Metropolitan Notes: Konecny, Capitals, Blue Jackets
After two 24-goal seasons in Philadelphia, there were many that were concerned that Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny was at a crossroads in 2019-20 where his career would either take that next step or fall back. Konecny took that next step, scoring 24 goals for a third straight year, but also seeing a points increase of 12 in a pandemic-shortened season. Much of those offensive statistics can be credited to his improved defense, according to The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required).
With a new coach coming in last year in Alain Vigneault, Konecny put more of his offseason focus into developing his two-way game, which impressed the new coach, giving him more on-ice access during games, including playing late in games, something that he rarely saw under former head coach Dave Hakstol and then interim coach Scott Gordon. Vigneault’s confidence in Konecny led to an increase of minutes where he saw a 1:32 ATOI of more ice time.
While his regular season was a success, his playoffs was far from it with zero goals and seven assists in 16 games, including a big drop-off in his defensive ratings. The key to his future as a potential Flyers’ star is whether he can prove his two-way game is for real.
- While there is hope that the Washington Capitals drafted a pair of steals in the past two drafts in Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that it’s highly unlikely that either player will have much of a shot to crack Washington’s opening lineup this coming season. The scribe writes that the team has no interest in rushing one of their top prospects in the first place as well as the fact that both are centers and would have to beat out either Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom or Lars Eller, which isn’t going to happen.
- With Gustav Nyquist expected to miss the next five to six months due to shoulder surgery, the Columbus Blue Jackets could look to the free-agent market to add another forward. However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, not a fan of free agency, will wait and could just choose to promote player from within. Nyquist, who was likely going to play on the second line alongside Max Domi and Cam Atkinson, could be replaced by veterans Nick Foligno or Boone Jenner or even see what rookie Liam Foudy could do in a top-six role.
Hockey Canada Announces 2020 World Junior Selection Camp Roster
12:10pm: A few hours after this roster was published, Team Canada has gotten a big addition. Kirby Dach will also be attending the camp, loaned by the Chicago Blackhawks to the program. As Darren Dreger of TSN tweets, the young forward would return to the Blackhawks if the NHL starts before the tournament. Dach, 19, didn’t play in the tournament a year ago because he was busy suiting up in the NHL, where he scored 23 points in 64 games and was one of Chicago’s best players in the postseason.
10:15am: The World Junior Championship will be played in a bubble this year, using the same Edmonton locations that the NHL did in their return to play. Since junior and professional leagues in North America are not operating at full capacity right now (if at all), the Team Canada selection camp for the tournament will be an unprecedented 28-day event starting on November 16 in Red Deer, Alberta. 46 players have been named to the selection camp roster, vying for spots on the team that will play in late-December.
The roster includes:
G Brett Brochu (2021 draft eligible)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)
G Taylor Gauthier (2021 draft eligible)
G Tristan Lennox (2021 draft eligible)
G Devon Levi (FLA)
D Justin Barron (COL)
D Bowen Byram (COL)
D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Jamie Drysdale (ANA)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Thomas Harley (DAL)
D Daemon Hunt (MIN)
D Kaedan Korczak (VGK)
D Mason Millman (PHI)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (2021 draft eligible)
D Matthew Robertson (NYR)
D Braden Schneider (NYR)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Jordan Spence (LAK)
F Adam Beckman (MIN)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Quinton Byfield (LAK)
F Graeme Clarke (NJD)
F Dylan Cozens (BUF)
F Tyson Foerster (PHI)
F Gage Goncalves (TBL)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Holloway (EDM)
F Seth Jarvis (CAR)
F Peyton Krebs (VGK)
F Hendrix Lapierre (WSH)
F Connor McMichael (WSH)
F Dawson Mercer (NJD)
F Alex Newhook (COL)
F Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Samuel Poulin (PIT)
F Jack Quinn (BUF)
F Jamieson Rees (CAR)
F Cole Schwindt (FLA)
F Xavier Simoneau (2021 draft eligible)
F Ryan Suzuki (CAR)
F Philip Tomasino (NSH)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)
F Connor Zary (CGY)
Obviously, the biggest omission here would be top draft pick Alexis Lafreniere, but given his previous comments about wanting to focus on the New York Rangers and making the transition to the NHL, it shouldn’t be too surprising. Hockey Canada could add him to the group at any point should NHL training camps be delayed further, but at this point, it appears as though the tournament will not feature the first-overall pick.
On the other side of that coin however is Byfield’s inclusion, giving the Canadians a superstar talent to build their forward group around. Byfield would be one of several returning players to the tournament and could be part of an outstanding offensive attack. One of the biggest stories will be whether that attack includes Shane Wright, the youngest player invited and one of the next great Canadian prospects. The 16-year-old center was granted exceptional status to enter the OHL a year early and ended up winning the CHL Rookie of the Year award by putting up 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games for the Kingston Frontenacs.
Metropolitan Notes: Lindblom, Flyers, Sorokin, Islanders, McMichael
The Philadelphia Flyers announced their 31-man roster for the upcoming Qualifying Round with one name that stands out significantly as the team kept forward Oskar Lindblom on the roster despite talk that they team might wait until the 2020-21 season before returning the young forward on the ice after being diagnosed and treated for Ewing’s sarcoma in December.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 23-year-old will be amongst the starters on the ice for the Flyers when the team returns to play, but to just be on the roster is quite an accomplishment for the young forward, who recently signed a three-year extension with the team. He could be a valuable substitute if injuries arise for the team after tallying 11 goals in 30 games before being diagnosed with cancer.
The team had a few other noteworthy players when it came to their roster. The team cut Carsen Twarynski, German Rubtsov, Tyler Wotherspoon and Nate Prosser from their training camp roster. However, the Flyers did keep undrafted prospect Egor Zamula on their roster, who played in just 28 junior games in the WHL last season, but dominated on the international stage.
Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi also reported that goaltender Carter Hart participated in his first full team practice Saturday since he left Tuesday’s scrimmage midway through the game with back spasms. The goalie claims that he expects to be 100 percent in time for their first game against Boston on Aug. 2.
- The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that general manager Lou Lamoriello said that while newly signed KHL goaltender Ilya Sorokin is not eligible to play in the 24-team tournament, the netminder is expected to join the team in Toronto to get acclimated to his new team. Sorokin has been quarantining on Long Island and will join the team in Toronto once he has passed all his COVID-19 protocols.
- Staple also released the Islanders playoff roster, which did not include several of the Islanders top AHL prospects. The team left behind forwards Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom, defenseman Grant Hutton and goaltender Jakub Skarek. Bellows was a bit of a surprise after a solid NHL debut in eight games this season.
- No major surprises on the Washington Capitals roster, although the Capitals have decided to keep 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael on their roster, although it’s more likely to give the 19-year-old a chance to soak in the playoff atmosphere in hopes he might be able to eventually challenge for a roster spot in 2020-21. McMichael is coming off an impressive season in the OHL with a breakout 47 goals and 102 points with the London Knights.
Capitals Notes: Holtby, McMichael, Restart
Heading into the season, it looked like it could very well be Braden Holtby’s final season with Washington. Ilya Samsonov, their goalie of the future, had arrived and with expansion looming, keeping both carried some risk. Nicklas Backstrom’s in-season extension further increased the likelihood of Holtby leaving and now the flattened salary cap has done the same. Despite that, the goaltender told reporters, including J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, that he’s still holding out faint hope of a return:
My focus right now is to win a championship and moving forward, is to find the next best place to win a championship with. Hopefully, it is here. Hopefully, everything works out but you never know.
Holtby is coming off his worst statistical season of his career (.897 SV%, 3.11 GAA) which certainly doesn’t bolster his leverage heading into what looks to be a deflated market. However, with a handful of other teams on the lookout for starting goaltenders, he still should be able to land a good contract but unless he’s willing to take a sizable discount, it probably won’t be with the Capitals.
More from Washington:
- With Lars Eller planning to leave the team to be with his wife for the birth of their second child early next month, head coach Todd Reirden told Samantha Pell of The Washington Post that 2019 first-round pick Connor McMichael is among those being considered to fill that spot in the lineup. There would certainly be some risk to having McMichael make his NHL debut in a playoff situation (or during seeding games at a minimum) but the upside is certainly there. He had a dominant season in the OHL, recording 47 goals and 55 assists in just 52 games with London so he should be able to hold his own at the very least. If he does play, he’ll be subject to the usual games played threshold to not burn a year of his contract but by the time he gets to that tenth game, Eller should be back.
- Washington is one of the teams that really benefitted from the stoppage, suggests Matthew Paras of The Washington Times. The Capitals had lost 10 of 15 games before the pandemic arrived while the mini training camp also allows them to get Ilya Kovalchuk and Brendan Dillon integrated into the lineup, something they didn’t get much of a chance to do after both were brought in near the trade deadline.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Kreider, Nutivaara, Copp
The World Junior Championships got a gold medal game to remember as Canada pulled off a big comeback victory Saturday to win the gold as Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Akil Thomas scored the go-ahead goal to give Canada a 4-3 win over Russia on Sunday.
Canada was down 3-1 to Russia in the third, but got key goals from Washington Capitals’ prospect Connor McMichael and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton to come back and tie the game. It’s the third time in six years that Canada has won the World Championships, but the first time since 2008 that they have won the title on Europe ice. Russia finished with the silver, while Sweden topped Finland for the bronze medal earlier today.
Projected top pick in the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafreniere was named the MVP of the tournament, by the IIHF, as well as the top forward. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin was awarded the top defenseman award, while St. Louis prospect Joel Hofer won the top goaltender award.
- One reason the Montreal Canadiens went through with signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk last week was that they realized they had little chance of acquiring New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks notes that Kreider, who has a modified no-trade clause in which he has submitted an 11-team no-trade list, has all the Canadien teams on his list, meaning he has no interest in playing there. Kreider remains the top trade candidate at the trade deadline.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets got some much needed depth back on their blueline as the team announced they have activated Markus Nutivaara off of injured reserve. The 25-year-old has been out since Nov. 5 when he suffered an upper-body injury and has now missed 27 games. The blueliner has two goals in 10 games this season, but should add a helping hand as the team has several defensemen on IR, including Ryan Murray, Dean Kukan and Andrew Peeke.
- The Winnipeg Jets may have forward Andrew Copp back in the lineup as The Athletic’s Ken Weibe reports that the 25-year-old was a full participant in practice. Head coach Paul Maurice said that if he comes to the rink feeling as good as he left Sunday, that Copp should find himself back in the lineup. The forward has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury.
NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:
Anaheim Ducks (2):
G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA
Arizona Coyotes (7):
F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA
Boston Bruins (3):
F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA
Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA
Calgary Flames (1):
G Dustin Wolf, USA
Carolina Hurricanes (5):
D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA
Chicago Blackhawks (2):
F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic
Colorado Avalanche (4):
D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia
Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland
Dallas Stars (3):
F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden
Detroit Red Wings (5):
D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden
Edmonton Oilers (4):
F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden
Florida Panthers (3):
Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA
Los Angeles Kings (9):
F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA
Minnesota Wild (1):
F Alexander Khovanov, Russia
Montreal Canadiens (4):
D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA
Nashville Predators (1):
D Spencer Stastney, USA
New Jersey Devils (5):
D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland
New York Islanders (2):
F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA
New York Rangers (5):
D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA
D K’Andre Miller, USA
Ottawa Senators (3):
D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA
Philadelphia Flyers (4):
F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA
Pittsburgh Penguins (1):
D Calen Addison, Canada
San Jose Sharks (1):
Santeri Hatakka, Finland
St. Louis Blues (2):
G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia
Tampa Bay Lightning (3):
F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden
Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA
Vancouver Canucks (4):
F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden
Vegas Golden Knights (3):
F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA
Washington Capitals (2):
F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic
Winnipeg Jets (2):
F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland
Team Canada Announces 2020 World Junior Camp Roster
Like Finland earlier today, Canada has announced the preliminary roster for this year’s World Junior tournament. The group is headlined by two players vying to be the 2020 first-overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield, but also has plenty of returning talent that will figure greatly in the Czech Republic later this month.
The full list is as follows:
Goaltenders:
Nico Daws (2020 eligible)
Joel Hofer (STL)
Hunter Jones (MIN)
Olivier Rodrigue (EDM)
Defense:
Calen Addison (PIT)
Kevin Bahl (ARI)
Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT)
Bowen Byram (COL)
Peter Diliberatore (VGK)
Jamie Drysdale (2020 eligible)
Thomas Harley (DAL)
Jared McIsaac (DET)
Braden Schneider (2020 eligible)
Ty Smith (NJD)
Forwards:
Quinton Byfield (2020 eligible)
Dylan Cozens (BUF)
Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
Aidan Dudas (LAK)
Nolan Foote (TBL)
Liam Foudy (CBJ)
Benoit-Olivier Groulx (ANA)
Dylan Holloway (2020 eligible)
Peyton Krebs (VGK)
Alexis Lafreniere (2020 eligible)
Raphael Lavoie (EDM)
Connor McMichael (WSH)
Dawson Mercer (2020 eligible)
Alex Newhook (COL)
Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
Cole Perfetti (2020 eligible)
Akil Thomas (LAK)
Connor McMichael Sent Back To OHL
With Evgeny Kuznetsov set to miss the first few games of the season due to suspension, there were some who believed that the Washington Capitals could keep first-round pick Connor McMichael on the roster to begin the year. They’ll have to find another center somewhere else instead, as the team has sent McMichael back to the London Knights of the OHL along with several other cuts.
[Related: Training Camp Cuts: 09/19/19]
The 25th pick of June’s draft, McMichael has blazing speed and high-end hockey sense that seemed to develop quickly last season. A depth player for the Hamilton Bulldogs and Knights in 2017-18, he scored just 16 points in 70 games. Last year however saw more responsibility coincide with an offensive explosion, leading the Knights with 72 points in 67 games. The true center will spend this year in the OHL once again and should compete for a spot on the World Junior squad.
Washington meanwhile will have to figure out a different answer down the middle to start the year. Lars Eller is expected to move into the second-line spot in Kuznetsov’s absence, but behind him it’s not clear how things will shake out at this point. His $7.8MM cap hit will fortunately not count during the suspension however, meaning the team doesn’t necessarily need to make a trade right away to clear room as expected.