East Notes: Tuch, Red Wings, Sgarbossa, Point, Dauphin
The Sabres are set to welcome back winger Alex Tuch for their game on Monday, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. The 25-year-old was a big part of the Jack Eichel trade but he has yet to play this season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. With Vegas, Tuch was used in more of a secondary scoring role but with Buffalo, he should get a chance to play a considerably bigger role. He was expected to be back in roughly six months and if he does suit up against Columbus, he’ll have gotten back in just under five months.
More from the Eastern Conference:
- When the Red Wings had their pre-holiday break games postponed, some wondered if there may be more positive tests coming from them. That’s indeed the case as the team announced (Twitter link) that centers Pius Suter and Joe Veleno plus winger Sam Gagner along with assistant video coach Jeff Weintraub in COVID protocol. That brings them up to nine players currently unavailable.
- Capitals center Michael Sgarbossa was a late scratch from their game tonight against Los Angeles and it turns out that it was COVID-related as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been placed in COVID protocol. The 29-year-old was coming off a two-point performance on Friday and has three points in seven games with Washington this season. The Caps did get some good news on that front as well, however, as winger Garnet Hathaway was taken out of protocol.
- The Lightning could be getting a key player back soon after the holiday break. Head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link) that center Brayden Point could be reclassified as day-to-day once they return from the break. Point has been out with an upper-body injury for just under a month and was off to a strong start to his season before it occurred with 13 points in 16 games.
- The Canadiens announced that they’ve placed center Laurent Dauphin in COVID protocol. The 26-year-old was recalled two weeks ago and has three points in five games since then including his first NHL goal in over five years. The team has also shut down their facilities through December 26th.
31 Players Clear Waivers
Oct 4: 31 of the 32 players placed on waivers have cleared. The Buffalo Sabres have claimed Jonsson-Fjallby from the Washington Capitals.
Oct 3: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that, originally, 13 names have hit the waiver wire today. PuckPedia reports an additional 19 names that have found themselves on waivers today. The 13 names are as follows:
D Trevor Carrick (ANA)
D Kodie Curran (ANA)
D Brendan Guhle (ANA)
F Vinni Lettieri (ANA)
F Danny O’Regan (ANA)
D Brogan Rafferty (ANA)
F Zachary Senyshyn (BOS)
D Nick DeSimone (CGY)
D Kevin Gravel (CGY)
F Matthew Phillips (CGY)
D Andy Welinski (CGY)
D Jalen Chatfield (CAR)
D Joshua Jacobs (CAR)
F Seth Griffith (EDM)
F Cooper Marody (EDM)
F Brandon Baddock (MTL)
F Laurent Dauphin (MTL)
F Jean-Sebastien Dea (MTL)
G Michael McNiven (MTL)
F Anthony Richard (NSH)
F Brian Flynn (NJD)
F Robbie Russo (NJD)
F Greg McKegg (NYR)
F Pontus Aberg (OTT)
D Dillon Heatherington (OTT)
F Kole Sherwood (OTT)
D Tommy Cross (STL)
D Sean Day (TBL)
F Gabriel Dumont (TBL)
F Charles Hudon (TBL)
F Darren Raddysh (TBL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (WSH)
More to come…
Montreal Canadiens Sign Laurent Dauphin
Another minor league forward will avoid Group VI unrestricted free agency, as Laurent Dauphin has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens. The deal carries a $750K salary at the NHL level and includes a minor league guarantee of $215K. He was set to become a UFA after his one-year 2020-21 contract expired.
It’s now been multiple seasons since the last time Dauphin hit the ice for an NHL game, playing a single contest for the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. Overall, he has just 35 games at that level and has been mostly limited to the minor leagues. Selected 39th overall in 2013, he has settled into an important role for the Laval Rocket, scoring 16 points in 21 games this season. That’s likely where he’ll be back again next year, though with a nice AHL guarantee in his pocket.
Dauphin was one of a number of pending unrestricted free agents in the Canadiens organization, including fellow minor league Group VI players Brandon Baddock and Gustav Olofsson. Despite still being very much alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Montreal’s front office has a long list of things to get done this summer. Taking care of contracts like this one for Dauphin is easy enough to do while the NHL team is still playing, and will shorten the workload over the next few weeks.
Like any move being made lately, the expansion implications are important to mention. Dauphin will be eligible for selection by the Kraken, but does not fulfill any of the exposure requirements for the Canadiens. The likelihood of him being picked is just about zero, given the other options that will be available to Seattle.
Training Camp Cuts: 01/12/21
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)
43 Players Placed On Waivers
As teams begin to make their final camp decisions with the 2020-21 season getting started this week, the ramifications are apparent in today’s waiver wire group. All nine players from Saturday’s waivers cleared, but that is less likely to occur Sunday with a much longer list, including some more notable names. The following players have been placed on waivers today:
Buffalo Sabres
D Brandon Davidson
F Steven Fogarty
F C.J. Smith
G Dustin Tokarski
Calgary Flames
G Louis Domingue
F Byron Froese
F Justin Kirkland
D Alex Petrovic
F Buddy Robinson
Colorado Avalanche
F Kiefer Sherwood
Edmonton Oilers
F Adam Cracknell
F Seth Griffith
Florida Panthers
G Philippe Desrosiers
F Scott Wilson
Los Angeles Kings
D Daniel Brickley
F Boko Imama
Minnesota Wild
D Matt Bartekowski
D Louie Belpedio
F Joseph Cramarossa
F Gabriel Dumont
G Andrew Hammond
F Luke Johnson
F Gerald Mayhew
D Dakota Mermis
D Ian McCoshen
F Kyle Rau
Montreal Canadiens
F Brandon Baddock
F Alex Belzile
F Joseph Blandisi
F Laurent Dauphin
D Noah Juulsen
G Charlie Lindgren
D Gustav Olofsson
D Xavier Ouellet
F Jordan Weal
New York Islanders
F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Mason Jobst
Ottawa Senators
D Maxime Lajoie
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Kevin Czuczman
F Josh Currie
F Frederick Gaudreau
G Maxime Lagace
D Zach Trotman
Among the names likely to receive attention on the wire are a trio of intriguing young players. Defensemen Noah Juulsen and Maxime Lajoie and forward Josh Ho-Sang have all seen NHL action in the past and have shown promise but for different reasons are now available to claim. Juulsen in particular looked like a long-term permanent piece on the Montreal blue line, but vision issues brought on by head injuries knocked him out of the 2018-19 season after 21 games with the Habs and limited him to just 13 AHL games in 2019-20. The Canadiens clearly want to see him get in some game action before returning him to the NHL roster, but another club may have more faith in the young defenseman, who allegedly is back at full strength. After 56 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2018-19, including a hot scoring start, Lajoie was somewhat inexplicably reduced to just six games with the team this past season. A versatile all-around defenseman who has already shown in a small sample size that he can hack it in the NHL, Lajoie could certainly draw interest from a team more willing to give him another chance. Ho-Sang, a first-round pick of the Islanders back in 2014, is on the outs with his club. A future in New York seems non-existent for a player whose effort and attitude have been called into question. His limited action last season also doesn’t help his case. Yet, Ho-Sang’s skill is apparent and that alone is a cause for pause for teams scouring the waiver wire.
As for a more polished possible pick-up, Jordan Weal leads the pack as a veteran of over 200 NHL games who has posted an 82-game scoring pace of 25 points or more in three straight seasons. Seth Griffith is also no stranger to being passed around via waivers and Frederick Gaudreau is coming off a career-high 55 NHL appearances last season and has strong scoring numbers throughout his AHL career.
This waiver group could also provide goalie depth for a team in need (see: New Jersey Devils). Andrew Hammond, Louis Domingue, Dustin Tokarski, and Charlie Lindgren are all veteran net minders with NHL experience who could provide some stability in net.
Montreal Canadiens Extend Laurent Dauphin
The Montreal Canadiens will be bringing back another one of their minor league forwards, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract extension with Laurent Dauphin. The deal will carry a salary of $700K in the NHL, $175K in the AHL and a $200K guarantee. Dauphin was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after playing in just 35 NHL games through his first several professional seasons.
Dauphin, 25, was originally selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, but never did really become the offensive weapon in the pros that he was at the junior level. After a number of years in the Arizona Coyotes minor league system, peppered with 35 NHL games across four different seasons and a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks that lasted just six months before he was returned, Dauphin found himself on the move last February to the Nashville Predators organization.
Even with his new home, there wasn’t much of an NHL opportunity, so Dauphin found himself on the move again a few months ago. He arrived in his native Quebec and ended up suiting up for 25 games with the Laval Rocket, scoring 15 points. He apparently has done enough to prove he deserves another shot next season, though it’s still unlikely he ever becomes an impact player in the NHL.
The Unleashed 2020: Potential Group VI Unrestricted Free Agents
Though most players have to wait until after their 27th birthday to become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team in the league without compensation, there are a few other ways to get to the open market. Players that complete seven full seasons in the NHL are eligible for UFA status, as are restricted free agents that do not receive qualifying offers. There is another way however, offered to those players who don’t get a long opportunity in the NHL but have put in several years at the professional level: Group VI unrestricted free agency.
Earlier this month, CapFriendly compiled a complete list of players on track to become free agents early. To refresh your memory on how a player qualifies for Group VI free agency, they must meet three requirements:
- The player is 25 years or older (as of June 30th of the calendar year the contract is expiring).
- The player has completed 3 or more professional seasons – qualified by 11 or more professional games (for an 18/19 year old player), or 1 or more professional games (for a player aged 20 or older). This can include NHL, minor league, and European professional league seasons played while under an SPC.
- The player has played fewer than 80 NHL games, or 28 NHL games of 30 minutes or greater for a goaltender.
The entire list of players at risk can be found below, but make sure you check out CapFriendly for more detailed information on how they could avoid the designation this summer.
*Indicates that the player could still play in enough games this season to become ineligible for Group VI free agency
Anaheim Ducks
Andrew Poturalski
Justin Kloos
Arizona Coyotes
(none)
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
(none)
Calgary Flames
Ryan Lomberg
Rinat Valiev
Jon Gillies
Carolina Hurricanes
(none)
Chicago Blackhawks
(none)
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Gavin Bayreuther
Dillon Heatherington
Detroit Red Wings
(none)
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
(none)
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Laurent Dauphin
Gustav Olofsson
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Boo Nieves*
Vinni Lettieri
Danny O’Regan
Nick Ebert
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Riley Barber
Thomas Di Pauli
Adam Johnson
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Mackenzie MacEachern*
Andreas Borgman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Daniel Walcott
Patrick Sieloff
Spencer Martin
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Liam O’Brien
Colby Williams
Tyler Lewington
Winnipeg Jets
Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators Make Minor Swap
Laurent Dauphin is on the move again, but this time it is much closer to home. The Nashville Predators forward has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens, the fourth trade of his young career. Dauphin is on a one-year two-way contract, signed last February with the Predators after they acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes. The Predators will receive Michael McCarron in return.
Originally selected by the Coyotes in the second round in 2013, Dauphin was first dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade. Then, just seven months later, he was sent back to Arizona as part of a swap that saw Richard Panik and Anthony Duclair switch teams. Through all of that he has only ever played in the NHL for the Coyotes, suiting up for 35 total games over parts of four seasons.
That lack of experience, plus the fact that Dauphin will turn 25 in March, likely means he’s ticketed for assignment to the Laval Rocket. He cleared waivers before the season began and can be sent directly to the AHL, where he’ll give the team another option at forward.
They’ll need it as the Canadiens organization finally moves on from McCarron after several years of frustration. The 25th overall pick in 2013, McCarron never did grow into an NHL talent even though his 6’6″ frame suggested he would be able to hold down a fourth line role at least. In 69 NHL contests he’s recorded just eight points but 110 penalty minutes, not exactly an ideal mix in today’s league.
Both players will see their contracts expire at the end of the year, and will actually become Group VI unrestricted free agents (unless McCarron finds a regular role in Nashville’s lineup). At this point, a deal of this nature is just a fresh start and a new fit.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/23/19
Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:
Anaheim Ducks (per team release)
F Alex Dostie (to San Diego, AHL)
F Brent Gates Jr. (to San Diego, AHL)
F Luke Gazdic (to San Diego, AHL)
F Johno May (to San Diego, AHL)
F Antoine Morand (to San Diego, AHL)
F Conor Riley (to San Diego, AHL)
F Deven Sideroff (to San Diego, AHL)
F Corey Tropp (to San Diego, AHL)
D Dawson Davidson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Scott Moldenhauer (to San Diego, AHL)
D Steven Ruggiero (to San Diego, AHL)
G Roman Durny (to San Diego, AHL)
G Olle Eriksson Ek (to San Diego, AHL)
F Chase Wouters (to Saskatoon, WHL)
D Matthew Hill (to Barrie, OHL)
G Lukas Dostal (to Ilves, Liiga)
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
F Beau Bennett (to Tucson, AHL)
F Andy Miele (to Tucson, AHL)
D Dysin Mayo (to Tucson, AHL)
D Robbie Russo (to Tucson, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Byron Froese (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Justin Kirkland (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Buddy Robinson (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Rinat Valiev (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Andrew Nielsen (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Glenn Gawdin (to Stockton, AHL)
F Ryan Lomberg (to Stockton, AHL)
F Luke Philp (to Stockton, AHL)
F Matthew Phillips (to Stockton, AHL)
F Martin Pospisil (to Stockton, AHL)
F Adam Ruzicka (to Stockton, AHL)
F Eetu Tuulola (to Stockton, AHL)
D Robert Hamilton (to Stockton, AHL)
D Zac Leslie (to Stockton, AHL)
D Corey Schueneman (to Stockton, AHL)
D Alexander Yelesin (to Stockton, AHL)
G Tyler Parsons (to Stockton, AHL)
G Artyom Zagidulin (to Stockton, AHL)
F Jacob Pelletier (to Moncton, QMJHL)
D Alexandre Grenier (released from PTO)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
F Jacob Nilsson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Philip Holm (to Rockford, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Zac Dalpe (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Markus Hannikainen (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Ryan MacInnis (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Adam Clendening (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Doyle Somerby (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Veini Vevilainen (to Cleveland, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
D Ethan Prow (to Springfield, AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch (to Springfield, AHL)
G Philippe Desrosiers (to Springfield, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Colin Blackwell (to Milwaukee, AHL)
F Laurent Dauphin (to Milwaukee, AHL)
F Anthony Richard (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Alexandre Carrier (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Matt Donovan (to Milwaukee, AHL)
G Troy Grosenick (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Connor Brickley (to Hartford, AHL)
F Timothy Gettinger (to Hartford, AHL)
F Nick Jones (to Hartford, AHL)
F Dawson Leedahl (to Hartford, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Hartford, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
F Andrew Agozzino (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Joseph Blandisi (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Joseph Cramarossa (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Thomas Di Pauli (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Ryan Haggerty (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Kevin Czuczman (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D David Warsofsky (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Justin Almeida (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Anthony Angello (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Kasper Bjorkqvist (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Sam Lafferty (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jake Lucchini (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Sam Miletic (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Oula Palve (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Niclas Almari (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Emil Larmi (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Joakim Blichfield (to San Jose, AHL)
F Ivan Chekhovich (to San Jose, AHL)
F Sasha Chmelevski (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nick DeSimone (to San Jose, AHL)
F Noah Gregor (to San Jose, AHL)
D Thomas Gregoire (to San Jose, AHL)
F Artem Ivanyuzhenkov (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
F Joel Kellman (to San Jose, AHL)
D Nikolai Knyzhov (to San Jose, AHL)
G Joseph Korenar (to San Jose, AHL)
F Ivan Kosorenkov (to San Jose, AHL)
F Tristan Langan (to San Jose, AHL)
F Maxim Letunov (to San Jose, AHL)
D Keaton Middleton (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jeremy Roy (to San Jose, AHL)
G Zach Sawchenko (to San Jose, AHL)
G Andrew Shortridge (to San Jose, AHL)
F Marcus Vela (to San Jose, AHL)san
F Jeffrey Viel (to San Jose, AHL)
F Evan Weinger (to San Jose, AHL)
F Vladislav Kotkov (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
D Tony Sund (to TPS, Liiga)
Vancouver Canucks (per team release)
F Reid Boucher (to Utica, AHL)
F Francis Perron (to Utica, AHL)
D Ashton Sautner (to Utica, AHL)
G Zane McIntyre (to Utica, AHL)
New Jersey Devils Acquire Adam Helewka
It would be impossible for anyone to follow up yesterday’s Jack Hughes and P.K. Subban additions, but the New Jersey Devils have brought in yet another player to the organization. The AHL announced that forward Adam Helewka has been dealt to the Devils by the Nashville Predators, the second trade between the two teams in as many days. The move adds only “future considerations” for Nashville, but opens up a contract slot for a team with 41 of a maximum 50 players already signed and several restricted free agents still to sign.
Helewka, 23, has been a standout player in the minors for the past few years. A fourth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2015, Helewka had been a dynamic offensive player in the WHL. He debuted in the AHL for the San Jose Barracuda in 2016 and spent each of the next two full seasons with the team, collecting 29 and 38 points respectively. San Jose traded Helewka to the Arizona Coyotes last summer in exchange for defenseman Kyle Wood and the scoring winger broke out with the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, recording 31 points through his first 41 games of the season. However, he would not see the season through in Tuscon (or get rewarded with an NHL call-up to Arizona), as Helewka was traded again in February to the Predators with Laurent Dauphin in exchange for Emil Pettersson. Helewka continued to play well despite the move, registering 19 points in 24 games for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. His play even convinced the Predators at the time that he was worthy of a contract extension, a one-year, two-way pact signed not long after he was acquired.
For one reason or another, Nashville came to regret the contract, as Helewka has now been traded yet again for nothing concrete in return. The Devils are happy to take advantage of the Predators’ change of heart though. New Jersey has eight forwards who played regular AHL minutes last season, many of whom also saw NHL action, who are either unrestricted or restricted free agents and not everyone will return. The team needs a re-haul in the minor leagues and could do far worse than a player who notched 50 points combined in just 65 games last year. Helewka will likely be a top contributor for the Binghamton Devils next year and will look to finally find a long-term fit, perhaps even one with the opportunity to make his NHL debut.