Snapshots: Slafkovsky, Tarasenko, Oil Kings
From the moment the Montreal Canadiens took Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick at the draft earlier this month, there has been significant speculation on where Slafkovksy would be playing the 2022-23 season. Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov indicated in his post-draft media availability that Slafkovsky had “learned all he could” from playing in the Finnish Liiga, and when one looks at the first-year landing spots of previous number-one picks it doesn’t take long to see a trend. Typically, a number-one pick will make their team’s opening-night roster, and 2021 number-one pick Owen Power‘s choice to begin 2021-22 with the University of Michigan was a rare break to that trend. So, with that history in mind, many have assumed that Slafkovsky would be playing for Montreal in October.
But it isn’t that simple. Slafkovsky’s so-so production in Liiga has left many wondering if a stint in the AHL or another lower league would be preferable for his development, and some have hoped that Slafkovsky could continue his string of strong performances for the Slovak national team at this summer’s upcoming World Junior Championships. It doesn’t look like that’ll be happening, though, and where Slafkovsky will be spending 2022-23 is becoming more and more clear. Today, Slafkovsky told Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport that his “main goal” is to play in the NHL in the fall and that he would, as a result, not participate in the World Juniors. The Canadiens have room on the left wing next to their budding stars in Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, so it’s likely that Juraj will spend the rest of the summer preparing to earn a shot on their line to open the season.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko made headlines in the summer of 2021 when he reportedly requested a trade from the St. Louis Blues. At the time, Tarasenko’s health was still very much a contentious topic and it looked as though his NHL future was cloudy at best. After a 2021-22 resurgence that saw him author the most productive season of his career, Tarasenko looks to be in St. Louis to stay, despite recent rumblings. There were those who supposed that Tarasenko would be included in any of the Blues’ offers to the Calgary Flames for Matthew Tkachuk, but that wasn’t the case. According to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, the Blues never asked Tarasenko to waive his no-trade protection to be traded to the Flames. This report is likely an indication that the Blues have Tarasenko in their plans for next season, and his production could be increasingly important to their success thanks to the departure of David Perron.
- The WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings have a new head coach. The team announced today that Luke Pierce was named their fifth head coach in modern history. Pierce, 38, has been an assistant for the Oil Kings for three regular seasons, stretching from 2018-19 to 2021-22. Pierce has prior WHL head coaching experience, as he was the head coach of the then-Kootenay Ice for two seasons from 2015-16 through 2016-17. His time at the helm of the rebuilding Ice didn’t go well, and he had just 26 wins in 144 games. Pierce will be in a better spot in Edmonton, though, as they just won the WHL title and had an extremely successful 50-14-4 record in the 2021-22 regular season. He takes over for Brad Lauer, who left to become an assistant coach on Rick Bowness’ Winnipeg Jets staff.
Arizona Coyotes Give Conor Geekie Entry-Level Contract
2022 NHL Draft picks are continuing to fly off the “unsigned” board. Today, the Arizona Coyotes signed 11th overall pick Conor Geekie to his three-year entry-level contract, per general manager Bill Armstrong. Presumably, the contract will carry a max entry-level cap hit of $950K.
Geekie was ranked all over the map in the first round by public scouts, and although he wasn’t a consensus top-ten pick at the end of the season like he was at the beginning, Arizona still snatched him up just outside of that range. Playing second fiddle on the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE to ninth overall pick Matthew Savoie, Geekie notched 70 points in 63 games.
He’s still a few years out from being an NHL impact player, in all likelihood. But Arizona is still getting a high-end prospect that mainly excels as a two-way center that’s tough to play against both at even strength and on the penalty kill. He’s got size teams and scouts dream of at 6′ 4″ and 200+ pounds, and he still boasts decent offensive upside (although maybe not as much as teams hoped pre-season).
CHL Notes: End-Of-Season Awards, Post-Moratorium Trades
Prior to the conclusion of the Memorial Cup, the CHL announced their end-of-season award winners with several NHL prospects taking home hardware. Those include Stars forward Logan Stankoven who was named Player of the Year after putting up 45 goals and 59 assists in just 59 games with WHL Kamloops. The 47th pick from the 2021 draft also averaged a goal per game in 17 playoff contests. Still just 19, Stankoven won’t be eligible to play in the AHL next season. Meanwhile, Rangers prospect Dylan Garand was named as Goalie of the Year following a strong showing with Kamloops that saw him post a 32-9-3 record in 45 games with a 2.16 GAA and a .925 SV%. The 20-year-old will turn pro next season.
Meanwhile, with the Memorial Cup now completed, a very narrow trade window opened up on Thursday. A few moves of note were made before the window closes later today following the annual Import Draft. Here’s a rundown of those transactions:
- Coyotes goaltender prospect Anson Thornton was traded from OHL Sarnia to Barrie. Arizona signed the 19-year-old as an undrafted free agent in October following a strong showing in rookie camp but he struggled, posting a 4.06 GAA along with an .883 SV% in 26 games with the Sting. Thornton is a year away from being eligible to play in the AHL and his three-year, entry-level contract will slide again next season.
- Blues goalie prospect Will Cranley was dealt from OHL Ottawa to Flint. The 20-year-old had a tough season, his first as a starter, as he had a 3.81 GAA along with an .873 SV% in 41 games with the 67s. Cranley is eligible to turn pro next season and is already signed. He can be returned to junior to play for the Firebirds but will still burn the first year of his contract in that scenario.
- One player that isn’t an NHL prospect just yet (but will be next week) was also on the move as the CHL rights to Brad Lambert were moved from WHL Saskatoon to Seattle. The projected first-round pick isn’t under contract in Finland next season and the fact the Thunderbirds moved four draft picks (only two conditional) to secure his rights suggests that they think they can get him to North America next season. He’d likely secure a significant role there compared to playing in Finland which could be appealing to teams considering drafting him.
Saint John Sea Dogs Win 2022 Memorial Cup
For the first time since 2019, the CHL’s Memorial Cup has been awarded, this time to the tournament-host Saint John Sea Dogs, who defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs by a score of 6-3 this evening to win the 2022 Memorial Cup. Saint John’s run was one of the more interesting ones, the team taking an impressive 44-17-4 regular season record into the playoffs, falling to the Rimouski Oceanic in the first round. As the host, Saint John was nonetheless awarded a spot in the final four of the Memorial Cup, along with the OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs, the QMJHL Champion Shawinigan Cataractes, and the WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings.
However, after the impressive season, Saint John and GM Trevor Georgie made the decision to fire Head Coach Gordie Dwyer, hiring University of New Brunswick coach Gardiner MacDougall. That choice, met with some question marks, ended up paying dividends for Saint John, who have taken the CHL’s ultimate prize, the first host team to win the tournament since the Windsor Spitfires did so in 2017.
The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player was awarded to Saint John’s William Dufour, who’s seven goals lead the tournament and was one shy for most all-time in a single tournament. This wasn’t Dufour’s first MVP this season, having won the QMJHL’s MVP award for the 2021-22 regular season as well after putting up an incredible 56 goals and 60 assists in just 66 games. A fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2020, Dufour has elevated his prospect status this season and could be destined for a pro debut in the Islanders organization next season after signing his ELC in April.
Edmonton Oil Kings Eliminated From 2022 Memorial Cup
With the round-robin set to close tomorrow at the 2022 Memorial Cup, one team already knows its fate. The WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings are out of the top Canadian junior tournament, dropping their third game of the round-robin 4-2 against the OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs.
The host Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL will play their league champion, the Shawinigan Cataractes, tomorrow. The winner of that game will advance directly to the 2022 Memorial Cup Final on June 29, while the loser will face Hamilton in the semi-final on Monday.
Edmonton bows out of the tournament without a regulation win. Their two points in the standings came courtesy of a 4-3 overtime win against Saint John.
It’s a shocking exit for the WHL champion, who terrorized the league with a 50-14-4 record during the regular season. But their offense was stricken heavily when it was announced that leading scorer Dylan Guenther, a 2021 first-round selection of the Arizona Coyotes, would miss the tournament due to injury. Still, the squad had a strong core with NHL prospects Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings) in goal, Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) and Luke Prokop (Nashville Predators) on defense, and Jake Neighbours (St. Louis Blues) and Justin Sourdif (Florida Panthers) rounding out an all-star lineup. The team’s depth was nothing to scoff at either, with multiple other NHL prospects and WHL veterans playing big roles.
The WHL’s streak of Memorial Cup losses, which dates back now to 2014 with the Oil Kings, will continue.
Morning Notes: Nichushkin, Montgomery, Memorial Cup
One of the most under-the-radar redemption stories over the past few seasons in the NHL has been Valeri Nichushkin. A top-10 choice of the Dallas Stars in 2013, Nichushkin struggled with consistency in his early years in Dallas, leading him to return to his native Russia for two seasons after the expiry of his entry-level contract. The Stars then signed him to a two-year, $5.9MM contract prior to the 2018-19 season to bring him back to the NHL. However, after scoring no goals and just 10 assists in 57 games in 2018-19, the Stars bought out the second year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Avalanche took a chance on him in free agency, inking him to a one-year deal worth $850,000. His offensive production rebounded but, perhaps most importantly, he started growing his reputation as one of the best defensive wingers in the NHL among the analytics community. It earned him a contract extension which paid off in a big way for Colorado this year, with Nichushkin providing 25 goals and 52 points in 62 games with just a $2.5MM cap hit.
That type of production along with his defensive reputation is sure to earn Nichushkin a solid chunk of change this summer. However, Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that Nichushkin and the Avalanche discussed a contract extension earlier in the season, but the two sides weren’t close to an agreement. Now 27 and an unrestricted free agent off a strong contract year, this is the best chance Nichushkin will have to capitalize financially. It would surprise few if the Avalanche can’t afford to retain him, especially as the team needs to prioritize their goaltending uncertainty and a contract extension for Nathan MacKinnon.
- Strickland is also confirming this morning that the Winnipeg Jets have interviewed former Dallas Stars head coach and current St. Louis Blues assistant Jim Montgomery for their head coaching vacancy. While most have linked the Jets most strongly with top free-agent coach Barry Trotz, it’s no guarantee that he takes the job (or any job) this summer. Dallas fired Montgomery just a few months into the 2019-20 season for “inappropriate conduct,” leading Montgomery to seek residential treatment for alcohol abuse. Montgomery found a job with the Blues for the following two seasons, mainly as a power-play coach. The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported last week that Montgomery was Winnipeg’s current second choice to Trotz. Montgomery has also been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers’ coaching vacancy this offseason.
- The field for the 2022 Memorial Cup, which begins next week in Saint John, New Brunswick, is nearly set. After both winning their respective league championships, the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings and QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes will join the host Saint John Sea Dogs at the tournament. The fourth and final spot will go to the winner of tomorrow’s Game 7 in the OHL finals between the Hamilton Bulldogs and Windsor Spitfires.
Metro Notes: Strome, Flyers, Hanus
It was obvious to anyone watching the Eastern Conference Final that New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome wasn’t playing fully healthy. During his end-of-season availability today, Strome revealed that he had suffered a pelvic injury midway through the regular season and managed it all the way through the rest of the season and playoffs.
What’s unclear at this point is whether surgery will be required or not. It’s bad timing for Strome, who could hit unrestricted free agency on July 13 if he’s not re-signed by the Rangers. Strome did express his interest in re-signing today, but it’s anyone’s guess whether or not that will come to fruition. With the bevy of Rangers prospects finally starting to emerge through the cracks, the team will have to make space for those kids somewhere. It seems logical from an organizational perspective that Strome wouldn’t be retained, especially with the acquisition of Andrew Copp.
- The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco refutes the reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have narrowed down their coaching search. He does go so far as to say that the three rumored finalists of Barry Trotz, John Tortorella, and Peter DeBoer are still under consideration, but he makes the distinction that the Flyers have just two or three names remaining on their coaching search list. Whether or not an outsider to those three ends up with the job remains to be seen.
- The ‘Baby Penguins’ made some news today, as AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announced the signing of defenseman Clay Hanus from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks for 2022-23. The Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate will add some solid defensive depth, as Hanus exploded for 74 points in 68 games this year. He’ll look to continue his development as an undrafted free agent with WBS and hopefully receive an NHL deal from Pittsburgh at some point down the road.
Snapshots: Colorado Injuries, Florida Coaches, Kelly Cup, Toporowski
As Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports, Colorado Avalanches forwards Nazem Kadri and Andrew Cogliano both skated this morning, while Andre Burakovsky simply had a maintenance day (link). Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar also spoke with the media today, including Chambers, telling them that both Kadri and Cogliano were not yet ruled out for Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals, which is set to get underway Wednesday night in Denver (link).
Cogliano was able to play in all four games of the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, and even played 11:54 in Game Four, his highest mark of these playoffs. Though not one of Colorado’s star players, Cogliano brings with him leadership and plenty of playoff success, a key asset to have in a Stanley Cup Final with many players who have never been in this position before. Kadri, on the other hand, is a key 200-foot player for the Avalanche who was lost just 37 seconds into Game Three of the conference finals where he was boarded, and injured, by Edmonton’s Evander Kane. On Monday, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Kadri had surgery to repair his thumb which was injured during the Kane hit and was unlikely to return in the playoffs. Kadri’s status still has not changed, but today’s comments from Bednar do provide some hope that perhaps the star center will return to the lineup during the series.
- Earlier today, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes tweeted out a video, reporting that the Florida Panthers had relieved assistant coaches Derek MacKenzie and Ulf Samuelsson of their duties. Weekes adds that assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu is still with the club, as is goaltending coach Robb Tallas. Additionally, Weekes says that there have been no contract talks or additional updates on Tallas or head coach and Jack Adams Award finalist Andrew Brunette. Weekes has reported several breaking stories this season, however it is important to note that the moves have not been confirmed yet by the Panthers, who still include MacKenzie and Samuelsson as coaches on their site.
- While the NHL and AHL continue to battle for a league champion, the ECHL has crowned their own, with the Florida Everblades winning the 2022 Kelly Cup last night. The Eastern Conference Champion Everblades defeated the Western Conference Champions, the Toledo Walleye, in the finals to secure the title. The Playoffs MVP was awarded to former University of North Dakota star goaltender Cam Johnson. Johnson has played parts of four seasons with the Everblades, as well as parts of three AHL seasons, including time with the Binghamton Devils and the Cleveland Monsters.
- The Providence Bruins, the AHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins, have made an early offseason signing, bringing in forward Luke Toporowski on a two-year AHL contract, reports NHL.com’s Mark Divver. The 21-year-old Toporowski is a skilled forward who has produced offense every step of the way. Toporowski began his junior career in 2017-18 with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he would spend three seasons before moving to the USHL, playing with the Sioux Falls Stampede for a majority of the 2020-21 campaign before heading back to the WHL. In 2021-22, the forward had 63 points in just 49 games spread between the Spokane Chiefs and the Kamloops Blazers. Divver adds that Toporowski is likely to join the Boston Bruins in development camp this summer too.
Draft Prospect Matthew Savoie Avoids Surgery
Teams in the top 10 looking to select a high-end center can stop holding their breath a little. One of the best such players available, Matthew Savoie of the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE, will avoid shoulder surgery after being knocked out of the playoffs by a big hit, per NHL.com’s Mike Morreale.
Savoie suffered the shoulder injury last week in Game 2 of Winnipeg’s Conference Final series against the Edmonton Oil Kings. Edmonton took the series and will play for the WHL championship.
However, the injury will keep him out of Saturday’s testing at the Draft Combine, as Morreale reports. It hasn’t seemed to quell any interest in the Alberta native, as Morreale noted that Savoie has already interviewed with 17 NHL teams.
Savoie’s draft stock has dropped somewhat near the tail end of the season, as some are beginning to question how his even-strength game will translate to the NHL. He did still hit the 90-point mark this season in 65 games, though, and given the demand for centers, it’s hard to imagine Savoie falling out of the top 10 at this point.
Draft Notes: Savoie, Morrison, Fisher, MacDonald
The next time you see Matthew Savoie could be as walks on stage in Montreal at the 2022 NHL Draft. One of the top prospects in this years class, Savoie’s Winnipeg Ice are still alive in the WHL playoffs, but the skilled center has not been playing with them. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman reports that Savoie injury he suffered earlier in the series and is now considered unlikely to return this postseason. Pronman notes that the injury is not long-term and Savoie could hypothetically be back for the Memorial Cup next month, but down 3-1 to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL semifinals, the Ice likely aren’t making it that far. Fortunately, Savoie has done more than enough to cement his spot as a top-ten prospect this year. Long considered one of top talents of the 2022 class, Savoie recorded 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with Winnipeg this year and tacked on a dozen more points in ten playoff games to silence any doubters. He will hear his name called very early on July 7, whether he plays again before then or not.
- No CHL team – or perhaps any team on the planet – is as hot as the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs right now. The top-seeded team is undefeated in the postseason, sweeping each of their first two series and picking up a win last night to go up 3-0 in their semifinal series. It seems a virtual lock that Hamilton will be OHL champs this year and the team to beat at the Memorial Cup. No one is happier about that than Logan Morrison. Passed over in the 2020 NHL Draft and ignored in the 2021 Draft after missing last season due to the OHL’s COVID shutdown, Morrison is making it impossible for teams to overlook him in his third and final draft go-round. The two-way center recorded 34 goals and 66 assists for 100 points in just 60 games this season with Hamilton, finishing sixth in the league in scoring and second in plus/minus at a whopping +44. The longer that Morrison and the Bulldogs play, the more eyes will be on the 19-year-old – and he is giving them something to watch. Morrison has a league-high 13 goals to go with 24 points and a +15 rating in only 11 postseason games thus far. He hope to take that hot streak right to draft day and be one of the rare third-year players to garner a high pick. TSN’s Craig Button recently ranked Morrison as the No. 86 prospect in the draft class, but at this rate the late third round could only be the floor for Morrison.
- Almost every player selected in the NHL Draft comes from either a junior or professional league. However, there are always a sizeable selection of high school players taken and that trend has grown of late. Specifically, in recent years there have been more prep school players going straight to the NCAA the next season garnering looks in the early rounds. The New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver notes that a couple more could be coming this year out of Massachusetts. Defenseman Michael Fisher and forward Ben MacDonald have each been invited to the NHL Draft Combine next week, Divver reports. The two have no junior experience, yet have been identified as among the top 96 players worth inviting to the combine. Fisher, who played at St. Mark’s and recorded 50 points in 28 games this year, brings the sought-after combination of size and skill and is headed to Northeastern University next year to keep developing. MacDonald, who played at Noble & Greenough and notched 29 points in 22 games this season, will eventually join Harvard University, but is set to suit up with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors next year. Both will be eager to take advantage of the increased exposure at the Combine and could earn an early selection in this year’s draft.