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Patrick Harper Signs With Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators have jumped into the fray of college signings, inking Patrick Harper to a two-year entry-level contract. The young forward recently completed his senior season at Boston University and could have become an unrestricted free agent this summer, had he waited until August. Predators director of player development Scott Nichol had this to say about his newest prospect:

Patrick is a dynamic player and with his size excels in the way today’s game is played. He’s a fun player to watch – he likes having the puck on his stick, he likes to make plays and wants to score goals every game. He fits in well on the power play and uses his biggest on-ice attribute – his hockey sense – to his advantage.

That size Nichol mentions is perhaps one of the reasons that Harper wasn’t selected higher than 138th in 2016, given he stands at just 5’7″ 150-lbs.  Size wasn’t the only obstacle that the 21-year old has faced to this point however. In 2018, just after helping Team USA to a bronze medal at the World Juniors (his second appearance at the tournament, after winning gold a year prior), Harper was sidelined due to illness and missed the second half of his sophomore season with BU.

Nothing seems able to hold him back however, as the diminutive forward climbed his way back into elite company in the NCAA and was even nominated for the 2020 Hobey Baker. His 37 points in 32 games put him 14th in the country in per-game production, something he’ll try to carry over to the Predators minor league system whenever hockey resumes.

Snapshots: Kapanen, Dumba, Puistola

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen owned up to the reasoning behind his benching on Saturday night when he met with the media this morning. Kapanen had been a healthy scratch, but head coach Sheldon Keefe declined to provide any details as to why in his post-game media availability. It turns out that Kapanen had specifically asked for the opportunity to speak about the issue. Kapanen told a number of reporters, including Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, that he had overslept on Friday and was late to a team meeting and practice. This was not the first incidence of this, as Kapanen had previously had problems being punctual in the AHL, also under Keefe. He stressed this morning that these were honest mistakes and he does not want his coaches and teammates to think that he does not care about being the best player that he can be. It seems that Kapanen and Keefe are ready to move past this but these locker room issues won’t help to quell the trade rumors surrounding the young winger.

  • In an entertaining article that was mostly educated guesses, Pierre LeBrun did manage to drop a few rumor nuggets in his recent trade deadline piece for  The Athletic. One such report was that the Carolina Hurricanes – known to be seeking defense – had inquired about the Minnesota Wild’s Mathew Dumba. Not only does this say that the Hurricanes are at least looking into options beyond rentals, with Dumba signed for three more years at $6MM, but it implies that the Wild are at least listening to offers on the young defenseman. New GM Bill Guerin has stated that the team is open for business, but moving Dumba would be a major move for the franchise. The team would have to recoup some highly valueable  pieces to warrant trading away one of their few young difference-makers.
  • Hurricanes prospect Patrik Puistola is on the move in the Finnish Liiga yet again. Puistola, 19, has struggled while playing for the team that owns his rights, Tappara, with just two points in 24 games. However, in an earlier loan this season to Jukurit, the swift winger posted five points in just seven games. Tappaara will try to loan him out again now, announcing that he has been sent to Kookoo. If Puistola performs with Kookoo as he did with Jukurit or at the World Juniors, where he posted eight points in seven games, then the team will be very happy about this temporary arrangement. Meanwhile, as Puistola’s attachment to Tappara continues to diminih, the odds are improving that he will make the jump to North America next season.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Kreider, Nutivaara, Copp

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The World Junior Championships got a gold medal game to remember as Canada pulled off a big comeback victory Saturday to win the gold as Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Akil Thomas scored the go-ahead goal to give Canada a 4-3 win over Russia on Sunday.

Canada was down 3-1 to Russia in the third, but got key goals from Washington Capitals’ prospect Connor McMichael and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton to come back and tie the game. It’s the third time in six years that Canada has won the World Championships, but the first time since 2008 that they have won the title on Europe ice. Russia finished with the silver, while Sweden topped Finland for the bronze medal earlier today.

Projected top pick in the 2020 draft, Alexis Lafreniere was named the MVP of the tournament, by the IIHF, as well as the top forward. Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin was awarded the top defenseman award, while St. Louis prospect Joel Hofer won the top goaltender award.

  • One reason the Montreal Canadiens went through with signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk last week was that they realized they had little chance of acquiring New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks notes that Kreider, who has a modified no-trade clause in which he has submitted an 11-team no-trade list, has all the Canadien teams on his list, meaning he has no interest in playing there. Kreider remains the top trade candidate at the trade deadline.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets got some much needed depth back on their blueline as the team announced they have activated Markus Nutivaara off of injured reserve. The 25-year-old has been out since Nov. 5 when he suffered an upper-body injury and has now missed 27 games. The blueliner has two goals in 10 games this season, but should add a helping hand as the team has several defensemen on IR, including Ryan Murray, Dean Kukan and Andrew Peeke.
  • The Winnipeg Jets may have forward Andrew Copp back in the lineup as The Athletic’s Ken Weibe reports that the 25-year-old was a full participant in practice. Head coach Paul Maurice said that if he comes to the rink feeling as good as he left Sunday, that Copp should find himself back in the lineup. The forward has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury.

 

IIHF Notes: Olympics, Russia, World Juniors

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Speaking on the final day of the 2020 World Junior Championship tournament earlier today, IIHF President Rene Fasel revealed updates on several issues of note. When it comes to the NHL, the major issue continues to be Olympic participation, and Fasel was clear that the clock is ticking on a decision for the Beijing Winter Games in 2022. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy relays that Fasel would like a definitive answer prior to the final qualification games for the next Olympic tournament, which will take place in September. He has requested an answer by the end of August. While Olympic participation has been a major talking point in collective bargaining discussions between the NHL and NHLPA, those talks have cooled since both sides opted to extend the current agreement. It remains to be seen if and when the issue will be debated again in the next nine months. The NHL sat out the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, citing the disruption of the league season  – both in scheduling and potential player injuries – and the lack of financial benefit to the NHL. While neither of those issues are going away, one has to think that locale has amplified these negative effects of participation, as the NHL clearly didn’t see much value in Pyeongchang, South Korea and quite possibly might feel the same about Beijing, China in 2022 and Milan and Cortina, Italy in 2026. Yet, Fasel still feels optimistic about the NHL’s return to the Olympics, stating that if Commissioner Gary Bettman is smart, “They will come in the end, I hope so.”

  • As for another important international tournament in hockey, Fasel confirmed that the World Junior Championships will not be impacted by the recent four-year ban on international participation placed on Russia by the World Anti-Doping Agency. WADA placed the ban on Russia, which was similarly prohibited from participation at the last Winter Olympics, after evidence emerged that the country tampered with hundreds of samples and also engaged in improper behavior toward whistle-blowers. The ban prevents any Russian athlete implicated in a positive doping test from participation in major international events, requires all others to compete as “Authorized Neutral Athletes”, and bans Russia from hosting any international events. However, these sanctions will by and large not impact the WJC. Not only did Russia participate in this year’s tournament under their own flag, but they will play for a gold medal today against Canada. The country will continue to participate as such and Fasel also added that they will still be able to host the event in Novosibirsk and Omsk in 2023. Of course, any players found to be doping will still be prohibited from participating, but otherwise the Russian entry into the top junior tournament will be safe.
  • As for this year’s tournament, while the results of the bronze medal and gold medal games are still yet to be decided today, this morning’s contest had the more important result as it pertains to planning for next year. Germany and Kazakhstan played a winner-take-all relegation match earlier, after Kazakhstan stunned Germany in Game Two of the series on Saturday with their first non-regulation loss result of the entire tournament. However, Germany shook off that loss with a convincing 6-0 win on Sunday morning to avoid relegation. As quickly as they re-entered the top level of World Junior participation this year, Kazakhstan will head back down next year. They will be replaced by Austria in 2021, the surprise victor of the “A” class tournament back in December.

Prospect Notes: Exceptional Status, Jenik, Sandin

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In 2005 John Tavares became the first player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL to start playing junior hockey a year early. Since then, five other young men have been granted the distinction: Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno and Shane Wright. None of those players have come from the WHL, though that may change next season.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that three prospective WHL players have applied for the status: Connor Bedard, Riley Heidt and Brayden Yager. There’s no guarantee that any of the three will receive it, but they are obviously names to keep in mind down the road. All three will be eligible for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

  • The Czech Republic team at the World Juniors lost badly to the Canadians today, partly perhaps because they didn’t have alternate captain Jan Jenik in the lineup. Jenik has been one of the Czech’s best players in the tournament, but Frank Seravalli and Gord Miller of TSN report that his season is likely over thanks to the knee injury he suffered. That’s terrible news for the home fans at the tournament, but also for the Hamilton Bulldogs and Arizona Coyotes. Jenik was dominating in the OHL this season with 56 points in 27 games after being a third round pick in 2018.
  • Another scare went through Toronto Maple Leafs fans watching the tournament today when Rasmus Sandin skated off clutching his wrist during the Sweden game. Sandin was slashed hard and left the game, but x-rays were negative according to Henrik Sjoberg of hockeynews.se. Sandin of course may be needed by the Maple Leafs this season now that Jake Muzzin is out with a broken foot.

Injury Notes: Kupari, Mantha, Blackhawks

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Los Angeles Kings fans hoping to get a glimpse of the future at the World Juniors won’t get to see one of their top prospects play for Finland anymore. Rasmus Kupari has left the team after suffering an injury in the opener. John Hoven reports that Kupari suffered a serious knee injury and will likely be out “months.”

Not only is that terrible news for the Finnish team who are already missing Anton Lundell, but Kupari’s absence will adversely affect the Ontario Reign as well. In his first season in North America, Kupari has six goals and eight points in 27 games for the Reign. The 19-year old forward was selected 20th overall in 2018.

  • Anthony Mantha will be out for at least four weeks with his upper-body injury, which has to do with his ribs, not his head. The Detroit Red Wings forward was injured when he got into an altercation with Jake Muzzin against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now will have to wait at least a month to continue his strong season.
  • If you were wondering whether Brent Seabrook would ever really make it back to the Chicago Blackhawks blueline after being ruled out for the rest of this year, Jeremy Colliton has your answer. The head coach told reporters today including Scott Powers of The Athletic that he expects both Calvin de Haan and Seabrook to be ready for training camp in 2020. The Blackhawks icon is having several surgeries and will have a long road back to the NHL.

Anton Lundell Will Not Play In WJC

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Those who wanted to get a closer look at one of the top European prospects available in the 2020 draft will be disappointed with the news that Anton Lundell will not play for Team Finland at the upcoming World Junior Championship. There was some hope that Lundell would be able to heal fast enough from his recent injury to join the team, but today saw the end of any chance he would be back to defend his gold medal.

Lundell, 18, actually assisted on the golden goal last year that Kaapo Kakko scored to secure the tournament win for Finland and was expected to be one of the best forwards on the ice this time around. The 6’1″ forward has 12 points in 20 games playing for HIFK at the highest level in Finland this season and is in consideration as a top-five selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Like many Finnish stars of recent years, Lundell has excellent puck protection skills and can shoot the puck from several different positions. Mike Morreale of NHL.com included the talented forward as his eighth-best prospect in a ranking from early October, and a strong performance at the World Juniors could have helped that stock even more. Unfortunately that won’t happen, though obviously a return to health is more important for his long-term future.

Finland lost 4-2 to Team Canada in the final pre-tournament game earlier today, and will kick things off against rival Sweden on December 26th.

Snapshots: DeBoer, Boqvist, Raymond, Peel

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Many coaches have lost their jobs already this season and several of them may not coach in the NHL ranks again. However, that certainly won’t be the case for former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer, who lost his job four days ago after the team’s poor start to the season.

Regardless, DeBoer has been an excellent coach, who has put up an impressive record of 415-329-111 record throughout 11+ seasons with San Jose, New Jersey and Florida and has taken the Sharks to the playoffs all four years he’s been with the franchise, which included a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2015-16.

While many coaches prefer to sit out the remainder of the season and look at their options the following year, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night that the 51-year-old DeBoer is willing to listen to teams if they want to hire him now.

“Sometimes coaches want to take time, maybe the rest of the season before they come back,” Friedman said. “The word is, however, that depending on the situation, Peter DeBoer is willing to listen and will consider coaching this year.”

Of course, there is another likely possibility as The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek (subscription required) suggests that he could consider joining the Seattle franchise as their future head coach, a similar move that Gerard Gallant did after being fired from Florida and then taking on the expansion Vegas Golden Knights position not long after.

  • Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports writes that Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist will appear in his 10th game today against the Wild, meaning the team intends to burn the first year of his entry-level contract after he plays the game. With the team opting to keep Boqvist around rather than loan him to Sweden for the World Junior Champsionships, this was the obvious outcome.
  • Sweden has already lost Boqvist and could lose Rasmus Sandin for the World Junior Championships. However, the team has gotten even more bad news as the status of top prospect forward Lucas Raymond is in jeopardy. According to Goteborgs-Posten (translation required), Raymond, considered a top five pick in the 2020 NHL draft (and possibly higher), has been suffering from a viral infection and hasn’t appeared in a game since the end of November and is likely to miss the entire tournament. Raymond has three goals and five points in 16 games in the SHL as a 17-year-old. He also played 10 SHL games as a 16-year-old, scoring two goals.
  • NHL’s John Shannon reports that the NHL are now without two referees as referee Tim Peel fractured his fibula Thursday in Glendale between the Arizona Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks. Peel was run into by Jonathan Toews, who was falling and came down on Peel’s leg with his stick. The scribe writes that Peel had surgery, but is likely to miss the entire season. The NHL also lost Jon McIsaac as well, meaning the league will likely try to hire back some retired refs or bring some up from the AHL.

 

Rasmus Sandin’s Status For WJC In Question

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It was considered a likely scenario that the Toronto Maple Leafs intended to send defensive prospect Rasmus Sandin to join Sweden for the World Junior Championship later this month. However, after Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie went down with an injury Saturday, that could change the thinking of the team.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Hockey Night in Canada late Saturday, suggested that the team’s 2018 first-rounder could get called up to the NHL club depending on the severity of Barrie’s ankle injury that he suffered in Saturday’s victory over Edmonton. Barrie blocked a shot in the first period and immediately went to the dressing room. There has been no word on the status of Barrie, other than Sportnet’s Luke Fox reporting that x-rays were negative on Barrie’s ankle. However, even an injury that might keep the blueliner out for a week could be enough for Toronto to hesitate sending the 19-year-old to Czechoslovakia.

Sandin has been impressive in his second season in the AHL, where he has posted two goals and 12 points in 18 games and would be the likeliest candidate to step in for the Maple Leafs, although the team also has 2017 first-rounder Timothy Liljegren playing well with the Marlies as well.

Not getting Sandin would be another hit for Sweden, who were just informed earlier today that they would not be getting Adam Boqvist, who the Chicago Blackhawks opted to retain in the NHL instead. Sandin played for Sweden at the WJC last season, posting two goals and four points in five games.

Team Canada Makes Several World Junior Roster Cuts

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While several countries will be waiting until closer to the start of the upcoming World Juniors before trimming down their rosters, Canada won’t be one of them.  In a series of tweets, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the following players have been cut and returned to their respective teams:

D Peter Diliberatore (Vegas, to Quinnipiac, NCAA)
D Thomas Harley (Dallas, to Mississauga, OHL)
W Dylan Holloway (2020 draft eligible, to Wisconsin, NCAA)
G Hunter Jones (Minnesota, to Peterborough, OHL)
C Peyton Krebs (Vegas, to Winnipeg, WHL)
C Alex Newhook (Colorado, to Boston College, NCAA)
C Cole Perfetti (2020 draft eligible, to Saginaw, OHL)
D Braden Schneider (2020 draft eligible, to Brandon, WHL)
C Connor Zary (2020 draft eligible, to Kamloops, WHL)

Meanwhile, even with the addition of Arizona center Barrett Hayton today, there are still a pair of NHL youngsters whose availability for the tournament remains in question.  McKenzie reports (video link) that a decision on Blackhawks center Kirby Dach is expected to be made in the next 24-48 hours.  As for Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, a final decision on him won’t come until closer to the December 19th NHL roster freeze.  It’s worth noting that Dobson is in the New York lineup tonight and is playing his ninth game of the season.  One more NHL game means that he will burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

If either of those players are ultimately loaned, Canada will need to make a corresponding cut to stay in compliance with the 23-player roster limit.  They will still have one forward to cut regardless as their roster currently sits at 24.

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