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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.

East Notes: Gardiner, Luukkonen, Hallander

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Despite a rough showing in the postseason while playing at less than 100%, Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner remains one of the top potential free agent defensemen available.  (He ranked 12th overall in our midseason power rankings, third among blueliners.)  With that in mind, TSN’s Darren Dreger suggests (Twitter link) that Gardiner is expected to command at least $6MM per season on the open market which would represent at least a $2MM raise on what he has made over the past five years.  The 28-year-old saw his offensive numbers dip from 52 points down to 30 this season but can still hold down a top-four spot.  While Toronto would certainly like to bring him back, that scenario appears to be highly unlikely given the big contracts they have on the books already plus winger Mitch Marner needing a new deal as well.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • It has been an interesting few days for Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. On the plus side, he was named Goaltender of the Year in the OHL, a nice way to finish off his time at the junior level.  On the negative side, it will be a while before he does any hockey-related activities as he’s expected to miss roughly the next six months after undergoing hip surgery earlier in the week, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.  Luukkonen was a second-round pick of Buffalo back in 2017 and posted a .920 SV% in 50 games with Sudbury before getting into a game with AHL Rochester before their elimination earlier this month.
  • Penguins prospect Filip Hallander is expected to be loaned to Lulea of the SHL for the 2019-20 season according to a report from Hans Abrahamsson and Tomas Ros of Aftonbladet. The forward spent this past season with Timra where he recorded a respectable 21 points (7-14-21) in 45 games while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors.  Pittsburgh already has Hallander, their second-round pick last June, under contract but the deal contains a European Assignment Clause.

Snapshots: Bouchard, King, Canucks

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Evan Bouchard has been named OHL Defenseman of the Year, receiving the Max Kaminsky Trophy for 2018-19. Bouchard put up 53 points in 45 games for the London Knights, captaining the squad after returning from a brief stint in the NHL. Selected tenth overall last June, Bouchard played seven games for the Edmonton Oilers at the beginning of the season and recorded his first NHL goal in the process. The 19-year old then returned to the OHL where he routinely logged close to 30 minutes in ice time for the Knights and was a dominant player in the playoffs, recording another 21 points in just 11 games. He is now

Finished his junior career now, it seems likely that Bouchard will spend the 2019-20 season with the Oilers as a full-time member of their defense. The Oakville, Ontario native is an elite puck mover and has excellent offensive instincts. Jumping into rushes or getting pucks through traffic, Bouchard is one of the most dynamic goal-scoring threats in among junior defenseman and will try to carry over that production to the NHL level. Any doubt that he’ll be able to might have been pushed aside when he recorded three points in his AHL debut earlier this week.

  • The Rockford IceHogs have removed the interim tag from Derek King’s job title, making him the head coach moving forward. King took over when Jeremy Colliton was promoted to the NHL and finished with a 29-28-7 record behind the bench. The team has also given assistant coach Anders Sorensen a multi-year extension, providing some stability for the AHL organization.
  • Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet provides updates on several Vancouver Canucks prospects, tweeting that Linus Karlsson, Kristoffer Gunnarsson, Artyom Manukyan and Toni Utunen are all expected to stay overseas for next season. As Dhaliwal subsequently points out, Gunnarsson’s exclusive draft rights expire on June 1st of this season meaning he will become an unrestricted free agent if the Canucks don’t get him under contract. The 22-year old defenseman was a fifth round pick in 2017, but has just two points in his 124-game SHL career.

Swedish Forwards To Crowd Top Of 2020 NHL Draft

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While the majority of the attention at the ongoing U-18 World Junior Championships is on this year’s NHL Draft-eligible talent, Team Sweden is quietly displaying a pair of elite forwards who will very much be in the spotlight at this time next year. Top 2020 draft prospects Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond have each notched three points through four games at the tournament, continuing their success from the Swedish junior season. While Canadians Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield have long been considered the best prospects in the 2020 class, Holtz, Raymond, and fellow Swede forward Noel Gunler are closing in.

Holtz may have the highest ceiling of the Swedish trio due to his natural goal-scoring ability. Holtz led Sweden’s top U-18 junior league in goals and shared the lead in points in 2017-18 while playing in just 13 of a possible 18 games. This past year, he led the top U-20 league, the SuperElit, with 30 goals in 38 games and was sixth in overall scoring with 47 points. Holtz plays with supreme offensive ability, pairing his great vision with deadly offensive instincts. His shot will likely be considered among the best in the draft class, as it packs a quick release with high-end power.  The next step for Holtz will be to take on a regular role in the SHL next season, after being held scoreless in just three big league games this year.

Raymond, who didn’t turn 17 until last month, has been right alongside Holtz the whole way. In 2017-18, it was Raymond who finished tied with Holtz atop the U-18 scoring ranks and this past season he finished one point ahead of Holtz for fourth overall in points, while also finishing second in assists in the SuperElit. Raymond is smaller than Holtz, but there are very few other holes to his game. The Frolunda phenom plays with just as much skill as Holtz and has a more well-rounded game as a tough two-way competitor. He may not have the same eye for the net, but plays with great vision and puck-moving ability. Raymond played in ten SHL games this season, but was limited to just two points. Showing that his size will not be a hindrance to his professional play will be a major point of emphasis next season.

Lastly, there is Gunler, who hasn’t received as much early praise as Holtz and Raymond, but is just as much a threat to crack the top-five in 2020. Gunler is slightly older than the others and it shows in both his mature build and playing style. Gunler jumped to the SuperElit a year ahead of Holtz and Raymond and put up good numbers, but in 2018-19 he finished right alongside them among the league leaders. Gunler’s 46 points were one less than Holtz and his 27 goals were good enough for third in the league. Yet, Gunler accomplished those tasks in just 31 games and was in fact the league leader in per-game production. On top of that, he played in a whopping 15 SHL games with Lulea, recording five points, while Holtz and Raymond combined for two points in 13 games. While Gunler’s skill isn’t quite on the same level as the others, Gunler plays with equal offensive instincts and has shown that his game can translate to the top level.

The 2020 NHL Draft is still a long ways away, with a whole class of prospects still yet to be drafted this June before the attention really even shifts to next year’s crop. Yet, Holtz, Raymond, and Gunler have already done enough to garner substantial attention regardless. The trio will do their best to continue their dominating ways in the SHL next season and to unset Lafreniere and Byfield as the presumptive 1-2 punch of the 2020 class. Consider this a preview of what will be an ongoing story through next season, as Sweden’s elite young forwards look to crowd the top of the draft board.

Snapshots: Svechnikov, Hischier, Lack

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It appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t going to rush back one of their young stars, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. that Andrei Svechnikov is “doubtful” for tomorrow’s game. The Hurricanes are on the brink of elimination, but with Svechnikov such an integral part of their future and dealing with such a serious injury, the team simply can’t push him back too fast. With the Washington Capitals losing T.J. Oshie for the rest of the series (if not the playoffs), both teams will be short-handed in game six.

  • While Switzerland isn’t a traditional hockey powerhouse, they have performed as well as anyone at recent international events. The Swiss are coming off a silver medal finish at last season’s IIHF World Championship, and will add a top name to the squad for this season. The New Jersey Devils today announced that Nico Hischier will be suiting up for his country in next month’s tournament, adding a dangerous offensive player to a group that is always extremely disciplined in their own end.
  • One of Hischier’s former Devils teammates may be leaving the NHL. Swedish news source Hockeypuls reports that veteran goaltender Eddie Lack is in talks to return to his native Sweden to play for Leksands IF of the SHL. The 31-year-old is an impending free agent who did not make an NHL appearance this season and was limited by injuries to just six AHL starts with pedestrian results. While Lack has played in close to 150 NHL games, he has not been a regular contributor for two years and has not put up standout numbers for another two years before that. It’s time for Lack to move on with his career, and Leksands is reportedly excited to bring him in. The team was just promoted back to the SHL and acquiring an experience netminder could help them avoid being relegated right back to the Allsvenskan. Lack played for the organization for three years prior to jumping to North America and would be welcomed back with open arms.

Prospect Notes: Ginning, Luukkonen, Michaud

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The Philadelphia Flyers have had a near-annual influx of talented young defensemen join the team over the last few years, but they’ll have to wait a little bit longer for one of their next promising blue liners to make the jump. Adam Ginning, the Flyers’ 2018 second-round pick, has re-signed with his Swedish Hockey League club for another year. Linkoping HC announced today that Ginning had inked a one-year contract extension to stay with the organization that has groomed him since he was 13 years old. Now 19, Ginning just finished his first full season in the SHL and did not look out of place playing against older and more experienced competition. At 6’4″ and 205 lbs., Ginning plays a physical and technically sound defensive game and projects to be a shutdown defender in the NHL one day. Some more time in the SHL certainly won’t hurt his development, but Philadelphia is definitely hopeful that he will join the system sooner rather than later to begin working with their coaches and adjusting to the North American style of play.

  • The Buffalo Sabres will get a closer look at one of their top prospects ahead of schedule, as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has joined the AHL’s Rochester Americans on an amateur tryout basis, the team announced. Luukkonen is likely to make his North American pro debut in the near future to cap off what has been a big season for the talented netminder. Luukkonen, a second-round pick of the Sabres in 2017, made the jump overseas this year to play for the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves and made an immediate impact. The 6’5″ keeper was a brick wall in net, leading the league in wins and shutouts and finishing in the top three in save percentage and goals against average. Luukkonen was arguably the best goalie in the OHL this year, but that wasn’t even the highlight of the campaign. Luukkonen also led Finland to a gold medal finish at the World Junior Championships earlier this year, posting a .932 save percentage and 1.80 GAA along the way. The Sabres hope that the next stop on Luukkonen’s path of dominance is the AHL and soon after the NHL.
  • One name that won’t be playing in the pros, in North America or Europe, for at least another year is NCAA forward Westin Michaud. Michaud, 23, just wrapped up his senior season at Colorado College, in which he finished second on the team with 30 points in 41 games. Competing in the ultra-competitive National Collegiate Hockey Conference against several elite programs, Michaud still managed to take major steps forward in each of the past three seasons and at least one rival school took notice. With a year of NCAA eligibility remaining after sitting as a freshman, Michaud has decided to spurn pro offers for now and leave Colorado College behind him to transfer to the University of North Dakota for a graduate year with the national powerhouse. The experienced center will likely slot into a top-six position with North Dakota and could be in for yet another jump in production. Joining an already-strong roster that also has an impressive recruiting class incoming, Michaud makes the Fighting Hawks a dangerous contender next season.

 

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