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Snapshots: Early Draft, Brome, Martin

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The NHL floated a “trial balloon” earlier this week with the idea that the 2020 Entry Draft could be held in June, before a potential restart for the 2019-20 season. That brought up all kinds of questions about how the draft order would be determined and if teams would be able to complete trades, something draft day has been known for in the past. On yesterday’s edition of Insider Trading for TSN, Pierre LeBrun explained that he asked around front offices to gauge their response to the idea.

LeBrun states that 15 teams gave him a “hard no” on the idea of a June draft, with only five open to the idea. That kind of response certainly won’t help the plan get off the ground, meaning we may have to wait until after the season concludes to get the draft over with.

  • One player that won’t have to wait for the draft to find out where he’ll play next year is Mathias Brome, a 25-year old forward that has spent the last three seasons in the SHL. Rick Dhaliwal of TSN reports that the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings are “in the mix” to sign Brome once the new transfer agreement comes into place. With 17 goals and 43 points for Orebro HK this season, Brome ranked sixth in league scoring and could be considered an option to step directly into the NHL.
  • Max Martin didn’t get drafted when he was eligible either, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be playing professional hockey. The Kamloops Blazers standout has signed a one-year contract with the Texas Stars of the AHL for the 2020-21 season, giving him a chance to show what he can do at the next level. The 20-year old defenseman had 14 goals and 58 points in 57 games after an early-season trade from Prince Albert. The Blazers just so happen to be owned by Tom Gaglardi, who also owns the Dallas and Texas Stars.

Snapshots: Egle, Handemark, Cehlarik

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Over the past two years, Clarkson University forward Haralds Egle has been one of the best and most consistent scoring forwards in college hockey. An undrafted prospect out of the USHL, the Latvian-born winger just completed his final collegiate season but truly began to hit his stride last year. In total, Egle accumulated 33 goals and 72 points in 71 games over the past two seasons, leading a national contender. Now, Egle is ready to take on the pros. The AHL’s Manitoba Moose have announced a two-year deal for the 23-year-old scoring forward. Latvia remains an under-represented nation in the NHL, but if Egle’s NCAA ability translates to the AHL its very possible that his he could be the next name from his country to join the ranks of the elite.

  • Swedish forward Fredrik Handemark is no stranger to the NHL rumor mill, with the most recent reports naming the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks as suitors should the SHL veteran choose to make the jump this off-season. It appears he has made his choice though, as Swedish news source Aftonbladet reports that Handemark is expected to sign with the Sharks this summer. After posting a career-high 14 goals and 38 points this season, the 26-year-old Malmo Redhawks captain has decided to take the next step in his career with San Jose. While the terms have not been confirmed, Aftonbladet expects Handemark to sign a one-year entry-level contract with a $900K AAV, which could prove to be a bargain for the Sharks if the Swedish star can replicate his production at the next level.
  • Boston Bruins forward Peter Cehlarik may be eyeing a move to the opposite side of the Atlantic. Slovakian news source TA3 reports that the local product may be considering a move to Europe, namely the SHL, after another season in which he was unable to secure a consistent NHL job. Cehlarik, 24, played his developmental years in Sweden and was drafted by Boston from Lulea HF in 2013. In his four years since coming over from Europe, Cehlarik has played in at least three NHL games each season, including a career-high 20 in 2018-19. However, his considerable scoring ability – 136 points in 185 career AHL games – has not translated to the NHL, where he has just 11 points in 40 games. Beyond just his production, Cehlarik has struggled to find a natural fit in the Bruins’ lineup and has been passed up on the organizational depth chart. A restricted free agent this summer, Boston may qualify Cehlarik as a useful minor league depth player, but he could opt instead to chase a starring role back in the SHL.

Snapshots: Player’s Last Paycheck, Hyman, Yzerman

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NHL players and have deferred their decision on their last paycheck until May 15, which they hope will give both the NHL and NHLPA extra time to figure out if there will be games played this season, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Players have been debating on how much of their final paycheck should go back to owners via escrow.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that players are already getting their 2018-19 escrow return next week, which should alleviate some of the pain in delaying their final paycheck. The NHLPA must decide what to do with their last paycheck, which is estimated at $140MM, but the players also owe escrow money to the system for this year, which could require giving up some of that final paycheck.

  • With the recent admission that forward Zach Hyman hopes to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) looks at what a contract with the Maple Leafs might look at, especially considering the importance of the salary cap to the team. However, the importance of a bang-and-crash winger is an important element to the team. Mirtle’s best comparable is Colorado winger Joonas Donskoi, who signed a four-year, $3.9MM AAV deal last summer. However, Hyman produces a little more than Donskoi, suggesting he is likely to make more than Donskoi’s $3.9MM cap number. A number closer to $4.5MM per season is more likely, but Mirtle wonders if Hyman’s camp would be willing to take a lower number for more term, such as maybe a six-year deal?
  • With his one-year anniversary hitting Sunday, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made it clear to Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan that everything is going according to plan despite a dismal season that has the Red Wings at the bottom of the standings in the NHL with a 17-45-9 record. “I knew what I was getting into, and I think I had a general idea what it takes to build a team,” said Yzerman. “(Patience) is very difficult to sell, and we gotta show progress. I’m hoping the progress shows next year in wins and losses, but it will show in prospects and their development.” Yzerman, along with former GM Ken Holland, have been stockpiling picks. Yzerman acquired two second-rounders and a fourth for Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green (all from Edmonton) and have 10 total picks in the upcoming draft. Considering quite a bit of prospect depth already in the system, the team’s long-term future looks bright so far.

Potential Compliance Buyout Candidates: Part II

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As the current Coronavirus crisis wears on, it seems more and more likely that the NHL will not return to action soon and when play resumes, it will almost certainly not be the full remaining regular season schedule. That lost revenue is expected to impact the 2020-21 salary cap, perhaps even keeping the current $81.5MM upper limit in place. Given that teams expected an increase, initially projected to be between $84-88.2MM, this stagnation could have a harsh impact on a number of clubs’ cap situations. As such, many expect that compliance buyouts will return in some form or fashion to ease that pain. These buyouts, which do not count against the salary cap, would allow for teams to open up space that they otherwise expected from a cap increase.

After taking a look at the first ten teams, we move on to the middle third of the NHL:

Detroit Red Wings: Justin Abdelkader

– When Abdelkader signed a seven-year extension with an AAV of $4.25MM following his career-best season in 2014-15, it was perceived to be a bargain at the time and few expected that it would turn out poorly. Yet, with three years still to go Abdelkader has failed to impress in each of the first four seasons, recording a total of just 78 points and consistently missing time due to injury. On a young rebuilding team, the 33-year-old forward’s slow, plodding game is not a fit and his salary is not commensurate to his role on the club. New GM Steve Yzerman wouldn’t hesitate to buy out the career Red Wing if given the opportunity.

Edmonton Oilers: James Neal

– Last summer’s swap of Neal for Milan Lucic was labeled as two teams exchanging bad contracts. However, Neal got off to a hot start and ended up with 19 goals and 31 points despite being limited to just 55 games due to injury. That being said, the 32-year-old forward, who was a -20 this season, is still probably the worst contract on the team. The likelihood of Neal playing up to his remaining $17.25MM over three years seems slim and the Oilers could use the cap space to add a younger, better winger. If Neal has earned the trust of the team, Kris Russell could be bought out before his final year at $4MM.

Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky

– Would the Panthers move on from Bobrovsky just one year after handing him a seven-year, $70MM deal? That could be the biggest question of the off-season if compliance buyouts become reality. The star goalie’s first season in Florida could not have gone worse as he posted a career-worst GAA and didn’t boast a shiny save percentage either. Expected to be the Cats’ savior in net, Bobrovsky was anything but. If they hesitate to cut ties with Bobrovsky and his play does not improve, he would undoubtedly become the worst contract in hockey. Though on the other hand, if Bobrovsky goes elsewhere and succeeds and Florida cannot find a suitable location, some would surely say that they didn’t give him enough of a chance.

Los Angeles Kings: Jonathan Quick

– The rebuilding Kings have been trying to move Quick for a couple of years now and it would be a surprise if they did not take advantage of a compliance buyout opportunity. A holdover contract from the days of yore, Quick’s ten-year, $58MM deal signed in 2012 remained a bargain for the first half of the term until Quick hit a wall last year. While his play rebounded this season, Quick is still not playing up to the all-world level that had become the norm. L.A. is still a ways away from contending and can make more use of extra cap space over the next three years than a goalie who is past his prime.

Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise

– The Wild and new GM Bill Guerin came awfully close to trading Parise at the deadline this season and in recent years players who have been rumored to be leaving Minnesota are always eventually dealt. However, the potential trade included the team taking back bad salaries to facilitate the movement of Parise’s remaining five years and $37.69MM. Although Parise showed a return to form somewhat over the past two years, he has never been able to replicate his numbers from earlier in career and the team has generally been unhappy with the results of their 13-year gamble. If the possibility to dump the 35-year-old Parise without any cap repercussions opened up, it would become a serious conversation. More interesting would be if the Wild also discuss Mats Zuccarello as a buyout candidate after he was a bust in the first of a five-year, $30MM deal.

Montreal Canadiens: Karl Alzner

– While there will be those that find some of the bigger names on Montreal as intriguing buyout candidates, Alzner seems like an obvious choice that will improve the roster without any risk of releasing a good player or upsetting team chemistry. Few players in recent history have had their team turn on them following a major contract as quickly as the Canadiens did with Alzner. After signing the physical defenseman as a top free agent in 2017, the Habs decided just a year later that he was not worthy of an NHL roster spot following a difficult first season. Alzner has played just 13 NHL games over the past two years, buried in the AHL for the remainder. With two years at $4.625MM remaining, Montreal would be happy to be completely rid of Alzner’s contract rather than receiving just minor saving from sending him to the minors instead.

Nashville Predators: Kyle Turris

– For a long time, Nashville GM David Poile was opposed to handing out expensive, long-term contracts. That policy served him well for quite a time, as the Predators ended up with a number of tremendous values on the roster. Since the team has started to move away from that practice, things have not gone so well. Turris is the poster boy for this statement. He signed a six-year, $36MM extension with Nashville not long after being acquired by the club early in the 2017-18 season and has never lived up to the expectations. His 54 total points over the past two years is less than the one-year total the season prior to his joining Nashville. Turris has become an expendable player, not only missing time due to injury but also as a healthy scratch. The team has been eager to move him and they likely wouldn’t hesitate to do so with a compliance buyout.

New Jersey Devils: Cory Schneider

– An overpaid, under-performing starting goalie is one thing; an overpaid, under-performing backup is another. It has been quite a time since Schneider was the top man in net in New Jersey and young Mackenzie Blackwood has now taken the reins. However, Schneider’s horrific numbers over the past two year suggest that he isn’t even capable of being an NHL backup at this point in his career. With two years remaining at $6MM, Schneider’s might be the worst goalie contract in the league and a rather obvious buyout candidate.

New York Islanders: Andrew Ladd

– Ladd, part of the infamous 2016 class of terrible free agent contracts, Ladd has never provided adequate value to the Islanders compared to his $5.5MM AAV. The team finally buried him in the AHL this season after recording just 71 points through his first three years. With the majority of their forwards signed to substantial long-term deals, there is almost no chance that Ladd can ever work his way back into the NHL mix for the Islanders. New York was ready to move him at the trade deadline and would be quick to buyout the final three years of his deal rather than continue to pay major money for him to play in the minors.

New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist

– While it would be a sad day for the Blueshirts and their fans, the reality is that Lundqvist is the best use of a compliance buyout on the team. New York was considering moving young Alexandar Georgiev at the deadline rather than continue to carry three goaltenders, as Igor Shesterkin looks like the starter of the future and King Henrik has become an immovable contract. However, the team would be far better off retaining both young goalies and moving on from Lundqvist, who at 38 years old had the worst season of his career and still has a season remaining at $8.5MM. That’s a hefty salary to pay the man who would be your third-string goalie next season if Georgiev is not moved. The Rangers have no shortage of options though if they cannot overcome the loyalty they feel toward Lundqvist. Defensemen Marc Staal, $5.7MM AAV, and Brendan Smith, $4.35MM AAV, have both outworn their welcomes in New York and would not be missed in the final years of their respective contracts.

Stay tuned for Part III coming soon.

Jesper Eliasson Signs Two-Year Deal With Farjestad

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  • Red Wings prospect Jesper Eliasson is transferring to the SHL as Farjestad announced that they have signed the goaltender to a two-year deal that runs through the 2021-22 season. Eliasson was a third-round pick (84th overall) back in 2018 and the two-year term means that at the completion of the final season, Detroit will have a limited window to get him signed before the June 1, 2022 signing deadline.  The 20-year-old spent this season playing down a level with Almtuna (Allsvenskan) while on loan from Vaxjo.

Stretch Run Storylines: Detroit Red Wings

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues, there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the weeks ahead, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We wrap up our look at the Atlantic Division with Detroit.

After a tough 2018-19 campaign, expectations were low for the Red Wings heading into this season.  New GM Steve Yzerman was committed to keeping the current rebuilding strategy intact and not surprisingly as a result, the team has struggled mightily as they sit dead last in the NHL by a whopping 23 points.  That leaves some big questions ahead, some of which could help be answered if regular season play is able to resume.

Blashill’s Future

With this season being a transition year at best, it was understandable that head coach Jeff Blashill was kept around despite a tough 2018-19.  The record is a whole lot worse this season but Yzerman has said he has liked some of what he has seen with regards to player development and compete level.  The latter stands out considering they have been out of playoff contention for the majority of the season.

If the NHL is able to get in the rest of their games, that 11-game stretch would serve as an opportunity for Blashill to make a late push to stick around for another season which would be the final one of his contract.  There would inevitably need to be a mini training camp and how he’s able to motivate a team that would be getting put through their paces in the late spring or early summer to play 11 meaningless games may actually have an impact on showing what type of hold he still has on the room.

Bernier’s Opportunity

With Jimmy Howard struggling mightily this year (a 2-23-2 record with a 4.20 GAA and a .882 SV%), Jonathan Bernier has had the opportunity to show that he can be the starter.  The end result has been mediocre numbers (15-22-3, 2.95 GAA, .907 SV%) but given the state of the team in general, mediocre isn’t that bad.

Bernier isn’t playing for a contract as he has one year left on a deal that carries a $3MM price tag.  However, with several notable free agent goalies hitting the market this offseason (including Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, and Jacob Markstrom as starters and platoon options like Anton Khudobin and Jaroslav Halak), he will certainly be looking to prove that he can be counted in his current role.  The stretch run would afford him one more chance to stake his claim to the number one job for next season.

Youth Movement

With any remaining games having no bearings on the standings (they’ve clinched 31st overall even if the full schedule has been played), Detroit should be using any remaining games as an opportunity to give some of their prospects some extra playing time.  Filip Zadina was close to returning before the shutdown and should be in line for a prime role.  Longer looks at players like Gustav Lindstrom, Taro Hirose and Dmytro Timashov would also be beneficial to see if they can be counted on in a regular role for 2020-21.  Michael Rasmussen has yet to play with Detroit this season after playing 62 games for them a year ago while Evgeny Svechnikov, a first-round pick in 2015, has played just four times.  NHL action for them would certainly be ideal.

But beyond them, there are other prospects that would certainly benefit from some late action.  The initial plan before the postponement of games was that Moritz Seider would get an opportunity to play.  He’d be capped at nine games but even that many would be a good introduction before trying to compete for a spot in training camp a few months later.  Joe Veleno wasn’t in the plans to bring up as the Red Wings wanted to keep him in the minors where he was starting to play better.  But with this stoppage, any momentum from that has passed so it may be time for him to get a chance as well.

The longer this stoppage goes on, the likelihood of AHL games resuming gets lower.  There are no post-deadline roster restrictions as long as teams stay under the salary cap and Detroit is in good shape in that regard; they have room to bring up some more players while remaining in compliance.  Forget just the mini conditioning camp to get back into shape, any remaining games are basically opportunities for an extended training camp for 2020-21.  Accordingly, they need to feature a lot of Detroit’s up and coming talent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Alexander Kadeykin Expected To Sign With Red Wings

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Alexander Kadeykin is trying to prove that it is never too late for a draft pick to pan out. An overage prospect in 2014, Kadeykin was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh round. Now 26, he has decided that it is finally time to make the jump to the NHL. Russian news source Business Online reports that Kadeykin has informed his KHL squad that he intends to sign with the Red Wings.

Kadeykin is a well-traveled KHL veteran, spending the past two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa and previously suiting up for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, SKA St. Petersburg, and Atlant Mytishchi. Formerly a role player, the 6’5”, 218-lb. center has grown into more of a power forward and scoring threat. He set new career highs across the board this season with 11 goals, 29 points, and a +20 rating in 59 games. Kadeykin also looked primed for a strong postseason with three points in six games before the KHL playoffs were canceled.

Given his size and aggressive style as well as seemingly average offensive abilities, Kadeykin seems likely to slot into a checking role for Detroit. He may also begin his North American career in the AHL and work his way up. However, there should be ample opportunity with the last-place Red Wings for Kadeykin to win a spot.

Prospect Notes: Lafreniere, Gildon, Whelan, Richter Award

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The announcement this afternoon that the NHL would be postponing the 2020 NHL Draft means that top prospect Alexis Lafreniere will have to wait a while longer to presumably be selected first overall. Yet, with his QMJHL season already canceled, the young forward has little else to focus on. The same can be said for a number of NHL teams who already know that they won’t be making the postseason regardless of the format the league chooses if and when they return to action. No team has more to gain from the coming draft than the Ottawa Senators. If the NHL Draft Lottery were to be held without any further changes to the regular season standings, the Detroit Red Wings would have the best singular odds of winning, 18.5%, but the Senators in both second and third, given their ownership of the San Jose Sharks’ pick, would actually have much better odds at a combined 25%. Naturally, the question was asked by TSN today of the Quebec native Lafreniere how he would feel about playing in Canada’s capital. “It would be fun. It would be special,” Lafreniere said, “It’s a great place to play and it would be an honor [to be selected.]” While the Senators have not exactly been a top free agent destination in recent years, the club is building up quite a talented group of prospects and Lafreniere would be a great fit to lead the team into the future, especially alongside whoever else the team selects early in the first round.

  • One existing NHL prospect who may soon be joining his pro home is Florida Panthers pick Max Gildon. Gildon, who just wrapped up his junior season at the University of New Hampshire, is close to signing an entry-level deal reports New England hockey insider Mark Divver. Divver expects the two sides to come to terms on a deal within a week. Gildon was a 2017 third-round pick out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, but has outplayed his draft slot over three productive years on the UNH blue line. He also pairs a big frame, physical play, and ability to play in all situations with his considerable skill and vision. Joining a Florida team with a pretty thin pipeline of defensive talent, Gildon could be in the NHL sooner rather than later.
  • Quinnipiac University forward Alex Whelan has found his first pro destination, as the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack announced a contract with the nearby product or the 2020-21 season. Whelan, who just finished his fourth and final year with Quinnipiac, was nothing if not consistent in his NCAA career. However, his 24 points this season came in just 29 games as opposed to 25 in 38 last year. On a per-game basis, he was the Bobcats’ second-best scorer on a team that was within reach of an NCAA Tournament berth. A power forward who looks prepared for the pro game, Whelan is a nice pickup for Hartford and will likely bring some Quinnipiac fans along with him.
  • The NCAA announced the ten semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award for top goaltender on Tuesday, with several NHL prospects on the list. Maine’s Jeremy Swayman, who recently signed his entry-level deal with the Boston Bruins, heads up a list that also includes 2019 top goalie draft pick Spencer Knight of Boston College and the Florida Panthers, as well as UMass Lowell’s Tyler Wall, whose rights are owned by the New York Rangers but could be headed for unrestricted free agency. However, the favorite for the award is likely an undrafted product, Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay, who led the nation in wins, save percentage, and GAA. McKay and Swayman are the only Richter semifinalists who are also Hobey Baker finalists. Other standouts include Cornell’s Matthew Galajda, Michigan’s Strauss Mann, and Bemidji State’s Zach Driscoll. The three finalists will be announced at a later date.

East Notes: Rask, Miller, Lundkvist, Abdelkader

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Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask has had an amazing season so far. He currently has a 2.12 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 41 appearances this year. The 33-year-old is still young compared to many veteran goaltenders. However, Matt Porter of the Boston Globe writes that Rask recently suggested that his time in the league could be over soon.

“I have one year left in the contract, so we’ll see if I even play,” Rask said about retirement. “We’ll see. Always a possibility. The wear and tear of the travel with two, almost three kids now, makes you think. I love to do it. But it’s tough.”

Rask has one more year left on his current contract that pays him at $7MM per season. The team does have a number of young goaltenders in the system who might be ready to step in by that point, including Daniel Vladar and Jeremy Swayman, but at age 34 and with three young kids at home, Rask said he wouldn’t mind being home.

  • The New York Rangers continue to get richer as they have already added defensive prospect K’Andre Miller to their stable of prospects and are expected to also add defenseman Nils Lundkvist, considered to be one of the top prospects, at some point in the offseason. That should bolster the Rangers’ defense for the future. However, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Rangers, however, need to keep some perspective and, considering the fact that the Rangers do have some depth on defense at the moment, need to keep both Miller and Lundqvist in the minors for a full season to properly develop them. Miller signed out of the University of Wisconsin and is likely to start the season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack despite the fact that many feel he could contribute in New York immediately. Lundkvist, recently ranked as a first-team prospect by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription required), has dominated in the SHL and could be loaned back there if the team feels it’s best for his development.
  • The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James handed out awards for players on the Detroit Red Wings. Listed among the most disappointing forwards for the team were three players, including Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Valtteri Filppula. While she noted that Nielsen and Filppula are bounce-back candidates for next season, the scribe wasn’t as optimistic about Abdelkader’s future. The 33-year-old has seen his game decline over the years, but after zero goals and just three points in 49 games this year with Detroit, St. James believes that Abdelkader’s time in the NHL is over and he is likely to be waived and sent to the AHL for the remainder of his contract, which is three more years at $4.25MM.

Renewed NHL Interest In Mathias Brome

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Around this time last year, there were more than just whispers that Swedish standout Mathias Brome would be making the leap to the NHL. He had just finished up a strong season in the SHL, despite playing for a poor team that ended up relegated, and was a free agent with his sights set on new surroundings. A number of NHL teams were involved, including the Vegas Golden Knights, but there was also an incredibly strong market in Europe. Brome eventually re-signed in the SHL, joining Orebro HK on a one-year deal.

Fast-forward one year and the move looks like the right one for Brome. The 25-year-old winger has had a career year in the SHL, recording 17 goals and 43 points in 52 games to finish among the top ten in the league in both categories. A speedy and skilled forward who is also known for his strong work ethic, Brome again impressed the onlookers and now he has solidified his status as a top free agent option. In fact, the Swedish Hockey News reports that he has already turned down “millions” from offers in the SHL and KHL to pursue a deal in the NHL.

Leading the charge for Brome appear to be the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings, two teams familiar with importing Swedish talent. However, the pair are in very different situations when it comes to recruitment this off-season. Vancouver is contending for a playoff spot this year and look to have a bright future behind a young core. However, the team is strapped for cap space and would target Brome as an affordable depth addition. Detroit is the NHL’s worst team this season (and one of the worst all-time) and needs to make impact addition this summer to turn things around. Last year, Brome would have been limited to a one-year entry-level contract to begin his NHL career but now Brome will be able to negotiate his first deal. He could opt for less money but perhaps a better opportunity to win and gain even more attention with the Canucks or he could try to both make more money and land a greater role by joining the Red Wings. Brome reportedly will not make his decision until after the SHL postseason is completed, by which time other NHL teams may have also entered the chase. However, one way or another, it seems Brome is finally set to make the leap this off-season.

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