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Tomas Hyka

KHL Contracts of Lukas Sedlak, Tomas Hyka Terminated

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A pair of former NHL forwards could head back to North America this offseason. After both having strong seasons with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, the club has opted to terminate the contracts of Lukas Sedlak and Tomas Hyka.

Sedlak, a 2011 sixth-round pick of Columbus, actually spent six years in the Blue Jackets organization, spending the last three as a full-time NHLer. He tallied 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 162 games from 2016 to 2019 in a Blue Jackets uniform, and he was a member of the 2019 Blue Jackets squad that upset the Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep.

He had a pair of solid seasons in Chelyabinsk but had a career year this season, his third there, with 43 points in 49 games. He netted an assist in four games representing Czechia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Hyka was a sixth-round pick just a year later of the Los Angeles Kings, but he never played for the organization and his rights expired. The Vegas Golden Knights signed him as a free agent prior to their inaugural season, and he appeared in 27 games from 2017 to 2019. He scored twice and compiled seven points in the big leagues. He and Sedlak have both spent the past three seasons in Chelyabinsk.

With both Czech forwards 29 years old, they could prove to be solid bargain-bin options for high-end veteran AHL depth or fourth-line roles should they opt to return stateside for 2022-23.

Tomas Hyka, Brooks Macek Sign In KHL

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June 25: Hyka’s two-year deal in the KHL is now official, and he’ll be joined overseas by Chicago Wolves teammate Brooks Macek.

May 27: While Tomas Hyka is busy dominating the AHL playoffs, he may have already made some future plans. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Hyka has agreed to terms with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, despite being just one win away from the Calder Cup Final with the Chicago Wolves. Hyka is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer after his one-year two-way contract expires.

If the report is true and Hyka leaves North America, it would be a blow to the Vegas Golden Knights who are going to need inexpensive contributors over the next several seasons. Hyka has only recorded seven points in his 27 games with the Golden Knights over the last two seasons, but is a near point-per-game performer in the minor leagues and has earned himself a bigger opportunity at the NHL level. Originally a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012, he never signed with the team and instead joined the Golden Knights as the organization’s third player after Reid Duke and Vadim Shipachyov.

The 26-year old Hyka has 14 points in 16 playoff games with the Wolves and could earn a berth in the Calder Cup Final with a win tonight. If he does join the KHL it would be his first stint in the Russian league, after playing previously in Sweden and his home of the Czech Republic. The Golden Knights can retain his exclusive rights temporarily by issuing him a qualifying offer.

Prospect Notes: Calder Cup Final, Telegin, Phillips

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The finale of the AHL season gets underway tonight, as the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, are set to host the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, in Game One of the Calder Cup Final. Neither squad is very familiar with being in this title series; the Wolves are making their first appearance as Vegas’ affiliate, given their parent club just wrapped up it’s second season in existence, while the Checkers have appeared twice in the final, most recently in 1991. The match-up that everyone will be watching for in the series is Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017 and the first draft selection in Vegas’ history, versus Martin Necas, the No. 12 pick in 2017 and Carolina’s top prospect. However, Necas has taken a back seat to several other Checkers forwards this postseason. After scoring 70 points in 72 games to finish fifth in league scoring in the regular season, Andrew Poturalski’s 18 points thus far also lead the postseason. It’s worth noting that Poturalski will be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer and could be on the move in search of more NHL opportunity. Necas’ fellow AHL rookie, Morgan Geekie, has been right up there with Poturalski in playoff scoring, registering 15 points so far. Tomas Jurco and Aleksi Saarela have also played well for the Checkers, as has experienced defenseman Trevor Carrick. As for the Wolves, it has been goaltender Oscar Dansk leading the way, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.16 GAA through 14 starts. Up front, it’s been the veterans getting the job done, with Tomas Hyka, Curtis McKenzie, and Tye McGinn all among the AHL’s top ten in scoring this postseason. Rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud has also been a revelation and continues to make a strong case for playing in Vegas next season. Everything considered, this should be a balanced, hard-fought series between two talented teams who are excited to be in the final. The schedule for the Calder Cup Final can be found here.

  • The Winnipeg Jets made a nice value addition this morning, signing Russian power forward Andrei Chibisov. As the team attacks their difficult salary cap situation this summer, affordable impact deals could be crucial and the team hopes Chibisov will pan out. Unfortunately, one of his fellow countrymen won’t be joining him in Winnipeg. Ivan Telegin, a draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers all the way back in 2010, has opted to re-sign with his KHL club, CSKA Moscow. The team announced a new three-year deal with Telegin that likely rules out any potential future in the NHL. There was some thought that Telegin would consider returning to North America, where he previously played three seasons in the OHL and one season in the AHL, following a career-best KHL campagin. Telegin recorded 22 points in 49 games this season, production levels he hadn’t reached since his junior days. A player of similar size and ability to Chibisov, Telegin would have been another bottom-six option for Winnipeg, but with a long-term extension in Russia and his draft rights set to expire, it seems the pairing was never meant to be.
  • According to Jess Myers of the Grand Forks Herald, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Clayton Phillips is on the move. Phillips, a third-round pick in 2017, just wrapped up his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota, but it appears it will be his last. Myers reports that Phillips is expected to transfer out of Minnesota and to a different NCAA institution. This likely means that he will have to sit out of college hockey next season due to NCAA transfer rules. In the meantime, Phillips is expected to return to the USHL’s Muskegeon Lumberjacks. The 19-year-old defenseman initially joined the Gophers earlier than expected, jumping in midway through the 2017-18 season. Sources that Myers spoke with felt this was a mistake, as he was not yet mature enough for the college game. It showed, as he was held scoreless in eleven games and got into frequent penalty trouble. This past season, Phillips improved to the tune of ten points in 34 games, but struggled defensively and simply wasn’t playing to the level that he, the university, nor the Penguins likely expected. A year back in juniors could be good for Phillips development, as the mobile blue liner can regain confidence in his abilities. Myers then speculates that he could join Penn State University or Colorado College in 2020.

Minor Transactions: 11/22/18

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Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the United States, who unfortunately will not have any hockey to watch tonight. The NHL has a rare day off with no games scheduled, which will give the entire league some time to readjust their rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Tyrell Goulbourne from the AHL, sending Nicolas Aube-Kubel back down in his place. Goulbourne has four points in ten games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, adding 29 penalty minutes for good measure. Aube-Kubel meanwhile has played nine games for the Flyers without recording a point, meaning this could be a chance for him to get back on track offensively. The 22-year old forward has a huge offensive ceiling, but needs more consistent ice time to continue his development.
  • Jakub Zboril was reassigned to the AHL last night by the Boston Bruins, following the return of Kevan Miller to the lineup. That means Connor Clifton is safe for now as the team awaits the returns of Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. Zboril is still in the long-term plans of the Bruins, but needs to see the ice on a regular basis and not sit in the press box for the NHL team.
  • Mario Kempe has been assigned to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, after the team activated Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun for last night’s game. Kempe has suited up four times for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point. That hasn’t been a problem in the minor leagues for the 30-year old forward, who has nine points in eight games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Reid Boucher from the minor leagues, assigning Brendan Gaunce to Utica in the process. Boucher has been a part-time player his entire career, playing just 132 games across five NHL seasons. He came to the Canucks in 2016-17 and looked like he might have a chance to contribute on a more consistent basis, but has spent more time in the minor leagues than with the NHL club.
  • Taylor Fedun was acquired by the Dallas Stars earlier this month, and today he’ll get his first recall from the minor leagues. Fedun is on his way up to take the place of Ben Gleason, who has been reassigned to the AHL. The 30-year old Fedun played just seven games in the NHL last season and has 46 contests under his belt over a long professional career.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Daniel Carr from Chicago of the AHL.  He’s taking the place of Tomas Hyka who was went down to make room for him.  Carr is the leading scorer in the minors with 22 points in 16 games and has had some success at the NHL level, collecting 16 points in 38 games with Montreal last year.  Meanwhile, Hyka has spent most of the season with Vegas, picking up a goal and three assists in 17 games.

Minor Transactions : 03/08/18

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Some minor transactions from around the league:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Michael Hutchinson, bringing up the goaltender once again as Steve Mason is dealing with a new injury. Mason suffered a lower-body injury at practice, but it’s not clear how long he’ll be out. Hutchinson will get a chance to backup Connor Hellebuyck once again.
  • Carolina has sent Lucas Wallmark back down to the minor leagues, where he’s done most of his damage this season. The 22-year old forward has one point in 11 games with the Hurricanes, but 36 in 32 games with the Charlotte Checkers.
  • Tomas Hyka is back up after a two day absence from the Vegas Golden Knights. While Reilly Smith deals with a minor injury and will miss tonight’s game, Hyka could get another chance to prove he belongs in the NHL. The 24-year old Czech forward has two points in six games with the Golden Knights this season
  • Josh Jooris has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Pittsburgh Penguins, as Bryan Rust and Dominik Simon deal with injuries. Jooris was acquired at the trade deadline for this type of situation, to give the Penguins some NHL experience that could step in in case of injury.

Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

West Notes: Jets, Brodin, Niederreiter, Canucks, Bellemare

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While many teams would prefer to add an impact player that is signed beyond this season, that isn’t the case for the Jets.  In an appearance on TSN 1290 (audio link), TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that Winnipeg’s preference would be to add rental players, or at least someone that is signed short-term.  The Jets have several youngsters that will be vying for full-time roster spots in the near future and they will not want to block their paths to the NHL.  McKenzie also suggests that General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff might be more open to dealing his first-round pick by the February 26th trade deadline than he has been at other times during his tenure as GM.

More from the West:

  • Wild blueliner Jonas Brodin has already resumed puck-handling drills just two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hand less than two weeks ago, notes Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. While the initial timeline for his return was three-to-four weeks, he could return slightly ahead of schedule.  The news isn’t as good for winger Nino Niederreiter, however.  He acknowledged that he won’t be fully healthy until next season after dealing with multiple leg issues this year including a fractured fibula that he just returned to the lineup from.
  • Canucks GM Jim Benning would like to add a top-nine forward with size and grit to their roster, he acknowledged to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. Vancouver has several skilled prospects on the horizon and adding a player like that would complement them nicely.  Benning also stated that they are not shopping defenseman Chris Tanev but that he will listen to offers if other teams call.  The team views the 28-year-old as someone that will mentor their younger blueliners including 2016 first-rounder Olli Juolevi.
  • The Golden Knights have placed center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, notes Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. There is no timetable for how much time he will miss but the IR placement means he’ll miss the next week at a minimum.  Vegas has recalled a pair of forwards from their AHL affiliate in Chicago to take his place on the roster in wingers Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Czech Forward Tomas Hyka

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The Vegas Golden Knights have their third player, as the team has signed Tomas Hyka. The 24-year old was once a draft choice of the Los Angeles Kings after spending a few years in the QMJHL, but never reached an agreement with them and has played back in Europe since 2013.

Hyka has elite speed capable of playing in any league in the world, and showed off his offensive skill this season for Mlada Boleslav of the Czech league. In 48 games he registered 38 points, though was held scoreless in his World Championship debut. The undersized winger would be a great fit for the AHL if he can’t make the NHL team. There will be a lack of high-end skill at both levels, something the shifty winger provides in spades.

For Vegas, this marks the third SPC they’ve handed out thus far. Along with Vadim Shipachyov and Reid Duke, the team will take shape mostly through the Expansion Draft and free agent market, though side-deals have already started to bubble up surrounding the team. Yesterday it was reported that they have already made one such agreement with Chicago in order to acquire Trevor van Riemsdyk, agreeing to take on Marcus Kruger and his large cap-hit in return.

iSport out of the Czech Republic was first to report the deal. 

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