Minor Transactions: 05/08/22
Half of the NHL is in the playoffs and focused on little else. The other half of the league has turned their attention to the offseason, but are limited in what they can actually do before the NHL Draft and free agency. However, for nearly every other league in the world, it is a busy time. The KHL, Liiga, and Swiss National League have all wrapped up their seasons and started offseason activities, and the SHL is at most two games from joining them. Closer to home, as CHL seasons come to an end in the playoffs, AHL rosters are being supplemented by assignments and amateur tryouts. NCAA programs are also finalizing their rosters for next season, some in response to pro signings. So while transactions may seem like a non-issue in the NHL right now, there is plenty going on elsewhere:
- Cole Spicer, a member of the USNTDP and the silver medal-winning U.S. entry into the U-18 World Juniors, has finally landed on a new destination for his collegiate career. Spicer had recently decommitted from the University of North Dakota and Matt Wellens of the The Rink Live reports that he will instead play for a NCHC rival. Spicer has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth and will join the Bulldogs next season. Spicer will now play alongside USNTDP teammate and presumptive 2022 first-round pick Isaac Howard at UMD, whereas no one from the program’s graduating class is headed to North Dakota now. Though Spicer is a step behind compared to an extraordinarily talented USNTDTP group this year, expected to go in the fourth round or later rather than the first two rounds, he was still a key contributor to the team and a prospect to watch moving forward.
- Niko Huuhtanen, a seventh-round selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning last year, is getting his first taste of the pro level to end the year. The Bolts’ AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, have announced that Huuhtanen has signed an ATO with the team for the remainder of the season. The Finnish product is having quite the first season in North America; after recording 37 goals and 77 points in 65 games with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, Huuhtanen is now getting a shot in the AHL less than a year after he nearly went undrafted, taken with the very last pick of the 2021 Draft. The power forward could be yet another late-round find by Tampa. The Crunch have also added undrafted defenseman Tyson Feist on an ATO. The 21-year-old captain of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets just wrapped up his junior career by scoring more points (39) in 65 games this season than he did in his first four WHL seasons combined. The Lightning want to see if he has what it takes to continue on to the pro level.
- When Helsinki-based club Jokerit backed out of the KHL playoffs and later announced they would be leaving the league altogether, the expectation was that they would be returning to the Finnish Liiga next season. However, no such official decision has been made and with the Liiga now in offseason mode, a pair of notable Jokerit forwards have decided to move elsewhere. SC Rapperswil-Jona has announced that both Nicklas Jensen and Jordan Schroeder have signed two-year deals with the team. Playing on a Jokerit roster filled with former and future NHLers, Jensen and Schroeder ranked first and third respectively in goals and second and third respectively in points. The former Jokers are expected to fill those same top-line roles with the Lakers for the next two years and should be even more productive in the Liiga. Both first-round picks of yesteryear, Jensen and Schroeder combine for less than 200 NHL games between them, but have found their place as top scorers in Europe.
- Usually when the KHL rights of active NHL players are traded, there is information informing the value of those rights. With that in mind, pay attention to Russian netminder Alexei Melnichuk this offseason. HC Sochi and SKA St. Petersburg have made a deal in which the rights to forward Ivan Morozov and goaltender Mikhail Berdin were sent to SKA, while Melnichuk’s rights are headed to Sochi, the club announced. Seeing as Morozov just signed with the Vegas Golden Knights two weeks ago and Berdin is signed through next season with the Winnipeg Jets and to a one-way deal no less, the only player whose rights could reasonably have value in 2022-23 is Melnichuk. An impending restricted free agent, the 23-year-old Melnichuk is not having the season he expected after making his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks last year. Rather than gain more of a role in the Sharks’ organization, Melnichuk played exclusively in the AHL this year before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the deadline, who have kept him in the ECHL ever since. Melnichuk put up stellar numbers in the KHL at a young age before jumping to North America and there could be a strong draw to return given his recent usage and results. On the other side, though Berdin has long been committed to playing in North America and Morozov is an up-and-coming prospect who hopes to have a long NHL career, St. Petersburg certainly added the vastly superior talent in the deal and will be happy to cash in if either player ever return to Russia.
Markus Hannikainen Signs With Jokerit
Former Columbus Blue Jacket and Arizona Coyote Markus Hannikainen is headed home to Finland and to the club he grew up with. Seemingly unable to find a new NHL contract, Hannikainen has signed with the KHL’s Jokerit of his hometown of Helsinki. The veteran forward appears to be fully committed as well; the team has announced that Hannikainen has returned on a “long-term” contract. The 27-year-old has spent the past five seasons in the NHL and AHL but previously spent six years with Jokerit at various levels of Finnish hockey.
Were it not for the flat salary cap and the current lull in the NHL free agent market, perhaps Hannikainen may have been able to find another contract in North America. However, his return overseas should not come as a surprise as his career appeared to be trending in that direction. A hard-working, two-way winger whose defensive zone ability far exceeded his point totals – even as a younger prospect – Hannikainen finally broke out offensively as a pro after leaving Jokerit to join the Liiga’s JYP in 2014-15. He turned that success into an entry-level deal with Columbus, the first of three contracts he would sign with the club over three years. Hannikainen even played in four games with the Jackets in his first season in North America. As the years went on, Hannikainen began to carve out a regular role for himself in Columbus – or so it seemed. Even as his games played jumped four to 10 to 33 and finally to 44 (and a full season in the NHL) in 2018-19, the forward’s role with Columbus was always limited to meager fourth line minutes and very little offensive opportunity. As a result, the Blue Jackets did not hesitate to leave Hannikainen in the AHL this past season when they were able to upgrade their forward corps. After months without an NHL appearance, Hannikainen was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in February and the ‘Yotes also opted to leave him in the minors. A two-way contract this off-season would not have been out of the question for the veteran, but between his limited NHL results and lack of offensive ability he was always going to have to prove himself in the AHL to get back to the top level.
Instead, Hannikainen has decided to return home where a guaranteed role is waiting and where he can maximize his offensive potential. While Hannikainen has a long history with Jokerit, this will be his first experience in the KHL after the club shifted leagues during his NHL absence. The level of competition should be higher this time around, but the experienced winger has several NHL seasons to his credit now as well. He also joins a talented team whose roster includes a laundry list of NHL vets including recently re-signed leading scorer Brian O’Neill and the likes of Nicklas Jensen, Jordan Schroeder, Jesse Joensuu, Iiro Pakarinen, Henrik Haapala, Saku Maenalanen, Peter Regin, Viktor Loov, Alex Grant, and Anders Lindback. The rich get richer with the addition of Hannikainen to a team that should compete for years to come in hope of winning their first Gagarin Cup.
Jordan Schroeder Signs In KHL
After failing to suit up in a single NHL game for the first time in six years, Jordan Schroeder is taking his talents overseas. The pending unrestricted free agent has signed on with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for the 2019-20 season.
Schroeder, 28, played this season for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL after a trade brought him to the Chicago Blackhawks organization last summer. The veteran minor league forward ended up with 45 points in 62 games, but failed to earn even a single call up. Prior to this year, Schroeder had played in at least 21 games in every season since 2012-13, suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets during that time.
His KHL deal is just for one season, meaning we very well could see a return to North America before long. Originally selected in the first round ten years ago, Schroeder has 42 points in 165 NHL regular season games but isn’t well suited to a bottom-six role. The 5’9″ forward has been an excellent AHL scorer throughout his career, and could very well find success on a KHL team that saw Andrew Calof lead the way with 41 points in 58 games last season.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Chicago Blackhawks
Current Cap Hit: $74,008,045 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Nick Schmaltz (one year, $925K)
F Dylan Sikura (one year, $925K)
F Dominik Kahun (two years, $925K)
F David Kampf (one year, $925K)
F Victor Ejdsell (one year, $834K)
F Alex DeBrincat (two years, $778K)
Potential Bonuses:
Kahun: $2.85MM
Sikura: $925K
Schmaltz: $850K
DeBrincat: $133K
Total: $4,76MM
The team has a number of quality youngsters who will eventually cost them a good deal of money. However, the team has high expectations for Schmaltz, who had a breakout season and was one of the few bright spots in Chicago during a dismal season. Schmaltz, in his second year, scored 21 goals and added 52 points and is expected to be the team’s No. 2 center for a number of years in the future. The only key issue that Schmaltz continues to work on is his struggles in the face-off circle as he had just a 40.1 percent faceoff winning percentage last year, which is horrible.
The team’s other major bright spot was the play of DeBrincat. The 20-year-old made the team and then tallied 28 goals in his rookie campaign and looks to be another solid scorer for Chicago to work with in the top-six. The team hopes for a similar season from Sikura, who the team signed out of Northeastern University, where he posted 58 goals over four seasons there. The 23-year-old winger looks to have a solid chance of joining DeBrincat in the top six this season.
Two other interesting names, who could make an impact with the team are Ejdsell and Kahun. Ejdsell, who the team acquired in the Ryan Hartman trade at the deadline, has an opportunity to beat out Sikura for a top-six spot if he has a good training camp, while Kahun, signed to a two-year deal out of Germany, is another candidate to make the team and contribute immediately.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Cam Ward ($3MM, UFA)
F Marcus Kruger ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Jan Rutta ($2.3MM, UFA)
F Chris Kunitz ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Schroeder ($650K, UFA)
F Tyler Sikura ($650K, UFA)
While the Blackhawks offseason was relatively quiet, the team did make a splash in the goaltending market after the team went for much of the season last year without their starting goaltender. Because of their lack of depth, the team added Ward to help fill the backup role, who could also take over starting duties if needed. The 35-year-old Ward played 43 games for Carolina a year ago and posted a .906 save percentage along with two shutouts. While those numbers aren’t great, they are better than the goalies they carried a season ago.
The team also brought in some grit, bringing back Kruger as well as signing 38-year-old Kunitz. Both should fill significant roles in the bottom-six and hopefully boost the production of those lines. Kruger struggled since leaving Chicago. He posted just one goal and five assists in 48 games last season and was demoted to the AHL for 19 games. However, in the offseason, Kruger admitted he played the entire season with a hernia, which is what affected his play. Now, fully healthy, Kruger might be able to bounce back. Both are solid one-year options.
The 28-year-old Rutta showed some solid signs of progress in his rookie campaign. He averaged 19:15 of ATOI, scoring six goals and 20 points, as well as having a (minus) one plus/minus ratio. Another season could boost his production as a top-four defenseman.
Two Years Remaining
G Corey Crawford ($6MM, UFA)
D Brandon Manning ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($1.2MM, UFA)
F John Hayden ($750K, RFA)
The Blackhawks success will likely fall on Crawford, who missed most of the season last year with concussion-like symptoms and the 33-year-old netminder has already indicated that he likely won’t be ready for training camp and could miss part of the season next year.
With those issues, there isn’t necessarily a guarantee that he will bounce back and put up similar numbers from his 2015-16 season when he put up a .919 save percentage in 55 games. His numbers were actually even better in the 2017-18 season before he was injured, posting a .929 save percentage to go with two shutouts in 28 games.
Chicago will rely on Gustafsson and Murphy to help man their defense. Both will need to improve quite a bit to improve their weakened defense. Gustafsson showed some promise after being recalled late in the season from Rockford of the AHL and he posted 16 points in 35 games. The defensive-minded Murphy, who came over in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade was solid, if not unspectacular on defense. Both will be needed if the team wants to return to the playoffs next year.Read more
Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Jean-Francois Berube
The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Jordan Schroeder to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jean-Francois Berube, bringing in another goaltender to the organization. Schroeder actually carries a slightly lower cap hit ($650K vs. $750K for Berube), but both are on one-way deals.
The Blackhawks have been open with their desire to add an experienced goaltender behind Corey Crawford for next season, and were involved in the talks for Philipp Grubauer at one point. Now, Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to Jonathan Bernier, Carter Hutton and Cam Ward, three of the best and most experienced goaltenders headed for unrestricted free agency. It would make sense then to clear out one of the five goaltenders they had under contract, and Berube must have pulled the short straw.
Berube, 26, looked like an up-and-coming goaltender a few years ago for the Los Angeles Kings and then New York Islanders, but couldn’t put it all together at the NHL level. Now through 34 games at the highest level he’s posted just a .898 save percentage. The Blue Jackets won’t be using him at the NHL level unless something happens to one of their other goaltenders—their duo of Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo is one of the best in the league—but could use a veteran for the Lake Erie Monsters.
Schroeder did play in 21 games for the Blue Jackets this season, but didn’t appear to be in their long-term plans. The 27-year old center is an excellent minor league player, but has just 42 points through 165 NHL games and will now join his fourth team without being able to lock down a full-time role. If he can’t secure the fourth-line center role in Chicago he’ll likely find himself on waivers again before the season begins, and perhaps playing for the Rockford IceHogs this year.
Minor Transactions: 01/29/18
As January comes to a close, the NHL resumes a normal schedule and teams across the league try to make a push for the playoffs. The trade deadline, which comes in just a few weeks will bring new addresses for some of the very best players, while along the way many minor moves will be made to help the edges of a roster. We’ll keep track of all the day’s minor transactions right here.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Joonas Korpisalo, Dean Kukan, Markus Hannikainen and Zac Dalpe from the minor leagues, sending Jeff Zatkoff and Andre Benoit back down. These moves were expected, although it is interesting that Jordan Schroeder was left in the AHL. The Blue Jackets will take on Minnesota tomorrow night.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea as expected, bringing the 23-year old forward back up for another chance with the NHL club. Dea has one goal in four games this season, and will look to get back into the lineup when the Penguins host the San Jose Sharks tomorrow night.
- Erik Burgdoerfer, Colin White and Chris DiDomenico are all back with the Ottawa Senators, and they’ve moved Gabriel Dumont to injured reserve to clear room.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled just Kasperi Kapanen, which lends credence to the idea that Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev will return soon. The Maple Leafs currently have just six healthy defensemen, and had previously recalled Rinat Valiev to serve as the extra. If that’s not done by tomorrow, you can bet one of the injured players will be back in the lineup.
- Joel Eriksson Ek is back with the Minnesota Wild, and will try to make a bigger impact in the second half. The 21-year old forward has just seven points this season in 42 games and hasn’t been the Calder Trophy nominee many expected.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have brought Louis Domingue back up after giving him a chance to stay fresh during the break. Domingue has seemingly solved the Lightning backup goalie issue with his strong play since coming over from Arizona, recording a .928 save percentage in his two starts.
- The Winnipeg Jets have flipped goaltenders, recalling Eric Comrie and sending Jamie Phillips to the Manitoba Moose. Interestingly it wasn’t Michael Hutchinson who got the call, as he continues to dominate the AHL. Steve Mason remains sidelined by concussion symptoms, unclear of when he’ll return.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Jason Dickinson, Dillon Heatherington and Julius Honka as expected. Honka and Heatherington will continue to try and prove that they deserve a full-time role on the blue line while Marc Methot deals with injury.
- Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Lomberg are back with the Calgary Flames, though Marek Hrvik, who was sent down along with them prior to the break was not recalled. Hrivik will likely have to wait for another opportunity to get back onto the NHL club.
- Ian McCoshen, Samuel Montembeault and Maxim Mamin are all on their way back to the Florida Panthers as expected, and will try to show that they deserve to be considered part of the future for the team. The Panthers find themselves well out of a playoff spot heading into the second half and would need an impressive run to get back into the picture.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Anders Bjork under emergency conditions, as they deal with Brad Marchand‘s suspension. The conditions also mean that someone is dealing with an injury, though it’s not clear who exactly that is in regards to the call up.
- A pair of players are on their way down to Brooklyn from Bridgeport, as the Islanders have called up Tanner Fritz and Ross Johnston from the AHL.
Minor Transactions: 1/27/18
Although there aren’t any games on the schedule with the All-Star Skills Competition on tap tonight, there will still be some roster moves around the league as players get sent back to play while the NHL is off. We’ll keep tabs on those moves here.
- The Maple Leafs announced that they have returned winger Kasperi Kapanen to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. His stint with the big club didn’t last very long as he was only recalled back on Tuesday although there is a good chance he’ll be recalled in advance of their next game on Wednesday. Kapanen has two goals in eight NHL games so far this season while adding 22 points (10-12-22) in 27 minor league contests, earning himself an All-Star nod at that level. However, despite being sent down today, Kapanen has been replaced by teammate Andreas Johnsson for the AHL All-Star Classic which takes place Sunday and Monday.
- Tampa Bay has flipped minor league goalies, recalling Connor Ingram from AHL Syracuse while sending Louis Domingue down, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The shuffle will allow Domingue to play a game to stay in game shape before they resume their schedule next week while Ingram’s addition keeps the Lightning at the minimum two goalies on their roster.
- After clearing waivers (per Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Twitter), the Blue Jackets have assigned winger Jordan Schroeder to Cleveland of the AHL, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). It’s the second time that Schroeder has cleared waivers this season but since he has been up for more than a month under non-emergency conditions, he had to pass through once again. The 27-year-old has a goal and an assist in 21 games with Columbus this season while adding eight points (3-5-8) in 15 minor league appearances. Taking Schroeder’s place on the Columbus roster is defenseman Andre Benoit who has a goal and four assists with Cleveland in 31 games and last saw NHL action with St. Louis back in 2015-16. His recall is likely just to keep the team at the minimum 20 players on the roster.
Minor Transactions: 01/01/18
The 2018 portion of the season is underway, and with it teams can try to turn the page on whatever problems they faced last year. In places like Edmonton and Ottawa, perhaps the new year will bring success. As always, we’ll keep an eye on the minor transactions around the league and report them right here.
- Zac Dalpe has been recalled by the Columbus Blue Jackets on emergency conditions. With Sonny Milano and Jordan Schroeder already up on emergency loans, the Blue Jackets find themselves facing injuries all throughout their lineup. If Dalpe’s recall is due to another long-term injury, Columbus will have to decide whether they need to look outside the organization for help up front. After three straight losses in which they allowed 15 goals, their lead on several Metropolitan teams is starting to disappear.
- Though he was just recently sent down, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Dominik Simon from the minor leagues. To make room, the club has re-assigned Casey DeSmith, Andrey Pedan and Garrett Wilson. That could mean good news on the injury front, but we’ll likely have to wait until tomorrow’s morning skate to confirm any returns.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Maxim Mamin from the minor leagues, giving the 22-year old forward a promotion for his solid play in the AHL this year. Mamin has 15 points in 23 games as a rookie for Springfield, after coming over from the KHL this season.
- The New York Islanders have sent both Anthony Beauvillier and Steve Bernier to the minor leagues, while recalling Tanner Fritz from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Fritz has never played in an NHL game, but is having quite the season with 35 points in 29 AHL games.
- Peter Cehlarik has been sent to the AHL now that he’s healthy and ready to play again, as the Boston Bruins don’t want to mix things up. The team is on a long hot streak and seem to have found a good recipe up front. Cehlarik, who has played in just five games for the Bruins this season, will head back to the minor leagues where he’s been extremely effective since coming over from Sweden.
- The Colorado Avalanche have called up A.J. Greer from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. With Sven Andrighetto day-to-day with a minor injury, Greer provides another option if he is unable to go. Greer, the Avs’ 2015 second-rounder, has just one point in six games with Colorado in 2017-18, but has ten in sixteen with San Antonio, on pace to set a new career-high in points in his second pro season. It may only be a matter of time before the power forward is a regular in Denver, with this promotion his newest opportunity to make his case.
Minor Transactions: 12/27/17
As the NHL gets back to its regularly scheduled programming today, league rosters will start to thaw after the holiday season. At 12:00am on December 28th, teams will be once again allowed to trade, waive and loan any player on the active roster. For now, we’ll have to make do with recalls from the minor leagues.
- Yesterday, the Columbus Blue Jackets made several transactions in order to deal with the injuries to Cam Atkinson and Alexander Wennberg. Both veteran forwards were placed on injured reserve, while recalling Tyler Motte and Dean Kukan. Sonny Milano and Jordan Schroeder are both also up on emergency recall.
- The Arizona Coyotes recalled Lawson Crouse last night, likely to fill in for a potential suspended Zac Rinaldo. Rinaldo was offered an in-person hearing with the league but declined, and could face a suspension of at least five games for his punch of Samuel Girard.
- The Philadelphia Flyers meanwhile loaned goaltender Alex Lyon back to the minor leagues while activating Michal Neuvirth from injured reserve. Neuvirth hasn’t played a game in a month with a leg injury, but will try to continue the solid start he’d been having before going down.
- The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Brett Lernout from the AHL, and will bring him along on their three-game road trip. Lernout played in his first game of the season for the Canadiens just before Christmas, and will remain an option for Montreal while Shea Weber is with a foot injury and David Schlemko deals with the flu.
- Ottawa has brought Ben Harpur back up from the minor leagues, giving them a seventh defenseman once again now that games have resumed. Harpur has played 14 games for the Senators this season, recording a single point.
- Los Angeles has recalled Kevin Gravel after just a few days in the minor leagues. While Christian Folin is slowly working his way back from injury, he won’t be able to suit up just yet. Gravel hasn’t yet played for the Kings this season, after getting into 49 games last year.
Minor Transactions: 12/24/17
After a 15-game schedule on Saturday and a three-day holiday break, you would expect little action over the next few days, but a few teams made a few roster moves before starting their vacations. Let’s see if more are coming …
- The Ottawa Senators made four roster moves this morning, sending goaltender Daniel Taylor, defensemen Andreas Englund and Ben Harpur as well as forward Chris Didomenico to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Taylor was recalled due to the unavailability of goaltender Craig Anderson. DiDomenico was brought up Friday after injuries to Zack Smith and Bobby Ryan and played in 8:47 of ice time in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Florida. Englund was recalled after the team lost forward Gabriel Dumont and Harpur has been up and down all season covering the team’s many injuries. Harpur played in 14:22 on Saturday, while Englund and Taylor were scratches.
- The Montreal Canadiens assigned defenseman Brett Lernout to the Laval Rocket of the AHL Sunday morning. Lernout got into Saturday’s game to fill in defensive injuries with Shea Weber out, and played 14:43 of ice time and getting two hits in. He was recalled on Thursday.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets made three moves of their own, assigning forwards Jordan Schroeder, Tyler Motte and defenseman Cameron Gaunce to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. Both Schroeder and Motte were recalled on emergency loans Saturday for the team’s 2-1 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Both played in the game. Gaunce had been recalled on Dec. 17, but didn’t play in a game.
- The Los Angeles Kings made a couple of moves Sunday, as they assigned defenseman Kevin Gravel and goaltender Jack Campbell to the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Neither player got into a game with the Kings. Campbell was an emergency backup last night as backup Darcy Kuemper was unavailable. Gravel was recalled after the team placed defenseman Christian Folin on injured reserve.