Overseas Signings: LaDue, Brooks, Reinke
A few players with NHL games under their belt have headed overseas within the past 24 hours:
- After nearly breaking out as a roster regular with the Kings before the pandemic, Paul LaDue‘s days in the NHL appear to be over. MoDo of the Swedish Hockey League has signed the 31-year-old defenseman to a one-year deal. LaDue is coming off a two-year, two-way deal with the Islanders that was spent entirely on assignment to AHL Bridgeport. The North Dakota native was once a solid puck-mover at the AHL level during his days in the Los Angeles system, but his offense dried up with the Isles, going without a goal and registering only 16 assists combined over 93 games the past two years. LaDue last suited up in the NHL with the Islanders in 2021-22, his lone appearance in a New York sweater. The other 69 of his 70 career NHL games came in L.A., where he scored five times and added 13 assists for 18 points in parts of four seasons.
- Center/left winger Adam Brooks is heading to Germany on a one-year deal with EHC Munich of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Brooks, 28, heads to Europe for the first time after spending the first seven years of his professional career in North America, primarily in the AHL. Like Ladue, he hasn’t seen NHL ice since 2021-22, instead suiting up for the past two seasons with AHL Lehigh Valley while under contract with the Flyers. Brooks posted 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 43 NHL games for the Canadiens, Golden Knights, Jets and Maple Leafs from 2019-20 to 2021-22.
- Still in the DEL, Eisbären Berlin has inked right-shot defender Mitch Reinke to a one-year contract. Injuries limited Reinke to just 25 games with AHL Coachella Valley last season after he signed a two-way deal with the Kraken late in the offseason. The 28-year-old has just one NHL game to his name, coming with the Blues back in 2017-18 after they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan Tech. Since then, the entirety of his pro career has been spent in the AHL, although he did also make one playoff appearance for the Blues in 2021 after spending a good chunk of the COVID-shortened season on the taxi squad. Reinke is a good puck-mover and strong skater and, if healthy, should be able to rehab his value in Germany and potentially earn another NHL contract next summer.
Waivers: 10/05/23
Another set of familiar and intriguing players are set to hit the waiver wire this afternoon, with the Seattle Kraken containing the most quantity of any organization. Per James Mirtle of The Athletic, the entire list is as follows:
Calgary Flames
D Nick DeSimone
F Mathias Emilio Pettersen
F Martin Pospisil
Pittsburgh Penguins
F Andreas Johnsson
F Joona Koppanen
F Alexander Nylander
Seattle Kraken
D Connor Carrick
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
F Max McCormick
D Gustav Olofsson
F Andrew Poturalski
D Mitch Reinke
D Jimmy Schuldt
F Devin Shore
F Marian Studenic
Seattle Kraken Sign Mitch Reinke
Saturday: The Kraken have officially announced Reinke’s signing.
Friday: In a confirmed transaction according to CapFriendly, the Seattle Kraken have signed forward Mitch Reinke to a one-year, $775K two-way contract for the 2023-24 NHL season. Reinke had previously spent the last two seasons playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
Carrying only one NHL game under his belt during the last five seasons, Reinke once looked to be one of the top players in the NHL’s highest minor league system. In his first full pro campaign during the 2018-19 AHL season, Reinke would impress with 12 goals and 33 assists in 76 games for the San Antonio Rampage, good for second on the team in scoring that year. Unfortunately, primarily due to injuries, Reinke has not reached close to that point total since.
Spending his first three years in the St. Louis Blues organization, Reinke would join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in 2021 after being non-tendered that summer. Still dealing with mild injury concerns over his two-year stint for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Reinke would dramatically increase his assist total compared to his final two seasons spent for the Blues’ AHL affiliates. Last year, only playing in 52 games, Reinke would score only one goal but still notched 26 assists on the year.
It would be an unlikely circumstance to see Reinke join the Kraken next year, but if healthy, should become a solid contributor to their AHL team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In their inaugural season last year, the Firebirds would finish second in the Pacific Division, marching all the way to the Calder Cup Finals, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games.