It’s time to start tracking new, returning, and departing players for the 2019/2020 season. The organization has a lot of work ahead with a total of 22 unrestricted free agents going into the off season. The roster could look similar to last season or it could be a large turnover.
The Amerks have a few big needs this off season to attempt to be playoff contenders again – a number one center, a scoring winger to replace Olofsson and possibly CJ Smith, and a veteran goalie. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen isn’t expected to be fully recovered until November [ see Luukkonen Undergoes Successful Hip Surgery ] which leaves the number one spot wide open to get the season off to a great start.
I’ve broken this up into four different sections. Updates with dates as a player is signed or signs elsewhere, current 2019/2020 roster by position, new players coming into the organization, and the status of everyone that played at least one game during the 2018/2019 season. This post will be updated throughout the summer until the start of the season with all updates noted by date.
Key off season dates for the 2019/2020 season via CapFriendly:
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Recent Updates:
6/13 – Amerks signed Kevin Porter to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
6/19 – Amerks re-signed Andrew MacWilliam to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
6/25 – Amerks signed Sean Malone to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
6/25 – CJ Smith and Remi Elie received qualifying offer from the Sabres [ Details ]
6/25 – Eric Cornel, Jack Dougherty, Pascal Aquin, Vasily Glotov, and Brycen Martin did not get qualifying offers [ Details ]
6/28 – Amerks signed Taylor Leier to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
7/1 – Amerks re-signed Dalton Smith to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
7/1 – Sabres signed forward Curtis Lazar to a 1yr one-way deal [ Details ]
7/1 – Sabres signed defenseman John Gilmour to a 1yr one-way deal [ Details ]
7/1 – Sabres signed goalie Andrew Hammond to a 1yr one-way deal [ Details ]
7/1 – Sabres signed Jean-Sebastien Dea to a 2yr one-way deal [ Details ]
7/5 – Amerks re-signed Eric Cornel, Nathan Paetsch, Tyler Randell to 1yr AHL deals [ Details ]
7/5 – Amerks signed Jarrett Burton to a 1yr AHL deal [ Details ]
7/9 – Alex Nylander traded to the Blackhawks [ Details ]
7/24 – Amerks signed Boomhower and Hora to AHL contracts [ Details ]
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Signed for 2019/2020
Combination of NHL and AHL contracts
Centers
- Jean-Sebastian Dea (UFA in 2021/2022)
- Kevin Porter (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Rasmus Asplund (RFA in 2021/2022)
- Sean Malone (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Eric Cornel (AHL through 2020/2021)
Right Wing
- Curtis Lazar (UFA in 2020/2021)
- Andrew Oglevie (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Tage Thompson (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Jarrett Burton (AHL through 2020/2021)
Left Wing
- CJ Smith (RFA in 2021/2022 – will have to clear waivers)
- Remi Elie (Elected for arbitration – will have to clear waivers)
- Victor Olofsson (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Taylor Leier (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Dalton Smith (AHL through 2020/2021)
- Tyler Randell (AHL through 2020/2021)
- Matej Pekar (RFA in 2021/2022) (expected to go back to juniors)
Left Defensemen
- John Gilmour (UFA in 2020/2021)
- Andrew MacWilliam (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Nathan Paetsch (AHL through 2020/2021)
- Lawrence Pilut (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Brandon Hickey (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Devante Stephens (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Jacob Bryson (RFA in 2022/2023)
- Kurt Gosselin (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Justin Baudry (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Tobie Bisson (AHL through 2019/2020)
Right Defensemen
- Zach Redmond (AHL through 2019/2020)
- Henri Jokiharju (RFA in 2021/2022)
- Will Borgen (RFA in 2021/2022)
- Casey Fitzgerald (RFA in 2021/2022)
Goalies
- Andrew Hammond (UFA in 2020/2021)
- Jonas Johansson (RFA in 2020/2021)
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (RFA in 2021/2022)
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New Players for 2019/2020
This is a list of players that have been added and could play for the Rochester Americans during the 2019/2020 season that haven’t played here before.
Forwards:
- Arttu Ruotsalainen – Signed w/ the Sabres but if he doesn’t make the NHL lineup will return to Finland [ More details ]
- Curtis Lazar
- Jean-Sebastian Dea
- Jarrett Burton
- Shaw Boomhower – Signed 1yr AHL deal. Was in Cincy last season under contract with them.
Defenseman:
- John Gilmour
- Jacob Bryson – Joined the Amerks for practices at the end of the 2018/2019 season but did not play in any games.
- Justin Baudry – Played 4yrs at Bemidji State University [ Details ]
- Henri Jokiharju – Acquired in the trade for Alex Nylander.
- Frank Hora – Signed to a 1yr AHL deal.
Goalie:
- Andrew Hammond
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Status of the 2018/2019 Roster
Below is a list of everyone who played at least one game for the Rochester Americans in the 2018/2019 season and their current contract status along with team they’ve signed with for the 2019/2020 season. Order of names is just a copy and paste from HockeyDB. This does not contain any new players that are coming into the Sabres organization and expected to play in Rochester.
As of 8/22 players without gigs for the 19/20 season: Vasily Glotov, Yannick Veilleux, Pascal Aquin, Anthony Florentino, Michael Houser
Full list:
| POS | 18/19 GP | 19/20 Status | |
| Eric Cornel | R | 76 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Rasmus Asplund | C | 75 | RFA in 2021/2022 |
| Wayne Simpson | R | 72 | Overseas to Germany |
| Will Borgen | D | 71 | RFA in 2021/2022 |
| Danny O’Regan | C | 70 | Signed with NY Rangers (Hartford) |
| Andrew MacWilliam | D | 66 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Victor Olofsson | L | 66 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| C.J. Smith | L | 62 | Signed 2yr NHL deal through 2020/2021 |
| Kevin Porter | C | 58 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Zach Redmond | D | 58 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Jack Dougherty | D | 56 | Wasn’t qualified – becomes UFA |
| Yannick Veilleux | L | 50 | Unrestricted |
| Brendan Guhle | D | 50 | Traded to Anaheim Ducks |
| Alexander Nylander | R | 49 | Traded to Chicago Blackhawks |
| Scott Wedgewood | G | 48 | Signed with Tampa Bay (Syracuse) |
| Dalton Smith | L | 48 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Matt Tennyson | D | 47 | Signed with New Jersey (Binghamton) |
| Kyle Criscuolo | C | 43 | Signed with Philadelphia (Lehigh Valley) |
| Brandon Hickey | D | 38 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Sean Malone | C | 38 | AHL through 2019/2020 |
| Justin Bailey | R | 37 | Signed with Vancouver (Utica) |
| Tyler Randell | R | 36 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Taylor Leier | L | 35 | AHL through 2019/2020 |
| Lawrence Pilut | D | 30 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Adam Wilcox | G | 28 | Signed w/ AHL San Antonio Rampage |
| Andrew Oglevie | C | 28 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Remi Elie | L | 25 | Received qualifying offer – will have to clear waivers |
| Scott Wilson | L | 17 | UFA in 2020/2021 |
| Nathan Paetsch | D | 11 | AHL deal through 19/20 |
| Taylor Fedun | D | 9 | Re-Signed with Dallas Stars |
| Kurt Gosselin | D | 8 | AHL through 2019/2020 |
| Tage Thompson | R | 8 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Myles Powell | F | 7 | Signed w/ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
| Jonas Johansson | G | 5 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Casey Nelson | D | 5 | UFA in 2020/2021 |
| Judd Peterson | R | 5 | Signed w/ ECHL Reading Royals |
| Casey Fitzgerald | D | 4 | RFA in 2021/2022 |
| Arvin Atwal | D | 3 | Signed w/ Milwaukee Admirals |
| Vasili Glotov | C | 2 | Unrestricted |
| Matt Hunwick | D | 2 | UFA in 2020/2021 |
| Devante Stephens | D | 1 | RFA in 2020/2021 |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | G | 1 | RFA in 2021/2022 |
| Tobie Paquette-Bisson | D | 1 | AHL through 2019/2020 |
| Pascal Aquin | L | 1 | Unrestricted |
Eric Knodel didn’t play in any Amerks games this past season, was in Cincinnati the whole time, signed with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Alex Wideman was on an AHL contract last season and signed overseas in Germany.
Anthony Florentino and Michael Houser were on AHL contracts playing in Cincinnati and are still looking for gigs.
