Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Prospects

Frank Nazar Could Be An X-Factor In Chicago’s New Top-Six

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Chicago Blackhawks have had the wind behind their sails since drafting Connor Bedard. They’ve continued to announce exciting upgrades to the roster, the staff, and even the United Center; pulling out plenty of storylines ahead of next season. But that excitement has cast a bit of a shadow over the genuine rookie challenge awaiting top prospect Frank Nazar, and the X-factor role he could earn as a result.

Nazar signed his entry-level contract following the end of the University of Michigan season in April. He was soon granted the first three NHL games of his career, as part of a cohort of Hawks prospects receiving their debuts. But Chicago used Nazar the most, awarding him an average of 16 minutes of ice time and coupling him with Bedard for a quarter of his ice time. He only managed one goal in the appearances but looked ready to play at NHL pace, and next to NHL stars.

The hefty ice time he received in his debuts was an early sign of the role that Chicago thinks Nazar could fill. They didn’t waste his ice time, and gave him a chance to earn roles alongside their best players – sentiment that’d now be much more valuable following the many upgrades to the Blackhawks offense this summer. Chicago now sits with significantly improved top lines, thanks to the additions of Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as the return of Taylor Hall. That trio will join Bedard and, likely, Andreas Athanasiou or Philipp Kurashev to form an excitingly high-tempo and high-skilled Blackhawks top-six. But that leaves one spot open – and while hardened veterans like Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, or Ilya Mikheyev are likely safer bets for the role, Nazar could be much better fit for the high-skill calling card.

That’s certainly the moniker he built for himself at the U.S. NTDP, where Nazar fought with Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier for top-line minutes. He scored above a point-per-game pace in the role, and built up a knack for elevating talented wingers like Rutger McGroarty and Jimmy Snuggerud. He became a bit easy to forget during his absentee 2022-23 season – but rebounded with purpose last season, showing that he still had the ability to sway games with his flashy offense. He worked with McGroarty to carry Michigan to the Big Ten championship game and Frozen Four semi-finals – and carried the high-energy into his first taste with Chicago.

Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has said that all players stand an “equal chance” at making the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp, perhaps casting some doubt on Nazar’s undisputed role. But with a healthy summer and a sense of what he’s preparing for, it’s hard to imagine Nazar not taking a step up next season. He sits amid tough competition with Chicago’s hardened veterans and other top youngsters, like Lukas Reichel and Landon Slaggert. With one collegiate season to his name, Nazar also has the least experience of the bunch. But the Blackhawks will need a special offensive talent to round out their newly-constructed top-six – and Nazar’s skill seems like an early best fit. He may need to first prove himself in the minor leagues, or wait for others to struggle, but the sky will be the limit when Nazar earns a spot among Chicago’s now-high-scoring top-end.

Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite For The 2025 Calder Trophy?

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The hockey world is in for a treat with the 2024-25 rookie class. A long list of top prospects seem destined for NHL roles, including former high-end draft picks and controversial prospects. Their pursuit of meaningful NHL ice time will be undercut by what’s sure to be an exciting race for the 2025 Calder Trophy. The NHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award stands as perhaps the most coveted and exclusive award in the league, having previously gone to franchise-defining talents like Connor Bedard this year, Kirill Kaprizov in 2021, and Cale Makar in 2020. With such a star-studded cast of contenders this year, the winner may have to reach the heights of that trio to win over voters.

That could prove an easy feat for the pair of Macklin Celebrini and Matvei Michkov – likely the leading favorites as things currently stand. Celebrini was the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and is coming off a dazzling junior hockey career. After winning both the USHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ and ’Most Valuable Player’ awards as a 16-year-old in 2022-23, Celebrini became the youngest player to ever win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player this season. His prowess is undeniable. He’s a defiantly special playmaker, with all of the tools needed to match top speeds. Celebrini is set for a top-line role with the San Jose Sharks, while Michkov will fight for the same recognition from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Michkov is making the jump to the NHL a year earlier than expected, after being released from his contract with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg this summer. He makes the move to North America after proudly leading HK Sochi. Despite playing on a farm club to SKA, Michkov has still managed 61 points in 77 KHL games over the last two seasons. His 41 points in 47 games this year marked the most of any U20 KHL skater since Kaprizov, the record holder, potted 42 points in 49 games in 2017. Where Celebrini is a quick-thinking and quicker-moving playmaker, Michkov is an all-skill scorer, capable of using a mix of incredibly agile skating, great stickhandling, and a knockout shot to embarrass opponents in the offensive end. The sky is the limit for the Russian phenom, who should finally receive proper support after spending the last two seasons on muddling rosters.

Celebrini and Michkov will be challenged for their spot by a long list of high-end forwards, including Will Smith – who could find himself playing second-fiddle to Celebrini in San Jose. Anaheim Ducks center Cutter Gauthier could also break into the conversation – undermining yet another boost to the Flyers’ prospect pool. But of the many contenders, it’s the dynamic duo of Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque who seem most overlooked in early Calder talks.

Stankoven was a lightning bolt in his first taste of the NHL. The first-year pro fought his way to an NHL call-up with a then-league-leading 57 points in his first 47 AHL games. The scoring didn’t stop in Dallas, as Stankoven proceeded to score 14 points in 24 games – the highest scoring pace (0.58) of any first-year Star since Jason Robertson in 2021 (0.88) and John Klingberg in 2015 (0.58). Stankoven was just one game shy of losing rookie eligibility when Dallas’ season ended, though he was quickly slotted back into the lineup during the playoffs – which don’t count against Calder Trophy eligibility. He continued to hone his game in the race for the Stanley Cup, netting eight points in 19 games and earning a routine role in Dallas’ middle-six.

If not Stankoven, then it’ll be his electric centerman Bourque who wins the title for Dallas. The two forwards were unstoppable with the AHL’s Texas Stars last season, playing with a pace and chemistry that opponents simply couldn’t keep up with. Bourque stayed red-hot even after Stankoven’s call-up, ultimately leading the AHL in scoring with 77 points in 71 games and earning the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s MVP. That was despite last season being just the second pro year of Bourque’s career. He was impressive, and found a way to score consistently despite his oft-criticized frame.

Even with all of the acclaim of the aforementioned forwards, the award could still find its way to other hands. Shakir Mukhamadullin in San Jose, Lane Hutson in Montreal, and Olen Zellweger in Anaheim are all prime candidates from the blue-line, while Dustin Wolf in Calgary and Yaroslav Askarov in Nashville stand as favorites in net – though the latter will have to fight his way above Juuse Saros. It seems the Calder Trophy debate could go in one of countless directions when the first puck is finally dropped – but who do you think will win out? Will it be dazzling star prospects Celebrini or Michkov? Will defensive supports overtake the top scorers? Or will a player like Brad Lambert subvert everyone’s expectations? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments!

If the poll isn’t appearing, click here!

Snapshots: NCAA Recruitment, Colorado, Lekkerimäki

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The NCAA commitment window opened to the 2008 birth year on August 1st, bringing another wave of top young players to the collegiate level. International recruits have so far headlined this year’s class, with five Europeans and 13 Canadians already announcing their commitments. Among the notable international commits is hefty centerman Caleb Malhotra, who went eighth overall to Kingston in this year’s OHL Draft, but solidified his plans to play outside of the OHL with a commitment to Boston University. Malhotra is emerging as a top Canadian in the 2008 birth year – even despite battles with injury this season. He played in just 48 games, though he still did enough to score at a point-per-game pace and earn a five-star rating from PuckPreps, who praised his mobility and puck skills.

Malhotra – the son of longtime Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra – is a cerebral playmaker, who knows how to use his frame and stickhandling to create space. With a college commitment out of the way, he’s now set for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Malhotra is undeniably one of the BCHL’s top recruits and will now look to vindicate the expectations around him, and quickly bounce back from injury, by finding scoring quickly at the juniors level. If all goes well, he’ll enter BU with the same lofty expectations.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have announced they’ve hired Kim Weiss as a video coach and Matt Zaba as a goalie coach. Weiss moves to the pro level after becoming the first female coach in D-III history this season, serving behind the bench of her alma mater Trinity College. Trinity won their conference championship under Weiss’ guard – earning her a ring after losing in the NAHL’s 2023 Robertson Cup semifinals with the Maryland Black Bears. Zaba is also moving from American juniors, having spent the last seven seasons as the goalie coach for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He’s built up multiple NHL prospects over that span, including Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Filip Larson, Calgary Flames prospect Arseni Sergeyev, and Vegas Golden Knights prospect Isaiah Saville. He’ll now join that trio at the AHL level – coaching in familiar territory after starting his career at Colorado College. Zaba is also an alum of one NHL game, 66 AHL games, and 31 ECHL games – though much of his personal playing career was spent in Austria and Italy.
  • The Vancouver Canucks are facing a list of lineup questions as training camp approaches, shares Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who highlighted the right-wing role next to Jake DeBrusk and Elias Pettersson as the team’s most glaring hole. Drance mentioned Nils Hoglander as an early favorite for the role, though he’ll face pressure from new signee Daniel Sprong. However, Drance also noted that star prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki could be a dark horse to round out what should be Vancouver’s scoring line. Lekkerimäki won the SHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award last season, after posting 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games with Örebro HK. He signed his entry-level contract and moved to the AHL after Örebro’s early playoff exit – adding two points in six more games with the Abbotsford Canucks. Lekkerimäki is an effective scorer, with an eye for the offensive zone and hard snapshot – though his size has some worried about how he’ll adjust to the next step. It seems he’ll have a chance to answer that bell at training camp, as he fights for a significant role out of the gates.

Three Questions Ahead Of The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is set to kick off in Edmonton on August 5th. The event will feature the top U18 players from eight countries – Canada, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. It’s the first chance for many of the top names in the 2025 NHL Draft to earn their keep, sparking plenty of storylines worth following closely. We’ll break down three top storylines entering the unofficial start of the NHL scouting season.

The Top Storylines At The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Can Team Canada Achieve Yet Another Three-Peat?

Team Canada sits unrivaled atop the Hlinka leaderboards, having medaled in 28 of the 32 tournaments since 1991 – including a seven-year Gold streak from 1994 to 2002 and an eight-year streak from 2008 to 2015. Moreover, Canada has won Gold at every Hlinka hosted in Canada – and they seem poised to uphold that prophecy this year. The Canadian roster is full of top-end NHL Draft talent, including the perennial Gavin McKenna – who recently broke Alex Ovechkin’s U17 scoring record at the World U18 Championship with 10 goals and 20 points in just seven games. McKenna is among the best prospects in hockey right now – and isn’t draft-eligible until 2026. He’ll be well flanked by defenseman Matthew Schaefer – potentially this year’s top defenseman – and backed on the depth chart by Jake O’Brien – a flashy, two-way centerman vying for his own first round love.

And while Canada’s top-end offense extends well beyond the trio – it’s their depth that pushes them to the top once again. The competition for the team’s fourth line could feature some mix of Emile Guite, Ethan Czata, Braeden Cootes, and Liam Kilfoil  – a quartet of easy picks for this year’s top breakout candidate: Guite for his shot, Czata for his grit, and Cootes and Kilfoil for their high-speed playmaking. The whole group is backed by Jack Ivankovic, who proved his worth with a .915 save percentage in 25 OHL games last year, though some still remain skeptical about his 5’11” frame. Still, his athleticism should be the perfect flashy backdrop to a Team Canada team gearing up for another big tournament.

Who Will Emerge As Team USA’s Star?

Team USA is intentionally pigeon-holed at every Hlinka, opting not to roster any members of their U.S. National Team Development and instead picking the top options out of the USHL, NAHL, and youth hockey. That decision inspires the reoccurring question of who will emerge as the leaders of a hodgepodge group. It’s a prestigious role, previously held by top prospects like Trevor Connelly, Quentin Musty, and Arthur Kaliyev – who each went on to be picked in their respective draft’s top 35.

This year’s top option seems to be Benjamin Kevan – who led all U17 skaters in the USHL in scoring last season with 57 points in 59 games, over 20 points more than Lev Katzin, who ranked second. In fact, Kevan joined Macklin Celebrini as the league’s only U17 skaters to break 50 points since 2018. That’s lofty company, and while Kevan isn’t on Celebrini’s tier of generational prospect, the power and drive behind his all-offense style could be enough to command first round attention this year. Jesse Orlowsky and Sam Kappell seem like strong secondary candidates – both boasting similar heft and playmaking to Kevan – though the undersized Sam Spehar could end up the one to stand out after a fantastic U17 Selects camp to earn a roster spot.

Whichever forward emerges on top will have to bring the drive to make up for a defense and goalie group a bit weaker than Team USA typically brings – adding to the challenge of the top spot.

Does Team Sweden Have Enough Firepower?

Team Sweden enters this year’s Hlinka with a significantly improved roster, after managing a measly 2-1-0 record and fifth place finish last year. Their lineup is bolstered by top-of-the-draft prospects in Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Filip Ekberg, and Ivar Stenberg. The trio led Sweden in a much more fruitful 2023 World U17 Challenge, largely thanks to Stenberg’s seven goals and 10 points in seven games. Players like Viktor Klingsell and Eric Nilsson stretch the high-impact offense down Sweden’s lineup, though it’s premiere defenseman Sascha Boumedienne that could be the X-factor. Boumedienne is the dark horse candidate for the 2025 draft’s top defenseman, after scoring 27 points in 49 USHL games and 11 points in 18 games with Sweden’s U17 team last year. He boasts a hefty, built-out frame and all of the strength that comes with it – showing a strong ability to carry the puck downhill with power and awareness. To what extent he’s able to again blend with Sweden’s high-scoring forwards could prove one of this year’s most exciting storylines to follow.

Kings’ Defensive Success Sits With High-Scoring Prospects

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Los Angeles Kings will be entering the 2024-25 season with a glaring absence on defense after Matt Roy opted to sign with the Washington Capitals. Roy was a pillar of the Kings’ lineup, averaging 20 minutes a night over the last three seasons and serving as the consistent, well-rounded impact that allowed riskier players like Drew Doughty to thrive. But despite losing a paramount right-handed defender, Los Angeles has yet to make any notable blue-line additions – save for a surprisingly expensive, four-year deal for left-shot Joel Edmundson.  They’re now left with just $1.4MM in remaining cap space, leaving the job of filling Roy’s role up to top young Kings Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke.

Spence is the more seasoned of the two, having appeared in 101 NHL games over the last three seasons. He broke out in a major way during his first professional season in 2021-22, earning an NHL call-up after posting 42 points through his first 46 AHL games. The scoring translated to the top level, with Spence posting eight points through his first 24 NHL games – the fifth-highest point-per-game scoring of any Kings defender that season. He settled in for a full AHL season in the following year, playing in six NHL games and scoring just one point, though Spence did post an impressive 45 points in 56 AHL games. That production was, again, enough to earn him a consistent NHL role this season – something he managed to good effect, netting 24 points in 71 games despite averaging just 14:26 in ice time.

Meanwhile, Clarke stands as Los Angeles’ unrivaled top prospect and looked stellar in his first professional season this year. He fought for the scoring lead on the AHL’s Ontario Reign for much of the year, ultimately recording 46 points in 50 games – the highest scoring rate of an AHL rookie defender since Jack Rathbone in 2020-21, and Justin Schultz in 2012-13 before him. While Rathbone and Schultz have each seen their scoring stall at the NHL level, Clarke seems to be poised to buck the trend after netting six points in his first 16 games with the Kings. Even more exciting – Clarke stood up to a variety of roles in his first NHL stint, playing as little as seven minutes, or as much as 18 minutes, on any given night.

Both Spence and Clarke have fought their way towards more-and-more opportunity in the Kings organization on the back of strong offense, but also carry reasons to hesitate before they’re thrust into the spotlight. Spence has looked admittedly lanky and easy to knock around at times, shying him away from driving too deep into either zone. Clarke shares that hesitancy, as someone still finding his pro footing, and has also yet to show the breakaway speed of a top NHL offensive-defenseman. But the pair still offers tantalizing scoring upside for a Kings defense that’s only supported one 50-point defender since 2000 – Doughty, who’s achieved the feat five times.

Roy was never much of a scorer, even in top minutes, with a career-high of just 26 points. His departure, juxtaposed by the scoring upside of former top-10 pick Clarke, and point-per-game minor leaguer Spence, matched with the defensive safety net of Gavrikov, could be enough to finally give the Kings another high-scoring defender. But one of the two top young defenders will need to take a major step forward if they want to embrace the lofty, top-four vacancy in the L.A. lineup.

USA Hockey, Hockey Canada Announce Hlinka Gretzky Cup Rosters

at CDT | by 1 Comment

USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have both announced their rosters for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, officially revealing all eight rosters for the upcoming tournament, which is set to begin on August 5th in Edmonton. The event will also feature Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Team Canada, per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, is led by star-studded prospects Matthew Schaefer, Cole Reschny, Liam Kilfoil, Caleb Desnoyers, and Gavin McKenna. The group of future top draft names is flanked by a strong supporting cast, including stalwart starting goaltender Jack Ivankovic. They seem poised to push for yet another gold medal, after winning gold in each of the last two tournaments.

Meanwhile, Team USA will put their faith in premier forwards Jesse Orlowsky, Cooper Simpson, Nicolas Sykora, and Ben Kevan – though the team is backed by a defense and goaltending group fighting more to show their worth on the top stage. Both the defense and goaltenders face a competition for minutes – with Blake Fiddler and Carter Casey seemingly best positioned to lead the respective positions. Team USA doesn’t carry the same breakaway talent of Team Canada, though they do have the gift of a flexible lineup, which could prove very advantageous in the U18 tourney.

The full rosters are:

Team USA

F – Alexander Donovan (Shattuck, USHS); Travis Hayes (Soo, OHL); Chase Jette (B.K. Selects, AAA); Sam Kappell (Madison, USHL); Ben Kevan (Des Moines, USHL); Matthew Lansing (Waterloo, USHL); Mason Moe (Eden Prairie High, USHS); Teddy Mutryn (St. Sebastian’s, USHS); Jesse Orlowsky (Waterloo, USHL); Cooper Simpson (Tri-City, USHL); Sam Spehar (Sioux Falls Power, AAA); Kade Stengrim (Brainerd High, USHS); Nicolas Sykora (Omaha, USHL)

D – Tommy Bleyl (Dubuque, USHL); Edison Engle (Des Moines, USHL); Blake Fiddler (Edmonton, WHL); Matt Grimes (Sioux Falls, USHL); Cullen McCrate (Dubuque, USHL); Carter Murphy (Youngstown, USHL); Jacob Rombach (Lincoln, USHL)

G – Ryan Cameron (Long Island, AAA); Carter Casey (Grand Rapids, USHS); Charles Menard (Culver Academy, USHS)

Team Canada

F – Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat, WHL); Jake O’Brien (Brantford, OHL); Brady Martin (Sault St. Marie, OHL); Émile Guité (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Tyler Hopkins (Kingston, OHL); Cole Reschny (Victoria, WHL); Ethan Czata (Niagara, OHL); Benjamin Kindel (Calgary, WHL); Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver, WHL); Liam Kilfoil (Halifax, QMJHL); Luca Romano (Kitchener, OHL); Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton, QMJHL); Braden Cootes (Seattle, WHL)

D – Jackson Smith (Tri-City, WHL); Peyton Kettles (Swift Current, WHL); Matthew Schaefer (Erie, OHL); Reese Hamilton (Calgary, WHL); Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph, OHL); Alex Huang (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Cameron Reid (Kitchener, OHL)

G – Jack Ivankovic (Brampton, OHL); Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)

Kraken Sign Kim Saarinen To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken have signed goaltender Kim Saarinen to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry an NHL annual average value of $975K. Saarinen notably becomes the first goaltender from the 2024 NHL Draft to sign his first NHL contract. He was the eighth goalie off the board when Seattle took him with the 88th overall pick.

Saarinen spent his draft season bouncing around HPK’s system in Finland. He spent the bulk of the year with their U20 club, where he posted 14 wins and a .917 save percentage across 23 appearances. He carried that production into spot starts at the U18 level – with eight wins and a .945 in nine appearances. It also carried into his first two games in the Liiga, Finland’s highest league, where Saarinen saved 50 out of 55 shots en route to one win and a .909 save percentage.

Saarinen is a distinctly responsible goaltender, excelling at never pushing the bounds of his positioning and always staying square to shooters. He uses his size to take up the net and follows pucks to his pads. With that said, Saarinen is still missing the fine tunings of a true top-flight goaltender, notably needing to improve his aggression and agility in such a big frame. He’ll get plenty of chance to hone those talents now on an NHL deal, joining a goalie room that’s already seen strong development out of Niklas Kokko. The pair will serve as Seattle’s top goaltending prospects moving forward, vying for roles over Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord.

Top Prospects Could Give Penguins One Last Push

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have, over the last two years, missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in Sidney Crosby’s career. The team has ground to a screeching halt, on the back of one of the oldest rosters in the league and a slim supporting cast for team legends Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Even the addition of Erik Karlsson wasn’t enough to pull Pittsburgh back into the postseason – leaving the team a bit stuck in the mud with little cap space and even less roster space. With no major free-agent additions in sight, Pittsburgh’s search for an X-factor will have to turn towards their recent crop of strong draft picks.

Brayden Yager notably headlines this group, with the Penguins already sharing that Yager will receive a shot at the NHL lineup next season. That opportunity certainly seems timely, with Yager coming off the back of a resilient season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Serving as the team’s captain, Yager marched his way to 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games this season – adding an additional 27 points in 20 playoff games. He proudly served as Moose Jaw’s top-line centerman and starring playmaker, excelling at making plays at top speed – a style that thrived  on a team costarred by fellow NHL prospects Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, and Matthew Savoie. Yager’s tempo and poise were enough to dodge much physicality this year, leaving him a clear heft barrier between him and the NHL, though his ability to dish the puck is clearly reaching a pro level.

Yager isn’t the only starring prospect capable of a pro push – with top WHL defender Owen Pickering also gearing up for a big year. Pickering signed his entry-level contract at the end of 2022-23, though he opted to return to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos this season.

That proved to be the right choice, as Pickering managed a career-high 46 points in 59 games this season – one more point than he totaled last year – while serving as the team’s captain for a second year. The hefty, sharp-moving defender appeared in eight AHL games last season, though he wasn’t able to record his first pro point. That will be his immediate goal entering the 2024-25 campaign, though his size, physical edge even with the puck on his stick, and quick taste of pro hockey could give him the tools needed to quickly adjust to the next level. Pickering undoubtedly faces a long road to the NHL lineup,  sat behind a bolstered left-side with Pittsburgh’s additions of Matt Grzelcyk and Sebastian Aho. But injuries or slow starts could be enough to encourage Pittsburgh to see what they have in their top defense prospect.

Wingers Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen, as well as centerman Vasili Ponomarev, round out Pittsburgh’s list of capable youngsters – with each player managing strong scoring through last season, in the NCAA, Liiga, and AHL respectively. Each of the trio boast strong individual talents – Broz his drive with the puck, Koivunen his shot, and Ponomarev his grit – though they’ve struggled to put their talents to consistent effect. Ponomarev sits as the closest to the NHL lineup, having scored two points in two NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes last year in addition to his 30 points in 45 AHL games. It was clear he knew how to use his hard-nosed drive to good effect, which could go a long way towards boosting his NHL odds. Koivunen carries a similar physical edge – not seeking out contact like Ponomarev but doing well at making plays through traffic – while physical play will be Broz’s biggest adjustment.

The Penguins have made just three first-round picks since 2015 and are now heavily feeling the effects. Luckily, two of those top picks are hoping for smash beginnings to their pro careers  next season. Lucrative trading and late-round successes have given Yager and Pickering a strong supporting cast. Each prospect will look to take important steps towards the NHL lineup at Pittsburgh’s training camp, while the Penguins keep their fingers crossed that young energy is enough to return them to the postseason before Crosby calls it quits.

Morning Notes: Senators, Sweden U20, AHL Prospects

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Ottawa Senators are making sure they won’t be outdone on the trade market, now making the seventh-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft available for the right price, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. During an event held for season ticket holders to hear about the team’s off-season plans, Senators’ senior vice president Dave Poulin shared, “We had interest in the (No. 7) pick. Teams will call you and say, ‘Are you interested in moving the pick?’ and you don’t know what that’s going to look like because you don’t know what’s going to be available there. You have to stay very flexible.”

Including the seventh-overall pick in trade talks will bring the Senators more in line with the New Jersey Devils, who began shopping around the 10th-overall pick during the NHL Combine. The two teams headline a long list of teams interested in bringing in new goaltending talent this summer, and should be among the top options for trade bait like Linus Ullmark, Juuse Saros, and John Gibson. Dave Poulin made sure to emphasize Ottawa’s pursuit of a goaltender when speaking with Garrioch, adding that the team wasn’t happy with their goaltending tandem “numerically, statistically, or from an analytics standpoint.” The Senators’ tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg combined for a .890 save percentage this season – though their consistency in the lineup allowed Ottawa to rely on just three goalies this season, the fewest they’ve needed to get through a year since the 2019-20 season. But despite good health, the Senators goalies didn’t stand up to the task this year, and the team is once again doomed to spending the summer finding the right option in net.

But despite the interest elsewhere, it doesn’t seem Ottawa is ready to part with Korpisalo just yet. When asked, Poulin offered relief to Korpisalo’s down year, speaking to the difficulty in adjusting to a new team and the lack of defensive stops in front of him, relative to what he had with the Los Angeles Kings. Korpisalo just concluded the first season of a five-year, $20MM contract signed with the Senators last summer. He’ll be the team’s de facto backup should they bring in a new starter, and likely their go-to starter should things stay the same. The off-season event for season ticket holders where this information was conveyed is slated to be a yearly event for the Senators.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Team Sweden has announced the coaching staff that will oversee their U19 and U20 international teams next season. The group is manned by Magnus Hävelid, who has coached Sweden’s international juniors teams since 2017. He’ll be flanked by Gereon Dahlgren, and former NHL defenders Robin Jonsson and Nicklas Grossmann. Both Dahlgren and Jonsson are returning to their posts, while this news marks Grossman’s first time coaching an international squad. The quartet will lead Sweden’s lineups at the World Junior Summer Showcase and World Junior Championship, as well as in team friendlies.
  • The AHL has announced their All-Prospect team, as voted on by the league’s hockey operations department and general managers. The team includes AHL Rookie of the Year Logan Stankoven (DAL), as well as Shane Wright (SEA), Jiri Kulich (BUF), Simon Edvinsson (DET), Brandt Clarke (LAK), and Yaroslav Askarov (NSH). Each player appeared in NHL games this season, though Stankoven has become the first to carve out a daily role – recording 22 points across his first 43 NHL games, combined between the regular season and playoffs. His All-Prospect team peers will look to catch up to him with daily lineup spots next season.

2024 NHL Draft Combine Results

at CDT | by 16 Comments

The NHL Draft combine is back in full swing after a two-year break due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. A full 100 players were invited to the event this year, six fewer than in 2023 but 15 more than in 2022. The festivities include team interviews earlier in the week and physical testing on Saturday. Here are the results of a select few tests, thanks to NHL Central Scouting.

Read more

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top