While NHL free agency is heading into a lull, the wire of transaction activity in other leagues is still hot with everyday news. European leagues have recently made a few big splashes, with the NL’s ZSC Lions gaining Denis Malgin on a five-year deal. But there’s a flurry of other moves to keep track of throughout notable major and minor leagues in both North America and Europe, and as always, we’re keeping track of today’s movements here:
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Garret Sparks continues his journey around the minor leagues, signing a one-year AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Despite even seeing some NHL action in 2021-22 with the Los Angeles Kings, Sparks spent last season on an ECHL deal, recording a .887 save percentage in 14 games with the Orlando Solar Bears. It’s a far cry from his younger days when he consistently finished near the top of AHL leaderboards with the Toronto Marlies, but he’ll now provide some depth netminding for the Penguins organization. He could very well see assignment back to the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers next year, the Penguins’ affiliate.
- The AHL’s Manitoba Moose also made a pair of transactions today, getting defensemen Dean Stewart and Dawson Barteaux under contract for next season. Stewart, 25, spent last season in a Moose jersey, playing in a bottom-pairing role but putting together a solid season with 18 points in 61 games. An AHL rookie and former Arizona Coyotes draft pick, Stewart won the internal Moose Rookie of the Year award and got some looks on the power play too. Barteaux, a 2018 pick of the Dallas Stars, returns to the city where he played his last bit of junior hockey with the Winnipeg Ice in 2020. Since then, he’s been in the Stars organization, mainly with the AHL’s Texas Stars, but was demoted to the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads for nearly all of last season, where he recorded 24 points in 62 games.
- The defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears have signed forward Jimmy Huntington to an AHL contract for the 2023-24 season, according to a team release. Huntington, a native of Laval, Quebec, had a strong season with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2022-23 while under contract with the Nashville Predators, tallying 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 51 games and leading the team in plus/minus with a career-best +13. In the playoffs, he contributed six points (two goals, four assists) in 15 games, helping the Admirals advance to the Western Conference Finals. Nashville opted not to issue Huntington a qualifying offer at the end of the season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
- Hunter Drew, a 24-year-old defenseman-turned-forward, has signed a one-year contract with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, per the league. Last season, Drew played 60 games split between the San Diego Gulls and Rockford IceHogs after his NHL rights were traded from Anaheim to Chicago, contributing five goals and six assists for 11 points. Notably, he ranked fourth in the league with 149 penalty minutes. Throughout his professional career spanning four seasons, Drew has participated in 186 AHL games, recording 30 goals, 38 assists, and 345 penalty minutes. He has two NHL games to his name, both coming with the Ducks at the end of the 2021-22 season.
- The NHL-independent Chicago Wolves signed five more players today as they get closer to filling out their roster: forward Isaac Ratcliffe, defensemen Owen Headrick, Austin Strand and Mitchell Vande Sompel and goaltender Keith Kinkaid. Headrick, 25, led all ECHL defensemen last season with 54 points in 61 games while playing for the Idaho Steelheads. Kinkaid is the most notable signing here, carrying 169 NHL games. Kinkaid played in 27 AHL games split between the Providence Bruins and Colorado Eagles last year, posting a 12-10-4 record and one shutout. Ratcliffe, Strand, and Vande Sompel also bring a solid bit of pro experience to the Wolves, each carrying an NHL-drafted pedigree.
- After spending last year on an NHL contract with the Dallas Stars, forward Tanner Kero has signed an AHL contract with the Colorado Eagles for the upcoming season, per the league. Kero played exclusively with the AHL’s Texas Stars during the 2022-23 season, contributing 17 goals and 33 assists for 50 points in 69 games. With 343 career games played in the AHL and 134 in the NHL, Kero brings a lot of experience to the Eagles’ roster as he heads to the Avalanche organization.
This page will be updated throughout the day.