Prospect Notes: Tychonick, Stockton, Senators
When Johnny Tychonick was selected 48th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2018 he was a high-flying defenseman that had just put up 47 points in 48 games for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and was ticketed for stardom at the collegiate level. Unfortunately that stardom never came in two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where Tychonick was buried on the depth chart of one of the nation’s strongest programs.
Now, Tychonick has entered the transfer portal and will take his talents to the University of Nebraska-Omaha according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 20-year old defenseman told Schlossman that the UND coaching staff is helping him try to be eligible to play for Omaha next season, where he would be starting his junior year. The Senators will continue to hold his exclusive draft rights while he remains in college.
- The Stockton Heat have signed three undrafted free agents to AHL contracts, inking Greg Moro to a two-year deal, Noah King to a one-year deal and Koletrane Wilson to a one-year deal. Moro, 25, just finished his senior season at Clarkson University, recording seven points in 32 games. The 6’4″ defenseman is an Alberta native who played in the SJHL and AJHL before going the college route. King, 20, broke out this season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, scoring 40 points in 64 games. That total was more than double the combined amount King had registered in his other three CHL seasons. Wilson, another 20-year old defenseman, registered 33 points in 62 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, while racking up penalty minutes as a tough, physical presence. All three players will bring a healthy dose of size and strength to the Heat blueline next season.
- The Ottawa Senators are focused on the NHL Entry Draft, whenever it happens, and the three first-round picks they own this year. GM Pierre Dorion spoke with reporters including Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet, explaining that just like fans of his team he too is using a lottery simulator daily to fantasize about where his top two selections will land. The Senators of course own San Jose’s first-round pick, which means they could potentially pick first and second overall, but Scanlan writes that the executive believes the top-20 will all be “strong NHL players.”
Konstantin Okulov Re-Signs In KHL
It wasn’t so long ago that news about a 25-year old KHL forward re-signing in Russia would be easily swept aside by daily NHL updates, but such as it is, Konstantin Okulov‘s new contract is one of the top stories of the day. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reported earlier today that the free agent had re-signed with CSKA Moscow for another year, ending (for now at least) any interest from NHL clubs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens had been the leading pursuers earlier this year and were considered aggressive enough at the time that other teams had hesitated to invest any time in the recruitment of Okulov. The undrafted forward recorded 17 goals and 38 points this season for CSKA, putting him fifth on the team in scoring behind familiar names Kirill Kaprizov, Linden Vey, Anton Slepyshev and Mikhail Grigorenko. It was the third season in four years that he has scored at least 17 goals, actually a relatively impressive accomplishment in the shorter-seasoned KHL.
Perhaps the Maple Leafs’ recent acquisition of Alexander Barabanov spoiled their interest in Okulov, or perhaps he just decided to remain in Russia for another year. His name will surely come up again next spring when he is a free agent once again, though it’s not clear which NHL teams—if any—would be interested at that point.
Follow Pro Football Rumors For The Latest NFL Draft News
There’s no stopping the NFL offseason. Whether you’re a hardcore football fan or a casual Sunday watcher, you can follow every pick, trade, and rumbling with Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter).
The “fully virtual” NFL Draft is just around the corner with several potential superstars on the board. At No. 1, the Bengals seem keyed in on quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns (!), and just six interceptions in his final year at LSU. Then, at No. 2, the Redskins could snag Chase Young, an absolute sack machine who could be a generational talent in the making.
Beyond that, the draft is wide open: The Lions are listening to offers for the No. 3 pick and the Giants are “open for business” at No. 4. The Dolphins, at No. 5, are one of several teams that could be tempted to move up for their next QB, which could be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
For the latest on the draft, free agency, and more from this wild NFL offseason, stay tuned to Pro Football Rumors and follow along on Twitter, @pfrumors.
Kris Versteeg Announces Retirement
Though it was clear there wasn’t a lot left on the table for Kris Versteeg after he decided to part ways with the Rockford IceHogs earlier this season, today the veteran forward has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey.
What a run it was. A kid from North Lethbridge who played on the streets every day, dreaming of playing in the NHL. I took a lot for granted in my time in the NHL. But the one thing I never took for granted were the relationships I made with my teammates and staff of the hockey clubs I played for.
A bunch of people have made huge impacts on my life. There was one guy who took a kid with a different personality and a massive chip on his shoulder and helped give him hope, and that was Scott Gordon. Dale Tallon also took a chance on me and gave me multiple opportunities throughout my career. I know I wasn’t always the easiest to deal with. Without people like Scott and Dale, the road to today would not be what it was.
Versteeg did have a chance to win one last time after he left the IceHogs, winning the Spengler Cup with Team Canada. His NHL career finished in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames, after 643 regular season games. Versteeg recorded 358 points during those contests and added another 48 in 93 playoff appearances. The feisty forward won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks twice, once as a high-scoring youngster in 2010, and again as a more subdued veteran role player in 2015.
Technically Versteeg’s professional hockey career ended in Slovakia, where he played a handful of games with HK Nitra alongside his brother Mitch Versteeg. Pulling on another sweater was surely nothing new for the journeyman forward, who played at least one game with seven different NHL franchises.
NHL Extends Self-Quarantine Through April 30
Nearing their previous threshold of April 15, the NHL has decided to extend the self-quarantine period for players, coaches and all hockey-related staff through April 30. This is the third extension of a recommendation that was originally placed until March 27.
This recommendation is for league activities, but there are other states and cities that have recommended isolation for even longer. It is not clear how players or facilities in those areas would resume normal activity even after April 30 has passed.
There have been eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 among NHL players to this point, five from the Ottawa Senators and three from the Colorado Avalanche. All other players have been told to self-isolate and the league has shutdown all practices, facilities and even informal team workouts. The NHL Awards, Draft and Combine were all postponed indefinitely, leaving the league timeline completely uncertain.
Obviously at this point there is no word on when the league will be able to resume, if at all. The NHL has received offers from neutral cites around the continent as options to restart, though any plan of that nature would still take an immense amount of logistical planning before it is put in place. The league has maintained that they will do everything in their power to hold a full 82-game schedule for the 2020-21 season, though they are apparently willing to delay the start of the schedule in order to fit in the end of the 2019-20 campaign this summer.
PHR Panel: Assessing Some AHL Standouts
We’re now several weeks into an NHL postponement and there is still no clear timeline on when professional hockey will return. While fans of the sport have received small tidbits of news over that time, including college signings and contract extensions, the thirst for discussion has rarely been quenched.
With that in mind, we’re happy to continue our new feature: The PHR Panel. Three times a week, our writing staff will give our individual takes on a question many hockey fans have been wondering about. If you’d ever like to submit a subject for us to discuss, be sure to put it in the comments. This series will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
To catch up on the previous edition, click here.
Today, we’ll each give our thoughts on a prospect that made his debut in the AHL this season.
Q: Name a 2019-20 AHL rookie that will have a strong NHL career
Brian La Rose:
Plenty of the top prospects in the AHL got a sniff of NHL action this season but someone who didn’t sits atop my list in Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard. While he had a brief recall, he didn’t get into any game action and instead spent the season honing his craft with AHL Bakersfield. That time was certainly well-spent as he worked to hone the defensive side of his game. He may need some more work in that regard but when Bouchard becomes an NHL regular, he’s going to make an impact quickly.
Offensively-skilled defensemen are getting more and more room to try to create offense and that’s Bouchard’s top skill. He was dominant at the junior level and had a solid first pro campaign with the Condors as well. Size and strength won’t be an issue for him either as he checks in at 6’3. These all work in his favor for becoming an impact player quickly.
There’s a case to be made that Bouchard could be Edmonton’s top offensive blueliner as soon as he’s in their lineup. Picture him setting up the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and complementing them on the power play. That’s a recipe for running up the points right there which will make him a very important part of their core for many years to come. If he’s as productive as I think he can be in that system, it won’t be too long before he’s a highly-paid part of that core either.
Holger Stolzenberg:
While I do like players like Vegas’ Lucas Elvenes and Florida’s Owen Tippett, I have quite a few doubts on whether either player will even be given a real chance to become a top player for their teams. However, when I look at Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois, I see a player who could really have a nice NHL career.
The 21-year-old was already highly-touted, being a second-round pick back in 2017 and impressed out of camp quickly one year later, making the roster out of training camp, while the team allowed the forward to burn the first year of his entry-level deal by allowing him to play 10 games (he had seven points that year). When the team eventually sent him to the QMJHL, he dominated there in 2018-19.
This year has been even more successful for Comtois, who split time in both the AHL to develop his skills, while getting some practical time with the Ducks as well. Comtois finished with nine goals and 24 points in 31 AHL games as a rookie, while picking up AHL Rookie of the Month in February. He added another five goals and 11 points in 29 games and with the team in a full rebuild currently, Comtois will get every opportunity to take on a much bigger role next year and can be a constant in their lineup for years with the success he’s had so far in his young career.
Zach Leach:
If you want to find a prospect who looks like a perfect fit for his club’s style and culture, as well as long-term plans, look no further than Boston’s Jack Studnicka. The 2017 second-round pick is a young clone of Patrice Bergeron and looks like he could become a favorite of Bruins fans.
Studnicka plays a hard-working two-way game with plenty of skill involved as well. He led the AHL in short-handed goals this season by nearly double the next-best mark, while contributing on the power play and of course at even strength as well. Studnicka finished in the top-four in goals, points, and per-game scoring among AHL rookies and that was even while missing some time to play in Boston.
With Bergeron and David Krejci getting up there in age and heading toward the ends of long-term contracts, a changing of the guard could be coming to the Bruins sooner rather than later. While Studnicka may not be considered an elite prospect at this point, neither was Bergeron when he debuted in the NHL and Studnicka could follow in his footseps while replacing him in the lineup down the road. Few players are set up as well to take over for a future Hall of Famer.
Gavin Lee:
You can already read my thoughts on Joe Veleno and the career I believe is waiting for him in the NHL in one of last week’s panels, so I’ll just name another Grand Rapids Griffins rookie instead (apparently I’m a Red Wings fan lately).
Mortiz Seider was a shocking selection by the Red Wings when they took him sixth overall last June, while other more familiar names like Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Spencer Knight were still on the board. What we all may have overlooked was the teenager’s performance in the World Championship, which showed just how ready Seider was to play against professionals much older than him.
In his first year in the AHL, a league that has a very short history of teenagers, let alone teenaged defensemen, the then-18-year-old Seider recorded 22 points in 49 games and never looked out of place. The 6’4″ 207-lbs, right-handed defenseman turned 19 just a few days ago and likely could have spent time on Detroit’s blue line this year had the team been any more competitive. There’s no doubt that’s where he’ll end up in short order, but it’s his limitless ceiling as a top two-way defenseman that makes him so interesting. Did Steve Yzerman find his next Victor Hedman? (probably not, but boy was that a fun debut)
Ottawa Senators Sign Kevin Mandolese
The Ottawa Senators have added another interesting goaltending prospect to the organization, signing Kevin Mandolese to a three-year entry-level contract. Senators GM Pierre Dorion gave his thoughts on the new goaltender:
Kevin worked hard this past season to become one of the top goaltenders in the QMJHL. He’s positionally sound, has good lateral mobility and has proven adept at reading the play. Since being drafted, he’s been diligent about understanding what he needs to do both on and off the ice to be ready to be a pro goaltender. He’s shown an ability to make timely saves and, with more seasoning, should have an opportunity to secure wins for this team in the future.
Mandolese, a sixth-round draft pick from 2018, could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer but instead will sign with the organization that drafted him. The 19-year old recently completed an incredible season with the Cape Breton Eagles, posting a 26-8-1 record and a .925 save percentage that led all qualified QMJHL goalies.
The huge step forward that Mandolese took this season is promising for his professional future, which will likely start next season with the Senators organization. Ottawa is creating quite the pipeline of goalie prospects, with Marcus Hogberg, Filip Gustavsson, Joey Daccord now Mandolese all having bright futures.
Jonathan Aspirot Signs With Ottawa Senators
After an up-and-down rookie season, undrafted defenseman Jonathan Aspirot has done enough to earn an NHL contract. The Ottawa Senators have signed Aspirot to a three-year, entry-level deal, following his rookie campaign with the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained the signing:
Jonathan is a player, with credit to our amateur scouting staff, that we’ve kept tabs on since he was a development camp invitee in 2018. He’s long demonstrated great hockey sense and exceptional determination to the point where he became a regular among Belleville’s defence corps last season. His progression has collectively indicated to our hockey staff that he has become a legitimate NHL prospect.
The 20-year old Aspirot was never drafted out of the QMJHL after struggling to even find a consistent position at the junior level. Playing both defense and forward for the Moncton Wildcats, he has seemingly made the transition full-time to the blue line in Belleville and that’s where his potential future lies in Ottawa. That led to 16 points in 44 games for the baby-Sens, clearly enough—when paired with his defensive awareness and tenacity—to earn a contract. The second season of his two-year deal with Belleville will be voided in favor of this entry-level NHL contract.
For a rebuilding club like the Senators, lottery tickets like Aspirot are worthwhile investments as they try to find inexpensive NHL talent. While stars like the ones the team drafts this year will lead the next window of competition in Ottawa, Aspirot and others will have to fill in the depth chart.
PHR Panel: Prospect Pontificating
We’re now several weeks into an NHL postponement and there is still no clear timeline on when professional hockey will return. While fans of the sport have received small tidbits of news over that time, including college signings and contract extensions, the thirst for discussion has rarely been quenched.
With that in mind, we’re happy to continue our new feature: The PHR Panel. Three times a week, our writing staff will give our individual takes on a question many hockey fans have been wondering about. If you’d ever like to submit a subject for us to discuss, be sure to put it in the comments. This series will run each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
To catch up on the previous edition, click here.
Today, we’ll each give our thoughts on a prospect that hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.
Q: Which already-drafted prospect outside of the NHL excites you the most?
Brian La Rose:
The question of when Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov will sign with Minnesota has been ongoing for a while. The first season PHR covered was the 2016-17 campaign where his contract in the KHL was expiring and there were questions as to whether or not he’d come to North America. Fast forward to today. His contract in the KHL is expiring and there is hope that he’ll finally cross the pond. I’m excited to see if he lives up to the hype.
There is plenty of reason for optimism. In recent years, he has progressed from being a good KHL winger to a legitimate star and actually led the KHL in goals (33) and points per game (1.09) this season. A few years ago, the thought was that he could come in and play right away. Now, the hope is that he can come in and play on the Wild’s top line right away.
Over the last few years, Minnesota has been a decent team but is missing that key piece or two to prop them up from being a bubble team. Kaprizov has the ability to help them do just that. Assuming he plays next season (even this year is a possibility if regular season games resume), he could be the player to help spark their turnaround. It seems we’ll soon find out if he winds up being well worth the wait.
Holger Stolzenberg:
I find myself quite intrigued by the prospects in this upcoming draft, but that doesn’t answer today’s question. Considering that I’m German, I’ve always been fascinated by German prospects and with the continuing improvement in German-born players that last few years (very interested to see how Tim Stuetzle develops), I’m always watching prospects ready to come to the U.S closely.
The guy I’ve been most interested in the last couple of years is Carolina Hurricanes prospect Dominik Bokk. He was originally drafted 25th overall in 2018 by the Blues and was a key part of the trade which brought Justin Faulk to St. Louis. Bokk is considered to be quite the talent, joining the SHL at age 18, but has struggled to play among men, scoring nine goals in two seasons with Vaxjo. He then went over to top-ranked Rogle where he struggled even more, but after a dominating performance for Germany at the World Juniors this last year took off, scoring 10 goals since returning, while only averaging 12-13 minutes per game.
He’s expected to arrive and spend a season in the AHL where the Hurricanes already moved out a bunch of prospects out of their AHL system, including Julien Gauthier, Janne Kuokkanen and Eetu Luostarinen to give some playing time for incoming players, including Bokk. I wouldn’t be surprised if he dominates in his first AHL year and we’ll see how he develops, but I just get excited about Bokk as a prospect.
Zach Leach:
There are a number of talented future stars among the selections from the past couple of years—and even more in the upcoming draft class—but in my opinion “excitement” for a prospect peaks the closer he is to making an NHL impact.
For that reason, to me Kaprizov has to be the most exciting prospect outside of the NHL. The 2015 Minnesota Wild pick has been teasing North American fans for years with stunning numbers in the KHL for such a young player. The 22-year-old could be the second coming of Artemi Panarin and I believe he finally makes the jump this summer and takes on a top-six role for the Wild right away next year. Kaprizov is simply a dynamic offensive talent and gifted scorer who I would be surprised to see struggle with translating his penchant for points to the NHL. He would be my 2020-21 Calder Trophy favorite the minute he signs in Minny.
As for more recent picks, I continue to be impressed by Buffalo Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens. A player that I was high on when he was drafted last year, I feel Cozens was an outstanding value at No. 7 overall. For the sake of development, he was better off back in the WHL this season, where he again proved to be one of the league’s best players, rather than with a struggling Sabres squad. However, I expect the well-rounded power forward to break camp in Buffalo next season and make an impact for a team desperate for more talent, compete, and IQ in their forward corps.
Gavin Lee:
There’s no doubt that Kaprizov will get the juices flowing again when he finally does come over, but the will-he-won’t-he of the last few years has me drained of any excitement.
A really good case could be made for Alex Newhook, who has just oozed top-line NHL potential while dominating his NCAA competition. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick—16th overall in 2019—scored 19 goals and 42 points in 34 games for Boston College and was just named the Tim Taylor Award winner as NCAA Rookie of the Year. Newhook was somehow left off the Canadian roster at the World Juniors this year (they won gold, so I guess it was the right choice?) but you can bet he’ll be at the next one, before making his mark at the NHL level down the road.
Still, as much as this may cause some chuckles in the back, the prospect that excites me the most is still Joe Veleno. The QMJHL star and Detroit Red Wings prospect jumped to the AHL last season and recorded just 23 points in 54 games, but that performance comes with a few caveats. First, and most importantly, Veleno played a good chunk of the season as a teenager—something that isn’t normally allowed for a player drafted out of the CHL. His case was different because of the exceptional status he was granted to enter the CHL a year early; five years of junior meant he was eligible to jump to professional hockey.
The other was the overall scoring ineptitude of the Grand Rapids Griffins. Amazingly, Veleno’s 11 goals actually tied him for third on the team, behind only AHL veterans Chris Terry and Matt Puempel. Five of those goals actually came in his final 16 games of the season, hopefully pointing to a higher level of production next year.
It’s hard to explain exactly why Veleno excites me when I watch him play, but he does. At the World Juniors I thought he was arguably the most well-rounded forward in the tournament, and perhaps that’s why I have such high hopes. I think he can be a star offensively in the NHL if he’s put in that role, but I also think he could be one of the league’s best shutdown forwards. What better organization to be in than one helmed by Steve Yzerman.
Jacob Bernard-Docker Returning For Junior Season
The curtailed NCAA season seems to have had an adverse effect when it comes to NHL teams signing their top collegiate prospects. David Farrance recently announced that he would be returning to Boston University for his senior season thanks to some unfinished business, and now Jacob Bernard-Docker is making a similar decision. The Ottawa Senators draft pick has told the organization he intends on returning to the University of North Dakota for his junior season, according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald.
Bernard-Docker told Schlossman that the “way the season ended didn’t sit well” with him and his teammates, likely a good part of the reason why other UND players like Jordan Kawaguchi have already announced they will be going back for another year.
The 19-year old Senators pick is a highly-coveted prospect and one that has only continued to improve since he was the 26th overall pick in 2018. He registered 25 points in 32 games for UND while also suiting up for Canada at the World Juniors, where he took home the gold medal. His defensive ability was polished by the end of his freshman year, but only improved even further with quicker decision making and crisper outlet passes this season.
Bernard-Docker’s not going to be the next Erik Karlsson for the Senators, but his game seems perfectly fit to be the kind of long-term partner the team desperately needs for Thomas Chabot. Erik Brannstrom, another highly-touted young defenseman in the system is much more offensive and could potentially feast on easier minutes.
For now, those roster dreams will have to wait as Bernard-Docker returns to UND for some unfinished business of his own. The Senators will have to try and convince him to sign next time around.