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Minor Transactions: 06/02/23

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With the Stanley Cup Final set to start tomorrow, we are getting increasingly close to the start of the NHL offseason and the period of the summer where every club across the hockey world is in between seasons. Even as some teams vie for some of hockey’s highest honors, such as the Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup, most clubs are getting to work on building their teams for next season. We’ll keep track of any notable transactions overseas or minor league clubs make here:

  • Curtis McKenzie, the captain of the AHL’s Texas Stars, has signed a two-year contract extension to remain in Texas. McKenzie is on his second tour of duty with AHL Texas and has 99 NHL games on his resume, all with the Dallas Stars. A beloved part of the Stars’ 2014 Calder Cup-winning squad, McKenzie has scored 104 points in 142 games over the last two AHL campaigns. He is valued for both his on-ice contributions and also his off-ice leadership, and will now be able to help shepherd the next generation of Stars prospects on their way from Cedar Park to Dallas.
  • Former Ottawa Senator Filip Chlapik is returning to HC Sparta Praha in his native Czechia after spending last season with Switzerland’s HC Ambri-Piotta, per a team announcement. The move is a massive one for Prague as Chlapik, 25, was a dominant force during his one season in the Czech capital. In 2021-22 Chlapik scored 70 points in 53 games, leading the Czech Extraliga in all major offensive categories and winning Extraliga Player of the Year. Ambri-Piotta have already secured Chlapik’s replacement, Laurent Dauphin, but will surely miss having the 2015 second-rounder as he scored 24 goals and 37 points in 50 games in his debut season in the Swiss League.
  • Longtime AHL and ECHL netminder Joe Cannata is leaving the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn after three seasons spent with the club. The 33-year-old goalie arrived in the SHL after he was named Goalie of the Year of the second-division HockeyAllsvenskan in 2019-20, having posted a .938 save percentage in 41 games for IF Bjorkloven. Cannata, who last played in North America in 2019 with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, served as Oskarshamn’s number-one goalie in 2020-21 before transitioning to more of a tandem role the last two years, ceding starts to 28-year-old Tim Juel. Now with Cannata departed and Juel signing a three-year deal with Timra, Oskarshamn will turn to Liiga star and former Arizona Coyote Marek Langhammer to man their crease.
  • Ryan Lasch, a well-traveled star in multiple major European pro leagues, is returning to Liiga’s Lahti Pelicans, the club he played for in both 2011-12 and 2020-21. The 36-year-old American has been a difference-maker at each stop of his pro career, perhaps most notably at Frolunda in the SHL where he has won the Champions Hockey League three times and the SHL title twice. Lasch has led the SHL in points three times and Liiga once, and is likely to be a key contributor for a Pelicans team hoping to win a championship after falling just short against Tappara Tampere in the finals this past season.
  • In advance of their first season in the SHL since winning promotion in April, MoDo Hockey Ornskoldsvik have signed Mikael Ruohomaa from rival SHL side Leksands IF. While Ruohomaa had a difficult 2022-23, scoring just four goals in 41 games, he is an established, productive player in Liiga, the KHL, and SHL, and should bring some reliability and scoring ability to MoDo’s lineup. As MoDo are looking to avoid relegation back to HockeyAllsvenskan next season, signings that bring in quality players such as Ruohomaa will be crucial.
  • While they’ll lose Ruohomaa to MoDo, Leksands IF have made a signing of their own, bringing in defenseman Eddie Larsson from Liiga’s HIFK Helsinki. Larsson, 32, won an SHL title with Vaxjo in 2014-15 and has nearly 500 games of SHL experience on his resume. He’ll help bolster a solid Leksands blueline that surrendered the fifth-fewest goals in the SHL last season.
  • Samuel Bucek, a star of the Slovakian league, is headed back to Slovakian side HK Nitra after a difficult campaign split between Russia and Czechia. The 24-year-old is headed home to Nitra, the club where he scored 41 goals in 50 games in 2021-22 and won the league’s MVP award. Nitra lost in the finals to HC Slovan Bratislava that season and then this season fell to 10th place in the league standings, meaning Bucek’s return to their lineup serves as a significant boost to Nitra’s hopes of returning to title contention.
  • After starring in the ECHL for the past three seasons, former Miami University (Ohio) captain Gordie Green is headed overseas to continue his pro career. The 26-year-old has signed with HC Innsbruck of the ICEHL, and will likely be counted on as a possible top scorer. Green scored 71 points in 62 games for the Toledo Walleye this past season but failed to register on the scoresheet in the six AHL games he received with the Grand Rapids Griffins and Miluwakee Admirals. Now, he’ll get a chance to impress in Austria and potentially begin the process of moving up the European pro hockey ladder.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Carl Lindbom

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The Vegas Golden Knights have inked goalie Carl Lindbom to a three-year, entry-level contract, says the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster. PuckPedia reports the deal carries an $840,000 cap hit.

Lindbom, 20, slipped all the way to 222nd overall in the 2021 Draft after he was limited to just eight junior games in the Swedish J20 Nationell season, posting a subpar .890 save percentage in the process. It’s been a sharp rise for Lindbom since then, and his numbers suggest a budding goalie with a potential NHL future.

In fact, Lindbom, who had his birthday just days ago, has gone from draft blip to professional world-beater in Sweden’s second-tier league, the Allsvenskan. Along with posting two shutouts in seven appearances for Sweden at the 2023 Men’s World Juniors, Lindbom took home Rookie of the Year and Goalie of the Year honors with the Allsvenksan’s Djurgårdens IF.

He posted a staggering .930 save percentage, seven shutouts, a 1.86 goals-against average, and a 25-11-0 record in 36 games, adding a .941 save percentage in five SHL qualification matches. Unfortunately, an injury in his fifth game knocked him out for the rest of the postseason, and Djurgården would lose to MoDo in the Allsvenskan championship series, keeping them in the second-tier league for 2023-24.

Lindbom is likely destined for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights next season, where he’ll gun for a starting role with 24-year-old Jiri Patera, who made his NHL debut for the Golden Knights in 2022-23.

Boston Bruins’ Kai Wissmann Returning To Germany

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After a one-year attempt at making a pro hockey career in North America, Boston Bruins depth defenseman Kai Wissmann is returning to the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin for 2023-24, according to the team.

During his one-year stay in the Bruins organization, Wissmann, 26, never got an NHL look. However, a solid showing with Germany at the recently-concluded Men’s World Championship could have garnered Wissmann some NHL interest for next season, as it did after the 2022 edition of the tournament.

In his lone season with the Bruins, spent entirely with AHL Providence, Wissmann registered a goal and eight assists (nine points) in 31 games. He didn’t appear in any Calder Cup Playoff contests for Providence, failing to earn much of any responsibility at the AHL level.

Berlin announced that Wissmann signed a long-term deal but didn’t clarify its length. It’s safe to assume he’ll play the rest of his career overseas after being unable to secure an everyday AHL role in his mid-20s.

Before joining the Bruins in 2022, Wissmann had been a part of the Eisbären organization dating back to junior hockey in 2012. The only team he’s ever played for in the top German league, Wissmann has logged six goals, 62 assists, 68 points, and a +67 rating over nine seasons and 285 games with Berlin.

Wissmann had a career-high four goals and 20 points with Berlin in 2021-22, spearheading the NHL contract offer from Boston. He’s still technically a pending restricted free agent so the team can retain his NHL rights with a qualifying offer. Given the long-term commitment in Germany, that’s an improbable scenario.

Wissmann said the following on his return to his home country:

During my time in the AHL, I noticed more and more how much I missed the atmosphere in the different DEL arenas. Especially at our home games in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. I’m really looking forward to hearing the whole arena sing our polar bear song again before we enter through the polar bear’s head. When I think about it, I’m already motivated again for the coming season. It feels like coming home to me. Berlin is a great city.

Minor Transactions: 5/31/23

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The end of May has arrived and we should soon start to see an uptick in moves around the hockey world.  There were a handful of minor moves today which are noted here.

  • The AHL’s Chicago Wolves announced (Twitter links) the signings of forwards Connor McClennon and Cory Conacher. McClennon received a two-year deal while the length of Conacher’s deal was not disclosed.  McClennon, a former prospect of the Flyers, had his second straight 40-plus-goal season in the WHL, notching 46 goals and 46 assists in 64 games, good for eighth in league scoring.  The 20-year-old will now get a couple of seasons to try to earn an entry-level deal.  As for Conacher, the 33-year-old was limited to just 17 games between two AHL teams this season, collecting 10 points.  He has typically been a strong producer in the minors, however, picking up 340 points in 371 games over parts of ten seasons.  The Wolves will be operating as an independent AHL franchise next season as they have ended their affiliation with Carolina.
  • Conner Roulette is on the move in the WHL as Spokane announced that they’ve acquired the forward from Saskatoon in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Stars in 2021 and picked up 63 points in 60 games for the Blades this season.  This acquisition suggests that Roulette will not be signing with Dallas by tomorrow’s deadline and at that point, they will lose his rights.

Colorado Avalanche Extend Nate Clurman

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The Colorado Avalanche got some offseason business out of the way today, re-signing pending restricted free agent defenseman Nate Clurman to a one-year contract extension. Per CapFriendly, the deal pays Clurman $775,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level.

Clurman, 25, is one of the few hometown players in the organization, hailing from Boulder, Colorado. Standing at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Clurman’s strength and transitional game are the hallmarks of his style, which he’s spent the past few seasons honing within the minor ranks of the Avalanche organization.

Drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft directly out of high school, Clurman is one of the rare prospects to have high school hockey on his résumé after being drafted into the league. He played the 2016-17 campaign with the Culver Military Academy prep program before transferring to junior hockey the following year, splitting the season between three USHL teams.

Clurman then made the jump to college play, logging three seasons at the University of Notre Dame before turning pro and signing with the Avs. In his junior year, he served as the program’s captain and scored four goals after not lighting the lamp once throughout his first and second seasons.

His offense has actually taken a sizable jump since turning pro, as extended time with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies in 2021-22 did him well. It prepped him for a solid 2022-23 season, where he played in 57 regular-season games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, registering 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) and a +11 rating.

A full-time NHL career is likely out of the cards for Clurman at this point, given his age, but another improved season in the minors could warrant another extension next offseason and potential NHL call-ups if injuries strike.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Philip Kemp To Extension

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Philip Kemp to a two-year, two-way contract extension with an average annual value of $775,000, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Kemp, 24, was a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights after the conclusion of his entry-level deal. During the three seasons of his entry-level contract, the Connecticut-born defender spent all his time with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, save for a loan to Väsby IK of the Swedish Allsvenskan due to COVID in 2020-21.

In the recently concluded 2022-23 season, Kemp showcased his development by setting career highs in multiple categories. He appeared in 71 games, recording six goals and 15 assists while also leading the team with a +12 rating. His contributions placed him third among his fellow Condors defensemen in goals, assists, and games played.

Selected by the Oilers in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Kemp’s journey to a second NHL deal has been winding. He spent the first three seasons after his draft year playing collegiate hockey at Yale before turning pro in 2020. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 202 pounds, Kemp is growing into a physically capable and defensively inclined blueliner who’s comfortable in a top-four role in the minors.

At 24, there may not be much of an NHL future for Kemp, but he’s checked off all the boxes that you’d expect from someone in his draft position. If nothing else, he’s set to continue his development into a solid farmhand player, still bringing value to the organization even outside of an NHL role.

Minor Transactions: 05/29/23

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To our audience south of the US/Canada border, PHR wishes you a meaningful Memorial Day. It’s likely to be a slow NHL news cycle day as in years past, but all eyes are still on the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars and Vegas looks to close out the Western Conference Final tonight in Game 6. Overseas, though, transactions are still trickling in from their transfer periods. As always, we’ll keep track of the day’s notable transactions right here.

  • Former Carolina Hurricanes draft pick and captain of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors Keegan Lowe is extending his career overseas, signing a two-year contract with the SHL’s Växjö Lakers HC. Lowe, the son of Edmonton Oilers legend Kevin Lowe, logged heavy minutes on Växjö’s blue line this season and contributed 11 points in 51 games. Now 30 years old, it looks like his four NHL games (two each with Carolina and Edmonton) will be it for his career.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Sabres Sign Ryan Johnson To Entry-Level Deal

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There had been some question as to whether Ryan Johnson would sign with Buffalo or test free agency later this summer.  In the end, he opted to stay with the team that drafted him as the team announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins next season.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 21-year-old was a first-round pick by Buffalo back in 2019 (31st overall) out of Sioux Falls of the USHL.  Johnson then went to college at the University of Minnesota but didn’t exactly light it up, scoring just twice in his first two seasons.  However, he showed considerable improvement in his junior year and carried that over to 2022-23 where he picked up 18 points in 40 games for the Golden Gophers.

Had Buffalo not signed Johnson or if he decided that he wanted to test free agency, the Sabres would have received a compensatory second-round selection.  Instead, they’ll get an opportunity to add another young defender to their system, joining Nikita Novikov and Vsevolod Komarov who both signed recently as well.

While Johnson hasn’t played since the end of his college campaign, he has been assigned to AHL Rochester with the Americans still playing in the playoffs.  Given how long he has been out, it would be surprising to see him suit up right away but if the Amerks move on to the Calder Cup Final, Johnson might get a chance to make his pro debut this season.

Minor Transactions: 05/26/23

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The Stanley Cup Final is just days away, meaning the NHL news cycle is likely to take a brief pause until a champion is awarded and the focus turns solely to the upcoming draft and free agency. This morning has been a busy one for overseas moves, however, as teams try to get some last bit of business wrapped up before the weekend.

  • American defender Ben Blood continues his wide-ranging European career, signing a one-year contract with the DEL’s Löwen Frankfurt. In the past five years, the former Ottawa Senators prospect has played for four different teams across Great Britain, Finland, and Austria. Now 34 years old, the hulking 6-foot-4 defender takes his services to Germany for the first time after recording five points and 39 penalty minutes in 32 games with the Liiga’s Pelicans last season.
  • Austrian World Juniors cult hero netminder Sebastian Wraneschitz is returning to his home country, signing a one-year deal with his hometown Vienna Capitals of the ICEHL. Wraneschitz, 21, played for Vienna in the 2020-21 season but opted to head to North America to play juniors in 2021-22. He settled in, playing 18 games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, but injuries limited him to just three appearances there in 2022-23.
  • The Liiga’s Luuko has signed a pair of formerly NHL-contracted players to one-year deals: defenseman Josh Brook and forward Brayden Burke. Brook, a former second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, spent the 2022-23 season on an AHL contract with the Calgary Wranglers but played just 13 games. The 23-year-old will now look to revive his career overseas. Burke, 26, amassed 202 games of AHL experience across six seasons between the Tuscon Roadrunners, Ontario Reign, Milwaukee Admirals, and Manitoba Moose.
  • Heading back to the DEL, the Nürnberg Ice Tigers have inked 27-year-old forward Charlie Gerard to a one-year deal. Playing with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, Gerard finished top 10 in league scoring in 2022-23 after spending most of 2021-22 up in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This will be Gerard’s first experience overseas.
  • Former New York Rangers forward prospect Jake Elmer is heading to Denmark, signing a one-year contract with the Odense Bulldogs of the Metal Ligaen. Elmer failed to stick in the AHL after a strong overage showing in juniors, which led to an NHL contract from the Rangers after going undrafted. The 24-year-old played six ECHL games this season before heading overseas, finishing out the year with HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga.

More to come…

Oskari Laaksonen Signs Two-Year Deal In SHL

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Dallas Stars pending restricted free agent defender Oskari Laaksonen has signed with the SHL’s Luleå HF for the next two seasons, keeping him overseas through 2025.

The 23-year-old arrives in Luleå after two-and-a-half seasons in the AHL. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the 89th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Dallas acquired Laaksonen in a minor trade in December 2022.

There’s still some untapped potential in Laaksonen, who posted 34 points in 71 games with the Rochester Americans in 2021-22 before becoming a healthy scratch as the postseason began. In Texas this season, Laaksonen registered eight points in 29 games, adding three points in six playoff contests.

Dallas can retain Laaksonen’s NHL rights upon the expiration of his SHL deal if they issue a qualifying offer next month.

Before his time in the AHL, the Finnish defenseman amassed four seasons of pro experience in the Finnish Liiga with the Ilves and Pelicans clubs. Notably, Laaksonen was also a part of the Finnish national team that clinched the IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship title in the 2018-19 season.

Luleå general manager Stefan Nilsson expressed his excitement about Laaksonen’s acquisition in a translated statement:

It feels great with Laaksonen, who we feel is a skilled two-way defender who will be able to help the team. In addition to having a solid defensive game, he is also a good skater who likes to participate in the offensive game. In addition, he is a right-handed shooter, which we don’t have too many of.

Laaksonen also spoke on his decision to move overseas:

It feels great to move to Luleå and take on a new challenge together with Luleå Hockey in the SHL. Before I decided to sign, I spoke to Juhani Tyrväinen, because I have played with his brother before, and he had nothing but good things to say about both the association and the team, so it was an easy decision to make.

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