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San Jose Sharks Acquire Henry Thrun

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The San Jose Sharks said they would be going after prospects and young players instead of draft picks, and today they proved it. The Sharks have acquired the rights to Henry Thrun from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick. Thrun currently plays for Harvard and would need to sign an entry-level contract this summer, or become an unrestricted free agent.

The 21-year-old defenseman wasn’t going to sign with Anaheim. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek explained:

While we are disappointed Henry chose to not sign with our club, we appreciate being notified of his intentions in advance of him becoming a Unrestricted Free Agent. We wish him the best of luck in his career.

For a player they weren’t going to sign, Anaheim has done rather well to recoup a third-round selection. Thrun was picked 101st overall in 2019, meaning they’re moving up quite a few spots, regardless of where San Jose finishes in 2024.

Still, with how well the 6’2″ defenseman has developed in college, it is disappointing for the Ducks to lose him. Thrun has always been an excellent puck-mover for Harvard, and has 26 points in 28 games this season. While there’s no guarantee that production will carry over to the NHL level, Anaheim is still looking for all the talented prospects they can as they move through a rebuild.

For San Jose, nothing is guaranteed, either. Thrun could still decide to wait until August to become a free agent, able to choose which team to land with as he starts his professional career. We’ve seen that scenario play out in the past, like when the Buffalo Sabers acquired Jimmy Vesey’s rights, only to have him sign with the New York Rangers instead.

Still, the Sharks are excited about Thrun as a prospect. General manager Mike Grier released the following:

Henry is a very good two-way defenseman with high character and leadership skills. He was named captain for Harvard this year and has a solid pedigree as a player, earning All-American honors last season after helping guide Harvard to an ECAC Championship.

It is a reasonable risk for the Sharks, and one that hints at their plans moving forward. The team is not satisfied tearing things down and collecting draft picks—they want players that can make an impact much quicker than that.

Morning Notes: Knies, Shore, Studenic

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams rumored to be interested in several top names at the trade deadline, but they might have their late-season addition already in the system. Matthew Knies has 17 goals and 31 points in 30 games this year for the University of Minnesota and is “likely” to sign with the Maple Leafs at the end of the college season, according to Joshua Kloke of The Athletic.

Knies also joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill and explained he believes he can be a production pro player this spring, after choosing to go back to college last year. The 20-year-old winger recently came in at No. 42 in Scott Wheeler’s ranking of the best drafted prospects across the league.

  • Devin Shore has been sent back to the AHL once again, leaving the Edmonton Oilers with the opportunity to activate Kailer Yamamoto if they can clear just $1.125MM in cap space. That happens to be the exact amount that is buried when a player costing more than that is sent to the minor leagues. Jesse Puljujarvi remains the most likely player to be waived, though there are countless other ways the Oilers could clear the room, including the trade market.
  • Speaking of bouncing back and forth, Marian Studenic is on his way back to the Texas Stars today. The 24-year-old forward played fewer than ten minutes for the Dallas Stars yesterday, his third appearance of the season. As one of the few teams not currently using long-term injured reserve relief, Dallas can bank cap space between games by reducing their roster as much as possible.

Injury Notes: Pageau, Tinordi, Faber

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The New York Islanders are without one of their best depth pieces tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is out for tonight’s game against his former team with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, per the team.

Pageau sustained the injury at practice yesterday, says Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now. Reportedly, Pageau was “clipped” during a drill and was slow to get up, yet stayed on the ice for the remainder of practice. The 30-year-old center has 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games this season. This is his first absence of the 2022-23 campaign.

  • Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, the team said. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope notes that Tinordi had fallen awkwardly on a shift in the first period. Tinordi, 30, was claimed on waivers by the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season and has suited up in 26 games, recording five points.
  • One of the best prospects in hockey on one of the best teams in college hockey is out long-term. The Athletic’s Michael Russo agreed with reports today that Minnesota Wild defense prospect and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Kevin Fiala trade, Faber has 20 points in 30 games with Minnesota this year after representing the United States at the Olympics and World Junior Championships last season.

Nashville Predators Recall Philip Tomasino

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One of the most confusing things about the Nashville Predators season so far has been the absence of Philip Tomasino. The young forward played the entire season in the NHL last year and faired well, racking up 32 points in 76 games. This year he has that same total in the minor leagues through 38 games without a single appearance with the Predators.

Now, perhaps that is about to change. Tomasino has been recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals and will join the Predators ahead of their game tonight against the Arizona Coyotes.

The 21-year-old Tomasino is an interesting case of COVID-affected development. After being selected 24th overall in 2019, he returned to the OHL for his post-draft season with championship sights. After dominating with the Niagara IceDogs through the first half, but still losing nearly all of his games, Tomasino was sent to the Oshawa Generals for a playoff run. It would be just 26 games (and 43 points) before the season was shut down, ending his year early.

In 2020-21, the OHL never ran at all, meaning he was stuck playing in the AHL even as a teenager. For many prospects, that might be overwhelming, but Tomasino showed off his offensive upside by scoring 32 points in 29 games. That led to him making the NHL club last season and showing well despite limited minutes. While prospects taking a step back isn’t uncommon, it was always sort of puzzling why he hasn’t received a single call-up this season.

With Filip Forsberg now out with injury, this is a huge opportunity for Tomasino to show he doesn’t belong in the minor leagues anymore. This team has only two forwards over the 30-point mark on the season and one that could certainly use some offensive juice inserted into the lineup. Even when Forsberg is back, there’s a reasonable case for Tomasino to stay, should he prove he’s ready over the next little while.

OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs Announce Temporary Relocation To Brantford

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The defending OHL champions will be on the move next season. The Hamilton Bulldogs announced plans for a temporary relocation to Brantford, Ontario, today, with their home arena in Hamilton set to go through a long-term closure and renovation.

While the relocation to Brantford is technically temporary, the team fully embraces the geographical shift. For the time being, the franchise will change its name and branding to the Brantford Bulldogs.

Team owner Michael Andlauer, who has previously been linked in discussions to purchase the Ottawa Senators, gave the following statement:

We are so thankful for the enthusiastic and immediate response from Mayor Davis, Brantford Council and city staff. Together, we have been able to make a home for the Bulldogs in a short and unexpected period of time.

Hamilton’s home arena, the FirstOntario Centre, is set to close for 20 months starting in late summer. Based on the timeline, the door is open for the Bulldogs to return to Hamilton for the 2025-26 season.

Unfortunately for Hamilton, most of the core which won the 2022 OHL championship has moved on — such is the turn of the tide in junior hockey. With top prospects such as Mason Mctavish, Arber Xhekaj, and Jan Mysak turning pro, the team is floating around the .500 mark in 2022-23 and sold at the league’s trade deadline last month.

While the Bulldogs are struggling this season, they still boast a pair of NHL-affiliated prospects in Jorian Donovan (OTT) and Artem Grushnikov (DAL). Both players could return when the franchise opens up in Brantford next year.

No Decision Made On Cutter Gauthier’s Pro Future

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For teams out of the playoffs, there’s still some excitement to come down the stretch. As the NCAA schedule comes to a close, top prospects can turn pro and get their feet wet in the NHL before setting in for an offseason of training and development.

That is, if they decide to leave the college ranks.

One of the names to watch is Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier, picked fifth overall in the 2022 draft. The big, speedy forward played mostly wing during his junior days but has transitioned to the middle of the ice (with some bumps along the way) for Boston College, and is now leading the club in goals and points.

That’s despite a leave to suit up at the World Juniors, where he had ten points in seven games for Team USA. Gauthier is a shining star in the Flyers prospect pool, and it’s hard to not get excited thinking about his NHL debut this spring.

Not so fast, says Philadelphia assistant general manager Brent Flahr, who spoke with Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic. When asked if Gauthier could be a one-and-done player at BC, Flahr wouldn’t commit, explaining that while players often want to go that route, it isn’t always best for their development.

The decision won’t come until after the college season ends, and they have a full examination of where Gauthier’s game stands. There is still more than a month left in the Eagles’ schedule, plus the potential of a playoff run if they can get things moving in the right direction. Plenty of time, anyway, for Gauthier to impress the Flyers front office enough to earn an entry-level contract at the end of the year.

To be clear, there is no risk of losing Gauthier’s rights if he decides to go back to school. Philadelphia holds them until the summer of 2026, and there’s virtually no chance of the big forward waiting that long before turning pro.

Winnipeg Jets Loan Brad Lambert, Chaz Lucius To WHL

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The Winnipeg Jets have decided to send a couple of top prospects from their minor league club to the WHL. Brad Lambert and Chaz Lucius are headed to the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks, respectively. This is huge news for the junior clubs, who get to add difference-making talent for their stretch drives.

Lambert, 19, was the 30th overall selection in 2022 and made quite an impact in the preseason before eventually being assigned to the Manitoba Moose. Despite having played two seasons of professional hockey in Finland before coming to North America this year, Lambert has struggled in the AHL, scoring just two goals and three points in 14 games. Those frustrations continued at the World Juniors where he was only able to record a single goal for Finland, even in his third go-round at the tournament.

Still, he should be a dominant player for Seattle as he moves back to junior hockey. The experience he has in Finland and at the AHL level will only serve to make him more effective in the WHL, and Lambert is joining an incredibly talented club that has its sights set on a Memorial Cup.

To do that, they’ll have to get past the Winterhawks, though, who may be adding the more effective player of the two. Lucius, 19, was the 18th overall pick in 2021 and just showed how good he could be at the World Juniors, recording five goals and seven points for the U.S. squad. That comes after 12 games with the Manitoba Moose, his first taste of professional hockey after one season of college hockey. It’s not very often you see the NCAA->AHL->CHL route for prospects, but Lucius is going to get an opportunity to play huge minutes and help a Winterhawks team that is just a few points behind Seattle for first place in the Western Conference.

These assignments could be game-changing moments for both franchises, who recently saw the third-place Kamloops Blazers (hosts of this year’s Memorial Cup) send a huge package to the Everett Silvertips for Olen Zellweger. It’s an arms race in the WHL, and it should make for outstanding hockey down the stretch.

West Notes: McDonagh, Guenther, Gustavsson

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Amid their up-and-down season on and off the ice thus far, eight points out of a playoff spot coming into today, unable to extend Bo Horvat, and listing only Elias Pettersson as “untouchable,” it appears the Vancouver Canucks need to start setting their eyes on the future. Part of that future is likely with Pettersson, as well as Quinn Hughes, Thatcher Demko, and the recently-extended J.T. Miller, but will also come with their young prospects. One of those prospects, who has yet to sign with the team, is Northeastern University forward Aidan McDonagh.

The 23-year-old is finishing up his fourth season in the NCAA where he has 13 goals and 14 assists in just 20 games and is over a point-per-game during his four years. A 2019 seventh-round pick of the Canucks, Vancouver’s rights with McDonagh expire on August 15th. According to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin was in Boston this weekend to meet with McDonagh. Per Dhaliwal, that meeting went very well, with Allvin laying out his plan for the player should he choose to sign. Despite the positive meeting, there is still no indication of how likely McDonagh is to sign with the team that drafted him.

  • After scoring the golden-goal for Team Canada at this year’s World Juniors, Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther immediately rejoined his team, flying back to Arizona on Friday, less than 24 hours after the biggest goal of his life to-date. Given the whirlwind few days for Guenther and having been away form his NHL team for a few weeks, many would understand if the winger didn’t play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, that won’t be the case says PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan, who reports that Guenther will play at home Sunday. Guenther, 19, had been one of a few key difference-makers for Canada at this year’s tournament, and has been off to a nice start to his NHL career too, recording 11 points in 21 games prior to joining Team Canada.
  • Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who last played Wednesday and has been out with a non-COVID illness since, is expected to start this evening’s game at home against the St. Louis Blues, says The Athletic’s Joe Smith. Gustavsson’s illness had apparently been enough that he couldn’t simply back-up for Marc-Andre Fleury, but the team had to instead recall netminder Zane McIntyre on an emergency basis Friday morning. The Wild play at home this evening before a two game midweek road trip to New York City and Long Island.

Poll: Who Will Finish With The Best Chance At First Overall?

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Success at the World Junior Championship doesn’t guarantee success in the NHL. It’s a junior tournament, after all, and there are countless examples of players who star there only to find it difficult to translate their game to the professional level. Esa Keskinen, for example, is one of the highest-scoring players of all time with 31 points in two tournaments. The fifth-round pick never came over to North America (likely due to his small stature during a different era of hockey), playing out his career in Finland and Sweden instead.

But even as scouts are starting to place less importance on performance there, the World Juniors plays an important role in something else for future stars: an introduction to a wider audience.

In the grand scheme of hockey fans, there aren’t many watching Regina Pats games. They might not get a chance to see future first-overall pick Connor Bedard on a very regular basis, if at all. So when he puts up seven points in one game or comes within one goal of the Canadian record from a ridiculous angle suddenly fans from across the league start dreaming about him pulling on their sweater next season.

Tanking for the first-overall pick doesn’t work all that well in hockey. The draft lottery gives hope to around half the league (depending on trades) and causes anxiety for those clubs at the bottom of the standings. Going into tonight’s games, the Chicago Blackhawks have the best odds of winning the right to select Bedard. Chicago has lost nine of their last ten and 25 of 33 on the year. Their .303 winning percentage would be the third worst in the salary cap era if it continued all year. The two teams ahead (or behind) them though – the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche and 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings – both failed to win the lottery.

Colorado fell to fourth after three teams jumped them, and got the consolation prize of Cale Makar. The Red Wings fell three spots too and had to settle for Lucas Raymond.

There have been some changes since then, meaning Chicago (or whoever finishes last) won’t drop quite so far. But coming last still by no means guarantees the top pick. In fact, a team like the Montreal Canadiens could theoretically end up with an even greater chance, even without finishing last. The Canadiens have their own pick and Florida’s, who are also currently out of the playoff picture. Should the Panthers drop even further, Montreal would essentially have two cracks to move up.

There is also a lot of hockey left to play. One more win would tie the Blackhawks with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Two would bring them even with the Anaheim Ducks, who have played three more games. There’s a long race to be run by quite a few teams.

So as you watch Bedard (and Adam Fantilli) pile goals onto an overmatched Austrian squad, who do you think will enter the draft lottery with the best chance? Cast your vote below and explain how you see it playing out in the comments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Loan Liam Kirk To Finland’s Jukurit

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Earlier this afternoon, the Atlanta Gladiators, the ECHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes and AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, caused a bit of a stir when they announced forward Liam Kirk had been recalled by the Coyotes. Though Kirk had been off to a strong start with the Gladiators, registering 11 points in 15 games thus far, a recall by Arizona appeared surprising, given he’s played just one game at the AHL level this season and just eight a season ago.

PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan clarified that transaction, reporting that Kirk had actually been loaned to Jukurit in the Finnish League, which is coached by former Coyotes forward Olli Jokinen. Morgan adds that with the transaction, Arizona will retain Kirk’s rights and chances are he’ll return to North America next season, most likely as a member of the Roadrunners.

The 22-year-old Kirk is an interesting case as a prospect. Born and raised in England, Kirk played the majority of his youth hockey in Sheffield, turning pro at the age of 16. Kirk’s success as a teenager at England’s highest level of hockey got him noticed and he was ultimately drafted in the seventh-round by the Coyotes in 2018.

After being drafted, Kirk came to North America and spent two strong seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, registering 47 points in 63 games his first season and 50 points in 47 games his second. Following his two-year OHL stint, Kirk returned to England for one season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, playing in just 14 games, but dominating with 20 points. The forward returned to North America last season, but played in just nine AHL contests between last season and this one combined. However, after joining the Gladiators earlier this season, Kirk appeared to find a groove.

The loan to Jukurit isn’t necessarily bad news or a demotion. In fact, this opportunity might be a step forward for Kirk. As talented as the players in the ECHL are, it’s the third league in North America and doesn’t see too many players that are representative of NHL competition. Jukurit, on the other hand, plays in Finland’s top league, where Kirk will face players who fit into one or more categories: stars and veterans of Europe’s top leagues, former NHL and AHLers, and top NHL prospects.

While the European game is different from what he’d see in the NHL, Kirk has had ample exposure to North American hockey in Peterborough and Atlanta, but now he’ll gain more exposure to top competition. Perhaps not as impactful to Arizona’s decision, but helpful to Kirk, the loan will get him closer to home, at least on the same continent.

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