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NHL-Affiliated Prospects Playing In 2024 Memorial Cup

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The field for the 2024 Memorial Cup, the top club tournament in junior hockey, is set. The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, the OHL’s London Knights and the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors all swept their respective league championship series within the last two days to advance to the CHL championship tournament, joining the host Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

This year marks the first Memorial Cup held in the United States since 1998, which was hosted by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The Spirit will attempt to become the first U.S.-based team to win since the Chiefs in 2008, and they have a strong chance. They’re stronger than a typical host team, finishing second in the league in the regular season with a 50-16-2 record and trailing London by just two points. They were eliminated by London in six games in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights lead the way with 10 NHL-affiliated prospects on their roster, including two first-round picks in Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk and Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. The latter was named the OHL playoffs MVP after leading the Knights in scoring with 10 goals, 24 assists and 34 points in just 18 games. He had 15 points in four games in their championship sweep over the Oshawa Generals.

If you’re looking for some non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to watch, check to see if your favorite NHL team has prospects suiting up in the tournament, which begins May 24:

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champion)

D Mikaël Diotte (Devils, free agent signing)
RW Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
RW Alexis Gendron (Flyers, 2022, 220th overall)
D Vsevolod Komarov (Sabres, 2022, 134th overall)

NHL Utah 2022 first-round pick D Maveric Lamoureux is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.

London Knights (OHL champion)

C Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
C Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
D Jackson Edward (Bruins, 2022, 200th overall)
D Isaiah George (Islanders, 2022, 98th overall)
RW Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
C Jacob Julien (Jets, 2023, 146th overall)
C Kaleb Lawrence (Kings, 2022, 215th overall)
C Max McCue (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Landon Sim (Blues, 2022, 184th overall)

Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champion)

RW Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Kalem Parker (Wild, 2023, 181st overall)
D Vojtech Port (Ducks, 2023, 161st overall)
LW Martin Rysavy (Blue Jackets, 2021, 197th overall)
C Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
C Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

Saginaw Spirit (host)

C Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
LW Josh Bloom (Canucks, acquired from Sabres in 2023 trade for Riley Stillman)
D Rodwin Dionicio (Ducks, 2023, 129th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
C Hunter Haight (Wild, 2022, 47th overall)
C Ethan Hay (Lightning, 2023, 211th overall)
G Nolan Lalonde (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Matyas Sapovaliv (Golden Knights, 2022, 48th overall)
C Joseph Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Denver Barkey To Entry-Level Contract

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed London Knights forward Denver Barkey to an entry-level contract. Barkey was selected with the 95th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and has since dominated the OHL, ranking fifth in the league with 87 points in 56 games. He also ranks in the top 15 of goal-scorers, with 31.

Barkey is the leading scorer behind a dangerous London offense this season, with the Knights leading the league’s standings and scoring. He’s combined well with fellow Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk, who Philadelphia selected with the 22nd-overall pick last season. Bonk signed his entry-level deal in mid-August, though his placement in the OHL will delay the contract’s start. The London Knights are gearing up for a long run in the CHL’s Memorial Cup, but with Philadelphia in a playoff position, both players could reasonably be recalled if needed, though that would begin their NHL contracts. They’ll have needed to come a long way to be NHL-ready, with the duo being some of Philadelphia’s first cuts at training camp this September.

Barkey brings a style Philadelphia isn’t unfamiliar with – boasting great head-on speed, good awareness, and the ability to make quick plays in the offensive end. His 5’9″ stature was a point of contention ahead of the draft, but it’s a style Philadelphia has embraced, with 5’8″ Cam Atkinson and Bobby Brink both earning routine NHL roles this season. The team has also iced 5’9″ defensemen Victor Mete and Emil Andrae at different points this year, showing their prioritization of skill even, on the back-end. They’ll need to continue embracing that mindset, with the feisty Barkey paving his way up the Flyers’ depth chart.

West Notes: Kadri, Dea, Halttunen

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In an interview with Mike Zeisberger of the NHL, Nazem Kadri lamented about the lack of success for the Calgary Flames last season, both as an individual and as a team. One of the most important quotes from Kadri came when he said, “For whatever reason, we got a little restricted last year, so I’m just looking forward to a clean slate and starting the year off strong”.

Zeisberger notes that Kadri would not elaborate if the use of the word ’restrict’ was mostly attributed to former-head coach Darryl Sutter, but most would guess this is the case due to Sutter’s infamous coaching style. Nevertheless, after experiencing a 31-point drop year-on-year in his first season with the Flames, Kadri is excited about once again getting a clean slate coming into the season.

Although Calgary did miss the playoffs last season, they were not far off from crossing the finish line, finishing two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. As much as the team would like to make its way back to the postseason, all signs are pointing to a year of transition rather quickly, as Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, and Noah Hanifin have all refused to sign extensions, causing them to see their names pop up in trade rumors rather frequently.

Other notes:

  • Only four days ago, word came out that the Arizona Coyotes had put forward Jean-Sebastien Dea on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating the final year of his contract. Going several days without a home for the upcoming season, we now have clarity on Dea’s future. Per the team’s X account, Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL has announced a one-year contract agreement between them and Dea. A 10-year veteran of the American Hockey League, this will be Dea’s first time playing professionally overseas, perhaps finishing his time in North American hockey.
  • A few months after being drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, San Jose Sharks prospect, Kasper Halttunen, will be joining the London Knights of the OHL for the 2023-24 season (X Link). Halttunen spent last season playing for HIFK of the Finnish Liiga, producing one assist in 27 games. Although not much of a speed threat on the ice, Halttunen is a power forward through and through, providing a lot of physicality and a heavy shot from the wing.

Snapshots: Sprong, Dickinson, Mailloux

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After converting his PTO into another NHL contract, Seattle Kraken winger Daniel Sprong isn’t able to be a full participant with the team just yet. According to The Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte, Sprong is dealing with work visa complications and is expected to rejoin the team within the next few days.

This does put Sprong’s availability for Seattle’s season opener on Wednesday in Anaheim in doubt. While Sprong was productive in terms of goals after joining the Kraken at the trade deadline last season, their added depth on the wing puts him squarely in a fourth-line role with everyone healthy. In his stead, Karson Kuhlman is expected to dress against Anaheim if Sprong can’t play.

  • Similarly, new Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson is also battling visa issues after arriving from Vancouver. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that Dickinson will miss the team’s first two games of the season at the least, potentially missing three. Dickinson’s absence and his ability to be designated as a non-roster player in the meantime allowed them to claim defenseman Jarred Tinordi off waivers today without making a corresponding roster move.
  • While Montreal Canadiens defense prospect Logan Mailloux will start the season on injured reserve, he won’t stay there for long. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels notes to expect Montreal to send him back to the OHL’s London Knights after he returns to practice. Mailloux is expected to play a full season in London after injuries and a lengthy suspension due to his sexual misconduct charge during his draft year in Sweden limited him to 12 games.

London Knights Acquire Sam Dickinson

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After Sam Dickinson made it clear that he wouldn’t be showing up to training camp for the Niagara IceDogs, there seemed to be two paths in front of him. The Chicago Steel, who had picked him late in the USHL draft, or the London Knights, who were rumored to be close to acquiring his rights.

It appears as though the latter is the path that Dickinson will choose, as the Knights have sent Niagara a package of seven draft picks for the young defenseman, who was the fourth-overall selection in this year’s OHL draft.

The IceDogs will receive:

  • 2023 3rd (NBB)
  • 2023 5th
  • 2024 2nd
  • 2025 2nd
  • 2025 3rd
  • 2026 2nd
  • 2026 3rd

Mark Hunter, general manager of the Knights, released the following:

We are extremely excited to trade for player of Sam’s caliber. He has a complete 200-foot game and is a top end talent of size, skill, and grit. He’s the type of player you win with.

Having only turned 16 in June, Dickinson already stands 6’2″ 194 lbs and was the first defenseman selected in the OHL draft this year. Joining London will likely help his stock rise even more, as the program is well-known for being an NHL training ground, because of its financial dominance in the CHL and first-class facilities.

Whether that turns into a pick near the top of the 2024 NHL draft remains to be seen but Dickinson appears to have made his way to the program he wanted.

Snapshots: Hlinka Gretzky, Kolesar, Kadri

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The Hlinka Gretzky Cup concluded tonight with Team Canada defeating Team Sweden 4-1 to take first place and the gold medal. As impressive as a gold medal is, saying just that wouldn’t begin to tell the entire story for Canada’s 2022 Hlinka Gretzky run. For one, the team was undefeated throughout the tournament, and in the process they outscored opponents by a jaw-dropping 34-3 score. In addition to the dominant performance, the Canadians were able to show their dominance on home ice, as the tournament was hosted in Red Deer, Alberta.

Denver Barkey of the London Knights was named the most outstanding player of the gold medal game, while Oshawa Generals forward Calum Ritchie led the tournament in scoring. In net, Canada’s Scott Ratzlaff had the best performance ever by a Canadian goalie in the tournament with three or more games played, as far as goals-against average and save-percentage are concerned, says Brock Otten of McKeens Hockey (link). Otten adds that while most of the top Canadian prospects in the 2005 class held their standard, Ethan Gauthier, Colby Barlow, and Caden Price were able to elevate their game, and thus their standing as prospects (link).

  • SinBin Vegas’s Ken Boehlke discusses Keegan Kolesar’s new three-year, $1.5MM AAV contract he signed recently to avoid arbitration with the Vegas Golden Knights (link). In sum, Boehlke classifies the contract as a win-win for both sides, Vegas getting a cost-controlled fourth-liner and Kolesar getting $4.5MM guaranteed despite not scoring much at the NHL level. What is notable Boehlke says, is that Kolesar’s lack of scoring (just seven goals in 77 games last season) could correlate to his below-average 7.4% shooting percentage and if he can at the least improve his shooting percentage to league average, he could increase his goal total, making him worth a good bit more than the $1.5MM cap hit he currently holds. Even if not, Kolesar has proven himself to be a reliable grinder for the Golden Knights’ bottom-six and at $1.5MM still represents a good value deal for the normally cap-strapped organization.
  • According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, it appears free agent forward Nazem Kadri’s asking price has not come down and the requested AAV still begins with at least a “9” (link). If that is indeed the case, it may provide a hint as to why Kadri remains unsigned, with many teams having spent up to or relatively close to the salary cap. Several teams have the room to sign Kadri, but if he is also looking to go to a team that has a real chance at a Stanley Cup, his options may be slim. Soon-to-be 32, if Kadri is able to regularly repeat his breakout 87 point performance from this season, a $9MM AAV contract would be worth it for the two-way star, but otherwise it could wind up a salary cap issue, even if he’s still a solid performer.

Luke Evangelista Assigned To AHL

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With the Milwaukee Admirals already up 2-0 over the Manitoba Moose, they will get another reinforcement for their Calder Cup run. The Nashville Predators announced today that Luke Evangelista has been assigned to the AHL club.

Evangelista, 20, led the OHL in goals this season with 55 and came fourth in overall points with 111. The London Knights captain truly looked as though he was a whole level above his competition at times, toying with them before threading a pass to a teammate or beating a goaltender with his wicked wrist shot. The Predators certainly would have been happy with his development since making him the 42nd overall pick in 2020, as he looks ready to take the next step and become a top contributor at the AHL level.

In fact, Evangelista is one of the players that actually already has substantial AHL experience. He played in 14 games for the Chicago Wolves last season when the OHL canceled their season due to COVID-19 and had four points. Had he reached the 20-game mark that would have made him eligible to stay there this year, it seems likely that he would have already taken that step. Instead, he was just one of the most dominant players in the OHL, captaining the program that is well-known as an NHL player factory.

Dallas Stars Sign Antonio Stranges

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The Dallas Stars have gotten in on the entry-level signing parade, this time with an interesting prospect from the London Knights. Antonio Stranges has inked his three-year, entry-level contract that will begin in the 2022-23 season.

Stranges, 20, was picked 123rd overall in 2020, but quickly showed he was more than just a regular fourth-round pick. In 2020-21 when the OHL season was canceled due to COVID restrictions, he ended up signing an amateur tryout with the Texas Stars, where he played in nine games. Already it looked like Stranges might be able to handle himself at the minor league level, so when he went back to London this season it wasn’t much of a surprise to see him immediately dominate the competition.

In 39 games, the winger has 18 goals and 51 points, routinely setting up OHL goal leader (and Nashville Predators prospect) Luke Evangelista. Stranges is second in points on a team loaded with talent that has gone 30-13-2 on the year, and now joins an organization where there should be some opportunity in the next few years. While he’ll stay in London for the rest of this season and chase down an OHL championship, Stranges will likely join Texas for the 2022-23 season and begin his professional climb.

OHL To Reinstate Logan Mailloux

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The OHL has announced that Logan Mailloux, a member of the London Knights and first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, will be reinstated from his indefinite suspension effective January 1, 2022. In the press release, they explained the decision:

Since the time of suspension, with the support of the London Knights, Logan Mailloux has participated in therapy and counselling with Dr. Lindsey Forbes, and a personal development plan under the leadership of Wendy Glover. Ms. Glover is a London-based, experienced holistic athlete development practitioner, academic and personal development advisor, teacher and member of the Ontario School Counsellors Association.

The player’s Personal Development Plan has included weekly meetings, ongoing completion of certifications, and reflections of concepts explored. Some of the certifications and programs available to athletes that he completed were Respect in Sport, Mental Health in Sport, Sport Media, Ethics in Sport, Diversity and Inclusion, Sport Psychology, and Cultural Awareness.

After reviewing the program, speaking with the player and Ms. Glover, and receiving a commitment from the player to continue with his personal development program, the League is satisfied that Logan Mailloux has undertaken the necessary steps and will reinstate him, effective January 1, 2022.

Mailloux was suspended in September after news spread of an incident that took place in Sweden where he was playing during the 2020-21 season. Mailloux was charged with taking and distributing an offensive photo without consent, of which he was convicted in December 2020. Now 18, he tried to renounce himself from the NHL draft, asking teams not to draft him and saying at the time:

…I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL Draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend. I feel that this would allow me the opportunity to demonstrate an adequate level of maturity and character next season with the London Knights in the OHL and provide all the NHL teams the opportunity to reassess my character towards the 2022 NHL Draft.

The Canadiens selected him 31st overall and explained that they would make a “commitment to accompany Logan on his journey,” providing him with support to guide him in his development. The OHL then suspended him for violating the league’s “expectation of appropriate conduct.”

Prospect Notes: Samorukov, Sjoberg, Gazizov

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A top young pro is now available to the Edmonton blue line. The Oilers have announced that defenseman Dmitri Samorukov has been medically cleared and removed from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve. After breaking his jaw in development camp in September, Samorukov is actually ready for action a week ahead of his estimated recovery timeline. When he returns to action this week, it will be with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, but that may not last. Once Samorukov is back up to game speed, the rookie defender seems primed to finally crack the Edmonton roster at some point this season. Samorukov, 22, was a third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017 out of the OHL and he continued to boost his prospect stock in the years following with continual improvement at the junior level. He turned pro in 2019-20 and recorded ten points in 47 AHL games. Last year, he spent the season on loan in the KHL and produced eight points and a +24 rating in 48 games. Everything has been leading to an NHL opportunity for the talented two-way defender, who will no longer be waiver-exempt beginning next season. Although the Oilers do have improved blue line depth this season with the additions of Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci, Kris Russell and Slater Koekkoek are playing very limited roles early this season and could easily be supplanted in the starting lineup. While William Lagesson likely leads the AHL depth chart and Philip Broberg is the top prospect in Bakersfield, the former has had his shot in recent years and the latter is just 20 and can be afforded a slow development path. The time is now for a healthy Samorukov to get his chance.

  • It’s been a bittersweet start to the year for the Dallas Stars in regards to prospect Albert Sjoberg. A 2021 seventh-round pick, Sjoberg should be as irrelevant to his NHL rights holder as a prospect can be as a last-round pick in the most recent draft. There are few expectations for seventh-rounder to make the NHL period, nevertheless show promise in their first year after being selected. However, Sjoberg is bucking the trend. No. 207 recorded only one point in 17 games in the Allsvenkan last season, looking out of place in Sweden’s second tier pro league. The same can’t be said for this season; Sjoberg earned a recall from the U-20 level after notching seven goals and ten points in his first eight games and now has five points in eight games back in the Allsvenskan. This progress has to excite Dallas, but it has also inspired Sjoberg’s current club, Sodertalje SK, to make his pro status official. The team has announced a two-year contract for the budding scorer, which will keep him away from any move to North America through the 2022-23 season. The Stars will be happy to watch him continue to develop overseas but will then clamoring to bring him over if he keeps improving at this rate.
  • The London Knights are off to a 6-0-0 start, the last remaining undefeated team in the OHL. Well, the rich are about to get richer. The team has announced that Russian sniper Ruslan Gazizov has signed with the team and will join them immediately. Gazizov was the No. 12 overall pick in the CHL Import Draft this year and his draft pedigree is far from complete. Gazizov is a potential first-round pick in the 2022 Draft and his stock could soar if he makes a clean adjustment to the North American game. The young scorer has put up big numbers in the Russian junior ranks and recently dominated the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and that could easily continue with the Knights.

 

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