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Minor Transactions: 07/24/22

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After a busy start to the weekend, it’s been a quiet Sunday morning around the hockey world. Kadri-watch is still on, what the Calgary Flames choose to do with newly-acquired stars Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar is an intriguing storyline, and where veterans like P.K. Subban and Phil Kessel end up is yet to be determined. Still, there has been some action in the minor leagues and overseas worth keeping tabs on, and we’ll track that here.

  • Former Minnesota Wild prospect Bryce Misley is heading overseas, signing with Asiago of ICEHL in Italy (link). Originally a fourth-round pick of Minnesota in 2017, Misley spent four seasons at the University of Vermont, turning pro at the conclusion of his 2020-21 college season. 2021-22 was the forward’s first full professional season, scoring just three goals in 18 games with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, but impressing with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL, where he had 11 goals and 19 assists in 46 games.
  • Defenseman John Gilmour, a veteran of 37 NHL games with the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres, has changed teams in the KHL. After 47 games over two seasons with CSKA Moscow, Gilmour will suit up for Dinamo Minsk next season (link). The 29-year-old was a four-year standout at Providence College, winning a National Championship in 2015 before turning pro for the 2016-17 season, playing with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He would make his NHL debut a year later, tallying five points in a career-high 28 games played for the New York Rangers. Gilmour spent the 2019-20 season in the Buffalo Sabres organization, splitting time between the Sabres and the Rochester Americans in the AHL, eventually heading to the KHL after that season.
  • Keegan Lowe, a longtime AHL veteran, is headed to the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL after spending last season playing for Bolzano in Austria (link). The defenseman began his career with the Edmonton Oil Kings and was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third-round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Lowe would spend parts of seven seasons in the AHL between the Charlotte Checkers, St. John’s IceCaps, Bakersfield Condors, and most recently the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21. After the season in San Diego, Lowe departed North America for Austria, where he impressed with 20 points in 44 games on the blueline. The veteran also got into four games at the NHL level, two with the Hurricanes in 2014-15 and two with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017-18.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Lukas Klok

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You’ve heard of Ronald Knot, get ready for Lukas Klok. The Arizona Coyotes have picked up their second 27-year-old Czech defenseman of the offseason, bringing in Klok from Nizhnekamsk in the KHL on a one-year, two-way entry-level deal, per CapFriendly. It has a cap hit of $845K, which includes an NHL salary of $750K, $105K in performance bonuses, $95K in signing bonuses, and a minors salary of $82.5K.

Klok is actually a solid under-the-radar candidate to make the Coyotes this fall. He had a strong season in the KHL, notching 31 points in 44 games. He also had three points in four games for Czechia at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Both Klok and Knot, a previous Arizona signing this offseason, played for the same team in Russia and were both on the Czech Olympic squad.

Klok was never drafted, but he does have 29 games of experience in North America. He played 29 games with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms back in 2013-14, registering three points.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Josh Jacobs, Spencer Smallman

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As the reigning Stanley Cup Champions worked on bringing back two key players in Valeri Nichushkin and Josh Manson, they also brought in two depth pieces in that of forward Spencer Smallman and defenseman Joshua Jacobs, the team announced. Smallman’s contract runs for two years, while Jacobs’ is just for one. The Jacobs contract is a two-way deal, worth $750K at the NHL level and $265K in the minors, says PuckPedia. Smallman’s contract is worth $750K in the NHL this season, rising to $775K next season, according to PuckPedia. In the minors, the contract will pay Smallman $350K this season and $400K next season, but does guarantee him $400K this season regardless.

A fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, Smallman has spent his professional career between the ECHL and AHL levels in the Hurricanes’ system. This season, the 25-year-old had 27 points, 10 goals and 17 assists, in 65 games for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Prior to his pro career, Smallman spent five years as a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, his best and final season coming in 2016-17, where he notched 30 goals and 49 assists in 60 games.

Once a top prospect in the New Jersey Devils organization, Jacobs hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for him after he was drafted 41st overall in 2014. Quite the opposite of Smallman, Jacobs made his way through three leagues before turning professional, starting with two seasons in the USHL as a member of the Indiana Ice before heading to college at Michigan State University for a season, finishing his amateur career with a season in the OHL as a member of the Sarnia Sting. Since then, Jacobs has spent most of his career playing in the AHL with the Devils, making a couple of appearances in the NHL with New Jersey. 2021-22 was Jacobs’ first season outside of the Devils organization, as he played for the Chicago Wolves, an affiliate of the Hurricanes.

Hurricanes RFA Jesper Sellgren Signs In Sweden

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After losing pending RFA blueliner Tarmo Reunanen to a team in Finland earlier this week, the Hurricanes have lost another pending RFA defenseman to a club overseas as Lulea of the SHL announced the signing of Jesper Sellgren to a three-year contract.

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick of Carolina back in 2018 (166th overall) and he transferred to Lulea’s system soon after so he’s returning to a familiar team.  This past season was his first full one in North America and he did relatively well, picking up 26 points in 73 regular season games with AHL Chicago while chipping in with three assists as the Wolves won the Calder Cup title.

However, with an NHL opportunity likely not coming, Sellgren has decided to head back home to a league he has already played parts of four seasons in.  While Carolina can still retain his NHL rights with a qualifying offer, by the time this contract expires in 2025, it will be lining up with him being an unrestricted free agent in the NHL.  Accordingly, the Hurricanes could simply decide to relinquish his rights later this month.

Mikkel Boedker Signs In Sweden

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Any thought of a return to North America for Mikkel Boedker can be put to bed after the veteran forward signed a new one-year deal with HV71 in the SHL. The deal takes him out of Switzerland but continues his European career, this time a little closer to home.

Boedker, 32, played more than 700 games in the NHL and racked up 327 points, last seeing the ice with the Ottawa Senators in the 2019-20 season. For the past two years, he has been playing for Lugano, along with fellow NHL alumni like Mark Arcobello, Daniel Carr, and Mirco Mueller. He’ll now head to HV71, just a few hours up the road from his hometown in Denmark.

A long-time member of the Danish national team, Boedker was part of their entry into this year’s Olympics after helping them qualify for the event. He has a long international resume that even included a stint with Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup. He also holds the distinction of being the highest-ever draft pick from Denmark, eighth overall to the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008.

Given his age and recent production, one can assume his NHL career is now over.

Anthony Greco Signs In SHL

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The New York Rangers don’t have to worry about signing at least one of their pending unrestricted free agents. Anthony Greco, who was a key player for their AHL affiliate, has taken his talents to Sweden, signing a one-year deal with Frolunda of the SHL.

Greco, 28, saw one game in the NHL this season, just the second of his lengthy professional career. The undrafted college talent has been an excellent producer in the minor leagues, scoring 235 points in 360 games, including 59 in 66 this year for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now as he heads overseas, there’s no telling if he’ll ever suit up for another NHL match.

The Rangers of course have plenty of other free agents to worry about, including Andrew Copp, Ryan Strome, and Frank Vatrano. Losing Greco will take away a bit of depth from the organization but with more young players ready to make the jump to the AHL, he wasn’t really necessary any longer. In Sweden, he’ll actually have quite a short offseason, as he joins the team on August 1 to prepare.

A one-year deal will leave him 29 at its expiry, an unrestricted free agent once again.

Johannes Kinnvall Signs In SHL

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Another European free agent has decided to take his talents back home, as Johannes Kinnvall has signed a new two-year deal with Brynas in the SHL.

Kinnvall, 24, is coming off a two-year entry-level contract that he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020, and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer. The depth defenseman never did see the NHL, spending the first year of the contract back in Sweden on loan and this year with the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

With just 19 games under his belt for the Heat, Kinnvall will return to the SHL without much to show for his North American sojourn. He now heads back to a league he has dominated in recent years, recording 62 points over 83 games in his last two seasons as one of the most reliable puck-moving defensemen in the league.

Calgary will be able to retain his RFA rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, though at this point that isn’t a guarantee, given how little action he saw for their organization.

Adam Werner Signs In SHL

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The Calgary Flames have one less pending free agent to worry about. Adam Werner, who is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, has signed a new two-year contract with the Malmo Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League.

Werner, 25, spent the entire 2021-22 season with the Stockton Heat, recording a .886 save percentage in 21 appearances. While sometimes minor league goaltending performances can be tricky to evaluate due to the ever-changing roster in front of them but in this case, Werner’s statistics are in stark contrast to starter Dustin Wolf, who posted a .924 and won an award as the league’s best goaltender.

With no clear path to NHL action, it always did seem as though Werner would be taking his talents elsewhere, though a return to Sweden is interesting after his previous success in North America. Selected in the fifth round in 2016, the netminder began his pro career on this side of the pond with the Colorado Avalanche organization and even appeared in two games for the club in 2019-20. Before this season he had posted strong numbers in the minors and has the frame–Werner stands 6’5″–that can represent huge NHL upside.

Still, a two-year term with Malmo doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve seen the last of Werner. Given his relatively young age, there is still plenty of time for him to sign with another NHL organization down the line.

Pontus Aberg, Ryan Spooner Staying In Europe

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A pair of former NHLers are staying across the Atlantic Ocean for the 2022-23 campaign. Swedish winger Pontus Aberg has signed a one-year agreement with BK Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Extraliga, while Canadian forward Ryan Spooner is remaining in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk.

Aberg, 28, attempted an NHL comeback last season when he signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. However, he was waived prior to the season and spent 17 games with the Belleville Senators before mutually terminating his contract to return to Sweden with Timrå IK in the SHL. He netted two goals, nine assists, and 11 points in those 17 games with Belleville. Aberg’s last taste of NHL action came in 2019-20, where he got a five-game look with the Toronto Maple Leafs, registering one assist. A second-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2012, Aberg could really never hold onto a full-time NHL role, shuffling between the NHL and AHL in nearly every season he spent in North America.

Spooner hasn’t been in the league since 2018-19, when he split the season between the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks. He’s been one of the best scorers in the KHL since then, and after one year in Yekaterinburg, he returns to Dinamo Minsk where he led the club in scoring in 2019-20 with 37 points in 43 games. Spooner had a few NHL stretches where it looked like he could become a great middle-six depth piece, especially when he scored 41 points in 59 games between the Rangers and Boston Bruins in 2017-18. His offense disappeared the next season, however, and he hasn’t returned to North America. Now 30 years old, it’s unlikely he ever will.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Filip Johansson

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The Vancouver Canucks have nabbed one of the more interesting European free agents on the market this offseason. The team today announced the signing of defenseman Filip Johansson, a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, to a two-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms are unavailable at this time.

Drafted 24th overall in 2018 by Minnesota, the now-22-year-old’s development in the SHL had stalled over the past few seasons, leading the Wild to the decision to not offer Johansson an entry-level contract as his exclusive signing rights expired on June 1. The 6′ 1″, 176 lb defenseman’s best hockey came in the 2022 postseason, notching five goals and two assists in just nine games with Frölunda HC.

Vancouver general manager Patrik Allvin evidently disagrees with the Wild’s assessment of the player, saying in the team’s release that Johansson “plays a solid defensive game and has shown consistent improvement over the past three seasons.” Allvin also noted that the team will loan Johansson back to Frölunda for the 2022-23 season, meaning Canucks fans won’t get a chance to see their new prospect on North American ice just yet. However, Johansson will attend Canucks development camp next month.

Johansson joins a Canucks prospect pool on defense that lacks much to be truly excited about other than Jack Rathbone and Jett Woo, and he’ll become a giant wild card for the organization. If Johansson can regain his development and reach the defensive ceiling he had when the Wild drafted him, it’ll be a gamble worth taking for the Canucks. If not, Vancouver gave up no assets to obtain the player other than a contract slot. It’s a solid bet from Allvin and the Canucks organization to take a chance on the Swedish defenseman.

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