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West Notes: Kesler, Mitchell, Canucks

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The Anaheim Ducks are well out of the playoff race in the Western Conference, meaning they don’t need to rush players back from injury for the last bit of the season. That could mean that Ryan Kesler’s year is finished after 60 games, given his chronic hip pain and absence recently. GM Bob Murray told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register that he doesn’t know if Kesler will play again this season, and that if Kesler were willing to shut down for the year and start the recovery process it “would be fine.”

The veteran center broke the 1000-game threshold just this month, but is a shadow of his former self and has just eight points on the season. The 34-year old has three more years on his contract but seems like a candidate for long-term injured reserve at some point in the future, if his hip injury doesn’t improve.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have their eye on second round pick Ian Mitchell as he progresses at the University of Denver, and Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) caught up with the young defenseman to get a read on whether he would be willing to sign after this season. Mitchell wouldn’t commit to anything, but explained that a recent rumor of him not wanting to sign in Chicago wasn’t true. “I want to play for the Blackhawks as soon as I can,” Mitchell told Powers, though he is still focused on taking Denver as far as they can go this year.
  • Speaking of the college market, the Vancouver Canucks are still eyeing potential NCAA defensemen even after inking Quinn Hughes and Josh Teves over the last few days. That’s what GM Jim Benning told Ben Kuzma of The Province yesterday, explaining that they would like to sign one more defenseman out of the college ranks. It’s not clear who they have their eye on, but with names like Jimmy Schuldt still to sign there is plenty of talent to recruit over the next few days and weeks. The Canucks have a great example to point to during that recruitment process, as Troy Stetcher has found great success with the team since signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2016.

College Free Agent Signings: Gosselin, McLaughlin, Canisius

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As the next round of NCAA conference tournaments get underway tonight, the stars of those college squads already eliminated from postseason contention continue to find new homes in the pros. To date, 17 undrafted free agents out of Division I have signed their first pro deal, not including tryout offers. While the majority have been with ECHL clubs, after the flurry of activity in the past 24 hours there have been four players to ink AHL contracts and six to sign NHL entry-level deals. While the big league contracts garner the most attention, there is a fair bit of intrigue with minor league deals as well. The decisions to sign free agents to minor league contracts or tryouts often comes from the top, with the NHL parent club having interest in seeing how those players can develop. Oftentimes college free agents will even sign one-year deals for the remainder of the season in hopes of proving themselves worthy of a better contract in the coming off-season. So while the minor league deals may not seem as exciting, don’t sleep on their potential meaning.

  • Kurt Gosselin, four-year mainstay on the blue line for the enigmatic University of Alabama – Hunstsville, is headed to the pros. The AHL’s Rochester Americans announced that they have signed Gosselin to a one-year, two-way AHL contract for next season and that he will play out the rest of the season on an amateur tryout with their ECHL affiliate, the Cincinnati Cyclones. Gosselin, 24, plays a mature, well-rounded game on the back end. He has led all Chargers defensemen in scoring in each of the past two seasons, posting a career-high in per-game production this year with 15 points in 25 games. He also led the team in assists and plus/minus this season. At 6’1″, 201 lbs., Gosselin can hold his own in the checking game as well. Gosselin earned recognition for his solid defensive game and offensive contributions by being named the first ever all-conference selection out of Alabama-Huntsville in 2016-17. An accomplished collegiate defenseman, the Americans hope that he can adjust to the pro level and play a valuable role for them next season. The Buffalo Sabres will undoubtedly keep an eye on him as well.
  • While Gosselin moves from Alabama to upstate New York next season, the top player from Canisius College in Buffalo will make his way to Illinois. Dylan McLaughlin, a top-ten goal scorer in the NCAA this year, has signed a two-year AHL contract with the Rockford Ice Hogs, per a team release. McLaughlin, 23, was Hobey Baker candidate last season when he posted 48 points in 37 games for the Golden Griffins. While his point total fell to 40 this year, he tallied two more goals for 19 on the year and further asserted himself as a natural scorer. A top-ten pick in the USHL Draft in 2011, McLaughlin’s offensive ability has always been apparent and now the next step will be to take the game that he has polished over four years at Canisius and adapt it to the AHL. The Chicago Blackhawks have been known to get the most out of players with strong offensive instincts and should have a keen interest in McLaughlin’s development in Rockford.
  • The Atlantic Hockey Conference may be the weakest in the NCAA and Canisius finished dead last in their standings this season, but that hasn’t stopped several pro teams from jumping at their top players. Following an early exit from the conference tournament, McLaughlin signed in the AHL and defensemen Ian Edmondson and Jimmy Mazza were right behind him with ECHL deals. Mazza, 24, has signed with the Reading Royals for the remainder of the season. Mazza led all Golden Griffins defenders with a career-high 24 points this season. Mazza has good size and awareness and will look to show down the stretch and in the ECHL postseason that he is perhaps worthy of an AHL deal next season. Edmondson, 24, has signed for the rest of the season as well, but with the Wichita Thunder. Less of an offensive threat than Mazza, but a dependable defender for four seasons with Canisius, Edmondson will be a nice option on the back end in the ECHL. While obviously a function of some of the lesser teams in college hockey having their seasons end first, no one could have expected that at any point in the college free agent market that Ferris State University and Canisius College would lead the way in pro signings, but such is the case so far.

Toronto Maple Leafs To Sign Joseph Duszak

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Wednesday: The Maple Leafs have officially signed Duszak to a two-year entry-level contract, but notably the deal is termed a “future” contract likely meaning it doesn’t kick in until the 2019-20 season. That would afford the Maple Leafs another year under the inexpensive deal, but would prevent Duszak from suiting up for the NHL team this season. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Duszak will join the Toronto Marlies on a tryout contract for the rest of this season.

It’s not often that top college free agents agree to start their entry-level deals in the future, usually signing with the team that offers to burn that first season right away. The 21-year old apparently decided that the Maple Leafs were still the best option for his development, to the benefit of the team. He’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021.

Tuesday: The Toronto Maple Leafs have had trouble finding long-term options for the right side of their defense, so they have taken a swing with a college free agent. College Hockey News’ Mike McMahon reports that the team has signed Mercyhurst University defenseman Joseph Duszak to an entry-level contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman  also indicated that the Leafs have been looking at Duszak for some time and now have their man. An official announcement with contract terms is expected soon.

Duszak, 21, just completed a stellar NCAA season by any metric. Not only did he lead all defenseman in scoring, but the talented blue liner finished third overall in scoring with 47 points in 37 games. He also led Mercyhurst across the board with goals, assists, and plus/minus. After three productive collegiate seasons, it was clear that there was little development left for Duszak at Mercyhurst. The standout junior has a veteran hockey sense and great vision and play-making ability. The Athletic’s prospect guru Scott Wheeler opined early this season that he “makes plays every time he’s on the ice” and encouraged an NHL team to sign him. The puck-moving defenseman clearly has some impressive skill on the offensive side, but plays a competent defensive game as well. His potential has caught the eye of several teams, writes McMahon, including Toronto’s division rival, the Boston Bruins.

The only concern for Duszak is how he will adjust to playing against much tougher competition. The Atlantic Hockey Conference is the NCAA’s weakest and Duszak has racked up his numbers while playing against underwhelming opposition. He’s also on the smaller side at 5’10”, 185 lbs. and that may become a bigger factor when he can’t simply skate circles around the other team. However, Duszak’s play also came on an equally weak Mercyhurst team and he has had to play in all situations for the Lakers. His production over the last few years is nothing to write off, but there is likely work to be done if he wants to replicate it in the pros. The Maple Leafs would love for Duszak to replace Sean Durzi, the small, right-handed possession defenseman they recently traded away to the Los Angeles Kings, but only time will tell if he can establish the same ceiling as the recent second-round pick.

Detroit Red Wings Sign NCAA Top Scorer Taro Hirose

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The Detroit Red Wings have added a local product, who also happened to be the highest scoring player in the NCAA this season. The team has announced a two-year entry-level contract with Michigan State standout Taro Hirose. The talented winger led the college ranks in assists, points, and multi-point games this season and now he joins Princeton’s Ryan Kuffner, also signed today, as two top collegiate talents heading to Detroit.

Hirose, 22, is a Calgary native who first started garnering attention as a top scorer in the BCHL back in 2015-16. Many considered it a surprise that Hirose was never drafted, though others have pointed to a lack of size and strength as deterring NHL teams from taking the risk. Hirose has defied the skepticism, taking his talents to Michigan State and excelling, despite a lack of equal ability around him. Hirose has led the Spartans in scoring in each of the past two years, this season taking his game to the next level with an NCAA-best 50 points in 36 games.

Hirose is a strong skater with both straight ahead speed and great quickness and also makes decisions at a fast pace. A high-end play-maker with good vision, Hirose was undoubtedly one of the most creative offensive players at the college level this season. However, the 5’10”, 161-lb. winger is undersized and wouldn’t be the first game-breaking talent out of the NCAA to struggle with the adjustment to the bigger, stronger NHL. He’ll need to continue working and exceeding expectations if he is to keep up his scoring prowess in the pros.

Despite Hirose’s best efforts, Michigan State was bounced early from the Big Ten Conference tournament and he immediately became one of the top targets on the college free agent market. Clearly, there was a draw to staying in-state with Detroit, but there may have been another incentive. It’s unclear as of yet whether Hirose will report to the Red Wings right away and burn the first year of his contract or if he will instead play out the year with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, but the former is more likely. Hirose is capable of contributing right away to a Detroit team with little left to play for this season and both sides could benefit from an early look at how he fits at the highest level. Even if his debut is held off until next season, Hirose will enter camp as an intriguing candidate for a top-nine role with the Red Wings next year.

NCAA Notes: Duszak, Hirose, Teves, Snively

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As college seasons came to an end in recent days, interest in undrafted free agents has increased. Here’s the latest on several of the top names:

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in right-handed defenseman Joseph Duszak from Mercyhurst University. Duszak fits in perfectly with the kind of selections GM Kyle Dubas has made over the last few years, and plays with an incredible amount of puck skill. Duszak led his team with 47 points in 37 games this season and is still just 21 years old.
  • Bob McKenzie of TSN already reported this morning that Max Veronneau was being pursued by nearly the entire league, but also notes that Ryan Kuffner from Princeton and Taro Hirose from Michigan State could make their decisions today or tomorrow. Hirose, a Calgary native, led the entire NCAA with 50 points this season and is sure to draw interest from all around the league.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet reports that the Vancouver Canucks have shown interested in Josh Teves from Princeton, another right-handed defenseman that experienced a lot of success at the collegiate level. Teves has recorded 78 points across his final three years at Princeton, but is already 24 and would be signing a one-year entry-level deal with whoever he chooses.
  • Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that even though Yale is still in the ECAC playoffs, Joe Snively has received interest from at least 20 NHL teams. Snively has long been an excellent offensive producer at the NCAA level, recording at least 28 points in each of his four years at Yale.

Snapshots: Hart, Forsberg, Ferland, Debrusk, Hirose

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The Philadelphia Flyers got some good news as it looks like rookie goaltender Carter Hart is healthy once again and could find himself in net as early as Monday against the Ottawa Senators, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi.

Hart has been out since Feb. 21 with an ankle injury, but he was also coming off two of his worst performances, having been pulled in back-to-back games in which he allowed three goals on just six shots in both appearances. If the team opts to start him against Ottawa, it would be an opportunity to ease him back into the lineup as the Senators are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games.

The 20-year-old Hart is having a impressive season considering he was not meant to spend it in the NHL. Originally slated to spend his first professional season in the AHL, he appeared in just 18 games before being promoted alongside interim head coach Scott Gordon when he was hired. Since then, Hart was helped the Flyers rebound from a tough start with a 13-8-1 record with a 2.79 GAA. While that number doesn’t stand out, his .917 save percentage does.

  • Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean writes that Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg missed Saturday’s game and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to the team. Forsberg missed practice Thursday and Friday, but was believed to be available for Saturday’s game, but didn’t play in the end. Forsberg missed 19 games with an upper-body injury earlier this season, although there is no word on whether this injury is related to that one. The 24-year-old has 22 goals and 41 points in 52 games this season.
  • Michael Smith of NHL.com reports that Carolina Hurricanes forward Micheal Ferland remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not travel with the team on their three-game roadtrip that started in Nashville today, according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Ferland has been having a solid season, putting up 17 goals and 35 points in 52 games. The 26-year-old has played under 14 minutes combined over the last two games.
  • The Boston Bruins’ Jake Debrusk is expected to miss a few more games as the forward is still in a walking boot, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa. While he’s expected to miss this weekend’s games, he could be back not long after that as head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Debrusk was the closest, of all their injured players, to return.
  • Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Los Angeles Kings are interested in undrafted Michigan State forward Taro Hirose, currently the NCAA leading scorer. According to Rosen, Hirose is friends with Kings’ prospect James Anderson-Dolan and could be convinced to sign with L.A. although there is no word on whether the junior forward is ready to leave college. He has 16 goals and 37 points this season for Michigan State.

Penguins Interested In Josh Wilkins

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The Penguins have been active in college free agency in the past with players like Zach Aston-Reese, Thomas DiPauli, and Adam Johnson all signing in recent years.  It appears that they have their eyes set on the NCAA market once again as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted in a reader chat that they have interest in Providence center Josh Wilkins.

The 21-year-old is in his junior season with the Friars and has been a consistent producer in each of his three years.  He recorded 31 points in each of his first two years and improved on that this season as he surpassed the point-per-game mark with 36 points (14-22-36) in just 34 contests.  Pittsburgh has certainly had plenty of opportunities to view Wilkins as he’s a teammate of 2016 second round selection Kasper Bjorkqvist.

Providence is set to kick off the Hockey East playoffs as the number two seed next week and a win in their first round matchup against Boston College would go a long way towards getting them a berth in the regionals with an eye on qualifying for the Frozen Four tournament.  The regionals don’t get underway until the end of the month so while Pittsburgh has interest in Wilkins, they may have to wait a little while yet before getting a chance to sign him.

New York Rangers Sign Goaltender Adam Huska

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The New York Rangers sure work quickly. The collegiate season of prospect goalie Adam Huska came to an end last night with an impressive (albeit meaningless) win for the University of Connecticut over the No. 2-ranked University of Massachusetts. Less than 12 hours since the final horn, Huska is now a pro. The Rangers have announced that they have signed the young keeper to a an entry-level contract. CapFriendly reports it is a two-year deal beginning next season, but financial terms are not yet available.

Huska, 21, has forfeited the final year of his NCAA eligibility to go pro, as the junior goaltender leaves UConn after three years and 69 games with the Huskies. The move comes as somewhat of a surprise considering the drop off in Huska’s play this season. After posting a .912 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 27 games last year, Huska’s save percentage fell to .896 this season while his goals against average ballooned to 3.34, resulting in just 21 games played as he lost starts to impressive freshman and Nashville Predators draft pick Tomas Vomacka. In fact, it was Vomacka in net last night for the big win. Most likely, the Rangers’ brass saw Huska losing the starting job to Vomacka next season and agreed to sign him to his first pro contract and thus control his usage at the ECHL level next season. If instead he does push for AHL time right away next season, he will ironically be right back in the same arena he played at with UConn, also shared by the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Despite some struggles, there is still reason to believe that Huska is an encouraging prospect for New York. A seventh-round draft pick out of Slovakia in 2015, Huska went on to be one of best goalies in the USHL the following season, being named Goaltender of the Year. He has also represented Slovakia several times at the World Junior Championships, gaining that invaluable experience against some of the best young players in the world. At 6’4″, 227 lbs., Huska has great size and athleticism. The fundamentals of his game need improvement and he will almost certainly spend several years in the minors before becoming an option in the NHL, but under the tutelage of the Rangers’ staff, Huska could see immediate improvement. He will have to work hard to earn recognition among a mountain of young goalies in the pipeline, including current backup Alexandar Georgiev, KHL star Igor Shestyorkin, UMass-Lowell standout Tyler Wall, and recent second-round pick Olof Lindbom, but it says a lot that the Rangers were willing to rush Huska out of the NCAA and into the pros.

Negotiation Notes: Kravtsov, Killins, Signing Deadline

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The New York Rangers are closing in on a contract with one of their top prospects. According to Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston, who relays a report from KHL insider Aivis Kalnins, Russian forward Vitali Kravtsov is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Rangers sooner rather than later. It’s unclear if Kravtsov, whose current club Traktor Chelyabinsk has been knocked out of the KHL playoffs, intends to play immediately this season or if the contract would begin next season. Either way, Rangers fans will be excited to have the talented teenager pushing for a roster spot. Kravtsov, the ninth overall pick in last year’s NHL Draft, stands 6’4″ and plays a physical game, but also has great speed and high-end skill. A total package on the wing, Kravtsov recorded 21 points in 50 games this season, rare production from a teenager in the KHL, as younger players typically receive little ice time. His size and skill set should translate well to the North American game and Kravtsov should find his way to New York without spending much time in the minors. If Kalnin’s report is accurate and Kravtsov signs in the coming days, he may even make his NHL debut this season.

 

NCAA Notes: Free Agent Market, Fabbro, Briere

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With the trade deadline over, the next event for NHL front offices to be focused on is the college free agent market and this year in particular they won’t have to wait very long. Some of the top names on the market belong to teams well outside the top 20-ranked teams in the NCAA and are long-shots for postseason play. With the regular season coming to an end on March 9th and conference tournaments knocking several more teams out thereafter, prominent college free agent signings could be less than two weeks away. Among the early names to watch is NCAA leading scorer Taro Hirose, whose efforts have somehow done little to keep Michigan State out of the basement of the Big Ten Conference. Hirose, 22, is a small, speedy winger with high-end play-making abilities that have helped him accumulate 50 points through 32 games this season. The junior forward could technically return for another college season, but with his stock as high as it may ever be, Hirose is likely to leave. Spartans teammate Patrick Khodorenko, also a junior, is enjoying a strong year as well and could follow Hirose to the pros. The second-highest scoring skater in college hockey is none other than a defenseman out of Mercyhurst University. Joseph Duszak is having a phenomenal year for a little-known program, recording 43 points through 33 games thus far and routinely showcasing elite puck-moving ability that is turning heads. Diszak is a junior as well, but is very likely to move on. Another top top defenseman is the University of Miami’s Grant Hutton, who spurned NHL offers as a junior last year to return for his senior campaign, but now nothing is stopping him from turning pro. The season hasn’t gone as Hutton may have hoped, both for he and his team, but the well-rounded two-way defender can at least look forward to an NHL contract soon. One final name to watch is Boston University forward Bobo Carpenter. BU hopes that they can overcome a disappointing regular season with a Hockey East Conference tournament win, as they did last year, but otherwise the Terriers could be done early this season. Carpenter, the son of former NHLer Bobby Carpenter, is the senior captain of the team and has been a dependable scorer for four years who is almost certainly in line for an NHL chance. These five players are only some of the undrafted NCAA stars who could sign pro deals, but they have the distinction of being among the best available and likely to have wrapped up their seasons in a matter of weeks. Look out for signing sooner rather than later.

  • Carpenter’s teammate at Boston University, defenseman Dante Fabbro, is an interesting player to watch in the coming weeks, whether he signs or not. The Nashville Predators’ first-round pick in 2016, Fabbro is one of the top defensemen in college hockey is more than ready to move on to the pro game. With the Terriers’ season potentially over in short order, he could sign with the Predators and make his NHL debut before the end of March. The question is whether that’s what he wants to do. Fabbro was a player who some considered a likely trade piece for Nashville at the deadline, but the team opted not to move him. With arguably the best top-four in the NHL and seven veteran defensemen already signed through the 2019-20 season, Nashville is not exactly the land of opportunity for Fabbro. Rather than wait around in the minors, the junior defender could instead opt to return to school for his fourth and final year, after which he could sign with the Predators if the blue line situation is more preferable or instead hold out until August and become a highly sought-after free agent. If Fabbro doesn’t sign with Nashville in the next few weeks, the odds of him signing at all take a significant hit.
  • One of the newest teams to the college hockey ranks has received perhaps its most high-profile commitment to date. Carson Briere, son of long-time NHLer and former Phoenix Coyote Daniel Briere, has announced that he is set to join Arizona State University, beginning in 2020-21. Briere, 19, is currently third in scoring in the NAHL with 75 points in 39 games with the Johnstown Tomahawks. A small, but skilled forward, just like his dad, Carson will be a major addition for a Sun Devils program that is already well ahead of expectations and challenging for an NCAA Tournament berth this season. Speaking with The Athletic’s Craig Morgan, Daniel stated that Carson sees the move as “coming home” since he was born in Arizona during Daniel’s early days with the Coyotes after he was drafted in the first round by the team in 1996. Daniel also spoke glowingly of the program’s progress, saying “We believe in what they are building and where they’re heading with their program and Carson wants to be part of it. We have been impressed with their coaching staff and can’t wait to meet everyone that makes it a top destination already after such a short amount of time at NCAA Division I level.”

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