Edmonton Loans Tyler Benson To GCK Lions
The Edmonton Oilers will send another young forward overseas, loaning Tyler Benson to GCK Lions of the Swiss League. Benson, who received his first opportunity at the NHL level this season, was included on the team’s roster for the return to play postseason but will now take his talents to Switzerland’s second tier for the time being.
Benson, 22, is different from many of the prospects that have been sent overseas, as he already has two full professional seasons under his belt. The 32nd overall pick from 2016 has already become a star for the Bakersfield Condors, recording 105 points in 120 regular season games since debuting in the AHL. While he’s not a huge goal scorer, his offensive creativity and playmaking ability is almost unmatched at the minor league level.
The biggest question for Benson will always be his below-average skating ability and whether or not it limits him at the next level. That will have to be answered in his next NHL opportunity, but for now, he can go and continue to work on his explosiveness and two-way game in the structured Swiss system. Given that he’ll be playing in their second league though, you can bet that Benson’s offensive ability will shine through.
While the release does not indicate his return date, Benson is likely to get a shot at cracking the NHL roster whenever camps open. On the last year of his entry-level deal, he’s earned an opportunity with the Oilers.
Jared McIsaac Loaned To HPK
The Detroit Red Wings have found a landing spot for another prospect, this time loaning Jared McIsaac to HPK in Finland. McIsaac is coming off his final season of junior and will be experiencing professional hockey for the first time. The press release from his new team explains that the initial plan is to have the young defenseman play the entire season overseas, though the Red Wings are allowed to recall him should the AHL season get underway and they feel it would be a better spot for his development.
McIsaac, 20, was the 36th overall pick in 2018 and was a star this year at the World Junior Championship. An elite puck-moving defenseman in the CHL, he tallied 180 points over 241 games. That kind of ability will help him succeed at the next level, but there’s still plenty of development left for the young defender.
It will be interesting to see if other prospects decide to spend the entire season overseas, given the uncertainty around the 2020-21 AHL season. While it would burn the first year of his entry-level contract (McIsaac’s deal has already slid forward twice, and he is now ineligible for it to happen again), Liiga is obviously a perfectly fine development league for many players and shouldn’t prove too intimidating for the youngster. Of course, if camps don’t start until the new year, perhaps the Red Wings will have seen enough by that point to believe that McIsaac could even compete for a roster spot on the NHL squad.
Sharks’ Joel Kellman Loaned To Kristianstads IK
Joel Kellman finally made the jump to North America this season, but now he’s headed back to Sweden. Well, at least for the time being. The San Jose Sharks’ rookie forward has officially been loaned to Kristianstads IK of the Allsvenskan, the team reports, but he will return to San Jose when NHL training camp opens. Kristianstads is the farm team of the SHL’s Karlskrona HK, Kellman’s hometown team who he played parts of five seasons for earlier in his career.
Kellman, 26, just signed a two-year extension with the Sharks late last month after a promising first season. He played the majority of his games with the Sharks, recording seven points in 31 games, but when he did play for the AHL Barracuda produced 16 points in 25 games. A perennial 30+ point scorer in the SHL, Kellman does have room to improve, and at a $750K AAV the Sharks have every reason to give him the opportunity to do so.
Whether Kellman does in fact play for Kristianstads or instead plays up with Karlskrona, he should be well-prepared to battle for a regular role with San Jose next season. Playing in the Allsvenskan, Kellman would have a major leg up on his teammates and competition. In the SHL, Kellman would have the added advantage of tough competition and would also enjoy playing with top 2020 NHL Draft prospects Ridly Greig and Connor McClennon. Either way, the former Swedish standout will fit in well back home and will be ready to go for the Sharks when the new league year begins.
Edmonton Oilers Loan Cooper Marody To Dornbirn Bulldogs
The roster spots for NHL prospects overseas are getting a little more uncommon. Today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Cooper Marody has been loaned to the Dornbirn Bulldogs of the Austrian pro league. Marody is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract and will likely be recalled when NHL training camp gets underway.
Now 23, Marody signed with the Oilers in 2018 after dominating at the University of Michigan and exploded onto the professional scene in 2018-19. In 58 AHL contests with the Bakersfield Condors, the rookie put up 64 points and was rewarded with six NHL contests.
Unfortunately, after a concussion in the 2019 playoffs, Marody didn’t return the same dynamic offensive threat this season. In 30 games with Bakersfield, he scored just five goals and 17 points.
At this point, it’s no longer clear if Marody can be an impact player at the NHL level but he is certainly still planning on it. David Staples of the Edmonton Journal wrote a piece on the young forward back in July examining Marody’s future which included a quote:
I’m just so motivated more than ever to be a long time NHL player and prove myself.
For now, he’s an IceHL player that will need to continue his development overseas.
New Jersey Loans Janne Kuokkanen To Karpat
When Janne Kuokkanen arrives at New Jersey Devils training camp later this year looking to earn a full-time NHL role for the first time in his career, he will have the advantage of being in game shape. The Devils have announced that Kuokkanen has been loaned to Karpat of the Finnish Liiga for the time being and will be recalled from the loan when New Jersey opens training camp.
Kuokkanen, 22, has just a dozen NHL games under his belt to this point in his career, but did make his Devils debut in one game following the deadline deal that brought him to New Jersey in February and prior to league’s pause in March, which served as the end of the Devils’ season. Kuokkanen was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Fredrik Claesson and a conditional draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. Kuokkanen, a second-round pick in 2016, was undoubtedly the prize of the return for the Devils, as the young forward has racked up points in the AHL over the past few years and appears ready to take the next step. Kuokkanen recorded 48 points in 56 games this year, including six in four with AHL Binghamton, and has totaled 126 points in 164 AHL games in his career. A player with two-way ability and positional versatility. Kukkanen should be a useful piece for New Jersey as he breaks into the NHL.
There is no better place for Kuokkanen to prepare for the 2020-21 season than with Karpat. The team plays in his hometown of Oulu and rosters several former and current NHLers. Karpat notably also owns a number of top 2020 and 2021 draft prospects, as well as some previously drafted prospects. Perhaps the Devils will turn to Kuokkanen for some advice ahead of the draft next month or as they evaluate trade offers this summer (Jesse Puljujarvi perhaps?). Regardless, Karpat is a great place for Kuokkanen to play, as he will have a major role to begin the Liiga season, which he hopes will give him a leg up when it comes to securing a meaningful role with New Jersey down the road as well.
Prospect Notes: Askarov, Hogberg, McPhee
If anyone needed a reminder of just how good Yaroslav Askarov is, he provided it today. The top 2020 draft-eligible goaltender posted his first KHL shutout when he blanked Spartak by stopping all 33 shots he faced (including a penalty shot). Askarov only turned 18 a few months ago but is already turning heads at the highest level in Russia, raising expectations even further as he heads into the draft next month.
A consensus first-round pick, the young goaltender is signed through the 2021-22 season with SKA St. Petersburg but is a potential franchise starter for a team willing to take the chance on him in a few weeks. How high he climbs that board is unclear, though Spencer Knight‘s selection at #13 last year may show that teams are now a little less hesitant to spend big on goaltending at the draft.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have loaned Linus Hogberg to HC Vita Hasten of the Swedish second league, keeping him overseas once again. Drafted in 2016, Hogberg’s rights would have expired had he not signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers before June 1 of this year. He ended up inking his two-year deal on May 30, but will be staying in Sweden for the time being. The 22-year-old defenseman has played four full seasons in the SHL, scoring 14 points in 50 games in 2019-20.
- Just a few days ago Graham McPhee signed a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors, but now he’s suiting up for Vienna in the Austrian pro league. The son of Vegas Golden Knights executive George McPhee, the 22-year-old forward actually became an unrestricted free agent when the Edmonton Oilers decided not to sign him to an entry-level deal last month. After four years at Boston College, the fifth-round pick will have to work his way up the professional hockey ladder, starting in Europe for now.
Overseas Loans: Hajek, Tarasov, Almari
Prospect loans continue all around the league as NHL teams try to find playing time for their young talent. A flurry of moves were announced today, including:
- While Libor Hajek of the New York Rangers was supposed to be heading to HC Kometa Brno, he’ll now join HC Olomouc of the Czech professional league instead. In an interview with iSport, Hajek confirmed the change and explained that it’s closer to where he is currently living and training. Now 22, Hajek played in 28 games for the Rangers this season, recording five points. The 37th overall pick from 2016, he was part of the Ryan McDonagh trade in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Daniil Tarasov, another member of the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending pipeline, will take his talents to the KHL for this season, joining HC Salavat Yulaev for 2020-21. Tarasov, 21, played in Finland last season on loan from the Blue Jackets and put up an .899 save percentage in 41 matches. The 6’5″ Russian goaltender was a third-round pick in 2017 and is in the second year of his three-year entry-level contract with Columbus.
- Along with Jesse Ylonen, whose name was brought up yesterday, Niclas Almari will also be loaned to the Lahti Pelicans in Finland. The 22-year-old defenseman was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and played 51 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season. While Ylonen is only overseas until an NHL season begins, Almari will be staying with the Pelicans for the entire 2020-21 season according to the team.
Adam Werner Loaned To HC Vita Hasten
While goaltending depth was perhaps eventually the downfall of the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs, you can’t say that they didn’t try to build up the pipeline. The team ended up with Michael Hutchinson starting for them in the postseason but also have some young talent pushing for a larger opportunity. While Hunter Miska needs a new contract this offseason as a restricted free agent, Adam Werner, his minor league partner, will be headed overseas to keep his game sharp.
Werner has been loaned to HC Vita Hasten in the Swedish second league until NHL training camps open for the 2020-21 season. You may remember the 23-year-old goaltender from his two appearances with the Avalanche this season, where he posted a .914 save percentage including what really should have been credited as a shutout in his debut. On November 12, Werner was forced into the game in relief of Pavel Francouz after just 31 seconds and stopped all 40 shots he faced from the Winnipeg Jets.
The young goaltender had a .909 save percentage at the AHL level this season but has been a dominant performer in the SHL before, meaning he could be quite the weapon for his new Allsvenskan team. With no real certainty in the Colorado net past next season, Werner’s development will be an interesting story to watch this year.
Rasmus Asplund Loaned To Vasteras IK
The Buffalo Sabres have loaned one of their young forwards overseas, sending Rasmus Asplund to Vasteras IK of the Swedish second league. Asplund had been training with the team for months but is now officially allowed to play in games until NHL training camps start.
Asplund, 22, played in 29 games for the Sabres this season, recording his first three NHL points. The 33rd overall pick in 2016, he has 69 points in 108 AHL games over the past two years and is a real candidate to grab a full-time roster spot in Buffalo for 2020-21. Getting some more development time in Sweden will only help that goal, given the uncertainty around the upcoming AHL season.
The young forward is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, meaning he’ll need a new deal next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent for the first time. You can bet he’d like some more NHL experience to use in those negotiations, though Asplund will not be arbitration-eligible. For now, he’ll play in a league he skipped entirely when he moved from the junior ranks directly to the SHL as a teenager.
Canadiens Loan Jesse Ylonen To Finland
While Canadiens prospect Jesse Ylonen left his Finnish team late in the season to get a head start on playing in North America, his time playing at home isn’t over yet. GM Marc Bergevin confirmed to Mathias Brunet of La Presse that Montreal has loaned the winger to Pelicans Lahti of the SM-liiga.
The 20-year-old was a second-round pick (35th) overall back in 2018 and has spent the last two years with Pelicans. His offensive numbers dipped a little bit in his sophomore campaign but he still managed to finish fourth in team scoring with 12 goals and 10 assists in 53 games. He left the team in late February to report to Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval for their stretch run but he was hurt upon arrival and the pandemic arrived soon after so he never got the chance to suit up.
Instead, he’ll play back at home for a few months while awaiting the beginning of NHL training camp which is when he will return to Montreal. Bergevin confirmed that their other three prospects on loan – defenseman Otto Leskinen, center Lukas Vejdemo, and winger Hayden Verbeek – will also all be recalled from their loans whenever camp gets underway.