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CANTLON’S CORNER: THE POST FREE AGENT FRENZY
AHL

CANTLON’S CORNER: THE POST FREE AGENT FRENZY 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – If Steve Miller wanted to rewrite his masterpiece, “Take the Money and Run” and put a Hartford Wolf Pack spin on it, it might sound something like this. “This a story about Bigras and Gilly, two young hockey players with plenty of skill to show, here’s what they did when they decided to cut loose – Go on take the money and run!”

AHL CONTRACTS ON THE RISE

Take the Money and Run also defined how the last few days of NHL/AHL moving day or free agents.

Jaws were sure to drop upon review of some of the salaries AHL players were handed out this week. It left everyone in the know, in some cases, more than just a little bit astonished.

Cantlon’s Corner has been reporting on the AHL since the late 1980s. At that time, the average salary was approximately on average, around $40K. A scant few top echelon players made $50K. Since that time, the 100-plus time percent increase is mind-numbing and must leave former AHL vets, shaking their collective heads.

In 2019, in professional hockey, everything is about the cap. As of Wednesday, of the 124 total contracts offered, the teams collectively have spent over $707M. Stunning… poverty is certainly not a word one would hear among those in hockey circles. All salary numbers come from capfriendly.com

A longtime hockey insider who requested anonymity put it in stark terms. What has driven this hockey salary “arms race?” ”The salary cap is precious gold. Teams protect that at all costs. The one-way money; that’s a real number and affects the cap either negatively or positively.

Two-way contracts, which most AHL contracts, are, you see that while the increases are real, it really doesn’t affect the cap because the AAV is based on the overall one-way contract and that’s what matters.”

Some players don’t need to head to Europe if they are raking in these type of salaries.

Several teams have more lateral ability than others and some current and ex-Wolfpack players are benefiting greatly.

Greg McKegg, who split last season between Charlotte and Carolina, inked a one-year, one-way deal for $750K  with the Rangers. That money counts on the cap. It’s also a nice hefty increase from his AHL gig last season that paid $70K. Danny O’Regan, Jeff LoVerde, Harry Zolniercycyzk, and Thomas McCollum, are all new Pack signees. Their salaries have yet to be posted.

Philadelphia helped out Lehigh Valley with ex-Pack, Chris Bigras, who signed for a $250K-AHL & $700k-NHL deal up from his $70K AHL contract last year. Andy Andreoff from Syracuse got himself a $750K one-way up from his previous $680K deal. Nate Prosser, from Iowa, earned a slight increase at $421.5K-AHL/$700K-NHL for two years up from his $400K/$700K contract.

Rochester will get John Gilmour if he doesn’t make the Sabres roster and it will cost them $700K.

Arizona helps out Tucson with two players returning from Europe.

Andy Miele from Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) gets a two-year deal paying $275K in the AHL and $725K in the NHL. Beau Bennett from Dynamo Riga (Latvia-KHL) nails down a $200K-AHL and $725K-NHL pact while Aaron Ness, the ex-Sound Tiger, gets a two-year deal at $300K-AHL & $725K-NHL.

In Binghamton (New Jersey), Dakota Mermis goes from $100K in Tucson to $200. A few took a pay cut. Ben Street was making $750K in San Diego and slips to $425K while Matt Tennyson from Rochester goes from $659K to $350K. Neither is expected to start clipping coupons.

Charlotte (Carolina) sign enigmatic ex-Pack, Brian Gibbons (Salisbury Prep), for $100K-AHL and $725K-NHL after playing for a $1million last year between Anaheim/Ottawa.

The Colorado Eagles (Avalanche) handed ex-CT Whale, Jayson Megna, a $350K-AHL and $700K-NHL one-year deal. Dan Renouf, from Charlotte, gets a two-year deal paying $275K in the first year and $350K for the AHL in his second year. He’ll earn at the NHL level, $700K for two years. T.J. Tynan gets one-year deal paying him $425K in the AHL and $700K in the NHL.

Chicago (Las Vegas) was among the busiest teams. Pat Brown from the Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers goes from $100K to $450K in his first year and $700K in his second year. Tyrell Goulbourne, after a nine-goal campaign with Lehigh Valley, goes from $70K to $225K-AHL/$700K-NHL in the first year and $700K second.

Jaycob Megna (Jayson’s brother) goes from $260K in San Diego to $400K with the Wolves.

Montreal beefed up Laval with Riley Barber ($300K-AHL.$700K-NHL) and Phil Varone ($450K-AHL/$700K-NHL) from Hershey and Lehigh Valley respectively.

San Diego, via Anaheim, signs AHL Butterfield trophy winner, Andrew Poturlarksi, from Charlotte to a $350K-AHL/$750-NHL on a one-year deal.

In Springfield, Tommy Cross (Simsbury/Westminster Prep) goes from $300K to $325K. Ethan Prow from Wilkes Barre/Scranton is joining him and going from $90K to $700K per for the next two years. Kevin Roy, after just 14 games last year with Anaheim and San Diego, gets a $300K-AHL/$850K-NHL seal for one year.

Tampa Bay aids Syracuse with two new goalies veteran Scott Wedgewood and Spencer Martin at $750K one-way each. Ex-Pack, Chris Mueller, migrates to the Syracuse Crunch from the Toronto Marlies where he’ll make $700K on a one-way, one-year up from his $650K last season.

Danick Martel, despite an injury-shortened season (15 games) is rewarded with a $700K one-way deal after a $65K-AHL deal last year. Daniel Walcott, the ex-Pack, who, after just five games because of shoulder surgery, is given a one-year $125K deal for the AHL and a $700K NHL contract.

Stockton gets Bryon Froese next season for $450K-AHL/$700K-NHL after splitting last season with Laval and Lehigh Valley.

The Texas Stars got help from parent Dallas when they signed Tanner Kero from Utica. He gets two years at $300K in the AHL in the first year and $350K in the second with $700K & $775K respectively in the NHL. That’s for two years and both are “down” from his one-way $800K deal last year.

Utica (Vancouver) inked Justin Bailey to a $700K one way for two years.

PLAYER AND COACHING MOVEMENT

Last season’s Wolf Pack captain Cole Schneider re-signs with Nashville and will play for Milwaukee. No contracts details have been released yet.

Six more AHL’ers head overseas for next year with two of them heading to Kunlun (China-KHL).

Tyler Wong, from the Chicago Wolves, and ex-Pack, Adam Cracknell, who split last season between San Diego and Toronto.

Also heading East is Adam Helewka of Milwaukee/Tucson who signs with Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan Russia-KHL) and the latest Trevor Cheek of the Tucson Roadrunners goes to Esbjerg (Denmark-DHL).

Mark McNeil goes from Providence to EHC Linz (Austria-EBEL) and Zack Mitchell leaves the Ontario Reign for Neftekhimik (Russia-KHL).

In Mitchell’s case, you think his agent explained to him he was leaving a sunny, warm LA suburb to go to Siberia?

Now 52 AHL’ers have signed for Europe next season.

Ex-Pack, and one funny guy, Francois Bouchard, makes it back home after playing with Dundee (Scotland-EIHL) to play for St. Jerome (LNAH) next season.

Ex-Pack, Tomas Kundratek, leaves HC Davos (Switzerland-LNA) and heads home to HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic-CEL).

Brett Magnus of Sacred Heart University (AHA), signs overseas with HUS Hokii (Netherlands BEL-NED HL).

That makes 44 collegians to sign for Europe and 221 overall college players signed pro deals.

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