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Josh Teves

Former Vancouver Canuck Josh Teves Signs In Italy

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Italian club HC Bolzano of the Austrian ICEHL has signed former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Josh Teves to a one-year contract, according to a team press release. The move fills out Bolzano’s roster for the 2023-24 campaign, which also includes former Montreal Canadien and Phoenix Coyote Lucas Lessio.

This is Teves’ third European team in the last two seasons after he failed to secure an NHL or AHL contract in the 2022 off-season. After signing with Liiga club JYP, he struggled in a top-four role to start the year and slowly slid down the depth chart, totaling ten points in 48 games and a -16 rating. With just weeks left in the season, JYP and Teves mutually terminated their contract, and he immediately signed with Swiss club SC Bern, where he had two points and a +3 rating in 13 combined regular-season and playoff games to close out 2022-23.

Without much to prove he can be a serviceable top-four defender at the top flight of European pro hockey, he drops down to a slightly less competitive league in the ICEHL. While still a solid European network that sends teams to the Champions Hockey League, it’s not a league that routinely produces NHL draftees or even free agents.

It’s been a tough few seasons for Teves after signing with the Canucks as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton University in 2019 when he looked like a rather promising depth add. He made his NHL debut with Vancouver to end that season, although it would end up being the only appearance of his career to date (and, likely, ever). Unfortunately, injuries limited his playing time the following season, and his development never recovered. He would score just one goal and six points in 52 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets while a member of the Canucks organization over the next two years and Vancouver didn’t issue him a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired in 2021. He then signed an AHL deal with the Rochester Americans for 2021-22, the Buffalo Sabres’ affiliate, although he failed to capture much attention despite playing a full 72-game season. There, he recorded a career-high six goals, 15 assists, 21 points, and a -8 rating.

In Bolzano, the 28-year-old Teves will look to prove that he can still shoulder heavy minutes at the pro level and hope to rebuild some career stock, even if just to return to a higher-level European pro league next season.

Minor Transactions: 08/31/22

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August has come and gone, as teams prepare for the upcoming 2022-23 season. Activities will start ramping up over the next few weeks and some new contracts might filter in as well. With minor league seasons on their way as well, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here.

  • Frank Hora, who spent most of last season with the Syracuse Crunch, is headed back to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, where he played previously. The 26-year-old defenseman had seven points in 42 games with Syracuse and is still looking for his first AHL goal.
  • Josh Teves is headed overseas after spending last season with the Rochester Americans. The 27-year-old defenseman has signed a one-year contract with JYP in Finland, and has already arrived there to join the club. Teves sits with just one NHL game played in his career so far.
  • Brandon Saigeon, who was a fifth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2018, has signed a new ECHL contract with the Kalamazoo Wings. In 49 games last season for the Wheeling Nailers, he had 21 points.
  • Odeen Tufto is one of five players that have signed one-year AHL contracts with the Tucson Roadrunners, joining Noah Laaouan, Reece Vitelli, Kaid Oliver, and Tyler Parks. Tufto, 25, failed to receive a qualifying offer this summer from the Tampa Bay Lightning after his entry-level contract expired.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minor Transactions: 08/07/21

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While there have been plenty of players accepting their qualifying offers lately, there has been some activity on the AHL front as well.  We’ll keep tabs on those and other small moves of note here.

  • The Stars are reuniting with Curtis McKenzie as their AHL affiliate in Texas announced a two-year deal for the winger. The 30-year-old played in 99 games with Dallas over parts of four different seasons but spent last season on a two-way deal with St. Louis, posting 13 points in 26 games with AHL Utica.
  • The Sabres have added some AHL depth as AHL Rochester announced the signings of forward Mason Jobst and defenseman Josh Teves to one-year deals. Jobst, 27, split last season between the farm teams for the Islanders and Devils after being included in the Kyle Palmieri trade and notched 10 points in 19 games between the two teams.  As for Teves, the 26-year-old was a sought-after blueliner out of college and made his NHL debut soon after signing with Vancouver in 2019.  However, he didn’t progress much and after spending most of his first full pro campaign in the ECHL, he had just four points in 23 games with Utica last season.
  • Golden Knights prospect Jesper Vikman has decided to come to North America and has committed to play with Vancouver of the WHL next season. The 19-year-old goaltender was a fifth-round pick of Vegas (125th overall) back in 2020 and spent 2020-21 at three different levels in Sweden, getting as high as the Allsvenskan level.  As he was picked out of Sweden, Vikman remains on the four-year timeline in terms of needing an entry-level contract so Vegas holds his rights through June 1, 2024.

Training Camp Cuts: 01/12/21

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It’s the last day before NHL hockey returns, so teams will have to finalize their rosters and get ready for action. Though most of the heavy lifting was done yesterday, there will still be some cuts made today. We’ll keep track of them right here. This page will be updated throughout the day as more releases come in.

Buffalo Sabres (via team release):

F Andrew Oglevie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Arttu Ruotsalainen (to Rochester, AHL)
D Jacob Bryson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Mattias Samuelsson (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):

F Jeremy Bracco (to Chicago, AHL)
F David Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jason Cotton (to Chicago, AHL)
F Seth Jarvis (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Chicago, AHL)
F Sheldon Rempal (to Chicago, AHL)
F Drew Shore (to Chicago, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Chicago, AHL)
D Joey Keane (to Chicago, AHL)
D Maxime Lajoie (to Chicago, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to Chicago, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):

F John Quenneville (to Rockford, AHL)
D Anton Lindholm (to Rockford, AHL)
D Nick Seeler (to Rockford, AHL)
G Matt Tomkins (to Rockford, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release):

F Riley Barber (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Turner Elson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Taro Hirose (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Chase Pearson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Evgeny Svechnikov (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brian Lashoff (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Kaden Fulcher (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Pat Nagle (released)

Montreal Canadiens (via team release):

F Brandon Baddock (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (to Laval, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (to Laval, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Laval, AHL)
F Jacob Lucchini (to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Jordan Weal (to Laval, AHL)
D Otto Leskinen (to Laval, AHL)
D Gustav Olofsson (to Laval, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Laval, AHL)
G Vasili Demchenko (to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
G Cayden Primeau (to Laval, AHL)
F Kevin Lynch (to Laval, AHL)

 

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release):

F Pascal Laberge (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Linus Sandin (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Tyson Foerster (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Chris Bigras (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Derrick Pouliot (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Egor Zamula (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Max Willman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Roddy Ross (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release):

F Kurtis Gabriel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Antti Suomela (to San Jose, AHL)
D Trevor Carrick (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
D Fredrik Claesson (to San Jose, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release):

F Sam Anas (to Utica, AHL)
F Dakota Joshua (to Utica, AHL)
F Tanner Kaspick (to Utica, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Utica, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Utica, AHL)
F Jake Neighbours (to Utica, AHL)
F Evan Polei (to Utica, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to Utica, AHL)
F Nathan Walker (to Utica, AHL)
D Scott Perunovich (to Utica, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to Utica, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Utica, AHL)
D Tyler Tucker (to Utica, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to Utica, AHL)
G Evan Fitzpatrick (to Utica, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Utica, AHL)
F Matthias Laferriere (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release):

F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
F Will Lockwood (to Utica, AHL)
D Josh Teves (to Utica, AHL)
D Jett Woo (to Utica, AHL)
G Jake Kielly (to Utica, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release):

F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
F Phillippe Maillet (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
D Paul Ladue (to Hershey, AHL)
D Cameron Schilling (to Hershey, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks Sign Three Players

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed three of their restricted free agents, inking Reid Boucher, Brogan Rafferty and Josh Teves to two-way contracts. Boucher’s deal is just for one season, while Rafferty and Teves have each re-upped for two. That leaves the team with just Brock Boeser and Nikolay Goldobin still to sign among RFAs.

News came out this morning that Boucher was close to a deal with the Canucks, and now the 25-year old has indeed re-signed to bring a level of minor league offense to the club. He registered 62 points last season in just 56 AHL contests and should help the Utica Comets tremendously once again if he can’t crack the NHL lineup out of camp. Boucher has 133 NHL games under his belt, meaning he very well could be the first call-up in case of injury concerns.

Rafferty, 24, signed out of Quinnipiac just a few months ago and got into two games with the Canucks down the stretch. Coming off his short-entry-level contract the undrafted defenseman was unlikely to get a big deal, but the Canucks have done well to at least secure two years of his services. Still a complete unknown at the NHL level, Rafferty will be competing in camp for a spot on the right side but has some tough competition now that the team has added Tyler Myers and Oscar Fantenberg. He’ll more likely start in the AHL given his waiver-exempt status.

So too will Teves in all likelihood, who was also signed out of the NCAA recently. The undrafted 24-year old defenseman played four years at Princeton before making the jump to the NHL for one game down the stretch. Another player who will battle for a job in camp, the left side is just as crowded in Vancouver with Quinn Hughes likely staking a claim and Jordie Benn coming in on a two-year deal.

Vancouver Canucks Will Not Qualify Derrick Pouliot

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The deadline to make qualifying offers to restricted free agents is still more than six weeks away, but the Vancouver Canucks have given one of their impending RFA’s an early heads up. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that the team has informed defenseman Derrick Pouliot and his representation that they will not qualify him this off-season. As a result, Pouliot will now be an unrestricted free agent this summer, free to sign with any team he likes.

This move is both surprising and unsurprising all at once. On one hand, Pouliot’s name is still associated with youth and upside. On the other, he has never lived up to his expectations and that “youth and upside” may have very well passed him by. The 25-year-old was the 8th overall pick in 2012 by the Pittsburgh Penguins and dominated the junior level with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks before turning pro. In his first two pro seasons, Pouliot split his time between playing for the Penguins and putting up major numbers with their AHL affiliate and looked to be on the verge of a breakout in Pittsburgh. Instead, the 2016-17 season was a major disappointment; Pouliot was held scoreless in just 11 NHL games and his production dropped off in the minors as well. The Penguins dealt him to the Canucks that off-season in exchange for a mere fourth-round pick and Andrey Pedan, who never played a game in Pittsburgh and has since bolted for the KHL. Pouliot was handed a starting role in Vanouver last year and responded with a strong campaign. He set career highs across the board, recording 22 points in 71 games and playing second-pair minutes. He even showed he could be an adept shot blocker, knocking down 118 shots despite never previously displaying any ability in that area. However, just like in Pittsburgh, when Pouliot seemed primed to take the next step, it was instead a step backward. This year, he played in only 62 games, registered only 12 points, and saw his ice time and defensive responsibility cut back.

Likely contributing to the decision to move on from Pouliot is also the influx of young talent on the blue line in the Canucks’ system. With Pouliot stalling in his development, the team probably figured they would be better off using the roster space elsewhere. Heading into 2019-20, the Canucks will have ample competition for jobs even without Pouliot. Calder hopeful Quinn Hughes will lead a young unit that could include fellow top pick Olli Juolevi, undrafted free agents Mitch Eliot, Brogan Rafferty, and Josh Teves, mainstays Troy Stecher, Chris Tanev, Ben Hutton, and Alex Biega, and AHL standouts Ashton Sautner and Guillaume Brisebois, and that’s not even including unrestricted free agents Alexander Edler and Luke Schenn, both of whom would like to re-sign. There’s too many cooks in the kitchen as there is, so it makes sense that the Canucks have decided to move on from a player they feel was given a fair shot and didn’t make the most of it.

Pouliot isn’t in danger of being dismissed by every other NHL team though. On a Vancouver club that was not very good during his tenure, Pouliot still put up respectable offensive numbers and showed more of his defensive game than he did in Pittsburgh. Still a high-end skater who is only 25, it seems likely that there will be plenty of teams lining up this summer to give Pouliot another chance. This may be the last time that his name value helps him out however, especially after a down year, so look for Pouliot to choose a team where there is both a clear path to ice time, but also enough protection that he can continue to grow and round out his game without being overexposed.

Vancouver Canucks Ink Jett Woo To Entry-Level Contract

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The Vancouver Canucks announced they have signed defensive prospect Jett Woo to a three-year entry-level contract. The team’s second-round pick in the 2018 draft (37th overall), Woo has had a breakout season and should provide the Canucks with another top-level blueline prospect after the team has inked several of them in the last few days, including Quinn Hughes and Josh Teves. The signing puts the Canucks at 49 contracts with just one more remaining.

“We’re very excited at the strides Jett has made this season with Moose Jaw,” said Vancouver general manager Jim Benning. “He plays the game with good intensity and attention to detail at both ends of the ice. Jett is an important part of our future and we look forward to his continued development.”

Terms haven’t been released, but the team brings in an impressive young defenseman into the fold as Woo is having a breakout season offensively as he is averaging more than a point-per-game with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors as he has 12 goals and 62 points in 61 games this season. He also has accumulated 63 penalty minutes.

Woo is considered to be a throwback player, who plays with a physical style of game, which includes a lot of hits, making him a popular player on the ice. At 6-foot, 200-pounds, he is coached by NHL enforcer Tim Hunter, who emphasizes physicality with puck possession and offensive skill.

 

Three Princeton Free Agents Sign NHL Contracts

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Princeton Tigers head coach Ron Fogarty may be disappointed with the way his hockey club’s season ended, but today he’ll be proud of several of his players. Three Princeton free agents have signed entry-level contracts. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports on each, tweeting that Max Veronneau has signed with his hometown Ottawa Senators, Ryan Kuffner is heading to the Detroit Red Wings, and Josh Teves will sign with the Vancouver Canucks.

Veronneau, 23, signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Senators after nearly the entire league expressed interest in him. That two-year deal is all he could sign at his current age, but the Senators have offered him the chance to burn the first year immediately by joining them for the rest of the season. Veronneau will be in Ottawa in time for practice on Wednesday. GM Pierre Dorion explained the process of signing another prospect:

We are very excited to have Max join the Ottawa Senators. We aggressively pursued Max, whose talents made him one of the highly sought-after college free agents available this year. He plays the game with tremendous pace and has terrific offensive instincts. Max will be given the opportunity to compete to be part of the Senators team, both now and in the future.

The talented forward had 37 points in 31 games this season after trailing only Adam Gaudette in 2017-18 with 55 points. He had previously attended development camps with several teams, and has been on the radar as a potential college signing for years. Veronneau will become a restricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.

Kuffner meanwhile actually led Princeton in scoring this season with 44 points and is certainly another sought after talent. The 22-year old forward is also from the Ottawa area and was a star in the CCHL before heading to college. In four years at Princeton the 6’1″ winger recorded 152 points in 132 games, and will join a Red Wings organization that is slowly rebuilding their talent pool after many years of Stanley Cup contention. Like Veronneau, Kuffner has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Red Wings that will start this season, making him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2020.

Teves, the lone defenseman of the trio is also the oldest at 24 but has had great success as a puck-mover over the years. The Calgary-born Teves has signed a one-year entry-level deal with Vancouver given his age, and if it is for this season—which Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet has heard it is—it would make him a restricted free agent in just a few months. He’s certainly familiar with the area, given he attended Canucks development camp and played much of his junior hockey in British Columbia.

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