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Mario Kempe Signs In SHL

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It’s been a few years since Mario Kempe was suiting up in the NHL and it appears as though a return to North America isn’t ever going to come. The veteran forward has signed a new two-year deal with Lulea HF in Sweden.

Kempe, 34, has spent the last three seasons in the KHL, after playing 52 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2018-19. The older brother of Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe, he was a fifth-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2007 that only ever played eight games for the organization, all at the minor league level. An elite skater, he had lots of success in North America, including two seasons with the St. John’s Fog Devils of the QMJHL, but never seemed content to spend his years in the AHL.

Throughout his career, Kempe has played all over the world, suiting up last season in Belarus with Dinamo Minsk. His return to the SHL is a long-awaited homecoming, given he hasn’t played in Sweden since 2014.

A two-year deal essentially removes any chance of another AHL stint, though it seemed unlikely already. In 70 career NHL games, Kempe scored 13 points.

Tomas Jurco Signs In KHL

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For a long time, Tomas Jurco was one of those players who couldn’t seem to find a fit in the NHL despite outstanding AHL performances. The Detroit Red Wings draft pick burst onto the scene quickly after being selected 35th overall in 2011, but wasn’t able to hold on.

Now, with his last NHL appearance nearly two years ago, it seems his time in North America may be over.

The 29-year-old forward has signed another contract in the KHL, this one with Kunlun Red Star. Jurco played for Barys Nur-Sultan (who are back to Astana now) last season, scoring 11 points in 17 games.

One may have concluded that playing in the KHL was so that Jurco could take part in the Olympics, as he helped Slovakia qualify and then was part of their historic bronze medal performance. But a new NHL contract hasn’t followed, and he’ll now have a short season in China for 2022-23. The season there starts early, and Kunlun has already played 35 games – winning just 12 of them.

In 221 career games, Jurco scored 22 goals and 53 points, most of that production coming at the very beginning of his time in the NHL. He hasn’t scored a goal at that level since 2018, and it looks like he might not get another chance. A two-time Calder Cup champion, if Jurco ever does return to North America, it seems likely that it will be as an AHL player at this point.

Minor Transactions: 11/22/22

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It’s a relatively quiet day on the NHL schedule with just four teams set to go to battle tonight. The Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the division rival Buffalo Sabres as the Sabres look to end their eight-game losing streak. Then, the Los Angeles Kings will host the New York Rangers as each team looks to build momentum and chase the teams above them in the standings. As the NHL readies for these contests, teams across the hockey world are making tweaks to their roster. We’ll keep track of all those moves here.

  • Alex Grant, a former Anaheim Duck and Arizona Coyote, is switching KHL teams. Kazakh club Barys Astana has announced that Grant has been moved to the team from his current KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg. Grant represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and has six points in 16 KHL games this season.
  • Veteran minor-league defenseman Robert Hamilton is headed overseas. The 28-year-old blueliner has signed a two-year deal with KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk and will leave his current team, the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, in order to play there. Hamilton bounced between the AHL and ECHL levels after ending his collegiate career at the University of Vermont, and in recent years had established himself firmly as an AHL-caliber player. Now, he’ll continue his career in Russia.
  • Maxim Chudinov, a veteran KHL defenseman with nearly 600 games of experience, is changing clubs. The 32-year-old has left Ak Bars Kazan to sign a deal for the rest of the season with Spartak Moscow. Chudinov, a 2010 seventh-round pick of the Boston Bruins, has played in seven games for Ak Bars Kazan and has registered one assist.
  • After scoring 18 goals and 38 points last season for IK Oskarshamn, Kim Rosdahl signed with another SHL club, Rogle BK. His time in Rogle hasn’t gone as planned, though, and with just three points in 17 games Rosdahl is headed elsewhere. The Malmo Redhawks have announced his signing to a two-year deal, meaning Rosdahl will head back to Malmo, which is his hometown and where he developed as a junior player.
  • Another winger who has been off to a tough start this season is changing clubs. Per a team announcement, 25-year-old forward Jordan Kaplan is headed from the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals to the Reading Royals. Kaplan has just one assist in 11 ECHL games so far this year but had 11 goals and 32 points in 65 games for the Adirondack Thunder last year.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Colorado Avalanche Suspend Danila Zhuravlyov, Returns To Russia

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Colorado Avalanche defense prospect Danila Zhuravlyov has been suspended by the team and will return home to Russia, as announced today. Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports the suspension is not related to any on-ice or off-ice incident, but rather comes as a result of his returning to Russia for “personal and family-related reasons.”

There had been rumors swirling of Zhuravlyov potentially returning to his home country for the past month, mainly from Russian outlets. Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express reported last week that Zhuravlyov’s former KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, was aiming to have the 22-year-old return to the club.

A 2018 fifth-round selection of the Avalanche, Zhuravlyov made his North American debut this season and registered an assist in 14 games with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. He demonstrated solid defensive upside in the past handful of seasons with Kazan.

Zhuravlyov’s entry-level contract runs through the 2023-24 season. If it becomes clear that Zhuravlyov will not return to the Avalanche organization, a mutual termination is entirely possible.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Reaves, Konecny, Popugayev

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There could be some much-needed help coming on the injury front for the Capitals as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) several updates.  First, winger T.J. Oshie skated before practice today and could rejoin the team tomorrow.  The 35-year-old has missed the last ten games due to a lower-body issue and had five points in nine games prior to the injury.

Meanwhile, center Nicklas Backstrom also took part in the skate before practice.  He is attempting to work his way back from hip resurfacing surgery back in June.  He’s not expected to skate tomorrow and there remains no timetable for his return but the fact he’s skating now is a promising sign that he might be able to come back at some point this season.

Lastly, winger Tom Wilson has also started skating on his own lately as he works his way back from ACL surgery back in May.  There is no timetable for his return as well but the recovery period for that injury typically ranges from six to eight months and he’s already past the short end of that timeline.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • For years, Rangers winger Ryan Reaves has been a consistent presence on the fourth line for several teams. However, that hasn’t been the case this season as he has only played in three games so far this month, spending the rest of the time as a healthy scratch.  Accordingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that New York could opt to waive the 35-year-old in order to free up some extra cap space both now and at the trade deadline.  They wouldn’t be able to clear his entire $1.75MM cap hit off the books if he was to be sent to AHL Hartford (they’d only get a prorated $1.125MM in space) but if he’s going to continue to have a limited role, it’s a move they’ll have to seriously consider.
  • Flyers winger Travis Konecny won’t play tonight in Montreal as he has returned to Philadelphia to be evaluated for his upper-body injury, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury is believed to be to his hand and was sustained on Thursday against Boston.  Konecny had been off to a very strong start to his season as he leads the team in scoring with 19 points in 17 games.  Now, he joins a long injury list up front that includes Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson, and James van Riemsdyk, among others.
  • Devils prospect Nikita Popugayev has been traded in the KHL as SKA St. Petersburg announced that they have acquired the winger from Sochi in exchange for cash considerations. The 23-year-old has already set new career highs offensively with nine goals and five assists through 28 games which could get him back on the NHL radar this summer.  Popugayev’s contract in Russia runs through this season with New Jersey retaining his rights indefinitely due to there being no transfer agreement in place with the Russian Federation.

Latest On Rodion Amirov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs recently hosted prospect Rodion Amirov during their Hockey Fights Cancer night, supporting him as he continues his battle with a brain tumor. Today, Amirov’s agent Dan Milstein released some difficult news on the young forward:

Rodion Amirov has returned home and is with his family. Unfortunately, at the moment Rodion cannot train, as he is undergoing additional treatments. We would like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs and Salavat Yulaev Ufa for their incredible support and willingness to do everything necessary for Rodion’s comfort. 

Amirov, 21, was the 15th overall selection in 2020 and had shown great promise as an offensive player in the KHL before his diagnosis. As recently as this summer he had been training with the Maple Leafs and his Russian club but it appears as though that will be put on hold for now.

It’s unclear when or if Amirov will be ready to contribute in North America but the Maple Leafs have made it clear they will support him as he tries to continue his hockey career. Signed to an entry-level deal in 2021, he is under contract through 2023-24 and will be a restricted free agent thereafter.

KHL Contract Terminated For Chris Bigras

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A long-time AHL defenseman may be on his way home. The KHL announced today that Barys Astana has terminated its deal with Chris Bigras after 23 games. Bigras is a free agent once again.

The 27-year-old was once a highly regarded prospect for the Colorado Avalanche, selected 32nd overall in 2013. He would make it to the NHL at the age of 20, but failed to stick around for long. In 46 career games, all with Colorado, he has four points.

In the AHL, Bigras has played 279 games and racked up 120 points. Amazingly, he hasn’t suited up for a single playoff game during that time – even despite winning a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves last season.

During those 23 games for Astana, he generated just a single assist and was a -8 rating, something that was even included in the termination announcement. His time there was certainly not very productive, and now he enters the free agent market again partway through the season.

Ivan Demidov Making KHL Debut

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The 2023 NHL Draft is being hyped as one of the most important in several years, thanks to the trio of outstanding forwards at the top of the board. Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, and Matvei Michkov would all likely be considered for the first-overall pick in weaker years, making a tank effort even more worthwhile this time around.

But teams also have to start looking ahead to 2024 and getting closer looks at the top players that may be available. One of those players, Ivan Demidov, will be making his KHL debut today at the age of 16. Playing for the SKA St. Petersburg organization, Demidov has ten goals and 27 points in 19 games in the MHL this season and will get a look with the big club according to his agent Dan Milstein.

The left-shot winger was excellent at the most recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, scoring five points in five games despite being younger than most of his competition, and will now make his professional debut months before he even turns 17.

There have been a handful of players who have made their debuts at 16, including Michkov, and there’s no guarantee that it means big things for Demidov. But for fans looking ahead, it’s exciting to see another young prospect tested against professionals so early.

Minnesota Wild Loan Vladislav Firstov To KHL; Recall Mason Shaw

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Jordan Greenway’s return to the Minnesota Wild lineup lasted just six shifts. The bruising forward managed to land four hits during that time, but after leaving with an upper-body injury he was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic after the game that Greenway would be evaluated today and won’t play tomorrow afternoon in Boston.

With that news, it makes sense that Mason Shaw is back in the AHL transaction portal and on his way back to the NHL level. Shaw had only been sent down a few days ago when it was clear that Greenway would be returning. More importantly, perhaps, is that the portal also includes Vladislav Firstov, who has been reassigned by the team to Torpedo Nizhny Novogrod of the KHL.

Firstov, 21, was a second-round pick of the Wild in 2019 and signed his entry-level contract in March. The young Russian forward hadn’t played in his home country for years, coming over to spend his draft year in the USHL and then the last three seasons at the University of Connecticut. After just one game with the Iowa Wild this season, he’s apparently on his way back overseas to continue his development in the KHL.

Notably, he remains under contract with the Wild, so this isn’t a long-term plan. But the team will lose at least a bit of control over his deployment and development this season as he plays in Russia. In eight games down the stretch with Iowa last season he managed just two assists, meaning he’ll have to wait even longer for his first professional goal in North America.

East Notes: Cossa, Poirier, Drozg

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The Detroit Red Wings are currently enjoying a great start to Ville Husso’s tenure as the team’s starting goalie, as the team’s summer acquisition already has a shutout to his name and is boasting a .923 save percentage through two games. But despite that solid start, the long-term future for the Red Wings in net may not lie in Husso’s hands. The team selected Sebastian Cossa 15th overall at the 2021 draft, and he is among the top goalie prospects in hockey. He could be their future, but it may take some time to reach that point.

Today, the Red Wings made their plans for Cossa’s development a bit clearer. After he made his professional debut in a victory over the Milwaukee Admirals, the team reassigned Cossa to their ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye. While some might view an ECHL demotion as a major step back in a prospect’s development, this move should be seen positively in Cossa’s case. Beginning his career in the third-tier ECHL will afford Cossa a longer runway to grow his game, and allow him to take on more of his team’s starts than he would have in Grand Rapids, where the battle for time in the crease is more competitive. Getting consistent game action is crucially important for goalie development, so this move will allow Cossa to play more consistently and in a lower-pressure environment.

Now, for some other notes regarding Eastern Conference teams:

  • The Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, announced today that they have reached a mutual agreement with Emile Poirier to terminate the forward’s contract. A 2013 first-round pick, Poirier signed an AHL deal with Laval in the summer and was set to make his return to North American pro hockey after spending last season in both the KHL and SHL. But after not being included in Laval’s opening-night lineup, Poirier and the team have decided that pursuing other opportunities would be the best path forward for both parties.
  • Jan Drozg, a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2017 draft class and former QMJHL star, has found a place to play for the 2022-23 season. Per the KHL’s official website, Drozg has signed a one-year contract with Amur Khabarovsk. The 23-year-old Slovenian winger spent time with both the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL last season and will look to improve the offensive attack of one of the lowest-scoring clubs in the KHL.

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