2018-19 AHL contracts

[caley]

 

[The Jersey Number]

You may remember him from such nature films as "Earwigs: Ewwww" and "Man vs. Nature: The Road to Victory."

 

[Booba]

Melindy was under contract with San Diego.

"Old" transfers that I've missed

Was under contract with WBS.

 

[Booba]

Each of the 31 teams now has at least one player under contract.

 

[Booba]

 

[Growler]

Appreciate you tracking the progression of the contracts too Growler. It would be interesting too to see how many of those players who sent from AHL to NHL contracts actually played in the NHL, and how many games they played. In other words, are these players actually becoming full time NHLers, or just occasional injury replacements, or are teams using a one year NHL ELC (and the attendant bonus and other perks) as a reward for AHL players who did the grunt work in the minors, but don't really have a chance to advance.

Actually I do track that data too. From the 18 AHL contracted players offered ELCs between Oct. 1 2016 - Sept 30. 2017, more than 100 NHL games were played in the 2017-2018 season. Several of those players had stints in the ECHL.

I don't see a lot of these players earning NHL contracts as some sort of a reward for long-standing service in the minors. There are a few, maybe 3-4 each year for guys who are 27 or older. Instead, I am seeing this as a clear and present vehicle that teams are leveraging. Smart NHL clubs are using the AHL contract akin to "moving in together" before you get married. Try before you buy. We're seeing NHL teams at times sign their draft picks -- sometimes high draft picks like 2nd rounders - like Jansen Harkins from the Jets 2nd round 2015 - to AHL deals for a period of time with the potential to earn an ELC later (Harkins did). The Leafs have a couple guys in that situation today - Piccinich (4th round 2014) signed a 2 year AHL deal mostly served in the ECHL and Dzierkals (3rd round 2015) signed one and played in the ECHL too. Dzierkals remains unsigned - I think because they are figuring out when to squeeze him into the 50 contract limit.

Other AHL deals are given to overage guys not signed to their original drafted team or otherwise undrafted. Most of the ELCs come from this group. The so-called "late-bloomers."

NHL clubs can pay these guys a lot of money if they want to stockpile them. Their salaries are not public. That way, you can develop them in your system and otherwise keep your eyes on them all the time.

 

[Growler]

Melindy was under contract with San Diego.


Was under contract with WBS.

Wow, I can't believe they got Melindy on an ECHL contract. I've been watching him being a NFLD player and formerly drafted. I thought for sure the Marlies would have had to have stepped up.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Wow, I can't believe they got Melindy on an ECHL contract. I've been watching him being a NFLD player and formerly drafted. I thought for sure the Marlies would have had to have stepped up.

broke in that 1st year in Portland (2012-2015) 49 games after Arizona drafted him in the 3rd rounder and a rare thing when you see Gwinnett (now Atlanta) LISTED as a team in past stats

 

[LadyStanley]

@Growler Sharks have signed a few of their low end college draftees, that were on the fence, to AHL contracts rather than NHL deals to get a feel for how they'd work in organization.

Also
Great article from the Athletic this past week (linked in Sharks and BOH forums) on new director of Scouting Doug Wilson, Jr. Includes philosophy of utilizing AHL salaries (on two-way deals) to pay guys a "good salary" out of Europe or (undrafted) college (or some journeymen to stick around and help lead team, set example). (Especially since the "re-entry waiver" has gone away)

 

[Booba]

Transaction Tracker - 2018-19 :: Ontario Reign

 

[Growler]

@Growler Sharks have signed a few of their low end college draftees, that were on the fence, to AHL contracts rather than NHL deals to get a feel for how they'd work in organization.

Also
Great article from the Athletic this past week (linked in Sharks and BOH forums) on new director of Scouting Doug Wilson, Jr. Includes philosophy of utilizing AHL salaries (on two-way deals) to pay guys a "good salary" out of Europe or (undrafted) college (or some journeymen to stick around and help lead team, set example). (Especially since the "re-entry waiver" has gone away)

I read that. Yes, I think the Sharks have been one of the leaders in this area. They have not recruited the same volume of European UFAs and overagers, as some teams (top 1/3 of NHL the past 4 years), but frankly they have not needed to because their recruits have been more successful (perhaps the best, along with Chicago). Most recently, they just signed (NHL ELC) Jayden Helbbewachs who I would argue is the best non-drafted overager coming out of the CHL.

It's kind of an odd dichotomy -- the Sharks have perhaps the best success at this mode of finding talent which would lead one to believe that their scouts are the best, and yet, their actual draft results have been kind of 'meh.

 

[caley]

 

[caley]

 

[caley]

 

[caley]

 

[Booba]

Daly was under contract with Manitoba last season.

 

[caley]

 

[Booba]

Pelley played for Stockton (65GP 4-4-8) last season


Conacher was under contract with Syracuse (10GP 0-0-0) but spent most of the season with Adirondack.

 

[caley]

 

[caley]

 

[caley]

 

[tigervixxxen]

Was on AHL contract with SA last year

 

[Booba]

 

[caley]

 

[Coach Nate]

Sam Lofquist as well.

Can confirm. Got the press release from the team in my email about 30 minutes ago.

And confirmed by team this morning.