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Oliver Wahlstrom To Play For Boston College In 2018-19

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Watchers of college hockey were waiting for this decision for some time and now Mark Divver of the Providence Journal has confirmed that Oliver Wahlstrom will indeed play for Boston College in 2018-19. Wahlstrom had been committed to Harvard and also linked to Michigan previously—and even committed to Maine when he was just 13 (before de-committing two years later)—but will be an Eagle for at least one season. The promising winger has drawn the eye of NHL scouts since the age of nine and his arrival at Harvard was much-anticipated; that excitement now belongs to BC fans, at least for the 2018-19 season.

Wahlstrom, 17, is considered one of the best pure goal-scorers eligible for this year’s draft and will almost certainly be selected somewhere in the first ten picks. The right-handed forward scored a ridiculous 70 goals in 88 games as part of the US Development program this year, and found incredible chemistry with potential 2019 first-overall pick Jack Hughes. A rare breed of size and skill, Wahlstrom is as close to a sure thing as an NHL prospect among forwards in this draft class.

Armed with a brilliant shot and excellent skating and puck-protection skills, Wahlstrom is expected to dominate at the college level and quickly grade out to the NHL. Playing for Boston College will prove to be a greater challenge, given the strength of the Hockey East Conference compared to Harvard in the ECAC, but will give him an excellent chance to experience team success with a top program and could persuade him to stay in the NCAA for more than one year. Still, whoever drafts him will want to get him into their system before long, as there is little that Wahlstrom can’t do on the offensive side of the puck.

Snapshots: D.C. Metro, Backstrom, MacKinnon

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In one of the stranger hockey-adjacent stories in recent memory, fans attending Thursday night’s Game Four match-up between the Capitals and Lightning in Washington via public transportation are getting some help from a small Middle Eastern country. The Washington Post reported this evening that the D.C. Metro subway and bus system will stay open for an extra hour on Thursday night, until 12:30 a.m. ET, to accommodate fans attending the game which will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET and the decision comes courtesy of Qatar. The country recently invested in the development of Washington’s City Center and now will support that investment with an additional $100K to keep public transportation operating late tomorrow night. The same extended hours are in effect tonight for Game Three, due to a similar fee paid by the Exelon and Pepco companies, but the investment by Qatar is certainly more intriguing. Perhaps Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the country’s monarchical head of state, has his eye on a Stanley Cup ring if the Capitals go all the way this postseason.

  • For those attending Game Three tonight in Washington, they will again be missing out on Nicklas Backstrom. The Caps announced that Backstrom would not play tonight, making it his fourth missed game in a row, dating back to the final game of the Penguins series. Backstrom continues to be sidelined with a hand injury and while the Capitals have three convincing wins thus far without him, his absence is a growing concern. If Backstrom’s hand injury keeps him out for the remainder of the playoffs, Washington may find it difficult to close out the Eastern Conference finals or come away with the Stanley Cup in the next round. The star center would be a major boost to the team if he were to return and we will continue to monitor the situation.
  • Draft-eligible defenseman Will MacKinnon announced his commitment to the University of New Hampshire today. The Ohio native is set to join the Wildcats next season. MacKinnon is an intriguing prospect out of the USHL. Prior to this season, MacKinnon was considered a likely mid-round pick after showing his defensive ability with the U.S. National Development U-17 team last season, but his transition to the Des Moines Buccaneers this year has not produced the anticipated boost in scoring and most of his hype has dried up. At this point in his development, MacKinnon appears to be a low-offense, defensive-minded defender, but at just 5’11” it is fair to question if he can play that style at the next level. MacKinnon could very well wind up in a situation where he goes undrafted this year, but improves his draft stock for 2019 with a strong freshman season at UNH. MacKinnon also has be benefit of being the son of experience NHL executive Dan MacKinnon, who is currently the Sr. Director of Player Personnel for the New Jersey Devils. Perhaps New Jersey or one of the elder MacKinnon’s past stops – the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators – could take a late flier on the college-bound rearguard this season. Drafted or not, look for MacKinnon to provide an immediate boost to a Wildcats team that struggled this season and for him to potentially pair up with Florida Panthers draft pick Max Gildon.

The Impact On The NHL Of The U.S. Supreme Court Decision On Legalized Gambling

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In perhaps the most influential decision regarding sports in recent memory, the U.S. Supreme Court today held that prohibiting the states from deciding for themselves on whether or not to legalize sports gambling was an unconstitutional practice. Until now, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) had limited legalized sports betting to just four grandfathered states – Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and of course Nevada – under a federal ban. However, the decision in Murphy v. NCAA now empowers each state to move forward with sports gambling legislation if they so choose. It is a monumental shift in the spectator sports paradigm and not a decision that came easily. As Sports Illustrated’s Michael McCann writes, the Supreme Court was split 7-2 in the decision and even in the majority opinion Justice Samuel Alito states that this the issue of sports gambling is and will continue to be a topic that is up to the individual to decide on and the Supreme Court’s decision does not condone gambling, so much as it acknowledges the states’ rights to allow it. It was the court’s belief that the U.S. Constitution gave the federal government no specific power in this area and that PAPSA operated to command the state governments on how they must function, also known as commandeering, which is not allowed.

So what impact will this decision have on the NHL? The NHL, as well as the other three major North American sports leagues and even the Department of Justice, joined the NCAA in this case against the state of New Jersey. All of these parties are likely reeling after this decision, which had previously been found in their favor at both the district court and appeals court levels. The main argument in defense of PAPSA is to protect the integrity of sport based on the belief that an increased access to sports gambling could hurt the product or at least its image due to corruption. However, the other side of that specific argument is that legalized gambling – controlled, safeguarded, and monitored by the states – may actually serve to remove many illegal, behind-the-scenes gambling influences.

The leagues also stand to benefit substantially from “integrity fees”, writes McCann in a second piece. Practicing some gambling of their own, the leagues hedged their bet on the result of the case by developing the plan to demand fees from betting operations for the use of their product and information. These fees would help to make up for the risk the league’s feel is associated with an increase in gambling. While McCann opines that some operations and even some states are likely to fight these fees, the legislative process to get legalized gambling up and running in each state will be arduous enough that the fees will likely be paid to avoid yet another roadblock. These fees will then need to be incorporated into each league’s revenue-sharing scheme to divvy up the proceeds between owners and players alike.

So, while Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall believes that today’s decision will not affect NHL players, per beat writer Sam Carchidi, it seems likely that the rise of legalized gambling will actually serve to benefit the players. Where Hextall is correct is that it is unlikely to have much of an effect on the integrity of the game or how players handle themselves due to the aforementioned shift of gambling from out of the shadows and into a controlled environment. Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who also owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, said something to the same effect, as Carchidi writes that Leonsis feels legalized gambling ensures “integrity can be guaranteed and consumers can be better protected.” Leonsis adds that the decision will “change the face of sports fandom for the better” and “bring fans closer to the game”. The increase in revenue from “integrity fees” and an increase in attention paid to hockey by gambling accessibility appears primed to actually benefit players and teams alike, despite the league’s stance in opposition.

For their part, the NHL has stated that “the Supreme Court’s decision today paves the way to an entirely different landscape – one in which we have not previously operated. We will review our current practices and policies and decide whether adjustments are needed… (there will be) no immediate impact on existing league rules relating to sports wagering, and particularly, wagering involving NHL games.” The league will have to be flexible in dealing with the rise of sports gambling, especially in each of the 16 states that house NHL teams and do not already have sports betting laws in place (all except Nevada (VGK) and New Jersey (NJD)), but it seems that in all likelihood this decision could be good for the league. As Justice Alito wrote in the decision, gambling is at its essence a personal decision and opinions vary greatly, but a controlled, legalized gambling system is on its way in the U.S. states and the NHL appears to be a potential beneficiary.

 

Tyler Boucher, Sasha Pastujov Announce College Commitments

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With the college game continuing to soar in popularity and participation, commitments from players not even old enough to play junior hockey have become far more frequent. The latest in that trend are two promising young players with hockey bloodlines joining a pair of the top programs in the NCAA.

Tyler Boucher, son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, is headed to Boston University. The New England Hockey Journal’s Jeff Cox was the first to report the commitment. The Terriers have been one of the top producers of pro talent in recent years and Boucher hopes to continue that trend. Cox describes him as a tough, heavy scorer – and that’s the scouting report at just 15 years old. Boucher will play at Avon Old Farms for the next few years before joining BU for the 2021-22 season and in that time will undoubtedly get better, especially as he fills out his frame and becomes a more dangerous power forward. His father Brian, a Rhode Island native, chose the Canadian major junior route for his development, but Tyler is staying stateside and looking like a player to watch in the New England hockey scene for the foreseeable future.

A more controversial commitment came from young Sasha Pastujov this week. The 14-year-old announced that he will be joining Notre Dame University, beginning in 2021-22. However, many will recognize his last name from his brothers Nick and Michael, two-thirds of the second line for the University of Michigan. Not only do the older brothers play for a Big Ten Conference rival of Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish are also the team that knocked the Wolverines out in the Frozen Four this season. While neither Nick, a 2016 draft pick of the New York Islanders, nor Michael, draft-eligible this year with a mid-round grade, will likely still be at Michigan by the time their younger brother enrolls at Notre Dame, that bad blood is unlikely to go away. There is surely to be some sibling rivalry in the future for this talented Florida family.

Overseas Notes: Cameron, Lewis, Huska

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Dave Cameron did not stay unemployed for very long, though his new position is far from where he has made his living for the last thirty-odd years. The Erste Bank Liga (EBEL), a lower-tier European league based mostly in Austria, has announced that Cameron has been named the new head coach of the Vienna Capitals, the league’s reigning regular season champions. Cameron had been working as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames for the past two seasons, but was relieved last month alongside head coach Glen Gulutzan. Prior to that position, he has served as the head coach for the Ottawa Senators after working his way up from long-time assistant. Even before that, Cameron was showing the breadth of his hockey mind as both the head coach and GM of several OHL franchises. Yet, this new job is his first outside of North America and brings with it the challenges of a brand new market and caliber of player. However, Cameron is an experienced coach and should find his way in no time at all in Vienna.

  • Another coach has not been so lucky. Dave Lewis, most well known for a long stint as assistant and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from the late 80’s through the mid-2000’s, has lost his job with the Belarus national program, per insider Igor Eronko. Lewis, who also had a short-lived stint as Boston Bruins head coach and brief stops as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes, has been working for Belarus in various roles since 2014. He had guided four IIHF World Championship teams, an Olympic qualifying bid, and the team’s World Juniors appearance this season. However, just three games into the ongoing Worlds, national officials have clearly decided that they have had enough with the lack of success out of their long-time coach. Lewis has struggled to find results as a head coach over the years and the next step for the 64-year-old is a mystery.
  • Although Adam Huska likely has two years left at the University of Connecticut, HK Sochi of the KHL may have made a shrewd move in acquiring the KHL rights to the Slovak goaltender today. The team reported this morning that Huska’s rights had been transferred to Sochi from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in exchange for forward Dmitri Lugin. Huska was a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2015, but given the team’s depth in goalie prospects – Alexandar Georgiev, Brandon Halverson, and mostly Igor Shestyorkin – it’s quite possible that Huska could choose to return home to Europe, in which case Sochi will gain a talented, young netminder. Huska posted a .912 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 27 starts last year and should only continue to thrive in net for UConn before he makes his decision on turning pro.

Sabres’ Max Willman Transferring To Boston University

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The rich are about to get richer at the college level. Boston University has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past four seasons and continues to have a greater depth of NHL prospects than any other team in college hockey. Now, the Terriers are adding one more talented future pro next season, as the Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reports that Brown University’s Max Willman is transferring to BU as a graduate student for next season.

Willman, 23, was a fifth-round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in 2014 out of Barnstable High School in Massachusetts. In four years at Brown, Willman recorded 45 points in 99 games and proved himself to be a hard-working, two-way forward. However, last year, in his fourth year, he was limited to only nine games due to injury. Given that all college athletes have five years of NCAA eligibility to participate in four seasons of game action, Willman’s transfer implies that he received a medical waiver for last season, granting him an additional fifth season. However, while Brown plays hockey in the ECAC, Divver adds that their main athletic conference, the prestigious Ivy League, does not allow their member schools to employ medical redshirts. As such, Willman needed to find a new school to enroll in to finish up his collegiate career before presumably moving on to the pro level.

Willman could do much worse than BU, which projects to have at least ten drafted players on their roster next season, most of which played on the team this season but also including highly-touted draft-eligible players like Jake Wise and Jack DeBoer as newcomers alongside Willman. The experienced NCAA winger will be looked upon as a leader even as a new addition, but will also benefit greatly from the superior talent that he’ll be lining up with in 2018-19. Willman’s stock has dropped since he was drafted, but a stint at BU for his final college season could be exactly what he needs to reinforce his label as a future NHLer and peak the interest of the Sabres or other clubs.

Front Office Updates: O’Hearn, Minnesota GM Search, Nill

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The Arizona Coyotes are moving on from a top executive. The team announced today that they would not renew the contract for Assistant GM Chris O’Hearn. O’Hearn had been with the Coyotes for eleven years and was in his third year as AGM. O’Hearn handled much of the legal and administrative operations for Arizona, such as contract negotiations, salary arbitration, and cap management. GM John Chayka will now have to find a replacement or delegate those duties to others in the front office.

  • Perhaps O’Hearn can throw his hat in the ring for the Minnesota Wild GM job. Owner Craig Leipold is certainly expanding his search, adding two new names to the mix alongside Nashville Predators’ AGM Paul Fenton and Columbus Blue Jackets’ AGM Bill Zito. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Boston Bruins’ AGM John Ferguson Jr. interviewed for the position today, while New Jersey Devils’ AGM Tom Fitzgerald will make his case tomorrow. Ferguson Jr. was previously the GM and Vice President of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the mid-2000’s and has entered the potential-GM market in a big way this week, now connected with both Minnesota and the Carolina Hurricanes’ vacancy. Fitzgerald had already dropped out of the Hurricanes’ hunt, citing “bad timing”, but the timing appears to be right for a potential move to Minneapolis. The Wild now have four legitimate candidates for Leipold to choose from and he may not be done yet.
  • Another job search is ongoing in Dallas, as GM Jim Nill has his hands full finding a new head coach. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Nill is considering at least ten different candidates to take over for Ken Hitchcock as the Stars’ new bench boss. That was in response to TSN’s Frank Servalli’s note that University of Denver head coach Jim Montgomery is the newest addition to the list. Montgomery has been dominating college hockey over the last five years, leading the Pioneers to a NCAA Tournament berth each year and winning the National Championship last season. Montgomery has been a popular candidate the last couple of years and would be an excellent choice for Dallas.

Eastern Notes: Flyers Defense, Malkin, Korshkov, Primeau

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While the Philadelphia Flyers took a major step this year by reaching the playoffs and showing some success in their playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was also quite obvious the team must continue to improve their roster if they want to compete for an Eastern Conference title at some point in the near future. While the team’s stable of forwards looks solid, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi writes that the team’s defense might be the most important issue on the team.

While the team got some good play from many of their defenders, the team’s lack of depth was critical as players like Brandon Manning and Radko Gudas were exposed as weak links on their defense. Even Shayne Gostisbehere struggled in his playoff series with the Penguins. With Manning not expected back and a reduced role for Gudas likely, finding replacements is critical if it wants to take that next step. The team does expect Samuel Morin to earn a full-time role with the defense, but the team needs more.

With approximately $25MM in cap space, free agency might be the most logical way of filling that need, despite general manager Ron Hextall’s struggles at signing free agents. However, with players like John Carlsson, Toby Enstrom, Thomas Hickey, Jack Johnson and Ian Cole out there this summer, the team might find what it needs there.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, who missed the first game of their playoff series and is listed as day-to-day for Sunday’s game, had a successful practice Saturday and will decide tomorrow on whether he’s ready to play with his team up one game against the Washington Capitals. “I feel so much better,” said Malkin (via the Penguins). “We’ll see how I feel overnight. If I play, I’m ready to play. If I play, I need to go 100%. The team won two games without me, great team. They played so hard. If I’m in I’ll try to do my best and make us stronger.”
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Yegor Korshkov will not come over to North America this summer like some people originally thought. The 21-year-old wing has signed a one-year extension to remain with his KHL team, Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman. “The Leafs were OK with my decision but obviously weren’t glad,” said Korshkov (via Igor Eronko). “My position is I should have a leading role in Lokomotiv to leave the KHL. Who knows, maybe in a year I will reach my goal.”  Korshkov did improve his goal and points production this year with Lokomotiv, putting up eight goals and 18 assists, but also played 18 more games this season.
  • The Athletic’s Mitch Brown (subscription required) breaks down the Montreal Canadiens prospects and how they fared with 2017 seventh-round pick Cayden Primeau leapfrogging to one of the top of the team’s prospect pick. Taken late in the draft last year after possessing the third-worst save percentage in the USHL, the 18-year-old goaltender rebounded with Northeastern University, putting up the best save percentage by an 18-year-old in NCAA history.

Coaching Notes: Peters, Quinn, Stars

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As soon as former Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters resigned from his position with Carolina this morning, hockey pundits around the continent proclaimed him the leading candidate for the open Calgary Flames job. While no one has yet made any sort of concrete connection between Peters and the Flames, there is nearly universal agreement that he is the top option. The Athletic’s Rick Carpinello has taken it one step further. The New York Rangers beat writer states that Peters was never an option for the Rangers, as his deal with Calgary is “done”. It seems a deal could be imminent between the two sides. While on it’s face, Peters’ hire in Calgary could be a good fit, as he is a widely-respected coach who has always carried high expectations, the parallels between the underachieving Flames and underachieving Hurricanes is cause for some alarm.

  • If Peters won’t be the next head coach in New York, who will be? For a while, the top candidate has seemed to be Boston University head coach David Quinn. Quinn’s Terriers have been have made the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, most recently winning the Hockey East Tournament this season to sneak in and make it to the Northeast Regional final. During this time, Quinn has coached more top NHL prospects than any other bench boss in college hockey. The rebuilding Rangers could greatly use Quinn’s talent for working with young players. USA Hockey has recognized that ability as well, today naming Quinn the head coach of the 2019 U.S. World Junior team. Some Rangers fans have worried that this appointment could remove Quinn from the running for New York’s new head coach, but the New York Post’s Larry Brooks says not so fast. Per Brooks, Quinn’s role as Team USA coach won’t hurt what Brooks calls his “strong candidacy”. In fact, Brooks calls Quinn the exact “developmental coach” that owner James Dolan is seeking and ensures that everything would work out if Quinn was offered the job.
  • While Carolina, Calgary, and New York make waves in the coaching pool, the vacancy in Dallas has received little attention. That hasn’t surprised SportsDay’s Mike Heika, who says that GM Jim Nill will be patient with his decision on Ken Hitchcock’s replacement. Heika states that Nill has a long list of candidates, including many former Stars coaches. That could be a benefit for Dallas, an organization with ties to Glen Gulutzan, Dave Tippett, and Willie Desjardins, or could be a hindrance if the team doesn’t want to recycle a former coach again as they did with Hitchcock. Alternatives include hiring displaced Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, offering a promotion to several AHL head coaches, or even poaching Craig Berube from the division rival St. Louis Blues, according to Heika. Nill will take his time in sorting out the candidates, only setting a deadline of the NHL Draft in late June for the hire.

New Jersey Devils Sign Joey Anderson To Entry-Level Deal

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The New Jersey Devils announced they have signed Joey Anderson to a three-year entry-level contract. The NCAA champion from the University of Minnesota-Duluth is expected to have his contract start this year as he’s expected to join the Devils today and skate with them tomorrow.

Anderson, a 5-foot-11 forward, leaves after his sophomore year in which he had 11 goals in 36 games for the Bulldogs, who defeated Notre Dame in the championship game last week. He was named to the NCHC all-rookie team as a freshman after scoring 12 goals that year, taking his the to the NCAA Frozen Four finals. In total, Anderson has combined for 23 goals and 41 assists in two years. He also captained this year’s World Juniors team for Team USA, leading them to the bronze medal, scoring seven points in seven games.

Anderson was New Jersey’s third-round pick in 2016, the 73rd overall selection in the draft. Known for his heavy shot and quick release, Anderson has the skills to be a talented scorer in the league. Despite elite speed, his intelligence, high motor, hard-working demeanor and enthusiasm is key to what propelled Minnesota-Duluth to a national title.

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