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Snapshots: Sweden, Prospects, Coyotes

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Sweden has released their roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic Games, and even though it doesn’t have any current NHL players, it has plenty of league experience. Staffan Kronwall, Viktor Stalberg, Linus Omark and others highlight what should be one of the more powerful teams in the tournament, but one other name is the taking all the headlines.

Rasmus Dahlin, the expected first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has made the cut and is one of eight defensemen named to the squad. The 17-year old already starred at the World Juniors and plays a regular role on Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s highest professional league. There is little controversy over Dahlin’s ranking as the best talent available in this year’s draft, and a good showing at the Olympics will only raise his stock even further.

  • Speaking of prospects, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) released his midseason rankings of those already drafted, and lists Casey Mittelstadt at the very top. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has had a year to remember, selected eighth overall, starring at the University of Minnesota, being named MVP of the World Juniors and just recently being among the nominees for the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in the country. Though things don’t look good in Buffalo right now, Mittelstadt and others—including #24 on Pronman’s list—will look to turn things around in the near future.
  • Despite rumors swirling around the Arizona Coyotes, some closest to the situation aren’t as willing to point to a potential firesale of their top defensemen. At least not Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, who calls some of the recent rumors “baseless” and doesn’t think the Coyotes have done anything to “set the market” or trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson or Jason Demers. Morgan isn’t saying that it won’t happen, just that he believes there is little fact in the rumors that have been spread recently. There’s a good reason to believe that Arizona will move some assets before the deadline, but it doesn’t appear like an Ekman-Larsson is imminent or that even a real asking price has been set.

Snapshots: Brassard, Dahlen, Vilardi

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With the news that Ottawa is willing to listen on basically everyone except Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone, rumors have swirled around players like Derick Brassard for the last few days. One of the rumored destinations is Columbus, where Brassard played early in his career and who are in need of center help with both Brandon Dubinsky and Alexander Wennberg still out of the lineup. Brassard spoke to George Richards of the Columbus Post-Dispatch about the idea of going back to the Blue Jackets:

Let’s say it this way: I will play hockey anywhere. I have good memories but my job is to play hockey here. I’ll play anywhere. I wouldn’t refuse to go anywhere in the world or anywhere in the east. I have really good memories of playing in Columbus, we had a lot of fun.

Brassard played 309 games in Columbus to start his career, but really came into his own with the New York Rangers before heading to Ottawa. The center has one more year on his deal after this one, which carries a $5MM cap hit. He also has a partial no-trade clause, but it seems like that wouldn’t be a problem for the Senators if they decided to deal him.

  • The Vancouver Canucks went after prospect Jonathan Dahlen last trade deadline, and acquired him when they dealt Alex Burrows to the Ottawa Senators. Now other teams in Sweden are after him this year, as he continues his development. Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130 reports that several teams are making a “big push” to bring Dahlen in, likely to give him a chance in the SHL. The 20-year old forward has scored 27 points in 23 games for Timra in the Allsvenskan (Sweden’s second league) and looks ready to take the next step.
  • It’s trade season in the OHL, and Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider believes that top prospect Gabe Vilardi is about to be sent to the Kingston Frontenacs. Vilardi was part of the Memorial Cup-winning Windsor Spitfires team last season, but hasn’t yet made his season debut due to injury. With him close to a return, it seems like he’ll be joining the surging Frontenacs.

Rasmus Dahlin To Play In Karjala Cup

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Team Sweden released their roster for the upcoming Karjala Cup today, and Craig Button of TSN provided us a snapshot of the list. Remember, this is the tournament where Hockey Canada will send their Olympic tune-up squad and will be a sneak peek of what to expect at Pyeongchang in 2018. If your eyes spot an odd birthday in the mix, you’re not crazy. Rasmus Dahlin, born March 13th, 2000 will be heading to the tournament for his country. The 17-year old defenseman is the front-runner to be the first-overall pick in next year’s NHL draft, and fans look like they might get an up close viewing of him against international talent over the next few months.

Rasmus DahlinIn addition to the Kajala Cup, Dahlin seems like a lock for Team Sweden at the World Junior U20 (though he would actually qualify for the U18 tournament) and could even work his way into a spot at the Olympics. While that still seems like a long-shot, even being in the conversation at this point is ridiculous. Dahlin is seven years the junior of the next youngest Swedish defenseman on the Kajala roster, and has just Linus Soderstrom—a 21-year old goaltender drafted by the New York Islanders—and Rasmus Asplund—a 19-year old forward drafted by the Buffalo Sabres—anywhere close to his age group.

Dahlin is playing for Frolunda in the SHL currently, recording six points in his first 14 games with the professional club. Even at 17, he doesn’t look out of place playing against men sometimes twice his age. A dynamic offensive player, who has looked better in his own end and adds some physicality at times, Dahlin is a franchise-changing player that should be considered among the best defensive prospects in several years. While there is a chance he falls out of favor and loses his #1 standing next June—this draft has several incredible prospects at the top—a good showing at international tournaments will only increase his profile.

Button also provides the roster for Team Finland, which has two standout names. Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen will both suit up for their country, just a few months after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Heiskanen of course went third-overall to the Dallas Stars, while Tolvanen fell all the way to 30th thanks to a late denial of his Boston College application. He eventually went to the Nashville Predators, who are likely quite pleased with their selection at the back end of the round.

Tolvanen has 23 points in 24 games for Jokerit of the KHL, setting all kinds of rookie records in the process. The 18-year old winger has immense offensive potential, and already has experience with the North American game having spent two seasons in the USHL before being drafted. Heiskanen on the other hand is playing for HIFK of the Finnish Ligga (both Jokerit and HIFK are based out of Helsinki) and has recorded eight points in eight games while providing his normal error-less two-way game. Heiskanen and Tolvanen are among the early standouts from the 2017 draft class, despite not playing in North America this season. Both should have long careers ahead of them, and will start to prove it on the international stage at the upcoming tournament.

The Karjala Cup is hosted in Sweden and Finland from November 6th to 12th.

Prospect Notes: Tippett, Necas, Sandin

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The wait is over for Owen Tippett, who will make his NHL debut with the Florida Panthers tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. Tippett had been watching from the press box through the Panthers’ first four games, but will now get a chance to show off why they selected him 10th-overall in the most recent draft.

Tippett can play up to nine games in the NHL without burning a year of his entry-level contract, but some believe he can stick in the league right from the start. Armed with a wrist shot that can score from anywhere in the offensive zone, and a big enough frame for the NHL, Tippett blends a power and finesse game to create dangerous opportunities. His 44 goals last year for Mississauga of the OHL were no fluke, as he repeatedly dominated opponents with a pro-style game.

  • Also set to make his NHL debut is the player taken just two spots after Tippett, as Martin Necas has been penciled into the Carolina lineup tonight. Necas will center a line of youngsters, with 20-year old Sebastian Aho on his left side, and 22-year old Elias Lindholm on his right. That “Kid Line” will try to create some offense for the Hurricanes, who have scored just two goals in their past two contests and six on the season (not counting the shootout winner in the first game).
  • In an interesting story, 2018 draft prospect Rasmus Sandin has left Sweden and will report to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhouds of the OHL. Sandin had been playing in the SHL early on, but will instead come to North America to play for the team who took him 52nd-overall in the CHL import draft. Sandin is another smooth skating Swedish defender who had an outside chance of climbing into the first round. Now, in front of even more scouts in Canada he’ll have a chance to improve on that draft stock playing against much younger players.

Overseas Notes: Da Costa, Streit, Steen

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Yet another NHL veteran who was trying to hold out for a new contract in North America is now close to settling for European employment. The Swiss Hockey News reports that Stephane Da Costa is nearing an agreement with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA. Da Costa, 28, was a superstar at Merrimack College from 2009 to 2011 and looked to be the next great story in the NHL after signing with the Ottawa Senators – an undrafted player coming from a non-traditional hockey country of France. While Da Costa proved to be a lethal producer in the AHL, he could never quite stick in Ottawa and left the NHL in 2012. Da Costa spent the past three years with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, putting up solid numbers, but it has been his international play on the part of France that has really turned heads. Beginning with a stellar 10-point performance at the World Championships last spring, Da Costa had reportedly been drawing interest from NHL teams and fully planned on playing with the world’s best this season. Yet, with the new season underway, those offers never came and it seems Da Costa is now ready to move on. While Geneve-Servette is off to a tough start in the NLA – second-to-last currently – they are not without considerable talent up front, including NHL veterans Nathan Gerbe, Nick Spaling, and Cody Almond, as well as San Jose Sharks prospect Noah Rod. Da Costa could help kick start a team that typically performs near the top of the NLA and made it to the final of the 2017 Swiss Cup tournament.

  • Da Costa hasn’t yet signed with Geneve-Servette, but by the time he does he may no longer be the biggest name in terms of recent additions. With Mark Streit being placed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens yesterday (with a very good chance of clearing today), it seems more likely that the veteran defenseman will ask for his release than be assigned to the AHL but the Canadiens. Given that the soon-to-be-40-year-old could have simply rode off into the sunset after winning the Stanley Cup last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is clear that he wants to keep playing. That opportunity will likely come in his native country of Switzerland, where Streit has suited up for the NLA’s HC Davos, ZSC Lions, and SC Bern over his career. A return home to much fanfare and a chance to play in the Olympics seems like much more fitting end for Streit than playing in the minors
  • A seemingly minor move in the KHL could be of some interest to Boston Bruins fans. In a round-up of their minor transaction over the past few days, the league revealed that the rights to forward Oskar Steen, Boston’s sixth-round pick in 2016, had been acquired by SKA St. Petersburg. While Steen has been playing for Farjestad of the SHL for three years now, an opportunity to play for SKA may be tough for the young Swede forward to pass up. Farjestad is no slouch, but SKA has been wildly successful in recent years, winning two of the past three KHL titles and again tearing up the league with a 17-point lead over the next-best team. SKA graduated players like Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeni Dadonov to the NHL this off-season, but still carry top prospects like Nikita Gusev and Igor Shestyorkin and talented veterans like Ilya Kovalchuk, Viktor Tikhonov, Sergei Plotnikov, and even long-time defenseman Maxim Chudinov, former property of the Bruins. Joining that mix could be a good career-move for the under-utilized Steen, could give SKA a further boost, and could help round out yet another promising prospect to add to the Bruins’ ranks.

Jonathan Dahlen To Play In Sweden

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The Vancouver Canucks have been expected to send prospect Jonathan Dahlen to the Swedish Hockey League this season, and today they confirmed it by announcing that Dahlen would be reassigned from the Utica Comets. The team still hasn’t confirmed which team he’ll play for, but it will be in the SHL, a step higher than where he played last season in the Swedish Allsvenskan.

Dahlen was acquired by the Canucks in the Alexandre Burrows trade at last year’s deadline, and signed to a three-year entry-level contract this summer. The young forward has outstanding skill with the puck, and found success in the Swedish second league to the tune of 44 points in 45 games. That earned him best junior-aged player, an award that had previously been given to players like Robin Kovacs, Filip Forsberg and William Karlsson.

The second-round pick of the Ottawa Senators has some work to do before making the NHL, but there is a clear development plan in place for him with the Canucks. At just 19 he’ll spend the year playing against professionals in Sweden, before likely battling for a roster spot next season.

NHL Snapshots: Girard, Flyers Draft, Rosen, Borgman

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The Nashville Predators have some defensive issues to worry about with defender Ryan Ellis out for several more months due to knee surgery. However, one issue the team has is a good one as the play of Samuel Girard has impressed everyone. Suddenly, the issue is whether or not to keep him on their roster to start the season.

Girard, a second-round pick in 2016, is just 19 years old, but the gifted offensive defenseman has worked hard to show that he is ready for the NHL now. And with Ellis’ injury, might there be a place for him? The team has used him heavily in the preseason. He has played in all four games, logging more than 20 minutes in each game. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Girard is making a strong case to stay. His last game on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets with most of their opening-night starters on the ice, Girard played 24:02, second to Roman Josi.

The team is considering keeping him, knowing full well that if they don’t, he’ll return to his junior team and cannot be recalled until after their season is over. The team could also keep him for nine games without burning his first year of his entry-level deal.

  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that the Philadelphia Flyers could get a big break from the St. Louis Blues if their injuries continue to mount. The Flyers, who acquired the Blues 2017 and 2018 first-round picks from St. Louis for Brayden Schenn. They used that 2017 pick on Morgan Frost and were expecting a late first-rounder in next year’s draft. However, with some of the injuries that St. Louis has suffered, it will be Philadelphia that reaps the benefits if the Blues see a drop in the wins column. If it were to turn into a top-10 pick, the Blues would get the pick back. Carchidi writes that would be unlikely, however, as the Blues are still a solid team, but the injuries could improve the chances that their pick will be an even better one.
  • Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun writes that at least one of the two Sweedish defensemen pair of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman are likely to make the team. Both had key moments in Friday’s preseason game and the two little-known blueliners are starting to make a name for themselves. Rosen, 23, is a gifted skater and passing defenseman, coming over from Sweden for the first time, while Borgman, the 2017 SHL Rookie of the Year, is a more physical defensive player.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/28/17

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Just a few more days until the 2017-18 NHL regular season is underway, and teams are starting to make their final roster decisions. We saw tons of cuts yesterday, and today should be no different. We’ll keep track of all the day’s movement right here.

Anaheim Ducks

F Mitch Hults – San Diego (AHL)
D Brian Cooper – San Diego (AHL)
D Marcus Pettersson – San Diego (AHL)
D Andy Welinski – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Corey Tropp – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Sam Carrick – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Mike Liambas – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Steven Oleksy – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Buffalo Sabres

F Nicholas Baptiste – Rochester (AHL)
G Linus Ullmark – Rochester (AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

F Nicolas Roy – Charlotte (AHL)
F Valentin Zykov – Charlotte (AHL)
F Aleksi Saarela – Charlotte (AHL)
F Jeremy Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Jake Chelios – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Trevor Carrick – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Chicago Blackhawks

G Collin Delia – Rockford (AHL)

Edmonton Oilers

F Brad Malone – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Florida Panthers

G Harri Sateri – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Los Angeles Kings

F Michael Mersch – Ontario (AHL)
F Andrew Crescenzi – Ontario (AHL)

Montreal Canadiens

D Matt Taormina – Laval (AHL)
F Chris Terry – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Rangers

F Lias Andersson – Frolunda (SHL)
F Vinny Lettieri – Hartford (AHL)
F Boo Nieves – Hartford (AHL)
D Neal Pionk – Hartford (AHL)
D Ryan Graves – Hartford (AHL)
F Matt Puempel – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Bobby Farnham – Released from PTO

Ottawa Senators

G Andrew Hammond – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Pittsburgh Penguins

F Tom Sestito – Waivers for purpose of assignment

St. Louis Blues

F Beau Bennett – Chicago (AHL)
D Petteri Lindbohm – Chicag0 (AHL)
D Chris Butler – San Antonio (AHL)

Washington Capitals

F Travis Boyd – Hershey (AHL)
D Tyler Lewington – Hershey (AHL)
D Jonas Siegenthaler – Hershey (AHL)
G Pheonix Copley – Hershey (AHL)

Winnipeg Jets

G Eric Comrie – Manitoba (AHL)

Jeff Tambellini To Retire, Coach At Michigan

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Former NHL forward Jeff Tambellini may be retiring from pro hockey, but he seems to have his next career already planned out. The University of Michigan revealed tonight that Tambellini will return to campus to finish his degree and has been named an “undergraduate assistant coach”. Tambellini himself has yet to recognize his retirement, but may never actually do so in any official capacity.

Normally, “graduate assistant coach” is a title given to recent grads helping out with their alma mater’s program in some way. Tambellini’s new title of “undergraduate assistant coach” is almost unheard of, but fitting for the former All-American who left Michigan a year early after three dominant seasons. He returns to finish his degree with over a decade of pro hockey experience under his belt.

A first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2003, there were high expectations of Tambellini that only increased with each collegiate season. Yet, once he turned pro, the small, speedy forward struggled to skate around the opposition like he could in the NCAA. The Kings traded him to the Islanders after only four games with the team, sending he and Denis Grebeshkov to New York for Mark Parrish and Brent Sopel. Tambellini carved out a bottom-six/AHL depth role for himself on the island and played for New York for four more seasons, accumulating 46 points in 176 games. Tambellini played his final NHL season in 2010-11 with the Vancouver Canucks, posting a career-best 17 points and +10 rating in 62 games and playing in the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins.

Since then, Tambellini has had an up-and-down experience as a globe-trotting veteran. He was a force to reckon with in his first pro season outside the NHL, scoring 45 points in 50 games with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA. Injuries limited his production in his second season with the Lions, so he moved on to Sweden, where he played well for MODO. He again struggled in the following year, splitting his time between the SHL and NLA, but not finding results in either location. 2015-16 marked an attempted NHL comeback, as Tambellini signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite impressive production in the AHL, Tambellini did not see any NHL action and headed back to Sweden last season, where he struggled mightily and, at the age of 33, likely decided it was time to hand up his skates.

However, his new opportunity with the Wolverines should allow Jeff to follow in his father’s footsteps. Steve Tambellini played ten years in the NHL, but is likely best known for his later work off the ice. Steve was the GM of the Edmonton Oilers from 2008 to 2013 and also previously worked for the Vancouver Canucks and Team Canada. He is currently a scout for the Anaheim Ducks. While Jeff seems to be heading more in a coaching route rather than toward a front office future, it is clear that hockey intelligence runs in the family and Jeff could have a shot a great coaching career, beginning with his return to Ann Arbor this season. Who knows, if coaching is a great fit for Jeff, he may end up back in the NHL, this time behind the bench, before little brother Adam Tambellini, a New York Rangers prospect, makes it to the big time himself.

Minor Transactions: 9/15/17

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There have been an overwhelming amount of camp announcement in recent days – professional tryouts, amateur tryouts, and the like – but there are still many team and players looking for permanent homes this season. The following are some notable recent signings:

  • Defenseman Victor Bartley is making his North American exit. The long-time Nashville Predators prospect seems to have run out of options and has opted to sign with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League, according to a local news release (link in Swedish). This will be Bartley’s second go-round in Sweden, having played for Rogle BK in 2010-11 after a disappointing first pro season. It was in Sweden the first time that Bartley gained some NHL attention, signing on with Nashville the following off-season. Bartley played in the Predators system for five seasons, skating in 112 NHL games and recording 23 points, before being traded to the Montreal midway through the 2015-16 campaign. Barley then signed with the Minnesota Wild last summer, but spent the entire year in the AHL with Iowa. Bartley, an Ottawa native, now heads to Sweden with hopes of sparking his career once again. Orebro finished 12th in the SHL last year and offers little in the way of NHL veterans, but between Bartley and exciting, young Latvian Rodrigo Abols, the team hopes to turn it around in 2017-18.
  • The Rochester Americans, AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, have signed Garret Ross to a one-year deal, according to a team announcement. While Ross is likely happy to under contract in 2017-18, the signing represents a further decline in the career of the 25-year-old forward. A fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012, Ross got his pro career off to a hot start in 2013-14 and 2014-15 with 34 and 43 points respectively. Ross also built a reputation as one of the more tough, physical forwards in the AHL. Yet, his production fell off in 2015-16 to just 20 points and Chicago chose not to qualify him, making him an unrestricted free agent. Ross landed another NHL gig, signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes, but injuries and poor play limited him to just four points in 27 games. Ross will have to show that he still has potential while playing on a minor league contract this year. There’s room for Ross to play a major role in Rochester, but he just needs to take advantage of the opportunity.
  • Daniel Ciampini will look to take the next step in his career in 2017-18, as he has signed with the AHL’s re-located Belleville Senators, per a team release. While the deal is of a two-way nature and Ciampini could wind up back in the ECHL, he hopes that his production in 2016-17 can earn him a regular AHL spot. The Union College alum was a point-per-game player with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs last year, spending about half the season with the New Hampshire-based team and the other half with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the L.A. Kings. With 28 points in 28 ECHL games to go along with 5 points in 23 AHL games, it appeared that Ciampini was heading in the right direction if he hopes to return to the dynamic scorer he was in college. Belleville hopes that the trend continues and the AHL numbers improve in the new campaign.
  • The Hershey Bears, AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, have decided to give young Dylan Margonari another shot. The team announced that they have resigned the two-way center to a one-year extension. While under contract with Hersey in 2016-17, Margonari nevertheless played the whole season in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. He has just two AHL games under his belt, back in 2015-16, after he signed on with the Bears out of college. Unlike many players whose production drops off at the pro level, Margonari has never been much of a scorer – not at Minnesota State, not with South Carolina, and likely not with Hershey should he make the team. Instead, the 25-year-old simply brings smart decision making and quiet confidence to his role as a defensive forward. While some teams may overlook that ability, it seems to be a trait that the Bears still value.

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