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Kraken Prospect Eduard Sale Officially Commits To OHL

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Dating back to last season, it was expected that winger Eduard Sale would play with OHL Barrie for the 2023-24 campaign.  That is now confirmed to be the case as the Colts announced that the Kraken first-rounder has officially committed to the team.

The 18-year-old was the 20th overall selection back in June after a season that didn’t help his draft stock.  Sale entered the year as a potential top-ten pick with some early rankings having him closer to the top five.  He spent last season playing in the Czech Extraliga playing against pros and not surprisingly, his offensive numbers didn’t exactly stand out as he notched just seven goals and seven assists in 43 games.

However, against his own age level, Sale fared much better.  He had six points in seven games at the World Juniors and then followed that up with six more in five contests at the World Under-18s in May, the final tournament before the draft.

Seattle has already signed Sale to his entry-level deal but assuming he doesn’t play in ten or more NHL games this coming season, his contract will slide a year.  As a result, it will still have three years remaining heading into the 2024-25 campaign.

Minor Transactions: 08/29/23

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While it’s a slow day on the NHL ledger (as to be expected for late August), there are still some moves to parse through from around Europe, the minor, and junior ranks. We’re keeping track of today’s such moves here:

  • Liiga club Pelicans has picked up 23-year-old winger Niklas Virtanen ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, which begins September 12. Virtanen is no stranger to the Lahti-based club, having spent the 2019-20 season racking up 19 points in 38 games for their U-20 team and earning a four-game call-up to the Liiga squad, where he scored his first pro goal. He’s spent the three seasons since in the second-tier Mestis with Peliitat, whom he led in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points in 39 games in 2022-23 while also serving as team captain.
  • The OHL’s Windsor Spitfires are bringing over Czech defender Josef Eichler this season after selecting him 46th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, per a team release. Eichler, 17, is eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s an enforcing bottom-pairing defender by trade, racking up 83 penalty minutes and nine assists in 38 games last season with HC Plzeň’s U-20 club in the Czech junior circuit. The right-shot defender was also named to Czechia’s roster for last year’s U-18 World Juniors, during which he recorded an assist and 25 penalty minutes in five games.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Golden Knights Prospect Arttu Kärki Commits To OHL’s Soo Greyhounds

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Vegas Golden Knights defense prospect Arttu Kärki has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Soo Greyhounds, bringing him to North America for the 2023-24 season. The Greyhounds selected Kärki with their first-round pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

Kärki, 18, went off the board to Vegas with the final pick of the third round (96th overall) in this summer’s NHL Draft. A high-end offensive-minded defender in the Finnish junior circuit, Kärki confirms his move to North America just a day before OHL training camps begin.

Hailing from Viiala, Finland, the 6-foot-2, 176-pound defenseman recorded 13 goals and 26 assists for 39 points in 36 regular-season games with Tappara U20 of the U20 SM-sarja Finnish league. He led his team’s defensemen in goals and finished second in goals from defensemen in the entire league.

Vegas took Kärki around where most public scouts expected him to go. They haven’t signed him to an entry-level contract yet, and since he was drafted out of Finland (not the CHL), they have four years to sign him before letting his exclusive signing rights expire.

That said, Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis is quite high on Kärki and expects the transition to North American major junior hockey to be a positive thing for his development. “Arttu has all the tools of an elite defenseman,” Raftis said. “His size, skating ability, and high-end puck skills make him a threat all over the ice.”

The Greyhounds currently have three other NHL-drafted prospects expected to suit up for them next season: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Andrew Gibson, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev and New York Rangers center Bryce McConnell-Barker.

Minor Transactions: 08/24/23

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Yesterday was the busiest day in the NHL news cycle in quite some time, seeing multiple high-profile extensions, including Auston Matthews’ $13.25MM AAV mega-deal for four years. Those aren’t the only transactions worthy of coverage, however. Many moves continue to trickle in as the offseason rolls on from the minor, major junior and European ranks.

  • The OHL’s Niagara IceDogs have acquired forward Gavin Bryant and a 2027 third-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection Draft from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for forward Declan Waddick, according to a team release. Bryant, 19, is coming off a breakout season unfortunately shortened by multiple injuries which limited him to 30 games. However, he did produce near a point-per-game rate when he did play, recording ten goals and 16 assists for 26 points while serving as an alternate captain. He heads to a Niagara team that won just 12 games last season while mired in off-ice instability. Waddick, NHL draft-eligible for the first time in 2023, led the IceDogs in goals last season with 28. He added 21 assists to finish with 49 points in 64 games, finishing second on the team.
  • The ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears have signed former OHL Saginaw Spirit defenseman Mitchell Smith to a one-year ECHL contract. The deal represents the Solar Bears’ second defensive addition of the last few days, with the team bringing in sophomore defenseman Chris Perna on Tuesday. While Perna is a stay-at-home defenseman with a year of pro experience under his belt, Smith is an offensive defenseman set to make his professional debut in the fall. Smith has tallied 102 points across the last two OHL seasons with the Spirit and ranked second among Saginaw blueliners in scoring in that time frame, behind only 2022 10th overall pick Pavel Mintyukov. Smith with get a chance to establish himself as an offensive difference-maker from the back end in Orlando with the hope he’ll eventually be able to climb the ladder of North American pro hockey and get a look in the AHL.
  • Former Kingston Frontenacs captain Ted Nichol has signed a one-year ECHL deal with the Kalamazoo Wings. Nichol, 26, has 14 professional games under his belt after concluding a four-season career at the University of Guelph earlier this year. His playing rights were acquired by the Wings from the Everblades, the team he made his pro debut with last season, as part of a March trade that sent Logan Lambdin to Florida. Nichol only managed three points in 14 games with Florida last season but will look to earn a bigger role on head coach Joel Martin’s team.
  • Zane Franklin, a former WHL star with the Kamloops Blazers, has re-signed with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL. The feisty 24-year-old winger enjoyed something of a breakout season in Idaho last year, scoring 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games. The Steelheads were dominant in the ECHL regular season and made a run all the way to the Kelly Cup Finals, and this signing will allow the franchise retain a useful contributor from that squad.
  • Atro Leppänen, one of the breakout stars of the 2022-23 season of Finland’s second-tier league, has earned a contract with a Liiga club: Vaasan Sport. The 24-year-old left-shot blueliner led Kiekko-Espoo to a Mestis title last season, leading the league in scoring by a blueliner. He ranked fourth in league scoring as a defenseman and now will get the chance to try to translate that success to the highest level of Finnish hockey.
  • Longtime Swiss National League forward Reto Suri, a veteran of nearly 700 games in the Swiss top flight, will retire at the end of the season according to his club EV Zug. Suri recently injured his knee and is expected to be out for four-to-six months, and now with some clarity on that injury the club has issued some clarity on the player’s long-term plans. Suri only managed three points in 30 games for Zug last season but has long been a quality contributor in the Swiss league, managing 15 or more goals four times and 30 or more points six times. He’s represented Switzerland internationally at both the Olympics and the IIHF Men’s World Championships, and when he retires he will do so having recently won a Swiss league championship with Zug in 2021-22.
  • The USHL’s Madison Capitols acquired Latvian import netminder Patriks Bērziņš from the Tri-City Storm in exchange for multiple draft picks. The 19-year-old University of Maine commit has represented Latvia at two IIHF World Junior Championships and was highly impressive at the 2023 tournament, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against-average in six games. Bērziņš outperformed U.S. netminder and eventual 41st overall pick Trey Augustine at the tournament, but ultimately was not selected at the 2023 draft. Bērziņš split time between the USHL with the Storm and the NAHL with the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks last season, and now will likely get a chance to be a number-one USHL netminder before heading to college for 2024-25.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Minor League Notes: Branch, Bjork, Stromwall

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Per an official statement from the Commissioner, David Branch will be stepping down as Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. It will be the 45th and last year that Branch has served in that role, initially starting his term in 1979.

Branch has seen the league grow from 12 to 20 teams during his time serving as Commissioner and has seen such players ranging from Steve Yzerman and Eric Lindros to John Tavares and Connor McDavid graduate to the NHL level. However, per his letter to the public, it appeared as if Branch was more concerned with achievements off the ice, rather than on the ice, stating, “Countless players have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, emergency service workers, skilled tradespeople or other professionals that make tremendous contributions in our society, including participating in minor hockey as volunteer coaches and officials”.

His commitment to the game of hockey at the minor league level, as well as an appreciation for the personhood of the entirety of the league, will have a lasting impact on the OHL and junior hockey for the foreseeable future. The OHL Board of Governors thanked Branch for his time serving as Commissioner and organized Commissioner Search Committee to replace Branch.

Other notes:

  • Even after an impressive end to the 2022-23 regular season with the Chicago Blackhawks, forward Anders Bjork has settled on a one-year AHL contract with the Rockford IceHogs according to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. Bjork is no stranger to AHL hockey, as he spent most of last season playing for the Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Nevertheless, it is surprising to see Bjork not land at least a two-way NHL contract after scoring eight points in 13 games for the Blackhawks year.
  • According to a team release, forward Malte Stromwall has agreed to a contract with Frolunda HC of the SHL. Last season, Stromwall played for the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Wolves, and had a solid season. Playing in 68 games, Stromwall scored 18 goals and 33 assists, leading the team in scoring. Now returning back to his native Sweden, Stromwall will look to grow his value overseas.

 

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.

Minor Transactions: 07/29/23

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Player moves in the NHL are slowing to a grinding halt, although a few notable free agents remain unsigned. Those talents include the NHL’s all-time ironman, Phil Kessel (link), and top-four defender Matt Dumba (link), whose free agencies we’ve examined in detail.

However, moves are still coming in from the CHL, AHL, and major European leagues, all of which we’re keeping track of on a daily basis as the offseason rolls along. Here’s a list of today’s minor transactions for July 29, 2023:

  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants made a significant add on the back end today, parting with valuable assets to acquire 2024 NHL Draft-eligible defenseman Marek Howell from the Moose Jaw Warriors, according to a team release. In total, the Giants gave up a solid middle-six scorer in forward Ethan Semeniuk, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick. Howell, a shutdown defender, joins the Giants after going to Moose Jaw at 16th overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, and he registered four points in 44 games during his rookie season with the Warriors last year. The Giants have finished below the .500 mark in back-to-back seasons, and they’ll look to Howell to help them get back to relevancy in the WHL’s B.C. Division. He joins a squad likely to be led by Calgary Flames 2023 first-round selection Samuel Honzek, who signed his entry-level deal with the team earlier this week. Semeniuk, who was passed over in the 2023 NHL Draft, could be a nice add for Moose Jaw in this deal – he tied for fifth on the Giants in goals last year with 12 tallies in 64 games.
  • Defenseman Anthony Constantini, formerly of the OHL’s Ottawa 67s, has found a home to begin his pro career. After four years in the nation’s capital, Constantini is heading to the lower ranks of the Swedish hockey system to join Tranås AIF of HockeyEttan, Sweden’s third-tier league below the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan. A smooth-skating right-shot defender, Constantini logged top-four minutes for the 67’s last year and finished second among their defensemen in scoring with seven goals, 29 assists and 36 points in 67 games. He’ll try and help Tranås earn a promotion to the Allsvenskan, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2003. Constantini is the twin brother of netminder Marco Constantini, who won the OHL championship with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2021-22 and led the league in multiple stats that season, including GAA, SV%, and shutouts.
  • Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Nichlas Torp’s latest stint in the SHL will be a short one, as he’s dropped back down a level in Swedish hockey by signing a two-year contract with Allsvenskan club Nybro Vikings IF. Selected in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, the 34-year-old never did come over to North America and has spent his entire pro career in Sweden and Germany. He’d spent the last two seasons playing with HV71, with whom he helped gain promotion from the Allsvenskan to the SHL in 2022. A strong, hard-hitting defender, Torp’s effectiveness waned in his play with HV71 last season, signaling that a move to second-tier pro hockey may be more his pace as he enters his mid-30s. Nybro will look to his veteran leadership to help them stay afloat after gaining promotion from the HockeyEttan for the first time since 2009.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Calgary Flames Hire Marc Savard, Dan Lambert

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1:09 pm: The Flames have announced Savard and Lambert’s hiring as assistant coaches, also confirming that LaBarbera and MacLean are returning to the team in 2023-24.

10:54 am: While news about the Calgary Flames in the past 24 hours has surrounded people wanting out of the organization, at least one person wants in. The team is hiring Marc Savard as an assistant coach, per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek (and Savard himself).

According to The Hockey News’ Tony Ferrari, Savard is expected to work with the team’s power play and offensive strategy.

Savard’s hire continues to bring the band of early 2000s Flames players back together, joining one-time teammates Craig Conroy and Jarome Iginla in coaching and managerial roles. After coming over in a June 1999 trade from the New York Rangers, Savard registered 6o goals, 94 assists, and 154 points in 221 games as a Flame around the turn of the century before later stints with the Atlanta Thrashers and Boston Bruins.

The move will likely complete Calgary’s bench next season, led by new head coach Ryan Huska. Per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg, their goalie coach position is probably solidified with Jason LaBarbera not being affected by the team’s other coaching changes.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says only one of the team’s three other assistants from last season under head coach Darryl Sutter is returning – Cail MacLean. Savard and former Nashville Predators assistant Dan Lambert are expected to fill the spots vacated by Huska’s promotion and the departure of associate coach Kirk Muller.

Savard’s return to the game in a coaching role has been one of the better feel-good stories of the past few years. The Boston Bruins signed him to a seven-year, $28.15MM extension set to begin in the 2010-11 season, during which he only played 25 games. He spent the final six seasons of the contract on long-term injured reserve due to severe post-concussion complications.

Nearly a decade later, Savard joined the St. Louis Blues’ bench in 2019-20, helping them to a second-place finish in the regular season while boasting the third-best power play in the league. He didn’t return for the 2020-21 campaign but then took over as the head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires for the following two seasons, during which the team posted a combined record of 88-35-13 and reached the OHL final in 2021-22.

Morning Notes: Hershey, Walsh, MacKenzie

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Many on the East Coast woke up this morning to the news that the AHL’s Hershey Bears emerged victorious as the champions of the 2023 Calder Cup, outlasting the expansion Coachella Valley Firebirds on the road in a Game 7 overtime win. The Washington Capitals affiliate captured their league-record 12th championship thanks to the efforts of alternate captain and AHL veteran Mike Vecchione, who did get one game with the Caps in 2021-22.

It was a strong postseason for a few of Capitals prospects – namely 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael, who led the team with six goals in 20 games. It was the team’s depth that carried them through the many tribulations a postseason brings, though, with seven players recording 10 or more points. 27-year-old Hunter Shepard, who excelled in his first full AHL campaign after signing with Hershey in 2020, won MVP honors after posting a 2.27 goals-against average, .914 save percentage, three shutouts, and a 14-6-0 record in 20 playoff games.

More from the hockey news cycle this morning:

  • New Jersey Devils restricted free agent defenseman Reilly Walsh is set to lose his waiver-exempt status next season after three strong campaigns in the minors. In an interview with NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky, Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon revealed the team is preparing to lose Walsh, either via trade early in the season or a possible waiver claim. A third-round pick of the team in 2017, Walsh has recorded back-to-back 40-plus point seasons with the AHL’s Utica Comets and notched an assist in his lone NHL appearance in 2021-22. With a logjam of elite defense prospects in the Devils organization that includes Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, though, there isn’t a clear path to sustained NHL time for Walsh.
  • The Nashville Predators have hired Derek MacKenzie as an assistant coach, the team said this morning. MacKenzie had previously worked with new Predators head coach Andrew Brunette for a three-year period with the Florida Panthers, concluding with a President’s Trophy win in 2021-22 with Brunette as head coach. MacKenzie had spent the 2022-23 campaign as head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves after the Panthers revamped their coaching staff last offseason, where he guided prospects such as forward Quentin Musty (who could be available with Nashville’s first-round selections) to high-end seasons.

Katey Stone Retires From Harvard Women’s Hockey Program

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Katey Stone has retired after nearly three decades as head coach of the Harvard women’s hockey program.

The announcement comes just weeks after bombshell reporting from Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe, Katie Strang of The Athletic, and others that the Harvard program encouraged hazing and other alleged abusive behavior.

Harvard makes no mention of the reporting in the retirement announcement, instead releasing a boilerplate statement from athletic director Erin McDermott:

We recognize the decades of service and commitment that Katey has given to this University and Athletic Department. We thank her for all she has done to build the women’s hockey program here, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Stone, 56, is one of the most recognizable coaches in women’s hockey, having led Harvard for 29 years and served as head coach of Team USA at World Championships and Olympics.

The team will begin the search for a new head coach immediately.

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