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Snapshots: Bedard, Seattle, McCarthy

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Move over Alexis, a new Canadian prospect is here. Connor Bedard, the first player to be granted exceptional status in the WHL, suited up for HV71 in the Swedish under-20 league today. Bedard only turned 15 a few months ago and was picked by the Regina Pats first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, but is getting his first taste of play this season overseas.

The incredibly shifty, talented forward from Vancouver is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft but is already wowing scouts all over the world. His development is obviously extremely important, but a move like this to play overseas only highlights how difficult this season could be for many other prospects that are waiting on their WHL and OHL schedules to begin. Not everyone is Bedard, receiving a prime opportunity to play with a strong European organization.

  • The Seattle Kraken have hired seven new people for their organization, including former NHL forward Gary Roberts, who will receive the title of sports science and performance consultant. The other names, which include Michael Booi, Nate Brookreson, Jeff Camelio, and Tim Ohashi all seem to be strong hires with long successful resumes of their own. Roberts though will get the headlines, thanks to his yearly offseason strength and conditioning work with players like Steven Stamkos and Connor McDavid. Roberts of course is a former teammate of Kraken GM Ron Francis in both Carolina and Toronto.
  • The Washington Capitals have hired Kevin McCarthy as an assistant coach, joining Peter Laviolette’s new staff. McCarthy will work with the team’s defensemen and has worked with Laviolette for years, in Nashville, Philadelphia and Carolina. He joins a staff that also includes Scott Arniel, Blaine Forsythe and Scott Murray.

Kaiden Guhle Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed their top draft pick, inking Kaiden Guhle to a three-year entry-level contract. Guhle was selected with the 16th pick in the draft earlier this month and plays for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. The contract will have an average annual value of $925K and includes Schedule “A” performance bonuses up to a maximum of $420K in each year.

Guhle, 18, scored 40 points in 64 games for the Raiders this season, but actually is much more known for his play on the defensive side of the puck. The 6’2″ defenseman uses his brilliant mobility and active stick to shut down rushes quickly and effectively before moving the puck to his forwards instead of carrying it into the offensive zone himself. He can play both special teams but once again excels more in the penalty-killing role and could become a true shutdown defender in the NHL.

Obviously, that goal will need some development time, something that is very up in the air at this point. It’s not clear when the WHL will return for the 2020-21 season, meaning Guhle’s development may have to come somewhere else. First on his schedule could be the World Juniors, where he could be a big piece of Team Canada. He was included in the virtual camp this summer and has a history with the national team, winning silver at the most recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.

Chicago Blackhawks Loan Brandon Hagel To Switzerland

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel is headed to Switzerland to get his season started. The team announced that they have loaned the young winger to HC Thurgau of the Swiss NLB, the country’s second-tier league. Hagel will be recalled for NHL training camp, where he will look to earn a spot with Chicago.

Hagel, 22, made his Blackhawks debut this season as a first-year pro. However, he appeared in just the one game versus 59 games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. Yet, Hagel’s decent production in the minors last year combined with his 100+ point season in the WHL the year before makes him an exciting possibility to crack the NHL roster. Getting a head start in Switzerland will only help his odds of making the opening night roster.

In Thurgau, Hagel will be one of just six players without Swiss citizenship and the only one with NHL experience. He should play a major role for the team and against NLB competition he could produce at a high rate. Regardless of the quality of play, Hagel will simply benefit from playing big minutes in a key offensive role.

Calgary Flames Loan Juuso Valimaki To Ilves

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While many players and prospects have been loaned overseas ahead of the unknown start date of the 2020-21 NHL season, few need the the head start as much as the Calgary Flames’ Juuso Valimaki. The promising young defenseman missed the entire 2019-20 season and postseason after suffering a torn ACL last fall. Yet, with five veteran defensemen about to hit the free agent market, the Flames are trusting that Valimaki can return to form and take on a top role on the blue line right away next season. After so much time away from the game, it will take more than just training camp to get Valimaki up to speed ahead of the new year.

Cue Tampereen Ilves of the Finnish Liiga. Calgary announced that they have loaned Valimaki to Ilves to get him game action before he returns to North America. Valimaki is familiar with the club, having played in their youth system, including a year with the U20 team in the top Finnish junior league, before making the jump to the WHL and eventually the NHL.

With Ilves, Valimaki will be able to get used to playing the major minutes that the Flames may expect of him this coming season. A relatively young team, Ilves has just a handful of players that are considerably older than 21-year-old Valimaki. They have also not received anyone on loan from the NHL prior to Valimaki outside of a trio of prospects – Lassi Thomson, Arrtu Ruotsalainen, and Lukas Dostal – who were on loan all of last season as well. Valimaki will have a chance to take on a key role for the team and should be ready to go once he is recalled by Calgary.

 

Snapshots: Simmonds, Crawford, Wheat Kings

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Wayne Simmonds wasn’t effective this season. In 61 games with the New Jersey Devils he scored just eight goals and then was traded for a conditional fifth-round pick to a team that had no real shot at the playoffs. Simmonds ended the year with a single assist in seven games with the Buffalo Sabres, meaning his final tally was eight goals and 25 points on the season. That was his worst year since 2008-09 when he was a rookie, but he still feels like he can contribute somewhere next season. Speaking to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Simmonds responded directly to the speculation that he could return to his hometown of Toronto:

So of course it’s crossed my mind. I know they’re in a bit of a salary cap situation and things of that nature, but you know I’m open to everything, Toronto’s got a great core of players and I think that’s definitely a team where I could go in and make an impact right away. It’s up to the teams. Whoever wants to choose me, I’ll be waiting. I’ll definitely be ready to go.

The Maple Leafs brought back hometown boy Jason Spezza this season on a league-minimum deal and may not have a lot more than that to offer to Simmonds, if the match were to be made. Even after clearing Kasperi Kapanen’s contract off the books, the Maple Leafs still have close to $74MM committed to just 16 players for 2020-21.

  • Corey Crawford isn’t the youngest goaltender among those headed to unrestricted free agency, but he still may be one of the best. The 35-year-old bounced back from some concussion issues to record a .917 save percentage in 40 appearances this season, the exact number his career percentage sits at over nearly 500 games. He’s played each of those contests with the Chicago Blackhawks and the team is discussing a new deal with him to return. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Blackhawks have offered Crawford a one-year contract around $3.5MM already.
  • Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon is no longer the owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings, a team he’s been affiliated with since 1988. McCrimmon has sold the WHL team to the J&G Group of Companies, ending a long, successful era that also included stints serving as head coach and GM of the team he owned. Fans of the Wheat Kings shouldn’t have any fear of relocation after the sale, however, as new owner Jared Jacobson was born and raised in Brandon and is a huge part of the city’s business community. McCrimmon will also be remaining with the organization as an alternate governor.

Minor Transactions: 09/03/20

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Minor, junior, and European leagues continue to prepare for the 2020-21 season with signings, trades, and loans. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable transactions right here:

  • The departing captain of Minnesota State University (Mankato) has signed his first professional contract, inking a deal with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. Nick Rivera spent four years with the Mavericks, serving as captain the final two and scoring 60 points over 151 NCAA games.
  • Trevor Murphy, former NHL defenseman and long-time minor leaguer, has signed a new two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL. Murphy, 25, had 27 points in 60 games for Kunlun last season, his first overseas after bouncing around the AHL for the last several years.
  • Two prospects for the 2020 draft are heading overseas to play in the Swedish third league. Connor McLennon and Ridly Greig, who both spent the 2019-20 season in the WHL, will play for Karlskrona HK this season amid the uncertainty in Canadian junior hockey. While both are likely to be picked in the upcoming draft, Greig’s name will draw much more interest as he could climb into the first round. The 18-year old forward was ranked 14th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

Washington Capitals Loan Aliaksei Protas To The KHL

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The list of young players and prospects who will at least begin the 2020-21 season overseas continues to grow, with the Washington Capitals’ Aliaksei Protas now joining the list. The team announced that the young forward has been loaned to the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk in his native Belarus. Washington does specify though that Protas is expected to be recalled from the loan at the start of the WHL season or for Capitals training camp later this winter.

Protas, 19, was a third-round pick of the Capitals in last year’s NHL Draft and signed his entry-level contract with Washington almost immediately. A hulking center who stands 6’6” and 210 pounds, Protas’ skill finally caught up with his size this year as he recorded 31 goals and 80 points in 58 games to lead the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in both categories and help the team to a division title. With top 2020 prospects like Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Weisblatt also on the roster, the Raiders could return to the top ranks of the WHL next season if Protas returns as expected.

In the meantime though, Protas joins a Minsk squad that has been collecting NHL prospects and should be a fun team to watch early next season. Florida’s Vladislav Kolyachonok, Minnesota’s Ivan Lodnia, Philadelphia’s Maxim Sushko, and New Jersey’s Yegor Sharangovich – all of Belarussian descent – will also join the team on loan, joining NHL vets such as Ryan Spooner and Rob Klinkhammer.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jiri Patera To Three-Year Entry-Level Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights took a step towards securing their goaltending future today, signing Jiri Patera to a three-year, entry-level contract, per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger.

The Czech goaltender was one of the top goalies of the 2019-2020 season in the WHL, winning the Eastern Conference Goaltender of the Year Award after setting a new franchise record for the Wheat Kings with 2.55 GAA, per NHL.com, who also announced the signing.

Patera, 21, was a sixth-round selection of the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the 161st overall selection. He wasn’t necessarily all that highly touted at the time, but his performance in the WHL raised some eyebrows and he’s in the conversation for the top goalie prospect in Vegas’ pipeline.

Despite their limited history, the Golden Knights already boast a strong tradition in the net thanks to Marc-Andre Fleury, a team leader who has been the face of the franchise in these early years. Though the former first overall pick already secured his place in Vegas lore, the veteran netminder wasn’t quite as effective this season as in his first two with the Golden Knights.

Next season would be the five-time All-Star’s age-36 year after 16 seasons in the league. At some point, Vegas will need to set their sights on choosing their goaltender of the future. Robin Lehner has backfilled the role ably after being acquired from the Blackhawks – plus he has a sweet new mask – but he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Swiss Club EV Zug Offers 2020-21 Update On NHL Alumni

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NHL fans are not alone in missing hockey and looking for any news from their favorite teams to fill the void created by COVID-19. EV Zug of the Swiss NLA has published an update for their fans courtesy of GM Reto Klay on the future plans of some of their more recent NHL draft picks. These fan-favorites include Columbus Blue Jackets forward Calvin Thurkauf, Washington Capitals defenseman Tobias Geisser, and former New York Rangers prospect Nico Gross.

Of the three, EV Zug offered little hope that fans would see Thurkauf back with the team any time soon. The big, two-way forward has exceeded expectation as a 2016 seventh-round pick, making his NHL debut this season with the Blue Jackets. The 22-year-old left Zug the year before he was drafted to play two seasons with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. During that time, he was also a standout for Switzerland’s entries at the World Junior Championship. Now in his third pro season, Thurkauf has recorded 52 points in 154 AHL games and suited up for three games with the NHL club this year as well. On paper, Thurkauf may not seem like a top prospect, but he has the chance to make a career out of his size and physical presence on an NHL checking line. A restricted free agent following this season, Klay suggests that Columbus is interested in an extension with Thurkauf. Expect the young forward to be back with the organization next year and possibly spending more time with the Blue Jackets.

Geisser is the name that EV Zug fans are most familiar with right now, as the 21-year-old defender played on loan with the team this season. A fourth-round pick of the Capitals in 2017, Geisser spent one more year with Zug in the NLA before signing on with Washington and spending the entire 2018-19 season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. He began this season in the minors as well, but a logjam on defense prompted the Capitals to loan him back to Zug. If it were up to Klay, the same would happen next season. Not only does Zug value the big shutdown defenseman, but Klay feels that the ice time and responsibility that the club affords him is needed for his continued development. However, he admits that the decision is entirely up to Washington. Fortunately for Zug fans, due to Geisser’s entry-level contract sliding in his first year, there is no rush to get him back to North America if he is better off in Switzerland, as he still has a couple years left on his current deal.

In a much different place that Thurkauf or Geisser is Gross. The Rangers recently made the decision – scrutinized by some – to allow Gross’ draft rights to expire on June 1st. A fourth-round pick in 2018 who has been a solid two-way defenseman for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for the past three years, Gross appeared to be the type of prospect who would be worthy of an entry-level contract. Instead, New York opted not to use the contract slot on one of more highly-regarded Swiss prospects in recent years. Because Gross is still 20 years old, he will re-enter the draft later this year, but the odds are likely low that he will be selected and will likely end up as an unrestricted free agent. While his NHL career outlook might look bleak, Klay believes that there will be opportunities for Gross in North America next season. He would like to see the capable blue liner return to Zug, but notes that Gross will have other options.

WHL Targeting Early October Start Date

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While the start of the 2020-21 NHL season is certainly going to be delayed as they try to finish their current campaign, other leagues that shut down may have the potential to try to start around the normal timeline.  That appears to be the case for the WHL as they announced their Return to Play plan today, targeting a debut date of October 2nd which is close to the QMJHL’s target date of October 1st.  (The OHL, the other league that is part of the CHL, has not yet made their plans known publicly other than stating that they plan to begin playing in the fall.)

They will face some jurisdictional challenges as they play across four provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) and two states (Washington and Oregon).  Each has their own health policies in place during this pandemic while for the time being, cross-border travel for non-essential workers remains closed down and while professional athletes have been granted some exceptions, that likely won’t apply to amateurs.

As is the case with many of the non-top-tier leagues, the ability to have fans in attendance will also greatly impact whether or not they can proceed with their full 68-game schedule as planned.  If they can get going, that will at least provide some prospects and draft-eligible players a chance for some development. Meanwhile, from an NHL perspective, youngsters that have a shot at a roster spot with the team that drafted them will certainly benefit as a couple of months of experience could help give them a leg up when NHL camps eventually get underway, similar to what happened during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.  In particular, high 2019 draft picks Bowen Byram (Colorado), Dylan Cozens (Buffalo), and Peyton Krebs (Vegas) could use this as an opportunity to springboard their way into a regular NHL role for next season.

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