Snapshots: Juulsen, Svechnikov, Kolesar, Boudon
The Canucks have started extension discussions with defenseman Noah Juulsen, report Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal in a column for The Athletic (subscription link). The 25-year-old has played in eight games with Vancouver so far this season with five of those coming this month as he plays his way into a regular role. Juulsen, a 2015 first-round pick by Montreal, also has 20 points in 49 games with AHL Abbotsford this season. He’s on a two-way contract worth $750K in the NHL and $250K in the minors and has a chance of remaining a restricted free agent if he plays in 16 of their final 17 games this season. An early extension for Juulsen would obviously take that particular consideration off the table.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Hurricanes were without winger Andrei Svechnikov due to what the team listed as (Twitter link) a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old came into tonight’s action tied for second on Carolina in scoring with 23 goals and 32 assists in 63 games while he also leads the team in hits with 140. There’s no word on how long Svechnikov will be out of the lineup but if it’s an extended absence, that could be a tough blow to a team that’s in a tight battle for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
- The Golden Knights announced (Twitter link) that winger Keegan Kolesar is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 25-year-old is fifth in the NHL in hits this season with 240 while chipping in with 16 points in 64 games. Pavel Dorofeyev suited up in Kolesar’s absence against St. Louis after being recalled yesterday and picked up his first career point.
- The Canadiens’ AHL affiliate announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed college free agent Louis Boudon to a tryout agreement. The 24-year-old wrapped up his college career at Lake Superior State this season, notching 24 points in 36 games. Over his four seasons with the Lakers, Boudon had 39 goals and 75 assists in 139 contests.
Previewing The 2023 College Free Agent Market: Forwards
With the NCAA playoffs in full force and the Frozen Four coming soon, there should be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings (and this year is no exception) but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the forwards that should be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks.
C Parker Ford, Providence
An undersized middleman at 5’9, Ford nevertheless plays with an edge and can play in all situations. Offensively, his numbers have been pretty steady throughout his four-year college career, ranging from 19 to 27 points. Ford is presently the leading scorer on a Friars team that has nine NHL draft picks on it as well. The 22-year-old might not be in high demand because of his size but he’s still a good bet to land an entry-level deal.
RW Riese Gaber, North Dakota
It’s believed that Gaber had some NHL interest last year but opted to return to the Fighting Hawks for his junior campaign. A small but speedy winger, the 23-year-old has hovered around the point-per-game mark for the last two seasons and had a pair of years of at least 50 points at the USHL level as well. With Gaber’s production not really improving too much this year, there would be a bit more risk of him potentially plateauing if he opted to forego signing an NHL deal this time around.
RW Collin Graf, Quinnipiac
It was a bit of a surprise when Graf entered the transfer portal following what was a solid freshman campaign with Union College but it’s safe to say the decision worked out. The 20-year-old saw his numbers improve across the board to the tune of 19 goals and 33 assists in 35 games, good for first on the Bobcats and second in the NCAA overall beyond only Adam Fantilli. On the one hand, a year like this is an ideal platform to try to land an NHL contract but he could be better served going back for one more year to fill out and work on his skating a bit more.
C T.J. Hughes, Michigan
Hughes is the Wolverines’ second-line pivot behind Fantilli and is having a nice freshman year, hovering around the point-per-game mark. In 2021-22, the 21-year-old averaged more than a goal and an assist per game with Brooks of the AJHL. There’s a strong case to be made for him to stay at Michigan next season where he’ll likely move onto the top line assuming Fantilli turns pro but if he wants to start his pro career now, there should be strong interest.
LW Ryan McAllister, Western Michigan
McAllister burst onto the scene after lighting it up early and often this season, battling Fantilli for the NCAA scoring lead for a good chunk of the year. While his output has tapered off a bit, he’s still in the top ten in points, quite a freshman campaign on the heels of a 139-point AJHL season in 2021-22. At 21, he still has a long college career ahead of him if he wants it but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him capitalize on what’s sure to be good interest in the coming weeks and turn pro now. He attended Toronto’s development camp last summer.
C Hunter McKown, Colorado College
At 20, McKown is one of the youngest players eligible for college free agency but a 20-goal campaign with the Tigers should have him on the NHL radar. Teams also would have gotten a good look at McKown in last summer’s World Juniors when he saw time on Team USA’s power play in the event; more than half of his goals this year have come on the man advantage. Already in his junior year, it’s possible that McKown could stick around for one more year and then turn pro when he’d only be eligible for a two-year entry-level deal compared to a three-year agreement if he signed now.
C Jaxon Nelson, Minnesota
Teams are always looking for size down the middle and at 6’4, Nelson checks that box. The 22-year-old hasn’t been the most prolific of scorers throughout his four-year college career (his seven tallies this season are a career-high) but he has a strong defensive pedigree that gives him a possible fourth-line profile in the pros. The raw upside isn’t as high as others on this list but Nelson is pretty much a lock to land a contract somewhere.
RW Jason Polin, Western Michigan
The 23-year-old has been part of arguably the most dominant line in college hockey this season and the end result is Polin leading the NCAA with 29 goals. For context, his previous high in points was 26. While there will be some question marks as to whether his output was linemate-driven or if it was a legitimate improvement that can carry over to the pros, he’ll be an intriguing free agent addition with a bit of upside once his senior year comes to an end.
C Max Sasson, Western Michigan
Another part of that dominant top line for the Broncos as he’s averaging over a point per game, Sasson’s skating is a strong element that helps him stand out among this group of players. The 21-year-old sophomore is an all-situations player which gives him a chance to carve out a lower role in the lineup which is where he likely profiles in the pros. Sasson is young enough that it makes some sense for him to stay in college for another year but if his linemates turn pro, he might decide to follow suit.
C Austen Swankler, Bowling Green
It’s very rare that a player who played a full OHL season is able to play in college but it happened with Swankler. The 21-year-old sophomore has been in the top ten in NCAA scoring for most of the season and made considerable strides compared to his freshman year, becoming a strong all-around offensive player. Skating is an element that still needs to improve and will go a long way toward determining what type of success he has in the pros. He has two years of eligibility remaining but some NHL teams would likely prefer to get him into their system now.
Others To Watch For
LW Matt Brown, Providence
C Justin Hryckowian, Northeastern
C Ondrej Pavel, Minnesota State
C Nick Poisson, Providence
LW Ondrej Psenicka, Cornell
Jets Injury Notes: Morrissey, Dubois, Lowry
The Winnipeg Jets will have some notable absences from the lineup when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. The most notable of them is breakout star Josh Morrissey, who head coach Rick Bowness says is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Morrissey, 27, left yesterday’s game against the Florida Panthers with a non-contact injury, appearing to favor his hip. It won’t be a long-term absence, though, as Morrissey hopes to play Tuesday when the Jets wrap up their Southeastern road trip. The 13th overall pick in 2013 has trampled over his previous career-high in points, recording 67 in 66 games this year. Any extended absence is a tough blow for Winnipeg, who’s sliding fast as the playoffs approach.
Some other injury notes from Winnipeg:
- The news isn’t so positive for Pierre-Luc Dubois, who Bowness doesn’t expect to see return for another two games at least. Dubois has missed five of the last six games with two different injuries and is now listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old is on pace for career-highs in goals and points, recording 24 goals and 55 points in 61 games.
- Adam Lowry is “feeling better” after leaving last night’s game late in the third period with an undisclosed injury and is a game-time decision against Tampa, per Bowness. Bowness told reporters last night that both Morrissey and Lowry were “very doubtful” for today’s game, so it’s certainly a positive development for Lowry’s status. With 27 points in 66 games, Lowry is Winnipeg’s highest-scoring bottom-six forward and a crucial piece in the lineup at the third-line center position.
Canucks Sign Phillip Di Giuseppe To Two-Year Extension
The Vancouver Canucks have announced via a press release that the team has signed forward Phillip Di Giuseppe to a two-year, two-way contract extension. Di Giuseppe will make $775K in the NHL and $500K at the AHL level. General Manager Patrik Allvin was very happy to report the signing as he described Di Giuseppe by saying, “He has been a reliable forward when called upon in Vancouver this year and has been an impactful player and leader with Abbotsford each of the past two seasons.”
In his second season within the Canucks organization, Di Giuseppe has only received playing time in Vancouver this season. In 13 games this year, he has registered two goals and two assists. In his limited time in Vancouver, Di Giuseppe has also spent time on the penalty kill as well. With a league-worst 68.75% penalty kill percentage, the Canucks have used a rotating door when establishing who will be on the ice when they are a man down this year.
In the minor leagues, Di Giuseppe has been far more productive. Combined over the last two years, Di Giuseppe has played 69 games for the Abbotsford Canucks, registering a total of 25 goals and 43 assists. As Vancouver begins to establish more prospect depth in the minor leagues, and Abbotsford competes for a playoff position, Di Giuseppe will be a valuable part of the Canucks organization for the next two seasons.
Blackhawks Recall Anton Khudobin And Luke Philp
12:30 PM, Sunday, March 12: After the callup and subsequent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Charlie Roumeliotis for NBC Sports Chicago announces that both Khudobin and Philp have been sent down to Chicago’s AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs. Philp received approximately 14 minutes of ice time, scoring no points and registering a single hit. Although Khudobin did dress yesterday, the Blackhawks chose to start Petr Mrazek instead. Also included in the movement today is defenseman Filip Roos also returning to Rockford. After his emergency recall on March 9th, Roos played in two games for the Blackhawks, registering zero points, with two shots on goal.
9:30 AM, Saturday, March 11: The Blackhawks acquired goaltender Anton Khudobin at the trade deadline as a salary offset to the Max Domi trade. However, they opted to keep him in the minors at the time. However, with Alex Stalock’s illness that kept him from suiting up last night, the team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled him from AHL Rockford along with winger Luke Philp.
Khudobin hasn’t seen any NHL action this season but did get into 24 games with AHL Texas prior to the swap. However, his numbers at the minor league level weren’t the strongest as he has a 2.89 GAA with a .899 SV%, numbers that place him outside the top 30 in both categories among qualifying netminders. The 36-year-old has played in 259 contests over parts of 13 NHL campaigns, posting a 2.50 GAA along with a .916 SV%.
He’s in the final year of a three-year, $10MM contract that hasn’t aged particularly well with the bulk of that time being at the AHL level once Jake Oettinger took over as the starter in Dallas. A strong showing in the minors this season could have gotten him back in the mix for a possible NHL backup position (at a much lower price tag, of course) but that is less likely now.
As for Philp, the 27-year-old made his NHL debut back in January when he got into a pair of games and picked up his first point, an assist. He has spent the bulk of the year with Rockford where he has been quite productive, tallying 18 goals and 20 helpers in 46 contests which helped earn him a one-year extension on Thursday. Anders Bjork left last night’s game against Florida with an undisclosed injury so Philp will take his place on the roster.
East Notes: Tavares, Lindholm, Flyers
During a hard-fought battle in front of the net of last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, John Tavares slashed the hand of Oilers’ defenseman Vincent Desharnais, sending him to the ice immediately. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain will be fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. This will be the second time in his career that Tavares has been fined for slashing, the first time being in a similar incident with then Devils’ forward Zach Parise back in 2011.
Aside from the incident with Tavares, the Maple Leafs managed to secure another big win leading into the playoffs. The group has now managed to go 7-3-0 in their last ten games, gathering steam at just the right time.
Other notes:
- In a quick meeting with the press, Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery stated that defenseman Hampus Lindholm will be held out of today’s game with the Detroit Red Wings. After blocking a shot in yesterday’s matchup between the two teams, Lindholm’s foot has apparently become very swollen, and he will return to the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Replacing him in the lineup is defenseman Derek Forbort, who has seen his playing time cut since the Bruins deadline moves. With 42 points already this season, and an incredible 40 +/-, Lindholm’s absence shouldn’t have too big of an impact on the Bruins. Having one of the most dominant seasons of any team in NHL history, the Bruins have put themselves in a position to absorb the loss of Lindholm for one game.
- Flyers beat reporter Giana Han announces that the Philadelphia Flyers have sent down forwards Elliot Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster to their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms, becoming the first-ever transaction made by General Manager Daniel Briere. As the Flyers’ season has been lost, it will be important for the two forwards to continue their growth in the playoffs this year for the Phantoms.
Mattias Samuelsson Listed As Week-To-Week
The Buffalo Sabres reported on Sunday morning that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson will be listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury after the team’s overtime loss to the New York Rangers last night. Already without top defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the lineup, the Sabres will once again be looking for different players to step up on their back end in the team’s pursuit of a playoff spot.
Unlike Dahlin, Samuelsson is not known for his offensive prowess coming from the blue line. Drafted 32nd overall by the Sabres in the 2018 NHL draft, Samuelsson has become a very serviceable defenseman for Buffalo. With only eight points so far this season, before the injury, Samuelsson was well on his way to recording over 100 blocks and 100 hits this season. Becoming one of the more physical players on the Sabres’ back end, the team rewarded his work ethic with a 7-year, $30MM contract extension which will kick in next year.
Thankfully for Sabres fans, Scott Harrington of TBN Sports reports that head coach Don Granato clarified it is not a season-ending injury for Samuelsson. As the Sabres continue their hunt towards making the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season, they will be without one of their most physical players for the foreseeable future.
East Notes: Sabres Injuries, Stamkos, Steeves
The Buffalo Sabres issued updates on several key injuries this morning. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is still day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not practice with the team this morning. A few moments later, the team announced that goaltender Eric Comrie is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, Mike Harrington of TBN Sports shared a video of Alex Tuch practicing in a regular jersey this morning; he has been out of the lineup since their February 24th game against the Florida Panthers.
Going 4-5-1 in their last ten games, the Sabres are beginning to falter in the Eastern Conference playoff race. After their loss last night, they are now seven points behind the New York Islanders, the current holder of the final wild-card spot. With three games in hand, the Sabres are not out of it yet, but the injuries to the back end will not help their playoff aspirations. On the bright side of things, the potential return of Tuch gives Buffalo the ability to put another point-per-game player back into their lineup. In 57 games this year, Tuch has scored 28 goals and 34 assists, helping create a solid trio with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.
Other notes:
- In an awkward collision into the boards with new Chicago Blackhawks forward Joey Anderson, Steven Stamkos left yesterday’s game with an apparent leg injury. After getting up, Stamkos appeared to be unable to put any pressure on his left leg, hobbling back to the bench. The Tampa Bay Lightning have given no official update as to the status of Stamkos, but the team did report that head coach Jon Cooper believes he will be “OK”, and they kept him out last night’s game as a precaution. With 16 games remaining in the regular season, the Lightning are battling with the Toronto Maple Leafs for home territory in the first round.
- In a press release this morning, the Maple Leafs announced that forward Alex Steeves has been recalled from their AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies, a day after he was demoted to the minors. In 55 games this season with the Marlies, Steeves has scored 17 goals and 28 assists. The Maple Leafs have employed him more sparingly throughout the year, playing in only three games with the NHL club, and averaging just under eight minutes of ice time.
Minor News and Notes: Griffith, Bruins, Puljujarvi
After a three-goal and four-point performance in the Bakersfield Condors 6-2 victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday night, Seth Griffith became the 100th player to record 500 points in the American Hockey League. Over the past ten seasons, Griffith has quietly been one of the most productive and consistent forwards in the AHL, scoring 77 points during the 2015-16 season with the Providence Bruins, and scoring an even 80 points last year.
Aside from his dominance in the AHL, Griffith has only played in 80 total games at the NHL level, scoring eight goals and 11 assists. His last action in the NHL came last year, when he played one game with the Edmonton Oilers, getting just over five minutes of play. After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins, Griffith has cultivated a great career in the minors, cementing himself in the history books of the AHL.
Other notes:
- With a 3-2 victory against the Detroit Red Wings yesterday afternoon, the Boston Bruins have officially clinched a playoff spot, becoming the first team this year to do so. Through 64 games this season, the Bruins are on pace for a 64-12-6 record, which would break the split record of wins (62) shared by the Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as the points record (132) set by the Montreal Canadiens. Continuing the most dominant season by any team in NHL history, the Bruins will now look to clinch their division, conference, and finally the President’s Trophy.
- Since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on February 28th, Jesse Puljujarvi finally made his Carolina Hurricanes’ debut during their 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights last night. Playing on a line with Stefan Noesen and Paul Stastny, Puljujarvi received just under 13 minutes of ice time, recording three shots on goal. As the Hurricanes continue to stave off the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers as the top team in the Metropolitan Division, expect Puljujarvi to continue to be slowly introduced into more important moments for Carolina.
Flyers Notes: Briere, Laperriere, Flahr
Earlier this morning, Interim General Manager Daniel Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers held a press conference introducing his new title to the media. Briere touched on many aspects of where he expects Flyers hockey to go. One of the more popular soundbites coming out of the press conference is that Briere believes the Flyers must enter a “rebuild that will be a multi-year process”. Jeff Marek of Sportsnet also noted that Briere doesn’t believe a fire sale is justifiable, as he believes there are still talented players on their current roster.
Since his retirement from the NHL after the 2014-15 season, Briere has been working in various capacities for Philadelphia since 2017. Briere was initially put in charge of the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, a team that was purchased by Comcast Spectacor, the same ownership group of the Flyers. After serving as General Manager for the Mariners, Briere was named a special assistant to the General Manager for the Flyers halfway through last season.
The Flyers are expected to go through a hiring process to determine who will oversee this team full-time, and although Briere may be the front-runner, there is no guarantee that he will be given the job. With a deep 2023 NHL Draft on the horizon, and the Flyers having some money coming off the books before free agency begins, it will be interesting to see how Briere handles putting the beginning touches on the Flyers’ rebuild.
Other notes from the press conference:
- Briere gave a lot of credit to former Flyer Ian Laperriere in his development of key prospects on Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since being named the head coach before the 2021-22 AHL season, Laperriere has helped graduate several Flyers prospects such as Cameron York, Tyson Foerster, and Morgan Frost. With a lot of changes expected to come internally to the Flyers organization, Laperriere may be a popular name for promotion.
- Since taking a job with the Flyers during the 2018-19 season, Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr has seen many ups and downs in Philadelphia. Briere noted during his press conference that the expectation is that Flahr is expected to remain with the team for the foreseeable future. Since working his way up as a scout with the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks, Flahr spent a few short seasons with the Ottawa Senators as their Director of Hockey Operations. Beginning in the 2009-10 season until his eventual move to Philadelphia, Flahr was the Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Wild.