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Ducks Sign Rodwin Dionicio To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed defense prospect Rodwin Dionicio to a three-year entry-level contract set to begin next season. Dionicio previously signed a three-year contract with Biel-Bienne of Switzerland’s National League, though he’ll now stay in North America, having earned the first NHL contract of his career.

Dionicio recently wrapped up his third season in the OHL, where he ranked third among all defenders with 73 points in 60 games. It was an electric season, largely thanks to Dionicio being dealt to the Saginaw Spirit at the OHL Trade Deadline. He formed a formidable duo with OHL ’Defenseman of the Year’ Zayne Parekh – a top 2024 Draft prospect who led defensemen scoring with 96 points in 66 games. Saginaw is now one of the four teams competing in the upcoming 2024 Memorial Cup and could earn an edge over their championship-winning competition thanks to the offensive upside of their defensemen.

Dionicio totaled 154 points through 167 games in the OHL, the 16th-highest point-per-game pace of any OHL defender since 2010. But his strong scoring hasn’t kept Dionicio from criticism. He’s been highly scrutinized throughout his OHL career, with many pointing out concerns about his skating mechanics, defensive positioning, and ability to create outside of his teammates. Dionicio went undrafted in the 2022 Draft in part because of those critiques, though a strong 2022-23 season and 2023 World Juniors performance were enough for Anaheim to draft him in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft.

The critiques have made it hard to gauge just how high Dionicio’s upside could be, though his 17 points in 17 playoff games this season speak to his ability to perform in the clutch. An NHL contract will offer Dionicio with the perfect opportunity to show just how strong of a player he can be. He’ll likely move to the AHL next season, where he’ll join a list of strong Ducks prospects, including defenders Tristan Luneau, Noah Warren, and Tyson Hinds.

NHL-Affiliated Prospects Playing In 2024 Memorial Cup

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The field for the 2024 Memorial Cup, the top club tournament in junior hockey, is set. The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, the OHL’s London Knights and the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors all swept their respective league championship series within the last two days to advance to the CHL championship tournament, joining the host Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

This year marks the first Memorial Cup held in the United States since 1998, which was hosted by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The Spirit will attempt to become the first U.S.-based team to win since the Chiefs in 2008, and they have a strong chance. They’re stronger than a typical host team, finishing second in the league in the regular season with a 50-16-2 record and trailing London by just two points. They were eliminated by London in six games in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights lead the way with 10 NHL-affiliated prospects on their roster, including two first-round picks in Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk and Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. The latter was named the OHL playoffs MVP after leading the Knights in scoring with 10 goals, 24 assists and 34 points in just 18 games. He had 15 points in four games in their championship sweep over the Oshawa Generals.

If you’re looking for some non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to watch, check to see if your favorite NHL team has prospects suiting up in the tournament, which begins May 24:

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champion)

D Mikaël Diotte (Devils, free agent signing)
RW Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
RW Alexis Gendron (Flyers, 2022, 220th overall)
D Vsevolod Komarov (Sabres, 2022, 134th overall)

NHL Utah 2022 first-round pick D Maveric Lamoureux is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.

London Knights (OHL champion)

C Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
C Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
D Jackson Edward (Bruins, 2022, 200th overall)
D Isaiah George (Islanders, 2022, 98th overall)
RW Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
C Jacob Julien (Jets, 2023, 146th overall)
C Kaleb Lawrence (Kings, 2022, 215th overall)
C Max McCue (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Landon Sim (Blues, 2022, 184th overall)

Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champion)

RW Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Kalem Parker (Wild, 2023, 181st overall)
D Vojtech Port (Ducks, 2023, 161st overall)
LW Martin Rysavy (Blue Jackets, 2021, 197th overall)
C Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
C Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

Saginaw Spirit (host)

C Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
LW Josh Bloom (Canucks, acquired from Sabres in 2023 trade for Riley Stillman)
D Rodwin Dionicio (Ducks, 2023, 129th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
C Hunter Haight (Wild, 2022, 47th overall)
C Ethan Hay (Lightning, 2023, 211th overall)
G Nolan Lalonde (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Matyas Sapovaliv (Golden Knights, 2022, 48th overall)
C Joseph Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)

Canucks’ Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson To Stay In North America

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The Vancouver Canucks will be adding two top prospects to the fold next season, with forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki and defenseman Elias Pettersson both set to move to North America, shares their Swedish club, Örebro HK (Twitter link). The pair both joined the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks following the end of Örebro’s season, each recording two points through six and eight games respectively. They’re now set to stay in North America, providing a major boost to Vancouver’s depth chart.

It’s likely that both players report to Abbotsford for the start of next season, though Lekkerimäki could be poised to rival an NHL spot. The 19-year-old winger was prolific in the SHL this season, netting 19 goals and 31 points through 46 games. It was the most a U20 player has produced in the SHL since Emil Bemstrom put up 35 points in 2018-19 and Elias Pettersson (the forward) recorded 56 points in 2017-18. Lekkerimäki earned the SHL’s ’Rookie of the Year’ award with the performance, joining a talented list of winners including Nicklas Backstrom and William Eklund. Lekkerimäki maintained the strong production internationally as well, recording seven goals and 10 points in seven World Juniors games and five points in five friendly matches with Sweden’s U20 club. While his skillful, shoot-first style will need some refining before it’s fully NHL-ready, there’s no doubt that Vancouver is happy with the value they landed when they drafted Lekkerimäki 15th overall in 2022.

And while Pettersson – a third-round selection in 2022 – doesn’t offer the same ceiling as his Örebro teammate, his development has been just as worth following. Pettersson is an impressively fluid defender, keeping up with play well despite his 6-foot-4, 209-lbs frame. He’s aggressive in all aspects, using an active stick and physical presence to shut down opponents when defending the rush, and jumping at the bits to join the offensive rush whenever he can. Pettersson is reliable on the puck and finds teammates well, though he’s still refining his ability to be patient when creating scoring chances. He seemed to be adjusting to the AHL well at the end of the year, and could be poised for a big season next year should he add a bit more discipline.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

San Jose Sharks Win 2024 NHL Draft Lottery

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The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery has finally rolled around, giving solace to the 16 teams that missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks lead the odds race, with the Sharks boasting a hardy 18.5 percent chance of winning the first-overall pick. The list of runner-ups is rounded out by fringe playoff contenders in the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings, who share 0.5 percent odds at the top slot.

The 2024 NHL Draft is certainly one to be excited for. It features strong talent throughout the first round, including hotly-debated talents like Finnish standout pro Konsta Helenius and Russian big man Anton Silayev. It’s a contentious draft that kicks off a string of strong classes, with James Hagens and Gavin McKenna headlining the next two drafts.

This year’s deciding order is as follows:

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. San Jose Sharks (via Pittsburgh Penguins)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues

The Sharks have officially won the race for superstar prospect Macklin Celebrini – the consensus top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft. Celebrini recently became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as college’s MVP, adding to a trophy case that’s incredibly full for his age. He’s a dynamic and incredibly intelligent centerman capable of finding and making plays in all three zones.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks, Ducks, and Blue Jackets will be left to sift through a rich list of top defense prospects, including Artyom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Zayne Parekh. Forwards like Cole Eiserman or Cayden Lindstrom could fight their way into the top spots as well, giving teams plenty of options with their lottery winnings.

Evening Notes: Russian Showcase, Hague, Karlsson, Raymond

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Due to regulations that have been put in place by the National Hockey League, a limited number of teams have been able to travel to Russia in an attempt to scout upcoming overseas talent for the 2024 NHL Draft. However, it appears a solution has been developed, as Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that a Russian showcase will take place from June 18th to 23rd.

Being the most high-profile Russian prospect available at this year’s draft, it is unlikely that forward Ivan Demidov will usurp Macklin Celebrini as the top player in this year’s class due to the showcase. However, after Celebrini, there is no singular player who is a surefire pick for second overall, meaning Demidov could use this showcase to his advantage.

Of the other Russian prospects projected to go in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Anton Silayev and Igor Chernyshov could also use the showcase to their advantage. However, even though he is projected as the second-best international skater, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Silayev is selected any higher than the third defensemen off the board.

Other notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague has been ruled out of tonight’s third game against Dallas and remains listed as day-to-day notes Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  He missed the second game of the series due to a lower-body injury which will cost him now at least a second contest.  The 25-year-old led all Vegas blueliners in hits this season with 155 while chipping in with a dozen points in 73 games. Alec Martinez played in place of Hague last game and should do so again.
  • Staying in Vegas, even though he was not on the ice for the team’s practice this morning, forward William Karlsson is expected to suit up for the Golden Knights tonight reports Jesse Granger of The Athletic. After another quality regular season in Vegas, Karlsson has been able to suit up in the first two games of the series but has failed to find the scoresheet so far. Nevertheless, with Karlsson confirmed in the lineup, the third line of Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha still represents one of the premier third lines in this year’s playoffs.
  • Joining many of his teammates and coaches for this summer’s 2024 IIHF World Championship, Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Detroit Red Wings’ forward Lucas Raymond will join Team Sweden for the international tournament. Raymond represents one of the best offensive options for Team Sweden after experiencing a breakout year during the 2023-24 campaign. In 82 games, Raymond scored 31 goals and 72 points, leading all Red Wings in scoring.

Prospect Notes: Brodzinski, Yager, Whitelaw, Cristall

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The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t expected to sign 2019 seventh-round pick Bryce Brodzinski before his rights expire on August 1st, shares Jess Myers of The Rink Live (Twitter link). Myers instead thinks Brodzinski will pursue free agency, after playing through a full five years at the University of Minnesota.

The Flyers drafted Brodzinski out of Blaine High, after he led the school to the State tournament’s semi-finals, serving as their top scorer and captain. He played in just 19 USHL games – scoring 17 points – before moving to college in the 2019-20 season. His lack of high-level experience showed through during Brodzinski’s underclassmen years, as he struggled to match pace and make plays around faster defenders. But Brodzinski improved in every single season at UMN, finding added scoring each season and working his way into a top-six role by the end of his collegiate career. He also maintained his lead-by-example work ethic, serving as Minnesota’s captain this season.

Brodzinski, 23, will now hit the open market, after totaling 119 points in 185 games with the Gophers. He’s the youngest brother of New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski and should find plenty of role from a team encouraged by his growth in the Big Ten.

Other notes from across the league:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled a host of prospects to the AHL, including first-round pick Owen Pickering, who’s WHL season ended on April 19th. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton could be due for even more WHL reinforcements, with the fellow first-rounder Brayden Yager also likely to sign an entry-level contract and join the team following the end of his WHL season (Twitter link). This information comes following Kyle Dubas’ sharing that he hopes both Yager and Pickering could challenge an NHL roster spot next season. Yager is currently leading the Moose Jaw Warriors through the WHL Playoffs, set to meet the Saskatoon Blades in the league’s semi-finals. The 19-year-old centerman has 14 points, split evenly, through nine postseason appearances; after posting 95 points in 57 regular-season games. His availability for the AHL postseason largely depends on when Moose Jaw’s season comes to a close, though they could be poised for a run to the Memorial Cup with a two more series-wins.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets second-round pick William Whitelaw has transferred from the University of Wisconsin to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season, per an announcement on his Instagram. Whitelaw had a slow start to his collegiate career, recording just 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games and often serving in a third-line role. This came after Whitelaw served as the leading forward on the 2023 Clark Cup championship-winning Youngstown Phantoms, scoring 61 points in 62 games in his only full-year in the USHL. He’ll hope for a much bigger role with the Wolverines, who recently lost Frank Nazar, Dylan Duke, and Gavin Brindley to NHL contracts.
  • The Washington Capitals have assigned 2023 second-round pick Andrew Cristall to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, following the end of his WHL season. This kicks off the pro career of one of 2023’s most divisive prospects – with Cristall’s 280 points in 191 career WHL games clearly showing his scoring ability, but skeptics pointing out his lack of explosivity and off-puck fundamentals. He recorded 111 points in 62 games this season alone, the most of any Kelowna Rocket since 1996, and will now hope to translate his flashy style into a tougher scene.

Penguins Notes: Prospects, Injuries, Rebuild

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Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas had an eventful locker-room cleanout, sharing plenty of news, updates, and plans with the media following the end of the season. Most exciting of the bunch was Dubas’ support of the team’s young prospects, sharing that he expects forwards Brayden Yager, Vasili Ponomarev, and Sam Poulin; defenseman Owen Pickering; and goaltender Joel Blomqvist to each compete for NHL roles next season, shares Rob Rossi of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Penguins fans will hope that their GM is right as he alludes to young talents holding onto lineup roles. Pittsburgh carried the oldest roster in the NHL this season, with an average age of 29.78 per EliteProspects.

They’ll certainly get plenty of talent in the names Dubas mentioned. Both Yager and Pickering spent the season in the WHL. Yager had a career year, scoring 35 goals and 95 points and adding five points in five World Juniors games. Pickering also recorded career-high scoring – though not with as much of a jump as Yager – netting 46 points in 59 games to top his 45-point season last year. Meanwhile, Blomqvist served as the starter for the Wilkes-Barre/Scanton Penguins, recording a dazzling .921 save percentage in 44 games.

Other notes from Pittsburgh’s cleanout:

  • Dubas also shared that legacy defenseman Kris Letang will be getting a second opinion on if he needs surgery this summer to address an undisclosed injury, per Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review. Rorabaugh also mentioned that Matthew Nieto suffered another injury following his surgery in January, and will seek a second opinion on if surgery or rehab is the next step. Emil Bemstrom is also hurt, finishing the season with a concussion. Nothing was made about these injuries being alarming, though Penguins fans will want to keep a close eye on Letang’s recovery. The future Hall-of-Famer appeared in all 82 games this season, but reportedly played through injury down the stretch.
  • Dubas hinted at an interesting approach in his press conference, saying that the Penguins wanted to approach their rebuild similar to how the Los Angeles Kings have approached theirs, per The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (Twitter link). The Kings have managed a fairly quick rebuild – if this year’s postseason berth signifies success – while maintaining key veterans like Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. The Penguins will approach things similarly, looking to build around their long-time core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Letang. The Kings were aggressive in the open market, acquiring Phillip Danault, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Kevin Fiala, and Vladislav Gavrikov. One has to think Michael Bunting and Erik Karlsson represent two of these impactful additions, though Pittsburgh will need to continue addding if they want to claw back into the postseason.

Blackhawks Sign Frank Nazar To Entry-Level Deal

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Blackhawks first-round pick Frank Nazar will sign his entry-level deal and join the team immediately, The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports Saturday. Nazar, the 2022 13th overall selection, had his sophomore season at the University of Michigan end Thursday after Boston College eliminated them in the semifinals of the national tournament.

The 20-year-old was the second of three first-round selections Chicago made that year, five picks after defenseman Kevin Korchinski. A collegiate rival of Nazar’s, University of Minnesota defenseman Sam Rinzel, was selected in the mid-20s.

The Detroit-born forward is an exceptionally intelligent passer and was one of six Wolverines to hit the point-per-game mark this season, notching 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 41 games. He struggled away from the puck, posting a -7 rating, second-worst on the team and 11 points worse than any other elite offensive threat on the stacked Big 10 member squad.

Part of that was due to a slow start. Nazar missed all but 13 games last season due to hip surgery and was sluggish early on, logging four points in his first seven games. That changed in a 10-1 drubbing of Lindenwood in late October, in which he rattled off three assists and kickstarted an eight-game point streak with four multi-point outings.

That momentum carried into the New Year when he joined Team USA for the World Juniors and notched eight assists and a +9 rating in seven games to help fuel the Americans’ gold medal run. Upon returning to campus, he posted 14 points in six games with Michigan but was more inconsistent in closing out the season, ending the year with three goals and two assists in seven games of Big 10 and national tournament play.

Viewed as a steal at the time of his draft, Nazar was billed as a top-10 threat by multiple public scouting outfits. He hasn’t displayed the overall development and consistency you’d like to see from a top-10 pick yet, but he does look to still provide solid value for his 13th-overall billing. Nazar remains a bit of a raw talent, but Chicago will get him to at least one of their final three games this season to see where he’s at compared to NHL competition. A strong showing now could boost his chances of cracking next season’s opening night roster, although his overall game would likely benefit from a little bit of seasoning with AHL Rockford.

If all goes well, Nazar will be a top-nine lock by the end of his entry-level deal in 2026 and join the multitude of other recent Blackhawks first-rounders in helping the franchise become consistent championship contenders once again. The 5’9″ forward can play both center and wing but is likely more suited for the latter at the professional level. He was the second-ranked prospect in the organization behind 2023 first-round pick and University of Minnesota center Oliver Moore in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s February ranking.

The financial terms of Nazar’s ELC have yet to be disclosed. It will be a three-year deal, though, and upon expiry, it will make him an RFA, putting him in line to need new deals at the same time as Korchinski and franchise center Connor Bedard.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Hurricanes Sign Gleb Trikozov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Hurricanes have signed forward prospect Gleb Trikozov to his three-year, entry-level contract, according to Trikozov’s agent, Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. In a press release Saturday, the team confirmed that his contract begins in the 2024-25 season and carries an $862.5K cap hit, broken down into a $775K base salary and $87.5K signing bonus each season. Trikozov will earn a $82.5K salary when assigned to the minors or overseas.

Carolina selected Trikozov, 19, with their first selection in the 2022 draft, coming late in the second round at 60th overall. They parted with their first-round pick as compensation for signing then-RFA center Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an offer sheet in September 2021, although it later changed hands multiple times and eventually ended up with the Sharks. San Jose used it on Swedish pivot Filip Bystedt, who recently made his North American debut for their AHL affiliate.

The 6’1″ Russian winger spent time with three different clubs in the Avangard Omsk system in his home country this season but closed out the season on assignment to the MHL, Russia’s top junior league. He was electric in regular season play throughout the year, scoring 12 goals in 10 games while totaling 18 points. He also added nine points in seven playoff games as Omskie Yastreby was eliminated last month.

He only appeared in two games in the top-level KHL, spending most of the year on assignment to the VHL, the top minor professional circuit. There, with Omskie Krylia, he was the team’s leading per-game scorer, notching 11 goals and 21 points in 39 games on a team that was nowhere near playoff contention.

Trikozov remains a high-ceiling yet unpolished prospect and could stand to get more comfortable in puck battles and improve his defensive awareness, although that’s the case with most mid-tier prospects his age. Those concerns led to some rather polarizing rankings in his draft year, as multiple public scouting sites believed Trikozov’s raw shooting ability made him worthy of a late first-round selection.

The Hurricanes still don’t have a full-time AHL affiliate on the books for next season, a situation that’s proven challenging for prospect development in 2023-24. The lack of consistent playing time and organizational ethos has completely derailed the development of some, such as 2019 second-round pick Jamieson Rees, who had just four assists in 37 AHL games split between Charlotte and Springfield before Carolina cut ties and traded him to the Senators a few weeks ago.

Nonetheless, GM Don Waddell said in a statement that the organization is “excited to see how [Trikozov’s] game continues to develop in North America,” implying they won’t be loaning him back to Russia next season. He’s not ready for NHL action, though, so they’ll need to find him a minor-league home if their affiliate situation isn’t rectified.

Trikozov will be 20 before Sep. 15, making him ineligible for an entry-level slide. His deal will take effect next season regardless of how many NHL games he plays, and upon expiry in 2027, he will be an RFA.

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