Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Jaydon Dureau
As June approaches, several prospects that were drafted in 2018 or 2020 will be nearing a chance at unrestricted free agency. Not so for Jaydon Dureau, who signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning today.
Selected 147th overall in 2020, Dureau finished his junior career with the Portland Winterhawks a few days ago when they went down to the Seattle Thunderbirds in round two of the WHL playoffs. The 21-year-old forward had 66 points in 49 games for Portland this season, adding another six in nine postseason appearances.
Already with five AHL games under his belt over the last two years, Dureau will join the many other mid-round CHL players to enter the Tampa Bay development program and should be a full-time member of the Syracuse Crunch next season.
Minnesota Wild Sign Pavel Novak
The front office work for a team never stops, even when they’re in the thick of a tight playoff series. The Minnesota Wild have signed Pavel Novak to a three-year entry-level contract that starts next season. Novak spent this season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL but saw his season end last month with a first-round defeat.
Novak, 20, was a fifth-round pick of the Wild in 2020, after his first season in North America. While that season will be remembered most for the 58 points in 55 games he scored, the young forward also made an impression with an eight-game suspension for a brutal hit from behind, when he sent a Kamloops Blazers player flying into the boards. That kind of play is actually rather uncommon for Novak, who was given just 14 penalty minutes this season when he returned to the WHL after spending 2020-21 back in the Czech Republic.
A talented offensive player, he had 29 goals and 72 points in 62 games this season, while also taking a short break to attend the World Junior tournament that was ultimately postponed. Despite turning 20 last month, he will still be eligible for the event when it is held later this summer, though this time he’ll be there representing the Wild.
Novak will be eligible to play in the AHL next season and his entry-level contract will kick in regardless of where he spends the year.
Vincent Iorio Assigned To AHL
The Washington Capitals have provided their AHL affiliate with a little bit more firepower, recalling Vincent Iorio to the Hershey Bears. Iorio had been playing with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL but was ousted from the playoffs on Sunday.
Selected 55th overall in 2021, the 19-year-old defenseman experienced a breakout season for Brandon this year. In 60 games he registered 11 goals and 44 points, numbers that eclipsed the totals from his first three WHL seasons. The puck-moving upside that made him such an interesting prospect has started to come more consistently and the points have followed.
With Hershey set to start their first-round series on Friday night, Iorio represents another option for head coach Scott Allan, and one he’ll likely become very familiar with in the coming years. While there’s still work to be done before the young defenseman reaches the NHL level, this season especially has proven that a future with the Capitals is definitely possible.
Despite joining the ranks of professional hockey, Iorio’s three-year entry-level contract will not kick in for this season. Instead, it will slide forward and keep him under wraps through 2024-25.
Anaheim Ducks Assign Olen Zellweger To AHL
The Anaheim Ducks are giving one of the most underrated defense prospects in the league his first taste of professional hockey, assigning Olen Zellweger to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Zellweger’s Everett Silvertips were eliminated yesterday in the first round of the WHL playoffs, losing the series 4-2 to the eighth-seeded Vancouver Giants in what was one of the largest playoff upsets in WHL history.
Selected just last year in the 2021 NHL Draft (34th overall), Zellweger, despite having 13 points in 11 games with Everett and eight points in seven games with Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships, was never regarded as a top defenseman in the class due to his 5’10”, 174 lb frame. He quickly started to prove scouts wrong this season, putting his first-round talent on display with 78 points in 55 games with Everett, shattering the franchise record for points in a season by a defenseman.
Zellweger still has another year of WHL eligibility and will return there next season in all likelihood, but with his team eliminated and under NHL contract, the Ducks are free to re-assign him to San Diego where he’ll likely get into some playoff games for the Gulls.
Zellweger has the highest ceiling of any Ducks defense prospect not named Jamie Drysdale, and this will be a great indication for the Ducks organization as to whether he can transfer his dominant skating and offensive game to the pro level.
Winnipeg Jets Sign Chaz Lucius To Entry-Level Contract
In a surprising turn of events, the Winnipeg Jets have announced that vaunted prospect Chaz Lucius has signed his three-year entry-level contract with the club. The deal will start with the 2022-23 season and will carry a $925K base salary and $1.325MM AAV. The 2021 first-round pick will depart the University of Minnesota after just one year.
Lucius’ signing comes as a surprise for a plethora of reasons, but none greater than the fact that it was reported earlier this month that Lucius would remain at Minnesota for at least one more year. That decision seemed reasonable, as the 18-year-old played in just 24 games in his freshman year to the tune of only 19 points; not exactly numbers that begged for an early exit from the college ranks. Lucius is still a rather raw prospect, jumping directly from the U.S. National Team Development program to the NCAA and now to the pros in just two years time. It seems especially odd that the decision was made so long after the end of the collegiate season.
On top of developmental reasons, it also would have been more than fair for Lucius to want to stay at Minnesota for another year given what’s on the horizon in 2022-23. The Gophers were a Frozen Four finalist this season and plan to return much of their core. Then there is the incoming recruiting class, which could wind up being the best in the NCAA and includes one name in particular of interest: Cruz Lucius. Chaz’ younger brother, who is also a USNTDP product, will arrive at Minnesota next season, where he was expected to play alongside his sibling. Before then, he is expected to be a second- or third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Cruz is part of a group of elite U.S. prospects joining the Gophers, including presumptive top-five pick Logan Cooley and potential first-round selections Jimmy Snuggerud and Ryan Chesley, not to mention several other draft hopefuls.
Minnesota will be especially happy for their loaded incoming class now that they are losing one of their top building blocks in Lucius. The likely reason for the departure could be Lucius’ ongoing health concerns. Though he flashes elite ability when he is on the ice, Lucius has been notoriously injury-prone so far in his young career. He played only 24 games this season, missing much of the second half of the season and the Gophers’ entire NCAA Tournament run. In 2020-21, he only suited up for 25 games with the USNTDP. For Lucius to reach his potential, he needs to get into more games and the Jets likely feel that getting him in front of an NHL medical staff and training team is the best way to do that. Although there will likely be a steep adjustment to the pros at this point in his development, Winnipeg can at least ensure that he spends the year adding to his frame and improving his conditioning, easier to do without the distractions of college life.
Also worth noting is that Lucius did show immense improvement as his freshman season wore on. After recording just one goal and three points in his first eight NCAA games, the skilled forward was a point per game player over his next 16 games, including tallying eight goals. Even in limited action over the past two years, Lucius has proven that he has top-end talent and the Jets simply might not have wanted to wait for him to develop slowly at the college level when they can use affordable scorers on the NHL roster as soon as possible. Yet – health issues aside – it feels as though one more year at Minnesota likely would have done Lucius well. Perhaps the youngster will spend time with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks next year – his CHL rights holder is another avenue now that he has signed – but that would also run counter to the idea of the Jets keeping a closer eye on him. Whatever happens next, hopefully Winnipeg didn’t pull the trigger too soon trying to benefit the present at the cost of the future.
Russian, Belarusian Players Ineligible For CHL Import Draft
Last year, 16 Russian and 11 Belarusian prospects were selected in the CHL Import Draft. This year, there will be none. According to several reports including Darren Dreger of TSN, Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, the CHL is set to announce that players from Russia and Belarus will be declared ineligible for this year’s draft. The change will not affect players already on protected lists, like those selected last year.
For many international players, coming to the CHL early is a way to acclimatize yourself to North American hockey and get in front of higher-level hockey operations executives. Slovakian-born Martin Chromiak, for instance, was the second overall pick in the 2019 Import Draft and has now become one of the most exciting prospects in the OHL, scoring 44 goals and 86 points this season for the Kingston Frontenacs. He even made it into a pair of AHL games last spring with the Los Angeles Kings, who managed to sign him without any trouble.
In 2018 it was Finnish-born Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who went third overall to the Sudbury Wolves after the Buffalo Sabres had already spent a second-round pick on him. He managed to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player before jumping directly into North American pro hockey.
The year before that, of course, was dominated by Russian players, including Andrei Svechnikov, who went first overall to the Barrie Colts. Because Svechnikov was already over in North America (he’d played 2016-17 in the USHL), the Carolina Hurricanes had no worry about making him the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He wasn’t under contract in the KHL and would immediately make the jump to the NHL level.
That is where this announcement could have an effect on NHL teams. With Russian and Belarusian players no longer able to come to the CHL (at least for the time being), they will pose a much bigger risk at the NHL Draft, given their uncertain futures. Many of them will have to find other places to showcase their talents, leading not only to clubs that will try to retain them, but also transfer rules that could send them back overseas even after signing entry-level contracts. For many, playing and developing in a league closer to where their professional futures lie is appealing.
The Import Draft will take place on July 1.
Seattle Kraken Sign Ryker Evans
The Seattle Kraken have inked their second-ever draft pick, defenseman Ryker Evans, to a three-year entry-level contract. The team announced that Evans will join the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers for their first-round matchup in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark clarified that the plan is for Evans’ entry-level deal to begin next year, so he can sign an amateur tryout agreement to play for the Checkers this year. In a statement, Kraken GM Ron Francis had the following to say about Evans:
We’re excited to sign our second-ever draft pick, Ryker had a really impressive season with the Regina Pats and we’re looking forward to having him continue his development with our organization.
Evans, 20, experienced a huge rise in his prospect profile in just one season. After going undrafted as an eighteen-year-old prospect in the 2020 draft, Evans posted 28 points in 24 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 WHL season and, off the back of that success, got selected just outside of the first round (35th overall) in the 2021 draft. In the team’s announcement of the contract, the Kraken stated their amateur scouts were “pounding the table” to get Evans. With his level of production, it’s easy to see why. Evans has followed up his 2020-21 success with another productive season for the Regina Pats, this time posting 61 points in 63 games.
Evans had to battle being tagged as “undersized” earlier in his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a high-quality defensive prospect. He was recently named to the second All-Star team of his division in the WHL, and his puck-moving style is a great fit for the modern NHL. While the Kraken haven’t had a ton to celebrate in their inaugural season, and much of the fanbase has already set their sights on the draft lottery next month, Evans’ progression to being one of the top offensive defensemen in the WHL has to be a reason for optimism for the young franchise.
Gannon Laroque Signs AHL ATO
The San Jose Sharks officially assigned Daniil Gushchin to the AHL today, but he won’t be heading there alone. The team has signed another CHL draft pick, inking Gannon Laroque to an amateur tryout contract.
Laroque, 18, was one of the most improved players in the WHL this season, going from depth defenseman to star puck-mover seemingly overnight. The 2021 fourth-round pick ended up with 52 points in 63 games, after previously recording just seven points at the WHL level. Now, with the Victoria Royals finishing outside the playoff picture, the 6’2″ defenseman will get a chance to test himself at the professional level.
Notably, Laroque was among the youngest players available last draft, as he won’t turn 19 until August. That means he’s not eligible to play in the AHL next year, and he’ll have to go back to the WHL to continue his development. After finishing this season tenth among all WHL defensemen in scoring, he’ll be an incredibly interesting prospect to watch next season, especially if he is moved to a better team or Victoria takes a step forward.
On that note, there’s a chance the Royals fortunes could change dramatically in the next few days. On Thursday, the WHL draft lottery will be held, where Victoria has four of 21 balls which would move them up to first overall. Teams can only move up a maximum of two spots, meaning they will be picking high either way after finishing third-worst this season.
For now, Laroque will get a chance to join the Barracuda, but unfortunately, it won’t be a very long stay. The team has just three games left (including tonight) and will not be qualifying for the postseason.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Lukas Svejkovsky
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed another prospect, this time inking Lukas Svejkovsky to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will begin in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859,167 at the NHL level. Svejkovsky currently plays with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL.
Svejkovsky is a name that some NHL fans might be familiar with, given his father Jaroslav Svejkovsky played in 113 games, mostly for the Washington Capitals, after being the 17th overall pick in 1996. While dad had to deal with a league much less friendly to undersized scoring talents, Lukas will have a much better chance of making an impact, should his upside come anywhere close to his father’s.
Selected in the fourth round in 2020, Svejkovsky has put up 73 points in 55 games this season, splitting time between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle. That midseason trade will allow the young forward to chase a WHL championship one last time before turning pro, as the 20-year-old will likely join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next season.
League Notes: World Cup, Combine, Trade Lists
Although the trade deadline has passed and the draft and free agency are still months away, it hasn’t stopped TSN’s best from breaking significant news. In the latest “Insider Trading” segment, the group had plenty to say about upcoming events and changes for the NHL. Though down the road quite a ways, Darren Dreger reports that there could soon be a more concrete plan for the proposed 2024 and 2028 World Cups of Hockey. The NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and individual national federations are meeting in Paris this week to discuss how the NHL-operated international tournament could look. One major issue at hand is the possibility of a play-in tournament to determine the eight participants in each World Cup. There are many questions as to who might automatically qualify for the World Cup versus who might take part in the play-in, but Dreger at least notes that the play-ins would be held during the summer prior to the tournament, which could mean August 2023 would mark the start of the selection process.
Dreger does not believe that Canada and the United States would be taking part in play-ins (and does not make mention of Team North America, a novel and entertaining concept from the 2016 World Cup but one that appears to be dead all the same). Whether all European nations or just those lower on the IIHF rankings would participate in play-ins remains to be seen, as does the viability of a Russian entry given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and resulting IIHF sanctions. The most recent IIHF rankings have Finland and Russia among the top four hockey countries in the world with Canada and the U.S., with Germany, Czechia, Sweden, and Switzerland rounding out the top eight. The question becomes how many of these nations should earn automatic bids to the World Cup and how many spots should otherwise stay open for play-in winners. Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, and Denmark would certainly like a fair shot at qualification, especially given that each has NHL representation, while it might also be entertaining to see an expanded play-in field featuring some less established hockey countries like France and Great Britain, both of whom are currently within the top 16 globally. Dreger does not note the possibility of a return of Team Europe, encompassing players from non-qualifying nations, but that concept is likely to go the way of Team North America. There is still plenty to figure out, but this week’s meetings in Paris could be a very productive step toward clarifying the return of the World Cup.
- Dreger adds that another NHL-sponsored event making its return is the NHL Draft Combine. After being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the league will again host the pre-draft evaluation event this year, returning to Buffalo. The combine will be held from May 29 to June 4, giving teams plenty of time to assess results before the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7-8. As usual, the NHL playoffs will still be ongoing during the combine, but active teams can manage. More concerning though is that the CHL playoffs will also still be underway, which has not typically been the case. Due to COVID delays to the regular season schedule, the OHL and WHL will not kick off their postseasons until late April while the QMJHL will not get started until early May, making crossover with the combine a month later impossible to avoid. Dreger notes that the NHL wanted to hold an in-person combine at all costs in an effort to get the draft process back to normal, even if that meant some prospects could not participate. The CHL leagues will have to determine for themselves whether they will allow players to leave their teams or potentially pause postseason action during the combine. Scheduling flexibility is limited with the Memorial Cup dates already set for June 20-29. However, the junior leagues and teams have stock in the draft success of their players and know that those top prospects still playing and unable to attend the combine could be put them at a disadvantage.
- As the ripples of the Evgenii Dadonov saga continue to be felt far beyond Las Vegas and Anaheim, Pierre LeBrun reports that changes to how trade lists are documented appear likely. As the NHL GM’s prepare to meet this week, with the Dadonov fiasco still fresh in their minds, it is not only LTIR management that they will discuss. LeBrun notes that they will also recommend that the complete terms of trade protection be shared with the NHL Central Registry and the NHLPA. Currently, only teams and player agents know the full contents of trade and no-trade lists and are the only ones monitoring when and if those lists are submitted. Seeing how well that worked out in Dadonov’s case, having extra eyes on that process from both the team and player side only serves to benefit the entire process. Though there is concern about a higher likelihood of these lists becoming public, this is outweighed by the procedural positives of trade protection.