Snapshots: Award Voting, League FAQ, World Championship
Over the weekend, our readership chose Quinn Hughes as the overwhelming favorite for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, should the season end without any more games being played. If the same question were asked of the staff at The Athletic, they’d give you a different answer.
Many of the top writers from around the hockey world got together and mock-voted on the awards (subscription required), resulting in Cale Makar edging out Hughes for the trophy. It is a shame that these two phenoms may not be able to finish out their freshmen seasons, but both will certainly have long careers. That’s not the only surprising outcome in The Athletic’s piece, which includes finalists for each award.
- The NHL released an updated FAQ regarding the paused 2019-20 season, and one thing now included is the determination that the 2020-21 season will be played in its entirety. That’s a line deputy commissioner Bill Daly has been repeating in recent media appearances, making it clear that one of the league’s top priorities is maintaining an 82-game campaign next season.
- Speaking of frequently asked questions, the IIHF did the same for their recently canceled 2020 World Championship. Interestingly though, they include a note that says “at this time, it cannot be determined if it will be possible for the World Championship to be postponed to a later date in 2020…” potentially leaving the door open to hold the tournament at some future point this year.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Tanner Laczynski
The run on college players continues. The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Tanner Laczynski to a two-year entry-level contract, getting him into the organization and avoiding a potential free agent situation this summer. Laczynski recently finished his senior season at Ohio State and could have become an unrestricted free agent in August.
Instead, the 22-year old forward will join a Flyers organization that originally selected him 169th overall in 2016. Since then, when he was a late-round pick out of the USHL, Laczynski has become one of the most consistent offensive in all of college hockey, recording 143 points in 138 games for the Buckeyes while also representing Team USA at the 2017 World Junior Championship, winning gold.
Flyers’ assistant GM Brent Flahr released a short statement about his new forward:
Tanner has completed an excellent college career at Ohio State University and we are very excited to have him under contract. He plays a mature two-way game, he’s a proven leader, and we see him as a versatile forward for the Flyers organization going forward.
Even getting an NHL contract after being selected so late is an accomplishment, but Laczynski will obviously be hoping for more than just an entry-level deal. He’ll be in training camp (whenever that happens to be) competing for a role in the organziation.
Dawson DiPietro Signs With Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have dipped into college free agency once again, this time signing Dawson DiPietro out of Western Michigan University. The college forward was at Sabres development camp last summer and has some familiarity with the organization, but will now join the Sabres on a one-year entry-level contract. GM Jason Botterill released a short statement on his newest forward:
Dawson was excellent at our development camp last summer, where he was able to showcase his speed and skill. His high-energy, up-tempo style was an important asset for Western Michigan, and we’re excited to add his skillset to our group.
If there’s one thing you notice as soon as you watch DiPietro, it’s speed. The 5’11” forward skates low to the ice and has the ability to tear by defenders in space, which helped him record 12 goals and 29 points this season for the Broncos. The 24-year old will immediately become a candidate for a fourth line role on the Sabres, though they may want to start him in the minor leagues to get a taste of professional hockey.
DiPietro joins Brandon Biro as additions the Sabres have made out of the college ranks this spring, something Botterill obviously learned during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Connor Ingram Signs Three-Year Contract
In classic David Poile fashion, the Nashville Predators have completed a multi-year extension with one of their much lesser-known players. Connor Ingram today has signed a three-year deal that carries an average annual value of just over $733K. The contract is two-way for both 2020-21 and 2021-22, before turning into a one-way contract in 2022-23.
Ingram, 22, came over to the Predators organization this season after a tumultuous tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has posted a .933 save percentage in 33 AHL starts. Still waiting on his first NHL appearance, the third-round pick will have some safety and security with this new contract.
The deal also obviously has some expansion draft value for the Predators, who will almost surely be protecting Juuse Saros, but there is also real promise in Ingram as a future NHL option. While things didn’t work out in Tampa Bay it wasn’t because of his performance on the ice. Ingram has consistently posted strong results, only strengthening the scouting takes that had him as a top goaltending prospect in 2016.
With Pekka Rinne‘s struggles this season, it’s hard to imagine the Predators extending him after his current contract ends after next season. At that point the franchise goaltender would be 38 and likely near the end of his career. Saros too will be a free agent in 2021, though he will be restricted and arbitration eligible. Locking up Ingram for the next several years at least gives them some stability at the position, even if he never does become a starting NHL option.
Minnesota Wild Sign Adam Beckman, Damien Giroux
The Minnesota Wild have started out this week with a couple of contracts, signing both Adam Beckman and Damien Giroux to three-year entry-level deals. Both players were mid-round picks by the Wild and are coming off outstanding seasons in the CHL.
In fact, Beckman’s performance may have quickly jumped him up the Minnesota prospect rankings. The 18-year old forward recorded 48 goals and 107 points for the Spokane Chiefs, leading all Western Hockey League skaters in both categories. Originally selected 75th overall in 2019, it’s easy to imagine him going much higher if teams had known how his offensive game was going to explode.
Obviously that doesn’t mean he’ll be an impact player at the NHL level, but the fact that Beckman has another year to dominate CHL competition before even being eligible for AHL play should be quite exciting for Wild fans. He’ll surely be an invitee should this year’s Summer Showcase happen, and should have a chance to compete for a spot on Team Canada at the World Juniors.
That’s not to take anything away from Giroux, who had an excellent season as the captain of the Saginaw Spirit. The 20-year old center scored 44 goals—good enough to tie for sixth in the OHL—and 75 points in just 61 games. Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, his offensive production has steadily increased to the point where the Wild at least believe he’s worth of a contract slot.
Giroux’s deal will kick in next season when he will likely be assigned to the AHL, while Beckman’s will slide forward another year—unless he somehow makes the NHL roster and plays in ten games.
Calgary Flames Sign Connor Mackey, Colton Poolman
The Calgary Flames have won the sweepstakes for one of the top college free agents, signing Connor Mackey to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2020-21 season, and gives the Flames another potential NHL option on defense. The team has also officially announced the signing of Colton Poolman, first reported earlier this week.
Mackey, 23, is the real prize here, as several NHL teams were pursuing him following another outstanding season at Minnesota State University-Mankato. In fact, Mackey was one of the most sought-after names a year ago before deciding to return for his junior season. The 6’2″ defenseman is a polished two-way player, who recorded 24 points in 36 games this season and was just recently named a WCHA First Team All-Star.
There are some who believe that Mackey can become a top-four NHL defenseman, given his puck-moving ability and tenacity in his own end. That dream may still be a distant thought, but there’s no doubt that the Flames have added real depth today by bringing in Mackey and Poolman.
The latter is an interesting prospect in his own right. The younger brother of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tucker Poolman, Colton captained the University of North Dakota as a senior and recorded 17 points in 31 games.
For a Flames organization that has spent several draft picks to upgrade the NHL roster in recent years, while also graduating some of their young defensemen to the top level, there was a real need for minor league depth on the back end. Both Mackey and Poolman will have plenty of opportunity to show what they can do.
New York Rangers Sign Austin Rueschhoff
The New York Rangers have decided to bring in another college free agent, this time inking Austin Rueschhoff to a two-year entry-level contract that will begin in 2020-21. Rueschhoff just completed his third season with Western Michigan University, but has decided to turn pro.
Just by looking at the 22-year old forward you can understand why NHL teams have shown interest the last few years, as he towers over his competition at 6’7″. He has previously attended development camps with several teams, but has finally settled on the Rangers after scoring 12 goals and 26 points this season with the Broncos.
Rueschhoff isn’t the first college free agent signed by New York this spring, as he follows Patrick Khodorenko from rival Michigan State. The pair of prospects represent some extra depth for the Rangers that didn’t cost them a draft pick, though neither are guaranteed to have success at the next level.
Alex Belzile Agrees To Terms With Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have decided to reward minor league forward Alex Belzile with a one-year contract extension, agreeing to terms on a two-way deal for the 2020-21 season. Belzile will earn $700K at the NHL level and $225K in the minor leagues, with a $250K guarantee. That’s an impressive accomplishment for a player who went undrafted and toiled in the ECHL for years before developing into an AHL regular.
Belzile, 28, has still never seen a game in the NHL but you can bet that he’s still working towards that goal. The Canadiens clearly think he can contribute to the organization, as GM Marc Bergevin explained:
Since joining our organization, Alex has continued to impress us with his determination and work ethic. He’s a role model for the younger players we have developing in Laval. His on-ice skillset combined with his leadership qualities will help him battle for a roster spot at training camp next season.
After earning his first NHL contract just over a year ago, Belzile has unfortunately dealt with injury and was limited to just 20 games for the Laval Rocket this season. He did record 14 points in that time, but will hope to be fully healthy and contributing a full season whenever hockey resumes.
In 74 games with the Rocket in 2018-29, the Saint-Eloi, Quebec native was the team’s most consistent offensive threat, leading the club with 19 goals and 54 points.
Patrick Harper Signs With Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have jumped into the fray of college signings, inking Patrick Harper to a two-year entry-level contract. The young forward recently completed his senior season at Boston University and could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer, had he waited until August. Predators director of player development Scott Nichol had this to say about his newest prospect:
Patrick is a dynamic player and with his size excels in the way today’s game is played. He’s a fun player to watch – he likes having the puck on his stick, he likes to make plays and wants to score goals every game. He fits in well on the power play and uses his biggest on-ice attribute – his hockey sense – to his advantage.
That size Nichol mentions is perhaps one of the reasons that Harper wasn’t selected higher than 138th in 2016, given he stands at just 5’7″ 150-lbs. Size wasn’t the only obstacle that the 21-year old has faced to this point however. In 2018, just after helping Team USA to a bronze medal at the World Juniors (his second appearance at the tournament, after winning gold a year prior), Harper was sidelined due to illness and missed the second half of his sophomore season with BU.
Nothing seems able to hold him back however, as the diminutive forward climbed his way back into elite company in the NCAA and was even nominated for the 2020 Hobey Baker. His 37 points in 32 games put him 14th in the country in per-game production, something he’ll try to carry over to the Predators minor league system whenever hockey resumes.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Nate Sucese
The Arizona Coyotes have dipped into the free agent prospect market once again, this time signing Nate Sucese to a one-year entry-level contract. Sucese recently completed his senior season with Penn State and was an unrestricted free agent.
The 23-year old forward finished 17th among all NCAA players in scoring this season with 38 points, another outstanding output for one of college hockey’s most consistent offensive performers. Sucese recorded at least 29 points in each of his four seasons at Penn State, using his blazing speed to regularly get around defenders. The 5’9″ winger follows teammate Brandon Biro (Buffalo) in earning an NHL contract this spring, after going undrafted out of the USHL.
Sucese will actually leave Penn State as the school’s all-time goals leader, though it’s hard to know if that nose for the net will carry over to the professional ranks. The Coyotes obviously hope it will, but many of the college signings at this time of year are more about organizational depth than anything else. Perhaps Sucese has what it takes to climb all the way to the NHL, but he’ll likely have to prove himself with the Tucson Roadrunners first.