Golden Knights Sign Matthew Cataford
2023 is ending on a high note for Golden Knights prospect Matthew Cataford. The team announced today that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 18-year-old was a third-round pick by Vegas back in June, going 77th overall. The early returns on that selection are certainly promising as Cataford has 22 goals and 31 assists in just 35 games with QMJHL Halifax so far. Not only does that lead the Mooseheads in scoring, but his 53 points lead the entire league on that front. He’s also the league leader in plus/minus, checking in at a +35 rating.
While Cataford’s contract technically starts this season, that won’t wind up actually being the case as he will remain in Halifax. Accordingly, his contract will slide for 2023-24 and will still have three seasons left on it heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He’ll be eligible for a second slide as well that year as his options will be either junior hockey or Vegas; Cataford won’t be eligible to be assigned to the minors until 2025-26.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Hutchinson, Miller
While the Maple Leafs locked up a key pending UFA back in August when they inked Auston Matthews to a four-year extension, they still have another member of their ‘core four’ to sign, winger William Nylander. In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that the two sides seem to be on the same page on a number of fronts while Nylander has affirmed his desire to stay with Toronto long-term. Currently carrying a cap hit of just over $6.96MM, the 27-year-old has a chance to push past the $10MM mark on his next agreement. He had a career-high 87 points last season and is on pace for 119 as things currently stand this year.
More from the Atlantic:
- While Michael Hutchinson wound up inking a two-way deal with the Red Wings earlier this week following a stint with their farm team, he acknowledged to Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press that his preference was to go back to Winnipeg, the franchise he has had the most success with over an 11-year NHL career. Hutchinson noted that he did hold contract talks with the Jets but they ultimately opted to go with Collin Delia as their third-string option. Meanwhile, with Detroit missing both Ville Husso and Alex Lyon at the moment, the 33-year-old finds himself back at the top level for the time being so it’s safe to say that things wound up working out well for him after all.
- The trade deadline is fast approaching in the CHL and several NHL-drafted prospects will be on the move in the next couple of weeks. One of those appears to be Canadiens goaltender Quentin Miller as Kevin Dube of the Journal de Quebec reports that Miller will be moved to QMJHL Rimouski on Friday. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in June and has a 3.05 GAA and a .901 SV% with Quebec so far. Even though the trade has been agreed to in principle, Miller is expected to make one more start prior to the swap.
Tampa Bay Signs Ethan Gauthier To ELC
The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they’ve signed forward Ethan Gauthier to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 18-year-old was selected 37th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2023 NHL entry draft and is currently playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League where he is an alternate captain of the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
Gauthier is in his third season in the QMJHL, and currently has 13 goals and 17 assists in 28 games and will continue to play in Drummondville for the rest of this season. Over the course of his major junior career, Gauthier has amassed 61 goals and 77 assists in 159 career games split between the Voltigeurs and the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Gauthier is a Canadian national as his father was long-time NHL defenseman Denis Gauthier who is mostly known for his time with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. Denis also played for Drummondville during his time in the QMJHL and was in Phoenix during the NHL lockout back in 2005 when Ethan was born.
Ethan played for Canada’s U18 team during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year and had a very strong showing as he registered six goals and an assist in five games.
At this point Gauther has shown the Lightning enough to warrant an ELC, and if his development continues on a similar trajectory he could be an important piece for Tampa Bay moving forward. His new deal will begin in the 2024-25 season.
Atlantic Notes: Klingberg, Sabres Injuries, Komarov
Last weekend, it was suggested that the Maple Leafs would have further clarity on John Klingberg’s undisclosed injury. Namely, they need to know if he will need potential season-ending surgery. Speaking with reporters today including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link), head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that they have not received an update on the veteran’s status just yet. Klingberg’s $4.15MM cap hit is currently on LTIR, giving Toronto short-term cap flexibility. However, they can’t realistically use that money to go out and acquire a replacement for him if they know he’s going to be back before the end of the season; they’d have to be cap-compliant in order to activate him. Accordingly, until they know more about Klingberg, GM Brad Treliving will be quite limited in what he can try to do to add to an injury-riddled back end.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Earlier this week, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams provided injury updates to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald on several injured Buffalo forwards. Tage Thompson is progressing well from his hand injury and the team hopes that he’ll be on the shorter end of the timeline for a recovery period that’s supposed to be less than two months; he has been out since November 14th. Jack Quinn, meanwhile, is on track to return sometime around January 1st as he works his way back from a torn Achilles tendon from the offseason. As for Zemgus Girgensons, who has missed the last week with a lower-body injury, is listed as week-to-week.
- Still with Buffalo, Sabres prospect Vsevolod Komarov is expected to be traded in the QMJHL to Drummondville in the coming days, reports Journal Express’ Jonathan Habashi. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in 2022 and earned his entry-level contract back in May following a good showing with Quebec in their Memorial Cup run. Now with the Remparts rebuilding, it appears that Komarov will get a chance to catch on with another contender. Through 21 games this season, he has two goals and 14 assists.
Snapshots: Kylington, QMJHL Fighting Ban, Kisio
Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington didn’t suit up at all in 2022-23, instead staying in his home country of Sweden on personal leave. Today, Kylington opened up about his year-long absence to Swedish outlet HockeyNews.se, saying (translated) that “These are things that have been going on in the family for many years but which escalated to become worse, and there were mental and psychological problems I suffered from.” A seemingly refreshed Kylington said at the end of the interview that he’s now feeling “absolutely fantastic” and is looking forward to re-join Calgary next season, as general manager Craig Conroy confirmed last month.
The 2015 second-round pick had a lengthy development track, but the 26-year-old Swede fully arrived on the scene in 2021-22. Stepping closer to a top-four role, Kylington recorded career-highs across the board with nine goals, 22 assists, 31 points, and a +34 rating in 73 games. With the addition of MacKenzie Weegar into the picture in Calgary, however, Kylington might start out next season in a bottom-pairing role under new head coach Ryan Huska. That’s assuming Noah Hanifin starts the season with the team, which is far from a given as he remains a trade candidate.
Other notes from around the hockey world this afternoon:
- The QMJHL confirmed today that fighting will be banned entirely in the league beginning with the 2023-24 campaign, following up on pressure from the Quebec parliament earlier this year to enforce such a rule. After adding a ten-minute misconduct for fighting to the standard five-minute major penalty a few seasons back, a fight in the QMJHL will now automatically result in ejection from the game for both players, more closely resembling the NCAA. A ladder system of suspensions is also being introduced to supplement the automatic ejections. Per the league, an “instigator” will be issued an automatic one-game suspension, an “aggressor” will receive an automatic two-game suspension (with the potential for more), and an additional automatic one-game suspension will be imposed for players who fight multiple times in the same season. The NHL has not commented on the rule nor given any indication they intend to follow in the footsteps of one of their largest junior-league feeders anytime soon.
- The Vegas Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate in Henderson has added Brent Kisio to their staff as an assistant coach, per a team release. Kisio, the son of Golden Knights pro scout Kelly Kisio, had spent the past eight seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. He also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at last year’s 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, where his squad took home the gold medal. Henderson will be under new leadership next year, with Ryan Craig replacing the outgoing Manny Viveiros as head coach.
Patrick Roy Resigns From QMJHL’s Québec Remparts
9:56 a.m. CT: Roy told the media this morning that “absolutely [no]” NHL team has reached out to him yet about a coaching position.
9:35 a.m. CT: NHL head coaching hopeful Patrick Roy announced today he’s leaving his post with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, reports TVA Sports. Roy and his Remparts just won the 2023 Memorial Cup, defeating the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds with a shutout win in the final game.
It’s quite auspicious timing for the announcement, given the sale of the Ottawa Senators to Michael Andlauer was agreed upon in principle this morning. Roy, who’s been connected to Senators coaching vacancies in the past, could be a leading candidate if the team decides to move on from D.J. Smith behind the bench this summer under new ownership.
Roy last coached in the NHL in 2016, serving as the head coach and VP of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche before abruptly quitting during training camp preceding the 2016-17 campaign. He was succeeded by Jared Bednar, who guided the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over two decades in 2022.
After taking two years off, Roy returned to the Remparts as GM and head coach in 2018. Before joining the Avalanche, he had been Québec’s coach between 2005 and 2013 and general manager since retiring from the NHL in 2003. He also owned the Remparts from 1997 to 2014.
Roy has a penchant for a defensive style of play as a coach, an area where the Senators have struggled in recent seasons. One would argue, though, with the standout individual defensive performances of players like Artem Zub, that it’s more of a personnel issue than a coaching one. Nevertheless, if he does end up behind the Senators’ bench, improving the team’s defensive systems would be his first priority.
Minor Transactions: 6/10/23
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
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
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
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.