Pennsylvania Notes: Crosby, Drysdale, Bernard, Sedley
Penguins fans are still waiting on confirmation that Sidney Crosby has signed an extension. Early last month, Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported that a three-year deal in the $10MM AAV range was close to being finalized, but nothing came across the wire. Speculation then ran rampant that he might ink a deal to keep him in Pittsburgh past this season on his birthday, Aug. 7, but that date also came and went without any news.
It’s a situation that has the potential to cast a dark cloud over the Penguins’ season if Crosby remains without a new contract when training camp begins, Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes. “This isn’t good for ticket sales,” Yohe opines. “It’s not good for corporate sponsorships. That lack of buzz around the Penguins right now is deafening, but it grows a little louder every day that passes without Crosby signing a new deal. He’s the Penguins’ heartbeat. He keeps the organization financially stable.”
Aside from the lack of any recent news, there’s no real indication that the relationship between Crosby’s camp and the Penguins’ front office, led by general manager Kyle Dubas, has fractured in the slightest. Both sides have still maintained constant public messaging that signing an extension is their top priority. The 37-year-old is still the team’s most impactful player by a wide margin, coming off a 42-goal, 94-point season in 2023-24.
More notes out of the Keystone State:
- The Flyers are entering their first full season with defenseman Jamie Drysdale in tow. The 22-year-old defenseman was one half of a blockbuster swap with the Ducks last January, heading to Philly in exchange for the signing rights to 2022 fifth-overall pick Cutter Gauthier. After again struggling to stay in the lineup last season due to injuries, Drysdale enters a make-or-break 2024-25 campaign that will likely set the tone for the rest of his tenure with the Flyers, Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports writes (subscription required).
- The Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have signed Xavier Bernard and Sam Sedley to contracts for the 2024-25 campaign, per a team announcement. Bernard, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2018 but never signed his entry-level contract. He’s spent the past few seasons bouncing between the AHL and ECHL, most recently in the Oilers organization with the Bakersfield Condors and Fort Wayne Komets. He spent nearly all of 2023-24 in the ECHL with Fort Wayne, where the 6’4″ left-shot had 16 points, 92 PIMs and a +23 rating in 64 games. Sedley, meanwhile, is entering his first professional season after five years with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. The 21-year-old had been invited to multiple Flyers rookie camps in the past. The diminutive right-shot defender led Owen Sound defensemen in scoring last year with 63 points in 64 games.
AHL’s San Jose Barracuda Sign Colin White
The Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, has signed UFA center Colin White to a one-year contract, according to a team press release.
White, a former first-round pick of the Senators who was bought out by Ottawa in 2022, signed a two-way deal with the Penguins last October after attending training camp on a PTO. He was immediately waived and assigned to the AHL for the first time since 2018.
The 27-year-old embarked on a mediocre run with the Penguins’ affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, posting 10 points (5 G, 5 A) in 21 games before Pittsburgh called him up in January. White played 11 games with the Penguins after the call-up but failed to record a point and logged a -2 rating while averaging just 9:57 per game.
White was waived again in late February and claimed by the Canadiens. It was more of the same in Montreal, where he had no points, a -3 rating and averaged just 9:15 per game through 17 appearances. He also struggled immensely in the faceoff dot, winning just 36 of 108 draws (33.3%).
It was no surprise to see White not retained by the Habs, and it’s not too surprising he’s had to settle for a minor-league contract after a difficult run. Since getting bought out by the Sens, White has just eight goals and 15 points in 96 games over the past two years with the Canadiens, Panthers and Penguins. It’s a far cry from the 14 goals, 27 assists and 41 points he scored in 71 games during his rookie campaign with Ottawa in 2018-19, which earned him an ill-fated six-year, $28.5MM contract marred by injuries and declining play.
While White will suit up with the Sharks’ prospects and depth veterans this fall, he can sign with any NHL team should he attract interest. A strong run of play from the No. 21 overall pick in 2015 could land him an NHL deal at some point during the season, but he’d have to clear waivers to return to the minors after doing so. He’ll also likely receive a training camp invite from the Sharks, who could opt to sign him to a two-way contract.
Snapshots: Cousins, Soderstrom, Avalanche, Pellerin
Winger Nick Cousins remains unsigned as we approach six weeks into the free agent market. Accordingly, he has decided the time is right to change representation as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that he has changed his agent from Octagon’s Andy Scott to Newport’s Craig Oster. The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons with Florida but saw his offensive output dip from 27 points in 79 games in 2022-23 to 15 in 69 contests in 2023-24, his lowest full-season point total. Cousins also suited up in a dozen playoff contests along the way to the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup title. The veteran has 180 points in 592 regular season appearances in his 10-year NHL career so far and should be able to land a PTO agreement at a minimum in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Rasmus Kagstrom of Hockey Sverige relays that goaltender Linus Soderstrom attracted some recent interest in North America before opting to sign a one-year extension with SHL Skelleftea back in March. The 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Islanders in 2014 and received his entry-level deal but played only four games in their system during that time. Since then, Soderstrom has become one of the top-performing netminders in the SHL, putting up a 1.63 GAA with a .929 SV% in 30 appearances in 2022-23 and a 2.03 GAA with a .913 SV% in 36 games in 2023-24. He bettered those numbers in the postseason, including a .944 SV% in 14 contests last season. Another showing like that could have him on the NHL radar again next spring.
- Colorado’s AHL affiliate announced the signing of three players to contracts for the upcoming season, forwards Tye Felhaber and Keaton Mastrodonato along with defenseman Bryan Yoon. Felhaber, 26, spent the last two seasons with AHL Milwaukee and recorded 23 points in 50 games with the Admirals last season. Mastrodonato, meanwhile, spent most of last season, the 23-year-old’s first full professional campaign, with ECHL Idaho where he put up 24 goals and 18 assists in 48 games. As for Yoon, the 26-year-old spent most of his first full pro season in the ECHL as well with Utah, recording 17 points in 35 appearances.
- The Canadiens have invited undrafted forward Maxime Pellerin to their upcoming rookie camp, per a note from his junior team in Victoriaville (Twitter link). The 21-year-old spent his entire five-year QMJHL career with the Tigres and is coming off his second straight year of averaging more than a point per game, notching 73 points in 67 regular season games plus 21 more in 14 playoff contests. Pellerin is ineligible to return to junior so he’ll be hoping to land a professional contract off this tryout.
AHL, ECHL Affiliates For 2024-25
The following is a list of every NHL team’s AHL and ECHL affiliates for the 2024-25 season. This page can be referenced anytime under the “Pro Hockey Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar on desktop and using the Flame menu on mobile devices.
Anaheim Ducks
AHL: San Diego Gulls
ECHL: Tulsa Oilers
Boston Bruins
AHL: Providence Bruins
ECHL: Maine Mariners
Buffalo Sabres
AHL: Rochester Americans
ECHL: Jacksonville Icemen
Calgary Flames
AHL: Calgary Wranglers
ECHL: Rapid City Rush
Carolina Hurricanes
AHL: Chicago Wolves
ECHL: Bloomington Bison (working agreement)
Chicago Blackhawks
AHL: Rockford IceHogs
ECHL: Indy Fuel
Colorado Avalanche
AHL: Colorado Eagles
ECHL: Utah Grizzlies
Columbus Blue Jackets
AHL: Cleveland Monsters
ECHL: none
Dallas Stars
AHL: Texas Stars
ECHL: Idaho Steelheads
Detroit Red Wings
AHL: Grand Rapids Griffins
ECHL: Toledo Walleye
Edmonton Oilers
AHL: Bakersfield Condors
ECHL: Fort Wayne Komets
Florida Panthers
AHL: Charlotte Checkers
ECHL: Savannah Ghost Pirates
Los Angeles Kings
AHL: Ontario Reign
ECHL: Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Minnesota Wild
AHL: Iowa Wild
ECHL: Iowa Heartlanders
Montreal Canadiens
AHL: Laval Rocket
ECHL: Trois-Rivieres Lions
Nashville Predators
AHL: Milwaukee Admirals
ECHL: Atlanta Gladiators
New Jersey Devils
AHL: Utica Comets
ECHL: Adirondack Thunder
New York Islanders
AHL: Bridgeport Islanders
ECHL: Worcester Railers
New York Rangers
AHL: Hartford Wolf Pack
ECHL: Bloomington Bison
Ottawa Senators
AHL: Belleville Senators
ECHL: none
Philadelphia Flyers
AHL: Lehigh Valley Phantoms
ECHL: Reading Royals
Pittsburgh Penguins
AHL: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
ECHL: Wheeling Nailers
San Jose Sharks
AHL: San Jose Barracuda
ECHL: Wichita Thunder
Seattle Kraken
AHL: Coachella Valley Firebirds
ECHL: Kansas City Mavericks
St. Louis Blues
AHL: Springfield Thunderbirds
ECHL: Florida Everblades
Tampa Bay Lightning
AHL: Syracuse Crunch
ECHL: Orlando Solar Bears
Toronto Maple Leafs
AHL: Toronto Marlies
ECHL: Cincinnati Cyclones
Utah Hockey Club
AHL: Tucson Roadrunners
ECHL: Allen Americans
Vancouver Canucks
AHL: Abbotsford Canucks
ECHL: Kalamazoo Wings
Vegas Golden Knights
AHL: Henderson Silver Knights
ECHL: Tahoe Knight Monsters
Washington Capitals
AHL: Hershey Bears
ECHL: South Carolina Stingrays
Winnipeg Jets
AHL: Manitoba Moose
ECHL: Norfolk Admirals
Players With NHL Experience On AHL Contracts For 2024-25
During the summer, AHL contracts often take a backseat to one-way and two-way NHL contracts in terms of news coverage. But they’re a valuable outlet for NHL clubs to keep veterans with solid leadership experience in the organization without using one of their 50 contract slots.
As such, many teams will retain UFAs coming off two-way deals by having their AHL affiliate ink them to a contract for the upcoming season. Those squeezed out of NHL roles may also look to land a minor-league deal to showcase their performance without binding themselves to an NHL contract, allowing them to keep their options open and sign anywhere as a free agent.
The following is a look at which players with NHL experience will be suiting up in the minors next season as technical UFAs. They are still free to sign with any NHL club should an offer present itself. But they’ll still play in an NHL organization alongside teams’ top prospects slated for AHL action in the fall.
This page will be updated as additional players are signed or released. It can be found at any time under the “Pro Hockey Rumors Features” right-hand sidebar on desktop and the Flame menu on mobile.
Updated 8/15/24
Anaheim Ducks (San Diego Gulls)
F Ryan Carpenter
D Dillon Heatherington
D Roland McKeown
Buffalo Sabres (Rochester Americans)
Carolina Hurricanes (Chicago Wolves)
Chicago Blackhawks (Rockford IceHogs)
F Jackson Cates
D Austin Strand
Colorado Avalanche (Colorado Eagles)
Columbus Blue Jackets (Cleveland Monsters)
Dallas Stars (Texas Stars)
Edmonton Oilers (Bakersfield Condors)
Florida Panthers (Charlotte Checkers)
F Kyle Criscuolo
F John Leonard
F Aidan McDonough
D Trevor Carrick
G Kenneth Appleby
Los Angeles Kings (Ontario Reign)
Montreal Canadiens (Laval Rocket)
F Laurent Dauphin
D Zack Hayes
D Joshua Jacobs
D Tyler Wotherspoon
Nashville Predators (Milwaukee Admirals)
New Jersey Devils (Utica Comets)
F Justin Dowling
F Joseph Gambardella
New York Islanders (Bridgeport Islanders)
Philadelphia Flyers (Lehigh Valley Phantoms)
F Cooper Marody
F Garrett Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)
San Jose Sharks (San Jose Barracuda)
St. Louis Blues (Springfield Thunderbirds)
F Matthew Peca
D Scott Harrington
Tampa Bay Lightning (Syracuse Crunch)
F Gabriel Dumont
F Daniel Walcott
Toronto Maple Leafs (Toronto Marlies)
F Kyle Clifford
F Alexander Nylander
F Logan Shaw
Utah Hockey Club (Tucson Roadrunners)
F Hunter Drew
F Austin Poganski
D Robbie Russo
G Dylan Wells
Vancouver Canucks (Abbotsford Canucks)
Vegas Golden Knights (Henderson Silver Knights)
Washington Capitals (Hershey Bears)
F Mike Vecchione
D Brad Hunt
D Aaron Ness
Winnipeg Jets (Manitoba Moose)
Information from Elite Prospects was used in the creation of this article.
West Notes: Morrison, Gulyayev, Georgiev
The Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, have reached the Calder Cup Final in each of their first two seasons of existence. They’re loading up for a third run to the championship series, signing left winger Cam Morrison to a one-year deal, per the league.
Morrison, 25, was a second-round pick of the Avalanche in 2016 but never signed, instead opting to land with the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2020 coming out of Notre Dame. He played out his entry-level contract without an NHL call-up and has spent the past few seasons bouncing between various AHL and ECHL clubs, although he’s beginning to solidify himself as a quality depth piece at the second-highest level of play in North America.
The 6’3″, 209-lb forward spent last season in the Panthers organization on an AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers, where he had five goals and six assists for 11 points with 10 PIMs and a +5 rating in 45 games. He also appeared in eight ECHL games for the Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades, where he had five goals and an assist.
Morrison will head out West to a Coachella Valley team set to have a solid veteran presence up front, including captain Max McCormick, Brandon Biro, and Mitchell Stephens, all of whom are under contract with the Kraken on two-way deals and have NHL experience.
More updates from the Western Conference:
- Don’t expect Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev to get his feet wet in the AHL before making his NHL debut. The defenseman told Sergey Demidov of Responsible Gambling that “my path to the NHL is to come and play right away.” Gulyayev, 19, was picked 31st overall in 2023 and remains under contract with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League through 2025-26. It’s likely he’ll play out the final two seasons of that deal before signing his entry-level contract with Colorado and making his NHL debut in the fall of 2026. An offensive powerhouse in the junior ranks, Gulyayev had four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 64 games for Avangard in his first full professional season last year.
- The Avalanche also have a bit of a question mark in the crease with Alexandar Georgiev entering the final season of his contract. It seems likely the pending UFA will test the market next summer, opines Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports. Georgiev currently costs $3.4MM against the cap for the strapped Avs, and Deen believes a solid season from the netminder would likely price him out of Colorado’s goaltending budget, while an underwhelming season from the Bulgaria-born goalie would likely influence the Avs to walk away. Thus, 24-year-old Justus Annunen‘s performance in his first season of full-time backup duties will be one of the bigger storylines in Denver in 2024-25.
Snapshots: NCAA Recruitment, Colorado, Lekkerimäki
The NCAA commitment window opened to the 2008 birth year on August 1st, bringing another wave of top young players to the collegiate level. International recruits have so far headlined this year’s class, with five Europeans and 13 Canadians already announcing their commitments. Among the notable international commits is hefty centerman Caleb Malhotra, who went eighth overall to Kingston in this year’s OHL Draft, but solidified his plans to play outside of the OHL with a commitment to Boston University. Malhotra is emerging as a top Canadian in the 2008 birth year – even despite battles with injury this season. He played in just 48 games, though he still did enough to score at a point-per-game pace and earn a five-star rating from PuckPreps, who praised his mobility and puck skills.
Malhotra – the son of longtime Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra – is a cerebral playmaker, who knows how to use his frame and stickhandling to create space. With a college commitment out of the way, he’s now set for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Malhotra is undeniably one of the BCHL’s top recruits and will now look to vindicate the expectations around him, and quickly bounce back from injury, by finding scoring quickly at the juniors level. If all goes well, he’ll enter BU with the same lofty expectations.
Other notes from around the league:
- The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have announced they’ve hired Kim Weiss as a video coach and Matt Zaba as a goalie coach. Weiss moves to the pro level after becoming the first female coach in D-III history this season, serving behind the bench of her alma mater Trinity College. Trinity won their conference championship under Weiss’ guard – earning her a ring after losing in the NAHL’s 2023 Robertson Cup semifinals with the Maryland Black Bears. Zaba is also moving from American juniors, having spent the last seven seasons as the goalie coach for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He’s built up multiple NHL prospects over that span, including Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Larson, Calgary Flames prospect Arseni Sergeyev, and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Isaiah Saville. He’ll now join that trio at the AHL level – coaching in familiar territory after starting his career at Colorado College. Zaba is also an alum of one NHL game, 66 AHL games, and 31 ECHL games – though much of his personal playing career was spent in Austria and Italy.
- The Vancouver Canucks are facing a list of lineup questions as training camp approaches, shares Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who highlighted the right-wing role next to Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson as the team’s most glaring hole. Drance mentioned Nils Hoglander as an early favorite for the role, though he’ll face pressure from new signee Daniel Sprong. However, Drance also noted that star prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki could be a dark horse to round out what should be Vancouver’s scoring line. Lekkerimäki won the SHL’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ award last season, after posting 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games with Örebro HK. He signed his entry-level contract and moved to the AHL after Örebro’s early playoff exit – adding two points in six more games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Lekkerimäki is an effective scorer, with an eye for the offensive zone and hard snapshot – though his size has some worried about how he’ll adjust to the next step. It seems he’ll have a chance to answer that bell at training camp, as he fights for a significant role out of the gates.
Rockford IceHogs Hire Josh MacNevin As Assistant Coach
The Chicago Blackhawks organization is ready to put a solid developmental staff around their young prospects as their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, announced the hire of Josh MacNevin as an assistant coach. It will be MacNevin’s coaching debut in professional hockey as he’s spent the last decade coaching in the Western Hockey League.
As a player, MacNevin had a halfway productive career with the Providence College Friars in the NCAA and was ultimately drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round of the 1996 NHL Draft. He would never play in the NHL as MacNevin put together most of his professional career overseas in Finland, Italy, and Sweden. He ended his pro career after the 2012-13 season and would wait only one year before joining the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes as an assistant coach.
Primarily serving as a defensive coach with Lethbridge, the only notable NHL defenseman developed by MacNevin was Calen Addison who played for the Hurricanes from 2015-19. Addison’s playmaking ability from the blue line was certainly enhanced under MacNevin’s tutelage as he racked up 174 assists and 215 points in 252 games in Lethbridge. The team never made it farther than the Eastern Conference Final during MacNevin’s tenure and he left the team for the Kelowna Rockets in 2022.
Caden Price served as MacNevin’s primary resource on the blue line in Kelowna and was recently drafted 84th overall by the Seattle Kraken in the 2023 NHL Draft. Additionally, MacNevin briefly coached Colton Dach in his first year with the organization who was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2021 and should suit up for the IceHogs again next year.
Chicago has several notable defensive prospects that could appear in AHL Rockford this year including Artyom Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro, and Wyatt Kaiser. As the IceHogs’ new primary defensive coach, MacNevin will have a hand in each player’s overall development and will be instrumental in the Blackhawks’ future success on the back end.
Pacific Notes: Chernyshov, Pettersson, Holtz, Barr
Sharks 2024 second-round pick Igor Chernyshov has officially found a place to play this season. As he said was likely the case last week, he’s inked a scholarship and development agreement with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, per the club.
The 33rd overall pick in June was originally supposed to remain in his native Russia next season. He had one year left on his contract with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, but he bought himself out of the deal last week and subsequently signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks.
Chernyshov, 18, will attend training camp for a brief period in San Jose before being returned to Saginaw, likely for the entire 2024-25 campaign. Doing so will slide the beginning of his entry-level contract to 2025-26.
The 6’3″, 203-lb winger had three goals and one assist for four points in 34 KHL games last season. He was much more productive in the junior ranks, posting 28 points (13 G, 15 A) in 22 games with MHK Dynamo Moscow.
More out of the Pacific Division:
- When Chernyshov’s move to Saginaw was announced this morning, there was a brief thought that Ducks 2024 second-rounder Lucas Pettersson might join him in Michigan. That won’t be the case, however. Sources told Max Miller of The Hockey News and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic that he’ll remain in his native Sweden after being selected by the Spirit in the CHL Import Draft. Pettersson, 18, was selected two picks after Chernyshov in June. He’ll likely get some action in the pros with MoDo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League, but could still spend a solid chunk of 2024-25 with their junior team. The 5’11” center was one of the Swedish junior circuit’s leading scorers last season, posting 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games for MoDo’s U-20 club.
- The Golden Knights bought low on 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz this summer, only parting ways with depth forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-rounder to acquire him and Akira Schmid from the Devils. Speaking to reporters, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Holtz was “a player we had tremendous regard for as an amateur. We’re taking a swing at his upside and what a change can do sometimes for young players” (via James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now). McCrimmon thinks Holtz has “untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity,” he added. With Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson among the key departures from Vegas’ forward group this summer, Holtz will be relied upon as a top-nine scoring option for the Knights in 2024-25 with the potential to challenge for top-six minutes. The 22-year-old had 28 points in 82 games in New Jersey last year.
- The Ducks have added to their minor-league coaching staff, hiring Dave Barr as an assistant for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, per a team release. Barr, 63, spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Wolves during their one year of operating independently of an NHL affiliation. He has 12 years of experience as an assistant at the game’s highest level, spending time on benches for the Avalanche, Wild, Devils, Sabres, Panthers and Sharks from 2008 to 2020. Before joining the Wolves last season, he spent two years as the head coach of the Vienna Capitals in Austria’s ICEHL.
Minor Transactions: 8/3/24
It’s unlikely that there will be considerable activity on the NHL transactions front at this point of the summer but some of their affiliates have been busy in recent days. Here’s a rundown of those moves and any news on former NHL players.
- Free agent winger Nick Swaney has signed a one-year deal with AHL Chicago, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 26-year-old spent the last four years in Minnesota’s system but was limited to just seven games due to injuries last season. Swaney had 30 points in 48 AHL contests in 2022-23, resulting in him making his NHL debut as well.
- Former NHL blueliner Joe Morrow is sticking around in England as he has re-signed with EIHL Manchester, per a team release. The 31-year-old played in 162 NHL games over parts of five seasons with Boston, Montreal, and Winnipeg, collecting 32 points. Last season with the Storm, Morrow had 27 points. He has had somewhat of a nomadic journey since leaving North America, spending time in Belarus, Finland, Kazakhstan, Russia, Switzerland, and now England.
- Nick Jones, who spent the last four seasons on Winnipeg’s AHL team, has opted for a change of scenery as Vlci Zilina of the Slovak Extraliga announced on their Instagram page that they’ve inked the winger to a one-year deal. The 28-year-old had 16 points in 47 games with the Moose last season but now qualifies for the lower tier of veteran status with more than 260 career AHL appearances (but below the main veteran threshold of 320) which likely limited his North American options this summer.
This post will be updated throughout the day.