Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Stanislav Svozil
Aug 24: Fans in North America won’t have to wait to see Svozil in action. The young defenseman has signed with the Regina Pats, who held his CHL rights after selecting him 15th overall in the 2020 Import Draft. The first year of his entry-level deal will not be burned by playing in the WHL.
Aug 13: The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked one of their 2021 draft picks, signing Stanislav Svozil to a three-year entry-level contract. The young defenseman was selected 69th overall last month.
Svozil, 18, already has two full seasons under his belt at the highest level in the Czech Republic, playing 71 games for HC Kometa Brno since 2019. At the same time that he was learning how to defend against professional players, he was suiting up for his country at U17, U18, and U20 international tournaments. He took home the Extraliga rookie of the year award in 2020 and is expected to return to his club team overseas in 2021-22.
The biggest question about Svozil is whether his size will limit him at the next level given how little he provides offensively. His game is all about defending, and at just 6’0″ that may be a difficult sell for the NHL. Still, playing pro at 16 is no small task, and Svozil has plenty of time to round out the offensive side of his game and develop into a two-way option for the Blue Jackets. Signing his entry-level deal was just the first step.
Snapshots: Power, Belanger, Lipon
When the Buffalo Sabres secured the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, they had a decision to make. Usually, the top pick in a draft steps directly into the NHL and is given a full-time role on his team. This year, things were different with Owen Power, the consensus top prospect. The big defenseman had already hinted publicly that he was leaning toward a return to the University of Michigan, meaning he wouldn’t be able to help the Sabres during the early part of the season. As revealed today in a behind the scenes video from their pre-draft interview, Power didn’t just hint, he made it quite clear that he wanted to go back to school.
The Sabres, even then, were on board with the idea. GM Kevyn Adams told Power that he loved what he had said about returning to school to chase a national championship and dominate the college scene with no rush to get to the NHL. Michigan should be a powerhouse this season with not only Power returning, but also second-overall pick Matty Beniers and fifth-overall Kent Johnson also returning to the program. Add in fourth-overall Luke Hughes, who will be a freshman with the Wolverines, and it’s easy to see why Power would want to take at least one last crack at an NCAA title before turning pro.
- The Montreal Canadiens have appointed France Margaret Belanger to the position of President, Sports and Entertainment of Groupe CH. Belanger has been with the organization since 2013 and already served as an alternate governor of the club. As Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports tweets, Geoff Molson remains the team’s owner and president, but it is Belanger who will be in charge of the day to day operations now. She is the first woman to serve on the Canadiens’ executive in its 104-year history, according to a press release.
- J.C. Lipon went to the KHL last season and it appears as though he’s going to stay for another year. The former NHL forward has signed a one-year deal with Sochi for the 2021-22 season, after scoring 20 points in 37 games for Dinamo Riga this year. Originally selected 91st overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2013, Lipon played nine games 2015-16 but has mostly been in the minor leagues. In 2019-20 he scored 13 goals and 31 points with the Manitoba Moose, racking up 100 penalty minutes (his sixth AHL season with at least that many).
Valtteri Filppula Signs In Switzerland
It appears to be the end of the NHL journey for veteran forward Valtteri Filppula. The 37-year-old became a free agent when his two-year, $6MM contract expired this offseason and now he’s heading overseas to finish his career. Filppula has signed with Geneve-Servette HC of the Swiss National League, becoming the team’s fourth import player.
Filppula played in 38 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, scoring six goals and 15 points. If that is indeed the final season of his NHL career, it has been a very impressive one. The Finnish center played 1,056 regular season games and another 166 in the postseason, going deep into the postseason several times. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times, winning it in 2008 with the Red Wings. He currently sits at 197 goals and 530 points, quite the legacy for the 95th overall pick in 2002.
He also made quite a bit of money in his career, with CapFriendly estimating his contract earnings at just under $50MM. Filppula’s return to Detroit in 2019 may not have gone exactly to plan, but he still did contribute 36 points in 108 games while the team went through a rebuild. His departure is one of many that will open roster spots for some of the Red Wings’ younger players as they try to turn the corner and start the long road toward contention.
In Switzerland, he’ll join Daniel Winnik, Marc Pouliot and Henrik Tommernes as the foreign contingent for Geneve-Servette.
Morning Notes: Laberge, Savard, Michkov
The Maine Mariners have signed Pascal Laberge to a minor league deal, after the Philadelphia Flyers failed to extend him a qualifying offer this summer. The 23-year-old forward was selected 36th overall in 2016 but has yet to really establish himself in professional hockey. In 14 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, Laberge recorded just three goals and four points.
It’s not too late for Laberge to develop into a strong AHL player, but the idea that he will ever be an NHL option is quickly disappearing. Given the fact that German Rubtsov, he of four career NHL games, was the team’s first-round pick that season you might think the 2016 class is a write-off for Philadelphia. Not so, as the four picks after Laberge have all played in the NHL, including a goaltender by the name of Carter Hart, selected 48th overall.
- One of junior hockey’s biggest programs is getting a high-profile coach, as Marc Savard has been hired by the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL as head coach. Savard had 706 points in 807 NHL games, including a pair of 95+ point seasons before his career was cut short by concussion issues. He served as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues in 2019-20, but this will be his first chance to run a high-level program. The Spitfires have won the Memorial Cup three times, most recently in 2017 when they had players like Mikhail Sergachev and Gabriel Vilardi leading the way. Savard has his own history of success in the OHL, twice leading the league in scoring (with 139 and 130 points) for the Oshawa Generals.
- Matvei Michkov, a name you will hear more and more in the coming years, is making his debut for the senior SKA St. Petersburg squad today. Why is that impressive? Well, Michkov is just 16 years old and not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2023. The dynamic winger has carved through the Russian junior system scoring at will and was a big reason why his team won gold at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. While there are several incredible prospects set to be eligible in that 2023 draft, Michkov has a real shot to compete for the top spot.
New York Rangers Announce Full Coaching Staff
The New York Rangers have rounded out their coaching staff, hiring several new names to join Gerard Gallant behind the bench this season. Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly, and Jim Midgley have been hired as assistant coaches with the Rangers, while Steve Smith has been named an assistant coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
This group brings plenty of familiarity to the bench, as both Murphy and Kelly have previously worked with Gallant at the NHL level. The latter in fact has been something of his right-hand man, coaching with both the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights, Gallant’s previous two stops. Murphy coached with Gallant’s Columbus Blue Jackets, but isn’t a newcomer to the Rangers organization. He served as head coach of the Wolf Pack and has stepped into roles with New York whenever necessary over the last few years.
Midgley, a newcomer to the NHL, can actually be seen right now at the IIHF Women’s World Championship where he is serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada. The 43-year-old has never held a coaching position in the NHL but did serve as an amateur scout last season for the Philadelphia Flyers. Before that, he was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads for a season and even had some time coaching overseas in the DEL.
The Rangers have a new focus this season under new leadership and will be pushing for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With newcomers like Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Reaves, and Sammy Blais they should be a much more physical group, making it tough to play against them every night. Whether that results in more wins remains to be seen, but Gallant certainly hasn’t had much trouble in that department recently. The head coach held a .601 winning percentage in his two-plus years in Vegas.
St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Zack Bolduc
The St. Louis Blues have agreed to a three-year, entry-level deal for first-round pick Zack Bolduc. The young forward was picked 17th overall in 2021 and is coming off a strong season with the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.
Bolduc, 18, had 29 points in 27 games this season for Rimouski, following his 30-goal 2019-20 campaign that earned him the QMJHL Rookie of the Year honors. The former linemate of 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, Bolduc is a talented offensive player in his own right who has been compared to players like Sean Monahan in the past. His ability to play the middle of the ice is an important one, as true center prospects are difficult to acquire, especially ones with the upside that Bolduc represents.
That’s not to say he’ll be in the NHL right away. In fact, it seems very likely that the young forward will be back in the QMJHL this season to continue his development with the Oceanic and really try to dominate the league offensively. He’ll also be a candidate for Team Canada at the World Juniors and was recently at the team’s summer camp.
If he does return to junior, Bolduc’s contract will slide forward, meaning the first year of his three-year deal will not be burned in 2021-22. That could actually happen again is 2022-23 should he go back to the QMJHL once again, meaning this contract gives the team plenty of control.
NHL Releases Full Preseason Schedule
The NHL has released the full 2021-22 preseason schedule, which will kick off on Saturday, September 25 between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Seattle Kraken will hit the ice for the first time the next day against the Vancouver Canucks in Spokane, Washington, the first of three WHL stops the expansion franchise will make this preseason.
The full schedule is as follows:
All times Eastern
SATURDAY, SEPT. 25
Montreal at Toronto, 2 p.m.
Minnesota at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 26
Nashville at Florida (split-squad doubleheader), 2 and 6 p.m.
Boston at Washington, 5 p.m.
NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
San Jose (split squad) at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Spokane, Wash. (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena), 9 p.m.
San Jose (split squad) at Vegas, 10 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 27
Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Arizona, 10 p.m.
Calgary vs. Vancouver, at Abbotsford, B.C. (Abbotsford Centre), 10 p.m.
Snapshots: Khovanov, Schwartz, Knight
The Minnesota Wild are expecting Alexander Khovanov back in North America for the 2021-22 season, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The 21-year-old forward played in Russia this year on loan from the Wild, suiting up mostly in the VHL where he was once again a dynamic offensive presence.
Selected in the third round in 2018, Khovanov turned into a superstar with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, scoring 32 goals and 99 points in just 51 games during the 2019-20 season. He also helped team Russia to a silver medal at the World Juniors that year, and this season posted 24 points in 30 VHL games. With two years still remaining on his entry-level deal, Khovanov is likely ticketed for the AHL should he spend this year in North America, but his future is still bright in the Minnesota organization.
- Jaden Schwartz endured a poor season on the ice in 2020-21, but he almost didn’t play at all. The new Seattle Kraken forward spoke with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic and acknowledged that after the sudden passing of his father last year, he considered forfeiting his salary and skipping this season. Now heading into a new chapter in his career, leaving the only team he has ever known in the St. Louis Blues for an expansion club, Schwartz tells Rutherford he feels “fresh again.” The 29-year-old Schwartz signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract with the Kraken on the first day of free agency.
- The U.S. team took home a 3-0 victory over Finland at the IIHF Women’s World Championship last night and there was some history made in the process. Hilary Knight scored her 44th goal in tournament history, tying her with Cammi Granato for the most all-time. The 32-year-old Knight already has eight World Championship gold medals to her name and will almost certainly cement herself as the all-time goals leader at the Worlds over the next few days. Granato meanwhile was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011 and is now working as a pro scout for the Kraken.
Minnesota Wild, Kirill Kaprizov Continue To Work Towards Contract
The Minnesota Wild have exactly one restricted free agent to sign, but it’s a big one. Kirill Kaprizov, the reigning Calder Trophy winner and arguably the most exciting player to ever play for the franchise, currently doesn’t have a contract for the 2021-22 season. With everyone else signed the team has an exact number they could work up to but it is still unclear on what kind of deal the two sides will eventually land on.
For the last several weeks, there has been speculation about whether Kaprizov would actually turn down an offer from the Wild entirely and return to the KHL. As Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets, though a contract is not imminent the Wild and Kaprizov’s camp are still talking. CSKA Moscow, his old team in Russia that has been linked to Kaprizov over and over, recently stated publicly that they are not negotiating a return with the young forward.
Discussion between the Wild and their best player is obviously a positive, but it still remains to be seen if they can get Kaprizov signed long-term. The 24-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023-24 season unless he signs a contract beyond that in the meantime. A three-year deal would take him right to the open market, while anything past that would be buying out UFA years. That would undoubtedly make the average annual value higher, though even these next few years will likely be expensive for the Wild as they try to lock up the dynamic forward.
With $13MM in cap space right now, there’s plenty of room to fit in Kaprizov even if he wants to be paid among the league’s elite. The Wild will have to consider the hefty cap penalties they have coming after buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, but also have several big contracts coming off the books after this season. It appears as though things are headed in the right direction, but with no pressure points until training camp opens next month, there’s no real rush in Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jimmy Hayes Passes Away At 31
It has been a tough few months for the hockey world, as again today it mourns the loss of a family member. Jimmy Hayes, who last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season, has died at the age of 31 according to John Buccigross of ESPN. Matt Porter and John R. Ellement of the Boston Globe report that Hayes was pronounced dead at his Milton home this morning, but a cause of death was not immediately available.
Hayes, the older brother of Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes and member of a far-reaching New England hockey family, was originally selected 60th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008. He played 334 games at the NHL level, recording a career-high of 19 goals and 35 points during the 2014-15 season with the Florida Panthers. He last played during the 2018-19 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, racking up 30 points in 72 games.
A member of Team USA on several occasions, an NCAA champion with Boston College, and a beloved teammate to many, Hayes will be dearly missed. Everyone at PHR extends our condolences to his wife Kristen, two young sons, and the rest of the Hayes family.