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World Juniors

Snapshots: Olympics, Sergachev, Sanford

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Ken Campbell of The Hockey News is reporting that despite no official announcement, CHL players will be allowed to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. That goes along with what Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted earlier today, regarding Victor Mete and his potential selection to the Canadian squad after the conclusion of the World Juniors.

Nothing has been decided on Mete yet by the Montreal Canadiens, who would have to send him back to junior for the remainder of the year in order for him to be eligible to play in the Olympics. Other potential options for Team Canada would be Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues and even Colorado prospect Cale Makar after his powerplay performance at the junior tournament.

  • Mikhail Sergachev played in his 40th NHL game last night, which meant the additional draft picks involved in the trade that brought him to Tampa Bay in the offseason will now be staying put. It also means that Sergachev is one year closer to free agency, as this season now counts as a full NHL campaign. Players can become unrestricted free agents after seven accrued seasons in the league, meaning Sergachev could potentially hit the open market just a few days after his 26th birthday.
  • In the wake of a season-ending injury to Robby Fabbri and subsequent long-term maladies for Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester during the season, some may have overlooked Zach Sanford’s absence from the St. Louis Blues roster. The organization sure didn’t, and Sanford was back on the ice skating with assistant Steve Ott yesterday and continues to try and work his way back from shoulder surgery. There’s no clear timetable on when he’ll return, other than the original estimate of five to six months (which puts him somewhere in February or March), but getting back on the ice is a good sign. The young forward, acquired as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk deal last season, comes with excellent potential as a power forward that could fit into the Blues’ top-nine at some point down the road.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Greenway, Parsons

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The NHL named it’s Three Stars of the Month for December today, honoring Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask as the First Star, Islanders surprise scorer Josh Bailey as the Second Star, and Tampa Bay dynamo Nikita Kucherov as the Third Star. All three were immensely successful this month and bear watching as the season continues.

The Bruins were on fire in December, posting a 10-2-2 record and are currently on an eight-game streak without a loss. After early season struggles, Rask was a major part of that success, recording an impeccable .955 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average. Rask allowed more than two goals only once in his eleven appearances and posted two shutouts one either end of December. After that performance, Rask has joined some of the league’s best goalies this season with a top-five GAA and top-ten SV%. The 2014 Vezina winner and the holder of the best career save percentage in NHL history (.923), Rask looked more like his elite self this past month than he has in two years.

Meanwhile, there’s no similar history that could have predicted this surge from Bailey. The long-time Islander had a career-high 56 points last season, but is already only six points away from matching it in 2017-18 and on pace for over 100 points. Bailey’s 50 points trails only Kucherov in the NHL and his 38 assists are tops in the league, feeding his talented linemates John Tavares and Anders Lee. In December alone, Bailey led the league with 22 points, including seven multi-point games and an 11-game point streak. Bailey’s breakout has been great for the Isles, but will be even better for the 28-year-old who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Kucherov’s nod is less of a surprise; the Lightning sniper is well-known as one of the league’s best players. Kucherov has an NHL-best 25 goals and 56 points already this season. After posting a career high 85 points in 2016-17, he’ll easily leave that mark in the dust and could flirt with 120 points this year. The early Hart favorite found the score sheet in all but one contest in December as the Bolts went 11-2-0 and continued to dominate the league. The ceiling is the roof for the uber-talented Russian forward and his Tampa Bay teammates this season.

  • Another player to keep an eye on in the coming months is Minnesota Wild prospect and recently-named member of the U.S. Olympic team Jordan Greenway. As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan writes today, when Greenway suits up in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, he will do so as the first ever African-American on the U.S. men’s hockey team. In the 98-year history of the men’s hockey tournament, Greenway is the first to don the red, white, and blue – a major step for the inclusiveness of the game. Of course, Jarome Iginla played for Canada in multiple Olympic Games and P.K. Subban made an appearance as well, but no African-American has had the same opportunity for the U.S.A. The big Boston University forward has represented the U.S. on the international stage before at several junior tournaments, but the Olympics are a whole other level. This could just be the beginning for the talented winger as well. By all accounts, Dustin Byfuglien is the best American-born African American in NHL history, with former grinder Mike Grier likely next in line and a ways behind. By the end of his promising pro career, Greenway could be known as the best American-born African-American in NHL history. He gets his start on the big stage in a matter of weeks.
  • One last guy to keep an eye out for is young Calgary Flames keeper Tyler Parsons. The Flames’ recent acquisition of New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout was not-so-secretly more about ridding themselves of goalie Eddie Lack as it was bringing in an asset. Having solved their logjam in net, Calgary was finally able to promote their 2016 second-round pick from the AHL today, per the ECHL transactions page. The 20-year-old Parsons has been buried since turning pro late last season after leading the United States to a World Junior Championship title. Parsons’ path to the NHL is not without roadblocks remaining though; he still has to prove that he is the heir apparent to veteran Mike Smith by outperforming current big-league backup David Rittich and AHL competition Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, all of whom are 25 or younger and very well regarded.

An Avalanche Is Beginning In Colorado

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Over the last year, the Colorado Avalanche—and GM Joe Sakic in particular—have taken a lot of heat from media and fans for their performance on and off the ice. Heading into 2017 with a 12-23-1 record, they would go 10-33-3 over the last few months of the 2016-17 season to finish what was a historically bad campaign. Their players seemed to quit on the ice, and rumors of discontent in Jared Bednar’s locker room were rampant. Matt Duchene, one of the long-time faces of the franchise asked for a fresh start elsewhere, but was forced to finish the year and wasn’t promised anything going forward.

Cale MakarIn June, the team lost a young goaltender in Calvin Pickard to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and were bumped all the way out of the top-3 in the draft lottery despite their last-place finish. Duchene trade rumors persisted, but Sakic wouldn’t lower his high asking price. Still, on the draft floor the Avalanche would be able to select exactly what they needed at fourth-overall. Cale Makar, an undersized defenseman whose most noticeable flaw was that he hadn’t played against high-level competition, dropped into their laps.

They’d be even more excited when Conor Timmins, a more traditional two-way defenseman from the OHL would slip out of the first round entirely. Timmins had climbed to 18th on the CSS rankings among North American skaters—and fourth among North American defensemen—by the end of the 2016-17 season, and yet still fell all the way to Colorado at 32nd-overall.

The rest of the summer went relatively uneventful, with all eyes still on Duchene, and the season began with a relatively similar Avalanche squad. The on-ice performance wouldn’t look anything like the end of the previous year though, as Colorado would go 8-5-0 through their first 13 games, led by a determined Duchene and energized Nathan MacKinnon. Then, on November 5th against the New York Islanders, Blake Comeau would be helped off the ice and down the tunnel to assess an injury. Behind him, Duchene would slip away as well, just informed that he’d been traded to the Ottawa Senators mid-game.

That deal, the one that Sakic had been pursuing for months, came about by involving both Ottawa and the Nashville Predators. The Avalanche finally received their asking price of a young NHL-ready defenseman (Samuel Girard), top prospect (Vladislav Kamenev) and first-round pick. Amazingly, they also added another top prospect in Shane Bowers, and two additional draft picks (Nashville’s 2018 second-round pick, and Ottawa’s 2019 third-round pick). It’s more than anyone expected Sakic would get for a player that now had fewer than two years remaining on his contract.

Colorado would lose that game against the Islanders, and the next two against the Duchene-led Senators while in Sweden. But since then, the team has gone 11-9-2 and is still in the playoff mix in the Western Conference. Their 41 points puts them at the bottom of the Central Division, but only three points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wildcard spot. That’s a huge step forward for a team that finished with only 48 points total in 2016-17.

It’s not going to end there.

While Girard is showing that he’s ready for a full-time role in the NHL at the tender age of 19, Makar and Timmins are starring for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament. Makar started as the team’s seventh defenseman, but has shone as Canada deals with injuries to several older and more experienced players. Both defensemen scored today against Switzerland, skating together at even-strength. Timmins is part of a powerhouse Sault Ste. Marie team in the OHL that has lost just three games in regulation, and could be in line for a Memorial Cup berth.

Suddenly, when you start imagining a blueline patrolled by those three and an offense led by MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, only 22 and 21 respectively, the future doesn’t look so bleak in Colorado. Add in other high-upside players like Tyson Jost (19) and Alexander Kerfoot (23), a captain in Gabriel Landeskog who just turned 25, and four selections in the top two rounds in what is shaping up to be an incredible draft class, and it might not be very long until there is more than just hope in the Avalanche dressing room.

Snapshots: Dahlin, Tanev, Zaitsev, Ellis

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While Nico Hischier used the World Junior Championships a year ago to propel him to be the top pick in the 2017 draft, that hasn’t been needed for Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the consensus No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming 2018 draft. However, no matter how secure Dahlin has that spot locked, he has done more than enough in this tournament to prove his worth, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli.

On the final day of preliminary-round play, Dahlin is tied for the lead in points in the tournament with six and that’s as a 17-year-old. Most of the top players are 19. However, his play is what has garnered the most attention.

“Rasmus Dahlin is to a franchise what McDavid and Matthews have meant to the Oilers and Maple Leafs,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said. “He is to defencemen what those two guys are to centremen. He is a No. 1, elite defencemen who can play in the NHL right now. Right now.”

Seravalli adds that while Team Canada won’t decide until Jan. 11 whether to use major junior players for the Olympics, Dahlin could be the first player to go from the World Juniors to the Olympics since Eric Lindros did it in 1992.

  • The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver tweets that Winnipeg Jets winger Brandon Tanev will be out two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old Tanev has been a regular for the Jets, having put up three goals and 10 points in 39 games so far this season.
  • Jonas Siegel of The Athletic tweets that Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev might return by Jan. 16. The team needs help on defense after falling 6-3 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. “The reality is whoever you play on a nightly basis has to be able to play and sometimes when you play quick teams (like) tonight some guys get exposed and that was evident,” Babcock said.
  • Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes that now that the Nashville Predators have assigned Frederick Gaudreau to Milwaukee of the AHL, the team has an open roster spot. He adds that defenseman Ryan Ellis, who has been out all season after undergoing knee surgery, has been cleared to play and the team may have opened up a roster spot for his return. It was reported earlier that Ellis’ targeted return was on Jan. 2.

Poll: Did Outdoor Game Taint Result Of World Junior Championships?

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While there is still a lot of hockey to be played in the 2018 World Junior Championships, currently underway in Buffalo, New York, today’s game has many up in arms as to the validity of this year’s title. For those who missed the action this afternoon, the U.S. and Canada took part in a re-match of the 2017 WJC Final as part of round robin group play. Down by two in the third period, the Americans rallied back to tie the game 3-3. When overtime was not enough to decide a winner, the game went to a shootout, in which Dallas Stars goalie prospect Jake Oettinger stood tall and Team USA took home the comeback win.

Almost immediately, the result was met with negative response from many, particularly those in the media supporting the Canadians. It’s not the shootout that has people riled up though – the U.S. beat Canada via shootout to win the entire tournament last year – but instead the weather. Today’s game was held outdoors at New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and, much like the Bill’s game against the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month, the game was greatly impacted by snow. It wasn’t blizzard conditions, but the consistent precipitation surely was enough to effect the pace and play of the game. The argument by many is that this outdoor game, particularly with the difficult weather, has spoiled the 2018 WJC. No other teams are set to play outdoor games and the U.S.-Canada match-up thus stands out as more of an individual event rather than part of an overarching tournament. The result will impact future rounds and, one way or another, the end result.

The counter, though, is that the only impact that mattered was the equal impact of the weather on each team. Neither team was given any specific advantage or disadvantage by the snow and the game, while unique in it’s location and conditions, is still a valid result. This message has been echoed by the players and coaches of both teams following the game. The best case for this perspective though is perhaps the timing of many of the complaints; few hated the concept of the outdoor game when it was announced to be a record WJC attendance and the Canadians got off to a quick 2-0 start. It was only after a long, drawn-out, snowy game in which the U.S. was able to mount a comeback when talks of the event “spoiling” the WJC came about.

So what do you think? Was the game a fun and fair spectacle and true evaluation of team talent? Or was it a gimmick which will taint the entire result of the tournament?

Did Outdoor U.S.-Canada Game Taint The 2018 WJC?
No, both teams endured the same conditions and the result was fair 53.14% (381 votes)
Yes, an outdoor game doesn't belong in a tournament 32.64% (234 votes)
No, it was a great game and the WJC is just for fun 7.67% (55 votes)
Yes, but only because of the bad conditions 6.56% (47 votes)
Total Votes: 717

Poll: Who Will Win Gold At The World Juniors?

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With the NHL about to head into its Christmas shutdown—no games are scheduled from December 24-26th—die hard hockey fans will need to look elsewhere for their frozen fix. The answer to that, unless you are a big Spengler Cup fan, is obvious. The World Junior Championship begins preliminary round play on December 26th with a matchup between Russia and the Czech Republic at 11:00am central. That’s followed by four more games that day and the rest of the tournament that stretches until January 5th.

It’s easy to see why our readers are overwhelmingly more interested in the junior tournament than the upcoming Olympics, after the NHL pulled out of competition. The interesting part is how popular the U20 competition has become regardless of other international events. For prospect junkies, and patriotic puck lovers there’s just nothing better than seeing (mostly) amateur athletes compete for their country and show why they’ll be the next star of the NHL. The tournament can be used as a coming out party where potential flourishes, or a harsh spotlight that uncovers flaws previously unnoticed.

Kieffer BellowsThe United States, reigning champions of the tournament, are bringing back an exceptionally talented squad and should be in the running for the medal round once again. Returnees like Kieffer Bellows and Adam Fox are expected to be among the tournament leaders for their respective positions, and there are exciting young prospects making their first appearance.

Canada, as always, can never be overlooked. After losing to the USA in the gold medal game a year ago, the team has gone with almost an entire team of 19-year old players, cutting some surprising names in the process. While there is a distinct lack of name recognition on the usually star-studded Canadian squad, it is a chance for some less heralded prospects to show that they deserve to be household names.

Sweden is as usual strong defensively, boasting some of the strongest skaters in the tournament on their blueline. Timothy Liljegren will certainly garner a lot of attention, as will potential 2018 first-overall pick Rasmus Dahlin. They’re not to be overlooked up front though, as current SHL scoring leader Elias Pettersson will show exactly why he went fifth-overall to Vancouver last June.

Finland will look to bounce back after an incredibly poor performance last season that saw the coaching staff fired mid-tournament. After taking home gold in 2016, there is a lot to like about the 2018 squad. Eeli Tolvanen, one of the biggest stories of the KHL season, is a favorite to lead the tournament in scoring, while their defense corps led by players like Miro Heiskanen and Olli Juolevi can stand with anyone.

Russia, of course, can never be completely taken out of the running, but haven’t won a gold medal since 2011. Their team has a ton of relative unknowns to North American viewers, but will have one name everyone will be especially intrigued by. Andrei Svechnikov, another potential first-overall selection in 2018, is considered by many already ready to make the jump to professional hockey. While this tournament isn’t the pros, it certainly is the highest level he’ll have ever played.

So who do you think will take home gold? Will it be one of the favorites, or will one of the lesser-known teams find lightning in a bottle and ride it all the way? Who will be the tournament MVP? Discuss all that and more after voting below.

Who will win gold at the World Juniors?
USA 32.28% (195 votes)
Canada 31.62% (191 votes)
Sweden 30.79% (186 votes)
Finland 3.64% (22 votes)
Russia 0.99% (6 votes)
Other (specify below) 0.66% (4 votes)
Total Votes: 604

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Toronto Loans Tim Liljegren To Sweden’s World Juniors Team

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Toronto Marlies defenseman Tim Liljegren may have been hoping that his next move would be up to the Maple Leafs, but this announcement was a close second. Liljegren has been loaned to Team Sweden for the upcoming World Junior Championships, as expected.

Liljegren, 18, was drafted 17th overall by Toronto this past June and, as an overseas player, was able to jump right into AHL action this season. He has played well against older, stronger, more experienced competition, tallying nine points and a +6 rating in 17 games.

However, at the World Juniors, Liljegren will again be among players his own age with a chance to play a leadership role for Sweden. With potential 2018 #1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin and fellow 2017 first-rounder Erik Brannstrom (VGK) also manning Sweden’s blue line, it should be a talented defensive group that Liljegren is set to lead.

Snapshots: Mrazek, Mete, Nylander

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Petr Mrazek has been in the news recently since we found out that the Edmonton Oilers had a passing interest in the Detroit Red Wings goaltender, but Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet now says it may have been more than just that. Friedman joined Sportsnet 960 radio out of Calgary this morning, and explained that one source told him it was even closer than he had originally thought.

I heard they were looking at Mrazek last week, and somebody told me after we mentioned it that it was a lot closer than I had kinda thought. I think they’d worked out that Detroit was going to keep about half the money, and they were trying to figure out the draft pick.

That would mesh with what we learned from Craig Custance of The Athletic recently, that a proposed asking price for Mrazek would be a second or third-round pick depending on whether Detroit was retaining salary. It might not matter anymore, as Edmonton seems to have cooled on Mrazek after watching him more closely and the team has just welcomed Cam Talbot back off injured reserve.

  • Victor Mete is busy trying to make the Canadian World Junior team after spending the early portion of the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but may have an even bigger international tournament in his future. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Mete is very much on the radar of the Canadian Olympic team, but still has some hurdles if he ever were to be invited. The Canadiens could bring Mete back to the NHL squad after the World Junior tournament, and the CHL still doesn’t have an agreement with Hockey Canada on if it will lend players to the Olympic squad. Those decisions won’t be made until after the World Juniors are over, which end on January 5th.
  • Speaking of World Junior decisions, the Buffalo Sabres still haven’t made a choice on Alexander Nylander according to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. Sabres GM Jason Botterill wants to see Nylander play more at the AHL level before making that decision, after an injury has taken away much of the young forward’s season so far. Nylander has been disappointing so far in his professional career, scoring just 32 points in 77 AHL games. The eighth-overall pick in 2016 has huge upside, but needs to get back on track this season.

Poll: Which Would You Watch First–World Juniors Or Olympics?

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The U20 World Junior Championships start on December 26th, and camps have already started to determine the final rosters that will be heading to Buffalo this year. USA, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus and Switzerland will have dozens of scouts keeping a close eye on the next wave of hockey stars, as they do battle in what has turned into one of the premiere international tournaments available.

This year, the World Juniors will be followed by the Olympic Games in February. With the NHL not allowing their players to head to the tournament, rosters are filled with former prospects and older professionals looking to represent their country one last time. Many have expressed outrage at the NHL’s decision, but many others have a new excitement over the tournament. Some of the best Olympic hockey moments in history were performed by amateurs, and though this tournament will be filled mostly by European professionals, it could have its fair share of intrigue.

So which will you watch with more fervor? Which would you stay up late to watch? What tournament are you more excited for? Vote below and make sure to share your feelings in the comments section.

Which would you watch first--World Juniors or Olympics?
World Juniors 67.07% (440 votes)
Olympics 14.63% (96 votes)
Both 14.48% (95 votes)
Neither 3.81% (25 votes)
Total Votes: 656

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Tyson Jost Could Join Canada’s World Junior Team

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Hockey Canada released a list of 32 players invited to the World Junior selection camp this month, as they prepare for the tournament in Buffalo. As we wrote when the list was released, it is possible for several other NHL players could be allowed to join the tournament as well should their clubs release them. Alexander Nylander, for instance, still doesn’t have an answer from the Buffalo Sabres on whether he’d be allowed to leave the Rochester Americans to play for Sweden.

Tyson JostTyson Jost of the Colorado Avalanche is that player for Canada, and as Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports it’s likely that he’ll be allowed to leave the team to play in the tournament. Jost’s development has been handled very carefully this season, with him spending time in the AHL to receive more minutes and work on his two-way game.

How can he play in the AHL and still be eligible for the World Juniors you ask?

Jost played in the BCHL before being drafted and heading to the University of North Dakota, meaning he’s not held to the same restrictions as CHL players. Remember, those drafted out of the CHL cannot play in the AHL until they turn 20. Jost is just 19 still, and would be a huge help to the Canadian team.

The 10th-overall pick in 2016, Jost has top-line upside as an all-around center and was part of the 2017 Canadian team that took home the silver medal. Even though the team already has plenty of talent to pick from, getting another returnee—especially one that has captained Canada on the international stage in the past—would increase their chances even more.

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