Snapshots: Pettersson, Haula, Lundqvist
Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson is likely to play on the wing to start next season if he makes the NHL roster, GM Jim Benning acknowledged to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. Pettersson, a natural center, spent most of this past season on the wing so it’s hard to foresee him switching back to the tougher position while trying to get used to playing at the NHL level. Accordingly, Kuzma speculates that Vancouver could be in the market this offseason for a veteran on a short-term deal that could act as a bridge for players like Pettersson and Adam Gaudette to allow them to ease into NHL duty.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Golden Knights center Erik Haula will not face a disciplinary hearing for an incident involving Kings center Anze Kopitar on Sunday, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. After being knocked down, Haula hit Kopitar in the face with what appeared to have been the butt-end of his stick but a league spokesman stated that there were no plans to review the play. That means that Haula will be available as Vegas goes for the first round sweep on Tuesday night.
- Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has declined an invitation to join Team Sweden for the upcoming World Championships, notes Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The veteran has been battling a knee issue that was initially sustained last year in that tournament although he still played in 63 games for New York this season. Brooks reports that Lundqvist will receive platelet-rich plasma treatment and will rest for around the next three weeks before kicking off his offseason training routine.
Pacific Notes: Arizona Ownership, Klefbom, Pettersson, Gaudette, Hague
With the state of the franchise constantly in question, Arizona Coyotes chairman and governor Andrew Barroway is looking for potential partnerships for his ownership of the franchise and has spoken to several interested investors, according to Arizona Sports Craig Morgan.
While it’s too early to know what role or control the other investors would have over the Coyotes, Morgan writes that there is no timetable on when or if there will be a new ownership structure in Arizona. The idea of adding investors to its ownership group would be able to infuse the struggling franchise with more money, but it could also help the team to tackle bigger needs, such as building a new arena or even a new practice facility.
Ironically, Barroway has only been the team’s sole owner for less than a year. He bought out the previous ownership group, IceArizona, that bought the team back in 2013. He did say when he completed the buyout that he’d be open to adding investors.
- The Edmonton Oilers could find themselves looking hard to find a puck-moving defenseman this offseason in hopes of replacing Oscar Klefbom, who has been struggling after being their No. 1 guy a year ago during their playoff run. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that the Oilers must decide whether injuries have slowed Klefbom’s success or whether he isn’t the player they thought he was. The 24-year-old put up 12 goals and 36 points last year, but his numbers have dropped to just four goals and 19 points this season. Mitchell writes the team will look at several options to add to their defense, including potentially trading for Carolina’s Justin Faulk, Colorado’s Tyson Barrie and Boston’s Torey Krug. If Klefbom can regain his form from the 2016-17 season, he does have a affordable contract which will count $4.17MM per year until the 2022-23 season. However, if he continues to play like he did this season, Klefbom’s contract doesn’t look nearly as good.
- Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal spoke to Vancouver Canucks scout Lars Lindgren about the impressive play of the team’s 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson, who won the SHL scoring title Saturday. A rookie in the SHL, the 19-year-old put up 24 goals and 56 points this season, but the question is when will he be ready to join Vancouver? “Tough question, impossible to say,” Lindgren said. “When you look at him he still needs to build power but he is such a smart, smart player. Hopefully he becomes a franchise player. He does not collect all his points on the power play and his plus minus is great and that is a very good sign for me. He has a little Nicklas Backstrom in him and I like that. It is a big summer for him to get to the next level.”
- Another top Canucks prospect, center Adam Gaudette, broke the 30-goal barrier this year with Northeastern University, according to Dhaliwal. He is just the seventh player in the NCAA to reach the 30-goal plateau since 2012-13. Vancouver hopes to convince the college junior to sign with the team after his season is over. The former fifth-round pick in 2015 has put up 68 goals in three seasons with the Huskies.
- Vegas Golden Knights defensive prospect Nicholas Hague has been making a name for himself, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 2017 second-round pick broke the 30-goal mark last month with his OHL team, the Mississauga Steelheads, and became the first OHL defenseman since 2000 to reach that plateau. Already signed to an entry-level deal back in September, the 6-foot-6, 215 pound defender is another significant asset for the Golden Knights.
Snapshots: Emergency Goalie, Lundqvist, Pettersson, College Free Agents
The Winnipeg Jets may have called up Michael Hutchinson on paper, but they weren’t actually able to get him on the roster in time for their game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. According to the team, Hutchison’s flight into New York was delayed and he was unable to arrive to the game in time. As a result, the Jets were forced to sign an emergency backup to a tryout deal. The man behind Connor Hellebuyck tonight will be Zane Kalemba, a New Jersey native and a friend of Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler. Kalemba played junior hockey with Wheeler for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and went on to star for Princeton University. Kalemba only retired from hockey in 2016, having spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and several European leagues. An experienced keeper who, most importantly, was nearby, will have to do for the Jets tonight.
- A goalie in the tri-state area with a little more experience than Kalemba is New York Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, when Lundqvist takes the ice tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he will tie former Tampa goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the most NHL starts by a foreign-born goalie. The Rangers report that Lundqvist’s appearance, his 799th, is enough to share the top mark. When the Swedish keeper makes his next start, which could be as early as Saturday, he will not only reach a benchmark 800th appearance, but will also become the most experienced foreign keeper in NHL history.
- Another Swede setting records is Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson. Pettersson, who was selected fifth overall last year by Vancouver, has been playing in the top Swedish pro league, the SHL, this season. After a four-point outburst today, the Canucks pointed out that Pettersson’s 55 points on the year set a new record for the most points by a player under 20 in SHL history. The Vaxjo Lakers forward snapped a 42-year-old record while also taking over the league scoring lead. That’s not too shabby for a young player who looks to be an absolute stud-in-the-making for the Canucks.
- Some other young players looking to make an impact in the pros is the 2018 crop of college free agents. While Zach Whitecloud‘s deal with Vegas today was the first NHL deal so far, a few other NCAA prospects have already hooked up with AHL teams for contracts and tryout agreements for the remainder of the season and could earn big-league deals if they impress. These transactions include Whitecloud’s Bemidji State teammate Kyle Bauman joining the Ontario Reign (LAK), the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) inking Alaska-Fairbanks’ Zach Frye, Yale’s Ryan Hitchcock going nearby to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), the Chicago Wolves (VGK) adding Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner, and both Derian Plouffe of Niagara and Josh Kestner of Alabama-Huntsville signing with the Toronto Marlies (TOR).
Vaxjo GM Hopes Elias Pettersson Stays In Sweden For Another Season
Among the most interesting prospect storylines this year has been the play of Elias Pettersson. When Pettersson was selected fifth-overall last summer by the Vancouver Canucks, no one knew just how well he’d transition to the highest level of hockey, given that he’d only played in the Swedish second league to that point. That the Canucks selected him ahead of WHL forward Cody Glass and impressive USHL scorer Casey Mittelstadt showed just how confident they were in his abilities.
Pettersson has not disappointed. After making the jump to the SHL this season, he took off scoring at a league-leading pace until departing the Vaxjo Lakers for the World Junior Championships. After collecting a silver medal for Sweden, he has returned and picked up right where he left off. Now sitting second in league scoring despite the missed time, Pettersson just passed Peter Forsberg for second all-time in points from a junior-aged player in the SHL. His 50 points in 40 games is an incredible testament to his skill at such a young age.
Still, those in Vancouver might have to wait a while to see him up close. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 spoke with Vaxjo GM Henrik Evertsson today, who told him that he believes Pettersson still needs time to physically mature and hopes he’ll stay in Sweden next season. Evertsson believes that his star rookie will be suiting up for the World Championships this spring, meaning a ATO with the Utica Comets is likely out of the question.
All of that is up to Pettersson though, who has yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Canucks. Standing 6’2″ but only 165-lbs, Evertsson may have a point about his physical maturity. Perhaps another season away from the Canucks will make him even more dangerous when he finally makes his NHL debut.