Yan Kuznetsov Loaned To CHL
It’s not that often that you see a player go from the NCAA to the AHL to the CHL, but that’s exactly what’s about to happen for Yan Kuznetsov. The Calgary Flames prospect has been loaned to the Saint John Seadogs of the QMJHL after 12 games with the Stockton Heat this season.
Kuznetsov, 19, was the 50th overall pick in the 2020 draft after his freshman year at the University of Connecticut, and he returned in 2020-21 for his sophomore season. After the college campaign ended, he signed his entry-level deal with the Flames and suited up six times down the stretch for Stockton. The 6’4″ defenseman has failed to register a single point in 18 games for the Heat overall and will now get to test himself at the junior level, something that will only help develop his overall game.
Notably, he’ll be available for Russia at the World Juniors again, which would be his second time at the tournament, and also will likely play in the Memorial Cup given it is set to be hosted in Saint John this season. A trade could potentially change that obviously, but Kuznetsov will spend the rest of the year in the CHL competing against players his age.
Selected 22nd overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft, this was always a possibility for the big defenseman. Saint John picked him after he already made his AHL debut, meaning they had an inkling he could end up back in junior at some point. He’s joining a team that is currently 12-8-3 on the year and in eighth place in the QMJHL standings, but still has big expectations. He’s also going to be joining fellow Calgary draft picks Jeremie Poirier and Ryan Francis, the latter of whom also made his AHL debut with the Heat last season before he returned to Saint John.
Hockey Canada Announces 2022 WJC Selection Camp Roster
The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. For Hockey Canada, selection camp will start in just a few days in Calgary, where the final roster will need to be picked. Today 35 players were invited to that camp, a group that will be pared down to 25 that will travel to the tournament.
The invitees, with their NHL affiliation:
G Brett Brochu (2022 draft eligible)
G Sebastian Cossa (DET)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)
D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Daemon Hunt (MIN)
D Vincent Iorio (WSH)
D Carson Lambos (MIN)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (BUF)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Ronan Seeley (CAR)
D Jack Thompson (TBL)
D Olen Zellweger (ANA)
F Connor Bedard (2023 draft eligible)
F Xavier Bourgault (EDM)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Will Cuylle (NYR)
F Zach Dean (VGK)
F Elliot Desnoyers (PHI)
F William Dufour (NYI)
F Luke Evangelista (NSH)
F Jack Finley (TBL)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Guenther (ARI)
F Kent Johnson (CBJ)
F Hendrix Lapierre (WSH)
F Mason McTavish (ANA)
F Jake Neighbours (STL)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Joshua Roy (MTL)
F Justin Sourdif (FLA)
F Logan Stankoven (DAL)
F Ryan Tverberg (TOR)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)
This does look like quite an imposing group, though there are several notable omissions. In addition to Brandt Clarke, who hit the news yesterday, Hockey Canada decided not to bring names like Carter Savoie, Matthew Savoie, and Brennan Othmann, among others. The group does include Bedard, though, who won’t even be eligible for the draft until 2023. The 16-year-old has 11 goals and 17 points in 28 games for the Regina Pats of the WHL after becoming the league’s first player granted exceptional status.
Snapshots: Doughty, Brind’Amour, Clarke
Ahead of Tuesday night’s rivalry game against the Anaheim Ducks, the Los Angeles Kings activated defenseman Drew Doughty from injured reserve today, per a team tweet. Doughty is expected to draw back into his usual top-pairing role alongside Michael Anderson. He’s missed the last 16 games after a knee-on-knee collision with Dallas’ Jani Hakanpaa that the NHL Department of Player Safety deemed accidental. Prior to his injury, Doughty was off to a raucous start with seven points in just four games. Despite having three points in his first two NHL games, it appears as though Sean Durzi will come back out of the lineup to make room for Doughty. With Doughty back in the fold, the Kings will look to improve on their 9-8-3 record and make noise in what could be a very tight Wild Card battle in the Western Conference.
Some other news and notes from around the hockey world today:
- According to a press release, the NHL fined Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour $25,000 today for inappropriate conduct during the team’s Sunday game against Washington. With 4:30 remaining in the third period, Brind’Amour could be seen pacing back and forth around the bench and yelling at the officials, although nothing’s known about what Brind’Amour actually said. He’s racking up a penchant for these fines, as a $25,000 punishment is becoming seemingly a yearly occurrence. The money from the fine will be donated to the NHL Foundation.
- In a shocking move, Los Angeles Kings defense prospect Brandt Clarke, whom they drafted eighth overall in 2021, won’t be invited to Team Canada’s selection camp for the upcoming World Junior Championship as originally reported by Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. Clarke, who was named captain of the OHL’s Barrie Colts prior to the start of this season, is off to a torrid start with 23 points in just 17 games. Widely regarded as a top-five pick and one of the best defenders available, there was some surprise in the scouting community when Clarke fell to the Kings at eighth overall. The omittance of Clarke from the selection roster is even more shocking when considering his performance at other international tournaments for Canada, including a point-per-game effort last season at the under-18 World Juniors.
Dion Phaneuf Announces Retirement
Though he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2018-19 season and is still technically on the books for both the Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings, Dion Phaneuf has announced his retirement. The veteran defenseman released a long statement thanking his family, friends and the teammates he made along the way. In it, he gives special mention to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who hosted his retirement ceremony today:
A great thanks to the entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization, their ownership and leadership Larry Tanenbaum and Brendan Shanahan for providing me with this opportunity to retire with such love and support here in Toronto. It was a special honour to represent the Maple Leafs as team captain a point of pride and honour that I will carry with me forever.
Selected ninth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2003, Phaneuf was a throwback defenseman who at his peak could compete in any style of hockey. The 6’4″, left-shot powerhouse was a star for the Red Deer Rebels, scoring goals and racking up penalty minutes with big hits and tough fights. By the time he made his debut with the Flames in 2005 he was already a well-known name in Canada thanks to his performances at the World Juniors, but his first taste of the NHL put him on the map for all hockey fans. With 20 goals and 49 points in his rookie season, he finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting and only failed to win the Calder Trophy because there were a couple of players named Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby entering the league.
In 2007-08 Phaneuf would reach a career-high of 60 points, while also racking up 182 penalty minutes as he fearlessly patroled the Calgary blue line. He’d finish second in Norris voting that year, trailing only legendary defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who was taking home the trophy for the sixth time in seven years. That was the closest Phaneuf would get, but he still had a long career ahead of him, including his captaincy in Toronto. Overall, he played in 1,048 regular season games, racking up 494 points, 1,345 penalty minutes and more than 2,000 hits.
In 2019, the last two years of his contract were bought out by the Kings, meaning he’ll still receive a paycheck through 2022-23. The Senators had been retaining salary on the deal, so both franchises carry a part of Phaneuf’s cap hit for this season and next.
Snapshots: World Juniors, Poehling, Domi
The World Junior tournament is coming quickly, with the first game just over six weeks from now. As players are sent back to their respective junior teams after short NHL stints, the available options for the event are becoming more clear. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic projects the rosters for the U.S., Canada, Russia, Sweden, and Finland, the groups that are dominated by NHL-drafted prospects.
He also gives his predictions on how the tournament will play out, including medals for three of the usual powerhouses. The tournament is always a point of attention on the hockey calendar as fans around the world get a chance to see the next wave of NHL stars compete at a high level.
- Ryan Poehling, who won silver and bronze medals at the World Juniors a few years ago, will make his season debut for the Montreal Canadiens tonight. The 22-year-old is off to a great start in the minor leagues with six points in seven games for the Laval Rocket and will get a chance to show he’s ready for the next level. After making quite a splash by scoring a hat trick in his NHL debut more than two years ago, Poehling has only managed two points in 27 games at the highest level.
- Though he’s completed his mandatory quarantine, Max Domi remains in the protocol for the Columbus Blue Jackets as he goes through the other health screenings involved to make sure he’s strong enough to return. The 26-year-old forward hasn’t played since October 31 and has just four games under his belt this season.
Zayde Wisdom On Track For Canada World Junior Selection Camp After Surgery
According to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom is progressing ahead of schedule after receiving shoulder surgery and could return in early December in time for Team Canada’s selection camp for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championships.
The Flyers announced Wisdom was out indefinitely after undergoing successful shoulder surgery on August 13.
Selected in the fourth round in the 2020 NHL Draft by Philadelphia, Wisdom already looks like a potential gem for the Flyers organization. After scoring 29 goals and 59 points in 62 games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs in his draft year, the OHL’s COVID-related shutdown in 2020-21 allowed him the chance to play with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. With the Phantoms, Wisdom impressed, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 28 games as an 18-year-old.
Wisdom is eligible to return to the AHL this season, as he played enough games last season to become exempt from the standard NHL/CHL player agreement. Under normal circumstances, Wisdom would be required to play back with his team in Kingston, if not the NHL.
With that kind of production, Wisdom is expected to at least get a look to make Canada’s World Juniors team this year, although it will be a challenge with an exceptionally deep roster. If he returns to Lehigh Valley and continues to impress, he could be a candidate for a late-season call-up in Philadelphia as well.
Hockey Canada Names WJC Coaching Staff, Development Camp Roster
Hockey Canada has announced the coaching staff for this year’s National Junior Team, introducing Dave Cameron as the replacement for the outgoing Andre Tourigny. Tourigny of course recently took an NHL head coaching job with the Arizona Coyotes, meaning he would no longer be able to fulfil his duties to the national program. Cameron will be joined by assistants Michael Dyck, Louis Robitaille and Dennis Williams, along with goaltending consultant Olivier Michaud. Hockey Canada senior VP Scott Salmond released a statement on the new staff:
We are excited to welcome five experienced coaches to Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2021-22 season, all of whom bring a wealth of experience from the National Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League and internationally. We know these five men will represent our country with pride as they use their leadership and expertise to help Canada compete for a gold medal this December.
Cameron, who also replaced Tourigny as head coach of the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, is returning to the WJC program for the first time since 2011. He led the team to a silver medal that year, coaching a group that included future NHL staples like Ryan Ellis, Tyson Barrie, Casey Cizikas, Sean Couturier, and Brayden Schenn. This time around he’ll have a new list of young stars to pick from, including top 2021 prospects like Brandt Clarke, Dylan Guenther and Mason McTavish.
The full list of players invited to development camp was also announced today:
USA Hockey Invites 44 Players To 2021 Summer Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase, an opportunity for players from around the world to show what they can do against similarly-aged international competition before World Junior Championship rosters are selected is scheduled for July 24-31 in Plymouth, Michigan. The event will not include Canada this year, but will still include teams from the U.S., Finland, and Sweden. The European teams already announced their camp rosters earlier this month, but today USA Hockey joined them by officially inviting 44 players.
Those players are:
G Aidan Campbell (2021 draft eligible)
G Drew Commesso (46th overall, CHI)
G Kaidan Mbereko (2021 draft eligible)
G Tucker Tynan (2021 draft eligible)
D Sean Behrens (2021 draft eligible)
D Shai Buium (2021 draft eligible)
D Brock Faber (45th overall, LAK)
D Alex Gagne (2021 draft eligible)
D Aidan Hreschuk (2021 draft eligible)
D Luke Hughes (2021 draft eligible)
D Wyatt Kaiser (81st overall, CHI)
D Connor Kelley (2021 draft eligible)
D Tyler Kleven (44th overall, OTT)
D Ian Moore (67th overall, ANA)
D Scott Morrow (2021 draft eligible)
D Jack Peart (2021 draft eligible)
D Eamon Powell (116th overall, TBL)
D Jake Sanderson (5th overall, OTT)
D Jacob Truscott (144th overall, VAN)
D Ryan Ufko (2021 draft eligible)
F Carson Bantle (142nd overall, ARI)
F Matthew Beniers (2021 draft eligible)
F Brett Berard (134th overall, NYR)
F Cameron Berg (2021 draft eligible)
F Thomas Bordeleau (38th overall, SJS)
F Tyler Boucher (2021 draft eligible)
F Tristan Broz (2021 draft eligible)
F Logan Cooley (2022 draft eligible)
F Matt Coronato (2021 draft eligible)
F Tanner Dickinson (119th overall, STL)
F Josh Doan (2021 draft eligible)
F Dylan Duke (2021 draft eligible)
F Matthew Knies (2021 draft eligible)
F Chaz Lucius (2021 draft eligible)
F Carter Mazur (2021 draft eligible)
F Declan McDonnell (217th overall, TBL)
F Sasha Pastujov (2021 draft eligible)
F Dylan Peterson (86th overall, STL)
F Mackie Samoskevich (2021 draft eligible)
F Red Savage (2021 draft eligible)
F Landon Slaggert (79th overall, CHI)
F Ty Smilanic (74th overall, FLA)
F Luke Tuch (47th overall, MTL)
F Chase Yoder (170th overall, PIT)
The U.S. players will be split into two squads for the event. The group includes six players from the group that won gold at the last World Junior tournament and several other familiar names. Tynan, for instance, was the goaltender that suffered a major laceration in a 2019 OHL game and was forced into a long grueling recovery. Others like Doan catch the eye because of their hockey-playing parent, in this case, Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan.
Finland, Sweden Announce Camp Roster For Summer Showcase
The World Junior Summer Showcase is usually a great place for prospects to start getting in front of NHL scouts. The short event, that this year will be held in July, is a battle between junior-aged players trying to make their respective national rosters ahead of the IIHF World Junior tournament that starts in December and gives some of them their first chance to test themselves against the best in their age group. This year, Canada is not expected to take part in the event, but the U.S., Sweden, and Finland will all field teams.
Yesterday, Finland revealed their roster for the event (via Corey Pronman of The Athletic):
G Joel Blomqvist (52nd overall, PIT)
G Juho Markkanen (112th overall LAK)
G Leevi Merilainen (71st overall, OTT)
D Karri Aho (undrafted)
D Valtteri Koskela (2021 draft eligible)
D Rami Maatta (undrafted)
D Topi Niemela (64th overall, TOR)
D Ville Ottavainen (undrafted)
D Kasper Puutio (153rd overall, FLA)
D Ruben Rafkin (undrafted)
D Matias Rajaniemi (183rd overall, NYI)
D Christoffer Sedoff (undrafted)
D Eemil Viro (70th overall, DET)
F Samuel Helenius (2021 draft eligible)
F Roni Hirvonen (59th overall, TOR)
F Aatu Jamsen (190th overall, LAK)
F Roby Jarventie (33rd overall, OTT)
F Oliver Kapanen (2021 draft eligible)
F Ville Koivunen (2021 draft eligible)
F Brad Lambert (2022 draft eligible)
F Eetu Liukas (2021 draft eligible)
F Juuso Maenpaa (undrafted)
F Aatu Raty (2021 draft eligible)
F Samu Salminen (2021 draft eligible)
F Kasper Simontaival (66th overall, LAK)
F Oliver Suni (undrafted)
F Iivari Sakkinen (undrafted)
F Samu Tuomaala (2021 draft eligible)
The Finns will bring a young group to the event, especially up front with a number of 17 and 18-year-olds working for a place on the roster. Still, they’ll also have WJC veterans like Niemela, who not only took part but was named the tournament’s best defenseman earlier this year. Perhaps the name to watch here is Lambert, who also has a U20 appearance under his belt already despite only turning 17 last December. He won’t be eligible to draft until 2022 but should be among those in early first-round contention at that point.
Today, Sweden followed up with their own roster (via Pronman):
G Jesper Wallstedt (2021 draft eligible)
G Calle Clang (77th overall, PIT)
G Carl Lindbom (2021 draft eligible)
D Leo Loof (88th overall, STL)
D Emil Andrae (54th overall, PHI)
D Anton Olsson (2021 draft eligible)
D Mans Forsfjall (undrafted)
D Simon Edvinsson (2021 draft eligible)
D Joel Nystrom (undrafted)
D Helge Grans (35th overall, LAK)
D William Wallinder (32nd overall, DET)
F Daniel Ljungman (154th overall, DAL)
F Jeremias Lindewall (200th overall, EDM)
F Alexander Ljungkrantz (90th overall, NYI)
F Ake Stakkestad (undrafted)
F Victor Stjernborg (2021 draft eligible)
F William Eklund (2021 draft eligible)
F Zion Nybeck (115th overall, CAR)
F Isak Rosen (2021 draft eligible)
F Elliot Ekmark (198th overall, FLA)
F Isak Garfve (undrafted)
F Simon Robertsson (2021 draft eligible)
F Theodor Niederbach (51st overall, DET)
F Oskar Olausson (2021 draft eligible)
F Daniel Torgersson (40th overall, WPG)
Sweden on the other hand is bringing an older squad, but even this group doesn’t have their most dynamic skaters. Names like Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz are missing, despite still being eligible for the World Junior tournament. Of course, there absence is just an opportunity for someone else and there are plenty of names in the Swedish group that stand out. Edvinsson actually tied for second on Bob McKenzie’s midseason draft rankings for TSN, which is created by polling active scouts around the league. The Frolunda defenseman should be off the board quite quickly later this summer.
These groups will be paired down to create the final roster for the event, which will then be taken into consideration to make the roster for the World Junior Championship later this year. If a player was not included here, that doesn’t necessarily disqualify him for competition at that tournament.
Note: “undrafted” in this case means that the player was not selected in his first year of eligibility. Many of the players in this category will be chosen this year.
Adam Raska Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have signed one of their 2020 draft picks, inking Adam Raska to a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward competed for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL this season after taking part in the World Juniors for the Czech Republic.
Raska, 19, was the 201st player taken in 2020, after his first season in North America with the Oceanic. He scored 21 points in 35 games during that 2019-20 campaign, but came back at a better than point-per-game pace this time around. In 22 games this season he scored 25 points and added six more in eight playoff contests. Unfortunately, his club was defeated in the quarterfinals.
While those numbers don’t jump off the page and scream NHL talent, Raska is still very young and has scored at a high rate in the Czech junior system. It will be interesting to see if the Sharks send him to the AHL next season or loan him back overseas to continue his development at home. In his 11 career games in the Czech Extraliga, he has just one goal.