2023 Grand Rapids Griffins Offseason Tracker

SEASON SYNOPSIS

The 2022-23 season was another lackluster one for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Despite having a roster full of young talent and strong veterans, the Griffins failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. To add insult to injury, their 64 points and record of 28-36-4-4 placed Grand Rapids toward the bottom of the league standings (30th out of 32 teams).

At the end of the season, General Manager Shawn Horcoff decided the Griffins needed a new voice in the locker room and decided to not renew the contracts of all of the coaching staff except video coach Mike Knuble (who ended up leaving the organization on June 22).

Even though the season was a little cloudy for the Griffins, there were many bright spots on the roster which helped salvage the season. 

Forward Taro Hirose led the Griffins with 41 assists and 57 points, while Joel L’Esperance led the team with 25 goal. L’Esperance’s 14 power play goals was third best in the league, tied with Michael Carcone of the Tucson Roadrunners. 

Jared McIsaac brought strength to the blue line at both even strength and on the power play. His ability to compose 200-foot plays based on how the opponent was playing allowed the Griffins to string together multiple successful plays all season.

(List accurate as of Sept. 19th, 10:30am ET)

UNDER CONTRACT AND RE-SIGNINGS

Forwards

• Austin Czarnik – Last year of two-way NHL contract
• Cross Hanas  – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
• Taro Hirose – Last year of two-way NHL contract
• Joel L’Esperance – Last year of AHL contract
• Amadeus Lombardi – First year of entry-level contract (entry-level slide; played for Grand Rapids and Flint Firebirds of the OHL in 2022-23)
• Dominik Shine – Last year of AHL contract
• Elmer Söderblom – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
• Carter Mazur  – Signed a three-year, entry-level NHL contract on March 28 (played for Grand Rapids on an ATO and Univ. of Denver [NCAA] in 2022-23)
• Matt Luff – Signed one-year, two-way NHL contract on July 1

Defensemen

• Simon Edvinsson – First year of entry-level contract
• Albert Johansson – Last year of entry-level contract
• Emil Viro – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
• William Wallinder – Signed a three-year, entry-level NHL contract on March 27 (played for Grand Rapids on an ATO and Rögle BK of the SHL in 2022-23)
• Wyatt Newpower – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 14
• Trenton Bliss – Signed a one-year AHL contract extension on July 15
• Jared McIsaac – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 15

Goaltenders

• Sebastian Cossa – First year of entry-level contract
• John Lethemon – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension on July 8

Coaches

• Brian Lashoff – Retired from playing career at the end of the 2022-23 season; announced as assistant coach of the Griffins on June 26

NEW ADDITIONS

Forwards

• Marco Kasper – First year of entry-level contract (entry-level slide; played for Detroit and Rögle BK of the SHL in 2022-23)
• Alexandre Doucet – Signed a three-year, entry-level NHL contract on March 1 (played for the Halifax Mooseheads and the Val-dOr Foreurs of the QMJHL in 2022-23)
• Tim Gettinger – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract  on July 1 (played for the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2022-23)
• Nolan Stevens – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract on July 3 (played for the Utica Comets in 2022-23)

Defensemen

• Antti Tuomisto – Signed a two-year, entry-level NHL contract on March 19 (played for TPS of Liiga in 2022-23)
• Brogan Rafferty  – Signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract on July 1 (played for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in 2022-23)
• Josiah Didier – Signed a one-year AHL contract on July 2 (played for the Providence Bruins in 2022-23)

Goaltenders

• Alex Lyon – Signed a two-year, one-way NHL contract on July 1 (played with Florida and Charlotte in 2022-23)

Coaches

• Dan Watson – Announced as the 12th head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins on June 14 (coached the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL in 2022-23)
• Roope Koistinen – Announced as goaltending coach on July 3 (previously the goaltending coach for Karpat U20 in 2022-23)
• Stephane Julien – Announced as assistant coach on June 26 (previously the head coach of the Sherbrook Phoenix of the QMJHL in 2022-23)

DEPARTURES

Forwards

• Pontus Andreasson – Signed a four-year contract with Lulea HF of the SHL on April 25 (did not receive qualifying offer from the Red Wings on June 30)
• Jasper Weatherby – Signed one-year, two-way NHL contract with the Nashville Predators on July 3 (did not receive qualifying offer from the Red Wings on June 30)
• Drew Worrad  – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack on July 12
• Alex Chiasson – Signed a PTO with Boston on August 22 (split time between Detroit and Grand Rapids in 2022-23)
• Kirill Tyutyayev – Signed a one-year contract with ECHL Toledo on August 22 (split time between Grand Rapids and Toledo in 2022-23)
• Chase Pearson – Signed a one-year contract with HK Dukla Michalovce of the Slovakia Tipos Extraliga on September 8
• Danny O’Regan – Signed a one-year contract with MoDo Hockey of the SHL on September 20

Defensemen

• Donovan Sebrango – Traded to the Ottawa Senators in the Alex DeBrincat trade on July 9
• Seth Barton – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hartford Wolf Pack on July 12

Goaltenders

• Victor Brattström – Signed one-year contract with HV71 of the SHL on June 13
• Alex Nedeljkovic – Signed one-year, one-way NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1
• Ryan Bednard – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Ontario Reign on August 15 (played five games on loan from ECHL Greenville in 2022-23)

Coaches

• Todd Krygier – Contract not renewed at the end of the season
• Mike Knuble – Announced he was leaving the organization on June 22
• Ben Simon – Hired by the Iowa Wild as an assistant coach on July 6
• Brian Mahoney-Wilson – Hired as assistant coach for Northeastern Univ. [NCAA] on July 27
• Matt McDonald – Hired as assistant coach for Bridgeport on September 1

 

(Special thanks to CapFriendly and Elite Prospects for all the contract terms and definitions for this offseason player tracker!)

 

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Other 2023 AHL Off Season Trackers :

Links will be updated as articles are released.

Central

• Chicago Wolves
• Grand Rapids Griffins
• Iowa Wild
• Manitoba Moose
• Milwaukee Admirals
• Rockford IceHogs
• Texas Stars

Pacific

• Abbotsford Canucks
• Bakersfield Condors
• Calgary Wranglers
• Coachella Valley Firebirds
• Colorado Eagles
• Henderson Silver Knights
• Ontario Reign
• San Diego Gulls
• San Jose Barracuda
• Tucson Roadrunners

Atlantic

• Bridgeport Islanders
• Charlotte Checkers
• Hartford Wolf Pack
• Hershey Bears
• Lehigh Valley Phantoms
• Providence Bruins
• Springfield Thunderbirds 
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

North

• Belleville Senators
• Cleveland Monsters
• Laval Rocket
• Rochester Americans
• Syracuse Crunch
• Toronto Marlies
• Utica Comets