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Johan Larsson Linked To SHL

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10:35am: Don’t count Larsson out of the Sabres plans just yet, as his agent Craig Oster confirmed to Lancy Lysowski of The Buffalo News there is no truth to the report out of Sweden. Larsson still needs a contract to continue with Buffalo, but Oster told Joe Yerdon of The Athletic that his client is “looking forward to continuing his NHL career next season.”

9:45am: It might be the end of the NHL road for Buffalo Sabres forward Johan Larsson, as according to Magnus Wahlman of Radiosporten in Sweden the 26-year old is heading back to Brynas for next season. Larsson played for Brynas before making the jump to North America in 2012, and is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer.

Even if Larsson didn’t return to the SHL, there is a chance that the Sabres would decide not to qualify him anyway. The defensive center posted just 14 points in 73 games this season and has 79 in his entire 331-game NHL career. With a 2018-19 cap hit of $1.475MM and arbitration rights this offseason, the Sabres could decide to move on and open up some more minutes for their young forward group.

In that way, his return to Sweden could be the best decision for both sides. Larsson never has been able to produce much offense at the NHL level, but previously dominated at the SHL and AHL levels. Selected in the second round nine years ago by the Minnesota Wild, he was part of the return for Jason Pominville in 2013. A key piece, he had scored 37 points in 62 games as a rookie for the Houston Aeros and made his NHL debut at the age of 20.

The Sabres aren’t exactly in a cap crunch, but freeing up another ~$2MM could have an impact this summer for the team. They are still trying to re-sign top goal scorer Jeff Skinner, and should have enough room to get involved in some of the bigger free agents if they so choose.

Bruins To Loan Emil Johansson To Sweden

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May 13th: While the Bruins have yet to officially recognize the deal, there is no longer any doubt that Johansson will not be playing in North America next year and, as it turns out, not for a while after that either. HV71 have announced that they have signed Johansson to a three-year contract, bringing back the homegrown product. The team’s general manager, Johan Hult, spoke glowingly about Johansson in the press release, applauding his balanced game, skating ability, and “incredible hunger”. These traits are part of the reason why Johansson joined the Bruins so quickly after being a seventh-round pick and the team will be sorry to lose him as a young depth option, especially for up to three years or longer. It is possible that the Bruins have already agreed to waive and terminate Johannsson, valuing his roster spot against the 50-contract limit more than loaning and retaining his rights. Either way, the 23-year-old will become an afterthought for the Bruins.

May 10th: There is a logjam on defense in Boston, but it came in handy this season. Over the course of the regular season, the Bruins used 11 different defensemen as injuries ravaged the blue line all year long. The team’s defensive leader in games played, Brandon Carlo, still missed ten games, while players who began the season as AHL afterthoughts, such as Connor Clifton and Jeremy Lauzon, suited up for double-digit games. It was a group effort that helped the team stay afloat through adversity and certainly contributed to the Bruins currently being one of just four teams left alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is all to say that any defenseman under contract with Boston this season who didn’t see NHL action should be re-considering his place in the organizational depth chart moving forward.

That appears to be exactly what Emil Johansson has done. Johansson, 23, was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Bruins who impressed at the top level in Sweden and was deemed ready for pro hockey in North America sooner than expected. This season, his second full year with the Bruins organization, Johansson led all defensemen for AHL Providence in games played this season with 65, while recording ten points. Yet, he did not earn a chance to escape the minor league level. His odds are no better next season; the Bruins currently have the same top seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts through next year and Johansson would additionally be no higher than fifth among call-up options behind Clifton, Lauzon, and recent first-round picks Urho Vaakanainen, and Jakub Zboril. Johansson’s entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining, contains a European Assignment Clause, which he is reportedly expected to use in light of this situation. Henrik Leman of Swedish hockey source Rakapuckar writes that Johansson and the Bruins have a mutual agreement that he will play for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League next season.

While Leman’s article translates to the word “release”, it is far more likely than Boston will instead loan the young defenseman to the SHL rather than terminate his contract. Especially when the team can retain Johansson’s NHL rights in perpetuity by merely making him a qualifying offer next summer, it would be a surprise to see them instead outright release him. As for next year, Leman reports that interest has been high around Johansson and he has agreed to sign with HV71 over the likes of Frolunda HC and the Vaxjo Lakers. Of course, Johansson came up through the HV71 ranks, so the decision is not much of a surprise. Johansson played two full SHL seasons with the team before making the jump to North America, recording 27 points in 99 total games, and it will likely be a seamless transition to return to their ranks. If he excels overseas, the Bruins will likely keep the door open to a return. Despite their considerable depth in talented young defensemen, Boston has to prepare for life after Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, and Kevan Miller, all of whom could be gone after next season. Johansson could still wind up as a possible solution down the road.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Adam Werner

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed goaltender Adam Werner to a two-year entry-level contract. The Swedish netminder played in the SHL this season, but won’t be completely unfamiliar with the Avalanche organization. Werner played four games for the San Antonio Rampage in 2018—then the Colorado AHL affiliate—on an amateur tryout contract before returning to Sweden.

Werner, 22, was originally selected by the Avalanche in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. The 6’5″ goaltender performed extremely well in his first full year in the SHL, posting a .926 save percentage through 26 starts for Farjestad. That was good enough for third in the entire league among goaltenders who made more than ten appearances, while his 2.02 goals against average ranked fourth.

That kind of production is exactly what the Avalanche hoped to see this season, as they obviously were interested in bringing Werner into the organization. The two-year deal doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be coming to North America right away, but there isn’t a ton of depth standing in his way if he does. Minor league goaltenders Joe Cannata and Pavel Francouz are both unrestricted free agents come July, while prospect Spencer Martin will become a restricted free agent once again. The team may also lose UFA Semyon Varlamov off the NHL roster if he chooses not to re-sign, leaving Philipp Grubauer as the only other goaltender in the organization with a contract for 2019-20 at the moment.

Draft Notes: Turcotte, Podkolzin, Broberg

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With the 2019 NHL Entry Draft now less than six weeks away, a more clear picture is starting to form at the top of the first round. It’s long been assumed that American center Jack Hughes and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko would be the 1-2 punch to open the draft, but what about after that? Over the course of the season, another pivot from the U.S. National Team Development Program has moved up the board and is beginning to get close to the consensus pick at third overall. Alex Turcotte has been a hard player for many to peg this year as injuries have kept him out for large periods of time, but now that scouts have begun to look at his season in totality, they are impressed. In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relays an opinion formed from speaking with several teams that Turcotte and OHL defenseman Bowen Byram have separated themselves from the rest of the pack behind Hughes and Kakko. This would also seem to align with recent draft rankings from Friedman’s colleague Sam Consentino, who listed Byram third and Turcotte fourth, and The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, who ranks Turcotte third and calls him “arguably the most complete player in the draft.” Turcotte brings a balanced offensive game and an aggressive two-way style that all teams covet in a future franchise player.

So will Turcotte be the pick for the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 3? There are factors working in his favor, the greatest of which might be that Turcotte is a Chicago-area native. Born and raised in Illinois, Turcotte would be an easy player to market to the fan base as the heir apparent to Jonathan Toews, especially with the stylistic similarities between the two. The other major influence, as noted by Friedman, is that the Blackhawks have used three first-round picks and a second-round pick on defensemen in the last two years alone. Unless they are infatuated with Byram, Chicago will go with a forward at third overall. If it is indeed Turcotte, playing for his hometown team right out of the gate may be enough to make him walk back his commitment to the University of Wisconsin, that is if the Blackhawks think he is ready for the NHL right away.

  • Friedman opines that this year’s draft will really begin when someone selects Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin. One of the more polarizing players in this draft class, Podkolzin’s draft stock depends not only on how teams view his ability, but also on how soon they expect him to contribute. Friedman reports that Podkolzin is locked into two more years on his current KHL contract, meaning anyone using a top pick on him will have to wait until at least 2021-22 to see any return. That guaranteed absence only boosts the “Russian factor” fear, that Podkolzin will take his time or potentially may never make the jump to the NHL. On ability alone, Podkolzin is easily a top-ten talent this year, but scouts differ on where in that range he should land. Add in the number of teams drafting in the top ten who want to improve immediately and Podkolzin’s draft slot becomes a complete mystery. Although this deep and talented class provides little consensus, even on early picks, Friedman’s take that the Podkolzin pick will truly shift the draft board is more than fair.
  • Another top draft prospect seemingly not expecting to rush across the Atlantic is defenseman Philip Broberg. Once considered the surefire second-best defender in the draft class, Broberg’s stock has fallen somewhat this season as scouts have begun to realize that his size, strength, and skating mask some holes to his game in the skill and IQ departments. Broberg very well may still be second defenseman off the board and is a lock as a first-round pick, but he no longer has the top-five or even top-ten guarantee he may have anticipated at this time last year. As such, Broberg is clearly expecting a longer stay in his native Sweden rather than an immediate jump to the NHL. Swedish news source Norran reports that Broberg is expected to sign a contract with the Swedish Hockey League’s Skelleftea AIK. Broberg joined the AIK organization midway through last season, but had not seen any action at the highest level. That will change next season, as Broberg will stay in Sweden but venture into the top pro ranks rather than play at the junior level or in the AHL instead. The transfer agreement between the NHL and SHL means that Broberg will not be locked in to his contract the same way Podkolzin is, but it also makes it unlikely that he’ll be seen in North America next year.

Overseas Notes: Holm, Ramage, Lindgren

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Just as NHL teams have started to snap up European free agents to join them for next season, some North American players will also start heading overseas despite not technically being free agents yet. Many fringe players who are heading towards free agency will have spoken to their team and know whether or not they have a chance to re-sign, giving them some advance notice in order to find a job for 2019-20. There’s also the case of NHL prospects re-upping with their international clubs, instead of coming to North America just yet. Here are some notes from overseas:

  • John Ramage is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this season after spending 2018-19 with the Binghamton Devils, but instead of re-signing with the New Jersey organization he’s headed to Germany to play in the DEL. Ramage signed a two-year deal with Berlin, ending his run in North America for the time being. The 28-year old defenseman has won at nearly every level, taking home gold medals at the U18 and U20 World Juniors and championships in both the ECHL and AHL levels.
  • Arvid Holm was selected in the sixth round by the Winnipeg Jets in 2017, but isn’t yet ready to make the trip overseas. Holm has signed a one-year deal with Farjestad in the SHL in order to continue his development in Sweden. The 6’4″ goaltender put up a .907 save percentage in the Swedish second league last season, but may get a chance at the highest level in 2019-20.
  • Jesper Lindgren has done the opposite, coming to North America now that his season has ended in Finland. The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned Lindgren to the AHL after he took home the Liiga championship with HPK. The right-handed defenseman is just 21, but already signed his entry-level contract last spring. The right-handed defenseman is another prospect they hope can develop and help out the NHL defense down the road, but he needs some more development time in the minor leagues.

Ottawa Senators Sign Olle Alsing

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Another international free agent has found an NHL home, as Olle Alsing today signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators. Alsing played this season for Djurgardens in the SHL, but will join the Senators at their development camp in June.

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia tweets that there was plenty of NHL interest in Alsing, who led the SHL in +/- this season at a +26 mark. He recorded 15 points in 49 games during the regular season, and then really dominated in the playoffs recording eight points in 18 games while helping his club to the SHL final. The 23-year old defenseman is small, but fits into the new NHL build of moving the puck quickly and effectively in order to avoid long defensive stretches.

The Senators are obviously not the contender that they were a few years ago, but the organization can offer plenty of opportunity for players like Alsing to get NHL experience right away. The team should have a healthy competition for playing time on the blue line next season, given that only a single roster defenseman is currently scheduled to earn more than $1MM—that’s Mark Borowiecki at $1.2MM.

Victor Ejdsell Returning To Sweden

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Sometimes it the grass isn’t greener on the other side. After being pursued heavily by several NHL teams in the spring of 2017, Victor Ejdsell has decided to return to Sweden after just a single full season in North America. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect has signed a two-year deal in the SHL.

Signed by the Nashville Predators in 2017, Ejdsell would stay in Sweden for most of the 2017-18 season to continue developing. While he was there the Blackhawks would acquire him as part of the return for Ryan Hartman, meaning his North American debut would come for the Rockford IceHogs. It didn’t take long for him to make the jump to the NHL, playing in six games for Chicago and recording one point. This season, he spent the entire year with the IceHogs but managed to tally just 29 points in 61 games.

A return to Sweden doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given the fact that Ejdsell’s NHL future wasn’t clear. It was obvious he couldn’t step right into a full-time role next season, but the Blackhawks have also added several other prospects of late that will challenge his playing time at the AHL level. Instead, he can now try to secure big minutes in the SHL where he played quite well in that 2017-18 season. By giving him a qualifying offer the Blackhawks will retain his rights, though it’s not clear if there is a future for him in the organization.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Barber, Davidsson

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The Columbus Blue Jackets went all-in at the trade deadline this season by adding several pending unrestricted free agents in Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid and Keith Kinkaid. The reasoning was likely in part due to the fact that Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, two of the team’s best players, are also heading to free agency and had already turned down extension talks. GM Jarmo Kekalainen knew this was his last shot with those two on the roster and took it, but now faces an offseason where he will watch several top names depart. If Panarin, Bobrovsky, Duchene and others do leave, he’s not losing sleep over it. In conversation with Tom Reed of The Athletic (subscription required) Kekalainen explained what he’s looking for out of his players:

I think it’s important moving forward that we have guys who are proud to be Blue Jackets, proud to be living in Columbus and loving it here. It’s really important that they bleed blue or whatever you want to call it.  … Guys who want to be here are going to be here and the guys who don’t want to be here — good luck.

Kekalainen admitted that he would “do it in a second again” but the Blue Jackets now face the reality that their team will look very different come September. That might not be the end of them though, as there are several bright spots still on the roster. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski still represent two of the game’s top young defensemen, and players like Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexandre Texier have proven they are capable of providing real contributions at the NHL level. Not to mention the likes of Boone Jenner, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand who are still in their mid-twenties and under contract for reasonable amounts. As always, Kekalainen and the Blue Jackets will be one of the most interesting teams in the league to watch this offseason as they try to move on from this chapter of their history.

  • Speaking of moving on, Washington Capitals forward Riley Barber appears to be ready to do just that. Barber spoke to J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, and explained that given his lack of opportunity in Washington he isn’t likely to return to the organization next season. The 25-year old is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after playing just three NHL games since signing with the team in 2015, but is coming off an impressive 60-point season in the AHL.
  • Marcus Davidsson was selected 37th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2017 but they have been happy so far to let him continue to develop in Sweden. That doesn’t appear to be changing, as Davidsson has signed a two-year deal to remain in the SHL, this time with the Vaxjo Lakers. The 20-year old center could actually become an unrestricted free agent if the Sabres don’t sign him by June 1st, 2021.

Calgary Flames Sign Carl-Johan Lerby

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The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Carl-Johan Lerby to a two-year entry-level contract. Lerby was an undrafted international free agent, who has played in the SHL the last several seasons and will remain there for the 2019-20 campaign. The Flames expect Lerby to come to North America in 2020-21.

Adding Lerby, 21, while still leaving him in Sweden to develop for another season is a play right out of the Edmonton Oilers handbook. The team did the same thing with Joel Persson last year, and extended him with a one-year $1MM deal in January after he continued to develop. That’s the same outcome the Flames are likely hoping for with Lerby, who broke out this season after finally getting some consistent playing time in the SHL.

The left-handed defenseman has apparently grown in recent years and is now listed at 6’0″ 182-lbs, removing any real concerns about his size at the next level. He recorded 21 points in 47 games this season with the Malmo Redhawks and will likely play an even bigger role for the team next year. That will mean the Flames don’t have total control over his development and deployment, but they will be able to get their hands on him in 2020-21 at which point he should be ready for North American professional hockey.

Snapshots: Jonsson-Fjallby, Ferschweiler, Penguins

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The Washington Capitals have assigned Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to the Hershey Bears, after his Swedish club recently failed to capture the SHL title. Jonsson-Fjallby continued his development in Sweden this season despite having already signed his entry-level contract with Washington, but will now join Hershey as they try to climb out of their 0-2 hole in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

The 21-year old forward actually played 16 games with the Bears this season before exercising his European Assignment Clause to force a loan back to Sweden. His regular season with Djurgardens wasn’t exceptional, but the fifth-round pick exploded in the playoffs with seven goals and 12 points in 19 games and should be returning to North America with quite a bit of confidence in his offensive game.

  • Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that the Detroit Red Wings have not renewed the contract of assistant coach Pat Ferschweiler, meaning head coach Jeff Blashill will have a new face on the bench this season. Ferschweiler had been with Detroit since 2015-16 when Blashill was promoted to the NHL job, but with Steve Yzerman now in as GM there was always likely to be some changes to the organization.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have announced a principle agreement on a 10-year arena lease extension, meaning to keep the franchise in Northeast Pennsylvania for the next decade. The team has been the primary AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins since they debuted in 1999 and have experienced nearly unparalleled regular season success. When the team missed the Calder Cup playoffs this season it marked the end of a 16-year run of qualifying for the postseason, and just the third time in team history that they had missed. Despite all of that success, the team is still looking for their first league title.

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