Nashville Predators Loan Joakim Kemell To Finnish Team
Joakim Kemell was one of the brightest stars for Team Finland in their silver medal effort at the 2022 World Junior Championship. After the Nashville Predators drafted him 17th overall in 2022 and signed him to his entry-level contract earlier this summer, though, he’ll be headed back to JYP in the Finnish Liiga for another season next year, per the team.
As Kemell wasn’t drafted out of the Canadian Hockey League, he could, in theory, have suited up for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals next season if Nashville and Kemell believed that was the best solution for him. However, it appears all parties involved believe another season in his home country against some more seasoned players is the better option for Kemell.
An unexpected faller in the 2022 draft, Kemell showed why the teams that passed on him were wrong with 12 points in seven games at the World Juniors earlier this month. He had 23 points in 39 Liiga games last season with JYP as well, and he’ll be expected to play an increased top-six role next season.
Juho Lammikko Signs In Switzerland
A second NHL player has opted to sign overseas in the Swiss National League today. Former Vancouver Canucks forward Juho Lammikko has signed a one-year contract with the ZSC Lions after not receiving a qualifying offer last month, per his new team.
Lammikko joins his third different European league in four seasons with this signing. The former Panthers prospect spent the 2019-20 season with Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga and the first part of 2020-21 with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
The Finnish-born forward returned to Florida for the shortened 2020-21 season after he appeared in 40 games for them in 2018-19. A preseason trade saw him spend the 2021-22 season with Vancouver, however, finally departing the Panthers organization after they drafted him in 2014.
It’s rare that a European player can make two successful comebacks from heading abroad, so much like Michael Raffl earlier today, it’s likely that we’ve seen the last of Lammikko in the NHL. Across three seasons, he played in 159 games, scoring 11 goals, 15 assists, and 26 points. The 6’3″, 203-pound forward was taken by Florida in the 2014 NHL Draft with the 65th overall pick.
Michael Raffl Signs In Switzerland
Unrestricted free agent forward Michael Raffl has signed a two-year contract with Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League, per a team release early Thursday morning.
The team’s head coach, John Fust, commented on the signing (translated from French):
Michael has proven his worth as a leader in the NHL and on the Austrian national team. He has a versatile profile, since he can play at center or on the wing. We look forward to having him in our organization for the next two seasons.
At age 33, this is almost certainly the end of Raffl’s nine-season NHL career. Signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as an undrafted free agent out of Leksands IF (then in the second-tier Swedish league, Allsvenskan) in 2013, Raffl immediately became a full-time NHL player at age 25. He would then suit up for 504 games in a Flyers uniform.
In a total of 590 NHL games spent with Philadelphia, the Washington Capitals, and the Dallas Stars, Raffl totaled 89 goals, 90 assists, 179 points, 235 penalty minutes, and a career average ice time of 13:21 per game.
2021-22, his only season spent in Dallas, left something to be desired offensively. Finishing with only seven goals and 16 points on the year in 79 games, it was disappointing production for a player who was given almost 15 minutes per game of ice time. Raffl did have one of the best defensive campaigns of his career, though, so it’s somewhat surprising an NHL team wasn’t willing to bring him on as a defensive specialist in their bottom-six.
Raffl immediately becomes one of Lausanne’s top players, joining former NHLers Miikka Salomaki, Jiri Sekac, and Cory Emmerton at forward. Washington Capitals prospect Damien Riat is also a member of the team.
Frederik Gauthier Signs In Switzerland
Yesterday, former NHLer Nick Shore signed in Switzerland. Today, the Swiss league adds another former NHL-er: Frederik Gauthier. Per a team announcement, Gauthier has signed a one-year deal with HC Ajoie.
Gauthier, 27, was the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round pick at the 2013 NHL draft, getting selected 21st overall. His choice came off the back of a successful debut campaign for the Rimouski Oceanic, a season where he scored 60 points in 62 games. Gauthier’s big six-foot-five frame intrigued scouts, and they believed that his polished defensive game would provide a solid base for the Maple Leafs development staff to work off of and hope to develop a two-way force.
Unfortunately for Gauthier, though, his game in one half of the ice never really took off. In all three years he spent in the QMJHL, Gauthier’s numbers remained remarkably consistent, which isn’t ideal for a first-rounder in junior hockey. His .97 points-per-game as a QMJHL rookie became a .96 mark as a sophomore, and .86 mark in his shortened final junior season. Whereas some highly-drafted prospects take off as they get older and more experienced in junior hockey, Gauthier’s offense stagnated. This fact was made especially worrying due to the fact that Gauthier was bigger and stronger than most junior players, and was still unable to use that size to overpower younger QMJHL talent as other bigger prospects have typically been able to do.
Along with his defensive game, Gauthier’s lack of progression on offense translated to the professional game. Gauthier was a fast riser, getting into seven NHL games in his first pro season, but he only got time as an NHL regular in 2018-19, after three seasons playing mostly with the Toronto Marlies. Gauthier’s AHL production always left much to be desired. In his final extended AHL stint in Toronto, Gauthier had just 18 points in 57 games. But he still got minutes with the Marlies and NHL opportunities thanks to his defensive game.
As the hopes of a long-awaited offensive breakout from Gauthier have faded, his true professional role has become clearer, and the honesty about what Gauthier is at this point in his career has led to NHL opportunities since his exit from the Maple Leafs organization.
Seeking safe, defense-first depth at the start of last season, the New Jersey Devils signed Gauthier to a two-way contract after a strong training camp playing on a PTO. He did exactly what was asked of him in the Devils organization. He had 32 points in 51 AHL games and also served as a crucial defensive forward. He was head coach Kevin Dineen’s most trusted penalty-killing forward, and his willingness to shoulder much of the team’s defensive burden up front freed top prospects such as Alexander Holtz to focus on the offensive side of the game. Gauthier also got eight NHL games in last season and averaged a whopping 2:49 time on ice per game on their penalty kill in that stretch, showcasing himself as a forward with a well-defined role.
While some might be unable to look past his status as an underwhelming first-round choice, what Gauthier provided to the Devils organization last season was legitimately valuable, especially at a league-minimum, two-way cost. In Switzerland, he’ll likely be a valuable contributor to Ajoie as well.
Ajoie are making a push this offseason after a nightmarish 2021-22 campaign that saw them win just nine games. Earlier this offseason they signed another former NHLer, T.J. Brennan, to bolster their blueline. Ajoie let in 224 goals last season, the most in the Swiss league and nearly 70 more than the third-worst club. Gauthier is a defensive specialist and should be able to help them in that area.
The Swiss league is a strong league with quite a few former NHLers. If Gauthier can continue his strong defensive play, make strides in the offensive side of the ice, and help Ajoie have an improved season from last year, 2022-23 will be a success for him. If he can get to that point, a chance at an NHL training camp in the fall of 2023 won’t be out of the question.
Markus Granlund Signs In Switzerland
After two excellent years in the KHL, there’s no North American comeback on the table for Markus Granlund. The veteran forward has signed a new contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland for the upcoming season.
He’ll join countryman Mikko Koskinen, who is also joining Lugano this season, as part of an impressive foreign contingent, especially after how well he took to playing in the KHL. Over two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Granlund scored 91 points in 91 games, not to mention winning Olympic gold with Finland earlier this year.
Still just 29, it appears as though an NHL return might never happen for the younger brother of Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund. The last time he appeared in an NHL game was during the 2019-20 season for the Edmonton Oilers, and after spending a good chunk of that year in the minor leagues, he bolted for the bigger opportunities overseas.
Over 335 NHL games, Granlund scored 58 goals and 101 points, reaching a career-high of 19 and 32 in the 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks. He’ll now take his talents to Switzerland, where he should continue to be a dynamic offensive presence.
Harri Sateri Signs In Switzerland
While the Coyotes are among the teams that still have a vacancy to fill between the pipes, their backup down the stretch last season is moving on. Todd Diamond, the agent for goaltender Harri Sateri, told Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports (Twitter link) that his client has signed a one-year deal with EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss NLA.
The 32-year-old had a strong showing with Novosibirsk of the KHL last season, posting a 2.02 GAA along with a .926 SV% in 38 games. He also played extremely well in five appearances in the Olympics, helping to get him on the NHL radar. Just before the trade deadline, Toronto signed Sateri to be their backup goalie for the rest of the season but he had to pass through waivers first to get there. That didn’t happen as the Coyotes scooped him up off the wire to make him their backup for the final few weeks.
It was Sateri’s first NHL action since the 2017-18 campaign with Florida and suffice it to say, it didn’t go particularly well. Sateri had a 4.22 GAA with a .866 SV% in six appearances which certainly didn’t help his chances of securing a one-way deal to stay in North America so he’ll instead try his hand in the Swiss league instead. Meanwhile, Arizona’s current backup battle would be between Ivan Prosvetov and Jon Gillies with neither of them proving that they’re ready for full-time duty behind Karel Vejmelka just yet so GM Bill Armstrong likely still has some work to do on that front this summer.
NHL Announces 2022-23 Regular Season Schedule
The news continues to break during what’s been a busy pre-draft week. The NHL has released the full 82-game schedule for the 2022-23 campaign, marking a return to normal dates and length for the first time since 2018-19.
2022-23 will see its curtains open overseas, where the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators will open the season at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia on October 7 and 8, 2022. The regular season will begin on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, with a classic doubleheader. The puck will drop at Madison Square Garden for an Eastern Conference Final rematch between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, followed by a Pacific Division showdown in Southern California between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.
The Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony will be the following night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. The season will wrap up on April 13, 2023.
Some key events throughout the season include the 2022 Global Series in Tampere, Finland, where the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play a pair of games on November 4 and 5, 2022. The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic is slated for January 2, 2023, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, and the 2023 NHL Stadium Series is set for February 18, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Hurricanes will host the Washington Capitals. All-Star Weekend will be February 3-4, 2023, hosted by the Florida Panthers.
Sami Vatanen, Valtteri Filppula Re-Sign In Switzerland
One of the more surprising departures to Europe last offseason was that of Sami Vatanen, the long-time NHL defenseman who left for Switzerland. Vatanen had played nearly 500 NHL games, had been a top-four option for years, and had only just turned 30 years old. Now, after a year with Geneve-Servette HC, he’s decided the non-NHL life suits him just fine. Vatanen has signed a two-year extension with the club, through the 2023-24 season.
That’s not all, as Geneve-Servette announced a couple of other high-profile deals. Valtteri Filppula, who also left behind an NHL career last offseason, has re-upped to play with Vatanen for another year. Filppula, 38, was dominant for the club this season, scoring 19 goals and 47 points in 48 games. He also served as captain for Finland at the Olympics and World Championships, two tournaments that Vatanen was also part of.
Linus Omark will join them as another name familiar to many NHL fans, though he has been gone for quite a while longer. The shootout magician spent last season in the SHL, but did play 2020-21 with Geneve-Servette, and should have no problem bringing his elite offensive ability back to the National League. The 35-year-old Omark played just 79 games in the NHL, before leaving for Europe in 2014.
Vatanen will still be the headline though, since he remains squarely in his productive years and was still a quality NHL player when he departed–even if injuries had kept him off the ice for the better part of a year. He showed just how productive he could be last season when he scored at a better than point-per-game rate as a defenseman in the NL. A two-year deal likely means any chance of his return to North America is gone, though that already may have been the case.
Damien Riat Signs Extension In Switzerland
It seems as though Damien Riat‘s time associated with the Washington Capitals could be coming to an end. The Swiss forward has spent this entire season on loan to Lausanne HC, and today the club announced that he has signed an extension.
Riat, 25, is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer when his entry-level contract expired. The Capitals could continue to hold his rights by issuing him a qualifying offer, though that would only last until he turns 27 in two years’ time. Given the fact that he already returned to Switzerland after just half a season with the Hershey Bears in 2020-21, it seems more likely that his time in North America is over.
A fourth-round pick of the Capitals in 2016, Riat burst onto the scene with several impressive international performances at the World Juniors, and then was part of the Swiss team that took home a silver medal at the 2018 World Championship. He’s been a strong performer for years in the NL (formerly the NLA), and this season put up 28 points in 35 games for Lausanne.
Last season, after starting the year in Switzerland, Riat came to North America for the first time and registered nine points in 33 games for Hershey. If that turns out to be his only taste of pro hockey on this side of the pond, it will seem like a bit of wasted potential. Perhaps he will revisit the idea in the future, though it is unclear how long this new multi-year contract extends.
Marcus Sorensen Signs In Switzerland
If you wondered whether Marcus Sorensen could return to the NHL next season, the answer is clearly no. After spending this season with Djurgardens, Sorensen is headed to Switzerland after signing a three-year contract with Fribourg-Gotteron that starts in 2022-23.
Sorensen, 29, spent parts of five seasons with the San Jose Sharks, setting a career-high with 17 goals and 30 points in 2018-19. After the 2020-21 season came to an end with an unspectacular performance in 29 appearances, he took his talents back to Sweden. Even before he signed with Djurgardens though, there were still signs that Sorensen could compete at the highest level. He was a very strong player for Sweden at the World Championships, scoring four points in seven games.
He wore the “C” in the SHL this season and had 34 points in 35 games, showing he can still dominate at that level too. The National League in Switzerland will be a new challenge, and a three-year deal probably ends any chance he’ll return to the NHL before his career is over.
If that’s true, he’ll finish with 226 regular season games played and another 34 in the playoffs, all with the Sharks.