his leadership creates a gargantuan hole in the Golden Knights lineup.
Since Stone exited the lineup on January 12, the team is just 1-5-2 and averages just two goals per game. They’ve lost their grip on the Pacific Division to the Seattle Kraken and risk falling even further down the standings if their scoring doesn’t heat up. If Vegas can’t manage to string some wins together in the week after the All-Star break, it could add pressure on McCrimmon to make a trade sooner rather than later.
Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Korchinski, Walsh
After a slow start, things haven’t gotten any better for Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi this season. As his ice time continues to dwindle, currently being utilized in a fourth-line role, so does his trade value. The 2016 fourth-overall pick has just 10 points in 49 games this season after a 35-point campaign last year.
With Edmonton expected to go all-in at this year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi will likely see his Oilers tenure end by March 3 to make room on the roster. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli outlined some potential destinations for the Finnish winger, also reporting that general manager Ken Holland sent a note to all 31 other NHL teams two weeks ago that Puljujarvi was available for trade.
That trade could come sooner rather than later, as the Oilers need to clear salary to activate Kailer Yamamoto from long-term injured reserve. They have at least another few days, as he’s not eligible to return until February 12. Seravalli lists the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning as potential fits for Puljujarvi in a hockey trade but also says to keep the possibility of a pure cap-dump move to a salary cap floor-hugging team in mind.
- In a mailbag piece released Wednesday, Scott Powers of The Athletic noted that 2022 first-round selection Kevin Korchinski could crack the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL lineup out of training camp to start the 2023-24 season. Powers said the Blackhawks organization was impressed with his training camp before this season opened, and that “all signs” point to Korchinski being NHL-ready. Still 18, the left-shot defenseman has 40 points in 30 games with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that current United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the current front-runner to replace Donald Fehr as the NHLPA’s Executive Director. Dreger says an NHLPA board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, which could yield a vote on whether to instate Walsh as the league’s top player representative. The former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, has a strong labor union background and is certainly an interesting selection.
Minor Transactions: 02/01/23
Today is the last day of NHL games before the 2023 All-Star break, signaling an upcoming four-day streak without regular-season action. While roster movement will slow down on the NHL front over this time, there are still a few notable tidbits to keep track of. As always, we’ll report a comprehensive list of today’s pertinent minor hockey transactions right here.
- Just days ahead of the event, four roster spots have been swapped for the AHL’s All-Star Classic in Laval, Québec. Forwards Vinni Lettieri (Boston/Providence), Will Cuylle (NY Rangers/Hartford), Andrew Poturalski (Seattle/Coachella Valley), and defenseman Justin Barron (Montreal/Laval) are all unable to participate because of injuries, or NHL recalls. Defenseman Jack Ahcan (Boston/Providence) and forward Ruslan Iskhakov (NY Islanders/Bridgeport) were named to replace Lettieri and Cuylle, forward Max McCormick (Seattle/Coachella Valley) will replace Poturalski, and forward Alex Belzile (Montreal/Laval) replaces Barron, according to an AHL press release.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Latest On Kings’ Goaltending Situation
When you look at the teams near the top of each division, most of them have at least one thing in common. Their goaltending is playing at a high level and usually locked in for years to come.
For the Los Angeles Kings, tied for the Pacific Division lead, neither part is really true, despite recent results. Pheonix Copley, who they have relied on recently, is 15-3-1 on the year but (incredibly) holds a save percentage of .897. Some will argue he makes the important saves, but the clock also might be close to striking midnight on that Cinderella story.
Their other goaltenders – Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen – have been even worse. Petersen is in the minor leagues after clearing waivers but is the only goalie in the entire organization that is signed past this season. So some might wonder if the Kings will be on the lookout for an upgrade in net at the deadline.
According to Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s recent Insider Trading, the goaltending search may end up stretching into the summer. The Kings are not interested in deadline rentals like Antti Raanta or Cam Talbot, and are instead looking for a long-term answer.
Where that answer comes from is unclear, especially when Petersen is already soaking up $5MM per season playing in the AHL. Nearly $4MM of that cap hit remains on the books through 2024-25 even if he stays in the minor leagues, making any big free agent goaltending addition a little bit more challenging.