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Team Canada

Central Notes: Dach, Boqvist, Steen, Wheeler

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It looks like Team Canada may have to go without one of their top forwards on their team after all as Chicago Blackhawks center Kirby Dach will not be joining the team in Czechoslovakia for this month’s World Junior Championships. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Blackhawks will not be releasing the 18-year-old.

Dach burned, the third overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has already burned the first year of his entry-level contract and has already scored five goals and 10 points in 26 games with Chicago. The 6-foot-4 center has been a solid mainstay as a bottom-six center as he gets used to playing with adults in the NHL. The only reason the why Team Canada was holding out hope is that Dach seems to have hit a rookie wall as he hasn’t scored a goal in 12 games.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the Blackhawks haven’t yet made a decision on defensman Adam Boqvist, who is also a candidate to be loaned to Sweden for the World Junior Championships. The eighth overall selection in 2018, Boqvist is a different story as he has appeared in eight games so far and has not burned his entry-level contract yet. The team must decide on whether to keep him on their roster and burn that first year of his contract or whether to send him to the WJC and then perhaps let him develop more in the AHL for the remainder of the year. The team will announce their decision after they have come to one.
  • The St. Louis Blues are expected to get a much-needed addition as the team announced they are expecting forward Alex Steen to return to the lineup tonight. Steen has been out since Nov. 6 with a high ankle sprain and has missed 16 straight games, but should add some depth to the bottom-six. The 35-year-old has yet to score a goal in 17 games with the Blues this season, but should add some experience and defensive acumen to the St. Louis’ lineup.
  • Despite rumors that Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler was injured after missing practice Saturday, The Athletic’s Murat Ates reports that the Jets forward will play Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 33-year-old has eight goals and 23 points this season for the Jets.

 

Prospect Notes: Mitchell, Gallagher, Mercer

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University of Denver defenseman Ian Mitchell has outgrown the World Junior ranks, but he still plans to take part in an upcoming international competition. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Hockey Canada is close to finalizing its roster for the Spengler Cup, an invitational tournament held in Davos, Switzerland every December, and he lists Mitchell as the team’s standout amatuer participant. The Chicago prospect has been considered pro-ready for a couple of years now and the Blackhawks have tried unsuccessfully to convince him to leave school. Now a junior at Denver, it seems likely that Mitchell will finally end his NCAA career after this season and a competition against mature adult talent will be telling as to how he may perform for Chicago next year. Mitchell is expected to join a Team Canada roster with considerable NHL experience, another developmental benefit for Mitchell. Dreger lists Kris Versteeg, Scottie Upshall, Daniel Winnik, Eric Fehr, and Paul Postma as other participants.

  • A young defenseman hoping to follow in the footsteps of a top collegiate prospect like Mitchell is just beginning the process. 16-year-old Ty Gallagher has made his own college commitment, announcing that he will play at the University of Notre Dame. Gallagher is currently playing for the U-17 team for the US. National Team Development Program, leading the program’s defensemen with nine goals,  and is already catching the eye of NHL scouts. The 2021 prospect is expected to be highly sought-after by the time his draft roles around, although he will have to compete against his own teammates like Luke Hughes (Michigan), Aidan Hreschuk (Boston College), and Sean Behrens (Denver) for the billing of top American defenseman in the class.
  • A 2020 prospect who has drawn interest from NHL teams is also drawing interest from his QMJHL competitors. Winger Dawson Mercer of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, expected to be a first-round pick (at the very least) in June, finds himself having an excellent season with 42 points in 26 games. However, Mercer is arguably the lone standout on a Drummondville team without much star power. The Voltigeurs are holding their own in the QMJHL standings, but are extremely lacking in top young assets.  As such, Mercer has been linked to not one but two different trade rumors in the past week. In one hypothetical move, which would see Mercer head to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Drummondville would be getting back another forward, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, which would certainly help the Voltigeurs rebuild. It seems that a Mercer trade is a question of when and to whom rather than if, followed by the issue of whether the change in scenery affects his production ahead of the draft.

Team Canada Makes Several World Junior Roster Cuts

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While several countries will be waiting until closer to the start of the upcoming World Juniors before trimming down their rosters, Canada won’t be one of them.  In a series of tweets, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the following players have been cut and returned to their respective teams:

D Peter Diliberatore (Vegas, to Quinnipiac, NCAA)
D Thomas Harley (Dallas, to Mississauga, OHL)
W Dylan Holloway (2020 draft eligible, to Wisconsin, NCAA)
G Hunter Jones (Minnesota, to Peterborough, OHL)
C Peyton Krebs (Vegas, to Winnipeg, WHL)
C Alex Newhook (Colorado, to Boston College, NCAA)
C Cole Perfetti (2020 draft eligible, to Saginaw, OHL)
D Braden Schneider (2020 draft eligible, to Brandon, WHL)
C Connor Zary (2020 draft eligible, to Kamloops, WHL)

Meanwhile, even with the addition of Arizona center Barrett Hayton today, there are still a pair of NHL youngsters whose availability for the tournament remains in question.  McKenzie reports (video link) that a decision on Blackhawks center Kirby Dach is expected to be made in the next 24-48 hours.  As for Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, a final decision on him won’t come until closer to the December 19th NHL roster freeze.  It’s worth noting that Dobson is in the New York lineup tonight and is playing his ninth game of the season.  One more NHL game means that he will burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

If either of those players are ultimately loaned, Canada will need to make a corresponding cut to stay in compliance with the 23-player roster limit.  They will still have one forward to cut regardless as their roster currently sits at 24.

Snapshots: Capitals, World Juniors, CBA Talks

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Two of the biggest names among impending unrestricted free agents belong to the Washington Capitals. Long-time cornerstone Caps and Stanley Cup winners Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby will both see their current contracts expire this summer, barring an extension before then. Yet, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there has been little in the way of contract talks between Washington and either Backstrom or Holtby. LeBrun states that the team has decided to be patient with the decisions, letting the season play out as a way to better gauge their needs moving forward. He adds that the team is on the same page with both camps in this regard as well. It could be that the team waits through the whole season before making a call on Backstrom and Holtby, taking both individual and team performances into account. Thus far, Holtby, 30, has struggled in net – for the second year in a row at that – posting an .884 save percentage and 3.60 GAA in eight games for the Capitals, losing three starts to 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov. Continued poor performance, especially in light of Samsonov’s strong play, could convince Washington GM Brian MacLellan that he does not need to pay the premium price required to retain the 30-year-old Holtby. Meanwhile, Backstrom is still playing at the same elite level, recording nine points in eleven games so far and leading all Capitals forwards in even strength ice time. The 32-year-old has been the epitome of consistency throughout his whole career, recording 882 points in 906 career games while skating in less than 90% of Washington’s games in a given season just once. It’s hard to say that Backstrom has ever had a bad season and it may be difficult for MacLellan and company to say goodbye to a player who has never given any indication that his days and an impact player are anywhere close to being over, unless they determine that the Capitals days as true contenders are over and the team is in need of transition. The salary cap will of course play a major role in these decisions as well. Washington has $63.5MM tied up in just 14 players next season, and likely lack the space needed to re-sign both Holtby and Backstrom while filling out the rest of the roster. Which way they go, re-signing on or the other or perhaps neither, will be a tough call and the Capitals are smart to use all of the information available, including this season’s results, to make that decision.

  • TSN colleague Bob McKenzie also notes today that Hockey Canada is in the beginning stages of forming their official roster for the 2020 World Junior Championships later this winter and are hoping that they can count on the three players currently in the NHL who also qualify for inclusion on the U-20 roster: the Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton, the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, and the Islanders’ Noah Dobson. The pair of centers and dynamic defensemen are each of their respective team’s top prospects, but their usage so far this season has been minimal. All three of Hayton, Dach, and Dobson have played in just two NHL games so far this year and are still eight games away from burning a year on their entry-level contracts. However, for Hayton and Dobson, McKenzie does not believe that the ten-game limit is a concern, as he doesn’t feel Arizona nor New York plan on sending their promising prospect back to the junior level. That doesn’t mean that they can’t still be loaned to Team Canada for the WJC though; it is not an uncommon practice for young pros in need of experience playing at different levels of competition instead of solely in the NHL to briefly leave their clubs for the international exhibition. With that said, both the ‘Yotes and the Isles hope to be playoff teams and may be unwilling to give up top young players mid-season, especially if they have become regular contributors. As for Dach, it is still unclear what Chicago’s intentions are this season. The youngest of the group, the No. 3 overall pick in June, Dach has spent some time in the AHL this season and has seen limited ice time in his two games with the Blackhawks. The team could still decide he would be better off with another year in the WHL, although McKenzie believes they are not yet ready to make that decision. Either way, Dach stands the best chance of participating in the WJC, given his current role in Chicago and the expectations of the team this season.
  • LeBrun also reports that, while there haven’t been any in-person meetings this month, collective bargaining continues between the NHL and NHLPA. Back in September, both the league and the players’ association declined to use their opt-out clause in the CBA, which would have prematurely ended the current agreement after this season. The decisions extended the CBA through the 2021-22 season, giving the parties plenty of time to work through their issues. However, both sides felt comfortable in declining their opt-outs as a result of positive ongoing talks and all stakeholders of hockey wanted to see that progress continue. LeBrun writes that those talks have not stalled, but are simply now ongoing in a more behind-the-scenes fashion. The hope is that the NHL and NHLPA can sort out a new collective bargaining agreement long before the September 2022 expiration date of the current deal and put to rest any thoughts of another work stoppage. Continued talks are a good sign that labor peace will come easier this time than in years past.

Snapshots: Jets, Kings, Badgers

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A lot has been made about the rumored discourse in the Winnipeg Jets’ locker room. The team suffered another early exit from the postseason this year and some reactions from players, coaches, and media members alike indicated that chemistry concerns may have played a role. This off-season hasn’t helped the narrative either, with mainstays Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot, and Brandon Tanev all electing to walk away as free agents, while Jacob Trouba was traded and Marko Dano and Joe Morrow were not qualified. Andrew Copp was re-signed, but only after a salary arbitration award, and Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor remain unsigned. It’s not good look for a group of players who some feel don’t get along.

Well, star player Mark Scheifele wants to put a stop to these whispers. Speaking with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger, the Jets’ No. 1 center said that he is confident in his team’s chemistry. “People can claim whatever, but I know we have a tight-knit team,” Scheifele said, “We have great guys in our room. And there’s no question in my mind about the character we have in our room, the unity that we have.” He summed up the ongoing drama by stating that “you know what’s going on in your room. Anything extra is a bunch of baloney.” Scheifele admitted that it was difficult to see the likes of Trouba, Myers, Chiarot, and Tanev leave and hopes that there are resolutions shortly with Laine and Connor, but did not hint that internal issues were the cause of any of their negotiations. Of course, Scheifele would never come out and say otherwise, but it should provide Winnipeg fans with a bit of comfort that he was willing to speak openly about the locker room and tried to shut down the rumors that personalities have or could continue to affect the team’s performance.

  • The World Junior Summer Showcase is underway and fans of the Los Angeles Kings should pay close attention. NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman writes that the Kings lead the way with seven prospects participating in the tournament, headlined by recent No. 5 overall pick Alex Turcotte of Team USA. In fact, each of L.A.’s top four selections in June are in attendance; Turcotte is joined by fellow first-round pick Tobias Bjornfot, fellow American forward Arthur Kaliyev, and forward Samuel Fagemo, who joins Bjornfot on Team Sweden. Fourth-round pick Kim Nousiainen will also suit up for Team Finland. 2018 picks Akil Thomas and Aidan Dudas will both line up at forward for Team Canada. It’s an impressive collection of young talent for the Kings and one that should inspire hope for the future for a team that finished last in the Western Conference this past season with just 71 points. This group likely won’t be making an impact in the NHL in 2019-20, but L.A. is grooming a talented young core to take over down the road.
  • As for next season, Turcotte definitely won’t be in L.A., as he’s committed to playing at the University of Wisconsin. The Badgers’ incoming recruiting class has been very highly regarded, as it features Turcotte and fellow U.S. National Team Development Program products Cole Caufield (MTL) and Owen Lindmark (FLA), as well as another 2019 draft selection in Ryder Donovan (VGK) and potential 2020 top-ten pick in Dylan Holloway. With so many talented freshmen incoming, the question has been how head coach Tony Granato would use his rejuvenated roster. That question has been partially answered for the arguably the team’s new two best forwards. Talking to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman at the Summer Showcase, Caufield stated that he and Turcotte will play on the same line for Wisconsin, at least to begin the year. The duo have some familiarity, although Caufield – the No. 15 pick this year – largely played on Jack Hughes’ wing last season. However, they both possess immense offensive talent, while Turcotte has the two-way intelligence to compensate for Caufield’s lack of size and defensive focus if need be. Having played on the international stage already, the adjustment to the college level should not be too difficult and Turcotte and Caufield could put up huge numbers in their first (and likely only) collegiate season.

Hockey Canada Announces Invitees For 2019 Junior Development Camp

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Hockey Canada has announced their 43-man roster for the 2019 National Junior Team Development Camp, the first step towards participating at the next World Junior tournament. GM Mark Hunter and head coach Dale Hunter will be evaluating all 43 players over a four-game stretch in Plymouth, Michigan between July 27-August 4 where they will take on a team from the United States as well as Finland and Sweden. Team Canada will be broken into two teams for the short showcase.

The list of players includes many already drafted names, but also some that are available this weekend or even next June in the 2020 Entry Draft. The full group is listed below:

G Colten Ellis (2019 draft eligible)
G Zachary Emond (SJS)
G Alexis Gravel (CHI, unsigned)
G Hunter Jones (2019 draft eligible)
G Olivier Rodrigue (EDM)

D Calen Addison (PIT)
D Kevin Bahl (ARI)
D Justin Barron (2020 draft eligible)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT, unsigned)
D Bowen Byram (2019 draft eligible)
D Peter Diliberatore (VGK, unsigned)
D Noah Dobson (NYI)
D Thomas Harley (2019 draft eligible)
D Braden Schneider (2020 draft eligible)
D Ty Smith (NJD)
D Jonny Tychonick (OTT, unsigned)
D Jett Woo (VAN)

F Luka Burzan (2019 draft eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (2019 draft eligible)
F Kirby Dach (2019 draft eligible)
F Riley Damiani (DAL)
F Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
F Aidan Dudas (LAK, unsigned)
F Carson Focht (2019 draft eligible)
F Cole Fonstad (MTL, unsigned)
F Nolan Foote (2019 draft eligible)
F Gabriel Fortier (TBL)
F Liam Foudy (CBJ)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (ANA, unsigned)
F Barrett Hayton (ARI)
F Mathias Laferriere (STL, unsigned)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020 draft eligible)
F Raphael Lavoie (2019 draft eligible)
F Jack McBain (MIN, unsigned)
F Allan McShane (MTL, unsigned)
F Alex Newhook (2019 draft eligible)
F Serron Noel (FLA)
F Ryan Suzuki (2019 draft eligible)
F Akil Thomas (LAK)
F Philip Tomasino (2019 draft eligible)
F Joe Veleno (DET)

Anthony Mantha Suspended At World Championship

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The IIHF Disciplinary Panel has decided that Team Canada forward Anthony Mantha will miss the upcoming quarter-final game at the World Championship. Mantha has been suspended for one game thanks to a check to the head of Colin White in yesterday’s Canada-USA game. Mantha was given a two-minute minor and ten minute misconduct for the incident during the game.

Mantha has been a revelation for Canada head coach Alain Vigneault, and is currently tied for the tournament lead in goals with seven. The Detroit Red Wings forward easily leads Canada with 12 points through seven games, making his absence from a do-or-die game all that more important. The Swiss team went 4-3 through the preliminary round, but have more than enough firepower to upset a team like Canada.

While obviously this is a setback for Mantha, the Red Wings coaching staff has to be pleased with his tournament so far. The big winger has shown he can continue to produce with top players while also setting the tone physically. Mantha is expected to be a mainstay on Detroit’s top line again next season, and provides a perfect physical complement to Dylan Larkin’s speed.

Snapshots: Monarchs, Myers, Wagner

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The Manchester Monarchs are no more. The ECHL team announced today that they would be ceasing operations after 18 seasons, meaning the Los Angeles Kings no longer have an affiliate in the league. According to Jon Rosen the Kings are expected to share an ECHL affiliate with another NHL team, though it is not yet clear who that will be.

The Monarchs franchise was actually founded in 1993 as the Huntington Blizzard, and have gone by several other names over the years including the Ontario Reign—the two minor league affiliates swapped in 2015, keeping a professional team that had been there since 2001 in the city. During their four-year run as the Monarchs in the ECHL, the team made the Kelly Cup playoffs every season and advanced to the third round in 2017. Several NHL players have spent time with the team, including 2018-19 rookies Jayce Hawryluk, Josh Brown and Jacob Middleton.

  • Team Canada is now without Brandon Montour for the rest of the IIHF World Championship, so were desperately trying to find a defenseman who could be added in the final roster spot. That defenseman is Philippe Myers, who today was added from the Philadelphia Flyers. Myers finally made his NHL debut this season and will now get the chance to represent his country on the world stage.
  • The Boston Bruins have received huge contributions from depth forwards like Chris Wagner in the postseason, but will have to find another source for the time being. Wagner has returned to Boston for further tests on his injured arm, one that was seen in a sling after he blocked a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes and was forced to exit game three. The Bruins will insert Noel Acciari into the lineup for game four in Carolina. If Wagner does not return in these playoffs he’ll end the postseason with an impressive 44 hits in 12 games while contributing two goals.

Hockey Canada Announces World Junior Coaching Staff

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It’s not much of a surprise, but Hockey Canada has officially named Dale Hunter head coach of the men’s U20 World Junior team for the 2020 tournament. Hunter, the head coach of the London Knights of the OHL joins his brother Mark Hunter who was named GM of the team in March. Andre Tourigny and Mitch Love will join Hunter on the bench as assistants. Canada also announced the coaching staff for the U18 team that will attend the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, naming Dan Lambert from the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL as head coach. Mario Duhamel and Dennis Williams will join Lambert as assistants.

Hunter had been rumored as the front runner for the job ever since his brother took control of the program, given how they already work together with the Knights in this capacity. He also has a long successful resume as a head coach, which includes a short time with the Washington Capitals and a gold medal coaching Team Canada at the Hlinka in 2014.

He will have plenty of experience beside him for the tournament, given that Tourigny has been an assistant at the World Juniors on three previous occasions. The Ottawa 67’s head coach also took home gold at the Hlinka last summer, while being named OHL Coach of the Year this season. He previously worked in the NHL as an assistant with both the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators, but has been back in the CHL since 2016.

Love was an assistant on Tourigny’s U18 staff last year, but has a shorter resume internationally. Still, he has been behind CHL bench for the better part of this decade and took over as head coach of the Saskatoon Blades this season.

The Canadian program will kick things off with the Summer Showcase in August.

Snapshots: Free Agents, Jost, Kakko

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There are now 27 NHL teams eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, and with that comes a new focus. Free agency is right around the corner and plans are starting to formulate on who to retain or who to pursue in order to improve for next season. Once considered a “Super class” of unrestricted free agents, the group for 2019 has dwindled considerably as teams are hesitant to give up their top players. Still, there is plenty of talent without a contract for next season and Frank Seravalli of TSN released an early ranking of those players today.

As expected, Artemi Panarin, Erik Karlsson and Sergei Bobrovsky occupy the top three spots, all superstars at their respective positions. The trio could change the face of any franchise in the league, but will each cost a fortune to obtain. Beyond those three though there are other impressive names on the list like Matt Duchene, Anders Lee and even Joe Pavelski. While it may no longer be the best class of free agents in history, teams are still hoping the next seven weeks pass quickly.

  • With John Tavares out of the IIHF World Championship due to an oblique injury, Team Canada suffered a defeat at the hands of Finland today 3-1. The forward group was quite unimpressive except perhaps for a few opportunities by Jonathan Marchessault and Anthony Mantha, and may have trouble creating offense at even strength in the tournament. Canada has three extra spots to add other players, and one of those will be used on Colorado Avalanche forward Tyson Jost according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Jost competed last year for the Canadians and recorded six points in nine games, and also took home a World Junior silver medal for them in the past. Update: The team will also be adding Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
  • While the Canadians struggled to create any offense, the Finnish squad had no problem thanks to the presence of top draft-eligible prospect Kaapo Kakko. The 18-year old opened the scoring on a breakaway and finished it off with an empty net goal after winning a loose puck from Marchessault while defending the lead. Kakko and fellow potential first-overall pick Jack Hughes are both competing in the tournament against other NHL stars, and have a chance to really show the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers what kind of impact they can have from day one.

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