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New York Islanders Name Rick Kowalsky Head Coach Of AHL Affiliate

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The New York Islanders have promoted Rick Kowalsky to the role of head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders, their AHL affiliate.

Kowalsky has served as an assistant coach in Bridgeport for the last two seasons, and now with former Bridgeport bench boss Brent Thompson off to the Anaheim Ducks, Kowalsky has been tapped to lead the Islanders’ AHL development efforts.

Kowalsky, 51, has prior experience as a head coach in the AHL. He led the New Jersey Devils’ AHL affiliate for eight seasons. In that span, Kowalsky’s teams posted a combined 281-249-82 record.

Although he only made the AHL playoffs three times with the Devils and won just one playoff series in eight seasons, Kowalsky’s teams produced some players who would go on to establish themselves in the NHL. Players such as Adam Henrique, Blake Coleman, Mackenzie Blackwood, Kevin Rooney, and Scott Wedgewood each spent time developing under Kowalsky and went on to become legitimate NHLers.

After a difficult 2017-18 season, Kowalsky moved to a role as an assistant coach with the Devils’ NHL squad, and helped shepherd them through some rebuilding seasons. Now, after two seasons spent as an assistant in Bridgeport, Kowalsky will have a second chance to lead an AHL team and will look to deliver NHL talent to Long Island.

The Islanders have some promising prospects set to play in the AHL, such as William Dufour, Ruslan Iskhakov, and Matt Maggio. The hope will be that Kowalsky can help those players develop and build towards NHL readiness.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Olle Lycksell

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed restricted free agent forward Olle Lycksell to a two-year, two-way contract, per a team announcement. The deal is worth $1.575MM and carries an average annual value of $787.5K.

A 2017 sixth-round pick, Lycksell is quickly climbing up the organizational depth chart after a pair of very impressive seasons in other leagues. The 23-year-old Swede posted 45 points in 53 games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season, finishing second on the team in scoring during his first campaign in North America while playing heavy minutes.

It was the season before that where he saw a real breakout, though, finishing off his Swedish pro career (for the time being) with 34 points in 47 games for SHL side Vaxjo Lakers HC while on loan from the Flyers. Now, Lycksell has some financial security for the next two seasons, during which time he’ll attempt to break through into the Flyers’ lineup full-time.

He did make his NHL debut last season, not looking entirely out of place and registering an assist in eight appearances. With some free agent additions (and a healthy Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier) in the fold, however, the chances of him being on the Flyers’ opening night roster are slim.

That being said, he’s set to reprise a top-line role with the Phantoms and continue working toward rounding out his game. With another year of pro hockey under his belt, look for Lycksell to provide some solid value for the Flyers in the second year of this deal.

When his contract expires in 2025, he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

AHL Transactions Ledger: 07/13/23

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A busy summer in the minors continues with AHL teams loading up on talent to supplement their players on loan from their NHL parents. We’re keeping a list of today’s moves across the second-best league this side of the Atlantic here:

  • The Hartford Wolf Pack have agreed to terms with defenseman Zach Berzolla on a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The move marks his second stint as a member of the Wolf Pack, where he played eight games in 2021-22 and scored one goal. He spent last season mainly with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones while on an AHL contract with the Rochester Americans, finishing second among Cyclones defenders in scoring with six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 56 games. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound defenseman is likely destined for ECHL assignment again, heading back to Cincinnati after the Cyclones entered an affiliation agreement with the Wolf Pack and New York Rangers earlier this summer.
  • The Rochester Americans signed former Minnesota Wild prospect Damien Giroux to a one-year contract today. The 2018 fifth-round pick made his NHL debut last season, notching an assist in an April 13th overtime loss to the Nashville Predators. After scoring just three goals in 67 AHL games, however, the Wild opted not to issue him a qualifying offer with his contract expiring this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. The former captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit still managed 22 points in the minors this season, though, placing him eighth on the Iowa Wild.
  • The Rockford IceHogs have signed center Seamus Malone to a one-year, AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Malone, 27, is a former Wisconsin Badger who has spent the last three seasons with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. Malone has scored 97 points in 110 games over the last two seasons and made his first ECHL All-Star game last year. While Malone hasn’t yet had much success at the AHL level (he has eight points in 41 career games in the American League) the IceHogs are hoping Malone’s recent exceptional ECHL performance will translate to the next level.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights signed 27-year-old defenseman Peter Tischke to a one-year AHL contract, according to a team announcement. Tischke spent last season with the Rochester Americans, skating in 24 games and notching four points. He’s played 78 career games at the AHL level and has 56 career games in the ECHL, almost entirely from 2019-20, his first campaign as a professional hockey player. The four-year Wisconsin Badger will now compete for a role on new head coach Ryan Craig’s Silver Knights blueline.
  • The Milwaukee Admirals have added defenseman Griffin Luce from the Springfield Thunderbirds on a one-year AHL contract. The 25-year-old is a six-foot-three physical presence who played four seasons at the University of Michigan before working his way into the AHL after starting in the East Coast league. Luce only played in 19 games last season but managed 45 games in 2021-22, and he even played in two playoff games as the Thunderbirds made a run to the Calder Cup Finals.
  • Former Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Eric Hjorth is reportedly signing a contract with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, according to Uffe Bodin of Hockeysverige. Hjorth, 22, was a fourth-round pick of Columbus at the 2019 draft, and the team allowed their exclusive rights to sign him elapse rather than sign him to an entry-level deal. Hjorth is a six-foot-one right-shot blueliner who has played the last two seasons in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division. The Canadiens could have a relatively crowded AHL blueline due to prospects graduating from junior leagues, so Hjorth could be more likely to play with their ECHL affiliate in Trois-Rivieres than in Laval itself.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Dallas Stars Sign Ty Dellandrea

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The Dallas Stars’ most important remaining restricted free agent has a new contract. Today, the team signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a one-year deal worth $900K.

Drafted 13th overall in 2018, Dellandrea’s development has been a slow burn, but he burst onto the scene last season as a full-time player in the strictest sense of the word. One of eight Stars to play in all 82 regular-season games, Dellandrea tallied nine goals and 28 points. Interestingly enough, Dellandrea was not eligible for Calder voting, nor was he considered a rookie – he suited up in 26 games for Dallas two seasons ago in 2020-21, putting him just above the cut-off mark.

Nevertheless, Dellandrea demonstrated high-end two-way upside in a bottom-six role, posting high-end possession numbers and even excelling when used on the penalty kill. Still just 22 years old, there is still plenty of time for his offensive totals to improve. He showed strong scoring flashes in the minors in 2021-22, posting 23 goals and 50 points in 68 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars.

Despite those positive strides, Dellandrea will likely get boxed out of a top-nine role, at least to start next season. The team’s re-signing of Evgenii Dadonov and acquisition of Matt Duchene via free agency gives them one of the best top-nine forward units in the entire league, but it does diminish Dellandrea’s potential for increased ice time. If injuries strike, however, he carries the most upward mobility of any depth forward on the Stars and will get a chance higher up in the lineup.

New York Rangers Sign Ty Emberson

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The New York Rangers have negotiated a new contract for one of their more underrated defensive prospects, signing Ty Emberson to a one-year contract extension for 2023-24. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 23-year-old Emberson had a breakout development season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, his first season there after the Rangers acquired him last summer from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for them taking the final two seasons of defenseman Patrik Nemeth’s contract, which Arizona bought out last month. He posted career-highs across the board, tallying seven goals and 27 points in 69 games, and was also named the best defensive defenseman in the AHL’s Eastern Conference.

He earned those honors by playing consistent top-four minutes for Hartford all season long and finishing second on the team with a +17 rating. Arizona had selected the 6-foot-1 right-shot defender with the 73rd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

The Wisconsin-born Emberson likely isn’t a candidate to make the Rangers out of camp yet, and might actually slip down the depth chart in Hartford after the Rangers signed Connor Mackey and Mac Hollowell to bolster their AHL depth. That being said, he doesn’t get discussed as much as he should when talking about Rangers prospects, and he’ll look to keep up the strong two-way play in the face of increased internal competition next season.

Emberson will be a restricted free agent again next summer.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Nicolas Beaudin, Lucas Condotta

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed a pair of depth players this morning, inking defenseman Nicolas Beaudin to a one-year, two-way contract and forward Lucas Condotta to a two-year, two-way contract.

CapFriendly reports Beaudin’s contract has an NHL salary of $775K, an AHL salary of $90K, and a minimum guaranteed salary of $110K. Condotta’s compensation hasn’t been reported yet.

A 2018 first-round pick, Beaudin found himself in the Canadiens organization this season after they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor-league forward Cameron Hillis just weeks into the campaign. The move has since panned out extremely well for both Beaudin and the Habs.

The 23-year-old defenseman had gone through some troubles adjusting to the pro game while in Chicago, issues undoubtedly exacerbated by the inconsistencies of playing time during the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also got a rather slight frame, standing at just 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds.

But things took off for the left-shot defender with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, where he scored twice and added 23 assists for 25 points in 39 games after the trade, trouncing last season’s offensive production. He saw some limited minutes at even strength, but he dominated them defensively – per data from Pick224, he was on the ice for just 16 goals at even strength in 42 total AHL games last year. He’s not expected to earn a spot with the Canadiens out of camp, but do look for him to take on an increased role in Laval next year.

The 25-year-old Condotta, meanwhile, made his NHL debut last April against the Boston Bruins, scoring a goal in the process. An undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Condotta scored 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 72 games with the Rocket in his first full pro season in 2022-23. He did so largely in a bottom-six role in the minors, where he’ll likely stick around as some younger and higher-ceiling Canadiens prospects take precedence.

Beaudin will be a restricted free agent again at the end of his deal, while Condotta’s extension walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2025.

Vegas Golden Knights Hire Dominique Ducharme, Joel Ward

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The Vegas Golden Knights have hired two new assistant coaches to join head coach Bruce Cassidy’s staff for next season: former Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme, and Henderson Silver Knights assistant and 726-game NHL veteran Joel Ward.

Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon issued a statement on the hires:

We are extremely pleased with the additions of Dominique and Joel to our coaching staff here in Vegas. Dominique brings a wealth of coaching experience into our organization and has proven to be a successful leader at multiple levels. Joel has excelled in Henderson during the first three years of his promising career as a coach and we’re excited for him to be taking his next step with us.

The Golden Knights have two open spots to fill on Cassidy’s staff after Ryan Craig was named head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, and Misha Donskov departed the organization. Now, Ducharme and Ward will join John Stevens as Cassidy’s assistants for next season, a campaign where Vegas will look to defend its first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

In Ducharme, the Golden Knights are adding the head coach responsible for the team’s most recent playoff elimination. Ducharme’s 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens are the most recent team to win a playoff series against Vegas, having dispatched them in the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.

Although Ducharme’s ability to coach his underdog Canadiens team in person was compromised by a COVID-19-related absence, he won the franchise a Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and led it to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1993.

Ducharme never got a full season coaching the Canadiens, though, as he took over for Claude Julien mid-season in 2020-21 and was fired in the middle of the following season after managing just eight wins in 45 games.

While it’s clear Ducharme was dealt an extremely poor hand after the Canadiens’ long playoff run, (franchise pillars Shea Weber and Carey Price each would see their playing careers almost certainly ended by injury) his Canadiens won just 15 of 38 games before their miraculous run.

Players such as Cole Caufield and Samuel Montembeault struggled immensely in 2021-22 under Ducharme but emerged as key Canadiens contributors since his departure, and Ducharme’s development of Caufield in particular drew him significant criticism in the Montreal market.

But even though Ducharme’s reputation took a significant hit in 2021-22, it’s worth noting that he was held in relatively high regard before that point. He was an extremely successful coach at the junior level, leading the Halifax Mooseheads to a Memorial Cup and Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships and gold at the 2018 WJC.

Ward, on the other hand, doesn’t possess nearly as extensive of a coaching resume as Ducharme but has earned this promotion on the back of three seasons of hard work as an assistant coach for the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate. Ward has been with the Silver Knights since their very first season and with his help they’ve delivered several NHLers to Vegas, including Logan Thompson, whose name is now on the Stanley Cup.

Should Ward manage to help Vegas to some successful seasons while he’s on Cassidy’s staff, or perhaps even another Stanley Cup title, the widely-respected longtime NHLer could see himself become a hot candidate for an NHL head coaching vacancy.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Karlsson, McCudden, Valiev

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Last week, we covered growing rumors that the Pittsburgh Penguins were pursuing a trade for San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, the 2023 Norris Trophy winner. Today, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported some new details on the Penguins’ Karlsson chase, writing “the Penguins were extremely close to landing Karlsson on July 1” and that “a deal was close to being completed that morning.” (subscription link) It’s long been speculated that a third team would be necessary for the Penguins to be able to absorb Karlsson’s cap hit, so it’s possible that this reported deal fell through due to cap-related considerations.

Given just how difficult moving money between teams has been due to the flat-cap environment, it’s no surprise Karlsson remains on the Sharks’ roster nearly two full weeks after that deal was nearly completed. What Yohe’s report indicates, though, is that the Penguins are earnest in their efforts to acquire Karlsson and that the possibility he joins Kris Letang and Ryan Graves on Pittsburgh’s blueline is more realistic than some might think.

Some other notes from across the hockey world:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced this morning that assistant coach Kenny McCudden has departed the organization. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen issued a statement that added some clarity to the situation. McCudden was entering the final year of his contract and was slated to work on new head coach Mike Babcock’s staff. In his statement, Kekalainen indicates McCudden had a “desire to either sign a contract extension or look at other opportunities,” while Kekalainen’s preference is that “everyone [on the coaching staff] gets to know each other before deciding on extensions.” So, with those two opposing preferences laid out, McCudden’s departure seems to have been the natural outcome. Now he will seek other opportunities after coaching for eight seasons in Columbus and helping contribute to what was arguably the most successful period in franchise history under former head coach John Tortorella.
  • Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rinat Valiev has been traded in the KHL. According to the KHL’s Admiral Vladivostok, Valiev has been acquired by Ak Bars Kazan, his former club, for monetary compensation. Valiev, 28, left North American pro hockey after the 2019-20 season and didn’t play in 2020-21. He spent 2021-22 mostly with Ak Bars Kazan, skating in two games for their KHL team and 23 games in the VHL, the league below the KHL. Valiev signed a two-year deal with Vladivostok in advance of 2022-23 but played in just 18 games this past season and just two in the 2023 calendar year. He’s been sent back to Ak Bars Kazan and will hope to feature more regularly in their KHL lineup in 2023-24.

Hockey Canada Announces Roster For 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

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The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first major international tournament of the new league year, and it’s the first major international event for 2024 NHL Draft hopefuls. Today, Hockey Canada revealed their contingent for this year’s event, which starts July 31 and runs through the middle of August. Canada has won the U-18 tournament in three of the past five occurrences, only interrupted by wins from Russia in 2020 and 2022 – as with all other international events, they’re no longer allowed to participate due to their ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Canada’s full roster for the tournament is as follows:

F Maxim Masse (Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
*F Malcolm Spence (Erie, OHL)
F Justin Poirier (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
*F Roger McQueen (Brandon, WHL)
F Berkly Catton (Spokane, WHL)
*F Jordan Gavin (Tri-City, WHL)
F Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert, WHL)
F Cole Beaudoin (Barrie, OHL)
F Ollie Josephson (Red Deer, WHL)
*F Porter Martone (Mississauga, OHL)
F Liam Greentree (Windsor, OHL)
*F Michael Misa (Saginaw, OHL)
F Carson Wetsch (Calgary, WHL)
F Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat, WHL)

D Sam Dickinson (London, OHL)
D Ben Danford (Oshawa, OHL)
D Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa, OHL)
D Anthony Cristoforo (Windsor, OHL)
D Charlie Elick (Brandon, WHL)
D Henry Mews (Ottawa, OHL)
D Zayne Parekh (Saginaw, OHL)

G Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga, OHL)
*G Gabriel D’Aigle (Victoriaville, QMJHL)
G Carter George (St. Mary’s, GOJHL)

*Not draft-eligible until 2025

Headlining the forward group is Misa, already the front-runner for the first-overall selection in 2025. The 5-foot-11 center notched over a point per game in his age-15 season for Saginaw after being granted exceptional status into the OHL, finishing second on the team with 56 points in just 45 games.

There’s also Berkly Catton, a potential top-five selection come draft day in 2024. Catton appeared for Canada at last year’s IIHF U-18 World Championship and notched 23 goals and 55 points in 63 games for a struggling Spokane team.

The defense is dotted with three likely top-15 picks in 2024 – Dickinson, Mews, and Parekh, all of whom are already garnering significant attention from scouts. Parekh, a teammate of Misa’s in Saginaw, opened a lot of eyes last year while scoring 21 goals in 50 games, finishing third on the team in scoring despite being a blueliner.

San Jose Sharks Sign Kasper Halttunen

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The San Jose Sharks have signed 2023 draft choice Kasper Halttunen to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team said today. CapFriendly reports the deal carries a $940K cap hit with the breakdown as follows:

2023-24: $825K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $30K games played bonus + $82.5K minor salary
2024-25: $855K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minor salary
2025-26: $855K base salary + $95K signing bonus + $82.5K minor salary

The hulking Finnish winger already stands at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, and he went off the board to the Sharks early in the second round with the 36th overall pick. He didn’t necessarily turn many heads in pro play, recording just one assist in limited minutes throughout 27 games with Liiga club HIFK, but he dominated amongst his age group with 24 points in 18 junior games with HIFK and ten points in five games while captaining the national squad at the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship.

The appeal with Halttunen lies mostly with his size and his shot – 18 of those 24 points in juniors were goals, and he had six goals in five games at the U-18s. Some skating issues and concerns about his overall hockey sense let him slip to the second round, and he’ll need a long development track before making an NHL impact.

He’s likely to get loaned back to HIFK for the 2023-24 campaign, which will slide the start of his entry-level contract back another season (assuming he plays less than ten NHL games). It’ll be three or four years before we likely see Halttunen in a Sharks jersey on a full-time basis, but when he does, expect one thing if nothing else – shots on goal.

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