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Kevin Connauton

Florida Panthers Re-Sign Kevin Connauton

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The Florida Panthers have re-signed one of their depth defenders, inking Kevin Connauton to a one-year, two-way contract. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an $825K cap hit in the NHL with a $300K AHL salary and a total guarantee of $350K.  Panthers GM Bill Zito released a short statement on the deal:

Kevin is a veteran defenseman who provided our club with invaluable stability and leadership both on and off the ice. We’re pleased to have him return to our defensive corps for the 2021-22 season.

Connauton, 31, was signed by the Panthers on the first day of this season, after spending last year almost entirely in the minor leagues. Though he played just four games during the regular season with the Colorado Avalanche in 2019-20, he ended up suiting up four times for them in the postseason. This year for Florida was much of the same, though he didn’t even get to play in the AHL, instead spending most of the year as a taxi squad extra. The veteran defender played just seven games, recording a single point.

Still, bringing back a defenseman that can do a little bit of everything and has over 300 games of NHL experience is never a bad thing, as long as the price is right. In Connauton’s case, the two-way deal certainly indicates a positive cost-value equation for the Panthers. Even if he doesn’t see much action in 2021-22, he’s a nice piece to have in case of injury.

Seven Players Clear Waivers

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Jan 14: All seven players have cleared waivers and can report to a taxi squad or the minor leagues.

Jan 13: The first day of the hockey season is upon us and waivers are still jam-packed. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Par Lindholm (BOS), Devin Shore (EDM), Dmytro Timashov (NYI), Boo Nieves (TBL), Craig Anderson (WSH), Rodrigo Abols (FLA), and Kevin Connauton (FLA) are on waivers today.

Of course, several of these players did not have official contracts filed before today, meaning they now do.

Washington Capitals reporter Mike Vogel tweets that the team has signed Anderson to a one-year deal after bringing him into camp on a professional tryout. The deal will carry an average annual value of $700K. He will report to the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. The Capitals have already announced that the team will go with Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek to start the season, but Anderson certainly provides a lot of experience at the position if anything goes sideways. The 39-year-old goaltender has 648 games played in his long career and carries a save percentage of .913.

Shore and Nieves are both brand new signings that their teams announced, both two-way contracts worth around $700K. Nieves’ deal was announced yesterday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Edmonton Oilers announced Shore’s deal earlier this morning.

Timashov and Connauton were also both unsigned as of today, though it was clear that both had earned contracts already. The New York Islanders have been very coy with all of their training camp deals, while the Florida Panthers had kept Connauton with the group on a professional tryout. Their official contracts should be announced at some point today, given they are now on waivers.

Florida Panthers Sign Kevin Connauton

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The Florida Panthers have officially agreed to terms with Kevin Connauton, though it was clear a contract was coming when he was placed on waivers earlier today. The veteran defenseman has agreed to a one-year, two-way contract and will be assigned directly to the taxi squad should he clear waivers tomorrow.

Connauton, 30, is what you might call a journeyman, suiting up for four different NHL teams before joining the Panthers on a professional tryout. Most recently it was with the Colorado Avalanche, where he ended up playing just four regular season games but entered their postseason lineup for a handful of games in the bubble as well.

While he likely shouldn’t be penciled into the lineup on a nightly basis, Connauton obviously did enough at training camp to prove he can still be a valuable depth piece. How the Florida defense shakes out is one of the most interesting things to watch in the early season, as Keith Yandle is currently on the outside looking in.

The release does not indicate how much Connauton will make this season, but it seems unlikely that the deal would carry an NHL salary much more than $700K. While he’s on the taxi squad, he’ll be earning the AHL amount of his two-way deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 12/28/20

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Training camp is just a few days away and things are heating up in the hockey world. With waivers open and rosters being announced, minor transactions will come fast and furious all across the league. We’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have released their training camp roster, which will include Jordan Nolan as reported earlier this month. The veteran forward signed an AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins but will attend camp on a PTO trying to earn an NHL contract. Nolan, who last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season, scored 27 points for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last year.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have also released their camp roster, which will not include Casey Nelson. The team has confirmed that Nelson has opted out of the upcoming season. The team also has a few extra spots open, likely leaving room for World Junior players like Dylan Cozens to join after their tournament ends.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled five players from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Patrick Harper, Tanner Jeannot, Tommy Novak, Cole Smith, and Josh Wilkins have all been brought back up, presumably to attend the Predators training camp in the coming days. The quintet, who are all signed to NHL deals, helped the Everblades get off to an easy 5-0 start this season, outscoring their competition 25-7.
  • Previously reported professional tryouts for Scott Darling and Kevin Connauton with the Florida Panthers have been confirmed. Both will attend training camp in an attempt to land an NHL contract with the team. The Panthers of course were actually the team to execute a buyout on Darling’s last contract after a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, which means he’s already on their books for around $1.2MM for the upcoming season. That number won’t go anywhere, even if he does sign a new deal with the team.
  • T.J. Brennan hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2015-16, but he has managed to land an NHL contract in each of the four seasons since then. That streak has come to an end now though. Swiss club HC Thurgau has announced a one-year deal with Brennan, a major move for a club whose defense has been thinned by injury. The accomplished AHLer should immediately become one of the top players for Thurgau, who plays in the second tier Swiss League.
  •  After just one full year in the NHL on his entry-level contract, forward Ryan Kuffner is making the move overseas. The Princeton product has signed with ERC Ingolstadt of Germany’s DEL, the club announced. Kuffner joins a team that rosters several other familiar AHL veterans and the young forward should be a good fit. Whether he produces at a level that warrants a second look in the NHL however remains to be seen.

All Colorado Avalanche UFA’s To Test The Market

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Don’t expect any impending unrestricted free agents out of Denver to re-sign prior to next Friday. The Athletic’s Ryan Clark reports that all of the Colorado Avalanche’s current UFA’s are expected to test the market. Not all of group have been ruled out from re-signing with the club, but they will all at least take the chance to talk to other teams.

Among the group still negotiating with the Avalanche are forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Matt Nieto. Namestnikov is coming off of a strong season, especially considering he played for three different teams. It was with Colorado that he found the most per-game success, recording four goals and six points in nine regular season games and another four goals and five points in a dozen playoff games. It makes sense that the Avs would like to bring the talented two-way forward back, but Namestnikov could command a significant salary and is likely looking for some long-term security as well. With Colorado hoping to improve their roster from the one that fell short in the postseason, they will likely let Namestnikov discover his market value before deciding what the best use of their cap space is. Nieto is a different case. The experienced role player has been a solid contributor for the Avalanche for the past four seasons, but still has not established himself as a player worthy of a high-value contract. Colorado could re-sign the bottom-six forward without much of a hit to their salary cap status, but will likely weigh their roster space and needs versus the market value of extending Nieto.

Those who will not be returning to Denver next season? Clark states that forward Colin Wilson, defensemen Kevin Connauton and Mark Barberio, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson will not be re-signed by the Avalanche. Barberio has in fact already signed in Switzerland for next season. Wilson and Connauton are both veteran, experienced NHLers, but played very limited roles for Colorado this season, combining for just nine games played. The pair should be able to find new homes where the potential for NHL ice time is higher than it was with the Avs. Hutchinson is one of the best veteran No. 3 goalies in the NHL and played well for the Avs this year when pressed into action in the regular season and postseason. However, with the talk being that Colorado could look at bringing in a third goalie to challenge Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz, combined with a couple of young pros in the system, Hutchinson appears to have lost his role. He will surely find work given the need for depth in net ahead of a condensed 2020-21 season.

With all of these players potentially moving out, the Avalanche have plenty of room to make some additions this off-season. While Clark warns that the team is keeping future extensions in mind when evaluating their salary cap flexibility, it still seems likely that Colorado could make a major splash or two this summer to improve a roster that is already very close to being a top Stanley Cup contender.

Snapshots: Colorado, Gaudreau, Bjorkqvist

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The Colorado Avalanche will be without both Philipp Grubauer and Erik Johnson for the next while, as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that the pair would be out “indefinitely.” Luckily they have Pavel Francouz to step into the net and takeover, as he did so many times this season. The 30-year old undrafted goaltender put up a .923 save percentage in 34 appearances for the Avalanche this season, his first full year in the NHL.

On defense, it will be Kevin Connauton inserted into Johnson’s spot. The veteran NHL defenseman has plenty of experience in the regular season, but hasn’t seen a playoff game since 2014. You can bet the Avalanche won’t be leaning as heavily on Connauton as they did on Johnson, who had been averaging over 19 minutes this postseason.

  • When the Calgary Flames collapsed and allowed seven straight goals to the Dallas Stars in an elimination game, many fans called for the team to be blown up. Johnny Gaudreau was the target of much of the frustration, with Eric Francis of Sportsnet even calling him a “likely trade candidate” after he struggled to produce any even-strength offense in the playoffs once again. For what it’s worth, Gaudreau told reporters today including Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia that he loves playing in Calgary and wants to spend the rest of his career with the Flames. He even directly addressed the rumors that have always swirled about his desire to return to the east coast (Gaudreau is from New Jersey and attended Boston College), saying he is “really comfortable” in Calgary, a place that is “special” to him and his family.
  • Kasper Bjorkqvist has played just six games at the minor league level, but he won’t be playing another for a while. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect been loaned to KooKoo in Finland’s Liiga for the 2020-21 season. Bjorkqvist, a 2016 second-round pick, played three years at Providence College before signing his entry-level deal in 2019. He played just six games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before injuring his knee and requiring surgery, ending his 2019-20 season.

Minor Transactions: 03/05/20

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Ten more games are on the schedule for this evening, with another pair of prime Metropolitan match-ups. The Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers are both in action again after their battle last night, against the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes respectively. Carolina and New York are still within striking distance of a playoff spot, but will need to win games like these down the stretch. As the Metro and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Sheldon Dries and Kevin Connauton, sending Martin Kaut back to the minor leagues in the meantime. Dries and Connauton have combined for just four games in the NHL this season, but have both been important contributors for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
  • As expected, Thomas Hickey has been recalled under emergency conditions by the New York Islanders as they deal with Johnny Boychuk’s eye injury. Hickey, a veteran of more than 400 NHL games, hasn’t played for the Islanders yet this season, instead dressing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
  • Jalen Chatfield has been reassigned to the AHL by the Vancouver Canucks. Fellow rookie defenseman Guillaume Brisebois was also sent down briefly, but only to be recalled under emergency conditions. Neither player has actually suited up for Vancouver this season.

Minor Transactions: 11/16/19

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It’s a very busy Saturday in the NHL today as 30 of 31 teams are in action with Columbus being the lone squad with a night off following their overtime victory over St. Louis last night.  There is only one other time where that will happen this season and that’s on April 4th (where Columbus will once again be the only squad not playing).  There will likely be plenty of roster movement around the league as a result of the 15 games on the schedule and we’ll keep track of those here.

  • The Penguins announced that they have recalled center Joseph Blandisi from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. This will be his second stint with Pittsburgh this season after he collected a goal and an assist in a seven-game stint last month.  The 25-year-old has played in 87 games over his NHL career and has been reasonably productive overall in that span with 28 points under his belt.  To make room for Blandisi on the roster, the team has transferred Sidney Crosby to injured reserve as he’s expected to miss at least six weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery earlier this week.
  • With Washington only having enough cap room to dress 11 forwards (with seven defensemen) last night, they’ve announced some roster shuffling to get them a 12th forward.  Blueliner Tyler Lewington and goalie Ilya Samsonov have been assigned to Hershey (AHL) while center Travis Boyd and goalie Vitek Vanecek have been recalled.  Samsonov has fared well with the Capitals this season but makes a bit over $200K more than Vanecek so sending him down temporarily at least gives them the short-term ability to dress the usual number of forwards.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have activated defenseman Connor Murphy off of long-term injured reserve. The 26-year-old blueliner has been out 11 games with a groin injury, but is ready to return to action Saturday against the Predators. Murphy has no points in six games this season, but should help the team’s defense.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have assigned defenseman Kevin Connauton to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Connauton was recalled Tuesday and played Thursday against Edmonton where he played 17:14.

Minor Transactions: 10/16/19

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If you’re a hockey fan in Nova Scotia, tonight’s NHL action must feel like the Stanley Cup Final as provincial heroes and good friends Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon square off in Pittsburgh. The two superstar centers are off to great starts this season with the former taking the full weight of the Penguins on his back after Evgeni Malkin suffered an injury and the latter leading his Colorado Avalanche to a perfect 5-0 record so far. That’s one of six games on the schedule for this evening, and as teams prepare for action we’ll be right here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Avalanche have returned Kevin Connauton to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, activating J.T. Compher from injured reserve in the process. The Avalanche have so many NHL defensemen that they’re going to scratch Nikita Zadorov tonight, meaning it would have been tough for Connauton to get into the lineup.
  • The Chicago Wolves have released Brett McKenzie from his professional tryout after just a single game with the team. McKenzie, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2016 but spent almost all of last season with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. McKenzie will return to the Fort Wayne Komets, where he’ll continue to try and show he is good enough to move up to the AHL.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19

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Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)

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