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Capitals Loan Ludwig Persson To Liiga’s Jukurit

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For the second season in a row, the Capitals have loaned 2022 third-round pick Ludwig Persson to Finland. The 20-year-old forward will suit up for Jukurit in the top-level Liiga this year, the team announced today.

Persson, 20, has yet to play a game in the Washington organization despite signing his entry-level contract nearly two years ago. The Gothenburg, Sweden native has taken a tour of European leagues instead. The Caps first loaned him to BIK Karlskoga of the Swedish second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, where he was a decent depth contributor in his first full year of professional hockey with 15 points in 45 games.

things changed for the better last year after the Capitals loaned Persson to IPK, which plays in Mestis, Finland’s second-tier pro league. Persson quickly became a star for the Iisalmi-based club, leading them in scoring with 55 points (10 goals, 45 assists) in 48 games. He added 19 points in 19 playoff games as IPK took home its first Mestis championship since being promoted from the third-tier Suomi-sarja in 2016.

Clearly ready for increased competition, Washington will have Persson try his luck in a top-level Euro league for the first time since a lone appearance with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League in 2022-23. He’ll join a Jukurit team that boasted a 30-20-3-7 record last season, its second-best since being promoted from Mestis in 2016.

It could be Persson’s last season in Europe before arriving in North America with AHL Hershey. While Persson’s entry-level contract had slid the past two seasons since he failed to play in at least 10 NHL games in each campaign, he’s no longer eligible for a slide. His deal will go into effect beginning with 2024-25 and will cost $814,999 against the cap if in the NHL through 2026-27, reduced from its initial $878.3K since he’s had $190K worth of signing bonuses paid out during the slide years.

Rangers Loan Kalle Vaisanen To Finnish League For 2024-25 Season

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Back in April, the Rangers signed winger Kalle Vaisanen to his entry-level deal and it looked like he’d be playing his first full season in North America in 2024-25.  However, that won’t be the case as Ilves in Finland’s Liiga announced that New York has agreed to loan Vaisanen to them for the upcoming year although he might participate in training camp with the Rangers in the fall before going over.

The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by New York back in 2021, going 106th overall after a strong showing offensively in Finland’s junior system.  Vaisanen has spent the last two full seasons at the top level but unfortunately for him, production has been rather difficult to come by.  He had five points in 47 games in 2022-23 and only boosted that output to nine goals and five helpers in 58 games with TPS last season but impressed enough to get his first contract and a late-season stint with AHL Hartford.

While it would have made sense for Vaisanen to get a full season in with the Wolf Pack, they’ve decided it’s better to let him get another year in back at home though he’ll now do so with a new team.  Once his campaign in Finland comes to an end, Vaisanen will likely return to North America and could very well get into a handful of games in Hartford as he did last season.

Rangers RFA Olof Lindbom Signs In Finland

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Goaltender Olof Lindbom’s time in the Rangers organization may be coming to an end. The pending restricted free agent is heading to Europe next season, signing a one-year deal with Pelicans of the Finnish Liiga with a one-year option.

Lindbom, 23, was the first goaltender taken in the 2018 NHL Draft, taken off the board in the early second round with the 39th overall pick. Nearly six years later, it seems like a regrettable choice. Justus Annunen, Lukáš Dostál, Samuel Ersson, and Joel Hofer are just some of the goalies selected after him who have already logged NHL action and still have more to grow.

The Stockholm native waited until the 2022 offseason to sign his entry-level contract with the Rangers. He came to North America after putting up decent but unimpressive numbers as a starter in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league.

Lindbom wasn’t able to even carve out a role with New York’s AHL affiliate in Hartford, though, and spent most of the last two seasons on assignment to the ECHL with the Jacksonville Icemen and Cincinnati Cyclones. This year in Cincinnati was especially difficult for Lindbom, struggling with a .884 SV%, 3.56 GAA, one shutout and a 10-15-3 record in 29 games. He fared slightly better in limited action with Hartford, logging a .916 SV% in six games, but his sub-.900 play in the ECHL over the past two years offers little hope for an NHL future.

As such, he’s heading to Finland for the first time after spending all of his pre-Rangers days in Sweden. The 6’2″ netminder’s NHL rights could still stay with the Rangers if they issue him a qualifying offer before the June 30 deadline, although it wouldn’t surprise many to see him be non-tendered. He’ll team up on Pelicans next year with Jasper Patrikainen, another young netminder who’s had an up-and-down run over the past few years.

Metropolitan Notes: Chytil, Fast, Jarventie

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It appears that Blake Wheeler won’t be the only Rangers forward who will be able to return from the sidelines for the Eastern Conference Final.  Center Filip Chytil told reporters including Lohud’s Vince Z. Mercogliano that he wants to suit up against Florida although he stopped short of pronouncing himself at 100%.  Chytil missed more than six months working back from a suspected concussion and subsequent setbacks and was able to return to the lineup for the third game last round against Carolina.  However, he missed the following game due to illness (believed to be a bug going around the room, not a recurrence of concussion-like symptoms) and didn’t suit up in the final two contests.  If healthy, Chytil would give New York another threat offensively but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team be extra cautious with the 24-year-old for the rest of the playoffs.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Hurricanes winger Jesper Fast missed the entire postseason due to a neck injury and it appears the extent of it is still unknown. Speaking at his exit interview with reporters including team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link), the 32-year-old was still in a neck brace and indicated that he’s still undergoing tests to determine exactly what happened.  Fast had 19 points in 73 games during the regular season and will be entering the final year of his contract next season, one that carries a $2.4MM cap hit.
  • Penguins prospect Emil Jarventie has signed a one-year deal with Tappara in Finland’s Liiga, per a team announcement. The 19-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh last year, going 217th overall.  Jarventie, whose brother Roby plays in Ottawa’s system, spent this season primarily at the second-tier Mestis level with Koovee, picking up nine goals and 12 assists.  Pittsburgh has until June 1st, 2027, to sign him to an NHL deal so they can afford to be patient with Jarventie’s development for a while.

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.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

Penguins RFA Filip Lindberg Signs With Liiga’s SaiPa

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Penguins restricted free agent netminder Filip Lindberg has signed a one-year deal with SaiPa of the Finnish Liiga, per a team release (translated to English).

Lindberg, 25, hasn’t played in North America since his entry-level contract with the Penguins expired after the 2022-23 season. A seventh-round pick of the Wild in 2019, they failed to sign him to an ELC before his exclusive signing rights lapsed, and he ended up with Pittsburgh in free agency after three seasons of excellent hockey at UMass.

The Finnish puck-stopper struggled with injuries in college and never won the starting role outright, platooning with Stars netminder Matt Murray during his time in Amherst. But when Lindberg was in the crease, he was dominant, recording a 1.58 GAA, .937 SV%, 11 shutouts and a 29-10-6 record in 50 appearances.

Unfortunately, injuries followed him to Pennsylvania after he turned pro. After being named the AHL’s goalie of the month in October 2021, he played in just 26 games for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton over two seasons in the Penguins organization. He did have solid numbers (3.03 GAA, .901 SV%) behind a weak team but failed to replicate his collegiate play.

The Penguins retained his NHL rights by extending him a qualifying offer after the 2022-23 campaign ended, but Lindberg opted not to sign it and returned home to suit up for the Liiga’s TPS this season. He managed to stay healthy, but his level of play fell off a cliff, struggling to a 2.54 GAA, .883 SV% and 6-12-11 record in 31 appearances.

Unsurprisingly, the Espoo native decided to try his hand elsewhere and didn’t extend with TPS. He now lands with SaiPa, whose goaltenders posted similarly poor numbers last season, to bolster their crease.

Lindberg carries 10.2(c) status in the eyes of the NHL, meaning he’s ineligible to sign an offer sheet with another team while his signing rights are still the property of the Penguins. Pittsburgh must sign him to a contract before free agency opens in 2026 to avoid letting his signing rights lapse.

Team Finland Announces Final 2024 World Championship Roster

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Team Finland has finalized their roster for the 2024 IIHF World Championship, with the additions of Jesse Puljujarvi and Valtteri Puustinen bringing the lineup to a full 23 skaters and three goalies. The lineup isn’t too deep with NHL talent, though it does feature top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Konsta Helenius, who joined the Men’s squad after posting seven points, all assists, in five games at the World U18 Championship. Helenius will have a chance to learn from San Jose Sharks centerman Mikael Granlund – who plays a similar pass-first, high-tempo style. Finland will hope the duo can click, with the support of NHL wingers, as they chase their third gold medal over the last five World Championships.

The full roster is as follows:

F Hannes Björninen (Örebro, SHL)
F Mikael Granlund (Sharks, NHL)
F Konsta Helenius (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Arttu Hyry (Kärpät, Liiga)
F Jere Innala (Frölunda, SHL)
F Juha Jääskä (HIFK, Liiga)
F Pekka Jormakka (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Oliver Kapanen (KalPa, Liiga, Canadiens)
F Saku Mäenalanen (SCL, National League)
F Ahti Oksanen (Oskarshamn, SHL)
F Iiro Pakarinen (HIFK, Liiga)
F Patrik Puistola (Jukurit, Liiga)
F Jesse Puljujarvi (Penguins, NHL)
F Valtteri Puustinen (Penguins, NHL)

D Oliwer Kaski (HV71, SHL)
D Mikko Lehtonen (ZSC, National League)
D Olli Määttä (Red Wings, NHL)
D Jesper Mattila (KalPa, Liiga)
D Juuso Riikola (SCL, National League)
D Rasmus Rissanen (Örebro, SHL)
D Vili Saarijärvi (SCL, National League)
D Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Tappara, Liiga)

G Emil Larmi (Växjö, SHL)
G Lassi Lehtinen (MoDo, SHL)
G Harri Säteri (Biel, National League)

The World Championship is set to kick off in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia beginning on May 10. Finland will once again be commanded by head coach Jukka Jalonen set to coach in his 10th World Championship. Jalonen has also manned the Finnish bench at the World Juniors and served as a coach in the KHL and Liiga. He now works with Finland’s Men’s team full-time, building out this year’s roster with general manager Jere Lehtinen. Lehtinen, an 875-game veteran of the NHL and former Stanley Cup winner, has served as the GM for Finland’s men’s team for the last nine seasons.

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.

Kraken Reassign Jani Nyman To Minors

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The Kraken have recalled right-wing prospect Jani Nyman from his loan to Ilves of the Liiga, per an official announcement. Nyman will finish the 2023-24 season on assignment to AHL Coachella Valley.

The 19-year-old Nyman was drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2022 draft, 49th overall. Kraken GM Ron Francis signed Nyman to a three-year, entry-level contract last June before loaning him back to Ilves in July. As an entry-level slide candidate, his deal will now be active from 2024-25 to 2026-27 because he did not play at least 10 NHL games this season.

When Nyman debuts for Coachella Valley, it will mark his first game away from Ilves on a permanent basis. The Valkeakoski, Finland native has played his entire junior and professional career in the Ilves organization to date. His first professional experience came in his draft year, spending most of the season on loan to Koovee of the second-tier Mestis. There, he erupted for 18 goals and 35 points in 34 games, leading the league in power-play goals with six and capturing Rookie of the Year honors. He also made his Liiga debut that season, recording one assist in 10 games for Ilves.

Despite having the size for it at 6’4″ and 207 lbs, Nyman isn’t an overly physical player and is best described as a sniper rather than a power forward or grinder. That, plus some noticeable defensive deficiencies in his game, never gave him first-round billing in 2022, despite his strong production in a professional league.

The Kraken should still be extremely satisfied with how he’s developed. Thrust into a top-six role on his loan to Ilves this season, he responded in kind with 26 goals and 43 points in 48 games, leading all U-20 players in scoring. He also served as an alternate captain for Finland at the World Juniors, finishing with two goals and six points in seven games. His season ended late last month after Ilves, which finished second in the league with a 33-13-7-3 record, was upset by seventh-place KalPa in five games in the quarterfinals.

Nyman is likely a couple of years away from challenging for an NHL job. However, he’s proven enough overseas that he’ll likely spend next season with Coachella Valley and put himself in consideration for short-term recalls. He hits pause on his Liiga career for now after recording 36 goals, 58 points and a +19 rating in 87 games for Ilves since debuting at the top level in 2021-22.

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