Switzerland’s leading scorer is headed to the NHL, but to which team exactly is still a mystery. Pius Suter has opted into his exit clause for the 2020-21 season with the expectation of signing in the NHL, the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA have announced. Head coach Rickard Gronberg also thanked and congratulated the young star on his move to North America. A former OHL prospect who has played at home in Switzerland for the past five years, Suter had shown flashes of scoring ability before but truly broke out this season with a league-leading 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games. The NLA has slowly been climbing the ranks of the top leagues in Europe and several players who have graduated from Switzerland in recent years have found instant success in the NHL. Suter, 24, dominated the Swiss ranks this season and has shown an innate ability to create offense. This sounds very similar to Chicago rookie Dominik Kubalik, who had nearly identical stats to Suter in the NLA in 2018-19 and went on to record 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games in an incredible debut season this year. Kubalik’s success continues a trend of Europeans finding a good fit with the Blackhawks, which could be why The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the club is considered a front-runner for Suter’s services. With little cap space and a relatively thin forward corps, a productive player on an entry-level deal would be an excellent addition for Chicago and Suter would also like the opportunity that the Blackhawks could offer. Suter is expected to make his decision in the coming days – and other teams are in the mix – but don’t be surprised if it’s Chicago who lands the exciting Swiss scorer.
- Veteran grinder Cody McLeod is coming back for another year of pro hockey. The fan favorite agitator earned a one-way NHL contract for a decade before this season and instead settled for a one-year deal with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. To no surprise, McLeod was a hit in Iowa and a good leader for the young prospects as well and has earned an extension. The junior Wild announced that that they have signed McLeod to another one-year deal for 2020-21. McLeod only played in 21 games for Iowa, recording seven points (and 41 penalty minutes), but as long as McLeod remains a positive locker room influence and a menacing presence on the ice, he can play as long as he likes.
- The Ottawa Senators are rewinding back to 2007. The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian reports that the franchise is returning to the two-dimensional logo that they debuted in 1997 – or at least one that looks very similar – next season. The 2D look was retired after a decade and replaced with the three-dimensional logo that the team donned this season. However, Salvian writes that the club has decided that they favor the more retro look. The two-dimensional logo does better represent the Roman style of their centurion logo in a way that the three-dimensional logo never could, and Ottawa fans are already excited about the return of the old logo. Salvian also writes that the new logo will be accompanied by redesigned jerseys, including a brand new third jersey. The Senators hope that these changes will drive merchandise sales and, more importantly, pair with a promising young roster, two top-five draft picks, and a long hiatus from hockey in the city to create an atmosphere of excitement in Ottawa ahead of the 2020-21 season and help to cure the league’s worst attendance numbers.
Always loved McLeod with NYR. Glad other teams are loving him, no matter the level he’s playing in.
Trying not to go down a semantic rabbit hole that no NHL logo is 3D (unless you want to talk in fractions of millimeters and then they all are) so…
You mean they are going back to the Yashin era logo?
@forwhomjoshbelltolls – Perhaps the Caesar-era, or maybe even that fave party animal, Nero! :)
The Blackhawks have earned a reputation in Europe and North America for developing young talent into NHL players. Not only Kubalik but Panarin, Strome, Caggiula, Nylander, Hagel and a few others. So it’s no surprise if Suter chooses the Blackhawks. Another factor may be that Suters sat all season next to Marcus Kruger formerly of the Blackhawks and I’m pretty sure had nice things to say about his time in Chicago. Go Hawks!
Most of those guys cut their teeth elsewhere before Chicago. Cagguila was mildly successful in Edmonton, Strome was a 3rd OA pick and developed in Arizona, Panarin was 25 before he suited up for Chicago and developed in the KHL. Some may have found more success with the Hawks but to say they all found success because of Chicago’s development is false. In Panarin’s case he has had more success away from the Hawks since he was traded. Not doubting their ability, but to use these guys as examples is not a strong case.
If these guys were “developed” elsewhere why are or were they on the Blackhawks? It’s a false statement and let’s get back to Pius Suter. 9 teams were pursuing his services and Pius Suter’s agent Georges Müller stated: “At the end it was tight between 2 organisations. We believe he fits best into the Blackhawks, they have proven many times that they are successful in integrating European undrafted players. And that Marc Crawford knows him helped.”