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NCAA Notes: Kuznetsov, Hayhurst, MacKay

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The University of Connecticut landed a big fish this week in 17-year-old Russian defenseman Yan Kuznetsov. The big, two-way defender has committed to join the Huskies as early as next season, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports. Kuznetsov, who is in fact not related to Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, is looking to make his name known for more than just its similarity to an existing NHL star. A 2020 NHL Draft prospect, Kuznetsov is a dominant defensive blue liner who stands 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. with room left to grow. Both with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede and on the international stage with Russia, Kuznetsov has shown high-end defensive positioning and instincts and is a strong skater, especially for size. The offense has yet to come, but it will follow as Kuzanetsov’s ability to move the puck continues to improve. Earlier this season, TSN’s Craig Button ranked the soon-to-be Huskie as the 13th-best player in the 2020 class and that projection could even improve if he makes the immediate jump to the college ranks next season and adapts well. It is very likely that Kuznetsov will become UConn’s highest-drafted player once 2020 rolls around. The Huskies, the newest addition to the Hockey East Conference, have done a good job of improving their program, especially in overseas recruiting, over the last few years and Kuznetsov is another major step. Recent draft selections like forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI – 2nd, 2018) and Jachym Kondelik (NSH – 4th, 2018), and goalie Tomas Vomacka (NSH – 5th, 2017) played key roles this season, while 2019 draft-eligible winger Vladislav Firstov is expected by many to be a second-round pick this June before joining UConn in the fall. The future is bright for the program.

  • It wasn’t enough for the University of Michigan to just add one of the top freshman classes in the NCAA to their program next year, including potential 2019 first-round picks out of the U.S. National Team Development program in Cam York and John Beecher. No, the Wolverines scoured the transfer market and are now adding one the top available graduate players as well. College hockey insider Jeff Cox reports that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute standout Jacob Hayhurst will transfer to Michigan next year for his fourth and final collegiate season. Hayhurst, 22, enjoyed an impressive stretch at RPI. As a freshman, the talented forward was third on the team in scoring and in each of the past two seasons, he has been even better, leading the Engineers in points. Meanwhile, Hayhurst somehow managed to graduate from RPI in just three years as well and can thus move on to a new program without having to sit for a transfer year. In Hayhurst, the Wolverines are adding an intelligent and skilled forward, who makes up for his lack of size with vision and quickness. After losing Quinn Hughes to the pros, the addition of Hayhurst (and York) should help to keep Michigan’s power play lethal next season.
  • One of the leaders of the two-time defending champion University of Minnesota – Duluth Bulldogs has found a home in the pros. The AHL’s Texas Stars announced today that hard-working forward Parker MacKay has signed a one-year deal with team. MacKay, who steadily improved over his four years at UMD, topped out at 16 goals and 33 points as a senior, which both led the team. MacKay, 24, is a tough, talented forward who wins puck battles and creates offense with his effort. He did just that in the National Championship game this year, recording a goal and assist to earn Frozen Four MVP honors. While a relatively late college free agent signing, MacKay is sure to make an immediate impact for Texas next season and could have NHL upside if he continue to be a force at the pro level.

Snapshots: Samberg, Moutrey, Mikheyev

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The Winnipeg Jets won’t be signing one of their top defensive prospects this summer, as Dylan Samberg is heading back to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for next season according to Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune. Samberg recently completed his sophomore year and has won consecutive NCAA titles with the Bulldogs.

Originally selected 43rd overall in 2017, Samberg has developed into one of the most feared defensemen in the country and looked ready to make the jump to professional hockey this season. The 6’4″ 215-lbs defender has twice suited up for Team USA at the World Juniors, bringing home silver and bronze medals. That’s a lot of hardware for the young Samberg, who could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021 if Winnipeg fails to sign him.

  • The Rockford IceHogs will have Nick Moutrey around for another year, as the team announced today that they have signed the 23-year old center to a one-year AHL contract. Moutrey was a fourth-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 but has failed to reach the NHL. The 6’3″ forward had just five points in 49 games this season, but will provide another big body willing to go into the corners for the IceHogs next year.
  • Reports out of Russia make it sounds like the Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs are the final two contenders for Russian forward Ilya Mikheyev, but he won’t announce his decision quite yet. The 24-year old winger will see his KHL contract with Avangard Omsk expire at the end of the month, making him free to sign with whoever he wants. After scoring 45 points in 62 games this season there were several teams chasing his services.

Jay O’Brien Leaving Providence College

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Wednesday: Not so fast, apparently. Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to O’Brien, who confirmed he is leaving Providence but denied that he’s heading to the BCHL. The young forward has not yet decided where he will play next season.

Tuesday: It was a frustrating season for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jay O’Brien, who struggled through injury during his freshman year at Providence College. It now seems as though he’ll be playing in a new league, as Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports that O’Brien is in the transfer portal and is expected to play in the BCHL next season. O’Brien would be ruled out of NCAA play in 2019-20 if he transferred to a new school.

O’Brien, 19, recorded just two goals and five points in 25 games for Providence, not exactly the season he was expecting after the Flyers selected him 19th overall last June. While that was a bit higher than many expected—Bob McKenzie of TSN for instance had O’Brien 34th in his final rankings—it’s not like he was a completely off-the-board pick. The offensive forward had dominated the high school level, but was relatively unproven given his lack of playing time with the USNTDP. He did make the cut as a member of Team USA at the most recent World Juniors, but failed to record a single point in seven games.

Cox reports that O’Brien will likely play for the Penticton Vees, a legendary BCHL program that has recently produced NHL players like Ryan Johansen, Troy Stecher, Tyson Jost, Dante Fabbro, and has a history that includes names like Paul Kariya, Duncan Keith and Brett Hull.

The Flyers could also sign O’Brien and bring him into the organization, but if they don’t wish to do that at this point they will still retain his exclusive negotiating rights. They will hold these until June 1st, 2022 even if he leaves school early.

Mikey Anderson Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed Mikey Anderson to a three-year, entry-level contract, ending his college career. Anderson recently won the NCAA Championship with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, but will start his professional career in 2019-20.

Anderson, 19, knows winning and little else at the collegiate level after taking home the title two years in a row. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, he has quickly become a top prospect in the Kings system and one of the most effective defensemen in the country at his level. Not only did he put up 27 points in 40 games for the Bulldogs, but Anderson also captained Team USA at the most recent World Juniors where he recorded five points in seven games en route to a silver medal.

There’s still plenty for the 6’0″ 196-lbs defenseman to work on before suiting up in the NHL, but the fact that both sides think he’s ready for professional hockey is a testament to how hard he has worked to develop over the last two seasons. The Kings are beginning a rebuild that may take a while, but Anderson should feature prominently in it over the next few years.

AHL Notes: Studnicka, Conway, Bouchard, Jones, Howdeshell

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The Providence Bruins face the tall task of defeating the Charlotte Checkers in their first-round match-up of the Calder Cup Playoffs, after Charlotte’s historic season earned them the top seed in the Eastern Conference. If Providence is able to do so, it will likely be in no small part due to the efforts of their newest addition. Forward Jack Studnicka, the Boston Bruins’ 2017 second-round pick and the player considered by many to be their top prospect, has joined Providence following the end of his junior season. In a strange turnaround, Studnicka and the stacked Niagara Ice Dogs simply could not figure out fellow Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser in net and were surprisingly knocked off by his Oshawa Generals in the second round of the OHL Playoffs. Oshawa had traded Studnicka to Niagara earlier in the season, yet somehow emerged from the match-up with their former captain. Now, Stunicka has to move on from his junior season and try to help Providence immediately in their own playoff run. He was able to make an instant impact last year, recording five points in five games with the P-Bruins. This time around, he could be an even bigger threat. Studnicka scored at better than a point-per-game pace with both Oshawa and Niagara this season, totaling 83 points in 60 games. He’s also trying to impress the Boston brass, as Studnicka’s OHL career is over and this is his first step toward cracking the Bruins’ roster next season. Adding a motivated and talented top prospect to the mix should be a major boost for Providence.

The P-Bruins have also added a local product to the roster, reports Mark Divver of The Providence Journal. Divver writes that Providence College senior Scott Conway has joined the team and has signed a one-year AHL contract as well. Conway, 24, is coming off an interesting collegiate career, in which he showed consistent success but also flashed next-level ability that never fully manifested. After his freshman year at Penn State University, in which he recorded a respectable 26 points in 34 games, Conway opted to leave the program and played the 2015-16 season outside of the NCAA with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Conway was a star in the BCHL, amassing a league-leading 116 points while skating alongside Colorado Avalanche center Tyson Jost and quickly committed to a new college team in Providence. Yet, in three seasons with the Friars, Conway’s numbers were no better than they were with the Nittany Lions. It’s thus unclear what the ceiling may be for the experienced English forward, who dominated the junior-A level, but failed to reach stardom at the college level. The Bruins likely got a good look at the local product and willing to see what he can bring to the table next season.

  • Like Studnicka, two other highly-touted junior prospects have also joined their respective AHL teams for the playoff run. Defenseman Evan Bouchard, who played in seven games with the Edmonton Oilers to begin the season, has been assigned to the Bakersfield Condors, the team announced. Last year’s tenth overall pick notched 53 points in 45 games with the OHL’s London Knights this year and added another three points at the World Juniors with Team Canada. Bouchard is a near-lock to make the Oilers out of camp next season and can further improve those odds with a strong stretch of play for the Condors. Ben Jones, a seventh-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, has already proven to be a steal and will look to advance that title with his first pro experience. A teammate of Studnicka’s in Niagara, Jones led the team with 102 points on the year, but was held in check in the postseason compared to his fellow Ice Dogs standouts. Nevertheless, Jones will still be an exciting addition for the Chicago Wolves after a top-ten scoring season in the OHL. Having graduated from the junior level, this is also a peak into what’s in store for Jones next season in the pros.
  • Like Conway, another promising undrafted prospect has been brought in by an AHL team just prior to the postseason, only that team didn’t qualify for the postseason. Forward Keeghan Howdeshell of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds has signed a one-year deal with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his former club revealed. The Roadrunners are already looking ahead to next season after failing to grab one of the final spots in the Western Conference playoff picture, much like their parent club. Howdeshell, 21, finished tied for second in scoring for the Greyhounds this year with 77 points in 66 games. The U.S. National Team Development Program product seemed likely to be drafted but was instead passed over several times. He has since re-established his value and will look to translate his game to the pro level with Tuscon next season. A strong campaign could lead to Howdeshell earning an entry-level deal with the Arizona Coyotes.

Nashville Predators Sign Josh Wilkins

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Thursday: Nashville has indeed won the bidding on Wilkins, signing him to a two-year entry-level contract.

Wednesday: Providence had a strong run to close the college season, making it to the Frozen Four semifinals before being ousted by the eventual champions at Minnesota Duluth.  They’ve lost defenseman Jacob Bryson and winger Brandon Duhaime in recent days and it appears they may not be done yet.  Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports (Twitter link) that center Josh Wilkins could soon be turning pro with the Predators being as the likely destination.

The 21-year-old just wrapped up his third year with the Friars and it was his best by far.  After collecting 31 points in each of his first two seasons, he took a big step forward offensively with 46 points (20-26-46) in 40 games, eclipsing the point-per-game mark for the first time.  That allowed him to lead the team in scoring by seven points.

As a result of his strong season, Wilkins was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team as well as the NCAA (East) Second All-American Team.  Nashville has been active this month adding winger Lukas Craggs (Bowling Green) and defenseman Brandon Fortunato (Quinnipiac) and it appears they’re not done just yet.  Assuming a deal does get done, he will not be eligible to play in the postseason as he was not on their Reserve List past the trade deadline.

Atte Tolvanen To Play Overseas In 2019-20

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When the Syracuse Crunch signed Atte Tolvanen to an AHL contract for the rest of this season, it appeared as if they were courting the NCAA standout for a potential entry-level contract in 2019-20. Instead, Tolvanen was one of the players announced as signing contracts with the Lahti Pelicans of Finland’s Liiga today. The deal is apparently a two-year contract starting next season, ending the goaltender’s strong run in North America.

Undrafted, Tolvanen spent four years as the starter for Northern Michigan University and was a Hobey Baker nominee this season. He recorded a .917 save percentage through 39 games, posting five shutouts and a 21-16-2 record for the WCHA school. The brother of Nashville Predators prospect Eeli Tolvanen, he joined the Crunch down the stretch and showed he can also be successful at the AHL level, recording a .928 save percentage through six games. He’ll stay with the Crunch through the Calder Cup playoffs, but won’t be joining an NHL organization for next season.

Because they signed him to just an AHL deal, the Lightning will not retain any exclusive rights with Tolvanen going forward. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent again in a couple of seasons, and could potentially be a target for the NHL. It’s not as if he is the very best goaltending prospect in the world, but at just 24 there is still time for him to improve and show how dominant he can be with professional defensemen in front of him.

Dallas Stars Sign Riley Tufte

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Another top NCAA forward will be leaving the college ranks, as Riley Tufte has decided to leave the University of Minnesota-Duluth and sign with the Dallas Stars. The big winger recently recorded an assist in the NCAA championship game as UMD downed UMass 3-0 to win their second consecutive title. He’ll give up his senior season to start his professional career, signing a three-year entry-level contract.

Tufte, 21, is a player who has been on the radar of NHL teams for quite some time, going back to his days as a dominant high school player in Minnesota. The 6’6″ winger was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 2016 after scoring 78 points in 25 games as the captain of Blaine High, and took that success to the college level by joining one of the best programs in the country at UMD. Though his offense would waver at times during his collegiate career, Tufte still leaves with 64 points in 121 games and a whole bunch of wins under his belt. During his time there he also took home a World Juniors bronze medal.

It’s hard to know if his offensive game will ever really be good enough to justify the 25th-overall selection that Dallas used on Tufte in 2016, but there are certainly other attributes he brings to the table that could get him into the NHL. In fact, professional hockey may actually suit his game well as his size, reach and skating ability are all good enough to survive in the tighter checking atmosphere.

He may take some time in the minor leagues to develop, but the Stars hope they have another signature big two-way player to add to their group. GM Jim Nill seems to be building a brand of hockey that Tufte fits right into, but he’ll need to find a way to put the puck in the net to really thrive at the next level.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jacob Pritchard

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Wednesday: The Hurricanes have officially announced the contract, noting that it will begin in the 2019-20 season and pay Pritchard $750K at the NHL level. GM Don Waddell released a short statement about his newest player:

Jacob had a very productive year playing for one of the top teams in college hockey at UMass. He was highly effective on the power play this season and we’re excited to see what he can do at the professional level.

Tuesday: Cale Makar drew a lot of the attention for the University of Massachusetts this season, and deservedly so, as the Hobey Baker winner proved last night that he is a truly elite player ready to make an immediate difference at the NHL level. However, he was not the only difference-maker on a Minutemen squad that made their first ever National Championship Game appearance this past weekend. Now, another key player is being recognized for his pro potential. According to UMass head coach Greg Carvel, graduate forward Jacob Pritchard has signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

While the Hurricanes have yet to officially announce the deal, Carvel is the most trusted source there is when it comes to Pritchard. The two share a close bond, as it was Carvel who originally recruited Pritchard to St. Lawrence University and coached him through his first year of college hockey. After Carvel left for Amherst, Pritchard played two more years for St. Lawrence before transferring to UMass to again play for his old coach. And it was this season with the Minutemen that he truly broke out and showed NHL upside. Pritchard recorded 47 points in 41 games while skating on UMass’ top line with All-American Mitchell Chaffee. While Chaffee and Makar received more accolades, Pritchard quietly finished tied for fifth in the NCAA in scoring, just two points behind Makar and five points ahead of Chaffee. He also tied for fourth overall in college hockey in assists.

Pritchard, 24, is only able to sign a one-year entry-level deal. Unlike Makar, it seems highly unlikely that the Hurricanes will rush to play their new addition in the postseason, meaning the team will get to take next season to evaluate the mature prospect before deciding what his next contract will look like. In the meantime, expect Pritchard to join the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on an amateur tryout basis to continue his season in the minor league playoffs. In Pritchard, Carolina is getting a smart, creative offensive player. The left winger has strong offensive instincts, developed over time with the U.S. National Team Development Programs, two junior leagues, and two college programs. While his game is in his puck possession in open space and quick decision-making to set up goals, he can also attack the net and notched 16 goals for UMass this year. With an experienced game and versatile skill set, Pritchard should be able to adapt well to the pro game. The only question left is whether this late bloomer can continue to grow his game to the point that he can make an impact in the NHL. For that, he picked the right place, as Charlotte has had great success under head coach and assistant GM Mike Vellucci and the Hurricanes have reaped the benefits of well-prepared prospects. This bodes well for Pritchard at the next level.

Fortunately for UMass fans, this was an expected departure and will likely be the last core player to leave this off-season. Although Chaffee had a great season, he is an undrafted prospect and only a sophomore and it would be a surprise to see him turn pro. San Jose Sharks draft picks Mario Ferraro and John Leonard are also sophomores are there has been little talk of either signing this summer. A pair of standout freshmen, defenseman Marc Del Gaizo and goalie Filip Lindberg, stand a decent chance of being selected in June in their second time through the NHL Draft, but neither one would then turn pro immediately. The losses of Makar and Pritchard will certainly be felt, but otherwise the team will return the bulk of their lineup next season, plus top recruit and presumptive mid-round draft pick Zachary Jones. The ride is not over in Amherst.

Snapshots: Sandelin, Maclean, Wilder

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Fresh off his third straight National Championship Game appearance and second straight NCAA title, University of Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin has been handed another prominent coaching position and deservedly so. NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that Sandelin has been named the head coach of the USA Hockey entry into the 2020 U-20 World Junior Championships. Team USA, which has medaled in each of the past four World Juniors, has often been led by an NCAA coach, including Sandelin himself back in 2005. In this past tournament, in which the team finished with the silver medal, Sandelin served as an assistant to Mike Hastings, his in-state rival from Minnesota State University, but a change is in order. USA Hockey, led by GM John Vanbiesbrouck, have made the move to Sandelin, who has a clear track record of winning in recent years. Sandelin was excited to accept the position, stating:

The World Junior Championship is one of the greatest hockey tournaments on the calendar each year and it’s an honor to represent our country as head coach. Last year, we fell just short of our goal, so to have the opportunity to come back and get another chance at helping our country win a gold medal is exciting. The expectation for the United States in this tournament is to contend for gold and I’m excited to begin the process towards continuing the success those before us have established.

  • Paul Maclean is heading back behind the bench. The Jack Adams Award-winning former NHL coach is expected to be named the head coach and general manager of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Sportsnet reports. Maclean, a native of nearby Antigonish, Nova Scotia, will replace Marc-Andre Dumont in both roles, after he was fired today following the team’s playoff exit. Maclean last coached in 2016-17 as an assistant for the Anaheim Ducks, but spent four seasons as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators, including his Jack Adams campaign in 2012-13, and had previous stops as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings and a prior stint with the “Mighty Ducks” as well. His addition is a major boost for Cape Breton, a club without much of a winning history. The Screaming Eagles are still looking for their first QMJHL Final appearance since joining the league in 1997 and hope that Maclean can take them there and potentially win them a title.
  • It’s going to be an embarrassment of riches in net for the Boston College Eagles for the next few years. Despite losing star keeper Joseph Woll to the pros, the Eagles were already set to add Spencer Knight out of the U.S. National Team Development Program as their new starter next season. Knight is considered a generational talent in goal and expected to be first-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft. However, the Eagles also landed a 2020 commitment today from Henry Wilder, recently tabbed by NHL Central Scouting at the No. 14 draft-eligible goalie in North America. While that ranking doesn’t necessarily mean that Wilder will be drafted, it is a distinct possibility. Either way, BC will undoubtedly have one of the top young tandems in all college hockey, if not all of amateur hockey, in two years time. If Knight lives up to his billing in the NCAA, he is unlikely to last four years with the Eagles, but Wilder is now an excellent fallback plan. The athletic young netminder just finished a strong season at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and will have one more year of development under his belt before arriving at BC to form a formidable duo with Knight.

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