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Morning Notes: Eriksson, Sabres, Afanasyev

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Loui Eriksson has been at the center of trade speculation for the last few weeks, and his name came up again when agent J.P. Barry was on Sportsnet radio today. Barry explained that he will work with Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning on how to go about Eriksson’s future, and noted that “for a lot of hockey reasons, it might be better for Loui to play somewhere else.” These comments come after Eriksson spoke out last month about how he was being used and how he didn’t see eye to eye with head coach Travis Green.

The 33-year old was infamously part of a spending spree on July 1, 2016 that has resulted in some of the worst contracts around the league, and still has three years remaining on the deal he signed that day. Eriksson comes with a $6MM cap hit for those three years, and actually has a full no-trade clause for this season. That means he gets to have a say in where he plays in 2019-20, but it may be difficult to find a taker given he has scored just 32 total goals in his three seasons in Vancouver.

  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have hired Don Granato and Mike Bales as assistant coaches, adding them to Ralph Krueger’s staff that also includes Steve Smith. Goaltending coach Bales recently parted ways with the Carolina Hurricanes and was immediately linked to the Sabres, given his history with Buffalo GM Jason Botterill from their time in Pittsburgh together. Granato meanwhile spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, but has plenty of head coaching experience in the USHL, ECHL and AHL.
  • The Windsor Spitfires have convinced Egor Afanasyev to commit to the OHL next season, giving them another intriguing weapon to deploy up front. The 18-year old forward starred for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL last season scoring 62 points in 58 games and could very well find himself selected early in this month’s NHL Entry Draft. Afanasyev was ranked 16th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and is an attractive mix of size and skill that could be snapped up by a team who believes in his ceiling. No matter what NHL team picks him, the 6’4″ forward will be part of an excellent junior program in Windsor and should be given every chance to develop.

Overseas Notes: Tomek, Johansson, Avangard

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A difficult and winding developmental path will now take Philadelphia Flyers prospect Matej Tomek back to his native Slovakia. The 22-year-old goaltender, a third-round pick in 2015, has had a tough go of it in North America. Initially selected out of the NAHL, after dominating the second-tier U.S. junior league in his first season, Tomek has since struggled to find his place. Tomek first spent two seasons at the University of North Dakota, but made zero appearances as a freshman and had just two poor outings as a sophomore. He opted to leave the program in search of more opportunity, spending the following season with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks, where he regained some confidence but still left scouts wanting more. Tomek made his return to the college ranks this past season, playing for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Yet, again Tomek fell into a backup role and disappointed with an .845 save percentage and 4.73 GAA in five games. Likely the smart move, Tomek has decided to take a break from North American hockey for a while and HK Dukla Trencin of the Slovak Extraliga has announced a one-year contract with the young, local product. Although 22 already, Tomek’s rights belong to the Flyers until August of 2021, so one or two good seasons in Slovakia could keep his NHL hopes alive despite his recent struggles.

  • The Swedish Hockey League regular season champs are watching as their core is dismantled this off-season by NHL signings. Farjestad BK, who surprisingly lost in the semifinals despite dominating the regular season, have already seen their top two scoring forwards, Oskar Steen and Joakim Nygard, sign with Boston and Edmonton respectively, prospect Fabian Zetterlund join New Jersey, and goaltender Adam Werner inked with Colorado. Now, a fifth name could also depart for North America. Hockey News SE reports that two-way center Linus Johansson has been drawing NHL attention and at least one unnamed team has made a concrete offer. The big 26-year-old forward is expected to make his decision in the coming days. Johansson is actually not a stranger to North America, having played a season in the NAHL back in 2011-12. The late-blooming forward was never considered an NHL prospect coming up through junior hockey and only debuted in the SHL in 2016. However, he has impressed in three seasons as a well-rounded player and physical force and now must decide if he wants to try taking his game to the highest level.
  • Give the KHL’s Avangard Omsk some credit; the team is not short on confidence as they approach this off-season. Insider Igor Eronko writes for Sport-Express that free agent targets include veteran UFA Jason Spezza, as well as RFA’s Sven Andrighetto, Teddy Blueger, and Zemgus Girgensons, and recent Calder Cup winner, Tomas Jurco. While there has been some speculation that the Colorado Avalanche may not qualify Andrighetto, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be able to find an NHL opportunity if that is his priority. There has been nothing to imply that either Blueger or Girgensons are looking to leave their respective teams. Spezza, while coming off a disappointing stint with the Dallas Stars, is a former standout NHL center who easily remains top-50 free agent this summer. Jurco may be the only realistic name on the list, but kudos to Omsk for putting those names out there and being aggressive on the NHL free agent market. We’ll soon see how that works out for them.

Brendan Budy Commits To The University of North Dakota

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The University of North Dakota may have missed the past three NCAA Tournaments, but the 2016 champs are on their way back to being a national contender with impressive recruiting classes this year and next. Adding his name to that group today is 2019 NHL Draft prospect Brendan Budy. The Grand Forks Herald reports that Budy will join the Fighting Hawks in 2020-21.

When Budy arrives at North Dakota, he will begin his second stint in the NCAA. The skilled winger began this season with the University of Denver, but was in and out of the lineup and struggling to produce. In fact, through the first half of the season, he had been held scoreless in six games. It was then that Budy opted to leave and join the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, where he re-discovered his game. Budy was a point-per-game scorer in 31 games, helping to lead the team to the postseason. According to NCAA transfer rules, Budy will have to sit out a year, even though he left DU mid-season, so he will return to the Storm next season.

Even as an overage prospect coming off and up-and-down season, Budy is considered a possible draft selection later this month. In fact, he was ranked No. 155 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, putting him in that sixth/seventh-round range. A pass-first, play-making winger, Budy is a creative offensive player and his quick commitment to North Dakota shows NHL scouts that he is a hot commodity in college hockey. It would not be a shock to see a team take a late-round flier on him.

Fans of North Dakota will be excitingly watching the NHL Draft this year (and next). The 2019 recruiting class includes goaltender Cameron Rowe (#4 NA Goalie), forwards Shane Pinto (#28 NA Skater), Judd Caulfield (#67 NA Skater), and defenseman Luke Bast (#137 NA Skater), not to mention Philadelphia Flyers prospect center Gavin Hain. Coming in 2020 are Budy, fellow forwards Harrison Blaisdell (#80 NA Skater) and Massimo Rizzo (#84 NA Skater), and defenseman Cooper Moore (#88 NA Skater), as well as a number of possible 2020 Draft prospects. With that talent influx, more promising players are surely on their way soon. Things are looking up for North Dakota.

Combine Notes: Hughes, Sogaard, Kallionkieli

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Today is the last day of the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, with fitness testing, final measurements, and media availability for all invitees. An unexpected omission from the fitness testing portion though was none other than presumptive No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes. Hughes was schedule to undergo the numerous fitness testing programs, but opted out instead. Speaking with the media, including The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, Hughes simply said that after a long season he didn’t feel the need to further prove himself. The phenom forward just wrapped up a World Championship tournament that came after a full season with the U.S. National Team Development Program and stints at the U-20 and U-18 World Junior Championships. While Hughes has been busy playing hockey this last month, the vast majority of combine participants have instead been preparing for the specific fitness tests. Hughes accurately compared undergoing fitness testing without preparing to taking a test without studying. There is little question as to where Hughes will be selected later this month and thus no upside to his participation today. It also helps his case that Kaapo Kakko, the only player who could push Hughes from the top spot in the draft, skipped the combine entirely to celebrate his World Championship victory with Finland back home.

  • The minor deviations of height and weight recorded at the combine generally don’t make much of difference to NHL teams putting together their draft boards. However, sometimes those numbers are worth noting and one top goalie prospect in particular turned some heads this year. Danish keeper Mads Sogaard of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers received an official height measurement of 6’7 1/2″. As The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler notes, that would make Sogaard the tallest goalie in the NHL if and when he reaches that level. Devan Dubnyk, Ben Bishop, and the like all pale in comparison to Sogaard, who NHL Central Scouting ranked as their No. 2 goalie prospect. Size is a trait all teams value in their net minders, but combine Sogaard’s 99th-percentile height and his substantial talent, and you likely have a second-round pick in the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft. One last fun fact about Sogaard’s measurement: he is officially more than a foot taller than fellow top prospect Cole Caufield; the USNTDP sniper came in at 5’7 1/4″.
  • Forward Marcus Kallionkieli was a popular player for the gathered media today – and likely for teams as well this week – as there are still so few answers about his future. Kallionkieli came over from Finland this season to play in the USHL, in hopes of eventually landing in the NCAA. However, a year has passed and he is still without a college commitment. It certainly is not due to a lack of talent, as Kallionkieli was considered the top uncommitted player in the league this year, but for one reason or another, Kallionkieli lacks an NCAA team to play for next season. As such, Wheeler relays the news straight from Kallionkieli today that his plan for now is to return to the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers next season, which would keep the possibility of following the collegiate route open. So too would a return to Finland, albeit a less helpful choice if he is trying to land a long-term fit stateside. Yet, Kallionkieli also mentioned that he would consider playing in the CHL for whoever selects him in the CHL Import Draft. That decision would put an end to his NCAA hopes, but would be a just as acceptable developmental path. There are likely more details about Kallionkieli’s decisions that are not available to the public, but have been disclosed to teams, as the Finnish forward does not want to come off as being indecisive or malcontent. As for what his performance on the ice says, Kallionkieli was a near point-per-game scorer this season and has great hands and offensive instincts. He continues to be pegged as a third-round pick at worst, despite the mystery surrounding his future.

Prospect Notes: Calder Cup Final, Telegin, Phillips

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The finale of the AHL season gets underway tonight, as the Charlotte Checkers, affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, are set to host the Chicago Wolves, affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, in Game One of the Calder Cup Final. Neither squad is very familiar with being in this title series; the Wolves are making their first appearance as Vegas’ affiliate, given their parent club just wrapped up it’s second season in existence, while the Checkers have appeared twice in the final, most recently in 1991. The match-up that everyone will be watching for in the series is Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017 and the first draft selection in Vegas’ history, versus Martin Necas, the No. 12 pick in 2017 and Carolina’s top prospect. However, Necas has taken a back seat to several other Checkers forwards this postseason. After scoring 70 points in 72 games to finish fifth in league scoring in the regular season, Andrew Poturalski’s 18 points thus far also lead the postseason. It’s worth noting that Poturalski will be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer and could be on the move in search of more NHL opportunity. Necas’ fellow AHL rookie, Morgan Geekie, has been right up there with Poturalski in playoff scoring, registering 15 points so far. Tomas Jurco and Aleksi Saarela have also played well for the Checkers, as has experienced defenseman Trevor Carrick. As for the Wolves, it has been goaltender Oscar Dansk leading the way, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.16 GAA through 14 starts. Up front, it’s been the veterans getting the job done, with Tomas Hyka, Curtis McKenzie, and Tye McGinn all among the AHL’s top ten in scoring this postseason. Rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud has also been a revelation and continues to make a strong case for playing in Vegas next season. Everything considered, this should be a balanced, hard-fought series between two talented teams who are excited to be in the final. The schedule for the Calder Cup Final can be found here.

  • The Winnipeg Jets made a nice value addition this morning, signing Russian power forward Andrei Chibisov. As the team attacks their difficult salary cap situation this summer, affordable impact deals could be crucial and the team hopes Chibisov will pan out. Unfortunately, one of his fellow countrymen won’t be joining him in Winnipeg. Ivan Telegin, a draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers all the way back in 2010, has opted to re-sign with his KHL club, CSKA Moscow. The team announced a new three-year deal with Telegin that likely rules out any potential future in the NHL. There was some thought that Telegin would consider returning to North America, where he previously played three seasons in the OHL and one season in the AHL, following a career-best KHL campagin. Telegin recorded 22 points in 49 games this season, production levels he hadn’t reached since his junior days. A player of similar size and ability to Chibisov, Telegin would have been another bottom-six option for Winnipeg, but with a long-term extension in Russia and his draft rights set to expire, it seems the pairing was never meant to be.
  • According to Jess Myers of the Grand Forks Herald, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Clayton Phillips is on the move. Phillips, a third-round pick in 2017, just wrapped up his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota, but it appears it will be his last. Myers reports that Phillips is expected to transfer out of Minnesota and to a different NCAA institution. This likely means that he will have to sit out of college hockey next season due to NCAA transfer rules. In the meantime, Phillips is expected to return to the USHL’s Muskegeon Lumberjacks. The 19-year-old defenseman initially joined the Gophers earlier than expected, jumping in midway through the 2017-18 season. Sources that Myers spoke with felt this was a mistake, as he was not yet mature enough for the college game. It showed, as he was held scoreless in eleven games and got into frequent penalty trouble. This past season, Phillips improved to the tune of ten points in 34 games, but struggled defensively and simply wasn’t playing to the level that he, the university, nor the Penguins likely expected. A year back in juniors could be good for Phillips development, as the mobile blue liner can regain confidence in his abilities. Myers then speculates that he could join Penn State University or Colorado College in 2020.

Combine Notes: Marner, Dubas, Johnson, Turcotte

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Toronto Maple Leafs fans may be nervous about the prospect of a Mitch Marner offer sheet, especially after some recent comments, but GM Kyle Dubas isn’t. Dubas tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that he has used the ongoing NHL Scouting combine as an opportunity to meet with Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, in hopes of getting a new deal done with their star forward as soon as possible:

We’re not letting any time slip away. Any chance we’ve had to have time with Darren, we’re taking it. We’re trying to move it along. That’s really the key. I don’t see any need to delay it. We would like to come to agreements the very first minute we can. Unfortunately with the way things are it’s not overly realistic to think we can do that. Just keep working. I think I said before — we have to go back to check the tape — everyone knows how we feel about Mitch. I’m not afraid to say that Mitch holds a special place in the cosmos of our group… The reality is, Mitch is a great player. We’ve been very clear how we feel about him as a player and a person. He’s been a great Maple Leaf. He should be a Maple Leaf his whole career. I think Mitch and Darren have both stated that at times. We’re going to keep working with Darren to move this along and progress it ahead and come to an agreement which will make Mitch feel like he’s compensated at the level he’s deserved and us with a way to navigate our way ahead. I think if we’re all willing to work towards it we’ll get there. That’s what we have the time for here.

Dubas continues that he would be surprised if Marner were to entertain the idea of an offer sheet and has never been led to believe that it has been discussed as an option by Marner’s camp. Dubas knows that Marner, as well as Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, could be popular targets for the elusive offer sheet, but is prepared to deal with that scenario if it arises:

I think you have to study what the probability may be. You can’t ignore it. You can’t just say that because something hasn’t happened, it won’t happen. You have to be realistic. You have to look around and identify which teams have the capital, which teams have the cap space, and which teams have the combination of both… That’s the way we’ve gone about it. As a management group, our focus has been on finding contract resolutions with Mitch and Johnsson and Kapanen.

By all accounts, Dubas is farther along in talks with all three of Marner, Johnsson, and Kapanen than he was with William Nylander at this time last year. Nylander of course held out well into the start of this past season, but that doesn’t appear to be the likely outcome for any Toronto RFA’s this year. And while the threat of offer sheets exist, that too doesn’t seem to be a probable ending. The question thus becomes, if new contracts can be signed with Marner, Johnsson, and Kapanen, where does it leave the Maple Leafs in salary cap terms and who will have to move this summer to make the team cap compliant?

  • While NHL executives and agents alike obviously use the NHL Scouting Combine as an opportunity to talk to one another, the focus of course is on the draft class. One prospect in particular has been busier than just about anyone at the combine. NBC Sports Chicago’s Slavko Bekovic reports that American defenseman Ryan Johnson is the only player in attendance thought to have met with all 31 NHL teams. Johnson is not your typical popular top-of-the-first prospect, though. Instead, he has been ranked as high as No. 18 and as low as No. 55 by reputable scouting sources and many teams are likely still trying to gauge whether or not he is a first-round caliber player. To his credit, Johnson will at least likely go ahead of many highly-regarded U.S. National Team Development Program defenders after he himself did not make the team. The stalwart defenseman for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede is a solid, mobile defenseman and a strong locker room presence, but the question is whether he is a top-31 player in this draft. Every team in the league will apparently get the chance to answer that question.
  • Bekovic also reports that Illinois native Alex Turcotte, a top-ten prospect, has met with his hometown Chicago Blackhawks this week. While the Blackhawks have met with several other intriguing prospects who they could select at No. 3, including Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach, and Peyton Krebs, it’s hard to ignore the fit that Turcotte would have with the organization. The USNTDP standout told Bekovic that he grew up a big Blackhawks fan and has always dreamed of playing for the team. He also models his game after Jonathan Toews and relishes in the frequent comparisons between the two. GM Stan Bowman is not going to let sentiment dictate a crucial pick for his franchise, but Turcotte’s talent alone may make him the third-best player in this class, with the local ties just an added bonus.

Prospect Notes: London, Ilves, Kallionkieli

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It’s no secret that the Canadian junior ranks and the American collegiate ranks compete over prized prospects constantly. In most cases, once a young player decides on their route, there is no going back. Playing even one game in the OHL, WHL, or QMJHL disqualifies an athlete from NCAA participation so there is no recourse once the major junior path is chosen. However, there are rare occurrences where some prospects play for or commit to a a college program before eventually joining a junior club instead. Incredibly, the OHL’s London Knights landed two such players today. The team announced that both Jonathan Gruden and Bryce Montgomery have joined the organization ahead of the 2019-20 season. Gruden, who turns 19 tomorrow, was a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators last year and played for Miami University this season. Despite a promising 15-point freshman season, Gruden decided that the college game was not for him for some reason. Last month, he shockingly signed his entry-level contract with the Senators, giving up the rest of his NCAA eligibility. Gruden is not yet eligible to play in the AHL and is not close to ready for the NHL, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would join the Knights, who held his CHL junior rights. As for Montgomery, his change of heart is a new surprise. The 16-year-old American is a highly-touted young defenseman who was expected to play at the prep school level for a couple more years before joining Providence College. Instead, he has reneged on that commitment in favor of getting to the next step in his development even sooner with London. The Friars’ loss is the Knights’ gain, as Montgomery has the size and strength to be a difference-maker immediately at the junior level. Both he and Gruden are major additions for a London program that has become one of the best developers of talent in all of junior hockey in recent years.

  • Sometimes prospects don’t just have to decide between whether the college game or junior game is better for their development, but rather if North America is the right choice for them overall. Two talented 2019 draft-eligible prospects have tested the waters and decided to return home for next season. Lassi Alanen, a European scout for Future Considerations, reports that Ilves of the Finnish Liiga have welcomed back defenseman Lassi Thomson and brought in forward Matias Macelli for next season. Thomson, expected to be a late first- or early-second round pick in June, spent this past year with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. While he excelled, leading all Rockets defensemen with 17 goals and 41 points in 63 games, he clearly feels the pro game would be a better next step for his growth. While Thomson possesses great skill and skating ability, there is room to improve defensively and physically, which will be easier to do against older competition. Thomson also has experience with Ilves, having grown up in their junior ranks. Macelli is new to Ilves – he was a TPS product prior to his move overseas – but the team is likely just as excited to have him. Macelli spent the last two seasons with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints and in 2018-19 finished third in the league in scoring with 72 points in 62 games. The talented winger was in the top five of both goals and assists in the USHL, as he showed a balanced offensive attack. Expected to be a second- or third-round pick this spring, Macelli has the makings of a player who could prove to be a draft steal if his skill set translates to the pro level.
  • A fellow Finn who is keeping college, junior, and Liiga teams alike waiting is forward Marcus Kallionkieli. Like Macelli, Kallionkieli is a skilled forward out of the USHL expected to land in the second or third round of the draft this year. A bigger, stronger winger, Kallionkieli has adopted the North American style and has become and adept goal-scorer, notching 29 goals and 53 points in 58  games this season for the Sioux City Musketeers. Although Kallionkieli was reportedly focused on a college scholarship, and at one point linked to the University of Denver where teammate and presumptive first-round pick Bobby Brink is headed, there has been no commitment to this point. He could opt to play another year in the USHL before joining the college ranks or he could turn his attention to the CHL or a return to Finland. There’s even a chance that the team that drafts him wants to see if his mature game is ready for the AHL right away, although that might be a long shot. One way or another, the intriguing forward is a name to watch out for.

 

NCAA Notes: Kuznetsov, Hayhurst, MacKay

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The University of Connecticut landed a big fish this week in 17-year-old Russian defenseman Yan Kuznetsov. The big, two-way defender has committed to join the Huskies as early as next season, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports. Kuznetsov, who is in fact not related to Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, is looking to make his name known for more than just its similarity to an existing NHL star. A 2020 NHL Draft prospect, Kuznetsov is a dominant defensive blue liner who stands 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. with room left to grow. Both with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede and on the international stage with Russia, Kuznetsov has shown high-end defensive positioning and instincts and is a strong skater, especially for size. The offense has yet to come, but it will follow as Kuzanetsov’s ability to move the puck continues to improve. Earlier this season, TSN’s Craig Button ranked the soon-to-be Huskie as the 13th-best player in the 2020 class and that projection could even improve if he makes the immediate jump to the college ranks next season and adapts well. It is very likely that Kuznetsov will become UConn’s highest-drafted player once 2020 rolls around. The Huskies, the newest addition to the Hockey East Conference, have done a good job of improving their program, especially in overseas recruiting, over the last few years and Kuznetsov is another major step. Recent draft selections like forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI – 2nd, 2018) and Jachym Kondelik (NSH – 4th, 2018), and goalie Tomas Vomacka (NSH – 5th, 2017) played key roles this season, while 2019 draft-eligible winger Vladislav Firstov is expected by many to be a second-round pick this June before joining UConn in the fall. The future is bright for the program.

  • It wasn’t enough for the University of Michigan to just add one of the top freshman classes in the NCAA to their program next year, including potential 2019 first-round picks out of the U.S. National Team Development program in Cam York and John Beecher. No, the Wolverines scoured the transfer market and are now adding one the top available graduate players as well. College hockey insider Jeff Cox reports that Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute standout Jacob Hayhurst will transfer to Michigan next year for his fourth and final collegiate season. Hayhurst, 22, enjoyed an impressive stretch at RPI. As a freshman, the talented forward was third on the team in scoring and in each of the past two seasons, he has been even better, leading the Engineers in points. Meanwhile, Hayhurst somehow managed to graduate from RPI in just three years as well and can thus move on to a new program without having to sit for a transfer year. In Hayhurst, the Wolverines are adding an intelligent and skilled forward, who makes up for his lack of size with vision and quickness. After losing Quinn Hughes to the pros, the addition of Hayhurst (and York) should help to keep Michigan’s power play lethal next season.
  • One of the leaders of the two-time defending champion University of Minnesota – Duluth Bulldogs has found a home in the pros. The AHL’s Texas Stars announced today that hard-working forward Parker MacKay has signed a one-year deal with team. MacKay, who steadily improved over his four years at UMD, topped out at 16 goals and 33 points as a senior, which both led the team. MacKay, 24, is a tough, talented forward who wins puck battles and creates offense with his effort. He did just that in the National Championship game this year, recording a goal and assist to earn Frozen Four MVP honors. While a relatively late college free agent signing, MacKay is sure to make an immediate impact for Texas next season and could have NHL upside if he continue to be a force at the pro level.

AHL Notes: Smith, Sadek, Boka, Afanasyev

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After wrapping up a four-year collegiate career at Bowling Green State University, defenseman Adam Smith was ready to turn pro. While the Nashville Predators were not prepared to offer the 2016 seventh-round pick an entry-level contract, the invisible hand of the market still guided Smith to the organization. The Predators’ AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, announced a two-year AHL deal with Smith today. The contract will begin with 2019-20, as Smith finishes out this season on an amateur tryout offer. Smith, 22, is not much of an offensive asset on the blue line, but played an important role for Bowling Green en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance as a dependable defensive presence. If he continues to progress over a couple years in the minors, Smith could find himself with an NHL deal with Nashville down the road.

  • Former Big Ten rivals Jack Sadek and Nick Boka have become teammates at the pro level this last month after the duo signed amateur tryouts with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The defense pair are both recent draft picks of the Minnesota Wild – Boka in the sixth round out of the University of Michigan and Sadek in the seventh round out of the University of Minnesota, both in 2015 – but did not do quite enough in their college tenures to earn entry-level contracts right away. Instead, they were asked to show that they were worthy of a continued investment by the Wild, starting with a stint with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. Now, both players have been recalled by Iowa as the first step toward getting closer to an NHL deal. Both Sadek and Boka are right-handed shots with good size who improved over their four years in college, so there is a lot to like about the prospects. However, they both have work to do to earn an extended look with the organization.
  • The AHL may have another “true rookie” to look forward to next season. USHL standout Egor Afanasyev, who many see as a fringe first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, appears destined to follow in the footsteps of fellow imports like Klim Kostin and Martin Kaut by jumping right to the pro level next year. Afanasyev de-committed from Michigan State University earlier this year and has not been looking to join another college program next season. Meanwhile, he was drafted into the OHL by the Ottawa 67’s and had his rights traded to the Windsor Spitfires this season, but there has been little to no talk of him joining the junior squad. Instead, the Russian-born power forward clearly prefers to play in the AHL next season. He does have the size to do so; Afansyev stands 6’3″ and over 200 lbs. and plays with an edge to match. He also has the skill, as he has scored at better than a point-per-game clip this season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks and the deeper analytics indicate he has been even better than that. Ultimately, the team that drafts Afanasyev will decide on what the best next step would be in his development, but as his draft stock continues to rise it is becoming increasingly likely that he makes his pro debut in 2019-20.

Draft Notes: Moore, Saarela, Wright

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It was a disappointing season for the University of North Dakota, as the historic program exited their conference tournament early and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. However, one down year hasn’t impacted their recruiting power and the program has another impressive group of young players arriving next season. Among those already committed were U.S. National Development Team Program forward Judd Caulfield and goaltender Cameron Rowe, as well as USHL scorer Shane Pinto and BCHL standout Massimo Rizzo. All four players are almost certainly going to be drafted in June, making for a star-studded group as it is, but North Dakota added yet another draft prospect today. Cooper Moore, an all-league defenseman from The Brunswick School in Connecticut, announced his own commitment today to join the Fighting Hawks next year. The mobile blue liner was better than a point-per-game scorer this season and among the top five scoring defensemen in all of New England prep school hockey. The latest rankings from NHL Central Scouting listed Moore as the No. 86 skater in North America, likely putting him in the fourth or fifth round range in the draft. It’s a strong addition for North Dakota, who likely will have an eventual No. 1 defenseman in Moore.

  • Regardless of when he is drafted and by whom, it seems forward Antti Saarela plans to continue his development in his native Finland. Saarela, the brother of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Aleksi Saarela, is hoping to have the edge on his brother in terms of draft position. Whereas Aleksi was a late third-round pick in 2015, Antti is projected by most to be a late second- or early third-round pick this year. But even if a team spends considerable draft capital on Saarela, they may not get him to North America right away. Liiga club Ilves has announced that they have signed Saarela, a free agent, to a two-year contract. Saarela leaves his previous team, Luukko, where he was used sparingly in just 24 games, despite recording 10 points in that limited action. If Ilves is prepared to give Saarela a greater role, the young winger would likely play out that contract before making the jump across the Atlantic. This is unlikely to dissuade interested teams though; Saarela is still raw and likely several years from competing for an NHL job. Plus, his offensive upside is worth making the pick on the long-term project.
  • While the NHL Draft has the attention of most pro hockey fans, another important draft will take place this weekend. The OHL Priority Selection Draft will get underway on Saturday, as another class of junior stars – many of whom will be NHL draft picks in the future – will find out where they’re headed. However, the owners of the first overall pick are planning to get the party started early. The Kingston Frontenacs teased fans today with a blurred picture of the player they will take at No. 1, promising to reveal the name on Friday. The reason Kingston is likely so eager to make the announcement is that many assume the pick to be a foregone conclusion. 15-year-old forward Shane Wright, who was granted Exceptional Player Status, is expected to be the pick and a generational talent for Kingston. OHL insider Brock Otten states that the selection has essentially been confirmed, so here is a question with more intrigue: will this be the only time Wright is selected first overall in a draft? The dynamic center is undoubtedly the early favorite to go No. 1 in 2022, but a lot can change between now and then.

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