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Connor Bedard

Loan Roundup: 01/06/22

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After Team Canada put gold medals around their neck last night to conclude the 2023 World Junior Championship, a variety of prospects under NHL contract were loaned back to their minor or junior teams today. We’ll keep a running list of those transactions right here.

All transactions are provided by CapFriendly.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets returned defenseman Stanislav Svozil to the WHL’s Regina Pats. Drafted 69th overall in 2021, Svozil had an incredible tournament with eight points in seven games for Czechia, winning a silver medal — the country’s first medal since 2005. Quickly looking like a draft steal, Svozil has 37 points in just 28 games, and he’ll return to playing with presumptive 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard.
  • Also from Columbus, 2022 sixth-overall selection David Jiricek is returning to the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate. Jiricek also helped dominate from the Czech blueline, recording seven points and a staggering +10 rating in seven games. He played his first two NHL games before the tournament and has an impressive 20 points in just 19 games with the Monsters.
  • The Dallas Stars returned dynamic Canadian forward Logan Stankoven to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Stankoven, who has a decent shot at making the team out of training camp in 2023-24, had three goals and 11 points in seven games with the Canadians. He was a second-round pick of the Stars in 2021, another budding draft steal.
  • Gritty forward Reid Schaefer, selected with the last pick of the first round in 2022 by the Edmonton Oilers, is returning to the WHL-leading Seattle Thunderbirds. Schaefer played at the bottom of the Canadian lineup and managed one assist in seven contests. He’s fourth on Seattle in goals with 15 in just 22 games.
  • Nashville Predators right-shot defense prospect Jack Matier was loaned back to the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. The 124th overall selection in 2021 is amidst a breakout season in Ottawa, recording 26 points and a +24 rating through 26 games. He had one assist at the World Juniors.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights returned Czech forward Jakub Brabenec to the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. Drafted 102nd overall in 2021, Brabenec was just dealt to the Phoenix today from the Charlottetown Islanders. His scoring had taken somewhat of a dip before the trade with 25 points in 28 games, but a strong World Juniors performance should instill some confidence.
  • Vegas also sent forward Zach Dean to the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. Taken 30th overall in 2021, Dean has 35 points in 27 games with Gatineau and recorded a goal and two assists for Canada at the tournament.

Poll: Who Will Finish With The Best Chance At First Overall?

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Success at the World Junior Championship doesn’t guarantee success in the NHL. It’s a junior tournament, after all, and there are countless examples of players who star there only to find it difficult to translate their game to the professional level. Esa Keskinen, for example, is one of the highest-scoring players of all time with 31 points in two tournaments. The fifth-round pick never came over to North America (likely due to his small stature during a different era of hockey), playing out his career in Finland and Sweden instead.

But even as scouts are starting to place less importance on performance there, the World Juniors plays an important role in something else for future stars: an introduction to a wider audience.

In the grand scheme of hockey fans, there aren’t many watching Regina Pats games. They might not get a chance to see future first-overall pick Connor Bedard on a very regular basis, if at all. So when he puts up seven points in one game or comes within one goal of the Canadian record from a ridiculous angle suddenly fans from across the league start dreaming about him pulling on their sweater next season.

Tanking for the first-overall pick doesn’t work all that well in hockey. The draft lottery gives hope to around half the league (depending on trades) and causes anxiety for those clubs at the bottom of the standings. Going into tonight’s games, the Chicago Blackhawks have the best odds of winning the right to select Bedard. Chicago has lost nine of their last ten and 25 of 33 on the year. Their .303 winning percentage would be the third worst in the salary cap era if it continued all year. The two teams ahead (or behind) them though – the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche and 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings – both failed to win the lottery.

Colorado fell to fourth after three teams jumped them, and got the consolation prize of Cale Makar. The Red Wings fell three spots too and had to settle for Lucas Raymond.

There have been some changes since then, meaning Chicago (or whoever finishes last) won’t drop quite so far. But coming last still by no means guarantees the top pick. In fact, a team like the Montreal Canadiens could theoretically end up with an even greater chance, even without finishing last. The Canadiens have their own pick and Florida’s, who are also currently out of the playoff picture. Should the Panthers drop even further, Montreal would essentially have two cracks to move up.

There is also a lot of hockey left to play. One more win would tie the Blackhawks with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Two would bring them even with the Anaheim Ducks, who have played three more games. There’s a long race to be run by quite a few teams.

So as you watch Bedard (and Adam Fantilli) pile goals onto an overmatched Austrian squad, who do you think will enter the draft lottery with the best chance? Cast your vote below and explain how you see it playing out in the comments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Hockey Canada Announces Final 2023 WJC Roster

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The selection camp is over and Hockey Canada has chosen the 22 players that will represent their country later this month at the IIHF World Junior Championship. There were 29 players originally named to the camp but after several others were loaned from NHL teams, ten players ended up cut today.

Carson Lambos, Evan Nause, Ethan Samson. Owen Beck, Zachary Bolduc, Jordan Dumais, Ryan Greene, Riley Kidney, Tyler Brennan, and William Rousseau were all sent back to their respective teams.

The roster that will compete:

F Caedan Bankier – Kamloops, WHL (MIN 86th overall, 2021)
F Connor Bedard – Regina, WHL (2023 draft-eligible)
F Colton Dach – Kelowna, WHL (CHI 62nd overall, 2021)
F Zach Dean – Gatineau, QMJHL (VGK 30th overall, 2021)
F Adam Fantilli – Michigan, NCAA (2023 draft-eligible)
F Nathan Gaucher – Québec, QMJHL (ANA 22nd overall, 2022)
F Zack Ostapchuk – Vancouver, WHL (OTT 39th overall, 2021)
F Brennan Othmann – Peterborough, OHL (NYR 16th overall, 2021)
F Joshua Roy – Sherbrooke, QMJHL (MTL 150th overall, 2021)
F Reid Schaefer – Seattle, WHL (EDM 32nd overall, 2022)
F Logan Stankoven – Kamloops, WHL (DAL 47th overall, 2021)
F Shane Wright – Seattle, NHL (SEA 4th overall, 2022)
F Dylan Guenther – Arizona, NHL (ARI 9th overall, 2021)

D Nolan Allan – Seattle, WHL (CHI 32nd overall, 2021)
D Ethan Del Mastro – Mississauga, OHL (CHI 105th overall, 2021)
D Tyson Hinds – Sherbrooke, QMJHL (ANA 76th overall, 2021)
D Kevin Korchinski – Seattle, WHL (CHI 7th overall, 2022)
D Jack Matier – Ottawa, OHL (NSH 124th overall, 2021)
D Olen Zellweger – Everett, WHL (ANA 34th overall, 2021)
D Brandt Clarke – Los Angeles, NHL (LAK 8th overall, 2021)

G Benjamin Gaudreau – Sarnia, OHL (SJS 81st overall, 2021)
G Thomas Milic – Seattle, WHL (undrafted)

NHL Central Scouting Releases “Players To Watch” For 2023 Draft

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The 2023 draft is still months away, but fans of struggling teams are already salivating over the idea of adding talents like Connor Bedard, Matvei Michkov, or Adam Fantilli to their organization. Those three are among the 28 names that were included as “A” prospects in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary “players to watch” list, released today.

The full group of top prospects is as follows:

D Cameron Allen – Guelph, OHL
F Colby Barlow – Owen Sound, OHL
F Connor Bedard – Regina, WHL
F Zach Benson – Winnipeg, WHL
G Carson Bjarnason – Brandon, WHL
F Daniil But – Yaroslavl, Russia Jr.
F Leo Carlsson – Orebro, SHL
F Nate Danielson – Brandon, WHL
F Dalibor Dvorsky – AIK, Sweden-2
F Adam Fantilli – Michigan, NCAA
F Ethan Gauthier – Sherbrooke, QMJHL
D Mikhail Gulyayev – Omsk, KHL
F Kasper Halttunen – HIFK, Liiga
F Riley Heidt – Prince George, WHL
F Samuel Honzek – Vancouver, WHL
G Michael Hrabal – Omaha, USHL
F Ryan Leonard – USNTDP
F Matvei Michkov – SKA St. Petersburg, Russia-2
F Oliver Moore – USNTDP
F Gabriel Perreault – USNTDP
F Calum Ritchie – Oshawa, OHL
F Eduard Sale – Brno, Czechia
D Axel Sandin Pellikka – Skelleftea, Sweden Jr.
F William Smith – USNTDP
F Otto Stenberg – Frolunda, Sweden Jr.
F Charlie Stramel – Wisconsin, NCAA
F Matthew Wood – UConn, NCAA
F Brayden Yager – Moose Jaw, WHL

These are the players who are listed as “1st round candidates,” though it should be noted that there will be several changes before the draft actually rolls around. If you are noticing there is a distinct lack of defensemen listed, you’re not wrong. The preliminary list for the 2021 draft had nine defensemen listed in the 31-player “A” group, while the 2022 group had five out of 23 players listed. This year, the defensemen are almost equal with the goaltenders, showing just how rare difference-making blueliners might be.

Speaking of goaltenders, having two in the preliminary group is rather rare. The 2022 list didn’t have any, and a netminder didn’t come off the board until Topias Leinonen at No. 41 when the draft rolled around. The 2021 group shows how much things can change though. When their preliminary list came out, Jesper Wallstedt was the only goaltender listed as an “A.” While he did end up going in the first round, Sebastian Cossa – ranked a “B” prospect at this point two years ago – was the first goalie off the board, selected 15th overall.

For that matter, Kevin Korchinski, who went seventh overall to the Chicago Blackhawks just a few months ago, was a “B” prospect at this point last year. Korchinski had a breakout season with the Seattle Thunderbirds and skyrocketed up draft boards – something a handful of players do every year.

So while the “A” players may be early favorites to go in the first round, there’s a reason why the whole list is dubbed the players to watch. These are the names you’ll hear bandied about in the months to come, with arguments about upside and floor happening on bar stools and bleachers all across the hockey world.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Patrick Kane

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With the Chicago Blackhawks deciding to rebuild halfway through their previous rebuild, speculation has run rampant about all-time great Patrick Kane’s future with the team. If dealt, he’d be one of the best players and biggest names traded in the past few seasons, joining blockbuster deals like the Jack Eichel and Erik Karlsson trades. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger today pumped the brakes on trade rumors, saying that Kane’s camp “remains undecided” and that any rumors at this point are purely speculative.

At 33 years old, Kane still has 100-point potential while logging heavy minutes. He hasn’t hit that mark since posting 110 points in 2018-19, but he’s stayed well above a point-per-game pace since then on a continually struggling Blackhawks squad. One of the most decorated American-born players of all time, his playing ability still remains very close to his prime.

It’s because of that fact that a potential trade seems so realistic to fans around the league. It would’ve seemed a guarantee just a few seasons ago that Kane would remain a Blackhawk for life, but as the team failed to rebuild quickly (or properly in the slightest) and management changed hands drastically, no one would blame him for not wanting to waste the last few seasons of his peak on a sinking ship.

With or without Kane, Chicago figures to be a bottom-five team next year with little doubt. Trading him could, however, end up being the difference between a top-five selection and the 2023 first overall selection, which would land them a potentially generational center in Connor Bedard.

Just one season away from unrestricted free agency, it could make a lot of sense for Chicago to deal him ahead of the season too. While they might not get as high of a return without an extension in place for Kane with his new team, it could open the door for him to return to the team in 2023-24 to potentially usher Bedard into the league if they do land the top pick.

Regardless, Kane’s choice will be an important one to watch as the offseason progresses. He’ll still command a fair bit of salary cap space even if Chicago does retain salary, unless the acquiring team wishes to pay a third team extra assets in order to retain additional salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli Highlight Canada U18 Roster

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Hockey Canada has announced the roster for this month’s U18 World Championship, and it includes several high-profile talents that should be of interest to NHL fans. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, two of the top prospects for the 2023 draft, will both take part in the tournament that kicks off Saturday.

The full roster is as follows:

F Tanner Howe
F Nick Moldenhauer
F Josh Davies
F Josh Filmon
F Kocha Delic
F Mathew Ward
F Connor Bedard
F Pano Fimis
F David Goyette
F Brayden Schuurman
F Adam Fantilli
F Connor Hvidston
F Rieger Lorenz
F Matthew Wood
D Nolan Collins
D Lukas Dragicevic
D Michael Mastrodomenico
D Kalem Parker
D Grayden Siepmann
D Spencer Sova
D Owen Pickering
D Matthew Morden
G Nolan Lalonde
G Ethan Buenaventura
G Reid Dyck

While there will be a scout from every NHL team there to watch the group of 2022-eligible players, it is likely Bedard will draw much of the fan attention. The 16-year-old Regina Pats superstar was the first WHL player ever granted exceptional status, allowing him to enter the CHL a year early, and has lived up to the high expectations. In his first full season, he scored 51 goals and 100 points in 62 appearances, while also starring for Canada at the World Juniors. Despite the tournament being shut down after two games, he already had recorded four goals and five points.

Fantilli and other 2023-eligible players should also draw plenty of attention, as next year’s draft class continues to be hyped as a very deep group. The Toronto-born forward skipped out on the OHL to play in the USHL instead, maintaining his NCAA eligibility and joining the powerhouse Chicago Steel program in 2020. The 6’3″ Fantilli scored 37 goals and 74 points in 54 games this season, while also racking up 93 penalty minutes.

Hockey Canada Announces 2022 World Junior Championship Roster

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As always, Hockey Canada’s selection camp for the World Junior Championship was a who’s who of top prospects. The group vying for a spot on the 2022 entry was immensely deep and talented, so much so that some truly talented names didn’t even make the camp roster. Of course, this means that some very difficult cuts had to be made as well. With camp wrapping up early Sunday afternoon, Hockey Canada has announced the expected roster for the 2022 WJC:

G Brett Brochu (2022 draft eligible)
G Sebastian Cossa (DET)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)

D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Carson Lambos (MIN)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (BUF)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Ronan Seeley (CAR)
D Olen Zellweger (ANA)

F Connor Bedard (2023 draft eligible)
F Xavier Bourgault (EDM)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Will Cuylle (NYR)
F Elliot Desnoyers (PHI)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Guenther (ARI)
F Kent Johnson (CBJ)
F Mason McTavish (ANA)
F Jake Neighbours (STL)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Justin Sourdif (FLA)
F Logan Stankoven (DAL)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)

The camp invitees that did not make the roster include forwards Zach Dean (VGK), William Dufour (NYI), Luke Evangelista (NSH), Jack Finley (TBL), Hendrix Lapierre (WSH), Joshua Roy (MTL), and Ryan Tverberg (TOR) and defensemen Daemon Hunt (MIN) and Vincent Iorio (WSH).

Of note, while many elite drafted prospects will grace the Canadian roster, it’s two undrafted names that will draw substantial spotlight. Wright and Bedard are the presumptive top picks in each of the next two NHL Drafts and will get their shot to further cement that status on the biggest international stage for U20 players.

The 2022 World Junior Championship will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta this year. The tournament begins on December 26 and culminates with the gold medal game on January 5.

Hockey Canada Announces 2022 WJC Selection Camp Roster

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The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. For Hockey Canada, selection camp will start in just a few days in Calgary, where the final roster will need to be picked. Today 35 players were invited to that camp, a group that will be pared down to 25 that will travel to the tournament.

The invitees, with their NHL affiliation:

G Brett Brochu (2022 draft eligible)
G Sebastian Cossa (DET)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)

D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Daemon Hunt (MIN)
D Vincent Iorio (WSH)
D Carson Lambos (MIN)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (BUF)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Ronan Seeley (CAR)
D Jack Thompson (TBL)
D Olen Zellweger (ANA)

F Connor Bedard (2023 draft eligible)
F Xavier Bourgault (EDM)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Will Cuylle (NYR)
F Zach Dean (VGK)
F Elliot Desnoyers (PHI)
F William Dufour (NYI)
F Luke Evangelista (NSH)
F Jack Finley (TBL)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Guenther (ARI)
F Kent Johnson (CBJ)
F Hendrix Lapierre (WSH)
F Mason McTavish (ANA)
F Jake Neighbours (STL)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Joshua Roy (MTL)
F Justin Sourdif (FLA)
F Logan Stankoven (DAL)
F Ryan Tverberg (TOR)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)

This does look like quite an imposing group, though there are several notable omissions. In addition to Brandt Clarke, who hit the news yesterday, Hockey Canada decided not to bring names like Carter Savoie, Matthew Savoie, and Brennan Othmann, among others. The group does include Bedard, though, who won’t even be eligible for the draft until 2023. The 16-year-old has 11 goals and 17 points in 28 games for the Regina Pats of the WHL after becoming the league’s first player granted exceptional status.

Snapshots: Bedard, Seattle, McCarthy

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Move over Alexis, a new Canadian prospect is here. Connor Bedard, the first player to be granted exceptional status in the WHL, suited up for HV71 in the Swedish under-20 league today. Bedard only turned 15 a few months ago and was picked by the Regina Pats first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, but is getting his first taste of play this season overseas.

The incredibly shifty, talented forward from Vancouver is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft but is already wowing scouts all over the world. His development is obviously extremely important, but a move like this to play overseas only highlights how difficult this season could be for many other prospects that are waiting on their WHL and OHL schedules to begin. Not everyone is Bedard, receiving a prime opportunity to play with a strong European organization.

  • The Seattle Kraken have hired seven new people for their organization, including former NHL forward Gary Roberts, who will receive the title of sports science and performance consultant. The other names, which include Michael Booi, Nate Brookreson, Jeff Camelio, and Tim Ohashi all seem to be strong hires with long successful resumes of their own. Roberts though will get the headlines, thanks to his yearly offseason strength and conditioning work with players like Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. Roberts of course is a former teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis in both Carolina and Toronto.
  • The Washington Capitals have hired Kevin McCarthy as an assistant coach, joining Peter Laviolette’s new staff. McCarthy will work with the team’s defensemen and has worked with Laviolette for years, in Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He joins a staff that also includes Scott Arniel, Blaine Forsythe and Scott Murray.

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