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Minor Transactions: 09/02/19

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We’re now into September, but little has changed on the free agent front. Many prominent players, RFA’s and UFA’s alike, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets remain silent. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with further moves right here throughout the day:

  • Ty Nash, son of former NHLer and current Arizona Coyotes TV analyst Tyson Nash, is following in his father’s footsteps and playing in the WHL. Although Nash is American, born and raised in Arizona, he will take the Canadian junior development route, as his Edmonton-native dad did. The 16-year-old forward was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft and has been participating in training camp this week. The team announced today that he had officially signed on for the coming season. The small, but aggressive forward has been improving offensively in recent years while maintaining a gritty, high-energy style which could serve him well against much more talented competition in the WHL than what he is used to in the American Southwest. The 2021 NHL Draft-eligible forward still has a lot of work ahead of him to be considered a pro prospect, but now has two full WHL seasons to do just that.
  • It’s a homecoming of sorts for 22-year-old forward Logan Coomes, who will play for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks this season after three years at Merrimack College. Coomes initially committed to Merrimack as a member of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL and now returns to the city where his collegiate path first began. Of course, Fairbanks is quite far from his actual hometown of Nashville. After transferring this summer, Coomes was announced as immediately eligible for this season, his fourth and final NCAA campaign. In 79 games with Merrimack, Coomes recorded 26 points in a bottom-six role. He should be handed more responsibility in his senior year and he surely hopes to get back to his better than point-per-game production from the last time he played in Fairbanks. Other members of Fairbanks’ recruiting class include Latvian junior standouts Eriks Zohovs and Roberts Kalkis.
  • Flames prospect Ilya Nikolayev has been loaned to Yarolslavl’s junior team, notes Ryan Pike of the Sporting News.  The 2019 third-round pick spent all of last season at the Russian junior level (the MHL) but was hoping to spend some time in the KHL this year.  He may still get that opportunity at some point but for now, he’ll repeat the level where he collected 25 points in 41 games in 2018-19.

Poll: Which UFA Is The Most Attractive PTO Candidate?

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It’s now September and, other than a handful of cases, unrestricted free agents who are still unsigned are likely going to have to earn an NHL contract in training camp. While the major storyline around the league remains unsigned RFA’s, there is still plenty of talent available on the open market. Some players are simply sitting on offers though, waiting to make a decision. For example, decorated veterans like  Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Niklas Kronwall and perhaps even Dion Phaneuf and Thomas Vanek are not playing on PTO’s. Neither are players rumored to have considerable interest, such as Jake Gardiner and Ben Hutton. That still leaves a lot of ability still searching for NHL employment though.

The best part of a PTO is that it mitigates risk. A player on a tryout is not (yet) taking up a roster spot or salary cap space and their injury history doesn’t matter as much, without any commitment beyond training camp. The tryout process simply allows players to show what they can bring to a team during practices and preseason games on the off chance that their performance in fact warrants a contract. Some teams may lean toward inviting a veteran, both to provide some leadership during camp but also to see what he has left in the tank. Others will invite a younger, prime-age player coming off of a down season, doing their due diligence on whether he might be worth a second chance. There’s also the frequent case of some teams simply checking available players against internal options when it comes to establishing depth for the season. With that in mind, which player would you most like your favorite team to take a look at on a PTO?

Veteran Forwards: Brian Boyle, Troy Brouwer, Drew Stafford, Jamie McGinn, Micheal Haley

Prime Forwards: Riley Sheahan, Magnus Paajarvi, Tobias Rieder, Devante Smith-Pelly, Rourke Chartier

Veteran Defensemen: Dan Girardi, Adam McQuaid, David Schlemko, Eric Gryba

Prime Defensemen: Michael Stone, Joe Morrow, Fredrik Claesson

Goaltenders: Scott Darling, Chad Johnson

Of these players, which one is most worthy of a risk-free look in camp in hopes of finding a surprise contributor for the 2019-20 season?

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Justin Williams “Taking A Break” From Hockey

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Those waiting on a decision from Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams finally have one, although it’s not so much a “yes” or “no” answer on coming back for another season. The Hurricanes have announced on Williams’ behalf that the 37-year-old is “taking a break” from playing hockey and will not begin the 2019-20 campaign with the team:

This is the first time in my life that I’ve felt unsure of my aspirations with regards to hockey. For as long as I can remember, my whole off-season until this point has been hockey and doing what was necessary to prepare for the upcoming season. Because of my current indecision, and without the type of mental and physical commitment that I’m accustomed to having, I’ve decided to step away from the game. It’s important to me that the focus of attention is on the current, very talented group the Carolina Hurricanes have assembled, as they prepare to build on the momentum and growth we established last season.

It is important to note that neither Williams nor the team have used the word “retirement” in discussing this announcement or his future plans. It very well could be that Williams will contemplate calling it a career officially during this break, but more likely he is keeping his options open for a reunion later in the season. The situation is very similar to that of Mike Fisher and the Nashville Predators in 2017-18. Following a run to the Stanley Cup Final, Fisher opted to extend his off-season and maximize his rest and rehab before re-joining the team in February for the stretch run and postseason. The same scenario could be in the cards for Williams, whose comments make it clear that he is still committed to the Hurricanes as Fisher was to the Predators.

Of course, if this is it for Williams, he has certainly done enough in his decorated career. A three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings, “Mr. Game Seven” is one of the most clutch postseason performers in NHL history and has a Conn Smythe Trophy to show for it. He’s also transformed into an iron man of sorts late in his career, missing just three regular season games since the end of the 2010-11 season. Williams is also one of the NHL’s quintessential leaders; a respected presence on the ice and in the locker room wherever he plays. A hard-working and dedicated player, if Williams feels 786 points in 1244 games and three titles isn’t enough, he will definitely be back. But he doesn’t owe the hockey world anything and could easily hang up his skates and move into a coaching or front office role with the Hurricanes if he so chooses.

Williams’ next step remains to be seen, but for now Carolina will have to enter the season without him and lean on the young core that the captain speaks so highly about. The Hurricanes have less than $2.5MM in projected cap space per CapFriendly and would have needed to get creative to re-sign Williams prior to the start of the season. His decision will allow the team to re-focus their efforts into re-signing forward Saku Maenalanen and defenseman Roland McKeown, who remain unsigned restricted free agents. As Carolina stockpiles some cap space over the course of the season, they should be more than capable of adding Williams back to the roster if his passion for the game returns in time for another shot at the Cup.

 

Prospect Notes: Merkley, Karlberg, Chudinov

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When the OHL’s Peterborough Petes released their training camp roster last week, star defenseman Ryan Merkley was suspiciously absent. The San Jose Sharks 2018 first-round pick was only acquired by the Petes midway through last season and was expected to play a major role for the team this year. However, that won’t be the case. Merkley’s agent, J.P. Barry, relayed to Mike Davies of The Peterborough Examiner that he has been informed that Peterborough is working to trade Merkley and do not plan to begin the season with him on the roster. Petes GM Mike Oke confirmed as much, telling Davies that “We’ve decided we’re going to go in a different direction. Finding another opportunity for Ryan would probably be best for everybody… [W]e just felt it wasn’t the right fit.” Oke stated that no specific incident led to the team’s decision on Merkley, but this is hardly the first time that the young blue liner has worn out his welcome. A player that has continuously been followed by rumors of immature behavior and poor sportsmanship, Merkley was thought to have been initially traded to Peterborough from the Guelph Storm under similar circumstances. These personality concerns also likely played a factor in Merkely’s drop to No. 21 overall last year, as his offensive ability might have otherwise warranted a higher draft slot. Nevertheless, the Sharks remain committed to their prospect defender and Oke and Barry are certain that Merkley is still a valuable commodity in the OHL. In fact, the Petes expect to get a similar package back in a trade as what they gave up for him: a top young player and a package of high picks. Merkley is a talented player – he has recorded 193 points in 188 career OHL games – and will get a fair shake at Sharks training camp, but his defensive ability still needs work and he will almost certainly end up back in the OHL this season. The question is with who and whether his continued behavioral issues will follow him to his next stop as well.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Marcus Karlberg will also be playing somewhere different this season. The 19-year-old forward, a 2018 third-round pick, has been loaned to a new club for the 2019-20 season. AIK of Sweden’s second-tier pro league, the Allsvenskan, announced that they have acquired Karlberg’s services from Leksands IF for the coming season. Karlberg was a near point-per-game player for Leksands’ U-20 SuperElit team early last season before being promoted and recording 11 points in 44 games in the Allsvenskan. Karlberg had clearly outgrown the junior level, but with Leksands earning a promotion to the SHL, the team was likely wary of moving the young forward to Sweden’s top pro level. Karlberg’s growing ability is obvious – he is a fast, hard-working forward who doesn’t let his small frame limit him – but remaining in the Allsvenskan for another year is likely a better developmental move. AIK hope that he can break out and perhaps contribute to another promotion-worthy campaign.
  • While he can barely be considered a prospect anymore, Russian defenseman Maxim Chudinov is already back to impressing in the KHL. Likely one of the best players in the world never to try his hand at the NHL, Chudinov still remains Boston Bruins property as a 2010 seventh-round pick. The 29-year-old rearguard has been playing in the KHL since even before the Bruins took a flier on him and has become well-known for his top two-way play and even more so for his howitzer of a shot. Chudinov put his slapper on display in the KHL’s season opener yesterday, scoring from behind his own blue line. Amazingly, this is the third time in this calendar year alone that Chudinov has accomplished that unthinkable task. A multiple-time Gagarin Cup champion and KHL All-Star, it’s possible that Chudinov could finally decide he wants a new challenge in his career and the Bruins would surely welcome him with open arms, despite their depth on defense. However, with his 30th birthday arriving this season, it’s more likely that Chudinov will simply remain a “what could have been” for NHL fans.

Snapshots: CBA Talks, Scherbak, Kane

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The NHL’s recent decision to decline their early opt-out clause from the current Collective Bargaining Agreement was a step in the right direction to labor talks, but there’s still work to be done, with the NHLPA next up to make a decision. Fortunately, it seems both sides are open to doing whatever it takes to avoid a work stoppage. The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell reports that both sides seem willing to extend the players’ union’s upcoming September 15th opt-out deadline to allow for talks to continue. Campbell writes that negotiations on a CBA extension are well on their way and neither side wants to see progress stalled by a deadline. He believes that the NHLPA could be given a few extra months, perhaps into early 2020, before they would have to make a decision on their opt-out clause. An extension on that deadline could give the talks enough time to lead to an agreement on a CBA extension, pushing the current expiry date from 2022 to 2025. It would also be an act of good faith on the part of the owners, who clearly stand to benefit more from an extension on the current CBA than do the players, who continue to be frustrated by escrow terms. With two weeks to go until that existing deadline, an official announcement on a possible deadline extension should be coming sooner rather than later, if it does in fact happen.

  • Rumors emerged yesterday that former NHL forward Nikita Scherbak had not done enough in training camp and the preseason with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk and that his recently-signed contract was in jeopardy of being terminated. However, the KHL regular season began today and Scherbak was in the lineup as Omsk snapped a nine-game losing streak against rival CSKA Moscow. Granted, in a match-up chock full of former NHLers, Scherbak only served as a substitute for Avangard and played little role in the win. He has a ways to go to earn the trust of Bob Hartley, also an NHL vet, but TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that, for now, the team does not plan to buy out his contract. Scherbak signed a three-year, $3.6MM contract with Omsk in June after dropping from 26 NHL games in 2017-18 to just eight last season. A 2014 first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Scherbak failed to produce at the NHL level over four pro seasons, recording eight points in 37 combined games with the Habs and Los Angeles Kings, and took his very first opportunity to return to Europe. Considering how things have gone thus far in the KHL, it seems unlikely that the 23-year-old will ever make his way back across the Atlantic.
  • Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane is being honored for his achievements well before the end of his career. Ryan Pyette of The London Free Press reports that Kane will have his number retired by the OHL’s London Knights this season. GM Mark Hunter confirmed that Kane’s No. 88, the same number he wears in the NHL, will be lifted into the rafters in London on January 17th. Kane, now 30, only played one season with the Knights, having graduated from the U.S. National Team Development Program. However, in that illustrious 2006-07 campaign, Kane put up unthinkable numbers, recording 145 points in just 58 games (2.5 points per game), and another 31 points in the postseason. His efforts made him an easy choice for the Blackhawks with the first overall pick in 2007. Kane becomes the ninth player to have his number retired by the storied junior franchise, joining a list of other familiar NHL names like Rob Ramage, Dino Ciccarelli, Darryl Sittler, Brendan Shanahan, Brad Marsh, Rick Nash, Dave Bolland, and Corey Perry.

Minor Transactions: 09/01/19

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We’re now into September, but little has changed on the free agent front. Many prominent players, RFA’s and UFA’s alike, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets remain silent. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. With quite a few to report this morning, keep up with further moves throughout the day:

  • Teemu Pulkkinen won’t be making an NHL comeback attempt this year. And he won’t be playing in Switzerland either. The 27-year-old forward, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick who played in 83 NHL games over five seasons in North America, signed with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last summer on a one-year deal. After leading the team in scoring, Pulkkinen shopped himself to all of the major league and ended up signing with Lausanne of the Swiss NLA. However, the Finnish winger has opted to stay in Russia instead. Dinamo Minsk have announced a one-year extension with their top forward, saving what little offense they had from last season after finishing 20th in scoring out of 25 teams. A very effective AHL player, as well as KHL player now, another year abroad does not rule out Pulkkinen eyeing a return to the NHL ranks in the future.
  • Patrick McGrath has played exclusively in the AHL over the past three seasons, but this fall he will have to earn his spot at that level. The 26-year-old undersized energy forward has made a living as a role player with his hometown Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in recent years, but failed to record a single point last season in 24 games. With a lacking market as a free agent this summer, McGrath has settled for an ECHL contract with the Utah Grizzlies, the team announced. However, McGrath will also get the chance to try out for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. If the Eagles need a role player of McGrath’s ability, he would at least provide considerable experience to the team after six seasons of minor league hockey.
  • Goaltender Jake Paterson won’t be afforded the same opportunity. A third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2012, Paterson has struggled throughout his pro career. Through four seasons, the 25-year-old has player the majority of his games in the ECHL in each campaign. Now, it appears he may be at the “AA” level permanently. After his NHL entry-level contract expired two years ago, Paterson managed to find AHL contracts in each of the past two seasons, but now he has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. At least he won’t be alone though; Allen has also added fellow AHL vet Shawn O’Donnell. O’Donnell, 31, actually played in 53 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack last season, but age and inefficient scoring has him settling in the ECHL.

Free Agent Profile: Scott Darling

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Veteran goaltender Cam Ward called it a career today, signing a one-day contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, who he served for 13 seasons to begin his NHL career. The 35-year-old finally moved on from the Hurricanes last season, but struggled in a backup role with the Chicago Blackhawks. With his numbers slipping and age catching up with him, Ward decided now was the time to retire.

Interestingly enough, Ward’s failed replacement in Carolina, Scott Darling, also remains an unsigned free agent, waiting for a market to develop. Just two UFA goaltenders – Anthony Stolarz and Jared Coreau – have signed an NHL contract since July 2nd and no goalie has been inked in 50 days. The market is dead quiet, but Ward’s exit leaves Darling as the obvious top name if a team does come calling. Darling, 30, is just hoping at this point that he too doesn’t have to consider retirement.

It was not long ago that Darling was actually considered one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL. A 2007 draft pick, Darling was a slow-developing prospect who played another year of juniors, two years in college, and four years bouncing around the minors before he ever saw NHL action. However, when he broke through in 2014-15 with the Chicago Blackhawks, he immediately impressed. Darling spent three seasons as the backup to Corey Crawford, with his role increasing each year, and in total posted 39 wins, a .923 save percentage, and a 2.37 GAA in 75 appearances.

The Hurricanes believed they were getting a bargain when they acquired Darling for a third-round pick in the summer of 2017 and signed him to a four-year, $16.6MM contract. However, it quickly became clear that the star backup was not cut out to be a starter. Darling was unable to overtake Ward despite ample opportunity, posting an .888 save percentage and 3.18 GAA in 43 appearances. Darling made 40 starts to Ward’s 42 and was outplayed by the aging veteran, which is not what either he nor Carolina had hoped for.

The ‘Canes essentially cleaned house last summer, letting Ward walk in free agency and burying Darling in the AHL, replacing them with the far more effective duo of Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney. Darling did make eight spot starts for Carolina this past season, but somehow performed even worse than he did the year prior. In the minors, Darling sat behind lauded prospect Alex Nedeljkovic and when he did get a chance to play – he made just 14 appearances – the results were just as bad if not worse than his NHL performance. Not wanting to be weighed down by Darling’s $4.15MM cap hit any longer, the team traded him to the Florida Panthers this off-season along with a sixth-round draft pick for a new backup in James Reimer. The Panthers quickly bought out Darling, making him a free agent.

Potential Suitors

It has now been more than two years since anyone has been impressed by Darling’s efforts on the ice. With that said, the free agent market at goalie is slim pickings, with Darling easily headlining a group that includes Michal Neuvirth – who has signed a PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs – Chad Johnson, Al Montoya, and Michael Leighton. Each of those players is both older than Darling and was last considered a legitimate NHL option far prior to Darling’s downfall. Darling is simply the best of a poor group, but is looking for redemption. Unlike Ward, Darling will have no expectations of any role or guaranteed play time. He will instead be looking for an opportunity to show that he can still be an effective NHL backup, likely by seeking a third-string role with the chance to battle for play time at the top level.

Accepting a role such as this could open some opportunities for Darling, especially once training camp begins. Injuries to starters or backups can shift the paradigm for an NHL team and leave them searching or an experienced option. The Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers are examples of teams with shallow depth in net and injury concerns who could turn to Darling in the even of an incident.

It’s also very possible that several teams are already aware of their weaknesses in goal and simply waiting to see how their current keepers look in training camp and the preseason and potentially even early on the in the regular season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the one team that everyone is focused on in net, as the team is set to have former backup Joonas Korpisalo and newly-signed European prospect Elvis Merzlikins begin the year as a young, unproven tandem. Early concerns could lead to Columbus looking for additional support, with Darling as the top option other than trade or waivers. The Colorado Avalanche are also in need of depth in net. Their top two of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are likely to be fine this season, but the lack of any other experienced name behind them could be a cause for pause, especially given this will be Francouz’ first full NHL season.

Ironically, the Florida Panthers are one final team that could be in the goalie market and would have been a good fit for Darling. The team understandably bought out Darling’s hefty contract, but could’ve actually used a player of his experience. The Panthers spent big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s this summer and will likely ask him to start 65+ games this season, but young Samuel Montembeault is currently slated to be his backup with other untested prospects behind him. Montembeault’s performance in the backup role, as well as the effect on his development of sitting so often, could lead the Panthers to search for a veteran option. Darling won’t be the answer now, but one has to wonder if the two sides connected at all prior to what was clearly an orchestrated trade-and-dump.

Projected Contract

It’s nearly September and teams are getting ready for training camp, yet Darling still sits without a contract. At this point, he will receive a PTO or nothing. Even if he proves himself in camp, it will likely only result in a minimum $700K NHL cap hit on a one-year, two-way deal. If that’s what it takes to climb his back way into the NHL though, Darling will surely take it. After all, he’s receiving a nice pay check from the Panthers for four more years anyway.

Snapshots: Werenski, Kempny, Pominville

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Despite all that has happened over the past few month, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has no regrets. He tells ESPN’s Greg Wyshysnki that the team’s decision to go “all in” at the trade deadline, holding on to Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, was a “calculated risk”. Even though all four have departed this summer via free agency, Kekalainen made his best effort to retain them and isn’t doing to dwell on the players’ decisions not to return. Instead, the bold executive is focused only on the coming season. Kekalainen answered Wyshynski confidently about a number of issues facing his team entering 2019-20, but paid extra attention to the stalled contract talks with RFA defenseman Zach Werenski:

The real frustration for me [is when it] drags on into training camp, because that’s a time for ‘team’… They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team. When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That’s what I’m concerned about. And that’s where we’ve drawn the hard line before: We don’t believe in taking that preparation time away from the team. We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season.

It seems that the Blue Jackets and Werenski are no closer to a resolution in contract talks and it is starting to impact the GM. With so much talent leaving Columbus this off-season and very few new faces arriving, Columbus needs their leaders and core players in training camp to get ready for what will likely be a more challenging season. Werenski is one of those key players and Kekalainen is clearly doing all that he can to get the talented young blue liner back under contract as soon as possible. As training camp draws closer, the question will be whether the Blue Jackets cave to Werenski’s demands to ensure that their valuable “preparation” is not adversely affected.

  • The division rival Washington Capitals may also be without a key defenseman in training camp and perhaps longer. Michal Kempny is still working his way back from a season-ending hamstring injury and The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir writes that there is no clear timeline for his return. Fortunately, after a summer spent rehabbing at home in the Czech Republic, Kempny has resumed skating back in D.C. and is working one-on-one with Capitals strength coach Mark Nemish. Kempny hopes to be ready for training camp, but truly has his sights set on simply being at full strength for the team’s regular season debut. “I’m getting there,” Kempny said, “I’m not 100 percent yet, for sure. I still need some time. If I’m going to make the (start of) training camp, that’s going to be great. But we’ll see… My goal is to be ready for the season.”
  • At one point this off-season, veteran forward Jason Pominville was also hoping to see another opening night of NHL action, but as the summer has drawn on without much interest in the free agent, his mindset has shifted. Pominville explained to NHL.com that he is “fine with the way things ended” last season, if it was indeed the end of his playing career. The 36-year-old returned to the Buffalo Sabres two years ago, re-joining the team with which he spent the first nine years of his now 15-year NHL career, and proved that he could still be a contributor, posting back-to-back 30+ point seasons and taking on an important role in the locker room. Pominville hoped that he could return to Buffalo for another season, but since that seems like a longshot, he’s content to stay in the city and not move his family, even if that means hanging up his skates.

Thomas Bordeleau Commits To The University Of Michigan

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After a record-breaking 2019 draft class, the U.S. National Team Development Program won’t be making as many waves during the 2019-20 season. In fact, some draft pundits doubt that any American players will be selected in the first half of the first round next year. One of the few players who could challenge that prediction is forward Thomas Bordeleau. He may have already just taken a step toward a higher draft slot by committing to a top NCAA program. College hockey insider Mark Divver reports that Bordeleau will attend the University of Michigan after this season with the USNTDP.

Bordeleau, who actually grew up in Switzerland and later Quebec, was born in Houston, Texas while his dad was playing for the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Sebastien Bordeleau played in more than 250 NHL games from 1995 to 2002 and then played another decade in the NLA before retiring in 2012. Bordeleau thus grew up surrounded by hockey and has had a chance to grow his game in many unique environments. The undersized center opted to use his American citizenship to continue his development with the USNTDP rather than the Candian juniors and in his first season with the program Bordeleau notched 39 points in 56 games for the U-17 team. Set to star for the U-18 team this year, Bordeleau will look to improve those numbers and also fight for a top role at the U-18 World Junior Championship.

With a season still left to further prove himself, Bordeleau is already drawing great attention. In their preliminary rankings, scouting source Future Considerations ranked Bordeleau as the No. 52 prospect in the 2020 class and the well-rounded scorer has plenty of room to improve his draft stock with ample opportunity to star for the USNTDP. He’ll then head to Ann Arbor, where the University of Michigan already houses several NHL prospects, including recent USNTDP graduates and 2019 first-rounders Cam York (PHI) and John Beecher (BOS). The Wolverines are surely excited to add another potential first-round pick in Bordeleau, just as the young pivot likely is to join such a strong program.

Oilers Seeking Pick And Prospect For Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Edmonton Oilers quickly changed their tune today after forward Jesse Puljujarvi signed a one-year deal with his hometown team in Finland’s Liiga. The Oilers had been adamant that they were content to hold on to Puljujarvi, citing disappointing trade offers and a confidence that he could still be an effective member of the team. That changed after it became clear that he had no intention to play for Edmonton this season or possibly ever again. New GM Ken Holland was quick to clarify that Puljujarvi’s contract in Finland did not impact his trade value and that he could suit up in the NHL immediately if traded. Holland also took the opportunity to state that several new teams have made inquiries about Puljujarvi’s availability of late.

Interestingly, with the Oilers now seemingly focused on trading Puljujarvi, the asking price has arguably increased, despite underwhelming offers to this point. Previously reported as being an established third-line forward, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that Edmonton is now seeking a prospect with top-nine upside as well as a draft pick as their preferred return for Puljujarvi. He adds that an established player may still be a suitable return, but he would have to have term remaining on his contract beyond this coming season.

If the Oilers had struggled to this point to get a fair offer in their eyes for a player they weren’t shopping, it does seem odd that they feel they can increase the asking price when their priority seems to have shifted to moving Puljujarvi. Of course, some may feel that the asking price is of the same quality of lower, considering “third-line forwards” such as Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust and Boston’s Charlie Coyle have been among rumored targets of the Oilers, either of whom could draw a first-round pick and top-nine prospect from a contender in need. Either way, Rishaug’s report of a changing asking price at least confirms that the mindset has changed in Edmonton and the team is more focused than ever on parting ways with Puljujarvi, even if they continue to maintain that they will only do so on their terms.

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