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Snapshots: Predators, Lauko, Lipon

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The Nashville Predators have made a couple of changes to their coaching staff for the 2020-21 season, announcing today that they will not renew the contract of assistant Dan Muse. Rob Scuderi, who had been serving as an assistant on an interim basis, will be returning to his role as defense development coach.

Muse had been with the Predators for three seasons following a stint as the head coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL). Nashville will begin the search for new assistants immediately, giving John Hynes a chance to bring in his own team as he prepares for his first full season behind the Predators bench.

  • Jakob Lauko will start the 2020-21 season with HC Karlovy Vary of the Czech league but is expected back with the Boston Bruins when NHL training camp opens. The 20-year-old forward spent this season with the Providence Bruins, scoring just nine points in 22 games. The limited action was due to a knee injury Lauko suffered at the very start of the World Junior tournament, meaning any games he can play in the Czech Republic will be beneficial to his development.
  • J.C. Lipon’s contract with the Winnipeg Jets is up and the 27-year-old forward will take his talents to the KHL. Dinamo Riga has signed Lipon to a contract for the 2020-21 season after he failed to make it to the NHL once again this year. A third-round pick back in 2013, Lipon made his NHL debut in the 2015-16 season but hasn’t been back to the NHL since. Instead, he played 61 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, scoring 31 points.

Colorado’s Vladislav Kamenev Reportedly Heading To KHL Denied

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1:45 p.m.: Dater followed up his story by reporting that the Avalanche and Kamenev’s agent, Mark Gandler, say the report is not true.

12:34 p.m.: When the Colorado Avalanche completed their big three-team blockbuster trade in which they traded center Matt Duchene for a host of picks and defenseman Samuel Girard, the team also picked up prospect Vladislav Kamenev from Nashville. The then-21-year-old looked to be close to NHL ready and a be a potential depth piece for the organization. However, after two challenging seasons in the Avalanche organization, Kamenev looks to be heading elsewhere.

Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater writes that the 24-year-old is expected to sign overseas this offseason with SKA St. Peterburg. Kamenev is a restricted free agent after signing a one-year bridge deal last offseason for $750K.

Kamenev came over with a chance to step right into Colorado’s lineup in 2017 and in his very first game with his new team, he broke his wrist after taking a big hit from Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik. He only played three NHL games that season. He struggled with a shoulder injury the next season, only appearing in 23 games in 2018-19. Kamenev played in 38 games this season, but averaged just 8:59 of ATOI throughout the season for a goal and eight points. Perhaps more importantly, he also didn’t make the playoff roster out of training camp.

The move seems to make some sense in several areas as the young forward wasn’t getting the playing time in the NHL and he was recently acquired in a KHL trade by SKA for Nikolai Prokhorkin. Kamenev would likely get significant time in Russia and with the delay in the start of the 2020-21 season in the NHL, it makes more sense to move overseas and develop his game there.

Ryan Murphy Signs In AHL

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A veteran NHL defenseman has returned from his sojourn in the KHL, as Ryan Murphy signs a one-year deal with the new Henderson Silver Knights for the 2020-21 season. The contract is of the AHL variety, meaning Murphy will not be able to be recalled to the Vegas Golden Knights.

A recall was always probably unlikely at this point in his career, given Murphy has just three NHL games under his belt since the 2017-18 season, but his presence does provide a certain stability for the Silver Knights as they head into their first season after relocation and rebranding. The 27-year old has suited up for 176 NHL games since being the 12th overall pick in 2011.

In 2019-20, Murphy played 56 games with Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik in the KHL, recording 23 points. There is a chance that at some point down the road he earns another NHL contract, but for now, he’ll just be a minor league leader.

Tampa Bay’s Dominik Masin To Sign In KHL

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Not making the postseason roster may have been the last straw for Tampa Bay Lightning prospect defenseman Dominik Masin. The 24-year-old, an impending restricted free agent this off-season, will be signing in the KHL. Amur Khabarovsk have announced on their official Instagram page, accompanied by a highlight reel, that they have come to terms on a contract with Masin. The terms were not disclosed.

Masin, a 2014 second-round pick, was at one time a top prospect for the Bolts. Tampa Bay selected the sturdy second-round pick out of the Czech Republic and he then went on to play for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, who used a first-round pick in the CHL Import Draft to acquire his rights. Masin graduated to the pros in 2016 and has quietly been a key contributor for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch in that time. Masin has recorded 58 points and +58 rating in 273 games with Syracuse, including a +36 rating in 2018-19 that was second-best in the entire AHL.

Yet, Masin has zero NHL appearances on his resume and has been blocked from opportunity by a Lightning team that has prioritized veteran depth on the blue line rather than promoting prospects. As a result, it is hard to predict how Masin will fare in the KHL and whether an NHL comeback may be realistic for him down the road. His performance in the minors shows good defensive ability and modest offensive ability, which could be enough for a top role on an Amur team that is lacking in star power. Whether he can make the most of that opportunity and boost his stock for a return to North America remains to be seen. The Lightning can retain his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer this off-season.

Washington Capitals Loan Aliaksei Protas To The KHL

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The list of young players and prospects who will at least begin the 2020-21 season overseas continues to grow, with the Washington Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas now joining the list. The team announced that the young forward has been loaned to the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk in his native Belarus. Washington does specify though that Protas is expected to be recalled from the loan at the start of the WHL season or for Capitals training camp later this winter.

Protas, 19, was a third-round pick of the Capitals in last year’s NHL Draft and signed his entry-level contract with Washington almost immediately. A hulking center who stands 6’6” and 210 pounds, Protas’ skill finally caught up with his size this year as he recorded 31 goals and 80 points in 58 games to lead the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in both categories and help the team to a division title. With top 2020 prospects like Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Weisblatt also on the roster, the Raiders could return to the top ranks of the WHL next season if Protas returns as expected.

In the meantime though, Protas joins a Minsk squad that has been collecting NHL prospects and should be a fun team to watch early next season. Florida’s Vladislav Kolyachonok, Minnesota’s Ivan Lodnia, Philadelphia’s Maxim Sushko, and New Jersey’s Yegor Sharangovich – all of Belarussian descent – will also join the team on loan, joining NHL vets such as Ryan Spooner and Rob Klinkhammer.

Yegor Rykov Traded, Signs In KHL

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August 7: Rykov will play for CSKA this season, the team announced today. Though they said he signed a contract with the team, his deal with the Rangers is technically still in effect unless they decide to terminate it. It’s not clear if he will return at any point to take part in NHL training camp, but it doesn’t appear as though he will be in the Rangers’ plans next season anyway.

At the end of the 2020-21 season Rykov will be a restricted free agent, meaning there is a chance he doesn’t return. The Rangers could at that point retain his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer.

July 30: When the New York Rangers sent Michael Grabner to the New Jersey Devils in 2018, they got back an interesting young defense prospect by the name of Yegor Rykov (in addition to a second-round selection). Rykov had been a fifth-round pick by the Devils in 2016, but was still playing in the KHL and there was no clear timeline on when he would be coming to North America. A little over a year later the Rangers convinced Rykov to sign his entry-level contract, and he spent this season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now, with uncertainty over when the AHL will start play, Rykov appears to be heading back to Russia.

The 23-year old’s rights were traded from SKA St. Petersburg to CSKA Moscow, a deal between two of the KHL powerhouses. When the news came across, Rick Carpinello of The Athletic tweeted that the expectation is that Rykov will spend the 2020-21 season in Russia, given how far he is down the Rangers depth chart.

Rykov is still under contract with New York for next season, but according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the deal has a European Assignment Clause for the 2020-21 season. That would mean Rykov essentially controls his own fate unless the Rangers were willing to give him an NHL roster spot.

That may not be so far off, given his early-career experience. The 6’2″ left-handed defenseman has played three fulls seasons in the KHL and a year in the AHL already, despite only turning 23 a few months ago. He was a standout at the World Juniors in 2017 for Russia, taking home a bronze medal before returning to Russia and winning a Gagarin Cup with SKA.

If the speculation proves correct, his development will have to continue overseas for now. Hopefully the Rangers can come to an agreement for another contract in 2021 when he will be a restricted free agent.

Overseas Notes: Swedish U20, Stutzle, Kozun

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Sweden will hold a training camp for World Junior hopefuls later this month and today published a roster for the event. That group includes top 2020 draft prospects Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond who both could be selected in the first ten picks. Outside of that dynamic duo, however, there are several other interesting names that could be relatively high picks.

With events like the World Junior Summer Showcase and Hlinka-Gretzky tournament canceled, the scouting season for NHL teams will be much different.

  • Tim Stutzle, another top prospect for the upcoming draft, spoke with Craig Button and J.D. Burke for the new Elite Prospects podcast. The German forward spoke about learning a lot from former NHLer Ben Smith, and touched on his insatiable drive to win (or perhaps hatred of losing). Stutzle took home the DEL Rookie of the Year award this season after scoring 34 points in 41 games and is the top-ranked international skater according to NHL Central Scouting.
  • Brandon Kozun will remain in the KHL, this time signing a contract with Dynamo Minsk for the 2020-21 season. The 30-year old forward played just 20 games in the NHL before leaving for the KHL in 2015 but has had a ton of success overseas. An Olympic bronze medal with Team Canada in 2018 and three All-Star games has been the reward for Kozun, who had 22 points in 47 games this season.

Josh Ho-Sang Linked To KHL

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Wednesday: Pagnotta updates the situation, reporting that Ho-Sang has agreed to a one-year deal with a KHL team for next season.

Tuesday: It hasn’t been a great start to Josh Ho-Sang’s professional career.  While he was a strong producer in junior that helped him become a first-round pick in 2014 (28th overall), the Islanders prospect has struggled over the last few years.  He was seeking a change of scenery earlier this season and with that not happening, he appears to be working on a change of his own as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that the winger is closing in on a KHL contract for next season with an undisclosed team.

The 24-year-old cleared waivers at the start of the season but refused to report to Bridgeport, the AHL affiliate of the Islanders.  Instead, he went home to await a trade but one never materialized.  He eventually reported back and got into 16 games with the Sound Tigers before being loaned to San Antonio, the AHL affiliate of St. Louis in late February where he suited up six times before the pandemic hit.  His production wasn’t half bad over that stretch with four goals and nine assists in 22 games between the two teams.

Ho-Sang is slated to become a restricted free agent in October and while it seemed like he was heading for a guaranteed non-tender, a move overseas at this time might actually help keep him around with the Islanders.  There would be minimal risk to qualifying him if he’s already suiting up in the KHL as they’d be able to retain his rights without any risk of him accepting the offer.  If he plays well, it would give them the opportunity to try to bring him back down the road or trade his rights.  Whether that happens or not, a move overseas would give Ho-Sang a chance to try to rebuild some value and give him the short-term change he has been looking for.

Jets Forward Andrei Chibisov Signs In KHL

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Last offseason, the Jets brought in forward Andrei Chibisov to give them some depth down the middle with the hopes that he could compete for a roster spot.  That didn’t really happen as he spent most of the year in the minors and as a result, he is heading back overseas as Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL announced that they’ve signed him to a three-year contract.

The 27-year-old returns to an organization that he’s quite familiar with as his best KHL campaign came with Magnitogorsk back in 2018-19 where he had 20 points in 50 games.  That helped him get on Winnipeg’s radar as he signed soon after that season came to an end.

Unfortunately for them, the deal didn’t quite pan out as well as they hoped.  Chibisov only played in two games for Winnipeg this season and was left off of their postseason roster.  While he had a respectable 25 points in 53 games with AHL Manitoba, that type of production wasn’t going to generate much interest in NHL free agency so going back home and getting some term on his deal in the process certainly makes sense from his perspective.

Brendan Leipsic Signs In KHL

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CSKA Moscow of the KHL has decided to take a chance on a recent free agent, signing Brendan Leipsic to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season. The 26-year old Leipsic saw his contract with the Washington Capitals terminated in May after private messages from Instagram came to light. At the time, the NHL released this statement:

The National Hockey League strongly condemns the misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and (Florida Panthers prospect) Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media. There is no place in our League for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum. We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved.

Immediately, it became clear that Leipsic would no longer be welcome on the Capitals, who placed him on unconditional waivers and then terminated his contract. He’ll now get an opportunity to continue his career, though it will be overseas.

Leipsic scored 11 points in 61 games for the Capitals this season and has 59 in his 187-game career. The third-round pick has suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, and Capitals, never staying in one place for very long.

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