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Colorado Avalanche Sign Josh Jacobs, Spencer Smallman

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As the reigning Stanley Cup Champions worked on bringing back two key players in Valeri Nichushkin and Josh Manson, they also brought in two depth pieces in that of forward Spencer Smallman and defenseman Joshua Jacobs, the team announced. Smallman’s contract runs for two years, while Jacobs’ is just for one. The Jacobs contract is a two-way deal, worth $750K at the NHL level and $265K in the minors, says PuckPedia. Smallman’s contract is worth $750K in the NHL this season, rising to $775K next season, according to PuckPedia. In the minors, the contract will pay Smallman $350K this season and $400K next season, but does guarantee him $400K this season regardless.

A fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, Smallman has spent his professional career between the ECHL and AHL levels in the Hurricanes’ system. This season, the 25-year-old had 27 points, 10 goals and 17 assists, in 65 games for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Prior to his pro career, Smallman spent five years as a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, his best and final season coming in 2016-17, where he notched 30 goals and 49 assists in 60 games.

Once a top prospect in the New Jersey Devils organization, Jacobs hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for him after he was drafted 41st overall in 2014. Quite the opposite of Smallman, Jacobs made his way through three leagues before turning professional, starting with two seasons in the USHL as a member of the Indiana Ice before heading to college at Michigan State University for a season, finishing his amateur career with a season in the OHL as a member of the Sarnia Sting. Since then, Jacobs has spent most of his career playing in the AHL with the Devils, making a couple of appearances in the NHL with New Jersey. 2021-22 was Jacobs’ first season outside of the Devils organization, as he played for the Chicago Wolves, an affiliate of the Hurricanes.

Gatineau Olympiques Acquire Olivier Nadeau

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While the NHL Draft is still a few days away, the 2022 QMJHL Draft is underway tonight. There’s some big action on the trade floor as well, as the Gatineau Olympiques have acquired Buffalo Sabres forward prospect, Olivier Nadeau, from the QMJHL champion Shawinigan Cataractes in exchange for this year’s 14th overall pick, a 2023 first-round selection, a 2023 second-round selection, and 2005-born defense prospect Thomas Hebert.

Nadeau, Buffalo’s 97th overall selection in 2021, led Shawinigan in regular-season scoring with 78 points in 65 games. While he finished ahead of teammates like Edmonton’s Xavier Bourgault and Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque, they both played in considerably fewer games and had higher playoff point totals.

That doesn’t discount Nadeau’s role on the team, though. Serving as an alternate captain, Nadeau is a powerful, versatile forward who knows how to use his 6′ 2″ frame. A smart and skilled passer, Nadeau boasts solid middle-six upside and is a good transitional talent. In what will be his last year of juniors, Nadeau will get a chance to shine on Gatineau, who suffered a first-round playoff loss this year.

Xavier Simoneau Signs AHL Contract

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Overage draft pick Xavier Simoneau will start his professional career with the Laval Rocket in 2022-23 after signing a one-year AHL contract today. The 21-year-old forward recently finished his fifth season in the QMJHL.

Selected 191st overall in 2021 by the Montreal Canadiens, Simoneau is a dynamic offensive player that racked up 86 points in 48 regular season games for the Charlottetown Islanders this season. Overall for his CHL career he had more than 300 points, while also winning the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2020.

The biggest obstacle at the next level will be his size, as Simoneau stands just 5’7″ but plays a relatively physical game. It can be difficult for those types of players to find the same success at the professional level, which is likely the reason that he’ll start on a minor league deal instead of an NHL entry-level contract.

Montreal has until June 1, 2023, to decide whether he’s worth that ELC, at which point he would become an unrestricted free agent.

Saint John Sea Dogs Win 2022 Memorial Cup

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For the first time since 2019, the CHL’s Memorial Cup has been awarded, this time to the tournament-host Saint John Sea Dogs, who defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs by a score of 6-3 this evening to win the 2022 Memorial Cup. Saint John’s run was one of the more interesting ones, the team taking an impressive 44-17-4 regular season record into the playoffs, falling to the Rimouski Oceanic in the first round. As the host, Saint John was nonetheless awarded a spot in the final four of the Memorial Cup, along with the OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs, the QMJHL Champion Shawinigan Cataractes, and the WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings.

However, after the impressive season, Saint John and GM Trevor Georgie made the decision to fire Head Coach Gordie Dwyer, hiring University of New Brunswick coach Gardiner MacDougall. That choice, met with some question marks, ended up paying dividends for Saint John, who have taken the CHL’s ultimate prize, the first host team to win the tournament since the Windsor Spitfires did so in 2017.

The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player was awarded to Saint John’s William Dufour, who’s seven goals lead the tournament and was one shy for most all-time in a single tournament. This wasn’t Dufour’s first MVP this season, having won the QMJHL’s MVP award for the 2021-22 regular season as well after putting up an incredible 56 goals and 60 assists in just 66 games. A fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2020, Dufour has elevated his prospect status this season and could be destined for a pro debut in the Islanders organization next season after signing his ELC in April.

Edmonton Oil Kings Eliminated From 2022 Memorial Cup

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With the round-robin set to close tomorrow at the 2022 Memorial Cup, one team already knows its fate. The WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings are out of the top Canadian junior tournament, dropping their third game of the round-robin 4-2 against the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs.

The host Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL will play their league champion, the Shawinigan Cataractes, tomorrow. The winner of that game will advance directly to the 2022 Memorial Cup Final on June 29, while the loser will face Hamilton in the semi-final on Monday.

Edmonton bows out of the tournament without a regulation win. Their two points in the standings came courtesy of a 4-3 overtime win against Saint John.

It’s a shocking exit for the WHL champion, who terrorized the league with a 50-14-4 record during the regular season. But their offense was stricken heavily when it was announced that leading scorer Dylan Guenther, a 2021 first-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes, would miss the tournament due to injury. Still, the squad had a strong core with NHL prospects Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings) in goal, Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) and Luke Prokop (Nashville Predators) on defense, and Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues) and Justin Sourdif (Florida Panthers) rounding out an all-star lineup. The team’s depth was nothing to scoff at either, with multiple other NHL prospects and WHL veterans playing big roles.

The WHL’s streak of Memorial Cup losses, which dates back now to 2014 with the Oil Kings, will continue.

Morning Notes: Nichushkin, Montgomery, Memorial Cup

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One of the most under-the-radar redemption stories over the past few seasons in the NHL has been Valeri Nichushkin. A top-10 choice of the Dallas Stars in 2013, Nichushkin struggled with consistency in his early years in Dallas, leading him to return to his native Russia for two seasons after the expiry of his entry-level contract. The Stars then signed him to a two-year, $5.9MM contract prior to the 2018-19 season to bring him back to the NHL. However, after scoring no goals and just 10 assists in 57 games in 2018-19, the Stars bought out the second year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Avalanche took a chance on him in free agency, inking him to a one-year deal worth $850,000. His offensive production rebounded but, perhaps most importantly, he started growing his reputation as one of the best defensive wingers in the NHL among the analytics community. It earned him a contract extension which paid off in a big way for Colorado this year, with Nichushkin providing 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games with just a $2.5MM cap hit.

That type of production along with his defensive reputation is sure to earn Nichushkin a solid chunk of change this summer. However, Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that Nichushkin and the Avalanche discussed a contract extension earlier in the season, but the two sides weren’t close to an agreement. Now 27 and an unrestricted free agent off a strong contract year, this is the best chance Nichushkin will have to capitalize financially. It would surprise few if the Avalanche can’t afford to retain him, especially as the team needs to prioritize their goaltending uncertainty and a contract extension for Nathan MacKinnon.

Zachary Bolduc Assigned To AHL

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With the Quebec Remparts eliminated a few days ago, Zachary Bolduc is now free to get a taste of the professional ranks. The St. Louis Blues prospect has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, who are in the midst of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Laval Rocket.

Bolduc, 19, was the 17th overall pick in last year’s draft and emerged as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the QMJHL this season. He finished tied for second in league scoring with 55 goals, 22 ahead of his nearest teammate. His 99 points also put him near the very top of the list, and he continued it into the playoffs with strong performances through three rounds.

Given he only turned 19 in February, Bolduc is another one of those top prospects that will face a difficult challenge next fall. It’s either the NHL or junior for him as he will not be eligible to play full-time in the AHL, meaning this action with Springfield will be his only taste of the minor leagues for quite a while.

The Thunderbirds will play game three of their series tomorrow night, and it remains to be seen whether Bolduc will actually get into any game action at this most important juncture.

Joshua Roy Signs AHL ATO

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After inking his entry-level contract a few months ago, Joshua Roy is going to get an early taste of professional hockey. Since that deal doesn’t kick in until the 2022-23 season, Roy is still eligible to sign an amateur tryout with the Laval Rocket and help them in their quest for the Calder Cup.

Roy, 18, was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft and something of an afterthought for many fans until he hit the ice with the Sherbrooke Phoenix this season. He led all QMJHL skaters with 119 points and carried that production right into the playoffs. As it currently stands, Roy leads the entire league in postseason scoring with 23 points in 11 games, though that still wasn’t enough to keep Sherbrooke in the hunt. They were defeated yesterday by the Charlottetown Islanders in the semi-finals, meaning Roy’s season has now ended.

Incredibly, the 2003-born winger will not be eligible for the AHL next season, despite his dominance of junior this year. He will turn 19 in August and have to return to the QMJHL for another season, assuming he fails to make the Montreal Canadiens roster out of camp.

This taste of pro hockey should be interesting, as if he gets into the lineup with Laval it will be like jumping onto a moving train. The Rocket are set to start the Eastern Conference Finals against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday–a tough spot for an 18-year-old to make his debut. Whether he plays or not, it is certainly a nice reward for his outstanding season and will only help his overall development.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Riley Kidney

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May 22nd: The Laval Rocket have announced that Kidney has been signed to an amateur tryout contract, in advance of his entry-level deal coming into effect next season. This allows Kidney to be with the team as they attempt to continue their run in the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Rochester Americans.

May 4th: The Montreal Canadiens have signed Riley Kidney to a three-year entry-level contract, adding another prospect to the organization. The young forward’s deal will start in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859K. Kidney currently plays for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, where he will start a playoff series tomorrow night.

Selected 63rd overall in 2021, Kidney has quickly shot up the prospect charts with an outstanding performance. The 19-year-old scored 30 goals and 100 points in 66 games this season, finishing seventh in league scoring and way out in front of his own team. The next highest scoring player on the Titan was Bennett MacArthur with 77, an undrafted forward who recently signed an entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Even more impressive is that Kidney only turned 19 in March and will be returning to the junior ranks next season, where he very well could compete for the league scoring title if this kind of production continues. That of course is assuming he doesn’t make the Canadiens out of camp, now that he’s signed and officially a part of the organization.

There is no doubt that Montreal will need dynamic scoring threats in the coming years, meaning a clear path to the NHL is in front of players like Kidney. Whether he can continue on his current development path is another question entirely, and one that will not be answered for some time. An entry-level contract was the next step, now a strong performance in the QMJHL playoffs and a potential spot on next year’s World Junior team is on the horizon.

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