Winnipeg Jets Sign Ashton Sautner
The Winnipeg Jets have added another defenseman, this time signing Manitoba kid Ashton Sautner to a one-year, two-way contract. The Flin Flon native will have an NHL salary of $750K this season.
Sautner, 28, has been in the Vancouver Canucks system for his entire career, though did play two games for the Manitoba Moose during the 2020-21 season. For the Jets, he’ll now provide some depth at the position but is very likely headed back to the minor leagues, given he hasn’t appeared in the NHL since 2019-20. In fact, Sautner has just 23 appearances at the NHL level overall, most of which came in the 2018-19 season.
Still, every team needs minor league depth and the undrafted defenseman provides solid play at that level. In 41 games for the Abbotsford Canucks this season he recorded 13 points, matching a career-high. Given how many options are already in the Jets system, even the prospect of a handful of games at the NHL level seems like a stretch for Sautner at this point.
Minor Transactions: 07/15/22
With NHL free agency now underway, dozens of lower-level players are also trying to find work. Many of them will end up overseas or signing minor league deals. This is where we will keep track of notable signing around the world.
- Ryan Stanton has inked a deal with Kolner Haie of the DEL for the upcoming season, after spending this season with the Rockford IceHogs. The 32-year-old defenseman has been playing professional hockey in North America for more than a decade, including two full seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
- John Quenneville, a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2014, is staying overseas to play for Leksands IF of the SHL after appearing in 46 games for Zurich this year. The 26-year-old forward played just 42 games in the NHL over the years, last appearing with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019-20.
- Anthony Louis, who put up 55 points in 64 games for the Texas Stars this season, has signed a deal with Barys Nur-Sultan for the upcoming season. The sixth-round pick has never played in the NHL.
- Gage Quinney and Jake Bischoff have settled for minor league contracts with the Henderson Silver Knights, returning to the club they most recently played with. Bischoff, 27, actually missed the entire 2021-22 season with a lower-body injury and has played just seven games since the end of the 2019-20 season.
- Michael Houser is back with the Rochester Americans on an AHL deal but if history is anything to go by, he’ll be signing an NHL contract at some point this season. Houser has signed mid-season contracts with the Buffalo Sabres in each of the last two years, when the team ran into goaltending injuries.
- Mitch Reinke is heading back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, signing a one-year AHL contract for the upcoming season. The 2-year-old had 27 points in 63 games for the team last season, his first in the Penguins organization.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Andrew Brunette Joins Devils As Associate Coach
July 15: The Devils have officially announced Brunette as the team’s new associate coach, mentioning how he was a teammate of general manager Tom Fitzgerald with the Nashville Predators in 1998-99.
July 13: It’s not just players making news today. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils have reached a three-year agreement with Andrew Brunette on an associate coaching role. TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that things were tracking toward an agreement between Brunette and the New Jersey Devils, but also listed the Winnipeg Jets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vancouver Canucks as teams with interest in the 2022 Jack Adams Award finalist.
Not often do you see a coach of the year contender immediately hit the open market, let alone do you see them settle for an associate coaching role. But with just five years of coaching experience in the NHL in total, and the Panthers opting to hire the more experienced Paul Maurice, Brunette hits the open market as a high-end support man for teams’ benches. In New Jersey, he’d serve behind an extremely experienced bench boss in Lindy Ruff, allowing him to gain just a little more time in the league before undoubtedly returning to a head coaching role down the road.
And after those three seasons, that’s undoubtedly what he’ll do. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him take over for Ruff in three years’ time, or even sooner if New Jersey decides to part with Ruff before that. It’s a good backup plan in case things go wrong with Ruff at the helm.
Ottawa Senators Sign Tomas Hamara To Entry-Level Contract
Just the second pick outside of the first round from the 2022 NHL Draft has now signed the entry-level contract. Per CapFriendly, the Ottawa Senators did so today with Czech defenseman Tomas Hamara, who they selected in the third round (87th overall). His entry-level deal carries a cap hit of $852K with the following breakdown:
2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $15K performance bonus, $80K minors salary
2023-24: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary
Most public scouts would agree Hamara was a bit of a steal in that range, with most pegging him to go in the mid-to-late second round. Hamara played in a lot of different leagues and tournaments this past year, but he spent most of his time with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, split between their main team and their junior team. He had a strong performance in juniors with 25 points in 32 games, and played in 24 games in the Liiga as well. He also saw some time in the Champions League tournament with Tappara, playing in four games.
In all likelihood, Ottawa will loan Hamara back to Tappara for the next two seasons, as he’s under contract there until 2024. He’s also a more raw prospect, and he likely needs some more conditioning before he’s even ready for AHL ice. Yet, he projects as a well-rounded two-way defenseman who should add nicely to Ottawa’s defensive depth on the left side with players like Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Lukas Klok
You’ve heard of Ronald Knot, get ready for Lukas Klok. The Arizona Coyotes have picked up their second 27-year-old Czech defenseman of the offseason, bringing in Klok from Nizhnekamsk in the KHL on a one-year, two-way entry-level deal, per CapFriendly. It has a cap hit of $845K, which includes an NHL salary of $750K, $105K in performance bonuses, $95K in signing bonuses, and a minors salary of $82.5K.
Klok is actually a solid under-the-radar candidate to make the Coyotes this fall. He had a strong season in the KHL, notching 31 points in 44 games. He also had three points in four games for Czechia at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Both Klok and Knot, a previous Arizona signing this offseason, played for the same team in Russia and were both on the Czech Olympic squad.
Klok was never drafted, but he does have 29 games of experience in North America. He played 29 games with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms back in 2013-14, registering three points.
New York Rangers Sign Turner Elson
The New York Rangers have signed some AHL depth, inking forward Turner Elson to a two-year, two-way deal with a $762.5K cap hit, per CapFriendly. He’ll make $750K NHL salary in 2022-23 and $775K in 2023-24, while earning a minor salary of $225K in both seasons. He’s also guaranteed $250K in both years.
The 29-year-old Elson saw his first NHL action this year since he got his first NHL game all the way back in 2015-16. He’d spent the last five years in the Detroit Red Wings organization, serving as an alternate captain with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. His leadership there has obviously helped the Wings as the prospects they developed begin to hit NHL ice.
He’ll try and keep the same role in the Rangers organization, this time with the Hartford Wolf Pack. A dependable bottom-six AHL option, Elson should only see ice time with the Rangers if an extreme number of injuries occur.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Christian Wolanin
Per CapFriendly, the Vancouver Canucks have signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way deal paying him $750K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL.
Wolanin, 27, has 70 games of NHL experience between Ottawa, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. While it looked like Wolanin had legitimate NHL upside a few seasons ago with a 12-point year in 2018-19 in just 30 games at 23 years old, those days are behind him. A good option for a seventh defenseman, Wolanin adds to the pool of defensive depth Vancouver has built.
He’ll be competing with players like Kyle Burroughs, young Jack Rathbone, Noah Juulsen, and Wyatt Kalynuk to make the Canucks come training camp in September. If he doesn’t make the squad, he’s a risk to get claimed on waivers if the injury bug strikes other teams on defense.
Toronto Maple Leafs Expected To Sign Victor Mete, Jordie Benn
The Toronto Maple Leafs continue on their crusade of swooping up unqualified RFAs, adding some defensive depth in the process. According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, the team is bringing in defenseman Victor Mete. They’ve also signed gritty veteran Jordie Benn on a one-year deal for $750K, which is the price of both deals.
Mete heads to his third Canadian team after spending five NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. A decent depth defenseman, most would say Mete was rushed into NHL minutes at age 19 despite being the 100th overall pick just one year prior to his debut in 2017-18. He’d posted really solid defensive play during his time in Montreal, but after the Senators claimed him on waivers in April of 2021, he didn’t have the same success. He played just 37 of 82 games in 2021-22, averaging only 14:37 per game and notching seven assists. It was a year to forget for Mete, but he’ll now head to Toronto to rediscover his defensive game.
Benn, 34, joins the Leafs after an eight-point, 39-game season with the Minnesota Wild last year. Jamie Benn‘s older brother hasn’t been terribly effective for years now aside from providing a gritty, physical presence at the bottom of the lineup, and he’ll provide the same thing for Toronto. He’ll likely get most of his action when the team opts to ice 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Washington Capitals Sign Dylan Strome
5:46 pm: The Washington Capitals have made the deal official, bringing Strome to the United States’ capital on a one-year, $3.5MM deal.
4:35 pm: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are expected to sign top unqualified RFA Dylan Strome to a one-year contract worth $3.5MM.
For Washington, this is an important signing to give them a legitimate second-line center in the absence of Nicklas Backstrom. While the team is more optimistic Backstrom will be able to return during the season after a serious hip surgery that could threaten his career, Strome is a strong option with top-six experience to replace him.
Despite going unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks (and some puzzling early-season scratches by former head coach Jeremy Colliton), the 25-year-old had a strong year on a weak Chicago team with a career-high 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 69 games. With the chance to play with names like Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Anthony Mantha, T.J. Oshie, Connor Brown, and others, Strome could finally hit the offensive potential he had when he was drafted third overall in 2015.
It’s a strong signing for Washington, who’s had a quietly great offseason by adding defensive depth and signing veteran netminder Darcy Kuemper.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Alex Limoges, Kyle Capobianco
The Winnipeg Jets have signed free agent forward Alex Limoges to a one-year, entry-level contract, per a team tweet today. Financial terms are currently unavailable. Per CapFriendly, the team has also signed former Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kyle Capobianco to a two-year deal worth $762.5K per year. Per PuckPedia, the contract is a two-way deal in 2022-23 with a $750K NHL / $325K AHL split, and a one-way deal worth $775K in year two.
Limoges, a 24-year-old native of Virginia, actually already has a year and a half of professional experience under his belt with the San Diego Gulls. He turned pro in 2020-21 after his college career with Penn State concluded, spending the remainder of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Staying in San Diego for the past two years, he’s been one of the most under-the-radar producers in the AHL during that time. He’s scored 34 goals, 27 assists, and 61 points in 85 games with the Gulls, and he also led the entire NCAA in points in 2018-19.
Now on an NHL contract for the first time, Limoges will get the chance to improve on those numbers in the Jets organization. If injuries strike Winnipeg hard this year, don’t be surprised if Limoges gets a crack at making his NHL debut.