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Edmonton Oilers Sign Cameron Hebig To ELC

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Another 20-year old undrafted CHL forward has signed an entry-level contract, this time with the Edmonton Oilers. Cameron Hebig, the leading scorer for the Saskatoon Blades has signed his three-year deal, joining the Oilers organization after an impressive first half of his WHL season.

Hebig is an excellent skater, who despite his size has always found offensive success in junior. While he’s not an elite NHL prospect by any means, taking a chance on him to see if he can bring his scoring touch to the next level is a worthwhile risk for Edmonton as they look to build back their prospect ranks.

It does take the Oilers to 48 contracts, meaning they have just two spots remaining if they are looking to add players for a potential playoff run. That could change negotiations as we get near the trade deadline, as the team wouldn’t want to push themselves right up against the limit. Hebig will continue to try and win a WHL Championship with the Blades, who are currently in first place in their division.

College Notes: Phillips, Knoepke, Campoli

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The University of Minnesota is set to bring in a rare mid-season recruit, as the College Hockey News reports that defenseman Clayton Phillips has committed to join the Golden Gophers. Phillips, 18, was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round this past June and has 12 points in 16 USHL games this season. The undersized blue liner makes up for his lack of a physical game with outstanding skating and good offensive instincts. Phillips will bolster the defensive depth of a Minnesota team that already features a starting six that has all been drafted into the NHL, led by Boston Bruins prospect Ryan Lindgren.

  • However, Minnesota will  be without freshman defenseman Nate Knoepke for the remainder of the season and potentially longer. The 2018 draft-eligible prospect has left school and returned to the USHL, citing a lack of playing time with the Gophers as the reason for his departure. As previously stated, Minnesota has a solid starting six and while a previously-drafted player like Phillips may not mind battling for play time, Knoepke felt he needed more exposure ahead of the 2018 NHL Draft. Because he is staying in the USHL, joining the Sioux City Musketeers, instead of going the major junior route, Knoepke will not lose his NCAA eligibility and could still return to Minnesota or another institution next season.
  • Boston College sophomore rearguard Michael Campoli is also giving up on the college game for now. The BCHL’s Penticton Vees announced that Campoli has left school and signed with the team for the 2018 segment of the team’s season. Campoli, 19, played in only 12 games for the Eagles last season and has yet to see any action so far in the 2017-18 campaign. However, with a 6’3″, nearly 200-lb. frame, Campoli has the size to make a difference on the back end. Like Knoepke, by joining the Junior-A BCHL, Campoli too can return to the NCAA later on if the right opportunity presents itself.

Snapshots: Mrazek, Mete, Nylander

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Petr Mrazek has been in the news recently since we found out that the Edmonton Oilers had a passing interest in the Detroit Red Wings goaltender, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet now says it may have been more than just that. Friedman joined Sportsnet 960 radio out of Calgary this morning, and explained that one source told him it was even closer than he had originally thought.

I heard they were looking at Mrazek last week, and somebody told me after we mentioned it that it was a lot closer than I had kinda thought. I think they’d worked out that Detroit was going to keep about half the money, and they were trying to figure out the draft pick.

That would mesh with what we learned from Craig Custance of The Athletic recently, that a proposed asking price for Mrazek would be a second or third-round pick depending on whether Detroit was retaining salary. It might not matter anymore, as Edmonton seems to have cooled on Mrazek after watching him more closely and the team has just welcomed Cam Talbot back off injured reserve.

  • Victor Mete is busy trying to make the Canadian World Junior team after spending the early portion of the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but may have an even bigger international tournament in his future. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Mete is very much on the radar of the Canadian Olympic team, but still has some hurdles if he ever were to be invited. The Canadiens could bring Mete back to the NHL squad after the World Junior tournament, and the CHL still doesn’t have an agreement with Hockey Canada on if it will lend players to the Olympic squad. Those decisions won’t be made until after the World Juniors are over, which end on January 5th.
  • Speaking of World Junior decisions, the Buffalo Sabres still haven’t made a choice on Alexander Nylander according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. Sabres GM Jason Botterill wants to see Nylander play more at the AHL level before making that decision, after an injury has taken away much of the young forward’s season so far. Nylander has been disappointing so far in his professional career, scoring just 32 points in 77 AHL games. The eighth-overall pick in 2016 has huge upside, but needs to get back on track this season.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Team Canada, Junior Snubs

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The NHL released its three stars of the week today, with Brayden Schenn leading the group. Schenn has found brilliant success since being traded to St. Louis, already with 37 points in 31 games. Always possessing elite talent, some believed Schenn would never become the dominant presence he was projected to be when the Los Angeles Kings took him fifth-overall. He’s already been traded twice in his career, but looks ready to obliterate his previous career-high of 59 points and become an integral part of any St. Louis success.

Jake Allen and Brian Elliott round out the stars of the week, both posting perfect records and incredible save percentages. Allen and Elliott were teammates just two seasons ago, when the Blues went to just their second Conference Finals in nearly 30 years. With zero Stanley Cup victories in their history, Allen and Schenn will look to change the franchise fortunes this year.

Victor Mete Sent To World Junior Selection Camp

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With Victor Mete not playing regularly for the Montreal Canadiens, the team has decided to allow him to attend Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp. Mete has played 27 games for the Canadiens this season, but has recently been a healthy scratch and hasn’t seen the ice time he had earlier in the year.

Though nothing is guaranteed just yet, it would be surprising to see the team not take Mete with them to Buffalo and the tournament. His versatility and experience in the NHL makes him a perfect compliment to an already healthy blue line group, and he should play a big role in the tournament. The Canadiens will have another decision afterwards, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports they still don’t know what they’ll do with Mete for the rest of the season.

They could bring him back to the NHL or send him to the junior ranks, where the young defender would rejoin the London Knights in their pursuit of a Memorial Cup. Mete has burned the first year of his entry-level contract already, but is no closer to unrestricted free agency. He’d need to remain on the active roster for an additional nine games for this season to count towards his UFA status, something that the Canadiens will have to factor into their decision post-tournament.

As for Tyson Jost, who was expected to be sent to Team Canada last week, Michael Traikos of Postmedia has bleaker news. Traikos reports that Jost, Samuel Girard and Nolan Patrick are all likely off the table for Canada, though there is always an outside shot until the roster is actually named.

Tyson Jost Could Join Canada’s World Junior Team

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Hockey Canada released a list of 32 players invited to the World Junior selection camp this month, as they prepare for the tournament in Buffalo. As we wrote when the list was released, it is possible for several other NHL players could be allowed to join the tournament as well should their clubs release them. Alexander Nylander, for instance, still doesn’t have an answer from the Buffalo Sabres on whether he’d be allowed to leave the Rochester Americans to play for Sweden.

Tyson JostTyson Jost of the Colorado Avalanche is that player for Canada, and as Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports it’s likely that he’ll be allowed to leave the team to play in the tournament. Jost’s development has been handled very carefully this season, with him spending time in the AHL to receive more minutes and work on his two-way game.

How can he play in the AHL and still be eligible for the World Juniors you ask?

Jost played in the BCHL before being drafted and heading to the University of North Dakota, meaning he’s not held to the same restrictions as CHL players. Remember, those drafted out of the CHL cannot play in the AHL until they turn 20. Jost is just 19 still, and would be a huge help to the Canadian team.

The 10th-overall pick in 2016, Jost has top-line upside as an all-around center and was part of the 2017 Canadian team that took home the silver medal. Even though the team already has plenty of talent to pick from, getting another returnee—especially one that has captained Canada on the international stage in the past—would increase their chances even more.

Prospect Notes: Gawdin, Plant, Rising Stars

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The Calgary Flames have inked another young CHL player to an entry-level deal, signing Glenn Gawdin to a three-year contract. Gawdin was originally a fourth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2015 but never signed, becoming a free agent. He’s currently playing as a 20-year old in the WHL for the Swift Current Broncos.

Though Gawdin has been an effective player throughout his junior career, this season has been spectacular as he plays against younger competition. With 40 points in 18 games, he ranks third in the WHL in scoring and only trails two of his own teammates. He’ll be heading to the AHL next year in all likelihood, but with experience at center ice could be on a fast track to Calgary.

Hockey Canada Releases U17 World Challenge Roster

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While the World Junior Championships are the best place to get a good look at upcoming and recent draftees (in the U18 and U20 tournaments respectively), NHL scouts are searching far and wide much earlier than that. Today, Hockey Canada released their roster for the upcoming World U17 Hockey Challenge tournament that will be held from November 5-11 in British Columbia. At the event, Canada will ice three teams while the United States, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden will each also be represented.

Canada’s roster is made up almost entirely of players recently drafted and playing in the CHL, though there are a few from other leagues like the USHL or BCHL—often to maintain college eligibility. There are several notable last names that will stand out to hockey fans, as players like Tag Bertuzzi (son of former NHLer Todd Bertuzzi) and Ryan Suzuki (brother of Vegas’ prospect Nick Suzuki) will play big roles on the squad.

Suzuki and Bertuzzi were selected first and second overall in the most recent OHL bantam draft, to Barrie and Guelph respectively, and each have huge upside as offensive players. Obviously, there is so much hockey left to play before any of these 2001 birthdays are eligible for NHL draft selection—even the oldest among them can’t be taken until the 2019 draft—but don’t doubt the impact tournaments like this have on early scouting reports.

One player to watch out for is Alexis Lafreniere, an early favorite to go first overall in the 2020 draft. Lafreniere turned 16 just last week, but has already put up 11 points in nine games for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. Amazingly, he leads the team in scoring despite playing against players that are sometimes almost five years older than him. His talent is obvious to anyone that watches, and he’s already 6’0″ and still growing. Over the next few years, you’re sure to hear the name a few more times.

Here is a link to the full 66-man roster that will make up the three Canadian teams.

Prospect Notes: Tippett, Necas, Sandin

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The wait is over for Owen Tippett, who will make his NHL debut with the Florida Panthers tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. Tippett had been watching from the press box through the Panthers’ first four games, but will now get a chance to show off why they selected him 10th-overall in the most recent draft.

Tippett can play up to nine games in the NHL without burning a year of his entry-level contract, but some believe he can stick in the league right from the start. Armed with a wrist shot that can score from anywhere in the offensive zone, and a big enough frame for the NHL, Tippett blends a power and finesse game to create dangerous opportunities. His 44 goals last year for Mississauga of the OHL were no fluke, as he repeatedly dominated opponents with a pro-style game.

  • Also set to make his NHL debut is the player taken just two spots after Tippett, as Martin Necas has been penciled into the Carolina lineup tonight. Necas will center a line of youngsters, with 20-year old Sebastian Aho on his left side, and 22-year old Elias Lindholm on his right. That “Kid Line” will try to create some offense for the Hurricanes, who have scored just two goals in their past two contests and six on the season (not counting the shootout winner in the first game).
  • In an interesting story, 2018 draft prospect Rasmus Sandin has left Sweden and will report to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhouds of the OHL. Sandin had been playing in the SHL early on, but will instead come to North America to play for the team who took him 52nd-overall in the CHL import draft. Sandin is another smooth skating Swedish defender who had an outside chance of climbing into the first round. Now, in front of even more scouts in Canada he’ll have a chance to improve on that draft stock playing against much younger players.

Keeping An Eye On Entry-Level Slides

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In the NHL, players on entry-level contracts who are 18 or 19 years old do not burn a contract year until they play in their 10th league game. Otherwise, their contract “slides” and extends by one year. You often see this happen with players in their draft year, sent back to their respective junior or European clubs. Miro Heiskanen for example, the third-overall pick by the Dallas Stars, will see his contract extended after he returned to Finland this year*.

Around the league, there are twelve players currently on active rosters who could potentially have their contract slide by a year should they be returned to junior before playing in their 10th game. Teams will have to decide whether it is worth burning a year of their ELC to keep them around, as once returned to junior they cannot be recalled during the season except in emergency circumstances. The list is as follows:

Four Games Played

Alex DeBrincat (CHI)
Victor Mete (MTL)
Nolan Patrick (PHI)

Nolan PatrickIt seems like DeBrincat and Patrick have their spots locked up after quick starts to the season, and should be kept with the team for the entire year. The interesting one in this group is Mete, who has played exceptionally for the Canadiens but could still be sent back anyway.

Montreal is in a crunch on defense as David Schlemko nears a return, and if they can’t find a trade partner for Mark Streit, will need to waive one of their defensemen to protect Mete. That crunch could result in them sending him back to the London Knights for a year, if the team believes they can succeed without him. That’s a big assumption though, as Mete has easily looked like the best puck-moving defenseman on the roster.

Three Games Played

Jesper Bratt (NJD)
Nico Hischier (NJD)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (CBJ)
Mikhail Sergachev (TBL)

The pair of New Jersey rookies will certainly be staying after their early explosion this season. Bratt has six points in three games and an early lead in the Calder Trophy battle, while Hischier has been a key part of the Devils’ new speed attack. Sending either away at this point would be a huge surprise.

Dubois made the team after an exceptional camp, but saw his ice time reduced to just 11:37 in their most recent game. Josh Anderson re-joined the squad for that contest, and it’s not clear what Dubois’ role will be going forward. If he’s ticketed for fourth-line minutes on a regular basis, it might be worth sending him back to the QMJHL for another season to dominate and potentially even play at both the World Juniors and Olympics.

Sergachev on the other hand has several things working against him. While the young defenseman has shown that he can be an NHL contributor, there are several other options for the Lightning. In addition, conditions on the trade from Montreal would give Tampa Bay an additional second-round pick if Sergachev plays fewer than 40 games this season. While obviously the Lightning are going for a Stanley Cup and will take the best team, picks like that—even if it is likely a late second rounder—don’t come around every day.

Two Games Played

Janne Kuokkanen (CAR)
Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

Kailer YamamotoKuokkanen is in a different situation than most, as he was drafted out of the Europe in 2016. Even though he played for London last season, he’s not held to the same CHL-NHL agreement as players drafted out of the league, meaning he could play in the AHL this season if the Hurricanes so choose. That could keep him close, and let the team make a decision to burn a year only if they are in desperate need. While Kuokkanen is talented, he’s played sparingly through the Hurricanes’ first two games.

Yamamoto blew everyone away in his first training camp, and made the club over fellow first-round pick Jesse Puljujarvi. That doesn’t seem destined to last though, as Yamamoto was a scratch in the team’s second game and was given fewer than 12 minutes in their third. The diminutive forward is hard to bet against, but it seems poor management to keep him around just to play him every other game.

One Game Played

Logan Brown (OTT)
Alex Formenton (OTT)
Samuel Girard (NSH)

Neither Brown nor Formenton were expected to make the Senators’ roster out of camp, and yet due to injury and their own impressive play both did. Now, it’s extremely unlikely the team keeps both around but as of yesterday they weren’t willing to make a decision. Pierre Dorion admitted that since Brown had already dominated the junior circuit, spending time around the NHL club—even if it isn’t in games—isn’t a bad thing. It does seem like both will eventually be sent back at this point.

Girard got into his first NHL game last night due to an injury to Roman Josi, and didn’t look out of place. He recorded his first NHL point on a Filip Forsberg goal, and skated almost 19 minutes. He’s done everything he can to prove he should be a full-time option for the Predators, and with Ryan Ellis out long-term with injury perhaps they keep him around. He’s certainly ready to be a contributor, even if he does need to be sheltered somewhat.

*For more information about entry-level slides, check out CapFriendly’s tracker.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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