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Archives for November 2020

Florida Panthers Announce ECHL Affiliation

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The Florida Panthers have not only adopted the Charlotte Checkers as their new AHL affiliate but will be bringing along the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL as well. Greenville had previously been affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes but will stay joined with the Checkers as they move to a new NHL partnership. Swamp Rabbits head coach and director of hockey operations Andrew Lord released a statement on the new affiliation:

In a season already filled with change and transition, we are proud to establish an affiliation with the Florida Panthers. Having Charlotte close by as our AHL affiliate makes perfect sense geographically, it is one of the closest AHL/ECHL affiliation distance wise in the leagues. Geordie Kinnear is a great coach and Charlotte as an organization won the Calder Cup in 2019, so there are a ton of positives to this affiliation. We are keen to be a great partner and are determined to develop players to the AHL and ultimately onto the NHL.

As Lord makes clear, the connection to the Checkers is the important part here for Greenville, which is just down the road from Charlotte. The two organizations can use the short distance to their benefit with player transactions, something that may be even more important in a year like this one.

Greenville is one of 13 ECHL teams still scheduled to open their season in mid-December, with a game against the South Carolina Stingrays kicking things off on December 11. The league recently lost an entire division of teams that opted to suspend operations due to COVID-19 situations but are trying to push on with a reduced schedule.

Russia Announces WJC Selection Camp Roster

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Like the Canadians, who gathered to start their month-long selection camp earlier this week, the Russian U20 team will also begin preparations soon for the upcoming World Junior Championship. Today, the expanded selection camp roster was announced, though the coaching staff has only a handful of players to cut.

The full roster is as follows:

G Yaroslav Askarov (NSH)
G Artur Akhtyamov (TOR)
G Vsevolod Skotnikov (undrafted)

D Roman Bychkov (BOS)
D Alexander Kirpichnikov (undrafted)
D Kirill Kirsanov (2021 draft eligible)
D Yegor Shekhovtsov (undrafted)
D Yan Kuznetsov (CGY)
D Shakir Mukhamadullin (NJD)
D Ivan Rogov (undrafted)
D Nikita Sedov (undrafted)
D Daniil Chayka (2021 draft eligible)
D Semyon Chistyakov (NSH)

F Mikhail Abramov (TOR)
F Rodion Amirov (TOR)
F Danil Bashkirov (undrafted)
F Yegor Afanasyev (NSH)
F Takhir Mingachev (undrafted)
F Zakhar Bardakov (undrafted)
F Arseni Gritsyuk (NJD)
F Yegor Chinakhov (CBJ)
F Maxim Groshev (TBL)
F Vasily Podkolzin (VAN)
F Yegor Spiridonov (SJS)
F Marat Khusnutdinov (MIN)
F Vasily Ponomarev (CAR)
F Ilya Safonov (undrafted)
F Vladislav Firstov (MIN)

While NHL fans will be watching their favorite team’s prospects closely, attention should also be given to Chayka, who is expected to go in the first round of the 2021 draft. The 18-year-old defenseman already stands 6’3″ and was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Chayka helped the Russian squad take home gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky and seems to win everywhere he goes.

The WJC will begin at the end of December in Edmonton, Alberta.

Mikko Lehtonen Terminates KHL Loan

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Next stop, Toronto. Mikko Lehtonen has terminated his contract with Jokerit of the KHL and will be heading to North America soon to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lehtonen, 26, signed a one-year contract with the Maple Leafs in May that will represent his first opportunity in the NHL. The smooth-skating Finn was undrafted but continued to develop overseas, winning the KHL Defenseman of the Year award last season. He scored 49 points in 60 games to earn that honor, a pace that he was blowing out of the water this year as he scored at a point-per-game rate.

Unfortunately, Lehtonen was limited to just 17 games with Jokerit this year because of COVID-19. The defenseman contracted the disease in October and had to wait out a quarantine with the rest of his teammates, though he only experienced mild symptoms.

Still, his performance should have fans in Toronto excited about his potential as a top-four option in the NHL. Lehtonen’s not a flashy player but racks up points with quick breakout passes and a heavy dose of shots in the offensive zone. His ability to score from the point could make him a candidate to run one of Toronto’s powerplay units, taking over the role from the departed Tyson Barrie.

Like all the other players under contract, Lehtonen will have to wait on the league’s final decision for when training camp officially starts. But with no loan agreement holding him back, he can head to Toronto to start his quarantine and begin to prepare for his first chance in the NHL.

East Notes: Nilsson, Lundqvist, Blue Jackets

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Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson missed the end of last season with post-concussion syndrome and while the team was hoping he’d be good to go when the puck drops on the 2020-21 campaign, it doesn’t appear as if that will happen.  Goalie coach Pierre Groulx told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that the netminder is still dealing with the lingering issues and his availability for next season remains in question.  It has now been just over 11 months since Nilsson sustained the concussion and Ottawa seemingly prepared for him not being available next season when they added Matt Murray from Pittsburgh at the draft.  As things stand, barring a quick and surprising recovery from Nilsson, Marcus Hogberg will serve as the backup goaltender to start the season.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Henrik Lundqvist’s time with the Rangers as a player came to an end when they bought him out earlier this offseason and he quickly signed with Washington. However, it appears as if there will be another chapter for him in New York.  Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays some comments from an interview Lundqvist did with the Goteborgs-Posten in Sweden where the 38-year-old indicated that the plan is for him to work for the Rangers in a yet-to-be-determined capacity when he retires.  He added that the role will ultimately be determined by New York.
  • One team that has been silent in free agency so far is Columbus. Despite moving out some veterans and losing Gustav Nyquist to injury, they haven’t really added to their roster.  However, GM Jarmo Kekalainen told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that they are still looking into the players still available on the open market.  While the Blue Jackets will lose most of their remaining cap space whenever RFA Pierre-Luc Dubois re-signs, both Nyquist and center Brandon Dubinsky are eligible for LTIR so they will certainly have the cap space to make an addition at some point.

Bruins Shopping Urho Vaakanainen

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Even with the addition of winger Craig Smith in free agency this offseason, many have expected the Bruins to make another addition of note.  With the free agent market slowing to a crawl, it seems as if GM Don Sweeney is looking at trying to trade for that piece now.  To that end, Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty reports (subscription link) that the team is trying to move defenseman Urho Vaakanainen.

The 21-year-old was the 17th overall pick back in 2017 but hasn’t seen much action in the NHL since then, getting into just two games with Boston in 2018-19 and five last season where he averaged nearly 17 minutes a night.  Vaakanainen has spent the majority of his time in North America at the AHL level with Providence where he posted five goals and nine assists in 54 games last year.  The point total isn’t particularly high but as more of a stay-at-home defender, he’s not expected to put up flashy numbers.

The Bruins certainly have a hole on the left side of their back end following the departure of Torey Krug to St. Louis in free agency while long-time veteran Zdeno Chara is still on the open market.  At this point, no additions have been made on the blueline and as a result, Vaakanainen is someone that could be a candidate to break camp with Boston.

But for a team with win-now aspirations, having a relatively unproven youngster in the lineup (whether it’s Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, or someone else entirely) carries some risk.  As a result, Vaakanainen may be more valuable to the Bruins as a piece in a trade for an impact defenseman than as a prospect that they hope could one day become a regular in their lineup.

One thing that Sweeney has going for him that most teams don’t is cap space.  While winger Jake DeBrusk remains unsigned, they currently have a little over $6.6MM in cap room, per CapFriendly, which is more than enough to get him signed and still have room to add on the back end.  It appears that Vaakanainen could be used to try to help land that piece.

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Jake Walman

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The St. Louis Blues have finished one of their final few negotiations, agreeing to terms with Jake Walman. The restricted free agent defenseman will sign a two-year contract that is two-way in the first year and one-way in 2021-22. Eligible for arbitration, Walman decided not to file. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth the league minimum in both years – $700K next season ($100K salary in the AHL) and $750K in 2021-22.

Walman, 24, made his NHL debut this year when he suited up for a game in January, playing just over 11 minutes of action in an overtime loss. That was the only action he’d see in a Blues uniform, but that doesn’t mean it will be his last.

With a new two-year deal in hand, Walman will continue to be one of the first names called up by the Blues when they face injury issues to their regulars. Unfortunately, perhaps, he is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning he’ll have to clear before going to the minors after training camp.

That is of course if there is a minor league season to go along with the NHL campaign and it becomes possible to transition players between the two leagues without quarantine periods. Walman is exactly the type of player that might be included in an NHL “taxi squad,” traveling around with the team in case of injury (or infection) despite not actually being on the roster. A distinct rule like this has not yet been announced, though some believe it could, depending on what happens with the AHL.

In the case of the Blues, for instance, the organization recently announced a partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. St. Louis is expected to be part of a Central Division in the reworked NHL schedule, playing in a regional bubble of sorts with their closest geographic opponents. Springfield is not central at all, meaning travel between the two teams could be complicated and restricted if the Thunderbirds continue to play in the northeast. This is just one of the logistical problems the leagues will have to work out before hockey starts, with players like Walman greatly affected.

Snapshots: CBA Talks, Juolevi, QMJHL

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After yesterday’s discussions with the NHL, the NHLPA is not happy. The league asked for further financial concessions in the form of payment deferrals and increased escrow, just a few months after negotiating a new CBA, and things are now a little more heated between the two sides. Both Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic have now released columns explaining the situation, using terms like “angry” and “betrayed” when describing how the players feel.

Both insiders finish their columns with messages of hope, however, with the idea that the two sides will eventually come together on a deal for the sake of the sport. But with December coming quickly and players needing time to return to North America, quarantine (in some cases), and prepare for the season, work will have to be done quickly on a new arrangement.

  • One player hoping to get things going so he can continue some of the momentum he built this summer is Olli Juolevi, who Iain MacIntyre profiled yesterday for Sportsnet. Juolevi, the fifth-overall pick in 2016, is finally healthy after years of dealing with various injuries and surgeries. The 22-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut in the bubble when he played one postseason game for the Vancouver Canucks, but certainly has ground to make up to catch some of his draft contemporaries. Several defensemen selected after him have already established themselves as full-time NHL options (if not stars), while the name selected directly after him—Matthew Tkachuk—is arguably the most important player on their division rival Calgary Flames.
  • The Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL have had a staff member test positive for COVID-19, meaning their upcoming games have been postponed and team in-person activities have been suspended. The Cape Breton Eagles, who played the Sea Dogs yesterday, will also have their games postponed until an investigation is complete.

Quinton Byfield Will Not Leave WJC For NHL

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Part of the deal when the Chicago Blackhawks loaned Kirby Dach to Canada’s World Junior selection camp was that if the NHL got up and running before the tournament started, he could potentially be called away from the team and back to his pro organization. The same can’t be said about Los Angeles Kings prospect Quinton Byfield, who told reporters today including Scott Wheeler of The Athletic that he will be playing in the junior tournament regardless of when NHL camps open, returning to the Kings afterward.

Byfield looked somewhat overmatched at the tournament last year when he made the club as a 17-year-old but is expected to play a huge role for Canada at this year’s event. The second-overall pick is coming off an incredible season with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL in which he scored 32 goals and 82 points in 45 games. He still received a gold medal as part of Team Canada but recorded just a single assist and no goals in his seven-game tournament.

This year he’ll be back for another medal and it’ll be his play that could determine Canada’s fate. Byfield was on the first line today between Samuel Poulin and Peyton Krebs for camp Team Red, though that doesn’t mean much this early on.

It is interesting to see the different approaches from teams around the league. Alexis Lafreniere for instance, who is still eligible for the event, is not at the selection camp, instead focusing on the start of his NHL career with the New York Rangers. Detroit Red Wings prospect Moritz Seider, who captained the German squad a year ago, was also not released for the tournament. Byfield is expected to push for an NHL spot immediately, but the Kings obviously believe this event is beneficial to his long-term development.

Alex Lintuniemi Terminates Liiga Contract

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The contract of defenseman Alex Lintuniemi with JYP in Finland has been mutually terminated, making the 25-year-old a free agent once again. The deal was supposed to keep him with the club through the 2021-22 season, meaning this could be because Lintuniemi has interest elsewhere.

Terminating a contract isn’t a new thing for the young defenseman, as he went through a similar process last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. After playing just four games with the Charlotte Checkers to begin the 2019-20 season, he was placed on unconditional waivers and terminated his one-year, two-way deal with the Hurricanes. That move was followed by a return to Finland where he played for Lahti and JYP, scoring 6 points in 33 games.

Originally a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, Lintuniemi never did make an appearance at the NHL level. Instead, he played several seasons in the minor leagues, mostly with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, before failing to receive a qualifying offer from the organization in 2019.

It’s hard to know what the future holds for Lintuniemi, but his name is still one to watch for North American organizations looking for depth on the blue line. Though he likely won’t ever make an impact at the NHL level, he did have some success for Ontario, recording 49 points in 131 games across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. A return to the AHL could potentially be in order, should he decide to return to this side of the world.

Shore Brothers To Play Overseas

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For at least the next several weeks, Drew Shore will get to play with his brother. HK Dukla Trencin in Slovakia has signed both Drew and Nick Shore until the end of the calendar year.

Drew, 29, has been traveling the world the last few years, suiting up in several different countries after his NHL career petered out. He last played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17, scoring just two points in 14 games. Though he was a second-round pick in 2009 by the Carolina Hurricanes, Drew ended up playing just 94 NHL games, a number dwarfed by his younger brother. He has a chance to catch up if he can somehow land himself a job with the Hurricanes, who signed him to a one-year two-way contract last month. He would likely return if training camp starts at some point in December.

Nick, 28, wasn’t drafted quite as high but ended up with a longer and more productive NHL career to this point. He played 63 games last season, split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, scoring six points. Nick is one regular season game shy of 300 for his career, though there is certainly no guarantee that he cracks that mark.

This offseason has been difficult for fringe NHL players like the Shore brothers, but Drew did land himself an NHL contract in the early part of free agency. Nick may have to settle for something similar, or perhaps take another year off from North America and search for a job overseas. In 2018-19, Nick played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, scoring 21 points in 43 games.

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