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Sam Poulin To Take Leave Of Absence

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that prospect Sam Poulin is taking a leave of absence from the organization due to personal reasons, returning home in the meantime. General manager Ron Hextall released the following:

The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself. As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.

Poulin, 21, was the 21st overall selection in 2019 and made his NHL debut this season with the Penguins. In three games, he recorded one assist. His production in the minor leagues has been limited, with just four goals and zero assists in 13 games for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. This is just his second season of professional hockey after starring for the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Val d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL.

The Penguins have not explained the reasoning behind the leave, and are not expected to do so. It is not clear when he will be able to return to hockey. While the organization supports his decision, it does leave the club with one fewer depth piece to call upon should injuries occur. Hopefully, Poulin will be able to get back on the ice and continue his career as soon as possible.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Jordan Dumais

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Never a bad day when you can sign the CHL scoring leader. The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked Jordan Dumais to a three-year, entry-level contract. The young forward will stay with the Halifax Mooseheads, where he is dominating in his post-draft year.

Dumais, 18, was picked 96th overall in 2022 after an incredible 109-point season (68 games). He went back to the QMJHL this year and picked up right where he left off, and now has 19 goals and 49 points through his first 22 games.

While his size – Dumais stands just 5’9″ – may have kept him from being a top pick in the draft, it’s hard to play much better than the diminutive winger. If he’s going to make it in the NHL, what better organization to do it with than the one that just signed Johnny Gaudreau.

The contract will be registered right away, but Dumais won’t burn the first season this year. It will slide, and could even slide again next season given he won’t turn 19 until April. He joins a loaded prospect group for the Blue Jackets that could quickly lead to some long-term success in Columbus.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Hockey Canada Names Coaching Staff For 2023 World Juniors

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The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship is just around the corner, with Canada once again expected to dominate the tournament with what should be a roster full of future stars. Today, Hockey Canada announced their coaching staff for the championship, headlined by Dennis Williams as their head coach.

Hockey Canada also named Stéphane Julien, Brent Kisio, and Alan Letang as assistant coaches, and Kelly Guard as a goaltending consultant.

Williams sees a promotion from last year’s tournament, where he served as an assistant coach under Dave Cameron. The 43-year-old is a two-time WHL Western Conference Coach of the Year winner with the Everett Silvertips and also served as the head coach for Canada’s “Black” team at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2018. He was also an assistant coach at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky U18 tournament.

It’s been quite the coaching ride for Williams, who got his first coaching experience immediately after graduating from Bowling Green University as a graduate assistant in 2002-03. 20 seasons and five leagues later, he gets the call to lead the reigning gold medalists at the top junior tournament in hockey.

Combined success at the World Juniors and as a bench boss in the CHL can often quickly lead to NHL opportunities. It wouldn’t be surprising if Williams found himself on an NHL bench in 2023-24 if Canada can repeat as champions.

Julien, 48, is the head coach of the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix and has held the role for the past seven-and-a-half seasons. He was the head coach for Canada at this year’s edition of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which ended just two months ago. It’s his first time joining the coaching staff for the U20 team.

Kisio and Letang return to the Canadian bench at the U20 tournament as assistants, reprising the roles that they held in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Guard’s only previous national team experience came as the goaltending coach for Canada White at the 2021 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Arber Xhekaj

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Though it was already expected, the Montreal Canadiens have officially placed Paul Byron on long-term injured reserve and recalled Arber Xhekaj from the minor leagues. Byron is now out for at least 24 days, though his actual return is still completely indefinite.

The 33-year-old has been crushed by injuries the last several seasons, an unfortunate end to what was a pretty impressive story. Selected in the sixth round in 2007, he was an undersized offensive player from the QMJHL that needed to revamp his game to make it in the NHL. After several years grinding through the minor leagues in the Calgary Flames organization, he found a home and quickly became an NHL regular.

In 2016-17, he reached a career-high with 22 goals and 43 points, becoming a reliable even-strength scoring threat for the Canadiens. Overall, he has 98 goals and 208 points in 521 games. His contract, which carries a $3.4MM cap hit, will expire at the end of the season.

Xhekaj, meanwhile, has been the talk of training camp with the Canadiens. The 21-year-old undrafted defenseman is a mean, physical presence on the ice that seems to have absolutely no fear. The 6’4″ bruiser may not ever be a Norris candidate but with excellent skating ability and NHL size and strength, he quickly became a fan favorite in Montreal.

With the team focused on the future, young players like Xhekaj will get a great opportunity with the Canadiens this season. Byron’s contract gives the team a little more flexibility to work with, at least until he finds a way to get back on the ice.

Tyson Hinds Signs With Anaheim Ducks

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tyson Hinds to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Hinds, selected 76th overall by the Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft, has been an impressive performer throughout rookie camp and preseason. The team made an extra effort to select him at the draft, trading their 2022 third-round selection to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the pick.

A 2003-born player, Hinds will return to the QMJHL for 2022-23, where he’s spent the last three seasons of his career with three different teams (Shawinigan, Rimouski, Sherbrooke). In 2021-22, split between Rimouski and Sherbrooke, Hinds had 12 goals, 23 assists, and 35 points in 61 games. He added a goal and three assists for four points in 11 playoff games for Sherbrooke.

Training Camp Notes: Stone, Biakabutuka, Mangiapane

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Injury troubles plagued the Vegas Golden Knights last season, something they can ill-afford a repeat of in 2022-23. There’s some good news on that front regarding one of their star players, though, as right wing Mark Stone skated in a contact jersey today for the first time during training camp.

The Golden Knights will count on Stone to have a rebound year as their captain, especially with their offensive depth thinning. The 2021 Selke Trophy finalist and 2019 runner-up played in just 37 games due to injury last season, registering nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points. Hopefully, the serious back injuries that plagued him last season don’t become a long-term issue for the 30-year-old.

  • Somewhat of a rarity these days, a player attending camp on an amateur tryout might do well enough to earn a contract within the organization. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have been impressed with defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, with head coach Derek Lalonde complimenting his skating and compete level. The 20-year-old is set to return to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders next season but could receive an NHL entry-level contract from Detroit or receive an AHL offer from the Grand Rapids Griffins when his season is over.
  • Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was a full participant in camp today after missing the first four days of group skates with what the team called a “minor lower-body injury.” He made his return to scrimmages skating on a line with newcomer Nazem Kadri, a role he’s likely to reprise in the regular season as well. Mangiapane is coming off a career-high 35 goals and 55 points.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/22

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As the preseason begins today, some teams are beginning to immediately trim their rosters as we inch closer to the start of the regular season next month. At this point in time, most cuts will be teams returning players to their junior or European teams as those leagues get their seasons underway. While some players’ training camp stays may just be a day or two, it’s still an invaluable experience for both the player and team to be active in their development.

Calgary Flames (via team release)

F Jack Beck (to Ottawa, OHL)
F Cole Huckins (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
D Cole Jordan (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
D Cameron Whynot (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Evan Boucher (released from ATO, to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Jake Lee (released from ATO, free agent)
D Christoffer Sedoff (released from ATO, to Red Deer, WHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO, to Guelph, OHL)

New York Rangers (via team Tweet)

F Sam Alfano (to Erie, OHL)
F Maxim Barbashev (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Jayden Grubbe (to Red Deer, QHL)
F Bryce McConnell-Barker (to Soo, OHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day

Yevgeni Kashnikov Signs In KHL

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The San Jose Sharks will have to wait to see Yevgeni Kashnikov in North America again. The 2021 draft pick has signed a two-year contract with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL, ending his time in the QMJHL.

Kashnikov, selected 199th overall last year, was already an overage prospect who will turn 20 in December. He recorded 13 goals and 32 points in 62 games for the Gatineau Olympiques last season, playing both defense and forward. His 6’6″ frame and love of physical hockey made him a feared opponent (especially at the junior level), as Jacob Mathieu found out in March, when the two dropped the gloves.

With his return to Russia, Kashnikov’s exclusive draft rights will now be held indefinitely, meaning the Sharks can wait and see if he turns into something worthy of an NHL contract. For a seventh-round pick that is nothing more than a lottery ticket, this is actually sort of a beneficial thing for the team. Had he stayed in North America, Kashnikov’s rights would have expired next June as a player drafted out of the CHL.

Now, he’ll get to use that size in the KHL and see if he can develop a bit more, while the Olympiques gain another import slot to fill. Marcel Marcel, who they selected 42nd overall in this year’s import draft, arrived yesterday.

Calgary Wranglers Announce Name, Sign Five Players

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After announcing their name yesterday, Calgary’s AHL affiliate has signed five players to AHL contracts for 2022-23. Formerly known as the Stockton Heat, the Calgary Wranglers will begin play at the Scotiabank Saddledome next season.

The five players signed were goalie Daniil Chechelev (whose NHL rights are owned by Calgary), defenseman Simon Lavigne, center Mitch McLain (signed to a two-year deal), defenseman Rhett Rhinehart, and center Brett Sutter.

Chechelev, just 21, was Calgary’s 96th overall selection in the 2020 draft. He played last season in Stockton on an AHL deal, having yet to sign his entry-level contract. He was sent to the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks for the vast majority of the season, where he compiled a 12-12-5 record, 3.64 goals against average, .894 save percentage, and one shutout. He sits fifth on the organization’s depth chart behind Oscar Dansk and Dustin Wolf, and he’ll likely be loaned back to the ECHL this season.

Lavigne joins the Wranglers after serving as the captain of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada last season, notching six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 65 games. McLain, 28, signs a two-year pact in Calgary after scoring 17 goals in 76 games last season with the Milwaukee Admirals. Rhinehart posted 27 points in 53 games last year as an alternate captain with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Sutter joins his father’s organization after spending the last five seasons as the captain of the Ontario Reign.

Looking Back At The First Round Of The 2005 NHL Entry Draft

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On this date 17 years ago, the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. It was the league’s first major event since the lockout that cost them the entire 2004-05 season ended just over a week prior, and considering the draft’s top prize, there was added intrigue.

With the lack of regular-season standings to determine the draft order, the league implemented a snake draft system to make things more equitable for teams in later rounds that didn’t fare so well in the draft lottery. One team that did fare well that night, though, was the Pittsburgh Penguins, who cemented a 15-plus year run of success by drafting future captain Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick.

Five players selected that night went on to appear in at least 1,000 NHL games, including Crosby. One was 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Jack Johnson, taken third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. Johnson never played a single game for Carolina, though, as he was traded the following offseason to the Los Angeles Kings along with defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky in exchange for defenseman Tim Gleason and center Eric Belanger.

Johnson wasn’t the only player from the first round to play meaningful games for the Kings, though. The team selected two-time Stanley Cup champion and future captain Anze Kopitar with the 11th overall selection. Another thousand-gamer was selected directly after him when the New York Rangers picked defenseman Marc Staal 12th overall, while Johnson’s teammate on the 2022 Avalanche, forward Andrew Cogliano, was selected 25th by the Edmonton Oilers.

One name from that night who could still join the 1,000-game club was St. Louis Blues selection and current Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. Taken 24th overall, he only needs 100 more appearances to hit the mark.

Future Stanley Cup-winning skaters weren’t the only future legends drafted that night, though. Two of the greatest goalies in recent memory were drafted that night, with the Montreal Canadiens selecting Carey Price with the fifth overall pick and the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Tuukka Rask with the 21st overall pick, of course prior to trading him to the Boston Bruins the following season.

Just three players selected that night, all taken within four picks of each other, would never make an NHL appearance. Slovak forward Marek Zagrapan, drafted 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres, played just three years in the organization with two different AHL affiliates, scoring 20 goals there just once. At 35 years old, Zagrapan is still active, playing the 2022-23 season in the French Ligue Magnus.

Directly after him, the Washington Capitals took Canadian defenseman Sasha Pokulok with the 14th overall pick. The first overage player taken in the draft, he’s arguably the biggest bust of the night. He never spent a full season in the AHL, bouncing up and down between there and the ECHL for four seasons after turning pro in 2006. He failed to make a notable impact in Europe, too, only lasting one season in the DEL (2010-11) before floating around various lower-level leagues in Eastern Europe and Quebec.

Lastly, there’s Canadian winger Alex Bourret, taken by the Atlanta Thrashers at 16th overall. A short but strong power winger, Bourret had a very successful junior career in the QMJHL that just didn’t translate. His North American career fizzled out quickly after a strong start in the AHL, but after being traded twice (first to the Rangers, then to the Coyotes), he had just 14 points in 48 AHL games during his final season there in 2008-09.

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