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KHL Off-Season Opening Day Round-Up

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The KHL off-season opened today and the league did not waste any time in making moves that have meaning to NHL fans. A number of familiar names have hit free agency today and some are already agreeing to new deals. Meanwhile, others are being traded on the first day to do so, including the rights to some players currently in North America. Keep up with all of today’s action as the KHL’s clubs get their summers started early with significant moves:

  •  One of the first players to sign with a new team early this morning was former NHL forward Teemu Pulkkinen. A Detroit Red Wings draft pick who also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18, Pulkkinen will be entering his fourth season in the KHL and is already on to his fourth different team. After splitting this season between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, collecting 30 points in 46 games, Pulkkinen has signed a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The 29-year-old has scored at a .67 per-game clip in his KHL career and shows no signs of slowing down.
  • SKA St. Petersberg and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod have made an interesting futures swap, trading the rights of two current NHLers. Torpedo received the rights to Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (as well as minor league forward Danil Voyevodin) while SKA landed the rights to young San Jose Sharks goalie Alexei Melnichuk. The deal is tricky on a number of levels; while Puljujarvi is undoubtedly the biggest name in the trade, it is Melnichuk who commanded the larger side of the return. It was also KHL powerhouse SKA who received the prospect netminder and gave up the established scorer. This could be a simple case of different likelihoods of those player rights having any value. While Puljujarvi previously left the Oilers for Europe, he has finally found his NHL stride in his return this season and is unlikely to leave again. Even if he does, Puljujarvi may just return home to the Finnish Liiga as well. On the other hand, Melnichuk was born and bred in the SKA system and the team may have some insight into his future plans. The 22-year-old keeper is valued by the Sharks and even made his NHL debut this year in his first season in North America, however his AHL play has underwhelmed and he doesn’t look like a realistic full-time NHL option for San Jose next season. If the young goalie grows tired of playing in the minors in North America, he would probably be happy to jump back to his old team and take on a starting role in the KHL.
  • Former Boston Bruins forward Joonas Kemppainen has signed a one-year extension to remain with SKA. The Finnish power forward didn’t work out in his lone NHL season back in 2015-16, recording five points in eleven games with Boston, but has been a productive player in the KHL for five years now. That includes a 15-goal, 29-point campaign with St. Petersberg this year that earned him an extension. The 33-year-old veteran is not a candidate to ever return to North America, but still has plenty to offer in Russia.
  • Vladimir Zharkov feels like ancient New Jersey Devils history at this point, but the former top prospect continues to produce in the KHL. Zharkov, 33, spent four seasons with the Devils early in his career and was a nice fringe piece, but lacked starting upside. In the KHL since 2012-13, Zharkov has become a reliable two-way forward and locker room leader, spending many years with top programs like CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now he’s off to the top team in the league, signing a two-year deal with recently-crowned Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, replacing the veteran presence of the departed Ilya Kovalchuk.
  • Torpedo jumped right back into the action, signing an exciting forward to a one-year deal. Marek Hrivik gave his all to a career in North America, developing in the QMJHL and spending six seasons primarily in the AHL for the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. However, he never could earn a full-time opportunity and returned home to Europe in 2018. Even then, his first go-round in the KHL did not go all that well. However, after back-to-back stellar season in Sweden, he is ready to give it another try with Torpedo. Hrivik totaled 81 points in 90 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF these past two years and if that can translate to the KHL then the 29-year-old could become a star in Russia.
  • Another trade involving NHL property has landed, but this one could have more immediate dividends. Defending champions Omsk have acquired the rights to Boston Bruins prospect forward Peter Cehlarik from Yaroslavl in exchange for the rights to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kodie Curran. Cehlarik, 25, is already in Europe, having left Boston this past off-season to join Leksands IF in Sweden. Cehlarik always showed great promise in the AHL, but couldn’t translate it to the NHL for the Bruins. After recording 20 goals and 40 points in 45 SHL games this season, Cehlarik may want to return to Boston, who continues to hold his rights, in an attempt to prove himself once more. However, the talented winger could be tempted to join the KHL’s current kings this off-season instead. As for Curran, 31, he already did his stint in Europe and made his return to North America. The Calgary native spent the previous four seasons in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before earning his first NHL contract with the Ducks this past off-season. While he hasn’t see any action in Anaheim just yet, he has 11 points in 17 AHL games this season and his one-way, $1MM contract still has another year remaining. However, if Curran is still not being utilized by the Ducks after next season and doesn’t draw any other NHL offers as a result, he has a new home to return to in Europe in Yarolslavl.
  • After signing his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has inked another deal – a one-year extension with Torpedo. The 21-year-old landed in Novgorod late in the season, but excelled down the stretch and in the postseason with save percentages of .931 and .932, respectively. Kochetkov could very well be in line for the starting role for Torpedo next season while playing on loan from Carolina.

North Notes: Senators Goalies, Scheifele, Oilers

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The Ottawa Senators seem to be running short on goaltenders. That became apparent Saturday when scheduled starter Anton Forsberg suffered an injury during warmups, forcing Matt Murray into net against the Canucks. However, Murray got tangled up with Jake Virtanen early in the second period and was forced to leave the game himself, leaving Marcus Hogberg as the only remaining goaltender.

In a unusual scare, Hogberg and Nikita Zaitsev collided within 10 seconds of Hogberg’s appearance in the game, scaring the coaching staff. Hogberg was OK and finished out the game, but with no emergency backup goalie in place due to COVID-19 restrictions, who would have taken Hogberg’s place had he been injured?

The Athletic’s Ian Mendes (subscription required) writes that while the team did consider goaltending coach Zac Bierk, but the team settled on putting the pads on Artem Anisimov, who was on the taxi squad, instead.

Murray is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

  • Much of the Winnipeg Jets season could find itself in the reaction of center Mark Scheifele, who was benched in the middle of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scheifele was benched for 17 minutes during the second and third periods while being on the ice during John Tavares’ goal, which gave the Maple Leafs a two-goal advantage. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe writes that the team needs Scheifele to be at his best and the benching on national TV was meant to make a point. However, it is up to Scheifele and how he will respond. He was given a chance to return to the ice in the third period and performed well, according to Wiebe, although the star did not speak to the press after the game.
  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is expected to make his Oilers’ debut on Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels. Kulikov was acquired at the trade deadline for a conditional 2021 fourth-round pick and has sat out the mandatory quarantine period. Tippett added that rookie Ryan McLeod has also completed his quarantine period since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. The coach said McLeod was likely to play on Monday as well at the center position. The 21-year-old had 14 goals and 28 points in 28 AHL contests.

Zack Kassian Listed As Week-To-Week

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The Oilers will be without winger Zack Kassian for the next little while as head coach Dave Tippett told reporters, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug (Twitter link) that the veteran is listed as week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury early in Wednesday’s game against Montreal.

It has been a tough year for the 30-year-old who also missed time with an upper-body injury sustained in a fight that cost him 17 games.  As a result, Kassian has been limited to just 27 appearances this season where he has struggled offensively, notching just two goals and three assists while averaging only 11:51 per night, his lowest ATOI since his rookie season.  Of course, he is more well-known for his physicality and he has delivered at that end, ranking third on the team in hits per 60 minutes at 13.68.  Having said that, it has not been the year he or Edmonton had hoped for, especially with him being in the first season of a four-year, $12.8MM contract.

Kassian joins Jujhar Khaira (concussion) and Joakim Nygard (undisclosed) as forwards that are injured which means that James Neal, who was recalled on an emergency loan earlier in the week, could stay on the active roster for a little while longer.  On the surface, with only 11 healthy forwards on the roster and veterans Tyler Ennis and Kyle Turris being on the taxi squad along with winger Patrick Russell and prospect Ryan McLeod, it would seem that one of those players would be recalled.  However, with only $278K in LTIR room remaining, per CapFriendly, they can’t afford to bring anyone else up unless someone else is transferred to LTIR which could force them to dress seven blueliners for the time being.

No Timeline For Oscar Klefbom's Return Next Season

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Oilers defenseman Oscar Klefbom has missed the entire season due to a shoulder injury, one that he recently underwent surgery on.  While the surgery went well, the blueliner told reporters, including Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, that there remains no timeline for when he’s able to play next season, if he’s able to return at all:

North Notes: Canadiens, Foligno, Hutton, McLeod

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Despite being lauded for his trade deadline moves, Montreal Canadiens general manager finds that his team is struggling, much because of the team’s sudden roster inflexibility. The team has already used up all but one of their post-deadline recalls, bringing up Xavier Ouellet, Alexander Romanov and Paul Byron immediately after making the trades to acquire Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson as well as putting defenseman Victor Mete on waivers (and losing him to Ottawa). Most of these moves were made to accommodate the loss of Mete and the pending additions of Merrill and Gustafsson, both who have to quarantine for seven days before being able to join the team.

Now, with just one recall remaining and quite a few games left to go this season, head coach Dominique Ducharme doesn’t have many options to make roster moves, according to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required). One significant issue the team could address is the sudden poor play of Eric Staal. Despite scoring the game-winning goal in his debut, Staal has struggled in the seven games he’s played since, scoring no points with just seven shots and boasting a minus-eight plus/minus. However, the team doesn’t have the ability to replace him in the lineup for a game or two with energy-man Jake Evans, who currently is sitting on the taxi squad since they are not ready to use their final recall.

That leaves the team with multiple roster issues for the next few weeks until the team is ready to spend their final recall.

  • Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby writes that Toronto Maple Leafs’ newly acquired Nick Foligno and Ben Hutton will have their seven-day quarantine expire in a couple of days. However, it remains unknown whether either player would join the team for their five-game road trip that starts today due to their quarantine as well as the recent COVID-19 breakout that forced the postponement of three Toronto Marlies’ games. Of course, getting both Foligno and Hutton into the Toronto lineup so both can pick up their system is crucial.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that the Edmonton Oilers have another internal candidate they should consider when it comes to boosting their offense: Ryan McLeod. The 2018 second-round pick has had a great season in the AHL so far with 14 goals and 28 points in 28 games. At $834K and the ability to play center, he could be a valuable chip for the team as the playoffs approach.

Slater Koekkoek To Skate With Oilers Soon But Still Weeks Away From Returning

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  • Oilers defenseman Slater Koekkoek is still several weeks away from returning to the lineup, the team announced (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has been out for nearly two months with a broken collarbone but is expected to start skating with the team in the coming days.  Koekkoek is currently on LTIR but at the moment, they have enough space remaining to activate him when he’s ready.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Dylan Holloway

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6:50pm: NHL insider John Shannon reports that Holloway’s contract will begin in 2021-22, so even if his thumb does heal in time, he won’t be playing for the Oilers until next season.

4:05pm: One of the most impressive players in college hockey has decided that two years is enough. Dylan Holloway has turned pro and signed his entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. It is not immediately clear whether the contract is for this season or next. Since he turns 20 in late September, Holloway’s three-year deal will not be eligible to slide, meaning if it is for 2020-21, the first year will be burned no matter where or how many games he plays this spring. Alternatively, if it begins in 2021-22 he would not be eligible to play for the Oilers this season, though could still join the Bakersfield Condors on an amateur tryout. The young forward is currently dealing with a broken thumb suffered at the end of his college season, so he can’t play for either of them at the moment.

Holloway, 19, was the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft and exploded at the University of Wisconsin, registering 11 goals and 35 points in 23 games. He was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for his performance, though teammate Cole Caufield would eventually take home the trophy. Caufield also got the better of Holloway at the World Junior tournament, where the latter’s Team Canada finished with a silver medal.

If you hadn’t already started to respect the AJHL as a breeding ground for top NHL prospects from Cale Makar’s emergence, Holloway might be able to change your mind. The Alberta native decided not to play in the WHL to maintain his NCAA eligibility and scored 40 goals and 88 points for the Okotoks Oilers in 2018-19, earning AJHL MVP honors. He also was part of the Canadian contingent that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky in 2018, playing on a powerhouse squad with the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Bowen Byram, and Dylan Cozens.

Because he turned 18 just a few days after the cutoff for the 2019 draft, Holloway is a more advanced player than some of his 2020 contemporaries. That is only magnified by the fact he has already played two years of NCAA hockey, developing from a talented but inconsistent freshman to a dominant sophomore. His puck protection skills have hit a new level and he was one of the most reliable two-way players on a strong Wisconsin roster.

There’s a real chance that Holloway could grab a spot on the Oilers roster right now if healthy, but at very worst he’ll be in the mix for a full-time spot in 2021-22.

NHL Announces Changes To North Division Schedule

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In response to the Vancouver Canucks’ recent medical testing (as well as some choice comments from J.T. Miller) the league decided that tonight’s game was not able to be played. Tomorrow’s scheduled match against the Toronto Maple Leafs has also been pushed, with it now being set for Sunday evening. The ripple effect of these changes spread out across the entire North Division (save for the Ottawa Senators), with more than a dozen other schedule alterations announced today.

  • Game #697, Toronto at Vancouver, scheduled for April 17, is now scheduled for Sunday, April 18 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #710, Toronto at Vancouver, scheduled for April 19, is now scheduled for Tuesday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #726, Toronto at Winnipeg, scheduled for April 21, is now scheduled for Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Game #829, Edmonton at Vancouver, scheduled for April 16, is now scheduled for Monday, May 3 at 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #844, Edmonton at Vancouver, scheduled for May 6, is now scheduled for Tuesday, May 4 at 10 p.m. ET
  • Game #593, Vancouver at Edmonton, scheduled for May 4, is now scheduled for Thursday, May 6 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #526, Edmonton at Montreal, scheduled for May 11, is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 12 at 5 p.m. ET
  • Game #647, Vancouver at Calgary, scheduled for May 3, is now scheduled for Thursday, May 13 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Game #741, Toronto at Winnipeg, scheduled for April 23, is now scheduled for Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET
  • Game #673, Vancouver at Edmonton, scheduled for May 13, is now scheduled for Saturday, May 15 at TBD
  • Game #567, Calgary at Vancouver, scheduled for April 21, is now scheduled for Sunday, May 16 at TBD
  • Game #864, Calgary at Vancouver, scheduled for May 15, is now scheduled for Tuesday, May 18 at TBD
  • Game #634, Vancouver at Calgary, scheduled for May 16, is now scheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at TBD

Tomorrow’s game between the Oilers and Jets has also been pulled up three hours to fill the now-vacant primetime spot on Hockey Night In Canada.

Important to note here is that the North Division schedule now extends through May 19, the last day the NHL had built into their “buffer” before the playoffs are set to begin. Perhaps even more telling is that all those games scheduled past May 15 are between the Canucks and Flames, two teams who could be eliminated from postseason contention at that point.

NHL Delays Canucks’ Return To Play

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4:10pm: The league has officially delayed the Canucks’ return to play, allowing additional time for recovery and preparation. They will not play Friday against the Oilers, and though the official release does not address the Saturday game against the Maple Leafs, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the expectation is that it will also be postponed.

2:20pm: The Vancouver Canucks haven’t played a game since March 24. They haven’t even really practiced during that time, with most of the team testing positive for coronavirus and quarantining for the last few weeks. Now, with players coming out of the protocol the team was expected to play a back-to-back on Friday-Saturday and fit the rest of their schedule—19 games—into just 31 days. Yesterday, J.T. Miller spoke up about the issue, telling reporters including Thomas Drance of The Athletic that what the Canucks were being asked to do isn’t safe, suggesting that even the players who did not contract the virus aren’t ready to compete at the NHL level.

Today, after medical and conditioning testing in the facility—a practice that was closed to the media at the last moment—it looks like at least one more game will be postponed to give the team some more time. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the team will not play their Friday game against the Edmonton Oilers, though it is unclear whether Saturday’s matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs is still a go.

At one point, the Canucks had basically their entire roster on the COVID Protocol list, with more than 20 positive test results in the organization. The team recalled 20-year-old goaltender Arturs Silovs–he of one game of professional experience–to the taxi squad along with Guillaume Brisebois yesterday in preparation for fielding an uncertain lineup.

Perhaps the most striking debate regarding the Canucks season is whether they need to play all 56 games at all. The team is now ten points back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the North Division and seems unlikely to close that gap with such a condensed schedule (not to mention coming off such a long break). Games against the last-place Ottawa Senators for instance could potentially be chopped off the schedule, but it’s hard to decide just how to go about the rest of the games that could have playoff implications for the opponent. For instance, the Canucks have already played their full allotment of matches against the Montreal Canadiens, going 3-5-1 in the process. If the other playoff teams are not allowed to play their remaining games against one of the worst teams in the league, there could be some who feel the North Division standings are unfair, even if points percentage is used to determine seeding.

The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Deals That Didn’t Happen

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The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with relatively little fanfare. Deadline day saw just 17 trades made (a new 8-year low) that involved only 26 players (a new 20-year low). The obvious downside to a quiet deadline is that it’s not very exciting to follow and doesn’t create the same number of stretch run storylines to follow. The upside? With so little news to cover, nothing slipped through the cracks. Insiders, such as Elliotte Friedman, have come out with more “almost-trades” than in most years and they have been compiled below. Enjoy reveling in what could have been:

Nicolas Deslauriers to the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins and Anaheim Ducks came so close on a trade for Deslauriers that an article was published on the topic. Friedman reported that a deal was done, but then backtracked as talks fell apart. Pittsburgh ended up adding experience to their bottom-six from another West Division source, adding Jeff Carter from the Los Angeles Kings.

Jamie Oleksiak to the Edmonton Oilers

In the middle of the deadline day chaos, several pundits reported that Dallas Stars defenseman Oleksiak was on his way to Edmonton. Yet, as time ticked by and there was no announcement, it became clear that a deal had not been completed. Oleksiak had been linked to both Edmonton and the Toronto Maple Leafs but stay put, with the speculation now being the the Stars hope to re-sign him. The Oilers, who also missed out on Patrik Nemeth, ended up finding their stay-at-home defenseman in the New Jersey Devils’ Dmitry Kulikov.

Alex Goligoski, Vladislav Gavrikov, or Nikita Zadorov to the Winnipeg Jets

One of the biggest misses of the deadline was the Jets’ failure to add an impact defenseman. Winnipeg did add Jordie Benn late, but that hardly fills their gaping hole in the top-four. In retrospect, the mistake may have been focusing too much on defensemen who weren’t truly available. Friedman believes that the team tried to acquire either Gavrikov or Goligoski, or perhaps even both. Gavrikov would have been a very nice addition for the Jets, but by all accounts the young Columbus Blue Jackets defender was not really for sale. And while the Arizona Coyotes were expected to listen to offers for their expiring contracts, they ended up standing pat and not moving the veteran Goligoski. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Chicago Blackhawks were at least listening to offers for RFA blue liner Zadorov as well and the Jets made a push, but to no avail.

Taylor Hall to the New York Islanders or Vegas Golden Knights

Friedman began his post-deadline “31 Thoughts” by confirming the suspicions that Hall left the Buffalo Sabres little choice but to trade him to the Boston Bruins, stating that Hall had decided that was where he wanted to go and used his No-Movement Clause to make it happen. However, two other teams made a strong push and that was the Islanders and the Golden Knights. Hall was even open to joining New York, but once they acquired Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac he turned his focus to Boston even though the Isles maintained interest. The Sabres were seemingly very interested in making a deal with Vegas, as Friedman notes that multiple teams were contacted about acting as a salary cap broker for a potential deal. In the end, Hall preferred Boston and that is all that mattered.

Daniel Vladar or Jeremy Swayman to the Buffalo Sabres

Many have been critical of the Sabres’ return for Hall – a Boston second-round pick and forward Anders Bjork – but they tried their best to get more. Friedman reports that Buffalo asked Boston about moving one of their promising young keepers, as both Vladar and Swayman have shown NHL ability in recent weeks as the injury replacements in the Bruins net. However, once Boston knew that Hall wanted to go there and could control the decision, they held all the leverage. The team easily declined moving either talented netminder.

Conor Garland to the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vegas Golden Knights

While the team ended up acquiring Nick Foligno instead, Friedman notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs did express interest in affordable Arizona Coyotes forward Garland. Garland would have fit nicely under the cap, but would have been expensive to require and near impossible to re-sign for the cap-strapped Leafs. The team thus went in a different direction. The Golden Knights were also linked to Garland, but could not make a deal work with their division rival. Garland remaining with the Coyotes could be what is best for both parties in the long run anyhow.

Ryan Getzlaf to the Vegas Golden Knights or Montreal Canadiens

The Golden Knights just missed out on seemingly everyone, huh? Friedman notes that the team was close to adding Anaheim captain Getzlaf and the career Duck was open to the nearby move. However, Vegas allegedly was unwilling to meet the trade demands for the veteran center. For the same reason, the Canadiens likely missed out. Friedman notes that they had serious interest, but talks never got far. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now adds that the Penguins kicked the tires on Getzlaf as well, but never made a serious offer. Anaheim clearly put a high price tag on the face of the franchise and never even approached him about waiving his No-Movement Clause.

Travis Zajac to the Pittsburgh Penguins

While it’s easy to lose track of when trades were made and talks were had around the deadline, per Friedman it seems the Penguins had their sights first set on Zajac from New Jersey, then Getzlaf, and finally Carter. The Kings veteran is not a bad acquisition for a third choice. The Penguins do have to face Zajac on a fellow East Division contender the rest of the way though and surely hope that Carter proves to be the superior player head-to-head.

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