While the Moose added seven players last week there were still a few notable players for this team that hadn’t been signed on the dotted line. This included two of their top five guys in points being Dan DeSalvo (3rd) and Kevin Czuczman (5th).
Last season was DeSalvo’s first full one in the AHL after he joined the Moose to close out the 2015-16 campaign from the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL. In 66 games for Manitoba this past season he had 18 goals and 22 assists often playing on the 3rd line with Brendan Lemieux and Scott Kosmachuk. He was a nice find by the organization but he will be taking his talents to Hartford on an AHL deal where he joins former Moose coach Keith McCambridge, the current Wolfpack head coach.
Czuczman really blossomed in his third AHL season, his first with Manitoba, as he took over the role of offensive defenceman from Brenden Kichton (who also left, heading to Carolina on a one year, two-way deal). He put up nine goals and 23 assists in 2016-17 (more than doubling his previous best points total). He is off to the Pittsburgh organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract.
While we don’t know what the contract negotiations looked like between the organization and these players it is somewhat surprising that neither will be back. Considering that Kyle Connor (2nd leading scorer) may find himself with the Jets next year it would leave the Moose with just two of their five top scorers (Roslovic, De Leo) from last season.
