Sabres Re-Sign Stuart, Whitmore, Add MacIntyre

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have re-signed left wings Colin Stuart and Derek Whitmore to one-year contracts. Financial terms of both deals were not disclosed. The team has also announced that they have signed goaltender Drew MacIntyre to a one-year contract worth $525,000. In three games last season with the Sabres, Stuart had no points. He also appeared in 72 games with Portland of the AHL, scoring 16 goals and 28 assists for 44 points. Whitmore played in 80 games last season with Portland, scoring 27 goals and 20 assists for 47 points. He has yet to appear in an NHL game. MacIntyre appeared in 41 games with Chicago and Hamilton of the AHL, posting a 24-11-3 record, one shutout, a 2.37 GAA, and a .922 save percentage. These are all just depth signings for the Sabres, as all three players will likely spend the majority of next season in the AHL.

Thrashers Acquire Brett Festerling from Canadiens for Drew MacIntyre

The Atlanta Thrashers announced today that they have acquired defenseman Brett Festerling from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender Drew MacIntyre. Festerling will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, while MacIntyre will be an unrestricted free agent. Festerling, who was acquired by the Canadiens this past December from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Maxim Lapierre, has no points in one game with the Ducks this season. He never suited up in a game with the Canadiens. He has also appeared in 48 games with Syracuse and Hamilton of the AHL, scoring three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. MacIntyre has played in 20 games with Chicago of the AHL, posting a 12-5-1, with a 2.91 GAA and a .906 save percentage. He has not appeared in an NHL game this season. This is really just a depth move for both teams, as both players will likely spend most of the rest of the season in the minors. The Thrashers get a hard-working defenseman in Festerling who can chip in offensively from time to time, so he could end up as their sixth or seventh defenseman down the road. MacIntyre adds more depth in goal for Montreal as they head into the playoffs, though it remains to be seen if he will play any games with the club.

Thrashers Sign Four Players to Contracts

The Atlanta Thrashers announced on Monday that they have signed center Jason Krog, defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski, and goaltenders Drew MacIntyre and Peter Mannino to contracts. The exact lengths and financial terms of the four deals were not disclosed. In four games last season with the Vancouver Canucks, Krog scored one goal. He also appeared in 74 games with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, Manitoba Moose, scoring 30 goals and 56 assists for 86 points. In 202 career games with the Canucks, New York Islanders, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, and New York Rangers, Krog has 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points. This will be his second stint with the Thrashers. Kwiatkowski played in 52 games last season for Cherepovets of the KHL, scoring 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. In 282 career NHL games with the Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Atlanta Thrashers, he has 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points. This will be Kwiatkowski’s second stint with the Thrashers. MacIntyre did not appear in any NHL games last season, instead playing in 55 games for the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. He posted a 34-15-4 record, four shutouts, a 2.30 GAA, and a .921 save percentage. Mannino played in three games for the New York Islanders last season, posting a 1-1-0 record with a 4.51 GAA and a .885 save percentage. He also appeared in 34 games last season for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, posting a 17-12-2 record with a 2.94 GAA and .900 save percentage.

These are merely just depth moves for the Thrashers and all four players will likely spend most of next season in the minors. Krog has enjoyed lots of success at the minor league level with his offensive skill and goal-scoring abilities, but has not been able to bring that success to the NHL. He showed some promise with the Ducks during the 2002-03 season, but has been used at the NHL level sparingly ever since. He will likely play on the fourth line for the Thrashers if recalled by the team at any point during the 2009-10 season. Kwiatkowski has been a number six depth defenseman for his whole NHL career and will likely play the same role with the Thrashers next season. MacIntyre had a very successful season in the AHL in 2008-09 and should be a solid goalie for the Thrashers’ AHL affiliate in Chicago next season. Mannino played well in college, but struggled in his first seasons in the NHL and AHL. He will likely hone his skills in the AHL, or quite possibly ECHL, next season in order to get back to the NHL.