Josh Ho-Sang Signs AHL Deal With Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies signed forward Josh Ho-Sang to an AHL contract Tuesday night, per NHL insider Chris Johnston. The move comes after the Toronto Maple Leafs released Ho-Sang from his professional tryout contract.
Ho-Sang joined the Leafs this offseason on a PTO after he was left unqualified by the New York Islanders. Ho-Sang had been in the Islanders organization since they drafted him 28th overall in 2014.
The 25-year-old forward spent last season on loan in Europe. In nine games in the Swedish Hockey League, Ho-Sang scored two goals and one assist for three points. He split time between Orebro HK and Linkoping HC.
Ho-Sang has gotten into 53 NHL contests so far in his career, all with the Islanders. He hasn’t played an NHL game since 2018-19, spending his time in the AHL and SHL since then.
A skilled playmaker, Ho-Sang hopes to revitalize his career in the Maple Leafs’ organization. He had a strong camp, notching multiple points in the preseason. He’ll now need to excel on the Marlies’ roster before proving he can make an impact again at the NHL level.
With Ho-Sang signing an AHL deal, he does not need to be placed on waivers to be assigned to the Marlies. Toronto can sign him to an NHL contract and bring him up to the Maple Leafs at any time, however, they will need to waive him in order to send him back to the AHL if they wish.
Dallas Stars Sign Artem Grushnikov
6:57 pm: PuckPedia reports that Grushnikov’s deal carries a cap hit of $859,000. The structure of the deal is as follows:
2021-22: $750,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $82,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
2022-23: $750,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $82,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
2023-24: $800,000 salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $32,500 GP bonus, $80,000 minors salary
11:19 am: The Dallas Stars have signed another top draft pick, inking Artem Grushnikov to a three-year entry-level contract. Just yesterday, the young defenseman was loaned to the Hamilton Bulldogs for the upcoming season, but he isn’t leaving empty-handed.
Grushnikov, 18, was the 48th overall pick in this year’s draft, selected out of the MHL where he tallied five points in 29 games. The 6’2″ defenseman is not known for his offensive upside, but the transition to the OHL should provide him with a little more opportunity on that side of the puck. Selected 16th overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, his transition to North America and early entry-level deal bodes well for his future with the Stars organization.
A member of the Russian team that won the Hlinka-Gretzky in 2020, Grushnikov will be an interesting prospect to watch develop this season. The Bulldogs kick things off on Friday against the Oshawa Generals.
Dallas now has their top three draft picks from 2021 under contract, all of which were selected in the top-50. For a team that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020, it was an impressive draft class to accumulate and add to the pipeline.
Vegas Golden Knights Recall Three Skaters
The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they’ve recalled Jonas Rondbjerg, Daniil Miromanov, and Jake Leschyshyn ahead of tonight’s preseason contest against the Colorado Avalanche. The trio of two forwards and one defenseman could suit up tonight on the road as the Golden Knights continue their preseason schedule.
Rondbjerg, Leschyshyn, and Miromanov were all assigned to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on Saturday as part of a larger cut from Vegas’ training camp roster.
None of the three skaters are expected to crack the opening-night lineup, and their recall gives the Knights some extra roster flexibility for tonight’s game. It’s extremely likely that they’re re-assigned to Henderson within the next few days.
That isn’t to say that some of these names aren’t intriguing — especially Miromanov’s. The 24-year-old undrafted free agent can play both defense and wing and is the most likely out of these three names to get called up this year if injuries strike. Miromanov’s now had multiple years of professional experience in the KHL, Czech Extraliga, ECHL, and AHL. He impressed with HK Sochi in the KHL last season, tallying 10 goals and 29 points in 58 games. His versatility and professional experience make him a viable candidate.
Leschyshyn and Rondbjerg are both products of the Knights’ inaugural 2017 draft class, picked in the second and third rounds respectively. They’ve both garnered at least a year of AHL experience, but need more development time before they’re considered for a call-up.
Wyatt Kalynuk Out A Few Weeks With Ankle Injury
One of the more interesting things to watch at the start of the 2021-22 season will be the Chicago Blackhawks’ overhauled defensive group. Seth Jones and Jake McCabe are two new members of the team’s top-four, while it looked like youngsters Riley Stillman and Wyatt Kalynuk could be in the opening night lineup as the third pair. That won’t be true anymore, as Kalynuk is likely out a few weeks with an ankle injury according to head coach Jeremy Colliton, who spoke with reporters including Scott Powers of The Athletic today.
As Mark Lazerus of The Athletic points out, Kalynuk was expected to play his off-side to start the year, meaning there is now an opening on the right for one of the team’s other young defensemen. Ian Mitchell or Alec Regula seem the most likely candidates, though given both are waiver-exempt it could end up being a rotation of some sort. That is unless one of the other left-handed options–Calvin de Haan, Caleb Jones, or Stillman–move to the right side to start.
Either way, this is a disappointing start for Kalynuk, who showed last season that he’s far from the player that fell to the seventh round in 2017. After three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, the 24-year-old was a legitimate NHL defenseman in his rookie season, recording nine points in 21 games and strong possession statistics. Entering the second year of his entry-level contract, there was a good chance he will be a regular for the team when healthy. Of course, missing the start of the year is never ideal, and Kalynuk will now have to not only work to return from injury, but also overtake whoever gets the minutes in his place.
The Blackhawks kick off their regular season schedule on October 13 when they take on the Colorado Avalanche.
Team Sweden Announces First Three Members Of 2022 Olympic Team
The 2022 Winter Olympics are coming fast, with just a few months before NHL stars jet off to Beijing, China to compete for their respective countries. Hockey Canada announced recently that Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Alex Pietrangelo were the first three players selected to their team, and now Sweden has announced their counterparts. Mika Zibanejad, Gabriel Landeskog, and Victor Hedman have been named to Team Sweden for the 2022 Games.
Zibanejad may not have reached the incredible heights of 2019-20 last season, but he’s still a force for the Rangers and projects to be Sweden’s first-line center at the upcoming tournament. He scored 41 goals in just 57 games during the COVID-shortened season two years ago and came back with a strong enough 50 points in 56 games this past season. In fact, center is actually a position of great strength for the Swedes this time around, with Elias Pettersson, Nicklas Backstrom, Mikael Backlund, and William Karlsson all strong candidates to take a spot down the middle.
They won’t be too bad on the wing either, starting with Landeskog who was already an alternate captain for the nation at the 2014 Olympics when he was just 21. A born leader, he has represented Sweden at every major event, including the U18 WJC, U20 WJC, World Championship and World Cup. He took home a silver as part of that 2014 group and has become a reliable point-per-game player at the NHL level, complementing world-class talent and bringing versatility to any lineup.
Few NHL fans would be surprised if Hedman was given the captaincy of Sweden, but it would actually be an interesting decision given his history with the national program. He was left off the 2014 team despite the obvious skill he showed in the early part of his career, with players like Johnny Oduya, Jonathan Ericsson and even 35-year-old Henrik Tallinder going to Sochi over him. Because of the regular playoff success of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Hedman also has gone to the World Championship just once since 2013 and three times total, going on long playoff runs most seasons instead. It’ll be his first chance to represent his country at the Olympics, and he was an obvious choice this time around.
Each participating country was required to declare three players, while the full “long-list” of 55 potential names will be submitted by October 15.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minnesota Wild Claim Rem Pitlick
The Minnesota Wild have decided to claim Rem Pitlick off waivers from the Nashville Predators according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, adding a versatile depth forward to their roster.
Pitlick, who signed a one-year, two-way contract in August, gets a chance to return home to the state of hockey just two years after leaving the University of Minnesota. The 24-year-old forward was a third-round selection of Nashville in 2016 but has played just 11 NHL games to this point, spending most of last season on the taxi squad. A top offensive player in college, he does have 28 goals and 46 points in 71 career AHL contests, suggesting that he can certainly hold his own at the professional level.
Instead of returning to the minors though, Pitlick will join the Wild’s active roster for the time being. He adds another center to the mix in Minnesota which is still anything but clear, and could potentially give them a skilled option for the bottom-six. If the Wild decide to put Pitlick back on waivers at some point, Nashville will have a chance to send him directly to the minor leagues if they’re the only team to put in a claim. For now, it looks like he’ll get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level, even if it is in a part-time role at the fringe of a roster.
21 Players Clear Waivers
Oct 5: The Minnesota Wild claimed Pitlick from the Nashville Predators, but the other 21 players have cleared and can now be assigned to the minor leagues if necessary.
Oct 4: The waiver list for October 4 is out, and it includes another 22 players that have been cut from their respective NHL teams. The full list is as follows:
Alexander True (SEA)
Carsen Twarynski (SEA)
Pheonix Copley (WSH)
Matt Luff (NSH)
Cole Smith (NSH)
Rem Pitlick (NSH)
Matt Tennyson (NSH)
Frederic Allard (NSH)
Jordan Gross (COL)
Austin Poganski (WPG)
Luke Johnson (WPG)
Mikey Eyssimont (WPG)
Michael Carcone (ARI)
Tyler Sikura (CBJ)
Brendan Gaunce (CBJ)
Jean-Francois Berube (CBJ)
Gavin Bayreuther (CBJ)
Nicholas Caamano (DAL)
John Stevens (VAN)
Devante Stephens (VAN)
Spencer Martin (VAN)
Sheldon Rempal (VAN)
There are several names on this list that could be claimed, including both players from the Seattle Kraken. The pair of forwards were each part of the team’s expansion draft, selected from the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. While both seemed like odd decisions at the time, this may have been the plan all along; acquire some young players who are capable of playing in the NHL, but who could also slip through waivers before the season begins in order to have some injury insurance in the minor leagues.
Other names, like Copley, could potentially be targeted as an extra goaltender by those clubs currently dealing with some injuries in net.
Latest On Brady Tkachuk
The Ottawa Senators have two preseason games left. This Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, and Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Right now, it looks like they may not have star forward Brady Tkachuk for either of them.
Tkachuk is the final major restricted free agent left to sign this offseason after his most recent training partners, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, both signed multi-year deals with the Vancouver Canucks. Neither of those contracts, which were six and three years in length respectively, seem to be what the Senators are looking for in their negotiation with Tkachuk. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that Ottawa is “set” on only signing Tkachuk to a seven or eight-year deal.
One of the closest comparables to Tkachuk in terms of age and production was Andrei Svechnikov, who reached an eight-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in August. The two were both picked at the top of the 2018 draft, and have similar numbers through their first 200 NHL games (Svechnikov has one less goal but 15 more points in seven more games). The simple fact is though that not many premium restricted free agents are signing deals of that length for their second contract, instead trying to maximize earning potential by selling off fewer years of unrestricted free agency. That can be a nice compromise for most teams, given they also have salary cap concerns to worry about and a shorter deal keeps the cap hit down, but Ottawa isn’t really in that situation.
The Senators have more cap space than any other team in the league, as they currently sit below the cap floor. It makes sense then that they would want to lock in Tkachuk for as long as possible, as they did with Thomas Chabot in 2019 when they signed him to an eight-year, $64MM contract extension. Given their history of losing key players in free agency (or, rather trading them away as they approached it), buying out as many years as they can now is likely their best option. Avoiding a bridge deal, which would open up the path to arbitration in a few seasons, also seems prudent for a team that works on an internal budget.
But this season was also about turning the corner for Ottawa, moving away from the complete rebuild, and starting to play competitive hockey. Without Tkachuk in the lineup, their roster suddenly doesn’t look like it is ready to take that next step. Missing training camp and the start of the season has different effects on every player but has negatively impacted the performance of many in the past. The Senators have already accepted that risk as Tkachuk has missed most of camp, but if they don’t want him to miss many games they have just a few days left to find a compromise of some sort.
Though it is a long way away, one date to remember is December 1, when restricted free agents must be signed by if they are to play at all. In 2018, William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs made a deal at the very last second on his current six-year contract, which allowed him to suit up for the rest of the season. He had a dreadful year, scoring just seven goals in 54 games, and both sides expressed regret that they didn’t get something done sooner. There’s plenty of time to avoid that situation, but once the season begins, December comes quickly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Training Camp Cuts: 10/05/21
With minor league camps opening across the league, many more cuts will be made today in the NHL. The regular season is right around the corner and final decisions will have to be made soon. As always, we’ll keep track of the cuts right here.
Anaheim Ducks (via press release)
F Sasha Pastujov (to Guelph, OHL)
D Tyson Hinds (to Rimouski, QMJHL)
F Morgan Adams-Moisan (to San Diego, AHL)
F Hunter Drew (to San Diego, AHL)
G Olle Eriksson Ek (to San Diego, AHL)
G Frank Marotte (to San Diego, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via press release)
F Ryan MacInnis (to Rochester, AHL)*
F Sean Malone (to Rochester, AHL)*
F Matej Pekar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Linus Weissbach (to Rochester, AHL)
D Oskari Laaksonen (to Rochester, AHL)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (to Rochester, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via Tracey Myers, NHL.com)
G Arvid Soderblom (to Rockford, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via press release)
F Gabriel Fontaine (to Colorado, AHL)
F Jean-Luc Foudy (to Colorado, AHL)
D Andreas Englund (to Colorado, AHL)
G Justus Annunen (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via Aaron Portzline, The Athletic)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Sikura (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Jean-Francois Berube (to Cleveland, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team Twitter)
F Nicholas Caamano (to Texas, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via press release)
F Matt Luff (to Milwaukee, AHL)
F Cole Smith (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Frederic Allard (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Matt Tennyson (to Milwaukee, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)
F Elliot Desnoyers (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Samu Tuomaala (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Maksim Sushko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Logan Day (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Samuel Ersson (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (via team Twitter)
F Sasha Chmelevski (to San Jose, AHL)
D Ryan Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via AHL release)
F Alexander True (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Carsen Twarynski (to Charlotte, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team Twitter)
F Mikhail Abramov (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jack Kopacka (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jeremy McKenna (to Toronto, AHL)
F Nicholas Robertson (to Toronto, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Toronto, AHL)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (to Toronto, AHL)
D Teemu Kivihalme (to Toronto, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team Twitter)
F Aliaksei Protas (to Hershey, AHL)
D Alex Alexeyev (to Hershey, AHL)
D Tobias Geisser (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)*
F Mike Vecchione (to Hershey, AHL)*
F Brian Pinho (to Hershey, AHL)*
*Pending waivers
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 10/04/21
While NHL training camp rosters are being thinned, AHL training camps are just getting started and with it comes opportunities for still-unsigned free agents to find a team for the coming season. While there have been many AHL tryouts and other such moves of late, here are some of the most notable “minor” transactions:
- While NHL veteran Tim Schaller drew the headlines, the Bakersfield Condors have also signed Graham McPhee to a one-year contract. McPhee, 23, will stick around the Edmonton Oilers organization for another year, despite the team that drafted him never offering him an entry-level contract. McPhee split last season – his first pro campaign – between the Condors and the ICEHL’s Vienna Capitals. The former Boston College Eagle plays a hard-working game but still has room to develop his skill before he can challenge for NHL consideration.
- The Chicago Wolves will have 14 players in camp on tryout agreements, several of whom are recognizable names. Coming off of NHL contracts, both Drake Rymsha and Luke Green will now have to perform in camp just to earn AHL deals. Rymsha, 23, actually played one game with the L.A. Kings last season but was not extended a qualifying offer and signed with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, but is looking to land in Chicago instead. Green, 23, was also not qualified after spending last season on loan in Finland, but is looking to make a comeback with the Wolves after failing to make a difference in the Winnipeg Jets organization.
- After missing the 2019-20 season due to post-concussion syndrome, former San Jose Shark Rourke Chartier made his return to hockey last year with the Toronto Marlies. He will look to stay in the AHL and in Ontario as he has joined the Belleville Senators on a tryout offer. Chartier has been a consistent producer in the minors and at 25 still has some gas in the tank.