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NHL-Affiliated Prospects Playing In 2024 Memorial Cup

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The field for the 2024 Memorial Cup, the top club tournament in junior hockey, is set. The QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, the OHL’s London Knights and the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors all swept their respective league championship series within the last two days to advance to the CHL championship tournament, joining the host Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

This year marks the first Memorial Cup held in the United States since 1998, which was hosted by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The Spirit will attempt to become the first U.S.-based team to win since the Chiefs in 2008, and they have a strong chance. They’re stronger than a typical host team, finishing second in the league in the regular season with a 50-16-2 record and trailing London by just two points. They were eliminated by London in six games in the Western Conference Final.

The Knights lead the way with 10 NHL-affiliated prospects on their roster, including two first-round picks in Flyers defenseman Oliver Bonk and Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan. The latter was named the OHL playoffs MVP after leading the Knights in scoring with 10 goals, 24 assists and 34 points in just 18 games. He had 15 points in four games in their championship sweep over the Oshawa Generals.

If you’re looking for some non-Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to watch, check to see if your favorite NHL team has prospects suiting up in the tournament, which begins May 24:

Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL champion)

D Mikaël Diotte (Devils, free agent signing)
RW Ethan Gauthier (Lightning, 2023, 37th overall)
RW Alexis Gendron (Flyers, 2022, 220th overall)
D Vsevolod Komarov (Sabres, 2022, 134th overall)

NHL Utah 2022 first-round pick D Maveric Lamoureux is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.

London Knights (OHL champion)

C Denver Barkey (Flyers, 2023, 95th overall)
D Oliver Bonk (Flyers, 2023, 22nd overall)
C Easton Cowan (Maple Leafs, 2023, 28th overall)
D Jackson Edward (Bruins, 2022, 200th overall)
D Isaiah George (Islanders, 2022, 98th overall)
RW Kasper Halttunen (Sharks, 2023, 36th overall)
C Jacob Julien (Jets, 2023, 146th overall)
C Kaleb Lawrence (Kings, 2022, 215th overall)
C Max McCue (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Landon Sim (Blues, 2022, 184th overall)

Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL champion)

RW Jagger Firkus (Kraken, 2022, 35th overall)
D Denton Mateychuk (Blue Jackets, 2022, 12th overall)
D Kalem Parker (Wild, 2023, 181st overall)
D Vojtech Port (Ducks, 2023, 161st overall)
LW Martin Rysavy (Blue Jackets, 2021, 197th overall)
C Matthew Savoie (Sabres, 2022, 9th overall)
C Brayden Yager (Penguins, 2023, 14th overall)

Saginaw Spirit (host)

C Owen Beck (Canadiens, 2022, 33rd overall)
LW Josh Bloom (Canucks, acquired from Sabres in 2023 trade for Riley Stillman)
D Rodwin Dionicio (Ducks, 2023, 129th overall)
D Jorian Donovan (Senators, 2022, 136th overall)
C Hunter Haight (Wild, 2022, 47th overall)
C Ethan Hay (Lightning, 2023, 211th overall)
G Nolan Lalonde (Blue Jackets, free agent signing)
C Matyas Sapovaliv (Golden Knights, 2022, 48th overall)
C Joseph Willis (Predators, 2023, 111th overall)

Blues Sign Hugh McGing To Two-Year Extension

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The Blues have signed forward Hugh McGing to a two-year, two-way contract extension, general manager Doug Armstrong announced Wednesday. He’ll earn $775K at the NHL level and $250K at the AHL level each season, per the team.

McGing, 25, spent most of last season on assignment to AHL Springfield. He led the Blues’ primary minor-league affiliate with 31 assists, adding eight goals for 39 points in 51 games with 40 PIMs and a +5 rating. In doing so, he matched his career-high points total set last season despite playing 20 fewer games. His 0.76 points per game were his highest since recording a point per game in his senior season with Western Michigan University in 2019-20.

The undersized forward also earned his second career NHL call-up on Dec. 9, remaining on the St. Louis roster for 11 days before being returned to Springfield. He made five appearances in that time, struggling mightily with no points, a -5 rating, poor possession metrics and going 1 for 7 on faceoffs. McGing averaged only 8:23 per game and was given advantageous offensive zone usage at even strength.

McGing was a fifth-round pick of the Blues back in 2018. While he hasn’t provided anything in his limited NHL time that suggests he can handle a major-league role, the Chicago native has turned into a good role player with Springfield with above-average playmaking skills. He served as an alternate captain for the Thunderbirds this year and is a good fit in their top six, providing the Blues organization with a quality linemate for some of their younger, higher-ceiling prospects.

He was set to be a Group Six unrestricted free agent this summer, as he’d played fewer than 80 NHL games while completing three or more professional seasons. His new deal earns him a $90K raise annually over his previous $140K minors salary, perhaps more if he spends additional time earning the $775K league minimum while on the NHL roster. McGing will be eligible for true unrestricted free agency when his extension ends after the 2025-26 season.

The Blues have one other Group Six UFA to deal with before July 1 – 25-year-old winger William Bitten, who posted 17 goals and 33 points in 68 games for Springfield this year. After McGing’s extension, they’re now at 36 of the maximum 50 standard player contracts signed for next season.

San Jose Sharks Win 2024 NHL Draft Lottery

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The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery has finally rolled around, giving solace to the 16 teams that missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks lead the odds race, with the Sharks boasting a hardy 18.5 percent chance of winning the first-overall pick. The list of runner-ups is rounded out by fringe playoff contenders in the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings, who share 0.5 percent odds at the top slot.

The 2024 NHL Draft is certainly one to be excited for. It features strong talent throughout the first round, including hotly-debated talents like Finnish standout pro Konsta Helenius and Russian big man Anton Silayev. It’s a contentious draft that kicks off a string of strong classes, with James Hagens and Gavin McKenna headlining the next two drafts.

This year’s deciding order is as follows:

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. San Jose Sharks (via Pittsburgh Penguins)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues

The Sharks have officially won the race for superstar prospect Macklin Celebrini – the consensus top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft. Celebrini recently became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as college’s MVP, adding to a trophy case that’s incredibly full for his age. He’s a dynamic and incredibly intelligent centerman capable of finding and making plays in all three zones.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks, Ducks, and Blue Jackets will be left to sift through a rich list of top defense prospects, including Artyom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Zayne Parekh. Forwards like Cole Eiserman or Cayden Lindstrom could fight their way into the top spots as well, giving teams plenty of options with their lottery winnings.

Coaching Notes: Devils, Blues, Kings

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The New Jersey Devils plan to solidify a new head coach within the next 7-to-10 days, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (Twitter link). New Jersey just lost interim head coach Travis Green to a four-year contract with the Ottawa Senators, leaving their commanding spot vacant for the first time since firing Lindy Ruff in March. Green led the Devils to a 38-39-5 record, in his two months behind the helm, performing well enough to earn his first full-time head coaching role since leaving the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021-22 season. Ruff has also found a new home, returning to the Buffalo Sabres, where he’s already spent 10 years as a player and 16 years as a coach.

The coaching carousel has circled around the Devils and it’s now their chance to name a new boss. Jay Woodcroft and Craig Berube are seemingly leading the way, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on The Jeff Marek Show. Friedman added that many around the league view New Jersey as the job with the highest ceiling. That’s certainly no surprise, as their next head coach will assume a roster with stars Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton. And New Jersey is only getting better, with rookie defenders Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec earning full-time roles last season and the Devils recently signing top defense prospect Seamus Casey. New Jersey had a shockingly poor season, missing the playoffs by 10 points after bearing with injuries, a lack of chemistry, and poor goaltending all year. There is star power throughout their lineup, but with very little cap space this summer the Devils will need to hope that a new head coach will be enough to bring out their full potential.

Other notes from the coaching circuit:

  • The St. Louis Blues will be retaining the entire staff behind head coach Drew Bannister, shares The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (Twitter link). The Blues removed Bannister’s interim title earlier today, with Rutherford adding that the hiring process also featured interviews with the team’s advisors Peter Chiarelli, Alexander Steen, and Scott Mellanby. Bannister made it through each stage, and will now return to a team that he led to a 30-19-5 record last season. Bannister brought the best out of some of St. Louis’ youngest players, and manned a red-hot goaltending duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. While Bannister’s staff won’t lose any faces, the Blues haven’t ruled out the possibility of adding more coaching supports, as they look to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
  • The Los Angeles Kings are taking their time with their own coaching search, and plan to interview interim head coach Jim Hiller next week, shares LeBrun (Twitter link). LeBrun adds that the Kings liked what they saw out of Hiller but aren’t committed to him just yet. Hiller led the Kings to a 21-12-1 record after taking over for Todd McLellan on February 10th. It was the first head coaching opportunity of Hiller’s career, after 10 years of serving as an assistant coach across the NHL. He previously spent eight years as a head coach in the WHL, making the playoffs seven times.

Hockey Canada Releases 2024 World Championship Roster

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May 7: Celebrini and Fantilli have returned home from Czechia, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. The former will participate in tonight’s 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, while Fantilli’s reasons for departing are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether they’ve been removed from the roster entirely. In a corresponding transaction, the team added Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul to the roster.

May 3: Hockey Canada has released its roster of 22 players who will wear the maple leaf at the 2024 World Championship, which begins next week in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. There are three open spots left to be filled throughout the tournament as more teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Much like the initial World Championship roster that USA Hockey released weeks back, it’s almost completely made up of NHL talent – a rarity for the top-level countries at this tournament recently. The return and promise of future best-on-best international tournaments in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics has players and front offices looking at this year’s Worlds as a tune-up and initial evaluation for those events.

In fact, the only non-NHL player on Canada’s tournament-opening roster will be in the league next season. That’s presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who continues his 2023-24 campaign after taking home the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in his freshman season with Boston University. Their offense is highlighted and led by Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard and Kraken sniper Jared McCann, while Sabres defenders Bowen Byram and Owen Power highlight the back end. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington is expected to serve as the team’s starter.

The full roster is as follows:

F Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
F Michael Bunting (Penguins)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (Sabres)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Ridly Greig (Senators)
F Dylan Guenther (NHL Utah)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Flames)
F Jack McBain (NHL Utah)
F Jared McCann (Kraken)
F Dawson Mercer (Devils)
F Brandon Tanev (Kraken)

D Bowen Byram (Sabres)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canadiens)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Kraken)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Owen Power (Sabres)
D Damon Severson (Blue Jackets)
D Olen Zellweger (Ducks)

G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Nico Daws (Devils)
G Joel Hofer (Blues)

Blues Remove Interim Tag From Drew Bannister

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The Blues have removed the interim tag from head coach Drew Bannister, signing him to a two-year extension Tuesday to make him the 27th permanent bench boss in franchise history. The deal keeps Bannister in St. Louis through the 2025-26 season and brings the number of coaching vacancies down to six, a number that’s expected to drop further this week with the Senators close to hiring Travis Green.

Bannister, 50, guided the Blues to a strong 30-19-5 record after they dismissed 2019 Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube on Dec. 12. After the team started 13-14-1 under Berube, Bannister got them to 92 points on the season, finishing ninth in the Western Conference and 16th in the league overall.

The former NHL defenseman has been in the Blues organization since 2018, serving as head coach and associate head coach of their AHL affiliates for parts of six seasons before his December promotion. He began his coaching career in England while still active as a player, serving as a player-assistant for the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Hull Stingrays in 2010-11 and a player-coach for Scotland’s Braehead Clan the following season.

After hanging up his skates in the summer of 2012, Bannister returned to North America, where he immediately resumed his coaching career as an assistant with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. Bannister held that role for three seasons before earning his first shot as a head coach, still in the OHL, with the Soo Greyhounds. In 2017-18, his final season with the club, the Greyhounds dominated the league with a 55-7-6 record, led by a 112-point campaign from future Flyers center Morgan Frost, earning him both CHL and OHL Coach of the Year honors. The Blues didn’t waste any time poaching him out of the junior ranks, appointing him head coach of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage shortly thereafter.

The Blues are a team in transition with a rapidly aging defense corps, but they still aim to be competitive. They showed they could do that under Bannister and would have made the playoffs this season with his record had they been in the Eastern Conference. Even if there were more experienced candidates on the market this summer, it’s hard to argue with actual results – something Bannister delivered with his four months at the helm to close the season.

Blues Sign Otto Stenberg To Entry-Level Contract

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The Blues were one of the busiest teams on draft day in 2023, boasting three first-round picks. One of them had yet to sign his entry-level deal, but that’s changed today. 25th overall selection Otto Stenberg has inked his three-year rookie contract, the club announced. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Stenberg, 19 later this month, was one of the higher-rated prospects heading into 2022-23 but saw his stock drop throughout the year due to an underwhelming showing offensively in the Swedish junior circuit. He failed to hit the point-per-game mark in 29 games with Frölunda HC’s club in the J20 Nationell, not normally indicative of a first-round caliber forward.

But he got back on teams’ radars with an electric showing at the 2023 U18 World Championship, racking up seven goals and 16 points in seven games for the Swedes with a +13 rating as they took home the silver medal. He was named the tournament’s All-Star team after leading them in scoring.

Stenberg’s post-draft season went much better. The well-rounded offensive talent settled in as a full-time professional, recording six points in 31 games in an extremely limited role with Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League. He spent a small portion of the season on loan to BIK Karlskoga of the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, where he lit things up with four goals and nine points in nine games.

He returned there for their SHL qualification tournament, posting five goals and seven points in 12 games as Karlskoga upset second-place Södertälje SK in the quarterfinals but lost their semifinal series to eventual champions Brynäs IF. The 5’11” pivot also had a strong showing at this year’s World Juniors, finishing third on the team in scoring with nine points (five goals, four assists) in nine games.

Since Stenberg will still be 19 when the calendar flips to 2025, his ELC will slide to 2025-26 if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season. If so, the contract will expire in 2028 instead of 2027. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry in either scenario.

Stenberg now joins Dalibor Dvorský and Theo Lindstein as 2023 Blues picks under contract. The pick used to select him was acquired from the Maple Leafs in last year’s Ryan O’Reilly trade. St. Louis has been busy in the past few days, inking Swedish free agents Samuel Johannesson and Marcus Sylvegård to entry-level contracts, as well as 2021 draft pick Simon Robertsson.

Blues Sign Simon Robertsson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Blues have announced the signing of right-wing prospect Simon Robertsson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.

A third-round pick by the Blues in 2021, Robertsson has spent the entirety of his post-draft career under contract with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. He hasn’t landed a full-time spot in the lineup, though, and has been routinely loaned out to lower-level clubs.

2022-23 was a particularly tumultuous season for him, suiting up for clubs in the SHL, the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, the third-tier HockeyEttan, and Sweden’s top junior league, the J20 Nationell. He did manage decent production in limited action with Skellefteå, scoring five goals and seven points in 16 regular-season games before adding a goal in eight playoff games.

Robertsson, 21, earned more stability and SHL minutes this year, making 42 total appearances with Skellefteå compared to 15 with Brynäs IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan. The sharp-shooting winger had two goals and four points in 27 regular-season games for Skellefteå and was a bottom-six regular by the time the playoffs rolled around, posting a goal and an assist in 15 games as they took home the league championship earlier this week.

Few expected Robertsson to be available when the Blues selected 71st overall. Numerous public rankings, including TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts, graded Robertsson as a likely late first-round or early second-round pick.

The 6’0″ winger won’t be in consideration for an NHL roster spot yet, but signing his ELC means he could come to North America and suit up for AHL Springfield next season. He’ll be waiver-exempt for his first three seasons under contract or his first 80 NHL games, whichever comes first, and will become a restricted free agent when his contract expires in 2027.

Blues Sign Samuel Johannesson, Marcus Sylvegard

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12:15 p.m.: St. Louis has now confirmed the signings of both Johannesson and Sylvegård, as previously reported, although financial terms were not disclosed. It’s a one-year entry-level agreement for Sylvegard. PuckPedia reports both deals carry cap hits of $870K, broken down into a $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K games played bonus, and $82.5K minors salary.

10:00 a.m.: The Blues are landing unrestricted free-agent defenseman Samuel Johannesson from the Swedish Hockey League’s Örebro HK, HockeyNews.se reports. League rules dictate it’ll be a two-year, entry-level contract when announced for the 23-year-old.

Johannesson was a sixth-round pick of the Blue Jackets in 2020, but his exclusive signing rights lapsed in June 2022 after he didn’t ink an ELC. He was already knocking on the door of being a full-time SHL player by the time he was drafted, skating in 44 games for Rögle BK in 2019-20, and has only solidified that standing since then. The 5’11” right-shot blue liner has bounced around with a few organizations, landing with Brynäs IF in 2022-23 and joining Örebro for this season after Brynäs lost their relegation series last summer and ended up in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.

He’s now emerged as a solid puck-mover and one of the better offensive defenders in the SHL since earning top-of-the-lineup minutes with Brynäs last season. The Halmstad, Sweden, native remained in top-four minutes for Örebro, finishing second on the team in points with 27 (11 goals, 16 assists) in 43 games with a +5 rating. He added a goal in three playoff games as Örebro lost its play-in series to Luleå HF.

Johannesson was under contract with Örebro through 2024-25, so the Blues will need to buy him out – something HockeyNews.se says is important for an Örebro club that’s struggling financially. His deal will expire after the 2025-26 season, and the Blues will control his signing rights as an RFA. He’s their second expected signing out of the SHL this offseason, joining 24-year-old winger Marcus Sylvegård.

Blues Expected To Sign Marcus Sylvegard

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Earlier today, we looked at some of the remaining international free agents that could attract NHL interest in the coming weeks.  One of those is winger Marcus Sylvegard.  It appears he has found his next team as SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that Sylvegard is set to sign a one-year, entry-level contract with St. Louis.

The 24-year-old wasn’t particularly productive during his first few SHL seasons but had a breakout campaign in 2022-23, his second year with Malmo.  That year, Sylvegard picked up 17 goals and 24 assists in 52 games and helped them avoid relegation to the second-tier Allsvenskan.

Sylvegard followed up that performance with another 41-point effort this season, notching 23 goals and 18 helpers in 51 games with Vaxjo.  However, he struggled in the playoffs, collecting just three assists in eight games although Svensson notes that Sylvegard was playing through an injury during the postseason.

Sylvegard also had interest from several other teams over the last couple of months, Florida, Colorado, and Calgary among them.  Having said that, he profiles as more of a bottom-six type of energy player so it wouldn’t be realistic to expect Sylvegard to put up big numbers in the NHL.  But on a Blues roster that should have a couple of openings in their bottom six with Kasperi Kapanen and Sammy Blais sitting as pending unrestricted free agents, there should be a chance for Sylvegard to push for a roster spot in training camp this fall.

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