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Philadelphia Flyers To Loan German Rubtsov To Sochi Of KHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have loaned forward German Rubtsov to Sochi of the KHL as teams try to send some of their younger plays overseas to get them some playing time before the expected late start of the NHL’s 2020-21 season.

Rubtsov showed significant promise in 2018-19 when he started his rookie campaign with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring six goals and 10 points in 14 games. However, a shoulder injury ended his season early. He came back this year, but struggled in his second year in Lehigh Valley. He tallied just two goals and 13 points in 42 games, although he was recalled once by the Flyers, appearing in four games, although he failed to register a point.

An early start to the 2020-21 season makes quite a bit of sense for Rubtsov, who is still looking to find his game after suffering a significant injury not that long ago. The team was hoping that Rubtsov, the team’s 2016 first-round pick, would be able to provide a depth option for the Flyers at this point, but he wasn’t included on the team’s postseason roster. It’s believed that he will return to the Flyers team for training camp, whenever that will be.

Snapshots: Stamkos, Gallagher, Slovakia

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With the Tampa Bay Lightning preparing to face the rival Boston Bruins in the second round in a collision of arguably the two best teams in the NHL, the Bolts were hoping to be at full strength with face of the franchise Steven Stamkos back in the lineup. However, that won’t be the case. Head coach Jon Cooper told the media, including The Athletic’s Lightning writer Joe Smith, that Stamkos is still not available due to injury. Rather than reiterating the indefinite timeline of Stamkos’ rehab, Cooper merely stated “It’s pointless to keep asking about it.” Stamkos is still battling a core injury suffered back in March and has far exceeded the initial six-to-eight week timeline with the player and team still seemingly having no idea of when he might be ready to return. If Stamkos cannot return to face Tampa’s potentially toughest test in Boston, the odds are that he may not play in the postseason at all.

  • Fan favorite Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher had his season come to an end prematurely as he suffered a broken jaw on a cross check from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen in Game Five of the teams’ first round series. Gallagher only ended up missing one game, as the Habs were eliminated by a Game Six loss on Friday night. Meeting with the media today, GM Marc Bergevin updated Gallagher’s status, announcing that he underwent successful surgery in Toronto and is returning to his home in British Columbia today. Additionally, Bergevin revealed that Gallagher had been injured long before his run-in with Niskanen, suffering a hip tear in Montreal’s qualifying round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he played through the injury and it was solely that broken jaw that kept him from playing in the Canadiens’ season finale.
  • Several other recently-eliminated players could be back in action sooner rather than later. Sport SK in Slovakia reports that several members of the Slovakian Tipsport Liga are expecting active NHLers to be acquired via contract or loan to begin working out and playing prior to NHL training camps beginning in November. HK Kosice may have the largest haul still to come, with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin and Calgary Flames prospect Martin Pospisil to be loaned to the team and Ottawa Senators RFA Christian Jaros and free agent forward Tomas Jurco expected to sign. Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak also has ties to the club, but with the Lighting still alive in the postseason and hoping to sty that way for a while longer, he may not need the early start for next season. Slovan Bratislava, which has already received a handful of prospects on loan, are expecting another in the more high-profile Martin Fehervary, the promising defenseman from the Washington Capitals.

New York Rangers To Loan Vitali Kravtsov To KHL

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The New York Rangers have decided to send Vitali Kravtsov back to the KHL, at least for now. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that Kravtsov will be loaned back to Traktor Chelyabinsk for the 2020-21 season.

It’s been a very interesting year for Kravtsov, the ninth-overall pick from 2018. Last September it seemed as though he may challenge for a roster spot in the NHL with the Rangers, but after failing to make the team and being sent to the minor leagues things quickly went awry. Kravtsov was a healthy scratch for the Hartford Wolf Pack and played just five minor league games before exercising his European Assignment Clause to return to the KHL.

Less than two months after arriving in Russia though, he ended up back on a plane to Hartford where he spent the rest of the season. In all, Kravtsov played just 11 games for Traktor (scoring three points) while suiting up 39 times for the Wolf Pack. Splitting 50 games between two different leagues (and continents), while scoring only 18 points certainly isn’t the usual path for a top prospect with as much skill as Kravtsov, but that’s exactly what happened in this case.

Brooks does not specify whether Kravtsov will be back for NHL training camp in a few months, but even if he did there’s no telling for certain at this point. What is important, at least for fans of the Rangers hoping for another top offensive weapon, is that he’s going to be getting into game action quickly and (hopefully) consistently. Still just 20 years old, Kravtsov has a long playing career ahead of him and years of development to go.

Joakim Nygard Loaned To Farjestad BK

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The Edmonton Oilers continue to loan players out all over the world as they wait for the 2020-21 NHL season to begin. This time it’s Joakim Nygard, who has been loaned to Farjestad BK in the SHL. While the announcement doesn’t indicate he’ll be back for training camp, you can assume that the 27-year old will come back to North America for his second crack at making the Edmonton roster.

This season, Nygard looked like might be a useful piece for the Oilers to retain given his speed and forechecking ability. The undrafted winger had nine points in 33 games playing almost exclusively in the bottom-six, but ended up breaking his hand in January which finished his season. The Oilers obviously felt as though he should get another chance though, as they signed him to a one-year contract extension just a few days later.

Now returning to Edmonton with just an $875K cap hit, Nygard could be a useful piece for the roster as they try to continue building a speedier group around Connor McDavid. Getting back into game action is crucial for the Swedish winger, given he hasn’t played meaningful hockey in six months.

Prospect Notes: Thomson, Mysak, Wilkes-Barre

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The Ottawa Senators have loaned Lassi Thomson back to his Finnish club for the start of the 2020-21 season to get the young defenseman playing in meaningful games. Thomson, the 19th overall pick from 2019, signed his entry-level contract last year but spent the season playing in Finland with Ilves. Even suiting up at that level as a teenager is impressive, but Thomson recorded 13 points in 39 games while also logging big minutes for the World Junior club. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explains why he’ll be back in Finland to start the season:

Playing league games is beneficial to any young player’s development. To Lassi’s credit, he expressed a desire to do so and it’s something that we very much support. Starting the year with the same Finnish team for which he (Thomson) played last season provides him with his best preparation opportunity ahead of our next training camp.

The important note is ahead of training camp, when Thomson will likely be back on North American ice to show the Senators up close what he can do. As with any rebuilding team, there will be opportunity galore for young players with the kind of upside Thomson possesses, but with plenty of other names on the depth chart he’ll have to really show he’s ready before they burn a year of his entry-level contract by putting him in NHL games.

  • After playing a half-season for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL, Jan Mysak will be returning to the Czech Republic for the time being. The 2020 draft prospect scored 25 points in 22 games for Hamilton after coming over midseason and could potentially be picked in the first round come October. NHL Central Scouting ranked him the 28th best skater in North America, but he’ll be back overseas to prepare for his professional career.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Felix Robert and Luke Stevens to AHL contracts for 2020-21, bringing in a pair of prospects that have aged-out of their respective amateur programs. Robert was a linemate of Penguins prospect Samuel Poulin this season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL and led the team in scoring with 92 points in just 46 games. The 21-year old went undrafted but used his experience to dominate the competition this season even standing just 5’8″. Stevens meanwhile was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 but failed to sign a contract with them and became an unrestricted free agent last weekend. Through his four years at Yale, he recorded 35 points in 101 games.

Edmonton Oilers Loan Philip Broberg To SHL

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When the Edmonton Oilers strode to the podium and selected Philip Broberg eighth overall last year, they were bound to receive a lot of criticism. After all, top offensive talents (who happened to be from North America) like Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield were still on the board, along with one of the best goaltending prospects in the world in Spencer Knight. But Edmonton had seen something in Broberg that made him their choice, a selection that had seemingly been locked in weeks before the draft. A year later and Broberg impressed the Oilers brass enough in camp to keep him throughout the return to play tournament, even getting him into their exhibition game against the Calgary Flames.

Edmonton is extremely excited about Broberg’s development, which makes it come as no surprise that today he was loaned back to Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. The 19-year-old defenseman played there this season, recording eight points in 45 games while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors. An incredible skater, he also possesses the size and strength to compete with professionals.

The release does not indicate whether Broberg will return for an NHL training camp in November, but you can bet that if the Oilers feel it is the best thing for his development, he’ll be back in North America quickly. Should they decide he’s not ready yet for the NHL, his contract will slide forward again due to his young age. That would mean his three-year entry-level deal could extend through the 2023-24 season. Interestingly though, he does have a European Assignment Clause in his deal, which means he could potentially block an assignment to the AHL in 2020-21.

Anaheim Ducks Loan Roman Durny To Slovakia

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HC Slovan Bratislava is no stranger to having talented payers on their roster, especially since the club previously played in the KHL before returning to the Tipsport Liga, the top league in Slovakia, this past season. Nevertheless, the team was excited to announce that they will begin the 2020-21 season with promising NHL prospect Roman Durny on the roster. The Anaheim Ducks have agreed to loan the young goaltender to Bratislava until at least the start of NHL training camp.

Durny, 22, was a fifth-round pick by the Ducks in 2018 as an over-ager after a standout season in the USHL in his first season in North America. Durny starred for the Des Moines Buccaneers for two years before turning pro this season. Unfortunately, the shift to the pros and to a limited share of the net – just 13 ECHL appearances for the year – were not kind to Durny. While there is still a lot to like about his game, Durny faces stiff competition in 2018 third-rounder Lukas Dostal and 2017 fifth-rounder Olle Eriksson Ek to top the goalie depth chart in the Ducks’ pipeline.

On the other hand, Anaheim has veteran Ryan Miller and reliable minor leaguer Kevin Boyle entering unrestricted free agency this summer, which could thin the depth chart significantly allowing for a young goalie to take on a regular role in the AHL next season. Seeing as how Dostal is the youngest of the prospect trio and has no North American experience, it will likely be between Durny and Eriksson Ek for that AHL slot.

A strong start to his season in Slovakia could go a long way for Durny. Behind a strong roster, led by former NHLer Andrej Meszaros, that finished second in the league last year and has already added another NHL prospect on loan in New Jersey forward Marian Studenic, Durny should be well-protected. The team also lost backup Vladislav Habal this off-season, who played in 27 of 55 games last season, so starts should be available to Durny. This could all add up to a strong start in Slovakia for Durny, potentially followed by a breakout season in the minors for the Ducks.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Will Start Season In Finland

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The Buffalo Sabres have an obvious goaltender of the future. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has all the skills to become one of the very elite goaltenders in the NHL, but he’s not quite ready yet.

In 2018-19, his first season in North America, Luukkonen put up a .920 save percentage in 53 games for the Subury Wolves and won the OHL Most Outstanding Player award. He also backstopped Finland to a World Junior gold medal, posting a .932 save percentage in the process. While 2019-20 didn’t go quite as smoothly, Luukkonen was still a star for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones as he continued his development at the professional level.

Now, with the start of the minor league season uncertain, Luukkonen will return to Finland and begin the year with TPS. The Sabres have loaned him to the Liiga club, though the announcement from TPS indicates it is only for the four to six weeks they will be without Rasmus Tirronen as he deals with an injury.

The 21-year old Finn has the size (6’4″), control and athleticism to be a star in the NHL, but we’ll have to wait a little longer before seeing him suit up for the Sabres.

Snapshots: Shea, Pavlychev, Brome

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After 21 players became unrestricted free agents over the weekend, news is trickling in on where they will start their professional careers. The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins have already snatched up a couple of the high profile names, but the Dallas Stars won’t be left out of the fun. Mark Divver of Rinkside Rhode Island reports that Ryan Shea is expected to sign with Dallas following his four-year career at Northeastern.

Shea, 23, was a fourth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2015 and is coming off an impressive 31-point season as captain of the Huskies. The 6’1″ defenseman will start his career with the Stars organization, though it’s not clear exactly whether an NHL entry-level contract or an AHL pact is coming.

  • AHL contracts are what many of these unsigned draft picks end up getting, like Nikita Pavlychev who has signed a one-year deal with the Syracuse Crunch. The 23-year old center played four years for Penn State but ended up failing to reach a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins who drafted him in 2015. The Russian-born Pavlychev is a defensive stalwart, using his 6’7″ frame to lock down opposing forwards and disrupt passing lanes.
  • As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have loaned Mathias Brome to the SHL for the next few months. Like their other loans, Brome will return for NHL training camp as he looks to make the jump to North American professional hockey for the first time. The 26-year old only recently signed his first NHL contract after scoring 43 points for Orebro HK in 2019-20.

Eetu Luostarinen Loaned To KalPa

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Eetu Luostarinen has had quite the year. After signing his entry-level contract last spring, the young forward made the jump to North American pro hockey, playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. A month into the season, he earned himself a recall to the NHL where he played in eight games for the Carolina Hurricanes, before returning to anchor a line in the minor leagues.

Even though things were going fairly well in his rookie season, he found himself moving to a new organization in February when the Hurricanes traded him (along with three others) for Vincent Trocheck.

Now, after finishing his season with five scoreless games for the Springfield Thunderbirds, Luostarinen will return to Finland’s Liiga and play for KalPa again. The Florida Panthers have loaned the 21-year-old forward back to his old club team until the end of November when he will presumably return for NHL training camp.

Selected 42nd overall in 2017, the 6’3″ center was excited to get another chance to play in Finland as he continues his development. For prospects still looking to make their mark, getting a chance to start playing overseas before training camp is a bonus. Luostarinen has two years remaining on his entry-level deal.

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