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Minor Transactions: 04/17/22

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NHL roster movement has slowed considerably with the trade deadline passed and the postseason just around the corner, but notable transactions continue in other leagues around the globe. While those moves often fly under the radar, especially at this time of year, here are some familiar names and worthwhile prospects to keep track of:

  • Tobias Rieder is staying in Sweden. The 29-year-old journeyman forward left the NHL for the first time in his pro career this season, signing on with the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers. After a successful season, recording 22 points in 36 games, it seems Rieder is willing to bypass any potential NHL interest this summer in exchange for some career stability. Vaxjo has announced a new two-year extension with Rieder, keeping the two-way forward through the 2023-24 season. Assuming he plays out the contract with the Lakers, it would mark the first time in his pro career that Rieder plays exclusively with one team for three consecutive seasons. Rieder began his NHL career in 2014-15 with the Arizona Coyotes, but split his rookie season with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Then, after two more seasons with the ’Yotes, he was traded midway through the 2017-18 campaign to the Los Angeles King and proceeded to play with a different team in each of the following three seasons: Edmonton, Calgary, and Buffalo. While Rieder has proved himself to be a serviceable depth forward in the NHL, the German forward is understandably content with playing a top-six role in Europe instead, especially if it means sticking with the same team.
  • Joey LaLeggia seems to be in the same boat as Rieder, albeit without the established NHL resume. LaLeggia, 29, is a former University of Denver standout and Edmonton Oilers prospect who played five seasons in the AHL before departing for Sweden in 2020-21. This year, LaLeggia stayed in the SHL but moved to Timra IK, a move that yielded strong results. LaLeggia recorded 38 points in 52 games, a top-three scorer on the team and the club’s all-time leader in single-season points from a defenseman. Playing a key role alongside another name familiar to NHL fans in Ty Rattie, LaLeggia has found an ideal fit in Timra. As a result, the team has announced a one-year extension with the capable blue liner, which could very well lead to a long-term deal if he continues to produce. LaLeggia may have had a case to try again in North America, but seems happy with his role in the SHL.
  • Twin brothers Ty and Dylan Jackson have left Northeastern and are headed across the country to Arizona State University. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the pair will join the Sun Devils, where they should step into major scoring roles for the next two or three years. Though undrafted, the duo have been effective players for the Huskies and their entry onto the NCAA Transfer Portal was a surprise. High-scoring forwards for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, the Jackson brothers arrived at Northeastern last year and made an immediate impact, both finishing as top-six scoring forwards. Dylan finished with more points than Ty as freshmen, but was limited to just eight games and three points this season. Ty was back in the top-six as a sophomore, recording 20 points in 28 games and leading all forwards with a +19 rating. There has been no word as to why the twins decided to move on from the Huskies, but will welcomed by a less talented Arizona State team looking to make their mark on college hockey as an independent. Depending on how their time at ASU goes, the Jackson brothers should have pro ambitions and may perhaps even draw NHL interest.

Nashville Predators Sign Adam Wilsby

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The Nashville Predators have inked another one of their prospects, this time signing Adam Wilsby to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2022-23. CapFriendly reports that the contract has a cap hit of $842,500, earning Wilsby a salary of $750,000 in year one and $775,000 in year two. Both seasons contain a signing bonus and minors salary of $80,000.

Wilsby, 21, recently finished his second full SHL season with Skelleftea AIK, where he recorded 17 points in 51 regular season games. The young defenseman was a fourth-round pick of the Predators in 2020, selected 101st overall. While he may not be the most exciting name in the Predators’ prospect pipeline, Wilsby can skate like the wind and at least represents some organizational depth on defense. His success in the SHL even early on suggests he could fit right in on an AHL blueline already, though it’s unclear at this point if that’s the plan for him next season.

Given that he’s unlikely to spend much time in the NHL, the team could still loan him back overseas for another year. In fact, since his SHL contract actually extends through 2022-23, that seems the likely scenario, despite this new entry-level deal with Nashville. It still might be some time until Predators fans see him in the NHL lineup, but the fact that his post-draft years have gone this well is always a positive.

Brendan Brisson, Thomas Bordeleau Sign AHL Tryouts

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Another pair of top college prospects have turned pro, as Brendan Brisson has signed a tryout agreement with the Henderson Silver Knights and Thomas Bordeleau has signed one with the San Jose Barracuda. Notably, both players would not be eligible to be assigned and play with the Silver Knights had they signed entry-level contracts with the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks respectively, so this is a way to get some AHL games first. At any point, the NHL squads could sign them and insert him into the lineup, should they have the cap space to carry the extra contract. If not, entry-level deals for 2022-23 will likely follow.

Brisson and Bordeleau are both Michigan standouts, and more Wolverines to leave the program behind in the last few days. They follow the likes of Matty Beniers, Owen Power, and Kent Johnson to professional hockey, though they won’t jump directly into the NHL lineup like their former teammates.

Selected 29th overall in 2020 Brisson, 20, has taken a clear step forward in each of his post-draft seasons. As a freshman for Michigan in 2020-21, he recorded 21 points in 24 games, while helping the U.S. take home gold at the World Juniors. This year, his offense exploded, with 21 goals and 42 points in 38 games, just barely coming in behind Beniers for the team lead. He was also selected to the U.S. Olympic team, where he scored twice in four games.

A tireless worker and creative play-driver, Brisson can generate opportunities for himself and his linemates with equal frequency. Returning to college likely would have put him in the conversation for the Hobey Baker or at least the national scoring race but there wasn’t a lot of extra development necessary for him to make an impact at the professional level. He should do that right away for the Silver Knights, who have seven games left in the regular season but have already clinched their spot in the Pacific Division playoff race.

Bordeleau, 20, was the 38th pick in 2020 and took a similar path, though his freshman season was even more impressive with 30 points in 24 games. This season he had 37 in 37, finishing third among Michigan forwards and fourth overall. Unfortunately, Bordeleau was robbed of two different opportunities to play at the World Juniors thanks to COVID testing; one year it was his positive result, another his roommate’s. It was actually when several of his teammates left for the Olympics that his game really rounded into form, given more responsibility and ice time. He’ll likely get that same opportunity in the coming years in San Jose, should he see extended time in the minor leagues.

A natural center that can fit any role, Bordeleau may end up topping out as a middle-six option at the NHL level. But with his offensive upside, work ethic, and penalty killing ability, there’s a long professional career ahead of him. That starts, for now at least, with the Barracuda, who are unfortunately only going to play a few more games this season. They’re last in the Pacific and are not going to make the playoffs, with just five games remaining on the schedule.

2022 NCAA Frozen Four Preview

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The culmination of the college hockey season has arrived. The “Frozen Four” is set to take place in Boston this weekend with the semifinal match-ups taking place tomorrow and the National Championship game on Saturday. While there are those who are understandably upset that there are somehow no New England teams to play in Boston, it truly is the best of the best at the end this year. Three No. 1 seeds advanced from their regional and the one outlier – Minnesota – was a No. 2 seed who had been a top-four ranked team for much of the second half of the season and arguably should have been a No. 1 seed. The four teams remaining were also the top four scoring offenses in college hockey this season. On top of that, all three Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalists are also still alive. Anyone could seize the title in what should be a great finale to the NCAA season.

Schedule

Thursday
Michigan vs. Denver, 5:00pm ET
Minnesota State vs. Minnesota, 8:30pm ET

Saturday
National Championship Game, 8:00pm ET

No. 1 Minnesota State

Record: 35-5-0
Accomplishments: NCAA Regular Season Champs, CCHA Tournament Champs, CCHA Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Nathan Smith (ARI), D Benton Maass (WSH)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: G Dryden McKay, F Julian Napravnik, D Akito Hirose

The Mavericks have basically been the wire-to-wire top team in the nation this season. Under head coach Mike Hastings, Minnesota State has made it to six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments but had struggled to advance past the first round, with many citing their strength of schedule as inflating their national ranking. That changed last season when the Mavericks made a run to the Frozen Four. This season, armed with a stronger non-conference schedule, Mankato was still No. 1 for the vast majority of the season and could finally be ready to take the title. While they aren’t as flashy on paper as the other remaining competitors and their prospect-laden lineups, Minnesota State had the best goal differential in the league this season, was second in defense, and tied with Michigan for second in power play efficiency. Veteran goaltender McKay was top five in the country in save percentage and goals against average and forwards Smith and Napravnik were both top five in points per game. Don’t underestimate the Mavericks.

No. 2 Michigan

Record: 29-9-1
Accomplishments: Big Ten Tournament Champs
NHL Prospects: D Owen Power (BUF), F Matty Beniers (SEA), D Luke Hughes (NJD), F Kent Johnson (CLB), F Mackie Samoskevich (FLA), F Brendan Brisson (VGK), F Johnny Beecher (BOS), F Thomas Bordeleau (SJS), G Erik Portillo (BUF), D Ethan Edwards (NJD), F Dylan Duke (TBL), D Jacob Truscott (VAN), F Eric Ciccolini (NYR)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: D Nick Blankenburg

The Wolverines entered this season as the championship favorites and have retained that title throughout, now heading into the Frozen Four. It is difficult to recall a more star-studded NCAA squad than the current Michigan roster, which includes a whopping seven first-round picks. Beniers has enjoyed one of the best all-around seasons of anyone in college hockey this season, while Johnson and Power both rank in the top five in assists per game. Yet, those three 2020-21 holdover who received so much draft hype last year are only the tip of the iceberg. Michigan can score with nearly anyone on the ice and Portillo can hold his own in net. They will be difficult to beat.

No. 3 Denver

Record: 27-9-1
Accomplishments: NCHC Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Bobby Brink (PHI), D Antti Tuomisto (DET), D Shai Buium (DET), D Sean Behrens (COL), F Carter Mazur (DET), D Michael Benning (FLA), F Carter Savoie (EDM), G Magnus Chrona (SJS), F Cole Guttman (TBL), F Brett Stapley (MTL), F McKade Webster (TBL), F Massimo Rizzo (CAR)
Notable 2022 NHL Draft Prospect: F Jack Devine

There is no question that the Pioneers are on the brink of greatness. Hobey Baker favorite Brink has been the most dynamic scorer in the nation this season, ranked first in points and assists per game by a significant margin. That’s not all that Denver has to offer though. Savoie is one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the NCAA, especially on the power play. Guttman is masterful at the face-off dot and a well-rounded weapon. The blue line is deep in NHL prospect talent. If the Pioneers have one weakness at this stage of the tournament, it could be starting goaltender Chrona, who simply hasn’t performed to the same level as his remaining counterparts. Yet, if any team can win in a high-scoring shootout with Michigan, it would be Denver.

No. 5 Minnesota

Record: 24-12-0
Accomplishments: Big Ten Regular Season Champs
NHL Prospects: F Chaz Lucius (WPG), D Ryan Johnson (BUF), D Jackson LaCombe (ANA), D Brock Faber (LAK), F Matthew Knies (TOR), F Tristan Broz (PIT), F Blake McLaughlin (ANA), F Aaron Huglen (BUF), D Jack Perbix (ANA), F Rhett Pitlick (MTL), D Mike Koster (TOR), D Ben Brinkman (DAL), F Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), F Sammy Walker (TBL)
Notable Undrafted Free Agents: F Ben Meyers

Led by top free agent and Hobey Baker finalist Meyers, the Gophers actually have more NHL Draft prospects than Michigan or Denver. Meyers is sixth in the NCAA in points per game as he leads a Minnesota team that has found ways to win at every turn this season, including splitting the regular season series with Michigan. McLaughlin, Knies, and LaCombe have all had terrific seasons as well, and when healthy Lucius has been dangerous. Goaltender Justen Close has performed admirably since taking over for Jack LaFontaine (CAR) mid-season and is not the weakness that many expected him to be. The Gophers are a real threat to knock off Minnesota State on Thursday.

 

Minor Transactions: 04/02/22

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The NHL Trade Deadline has passed, but key transactions continue to occur. The college free agent market is still going strong with NCAA standouts landing NHL and AHL contracts, while many leagues in Europe are already deep into the postseason with eliminated teams signing extensions and conversely allowing some notable names to become free agents. So while it may seem like the deadline puts an end to all important transactions until the offseason, there are still plenty of “minor” moves worth paying attention to:

  • The Boston Bruins have been busy in the college free agent market, signing Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin to an entry-level contract (he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday), as well as Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi and inking Ohio State defenseman Grant Gabriele to an AHL contract. They are back at it again, announcing a one-year AHL contract for 2022-23 and interim PTO for Omaha forward Joseph Abate. Abate, 23, is leaving college a year early to pursue his pro career. A defensive specialist, Abate only produced 32 points in 85 NCAA games but plays a physical checking game, excelled at the faceoff dot this season, and brings deceptive speed. A project for the Bruins, Abate will be groomed in Providence to potentially play a fourth line role down the road. Interestingly, Abate played junior hockey with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms with fellow Bruins prospects Curtis Hall, Trevor Kuntar, and Riley Duran. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have dipped into the college free agent pool, as their Silver counterparts in AHL Henderson announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract for North Dakota forward Connor Ford. A highly sought-after graduate transfer out of Bowling Green, where he played with fellow Knights prospect Brandon Kruse, Ford joined the Fighting Hawks this season and continued to produce. An incredibly consistent scorer through five NCAA season, the 24-year-old Ford appears to have the mature game that will translate to the pros. Ford finished second in scoring for North Dakota behind only Riese Gaber. Vegas certainly won’t mind if signing Ford help to convince the undrafted sophomore sensation Gaber to turn pro and sign with the Knights this year or even down the road.
  • Another NCAA addition is arriving in Lehigh Valley, as the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract with Notre Dame captain Adam Karashik. Karashik, 24, actually played in his first season with the Fighting Irish this season as a graduate transfer, but was named captain based on his veteran leadership and experience and the ability he displayed in four years at UConn. Karashik had always played a sound defensive game on the blue line, but took his offensive game to new heights this season with 16 points, matching his previous three seasons combined. A two-way, right-handed defenseman with a well-developed game, Karashik is a nice piece for the Flyers’ pipeline.
  • Moving overseas, NHL veteran Joakim Ryan isn’t rushing back to the NHL after a year away in Sweden. Instead, the 28-year-old has signed a one-year extension with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the team announced. While Ryan was on an NHL contract for all six of his first pro seasons, including playing 41+ NHL games twice, his value had tailed off before he departed for his native Sweden this past offseason. While he could likely still find a depth role in the NHL, no one will blame him for sticking with Malmo for another year after he emerged as a star for the team in 2021-22. Ryan recorded 31 points in 52 games, second on the team and a top-five mark among SHL defensemen.

More to come…

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Ty Glover

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The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to aggressively pursue undrafted college free agents, a strategy that they’ve used for years now to supplement their prospect pipeline that is often bereft of draft picks. The next college player to join Pittsburgh will be Western Michigan University sophomore Ty Glover, who has agreed to a three-year entry-level contract.

The deal will start in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859K at the NHL level. He will now report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season.

Glover, 21, recorded eight goals and 21 points in 39 games this season for the Broncos, whose season ended with a loss to Minnesota over the weekend. It’s been a winding road for the young forward, who failed to make the OHL–he was drafted by the Flint Firebirds in the 15th round–played two seasons of Junior B, a year in the OJHL, and a year in the USHL before heading to college. Despite landing 215th on NHL Central Scouting’s list of available prospects in 2019 he went undrafted but has now obviously done enough in two years of collegiate hockey to earn an entry-level deal.

Standing 6’3″ he represents another big body for the Penguins to try and develop, even if there likely isn’t a huge offensive upside available at the next level. The team has continually squeezed NHL minutes out of players who were otherwise overlooked, and Glover represents another one of those opportunities for Pittsburgh.

Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald broke news of the deal on Twitter. 

David Jiricek Not Part Of Czechia Training Camp Roster

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March 28: Unfortunately, after additional testing, Jiricek will not be able to take part in the camp. He has been ruled out for health reasons and replaced on the camp roster by David Kvasnicka. That chance to show what he can do on the international stage will have to wait.

March 25: Among the top prospects for the 2022 draft, there are really only two defensemen that stand out as candidates to go in the top ten. One of them is Simon Nemec, the Slovakian standout who would have played in the U18 Worlds, U20 World Juniors, and the Olympics all in the same season, had COVID restrictions not put some of that action on pause. Nemec is a star in the Slovakian league already and will likely suit up for his country at the World Championships, as he did last year.

The other is David Jiricek, whose draft stock was relatively uncertain after an early injury at the World Juniors. He hasn’t played since then, meaning it wasn’t clear at all whether scouts would get another chance to see him playing at a high level before this summer’s draft. Good news, Jiricek was named today to Czechia’s training camp roster for the World Championships, suggesting he could be ready to play in the May tournament, well ahead of the July draft.

The first thing you’ll notice about Jiricek, 18, is how mobile he is for a 6’3″ defenseman, seemingly floating around the ice both with the puck and without it. In 29 games at the highest level in Czechia, he recorded five goals and 11 points, his second full season with HC Skoda Plzen, even as a teenager. While some will undoubtedly prefer Nemec when it’s all said and done, Jiricek has ranked ahead of him at several stages. At the mid-season rankings, NHL Central Scouting had Jiricek fourth among all European skaters, with Nemec sixth. Bob McKenzie’s TSN mid-season scout poll published in January also had Jiricek as the top defenseman, this time seventh (Nemec ranked ninth).

While other defensemen may still make late pushes (Pavel Mintyukov and Denton Mateychuk come to mind), Jiricek and Nemec appear to be battling for the honor of being the first blueliner off the board in July. An appearance at the World Championship, where he could be on the ice against NHL talent, would certainly give the former a chance to impress.

Of course, NHL talent that is eliminated will also be joining the group, and other more veteran names from Europe. David Krejci, for instance, is expected to join the Czechia team a week or two before the tournament.

Canada Notes: World Juniors, Coronato, Knies, Senators

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After the 2022 Men’s U20 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship (WJC) was cancelled amid an outbreak of COVID-19 in late December, the IIHF announced that it would hold the tournament in August, 2022 in Alberta, Canada. While this was certainly great news for Hockey Canada and the country itself, Hockey Canada may stay busy. In the wake of the IIHF pulling the 2023 WJC out of Russia, the organization has asked Hockey Canada if it would be able to host the 2023 tournament, reports Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek on Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Currently, the IIHF is awaiting a response from Hockey Canada, but Marek adds that the belief is the tournament could be hosted in Ontario or to the east, perhaps somewhere in the Maritimes. Ontario has seen a World Juniors as recently as 2017, when the tournament was split between Toronto and Montreal (and consequently, Ontario and Quebec), but the tournament has not been held to the east since 2003, when it was held in Nova Scotia, split between Halifax and Sydney.

  • With Harvard University’s season coming to an end after a 4-3 loss to Minnesota State on Thursday, attention turned to Harvard forward and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato, to see if he may turn professional and sign with Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames are going to talk to the forward, but the belief is that he will ultimately return to Harvard for another season. Friedman mentions the concern Flames fans may have with talented Harvard prospects after their experience with Adam Fox, but cautions that Coronato shouldn’t be an issue for Calgary. Coronato, the 13th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games this season for Harvard.
  • Friedman also touched on another big-time NCAA prospect while speaking on Hockey Night in Canada: Matthew Knies. Knies has been the focus of recent discussion after being named in alleged trade discussions between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked about Knies, Friedman made it abundantly clear that there was an important distinction in these discussions, which is that Toronto was not shopping Knies, but instead that he was simply a demand of the Blackhawks in those discussions. After the discussions involving Knies and then-Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were made public, attention was brought on the top prospect, drawing the ire of Toronto GM Kyle Dubas.
  • The Ottawa Senators will not face any subsequent fines or discipline for any role they may have played with the issues surrounding Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause, reports Friedman, appearing to finally close the book on the non-trade. There had been speculation that the Ottawa Senators could be fined for the role they played in the matter, dating back to their trade of Dadonov to Vegas this offseason.

League Notes: World Cup, Combine, Trade Lists

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Although the trade deadline has passed and the draft and free agency are still months away, it hasn’t stopped TSN’s best from breaking significant news. In the latest “Insider Trading” segment, the group had plenty to say about upcoming events and changes for the NHL. Though down the road quite a ways, Darren Dreger reports that there could soon be a more concrete plan for the proposed 2024 and 2028 World Cups of Hockey. The NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and individual national federations are meeting in Paris this week to discuss how the NHL-operated international tournament could look. One major issue at hand is the possibility of a play-in tournament to determine the eight participants in each World Cup. There are many questions as to who might automatically qualify for the World Cup versus who might take part in the play-in, but Dreger at least notes that the play-ins would be held during the summer prior to the tournament, which could mean August 2023 would mark the start of the selection process.

Dreger does not believe that Canada and the United States would be taking part in play-ins (and does not make mention of Team North America, a novel and entertaining concept from the 2016 World Cup but one that appears to be dead all the same). Whether all European nations or just those lower on the IIHF rankings would participate in play-ins remains to be seen, as does the viability of a Russian entry given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and resulting IIHF sanctions. The most recent IIHF rankings have Finland and Russia among the top four hockey countries in the world with Canada and the U.S., with Germany, Czechia, Sweden, and Switzerland rounding out the top eight. The question becomes how many of these nations should earn automatic bids to the World Cup and how many spots should otherwise stay open for play-in winners. Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, and Denmark would certainly like a fair shot at qualification, especially given that each has NHL representation, while it might also be entertaining to see an expanded play-in field featuring some less established hockey countries like France and Great Britain, both of whom are currently within the top 16 globally. Dreger does not note the possibility of a return of Team Europe, encompassing players from non-qualifying nations, but that concept is likely to go the way of Team North America.  There is still plenty to figure out, but this week’s meetings in Paris could be a very productive step toward clarifying the return of the World Cup.

  • Dreger adds that another NHL-sponsored event making its return is the NHL Draft Combine. After being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the league will again host the pre-draft evaluation event this year, returning to Buffalo. The combine will be held from May 29 to June 4, giving teams plenty of time to assess results before the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7-8. As usual, the NHL playoffs will still be ongoing during the combine, but active teams can manage. More concerning though is that the CHL playoffs will also still be underway, which has not typically been the case. Due to COVID delays to the regular season schedule, the OHL and WHL will not kick off their postseasons until late April while the QMJHL will not get started until early May, making crossover with the combine a month later impossible to avoid. Dreger notes that the NHL wanted to hold an in-person combine at all costs in an effort to get the draft process back to normal, even if that meant some prospects could not participate. The CHL leagues will have to determine for themselves whether they will allow players to leave their teams or potentially pause postseason action during the combine. Scheduling flexibility is limited with the Memorial Cup dates already set for June 20-29. However, the junior leagues and teams have stock in the draft success of their players and know that those top prospects still playing and unable to attend the combine could be put them at a disadvantage.
  • As the ripples of the Evgenii Dadonov saga continue to be felt far beyond Las Vegas and Anaheim, Pierre LeBrun reports that changes to how trade lists are documented appear likely. As the NHL GM’s prepare to meet this week, with the Dadonov fiasco still fresh in their minds, it is not only LTIR management that they will discuss. LeBrun notes that they will also recommend that the complete terms of trade protection be shared with the NHL Central Registry and the NHLPA. Currently, only teams and player agents know the full contents of trade and no-trade lists and are the only ones monitoring when and if those lists are submitted. Seeing how well that worked out in Dadonov’s case, having extra eyes on that process from both the team and player side only serves to benefit the entire process. Though there is concern about a higher likelihood of these lists becoming public, this is outweighed by the procedural positives of trade protection.

Ottawa Senators Sign Philippe Daoust

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6:43 pm: Daoust’s three-year entry-level contract carries a $821,667 cap hit, per CapFriendly. Each year, he’ll see a $55,000 signing bonus, with a $750,000 base salary in 2022-23 and a $775,000 base salary in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

1:08 pm: The Ottawa Senators have signed prospect Philippe Daoust to a three-year entry-level contract that will start in 2022-23. The QMJHL forward currently plays with the Saint John Sea Dogs, where he will remain for the rest of this season. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion released a statement:

We’ve been very pleased with Philippe’s progress. He’s a highly skilled forward who displays good offensive instincts and creativity. With Saint John serving as Memorial Cup host this spring, we expect him to play an important role throughout the Sea Dogs’ post-season.

Daoust, 20, actually started this year with the Belleville Senators, playing 15 games at the AHL level before a trade brought his junior rights from the Moncton Wildcats to the Memorial Cup host Sea Dogs. In the 17 games he’s played since returning, Daoust has 11 goals and 22 points.

It’s an extremely uncommon path for a sixth-round pick, especially one that went completely undrafted in his first year of eligibility. But Daoust is an uncommon prospect, with even his junior career taking winding a very unusual road. From Barrie, Ontario, the young forward was completely passed over in the OHL draft and ended up playing in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League for 2018-19. That earned some interest, which took him away from the OHL and into the QMJHL, where he signed with Moncton.

As fate would have it, that decision would end up being a very good one for Daoust, who instead of missing an entire development season like the other OHL prospects in 2020-21, was able to play in 21 games with Moncton and show his game had reached an entirely different level. Overlooked for years, Daoust now has an NHL contract in hand and a future in the Senators organization.

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