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Prospect Notes: Bjorkqvist, King, Samuelsson

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The first professional season for Kasper Bjorkqvist will not be what he or many Penguins fans had hoped. The former Providence College captain entered the year with high expectations after back-to-back strong seasons of NCAA play and looked like the exact type of intelligent and hard-working two-way forward that Pittsburgh could use. It was not a major surprise that he did not break camp with the NHL club, but there remained speculation that he would not have to spend much time in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before earning his first career recall. Unfortunately, as it turns out he will have to wait until next year at the earliest for that promotion. Just six games into his AHL season, Bjorkqvist suffered a knee injury and was sidelined. WBS beat writer Jason Iacona now reports that Bjorkqvist has undergone surgery on his knee and the expected timeline for recovery is six months. As Iacona states, this essentially ends his season. The earliest conceivable return for Bjorkqvist would be during the Calder Cup playoffs, should the AHL Penguins qualify, and that’s only if the Pittsburgh brass decide it is worth it to get him back on the ice this season. Most likely, the talented Finnish winger will be shut down until next season in hopes that he can resume play at full strength and compete for an NHL role again next year.

  • If trade value at the junior level is any indication of NHL Entry Draft stock, Ben King is a 2020 draft prospect on the rise. The 17-year-old forward was dealt by the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos to the Red Deer Rebels this week for a rather hefty return of two players – including recent first-rounder Cohner Seleski – the rights to a third player, and a third-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. Such packages are usually reserved for veteran junior players who can be immediate difference-makers for a contender, but head coach and GM Brent Sutter clearly sees something that he likes in King and opted for the long-term play. A first-round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, King recorded 26 points in 48 games for Swift Current in his first season with the team in 2018-19 and had eight points through his first 16 games this year. King, who usually lines up at center, has a sturdy frame and plays a patient, play-making style. He still has room to grow, both physically and in his skill development, but early expectations have been that is already in consideration for selection in the third or fourth round of the coming draft. And with this vote of confidence from the well-respected Sutter, that may just be the floor of where one might expect King to go in June.
  • A new name in Canadian juniors is Adam Samuelsson. The son of Ulf and brother of Philip and Henrik, Samuelsson comes from a strong hockey background and was once considered a future NHL prospect. However, things started going downhill when he surprisingly went undrafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018. Then, he struggled at Boston College early last season and ended up on the bench for much of the first half of the season before leaving school to join the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. It isn’t uncommon for college players experiencing production issues or a poor fit to return to juniors before transferring to another NCAA team, but Samuelsson instead returned to Sioux City this season in a confusing move, especially considering his improved play after leaving BC. It appears now that this was simply a precursor to his true intentions. The hulking defenseman has signed on with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, who had drafted him back in 2016. The team’s press release indicates that they have been pushing to sign Samuelsson for years and the blue liner finally decided to give up on the collegiate path and head to Ontario. It remains to be seen if Samuelsson can re-assert himself as an NHL prospect, but with two years of junior eligibility, there is plenty of time to show that he is a pro-quality player like his dad and brothers.

Maple Leafs Expected To Waive Jason Spezza

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The Jason Spezza era in Toronto could be over as soon as it began. With Zach Hyman set to return from injury, the consensus from media members around the league, such as TSN’s Shawn Simpson, is that Spezza will be the odd man out for the Maple Leafs. The respected veteran centerman had plenty of suitors this off-season, but opted to take a hometown discount to suit up for the Leafs. However, his opportunities with Toronto have been limited by head coach Mike Babcock and it is now expected that Spezza could be on his way to the waiver wire and then off to another NHL team or down to the minors.

For whatever reason, Babcock has not seen Spezza as a valuable piece of his roster so far this season. While GM Kyle Dubas and company likely saw the former perennial 50+ point scorer as a potential bargain at the $700K minimum contract they signed him to, he has been unable to maximize that value. Babcock has been hesitant to give Spezza the opportunity to make the most of his affordable contract. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston states that it was apparent all the way back in training camp that Babcock wasn’t enthused by Spezza’s addition and didn’t see a particular fit for him in the lineup. Granted, Spezza is not exactly an ideal fourth-line center, but surely the team could find a way to use the former All-Star, right? In fact, only the injury issues with John Tavares have allowed Spezza to make regular appearances – although he has been a healthy scratch frequently as well – but even in those games his ice time has been limited to a career-low 11:06 ATOI. Spezza has still managed four points in nine games and has an impressive 57.3% Corsi, but nothing he has done has seemed to change Babcock’s mind as to his role on the team, likely forcing management’s hand when it comes to waiving him upon activating Hyman.

Spezza, a veteran of more than 1000 NHL games, stands a very good chance of being claimed on waivers. The Maple Leafs were far from the only team to pursue the capable pivot this summer and that interest has likely only risen given his minimal cap hit and the pressure that many teams are facing to add talent in the face of a salary cap crunch or injury crisis. While Spezza is no longer the top scorer he once was, he did produce nearly 30 points in each of his final two seasons with the Dallas Stars despite noticeable regression and could do so with another club. Spezza’s face-off numbers are down this season and he seems to have lost a step in his skating, but otherwise he still plays a complete, two-way game. On top of that, he brings invaluable experience and locker room leadership to any team.

The one club that sticks out as a possible landing spot is of course the Ottawa Senators. The team with which Spezza has spent most of his career, the Senators were one of his most aggressive suitors this summer and their young squad could certainly benefit from his veteran presence. GM Pierre Dorion has made it known that he is looking to make an addition up front and may be able to do so without parting with trade capital by simply claiming Spezza. His minimal cost would also be attractive to a team that often seems allergic to spending. Both Simpson and The Ottawa Sun’s Don Brennan see Spezza as an ideal fit in Ottawa as a mentor and a player who can contribute throughout the lineup. While Spezza signed in Toronto this summer to return to his hometown, a reunion with the Senators would truly be a homecoming for the former face of the franchise.

Overseas Notes: Puljujarvi, Okulov, Postma

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There has certainly been no lack of attention paid to the ongoing saga between Jesse Puljujarvi and the Edmonton Oilers. The young forward is a restricted free agent playing in his native Finland this season rather than with his NHL club and both sides seem open to a trade. If Puljujarvi does not sign by December 1st, he cannot play in the NHL this season, so the timeline for a deal to be made is down to less than a month. However, there have been recent rumors that perhaps Puljujarvi could in fact return to Edmonton. After all, the Oilers are off to a hot start and Puljujarvi himself is playing well for Karpat in the Liiga and the two sides may be more amenable to an agreement. That is at least what Oilers GM Ken Holland hopes, as he heads overseas for the Karjala Cup, in part to negotiate with Puljujarvi. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the player side is not as keen on a reunion. Agent Markus Lehto reiterated that, despite the performance of the Oilers so far this season, Puljujarvi’s focus remains on finding a fresh start in the NHL:

Jesse’s unwillingness to return has nothing to do with current coaches, management, the team, fans or the city. Like I have said multiple times, Jesse has just asked for a change of scenery and to get a fresh start somewhere else. Nothing wrong with that considering the past three seasons. It is very difficult for me to see that he would return there all of a sudden now…. If things don’t work out now with the right team and best possible fit, there is nothing wrong (with playing) the whole season in Europe.

  • Another big name taking part in the Karjala Cup is CSKA Moscow forward Konstantin Okulov. Okulov’s name has already been a fixture in the rumor mill this year as a player being eyed by a number of team’s as a free agent addition this off-season. The 24-year-old Russian has 14 points in 23 games thus far and recorded 31 points in 48 games in the KHL last year. While Okulov has been most frequently linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that has become known for poaching Russian talent, Friedman states that the rival Montreal Canadiens are actually considered the front-runners for the talented forward. He adds that with Holland in attendance at the tournament, the Oilers will likely take a run at Okulov as well.
  • Paul Postma has finally found a new job in Europe. The veteran defenseman began the year with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk, but left the club early last month. The NLA’s HC Lugano has announced that they have now inked Postma to a contract for the remainder of the season. The capable two-way defenseman brings over 200 games of NHL experience to the Swiss club after showing last season with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL that he is even more of an asset in Europe. Lugano, typically a top contender in the NLA, is in the midst of a second straight underwhelming campaign and could use the help. Postma will face high expectations when he debuts for a team in great need of a game-breaking talent.

Hurricanes, Sabres Shopping Defensemen

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The Carolina Hurricanes were seeking a top-nine forward when they traded away long-time defenseman Justin Faulk this summer. However, the best return they could find was a prospect forward, Dominik Bokk, and another established defenseman in Joel Edmundson from the St. Louis Blues. Now, the Hurricanes are more or less back in the same situation, trying to deal from their blue line depth for help up front. Even after moving Faulk and Calvin de Haan in the off-season, the additions of Edmundson, Jake Gardiner, and Gustav Forsling has created yet another logjam on defense. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Carolina is calling around to other teams and shopping veteran Trevor van Riemsdyk, as well as 23-year-old Haydn Fleury, who is no longer waiver-exempt, in hopes of landing a scoring forward in return.

However, they aren’t alone. LeBrun’s colleague Darren Dreger reports that the Buffalo Sabres are also making calls to dangle defenders in anticipation of their team getting healthy. Dreger states that Zach Bogosian and Marco Scandella will make their returns “right around the corner”, but first Buffalo will need to clear space. The red-hot Sabres likely want to avoid a major shake-up, such as moving the now-content Rasmus Ristolainen, but also likely aren’t keen to move recent additions like Brandon Montour and Colin Miller. The team can demote Lawrence Pilut and even Henri Jokiharju, but will still need to make room on the blue line. Dreger states that Buffalo is hoping to land both a top-six and bottom-six forward, so trading away a John Gilmour won’t get the job done. Bogosian, Scandella, and Jake McCabe seem like the most likely to be dealt at this point.

So who could take advantage of a market flush with capable defenders? Top contenders like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and San Jose Sharks are all struggling defensively this season and have the depth of forwards to swing a deal. The Minnesota Wild are known to be open to moving several forward and could pursue a defenseman that they see as a long-term fit. The same could be said for other struggling teams, especially those with intriguing impending free agents, such as the Los Angeles Kings (Tyler Toffoli) and New York Rangers (Chris Kreider). The Hurricanes’ and Sabres’ competition to make a deal may even lower the acquisition costs for any interested teams. The trade market appears to be heating up early this season and the odds of a deal – or several – before the holiday trade freeze are high.

Overseas Notes: Scherbak, Shore, Prince, Sulak

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A short and tumultuous tenure with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk came to end on Thursday for Nikita Scherbak. The former top prospect of the Montreal Canadiens made his return to Russia this off-season, but his KHL debut was met with criticism and he managed to record just six points in his first 16 games with Avangard, not including some healthy scratches. The two sides agreed that a termination of the contract and a fresh start was the best course of action. Less than a week later, Scherbak has found a new home in the KHL. Traktor Chelyabinsk has announced the signing of Scherbak to a contract for the remainder of the season. Given Scherbak’s struggles to begin the season, as well as with the Los Angeles Kings last year, it seems his name value continues to be enough to find employment. The 2014 first-round pick was once a scoring dynamo in the WHL and showed glimpses of that ability in the minors, but was unable to put it all together in the NHL or with Avangard. Perhaps things will go differently with Traktor, where Scherbak may very well be the best player on the roster.

  • While Scherbak found a new job, the story out of the KHL today has been former NHLers losing their jobs. The league announced today that Dinamo Minsk has parted ways with Drew Shore and are preparing to do the same with Shane Prince, who has been placed on waivers. Sadly for the Belarus-based club, the moves are likely financially-driven. Shore was the team’s scoring leader with 17 points in 24 games, while Prince was third with 13 points in 17 games. The two were fixtures on the scoreboard, but unfortunately didn’t do enough to make an impact in the standings. Minsk has the second-worst record in the KHL, which likely prompted the team’s recent addition of Ryan Spooner. However, the team likely has to shed salary as a result, and Shore and Prince are both established import players. Neither will have any trouble finding another job soon.
  • Severstal Cherepovets is another team cutting ties with a former NHLer, as they have terminated the contract of defenseman Libor Sulak. Sulak, who played in the Detroit Red Wings organization last year, returned to Europe this summer, but has struggled greatly. He has just two points and a -10 rating in 19 games and his release is far more warranted on a performance basis than his counterparts in Minsk. The future is unclear for Sulak, who may have trouble finding another job in the KHL and has likely lost his opportunity to play in North America.

League Notes: Waiver Priority, Power Play, AHL Trades

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November 1st marks an important day on the NHL calendar, but one many may not be aware of. Fortunately, CapFriendly is here for the reminder. This day marks the official change over to the waiver priority by current NHL standings. In the first month of the season, as the sample size is too small to truly judge the weak from the strong in many cases, the league uses the reverse order of the prior year’s regular season standings as the waiver priority for all of October. Up until now, the Ottawa Senators have had the first chance at available players on waivers, followed by the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and all the way to the Tampa Bay Lighting. But as of today, the top priority goes to… well, the Kings, who move up just one spot. The Senators slide back to third, with the Minnesota Wild occupying the second position. As of right now, it is the Boston Bruins who have the very last opportunity to claim a player on waivers. Waiver priority will now change constantly based on the reverse order of the league standings by points percentage.

However, at the current rate, waiver priority won’t matter too much this season. The Winnipeg Jets, who have occupied the 22nd waiver priority spot until today, have claimed defensemen Carl Dahlstrom and Luca Sbisa, and the Arizona Coyotes, who previously held spot No. 14, claimed goaltender Eric Comrie. Those have been the only claims thus far in 2019-20, an unusually low count even this early in the season.

  • The mark of success so far this season? Power play efficiency. As John Dietz of the Chicago Daily Herald points out, there is no stronger correlation between wins and losses this year than how a team performs man-up. The top six teams in power play percentage are all also among the top nine in points percentage. This includes the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres at No. 1 and 2 in both statistics. Down at the bottom, five of the six worst power play teams are among the bottom the eight teams in points percentage. The only outlier appears to be the Anaheim Ducks, who have managed to overcome a 29th-ranked power play thus far to get off to an 8-6-0 start. As the skill level in the NHL improves each year and the game becomes more about using space to create offense, it only makes sense that man-up efficiency will matter more and more, with the start to this season as the perfect example.
  • A strange occurrence early on this season has also been not one, but two AHL trades. AHL trades are extremely rare, as the NHL teams that manage their farm team rosters often lack any incentive to make such a deal. In general, the only motivation to make a deal that solely impacts an AHL squad is to improve depth at a certain position, either to avoid the overexposure of prospects or, later in the year, to give the team a push toward securing a playoff spot. However, even then AHL GM’s tend to eye other players on two-way NHL contracts to swap rather than players on minor league pacts. Not so far this year, though. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins acquired forward Marcus Vela from San Jose Barracuda for defenseman Marcus Crawford in a move that wasn’t even about addressing depth, as Vela was immediately reassigned to the ECHL. Just two days later, the San Diego Gulls acquired veteran defenseman Ryan Johnston, a player who had been a healthy scratch for every game so far this season, from the Toronto Marlies for future considerations. Perhaps this is a new trend in organizational roster management or perhaps it is simply a coincidence, but either way it is an intriguing attachment to this young season.

New Jersey Devils Acquire Louis Domingue

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A change in agents has never worked so well. Just 24 hours after a report emerged that goaltender Louis Domingue had switched his representation in hopes of finding a trade out of Tampa Bay, a deal is done. The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have acquired Domingue from the Lightning. The return is just a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick in what is merely a small salary dump for the Bolts.

Domingue, 27, is surely ecstatic not only to be out of the crowded net in Tampa, as well as AHL Syracuse, but also to be moving into a situation where there is a realistic opportunity to see NHL action. Despite a career season last year with the Lightning in which he recorded a 21-5-0 record, Domingue found himself replaced this off-season. The Lightning opted to bring in veteran Curtis McElhinney as the number two to starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, creating a solid NHL tandem and all but sealing Domingue’s fate of being buried in the minor leagues. On top of that, they also acquired Mike Condon as part of the move to rid themselves of Ryan Callahan’s contract and then signed Scott Wedgewood and Spencer Martin, creating a complete logjam in goal. Domingue now moves to an entirely different scenario in New Jersey. The Devils have the fewest wins in the NHL and plenty of their struggles can be traced back to the net. Injury-prone veteran Cory Schneider has an .847 save percentage and 4.71 GAA and young backup MacKenzie Blackwood has not been much better, holding an .871 save percentage and 3.31 GAA. Compared to Domingue’s numbers with Tampa last year – .908 save percentage and 2.88 GAA – Domingue is already lightyears ahead of his competition. Domingue will report to AHL Binghamton for now, but it seems very likely that he will make his return to the NHL level before too long. Whether that makes a difference when it comes to New Jersey’s season is another thing.

For Tampa, they surely would have liked to get more value back for a goalie who performed well last season, but they will settle for a slight salary cap credit. While buried in the AHL, almost all of Domingue’s $1.15MM salary could be removed from the Bolts’ cap calculations. However, $75K remained, and when you’re tight against the cap ceiling as the Lightning are, every little bit helps. As for the draft pick, the conditions are that Tampa Bay will receive the pick if Domingue plays in seven NHL regular season games for New Jersey; plays in one NHL playoff game for New Jersey; or is traded by the Devils prior to the start of the 2020 NHL Draft. If none of those three additions occur, then the Lightning really did just trade Domingue for $75K in savings. Which circles back to the initial point of switching agents really paying off for the savvy netminder.

Pacific Notes: Ferland, Boucher, Elvenes

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The notable recall of Sven Baertschi on Friday morning was made possible by the placement of fellow veteran forward Micheal Ferland on injured reserve. At the time, the team did not state why Ferland was sidelined, but have since updated the situation. Head coach Travis Green revealed that Ferland has been placed in the NHL’s concussion protocol. The team gave no timeline for his return to action, quite possibly because Ferland’s history of head injuries could be complicating his condition. The Province’s Patrick Johnson believes that Ferland suffered the concussion at the hands of Kyle Clifford, as the two fought in Wednesday night’s match-up between the Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. Toward the end of the fight, Clifford hit Ferland with several hard rights, and the Vancouver winger seems somewhat dazed and hesitant to retaliate. Now enduring the third documented concussion of his pro career, Ferland has opted not to change the style of his game despite the health risks, as Johnson writes that he told the Vancouver media he had “zero concerns” about his concussion history when he arrived as a free agent this off-season. Now, both the player and team just have to hope that this latest concussion didn’t inflict lasting damage that could keep him out long-term.

  • With Baertschi now back in Vancouver, the next man up for the Canucks in the event of another injury up front would very likely be Reid Boucher. Boucher has been named the AHL’s Player of the Month of October after recording ten goals and 13 points in eight games with the Utica Comets. Now in his fourth season with the Canucks organization, the 26-year-old forward saw his NHL games played drop from 38 in 2016-17 to 20 in 2017-18 to just one game last season. His minor league production held constant during that time too at or above a point-per-game pace. The difference so far this season though is the goal totals. While Boucher, once considered a top NHL prospect, has always had a nose for the net, ten goals and eight games is another level of scoring production. A forward with NHL experience enjoying a hot streak in the goal department is a nice asset for the Canucks, and Boucher has earned another shot at an NHL role if an opportunity arises in Vancouver.
  • The AHL’s Rookie of the Month comes from the rival Vegas Golden Knights. Swedish import Lucas Elvenes took home the honor with 15 points in his first ten games with the Chicago Wolves. The 2017 fifth-round pick continues to exceed expectations and, as The Athletic’s Jesse Granger writes, he is quickly becoming a prized prospect for Vegas. Elvenes, 20, was held scoreless in a dozen games in the top-level Swedish Hockey League in his draft year. The next year, he surprisingly jumped up to 16 points in 28 games and then last year took on a regular role in the SHL for Rogle BK. Now in North America, he has already surpassed his goal total from last year with four tallies to go along with eleven assists. Granger notes that there were signs of this sudden offensive development at Golden Knights training camp, but now it is on full display in the AHL. While he doubts Elvenes gets a shot at the NHL right away this season, Granger believes that Elvenes could be just what the Knights need in an otherwise barren pipeline of young prospect talent at forward.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Garret Sparks On Emergency Basis

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Is it time to panic in Las Vegas? Fans of the Golden Knights will surely not be thrilled to hear the news that Garret Sparks has been recalled on an emergency basis from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, especially in light of the fact that backup Malcolm Subban was a full participant in practice today. That just leaves one odd man out.

As The Athletic’s Jesse Granger summarizes, Sparks’ recall comes on the heels of a practice in which Subban looked fully healthy, while starter Marc-Andre Fleury was suspiciously absent for what head coach Gerard Gallant called a “maintenance day”.  If it was truly just a day off for the veteran keeper, the team would not have made this roster move, so it is safe to assume that Fleury is injured. The extent of that injury remains to be seen, but the Knights will almost certainly be without him for at least Saturday’ game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Although Vegas famously survived numerous injuries in goal in their inaugural season, the play behind Fleury has been a different story since the beginning of last season. The 34-year-old Fleury started 61 games last year, a workload brought on by the poor performance of Subban. The young backstop recorded a .902 save percentage and 2.93 GAA in 21 appearances. In his lone appearance so far this year, Subban allowed two goals on just 14 shots. While Subban was sidelined due to injury, Oscar Dansk made one start, allowing six goals on 37 shots, and Sparks, an off-season addition, made one relief appearance and mirrored Subban’s results with two goals allowed on 14 shots. The trio have allowed a combined ten goals on 65 shots over 107 minutes for an .846 save percentage and 5.61 GAA. Even in just one appearance apiece, these are still terrifying numbers for the Golden Knights, especially if Fleury is out for an extended period of time. Subban and Sparks leave a lot to be desired as the tandem leading Vegas against the Jets tomorrow and possibly beyond.

Penguins Activate Evgeni Malkin From Injured Reserve

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to get their other superstar center back in action. The team has announced that Evgeni Malkin has been activated from the injured reserve. The expectation is that Malkin will be ready to suit up when the Penguins face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

Malkin has missed all but two games so far this season with an undisclosed leg injury and has just one point to show for the young campaign. The 33-year-old pivot’s 11-game absence has him on pace for a maximum 71 games this season, but it’s very likely that this will be another sub-70 game season for Malkin. Since 2012 he has only cracked the 70-game mark once, as injuries have been a consistent presence. In that one healthy season, Malkin recorded 98 points, the closest he has come to cracking 100 points as he did three times in his first six NHL seasons. Whereas his maximum point total in the other five seasons since 2012 has been 72 points. Malkin has still been one of the game’s more dominant offensive players for more than a decade now, but Penguins fans should probably temper their expectations of what to expect for the rest of the year from Malkin, who is likely in for another 70-odd point season at best.

With Malkin returning to the lineup, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo writes that Dominik Kahun is the most likely candidate to take a seat. It’s amazing to think that the Penguins are now to the point that they are benching a capable, young trade acquisition when not long ago they were forced to play defenseman Juuso Riikola at forward due to an onslaught of injuries up front. Pittsburgh managed to go 7-4-0 without Malkin, while Alex Galchenyuk, Nick Bjugstad, and Jared McCann were all among those who have missed time during that stretch as well. Back at full strength finally, the Penguins will face a tough decision each night as to who to play, with Kahun looking like the first casualty.

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