Comments / New

Cole’s Notes From Around the League: 7/6/19-7/12/19

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks signed defenceman Michael Del Zotto to a one-year contract. They re-signed centre Chase De Leo to a one-year contract.

Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes recalled defenceman Victor Soderstrom to a one-year contract.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins re-signed left winger Peter Cehlarik to a one-year contract. They re-signed centre Danton Heinen to a two-year contract.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres signed left winger Marcus Johansson to a two-year contract. They acquired defenceman Henri Jokiharju from Chicago. They signed centre Johan Larsson to a one-year contract.

Calgary Flames

The Flames made no moves this week.

Goaltender Niklas Backstrom has retired from pro hockey. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006 by the Minnesota Wild, Backstrom has a 196-144-50 record, 0.914 Save%, 2.49 GAA, and 28 shutouts in 413 games; as well as a 3-8 record, 0.911 Save%, 2.55 GAA, and zero shutouts in 11 playoff games; for Minnesota (2006/07-2014/15) and Calgary (2015/16). Backstrom was already 28 when the Wild acquired him, so he didn’t have a long NHL career. He didn’t play a playoff game for Minnesota after 2008, and 2011 was the last non-lockout season where he didn’t miss half or nearly half the season with some sort of injury. As the 2010s continued, Backstrom’s performance also worsened, which resulted in him being traded to Calgary before playing his first game of the 2015/16 season. Backstrom did win the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award in 2007 for having the best save percentage in the league, 0.929, as well as the William M. Jennings Trophy along with Manny Fernandez for Minnesota having the fewest goals against, 191. Backstrom had career-bests of 37 wins and eight shutouts in 2009, and a 0.929 Save% and 1.97 GAA in 2007, all with Minnesota. Backstrom spent the final three seasons of his career in Finland’s Liiga, spending two seasons with HIFK Hameenlinna and one with Tappara Tampere. Backstrom finished his final NHL season with a 2-2-0 record, 0.881 Save%, 3.35 GAA, and zero shutouts in four games for Calgary in 2015/16. Backstrom, 41, finished his final season with a 11-2-1 record and a 0.921 Save% in 15 games in the Liiga with Tappara Tampere.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes signed left winger Ryan Dzingel to a two-year contract.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks signed centre Kirby Dach to a three-year entry-level contract. They acquired left winger Alexander Nylander from Buffalo.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche re-signed defenceman Ryan Graves to a one-year contract. Left winger Sven Andrighetto has signed a two-year contract in Russia with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets re-signed centre Justin Scott to a one-year contract.

Dallas Stars

The Stars re-signed defenceman Gavin Bayreuther to a one-year contract. They re-signed defenceman Dillon Heatherington to a one-year contract. They re-signed centre Jason Dickinson to a two-year contract.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings made no moves this week.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers made no moves this week. Right winger Ty Rattie has signed a one-year contract in Russia with the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers signed defenceman Jake Massie to a two-year entry-level contract.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings signed left winger Alex Iafallo to a two-year contract extension. They signed left winger Samuel Fagemo to a three-year entry-level contract.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild made no moves this week.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens re-signed right winger Joel Armia to a two-year contract. They re-signed left winger Artturi Lehkonen to a two-year contract.

Nashville Predators

The Predators made no moves this week.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils signed centre Jack Hughes to a three-year entry-level contract.

New York Islanders

The Islanders made no moves this week. Left winger Steve Bernier, who has been under contract with the Islanders since 2015/16 and last played with them in 2017/18, has signed a one-year contract with AHL Bridgeport.

New York Rangers

The Rangers signed right winger Kaapo Kakko to a three-year entry-level contract. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski, who was last under contract last season with the Rangers, has signed a one-year contract with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Centre Maxim Lapierre, who was last in the NHL in training camp on a PTO with the Rangers, has agreed to a mutual contract termination with the Swiss National League A’s HC Lugano.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators made no moves this week. Right winger Darren Archibald has signed a one-year contract with AHL Toronto.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers signed centre Scott Laughton to a two-year contract extension.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins re-signed left winger Adam Johnson to a one-year contract.

Centre Matt Cullen has retired from pro hockey. Drafted in the second round, 35th overall, in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Cullen has 731 points (266G, 465A) in 1516 games, as well as 58 points (19G, 39A) in 132 playoff games, for Anaheim (1997/98-partway through 2002/03), Florida (partway through 2002/03-2003/04), Carolina (2005/06, 2007/08-partway through 2009/10), the Rangers (2006/07), Ottawa (part of 2009/10), Minnesota (2010/11-2012/13, 2017/18), Nashville (2013/14-2014/15), and Pittsburgh (2015/16-2016/17, 2018/19). Cullen reached his career-highs of 49 points and 25 goalsin 2006 with Carolina, and 36 assists in 2008 with Carolina. Though never the most skilled or potent offensive player on the ice, he had plenty of complementary ability to back up his leadership skills. Cullen won three Stanley Cups in his career, first with Carolina in 2006 and then with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. Cullen retires leading his entire draft class with 1516 games, also the second-most by an American-born player. Zdeno Chara is the only player left in the NHL who was drafted in 1996. Cullen, 42, retires having finished his final NHL season with 20 points (7G, 13A) in 71 games for Pittsburgh.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks re-signed right winger Kevin Labanc to a one-year contract. They re-signed centre Antti Suomela to a one-year contract. They re-signed centre Dylan Gambrell to a two-year contract. They re-signed defenceman Nick DeSimone to a two-year contract. They re-signed centre Maxim Letunov and defenceman Kyle Wood to one-year contracts.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues re-signed left winger Zach Sanford to a one-year contract. They acquired centre Dakota Joshua from Toronto and signed him to a two-year entry-level contract. They re-signed centre Robby Fabbri to a one-year contract. They re-signed defenceman Mitch Reinke to a one-year contract.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning signed centre Gemel Smith to a one-year contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs acquired future considerations from St. Louis.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks re-signed left winger Francis Perron to a one-year contract. They re-signed left winger Reid Boucher to a one-year contract and re-signed defencemen Brogan Rafferty and Josh Teves. They signed left winger Micheal Ferland to a four-year contract.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights re-signed goaltender Malcolm Subban to a one-year contract.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals signed right winger Brett Leason to a three-year entry-level contract. They signed defenceman Colby Williams to a one-year contract. Left winger Zach Sill, who was last under contract in the NHL with Washington from 2015/16 to 2017/18, has signed in Germany with the DEL’s Kolner Haie.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets made no moves this week.

Looking for an easy way to support Arctic Ice Hockey?
Use our Affiliate Link when shopping hockey merch this holiday season!

Talking Points