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Detroit Red Wings In Pursuit Of Victor Ejdsell

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According to Ansar Khan of MLive, the Detroit Red Wings and several other teams are trying to sign Victor Ejdsell from the Swedish second league. Chicago and Nashville are two of the other teams, with Ejdsell expected to sign soon. The 21-year old even visited Detroit, among other potential cities this week to see if there was a fit for him next year.

Ejdsell broke out this year playing in the Allsvenskan scoring 57 points in 50 games, the most in the entire league. His development into a “strong two-way center” was noted by Red Wings’ AGM Ryan Martin, who told Khan that his move this year to the middle helped his defensive game. The 6’5″ center is now listed at 220-lbs according to Khan, meaning he’s grown tremendously in the last year which might have something to do with his relative dominance this season. He definitely has the size to handle professional hockey, but it still remains to be seen whether he can contribute offensively at the next level.

The Hawks have been linked to basically every European free agent this spring as they try to refill their ranks with young players, while Nashville has a strong Swedish contingent that could help try to sway him. On that note, the Minnesota Wild actually have two players—Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin—from the same city as Ejdsell, one of whom played with him last season. It will be interesting to see who finally nabs him, if indeed he’s set to sign with an NHL club this summer.

Latest On Swedish Defenseman Calle Rosen

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Johan Svensson of Expressen in Sweden is reporting that free agent defender Calle Rosen has made his decision and will sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the World Championships. The 23-year old played this season for the Vaxjo Lakers, scoring 19 points in 41 games. There is no guarantee that he’ll make the Swedish roster at Worlds, though he is there practicing with them. The tournament begins on May 5th.

If the new report is accurate, Rosen would represent another free agent addition for the Maple Leafs from abroad, after they signed Nikita Zaitsev and immediately pushed him into their lineup this season. While Rosen doesn’t have the sort of experience or expected potential Zaitsev possessed, he does represent an NHL level talent that had been overlooked by the rest of the league in the past.

Earlier updates:

  • On Wednesday, David Alter and Scott Powers of The Athletic teamed up to bring us the report that Chicago and Toronto were the front-runners for Rosen’s services. The pair spoke to a former coach in Klas Oten, who told them “He’s had great development the last two seasons. He’s a good skater, likes to join the rush. He has a great shot. He’s an explosive player. He’s tall and thin and needs to improve his defense and get stronger. He’s also a great person.” If the Hawks—or any other team for that matter—are still in the running, they likely hope that Rosen could step into a third-pairing role right away and contribute. For Chicago in particular, both Johnny Oduya and Brian Campbell are set to hit the open market, giving them a clear need on the back end.

Morning Notes: Vegas-Buffalo, Chicago, New York

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John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that the firing of  Tim Murray has already affected the Sabres expansion draft plans, as the outgoing GM was in talks with Vegas about a deal to have them select a certain player, or at least not select a certain player. Vogl writes that he will now have to wait to reach out to Murray’s replacement to see if the deal is still in the works.

The Sabres aren’t in terrible shape for the draft, though will likely have to expose one of Johan Larsson or William Carrier up front. The deal could have easily been something like Vegas agreeing to take Matt Moulson off their hands, but we perhaps will never know what Murray had tried to accomplish before being jettisoned earlier this month.

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic details the trouble the Blackhawks will find themselves in due to the various no-movement/trade clauses that have been handed out in Chicago. While everyone expects players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to receive them, Artem Anisimov was given one this year while a partial NTC kicks in for Marcus Kruger next season. For a team that needs to free up some cap space this summer, the clauses will be another sticking point.
  • The New York Islanders have announced that they will have a new ECHL affiliate next season called the Worcester Railers HC. The Railers are the first ever ECHL team based in Massachusetts, as Worcester is about 50 miles west of Boston. That city of course had the Worcester Sharks in the AHL for many years before they moved to San Jose and became the Barracuda two years ago.

Snapshots: OHL Lawsuit, Sutter, Alzner

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In the second piece of legal hockey news today, an Ontario judge has certified the former players’ lawsuit against the OHL as class action. Rick Westhead of TSN provides the specifics on the news, explaining that it now makes every player who played in the OHL from 2012 to the present an automatic plaintiff in the lawsuit, though they can opt-out if they so choose.

The lawsuit could apparently cost the league as much as $30MM, something that according to the league would “bring on the even of destruction for the players.” Similar lawsuits are being brought before the courts for both the WHL and QMJHL, with the decision on whether the WHL case will be certified as class action coming down within the next month.

  • Darryl Sutter isn’t done just yet, as he told Gary Lawless of TSN. The former Los Angeles Kings coach who was fired earlier this month will be “picky” about his next situation, but won’t rule out heading to a re-building squad. Sutter has coached over 1200 games in the NHL and won two Stanley Cups, giving credence to the idea that he can be picky and wait for the perfect opportunity.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have signed Nathan Noel to a three-year entry-level deal. Noel, 19, played this season for the Saint John’s Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, scoring 50 points in 52 games. Turning 20 in June, Noel will likely head to the AHL next season and try to continue his development for the Rockford IceHogs.
  • Karl Alzner won’t be available again tonight for the Washington Capitals, his fifth straight game out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. As Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes, Alzner had skated in 599 consecutive games before missing game 3 against the Maple Leafs, and is an important part of the Capitals defense. Alzner is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Capitals will have a tough time affording him while also giving raises to their many RFAs, meaning this is likely his last run with the team for a while. Even though he may not get another chance to play in the postseason with the Capitals, he makes his team-first attitude clear: “I’d sit out the rest of the playoffs if we can win the Cup.”

Chicago Blackhawks To Sign David Kampf To Two-Year Deal

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On the heels of his report that the Maple Leafs had agreed to a deal with Swedish prospect Carl Grundstrom, Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have inked their own European forward. David Kampf of Chomutov Pirati in the Czech league will sign a two-year entry-level deal with the Hawks soon.

Kampf, 22, went undrafted before his breakout this season in the Czech league. The winger scored 15 goals and 31 points in 52 games, and has turned heads around the NHL. He was actually listed #36 among international skaters in 2014, but was never selected. His signing would add another young lottery ticket to the Hawks system as they continue to try and fill in the holes around their superstar core.

The Hawks were also linked recently to Calle Rosen, another international free agent and have been in on many of the NCAA names this spring. With the team having so much money locked up in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and others they have to use every avenue available to find talent. They’ve done an excellent job of it, integrating up to six rookies at times in their lineup this season but still coming out on top of the Western Conference.

Maple Leafs, Blackhawks In Pursuit Of Calle Rosen

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According to David Alter and Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks are front-runners for Calle Rosen. The 23-year old defender has come to the attention of several NHL clubs in recent years as his play has developed in Sweden. Because of his age he’d only be able to sign a two-year entry-level deal, but likely could step into the NHL quickly.

Undersized but effective, Rosen is considered a strong two-way defenseman and would add to the left-handed depth on both teams. Toronto has Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner installed in their top-4, while Chicago obviously has Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson. With the Maple Leafs watching Matt Hunwick head to free agency this season, and not completely trusting the play of Martin Marincin, Rosen could have an opportunity to make an impact.

Rosen’s 19 points in 41 games put him second among defenders on the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL this season, though he was held pointless in six playoff matches. He’ll also likely need to improve his strength to last in the NHL, as he currently weighs in at just 176-lbs.

There are only so many avenues that big market teams can gain advantages, and the European and KHL markets are one. Even though salary is limited in the NHL, the attraction of the fan bases and possible sponsorship in the traditional hockey markets continue to be effective recruitment tools for teams like Toronto, Chicago and New York. Though it’s not clear whether Rosen will eventually land in one of them, it does seem like they are always the first ones linked to a sought-after free agent abroad.

Allen’s Latest: Playoff Surprises, Second Round Predictions

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The USA Today’s Kevin Allen listed his playoff surprises as teams advanced into the second round. His biggest surprise is a take shared by many: the four game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks. He wonders if they’ve “run out of magic” and comments that the team looked worn out. He also believes that Stan Bowman will be a man of his word and certainly look to tweak the roster. The house cleanings in Buffalo, and Los Angeles certainly caught Allen (and others) by surprise. He believes that the recently fired Dean Lombardi may be just what Buffalo needs to get over the hump. Allen underscores the importance of Jake Allen in the Blues’ first round triumph, and notes that Alexander Radulov should get a hefty payday after playing well with Montreal. Allen also sees Ryan Johansen as the #1 center the Predators envisioned him to be when they dealt for him last season.

  • Allen mentions Johansen again when he points out the five reasons Nashville shocked Chicago in four games. Besides getting the best of Chicago defensively, he notes that Pekka Rinne rose to the occasion and was next to impossible to beat between the pipes. Rinne posted a staggering .976 save percentage and gave up just three goals in four games. Allen adds that the Predators were also a much deeper team than the one who faced Chicago back in 2015. Finally, strategic moves by head coach Peter Laviolette played a key role in Chicago’s inability to contain the Preds. Focusing on speed, by placing Harry Zolnierczyk and Pontus Aberg into the lineup made the Blackhawks lives miserable trying to keep up.
  • In terms of who will advance to the conference finals, Allen is the only one of his staff who sees the Penguins getting past the Capitals. He believes the Penguins speed will cause matchup problems for Washington, and result in yet another Washington-Pittsburgh tilt that sees the Penguins triumph. Allen has the Rangers meeting the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, dispatching the Senators in six games. Over in the West, Allen forecasts an Anaheim-Nashville Western Conference Final, though he thinks both matchups will see seven games, writing that the Nashville-St. Louis series is most likely a toss up.

Central Notes: McDonough, Seguin, Nashville – St. Louis

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Chicago Blackhawks president and CEO John McDonough is blunt in his assessment of the Blackhawks to the Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus: they were steamrolled. Said to be “steaming” at their quick demise, McDonough is confident that general manager Stan Bowman can improve upon the latest first round exit for the only franchise in the salary cap era to win three Stanley Cups. Though happy with what Bowman and coach Joel Quenneville have done in the past, he tasks the Blackhawk bosses with building upon the talent that’s already there. Blackhawk fans can take solace in the fact that McDonough sees a lot of gas in the tank for a team many think may be worn out, but McDonough says that the organization is reviewing everything to make sure the Hawks fortunes are on an upward trend.

  • The Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika answers fans by indicating that the Stars won’t consider trading Tyler Seguin–unless they believe he’s not the right match with Jamie Benn. Heika believes that the Stars are hoping for new bench boss Ken Hitchcock to have a role in making Seguin a dominant two-way center. With an expensive contract, but still only 25 years of age, the Stars aren’t about to give up on the center. He also believes that Seguin will be motivated to take the next step as a player and sees Seguin being “very determined” to improve after fighting through injury the past few seasons.
  • It’s the battle of goaltenders when the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues meet up in the second round of the playoffs. NHL.com’s Shawn Roarke writes that the goaltending is just one of many storylines as the two Central division foes meet for the first time in playoff action. Roarke sees lead time as another factor, as both teams enjoyed leading their respective first round opponent for long stretches of time. The Tennessean’s Joe Rexrode believes the Predators should win the series,  but is far from issuing a guarantee about it. Rexrode sees St. Louis’ staunch defense giving the Preds some problems while he openly wonders if the inconsistent Predators during the regular season could return for a playoff encore, disappearing just as quickly as they appeared to remind fans why they were preseason favorites. Meanwhile, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jeff Gordon echoes a number of Rexrode’s insights, adding that the return of Colin Wilson for the Preds and matching Nashville’s depth serves as some difficulties St. Louis might encounter.

Morning Notes: Dent, Granlund, Matthews

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The Chicago Blackhawks have found another head to roll, firing AHL coach Ted Dent today. The Rockford IceHogs finished last in the Central Division, scoring the fewest goals in the entire league this season. In his six seasons as head coach in Rockford the team has only made the playoffs twice and won just a single series, but much of that has to do with the way Chicago back-fills their lineup with young players every year.

This year for example, the IceHogs saw players like Tanner Kero and Nick Schmaltz for just a fraction of the season and had very few names last the whole year in the AHL. While every minor league team has these problems, the IceHogs have seen almost every skilled player blow through their ranks quickly in order to help fuel the perennial championship aspirations of the parent club. After firing Mike Kitchen yesterday, the Blackhawks are making it clear that changes are coming.

  • Mikael Granlund had been playing with a broken hand, Minnesota GM Chuck Fletcher told media today. The forward has an expected recovery of four to six weeks, and there was no indication on when the injury was sustained. After a breakout season that saw Granlund score 69 points, he’ll be relied upon to duplicate that effort next season for the Wild.
  • Fletcher also provided an update on the injured Eric Staal, who suffered a concussion in Saturday night’s game and was taken to the hospital. Apparently the veteran forward “felt some numbness in his feet” after hitting the boards with his head, but is feeling better and should suffer no long-term consequences.
  • Auston Matthews won’t be attending the World Championships this season, after telling the media today that he feels “exhausted” after a long season. Matthews played just 40 games for his Swiss club last season and has never quite had the grind of an NHL schedule. He’ll head home to spend some time with his family before likely being summoned to the NHL awards ceremony in June.

Snapshots: Masterton Finalists, Sabres, Worlds

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The NHL has announced its finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The Masterton is awarded to the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey”. Each team nominates their own candidate for consideration, and the top three vote-getters are announced before the awards. The final three are Ottawa’s Craig Anderson, Carolina’s Derek Ryan, and Anaheim’s Andrew Cogliano.

Anderson was forced to take an extended hiatus while his wife was battling cancer. The netminder returned to action after a long stretch away from the rink, and immediately posted a shutout against the New York Islanders in February as he continued his dominance of the crease. His .926 save percentage this season was second among goalies who had played more than 30 games, and was a huge factor in his team making the playoffs. Ryan is a 30 year-old rookie, and spent his entire career toiling in the minors and overseas before finally getting his shot at an NHL roster spot. Cogliano has been unbelievably resilient and tough in his impressive ironman streak, playing over 800 straight games since entering the league. If he has another few seasons of perfect attendance, he could break ironman records thought hopelessly lost to ancient hockey history. The Masteron winner will be announced on June 21st at the NHL Awards show in Las Vegas, which will also feature the announcement of the Golden Knights’ roster selections.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers gave insight into Blackhawks players possibly travelling to compete in the World Championships. Ville Pokka will not compete for Finland, apparently due to a contract issue. Artem Anisimov will not play for Russia, which is a big blow for that squad, as his size and unique skillset would have been useful. He is still nursing a lower-body injury which impacted his play in the team’s first-round exit. Patrick Kane is unlikely to play for the United States, but has made no official comment on the matter.
  • The Buffalo News reflects on the season-long failure of the Sabres to provide their goalies support. Looking forward to a new GM and head coach hire, fans are hopeful for higher standards and less streakiness. This offseason, it seems as though providing goal support for Jack Eichel will be paramount, as the team struggled mightily to find steady production. Comments from players are looking forward to revamping their play style next season at even strength, by not allowing such a disparity in shot opportunities. Offensive help in terms of UFAs will be difficult to find, as there is sparse selection. T.J. Oshie, Radim Vrbata, Kris Versteeg, and Patrick Eaves are all names that should intrigue the Buffalo front-office – though it is uncertain which will still remain unsigned come July 1st.

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