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World Juniors

Pair Of Major OHL Trades Made Ahead Of Deadline

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The Ontario Hockey League’s trade deadline comes down at noon Eastern time on Tuesday, January 10.

There have been a few notable names on the move, including a pair of Oshawa Generals: Anthony Cirelli and Mitch Vande Sompel. The Generals are known to make big trades, having previously traded John Tavares and Michael Dal Colle.

Cirelli had seven points in seven games for Team Canada at the recent World Juniors. He has 34 points in 26 game for the Generals this season. Cirelli is heading from the Generals to the Erie Otters to play with Team Canada teammates Dylan Strome and Taylor Raddyish, as well as Blackhawks’ second round pick Alex DeBrincat. Cirelli was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Generals will acquire six draft picks (three second-round picks, a fourth-round pick, and two conditional sixth-rounders, all ranging from 2018 to 2024) and 2018 NHL Draft prospect Allan McShane for Cirelli. The Otters hope to make some noise in the OHL playoffs and hopefully win a Memorial Cup, something they weren’t able to do with Connor McDavid (who is actually still eligible to play for the Otters, despite leading the NHL in scoring).

The roving defenseman Vande Sompel is heading to the powerhouse London Knights. The Knights are the reigning Memorial Cup Champions. Vande Sompel is a third-round pick of the New York Islanders, and was signed to an NHL contract back in October. He has 37 points in 37 games this season, and has 158 points in 188 OHL games overall. The Generals acquire 2017 NHL Draft prospect defenseman Ian Blacker and a handful of draft picks, according to Jeff Marek.

Another notable name in the OHL who is thought to be available is Mitchell Stephens. Stephens, like Cirelli, is a Tampa Bay prospect who played well for Canada at the World Juniors. Stephens has 28 points in 22 games with the Saginaw Spirit, where he serves as captain. The 33rd-overall pick in the 2015 draft had five points in five games for Canada at the World Juniors.

Nico Hischier Making Case For Top Selection

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Electrifying Swiss prospect Nico Hischier is making quite the case to be selected first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Hischier started the year outside the top-ten on Bob McKenzie and Craig Button’s lists, and 26th on International Scouting Service’s list. His play has been nothing short of spectacular so far this season, moving him up the majority of lists. Hischier has 23 goals and 48 points in 31 games for the Halifax Mooseheads, his first year in the QMJHL. In November, Sportsnet ranked Hischier the sixth best prospect in the 2017 draft class.

The shifty center was by far the best player for the Swiss team at the World Juniors, where he scored four goals and added three assists in five games. After Monday’s quarter-final loss to the USA, the American coach, Bob Motzko, called Hischier the best player he’s seen in the tournament.

Hischier has previously been labelled the “Swiss Connor McDavid,” though he doesn’t encourage the comparison. The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell quoted Hischier as saying “I don’t try to listen to this. I mainly try to focus on the hockey and have fun and keep working hard.”

Should Hischier continue his dynamite play, he could challenge Nino Niederreiter for the highest-drafted Swiss player in NHL history. Niederreiter was selected fifth-overall back in 2010. The 2017 draft is unlike previous years where there’s no franchise player like McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, or Patrik Laine. Only Nolan Patrick, Timothy Liljegren, and Gabe Vilardi appear to be locks in the top-five, and even then, not necessarily in that order. There’s plenty of room for Hischier to move past Niederreiter’s slot and make draft history.

Snapshots: Outdoor Games, Devils, Dubois

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced today that the NHL expects to hold three outdoor games next season, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. The NHL is already exploring Ottawa as one potential site given the city hosted the first ever NHL hockey game—something the NHL wants to commemorate in its 100th anniversary. Montreal and Columbus also deserve serious consideration as they remain the most prominent and climate-ready locales yet to host an outdoor game. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights may garner some consideration if the NHL wants to give the franchise some supplemental exposure.
  • The New Jersey Devils are without both Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson tonight against the Boston Bruins. Both forwards are out with undisclosed illnesses. Zajac leads the Devils in scoring with 8G and 16A in 37 games. Josefson, however, only has 2A in 16 games. Finally, defense prospect Steve Santini makes his NHL debut tonight. Santini is scoreless in 15 games for the Albany Devils so far this season.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Pierre-Luc Dubois was demoted off of Canada’s top line at the World Junior Hockey Championships prior to tonight’s Quarter-Final game against the Czech Republic, reports Scott Wheeler. The 3rd overall pick in 2016 has 0G and 4A in the tournament so far, but has not impressed the Hockey Canada coaching staff. Dubois is having an excellent year in the QMJHL, scoring 6G and 12A in 20 games so far this season. The top line now consists of Colorado Avalanche prospect Tyson Jost, New Jersey Devils prospect Blake Speers, and Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome.

Brandon Wheat Kings’ Nolan Patrick Returns To Ice

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In the upcoming entry draft, there are a couple of players who are considered locks to be in the top few picks. One of them has only played six games this season, yet remains the consensus number one option.

Nolan Patrick, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ superstar center, has been out since the early part of the season after re-aggravating the area that needed surgery in the summer. Patrick had sports hernia surgery after Brandon was eliminated from the playoffs, and admittedly came back a little early.

Though he hoped to have been ready for the World Juniors, he missed that deadline and is now just trying to work his way back to help Brandon this season. He got another step closer to that today as he took the ice just after practice.  He’s skated on an off for a while now, testing the injury at times with varied results.

As Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has said for a while, the rumors of Patrick not reporting back to the Wheat Kings were fabricated. While the team may still consider a trade of the young superstar – the team is 18-15 and a long way from winning a Memorial Cup – he will return to the team soon.

It’s an odd year for draft prospects, with Patrick basically absent all year and Timothy Liljegren, the expected second pick, struggling before being loaned to the lower Swedish league just yesterday. After those two, the field opens up to players like Maxim Comtois, Gabriel Vilardi and Nico Hischier, among others.

For Patrick, getting back on the ice won’t do much for his draft stock, but it would do loads for his development. Missing the majority of your draft year is never good for any prospect looking to make an impact in the NHL right away. Hopefully he’ll be back lighting up rinks very soon.

Vegas Golden Knights At The World Juniors

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Even though the Vegas Golden Knights don’t start playing until 2017-18, doesn’t mean they haven’t already started to scout the young talent throughout the game. With the World Junior Championships underway in Toronto, the team has sent several scouts to the tournament to watch the collection of under-20 talent. While some are still draft-eligible, and some are under contract with teams around the league, it’s a wonderful opportunity to scout the best of the best all at once.  Dan Marrazza of NHL.com caught up with the Golden Knights’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel Bob Lowes to get his take on the tournament.

It isn’t just the draft eligible players. It’s other team’s drafts, guys that are already picked. I think it’s a really good tournament for our staff to see both of those groups of players, and to get a good handle on it going forward for our organization.

While the team will have a chance in the draft lottery this summer (equal to that of the third worst team in the league), something that is often ofterlooked is that they’ll also have the third pick in each subsequent round regardless of where they fall in the lottery. That gives them some strong picks even as the rounds go later, when the lesser-known teams at the tournament will have talent available. On Denmark, who has shocked the world by defeating both the Czech Republic and last year’s winner Finland:

Obviously, they’re having some success, so it makes you take notice a little bit more. It makes you look at a guy that’s maybe slipped through the draft, if he’s draft eligible, and saying: ’this kid’s doing it on the world stage against some of the best competition in the world.’

Lowes points out that there have been breakout stars at the tournament before, referencing Nino Niederreiter of Switzerland and Oliver Bjorkstrand of Denmark as players who greatly improved their draft stock at the tournament. While obviously the top names of the tournament are often well scouted prior, or even already drafted, it’s a big deal to see under-the-radar guys on this big of a stage. As Lowes puts it:

Performance here goes into a player’s overall profile. You wouldn’t just base it on this tournament, but it is an important part of the development of a player. It’s just a really good snapshot of the possible potential of that player.

The preliminary round ends today with the quarter-finals starting on Monday. Before they do though, Finland will need to fight for it’s tournament life in the relegation round on Monday morning against Latvia.

Western Notes: Jost, Dano, Coyotes

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When the Colorado Avalanche picked Tyson Jost 10th overall this year out of Penticton, they knew he was headed to the NCAA. After all, Jost played in the BCHL, an NCAA breeding ground because they retain eligibility unlike the CHL. But now it sounds like it will be one-and-done for Jost at the University of North Dakota.

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post writes in his latest column that Jost will sign after his freshman season concludes and may even make his NHL debut this season. The 18-year old center has 18 points in 17 games for the Fighting Hawks, and is starring for Canada at the World Juniors. For a team that is starved for something positive this year, the development of Jost is something to look forward to. He will likely slot in full time next season with the club, especially if one of their other young forwards is moved out between now and then.

  • After head coach Paul Maurice told us yesterday that Marko Dano would be out at least a few weeks, he clarified the diagnoses today. Dano will miss eight weeks with his lower-body injury, keeping him out until just before the trade deadline. The former first-round pick (by Columbus in 2013) has 10 points in 28 games this year, a solid pace for the 22-year old. He’ll have another setback now though as he misses more time. Jets fans will have to wait jut a little bit longer to see his potential come to fruition.
  • The Arizona Coyotes will watch two of their prized prospects battle it out today in the Canada-USA World Junior game. Clayton Keller and Dylan Strome each lead their respective teams in scoring at the tournament, and will be big parts of the Coyotes in the future. While Strome got a taste of the NHL this season before heading back to Erie in the OHL, Keller has been starring as a freshman at Boston University all year. 15 points in his first 10 games in the NCAA it won’t be long until he jumps to the AHL. Both top-10 picks, the Coyotes have a bright future in this tournament.

Snapshots: Bickell, Alumni, Finland

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Bryan Bickell opened up to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times and other reporters tonight for the first time since his announcement that he has multiple sclerosis, a disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause a wide array of debilitating symptoms. For anyone, the diagnosis would be life-shattering, but for Bickell it came at least as an explanation.

Before I was, like, frustrated in my game and things. But you’re relieved, knowing how I was feeling. Something wasn’t right. … The circumstances kind of suck, but to have it known — knowing you can move on is the biggest thing.

Bickell is determined to get back to the NHL, despite having to undergo intravenous drug treatments monthly. He’s obviously no where near returning, but is taking it one step at a time.

It’s going to take steps. It’s not a sprint, it’s going to be a marathon, and it’s going to take some time to get things right, ideally, to get me back on the ice. That’s what I’m hoping for. … It could be a month, it could be a couple months to get back on the ice.

We wish Bickell well on his recovery, and hope he makes it back to the NHL sooner than later. Here are some other notes from around the league:

  • Outdoor games are becoming something of a regularity in the hockey world, with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings set to square off this Sunday in Toronto, and the World Juniors announcing that Canada and the USA will play outside at next year’s tournament in Buffalo. The AHL is getting in on the action, as the Ontario Reign (the Kings’ affiliate) and the Bakersfield Condors (Oilers) will play an outdoor game on January 7th. The teams will have an alumni game the day before, featuring a long list of NHL greats. Wayne Gretzky, Kevin Lowe, Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and even Bernie Nicholls will play in the event, making it one not to miss if you live in the San Joaquin Valley.
  • Amazingly, Team Finland will have to play in the relegation round at this year’s World Junior Championships, despite winning the tournament last year. It’s the first time in the history of the even that a defending champion will have to fight to stay in the event. With the Swiss team beating Denmark today in a shootout, Finland was guaranteed a last place finish in their group. In a surprising move, the team has fired head coach  Jukka Rautakorpi and his three assistants mid-tournament. Jussi Ahokas has taken over the coaching duties.

World Junior Notes: Thurkauf, Stephens, Raddysh, Finland

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It’s a light day at the World Juniors today with only a pair of games on the schedule before a full slate of games on New Year’s Eve.  Here’s the latest from the tournament:

  • Switzerland center Calvin Thurkauf, a seventh round pick (185th overall) of the Blue Jackets back in June, has been suspended for today’s game against Denmark for a slew-footing incident against Sweden, the IIHF announced. Thurkauf is tied for second in team scoring with two goals and an assist through the first two games.  Columbus announced that they inked the 19 year old to a three year, entry level contract this afternoon.  Financial terms were not disclosed.
  • Canada forward Mitchell Stephens, one of Tampa Bay’s five prospects on the team, missed yesterday’s game against Latvia with a lower body injury. However, the injury isn’t believed to be serious as head coach Dominique Ducharme noted to TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link) that had it been a medal round game, Stephens could have been in the lineup.
  • In their game against Latvia yesterday, Canada winger Taylor Raddysh (another of Tampa’s prospects) tied a Canadian record with four goals in a single game. He joins Philadelphia’s Brayden Schenn as well as former NHL forwards Mario Lemieux and Simon Gagne to hold that mark.  The all-time record is held by Sweden’s Ola Rosander back in 1987.
  • As a result of Denmark’s overtime win against the Czech Republic and Finland’s loss to Sweden yesterday, the Finns find themselves in real danger of being sent to the relegation round, a best-of-three series to determine who gets to stay in the tournament next year. As Masters notes (Twitter link), no defending champion has ever found themselves in the relegation round the following year.  If Switzerland beats Denmark today, Finland will be guaranteed to finish last in Group A.

Snapshots: Canada, Peca, Bailey

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While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, Team Canada is dominating at the World Juniors.

After a hard-fought win over Russia on December 26, Canada easily beat Slovakia 5-0 on Tuesday night. The Canadian goalie, Lightning prospect Connor Ingram, had a six-save shutout. Bruins defensive prospect Jérémy Lauzon, who began the tournament as Canada’s seventh defenseman, scored a goal and an assist in the second period to spark the offence and begin the onslaught.

However, another Canadian defenseman has been getting some love as an underdog story. Philippe Myers went undrafted in 2015, but earned an entry-level contract after attending Philadelphia Flyers training camp on an amateur tryout. Myers then had a 45-point campaign in the QMJHL and has 18 points in 19 games this season. The 6’5 right-handed defenseman is now playing on Canada’s top pairing with 2015 first-round-pick Thomas Chabot.

As for why Myers was passed over in the draft, with the value of right-handed defensemen at an all-time high, that’s something that Flyers GM Ron Hextall would like to know. Hextall told Postmedia’s Mike Zeisberger that he didn’t ask his scouting staff why they didn’t take him, but instead wanted to learn from the experience. With Myers tracking well, all 30 NHL teams will be wondering how Myers slipped through the draft. “I’m more trying to figure out how the hell that happened,” Hextall added.

Myers gave advice for all other undrafted players, saying “it’s all about your attitude and your mindset. If you see yourself playing at the bigger levels and you really believe it and you put the work in, everything’s possible. That’s what happened with me.”

World Junior Championship Final Rosters

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Group A

Czech Republic:

G Petr Kvaca, HC Ceske Budejovice

G Jakub Skarek, HC Dukla Jihlava

G Daniel Vladar, Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)

D Frantisek Hrdinka, Linkopings HC

D Filip Hronek, Saginaw Spirt (Detroit Red Wings)

D Petr Kalina, HC Sparta Praha

D Daniel Krenzelok, HC Vitcovicek Steel

D David Kvasnicka, HC Plzen

D Ondrej Vala, Kamloops Blazers (Dallas Stars)

D Jakub Zboril, Saint John Sea Dogs (Boston Bruins)

F Filip Chlapik, Charlottetown Islanders (Ottawa Senators)

F Lukas Jasek, HC Oceláři Třinec (Vancouver Canucks)

F David Kase, Pirati Chamutov (Philadelphia Flyers)

F Radek Koblizek, Oulun Karpat

F Daniel Kurovsky, Vitkovice Ostrava

F Adam Musil, Red Deer Rebels (St. Louis Blues)

F Martin Necas, HC Kometa Brno

F Kristian Reichel, HC Litvinov

F Tomas Soustal, Kelowna Rockets

F Michael Spacek, Red Deer Rebels (Winnipeg Jets)

F Simon Stransky, Prince Albert Raiders

F Filip Suchy, Omaha Lancers

 

Denmark:

G Emil Gransoe, Topeka Roadrunners

G Kasper Krog, Sønderjysk

G Lasse Petersen, Red Deer Rebels

D Morten Jensen, Rögle BK

D Anders Koch, Esbjerg Energy

D Oliver Larsen, Odense Bulldogs

D Christian Mieritz, Leksands IF

D Oliver Gatz Nielsen, Herning Blue Fox

D Mathias Rondbjerg, Rungsted Seier Capital

D Nicolai Weichel, Rungsted Seier Capital

F Niklas Andersen, Esbjerg Energy

F Rasmus Thykjaer Andersson, HV71

F Joachim Blichfeld, Portland Winterhawks (San Jose Sharks)

F William Boysen, Rungsted Seier Capital

F Nikolaj Krag Christensen, Rogle BK (St. Louis Blues)

F Frederik Hoeg, Odense Bulldogs

F Jeppe Jul Korsgaard, Aalborg Pirates

F Tobias Maximilian Ladehoff, Aalborg Pirates

F David Madsen, Vaxjo Lakers

F Jonas Rondbjerg, Vaxjo Lakers

F Alexander True, Seattle Thunderbirds

F Christian Wejse, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

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