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Canucks Prospect Petrus Palmu Expected To Play Overseas Again Next Season

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Canucks prospect Petrus Palmu has spent the last year and a half playing overseas and it doesn’t appear as if that will be changing for 2020-21.  Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic reports that as a result of Vancouver’s decision to renew the contract of AHL Utica head coach Trent Cull creates a situation where both the team and Palmu’s agent Todd Diamond will agree that it’s best that the 22-year-old remains in Europe for next season.

Palmu was a sixth-round pick (171st overall) of Vancouver in 2017 in his final year of draft eligibility after a dominant showing with Owen Sound of the OHL.  He returned to his native Finland the following year before signing an entry-level deal with Vancouver in 2018.

However, things didn’t go well in Utica.  Palmu didn’t see much action with the Comets and eventually secured a loan agreement that allowed him to go back to TPS Turku of the Finnish SM-liiga.  On his way out, he spoke to Dhaliwal about his lack of playing time, saying “Honestly, I didn’t get the reason why I didn’t get the ice time, nobody really talked to me.”  That quote certainly didn’t sit well with Vancouver.

This season, Palmu moved on to JYP Jyvaskyla and had a strong season, notching 13 goals and 22 assists in 47 games to rank fifth on the team in scoring while the playoffs were wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Palmu actually has one more year left on his entry-level contract so the Canucks will need to agree to loan him out again and a return to JYP certainly makes some sense coming off the year he had.  In the 2021 offseason, he’ll be a restricted free agent and Vancouver will have to make a call at that time about issuing him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights or non-tender him, allowing him a shot to potentially catch on with another organization.

Metropolitan Storylines: Carolina Hurricanes

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While the stretch run is officially over with the NHL’s declaration that the play-in games won’t be part of the regular season, we still have one division left to get to in our Stretch Run Storylines series.  Our focus has been shifted to the Metropolitan Division with an eye on things to watch for in the postseason.  Next up is a look at Carolina.

The Hurricanes were one of the biggest storylines in the league last season as they worked their way to the Eastern Conference Final before being swept by Boston.  There were plenty of doubters that they’d be able to repeat that feat this season but while they find themselves in the play-in round, they were in a playoff spot for most of the season.  Carolina was one of two teams to vote against the 24-team format but they will nevertheless be facing the Rangers when play resumes this summer.  Here is what to watch for from them as they try to make it back to the postseason.

Who’s The Starter?

After a strong showing last season, it looked as if Petr Mrazek was finally getting his chance to be the undisputed starter.  The Hurricanes handed him a two-year deal and traded a player that was eventually bought out (Scott Darling) to add James Reimer who was coming off arguably the worst season of his career to serve as the backup.

Things worked out a little differently though.  Reimer wound up having somewhat of a bounce-back season and ultimately had better numbers (2.66 GAA, .914 SV%) than Mrazek (2.69 GAA, .905 SV%) though the latter did have 14 more starts.  While Mrazek would appear to have the upper hand going into the series against New York, it’s far from a guarantee that he gets the nod.

In a normal year, teams are hesitant to roll two goaltenders in a postseason series.  Usually, the starter gets the lion’s share of the workload with the backup only coming in if it’s a blowout.  But this isn’t a normal year with a mid-summer training camp effectively leading into a must-win series.  Keeping both in a rotation may not be the worst way to go unless one gets on a roll.  Carolina dabbled with that a bit last year and we may see a repeat of it this postseason.

Williams’ Future

One of the storylines in the first half of the regular season was if (or when) winger Justin Williams would come back.  That one came to an end in early January when he signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $700K plus bonuses.

Let’s put those aside for a minute and look at what Williams did in his part season.  He was productive in his limited role, picking up eight goals and three assists in just 20 games.  It’s a small sample size but that tied for his highest goals per game rate in his career (0.40 which he also had in 2006-07).  Clearly, he can still be productive at the NHL level and now with the benefit of having basically a full training camp, that should bode well for his postseason performance; his reputation of stepping it up in the playoffs.

But despite his success in his limited action this season, Williams has been non-committal about whether or not he’ll return for next year and GM Don Waddell echoed those sentiments earlier this month.  Throughout the playoffs last year, his playing future was a discussion point.  One year later, it doesn’t appear as if it will be any different.

Now, let’s go back to the bonuses.  Per CapFriendly, Carolina finished the year with roughly $977K in cap space before performance bonuses.  Andrei Svechnikov maxed his Class ‘A’ bonuses (Goals, Assists, Points, and Points per Game) which eats up $850K of that.  Williams has already hit $250K of his which means the Hurricanes are already over the cap and will face a bonus overage penalty for next season.  It’s worth noting that Williams will get $250K if the Hurricanes make the playoffs (in other words, beat the Rangers), plus $100K for each round victory through the Conference Final, $250K if they win the Stanley Cup, and $250K for a Conn Smythe trophy.  The further Williams and Carolina go this postseason, the less they’ll have to spend next season.

New Look Defense

At the trade deadline, Carolina decided to make a pair of moves to bolster their back end, adding Brady Skjei from the Rangers and Sami Vatanen from the Devils.  Brett Pesce was out for the season after being injured the game before the deadline and Dougie Hamilton was on the shelf as well.  Vatanen was dealing with an injury of his own when acquired and never had an opportunity to suit up before the pandemic hit.

Fast forward to now.  Vatanen is ready to play now as is Hamilton.  Skjei is still effectively a newcomer with only seven games under his belt.  For all intents and purposes, that’s half of a new back end for the Hurricanes to work with relative to what they had for most of the second half of the regular season.

When you add them to a back end that also features veterans Jaccob Slavin, Joel Edmundson, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Jake Gardiner, you get a very deep back end.  You also get a group that isn’t going to have a lot of familiarity in terms of pairings.  The mid-July training camp is going to be very important for them in terms of quickly establishing chemistry as if this group plays up to its potential, it can be one of the better blueline units out there.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

League Notes: Hub Cities, 2020-21, CBA

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The “hub city” question now has an end date. Ever since the NHL began the process of creating an expanded playoff format for this year, the question of where these tournaments will take place has been a hot topic. Early on in this process, it was believed that non-NHL cities like Grand Forks, North Dakota and Manchester, New Hampshire could be the targets, but that plan fell by the wayside in favor of more familiar locales. The league made it clear when releasing formal details of the postseason plan that the two hub cities would be NHL homes and revealed that Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver were the finalists. The province of British Columbia recently submitted an official proposal for Vancouver to be one of the two cities selected and each of these finalists is believed to have made a similar pitch. So, when will know what the choice is? John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the NHL will announce the hub cities for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs on June 22. He also adds that MGM Resorts is preparing as if Las Vegas will be one of the two choices. This would align with a rumor that Las Vegas and Los Angeles were the favorites to be selected as hub cities, likely with the Golden Knights and their Western Conference competitors going to L.A. as to avoid a hometown bias and the Eastern Conference moving in in Vegas. We will know the definite answer in just ten days, before training camps open on July 10 and well before the hopeful start date of actual game play on August 1.

  • The Canadian cities included in the list of “hub city” finalists – Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver – are seen by some as long shots to be selected due to the tighter restrictions on quarantining in Canada. The federal government currently has a 14-day mandatory quarantine in place for anyone entering the country and there had previously been no sign that they would waive this for NHL players and personnel. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that British Columbia and Manitoba have lightened their rules, allowing anyone who has already quarantined for 14 days elsewhere in Canada to avoid doing so again when entering the province. If they were to allow that same policy to extend to teams coming from the U.S., that would make Vancouver and Edmonton into more attractive destinations. As for Ontario, the province has not been as lenient and although Toronto is considered a great option as a host, the NHL cannot afford a strict quarantine policy if there are other cities that do not require such a time commitment. The city Dreger feels is the front-runner to host? He too says Las Vegas.
  • As for another impact of the current COVID crisis, Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson told the press in a long conference call on Thursday that the league may not be done playing in front of empty seats after the 2020 postseason. Molson stated that the NHL has not ruled out the possibility that they might have to at least begin the 2020-21 without fans. While the hope is that by the time the new regular season starts, likely to be somewhere between late November to perhaps January 1, this will not be an issue, the league has discussed empty buildings or limited capacities. Molson himself said that he would be “very surprised” to see full capacities when the new season begins later this year.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that CBA negotiations continue to move forward between the NHL and NHLPA. A sign of good progress could be that the two sides are reportedly discussing the term of the CBA extension right now, rather than arguing over actual aspects of the agreement. LeBrun reports that the new deal is expected to land at either four or five years. He believes that the players’ association prefers four while the league would like five. With two years remaining on the current CBA, a length of five year would maintain labor piece through the 2026-27 season.

Ilya Sorokin Not Negotiating With CSKA Moscow

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It has been an interesting last few months for Islanders goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin.  The eventual cancellation of the KHL playoffs was going to pave the way to sign his entry-level contract this season.  At 24, his contract would only be for one year so he’d be able to reach restricted free agency and a much bigger payday this offseason.  However, the NHL’s insistence that no more current year contracts can be signed threw a wrinkle in those plans although the NHLPA is believed to be contesting that restriction.

As a result, knowing that the 2020-21 KHL season is slated to start in September while the beginning of the 2020-21 NHL campaign won’t be until December or even January, the idea of Sorokin returning to CSKA Moscow became more plausible.  Earlier this month, CSKA’s team president indicated that the two sides were in early talks for a return, further adding fuel to the fire.

However, Sorokin’s Russian agent Shumi Babaev told Sport 24 in Russia that there have been no discussions with them about a contract for next season.  Instead, all that has happened so far is an expression of interest on CSKA’s part to keep him around.  It’s worth noting that the hiring of Dan Milstein earlier this week was only a change of Sorokin’s North American representation.

Sorokin had quite the year in the KHL, posting a 1.50 GAA and a .935 SV% in 45 games and those were technically a step back from his 2018-19 campaign.  While the Islanders may not want him to make his NHL debut in the play-in round or the postseason, it’s safe to say he’s a big part of their future as soon as next season where veteran Thomas Greiss will likely not be retained to make room for Sorokin on their roster.  They’ll certainly be pleased with this latest development while the waiting game will continue on whether or not he’s ruled as eligible to sign for this season or not.  The end result there may ultimately determine where Sorokin winds up for 2020-21.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Larmi, Poulin, Boychuk

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While many teams will be getting players back for when the play-in round gets underway, the Blackhawks may still be down a few players for their series against Edmonton.  Speaking with reporters yesterday, including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, GM Stan Bowman indicated that blueliners Calvin de Haan and Adam Boqvist plus winger Drake Caggiula will all be ready to play.  However, winger Andrew Shaw (concussion), center Zack Smith (back), and defenseman Brent Seabrook (shoulder, hips) may not be ready.  Smith and Seabrook are recovering from their respective surgeries but are likely to be out for a while yet.  As for Shaw, he last played in late November and Bowman didn’t have an update on his status.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Penguins goaltending prospect Emil Larmi has been recalled to join the team in Pittsburgh as they continue preparations for their play-in series against Montreal, reports Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The rookie posted identical 3.55 GAA’s with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (nine games) and ECHL Wheeling (11 games) this season.  While it’s expected that there will be a cap on the number of skaters that teams can carry when play resumes, there may not be one for goaltenders.  With that in mind, it appears that Pittsburgh will carry at least four as Casey DeSmith is a safe bet to be brought up as well.
  • Still with Pittsburgh, Louis Jean of TVA Sports reports (Twitter link) that prospect Samuel Poulin will be among their recalls as well. The Penguins took the 19-year-old 21st overall last June and he is coming off of a dominant season in the QMJHL.  After picking up 76 points in 67 games last season, he had 77 points in just 46 contests this year with Sherbrooke.  Poulin has already signed his entry-level deal.
  • Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk told Newsday’s Andrew Gross that his eye is close to being fully recovered. Boychuk was cut by the skate blade of Montreal winger Artturi Lehkonen in early March which required 90 stitches and plastic surgery to repair.  While Boychuk’s ice time decreased again this season for the fifth straight year, he was still a regular fixture on their third pairing and should play a similar role for them in their play-in series against Florida.  Although the Islanders have opened up their practice facility, Boychuk will remain in his native Edmonton and skate there for the time being.

Dmitri Samorukov Nearing A Deal In The KHL

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Dmitri Samorukov’s first foray into professional hockey had some tough moments and it appears he’s looking for a change of scenery.  As first reported by Sport-Express’ Michael Zizlis and since confirmed by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Samorukov is closing in on a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow that would see him play there on loan from the Oilers for next season.  Edmonton GM Ken Holland is aware of the plan and has given his approval.

Samorukov’s agent Pat Morris indicated that the current playing landscape in the NHL is playing a factor in this decision:

He wants to play. He doesn’t want to lay dormant for 8-10 months in this current situation. And he, unlike some other players, has this option. We’re exploring it long and hard.

While Edmonton will be participating in the play-in round against Chicago, it would take several injuries for the 20-year-old to get a look in their lineup.  His last AHL action came back in early March before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the schedule and eventually resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the season and playoffs.  While there’s no firm timeline on when the NHL or AHL 2020-21 seasons will begin, it’s looking like December or January could be the options.  That’s a long time for any prospect to sit.

Samorukov had two goals and eight assists in 47 games with AHL Bakersfield this season and he may have an opportunity to make an immediate impact with CSKA.  Veteran blueliner Nikita Nesterov is drawing NHL interest while Montreal prospect Alexander Romanov has already agreed on his entry-level deal; former NHL defender Alexei Marchenko has signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl so there are certainly some vacancies to be filled.  A chance to get some guaranteed action (with the KHL schedule still on track to start in September) on a quality team may very well be the best move for his development next season.

Brendan Leipsic In Talks To Sign In The KHL

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Former Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic appears to be on the way to the KHL.  Sergei Isakov, his Russia-based agent, told Sport-Express in Russia that Leipsic is closing in on a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow.

The 26-year-old spent this season with Washington after signing a one-year, one-way deal for the league minimum salary of $700K last July.  He played in 61 games primarily on the fourth line, picking up three goals and eight assists while logging just 9:10 per night, a career low by a considerable margin.

However, he was released back in May after he made misogynistic comments on social media while also disparaging his linemates with the Caps.  The team wasted little time placing him on contract termination waivers which he cleared.

It’s no surprise that Leipsic will be heading overseas to continue his career, an outcome that may have occurred even without his recent comments.  While he was a prolific scorer in junior and a productive player at the AHL level, that hadn’t materialized in the form of NHL production.  Switching leagues should give him an opportunity to play more of an offensive-minded role which is something he hasn’t had a chance to do for a while.

Former Colorado Prospect Igor Shvyrev Signs In The KHL

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June 12: Shvyrev has signed a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, the KHL team announced.

May 28: According to CapFriendly, Shvyrev has cleared waivers.

May 27: Though it won’t grab many headlines after the league’s announcement yesterday, there is a little bit of other hockey news today. The Colorado Avalanche have placed Igor Shvyrev on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination. Shvyrev’s entry-level contract was scheduled to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The 21-year old Shvyrev was a fifth-round draft pick of the Avalanche back in 2017 and came over to North America after just one more season in the KHL. In 2018-19 with the Colorado Eagles he recorded 13 points in 57 games, but still showed enough flash and promise to excite Colorado fans. Unfortunately things stagnated this season, with Shvyrev often seeing only fourth-line duty with the Eagles. He scored just nine points in 49 games and now looks like he’s headed back home.

Technically he will become an unrestricted free agent allowed to sign with any other NHL organization for the 2020-21 season, but it seems likely that the young forward will return to the KHL. Colorado will not retain any exclusive rights but will gain a contract slot moving forward.

NHL Prospects Dealt In KHL Blockbuster

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It has been a busy day for Traktor Chelyabinsk and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. The two teams each made trades with SKA St. Petersburg earlier in the day that at time seemed like independent deals. Magnitogorsk swapped the rights of NHL forwards with SKA, sending Vladislav Kamenev away in exchange for Nikolai Prokhorkin, who is already negotiating with the team. Chelyabinks also sent NHL rights to St. Petersburg, trading away Yakov Trenin, but in return received 22-year-old defenseman Vladislav Semin.

As if that wasn’t enough (potential) star power changing hands, it turns out that those deals were part of an even bigger plan. Semin is on the move again, traded to Metallurg for prospects Pavel Dorofeyev, Dmitri Sheshin, Semyon Buivan, and Gleb Babinstsev. For all intents and purposes, this completed a three-team, eight-player trade.

Of the prospects dealt today, Dorofeyev is certainly the centerpiece. A third-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights last year, Dorofeyev was considered a steal by many as numerous draft boards ranked him as high as the first round. A skilled, versatile forward, some questioned Dorofeyev’s commitment and compete level, which may have send him tumbling down the board. However, he responded this season with 48 games and seven points in the KHL, a tough league for teenagers, and strong numbers on the international stage, including three goals and an assist in seven games at the World Juniors. Dorofeyev seems like the real deal and might be in for a major boost next season as he is expected to take on a key role for a poor Traktor team. How much longer he will remain in the KHL before jumping to the NHL after a potential breakout performance is the real question.

Like Dorofeyev, Sheshin also fell down the draft board in 2019. Except Shehin fell all the way out. A player who many considered to be a lock as a late-round pick, ranked in the fifth round even by some, Sheshin instead went undrafted. Size may have come into play for the 5’8” forward, but his talent exceeds the issues with his stature. He proved that again this season, posting 71 points in 61 games in the junior-level MHL, finishing in the top-five in scoring. Sheshin will re-enter the draft this fall and may have an even better case to be drafted this season, especially with the KHL on the horizon next year for a needy Chelyabinsk club.

Buivan may also be worth noting. The 18-year-old defenseman is preparing for his first go-round in the NHL Draft in 2020. While he has received nowhere near the buzz that Dorofeyev or even Sheshin got last year, Buivan has appeared on some draft boards as having an outside chance of being selected. The move to Traktor could boost his draft stock; Buivan was highly unlikely to see any KHL action next year with Metallurg but Chelyabinsk is a team in need. Buivan recorded 12 points and a +15 rating in the MHL this year and won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Russia.

Peter Laviolette Considered Favorite For Devils Head Coach

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Just yesterday it was reported that the New Jersey Devils had trimmed the list of candidates for their vacant head coach position to just four names. Given the long off-season awaiting the club, it seemed curious that they were moving quickly on the search, especially as they have yet to finalize their GM position as well. Yet, the Devils don’t seem to be slowing down. Only 24 hours later, a four-man list that included interim head coach Alain Nasreddine and three unknowns has now produced a favorite. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Peter Laviolette has emerged as the favorite for the position.

Laviolette, 55, should not come as surprise as the top candidate on the Devils’ list, as he is arguably the best coach on the open market right now. Laviolette was most recently the head coach of the Nashville Predators, fired to the surprise of many back in January despite a winning record on the year and having led the Predators to the playoffs in each of his five full seasons with the team. Should Laviolette be the selection for New Jersey, it would become the fifth NHL franchise that he has led, joining the Predators, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers. Laviolette has been a head coach in the league in 18 seasons dating all the way back to 2001-02, when he was the youngest bench boss in the league at 36. Laviolette has totaled more than 1200 games in his NHL coaching career and holds a .588 regular season points percentage, a Stanley Cup title with the Hurricanes in 2005-06, three Finals appearances, and 11 playoff appearances. The Boston native also won a Calder Cup and AHL Coach of the Year honors with the Providence Bruins, which ignited his NHL career.

Beyond the accolades, Laviolette’s style may also explain his top position among the Devils’ candidates. An intense personality, it shows in Laviolette’s fast-paced style and aggressive offensive game plans. Meanwhile, New Jersey has a young, skilled roster of players who can keep up with the taxing style that Laviolette prefers. The problem is that they have looked slow, disorganized, and unmotivated too often over the past few years. Former Predator P.K. Subban especially would likely enjoy being back in Laviolette’s system. Laviolette could help to turn the team around in a hurry, especially if his presence can also help the cap-comfortable Devils recruit some top free agents this summer.

Laviolette’s hiring is not set in stone. Dreger even admits that the uncertain status of interim GM Tom Fitzgerald could keep an official hire from happening soon. However, Laviolette certainly makes sense as the Devils’ top pick and would be an exciting addition to a franchise that desperately needs to take a step forward next season.

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