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League Notes: Chinakhov, Morrow, Cooke

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While Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov only recently formally requested a trade, tensions between him and the organization have been building for some time, reports The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

As Portzline outlines, discontent between Chinakhov and Columbus has been evident for years, noting that early in the 2023-24 season, Babaev told The Columbus Dispatch that Chinakhov, “doesn’t feel the (Blue Jackets) trust him, and he wants to leave.” Then last season, Chinakhov struggled with a back injury and later told reporters that he and the team disagreed on the best course of treatment. This ultimately led to Chinakhov traveling to Russia during the 4 Nations Face-Off break to have a procedure that wasn’t an approved treatment in North America, Portzline reports. And while Chinakhov averaged a career-high 15:43 of ice time per game last season, he became a frequent healthy scratch at the tail end of the campaign, sitting out 12 of the Jackets’ final 13 games.

This all resulted in Chinakhov and Babaev making official trade demands this week, with Chinakhov speaking to Russian outlet Sport-Express, and Babaev posting on X and speaking with The Athletic. While his back injury (and healthy scratches) led to just 30 games played last season, Chinakhov has stated this offseason that he is 100 percent healthy. In 175 career NHL games, the 24-year-old former first-round pick has recorded 34 goals and 71 points and could offer another franchise a quality depth scoring option.

Portzline adds that the Blue Jackets expect Chinakhov to report to training camp if a trade does not materialize, and Chinakhov has stated he expects to honor his contract, which comes with a $2.1MM AAV. Given Chinakhov’s stated desire for top-six minutes and the Blue Jackets’ need for scoring, Portzline notes the irony in the two sides being unable to find common ground.

In other news around the league:

  • Former first-round selection defenseman Joe Morrow has signed a one-year deal with Unia Oswiecim of the Polska Hokej Liga (PHL) in Poland, per Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live. Morrow, 32, was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins 23rd overall in the 2011 draft. He was then traded in 2013 to the Boston Bruins in a deal that brought veteran forward Brenden Morrow (no relation) back to the Penguins. Morrow would go on to suit up in 162 career NHL games across five seasons for the Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, and Montreal Canadiens. He also appeared in 174 AHL games over his career. Following the 2019-20 season, Morrow headed overseas and has appeared in the KHL and spent the last two years in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EHIL) in the United Kingdom.
  • Former NHL forward Matt Cooke, a veteran of more than 1,000 career games, was hired as head coach and general manager of the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League, Rorabaugh reports. Vernon plays in the junior “A” league, the second-highest tier of Canada’s junior hockey. As Rorabaugh outlines, Cooke has coached at various levels since his retirement in 2015, including stints including a stint as head coach of the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers. Over 14 NHL seasons, Cooke, who was known for playing on the edge, recorded 398 points and 1,135 penalty minutes. He won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, playing a key role on the team’s third line alongside Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy.

Minor Transactions: 8/3/24

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It’s unlikely that there will be considerable activity on the NHL transactions front at this point of the summer but some of their affiliates have been busy in recent days.  Here’s a rundown of those moves and any news on former NHL players.

  • Free agent winger Nick Swaney has signed a one-year deal with AHL Chicago, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 26-year-old spent the last four years in Minnesota’s system but was limited to just seven games due to injuries last season.  Swaney had 30 points in 48 AHL contests in 2022-23, resulting in him making his NHL debut as well.
  • Former NHL blueliner Joe Morrow is sticking around in England as he has re-signed with EIHL Manchester, per a team release. The 31-year-old played in 162 NHL games over parts of five seasons with Boston, Montreal, and Winnipeg, collecting 32 points.  Last season with the Storm, Morrow had 27 points.  He has had somewhat of a nomadic journey since leaving North America, spending time in Belarus, Finland, Kazakhstan, Russia, Switzerland, and now England.
  • Nick Jones, who spent the last four seasons on Winnipeg’s AHL team, has opted for a change of scenery as Vlci Zilina of the Slovak Extraliga announced on their Instagram page that they’ve inked the winger to a one-year deal. The 28-year-old had 16 points in 47 games with the Moose last season but now qualifies for the lower tier of veteran status with more than 260 career AHL appearances (but below the main veteran threshold of 320) which likely limited his North American options this summer.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 02/11/23

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It’s been a packed day on the NHL schedule, with seven games already completed. The Montreal Canadiens took home a late comeback win against the New York Islanders, while the Tampa Bay Lightning triumphed in a 2020 Stanley Cup Final rematch that was nationally televised in the United States. As fans continue to enjoy today’s wealth of NHL action, teams in minor and foreign leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll track those moves here.

  • 2011 first-round pick Joe Morrow, who was part of the infamous trade that sent Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars, had his contract terminated with KHL club HK Sochi today. The 162-game NHL veteran had a difficult 31-game run in Russia, potting just nine points for the worst team in the KHL, and will now look elsewhere to continue his professional career.
  • 2014 sixth-overall pick Jake Virtanen was released by EHC Visp, a club that competes in the second division of Swiss Hockey. Emmanuel Favre of the Swiss newspaper Le Matin reported that Virtanen’s release comes after he allegedly had an altercation with a teammate. On paper, Virtanen’s numbers were solid this year (25 points in 21 games) but he’ll now need to find another home to continue his pro career as his time with Visp has ended.
  • Former Arizona Coyotes prospect Jens Looke has reportedly transferred to IF Bjorkloven, according to Johan Svensson of SportExpressen. The move takes Looke from the Finnish Liiga to the Swedish second-division, the HockeyAllsvenskan, where he has starred in the past. The last time Looke, who has 29 points in 37 games in Liiga this season, was in the HockeyAllsvenskan he scored 62 points in 52 games, helping lift Timra to promotion to the SHL. That’s exactly what he’ll hope to do with Bjorkloven this season.
  • The ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays have released netminder Mario Culina. The team lost their top scorer, Carter Turnbull, yesterday, and now augments their situation in the crease with the release of the 25-year-old Culina. Culina made his professional debut last season with 13 games played for the Fort Wayne Komets and had played two games for the Stingrays since signing with them on February 6th.
  • The exodus from SaiPa has begun. Per an announcement from his new club, SaiPa Lappeenranta’s starting netminder Niclas Westerholm has signed a contract with rival Liiga side Karpat.  SaiPa currently sit last in the Liiga standings, and with their fate looking increasingly dire Westerholm has chosen to make an exit. The 25-year-old has played 40 games this season and has an .884 save percentage. He’ll compete with Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Joel Blomqvist.
  • Former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nicolas Mattinen has reportedly signed a contract to leave his current team, the ICEHL’s VSV EC at the end of the season to join the DEL’s Straubing Tigers for the 2023-24 campaign, according to Martin Quendler of Kleine Zeitung. Mattinen, 24, has been VSV’s top blueliner this season, scoring 37 points in 44 games in what has been a successful first season playing overseas professional hockey for the two-time OHL champion.
  • Adam Lapsansky, a veteran of Slovakia’s top professional league, is transferring from HC Dukla Michalovce to HC Nove Zamsky. Through this transfer Lapsansky, who has nearly 500 Slovak Extraliga games under his belt, moves up one spot on the league table. Lapsansky has scored just eight points in 25 games this season, and will hope that this transfer serves as a productive change of scenery.
  • 38-year-old Marek Hovorka, a longtime veteran of the Central European pro hockey circuit and an Olympian who represented his native Slovakia at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang, has signed with Slovak club HC Kosice. Hovorka has played in Slovakia’s second division this season, scoring 14 points in 12 games for Vlci Zilina, and will now look to help Kosice as they attempt to gain ground on HKM Zvolen and HC Slovan Bratislava in the league table.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Joe Morrow Signs In KHL

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After spending last season in Finland, Joe Morrow isn’t on his way back to North America. Instead, the veteran defenseman has signed a one-year contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL.

Morrow, 28, played 162 NHL games before heading overseas last year, suiting up for the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets. After terminating his contract with the New Jersey Devils at the end of 2019, he joined Dinamo Minsk for what was left of the KHL season. He managed just three points in 22 games there, but will now test the waters again with another club.

It’s been quite the ride to this point for the 23rd overall pick from 2011. Morrow was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins but traded to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Morrow (no relation) before the end of his first professional season. Just a few months later he’d be flipped again, this time to Boston in the Tyler Seguin deal, after playing just 17 games in the Dallas system. After a few years in Boston he was left unqualified and signed with Montreal, just to find himself traded again to the Jets at the deadline.

Six different NHL organizations and now three overseas clubs by the age of 28, it’s been a roller coaster for the Edmonton native. There’s still time for Morrow to return to North America before his prime years are over (though a chance in the NHL is unlikely at this point), so he remains a name to keep in mind the KHL season ends next year.

Ben Thomas Drawing Interest In Sweden

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Defenseman Ben Thomas was finally able to crack the NHL this season, skating in five games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in his fifth pro season. However, it was too little too late in terms of NHL experience, as Thomas qualified for Group 6 unrestricted free agency. Yet, it seems as though the interest overseas is greater than any NHL interest that Thomas may have hoped for. Swedish source Expressen reports that the SHL’s Leksands IF has been negotiating with Thomas as they seek a top pair defenseman.

Thomas, 25, was a fourth-round pick of the Lightning in 2014. A productive two-way defenseman in the WHL, Thomas largely translated that ability to the AHL, recording 16+ points in each of his first four seasons with the Syracuse Crunch. However, he took a big step last season, recording nine points in only 16 games, not to mention a +8 rating. After years of being the “next man up” that never actually got called up, Thomas finally earned his chance with five games with Tampa Bay. While he was held scoreless, Thomas contributed defensively and his other underlying numbers were strong in the small sample size. His play across both leagues was at least enough to garner attention from overseas.

Expressen notes that Leksands is actually looking for two top defensemen and have talked to several former NHLers in addition to Thomas. This includes Anton Lindholm, who recently signed in the KHL, and Gustav Olofsson, who like Thomas played on NHL contracts last season. Joe Morrow and Matt Donovan are also in the mix. With a number of notable names on their list of candidates, it is clear that Leksands is serious about adding talent to the blue line. It also stands to reason that Leksands push to sign Thomas, described as “extensive”, could also be drawing the attention of other SHL contenders. Perhaps the opportunity in Sweden, both financially and role, is actually attracting Thomas away from a two-way NHL contract.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/21

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We’re a week away from NHL hockey. Final preparations are being made all over the league and with roster spots dwindling, players may have to start settling for AHL deals. The ECHL is underway and the AHL is set for next month, so we’re sure to see regular transactions hit the wire. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.

  • The Colorado Eagles have signed Alexandre Fortin to an AHL deal, bringing in the 23-year-old after several seasons in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Despite playing in 24 NHL contests during his entry-level contract, Fortin wasn’t issued a qualifying offer by the Blackhawks this offseason and became an unrestricted free agent. The undrafted forward scored 17 points in 44 games with the Rockford IceHogs last season.
  • Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, who left North America after the 2018-19 season and returned to Sweden, has been traded from Vaxjo to Farjestad in the SHL. The 24-year-old is technically still on the Bruins reserve list and would have to sign with them if he wanted to return, but after struggling to produce any sort of offense overseas it’s hard to know where his future really lies. In 26 games this season with Vaxjo he recorded zero goals and four assists.
  • Joe Morrow, who spent most of last season with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL, has signed a contract with Assat of the Finnish Liiga for the rest of this campaign. The 28-year-old defenseman actually has 162 games at the NHL level, but was something of a disappointment at each of his professional stops. Perhaps with a strong showing in Finland, he can get back on the NHL radar.

Joe Morrow Headed To KHL

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Monday: After clearing waivers and seeing his NHL contract terminated, Morrow has signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL.

Saturday: The Devils have decided to part ways with defenseman Joe Morrow.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they have placed the blueliner on unconditional waivers, paving the way for the team to terminate his contract if he clears on Sunday.  It’s worth noting that New Jersey is only at 46 contracts out of the maximum of 50 so this move doesn’t appear to be made with freeing up a contract slot in mind.

Morrow spent last season with Winnipeg where he got into 41 games but needed to go the training camp tryout route to land a contract.  He spent camp with the Rangers but did well enough for the Devils to sign him early in the season, inking him to a one-year, two-way contract that paid the league minimum $700K in the NHL and $250K in the minors with a total guaranteed salary of $300K.

However, he has not fared particularly well with AHL Binghamton this season.  Through 16 games, he has just a goal and three assists along with a -9 plus/minus rating, the second-worst on the team amongst defensemen.  With a recall not likely on the horizon, this move will give him a chance to catch on somewhere else although it’s quite possible that he may wind up heading overseas.

New Jersey Devils Sign Joe Morrow

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26-year-old Joe Morrow is set to join his sixth different NHL franchise. Or seventh if you count his recent training camp stint with the New York Rangers. The New Jersey Devils must have seen something they liked while he was in camp with their cross-town rivals, as the team has announced a one-year, two-way contract with Morrow. The deal is worth the minimum $700K at the NHL level and $250K in the AHL. He has been placed on waivers today for the purpose of reassignment to AHL Binghamton.

Morrow has quietly established himself as a capable puck-moving depth option on the blue line, despite a career in which teams have been willing to move on from him quickly. Morrow was traded twice before even making his NHL debut; first from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who current Devils GM Ray Shero selected in the first round in 2011, to the Dallas Stars, then from the Stars to the Boston Bruins. Morrow played in 65 games with Boston in his first four pro seasons, but failed to impress and the team opted not to qualify him in 2017, making him a free agent. Morrow signed with the Montreal Canadiens and finally looked like his ability had caught up to his draft billing, but the Habs dealt him to the Winnipeg Jets before the end of the season. After continuing his career-best campaign with Winnipeg, even contributing in the playoffs, the Jets held on to him last year. However, he failed to capitalize in 41 games, the most NHL action he had seen with one team in a season, and the Jets also decided not to extend a qualifying offer. Morrow received little attention in the off-season and his PTO with the Rangers didn’t pan out.

However, the Devils see a smooth skating defenseman with 162 games of NHL experience and strong AHL production and are clearly willing to take a chance. It’s likely not a coincidence that Morrow’s signing comes after New Jersey surrendered 12 goals in it’s first two games of the new season. Despite adding P.K. Subban this summer to a defense corps that also features other highly-mobile rearguards like Sami Vatanen, Damon Severson, and Will Butcher, it’s apparent that Shero is not happy with the early results and is looking to add depth. Morrow’s career production is very similar to that of Connor Carrick and superior to the likes of Mirco Mueller and Matt Tennyson, plus he brings the most playoff experience of the group. One could argue that he has a better defensive track record than the rest as well. If Morrow can find his groove in the AHL, he could easily challenge for a higher spot on the depth chart and perhaps even a regular role in New Jersey.

Joe Morrow To Attend New York Rangers Camp

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The New York Rangers have brought along another veteran for training camp, announcing today that Joe Morrow will attend on a professional tryout. Morrow spent last season with the Winnipeg Jets, but was not issued a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent.

Morrow, 26, was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2011 but has bounced around the NHL since then. Making his debut with the Boston Bruins in 2014-15, he’s played 162 games since then including 41 last season with the Jets. Once a feared offensive threat in the WHL, Morrow hasn’t brought much of that to the NHL level where he has just 32 points over the years. Still, he will provide some extra depth in Rangers camp and get to show teams around the league that he’s still worthy of an NHL deal.

The Jets payed Morrow $1MM last season, but you have to think he won’t get much more than league minimum at this point if he was unable to find a deal through the summer. That could be a savvy pickup for a team like New York that could potentially flip him at the deadline to a defense-needy team for an asset, however small.

Poll: Which UFA Is The Most Attractive PTO Candidate?

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It’s now September and, other than a handful of cases, unrestricted free agents who are still unsigned are likely going to have to earn an NHL contract in training camp. While the major storyline around the league remains unsigned RFA’s, there is still plenty of talent available on the open market. Some players are simply sitting on offers though, waiting to make a decision. For example, decorated veterans like  Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Niklas Kronwall and perhaps even Dion Phaneuf and Thomas Vanek are not playing on PTO’s. Neither are players rumored to have considerable interest, such as Jake Gardiner and Ben Hutton. That still leaves a lot of ability still searching for NHL employment though.

The best part of a PTO is that it mitigates risk. A player on a tryout is not (yet) taking up a roster spot or salary cap space and their injury history doesn’t matter as much, without any commitment beyond training camp. The tryout process simply allows players to show what they can bring to a team during practices and preseason games on the off chance that their performance in fact warrants a contract. Some teams may lean toward inviting a veteran, both to provide some leadership during camp but also to see what he has left in the tank. Others will invite a younger, prime-age player coming off of a down season, doing their due diligence on whether he might be worth a second chance. There’s also the frequent case of some teams simply checking available players against internal options when it comes to establishing depth for the season. With that in mind, which player would you most like your favorite team to take a look at on a PTO?

Veteran Forwards: Brian Boyle, Troy Brouwer, Drew Stafford, Jamie McGinn, Micheal Haley

Prime Forwards: Riley Sheahan, Magnus Paajarvi, Tobias Rieder, Devante Smith-Pelly, Rourke Chartier

Veteran Defensemen: Dan Girardi, Adam McQuaid, David Schlemko, Eric Gryba

Prime Defensemen: Michael Stone, Joe Morrow, Fredrik Claesson

Goaltenders: Scott Darling, Chad Johnson

Of these players, which one is most worthy of a risk-free look in camp in hopes of finding a surprise contributor for the 2019-20 season?

Mobile users, click here to vote.

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