Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Alex Barre-Boulet To ELC
Now that the trade deadline is over, front offices around the league can turn their attention to other matters. Among them is the pursuit of undrafted players in both the CHL and NCAA, ones that can be brought into the organization for nothing more than money. The Tampa Bay Lightning have struck a deal with one such player, signing undrafted QMJHL superstar Alex Barre-Boulet to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Barre-Boulet is currently leading the QMJHL in scoring with 104 points through 57 games, and is an excellent offensive talent in a league filled with them. The 20-year old forward went undrafted mainly due to his size, as he stands just 5’10” 165-lbs. Tampa Bay might not be scared of that though, as they’ve famously turned undersized forwards into all-star talents. Martin St. Louis, Tyler Johnson and Brayden Point have all visited the midseason celebration of talent, while Yanni Gourde would be in the running for a Calder Trophy if it weren’t for some historic competition. Barre-Boulet won’t have far to look for inspiration in the organization.
He attended training camp with the Vegas Golden Knights this year, but couldn’t secure a contract and returned to the QMJHL to continue his dominance. As an over-aged player, he was expected to be among the very best in the league, but his performance has been outstanding nonetheless. Interestingly for his size, Barre-Boulet isn’t afraid to engage physically or forecheck against bigger players. His 63 penalty minutes on the year actually lead the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, just another category he tops on the squad. Turning 21 in a few months, he’s still a long-shot for the NHL during his professional career, but is probably in the best system possible for a player of his size.
Canadian Juniors Could Change Approach To Foreign Goalies
In 2013, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the overarching body in major junior hockey that governs the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), decided to ban teams from drafting European goalies. The CHL holds an annual Import Draft in which all 60 teams across the three leagues are given two chances to draft foreign talent in an attempt to fill their two import slots on the roster for the following season. Sometimes the players who are drafted come over and other times they don’t. However, five years ago, CHL president David Branch and company decided to no longer take the risk of bringing in foreign keeper who could then in turn block young North American goalies by not allowing teams to select them in the import draft. While the idea was to protect the development and value of homegrown products, the result was a weaker product across the CHL and a more difficult time for their business partners in the NHL to evaluate foreign goalies.
In fairness, the decision was made after a stretch of dominant play by European keepers at the major junior level. In 2010-11, the top save percentage in both the OHL and QMJHL belonged to imports: Petr Mrazek and Christopher Gibson. Not long before, Michal Neuvirth was one of the OHL’s best as well. In the mid-2000’s, Ondrej Pavelec controlled the QMJHL, leading the league in goals against average in back-to-back seasons among other accomplishments, and is arguably still the league’s best goaltender in history.
This isn’t to say that Canadian and American goalies didn’t also flourish at that time as well, which calls the decision back into question. This was always a concern of quality over quantity, as the vast majority of teams still employed a North American starter and often a local backup or two as well. The CHL may have been concerned with the talent of some foreign prospects overshadowing Canada’s best, but they could never have honestly argued there was a lack of opportunity due to imported players. Top 2018 draft-eligible CHL prospects Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina are both imports, yet they would never ban forwards.
Nevertheless, the CHL made a decision which clearly hurt their own competition level by excluding some of the top junior-level goaltending talent in the world without any evidence that it was truly hurting their domestic counterparts. Now, years later, the league is rethinking that decision. John Matisz of the Toronto Sun reports that the league is considering lifting the ban on foreign goalies, and for good reason. The ban has simply made it harder for NHL team to evaluate European keepers – with foreign leagues often dominated by older, experienced players, while the top young skaters come overseas – but hasn’t stopped them from being drafted into the pros at the same rate as CHL goalies. Meanwhile, top prospects such as Ukko-Pekka Luukonen (Buffalo), Filip Gustavsson (Ottawa), and 2018-eligible Jakub Skarek still reside overseas, but could surely benefit nearly any team in the CHL. The major juniors face little risk that a reversal would harm them in any way.
Interesting enough though, it may still be in European goalies’ best interests to remain in Europe and for NHL teams to focus on those who stay and face older, professional talent. The list of foreign goaltenders who played major junior in Canada and remain in the NHL – Mrazek, Neuvirth, Pavelec, Peter Budaj, Philipp Grubauer, Jaroslav Halak, Anton Khudobin, Marek Langhamer, Robin Lehner, and the most recent CHL import star, Oscar Dansk – all have one thing in common: they aren’t bona fide starters. Meanwhile, the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky, Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne, Tuukka Rask, and Andrei Vasilevskiy avoided North America until turning pro, and it worked out much better for them. With a new class of European goalies likely to join the CHL sooner rather than later, we’ll see if that trend continues.
James Reimer Out Weeks With Lower Body Injury
When the Florida Panthers recalled first-year goalie Samuel Montembeault yesterday to join fellow rookie keeper Harri Sateri, it was only a matter of time before the news came out about what injury had forced starter James Reimer to join the Panthers’ other dinged up veteran, Roberto Luongo, on the sidelines. That announcement came today, as head coach Bob Boughner told the media that Reimer will be out “a few weeks” with a pulled groin.
It’s more bad luck and tough timing for Florida, who will now have a hard time staying relevant in the Eastern Conference behind two goalies with a combined three games of NHL experience. The Cats are already 11 points outside of a wild card spot and, despite being fourth in points percentage in the Atlantic, are even farther behind for a divisional berth. Health in net has been no small factor, as both Luongo – out with a lower body injury of his own since December – and Reimer have missed time this season. In fact, the duo have only both been healthy for 21 of Florida’s 46 games. However, this will be the first time that both could be out for an extended period of time. Boughner did state today that he hopes Luongo back in practice next week, but stopped short of predicting his return to game action.
In the meantime, the bulk of the net action will fall to Sateri, beginning with the start tonight against the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals. Sateri, 28, isn’t your typical rookie. The Finnish journeyman returned to North America on a two-way deal with Florida following three seasons in the KHL. Prior to that, Sateri played four seasons with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks after being selected by San Jose in the fourth round in 2008 out of the Finnish Liiga. Montembeault, on the other hand, is a true rookie; the 21-year-old is in his first season out of the QMJHL after being selected by the Panthers in the third round in 2015.
Joe Veleno Officially Traded To Drummondville
Though the deal was agreed to much earlier this month, the Saint John Sea Dogs have officially traded top 2018 draft prospect Joe Veleno to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The Sea Dogs will receive three first-round picks and two second-round picks in return for the exceptionally talented 17-year old, who will get an opportunity to play with a better team for the second-half of his draft year.
Veleno was the first player to be given exceptional status and enter the QMJHL at the age of 15, showing why as a rookie with 43 points in 62 games. Unfortunately, his game took a step back as he dealt with injuries in his sophomore year, leading some to question the league’s decision to allow him in so young. This year, Veleno has 31 points in 31 games for Saint John, but hasn’t been able to help the team to a better record than 10-19-4, second worst in the entire league.
Drummondville will hope to get Veleno for more than just the rest of this year, as there is the potential of him jumping right to the NHL next season. The 6’2″, 194-lbs center is projected to go somewhere in the top-15 picks in June’s NHL Entry Draft, though could go as high as the top-5 should his season take off. He’ll turn just 18 in January, but has played with those older than him his entire life.
Veleno is an excellent playmaker, and smooth in everything he does on the ice. The ease in which certain parts of the game come to him can sometimes be perceived as a lack of work ethic, but coaches and scouts say the very opposite about him. Whether he does crack the top-5 on draft day is still to be seen, but his future as a professional is very bright. For now, he’ll set his sights on the QMJHL Championship with Drummondville and an appearance in Regina at the 2018 Memorial Cup.
Trade Notes: Veleno, Hutchinson, Penguins
Few junior-level trades draw the attention of any NHL teams outside of those teams who have drafted players involved. However, when it comes to “exceptional player” and presumptive 2018 top ten pick Joe Veleno, a new team is a whole new opportunity to evaluate his talent. Veleno, a member of the 2017 QMJHL champion Saint John Sea Dogs, has been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs for three first-round picks and two second-round picks, per Sportsnet. The Sea Dogs lost top prospects Thomas Chabot (OTT), Jakub Zboril (BOS), and Julien Gauthier (CAR), as well as 2016-17 leading scorers Matthew Highmore (CHI), Mathieu Joseph (TB), and Spencer Smallman (CAR) to the pros this season, resulting in a massive drop-off in success. Veleno and Edmonton Oilers 2017 selection Ostap Safin have been point-per-game scorers this season, but it hasn’t been enough to keep Saint John out of the basement of the QMJHL’s Maritime Division. Veleno, the first and only player awarded early entry to the QMJHL under “exceptional player status”, will now head to Drummondville and hook up with an overachieving Voltigeurs squad that is tied for the most points in the league, despite having few high-end prospects outside of 2018 eligible defenseman Nicolas Beaudin. How Veleno adjusts to not only joining a new team, but stepping in and immediately becoming the most talented player on the roster could be extremely telling for scouts. Veleno is projected by most to be selected somewhere between #5 and #10 overall in June, so success in Drummondville could be enough to ensure that he is a top five pick, while struggle could knock him out of the top ten altogether.
- Back in the NHL, trade talk surrounding goalies is the hot topic right now. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos (video), the Edmonton Oilers are focused in on Winnipeg Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson and are hoping to make a deal soon. With Cam Talbot injured, Edmonton has been on the hunt for help in net and Hutchison – who is buried in Winnipeg – appears to be their first choice. As Kypreos states, the only delay on the deal is the health of Jets backup Steve Mason. Mason is on his way back from a concussion and Winnipeg wants to take their time with his evaluation before trading away their goalie depth. Although it is Eric Comrie, not Hutchison, currently backing up Connor Hellebuyck, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff holds all the power in the negotiation and clearly wants to play it safe.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are also thought to be in the hunt for backup goaltending. Although starter Matt Murray appears to be back to full health and ready to return, there are doubts about the play of young Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith behind him. Jarry was pulled from last night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after allowing three goals on 16 shots and DeSmith allowed the game-winner on one of the only nine shots he faced. Jarry has been okay overall this season, especially as a 22-year-old rookie, but DeSmith has struggled mightily in his two brief appearances and cannot be relied upon at this point in time. With Murray also not playing his best hockey thus far – he has a save percentage just north of .900 and a goals against average just south of 3.00 – the Penguins may want a more seasoned, dependable #2 or #3 behind him, something they tried and failed to find with Antti Niemi.
Columbus Signs Max Fortier To Entry-Level Deal
An in-season free agent signing, particularly of a junior player, is rare. However, when it comes to a player with the ability and pedigree of Maxime Fortier, it comes as no surprise. The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have announced that their captain has signed an entry-level deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Columbus has yet to make the official announcement, thus leaving the salary terms unknown for the time being, the contract will be for three years and should finally give Fortier the shot at the pros that he has earned.
Passed over in the NHL draft twice and having left Montreal Canadiens camp without a contract in each of the past two years, Fortier’s production in juniors has finally become too impressive to ignore, even in light of his size concerns and lack of any defensive game. Fortier, now in his fifth season with Halifax at the age of 20, erupted on to the scene in the QMJHL in 2015-16, when he doubled his point total from the previous season, notching 77 points in 68 games. That production increased again last season, jumping to 87 points in 68 games and a point-per-game performance in the playoffs. To begin the 2017-18 season, Fortier already has 27 points in 18 games, on pace for a whopping 102 points if he plays 68 games again. Perhaps even more impressive is that Fortier is a +12 thus far, a positive player for the first time in his junior career. Fortier is taking steps toward becoming a true NHL-caliber player and it would be no shock if the other 30 NHL teams are looking back in frustration at the many times they missed out on Fortier as he blossoms into a star in Columbus.
However, that future is still a ways away. Halifax was clear in their team release that Fortier will remain with the team for the remainder of the season, skating alongside top 2018 draft hopefuls Jared McIsaac, Filip Zadina, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx on a team that plans to contend for a QMJHL title. They also made mention that Fortier is likely to begin his pro career with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and, considering his need to develop a more well-rounded game, especially against bigger, stronger competition, it seems likely that Fortier could spent ample time in the minors before making his NHL debut in a couple of years. Still, Fortier’s offensive prowess makes him a player to watch in seasons to come and potentially franchise-altering move by the Blue Jackets.
Hockey Canada Releases U17 World Challenge Roster
While the World Junior Championships are the best place to get a good look at upcoming and recent draftees (in the U18 and U20 tournaments respectively), NHL scouts are searching far and wide much earlier than that. Today, Hockey Canada released their roster for the upcoming World U17 Hockey Challenge tournament that will be held from November 5-11 in British Columbia. At the event, Canada will ice three teams while the United States, Russia, Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden will each also be represented.
Canada’s roster is made up almost entirely of players recently drafted and playing in the CHL, though there are a few from other leagues like the USHL or BCHL—often to maintain college eligibility. There are several notable last names that will stand out to hockey fans, as players like Tag Bertuzzi (son of former NHLer Todd Bertuzzi) and Ryan Suzuki (brother of Vegas’ prospect Nick Suzuki) will play big roles on the squad.
Suzuki and Bertuzzi were selected first and second overall in the most recent OHL bantam draft, to Barrie and Guelph respectively, and each have huge upside as offensive players. Obviously, there is so much hockey left to play before any of these 2001 birthdays are eligible for NHL draft selection—even the oldest among them can’t be taken until the 2019 draft—but don’t doubt the impact tournaments like this have on early scouting reports.
One player to watch out for is Alexis Lafreniere, an early favorite to go first overall in the 2020 draft. Lafreniere turned 16 just last week, but has already put up 11 points in nine games for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. Amazingly, he leads the team in scoring despite playing against players that are sometimes almost five years older than him. His talent is obvious to anyone that watches, and he’s already 6’0″ and still growing. Over the next few years, you’re sure to hear the name a few more times.
Here is a link to the full 66-man roster that will make up the three Canadian teams.
Minor Transactions: 10/13/17
Today’s minor news and notes from around the league:
- The Florida Panthers have loaned forward Denis Malgin to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, per a team release. Malgin, 20, was not expected to play much of a role for the Panthers in 2016-17, but ended up skating in 47 games and recording 10 points. This year, however, Malgin has yet to play to suit up for any of Florida’s first three games. With 2017 first-round pick Owen Tippett in the same boat, the Panthers needed to free up some opportunity and sending Malgin back to Springfield is no surprise. The Swiss forward was nearly a point-per-game player in the minors last season and can continue honing his skills while waiting for another opportunity to arise in Florida.
- Luc Snuggerud remains sidelined after a preseason upper-body injury, but now he’ll be sitting on the sidelines in Rockford rather than Chicago. The Blackhawks announced today that the young, offensive defenseman has been reassigned to the AHL Ice Hogs. Snuggerud is no good to the ‘Hawks injured, but even if he is ready to go by the end of his original three-week prognosis, Chicago has no space in the lineup for him to play next week or any time in the near future. The Nebraska-Omaha product is in his first full pro season, but if he can produce at a similar rate in the AHL as he did in the NCAA, then Chicago will have him back up sooner rather than later.
- After clearing waivers today, Calgary Flames beat reporter Wes Gilbertson says that Marek Hrivik is on his way to the AHL. The free agent addition will join the Stockton Heat, a squad already full of talented young forwards such as Hunter Shinkaruk, Mark Jankowksi, and Spencer Foo. Hrivek will not only have to find his place on the new club, but also show that he is more worthy of the next Calgary call-up than some of his younger, more exciting new teammates.
- With the Minnesota Wild facing some major injury questions up front. Marcus Foligno suffered a serious blow to the face in a fight with Chicago’s John Hayden last night, while Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund are day-to-day with lingering issues and the conditions of Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter are also drawing some interest. There’s no easy solution is all five of those forwards are beyond playing condition, but for now the team has announced the call-up of rookie Luke Kunin from the AHL. Defenseman Mike Reilly was demoted to AHL Iowa to make room. Kunin, Minnesota’s 2016 first-round pick, decided to leave the University of Wisconsin after just two years to pursue his pro career and will almost certainly be rewarded with his NHL debut tomorrow. An intelligent, well-rounded center, it should come as no surprise if Kunin impresses in his role as an injury replacement and manages to keep a spot on the team going forward.
- Another Central Division team has swapped a pair of players, as the St. Louis Blues announced that forward Tage Thompson has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, with fellow forward Sammy Blais getting the call-up. The two players are about as different as can be. Thompson is a 6’5″ center from Phoenix, Arizona who was drafted by the Blues in the first round in 2016 and played the past two seasons at the University of Connecticut before jumping right into the NHL this year. Blais is a 5’10” winger from Quebec who was drafted in the sixth round in 2014 and put up outstanding numbers in the QMJHL before playing a full AHL season last year. Yet, it’s Blais getting the call after an impressive preseason and a largely invisible first four games for Thompson. As the season goes on, watch for these two to be switched in and out depending on the personnel and style needs of St. Louis.
Anaheim Ducks Recall Giovanni Fiore
Giovanni Fiore has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks and is expected to suit up in his first NHL game tonight. If you haven’t heard the name much before, that’s because Fiore is an undrafted CHL free agent who was signed just a few months ago. After dominating the QMJHL last season as an overaged player, he’ll jump right to the NHL to try and help the wounded Ducks win on home ice.
Fiore impressed everyone that watched him in the preaseason, and will get his chance to show off his skills once again tonight. The 21-year old forward scored 52 goals for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last year, a huge jump from his previous high of 28. Some of that has to do with being older than most of the players in the junior ranks, but a lot more has to do with his tenacity on the puck and powerplay skill.
The Ducks, who are missing several key players already, were also short Ryan Getzlaf at this morning’s skate according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. Getzlaf has been dealing with a lower-body injury and has been in and out of practice this week. Already without Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves up front, it will be a thin group that tries to start the season off on the right foot.
Ottawa Senators Sign Drake Batherson To ELC
The Ottawa Senators have signed another prospect, inking Drake Batherson to a three-year entry-level contract. The 19-year old forward was selected in the fourth-round of the most recent draft, and is back playing with Cape Breton of the QMJHL.
Batherson has several similarities to Alex Formenton, the late-blooming speedster that Ottawa signed yesterday to his own entry-level deal. Both players were late entrants into junior hockey, as Batherson was a rookie in the QMJHL last season even though he turned 19 during the year. Still, he 58 points in that rookie season and showed off some incredibly slick hands at the Senators’ development camp. He’s armed with a ton of skill, but will need to get stronger and more consistent before making a real impact.
Luckily he’ll get to do it in Cape Breton where there is plenty of opportunity after the team saw several key players graduate this summer, and traded away Pierre-Luc Dubois in the middle of last year. Batherson will be their go to center, and has already registered four points in the first three games. It’s an important year for Batherson, who will turn 20 in April and will be expected to join the professional ranks next year. For now, he just needs to focus on adding explosiveness and power and let his skill do the rest.