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Czech Extraliga

Senators UFA Jiri Smejkal Signs In Czechia

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Senators pending unrestricted free agent Jiri Smejkal won’t be returning to the team next season – or the NHL entirely, for that matter. The Czech winger is returning home on a long-term deal with HC Dynamo Pardubice, keeping him in the top-level Extraliga through the 2028-29 season, per a team announcement.

Smejkal, 27, was one of the first international free agent signings of the 2023 offseason, landing with the Sens in early May. He was coming off a strong season with IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League, posting 23 goals and 43 points in 49 games.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for the 6’4″ power winger in North America. He didn’t make the team out of camp and was assigned to AHL Belleville, although he eventually earned a recall in December. Smejkal went on to play 20 games in Ottawa this season, potting his first and likely only NHL goal in the final game of the campaign against the Bruins. He added an assist but managed just 10 total shots on goal and averaged less than 9:30 per game while posting some of the worst possession metrics on the team.

Clearly outmatched at the NHL level, Smejkal did decently well in the minors for the B-Sens, posting nine goals and 22 points in 47 games. But he struggled in the postseason, going without a point in seven contests.

After that tough showing, it’s no surprise to see Smejkal return to Europe. He’ll play in Czechia next season for the first time since suiting up with HC Sparta Praha in 2019-20. The native of Ceske Budejovice will likely play out his prime in Pardubice, whose roster boasts former Sharks Martin Kaut and Lukas Radil at forward and ex-Rangers blue liner Libor Hájek on defense. They’ve had the best record in the Extraliga for two years in a row but haven’t won a league championship since 2012.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Alfredsson, Malik

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At the moment, the Maple Leafs only have one goaltender with NHL experience signed for next season, Joseph Woll.  With that in mind, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic suggested on his latest podcast (video link) that Toronto is likely to sign a pair of experienced netminders for 2024-25.  At first glance, finding a partner for Woll will be the top priority while also trying to fill the role that Martin Jones had this season as the veteran third-string option that can be serviceable when called upon.  Ilya Samsonov, Matt Murray, and Jones are all set to hit the open market in July with Johnston believing that it’s possible that one of the three could return to fill one of those two spots.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Speaking at his introductory press conference yesterday, new Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that he’s open to having Daniel Alfredsson return as an assistant coach next season. Alfredsson rejoined Ottawa as a development coach for last season but moved behind the bench as an assistant when Jacques Martin took over as interim head coach midseason.  Alfredsson is believed to be weighing a decision as to whether he wants to stay behind the bench regularly or go back to his originally planned role.
  • Lightning prospect Nick Malik is on the move as HC Plzen of the Czech Extraliga announced that they’ve signed the netminder to a two-year deal. The 22-year-old was a fifth-round pick (160th overall) back in 2022 after a strong first season with KooKoo in Finland.  However, the last two years haven’t gone as well; his save percentage dropped to .889 in 38 games this season, 33 points down from 2021-22.  Considering that Tampa Bay hasn’t signed him yet coupled with this news, it looks unlikely that he’ll receive his entry-level deal by the June 1st deadline.

Minor Transactions: 05/06/24

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Unrestricted free agency is still a handful of weeks away on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but the offseason transfer period is well underway for teams in European professional leagues. This action often results in former NHLers heading overseas, changing hands, or terminating contracts in hopes of landing another NHL or AHL deal. As those moves come in, we’re keeping track of some notable names. Here are today’s minor moves:

  • Former Blackhawks and Ducks center Dennis Rasmussen has landed some security in the twilight of his career, inking a three-year deal to join Växjö Lakers HC of the Swedish Hockey League. The 33-year-old was a Växjö mainstay from 2011 to 2014 before signing with Chicago as an undrafted free agent, where he went on to score eight goals and 17 points in 112 games across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Rasmussen signed with the Ducks in the summer of 2017, posting just a goal and four points in 27 games before being demoted to the minors and eventually mutually terminating his contract, paving the way for him to finish 2017-18 back in Växjö. He’s bounced around Europe since, spending three years with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk as well as HC Davos of the Swiss National League, where he spent the last three years. The big-bodied two-way center is still an effective depth scorer, potting seven goals and 28 points in 46 games for Davos last year.
  • A tough stretch continues for veteran winger Richard Pánik, who’s struggled to find stability since falling out of an NHL job with the Islanders two seasons ago. The 33-year-old has played for six clubs over the past three seasons, and it’ll be a seventh in four years if he wants to keep his career alive. HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga announced Monday that Pánik won’t be returning to the club after posting 14 points in 29 combined regular-season and playoff games to end the season. Pánik began the season in the Extraliga with HC Oceláři Třinec, whom the Lightning drafted him from in the second round in 2009, but was traded to Pardubice in January. The 6’2″ Slovak winger will carry over 500 games and nearly 200 points of NHL experience to wherever he lands next.

This page may be updated throughout the day.

Libor Hajek Back On NHL Radar

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Last summer, defenseman Libor Hajek didn’t fare too well in unrestricted free agency.  After being non-tendered by the Rangers, he wasn’t able to secure an NHL contract, eventually settling for an AHL agreement in Pittsburgh before heading back overseas a couple of months later.  However, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that there is now some buzz around the blueliner about potentially returning to the NHL next season.

The 26-year-old was originally drafted in the second round by Tampa Bay in 2016, going 37th overall.  However, he never played for them and was moved to the Rangers less than two years later as part of the return for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller.  Hajek spent parts of five seasons in New York, playing in 110 games but had predominantly been a healthy scratch towards the end of his time there which helped result in his eventual release.

This season, he played in 11 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before being granted his release to go play at home with Pardubice in his native Czechia.  Hajek fared well in the Extraliga, collecting four goals and five assists in 20 regular season games while adding a trio of helpers in 16 postseason contests.  He’s expected to play for the Czechs at the upcoming World Championship which could help his value if he does indeed look to return to North America.

Considering his lack of interest as recently as the start of this season, Hajek probably won’t be in a position to command much more than the minimum salary of $775K on his next deal.  But if he’s even able to secure a two-way agreement, it would be a big improvement compared how to things went for him last summer while giving him at least a chance of returning to the NHL.

Mikulas Hovorka In Advanced Discussions To Sign With NHL Team

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While college free agency garners a good chunk of attention at this time of year, it’s not the only avenue that teams can take to add to their prospect pool during the spring.  Several international players are also going to be looking to make the jump to North America.  Among those is defenseman Mikulas Hovorka who, according to hokej.cz’s Marek Hedbavny, has generated interest from quite a few NHL teams this season.

The 22-year-old has been a regular in the Czech Extraliga the past two seasons with Ceske Budejovice and is coming off a decent showing this year which saw him record five goals and 11 assists in 51 games before suffering an ankle injury early in the playoffs, one that could take him out of consideration for the Worlds next month.  He’s under contract with them for two more years but since there is a transfer agreement in place between the Czech Ice Hockey Federation and the NHL, Hovorka is free to sign with an NHL team.

While Hovorka didn’t provide any specifics as to who he might be signing with, he did acknowledge in an article on his club team’s site that he’s in advanced discussions and that his preference is to sign with an Eastern team.  He also identified that there were 11 teams that he knew of that had been scouting him during the season.

Wherever he signs, Hovorka will be capped at signing a two-year, entry-level contract and there’s a good chance he’ll be starting off at the AHL level next season to adapt to the North American style of play.  But with his improvement this season and an intriguing 6’6 frame, he will be an interesting addition to the prospect pool for whichever team winds up signing him.

East Notes: Tarasenko, Tomek, Bruins

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With the Senators being nowhere close to a playoff spot, pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko sits atop their list of trade chips.  However, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that there is some talk that the 32-year-old might prefer to finish the year in Ottawa.  Tarasenko can control his fate as he has a full no-move clause.  Sticking with them might allow Tarasenko to play a bit higher in the lineup which certainly doesn’t hurt from a negotiating perspective but at the same time, the potential to go deep in the playoffs and contribute could also help his case for securing a multi-year deal on the open market, something he wasn’t able to do last July, instead settling for a one-year, $5MM pact.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Flyers goalie prospect Matej Tomek has signed a one-year extension with Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga, per a team release. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick (90th overall) back in 2015 but struggled in limited college action, resulting in him heading back overseas in 2019.  Since then, Tomek has spent time in both Slovakia and Czechia.  This season, he has a 3.00 GAA and a .911 SV% in 31 games with Litvinov.  The Flyers hold his rights indefinitely so this extension won’t have any impact on that front.
  • A day after recalling defenseman Ian Mitchell and assigning Justin Brazeau to the minors, the Bruins reversed those moves, per the AHL’s transactions log. Brazeau scored in his NHL debut back on Monday after his AHL deal was converted to a two-year NHL pact.  Mitchell, meanwhile, has been shuffled back and forth several times this season.  He has two assists in 13 NHL games so far while adding 14 points in 22 games with Providence.

Zack Kassian Signs With Czechia’s HC Sparta Praha

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12-year NHL veteran winger Zack Kassian signed with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga on Sunday, according to a team announcement. Kassian announced his retirement from the NHL last October after failing to convert on a PTO with the Ducks in training camp but will now attempt to extend his pro career overseas.

The 33-year-old stepped away from the league after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign with the Coyotes, where he recorded just two goals and a -18 rating in 51 games, a strikingly poor defensive impact given he averaged less than ten minutes per game. As such, the Coyotes bought out the final season of his four-year, $12.8MM contract last summer, making him a UFA.

No permanent contract offers came across his desk, and injuries hampered his ability to convert on his PTO with Anaheim. While the 6-foot-3 grinder may not be able to keep up with the speed of the NHL anymore, there’s a strong chance he can be effective in a middle-six checking role overseas.

He’s now four years removed from his career-best 2019-20 campaign with the Oilers. The COVID-truncated season saw him post 15 goals and 34 points in only 59 games, averaging over 15 minutes per game for the only time in his career. The 2009 first-round pick of the Sabres ended his NHL career with 92 goals, 111 assists and 203 points in 661 games to go along with 913 PIMs.

Kassian heads to a Prague team that is led by a trio of former NHLers on offense – one-time Senators prospect Filip Chlapík leads his team with 38 points in 37 games, while former Flame Roman Horák and former Panther Michal Řepík rank second and third. The blue line is led by 2018 Stanley Cup champion Michal Kempný, who has 27 points with a +11 rating in 39 games in his second season with the club after injuries ended his successful stint with the Capitals. 548-game NHL veteran Vladimír Sobotka is among the team’s principal secondary scorers with 10 goals and 21 points in 33 games.

As such, the team ranks second in the Extraliga. Kassian joins a team primed to make a run deep into the postseason after losing twice in the league final in the past decade. Prague hasn’t won a championship since back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

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