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Danil Gushchin, Albin Grewe Sign In OHL

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Two notable NHL prospects and recent CHL Import Draft selections have joined the ranks of the OHL. 2020 draft eligible forward Danil Gushchin, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 Import Draft, has signed with the Niagara Ice Dogs, while forward Albin Grewe, a 2019 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, has signed with the Saginaw Spirit.

Gushchin’s move signals a shift in his developmental path. A consensus second-round pick in the coming NHL Entry Draft, Gushchin is a very talented forward with great speed and stick skills. The one glaring concern about his game is his size: Gushchin stands just 5’8” and weighs in at around 160 lbs. For this reason, it seemed the Russian winger was favoring the collegiate development path, which can often be better for undersized players. The No. 7 overall pick in the CHL Import Draft last year, Gushchin instead opted to play another season in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, preserving his NCAA eligibility. However, with questions about the likelihood of a college hockey season, Gushchin may have decided that the best choice for his development was to improve his level of play next season and the OHL was his safest bet. The question now, and one that NHL scouting staffs will have to decide, is whether the size and skill that made him a point-per-game player in the USHL will translate to the OHL and eventually to the pros.

As for Grewe, the move to the OHL is not unexpected following a disappointing 2019-20 campaign. A skilled and pesky two-way winger out of Sweden, Grewe was considered a great value for the Red Wings at No. 66 overall last year. He was expected to play a larger role with the SHL’s Djurgardens IF this year after getting into 15 games last season but failing to record a point. Instead, he was limited to just 19 games and managed just one point, while his production fell off considerably in the junior SuperElit as well. In fact, the only real statistical growth this year for Grewe was in penalty minutes. Grewe needs to work more on his offensive game and skill development and has a better chance of doing that playing meaningful minutes against his peers at the junior level rather than bouncing back and forth from a pro team where he was clearly not ready to compete. Although Saginaw waited to select Grewe until the second round of the Import Draft, both sides were happy to sign on for next year. Now Detroit fans just have to hope that the talented forward can get back on track with his new team and league.

The Ivy League Cancels Athletics In Fall Semester

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The Ivy League has become the first Division I NCAA conference to postpone all Fall sports participation for the upcoming school year due to COVID-19. The conference and its eight member institutions announced that all fall sports will be canceled while winter sports will not begin until after the end of the fall semester. The exact language is as follows:

With the safety and well-being of students as their highest priority, Ivy League institutions are implementing campus-wide policies including restrictions on student and staff travel, requirements for social distancing, limits on group gatherings, and regulations for visitors to campus. As athletics is expected to operate consistent with campus policies, it will not be possible for Ivy League teams to participate in intercollegiate athletics competition prior to the end of the fall semester.

While The Ivy League is known more for their prestigious academics than athletics, hockey is the sport that will undoubtedly feel the effect of the conference’s absence. Schools like Cornell and Harvard are perennial NCAA Tournament contenders out of the ECAC and numerous NHL prospects play on Ivy League teams. Additionally, The Ivy League’s scheduled opponents in the first half of the season will also be left scrambling. Of course, that assumes that other schools and conferences don’t also follow The Ivy League and postpone or cancel their early games.

The Ivy League’s move could have a lasting impression beyond this season as well. Former Harvard commit Trevor Kuntar, expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, switched his commitment to Boston College yesterday citing concerns about missed games at Harvard, according to Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal. It seems like only a matter of time before other Ivy League hopefuls follow suit. One interesting case is another Harvard commit, USNTDP product Matthew Beniers, who is expected to be an early first-round pick in 2021. Can Beniers afford the missed opportunity to perform for scouts in the first half of the season? This and many more questions are certain to arise with this major decision by the Ivy League.

Pacific Notes: Smith, Westerlund, Rathbone

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Oilers goaltender Mike Smith proved to be a good complement to Mikko Koskinen this season as he posted a 2.95 GAA with a .902 SV% in 39 games in what basically amounted to close to a timeshare of starts when all was said and done.  Despite that, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson suggests that the veteran may need to take a pay cut from his base $2MM salary (let alone the $375K in bonuses he earned) to stick around for 2020-21.  With several skaters needing to be re-signed (including Andreas Athanasiou and his $3MM qualifying offer and Matt Benning’s $1.95MM qualifier), Edmonton GM Ken Holland likely won’t have much to spend on Koskinen’s backup for next season.  While there will still be a decent market for backup goaltenders, the 38-year-old Smith may be better off trying to stay where he is in a good situation, even if he has to take a dip in pay to do so.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • Coyotes prospect Filip Westerlund is in talks to remain with Timra in Sweden, Timra manager Kent Norberg indicated to Lo Hagerfelth of HockeyPuls. He played well in the second-tier Allsvenskan this season and picked up four goals and 17 assists in 52 regular season games while logging more ice time than he was getting previously in the SHL.  The 21-year-old was a second-round pick of Arizona back in 2017 so if he does indeed sign an extension (Norberg stated that a decision is expected within the week), the Coyotes will only have a short period of time to sign him to an entry-level deal as he must sign by June 1, 2021 or they will lose his NHL rights.
  • The accelerated timeline for prospects to sign 2019-20 contracts and burn a year without playing should provide some clarity on Canucks prospect Jack Rathbone, suggests Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic (Twitter link). The 21-year-old defenseman is set to enter his junior year at Harvard if there winds up being an NCAA season in 2020-21 but the uncertainty surrounding that could be enough encouragement for him to sign his entry-level deal and forego his remaining college eligibility.  Rathbone was a fourth-round pick (95th overall) back in 2017 and has quickly outperformed his draft spot as he averaged over a point per game this season with seven goals and 24 assists in 28 games.

Pair Of New Jersey Devils Prospects Depart For Europe

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New Jersey Devils forward prospects Nikita Popugaev and Ludvig Larsson will be playing outside of the organization next season. Each has signed a contract in Europe and are unlikely to have a role with the Devils in 2020-21. The immediate impact of their departures will be minimal, as the duo were known more by name than for their accomplishments in the minors this year.

Popugaev, 21, was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2017. However, he was considered a potential first-round pick early in the draft process due to his 6’6” stature and physical and technical gifts. His stock dropped once questions of his hockey IQ and work ethic began to overshadow is ability. Unfortunately, those questions have materialized into real problems for Popugaev early in his pro career. Following his junior career in the WHL, Popugaev returned home to Russia but failed to produce in the KHL. He finished the 2018-19 season with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and his five points in 17 games were not enough to convince New Jersey that he was worthy of an entry-level contract. Instead, they signed him to an AHL contract, an unusual move for a drafted player. Rather than take this as a sign that he needed to work harder and improve, Popugaev instead spent this entire season in the ECHL and still only produced moderate numbers. With concerns from both team and player on what is in store for his future with the Devils, Popugaev has opted to return to the KHL, as his agent announced that he has signed a try-out deal with Dynamo Moscow. Popugaev is expected to either land an actual contract with Moscow or another KHL club once his try-out has been completed. This does not rule out the potential for a continued relationship between Popugaev and the Devils, but the team has until June 1, 2021 to sign him to an entry-level deal or else surrender his rights.

As for Larsson, his time with New Jersey and quite possibly North America is over. A former college standout who recorded back-to-back 20-point seasons with Merrimack College and Penn State University in his final two years in the NCAA, Larsson looked like he had the chops for the pro game. A versatile player who played forward and defense in college and was an excellent skater, Larsson certainly needed some seasoning in the minors but an NHL future was not impossible. However, perception was not reality for the 24-year-old. Larsson recorded two points in seven games for AHL Binghamton to close out the 2018-19 season on an amateur tryout, but after signing a one-year minor league deal he contributed only two more points this season in 19 games with Binghamton and spent just as much time in the ECHL as the AHL. Larsson has decided to return home to Sweden, as Allsvenskan club Mora IK per a team announcement. Barring an incredible turnaround in which Larsson’s play in the Allsvenskan lands him a contract in the SHL or another elite European league after next season and he continues to produce at a high level there as well, his time in North America is likely over.

Predators’ Alexander Campbell Commits To Clarkson

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The Clarkson University Golden Knights received a major boost to their program today in the form of a commitment from Nashville Predators prospect Alexander Campbell. Clarkson announced that Campbell, as well as older brother Charlie Campbell, will join the team next season. The younger Campbell was selected at No. 65 overall at the top of the third round in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Campbell, 19, immediately becomes Clarkson’s top prospect and could be the best player to come out of the program in some time. While the team has produced fringe NHLers like L.A.’s Sheldon Rempal and Minnesota’s Nico Sturm in recent years, they have not had a young player of Campbell’s caliber in some time, including the five other NHL prospects currently on the team. The Quebec native has been better than a point-per-game player in the BCHL and the USHL in back-to-back seasons and his combination of skill and hard work creates easy offense on a regular basis.

For a Clarkson team that was No. 7 in the country and on their way to a spot in the NCAA Tournament this year before the season was canceled due to COVID-19, adding Campbell, as well as the instant chemistry that comes with bringing his brother along, could be a difference-maker. The team will have to make up for the loss of leading scorers Haralds Egle and Devin Brosseau, but Campbell should help to keep the team competitive in the ECAC and on the national stage over the next few years.

Tyler Nanne Signs AHL Contract

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June 29: Nanne has officially signed with Hershey, the team announced today. The former Rangers prospect whose career was nearly derailed by a serious heart condition will be a feel-good story in the AHL next season and maybe one day in the NHL.

March 17: The long and interesting story of Tyler Nanne has a new chapter, after his agent Neil Sheehy announced on Twitter that the collegiate defenseman has decided to sign an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears for the 2020-21 season.

Selected in the fifth round by the New York Rangers, it looked like his future would eventually be in that organization. Instead, he’ll suit up for the minor league affiliate of the Washington Capitals, more than six years after hearing his name called out at the 2014 draft. Following that selection, Nanne first went to the USHL where he played for the Sioux Falls Stampede and Madison Capitols, before heading to Ohio State University—not exactly the expected destination for a kid from Edina, and especially not for the son of a former Golden Gopher who worked as a scout for the Minnesota Wild.

Even though he tried to carve his own path at another powerhouse NCAA program, Nanne wouldn’t ever actually play a single game as a Buckeye. During the summer of 2015 the young hockey player would suffer multiple incidents including what he told Randy Johnson of the Star-Tribune was “essentially a heart attack” before being diagnosed with myocarditis. His season would come to an end before it even started, which led to a decision to transfer following his freshman year.

Back to Minnesota went Nanne, but he wouldn’t play during the 2016-17 campaign either thanks to the transfer rules making him ineligible for NCAA participation that season. That meant by the time he started his first year of college hockey in 2017, he hadn’t had any game experience for more than two years.

Now after three full seasons as a member of the Gophers, Nanne will leave to start his professional career. He spent the 2019-20 season as captain of the team, and scored a career-high 14 points in 35 games.

Though his rights will still technically be owned by the Rangers until the middle of August, it appears as though he will not be signing an entry-level deal with them. Instead, he’ll try to show he has what it takes to compete at the AHL level first. Nanne is already 24 (today!) but just getting to this level is impressive after such a long layoff in his prime development years.

Snapshots: CBA, Little, Fossier

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Extended labor peace may be at hand, reports ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Wyshynski has been told by sources that the NHL and NHLPA are closing in on an agreement to extend the collective bargaining agreement. This new deal would also answer questions as to how the losses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pause will be remedied. The players are expected to vote soon on both the new CBA and the league’s return-to-play proposal, with both requiring a majority vote from all players. Wyshynski writes that some believe that this vote could occur this weekend, but that other believe that is too optimistic. Regardless, the current CBA’s September 2022 expiration date no longer seems to be much of an issue and the new agreement is expected to be six years in length, maintaining labor peace through the 2025-26 season.

  • Bryan Little will not be back with the Winnipeg Jets this season, writes Paul Friesen of The Winnipeg Sun. The Jets have stated that Little will not return to action even after the league’s pause comes to an end and the postseason tournament begins. Little has been out since November with a concussion and punctured eardrum suffered from a shot to the head. Concussion symptoms had lingered and Little underwent surgery on his ear in March, so under normal conditions he was unlikely to play again this season. However, any hope that this extended pause in the season would allow him to return for the playoffs has been shot down. The good news is that Little tells Friesen that he is “feeling pretty good” and the veteran Jet should be ready to return for the start of next season.
  • The AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs have made a notable splash, signing University of Maine star Mitchell Fossier to a one-year contract. Fossier, 23, was expected to have some NHL interest but apparently will have to do some more work to get to the top level. At Maine this season, Fossier led the team and set a personal best with 42 points in 34 games as the Black Bears pushed for NCAA Tournament inclusion before the season was shut down. Fossier showed ample scoring ability in his four collegiate seasons and should be able to translate that ability to the pros.

Capitals Sign Hunter Shepard To An AHL Deal

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Goaltender Hunter Shepard was one of the top remaining undrafted college free agents on the market but he wasn’t able to land an entry-level contract.  Instead, his now-former college team, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, announced that the Capitals have inked the netminder to an AHL contract.

The 24-year-old wrapped up a stellar career with the Bulldogs this season, posting a 2.18 GAA and a .918 SV% in 34 games.  Those numbers were pretty strong in their own right but they actually represented a step back from the previous two years.  Those performances helped earn Shepard NCHC Goalie of the Year and first all-star team honors in each of the last two seasons while he won the NCAA title in 2018 and 2019.  He also showed that he was durable as he made 115 consecutive starts for Minnesota-Duluth spanning from October 2017 to this past March which is an NCAA record.

Playing time may be hard to come by for Shepard as their current AHL tandem of Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek are both signed through 2021-22.  However, if Braden Holtby moves on, one of those two could presumably move up to the NHL level as Ilya Samsonov’s backup which would give Shepard a chance at earning the backup role with AHL Hershey.

USA Hockey Announces 2020 Summer Showcase Roster

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USA Hockey is moving forward with their annual World Junior Summer Showcase, announcing a 43-man roster for the upcoming event at their home in Plymouth, Michigan from July 24 to August 1. The camp will be used to select the roster for the 2021 World Junior Champions, which is also proceeding as scheduled in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta from December 26 to January 5.

Of course, the Coronavirus threat will have an impact on this year’s showcase and not only in increased focus on health and safety procedures. Team USA will be competing alone this year, as regular participants Canada, Finland, and Sweden have all declined the invitation due to health risks and logistical issues. The camp will have much more of an inter-squad scrimmage feel than most years, but USA Hockey hopes that it will still produce good competition and valuable data for selecting their WJC roster.

Of the 43 participants, most are new faces. Just nine players will take part in camp who played for the 2020 WJC team. This could work in USA Hockey’s favor, as their most recent entry snapped a four-year medal streak with a disappointing sixth-place finish. However, they are surely happy to have Florida Panthers prospect goaltender Spencer Knight back for a third year in a row to lead the squad. The 2019 No. 13 overall pick remains one of the top prospects in hockey after a stellar freshman season at Boston College and can win games single-handedly for the U.S. at the 2021 tournament.

Unsurprisingly, Knight is not the only college player who will be in attendance at the Summer Showcase, as the NCAA has a heavy presence with 38 of 43 participants are active or committed collegiate competitors. While 14 different schools will be represented, there is a strong Boston presence with Boston University sending a whopping eight players and prospects, while Boston College, Harvard, and Northeastern each send at least three. Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin also will have at least three in attendance.

At the NHL level, things are more balanced. A total of 16 clubs will have a draft pick in Plymouth, but only the Anaheim Ducks will have more than two. With a large number of 2020-eligible names and a top 2021 prospect in attendance, all 31 (32?) teams are sure to be interested in the event.

Here is the roster for the 2020 Summer Showcase, USA-only edition:

Goaltenders

Spencer Knight, Boston College (FLA)
Drew Commesso, USNTDP/Boston Univ. (2020)
Logan Stein, Waterloo Blackhawks/Ferris State Univ. (2020)
Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips (CGY)

Defensemen

Brock Faber, USNTDP/Univ. of Minnesota (2020)
Domenick Fensore, Boston Univ. (CAR)
Drew Helleson, Boston College (COL)
Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota (BUF)
Tyler Kleven, USNTDP/Univ. of North Dakota (2020)
Jackson Lacombe, Univ. of Minnesota (ANA)
Case McCarthy, Boston Univ. (NJD)
Jake Sanderson, USNTDP/Univ. of North Dakota (2020)
Hunter Skinner, London Knights (NYR)
Jayden Struble, Northeastern Univ. (MTL)
Henry Thrun, Harvard Univ. (ANA)
Alex Vlasic, Boston Univ. (CHI)
Marshall Warren, Boston College (MIN)
Cam York, Univ. of Michigan (PHI)

Forwards

John Beecher, Univ. of Michigan (BOS)
Matthew Beniers, USNTDP/Harvard Univ. (2021)
Brett Berard, USNTDP/Providence College (2020)
Matthew Boldy, Boston College (MIN)
Thomas Bordeleau, USNTDP/Univ. of Michigan (2020)
Bobby Brink, Univ. of Denver (PHI)
Brendan Brisson, Chicago Steel/Univ. of Michigan (2020)
Cole Caufield, Univ. of Wisconsin (MTL)
Sam Colangelo, Lawrence Academy/Northeastern Univ. (2020)
John Farinacci, Harvard Univ. (ARI)
Sean Farrell, Chicago Steel/Harvard Univ. (2020)
Michael Gildon, Ohio State Univ. (2020)
Cross Hanas, Portland Winterhawks (2020)
Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (LAK)
Owen Lindmark, Univ. of Wisconsin (FLA)
Robert Mastrosimone, Boston Univ. (DET)
Patrick Moynihan, Providence College (NJD)
Josh Nodler, Michigan State Univ. (CGY)
Dylan Peterson, USNTDP/Boston Univ. (2020)
Landon Slaggert, USNTDP/Univ. of Notre Dame (2020)
Sam Stange, Sioux Falls Stampede/Univ. of Wisconsin (2020)
Lukas Svejkovsky, Medicine Hat Tigers (2020)
Luke Tuch, USNTDP/Boston Univ. (2020)
Alex Turcotte, Univ. of Wisconsin (LAK)
Trevor Zegras, Boston Univ. (ANA)

Brinson Pasichnuk Agrees To Terms With San Jose Sharks

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June 5: Pasichnuk entry-level contract has been filed for next season, meaning it will be a two-year deal that carries him through the 2021-22 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the deal is worth $925K in the NHL, including $185K in signing bonuses and also includes some Schedule A performance bonuses.

March 31: Changing times create changing operating procedures, and we’ve seen another interesting announcement from an NHL team today. Brinson Pasichnuk has officially agreed to join the San Jose Sharks organization, though no contract terms have been announced. That’s because like Scott Perunovich earlier this month, Pasichnuk has agreed to two different contracts; one that starts immediately should the 2019-20 season resume, and one that would start in the 2020-21 season instead. Sharks GM Doug Wilson released a statement on his newest defenseman:

Brinson is an excellent puck moving defenseman with a physical brand of hockey. As captain for the Sun Devils program for two seasons under Arizona State Head Coach Greg Powers, he is a great teammate and proven leader. We are happy to have him join our organization.

Pasichnuk, 22, recently finished his senior season at Arizona State, recording 37 points in 36 games. The undrafted free agent defenseman had drawn interest from as many as 20 NHL organizations, but will officially join the Sharks at some point in the next few months.

The question now becomes whether Pasichnuk can make the jump directly from the NCAA ranks to the NHL. Not only has he shown the ability to skate the puck out of trouble, but the 6’0″ 205-lbs defenseman can also dart long stretch passes or quickly set up his teammates for an easy exit. Those abilities are always in high demand at the professional level, but he’ll have to adapt to the different speed and strength from NHL opponents.

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