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Minnesota Wild Place Jordan Greenway On Injured Reserve

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The Minnesota Wild placed winger Jordan Greenway on injured reserve Friday afternoon, recalling Adam Beckman from the Iowa Wild in his place, per a team release.

Greenway suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken after taking a hit from Kraken captain Mark Giordano.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo expands on the nature of a recent injury bug that’s hit the Wild, stating defenseman Alex Goligoski is out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury while Dmitry Kulikov is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

If Beckman draws into the lineup, it will be his NHL debut. The 75th overall pick in 2019 has seen his stock rise sharply and now finds himself mentioned in a trio of skilled forward prospects in Minnesota’s system, along with Marco Rossi and Matthew Boldy. Beckman has three points in four AHL games this season.

Greenway’s had somewhat of a rough start to the season with just two assists in seven games. He was expected to be a major contributor in the team’s top-six forward group after scoring a career-high 32 points in 56 games last season.

Beckman could certainly get a look playing directly in Greenway’s spot with Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno, but head coach Dean Evason could also shuffle the team’s line combinations to put Beckman in less of a checking role.

Rutger McGroarty Commits To Michigan

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Will the sun ever set on the Michigan empire? Technically the Wolverines have yet to actually win anything, but the No. 1-ranked team in the country is the heavy favorite to take the NCAA title this year and keep adding pieces that should make them of one if not the top contender for another year or two. The latest is forward Rutger McGroarty of the U.S. National Team Development Program, a consensus first-round pick and potential top-ten selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. College Hockey News’ Mike McMahon reports that McGroarty has verbally committed to Michigan and is expected to be part of their 2023 freshman class.

McGroarty, 17, has made his development intentions clear and just in time, with the National Letter of Intent signing period opening in just a few weeks. McGroarty was believed be considering a number of options – and not just within the college route – but it is hard to turn down an opportunity with Michigan right now. The Wolverines are the most talented team on paper bar none in the college ranks right now. Owen Power (BUF, No. 1 overall in 2021), Matthew Beniers (SEA, No. 2 overall in 2021), Luke Hughes (NJD, No. 4 overall in 2021), Kent Johnson (CLB, No. 5 overall in 2021),  Mackie Samoskevich (FLA, No. 24 overall in 2021), Brendan Brisson (VGK, No. 29 overall in 2020), Johnny Beecher (BOS, No. 30 overall in 2019) and Thomas Bordeleau (SJS, No. 38 overall in 2020) highlight a roster chock full of NHL talent, which also includes Erik Portillo (BUF) and Dylan Duke (TBL). While some of these players will depart after this season, especially if the Wolverines take home in the NCAA crown, reinforcements are on the way.  2023 top prospect Adam Fantilli is set to arrive in 2022 alongside McGroarty’s USNTDP teammate and fellow projected first-rounder Frank Nazar. In 2023, McGroarty is expected to be joined by another current teammate and potential 2022 top pick Seamus Casey and two current U-17 standouts and 2023 hopefuls Charlie Cerrato and Trey Augustine. At this rate, several other elite prospects are likely to call Ann Arbor home soon too. It’s an embarrassment of riches in Michigan right now but McGroarty should be one of the best of the next wave.

The hype around McGroarty is well-founded as the skilled center brings a balanced attack with both goal-scoring and play-making ability. He already has four goals and ten points in eight games for the U-18 team this season after scoring at better than a point-per-game pace in 35 contests with the U-17 group last year. McGroarty also boasts 200+ lb. size already as well and has another year to continue bulking up before tackling the college level. A comparable player to recent USNTDP star and top pick Alex Turcotte, McGroarty could rise up draft boards this season to become a household name by draft day.

Cole Perfetti Assigned To AHL

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Usually, when a 19-year-old CHL prospect is knocked out of the NHL lineup, his team is forced to send back to junior for the whole year or just hold him as an extra. Both are sometimes detrimental for his development, so for years, teams have wished for an AHL exemption when it comes to elite prospects. This year, that exemption exists for a handful of players who spent at least 20 games at the AHL level last season.

Today, the Winnipeg Jets and Cole Perfetti will take advantage of it, as the young forward has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose. Perfetti played in 32 games with Manitoba last season when the OHL campaign was canceled and actually did quite well. Despite being younger than almost every one of his opponents, the 2020 first-round pick racked up 26 points in 32 games for the Moose. Now he’ll get the chance to build on that performance and continue his professional career, instead of returning to the OHL where he had already proved his dominance.

Perfetti made the Jets out of camp but was a healthy scratch on Tuesday night as the Jets decided to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against the Minnesota Wild. One thing to remember when it comes to this decision is that while Perfetti has an exemption and can play in the AHL, his contract status is no different than any other 19-year-old prospect. That is, if he plays in eight more games this season he would burn the first year of his entry-level deal. If not–even if he’s playing in the AHL–that deal will slide forward a year and not expire until 2025.

Another added bonus of sending him to the AHL instead of the OHL? Perfetti can be recalled at any point should he show enough to earn a full-time NHL spot, or if the team has injuries that need to be covered. With the team potentially bracing for more positive COVID-19 results, he could even be up within a few days. The Moose are on the road in Laval tonight, but will return home to Manitoba for a four-game homestand that starts on Friday night. If Perfetti’s to continue developing into the player the Jets projected at 10th overall, he needs to play.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Golden Knights, Girard

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NHL Central Scouting released their list of “players to watch” for the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft, and potential first-overall pick Shane Wright is one of 23 players ranked as an “A” prospect. The others, which include names like Brad Lambert, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Conor Geekie, and Matthew Savoie, are obviously all names to keep in mind as this year progresses.

Notably, there are only five defensemen and no goaltenders ranked as “A” prospects, with forwards dominating the top of the list this year. The group is also tilted slightly toward North American skaters, with 13 of the 23 coming from this side of the pond.

  • The Vegas Golden Knights may have dodged a bullet when it comes to Mark Stone, who won’t need surgery according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. The Golden Knights captain is somewhere “between day to day and week to week” says head coach Pete DeBoer. Mattias Janmark, meanwhile, is still in the COVID protocol and will not be available tomorrow night. DeBoer expects him to be cleared soon.
  • The first three players on each Olympic roster have already been announced, but a few days ago each participating nation also had to submit a “long list” of potential NHL candidates. Though it hasn’t been released to the public yet, at least one name won’t be included. Samuel Girard told reporters including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press that received a call from Canada GM Doug Armstrong, who explained that he did not make the long list. It certainly would have been difficult for Girard to make the team anyway, but his exclusion even from the possible targets shows just how deep the Canadian blue line is.

Minnesota Wild Suspend Ivan Lodnia

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There have long been expectations for Ivan Lodnia to get to the pro ranks in North America and now, just when it seemed like he was finally there, it may already be over for the young forward. Lodnia, in the fifth year of his entry-level contract but just the first in which he had planned to play within the Minnesota Wild organization, has been suspended indefinitely. Lodnia opted not to report to the ECHL’s Iowa Heartlanders after failing to earn a roster spot with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that the team has in turn informed Lodnia’s agent that he is on unpaid suspension until he agrees to play in the ECHL – or until the two sides decide on a mutual contract termination.

Lodnia, 22, was once a well-regarded prospect for the Wild, but that status is now in doubt. A 2017 third-round pick, Lodnia had the rare development path of playing for both the U.S. National Team Development Program and in the Canadian major junior ranks with the OHL’s Erie Otters and Niagara Ice Dogs. Lodnia signed his entry-level deal in the same year that he was drafted and proceeded to play at a near point-per-game pace in the OHL that season and even earn some AHL action on an amateur tryout with Iowa. Following a move to Niagara, he succeeded in topping a point-per-game pace in his final two junior seasons. The young forward looked primed to get his start in the AHL last season, but due to the delay in the start of the season he instead was playing in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk and the Wild opted to leave him on loan with the club through the 2020-21 campaign. Lodnia managed only seven points in 27 games with Minsk, but it was it his first pro experience.

One can understand why Lodnia might be confused and frustrated with his current situation. A young forward with strong junior numbers, solid draft pedigree, and pro experience who the team once valued so much that they signed him almost immediately drafting him: why is he not getting a chance in the AHL? While Lodnia does not seem like the caliber of prospect that should be in the ECHL, ultimately it is his job to play where the Wild ask him to play. After a season spent overseas seeing minimal ice time, Minnesota may want him to play top line minutes in the ECHL rather than a depth role in the AHL. The team may also be concerned about him even getting into the Iowa lineup with a full set of a dozen forwards signed to NHL deals who are also currently assigned to the AHL. Not only that, but Iowa’s current forward corps boasts a number of top prospects as well as seasoned veterans. Lodnia may simply be the odd man out right now.

Whatever the reasons, Minnesota has the right to assign their prospects where they see fit and to suspend them if they do not report. Per Russo, Lodnia is currently at home and still debating whether he will report to Iowa City or not and will remain suspended until there is a shift in the status quo. If no resolution can be reached, Lodnia’s contract could be terminated, making him a free agent. It’s an interesting possibility given that, on paper, he still looks like a good prospect and may not be the typical clean waive-and-terminate if other NHL teams are interested. However, Lodnia’s insistence on playing where he wants and not where the team needs him could be a turn off to rival clubs. With KHL experience already on his resume, perhaps a termination could lead to a return to Europe like so many do, though it would be a disappointing result for a long path toward NHL relevance for Lodnia.

Kings’ Quinton Byfield Out Indefinitely With Fractured Ankle

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When the Los Angeles Kings recalled four players early on Wednesday, they included that 2020 second overall pick Quinton Byfield had suffered an injury in team’s preseason game on Tuesday night, which at least partially prompted the early promotions. An update later in the day stated that Byfield was considered week-to-week but that more information would soon be available. The Kings have now fully disclosed the nature of Byfield’s injury and it seems “week-to-week” was even understated. Byfield has suffered a fractured left ankle and is out “indefinitely”. L.A. will place the young forward on the injured reserve and he will be re-evaluated in a matter of “weeks”.

This is not how the Kings wanted to start the 2021-22, in which they hope their young talent can support their veteran core in taking a step forward. Byfield is not only L.A.’s best prospect, he is one of the best in the entire NHL. The big center is a budding power forward who recorded 20 points in 32 AHL games as a first-year pro last season while also skating in six NHL games. Expected to take on a larger role this season, Byfield’s start is now on hold for an extended period of time. Recent broken ankles in the NHL have ranged from a one-to-two month absence – and that is if surgery can be avoided. It could be even longer for Byfield, which also doesn’t include the time needed to get back into game shape. Byfield’s season, once it is ready to begin, now likely starts back with the AHL’s Ontario Reign rather than with the Kings.

The silver lining is that L.A. has no shortage of centers, veterans and prospects alike. Free agent addition Phillip Danault joins captain Anze Kopitar as a strong one-two punch down the middle, while the team will not hesitate to give other promising youngsters like Gabriel Vilardi, Lias Andersson, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, and Akil Thomas a look in the third-line pivot role that Byfield was expected to fill. Yes, they are that deep in NHL-ready prospect centers. Perhaps the silver lining of the injury to Byfield, a surefire future starter, is that the Kings can get a better look at some of their other young options.

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, CHL Rankings, Oilers

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie has come out of his semi-retirement to provide one of the most interesting lists of the year, releasing his preseason rankings for the 2022 NHL Draft. McKenzie polls ten active NHL scouts and Shane Wright, the Kingston Frontenacs superstar center, was a unanimous choice as the top player heading into this season. Not only that, but the scribe suggests that Wright probably would have been the top-ranked player in the 2021 draft had he been eligible.

That’s incredibly impressive, given that Wright isn’t a late-September birthday that just missed the cutoff. He won’t turn 18 until January, but already has teams drooling over his potential as a true first-line center. Granted exceptional status for the OHL, he scored 39 goals and 66 points in his first season of CHL hockey in 2019-20, but missed last season when his league failed to hold a season. Still, Wright dominated at the U18 Worlds with nine goals and 14 points in five games, taking home the gold medal with Canada.

  • The presence of Wright in Kingston makes the Frontenacs a team to feat this season, but that still didn’t put them at the top of the CHL rankings released today. That spot went to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who look like a powerhouse in the WHL with top draft picks Dylan Guenther and Sebastian Cossa leading the way. Jake Neighbours, who is still in camp with the St. Louis Blues, will also likely be returning to Edmonton where he could very well contend for the league scoring title. Neighbours has been the talk of camp in St. Louis, with Blues head coach Craig Berube calling him a “dog on a bone” this week and Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest suggesting that he could even join the NHL team at the end of the 2021-22 season.
  • The Edmonton Oilers sent cut several prominent prospects today, including Raphael Lavoie, who will have to wait for his chance at the NHL level. The 21-year-old forward had an outstanding first season of professional hockey in 2020-21, racking up 45 points in 51 games during a loan to Sweden and then returning with a strong performance for the Bakersfield Condors down the stretch. While there are several more experienced names in Oilers camp vying for the last few spots, it is somewhat surprising that he was already sent to the AHL with five more preseason games to go.

College Hockey Round-Up: Season Preview

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Though the focus of the hockey world may be on the NHL preseason right now as we prepare for a full season for the first time in two years, college hockey is also making its triumphant return to play this weekend. After a season in which a number of teams did not participate, NCAA Division I men’s hockey is back at full strength – and then some. The University of St. Thomas is the newest member to the upper echelon of college hockey and will make their DI debut on Saturday in the first game of a home-and-home against championship runner-up No. 2 St. Cloud State. The weekend’s docket, though all non-conference matchups, still contains a number of incredible contests. Reigning NCAA champs No. 1 UMass starts with a tough test as they host No. 5 Minnesota State in a must-watch series. Lake Superior State and No. 17 Nebraska-Omaha is another clash of 2021 tournament teams, while UMass Lowell travels to Arizona State in a meeting of hopeful programs and the vaunted No. 3 Michigan starts off their campaign with a good challenge against Bowling Green.

Season Opening Rankings

The first national rankings, courtesy of USCHO.com, were released on Monday to open up the college hockey season. Predictably (albeit unimaginatively) last season’s champ and runner-up sit at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Yet, UMass and St. Cloud State face a serious threat in No. 3 Michigan, the majority favorite to win the NCAA title this year. Like Wisconsin two years ago, fans are gravitating toward the team with the most elite NHL Draft talent and Michigan takes that title handily with four of the top five selections in the 2021 draft class along with three additional first-round picks and a number of other NHL prospects. The Wolverines look dangerous, but have high expectations to live up to.

The “State of Hockey” is well-represented at the top of the rankings. Beyond St. Cloud State are No. 4 Minnesota, No. 5 Minnesota State, and No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth (who ironically all come from different conferences.) Duluth could have a bone to pick with their ranking as NCAA Champs in 2018 and 2019 and a Frozen Four finalist last year, only losing to eventual champ UMass. Minnesota State was a also a finalist in 2021, finally bucking the trend of early tournament exits. Minnesota won a stacked Big Ten Conference last year and should be taken seriously, even with Michigan in their path to a title.

No. 7 Boston College and No. 8 North Dakota round out the group that should be considered top contenders to begin the year. The Eagles and Fighting Hawks are historic programs and perennial contenders and were the top two seeds in the NCAA Tournament last year.

A major drop-off in voting points separates the rest of the pack, none of whom received any first-place votes either. Highlights of the remainder of the Top 20 include No. 9 Quinnipiac, a rising program with a ranking to match; frequent top competitors in No. 10 BU, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 12 Providence. and No. 13 Denver; and the return of Ivy League power houses No. 14 Cornell and No. 15 Harvard. Atlantic Hockey hero No. 20 AIC wraps up the rankings, but there are 16 other schools who received votes, with Northeastern and UMass Lowell leading the chase.

What To Watch For This Season

If you are only going to watch one or two college hockey games this season, make them Michigan games. Owen Power (BUF), Matthew Beniers (SEA), Luke Hughes (NJD), Kent Johnson (CLB), Mackie Samoskevich (FLA), Brendan Brisson (VGK), Johnny Beecher (BOS), and Thomas Bordeleau (BUF) are all elite NHL prospects. Erik Portillo (BUF) and Dylan Duke (TBL) are no slouches either. At best, this team will be unstoppable. At worst, they will still be fun to watch. And with a couple of impressive recruiting classes along the way, may as well jump on the bandwagon now.

If you plan to watch a number of college hockey games this season and not just the Wolverines, you’re in luck. 40 programs have at least one drafted NHL prospect and eight, not including Michigan, have a double-digit total. Tyler Boucher (OTT) of Boston University, Matthew Coronato (CGY) of Harvard, Chaz Lucius (WPG) of Minnesota, and Corson Ceulemans (CLB) of Wisconsin are all 2021 first-rounders that aren’t playing in Ann Arbor this season. Jake Sanderson (OTT)and Tyler Kleven (OTT), selected in the first and second round respectively in 2020, are both current North Dakota defenders and future Ottawa Senators who could be manning the same blue line for years to come. Reigning Mike Richter Award winner Jack LaFontaine (CAR) of Minnesota is back for yet another year with the Gophers but sure to turn pro after the season, while Jay O’Brien (PHI) of BU has his sights set on the scoring title this year after finishing ninth in goals per game last year.

Of course, while it is great to watch your favorite NHL team’s draft picks play, it can be even better to build up excitement for the draft by keeping an eye on those top draft-eligible prospects. While this year’s crop of to-be-drafted freshman is not best or the biggest, it is led by a familiar name. Jack Hughes, yes a different Jack Hughes, looks to be the only surefire first-rounder out of the college ranks this year. The Northeastern center has been a well-regarded prospect in the U.S. ranks for some time and is ready to show what he can do at the next level. Denver winger Jack Devine could also sneak into the first round with a big freshman campaign, while defenseman Jake Martin of Wisconsin will try to show NHL teams that they should not have passed up on his top-notch defensive skills in the 2021 Draft. As always, some dark horse candidates could emerge over the course of the season as well. This weekend provides the first opportunity for prospects to make their mark on the college level and on NHL scouts.

Bruins Notes: Coyle, Lysell, Injuries

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To say it’s been an eventful offseason for the Boston Bruins would be an understatement. With the extensions for Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly and the acquisitions of Linus Ullmark and Nick Foligno came some serious departures. Longtime Bruin David Krejci left the team to continue his career at home in the Czech Republic, while netminder Tuukka Rask remains unsigned amid injury uncertainty. While Krejci’s replacement as the second-line center isn’t entirely clear, the frontrunner in the eyes of most is Charlie Coyle. However, as The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa notes, Coyle’s participation could be limited at the start of training camp. While not ordinarily a huge cause for concern, the news comes after it was revealed Coyle suffered through injury for much of last season and underwent knee surgery in July. It was an inordinately rough season for Coyle last year, who scored just six goals and 16 points in 51 games. An elevated role playing with Hall will likely boost those point totals. The team will be relying on Coyle much more next season to produce, meaning his health as the start of the season approaches could be a real storyline in Boston.

More from the Bruins’ sphere today:

  • General manager Don Sweeney, speaking after the Bruins’ development camp games concluded today, says that 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell will likely be playing in North American this season. Lysell signed his entry-level contract this summer after spending last season with Luleå HF in Sweden, but the signing offered little clarity over where he could take the ice in 2021-22. A loan back to Sweden was still possible, but it now appears he’ll be playing junior hockey this season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. It’s important to note that due to his European status and lack of a junior contract, Lysell was indeed eligible to suit up with the Providence Bruins in the AHL this year.
  • Shinzawa also notes that a trio of Bruins prospects — Victor Berglund, Josiah Didier, and J.D. Greenway — are all injured and unavailable for the beginning of training camp. The most exciting of these names to follow is undoubtedly Berglund’s. A seventh-round pick of the squad in 2017, he’s developed extremely well in his native Sweden. Loaned out to Luleå this year, sharing a team with Lysell, the 22-year-old impressed in his first season of SHL action with 21 points in 50 games. Likely a candidate to play serious minutes with Providence this year, Bruins fans may have to wait a little while to see him on the ice again.

Montreal To Host 2022 NHL Draft

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The 2022 NHL Draft will be held in Montreal at the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens. The event will be held over two days, starting on July 7. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement:

We are proud to announce that, once again, we are conducting our Draft in front of the great fans of the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal, the site of the first NHL Draft in 1963, is a wonderful place to bring the NHL family together and to focus on the future of our game as our Clubs call the names of top prospects from around the world. We also thank Geoff Molson and the entire Canadiens organization for their cooperation and support while we needed to conduct the Draft remotely the past two years.

The Canadiens had been set to host the 2020 draft before the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be held virtually. The expectation since has always been that the league would return to Montreal as soon as it could, and now that is official.

The most interesting part about this announcement is that NHL free agency will not open on July 1, as it did prior to the COVID-shifted calendars. Agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey tweets that the frenzy will be pushed back to mid-July, meaning once again it will be a condensed offseason. This is likely in part due to the extended season, as this year’s schedule is made up of 200 days thanks to an Olympic break in February.

It also means as PuckPedia points out, that the majority of players with signing bonuses will have them paid before the draft and free agency. That could drastically affect teams’ plans and player movement heading into the draft, as huge chunks of salary will have already been paid out.

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