Central Notes: Heiskanen, Kane, Thomas, Kyrou, Gurianov
While many people are talking about the impact that rookie defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will make on the Buffalo Sabres, many are forgetting that the Dallas Stars have an impact defenseman of their own entering the league this year in Miro Heiskanen. The third-overall pick from the 2017 draft is expected to make an immediate impact to aid the Stars’ defense, but he is expected to be brought along slowly to start the season, according to SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks.
In a personal profile of the 19-year-old, the scribe writes that the team will likely ease him into the lineup as he will likely either be paired with shutdown defenseman Stephen Johns or fellow countryman Julius Honka on the second or third line, depending on how quickly he can adjust to the North American style of game. He has spent the last two seasons in Finland, playing against men in Liiga for HIFK, where he was named the league’s top defenseman last season.
- Tracey Myers of NHL.com writes that Chicago Blackhawks’ star Patrick Kane is ready to wipe the slate clean from last year’s disappointing season and the goal is to get the team back into the playoffs. Kane had a down season compared to the previous two years as he tallied 27 goals and 79 points. Normally a solid season, it still paled in comparison to the 106 points he posted in 2015-16 or the 89 points in 2016-17. “We all have that feeling within us where it’s like, we did some good things, but you’re restarting now and you have to prove yourself again,” Kane said. “It’s a long season, and I think maybe we got ahead of ourselves a little bit last year.”
- With all the talent the St. Louis brought in this season, including Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon, it might seem unlikely that the team’s two top prospects, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, might be shoved out of the way next season. In a mailbag story, St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Jim Thomas said that is very unlikely when it comes to Robert Thomas, saying that he can’t picture a scenario where the team doesn’t keep Thomas, who is likely to center the team’s fourth line next season. Thomas, who dominated the OHL last season, would either have to make the club or be returned to juniors for another year and the scribe believes sending him back to Hamilton isn’t going to help him. So he’s best off learning on the fly in the NHL. Kyrou, on the other hand, very likely will end up with the AHL San Antonio Rampage. Now that Kyrou is finished with juniors, he can learn in the AHL for a season before coming over. Thomas doesn’t have the AHL option open to him.
- In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that it seems less and less likely that Dallas Stars prospect Denis Gurianov will be success in the NHL. The 12th-overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft struggled in the AHL at times this season. He finished the season with 19 goals in 74 games, but also was scratched during the Texas Stars’ playoff run. Shapiro writes that he doesn’t believe that Gurianov has the hockey IQ to be successful in the league. He is a hard worker, but doesn’t understand the game. When he was scratched, it was an organizational decision, according to Shapiro, not a coaching decision.
Central Notes: Seguin, Jets’ Second-Line, Boqvist
While negotiations continue between Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars, there has been no progress when it comes to locking up the Stars’ star forward to a long-term deal. In fact, in a mailbag edition in The Athletic (subscription required), Sean Shapiro writes that it is unlikely the team and Seguin will be able to reach an agreement on an extension before the season starts, which could put a tremendous amount of pressure on Dallas management, especially if the team struggles in Jim Montgomery‘s first season as head coach.
With three coaches in the past three years and a slow start out of the gate, many might feel that Dallas could be forced to consider trading Seguin rather than eventually losing him for nothing like the New York Islanders did with John Tavares this past offseason. However, Shapiro writes that the only way general manager Jim Nill trades Seguin is if he’s on the way out as it would signify that he has failed in his bid to assemble a great team. So, it’s likely Nill and the team will do everything it can, which could include an eventual trade for another top-six player, to help convince Seguin to stay in Dallas long-term.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun writes that the Winnipeg Jets will have a battle for their No. 2 center position in training camp this year. While the position was manned at the end of the year by trade acquisition Paul Stastny at the end of the season, the veteran has moved on to Vegas, opening up a competition between Bryan Little, Jack Roslovic and Adam Lowry. Roslovic might have the upper hand as the 21-year-old is an emerging talent after posting impressive numbers in the AHL last year after he posted more than a point a game with the Manitoba Moose, where he scored 15 goals and 35 points in just 32 games, while adding another five goals with the Jets in a limited role in 31 games. The 30-year-old little had a disappointing season that saw him score 16 goals and 43 points, some of the worst numbers of his career. Lowry managed to appear in just 45 games last season after dealing with multiple shoulder injuries, but may also have found his niche as a checking line center.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) examines why the Chicago Blackhawks intend to allow the OHL London Knights to develop Adam Boqvist, their top pick in the 2018 NHL draft. The eighth-overall pick is expected to breathe both talent and youth in a depleted blue line within the next year or two. While he’s not expected to be ready yet to make those contributions, the franchise had multiple options in where they could send him, including sending him back to Sweden, sending him to the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL or back to Sweden for another season. Powers said that returning him to Sweden wasn’t the best option as he only received 7:27 of ATOI with his SHL team, Brynas, last season and while that likely would increase, he would never average 20 minutes a game there. That left two options. They felt that the five-foot-nine, 157-pound blueliner wasn’t ready for the AHL, so that left sending him to juniors. London is a team they have familiarity with as Patrick Kane played there for one season as well as the fact that the Knights have a top coach in Dale Hunter and Blackhawks’ scout Jim McKellar spent 13 years with the London organization as well, which makes them feel that Boqvist should get plenty of playing time and a chance to further develop his skills.
Minor Transactions: 08/24/18
Another day closer to the start of the 2018-19 hockey season, and minor league organizations are still filling out their rosters. We’ll keep track of the day’s minor signings right here:
- The Rochester Americans have signed Myles Powell to a one-year AHL contract, giving him his first full-season opportunity in professional hockey. After having a great season for the Rochester Institute of Technology last year, he joined the Americans on a tryout contract and played in four games. The 5’9″ forward put up 39 points in 37 games for RIT in 2017-18, and should give the Americans some more depth up front this season.
- Max Talbot has mutually terminated his contract with Lokomotiv in the KHL, ending his two-year run with the team. The 34-year old played over 700 games in the NHL before heading overseas, and will need to find a new home if he’s to continue his playing career. Whether that could indicate a return to North America isn’t clear, but after struggling for the Boston Bruins in 2015-16 it’s unlikely he ever sees the NHL again.
Snapshots: Kings, Parent, Galchenyuk
The Los Angeles Kings struggled to create offense from anywhere but Anze Kopitar‘s line in the first half of last season, mostly because of the absence of Jeff Carter as the team’s second line center. Carter played just 27 games for the Kings, but registered 13 goals and 22 points showing that even in his mid-thirties he’s still a very effective offensive player.
This time around they’re hoping for better results, and look healthier coming into training camp. Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times reports that Carter, Dustin Brown, Trevor Lewis and Jake Muzzin are all expected to be ready for training camp in a few weeks, despite dealing with some injuries this summer. If the Kings can squeeze out some of Ilya Kovalchuk‘s previous performance and put a healthy Carter over the boards every few shifts, the team could have a much improved offense this season.
- The New Jersey Devils have hired Ryan Parent as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, bringing in the NHL veteran to join Mark Dennehy’s staff. Parent is a veteran of more than 100 NHL contests, and even suited up for 27 playoff contests with the Philadelphia Flyers between 2008-2010. Once a first-round pick by the Nashville Predators, he’ll be able to provide valuable insight to Devils prospects as they come through the system as well as helping to develop the defensemen already in Binghamton.
- The Arizona Coyotes will have a glut of options for the center position this season, as several newcomers have experience at the position. One of those players, Alex Galchenyuk, wants to prove to his doubters that he can handle the position and according to a conversation with Dave Vest of NHL.com, will be given that chance by head coach Rick Tocchet. Galchenyuk was drafted as a potential first line center by the Montreal Canadiens, but struggled to find much consistency at the position during his time there. After being swapped for Max Domi earlier this offseason, both he and the Coyotes have expressed a desire to see him return to the middle if possible. If he can handle the move back to the middle, the Coyotes find themselves deep at the position with Derek Stepan, Christian Dvorak and Brad Richardson already on the roster and Dylan Strome expected to compete for a full-time role this season.
Overseas Notes: Sandin, Taffe, Garbutt
Murray Pam of Sporting News Canada is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs first-round pick Rasmus Sandin will not return to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL next season, and is currently with Rogle of the SHL preparing for the season. The Maple Leafs could still assign Sandin to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies if they chose to, because the 18-year old defenseman was playing on loan to the CHL.
Toronto brought top pick Timothy Liljegren over right away and allowed him to play all season in the AHL last year, and could potentially do the same with their latest first rounder. That would allow the two to potentially play together on a Calder Cup-winning squad, but may block Sandin from receiving the same type of minutes that he would in the SHL. The Marlies currently project to have some combination of Martin Marincin, Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and Andrew Nielsen on the left side this season, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for Sandin to play big minutes.
- HC Slovan Bratislava of the KHL have signed Jeff Taffe, the epitome of a professional hockey journeyman. Taffe, 37, played pro for more than a decade in North America, suiting up for 180 NHL games split between the then-Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild before heading overseas to play in Europe and the KHL. He’s played in the SHL, KHL and NLA the last few seasons and will return to Slovakia to suit up for Slovan Bratislava this season. Once a first-round pick by the St. Louis Blues, Taffe has always been an incredibly talented offensive performer in the minor leagues and internationally, and will try to continue that at his advanced age in the KHL.
- Speaking of HC Slovan, Ryan Garbutt won’t be playing for them again this season after signing in Germany’s DEL. Garbutt, a veteran of over 300 NHL contests, played for three different KHL teams last season after failing to find a job in North America. Once a 17-goal man for the Dallas Stars, the offense dried up for Garbutt fairly quickly and he found himself in the minor leagues for a good chunk of the 2016-17 season. At 33, it seems unlikely he’ll make a return to the NHL and will finish his career with 87 career points.
Emerson Etem To Attend Los Angeles Kings Training Camp
It’s been several years since Emerson Etem was really considered a top prospect, but he’s still just 26 and could have some good hockey left in his career. That’s the hope of the Los Angeles Kings, who according to Lisa Dillman of The Athletic, will have Etem in training camp on a professional tryout next month. The journeyman winger spent last season playing in the AHL and NLA, where he suited up for the Tucson Roadrunners and Lugano HC respectively.
Etem was originally selected in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks in 2010, and was a superstar in the junior ranks before eventually making the NHL team during the 2012-13 season. In 115 games for the Ducks over three seasons though, Etem was held to just 31 points and limited minutes. Unable to carve out a full-time role, he’d eventually find himself fighting for NHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, before returning to the Ducks organization for a short time. Last season he signed a two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes and earned an early call-up, but never cracked the lineup and had his contract eventually terminated so he could go play in Europe.
It will be tough for him to crack a Los Angeles squad that added Ilya Kovalchuk this summer and has seen youngsters like Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe establish themselves as full-time options, but there certainly could be a two-way deal in the future for the former top prospect. If Etem is finally willing to play in the minor leagues and fight for his next opportunity, why not have it be in Ontario just fifty miles from his hometown of Long Beach, California.
Golden Knights To Name Fort Wayne Komets As ECHL Affiliate
August 21: The Golden Knights have officially announced the affiliation. It is a one-year agreement for the 2018-19 season.
August 8: Another day, another potential ECHL affiliate off the market for those NHL teams still searching. Justin Cohn of The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana reports that the hometown team is just “a signature away” from becoming affiliated with the league’s newest team, the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights. As the organizational depth of the Knights grows even more in the team’s second year, it needs a location for those players who are not getting enough play time at the AHL level. Who better than the Komets, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant‘s first head coaching gig, to solve that problem.
The nature of NHL-ECHL partnerships often varies team-by-team. Some NHL programs maintain strong, lasting relationships with their “AA” affiliate and devote multiple players to their ranks, while others use it solely in an emergency to stash a player or two and switch affiliations frequently. It is always to the benefit of an NHL squad to have an ECHL affiliate, but some teams simply cherish the option more than others. Last season, the Komets were affiliates of the Arizona Coyotes and, as Cohn writes, ‘Yotes prospects Artur Tyanulin, Trevor Cheek, and Michael Houser were a key part of the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals. However, Arizona unexpectedly dropped Fort Wayne as their affiliate in favor of former AHL franchise the Norfolk Admirals. In search of a new feeder team, Cohn relays that the team had been talking to both Vegas and the Nashville Predators, but Nashville has instead chosen to share the nearby Atlanta Gladiators team with the Boston Bruins. With just one contender remaining, it is now all but official between the Golden Knights and Komets.
There have been several changes in allegiance this off-season, but once this affiliation becomes official – as well as Nashville and Atlanta – there will only be a handful of NHL and ECHL teams left un-aligned. According to the league, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Tampa Bay Lightning remain without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Orlando Solar Bears, and Rapid City Rush do not have NHL affiliates. There is still some time for some of those teams to figure out a deal before the puck drops on the 2018-19 season.
Snapshots: Corsi, Ramo, Matthews
The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired a pair of new faces for the coaching staff, bringing in Jim Corsi as goaltending development coach and Carey Krug as an assistant for the Cleveland Monsters. Corsi of course is the coach that the statistic is named after, but also has a long history of developing NHL goaltenders including working with Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller after taking over from legendary coach Mitch Korn in Buffalo.
Krug, another familiar name in the hockey world, is the uncle of Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug and has been a skills development coach working with various players for more than a decade. He’ll join Columbus’ AHL affiliate and work with head coach John Madden for the upcoming season.
- Karri Ramo will miss the next six months thanks to a knee injury, keeping him out of a good portion of the KHL season. After posting outstanding numbers with Jokerit last season, Ramo was set to start for Avangard Omsk this season. Instead, that job will likely go to hulking goaltender Igor Bobkov, who also came over to Omsk this offseason. Bobkov was selected back in 2009 by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round, but never did crack the NHL. Now 32, it seems unlikely that Ramo will ever return to the NHL during his playing career.
- Auston Matthews has been the center of several rumors this offseason regarding his perceived attitude towards Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock and the arrival of John Tavares in town. He sat down with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription required) to put some of that speculation to rest, and admitted that he is ecstatic about the team adding a star of Tavares’ stature. Matthews also admitted that if the Maple Leafs brass asked him if he was ready to be the next captain of the team already, he would tell them yes—an admission that is only going to start more speculation about the 20-year old superstar.
Minor Transactions: 08/20/18
The hockey world chugs along as we wait for preseason games to start in a few weeks. We’ll keep track of the minor moves right here:
- Joseph LaBate has signed an AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, leaving the Vancouver Canucks organization after three years. LaBate was eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer after failing to crack the Canucks lineup for more than 13 games, and will now try his hand with the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. The 6’5″ winger is a tough player to line up against, and will give the Senators a little more size for the 2017-18 season.
- Brett Murray has left Penn State University to return to junior hockey according to Patrick Burns of the Daily Collegian. Murray, a Buffalo Sabres fourth-round draft pick, has experience in the USHL but could also go to the OHL where the Oshawa Generals still hold his rights. The big winger scored just six points in 21 games for Penn State last season, but will take his talents back to the junior ranks where he had found more success in the past.
- Colton Hargrove, a Boston Bruins draft pick, has signed an AHL contract with the Texas Stars for 2018-19. In three seasons with the Providence Bruins Hargrove registered 87 total points, including a solid season in 2017-18 with 33 in just 52 games. The 26-year old became an unrestricted free agent in 2017 when the Bruins decided not to extend him a qualifying offer.
Southern California Becoming A Hotbed For Young Hockey Talent
Can you name the all-time leading NHL scorer who was born or raised in California? No? It’s long-retired journeyman defenseman Lee Norwood of course with a total of 211 points. Coming in at number two is Brooks Orpik and his 185 career points and Orpik was raised in New York and played his developmental hockey in Massachusetts. The state of California has simply never been much of producer of hockey talent. Not for long. The grassroots movement in Southern California, fueled by the success of its three NHL rival teams, has begun to grow talent at a rate never before seen in the state or in many southern markets. Soon, California natives will be making names for themselves at the highest level.
For a while now, Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller has been the best player in the NHL both born and raised in California. The rugged blue liner from Los Angeles is 30 years old, making him more of an outlier ahead of his time. However, younger pros are beginning to line up behind him for the title of top Californian. Chad Ruhwedel, Ian McCoshen, Matthew Nieto, Beau Bennett, Nic Kerdiles, Eric Comrie and Collin Delia make up the list of other West Coast natives that are getting play time in the NHL.
The above group is still not all that impressive. The point being that the SoCal hockey movement hasn’t hit just yet. It is the next wave that will really start to turn heads. The poster boy is Vancouver Canucks top goalie prospect Thatcher Demko. The San Diego product was an early second-round pick in 2014 and has impressed at every level: the USHL, NCAA, and AHL. Once the Canucks finally give him a legitimate role in the NHL, he could become a top goalie in the league.
Demko was a product of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, a nationwide premiere youth league with teams based in major cities across the U.S., some of whom have even adopted the local NHL club’s moniker. Demko played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings U16 team in 2011-12. To take a look at how hockey has grown since, here are some other names who have suited up for the same team since:
- Robby Jackson, the leading scorer for St. Cloud State University, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18. Jackson turned down pro offers to return to school for his senior season.
- Jake McGrew, a 2017 sixth-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks who currently plays a top-six role for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL
- Cole Guttman, a 2017 sixth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and former top ten USHL scoring leader who heads to the University of Denver this year
- Murphy Stratton, a point-per-game power forward in the BCHL last year who is committed to the University of North Dakota
- Sahil Panwar, the 23rd overall pick by the London Knights in the OHL Priority Selection Draft this year and a 2020 NHL Draft prospect
While the Jr. Kings have had quite a run in recent years, the cross-town rival Anaheim Jr. Ducks have been keeping busy of late. In just the past year, the Ducks have had numerous major commitments. Josh Groll, on of the T1EHL’s top scorers last season, is bound for the University of Michigan. Ryan Johnson, who scored the second-most points by a defenseman in league history a year ago, is committed to the University of Minnesota. Just today, the University of Massachusetts received a commitment from forward Ethan Wothers. The top player to watch of them all though is Jackson Niedermayer, son of Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer, who will join the Penticton Vees of the BCHL this season and promises to be an intriguing name in next year’s NHL Draft.
This is just the beginning of what grassroots hockey may grow to be in Southern California. Beaches and year round warm weather aside, the area has everything it needs to continue to grow the game: popular NHL teams, plenty of wealth to support facilities and training, an opportunity to be noticed, and now a high level of interest among the many young athletes. Kevan Miller may want to watch out, his title of being the best Californian in the NHL might not last much longer.