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Nick Lappin

Minor Transactions: 02/18/23

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It’s a busy Saturday for hockey, with 13 games on the NHL schedule, including an outdoor contest. In addition, the final of the Champions Hockey League was today, with Finland’s Tappara Tampere triumphing over Sweden’s Lulea. As hockey fans across the world enjoyed all today has had to offer, teams in minor and foreign leagues have made some tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Former New Jersey Devil Nick Lappin has been traded in the ECHL. He was part of a four-player deal between the Kalamazoo Wings and the Florida Everblades. Lappin heads to Kalamazoo after an underwhelming ECHL debut with the Everblades. The 30-year-old has 60 games of NHL experience on his resume, and was once a 30-goal scorer in the AHL, but managed just nine points in 24 games in Florida. He’ll get a fresh start in Kalamazoo, where he’ll hope to earn a potential path back to the AHL.
  • The other two pieces sent to Kalamazoo as part of the trade were rookie forward James McEwan and a player to be named later. This is McEwan’s debut professional season, and the Wings will be his third ECHL team of the year, as he began with the Orlando Solar Bears, was released after just one game, got 24 games with the Everblades and now has been dealt to Kalamazoo. McEwan was a solid contributor for the Guelph Storm in his OHL games and will look to translate his junior scoring to the ECHL level.
  • In return for those players, the Everblades received the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks’ reassignment of forward Carson Focht. The 2019 Vancouver Canucks fifth-rounder scored 21 points in 33 games for Kalamazoo, and will now head to Florida where he’ll get a chance on a playoff-bound team. Focht will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer as his $821k AAV contract with the Canucks will expire.
  • Former San Jose Shark Antti Suomela is reportedly headed to Switzerland for next season, according to Blick’s Gregory Beaud. The 28-year-old forward is a former Champion’s Hockey League winner who has been a star in both the Finnish Liiga and Sweden’s SHL. This past season, he scored a whopping 59 points in only 43 games played for IK Oskarshamn, including 33 goals. Per Beaud’s report, he’ll be playing for HC Lausanne next season, a major acquisition for the Swiss side.
  • The ECHL playing rights to former Soo Greyhounds star Billy Constantinou have been traded to the Atlanta Gladiators, per the ECHL’s official transactions page. The 21-year-old has been playing for the Norfolk Admirals most recently and has also spent time with the Wichita Thunder this season. He has 56 points in 91 career ECHL games and now heads to Atlanta, where he was for 16 games last season.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Barberio, Lappin

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With the Chicago Blackhawks announcing their preseason schedule today, NHL hockey will officially be coming to Milwaukee in a couple of months. The Blackhawks’ third and final preseason “home” game will see them host the Minnesota Wild at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, home of the NBA’s Bucks, on October 2.

Milwaukee has been thrown around in many circles in recent years as a potential destination for an NHL team, usually via relocation. The story was first reported by Milwaukee local news reporter Dario Melendez back in May, where he noted that it will be the first NHL action in Milwaukee since the early 1990s. The timing of the game is beneficial to getting fans in seats and generating interest in the game, as teams tend to dress rosters closer to their opening night lines later in the preseason.

  • Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League has mutually terminated the contract of defenseman Mark Barberio, an NHL veteran of eight seasons and 272 games. Barberio left for the Swiss league after hitting unrestricted free agency in 2020, where he had a successful first season but a tough second year. Serving as Lausanne’s captain for a season and a half, Barberio played just 14 games with them this year before they loaned him to Ak Bars Kazan (KHL) for six games. Barberio then played five games for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics, his last hockey of the season.
  • After signing with Italian club HC Bolzano in the ICEHL, former New Jersey Devils forward Nick Lappin’s career may be in jeopardy. The team posted on Facebook today that Lappin suffered a severe back injury while training this offseason, forcing him out indefinitely. They note that the severity of the injury has Lappin, unfortunately, considering retirement, ending his first season overseas before it began. Lappin, who joined the Devils as an undrafted free agent from Brown University, played 60 NHL games for them between 2016 and 2019, registering eight points.

Minor Transactions: 11/23/21

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Once the hockey season kicks into full gear, few transactions outside of NHL trades, claims, recalls, and reassignments garner much attention from the masses. Yet, some notable moves in other league do continue throughout the year. A handful have taken place today in fact:

  • The rare AHL trade has not been as uncommon so far this season, as the third trade of the season has been completed. As the narrative of the Senators’ poor organizational depth on the blue line continues to be an issue for both Ottawa and Belleville, the farm team brought in some help today. The AHL Senators announced that they have acquired defenseman Jack Dougherty from the Providence Bruins in exchange for future considerations. Dougherty is a name familiar to fans in Belleville, having played for the team the past two seasons. He only played one game with Providence this season, so his usage could have just as much to do with the deal to send him back to Belleville as does the Senators’ own needs. Dougherty, 25, was a second round pick of the Nashville Predators back in 2014 and a standout for both the U.S. National Team Development Program and in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks. While he never panned out, with no NHL experience to speak of, Dougherty has settled nicely into a role as a useful, two-way defenseman in the AHL.
  • Sometimes very capable pros slip through the cracks in the off-season and are forced to settle for ECHL contracts and the hopes of proving on AHL injury loans that they can still play at a high level. Such is the case for goaltender Jon Gillies and forward Nick Lappin, who have both joined the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on PTO’s today, on loan from their respective ECHL clubs. Gillies, 27, was on a PTO this fall with the New York Islanders that did not result in a contract. His time with the Maine Mariners has actually been spent mostly with their AHL parent club, the Providence Bruins, where he posted stellar numbers in three games, but again without a new contract in the end. The accomplished collegiate goalie and experienced pro is hoping Lehigh Valley finally takes notice of his ability and rewards him with an AHL deal. Lappin is hoping for the same result from his time with the Phantoms. The 29-year-old forward is not the same player he was as a regular call-up of the New Jersey Devils for several years, but also hasn’t had the chance to play a complete season in the past two years. Lappin will try to take advantage of this AHL opportunity to show he still plays with the same physicality and grit and that his scoring touch is not lost.
  • In a quirk of the transfer process in Switzerland’s National League, former NHLer Chris DiDomenico has already signed a new contract… with a different team… for next year. The 32-year-old journeyman has signed a two-year deal with SC Bern, but first will complete the current season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron in a strange arrangement. DiDomenico actually made his name initially in Switzerland (and Italy) from 2012 to 2017 before signing with the Ottawa Senators. When he left North America after two seasons with the Sens, he returned immediately to Switzerland and started producing at an elite level once again. As dangerous as he looks this season with Fribourg, tallying 26 points in his first 24 games, he could be even better next year in Bern with fellow former NHLers Cory Conacher, Kaspars Daugavins, and Dominik Kahun.

Minor Transactions: 1/21/21

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With AHL training camps underway for some teams and soon beginning for others, there has been some activity on that front today as well as some overseas news.  Here’s a rundown of some of those moves.

  • The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the Blue Jackets, announced the signing of winger Nick Lappin to a minor-league deal. He spent last season under contract with the Blues but didn’t get into a game with them but has 60 career NHL contests under his belt, all with New Jersey.  The Monsters also announced the additions of defenseman Brandon Fortunado and winger Evan Polei on loans from the Predators and Blues, respectively.
  • Veteran winger Ty Rattie has opted to sign in Finland, joining Assat Pori per a team release. The 27-year-old last saw NHL action in 2018-19 where he played in 50 games with Edmonton but spent last season in the KHL after failing to catch on with another NHL team.
  • After spending the last two seasons in Anaheim’s system on AHL contracts and parts of three more on NHL deals before that, veteran winger Corey Tropp has headed overseas as Straubing of the DEL announced that they’ve signed the 31-year-old to a one-year contract. He last saw NHL action back in 2017 and has 149 career NHL games under his belt over parts of four seasons.
  • The Ducks have signed defenseman Madison Bowey to a minor league PTO agreement, their AHL affiliate in San Diego announced (Twitter link).  He spent the bulk of last season with Detroit, notching 17 points in 54 games while logging nearly 18 minutes a game.  Considering he’s still just 25, it’s a bit surprising that he had to settle for an AHL tryout but at least he has a team for now to try to work his way back to the NHL.

Waivers: 09/20/19

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The waiver period for the 2019-20 season opened today, and teams all around the league started clearing spots on their rosters. These players are all on waivers:

Dallas Stars

F Michael Mersch
D Reece Scarlett

Edmonton Oilers

F Josh Currie
F Joseph Gambardella
F Brad Malone
D Keegan Lowe

Florida Panthers

F Joel Lowry
F Paul Thompson
F Kevin Roy
D Tommy Cross

New York Rangers

F Matt Beleskey

St. Louis Blues

F Jordan Nolan
F Mike Vecchione
F Nick Lappin
D Joey Laleggia
D Jake Dotchin

Tampa Bay Lightning

G Louis Domingue
G Mike Condon

Vancouver Canucks

F Justin Bailey

Vegas Golden Knights

F Tyrell Goulbourne
D Brett Lernout
D Jaycob Megna

St. Louis Blues Sign Derrick Pouliot, Five Others

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The NHL’s only Australian is on the move. Nathan Walker is set to sign a two-year, two-way deal with the defending champion St. Louis Blues. They didn’t stop there though, as the Blues have announced two-way contracts with five other players—Derrick Pouliot, Mike Vecchione, Nick Lappin, Jake Dotchin and Evan Polei.

Even though they were relatively quiet today, deciding to keep their Stanley Cup group together instead of bringing in any top names, the Blues have done well to add real depth to the organization on inexpensive deals. Pouliot especially was expected to get a more lucrative contract than this, even though the Vancouver Canucks had decided to not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year old even landed on our Top 50 UFA list, though admittedly he didn’t have a ton of leverage after a 12-point season.

Several of the others have legitimate NHL experience though, meaning the Blues will be able to pick and choose who starts the year on the NHL roster and who goes to the AHL as injury insurance. The team knows just how much of a grind it is to get all the way to the championship and will be well prepared in case of injury.

2019 Rosters Announced For CPHL

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Last summer saw the launch of the Chicago Pro Hockey League (CPHL), a charitable offseason league meant to give fans a chance to see some of their favorite players for a reasonable price and give professionals a real game environment to hone their skills. Players like Vinnie Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman will return to the league this time around, though several other interesting names will be taking part. Perhaps most notable is Kendall Coyne-Schofield, who will be playing in the Pro Division after impressing at the All-Star festivities earlier this year. Coyne-Schofield has a long history of domination in women’s hockey, including seven World Championship medals, two Olympic medals and an Isobel Cup as NWHL champion this past season. She was also part of the recent boycott, which indicated that she and more than 200 other top women’s players will not play in the NWHL this year.

The full rosters:

Centric Wealth Management:

F Sean Dhooghe
F Anthony Louis
F T.J. Tynan
F Terry Broadhurst
F Chad Kolarik
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Austin Wagner
F Bailey Conger
F Anders Bjork

D Robbie Russo
D Vas Kolias
D Bobby Nardella
D Graham Lillibridge
D Louie Belpedio

Chem Station/Delaney:

F Ryan Hartman
F Dan DeSalvo
F Owen Lindmark
F Cole Coskey
F Joe Widmar
F Nick Lappin
F James Sanchez
F Luke Sandler
F Matt Ustaski
F Michael Mersch

D Alex Vlasic
D Chris Joyaux
D Joey Keane
D Vincent LoVerde
D Jake McCabe
D Conor Allen

G Cam Rowe

Jack Phelan Auto Group:

F Sam Povorozniouk
F Thomas Di Pauli
F Sam Herr
F Christian Dvorak
F Michael Floodstrand
F Kendall Coyne-Schofield
F Jack Drury

D Alex Green
D Ivan Chukarov
D Connor Murphy
D Jake McLaughlin
D Connor Carrick

G Cody Karpinski

Warrior Hockey:

F Nick Schilkey
F Seamus Malone
F Scott Pooley
F Josh Nelson
F Brandon Bollig
F Jeff Kubiak
F Brandon Pirri
F Luke Toporowski
F Dave Gust

D Brennan Kapcheck
D Peter Tischke
D Vince Pedrie
D Colin Swoyer

G Alex Sakellaropoulos

Games will be played on Wednesday nights starting in July and proceeds will go to various charities including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Special Olympics Chicago.

Minor Transactions: 03/20/19

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There’s only four games on the schedule for tonight in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be without fireworks. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres renew their rivalry, while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals clash in a battle of Eastern Conference division leaders. As teams prepare, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • It wouldn’t be a weekday without a Justin Bailey transaction, as the Philadelphia Flyers forward has been sent back to the AHL once again. Bailey has been involved in eight transactions since the beginning of March, bouncing up and down as the team needs an extra body.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Colton White and Nick Lappin back to the minor leagues as they finally start to get healthy. The Devils were without nearly half of their normal roster recently, but could get several players back in the next few days. The team will welcome in the Boston Bruins tomorrow night, at which point White and Lappin could be on their way back up if more insurance is needed.
  • Defenseman Libor Sulak has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Detroit Red Wings, who may not have Trevor Daley back before the end of the season. Sulak is another one of the Red Wings’ young players to make his debut this season, and has played six NHL games.
  • Cameron Gaunce is back up with the Lightning, now that Dan Girardi has been downgraded from day-to-day to out indefinitely. Gaunce will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman until Anton Stralman is ready to return.
  • With Valtteri Filppula out for four weeks, the New York Islanders have recalled Tanner Fritz from the AHL. Fritz has played just four games with the Islanders this season, but offers an experienced professional to give the team some center depth while they deal with Filppula’s absence.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Adam Johnson from the AHL, while sending Joseph Blandisi and Juuso Riikola back down. Johnson is still waiting to make his NHL debut after signing out of the NCAA ranks almost two years ago, but is having an excellent season in the AHL with 40 points in 63 games.
  • Paul Carey has been recalled once again by the Boston Bruins, who also activated David Pastrnak today. Patrice Bergeron did miss practice, but head coach Bruce Cassidy deemed it a maintenance day and told reporters the star center would be just fine.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Andy Welinski from San Diego of the AHL.  He has been shuttled back and forth between the Ducks and Gulls in recent days based on their injury situation.  Welinski has played in 19 games with Anaheim so far this season, playing a little over 14 minutes a night.

Minor Transactions: 03/15/19

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The NHL has six games scheduled for this Friday night and at least one of them is must-see television for those who are watching the playoff race in the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes travel to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets in a huge matchup that could decide their playoff fates. The Montreal Canadiens find themselves two points behind the Hurricanes and tied with the Blue Jackets for the wild card spots, meaning they have a chance to catch whichever team loses tonight. As teams prepare for the final stretch drive, we’ll be here to keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers will have Jakub Voracek back in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, so there was no need to keep Justin Bailey up in the NHL. The young forward has been reassigned to the minor leagues, where he has eight points in 16 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • Last night, the New Jersey Devils recalled Nick Lappin and Eric Tangradi from the minor leagues once again and could have them in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils have been decimated lately with injury, and are just playing out the string with no hope of making the playoffs this season.
  • Landon Bow has been recalled by the Dallas Stars, as the team waits to see how long Ben Bishop will be out with his latest injury. Bishop has been back at his Vezina-caliber level this season, but will need a little more to help the Stars do any damage in the playoffs.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Jordan Kyrou again, his third transaction in the span of a day. The young forward will get a chance to help the Blues down the stretch and into the playoffs after a dominant season at the AHL level.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Joseph Gambardella from the minor leagues, giving them another forward option as they try to hold onto their playoff hope. Gambardella is among the league leaders in goal scoring in the AHL with 27 in 45 games, but failed to record a point in his four games earlier this season for the Oilers.
  • The San Jose Sharks have sent a pair of forwards to the minor leagues, assigning Lukas Radil and Dylan Gambrell to the San Jose Barracuda. Gambrell knows this game having been bounced up and down all year, but Radil hasn’t spent much time in the AHL this season. The team did include Radil in a paper transaction at the deadline, meaning he is eligible for AHL playoffs if the team chooses to keep him down.

Zack Smith, 17 Others Placed On Waivers

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A substantial group of players again went untouched on the waiver wire yesterday, as there remains just one claim so far this season. Today, a new set of names become briefly available on their way down to the AHL. According to The Athletic’s James Mirtle, these 18 players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams today, highlighted by Ottawa’s longest-tenured player:

F Anton Blidh (Boston)
F Colby Cave (Boston)
D Jake Chelios (Detroit)
F Hudson Fasching (Arizona)
F Byron Froese (Montreal)
D Cody Goloubef (Boston)
F Ryan Haggerty (Pittsburgh)
D Brett Lernout (Montreal)
F Nick Lappin (New Jersey)
F Michael McCarron (Montreal)
F Mark McNeill (Boston)
D Robbie Russo (Arizona)
G Harri Sateri (Detroit)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (Montreal)
F Zack Smith (Ottawa)
F Jordan Szwarz (Boston)
F Chris Terry (Detroit)
D Rinat Valiev (Montreal)

Obviously, Smith is the star of this group and easily the biggest name to hit the wire so far this year. The decision to placed the veteran forward, a career Senator entering his eleventh season, on waivers is a curious one. Admittedly, Smith did not play well last season; beyond only recording 19 points in 68 games, he logged a brutal -32 rating, saw a drop-off in face-off success, and struggled in many possession metrics. Nevertheless, he remained a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher and saw a career high in ice time. After losing the likes of Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman this summer, Smith – while not the strongest player – was one of the few loyal locker room leaders left in Ottawa. There has already been a negative response, as Matt Duchene called the move “a kick in the balls” for the locker room, according to TSN’s Brent Wallace. For some reason, the team has decided to move on, one way or another. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Senators have been shopping Smith for some time and had trade interest, but were not able to come to an agreement with any of the teams not included on Smith’s limited list per his modified No-Trade Clause. Now, they will either lose him for nothing in return or have the ability to bury him in the minors if he clears. Such a demotion would clear $1.025MM in cap space of his $3.25MM salary. It is important to note when considering any potential claims, that Smith is signed for three more years, making his inclusion on waivers even more surprising.

The group of Canadiens could also offer some appeal, particularly the 23-year-old power forward McCarron. Although the 2013 first-round pick has not lived up to expectations yet, he has the one thing you can’t teach and that is size. At 6’6″, 230-lbs., McCarron has the frame to do some damage at his spot on the right wing if put in the right system with the right line mates. It hasn’t happened yet in Montreal, but some other team may be willing to take a shot. Veteran grinder Froese, who played in 48 games with the Habs last year, could also get a passing glance, while trade recent Montreal trade acquisitions Shinkaruk and Valiev are somewhat intriguing albeit not likely to be claimed.

Team in search of young, affordable fourth line help could look at the Bruins’ Blidh and Cave, although such a move is unlikely. The same goes for Haggerty, whose placement on waivers comes as surprise, given that no contract has of yet been announced with Pittsburgh for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin.

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