With a number of players choosing to head to Europe to get some playing time before the expected start date of December for the 2020-21 NHL season, the Allvenskan’s MODO announced they have acquired Aleksi Heponiemi on loan from the Florida Panthers for the 2020-21 season. Of course, he is expected to be recalled when NHL training camp begins, likely in November.
Heponiemi is one of the team’s top prospects. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick in the 2017 draft and played one more season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, posting a 118-point season. He then signed a two-year pact with the Liiga’s Karput squad where he scored 16 goals and 46 points in 50 games in 2018-19. He opted out of his contract after that and signed with Florida, playing in the AHL last season where he struggled a bit. He tallied just three goals and 14 points in 49 games, but is still expected to challenge for a role in Florida next season.
The hope is that Heponiemi will get significant playing time with MODO even if it’s in the Allsvenskan as opposed to playing with Liiga. The forward hopes that will give him an advantage when he arrives to camp. The team will have several significant roster moves to make in the offseason. The team is expected to part ways with general manager Dale Tallon and must make decisions on whether it can retain high-priced forwards Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman. With a possiblility of several openings on the depth chart for next season, a ready-to-go Heponiemi could force his way into the lineup with a good training camp.
It’s sad to see the Viola family getting rid of a great hockey man.Dale Tallon will be better off somewhere else he didn’t agree with the way they treated and left Gerald Gallant on the side of the street and he probably spoke his mind to these so called hockey God’s in flordia. Good luck Mr Tallon you deserve better out of the s**t hole panthers organization….