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Pacific Notes: Gusev, McDavid, Utica Comets

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The Vegas Golden Knights continue to get closer and closer to signing the KHL’s best player, Nikita Gusev. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Gusev is expected to arrive in Las Vegas tonight and could sign his one-year, entry-level deal as soon as tomorrow and should be ready to play not long after that. The Golden Knights are then expected to sign the then-restricted free agent to a long-term deal this summer.

In fact, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes what kind of impact the 26-year-old might have on the Vegas lineup, especially considering the star winger has little experience playing on North American hockey rinks and considering Vegas’ depth, there is no guarantee that head coach Gerard Gallant would play him when every game is so critical. Gallant said as much:

“I don’t know much about him. George (McPhee) mentioned it today. There are some reports out there. If he can join us then we’ll see what’s going to happen, but I don’t know the player well enough. Hopefully he does join us and he gets some practice time in with us, but I have no idea if that’s going to happen. It was first mentioned this morning to me.”

Granger suggests that Gusev could find himself eventually on the Golden Knights’ third line alongside Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, but even as the team knows it will bring the great KHLer aboard, there is still quite a mystery surrounding him.

  • The Edmonton Oilers got some good news on star center Connor McDavid who suffered what looked to be a significant injury in their final regular season game last week. While he did suffer a small PCL tear in his knee, the injury will not require surgery and the superstar is expected to be ready for training camp, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Sportsnet’s John Shannon added that the injury will require three months of rehabilitation. The 22-year-old still had a career-high in points as he finished with 116, second in the league.
  • Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre wonders whether the Vancouver Canucks might make some changes at the AHL level this offseason. The Utica Comets were considered to be a fascinating team to keep an eye on this season as the franchise was loaded in young talent. However, few of those young players actually showed any improvement and two of them found their way out of the organization as prospect Petrus Palmu opted to return home, while Jonathan Dahlen forced a trade to San Jose. Both were unhappy with the playing time under Utica head coach Trent Cull. In fact a number of prospects struggled under Cull, including 2017 second-rounders Kole Lind (three goals) and Jonah Gadjovich (four goals). That could force general manager Jim Benning to look into the situation in Utica a little closer.

Blue Jackets Sign Vladislav Gavrikov

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Saturday: The Blue Jackets announced that they have signed Gavrikov to a two-year, entry-level deal.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes that the Russian embassy is closed for the weekend which could potentially delay Gavrikov’s arrival.

Friday: Following teammate Nikita Gusev, who is expected to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights soon, it seems KHL defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov’s move to the NHL is imminent. KHL insider Igor Eronko reports that Gavrikov is expected to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the coming days. As a draft pick of the Blue Jackets, Gavrikov was on the team’s reserve list at the trade deadline and is thus eligible to play in the postseason immediately.

With the announcement from SKA St. Petersburg that they had granted both Gusev and Gavrikov permission to sign in the NHL prior to their KHL contracts expiring at the end of the month, both players are now free to join their NHL clubs. Gavrikov, 23, may not be as big a name as Gusev, but he would be a meaningful addition for Columbus. The big, stable defenseman plays a defense-first style but can also pack an offensive punch. At 6’3″, 205 lbs., Gavrikov led SKA in plus/minus by a significant margin at +48, but registered a career-high 20 points this season as well.

A physical presence with puck-moving ability and years of pro experience, Gavrikov should step in and be a difference-maker right away for the Blue Jackets. Obviously, Columbus is a playoff team with a capable blue line as is, but one of their greatest weaknesses is their bottom pair. Even without any games played in the NHL, it would not be a surprise to see Gavrikov get the nod over a Dean Kukan or Scott Harrington or Adam Clendening. With Columbus off to a surprisingly hot start in their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, this would be another unexpected plus for a team in search of a major upset.

Flames Sign Adam Ruzicka To Entry-Level Deal

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The Calgary Flames front office is staying busy even as the team battles in the postseason. The Flames have announced today that they have signed center Adam Ruzicka to a three-year entry-level contract. The clock was ticking on getting the 2017 draft selection under contract, but Calgary has done so and add a big and talented two-way forward to the pipeline.

Ruzicka, 19, has used the opportunities presented to him to show that he is a complete prospect and certainly worthy of a commitment from the Flames. The Slovakian forward initially played his junior hockey in the Czech Republic, where he put up good numbers, but really made a name for himself as the clear best player on Slovakia’s entries into international tournaments. Ruzicka finally made the jump overseas ahead of the 2016-17 season, after the OHL’s Sarnia Sting took notice and selected him in the CHL Import Draft. Ruzicka chose North America and the pursuit of an NHL career over a more immediate pro debut, as he was a first-round pick in the KHL Draft the same year, but opted to join Sarnia instead. After a strong debut season in the OHL, Calgary was happy to take Ruzicka in the fourth round after many expected he would go earlier. Ruzicka responded to any remaining doubts about his game by recording 36 goals and 36 assists for 72 points in 65 games last season. He started this year off the same way, with 37 points in 35 games, before he was traded to the Sudbury Wolves. The move only further ignited Ruzicka, who added another 41 points in 30 games, a total of 78 points on the year, and a team-leading ten points in the Wolves’ eight playoff games.

Ruzicka has more than shown that he can score at the junior level, but what makes him such a promising prospect for the Flames is that he also has the physical tools to translate that ability to the pros. Ruzicka stands 6’4″ and weighs in at over 200 lbs. and isn’t afraid to throw that frame around. An old-school center, Ruzicka is physical player with and without the puck, who can check, win battles, and possess the puck as well as anyone his age. His net front presence is also a major factor in his scoring numbers. Ruzicka has also shown some versatility by moving to the wing at times this season, adding yet another skill to his repertoire. There wasn’t much doubt that Calgary would get Ruzicka under contract before the June 1st deadline, but now that it is official, this is a prospect that Flames fans can really get excited about.

Morning Notes: Denver, McDavid, KHL

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The Denver Pioneers were eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four tournament last night by an overtime goal from Marc Del Gazio of the UMass Minutemen. That means their players are free to sign entry-level contracts with NHL clubs, including top prospect Ian Mitchell. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) earlier in the year that he wanted to play with them “as soon as [he] can” though nothing had been decided yet on his future. The 20-year old was the 57th overall pick in 2017 and recorded 27 points in 39 games for DU this season.

What the win also means is that Cale Makar is moving on to the NCAA final and can’t join the Colorado Avalanche until at least after tomorrow’s championship game. The young defenseman is expected to join Colorado right away and could potentially jump into their series against the Calgary Flames. That’s still on the back of his mind though, as the Minutemen prepare for Minnesota-Duluth.

  • The Edmonton Oilers sent Connor McDavid for second and third opinions on his leg injury this week according to Sportsnet, though they do not have any information on what exactly is wrong with the superstar forward. McDavid injured the leg when he slid into the post during the team’s last game of the season, and will not be suiting up for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship.
  • Igor Eronko of Sport-Express tweeted some KHL notes this morning, reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Nikita Scherbak could be heading to the KHL next season. The 23-year old forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer after his current deal expires, and could potentially bolt for Russia. Scherbak, originally a first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, was claimed on waivers this season by the Kings but failed to make much of an impact at the NHL level. The winger has just eight points in 37 NHL games across his career.
  • Eronko also notes that Rushan Rafikov, a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames back in 2013, has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv. The 23-year old defenseman set a career high with 14 points in 48 games last season, and doesn’t appear interested in the NHL at this point. The Flames will maintain his exclusive draft rights indefinitely.

Russia Announces Several Players For IIHF World Championship

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The Russian National Team has announced several players who will begin preparation next week for the upcoming IIHF World Championship, and there are interesting notes to be gleaned from the list. The group is not exhaustive, meaning that several other players will join the team after being eliminated from their respective KHL or NHL playoffs, while not every player listed may end up suiting up at the tournament in May. The announced names:

Goaltender:

Alexandar Georgiev, New York Rangers

Defensemen:

Artem Zub, SKA St. Petersburg
Dinar Khafizullin, SKA St. Petersburg
Vladislav Gavrikov, SKA St. Petersburg
Artem Sergeev, Salavat Yulaev
Ilya Lyubushkin, Lokomotiv
Egor Yakovlev, New Jersey Devils
Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers

Forwards:

Ilya Kovalchuk, Los Angeles Kings
Vladislav Namestnikov, New York Rangers
Artem Anisimov, Chicago Blackhawks
Evgenii Dadonov, Florida Panthers
Alexander Burmistrov, Salavat Yulaev
Vladimir Tkachyov, Salavat Yulaev
Nikita Gusev, SKA St. Petersburg
Sergei Plotnikov, SKA St. Petersburg
Nail Yakupov, SKA St. Petersburg
Alexander Barabanov, SKA St. Petersburg

First and foremost, the eye will immediately be drawn to Gusev’s name after reports this morning indicated that he may be on his way to the Vegas Golden Knights instead. While Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Gusev’s representation is working to get him out of the last few weeks of his contract with SKA, the Golden Knights themselves have refused to comment on the situation. It’s not clear at this point if he will be allowed to join Vegas for an NHL playoff run, or if Gusev is instead going to join the national team and participate in the upcoming tournament.

Next is Provorov, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Players often avoid going to the tournament if they don’t have a contract for next season due to the injury risk, but perhaps the Flyers have already done work to remedy that situation. In fact, the Russian press release indicates that Provorov will “join the team after he signs a new contract” indicating that they might not be waiting very long. The tournament starts on May 10th, well before Provorov would actually become an RFA.

Dadonov and Anisimov will also not be joining the Russian team right away. The former is dealing with a minor injury and will have to be cleared by the Panthers before reporting, while the latter is said to be joining the group on April 26th.

Nikita Gusev Could Join Vegas Golden Knights

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After SKA St. Petersburg was eliminated from the Gagarin Cup playoffs recently, the Vegas Golden Knights snapped to attention. That’s because one of the KHL’s best players, Nikita Gusev, would now be able to come to North America finally. Gusev’s KHL contract technically runs through the end of April but it can be terminated early if the team agrees. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express believes that’s exactly what happened, reporting that Gusev is on his way to the Golden Knights to join them for the playoffs.

Because he was on the Golden Knights reserve list, Gusev is eligible for the playoffs right away if the team can get him signed. The team has owned his exclusive rights since acquiring them from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the expansion draft, as part of the agreement to select Jason Garrison. He was originally a seventh-round pick of the Lightning in 2012, but draft rights for KHL players never expire if they fail to come over to North America.

If Vegas can sign Gusev—which is still far from certain, despite this report—it would be a huge boost to the organization. The 26-year old forward is arguably the best player in the world outside of the NHL, and is coming off a season in which he scored 82 pooints in 62 games. In fact, Gusev has 215 points over his past three seasons with SKA and has added another 54 in long playoff runs. Though undersized, he is pure offense and could potentially give the team another weapon for their series against the San Jose Sharks.

Obviously there is a history with Russian players in Vegas, after the saga of Vadim Shipachyov last season. Signing a multi-year deal with Vegas to make his NHL debut, Shipachyov barely got any chance to show what he could do in game situations and eventually voided his deal to return to the KHL. Gusev will know exactly what happened in that situation, given that the two were teammates in Russia for some time.

It’s not often that such an impressive player comes available at this time of the year, but if the Golden Knights can actually get Gusev under contract it could be a huge factor in their playoff run. He’ll have to prove he can produce at the NHL level, but he’s never had a problem doing that in the past.

Canadiens Notes: Drouin, Okulov, Free Agency

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One of the underlying reasons why the Montreal Canadiens were unable to hold on to a wild card spot down the stretch was the poor play of one of their best players, Jonathan Drouin. Speaking with Alexis Belanger-Champagne of La Presse, Drouin acknowledged that his play suffered when it matter most in the final games of the season. He even owned his decreased ice time, understanding that head coach Claude Julien needed productive, confident players on the ice and he was playing frustrated and failing to find results. Drouin finished the season with 53 points in 81 games, but only contributed one goal and two assists in Montreal’s final 18 games. Yet, for all of his late-season struggles, Drouin does not expect to be shopped this off-season. The 24-year-old forward did match a career-high in points this year and early in the season was on pace to shatter all previous personal marks. Drouin knows that he dropped the ball, but tells Belanger-Champagne that he is happy with the Canadiens and knows he can be a difference-maker once again next season and beyond. GM Marc Bergevin seems to agree. Bergevin told La Presse that Drouin showed maturity with how he handled his poor play and that he understands his role on the team. Bergevin expects the young scorer to “take another step forward next year.” At $5.5MM for four more years, Drouin can still be a bargain for the Habs and certainly a dependable top-six forward. Bergevin is not one to overreact, so expect Drouin to be back in the bleu, blanc, et rougue next year.

  • Drouin’s return doesn’t mean that the Canadiens won’t try to address their offense this summer. In fact, the team already has their sights set on an import out of Russia. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Montreal is “high” on KHL forward Konstantin Okulov. Okulov, 24, is currently playing in the Gagarin Cup Final with CSKA Moscow and his breakout regular season has extended into the postseason. The skilled forward has 12 points in 15 playoff games following a career-high 20 goals and 31 points in 48 regular season games. The Habs would like to see if his high-powered game can translate to the NHL. Unfortunately, Friedman also notes that Okulov is under contract for one more year with CSKA and may not be available to Montreal this off-season. Unless he both wants and is granted a release from his contract, the Canadiens may need to keep scouting for another year.
  • As for attracting free agents already in the NHL, The Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey opines that the Canadiens may have a tough time luring top names to Montreal this summer despite ample cap space. It doesn’t have anything to do with team personnel, either. Hickey notes that taxes and cost of living are among the negatives of making the move to Montreal and claims that has deterred free agents in recent years. However, Hickey adds that this might not be a bad things, as Bergevin’s track record of late has been better with trades than it has been with signings. The Habs will undoubtedly still add a few free agents, but in need of a veteran backup goalie, a top-four defenseman, and a top-six forward, the team will likely have to tackle the trade market to address at least one of those holes.

NHLPA Files Suspension Appeal On Behalf Of Slava Voynov

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As expected, the NHL Players’ Association will appeal the suspension of defenseman Slava Voynov that was handed down by the NHL on Tuesday. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to report than an appeal has been filed and the case will be heard by a neutral arbitrator. A date for the hearing has not yet been announced.

Voynov, 29, was suspended for the entire 2019-20 season and 2020 postseason by the league yesterday for “unacceptable off-ice conduct”, with a conditional date of reinstatement set for July 1st, 2020. Voynov received a lifetime ban from the NHL in 2014 following an incidence of domestic violence and subsequent arrest and conviction, shortly after which he fled to his native Russia. However, the league’s recent decision at least opens the door to a return for the talented blue liner, who spent three years playing abroad in the KHL and sat out the 2018-19 season while awaiting a decision on his NHL reinstatement.

Yet, the league’s leniency was not enough in the eyes of Voynov and the NHLPA. It took only 24 hours for this appeal to be filed as the player’s side tries to shorten the suspension. The NHLPA has had great luck of late in front of an arbitrator; both Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson and Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson had highly-publicized long-term suspensions reduced by arbitrator Shyam Das this season. If Das is to again be the one to hear the case, the odds of a reduction are in Voynov’s favor. While the NHLPA does not necessarily condone the actions of Voynov or any other disciplined players, they have a duty to fight for the players’ rights.

The appeal was also likely supported by the Los Angeles Kings, who still own Voynov’s NHL rights. Whether or not the Western Conference’s last-place teams wants to bring the veteran defender back or instead trade him away, a quicker reinstatement is of value to the Kings. The team has still declined to comment publicly on Voynov’s reinstatement, but have no doubt talked with the player, league, and players’ association throughout this process.

Calgary Flames Sign Artyom Zagidulin

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Though it took longer than expected, the Calgary Flames have officially announced a one-year entry-level contract with Artyom Zagidulin. The two sides actually signed the deal on March 30th, but since Zagidulin’s KHL contract doesn’t expire until the end of April they likely had to wait for his team to terminate the deal.

Zagidulin, 23, recorded a .924 save percentage and 1.96 goals against average for Magnitogorsk this season, the first time he was given a hefty load. Those numbers actually improved in his four playoff games where he had a .928, and should bode well for his future in North America.

With the Flames still struggling to find answers in net and approaching an offseason where both Mike Smith (UFA) and David Rittich (RFA) are free agents, Zagidulin is joining the organization at the perfect time. While he likely won’t give them an NHL contribution right away, adding a young goaltender with upside is never a bad thing. He’ll battle with other netminders like Tyler Parsons, Nick Schnieder and Mason McDonald for playing time unless he can impress Bill Peters’ staff enough to break camp with the NHL club next fall.

Los Angeles Kings To Offer Nikolai Prokhorkin One-Year Contract

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The Gagarin Cup Western Conference finals came to an end today when CSKA Moscow defeated SKA St. Petersburg. With that news comes plenty of speculation surrounding the players on SKA whose draft rights belong to NHL teams, including star forward Nikita Gusev. While Gusev may get many of the headlines over the coming days, another forward will be offered an NHL contract soon enough as Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake confirmed to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. The Kings will offer Nikolai Prokhorkin a one-year, entry-level contract to try and get him to join their organization.

Prokhorkin, 25, won’t see his current contract with SKA expire until April 30, but could find a place in the Kings organization next season. He does have a familiar face to help his transition to North America as former teammate on SKA and the Russian Olympic team Ilya Kovalchuk is already in Los Angeles. With Kovalchuk gone Prokhorkin actually took up a bigger scoring role on the team this season, recording 41 points in 41 games.

Originally drafted by the Kings in the fourth round in 2012, Prokhorkin actually signed with the team and played eight games with the Manchester Monarchs in 2012. The Kings alleged that the young Russian forward’s contract in the KHL was invalid, but the NHL ruled against them and voided his entry-level deal. He hasn’t returned since, but could get an opportunity for a fresh start with the new management group in Los Angeles.

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