Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NCAA

Jake Massie Agrees To Terms With Florida Panthers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Florida Panthers have snatched up another prospect, agreeing to terms with Jake Massie on a two-year entry-level contract. Massie’s exclusive draft rights were held by the Chicago Blackhawks until recently, as he informed the University of Vermont that he intended on turning pro in late May. College players who are four years removed from their draft year are able to become unrestricted free agents 30 days after leaving college regardless of whether they have completed their NCAA eligibility; Massie played one year in the USHL and three at Vermont after being selected in the sixth round of the 2015 draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The 22-year old defenseman has never been known for his offensive upside, scoring just 23 points in his three-year college career. Instead, his most obvious attributes come in the defensive zone where he has been a polished talent for several years. It wasn’t clear if that would be enough to earn him an NHL contract, but the Panthers obviously feel as though they can squeeze at least some value out of him.

For the Panthers, plays like this are easy to make. The team currently sits at only 35 contracts out of their allotted 50, meaning there is still quite a bit of work to do to fill out the organizational depth chart. Massie will be just the 11th defenseman under contract, a group that needs to fill out the blue line at both the NHL and AHL level. He’ll likely start in the minor leagues, where he can show that his defensive prowess can be a positive at the professional level.

Jay O’Brien Petitions To Play At Boston University This Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jay O’Brien has filed a petition with the NCAA to allow him to play at Boston University this season according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. O’Brien had previously decided to leave Providence College after just one year, entered the transfer portal and committed to playing in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees while serving a year of NCAA ineligibility. While it’s not clear exactly what O’Brien has filed, there is a way to avoid the transfer year with a one-time exception but it would require Providence to agree.

O’Brien, 19, was selected 19th overall in 2018 but didn’t find much success with the Providence Friars, scoring just five points in 25 games for them last season. Add that to a scoreless effort through seven games at the World Juniors and it certainly hasn’t been the most rewarding year for the young forward. O’Brien is at development camp with the Flyers, but has not yet signed his entry-level contract.

Whether he plays in the BCHL or NCAA, he’ll have to find a way to get back on the score sheet and show the Flyers exactly why they used such a high pick on him. It would be foolish to make any assumption on his future after one frustrating season, but with more exciting prospects entering the Philadelphia pipeline he’ll have to find a way back onto his previous development track to remain among the top names.

Snapshots: Qualifying Offers, Haas, Doan

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The quality of players hitting the open market today after not receiving qualifying offers is much higher than in recent years past, as teams facing frightening salary cap crunches do not want to issue expensive offers or risk possible arbitration decisions. However, many of these top names officially becoming unrestricted free agents may not be done with their current team’s just yet. The poster boy of this idea is Ryan Hartman, acquired by the Dallas Stars yesterday only to not receive a qualifying offer today. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the team was unable to negotiate with Hartman in the short time after he was acquired and did not want to risk the potential award that he could land in arbitration. Dallas obviously made the deal knowing this was a possibility and LeBrun notes that they plan to use the waning days of early negotiating rights to their advantage in hopes of signing him. The same story rings true for the Vancouver Canucks and defenseman Ben Hutton. The team did not want to pay Hutton his $2.8MM qualifying offer, nevertheless what he might make in arbitration, especially as they pursue another top defenseman in Tyler Myers, so the team tried to find another solution. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwhal reports that they tried first to trade Hutton, but to no avail. The only other possibility was to let him reach UFA status, negating his arbitration rights, and try negotiating a deal with a lower salary. It seems like a stretch for Vancouver, but so long as they have rights to Hutton, they’ll try their hardest to work out a deal. One last name that may not be headed elsewhere after all is young forward Curtis Lazar. The Calgary Flames did not feel Lazar was worthy of a near-$1MM qualifying offer or potential arbitration battle, but they also have not closed the door on re-signing him, writes beat reported Kristen Anderson. The Flames are continuing negotiations with Lazar’s camp in hopes that he may return at a lower number. However, after Lazar was given just one NHL appearance this season, one would think that he will look for a better opportunity elsewhere next season.

  • Swiss hockey site He Shoots He Scores reports that a deal is imminent between NLA star Gaetan Haas and the Edmonton Oilers. The site relays the news directly from Haas’ agent, who claims an offer has been submitted and will be signed. The 27-year-old forward is coming off back-to-back dominant seasons, recording 30 goals and 79 points in 97 games overall for SC Bern. A two-way center who plays a complete game, this will be Haas’ first venture out of Switzerland, other than international competition, and the Oilers will hope his game can translate. This would be Edmonton’s second import of the off-season already, along with Swedish forward Joakim Nygard, as the team continues to seek affordable scoring help.
  • Arizona State University continues to benefit from being the lone NCAA on the west coast by sweeping up the sons of former nearby NHLers. The Sun Devils received another notable commitment recently from none other than the son of Arizona’s most beloved hockey player, Shane Doan. Josh Doan, 17, announced that he will stay close to home by playing for the program, beginning in 2021-22. Doan was drafted by the USHL’s Chicago Steel last year and will likely spend a season or two with the team before arriving at Arizona State. Doan now joins Carson Briere and Jackson Niedermayer as sons of famous hockey fathers all committed to ASU. Add in recent New Jersey Devils draft pick, goaltender Cole Brady, and the future is looking bright for the upstart Sun Devils program.

Jay O’Brien Commits To BCHL

at CDT | by 4 Comments

June 19: Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports that O’Brien will be heading to Boston University after his season in the BCHL. Eligible to return to the NCAA for the 2020-21 season, the Flyers first-round pick will join another powerhouse hockey program at BU.

June 6: It’s not very often you see a first-round pick leave college for anything but the professional ranks, and even rarer to see them end up in a junior league other than the CHL. That’s exactly what has happened to Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jay O’Brien, who has committed to the Penticton Vees of the BCHL after leaving Providence College earlier this year.

O’Brien was the 19th-overall pick in last June’s draft and headed to the NCAA ranks to continue his development. Through 25 games with the Providence Friars, the 19-year old forward recorded just five points and looked extremely overmatched at times. Even playing at the 2019 World Juniors, where he was competing against players his own age, O’Brien looked out of sorts and was held scoreless through seven games on the silver medal-winning Team USA.

While he won’t be competing in college or the CHL, the BCHL is still a solid development league. Many top prospects hone their skills there before heading to college, as their NCAA eligibility is maintained as opposed to if they play in the CHL. That may be exactly why O’Brien chose the BCHL, as he could potentially return to the NCAA after waiting out his year of ineligibility thanks to the transfer rules. There’s always the chance that he develops enough to earn an NHL contract as well, though expecting him to handle the AHL in 2020-21 may be a reach at this point.

The legendary Penticton program in particular has developed many NHL talents including Ryan Johansen, Troy Stecher, Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro, and has a history with names like Paul Kariya, Duncan Keith and Brett Hull.

Matthew Savoie Signs With Winnipeg Ice

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

You may not know the name Matthew Savoie just yet, but you will soon. The 15-year old forward was selected first overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam draft, despite having committed to the University of Denver. The Winnipeg Ice—newly relocated from Kootenay—took a chance on Savoie anyway, and have now convinced him to sign and play in the CHL. Playing in the CHL means Savoie would no longer be eligible for the NCAA, as they consider it a professional league since various players have already signed their NHL entry-level contracts.

Not only was it risky to pick a player with a commitment to such a powerhouse program like DU, but Savoie will only actually be eligible to play in a limited number of games next season given his age. He was turned down by the CHL when applying for exceptional status, but Tyler Yaremchuk reports that the Ice have found a loophole that will at least allow the young forward to play in 34 games. Injury and emergency recalls may even boost that number into the 40-50 game range, if Savoie is lucky.

Savoie won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2022, but he’s certainly already on the radar of teams around the league. The 5’9″ 165-lbs forward scored 71 points in 31 games for Norther Alberta X-Treme Prep this season, and added another 12 points in five playoff contests. The young forward has been dominating his age group for years now, and the Ice did everything they could to get him into the program, including trading for his brother Carter Savoie’s WHL rights in March.

It’s hard to see this as anything other than a huge win for Winnipeg, who also signed second-overall pick Conor Geekie a few weeks ago. Getting the top two players in the draft can only serve to help the program as it tries to establish some roots in Winnipeg.

Brendan Budy Commits To The University of North Dakota

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The University of North Dakota may have missed the past three NCAA Tournaments, but the 2016 champs are on their way back to being a national contender with impressive recruiting classes this year and next. Adding his name to that group today is 2019 NHL Draft prospect Brendan Budy. The Grand Forks Herald reports that Budy will join the Fighting Hawks in 2020-21.

When Budy arrives at North Dakota, he will begin his second stint in the NCAA. The skilled winger began this season with the University of Denver, but was in and out of the lineup and struggling to produce. In fact, through the first half of the season, he had been held scoreless in six games. It was then that Budy opted to leave and join the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, where he re-discovered his game. Budy was a point-per-game scorer in 31 games, helping to lead the team to the postseason. According to NCAA transfer rules, Budy will have to sit out a year, even though he left DU mid-season, so he will return to the Storm next season.

Even as an overage prospect coming off and up-and-down season, Budy is considered a possible draft selection later this month. In fact, he was ranked No. 155 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, putting him in that sixth/seventh-round range. A pass-first, play-making winger, Budy is a creative offensive player and his quick commitment to North Dakota shows NHL scouts that he is a hot commodity in college hockey. It would not be a shock to see a team take a late-round flier on him.

Fans of North Dakota will be excitingly watching the NHL Draft this year (and next). The 2019 recruiting class includes goaltender Cameron Rowe (#4 NA Goalie), forwards Shane Pinto (#28 NA Skater), Judd Caulfield (#67 NA Skater), and defenseman Luke Bast (#137 NA Skater), not to mention Philadelphia Flyers prospect center Gavin Hain. Coming in 2020 are Budy, fellow forwards Harrison Blaisdell (#80 NA Skater) and Massimo Rizzo (#84 NA Skater), and defenseman Cooper Moore (#88 NA Skater), as well as a number of possible 2020 Draft prospects. With that talent influx, more promising players are surely on their way soon. Things are looking up for North Dakota.

Scott Sandelin Staying At Minnesota-Duluth

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Anaheim Ducks will not be hiring Scott Sandelin as their next head coach. According to Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs coach has signed a four-year extension to stay in the NCAA through the 2024-25 season. Sandelin interviewed for the Ducks’ coaching vacancy on Monday, but will make $400K next season with the Bulldogs as he looks for his third consecutive national championship.

It’s hard to imagine Sandelin finding a better situation than he is in right now, even if the NHL is the pinnacle of coaching for many professionals. The former NHL defenseman has been the head of the UMD program for nearly two decades and has experienced nearly unprecedented success. With three NCAA championships, and an all-time tournament record of 21-6 there was little reason for the school to look anywhere else to continue to lead the program. Not to mention the financial stability his success has brought the university, as athletic director Josh Berlo explained in a statement:

Under Scott’s leadership, the UMD men’s hockey program has provided incredible value through exposure on comprehensive institutional success. The program’s recent achievements have generated over $20 million in earned media attention that shines a spotlight on the impressive academics, vibrant student life, groundbreaking research and exciting faculty accomplishments at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Sandelin’s extension does however mean the Ducks must look elsewhere in their search. The team was originally expected to hand the reins over to minor league head coach Dallas Eakins, but instead are taking their time with a thorough interview process of several candidates. It is not clear where GM Bob Murray will eventually land in his decision, but we now know at least one candidate is off the board.

Ducks Expected To Interview Scott Sandelin For Head Coaching Position

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While many people believed that the Anaheim Ducks head coach position would automatically go to their AHL coach, Dallas Eakins, once the San Diego Gulls were eliminated, general manager Bob Murray has made it clear that he intends to interview a number of candidates for the job. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Murray is interested in interviewing Eakins, New York Islanders’ assistant coach Lane Lambert, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent, and Dallas Stars assistant coach Todd Nelson.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds another name to the list as he reports that the Ducks also plan to interview University of Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin for the job as well. Sandelin, who has taken his team to the National Championship Game three straight times and has won the NCAA title in two straight seasons, might be open to leaving Minnesota-Duluth after this run of success.

Sandelin, who played 25 games in the NHL over the course of his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and the Minnesota North Stars, has spent 19 seasons as head coach of Minnesota-Duluth, compiling a 369-310-87 record. He was recently named the head coach of Team USA for the 2020 U-20 World Junior Championships. However, that didn’t stop David Quinn from still accepting an NHL offer from the New York Rangers last off-season and Sandelin would be no different.

Combine Notes: Hughes, Sogaard, Kallionkieli

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Today is the last day of the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, with fitness testing, final measurements, and media availability for all invitees. An unexpected omission from the fitness testing portion though was none other than presumptive No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes. Hughes was schedule to undergo the numerous fitness testing programs, but opted out instead. Speaking with the media, including The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, Hughes simply said that after a long season he didn’t feel the need to further prove himself. The phenom forward just wrapped up a World Championship tournament that came after a full season with the U.S. National Team Development Program and stints at the U-20 and U-18 World Junior Championships. While Hughes has been busy playing hockey this last month, the vast majority of combine participants have instead been preparing for the specific fitness tests. Hughes accurately compared undergoing fitness testing without preparing to taking a test without studying. There is little question as to where Hughes will be selected later this month and thus no upside to his participation today. It also helps his case that Kaapo Kakko, the only player who could push Hughes from the top spot in the draft, skipped the combine entirely to celebrate his World Championship victory with Finland back home.

  • The minor deviations of height and weight recorded at the combine generally don’t make much of difference to NHL teams putting together their draft boards. However, sometimes those numbers are worth noting and one top goalie prospect in particular turned some heads this year. Danish keeper Mads Sogaard of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers received an official height measurement of 6’7 1/2″. As The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler notes, that would make Sogaard the tallest goalie in the NHL if and when he reaches that level. Devan Dubnyk, Ben Bishop, and the like all pale in comparison to Sogaard, who NHL Central Scouting ranked as their No. 2 goalie prospect. Size is a trait all teams value in their net minders, but combine Sogaard’s 99th-percentile height and his substantial talent, and you likely have a second-round pick in the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft. One last fun fact about Sogaard’s measurement: he is officially more than a foot taller than fellow top prospect Cole Caufield; the USNTDP sniper came in at 5’7 1/4″.
  • Forward Marcus Kallionkieli was a popular player for the gathered media today – and likely for teams as well this week – as there are still so few answers about his future. Kallionkieli came over from Finland this season to play in the USHL, in hopes of eventually landing in the NCAA. However, a year has passed and he is still without a college commitment. It certainly is not due to a lack of talent, as Kallionkieli was considered the top uncommitted player in the league this year, but for one reason or another, Kallionkieli lacks an NCAA team to play for next season. As such, Wheeler relays the news straight from Kallionkieli today that his plan for now is to return to the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers next season, which would keep the possibility of following the collegiate route open. So too would a return to Finland, albeit a less helpful choice if he is trying to land a long-term fit stateside. Yet, Kallionkieli also mentioned that he would consider playing in the CHL for whoever selects him in the CHL Import Draft. That decision would put an end to his NCAA hopes, but would be a just as acceptable developmental path. There are likely more details about Kallionkieli’s decisions that are not available to the public, but have been disclosed to teams, as the Finnish forward does not want to come off as being indecisive or malcontent. As for what his performance on the ice says, Kallionkieli was a near point-per-game scorer this season and has great hands and offensive instincts. He continues to be pegged as a third-round pick at worst, despite the mystery surrounding his future.

Prospect Notes: Calder Cup Final, Telegin, Phillips

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The finale of the AHL season gets underway tonight, as the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, are set to host the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, in Game One of the Calder Cup Final. Neither squad is very familiar with being in this title series; the Wolves are making their first appearance as Vegas’ affiliate, given their parent club just wrapped up it’s second season in existence, while the Checkers have appeared twice in the final, most recently in 1991. The match-up that everyone will be watching for in the series is Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017 and the first draft selection in Vegas’ history, versus Martin Necas, the No. 12 pick in 2017 and Carolina’s top prospect. However, Necas has taken a back seat to several other Checkers forwards this postseason. After scoring 70 points in 72 games to finish fifth in league scoring in the regular season, Andrew Poturalski’s 18 points thus far also lead the postseason. It’s worth noting that Poturalski will be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer and could be on the move in search of more NHL opportunity. Necas’ fellow AHL rookie, Morgan Geekie, has been right up there with Poturalski in playoff scoring, registering 15 points so far. Tomas Jurco and Aleksi Saarela have also played well for the Checkers, as has experienced defenseman Trevor Carrick. As for the Wolves, it has been goaltender Oscar Dansk leading the way, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.16 GAA through 14 starts. Up front, it’s been the veterans getting the job done, with Tomas Hyka, Curtis McKenzie, and Tye McGinn all among the AHL’s top ten in scoring this postseason. Rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud has also been a revelation and continues to make a strong case for playing in Vegas next season. Everything considered, this should be a balanced, hard-fought series between two talented teams who are excited to be in the final. The schedule for the Calder Cup Final can be found here.

  • The Winnipeg Jets made a nice value addition this morning, signing Russian power forward Andrei Chibisov. As the team attacks their difficult salary cap situation this summer, affordable impact deals could be crucial and the team hopes Chibisov will pan out. Unfortunately, one of his fellow countrymen won’t be joining him in Winnipeg. Ivan Telegin, a draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers all the way back in 2010, has opted to re-sign with his KHL club, CSKA Moscow. The team announced a new three-year deal with Telegin that likely rules out any potential future in the NHL. There was some thought that Telegin would consider returning to North America, where he previously played three seasons in the OHL and one season in the AHL, following a career-best KHL campagin. Telegin recorded 22 points in 49 games this season, production levels he hadn’t reached since his junior days. A player of similar size and ability to Chibisov, Telegin would have been another bottom-six option for Winnipeg, but with a long-term extension in Russia and his draft rights set to expire, it seems the pairing was never meant to be.
  • According to Jess Myers of the Grand Forks Herald, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Clayton Phillips is on the move. Phillips, a third-round pick in 2017, just wrapped up his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota, but it appears it will be his last. Myers reports that Phillips is expected to transfer out of Minnesota and to a different NCAA institution. This likely means that he will have to sit out of college hockey next season due to NCAA transfer rules. In the meantime, Phillips is expected to return to the USHL’s Muskegeon Lumberjacks. The 19-year-old defenseman initially joined the Gophers earlier than expected, jumping in midway through the 2017-18 season. Sources that Myers spoke with felt this was a mistake, as he was not yet mature enough for the college game. It showed, as he was held scoreless in eleven games and got into frequent penalty trouble. This past season, Phillips improved to the tune of ten points in 34 games, but struggled defensively and simply wasn’t playing to the level that he, the university, nor the Penguins likely expected. A year back in juniors could be good for Phillips development, as the mobile blue liner can regain confidence in his abilities. Myers then speculates that he could join Penn State University or Colorado College in 2020.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top