Cal Petersen Still Undecided About 2017-18
The Buffalo Sabres are hoping that a chance to experience the World Championships with Team USA will help Cal Petersen make the decision to forego his senior year at Notre Dame and turn pro this summer. John Vogl of the Buffalo News reports that recently fired GM Tim Murray had offered Petersen the starting job for the AHL Rochester Americans next season should he sign, though it’s unclear where that promise would stand with whoever is eventually hired.
Petersen though may be looking at the experience in Germany and France (where the tournament is being held) as a stepping stone to a potential Olympic berth next season. When the NHL decided that it wouldn’t be heading the the Olympics, the idea of possibly suiting up for his country did cross Petersen’s mind. In an interview with Ryan O’Leary for the IIHF website, Petersen admits as much.
Any chance I get to wear the red, white and blue is great, and I want to take full advantage of it. I’ve definitely thought about [playing in the Olympics] especially after the NHL said it wasn’t going. I’m sure this will help and if it leads to the other things like the Olympics, that’d be great.
Last year at Notre Dame, Petersen posted a 23-12-5 record and .926 save percentage, his third straight excellent season for the club. Selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, he’s become one of the better goaltending prospects in the country and would definitely be on the short list for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. His inclusion at these World Championships ahead of many other qualified goaltenders only strengthens that possibility.
For the Sabres, a team that isn’t yet committed to Robin Lehner long-term adding Petersen to the system would be a huge boost. Lehner will be looking for a deal this offseason as he heads into restricted free agency, but the presence of Petersen as a possible future option would give the Sabres some leverage in talks. When top prospects head back to school for their senior year, it always presents more of a challenge to sign them after the year ends. With just a few more months to wait until free agency, a player like Petersen could—though he has never indicated a desire to—open up the market to at least a dozen teams that would be after him.
Players To Watch In Upcoming OHL Finals
Tonight marks the start of the championship series in the OHL, which will determine which team represents the league in the annual Memorial Cup tournament, made up of the top teams of each of the three Canadian Hockey League entities. This year, that tournament will be held in Windsor, Ontario meaning that the hometown Spitfires will get also get a berth—even though they were knocked out of the first round of these OHL playoffs.
In the finals we’ll see the powerhouse Erie Otters take on the upstart Mississauga Steelheads, a battle between the top team in the league this season versus a team who led their division, but would have placed no higher than third in any other. Erie had an extremely difficult road to the finals, needing an overtime game in the seventh match of their second round series to stay alive. Mississauga on the other hand lost just three games in three series, showing once again that regular season play doesn’t necessarily mean much in the postseason.
Now, the two teams will crash together and show off the next wave of talent for the NHL, some of which has even already had a taste of the NHL. First, let’s look at some already-drafted players who will make the jump to professional hockey very soon.
Dylan Strome, Erie Otters/Arizona Coyotes
The third-overall pick in the 2015 draft was a disappointment to some when he couldn’t do enough to lock up a job this fall in Arizona. In his seven game taste, he registered just a single assist and wasn’t his dominant self at the World Juniors. Since he has returned to Erie though he’s shown that the OHL just isn’t enough for him. With 75 points in 35 games, Strome showed a glimpse of how he was possibly taken ahead of Mitch Marner and Noah Hanifin in his draft year.
Alex DeBrincat, Erie Otters/Chicago Blackhawks
DeBrincat was a linemate of Strome’s in the second half and the pair (along with Tampa’s Taylor Raddysh) made one of the most dominant groups in recent memory. The Chicago Blackhawks second-round pick scored 65 goals and 127 points in 63 games, and has added another 31 in the playoffs so far. All this from a kid who was cut from the Team USA World Junior squad this season—he took it personally.
Michael McLeod, Mississauga Steelheads/New Jersey Devils
A first-round pick from last summer, McLeod is one of the strongest skaters in the league and uses it to play pro-style hockey up and down the rink. Not the offensive talent that either Strome or DeBrincat are, he did nonetheless put up 73 points in 57 games and has turned it up even further in the playoffs. He limits opposing teams when he’s on the ice with his puck possession, and will be an excellent NHL player for a long, long time.
There are also several draft-eligible prospects in the series, some who hold huge roles on their respective teams. Two from the Steelheads stand out as first-round locks in this summer’s draft.
Owen Tippett, Mississauga Steelheads
Tippett is about as “pure” of a goal-scorer you can find in this year’s draft, embodying the sniper archetype. He can score from anywhere in the offensive zone with an incredible wrist shot or power moves to the net. He scored 44 goals in 60 games, and has added another seven in the playoffs. While he’s not the big center that everyone hopes for early in the draft, he’ll be selected in the top-10 because of his ability to put the puck in the net. He’s not quite Patrik Laine, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make an immediate impact as a rookie.
Nicolas Hague, Mississauga Steelheads
You wouldn’t believe it if you saw the lanky 6’5″ defender, but Hague can move around the ice better than most defenders in the league and has natural offensive instincts. His defensive game has come a long way, and seems committed to improving at the next level. He scored 18 goals in the regular season, jumping into the rush and unleashing a raw but powerful shot from the point. Returning to the OHL next season after going somewhere in the middle of round one, he should be one of the top defenders in the league.
Ivan Lodnia, Erie Otters
Lodnia won’t turn 18 until August, and is still extremely raw as a prospect. His ability to grind down opponents is already apparent though, and his offensive game has started to round into form even being buried somewhat on a veteran Erie team. After 56 points in 66 games in the regular season, he’s completely disappeared in the playoffs thus far. He’ll likely drop down into the middle of the second round, but someone may get a hidden gem in that spot. When the Otters lose 5-6 forwards ahead of him this summer, he’ll be front-and-center as a top scoring option next year.
Snapshots: Nightingale, Bass, Schmaltz
The Detroit Red Wings have hired Adam Nightingale as their new assistant video coach, the same role that he held this season with the Buffalo Sabres. Nightingale is currently working with Jeff Blashill at the World Championships for Team USA, likely getting some familiarity before the beginning of next season.
Nightingale joins Blashill as another Michigan native to work in the coaching staff, and previously spent time coaching and playing at Michigan State. The team release doesn’t mention Dave Noel-Bernier who held the video coach position last season for the Red Wings, but he has returned to the University of Nebraska-Omaha as an assistant coach.
- The Nashville Predators have recalled Cody Bass from the Milwaukee Admirals in an interesting move, seeing as he underwent surgery in January that was expected to keep him out the rest of the season. Perhaps Bass has recovered enough for a chance to get into the lineup to add some toughness at some point, but it’s much more likely he’ll just practice with the team and continue to work towards a role next season. The 30-year old is a journeyman enforcer that has more penalty minutes (107) than NHL games (75) in his career and has scored just five points.
- The St. Louis Blues have made a move of their own, sending Jordan Schmaltz back to the Chicago Wolves for their series opener against the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight. Schmaltz is obviously the Blues preferred insurance policy on defense, but want him to stay sharp and help the Wolves in their Calder Cup run. He’s been bounced up and down between AHL game days to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman in morning skates.
Snapshots: KHL, Surgeries, Bjork
Several pieces of news out of the KHL today, including the signing of a three-year contract for Nikita Tryamkin with Yekaterinburg. The news that Tryamkin had left the Vancouver Canucks has been out for a while, but now we know how long the team will have to wait until they get a chance to bring him back to the NHL. The Canucks will hold his rights until 2021-22 season since they plan to qualify him this offseason, meaning that perhaps a reunion is possible after this three-year deal expires in 2020.
Viktor Antipin has officially terminated his deal, meaning he’s allowed to sign with the Buffalo Sabres (or anyone else) as soon as he wishes. Antipin’s teammate and former NHLer Alexander Semin will not be offered a new contract by Magnitogorsk, despite scoring 30 points this season. Semin could potentially return to the NHL should someone want to take a chance on the former 40-goal man, though at 33 his most effective years are likely behind him.
- SKA St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow were involved in a trade, swapping the rights to Nail Yakupov and Nikita Kucherov for those of Marcus Johansson and David Musil. While Kucherov and Johansson are both under contract and thus unable to be wooed by the KHL, both Yakupov and Musil are restricted free agents this summer. They could theoretically leave for greener pastures, as neither have been able to make much of an impact at the NHL level recently (or ever, in Musil’s case).
- The Minnesota Wild have announced that both Marco Scandella and Christian Folin have undergone surgery to repair hip and shoulder injuries respectively. Both are expected to be ready for training camp, though it obviously sets some of their offseason work back.
- Joe Haggerty of CSNNE reports that NCAA prospect Anders Bjork has told the Bruins he’ll make a decision on turning pro after the World Championships. Bjork is currently playing with Team USA at the tournament, which starts on May 5th. The 20-year old fifth-round pick blew up at Notre Dame this year, and Boston has made it clear that they want him to turn pro this summer instead of returning for his senior season. If he were to return, he’d be just a few months away from free agency when he graduated with most of the league ready to put his name on a contract.
Minor Moves: Sharks, Team USA, Team Canada
The San Jose Sharks have sent Timo Meier and Marcus Sorensen back to the AHL for the playoff run according to Keven Kurz of NBC. The two forwards were dominant offensive players for the Barracuda this year when they weren’t playing for the Sharks, and will add a definite scoring punch to a team that has already scored eight goals through their first two games.
Meier and Sorensen combined for 31 goals and 57 points in 76 games for the Barracuda, and both will likely compete for full-time jobs with the Sharks next season. More news from the recently eliminated teams…
- Kevin Allen of USA Today reports that both Charlie McAvoy and Trevor van Riemsdyk will be joining Team USA at the World Championships. The pair add to a defense group that is becoming quite impressive and already included Noah Hanifin and Jacob Trouba. McAvoy will be joining his fifth different team of the season after spending time with Boston University, the Providence and Boston Bruins, and Team USA at the World Juniors. He’s made an impact at every level so far, and shouldn’t be overlooked as a possible star at this latest tournament.
- Team Canada will gain a young star of their own, as Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun reports that Mitch Marner will head to the tournament. After several Maple Leafs turned the tournament down—including Auston Matthews, Nikita Zaitsev and just today Morgan Rielly—Marner will head off to compete in his first international event that isn’t age-restricted. In the U20 World Juniors last year, Marner recorded six points in five games but was left off last year’s World Championships and last fall’s World Cup teams. It’s not likely that he’ll be overlooked very often in the future, after posting 61 points in 77 games as a rookie this year.
Maple Leafs Notes: Babcock, Boyle, Nylander
The Maple Leafs met with the media today after cleaning out their lockers, and Mike Babcock spoke about several things including his immediate future. The head coach will be heading to the World Championships not behind the bench, but in the stands to scout players of interest according to James Mirtle of The Athletic. While he obviously didn’t clarify which players those would be, there are several names that would be of interest to teams around the league.
Daniel Brickley will be suiting up for Team USA before heading back for another season with Minnesota State. The 22-year old defenseman will be a free agent next spring should he decide to turn pro, and would likely be on Toronto’s radar. Vadim Shipchyov and Evgeny Dadonov, both rumored to be heading to the NHL this summer will also be suiting up for the Russian team, likely who you’ll find Babcock watcing most often.
- Brian Boyle told reporters that he’d be open to returning to the Maple Leafs, emphasizing how much fun he had since coming over from Tampa Bay at the deadline. Boyle is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and will be a sought after free agent for his leadership and success in a bottom-six role. He earned $2MM this season, but might even see a slight raise on a short-term deal.
- Surprisingly, Babcock relayed that William Nylander will not be moved to center next year despite earlier reports that he would. Nylander found a ton of success with Auston Matthews throughout the season but was expected to move back to his natural position next year. It will be interesting to see what that means for the rest of the Maple Leaf forwards, as they already had a backlog of wingers before this decision. It also means that Tyler Bozak perhaps is safe for another season, after setting a career-high in points. Bozak will be entering the final season of his current contract, and will be a UFA in the summer of 2018.
Prospect Snapshots: Vesalainen, Kopacka, Nosek
Finland’s Kristian Vesalainen was named the MVP of the 2017 U18 IIHF Ice Hockey World Champions today despite the team’s 4-2 loss to Team USA in the gold medal game today . The 17-year-old forward is considered to be a first-round target in the upcoming 2017 NHL Draft and his stock could be rising after he scored six goals and 13 points in the tournament. NHL.com has him rated the seventh-ranked European skater in the draft.
Versalainen was also named the Best Forward in the Directorate Awards along with fellow countryman Miro Heiskanen for Best Defenseman and Russia’s Maxim Zhukov as the Best Goaltender. The United States had three players voted to the Media All-Star team, including goalie lan St. Cyr, defenseman Maxwell Gidon and forward Sean Dhooghe. Vesalainen, Heiskanen and Russian forward Ivan Chekhovich rounded out the voting.
- The Anaheim Ducks announced they have signed 2016 fourth-round pick Jack Kopacka to a three-year entry-level contract today. The 19-year-old wing led his team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League with 30 goals this year. He also added 19 assists for 49 points. The 93rd overall pick in this past draft finished with 50 goals in two plus seasons with his OHL team. Kopacka is the second player from his team to sign an NHL deal today as Tampa Bay signed his teammate Boris Katchouk earlier today.
- Detroit Red Wings Tomas Nosek continues his success in the AHL this year and, according to Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James, is beginning to show that he belongs in the Red Wings lineup next season. The 24-year-old forward scored the overtime goal in the Grand Rapids Griffins Game 1 playoff series against the Milwaukee Admirals and has taken his game up a level from a year ago. Nosek played 11 games for the Red Wings this season, scoring one goal, but since this is his third season in the AHL, he will no longer by waiver exempt, so Detroit may have to look at him more closely.
Jesse Puljujarvi, Jack Eichel Join World Championship Rosters
After just writing today that Jesse Puljujarvi would be a long shot for the Edmonton Oilers this series, the team has sent him to the World Championships to compete for Finland. Jack Eichel, fresh off the latest report of displeasure in Buffalo, is also off to the tournament for Team USA. Puljujarvi could be recalled at any time from his loan if the Oilers decide they need him in their playoff lineup.
The 18-year old Finn will play in his first World Championship after dominating the World Juniors in 2016. With 17 points in just seven games, Puljujarvi was named the tournament MVP and helped a loaded Finland win gold alongside other current NHL players like Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine, Kasperi Kapanen and Mikko Rantanen. In fact, in 52 international contests, Puljujarvi has scored 53 points—albeit all at the junior level.
Eichel on the other hand has already suited up for a World Championship, helping Team USA to a bronze medal last spring. Eichel was one of the offensive weapons on that team, scoring seven points in ten games and trailing just Brock Nelson and Trevor Lewis for the team lead. He also starred at the World Juniors in his day, captaining the 2015 USA squad. He’ll join NHL players like Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba and Noah Hanifin at this year’s tournament.
Snapshots: Hart, Bjork, Alzner, Ducks
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms will get a boost for their Calder Cup playoff run, as Carter Hart has been reassigned from the Everett Silvertips after being eliminated from the WHL postseason on Friday. Hart, a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2016 (the highest goaltender selected) had a tremendous season for Everett, recording a .927 save percentage and posting a goals against average below 2.00 for the first time in his junior career.
Hart is an outstanding goaltending prospect and one that will be welcomed in Lehigh Valley after Anthony Stolarz was ruled out for the playoffs. Stolarz will be out for three to four months with a lower-body injury. Even if Hart does show well at the professional level though, he’ll have a hard time returning next season. At just 18, he’ll have to head to the NHL or back to the WHL next season.
- Anders Bjork has been named to Team USA for the upcoming World Championships, joining teammate Cal Petersen from Notre Dame. Bjork is a draft pick of the Boston Bruins, and has been considering leaving school for the professional ranks since Notre Dame was knocked out of the NCAA tournament. The 20-year old enjoyed a breakout season for the Fighting Irish, scoring 52 points in 39 games generally dominating the college ranks. Should he decide to return to school next season, he would be an early favorite for the Hobey Baker award.
- Karl Alzner may not be in the Washington Capitals lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and as Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post points out, that would be the first game he misses in seven years. Alzner has suited up for 540 consecutive regular season games and 59 straight playoff matchups for the Capitals, but has been hampered by a groin injury stemming all the way back to the final game of last year’s playoffs. If he does miss it, Nate Schmidt would return to the lineup and likely skate with John Carlson.
- The Anaheim Ducks are getting healthier, as both Sami Vatanen and Cam Fowler were back on the ice at practice today. Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports that the former has control of whether he’ll play in game three of their series with the Calgary Flames, in which the Ducks are leading 2-0. Getting Fowler back would be another big boost for the team, especially since it was these Flames who injured him in the first place. Fowler suffered a knee injury after getting hit by Flames’ captain Mark Giordano in their final meeting of the regular season.
West Notes: Reddekopp, Keller, Agostino
The Los Angeles Kings have signed officially signed Chaz Reddekopp to a three-year entry-level deal. The 20-year old seventh-round pick of the Kings in 2015 was set to become a free agent should the team not have gotten him under contract by June 1st. A big defender, Reddekopp had 43 points in a breakout campaign with the Victoria Royals, but still wasn’t shy about dropping the gloves to defend a teammate.
With Reddekopp now signed the Kings have just one player, Matt Schmalz, whose exclusive rights would expire this June should they not get him under contract. After two disappointing years since being drafted, Schmalz may be left to fend for himself this summer.
- Clayton Keller and Noah Hanifin have been added to the Team USA squad for the upcoming World Championships in Germany. That will make four teams for Keller this year, as he’s suited up for Team USA at the World Juniors, finished his first year at Boston University, signed and played three games with the Arizona Coyotes and will now represent his country once again alongside other NHL stars. The young forward helped lead the Junior squad to gold in January, and will try to take this team to the podium as well.
- Kenny Agostino has been named the AHL’s Most Valuable Player after an 83 point season. The 24-year old played seven games with the St. Louis Blues, but spent most of his season dominating the lower level with 59 assists in 65 games. Picked by the Penguins in the fifth-round in 2010, Agostino hasn’t made an impact at the NHL level yet and wasn’t even tendered a contract by the Flames last summer—they acquired him in the Jarome Iginla deal of 2013. The Blues signed him to a one-year deal, making him an unrestricted free agent again at season’s end.