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2017-18 NCAA Players To Watch

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Just like their professional and junior counterparts, the college hockey season is underway. With each passing year, the NCAA’s influence on the world of hockey grows, and in 2017-18 the college ranks contain an impressive amount of talent:

The Recent Draft Picks

D Cale Makar, UMass (COL) – The fourth overall pick this past June, Makar arguably has the highest upside of any player in his draft class. He’s even drawn comparisons to Erik Karlsson. He would be a big deal at any school, but for a Minutemen team that has struggled greatly in recent years, Makar stands to revolutionize coach Greg Carvel’s program. Fans in Amherst hope that Makar won’t be “one and done”, but the Colorado Avalanche need him just as much as UMass does. This exceptional skater could be an offensive force in the NHL sooner rather than later.

C Casey Mittelstadt, Minnesota (BUF) – Mittelstadt may have slipped in the 2017 draft, but the eighth overall pick is a dynamic offensive talent with speed and creativity. Perhaps more than anything, Mittelstadt thinks the game at an advanced level. The Gophers have a special talent on their hands and he could make waves in the NCAA this season. The only concern is whether the high school star yet has the physical tools to play at a high level.

C Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud State (MTL) – The college ranks have already seen a year’s worth of Poehling, but as the two-way threat enters his sophomore season, he’s primed to show more of his offensive ability. The 25th overall pick is as solid a center as can be found at his age and simply needs to bring the same knack for scoring as he brings to defense. He’s developing into the type of player that Canadiens head coach Claude Julien loves. If Montreal struggles to acclimate to their new coach’s defense-first system, Poehling could even be a late-season addition.

The Soon-To-Be Draft Picks

RW Brady Tkachuk, Boston University – The trend of NCAA freshman going early in the draft may reach a new high in 2017, with Tkachuk leading the charge. The son of Keith Tkachuk and brother of Matthew Tkachuk, Brady brings the same physicality and knack for scoring to his power forward role. Already 6’3”, 200-lbs. and still growing, Tkachuk will one day be a force in the NHL like his family members, but first he’s going give the college game a run for its money. Tkachuk will be fun to watch this season, especially for fans of teams looking like lottery candidates.

D Quinn Hughes, Michigan – Hughes will push Tkachuk to be the first college player selected next June, but in reality both players could easily be top ten, even top five picks. An undersized, but unbelievably skilled blue liner, Hughes could be one of the top scoring defenseman in the NCAA. The Wolverines have become the recruiting capital for top American defenseman and Hughes is their poster boy. Expect a big season from the 17-year-old.

LW Michael Pastujov, Michigan – Joining Hughes in Ann Arbor is the Florida-native Pastujov, a raw, but high-ceiling forward. An underrated member of last year’s U.S. National Development team behind the likes of Tkachuk and recent draft picks/current college players Josh Norris, Grant Mismash, and Evan Barratt in the forward corps, Pastujov’s successes were often lost in the mix. However, Michigan may be strong on defense, but ranked only 42nd in scoring last year. Alongside Norris, the San Jose Sharks’ first-round pick whom he should have some leftover chemistry with, Pastujov could be one of the top offensive threats for the Wolverines. He’s primed for a breakout campaign that could vault him into first-round consideration.

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Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, Shipachyov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned Martin Marincin to the minor leagues earlier today, recalling Calle Rosen to take his spot. It won’t be in the press box though, as Mike Babcock told reporters that Rosen would be in the lineup for the team’s home opener tomorrow night. He’ll take young Andreas Borgman’s spot on the third pairing with Connor Carrick.

Babcock also confirmed that Dominic Moore would be inserted into the lineup as the fourth line center, taking Eric Fehr’s job on Saturday night. This early rotation shows that the Maple Leafs are willing to be fluid with their lineup early on, and also demonstrates the depth they’ve built through free agency. Though the club saw very few injuries last season, they are more prepared to replace players this year as they try to contend for the Atlantic Division crown.

  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Mikael Granlund wasn’t at Minnesota Wild practice this morning after being spotted limping after the game last night. The Wild won lost to the Detroit Red Wings and Granlund played more than 16 minutes, but we’ll have to wait and see if he returns to the ice tomorrow morning. The Wild take on the Carolina Hurricanes on what is a three-game road trip to start the season.
  • Vadim Shipachyov isn’t with the team for the Vegas Golden Knights season opener according to SinBin.vegas, which means his $4.5MM contract will continue to be buried for the time being on the AHL roster. Shipachyov came over from the KHL this season after a long professional career, but surely wasn’t expecting to be in the minor leagues on opening night. One thing is clear though, the Golden Knights are willing to do anything to protect assets in their inaugural season. While the team continues to carry nine defensemen on the roster—Brad Hunt, Jon Merrill and Griffin Reinhart are all scratches tonight—Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com tweets that they are still looking to make a trade of some sort.

Afternoon Notes: Tippett, Griffith, Hunt

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Just as some predicted, the Florida Panthers will keep their 2017 first-round pick Owen Tippett on their roster. The team made their final three roster cuts this morning to put the team at 23 players, ready for the start of the season. Whether Tippett stays on the roster is another question as the team is allowed to play him nine games before it burns a year off his entry-level contract. They could choose to send him back to his junior team if he isn’t progressing after those nine games.

While Tippett making the team was not too surprising, he didn’t blow the team away offensively as he only picked up one assist in four preseason games. However, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel, head coach Bob Boughner said the 18-year-old had little things to work such as how to play without the puck. Once, he figures that out, Boughner said his game will take off.

“Obviously, after nine games, it’s a big decision but we’re not looking at spreading his games out or anything like that,” Boughner said. “If he plays well, he’s going to stay in and he’s going to play.”

The team has made it clear this year they will be focusing on fast, young players and Tippett fulfills that notion. The team also kept 2014 first-rounder Jared McCann, who they picked up in a trade more than a year ago, 25-year-old Connor Brickley and 20-year-old Denis Malgin on their opening day roster.

  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News writes that Buffalo Sabres free agent signee Seth Griffith has not just made the team, but is currently practicing with Jack Eichel and Evander Kane on the first line. Whether that holds up is unknown, but the 24-year-old journeyman who played for three different teams last year, has impressed Buffalo management. “His attitude is infectious,” head coach Phil Housley said. “He’s got to play like he has been the last two games. He has to be up in the forecheck. I know he’s a smaller guy but he finds way to get pucks and win puck battles.”
  • As if the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t already have too many defensemen to worry about, they have another problem, as 29-year-old minor league veteran Brad Hunt has played impressively well and there is growing fear the team could lose him if they put him on waivers, according to David Schoen of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Few believed that Hunt would make the Golden Knights’ roster, but he leads the team in points (one goal, five assists) and may force Vegas to make another critical decision. Hunt has played 33 NHL games for three different franchises (not including Vegas).

New Jersey Devils Sign Jimmy Hayes

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The first tryout-turned-contract of 2017-18? That belongs to forward Jimmy Hayes. While the New Jersey Devils have yet to make an announcement, Mark Divver of the Providence Journal was the first to report that Hayes has indeed made the team and has signed a one-way contract with the team. TSN’s Bob McKenzie has since added that the deal is for one year and $700K.

Divver, who not only covers the Boston Bruins and AHL’s Providence Bruins, is also very involved with the junior and college hockey landscape in New England. When it comes to Hayes, a Dorchester, Mass. native and former Bruin and Boston College Eagle, Divver is as reliable a source as anyone. So even though it comes as a surprise that Hayes has earned a one-way contract, it appears to be true, as corroborated by McKenzie. Hayes was bought out by Boston back in June after a disastrous two-season stint with his hometown team. Acquired from the Florida Panthers for Reilly Smith in 2015, Hayes scored only 34 points in 133 games with the Bruins after recording 35 in his final season in Florida alone. In 2016-17, Hayes posted only five points in 58 games while playing less than ten minutes a night. The fans in Boston turned on one of their own and few were upset when he was cut earlier this off-season.

Yet, Hayes has managed to find a new home in New Jersey. Hayes scored two goals and added an assist in five preseason games and did enough to impress GM Ray Shero and head coach John Hynes. Perhaps the front office and coaching staff see the 20-goal potential that Hayes showed in Florida but which disappeared in Boston. Regardless, Hayes will join a Devils team which could certainly use some added depth and will get the chance to play alongside former Bruins teammate Drew Stafford, who himself was a late, affordable depth addition for the Devils. Hayes could have a bounce-back season and play a solid bottom-six role for New Jersey, but could just as easily be pushed by the Devils’ young prospects and find himself on waivers sooner rather than later.

Penguins Release Jay McClement From PTO

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The Pittsburgh Penguins’ search for center depth has taken another turn. The team announced late tonight, no more than two hours after the end of their preseason finale loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, that they have released veteran forward Jay McClement from his tryout with the team. Pittsburgh is down to 24 players remaining in camp, including 14 forwards – with exactly four listed as centers.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have been looking for a third-line center all summer and some saw McClement as a possible solution, while others saw McClement at least centering the fourth line and pushing Carter Rowney or some other option up to the third line. Instead, McClement is gone and questions remain. McClement, a veteran of over 900 NHL games, not only has a long history of being a solid bottom six option, but also performed well in the preseason with the Penguins. The decision to cut him becomes even more of a surprise in the context of the post-game report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jonathan Bombulie, who spoke with both McClement and coach Mike Sullivan, the former believing he had put forth his best effort and had no regret and the latter calling that effort “solid” and admiring McClement’s “wealth of experience”. McClement admitted that he would be anxious waiting for the decision over the next few days, but instead GM Jim Rutherford made the call in a matter of hours.

With McClement gone, the winner of the “last-PTO-standing” battle seems to be Greg McKegg. Unless Rutherford has a trick up his sleeve, the 25-year-old AHL veteran appears to be the top option for the Penguins’ third line center spot, at least to start the season. McKegg has performed well in the preseason and is fresh off of his best NHL season, in which he scored a career-best seven points in a career-high 46 games between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether or not McKegg lasts on the third line or even lasts the season in Pittsburgh remains to be seen, but as of now there doesn’t appear to be any other in-house option for the Penguins following McClement’s release.

Pacific Notes: Virtanen, Neal, Slepyshev, Sekera

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One preseason game remaining and Jake Virtanen remains with his team. The former sixth overall pick in 2014, has failed to crack the Canucks roster, but a solid training camp has many believing he has a good chance to become a regular in Vancouver this year, according to NBC Sports Cam Tucker.

After getting into 55 games two years ago with Vancouver in an underwhelming season, he managed to make just 10 appearances last year and even struggled with the AHL’s Utica Comets, scoring just 19 points in 65 games. However, his skills are obvious. Canucks GM Jim Benning has stated that his size and speed just need developing. At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds and only 21 years old, Virtanen is trying to establish himself now, but is also trying not to think about whether he makes the roster this season. He has focused on his play instead and has already notched three preseason goals.

 

Central Notes: Winnik, Upshall, DeBrinicat

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The Minnesota Wild have seen enough out of Daniel Winnik, who is on a PTO with the team. He has been informed they don’t need to see him again and now begins the waiting game for the 32-year-old forward, who must wait to see if the Wild will choose him over youngsters Joel Eriksson Ek or Luke Kunin, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required).

Winnik, who is looking to play for his eighth NHL team, had a good camp and impressed head coach Bruce Boudreau.

“I pulled him aside and I talked to him and said, ’Danny, you’ve done great. I know exactly how you play. We just want to look at a couple of the young kids,'” Boudreau said. “So it’s not like he would have to come in here and play great to either make the team or not make the team.”

According to Russo, Kunin has had the better camp so far between the two rookies and the team intends to look at both he and Eriksson Ek more closely in tonight’s preseason game against the Dallas Stars. Kunin, who has been playing center for the team all preseason will be tried at right wing.

As for Winnik, he remains a free agent and could sign with any team, but might have to take a small pay cut if he makes the Wild’s roster as the team is low on cap space.

  • The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford tweets that Scottie Upshall passed a physical and was signed to a PTO and is currently practicing with the team. The hope is that a contract can be worked out in the next couple of days. Upshall spent the past two years in St. Louis. The 32-year-old fourth-liner had a solid season a year ago with the Blues, scoring 10 goals and eight assists. He was just released from his PTO with Vancouver and has a good chance to return to his old team with the multitude of injuries to players like Patrik Berglund, Zachary Sanford, Robby Fabbri and Alex Steen.
  • The Daily Herald’s John Dietz writes that it looks like Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat might make the team, writing that he had an excellent training camp. “It seems like every time he’s around the puck good things happen,” coach Joel Quenneville said to Blackhawks TV reporter Eric Lear. The Hawks still have many decisions to make, according to Dietz, including whether or not to keep seven or eight defensemen.

Atlantic Notes: Sergachev, Chara, Kronwall

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Mikhail Sergachev has done everything that he can do on the ice. Now it’s a question of whether Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper plans to keep the 19-year-old on their roster or send him back for another year of juniors. The 6-foot-3 top-prospect defenseman, who came over to the Lightning this offseason as the key piece in the Jonathan Drouin trade, must wait until Tampa Bay brass finalizes their roster, according to Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith.

The scribe writes that Sergachev has played major minutes in four preseason games so far as the team scrutinizes whether they plan to keep him. Smith believes that evaluation will continue for the first nine games of the season, the most that Sergachev can play in the NHL before his entry-level contract kicks in and begins his NHL service time. Whether the team keeps him from that point on is up in the air.

“It could be nine games, 10 games, 40 games, there’s no rush,” general manager Steve Yzerman said. “We haven’t decided our lineup for opening night. We’ll decide that in a week.”

Smith says while Sergachev has impressed many with his skills, he has often tried to do too much on the ice and made mistakes. However, the team’s plan has been to get him as much ice time as possible with the hopes of getting him as much experience as possible. Sergachev actually made the Canadiens roster last year out of training camp. However, he played in just three games before being returned to Windsor.

  • The Boston Bruins have been playing it safe with veteran blueliner Zdeno Chara this year. The 40-year-old defenseman has played in just one game and the team has no intentions of playing him in tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to CSNNE.com. The team is fearful of losing another left-shot defenseman after Torey Krug went down last week with a fractured jaw. Head coach Bruce Cassidy admitted that the 6-foot-9, 250 pounder doesn’t need much time to get ready for the season. “I don’t think Zee needs it to be honest with you. He’s been around a long time and will get his work in at practice,” he said. The team also hopes that it will keep him fresher for the regular season.
  • MLive’s Arpon Basu writes that veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a groin injury. He has only played in one preseason game due to back spasms and has now been scratched for tonight’s game. Coach Jeff Blashill said if he can’t practice on Tuesday, he will not likely play in the season opener.

Snapshots: Lecavalier, Miller, Rodrigues

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will retire the second number in their franchise history this season, when they raise Vincent Lecavalier’s #4 to the rafters on February 10th. Lecavalier, who last played in 2015-16, is the franchise leader in goals and was once the NHL’s youngest ever captain (since broken by multiple players) when he was given the “C” at just 19.

In 1,037 games with the Lightning, the 1998 first-overall pick scored 874 points and led them to a Stanley Cup in 2004. Twice he was nominated for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, including 2006-07 when he led the league in goals with 52. A prototypical number-one center, Lecavalier played an exceptional all around game that combined speed, power and skill. He finished his career with 949 points in 1,212 games.

  • Despite spending time in the middle during the preseason, J.T. Miller will be back in his familiar wing position when the season starts, Alain Vigneault confirmed today to a group of reporters including Dan Rosen of NHL.com. Vigneault has been impressed with the play of 2017 first-round draft picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, as well as former University of Michigan standout Boo Nieves. While it has been expected for a while that just one of the young players would make the roster with David Desharnais taking the other center role, there is a growing suspicion that both Andersson and Chytil could start the year with the Rangers. That would be quite the turnaround for a team that hadn’t even drafted in the first round for several years.
  • Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues was injured this weekend in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Andreas Borgman crumpled him into the boards, and will be held out for the time being with a hand injury. Head coach Phil Housley was non-committal when asked if it would linger into the regular season, similar to the way he spoke about Jake McCabe’s upper-body injury. Both players were expected to be in the lineup for opening night, which now could open spots for some others to start the year in Buffalo instead of Rochester.

Tom Wilson Suspended For Two Preseason Games

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2:44 PM: Wilson has been suspended for two preseason games, the Department of Player Safety announced.

11:17 AM: To the surprise of many, including head coach Barry Trotz, Washington Capital’s grinder Tom Wilson will have a hearing regarding an interference call in last night’s preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. In a quick turnaround, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced their appointment with Wilson this morning for a hearing later today. It is a fast response, with the potential to be forceful as well, when it comes to Wilson, who is starting to get a reputation as one of the league’s biggest thugs.

The hit in question, as you can see, was a hard check on St. Louis 2017 first-round pick Robert Thomas. Thomas was chasing the puck, which drew the interference call, when Wilson swung in an hit him with a shoulder to the upper body. Wilson leaves his feet to make contact, which Player Safety will surely call attention to. Thomas was not injured on the play and Wilson quickly fought Dmitrij Jaskin and then served his penalty and with the pace of the game, no one gave much of a second thought to the ordeal. The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan even reports that Trotz had planned to use Wilson in tonight’s game. However, the league, and new Head of Player Safety and former enforcer himself George Parros, would like to take a closer look at Wilson’s most recent incident.

Amazingly, if Wilson is suspended for the hit, it will be the first suspension of his NHL career. Wilson has had his fair share of hearing, two ending in substantial fines, but has never missed any time. However, the timing of this hearing could mean that his lucky streak is about to end. With the main focus of the NHL this season clearly being a desire to clean up play and reduce injuries, a statement suspension for a guy too often on the wrong side of dirty plays would seem to fit the narrative.

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