Buffalo Sabres Sign Vsevolod Komarov
The Buffalo Sabres have signed 2022 fifth-round pick Vsevolod Komarov to a three-year, entry-level contract, per his agent, Dan Milstein.
Buffalo selected the promising two-way defender with the 134th overall selection, a pick they acquired from the New Jersey Devils as compensation for taking on the last season of defenseman Will Butcher‘s contract in 2021-22. The Sabres officially announced the signing just minutes after Milstein did, and PuckPedia reports the deal carries an $865,000 cap hit.
Komarov, 19, is headed to this year’s Memorial Cup after capturing the 2023 QMJHL championship with his Québec Remparts, which boast one of the best two-way defense corps in the entire CHL. He was a big part of that this season, and his +38 rating tied for first among defensemen on the team.
A right-handed defender, Komarov has good size at 6-foot-2 and possesses a strong shot, something that’s impressed the Sabres’ director of player development, Adam Mair.
When we saw him at rookie camp and development camp, we sort of thought that he was primarily a defender. Which he is, and he’s an excellent one. He’s big, he’s long, he’s competitive, and strong in front of the net. But he’s started to add some offense to his game in Quebec. They have a good team and he’s a big part of what they’re creating. He’s been put on the power play. He’s taken a big step this year in terms of his puck play and his offensive contributions.
In 2022-23, Komarov tallied 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 62 games with the Remparts. He added a goal and seven assists in 18 playoff games.
Komarov’s signing marks another step forward for the Sabres’ 2022 draft class, which is yielding very promising. He becomes the fifth member of the draft class to sign an entry-level contract, joining forwards Matthew Savoie, Noah Östlund, Jiri Kulich, and Viktor Neuchev.
List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup
After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.
Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.
There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.
Anaheim Ducks
C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)
Arizona Coyotes
RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)
Boston Bruins
none
Buffalo Sabres
RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)
Calgary Flames
LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)
Colorado Avalanche
none
Columbus Blue Jackets
LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)
Dallas Stars
C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
none
Edmonton Oilers
none
Florida Panthers
LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)
Los Angeles Kings
none
Minnesota Wild
C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)
Montreal Canadiens
C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)
Nashville Predators
LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)
New Jersey Devils
RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)
New York Islanders
LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)
New York Rangers
LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)
Ottawa Senators
none
Philadelphia Flyers
LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)
Pittsburgh Penguins
none
San Jose Sharks
none
Seattle Kraken
C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)
St. Louis Blues
C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)
Tampa Bay Lightning
none
Toronto Maple Leafs
C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)
Vancouver Canucks
C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)
Vegas Golden Knights
C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)
Washington Capitals
C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)
Winnipeg Jets
C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)
Buffalo Sabres Assign Matthew Savoie To AHL
One of the Buffalo Sabres’ best prospects will get his first taste of professional hockey. The team reassigned forward Matthew Savoie to the AHL’s Rochester Americans today, and he will join them ahead of their Eastern Conference Final series against the Hershey Bears.
Selected ninth overall in 2022, the speedy, well-rounded forward slipped a few spots south of where most public scouts anticipated. Other teams’ loss was Buffalo’s gain, as Savoie posted another strong season with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice in his post-draft year and didn’t look entirely out of place with the Sabres during training camp last fall.
After helping guide the Ice to the WHL’s championship series with 29 points in 19 playoff games, eventually losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds, Savoie now joins another high-pressure environment in Rochester. The Americans are among the final four AHL teams left standing after sweeping the Toronto Marlies in three games in the North Division Final.
Could it be a precursor to Savoie earning a spot with Buffalo out of camp next season? Definitely, if at least on a nine-game trial before he would need to return to Winnipeg for a final season of junior hockey.
West Notes: Lehner, Burakovsky, Iginla
One name oft forgotten in the Vegas Golden Knights goalie carousel this season is Robin Lehner, who spent the entire 2022-23 campaign on long-term injured reserve. After missing the tail end of the 2021-22 campaign with a significant shoulder injury, it was actually off-season hip surgery that kept Lehner out for the year.
The Swedish netminder remains one of the best around when healthy, but Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon today didn’t have any update on Lehner’s status moving forward. McCrimmon noted Lehner is still undergoing rehab on both of his hips, but didn’t have a recent update on his progress. Lehner’s absence hasn’t hindered the Golden Knights much this season, and he could be a trade candidate if he does get healthy to clear some cap space. The 2019 Vezina Trophy nominee is locked in at a $5MM cap hit through 2025, making him an affordable option for a team in need of a starting netminder.
- Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis offered some clarity today on the injury that kept star winger Andre Burakovsky out of the lineup down the stretch of the season. Per Francis, Burakovsky tore his groin on his first shift after the All-Star break and suffered multiple setbacks in his recovery, sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. The 28-year-old was having a spectacular first season in Seattle before the injury, scoring 39 points in 49 games in a top-six role.
- After selecting him in 12th overall in last week’s WHL Prospects Draft, the Edmonton Oil Kings have officially brought 14-year-old Joe Iginla, son of Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla, into the organization on a scholarship and development agreement. Iginla posted monster numbers at the U15 level this season with his dad coaching, scoring 65 points in 27 games, and even got some looks in U16 and U17 play. Iginla is not NHL draft eligible until 2026 and is not expected to join the Oil Kings until the 2024-25 season.
Joseph Woll Returned To AHL
The Toronto Marlies and Rochester Americans will resume the AHL’s North Division Finals on Wednesday evening, with the former receiving quite the reinforcement. Joseph Woll, fresh off taking over the Toronto Maple Leafs net in their second-round series, has been returned to the AHL.
Woll, 24, has been tremendous for the Marlies this season, posting a 16-4-1 record and .927 save percentage. He carried over that strong play to the NHL, where he went 6-1 in the regular season and registered a .915 in four playoff appearances.
The young netminder appears to be on track for a full-time NHL job next season, though nothing about the Maple Leafs looks set in stone at this point. If he does land a spot, it will provide the team with a significant salary cap advantage.
Woll signed a three-year extension in February 2022 that keeps him under contract through 2024-25 at a very affordable $767K cap hit. With uncertainty surrounding the future of Matt Murray, and Ilya Samsonov headed for restricted free agency, Woll could be the answer to some of Toronto’s long-standing goaltending issues.
The team has had trouble developing its own netminding prospects but showed great patience with the 62nd overall pick from 2016. Woll went to college for three years, suffered several injuries early in his pro career, and has generally progressed slowly (as goaltenders sometimes do).
For now, he’ll try to help the Marlies turn around the best-of-five series and stave off elimination, before entering a crucial offseason of training ahead of his big NHL opportunity.
New York Islanders Sign Christian Krygier, Jacob Pivonka To AHL Deals
The AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders have signed a duo of New York Islanders drafted prospects, defenseman Christian Krygier and forward Jacob Pivonka, to AHL contracts for the 2023-24 season. The team also signed undrafted free agent forward Riley Piercey out of juniors from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds.
After finishing their collegiate careers, Krygier’s and Pivonka’s NHL signing rights are set to expire on August 15. While the AHL signings imply the Islanders won’t be offering them entry-level contracts before then, the deals allow the Islanders to keep them within the organization and continue to evaluate them. After August 15, however, Krygier and Pivonka would still be free to sign NHL contracts with any team at any time.
The Islanders selected Krygier in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old defenseman played his fifth and final season for Michigan State University in 2022-23, recording a goal and three assists in 28 games whilst serving as an alternate captain. The son of former NHLer Todd Krygier and the brother of Los Angeles Kings prospect Cole Krygier, he is a physical defenseman first and foremost, recording 228 penalty minutes during his 158 games at Michigan State. He appeared in two games with Bridgeport on a tryout after the conclusion of his collegiate season, posting a -1 rating and one shot on goal.
Pivonka, also 23, was selected three rounds earlier in 2018. The 5-foot-11 center transferred from Notre Dame to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for his final collegiate season, hitting double-digit goals for the first time in the NCAA. Known mostly for his speed and puckhandling abilities, Pivonka went pointless in four games with Bridgeport on his tryout to end the 2022-23 season.
Piercey, who will also try and earn an entry-level deal with the Islanders, plays a power forward type game. The 21-year-old winger stands at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and put up 70 points and 65 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Firebirds this season. After back-to-back 20-goal campaigns in junior hockey, Piercey will try and make an impact in Bridgeport’s bottom-six and impress the Islanders’ front office.
Leon Gawanke Signs Long-Term Deal In Germany
Winnipeg Jets prospect Leon Gawanke signed a four-year contract with Adler Mannheim in the German DEL, The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported on Wednesday. The deal comes after the 23-year-old defender spent the past four seasons playing in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose.
Gawanke was selected by the Jets in the fifth round, 136th overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played some junior hockey in Germany before moving to North America to play for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL in his draft year, 2016-17. Gawanke would then put up impressive numbers in juniors, tallying 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) in 62 games in his final season with Cape Breton in 2018-19.
Since turning pro, Gawanke has played exclusively with the Moose, aside from a six-game loan to the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin in the COVID-affected 2020-21 season. He has shown flashes of his offensive potential in the AHL, recording 114 points (35 goals, 79 assists) across 207 games. However, his defensive game is still a work in progress, and he hasn’t received any NHL looks throughout his time in Manitoba.
Gawanke was a non-factor in five playoff games for the Moose this season, posting just one assist and a -5 rating. As a pending restricted free agent, the Jets now have the choice to issue Gawanke a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights when his German contract expires in 2027. He’ll have just turned 28, making an NHL role seemingly unlikely.
Adler Mannheim is one of the most successful teams in the DEL, having won seven championships since the team’s inception in 1994, most recently in 2019. The club hopes that Gawanke can help them add to that total in the coming seasons as part of a defensive corps that includes multiple former NHLers in John Gilmour, Korbinian Holzer, and Jyrki Jokipakka.
Gawanke’s departure also means more opportunity for other Jets defense prospects at the AHL level, such as Tyler Bauer, Declan Chisholm, and Simon Lundmark.
Sweden Announces 2023 World Championship Roster
Sweden has revealed its roster for the upcoming 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship, and it’s filled with an impressive mix of NHL players, high-end SHL players, and young prospects. The team is hoping to bring in Sweden’s first medal at the tournament since winning back-to-back golds in 2017 and 2018.
Headlining the roster are some prominent NHLers, including seasoned veteran Jakob Silfverberg and younger players like Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Fabian Zetterlund. For Silfverberg, who’s rumored to return to Sweden after his current contract with the Anaheim Ducks expires, this is his first appearance at the Worlds in over a decade. There’s also top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Leo Carlsson, who could see his name called as early as third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets after spending the entire season up in the SHL with Örebro HK.
On the blue line, Sweden is led by a pair of longtime NHLers in Christian Folin and Patrik Nemeth, but their best defender is undoubtedly Washington Capitals youngster Rasmus Sandin. Others, such as three-time Swiss league defenseman of the year Henrik Tömmernes, provide some valuable depth.
In net, Sweden will be relying on a trio of capable goaltenders led by one of the best prospects in the world – Jesper Wallstedt. The Minnesota Wild prospect posted a .908 save percentage in 38 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and put up a .940 mark in international play for Sweden last year at the World Junior Championship. If Wallstedt doesn’t run away with the crease, there’s a high-end second option in SHL and KHL veteran Lars Johansson, who recorded a sparkling .958 save percentage for Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The full roster can be found below:
F Pär Lindholm
F Dennis Everberg
F Marcus Sorensen
F Andre Petersson
F Leo Carlsson
F Lucas Raymond
F Oscar Lindberg
F Jakob Silfverberg
F Jonatan Berggren
F Fabian Zetterlund
F Linus Johansson
F Carl Grundström
F Jacob de La Rose
F Alexander Nylander
D Christian Folin
D Henrik Tömmernes
D Patrik Nemeth
D Lukas Bengtsson
D Rasmus Sandin
D Anton Lindholm
D Jonathan Pudas
D Joel Persson
G Jesper Wallstedt
G Lars Johansson
G Jacob Johansson
Florida Panthers Sign Mackie Samoskevich
Forward prospect Mackie Samoskevich has agreed to terms with the Florida Panthers on a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday. Florida selected Samoskevich, 20, with the 24th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.
PuckPedia provided the terms of Samoskevich’s deal, which begins immediately with a $925,000 cap hit and expires after the 2024-25 season. At that point, he’ll be a restricted free agent. Given Samoskevich was on Florida’s reserve list at the time of the trade deadline, he is now eligible to play in any remaining Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Panthers.
Panthers general manager Bill Zito offered the following statement on the signing:
Mackie is a creative, dynamic playmaker who possesses an elite shooting ability and high hockey IQ. We’re excited to sign him to our organization and to see him take the next step in his progression as a professional.
The Connecticut-born Samoskevich comes from quite the hockey family, with sisters Maddy Samoskevich and Melissa Samoskevich putting up impressive numbers in their collegiate careers with Quinnipiac. Melissa Samoskevich had a breakout pro season for the PHF’s Connecticut Whale in 2022-23, scoring 16 points in 24 games.
Their brother opted to play his college hockey at the University of Michigan, though, where he reached the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in back-to-back seasons. Samoskevich opted to turn pro at the end of Michigan’s season, signing a professional tryout agreement with Florida’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. There, he registered six assists in nine combined regular-season and playoff games, a strong start to a promising career.
Samoskevich was named to the Big 10 conference’s all-rookie team after the 2021-22 campaign after he registered 29 points in 40 games. He left those offensive totals in the dust this season, though, with 20 goals and 43 points in 39 games for Michigan.
He also represented the United States at the 2022 Men’s World Junior Championship, recording three assists in five games.
Boston Bruins Sign Matthew Poitras To ELC
The Boston Bruins have signed forward Matthew Poitras to a three-year entry-level contract starting next season with a cap hit of $870,000, the team announced today.
Poitras, 19, is coming off a wildly successful season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, where he recorded 95 points (16 goals, 79 assists) in 63 games. He ranked second in the league in assists and was tied for fifth in scoring.
Poitras also had a productive rookie season with Guelph in 2021-22, tallying 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) in 68 games. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward was selected by the Bruins in the second round, 54th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Born in Brooklin, Ontario, Poitras is an incredibly cerebral center that plays a surgical game, identifying small gaps in the ice to escape defenders and make passes. It’s a style that tracks to translate well to NHL ice, where Poitras will have much less space and time to maneuver around the rink.
Poitras has only played two seasons of junior hockey, however, with his rookie campaign stripped due to the COVID pandemic. In all likelihood, he’s headed back to Guelph for another season of OHL hockey, looking to potentially surpass the 100-point mark in a single season. He would be the first Storm player to do so since Nate Schnarr in 2018-19.
Poitras’ contract is eligible for an entry-level slide due to his age, meaning if he plays less than 10 NHL games next season, the beginning of his contract will defer to the 2024-25 season.