Philip Tomasino Loaned To Team Canada
Philip Tomasino feels he is ready to play in the NHL. But for now, he’ll be suiting up against 46 other top prospects at the Team Canada World Junior Championship selection camp. Tomasino has been loaned to Team Canada today, a move that will happen for many more prospects over the coming hours and days as the young players get ready for a month-long camp that will determine the tournament roster.
Tomasino, 19, was the 24th overall pick in 2019 and is coming off an incredible 100-point season in the OHL. Earlier this summer and before the 2020 draft, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked Tomasino as the 20th-best drafted prospect in the entire league. Wheeler explained that the “result is likely a top of the lineup player and dynamic powerplay option who is equal parts scorer and playmaker.” Not bad for a late-first, but exactly what the Predators need as they look to find a real star to build their forward group around.
That said, even with his excellent season and strong development, Tomasino is not a lock to make the Canadian roster. The forward group that has been invited to camp is incredible, with names like Kirby Dach, Dylan Cozens, Quinton Byfield, and Connor McMichael all expected to take huge roles on the team. This will be Tomasino’s final chance to make the team and a great place for him to show he’s ready for the next step, but he’ll have to battle with some very talented prospects for the limited available spots.
NCAA Notes: Peski, Blake, Anchorage
Just like many pros, some recent college graduates are still unsigned free agents trying to find their way in a quiet market. One name who has finally found a pro home is former University of North Dakota defenseman Andrew Peski. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports that Peski has signed an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins. A heavy-hitting, stay-at-home defender, Peski actually saw a significant uptick in offense as a senior, recording 10 points after totaling just 11 points in his first three collegiate seasons combined. Still, Peski served as a four-year starter for North Dakota because of his defensive ability, exemplified by a +17 rating for the top college program last year. He will try to be a value to the junior Bruins in the same way and could find himself playing a regular role in the AHL right away. Boston has just four defensemen signed who are ineligible for waivers and certain to start the year in the minors, as well as two prominent AHL-contracted blue liners returning in Josiah Didier and Cooper Zech, but that group of six includes just two right-handed defenseman, which could leave a hole for Peski.
- A major hockey name is in the spotlight as Jack Blake, son of Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake, is following in his father’s footsteps with his college commitment. Blake, who currently plays in the OJHL with the Oakville Blades, will head to Bowling Green State University next year, the league announced. Rob played three seasons with the Falcons in the late 80’s before jumping to the NHL, but Jack may need that extra year in the NCAA to secure an NHL contract after going undrafted. Jack also still needs to do some growing to match up with his father’s hulking frame, but the younger Blake plays the same dangerous two-way style. He will certainly bear watching as he begins his collegiate career next season.
- Count the University of Alaska-Anchorage among those NCAA programs who will not be participating this year. The school has independently canceled all winter sports, meaning they will not compete in WCHA hockey this season. While Anchorage currently has no drafted prospects, their alumni include a number of former and current NHLers, highlighted by Jay Beagle and Curtis Glencross. The lost season will unfortunately hurt the team considerably, as many players have already stated their intent to transfer.
Snapshots: Next Season, Overseas Prospects, Hajek
Yesterday’s call with the NHL board of governors didn’t result in any sweeping announcements about next season, but insiders around the game have gleaned a bit of information about what was discussed and what is still on the table. Frank Seravalli puts many of those information nuggets into his latest piece for TSN, including the fact that preference now seems to be moving away from hybrid bubbles or “hubs” as commissioner Gary Bettman recently called them, and towards teams playing in their home arenas. Seravalli suggests that regional realignment would be required, but that teams would play a baseball-like series of two or three games to reduce travel.
He also reports that there is “no concept on the table that includes a full-length regular season.” That seemed clear when Bettman publicly spoke about a reduced schedule, something the league was obviously hoping to avoid but is now inevitable. There are no formal proposals on the table yet, but with the January 1 target date getting closer every day, there will need to be a decision at some point in the near future—even if it is just another delay.
- With the hockey offseason moving at a snail’s pace in November, fans have started to scour overseas boxscores to see how their favorite prospects are doing. Mike Shulman of Sportsnet published a piece today going over many of the most interesting names, including several 2021 draft prospects that are still trying to raise their stock. Among the group of already drafted players is Yaroslav Askarov once again, who continues to turn heads every time he hits the ice. Even Shulman sold him a bit short, without updated statistics from the KHL. Askarov returned to the SKA St. Petersburg crease yesterday after dominating at the Kajala Cup and put on another show, stopping 24 of 25 shots in a huge victory over HC Vityaz. Askarov is now toting a .960 save percentage in five KHL games, allowing only five goals on 125 shots.
- Speaking of overseas prospects, the New York Rangers will have another one to keep an eye on as Libor Hajek joins HC Kometa Brno on loan for the time being. Hajek was loaned to Brno originally, then switched to Olomouc, but is now apparently heading back to where he started. The 22-year-old has struggled during his time in the NHL over the last two seasons and will need to take another step in his development before the Rangers can really rely on him as a full-time option.
College Notes: Hockey East, Newhook, UAH,
You want more college hockey? You’ve got it. Hockey East has announced its 2020-21 schedule which will begin on November 20 with three games and continue through March 6. Not all teams will kick things off right away, with Boston University not playing until the start of December.
Men’s and women’s hockey will be, for the most part, aligned this season to keep transmission risk lower and there will be a “vigorous testing program for the teams, staff, and officials.” This is huge news for top prospects like Spencer Knight of Boston College, who had an outstanding freshman season but needs to keep getting into games to continue his development.
- Of course, Knight’s BC teammate Alex Newhook has been invited to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp that starts later this week, meaning he won’t be taking part in the first part of the Hockey East schedule. As Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic reports, Newhook will leave the BC program on Friday to take part in the month-long selection camp, chasing a dream of suiting up for Canada after he was cut from the team last year. The 19-year-old forward was selected 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019 and won the Tim Taylor Award as the best rookie in the NCAA last season.
- Speaking of good news on the college front, the University of Alabama-Huntsville announced that it has received a long-term multi-million dollar financial commitment and will continue to be a Division I hockey program. The Chargers were in danger of dissolving earlier this year thanks to financial concerns, but after a GoFundMe quickly reached a fundraising goal, more commitments have been made by alumni and the college administration to reinstate the program.
Snapshots: Darling, Power, Reverse Retro
The Florida Panthers may have some more goaltending competition in training camp (whenever that is), as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Scott Darling has agreed to a professional tryout with the team. Darling, 31, last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season and spent last year in Austria playing for Innsbruck HC. Once one of the most reliable backups in the league, his play fell off a cliff after signing a multi-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.
If Darling has signed a PTO, he would be the first player to do so for the upcoming season, but certainly not the last. The free agent market has come to a screeching halt with teams barely able to afford their own young RFAs, let alone add any money from the open market. That may leave some fringe NHL options without a deal, leaving tryouts their only real option in North America.
- Hockey Canada has announced that Owen Power will not be released from the University of Michigan hockey program to attend its month-long development camp that starts next week, though this is certainly not a straightforward situation. Just yesterday, as Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald points out, Michigan agreed to release Power for the tournament, just not in mid-November as their season is about to start. The Wolverines are set to start their schedule on the same day, November 14, as the camp opens. Power, a 17-year-old defenseman that already stands 6’5″ 214-lbs is one of the top prospects eligible for the 2021 draft, but his actual chances of making the Canadian roster already seemed limited given the older, more experienced talent that will be attending the camp.
- While jersey news certainly isn’t what hockey fans are dying for right now, it doesn’t mean they weren’t excited when they saw Adidas “Reverse Retro” teaser today. Each team in the league will be introducing a jersey from their past, with modern additions for the upcoming season. SportsLogos.net has put together a video breaking down their expectations for each jersey after the teaser came out.
ECHL Announces Training Camp, Season Schedule
For NHL teams looking to get their prospects back on the ice in a competitive situation, the ECHL may soon be an option. The minor league announced today that training camps will open on November 27 for all the teams that are starting their season on December 11. The ECHL has split their league into two groups, with 13 teams beginning on December 11 and the rest waiting until January 15. The training camps for the latter group will open on January 1.
The teams that will begin things later this month are Allen Americans, Florida Everblades, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, Indy Fuel, Jacksonville Icemen, Kansas City Mavericks, Orlando Solar Bears, Rapid City Rush, South Carolina Stingrays, Tulsa Oilers, Utah Grizzlies, Wheeling Nailers and Wichita Thunder. They will play a 72-game season.
Still, there is some discussion on which prospects would actually be eligible to play. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that the NHL was discussing a change that would make only players on entry-level contracts eligible to play in the low minors. For many organizations though, getting any of their young players into a game situation will be imperative for their development.
Nashville Predators Sign Luke Evangelista
The Nashville Predators have inked one of their new prospects, signing 2020 draft pick Luke Evangelista to a three-year, entry-level contract. The young forward played last season for the London Knights of the OHL and was selected 42nd overall last month.
A pure playmaker, Evangelista climbed up draft boards after exploding from two points in his first year of junior to 61 last season for the Knights, even if he was still considerably behind the team’s other young stars. He finished with a ranking of 39th among North American skaters from NHL Central Scouting but ended up going to the Predators early on in the second round after the team had snatched up top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov in the first. Evangelista gives the Predators program another top-end forward prospect to build around as they continue their chase for more offense.
Of course, as with any prospect from the OHL, it’s unclear when Evangelista will get back on the ice. The league is targeting a February start but is still debating the idea of playing without body checking, leading some to believe that their prospects would be better off developing overseas. Now that he’s signed, the Predators could potentially send Evangelista to Europe on a loan, but it would seem extremely difficult for a player of his stature and experience to jump into a professional league right now.
Overseas Notes: Reunanen, Tuulola, Wiley
Tarmo Reunanen, who had been previously loaned to TUTO of the Finnish second league, will jump up a tier and join HPK until further notice. The New York Rangers prospect is under contract in North America but hasn’t actually come over yet. Selected 98th overall in 2016, Reunanen has played the last two seasons with Lukko and recorded 19 points in 51 games in 2019-20. In the release, it states that though Reunanen will return for NHL training camp, if he can’t find a spot with the organization he will be returned to Finland to continue his development.
More notes on prospects playing overseas:
- Eetu Tuulola has parted ways with Vasterviks IK in the Swedish second league after the player he had replaced due to injury is set to return. Tuulola, a Calgary Flames prospect, will have to be found another spot to play by the Flames if they want to keep him on the ice. The 22-year-old forward spent last season with the Stockton Heat, scoring 23 points in 50 games.
- Adam Helewka, who signed an AHL contract with the Cleveland Monsters earlier this offseason, will play in Slovakia until the minor league season begins. The 25-year-old forward has had quite the journey already in his hockey career, traded three times in the NHL, playing for four different minor league teams, and spending time in the KHL and SHL. He’ll play for HKM Zvolen for now, as he waits for his next chance in North America.
- Wiley Sherman wasn’t given a qualifying offer by the Boston Bruins last month, meaning he became an unrestricted free agent able to sign anywhere in the world. That job search has taken him to Denmark, where he’ll join Esbjerg Energy this season. The 25-year-old defenseman played just 20 games for the Providence Bruins in 2019-20, recording six points.
Sharks’ Lean Bergmann, Canucks’ Marc Michaelis Loaned To Adler Mannheim
Germany’s DEL is becoming a hot spot for NHL players and prospects on loan. The latest additions belong to Adler Mannheim. The club has announced that they negotiated loans with two different NHL teams in order to upgrade their forward corps. The San Jose Sharks’ Lean Bergmann and the Vancouver Canucks’ Marc Michaelis have joined the team and will take part in the upcoming MagentaSport Cup, as well as the beginning of the DEL season until such time that the NHL opens training camps.
Bergmann, 22, is actually following through on a previous commitment to Mannheim, at least to some extent, by playing with the club on loan. The German forward, who played his developmental hockey in Sweden and the U.S., returned home in 2018-19 and had a strong first season in the DEL with the Iserlohn Roosters. Mannheim took notice and signed Bermann to a two-year deal in the off-season. However, they weren’t the only team recruiting the talented young forward. Bergmann wound up signing an entry-level contract with San Jose just months after signing with Mannheim and moved to the NHL immediately, having played just a pair of Champions League games with the team. He played in 12 games with the Sharks his season and impressed in 31 games with the AHL Barracuda. Now, Mannheim will finally get to see what he can do in their uniform one year later.
Michaelis, 25, expected to make his pro debut with Vancouver or more likely with the AHL’s Utica Comets, but instead will do so with his hometown team. The Mannheim native, who played much of his developmental hockey in Germany, was a highly sought-after college free agent out of Minnesota State University following four years scoring at better than a point-per-game pace on one of the NCAA’s top teams. He inked a one-year entry-level deal back in March, expecting to get some pro action well before now, but will finally take the ice back home.
Mannheim is one of the top teams in the DEL, but Bergmann and Michaelis will undoubtedly be two of their best players while the pair remain on loan. One exciting prospect is that the duo could form a top line with recent No. 3 overall pick Tim Stuetzle of the Ottawa Senators. Stuetzle suffered an injury while training with the team last month and is likely sidelined through the MagentaSport Cup, but could return in time to suit up alongside Bergmann and Michaelis in the regular season. All three players can play center or wing, providing the versatility to all play together in Mannheim opts to stack their top line.
Prospect Notes: Wiesblatt, Neighbours, Groshev, Stillman
The St. Louis Blues’ and San Jose Sharks’ recent first round picks are on the move, at least for the time being. Jake Neighbours and Ozzy Wiesblatt have been loaned by their WHL teams, Edmonton and Prince Albert respectively, to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits, the team announced. The loans carry a pre-determined end date of December 20, allowing Neighbours and Wiesblatt to get a head start on the coming season. The WHL announced in October that they had postponed the start of the 2020-21 season to January 8, while the AJHL is set to kick off their season on November 13. Neighbours and Wiesblatt will have more than a month of game action with the Bandits before heading to training camp with the Oil Kings and Raiders. The top prospects, who have both already signed their entry-level contracts, have landed in one of the best possible spots when it comes to being loaned to an inferior league. Brooks is a powerhouse program, whose current roster includes a 2021 first round hopeful in Corson Ceulemans and a number of NCAA commitments. The team just got much more dangerous with the addition of these two elite young forwards, at least for the next month.
- Another recent draft selection has also been moved, but in a more permanent fashion. Tampa Bay Lightning third-rounder Maxim Groshev has been traded in the KHL, though “sold” is the more accurate verb. Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk has dealt their homegrown product to SKA St. Petersburg, per a team release. The return is merely “monetary compensation” but it is believed the young forward cost 40 million rubles. A big winger who was deemed ready for KHL last season at 17, Groshev recorded seven points in 36 games last year and has two points in 17 games thus far in 2020-21. SKA is an elite KHL team and not exactly known to spend time developing young players when they can attract prime talent, so the team must see considerable potential in Groshev as well as feel he has several years left in the KHL before taking his talents to North America.
- The OHL’s postponement of their 2020-21 start to February, as well as questions about the quality of the competition once play resumes, is going to result in considerable player movement, which has already begun. In the latest notable move, potential 2021 first-round pick Chase Stillman has been loaned to Demark by his club, the Sudbury Wolves, until the OHL season begins. The Sudbury Star’s Ben Leeson reports that Stillman has already departed, and is set to join the Esbjerg Engery. Stillman, the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman, should find Denmark to be an interesting developmental adventure; it is his first pro experience but also not considered a top tier pro league by any means. If Stillman dominates in Denmark, he may have to make a difficult decision about returning for a shortened OHL season that may not include checking versus seeing his pro season through. For a highly regarded draft-eligible prospect, it’s a call that could impact his draft stock.