Columbus Blue Jackets Announce Several Loans
The Columbus Blue Jackets have found a few landing spots for some of their most important young players. Emil Bemstrom will head to HIFK Helsinki, Alexandre Texier will return to KalPa and Veini Vehvilainen will head to JYP (a move we detailed yesterday). All three are expected back before the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
The two young forwards are more than just prospects at this point, but rather full-time NHL players. Bemstrom, 21, played in 56 games for the Blue Jackets this season scoring 20 points as a rookie. Selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, he quickly climbed the prospect charts after excelling in Sweden, including a 35-point season in the SHL that earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Bemstrom is only heading into the second year of his entry-level contract, meaning he’ll be an extremely inexpensive option for the Blue Jackets through the 2021-22 season.
Texier meanwhile heads into the final season of his own entry-level deal, after first appearing in North America during 2018-19. The speedy forward made an impact even then for the Blue Jackets, jumping right into the playoffs with the team and being a difference-maker in their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This season didn’t go exactly as planned, with Texier only recording 13 points in 36 games, but once again he looked the part of a top-six option when the Blue Jackets hit the postseason. Still just 20 (he’ll turn 21 next week), Texier has a very bright future in Columbus.
Vehvilainen, as we detailed yesterday, is another brilliant goaltending prospect that the Blue Jackets will have to find room for eventually. The 23-year-old could be in contention for an NHL roster spot if the team moves on from one of Joonas Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins in a trade this offseason.
Montreal Canadiens Loan Lukas Vejdemo To Allsvenskan
The Montreal Canadiens signed Lukas Vejdemo to a one-year, two-way deal on Friday and now the team announced they are loaning him to Sodertalje SK in the Allsvenskan to get playing time and work on his game. The 24-year-old is still expected to report to training camp for the 2020-21 season.
Vejdemo finally broke into the NHL this season, playing seven games and scoring one goal. However, he has spent most of his two years in North America with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. He had 13 goals and 29 points in 66 games last season and followed that up with nine goals and 19 points in 47 games this past year with Laval. Before that, the forward spent three years in the SHL and has never played in the Allsvenskan’s men’s league before.
This is the second player that the Canadiens have sent to Europe to work on their game while the NHL’s 2020-21 start isn’t expected to begin until December, at the earliest. The team sent defenseman Otto Leskinen to KalPa Kuopio of the Liiga last month.
Kings Loan Carl Grundstrom To Allsvenskan
Just days after signing a two-year contract, there’s another transaction involving Kings winger Carl Grundstrom. The team announced that they’ve loaned him to IF Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan, the second division in Sweden. (SHL teams aren’t permitted to bring in players on short-term loans.) As is the case with many of these loans, Grundstrom will be recalled once NHL training camps get underway.
The 22-year-old looked to have an inside track at a full-time roster spot this season following a strong stint in 2018-19 after he was acquired from Toronto as part of the Jake Muzzin trade. In that stretch, he picked up five goals in just 13 games. Instead, Grundstrom only had a few brief NHL stints this season, playing in just 13 games while collecting four assists. He spent most of the year with Ontario (AHL) where he fared much better offensively, picking up 12 goals and 16 assists in 40 games before the pandemic ended their season early.
Grundstrom is returning to a program that he has some familiarity with. While he was drafted out of MODO of the SHL, he did spend three years with Bjorkloven’s program from 2010-11 through 2012-13, playing on their U-16 and U-18 squads. As he’s now waiver-eligible, a good showing in Sweden could give Grundstrom a leg up on landing a full-time roster spot with the Kings for next season.
Oilers Loan Ryan McLeod To EV Zug In Switzerland
The Oilers have found a place to play for one of their more intriguing prospects to stay in playing shape. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve loaned center Ryan McLeod to EV Zug of the NLA in Switzerland for the start of their upcoming season.
McLeod was ranked by some publications as a potential first-round pick in 2018 but he wound up sliding to the second round where he was scooped up by Edmonton at 40th overall. He wrapped up his junior career the following season and saw some AHL playoff action with Bakersfield in 2019 which gave him a bit of momentum heading into his first full professional season in 2019-20.
The results weren’t quite as strong as McLeod or the Oilers would have hoped, however. He managed just five goals along with 18 assists in 56 games with the Condors before the pandemic hit, a level of production that was a little low for one of their better prospects coming out of the junior ranks. He was, however, part of their postseason roster. Now, McLeod will have an opportunity to see game action in the near future which should help give him a leg up whenever the 2020-21 AHL season gets underway.
Minor Transactions: 09/04/20
As if two NHL Game Seven’s weren’t enough today, there have also been several intriguing moves across the hockey world. With some leagues getting ready to start their seasons while the NHL off-season is beginning to draw near, it is an interesting time for roster transactions, both in North America and abroad:
- The AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have signed University of Nebraska-Omaha standout Zach Jordan to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday. While Jordan’s production slipped in his senior season, he posted back-to-back seasons of 25+ points as a sophomore and junior, leading the Mavericks in scoring across those two campaigns. At 6’3″ and 216 lbs., Jordan is a hulking presence on the ice and projects as a physical, two-way winger at the pro level. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate has done well with developing these types of players in recent years, so Jordan may still be a name that could draw NHL consideration down the road.
- As has proven to be a yearly tradition for the Los Angeles Kings, the club has loaned defensive prospect Jacob Moverare to Europe. A 2016 fourth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018, Moverare has been loaned to Sweden for each of the past two seasons. Things are a bit different this time around though; Moverare has not been loaned back to Frolunda HC, but to SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga. The team also notes that the Kings have the right to recall Moverare from the loan for NHL training camp, an option that they seem likely to exercise. While Moverare is still a bit raw, he is a big, effective stay-at-home blue liner who hit his stride last season in the SHL. Another full season in Europe is unlikely to help his development at this point.
- AHL veteran Colin Campbell is making his first foray into Europe next season. After seven pro seasons and over 350 games – all in the AHL – Campbell has signed with the Vienna Capitals of the newly re-named IceHL, the team announced. A hard-working forward who got his start at Lake Superior State University, Campbell signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings out of college and ended up playing six seasons with their affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He moved on to the Colorado Eagles this past season and recorded the best per-game scoring numbers of his career, notching ten goals and 26 points in just 48 games. As he heads to Austria, Campbell will undoubtedly be looked upon as the leader of the Capitals and hopes to continue his strong performance. At 29, his NHL hopes remain alive and well.
Alexander Alexeyev Loaned To Yulaev Ufa
The Washington Capitals have decided to let Alexander Alexeyev play in the KHL for the next few months, loaning him to Yulaev Ufa to begin the 2020-21 season. Alexeyev is expected to return to North America for NHL training camp, though it is not clear yet when that will actually take place.
Now 20, Alexeyev was the Capitals first-round pick in 2018 following their Stanley Cup victory. Selected out of the WHL, he played another year with the Red Deer Rebels before joining the Hershey Bears of the AHL for the 2019-20 season. Standing 6’4″, the two-way defenseman put up 21 points in 58 games as a minor league rookie.
The Capitals don’t have a ton of high-end prospects thanks to more than a decade of success, but the ones they do are quite interesting. Alexeyev has progressed nicely since his pick in 2018 and could potentially compete for an NHL job at some point next season. Washington does have two defensemen on the roster who are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, but it hasn’t been an easy blueline to crack for young players in the past as the organization is focused on contending.
The Russian-born Alexeyev hasn’t played there since 2015-16 but was routinely included in international junior tournaments while he played in the CHL. This KHL opportunity will be his first and one that he’ll likely try to take advantage of to show the Capitals front office he deserves even more of a shot when he comes back over.
Jets Loan Leon Gawanke To German League
The Jets have been quite active so far in loaning some of their prospects overseas with goaltender Arvid Holm, defenseman Ville Heinola, and center David Gustafsson all heading across the pond to start next season. That list has grown again as Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL announced that Winnipeg has loaned defenseman Leon Gawanke to them to start their upcoming season with the expectation that he’ll return once NHL training camps open.
The 21-year-old had a strong professional debut with AHL Manitoba this season, contributing four goals and 22 assists in 48 games before the pandemic hit. His 26 points led all Moose defenders although it wasn’t enough to earn him a recall despite Winnipeg’s injuries.
Gawanke will be returning to a program that he already has some familiarity with. Prior to transferring to the QMJHL via the CHL Import Draft, he spent four seasons in that program from 2012-13 through 2015-16 in their junior system. Now, he’ll get a chance to try his hand at their top professional level even if it is only for a short while.
Vitaly Abramov Loaned To Jukurit
The Ottawa Senators have sent another prospect overseas for the next few months, loaning Vitaly Abramov to Jukurit in Finland. Abramov will return to North America in time for NHL training camp but can get some playing time while he continues his development.
One of the big pieces that came back to Ottawa in the Matt Duchene deal, Abramov was originally a third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Picked in 2016 after his outstanding rookie-of-the-year season in the QMJHL, Abramov has done nothing but score throughout his hockey career. His time in the CHL ended in 2018 after 301 points in 185 regular season games and the professional ranks haven’t proven too difficult either. Abramov is coming off a season with the Belleville Senators in which he scored 41 points in 51 games as part of a high-powered offense with Joshua Norris, Drake Batherson, and Alex Formenton (among others).
With three NHL games under his belt and exceptional talent, Abramov is a candidate for full-time minutes with the Senators in 2020-21. The 22-year-old will be entering the final season of his entry-level contract and looking to put up some stats before hitting restricted free agency. Getting a chance to kick things off in Europe will do nothing but help his chances of making the Ottawa roster, especially on a team like Jukurit. Since 2016 when they moved up into the highest division, Jukurit has gone 66-85-29 and missed the playoffs four times. With the kind of offensive skill that Abramov brings, he could very well find himself getting prime minutes with the team’s best players.
Detroit Red Wings Loan Filip Larsson To Almtuna
Filip Larsson is the latest Detroit Red Wings prospect to head overseas, loaned today to Almtuna of the Swedish second league. He follows names like Mathias Brome, Moritz Seider, Gustav Lindstrom, Filip Hronek, and Filip Zadina as they prepare for the 2020-21 season with a few months in Europe.
Larsson, 22, has had quite an interesting path so far in his hockey career. Born and raised in Sweden, he decided to come to North America for the 2017-18 season and play in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm. A league-leading .941 save percentage and 1.65 goals-against average landed him Goaltender of the Year honors with the Storm, while also helping Sweden’s World Junior team take home a silver medal at the World Juniors. Following that outstanding North American debut, Larsson took his talents to the NCAA and played for the University of Denver. A .932 save percentage for the Pioneers earned him All-Rookie honors in the NCHC and obviously opened Detroit’s eyes even more.
The Red Wings signed Larsson soon after his freshman season came to an end and put him into the minor league system. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as well in professional hockey. Larsson struggled with injury and inconsistency, leading to just an .843 save percentage at the AHL level. That was in just seven games however as he played more often in the ECHL.
Even though 2019-20 didn’t go according to plan, Larsson remains a top goaltending prospect for the Red Wings and one to watch closely as the year progresses. He’ll need playing time and it’s not clear when the AHL season will actually get underway. For now, he’ll have to try and secure the crease in Sweden before getting a chance back in North America.
Tim Soderlund Loaned To Almtuna
The Chicago Blackhawks have loaned another young player overseas, sending Tim Soderlund to Almtuna IS of the Swedish second league. Soderlund is coming off his first year in North America after signing his entry-level contract in 2019.
Now 22, Soderlund was a fourth-round pick from 2017 that has always been an interesting prospect because of his blazing speed. Before coming to the Rockford IceHogs for this season, he played two full years at the SHL level, also suiting up twice for Sweden at the World Juniors (winning silver in 2018).
The 5’9″ forward scored just three points in 29 games for Rockford, but could be back for his sophomore season if the Blackhawks feel it necessary. Of course, it’s not exactly clear when the AHL season will begin, meaning Soderlund will have to focus on his game overseas for now.