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Archives for April 2020

Nils Hoglander Signs Entry-Level Deal

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The Vancouver Canucks have convinced one of their most exciting prospects to join the organization, signing Nils Hoglander to a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward has wowed audiences in the SHL for the last two seasons and Canucks GM Jim Benning is happy to have him under contract:

Nils is a dynamic player with a high skill level and a strong work ethic. He’s a creative playmaker with great hands and goal-scoring abilities. We’re pleased to sign Nils today and look forward to seeing continued development in his game next season.

If you didn’t know Hoglander’s name when the Canucks selected him 40th overall in 2019, you certainly did after the World Juniors. The skilled forward pulled off an incredible lacrosse-style goal against Finland that had the whole hockey world talking. While that goal may have opened the eyes of a broader audience, it wasn’t the first jaw-dropping goal Hoglander had scored at a high level and it certainly won’t be the last.

There is a real chance that Hoglander could return to Sweden for another season should he fail to make the Canucks out of camp, but there is a lot of excitement about his future in Vancouver.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Theodor Lennstrom

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After playing the last three seasons in the SHL, Theodor Lennstrom is ready to make the leap. The Edmonton Oilers have signed the free agent defenseman to a one-year entry-level contract.

Lennstrom, 25, has been a reliable contributor during his three years at the highest level in Sweden, recording at least 15 points in each. The smooth-skating defenseman can move the puck quickly and effectively, though there are still questions about his overall game.

For the Oilers, there’s nothing wrong with taking a swing at a player that has shown he can compete at a high level, given how they have only just started to build the depth required to contend for the Stanley Cup. A one-year deal presents very little risk, but will leave Lennstrom a restricted free agent and under team control next summer.

Calgary Flames Sign Johannes Kinnvall

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Now that the transfer agreements are in place, teams around the NHL are finalizing their contracts with European free agents. The Calgary Flames were one of those teams waiting to get a deal done and have now announced a two-year entry-level contract for Johannes Kinnvall. The team has already announced that Kinnvall will remain in Sweden for the 2020-21 season before joining the Flames organization in North America for 2021-22.

Kinnvall, 22, exploded offensively this season with HV71, scoring 40 points in 51 games. That was good enough for eighth in the entire SHL and four points more than teammate Linus Sandin, who just signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Of course, that is all the more impressive given that Kinnvall is a defenseman. He was the second-highest scoring blueliner in the league and will be an interesting option for the Flames should he be able to bring that offensive production to North America.

That won’t be easy, but he’ll have another year to hone his craft before coming over.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Radim Zohorna

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have added some size to the organization, signing huge forward Radim Zohorna to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal comes on Zohorna’s 24th birthday and represents his first opportunity in North America.

Undrafted, the 6’6″ 233-lbs Zohorna has played at the highest level in the Czech Republic for the last six seasons, scoring 22 points in 46 games during his most recent campaign. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford explained why they are bringing him over now:

Radim is a smart player with good hockey sense that uses his big size to his advantage. His ability to play all three forward positions will help provide depth to our forward group.

While there’s no guarantee that he makes the NHL roster, Zohorna represents another depth option that the Penguins are adding for nothing more than a contract slot. That strategy of mining the college and European free agent ranks for depth players has proven effective for Pittsburgh over the years, allowing them to keep a rotation of inexpensive options rolling through the bottom-six.

Mathias Brome Expected To Sign With Detroit Red Wings

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The Vancouver Canucks have lost a free agent battle with the Detroit Red Wings, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Mathias Brome is expected to sign in Motown. Brome had been deciding between the two clubs after another outstanding season in the SHL.

Now 25, the undrafted forward is coming to North America for the first time in his hockey career, one that has been marked by drastic year-over-year improvement. Brome has become a star at every level of hockey in Sweden, and is coming off a 43-point performance with Orebro HK in the 2019-20 season. That was good enough for sixth in the SHL scoring race, obviously drawing some interest from across the pond.

It’s hard to blame an unproven free agent like Brome for picking Detroit, given how many opportunities will be available next season. The Red Wings are still just at the beginning of their rebuild and will need bodies to fill in a roster that will likely look considerably different next season. For Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, signing a player like Brome could not only give his team a boost on the ice, but perhaps an extra trade chip come deadline day.

Edmonton Oilers Extend Gaetan Haas

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The Edmonton Oilers have made it official, signing Gaetan Haas to a one-year extension for the 2020-21 season. Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports that the contract will carry a salary of $915K. Haas was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Haas, 28, was signed out of Switzerland last year after a strong showing at the IIHF World Championship. Though he had dominated the NLA for several seasons, it wasn’t clear exactly what he would bring to the NHL. The Oilers were pleasantly surprised when they got a reliable depth forward they could plug in every night, as Haas recorded 10 points in 58 games.

Along with Joakim Nygard (who notably defeated Connor McDavid in the Oilers fastest skater competition), Haas provided some more skill and speed to a group that desperately needed to keep up with their star players. His return gives the team another option down the middle for next season on a more than reasonable cap hit.

Matias Maccelli Signs With Arizona Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes have signed prospect forward Matias Maccelli to a three-year entry-level contract, following the new transfer agreements the NHL announced earlier today. Maccelli played last season in the top Finnish league, where he was named Rookie of the Year.

Originally selected in the 2019 fourth round, the 19-year old Maccelli starred in the USHL during his time in North America but decided to return to Finland for the 2019-20 season. He scored 13 goals and 30 points in 43 games for his club team, and also added another five points as one of the leaders on Finland’s World Junior contingent.

It’s hard to have a better development year than Maccelli just experienced and now he’ll get the chance to show what he can do in the Coyotes’ system. He could potentially be sent to the AHL next season to join the Tucson Roadrunners, something Coyotes GM John Chayka suggested to Craig Morgan of The Athletic, though there is always the option to send him back to Finland as well.

Either way, Arizona has landed another interesting prospect to add to a pipeline that is brimming with talent.

NHL Announces New Player Transfer Agreements

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The NHL has announced new player transfer agreements today, including one-year extensions with the existing ones. Those include the IIHF Member Federations/Leagues in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

They have also extended the existing CHL Agreement with the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). This means that nothing will change in regards to players drafted out of the CHL being eligible for AHL play before the age of 20. Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled scouts on whether the believed the agreement should be amended; 60% felt it should be, however, any changes will have to wait at least another year.

The biggest news however is the new one-year agreement with the Swiss Ice Hockey Association and Swiss League, something that previously did not exist. This will provide extra opportunities for players in Switzerland to come over to North America, and will slightly tweak the rules for draft picks out of the league.

With these agreements announced, we will likely see a flood of contracts for European players officially filed over the next few days.

2020 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup Officially Canceled

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Though it had been obvious for some time that this announcement was going to come eventually, the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup has now been officially canceled for 2020. Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney released a statement:

The health and safety of players, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada, and although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved given the uncertainty at this time

The tournament had been scheduled for August 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer Alberta and is the first big scouting event for the 2021 draft class. Its cancelation will only make it more difficult for teams to get an early read on targets for next year, though there will still be plenty of time to see the players with their respective club teams.

Oula Palve Signs In SHL

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Despite still technically being under contract with the Dallas Stars, Oula Palve has already decided to take his talents back overseas. The Finnish forward has signed a two-year contract with Linkoping HC of the SHL, ending his sojourn in North America after just one season.

Palve, 28, was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 after he starred in Finland for several years. A talented offensive player that scored 51 points in 53 games during the 2018-19 season, he was asked to play a checking role for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and then the Texas Stars following a midseason trade.

That defensive role is exactly what Palve is looking to escape, telling his new team that playing a more offensive game was a big part of the decision to return to Europe.

In 60 games split between WBS and Texas, Palve recorded three goals and 13 points. His one-year contract will expire at the end of the season, leaving him an unrestricted free agent.

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