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Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: Puljujarvi, Kempe, Goldobin, Tkachuk

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It’s rare for players to debut in the NHL and make a significant impact for their teams in the same year they are drafted. In 2015-16, just three players selected in the prior June’s draft – Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin – appeared in more than 18 NHL contests as rookies. However, we could see as many as five 2016 draftees all earn regular shifts with their clubs during the 2016-17 season, two of whom appear in this post.

Jesse Puljujarvi (Edmonton) – Expected to go in the top-three of the draft, Puljujarvi surprisingly dropped to #4 after Columbus elected to take C Pierre-Luc Dubois at #3 instead of the Finnish winger. Edmonton happily grabbed Puljujarvi with their choice and this stroke of good fortune may have played a role in the June 29th trade of Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson. Having Puljujarvi in the fold provided Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli the knowledge he had enough depth on the wings to cash in a player of Hall’s caliber to address their weakness on the blue line.

Puljujarvi combines NHL size at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds with excellent skating ability. He starred for the Finns helping his home country win the gold medal in the World Junior Championships. He also captured the tourney’s MVP award and finished tops among all participants in both assists (12) and points (17).

The Oilers already have one of the top young superstars in the game in MacDavid and saw 2014 first-round pick Leon Draisaitl bust out with a 51-point campaign in 2016-17. Joining that dangerous duo up front is former top overall selection Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton boasts plenty of talented high-end forwards which virtually assures Puljujarvi will have a chance to skate with some good players. Don’t be surprised if he ends up as a Calder Trophy finalist and the leading scorer among all 2016 draftees.

Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles) – After losing forwards Milan Lucic and Kris Versteeg to free agency and with Dustin Brown’s offense regressing to a level where he has no business in the top-nine, the Kings could turn to Kempe to provide additional scoring. Kempe, the team’s first-round choice in 2014, already has 55 games of pro experience in North America after suiting up this past season for the Kings AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. The Swedish winger tallied 11 goals and recorded 28 points during the regular season and another four goals and five points in 13 postseason contests.

Since Kempe doesn’t turn 20 until later this month and given he didn’t exactly dominate at the AHL level, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if the Kings sent him back to Ontario to start the 2016-17 campaign and get some more seasoning. But with Kyle Clifford (nine points in 56 games) and Brown (28 points in 82 games) currently expected to hold top-nine spots, according to Roster Resource, Los Angeles might decide they need to inject more offense into the lineup and Kempe could be the source of that offense.

Nikolay Goldobin (San Jose) – The Sharks addressed any need they may have had for a scoring line LW by signing Mikkel Boedker as a free agent this summer. With Tomas Hertl and Patrick Marleau also listed as LW’s on the team’s depth chart, it’s likely the highly skilled Goldobin begins the season with the San Jose Barracudas of the AHL to gain more experience. But in the event of injury, Goldobin could be among the team’s first choices for a promotion to the big club.

Goldobin is said to have an excellent shot and release and is a creative offensive player. He can use some work on his defensive game, as do many young players, which is another reason he might find himself in the AHL to start the 2016-17 campaign. But with Marleau entering the final year of his contract, Goldobin is in line to land a job with the Sharks soon enough; perhaps as early as this year.

Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary) – The Flames already possess several skilled young players, but as mentioned in an earlier installment of this series, if they do have an opening it would be for a scoring line LW with size. Hunter Shinkaruk might get the first crack to fill that role though he doesn’t possess the size the Flames would seem to need. If Shinkaruk isn’t ready for regular NHL action, Tkachuk could be an option for Calgary up front.

Tkachuk, the son of former NHL power forward Keith Tkachuk, was drafted by the Flames with the sixth overall selection of the 2016 draft following an impressive 107-point season with the London Knights of the OHL. While his dad was noted for playing a physical game (2,219 PIM in 1,201 NHL games), as well as being a terrific goal scorer, Matthew is more of a complete, two-way player who is also a good skater with high-end offensive instincts. He helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2016 WJC U20 tournament, tallying 11 points in seven contests.

Tkachuk might be better off returning to junior to gain more experience. He will certainly have to prove to the Flames that he is truly ready to play at the NHL level but he has the talent and the skill to provide some offense if he earns a role in Calgary.

 

 

World Cup Notes: Muzzin, Kruger, Rakell

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Jake Muzzin isn’t a household name, but he should be. The oft-overlooked Los Angeles Kings defenseman is one of the best players in the league, and his selection to Team Canada proves that. With a roster of all-stars and first overall picks, Muzzin didn’t arrive quite the same way. In a new article by Jonas Siegal on TSN.ca, he examines how long it took for Muzzin to become, well, Muzzin. He’s not just a great defender, he’s an elite one, as hall of fame blueliner Rob Blake says:

You’ll get D that can make extremely high-level plays or you’ve got solid (defensive) defencemen. But to be an elite one, in the category that I think Jake has put himself in with this World Cup, you have to do both and that’s what made him pretty special.

Indeed, Muzzin has shown that he can play at both ends of the rink with any player in the league, including his own teammate Drew Doughty, also at the tournament for Team Canada. He’s 27 now, and is only just hitting his stride. Bank on Muzzin suiting up for Canada at the next Olympics, and perhaps even the one after that.

  • In other World Cup news, team Sweden took the ice for a practice today without Rickard Rakell, who is out with an illness, according to Stephen Whyno. Marcus Kruger however, who missed Saturday’s pre-tournament game, was back on the ice for a full practice, seemingly ready to go for the beginning of the tournament.
  • In the second Team North America game, who are now seemingly the darlings of the tournament, the young-guns got off to a good start scoring four goals on just eight shots (three by defensemen), again because of their speed. As we reported yesterday, the North American squad has a great shot at upsetting some of the favorites in the tournament, and making a real push for the championship.

Examining The Rangers’ Forward Group

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The New York Rangers were one of the deeper forward groups in the NHL headed into this summer. They had three lines of solid NHL scoring depth, with players like J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes still yet to hit their peaks. It was going to be another season of mixing and matching, with Rick Nash starting to hit his decline phase and being dropped down the lineup on certain nights.

Then they went out and signed Michael Grabner, Nathan Gerbe and Josh Jooris, players everyone expected to plug into their bottom six and fight for minutes in the dirty areas of the ice, help kill penalties and provide some energy when the skilled players needed it. That was expected, and they were praised for the cheap talent they’d added.

They dealt one of their veteran centers for a younger, more explosive version, moving Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad, adding to their dynamic second line beside Jesper Fast. While Brassard gave consistency and leadership, Zibanejad showed a higher ceiling and skill level. They looked like they were done, with 12 or 13 forwards locked into NHL spots, with a ton of experience.

And then came Jimmy Vesey. And Brandon Pirri. Somehow, the Rangers won out over the rest of the league (or so it would seem) for the services of the biggest story of the offseason. Vesey was signed out of Harvard to plug into a lineup that was already four lines deep, and Pirri was signed for 1.1MM to keep scoring goals despite the lack of faith from the league. Sure, pushing out Gerbe and Tanner Glass doesn’t sound that bad, but there usually just aren’t enough minutes to go around for all these skilled players. That’s where the Rangers have done so well.

In Vesey especially, the Rangers have a player that they can protect with this roster, not giving him tough matchups or assignments in his rookie season, while still surrounding him with skill. Hayes, Vesey and Miller could form a deadly third line, capable of playing in the opposing team’s end for most shifts. While it looks tough for two of Glass, Gerbe and Jooris to make the top-12 at this point, they provide excellent NHL depth for a squad that is trying to win with an aging goaltender and declining defense. At the deadline, they could be huge players as their youngsters step up, and expect Nash rumors to persist throughout the year.

Snapshots: Dubois, Crosby, Team NA

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After being selected as the surprise third overall pick in the latest NHL Entry Draft, Pierre-Luc Dubois is trying to prove to everyone that he derserved to be picked above Jesse Puljujarvi and Matthew Tkachuk. In a piece by James O’Brien at NBCSports, Dubois is clear what his goal is this fall.

(The Blue Jackets) drafted me third in front of the guy everybody thought they were going to draft, but I think they made the right decision. I want to prove that to everybody.

For at least the first few years of his career, he’ll be compared to Puljujarvi constantly which is probably more unfair than anything. The Finnish winger has already been playing against men for parts of two seasons, while Dubois will head back for his final year of junior hockey (that is if he doesn’t surprise everyone to make the Blue Jackets out of camp). It may take him a while, but as GM Jarmo Kekalainen comments when talking about what will set Dubois apart, “I keep coming back to his character and hockey sense.”

  • Team Canada has often found trouble pairing players with Sidney Crosby at international competitions, with many high level talents moving on and off of his wing throughout past tournaments.  That said, head coach Mike Babcock may have found a group that he’ll stick with this time. As TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron look like the set wingers for the Team Canada captain. It’s a plan Babcock had way back in May, when he was first envisioning what his lineup might look like. The interesting part, is that Marchand is one of Team Canada’s only natural wingers, and Bergeron is highly regarded for his all-around ability and hockey IQ.  Perhaps it’s centers that don’t find a home on Crosby’s wing, similar to the way Pittsburgh has never been able to consistently pair Crosby with Evgeni Malkin for any length of time.
  • The top two picks of the 2015 NHL draft will be linked once again, as Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will skate on a line in their second pre-tournament game against Europe tonight. The third musketeer will be Johnny Gaudreau, still unsigned as he’s entered his negotiation freeze during the tournament.  With three of the strongest skaters in the NHL on the ice at once, team North America will surely be interesting to watch, the plan all along of the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman when he introduced the slightly off-the-board format.

Update On Canadiens’ Prospect Martin Reway

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After being hospitalized last week with an undisclosed ’virus’, CAS.sk out of Slovakia is now reporting that Canadien’s prospect Martin Reway is currently in the intensive care unit dealing with a possible career-threatening affliction, including inflammation of his heart.

Though it hasn’t been confirmed that Reway will even miss this upcoming season, the seriousness of the illness should take precedence over any hockey aspirations.

Reway is a Czech-born player who was set to make the jump back to North America this season, will now be under close surveillance from Dr. David Mulder, the team physician and the medical team working on him in Slovakia. He originally was selected from the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL in the fourth round of the 2013 draft.

We here at PHR hope for a quick recovery for Reway, and send our thoughts to his friends and family while he’s hospitalized.

Important Dates In 2016-17 NHL Season

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Our own Nate Brown has collected all the key dates you need to be aware of for the upcoming NHL season. Be sure to circle these on your calendar.

September 17th, 2016 – World Cup of Hockey Starts
October 12th, 2016 – NHL Season Opens
October 23rd, 2016 – Heritage Classic: Edmonton Oilers vs. Winnipeg Jets
December 19th, 2016 – Start of Holiday Trade Freeze
January 1st, 2017 – Centennial Classic: Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 
January 2nd, 2017 – Winter Classic: Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues
January 29th, 2017 – All-star Game: Staples Center in Los Angeles
February 27th, 2017 – Trade Deadline Day
April 9th, 2017 – Last Day of Regular Season
Mid-April to Mid-June (at the latest) – Stanley Cup Playoffs
June 21st, 2017 – Las Vegas NHL Expansion Draft
June 23rd, 2017 – NHL Entry Draft
June 24th, 2017 – Free Agent Interview Period Opens
July 1st, 2017 – Start of Free Agency

Three PTOs With Best Chances Of Signing

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Like the tide, every preseason brings in a wash of unsigned free agents, players making NHL comebacks, and veterans fighting for one last contract. And like the tide, when training camp ends few PTOs remain on the proverbial beach. This year at least 25 players have agreed to attend NHL training camps on a professional tryout basis, but only a few will secure an NHL contract. Last year over 90 players tried out for NHL teams and only 14 players ended up signing contracts.

Last season the Boston Bruins invited Lee Stempniak to training camp and he played well enough to garner a $850K contract. He drastically exceeded expectations, and now boasts a two-year, $5MM contract with the Hurricanes. Who are this year’s potential Stempniaks? We look at three players who are front-runners for contracts this season.

Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg is an interesting case. Earlier this summer the flashy Canadian winger eschewed NHL offers for more money in Switzerland. Yet, days before training camp started overseas, Versteeg and SC Bern parted ways over lingering hip issues which prevented Versteeg from passing physicals and obtaining medical insurance. Within days, however, Versteeg secured a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers in his home province of Alberta.

Versteeg has the most potential out of all the PTOs this year, scoring 15G and 23A in 77 games last season with both the Carolina Hurricanes and the Los Angeles Kings. He flourished with the Chicago Blackhawks in their 2010 Stanley Cup run, but hip issues have sidelined Versteeg throughout the remainder of his career. And therein lines the biggest variable: is Versteeg healthy enough to help an NHL team? It’s his health rather than his skill that leaves NHL teams wanting, and any contract is going to hinge on Versteeg passing physicals.

Brandon Prust

Superficially, Brandon Prust looks like a gritty veteran on the decline—someone who lost a step in the last few years. His numbers seem to indicate the same as he scored only 1G and 6A in 35 games with the Vancouver Canucks. But what Prust lacks in production he makes up for in hard-nosed play. That is what garnered his previous four-year, $10MM contract with Montreal, and while that may have been an overpayment for what Prust brings, Toronto thinks he still has those talents.

A contract for Prust will hinge on his work ethic and gritty play. GM Lou Lamoriello is an old-school manager, and most old-school managers like to have veterans to mentor younger players in their development. Toronto is chock full of younger players, with 1st overall pick Auston Matthews set to make his debut alongside Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Toronto already signed Matt Martin, and if the team feels that they need a similar player, Prust will get his contract.

Tom McCollum

Tom McCollum is an odd choice here because perennial AHL goalies do not usually receive NHL contracts. McCollum, however, isn’t just any AHL goalie, and the Los Angeles Kings aren’t any NHL team. McCollum, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, flourished in the AHL, posting a 2.42GAA and a .923SV%. He has been the model of consistency for the Grand Rapids Griffins over the past few years. His lack of NHL opportunity comes as no fault of his own, but rather the logjam of goalies in Detroit with Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard.

The L.A. Kings, on the other hand, suffer from a dearth of goaltending. Known for years as a goalie hotbed, little remains behind starter Jonathan Quick this season. The Kings signed Jeff Zatkoff this summer, but Zatkoff did not perform well in Pittsburgh when given the chance. Outside of Zatkoff, the Kings’ cupboard is bare. Jack Campbell and Peter Budaj remain, but neither have shown promise. If McCollum performs well this pre-season, expect the Kings to sign him to an AHL contract as an insurance policy for Jeff Zatkoff.

Snapshots: Team North America, Kaleta

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Dylan Larkin

News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • Team North America announced the lineup for its second World Cup of Hockey exhibition matchup against Team Europe today. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Todd McLellan decided to sit Jacob Trouba, J.T. Miller, and Matt Murray. Murray sitting means that John Gibson is set to play the full game. Healthy scratches in this format do not imply injuries—ESPN’s Craig Custance says JT Miller is completely healthy—but rather chances for coaches to see other fringe players in action. Last night Canada held out Sidney Crosby in its matchup with Team USA simply because the coaching staff knew what he could do, and wanted to see other players in action. For Team North America, this means both Dylan Larkin and Colton Parayko will get an opportunity to showcase their skills.
  • Patrick Kaleta spoke to the Buffalo News this week about his attempt to make an NHL comeback. Kaleta does not have a contract this season, but is working out in Buffalo with former teammates in an effort to reattain his former level of play. Kaleta is hoping to receive a PTO from a team this year, but expressed that he does not want to toil in the AHL again this season. Last year Kaleta tried out for the Buffalo Sabres in training camp before a groin injury cut his attempts short. He played only 26 games for the Rochester Americans—Buffalo’s AHL affiliate—due to injury and limited playing opportunities. The Buffalo native embodied the enforcer role during his NHL stint with the Sabres over nine years, never scoring more than 15 points in a season. In his last season with the big club he netter only 3A in 42 games. Look for Kaleta to garner a PTO from the Buffalo Sabres, if only because of his previous service to the club.

Can’t Miss Games Of The 2016-17 Season: March and April

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games for the stretch run:

March 2nd – Nashville Predators vs. Montreal Canadiens 

Will any game this season get more hype from the Canadian hockey media than P.K. Subban’s return to Montreal? Doubtful. The affects of the blockbuster that swapped Subban for Shea Weber will have been well-documented by this point in the season, but that won’t stop this game from being a must-see due to the massive media coverage and potential for drama. Also, while the Predators and Canadiens are good teams, neither is assured a playoff spot this season, and a win could go a long way at this point in the season. This will be a hard-fought battle.

March 22nd – New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers

The cross-town foes face off for the final time in the regular season, as the Rangers host the Isles at Madison Square Garden. This rivalry has really heated up in recent years, and 2016-17 should be more of the same. With play-off implications, a whole season’s worth of rivalry repercussions to wrap up, and the spotlight of NYC sports fans without football and baseball, the final battle for New York promises to deliver.

April 9th – New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings

On the final day of the regular season, the Red Wings and their fans will say goodbye to the legendary Joe Louis Arena, as they move to a new building for 2017-18 and beyond. An organization that has had so much success will have many fond memories to recall of the old rink and celebrations will certainly be in order. That is, unless the last game at the Joe is also the last game of the Red Wings season…

April 9th – Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks 

Later that night, the NHL caps off another regular season with a SoCal rivalry game. The Kings and Ducks, along with the Sharks, have turned the West Coast into hockey country, and a final chance at re-sorting the playoff picture with a fight between two great teams and bitter rivals was excellent scheduling. The playoffs might be just around the corner, but for a preview of playoff intensity, tune in to this one.

Can’t Miss Games Of The 2016-17 Season: January and February

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The start of the NHL regular season may be a month away with the World Cup of Hockey and preseason still to come, but it’s never too early to get excited for the best slate of games the NHL has to offer this season. Here are the can’t miss-games for the start of the new year:

January 1st – Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

An Original Six battle AND it’s outdoors. That’s what the NHL is bringing fans with the Centennial Classic, kicking off the 100th season of the league. The Atlantic Division foes will take the ice at BMO Field on New Year’s Day, as Mike Babcock takes on his former team, who will be marching towards their 26th straight playoff appearance.

January 2nd – Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues

The Winter Classic gets bumped to the next day, as the St. Louis Blues will host an outdoor game against the rival Chicago Blackhawks. While tight playoff races will still be months away, the first battle between Central Division contenders in the new year could have a lasting affect on their postseason chances. This is one you don’t want to miss.

January 12th – New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers

In one of this summer’s biggest moves, the Oilers traded franchise cornerstone Taylor Hall to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson. What will happen when the former face of the franchise returns to Edmonton? If the teams’ performances to this point haven’t pointed to a winner in the deal, then this game should give everyone a good idea.

February 25th – Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Yet another outdoor contest, the Penguins and Flyers, perhaps the best rivalry in hockey right now, square off at Heinz Field in an epic showdown. With more than just a win on the line, prepare for a big-time battle between two talented teams. An added bonus: the trade deadline will be just days away, adding more pressure to the result of the game if one (or both) of these teams find themselves on the buyer-seller line this season.

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