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Latest On Patrik Laine

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The Columbus Blue Jackets got some tough news last week when star winger Patrik Laine sustained an elbow sprain in the team’s season opener and had to be moved to injured reserve immediately. Fortunately, though, it seems his three-to-four-week recovery timeline is still right on schedule, if not a bit ahead. The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reported today that Laine skated on his own in full gear for the past two days at the team’s practice facility. Hedger also noted the Finnish star is confident he’ll be ready to play by the first week of November when the Blue Jackets travel to Finland to play a set of games against the Colorado Avalanche.

That’s obviously a huge deal for Laine personally, but also the league, as Laine is the most marketable hometown player who’ll skate in the back-to-back set of games in Tampere. Laine hails directly from Tampere, and while his Avalanche counterpart in Mikko Rantanen may have more publicity overall, there’s nothing like getting to see one of your town’s best-ever hockey products play an NHL game on home soil.

A quick return from Laine is also crucial for Columbus’ playoff hopes. While Johnny Gaudreau has held up his end of the bargain, recording four points in his first four games as a Blue Jacket, their lack of quality offensive depth has been exposed by Laine’s injury. Minor-league and European league journeyman Justin Danforth was the team’s first option to replace Laine on the top line, which is obviously a less-than-ideal situation.

Victor Rask Signs In Switzerland

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After failing to secure a contract with Columbus after attending training camp with them on a PTO agreement, veteran Victor Rask has found his next team as Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed the center to a one-year deal.

The 29-year-old started his career with Carolina and quickly became a key two-way player for them, breaking in as a full-timer in 2014-15.  Early on, it looked as if he was going to be an integral part of their long-term plans.  However, Rask’s production fell off considerably in 2018-19 which led to a trade involving a pair of players who were underachieving.  It worked out great for the Hurricanes as they landed Nino Niederreiter but not so well for Minnesota as Rask’s struggles continued.

Over the last few seasons, Rask’s role dropped from being a top-six regular to a fourth liner to being out of the lineup as a reserve forward altogether.  He cleared waivers last season and was briefly sent to the minors before Seattle acquired him at the trade deadline.  Rask played relatively well for the Kraken, notching eight points in 18 games down the stretch but it wasn’t enough to secure him a guaranteed NHL deal this summer.

A move overseas might very well be what is best for Rask at this point in his career.  Rather than serving in a reserve forward role (which is likely what he would have had if he earned a deal with Columbus) or as a minor league recall, going to Switzerland will give him an opportunity to play the type of minutes he had with Carolina at the beginning of his career.  A good showing in that role with Fribourg-Gotteron could get Rask back on the NHL radar as soon as next summer which would certainly make this decision a wise one.

Minor Transactions: 08/27/22

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Most of the moves that happen this weekend will come on the international front as players and prospects look to secure their plans for the upcoming season.  Here’s a rundown of some of the moves with NHL ties.

  • Blue Jackets prospect Nikolai Makarov has signed an extension with CSKA Moscow through the 2024-25 season, the KHL team announced. The 19-year-old defenseman split last season between all three Russian leagues but spent the bulk of his year at the junior level, picking up 14 points in 22 games.  As the NHL and Russia don’t have a signed transfer agreement in place, Columbus holds Makarov’s rights indefinitely so while they’ll have to wait quite a while to sign him, they won’t lose his rights in the meantime.
  • Coyotes goaltender Josef Korenar has been loaned to Dukla of the Czech second division, per a team announcement. The 24-year-old inked a two-year deal with Sparta Praha instead of re-signing with Arizona and it appears he’ll split time this season between the two levels.  Korenar had a save percentage of just .855 along with a 4.46 GAA in 22 AHL games last season but his limited NHL numbers have been respectable as he has a 3.10 GAA and a .901 SV% in a dozen appearances.
  • Veteran center Mark Arcobello has decided to stay overseas as HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve inked the 34-year-old to a one-year deal.  Arcobello played in 139 NHL games over parts of four seasons and was relatively productive with 24 goals and 29 assists but he has spent the last six seasons in Switzerland, averaging a little more than a point per game over that time.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Alexandre Texier Signs In Switzerland

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A day after the Blue Jackets revealed that forward Alexandre Texier would not be suiting up for them this season citing a need to be closer to family, he has found his team for the upcoming season as Zurich of the Swiss NLA announced they’ve inked Texier to a one-year deal.

The 22-year-old got off to a good start last season, notching 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games, already career bests.  However, he suffered a finger injury back in January and then before he could return, he was granted a leave of absence from the team in March following a pair of deaths in the family.  Texier did suit up for France at the World Championship in May where he picked up five points in seven games.

Officially, Texier is under suspension by Columbus which allowed them to bypass needing to pass him through waivers in order to loan him overseas.  As such, the Blue Jackets will toll his existing contract which has one year left on it which will now cover the 2023-24 campaign.  Between that and an agreement that also included the NHL and the NHLPA, Texier will now be able to play much closer to home to be closer to his family as he joins Zurich who intends to use him at both center and the wing next season.

Nashville Predators Loan Joakim Kemell To Finnish Team

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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