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Snapshots: NCAA Recruitment, Colorado, Lekkerimäki

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The NCAA commitment window opened to the 2008 birth year on August 1st, bringing another wave of top young players to the collegiate level. International recruits have so far headlined this year’s class, with five Europeans and 13 Canadians already announcing their commitments. Among the notable international commits is hefty centerman Caleb Malhotra, who went eighth overall to Kingston in this year’s OHL Draft, but solidified his plans to play outside of the OHL with a commitment to Boston University. Malhotra is emerging as a top Canadian in the 2008 birth year – even despite battles with injury this season. He played in just 48 games, though he still did enough to score at a point-per-game pace and earn a five-star rating from PuckPreps, who praised his mobility and puck skills.

Malhotra – the son of longtime Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra – is a cerebral playmaker, who knows how to use his frame and stickhandling to create space. With a college commitment out of the way, he’s now set for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Malhotra is undeniably one of the BCHL’s top recruits and will now look to vindicate the expectations around him, and quickly bounce back from injury, by finding scoring quickly at the juniors level. If all goes well, he’ll enter BU with the same lofty expectations.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have announced they’ve hired Kim Weiss as a video coach and Matt Zaba as a goalie coach. Weiss moves to the pro level after becoming the first female coach in D-III history this season, serving behind the bench of her alma mater Trinity College. Trinity won their conference championship under Weiss’ guard – earning her a ring after losing in the NAHL’s 2023 Robertson Cup semifinals with the Maryland Black Bears. Zaba is also moving from American juniors, having spent the last seven seasons as the goalie coach for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He’s built up multiple NHL prospects over that span, including Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Larson, Calgary Flames prospect Arseni Sergeyev, and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Isaiah Saville. He’ll now join that trio at the AHL level – coaching in familiar territory after starting his career at Colorado College. Zaba is also an alum of one NHL game, 66 AHL games, and 31 ECHL games – though much of his personal playing career was spent in Austria and Italy.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are facing a list of lineup questions as training camp approaches, shares Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who highlighted the right-wing role next to Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson as the team’s most glaring hole. Drance mentioned Nils Hoglander as an early favorite for the role, though he’ll face pressure from new signee Daniel Sprong. However, Drance also noted that star prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki could be a dark horse to round out what should be Vancouver’s scoring line. Lekkerimäki won the SHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award last season, after posting 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games with Örebro HK. He signed his entry-level contract and moved to the AHL after Örebro’s early playoff exit – adding two points in six more games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Lekkerimäki is an effective scorer, with an eye for the offensive zone and hard snapshot – though his size has some worried about how he’ll adjust to the next step. It seems he’ll have a chance to answer that bell at training camp, as he fights for a significant role out of the gates.

West Notes: Desharnais, Rossi, Rehkopf

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The Canucks may slot in UFA signing Vincent Desharnais on their top defense pairing alongside Quinn Hughes in spot duty next season, opines Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Doing so would allow Filip Hronek, who spent all of last season stapled to Hughes and is fresh off signing an eight-year, $58MM deal, to drive his own pairing against easier competition. That’s something head coach Rick Tocchet said he’d consider doing, telling Drance that Hronek can “tend to defer too much” at times when playing with Hughes and that he’d “like to see him be more forceful with his decisions.”

It would be a big jump for Desharnais, though. The 28-year-old only established himself as a full-time NHLer last year with the Oilers. He was a bottom-pairing presence for Edmonton, averaging 15:44 per game through 78 contests. He did post 11 points and a +3 rating with average possession metrics, but playing alongside Hughes with any consistency would be a tough task for a player who’s seen most of his professional career unfold in the AHL to date. Desharnais inked a two-year, $4MM contract with Vancouver when free agency opened on July 1.

There’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • Austria will be without perhaps its best player in this summer’s qualifying tournament for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Wild forward Marco Rossi is skipping the event to begin training in Minnesota later this month, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic. Rossi, 22, is coming off a career-high 21 goals and 40 points last season while playing in all 82 games and could open the season as the Wild’s first-line center alongside Kirill Kaprizov. The 2020 ninth-overall pick had one assist in three games during the 2022 qualifiers with Austria failing to earn one of the three available spots. This year, they’ll be competing for one of the open spots in a round-robin tournament with Hungary, Kazakhstan and Slovakia.
  • Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf has been traded in the Ontario Hockey League, heading from the Kitchener Rangers to the Brampton Steelheads, sources tell Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. Rehkopf, 19, has spent the last three seasons in Kitchener, where the 6’2″ forward led the team in scoring last season with 95 points (52 goals, 43 assists) in 60 games. The 2023 second-round pick will be returned to Brampton out of training camp this fall, but a strong post-draft season puts him in line to compete for a roster spot in Seattle in next year’s training camp.

Pacific Notes: Chernyshov, Pettersson, Holtz, Barr

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Sharks 2024 second-round pick Igor Chernyshov has officially found a place to play this season. As he said was likely the case last week, he’s inked a scholarship and development agreement with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, per the club.

The 33rd overall pick in June was originally supposed to remain in his native Russia next season. He had one year left on his contract with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, but he bought himself out of the deal last week and subsequently signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks.

Chernyshov, 18, will attend training camp for a brief period in San Jose before being returned to Saginaw, likely for the entire 2024-25 campaign. Doing so will slide the beginning of his entry-level contract to 2025-26.

The 6’3″, 203-lb winger had three goals and one assist for four points in 34 KHL games last season. He was much more productive in the junior ranks, posting 28 points (13 G, 15 A) in 22 games with MHK Dynamo Moscow.

More out of the Pacific Division:

  • When Chernyshov’s move to Saginaw was announced this morning, there was a brief thought that Ducks 2024 second-rounder Lucas Pettersson might join him in Michigan. That won’t be the case, however. Sources told Max Miller of The Hockey News and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic that he’ll remain in his native Sweden after being selected by the Spirit in the CHL Import Draft. Pettersson, 18, was selected two picks after Chernyshov in June. He’ll likely get some action in the pros with MoDo Hockey of the Swedish Hockey League, but could still spend a solid chunk of 2024-25 with their junior team. The 5’11” center was one of the Swedish junior circuit’s leading scorers last season, posting 57 points (27 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games for MoDo’s U-20 club.
  • The Golden Knights bought low on 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz this summer, only parting ways with depth forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-rounder to acquire him and Akira Schmid from the Devils. Speaking to reporters, Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Holtz was “a player we had tremendous regard for as an amateur. We’re taking a swing at his upside and what a change can do sometimes for young players” (via James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now). McCrimmon thinks Holtz has “untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity,” he added. With Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson among the key departures from Vegas’ forward group this summer, Holtz will be relied upon as a top-nine scoring option for the Knights in 2024-25 with the potential to challenge for top-six minutes. The 22-year-old had 28 points in 82 games in New Jersey last year.
  • The Ducks have added to their minor-league coaching staff, hiring Dave Barr as an assistant for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, per a team release. Barr, 63, spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Wolves during their one year of operating independently of an NHL affiliation. He has 12 years of experience as an assistant at the game’s highest level, spending time on benches for the Avalanche, Wild, Devils, Sabres, Panthers and Sharks from 2008 to 2020. Before joining the Wolves last season, he spent two years as the head coach of the Vienna Capitals in Austria’s ICEHL.

Afternoon Notes: Perfetti, Chernyshov, Wranglers

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Recent trade rumors have suggested the Winnipeg Jets offered Cole Perfetti for Carolina Hurricane forward Martin Necas. However, Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Suns has emphasized that there’s no truth to the claim, though Carolina did show interest in acquiring Perfetti. Billeck adds that Necas wasn’t interested in signing long-term in Winnipeg, driving a wedge into trade negotiations.

Necas, 25, has since signed a two-year extension that walks him to unrestricted free agency in 2026, giving him a chance to hand-pick where he spends his prime years. Necas has come into form over the last two seasons, posting a collective 52 goals and 124 points in 159 games. He’s developed into a high-energy scorer with the ability to play both wing and center.

Perfetti, 22, offers that same flexibility, though he’s still searching for his footing at the NHL level. He managed 19 goals and 38 points in 71 games this season despite inconsistent, and controversial, ice time. Perfetti looks poised to join Necas’ ranks of top-six goal-scorers over the next few seasons, though the pair’s age disparity makes them tough to evaluate side-by-side.

Other notes from around the league:

  • San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov shared with Sergey Demidov of Russia’s Responsible Gaming that he’ll likely be moving to the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit after San Jose’s training camp. Chernyshov signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks on Thursday and will move to the CHL with rare pro experience, having played in 39 games with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva over the last two seasons. He’s scored just five points in those appearances – deceptively low considering the impact he brings shift-to-shift. Chernyshov showed a bit more offense in the MHL – Russia’s U21 junior league – with 66 points in 60 games over the same span. He will now be tasked with finding his footing and rediscovering that production in Saginaw, as he fights to earn a spot among San Jose’s pro ranks.
  • The AHL’s Calgary Wranglers have announced the signings of forward Connor Mylymok, defender Charles Martin, and goaltender Connor Murphy. Mylymok and Martin have inked two-year AHL/ECHL contracts, while Murphy re-signs with the Wranglers on a one-way AHL deal. Murphy found his stride after earning an AHL call-up last season, posting a .922 save percentage across 15 games with the Wranglers. With Dustin Wolf set for a promotion to the NHL, Murphy will battle with Devin Cooley and Waltteri Ignatjew for a hardy AHL role. Meanwhile, Mylymok and Martin will continue their pursuit of a call-up from the ECHL.

USA Hockey, Hockey Canada Announce Hlinka Gretzky Cup Rosters

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USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have both announced their rosters for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, officially revealing all eight rosters for the upcoming tournament, which is set to begin on August 5th in Edmonton. The event will also feature Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Team Canada, per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, is led by star-studded prospects Matthew Schaefer, Cole Reschny, Liam Kilfoil, Caleb Desnoyers, and Gavin McKenna. The group of future top draft names is flanked by a strong supporting cast, including stalwart starting goaltender Jack Ivankovic. They seem poised to push for yet another gold medal, after winning gold in each of the last two tournaments.

Meanwhile, Team USA will put their faith in premier forwards Jesse Orlowsky, Cooper Simpson, Nicolas Sykora, and Ben Kevan – though the team is backed by a defense and goaltending group fighting more to show their worth on the top stage. Both the defense and goaltenders face a competition for minutes – with Blake Fiddler and Carter Casey seemingly best positioned to lead the respective positions. Team USA doesn’t carry the same breakaway talent of Team Canada, though they do have the gift of a flexible lineup, which could prove very advantageous in the U18 tourney.

The full rosters are:

Team USA

F – Alexander Donovan (Shattuck, USHS); Travis Hayes (Soo, OHL); Chase Jette (B.K. Selects, AAA); Sam Kappell (Madison, USHL); Ben Kevan (Des Moines, USHL); Matthew Lansing (Waterloo, USHL); Mason Moe (Eden Prairie High, USHS); Teddy Mutryn (St. Sebastian’s, USHS); Jesse Orlowsky (Waterloo, USHL); Cooper Simpson (Tri-City, USHL); Sam Spehar (Sioux Falls Power, AAA); Kade Stengrim (Brainerd High, USHS); Nicolas Sykora (Omaha, USHL)

D – Tommy Bleyl (Dubuque, USHL); Edison Engle (Des Moines, USHL); Blake Fiddler (Edmonton, WHL); Matt Grimes (Sioux Falls, USHL); Cullen McCrate (Dubuque, USHL); Carter Murphy (Youngstown, USHL); Jacob Rombach (Lincoln, USHL)

G – Ryan Cameron (Long Island, AAA); Carter Casey (Grand Rapids, USHS); Charles Menard (Culver Academy, USHS)

Team Canada

F – Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat, WHL); Jake O’Brien (Brantford, OHL); Brady Martin (Sault St. Marie, OHL); Émile Guité (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Tyler Hopkins (Kingston, OHL); Cole Reschny (Victoria, WHL); Ethan Czata (Niagara, OHL); Benjamin Kindel (Calgary, WHL); Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver, WHL); Liam Kilfoil (Halifax, QMJHL); Luca Romano (Kitchener, OHL); Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton, QMJHL); Braden Cootes (Seattle, WHL)

D – Jackson Smith (Tri-City, WHL); Peyton Kettles (Swift Current, WHL); Matthew Schaefer (Erie, OHL); Reese Hamilton (Calgary, WHL); Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph, OHL); Alex Huang (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Cameron Reid (Kitchener, OHL)

G – Jack Ivankovic (Brampton, OHL); Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)

Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky Could Push For NHL Minutes Out Of Camp

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The St. Louis Blues 2023 first-round pick, Dalibor Dvorsky, is gearing up for his first NHL training camp, after only participating in St. Louis’ rookie development camp last season. He’s since made the jump to North America, joining the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, where he managed electrifying results – ranking fourth in the league with 45 goals in 52 games, rounded out by 88 total points. That performance has given Dvorsky plenty of momentum heading into the first test of his pro career, and both the player and general manager Doug Armstrong seem excited to see what comes next. Armstrong told Lou Korac of NHL.com that Dvorsky could earn a shot at the NHL lineup, sharing, “He’s looked good. He’s added some muscle. He’s another guy that’s really going to push for training camp.”

Dvorsky took Armstrong’s comments in stride, telling Korac that the chance at opportunity sounds great, but that it’s ultimately on him to earn his place. That earned more praise from Armstrong, who added, “I love reading what he said, ’This is on me.’ That’s what you want. He’s looking in the mirror now and saying, ’OK, we’ll see.’ The AHL, ’We’ll see.’ And he’s not cocky about it. He’s not demanding about it. He’s just saying, ’All right, we’ll see.'”

Dvorsky’s 2023-24 season was a dazzling show of strength. While his age technically rules him out of the OHL’s definition of a rookie, his goal-scoring pace stands as the most from a first-year OHL skater since 2018, when Andrei Svechnikov managed 40 goals in 44 games. Dvorsky outscored star OHL rookie seasons, like Shane Wright’s 39 goals as at 17-years-old, or the first of Cole Perfetti’s pair of 37-goal seasons.

Dvorsky managed the production thanks to a powerful drive that simply seemed cut from a different cloth, as he excelled at using his strength and size to drive transition and create space off of the boards. He made decisions quickly and confidently when opportunity opened up, putting him one step ahead of his OHL competition. That was certainly helped by starring linemates David Goyette and Quentin Musty, though Dvorsky still flexed the makings of a serious pro talent. St. Louis is ready to put that growth to the test this fall, placing him in competition with fellow top prospect Zachary Bolduc for NHL minutes.

International Notes: Caamano, Hamaliuk, Ekberg

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A six-year member of the Dallas Stars organization will be heading overseas for the first time in his career. The Grizzlys Wolfburf of the DEL announced the team signed former prospect Nicholas Caamano for the 2024-25 season.

Caamano originally joined the Stars organization as the 146th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft but would spend another two seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Flint Firebirds and the Hamilton Bulldogs. The winger became an effective score in his last two years in the OHL with 60 goals and 121 points in 131 games.

Unfortunately, his offensive prowess did not transfer to the professional ranks as Caamano quickly became an average forward option at AHL Texas. Over six campaigns with the Stars’ top affiliate, Caamano participated in 246 contests while scoring 44 goals and 98 points. Dallas gave Caamano a decent opportunity between 2019-2021 but he only tallied three points in 36 NHL games.

Other international notes:

  • Former Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect Dillon Hamaliuk is also hopping across the pond next year as HC Nove Zamky of the Tipos Extraliga announced they had signed the forward on the team’s Instagram. Hamaliuk was originally drafted by the Sharks in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft after the young forward scored 11 goals and 26 points in 31 WHL contests. Hamaliuk’s short but strong stretch in the WHL never materialized into anything better as he’s been middling between the AHL and ECHL over two professional years in North America.
  • It appears that 2025 NHL Draft hopeful Filip Ekberg will be taking his talents to the OHL as he’s reportedly told Almtuna IS of HockeyAllsvenskan that he will not be returning to the team next season. The winger was drafted by the Ottawa 67’s in last year’s CHL Import Draft and will likely suit up in Canada’s capital next year. Ekberg was utilized as a solid playmaker in Sweden and is projected to fall somewhere near the end of the first round in 2025.

Top Questions Facing The 2025 NHL Draft Class

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The summer has hit its snag, with new staff hires and final additions headlining an otherwise stalled free agency. But plenty of excitement awaits the hockey world in the 2025 NHL Draft – the latest feature in a string of five strong draft classes between 2023 and 2027. 2025 contributes a long list of top forward prospects and unique defenders, though how draft day will shape up next year is still all but certain. Let’s dive into the top questions facing what’s sure to be an exciting class.

Who Comes After James Hagens?

The 2025 class doesn’t feature the runaway first-overall prospect that 2023 and 2024 did – but Boston College centerman James Hagens has done plenty to prove his case early on. He’s shown all of the pace and skill of a blue-chip prospect, leading last season’s U18 NTDP roster with 102 points across 58 games, 13 more points than any of his teammates. He’ll now succeed Will Smith as the centerman between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard – giving Hagens the ideal setting to stamp his place at first overall.

But the list of who will come next runs long. Swedish centerman Anton Frondell has proven an early favorite, after fighting his way to a pro debut in the HockeyAllsvenskan, on the back of powerful and mature playmaking. He’ll be challenged by Hagens’ successors at the NTDP, Conrad Fondrk and Will Moore, as well as top Russian Ivan Ryabkin. All three could also lose way to a strong defender class, especially if pro teams fancy the size of Sascha Boumedienne or the smooth passing of Logan Hensler. Even then, all of these players could lose out to perhaps the biggest uncertainty of the year…

Who Is Canada’s Top Forward?

Even with an American vying for first overall, CHL hockey headlines the 2025 NHL Draft. Their class is headlined by top-tier prospects Michael Misa and Porter Martone; perhaps the two current favorites to go second overall. Misa earned exceptional status for the OHL in 2022 and quickly vindicated it with a historic rookie year, scoring 56 points in 45 games, the highest scoring pace of any exceptional-status rookie in OHL history. He won the league’s Emms Family ‘Rookie of the Year’ Award that season, even despite a six-week absence due to a fractured tibia, and followed the performance up with 75 points in 67 games this season.

Misa is the flashy pick for top Canadian, though Martone has fought his way into the debate on the back of very hard-nosed and tireless hockey. His work ethic headlines his game, even despite Martone having the fine skills to beat the OHL’s finest. He scored 71 points in 60 OHL games this season – a higher pace than Misa – and managed a dazzling 17 points in seven games at the World U-18 Championships, while captaining Team Canada to a gold medal. Martone’s leadership qualities, special teams upside, and 6-foot-3 frame could all prove more favorable to NHL teams looking for projectable skills.

Behind Misa and Martone is a litany of promising talent – including Malcolm Spence, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, Justin Carbonneau, Jake O’Brien, Jordan Gavin, and Emile Guite. Each of the high-scoring CHL forwards boasts plenty of unique upside, from Spence’s ability to perform in the spotlight to O’Brien’s all-three-zones ability. They’ve all found their way into first round consideration next year, and could each join the heights of Martone and Misa with another big step next year.

Which Defender Emerges On Top?

The 2024 class was defined by a lost list of strong defenders, but teams who missed a chance at the bounty will find plenty of consolation next year. It’ll once again be a stylistic bout, with Sascha Boumedienne offering hefty and powerful drive, Logan Hensler boasting smooth skating and hard passing, and the pair of Charlie Trethewey and Luka Radivojevic battling for title of top offensive defenseman.

Boumedienne and Hensler are set for a collegiate faceoff, with the former joining the high-offense Boston University while the latter looks to become the top prospect at the University of Wisconsin. The two settings couldn’t be more opposed, with BU retooling a championship-caliber team with top prospects while UW looks to find their footing under new head coach Mike Hastings. That creates very different training grounds for top draft prospects, with Boumedienne seeming to gain and edge in surrounding cast but Hensler clearly set for a starring role.

Radivojevic, the son of former NHL defender Branko Radivojevic, stands as a particularly interesting prospect as well. He’s flashed fantastic athleticism and awareness on the puck, even while facing the challenges of a skinny 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, recording a strong 33 points in 43 games in Sweden’s U20 league this season. He’s opted to not join Team Slovakia at the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup, instead fully preparing for his first professional season with the SHL’s Örebro HK, after playing his first six pro games last year. He’ll be seeking both his first SHL point, and high draft standing, on a stout Örebro lineup.

And while the year’s top defender seems featured in this group of four, Canada’s Kashawn Aitcheson, Reese Hamilton, or Louis-Alex Tremblay could each fight to steal the title. They headline a defense class that’s certain to face plenty of scrutiny, juxtaposed by an endless list of talented forwards.

Snapshots: Sprong, Misiak, Julien

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The Vancouver Canucks are among the teams interested in free agent winger Daniel Sprong, shares Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News (Twitter link). Sprong is the top remaining free agent from PHR’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents.

Sprong has fought his way into NHL legitimacy over the last two seasons, kicked off with a breakout 2022-23 with the Seattle Kraken. He recorded career-highs across the board – netting 21 goals, 25 assists, and 46 points in 66 games despite a measly role on Seattle’s third line. It was a flash-in-the-pan season for the veteran Sprong, who had only managed 70 points in 202 career games up to that point. And he held onto the scoring through a move to the Detroit Red Wings last summer, netting 18 goals and 43 points despite averaging just 12 minutes of ice time. He’s seemingly proven his ability to produce in a depth role, though it’s hard to ignore the long streak of struggles that started his career. Now 28, Sprong doesn’t seem destine for a long-term deal, though he could prove a valuable late-market add for a Canucks team in need of boost down their wings.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak is expected to return to the OHL next season shares Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Misiak played through his first year in the OHL this season, netting 23 goals and 47 points in 60 games with the Erie Otters. He signed his entry-level contract with the Hawks at the end of Erie’s season, coupling the deal with an amateur try-out in the AHL. But it seems he’s now quite ready to jump to the pros, instead focused on finding another layer of scoring after a meager debut in the OHL.
  • The St. Louis Blues are sitting happy with their addition of long-time NHL head coach Claude Julien, who joined the team as an assistant coach last June. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong compared the hire to when Larry Robinson, an NHL Hall-of-Famer, joined Craig Berube’s coaching staff ahead of the team’s 2019 Stanley Cup win, telling Lou Korac of NHL.com that he hopes this move will have similar long-term ramifications. He said, “The experience Larry Robinson showed a young staff, it was really impressive. I think Claude’s at a portion of his life now where I think accepting this is easier and seeing the joy of working with young coaches and making them better, sharing his experiences, sharing his experiences with players.” Julien, a 19-year veteran of NHL head coaching, seems set on maintaining his mentoring role in St. Louis, as the team promotes up-and-coming coaches in Drew Bannister and Steve Ott.

Minor Transactions: 7/18/24

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As expected, signing activity across the NHL has largely dried up with training camps still more than a month and a half away.  However, there are some NHL-drafted prospects and players formerly on NHL contracts that have found new places to play in recent days.  We’ll run through those moves here.

  • Free agent blueliner Nick Cicek has signed a one-year deal with Adler Mannheim, the DEL team announced. The 24-year-old started last season in San Jose’s system before being moved to Vancouver where he remained in the AHL.  Between the two teams, Cicek had four goals and 12 assists in 67 games, resulting in him being non-tendered last month.  Cicek does have 16 career NHL appearances under his belt, all coming in the 2022-23 campaign where he had four assists.
  • Capitals prospect Ilya Protas has signed with OHL Windsor for the upcoming season, per a team announcement. Protas, whose brother is a regular in Washington, was a third-round pick last month, going 75th overall.  The 18-year-old, who signed his entry-level deal with the Caps earlier this month was the third-overall selection in the CHL Import Draft and the top selection from an OHL-based club following a strong showing with USHL Des Moines.  In 61 games with the Buccaneers last season, Protas had 14 goals and 37 assists.
  • Still with Washington, the Capitals farm team in Hershey was busy today as the team announced six signings, all on one-year contracts. Joining the Bears are forwards Grant Cruikshank, Austin Magera, Micah Miller, Justin Nachbaur, and Tyler Weiss, along with defenseman Jayden Lee.  The five forwards played professionally last year – primarily at the ECHL level – while Lee is turning pro after a five-year stint at Quinnipiac.
  • After being non-tendered by Dallas last month, free agent forward Max Ellis has found a new place to play as he has joined Jukurit in Finland, per a team release.  The 24-year-old spent last season in Toronto’s system, getting into 36 games in the AHL with the Marlies where he had four goals and ten assists.  His signing rights were thrown into the draft day trade for the rights to Chris Tanev but that was simply for contract-matching purposes.
  • Panthers prospect Vladislav Lukashevich has changed his college commitment. Nathaniel Bott of the Lansing State Journal relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner will now play at Michigan State next season instead of Northern Michigan.  The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2021, going 120th overall and spent last season with USHL Tri-City where he had 11 goals and 32 assists in 54 games.

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