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Morning Notes: Women’s Worlds, Seattle, Tryamkin

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The IIHF Women’s World Championship will be canceled for the second year in a row, according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. The event was scheduled to take place in Halifax next month, but is now being shelved because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation in Canada. It’s difficult to keep seeing international events go down, but this one was especially important as teams from around the world prepared for the 2022 Olympics. They now will have to go another year without facing each other in the top annual tournament.

Update: The tournament in Halifax has been officially canceled, but the IIHF notes that “this does not mean that we will not have a Women’s World Championship in 2021.” Hockey Canada and the international organization will attempt to find another host city in the coming months.

More from around the hockey world:

  • The Seattle Kraken don’t have official standing in the league just yet so can’t make any signings or complete trades, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been in touch with teams around the league. Pierre LeBrun and Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic examine six situations that could be ripe for an expansion draft deal, including one in Tampa Bay where the Lightning already have more salary committed to next season than they’re allowed to under the cap. Bolts’ GM Julien BriseBois will need to move out some contracts this summer and who better than the expansion Kraken to take a performing-but-overpaid forward off their hands.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are a great story to watch down the stretch as they try to make a postseason run following their huge COVID outbreak, but the front office will have to be a little more forward-looking in the days to come. One of those future moves could be bringing back Nikita Tryamkin, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that the club will engage with the hulking defenseman in the next few days. Tryamkin has spent the last four seasons in the KHL where he has continued to develop into a legitimate two-way force, using his 6’7″ frame effectively all over the ice. The Russian defenseman’s agent Todd Diamond was on Donnie and Dhali just this week, saying he believes his client is ready for an NHL return.

Prospect Notes: Wild, Popugaev, Thompson

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Two of the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects have enjoyed stellar college careers, culminating in a meeting in the NCAA Championship Game last weekend. For many college prospects, just one strong season and an NCAA title (or even an appearance) is enough to push them to the pros. However, the Wild may have to wait for these two. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that St. Cloud State forward Sam Hentges is expected to return to school for his senior season, while Massachusetts goaltender Filip Lindberg is still considering doing the same. Hentges, a 2018 seventh-round pick, has already played beyond his draft billing. The Huskies center has been a solid, two-way forward through each of his three college seasons, recording 61 points in 94 games along the way. However, he seemingly believes that he has more growing to do at St. Cloud. As for Lindberg, it is hard to imagine that there is any more left for him to prove at UMass. The title-winning goaltender was among the NCAA’s best this season, and last season, and the season before. He has a stunning .937 save percentage, 1.58 GAA, and 29 wins in 50 college appearances. If that wasn’t enough, Lindberg was also part of Finland’s 2019 World Junior gold medal-winning club, pitching a shutout in his lone appearance. Lindberg seems pro-ready, but perhaps the possibility of finally playing a workhorse role for the Minutemen could be enough to keep him around for his senior year. If not, the 2019 seventh-rounder would be the favorite to win the starting job for the AHL’s Iowa Wild next season anyway.

  • The New Jersey Devils won’t be getting a second look at prospect forward Nikita Popugaev in North America any time soon. The big Russian forward has signed a one-year extension with the KHL’s Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, the team announced. The Devils hold indefinite possession of Popugaev’s NHL rights, but there are certainly concerns that he may never be an NHL option. The polarizing prospect was considered a first-round talent at one point in the 2017 NHL Draft cycle, especially after back-to-back seasons of top-notch production in the WHL. However, work ethic concerns caused him to slip to the fourth round. He then confirmed some other suspicions by leaving the WHL for Russia, back-tracking on his perceived commitment to the North American game. Popugaev did return late in the 2018-19 season and signed an AHL contract with the Devils, staying through the following year but playing almost exclusively in the ECHL. This caused him to return to Russia again this year and he finally found some success after a mid-season trade to Nizhnekamsk. With a new deal, he hopes to build on that success again next season. Yet, in the big picture Popugaev’s struggles at the pro level in North America and Russia combined with a seemingly mutual resistance between he and the Devils to sign an entry-level contract just yet provides ample doubt that he will ever play in the NHL.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jack Thompson, arguably the best defenseman in their pipeline, is getting his first pro experience. With the OHL out of commission, Thompson has played at the junior level in Sweden this year, scoring at a point-per-game pace. However, he has returned home with his Swedish season over, but the OHL still has not returned to action. As a result, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, have brought Thompson in on an amateur tryout basis. The 19-year-old defenseman, a 2020 third-round pick, will likely return to the OHL if the league re-starts, but in the meantime will get invaluable experience in the AHL.

Minor Transactions: 04/15/21

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The NHL Trade Deadline may be over, but noteworthy player movement continues. With NCAA and Europeans ending, there are players becoming available with NHL appeal for next season and beyond. Track their movement right here:

  • One of the heroes of the NCAA Champion Massachusetts Minutemen has found his first pro contract. UMass leading goal scorer Carson Gicewicz has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Rockford Ice Hogs that begins next season, hypothetically keeping him with the club through the 2022-23 season. However, if Gicewicz continues to find the back of the net in the pros as he did in his final collegiate season, the Chicago Blackhawks may be forced to make him an entry-level offer before then or else risk losing him to another NHL team. Gicewicz was one of the best goal scorers in the NCAA this season, recording 17 tallies in 28 games. He finished fourth overall, behind such top NHL prospects like Montreal’s Cole Caufield and Colorado’s Sampo Ranta. While Gicewicz was a grad transfer at UMass, following four years at St. Lawrence, making him an older prospect at 24, he still brings plenty of potential to the pros. However, the first step will be to show that this season wasn’t a fluke after his first four collegiate season left a lot to be desired. If Gicewicz keeps it up though, his time on an AHL deal could be short.
  • Vadim Shipachyov has long been an intriguing name to NHL fans. The KHL superstar has been scoring at elite levels for a decade, begging the question of what he could bring to North America. With 637 points in 646 KHL games, Shipachyov has long has the label of one of the best players outside of the NHL. Even after a failed attempt at making the jump with the Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural 2017-18 season, Shipachyov has continued to score at a torrid, league-leading rate in Russia and many still wondered if he could try again in the NHL and find success with another club. Well today that question has been answered, likely for the final time. Shipachyov, now 34 years old, has signed a three-year extension with KHL powerhouse Dynamo Moscow, likely putting to rest any thoughts of an NHL comeback. A two-time Gagarin Cup champion, three-time KHL points leader, and six-time KHL All-Star, Shipachyov will just have to settle for his accolades in Russia having never really given North America a fair shake.
  • The SHL’s Malmo Redhawks have worked quickly to clarify their plans for the off-season following an early playoff elimination. The team has announced that nine of their players on expiring contracts will not return to the team. Among that list is Detroit Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno, who obviously will not be back after spending the season on loan with the QMJHL out of action. However, a surprise separation came in the form of Oskar Magnusson, a 19-year-old prospect of the Washington Capitals. The 2020 seventh-round pick has been developing in the Malmo system for many years, but has failed to make much of an impact in his recalls to the top club, so they have cut ties. Magnusson will have to find a new team with which to continue his development, likely still in Sweden but leaving open the option to jump to North America if the Capitals feel that is the best step. One final familiar name leaving Malmo is veteran forward Matt Puempel. Unable to find an NHL contract this off-season, Puempel joined the Redhawks in January. However, he only played in 15 games with the team, recording five points. Without much luck in his first foray into Europe, Puempel could look to return to North America this off-season. With 87 career NHL games and a long history of AHL scoring success, there should be a job for him at some level.

Prospect Notes: OHL, U18, Kostin

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The Ontario Hockey League hasn’t played a game in over a year. The junior league is the last member of the CHL still not playing, but there was hope that that could change in the next few weeks and allow young players to get back on the ice. That looks unlikely now, as David Hains of Queen’s Park Briefing reports that due to the changing health situation the OHL season has been “benched until further notice.” Ontario’s Minister of Sport Lisa MacLeod told Hains that it would be “irresponsible” to send the young players back into action right now.

It seemed in March as though things were moving towards a shortened season, with MacLeod even confirming that the OHL and the province had reached an agreement on the return to play that has since been thrown out. Though the door hasn’t been completely closed, it is looking less and less likely that there will be any meaningful OHL season.

  • The 2021 U.S. U18 roster has been announced for the upcoming World Championship, scheduled to take place in Frisco and Plano, Texas starting later this month. The group includes Jack Hughes–no not that Jack Hughes (or even that Jack Hughes)–who is one of the top prospects for the 2022 draft. Hughes, 17, is committed to Northeastern for the 2022-23 season. The rest of the roster includes many other top prospects and should be an impressive group for the upcoming tournament.
  • Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter that Klim Kostin is currently playing game seven in the KHL conference finals, and could be headed to North America should his club fail to advance. The 21-year-old Kostin signed his entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues way back in 2017 but went to the KHL on loan this year when there was still uncertainty surrounding the NHL and AHL seasons. In four games with the Blues last season, he scored a goal and could be an option down the stretch for them once he sorted out visa and quarantine issues. (As of this writing, Kostin’s team is up 2-1 and he has an assist.)

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Rodion Amirov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed one of their top prospects, inking Rodion Amirov to a three-year entry-level contract. Notably, the deal will not start until the 2021-22 season, meaning Amirov is not eligible to play for the Maple Leafs right away. In the release, the team indicates that he will be joining the Toronto Marlies and the organization’s development system as soon as his visa and quarantine is sorted out. GM Kyle Dubas released a short statement on the young forward:

Our Club is pleased to have Rodion formally signed today. We look forward to welcoming Rodion to Canada in the coming weeks and having him begin working with our player development staff in Toronto. We also look forward to continuing to work with Ufa with his development next season. Ufa has done an excellent job guiding Rodion’s development as a player to date and we are excited to work very closely with them through the summer and into the future.

That statement suggests that Amirov will head back to the KHL on loan for the 2021-22 season where he plays for Ufa Salavat Yulayev. In fact, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet even tweets that Amirov may be back in Russia for the 2022-23 season as well if he fails to make the NHL roster. In 39 regular season games this season he recorded 13 points and was held scoreless in nine postseason matches.

Importantly, Johnston also reports that Amirov will not have any performance bonuses built into his entry-level deal, making it easier for the Maple Leafs to recall him when they feel he is ready.

Selected 15th overall in 2020, Amirov has shown flashes of brilliance in the KHL but also often looks overmatched against players sometimes more than a decade his senior. When playing against similar-aged competition at the World Juniors he fared a bit better, recording two goals and six points in seven games. It was really at the Karjala Cup, an international tournament in Finland, where Amirov really showed what he could do, earning top forward honors for the event. The Russians won the tournament despite sending their junior team.

The Maple Leafs won’t see him in the lineup anytime soon, but getting Amirov to sign was an important step towards getting him to North America permanently.

Prospect Notes: Holtz, Podkolzin, NCAA Transfers

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While the New Jersey Devils showed signs of life earlier this season, it’s another subpar season for the club and they continued their rebuild at the trade deadline by moving three veterans for picks and prospects. However, help is on the way in the form of an elite prospect. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald confirmed to the media, including The Athletic’s Corey Masisak, that he is actively working on a contract with 2020 first-round pick Alexander Holtz. Fitzgerald did not provide a timeline and stated that the details of the deal and the immigration issues are still being hammered out, so at this point in the season it’s possible that Holtz may not actually suit up with the Devils until next season. Whenever he does arrive though, the reigning No. 7 overall pick should make an immediate impact. The 19-year-old just wrapped up his second full season in the SHL, the top pro level in Sweden, and recorded 18 points in 40 games. Holtz is a prolific goal scorer whose junior and WJC performances have pointed toward a potential future 30-goal scorer or better. Playing with New Jersey’s young forward corps filled with upside, Holtz could make an immediate impact next year as the Devils finally look to take the next step.

  • Similarly, the Vancouver Canucks are in a holding pattern this season with top prospect Vasili Podkolzin. Although GM Jim Benning had stated earlier this season that his intention was to have the 2019 tenth overall pick make his NHL debut this season, he seemed less optimistic about the possibility speaking with the media, including The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. Podkolzin’s KHL season is now over, his SKA St. Petersburg club losing in the semifinals of the Gagarin Cup, so contract talks have officially begun. However, it is more likely that Podkolzin’s deal will not begin until next season with limited time left in this season and contractual and immigration hurtles to jump through. When Podkolzin does debut in Vancouver, he will be hard to miss. The big, strong winger plays an explosive offensive game and is always making his presence felt around the net. Although he recorded only 11 points in 35 KHL games this year, that’s quite an accomplishment for a 19-year-old playing a bottom-six role on a top contender. Canucks fans should be excited for the arrival of Podkolzin, whenever that will be.
  • The NCAA’s extension of eligibility has prolonged a number of NHL prospects’ collegiate careers and the transfer market has been buzzing, with a number of names heading to new places. The biggest move of late has been former Bemidji State goaltender Zach Driscoll transferring to North Dakota. Driscoll has been one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA over the past few years, posting three straight seasons with a GAA of 2.32 or lower, including a 1.63 GAA and .937 save percentage last year. He now moves to the program that finished No. 1 in the nation in the regular season and will take over the starter job for the departed Adam Scheel, who signed with the Dallas Stars, hoping that he too will earn an NHL contract this time next year. In fact, upon Driscoll’s arrival, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Peter Thome announced that he was leaving for the newest Division I program, St. Thomas. Thome, a 2016 sixth-round pick, had sat behind Scheel and Cam Johnson for four years as a stellar backup, but was finally eyeing the Fighting Hawks starting job. Instead, he’ll man the net for St. Thomas in their inaugural season before turning pro.
  • Elsewhere in the transfer market, defenseman Will Cullen, who was expected to have pro interest following a dominant season at Bowling Green, has graduated in three years and has opted to become a grad transfer to Miami (Ohio). Cullen, 24, is a mobile, right-shot defensemen who recorded 25 points in 28 games for the Falcons this season as one of the top scoring defensemen in the NCAA. His decision not to turn pro is a surprise, but the interest should still be there next season.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Maxim Marushev

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed one of the very last few picks of the 2020 draft, inking Maxim Marushev to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal begins in the 2021-22 season, meaning he won’t be eligible for any action with the NHL club this year.

Already 22, Marushev went undrafted several times before the Golden Knights finally used the 215th overall pick on him in October. After recording 40 points in 35 VHL games last season and making his KHL debut, his numbers dropped considerably for the minor league Bars Kazan team in 2020-21, putting up just 21 points in 37 games. Regardless of the offensive decline, the Golden Knights still believe in him enough to hand over an entry-level deal and bring him into the organization.

It’s not clear what the plans are for the young Russian yet, or whether he’ll come over to join the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL down the stretch. For now, he’s just a seventh-round flier that the Vegas development staff will eagerly get their hands on at some point down the road.

Calgary Flames Sign Ilya Solovyov

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The Calgary Flames have signed prospect Ilya Solovyov to a three-year entry-level contract according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Solovyov recently finished his KHL season with Dinamo Minsk. Milstein did not clarify whether or not the contract starts this season or in 2021-22, or whether Solovyov will be joining the AHL down the stretch like many other recently-signed prospects. The Flames release, which came a few minutes later, also does not clarify, but PuckPedia reports that the deal will start in 2021-22 and carry an average annual value of $828K.

The 20-year-old defenseman was a seventh-round pick in 2020, his third year of draft eligibility. It took an impressive season with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL for the scouts to take notice, as previously the Belarusian defenseman had gone undrafted. In 53 games last year with Saginaw, he recorded 40 points while finishing ninth in the entire league with a +43 rating.

If you’re a Calgary fan looking for a late-round pick to dream on, the 6’3″ Solovyov may be the one to choose, after he stepped directly into the KHL and secured a regular spot on the Dinamo blueline. In 41 games he had just nine points but managed to average nearly 17 minutes a night as a 20-year-old rookie, not an easy task in the veteran-heavy KHL. In five playoff games, that ice time increased to more than 19 minutes a night, another strong indication of how far Solovyov’s game has come in the last few years.

There’s certainly work to be done, but a draft class that was bookended by Connor Zary (24th overall) and Solovyov (205th) already looks like a win for the Flames. If the young defenseman can even sniff the NHL, he’ll have already outplayed his draft position.

Snapshots: Hall, Schedule, Kolyachonok

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The Buffalo Sabres could be getting closer to a trade of Taylor Hall, as Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that “there’s a sense talks have escalated.” Dreger doesn’t believe a move is “imminent” but after the New Jersey Devils pulled Kyle Palmieri over the weekend, the precautionary pull is something to watch for.

Hall is one of the top rental targets on the open market and the Sabres need to make sure they get the best package possible before the deadline. Risking him to injury in a lost season doesn’t seem to make much sense.

  • The NHL has issued a schedule update, but it will likely be followed by a further announcement this evening. The change has the Calgary Flames playing against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday April 10, when they are still technically scheduled to meet the Vancouver Canucks. With so many positive test results for the Canucks over the past week—a 17th player was added to the COVID Protocol today—their games on Thursday and Saturday were always unlikely to be played.
  • The Florida Panthers have reassigned Vladislav Kolyachonok from the KHL to the AHL for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick in 2019 and became a regular for Dynamo Minsk this season, recording six points in 46 games. He’ll get his first chance of pro hockey in North America, but isn’t a stranger to these parts; Kolyachonok played two years in the OHL for the Flint Firebirds before returning to the KHL this season.

Alexander Alexeyev Assigned To AHL

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Now that his KHL season has come to an end, Alexander Alexeyev is coming to join the Hershey Bears once again. The Washington Capitals have assigned the young defenseman to the AHL club, returning him to the place where he played so well last season.

Alexeyev, 21, recorded 16 points in 55 games for Ufa Salavat Yulayev this season in the KHL, averaging nearly 18 minutes a night. The 6’4″ defenseman was selected 31st overall by the Capitals in 2018 and had 21 points in 58 games for Hershey last season. Those are both strong campaigns for the mobile Alexeyev, especially given he was drafted more for his polished, calm defensive game than his offensive upside.

So good in fact that just today, Max Bultman of The Athletic included Alexeyev as a reserve in his projected 2022 Russian Olympic roster. While that may still be an optimistic take on a young defender that hasn’t proven anything against NHL talent, it speaks to just how much positive momentum Alexeyev has built since his draft. If he continues to show that he has taken another development step, perhaps he can even push for playing time in Washington this season.

Signed to an entry-level deal just after his draft, the 2020-21 campaign will be his first of three years under contract for the Capitals regardless of where he finishes the season. He’ll be in the mix for a role right out of training camp next season if he doesn’t earn one down the stretch.

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