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Lightning Prospect Isaac Howard Transfers To Michigan State

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Back at the draft, things were looking up for prospect Isaac Howard.  He was coming off an impressive season with the US NTDP program where he put up 82 points in 60 games, helping him get picked 31st overall by Tampa Bay.

However, things haven’t gone as smoothly since then.  The 18-year-old struggled considerably in his first taste of college hockey, notching just 17 points in 35 games with Minnesota-Duluth.  Earlier this month, Howard opted to enter the transfer portal and he has found his next school, announcing (Twitter link) that he will be joining Michigan State next season.

Howard becomes the second drafted prospect to join the Spartans with Detroit forward Red Savage transferring there earlier this week.  They are the only two drafted forwards on the roster at the moment so there should be an opportunity for Howard to play an important role with his new school although Michigan State could bring back their top three scorers from this season for 2023-24 as well.

Notes: Lindgren, Klingberg, Howard

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Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren will not play this evening. She added that this is the same injury the top-pairing defenseman was dealing with previously and he tweaked it in his return on Tuesday night. Lindgren had previously missed four weeks of action with what has been termed an upper-body injury. He returned to face the Carolina Hurricanes two nights ago and briefly left before returning to finish the game. The Rangers appear to be taking a cautious approach and don’t want a key piece of their blue line to make things worse with the playoffs on the horizon.

The Rangers have 11 regular season games remaining before the postseason, but appear locked into the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. They are six points back of the New Jersey Devils for second in the division, but hold a ten point advantage on the New York Islanders who are in the top wildcard spot.

  • John Klingberg of the Minnesota Wild will also miss tonight’s game, according to a team release. Klingberg, an offensive defenseman, has four points in nine games since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline for Nikita Nesterenko, Andrej Sustr and a fourth-round draft pick. The team says it is an upper-body injury but there are not other details about the severity of the injury.
  • Chris Peters of Flo Hockey reports Isaac Howard is entering NCAA’s transfer portal. This will pave his departure from the University of Minnesota-Duluth after one season. Howard was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022 and had six goals and 17 points in 35 games as a freshman. Peters also mentions this could lead him to reuniting with former coach Adam Nightingale who is behind the bench of Michigan State, but nothing is official yet.

Snapshots: Stars, Stalock, Gaber, Caulfield

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While the Stars are in a tight battle for seeding in the Central Division, they’re doing so without some key veterans in their lineup.  Saad Yousuf of The Athletic provided (Twitter link) some updates on those injured players.  Veteran center Tyler Seguin has resumed skating while his stitches have been removed with head coach Peter DeBoer indicating he could be an option to return later this week.  The 31-year-old has been an important secondary scorer for Dallas this season, notching 42 points in 65 games so far.

Meanwhile, Mason Marchment isn’t as far along in his recovery although DeBoer hopes that they’ll be able to get him back before the playoffs.  The winger has 31 points in 67 contests in his first season with the Stars and his grit would certainly be useful in the postseason when things get more physical.  As for Scott Wedgewood, while his day-to-day injury has dragged on for more than a month, DeBoer noted that the goaltender is progressing and is expected to be back sooner than later.  Wedgewood has posted a solid .913 SV% in 18 appearances as the second-stringer this season.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Although Alex Stalock has had an impressive season with Chicago, John Dietz of The Daily Herald suggests that the Blackhawks might not be the best fit for him. The 35-year-old has been a nice story this year, posting a .915 SV% in 21 games.  However, with Petr Mrazek signed for another season and youngsters Arvid Soderblom and Jaxson Stauber showing they’re worthy of NHL looks as well, there just might not be a viable opportunity for Stalock to stick around.
  • One of the top college free agent forwards is off the market. No, Riese Gaber didn’t sign anywhere but instead, Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the winger informed North Dakota that he’ll remain with them next year for his senior season.  Gaber had a productive junior year, notching 37 points in 39 games, equaling his output from 2021-22.  He indicated that he did have interest from NHL teams but instead will give it one more go with the Fighting Hawks.
  • Schlossman also notes that Penguins prospect Judd Caulfield has not yet made a decision about turning pro or opting for his bonus year; players impacted by the pandemic have a fifth year of eligibility. The 22-year-old winger was a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh back in 2019 (145th overall) and put up nearly identical numbers this season (10 goals, nine assists) compared to a year ago (11 goals and nine helpers).  Caulfield has reached the double-digit point mark in each of his four college seasons but hasn’t recorded more than 20 in a single campaign either.

Previewing The 2023 College Free Agent Market: Goaltenders

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With the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there should be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks.  At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings (and this year is no exception) but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.

Here is an overview of some of the goalies that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future.  Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.  This pool of players isn’t as deep as the skaters but there should be a few netminders at least who will put pen to paper on a contract.  The forward preview can be found here while the defense preview is here.

Cooper Black, Dartmouth

It’s probably a bit early for Black to be on this list, especially since he’s coming off only his freshman season, one that didn’t exactly go too well with just five wins and a .899 SV% in 30 appearances.  However, the 21-year-old is listed at 6’8 and that might be on the small side.  That type of size should be enticing enough for some teams to kick the tires on him this season although the smarter move for him is probably to stay for at least one more year.

Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame

His senior season was a strong one, posting a .931 SV% for the Fighting Irish which was good for second in Division I behind only Devon Levi, a Buffalo prospect.  This was Bischel’s only season as a true starter so he doesn’t quite have the full track record that some other free agent netminders have but he’ll be 24 in July and going back for the bonus season likely doesn’t make sense.  He’s a bit undersized for the position at 6’1 so it’s possible that he might have to settle for an AHL deal to start.

Gustavs Davis-Grigals, UMass-Lowell

Davis-Grigals opted to transfer from Alaska-Fairbanks before this season and the move worked out well for him as he put up better numbers (a 2.05 GAA and a .924 SV%) with the River Hawks in a stronger program.  The 24-year-old also has some international experience with his native Latvia.  An NHL contract might be difficult to come by but there should be some interest in him on a minor league deal.

Victor Ostman, Maine

The decision for Ostman to come to North America back in 2019 has worked out well as one good USHL season and three quality college seasons later, the 22-year-old sits at the top of the class at his position.  He posted a .918 SV% in 33 games this year with the Black Bears along with five shutouts and at 6’4, he has the size that teams covet.  Will Ostman become the next to come from what has been a bit of a goalie factory in Maine that has also graduated Jimmy Howard, Ben Bishop, and Jeremy Swayman over the last two decades?

Luke Pavicich, UMass

Pavicich just completed his sophomore season and his first as a starter after getting into just four games in his freshman year.  The 20-year-old did well in his expanded role, putting up a .920 SV% despite the Minutemen having a losing record.  Again, this might be a bit early for him as his entry-level deal would be three years but an NHL team might want to get him into their system now over running the risk of Pavicich improving his market a year from now.

T.J. Semptimphelter, Arizona State

Another netminder who opted to use the transfer portal last offseason, Semptimphelter opted to leave a strong situation with Northeastern (who had Levi between the pipes) in search of more playing time.  He found that with the Sun Devils, getting into all but three games this season while posting a respectable .913 SV%.  Semptimphelter doesn’t turn 21 until May and again, this might be a year early for him unless there’s a team that’s convinced of his upside and is okay with a long development curve in the minors.

Others To Watch For

Justen Close, Minnesota
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech

These three goalies all had stellar showings this season with save percentages in the top five in Division I.  So why are they listed here as a group?  They’re all on the smaller side.  There are very few small goalies in the NHL and netminders that are small in stature typically wind up with a minor league deal to start.  Perets and Pietila are Hobey Baker Award finalists but as we saw with last year’s winner in Dryden McKay, even that isn’t automatically enough to earn an entry-level deal.  Will one buck the trend and land an NHL agreement?

Minor Transactions: 03/20/23

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It’s been a busy day across the hockey world, with multiple top European professional leagues in the thick of their playoffs. In Sweden, Djurgardens IF took a step towards promotion back to the SHL with a 4-1 victory over BIK Karlskoga, while both Skelleftea and Vaxjo completed dominant wins in their own playoff contests. In Finland, eight teams did battle in playoff matchups with highlights including a 1-0 overtime victory for HIFK Helsinki thanks to a goal from former Edmonton Oiler Iiro Pakarinen. As hockey fans across the globe enjoy all the action from Europe to the NHL, teams are still making adjustments to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.

  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Alexander Gordin had his contract terminated by his KHL club, HK Sochi. The 2020 sixth-round pick spent most of the season at the second-tier VHL level, scoring eight goals and 12 points for HK Rostov. He notched two points in six KHL games for Sochi, although he didn’t see a whole lot of ice time, including one game where he played just 25 seconds. The Canadiens have the exclusive rights to sign Gordin indefinitely, and although there is no word on whether he’s planning on heading to North America, this contract termination does give him options for where to continue his development.
  • Five-year NCAA veteran Michael Underwood, 24, signed a PTO agreement with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles today. Underwood spent this season with Michigan State University in the Big 10, scoring five points in 38 games. The six-foot-one stay-at-home defenseman won the ECAC with Clarkson University in 2018-19, and will get his first taste of pro action with the Eagles, who are currently trying to lock up a Calder Cup playoff spot.
  • The ECHL’s Florida Everblades signed Chayse Primeau, who is the son of former NHLer Keith Primeau and the brother of Montreal Canadiens AHL netminder Cayden Primeau. The 25-year-old has spent the past five seasons with playing college hockey, spending four years with the University of Nebraska-Omaha before transferring to Notre Dame for his final year. He has amassed 95 points in 154 career games, and was named an NCHC Second-Team All-Star in his senior season at Nebraska. He’ll now join the Everblades, who are right in the thick of a competitive race for the ECHL’s South Division title.
  • After four seasons as a regular contributor at the SHL level for Vaxjo, netminder Viktor Andren struggled after signing a two-year deal with Brynas IF. He was eventually loaned down a level, to HockeyAllsvenskan, and has spent most of his time there over the past few seasons, save for brief cameos with the top division. This season, though, Andren has thoroughly impressed, posting a 2.04 goals-against-average and .921 save percentage for Almtuna IS. While he was unable to earn his club promotion to the SHL, his strong performance could pave his way back to Sweden’s top league. SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that Andren has decided to play for Djurgardens next season. As previously mentioned, Djurgardens is currently in the race to be promoted back to the SHL, and should they make it there Andren would see time in their crease, potentially in a tandem arrangement with Vegas Golden Knights prospect Carl Lindblom.
  • HockeyAllsvenskan’s IF Bjorkloven has signed two key players to contract extensions: 2018 Buffalo Sabres fourth-round pick Linus Cronholm, and two-time Champions Hockey League winner Mattias Norstebo. Both blueliners have played regular minutes for Bjorkloven and are currently attempting to defeat Vasteras IK in the chase for promotion to the SHL. The Sabres let Cronholm’s rights expire this past summer, choosing not to sign him to an entry-level contract, but he nonetheless seems to be fashioning himself a solid pro career in Sweden.
  • Patrick Obrist is extending his playing relationship with Swiss club EHC Kloten for a ninth season. The 30-year-old Austrian was on hand when the team suffered relegation from Switzerland’s top league in 2017-18, and helped lead them to promotion last season. This season, he scored five goals and nine points in 47 games and helped Kloten avoid relegation.
  • After spending the last year with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, forward Tyler Kobryn has been released, according to the ECHL’s official transactions wire. The 26-year-old has scored 26 points in 120 career ECHL games, including six goals and nine points in 39 games this season. The former NCAA Division III forward’s release could be motivated in part by the recent signing of college free agent Mitch Walinski, who has scored three points in his first five games in the ECHL.
  • The ECHL’s Wichita Thunder have released forward Brett Van Os, a player they acquired in a January trade from the Norfolk Admirals. The former Western Michigan University forward scored 12 points in 25 games for Wichita, but may be ceding his spot on the team to recent signing Jason Pineo and trade acquisition Brett Boeing.

NCAA Notes: Farrell, Coronato, Transfer Portal

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While the emergence of Montreal Canadiens 2022 second-round pick Lane Hutson has attracted a significant amount of attention in the Montreal market (no doubt helped by the fact that it was his overtime goal that won Boston University the Hockey East title), 2020 fourth-round pick Sean Farrell has had an incredible season in his own right. The Harvard forward was recently named the ECAC’s player of the year after scoring 52 points in 33 games, and this comes after he scored six points in four games representing the United States at last year’s Winter Olympics. This has led to many wondering if the NHL could be just around the corner for Farrell, or if he would choose to play until graduation and potentially test the open market once his rights expire.

Based on recent reporting, it seems Canadiens fans may not have much to worry about. The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin and Arpon Basu reported in a recent column (subscription link) that Farrell’s advisors at CAA have assured them that the scenario of Farrell graduating and testing free agency is “not one worth mentioning” because Farrell “has every intention of signing with the Canadiens.” This means that should Harvard be upset in their first-round matchup against Ohio State on Friday, “Farrell could be available as early as this Saturday,” and his signing would certainly add some excitement to what has been a rollercoaster Canadiens season.

Some other notes from college hockey:

  • Farrell’s teammate Matt Coronato, a 2021 lottery pick, is also a highly-regarded prospect who could be nearing an NHL debut. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that Flames general manager Brad Treliving is traveling to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Harvard’s aforementioned game against Ohio State with the goal of getting Coronato “signed and into an NHL game” whenever his season ends. Coronato just completed a second-straight point-per-game season, and is widely regarded to be the Flames’ best skater prospect.
  • New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver has reported that three NHL prospects are hitting the transfer portal, meaning they are exploring the possibility of transferring to another NCAA program. The first is Los Angeles Kings prospect Jack Hughes, a 2022 second-round pick who scored 16 points in 32 games for Northeastern. The next is Detroit Red Wings 2021 fourth-rounder Redmond Savage, who scored 14 points in 32 games for Miami University (Ohio) and made the United States World Juniors team the past two tournaments. The final player is Anaheim Ducks prospect Sam Colangelo, the 36th overall pick at the 2020 draft. Colangelo’s production declined from last season when he scored nearly at a point-per-game rate, and he could be looking for a fresh start for his age-22 campaign.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Hunter McKown

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have moved to bolster their prospect pool, signing college free agent center Hunter McKown to a three-year, entry-level contract, per the team. Financial terms are undisclosed.

McKown will report directly to the Blue Jackets later this week, the team said. The news comes after reports this morning suggested the Chicago Blackhawks had an interest in acquiring McKown’s services.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen had the following statement on McKown’s signing:

We are very excited to welcome Hunter to the Blue Jackets family. He is a big, skilled center who is a powerful skater and possesses an elite shot, and we believe he has a chance to be a very productive player as he continues to develop. He was a highly sought after college free agent and we are thrilled to have him join our club and embark on his professional career with the Blue Jackets.

McKown, 20, was a breakout player for Colorado College the last two seasons, scoring 21 goals and seven assists in 38 games during his junior year. He also led the entire NCAA in power-play goals with 14.

Given his defensive prowess and good size, McKown projects as a capable bottom-six center who could potentially slot into a role similar to the injured Sean Kuraly as the season winds down. His booming shot made him an appealing signing for many teams, and McKown will join a young, rising team in Columbus, where he could get plenty of opportunity next season with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.

Born in San Jose, California, McKown was passed over in the 2020 NHL Draft. Across his three-year career at Colorado College, McKown totaled 36 goals and 19 assists in 96 games.

Chicago Blackhawks Expressing Interest In Hunter McKown

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Undrafted free agent signing season is well underway, and with the season over for all but 16 NCAA DI men’s hockey teams, activity on that front will only heat up over the next few days.

One name that could go off the board in the coming news cycles is Hunter McKown, a 20-year-old center coming off his junior campaign with Colorado College. The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports Monday morning that the Chicago Blackhawks, among other teams, are in the mix to land his services.

McKown has been a bit of a late bloomer, at least offensively. An August 2002 birthday, McKown has been passed over in the past three drafts, but it’s not hard to see why he was skipped over in his first eligible year in 2020. He spent his draft year campaign with the U.S. National U18 Team but recorded just one goal and 10 assists in 54 games in 2019-20.

Since then, it’s been a different story. As Elite Prospects notes, the hallmark of McKown’s game has been his defensive awareness, but his shooting has shown significant development in the college ranks. McKown led Colorado College in both goals (21) and points (28) in 38 games played this season, continuing what’s been a positive linear progression offensively since joining the school.

His all-around game reached such a point last season that he was named to the 2022 World Juniors roster for Team USA, where he registered an assist in four games.

As Powers notes, Chicago is expected to face stiff competition for McKown’s services on the open market. It’s been known to NHL teams for “some time” that McKown planned to turn pro after this season, giving multiple teams time to make their interest known and prepare offers.

Snapshots: Panthers, Kuznetsov, Boldy, NCAA Bracket

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The Panthers have once again flipped their backup goalies, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Alex Lyon from AHL Charlotte while sending Mack Guzda back to the Checkers.  Lyon was sent down on Wednesday to get in some game action with starter Sergei Bobrovsky in the middle of a 12-game consecutive start streak.  Lyon has a 3.89 GAA with a .887 SV% in six starts with Florida this season while he has been much better in the minors, putting up a 2.43 GAA with a .910 SV% in 23 contests.  Guzda, meanwhile, is in his first professional season after signing as an undrafted free agent a little over a year ago.  He hasn’t seen any NHL action while posting a 2.85 GAA and a .900 SV% in 25 games with Charlotte.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov was injured in today’s game against Minnesota. Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post relayed (Twitter link) that there was no word following the contest about how long he might be out.  The 30-year-old has 12 goals and 39 assists in 70 games so far this season.
  • After recording a hat trick today against Washington, Wild winger Matt Boldy has reached one of his Schedule A bonuses, triggering a $212.5K payout, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Minnesota is projected to finish well below the salary cap despite making several additions at the trade deadline so barring a significant rash of injuries, they should be able to absorb that on their cap this year instead of using the bonus cushion to push it to 2023-24.
  • The NCAA has released the official bracket for the tournament leading to the Frozen Four and the DI Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. The action gets underway on March 23rd and as teams get eliminated, there should be an influx of players signing with NHL teams soon after, both drafted prospects and undrafted free agents.

Morning Notes: Fantilli, NCAA Men’s Tournament, Benn

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If there was any doubt that University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli has solidified his placement as the presumptive second-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, it’s shrunk massively over the past few weeks. Fantilli’s assist last night in Michigan’s Big 10 tournament championship victory gave him 11 points in four games at the tournament, setting the all-time record, as reported by NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.

Understandably, he took home Most Outstanding Player honors as well, guiding Michigan to their second consecutive tournament victory over the University of Minnesota. The freshman center enters the national tournament with 61 points in just 33 games this season, and his 1.85 points per game are the highest of any NCAA men’s player since Kyle Connor in 2015-16, also with Michigan.

Among the 2023 draft class, Fantilli’s impressiveness and brilliance have been overshadowed only by Connor Bedard this season. He’ll have one last chance to show what he can do in the college ranks during the national tournament before inevitably turning pro next fall.

More notes from the hockey world this morning:

  • The 16 teams that will make up the field for the NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament are set, according to ESPN’s John Buccigross. Minnesota, Quinnipiac, Michigan, Denver, Boston University, Harvard, St. Cloud State, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, Western Michigan, Cornell, Merrimack, Colgate, and Canisius will all participate in college hockey’s final set of games for 2023. The seeding and first-round matchups will be revealed later this evening after the conclusion of the women’s championships game between Wisconsin and Ohio State.
  • With the playoffs just around the corner, a defensive depth piece in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization may be unavailable to them for a while. Jordie Benn was injured in last night’s AHL Toronto Marlies game and did not return, and Marlies head coach Greg Moore offered no postgame update. Benn, 32, has two points in 12 games while playing for the Maple Leafs this season but has fallen down the depth chart quickly after a flurry of trade deadline adds at the position.

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