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Kasperi Kapanen

Atlantic Notes: Kapanen, Hoffman, Nordstrom

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With the offense running on high already this season and possibly even looking more dangerous than it was last season, the team does have some problems ahead. What is the team going to do when Zach Hyman returns to the lineup? It’s a good problem to have, but with the lines already clicking, it could spell bad news for winger Kasperi Kapanen.

James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Hyman is very likely to move back to the John Tavares line when he returns from injured reserve, as Kapanen hasn’t been a good fit there. However, while it would then just make sense to move Kapanen back to the third line, that may not happen after an impressive start by Ilya Mikheyev–Alexander Kerfoot–Trevor Moore line, which seems to be improving their chemistry and has proven to be a hard-working line.

The scribe writes that could mean that Kapanen could find himself on the fourth line soon.

  • The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that the Florida Panthers will likely have to choose between two of their own during the offseason when forwards Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman both become unrestricted free agents. So far, Hoffman may be earning himself an even bigger paycheck next season, as his hat trick on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning now give him four goals on the season. Dadanov has no points in two games. The 29-year-old Hoffman wouldn’t mind staying with the Panthers next season. “It has been great ever since I got here. I have loved every second of it,” Hoffman said Saturday. “The guys here are great, ownership is great. It is definitely a fun place to play and we were able to pick up some key acquisitions over the summer. That’s a positive thing and I’m looking forward to the future. I am going to do the best I can for this hockey club this year and I will let everything else kind of sort itself out.”
  • The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that forward Joakim Nordstrom is expected to play sometime before their road trip ends. The team still has two games on their road trip, including games Tuesday at Vegas and Thursday at Colorado. Nordstrom, out with an undisclosed injury, is traveling with the team, but head coach Bruce Cassidy feels that the 27-year-old is close to returning to the lineup.

Atlantic Notes: Toronto Injuries, Kapanen, Sergachev, Seider, Thompson

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Toronto Maple Leafs Mike Babcock handed out his prognosis on the length of time the team will be without two of its injured players, including forward Zach Hyman and defenseman Travis Dermott, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton.

Bobcock said that Hyman, who is recovering from ACL surgery, is likely going to miss 14 to 15 games for the Leafs. That would suggest a potential return sometime in late October or early November. The head coach also said that Dermott, out due to offseason shoulder surgery, will likely miss as many as 12 to 14 games and likely will return at a similar time to Hyman.

  • Sticking with the Maple Leafs, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Kasperi Kapanen said he isn’t too worried about switching from the right side to the left to start the season. Kapanen is expected to replace Hyman at left wing on a line with John Tavares and Mitch Marner. “Playing with those guys, it’ll be skating, getting the puck to them, standing in front of the net. I’ll let them do all the nice things and I’ll do the dirty work. It’s just hockey, I’ll figure it out.”
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning are already cash-strapped, but the team hopes that one of their younger defensemen is ready for the challenge of taking on a top-pairing role on the defense. Last season, youngster Mikhail Sergachev hoped to take a role next to Victor Hedman, but instead found himself on the third line, working on his defense. That has improved, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required), who writes that Sergachev has a good chance to claim that No. 1 line job next to Hedman this year, especially if he can prove to head coach Jon Cooper that his defense is good enough that he belongs there. In fact, Cooper has stated that he is going to give Sergachev “ample time” to prove that he can earn that spot. The 21-year-old has gotten an endorsement from Hedman, however. “Absolutely,” Hedman said. “Sergy has taken steps (toward improving) every year. He’s an up-and-coming guy, but he’s making a big impact for us right now, and he’s ready for the ice time. It’s a lot of fun for me to play with him. We complement each other well on the ice. We’ll see how the pairings work out, but if we’re paired together, it’ll be a lot of fun.” Sergachev may get a challenge from recently-signed Kevin Shattenkirk, but he changed his workout schedule this summer, with shorter workouts, but at higher intensity. He also had an impressive faring with Russia at the World Championships this summer, quarterbacking their power play. He still hopes to get some power play time, something he got very little of last season.
  • NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji writes that the Detroit Red Wings have been quite impressed by the play of their 2019 first-round pick, Moritz Seider. A surprise selection at No. 6, Seider was impressive at the NHL Prospect Tournament and has a legitimate shot at a roster spot with Detroit. However, Seider also said that he would prefer to play in North America whether he makes the Red Wings’ roster or not and said he would be willing to play for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. “I think it all depends where I can play the most,” Seider said. “I’m thinking that’s probably in Grand Rapids if I’m not making the team. First of all, you’re here to make the team and you want to be part of the NHL team soon. I don’t know what’s coming after camp, I can’t tell right now.”
  • One of Tage Thompson’s biggest advantages is his height at 6-foot-6. However, the Buffalo Sabres young forward has struggled so far in the NHL due to his lanky stature. However, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski writes that Thompson spent the summer eating to get ready for the regular season, as the team placed him on a six-meal-a-day diet with the plan of forcing him to eat between 3,000 to 5,000-calories daily. The result is that the forward gained an extra 13 pounds and now weighs in at 216 pounds, which he hopes will give him the extra strength, especially in the lower body, that he hopes will help him with the grind of the NHL season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Kapanen, Johnsson

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced the contract extensions for both Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Kapanen’s deal is a three-year contract that will carry a $3.2MM average annual value, while Johnsson has signed a four-year deal with a $3.4MM average annual value. Both players were restricted free agents that had been issued qualifying offers earlier this week.

Kapanen, 22, broke out this season with the Maple Leafs, recording 20 goals and 44 points in his first full NHL season. The blisteringly-fast forward used his skating ability to routinely blow by defenders and get in tight on goaltenders, resulting in glorious scoring chances on a regular basis. Playing alongside Auston Matthews for much of the season, Kapanen was able to play an offensive game at even-strength which resulted in some excellent production. Even better perhaps was his contribution on the penalty kill though, where he has developed into a reliable option for head coach Mike Babcock. That kind of versatility makes him an extremely valuable piece for the team, and a bargain on this three-year deal that will leave him as a restricted free agent in 2022.

Johnsson, 24, also produced a 20-goal season in his rookie year with the Maple Leafs, but came about it a little differently. More elusive than fast, the Swedish forward scored most of his goals from in tight off cycle chances he or his linemates created, and did so in relatively limited playing time. Johnsson averaged just under 14 minutes of ice time per game for the season, but still managed to put up 43 points in 73 games. In fact, he registered 40 points in his last 55 games after a slow start, something the Maple Leafs will hope he can continue moving forward. The four-year deal buys out one year of unrestricted free agency for Johnsson, making him a UFA in the summer of 2023.

The inevitable question now is what will happen to the Maple Leafs other key restricted free agent, as Mitch Marner is still unsigned and the team now has just $6.9MM in cap space. They can exceed the $81.5MM ceiling by $8.15MM in the offseason and have Nathan Horton’s $5.3MM deal to put on long-term injured reserve, but will still have to clear some more room if they want to add anywhere else on the roster. Defense is obviously the easy place to make an improvement, as the team only has seven defensemen in the whole organization with any NHL experience and three of those—Justin Holl, Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman—have played a total of just 69 NHL contests.

Toronto Maple Leafs Closing In On Extension With Andreas Johnsson

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Sunday: The Toronto Sun’s Terry Korshan reports that Dubas confirmed the Johnsson contract is nearly done. “They’re right at the finish line, we just have to punch them across, which will be nice,” said Dubas (via The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel).

Saturday: With news of the Toronto Maple Leafs closing in on a contract with restricted free agent forward Kasperi Kapanen, TSN’s Darren Dreger now reports that the Maple Leafs are also close to signing restricted free agent forward Andreas Johnsson to a four-year extension somewhere between $3.25MM and $3.5MM.

While the team has a number of issues to deal with, namely trying to work on a long-term deal with restricted free agent Mitch Marner, the team seems to be proactive in working out deals with both Kapanen and Johnsson, both who have proven to be key top-six wingers for the team this season. After two successful seasons with the Toronto Marlies, the 24-year-old broke out with a 20-goal, 43-point season this year. There also was plenty of discussion that both Johnsson and Kapanen could be prime candidates for other teams to sign to offer sheets, but it looks like both players were more interested in staying in the fold in Toronto.

With cap room being a significant issue, there was plenty of talk that Johnsson or Kapanen could be used as trade bait to eventually send off some cap room. However, the Maple Leafs did free up some of that cap room when they traded away Patrick Marleau and his $6.25MM contract to Carolina earlier today and instead of one of their young restricted free agents, sent a condictional first-rounder to Carolina instead. With Marleau’s contract off the books, that money can now be used to sign both Kapanen and Johnsson, although both deals could be held up until they can sign Marner. The team still will likely have to move other contracts with rumors suggesting the team is considering shipping out forwards Connor Brown and possibly even center Nazem Kadri, in order to get all three under contract and that doesn’t even factor the team’s hope they can still sign unrestricted free agent defenseman Jake Gardiner to an extension.

Toronto Maple Leafs Working On Kasperi Kapanen Contract

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11:55am: Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the deal is close to complete but will not be finalized until Marner’s situation is resolved. It is expected to be a three-year contract that will carry an average annual value between “in the $3.2MM to $3.4MM range.”

9:59am: The Toronto Maple Leafs have dominated headlines with restricted free agent negotiations, but mostly ones regarding Mitch Marner. There are two other key players who need new contracts in Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, and the Maple Leafs may be getting closer on at least one of them. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported last night that the Maple Leafs are getting closer to an extension with Kapanen, and Darren Dreger of TSN noted the same this morning.

Kapanen, 22, broke out this season with 20 goals and 44 points for the Maple Leafs while regularly lining up beside Auston Matthews on the team’s second unit. The speedy forward was also a regular on the penalty kill, even scoring a pair of short-handed goals. The fact that only three of his points came on the powerplay suggests that there might be an even higher level of production that Kapanen can get to in the future, making this an important negotiation for both sides.

While not eligible for arbitration, the young forward does have a solid bit of leverage with the Maple Leafs given their cap crunch and negotiations with Marner. The team has to get Kapanen at a reasonable amount if they want to bring everyone back, meaning he’ll likely get another chance to improve his stock on a short-term deal. That is of course unless the team has plans of moving out some salary somewhere else and inking Kapanen to a long-term deal at a reasonable but more expensive price.

There has also been reports that the Maple Leafs included Kapanen in a trade offer recently, trying to pry Brett Pesce out of Carolina. A new deal doesn’t guarantee that Kapanen would remain in Toronto for the season, as he cannot agree to any sort of trade protection given his status as a restricted free agent.

Toronto Maple Leafs Listening On Kapanen, Kadri

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have dominated headlines as the draft approaches because of their ongoing negotiations with top restricted free agent Mitch Marner, but might be making news of another kind in the coming days. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Maple Leafs are “bracing for activity” and will listen to trade offers for both Kasperi Kapanen and Nazem Kadri. Dreger also lists Connor Brown as a possible trade candidate.

Kapanen, 22, has already been traded once in his young career, flipped to the Maple Leafs as a key part of the Phil Kessel deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015. Though he’d flirted with NHL playing time over the last several seasons, Kapanen broke out as a regular with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games. Often strapped to Auston Matthews’ wing, Kapanen took advantage of the situation Toronto found themselves in without William Nylander to start the season and proved he could be a top-six player in the NHL even at a young age.

Scheduled to hit restricted free agency for the first time, the speedster isn’t yet eligible for salary arbitration but should still earn a healthy raise. That poses a problem for Toronto who are still waiting to see where Marner’s deal will leave them in terms of cap space for next season. With news that the cap ceiling may not be as high as originally thought, there’s good reason for the Maple Leafs to listen on potential trade offers, and Dreger notes that they are looking for a defenseman in return for the young winger. In fact, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Toronto recently spoke with the Carolina Hurricanes about a deal that would have seen Kapanen and Brown exchanged for Brett Pesce. LeBrun isn’t the first person to indicate that Carolina isn’t willing to move Pesce at the moment however.

Kadri meanwhile is in a different situation, as he is one of the few bargains the Maple Leafs have on the roster currently. Now a third-line center thanks to the acquisition of John Tavares, the 28-year old is a two-time 30-goal scorer and carries just a $4.5MM cap hit for three more seasons. His contract is relatively inexpensive for his skill level but after seeing his goal total drop to just 16 in 2018-19 and earning a playoff suspension for the second consecutive season, his name has been in trade rumors for weeks. Dreger notes that the Maple Leafs would want a center back in any Kadri deal.

Atlantic Notes: Zaitsev, Johansson, Condon, Luongo

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The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have to, but if the team wants to move on from defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, it might be beneficial to trade him before July 1 when his 10-team no-trade clause kicks in. While Zaitsev has requested a trade as well, making it easier for Toronto to unload the five years remaining on his contract at $4.5MM, there are likely to be several teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) looks into what teams would be the most likely to acquire the blueliner and the Edmonton Oilers find themselves at the top of the list. Zaitsev could be paired with one of Toronto’s forwards, either Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson to acquire either Matt Benning or even Adam Larsson in the right deal.

The Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks round out the top three teams who would make the best bets, but there are quiet a few other candidates as well.

  • Boston Globe’s Nick Kelly writes that Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson was non-committal Friday when asked about whether he wanted to return to Boston next season. An unrestricted free agent and a key contributor throughout the playoffs (four goals and 11 points in 22 games), the 28-year-old may have priced his way out of Boston. However, Johansson said he did enjoy his time with the Bruins and will speak to them first before looking at his other options.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that even though the Ottawa Sentators locked up backup goaltender Anders Nilsson to a tw0-year, $5.2MM extension which many thought would be the end for Mike Condon. The 29-year-old, who lost the backup job early last season, still has one year remaining on his contract at $2.4MM and seemed like a prime buyout candidate. However, general manager Pierre Dorion said the team will not buy him out and intend to bring him in to camp in the fall before determining what to do with him. Condon made just two appearances, allowing eight goals and had a .800 save percentage. He was sent to Belleville of the AHL for one game before he opted to sit out the rest of the year with hip inflammation. He hopes to be healthy for training camp.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that he spoke recently to Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who told him that he expects goaltender Roberto Luongo to make a decision about his future soon, in fact, before the draft next Friday. The team needs an idea on whether Luongo intends to come back next year. Florida is expected to sign one of the top goaltenders on the market with Sergei Bobrovsky on the top of their list. However, if Luongo opt to return (he still has three years remaining at $4.53MM AAV), the team will have to find a way to move out James Reimer.

Metropolitan Notes: Faulk, Werenski, Harrington, Devils

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After an impressive playoff run that has Carolina looking like an improved franchise, the Hurricanes don’t want it to be a fluke season. The team, which based much of its success on an impressive blueline, wants to commit to it long term. Therefore despite being mentioned as a trade candidate for more than a full season, it looks like Carolina wants to commit long-term to Justin Faulk. The defenseman has one year remaining on his contract, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) reports that the team has reached out to Faulk and his agent in hopes of signing an extension when he’s eligible on July 1.

LeBrun adds that Faulk, who has played his entire eight-year career in Carolina, is amenable to an extension, although it’s likely he would demand a no-trade clause this time around. That would give Carolina three right-handed top-four defensemen in Faulk, Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, but he says that the Hurricanes are OK with having that right depth on the right side and are comfortable keeping all three.

However, the Fourth Period reports that Carolina is looking to acquire a top-six winger to boost their offense this year and that the team is willing to trade one of their top defenseman to make that happen. The report suggests that Carolina is one of the teams that has inquired on Minnesota’s Jason Zucker and has spoken to Toronto about both William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Nazem Kadri in the past.

  • The Athletic’s Allison Lukan (subscription required) reports that while the Columbus Blue Jackets have several options on how they want to sign restricted free agent Zach Werenski, it’s almost a lock that Columbus will attempt to sign him to a long-term deal. The 21-year-old blueliner just finished up his entry-level deal and is in line for a big payday after posting 38 goals and 128 points over three years, but with plenty of cap room and multiple free agents walking away from Columbus, locking him up to a long-term deal, which could exceed $6MM, is likely going to be the team’s goal.
  • Sticking with the Blue Jackets, the team has another restricted free agent who is expected to get a raise this summer. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch writes that defenseman Scott Harrington, who has had trouble catching on to an NHL team early in his career after playing just 79 NHL games over the past four seasons with three different teams, has found a home in Columbus. The 26-year-old played his first full season, playing 73 games, mostly as a bottom-six defenseman, but was instrumental to the Blue Jackets as a character leader in the locker room. After making just $675K last season, Harrington could potentially double his salary for next season.
  • The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required) lays out the possibilities on what the New Jersey Devils can do with their second-round pick (No. 34). With three second-round picks, the 34th pick is a valuable asset that could allow the team to trade into the first round or use to trade for a significant impact player to bolster its team. The scribe looks at past teams in similar positions, including a 2013 trade in which the Buffalo Sabres traded several players and the No. 31 pick for Ryan O’Reilly.

Poll: Where Will Nikita Zaitsev End Up?

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As the Toronto Raptors prepared to host the first NBA Finals game in franchise history, their hockey counterparts were making news of their own. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas admitted that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev had requested a “fresh start” elsewhere, after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet had broken the news a few hours earlier. Dubas wouldn’t commit to trading Zaitsev at all costs, but did tell reporters that he would try to find a landing spot if possible:

I met with Dan [Milstein, Zaitsev’s agent] here and I don’t want to get too much into the details, that’s up to Dan and Nikita on their end. That will be our goal, to try and find a fresh start for him, for his own personal and private reasons. I’ll leave that to Dan and Nikita to talk about. In the case of what it means for our team, it’s not any definitive type of, “he’s definitely not going to be back.” Especially as the year went on, especially as he was paired with [Jake] Muzzin, his value began to shine through a little bit more. His penalty killing, his right shot, he plays in our top four and he’s signed reasonably for a long time.

Already speculation has started on where Zaitsev could end up. Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun suggests that the Ottawa Senators could be a potential fit, given their need to add salary to reach the cap floor this season. The 27-year old defenseman has five years remaining on his current contract which carries a $4.5MM cap hit. That would immediately become the Senators’ most expensive contract among defensemen, though Cody Ceci’s impending deal would likely surpass it in terms of cap hit for next season. Interestingly, Zaitsev is owed a $3MM signing bonus on July 1, reducing the cost for a team like Ottawa even further.

There is also the obvious connection to the New York Islanders, where former Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello now runs the ship. Lamoriello was an integral part in recruiting Zaitsev in the first place, and was the one who signed him to the seven-year extension after just one season in the NHL. He obviously felt at one point that the Russian defenseman was worth investing in, and perhaps he still does.

There’s no indication yet though of where Dubas would be looking, or even what kind of return he’d be after. The Maple Leafs were already likely considering a move of Zaitsev given their cap constraints this summer, with new contracts due for Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. The smooth-skating defenseman is valuable to the team, especially given his handedness, but may be too expensive to hold on to anyway. That would also mean they can’t take a lot of salary back in any deal, unless Dubas and the rest of the front office plan on cutting cap dollars somewhere else.

So where will Zaitsev end up? Will any team even come forward with a legitimate offer? Cast your vote below and let us know what you think in the comments.

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Combine Notes: Marner, Dubas, Johnson, Turcotte

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Toronto Maple Leafs fans may be nervous about the prospect of a Mitch Marner offer sheet, especially after some recent comments, but GM Kyle Dubas isn’t. Dubas tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that he has used the ongoing NHL Scouting combine as an opportunity to meet with Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, in hopes of getting a new deal done with their star forward as soon as possible:

We’re not letting any time slip away. Any chance we’ve had to have time with Darren, we’re taking it. We’re trying to move it along. That’s really the key. I don’t see any need to delay it. We would like to come to agreements the very first minute we can. Unfortunately with the way things are it’s not overly realistic to think we can do that. Just keep working. I think I said before — we have to go back to check the tape — everyone knows how we feel about Mitch. I’m not afraid to say that Mitch holds a special place in the cosmos of our group… The reality is, Mitch is a great player. We’ve been very clear how we feel about him as a player and a person. He’s been a great Maple Leaf. He should be a Maple Leaf his whole career. I think Mitch and Darren have both stated that at times. We’re going to keep working with Darren to move this along and progress it ahead and come to an agreement which will make Mitch feel like he’s compensated at the level he’s deserved and us with a way to navigate our way ahead. I think if we’re all willing to work towards it we’ll get there. That’s what we have the time for here.

Dubas continues that he would be surprised if Marner were to entertain the idea of an offer sheet and has never been led to believe that it has been discussed as an option by Marner’s camp. Dubas knows that Marner, as well as Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, could be popular targets for the elusive offer sheet, but is prepared to deal with that scenario if it arises:

I think you have to study what the probability may be. You can’t ignore it. You can’t just say that because something hasn’t happened, it won’t happen. You have to be realistic. You have to look around and identify which teams have the capital, which teams have the cap space, and which teams have the combination of both… That’s the way we’ve gone about it. As a management group, our focus has been on finding contract resolutions with Mitch and Johnsson and Kapanen.

By all accounts, Dubas is farther along in talks with all three of Marner, Johnsson, and Kapanen than he was with William Nylander at this time last year. Nylander of course held out well into the start of this past season, but that doesn’t appear to be the likely outcome for any Toronto RFA’s this year. And while the threat of offer sheets exist, that too doesn’t seem to be a probable ending. The question thus becomes, if new contracts can be signed with Marner, Johnsson, and Kapanen, where does it leave the Maple Leafs in salary cap terms and who will have to move this summer to make the team cap compliant?

  • While NHL executives and agents alike obviously use the NHL Scouting Combine as an opportunity to talk to one another, the focus of course is on the draft class. One prospect in particular has been busier than just about anyone at the combine. NBC Sports Chicago’s Slavko Bekovic reports that American defenseman Ryan Johnson is the only player in attendance thought to have met with all 31 NHL teams. Johnson is not your typical popular top-of-the-first prospect, though. Instead, he has been ranked as high as No. 18 and as low as No. 55 by reputable scouting sources and many teams are likely still trying to gauge whether or not he is a first-round caliber player. To his credit, Johnson will at least likely go ahead of many highly-regarded U.S. National Team Development Program defenders after he himself did not make the team. The stalwart defenseman for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede is a solid, mobile defenseman and a strong locker room presence, but the question is whether he is a top-31 player in this draft. Every team in the league will apparently get the chance to answer that question.
  • Bekovic also reports that Illinois native Alex Turcotte, a top-ten prospect, has met with his hometown Chicago Blackhawks this week. While the Blackhawks have met with several other intriguing prospects who they could select at No. 3, including Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach, and Peyton Krebs, it’s hard to ignore the fit that Turcotte would have with the organization. The USNTDP standout told Bekovic that he grew up a big Blackhawks fan and has always dreamed of playing for the team. He also models his game after Jonathan Toews and relishes in the frequent comparisons between the two. GM Stan Bowman is not going to let sentiment dictate a crucial pick for his franchise, but Turcotte’s talent alone may make him the third-best player in this class, with the local ties just an added bonus.

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