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Evening Notes: Game Three Scratches, O’Brien, Boucher

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A storyline of these playoffs has been the last-minute availability and absence of key players, and tonight’s Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals doesn’t appear to be any different. The most notable absence is that of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point, who did not take the ice for warmups. Point had missed the entirety of the second and third rounds for Tampa after suffering a a lowery-body injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game Seven of their first round series. Point had been listed as a game-time decision heading into tonight, but that decision appears to be made. With the Lightning down 2-0 in the series, they will need a stepped-up team effort at home to not only make up for Point’s absence, but to get back in the series as a whole. Forward Riley Nash will take Point’s place.

Just across the ice, the Colorado Avalanche are going to be without forwards Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky for Game Three. Both players were also listed as day-to-day, Kadri still recovering from a hand injury, and subsequent surgery, suffered in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals when he was boarded by the Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane. Burakovsky, who sustained an upper-body injury at the start of the second period of Game Two against Tampa Bay, did not travel with the team to Florida, but has since joined the rest of the group, so his status for Game Four is still up in the air it would appear. Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will take Burakovsky’s place in the lineup.

  • Boston University forward and 2018 Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick Jay O’Brien recently underwent surgery on his hip, reports Mark Divver of NHL.com, but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season. O’Brien’s case is an interesting one, yet to sign a professional contract, he has struggled at times since being drafted. As a freshman at Providence College, he recorded just five points in 25 games before leaving. He spent 2019-20 in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees where he was expectedly good, tallying 66 points in 46 games before a transfer to Boston University for the 2020-21 season. Over the past two seasons at Boston University, O’Brien has impressed with 38 points in 40 games. Although his future professional career still has promise, it will be up to O’Brien to recover strong from injury and impress once again in the NCAA in order to prove he belongs as one of the Flyers’ top prospects.
  • According to Thomas Hall of Yahoo Sports, former NHLer Reid Boucher has signed a one-year deal to return to Omsk in the KHL. Boucher left North America and signed with Omsk ahead of the 2020-21 season, putting up solid numbers before moving onto Yaroslavl, and now returning to Omsk. In that time, Boucher has dealt with legal trouble back in North America, his contract with Yaroslavl terminated in February after he pled guilty to sexual assault of a minor.

Metro Notes: Strome, Flyers, Hanus

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It was obvious to anyone watching the Eastern Conference Final that New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome wasn’t playing fully healthy. During his end-of-season availability today, Strome revealed that he had suffered a pelvic injury midway through the regular season and managed it all the way through the rest of the season and playoffs.

What’s unclear at this point is whether surgery will be required or not. It’s bad timing for Strome, who could hit unrestricted free agency on July 13 if he’s not re-signed by the Rangers. Strome did express his interest in re-signing today, but it’s anyone’s guess whether or not that will come to fruition. With the bevy of Rangers prospects finally starting to emerge through the cracks, the team will have to make space for those kids somewhere. It seems logical from an organizational perspective that Strome wouldn’t be retained, especially with the acquisition of Andrew Copp.

  • The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco refutes the reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have narrowed down their coaching search. He does go so far as to say that the three rumored finalists of Barry Trotz, John Tortorella, and Peter DeBoer are still under consideration, but he makes the distinction that the Flyers have just two or three names remaining on their coaching search list. Whether or not an outsider to those three ends up with the job remains to be seen.
  • The ’Baby Penguins’ made some news today, as AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announced the signing of defenseman Clay Hanus from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks for 2022-23. The Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate will add some solid defensive depth, as Hanus exploded for 74 points in 68 games this year. He’ll look to continue his development as an undrafted free agent with WBS and hopefully receive an NHL deal from Pittsburgh at some point down the road.

Zachary Bolduc Assigned To AHL

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With the Quebec Remparts eliminated a few days ago, Zachary Bolduc is now free to get a taste of the professional ranks. The St. Louis Blues prospect has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Laval Rocket.

Bolduc, 19, was the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft and emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the QMJHL this season. He finished tied for second in league scoring with 55 goals, 22 ahead of his nearest teammate. His 99 points also put him near the very top of the list, and he continued it into the playoffs with strong performances through three rounds.

Given he only turned 19 in February, Bolduc is another one of those top prospects that will face a difficult challenge next fall. It’s either the NHL or junior for him as he will not be eligible to play full-time in the AHL, meaning this action with Springfield will be his only taste of the minor leagues for quite a while.

The Thunderbirds will play game three of their series tomorrow night, and it remains to be seen whether Bolduc will actually get into any game action at this most important juncture.

Wyatt Johnston Named OHL Most Outstanding Player

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Despite a disappointing playoff exit, a coaching departure, and some key names hitting free agency, there are still things for the Dallas Stars to look forward to. One of those things is Wyatt Johnston, the team’s 2021 first-round pick and superstar for the Windsor Spitfires. Today, Johnston was named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player, taking home the Red Tilson Trophy, after leading the league in scoring.

Johnston, 19, was the 23rd overall pick in 2021, and like so many other prospects had missed the entire 2020-21 season because of the OHL shutdown. His training in the year off must have been spectacular, as he went from scoring 30 points in 53 games during his rookie season to 124 points in 68 games this year. It didn’t stop at the end of the regular season either; Johnston leads the OHL in playoff scoring with 37 points in 21 games and has his Spitfires up 2-1 in the league final.

Incredibly, that breakout season did not include an invitation to Team Canada’s World Junior team, something that will likely be rectified if given the chance when the event is rescheduled this summer. Of course, Johnston may also have bigger plans on his mind when August rolls around.

Like many other star draft picks, there will be a big decision for the Stars when next season starts. Johnston cannot be loaned to the AHL on a full-time basis because of his age (he only turned 19 a few weeks ago), meaning it’s either the NHL or the OHL in 2022-23. With his Windsor head coach Marc Savard getting linked to Dallas’ coaching search, perhaps the former is a real possibility for the young forward.

It’s hard to fathom what he could do if he returned for another year, seeing as the OHL already couldn’t contain him this season. Already signed to his entry-level contract, he’ll be able to play in nine games before burning the first year of the deal.

2022 NHL Draft Combine Results

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The NHL held its annual Draft Combine over the past week, with players able to speak with their potential teams and participate in fitness testing. The physical part of the week was held on Saturday (with a select few tests occurring the day before), with 85 prospects trying their best to show off their strengths in the gym.

Here are the results of the tests, thanks to NHL Central Scouting:

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Morning Notes: Draft Prospects, Pokka, Kravtsov

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More than 70 percent of PHR voters believe that Shane Wright is still the top choice for the Montreal Canadiens at the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft, and if you asked Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, he’d agree. Wheeler has Wright in the No. 1 spot on his updated top-100, though does note that he is no longer in a tier above the rest of the field.

Interestingly enough, Juraj Slafkovsky, who overtook Wright on Corey Pronman’s recent list, is much further down Wheeler’s. The big winger isn’t even the top-ranked player from Slovakia, as the prospect prognosticator continues to rank Simon Nemec higher than most of the other publicly available lists. As always, the entire list is worth a read, given how detailed Wheeler dives into some of the lower-ranked names.

  • Highly-ranked prospects don’t always work out though, something the Chicago Blackhawks found our first hand with Ville Pokka, the 34th overall pick in 2012 and a big part of the return for Nick Leddy two years later. Pokka, despite strong offensive numbers in the AHL, never could put together his defensive game well enough to earn an NHL opportunity, and the defenseman left for the KHL in 2018. After four years in Russia, he’s headed to Sweden, where he’ll join Farjestad next season.
  • Vitali Kravtsov, another prospect that hasn’t quite panned out just yet, has apparently turned down an offer from the KHL as he eyes a return to North America. The 22-year-old winger is a pending restricted free agent but will still be under control of the New York Rangers, should they issue him a qualifying offer. In his partial season with Traktor this year, Kravtsov proved he can play to a high level in the KHL, scoring 13 goals and 23 points in a combined 34 games.

Prospect Notes: Gauthier, Spence, Capitals

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Many draft experts will often express something like “with all else equal, take the center” when discussing forwards. The position is much more coveted than wing, especially near the top of draft boards. Perhaps that’s why Cutter Gauthier is flying up rankings as this year’s draft approaches, finishing third among North American skaters in the final list from NHL Central scouting.

Gauthier, 18, will transition to center full-time next season for Boston College, and teams that have interviewed him this week at the combine see him in the middle, according to Corey Pronman of The Athletic. The 6’3″ forward is already an interesting mix of size and skill, meaning that news of his move to center makes him all the more intriguing as an option near the very top.

  • Malcolm Spence, a 15-year-old winger from the GTHL, has officially committed to the Erie Otters after the team selected him second overall in this year’s OHL draft. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise but means there will be plenty of eyes on the Otters over the next several years, as Spence tries to establish himself as one of the very top options for the 2025 draft. Mike Battah, co-director of scouting for the Otters, called Spence the most dynamic player in this year’s draft, despite going after first-overall pick and exceptional status player Michael Misa.
  • Technically, to carry a draft pick’s rights from year to year, a team has to extend a bona fide offer to them. Most teams don’t announce these offers publicly, but not so for the Washington Capitals, who tweeted today that Chase Clark, Joaquim Lemay, and Dru Krebs have all received one. This simply keeps them on the Capitals’ reserve list for another year, and certainly was an expected decision.

Full 2022 List Of Expiring Draft Rights

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When drafting a player out of North America or any European country with a transfer agreement, a team acquires their exclusive negotiating rights for a set amount of time. Each year on June 1, a long list of players see those rights expire and become unrestricted free agents (or choose to re-enter the draft, depending on specific circumstances). This year, even though many other NHL deadlines have been shifted, June 1 will still act as the threshold for expiring draft rights.

Some of the prospects that were previously on this list have signed, and are no longer listed. The rest are all to be considered unsigned, barring any late announcements from clubs.

Buffalo Sabres:

Linus Lindstrand Cronholm (117th overall, 2018)
Miska Kukkonen (125th overall, 2018)
William Worge Kreu (187th overall, 2018)

Calgary Flames:

Ryan Francis (143rd overall, 2020)

Carolina Hurricanes:

Lenni Killinen (104th overall, 2018)

Chicago Blackhawks:

Niklas Nordgren (74th overall, 2018)
Chad Yetman (172nd overall, 2020)

Colorado Avalanche:

Nils Aman (167th overall, 2020)

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Marcus Karlberg (80th overall, 2018)

Dallas Stars:

Albin Eriksson (44th overall, 2018)

Detroit Red Wings:

Jesper Eliasson (84th overall, 2018)
Alex Cotton (132nd overall, 2020)
Otto Kivenmaki (191st overall, 2018)

Edmonton Oilers:

Patrik Siikanen (195th overall, 2018)

Florida Panthers:

Justin Schutz (170th overall, 2018)

Minnesota Wild:

Filip Johansson (24th overall, 2018)*

Montreal Canadiens:

Jacob Olofsson (56th overall, 2018)

New Jersey Devils:

Benjamin Baumgartner (161st overall, 2020)**
Eetu Pakkila (203rd overall, 2018)

New York Rangers:

Jacob Ragnarsson (70th overall, 2018)
Evan Vierling (127th overall, 2020)

Ottawa Senators:

Eric Engstrand (155th overall, 2020)

Philadelphia Flyers:

Connor McClennon (178th overall, 2020)
Marcus Westfalt (205th overall, 2018)

San Jose Sharks:

Linus Oberg (206th overall, 2020)

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Declan McDonnell (217th overall, 2020)

Vancouver Canucks:

Toni Utunen (130th overall, 2018)

Washington Capitals:

Bear Hughes (148th overall, 2020)***

*As a first-round pick, if Johansson is not signed by the deadline the Minnesota Wild will receive a compensatory pick in this year’s draft. That pick would be the 24th selection in the second round, 56th overall. 

**Though traditionally draft picks out of Switzerland saw their rights held indefinitely, the new transfer agreement from 2020 that Baumgartner was selected under (combined with the fact that he was an overage player in the draft) means he will also become a free agent if not signed by the deadline. 

***Hughes has signed an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears but his NHL rights will still expire if not signed to an entry-level deal. 

Philadelphia Flyers Will Not Sign Connor McClennon, Marcus Westfalt

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With the deadline to sign him later today, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to watch at least one draft pick become an unrestricted free agent. Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Flyers will not sign Connor McClennon to an entry-level contract.

McClennon, 19, was selected 178th overall in 2020 and has taken his game to a new level this season for the Winnipeg ICE. Playing with a forward group that is loaded with offensive talent, the undersized forward took full advantage, scoring 43 goals to lead the club in just 62 games. His playoff performance was much of the same, with 21 points in 15 games before the ICE eventually lost to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Still, it’s hard to know if his performance was a true step forward or just the result of playing with names like Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie, two of the top handful of prospects for the 2022 draft. Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic tweets that the organization is not satisfied with McClennon’s skating, given his small stature.

Of note, McClennon could still sign a contract with the Flyers in the future but he will not be limited to them once the deadline passes. If another team wants to offer him an entry-level contract, he’ll be eligible to sign it as soon as this evening. He’s one of many players drafted in 2018 or 2020 that will become free agents today, including first-round pick Filip Johansson.

Later in the day, the team confirmed that they will also not sign Marcus Westfalt, the other player whose rights will expire today. The 22-year-old winger has been stuck in the Swedish second tier for several years and was always a longshot to sign after being selected in the seventh round of the 2018 draft.

Prospect Notes: Wright, Jiricek, Utunen

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The NHL Scouting Combine is underway for the first time since 2019–the last two years the event has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns–and Shane Wright has all eyes on him as the potential (but not consensus) first-overall pick. Mike Morreale of NHL.com tweets that Wright will have interviews with 12 different teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Arizona Coyotes, teams that will select in the top three later this summer.

While no sure thing to go first overall, it is unlikely that Wright drops much further than that meaning other teams with interviews booked don’t have a chance unless they found a way to trade up. The Devils at No. 2 have at least considered a move, should one present itself, though it still would need quite the return package after they moved up by way of the lottery.

  • David Jiricek, in the race for the top defenseman in this year’s draft, will not attend the combine according to Morreale. The young Czech just finished his World Championship run on Sunday (winning bronze) and now he won’t be able to meet with teams in person. Jiricek was fourth on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of international skaters, just behind Simon Nemec, the other player vying to be the first defenseman off the board this year.
  • Toni Utunen is one of the players whose draft rights will expire this week, and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks have no interest in signing him. The 22-year-old defenseman had 11 points in 59 games while playing in Finland’s Liiga this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June 1.

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