Edmonton Oilers Extend ECHL Affiliation
The Edmonton Oilers have extended their ECHL affiliation with the Wichita Thunder through the 2019-20 season, allowing them to keep their two-tiered development system under their new management team. Front office executive Bill Scott released a statement on the extension:
On behalf of Ken Holland and the Edmonton Oilers, we’re very excited to extend our affiliation agreement with the Wichita Thunder. We believe in new Head Coach Bruce Ramsay to develop our prospects in a positive, winning environment that will lead to success for the Thunder and Oilers. Wichita has been a terrific partner and we are pleased to continue our relationship together.
The Oilers have been affiliated with the Thunder since 2017-18, when they parted ways with the Norfolk Admirals. The Thunder made the playoffs in year one of that affiliation, but missed them this season after putting up a 29-31-12 record. In April, the team fired head coach Malcolm Cameron and subsequently hired former Grand Rapids Griffins assistant and Calder Cup champion Bruce Ramsay.
While the ECHL may not be the primary development league, it is still an important part of the Oilers organization as they look to maximize the potential of their prospects. Especially in net, where Stuart Skinner and Dylan Wells split this season, the Thunder will be responsible for getting raw or overlooked prospects off to a good start in their professional careers.
Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Skinner, Sustr
It’s draft season, and the final rankings from several of the hockey world’s leading scouts are starting to come out. Today marked the release of Corey Pronman’s first 2019 mock draft for The Athletic (subscription required), and Craig Button’s top-31 prospects for TSN. Pronman’s mock details some of the rumblings he has heard at the draft combine and elsewhere, and interestingly notes there is still no consensus on who the Chicago Blackhawks will be taking at third overall.
While Pronman lists Alex Turcotte there hesitantly, Button has CHL defenseman Bowen Byram as the third best prospect available. More notable than that even is Button’s ranking of Cole Caufield, who has continued to fly up boards as we close in on the draft later this month. The diminutive forward climbs to fourth on the TSN list, with even more lauding of his ability to put the puck in the net.
- Bob McKenzie of TSN will release his final draft rankings a little later in the month, but he did tweet out a note regarding Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner today. McKenzie notes that it is “crunch time” in the negotiations between Buffalo and Skinner, and expects either a deal will get done in the next few days or the sniper will wait until unrestricted free agency. The TSN insider expects an eight-year deal worth $72MM, or something thereabouts. Skinner, 27, is coming off a 40-goal season and has made it clear he does enjoy playing with the Sabres. Still, a $72MM price tag is awfully expensive for any team.
- A report out of Russia has Andrej Sustr signing a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, though there has been no formal confirmation at this point. The 28-year old defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after his current deal expires, and spent last season almost entirely in the minor leagues. Sustr was once a full-time member of the Tampa Bay Lightning blue line, but fell out of favor and never found his footing in the Anaheim Ducks organization.
New York Rangers Sign Tarmo Reunanen
The New York Rangers will be signing one of their international prospects, as they have agreed to terms with Tarmo Reunanen on a three-year entry-level contract. Reunanen played his first full season in Finland’s Liiga in 2018-19.
Reunanen, 21, was the 98th selection in 2016 despite having missed much of his draft year due to injury. He was still ranked 53rd among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and the Rangers took a chance on him because of the huge offensive upside he had shown in the Finnish junior leagues. Unfortunately, that offense didn’t materialize for the first two years after he was drafted. With just three points in 27 Liiga games and 11 points in 44 Mestis (Finland’s second league) contests, it looked like his development had slowed.
Not so fast, as Reunanen exploded this season playing for Lukko, registering 25 points in 58 games. The young defenseman became just the fifth 21-or-under blue liner to register at least 25 points in the last decade, joining Sami Vatanen, Esa Lindell, Ville Pokka and Sami Niku in that group. Those names should inspire some confidence in Rangers fans hoping they have found a gem in the middle rounds. His ability to carry the puck efficiently through the neutral zone should bode well for his chances in North America, though he’ll have to make sure he can stand up physically in his own end.
The Rangers are building quite the pipeline of talent on the back end, with players like Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, Libor Hajek, Joey Keane and K’Andre Miller all looking like legitimate NHL options in the future. Add that to the kind of offensive firepower they’re cultivating in names like Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Brett Howden and of course the soon-to-be-picked Kaapo Kakko or Jack Hughes, and the Rangers are obviously moving in the right direction.
Poll: What Should The Blackhawks Do With The No. 3 Pick?
While there are still some who would argue that Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko should be selected first overall over American center Jack Hughes, the vast majority see Hughes going No. 1 to the New Jersey Devils and Kakko going No. 2 to the New York Rangers and everyone agrees that the pair will be the first two picks in whatever order. As such, the first real question of the 2019 NHL Draft comes with pick No. 3. The Chicago Blackhawks were the big winners of the NHL Draft Lottery this year, moving up from No. 12 to win the third overall pick. However, without an obvious option at that slot, Chicago’s decision could dictate much of the early first round.
In all likelihood, GM Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks will hold on to their pick and add an elite prospect to the pipeline, but which one? The recent NHL Scouting Combine did not provide many hints, as the team spoke multiple times with most of the top prospects in the draft class. Forwards Alex Turcotte, Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach, and Peyton Krebs and defenseman Bowen Byram all met with Chicago several times over the week and could all be in contention at No. 3.
Turcotte will likely be the fan-favorite pick for the Blackhawks faithful. An Illinois native and lifelong Chicago fan, Turcotte has drawn comparisons to both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Despite an injury-ridden season, Turcotte impressed when able and may be the most well-rounded forward in the draft class. It’s hard to find many holes in the talented center’s game and he’ll only improve after a year at the University of Wisconsin. In many ways, Turcotte is a bust-proof pick who is sure to be a good NHLer one day.
Yet, Turcotte may not be the best player available at No. 3. Most top scouting services are split between he and the defenseman Byram as the third ranked prospect. Byram is an incredible skater and is unmatched in this draft class in his ability to lead the rush and move the puck. Smart, skilled, and poised, Byram has the makings of a first pair defenseman. The only problem is that the Blackhawks used both of their first-round pick in 2018 on defenders – Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin – and a first- and second-round selection at the position in 2017 – Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell. Chicago is well-stocked on the blue line and may be hesitant to take another defenseman, regardless of his talent level.
Of course, just because most scouts say it should be either Turcotte or Byram at No. 3, doesn’t mean the Blackhawks staff agrees. Cozens and Dach are bigger, stronger centers who, unlike Turcotte, could step in and play in the NHL right away next year if asked. Cozens is an athletic, hard-working player who could be an elite goal scorer at the pro level. Dach is dangerous at the center position, using space well, creating offense, and also playing a physical, two-way game. There’s also a chance that the Blackhawks could go off the board and take a player like Krebs, who they clearly have some interest in, undersized sniper Cole Caufield, who draws comparisons to budding Chicago star Alex DeBrincat, or skilled Russian project Vasili Podkolzin, who could be an offensive force in a few years.
Then there’s also the possibility that the Blackhawks could move the pick. Just because Bowman and company got lucky in the lottery doesn’t mean that they won’t entertain offers for No. 3. In such a deep draft, Chicago could move back to recoup another pick or prospect, and still land a promising prospect with their new pick. If a defense-needy team like the Los Angeles Kings (No. 5), Detroit Red Wings (No. 6), or Anaheim Ducks (No. 9) want to make sure they can get Byram, the Blackhawks could net a nice return and not have to move back too far. Other teams may also be dead-set one of the drafts top centers, while Chicago may not be as sold on one versus the other and could be willing to move back to still get a player they really like. It’s not often that NHL teams, especially ones in a top position, trade back, but the Blackhawks are in a unique position to do just that.
What do you think? What will Chicago do with the third overall pick?
Blackhawks Must Decide Whether To Sign Goaltender Ivan Nalimov
The Chicago Blackhawks still have veteran Corey Crawford starting in net next season. After that, there are still quite a few questions. One of those is whether the franchise should bring over one of their top prospects, as The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) writes that goaltender Ivan Nalimov has expressed interest in coming to the U.S. to continue his career.
The team still has Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen, and restricted free agent Anton Forsberg in the system, but Nalimov presents an interesting option. Drafted in the sixth round in 2014, the 24-year-old Nalimov has played in the KHL for five years now, putting up his best numbers in the 2017-18 season when he put up a .938 save percentage in 27 games. Nalimov expressed interest in coming over last year, however with no goaltending openings in their system, the Blackhawks opted against bringing him over, prompting a trade request which he later rescinded. This year has been less impressive for Nalimov, who posted a .917 save percentage in 18 appearances, yet the goaltender has expressed an interest in coming over yet again, according to Powers.
The Blackhawks could have an opening now as the team must first make a decision on what to do with Forsberg. The 26-year-old put up solid numbers once again with the Rockford Ice Hogs, putting up 15 wins and a 2.64 GAA, but most importantly, a .919 save percentage, which tied him for third in the AHL. Unfortunately, for Forsberg, Delia has surpassed him as the team’s No. 1 prospect and is the likely candidate to take over backup duties behind Crawford. No longer waiver exempt, the team could end up losing Forsberg for nothing if a team claims him at the start of the season. The team could place Lankinen in the starting role in Rockford and after leading Finland to the gold medal at this year’s World Championships, he might be ready for that role. That could give Nalimov a chance to be the backup for the Ice Hogs.
Of course, all that depends on what the Blackhawks intend to do this summer. The team could just as easily bring in another veteran back-up goaltender and push their prospects back a spot in the depth chart, which would once again leave Nalimov in limbo.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Goaltender Emil Larmi To Entry-Level Deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to find ways to add prospects. Having traded away their second, third, fourth and sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, the Penguins opted to grab a prospect from overseas, as they announced they have signed 22-year-old Finnish goaltender Emil Larmi to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal has a NHL salary of $700K.
Larmi is coming off an impressive season in the Liiga, where he played 36 games for HPK Hameenlinna, posting a 1.94 GAA and a .900 save percentage, but was even more impressive in 18 playoff games as he led his team to the championships with 12 wins, a 1.72 GAA, a .930 save percentage and two shutouts in the finals. Penguins goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo, who has extensively scouted Larmi in Finland, said of the young keeper:
Emil is coming off of a fantastic playoff run with HPK, and has proved himself to be one of the best goaltenders in Liiga. He’s an athletic and mobile goaltender that reads the game well and is highly competitive. We are excited for Emil to join our organization as he transitions to life and hockey in North America.
Larmi went undrafted as teams were likely wary of his stature as he stands just 6’0″ and 185 pounds. He has spent the last three years with HPK and helped Team Finland win a gold medal at the 2016 World Junior Championship. The goaltender is also teammates with current Penguins prospect Niclas Almari. Larmi could be insurance for their AHL team if they choose to trade goaltending prospect Tristan Jarry this off-season. The team traded away goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson at the 2018 trade deadline as well and were in need of a boost in the pipeline. The team has only one minor league prospect under contract after Jarry in Alex D’Orio, who has struggled in his two most recent campaigns in the QMJHL.
Islanders Notes: Clutterbuck, Ho-Sang, Sorokin, Prospects
In a detailed piece for The Athletic, Arthur Staple talks to New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello and fills the gaps in some of the latest rumors surrounding the team. While much of the discussion is on players who could push for roles with the Isles next season, the main topic is regarding a player whose role is already a lock – if he’s healthy that is. Staple writes that veteran forward Cal Clutterbuck has already undergone off-season surgery, after revealing following the team’s playoff exit that he had been playing through several back injuries, including slipped discs, rotated vertebrae, and a stress fracture. Facing either a regiment of rest and rehab in hopes the pain would subside or instead invasive surgery for a more permanent solution, Clutterbuck chose the later and went under the knife late last month. Lamoriello states that doctors hoped the surgery would still leave Clutterbuck enough time to recuperate before training camp, but there is some doubt. One way or another, it will be close and the physical forward likely won’t be at full strength for the start of the preseason. With Andrew Ladd already expected to miss the start of next season, New York hopes to have Clutterbuck ready for the season opener and Lamoriello expects that to be the case, but it will be a process worth monitoring this summer and into the fall.
- Lamoriello confirmed to Staple that polarizing forward Joshua Ho-Sang will be back with the Islanders next season. A restricted free agent, Ho-Sang requires a qualifying offer to remain Isles’ property and Lamoriello and company will give him just that. Beyond a QO, the GM would not guarantee anything else for Ho-Sang though. Lamoriello said that the 2014 first-round pick, who played in just ten games with New York this season, will “be in camp and like all the young players, he’ll determine his future.” If Ho-Sang refuses to sign his qualifying offer or does so and then becomes unhappy with his role again next season, he will be a prime trade candidate for the Islanders.
- One young player who won’t be in camp and likely won’t don an Islanders jersey at all next season is Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin, 23, has been dominating the KHL for four years now as arguably the best goalie in the league. There is little doubt that he will find success when he does make the jump to the NHL. However, he still has a year remaining on his contract with CSKA Moscow and Lamoriello reports that this makes it next to impossible for him to come over before the end of next season. Yet, the two sides stay in constant contact about the possibilities. “There’s certainly dialogue all the time, but he does have a contract so there are extenuating circumstances. He’s someone we’d love to have come over as soon as possible.” With Sorokin not an option for next season, the Islanders still have a tough decision to make in net, with Vezina Trophy candidate Robin Lehner hitting free agency and in search of a long-term deal.
- Lamoriello and the Islanders are understandably excited by the development of 2018 first-round pick Noah Dobson, who just won his second consecutive Memorial Cup and Memorial Cup All-Star nod. The well-rounded defenseman seems ready for the pros and Lamoriello specifically said that he “can’t get any higher in junior hockey than he’s gotten.” Dobson will be given the chance to break camp with the Islanders, but unfortunately for him he may have a disadvantage again fellow top defensive prospect Bode Wilde. As a teenage Canadian junior player, Dobson is ineligible to play in the AHL next season and would need to be returned to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL if he does not stick with the Islanders. Wilde, a second-round pick last year, also plays Canadian junior but was drafted out of the U.S. junior system and thus faces a different set of AHL eligibility rules. If Wilde, who is also coming off a strong season, shows well in camp, he could be the preferred prospect to stick based on that two-way flexibility. With the Islanders’ depth on defense, it’s hard to see either player having a major role in New York next season regardless, but the team could opt to deal from a position of strength this off-season to open up space for either Dobson or Wilde to have a shot at regular ice time next season.
Top 2019 NHL Scouting Combine Performers
Have you heard of Jayden Struble? No? Well you have now. The defenseman out of St. Sebastian’s School in Massachusetts put on a clinic at the NHL Scouting Combine and has asserted himself as the top athlete in the 2019 draft class. Of course, athleticism is hardly all that it takes to succeed in hockey, but Struble certainly didn’t hurt his draft stock with his incredible performance yesterday.
Among the fitness tests that the combine invitees are asked to participate in are the bench press, pull-ups, vertical jump, squat jump, standing long jump, shuttle run, grip strength test, and the now-famous Wingate test, an exercise bike endurance test. Struble ranked first in an amazing five measurements – Wingate mean output, bench press, long jump, and left and right grip strength – and finished in the top three of the other two jumps. The 6’0″, 194-lb. rearguard showed that strength and endurance are his game, more so than any other top draft prospect. It was an impressive display from the skater ranked just No. 48 in North America by NHL Central Scouting, but could now be a safe bet as a second-round selection.
Several other prospects had banner days as well. Among the names at the top of most draft boards, WHL center Dylan Cozens performed well in endurance testing, finishing in the top five of both mean output and peak output in the Wingate test. He also finished among the leaders in both right hand and left hand grip strength and the standing long jump. Undersized USNTDP sniper Cole Caufield showed that strength is relative, finishing tied for first in pull-ups with 16 reps of his 5’7″, 163-lb. frame. Caufield also placed in the top ten in the bench press and vertical jump. Fellow smaller forward Nils Hoglander also impressed, finishing alone atop the chart in peak output during the Wingate test, tied for first in pull-ups, second in the bench press, and among the leaders in the left and right shuttle run. It was a well-rounded result from the Swedish forward who projects to be a mid-to-late first-round pick. Top-ranked goaltender Spencer Knight may have put to rest any lingering concerns teams may have had about using a first-round selection on him. Knight showed that he is one of the more agile and explosive athletes among all draft prospects, not just goalies, with a top-five finish in the vertical jump, squat jump, long jump, left and right shuttle run.
Other standouts include Peyton Krebs, Raphael Lavoie, John Beecher, Henry Thrun, Samuel Bolduc, and Nicholas Robertson. For full explanations of the tests, all top-ten finishes, and the results from some of the draft’s top prospects, check out this write-up from Brandon Cain of Second City Hockey.
Philadelphia Flyers Expected To Be Aggressive This Offseason
After a disappointing 2018-19 season, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in a situation in which they have many pieces that could make them a playoff team, but not enough to actually take that next step. The franchise, who many thought would be a playoff contender last year, instead struggled out of the gate, before both general manager Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol lost their jobs and the team limped to a disappointing finish.
The Flyers, now under the control of new general manager Chuck Fletcher, are ready to make their next move and upgrade their team for a playoff run, according to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman. The team has $33.4MM in cap space available to them and, while they do have some restricted free agents they must sign (including Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim), they still should have quite a bit of cap space to make key moves. Rumors also suggest the team may be willing to move defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere in the right deal to add more scoring and a second-line center. Fletcher tells Kimelman that, one way or another, the team will be aggressive this summer:
I think we’re going to be very aggressive in the trade and free agent markets in the sense of looking into every possible situation that can help us. The unfortunate part is the vast majority of things you look into don’t work out. … So we’re going to be very aggressive in trying to fill the holes we feel we have. I don’t know if I can say we’ll be able to fill all of them.
However, Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi added today that the team would be willing to move their first-round pick, if it means filling all of those holes, and that Fletcher has already been listening to offers. “If we can get a good player at the right stage of his career and with some term left on his contract, we’d certainly look at it,” Fletcher said, while adding that if they don’t get the right offer, they’d be happy to keep the pick.
If the team cannot pull off a big trade, Fletcher has said the team would be more than willing to bring in veteran players on short-term deals. The other option would be to allow some of their top young prospects to earn their way into the lineup a little quicker than originally anticipated. The team does have a number of interesting prospects, including forwards Morgan Frost, Isaac Ratcliffe, and Joel Farabee, who will all be turning pro this season. Fletcher feels that this depth of young talent could be ready to make a difference this year, if necessary:
[The young players] certainly could be [roster options]. I think the odds would be against them making our team coming out of camp. But I don’t like cutting players before training camp. I say that because I think our expectation is we’ll find a player or two to come in. For 20-year-old kids, in Farabee’s case 19, to get some playing time in the [American Hockey League] is always a preferable option. But if they come in and they earn it, and there’s been players every year that seem to do it around the league, then certainly we won’t hold them back.
Zachary Emond Signs With San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks have signed Zachary Emond to a three-year, entry-level contract. The young goaltender recently captured the 2019 Memorial Cup with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, and will now sign his first professional contract just a few days later. Sharks’ GM Doug Wilson had this to say about his new prospect:
Zach’s overall development and growth improved immensely this season, recording seven shutouts and an unprecedented 24-0-1 record. He had the opportunity this season to learn under the Huskies veteran goaltender Samuel Harvey and head coach Mario Pouliot during the team’s Memorial Cup run. We’re excited to watch him take over the helm in the crease next year and build on his impressive performance from the previous campaign.
You didn’t read that wrong, Emond was a near perfect 24-0-1 in the regular season for the Huskies and those seven shutouts led the entire QMJHL. The same can be said about his goals against average of 1.73 and save percentage of .932, making it quite the historic season for the young goaltender. That performance must have Wilson and his scouting staff smiling from ear to ear after they used a sixth-round pick to select Emond last June despite his 9-10-1 record in 2017-18, caused by an .897 save percentage and 3.26 goals against average. That kind of improvement is obviously unexpected, but pushes the 18-year old right to the forefront of goaltending prospects in the Sharks’ system.
Because he’s so young, Emond is expected to return to the QMJHL next season as a 19-year old, allowing his entry-level deal to slide forward a year. He wouldn’t be allowed to play in the AHL anyway because of his age, meaning the Huskies very well could have the top goaltender in the league once again.