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Minor Transactions: 09/28/20

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As the two surviving teams prepare for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final tonight, the other 29 teams are busy preparing for the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. Not only that, minor league affiliates, junior teams, college programs, and countless European clubs are getting ready for the 2020-21 season, as are the many players who still don’t know where they are playing next season. As a result, there are a number of minor moves being made every day:

  • AHL veteran Ryan Olsen is on his way to Germany. The 26-year-old center has signed with the EC Kassel Huskies of the second-tier DEL2, the club has announced. Although Kassel is not among the elite clubs in Germany, it has attracted a fair amount of North American pros over the years, including James Wisniewski. Olsen, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick, has spent the past two seasons with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Olsen has been a useful player in the minors over the years, setting a career high with 34 points just two seasons ago, but has not been able to earn an NHL contract since his entry-level deal expired in 2017 and is ready for a fresh start.
  • Rod Pelley, a name not heard in NHL circles in quite some time, has decided to call it a career. Ohio State University, where Pelley starred for four years, announced that their alum has officially retired. Pelley is best remembered for being a regular for the New Jersey Devils for six years after college. Even after he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2011-12, he returned to the Devils to captain AHL Albany for several more years once his contract expired. Pelley last played in North America for the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2017-18 and has spent the past two seasons in Denmark and Romania respectively. He retires with over 250 NHL games and over 550 AHL games to his credit.
  • Curtis Brown, who retired back in 2011, was back in the headlines recently with the news that his son, Garrett Brown, had committed to the University of Denver. This would be a major accomplishment for any young player, as the Pioneers are an elite NCAA program, but even more so for a California-grown product. In fact, it was the San Jose Jr. Sharks who initially announced the commitment for the standout. Curtis played his final season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2007-08, but returned to the area after three seasons of playing in Switzerland and Garrett has grown up in the area. Now 16, the younger Brown looks like he is developing the skill to challenge his dad, a long-time Buffalo Sabres star, and should be an interesting prospect to follow once he arrives at Denver in a few years.

Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi

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Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.

  • Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with  Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
  • Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.

New Jersey Loans Janne Kuokkanen To Karpat

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When Janne Kuokkanen arrives at New Jersey Devils training camp later this year looking to earn a full-time NHL role for the first time in his career, he will have the advantage of being in game shape. The Devils have announced that Kuokkanen has been loaned to Karpat of the Finnish Liiga for the time being and will be recalled from the loan when New Jersey opens training camp.

Kuokkanen, 22, has just a dozen NHL games under his belt to this point in his career, but did make his Devils debut in one game following the deadline deal that brought him to New Jersey in February and prior to league’s pause in March, which served as the end of the Devils’ season. Kuokkanen was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Fredrik Claesson and a conditional draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. Kuokkanen, a second-round pick in 2016, was undoubtedly the prize of the return for the Devils, as the young forward has racked up points in the AHL over the past few years and appears ready to take the next step. Kuokkanen recorded 48 points in 56 games this year, including six in four with AHL Binghamton, and has totaled 126 points in 164 AHL games in his career. A player with two-way ability and positional versatility. Kukkanen should be a useful piece for New Jersey as he breaks into the NHL.

There is no better place for Kuokkanen to prepare for the 2020-21 season than with Karpat. The team plays in his hometown of Oulu and rosters several former and current NHLers. Karpat notably also owns a number of top 2020 and 2021 draft prospects, as well as some previously drafted prospects. Perhaps the Devils will turn to Kuokkanen for some advice ahead of the draft next month or as they evaluate trade offers this summer (Jesse Puljujarvi perhaps?). Regardless, Karpat is a great place for Kuokkanen to play, as he will have a major role to begin the Liiga season, which he hopes will give him a leg up when it comes to securing a meaningful role with New Jersey down the road as well.

Fabian Zetterlund Loaned To HC Vita Hasten

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The New Jersey Devils have sent another prospect overseas, loaning Fabian Zetterlund to HC Vita Hasten of the Swedish second league. Zetterlund is heading into the second year of his entry-level contract and coming off his first year of professional hockey in North America. He can be recalled in time for the 2020-21 NHL season.

Just 21, Zetterlund was a third-round pick (63rd overall) by the Devils in 2017 and spent the 2019-20 season with the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. In 46 games there the forward recorded 19 points, a relatively disappointing output that continued a pattern to this point in his career.

Though an excellent skater, Zetterlund has not been able to translate his speed and work ethic into much offense at almost any level, only really impressing during the 2016-17 junior season in Sweden. Even at the World Juniors in 2019 where he was a returning player and wearing an “A” as an alternate captain, Zetterlund was held completely scoreless. In his 66 games at the SHL level he had just 11 points, though he was much younger than most of the competition.

While there is a place in the NHL for hard-working forwards who are excellent on the forecheck, Zetterlund will have to start seeing some offensive improvement if he’s ever to really push for a spot with New Jersey. Perhaps a return to the Allsvenskan, a lower-tiered league than he is used to, will spark his scoring touch and get him back on the right development path.

New Jersey Devils Hire Mark Recchi

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The New Jersey Devils have added another big name to their coaching staff, this time hiring Mark Recchi as an assistant. Recchi joins Lindy Ruff’s staff after he was recently let go by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald released a statement on his new coach:

We are extremely excited to add Mark to our coaching staff, where his experience as a player, coach, and in development will be invaluable. His work with the power play and managing personnel in Pittsburgh are skills that will benefit our group moving forward. Mark’s leadership, communication abilities, patience, and presence will be integral for the growth of our young core.

There are few people with more NHL playing experience than Recchi, who sits sixth all-time in games played with 1,652 regular season contests. The Hall of Fame forward won three Stanley Cups, including one at the age of 42 with the Boston Bruins in 2011. A coach with the Penguins since 2014, he was let go with Sergei Gonchar and Jacques Martin earlier this summer when Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford made sweeping changes to the coaching staff.

In New Jersey, he’ll join Ruff in a new journey, trying to bring the Devils back to relevance in the Eastern Conference. Once a powerhouse that won three Stanley Cups in less than a decade, the Devils have gone to the playoffs just once in the past eight seasons.

Snapshots: King Clancy Trophy, Kucherov, Bishop, Holzapfel

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Now that the NHL has reached the conference championship phase of the playoffs, so too can the NHL awards, which are expected to be handed out day-by-day over the next couple of weeks. First up is expected to be the King Clancy Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. The trophy will be awarded this evening before the start of Game 1 between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars. The three finalists for the awards are Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba, New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist and New Jersey Devils’ P.K. Subban.

Dumba has been committed to racial and social justice and the Hockey is for Everyone initiative and helped form the Hockey Diversity Alliance with seven current and former NHL players. Lundqvist supports several different initiatives, including aid for children’s health, education, underprivileged youth, Hockey Fights Cancer and the Make a Wish Foundation. Subban also supports several groups, including initiatives for underprivileged youth, medical support and promoting racial and social injustice.

  • Despite the bad news that the Tampa Bay Lightning will have to go through the Eastern Conference Finals without Steven Stamkos, the team did get some good news, however, on the injury front. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that first-line forward Nikita Kucherov is expected to be available Monday for the Lightning’s first game against the New York Islanders. Kucherov was forced to leave Game 5 against the Boston Bruins with an undisclosed injury, but has had almost a week to recover. The 27-year-old has been quite effective in the playoffs so far with four goals and 16 points in 13 games.
  • The Dallas Stars will be without starting goaltender Ben Bishop once again as The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that Bishop and defenseman Taylor Fedun remain “unfit to play.” Both skated today, but neither appear ready to play. The scribe did add that forwards Andrew Cogliano and Mattias Janmark are both expected to be game-time decisions today. Bishop has appeared in just three games during the playoffs and hasn’t made an appearance since Aug. 31 against Colorado when he allowed four goals in 13 minutes before being replaced. The team will rely on Anton Khudobin once again, who is 8-5 with a .909 save percentage in 14 games during the playoffs.
  • Former AHL forward Riley Holzapfel announced his retirement after spending his four years with the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian League. Holzapfel was a second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006 and five season in the AHL before opting to play overseas in 2013, playing three seasons in the SHL before joining Vienna in 2016. He was never able to break into the NHL, however. The 32-year-old was still productive with Vienna, scoring 18 goals and 46 assists in 48 games.

Nick Merkley Signs In Finland

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One of the players that the New Jersey Devils received in exchange for Taylor Hall was Nick Merkley, a 23-year old forward originally drafted in the first round by the Arizona Coyotes. Merkley ended up playing 28 games for the Devils’ minor league affiliate and four games in the NHL, but will now be playing overseas for the next few months.

Merkley has signed a one-year contract with Assat of the Finnish Liiga, though the deal does have an NHL out-clause that runs through mid-December. The young forward’s entry-level contract is coming to an end in the NHL and he will be a restricted free agent, meaning if he comes to an agreement with the Devils he can be back in time for training camp.

Of course, there’s no guarantee the two sides to come to a deal and even if they do, the uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 AHL season will be something to consider. If New Jersey wasn’t planning on using Merkley at the NHL level, perhaps they will allow him to play and develop in Finland this season.

The 30th-overall selection in 2015, Merkley has just five NHL games under his belt to this point. He has performed well enough at the AHL level, but still hasn’t quite been that dominant offensive presence that scored 117 points in his draft year or even the one that had 18 goals and 39 points in just 38 games as a minor league rookie.

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Dvorak, Vermont

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With the Carolina Hurricanes exiting the postseason this afternoon following a Game Five loss to the Boston Bruins, the conditions surrounding their acquisition of defenseman Sami Vatanen have been finalized. Initially, the ’Canes had traded for Vatanen from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Janne Kuokkanen, Fredrik Claesson, and a conditional draft pick with the following conditions: the Devils would get a 2020 fourth-round pick if Vatanen appeared in at least five regular season games and a 2020 third round pick if Vatanen played in 12 regular season games or 70% of the team’s playoff games; if Vatanen did not appear in at least five regular season games for Carolina, then the Devils would get no pick at all. However, these conditions had to be altered due to Vatanen being unable to suit up for a regular season game with Carolina prior to the league’s pause. These new conditions locked in a fourth-round return for New Jersey as long as Vatanen played in at least two games of the Hurricanes’ qualifying round series with the New York Rangers, which he did. In order for the pick to bump up to a 2020 third-rounder, Vatanen had to play in 70% of the Hurricanes’ remaining playoff games. Four of five games against the Bruins met that benchmark, meaning Carolina will send their own 2020 third-round pick to the Devils, as outlined by CapFriendly. While Vatanen’s three points in a three-game sweep of the Rangers was a nice ’Canes debut for the defender, his zero points and -3 rating against the Bruins makes the increased cost of his acquisition somewhat of a bitter pill.

  • As always, news of injuries emerges as series are completed. A quick note following tonight’s dismissal of the Arizona Coyotes comes directly from head coach Rick Tocchet. ’Yotes beat writer Craig Morgan relays that center Christian Dvorak played the entirety of the team’s first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche and the latter half of their qualifying round series versus the Nashville Predators with a separated shoulder. Dvorak was a non-factor in the first round, being held off the score sheet entirely and limited to 14 minutes of ice time or less in four of five games. This injury undoubtedly contributed to Dvorak’s struggles against the Avalanche, but his efforts would not have made much of a difference in somewhat of a one-sided series.
  • Is the impact of Mike Babcock joining the staff at the University of Vermont already showing? Jeff Cox of The New England Hockey Journal reports that Jordan Kaplan, one of the top scorers at Sacred Heart this past season, will transfer to Vermont. Kaplan’s 24 points this year would have been considerably better than anyone on the Catamounts and will be a major boost to a struggling program. Additionally, the program announced their recruiting class and it includes another transfer in Miami’s Noah Jordan as well as 2020 NHL Draft prospect Raimonds Vitolins, a Latvian standout who could hear his name called in November. If he is drafted, Vitolins would be just the second player on the current Catamounts roster to have been drafted, joining Minnesota Wild pick Bryce Misley, who is entering his senior season with little to show for the past three years.

NHL Announces 2020 King Clancy Finalists

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The NHL has announced the finalists for the 2020 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Jason Zucker, then of the Minnesota Wild.

This year’s finalists are Matt Dumba of the Wild, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils.

The selection committee, led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, consider the following criteria:

  • Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
  • Investment of time and resources
  • Commitment to a particular cause or community
  • Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
  • Creativity of programming
  • Use of influence; engagement of others

Marian Studenic Loaned To HC Slovan Bratislava

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It’s not often you find a fifth-round pick playing in the World Championship two years after his draft, but that’s exactly what Marian Studenic did last summer. The New Jersey Devils prospect suited up for Slovakia alongside and against NHL talents at the annual tournament and acquitted himself quite well. Five points in seven games tied him for fourth on the club, impressive given he had only played a single professional season to that point.

After another year with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, Studenic was likely ticketed for training camp with the Devils to see if he could make an impression. Instead, thanks to the shifted hockey calendar, he has been loaned to HC Slovan Bratislava to play for the next few months. The 21-year old (22 in October) will be recalled for NHL training camp in November.

An interesting thing to keep an eye on with Studenic is that 2020-21 is the final year of his entry-level contract. He could potentially return to Europe next summer should he not want to stick around in the minor leagues. Still, he’s a name to remember for the Devils as they continue to try and build a program and compete at the NHL level. Their prospect cupboard is filled with players hoping to get a chance to show what they can do.

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