Minor Transactions: 11/27/23
While the trade market is fairly light in the NHL, activity has started to pick up elsewhere. A couple of swaps highlight this list of minor transactions.
- Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate announced the acquisitions of center Peter Abbandonato and defenseman Owen Headrick from Chicago for future considerations. Abbandonato had 46 points with Laval last season but has been limited to just two in a dozen appearances this year. Headrick, meanwhile, had 54 points in 61 ECHL contests last season and played in five games this season with the Wolves. With Carolina recently loaning some players to Chicago, the Wolves had a bit of a roster crunch which this move helps to alleviate.
- Canadiens prospect Dmitri Kostenko is on the move in the VHL as the league announced that the blueliner has been moved to Yugra for cash considerations. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick back in 2021 (87th overall) and spent last season with KHL Kunlun but dropped down to the lower level this season. Montreal holds his NHL rights indefinitely as there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Federation.
- Former NHL blueliner Alexey Marchenko has found a place to play this season as he has joined Ak Bars Kazan on a one-year deal, per a team release. The 31-year-old played in 121 games over parts of four seasons in the NHL between Detroit and Toronto where he had 21 points. This will be his third different team since returning to Russia for the 2017-18 season.
- The Ducks have reassigned forward Jaxsen Wiebe from AHL San Diego to ECHL Tulsa, per a team release. The 21-year-old signed an entry-level deal with Anaheim back in March but is off to a bit of a slow start in his professional career, notching just one assist through his first seven games.
Peter Abbandonato Expected To Join Penguins On PTO
The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to add forward Peter Abbandonato to their training camp roster under a PTO contract according to Tony Androckitis. In early July, Abbandonato reached a one-year AHL agreement with the Chicago Wolves organization for the 2023-24 AHL season.
Although a seemingly unrecognizable player to most, Abbandonato was one of the biggest names in major junior hockey not all that long ago. During the 2018-19 QMJHL season, Abbandonato was a part of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies organization, leading not only his team but the entire league in points. The Huskies would end up defeating the Eastern Conference champion Halifax Mooseheads in the President Cup Finals in six games. Rouyn-Noranda would continue their playoff momentum, winning the 2019 Memorial Cup, with Abbandonato leading the way scoring six goals and 21 assists in 15 games.
Unfortunately, Abbandonato’s junior league success did not transfer into the semi-professional leagues of North American hockey, as while being split between the AHL and ECHL for much of his career up to this point, had been unable to score more than 25 points over a full season in either league.
Last season, playing in his first full year with the Laval Rocket, Abbandonato had one of his best seasons since his famed 2018-19 QMJHL year. Playing in 66 games for the Rocket, Abbandonato would score 11 goals and 35 assists, finishing second on the team in total scoring. Although he has already committed to the Wolves for the upcoming season, if Abbandonato impresses in camp with the Penguins, and builds on his best year in the AHL to this date, he may be in line for some surprise NHL minutes in his future.