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College Notes: Niagara, Simmons-Fischer, Cheremeta

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Niagara University officially announced their 2019 recruiting class today, including three notable NCAA transfers. The most well-known name is likely former UMass-Lowell defenseman Croix Evingson. A 2017 seventh-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, Evingson was the NAHL’s Defenseman of the Year in his draft year and his size and scoring ability made him an intriguing prospect. However, after two seasons of limited usage and production at Lowell, Evingson opted for a change of scenery and is now set to join Niagara. The big, offensive defenseman will look to re-establish his pro value this season and next in hopes of landing with the Jets down the road. Joining Evingson are Merrimack College graduate transfer defenseman Ryan Cook and former Air Force Academy forward Walker Sommer.

  • Braidan Simmons-Fischer, son of former NHL defenseman and current Detroit Red Wings Director of Player Personnel Jiri Fischer, has committed to nearby Western Michigan University, according to MIHockey. Entering his draft year, Simmons-Fischer remains somewhat of an unknown commodity. Splitting his early years of hockey between several pedestrian seasons of bantam-level play in Michigan and a dominant season at the junior level in Austria, Simmons-Fischer has had one of the stranger developmental paths of any prospect to this point. However, there is enough to his size – similar to his father’s frame but even more menacing as a forward – and hockey bloodlines that a strong program like WMU is willing to bet on his progression. More will surely be known about Simmons-Fischer’s potential after this upcoming season, which he will spend with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in his first true test against top competition.
  • Mark Cheremeta has left Boston University, marking yet another loss for the storied program. Since the end of last season, BU has seen Jake Oettinger, Joel Farabee, Chad Krys, Bobo Carpenter, Dante Fabbro, and Shane Bowers leave for the NHL, as well as a couple of players transfer to another school, and now young role player Cheremeta is headed to the USHL. The Dubuque Fighting Saints announced Cheremeta as a member of their training camp roster after selecting him in the third round of the USHL Entry Draft this year, marking his departure from BU after just one year. What Cheremeta will do next with his developmental path remains a mystery. Ironically though, he is set to play alongside Terriers commit and L.A. Kings prospect Braden Doyle with Dubuque this season.

Snapshots: Dahlen, Teply, Boston University

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Many believe that talented, but under-performing forward Jonathan Dahlen may be primed for a breakout year in 2019-20, beginning his first full season with the San Jose Sharks. Dahlen, 21, was acquired by the Sharks at the trade deadline in a swap with the Vancouver Canucks for fellow Swedish forward prospect Linus Karlsson. Dahlen had failed to do enough in the AHL to earn a call-up to the Canucks in his first season in North America, but after a four-point outburst in the final seven games of the regular season with AHL San Jose, many felt a change of scenery could be all he needed to battle for an NHL spot this upcoming season. However, Dahlen may not break camp with the Sharks this fall because he may not even be in camp. Swedish news source Hockey Sverige reports that Dahlen is expected to return to his former club, Timra IK. Dahlen is in the final year of his entry-level contract, but that deal does include a European Assignment Clause, which allows Dahlen to play in Europe if he does not make the NHL club. The fact that this information has been leaked so early before training camp likely indicates that Dahlen either believes or knows that he won’t be playing for the Sharks in 2019-20 and would prefer to return home to Sweden rather than suit up for the Barracuda. Dahlen exercised his European Assignment Clause in the first year of his ELC, playing for Timra rather than the AHL’s Utica Comets. After a season in Utica last year that left a lot to be desired, Dahlen is likely eager to get back to his roots, especially since Timra has been promoted to the SHL from the minor league Allsvenskan since the last time he played there. If Dahlen does indeed jump overseas next season, it doesn’t mean his career with San Jose is over. The Sharks would merely need to make him a qualifying offer next season to retain his rights moving forward, should he re-discover his game and try again to make it in the NHL.

  • One player making the reverse move, going from Europe to North America, is Chicago Blackhawks prospect Michal Teply. Teply played professionally in his native Czech Republic last season, but is ready to return to the junior ranks. After being selected No. 4 overall in the recent CHL Import Draft, Teply has delivered on the pick used by the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, as the team announced he has signed. The Ice, who are moving from Kootenay to Winnipeg and looking for a fresh start after a second-to-last league finish, are likely to see immediate results from Teply. A big winger who uses his size well to create space and make plays, many were surprised that Teply fell into the fourth round for the Blackhawks. In fact, there was a consensus among the top scouting services that Teply was a surefire second- or third-round pick. From fourth round to fourth overall, Winnipeg still may have found a steal in Teply, as the skilled forward has already proven he can compete with men at the pro level and could be in for breakout year against junior competition.
  • Boston University has found its new starting goaltender via transfer. The program has announced that a pair of graduate transfers have joined the team in Alex Brink and Sam Tucker. While Brink was a nice piece as a depth forward at Brown University, Tucker is the big news. The 23-year-old keeper split starts in net for Yale University over the past three seasons, including leading the team in appearances in each of the past two years, and his numbers took a sharp upturn in 2018-19. He now joins an elite NCAA program in BU where superior defense and possession ability should allow him to excel even more. After losing Jake Oettinger to the pros, it was looking like the Terriers were going to enter next season with untested Vinnie Purpura in net, but Purpura can take another year to continue developing while Tucker presumably takes over the starter role. Brink and Tucker join a new group of players that is arguably the best recruiting class in the nation, helping to make up for an exodus of nearly a third of last year’s roster to the pros.

Dante Fabbro To Sign With Nashville Predators

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It’s not a very good day to be a Boston University hockey fan. After Jake Oettinger and Joel Farabee both signed earlier today, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet is now reporting that Dante Fabbro will also forego his final season with the Terriers and sign a three-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. Getting Fabbro under contract was extremely important for the Predators, as the highly touted defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer had he returned to BU.

There was some speculation that Fabbro was interested in waiting and testing the free market due to the depth on the Nashville blue line, but instead he’ll join an organization that has made a habit of developing high-end defensemen over the years. The 20-year old certainly has that pedigree, after being selected 17th overall in 2016 and steadily improving his game over three years at BU. In fact, Fabbro recorded 33 points in 38 games this season as captain for the Terriers and was a nominee for the Hobey Baker award.

Fabbro also brings a wealth of international experience, as he was a key part of the last two world junior tournaments, winning a silver and gold medal as part of the Canadian contingent. Still even with all that success, it’s unclear where he stands in the Nashville pecking order. The Predators already have seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts for next season, including one of the best top-four in all of hockey. Fabbro could certainly slide into the third pairing, but wouldn’t be getting the kind of minutes that Nashville may want for him. That could lead to him at least starting the year in the AHL, where the Milwaukee Admirals would likely use him as an all-situations option including on the powerplay.

Jake Oettinger To Turn Pro, Sign With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars will be adding a top goaltending prospect to the organization in the coming days, as Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that Jake Oettinger will leave Boston University for the professional ranks in the coming days. Oettinger will join the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout, and sign a three-year entry-level contract with Dallas that begins in 2019-20.

Oettinger, 20, was the second Stars’ first-round pick in 2017 after they snatched up Miro Heiskanen at third overall. The first goaltender selected, Oettinger brings a mix of size—he stands 6’5″—and flexibility to the position and has tremendous upside. His college career was excellent, and culminated in a .926 save percentage this season through 36 games, despite a less than outstanding season from the Terriers overall.

With multiple international medals at junior tournaments, and three years as the starter for BU, Oettinger is considered more experienced than many of his contemporaries. The 20-year old will join Texas for the end of their season, though it is certainly not clear how things will shake out next season. Dallas already has Colton Point on his entry-level deal in the minor leagues, while Philippe Desrosiers and Landon Bow are both scheduled to become restricted free agents this summer. With the NHL net locked up, Dallas may be looking to move one of their prospects out or perhaps find another AHL team that will take one on loan in order to get them any playing time. For now, Oettinger will focus on making the transition to professional hockey and taking the next step towards the NHL.

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