Morning Notes: KHL Movement, Friberg, Zucker
For the KHL, May 1st is the equivalent of our free agent frenzy on July 1st, as many contracts expire and player movement is at its highest. We already learned about the moves that swapped the rights of some big name NHLers, but the league has broken down some of the other moves that occurred. CSKA Moscow seem like the big winners, after mining the less successful teams for talent.
Kirill Kaprizov is perhaps the biggest name, coming over to CSKA after a huge season for Ufa. The 20-year old Minnesota Wild draft pick scored 42 points in 49 games and starred at the World Juniors, captaining Russia to a bronze with 12 points in 7 games. It may be harder now for the Wild to convince him to come over to the NHL, as he’s under the umbrella of one of the most successful teams in the entire KHL.
- Maxim Shalunov, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick also joined CSKA after last month ending negotiations with the NHL club. Citing the league’s decision not to participate in the Olympics, Shalunov will now try to prove that he belongs at that tournament. In 49 games last season Shalunov scored 37 points, and could form one of the more dynamic young duos should he be placed with Kaprizov.
- Max Friberg has signed a three-year deal with Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League, heading home after several years bouncing between the AHL and NHL. Friberg was selected in the fifth-round by the Anaheim Ducks and spent the latest season captaining the St. John’s IceCaps.
- Jason Zucker underwent the surgery reported on yesterday, and all things point to a full recovery by the time training camp opens in September. The Minnesota Wild forward had the successful surgery in Philadelphia, and will now begin his rehab to get back on the ice for the team next season. Zucker was a standout this year and will be needed by the Wild to return to the playoffs once again in 2018.
- The St. Louis Blues have pulled the yo-yo string once again on Jordan Schmaltz, bringing him back up after the Chicago Wolves lost game 1 of their second round series last night. Schmaltz is both the insurance defenseman for the Blues and a top player for the Wolves right now, bouncing up and down between games.
Red Wings Notes: Draft Targets, Svechnikov
Since the Red Wings will be picking in the top ten for the first time since taking Martin Lapointe in 1991, there are a number of theories as to who they might take. MLive’s Brendan Savage pencils in Russian Klim Kostin via a Bleacher Report article conducting mock drafts. Kostin is an 18-year-old winger who was limited this season due to a shoulder injury, but spent time with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow. NHL Central Scouting has Kostin as its #1 skater while last July, the Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had a write up on Kostin, who opted to stay in Russia instead of playing in North America after being taken in the CHL Import Draft. Kennedy pegged Kostin as a top pick in this year’s draft, and though injury has kept Kostin down this season, the Red Wings seem to be line for a player who scouts peg as a strong scorer down the road.
- Fan Rag’s Franklin Steele penned a draft target piece about the Red Wings as well, listing defensemen Cale Makar, Jusso Valimaki, and forward Elias Pettersson as possible choices. Makar and Valimaki both fill a major need for Detroit which is a top defenseman, one they can grow into a desperately needed one or two d-man. Makar brings elite skating and skill. Valimaki scored at a point-per-game pace with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, revealing another skill defenseman the Wings desperately crave. Should defensemen not be there, Steele believes Pettersson makes the most sense, should Owen Tippett or Gabe Vilardi not be available. A two way forward, Pettersson has what Steele calls the “fastest hands” of the prospects, but some red flags, including struggling during international play, could be a liability.
- Evgeny Svechnikov leads AHL affiliate Grand Rapids into its second round matchup against the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup playoffs writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The Griffins made quick work of Milwaukee, sweeping them en route to its tilt with the Wolves. Svechnikov, who many believe could crack the Red Wings roster out of training camp next season, is tied with four points in just three games. Fellow prospect Tyler Bertuzzi, also has four points. This builds on Svechnikov’s torrid second half, where he notched 34 points in 36 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 24 assists. St. James reports that head coach Todd Nelson calls Svechnikov a “great success story,” adding that the youngster spent a lot of time watching video to cut down on turnovers. The result, Nelson says, is a more complete game.
Ryan Garbutt To Sign With Sochi Of KHL
After completing the final year of his current contract with the Anaheim Ducks, Ryan Garbutt will begin a new chapter in his hockey career with HK Sochi of the KHL. The 31-year old signed a one-year deal that will come into effect on July 1st when his current contract expires.
It was a tough year for Garbutt, who was placed on and cleared waivers in December after struggling to contribute through much of the first part of the season. In 28 games with the San Diego Gulls after being re-assigned, he scored 10 points. The former Dallas Stars forward scored 17 goals and 32 points in 2013-14, earning him the three-year $5.4MM deal he’s now finishing. He never could get back to those heights, though has still been credited as an effective fourth line player in recent years.
In the KHL, he’ll join Sochi after they missed the playoffs for the first time this season. While he didn’t put up big numbers in the NHL the last few years, he’ll likely find a bit more success in the offensive systems of the KHL. For the Ducks, it never really did pan out after trading Jiri Sekac for him in 2016. Sekac also returned to the KHL this season, but the Blackhawks had already moved on from him as well. Now the two will likely face off at some point next season.
Vladimir Tkachyov Re-Signs With Kazan, Will Not Play In NHL
One of the names bandied about in recent weeks has been that of Vladimir Tkachyov, a young Ukrainian forward who starred for Ak Bars Kazan this season. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet had linked him to the Maple Leafs, Devils and Oilers in a previous column, though mentioned that the NHL’s decision to not attend the Olympics could affect his decision. That seems true now, as Tkachyov has re-signed with Kazan for two years and will not be coming to North America just yet.
The 23-year old forward—not to be confused with the 21-year old Vladimir Tkachyov who is still under contract with Vladivostock—scored 32 points in 53 games in the KHL last season, adding another 11 in 15 playoff matches. Playing parts of the last five seasons in the K, Tkachyov is expected to make an impact at the NHL level should he ever decide to come over. His strength on the puck and two-way game are admirable, and though he doesn’t possess elite skill he has strong enough skating to fit in on any line.
The fact that he is a center who has been capable in the faceoff dot makes him interesting for several NHL teams looking to add depth down the middle without sacrificing any assets, and you’ll surely hear his name again in two years. For now, the league will have to turn its attention back to Evgeni Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov—and perhaps even Ilya Kovalchuk—to try and get some KHL help.
Nail Yakupov And The Russian Option
Earlier today it was announced that the rights of Nail Yakupov and Nikita Kucherov were dealt to reigning KHL Gagarin Cup Champions SKA St. Petersburg. While Kucherov sounds like the big name in the deal he—along with Marcus Johansson who went the other way—is under contract in the NHL and unable to return to Russia for several years. In actuality, the biggest name may be that of Yakupov who as of July 1st will not be under contract with any team in the NHL. 
While St. Louis will still hold his rights as a restricted free agent (as long as he’s not selected by the Vegas Golden Knights or traded before then), there will certainly be an effort from St. Petersburg to entice him to return to Russia. Especially as SKA prepares to possibly lose Ilya Kovalchuk, Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeni Dadonov all in one summer to the NHL, the money waived in front of Yakupov will be substantial. When looking at his career up to this point, and the deal he would likely have to settle for in the NHL—should he even be tendered a contract at all—returning to Russia may be his best option.
Snapshots: KHL, Surgeries, Bjork
Several pieces of news out of the KHL today, including the signing of a three-year contract for Nikita Tryamkin with Yekaterinburg. The news that Tryamkin had left the Vancouver Canucks has been out for a while, but now we know how long the team will have to wait until they get a chance to bring him back to the NHL. The Canucks will hold his rights until 2021-22 season since they plan to qualify him this offseason, meaning that perhaps a reunion is possible after this three-year deal expires in 2020.
Viktor Antipin has officially terminated his deal, meaning he’s allowed to sign with the Buffalo Sabres (or anyone else) as soon as he wishes. Antipin’s teammate and former NHLer Alexander Semin will not be offered a new contract by Magnitogorsk, despite scoring 30 points this season. Semin could potentially return to the NHL should someone want to take a chance on the former 40-goal man, though at 33 his most effective years are likely behind him.
- SKA St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow were involved in a trade, swapping the rights to Nail Yakupov and Nikita Kucherov for those of Marcus Johansson and David Musil. While Kucherov and Johansson are both under contract and thus unable to be wooed by the KHL, both Yakupov and Musil are restricted free agents this summer. They could theoretically leave for greener pastures, as neither have been able to make much of an impact at the NHL level recently (or ever, in Musil’s case).
- The Minnesota Wild have announced that both Marco Scandella and Christian Folin have undergone surgery to repair hip and shoulder injuries respectively. Both are expected to be ready for training camp, though it obviously sets some of their offseason work back.
- Joe Haggerty of CSNNE reports that NCAA prospect Anders Bjork has told the Bruins he’ll make a decision on turning pro after the World Championships. Bjork is currently playing with Team USA at the tournament, which starts on May 5th. The 20-year old fifth-round pick blew up at Notre Dame this year, and Boston has made it clear that they want him to turn pro this summer instead of returning for his senior season. If he were to return, he’d be just a few months away from free agency when he graduated with most of the league ready to put his name on a contract.
Columbus Blue Jackets Trying To Sign Vladislav Gavrikov
Not to be outdone by the other Metropolitan Division teams that have been going after KHL talent, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that the Blue Jackets have offered a contract to Vladislav Gavrikov. The former sixth-round pick has now played two full seasons in the KHL, and is believed to have an NHL future should he decide to come over to North America. Portzline adds that agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star will meet Gavrikov at the World Championships to discuss the offer in person.
Despite being just 20 when this season started (he has since turned 21), Gavrikov saw his icetime increase to over 18 minutes a night on his hometown Yaroslavl team and was named the top defenseman in the league for March. His development in his own end has been steady, though he still hasn’t flashed much offensive prowess. In 54 games this season he registered just seven points.
If Columbus can get him to make the trip across the pond, Portzline opines that Ryan Murray may be on the move out of town. The former second-overall pick has become somewhat redundant since the successful debuts of both Zach Werenski and Gabriel Carlsson, but retains his tremendous trade value. Should the team move on from Murray, they could likely get a king’s ransom for the 23-year old defender. This season saw Murray’s point totals drop to just 11 through 60 games, mostly because he skated very rarely on the powerplay.
Should another team come calling, the Blue Jackets are in the enviable position of having a stockpile of young defenders still coming, including Gavrikov, Ryan Collins and NCAA draft pick Andrew Peeke. They could move on from Murray and still have one of the deepest groups in the league, and signing Gavrikov would make it even deeper.
Vadim Shipachyov Will Not Sign With Montreal Canadiens
According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, the Montreal Canadiens will not pursue KHL free agent forward Vadim Shipachyov. The Canadiens just inked their own KHL star today in Jakub Jerabek, but have decided to avoid a bidding war over the older Shipachyov. The 30-year old is widely expected to come to the NHL this season, and has been previously been rumored to be looking for a deal worth up to $5.5MM annually.
The Canadiens are clearly looking for upgrades offensively after being bounced from the playoffs by the New York Rangers while scoring just eleven goals in the six-game series. Their best playoff performer Alexander Radulov is a free agent this summer, and though he has been clear about a desire to stay in Montreal, there is no guarantee that a deal is completed before he hits the open market and sees his price go up even further. While Shipachyov is clearly a strong scoring threat—he scored 26 goals and 76 points in 50 games this season, trailing only Ilya Kovalchuk on SKA St. Petersburg—he comes with some of the same problems that they currently have at center, with a less-developed defensive game and lack of physical presence.
With a new contract for Radulov due, and Carey Price‘s eventual extension looming over Montreal this summer they’ll likely be looking in the trade market for an upgrade down the middle of the ice. Suddenly with a ton of defensive depth on the left side, they could dip into their prospect cupboard to find the player they need instead of risking a big contract on an unproven KHL star.
Latest On Sabres’ Pursuit Of Viktor Antipin
The Buffalo Sabres are one step closer to signing Viktor Antipin as according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, the 24-year old defenseman has indeed terminated his contract with Magnitogorsk and is now a free agent. Antipin had been contracted through next season, but has been rumored for months to be a target of the Sabres. With Dmitry Kulikov, Cody Franson and Taylor Fedun all set to become free agents, the Sabres could use a puck moving defender like Antipin immediately on the back-end.
Antipin is one of the most decorated young players in the KHL, already with two Gagain Cup victories, two World Championship medals and a World Juniors silver under his belt. He’s also been a KHL all-star and won the league’s “Gentleman” award. After 24 points in 59 games this season, Antipin played a huge part in taking Magnitogorsk to the Cup final once again, scoring seven goals in 18 playoff games. Buffalo will likely get him under contract as soon as possible.
Earlier updates…
- Last week, the two sides were linked by multiple sources with Brayton Wilson of WGR 550 in Buffalo noting that any deal would likely include a clause which would send Antipin back should the Sabres think he’s not ready for the NHL. There will be no AHL time for the young defender, as his goal is to play in the NHL right away. Nikita Tryamkin had a similar clause put into his deal, before heading back to Russia this year.
- Back in early March, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was one of the first to mention Antipin’s name in connection with Buffalo, while also speaking about his teammate Alexei Bereglazov’s interest in the New York Rangers. Bereglazov signed with the Rangers on April 21st, mainly because he did not have the added obstacle of negotiating a termination of a full year on his KHL deal. If Antipin does sign with the Sabres, it will be interesting to see the two develop for cross-state teams here in the NHL.
Eastern Notes: Shattenkirk’s Struggles, Shalunov
While the Washington Capitals have received nothing but praise from the press since they made their trade deadline deal to acquire veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, his presence during the playoffs so far have been far from impressive. The veteran defenseman, who was picked up from the playoff-bound St. Louis Blues for a host of picks and players, including their 2017 first-round pick, has struggled in the playoffs with no goals and three assists in eight games this season. He also has a minus-seven rating in that span. Yesterday, he lost a race to 40-year-old Matt Cullen, which allowed the veteran to score a short-handed goal against the Capitals. Later, he took a delay of game penalty to allow Phil Kessel to score in the third period.
Coach Barry Trotz was also disappointed in the 28-year-old blueliner’s performance as he called him out this morning. “That’s not good enough for what we need in that third pairing right now. Minus-7 is hard to recover from,” Trotz said. Shattenkirk and defensive partner Brooks Orpik have struggled together as that third defensive line. In the first series against the Maple Leafs, the two allowed five goals in the series, the most of all the defensive pairings.
These mistakes have been costly enough with the Capitals now down two games and having to travel to Pittsburgh for the next two, but it also may not help him in the offseason when he is an unrestricted free agent, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. While he will undoubtedly will receive a raise from his $2.592MM contract that ends this year, a good playoff performance or a long playoff run by Washington could have improved his value in the free-agency market. However, his struggles will likely not help him if things continue to stay the course.
So, if things don’t continue to improve, could Washington let Shattenkirk walk in free agency? Only time will tell.
- Chicago Blackhawks prospect Maxim Shalunov will not be coming to the NHL any time soon as the 24-year-old wing will sign a three-year contract with Sibir Novosbibitsk of the KHL, according to his agent Shumi Babayev yesterday, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. That means the Blackhawks’ couldn’t bring Shalunov over to the U.S. before the 2020-21 season. He will, however, remain a Blackhawk as long as he stays on their resevered list. The fourth-round pick from the 2011 NHL draft is coming off a season in which he scored 19 goals for Sibir Novosbibitsk this past year. Babayev warned that Shalunov would cut off negotiations with the NHL a few weeks ago after the NHL announced that it would not restructure its season around the 2018 Olympic Games.