After years of trying to find his place in the NHL, former top prospect turned journeyman Kerby Rychel has decided to take his talents to Sweden. Orebro HK of the SHL announced today that Rychel has signed a one-year contract with the club. Rychel brings with him nearly 300 games worth of AHL experience, as well as 43 NHL games. The 19th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, Rychel entered the pro level with high expectations as both the son of respected former player and OHL executive Warren Rychel and as a player who had done serious damage on the score sheet at the junior level. Rychel looked to be on his way to becoming an established NHL player when he suited up for 32 games with Columbus in his second pro season, but a trade to Toronto – in exchange for current Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington – altered his trajectory. Rychel never played a single game for the Maple Leafs, spending close to two full seasons with the AHL’s Marlies. He was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the tail end of the 2017-18 season as part of the package for rental Tomas Plekanec. Despite performing well in a brief showing with the Habs, Rychel was traded again last summer to the Calgary Flames for Hunter Shinkaruk. Even as he was enjoying the best per-game production of his AHL career with the Stockton Heat, Rychel earned just two appearances with the Flames and the team did not make him a qualifying offer earlier this summer. Putting a tumultuous NHL career behind him, Rychel will now try his hand at the SHL. Orebro struggled last season, finishing tenth out of 14 teams and will be glad to add an experienced talent like Rychel. Between he, fellow new addition Ryan Stoa, and returning top liner Shane Harper, Orebro should pack some more offensive punch next season.
- Given the lackluster NHL free agent market this summer, it’s no surprise that few veterans who had previously made the jump to Europe have been able to find a fit back in North America. Count defenseman Tobias Enstrom among that group. The 34-year-old has re-signed with his hometown team, MODO of the Swedish minor league Allsvenkan, the club announced. It is a new one-year deal for the captain, who returned to Sweden last off-season. A career member of the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise, Enstrom found himself without a home for the first time in 11 years last summer as a free agent without a market. He held out hope, waiting for an offer until late August, before opting to head home. In returning to MODO, the team he grew up playing for – albeit in the SHL at that time – Enstrom took on a leadership and also saw a spike in his production. MODO hopes that the strong play continues from their veteran ace, as the team looks to contend for promotion back to the SHL in the upcoming season.
- The quiet NHL free agent market has had an overwhelmingly positive effect on the European leagues, as few players left their respective clubs while talent continues to come over from North America. While Sweden has had a strong off-season in the import business, the winner thus far in terms of NHL additions is unsurprisingly the KHL, considered to be the best of the European leagues. Among the players who have signed in the KHL this off-season are forwards Sven Andrighetto, Ty Rattie, Nikita Soshnikov, Jori Lehtera, Peter Holland, and Lukas Sedlak, defensemen Andrej Sustr, Igor Ozhiganov, Bogdan Kiselevich, and Jakub Jerabek, and goaltender Harri Sateri. It’s a valuable influx of talent for a league that is seeking better competitive balance.
That 2013 first round is filled with so many busts outside the top 9. Seems like more than usual.
besides Rychel and Sam Morin…the rest of the top 20 have 300 games played on average.
Don’t think that Mantha (#20), Morrissey (#13), Pulock (#15), Theodore (#26) or Domi (#12) are busts
I wasn’t calling them busts. Id probably add Dickinson as well. I think he isn’t finished developing and will take a step forward this year. Maybe it’s not an outlier but there’s like 12 busts by my count in the first round. That seems like a lot to me.
JDGoat: “That 2013 first round is filled with so many busts outside the top 9. Seems like more than usual.”
I didn’t say everyone outside top 10 were busts lol. Pretty much everyone outside of the ones you mentioned haven’t lived up to expectations in their careers. I don’t know maybe only 25 percent of guys turn into above average players in that range but if you’re implying I called guys like Pulock and Morrissey busts, you’re mistaken.
What are you doing claiming more than usual busts outside the top 9 in 2013?
After the top few picks most drafts have only a handful who have meaningful games.
Most of the 2013 first round until #27 have played significant games.
You made a stupid claim
Nah I expect more out of first rounders than games played. I’d say only five guys in that draft have become above average players. If you look at 2012, I’d say 10 guys in that range became above average nhlers. For where guys like Wennberg and Zadorov were drafted, I’d even consider them busts. Idk maybe a 25% success rate is the norm after the first 9 guys but I certainly don’t think it was stupid to say that if it’s lower than average lol. Just because players like Lazar rack up games doesn’t mean they panned out.
Wennberg had a 59pt campaign! And Zadorov is a stay at home D man
Whatever your definition is of “bust” is certainly needs refinement.
One season doesn’t mean a player panned out lol. He’s alright. I expected more. Zadorov is literally a big guy who hits people. That’s not a mid first round talent. If you draft those guys in the first round and this is what you expected out of them, then your team is not doing very well. I can guarentee you Columbus and Buffalo would’ve wanted more than they got.
Most of the guys I’ve alluded to have been just plain busts. Rychel, Lazar, Poirer, Klimchuk, Morin, Nichushkin, etc.
Then you add in guys who didn’t live up to expectations and were definitely busts for where they were picked like Wennberg, Zadorov, Mccoshen. I don’t think mine needs refinement lol. I understand that a lot of first rounders turn into depth players in the NHL, but to me, those are considered busts. I do not want to look back and see bottom line players littered through my first round draft history.
Most of the guys you are listing are mid-late first rounders.
Do you expect Pasternak or Boeser performances for these guys? You know the odds of a late 1st rounder making an impact are still exceptionally low right?
How low man? I told you I realize there’s busts every year. A 75% bust rate seemed high to me. You said it was stupid for me to say that. I think you must’ve misunderstood something
What do you expect from a 1st rounder? Just to clarify “bust”