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Snapshots: Trouba, Worlds, Subban

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Jacob Trouba was a big hockey story in the summer of 2016, when he held out on the Winnipeg Jets and asked for a trade. Trouba wouldn’t sign a new contract as a restricted free agent until November 7th of that year, missing a month of the season before settling on a two-year $6MM deal. The prevailing thought at that point was that Trouba wasn’t happy with his role or future on the team since the Jets already had Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers locked in on the right side, but things seemed to have changed in the years since.

Today, Jim Toth of TSN 1290 reported that Trouba has told his agent he wants to be with Winnipeg long-term, meaning signing a new contract this summer when he’s scheduled to become a restricted free agent once again. The 24-year old defenseman has developed into quite the player for the Jets, and has logged the second-most minutes in the postseason for them (behind only Byfuglien, who is averaging a ridiculous 26:15 through 14 games). Signing Trouba long-term would certainly be a win for the Jets, but the team has to be careful with how much money they hand out this offseason, as there are even more extensions—namely Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor—coming down the road.

  • The quarter-final matchups are set for the IIHF World Championships, with Sweden facing Latvia, Russia facing Canada, the Czech Republic matched up with the USA and Switzerland taking on Finland. The games will be held on Thursday, with Saturday and Sunday holding the semi-final and medal rounds. Denmark, the hosts of this year’s tournament, were dramatically eliminated in the final game against Latvia despite winning three games in the preliminary round. That included a 3-2 upset of Finland, who ended up winning the group.
  • Though it never had much merit in the first place, any rumors surrounding a trade of P.K. Subban out of Nashville were summarily shut down today by the club. As Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean writes, despite never having a full guarantee that a player won’t be traded, the Predators are about as far from dealing their Norris-trophy finalist as they ever have been. The relatively early exit at the hands of Winnipeg notwithstanding, the Predators had an outstanding season and Subban was a big part of that. He’ll almost assuredly be back in a Predator uniform to start next season.

Canucks’ Pettersson Out For World Championships With Fractured Thumb

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The Vancouver Canucks injuries keep coming. After a season in which the team lost several of their key players for chunks of time, including Brock Boeser, Sven Baertschi, Chris Tanev, Markus Granlund and Erik Gudbranson among others, the Canucks now have learned that 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson, who was playing for Sweden at the IIHF World Championships in Denmark, will miss the rest of the tournament after suffering an injured thumb against Switzerland today, according to international correspondent Uffe Bodin.

ESPN’s Chris Peters reports the injury is a fractured thumb. It’s a setback for Pettersson, who many expect to join the Canucks next season after a monster rookie season in the SHL last season. The 19-year-old center scored 24 goals and 32 assists in 44 regular season games with Vaxjo. However, he even outdid himself in the SHL playoffs by putting up 10 goals and nine assists in 13 games. Combined, he put up the best rookie season in the SHL in the history of the league.

Still unsigned by the Canucks, there is no word or timetable on how long the injury will take to heal or whether this changes the Canucks plan to bring him to the U.S. after the tournament. It was believed the team intended to bring the youngster over this year and move him to the wing to acclimate him to the NHL. Pettersson was the fifth-overall pick in the 2017 draft last year. In five games so far at the World Championships, he had a goal and two assists.

 

Several Nashville Predators Heading To IIHF World Championship

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8:05pm: Roman Josi and Kevin Fiala will both also be journeying to Denmark to play for Switzerland, raising the total to seven Predators who will be in the tournament. The huge contingent of players just reiterates how talented the Nashville roster is, especially with others likely turning down offers.

4:15pm: After facing elimination at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets last night, several Nashville Predators players will be heading to the IIHF World Hockey Championship. We learned earlier today that Eeli Tolvanen would continue his whirlwind season with Team Finland, while Nick Bonino will join Team USA. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet also reports that Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm and Filip Forsberg will all join Sweden.

All four new additions will be huge for their respective countries, as the tournament heads towards the elimination rounds next week.

Bonino hasn’t represented the USA at the tournament since 2015 when he was still with the Vancouver Canucks. That year, he registered four points in 10 games en route to a bronze medal. He’ll join a team that just crushed Korea 13-1 to win their fifth-straight game to open the tournament. That’s a feat the team hasn’t accomplished since 1933, and one that bodes well for their chances in the medal round.

Ekholm and Forsberg have both appeared in the tournament on multiple occasions, but this will be Arvidsson’s first time around. The 25-year old winger last represented Sweden at a major international tournament in 2013, when he helped their World Junior squad to a silver medal. All three should increase Sweden’s odds of a medal tremendously, as three All-Star level talents from the NHL.

Eeli Tolvanen Headed To World Championships For Finland

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Eeli Tolvanen must like flying. The 19-year old sniper has been added to the roster for Team Finland at the ongoing IIHF World Championships, just the latest chapter in an incredible season. Tolvanen played a full season in the KHL before signing and making his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, he also suited up for Finland at the World Juniors and Olympic Games.

Selected 30th-overall last June, Tolvanen has had quite the year. He broke several recorded for scoring in the KHL, and performed well at both previous international tournaments. Though he wasn’t able to make an impact in Nashville during their playoff run, he should carve out a full-time role there next year. Joining Finland at the World Championships, he has another chance to win an international medal before finishing his year.

The Predators will not be heading to the Western Conference finals this season after being knocked out by the Winnipeg Jets, but should contend for the Stanley Cup again next season. With players like Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro set to make an impact at the NHL level in the coming years, there doesn’t appear to be a lull coming in Nashville anytime soon.

Charlie McAvoy Joins Team USA For World Championships

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As Team USA prepares to duel against Latvia this morning at the IIHF World Championships, they’ve announced a huge addition for the rest of the tournament. Charlie McAvoy will join the squad tomorrow in Denmark, fresh off his recent elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs. The club’s biggest weakness on paper has been a shaky blue line, something that McAvoy should strengthen tremendously after an outstanding rookie season in the NHL.

McAvoy put up 32 points in his first full season with the Boston Bruins, but was part of a shutdown unit with Zdeno Chara that was one of the league’s best. The 20-year old defenseman has always looked poised beyond his years, even as a freshman at Boston University or leader on the US World Junior team. Rarely rattled or thrown off his game, he’ll no doubt be one of the best players on the international stage once again.

It’s not clear whose spot he’ll take on game day, but it could mean the end of a run for young Quinn Hughes. The 18-year old draft-eligible defenseman has actually played more than many expected so far in the tournament, logging two points through the first three games. As well as Hughes has played so far, McAvoy would obviously be an upgrade in the defensive end. Neal Pionk could also lose some time on the US powerplay, as though McAvoy isn’t known exclusively for his offense he certainly can contribute with the man advantage.

Overseas Notes: Cameron, Lewis, Huska

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Dave Cameron did not stay unemployed for very long, though his new position is far from where he has made his living for the last thirty-odd years. The Erste Bank Liga (EBEL), a lower-tier European league based mostly in Austria, has announced that Cameron has been named the new head coach of the Vienna Capitals, the league’s reigning regular season champions. Cameron had been working as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames for the past two seasons, but was relieved last month alongside head coach Glen Gulutzan. Prior to that position, he has served as the head coach for the Ottawa Senators after working his way up from long-time assistant. Even before that, Cameron was showing the breadth of his hockey mind as both the head coach and GM of several OHL franchises. Yet, this new job is his first outside of North America and brings with it the challenges of a brand new market and caliber of player. However, Cameron is an experienced coach and should find his way in no time at all in Vienna.

  • Another coach has not been so lucky. Dave Lewis, most well known for a long stint as assistant and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from the late 80’s through the mid-2000’s, has lost his job with the Belarus national program, per insider Igor Eronko. Lewis, who also had a short-lived stint as Boston Bruins head coach and brief stops as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes, has been working for Belarus in various roles since 2014. He had guided four IIHF World Championship teams, an Olympic qualifying bid, and the team’s World Juniors appearance this season. However, just three games into the ongoing Worlds, national officials have clearly decided that they have had enough with the lack of success out of their long-time coach. Lewis has struggled to find results as a head coach over the years and the next step for the 64-year-old is a mystery.
  • Although Adam Huska likely has two years left at the University of Connecticut, HK Sochi of the KHL may have made a shrewd move in acquiring the KHL rights to the Slovak goaltender today. The team reported this morning that Huska’s rights had been transferred to Sochi from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in exchange for forward Dmitri Lugin. Huska was a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2015, but given the team’s depth in goalie prospects – Alexandar Georgiev, Brandon Halverson, and mostly Igor Shestyorkin – it’s quite possible that Huska could choose to return home to Europe, in which case Sochi will gain a talented, young netminder. Huska posted a .912 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 27 starts last year and should only continue to thrive in net for UConn before he makes his decision on turning pro.

Nashville Predators Sign Filip Pyrochta

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The Nashville Predators have added another undrafted European free agent, signing defenseman Filip Pyrochta to a two-year entry-level contract. Pyrochta has spent the last two seasons in the Czech professional league, and is on the roster for the current IIHF World Championships.

Pyrochta is an odd case for an undrafted player, as it’s not like he was an unknown to teams in North America. Ranked #87th by Future Considerations for the 2014 draft, he had been a top performer for the Czechs at the U18 World Juniors for two consecutive years. After going undrafted the first time around, he came across anyway and joined the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres where he recorded 31 points as a rookie. Still, he wouldn’t be selected and eventually found his way back to the Czech Republic where he has success.

A prototypical puck-moving defenseman, Pyrochta may still have trouble adjusting to the North American game when he jumps to the AHL next season. The NHL could even be out of reach for him if he proves he can’t handle the grind of his defensive responsibilities. Still, at the very least the Predators have added more skill to their minor league system for relatively no risk. For a team that is already finding success at the highest level, moves like this only strengthen their organizational depth.

Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov

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Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.

The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.

While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.

  • Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
  • The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.

Morning Notes: Free Agency, Veilleux, Sweden

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Though we’re only partway through the second round of the playoffs, many fans have already started dreaming about what could happen on July 1st in free agency. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) gives us an update on each of his top-20 free agents, including superstar John Tavares.

Obviously Custance can’t handicap a market, but he does mention the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues as potential pursuers if the New York Islanders’ captain does hit free agency. Tavares would have almost every team checking in should he get to the negotiating window a few days before July 1st.

  • The Halifax Mooseheads have hired a new head coach for the 2018-19 season. Eric Veilleux will be behind the bench for the QMJHL squad next season, fresh off his own departure from the Colorado Avalanche AHL affiliate. Veilleux has plenty of experience in the Q, having played there as a junior and coached for nearly a decade.
  • The IIHF handed out several suspensions yesterday to the Swedish World Junior squad, after the incidents that occurred after this year’s gold medal game. Players and coaches removed their medals before the post-game event was over, including captain Lias Andersson who tossed it into the crowd in frustration. Interestingly though, of the players suspended only goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek could realistically return to the tournament. The others—Andersson, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Jesper Boqvist and Rasmus Dahlin—have either graduated through age or are expected to be in the NHL full-time next year. Perhaps the biggest hit will be the coaching suspensions, which includes a three-game ban for head coach Tomas Monten.

Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?

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If you were one of the many hockey fans frustrated by the NHL’s decision to not attend the most recent Winter Olympics, or one of the many others who have already seen their team eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, this weekend is for you. On Friday, some of the best hockey players in the world will kick off the IIHF World Championship as Team USA and Team Canada do battle.

For more than two weeks, players will represent their countries in the top international tournament of the year. The bronze and gold medal games will be played on Sunday, May 20th—who will be there?

The Canadians look like favorites to contend once again, with Connor McDavid leading an impressive forward group that also includes names like Mathew Barzal, Ryan O’Reilly, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. Tyson Jost was added to the team today, while a blue line manned by Aaron Ekblad and Colton Parayko should be smothering.

Team USA doesn’t lag far behind, with Patrick Kane headlining an incredibly skilled group of forwards. Cam Atkinson, Alex DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin and others are going to bring speed and offense to the tournament.

Russia is always a wildcard in international tournaments, and is coming off an Olympic victory in Pyeongchang. The team will also have a new face behind the bench, as Oleg Znarok stepped down earlier this month. Ilya Kovalchuk won’t be there, but don’t expect a reduced level of play from the Russians.

As usual, Sweden—the defending champions—will have arguably the best defensive corps in the tournament, with names like John Klingberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Hampus Lindholm and Adam Larsson manning their blue line. The team will also feature young talents like Lias Andersson and Elias Pettersson up front, making their games must-see TV for prospect nerds.

The Czech Republic, Finland and Slovakia will all be tough outs like always, and don’t overlook a Leon Draisaitl-led German squad. The Germans have made the quarter-finals in the last two World Championship tournaments, and shocked the hockey world with an Olympic silver medal in South Korea.

In all, the tournament should be excellent and provide a hockey release for those already frustrated with their team’s performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With that, we ask you who you think will win the gold medal. Make sure to explain your reasons down below.

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