Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Loan

Chicago Blackhawks Loan Brandon Hagel To Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel is headed to Switzerland to get his season started. The team announced that they have loaned the young winger to HC Thurgau of the Swiss NLB, the country’s second-tier league. Hagel will be recalled for NHL training camp, where he will look to earn a spot with Chicago.

Hagel, 22, made his Blackhawks debut this season as a first-year pro. However, he appeared in just the one game versus 59 games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Yet, Hagel’s decent production in the minors last year combined with his 100+ point season in the WHL the year before makes him an exciting possibility to crack the NHL roster. Getting a head start in Switzerland will only help his odds of making the opening night roster.

In Thurgau, Hagel will be one of just six players without Swiss citizenship and the only one with NHL experience. He should play a major role for the team and against NLB competition he could produce at a high rate. Regardless of the quality of play, Hagel will simply benefit from playing big minutes in a key offensive role.

Calgary Flames Loan Juuso Valimaki To Ilves

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While many players and prospects have been loaned overseas ahead of the unknown start date of the 2020-21 NHL season, few need the the head start as much as the Calgary Flames’ Juuso Valimaki. The promising young defenseman missed the entire 2019-20 season and postseason after suffering a torn ACL last fall. Yet, with five veteran defensemen about to hit the free agent market, the Flames are trusting that Valimaki can return to form and take on a top role on the blue line right away next season. After so much time away from the game, it will take more than just training camp to get Valimaki up to speed ahead of the new year.

Cue Tampereen Ilves of the Finnish Liiga. Calgary announced that they have loaned Valimaki to Ilves to get him game action before he returns to North America. Valimaki is familiar with the club, having played in their youth system, including a year with the U20 team in the top Finnish junior league, before making the jump to the WHL and eventually the NHL.

With Ilves, Valimaki will be able to get used to playing the major minutes that the Flames may expect of him this coming season. A relatively young team, Ilves has just a handful of players that are considerably older than 21-year-old Valimaki. They have also not received anyone on loan from the NHL prior to Valimaki outside of a trio of prospects – Lassi Thomson, Arrtu Ruotsalainen, and Lukas Dostal – who were on loan all of last season as well. Valimaki will have a chance to take on a key role for the team and should be ready to go once he is recalled by Calgary.

 

Alexei Toropchenko Assigned To HC Kunlun Red Star

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The St. Louis Blues have sent another one of their prospects overseas, loaning Alexei Toropchenko to HC Kunlun Red Star in the KHL. The young forward will be available to return when training camps open for the 2020-21 season.

Toropchenko, 21, is coming off his first season of professional hockey, playing 59 games for the San Antonio Rampage. The 6’3″ winger scored just nine points during those games but is still an interesting prospect to keep an eye on given his mix of size and skill. Toropchenko did record 30 goals in 86 games during his final season of junior hockey but hasn’t yet been able to bring that level of offense to the next level.

If you wanted to learn from someone with offensive skill, it’s hard to find a better place than Kunlun. The team is coached by former NHL star Alexei Kovalev, one of the most skilled forwards to ever play the game.

Overseas Notes: Sorensen, Chlapik, Maltsev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Marcus Sorensen has signed a contract with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden’s second league, according to the team. The San Jose Sharks forward is still under contract in the NHL, meaning this is almost certainly a loan agreement for the next few months until NHL training camps open again. The 28-year-old forward is set to earn $1.5MM on the final season of his two-year contract with San Jose.

With just 197 regular season games under his belt, Sorensen is on track to be quite an interesting free agent case next offseason. He scored just 18 points in 60 games during the 2019-20 campaign, but did put up 17 goals a year before that. At some point this year the Sharks could look to extend the Swedish forward, but for now he’ll be suiting up overseas to stay in shape.

  • Filip Chlapik doesn’t have a contract with the Ottawa Senators, but playing overseas won’t stop him from getting one. The young Ottawa Senators forward will be playing for HC Sparta Praha for free while he continues to negotiate his next NHL deal. Just 23, Chlapik is coming off his entry-level contract and scored six points in 31 games for the Senators this season. He is not arbitration-eligible, meaning the Senators could just issue him a qualifying offer and wait to see if he takes it.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Mikhail Maltsev back to the KHL for the time being. Loaned to SKA St. Petersburg, Maltsev will join a crowded roster for the next few months and then be recalled in time for NHL training camps. The 22-year-old forward scored 21 points in 49 games for the Binghamton Devils this season, his first in North America.

Boston Bruins Loan Nick Wolff To Hungary

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Nick Wolff’s North American pro debut may be on hold, but he will be playing professionally in Europe sooner rather than later. The University of Minnesota-Duluth standout, who signed with the Boston Bruins this spring, has joined Hungarian club DVTK Jegesmedvék on loan, the team announced. Like so many player loans being issued right now, the deal between the Bruins and Polar Bears extends until NHL training camp opens, after which Wolff will return. The left-handed defenseman is expected to play a key role for DVTK until then.

Why exactly did Wolff end up in Hungary? DVTK actually plays in the Slovakian Extraliga, joining the league via expansion in 2018. The club then made their playoff debut the same year and were headed back last season before the season was canceled. However, the real draw lies not with the Polar Bears’ upstart success, but with Wolff’s connections to the club. His former junior head coach with the USHL’s De Moines Buccaneers, Dave Allison, is now the head coach at DVTK, while former Duluth teammate Kyle Osterburg also plays for the club. Boston likely would have been willing to loan Wolff to any team to get his season underway, but it might have made their decision easier knowing that former Bruin Rob Flick is also a member of the team.

While the Slovakian Extraliga is not exactly comparable to the NHL, it will get Wolff ready to compete in the AHL in 2020-21. A four-year starter for Duluth, Wolff was a dominant stay-at-home defender who contributed decent offense as well. Wolff’s 6’5″, 230-lb. frame alone makes him a formidable pro, but he is unlikely to play at the NHL level too quickly. Wolff will need time to adjust to the speed of the pro game and to continue to develop his skating and skill, but the Bruins can give him that time. Although the club’s starting defense lineup is still up in the air entering free agency, especially on the left side, Boston is deep in pro defense prospects, again also on the left side, and Wolff is unlikely to move up the depth chart this year.

Calgary Flames Loan Dmitry Zavgorodniy To SKA St. Petersburg

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames have played a trick on hockey writers everywhere, loaning Dmitry Zavgorodniy to SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The announcement does not indicate whether the young forward will be returning to North America when camp opens, but Ryan Pike of FlamesNation notes that the team will be able to recall him at that time.

Zavgorodniy, 20, is coming off three seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, including an outstanding 2019-20 that saw him register 29 goals and 67 points in just 40 games. A seventh-round pick in 2018, he stands just 5’9″ but has shown enough to earn the entry-level contract he signed in 2019.

Like so many other teams around the league, the Flames will use overseas loans as a way to keep their prospects playing and developing while the AHL figures out how and when to stage a 2020-21 season. Zavgorodniy is joining a strong team in SKA, one that he’ll have to battle for playing time on.

Senators Loan Filip Gustavsson To Sodertalje

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Senators have found a place for another one of their prospects to play while they wait for the 2020-21 season to begin.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned goaltender Filip Gustafsson to Sodertalje of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden.  In a separate tweet, GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement:

We commend Filip for joining our growing list of prospects making the decision to pursue opportunities to play games in Europe this fall. This is another good development opportunity and we look forward to tracking Filip’s progress.

The 22-year-old played in 24 games last season with AHL Belleville, recording a 3.23 GAA along with a .889 SV%.  Gustavsson was also recalled to Ottawa twice this season but didn’t get into any game action.  He was originally drafted in the second round by Pittsburgh (55th overall in 2016) and was part of the three-way trade with Vegas and Pittsburgh near the 2018 trade deadline that saw Ryan Reaves go to the Golden Knights and Derick Brassard to the Penguins.

The move will at least allow Gustavsson to get some playing time while waiting for the AHL season to get underway which won’t come until December at the earliest.  As part of the agreement, he will return to Ottawa when training camps get underway.

Joona Luoto Loaned To HIFK

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

At some point European leagues will run out of spots for NHL prospects, but not today. The Winnipeg Jets have loaned Joona Luoto to HIFK in Finland, though immediately announced that he will be back when the 2020-21 season starts in North America.

Luoto, 22, found himself in the Jets lineup for 16 games this season during his first year in North America but failed to register a single point. The 6’3″ winger came over from Finland as an undrafted free agent and ended up splitting the year between the AHL and NHL.

While offense was clearly not his strong suit this year, Luoto has been playing at the professional level since he was a teenager and should be a fine bottom-six depth option for the Jets next season. He’ll turn 23 tomorrow but still has two years remaining on his entry-level contract.

Overseas Notes: Lagesson, Sproul, Martinsen, Koppanen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Edmonton restricted free agent defenseman William Lagesson has signed a contract, but not with the Oilers. Lagesson has inked a one-year contract with HC Vita Hasten of the Allsvenskan, the Swedish second tier league. The team announced the contract and emphasized that the deal covered the entire 2020-21 season, but don’t expect the promising young defender to follow through on that commitment. PuckPedia reports that the contract contains an NHL Out Clause, allowing Lagesson to leave Vita Hasten once the NHL season begins, assuming he has a contract. By all accounts, the Oilers are planning to re-sign the 24-year-old RFA, who played in eight games in Edmonton last season. A standout in the Swedish junior ranks and at the University of Massachusetts, Lagesson doesn’t project as a top-four defenseman for the Oilers, but is a valuable, two-way depth option. Expect Lagesson’s contract with Vita Hasten to essentially act as a loan, with the defenseman in Edmonton camp as soon as it opens.

  • Long-time Detroit Red Wings prospect Ryan Sproul left North America last off-season to sign with the KHL’s Chinese contingent, the Kunlun Red Star. The puck-moving defenseman had a strong season and was seeking a contract back home this summer, but has now opted to return to Kunlun. The Red Star announced a new one-year deal with Sproul, retaining yet another of their numerous former NHLers. Playing on a roster that is chock full of fellow North Americans, Sproul will continue to play a familiar style alongside his peers, all in the hopes that another good year can earn him more attention among NHL clubs the next time around.
  • Former NHL grinder Andreas Martinsen is headed home. The big forward has signed a one-year deal back in his native Norway with Lillehammer, the team with which he has played the most games in his pro career. Lillehammer was excited to announce the homecoming of the iconic Norweigian forward, who is one of just five from his country to play in 100+ NHL games. Martinsen, who last played in the NHL in 2018-19, spent the first half of this past season in the AHL before departing for the Swiss NLA. At 30, it is unclear if Martinsen’s return to Norway could mark a retirement phase of his career or if he is simply most comfortable back home given the many repercussions of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
  • The Boston Bruins have loaned prospect forward Joona Koppanen to KOOVEE of the Finnish minor league Metsis, the team announced. As the press release details, Koppanen’s opportunity has been limited in North America, which begs the question whether this loan could extend beyond NHL training camp unlike most others. Koppanen, a 6’5″, 200-lb. forward who plays center and wing, showed improvement in his second full season in North America in 2019-20, recording 18 points in 43 games with AHL Providence. Yet, he was not a full-time player and saw time in the ECHL for the second straight season. With the 2016 fifth-rounder’s entry-level contract expiring after the coming season, the Bruins may prefer to see how Koppanen performs as a top-line forward in the Metsis rather than a part-time bottom-six forward in the AHL.

Red Wings Loan Michael Rasmussen To Austria

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

hael rasmussenDetroit Red Wings prospect forward Michael Rasmussen will join the numerous other NHL players and prospects getting an early start to the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings announced that the young center has been loaned to the Graz 99ers, an Austrian club in the recently re-named IceHL. No further details about the loan have been disclosed, but it is expected to come to an end when NHL training camps open up later this year.

Rasmussen, 21, needs the seasoning more than most. Drafted ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen’s greatest assets were his pro size and strength. At 6’6″ and 220 lbs., the Red Wings didn’t hesitate to put Rasmussen directly into NHL competition in his rookie season in 2018-19. However, he struggled to adjust to the speed and skill of the top level. Rasmussen still managed to record 18 points in 62 games with Detroit, but the team was not content with his development and sent him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin this past season. Due to an injury that cost him more than two months, Rasmussen was never recalled from the minors, logging just 35 AHL games for the year.

As he awaits the start of the 2020-21 NHL campaign, Rasmussen knows that he has work to do to prove that he is worthy of winning back a regular role for the Red Wings. Both team and player hope that this assignment to Graz will help him get off to a much-needed hot start. Rasmussen should undoubtedly be the best player in the 99ers’ lineup and should be able to focus on working on the shortcomings of his game while still contributing to club’s games. A strong stint in Austria could not only help with Rasmussen’s skill and hockey sense, but could provide a confidence boost that follows him into traiing camp

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top