Finland’s WJC Roster Filled With NHL Prospects
The IIHF World Junior tournament is just around the corner now that the calendar has turned to December and the involved countries will soon start to release training camp rosters. Finland is the first to do just that as today they announced a group of 36 players that will compete for a chance to represent their country on the world stage. Finland has continued to develop as a hockey nation every year, supplying the NHL with high-end talent like Kaapo Kakko, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Miro Heiskanen and Patrik Laine in recent drafts.
The full team, with their NHL affiliate in parenthesis:
Goaltenders:
Justus Annunen (COL)
Jasper Patrikainen
Kari Piiroinen
Defense:
Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
Ville Heinola (WPG)
Anttoni Honka (CAR)
Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
Miska Kukkonen (BUF)
Topi Niemela (2020 eligible)
Kim Nousiainen (LAK)
Axel Rindell
Peetro Seppala
Lassi Thomson (OTT)
Toni Utunen (VAN)
Forwards:
Leevi Aaltonen (NYR)
Eemil Erholtz
Aleks Haatanen
Roni Hirvonen (2020 eligible)
Lenni Killinen (CAR)
Otto Kivenmaki (DET)
Rasmus Kupari (LAK)
Anton Lundell (2020 eligible)
Matias Maccelli (ARI)
Henri Nikkanen (WPG)
Niklas Nordgren (CHI)
Joonas Oden
Mikko Petman
Ville Petman
Patrik Puistola (CAR)
Sampo Ranta (COL)
Aatu Raty (2021 eligible)
Aku Raty (ARI)
Antti Saarela (CHI)
Samuel Salonen
Patrik Siikanen (EDM)
Kristian Tanus
Toronto Marlies Hire Greg Moore As Head Coach
Since the promotion of former head coach Sheldon Keefe to the same position with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies have been searching for his replacement. The team has decided to go outside of the organization to tab their next bench boss, a rare move in-season, and have announced that Greg Moore has been named head coach. Moore was hired away from the USHL’s Chicago Steel midway through his second season with the team.
Moore, 35, is very familiar with developmental hockey. A young head coach, Moore was himself an NHL prospect not long ago. The Maine native played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in the early 2000’s and then played his college hockey at home at the University of Maine. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames after his freshman year, but his rights were traded to the New York Rangers before he turned pro. Moore made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 2007-08 overall made ten NHL appearances with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets over five pro season in North America. He also played a leadership role with nearly every AHL club he played for. Moore moved to Germany in 2011 and extended his playing career another four years before calling it quits in 2015. He immediately jumped into the coaching ranks, becoming an intern assistant coach with the USNTDP. After two seasons as an intern, he became full-time in 2017-18 only to be named head coach for USHL rival Chicago a year later.
Moore is well-regarded among young NHL coaching prospects. His Steel team went all the way to the Clark Cup in his first season and recorded a 52-25-5 record overall in 82 games with Moore behind the bench. His name had already been in the mix for possible NCAA openings this off-season, but he gets an even better deal with an AHL promotion mid-season. The Leafs organization has seemingly had an eye on Moore for some time, as they invited him to be a guest coach at development camp this summer and worked quickly to hire him just ten days after the firing of Mike Babcock and promotion of Keefe. Moore will be in the spotlight with the Marlies, but has a bright future ahead of him following this major career move.
Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, Suspension, Canucks
The OHL is still one of the (if not the) best development leagues in the world for junior-aged players with dreams of becoming NHL stars and this year’s entry draft will be filled to the brim with talent from the Ontario circuit. As he does every year, Brock Otten of OHL Prospects released his preliminary top-10, based on the rankings from several top prospect writers including Corey Pronman of The Athletic, Mike Morreale of NHL.com and Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News.
There’s very little surprise in Quinton Byfield‘s selection as the top OHL prospect, picked unanimously by the 17 scouts. After Byfield though comes some more incredible talent, including several names that will be selected in the first half of the first round come June.
- Reid Duke, the first player ever signed by the Vegas Golden Knights, has been given a two-game suspension in the AHL after a boarding incident earlier this week. Duke will miss two games for the Chicago Wolves, where he has just seven points in 22 games this season. The 23-year old forward signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Golden Knights in March of 2017.
- Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet gives his thoughts on the five most NHL-ready prospects for the Vancouver Canucks, including top pick Olli Juolevi. Unfortunately the update on the young defenseman isn’t very revealing, as MacIntyre writes that though the organization has admitted his latest injury is unrelated to the major knee injury that took away most of last season, they haven’t said much else. Juolevi hasn’t played for the Utica Comets since November 11th.
College Hockey Round-Up: 11/27/19
Boston University is making headlines this season for all of the wrong reasons. One of the most talented teams on paper in all of college hockey, the Terriers fell to 4-5-5 on the season with a 4-0 shutout loss to Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The team received just two votes in the latest rankings and is well outside the Top 20 at this point in time. On top of that, BU has had three players receive game misconducts for dangerous hits over the past two weeks and head coach Albie O’Connell served a one-game suspension after a post-game outburst at a media member. There have been bright spots – the production of defenseman David Farrance (NSH) and freshman forward Trevor Zegras (ANA) for example – but by and large it has been a season to forget thus far for the Terriers. Their only hope at redemption may be to maintain their respectable conference record and make a run in the Hockey East Tournament later this season.
Recent Results
Now eight games into their season, No. 2 Cornell has yet to suffer their first loss. The Big Red are a perfect 8-0-0 after knocking off No. 6 Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Quinnipiac, and Princeton over the last two weeks. ECAC rival No. 9 Harvard is also undefeated at 6-0-0, picking up wins over Brown, Yale, and RPI. The Crimson have been scoring at an unbelievable rate, leading the NCAA with 5.5 goals per game – almost a full goal more than the next-best team, No. 7 Penn State. Harvard has been led by Casey Dornbach, who trails only NCAA leading scorer Jack Dugan (VGK) in points per game, and freshman defenseman Henry Thrun (ANA), who is tied with Dugan for the top plus/minus in college hockey at +14. Both Harvard and Cornell have also been stout defensively, among the top four ranked teams in goals against average.
Yet, the efforts of the Ivy Leagues have not (yet) been enough to move No. 1 Minnesota State from the top spot in the rankings. The Mavericks continued to roll through their opponents this past weekend with a two-game sweep of Alaska-Anchorage by a combined score of 10-1. The team’s 1.17 goals against average leads the NCAA and workhorse starter Dryden McKay also leads the category among individual keepers and is tops with a .951 save percentage as well.
Minnesota State has been impenetrable defensively so far, but they will be tested this week when they face in-state rival No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth has finally looked mortal this season at 7-4-1, but they still sport a dangerous lineup, including the top scoring defenseman in college hockey, Scott Perunovic (STL). If any team left on the Mavericks schedule is going to knock them from the top spot in the rankings, it’s Duluth.
No. 5 Notre Dame is no longer undefeated after being blanked 3-0 by No. 19 Wisconsin back on November 15th and losing again against No. 20 Michigan State this weekend. They have now dropped behind No. 3 North Dakota and No. 4 Denver in the rankings, who actually clashed with one another two weeks ago. In a pair of tight games, the Fighting Hawks came away with a win and a tie against the Pioneers, likely giving them that edge in the rankings.
No. 15 UMass Lowell finally suffered their first conference loss against Connecticut two weeks ago, while No. 10 UMass, No. 12 Northeastern, No. 13 Providence, and No. 14 Boston College all have failed to move up the rankings. It has been an underwhelming season thus far from Hockey East, who has also seen Boston University disappoint and Maine fail to garner recognition from the voters.
Penn State and leading scorer Nate Sucese continue to roll, going 3-1 over the past two weeks and maintaining a lethal efficiency with their NCAA-best power play. Workhorse starter Peyton Jones is also tied with North Dakota’s Adam Scheel for the most wins so far this season. The Nittany Lions’ loss came against conference rival No. 11 Ohio State, who is knocking on the door of a top-ten spot with their own strong recent performance.
Ratzlaff Commits To Minnesota
While the Minnesota Gophers have been overshadowed by their Big Ten brethren so far this year, the team is adding promising future pieces. One such recent commitment comes from Minnesota high school star Jake Ratzlaff. Ratzlaff announced that he would staying at home to attend Minnesota. The Rosemount High captain is a big, right-handed two-way defenseman with considerable pro potential. In fact, Ratzlaff could push for first-round consideration this June.
While Ty Smilanic has garnered the most attention among college-bound draft prospects, that is partially due to the Quinnipiac commit playing on the U.S. National Development Team this season. Ratzlaff has not been under the same spotlight in the high school ranks, but he could still challenge Smilanic for his top NCAA prospect title. A rare combination of size and speed, not to mention a right shot, Ratzlaff will be a valued commodity. ISS ranked the blue liner at No. 30 in their initial draft rankings and another point-per-game season at Rosemount is only going to boost his draft stock.
Ratzlaff joins a growing group of elite recruits for the Gophers. The list now includes Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), Brock Faber, and brothers John and Luke Mittelstadt, among other talented prospects. Minnesota may be off to a tough start this season, but the future is bright.
Alaska Athletics Safe (For Now)
The Alaska university system is facing severe budget cuts and for a time there was concern that intercollegiate athletics could be cut. In the small world of Division I college hockey, losing two teams in Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks would be a major blow. Fortunately, College Hockey News reports that the schools received confirmation of continued funding to participate in NCAA athletics through 2020-21. This is great news, for both the growth of college and hockey and also the preservation of the game in two relatively obscure markets.
However, the conversation about Alaska sports is far from over. Both Anchorage and Fairbanks rely on their hockey programs for revenue above all other sports. But with the WCHA set to dissolve, as seven member schools plan to leave to form their own conference ahead of the 2021-22 season, it could be that funding will be cut after one more year in anticipation of the hit that both programs could take from becoming independents. Both schools will have to begin cost-cutting measures, not only in hockey but in all sports, if they hope to retain athletics in the long run.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Brayden Tracey To Entry-Level Contract
The Anaheim Ducks have decided to officially bring in their 2019 first-round pick. The team has announced that forward Brayden Tracey has signed his entry-level contract. It is a three-year contract that can slide this year and next if Tracey does not play in a minimum 10 NHL games. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Tracey, the No. 29 overall pick in June, was the Ducks’ second first-rounder of 2019 after Boston University forward Trevor Zegras was selected No. 9 overall. However, Tracey has arguably been the more impressive of the two players so far this season. Tracey has registered 10 goals and 22 points in just 13 games thus far with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. The team’s leading per-game scorer, Tracey and 2021 top prospect Ryder Korczak have almost single-handedly fueled the Moose Jaw offense this season. However, the Warriors are still struggling and Tracey could become an intriguing WHL trade candidate this season.
A late riser in the draft process, scouts began to take notice of Tracey’s game midway through an 81-point campaign that marked his first full WHL season. A player whose game is defined by his patient approach, soft hands, and elite vision, Tracey is a high-end play-maker in the making. He is yet another member of an alarmingly talented group of young forwards in the Anaheim pipeline. The team can afford to take their time with his development and this contract is no guarantee that he will see pro action even next season, nevertheless this year. Yet, his ability and upside should excite Ducks fans even if his NHL debut is still a few years down the road.
Overseas Notes: Bailey, Rasanen, Hiller
Casey Bailey has certainly had a whirlwind start to the 2019-20 season. The former Penn State standout joined the Washington Capitals in training camp and later their farm team, the Hershey Bears, but failed to land a contract with either club. He signed with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays in October and was loaned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers earlier this month. After performing well with both teams, it seems Bailey was able to parlay his success into another contract. The Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL have announced that they have signed Bailey to a contract for the remainder of the season. While this is Bailey’s first foray into Swedish hockey, it marks a return to Europe for the 28-year-old, who spent last year with the KHL’s Slovan Bratislava. A two-way right wing with NHL experience, Bailey has never reached the potential he flashed while a member of the Nittany Lions, but brings size, speed, and a track record of strong numbers in the AHL to Vaxjo. Bailey could emerge as a top contributor for the Lakers, who count talented but inexperienced NHL prospects Emil Pettersson (ARI), Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (BOS), and Marcus Davidsson (BUF) among their best players.
- Eemeli Rasanen is making an unexpected trip to Denmark for the next month. In a move rarely seen, especially with NHL prospects, the KHL’s Jokerit has loaned Rasanen to the Frederikshavn White Hawks of Norway’s Metal Ligaen, the team announced. It is quite the demotion for the 20-year-old defenseman, a 2017 second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who spent a brief stint in the AHL last year. Fortunately, it is just for a month, as the loan agreement expires after Christmas. Jokerit undoubtedly will make some money off of this deal, but also likely hopes that it jumpstarts Rasanen. The big blue liner has split his season to this point between the KHL and minor league Mestis, failing to make much of an impact at either level. He will have a major advantage over the competition in Denmark though, where he hopes to re-discover his game.
- Former NHL keeper Jonas Hiller is currently playing the final season of a long, successful career. Or is he? The starting goalie for the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne is dominating the Swiss ranks at the ripe old age of 37, calling into question whether he is really done. Hiller holds a .933 save percentage and 2.03 GAA through 19 games, the best numbers of his career at any pro level. He leads the NLA in both categories as well. Nicola Berger of NZZ Sport writes that Biel-Bienne is trying to convince Hiller not to retire while he is still at the top of his game. The team does not want to suffer a major drop-off in performance in net, so much so that Berger indicates that they could try to poach New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider if Hiller follows through on his departure. While Hiller has entertained the idea of continuing to play when approached by the media, Berger writes that he would be happy to go out on top, not wanting poor play to instead force his hand. While Hiller’s days in the NHL are undoubtedly over, his continued dominance in Switzerland at his age remains an entertaining story to follow.
Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman
Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.
The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.
However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.
With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.
Ty Smilanic Commits To Quinnipiac University
The U.S. National Team Development Program may not be the same lauded group as it was last year, producing seven first-round picks and a dozen other selections, but the top player from the program is always a name to watch. This year that is Ty Smilanic. However, Smilanic is not only known for his NHL Draft stock; he was also one of, if not the top remaining un-commited player in American junior hockey. That is no more, as Smilanic made his decision today. Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal reports that Smilanic has committed to Quinnipiac University.
The 17-year-old forward out of Denver is a dynamic talent. A combination of speed and smarts fuels Smilanic’s dangerous two-way game. At 6’1” but only 170 pounds, he still has room to bulk up and become even more of a threat at both ends. Smilanic has proven at each level of the developmental stage to have superior skating ability and a nose for the net, while also growing in his defensive awareness. So far this season with the USNTDP, Smilanic has rebounded from missing some time early on to record ten points in 13 games. While he may not catch Michigan-bound teammate Thomas Bordeleau for the team lead in scoring this year, he is a safe bet to finish second. And many scouts like him as the first player to be drafted from the team as well, ahead of Bordeleau and several other talented prospects. Most draft rankings have Smilanic going in the back half of the first round in June, but others like his chances at pushing toward the top ten. As he gets his legs under him this season, he could continue to take strides in his development and enter the conversation as a top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
This is no small deal for Quinnipiac. While the team has grown into a national contender over recent years, it has not been because they had the best players, but instead the right players who have bought in to head coach Rand Pecknold’s system. Sure, the program has produced NHLers like Devon Toews, Connor Clifton, and Matthew Peca in recent years and had two high-profile graduates in Chase Priskie (CAR) and Andrew Shortridge (SJS) last season, but those players were not considered surefire pro talents before their collegiate careers began. Smilanic is a different story. He is easily the top recruit in program a history and has surely left several other NCAA programs disappointed today.
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Ninth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
23rd Overall: Sam Gagner, Nashville Predators (6)
24th Overall: Justin Braun, Calgary Flames (201)
25th Overall: Ian Cole, Vancouver Canucks (18)
26th Overall: Brandon Sutter, St. Louis Blues (11)
27th Overall: Karl Alzner, Detroit Red Wings (5)
28th Overall: Carl Gunnarsson, San Jose Sharks (194)
An exercise like this only goes to show how difficult the draft really is, especially if you are picking at the bottom of the round. Gunnarsson jumps up from the seventh round and joins our first-round group, even though he hasn’t been much more than a depth defender for his entire career.
Back in 2007, it would have been difficult to expect Gunnarsson to even ever suit up for an NHL contest though. He had already gone undrafted twice, but must have caught the eye of a Toronto Maple Leafs scout while playing in the Swedish Elite League. A big body with a good reach, Gunnarsson actually kept developing his defensive acumen to the point where the Maple Leafs put him into the NHL during the 2009-10 season.
Gunnarsson logged some big minutes for bad Toronto teams as a young player, but by the time he ended up with the St. Louis Blues he was being used more as a depth player. Carving out a 593-game career is nothing to sneeze at, but teams are certainly hoping for a little more upside when they pick in the first round.
Even with the 29th pick, the Ottawa Senators were hoping to get a piece that could help refill the prospect cupboards. They had just lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Anaheim Ducks and had a top line as good as any in the league. They decided to add to that forward depth by taking University of Minnesota center Jim O’Brien, who had held his own at the college level even as a teenager.
O’Brien was listed 38th among North American skaters, but had a big frame and could potentially give the team another option down the middle where they were already exceptional deep. Unfortunately, O’Brien would struggle to find much consistency at the NHL level.
Though his professional career has lasted more than a decade, O’Brien played just 77 games in the NHL before leaving for the DEL this offseason. He recorded 13 points during that time and spent most of his years in the AHL playing on various minor league rosters. To be sure, the Senators wish they would have picked someone else back in 2007.
While the options are thinning out, Ottawa still could have found more than 77 career games. With the 29th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Senators select? Cast your vote below.
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*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.
Poll: Who Is The Early Calder Trophy Favorite?
The Calder Trophy is one of the most intriguing awards in the NHL. Every year a new crop of rookies compete for the title of league’s best and with it a shining star at the start of their NHL careers. The list of winners includes many of the best players the game has ever seen—Terry Sawchuk, Frank Mahovlich, Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Mario Lemieux and Alex Ovechkin are all part of the exclusive group—but also has some names that haven’t had quite the careers their early success implied.
Last year’s winner was Elias Pettersson, who beat out Stanley Cup winner Jordan Binnington in voting after a 66-point season. Pettersson only played in 71 games making his point totals even more impressive and enough to eclipse the turnaround that Binnington provided the St. Louis Blues in the second half.
Could Vancouver have another winner on the roster this time around? Quinn Hughes is off to an incredible start with the Canucks in his first season, logging some of the best possession numbers in the NHL and posting ten points in 13 games. Hughes looks to have escaped major injury recently when his leg was twisted underneath him, but he’ll have to return soon if he has a chance at holding off the field.
In fact, he’s not even leading rookies in scoring this season. That honor is split between two very different players. Cale Makar, another outstanding young defenseman that showed what he could do in the playoffs last season has 11 points in 14 games. The Colorado Avalanche have loved every minute of their rookie phenom, and are giving him even more opportunity of late.
He’s tied with Ilya Mikheyev though, who has the advantage of several years of professional hockey under his belt. Mikheyev is already 25 years old, but is playing in his first NHL season after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs out of the KHL. It’s not like the NHL hasn’t seen a situation like this play out before. Artemi Panarin beat out Connor McDavid in 2015-16 as a 24-year old rookie out of the KHL, though he needed a 77-point season and an injury to the Edmonton Oilers’ superstar to do it. Mikheyev would probably need some good fortune to come out on top, but 11 points in his first 15 games is nothing to ignore.
There are plenty of others to consider however. Victor Olofsson leads all rookies in goal scoring with six, all of which have been on the powerplay. If his even-strength contributions could catch up there’s a real chance he could lead all first year players in points by the end of the year. Jack Hughes has also been effective, even after an extremely slow start. He has the benefit of notoriety that comes with being the first overall pick, but he’ll likely need at least a bit of team success to take home the trophy.
Others like Martin Necas, Cody Glass and Alexander Nylander have all been given amazing opportunities playing with great NHL talent, while defenders like Ethan Bear and Dante Fabbro impress in their own end. Kaapo Kakko, who may have been expected to contend for it after his outstanding international performances, will need to really turn his early season struggles around in order to catch the clubhouse leaders.
Who do you think is the favorite right now? Who will eventually win? We’ve included some of the major candidates below, but make sure to suggest other possibilities in the comment section.
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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images