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Metropolitan Notes: Joseph, Nedeljkovic, Ruff, Del Bel Belluz

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While it had been believed that defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been a frequent healthy scratch lately, it turns out that isn’t exactly the case.  Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now that he’d have liked to reinsert the blueliner in their lineup tonight against Carolina but Joseph is dealing with a lower-body injury.  It’s an issue that he has been dealing with for a little while which helps explain why he hasn’t played over the last couple of weeks.  The 24-year-old has played in five games so far this season, picking up an assist while averaging a little over 13 minutes a night.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with the Penguins, Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports (Twitter link) that Alex Nedeljkovic has been recalled from his LTIR conditioning stint. The 27-year-old is working his way back from a lower-body injury and stopped 17 of 19 shots in a victory on Friday night.  Nedeljkovic also scored an empty-netter in that game, making him the first goalie in AHL history to have scored two career goals.
  • While Lindy Ruff has done well behind the bench in New Jersey, he nearly didn’t get the opportunity to coach there. Ryan Novozinsky of The Star-Ledger notes that Ruff was not on GM Tom Fitzgerald’s original shortlist of eight candidates to take over the head coach position back in 2020 but one of Fitzgerald’s friends encouraged him to interview Ruff.  The Devils set a franchise record for points last season, helping earn him a multi-year contract extension last month.
  • The OHL rights to Blue Jackets prospect Luca Del Bel Belluz have been acquired by Saginaw, per a team release. The 20-year-old is in his first professional season with AHL Cleveland and has fared well in his limited action so far, collecting two goals and three assists in six games.  Saginaw is hosting the Memorial Cup this year and if Columbus decides that they want Del Bel Belluz to go back and get top-line minutes, they’ll be sending him to a team that’s loading up for what should be a long playoff run.

West Notes: Ducks, Dionicio, Hall, Akey

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It has been a tough year for Ducks center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  Contract discussions rolled into training camp and both have struggled when healthy so far.  Head coach Greg Cronin told reporters including Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link) that while he doesn’t know the nature of their respective lower-body injuries, the recovery on each of them is quite tricky and the team will need to be patient while waiting for them to return.  Zegras has missed a little more than a week so far and has struggled offensively with just two points in his first dozen games.  Meanwhile, Drysdale last played more than a month ago and has suited up just twice so far after being limited to just eight games last season due to a torn labrum.

More from the Western Conference:

  • Still with Anaheim, Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio is on the move in the OHL as his now-former team in Windsor announced that they traded the defenseman to Saginaw. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in June (129th overall) following an impressive 50-point year.  Dionicio is off to an even better start so far this season, collecting 20 points in his first 16 games while recording an assist in his debut tonight.  Anaheim has until June 1, 2025 to sign the blueliner to an entry-level deal.
  • Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall is listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow’s game against Nashville, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). It has been an injury-riddled first season in Chicago for the 32-year-old who has had shoulder trouble sideline him twice while this most recent undisclosed injury has cost him a little over a week so far.  When he has been healthy, Hall has tallied two goals and two assists in eight games.
  • Oilers prospect Beau Akey is set to undergo surgery and will miss the remainder of the season, reports Oilers Nation’s Robin Brownlee (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was a second-round selection in June (56th overall) and had a strong training camp, helping him land an entry-level contract before being returned to OHL Barrie.  With the Colts this season, Akey has nine points in 14 games but after dislocating his shoulder, he won’t be getting any more in 2023-24.

Minor Transactions: 11/12/23

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The looming presence of the NFL regular season on the sports calendar as well as the European hockey international break means that today’s schedule around the world of hockey is lighter than normal. There are still a few games on the docket, including a contest in the AHL between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins that was the Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith.

Even though today isn’t very busy in terms of game action, the transaction wire remains active as teams around the world add, subtract, and extend players. As always, we’ll keep track of notable moves here.

  • Ottawa Senators 2022 third-round pick Tomas Hamara was traded in the OHL, sent to the Brantford Bulldogs from the Kitchener Rangers in exchange for two draft picks. The 19-year-old defenseman, who has represented Czechia at two IIHF World Junior Championships, has scored just three points in 18 games for Kitchener this season and will look for an uptick in production with the Bulldogs.
  • 25-year-old Norwegian netminder Jonas Arntzen has signed a three-year contract with his current club, Örebro HK of the SHL. Arntzen is currently in his fourth season as the backup to former NHLer Jhonas Enroth with Örebro, and he even played in 13 playoff games last season as Örebro made a run to the SHL Semifinals. This season, he has played five games and posted a .899 save percentage.
  • Journeyman Swedish netminder Robin Rahm has added a seventh country to the list of nations he’s played professional hockey in, signing a one-month contract with Slovenia’s HK Olimpija Ljubljana. The 37-year-old joins the ICEHL side to fill the void left by an injury to starter Lukáš Horák. Rahm has a .901 save percentage in 30 career ICEHL games, all of them from 2018-19 with EC Graz. In addition to that move in net. Ljubljana has also announced that forward Ville Leskinen has had his short-term deal converted to a full-time contract, coming after he scored four goals and five points in 12 games with the club.
  • Czech Extraliga club HC Vítkovice have signed forward Marcel Barinka, 22. The former Halifax Mooseheads forward was in the midst of his fourth season in the DEL, having bounced from Cologne to Berlin to Augsburg and then finally to Iserlohn. Barinka has had success playing internationally with Czechia but has struggled to find the scoresheet at the club level. The hope will be that he can unlock some offense with Vítkovice, who rank 1oth out of 14 clubs in the Czech Extraliga in goals scored.

This page may be updated throughout the day. 

Senators Notes: Brannstrom, GM Search, Defensive Depth, Hamara

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The Senators will welcome back another blueliner tonight as head coach D.J. Smith confirmed to TSN 1200 (Twitter link) that Erik Brannstrom will play against Calgary.  The 24-year-old sustained a concussion on a hard hit from Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck two weeks ago and was stretchered off the ice, resulting in him missing the last five games.  Brannstrom was off to a slow start offensively as he had been held off the scoresheet in his first seven appearances but with the team dressing three rookies earlier in the week, getting him and Artem Zub (who returned last game) back certainly will give them a boost.

More from Ottawa:

  • The team has not yet started reaching out to other teams for permission to interview potential GM candidates, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. At this point, President of Hockey Operations and interim GM Steve Staios has an idea of who they’d like to reach out to but clearly, this is not a vacancy that is going to be filled in the immediate future.  Teams are sometimes hesitant about granting permission to speak to another club in-season so it’s possible that Staios could hold both titles for a little while.
  • Prior to losing his GM role, Pierre Dorion had been exploring the trade market for defensive depth, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Ottawa’s preference this season was to keep their young blueliners in AHL Belleville where they could play heavy minutes but, again, their recent rash of injuries saw them dressing three rookies with the big club earlier this week.  For the time being, Thomas Chabot’s LTIR placement has given them some extra flexibility on the cap so it wouldn’t be shocking if Staios picked up where Dorion left off on that front.
  • Prospects Tomas Hamara is on the move as OHL Brantford announced that they’ve acquired the defenseman from Kitchener in exchange for a pair of draft picks. The 19-year-old was a third-round pick back in 2022 (87th overall) out of Tappara’s system in Finland.  This season, Hamara has three assists in 18 games.  His new team is owned by new Sens owner Michael Andlauer.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Joel Armia, Assign Filip Mešár To OHL

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced two roster moves: veteran forward Joel Armia has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, and 2022 first-round pick Filip Mešár has been assigned to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.

With second-line center Kirby Dach now confirmed to be out for the rest of the season, the Canadiens had a need for an extra forward on their NHL roster. The player they have chosen to fill Dach’s spot is the veteran Armia, 30.

The owner of a $3.4MM cap hit through next season, Armia has had three consecutive difficult seasons in Montreal.

The six-foot-three, 216-pound former top prospect has at times been an impact player in Montreal (such as in 2019-20 when he scored 16 goals and 30 points in just 58 games) but his consistency has been sorely lacking.

With training camp battles for forward spots highly competitive in the Canadiens’ preseason, Armia failed to secure a role on the team’s season-opening roster and was sent to Laval after clearing waivers.

An opportunity to play a top-line role and reset his game in the minors seems to have been the right call for Armia, who has scored four goals and five points in four AHL games this season.

Now back on the Canadiens’ NHL roster, Armia is likely to receive fourth-line winger duty with either him or Michael Pezzetta sitting in the press box as the team’s spare forward.

As for Mešár, the 2022 26th overall pick heads back to Kitchener after failing to earn a regular role on a Rocket team flush with quality scoring-line winger options. He did score his first career AHL point in yesterday’s win over the Rochester Americans, but was playing as a fourth-line right-winger next to Riley McKay and Jan Myšák.

The Canadiens seem to believe that the best path forward for Mešár’s development is to play a major role in the OHL rather than a limited role in the AHL.

Mešár’s underwhelming debut season in the OHL last year (he scored 51 points in 52 games) indicates that he still has some unfinished business in that league, so the hope will be that he’ll have a highly productive (if not dominant) final season playing junior hockey.

Since two Laval forwards are now leaving the team’s lineup, these departures could pave the way for Canadiens prospect Jared Davidson to play an increased role for the Rocket. The 21-year-old 2022 fifth-round pick had an impressive training camp and preseason but has fallen victim to the numbers game in Laval and played just one game so far for the team.

With Armia and Mešár no longer in the picture and fellow prospect Emil Heineman out with an injury, the roadblocks to Davidson receiving a regular role in the AHL could now be cleared.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 10/4/23

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With play overseas in several leagues already underway and AHL camps just getting going, there continue to be plenty of signings across the hockey world.  We run through some of the NHL-related ones here.

  • UFA center Nate Schnarr has signed a one-year deal with Pelicans in Finland, per a team release.  The 24-year-old started the season in Montreal’s system before being moved at the trade deadline to Los Angeles but was non-tendered this summer after putting up just nine points in 45 AHL contests.  He had attended training camp this year with Columbus but was cut late month.
  • Another player who was cut by the Blue Jackets in camp is also heading overseas, defenseman Nicolas Meloche. Salavat Yulaev of the KHL announced that they’ve inked the 26-year-old to a one-year deal.  Meloche played 50 NHL contests with San Jose in 2021-22 but cleared waivers early in camp last year with Calgary, resulting in him spending all of last season at the AHL level where he had 21 points in 64 games.
  • Former NHL blueliner Yohann Auvitu is on the move again as he has inked a one-year deal plus an option with Vitkovice in Czechia, per a club release. The 34-year-old saw time at the NHL level with both Edmonton and New Jersey but has moved around frequently since then, spending time in Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland.
  • Kings prospect Kaleb Lawrence is on the move in the OHL as Ottawa announced that they’ve acquired the 20-year-old forward from Owen Sound. Standing 6’7, Lawrence was a seventh-round pick in 2022 (215th overall) after a season in which he played just two games.  Last year, he was much healthier, putting up 37 points in 50 games with the Attack.  Los Angeles has until June 1, 2024, to sign Lawrence to an entry-level deal so there will be some extra pressure on him as he enters his overage year.
  • Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego announced the signing of Ben King to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Ducks in 2022 (107th overall) but has exhausted his WHL eligibility.  After putting up 105 points in 2021-22, King’s production dipped to just 35 points in 30 games last season with Red Deer.  Anaheim has until June 1, 2024, to ink him to an NHL contract.

Minor Transactions: 09/22/23

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It’s another busy day across the world of pro hockey, both in North America where NHL training camps are fully underway and in Europe, where the top pro leagues are fully into their regular season. Today’s slate of games featured some major contests, highlighted by an upset 5-2 win by Cologne on the road against the reigning DEL champions, Munich. Over in Finland, former University of Vermont star netminder Stefanos Lekkas enjoyed a stellar start to his Liiga career, guiding KalPa Kuopio to a shutout victory over Lukko Rauma.

The action happening on the ice all around the world of hockey is mirrored by the action on the transaction wire. As always, we’ll keep track of notable moves here.

  • Former Calgary Flames prospect Jack Beck, who did not sign an entry-level first with the Flames before the team’s exclusive rights expired June 1st, has been traded in the OHL. The Soo Greyhounds have acquired Beck, 20, for a 2026 second-round pick and 2027 third-round pick in the OHL Priority Selection. Beck was a sixth-round pick of the Flames at the 2021 draft, selected there despite the OHL not holding a 2020-21 campaign. Beck scored 12 goals and 53 points for the Ottawa 67’s last season, and scored 12 points in 11 playoff games.
  • Longtime South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Andrew Cherniwchan announced his retirement from pro hockey today. Cherniwchan has the third-most games played all-time for the Stingrays, and served as their captain for three seasons. He’s a one-time ECHL All-Star who has quite a few long playoff runs to remember in South Carolina, and although Cherniwchan did not end up making it to the NHL he does have nearly 200 AHL games on his resume.
  • 2018 Philadelphia Flyers sixth-round pick Gavin Hain has found a landing spot to turn pro, signing a one-year ECHL deal with the Iowa Heartlanders. The former USNTDP pivot has spent the last half-decade with the University of North Dakota. He took a real step forward in his senior year, scoring a career-high 11 goals and 18 points in 36 games. The number-one pick of the 2016 USHL Futures Draft will have a chance to establish himself in pro hockey with a Heartlanders franchise still looking for its first-ever winning season.
  • Former Edmonton Oilers prospect Filip Berglund extended his contract with the SHL’s Örebro Hockey for three additional seasons. The 26-year-old rearguard was the 91st overall pick at the 2016 draft by the Oilers, selected after a strong draft season that saw him post 41 points in 43 games at the J20 level for Skellefteå AIK. He led Swedish junior hockey in scoring by a blueliner, and went on to play as an SHL regular for a half-decade. In 2020, Berglund signed an entry-level deal with the Oilers and spent the second year of the deal, 2021-22, in the AHL. He skated in 53 games for the Bakersfield Condors and helped them reach the playoffs, but didn’t register a goal and only totaled six regular-season points. He returned to Sweden for 2022-23, joining Örebro, where he’ll now remain for a few more years after helping the team on a deep SHL playoff run in his debut campaign.
  • Colorado Avalanche fans may recognize the name of Sami Aittokallio, a netminder who appeared in two games for the club and was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2010. Since leaving the North American pro circuit for the 2015-16 campaign, Aittokallio has had a solid career overseas, and today he found a team to suit up for, at least for the next two weeks. Liiga’s JYP has signed him to a two-week contract, set to last for the duration of an injury suffered by incumbent starter Veini Vehviläinen. Aittokallio spent the last two years playing in Germany, posting a stellar .923 save percentage for the Bietigheim Steelers, who were at the time a newly promoted DEL club. But last season, Aittokallio went 5-20-0 as Bietigheim were relegated to DEL2, a circumstance that may have contributed to the fact that he’s now signing a short-term deal rather than a full-time job to play as a starting goalie.
  • Former Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo captain Anton Shenfeld has signed a one-year contract with the KHL’s Chinese club, Kunlun Red Star. Shenfeld is coming off a difficult 2022-23 season, one where he scored just three points in 28 games playing in Siberia for Sibir Novosibirsk. He was once a quality top-six forward for both Novgorod and Tolyatti Lada, and the hope for the Red Star is likely that he’ll find a way to recapture some of that form.
  • Sergei Boikov, a former Colorado Avalanche defensive prospect, has signed a two-year KHL contract with HC Avangard Omsk. The club acquired his sporting rights from Dynamo Moscow in exchange for monetary compensation. Boikov has been a regular on Moscow’s blueline for the last three seasons, skating in a total of 123 games for the club. He hasn’t scored very much (he has just 17 career KHL points) but offers decent size, physicality, and some championship experience. (Boikov won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup with the Colorado Eagles in 2017)
  • Alexander Karachun has established himself as a quality DEL scorer over the past two years with the Schwenninger Wild Wings, totaling 25 points in 37 games last season. The club has announced that Karachun has extended his contract through 2025 with the team, meaning he’ll be able to help in the Wild Wings’ fight to keep its place in the DEL through 2025. Karachun wasn’t always a success in the DEL, and he struggled to put points on the board earlier in his career with the Wolfsburg Grizzlies. But an above-point-per-game season in the DEL2 launched him back into the DEL, and he hasn’t looked back, helping the Wild Wings stave off relegation for the past two seasons.

This page may be updated throughout the day. 

List Of NHL-Affiliated Prospects Expected To Play In The OHL This Season

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As games across the world begin to kick off the 2023-24 season, we’re looking at either notable former NHLers or future NHLers taking part in league play outside of the NHL. After looking at which drafted prospects are expected to play in the WHL a few days ago, we’re continuing to examine the Canadian major junior circuit with NHL-drafted prospects slated to play for OHL squads during the upcoming year.

The Chicago Blackhawks lead the way with five drafted prospects slated to suit up in the league in 2023-24, and all of them were selected within the first 100 picks of the 2022 and 2023 drafts. Montreal also has five players on this list, including 2022 first-round pick Filip Mesar, while the Ducks, Kraken and Blues also have a strong presence with four players each. Only the Arizona Coyotes and Calgary Flames do not have any players on their reserve list expected to play in the OHL next season.

Anaheim Ducks

D Rodwin Dionicio (Windsor Spitfires) – 2023 fifth round, 129th overall
F Coulson Pitre (Flint Firebirds) – 2023 third round, 65th overall
D Konnor Smith (Peterborough Petes) – 2023 fourth round, 97th overall
F Carey Terrance (Erie Otters) – 2023 second round, 59th overall

Boston Bruins

D Jackson Edward (London Knights) – 2022 seventh round, 200th overall
F Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm) – 2022 second round, 54th overall

Buffalo Sabres

F Ethan Miedema (Kingston Frontenacs) – 2023 fourth round, 109th overall

Carolina Hurricanes

G Jakub Vondras (Sudbury Wolves) – 2022 sixth round, 171st overall

Chicago Blackhawks

F Gavin Hayes (Flint Firebirds) – 2022 third round, 66th overall
F Nick Lardis (Brantford Bulldogs) – 2023 third round, 67th overall
F Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs) – 2022 second round, 39th overall
F Martin Misiak (Erie Otters) – 2023 second round, 55th overall
F Alex Pharand (Sudbury Wolves) – 2023 fourth round, 99th overall

Colorado Avalanche

F Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals) – 2023 first round, 27th overall

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Luca Pinelli (Ottawa 67’s) – 2023 fourth round, 114th overall

Dallas Stars

D Tristan Bertucci (Flint Firebirds) – 2023 second round, 61st overall
F Brad Gardiner (Ottawa 67’s) – 2023 third round, 79th overall
F Angus MacDonell (Mississauga Steelheads) – 2023 sixth round, 189th overall

Detroit Red Wings

D Andrew Gibson (Soo Greyhounds) – 2023 second round, 42nd overall
D Tnias Mathurin (North Bay Battalion) – 2022 fifth round, 137th overall

Edmonton Oilers

D Beau Akey (Barrie Colts) – 2023 second round, 56th overall
G Nathaniel Day (Flint Firebirds) – 2023 sixth round, 184th overall

Florida Panthers

F Liam Arnsby (North Bay Battalion) – 2022 seventh round, 214th overall
F Sandis Vilmanis (Sarnia Sting) – 2022 fifth round, 157th overall

Los Angeles Kings

F Kaleb Lawrence (Owen Sound Attack) – 2022 seventh round, 215th overall
D Matthew Mania (Sudbury Wolves) – 2023 fifth round, 150th overall

Minnesota Wild

F Hunter Haight (Saginaw Spirit) – 2022 second round, 47th overall
F Rasmus Kumpulainen (Oshawa Generals) – 2023 second round, 53rd overall
F Servác Petrovský (Owen Sound Attack) – 2022 sixth round, 185th overall

Montreal Canadiens

F Owen Beck (Peterborough Petes) – 2022 second round, 33rd overall
F Cedrick Guindon (Owen Sound Attack) – 2022 fourth round, 127th overall
F Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers) – 2022 first round, 26th overall
D Daniil Sobolev (Niagara IceDogs) – 2021 fifth round, 142nd overall
F Florian Xhekaj (Brantford Bulldogs) – 2023 fourth round, 101st overall

Nashville Predators

F Joseph Willis (Saginaw Spirit) – 2023 fourth round, 111th overall

New Jersey Devils

F Cole Brown (Brantford Bulldogs) – 2023 sixth round, 164th overall

New York Islanders

D Isaiah George (London Knights) – 2022 fourth round, 98th overall

New York Rangers

F Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds) – 2022 third round, 97th overall
F Dylan Roobroeck (Oshawa Generals) – 2023 sixth round, 178th overall

Ottawa Senators

D Matthew Andonovski (Kitchener Rangers) – 2023 fifth round, 140th overall
D Jorian Donovan (Brantford Bulldogs) – 2022 fifth round, 136th overall
D Tomas Hamara (Kitchener Rangers) – 2022 third round, 87th overall

Philadelphia Flyers

F Denver Barkey (London Knights) – 2023 third round, 95th overall
D Oliver Bonk (London Knights) – 2023 first round, 22nd overall

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Nolan Collins (Sudbury Wolves) – 2022 sixth round, 167th overall
F Cooper Foster (Ottawa 67’s) – 2023 sixth round, 174th overall

San Jose Sharks

F Kasper Halttunen (London Knights) – 2023 second round, 36th overall
F Quentin Musty (Sudbury Wolves) – 2023 first round, 26th overall

Seattle Kraken

F David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves) – 2022 second round, 61st overall
D Ty Nelson (North Bay Battalion) – 2022 third round, 68th overall
F Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers) – 2023 second round, 50th overall
F Eduard Sale (Barrie Colts) – 2023 first round, 20th overall

St. Louis Blues

D Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm) – 2022 third round, 88th overall
D Quinton Burns (Kingston Frontenacs) – 2023 third round, 74th overall
D Matthew Mayich (Ottawa 67’s) – 2023 sixth round, 170th overall
F Landon Sim (London Knights) – 2022 sixth round, 184th overall

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Ethan Hay (Flint Firebirds) – 2023 seventh round, 211th overall

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Easton Cowan (London Knights) – 2023 first round, 28th overall

Vancouver Canucks

F Vilmer Alriksson (Guelph Storm) – 2023 fourth round, 107th overall
D Hunter Brzustewicz (Kitchener Rangers) – 2023 third round, 75th overall
D Kirill Kudryavtsev (Soo Greyhounds) – 2022 seventh round, 208th overall

Vegas Golden Knights

D Arttu Kärki (Soo Greyhounds) – 2023 third round, 96th overall
F Matyas Sapovaliv (Saginaw Spirit) – 2022 second round, 48th overall
F Tuomas Uronen (Ottawa 67’s) – 2023 sixth round, 192nd overall

Washington Capitals

D Cameron Allen (Guelph Storm) – 2023 fifth round, 136th overall
F Jake Karabela (Guelph Storm) – 2022 fifth round, 149th overall
F Patrick Thomas (Brantford Bulldogs) – 2023 fourth round, 104th overall

Winnipeg Jets

F Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack) – 2023 first round, 18th overall
G Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion) – 2022 seventh round, 207th overall
F Jacob Julien (London Knights) – 2023 fifth round, 146th overall

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.

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