As… well, probably everyone who saw that draft pick imagined, the Islanders have signed fifth-rounder Sebastian Aho to his entry-level contract. He likely jumps in on a Bridgeport defense that looked younger a week ago than it does now with the addition of Seth Helgeson and return of Kane Lafranchise.
Edit, 6 p.m.: The NHLPA announced that Calvin de Haan opted for salary arbitration. No more asterisk for him on this list of ours, then.
Further back: The endless wait for Russian prospects doesn’t seem to end well for the Islanders, usually. There’s three more years of waiting coming, Slava Malamud reported, for goalie Ilya Sorokin. It changes nothing imminently, as Sorokin was assumed to be at least a year away. Linus Soderstrom is signed and a year away. And the assorted kids remain here.
CapFriendly reports Kevin Czuczman to Pittsburgh. Onetime Sound Tiger David Desharnais to the Rangers.
Chip Malafronte on Kenny Agostino, and it’s nice to be able to link to Chip without jokes about “the other paper”…
A one-way for Steve Oleksy. Florida’s been busy for Springfield.
And RIP, David Vincent, John Blackwell Jr., Miosotis Familia, Gene Conley and Tinker Blake.