Confirmed with Link: Blues sign Benn Ferriero to a 1 year, 2-way deal

[Falco Lombardi]

@jprutherford: #stblues announce signing of forward Benn Ferriero to a 1-year, 2-way contract. Ferriero had 19g, 39 pts in 54 gms with Utica (AHL) last yr

My only question about signing these AHL guys is how much playing time it takes from a guy like Rattie since the Blues only get a certain number of players there with the Wolves.

Click to read more...

 

[2 Minute Minor]

My only question about signing these AHL guys is how much playing time it takes from a guy like Rattie since the Blues only get a certain number of players there with the Wolves.

Yeah, I don't really understand the relationship very well. The Blues are paying the player salary, right (for their guys)? I would think Chicago would welcome additional players who they don't have to pay for, provided they feel they're getting a competitive team.

 

[bluesfan94]

Do the Blues have a maximum number of players or is it a minimum? By that I mean could the Wolves decide they want more Blues prospects than whatever the number is currently set at?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

AHL rosters are unlimited. A team could carry 100 players if they wanted to. The limitation, of course, is paying them.

This article explains just about all you need to know about AHL rosters.

 

[Jeffro]

Ferriero has NHL experience. This is likely a Cracknell replacement.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

AHL rosters are unlimited. A team could carry 100 players if they wanted to. The limitation, of course, is paying them.

This article explains just about all you need to know about AHL rosters.

Nice. Will definitely read that later.

 

[Majorityof1]

Do the Blues have a maximum number of players or is it a minimum? By that I mean could the Wolves decide they want more Blues prospects than whatever the number is currently set at?

The Blues have a maximum number of contracts, I believe it is around 50. This includes all the NHL players and ones in the minors. It does not include players we haven't signed but have rights to. So the AHL affiliate can supplement the roster all they want, the number or player we can pay for it limited.

What I saw this signing, I saw the B and the F and thought Bernie Federko. Now that would be a definite veteran presence. I am now disappointed by the signing.

 

[BlueDream]

Rattie will be fine. It's not like we didn't have veteran presences last season (Bolduc, Cracknell, Porter, etc). I'm not sure why anyone would worry about that. If Rattie is scoring, the Wolves will play him... Ferrerio just makes up for the absence of Bolduc and Cracks and can be a 4th-line callup (and a pretty decent one).

What I want to know is who the hell we have in our organization that is so fascinated with San Jose Sharks castoffs. You all want to talk about ex-Stars, but we are signing tons of ex-Sharks. Scott Nichol, Kent Huskins, Colin White (only for a tryout I know), Jonathan Cheechoo, and then John McCarthy and Benn Ferrerio this year.

 

[JJohn139]

So with that being said, given that Ferriero may be a replacement for Cracknell (veteran), what other Blues prospects who are yet to have pro experience may be on the Wolves roster? Maybe Vannelli since he was there at the end of the year? Tesink? Lmk you're guys' thoughts!

 

[gumption]

So with that being said, given that Ferriero may be a replacement for Cracknell (veteran), what other Blues prospects who are yet to have pro experience may be on the Wolves roster? Maybe Vannelli since he was there at the end of the year? Tesink? Lmk you're guys' thoughts!

binnington will be on their roster next year, i believe. he played in the echl, but that falls under pro experience. i know parayko is staying in alaska, and i believe lindbohm is staying in finland or will be playing in the khl with jokerit.

maybe yannick veilleux? he also played with binnington in the echl, but who knows. possibly mackenzie maceachern or zach pochiro? and i would imagine either tesink or vannelli would be staying with the wolves. tesink may be a callup very soon.

 

[bluesfan94]

The Blues have a maximum number of contracts, I believe it is around 50. This includes all the NHL players and ones in the minors. It does not include players we haven't signed but have rights to. So the AHL affiliate can supplement the roster all they want, the number or player we can pay for it limited.

What I saw this signing, I saw the B and the F and thought Bernie Federko. Now that would be a definite veteran presence. I am now disappointed by the signing.

I'm aware of the 50 contract limit.

I may be wrong, but I remember there being something in the agreement to make the Wolves our affiliate that limited the number of players we were allowed to have down there. What I'm wondering is if that limit is saying something along the lines of the Blues can only send down X number of players period, or they have X number of players they can send down and if we want more of them, that's fine.

If that makes sense.

 

[izzy]

Eh, whatever. Guy could make a decent callup if there are enough injuries at some point... Wonder where he slots in at the AHL level though...

 

[2 Minute Minor]

I'm aware of the 50 contract limit.

I may be wrong, but I remember there being something in the agreement to make the Wolves our affiliate that limited the number of players we were allowed to have down there. What I'm wondering is if that limit is saying something along the lines of the Blues can only send down X number of players period, or they have X number of players they can send down and if we want more of them, that's fine.

If that makes sense.

I remember the same thing. I thought it was something like 10 or 12 players (far less than a full roster). I'm just confused what the actual deal is with the Wolves and the Blues. But I don't have any complaints for how players were handled and given ice time from last season. I'm not aware of any situations where Blues prospects got screwed in favor of a Wolves contracted player. I think the onus is on the Blues to have good enough prospects that they give Chicago its best chance to win by playing them.

I remember people were worried Allen would be snubbed. Well, he won the job and won the league honors for goalie. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[simon IC]

Isn't this the guy that Cole had his first, (and to my knowledge, only), NHL fight with?

 

[simon IC]

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/101008 Should make training camp interesting.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I remember the same thing. I thought it was something like 10 or 12 players (far less than a full roster). I'm just confused what the actual deal is with the Wolves and the Blues. But I don't have any complaints for how players were handled and given ice time from last season. I'm not aware of any situations where Blues prospects got screwed in favor of a Wolves contracted player. I think the onus is on the Blues to have good enough prospects that they give Chicago its best chance to win by playing them.

I remember people were worried Allen would be snubbed. Well, he won the job and won the league honors for goalie. That's what I'm talking about.

It is a confusing relationship between the Wolves and Blues. I found this article regarding the affiliation agreement that helps to elucidate the agreement.

Relevant snippet:

"To have someone else control some of the moves (we make) doesn't work well in this market with our owner," Mr. Gordon said. "We don't define ourselves by our affiliate." The Wolves are owned by local businessmen Don Levin and Buddy Meyers.

The Wolves sign about a dozen players each year to independent contracts — players who can't be called up at any moment — to complement their affiliate's players. As a result, the Wolves were tied for the largest roster in the AHL this season at 33 players, higher than the average of about 28.

And here is another article from ChicagoBusiness.com. This piece is very informative and should be read in its entirey.

Relevant snippet:

In the Wolves' new three-year deal with St. Louis, for example, the Blues will send a minimum of 13 players to Chicago whose contracts they'll split with the Wolves. For any more than 17 players, the Blues have to pay those salaries completely.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Thanks CB, that's exactly what I was trying to remember. I hadn't realized that the team and the Wolves split the player salaries. That's very interesting considering the Blues get to determine the contracts for those guys. I wonder if its a fifty-fifty split or some predetermined amount the Wolves will cover, with the excess picked up by the Blues.

But I guess the bottom line is that the Wolves are profitable and have taken some measures to make sure their roster can stay competitive even with inevitable call-ups.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

You're welcome, 2MM. I feel very lucky to have an excellent minor league sports alternative here that has nothing, directly, to do with the Blackhawks.