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Joshua Roy Signs AHL ATO

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After inking his entry-level contract a few months ago, Joshua Roy is going to get an early taste of professional hockey. Since that deal doesn’t kick in until the 2022-23 season, Roy is still eligible to sign an amateur tryout with the Laval Rocket and help them in their quest for the Calder Cup.

Roy, 18, was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft and something of an afterthought for many fans until he hit the ice with the Sherbrooke Phoenix this season. He led all QMJHL skaters with 119 points and carried that production right into the playoffs. As it currently stands, Roy leads the entire league in postseason scoring with 23 points in 11 games, though that still wasn’t enough to keep Sherbrooke in the hunt. They were defeated yesterday by the Charlottetown Islanders in the semi-finals, meaning Roy’s season has now ended.

Incredibly, the 2003-born winger will not be eligible for the AHL next season, despite his dominance of junior this year. He will turn 19 in August and have to return to the QMJHL for another season, assuming he fails to make the Montreal Canadiens roster out of camp.

This taste of pro hockey should be interesting, as if he gets into the lineup with Laval it will be like jumping onto a moving train. The Rocket are set to start the Eastern Conference Finals against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday–a tough spot for an 18-year-old to make his debut. Whether he plays or not, it is certainly a nice reward for his outstanding season and will only help his overall development.

Morning Notes: Copp, Spacek, Finals

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With the New York Rangers advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Winnipeg Jets are getting an improved draft pick. As CapFriendly reports, the conditional second-round pick from the Andrew Copp trade will upgrade to a 2022 first-round pick now that the Rangers have won a pair of playoff rounds. It also required Copp to play in at least 50 percent of those matches, and he has, suiting up for all 14 games so far.

While it’s never a great feeling to give up a first-round selection, the Rangers certainly aren’t complaining, given the success the team and Copp individually are experiencing. The pending free agent forward has 12 points in the postseason so far, including two in each of the deciding game sevens so far. The first 28 picks in this year’s draft are now set.

  • Speaking of Jets draft picks, Michael Spacek has signed a new two-year contract with HC Ambri-Piotta, taking his talents to Switzerland after a strong performance in Sweden this year. The 25-year-old had 46 points in 49 games while also suiting up for Czechia in both the Olympics and World Championship. Winnipeg decided not to issue Spacek a qualifying offer after the 2019-20 season with the Manitoba Moose, making him an unrestricted free agent. If he ever chose to test his hand in North America again, he could sign with any team.
  • After the Hurricanes were eliminated last night, the league revealed the full schedule for the Conference Finals, which will kick off tonight with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Colorado Avalanche. The round will be over by June 14 at the very latest, meaning the Stanley Cup Final is set to start soon after that. Interestingly enough, should the Eastern Conference Final need it, there will be two full off days between games six and seven, meaning there’s no hockey on Monday, June 13.

New Jersey Devils Hire Angus Mugford, Promote Meghan Duggan

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Barely a year after first hiring her, the New Jersey Devils are giving Meghan Duggan a promotion. Duggan will be made director of player development, moving up in the department she joined in 2021. The team has also announced the hiring of Dr. Angus Mugford as senior vice president, player development and performance.

Duggan, 34, is one of the most decorated players in U.S. hockey history, having won eight World Championship medals (seven gold) and three Olympic medals (one gold), along with three NCAA championships and a Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top player. She wore the “C” as captain of Team USA for years, including her final appearance at the 2018 Games.

She joined the Devils last year in a manager role within the player development department and has obviously done well enough to now deserve a promotion. At the time of her hiring, Hayley Wickenhesier was sitting as the highest ranked woman in an NHL front office with her role as senior director of player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That has since changed dramatically, with the appointment of Cammi Granato and Emilie Castonguay as assistant general managers with the Vancouver Canucks.

Duggan was just entering the national team program as Granato exited her playing days but Wickenheiser was a regular opponent at international events. They now continue to set the path forward for women in NHL front offices, this new promotion just another step along the way.

Mugford, meanwhile, is coming over from the baseball world, where he spent the last seven years with the Toronto Blue Jays. As the leader of the team’s high performance department, he overhauled the Blue Jays’ player development and integrated a sports science department. As part of a lengthy statement about the hire, Devils’ general manager Tom Fitzgerald explained:

Angus has an outstanding background in culture, care and development and has all the attributes required to build a model that will help our players get the best out of themselves and direct them to their next level.

Emily Kaplan of ESPN broke the news of Duggan’s promotion. 

Vancouver Canucks Announce Player Development Changes

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The Vancouver Canucks have made several changes to their player development, most notably transitioning Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin to roles in that department. They will work “daily on and off the ice with young players in Vancouver and Abbotsford.” Joining the twins are former NHL players Mikael Samuelsson and Mike Komisarek, who will work with prospects in the organization.

Cammi Granato, Ryan Johnson, and Chris Higgins will remain in their current roles. General manager Patrick Allvin released a statement on the moves:

We’re pleased to have solidified our Player Development department for next season with the additions of Mikael Samuelsson and Mike Komisarek, as well as Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Cammi Granato and Ryan Johnson led an extensive search to find the individuals with the right attributes, winning pedigrees, and who fit the overall strategy of the Vancouver Canucks moving forward

Obviously, there is plenty of excitement in Vancouver whenever the Sedins are involved, and after spending the last year as special advisors, it appears they are now ready to jump into a more hands-on role in the organization. The legendary forwards are arguably the most recognizable players in franchise history, combining for more than 2,800 games all in Canucks uniforms.

Samuelsson, 45, has his own experience with the Canucks, having played parts of three seasons with the club. The journeyman winger actually recorded the best year of his career in Vancouver, scoring 30 goals and 53 points in 2009-10. It’s no coincidence that those numbers came in a year where he received time on the right side of the Sedins whenever Alexandre Burrows was moved off the line. The three were also all part of the 2008 Swedish team that won gold at the Olympics. Likely not often thought of in this category, but Samuelsson is actually a member of the Triple Gold Club–with a Stanley Cup and gold medals at both the Olympics and World Championship.

He has served as a development coach with the Chicago Blackhawks and as general manager of a second-tier club in Sweden, but left that position at the end of last year.

Komisarek meanwhile never did play for the Canucks, but does have a history with Higgins from their time together in Montreal. The former NHL defenseman played more than 550 games in the league and has been a development coach with the Buffalo Sabres for the last few seasons.

Dallas Stars Expected To Interview Travis Green

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The Dallas Stars are one of the many teams looking for a head coach after Rick Bowness stepped away earlier this month. While the Philadelphia Flyers, in particular, have interviewed several high-profile candidates, some other interesting names have been rumored to be involved in the Dallas’ search. Rick Tocchet and Marc Savard have been linked to the club, and another name has now emerged.

Speaking with CHEK TV, Dallas owner Tom Gaglardi admitted that they expect to talk to former Vancouver Canucks bench boss Travis Green at some point.

I think we want to look for someone who is really commited to playing a bit more skilled, play a little faster, and we need to score a little bit more without losing our defensive identity. There’s a long list of coaches we’ll be talking to. 

I think Travis has proven that he deserves to be considered, and I expect we’ll be talking to him. 

Green, 51, was fired as head coach of the Canucks partway through his fifth season behind the bench but continues to draw strong reviews from many executives around the league. His overall winning percentage at this point is just .478, though he did lead Vancouver to a second-round appearance in the 2020 bubble playoffs.

Before his time in the NHL, Green served as a head coach in the AHL and won a WHL championship as coach of the Portland Winterhawks, going 37-8-2 with a powerhouse squad that included several future NHL players.

Though Green may be involved, Gaglardi once again suggested that this could be a long process with many candidates as they look for someone that can take the Stars to the next level. It’s now been more than two decades since the franchise’s only Stanley Cup championship.

Jared Spurgeon, Mats Zuccarello Out With Core Muscle Injuries

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Every year, veteran players on playoff teams end up having to go under the knife at the end of the season. The Minnesota Wild are no different, as both Jared Spurgeon and Mats Zuccarello will face recovery timelines of six weeks after core muscle surgery. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Spurgeon has already undergone the procedure, while Zuccarello is scheduled for it. The latter also dealt with a fracture in his leg which will not require surgery.

For Spurgeon, the injury goes back to before the January 1 Winter Classic according to Russo. That means he played at least 50 games while dealing with it, including six playoff matches against the St. Louis Blues. It’s easy to understand that he was dealing with something (or perhaps several things), as the team captain’s ice time dropped dramatically in the postseason. Spurgeon averaged just over 20 minutes, and actually didn’t even reach that threshold in three of the six games. Still, he finished the regular season with a strong 40 points in 65 matches.

Zuccarello meanwhile had the best offensive season of his career, putting up 79 points in 70 games. He did have four points in six playoff games as well, but the Wild were outscored 6-5 while he was on the ice, a huge change from the regular season (Minnesota outscored their opponent 77-54 with him at even-strength) and a big reason why they were eventually eliminated.

A six-week timeline certainly isn’t the end of the world, given how far away the 2022-23 season is, but core muscle surgeries are notorious for impacting performance long after the player is cleared to hit the ice. Hopefully, for the Wild’s sake at least, both players will be at full strength when the season kicks off and ready to challenge for the playoffs once again.

Prospect Notes: Wright, Jiricek, Utunen

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The NHL Scouting Combine is underway for the first time since 2019–the last two years the event has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns–and Shane Wright has all eyes on him as the potential (but not consensus) first-overall pick. Mike Morreale of NHL.com tweets that Wright will have interviews with 12 different teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Arizona Coyotes, teams that will select in the top three later this summer.

While no sure thing to go first overall, it is unlikely that Wright drops much further than that meaning other teams with interviews booked don’t have a chance unless they found a way to trade up. The Devils at No. 2 have at least considered a move, should one present itself, though it still would need quite the return package after they moved up by way of the lottery.

  • David Jiricek, in the race for the top defenseman in this year’s draft, will not attend the combine according to Morreale. The young Czech just finished his World Championship run on Sunday (winning bronze) and now he won’t be able to meet with teams in person. Jiricek was fourth on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of international skaters, just behind Simon Nemec, the other player vying to be the first defenseman off the board this year.
  • Toni Utunen is one of the players whose draft rights will expire this week, and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks have no interest in signing him. The 22-year-old defenseman had 11 points in 59 games while playing in Finland’s Liiga this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June 1.

Maksim Sushko Signs In KHL

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Though it went under the radar earlier this month, the Philadelphia Flyers have one less restricted free agent to sign this offseason. Maksim Sushko, a young forward coming off his entry-level contract, has signed with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL.

Sushko, 23, was a fourth-round pick of the Flyers in 2017 and made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season, playing two games with the big club. After spending all of 2021-22 in the minor leagues, it appears as though he’ll pursue a career overseas instead. Though Sushko spent half a season in the KHL while COVID restrictions were keeping the AHL dark, it isn’t like he is unfamiliar with North American hockey.

The Belarusian forward came over to play in the OHL in 2016 and spent three years with the Owen Sound Attack before jumping directly to the AHL. In fact, this will be the first Russian team he plays for, making this a new experience altogether.

Signed to a two-year deal, he’ll still be young enough to return in 2024 if the Flyers choose to issue him a qualifying offer this summer. That will allow them to retain his exclusive rights as a restricted free agent and potentially allow them to bring him back after receiving playing time in the KHL.

Calgary Flames Send Four To AHL

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4:32 pm: Additionally, the team has assigned defenseman Juuso Valimaki to Stockton, giving a huge extra boost to their farm team. The 23-year-old defenseman had an assist in three playoff games before getting called up to the Flames’ reserves, and he’ll return there for the rest of their run.

2:46 pm: Now that they were eliminated from the NHL playoffs, the Calgary Flames can help out their AHL affiliate. The team has sent Connor Mackey, Adam Ruzicka, and Adam Werner to the Stockton Heat, as the minor league club continues its chase for the Calder Cup.

The Heat, which will be relocated to Calgary next season, are up 2-0 in their best-of-five series against the Colorado Eagles, with game three set for this evening. Though this is technically the third round, they’ve only won one series to this point after earning a bye to the Pacific Division semifinals.

A player like Mackey will be a big help, after he scored 36 points in 53 games to lead all Stockton defensemen this season. Ruzicka too was an extremely strong contributor, though he played only 16 games in the minor leagues as he spent most of the year with Calgary. He had 11 goals and 20 points in those games, as the big forward is starting to come into his own at the age of 23.

The success of Stockton is part of what made the Flames’ season so impressive. There is a lot more talent on the way, including names like Jakob Pelletier and Connor Zary, first-round picks from the last few years. The Heat going all the way would certainly be a good thing for the development of those players, and the future of the Flames in general.

Dmitri Zavgorodniy Clears Unconditional Waivers

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May 27: Zavgorodniy has cleared waivers and will have his contract terminated.

May 26: The Calgary Flames have placed Dmitri Zavgorodniy on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The young forward had one year left on his entry-level contract.

Zavgorodniy, 21, was a seventh-round pick of the Flames in 2018 after coming over to play in the QMJHL and was something of a surprise signing when he inked his entry-level deal in 2019. The undersized forward ended up playing in just 41 games for the Stockton Heat, scoring one goal and five points. He also played in a handful of KHL games in each of the last two seasons, suggesting that a termination like this might be on the horizon at some point.

Now, he’ll be able to go to the KHL full-time, though the Flames will no longer hold his exclusive rights. Should he clear waivers, he will be an unrestricted free agent, meaning if his development overseas improves at all, he’d be able to find a new opportunity somewhere else down the line.

Still, an NHL career seems extremely unlikely at this point, given how poorly his time in the AHL has gone. For Calgary, clearing the contract off the books is likely worth more than any chance he turns things around.

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