Mikko Lehtonen Signs Long-Term Contract In KHL
The brief experiment of KHL stud defenseman Mikko Lehtonen plying his trade in North America is over, perhaps for good. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Lehtonen has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. At 27 years old, this could mark the end of his NHL career. The move comes less than a week after his contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets was terminated.
Lehtonen’s time in North America was tumultuous, to say the least. Lehtonen signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year deal in May 2020. Despite the future contract being signed in-season, implying that Lehtonen was a player that Toronto had been closely following and had prioritized, his time with the Leafs was short-lived. Lehtonen was traded to Columbus in March after playing in just nine games. He played much more frequently for the Blue Jackets down the stretch, logging 17 games. Yet, he produced the same three points in Columbus as he did in Toronto, totaling zero goals, six points, and a -2 rating to show for his first year. Unsurprisingly, Lehtonen failed to crack the Columbus roster in training camp this season. However, he refused to report to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, leading to a pass through unconditional waivers and a contract termination.
Though some players have contracts terminated and are still able to find another landing spot in the NHL, such as Sami Niku last month, it should come as no surprise that Lehtonen has instead opted to return to Russia. The KHL’s Defenseman of the Year in 2019-20, Lehtonen recorded 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games for Jokerit. He was then a point-per-game player in 17 games with the club before reporting to Toronto last year. A player who has previously produced at a high level in Sweden and his native Finland, Lehtonen simply seems built for the European game. Joining a powerhouse like SKA, Lehtonen is returning to a more comfortable style of play and skill level and will have the surrounding talent to produce and chase a Gagarin Cup every year. Once his current deal is over in 2025, it is doubtful that a then-31-year-old Lehtonen will try to return to the NHL.
Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Yegor Chinakhov
The Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a hot start this season. The team, which faces few expectations this season, has opened the season with an 8-2 drubbing of the Arizona Coyotes and a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Max Domi are currently among the top-ten scorers in the league and Elvis Merzlikins is 2-0 with a .948 save percentage and 1.47 GAA. Now, they’re about to get even better.
The Blue Jackets have announced this morning that top prospect Yegor Chinakhov has been recalled from the AHL – and after just one game. The skilled Russian forward is in his first season in North America after recording 10 goals and 17 points in 32 games in his first full KHL season in 2020-21, followed up by five goals and seven points in 21 playoff games en route to a Gagarin Cup title. He was right back at it in his AHL debut, scoring a goal for the Cleveland Monsters in an opening night win. The Blue Jackets have apparently seen enough to try the young forward out at the NHL level and it would not be a surprise to see the dynamic young talent stick on a Columbus roster that is trying to rebuild while staying relevant.
Chinakhov, 20, is already a remarkable story and a testament to Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen and his scouting staff, so it would not be a surprise to see him continue to find success. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Chinakov was a much-maligned selection as a relatively unheralded overage prospect. Considered the biggest surprise of the first round, Chinakhov’s name first gained attention for the wrong reasons. He quickly changed the narrative last season, earning a full-time role with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk and not only taking home a championship, but also Rookie of the Year honors with top numbers across the board for U-20 players. Now he is not only a pro in North America in just his second season after being drafted, but preparing for his NHL debut. The perception of Chinakhov has changed dramatically, but he is still playing with a chip on his shoulder and ready to reward Columbus for their faith in him, hopefully for years to come for a franchise that desperately needs loyal, homegrown talent.
AHL Shuffle: 10/15/21
An increasingly tight salary cap situation for many teams across the league has expectedly led to a lot of wheeling, dealing, and maneuvering early on this season, especially in the recalls and assignments department. We’ll keep track of all of today’s minor NHL to AHL and AHL to NHL roster moves right here.
Atlantic Division
- Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards reports the Panthers re-assigned Chase Priskie and Maxim Mamin to the Charlotte Checkers. Priskie was recalled Thursday prior to the team’s season opener against Pittsburgh but was a healthy scratch. Mamin had previously been listed as a non-roster player. Mamin last played in the NHL with the Panthers in 2018-19, playing seven games, but has played in the KHL ever since.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers are sending forward Jackson Cates back down to Lehigh Valley, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. Cates was recalled from the Phantoms Thursday to give the team roster flexibility as their two new waiver claims in Patrick Brown and Zack MacEwen were both unavailable. Yesterday’s other two recalls, Max Willman and Nick Seeler, remain with the team and will likely play in the team’s home opener against Vancouver Friday night.
- Per the team, the New Jersey Devils activated forward Tyce Thompson off injured reserve and have assigned him to the Utica Comets. The brother of Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, Tyce made his NHL debut last season, scoring one assist in seven games.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned 2020 first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov to the Cleveland Monsters. Likely to see another call-up at some point this season, Chinakhov will make his North American debut with Cleveland soon.
- Greg McKegg has been recalled by the New York Rangers after Ryan Strome‘s placement on the COVID protocol list. He’ll draw into the lineup Saturday against Montreal as the team has only 12 active forwards.
Central Division
- The Avalanche’s Jayson Megna has been sent down to the Colorado Eagles, notes The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Megna drew into Colorado’s lineup on Wednesday against Chicago in the place of Nathan MacKinnon, who remains on COVID protocol. Megna could be recalled again soon, as Baugh reports it could just be a salary cap maneuver.
- Soon is apparently today, as Megna has rejoined the big club along with Stefan Matteau and Dylan Sikura, with the Avalanche sending Alex Newhook down to the Eagles. A peculiar transaction, you can expect more paper shuffling before the team’s game Saturday against the St. Louis Blues.
Pacific Division
- The Vegas Golden Knights assigned Peyton Krebs, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Jake Leschyshyn to the Henderson Silver Knights ahead of the team’s season opener tonight. All three played in Thursday night’s 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and they’ll likely be recalled soon as the team continues to deal with injuries and absences in the bottom six.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Minor Transactions: 10/13/21
The NHL season may be officially underway following Tuesday’s opening pair of contests, but many players are still trying to find homes for the 2021-22 campaign. Follow along as we track these and other notable minor moves across the hockey world:
- Coming off of a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, the fifth NHL contract of his career despite having played only 30 NHL games and zero since 2016-17, veteran defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon wasn’t so lucky this time around. The 28-year-old has settled for an AHL pact, signing a one-year deal with the Utica Comets per a team release. Wotherspoon has extensive AHL experience, including several seasons of strong production and history as a locker room leader, making him an attractive get for the Devils new affiliate. Whether he can turn this opportunity into an NHL deal next season though remains to be seen.
- Similarly, defenseman Luke Green has been unable to find a new NHL deal after he was not qualified by the Winnipeg Jets this summer. However, Green could not land an AHL gig either. The 23-year-old has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, per the league’s registry. After two years in the AHL and one season in Finland without any production, Green has to prove that he is more than just his junior numbers in the QMJHL by finding some sustained success in the pros.
- Fredrik Handemark‘s stay in Russia has been even shorter than it was in North America. After coming over from Sweden last season and playing in eight games with the San Jose Sharks and another 14 in the AHL, it was somewhat surprising to see Handemark head back to Europe this off-season. However, he was at least heading to one of the best teams outside of the NHL in KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg. Yet, just 15 games into his contract with SKA and despite having totaled six points already, Handemark and the club have agreed to a mutual termination of his contract, St. Petersburg announced. Swedish source Expressen reports that Handemark is expected to return to the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, where he was captain for several years before jumping to San Jose, and is likely to sign a long-term deal. At 28, Handemark’s days in the NHL (and any other league) are likely over if this is the case.
Minor Transactions: 10/12/21
Opening Night of the 2021-22 NHL campaign has finally arrived and all eyes are on the season-opening matchups between the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins and the league’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Yet, it has also been a very busy day for “minor” transactions, both the advent of regular NHL recalls and reassignments as well as several notable signings and trades. Keep up with all of these moves right here:
- AHL trades are not common, but there is already one in the books for this season. The Belleville Senators have announced that they have acquired forward Jake Lucchini from the Laval Rocket for future considerations. Lucchini, 26, spent the past season and a half with Laval, but without much to show for it. The former Michigan Tech standout and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect has yet to make his mark on the pros, but will get another shot with Belleville this season.
- A KHL trade today also contained some recognizable names. SKA St. Petersburg has acquired former NHL forward Valentin Zykov from Sibir Novosibirsk. The return is another former NHL forward, Vladislav Kamenev, and San Jose Sharks prospect Yegor Spirodonov. Zykov had been playing in Sweden to begin this year, but now that his KHL rights have transferred he has agreed to a one-year deal with SKA. Zykov skated in 15 games with the Vegas Golden Knights just last year, recording four points. Kamenev spent all of last season in St. Petersburg after notching eight points in 38 games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2019-20. Spirodonov, a 2019 selection, has yet to be given much of a chance in the KHL and could be bound for North America next season if he doesn’t earn a greater role with Novosibirsk.
- Ben Hutton‘s late-preseason PTO with the Anaheim Ducks didn’t result in an NHL contract – at least not yet – but the veteran defenseman is remaining with the organization. Hutton has signed an AHL contract with the San Diego Gulls, the team announced. Hutton began last season with the Ducks and that familiarity with the organization combined with the team’s potential seller status could lead to a promotion to an NHL deal at some point this year.
- After initial rosters were finalized yesterday with a vast number of AHL assignments, at least one team is already switching things up. The Dallas Stars have recalled forwards Joel Kiviranta and Jacob Peterson from AHL Texas and sent fellow forwards Oskar Back and Ty Dellandrea and goaltender Jake Oettinger back in a corresponding move. If Peterson plays in Dallas’ opener on Thursday, it will mark his NHL debut.
Nikita Gusev Signs In KHL
After failing to earn an NHL contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with who he attended training camp on a professional tryout, Nikita Gusev is headed back to the KHL. The free agent forward has signed a contract with SKA St. Petersburg through the end of the 2021-22 season.
Gusev, 29, is one of the more impressive one-and-done performances in recent NHL history. He came to the NHL with huge expectations in 2019 after a long successful career in Russia and put up 44 points in 66 games with the New Jersey Devils. Since then, he’s scored four goals, registered ten points and now couldn’t even find a contract.
That doesn’t mean a future in the NHL is completely out of the picture, Gusev is still young enough to try again next year. But unless his skating ability drastically improves in the next few months, it’s hard to see how any team would trust him in a top-six role. Given he doesn’t offer much outside of creative offensive play, the KHL may end up being where he plays out the rest of his career.
One thing on the horizon is the Olympics, where Gusev could still very likely be part of the Russian contingent. He was outstanding at the 2018 Games (which did not include NHL players) and has been dominant at World Championship tournaments in the past. That could be a place to catch the eye of another North American team, but whether he even wants to continue that path is unclear at this point.
Minor Transactions: 09/29/21
Though the numbers have dwindled, there are still many players looking for work this season. The includes in North America, where some are seeking minor league deals or hoping to capitalize on PTOs, as well as in Europe, where most leagues are already underway but players are still trying to find their way into the action. Keep up with all of these transactions here:
- Miraculously, 38-year-old power forward Evgeny Artyukhin is back for another year of hockey. The Russian forward has signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Admiral Vladivostok, the team announced. Admiral becomes his ninth different KHL club in his 18-year pro career, which also included a multi-year stint in the NHL. Artyukhin is so old (how old is he?) that the last NHL club he played for was the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010. A 2001 Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick, Artyukhin spent two seasons with the Bolts, collecting 33 points in 145, before splitting his final NHL season between the Anaheim Ducks and the Thrashers with 16 points in 54 games. An effective bottom-six forward who played a physical game and could chip in on offense, Artyukhin likely could have played longer in North America, but was always drawn back to Russia. And KHL teams are drawn to him; it seemed that Artyukhin’s career could be over back in 2018-19 when he missed the whole season due to injury, but now he is on to his second contract in two years as he continues to elongate an already impressive career.
- Two Boston PTO’s have earned a contract with the Bruins, the AHL’s Providence Bruins that is. Defensemen Aaron Ness and Jack Dougherty have signed on with the junior Bruins for this season reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. The organization has yet to confirm, but it would not be a shock given that both players are currently in camp. Ness, who turned down a PTO with the Seattle Kraken to join the Bruins instead, is coming of a contract with the Arizona Coyotes and saw NHL action just last year. He brings 72 NHL games and over 500 AHL games worth of experience to Providence. Dougherty, 25, is a former top prospect of the Nashville Predators who has struggled to make his mark in the pros but has been extremely consistent in the minors.
- Jared Cockrell will have to spend another year in the ECHL to prove he is ready for the next level. The former Colgate standout transferred to St. Cloud State last year and appeared in the NCAA Championship with the Huskies. Soon after he signed with the Wheeling Nailers and got in 16 games, but disappointed with only one point and a -8 rating. His college play suggests that he is far better than that performance and he will look to show that this season after re-upping with Wheeling, per a league release. Cockrell will have his eye on establishing more consistent play at both ends in the Coast and then maybe he could be in line for an AHL loan at some point this year.
Snapshots: Lundqvist, Caufield, Popugaev
Immediately after Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement last month, the New York Rangers confirmed that they would be retiring his number. They’ve now announced that on January 28, 2022, his No. 30 will be raised to the rafters and never worn again. Lundqvist is the franchise leader among goaltenders in games played, wins, saves, and save percentage (among those with at least 60 appearances).
He will become the 11th player to have his number retired by the team, joining Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Rod Gilbert (7), Andy Bathgate (9), Adam Graves (9), Mark Messier (11), Vic Hadfield (11), Jean Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35).
- The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed that young star Cole Caufield will be out for a week with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend. The 20-year-old played against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and then was pulled from the warmup for an intrasquad game on Sunday. With how important he is going to be for the team this year, keeping him healthy to start the season is extremely important for the Canadiens.
- It appears as though former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugaev has ended his hockey career, listing himself as an “ex hockey player” on Instagram. Popugaev was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2017, but never signed with the team and spent last season in the KHL. Though his rights are technically retained indefinitely by the Devils, it appears as though the 22-year-old will no longer be pursuing his career on the ice.
Minor Transactions: 09/15/21
There’s not a lot going on in the NHL as we await training camp and the last few RFA contracts, but the minor leagues are still busy filling out their rosters in preparation for the 2021-22 season. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor moves right here.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have re-signed Dylan MacPherson, bringing him back on an AHL contract. The 23-year-old defenseman split last season between the Wheeling Nailers and AHL Penguins, scoring just one point in ten games at the higher level. Undrafted out of the WHL, MacPherson was never a big offensive weapon but brings some useful size to the back end.
- Cedrick Andree, who played two games for the Belleville Senators last season, has signed with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays for the upcoming campaign. The 21-year-old goaltender had a ton of success at the junior level, posting a 67-21-4 record for the Ottawa 67’s, but is undersized and went undrafted.
- Chris Nell, another goaltender who had a few games in the AHL last season, has signed with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL once again. The 27-year-old has been in that league for several years now, with an .895 save percentage over 80 games.
- Sometimes it’s just not worth trying to return to North America. Mat Robinson has signed a new deal with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, meaning he’ll play his ninth consecutive season there after some previous experience in the AHL, ECHL, Norway and Sweden. The 35-year-old also suited up for Canada at the 2018 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the process.
- Tanner Fritz has signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack after spending the last several seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The 30-year-old forward had six points in 30 games last season.
This page will be updated as further transactions are announced
Jake Virtanen Signs In KHL
In an entirely predictable move, former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has signed a one-year deal in the KHL. He’ll suit up for Spartak Moscow this season after being bought out by the Canucks in July.
Virtanen, 25, played his way out of the Canucks future by disappointing over and over, but that’s not the reason he now has to settle for a deal overseas. Earlier this summer, a civil lawsuit was filed in Kelowna, British Columbia, alleging Virtanen sexually assaulted a woman in 2017. On May 1, the Canucks placed Virtanen on leave from the team, releasing this statement:
We have become aware of the concerning allegations made about Jake Virtanen. Our organization does not accept sexual misconduct of any kind and the claims as reported are being treated very seriously by us.
We have engaged external expertise to assist in an independent investigation and we have placed the player on leave as we await more information.
Though the results of that investigation have still not been publicly released, it is obvious that his off-ice issues are a huge part of him failing to sign on with another NHL team. The young forward was the sixth overall selection in 2014 and reached a career-high of 18 goals and 36 points in 2019-20, but has been one of the most inconsistent players in the league since entering it six years ago.
In 317 games, Virtanen compiled 55 goals and 100 points.