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Minor Transactions: 04/30/23

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It’s a day of Game Sevens across the hockey world, with two such contests set to be played in the NHL and one completed in Europe. In the NHL, the defending champion Colorado Avalanche are facing the upstart Seattle Kraken, while the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins are looking to fend off a challenge from Matthew Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers.

In Europe, MoDo Hockey Ornskoldsvik earned promotion to the SHL with a Game Seven victory over last year’s relegated club, Djurgardens IF. Former Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Kristers Gudlevskis’ brilliant performance puts MoDo back in the SHL for the first time since 2015-16, and represents a significant achievement for the club after seven consecutive seasons in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. Elsewhere in Europe, today is a major day for the KHL as many teams are announcing the expiry of contracts for soon-to-be free agents.

A few final seasons in Europe are wrapping up and most clubs in foreign and minor leagues are getting to work on their offseason business. We’ll keep track of any notable moves they make here.

  • Former New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev, a longtime star in the KHL, has mutually agreed with his club, SKA St. Petersburg, to terminate his contract and allow him to become a free agent. Gusev, 30, had an exceptional regular season in St. Petersburg, scoring 23 goals and 49 points in just 37 games played. Gusev returned to Russia in October 2021 after flaming out in the NHL, never quite able to recapture the success of his 44-point rookie season. Now a free agent, it could be possible that a return to North America is under consideration for the four-time KHL All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist.
  • 2011 12th overall pick and 175-game NHL veteran Ryan Murphy is among the players announced to be leaving KHL side Ufa Salavat Yulaev today. The 30-year-old’s 2022-23 season was a strong one, as he scored 17 points in 43 games and was selected to the KHL’s All-Star Game. Although Ufa were upset by Admiral Vladivostok in the first round of the playoffs, Murphy’s strong season opens the door for him to potentially earn a two-way NHL contract or AHL deal to return to North America. Former Buffalo Sabre Victor Antipin was also announced today to be departing Ufa, but seeing as he has been in the KHL for the past five seasons, it’s unlikely North America is in the cards for him.
  • Former Arizona Coyotes top prospect Brandon Gormley’s contract with his KHL side HK Sochi has expired today, per a team announcement. The 31-year-old has had a difficult run of results since winning back-to-back Champions Hockey League titles with Frolunda HC. Sochi were the worst team in the KHL this season, and Gormley managed just 12 points and a -21 rating in 43 games played. He’ll now have free rein to seek a new opportunity as a free agent.
  • Original Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft pick Teemu Pulkkinen’s contract with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk expired today. Pulkkinen played the last two seasons in Chelyabinsk and saw his production decline this year, from 22 goals in 2021-22 to 15 in this campaign. Pulkkinen, the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year in his native Finland’s Liiga, is nonetheless an accomplished scorer in minor and European pro leagues and should have interest from many clubs looking to add some scoring for next season.
  • After signing former NHLer Remi Elie yesterday, the SHL’s Linkopings HC have made another big addition to their forward corps, inking former Philadelphia Flyer Taylor Leier to a two-year contract. The former WHL champion and AHL All-Star had a strong two-season run with the Tigers, totaling 39 goals and 101 points in 109 games there. Now, he’ll look to shoulder a similarly significant offensive workload as Linkoping attempts to climb the SHL standings.
  • Alexander Sharov, the fourth-leading goal scorer in the KHL this past season, will not return to HC Sibir Novosibirsk for next season. The 27-year-old Moscow native emerged as one of the better wingers in the KHL this past season, and could now be looking to parlay his goal-scoring success into a lucrative contract with a higher-profile KHL club.
  • Patrice Cormier, a former Winnipeg Jets center and former captain of their AHL affiliate has had his KHL contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg expire today. Cormier, 32, has twice finished the KHL’s most penalized player since signing in Kazakhstan in 2018, and now will have the chance to potentially return to North America or seek new opportunities in the KHL as a free agent.
  • Arizona Coyotes 2022 43rd overall pick Julian Lutz could be nearing the signing of his entry-level contract, according to an announcement from his club Red Bull Munich. Per Red Bull Munich, talks are ongoing between the 19-year-old winger and the Coyotes, likely on plans for an entry-level deal and his playing in North America (likely with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners) next season. Lutz had a decent season for the eventual DEL champions, scoring eight points in 24 games. He also made Germany’s team for the 2023 World Junior Championships and registered two points in five games at the tournament.

Minor Transactions: 04/29/23

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It’s potentially the final stand tonight for three NHL teams, with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning each fighting to extend their season one more game. The postseason is also fully underway in several other North American leagues, with several AHL playoff battles already fought earlier today. As these major games get completed, teams in Europe and minor leagues are making roster moves. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.

  • 204-game NHL veteran Brian Gibbons was among the players announced today to be departing the DEL’s ERC Ingolstadt. While Ingolstadt themselves had a memorable campaign (they fell in the finals to Red Bull Munich) Gibbons himself last played in October. He scored a total of four points in just 11 games for Ingolstadt this season, and as a 35-year-old free agent his playing future seems cloudy. Also among those released by Ingolstadt is Tye McGinn, the brother of NHLers Jamie McGinn and Brock McGinn.
  • Former Dallas Stars forward Remi Elie signed a two-year contract with the SHL’s Linkoping HC. The 28-year-old 2013 second-round pick finished his first season across the Atlantic this year, notching 18 points in 32 games for rival SHL side Farjestad BK. Elie is an experienced veteran who flashed some goal-scoring tough with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL in 2021-22, potting 17 goals in 48 games. Linkoping will hope that version of Elie can appear next season to help them rise from the basement of the SHL standings, where they finished this past year.
  • Liiga’s Tappara Tampere have gotten to work locking up key members of their second-straight championship team, inking starting netminder Christian Heljango to a contract extension. While Heljango’s regular-season save percentage dropped from a .920 last year to a .891 this season, his brilliance in the team’s title run likely erased any worry about a decline. The 26-year-old posted a 12-2 record in the postseason with a .935 save percentage. Now, he’s set to return to Tampere to try to run it back next season.
  • Two former Montreal Canadiens prospects, Martin Reway and Hayden Verbeek, are among the players announced today to not be returning to HK Spisska Nova Ves of the Czech Extraliga. Reway, 28, was a 2013 fourth-round pick who joined the team later in the season, and scored 13 points in 13 regular-season games and 12 points in 13 playoff contests. Verbeek, 25, is an undrafted player who was part of the Canadiens’ 2021 trade for defenseman Jon Merrill and notched 33 points in 44 games in his European professional debut season.
  • Fresh off of a solid performance in his return to European professional hockey, former Boston Bruins prospect Victor Berglund signed a two-year deal with Karpat in Liiga. The 23-year-old 2017 second-rounder earned an entry-level contract (something that is not a given for late-round picks) but couldn’t quite catch on in the AHL. He returned to Europe to play for HIFK Helsinki in the Finnish capital, and scored 20 points in 29 regular-season games.
  • Taylor Leier, a former Philadelphia Flyer, will not return to the DEL’s Straubing Tigers for next season, according to a team announcement. The former WHL champion and AHL All-Star had a strong two-season run with the Tigers, totaling 39 goals and 101 points in 109 games there. At 29 years old, Leier has a lot of his career ahead of him and will now look for a new opportunity in Germany or even in other leagues.

Minor Transactions: 04/28/23

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It’s another busy day in the hockey world, and the respective seasons of four NHL franchises are on the line tonight. The New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and defending champion Colorado Avalanche are each down in their series hoping to even the playing field and force an all-important Game 7.

Over in Europe, Czechia’s HC Ocelari Trinec captured their fourth-straight Extraliga title in a row. In Sweden, Djurgarden IF kept their dreams of promotion to the SHL alive with a dramatic game-tying goal from Linus Klasen with just two minutes left in regulation. Fredrik Forsberg scored in double overtime to force a Game Seven in their promotion play-off final against MoDo Hockey Ornskoldsvik and erase their 3-1 series deficit. With Djurgarden’s playoff run fueled by starring performances from NHL first-round picks such as Liam Ohgren and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Game 7 on Sunday will be one to watch.

Teams across the hockey world are seeking to build a team that can create their own signature moments next season, and there have been quite a few transactions as teams attempt to build their rosters for the next campaign. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Former NHL journeyman and AHL All-Star Matt Puempel has signed an extension to remain with his club of the last two seasons, the DEL’s Augsburg Panthers. Puempel, 30, was a 2011 first-round pick whose exceptional AHL scoring numbers never quite managed to translate to the NHL. He went to Europe after 2019-20 and began in the SHL with the Malmo Redhawks, but after struggling there he has played the last two years in Augsburg. He scored 55 points in 69 career DEL games.
  • Alexander Hellnemo, NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked European goaltender for the 2023 NHL draft, has departed SHL side Skelleftea AIK to sign a two-year contract with league rival Rogle BK. The 19-year-old went undrafted in his first year of eligibility but now lands at the top of central scouting due to an impressive age-19 season. He earned nine games played with one of the SHL’s best teams and posted a .916 save percentage at the J20 Nationell level. Now, he’ll get an opportunity at Rogle to potentially make a push to play even more in Sweden’s top league.
  • Orebro of the SHL have landed a solid player, signing Finnish center Hannes Bjorninen to a two-year deal from Brynas IF, who were relegated to HockeyAllsvenskan. The 27-year-old is a master at the face-off dot, having led Liiga in face-off win percentage three times. He’s a former captain of Liiga’s Lahti Pelicans and has an Olympic gold medal and IIHF World Championship gold and silver medals in his trophy case. He’ll join a squad looking to make an even deeper run for an SHL championship next year after this season reaching the semifinals.
  • 2023 draft prospect Bennet Rossmy, Central Scouting’s 126th-ranked European skater, has signed with the DEL’s Dusseldorfer EG, leaving his club of this past season the Berlin Polar Bears. Like Hellnemo, the 19-year-old went undrafted in his first year of eligibility but offers intriguing six-foot-three size. This season’s DEL Rookie of the Year scored four points in 39 games for Berlin, having a personally successful season despite the fact that Berlin themselves disappointed, as they failed to make the playoffs despite winning it all last season.
  • 33-year-old Johan Persson will extend his prolific run of goal-scoring at Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan for a few more years. Per a team announcement, Persson has signed a two-year contract extension to remain with Mora. Persson helped Timra IK earn promotion to the SHL in 2017-18 and has been a leading goal scorer for the last four seasons for Mora. He’s led HockeyAllsvenskan in goal scoring the past two seasons and has scored 59 goals and 103 points in his last 102 games in Sweden’s second division.
  • Tyler Morley, a well-traveled top scorer in multiple European pro leagues is now headed to Switzerland for the first time in his career. Switzerland’s EHC Kloten announced Morley’s signing, giving them an undersized yet deadly Canadian scorer. The 31-year-old scored 16 goals and 45 points in the regular season for the DEL’s Grizzlies Wolfsburg (who fell in the Semifinals to EHC Red Bull Munich) and scored 35 points in 48 games in Liiga the year before, helping Tappara Tampere win a title. Now, he’ll hope to have that same success in the Swiss league, one of the few top European leagues he hasn’t yet skated in.
  • After a season as an alternate captain in HockeyAllsvenskan with Sodertalje SK, Johan Ivarsson has earned his place back in the SHL. The 27-year-old has signed with the Malmo Redhawks for next season. The left-shot blueliner played this past season in Sweden’s second division after two seasons in Liiga playing for TPS Turku. This is somewhat of a homecoming for Ivarsson, as he played for the Redhawks as a teenager at lower levels and even helped them achieve promotion to the SHL in 2014-15. With Malmo only narrowly avoiding relegation this season, they bring back a familiar defenseman who should add experience and stability to their back end.
  • Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Tyler Vesel is headed back to HockeyAllsvenskan to help Brynas IF earn promotion next season. The 29-year-old 2014 sixth-round pick has become something of a promotion specialist in recent years. He nearly earned IF Bjorkloven promotion in 2020-21, scoring 46 points in 51 games. Last season, he scored 46 points in 52 games and a whopping 21 points in 15 playoff games to earn HV71 Jonkoping promotion back to the SHL. His year in the SHL was less strong, and he finished with just 14 points in 46 games. Now, he’s headed back to his old stomping grounds, Sweden’s second tier of hockey, to give another club the chance to rise to Sweden’s top league.

Remi Elie Linked To Swedish Club

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Former Dallas Stars forward Remi Elie could extend his tenure overseas this summer. After spending the 2022-23 season with SHL club Färjestad BK, Swedish outlet Expressen reports that Elie is signing a one-year contract to join fellow SHL team Linköping HC in 2023-24.

Elie last played in the NHL in 2021-22, although it was just a one-game stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 28-year-old was a second-round pick of the Stars in 2013 and has played just over 100 NHL games over the course of four seasons.

He did have one full-time season in the Dallas organization, recording 14 points in 72 games in 2017-18. After that, however, he spent the next three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, only getting NHL games in 2018-19.

It seems now that a return to North American hockey is unlikely for Elie, who may find a home in the Swedish circuit. The journeyman forward finished ninth on Färjestad in scoring last season with 18 points in 32 games, alongside former NHLers and prospects Joakim Nygard, Theodor Lennstrom, and Ville Pokka.

The Ontario product also has 256 AHL games to his name, recording 121 points across stints with the Texas Stars, Rochester Americans, and Syracuse Crunch.

Filip Hållander Signs Long-Term Deal In Sweden

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Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Hållander has signed a five-year contract with the SHL’s Timrå IK, the Swedish club announced Friday morning.

This is a striking and likely unexpected move for the Penguins organization. While it’s common to see players older in age opt to return to Europe after not developing into higher-end NHLers, Hållander is still just 22 years old and was a candidate to make the Penguins out of training camp next season.

Pittsburgh can still retain Hållander’s NHL rights by issuing him a qualifying offer this summer, as he’s a pending restricted free agent. At the conclusion of his new SHL contract in 2028, he would then have to sign with Pittsburgh if he wanted to return to the NHL.

Nevertheless, it’s a tough blow for an organization already low on talented prospects. Hållander was one of the organization’s best, especially at center, and took huge steps forward this season with 33 points in 44 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Drafted 58th overall in 2018, Hållander was traded away and re-acquired in two separate transactions with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It does mark a homecoming for the Swedish forward, who was developed in Timrå’s system all the way from U16 play to his professional debut. During his draft year (2017-18), he played an important role in earning Timrå promotion from the second-tier Allsvenskan, notching 20 points in 40 games.

When Timrå failed to avoid relegation back to the Allsvenskan the next season, however, Pittsburgh loaned him to a different SHL club, Luleå HF, for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before Hållander arrived in North America.

Washington Capitals Sign Hardy Häman Aktell

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Another European free agent will test the North American waters in 2023-24, as Hardy Häman Aktell has signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.

Häman Aktell, 24, was originally a fourth-round draft choice of the Nashville Predators in 2016, but never signed and became a free agent several years ago. A late bloomer, he entered the SHL in 2020 and has played for Vaxjo HC ever since.

This year, the 6’3″ defenseman took a huge step forward offensively, recording 36 points in 51 games. He also helped the club win another SHL Championship—his second in three seasons—by adding three goals and seven points in 18 playoff games.

There was some buzz about Häman Aktell coming into the 2016 draft, as a potential steal thanks to his exciting blend of size and skill. He couldn’t put it together in time for the Predators to sign him, but perhaps he’ll be a story of perseverance and dedication.

The Capitals, looking to find value wherever they can, have nothing to lose by offering an entry-level deal. He’ll be an interesting case to watch in training camp, where it should be apparent quickly if he’ll be able to handle himself at the NHL level.

Red Wings Prospect Pontus Andreasson Signs In Sweden

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It will be one and done in North America for Red Wings prospect Pontus Andreasson.  Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the forward to a four-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 campaign.

The 24-year-old signed a one-year deal with Detroit last May after a strong showing with Lulea, hoping that he’d be able to get an NHL opportunity.  However, that chance never materialized aside from his five preseason appearances as Andreasson spent the entire regular season at the AHL level with Grand Rapids.  He wound up finishing tied for sixth on the Griffins in scoring, picking up 12 goals and 13 assists in 63 games, numbers that weren’t exactly showing that he was ready for a look with the Red Wings.

Now, rather than see if he’d be offered a deal to return, Andreasson decided the best move for him was to lock in a long-term contract back home, certainly an understandable move.  He had 18 goals and 20 assists in 52 games with Lulea in 2021-22 and should get an opportunity to play a bigger role there than he would have had in North America.  Detroit can still issue Andreasson a qualifying offer this summer to retain his NHL rights but since he’ll be eligible for NHL unrestricted free agency by the time this deal expires, it’s quite likely they’ll simply non-tender him in June.

Carl Dahlstrom Linked To SHL

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At the beginning of the season, it appeared as though Carl Dahlstrom had positioned himself to be one of the first call-ups for the Toronto Maple Leafs, receiving NHL pay (and ice time) whenever the team suffered an injury on defense. Instead, Dahlstrom suffered the injury, going down with a shoulder issue that required surgery.

After months on the sidelines recovering, he has recently re-joined the Toronto Marlies for their playoff run, playing eight games over the last few weeks. Whenever the Marlies’ season ends, it might be the last we see of Dahlstrom on North American ice—at least for now.

The veteran defenseman has been linked to Farjestad BK of the SHL, with former Rockford IceHogs teammates speaking highly of him for the club. A return to Sweden could end any chance of another NHL stint for the 28-year-old defenseman, who has 67 games under his belt at the highest level.

Just three of those have come since the end of 2019-20, though, as he struggled with injuries for multiple clubs. With so much depth currently on the Maple Leafs, there’s no way he’ll get into the NHL playoff lineup, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, finding a home for next season is a priority.

Dmytro Timashov Looking To Return To North America

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A year and a half ago, Dmytro Timashov terminated his contract with the Islanders and decided to return home to play with Brynas in Sweden.  However, with that deal now over, the winger told Hockey Sverige’s Mans Karlsson that he’s looking to return to North America next season and that there has been some interest.

The 26-year-old had a decent season with Brynas of the SHL this year, picking up 10 goals and 23 assists in 52 games, allowing him to lead the team in scoring.  However, they weren’t able to stay in the top division and instead were relegated to the second-tier Allsvenskan for the first time in 63 years, resulting in several players, like Timashov, looking for new places to play next season.

Timashov does have 45 career NHL appearances under his belt, all but one of those coming in 2019-20 when he split time between Toronto and Detroit.  Since that time, he has played in just 23 contests at the AHL level but spent three full years in the minors prior to his NHL debut.

Timashov declined to mention if the interest he has received is a one-way or a two-way offer.  However, given that he cleared waivers just a couple of years ago and hasn’t lit it up since then, it’s likely that the expressions of interest so far have been of the latter variety.  Perhaps the time is now right for Timashov to return with the hopes that he could at least earn himself a recall or two next season.  With his last NHL deal being terminated, he’s free to sign at any time if he receives an offer he likes.

Logan Hutsko Linked To SHL

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When the Florida Panthers signed Logan Hutsko in 2021, he looked like an interesting forward addition who could quickly rise through the ranks and provide some NHL value. The third-round pick had played well at Boston College and, despite his small stature, seemed to fit in Florida’s fast, creative, and versatile system.

General manager Bill Zito said he had “dynamic skill” and “unmatched determination,” noting how his pace and compete level would serve him well.

Now, two years later, it appears he might be off to Europe. A Swedish report from Johan Svensson suggests that Hutsko will sign with IK Oskarshamn for next season. As a restricted free agent this summer, he is allowed to sign overseas. The Panthers can temporarily retain his exclusive NHL rights by extending a qualifying offer, though it is unclear if he has any future in the organization.

The 24-year-old has done rather well through his first two years of AHL action, scoring 38 points as a rookie last year and 26 this season in just 39 games.

Through his time in Florida, he has not received a single call-up, and it now looks like he’ll chase a new opportunity elsewhere. Whether he ever makes an impact at the NHL level—or even suits up for a single game—still remains to be seen.

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