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Training Camp Notes: Sharks, Motte, Betker, Kuhlman

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The San Jose Sharks had quite a few unfamiliar names listed when they released their training camp rosters. All in all, the Sharks have invited five unsigned junior prospects to camp: goalie Max Paddock, defenseman Keaton Middleton, and forwards Kyle Topping, Jake Gricius, and Justin Brazeau. Paddock is the youngest of the group at just 18 and has only one junior season under his belt with the WHL’s Regina Pats. The Sharks may be looking at Paddock, who still has draft eligibility remaining, as a potential long-term project signing, but will have to work quickly to get him signed within a limited window or else will have to hope they can select him in next year’s draft. Middleton, a fourth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2016, has been the captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for the past two years and has proven to be a reliable two-way defender. Middleton has played significant minutes in 60+ games in each of his four junior seasons and is likely ready to make the jump to the pro level. Up front, Brazeau highlights the forward invites. The 6’6″ power forward registered 75 points in 68 games last season for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion and, if given the opportunity, the 20-year-old Brazeau could possibly be a difference-maker in the minor leagues with an NHL ceiling. Gricius, of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, is another big forward, but younger than Brazeu at 18 and more raw. He has yet to show the same offensive upside and may have limited potential, but the Sharks will judge that for themselves in camp. Finally, Topping is coming off a strong point-per-game season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, but the 18-year-old has more developing to do. Both he and Gricius remain draft-eligible and San Jose could simply be thinking ahead to next June.

  • The Minnesota Wild have decided to add another goaltender to the mix in camp, listing minor league keeper C.J. Motte on their training camp roster. Motte, the older brother of Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Motte, is a former college standout at Ferris State University and has been playing in the minor leagues for the past three seasons. Motte was under contract with the Quad City Mallards, ECHL affiliate of the Wild, for the past two years, although his play earned him several AHL loans as well, including to the Iowa Wild. Minnesota’s coaches and front office may want a closer look at what they have in the organization, as Motte could potentially be fighting for a two-way AHL deal in camp.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have invited defenseman Ben Betker to camp. A former sixth-round pick and project prospect of the rival Edmonton Oilers, Betker did not receive a qualifying offer this off-season and has been unable to land an NHL contract. Although the 6’6″, 230-lb. defenseman has great size and physical ability, as well as some modest puck-moving ability, his PTO with Vancouver doesn’t necessarily imply that he is fighting for a contract with the team. Betker has struggle to produce in the minors and could use some more seasoning. However, the 23-year-old could definitely land with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
  • Although the Boston Bruins are already bursting with pro-ready prospects, including Calder hopeful Ryan Donato, three centers fighting for a job in Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka, Anders Bjork and Peter Cehlarik returning from injuries, and recent high picks on the blue line in Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa suggests that a first-year pro free agent addition could actually end up having an impact this year. Karson Kuhlman, the captain of the reigning NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, has impressed in camp so far. Shinzawa spoke with Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach and watched Kuhlman dominate with two goals in the Bruins’ rookie game on Saturday and has formed the opinion that the young winger could be one of the first players called up by Boston this season. Although smaller and less skilled than some of his competition, Shinzawa states that his effort and two-way intelligence is evident and the team loves his hard-nosed style and natural leadership. Kuhlman seems like a nice fit as a bottom-six forward in the NHL and could realize that ceiling sooner rather than later. The embarrassment of riches in the Boston pipeline continues as another name to watch is added to the list.

Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars Extend Camp Invites To First-Year Pros

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With rookie camps underway and veterans soon to join, teams are continuing to formalize professional tryout offers to bring outside contenders into training camp. Some are veterans looking to make the big league roster, others are young players pushing for an entry-level deal or a minor league pact, and fairly frequently some players are just in camp as a favor from the team in their hopes of being noticed elsewhere. It’s often difficult to know whether players have a legitimate shot of breaking camp or not, but their presence is intriguing all the same.

The Florida Panthers especially made some noise today when they released their training camp roster, as it featured the names of two potential first-year pros. Goaltender Evan Cormier, an unsigned former draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, and defenseman Dylan MacPherson will join the Panthers in camp. Cormier, 20, has been the starting goalie OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for the past three and half seasons and was a member of the Canadian World Junior roster in 2014-15 as well. Despite spending a fourth-round pick on him, the Devils opted not to sign Cormier due to underwhelming results at the junior level. Cormier never posted a season save percentage above .900 or a goals against average below 3.00 in four seasons in the OHL. However, he did improve with time and is out to show that he is still developing and has yet to reach his ceiling. MacPherson is out to prove the same thing. The 20-year-old blue liner has been a solid contributor for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers the past two seasons, but has been overshadowed by his fellow defensemen. Although MacPherson still has a year of eligibility remaining at the junior level, he likely feels that moving on to the pro game would better suit his development. The big defender possesses a sound defensive game, but needs to be a more dynamic player if he is to make a difference in the pros. It will be interesting to see if one or both of these young players land a contract with the Panthers or their affiliates.

Ben Gleason is out to accomplish the same thing as MacPherson, as the 20-year-old defenseman finds himself in camp with the Dallas Stars. Gleason, the younger cousin of long-time NHL rearguard Tim Gleason, has a quite different style from his cousin. Gleason is a very productive, offensive-minded defender who led the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in blue line scoring in each of the past three seasons. The puck-mover has registered 125 points in 236 OHL games, not including a massive 18-point postseason outburst this past spring. Gleason has also improved his defensive game of late and was a +29 between the regular season and playoffs in 2017-18. The question now is whether he can replicate that two-way success at the pro level. The stars have a penchant for offensive defenders and a good camp showing could add Gleason to their growing ranks of talented possession defensemen.

Matej Pekar Expected To Play In OHL

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When the Buffalo Sabres selected USHL standout Matej Pekar with their fourth round pick (94th overall) in June’s draft, it seemed that his path was set to eventually play in the NCAA at Miami University (Ohio). Pekar was likely going to play another season in the USHL before heading to college, but there was a clear route laid out for his development. Now, in a turn of events, Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald is reporting that Pekar will play in the OHL this season instead of the USHL. Pekar’s rights in the Canadian junior ranks are owned by the Barrie Colts after they selected him 108th overall in the most recent CHL Import Draft.

Pekar, 18, was named USHL Rookie of the Year last season after scoring 54 points in 56 games and was a key player for the Czech Republic at both the U18 World Juniors and Ivan Hlinka (now Hlinka-Gretzky) tournament. The shifty forward actually plays much bigger than he is and can fit into several different roles including agitator and top line playmaker. He was ranked as the 55th best North American skater by Central Scouting prior to the draft, but other services had him going ahead of his eventual selection. The Sabres looked like they were going to have to wait to try and sign him until after he felt he was finished with college, but now might have him right under their nose in the OHL.

Barrie of course is losing import forward Andrei Svechnikov to the NHL after being selected second overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, and have room for another import on the roster. If Pekar does end up there, he would be a huge addition to a group that already has quite a bit of talent and should compete for the OHL playoffs once again. Pekar will also take part in the Sabres upcoming Prospects Challenge, alongside other talent like Casey Mittelstadt, Brendan Guhle and Alexander Nylander.

Projected Status Of First-Round Picks

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In the NHL, first-round draft picks hold especially high expectations. Selections made in rounds two through seven hold reasonably similar career expectations, meaning that teams are just hoping to find a few hidden gems on the second day of the draft. Those taken in the top 31 though bring real excitement and scrutiny, even just a few months after they join the organization.

Many players will not make the NHL the year following their draft. Some won’t even sign contracts right away, instead taking their talents to the collegiate ranks where they must maintain their amateur status. The NCAA has become more and more competitive through the decades, and is now considered a top development league for some of the most talented players in the world. Delaying your first contract to play in college is almost never a real detriment to a career, and often results in a more well-rounded game when joining the professional ranks.

Some too will return to junior or their respective international league to continue their development. These decisions can come with or without a corresponding professional contract, and can even be made well into the NHL season. Some organizations believe in giving their top prospects a taste of NHL life before sending them back to dominate the junior ranks, allowing them to build up the desire to return to the best league in the world as soon as possible.

For this year’s crop, there are many who will be battling for a full-time role in a few week’s time. Rasmus Dahlin is all but guaranteed a role on the Buffalo Sabres blue line, but several others could make the jump right away and be impact players. Here are the projected landing spots so far for the 2018 first round picks:

  1. Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) – Signed ELC on July 9. Will play in NHL for 2018-19.
  2. Andrei Svechnikov (CAR) – Signed ELC on June 30. Will play in NHL for 2018-19.
  3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (MTL) – Signed ELC on July 1. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Finland for 2018-19.
  4. Brady Tkachuk (OTT) – Signed ELC on August 13. Will compete for NHL spot, could play in Belleville (AHL) or London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  5. Barrett Hayton (ARZ) – Signed ELC on July 6. Expected to play in Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) for 2018-19.
  6. Filip Zadina (DET) – Signed ELC on July 7. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Grand Rapids (AHL) for 2018-19.
  7. Quinn Hughes (VAN) – Unsigned. Will play at University of Michigan (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  8. Adam Boqvist (CHI) – Signed ELC on July 1. Expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  9. Vitali Kravtsov (NYR) – Unsigned. Will play in Chelyabinsk (KHL) for 2018-19.
  10. Evan Bouchard (EDM) – Signed ELC on July 17. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  11. Oliver Wahlstrom (NYI) – Unsigned. Will play at Boston College (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  12. Noah Dobson (NYI) – Signed ELC on August 13. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  13. Ty Dellandrea (DAL) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Flint (OHL) for 2018-19.
  14. Joel Farabee (PHI) – Unsigned. Will play at Boston University (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  15. Grigori Denisenko (FLA) – Unsigned. Will play in Yaroslavl (KHL) for 2018-19.
  16. Martin Kaut (COL) – Signed ELC on July 5. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Colorado (AHL) for 2018-19.
  17. Ty Smith (NJD) – Signed ELC on August 20. Will compete for NHL spot, expected to play in Spokane (WHL) for 2018-19.
  18. Liam Foudy (CBJ) – Signed ELC on July 30. Expected to play in London (OHL) for 2018-19.
  19. Jay O’Brien (PHI) – Unsigned. Will play at Providence College (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  20. Rasmus Kupari (LAK) – Signed ELC on July 13. Will play in Finland for 2018-19.
  21. Ryan Merkley (SJS) – Signed ELC on July 18. Expected to play in Guelph (OHL) for 2018-19.
  22. K’Andre Miller (NYR) – Unsigned. Will play at University of Wisconsin (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  23. Isac Lundestrom (ANA) – Signed ELC on August 7. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  24. Filip Johansson (MIN) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  25. Dominik Bokk (STL) – Signed ELC on July 11. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  26. Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT) – Unsigned. Will play at University of North Dakota (NCAA) for 2018-19.
  27. Nicolas Beaudin (CHI) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Drummondville (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  28. Nils Lundkvist (NYR) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Sweden for 2018-19.
  29. Rasmus Sandin (TOR) – Signed ELC on July 16. Expected to play in Toronto (AHL) or Sweden for 2018-19.
  30. Joe Veleno (DET) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Drummondville (QMJHL) for 2018-19.
  31. Alexander Alexeyev (WSH) – Unsigned. Expected to play in Red Deer (WHL) for 2018-19.

Sergey Tolchinsky Signs With KHL’s CSKA Moscow

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Sergey Tolchinsky is an enigma, but one commonly found among Russian players. The young forward has loads of talent and ability, but for some reason struggled to put it all together at the pro level in North America. Likely frustrated by the disconnect between his skill and his production over three years with the Carolina Hurricanes organization, Tolchinsky signed a try-out deal back in June with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, the parent club of his former junior team. Today, the league announced that Tolchinsky has earned a roster spot, signing a one-year contract with CSKA.

Tolchinsky, 23, may not be entirely done with the NHL, but at the very least he won’t be suiting up in 2018-19. However, a comeback can never be ruled out for  player with so much natural talent who has previously shown a commitment to the North American game. Although undersized at 5’8″ and 170 pounds, Tolchinsky has proven to be a very capable scorer, albeit streaky in the AHL. Tolchinsky made the trek across the Atlantic early in his development, joining the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2012-13 after being selected 12th overall in the CHL Import Draft. In his first North American junior season, the then-17-year-old notched 51 points in 62 games, outscoring teammates like Jared McCann, Darnell Nurse, and Tyler Gaudet. Yet, Tolchinsky went undrafted in 2013. The Hurricanes were quick to jump on the free agent, inking him to an entry-level deal, although he played two more years for the Greyhounds. Tolchinsky led Soo in scoring in each of those seasons, amassing 186 points in 127 games. He entered the pro ranks with high expectations, but struggled to score at the same rate, finishing his first campaign with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers with 36 points in 72 games and a -16 rating. With point totals and games played totals even lower than that in each of the past two seasons since, Tolchinsky simply couldn’t replicate his success in the AHL. Although he managed to contribute a pair of assists in four games with the Hurricanes, his inconsistency in Charlotte prevented any full-time promotion and the disgruntled Russian did not see any NHL action in 2017-18.

Now, Tolchinsky looks re-establish himself back home in Russia. There has never been a question of how skilled the young winger is, but rather can he put it all together. Skating for a CSKA squad that has been almost dynastic in its success this decade, he stands a good chance of producing plentiful points and boosting his image. Tolchinsky will be re-united with Hurricanes teammate Klas Dahlbeck and will also call the likes of Mikhail Grigorenko, Linden Vey, Jannik Hansen, Sergey Kalinin, Anton Slepyshev, Kirill Kaprizov, Nikita Nesterov, Alexey Marchenko, and Ilya Sorokin his teammates. Moscow looks to be dominant again this season and Tolchinsky will be one of many members of the team keeping an eye out for NHL offers next off-season. The Hurricanes chose not to qualify Tolchinsky, a restricted free agent, after he chose to sign with CSKA, meaning he is free to sign with any NHL team when his new contract in the KHL expires.

 

OHL Institutes Draft Pick Trade Restrictions

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If you’re a fan of junior hockey, some of the trades made in the OHL the past few seasons have drawn laughter and confusion upon announcement. In order to load up on present day talent, various teams had begun trading draft picks that wouldn’t be used for six, seven or eight years into the future. A January trade involving Los Angeles Kings top prospect Gabe Vilardi for instance from the Windsor Spitfires included a Kingston Frontenac second-round pick from 2025. The OHL has had enough of these transactions, and today announced new trade restrictions that will come into effect on September 1st:

Commencing September 1, 2018, OHL teams will be allowed to trade draft choices a maximum of six years into the future, transitioning to five years prior to the commencement of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, and four years prior to the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. 

At the conclusion of the phase-in period, league policy will stipulate that OHL clubs may only trade a draft choice four years into the future.

Though the stiffest restrictions will not come into play for another few years, this will begin to reduce the number of transactions teams can make by mortgaging their future for today’s success. The entire CHL has an issue with teams cycling through short periods of intense contention followed by firesales that make them barely competitive, usually aligning with hosting the Memorial Cup. Some more financially stable teams can stay competitive on an annual basis through other means, but this hopefully will bring more parity to the league by avoiding cycles like this.

Minor Transactions: 8/28/18

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August is almost over and training camps are right around the corner. Yet, players continue to make decisions on where they’ll play this season. On a day with a surprising amount of signing news, here are some other smaller moves around the hockey world:

  • The AHL’s Providence Bruins have added another body up front. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that the team has signed center Brett McKenzie to his first pro contract. An unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, McKenzie just wrapped up an OHL career that featured 224 points in 328 games. Most recently, he led the Owen Sound Attack in playoff scoring with eight goals and eight assists in just eleven postseason contests. The big pivot also plays a strong physical game and can make a living lower in the lineup. The P-Bruins are already an extraordinarily deep AHL team and McKenzie may spend some time down in the ECHL, but could fight his way into a consistent role with the team during the season.
  • AHL teams tend to be more interested in adding younger players out the junior and college ranks as bottom-six contributors than recycling past AHLers. Hayden Hodgson is a case in point, as the former Cleveland Monsters grinder was unable to find another AHL deal this off-season. Instead, Hodgson has signed with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, the league announced. Hodgson spent some time in the ECHL last year and will be able to play a bigger role at the lower level. It remains to be seen whether he can show the offensive upside to ever climb back up the hockey ranks though.
  • The most common route for elite American prospects in recent years has been through the U.S. National Development Program and then into the NCAA or right into the NHL. However, that path didn’t yield the desired results for young defenseman D.J. King. Despite having great size and playing a prominent role on the blue line for both the U-17 and U-18 squads this past season, King went undrafted in June. This likely points to a lack of belief in his offensive abilities, as he produced little in the way of scoring for the USNTDP. In an effort to improve that image before his next go-round in the draft, King has signed with his junior rights holder, the defending OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs. Hamilton has announced the deal with King, who they are excited to bring in after spending a second-round pick on him back in 2016. Former NHL defenseman and Bulldogs President and GM Steve Staios spoke to King’s upside as a prospect, citing his leadership, toughness, and puck-moving ability. Perhaps a change of scenery is all the big defender needs to boost his production this season.

Central Notes: Heiskanen, Kane, Thomas, Kyrou, Gurianov

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While many people are talking about the impact that rookie defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will make on the Buffalo Sabres, many are forgetting that the Dallas Stars have an impact defenseman of their own entering the league this year in Miro Heiskanen. The third-overall pick from the 2017 draft is expected to make an immediate impact to aid the Stars’ defense, but he is expected to be brought along slowly to start the season, according to SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks.

In a personal profile of the 19-year-old, the scribe writes that the team will likely ease him into the lineup as he will likely either be paired with shutdown defenseman Stephen Johns or fellow countryman Julius Honka on the second or third line, depending on how quickly he can adjust to the North American style of game. He has spent the last two seasons in Finland, playing against men in Liiga for HIFK, where he was named the league’s top defenseman last season.

  • Tracey Myers of NHL.com writes that Chicago Blackhawks’ star Patrick Kane is ready to wipe the slate clean from last year’s disappointing season and the goal is to get the team back into the playoffs. Kane had a down season compared to the previous two years as he tallied 27 goals and 79 points. Normally a solid season, it still paled in comparison to the 106 points he posted in 2015-16 or the 89 points in 2016-17. “We all have that feeling within us where it’s like, we did some good things, but you’re restarting now and you have to prove yourself again,” Kane said. “It’s a long season, and I think maybe we got ahead of ourselves a little bit last year.”
  • With all the talent the St. Louis brought in this season, including Ryan O’Reilly, David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon, it might seem unlikely that the team’s two top prospects, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, might be shoved out of the way next season. In a mailbag story, St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Jim Thomas said that is very unlikely when it comes to Robert Thomas, saying that he can’t picture a scenario where the team doesn’t keep Thomas, who is likely to center the team’s fourth line next season. Thomas, who dominated the OHL last season, would either have to make the club or be returned to juniors for another year and the scribe believes sending him back to Hamilton isn’t going to help him. So he’s best off learning on the fly in the NHL. Kyrou, on the other hand, very likely will end up with the AHL San Antonio Rampage. Now that Kyrou is finished with juniors, he can learn in the AHL for a season before coming over. Thomas doesn’t have the AHL option open to him.
  • In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required) writes that it seems less and less likely that Dallas Stars prospect Denis Gurianov will be success in the NHL. The 12th-overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft struggled in the AHL at times this season. He finished the season with 19 goals in 74 games, but also was scratched during the Texas Stars’ playoff run. Shapiro writes that he doesn’t believe that Gurianov has the hockey IQ to be successful in the league. He is a hard worker, but doesn’t understand the game. When he was scratched, it was an organizational decision, according to Shapiro, not a coaching decision.

Central Notes: Seguin, Jets’ Second-Line, Boqvist

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While negotiations continue between Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars, there has been no progress when it comes to locking up the Stars’ star forward to a long-term deal. In fact, in a mailbag edition in The Athletic (subscription required), Sean Shapiro writes that it is unlikely the team and Seguin will be able to reach an agreement on an extension before the season starts, which could put a tremendous amount of pressure on Dallas management, especially if the team struggles in Jim Montgomery’s first season as head coach.

With three coaches in the past three years and a slow start out of the gate, many might feel that Dallas could be forced to consider trading Seguin rather than eventually losing him for nothing like the New York Islanders did with John Tavares this past offseason. However, Shapiro writes that the only way general manager Jim Nill trades Seguin is if he’s on the way out as it would signify that he has failed in his bid to assemble a great team. So, it’s likely Nill and the team will do everything it can, which could include an eventual trade for another top-six player, to help convince Seguin to stay in Dallas long-term.

  • Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun writes that the Winnipeg Jets will have a battle for their No. 2 center position in training camp this year. While the position was manned at the end of the year by trade acquisition Paul Stastny at the end of the season, the veteran has moved on to Vegas, opening up a competition between Bryan Little, Jack Roslovic and Adam Lowry. Roslovic might have the upper hand as the 21-year-old is an emerging talent after posting impressive numbers in the AHL last year after he posted more than a point a game with the Manitoba Moose, where he scored 15 goals and 35 points in just 32 games, while adding another five goals with the Jets in a limited role in 31 games. The 30-year-old little had a disappointing season that saw him score 16 goals and 43 points, some of the worst numbers of his career. Lowry managed to appear in just 45 games last season after dealing with multiple shoulder injuries, but may also have found his niche as a checking line center.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) examines why the Chicago Blackhawks intend to allow the OHL London Knights to develop Adam Boqvist, their top pick in the 2018 NHL draft. The eighth-overall pick is expected to breathe both talent and youth in a depleted blue line within the next year or two. While he’s not expected to be ready yet to make those contributions, the franchise had multiple options in where they could send him, including sending him back to Sweden, sending him to the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL or back to Sweden for another season. Powers said that returning him to Sweden wasn’t the best option as he only received 7:27 of ATOI with his SHL team, Brynas, last season and while that likely would increase, he would never average 20 minutes a game there. That left two options. They felt that the five-foot-nine, 157-pound blueliner wasn’t ready for the AHL, so that left sending him to juniors. London is a team they have familiarity with as Patrick Kane played there for one  season as well as the fact that the Knights have a top coach in Dale Hunter and Blackhawks’ scout Jim McKellar spent 13 years with the London organization as well, which makes them feel that Boqvist should get plenty of playing time and a chance to further develop his skills.

Vladislav Kolyachonok Joins OHL’s London Knights

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The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League used their second-round pick in the CHL Import Draft in June to select a very intriguing prospect. Now, they have been able to convince him to come over to North America and join the team for the coming season. The OHL announced today that the Knights have signed Belorussian defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok to  a standard player agreement, as the 17-year-old will begin his draft-eligible year in London.

Kolyachonok is part of what might just be the most highly-regarded class of prospects out of Belarus this century. While no one is expecting the import blue liner or any of his countrymen to be taken in the first round – at least not yet – Kolyachonok is one of eight Belorussians selected in the Import Draft out of a class of 77 players. There have only been 15 players selected out of Belarus in the NHL Draft since 2000 and only two of those picks – Andrei Kostitsyn and Konstantin Zakharov in 2003 – have come in Round Three or earlier. In that same time span, there have been nine drafts in which no players hailing from Belarus were selected. While Kostitsyn and brother Sergei, as well as Mikhail Grabovksi, developed into capable NHLers, there has not been a Belorussian player of note in the league for some time. Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Maxim Sushko, a 2017 fourth-rounder, might just be the most well-known active prospect, while multiple Belorussians were selected this year for the first time since 2005, with both Yegor Sharangovich and Vladislav Yeromenko being chosen in the fifth round.

Kolyachonok is just one of a number of talented draft-eligible players from Belarus who could turn the tides for the country’s developmental history next June. Vladimir Alistrov, the second overall pick in the Import Draft and now a member of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, leads a group that includes Kolyachonok, Aliaksei Protas, Daniil Stepanov, and more who could hear there names called next June. Kolyachonok is likely to be the top defenseman of the bunch, as last season he was one of the top players for the U-18 national team, recording 20 points in 43 games on the top pair. He was also a hidden gem at the World Juniors, where he led all Belorussian defenders in points and plus/minus. While Kolyachonok still has a long season ahead of him, adjusting to tougher competition and a more intense pace of play in the OHL, if he is able to thrive in London, then he could potentially even be the highest-drafted player from his country in some time at the draft next year.

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