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Morning Notes: Islanders, Paquette, Leonard

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Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News writes that the New York Islanders’ recent trade of draft picks with the Chicago Blackhawks could be a prelude to a bigger move. Rosner wonders if the extra second-round draft pick the Islanders acquired might be used to clear salary cap space in a similar fashion to the trade the Islanders made last summer in which they traded Josh Bailey and his $5MM cap hit a second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.

The Islanders have several contracts on the books that they would love to move to acquire additional help in the top 6, but most of those contracts would require a sweetener to facilitate a trade. The Islanders are slated to have just over $6MM in cap space available heading into the summer.

In other morning notes:

  • Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette has reportedly signed a two-year extension with Dynamo Moskva of the KHL (as per KHL). Paquette is a veteran of 448 NHL games and last played in the league back in 2021-22 with the Montreal Canadiens tallying two assists in 24 games. The 30-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020, before eventually moving on to play for Ottawa, Carolina, and eventually Montreal. Paquette spent his final season in North America split between the NHL and AHL before signing in the KHL in 2022 with Dinamo Minsk. Since making the move overseas, the Gaspe, Quebec native has seen his offensive numbers trend upwards as he enjoyed his best offensive season in a decade last year with 22 goals and 13 assists in 57 games.
  • Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside is reporting that if Boston College forward Will Smith signs his entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks as expected, it could create a ripple effect that might see his teammate Ryan Leonard move to sign his ELC as well. A report surfaced a few weeks ago that the Washington Capitals would re-engage in contract talks this summer with the 19-year-old in the hopes of having him turn pro, but now with the possibility of his teammate leaving the NCAA, it seems more likely that Leonard would move on as well. The Amherst, Massachusetts native had a terrific freshman year posting 31 goals and 29 assists in 41 games with the Eagles.

Nikita Okhotyuk Signs Two-Year Deal In KHL

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Earlier this morning, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk would be leaving the Calgary Flames organization to sign a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. Okhotyuk’s signing rights were traded in the KHL only four days ago in a swap between CSKA and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Okhotyuk became a solid prospect with the New Jersey Devils organization after being selected with the 61st overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Poised to be a defensive defenseman at the NHL level, Okhotyuk scored 10 goals and 47 points over 148 games with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League after coming to North America for the start of the 2017-18 OHL season. Okhotyuk finished his junior career with a whopping +72 rating, which covered up for his subpar offensive output.

Okhotyuk’s prospect stock began to rise throughout his first couple of years with the Devils organization as he continued to display his knack for shutting down opponent’s top lines in the American Hockey League. His defensive prowess would eventually lead to Okhotyuk’s inclusion in one of the more high-profile trades of the 2022-23 season, as the Devils traded the young defenseman to the San Jose Sharks in a deal that would bring Timo Meier out east.

During his tenure with the Sharks, Okhotyuk displayed flashes of his defensive capabilities that made him such an important prospect in New Jersey but failed to move up the depth chart for San Jose in any meaningful way. Because of this, Okhotyuk was once again traded this past year, this time in a small move to the Flames organization.

Albeit otherwise unnoteworthy news to see a struggling depth defenseman in the NHL try his luck overseas, this transfer by Okhotyuk has already become quite controversial. Much like goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s situation with the Philadelphia Flyers before the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Okhotyuk’s contract appears to violate Article II.4.1 of the IIHF International Transfer Regulations which could lead to sanctions by the international governing body.

Snapshots: Hronek, Mikheyev, Okhotyuk, Abramov

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Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek had a career year this season, notching 48 points in 81 games while logging over 23 minutes a night in his first full year in Vancouver.  The timing couldn’t have been much better as he’s eligible for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility this summer.  While a long-term deal has been expected for a while, Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic report (subscription link) that there has been very little progress made on a new agreement nor have their been any sort of substantive negotiations in several months.  Hronek is owed a $5.28MM qualifying offer next month, one they’ll have no issue tendering as a long-term agreement is likely to run past the $7MM mark.

More from around the hockey world:

  • Still with Vancouver, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the Canucks might consider buying out Ilya Mikheyev this offseason. The 29-year-old wound up with a respectable 11 goals and 20 assists in 78 games this season but his production cratered as the year went on as he managed just a single tally and nine helpers in his final 45 regular season and was held off the scoresheet altogether in 11 playoff contests.  Mikheyev has two years left on his deal that carries a $4.75MM AAV; a buyout would carry a cap charge of $1.15MM next season, $2.15MM in 2025-26, and $1.55MM for two more years after that.
  • A pair of young NHL players were traded recently in the KHL. CSKA announced that they traded the rights to Blues prospect Mikhail Abramov in exchange for Flames blueliner Nikita Okhotyuk.  Abramov picked up 14 goals and 22 assists in 59 games with AHL Springfield this season and has yet to play at the NHL level.  Okhotyuk, meanwhile, spent most of the season in San Jose before being acquired late in the season by Calgary; he notched nine points, 80 blocks, and 147 hits in 52 NHL games.  Both players are set to become restricted free agents in July.

Arseni Gritsyuk To Remain In KHL

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Over the past couple of days, one of the major news items was that forward Matvei Michkov is intent on terminating his contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL to begin his career with the Philadelphia Flyers organization. The same will not be true for Michkov’s teammate, Arseni Gritsyuk, who will remain with SKA St. Petersburg for the 2024-25 KHL season, instead of signing on with his draft team, the New Jersey Devils.

In an article published by James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now, the agent of Gritsyuk, Shumi Babev stated, “Gritsyuk will stay in SKA for sure. If nothing’s gonna be changed, [he] will join [New Jersey] in the next season”. Unlike Michkov, Gritsyuk’s contract is set to end after the 2024-25 season, indicating that he is resolute on honoring that agreement before taking his talents overseas.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft at 129th overall by the Devils organization, Gritsyuk’s slow start to his professional career coupled with his desire to stay in his native Russia for the time being caused him to fall quite a bit down the draft board. Over the last two years in the KHL, Gritsyuk has played for both Avangard Omsk and SKA, scoring 34 goals and 78 points over his last 116 games.

This commitment made by Gritsyuk to St. Petersburg may represent a mutually beneficial option for both himself and New Jersey. Gritsyuk will be able to hone his talents in a comfortable environment, while the Devils can allow him to grow before rushing him too quickly to North America.

Matvei Michkov Expected To Terminate KHL Contract, Join Flyers

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Russian phenom Matvei Michkov is expected to terminate his KHL contract and continue his career with the Philadelphia Flyers next season, per Russia’s Sport-Express. Sport-Express adds that SKA St. Petersburg will retain Michkov’s exclusive KHL rights until 2026.

This news seems to be first step towards Philadelphia landing one of their biggest prospects in recent memory. Michkov has become a sensation in Russia, coming off a season where he recorded 41 points in 48 games with the KHL’s HK Sochi – the second-most any U20 player has scored in the KHL, behind Kirill Kaprizov’s 42-point season in 2016-17. That’s the type of company Michkov’s scoring has always earned him, similarly posting the highest KHL points-per-game from a U19 player during his time with Sochi last season, ranking ahead of Eeli Tolvanen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Michkov has managed the strong scoring despite playing on one of the KHL’s weakest teams. HK Sochi, who operate as a feeder team for SKA, have won just 28 of their 136 games over the last two seasons, even despite Michkov raising their average goals-per-game from 2.01 to 2.47 during his time there. The meager setting served both pros and cons, allowing Michkov to emerge as a KHL team’s star but also providing him with little support. He made up for modest deployment when he was younger by absolutely dominating on the international stage. Michkov recorded 12 goals and 16 points in seven games at the 2021 World U-18 Championship – leading the tournament in scoring ahead of both Shane Wright and Connor Bedard. The tally also ranked him behind just Gavin McKenna, Alex Ovechkin, and Mikhail Grigorenko for the most a U17 player has ever scored at the event. Russia was banned from international events in the following season, limiting Michkov to friendly matches with the country’s Men’s team over the last two years.

A move out of Russia should bring Michkov much more team success, especially if it’s a move to the playoff-hopeful Flyers. He’s a phenomenal player, boasting a control of the puck and ability to cut through lanes that simply seems special. Combined with a hard-nosed drive towards the net and a nifty shot, Michkov has all of the traits of a bona fide scorer. He’s proven that at every level in Russia, but now faces his biggest challenge yet in moving to the NHL. How the Flyers support their star prospect, and just how high Michkov’s ceiling can go with that support, will be among the most exciting questions as the 2024-25 seaosn rolls around.

Afternoon Notes: Huhtanen, Lyle, Nečas

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have made the signing of forward prospect Niko Huuhtanen official, following reports of the signing yesterday. The three-year, entry-level deal will kick off next year and carries $57.5K in performance bonuses and $92.5K in signing bonuses each season, in addition to its $867.5K cap hit. Huuhtanen is currently playing with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, appearing in two games of the Calder Cup Playoffs but still searching for his first AHL point.

Huuhtanen played through his second full season in Finland’s Liiga this season, recording 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games. Tampa drafted Huuhtanen in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, selecting him out of Finland’s U20 league after he posted 20 goals and 34 points in 37 games. He moved to America in the following season – appearing in 65 games and recording 77 points with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. But his juniors career was short-lived, and Huuhtanen returned back to Finland ahead of last season – posting 17 goals and 30 points in 48 games as a Liiga rookie.

Huuhtanen has scored at every level and served as a staple for Finland’s international teams for the last six seasons. He’s a hefty winger who sacrifices swift feet for strength. He doesn’t lack finesse, though, and knows how to use his strong frame to fight for space and become an option for teammates. From there, Huuhtanen’s shot is strong enough to make him dangerous anywhere in the offensive end. He’ll likely return to the AHL next season, though his strong performances against pro competition in the Liiga could help him rival the Lightning lineup soon.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pending Calgary Flames free agent Brady Lyle has signed with HC Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. Lyle was previously a Group 6 free agent in the NHL, set to become an unrestricted-free agent if Calgary didn’t sign him by July 1st. He’ll now head to Russia, after posting 15 points in 47 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this season. The scoring brought his career point totals up to 51 across 186 AHL games. With Lyle now headed to Russia, Calgary’s only remaining Group 6 free agent is centerman Benjamin Jones.
  • Carolina Hurricanes centerman Martin Nečas is joining Team Czechia for the remainder of the World Championship, reports Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nečas’ NHL season ended with Carolina’s Game 6 defeat on Thursday. He contributed nine points in 11 playoff games – a boost in production after he managed just 53 points during the regular sesaon. This will be the first time that Nečas has played with Team Czechia since the 2019 World Juniors, when he posted four points in five games. He made his World Championship debut in 2018, with five points in seven games.

Ivan Fedotov Suspended From International Play For 3 Years

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The International Ice Hockey Federation has levied sanctions against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, KHL club CSKA Moskva, and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for disregarding Fedotov’s 2022 entry-level contract, shares Jonathan Bailey of Philadelphia Hockey Now. Fedotov signed the deal in May of 2022, attempting to join the Flyers ahead of the 2022-23 season. But he was detained by Russian authorities when trying to leave the country, and forced to serve one calendar year of military service. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that this service came on an aircraft carrier in the Murmansk region, far from the front lines.

He went on to sign a two-year KHL contract with CSKA this season, warranting the sanctions. The official punishments, per an IIHF statement, are as follows:

  • Ivan Fedotov is suspended from playing in any IIHF competitions, including the Olympic Games, for the next three years.
  • Ivan Fedotov will receive a six-month suspension from playing at the club level, should he leave the Flyers to play for an international club.
  • CSKA will be banned from making international transfers for two years, beginning on August 11, 2024 and ending on August 10, 2026.
  • The Russian Ice Hockey Federation has been assessed a fine of $1MM Swiss Francs.

In search of any silver lining, Fedotov can at least be happy with his closing performance in Russia. He recorded 21 wins and a .914 save percentage across 44 games, adding a .916 in five postseason appearances. CSKA terminated his deal following the end of the season, allowing him to move to Philadelphia one year early. Fedotov made that move just before the end of the Flyers season, slotting into the first three NHL games of his career and saving 43 of the 53 shots he faced.

Fedotov stamped his spot in Russian hockey during the 2021-22 season, leading CSKA to the Gagarin Cup and Team Russia to a Silver Medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He posted dazzling stats throughout, setting a .919 save percentage in 26 KHL games and a .943 in six Olympic appearances. While a future Russian Olympics roster would likely turn towards NHL stars Andrei Vasilevskiy or Igor Shesterkin, Fedotov would undoubtedly be on the shortlist of final options.

Evening Notes: Bjorkqvist, DeSmith, Bardakov

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Former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Kasper Bjorkqvist has signed with Ilves in Finland’s Liiga (according to Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). The 26-year-old has spent the past two seasons in Finland after spending parts of three years in the Penguins organization where he largely played in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Bjorkqvist was the Penguins’ second-round pick in 2016 (61st overall) but was never able to find his offensive game as a professional in North America tallying just 10 goals and four assists in 65 career AHL games. He was able to get into six NHL games during the 2021-22 season, posting a single goal. Since returning to Finland two years ago to play with Kärpät, Bjorkqvist has dressed in 82 games tallying nine goals and 14 assists.

While he will remain in Finland in the near future, Bjorkqvist’s NHL rights will remain with the Penguins.

In other evening notes:

  • Vancouver Canucks play-by-play voice Brendan Batchelor tweeted that Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith has a lower-body injury but should be good to backup for the Canucks tonight when they try to end their first-round series against the Nashville Predators. DeSmith practiced with the Canucks this morning, but it appeared in the game day skate that Artūrs Šilovs would be the starting goalie for Game 5. There is a possibility that DeSmith could start tonight, but Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet stopped short of announcing his starting goalie.
  • Colorado Avalanche prospect Zakhar Bardakov has reportedly signed a one-year extension with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. The 23-year-old was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL entry draft (203rd overall) and has yet to sign an ELC with the Avalanche after he was traded on March 1st of this year along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for Kurtis MacDermid. While Bardakov has signed in the KHL for another season, he could come to North America in 2025. Bardakov posted six goals and six assists in 51 regular season games last season with SKA.

Snapshots: Larsson, Yurov, Oshie

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Swedish goaltender Filip Larsson has announced he is leaving the SHL’s Leksands IF to pursue an NHL contract, as reported by the team (Twitter link). Larsson just wrapped up his first full season in the SHL, posting an admirable 19 wins and .920 save percentage through 28 regular season games. It was tied for the highest save percentage in the SHL among goalies with 20 or more starts, alongside veteran Lars Johansson, who posted a .920 in 40 games.

Larsson, 25, was formerly a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, hearing his name called in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He came over to America in the subsequent season, playing one year with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm before moving to the University of Denver for a year. He posted strong stats through both juniors and college, posting a .941 and .932 save percentage in the respective seasons. However, his strong performances fell flat when Larsson turned pro in the 2019-20 season. He spent the bulk of the year as a backup searching through starts in the AHL and ECHL – ultimately posting a .843 in seven AHL games and a .910 in 10 ECHL games.

Larsson moved back to Sweden for the 2020-21 COVID season and has since climbed the ranks through Sweden’s second-tier league, the HockeyAllsvenskan. He recorded 30 wins and a .918 save percentage across three seasons and 60 games in the league. Those appearances, and one spot start in the SHL, were all Larsson had to go on when he took on Leksands’ starting role this year. And he still performed well, even adding a .929 save percentage through five postseason appearances. Rather than settle down too much, Larsson is now trying to seize that momentum and make a return to North American pros. While his track in North America could’ve been better, Larsson has shown exactly what he’s capable of with dominant years throughout Swedish hockey. He’ll undoubtedly be a free agent to follow, with so many NHL teams vying for new and impactful goaltending.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Top Minnesota Wild prospect Danila Yurov is reportedly set to sign a one-year extension in the KHL as soon as tomorrow, per Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). This news comes after Yurov completed his championship run with Magnitogorsk Metallurg. He led the team in regular season scoring, with 21 goals and 49 points in 62 games, and added nine points in 23 playoff games. Minnesota drafted Yurov as the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and they will now have to wait one more year to bring him to North America.
  • It was revealed after their Game 4 loss that Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie played through the elimination game with a broken hand, shares The Hockey News’ Sammi Silber (Twitter link). It was linemate Dylan Strome who revealed Oshie’s injury while praising him for being such a great teammate. Strome added that fans don’t know the full extent of things Oshie has to do to prepare for a game, which certainly makes sense after the veteran forward suffered a seemingly endless string of injuries this year. He was limited to just 52 games this season, scoring 12 goals and 25 points. He has one year left on his deal, but after reaching 1,000 games and battling through injuries, there’s a chance the 37-year-old Oshie could bring his career to a close. On that idea, Strome says, “If it is his last game, he’s a hell of a warrior, hell of a guy. Everything you can ask for in a teammate.”

Maple Leafs Sign Nikita Grebyonkin To Three-Year Entry Level Deal

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward prospect Nikita Grebyonkin to a three-year, entry-level contract, shares agent Dan Milstein (Twitter link). The deal carries a $950K cap hit and $95K in signing bonuses, per Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). This news follows reports that Grebyonkin would sign his first NHL contract in time to play in Stanley Cup Playoff games. Grebyonkin is coming off a Gagarin Cup win with Magnitogorsk Mettalurg of the KHL. He ranked second on the team in scoring through the regular-season, posting 19 goals and 41 points in 67 games. It was the highest scoring of his young pro career, after posting 26 points in 45 games last year.

Grebyonkin will offer much-needed depth to a Leafs team on the fritz. While starting him in a playoff elimination game could be a risky use of the former fifth-round pick, Grebyonkin showed an impressive ability to match the fast pace of the KHL while still filling his roles in all three zones – a trait that should make moving to the NHL a bit more seamless. If he doesn’t make his NHL debut in this postseason, Grebyonkin will join Toronto’s long list of roster players on the fringe. His role is best served on the wing, though he’s served intermittent roles as a centerman when need calls for it.

Grebyonkin has emerged a bit out of nowhere over the last two seasons. His only international experience prior to this season came with Russia’s U16 and U17 teams in 2019 and 2020. He played in just six games between the two years, though, scoring two goals. That meant for incredibly limited viewings, with Grebyonkin even going undrafted in 2021, his first year of eligibility. He was ranked as the #37-overall European prospect by NHL Central Scouting that year, but was entirely unranked ahead of his actual draft day in 2022. He’s since climbed the ranks of Russian hockey and established himself as a player with the pace, fundamentals, and grit needed to challenge a pro role. He’ll put those skills to the test when he moves over to a deep, and scrutinized, Toronto Maple Leafs program.

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