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USA Hockey Announces Final World Junior Roster

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A number of final rosters for the upcoming 2020 World Junior Championship have been revealed this morning, as the best U-20 players in the world prepare to compete later this month. Team USA gets us started, as USA Hockey has announced their finalized group. The roster is entirely comprised of NHL draft picks and presumptive 2021 selections, including sixteen players drafted in the first or second round, as well as 22 NCAA players. Below is the final roster:

F Matthew Beniers, Univ. of Michigan (2021)
F Brett Berard, Providence College (NYR)
F Matthew Boldy, Boston College (MIN)
F Bobby Brink, Univ. of Denver (PHI)
F Brendan Brisson, Univ. of Michigan (VGK)
F Cole Caufield, Univ. of Wisconsin (MTL)
F Sam Colangelo, Northeastern Univ. (ANA)
F John Farinacci, Harvard Univ. (ARI)
F Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (LAK)
F Patrick Moynihan, Providence College (NJD)
F Landon Slaggert, Univ. of Notre Dame (CHI)
F Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings
F Trevor Zegras, Boston Univ. (ANA)

D Brock Faber, Univ. of Minnesota (LAK)
D Drew Helleson, Boston College (COL)
D Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota (BUF)
D Tyler Kleven, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Jackson LaCombe, Univ. of Minnesota (ANA)
D Jake Sanderson, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Hunter Skinner, London Knights (NYR)
D Henry Thrun, Harvard Univ. (ANA)
D Cam York, Univ. of Michigan (PHI)

G  Spencer Knight, Boston College (FLA)
G Logan Stein, Ferris State Univ. (2021)
G Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips (CGY)

The roster, which includes eight holdovers from last year’s squad and Knight returning for a third go-round, includes few surprises. As expected, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson will not be a member of the team as he is instead expected to compete for a roster spot in NHL camp, anticipated to begin toward the conclusion of the WJC. The L.A. Kings’ Turcotte was not given the same treatment, as he will compete for Team USA and then head to camp.

The other glaring omission is Boston Bruins prospect Johnny Beecher, who played for the WJC entry last year and had been in camp this year. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that Beecher tested positive for COVID-19, ending his bid for a roster spot. The loss could hurt the U.S., as teammate Caufield told The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently that he expected Beecher to play a big role for the team this year.

While the University of Michigan boasts an impressive three WJC selections for Team USA, Beecher and Thomas Bordeleau (SJS) were among the final cuts. The other player left off the final roster was undrafted defenseman Cam McDonald, who would have been the third inclusion from Providence College to join head coach Nate Leaman’s WJC team. Wheeler reports that Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck would have preferred 14 forwards and eight defenseman to their 13 forwards and nine defensemen, but that COVID protocols led to this final roster, insinuating that Beecher’s positive test likely led to roomate Bordeleau’s cut as well.

Among the 15 NHL teams represented on Team USA are four prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, a trio from the L.A. Kings, and four other clubs with multiple selections.

 

Snapshots: Hub Cities, Senators, Armstrong

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While the NHL is hoping to be able to have all 31 teams play in their arenas assuming the season is able to get up and running next month, there is some uncertainty surrounding a handful of teams.  With that in mind, the league is still investigating the possibility of opening up in short-term bubbles as a contingency plan, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.  Unlike the postseason, one of the options that was previously being considered was that teams would play a handful of games in that environment, go back to their club cities briefly to be with their families, then return for another set.  At the moment, Friedman notes that Columbus, Edmonton, New Jersey, Toronto, and Vegas are among the sites under consideration; while Edmonton is hosting the World Juniors, that tournament will be over by the time the NHL season gets underway.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Senators received some short-term relief from the City of Belleville in terms of aiding their cash flow when it comes to their AHL team and as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes, the Sens have in turn agreed to a two-year lease extension. Instead of their agreement with Belleville expiring in 2025, it will now run through June 30, 2027 with an option to further extend the deal tacked on as well.  Belleville took over as Ottawa’s top minor league affiliate back in 2017 following Binghamton being in that spot for 15 seasons.
  • Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is expected to be asked to serve as Canada’s GM for the 2022 Olympics, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in the latest TSN Insider Trading. He was at the helm for Canada in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey which was the last best-on-best tournament with the NHL not participating in the 2018 Olympics.  An official announcement isn’t likely to come for a while until further plans for NHL participation in the 2022 Games is solidified.

Minor Transactions: 12/11/20

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The NHL offseason has come to a standstill with no unrestricted free agents signed to one-way contracts in a month. Still, the ECHL (which kicked off its season earlier today) and many European leagues continue to play or prepare, meaning there are still hockey players signing deals all over the world. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions here.

  • Forward Mark McNeill has signed with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden, the Allsvenskan team announced. The 2011 first-round pick last saw NHL action in 2016-17 with Dallas (getting into one game) and spent last season with EHC Linz in Austria where he had four goals and 13 assists in 27 games.  He is one of three first rounders from that draft class who haven’t played at least ten career NHL contests.
  • Defenseman Doyle Somerby has inked a deal with South Carolina of the ECHL, per the ECHL’s transactions page. The 26-year-old signed as an undrafted college free agent with Columbus back in 2017 but didn’t progress beyond the AHL level in three professional seasons.  He had a goal and six assists in 61 games with Cleveland last season.
  • Former Canucks winger Michael Zalewski is off to Germany as Kolner Haie of the DEL announced that they’ve inked him to a contract. It will be his second go-round with the team after he spent the 2018-19 campaign with them.  Last season, he recorded 15 goals and 18 assists in 46 games with Vienna in Austria.

New York Islanders Acquire Dmytro Timashov

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The New York Islanders have acquired restricted free agent forward Dmytro Timashov from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations. Timashov does not yet have a contract for the 2020-21 season.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see Timashov head to the Islanders, given he is a well-known commodity in the eyes of GM Lou Lamoriello. The 24-year-old winger was selected in the fifth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs just a month before Lamoriello took over as that team’s GM, meaning he oversaw Timashov’s development for years.

After several strong seasons in the AHL where he was used as a quarterback on the powerplay (operating from the half wall) and winning a Calder Cup in 2018, Timashov got his chance in the NHL this past season. In 39 games for the Maple Leafs he registered nine points, but was eventually the odd man out and found himself on waivers at the trade deadline. The Red Wings claimed him and Timashov would play five more games with Detroit, failing to register a point.

Even in Detroit, there didn’t seem like a ton of opportunity for Timashov, so perhaps a move to New York will give him a chance to play in the NHL again. Even if he wants to play in the AHL he’ll need a new contract, but perhaps Lamoriello knows that he’ll be able to work that out. It’s not as though he represents a ton of upside, but getting even a fringe NHL player for “future considerations” is usually worth it. In a year where a taxi squad or expanded rosters could be used, Timashov may fit that role of an in-betweener perfectly.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Sweden’s development system.

Detroit as an organization has always been known for its willingness to look outside of North America to find the best players in the world, and while that certainly is no longer an attribute limited to just them, it continues to this day in the team’s drafting strategy. Sweden, in particular, has stood out as a proving ground for the Red Wings eventual picks, with four players picked directly from the Frolunda organization over just the past two years.

That group is led of course by fourth-overall pick Lucas Raymond, who likely won’t be in Sweden much longer, but also includes Theodor Niederbach, Elmer Soderblom, and Gustav Berglund. Other Swedes picked in recent years include William Wallinder, Albert Johansson, and Albin Grewe, all selected with picks in the top 66. When the World Juniors hits the screen later this month, don’t be surprised if you hear “Red Wings draft pick” often when watching a Sweden game.

Who are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Steve Yzerman.

At the head of that draft strategy is Yzerman, who has experienced first hand throughout his playing and managing career the kind of impact international players can have. Though the team hasn’t experienced much on-ice success since he took over from Ken Holland in 2019, it’s hard to argue with the job he’s done so far in the rebuild.

The Red Wings prospect system is packed with high-end talent, they have another six picks in the first three rounds of 2021 and the roster is unencumbered by any expensive, long-term deals. In fact, only Anthony Mantha, who received a new deal last month, is signed through the 2023-24 season. Yzerman can form this roster in whichever direction he chooses, but names like Raymond and Moritz Seider are a great place to start.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

A breakout from one of their older prospects.

There was talent in the system even before Yzerman arrived, too. It’s hard to know where 21-year-old Michael Rasmussen’s career trajectory is pointed at this juncture after a somewhat disappointing first few years, but if he ever did reach his ceiling (or perhaps break through it with his 6’6″ frame) he could be a dynamic presence in the middle of the lineup.

So too could Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno, the two players Detroit selected in the first round of 2018. Both have immense upside as a top-end sniper and two-way center respectively, but neither has quite followed through on that potential just yet. It’s certainly not time to give up on either one, but if there is a breakout coming the Detroit rebuild could be accelerated considerably.

What should be on the Red Wings holiday wish list?

Even more draft picks.

This train is headed in the right direction, but there might be one last year of pain for the Red Wings with the roster as currently presented, meaning one last collection of picks would do the team good. Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, Luke Glendening, Bobby Ryan, Sam Gagner, Marc Staal, Patrik Nemeth, Jon Merrill, Alex Biega, and Jonathan Bernier are all scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after this season—you can bet a good number of them won’t finish the year in Detroit.

It’s not that these kinds of players will bring back a huge package of assets, but every third or fourth-round pick they land for an aging-but-capable veteran means another lottery ticket that could turn into something great. (Don’t look now, but Frans Nielsen, Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Stecher, and Thomas Greiss will all be UFAs in 2022 and could face similar fates.)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Hire David Ludwig

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The Arizona Coyotes have hired David Ludwig as the team’s Director of Hockey Operations & Salary Cap Compliance, joining the front office under new GM Bill Armstrong. He comes to the Coyotes after a decade at KO Sports, a licensed agency led by Kurt Overhardt that represents NHL talents like Jaccob Slavin, Viktor Arvidsson, Jacob Trouba, and, perhaps most notably, Coyotes forwards Christian Dvorak and Nick Schmaltz. Armstrong released this statement on the hire:

David brings a wealth of experience to our hockey operations department. His knowledge and expertise in contract negotiations, salary cap management and the CBA will be invaluable to us and he will play an important role in helping us build a winner in the desert.

Armstrong has quite the task in front of him to rebuild the Coyotes infrastructure after former GM John Chayka left this summer and the team was penalized heavily for draft infractions. Ludwig will join a new management group that is growing after already adding scouting guru Darryl Plandowski earlier this offseason.

Cap compliance is certainly something the Coyotes need as they currently sit nearly $3MM over the ceiling for the 2020-21 season. That’s including Marian Hossa’s $5.275MM hit, but the intricacies of how to maximize the relief for that contract are complicated and now, likely, up to Ludwig to figure out. The Coyotes have a lot of money tied up long-term in contracts for Schmaltz, Dvorak, and others, but also have a number of players coming off the books after this season. While an entire rebuild of the roster isn’t necessary, you can bet changes will be coming before long not only in the front office, but on the ice as well.

WJC Notes: Czech Republic, Alfredsson, Robertson

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The Czech Republic has cut their World Junior roster down to 28, the group that will travel to Edmonton to begin their quarantine. Three more players will then be cut from the official 25-man roster, but it looks promising for NHL prospects like Michal Teply, Adam Raska, and Jan Mysak. The Czechs will try to compete in a tough Group B where the United States, Russia, and Sweden—a team that hasn’t lost a group stage game in more than a decade—reside.

Lukas Parik, a third-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings, and Jan Bednar, a fourth-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, will be joined in the goalie trio by a familiar NHL name. Nick Malik, the son of former NHL defenseman (and shootout superstar) Marek Malik has also made the team, though he was not selected in this year’s draft. The 18-year-old went last year too and actually got into one game for the Czechs, even though Parik and star prospect Lukas Dostal were on the team.

  • Daniel Alfredsson was contacted by the Swedish team that lost most of its coaching staff to positive COVID-19 tests, but he is ineligible to help out at the tournament thanks to quarantine rules. No other staff are allowed to be added to the traveling party at this point even if they are already residing in Canada, meaning the Swedes will be led by Joel Ronnmark, an assistant coach, and head coach Tomas Monten will help from home after testing positive. The Edmonton Oilers will also loan their video coach, Jason Pietrzykowski to the team, while Anders Eriksen, the coach of the U18 team, will serve as an assistant. It would have been fun to see Alfredsson behind the bench for the Swedes, but they’ll have to try and battle through this adversity without him.
  • The U.S. team was expected to name Nick Robertson to the squad later today, but Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets out there may be an issue keeping him from competing. The Toronto Maple Leafs have always been clear that they would let Robertson play if it did not interfere with NHL training camp, but as McKenzie points out, not only is the gold medal game scheduled to be held after the NHL is hoping to open camps, but Robertson would have to serve a seven-day quarantine if he flew from Edmonton to Toronto, potentially missing it entirely. Robertson did not attend the camp in Plymouth with the rest of the U.S. hopefuls, instead staying in Toronto to train (and avoid any border quarantines). The Chicago Blackhawks, who are in the same situation with Kirby Dach who has been named to the Canadian squad, have made the decision that he will have an NHL roster spot even without a training camp.

Hockey Canada Announces Final World Junior Roster

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After a month-long selection camp that included a two-week quarantine period, Hockey Canada has finally made their final cuts and announced the roster that will be competing at the upcoming World Junior Championship. The event starts in two weeks in Edmonton, Alberta and will host teams from all over the world. The best junior-aged players will compete for gold in a year unlike any other.

Because the NHL has not started yet, players like Kirby Dach and Quinton Byfield will get the chance to compete for Canada at the end of 2020. Dach missed the tournament a year ago thanks to his commitments with the Chicago Blackhawks but should be a leader this year at the tournament. Byfield meanwhile will get a chance to convince the world that his struggles at the event last year were not indicative of his talent, while trying to add a second gold to his trophy cabinet.

Canada’s roster is loaded up front, with incredible offensive talent all the way to the final forward spot. But perhaps their defense too will be a force with names like Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale leading the way. In net, somewhat unheralded prospects will get the chance to prove they are winners, with Taylor Gauthier the only undrafted player on the final roster.

The full roster is as follows:

F Kirby Dach (CHI)
F Connor Zary (CGY)
F Dylan Holloway (EDM)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
F Alex Newhook (COL)
F Ryan Suzuki (CAR)
F Connor McMichael (WSH)
F Peyton Krebs (VGK)
F Quinton Byfield (LAK)
F Dawson Mercer (NJD)
F Dylan Cozens (BUF)
F Philip Tomasino (NSH)
F Jack Quinn (BUF)

D Braden Schneider (NYR)
D Kaedan Korczak (VGK)
D Bowen Byram (COL)
D Thomas Harley (DAL)
D Jamie Drysdale (ANA)
D Jordan Spence (LAK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Justin Barron (COL)

G Devon Levi (FLA)
G Taylor Gauthier (undrafted, eligible for 2021)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)

This means that Mavrik Bourque, Samuel Poulin, Donovan Sebrango, Ryan O’Rourke, Jamieson Rees, Seth Jarvis, Graeme Clarke, Gage Goncalves, and Lukas Cormier were the team’s final cuts.

Erik Brannstrom Recalled From Loan

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The Ottawa Senators are bringing back defensive prospect Erik Brannstrom as they prepare for the upcoming season. Brannstrom’s loan with the SCL Tigers in Switzerland has now ended, with the team wishing him well back in North America.

It is a huge season for Brannstrom, the 15th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Now 21, the young defenseman made his NHL debut at the end of the 2018-19 season, played in 31 games last year for the Senators, and now will be competing for a full-time spot. A wizard with the puck, he is expected to develop into an offense-driving force for the Senators, though that didn’t come through last season when he had just four assists during his 31-game stint. He did of course produce at nearly a point-per-game clip in the AHL, but some of that production will have to translate before he can really be considered a star at the next level.

Still, he is one of the many young bright spots on a Senators roster that should be improved. The team brought in Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Galchenyuk to give them a little more punch up front, Matt Murray to stabilize the goaltending position, and players like Erik Gudbranson, Josh Brown, and Austin Watson to make the team tougher to play against. Those additions, along with the natural development of young players like Brannstrom and Brady Tkachuk, should make Senators’ games much more competitive.

While they still might not be able to compete with some of the top teams in the All-Canadian division, this is no longer a “tank” year for the Senators. Real, tangible improvements from players like Brannstrom is the goal, and losing every night won’t accomplish that.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Islanders

Current Cap Hit: $77,594,163 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Noah Dobson (two years, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Dobson: $537.5K

Dobson was a victim of the NHL-CHL agreement that prevented him from being eligible to play in the AHL.  He clearly had done all he needed to at the major junior level but he also wasn’t quite ready for primetime duty in the top league either.  That might actually help the Islanders when it comes to his second deal as while he burned the first season of his contract, he wasn’t an impact player by any stretch.  He’s undoubtedly a big part of their future plans but he’s unlikely to break the bank with his next contract as things stand.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Anthony Beauvillier ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Casey Cizikas ($3.35MM, UFA)
F Michael Dal Colle ($700K, RFA)
D Adam Pelech ($1.6MM, RFA)
G Ilya Sorokin ($2MM, RFA)

Cizikas has been a very effective energy player for several years.  However, this is a hefty price tag for a player that still spends some time on the fourth line and rarely sees action in the top six.  These types of players – while still effective – are going to feel the squeeze of the flattened Upper Limit so it’s hard to see him coming close to what he’s making now on his next deal let alone a raise.  Beauvillier had a career year last season and has become a consistent secondary scorer.  Between that and arbitration rights, he could have a shot at doubling that price tag if he takes another step forward in 2021-22.  Dal Colle had a limited role last year which only earned him a one-way contract.  He’ll be owed a minimum-salary raise at a minimum next offseason but unless he plays his way into a bigger role, he probably won’t get much more than that.

Pelech is coming off an injury-plagued year but emerged as an under-the-radar top-four defenseman.  If he maintains that role, he’ll be well-positioned to earn a decent raise and with him being one year away from UFA eligibility, GM Lou Lamoriello will likely be looking to buy out a UFA-eligible season or two as well.

Sorokin has yet to play in the NHL but managed to get this high of a salary after burning his entry-level contract while being ineligible to play in the postseason bubble.  He enters this season as the backup which may limit his short-term earnings upside but at the same time, he’s their goalie of the future and is only two years away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency.  He could be one of the more interesting RFA cases next summer as a result.

Two Years Remaining

D Johnny Boychuk ($6MM, UFA)
F Cal Clutterbuck ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Thomas Hickey ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Ross Johnston ($1MM, UFA)
F Leo Komarov ($3MM, UFA)
D Nick Leddy ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Ryan Pulock ($5MM, UFA)

At one point, Clutterbuck was part of New York’s vaunted fourth line, a unit that is now more overpaid than it is vaunted.  They’re still effective but this is another overpayment in their bottom six.  So too is Komarov who isn’t able to hold his own in bigger minutes like he was while playing for Lamoriello in Toronto.  Neither player should come close to matching their current contracts on the open market two years from now.  Johnston isn’t an every-game player but his price tag is at least more appropriate for someone in that role.

While Boychuk’s playing days are over, he’ll remain on the books until his contract expires.  He’s eligible for LTIR and the Islanders will need it to be cap-compliant once everyone is signed.  Leddy’s deal seemed like a bargain early after he was acquired from Chicago but as his production has dipped the last couple of years, that isn’t the case as much now.  It’s not a massive overpayment either as he’s still a top-four option but barring him rediscovering his offensive touch, he is another veteran eyeing a dip in pay.  That will also be the case for Hickey who spent last year in the minors and only is being mentioned here since they’ll still face a sizable cap charge if he’s sent back down this season.

The same can’t be said for Pulock.  The two-year term on his most recent deal certainly raised some eyebrows as it walks him straight to unrestricted free agency in the prime of his career.  He very quietly has established himself as their top defenseman and assuming he continues on his current trajectory, it’s quite possible that he adds another couple of million per year to his next cap hit.  That the Isles opted for this contract shouldn’t be perceived as an indictment on Pulock but rather a reality of who still needs a contract (more on him later).  This was the cheapest way to get him signed and while they’ll benefit from it for the next two years, they’ll pay for it in 2022 when he’ll cost a fair bit more to re-sign.

Three Years Remaining

F Andrew Ladd ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Scott Mayfield ($1.45MM, UFA)
G Semyon Varlamov ($5MM, UFA)

Ladd is yet another of the terrible 2016 UFA contracts that were handed out.  While he was a top-six forward when the deal was signed, he isn’t now and spent most of last season in the minors.  That may be the case again next season and to make matters worse, the structure of the deal makes it virtually buyout-proof.

Mayfield’s five-year extension came with some risk considering he didn’t have even one year’s worth of NHL experience under his belt but it has proven to be a prudent move as he has since established himself as a capable regular.  His offensive production (or lack of) will limit his earnings upside but he should still get a fair-sized raise in his first crack at the open market.

Varlamov had a good first season with the Islanders and eventually wrestled away the number one job.  However, Sorokin is their goalie of the future and the expectation is that he’ll eventually take over the top role from Varlamov.  As a result, it’s fair to wonder if he finishes this team with them; if he does, he’ll probably have a hard time commanding similar money from a 1B or backup role.

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