Boston Bruins Make Coaching Hires
The Boston Bruins have made several coaching hires to fill out their development ranks today, including bringing back Jay Leach as the head coach of the Providence Bruins in the AHL. Leach was an assistant coach with the team last year, but will take over from Kevin Dean as the boss behind the bench. Spencer Carbery has been hired as a replacement assistant coach, while Mike Dunham has been brought on as a goaltender development coach.
Many hockey fans may remember Leach as a fringe NHL defensemen known for his size more than anything else, who played 70 games in a career split between several franchises. Retiring in 2013, his first professional coaching job came in 2015-16 for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he started as an assistant but took over as interim head coach after Mike Sullivan moved up to the NHL club. He’s obviously well respected in the Bruins organization, as he’ll take over at just 37 years old with very little experience.
Carbery spent last season as the head coach of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, but has many years of experience running a professional franchise with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays. He’s another young voice behind the bench at just 35, but has been involved in coaching since his playing career ended in 2010.
Snapshots: Malgin, Sheary, Walker
The Florida Panthers are a team looking for a reboot after a disappointing campaign. GM Dale Tallon seems to have adopted a total shift in philosophy after buying out Jussi Jokinen and passing on re-signing Jaromir Jagr. The team is opting for a more total youth movement, particularly on offense. In an article with NHL.com’s Alain Poupart, the undersized Denis Malgin spoke about his hopes for the 2017-18 campaign.
Malgin only scored 6 goals and 4 assists in his 47 contest in the NHL last season, but undoubtedly has skill. The former Zurich SC (Swiss A) prospect is known for his craftiness with the puck and his vision for making plays. As any 5’9 player will attest, physicality will be a huge hurdle for him going forward. Still, he only needs to look to recently-ex Panther Jonathan Marchessault to realize that solid offensive instincts can trump a small stature. Malgin, a center, will look to make a more permanent home in Florida this season, although training camp will determine where he begins the year. At only 20 years old, he has plenty of time to improve and bulk up physically.
- The Conor Sheary contract announced earlier today could turn out to be quite the bargain for the Penguins. The miniature winger’s chemistry with captain Sidney Crosby is undeniable, and he exploded with offensive production alongside him. With 53 points in only 61 games, if Sheary can maintain that sort of productive pace, he will be one of the more cost-effective wingers over the course of his contract. Speaking with the Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, Sheary said he hoped to prove that this past season wasn’t merely a “one-time thing”. If he can put 3 more campaigns anywhere near as successful as 2016-17, he’s assured to be paid quite a bit more on his next contract. Durability is a concern, but he did appear to absorb harder impacts less regularly as the year progressed.
- Nathan Walker of the Washington Capitals re-signed with the organization at the beginning of the month, after playing the past two seasons in Hershey. As the Capitals are in a bit of a cap crunch, they will be relying on younger, cheaper players like Walker to fill holes, especially on the third and fourth lines. Walker, like the other two players in these snapshots, needs to prove that he can overcome his short height. At only 5’8, Walker plays a game well above his size. He can handle physicality and his energy can jump-start a shift in a pinch. He also has some level of offensive capability – he’s netted 64 points through 131 AHL contests in the last two seasons. Walker is particularly interesting to trivia buffs, because were he to make an NHL appearance (as seems likely), he would be the first Australian-born player to do so, as noted by Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Walker’s competition in camp, as of now, isn’t too intimidating. Assuming Jakub Vrana makes the lineup, Walker will only need to beat out the likes of Travis Boyd, Wayne Simpson, Riley Barber and a host of AHL journeymen and minor prospects to cement his playing time.
St. Louis Re-Signs Jordan Binnington
July 28th: The team has officially announced the contract.
July 22nd: While an official announcement from the team is still forthcoming, CapFriendly revealed last night that the St. Louis Blues have come to terms with goaltender Jordan Binnington on a new contract. It is expected that Binnington will sign a one-year, two-way deal worth $660K, just a tad over the minimum, at the NHL level.
When Binnington, a restricted free agent, chose not to file for arbitration despite being eligible to do so, it seemed that there was a mutual understanding between both sides and a new contract was just a matter of time. The 24-year-old has shown promise in short spurts, but really lacks the NHL experience or stretches of AHL dominance to have much leverage in negotiations. A third-round pick out of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in 2011, Binnington was named the OHL Goaltender of the Year in 2012-13 and expectations were high for his pro future. However, heading into his fifth pro season, Binnington has seemingly been progressing backwards. After posting a .916 save percentage and 2.35 GAA in 45 appearances in his first full season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2014-15, Binnington’s stats dropped sharply in 2015-16 and he ended up with just 32 appearances in 2016-17, having to share the net with Pheonix Copley (until he was traded) and Ville Husso. Both of those other goalies played significantly better than Binnington as well, with Copley earning an NHL call-up instead of Binnington. His lone NHL appearance remains a debut in relief of Brian Elliott at the end of a 2015 game, in which Binnington allowed a goal on four shots in the final 13 minutes.
As if Binnington’s NHL future and role for the Blues wasn’t unclear enough, St. Louis’ AHL situation further muddies the waters. It was announced in May that the Chicago Wolves would become the AHL affiliate of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and then just recently, the AHL stated that it would be expanding to match the NHL’s new 31-team format, but not until the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately for the Blues, until then they will have to share the Wolves with Vegas, who needs the depth, but will surely favor their own prospects over a conference rival’s. This is especially true in net, where there are only so many starts to go around. The Knights have signed Maxime Lagace and Oscar Dansk this off-season as AHL depth behind Expansion Draft selections Marc-Andre Fleury and Calvin Pickard. That pair will likely get the lion’s share of minutes in net this season for the Wolves, with the Blues’ keepers as an afterthought. Given the solid tandem of Jake Allen and Carter Hutton in St. Louis and Husso essentially passing up Binnington on the organizational depth chart, it seems that Binnington will not only be fourth string for his NHL team, but also for his AHL team as well. It could be a long year for the former highly-touted prospect.
Carolina Hurricanes Extend Phil Di Giuseppe
The Carolina Hurricanes and Phil Di Giuseppe have come to terms on a new contract that will keep the young winger in Raleigh, or at least across the state in Charlotte, for another year. TSN’s Aaron Ward reports that Di Giuseppe has re-signed with the ‘Canes on a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $725K at the NHL level.
Di Giuseppe, a 2012 second-round pick of the Hurricanes, will enter his fourth pro season in 2017-18, but is still looking for his breakout campaign. The 23-year-old has had modest success in the NHL, but has been unable to carve out a full-time role for himself in Carolina. A former star at the University of Michigan and a consistent scoring threat in the AHL in with the Charlotte Checkers, Di Giuseppe’s skill is undeniable. A swift skater with good instincts, Di Giuseppe has complied 77 points in 144 AHL games over the last three seasons after registering 78 points in 115 games for the Wolverines. However, that scoring pace has not quite translated to success with the Hurricanes, where Di Giuseppe has 24 points in 77 games over the past two seasons. Still working to build a well-rounded game, Di Giuseppe’s ability to put up points is nothing to complain about – he could very well be a 30-point player over the course of an 82-game NHL schedule – but on a team full of young talent, Di Giuseppe has simply been unable to hold onto a roster spot due. The young forward could stand to bring a little more two-way play and special teams ability to the mix if he wants to make himself into a valuable piece of the puzzle for a Carolina team that is desperate to get back to the playoffs.
For now, Di Giuseppe is likely to be given a shot to make the NHL roster in camp, but faces an uphill battle to secure a spot with Jeff Skinner, Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Elias Lindholm, Lee Stempniak, Brock McGinn and now Justin Williams as the competition for a shot on the wing. Di Giuseppe seems likely to head back to the Checkers to begin this season, but must capitalize on the next chance he gets in Carolina. The scoring forward seems like he has what it takes, but has simply lacked the ability to hold on to his job for longer than 30 or 4o games in a season. We’ll see if that changes in 2017-18.
With Di Giuseppe signed, the Carolina Hurricanes have dealt with all of their restricted free agents and look to have a deep and promising lineup that is ready to go for the new season. Predicted to be one of the worst teams in the NHL in 2016-17, the ‘Canes showed everyone with a season that nearly ended in a playoff berth. The young squad hopes that they can take that next step this year.
Minor Transactions: 07/27/17
While the whole league considers their options now that the Montreal Canadiens have announced Andrei Markov will not return, teams will continue to make minor changes and signings to finalize the fringes of their roster before training camp. Here we’ll keep track of all the minor signings of the day.
- The New York Islanders have signed Connor Jones according to Arthur Staple of Newsday, inking the 26-year old forward to a one-year two-way contract. Jones got into four games for the Islanders this season, his first taste of NHL action. A graduate of Quinnipac University, Jones has had a hard time replicating any offensive success in the professional ranks, and was held scoreless in his short NHL stint last year.
- The Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, inked former Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect Jake Paterson to a minor league contract today, per a team release. A 2012 third-round pick from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, the 23-year-old keeper was one of the best goalies in the ECHL last year. Not only did he lead the league in wins with 34, but he posted an impressive 2.28 GAA and .918 save percentage as well. This is the second season in a row that Paterson had dominated the ECHL and has likely earned a shot at regular AHL time. However, he joins a crowded pipeline in Milwaukee that includes Marek Mazanec, Matt O’Connor, and veteran Anders Lindback fighting for time in net. Barring an injury or two, Paterson will likely be back in the ECHL next year. Yet, Paterson was still one of the top free agent goalies remaining on the market before the Admirals scooped him up.
- If Paterson had stayed in the Red Wings organization, he would have faced a similar roadblock to AHL play time behind Calder Cup hero Jared Coreau, the recently re-acquired Tom McCollum, and Czech import Matej Machovsky. However, Pat Nagle appears to be up for the challenge. The 29-year-old minor league veteran has signed on with Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, on a minor league deal, the team announced. The Michigan-native has played with Grand Rapids before – a two-game stint on loan from the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets in 2014-15 – and was loaned again to the Griffins last season, but did not see any action. Now officially part of the team, the veteran keeper will look to earn a permanent spot in Grand Rapids, but faces an uphill battle against both the trio of goalies ahead of him on the depth chart and his own age in inferior play at the AHL level.
Snapshots: Niederreiter, Granlund, Schultz, Barr
The Minnesota Wild still have three very important restricted free agents to sign, and while Marcus Foligno didn’t file for arbitration and can slowly work on a deal the deadlines for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund are fast approaching. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that the team is still trying to get both of them under contract for three to five years, but have only 10 days to do it. The pair go to arbitration on August 3rd and 4th respectively, with an arbitrator’s ruling coming down 48 hours after the hearing is completed.
You can still work out a deal after going through the hearing process, like Tomas Tatar and Viktor Arvidsson have already this year. That wouldn’t be ideal, but the Wild could get deals done as late as next weekend. Niederreiter has turned into an elite two-way player, while Granlund broke out and led Minnesota with 69 points last season, showing off his offensive chops after a move to the wing. The team has $15.8MM in cap space to work with for the trio of RFAs, and they’ll need most if not all of it depending on how many years of free agency they can buy out.
- The San Diego Gulls have signed NHL veteran Jeff Schultz to a one-year AHL contract, bringing him back for another year. Schultz, 31, was once a key part of the Washington Capitals’ defense corps, but has spent the majority of the last several years in the minor leagues. In 65 games for the Gulls last year, Schultz recorded 15 points but was a big part of their 43-20 record and has taken on a sort of mentor role for many of the Anaheim Ducks young defensemen.
- The San Jose Sharks have added an assistant coach to the mix for next season, hiring Dave Barr to be their “eye-in-the-sky.” Barr was with the Florida Panthers last season but, like Scott Allen who was just hired in Arizona, was let go at the end of the year when the Panthers cleaned house. The 58-year old coach has bounced around the NHL since 2008-09, prior to which he served as the head coach of the Guelph Storm (OHL) for four years, taking his squad to the playoff in each season. Steve Spott and Rob Zettler will be behind the bench with head coach Peter DeBoer next season.
Avalanche Re-Sign Rocco Grimaldi, Add Jesse Graham
Wednesday: The team has officially announced the contracts for both players. Grimaldi will earn $750K in the NHL, while just $170K during his time in the minor leagues.
Tuesday: The Colorado Avalanche are closing in on having all of their restricted free agents re-signed. Only big defenseman Nikita Zadorov will be left without a deal once the Avs finalize a new extension with young center Rocco Grimaldi. BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports that the one-year, two-way agreement should be made official soon.
Grimaldi, 24, is an extremely talented forward who has found much success at the NCAA and AHL levels, but has yet to put it together in the NHL. A second-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2011 out of the U.S. National Development Program, Grimaldi went on to star at the University of North Dakota before turning pro in 2014. In his first AHL season with the Panthers’ then-affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, Grimaldi recorded an impressive 42 points in 64 games. Yet, when called up to Florida, his scoring dropped off to just one point in seven games. Given a longer big league look in 2015-16, the results were the same: Grimaldi netted just five points in 20 games, whereas in the AHL he recorded 33 in 52. Fortunate enough to have ample young, talented center depth, the Panthers did not have to wait for Grimaldi to develop an NHL edge, choosing instead to trade him to the Avalanche last summer for goaltender Reto Berra. Grimaldi returned to San Antonio in 2016-17, now affiliated with Colorado, and was again a force to reckon with in the AHL, finishing third in the league in goal scoring with 31 tallies to go along with 24 assists in 72 games. However, when the Avs recalled Grimaldi for four games at the end of the season, desperately looking for a glimmer of hope after a dreadful year, he could only manage one assist.
Grimaldi may have NHL-caliber offensive talent, but he lacks the one trait you can’t teach: size. At just 5’6″, 180 lbs., Grimaldi is one of the smallest players in the league. He does not have much of two-game, essentially due to a lack of leverage in puck battles and at the face-off dot, and simply can’t skate around the competition in the NHL like he has elsewhere. Yet, the Avalanche have not lost hope. Grimaldi is not the first undersized player to try his hand at the NHL, and he won’t be the last. Similar in size to prolific players like Theo Fleury and Brian Gionta, Grimaldi may be able to make his lack of size work, especially given his considerable offensive ability. GM Joe Sakic must think so too, as he protected Grimaldi in June’s Expansion Draft, showing his commitment to the young scorer. A two-way deal is reasonable, given his lack of success in the NHL thus far, but look for Grimaldi to get a much longer look in Colorado in 2017-18.
In addition to re-upping Grimaldi, the Avalanche also made an outside hire today, signing defenseman Jesse Graham. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that it is a one-year, two-way deal between Graham and Colorado, one which will pay him the league minimum of $650K at the NHL level. A sixth-round pick of the Islanders in 2012 from the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL, Graham has struggled to make his junior scoring ability translate to the pro game over his first three season. New York declined to tender a qualifying offer to Graham, making the 23-year-old an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Graham has yet to make his NHL debut and has spent almost as much time in the ECHL over the past few years as he has in the AHL. However, Colorado is the land of opportunity for young defenseman; the team has just three blue liners signed to one-way contracts for 2017-18: Erik Johnson, Tyson Barrie, and Mark Barberio. The aforementioned Zadorov is likely to join that group soon, but (if the roster remains the same) that still leaves at least three spots up for grabs in camp and a good shot at seeing ice time over the course of the season. With 2017 top pick Cale Makar committed to UMass for at least the next season, Graham faces competition only from the likes of Chris Bigras, Andrei Mironov, Anton Lindholm, Duncan Siemens, David Warsofsky, and (if the Avs are lucky) maybe Will Butcher. It’s not the most inspiring list of options for the NHL’s worst team last season, but it could be the perfect scenario for a player like Graham in need of career boost.
Minor Transactions: 7/25/17
For a Tuesday in late July, it’s been an especially busy day for hockey transactions, including the NHL signings of Mika Zibanejad with the New York Rangers, Robin Lehner with the Buffalo Sabres, Mark Streit with the Montreal Canadiens, and several deals by the Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils. Yet, there has been a flurry of notable activity in the AHL and overseas today too, including the following:
- The once-promising NHL career of Matt Fraser has taken another odd turn away from its original path. Fraser, still just 27 years old, has signed with Dornbirner EC of the EBEL, a lower tier European league based mostly out of Austria. The team has announced the deal, though terms have not been released. Fraser moves to the EBEL after a season in Sweden, where injuries limited him to only four games with Rogle BK. Before that, many will remember Fraser as a star in the AHL for the Texas Stars and, after the Tyler Seguin trade, the Providence Bruins. Fraser even played in 60 NHL games with the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15 and looked to be on his way to becoming an NHL regular. However, after signing a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets in 2015 and failing to make the team, Fraser had the worst AHL season of his career and decided to head overseas. So far, it has not worked out, but Fraser will now try his hand at EBEL action, where he could easily be the best player for Dornbirner, who currently count another former Bruin, Jamie Arniel, as their top scorer.
- Another player who failed to meet expectatiosn in North America and will now head to a lesser European league is Dane Fox. The former Erie Otters superstar, who scored 107 points in 67 games in his final OHL season, has not found anywhere near the same success at the pro level. A high-profile signing by the Vancouver Canucks in 2014, the undrafted forward has made his last junior season look very much like a fluke with his play since then. Fox has skated almost exclusively in the ECHL over the past three seasons, playing in only two AHL games and not even in consideration for an NHL look with the Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes. Now, Fox will head to Germany to play with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL. Nurnberg is the likely favorite in the DEL next season and roster many players with NHL experience, including 2016-17 top scorer Steve Reinprecht and recent signee Tom Gilbert. Fox’s pro hockey career is very much up in the air right now, but if he can shine through on an experience Ice Tigers roster, perhaps he’ll get another shot in North America .
- The AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate, has re-signed forward Jordan Samuels-Thomas to a two-year minor league deal, the league announced. The 27-year-old recorded a pro career-high 24 points and +13 rating for the Gulls last year and is a fan favorite and active member of the San Diego community. The former NCAA standout was a seventh-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, but was never signed to an entry-level deal after spending five years in college.
- The Chicago Wolves, now the new affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, have signed one of their own, inking Scooter Vaughan to a one-year deal, according to a team release. The hard-nosed defenseman worked his way up through hockey’s ranks, spending four years at the University of Michigan, three years in the ECHL, and going on four years in the AHL, with the last two spent in Chicago. The next stop could be the NHL, now that the Wolves are associated with the Knights, who obviously have the least organizational depth of any team in the league. A career-best performance in 2017-18 could earn Vaughan his first NHL contract next year.
- A pair of AHL defenseman will change teams for the upcoming season as Paul Geiger, recently of the Rochester Americans, has signed with the Hershey Bears, the Washington Capitals’ affiliate, while the Carolina Hurricanes’ minor league partners, the Charlotte Checkers, have signed former St. John’s Ice Caps defender Josiah Didier. Both Geiger and Didier are still just 24 years old and were solid college players, at Clarkson and Denver respectively, but need big seasons with their new teams after pedestrian starts to their pro careers, that is if they want to reach the NHL someday.
- The 2016-17 captain at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has found his new home, and he’s in a good spot. Riley Bourbonnais, a 23-year-old center who was nearly a point per game player for RPI last year, has inked his first AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, the feeder team of the two-time Stanley Cup champs. The team announced their newest addition and have high hopes that he can bring the same well-rounded game he showed in college to the pros.
Defensive Logjam In Dallas Not Concerning
The Dallas Stars are in an enviable position, but one that might prompt a trade in the near future. After years of drafting heavily on defense, their prospect pool at the position is incredibly deep. Heading into training camp, at present, they will have at least 9 defensemen fighting for 7 roster spots. Theoretically, the could keep 8 on the roster for a time and keep only one spare forward, but ultimately, someone is going to lose out.
As of today, the team has Marc Methot, John Klingberg, Dan Hamhuis, Esa Lindell as their highest paid defenders. They also have Patrik Nemeth, Greg Pateryn, and Stephen Johns signed to NHL contracts, who are all over the age of 25 and would be waiver eligible if the team attempted to waive them for AHL use. There is also the still promising Jamie Oleksiak, an RFA who still needs to negotiate his contract. Finally, Julius Honka looks ready to take an NHL roster position after spot duty in Dallas last season. There are also more defensemen on the horizon, including the steal of a first-round pick of this season, Miro Heiskanen. Heiskaen is likely to return to his native Finland, but less talented players have forced teams to keep them on board. So, who makes the team? And will anyone be on the move?
Discounting the most expensive four, Nemeth and others should be concerned about being usurped. It seems that Honka has proven everything he can at the AHL level, and with his talent could end up outclassing everyone not named Klingberg or Methot with a good camp showing. Still, he can be moved down without needing to clear waivers. Oleksiak has shown real flashes as a former first-round shutdown player, but Pateryn and Nemeth both ended up playing a similar number of contests last season, and are second-rounders themselves. Despite limited action, their possession numbers were solid (49.9% and 51.3% respectively Corsi For) and there aren’t major faults in either players’ games. Oleksiak still has kinks to work out in his game, but his size (6’7) is probably just too tempting to move him at the tender age of 24. Johns played more games of any of the others, and brings a physicality that will likely endear him to new head coach Ken Hitchcock, despite his other shortcomings.
Ultimately, this is a camp that will be brutally competitive. The Stars won’t want to lose any of these players for nothing. Teams are always looking for youngish defenders on the cheap, and both Pateryn and Oleksiak would fit that bill nicely. Hamhuis would be tempting to move out, but he still eats a ton of minutes and provides veteran leadership to a young group. Lindell isn’t safe either, and moving his salary ($2.2) would be more helpful than unloading the cheap Pateryn or Johns. At the end of the day, it’s a wonderful problem to have, as depth at the position is always integral when players go down to injury. The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika is probably correct in his prediction that the organization will allow the situation to sort itself out on its own. Internal competition can be healthy, and by September many teams will be desperate to fill defensive holes on the cheap. Still, it will be a fascinating situation to watch develop.
Minor Notes: Didier, Muzito-Bagenda, Tarasov
It has been a relatively eventful day for a Monday in late July for the NHL. RFA fever and impending arbitration is occupying many general managers’ time. That said, teams have also been busy at work with their AHL rosters and reviewing their prospect situations.
The Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, announced the signing of Daniel Muzito-Bagenda to a two-way contract. The former Missassauga Steelhead generally plays on his off wing, the right side. He’s never displayed overwhelming offensive capabilities, and did struggle slightly to adjust to the North American game after playing two seasons for MODO’s under-20 squad in Sweden. He played well for the Steelheads in their very abbreviated playoff appearance in the 2015-16, leading that team in points through their 7 games played. Last season he played in 61 games for the Amerks, tallying only 15 points.
Muzito-Bagenda has a lot to prove if he wants to push for a 4th-line call up. Still, for a 6’1 player he has decent promise and should be able to improve his output at least marginally. The only way he’ll see spot duty is if there is a mass of injuries and he leapfrogs many others. Still, at only 21, he has room to grow.
- The Charlotte Checkers, Carolina’s AHL Affiliate, signed defenseman Josiah Didier to a two-way contract today. Didier split time between the AHL in St. John’s and the ECHL in Brampton last season. It will be interesting to see if he can solidify himself some playing time this year and earn consideration for another contract down the line. He only saw 39 games of action and tallied a meager 8 points in that time. At 24 years old, the former fourth-round pick of Montreal is certainly hoping to finally put it together. His right-handed shot is certainly intriguing, but this will have to be the year to get noiced.
- The NHL website ran an intriguing piece on Columbus’ 3rd round selection at the 2017 Draft, goaltender Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov showcased some amazing ability at the 2016 World Juniors, but missed the year due to injury. He could prove another sneaky good selection by GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who has truly revitalized that franchise through solid scouting and prospect management. Finally getting recovering to ful health once again, Tarasov will ease himself back into the game by playing for the “junior KHL”, the MHL, for a team called Topar Ulfa. It will be interesting to see whether this gamble pays off, and how quickly Tarasov could push for a KHL position. His athleticism and poise definitely turned heads, but a year off can harm any player’s development.