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Archives for July 2022

Detroit Red Wings Hire Jay Varady

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A rising coaching prospect has found his way back to the NHL, as Jay Varady has been hired by the Detroit Red Wings as an assistant for the upcoming season. Varady has spent the last few seasons as head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners, with a short stop as an assistant for the Arizona Coyotes during the shortened 2020-21 season.

It’s been an interesting path for the 44-year-old Varady, who made the transition to coaching soon after his playing days ended for Union College in 2000. After winning an NAHL championship after taking over the Pittsburgh Forge midseason, he went to the WHL where he joined the Everett Silvertips for seven seasons. Two years as a head coach in France followed before a return to North America to lead the Sioux City Musketeers, where he really established himself as a top coaching prospect.

One year with the Kingston Frontenacs was enough to lead to an AHL gig, and now the NHL, where he’ll serve under rookie head coach Derek Lalonde. In the next few years, it won’t be surprising when Varady’s name comes up in coaching searches around the league.

In a statement, the Coyotes announced that they will begin the search for a new AHL coach immediately, wishing Varady well with his new appointment in Detroit.

Adam Clendening Signs AHL Contract

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The Rockford IceHogs are bringing back one of the best players in the minor leagues, signing an AHL contract with Adam Clendening for the 2022-23 season.

Clendening, 29, has played nearly 450 games in the AHL over parts of nine seasons, while also adding 90 NHL appearances over the years. One of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the league, he’s racked up nearly 285 points in his minor league career, been named a First and Second Team All-Star, and even won a bronze medal at the World Championship for the U.S. in 2021.

Coming off a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, Clendening taking an AHL deal shouldn’t be much of a surprise. His last NHL appearance came in 2018-19 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and though he is an excellent minor league option, his offensive playstyle doesn’t fit the mold of NHL depth defenseman very well. Instead, he is best used as a difference-maker in the minor leagues, and a return to Rockford will certainly give him that opportunity.

The Blackhawks have been very clearly hoping to load up their AHL team this summer while doing the opposite for their NHL club. Clendening’s return–he last played for the IceHogs in 2018 but has several stints in his career–should only help the success in Rockford. He is already the club’s all-time leader in points from a defenseman, a record he will add to this year.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Brett Murray

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed restricted free agent forward Brett Murray to a one-year contract worth $750K for the 2022-23 season. He was eligible for arbitration but did not file by yesterday’s deadline, suggesting that a deal was close.

Murray, 23, was a fourth-round pick of the Sabres in 2016, an interesting blend of size and skill that hadn’t played above the CCHL level. His development was a slow process, going through the USHL, two unsuccessful years at Penn State, back to the USHL, and then two years in the minor leagues, before becoming a semi-regular with the Sabres last season.

In 19 NHL games, he scored two goals and six points while racking up 23 penalty minutes, using that 6’5″ frame to his advantage. With a strong performance in the minor leagues as well, there’s a real chance that Murray could secure a roster spot this season with the Sabres, at least as a bottom-six option for head coach Don Granato.

One thing that will hurt that chase is the fact that despite being arbitration-eligible, Murray is still waiver-exempt. He can be sent to the minor leagues without issue, meaning he may end up with Rochester to start the year as the Sabres figure out their optimal lineup. Still, with the focus on players like Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, and Jack Quinn (not to mention Matthew Savoie, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund) as the future up front in Buffalo, a player like Murray could quickly become a valuable piece to fit lower in the lineup.

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Alberta Hockey Hall Of Fame, DiPietro

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With Johnny Gaudreau’s departure from the Calgary Flames organization, all eyes have turned to superstar Matthew Tkachuk and his future with the team. Currently, Tkachuk sits on the RFA market after unsurprisingly receiving a $9MM qualifying-offer from the Flames last week. Not much update has come since then on the 24-year-old’s situation until now, when it was revealed that Tkachuk declined to file for player-elected arbitration ahead of today’s deadline.

In light of the decision not to file, Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike believes the Flames will not elect arbitration on their end before tomorrow’s 5:00 pm ET deadline for teams to elect. Pike cites the fact that by doing so, the Flames would have to offer in arbitration, at the very least, the $9MM qualifying offer. Even still, the arbitrator in Tkachuk’s case could award a number higher than $9MM, perhaps the number Tkachuk were to file at, making arbitration all the more unpredictable at this point for Calgary. Not filing for arbitration will also keep the offer-sheet avenue open, which could pave the way to a long-term resolution for both player and team.

  • Two familiar names are set to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame this evening. Former NHL Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and former NHL goaltender and current Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson will join alongside Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Bill Bucyk, Bob Clark, Dr. Randy Gregg, Jamie Macoun and the 1974-75 Lethbridge Native Sons.
  • According to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have given goaltender Michael DiPietro and his agent, Darren Ferris, permission to talk with other teams to help facilitate a trade for the goaltender (link). Once a heralded goaltending prospect out of the OHL, DiPietro has yet to live up to the expectations set for him when Vancouver drafted him in the third-round in 2017. The goaltender had a strong 2019-20, his first full pro season, but dealt with injuries and limited playing time in 2020-21. He would rebound in 2021-22, but still hasn’t been able to pull himself back to the blue-chip status he once had. Even if DiPietro could make a full turnaround, he’ll find the net in Vancouver considerably blocked by that of 26-year-old star netminder Thatcher Demko, who is signed through 2025-26. A key distinction with this permission to talk to other teams is not to negotiate a contract, much like Anthony DeAngelo was allowed to do earlier this offseason, but to help find a trade to a destination that will work for DiPietro, with the goaltender having already accepted his qualifying offer yesterday.

24 Players Elect Salary Arbitration

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The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) announced that 24 players have filed for player-elected salary arbitration, the deadline for which came this afternoon. This list is not necessarily the final and complete list of players headed for arbitration, with clubs now eligible to elect salary arbitration until tomorrow, July 18th at 5:00 pm ET.

Mason Appleton (WPG)

Ethan Bear (CAR)

Jesper Bratt (NJD)

Lawson Crouse (ARI)

Morgan Geekie (SEA)

Mathieu Joseph (OTT)

Kaapo Kahkonen (SJS)

Kasperi Kapanen (PIT)

Keegan Kolesar (VGK)

Oliver Kylington (CGY)

Maxime Lajoie (CAR)

Steven Lorentz (SJS)

Isac Lundestrom (ANA)

Zack MacEwen (PHI)

Niko Mikkola (STL)

Andrew Mangiapane (CGY)

Matthew Phillips (CGY)

Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM)

Tyce Thompson (NJD)

Yakov Trenin (NSH)

Vitek Vanecek (NJD)

Jake Walman (DET)

Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

Pavel Zacha (BOS)

Notably out of this list, Mikkola had previously filed for arbitration, but the two sides were able to settle on a one-year, $1.9MM contract that will leave the defenseman an UFA after next season.

A key distinction to add is that any player who has filed for arbitration is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet, effectively taking the players on this list off the market. Three notable names that did not file for arbitration are Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine. Though contract talks have been quiet on Dubois and Tkachuck, word of amicable discussions between Laine’s camp and Columbus has been made known. Once tomorrow’s club-elected salary arbitration deadline passes, teams and players will have time to prepare their cases before hearings begin, running from July 27th through August 11th.

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Pierre Engvall

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A familiar face will be sticking around with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the club announcing forward and current RFA Pierre Engvall has been re-signed on a one-year deal. The team did not announce the financial terms of the contract, however The Athletic’s James Mirtle reports the contract is worth $2.25MM for this season. Engvall’s extension gives him a $1MM raise on the two-year, $2.5MM contract that had just expired, which carried an AAV of $1.25MM. The contract also means that both sides avoid arbitration, with the deadline for player-elected salary arbitration coming today and the club-elected deadline coming tomorrow. The contract leaves Engvall an UFA after this season.

The Swedish forward earned his raise this past season, setting career-highs in games played (78), goals (15), assists (20), and points (35), all marking substantial improvements on his previous bests. Not an overly physical player, Engvall’s size, listed at 6’5″ and 214 pounds, does allow him to use his body to create space for himself and get in position to help develop plays. Now established as a legitimate secondary-scoring threat for Toronto, Engvall can use this upcoming season to repeat and build on his 2021-22 to vault him into a longer-term contract in the free agent market next offseason as a 27-year-old.

The addition of this contract projects to put Toronto nearly $1.5MM over the salary cap ceiling (a 10% overage permissible in the offseason), but still represents a positive outcome for the organization. After Engvall’s breakout season, it was certainly possible that an arbitration could award the forward $3MM or perhaps as much as even $3.5MM for his efforts. Though that outcome was not guaranteed, it is a risk teams take when they head to arbitration, and likely the reason the team chose not to qualify forward Ondrej Kase, who is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, they are still not done with their RFA contracts, young defenseman Rasmus Sandin needing a new deal, although not eligible for arbitration himself.

Minnesota Wild Re-Sign Mitchell Chaffee, Nick Swaney

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The Minnesota Wild are officially bringing back a couple young depth forwards in that of Mitchell Chaffee and Nick Swaney on one-year, two-way deals, the team announced. Chaffee’s deal will pay him $750K at the NHL level and $125K in the minor leagues, while Swaney’s will pay $750K in the NHL and $120K in the minors (link). Having extended the pair, the Wild have re-signed all pending players, meaning their offseason work, absent any free agent signings or extensions of already-signed players, is complete, with just over $4.3MM in salary cap space to spare.

Both players represent quality depth for Minnesota as well as quality pieces of the Iowa Wild’s roster at the AHL level. Chaffee in fact made his NHL debut last season, getting into two games with Minnesota, but has yet to record a point. Besides the brief NHL appearance, the 24-year-old Chaffee has spent the previous two seasons with Iowa, putting up strong numbers, including 23 goals and 16 assists in 49 games this past season. Prior to turning pro as a college free agent, Chaffee spent two seasons in the USHL split between the Bloomington Thunder and the Fargo Force before heading off to college at UMass-Amherst, where he spent three seasons, averaging a point-per-game in the final two.

Despite not having made his NHL debut yet, Swaney has had a very similar career to Chaffee thus far. Swaney, 24, spent four years in the USHL as a member of the Waterloo Blackhawks, leading him to become a seventh-round draft pick of the Wild in 2017. After being drafted, the Minnesota native stayed close to home, playing at the University of Minnesota Duluth for four seasons, serving as an alternate captain in 2020-21. At the conclusion of that season, Swaney turned pro, getting into six games with Iowa, recording a goal and an assist. 2021-22 would mark Swaney’s first professional season, and he didn’t disappoint, putting up 16 goals and 22 assists in 62 games for Iowa. With a two-way contract in-hand, Swaney, and Chaffee for that matter, will be key pieces of Iowa’s AHL lineup, but if they impress will also be important depth for the NHL club too.

Boston Bruins Extend Jack Ahcan

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As reported by PuckPedia, the Boston Bruins have re-signed defenseman Jack Ahcan to a one-year, $750K deal. The contract carries a $115K AHL salary and a $125K total guarantee.

Ahcan, 25, is an undrafted defenseman who turned pro with the Bruins organization in 2020-21 after a successful college career at St. Cloud State. An undersized blueliner, Ahcan’s calling card has always been his offense. In college, Ahcan was a productive offensive player. Ahcan finished his college career with 103 points in 144 games and even captained St. Cloud State during his senior season.

Ahcan’s transition to professional hockey has been an up-and-down affair. He’s shown some promise at the AHL level, scoring 33 points in 65 games across two seasons as well as handling a top-of-the-lineup role in Providence this season that required him to weather time on the penalty kill as well as anchor the team’s power play.

But Ahcan’s size is an issue, as he stands just five-foot-nine and weighs 180 pounds, meaning he’s a risk to be too frequently outmuscled for pucks and position by stronger players. As a result, his NHL impact has been limited, and he found himself a Bruins healthy scratch this season. The coaching staff in Providence clearly trusts him, though, meaning there’s more to his game than there might seem to be if one looks just at his size and production.

Ahcan will head to training camp in the fall and have an opportunity to battle other defenders for an NHL job. Ahcan’s one-year deal is an indication that 2022-23 is a make-or-break year for the 25-year-old to show that still has the potential to be a full-time NHLer.

Minor Transactions: 07/17/22

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With NHL free agency now underway, dozens of lower-level players are also trying to find work. Many of them will end up overseas or signing minor league deals. This is where we will keep track of notable signings around the world.

  • The Laval Rocket of the AHL announced today that they have agreed to a one-year, one-way AHL contract with forward Gabriel Bourque. Bourque, 31, has 413 games of NHL experience and spent last season with the Rocket. In 67 games in Laval, Bourque had 11 goals and 28 points. Bourque was the team’s most important penalty-killing forward and should help the Rocket have another strong season.
  • The Rocket also announced two more contracts today: one-year, two-way (AHL/ECHL) deals with goaltenders Philippe Desrosiers and Joe Vrbetic. Desrosiers, 26, was the number-one goalie for the Montreal Canadiens’ new ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Desrosiers went 19-13-1 with a .902 save percentage and 3.09 goals-against-average, helping lead the Lions to a playoff berth in their first-ever season. Desrosiers, a second-round pick of the Dallas Stars at the 2013 draft, will likely receive a similar role in the ECHL next season. Vrbetic, who turns 20 in October, was a seventh-rounder of the Canadiens at the 2021 draft. He was the starting goalie for one of the OHL’s best teams, the North Bay Battalion, and went 29-10-6 with a .906 save percentage.
  • After dramatically avoiding relegation to Swedish third-tier league HockeyEttan, Sodertalje SK is looking to solidify their place in HockeyAllsvenskan. They took a step towards doing so today, signing former Erie Otters star Anthony Luciani. Luciani spent 2021-22 as a top scorer for Orli Znojmo in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League, where he had 51 points in 48 games.
  • Former NHLer Taylor Beck, who last played in the NHL with the New York Rangers in 2016-17, signed a one-year contract with HC Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL. Sibir was a playoff-caliber team in 2021-22 and should be boosted by the addition of Beck, who had 38 points in 42 games last season for Dynamo Minsk.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Florida Panthers Sign Michael Del Zotto

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After being bought out on Tuesday, veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto has found a new landing spot. The Florida Panthers have announced that they have signed Del Zotto to a one-year, two-way contract. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Del Zotto is the latest former Ottawa Senator to head to the Sunshine State, joining recent Panthers signings Colin White, Chris Tierney, and Rudolfs Balcers.

Del Zotto, 32, is a veteran of over 700 NHL games, and he is now on the ninth team of his NHL career. Del Zotto split time between the NHL and AHL levels in 2021-22, finding great success at the AHL level with the Belleville Senators while struggling to live up to his $2MM cap hit in Ottawa. Del Zotto had 27 points in 26 games in Belleville and 13 points in 26 games in Ottawa.

Del Zotto’s calling card has always been his ability to move the puck, and that’s what he’s being signed by Florida in order to provide. As it’s a two-way deal, Del Zotto will likely see time in both the AHL and NHL next season, although he could be a top-priority injury fill-in should one of the more talented Panthers defenders get injured.

As a cheap depth signing, Del Zotto is a wise add for a team that wants to improve on last season’s campaign, a year that resulted in both a President’s Trophy as well as a mightily disappointing second-round exit. Del Zotto will compete for opportunities against Marc Staal, Lucas Carlsson, and Anthony Bitetto, among others.

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