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.
Eeli Tolvanen Headed To World Championships For Finland
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.
Latest On Toronto Maple Leafs’ Pursuit Of Igor Ozhiganov
For several months, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the expected landing spot of KHL defenseman Igor Ozhiganov. That feeling has stemmed from the visit that Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock took in August of 2017, to meet with Ozhiganov and attempt to recruit him to Toronto. It’s the same playbook they used to land Nikita Zaitsev in the summer of 2016, a player they quickly extended after a solid first season.
Ozhiganov’s agent Dan Milstein had recently said that no decision has been made on where the defenseman will play next season, and now he’s clarified things even further. Darren Dreger of TSN passes along that it is either the Maple Leafs or KHL for Ozhiganov in 2018-19, with no other NHL teams being options for the 25-year old.
If Toronto does sign him, it may complicate things somewhat for their roster next season. Currently the team has only Zaitsev under contract as a right-handed defenseman, while Connor Carrick (RFA) and Roman Polak (UFA) head to free agency. Toronto used Ron Hainsey almost exclusively on the right side this season, but need to upgrade the position if they’re to take another step forward next year. While it’s hard to imagine Ozhiganov being given the same opportunity that Zaitsev was when he first came to Toronto, it seems unlikely that he’d be leaving Russia to play in the AHL. That means he’d have to take up the third spot on the right side, which is a risky proposition for a team looking to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Still, there is a long way to go before the ice is set for the 2018-19 season, and getting Ozhiganov under contract gives you another talented defenseman to work with. Whether through trade, free agency or something else, the Maple Leafs need to strengthen their defense corps and solidify their biggest weakness.
One has to wonder if part of the hold up for Ozhiganov is the potential departure of Lamoriello, who was moved out of the GM spot recently and has rumors circling around him. If Lamoriello was who sold the Maple Leafs organization to Ozhiganov in the first place, perhaps his absence would push the young defenseman back to the KHL.
KHL Notes: Ozhiganov, Valiev, Soshnikov
Dan Milstein, the agent for many of the league’s top Russian players including Nikita Kucherov and Artemi Panarin, spoke about some of his lesser known clients recently with Championat, a Russian publication. In the interview, he would not confirm that Igor Ozhiganov will sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, only that the defenseman will make a decision in the coming days.
Ozhiganov, 25, was visited by Lou Lamoriello and Mike Babcock earlier this season, in much the same process as Nikita Zaitsev the year prior. Many have believed for some time that he is destined to sign with the Maple Leafs, though nothing is certain yet.
- Rinat Valiev, who was reported to be going to the KHL recently, has apparently not made that decision yet. Valiev will listen to offers from the Montreal Canadiens, as Milstein explained he was pleased when he got a chance at the NHL level. The former Maple Leafs prospect played in two games with the Canadiens after being traded midseason, and is a restricted free agent this summer.
- Nikita Soshnikov, another former Maple Leafs player traded this time to the St. Louis Blues in early 2018, is also not committed to heading to Russia just yet. Milstein explained that St. Louis has already offered him a new one-way contract, but Soshnikov is considering heading back. Also a restricted free agent this summer, his rights are owned by SKA St. Petersburg, one of the most powerful teams in the KHL.