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Washington Capitals Loan Aliaksei Protas To The KHL

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The list of young players and prospects who will at least begin the 2020-21 season overseas continues to grow, with the Washington Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas now joining the list. The team announced that the young forward has been loaned to the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk in his native Belarus. Washington does specify though that Protas is expected to be recalled from the loan at the start of the WHL season or for Capitals training camp later this winter.

Protas, 19, was a third-round pick of the Capitals in last year’s NHL Draft and signed his entry-level contract with Washington almost immediately. A hulking center who stands 6’6” and 210 pounds, Protas’ skill finally caught up with his size this year as he recorded 31 goals and 80 points in 58 games to lead the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in both categories and help the team to a division title. With top 2020 prospects like Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Weisblatt also on the roster, the Raiders could return to the top ranks of the WHL next season if Protas returns as expected.

In the meantime though, Protas joins a Minsk squad that has been collecting NHL prospects and should be a fun team to watch early next season. Florida’s Vladislav Kolyachonok, Minnesota’s Ivan Lodnia, Philadelphia’s Maxim Sushko, and New Jersey’s Yegor Sharangovich – all of Belarussian descent – will also join the team on loan, joining NHL vets such as Ryan Spooner and Rob Klinkhammer.

Moritz Seider Loaned To DEL

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August 7: The Red Wings have made it official, announcing that Seider and Zadina have been loaned overseas. Seider is headed to Mannheim, while Zadina will join HC Ocelari Trinec for now. Both players should be back for training camp in North America at some point in November.

August 3: The Detroit Red Wings have a handful of exciting prospects in the minor leagues, but with the uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 AHL season, they will need to find places to play for the next six months. Reports have already surfaced about Joe Veleno and Filip Zadina who could be headed to the Czech Republic to get into some game action, and now Moritz Seider is also headed overseas.

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Seider will be loaned to Adler Mannheim of the German DEL, though the Red Wings retain the ability to recall him at any time. Seider played for Mannheim before being selected sixth overall in 2019, but spent this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

There are few defensive prospects in the game that generate as much excitement as Seider, who was an immediate hit in Grand Rapids and has shown off his ability on the international stage. The 6’4″ right-handed shot is an all-situations defender that recorded 22 points in 49 games during his rookie season in the AHL. He is expected to challenge for a role on Detroit’s blueline before long, meaning he’ll likely be back in time to participate in NHL training camps in November.

Kasper Kotkansalo, another Red Wings draft pick, will also be headed overseas for the 2020-21 season. The third-round pick from 2017 has decided to leave Boston University and join Assat of the Finnish Liiga to continue his development. Kotkansalo, 21, had 25 points in 112 games for BU.

Philadelphia Flyers Loan Linus Sandin To SHL

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Linus Sandin won’t be starting his North American career as soon as he expected. The Swedish forward has been loaned back to the SHL’s HV71 today by the Philadelphia Flyers, just a few months after signing his entry-level contract.

Sandin, 24, inked that one-year entry-level deal in April following an excellent season with HV71, where he scored 36 points in 51 games. The undrafted forward was set to compete for a role in the NHL for the 2020-21 season, but will have to wait a little longer for that opportunity. As with any of these loans, the Flyers retain the right to recall Sandin at any point and will likely do so in time for NHL training camps in November.

The older brother of top Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin, Linus has played three full seasons in the SHL and has seen his point totals jump in each one. The 6’1″ forward easily led HV71 in goals with 19, good enough for third in the entire league. With a flat cap next season he could be a valuable depth piece for the Flyers, who still have some important free agents to sign and not a ton of space to do it.

Minor Transactions: 08/05/20

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With six NHL playoff games a day suddenly on the docket, summer days are now filled with hockey. Yet, the qualifying round and round robin games are not the only news-makers in the hockey world. Here are some minor moves from across several levels, including an NHL loan, a pair of AHL extensions, and some NCAA commitments:

  • With the delayed start to the season among North American leagues, there has been a rash of overseas loans among NHL prospects in recent weeks. Florida Panthers prospect Rodrigo Abols has now also joined that list. Abols, a late 2016 pick out of Latvia, is set to return to the SHL’s Orebro HK to begin next season, the team announced. Abols played in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, but previously played with Orebro for the two seasons prior. He will return to Sweden on a short-term loan for now that expires in mid-November, allowing for the young forward to compete in training camp and in the AHL if the Panthers so desire, but it would also not be a surprise to see the project player stay in the SHL for the year.
  • The Ontario Reign, AHL affiliate of the L.A. Kings, have announced one-year extensions for forwards Blaine Byron and Jacob Doty. Byron, a former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect and a University of Maine standout, has been a force in the AHL through three pro seasons. Byron has recorded 72 points in 136 games, including a career-high 34 in 53 games this season. Acquired by Ontario from Springfield mid-season, Byron was one of the Reign’s best players down the stretch and could be in for a big 2020-21 season. Doty, a 27-year-old journeyman, made his return to the AHL this season but recorded just one point in 18 games for Ontario. However, he provides experience and work ethic for the young farm team.
  • Harvard University has made headlines lately for losing players, both current and committed, due to the Ivy League’s ban on fall sports this year. However, they got some good news today in the form of a commitment from twin brothers with a well-known last name. Marek and Daniel Hejduk, the sons of career Colorado Avalanche star and Stanley Cup champ Milan Hejduk, each announced on Twitter today that they have committed to play at Harvard. While the 16-year-olds are still at least two seasons away from joining the Crimson, Marek is already slated to join the U.S. National Team Development Program next year and Daniel could follow. The pair seem likely to have some NHL Draft prospects by the time they are ready to move to the NCAA.
  • As for another brother duo headed to the college ranks, 16-year-old defenseman Seamus Powell announced on Instagram that he will follow his brother Eamon Powell to Boston College. Eamon, a USNTDP graduate who is set to join the Eagles this coming season, is a 2020 NHL Draft prospect expected to be selected in the second or third round in November. Seamus, a comparable small, offensive defenseman, will join the USNTDP this coming season and will be draft eligible in 2022, when he is also expected to enroll at BC.

Snapshots: Schedule, Dostal, Brome

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The NHL has released their schedule for Friday, giving us a slate of game fours that lasts all day. Things will get kicked off with the Florida Panthers trying to stave off elimination once again after defeating the New York Islanders earlier today. The full schedule will be (all times central):

Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders – Game 4, 11:00am
Arizona Coyotes vs Nashville Predators – Game 4, 1:30pm
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins – Game 4, 3:00pm
Chicago Blackhawks vs Edmonton Oilers – Game 4, 5:45pm
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs – Game 4, 7:00pm
Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks – Game 4, 9:45pm

For some more intermission reading, here are some other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Lukas Dostal will stay overseas “for the time being,” after being loaned back to Ilves in the Finnish Liiga by the Anaheim Ducks. Dostal won the Urpo Ylonen Award as the top goaltender in the league last season after posting a .928 save percentage in 43 games and jumped up many prospect rankings with the performance. Selected 85th overall in 2018, the 20-year old netminder will get a chance to play in North America eventually, but is obviously doing just find continuing his development in Finland.
  • More interesting perhaps on the international wire is Mathias Brome, whose name was brought up in a report from Sweden. The 26-year old forward signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings in April but could end up playing in Sweden for Orebro HK until training camp begins. That decision hasn’t been finalized yet according to the report from hockeynews.se, but certainly would give Brome a chance to keep skating while waiting for his opportunity in Detroit. After scoring 43 points in 52 games this season, he’d certainly be welcome back into the Orebro lineup for as long as they can keep him.

Arttu Ruotsalainen Staying In Finland

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While hockey fans in North America drink in 10-12 hours of playoff (or round-robin) action every day, other leagues around the world continue to prepare for a 2020-21 season. In Finland, Ilves has announced that Arttu Ruotsalainen will be back after a loan from the Buffalo Sabres. The release notably does not indicate that it will be for the entire season, using the term “until further notice” instead, meaning Ruotsalainen could be back for Sabres training camp in November.

The 22-year old forward signed his three-year entry-level contract in the spring of 2019, but spent this season back in Finland continuing his development. That’s the same arrangement they’ll go with now, but after dominating offensively once again you can bet the Sabres want to get a look at him on North American ice eventually.

Ruotsalainen is undersized, standing at just 5-foot-8, but has continued to find success as he climbs the levels in Finland. This past season he recorded 43 points in 44 games. With the Sabres having trouble finding offensive talent to surround players like Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, taking a chance on a player like Ruotsalainen makes sense.

Still, while Finland’s top league is competitive, it’s not the NHL. The young forward will be in tough trying to replicate those offensive totals when he eventually does come over, if he even gets an opportunity with Buffalo at all.

Washington Capitals Loan Damien Riat, Tobias Geisser To NLA

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The Washington Capitals have found some playing time for a pair of prospects, loaning Damien Riat and Tobias Geisser to the NLA for the 2020-21 season. Riat will play for Geneve-Servette HC, while Geiser will suit up for EV Zug. Both players will continue in Switzerland until NHL training camps open, likely sometime in November.

It’s not like these two will be unfamiliar with the league, as both played in the NLA this season and in the past. Riat spent 2019-20 with Biel HC, scoring 22 points in 36 games, but played three seasons with Geneve-Servette between 2015-2018. The fourth-round pick will have to wait to come over to North America after signing his two-year entry-level contract in March.

Geisser meanwhile has a little different of a story. The 21-year old signed his entry-level deal in 2018 and played the entire 2018-19 season with the Hershey Bears. That’s where he started 2019-20 as well, but he ended up loaned back to Switzerland (EV Zug in particular) after just seven games. Geisser has just a single point in 54 career AHL games, but has always been known more for his play in the defensive end.

Montreal Canadiens Loan Otto Leskinen To Kalpa Kuopio

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The Montreal Canadiens have found a place for Otto Leskinen to continue his development while they wait for the 2020-21 season to begin. The young defenseman will return to Finland and join Kalpa Kuopio for the start of the year, returning when NHL training camps open in November.

After going undrafted, Leskinen had to wait until 2019 to sign his first NHL contract at the age of 22. The now 23-year old Finn had shown his well-rounded talent off at the professional level in Europe and on the international stage at events like the Spengler Cup, but it wasn’t clear what kind of upside he would really bring to the NHL. That polish paid off almost immediately, however, as Leskinen quickly found himself an important role on the Laval Rocket and made his NHL debut suiting up five times for Montreal.

On just a two-year deal, Leskinen will become a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 campaign. Getting him into some game action before NHL training camps open will only increase his chance of grabbing a roster spot, though it’s not clear how many opportunities there really will be in Montreal next season.

The team has five roster defensemen under contract (though that includes Karl Alzner, who has spent much more time at the minor league level of late), plus Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet sitting as restricted free agents. Alexander Romanov is expected to be given a full-time spot after signing this summer, and other youngsters like Josh Brook and Cale Fleury will be competing. Leskinen has his work cut out for him if he wants to be a part of the Canadiens, but getting in some games over the next few months can only help him prepare.

Oilers Loan Markus Niemelainen To Finland

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Markus Niemelainen’s return to North America will wait a little while longer.  The Oilers announced that they have loaned the defenseman to Assat Pori of the Finnish SM-liiga to start next season.

The 22-year-old just recently signed his entry-level deal back at the end of April after spending the past three seasons in Finland, the most recent of which came with Assat where he had a goal and six assists along with 42 PIMS in 55 games.  Edmonton drafted him in the third round in 2016 (63rd overall) out of Saginaw of the OHL but he only spent one more year there before heading back home.  That did allow Edmonton to hold his draft rights longer at least as instead of having them for two years, they had them for four and used all of them to determine if he was worth signing.

With the AHL announcing earlier this week that they have changed their target start date for the 2020-21 season to December 1st, there will likely be a steady stream of these moves in the coming days.  Niemelainen isn’t expected to contend for a roster spot with Edmonton for next season so this move allows him to get some development time in before what will likely wind up being a truncated AHL season.

Maple Leafs Loan Mikko Lehkonen To Jokerit Of The KHL

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It turns out that Mikko Lehtonen’s time in the KHL isn’t over yet after all.  The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned the blueliner back to Jokerit to start next season.  He’s expected to report to the team next week.

Toronto signed the 26-year-old back in May after he and Jokerit agreed to a mutual termination of his existing KHL deal and the Maple Leafs beat out several other NHL suitors for his services.  He’s coming off quite a year, one that saw him pick up 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 regular season games (plus four points in six playoff contests before COVID-19 shut down their postseason).  He was limited to a one-year, entry-level contract due to his age and he’ll actually hit the open market again in the 2021 offseason.

Lehtonen will be the second Toronto player loaned out to the KHL to start next season as it was reported earlier this week that Egor Korshkov would be loaned to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to get some playing time in before training camps start up.

It’s that performance that has many expecting that he’ll be a part of Toronto’s back end when the puck drops on the 2020-21 season which is pegged to be in early December as things stand.  Loaning Lehtonen out in the meantime will allow him to get some playing time and should help give him a leg up in training camp.

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