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Minor Transactions: 6/10/23

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Transaction activity around the hockey world is starting to pick up with free agency now just three weeks away.  Among the activity are some minor moves; we’ll keep tabs on the NHL-related ones here.

  • Rangers prospect Cooper Zech has signed a one-year with HC Kosice of the Slovak Extraliga, per a team announcement on Instagram. The 24-year-old defenseman split the season between AHL Rockford and two ECHL teams, getting into just 22 games in total.  A pending restricted free agent, New York can retain his rights by issuing a qualifying offer later this month but given his limited success in North America thus far, they might just opt to relinquish his rights.
  • Wild prospect Matvei Guskov is on the move in the KHL as Salavat Yulaev announced that they’ve acquired the center from CSKA Moscow. The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in 2019 (149th overall) and is coming off a year that saw him pick up seven goals in 16 games at the second-tier VHL level while recording nine points in 37 KHL contests.  As Russia doesn’t have a signed Player Transfer Agreement with the NHL, Minnesota holds Guskov’s NHL rights indefinitely.
  • There was a big trade at the QMJHL draft today as Sherbrooke announced (Twitter link) that Ethan Gauthier was moved to Drummondville for a package of draft picks, including three first-round selections. Gauthier, the son of long-time NHL defenseman Denis Gauthier, had 69 points in 66 games with the Phoenix this season, a performance that could give him a shot at being picked in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft later this month.
  • 2017-18 AHL MVP Phil Varone has signed a one-year deal with Dusseldorf EG of the German DEL. The 32-year-old forward is entering his third season in the European pro hockey circuit and has played in Russia, Switzerland, and Kazakhstan. This past year Varone ranked third on KHL side Spartak Moscow in scoring (behind two players who also have NHL experience in Shane Prince and Alexander Khokhlachev) with 30 points in 57 games. Varone has 415 career points in 521 career AHL games and if he’s remotely as successful in Germany as he has been in North America’s minor leagues, he’ll be a major addition to Dusseldorf for the playoff run they’ll hope to go on next season.
  • 26-year-old center Dante Salituro, an ECHL All-Star in 2017-18, has signed a contract with EC Hannover Indians, a club in Germany’s third tier of pro hockey. Salituro has scored 134 points in 169 career ECHL games and was among the league’s top scorers just a few years ago. It’s been quite an adventure for him since that point, though. After scoring 61 points in 66 games for the Allen Americans in 2018-19 Salituro, a former top OHL prospect, earned a one-year contract with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. That deal contained a tryout period, though, and Salituro played just three games in Finland before leaving the club. He was then traded twice in the 2019-20 ECHL campaign and played for three clubs, failing at each stop to regain his All-Star form. Salituro then spent 2020-21 playing in Norway’s second division with Narvik Hockey before splitting 2021-22 between France and Slovakia. After scoring 25 points in 34 games in his debut season in Slovakia Salituro earned a one-year extension, though this past January he transferred to HC Presov. Now, he’s off to Germany to play third-division hockey with the hope of helping his club advance up the highly competitive German hockey ladder.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Justin Robidas

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If you watched the Quebec Remparts open the Memorial Cup against the Kamloops Blazers last Friday, you probably noticed an undersized QMJHL forward flying around the ice setting up his teammates with creative, deceptive passes.

That was Justin Robidas, who put up three assists in the blowout win, continuing a brilliant playoff performance. As the young forward waits to see who he’ll face in the tournament finale, he’s made another huge step in his career.

Robidas has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. General manager Don Waddell released the following statement:

Justin has produced offensively throughout his junior career, and he has played a key role for Quebec throughout the QMJHL playoffs and Memorial Cup this season. We are excited to watch his development progress at the next level.

The 20-year-old forward was picked 147th in 2021, scoring 78 points in 63 regular season games this year. Even better, he put up 27 in 18 postseason games, helping the Remparts take home the QMJHL title.

While his size, a diminutive 5’8″, will likely pose a challenge for him at the next level, Robidas has shown elite playmaking ability at the junior level. He’ll be ticketed for the AHL next season, where he’ll try to translate his game to the professional ranks.

If he does struggle, there’s certainly someone he can ask for advice. Robidas is the son of Stephane Robidas, a veteran of more than 900 games and currently an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens.

List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup

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After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.

Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.

There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.

Anaheim Ducks

C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)

Arizona Coyotes

RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)

Boston Bruins

none

Buffalo Sabres

RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)

Calgary Flames

LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)

Colorado Avalanche

none

Columbus Blue Jackets

LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)

Dallas Stars

C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

none

Edmonton Oilers

none

Florida Panthers

LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)

Los Angeles Kings

none

Minnesota Wild

C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)

Montreal Canadiens

C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)

Nashville Predators

LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)

New Jersey Devils

RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)

New York Islanders

LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)

New York Rangers

LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)

Ottawa Senators

none

Philadelphia Flyers

LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)

Pittsburgh Penguins

none

San Jose Sharks

none

Seattle Kraken

C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)

St. Louis Blues

C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)

Tampa Bay Lightning

none

Toronto Maple Leafs

C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)

Vancouver Canucks

C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)

Vegas Golden Knights

C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)

Washington Capitals

C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)

Winnipeg Jets

C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)

Buffalo Sabres Assign Olivier Nadeau To AHL

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The Buffalo Sabres reassigned forward prospect Olivier Nadeau to the AHL’s Rochester Americans Monday, the team said in a tweet. Buffalo selected Nadeau, 20, in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Nadeau’s junior hockey season ended last week when the Québec Remparts swept his Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL in the third round. The 6-foot-2 forward, who spent three seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes before a trade to Gatineau last July, had a monster year for the Olympiques with 46 points in 34 games and a staggering +41 rating.

The Americans are still alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs, with defender Lawrence Pilut’s overtime heroics on Saturday sending them to a North Division Final matchup against the Toronto Marlies, which begins Thursday. Nadeau could sneak into the Rochester lineup for that series ahead of players like Josh Passolt, who’s played all five playoff games for the Americans after spending nearly all of the regular season in the ECHL.

With Nadeau hitting the 20-year age mark and completing four seasons of junior hockey, this transaction also ends his career in the QMJHL. Under contract with Buffalo, Nadeau is eligible to play for Rochester full-time in 2023-24.

Nadeau sets himself apart with his hockey sense. He’s among the smartest (if not the smartest) players in the Buffalo system and translates that intelligence into skilled plays. His goal-scoring ability has also improved since his draft year, evidenced by a 35-goal campaign for Shawinigan in 2021-22.

Snaphots: QMJHL Commissioner, Puljujarvi, Silovs

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The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced its new commissioner earlier today. Mario Cecchini was picked as the new head of the Junior circuit. Cecchini most recently has been serving as the Team President of the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League. He is not expected to take over his new role as QMJHL Commissioner until May 8. Martin Lavallee will serve as interim commissioner until that date.

This news comes just two days after previous commissioner Gilles Courteau abruptly announced he was stepping away from the role. Courteau sat in the commissioner’s chair for 37 years and was planning on retiring in 2024. He announced earlier this week he would be retiring immediately. This announcement was shrouded in questions surrounding an investigation into hazing in the Junior league.

  • Per Walt Ruff of NHL.com, Jesse Puljujarvi is finally cleared and eligible to make his debut with the Carolina Hurricanes, a week after they acquired him from the Edmonton Oilers. The Finnish winger was stuck in Canada, awaiting a work visa that would allow him to suit up for the Hurricanes. Puljujarvi joined the team shortly before they took on the Montreal Canadiens, but was not in the lineup.
  • Arturs Silovs was sent back down to the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks, per a team release. Silovs was called up yesterday on an emergency loan as Canucks backup goaltender Collin Delia was sick and unavailable to play. Silovs got the start last night, stopping 29 shots and helping the Canucks beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout. The 21 year old now returns to the Abbotsford Canucks but has proven himself capable at the NHL in four starts this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Isaac Belliveau

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed prospect Isaac Belliveau to a three-year entry-level contract, which kicks in for the 2023-24 season. Belliveau currently plays for the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, where he will remain through the end of the season.

Now 20, Belliveau was a fifth-round pick of the Penguins in 2021 and would have become a free agent if not signed by June 1. The 6’2″ defenseman has 40 points in 44 games for the Olympiques this season, playing second fiddle to Anaheim Ducks prospect Tristan Luneau, who leads the team and all QMJHL defenders in scoring.

Belliveau is 12th in that race, though, and an intriguing prospect in his own right. He has had an especially good stretch recently, with five points in his last three, and has a chance to go on a long playoff run with the 39-12-6 club.

He’ll be ticketed for his first professional campaign in 2023-24; whether he can continue that offensive performance at the next level remains to be seen.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Alexandre Doucet

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The Detroit Red Wings took a short break from their deadline preparation today to add a player to the organization, signing Alexandre Doucet to a three-year entry-level contract. The undrafted forward currently plays with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

Doucet, 21, is playing as an overager in junior this year, but making good on his last chance to show what he can do at the amateur level. Through 58 games, split between Halifax and the Val d’Or Foreurs, he has 45 goals and 89 points.

The Red Wings likely believe they have found a late bloomer, as Doucet was never one of the top prospects in Quebec. Selected in the sixth round of the 2018 QMJHL draft, he would still play another year of midget before jumping to the Q and was a slow starter with just 17 goals over his first two years of junior combined.

Because of his age, Doucet can join the Grand Rapids Griffins next year (and this spring, if his junior season ends in time) to start his professional career.

Zachary Morin Signs With Youngstown Phantoms

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There has been an interesting development in the junior hockey ranks, as the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL announced an agreement with Zachary Morin for the 2023-24 season.

Morin, 15, currently plays for the Little Caesars AAA program that had helped produce a number of high-level NHL talents, like Jason Robertson, Jakob Chychrun, and Zach Werenski. He was recently rated an “A” prospect for the QMJHL draft, and expected to go near the very top (if not first overall). Youngstown general managers Jason Deskins and Ryan Kosecki explain why:

[Zachary] is a world-class player. There is a reason some have projected him as the potential first overall draft pick in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He is big, skilled, smart, and can fly, yet he plays a heavy, power forward game that will translate to every level. This kid has an NHL frame and the tools to go along with it. We are fortunate to have Zachary in a Phantoms jersey. It’s a great day for our program. 

When they say Morin has an NHL frame, they don’t mean he’s projected to grow into one. The young forward, who will turn 16 later this month, is already 6’2″ and towers over much of his competition. He has 41 goals and 94 points in 56 games for his midget team, and already uses his size effectively to power through opponents.

The Phantoms will surrender a second-round pick in the USHL draft to sign Morin, who will remain eligible for the NCAA by going this route. He is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2025, meaning there is still plenty of time to get a better read on his NHL future. Still, this is a rather surprising move for a player who would have received plenty of opportunity in the QMJHL.

Minor Transactions: 01/07/23

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We’re in the full swing of the NHL season, and today featured a busy slate of games. The New Jersey Devils secured a thrilling overtime victory over their arch-rivals, the New York Rangers, while the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout. There are seven additional games today for NHL fans to enjoy, and while hockey fans take in all the action, teams in foreign leagues, minor leagues, and junior leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll track those moves here.

  • Quinton Howden, a 2010 first-round pick and former NHLer, has found a new club to play for. The 30-year-old forward, who is the brother of Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden, has signed with Grenoble, the reigning French champions. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster year for Howden, who began the year on a tryout with Jukkurit in Liiga. He then joined Orebro for the Spengler Cup tournament, and now lands in France.
  • Former OHL Playoff MVP Logan Morrison has been traded to the Ottawa 67’s. His former team, the Hamilton Bulldogs, will receive a package of six draft picks in return, bolstering their ability to add talent via the OHL Priority Selection. Morrison, 20, is an elite scorer at the junior level, scoring 100 points in 60 games last season. He has 55 points in 34 games so far this year.
  • High-scoring QMJHL defenseman Kale McCallum has left his current team, the Val d’Or Foreurs. Reporting from Pierre-Olivier Poulin of Le Citoyen indicates that McCallum’s departure is due to the fact that the Foreurs did not trade him to a team with legitimate playoff hopes. He has scored 34 points in 36 games this year, and 69 points in 68 games last season. Per Poulin, McCallum will look to continue his career on the Canadian University circuit.
  • Veteran netminder Brad Barone, a well-traveled minor league veteran, has signed with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. The Nailers will be the ninth club Barone has suited up for in the East Coast league, having made his debut there in the 2014-15 playoffs. Barone signed an extension to continue his career with the Orlando Solar Bears in August and ended up playing 19 games for the club this season. He was released from that contract after the Solar Bears acquired 24-year-old Joe Murdaca, though, paving the way for today’s move. Barone has a .910 save percentage through 19 games this season and had an impressive .919 mark in 48 games in 2021-22.
  • The ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets acquired defenseman Max Balinson from the Reading Royals in exchange for cash considerations. Balinson, 26, is a former college hockey defender for both Arizona State University and Long Island University. The Komets will be his third career ECHL club, and he has four points in 15 games this season.
  • Former top WHL draft pick Rhett Rhinehart was released from his standard player contract today, per the AHL’s official transactions page. Rhinehart, 21, was the 13th overall pick by the Prince Albert Raiders at the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft and played parts of six seasons in the WHL. Rhinehart earned a one-year AHL deal from the Calgary Wranglers in August after attending Calgary Flames development camp. He made his professional debut at the ECHL level, and played in seven games for the Rapid City Rush.
  • Martin Gran, a top scorer in lower-level European leagues, has signed with Kristianstads IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish Hockey. Gran, 26, comes from Lillehammer, a team in the top division of Norwegian professional hockey, where he has scored 28 points in 27 games.

Minor Transactions: 01/06/23

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With the World Junior Championships now over, the hockey world can fully return its focus on the NHL season. We’re in the full swing of things on the NHL calendar, and as teams continue to fight for playoff position, numerous teams in overseas and minor leagues are making tweaks to their roster. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Montreal Canadiens second-round pick Riley Kidney was traded in a blockbuster QMJHL deal today. Kidney, who scored 100 points last season, was dealt to the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, Hurricanes draft pick Robert Orr, and forward Donovan Arsenault. This is the second time Orr has been traded this season, as he was acquired by the Olympiques in August.
  • Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jakub Brabenec, fresh off of a strong World Juniors performance, has been traded to another QMJHL team. He was sent to the Sherbrooke Phoenix in exchange for a package including draft picks and Swiss forward Joel Marchon. Brabenec was a fourth-rounder of the Golden Knights in 2021 and has 25 points in 28 games this season.
  • Former Florida Panther Jonathan Racine has a new club to play for. The 29-year-old 2011 third-round pick has signed a deal with Herning Blue Fox, a team in Metal Ligaen, the top division of professional hockey in Denmark. Racine last played in North America in 2019-20, splitting time in the AHL and ECHL. Before signing in Denmark, Racine had played this season for Manglerud in the Fjordkraft-ligaen, the top division of professional hockey in Norway.
  • 2009 Colorado Avalanche draft pick Brandon Maxwell has signed a short-term deal to play for the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL. Maxwell, 31, has played in Europe since 2013-14, save for a one-game stint in the ECHL. He’s gone from Czechia to Austria to Germany and now finds himself in Sweden for the next stop in his career.
  • Minor league veteran Matt Salhany has left the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen to sign a contract overseas. Per an official announcement, Metal Ligaen’s Aalborg Pirates have signed Salhany to a contract for the rest of the season. Salhany was a prolific scorer in his last stint in the Danish league, scoring 28 points in 35 games for Soenderjyske. His return to North America with Jacksonville hasn’t gone as planned, as he has just four points in 11 games, so he’ll head back to Denmark looking to resume his role as a top scorer.
  • Former HockeyEast regular Liam Blackburn is changing clubs. The 26-year-old Canadian has bounced around a bit this season. He moved from the German third division to the SPHL, played for three different SPHL clubs, and then left for Scotland, signing with the EIHL’s Fife Flyers. He’s now left for a different part of the United Kingdom, transferring to the Manchester Storm, a rival EIHL club. Blackburn, who was a solid scorer in college and an elite scorer in Germany’s third tier, had one point in nine games for the Flyers.
  • Former OHL and ECHL star Dante Salituro has changed clubs, as he is now playing for HC Presov. Salituro had previously been playing for HC Spisska Nova Ves, a rival club in the Slovakian Tipos Extraliga, the country’s top professional league. Salituro has 43 points in 65 career games in Slovakia, and last played in North America in 2019-20.
  • Miloslav Jachym, a veteran defenseman on the Eastern and Central European professional hockey circuits, has left his current club, HC Dukla Jihlava of the Czech second division. The team connected Jachym’s departure to the signing of a younger defenseman, David Vala, to a multi-year deal.
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