Jacob Moverare Loaned To Frolunda
The Los Angeles Kings have already made a decision on where Jacob Moverare will play next season. The 20-year old defenseman will return to the SHL to play for Frolunda once again, meaning another year of his entry-level deal will be burned without him suiting up in the organization.
Drafted 112th overall in 2016, Moverare signed his entry-level deal just a few weeks later. The deal slid forward for two seasons as the young defenseman suited up in the OHL, but after turning 20 it kicked in for 2018-19. He spent last season in the SHL with Frolunda, scoring seven points in 42 games but being a bigger contributor in their ultimately successful playoff run for both the SHL title and Champions Hockey League championship. Spending this year overseas again will leave him with one season left (2020-21) on his entry-level deal, after which he will be a restricted free agent.
Even if the Kings do end up burning through his entry-level deal, they obviously feel as though his development is best served playing at home. Frolunda is considered one of the best organizations in Sweden and should provide another solid opportunity for the young defenseman to take his game to the next level. Not much of an offensive player, the 6’3″ Moverare could still develop into a legitimate defensive option at the NHL level with his long reach and solid awareness.
Despite being loaned, Moverare will still count towards the Kings’ 50-contract limit, a number which they are relatively close to reaching depending on what they do with some of their young prospects that might not count depending on where they spend 2019-20.
Senators Notes: No. 19 Pick, Paajarvi, Hogberg
Perhaps excited by the extension of Anthony Duclair and the additional second-round pick added by the Erik Karlsson contract, both occurring earlier today, Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion was very positive and open when speaking with the media today. Per The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Dorion began by discussing the team’s plans for the upcoming NHL Draft. The Senators will travel to Vancouver tomorrow to begin meetings ahead of the round one of the draft on Friday night, but Dorion has already had many conversations with rival GM’s. Dorion states that he has already spoken with multiple teams about possibly moving up in the first round from No. 19. The Senators are without their own first-rounder, owed to the Colorado Avalanche from last year’s Matt Duchene trade, but the team was fortunately able to recoup a top pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in their own sale of Duchene. With that said, No. 19 is not exactly where a rebuilding team would like their first pick to be, even though Ottawa already has a deep, talented pipeline. Following the Karlsson news, CapFriendly reports that the Senators now have 28 picks in the next three drafts, including 16 in the top three rounds. That is plenty of ammunition if Dorion decides that he wants to move up the board on Friday. Teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks have hinted at their willingness to move back, while the Colorado Avalanche may also be open to moving their second pick in the round, No. 16. If Dorion is intent on moving up, he should be able to find a taker.
- Dorion also made the somewhat surprising reveal that the Senators are not pursuing a contract extension with free agent forward Magnus Paajarvi. Paajarvi, 28, has spent the past season and half with Ottawa after coming over from the St. Louis Blues on waivers in 2017-18. Although the 2009 tenth overall pick has never been able to live up to his draft stock nor his rookie year production, Paajarvi has grown into a solid two-way player and enjoyed the best season since his first in Ottawa this past year. Paajarvi seemed like a safe bet to stay with the Senators, especially given his key role on the penalty kill, but Dorion has other plans. He did say that talks continue with fellow UFA’s Oscar Lindberg and Brian Gibbons, both of whom performed well after deadline trades, as well as RFA defenseman Cody Ceci. As for Paajarvi, he’ll likely land on his feet elsewhere in the league once free agency opens.
- Finally, Dorion announced that a contract resolution with RFA goaltender Marcus Hogberg is imminent. Hogberg is expected to sign with the team this week after rumors emerged early this off-season that he was considering a move to Europe. It remains possible that Hogberg could still be loaned elsewhere, as his signing only adds to a logjam of keepers in both Ottawa and AHL Belleville. The Senators expect to enter next season with a tandem of veteran Craig Anderson and returnee Anders Nilsson. As of now, Mike Condon will also be in the mix. In the minors, the team hopes to give top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, college standout Joey Daccord, and now Hogberg the time in net they need to develop properly. If that is going to be impossible, even with a likely Condon departure, Hogberg is the top candidate to be loaned away, despite his advantage in pro experience.
Daniil Tarasov To Play In Finland
When the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Veini Vehvilainen earlier this spring, it made for quite a crowded goaltending position within the organization. Even with Sergei Bobrovsky and Keith Kinkaid scheduled to leave in free agency, the team had four goaltenders under contract for next season with another—Joonas Korpisalo—expecting a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Out of those five, there isn’t a ton of NHL experience, making it unclear how the minor league playing time would be sorted out. Today an answer has been revealed, with Daniil Tarasov being loaned to Porin Ässät of Finland’s Liiga.
Tarasov, 20, only signed his own entry-level contract in May, ending his career in Russia after debuting in the KHL this season. Originally selected in the third round two years ago, the young netminder has plenty of development left before he can make a real impact on the Blue Jackets organization despite his impressive year. With so many minor league goaltenders in the system, Tarasov may have been forced to sit and watch more often than not, meaning a placement in Finland will get him much more playing time.
The Finnish team has announced it will be just a one-year deal, meaning the Blue Jackets will once again face this problem next spring. At least at that point they’ll have a better grasp on their goaltending situation, as there is no guarantee they even have their 2019-20 starter in the organization right now.
Jordan Binnington’s Bruins Past Could Play A Role In Cup Final
Plenty has been said about the meteoric rise of St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington this season. The 25-year-old rookie began the year as the team’s fourth-string option in net and did not make his first NHL start until January. Yet, he miraculously managed to pick up 24 wins in the second half of the season behind a league-best 1.89 goals against average and has led the Blues to the Stanley Cup Final. Part of Binnington’s dominance is that his emergence from obscurity meant that most opponents this season had little to no experience with facing him. However, the part of Binnington’s story that is now in the spotlight, and one that many still may not realize, is that last season Binnington played for none other than the AHL’s Providence Bruins.
Without an AHL affiliate in 2017-18, St. Louis was forced to split their minor league prospects between several AHL teams. With limited options for play time in net, the Blues opted to leave Ville Husso with many of his teammates on the San Antonio Rampage – now the team’s new affiliate – and loaned Binnington by himself to Providence for the year. Binnington played well, but made just 28 appearances over the course of the season as the backup to the Bruins’ Zane McIntyre. More importantly, he spent the whole campaign with the team.
Could this be an advantage for Boston in their upcoming Stanley Cup clash with the Blues? It certainly won’t hurt, but the bulk of the Bruins’ regulars did not spend much time in Providence last season. Of the players to skate in at least half of Boston’s games this season, only Danton Heinen and Matt Grzelcyk suited up for Providence last season and the pair combined for just 18 early-season games. Even current Bruins reserves like Peter Cehlarik, Trent Frederic, and Karson Kuhlman (none of whom are likely to draw into the Cup Final anyway) only spent limited time playing with Binnington. And the P-Bruins’ top players from last season – Austin Czarnik, Kenny Agostino, Colby Cave – have since departed the organization.
The one outlier, and potential Stanley Cup x-factor, is defenseman Connor Clifton. Clifton played the full season in Providence last year and spent much of this season in the AHL as well. However, Clifton has jumped on the opportunity presented by injuries to Kevan Miller and John Moore and has asserted himself as a starter for the Bruins this season. Even with Moore now healthy, as well as Steven Kampfer in the mix, the rookie defenseman has held on to his spot on the right side of the team’s bottom pair. Clifton has been trusted with meaningful minutes and even recorded his first NHL goal in the Eastern Conference Final. A player on the smaller side who makes up for his lack of stature with both tenacity and intelligence, Clifton is not a player to be overlooked and his experience playing with Binnington could be key for the Bruins.
Of course, Providence head coach Jay Leach and organizational goalie coach Bob Essensa, among others, will also surely have input on Binnington. So too will former net mate McIntyre, who has served as Boston’s emergency third-string goalie in recent weeks. There’s no reason to believe that one season as the minor league backup for the Bruins will give the team all they need to totally figure out the red-hot goaltender, but Boston may have a slight advantage over other teams this postseason when it comes to beating Binnington.
L.A. Kings To Loan Jacob Moverare To Sweden
Los Angeles Kings defensive prospect Jacob Moverare is on the move, again. A fourth-round pick in 2016, the Swedish prospect signed his entry-level contract almost immediately after being selected. After the deal slid for two seasons while Moverare was paying for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, the Kings felt Moverare still was not prepared for North American hockey last season. Rather than send him to AHL Ontario, the team instead loaned the young defender to the Swedish Hockey League’s Frolunda HC in the first year of his contract. Apparently, they still feel the same way. Swedish newspaper Goteborgs Posten reports that Frolunda has already received word that Moverare will re-join the team next season.
While it is not out of the ordinary to see a loan of this kind for a young foreign player, it is rare to see it done twice. Moverare will have burned two years off of his entry-level contract before ever playing in a professional game in North America, seemingly just because of L.A.’s depth in minor league defensemen. While a top-four NHL defender is one of the Kings’ most glaring needs this off-season, they do have considerable depth in fringe NHL talent. Sean Walker, Paul LaDue, and Kurtis MacDermid are all signed through next season while Matt Roy and Daniel Brickley are restricted free agents. All five of those young defensemen suited up for the Kings this season, but barring major roster changes, only two or three will win spots in L.A. to begin next season. Then there is an influx of talent from the college and junior ranks, as Mikey Anderson, Markus Phillips, and Sean Durzi will also be in play in Ontario. There simply isn’t room for Moverare to play meaningful minutes in the AHL next season, but when will there be?
Another loaned season should not be seen as an indictment of Moverare’s play. A highly productive player at the junior level, Moverare showed in the SHL last season that his pro game is likely to skew more toward the defensive strengths in his game rather than offensive. However, he could still be a very solid stay-at-home option. Moverare is a right-shot defenseman who plays a strong, competitive game and is known for his hockey IQ. At 6’3″ and 200 lbs., Moverare can hold his own defensively, but also skates well and compensates for some lacking skill with great vision and positioning. Just a victim of the numbers game for L.A., the Gotenborgs report indicates that the Kings simply feel that Moverare’s development would be better served remaining in Sweden, but another year abroad doesn’t mean that he won’t play for the Kings one day.
Bruins To Loan Emil Johansson To Sweden
May 13th: While the Bruins have yet to officially recognize the deal, there is no longer any doubt that Johansson will not be playing in North America next year and, as it turns out, not for a while after that either. HV71 have announced that they have signed Johansson to a three-year contract, bringing back the homegrown product. The team’s general manager, Johan Hult, spoke glowingly about Johansson in the press release, applauding his balanced game, skating ability, and “incredible hunger”. These traits are part of the reason why Johansson joined the Bruins so quickly after being a seventh-round pick and the team will be sorry to lose him as a young depth option, especially for up to three years or longer. It is possible that the Bruins have already agreed to waive and terminate Johannsson, valuing his roster spot against the 50-contract limit more than loaning and retaining his rights. Either way, the 23-year-old will become an afterthought for the Bruins.
May 10th: There is a logjam on defense in Boston, but it came in handy this season. Over the course of the regular season, the Bruins used 11 different defensemen as injuries ravaged the blue line all year long. The team’s defensive leader in games played, Brandon Carlo, still missed ten games, while players who began the season as AHL afterthoughts, such as Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon, suited up for double-digit games. It was a group effort that helped the team stay afloat through adversity and certainly contributed to the Bruins currently being one of just four teams left alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is all to say that any defenseman under contract with Boston this season who didn’t see NHL action should be re-considering his place in the organizational depth chart moving forward.
That appears to be exactly what Emil Johansson has done. Johansson, 23, was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Bruins who impressed at the top level in Sweden and was deemed ready for pro hockey in North America sooner than expected. This season, his second full year with the Bruins organization, Johansson led all defensemen for AHL Providence in games played this season with 65, while recording ten points. Yet, he did not earn a chance to escape the minor league level. His odds are no better next season; the Bruins currently have the same top seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts through next year and Johansson would additionally be no higher than fifth among call-up options behind Clifton, Lauzon, and recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril. Johansson’s entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining, contains a European Assignment Clause, which he is reportedly expected to use in light of this situation. Henrik Leman of Swedish hockey source Rakapuckar writes that Johansson and the Bruins have a mutual agreement that he will play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League next season.
While Leman’s article translates to the word “release”, it is far more likely than Boston will instead loan the young defenseman to the SHL rather than terminate his contract. Especially when the team can retain Johansson’s NHL rights in perpetuity by merely making him a qualifying offer next summer, it would be a surprise to see them instead outright release him. As for next year, Leman reports that interest has been high around Johansson and he has agreed to sign with HV71 over the likes of Frolunda HC and the Vaxjo Lakers. Of course, Johansson came up through the HV71 ranks, so the decision is not much of a surprise. Johansson played two full SHL seasons with the team before making the jump to North America, recording 27 points in 99 total games, and it will likely be a seamless transition to return to their ranks. If he excels overseas, the Bruins will likely keep the door open to a return. Despite their considerable depth in talented young defensemen, Boston has to prepare for life after Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Kevan Miller, all of whom could be gone after next season. Johansson could still wind up as a possible solution down the road.
Minor Transactions: 05/04/19
After last night’s defeat, the New York Islanders have been eliminated, swept out of the postseason by the Carolina Hurricanes, and just seven team remain alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Of those seven teams, just two – Carolina and the Columbus Blue Jackets – also have AHL affiliates still playing for a Calder Cup title. There are very few teams fortunate enough to still be recalling and reassigning players, but follow along here for any such roster moves:
- For the fourth day in a row and fifth time this week, Hurricanes defenseman Jake Bean is on the move. Carolina has recalled the rookie rearguard this morning after sending him to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers yesterday to play in their second-round opener against the Hershey Bears. Bean has been operating as the Hurricanes’ eighth defenseman, but with the news of Trevor van Riemsdyk‘s season-ending injury, it’s possible that he could be in for a longer stay in Raleigh this time around. Bean played in only two regular season games with the ‘Canes and has not seen any action in the NHL playoffs, but has been Charlotte’s best defenseman this year with 44 points in 70 games.
- The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned rookie forwards Max Comtois and Isac Lundestrom to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, with the prospects having wrapped up their seasons elsewhere. While it was a forgettable season in Anaheim, San Diego is still alive in the Calder Cup chase and have now received a major boost from the addition of these two players. Both Comtois and Lundestrom played with the Ducks and the Gulls early in the regular season before being loaned away following the World Junior Championships in January. Comtois had seven points in ten games in Anaheim and played in four games with San Diego as well before returning to the QMJHL to close out the year. He scored at nearly a two points-per-game clip in the regular season and point-per-game clip in the postseason during an incredible stint with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Lundestrom did not play juniors at all this season, but instead returned to his Swedish Hockey League club Lulea HF, but not before skating in 15 games with the Ducks and another dozen with the Gulls. Last year’s 23rd overall pick led Lulea’s forwards in scoring this postseason at just 19 years old.
Several Liiga Champions Looking To Make NHL Jump
Finland’s Liiga had their own version of the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, only one that has gotten the job done in the playoffs thus far. Karpat, the reigning Liiga champion, has been unstoppable all season long in pursuit of a title defense. Building off the success of their 2017-18 campaign, the team was the regular season champion by 29 points over the next-best competitor and finished with a +106 goal differential while just one other team in the league topped +27. Through the first two rounds of the postseason, Karpat has needed just ten games to dispatch their opponents, all while allowing just 13 goals against. The Liiga Final begins today, as Karpat takes on the No. 5-seeded HPK, a team that they are not expected to have much trouble with.
Given their dominant regular season and early playoff success, it is hard to make a case that Karpat is not undoubtedly the Liiga’s best team this season, regardless of how the final turns out. As usual, the best players on the best team in a major European league are garnering a fair amount of attention. Finnish news source Ilta Sanomat reports that upwards of seven of Karpat’s veteran core players could leave the team for greener pastures. Of that group, the reporter indicates that leading scorer Ville Leskinen and top defensive pair Teemu Kivihalme and Jani Hakanpaa are almost certainly headed to the NHL. The terrific goalie tandem of Veini Vehvilainen and NHL veteran Jussi Rynnas could also be headed to North America. Not mentioned are top NHL prospects Aleksi Heponiemi and Rasmus Kupari, who are both considered likely to join their drafted clubs.
Leskinen, 25, is the big name included on this list as a highly-sought after free agent scorer. An undrafted product who has played in the Karpat system for his entire life, Leskinen’s production has increased exponentially over each of the past few seasons. This year, he tied for the Liiga scoring title and was one of just three qualifying players to finish in the point-per-game range with 57 points in 58 games. He also finished second overall in the league with 29 goals and a +31 rating. He has since added a league-leading five goals in the playoffs to go along with six assists through just ten games. A right-shot winger with decent size and great hands, Leskinen has proven that he can be a star in the Liiga, but is out to show that he can also make an impact in the NHL. Expect many teams to be willing to give him that chance. At 25 years old, Leskinen is still within the laws of the entry-level system, meaning teams will have to find ways other than salary to convince the talented Finn to join them.
Both Kivihalme and Hakanpaa are former NHL prospects who never signed with their teams, but are reportedly going to be in the league after all with deals “in the final stages”. Kivihalme, 23, was curious case due to his commitment to North American hockey. The puck-moving defender spent much of his childhood in Minnesota and even has American citizenship. After a strong high school career, Kivihalme was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2013 and eventually went on to play for Colorado College. However, he did not complete his NCAA eligibility, opting instead to turn pro in Finland after three years. The Predators let his draft rights expire, so Kivihalme is now very much a free agent who should draw considerable interest as Karpat’s top defenseman. Hakanpaa has a very different game and very different story from his pair mate. The 6’5″, 207 lb. 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues out of the Finnish junior ranks all the way back in 2010. While he never earned a contract from the team, he appeared at several camps, played in the preseason, and spent parts of three seasons with their AHL affiliates. At the end of the day, the opportunity wasn’t there and Hakanpaa returned to Finland. The solid defensive blue liner has had an awakening offensively over the past two seasons and will be returning to North America as a far more well-rounded product.
Of everyone listed in the report, it is fair to be skeptical of the thought of Rynnas returning to the NHL. Despite incredible numbers in the Liiga this season, they were second only to Vehvilainen, who got the bulk of the starts. It may be a hard sell for the 31-year-old, who has already spent four seasons in North America with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ and Dallas Stars’ organizations, to say that he is ready to try again after being a backup in Europe. Perhaps there is an opportunity – Rynnas did have some good AHL seasons – but more likely than not, he will wait to see what happens with Vehvilainen and may prefer to stay with Karpat as the replacement starter.
As for their other top teammates, their immediate NHL futures are largely predetermined. As most know, Kupari and Heponiemi are recent high draft picks and considered top prospects by their organizations. Kupari was the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings last year and played on loan with Karpat this year after signing with L.A. The Kings could desperately use an injection of youthful talent, which gives Kupari strong odds of cracking the roster out of camp. Heponiemi was a second-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2017 who returned to his native Finland this year after two strong seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. One of the best players at the World Juniors this winter, Heponiemi is definitely ready for the NHL and the Panthers could use the affordable production as they project to be low on cap space after a busy summer. What some might not realize is that starting goalie Vehvilainen is also NHL property. Vehvilainen, 22, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets just last year as an overage prospect. Yet, the sixth-rounder has already proven to have been a smart gamble by the team. Vehvilainen led the Liiga with a .933 save percentage and 1.58 GAA this year, his second straight season of finishing in the top three in both categories. He has also played better in the postseason both years, which is always a plus for a goaltender. The Ilta Sanomat report claims that Vehvilainen will join Columbus if he is at least guaranteed a top-three spot on the depth chart next season. With Sergei Bobrovsky likely to leave, Vehvilainen could join existing keepers Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins as an inexperienced, but high-upside unit next season.
Karpat was an extremely talented team this season and last with several great core players. It will certainly be worth watching how those former teammates perform in the NHL in the future.
Minor Transactions: 04/02/19
Just a few days remain in the NHL regular season and there is still must-see television every night. This evening brings about several important games including a do-or-die matchup for the Montreal Canadiens against the best team in the NHL. Carey Price will have to try and keep the Tampa Bay Lightning off the board or the Canadiens risk falling further behind the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots. Meanwhile the Arizona Coyotes are in a similar must-win situation, but happen to get the Los Angeles Kings—a slightly easier matchup.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Zac Rinaldo to the minor leagues on a long-term injury loan. Rinaldo had been ruled out for the season earlier this year after shoulder surgery, but perhaps is healthy enough to at least participate in some minor league practices. It’s unclear if there are any expectations that he can get back into a game this season.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the AHL, likely a reward for his play this season. The 23-year old defenseman has six NHL games under his belt but spent this entire year in the minor leagues. Christian Wolanin has been assigned to the AHL in return, giving the Belleville Senators some more firepower as they try to lock up a playoff spot.
- Dylan Sikura has been sent back down by the Chicago Blackhawks for much the same reason, as the Rockford IceHogs are still within striking distance in the AHL. Sikura, 23, has 30 points in 40 games for the IceHogs this season.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Kiefer Sherwood and Chase De Leo back to the San Diego Gulls to help with their playoff run. The Gulls unfortunately won’t be getting Troy Terry back anytime soon because of his broken leg, but at least will get some other reinforcements.
- The Washington Capitals have sent Jonas Siegenthaler back to the AHL for the time being, though that is likely just a cap saving measure in case they suffer another injury over the next few days. The team will be without Michael Kempny through the playoffs, making Siegenthaler their likely seventh defenseman.
Minor Transactions: 03/27/19
The NHL has just four games on the schedule for this evening, but plenty of reason to tune in. The Western Conference matchups are especially interesting, as the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche try to hang on to their wild card spots. Both teams will take on clubs ahead of them in the standings, and pull even with both the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild in games played. As they prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Avalanche have loaned Mark Barberio to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, giving him a chance to get back into game shape. The 29-year old hasn’t played since January and has suited up just 12 times this season due to injury. He had already re-joined the Avalanche for full practices, but will now get to play a few games for the Colorado Eagles before coming back up to the NHL.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Martin Frk from the AHL as Luke Glendening and Anthony Mantha are dealing with injuries. Both players are expected to suit up for the team tomorrow, but the Red Wings needed some insurance just in case.
- The Bruins announced that they have assigned center Karson Kuhlman to AHL Providence. He was recalled on Saturday following the injury to Sean Kuraly and got into two games with Boston on his recall, scoring once. However, the return of winger Marcus Johansson meant Kuhlman could no longer remain with the team on an emergency recall.