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Carolina Hurricanes Sign Michael Fora To Two-Year Deal

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The Carolina Hurricanes must have been paying attention at the most recent IIHF World Championship, as they’ve signed Michael Fora to a two-year entry-level contract. Fora was a big part of Switzerland’s silver medal run at the Worlds, playing in a pure shutdown role against some of the best players in the world. Speaking about his newest defenseman, GM Don Waddell had this to say:

Michael is a good-sized defenseman who had a strong season in Ambri and was used in a top-pairing shutdown role during Switzerland’s run at the World Championship. He adds depth to our defensive corps on the right side.

Fora, 22, should be plenty familiar with life in North America, as he spent a year playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL when he was younger. He recorded 32 points that season but went undrafted, and needed to prove that he could continue to grow and develop in the defensive end. He’s now a solid all-around player who could compete for an NHL job in the future. He’ll likely be headed for the Charlotte Checkers for the time being.

Carolina is working hard to solidify their minor league squad, already re-signing several key members over the last month. The team is rumored to be preparing for big changes to the NHL club around the draft, and with the second-overall pick could be ready to move in a different direction around different players. Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk and Noah Hanifin have all been the most talked about names, but almost anyone on the roster seems available for the right price. Bringing in low-risk talent like Fora is just one way for the team to reinforce their entire organization while looking to move out some of the top names.

Snapshots: Josi, Condors, Kempny

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Roman Josi couldn’t drag the Nashville Predators or Switzerland to victory this year, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. As reported in swisshockeynews.ch today, Josi broke his hand in the IIHF World Championship semi-final game against Canada, but still suited up in the final for nearly 30 minutes of ice time. Apparently the Swiss team needed to get permission from the Predators to have him continue to play, likely meaning it’s not a serious injury for the Nashville captain.

Josi will be expected to log big minutes once again for the Predators next season as he continues to close in on the end of his current contract. The 28-year old defenseman is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020, meaning an extension from GM David Poile and the team just over a year from now seems like almost a sure thing. Josi will carry a cap hit of just $4MM this season and next, another one of the Predators’ mind-boggling bargains on the back end. He, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis combine for just a $10.25MM cap hit and are among the best at their position—broken hand and all.

  • The Bakersfield Condors have hired Dave Manson as an assistant coach for next season, joining the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL affiliate and head coach Jay Woodcroft. Manson, former NHL player and father of Anaheim Ducks’ defenseman Josh Manson, had been coaching with the Prince Albert Raiders since his retirement in 2002. The Condors will try to get back to the playoffs next season, after finishing just 31-27-10 in 2017-18.
  • Michal Kempny has been a huge part of the Washington Capitals success since coming over from the Chicago Blackhawks during the season, but even he wasn’t expecting to have such an impact. In fact, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, Kempny was considering returning to Europe at some point as he doubted his future in the NHL. The 27-year old shouldn’t have to worry about that any longer, as he’s done enough to earn a contract offer from the Capitals at very least, and likely many more suitors on the open market should he decide to test unrestricted free agency this summer.

Elvis Merzlikins Will Not Come To North America In 2018-19

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Though there have been plenty of rumors floating around since his impressive performance at the IIHF World Championship, Elvis Merzlikins won’t be coming over to North America just yet. The Lavtian goaltender tweeted out his intention to play at least one more season for HC Lugano in the Swiss NLA, meaning he won’t be competing for a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets for at least another year.

Merzlikins, 24, has been the Latvian international goalie of note for several years, and outdid himself at this year’s Worlds by posting a .940 save percentage in six games. That included taking both the USA and Canada to overtime and pushing the eventual champions Sweden to the brink of elimination in their quarter-final matchup. Though he was selected four years ago, his draft rights will not expire next week like many other European players. That’s because of the lack of transfer agreement between the NLA and NHL, meaning the Blue Jackets will have more chances to convince him to come to North America in the future.

His contract with Lugano is expected to expire after this season, which gives the Blue Jackets a very interesting option for the 2019-20 season. Both Sergei Bobrovsky (UFA) and Joonas Korpisalo (RFA) are set to become free agents next summer, meaning Columbus will have some tough decisions on how to proceed with their goaltending going forward. If Merzlikins posts another big year in the NLA, and another solid performance in the Worlds, perhaps he’d be considered as a direct-to-NHL option for them. The 6’3″ goaltender has certainly held his own whenever facing off against some of the NHL’s best.

Western Notes: Pettersson, Fabbri, Blues, Skinner

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The Vancouver Canucks top prospect Elias Pettersson received a gold medal today at the IIHF World Championships. While the 19-year-old center did not  play after fracturing his thumb last week in a game against finals opponent Switzerland, there is also no word on whether he intends to sign his entry-level deal with the Canucks either, according to Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal said he believes that Pettersson has yet to make up his mind about whether he wants to sign with Vancouver or stay another year in the SHL and play another year for Vaxjo. There is no timetable when the 2017 fifth-overall pick will make his decision.

  • In a mailbag edition, St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon writes that the best option for both the St. Louis Blues and restricted free agent Robby Fabbri is a one-year deal. Fabbri who hasn’t played a game since Feb. 4, 2017, is recovering from a torn ACL injury and had to undergo surgery a second time in training camp this year when he reinjured the same knee. Gordon writes with his value at an all-time low, as many players have trouble coming back from double surgery to the same knee, so both teams would want a one-year deal, including Fabbri who would want to prove to everyone he’s healthy if he wants to cash in on a lucrative contract.
  • Sticking with the Blues, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that the St. Louis Blues continue to shop some of worst contracts in hopes of clearing some cap space, including Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and goaltender Jake Allen, although it’s unlikely they would be able to move any of those contracts. The 29-year-old Berglund has a $3.85MM AAV deal for another four years. Sobotka has two more years at $3.5MM AAV, while Allen has three more years at $4.35MM.
  • The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) evaluates the play of Edmonton Oilers goaltending prospect Stuart Skinner, who has been a solid prospect, but had a really good stretch after he was traded to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. The 2017 third-rounder posted a .932 postseason save percentage in 26 games, leading Swift Current to the WHL title. Is he the goalie of the future for the Oilers? Mitchell compares the prospect to other top goaltending prospects, but still admits its too early to know how good he could be. Regardless, the Oilers have something to look forward to in the future.

 

Eastern Notes: Callahan, Burke, Mascherin

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After undergoing two hip surgeries a year ago, veteran forward Ryan Callahan has been a key player for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. While his defensive skills and penalty killing have been critical for the Lightning, he also contributed a goal and an assist Saturday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. What’s amazing, writes The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required), is that Callahan admits that he thought he would need season-ending surgery back in December when he suffered a serious shoulder injury.

The 33-year-old collided with Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a Dec. 14 against the Arizona Coyotes in which the two players got tangled and Callahan’s shoulder vaulted into the boards. He lost three weeks of his season, rehabbing the injury, but returned in early January. Despite re-injuring the shoulder in March, he has not let up and continues to throw his body around for the Lightning in the playoffs.

“There’s no question the last three years have been tough for me,” Callahan said. “I think, for me, I appreciate this even more, especially being in the league for 12 years now too. You realize you don’t get this chance and this opportunity very often. I appreciate it and I realize how hard it is to win. And I’m trying to take advantage of it.”

  • Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette writes that Montreal Canadiens scout Sean Burke, who served as co-general manager with Martin Brodeur, for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships this week, has no idea what his next step will be. Burke, who has served as a scout for Canadiens’ head coach Marc Bergevin, said he might like to return as a scout, but will wait to see if he gets a better offer. “(Marc) Bergevin has been great with me in allowing me to do both roles and gain experience here as well. So we’ll see what’s down the road, but like everybody in this business you’re looking to get better and I’ve been fortunate to work with great people,” Burke said.
  • In his most recent podcast, TSN’s Bob McKenzie talks about Florida Panthers prospect Adam Mascherin, who says he will not sign with the team and has indicated he wants to re-enter the 2018 draft. The Panthers’ 2016 second-round pick claims to have been treated poorly by the Panthers and claims to not have been offered an entry-level deal. McKenzie says the Panthers have offered him an entry-level deal, a lucrative one that compares to that of the one that the Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat signed. He chose not to sign, because he “wasn’t feeling the love.” McKenzie adds that Mascherin is playing a dangerous game if he re-enters the draft as most players who re-enter get drafted lower and get lesser contracts.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?

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As the bronze medal game gets underway at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, Sweden and Switzerland prepare for their gold medal clash this afternoon. The meeting could be considered a lopsided affair, with the Swedes stomping through the tournament with no problem, but don’t call the Swiss underdogs in front of Canada and Finland, two powerhouses that they’ve already taken down.

The game is something of a rarity for Switzerland, who has collected just one medal at the tournament since 1953. That was a silver in 2013, something they hope to better this time around.

Players on both sides know each other quite well. Sweden received a huge boost mid-tournament when the Nashville Predators were eliminated, meaning Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm could all join. The Presidents Trophy-winning players immediately made an impact at the tournament, but there were several others that left Nashville for Denmark.

Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala have starred in Switzerland’s two elimination wins, with the latter providing the quick pass to put them up over Canada in the second period. They’ll have to take on their Nashville brethren this afternoon, and hope they can do something to crack the impenetrable Swedish defense.

The game is scheduled for 1:15pm (CT).

Will Sweden romp to a second-straight gold medal? Can the Swiss continue this Cinderella story? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.

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Sweden To Take On Switzerland At IIHF World Championship Final

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The 2018 IIHF World Championship final will feature a stunning matchup, with defending champions Sweden taking on Switzerland. The Swedes annihilated the USA earlier today, winning 6-0 on the back of another great performance from Anders Nilsson. Late additions in Patric Hornqvist and Viktor Arvidsson made a big difference again, and the Swedes are looking about as unstoppable as a team can in an international tournament. They are undefeated so far, and have an All-Star level lineup from nearly top to bottom.

Switzerland on the other hand has had to battle to get to this point, knocking off Finland and Canada on the way to the finals. Today, the Swiss outlasted a Canadian onslaught in the third period to win 3-2, as Connor McDavid couldn’t carry his team to victory. The Swiss will have to try and puncture the outstanding Swedish defense, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Klingberg, Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm and Adam Larsson. Roman Josi and company will have a tough test, but can’t be ruled out after knocking out two powerhouses already.

The game is scheduled for 1:15pm (CT) tomorrow afternoon.

Team USA and Canada aren’t done though, as they’ll play the bronze medal game in the morning. After such an unexpected crushing defeat this morning, Patrick Kane and the rest of the US will have to try to bounce back and stop taking retaliatory penalties. Canada, who lost in an even bigger upset, will need to keep their heads in the tournament if they want to medal once again. Their game is set for 8:45am.

For Switzerland, this will be just the second medal since 1953 and a chance at gold for the first time in history. The team won silver back in 2013 on a similar improbable run, but could even top that by taking down the undefeated Swedes tomorrow afternoon.

Devils Closing In On Signing Yegor Yakovlev

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While there has been rumors of the New Jersey Devils intention of signing KHL defenseman Yegor Yakovlev this offseason, no deal has happened. However, international journalist Igor Eronko spoke to New Jersey’s general manager Ray Shero, who confirmed that the team hopes to sign the defenseman after the IIHF World Championships.

“We haven’t officially signed him yet, but once IIHF Worlds is over, we’ll see coming back on Monday. Hopefully we can finalize something,” Shero said.

Yakovlev also said that he is eager to sign with the Devils, according to Eronko.

“The Devils have scouted me for 3 years,” Yakovlev said. “They really wanted to see me on the team. That’s why I chose New Jersey and I’m really happy to join the organization. I know they play a fast smart hockey and I like it.”

The 26-year-old defenseman could continue to add depth to a team that more than a year ago had little defensive options. In the last year, the team has upgraded some of its defenders with college free agent Will Butcher, who had a solid rookie season, as well as trading for Sami Vatanen from the Anaheim Ducks.

Yakovlev has spent the last three years playing for KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg. He tallied five goals and nine points in 35 regular season games and also played in the Olympics this year in Pyeongchang for the Russian team that won the gold medal.

 

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Juuso Riikola

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Friday: The Penguins have made the signing official. Riikola has signed a one-year entry-level contract, and will join the Pittsburgh organization for the 2018-19 season.

Thursday: According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with undrafted European free agent Juuso Riikola. Riikola was eliminated along with the rest of Finland today from the IIHF World Championship. The 24-year old is eligible to sign a one-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

Riikola has been a fixture with KalPa in Finland’s top professional league for several years, and put up another solid season this year with 24 points in 59 games. The left-handed defenseman will enter a Penguins system that is relatively void of defensive prospects, and could get a chance quickly with the organization.

There’s no telling when the team would try him out at the NHL level, but for a club that is always fighting the salary cap due to big commitments to several forwards, adding cheap defensive depth is a positive. There is a chance the Penguins will buy out Matt Hunwick’s contract this summer, leaving another roster spot open for someone to come in and fill. Riikola could potentially be that player if he adapts quickly to the North American game, especially now that Andrey Pedan is heading to the KHL.

Semi-Finals Set For IIHF World Championship

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In an incredible upset, Switzerland defeated Finland 3-2 today in the IIHF World Championship quarter-finals. Finland was the top seed in the tournament after handing both the USA and Canada losses during the group stage, but lost to the upstart Swiss squad that had received reinforcements like Roman Josi in recent days. Switzerland will have to take on Canada, who outlasted Russia and scored in overtime on the powerplay.

In the other semi-final, Team USA will meet Sweden in a clash of tournament powerhouses after they dispatched the Czech Republic and Latvia earlier today. That game will feature a matchup of some of the tournament’s best forwards in Patrick Kane and Cam Atkinson taking on Sweden’s tough defensive unit that includes Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Klingberg, Hampus Lindholm, Adam Larsson and Mattias Ekholm.

The schedule for Saturday is as follows:

  • USA (7-1-0) vs Sweden (8-0-0) – 8:15am
  • Switzerland (5-2-1) vs Canada (6-1-1) – 12:15am

(times in CT)

While international tournaments may have no bearing on Stanley Cup results, these tournaments are huge moments in a player’s career. For teenaged skaters like Tyson Jost, Pierre-Luc Dubois or Quinn Hughes, it’s a chance to really show what you can do against the best players in the world.

The gold medal and bronze medal games will be held on Sunday, May 20th.

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