Trade Rumors and Free Agent TalkTrade rumors, transactions, and free agent talk. Rumors must contain the word RUMOR in post title. Proposals must contain the word PROPOSAL in post title.
Thought we could try to maintain a thread for notable players or players who were under NHL contracts this past season who have signed to play outside of North America for next season.
Chicago Blackhawks center Mathis Olimb, who had 10 goals and 32 points with Rockford of the AHL, has signed with Frolunda of Sweden. Olimb is scheduled to become a RFA this summer.
Edmonton Oilers' center Brad Moran, who had 20 goals and 72 points with Oklahoma of the AHL, has signed with Vaxjo Lakers of Sweden. Moran is scheduled to become an UFA this summer.
NY Islanders' center Rob Hisey who had 16 goals and 48 points with Bridgeport of the AHL, has signed with EHC Linz of Austria. Hisey is scheduled to become a RFA this summer.
Tampa Bay Lightning's Johan Harju, who had 1 goal and 3 points in the NHL with the Lightning along with 23 goals and 52 points with Norfolk of the AHL, has signed with Lulea of Sweden. Harju is scheduled to become a RFA this summer.
All four signings courtesy of the terrific Elite Prospects.
NY Islanders' LW Robin Figren, who had 14 goals and 30 points with Brideport of the AHL, has signed with Linkoping of Sweden. Figren is scheduled to become a RFA this summer.
Columbus Blue Jackets' RW Petr Kalus (the only player to be traded after the trade deadline this year!), who had 7 goals and 9 points split between Houston and Springfield of the AHL, has signed with Jokerit of Finland.
i'm surprised to see Johan Harju go, i thought TB was high on this prospect.
Definitely the most surprising player so far. You would think with the success his linemate had, he'd hold on for one more season, try to get Tampa to move him to a team with less depth.
Thanks for making the thread. I saw a few of these transactions a few weeks ago and wonder where to post them.
It's not surprising to see Harju returning to Europe because during the season there was a lot of rumors on Eliteprospects that he wouldn't spend much time in North America. Anyway, it's sad seeing him returning to Europe because he was their 14th or 15th forward on the depth chart which mean that he would have probably been a full time next in a year or two.
I also thought that Hisey and Olimb could have gotten a callup to the NHL if they had stuck a bit longer in the AHL
-Olimb missed about three months because he was injured by his teamate Kyle Beach during training camp. If that injury didn't happen, he might have played a bit in the NHL this season.
-Hisey went from being in the CHL (Central Hockey League) to being one of the top AHL forwards in less than a year. I think that playing in Austria is a step back from him.
Brad Moran will be an UFA come July, so the Oilers won't retain his rights. The others are all RFAs. Assuming their teams qualify them (Which in the case of a few, like Kalus, is unlikely), than that team will retain their rights.
Kalus didnt't sign in Jokerit. They will just test him in the summer and then decide.
I'm going to keep it up there regardless. I mean, I'm sure there will be the odd guy to sign overseas with an out-clause for the NHL, but I'm going to put them up as well. Then, if the time comes and they get cut, or sign with an NHL team, I'll add a separate category or just remove them from the list. Same with Kalus, if he ends up not sticking with Jokerit, I'll update it.
Anaheim Ducks' center Joel Perrault, who had 0 points in 7 games with the Vancouver Canucks and 5 goals and 23 points in 37 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, has signed with the SCL Tigers of Switzerland. Perreault was scheduled to become an UFA this summer.
Karri Ramo re-ups for two more years with Avangard Omsk. He played with Omsk last season, as well, but I know a lot of people were counting on him returning to North America this season after Montreal traded prospect Cedrick Desjardins to Tampa for his rights.
Vancouver Canucks prospect defenseman Peter Andersson, 20, has been loaned to Orebro IK of the HockeyAllsvenskan (otherwise known as the next level down from the Elitsirien).
Andersson, a 5th round pick from 2009, was under contract for the 2010-11 season as well, and was on loan with Frolunda HC Goteborg, while also seeing time with Boras HC of the HockeyAllsvenskan.
Eliteprospects has it as a loan, but the link, when roughly translates, states that he "signed a contract for 2011-12 with Orebro".
