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Vancouver Canucks Sign Max Sasson

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The Vancouver Canucks have announced this morning that they have agreed to terms on a 2-year, entry-level contract with forward Max Sasson. Sasson, who just finished his sophomore year at Western Michigan University, will be joining the team’s AHL affiliate Abbotsford Canucks for their playoff push. Sasson’s contract will begin next season, as he will finish out this year on an amateur tryout contract.

In his second season with the Broncos, Sasson scored 15 goals and 27 assists in 38 games played. Helping Western reach the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, the team lost in round one to Boston University, where Sasson was unable to put any points on the board.

The GM of the Canucks, Patrik Allvin, expressed his excitement about the deal, saying:

“He is coming off a very strong year with Western Michigan and has shown continual improvement in his game each of the last few seasons. We look forward to watching him develop at the professional level with our staff in Vancouver and Abbotsford.”

Montreal Canadiens Sign Sean Farrell

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After speculation yesterday that a deal would be coming soon, the Montreal Canadiens have made it official, announcing that they have signed forward Sean Farrell to a 3-year, entry-level contract. At this time, the financial details of the deal are unknown, but Farrell will be joining the team on their trip to play the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers.

A fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Farrell easily transitioned from the USHL to the NCAA. After his draft year, Farrel scored 101 points in 53 games played for the USHL Chicago Steel. As he started his career at Harvard University for the 2021-22 season, Farrell once again scored over a point per game, putting up 28 points in 24 contests. This year, on a very good Harvard team, the young forward scored 20 goals and 33 assists in only 34 games played.

On March 24th, Harvard took on the Big Ten’s Ohio State University in the first round of the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, losing by a final score of 8-1. In the contest, Farrell was able to put up one point, assisting on the team’s lone goal for the night. Farrell will now join up with a struggling Canadiens team, likely playing in their final nine games of this season.

West Notes: Kurashev, Kolesar, Johnsson, Knyzhov

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Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that forward Reese Johnson will be replacing Philipp Kurashev in the lineup tonight. Johnson will suit up in his first game since the team’s February 19th win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his report, Pope mentions that Kurashev may be headed toward concussion protocol, but are waiting until the team returns to Chicago to make a better determination. In 70 games played for the struggling Blackhawks so far this season, Kurashev has scored nine goals and 16 assists. Although these may seem like tepid numbers from a forward, he has passed his total production from last season, which must be a welcomed sign from the rebuilding Chicago team.

Other notes:

  • After being out since March 11th, the head of the Vegas Golden Knights, Bruce Cassidy, reports that Keegan Kolesar will be back in the lineup for tonight’s game. Although Kolesar does not usually generate a lot of offensive chances for the Golden Knights, the forward has thrown 240 hits so far this year, good for seventh overall throughout the entire league. As the Golden Knights are making their final push to return to the playoffs, Kolesar’s ability to throw the body is a valuable asset to employ come playoff time.
  • Since being acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline, forward Andreas Johnsson has not been able to find his footing in the Bay Area just yet. Tallying just three assists in 13 games for the Sharks, Johnsson has been out since the team’s March 20th game with an injury. Sharks beat writer Curtis Pashelka passes on a note from head coach David Quinn that the new forward will likely be out for some time, with no update on when he will return to the lineup.
  • Continuing on with the Sharks, the team has announced that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov has been sent down to their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda. Spending most of this year on the team’s long-term injured reserve, Knyzhov has suited up in nine games for San Jose, scoring only one goal from the back end.

 

Robert Mastrosimone Unlikely To Sign With Detroit

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Generating the production of an average forward for Boston University, forward Robert Mastrosimone turned things around upon joining the Arizona State Sun Devils. In his first career season at Arizona State, Mastrosimone scored over a point per game, putting up 42 points in 38 games. Unfortunately, for the third straight season, he was unable to help the Sun Devils reach the NCAA tournament.

Mastrosimone was drafted 54th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, hopefully, to become one of the better forwards on the next contending Red Wings’ team. However, Greg Powers, the head coach of Arizona State, relays that Mastrosimone may not be joining the Red Wings altogether.

“He’s playing the waiting game and seeing what’s going to be available as a free agent. There’s a lot of teams that are interested in him, but it doesn’t look like Detroit is going to happen. It’s just a waiting game, but he has the option to come back. It’s a good option and he’s open to it.”

If Detroit and Mastrosimone are unable to come to a contract resolution, the young prospect should nevertheless find his way onto an NHL team. Including his standalone year with Arizona State, Mastrosimone has played in 121 regular season games, scoring 32 goals and 60 assists. Mastrosimone will have one more season of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and should he play out his final season with Arizona State, he will likely be joining a new organization around this time next year.

College Notes: Polin, Colangelo, Quillan

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One of the best goal scorers in the NCAA will have his pick of the litter when it comes to finding a home in the NHL. Western Michigan University captain Jason Polin, who scored 30 goals in 37 games for the Broncos this season, is fielding calls from teams in hopes of continuing his hockey career at the professional level.

Mark Divver, a contributor at the NHL, reports that the Boston Bruins will make a big run at the goal-scoring forward. Secondly, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe also reports that GM Bill Guerin and the Minnesota Wild also have a ton of interest in the Western Michigan product as well. Divver mentions that Polin will be heavily swayed by which team will be able to get him into the lineup right away.

Both the Bruins and the Wild could certainly use a player of Polin’s caliber for the rest of the season and beyond. The Bruins, with eight players projected to become unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the season, will need to get creative when it comes to building next year’s roster. The Wild, on the other hand, are still handicapped due to the buyout penalties given to them by Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, giving them an even larger need to maximize production from lower costs.

Other notes:

  • Since Anaheim Ducks’ prospect, Sam Colangelo has entered the transfer portal, Mark Divver reports that multiple teams from the Big Ten, NCHC, and Hockey East conferences have interest in the forward. Over the past three seasons at Northeastern University, Colangelo has played in 72 regular season games, scoring 21 goals and 33 assists. Drafted 36th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, the young forward should find a promising situation for the conclusion of his collegiate career.
  • Lastly, Divver reports that Quinnipiac University forward Jacob Quillan will be attending the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp this summer. As the team prepares for its second-round matchup against the Big Ten’s Ohio State University, Quillan has impressed with 16 goals and 17 assists throughout 38 games this season. The sophomore is currently undrafted and unsigned by any organization within the NHL.

 

League Updates: Boyle, Ekman-Larsson, IIHF

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The NHL Network will be adding a new face as they announce former player Brian Boyle will be joining the staff. Although he did suit up last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boyle is now officially retired from the NHL.

Over his 14-year career, Boyle was originally drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the famous 2003 NHL Draft. He then would go on to play seasons for the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, and Florida Panthers, before finishing up with the Penguins. In 871 career games, Boyle scored 141 goals and 252 points overall.

In August 2017, shortly before training camp would open up for the Devils, Boyle discovered that he had been struck with chronic myeloid leukemia, a form of bone marrow cancer. Boyle would return to hockey, playing the rest of the season in New Jersey, and being rewarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the season. Thankfully, just over a year later, Boyle announced that his cancer was in remission, and he went on to play for another three years.

Other notes:

  • Patrick Johnston of The Province wrote an article today explaining that Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will likely not return to the ice this year. Suffering a sprained ankle in the team’s February 15th game against the Rangers, Ekman-Larsson has not played since. After being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, Ekman-Larsson was on pace to have his best season in point production since 2018-19, but he will now be unable to eclipse that. Playing in Vancouver this year, Ekman-Larsson will finish with two goals and 22 assists, with a -24 +/-.
  • The IIHF has announced that Russia and Belarus will not be included in any international competitions for the 2023-24 season. This will mark the second official suspension of both teams, making the initial call in February of 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many pundits are speculating about when the eventual suspensions will stop, or if there is another solution possible altogether, as the war does not seem close to slowing down as of now.

West Notes: Peterson, Vilardi, Imama, Kelemen

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After being included in a minor league swap at the trade deadline, Jacob Peterson only managed to play a single game with the Dallas Stars this year. After being shipped to the San Jose Sharks, he has only played for their AHL affiliate San Jose Barracuda, but will now get his first call-up with the organization.

In his second full season in North America, Peterson has fared much better in the minor leagues this year. In 44 games for Dallas’ AHL affiliate Texas Stars, Peterson put up 13 goals and 13 assists. Since being acquired by San Jose, he has suited up in eight games for the Barracuda, scoring a single goal and also putting up five assists.

It is no secret that the Sharks are in full-on tank mode, so players like Peterson should be seeing more time down the stretch. GM Mike Grier will likely be using the rest of the year as a test run to see what they’ll be able to build around going forward in San Jose.

Other notes:

  • After crashing into the boards in the third period during the Los Angeles Kings’ route against the Calgary Flames Monday night, forward Gabriel Vilardi did not return for the rest of the game. This morning, Kevin Weekes of ESPN gave an update on his status moving forward, but nothing definitive was given. The Kings do not play again until this Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets, so the hope there is that Vilardi will be ready for that game. In what should be regarded as his breakout season, the young Kings forward has amassed 23 goals and 18 assists through 61 games this year, good for seventh on the team in total scoring.
  • Continuing their trend of making an emergency call-up seemingly every day, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled forwards Milos Kelemen and Bokondji Imama from their AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners. Both players have managed a handful of games in the NHL this season, Kelemen playing in three, and Imama playing in four. They have both equally been unable to score any points for the Coyotes so far this season.

Atlantic Notes: Savage, Brodie, Mandolese, McMann

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According to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News, Red Wings’ prospect Redmond Savage is transferring to Michigan State University. Drafted 114th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Savage will take his talents closer to where he will eventually be playing.

Throughout his 67 regular season games played for Miami University (Ohio), Savage was able to put up 13 goals and 17 assists over his 2-year span. More famously, on the world stage, Savage was included on the roster of the United States World Junior team, playing in both tournaments this year and last. Throughout his 12 tournament games, Savage scored nine points for the United States team.

Since joining the Big Ten Conference before the 2013-14 NCAA season, the Spartans have only managed to earn a winning season one time in 2015. However, for the first time under new head coach Adam Nightingale, the Spartans won their quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame but eventually lost to the University of Minnesota in this year’s Big Ten tournament.

Other notes:

  • From Mark Masters of TSN, after sitting out of yesterday’s game against the New York Islanders, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, says that defenseman T.J. Brodie will be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Florida Panthers. After handily losing to the Islanders on Tuesday, Brodie should be a welcomed return to the Maple Leafs against a surging Panthers team. Although his point production is down this season, Brodie has still been keen on his defensive aspects of the game, including being one of the better shot blockers in the league.
  • After netminder Dylan Ferguson became ill before yesterday’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Ottawa Senators re-called Kevin Mandolese from their AHL affiliate Belleville Senators. Today, the Senators announced that they have returned Mandolese back to Belleville. With the Senators dealing with injuries between the pipes, Mandolese has started in three games this year, going 2-1-0 with a .916 SV% and a 3.29 GAA.
  • Furthermore, on the Maple Leafs, David Alter of Sports Illustrated passes on a message from Keefe, announcing that forward Bobby McMann has re-aggravated a knee injury and will not play tomorrow night against the Panthers. McMann has been recalled a couple of times this year on an emergency loan, getting into ten games with the Maple Leafs, and producing one assist overall. Playing for the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, McMann has been an incredibly valuable forward, playing in 30 games, and scoring 21 goals over that span.

Predators Send Michael McCarron, Kevin Gravel To AHL

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As Ryan McDonagh re-enters the lineup in tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile announces that the team has sent defenseman Kevin Gravel and forward Michael McCarron to their AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.

Filling into the lineup for the injury to McDonagh, Gravel managed to play in four games for the Predators, averaging about 14 minutes of action a night. Over the entire year, that makes 18 games played for Gravel, only mustering one point this season. Playing in the minor leagues for most of the year, Gravel has put up two goals and 11 assists in Milwaukee. The transaction made by the Predators today marks the fifth time this year that Gravel has been sent down to the minors, clearing waivers twice.

Much like Gravel, McCarron has been caught in a call-up carousel of late. Having returned to hockey from a stay in the NHLPA player assistance program, this will mark his second demotion in one week. Although a valuable depth option for Nashville last season, McCarron’s production in the NHL has undoubtedly dipped this season. Playing in a total of 22 games for the Predators, McCaron has one goal and one assist. He’s fared a bit better in Milwaukee, scoring six points in 13 games, a 38-point pace over an entire season.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Max Crozier

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According to a team release, the Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Max Crozier to a 2-year entry-level contract. Crozier will make a salary of $925K in the NHL, and a salary of $70K in the AHL. The contract will begin next season, as Crozier will play the rest of the year for the team’s AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch on an amateur tryout.

Drafted 120th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, Crozier mounted a strong collegiate career for Providence College. He led all Providence defensemen last season in points, scoring three goals and 21 assists throughout the year. In the entirety of his career, playing in a total of 120 games, Crozier amassed 71 total points. Although he was unable to lead Providence into the Frozen Four tournament, the now-former captain of the team becomes a valuable prospect in Tampa Bay’s pipeline.

Joining one of the more successful AHL franchises, the Syracuse Crunch looks poised to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Currently sitting at 29-22-5, they find themselves in third place in the North division. As they drive to make the playoffs, Crozier will be able to accrue valuable experience being injected into a playoff hunt.

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