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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.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Jacob Bryson

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Jacob Bryson to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin for the 2019-20 season, but Bryson has signed an amateur tryout to join the Rochester Americans for the rest of this year. The 21-year old recently completed his junior season at Providence College, but will not be returning to the NCAA.

Bryson may not be a household name, but he certainly shouldn’t be overlooked as an NHL prospect. The 5’9″ 178-lbs defenseman was selected 99th overall in 2017 and has developed into one of the better college players in the country. Recording 28 points in 42 games this season for Providence he was named to the Hockey East Second All-Star team (he was a First All-Star last year) and won the conference Sportsmanship award for the second consecutive year. There are few players in all of college hockey that can skate as well as Bryson, who uses elite acceleration and edge work to make up for his lack of size in the defensive zone.

The Sabres have several young defensemen in the organization now, including NHL stalwarts Rasmus Dahlin, Rasmus Ristolainen and Brandon Montour. While Bryson has a long way to go to be considered part of that group, his addition only strengthens the positional depth for the Sabres and gives them another option to break camp with as early as next season. More likely the youngster will have to spend some more time and the AHL level, but as contracts for Zach Bogosian, Marco Scandella and Matt Hunwick start to expire—all three are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2020—Bryson will surely get a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level

Detroit Red Wings Agree To Terms With Filip Larsson

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The Detroit Red Wings have added some goaltending depth to their system, agreeing to terms with Filip Larsson on a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2019-20 season, meaning Larsson will not be returning to the University of Denver for his sophomore year.

Larsson’s freshman season came to a disappointing end recently as the Denver Pioneers were ousted from the NCAA Frozen Four by UMass. Larsson had posted shutouts in the opening two rounds of the tournament, and had a .932 save percentage in 22 appearances during the season. The sixth-round pick from 2016 has developed quite nicely in his time in North America, dominating the USHL and NCAA ranks while also bringing home a silver medal at the World Juniors.

Pacific Notes: Vlasic, Eakin, Anderson

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With the series hitting Vegas and both teams deadlocked at one, the San Jose Sharks already have hit a road bump as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that the head coach Peter DeBoer said the team will be inserting reserve defenseman Tim Heed into the lineup and Marc-Edouard Vlasic will miss Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.

Vlasic left Friday’s game during the second period after replays look like he blocked a shot from Shea Theodore with his arm, although Kurz wonders whether the shot may have gone off his head. DeBoer declined to reveal where the puck hit Vlasic. While the 32-year-old’s point totals have dropped this season, he still is the team’s third-best defenseman on the team behind Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson and averaged 21:07 of ATOI this season, which will be a big loss for a Sharks’ team that will want to win one of the next two games to regain home-ice advantage.

The loss of Vlasic will likely mean even more minutes for both Burns and Karlsson. Burns has averaged more than 28 minutes in the first two games of the series, while Karlsson broke 29 minutes in Game 2. Heed will likely be paired with Justin Braun. The team also has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Barracuda, according to CapFriendly.

  • Vegas Golden Knights third-line center Cody Eakin will be ready to go after suffering an injury to his face during Friday’s game on a hit from Timo Meier, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Eakin was seen on the ice this morning with a jaw protector attached to his helmet. The 27-year-old Eakin finished the season with a career-high 22 goals this season.
  • ESPN’s Chris Peters reports that Los Angeles Kings defenseman Michael Anderson has likely played his last collegiate game after the University of Minnesota-Duluth blueliner won his second-straight NCAA championship Saturday. Expect the Kings to sign the 19-year-old sophomore to an entry-level contract soon. Anderson, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2017, is considered to be a solid shutdown defender with impressive leadership skills.

 

 

Colorado Avalanche Sign Cale Makar To Entry-Level Contract

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Despite some recent doubts, the Colorado Avalanche have indeed signed top prospect Cale Makar to an entry-level contract beginning this season, as had been expected all along. The team has announced a three-year contract with Makar, as well as indicating that he will join the team immediately in their first-round playoff series. Makar’s collegiate career came to an end last night when the University of Massachusetts failed to complete the storybook season with a loss to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the National Championship Game. Makar wasted no time in moving to the next stage of his career though, turning pro about twelve hours later.

Makar, 20, was the fourth overall pick in 2017 and fans in Colorado have been excited for his arrival ever since. The dynamic defenseman is considered by many to be the best prospect in hockey, a title helped along by Makar being named the Hobey Baker Award winner on Friday night as the best player in college hockey. Makar finished second among all NCAA defensemen in both goals and assists and is third in scoring among all players this season. An elite play-maker with skating ability, vision, and awareness beyond his years, Makar is an offensive force. However, he is not afraid to play physical as well, as he showcased in the National Championship Game. Makar’s highlight-reel goals and assists may get the most attention, but he also breaks up plays with regularity and is a smart, instinctual defensive player. Makar led UMass with 49 points in 41 games this year, but also led the team with a +32 rating. While many Minutemen players had big seasons and were well coached by Greg Carvel, it is fair to say that Makar was the driving force behind the program’s best season ever.

UMass fans will certainly be sad to see Makar go, especially after just two years in Amherst, but it was inevitable for a player who is ready to make an impact in the NHL right away. In the Avalanche’s release, GM Joe Sakic called Makar “a game-changing type of player” and applauded his success at the college level. Colorado is so eager to get Makar into the lineup, that they will let him burn the first year of his contract for possibly just a few games and will also have to protect him in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Yet, after defeating the Calgary Flames in Game Two to tie the series, the Avs may see Makar’s addition as a way to further strengthen their team as they look to pull off the 1-8 upset in the Western Conference. It is not clear if Makar will be in the lineup immediately on Monday night, but it would not be a surprise, as Colorado is eager to debut their new star.

Central Notes: Makar, Seabrook, Boyle

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While the Colorado Avalanche face off against the Calgary Flames tonight, management may be looking in another direction for a short while as the team’s top prospect, University of Massachussetts defenseman Cale Makar, will finish his college season tonight after the NCAA National Championship concludes.

In that manner, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes that the Avalanche intend to sign Makar to a entry-level contract the moment the game ends with the idea of burning his first year this season. However, whether that will make him available for Game 3 of the Avalanche’s playoff series on Monday is another question. Head coach Jared Bednar shared that he too is still in the dark:

“Right now I’m worried about the guys in the room and the game tonight. Yeah, I’m sure it’s a possibility (Makar joins the team Sunday). I don’t know. But that’s a better question for (general manager) Joe (Sakic).”

Another possibility is the team signs him, but opts against playing Makar to preserve the first year of that entry-level contract as the team is already quite deep on defense and there are questions of how quickly Makar can adjust to the team’s system in just one or two days. Although much of that speculation will come after Makar has practiced with the team, maybe as early as Sunday.

  • The Daily Herald’s John Dietz writes that one interesting comment that came from general manager Stan Bowman a few days ago was his belief that veteran defenseman Brent Seabrook needs to make some changes to his off-season conditioning program. Seabrook who saw his playing time dramatically drop towards the end of the season, might want to make changes much like Jonathan Toews did last offseason that sparked his impressive season this year, according to Bowman. Seabrook, however, didn’t seem interested in making major changes this summer. “I’m not going to shake anything up, no,” Seabrook said. “I lost my trainer … so last year was my first summer with (the Blackhawks’) Paul Goodman and I thought it went real good, and (I) felt good coming into this season. Continue doing that.”
  • The Nashville Predators are without forward Brian Boyle in Saturday’s Game 2 against the Dallas Stars due to illness, according to the Tennsessean’s Erik Bacharach. Boyle is day-to-day, but will be missed as he is known for his hits, including a big hit against Stars’ forward Jason Dickinson early in Game 1. The Predators replaced him in the lineup with Rocco Grimaldi.

NCAA All-American Selections Announced

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The college hockey season is wrapping up, beginning with Thursday night’s Frozen Four semifinal games, tonight’s end of the year awards banquet, and finally tomorrow’s National Championship game. Many awards were handed out tonight, including the Hobey Baker Award, but the NCAA also announced this year’s All-American rosters, as voted on by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The teams are as follows:

First-Team All-Americans – East

G Cayden Primeau, Northeastern University (MTL)
D Adam Fox, Harvard University (CAR)
D Cale Makar, University of Massachusetts (COL)
F Mitchell Chaffee, University of Massachusetts
F Ryan Kuffner, Princeton University (DET)
F Nico Sturm, Clarkson University (MIN)

First-Team All-Americans – West

G Hunter Shepard, University of Minnesota – Duluth
D Quinn Hughes, University of Michigan (VAN)
D Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University (VGK)
F Taro Hirose, Michigan State University (DET)
F Patrick Newell, St. Cloud State University (NYR)
F Rem Pitlick, University of Minnesota (NSH)

Second-Team All-Americans – East

G Andrew Shortridge, Quinnipiac University (SJS)
D Jeremy Davies, Northeastern University (NJD)
D Joseph Duszak, Mercyhurst University (TOR)
F Blake Christensen, American International College
F David Cotton, Boston College (CAR)
F Josh Wilkins, Providence College

Second-Team All-Americans – West

G Joey Daccord, Arizona State University (OTT)
D Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State University
D Bobby Nardella, University of Notre Dame (WAS)
D Scott Perunovich, University of Minnesota – Duluth (STL)
F Mason Jobst, Ohio State University (NYI)
F Blake Lizotte, St. Cloud State University (LAK)
F Troy Loggins, Northern Michigan University

The St. Cloud Huskies led the way with four All-American selections, which is little surprise from a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country for much of the year. Yet, St. Cloud won’t be playing in the National Championship game this year. Instead, it will be the UMass Minutemen and UMD Bulldogs. UMass, the only other team with two first-team selections, features the Hobey Baker winner Makar, while Duluth includes two All-Americans as well. Northeastern goalie Primeau was also named the Mike Richter Award winner as the best goalie in the country and was one of two selections from the Huskies. While not included among the All-Americans, Boston University forward Joel Farabee (PHI) was named the Tim Taylor Award recipient as rookie of the year.

Cale Makar Named 2019 Hobey Baker Award Winner

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On Friday night, the top player in all of college hockey was announced as University of Massachusetts sophomore defenseman Cale Makar. Makar was named this year’s recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the highest honor in NCAA Men’s Hockey, at a special event held in Buffalo, New York, the site of this year’s Frozen Four Championship. However, Makar is in Buffalo for more than just an awards banquet, as he and UMass defeated the University of Denver in overtime on Thursday and will play for the National Championship tomorrow night. Makar, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is then expected to join the Colorado Avalanche in their first-round postseason series as early as Monday. Talk about a wild week.

Makar edged out two other talented defensemen for the Hobey Baker this year; his fellow “Hat Trick Finalists” were Harvard University’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State University’s Jimmy Schuldt. This was the first time that all three finalists were defensemen, as voting has begun to favor defensemen more in recent years than it had in the past. University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher won the award in 2017, but prior to that it had not gone to a blue liner since Boston University’s Matt Gilroy in 2009. Like Butcher, now with the New Jersey Devils, Makar, Fox, and Schuldt are all expected to step into immediate NHL roles once turning pro. Schuldt, an undrafted senior, has already signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, while Makar will soon do the same with the Avalanche. Fox, a junior, has been the subject of controversy with not one, but two different NHL teams already, as he has been reluctant to sign with the team that drafted him, the Calgary Flames, and his current rights holder, the Carolina Hurricanes. As a result, the speculation is that Fox will return to Harvard for his senior season and could be a Hobey Baker candidate again next season.

As for the man of the hour, it’s hard to argue that Makar was not deserving of this recognition. Considered by many to be the top prospect in hockey, Makar is a generational talent in terms of his skating and ability to move the puck. Makar is an elite play-maker with vision and creativity, but is far from just an offensive specialist. He is not afraid to play physical, breaks up plays with consistency, and is a smart positional player. Makar holds a team-high 49 points in 40 games this year, but also leads UMass with a +33 rating. Nationally, Makar is second among all defensemen in both goals and assists and is third in scoring among all players, but still has one game remaining with the National Championship still to come.

The next step for Makar will be to sign his standard three-year entry-level contract, but the 20-year-old is likely to burn his first year immediately by suiting up for Colorado as soon as possible. He will then challenge for and likely succeed in landing a starting role for the Avalanche next season and should wind up as a top-four if not top-pair defensemen for the team by the end of the 2019-20 season. The dynamic defender will undoubtedly be one of the favorites to win the Calder Trophy next season as the best rookie in the NHL. Despite the unbelievable streak that Makar is on right now, the best is yet to come for the promising prospect.

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