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Montreal Canadiens Sign David Reinbacher

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed recent fifth-overall selection David Reinbacher to a three-year entry-level contract, according to a team announcement.

CapFriendly has word on the financial details: the contract carries a $950k cap hit and a $2.117 AAV factoring in possible performance bonuses. Reinbacher has $1MM available in “type A” performance bonuses for the three years of the deal, and gets $500k in “type B” performance bonuses available to him in the final year of the contract. The deal also contains a European Assignment Clause in its first two seasons.

The Canadiens have not finalized their plan on where they’ll have Reinbacher play next season, though by signing this entry-level deal Reinbacher will now get the chance to compete for an NHL job at training camp next fall or be assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Reinbacher could also always be loaned back to the club he was drafted from, EHC Kloten, and have his entry-level deal “slide” another season just as many players have in the past, such as Moritz Seider with the Detroit Red Wings.

Laval is shaping up to be extremely well-stocked with Canadiens prospects next season, with top names such as Joshua Roy, Riley Kidney, Logan Mailloux, and more expected to see regular minutes for the team’s AHL affiliate.

There is merit to the idea that having Reinbacher log heavy minutes with that group is the best route to take for his development, as it would not only acclimate him to smaller North American ice surfaces but also allow him to build lasting relationships with his potential future teammates.

There is also merit to loaning him back to Kloten. Reinbacher had quite the season for the recently-promoted Swiss side, rapidly climbing their depth charts and moving from a bottom-pairing, number-six role near the start of the season to a top-pairing, minutes-eating role by the end of the year.

Worth noting is the fact that if Montreal does assign Reinbacher to Laval out of training camp, the European Assignment Clause in the deal likely means that the Canadiens will eventually have to loan Reinbacher back to Kloten at a certain point in the season.

It’s Reinbacher’s immense success in one of the more talented men’s leagues in Europe that got him drafted so high (along with his upside as an all-around defenseman, to be clear) so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Montreal double down on Kloten being the right environment for Reinbacher to develop in even without any time in Laval.

Regardless of what path the Canadiens ultimately choose, signing this entry-level deal was largely a formality for Montreal with Reinbacher. While the team faced heavy backlash from a small-but-vocal subset of its fanbase for passing on Russian superstar winger Matvei Michkov to draft Reinbacher, just a quick look at the latter’s game film from Kloten shows exactly why he was made such a high pick.

Reinbacher spent quite a bit of time at Canadiens development camp partnered with and playing with the team’s other top defensive prospect, Lane Hutson, and it’s easy to imagine the two complimenting each other and Reinbacher in the future serving as the long-term partner for the player he recently called “the next Cale Makar.”

But before that can happen, Reinbacher will need to continue to develop his game, and by signing this entry-level deal he’s opened up every possible option in order to do so.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Murray, Zadina, Zamula

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After signing both Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, the Maple Leafs now find themselves nearly $9MM over the salary cap, per CapFriendly.  Even with the LTIR allowance for Jake Muzzin, they’re still more than $3MM over that ceiling.  Accordingly, there is an expectation that they will need to move out goaltender Matt Murray.   To that end, in his latest post for NorthStar Bets, Chris Johnston notes that Toronto’s preference at this point is to try to trade Murray over using the second buyout window, a move that would open up $4MM in cap space in 2023-24 but add $2MM in dead cap charges in 2024-25.  Considering they have pricey extensions on the horizon for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, having dead cap charges on the books won’t help.

The Maple Leafs will get a second buyout window if an arbitration-eligible player files for arbitration.  That would be RFA Ilya Samsonov so expect him to be one of many players filing for arbitration by Thursday’s deadline.  But that’s Plan B for them.  For now, GM Brad Treliving will be shopping around to see who’s willing to take on that contract and just how much it will cost in an incentive to do so.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • When Detroit waived Filip Zadina yesterday, the move came as a surprise. However, GM Steve Yzerman told reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that the youngster had requested a trade a couple of weeks prior to the draft.  Clearly, that didn’t materialize and after he cleared today, it’s back to the drawing board on that front.  Zadina has two years left on a contract that carries a $1.825MM AAV and it appears that the Red Wings will need to pay some of that down or take a similar contract back if they want to move him.  Alternatively, the fact he cleared now suggests they could waive him in training camp, saving $1.15MM in cap room in the process for any time that he’s in the minors.
  • Flyers prospect Yegor Zamula is on the move…in the KHL, that is as Torpedo announced that they’ve acquired his KHL rights from SKA St. Petersburg. The 23-year-old split last season between Philadelphia and AHL Lehigh Valley.  With the Flyers, Zamula had four assists in 14 games while logging a little over 13 minutes per night.  However, he was more productive with the Phantoms, notching 19 points in 44 contests.  Zamula is already under contract for the upcoming season on a one-way deal worth the NHL minimum.  Coyotes unsigned prospect Ilya Fedotov was also part of the four-player swap.

West Notes: Bouchard, Stars, Cooley

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The Oilers are expected to have to sign Evan Bouchard to a short-term bridge contract to fit him within their cap structure.  On the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that the deal might fall within the $3.5MM to $4MM range.  For comparison, Colorado’s Bowen Byram inked a two-year bridge deal with a $3.85MM AAV and Bouchard has more than twice as many games played as points as Byram.  The 23-year-old is coming off his second straight regular season of at least 40 points and led all NHL blueliners in playoff scoring with 17 points in just 12 contests.

More from the Western Conference:

  • The Stars haven’t given up on pursuing outside help defensively via the trade route, relays Saad Yousuf of The Athletic (subscription link). However, they are prepared to enter next season with what they have now with the hopes that Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist can take a step forward in their development to help bolster the depth of their unit.  Dallas has been quiet with their back end this summer with their only NHL-related moves being the trade of Colin Miller to New Jersey, the signing of Gavin Bayreuther, and the re-signing of Joel Hanley.
  • Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley told Jenna Ortiz of the Arizona Republic that he’s not putting a timeline on when he turns pro. The 19-year-old was the third-overall pick last year and had a standout first season at Minnesota, putting up 60 points in 39 games to finish second in NCAA scoring while also averaging two points per game at the World Juniors.  As it is, some feel that Cooley doesn’t have much left to prove at that level so while he’s not willing to put a firm expectation in place for when he turns pro, it certainly feels like that should be happening when his college season comes to an end either next March or April.

Canadiens Re-Sign Mitchell Stephens

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With the arbitration deadline fast approaching, Montreal has taken care of one of their arbitration-eligible players as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve re-signed Mitchell Stephens to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL and $300K in the AHL with a total guarantee of $385K, a $10K raise on the guaranteed part of his contract last season.

The 26-year-old signed with Montreal last summer after being non-tendered by the Red Wings.  However, after spending all of 2021-22 in the NHL, Stephens passed through waivers unclaimed in training camp and was assigned to AHL Laval where he spent the entire season.  Last year, he played in 68 games with the Rocket, collecting 20 goals and 21 assists.

Stephens has a total of 72 career NHL games under his belt between Detroit and Tampa Bay, picking up three goals and ten assists.  With the Canadiens having somewhat of a forward surplus already, it seems likely that Stephens will be back on waivers in training camp and will look to play his way into a recall during the season.  While Montreal retained his rights by issuing a qualifying offer last week, this is Stephens’ final season of eligibility; he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Oilers Re-Sign Olivier Rodrigue

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The Oilers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing the re-signing of goaltender Oliver Rodrigue to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay the NHL minimum salary of $775K at the top level; the team did not disclose the two-way element.

The 22-year-old was a second-round pick by Edmonton back in 2018 (62nd overall) and he just wrapped up his entry-level contract.  Last season, Rodrigue played in 29 games with AHL Bakersfield, posting a 2.77 GAA along with a .912 SV%.  He has played in 53 career AHL contests, putting up a 2.89 GAA with a .903 SV%.  He has yet to see any action at the NHL level but served on their taxi squad in both 2020-21 and 2021-22 while being part of their group of playoff reserves this past season.

Rodrigue is likely to split playing time with veteran Calvin Pickard with the Condors next season with prospect Ryan Fanti also waiting in the wings after spending most of his first professional season at the ECHL level with Fort Wayne.  Should an injury arise in Edmonton to either Jack Campbell or Stuart Skinner, it’s likely Pickard would get the short-term promotion to serve as the backup so Rodrigue might have to bide his time a little longer for his first NHL opportunity.

Snapshots: DeBrincat, Belleville Senators, Kaszczij

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Yesterday, we covered reports coming out of Ottawa that stated that Senators forward Alex DeBrincat and his representation’s lofty demands for his next contract extension have been a significant barrier to a DeBrincat trade getting over the finish line. Today, DeBrincat’s agent, Jeff Jackson, spoke on those reports telling The Athletic’s Ian Mendes that the report is “entirely false and without merit,” and that “there has been no agreement of any kind on an actual trade involving Alex.” (subscription link)

Addressing whether DeBrincat’s contract demands were holding up the possibility of his client being traded out of Ottawa, Jackson wrote quite firmly: “Agents and players don’t make trades … that’s the GM’s job.” DeBrincat, 25, has already made it clear that he’s not interested in signing long-term with the Senators, making a trade the preferred outcome for all involved in the process. With an arbitration date looming later this offseason, it appears there could be a growing level of hostility between the involved sides, one that could make reaching a final trade agreement all the more challenging.

More notes from across the NHL:

  • In other news coming out of the Senators organization, the team has announced the hire of Nathan McIver as an assistant coach on David Bell’s Belleville Senators staff. He’ll join Ottawa’s AHL affiliate as Bell’s second assistant coach, and joins from the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL. McIver is a former AHL defenseman who played in 36 career NHL games, and he’s had a fantastic two-season run with the Growlers on Eric Wellwood’s staff.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced today that Roman Kaszczij has been named the team’s Head Athletic Therapist, earning this major role after five seasons in the Canucks organization. The team wrote that Kaszczij “played an instrumental role in establishing” their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks’s medical department, and now he’ll play a similarly important role on the off-ice staff in Vancouver.

Minor Transactions: 07/04/23

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It’s another busy day across the hockey world, with NHL teams still hard at work on preparing their teams for next season. Teams across the hockey world, in both minor and overseas pro leagues, are doing the same. We’ll keep track of any notable moves they make here.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Semyon Der-Arguchintsev has left the organization for Russia and signed a two-year contract with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, according to a team announcement. Der-Arguchintsev, set to turn 23 in September, was a 2018 third-round pick of the Maple Leafs, and while he has been a quality scorer in both the OHL and AHL, he hasn’t been able to break into the NHL on any sort of consistent basis. He’s earned one NHL call-up in his career, and has played just over seven total minutes in the world’s top league. Over the last two seasons Der-Arguchintsev has scored 72 points in 101 games, but as a relatively light five-foot-ten center his profile doesn’t fit what most NHL teams want out of bottom-six players. So rather than spend more time developing in the AHL, Der-Arguchintsev is headed closer to home to see if he can become a star forward in the KHL.
  • The AHL’s Ontario Reign have signed two-time AHL All-Star Charles Hudon to a two-year contract. The two-year term of this deal is an important aspect of the contract from Hudon’s perspective, as the 29-year-old has played for a new club in each of the last three seasons. This deal re-unites Hudon with Marc Bergevin, the Los Angeles Kings executive who drafted Hudon back when Bergevin was the GM of the Montreal Canadiens. Hudon is an elite AHL scorer with 308 points in 380 career games. While it’s somewhat surprising that Hudon, who played in nine NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, couldn’t earn a two-way NHL deal, he now gets some stability with this two-year AHL deal and the opportunity to be a leading scorer in California.
  • 2017 Nashville Predators second-round pick Grant Mismash has signed a one-year contract with Ostersunds IK of HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division of pro hockey. The 24-year-old heads overseas after just two seasons and less than 100 total games played in North American pro hockey. Mismash played four seasons at the University of North Dakota before earning a two-year entry-level deal from the Predators.  Mismash was largely ineffective for Nashville’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, and was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning that offseason. Traded to a team who he wasn’t drafted by, Mismash began the season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch but after failing to appear on the scoresheet after five games he was sent down to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, where he would spend the rest of the year. He scored 19 points in 32 games for Orlando and will now test his luck in Sweden hoping to help keep Ostersunds afloat and away from relegation to third-tier HockeyEttan.
  • After two full seasons in the AHL, Vegas Golden Knights prospect Maxim Marushev is headed back to Russia. The 2020 seventh-round pick has signed a trial contract to take part in training camp with the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, and is likely hoping to win a job and earn a full-time KHL contract with the side. Marushev played for Kazan before heading over to North America and scored very well for their minor-league affiliate in Russia’s VHL. Marushev managed just 37 points in 125 games in the AHL, meaning he may need to put together some strong performances at the KHL level before he earns another shot in North America.
  • Big Joseph LaBate, an AHL veteran and former Vancouver Canuck, has signed a one-year contract to play for the KHL’s Kazakh club, Barys Astana. The six-foot-five, 213-pound American winger has over 400 career AHL games on his resume. He spent last season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 53 games to go along with 100 penalty minutes. With the Wolves now going it alone as an independent AHL franchise, the team’s limited spots to dress veteran pros are at more of a premium, since they aren’t guaranteed top prospects from an NHL affiliate to fill premium lineup roles. So since LaBate is a bottom-six player, Chicago may not have been able to offer him a contract extension, leading to today’s news that he’s headed overseas for the first time in his pro career.
  • 28-year-old AHL veteran defenseman Josh Healey has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The 28-year-old brings over 200 games of AHL experience to the table and has worn a letter on his jersey earlier in his career. Although he only played in 12 games this past season, Healey brings playoff experience and should be able to capably log minutes next to the large crop of young defensemen set to play in Rockford next season, including 2021 first-round pick Nolan Allan two-time WJC Gold Medalist Ethan del Mastro.
  • Jeremy Brodeur, the son of legendary NHL netminder Martin Brodeur, has been released by his club of last season, the EIHL’s Manchester Storm, in order to fulfill an AHL contract he has signed for this season. While Brodeur’s AHL landing spot for next season has not yet been revealed, this is a welcome development for his career after he spent his first-ever season playing pro hockey outside North America. Brodeur played 36 games in the United Kingdom’s top pro hockey league, posting a .917 save percentage and leading Manchester to the league’s playoffs. Now, he gets another chance to prove himself in the AHL or ECHL, the leagues he played in from 2017-18 through 2022-23.
  •  High-flying ECHL star Pavel Gogolev has signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk, confirming his exit from North American pro hockey after three seasons as a Maple Leafs farmhand. A former high-scoring member of the OHL’s Guelph Storm, the 23-year-old forward notched 33 goals and 65 points in just 46 regular-season games for the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers. He even added 17 points in 16 playoff games after that, and will now get a chance to play in the KHL for the first time in his career.
  • The AHL’s Laval Rocket have signed netminder Zachary Emond to a one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL contract. The 23-year-old former San Jose Sharks prospect doesn’t have extensive pro experience just yet but is now in line to potentially play a regular role for the Rocket’s ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions. Emond is likely to compete against fellow recent signing Strauss Mann and prospect Jakub Dobes for a backup role behind starter Cayden Primeau, though Primeau is now waivers-eligible so there is always the possibility he isn’t able to play in Laval and is instead claimed. This deal has solidified the Canadiens organization’s goaltending depth beyond just those on NHL contracts, and while Emond will have to fight for his role against the other mentioned names he’ll get a chance to do so a lot closer to where he calls home.
  • Former Boston Bruins forward and one-time AHL All-Star Carter Camper has signed a one-year contract with defending Finnish and Champions Hockey League champions Tappara Tampere. Tappara are adding Camper from Switzerland’s EV Zug, and are getting a player who only recently was a point-per-game scorer in the SHL with Leksands IF. Camper, 34, is a former college hockey star who has 421 career points in 558 total AHL games. He last played in North America in 2019-20, scoring 41 points in 48 games for the Utica Comets.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Washington Capitals Sign Martin Fehérváry To Three-Year Extension

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The Washington Capitals have announced they have re-signed RFA defenseman Martin Fehérváry to a three-year, $2.675MM AAV contract.

This contract’s term means that Fehérváry will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when this deal expires, and he’ll be one year away from UFA eligibility at that point. One of Washington’s most promising young defenseman, Fehérváry has been a top-four blueliner for the Capitals in each of his first two NHL campaigns.

Set to turn 24 in October, Fehérváry played in 67 games this past season and averaged 20 minutes of ice time per night, including a minute and a half on the penalty kill. He’s a well-respected defense-first defenseman who has brought size and stability to the Capitals’ blueline. As a left-shot defenseman with more of a defensive bent, Fehérváry fits very well next to Washington’s best blueliner: John Carlson.

Washington is undoubtedly optimistic about what Fehérváry’s future holds, and it’s possible that they considered signing him to a long-term extension rather than this bridge contract.

But with the Capitals looking to maximize their competitive chances in the final years of Alex Ovechkin’s legendary career, opting for a bridge deal to keep Fehérváry’s cap hit relatively low for the next few seasons allows them to allocate more dollars elsewhere.

Should Fehérváry continue to grow and become a top-pairing all-around defenseman, this bridge deal will ultimately put the Capitals in a position to pay Fehérváry a major contract in just three year’s time, rather than in eight years had they elected a maximum-term long-term extension.

By making that choice they’ve saved valuable cap dollars for the next three seasons, and now they’ll hope on this contract Fehérváry can be part of a Capitals Stanley Cup-winning team.

Washington Capitals Re-Sign Riley Sutter

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The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward prospect Riley Sutter to a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $775k AAV and a $90k AHL salary.

Sutter was a restricted free agent without any arbitration rights, meaning the overwhelming likelihood was always that he’d be back with the organization that drafted him 93rd overall in 2018, and now today’s announcement confirms it.

The versatile 23-year-old forward is coming off a fourth consecutive season playing with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, and this one was his most productive yet. He set a career-high with 12 points in 69 games, and he even had a big moment in the playoffs scoring the overtime winner in Game Three of the Calder Cup Finals. That goal secured a crucial win that helped turn the tide of the series and eventually lead to a Calder Cup Championship for Hershey.

Sutter is a six-foot-four, 204-pound winger who plays a hard-nosed physical game and serves as a bottom-six defensive forward for Hershey head coach Todd Nelson. Seeing as the offensive production he managed in the WHL has almost completely evaporated at the pro level, it’s not easy to imagine Sutter as a contender for an NHL call-up anytime soon.

But with his extension, he’ll get another year in Hershey and another season to develop his game and potentially make a push for an even greater role in the Bears’ lineup.

Buffalo Sabres Re-Sign Kale Clague

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The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed defenseman Kale Clague to a one-year, two-way contract with a $775k AAV and a $475k total guarantee, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

This re-signing keeps Clague, 25, in Buffalo for a second season after he first signed there in July 2022. Clague spent most of the year as the Sabres’ seventh defenseman, ultimately playing in 33 NHL games averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time per night.

A former WHL Defenseman of the Year and AHL All-Star, Clague is no longer the top prospect he once was but he’s settled into an established role on the NHL/AHL bubble. Clague has already proven himself to be a capable AHL defenseman, and should he end up a regular for the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, he’ll make a difference there.

It’s less likely that Clague finds his way onto the NHL roster next season as much as he did in 2022-23, thanks to Buffalo’s signings of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton to bolster their blueline.

But should the Sabres run into injury issues, this re-signing gives head coach Don Granato a player he’s familiar with as one of the team’s top call-up options, as well as an experienced pro to enhance the level of competition at training camp.

While Clague might be better suited signing with a team that doesn’t boast left-shot defensemen (or defensemen set to play on the left side) such as Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Johnson already entrenched in their lineup, he’s put work in to be as versatile as possible and has played on his off-hand.

There are worse roles to play for an NHL organization than top AHL defenseman and first or second-choice AHL call-up, and that’s exactly what the Sabres are paying Clague a hefty AHL guarantee to do.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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