Minor Transactions: 12/11/24
As has been the case throughout the season, there have been a bunch of minor moves around the NHL, primarily for roster management purposes. Here’s a rundown of those that haven’t already been covered.
- The Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Ryan Winterton from AHL Coachella Valley. The 21-year-old has been shuffled back and forth multiple times in the early going this season. Winterton has played in six games with Seattle, picking up an assist while averaging 10:45 per game of ice time. With the Firebirds, Winterton has been quite productive, recording seven goals and eight assists in 16 games so far.
- The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Mark Friedman to AHL Vancouver. The 28-year-old was recalled in late November but only got into one game while on recall. After clearing waivers in training camp, Friedman got into eight games with Abbotsford, notching a goal and three assists.
- The Avalanche continued their trend of near-daily transactions. Colorado assigned forward Ivan Ivan, defenseman Keaton Middleton, and goalie Trent Miner to the minors, per the AHL’s transactions log. Ivan has played exclusively with the Avs this season and has eight points in 30 games so it’s safe to say this is another paper move for salary cap reasons. The others aren’t as certain. Middleton has seen limited action in his three games and with the Avs having seven other healthy blueliners, they could opt to keep him down. Miner, meanwhile, was brought up with newcomer Mackenzie Blackwood being sick so his assignment could mean that Blackwood is ready to make his debut with Colorado in which case Miner would stay with the Eagles.
- After being named to Czechia’s preliminary World Junior roster yesterday, the Kings have loaned defenseman Jakub Dvorak to the national team, per the AHL’s transactions log. Considering that he’s seeing regular action with the Reign, it’s likely that he’s going to make the team so Los Angeles could have tried to see if they could keep him a little longer before loaning him out like Seattle intends to do with winger Eduard Sale but instead, Dvorak will join the Czechs for their full training camp.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Jakub Dvorak
In a press release this afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings announced they have signed 54th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Jakub Dvorak, to an entry-level contract. It will be a typical three-year contract, paying the young defenseman an AAV of $900K per season.
Dvorak is not much of a point scorer but relies primarily on his large frame. Standing at 6’5″, Dvorak uses his body substantially as a hard-hitting defenseman and uses solid body positioning to gain control of the puck.
In his draft year, Dvorak played for Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga, tallying two assists in 24 games. The team played well, finishing with a record of 19-10-10, losing in the playoff quarterfinals to Mountfield Hokejový Klub in five games. Dvorak surely benefited from the wisdom of the former NHL talent on his team, including forwards Tomas Plekanec and Marko Dano.
In all likelihood, Dvorak will start the year on Liberec, as Los Angeles is steadfast in competing for the Stanley Cup this season, and will likely be seeking more NHL-ready talent on the blue line. Even if the Kings did not consider themselves to be in contention for the sport’s top prize, it would be rare to see a second-round pick play a season after their draft.