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Aaron Ness

Arizona Coyotes Sign Ness, Miele, Bennett

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The Arizona Coyotes already made their big splash this off-season, acquiring Phil Kessel, so it comes as little surprise that the team made one unassuming announcement about three players signed to two-way contracts. Defenseman Aaron Ness has signed a two-year deal, as has forward Andy Miele, while forward Beau Bennett has signed a one-year deal. No financial terms have been disclosed.

Ness, 29, is the only one of the trio who spent last season in North America. A depth piece for the Washington Capitals, and before that the New York Islanders, Ness has played in 47 career NHL games and can be a useful minor league piece in case of emergency. The Coyotes have great depth on the blue line, but the team will be happy to let Ness, who scored a career-high 55 points last year with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, play a key role with the Tuscon Roadrunners while acting as deep option should injuries strike at the top level.

Miele, 31, begins his second stint with the Coyotes organization after spending the past two seasons abroad. A player with incredibly impressive numbers in the AHL, Miele branched out to the European ranks in search of a greater role. He enjoyed back-to-back strong seasons, first in the Swedish Hockey League and last year in the KHL, but appears ready to try his hand in the NHL again. Miele has only 15 NHL games to his credit, but he and the ’Yotes hope that his time overseas has further developed his game to the point that he can contribute in Arizona.

Bennett, 27, was limited to just five games with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk last season, his first outside North America, but that didn’t stop the Coyotes from taking a chance on him. Now in his fourth NHL stop, Bennett is looking to get back to being a regular in the league, as he was in his first five pro seasons. The 2010 first-round pick has skated in 200 NHL games, recording 64 points, and enjoyed the best season of his career just a few years ago in 2016-17 with the New Jersey Devils. If GM John Chayka and company see the residual upside in Bennett, he could be an intriguing option for the Coyotes this seaosn.

AHL Notes: Ness, Wild, Barach

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It was a scary moment for everyone in attendance when Hershey Bears defenseman Aaron Ness lay motionless on the ice during last night’s Calder Cup playoff game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The 28-year old fell and collided head first into the end boards, not moving for several minutes as the medical staff brought out a stretcher. The entire Bears team stood stoically while their teammate was rolled off the ice, hoping he would be okay.

Good news came down today, as the team announced that though Ness did go straight to hospital for further evaluation he was in stable condition and was expected to be released. Obviously there is no timeline for his return to action, as his health is the first priority in an incident as serious as this.

  • The Iowa Wild have signed three players to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the season, bringing in Shawn Boudrias, Alexander Khovanov and recently signed Brandon Duhaime. Khovanov may be the most interesting of the group, as the 18-year old put up 74 points in 64 games while playing in the QMJHL this season. The third-round pick signed his entry-level deal last month, and will be a name to watch over the next few seasons to see if he can compete for a spot on the NHL roster.
  • Derek Barach had been playing with the Cleveland Monsters on a tryout since finishing his college career at Mercyhurst, and will stay on with the club for another year. The 24-year old forward signed a one-year AHL contract with the Monsters for next season, giving the team another offensive weapon for next season. Barach had 11 points in 15 games with the team down the stretch, but hasn’t been able to light the lamp yet in the postseason.

AHL Announces 2018-2019 First, Second All-Star Teams

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After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2018-19. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league. This is not the same as the rosters for the All-Star Game, instead these are the top players at each position for the entire season.

First All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Alex Nedeljkovic, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Defenseman: John Gilmour, Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)

Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

Left Wing: Daniel Carr, Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Center: Carter Verhaeghe, Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Right Wing: Jeremy Bracco, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Second All-Star Team:

Goaltender: Shane Starrett, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Defenseman: Aaron Ness, Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

Defenseman: Ethan Prow, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Left Wing: Tyler Benson, Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)*

Center: Chris Mueller, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Right Wing: Andrew Poturalski, Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

*Also named to All-Rookie Team

Just like last season when Sami Niku and Mason Appleton made both the All-Rookie and All-Star rosters, Starrett and Benson will draw quite a bit of praise for their outstanding years. The fact that Starrett is having this much success even as an undrafted goaltender is all the more impressive, while Benson certainly delivered on his 32nd-overall selection in his first year of professional hockey.

Talented minor league wingers seem to grow on trees in Toronto, as the team once again has a player with several league accolades. Bracco is currently leading the AHL in scoring with 78 points heading into the last few games of the season, and is a good bet to challenge for a roster spot with the Maple Leafs in the future. So too will Nedeljkovic, who will likely be pushing for a full-time role with the Hurricanes pretty soon.

Minor Transactions: 11/12/18

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The NHL has just four games on the schedule for tonight, meaning teams will have plenty of opportunity to make changes to their rosters in preparation for the rest of the week. We’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here:

  • Aaron Ness has been sent back to the Hershey Bears, meaning Jonas Siegenthaler looks to have secured a spot with the Washington Capitals for the time being. With Brooks Orpik on long-term injured reserve, Siegenthaler was given his first opportunity at the NHL level and played just over 12 minutes. Ness meanwhile will return to the minor leagues where he has spent the majority of his career, and continue his role as a veteran leader on the Bears’ blue line.
  • The Calgary Flames have assigned Anthony Peluso to the Stockton Heat of the AHL, returning the 29-year old winger after just one game. Peluso has been up and down several times this year, and will likely continue to serve as an injury call-up for the rest of the season.
  • Nick Paul is on his way back to the AHL after the Ottawa Senators reassigned him today. Paul has played six games at both the AHL and NHL level this season, and looks poised to split the year between the two leagues. The 23-year old hasn’t been able to establish himself with the Senators as a full-time option, but does brings some size and physicality when needed.

Brooks Orpik Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Washington Capitals are pressed right up against the salary cap this season, and because of this have been forced to use long-term injured reserve once again. Brooks Orpik has been placed on LTIR, meaning the veteran defenseman will not be able to play for at least another six games as he works he way back from a lower-body injury. The team is also missing John Carlson from practice today with a lower-body injury, meaning they have recalled Jonas Siegenthaler and Aaron Ness from the minor leagues to fill in. According to CapFriendly’s calculations, the team is now exceeding the upper salary cap ceiling by using the flexibility created by LTIR.

Orpik, 38, went through an interesting series of transactions this summer that started when he was included in a trade to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche quickly explained that they had only taken his contract on in order to keep the price of goaltender Philipp Grubauer low, and tried to trade Orpik to someone who would actually use him. When they couldn’t find a taker, Colorado bought out the remainder of Orpik’s contract and allowed him to seek out a new deal on the open market. That deal came back with the Capitals, for the low price of $1MM plus some performance bonuses. That was enough, given he is still earning $1.5MM from the Avalanche this year and next.

Though he was much less expensive this time around, the Capitals haven’t been pushing Orpik to the press box as a veteran extra. Instead, he’s played in ten games already this season and has recorded two points. That even included a goal, his first regular season tally since the 2015-16 season. Even though his minutes have been reduced, Orpik is still a legitimate piece of the Washington blue line and will be needed at other times this season. For now though, he’ll have to wait on the sideline and recover while the team inserts young Siegenthaler into the lineup.

Minor Transactions: 11/04/18

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It could be a quiet day on the NHL docket today with just three games on the schedule, but many teams will start making moves as early as today for the upcoming week. Check back throughout the day to see what moves teams have made today.

  • The Minnesota Wild have announced they have recalled defenseman Nate Prosser from the Iowa Wild after playing two games there on a conditioning stint. Prosser is trying to work his way back into the lineup as he has appeared in just one game for the Wild and only played a total of three minutes. The 32-year-old averaged 13:26 of ATOI last season for the Wild.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they had assigned defenseman Aaron Ness to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Ness was recalled Thursday to fill in as a seventh defenseman as Brooks Orpik was out of the lineup. With Ness returning to Hershey, that likely suggests that Orpik may be ready to return to the lineup. The 28-year-old Ness has played 11 games for the Bears this year, posting four assists.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have brought up center Sam Carrick, per a team release.  It’s his first stint with the big club this season after he cleared waivers late in September.  The 26-year-old has nine points in eight games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls while leading the team in goals and points.  If Carrick gets into a game with the Ducks, it will be his first NHL action since 2015-16.

Minor Transactions: 10/31/18

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It’s Halloween and the NHL has just a single game on tap, as the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Vancouver Canucks this evening. As teams hand out tricks or treats to their fringe roster players, we’ll be right here to keep track of all the movement.

  • Ville Husso has been returned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues, after Jake Allen rejoined the team at practice. Allen’s injury is apparently not as serious as originally feared, meaning Husso can go back to starting for the San Antonio Rampage for now. The 23-year old goaltender is still waiting for his first shot at the NHL, but has to clean up his game at the AHL level first.
  • Colby Cave, who was up on emergency conditions for the Boston Bruins, has been returned to the AHL. Cave, who played three games for the Bruins last season, is a hugely important forward for the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but was only brought up as insurance for some of the banged up NHL players. He’ll likely see some game action with Boston later on this season, but for now will return and try to extend his excellent start to the year.
  • The Minnesota Wild have reassigned Matt Read to the AHL, after seeing him play just five games in the NHL. The veteran forward will be used as an extra man this season and bounce up and down, clearing waivers when required.
  • Wade Megan has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, while Joe Hicketts is on his way back to the Grand Rapids Griffins. This is Megan’s first recall of the season after clearing waivers just before the end of training camp. The 28-year old forward has four points in eight games with the Griffins, and will be looking to play just his fifth career NHL game if he can get into the Detroit lineup.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Austin Wagner and Sean Walker back to the Ontario Reign, partly as a cap-saving move. The Kings find themselves pressed right up against the cap ceiling given their current roster, and are trying to save space by sending players down on short term assignments. The team will likely recall a forward before tomorrow’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, though since they’re in a long homestand could use the proximity of Ontario to their advantage and remain at a roster of 21 for as long as possible.
  • The New York Islanders have recalled Christopher Gibson under emergency conditions as Robin Lehner is dealing with a minor injury. Sending Tom Kuhnhackl down to the minor leagues in his place could mean that Cal Clutterbuck is ready to return, but for now the focus is on the goaltending position and how long Lehner will be out. Coach Barry Trotz didn’t believe it was a serious injury, but with Lehner playing so well to start the season it’s tough to see him taken off the ice at all.
  • Aaron Ness has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, while Travis Boyd has been sent down on a long-term injury conditioning loan. With Brooks Orpik dealing with a minor injury, Ness will serve as insurance for any pregame injuries.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from Charlotte of the AHL.  The 22-year-old played in four games with the Checkers while on loan from Carolina and while he may once again be the odd man out on their back end to start, he’ll at least be in better game shape when called upon.

Aaron Ness Re-Signs With Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have re-signed Aaron Ness to a one-year, two-way contract that will see him earn $650K at the NHL level. Ness was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after spending most of the season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.

Ness, 27, has never been able to make the impact many expected of him when he was selected 40th-overall in 2008 by the New York Islanders. Always a solid point producer at the AHL level, he has only suited up for 47 NHL games across seven professional seasons. Eight of those came this year with the Capitals, in which he recorded just a single point.

The talented but undersized defenseman is likely destined to spend much of next year in the minor leagues, but is certainly a nice depth piece to have for a team that expects to contend for the Stanley Cup. Any contender needs dynamic players with NHL experience waiting in the minor leagues, and Ness will be no different.

Impressively, he secured a $425K minor league salary for the second season in a row, a relatively high amount for AHL players. That salary could come with a bigger leadership role, something he previously held with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ness served as captain in 2014-15, when he registered 45 points in 74 games, his best professional season to date.

Washington Capitals Place Aaron Ness On Waivers

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The Washington Capitals have placed Aaron Ness on waivers according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, likely with the intention of sending the 27-year old defenseman back to the minor leagues. Christian Djoos returned to practice yesterday for the Capitals, meaning the team has eight healthy defensemen if he’s ready to suit up. Though Madison Bowey is waiver-exempt, his play (and handedness) has earned him a role on the team going forward.

Ness is another case of an undersized defenseman not quite being able to crack an NHL lineup on a full-time basis. His excellent skating and offensive chops have allowed him to dominate the minor leagues, but have resulted in just six points across 47 career NHL games. He was a high draft selection (40th-overall) by the New York Islanders almost a decade ago, but hasn’t yet been able to establish himself in the league.

As a pending unrestricted free agent on a two-way deal, there could be some interest in him around the league. He certainly would bring some mobility to a defense-starved organization, and cost them almost nothing to keep on the NHL roster. Otherwise, he’ll head to Hershey to help the struggling Bears try to make the AHL playoffs.

Morning Transactions: Panthers, Islanders, Capitals

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Assorted transactions from around the league this morning…

  • The Panthers have recalled forward Denis Malgin from the AHL, tweets Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. The 2015 fourth-round pick made his NHL debut earlier this season. The 20-year-old ultimately played in 39 games for the Panthers, collecting four goals and four assists. In 15 games with Springfield, Malgin compiled three goals and nine assists.
  • Islanders winger Bracken Kearns has been returned on loan to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team announced (via Twitter). The veteran was called up to the NHL last week, and he didn’t collect a single point in two games. In 51 games with Bridgeport this season, the 35-year-old has 18 goals and 22 assists. Kearns joined the organization last season following several years with San Jose and Florida.
  • The Capitals have re-assigned forward Riley Barber and defenseman Aaron Ness to the Hershey Bears of the AHL, the team announced. Barber made his NHL debut the other night, and he finished with zero points in two games. In 18 games with the Bears, the 23-year-old collected seven goals and four assists. Meanwhile, Ness has played 10 career games for the Capitals, registering a pair of assists. The 2008 second-round pick has five career points in 39 games with the Islanders and Capitals.

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