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Los Angeles Kings Assign Brandt Clarke To OHL; Place Trevor Moore On IR

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4:01 pm: The Kings have made the move official, announcing Clarke’s loan to the OHL Friday afternoon. In a corresponding transaction, the team also placed forward Trevor Moore on injured reserve after he’d missed the past four games with an upper-body injury. He is still listed as day-to-day and could return at any time.

3:35 pm: Per reports this afternoon from John Hoven at Mayor’s Manor and Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to loan top defense prospect Brandt Clarke back to the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

Clarke is coming off a gold-medal-winning performance at the 2023 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. The eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft led Canadian defensemen with two goals and eight points in seven games.

His professional action this season had been somewhat limited, although a strong training camp permitted him to crack the Kings’ opening night roster. He’d played just 14 games this season aside from the World Juniors, including nine in Los Angeles and five in the AHL with the Ontario Reign on a conditioning stint.

Los Angeles keeping Clarke to under 10 games played in the NHL this season allows them to slide the beginning of his entry-level contract until 2023-24. This is the second and final season Los Angeles can slide Clarke’s contract, which they signed in August of 2021.

Clarke is an absolutely huge get for Barrie, as their former captain notched 59 points in 55 games in 2021-22. With Clarke’s return, an already strong team will get even stronger, and they may not even be done yet. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler named the Colts as a potential destination for Shane Wright, who was also returned to the OHL today and will inevitably be traded by the Kingston Frontenacs before Tuesday’s OHL trade deadline to a more competitive team.

2023 will be an important step for Clarke’s development, as the Kings hope their top defense prospect develops into a natural successor on the right side behind Drew Doughty as he ages out of the league.

Seattle Kraken Re-Assign Shane Wright To OHL

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Fresh off of leading Team Canada to victory at the World Junior Championships, Shane Wright’s status for the rest of the season has been made clear.

The Seattle Kraken have reassigned the forward to his junior team, the Kingston Frontenacs, meaning he will spend the rest of the season chasing the Memorial Cup. That chase may not take place in Kingston, though, as NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston tweets that the expectation is that Wright will be traded to another OHL team.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis issued the following statement regarding Wright’s status:

We’re very proud of Shane’s performance at the World Juniors, helping captain Team Canada to a gold medal. He has a bright NHL career ahead of him with the Kraken and now has an opportunity to lead his junior team as they compete for a Memorial Cup. We look forward to watching him the rest of this season and wish him well.

It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster season for Wright, who somewhat surprisingly fell to the number-four slot at the 2022 draft. The now 19-year-old center began the year with the Kraken, but played sparingly and was frequently a healthy scratch.

The Kraken exploited a little-known feature of the NHL-CHL transfer agreement that allowed Wright to spend two weeks in the AHL. After a successful five-game stretch there where Wright scored four goals, was recalled back to Seattle, played in one game, scored his first NHL goal, and then left to captain Canada’s World Juniors squad.

Now back in the OHL, Wright will look to have a dominant rest of the season and help his team win the Memorial Cup. Wright’s OHL performance last year was seen as somewhat disappointing, as he failed to lead the Frontenacs on a deep playoff run and didn’t post the dominant production many expected.

He’ll now get another chance to have the overwhelmingly productive OHL campaign many were expecting, and with some NHL experience under his belt and a WJC win in his back pocket, he’s in a prime position to succeed.

Snapshots: Domi, Kraken Prospects, Vrana, Wotherspoon

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As soon as Max Domi signed with Chicago just minutes into free agency last summer, the expectation was that he’d be traded at the deadline when there wasn’t much money left on his one-year, $3MM contract.  However, in a recent 32 Thoughts appearance, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports (video link) that it’s not a guarantee that Domi moves.  He’s enjoying a nice bounce-back year with the Blackhawks, collecting 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 games so far, good for second on the team in scoring.  He’s also winning draws at a career-best clip of 56.3%.  If he’s happy in his role and having some success, it may make more sense for Chicago to try to extend the 27-year-old.  That’s a discussion GM Kyle Davidson is expected to have with Domi’s representation in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • A pair of Kraken prospects are on the move in the CHL. OHL London announced that they’ve acquired forward Ryan Winterton from Hamilton as part of a four-player trade.  The 19-year-old was a third-round pick (67th overall) in 2021 and has 46 points in 37 games so far this season.  Meanwhile, Sherbrooke of the QMJHL announced the acquisition of winger Jacob Melanson from Acadie-Bathurst.  The 19-year-old has 25 goals in just 27 games this season.  Both prospects have already signed their entry-level contracts with Seattle.
  • The Red Wings will extend Jakub Vrana’s conditioning stint by three more games, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has already played in three games and was held off the scoresheet and the team feels he could benefit from a longer stretch in the minors.  This is the only extension that Detroit can give Vrana; he’ll have to be recalled once these three games are up.
  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to AHL Utica. He was recalled last week for his second stint with the big club this season but didn’t get into a game with New Jersey; his last NHL appearance came back in January 2017.  So far this season, the 29-year-old has two goals and seven assists in 23 games with the Comets.

Minor Transactions: 01/01/23

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With the new year now upon us, today features the first slate of games of 2023. With the Winter Classic coming up tomorrow, there’s quite a bit on the calendar for NHL fans to get excited about. As these games go on, teams in minor and overseas leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of any notable moves here:

  • 2016 Vancouver Canucks draft pick and established SHL scorer Rodrigo Abols will be changing clubs this summer. The Latvian forward has announced that he will be leaving his current club, Orebro, to sign with Rogle for next season. Abols has 20 points in 27 games this season and last played in North America in 2019-20, scoring 23 points in 36 games for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
  • Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Martin Reway has parted ways with his current club, EHC Freiburg of the German DEL2. Reway arrived in the German second division after playing last year in the Czech second division. He has scored 23 points in 20 games this year for Freiburg.
  • The Erie Otters have completed a trade with the Niagara IceDogs, landing Pano Fimis, the number-two pick of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. Fimis, who went undrafted last year, has scored 24 points in 28 games this year. He’ll arrive in Erie likely that this trade can spark increased production and give him a shot at getting drafted in the summer.
  • Tim Soderlund, perhaps best known for being a part of the 2021 trade of Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers, has parted ways with his current club, Djurgardens IF. The 24-year-old winger, a 2017 fourth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, has scored 14 points in 29 HockeyAllsvenskan games this season. He last played in North America in 2021-22, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL before heading to Djurgarden.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Matyas Sapovaliv

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed 2022 draft selection Matyas Sapovaliv to a three-year, entry-level contract, according to Sapovaliv’s agent, Dan Milstein. PuckPedia reports Sapovaliv’s contract carries a $860,000 cap hit in all three seasons, with $775,000 paid in NHL salary, $85,000 paid in signing bonuses, and $82,500 paid in minors salary.

Vegas selected Sapovaliv, a natural center, with the 48th overall selection out of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. The product of Kladno, Czechia, has 11 goals and 30 points in 30 games with Saginaw in 2022-23 and is on Czechia’s roster for the ongoing World Junior Championships.

Sapovaliv’s style leans heavily on the playmaking side, investing nearly all his offensive IQ into making picture-perfect passes. While he can certainly put the puck in the net, too, he has high point-producing upside if utilized correctly alongside snipers at the NHL level.

He is still just 18 years old, with his birthday coming in February. He’s the second-highest drafted forward in the Vegas system behind 2020 first-round choice Brendan Brisson.

 

Atlantic Notes: Bunting, Heatherington, Harrison

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The Maple Leafs have yet to engage in contract extension talks for pending UFA winger Michael Bunting, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports in his latest Toronto Star column.  The 27-year-old isn’t producing at quite the level he was last season but still has 24 points in 34 games this season, making him quite a bargain as he carries just a $950K AAV.  It stands to reason that he could pass the $4MM mark on the open market in the summer and while that might be more than Toronto can afford, it’s a price tag they’re going to have to know about heading into the trade deadline so they’ll know if they’ll have a chance of being able to keep him beyond this season.  Otherwise, their plans on deadline day could change accordingly.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Ottawa Senators have returned defenseman Dillon Heatherington to AHL Belleville, per the AHL’s transactions log. The assignment allows the Sens to bank a bit more cap room while Heatherington might also get into a game with Belleville even if he is going to eventually be recalled as the lone AHL game on December 26th is Belleville taking on provincial rival Toronto.  Heatherington played 11:28 on Thursday night, his first NHL appearance of the season while he has five points in 19 games in the minors.
  • Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal suggests (Twitter link) that there are trade rumors surrounding Bruins prospect Brett Harrison at the OHL level. The 19-year-old was a third-rounder back in 2021 and has already signed his entry-level contract.  Harrison has 29 points in 24 games with Oshawa this season but with the Generals sitting in last in their division (even though they still hold a playoff spot), they’re expected to be sellers prior to the January 10th trade deadline.

Amadeus Lombardi Signs Entry-Level Contract

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1:30 PM: The Red Wings have now officially announced Lombardi’s signing.

12:53 PM: The Detroit Red Wings have provided a prospect with an early Christmas present, signing Amadeus Lombardi to a three-year entry-level contract according to his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey.

Lombardi, 19, was the 113th selection in 2022 after going undrafted in his first year of eligibility. Playing for the Flint Firebirds this season (where he will remain), he has scored 44 points in 31 games, already passing his goal total from last season.

An incredibly quick skater, the undersized forward got a late start on his OHL career due to the canceled 2020-21 season, potentially leading to him falling further in the draft than he would have. Earning an entry-level deal is a nice next step, though he still has plenty of work to do before reaching the NHL.

Notably, because he will turn 20 in June, Lombardi will be eligible for the AHL next season. It will be interesting to see if the Red Wings go that route, or potentially send him back for an overage year in junior while he continues to add strength and experience.

Either way, he’s a part of an NHL organization now, and should have even more motivation to play well down the stretch. The Firebirds currently sit sixth in the OHL’s Western Conference and a good bit of that is because of Lombardi’s skill. His 44 points are 15 more than his next closest teammate, Chicago Blackhawks third-round pick Gavin Hayes.

Snapshots: Korpisalo, Maatta, Hunt, Kazbekov

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Heading into the season, it seemed likely that Joonas Korpisalo was entering his final season with the Blue Jackets.  His re-signing allowed Daniil Tarasov to spend one more year in the minors before moving up to the NHL full-time in 2023-24.  However, as Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch suggests, Korpisalo’s performance this season coupled with his contract could make him one of their top trade chips heading into the trade deadline.  While his numbers aren’t great on their own (3.53 GAA, .903 SV%), they’re considerably better than Elvis Merzlikins’ by comparison (4.68, .864).  That, coupled with a low-cost $1.3MM expiring deal, could give them a chance to get a better draft pick they were offered the last time that Korpisalo was on the block.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Prior to their game this afternoon against Ottawa, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they activated defenseman Olli Maatta off injured reserve. The 28-year-old is off to a nice start in his first year with Detroit, notching 10 points in 25 games heading into today’s action while logging nearly 20 minutes per game.  That’s a pretty good early return on the one-year, $2.25MM that Detroit gave him early in free agency.
  • A day after being papered down to the minors, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Brad Hunt from AHL Colorado. The 34-year-old inked a two-year deal with the Avs in the summer and has played in four games with the big club so far, collecting an assist while logging a little over 10 minutes per game.  He has been quite productive with the Eagles though, notching six goals and 14 helpers in 22 games at the minor league level.
  • There was some sad news in the OHL with the league jointly announcing with London that forward Abakar Kazbekov passed away today at the age of 18. Kazbekov was the first-overall pick from the 2021 OHL U18 Priority Selection and had played in 21 games in parts of two seasons with the team including in Friday’s game against Owen Sound.

Decision Time Is Coming For Kings And Brandt Clarke

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One of the underlying themes for junior-aged players in the NHL is noting when they officially burn the first year of their entry-level contract once they play in their tenth game of the season.  Some teams are comfortable going past that point and are more concerned with the second threshold of 40 games on the active roster when a player accrues a year of service time towards UFA eligibility.  Others try to drag out the decision as long as they can to allow for extra evaluation time.

The Kings are clearly in the latter category when it comes to defenseman Brandt Clarke.  Los Angeles selected the 19-year-old eighth overall in 2021 following a strong season with Barrie of the OHL.  He returned to the Colts last season and simply dominated, notching 59 points in 55 games and did well enough in six preseason games to earn a spot on the opening roster.

Before going any further, it’s worth noting that the agreement between the NHL and CHL prohibits junior-aged players from playing in the minors until their age-20 year (with the exception being if they’ve already played four seasons of major junior).  With Clarke not in his age-20 year, his playing options this season are the NHL and the OHL only.

Los Angeles quickly burned through Clarke’s nine games, the last of which came on November 1st.  At that time, they opted to hold him out of the lineup long enough to satisfy the conditions needed to make him eligible for a two-week conditioning stint with AHL Ontario which supersedes the NHL/CHL agreement in that one scenario and it’s not one that can be used repeatedly.  Clarke went down, played in five games with the Reign, and was recalled on Sunday where he has been scratched ever since.

It’s certainly understandable that the Kings might not want to return him to junior, a league that Clarke has proven all that he really needs to prove.  In that sense, dropping down to a lower level might be perceived as stagnating his development.  However, simply not playing isn’t exactly helping his development either.  There’s something to be gained from practicing with the big club, but that’s only for a certain amount of time before not suiting up becomes problematic.  Plus, keeping a player up with no intention of playing him isn’t the most efficient use of cap space as the Kings could stand to benefit from banking some extra room to use closer to the trade deadline this season.

There’s one way that the Kings could kick this decision a little further down the road.  If Clarke is invited to participate at Team Canada’s training camp for the upcoming World Juniors, Los Angeles could hold him on the roster for a few more days and then loan him to Canada’s squad.  They would then reserve the ability to recall him at that time when they could evaluate him in a few more practices and then decide what to do.  If they were to loan him to the OHL before Canada’s camp begins, they wouldn’t be able to recall Clarke back to Los Angeles.

That would then take them to the OHL trade deadline (January 10th) where they could see if he’s moved to a more favorable situation or if Barrie, who could add top draft prospect Eduard Sale after the World Juniors, loads up, creating a better opportunity for him to return to.  At this point, it appears that this is the route that they’re likely to take.

In the meantime, barring a change of heart that puts him in the lineup in the coming days (they next play Tuesday against Ottawa), it appears the waiting game for Clarke will continue for at least a few more days but with Canada’s camp starting soon, they’ll have a decision to make in the near future.

Snapshots: Kuzmenko, Anisimov, Monahan, Haight

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Andrei Kuzmenko’s first season in North America has been a successful one as the winger enters play tonight sitting fourth on the Canucks in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists in 22 games.  He’s also set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer for the second straight year except this time, he won’t be capped on entry-level restrictions.  While the two sides are eligible to work out an extension as early as January, it doesn’t appear that will be the case.  Appearing on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali (video link), Kuzmenko’s agent Dan Milstein indicated that there are no contract talks planned for the near future:

We are not going to be talking about an extension of any kind until probably the end of the season or close to that time.

While that’s the plan for now, it stands to reason that Vancouver will look to start discussions before the end of the year as if they can’t reach an agreement on a contract for next season, Kuzmenko could be a trade candidate leading up to the March 3rd trade deadline.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Veteran center Artem Anisimov is off to a decent start with AHL Lehigh Valley with three points in his first five games with Philadelphia’s affiliate. In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that the Flyers would like to convert Anisimov’s contract to an NHL deal to add him to the roster.  However, they’re currently unable to do so as they’re at the maximum 50 contracts so they’ll have to make a trade to open up a spot first unless someone claims Kieffer Bellows on waivers on Friday.  Anisimov is a veteran of 771 career NHL contests and would give them someone else to try on the fourth line if they can open up a spot for him first.
  • When the Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan this offseason, he seemed like a near-lock to be traded by the deadline with Montreal entrenched in a rebuild. However, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays that the team is now having internal discussions about the idea of trying to sign the 28-year-old to an extension instead of flipping him as an expiring deal at the deadline.  Monahan has 14 points in 22 games this season while averaging over 17 minutes a night and appears to have recovered quite nicely from the hip surgeries he had in each of the past two years.
  • Wild prospect Hunter Haight is on the move in the OHL as Barrie announced that they traded him to Saginaw in exchange for five draft picks. The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by Minnesota this past summer after putting up 22 goals and 41 points last season with the Colts.  However, things haven’t gone as well this year as he managed just three goals and six helpers in 20 contests prior to the move.  Minnesota has until June 1, 2024 to sign the center to an NHL contract.

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