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East Notes: DeAngelo, Helm, Othmann

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With the departure of Dougie Hamilton in the offseason, many questioned how the Carolina Hurricanes would rebuild their defense. Controversially, they signed Tony DeAngelo to a one-year deal after he was bought out by the New York Rangers. The signing hit about as well as the team could’ve hoped, with off-ice distractions mostly limited. Now a restricted free agent, the team has exclusive rights to keep him around.

Both the team and player want to keep the relationship going, though. DeAngelo notes a feeling of acceptance from the team. It will undoubtedly be a large increase over his $1MM cap hit, however, but that’s something they can try and work out with almost $20MM in cap space. The team has a lot of free agents, though, and they’ll need to be picky about how they allocate their money. He performed with 51 points in 64 games.

  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel took a look at potential cheap, veteran replacements to fill the hole Jason Spezza left on the ice with his retirement. First on his list is pending UFA forward Darren Helm, who most notably recently knocked the St. Louis Blues out of the playoffs with just seconds left in regulation. As Helm, a member of the Colorado Avalanche, could be phased out of the organization this offseason with younger players fighting for roles, the Leafs could provide a home for him on the open market. The Stanley Cup-winning veteran had 15 points in 68 games this season.
  • Larry Brooks of The New York Post reports that, even if his OHL Flint Firebirds are eliminated tonight, top New York Rangers prospect Brennan Othmann won’t sign his entry-level contract and join the Rangers for the remainder of their playoff run. Othmann, who the Rangers selected 16th overall in 2021, had a fantastic year with 50 goals and 97 points in 66 OHL games this season. He’s added 24 points in 19 playoff games as well. However, it seems as though the team is content to either leave him in juniors for another season or wait to sign him until the offseason.

Prospect Notes: Gauthier, Spence, Capitals

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Many draft experts will often express something like “with all else equal, take the center” when discussing forwards. The position is much more coveted than wing, especially near the top of draft boards. Perhaps that’s why Cutter Gauthier is flying up rankings as this year’s draft approaches, finishing third among North American skaters in the final list from NHL Central scouting.

Gauthier, 18, will transition to center full-time next season for Boston College, and teams that have interviewed him this week at the combine see him in the middle, according to Corey Pronman of The Athletic. The 6’3″ forward is already an interesting mix of size and skill, meaning that news of his move to center makes him all the more intriguing as an option near the very top.

  • Malcolm Spence, a 15-year-old winger from the GTHL, has officially committed to the Erie Otters after the team selected him second overall in this year’s OHL draft. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise but means there will be plenty of eyes on the Otters over the next several years, as Spence tries to establish himself as one of the very top options for the 2025 draft. Mike Battah, co-director of scouting for the Otters, called Spence the most dynamic player in this year’s draft, despite going after first-overall pick and exceptional status player Michael Misa.
  • Technically, to carry a draft pick’s rights from year to year, a team has to extend a bona fide offer to them. Most teams don’t announce these offers publicly, but not so for the Washington Capitals, who tweeted today that Chase Clark, Joaquim Lemay, and Dru Krebs have all received one. This simply keeps them on the Capitals’ reserve list for another year, and certainly was an expected decision.

Draft Notes: Savoie, Morrison, Fisher, MacDonald

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The next time you see Matthew Savoie could be as walks on stage in Montreal at the 2022 NHL Draft. One of the top prospects in this years class, Savoie’s Winnipeg Ice are still alive in the WHL playoffs, but the skilled center has not been playing with them. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman reports that Savoie injury he suffered earlier in the series and is now considered unlikely to return this postseason. Pronman notes that the injury is not long-term and Savoie could hypothetically be back for the Memorial Cup next month, but down 3-1 to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL semifinals, the Ice likely aren’t making it that far. Fortunately, Savoie has done more than enough to cement his spot as a top-ten prospect this year. Long considered one of top talents of the 2022 class, Savoie recorded 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with Winnipeg this year and tacked on a dozen more points in ten playoff games to silence any doubters. He will hear his name called very early on July 7, whether he plays again before then or not.

  • No CHL team – or perhaps any team on the planet – is as hot as the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs right now. The top-seeded team is undefeated in the postseason, sweeping each of their first two series and picking up a win last night to go up 3-0 in their semifinal series. It seems a virtual lock that Hamilton will be OHL champs this year and the team to beat at the Memorial Cup. No one is happier about that than Logan Morrison. Passed over in the 2020 NHL Draft and ignored in the 2021 Draft after missing last season due to the OHL’s COVID shutdown, Morrison is making it impossible for teams to overlook him in his third and final draft go-round. The two-way center recorded 34 goals and 66 assists for 100 points in just 60 games this season with Hamilton, finishing sixth in the league in scoring and second in plus/minus at a whopping +44. The longer that Morrison and the Bulldogs play, the more eyes will be on the 19-year-old – and he is giving them something to watch. Morrison has a league-high 13 goals to go with 24 points and a +15 rating in only 11 postseason games thus far. He hope to take that hot streak right to draft day and be one of the rare third-year players to garner a high pick. TSN’s Craig Button recently ranked Morrison as the No. 86 prospect in the draft class, but at this rate the late third round could only be the floor for Morrison.
  • Almost every player selected in the NHL Draft comes from either a junior or professional league. However, there are always a sizeable selection of high school players taken and that trend has grown of late. Specifically, in recent years there have been more prep school players going straight to the NCAA the next season garnering looks in the early rounds. The New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver notes that a couple more could be coming this year out of Massachusetts. Defenseman Michael Fisher and forward Ben MacDonald have each been invited to the NHL Draft Combine next week, Divver reports. The two have no junior experience, yet have been identified as among the top 96 players worth inviting to the combine. Fisher, who played at St. Mark’s and recorded 50 points in 28 games this year, brings the sought-after combination of size and skill and is headed to Northeastern University next year to keep developing. MacDonald, who played at Noble & Greenough and notched 29 points in 22 games this season, will eventually join Harvard University, but is set to suit up with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors next year. Both will be eager to take advantage of the increased exposure at the Combine and could earn an early selection in this year’s draft.

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.

Daniil Chayka Assigned To AHL

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At this time of year, minor league rosters are constantly in flux. Top players may end up recalled to their parent teams for the playoffs, while top prospects are arriving for their first taste of professional action. The latter is exactly what has happened for the Henderson Silver Knights, as Daniil Chayka has been reassigned to the AHL after his junior season came to an end.

Chayka, 19, was selected 38th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, after pair of trades landed them in that position. The Russian defenseman had already played two seasons in the OHL by the time he was selected and had also had a short showing at the KHL level. This year, he returned to the Guelph Storm and dominated, recording 39 points in 53 games while continuing to improve on his already excellent defensive skills.

Interestingly enough, the beginning of the second round was actually considered quite low for Chayka compared to where many projected him before the 2020-21 season. Because the OHL didn’t play and he was forced back to Russia, he ended up dropping from the middle-first ranking he once held. All of that is to the benefit of the Golden Knights, who nabbed him even after trading down and will now get to see him (potentially) at the professional level in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Chayka will join Henderson in Colorado, where they will play tonight and tomorrow against the Eagles and try to keep their hopes alive. Already down 1-0 in the three-game series, the Silver Knights need a win this evening.

Snapshots: Player Poll, OHL Awards, Price

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The NHLPA released the results of their annual Player Poll, which takes the temperature of players around the league on a variety of topics. More than 42 percent of the league, for instance, would pick Connor McDavid if they had to win one game and needed to choose a single skater. McDavid lags well behind Sidney Crosby in terms of the “most complete player” according to the players, as nearly 30 percent of them voted for the Pittsburgh Penguins captain in that category.

While some of those answers may not surprise, the poll also includes things like which NHL arena has the best ice, which player has the best “hockey hair,” and which non-NHL athlete they would like to trade places with. It’s a fun exercise that certainly can cause some heated debate among fans.

  • Meanwhile, the OHL released the results of their own polling, this time for the league’s award finalists. Wyatt Johnston and Brandon Coe are the finalists for the Red Tilson Trophy, given to the Most Outstanding Player. Johnston, a first-round pick by the Dallas Stars in 2021, scored 124 points in 68 games for the Windsor Spitfires, while Coe, a fourth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, had 101 in 62. Cam Allen and David Goyette are the Rookie of the Year finalists, though the former won’t even be eligible for the NHL draft until 2023. Goyette, 18, was ranked 35th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
  • After it came to light yesterday that Carey Price would consult with his surgeon about his knee, many eyebrows raised around the hockey world. The veteran goaltender only just made his return to the ice recently, playing in four games for the Montreal Canadiens. While he’s only listed as day-to-day, Price’s visit should raise some concern, according to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, who questions the future of the netminder in the NHL should he be facing another long rehab. Price is signed through the 2025-26 season and carries a cap hit of $10.5MM.

Russian, Belarusian Players Ineligible For CHL Import Draft

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Last year, 16 Russian and 11 Belarusian prospects were selected in the CHL Import Draft. This year, there will be none. According to several reports including Darren Dreger of TSN, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, the CHL is set to announce that players from Russia and Belarus will be declared ineligible for this year’s draft. The change will not affect players already on protected lists, like those selected last year.

For many international players, coming to the CHL early is a way to acclimatize yourself to North American hockey and get in front of higher-level hockey operations executives. Slovakian-born Martin Chromiak, for instance, was the second overall pick in the 2019 Import Draft and has now become one of the most exciting prospects in the OHL, scoring 44 goals and 86 points this season for the Kingston Frontenacs. He even made it into a pair of AHL games last spring with the Los Angeles Kings, who managed to sign him without any trouble.

In 2018 it was Finnish-born Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who went third overall to the Sudbury Wolves after the Buffalo Sabres had already spent a second-round pick on him. He managed to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player before jumping directly into North American pro hockey.

The year before that, of course, was dominated by Russian players, including Andrei Svechnikov, who went first overall to the Barrie Colts. Because Svechnikov was already over in North America (he’d played 2016-17 in the USHL), the Carolina Hurricanes had no worry about making him the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He wasn’t under contract in the KHL and would immediately make the jump to the NHL level.

That is where this announcement could have an effect on NHL teams. With Russian and Belarusian players no longer able to come to the CHL (at least for the time being), they will pose a much bigger risk at the NHL Draft, given their uncertain futures. Many of them will have to find other places to showcase their talents, leading not only to clubs that will try to retain them, but also transfer rules that could send them back overseas even after signing entry-level contracts. For many, playing and developing in a league closer to where their professional futures lie is appealing.

The Import Draft will take place on July 1.

Michael Hage Headed To USHL

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The USHL’s Chicago Steel landed a top CHL prospect when they signed a tender agreement with Macklin Celebrini earlier this month, and now they’ve done it again. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that Michael Hage has also signed a tender with the Steel, and will pass on the chance to play in the OHL.

Hage, 16, was expected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming OHL draft after his incredible performance at the 2022 OHL Cup, a tournament for the best U16 teams from Ontario and the United States. The young forward registered seven goals and 16 points for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, only trailing Michael Misa–the latest player to be granted exceptional status into the CHL–in both categories.

While Misa is a top prospect for the 2025 draft, Hage is eligible for the 2024 event and figures to be a potential first-round selection at this point. While there’s still lots of time for that to change, joining the powerhouse Steel program should certainly help his development. It also means that Hage will retain his NCAA eligibility, perhaps leading to an opportunity to play college hockey in the future–something that disappears when a player suits up in the OHL.

At any rate, Hage will still likely be selected at some point in the OHL draft later this week and a team will hold his rights to try and convince him down the road. Fans in Chicago will be lucky enough to see him as he takes the next steps toward NHL relevance.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Ethan Del Mastro

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The Chicago Blackhawks have signed another prospect, inking OHL defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will carry an NHL cap hit of $878,333. Del Mastro currently plays for the Mississauga Steelheads, where he will finish the season.

Selected 105th overall in 2021, the big, physical defenseman has taken his game to an entirely new level this season. Del Mastro is a prime example of how unclear the scouting community was on the upside of some mid-round players after he missed the entire 2020-21 season due to the COVID-canceled OHL campaign. That makes his stat page look a little odd, as Del Mastro had just seven points at the OHL level before exploding with 48 in 68 games this season.

Notably though, it’s not even really his offensive upside that is so intriguing. Not often do you find a defenseman that is both this big and this mobile, as Del Mastro is an excellent skater that can smother opponents quickly on the rush and punish them in the corners or in front of his own net. There’s a reason why the Steelheads made him captain, and at least some of that is because of his willingness to drop the gloves to protect his teammates.

While there is still obviously a lot of work to do before he is making an impact at the NHL level, this is exactly the kind of defenseman that has become so sought after in recent years, as teams put huge importance on length and mobility in the postseason. An entry-level contract is a nice first step, but the Blackhawks will now need to find a way to develop Del Mastro into the best version of himself.

OHL Draft First Round Order Of Selection Set

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The 2022 OHL Priority Selection Draft Lottery concluded today, awarding the Saginaw Spirit the first overall pick for the first time since 2003. The OHL’s lottery system, which determines the top four draft spots completely at random among the four non-playoff teams in the league, awarded the Erie Otters second overall, the Sudbury Wolves third overall, and the league-worst Niagara IceDogs fell to fourth.

It was a rough season for Saginaw, who finished just one point ahead of last place Niagara and allowed 305 goals in 68 games, finishing with a 24-43-1 record. There were some standouts, though, especially 2022 NHL Draft-eligible defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who looks like a sure-fire first-round talent after leading the team with 62 points in 67 games. A surprise pick last season, Buffalo Sabres third-rounder Josh Bloom led the team’s forwards in points, while New York Islanders netminder prospect Tristan Lennox led Saginaw goalies with a .888 save percentage.

Saginaw will likely be choosing between a pair of forwards from the GTHL’s Mississauga Senators with the first-overall selection. There’s Michael Misa, who was just granted exceptional status in the OHL after the 15-year-old netted 20 points in just seven games at this year’s OHL Cup. While his upside makes him the more likely pick, there’s also the older Malcolm Spence, who also had a very solid run with 13 points in seven games at the same tournament.

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