U.S. National Development Program Announces 2017-18 Schedule
It’s hard to make an argument that the American junior hockey system is superior to the Canadian junior hockey system. Sure, the USHL has been improving every year and the growth of college hockey has lead to a greater proportion of NHL draft picks coming out of the U.S. junior ranks than ever before. Still, the depth of talent and caliber of player coming out of the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL will almost always stand up to the best of the USHL or other lower tier leagues. However, the one thing Canadian juniors does not have that has been wildly successful in the United States is the presence of a National Development Program.
Located in Plymouth, Michigan the USNTDP houses both a U-18 and U-17 team, both of which travel throughout the country and sometimes even the globe to play hockey at many levels. The 2017-18 schedule, announced today, highlights the uniqueness of the national program. Unlike Canadian juniors, which can dominate the lives of the players, the teams largely travel on weekends, freeing the players up to live somewhat normal lives as high school students during the week. Additionally, rather than play against the same competition all year long, the team mixes it up quite a lot. Both squads play a majority of their games against local USHL competition and both also participate in national and international tournaments, but the U-17 team also squares off against teams from the Tier II NAHL, while the U-18 team is tested in exhibition games against NCAA programs from around the country. The U-18 team is scheduled to go up against college power houses like Harvard, Boston University, North Dakota, and Notre Dame this season.
Recruited from around the country, USNTDP players are the best of the best of junior-age Americans. The program has produced current NHLers like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Seth Jones, and Zach Werenski just to name a few, with Calder candidates like Charlie McAvoy, Clayton Keller, and Alex Tuch about to make the jump as well. The prospect machine doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, so don’t miss the opportunity to catch the team in action if any of their games are with reachable distance. Current U-18 members include 2018 projected top picks like Joel Farabee, Bode Wilde, Oliver Wahlstrom and Jake Wise, who you’ll know soon enough as budding NHL stars.
Vegas Golden Knights Trade Breakdown
The Vegas Golden Knights have already completed ten trades this offseason, wheeling and dealing around the expansion draft with a third of the NHL. While more deals will undoubtedly drop tomorrow and in the next few days, these first ten transactions have set the team up for success. We’ll take a moment to break down why each trade happened, though there may be more dominoes to fall regarding some of them.
Buffalo sends their 2017 sixth-round pick to Vegas
In the first trade of the night, Vegas acquires a late round pick in order to not select G Linus Ullmark from the Sabres. Golden Knights GM George McPhee explained on the Awards broadcast that they were down to two players, Ullmark and William Carrier and the Sabres made their decision for them with a pick. For what it’s worth, our mock draft had the same split decision over the two players with Ullmark eventually ending up as the selection.
Expected Trades With Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights assuredly have more deals worked out than we know so far, but Bob McKenzie of TSN gave us a long breakdown of the ones that are expected to happen. With some added details from others like Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch and Arthur Staple of Newsday, here are the deals that the hockey world is pretty sure have been agreed upon. To be clear, none of these trades are final until they are announced at tonight’s NHL Awards ceremony:
Minnesota Wild
Vegas signs Erik Haula to multi-year contract, forfeiting expansion selection. Sends conditional draft pick.
Minnesota sends Alex Tuch.
Anaheim Ducks
Vegas selects Clayton Stoner.
Anaheim sends Shea Theodore.
Chicago Blackhawks
Vegas selects Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Chicago sends Marcus Kruger.
This deal in particular should be subject to skepticism, as today’s news surrounding Marian Hossa complicates things. Scott Powers of The Athletic has been told that Kruger will remain with the Blackhawks through tonight, though it’s unclear what that would mean for van Riemsdyk who is still eligible to be drafted.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Vegas will not select Josh Anderson, Joonas Korpisalo or Jack Johnson.
Columbus sends 2017 first-round pick, a prospect, and David Clarkson.
New York Islanders
Vegas will not select certain players left exposed (unclear who exactly has been included).
New York sends 2017 first-round pick, and Mikhail Grabovski.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Vegas selects Marc-Andre Fleury.
Pittsburgh sends unknown draft pick.
There are also deals in place with other teams including Florida and Tampa Bay, but reports have been inconsistent on the details thus far. McKenzie’s thread gives some insight into what they could be, but at this point it is still speculation. Again, each of these should be considered still only expected as details are fuzzy on each of them. We’ll update this page with any other deals that are leaked in the next few hours.
Minnesota Wild Forward Erik Haula To Sign With Vegas Golden Knights
According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Vegas Golden Knights will pass up a chance to pick a player from the Minnesota Wild. Instead, the team has signed Erik Haula to a three-year contract extension. In order for them to avoid Mathew Dumba and others, the Wild have also agreed to send Vegas prospect Alex Tuch while the Golden Knights will return a conditional draft pick.
This is a huge move for the Golden Knights, and one that could have been expected after the protection lists were released. The Wild chose not to make a deal before the lists were due, instead deciding to trade directly with the source of their roster discomfort. Dumba, Marco Scandella, Eric Staal and others were left unprotected despite serious interest from around the league. Instead of watching one of their defensemen walk out the door, the Wild will instead have to part with their first-round pick from 2014 in Tuch and an effective secondary option in Haula.
The 21-year old Tuch made his NHL debut this season, after two successful years at Boston College. Though he was held scoreless in his six game stint, he did put up 37 points in 57 AHL contests and could make an impact down the line for the Golden Knights. Though he may never be a top-line player, his size and scoring ability should at least allow him to be an effective middle-six winger. The most important part for the Wild was that it wasn’t Kirill Kaprizov, Luke Kunin or Jordan Greenway going the other way, three forward prospects that all may have higher ceilings than Tuch.
In Haula, the Golden Knights add to their forward depth with a versatile player who can skate at center or the wing. The 26-year old was due to become a restricted free agent for the final time in his career, coming off a deal that paid him just $1MM last season. His new contract will give the Golden Knights some cap certainty in the bottom of their lineup, while also gaining an asset. Russo doesn’t have details on the conditional pick, but says that it is “complicated.”
With trades for first-round picks from several teams and a report from last night implicating Shea Theodore in a potential deal with Anaheim, the Golden Knights are putting themselves in prime position to compete in the near future. “Asset harvesting” as George McPhee puts it is bearing fruit for the expansion team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Minnesota Wild Recall Fifteen Players From AHL
With the Iowa Wild’s season over, Minnesota has recalled their own group of Black Aces for the remainder of the playoffs. Fifteen players are on their way up from the AHL. The full list is as follows:
RW Sam Anas
RW Christoph Bertschy
C Pat Cannone
LW Ryan Carter
RW Kurtis Gabriel
C Tyler Graovac
G Steve Michalek
RW Zack Mitchell
D Gustav Olofsson
D Zach Palmquist
D Mike Reilly
D Nick Seeler
RW Alex Tuch
D Hunter Warner
D Mike Weber
As Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports, these players were actually brought up prior to Game 3 on Sunday and will hold practices separate from the rest of the team. After the Game 4 victory by the Wild to stay alive, the Black Aces may be needed for a few more days. These players are unlikely to get into game action, but would serve as insurance should several Wild players go down unexpectedly.
After an outstanding season that saw contributions from several players on this list, the Wild find themselves on the brink of elimination in the first round of the playoffs. Should they find a way to extend their season and fight back against the St. Louis Blues, perhaps it could be a great learning experience for some of their youth to see up close. For now, these players will just skate hard under NHL supervision and try to make an impact for next year.
Luke Kunin Turns Pro; Signs ATO With Iowa Wild
One of the biggest names in college hockey is set to join the professional ranks, as Luke Kunin has signed an entry-level deal with the Minnesota Wild. He’ll start on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season, with his entry-level deal kicking in next fall. This had been expected for some time, but Wild fans can finally uncross their fingers and let out a sigh of relief. The University of Wisconsin center will be an interesting option for the NHL team as soon as next year. 
Selected fifteenth overall last summer, Kunin returned to Wisconsin for his sophomore season and improved in basically every way. Scoring 38 points in 35 games to lead his team, he improved his defensive game and took fewer penalties while being more physical. He was given the captaincy of the Badgers, the first sophomore to wear the “C” in over four decades, and also wore the same letter for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He is a born leader on and off the ice, and may one day wear something on a Minnesota Wild sweater.
Given the Wild’s fairly deep forward group, Kunin may have to wait a year in the AHL before making his mark on the big stage. That shouldn’t slow him down though, as he’s heading for the NHL one day to be sure. With Iowa in a very tight race for the final playoff spot in the Central Division, Kunin will get a taste of the tight-checking hockey he’ll have to face down the line. It will be a good learning experience for him as he jumps right into the fire.
Kunin represents one of a handful of top Minnesota prospects that will start to replace the aging core of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Jason Pominville over the next few years. Jordan Greenway, Kirill Kaprizov and Alex Tuch all look like they’ll be impact players in the NHL one day, as the Wild continue to show off their drafting skills. While they battle with the Chicago Blackhawks for the crown of the best in the West, there are more good days ahead for the Minnesota franchise and their fans.
Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild
With the trade deadline now just a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
After slipping into the playoffs last year with less than 90 points and the final wildcard position, only to get punched in the mouth by the Dallas Stars and go home early, the Minnesota Wild needed a change. They’d fired their coach halfway through the season, and were relying on an aging (but excellent) core of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter too much to succeed.
Enter Bruce Boudreau and the kids. After good solid seasons from the young guns a year ago, many of them have exploded to the forefront of the team this season, with Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Jason Zucker all already setting career-highs in points through 59 games. They’re leading the Western Conference by five points and look poised for a deep playoff run.
Record
39-14-6, 1st in Central Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$5.20MM – full-season cap hit, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.
Draft Picks
2017: MIN 1st, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2018: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
Trade Chips
Minnesota will almost surely avoid trading anything off the roster that has put them in prime position for a Stanley Cup run, meaning they’ll have to use draft picks and prospects as bait if they want to add anything next week. It’s a shame they don’t have their second-round pick from this season—which they traded to Buffalo for Chris Stewart back in 2015—since they are used so often in rental deals. 
The Wild do however have a fairly stocked cupboard of prospects that could be waived in front of a team looking to get younger. Their drafting the last decade (or longer) though not perfect in the first round has unearthed plenty of talent in later selections. They’ve picked players like Cal Clutterbuck (3rd), Justin Falk (4th), Marco Scandella (2nd), Erik Haula (7th), Darcy Kuemper (6th), Zucker (2nd) and Johan Larsson (2nd) all outside of the first round and found excellent value in each.
If a team really wants to go after youth, they could ask for prospects like Jordan Greenway, who showed off his skills at the most recent World Juniors. Kirill Kaprisov is tearing up the KHL as a 19-year old, and it was recently reported that he’ll play for CSKA next season. Alex Tuch is showing his ability at the AHL level after a dominating NCAA career, and Luke Kunin continues to captain the University of Wisconsin up the college hockey rankings. It would be crazy to trade any of these names for a rental, but if the Wild want to enter the ring of possible long-term upgrades, they have the pieces to do it.
One Player To Watch: F Jason Pominville, who has a big cap-hit and is playing much less due to the emergence of the young guns is a contract that the Wild may look to move out if they’re to make any improvements.
Team Needs
1) Wing Depth – The Wild would like to move Coyle back to center ice if possible, but they’d need a winger who can jump into their top-six to do it. Jannik Hansen has been rumored to be on their radar, but a player like Patrick Eaves seems a better fit. It’s not guaranteed that they’ll do anything, though GM Chuck Fletcher has said that they have some “unproven depth” at forward.
2) Center – The nice thing about having Coyle is that if you can’t find the upgrade at the wing you could always acquire a center instead and leave him out there. Arizona’s Martin Hanzal was quoted today by Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune as saying he wants to stay in the middle even if traded, which would still be possible for the Wild.
Afternoon Transactions: Oilers, Hurricanes, Blues, Wild, Capitals
Assorted transactions from around the NHL this afternoon:
- The Oilers announced (via Twitter) that they have assigned defenseman Jordan Oesterle to the Bakersfield Condors. The 24-year-old was recalled to the NHL earlier this month. In two games with the Oilers this season, Oesterle hasn’t recorded a point, although he has compiled three goals and 15 assists in 26 AHL games.
- The Hurricanes announced that they have recalled forward Phil Di Giuseppe from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. The 23-year-old has recorded one goal and one assist in 18 games with the Hurricanes this season, and he’s collected 20 points in 33 games with the Checkers.
- The Blues have assigned forward Kenny Agostino to the AHL, reports Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat (via Twitter). The former fifth-rounder has played in seven games with St. Louis this season, compiling one goal and two assists. In 48 AHL games, Agostino collected 18 goals and 42 assists.
- The Wild announced that they have returned right winger Alex Tuch back to Iowa of the AHL. Minnesota’s first round pick (18th overall) back in 2015 has played in six games with the big club this season, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 10:42 of ice time per night. He’s having a strong rookie year at the minor league level though, scoring 12 goals and 13 assists in 36 games with Iowa.
- The Capitals announced they assigned center Jakub Vrana to Hershey of the AHL. He was recalled on Friday but didn’t play over the weekend. The 20 year old has a goal and two assists in 12 games with the Capitals this season and has put up 25 points in 33 games with Hershey. Washington is off until Wednesday and there’s a good chance they’ll recall Vrana before that time but they will save a bit of cap space in the meantime by sending him down for a few days.
Wild Recall Alex Tuch, Waive Tyler Graovac
Despite having the most points in their conference, the Wild have decided to shake up their roster. The team has announced that they’ve recalled top prospect Alex Tuch and winger Zack Mitchell from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. To make room on the roster, the team has placed forward Tyler Graovac on waivers and placed defenseman Jonas Brodin on the injured reserve (retroactive to January 18th).
Tuch, who was selected 18th overall in the 2014 draft, will be receiving his second career cup of coffee. The 20-year-old appeared in three games for the Wild earlier this season, averaging a bit under 12 minutes per game. The talented offensive weapon failed to record a goal or assist during his brief cameo, but he has compiled 12 goals and 13 assists in 36 games for Iowa this season. Dane Mizutani of TwinCities.com notes that Tuch was practicing alongside first-liners Eric Staal and Nino Niederreiter during Monday’s practice.
Mitchell, 24, made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Wild, compiling zero points in 10 games. The former undrafted player has spent the past two-plus seasons with Iowa, and he’s compiled eight goals and six assists so far this season.
The team may have placed Graovac on waivers, but Mizutani notes that the squad is assuming that he’ll go unclaimed and ultimately land with Iowa. On the flip side, Jason Brough of Pro Hockey Talk writes that Graovac’s affordable contract (including a $625K cap hit for next season) could be enticing to some teams. The transaction is also an indication that the organization would like Charlie Coyle to get more reps at center.
The 23-year-old has spent much of the season on the Wild’s fourth-line, collecting three goals and one assist in only six games. Prior to this season, the 2011 draft pick has played in five games for the Wild between two seasons.
Brodin has missed the past 12 games as he’s recovered from a fractured finger. The former first-rounder was logging a career-low 19:47 minutes per game, but his offensive production was approaching career-highs. After having never finished with more than 19 points in his previous four seasons, Brodin had already scored three goals and provided 13 assists in 43 games this season.
Minor Transactions: 2/9/2017
For the third consecutive day no players were placed on waivers, as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet noted this afternoon. However, that doesn’t mean teams aren’t busy calling players up from or sending players to the minor leagues. In this post we’ll track the day’s minor transactions and update as needed.
- The Buffalo Sabres have announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled forwards Evan Rodrigues and Derek Grant from Rochester. Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald added that Zemgus Girgensons wasn’t on the ice for the team’s morning skate and while Evander Kane was, he didn’t take line rushes. The implication being both players might be unavailable tonight thus necessitating the call-ups. Rodrigues has appeared in two games this season, going scoreless while averaging 11:28 of ice time. Grant, who was recently reacquired via waivers from Nashville, has registered four points, all assists, in 41 games. He is still searching for his first NHL goal after seeing action in 81 games over parts of five seasons with Ottawa, Calgary, Buffalo and Nashville.
- Winger Alex Tuch has been reassigned by the Minnesota Wild to their AHL affiliate in Iowa, the team announced this morning. Tuch, the club’s first-round pick, 18th overall, in the 2014 draft, has appeared in three games this season without netting a point. He’s registered 11 goals and 22 points in 34 AHL contests. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune tweeted that unless the team recalls another forward from the minor then it appears as if Charlie Coyle will move back to the wing with Erik Haula and Tyler Graovac assuming the third and fourth line center slots, respectively.
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times brings word that the Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned forwards Michael Bournival and Joel Vermin to Syracuse. Smith adds that this could be good news for Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn, as the reassignments leave the team with just 12 healthy forwards – Ryan Callahan is currently on IR. Palat has missed the last two games while Killorn didn’t play in Tampa’s 5 – 0 shutout win over the L.A. Kings.