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Morning Notes: Barzal, Sabres, Yelesin

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After the now-infamous departure of John Tavares from the New York Islanders via free agency, all eyes on Long Island turned to promising young center Mathew Barzal to fill the void and lead the team’s offense to continued success. Needless to say, he’s succeeded, notching 311 points in 362 games so far in his young career. This season is the first time the team won’t win a playoff round since Barzal took over the no. 1 center role, and it’ll also be the first time they won’t make the playoffs at all.

As all eyes turn toward the future, though, fans will notice Barzal has one season left on his three-year, $21MM bridge deal he signed prior to 2020-21. With him once again being a restricted free agent, Barzal left the door open on a long-term extension after exit interviews, via James Nichols of The Fourth Period. While he’s yet to replicate his 85-point rookie season, he’s still chugged along at a 60+ point pace every season since then. Knowing general manager Lou Lamoriello, a long-term extension is likely something he’s interested in as well. But it’s unclear how much Barzal’s cap hit will change, considering the lack of significant offensive development during his bridge deal – does he still project to hit the 80-90 point plateau again, or is he an extremely strong no. 2 center on a Cup winner as his recent point totals suggest?

  • A report out of Sweden via HockeyNews.se today says that Buffalo Sabres forward Rasmus Asplund plans to join the team for the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Championship. Asplund played in 80 out of 82 games this season in Buffalo, setting new career highs with eight goals, 19 assists, and 27 points. He also took leaps and bounds defensively this season, showing signs he can develop into a true shutdown forward for the Sabres. Defenseman Henri Jokiharju also announced he’ll be joining Finland at the same tournament.
  • A former Calgary Flames prospect is staying in Russia for two more seasons. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL announced today they’ve reached a two-year extension with defenseman Alexander Yelesin, who appeared in four games with the Flames during 2019-20, recording no points. An undrafted free agent, the defensive defenseman played just two seasons in North America before the Flames opted to leave him unsigned. The team still retains his rights if he ever decides to return to the NHL, but that won’t come until 2024-25 at the soonest when he’ll be 28 years old.

Markus Granlund, Lukas Wallmark Linked To ZSC Lions

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After terminating his contract in the KHL because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Lucas Wallmark appears to be headed to Switzerland. Reports have surfaced that both Wallmark and Markus Granlund will sign with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NL, after spending this season in the KHL.

Wallmark, 26, once recorded ten goals and 28 points in a season for the Carolina Hurricanes and appeared to be on his way to relevance in the NHL. That quickly dissipated though, and after several trades (he was sent to the Florida Panthers two years in a row), he took his talents to CSKA Moscow where he had 19 points in 31 games. This season also included a stint with the Swedish Olympic squad, where Wallmark actually scored five goals in an impressive six-game performance, earning a place on the tournament All-Star team.

Given his relative youth, a contract in Switzerland doesn’t necessarily end any chance of Wallmark returning to North America at some point, but it certainly will delay it. Zurich is one of the most well-run organizations in all of Europe and routinely grabs top imports from around the globe. Despite not finding much success in his last few NHL stops, Wallmark should have no problem in the NL.

Granlund meanwhile is another year removed from the NHL, last playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2019-20 season. He’s spent the last two seasons in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where he has been one of the league’s most consistent offensive players. In 91 KHL regular season games over two seasons, Granlund scored 31 goals and 91 points, numbers that should follow him to Switzerland if he does in fact sign. Another participant in the Olympics, he managed to record just one point in the tournament, but still take home a gold medal with the Finns.

Now 29, a return to North America is still possible down the road, and Granlund did score 19 goals for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17. That kind of scoring touch has been inconsistent for him at the NHL level though, meaning he might be another European star that prefers to stay overseas than risk demotion to the AHL by coming to this side of the pond.

Metropolitan Notes: Marchenko, Morehouse, Panarin, Copp

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It is only a matter of time now before prospect Kirill Marchenko officially signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marchenko, 21, has finished his KHL season, as SKA St. Petersburg fell in the conference finals of the Gagarin Cup playoffs, and he isn’t wasting any time making his next move. While his contract does not officially end until April 30, like many of his SKA teammates Marchenko is already negotiating his next deal. Russian source Sport Express reports that Marchenko will soon sign his two-year entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets. The 2018 second round pick is coming off a 20-point KHL season, finish fifth for St. Petersburg in scoring – a notable feat for a player of his age in a league with many accomplished veterans. A big, rangy winger with a goal scorer’s mentality, Marchenko figures to be yet another young impact player next season for a Columbus team that will have Yegor Chinakhov, Cole Sillinger, and Kent Johnson up front as well.

  • After 16 years on the job and contributing to three Stanley Cup titles, Pittsburgh Penguins CEO David Morehouse has stepped down, the team announced. The Penguins’ release states that Morehouse made the decision himself, though the move comes not long after the team was sold to the Fenway Sports Group which may have played a role. Morehouse, a Pittsburgh native, joined the team in 2007 to spearhead the arena construction project that became Consol Energy Center and now PPG Paints Arena. Not only did Morehouse oversee the construction of the arena, but played a key role in filling the seats as well. Morehouse played a role in a number of strategic initiative and capital projects that have taken advantage of the Penguins’ lengthy stretch of consistent success to help build one of the NHL’s most valuable franchises.
  • Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp both left Tuesday night’s game between the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes due to injury, but head coach Gerard Gallant was adamant that these were precautionary measures. He told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that both would have returned if it was a playoff game. There is reason to be skeptical of these comments though. First, last night’s game was virtually a playoff game; the Rangers faced the Hurricanes in a must-win for New York if they hoped to take the division crown from Carolina. Even more interesting though was the Rangers’ lineup for tonight’s game. New York understandably kept a number of starters in the press box for the contest with Tuesday’s loss cementing their playoff position. However, rather than listed as a health scratch like the rest, Panarin and Copp were listed as injured. Rosen reports that Panarin is out with an upper-body issue and Copp with a lower-body issue. In case this ends up being a strategic move by the Rangers to downplay these injuries ahead of a seven-game series, the health of Panarin and Copp bears watching.

Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Boudreau, Price

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While the IIHF recently announced an additional sanction on hockey in Russia, and the NHL has cut ties with the KHL, Russian players are still permitted to sign as free agents with NHL clubs. With the KHL season set to end shortly, KHL free agents seeking to cross the Atlantic and sign with an NHL team have come under the microscope. Perhaps the most attention has been paid to Andrei Kuzmenko, who is set to become a free agent on May 1st. Kuzmenko, 26, had 53 points in 45 games in this KHL campaign, along with 14 points in 16 playoff games. Kuzmenko’s offensive profile is tantalizing to many NHL teams, and since he is still just 26 years old it is not unreasonable to think there is room for him to grow.

Like many of the KHL free agents who came before him, Kuzmenko is expected to have a competitive market when he and his representatives choose to begin negotiations. On TSN’s Insider Trading program, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reported that next week Kuzmenko will begin the interview process with NHL teams. Johnston reports that it is believed that 20 NHL teams will reach out to Kuzmenko with at least “some degree of interest.” In terms of what factors may play into Kuzmenko’s decision-making process, Johnston says that Kuzmenko “wants to go somewhere where he can play, where he’s going to have a role,” and that the market and city a team plays in is a less important factor. That should certainly make the competition to secure Kuzmenko’s services a bit more wide-open, and given that he only costs a signing team cap space and no assets to acquire, there will likely be many fanbases across the NHL hoping their team can be the one to land this intriguing KHL veteran.

Now, some more snapshots from across the NHL:

  • While Bruce Boudreau’s contract situation has been a major storyline in recent months, it seems the fears of a potential offseason departure for the 67-year-old Canucks skipper can be all but dismissed. In an interview with CHEK’s Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman gave an update on Boudreau’s status. In his interview, Friedman states that Boudreau will return as Vancouver’s coach “if everybody is reasonable.” Friedman believes that as long as neither party is “being ridiculous,” as he terms it, then there should be no real issue securing an agreement on Boudreau’s return. Both the Canucks’ players and fanbase have responded extremely well to Boudreau’s coaching, and since he arrived in Vancouver the Canucks have been among the tougher teams to beat in the NHL. So while there may have once been fears of an offseason divorce for Boudreau and the Canucks, it now seems that there is very little chance of those fears becoming reality.
  • Carey Price has made his return to the Montreal Canadiens, but that doesn’t mean his future is made any more certain. In another note from TSN’s Insider Trading program, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun gave an update on Price’s status. LeBrun reports that Price “wants to play next season” as a number-one priority for him, but in order to do so, he needs to have full health in the injured knee that cost him so many games this season. According to LeBrun, not a certainty that Price’s knee can get there. Lebrun doesn’t cast any majorly pessimistic forecasts on Price’s health, but he does state that there is “a bit of uncertainty” to Price’s health situation that may complicate not only his future but also the future of the Canadiens.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Magnus Hellberg

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April 14: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Hellberg has indeed cleared waivers and can now join Detroit for the last few games of the regular season.

April 13: The goaltending for the Detroit Red Wings hasn’t really been up to snuff this season, with 26-year-old Alex Nedeljkovic posting a .900 save percentage in 53 appearances. That’s what makes today’s signing of Magnus Hellberg so interesting. Hellberg has signed a one-year contract. CapFriendly reports that the contract is for this season and includes an $800,000 salary, He now has to clear waivers in order to be eligible to play for the Red Wings down the stretch, and then would be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

This makes things very interesting in Detroit’s crease. Hellberg, 31, was a second-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2011 who had a few cups of coffee in the NHL before leaving for the KHL in 2017. Over the last five seasons he has posted very strong numbers there, registering a .927 save percentage in 169 KHL contests. Add in a .940 in 22 playoff appearances, a World Championship gold medal and a recent Olympic appearance for Sweden, and Hellberg’s resume is pretty impressive.

He could potentially take the spot of Thomas Greiss, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and offer a potential tandem option for Nedeljkovic who is set to become a UFA in the summer of 2023. The Red Wings have Sebastian Cossa on his way, but the first-round pick is still just 19 and still a ways off being an NHL starter.

Hellberg at the very least offers them a depth piece for the organization as they try to transition from rebuilding to contending, and an experienced one at that. The fact that he is 6’6″ and fills nearly the entire net certainly doesn’t hurt.

Snapshots: Kravtsov, Wallmark, Celebrini

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The New York Rangers are primed for a legitimate Stanley Cup run, but it appears as though their malcontent prospect will not be joining them. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that instead of joining the Rangers for the playoff run, Vitali Kravtsov will begin his offseason training regimen in Russia, with the plan of arriving in New York well ahead of training camp.

Kravtsov, who requested a trade and basically forced his way back to the KHL for this entire season rather than play in the minor leagues, was eliminated from the KHL playoffs this week when Traktor Chelyabinsk fell to Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The 22-year-old forward is a restricted free agent this summer and would need a new contract if he’s to play in New York next season.

  • Earlier this month, both Lucas Wallmark and Joakim Nordstrom terminated their contracts in the KHL because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their agent, Claes Elefalk, told SVT Sport that the two left “substantial amounts” on the table by terminating contracts that would have originally kept them in Russia until May 2023. The pair of Swedes are obviously well known to NHL fans, who watched Wallmark play nearly 200 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks, and Nordstrom play nearly 500 with the Blackhawks, Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, and Calgary Flames, before leaving for the KHL last summer. Both are now unrestricted free agents.
  • Though he was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Macklin Celebrini ended up being drafted first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the most recent WHL U.S. Prospect Draft, after playing parts of two seasons at the powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary’s prep academy in Minnesota. Celebrini put up incredible numbers this year for the program, scoring 50 goals and 117 points in just 52 games. Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, it appears as though that pick was wasted (at least for now). Celebrini–a top prospect for the 2024 draft–has signed a tender agreement with the Chicago Steel of the USHL for the 2022-23 season. He will take the place of Chicago’s first-round pick in next month’s USHL draft, and will continue his development at another powerhouse program with the Steel.

Latest On Andrei Kuzmenko

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The world has changed quite a bit since Andrei Kuzmenko’s name surfaced in November as a player that was drawing interest from NHL teams. Given his place in the KHL and Russia’s actions in the invasion of Ukraine, it wasn’t at all clear whether teams would still pursue the soon-to-be free agent. On last night’s Insider Trading, Chris Johnston cleared that up.

I think what’s interesting is that even with the situation with Russia having invaded Ukraine, it doesn’t seem to have scared teams off at this point. And his contract in Russia runs through April 30. So as of May 1, he’s available to sign an NHL deal.

Kuzmenko, 26, had a brilliant regular season in the KHL this year, scoring 53 points in 45 games, and has carried that play right over into the postseason. Through 12 playoff games with SKA St. Petersburg, the dynamic forward has seven goals and 13 points, leading the team to the Conference Finals. Importantly, SKA is actually down 2-1 in their series against CSKA, meaning they could be eliminated in the coming days. If that happens, Kuzmenko will have plenty of time to talk to NHL clubs before his contract officially expires at the end of the month.

Johnston notes that a deal is not “cooked” yet, meaning there isn’t an agreement in place at this point. The Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks have confirmed interest, but in 2018, the last time Kuzmenko was discussing contracts in the NHL, his agent said 24 teams reached out. If it’s anywhere near that many this time around, he’ll have quite a few options to choose from.

To be clear, Kuzmenko would not be eligible for this year’s playoffs, even if he joins a team still involved. Because he is not on any team’s reserve list as an undrafted player, he would have had to sign a contract before the trade deadline to help them in this postseason.

Jokerit, Dinamo Riga Officially Withdraw From KHL

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The KHL will be down to 22 teams for the 2022-23 season, announcing today that both Jokerit and Dinamo Riga will no longer take part. Jokerit had already withdrawn from this year’s playoffs after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Just a few years ago in 2016-17, the KHL hit a peak of 29 teams. That number has been reduced again, removing many opportunities from the league and potentially leading even more players to pursue jobs elsewhere around the world.

It is not clear if Jokerit will re-join Liiga in Finland for next season. The team has only announced that club president Jari Kurri has left his position on the KHL board of directors, and will announce future plans “as soon as possible.” The club made the move from Liiga to the KHL in 2014, and was quite successful during its time there. Making the playoffs every season, it was one of the teams to abandon the postseason in 2020 due to COVID concerns and first to withdraw this year.

Riga meanwhile has been in the KHL since the club was re-founded in 2008, but had failed to qualify for the postseason in each of the last eight years. It is not at all clear what will happen next for the Latvian club, or if they will play at all in 2022-23.

Kirill Marchenko, Ivan Morozov Linked To NHL

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At the end of this month, many contracts in the KHL will expire, making a whole wave of players free agents eligible to sign in other professional leagues. For some, it appears as though NHL contracts are on the horizon. A report from Leonid Zakhvatov of Match TV in Russia indicates that both Kirill Marchenko and Ivan Morozov will sign entry-level contracts with their respective NHL clubs, leaving the KHL behind.

Marchenko, 21, was selected 49th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018, a team that has patiently awaited his arrival in North America. The young forward has shown an ability to score even in limited KHL minutes while playing with SKA St. Petersburg the last few seasons, adding 12 goals in 39 games this year despite averaging under 12 minutes of ice time.

He actually hasn’t played with the KHL club since January though, heading to the VHL instead for the affiliate’s playoff run, where he added four goals in ten games so far. Marchenko is playing a lot more there, but is in danger of being eliminated tomorrow as SKA is down 3-1 in their semi-final series.

Morozov, meanwhile, was the 61st pick in 2018, this time by the Vegas Golden Knights. He too was playing with SKA the last few seasons and saw a demotion to the VHL squad this year, before ending up with HC Sochi for the end of the year. The complicated year for Morozov is especially curious, given how well he had previously shown at the highest level. In 2020-21 he scored 31 points in 55 regular season games, added seven more in 15 playoff contests, and then was named to the Russian World Championship team. This year, in 22 KHL games combined between SKA and Sochi, he had five goals and 11 points.

Both players represent no sure thing but could be quick risers through the system and contribute at the NHL level in 2022-23, should the contracts be finalized. In fact, technically either one would even be eligible to play in the postseason this year, though it would mean burning the first year of the entry-level deal.

Anton Slepyshev Re-Signs In KHL

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If you wondered whether Anton Slepyshev would attempt an NHL comeback after his strong performance in the KHL and at the Olympics this year, think again. The 27-year-old forward has signed a new contract with CSKA Moscow that will keep him in Russia through the 2024-25 season.

Slepyshev was originally selected 88th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2013, and eventually made it over to North America for the 2015-16 season. After making his NHL debut that season, he was a regular in the Oilers lineup for the next two years, including during the team’s 2017 playoff run, the last time they have made it out of the first round.

After the 2017-18 season and his entry-level contract came to an end, though, he ended up returning to Russia to join the powerhouse CSKA program, and has not returned. His NHL rights, which were temporarily held by the Oilers, expired last year and he could have returned to sign with any North American organization had he wanted to. Instead, his prime years will all be spent in Russia, suggesting that his NHL career could come to an end with just over 100 games played. This season for CSKA, he registered ten goals and 25 points in 35 games, and helped his country take home the silver medal at the Olympics with a strong performance.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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