Prospect Notes: Khovanov, Jokiharju, Rookie Camps
It’s been an up-and-down summer for Alexander Khovanov. Expected to be a top pick in the 2018 draft, Khovanov was planning on coming to Canada to join the junior ranks and compete right in front of the eyes of NHL scouts. Because of his public commitment, he went second-overall to the Moncton Wildcats in the CHL Import Draft, but eventually re-signed with Ak Bars in the KHL for three years.
Now, according to the Moncton Times & Transcript, Khovanov will miss at least six months of development due to contracting hepatitis A. He’s battling the illness in Russia. It’s a tough break for a player who was expected to go somewhere in the first round, as his draft year is compromised almost entirely. Hockey fans will hope for a quick recovery from the young forward.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic catches us up on several of the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects, including Henri Jokiharju who is now considered likely to start training camp with the club. Last we heard it was in doubt after he suffered a knee injury in July. Jokiharju was the Blackhawks’ first-round selection this year, and will likely return to the Portland Winterhawks where he was outstanding as a 17-year old rookie. Scoring 48 points in 78 games, he was one of the most impressive puck-rushing defensemen in the entire WHL, and should only develop further this year.
- Our friends over at Roster Resource have added the rookie camp rosters for all the teams who have announced them thus far, giving you a quick look at who will be competing over the next few weeks. The site has also added depth charts all the way down through the ECHL, giving unprecedented information all in one place for your favorite team. Make sure to keep their page bookmarked all season for an easy check of where players are stationed throughout the year.
Danis Zaripov Cleared To Sign In NHL
As we discussed this weekend, banned KHL player Danis Zaripov had started the process to become eligible for a contract in the NHL. Today, his agent Dan Milstein released a statement from the Russian forward thanking the NHL for allowing him to pursue contracts here in North America. Zaripov had been given a two-year doping ban from the KHL for testing positive both for a prohibited substance and masking agent. He is appealing the decision, but will likely sign in the NHL in the interim.
The NHL issued a press release on Zaripov, which among other things indicated that his test results would not have triggered a suspension under the NHL’s own prohibited substance list. The NHL operates separately from the World Anti-Doping Agency and the IIHF governing body, issuing its own drug tests and policies.
Zaripov is a legendary KHL player who has won the Gagarin Cup four times, holds five World Championship medals and competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Though he’s on the back-half of his career, he still registered 45 points for Magnitogorsk in just 56 games and added 22 more (including 15 goals) in 18 playoff games. He’s been one of the most impressive playoff performers in the KHL and Russian leagues for his entire career, and could add a different wrinkle to a team in the NHL.
An even more interesting factor for Zaripov is his age. While he’ll face no entry-level restrictions upon coming to the NHL, any contract he does sign will be held to the 35+ restrictions and allowances. That means that he presents some risk on a long-term deal, but could also be signed to an incentive-laden one-year deal which is what he’ll likely end up with. Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press tweets that Milstein expects a one-year pact, which would allow him to reevaluate next summer.
Nikita Zaitsev Helping Maple Leafs’ Russian Recruitment
Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs spent some time in Russia recently, where they met personally for dinner with Igor Ozhiganov in an early attempt at recruiting the KHL defenseman. The pair had completed a similar visit a year prior to bringing Nikita Zaitsev over, and many believed they were attempting to do the same thing. Now Zaitsev himself has admitted to helping the Maple Leafs recruitment efforts, telling Sovsport (via Andrey Osadchenko) that he was even present at the dinner:
Igor asked my opinion. I told him he should sign with the Leafs. Actually, I was with him at one of the dinners he had with the Leafs representatives. I was even his interpreter. That’s just being a part of the Leafs organization. Not only do you play in the NHL and build your career, but you also help others.
Ozhiganov remains under contract for one more season with CSKA Moscow, but it would be hard for the 24-year old to ignore the advice of a former teammate. Zaitsev was signed to a seven-year, $31.5MM extension after just one season in Toronto, giving him some financial and personal stability as he continues his hockey career. Both players were undrafted because of the relative obscurity they played their youth hockey in, but have turned into capable professional defensemen in recent years.
The NHL and KHL don’t actually have a transfer agreement, but normally respect each other’s contracts. The Maple Leafs are being quite bold by meeting a player under contract still, but will wait to see if Ozhiganov comes over next season to give them another almost free asset. Like Zaitsev, he’d be signing just a one-year entry-level contract if he does and be able to cash in on a good performance right away.
Dan Sexton: A Top U.S. Olympic Option?
With an NHL-free Olympics all but certain at this point, every country will need to take a different path toward filling out their rosters for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The field promises to be much more wide open than what the world has traditionally seen in the past 20-odd years. European squads have the benefit of entire leagues worth of talent to call upon, while Canada and the U.S. will be short-handed by not being able to use those in the NHL or even in the AHL on two-way contracts.
Thus far, many have assumed that the North American power houses will draw primarily from AHL contracts, while potentially scooping up those playing in Europe or even some NCAA players as well. For the United States, USA Today estimates that there are 200 Americans playing abroad this season, yet they mention only a few names, such as Mark Arcobello, Drew Shore, and Andy Miele, as foreign options before again turning their attention toward the minors and collegiate game.
However, one name that has seemingly slipped through the cracks in early Olympic consideration is KHL forward Dan Sexton. Far from a household name, the 30-year-old Sexton played college hockey at Bowling Green University before signing with the Anaheim Ducks in 2009. Sexton skated in 88 games with the Ducks between the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, recording 32 points in a bottom-six role. Sexton routinely watched from the press box as well, and after four years with Anaheim spent largely in the AHL and as the team’s extra forward, he decided to move on with his hockey career. After a breakout campaign of nearly point-per-game scoring with TPS of the Finnish Liiga in 2013-14, the Minnesota-native signed on with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL and hasn’t looked back. In 2014-15, he kept his torrid pace up, scoring 47 points in 49 games in what many consider to be the best hockey league in the world behind the NHL. After an injury-riddled, albeit still productive, 2015-16 season, Sexton was back at it last year. With 50 points in 51 games, Sexton finished in the top 15 in KHL scoring and was tenth overall in points per game. He was the top-scoring right wing in the entire league. Sexton is far and away the best American in the league, especially with Brandon Bochenski now retired, and will look to hold on to that title through Olympic selection process. Thus far in the early KHL season, Sexton is tied for the league lead in scoring with none other than Pavel Datsyuk with five points in three contests.
With many Olympic candidates lacking the name recognition and pedigree that NHLers would normally bring, the most important qualifier for selection to Team USA will likely simply be “what have you done for me lately?”. The hottest players in the top non-NHL league will most likely get the call. Even though the United States boasts a talented group of young options in the AHL and NCAA, it will be hard to ignore the veteran Sexton if he continues to produce at high level in Europe’s top hockey league. A small, but speedy play-maker who has clearly adjusted well to the international game, Sexton could very well be one of the highlights of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games for American fans.
KHL’s Danis Zaripov Considering Coming To U.S.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that there may be another NHL free agent entering the market soon. KHL’s Danis Zaripov, a 36-year-old winger, who was suspended in July for two years by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is considering leaving Russia and coming to the United States to finish out his career.
According to Friedman, a KHL media release stated that Zaripov samples “contained banned stimulants plus substances prohibited as diuretics and masking agents.”
While Zaripov stated he’d appeal, he also started the process to become eligibile to play in the U.S. and according to Friedman, that process might come to a conclusion next week. His former team already voided his contract, so he has no contractual commitment. There has already been some interest from a couple of teams, including the New York Rangers and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Zaripov, who has played his entire career in Russia, put up 16 goals and 29 assists last season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg. However, it was his playoff run last year that turned some heads. He scored 15 goals and added seven assists in 18 playoff games to reach the championship finals.
Snapshots: Vanek, Duchene, Kerfoot, Tolvanen
We saw Drew Stafford go off the board earlier today in a late-summer free agent signing, and now Darren Dreger of TSN told The Instigators on WGR 550 in Buffalo that he believes the Detroit Red Wings still have interest in bringing back Thomas Vanek.
Vanek’s name is at the top of the page. I think that Detroit legitimately does have interest in Vanek. Between Florida and the Red Wings he scored what, 17 goals last year? I think they’d like to add him, but at what cost—they don’t have a lot of cap space.
We’ve discussed many times the cap trouble that the Red Wings are in as they start their rebuild, but there remains this underlying hope that the team can get back to the playoffs this year. Vanek could legitimately help that cause, and be a potential trade deadline flip should the Red Wings fall out of it again. The team would likely need to make a subsequent move in order to fit him in.
- Dreger also speaks on the potential of a Matt Duchene trade, saying that the Avalanche still want a top young defenseman in return. Dreger has said in the past that it would be awkward for Duchene and Colorado to start the season together, but makes it clear that the forward is a professional and would not make a public show of his frustration. Nashville and Montreal are mentioned as possible destinations, but not as anything more than speculation from the insider.
- CapFriendly sorted out the details on Alex Kerfoot‘s entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, reporting that it will be for the maximum $925K each season (salary+signing bonuses) while it also carries $212.5K in performance bonuses. With Kerfoot likely to jump right to the NHL, many of the bonuses will be in his reach, which could cause his cap hit to creep over $1MM.
- Eeli Tolvanen got off to a great start with his KHL team, and the Nashville Predators’ prospect spoke about where his future lies as he continues to develop. Tolvanen was denied admission to Boston College just before the draft, likely causing him to fall to the Predators at 30th-overall. Tolvanen says that Boston College told him he could join the university after Christmas, but he’s now dedicated to Jokerit where he’s playing against other professionals. Tolvanen has one of the most remarkable wrist shot releases in this year’s draft class, but he won’t compare himself to the best just yet: “When I was young, I dreamt about shooting like [Alex] Ovechkin. Hope that one day I can be at his level.”
Simon Despres Signs In KHL
Recently bought out Anaheim Ducks defender Simon Despres has decided to take his talents to Russia, signing with Slovan Bratislava for one season (h/t to our friends at Roster Resource for pointing it out).
Despres, 26, was one of the most disappointing stories in the NHL last season, playing just a single game because of concussion symptoms. He started skating with the team late in the season and through the playoffs, and was well enough to be bought out in June. He was just one year into a five-year extension he signed in the fall of 2015, that was worth a total of $18.5MM.
It’s interesting that Despres couldn’t find work in North America, as he was once regarded as quite the young defenseman. After a breakout season in 2014-15 split between Pittsburgh and Anaheim in which he scored 23 points and was quite capable in his own end, nothing has gone right for him. He’ll instead look to prove his health and rebuild some of that value in the KHL, while being paid ~$660K by the Ducks for the season. The team was able to save two-thirds of the remaining salary since the buyout was performed while Despres was still 25.
After missing the KHL playoffs last season Slovan also added Marek Mazanec from the Nashville Predators this offseason, and will try to improve next year. The team is known for giving NHL players chances, and had Jonathan Cheechoo, Jeff Taffe and Kyle Chipchura all playing big roles last year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Despres return to the NHL in 2017-18 if he proves his injury problems are behind him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minor Notes: Tolvanen, Legwand, Hughes
Nashville Predators’ fans, prepared to get excited. Eeli Tolvanen, the 30th-overall pick in this year’s draft made his KHL debut today playing for Jokerit and what a debut it was. The 18-year old forward scored a hat trick and added an assist in just over 13 and a half minutes of ice time as they took down Dinamo Minsk 6-1 in their first game. While obviously it will be impossible for Tolvanen to continue this pace, he becomes the youngest player in KHL history to record a hat trick.
After being denied admission to Boston College for failing to meet the school’s academic requirements, Tolvanen almost tumbled out of the first round before signing a one-year deal (plus a 2018-19 option) with Jokerit. The 5’10” 170-lbs forward lit up the USHL in his draft year and possesses one of the quickest releases of any prospect in his draft class. It will be interesting to see where he spends next season, after a campaign that’s off to an incredible start.
- David Legwand will step behind the bench of the Sarnia Sting, an OHL franchise he is part owner of. The long time Nashville Predators’ forward will take an Associate Coach position with the team just over a year removed from his playing career. Legwand was an excellent player in his day, recording 618 points in 1,136 games over a 17-year NHL career. He’ll now join head coach Derian Hatcher in trying to turn the Sting around after a disappointing 2016-17 season. He’ll have to hope that Jordan Kyrou doesn’t make the St. Louis Blues out of camp, as he looked ready to take the next step towards professional hockey in the World Junior Summer Showcase. If Kyrou returns to the Sting, he could be in contention to lead the league in points after coming in sixth last year.
- The Hershey Bears have signed Tommy Hughes to an AHL contract, bringing in the former Hartford Wolf Pack defender for one season. Hughes was signed by the New York Rangers organization as a CHL free agent in 2013, but never saw action in the NHL. The 25-year old is about as stay-at-home as you can get in a defenseman, recording just 30 points over his four-year AHL career.
- Chris Terreri has joined the New York Islanders organization as a Goaltending Development Coach, and will also serve as Goalie Coach for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. Terreri had previously been with the New Jersey Devils for sixteen years. While the Islanders have struggled to find consistency in their NHL netminders the past few seasons, they do have some of the most interesting prospects in the league in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom. If either come over to North America in the next few seasons, Terreri will be tasked with unlocking their full potential.
More Russian Talent On Maple Leafs’ Radar
The Toronto Maple Leafs clearly think there is unmined talent in the KHL. In consecutive drafts they’ve selected players that seemed “off the board”—Yegor Korshkov and Nikolai Chebykin in 2016 and Vladislav Kara in the most recent draft—and signed Nikita Zaitsev away from CSKA Moscow last summer. Zaitsev showed he could be a solid NHL contributor in his first year, and signed a seven-year, $31.5MM extension exactly a year later.
So now, when reports surfaced that both Mike Babcock and Lou Lamoriello traveled to Russia to meet with CSKA defenseman Igor Ozhiganov people take notice. The report appeared on Sovsport, before the Maple Leafs confirmed that Babcock and Lamoriello were in the country to various outlets (but not that they’d met with the defenseman). The pair completed a similar recruitment meeting with Zaitsev a year before he signed in the NHL, which could suggest the same is about to happen with Ozhiganov.
The 24-year old’s contract ends with CSKA in April, and he’s already played parts of seven years in the Russian professional league. The 6’2″ 216-lbs defender is not as offensive as Zaitsev (although he does have highlights like this), but comes with considerable defensive acumen and is also right-handed. For the Maple Leafs, who are looking everywhere to improve their defense corps, Russia seems like fertile land.
Early Notes: Iginla, Doan, Polak
Hockey Canada once again told the Canadian Press that they would consider veteran options like Shane Doan and Jarome Iginla for their upcoming Winter Olympic squad, but reiterated that the pair would need to be playing somewhere to make the team. Because of the high-level still expected even in the absence of NHL stars, Team Canada GM Sean Burke won’t be taking players off the couch to Pyeongchang. Doan and Iginla are still trying to find work around the NHL, but could play for a few months in Europe or the KHL if they want to suit up for the Olympics. Both have experience there before and would lend some star power to the team. Whether they’re better than the AHL or college forwards that they would replace is still uncertain.
- Roman Polak is skating again and agent Allan Walsh told the Toronto Sun that he expects his client to sign with an NHL team very soon. Polak is working his way back from a broken fibula but looked fine in the video posted yesterday of his skating drills. The 31-year old was seen in Maple Leafs gear, but it’s unclear if Toronto would have any interest in a return. With the free agent market fairly devoid of defensive talent, Polak could be snapped up as soon as he’s medically cleared.
- Another former Maple Leafs player Matt Frattin has signed with Barys Astana of the KHL. The contract covers just one year for the veteran AHLer, and will be the first time he plays outside of North America. Last year for the Stockton Heat Frattin put up 36 points in 54 games, a pace he’s shown for several years in the minor leagues. Armed with a hard shot and power game, Frattin was never able to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, and will try to prove that he can be a valuable forward at a high level. He’ll have someone familiar in the lineup, as former Stockton teammate Linden Vey also signed with Astana this offseason.