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Patrick Thoresen Announces Retirement

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Former Edmonton Oilers forward Patrick Thoresen has announced his retirement from professional hockey, via a social media post from the SHL’s Djurgårdens IF. Thoresen has spent the last 17 years marching around European pro leagues. He has played with teams in four different countries, and eight different leagues, in that span. Now, after winning a HockeyAllsvenskan championship with Djurgårdens last season, the 41-year-old left-winger has decided to hang up his skates.

Thoresen’s history in the NHL is rather brief. He went undrafted through eligibility in the 2002, 2003, and 2004 NHL Drafts – falling through a combined 27 rounds in the old nine-round format – despite recording a combined 191 points in 131 QMJHL games during his draft-eligible years. Thoresen returned to Europe for in the 2003-04 season and quickly stood out as a pro. He scored 41 points in 38 games in Sweden’s top minor league, then continued to produce for Djurgårdens in the SHL (then the SEL) with a combined 50 points in 80 games over the next two seasons.

The strong performances in Sweden were enough to catch the eye of the Edmonton Oilers, who signed Thorsen to his first NHL contract in May of 2006. He was a major standout during the team’s 2006-07 training camp and earned a spot on the opening night roster. But he struggled to maintain the momentum into his first NHL season, and recorded just 16 points and 52 penalty minutes in 68 games of his rookie season. He returned to Edmonton in the next year, but was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers mid-season after scoring just three points in 17 games with the Oilers. He added five more points in 21 games with the Flyers – a slowdown that seemed to clearly paint a mismatch between Thoresen’s style and the NHL. His action with the Oilers and Flyers was intercut by 34 games and 32 points in the AHL.

With two years of struggles behind him, Thoresen opted to return to Europe via a move to Lugano of the Swiss National League in 2008. He instantly bounced back to form, recording 63 points and 48 games of the 2008-09 season, then signing with the KHL’s Ufa Salavat in the following summer. Thoresen maintained his point-per-game scoring in Russia, and served as a crucial piece of Ufa’s run to the league championship in 2011 – the most recent title-win in club history. He moved to SKA following his championship run, continued to score, and eventually led SKA to their own championship run in 2015. In total, Thoresen managed 358 points in 375 games in the KHL between 2009 and 2015.

The next three seasons were spent in one-year stops with Djurgårdens, Zurich SC, and SKA – before Thoresen opted to become the face of the Norwegian league in 2018. He continued on through various levels of Norwegian pros until this past season, when he returned to Djurgårdens to support their surge back to the SHL. With 41 points in 48 games from Thoresen, Djurgårdens was able to lean on a long-time veteran in their push to a league promotion.

Thoresen was a fixture of Norway’s Men’s roster from 2003 to 2025. He appeared with the team in every year, even through international moves, and has served as one of the club’s captains since 2012. Like he did in every league he played in, Thoresen emerged as a star scorer for the Norway squad, and even recorded five points in three games of this year’s Olympic Games Qualifiers, at the age of 40. He retires as Norway’s leader in goals (47) and points-per-game (0.98) through 131 international games.

Thoresen will hang his skates up with a strong bid for being the greatest Norwegian pro of all time. His accomplishments spanned borders, and include two championships in the KHL, two in Norway, one in the HockeyAllsvenskan, and a former SHL MVP award. While he’ll move on from his playing career, it’s hard to imagine a veteran of more than 20 pro seasons will stay away for long.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports.

Islanders Sign Victor Eklund To Entry-Level Contract

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1:42 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Eklund will earn an NHL salary of $877.5K, an AHL salary of $85K, and a signing bonus of $97.5K each year, and up to an additional $500K in “A” performance bonuses. That’ll bring his cap hit to $975K, and his AAV up to $1.475MM.

1:30 p.m.: The New York Islanders have put pen to paper with one of their first-round selections of the 2025 NHL Draft. According to a team announcement, the Islanders have signed forward Victor Eklund to a three-year entry-level contract.

Using one of the draft selections acquired in the trade that sent defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, New York selected Eklund 16th overall. The Stockholm, Sweden native was the second-ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting, and was projected as a mid-first-round talent.

A teammate of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell, Eklund is coming off an impressive season with HockeyAllsvenskan’s Djurgårdens IF. His recent campaign saw his draft stock improve slightly, as Daily Faceoff projected him as the 24th overall pick around this time last year.

Helping promote Djurgårdens IF back to the SHL after their relegation in 2021-22, Eklund scored 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games with a +16 rating. In their postseason run back to the SHL, Eklund scored an additional two goals and seven points in 18 contests, besting AIK in the SHL Qualifier Final in five games.

He’s shown first-rate talent on the international stage, particularly over the last two years. Suiting up for Sweden’s U18 and U20 teams, Eklund has scored six goals and 12 points in 14 games during his age-appropriate appearances in the IIHF World Junior Championships. Additionally, he’s tallied 16 goals and 38 points in 40 international contests (including his WJC appearances).

It’ll be an important developmental year for the recent first-round selection. Eklund will have the opportunity to play in one of the better international leagues outside of the NHL, which should legitimize his offensive capabilities should he continue his developmental arc. Being a team starved for offense, Eklund may have a one-and-done year in the SHL should he flourish.

Ducks Sign Lucas Pettersson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed 2024 second-round draft pick Lucas Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Pettersson split his season between Sweden’s SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan, and is expected to return to the SHL’s MoDo Hockey next year.

Pettersson had a quiet introduction to the pro flight. He earned a call-up to the SHL after netting eight points in eight games in Sweden’s U20 league – but struggled to find a clear groove in a fourth-line SHL role. Recognizing the struggles following numerous lineup changes, MoDo opted to send Pettersson to the HockeyAllsvenskan (HA) for the entirety of January. Having his feet under him launched Pettersson’s performance. He scored a hat trick in his first game on assignment, then proceeded to net 14 points in 12 HA games throughout January and early February.

Pettersson followed his hot streak in the HA with a quartet of international friendlies with Sweden’s U20 club. He scored three points in the four games, but didn’t stay lit when he returned to league play in mid-February. By the time he rediscovered his pace – with four points in three HA games to end February – MoDo opted to bring the dynamic forward back to the top flight.

When all was said and done, Pettersson ended his season with 19 points in 26 HA games, one assist in 29 SHL games, and eight points in eight J20 (U20) games. His 0.73 point-per-game scoring pace in the HA fell just behind 2025 NHL Draft stars Anton Frondell (0.86) and Victor Eklund (0.74) on the league’s U19 leaderboards. The trio posted the highest scoring paces since Noah Ostlund (0.70, 2022-23), Lucas Elvenes (0.95, 2017-18), and Elias Pettersson (0.95, 2016-17).

Lucas Pettersson earned high-end consideration for much of the 2024 draft season. He earned a second-round bid after posting 27 goals and 57 points in 44 J20 games, though some outlets had him ranked as high as an early-20s talent. He’s a flashy, agile forward with strong puck-skills and sharp offensive instinct. Those traits will need to become consistent and refined as he eyes a move to North America, but another year in the SHL could go far in preparing Pettersson to join an often Swede-friendly Ducks lineup.

Big Hype Prospects: Fowler, McKenna, Lardis, Frondell

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Mid-March is rolling around and hockey seasons are entering their waning point. Many college seasons are already concluded, while plenty of players in junior hockey are beginning to prepare for long playoff runs or springtime international hockey. It’s the final wave of action before the season comes to an end, so let’s take the chance to once again borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to bring you four of the hottest U21 players in hockey.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA Hockey East, ’23 Montreal Canadiens)
32 GP – 24-5-2 – 0.941 Sv% – 1.62 GAA

Another season is coming to its end, which means it’s time for Jacob Fowler to receive his annual flowers. He’s won MVP awards and (or) championship rings in every single season of his junior hockey journey, and this year proved no exception. Fowler posted an incredibly .941 save percentage this season, the second highest in all of college behind 24-year-old junior Alex Tracy (.944). That masterclass performance was recognized on Thursday when Fowler unanimously won the Hockey East goalie of the year award. He beat out fantastic competition, namely Maine’s brick wall Albin Boija. The 20-year-old Fowler took a major stride forward from his 32-6-1 record and .926 Sv% last season – which was itself a continuation of the pair of above-.920 seasons he posted in the USHL. Fowler now holds the record for U17 save percentage in the USHL, won the USHL playoff MVP in a 2023 championship run, and now just matched Connor Hellebuyck’s save percentage in his age-20 season. Fowler is cool, calm, collected – and above all else – amazingly consistent. He’s proven to be a star at Boston College, and likely won’t be long from trying to do the same in the NHL.

Gavin McKenna, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL, 2026 NHL Draft)
53 GP – 34 G – 80 A – 114 TP – 17 PIM – +51

This is now Gavin McKenna’s third mention in our big hype prospects series – but there is simply no other player worth such acclaim. McKenna has continued to show his superstardom, dazzling even without standout centerman and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha. He extended his active scoring streak to 37 games on Friday, tying thee Sidney Crosby for the second-longest point streak among CHL players since 2000-01. He’s only behind Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who stretched his streak to 65 games. McKenna has taken to a more prominent center role this season, to great effect. It’s pushed him to be more physical, or find even niftier ways to beat defenders. He’s slick on the puck and makes incredibly intelligent plays – capable of beating defenders with some of the simplest, but most effective, punch stops and quick cuts. There’s been no doubt that McKenna was going to be the first-overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft – but his performance this season, and namely this calendar year, have cemented that fact in a way that hasn’t been rivaled since Rasmus Dahlin, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid. McKenna is thee clear-cut star of his age group – and still has a year of junior (or collegiate) hockey to find yet another gear to his game.

Nick Lardis, LW/C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL, ’23 Chicago Blackhawks)
63 GP – 71 G – 44 A – 115 TP – 16 PIM – +20

Continuing the conversation of record-setting seasons is Blackhawks wing prospect Nick Lardis, who sits just one goal back from all-time heights. His 71 goals this season are the second-highest in the OHL since 2000 – and just one back from what former exceptional status superstar John Tavares managed in the 2006-07 season. Lardis has taken an incredible stride forward after potting 29 goals and 50 points in 37 games last year; and 25 goals and 46 points in 33 games of 2022-23. He’s developed a knack for the scoring imbalance, finding more goals than assists on the back of great positioning around the net, hard-nosed puck battles, and a killer wrist shot. Lardis simply can’t be left alone in the lower two-thirds of the offensive zone – which has proven a major challenge considering defenders also have to monitor teammate and fellow Blackhawks prospect Marek Vanacker. The mix of Vanacker’s nifty hands and ability to control space, and Lardis’ hot-shot scoring, has been simply too much to bear for OHL defenses. With both players in their pipeline, Chicago has a real chance to ensure that their chemistry remains overwhelming for NHL opponents as well.

Anton Frondell, RW/C, Djurgardens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan, 2025 NHL Draft)
29 GP – 11 G – 14 A – 25 TP – 16 PIM – +11

Health has been the obstacle for star 2025 NHL Draft prospect Anton Frondell. He’s missed big chunks of games in October, November, December, and February of this season – intercut with spot starts. But when he’s healthy, there may be no international talent that rivals Frondell in this draft class. He has a simply jaw-dropping 14 points in his last eight games in the HA – Sweden’s second-tier pros. That scoring includes a four-point night and a three-point night in what is a very competitive, and often low-scoring, pro league. Finally, with his feet and his health under him, Frondell’s offense is exploding. He may be dancing a little too late for the crowd, but his ability to control the puck and work through space on the boards is incredible. Frondell has a powerful frame and drives hard to the slot – or steps back for hard wrist shots when defenders block his lanes. He’s a lethal threat north of the red line, with the positioning and grit to stay effective on the defensive side as well. Frondell will – or, should – be a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. If he keeps up this recent performance, that number could rise north of top-five. The World U18 Championships will be his best chance to prove his worth to NHL brass. That tournament begins on April 23rd.

International Notes: Leipsic, Bitten, Timashov, Gagner

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The current roster freeze will prevent several roster moves in the NHL over the next few days. However, that won’t stop roster moves on the international stage, particularly in the Kontinental Hockey League. A couple of those transactions overseas include notable former NHL talent.

Longtime NHL veteran Brendan Leipsic has been traded in the KHL from Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg to Sibir Novosibirsk, per a release from the latter. In his first season with Yekaterinburg, Leipsic scored six goals and seven points in 25 KHL contests. It’s been six years since Leipsic suited up in the NHL, most recently for the Capitals. The former third-round pick of the Nashville Predators played in 187 games in the NHL from 2016 to 2020, scoring 16 goals and 59 points overall. He’s been far more productive in Russia, scoring 46 goals and 114 points in 197 games since joining the KHL ranks in 2020-21.

Other international transactions:

  • Former NHL prospect William Bitten is on the move in the KHL. Anton Nekrasov of Championat confirmed that HK Sochi has claimed Bitten off waivers from Spartak Moscow. Only a year removed from scoring 39 goals and 78 points in 133 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds and debuting in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 2022-23, Bitten’s transition to the KHL has been nothing short of disastrous. He scored one goal and five points in 21 games for Moscow, leading the team to move on relatively quickly.
  • In a corresponding move, Sochi released former Maple Leafs, Red Wings, and Islanders winger Dmytro Timashov, the team announced on Telegram. The 28-year-old Swede has been a non-factor in his first season in Russia, posting a goal and three assists in 22 games. He last suited up in the NHL with the Isles in 2020-21 and has quickly established himself as a European journeyman since, suiting up in Sweden and Switzerland before arriving in Sochi over the offseason. A fifth-round pick of Toronto in 2015, Timashov recorded four goals and five assists in 45 NHL contests while averaging 8:30 per game across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
  • Unrestricted free agent center Sam Gagner is in Sweden training with Djurgårdens IF of the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, reports Andreas Hanson of HockeyNews.se. Gagner, 35, has yet to play in 2024-25 but was recently named to Team Canada’s roster for this year’s Spengler Cup. The veteran of 1,043 NHL games could sign overseas for the first time since playing in Austria during the 2012 lockout if he has a decent showing at the tournament. After posting 10 points in 28 games in a limited role with the Oilers last season, Gagner signed a professional tryout with the Hurricanes in September but was released at the end of training camp.

PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed to this article.

International Notes: Mendel, Petrovsky, Bellerive

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Free agent defenseman Griffin Mendel is considering a move to Czechia’s Rytiri Kladno after failing to land a qualifying offer from the Hurricanes earlier this summer, sources tell Elite Prospects.

Mendel, 25, spent most of last season on loan to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves after signing a two-way contract with Carolina in July 2023. Undrafted, Mendel played four seasons of collegiate hockey at the University of Denver and played a fifth year for Quinnipiac before turning pro on an AHL deal with the Wolves in 2022. He impressed enough in his first professional season, playing in all 72 regular-season games alongside Carolina’s prospects and recording 19 points, to earn his first NHL pact.

But Mendel slipped out of an everyday role with the Wolves last season. The 6’6″, 220-lb defender was limited to 44 appearances, recording two goals, six assists, eight points, 35 PIMs, and a -9 rating. He spent a brief time on assignment to the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, with whom the Hurricanes had a working agreement last season, posting six points and a +3 rating in eight games there.

Without much of a path to NHL time, he’ll look to carve out a role overseas. In doing so, he may join the long list of players to suit up alongside Jaromir Jagr professionally. The 52-year-old will return to Kladno for his eighth straight season since leaving the NHL in 2017. It’ll mark Jagr’s 37th straight season playing professionally, likely to last as a record for quite some time.

More updates from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean:

  • Former Wild forward prospect Servac Petrovsky has found a safety net for this season with Czechia’s Bili Tygri Liberec, where the club says he’s been participating in training camp and preseason on a tryout basis. Petrovsky, 20, was a sixth-round pick of Minnesota in 2022 but became a free agent in June after failing to land an entry-level contract following the close of his junior career with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. He might still have an opportunity to land an NHL contract, though, as the Czech club noted he’ll be attending rookie camp with the Utah Hockey Club in hopes of earning a deal. If he doesn’t, though, Liberec confirmed they’ll sign him for 2024-25. Petrovsky had 55 points in 57 games with Owen Sound last season and was electric at the 2024 World Juniors for his native Slovakia, leading them in scoring with five goals and four assists in five games.
  • After a tumultuous 2023-24 campaign, AHL mainstay Jordy Bellerive is continuing his career overseas with Sweden’s AIK, the club announced in a press release. The 25-year-old forward began last season on a contract with the Flyers’ affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but was traded twice during the season and ended up logging time with the San Jose Barracuda and the Syracuse Crunch. Once an undrafted free agent signing by the Penguins, Bellerive struggled to produce with just 12 points in 59 games across the three clubs. He hasn’t been affiliated with an NHL club since being non-tendered by Pittsburgh in 2022.

International Notes: Keeper, Bergman, Asselin

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After spending last season on a two-way deal with the Canadiens, defenseman Brady Keeper is headed to Slovakia on a one-year deal with HK Poprad, the team announced.

Keeper, 28, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Panthers out of Maine in 2019 and stayed mostly in the minors, only suiting up for the big club twice before his entry-level contract expired in 2021. Injuries have limited him to 57 combined regular-season AHL games over the past three years, during which he’s spent time in the Canadiens and Canucks organizations.

He had a goal and three assists with 53 PIMs and a +1 rating in 22 games for Montreal’s affiliate in Laval last season. Poprad, which had the best regular-season record in the Slovak Extraliga last season, will be his first overseas stop.

Some other notable international signings to come across the wire today:

  • Former Sharks prospect Julius Bergman is continuing his tour of his native Sweden, now landing with Nybro Vikings IF on a three-year contract. The 28-year-old Stockholm native had his rights dealt to the Senators and Rangers before opting to return home in 2019 after a four-year professional career spent entirely in the AHL. He’s played mostly for Swedish clubs but finished last season in Slovakia with HC Slovan Bratislava, where he had three points in 10 games. He’ll suit up for Nybro now, which plays in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. The 2014 second-round pick of San Jose previously had 19 points in 75 Allsvenskan games for Karlskrona HK and Sodertalje SK.
  • Center Samuel Asselin, once an undrafted free agent signing by the Bruins, is heading over to Switzerland’s HC Sierre on a two-year deal. Asselin, 26, spent last season on an AHL contract with the Islanders’ affiliate in Bridgeport after being non-tendered by Boston in 2023. He wasn’t much of a factor, contributing six goals and 16 points in 52 games on one of the AHL’s worst teams. The 5’11”, 183-lb forward will look to play a pivotal role for Sierre, which suits up in the second-tier Sky Swiss League.

International/Minor Transactions: Thoresen, Voynov, Kawaguchi, Skirving

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Veteran forward Patrick Thoresen will play during his age-41 season as he’s signed a contract to play for Djurgårdens IF of HockeyAllsvenskan according to his previous team, Storhamar in Norway. The international veteran started his professional career in the 2003-04 season with Mörrums GoIS of HockeyAllsvenskan after a brief two-year stint in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Although he’s mostly known for his international efforts, Thoresen spent two years in the NHL from 2006-08 with the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers where he collected six goals and 24 points in 106 games as the first undrafted Norwegian to crack an NHL roster. Unfortunately, his NHL career did not pan out as expected and Thoresen returned to Europe with HC Lugano in Switzerland.

Thoresen has also regularly represented Team Norway in the Olympic Games and the World Championships where he’s collected nine points in 13 games in the former, and 55 points in 66 games in the latter. During the World Championships in 2012, Thoresen scored seven goals and 18 points in only eight games which ended up being one point less than tournament scoring leader Evgeni Malkin.

Other international/minor transactions:

  • Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL announced they have signed former NHL defenseman Slava Voynov to a contract for the 2024-25 season. Voynov was a member of the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL where he helped the team win Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 while collecting 18 goals and 81 points in 190 career games. Infamously, Voynov pleaded no contest to a reduced misdemeanor charge in a domestic violence case brought forward by his wife Marta Varlamova on December 1st, 2014. The Kings terminated Voynov’s contract on September 17th, 2015 and he has continued his career in Russia ever since.
  • Former captain at the University of North Dakota, Jordan Kawaguchi, is trying his luck in the Elite Ice Hockey League as the Belfast Giants announced they have signed the young forward for the 2024-25 season. Kawaguchi managed a productive career in North Dakota before signing his entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars in 2021. Unfortunately, Kawaguchi failed to make much noise in the AHL with the Texas Stars and was demoted to playing with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. He was much more productive in Idaho but he briefly retired after the 2022-23 ECHL season due to injuries such as concussions, a torn MCL, and a broken thumb. Kawaguchi still returned to hockey last year and scored eight goals and 31 points in 23 games for the Steelheads.
  • Longtime ECHL veteran Todd Skirving is sticking in the league as he has signed a one-year contract with the Reading Royals as announced by the team. It will be Skirving’s seventh straight season in the ECHL and his first in Reading. Split between the Orlando Solar Bears, Utah Grizzlies, Atlanta Gladiators, Newfoundland Growlers, and the Florida Everblades, Skirving has scored 74 goals and 149 points in 301 ECHL games while winning a Kelly Cup in 2019 with the Growlers, and last year with the Everblades.

Top Questions Facing The 2025 NHL Draft Class

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The summer has hit its snag, with new staff hires and final additions headlining an otherwise stalled free agency. But plenty of excitement awaits the hockey world in the 2025 NHL Draft – the latest feature in a string of five strong draft classes between 2023 and 2027. 2025 contributes a long list of top forward prospects and unique defenders, though how draft day will shape up next year is still all but certain. Let’s dive into the top questions facing what’s sure to be an exciting class.

Who Comes After James Hagens?

The 2025 class doesn’t feature the runaway first-overall prospect that 2023 and 2024 did – but Boston College centerman James Hagens has done plenty to prove his case early on. He’s shown all of the pace and skill of a blue-chip prospect, leading last season’s U18 NTDP roster with 102 points across 58 games, 13 more points than any of his teammates. He’ll now succeed Will Smith as the centerman between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard – giving Hagens the ideal setting to stamp his place at first overall.

But the list of who will come next runs long. Swedish centerman Anton Frondell has proven an early favorite, after fighting his way to a pro debut in the HockeyAllsvenskan, on the back of powerful and mature playmaking. He’ll be challenged by Hagens’ successors at the NTDP, Conrad Fondrk and Will Moore, as well as top Russian Ivan Ryabkin. All three could also lose way to a strong defender class, especially if pro teams fancy the size of Sascha Boumedienne or the smooth passing of Logan Hensler. Even then, all of these players could lose out to perhaps the biggest uncertainty of the year…

Who Is Canada’s Top Forward?

Even with an American vying for first overall, CHL hockey headlines the 2025 NHL Draft. Their class is headlined by top-tier prospects Michael Misa and Porter Martone; perhaps the two current favorites to go second overall. Misa earned exceptional status for the OHL in 2022 and quickly vindicated it with a historic rookie year, scoring 56 points in 45 games, the highest scoring pace of any exceptional-status rookie in OHL history. He won the league’s Emms Family ‘Rookie of the Year’ Award that season, even despite a six-week absence due to a fractured tibia, and followed the performance up with 75 points in 67 games this season.

Misa is the flashy pick for top Canadian, though Martone has fought his way into the debate on the back of very hard-nosed and tireless hockey. His work ethic headlines his game, even despite Martone having the fine skills to beat the OHL’s finest. He scored 71 points in 60 OHL games this season – a higher pace than Misa – and managed a dazzling 17 points in seven games at the World U-18 Championships, while captaining Team Canada to a gold medal. Martone’s leadership qualities, special teams upside, and 6-foot-3 frame could all prove more favorable to NHL teams looking for projectable skills.

Behind Misa and Martone is a litany of promising talent – including Malcolm Spence, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, Justin Carbonneau, Jake O’Brien, Jordan Gavin, and Emile Guite. Each of the high-scoring CHL forwards boasts plenty of unique upside, from Spence’s ability to perform in the spotlight to O’Brien’s all-three-zones ability. They’ve all found their way into first round consideration next year, and could each join the heights of Martone and Misa with another big step next year.

Which Defender Emerges On Top?

The 2024 class was defined by a lost list of strong defenders, but teams who missed a chance at the bounty will find plenty of consolation next year. It’ll once again be a stylistic bout, with Sascha Boumedienne offering hefty and powerful drive, Logan Hensler boasting smooth skating and hard passing, and the pair of Charlie Trethewey and Luka Radivojevic battling for title of top offensive defenseman.

Boumedienne and Hensler are set for a collegiate faceoff, with the former joining the high-offense Boston University while the latter looks to become the top prospect at the University of Wisconsin. The two settings couldn’t be more opposed, with BU retooling a championship-caliber team with top prospects while UW looks to find their footing under new head coach Mike Hastings. That creates very different training grounds for top draft prospects, with Boumedienne seeming to gain and edge in surrounding cast but Hensler clearly set for a starring role.

Radivojevic, the son of former NHL defender Branko Radivojevic, stands as a particularly interesting prospect as well. He’s flashed fantastic athleticism and awareness on the puck, even while facing the challenges of a skinny 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, recording a strong 33 points in 43 games in Sweden’s U20 league this season. He’s opted to not join Team Slovakia at the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup, instead fully preparing for his first professional season with the SHL’s Örebro HK, after playing his first six pro games last year. He’ll be seeking both his first SHL point, and high draft standing, on a stout Örebro lineup.

And while the year’s top defender seems featured in this group of four, Canada’s Kashawn Aitcheson, Reese Hamilton, or Louis-Alex Tremblay could each fight to steal the title. They headline a defense class that’s certain to face plenty of scrutiny, juxtaposed by an endless list of talented forwards.

Red Wings Sign First-Rounder Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will carry an annual average value of $975K. Detroit selected Brandsegg-Nygård with the 16th overall pick this year, making him the first Norwegian to ever be selected in the first round. He was quickly succeeded by defender Stian Solberg, who the Anaheim Ducks selected at 23rd overall.

Brandsegg-Nygård earns his first NHL contract on the back of a standout year in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier league. He spent 41 games with Mora IK, recording eight goals and 18 points. While meager scoring at a glance, Brandsegg-Nygård’s production actually marks the most any draft-year player has scored in the league since 2018 – and the ninth-most of all time. He earned his keep on the back of a very high-energy and responsible game.

He adheres closely to his position – but still shows impressive tempo and heft on the forecheck and quick processing when he fights his way onto the puck. He seems mature beyond his years, a sentiment stamped by his fantastic international performances. Brandsegg-Nygård recorded three goals and five points in five World Juniors games, defiantly leading an outmatched Norway squad. He matched the stat line in seven World Championship games with Norway’s men’s squad this summer, showing his ability to make an impact on any stage.

An entry-level deal will open the possibility of Brandsegg-Nygård joining the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and maybe even vying for an NHL role next season, though he’s currently expected to join the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK. That should prove a plenty viable sparring ground for the high-tempo Brandsegg-Nygård as he looks to add next-level offensive traits to what is a very responsible toolset.

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