Snapshots: KHL Awards, Sambrook, Middleton
The KHL announced their award winners today and there were plenty of surprises, not the least of which was their Rookie of the Year recipient. One would think that Eeli Tolvanen, the 19-year old phenom who broke nearly every junior-aged scoring record in the league would have walked away with the award, but instead Vitaly Kravtsov was the winner after scoring four goals and three assists for Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Just playing in the KHL was impressive for Kravtsov, who was just 17 for much of the season, but it does seem unlikely that Tolvanen’s 19 goals and 36 points for Jokerit wasn’t good enough to win. Tolvanen of course bolted for the NHL after his season ended, and played three games for the Nashville Predators down the stretch. Other winners today included Nikita Gusev as league MVP, Philip Larsen as the top defenseman, and Pavel Francouz as the top goaltender.
- Jordan Sambrook will not be offered a contract by the Detroit Red Wings, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Sambrook, selected in the fifth round in 2016, is one of many players who will see their draft rights expire on June 1st. Sambrook had a good season split between the Erie Otters and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, recording 39 points in the regular season and helping the Greyhounds make it all the way to the OHL Finals.
- Keaton Middleton is in a similar situation, as Dhiren Mahiban reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick will not be signed by the deadline. Middleton will instead go back into the draft again, hoping to find another team who wants to bring him into the organization. The 6’5″ defenseman recorded 24 points for the Saginaw Spirit this year, after being selected in the fourth round in 2016.
- Another Maple Leafs prospect, Nicolas Mattinen, has yet to decide whether he’ll sign or not according to Mahiban. The sixth-round pick from 2016 is still playing in the Memorial Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he continues to show what a long reach and good defensive positioning can accomplish.
Arizona Coyotes Sign Ilya Lyubushkin To One-Year Deal
The Arizona Coyotes have dipped into the KHL free agent market, signing Ilya Lyubushkin to a one-year entry-level contract. Lyubushkin has played the last five seasons for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, but will try his hand at the North American game in 2018-19. GM John Chayka quickly explained what Lyubushkin will bring to the team:
We are pleased to sign Ilya to a one-year contract. Ilya is a big, physical defenseman who skates well and moves the puck effectively. He will add size and toughness to our blue line.
He’s not lying when he claims Lyubushkin will add some toughness to the Coyotes defense corps, as he was one of the most feared hitters in the KHL the last several seasons. With a knack for stepping up at the offensive blue line to crush oncoming wingers, the 6’2″ 209-lbs defenseman is a different player than any other on the Arizona roster. That physical presence will be welcome, though there are still questions about his all-around game.
The Coyotes have five players penciled into their defense corps already, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Jakob Chychrun all deserving spots when healthy. That leaves another opening for young players like Kyle Capobianco or Dakota Mermis, or Lyubushkin if he can prove his worth right away. The fact that he’s right-handed may help, but he’ll still have to show that he can move the puck quickly and effectively and keep up with the North American game before really making an impact for the Coyotes.
Still, it’s hard to complain about this contract from an Arizona perspective. Though he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer, there is very little risk for the club in seeing what he can bring in North America. If he’s forced to return to the KHL after one season, the team only sunk a few hundred thousand dollars and a contract slot into the investment.
Snapshots: Heiskanen, Bachman, Belov
It has been quite a year for Miro Heiskanen, the third overall pick last year by the Dallas Stars. The young defenseman put up 23 points in 30 games in the Finnish Liiga, played well at the World Juniors and the Olympics, and most recently has starred in the World Championships. As reported by the Associated Press, the only logical next step is the NHL. “I want to play there as soon as possible, that’s my goal”, Heiskanen said about joining the league’s best in the NHL next season. Heiskanen knows that he could still get stronger and smarter, but his skill is very clearly pro-ready. Heiskanen is likely to step in and immediately play a key two-way role on the Dallas blue line. Expect the announcement sooner rather than later that arguably the best defensive prospect in hockey will be a full-time Star next season.
- Former Stars goalie Richard Bachman has struggled to ever be more in the NHL than he was as Dallas’ primary backup in 2011-12. He has spent almost all of the past five years toiling in the AHL for the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. Heading into free agency, it seems Bachman has decided to move on from the NHL. Swedish news site Hockey Sverige reports that Bachman is expected to sign with Timra of the SHL. Instead of sitting behind Swedes – Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson – in the NHL, the 30-year-old Bachman is expected to be given the starter’s job initially with Timra as he begins a new chapter in his career.
- Former NHL defenseman Anton Belov won’t be making the jump across the Atlantic this summer. The Russian rearguard has re-signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, the team he has played with since leaving the Edmonton Oilers in 2013-14, for three more years per a team release. This extension likely rules out a future return to the NHL for the 31-year-old, though he will remain a visible name on the international stage as a top defender for a perennial KHL contender and as a frequent member of Russian national teams.
New Jersey Devils Sign Egor Yakovlev
Just as GM Ray Shero predicted, the New Jersey Devils were able to finalize their contract with free agent defenseman Egor Yakovlev today. The KHL import has signed a one-year entry-level contract.
Yakovlev, 26, has played the last three seasons on the powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg squad, and recently competed in both the Olympic Games and World Championship for Russia. Scoring just nine points in 35 games this season, he was another defenseman—like Igor Ozhiganov of Toronto—who saw his time on ice drop dramatically the last few seasons. While it’s not clear if that was because of his intention to leave for North America, the overall strengthening of the SKA blue line, or a combination of factors including time away from the team for the Olympics, his stats this year aren’t necessarily an indication of his upside in the future.
Still, by signing him at this age the Devils are likely to give him a chance to succeed at the NHL level quickly. Whether he makes the team out of camp will be a big indicator of his future in New Jersey, as few international players agree to play in the minor leagues at this point in their careers. With a relatively full blue line already under contract for next season, we’ll have to wait and see how the summer plays out before knowing exactly where Yakovlev fits in.
Devils Closing In On Signing Yegor Yakovlev
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.
International Notes: Dyblenko, Granberg, Bengtsson
After the New Jersey Devils placed Yaroslav Dyblenko on unconditional waivers earlier this month, the expectation was that he would return to the KHL. That expectation is now reality, as his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey tweets out a congratulations on signing with SKA St. Petersburg. If nothing else, his foray into the North American circuit for a year improved his stock in Russia, as Dyblenko will now play for one of the league’s powerhouses.
Dyblenko never worked out in New Jersey, and ended up playing 54 games for the AHL Binghamton Devils instead. The 24-year old defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent again after his deal with SKA runs out, meaning we could see him back in North America at some point. That likely will only happen if a team can guarantee him an NHL job, something he’ll need to earn playing with his new club.
- Petter Granberg is heading back to Sweden, signing a three-year deal with Skelleftea of the SHL. The former Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators defenseman was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after spending the entire year in the minor leagues. Granberg, selected in the fourth round back in 2010, looked like he was developing into a solid third pairing player at one point. That still might come, but we won’t be seeing him back in the NHL for the next few seasons.
- Another Swedish defenseman is heading home, as Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Lukas Bengtsson has signed a three-year contract with Linkoping. Bengtsson was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer, and still hadn’t cracked the NHL lineup. Signing as an undrafted free agent with Pittsburgh in 2016, the 24-year old undersized defenseman recorded 15 points in 37 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, but didn’t look to be in the long-term plans at any point.
Morning Notes: Backstrom, Mironov, Comets
Nicklas Backstrom was present at the Washington Capitals morning skate today, but rotated in and out of the regular lineup. Head coach Barry Trotz wouldn’t give any indication whether the star playmaker would return tonight, calling him a game-time decision once again. Interestingly though as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com points out, Trotz revealed that Backstrom has not been medically cleared, something that was not previously known.
The Capitals are in good shape against the Tampa Bay Lightning as they head into game four up 2-1 in the series. Though the Lightning were able to avoid falling down 3-0 by winning game three, they have a lot of work to do to topple the Capitals. Backstrom’s return would make that even more difficult, especially if he can jump start the Washington powerplay once again.
- Andrei Mironov has signed a three-year deal back in the KHL after being released by the Colorado Avalanche in March. The 23-year old defenseman never did fit into the Avalanche organization, playing just 10 games for the NHL squad this season. Mironov is technically an unrestricted free agent now that he agreed to a mutual termination with Colorado, meaning we may see him back in the NHL one day. That day will have to wait for now, as he returns to the KHL for Dynamo Moscow.
- The Vancouver Canucks have signed Tanner MacMaster and Jagger Dirk to one-year AHL contracts, bringing them in after amateur tryouts coming out of college. MacMaster played 18 games for the Utica Comets including five postseason contests, scoring 11 points in the process. The 22-year old forward was a dominant player at Quinnipiac University this season, and will try to prove he can keep up the early performance in his first full season of professional hockey.
David Desharnais Signs With Yaroslavl Lokomotiv
Though we’ve known for a while that David Desharnais would be heading to the KHL, we now know where he’ll play in 2018-19. Louis Jean of TVA Sports reports that Desharnais has signed with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, joining former NHL players like Maxime Talbot, Staffan Kronwall, and Brandon Kozun.
It’s surprising that Desharnais would make this decision so quickly, as even though there wasn’t likely a huge market for him this summer, he’s still a useful depth player. The 31-year old center had 28 points for the New York Rangers this season, and was once again a positive in the faceoff dot. Desharnais is obviously not the 60-point player of his youth, but there are plenty of teams that need fourth-line centers that can move up the lineup if needed.
Instead, he’ll avoid the perils of unrestricted free agency and go play in the KHL for the first time. The undrafted Desharnais spent some time in the NLA during the most recent lockout, but will have a new set of experiences playing in Russia. There is a good chance that he finds a lot of success for Lokomotiv, as he’s always been an effective offensive player when given the chance. It’s unclear how long he has signed for, but it’s likely that we’ll see Desharnais back in North America at some point.
Justin Azevedo Re-Signs In KHL
As the NHL and professional hockey in general start to see more and more undersized players making an impact, many previously overlooked forwards are now being valued for their speed and skill. One of those, Justin Azevedo, is a perfect example. The 5’7″ forward found tremendous success in junior hockey before being selected in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Kings in 2008. After four successful years in the AHL without a single game at the NHL, he left for the international circuit, first heading to Finland before finding a home in the KHL.
The 30-year old Azevedo was recently named Gagarin Cup MVP after scoring 24 points in 19 games for the champion Ak Bars Kazan, and has been given a reward for that success. The team has re-signed the diminutive forward to a two-year contract, ending any speculation that he could consider a return to North America.
Playoff success is no new thing to Azevedo, who has led league postseason scoring in the OHL, Liiga and KHL in various years. Seemingly always showing up at the most important time, he even recorded 21 points in 27 AHL playoff games before heading overseas. It may be too late for him to ever make an impact in the NHL, and no guarantee that he’d even find success if someone were to give him a chance. For now, any fans will have to tune into his KHL matchups to see what he has on tap for an encore performance next season.
Latest On Ilya Kovalchuk
One name that will grace the free agent market this summer and could be seen as a game-changer for some teams is Ilya Kovalchuk, as he returns from the KHL. Though now 35, some believe he still has what it takes to be an impact player in the NHL and could be one of the top free agents left come July 1st. It has been reported that Kovalchuk would prefer to play on the east coast in a place like New York or Florida, but there are no shortage of teams all over the league who could use a goal-scoring winger. One of those is the Edmonton Oilers, who have struggled to find enough talent to surround Connor McDavid.
That’s why it’s interesting that Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes in his latest column that the Oilers checked in on Kovalchuk. Friedman notes that “it won’t happen” and Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED adds that he believes the Oilers never even pursued the Russian winger. Edmonton will need to look elsewhere for their offensive upgrade, though it’s not clear where exactly it will come from.
For Kovalchuk, it’s unclear what his market will really be. Though it’s true that teams do need scoring wingers, he comes with more baggage than the average free agent. Not only does his history—”retiring” from the New Jersey Devils in the midst of a long-term contract to return to the KHL—stand against him with some front offices, but he also qualifies as a 35+ player this offseason. That means that a team would be held culpable for his cap hit regardless of any similar retirement decisions in the future, a risky prospect in the tight salary structures of many contenders. The Rangers, assumed the most appealing destination to Kovalchuk, are entering a mini-rebuild and may not want to spend money on an aging star. They have admitted their focus is on young players, and signing Kovalchuk for anything but big minutes and powerplay time is unlikely.
So, we’ll have to wait and see what kind of market emerges for the Russian sniper. It will likely be easier to count the teams interested than those who are not, though you can now place the Oilers firmly in the latter category.