Brandon Manning Re-Signs In Germany
After testing his luck overseas, Brandon Manning will be staying in Germany. The veteran defenseman has signed an extension with the Straubing Tigers, explaining why he’s staying:
My family and I like it very much in Straubing, it’s just a real ice hockey town. The team is great and we showed last season that we can compete with the top teams in the league. I had a lot of fun playing with the boys and I’m looking forward to getting started again soon,
Manning, 32, last played in the NHL during the 2019-20 season when he was with the Edmonton Oilers organization. The following season he didn’t play at all and then ended up in Germany playing big minutes in the DEL for 2021-22. He ended the year with 22 points in 38 games, production he hadn’t experienced in years.
There was a time when Manning was a regular at the NHL level, racking up games for the Philadelphia Flyers as a physical two-way defender. He also had some outstanding seasons in the AHL, as one of the most feared fighters in the league while also producing offense at a high level. In 2013 and 2015 he was an AHL All-Star, leading to those opportunities in the NHL.
Tarmo Reunanen Signs In Finland
The Carolina Hurricanes don’t have to worry about a restricted free agent negotiation with Tarmo Reunanen. The young defenseman has signed a two-year contract with Lukko in Finland after he failed to suit up for a single playoff game for the Calder Cup-winning Chicago Wolves.
Reunanen, 24, landed with Carolina at the deadline in a minor league trade in order to provide Chicago with additional defensive depth, something they proved unnecessary as they stomped their way through the AHL playoffs. His exclusive rights can be retained by issuing him a qualifying offer, though it does seem like this may be the end of his time with the Hurricanes.
A two-year deal will leave Reunanen 26 years old at its expiry, and just a year away from unrestricted free agency. He could at that point sign a contract to return, though this isn’t just a new opportunity–it’s a return home. He played several seasons for Lukko before coming over and had his only Liiga playoff appearance with them in 2019.
The Finnish blueliner didn’t even come over to North America until 2020, despite being a fourth-round pick in 2016. He managed four games at the NHL level with the Rangers and 69 more in the minor leagues, split between the Wolves and the Hartford Wolf Pack.
An offensively-gifted defenseman, he did rack up 37 points in those AHL contests but wasn’t able to really make a mark at the NHL level. He’s a name to keep an eye on down the road but one that very well may be staying overseas at this point.
Mikkel Boedker Signs In Sweden
Any thought of a return to North America for Mikkel Boedker can be put to bed after the veteran forward signed a new one-year deal with HV71 in the SHL. The deal takes him out of Switzerland but continues his European career, this time a little closer to home.
Boedker, 32, played more than 700 games in the NHL and racked up 327 points, last seeing the ice with the Ottawa Senators in the 2019-20 season. For the past two years, he has been playing for Lugano, along with fellow NHL alumni like Mark Arcobello, Daniel Carr, and Mirco Mueller. He’ll now head to HV71, just a few hours up the road from his hometown in Denmark.
A long-time member of the Danish national team, Boedker was part of their entry into this year’s Olympics after helping them qualify for the event. He has a long international resume that even included a stint with Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup. He also holds the distinction of being the highest-ever draft pick from Denmark, eighth overall to the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008.
Given his age and recent production, one can assume his NHL career is now over.
Follow NBA Free Agency At HoopsRumors
NBA free agency kicks off tomorrow at 5pm CT, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.
The Knicks are considered the strong frontrunners to land Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, reportedly being willing to offer a four-year deal in the range of $110MM. To free up cap space to sign Brunson, New York is trading some of their excess draft picks and a few veteran players to Detroit. The Knicks are also rumored to be pursuing Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray via trade, so clearly they’re trying to make a splash and bolster their backcourt.
Kyrie Irving decided to pick up his $36.9MM player option for next season, ending rampant speculation that the Nets might be forced to tear down the roster if Kevin Durant asked to be traded. The Clippers have already been active, agreeing to an extension with starting center Ivica Zubac, and are reportedly set to land five-time All-Star John Wall once he clears waivers after being bought out by the Rockets.
The Hornets have said they’re going to bring back restricted free agent Miles Bridges, but will they being willing to match a maximum-salary offer sheet if a rival team offers it? What will happen with Suns center Deandre Ayton, another restricted free agent who has reportedly grown unhappy in Phoenix? Will the former No. 1 overall pick land the max deal he covets?
For the latest updates on those stories and more, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.
Latest On Boston Bruins Coaching Search
There could be an answer as soon as today on who will be the next head coach of the Boston Bruins and a new name has entered the ring. Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Mike Vellucci has interviewed for the job. In fact, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff believes that Vellucci has been interviewed twice now.
Still, Seravalli notes that the finalists are Vellucci, Jay Leach, and David Quinn, with many believing that the latter is the front-runner for the opening.
Vellucci, 55, may not have a lot of NHL experience but he is a proven winner at basically every level along the way. The former Hartford Whalers defenseman has won championships in the NAHL, OHL, and most recently the AHL, taking home the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019. He has been named Coach of the Year at all three levels and has now been behind the bench with Pittsburgh for the past two seasons.
The Bruins, who fired Bruce Cassidy after a disappointing playoff exit, seem focused on less experienced names for the vacancy. Leach also has experience as a head coach in the minor leagues–with the Providence Bruins, no less–but has just one year behind an NHL bench as an assistant. David Quinn had just one year as an assistant when he landed the New York Rangers head coaching job in 2018, a tenure that lasted just three seasons.
Boston is one of three teams still without a coach, along with the Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets.
Vegas Golden Knights Make Coaching Hires
The Vegas Golden Knights announced a series of coaching hires Tuesday night, adding John Stevens as their assistant coach, Sean Burke as their goalie coach and Director of Goaltending, and naming Mike Rosati as Manager of Goaltending Development and Scouting.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon gave the following statement on the hires:
John Stevens is a very respected NHL coach with an extensive resume that adds considerably to our staff. We are excited to add a two-time Stanley Cup winner with head coaching experience. Sean Burke is a great addition to the organization, with tremendous experience as an elite NHL goaltender and an accomplished coach and executive. We are pleased to keep Mike Rosati in an influential role across the organization. With those two and Henderson goaltending coach Fred Brathwaite, we have proven, qualified expertise at the goalie position.
While new head coach Bruce Cassidy won’t get to build the entire bench from scratch, he does get some fresh faces in here to join assistants Ryan Craig and Misha Donskov, who were retained in the wake of Peter DeBoer‘s firing. Stevens comes in to replace both Steve Spott and Ryan McGill as an assistant, who were both fired days after DeBoer. Stevens has been an assistant for the Dallas Stars for the past three seasons, but most hockey fans will remember him as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers (2006-2009) and the Los Angeles Kings (2016-2018). In all, the 56-year-old Stevens has 15 years of NHL coaching experience.
Burke’s hiring isn’t huge news, as it was reported earlier in the week that Vegas would bring him on. Burke was not on an NHL staff during the 2021-22 season, but he spent seven years as the goalie coach of the Arizona Coyotes and a handful of months in 2021 as the goalie coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He replaces Rosati as the goalie coach, who moves to a more behind-the-scenes role in the organization.
Dallas Stars Extend Joseph Cecconi
7:05 pm: PuckPedia has the details of Cecconi’s contract, which will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level and $150K in the minors, and $175K of the money is guaranteed. It carries a league-minimum $750,000 cap hit.
2:23 pm: The Dallas Stars aren’t going to lose Joseph Cecconi to Group VI unrestricted free agency after all. The young defenseman has signed a new one-year, two-way contract with the club to keep him in Texas.
Cecconi, 25, has yet to make it to the NHL after signing out of the University of Michigan in 2019, spending the last three seasons exclusively at the minor league level. The one-time defense partner to Quinn Hughes had a strong season for the Texas Stars, recording a career-high 16 points in 65 games. Because of his lack of opportunity with Dallas, he would have qualified to hit the market early, though that certainly wouldn’t have guaranteed him a better situation.
In fact, it’s not like the Stars are loaded with right-handed defensemen ahead of him. There may actually be some opportunity for a player like Cecconi to see NHL minutes in the case of injuries next season, especially given his size and physicality.
He will also now be subject to waivers should the team decide to send him to the minor leagues, at least giving him a chance to land on an NHL roster somewhere else if the need arises.
East Notes: Quinn, Devils Front Office, Sabres
Eyebrows raised leaguewide when the Boston Bruins fired Bruce Cassidy, letting him walk to the Vegas Golden Knights in coaching free agency. Now, they seem to have zeroed in on a replacement. Although he’s been interviewed and/or linked to multiple teams so far, The Fourth Period’s Shawn Hutcheon reports that the Bruins have made former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn their leading candidate for the role. While other names like former Providence head coach Jay Leach had been rumored, they seem to have opted for another “hometown” coach.
While a Rhode Island native, Quinn has extensive experience in the Boston area, spending multiple years as an associate coach and head coach with Boston University. Quinn did not coach this past season after the Rangers replaced him with Gerard Gallant this past offseason, aside from serving as the head coach for the United States at the Olympics and World Championships.
- The New Jersey Devils seem to have quietly cleaned out some front office names, removing the roles of Patrick Rissmiller (player development coach), Pierre Mondou (amateur scout), and Andrey Plekhanov (European scout) from their website. Rissmiller will leave the only front office job he’s ever known, holding the role with New Jersey since he retired as a player in 2015. Mondou, 66, was let go after nearly 20 years of scouting for New Jersey. Plekhanov had been with the team for four seasons.
- As the Buffalo Sabres look to finally take that next step forward in 2022-23, the team has announced the dates for their development camp. The session for fringe prospects and rookies will be held July 13-15, with a three-on-three tournament to be held on the 16th.
Kim Pegula “Progressing Well” From Undisclosed Health Issue
There was some dark news in the Buffalo Sabres community a handful of weeks ago when it was announced that Sabres (and Buffalo Bills) owner Kim Pegula was receiving serious medical treatment as a result of “unexpected health issues.” As it had been a considerable amount of time since that announcement with no update, fans were becoming increasingly concerned with her health status.
Now, via the Sabres, the Pegula family said in a statement today that Kim is “progressing well,” resting, and rehabbing from her health issue, asking fans to continue to respect their privacy. The full statement is as follows:
Kim is progressing well and is resting and rehabilitating from a health issue. We are grateful for the medical professionals providing her care and to everyone for their prayers and well wishes. We ask that you please continue to respect our need for privacy during this time.
Pegula, 53, has been the owner of the Sabres since the 2015-16 season when she was transferred principal ownership of the team from her husband Terry. She was also named team president in 2018-19 and has also served in that role for their AHL affiliate in Rochester.
PHR sends their best wishes to the Pegula family and the Sabres community for her continued recovery.
Minor Transactions: 06/28/22
With free agency right around the corner, minor league and European teams continue to snatch up some of the available talents. Even though most of the attention is on Evgeni Malkin, Johnny Gaudreau, and the rest of the big names, we’ll keep track of the less notable contracts right here.
- The Milwaukee Admirals have signed Xavier Bouchard to an AHL contract, adding the 22-year-old defenseman just weeks after he took home the Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades. The Vegas Golden Knights sixth-round pick never did sign an NHL contract but will now join the Admirals organization and try to continue his climb up the minor league ladder.
- Dalton Smith is returning to the Colorado Eagles on a new two-year AHL contract, locking in the minor league veteran through 2023-24. Originally a second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets way back in 2010, the 29-year-old Smith had 11 points in 52 games for the Eagles last season.
- After playing last season on an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies, Marc Michaelis is off to Switzerland to play for the SCL Tigers of the National League. The German-born forward has played in three World Championships for his country, including the most recent tournament where he added seven points in eight games. Michaelis played 15 games for the Vancouver Canukcs in 2020-21 but failed to register an NHL point.
- Dmitri Yushkevich has signed a new contract with Dynamo St. Petersburg of the VHL. No, not the 50-year-old defenseman who played nearly 800 games in the NHL, but his son, a 25-year-old Toronto-born defenseman who has been in the Russian minor leagues for the last several years.