TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: JULY 27TH, 2023
Jul 27, 2023Next week, the calendar will turn to August. This signals the final true month of summer and means we are one month closer to the start of the 2023-24 Hartford Wolf Pack season. Although it has mostly been rainy and hot this summer, the winds of change have been blowing quite steadily over the last few weeks at the XL Center.
The team that ended the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs in May for the Wolf Pack will be vastly different from the one that will take the ice in Providence on October 13th in the season opener. Some familiar veteran faces have moved on. Some new veteran faces have come in to replace them, while a new crop of young rookie pros will come to town to mark the next era in franchise history.
The Departures
The Wolf Pack saw their longest-tenured player, Tim Gettinger, depart on July 1st via free agency. After 237 games with the club, Gettinger signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, finishing his time in Hartford with 133 points (62 g, 71 a). Gettinger became the 25th player in club history to play 200 games in Hartford this past season and tacked on eight points (2 g, 6 a) in nine Calder Cup Playoff games.
Ryan Carpenter, who scored 21 goals in 51 games, also left via free agency. The veteran forward returned to the San Jose Sharks organization on a one-year deal. Of course, he started his career in the Sharks organization. Trade deadline addition Will Lockwood inked a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers, while fellow deadline addition Wyatt Kalynuk signed with the St. Louis Blues on July 1st.
Three former Wolf Pack players headed to Europe, as forwards Lauri Pajuniemi and Ben Tardif each inked deals back in May. Pajuniemi, who scored 19 goals in his second season with the club, signed in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks on May 23rd. Ben Tardif, who was acquired from the Colorado Eagles via trade on New Year’s Eve, signed in Finland and will play for KooKoo in 2023-24. Defenseman Cooper Zech signed in Slovakia in early June.
While these are the only players who have signed elsewhere, as of this writing, there are other players from the 2022-23 Wolf Pack team who are currently unrestricted free agents and who are looking for a home.
Current UFA forwards include Easton Brodzinski, Cristiano DiGiacinto, Tanner Fritz, Patrick Khodorenko, Ryan Lohin, and C.J. Smith. Defensively, Adam Clendening, Libor Hájek, and Louka Henault remain on the free-agent market. Goaltender Parker Gahagen is also still unsigned.
Defenseman Brandon Scanlin is also unsigned at this time but is a restricted free agent (RFA) who elected for arbitration. The Rangers retain his rights at this time.
Of course, there is always the possibility that the Rangers or Wolf Pack could come to terms with one or multiple of the current free agents from a season ago. All that remains to be seen as the summer continues to churn along.
The Additions
It’s always hard to see faces leave, but always exciting to see new faces come through the door. The Rangers were quite active at the start of the free agency period on July 1st, adding some pieces that could find their way to Hartford during the upcoming campaign.
Alex Belzile, should he come to Hartford, would bring both leadership and proven production to the lineup. Belzile, who split the last two seasons between the AHL’s Laval Rocket and NHL’s Montréal Canadiens, wore the ‘A’ for Laval in 2021-22 before receiving the captaincy last season.
He notched 26 points (14 g, 12 a) in 31 games with the Rocket a season ago, and a career-high 14 points (6 g, 8 a) in 31 NHL games with the Canadiens. Belzile also has Calder Cup Playoff experience, scoring nine points (5 g, 4 a) in 15 games with the Rocket in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. That season, they advanced all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Riley Nash, a veteran of 627 NHL games and 271 AHL contests, inked a two-year deal with the Rangers on July 1st. Should Nash end up in Hartford, he’ll bring more leadership and proven top-line production to the fold. Nash, who wore the ‘A’ for the Charlotte Checkers last season, scored an AHL career-high 59 points (24 g, 35 a) in 66 games in 2022-23. His 24 goals tied him for first on the club in scoring with Gerry Mayhew, who played three more games than Nash.
Nash tacked on five points (3 g, 2 a) in seven Calder Cup Playoff games a season ago. He also scored 18 points (10 g, 8 a) in 17 games with the Syracuse Crunch during the 2021-22 campaign. That season also marked his most recent NHL games, as he suited up with the Winnipeg Jets (15 GP), Arizona Coyotes (24 GP), and Tampa Bay Lightning (10 GP, 8 Playoff GP).
Sahil Panwar was signed to a one-year AHL contract by the Wolf Pack and will turn pro this fall. Panwar scored 17 points (10 g, 7 a) in 34 games with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes this past season prior to a trade to the Hamilton Bulldogs. In Hamilton, Panwar exploded for 52 points (21 g, 31 a) in 34 games. He also recorded three points (1 g, 2 a) in four playoff games, then attended Rangers’ Development Camp as an invite earlier in July. Clearly, he impressed at the camp and will be in Hartford for Training Camp this fall.
Drew Worrad was the more veteran addition on an AHL deal, signing with the Wolf Pack on July 12th. Worrad split the 2022-23 season between the Grand Rapids Griffins and ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. He appeared in 47 games with the Griffins, scoring four points (2 g, 2 a), and 25 games with the Walleye. He was a point-per-game performer with the Walleye, recording 25 points (10 g, 15 a). This is the kind of signing that might not grab headlines in July but is exactly what a good AHL team needs. As the last few seasons have shown, having options like Worrad when injuries and call-ups hit is vitally important.
Defensively, Seth Barton also comes to Hartford from Grand Rapids. The former UMass-Lowell River Hawk dressed in 36 games with the Griffins in 2022-23, and like Worrad will provide the team with proven depth at the AHL level. Barton was a third-round selection, 81st overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in 2018.
Zach Berzolla is back in the fold after a year with the Rochester Americans. He signed a one-year contract on July 13th, and like Barton will compete for time on what will be a competitive blue line. Berzolla skated in eight games with the Pack during his rookie season in 2021-22, scoring his first career AHL goal.
The Rangers also signed some defensemen with AHL experience, including Nikolas Brouillard. Brouillard just wrapped up his third season in the AHL, scoring 39 points (6 g, 33 a) in 72 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. A well-liked player with the Gulls, Brouillard promises to bring an offensive flash to the blue line and has the versatility that allows him to play both forward and defense.
Mac Hollowell also signed with the Rangers, inking a deal on July 2nd. Hollowell dealt with injuries a season ago but scored 13 points, all assists, in just 18 regular season games with the Toronto Marlies. He then proceeded to add five assists in just seven Calder Cup Playoff games this past spring. Hollowell also made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs this past season, skating in six games while recording two assists at the NHL level. The right-shot defenseman could certainly be an impact player for the Wolf Pack should he find his way to Hartford.
Connor Mackey didn’t play in the AHL a season ago. Instead, he split his year between the Calgary Flames (10 GP) and Arizona Coyotes (20 GP). He scored seven points (3 g, 4 a) in his 30 NHL games, then scored three points (1 g, 2 a) in ten games at the World Championship with Team USA in the spring. Mackey has two AHL seasons under his belt, both with the Stockton Heat. He scored 36 points (5 g, 31 a) in 53 games during the 2021-22 campaign, leading the team in scoring by defensemen. Should Mackey find himself in Hartford, he’d be an impact defenseman with the ability to help in all areas.
The Wrap-up
The major work is likely done for this summer. Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin could always add a few AHL contracts between now and training camp, while there are almost certainly going to be tryouts signed for camp. That being said, there will be a bevy of young players heading to Hartford this fall who will be competing for ice time. While additions are still possible, there are already plenty of options for Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. That’s especially true when you remember that trade deadline acquisition Anton Blidh already signed a two-year extension in June.
Young forwards like Brett Berard, Adam Edström, Ryder Korczak, and Adam Sýkora are all about to enter their rookie professional seasons in North America. Brennan Othmann, the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2021, will also be turning pro this fall and could start in Hartford depending on what unfolds in training camp.
It was a busy start to free agency for the Rangers and Wolf Pack. Both teams made a number of signings that will impact both of their rosters for the 2023-24 season. Nothing is certain, and as we saw a season ago things can and will change over the course of a campaign.
Soon, the free agent news cycle will turn into training camp battles. Shortly after that, we’ll get our first look at the roster that will kick off a promising Wolf Pack season.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.