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NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2022 Rankings

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The final rankings are out from NHL Central Scouting, and even with his relatively unremarkable season, Shane Wright maintains his grip on the top spot. The Kingston Frontenacs captain leads all North American skaters and still figures to be the first-overall selection in 2022. Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, had this to say about the OHL forward:

Shane Wright is the complete package as an NHL prospect. He is a strong stride skater who possesses deceptive speed and quickness to beat defenders, evade checking or lead a rush. He has elite hockey sense with his vision, anticipation and composure to execute quickly on plays and has proven that he can carry the load and lead the way when it’s needed in game situations.

Just behind him is Logan Cooley, but after that, there is a bit of a surprise. Cutter Gauthier has climbed to the third spot on the North American chart ahead of players like Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie, an impressive rise for the USNTDP product. Gauthier is committed to Boston College for next season and has continued to learn how to best utilize his 6’3″ frame to become one of the most dynamic forwards in the draft.

The top ten North American skaters are:

  1. Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs
  2. Logan Cooley, USNTDP
  3. Cutter Gauthier, USNTDP
  4. Matthew Savoie, Winnipeg Ice
  5. Conor Geekie, Winnipeg Ice
  6. Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw Spirit
  7. Kevin Korchinski, Seattle Thunderbirds
  8. Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga Steelheads
  9. Isaac Howard, USNTDP
  10. Owen Beck, Mississauga Steelheads

On the international side, Juraj Slafkovsky has climbed all the way to No. 1 after an incredible season that included winning MVP in the Olympics. The Slovakian forward also played well in Finland’s top league and should be selected in the first few picks of this summer’s draft. Marr had this to say about him:

Juraj Slafkovsky has that power winger element that NHL Clubs covet and his game has shown continual development this season while playing in the Pro Liiga in Finland and with the bronze medal-winning Team Slovakia at the Olympics. He is a smooth and agile skater for his size and has the strength, smarts and offensive tools to be productive. What has been most impressive is the ability he’s shown to learn and quickly adapt his play to get results at every level he’s competed this season.

Slafkovsky’s rise means Joakim Kemell dropped to second, despite recently playing extremely well at the U18 Worlds. He’s followed by other top talents including another Slovakian, Simon Nemec, in the third spot, who could easily be the first defenseman off the board this year.

The top ten international skaters are:

  1. Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS
  2. Joakim Kemell, JYP
  3. Simon Nemec, Nitra
  4. David Jiricek, Plzen
  5. Marco Kasper, Rogle
  6. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens
  7. Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk
  8. Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens (Jr.)
  9. Lian Bichsel, Leksands
  10. Brad Lambert, Pelicans

The full rankings, including the goaltending lists, can be found here.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

DeSmith, Rakell Not Expected To Play Game Two

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It’s Louis Domingue time now. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not expected to have Casey DeSmith or Rickard Rakell in the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Domingue is expected to get the start with minor league netminder Alex D’Orio serving as the backup.

While the broadcast originally speculated that DeSmith had exited game one in overtime due to a cramping issue, reports have surfaced since that that was not the case. Seravalli lists it as a groin injury for the Penguins netminder, who was already the second-string option with Tristan Jarry rehabbing a broken foot. Pittsburgh is now down to Domingue and D’Orio as the only healthy goaltenders in the organization (at least ones signed to NHL contracts).

Of course, Domingue does have a lot of experience at the NHL level. The 30-year-old has appeared in 142 regular season games and holds a .905 career save percentage. Amazingly his two postseason appearances have both been in relief, and both resulted in him stopping every puck he faced. A career 1.000 playoff save percentage will be in jeopardy when he takes the net this evening, trying to put the Penguins way out in front of the series.

Rakell’s absence meanwhile is a disappointing one, after he found such a nice fit down the stretch. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducks, Rakell had 13 points in 19 games in the regular season. He lasted just four shifts before a hit from Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren caused him to leave with what appeared to be a concussion. He has been listed as day-to-day along with DeSmith.

Washington Capitals Recall Brett Leason

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With the status of Tom Wilson still in question, the Washington Capitals have recalled a bit of size. Brett Leason is on his way up from the Hershey Bears, a meaningful recall, given the AHL team plays their own playoff game tomorrow night.

Leason, 23, played in 36 games this season for the Capitals, scoring three goals and adding six points. Perhaps more importantly, the winger stands 6’5″ and at least comes close to maintaining the level of physicality that Wilson brings every night. Selected in the second round just three years ago, Leason actually has three full seasons of professional experience already, and although still a rookie, is more seasoned than most.

Of course, Washington would certainly rather have Wilson in the lineup if possible. The team announced that he would be a game-time decision yesterday and are already carrying two extra forwards, but apparently needed an extra body as they head into game two with the Florida Panthers. After taking game one in stunning comeback fashion, Washington will have to continue to try and hold off the elite offense of the Panthers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kirill Semyonov Re-Signs In KHL

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After a very short stint in North America, Kirill Semyonov returned to Russia in December. He’ll stay there for the next two seasons at least, signing a new contract today with Ak Bars Kazan that keeps him in the KHL through 2023-24.

Semyonov, 27, signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs last spring to try his hand at the NHL level. After finding middle success in the organization and spending just three games in the Maple Leafs lineup, however, he decided to terminate that contract and go home. He left with nine points in nine AHL games, but none in his three NHL appearances.

Upon returning, Semyonov played a handful of games with Avangard Omsk before joining the Russian Olympic team, where he was a dynamic performer en route to a silver medal. The KHL standout then continued his strong play in the postseason, recording six points in 13 games.

There’s legitimate talent in the undrafted Russian forward, enough to suggest that a three-game sample in the NHL is likely not a true indicator of what he could do at that level. But with another deal coming quickly with a strong program, it seems a return to North America may never be in the cards.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Mrazek, Harrison, Weber

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Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri is unsure if he’ll be able to return from his torn ACL in time for next season, relays Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  The 26-year-old underwent surgery in late March and recently was able to shed his crutches in April but as he knows from experience, it’s at least six months before he’ll have a chance at playing again.  This was the third ACL surgery of Fabbri’s career but the first on his right knee.  He will be entering the first season of a three-year, $12MM deal next season on the heels of a pretty good regular season aside from the injury as he had 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 games with Detroit last season.

More from the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs have activated goaltender Petr Mrazek off LTIR, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). Mrazek suffered a groin injury in late March which pressed Erik Kallgren into duty with Jack Campbell still injured at the time.  While he didn’t dress in the second game of their series against Tampa Bay, his return to health will at least give them some extra depth between the pipes.  Mrazek had a 3.34 GAA and a .888 SV% in 20 games this season, his first with Toronto.
  • The Bruins have signed prospect center Brett Harrison to an ATO, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was recently eliminated in the OHL playoffs, paving the way for him to play in the minors with Providence in their playoff run.  Harrison was a third-round pick of Boston last year (85th overall) and he had a strong season with OHL Oshawa, notching 27 goals and 34 assists in 65 games with the Generals.
  • In an interview with TSN 690 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that an insurance issue prevented the Canadiens from moving Shea Weber’s contract to Arizona at the trade deadline. He cited there was some extra paperwork that had to be completed plus a payout; with so many moving parts in the hours leading up to the deadline, they basically ran out of time.  Dreger added that he believes a Weber trade will be able to be done this summer.  He has four years left on his deal with a $7.857MM AAV but just $6MM total in remaining salary over that span.

Senators Send Three Junior Prospects To The AHL

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For players playing in junior in Canada, they typically have to be 20 before they can play in the minors with a couple of exceptions.  One of those is that a player can go down once their junior team is eliminated from the playoffs (or doesn’t qualify at all).  The Senators are certainly taking advantage of that provision as their farm team announced that prospects Tyler Boucher, Ridly Greig, and Carson Latimer have all been assigned to AHL Belleville.

Boucher was the tenth-overall pick last summer out of the U.S. National Development program and started the season at Boston University before changing his development path in late December when he signed with Ottawa.  The winger was assigned to OHL Ottawa in January and put up seven goals and seven assists in 24 regular season games with the 67’s while adding a goal and an assist in four playoff contests.

As for Greig, the 2020 first-round pick (28th overall) has a bit of AHL experience under his belt as he was able to play in seven minor league games last season while waiting for the WHL season to get underway.  The 19-year-old winger had a standout year with WHL Brandon, notching 26 goals and 37 assists in just 39 games while also being named to Canada’s entry for the World Juniors last December.

Latimer, meanwhile, was a 2021 fourth-rounder (123rd overall).  The winger started the season with Edmonton of the WHL before being moved to Prince Albert at the beginning of December where he had an opportunity to play a bigger role and made the most of it, picking up 12 goals and 20 assists in 44 games.

None of the three players were in the lineup for the opening game of Belleville’s play-in series against Rochester tonight but if the Senators are able to move on, it’s possible that Boucher and Greig, in particular, get a chance at some extra game action in the weeks to come.

Rangers Sign Ryder Korczak

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The Rangers have agreed to terms with one of their draft picks from last summer as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed center Ryder Korczak to a three-year, entry-level deal.  The contract, which begins next season, breaks down as follows:

2022-23: $750K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $82.5K games played bonus
2023-24: $775K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5k games played bonus
2024-25: $775K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5k games played bonus

The 19-year-old was a third-round pick (75th overall) in 2021 out of Moose Jaw in the WHL.  Korczak had a strong season with the Warriors this season, finishing second on the Warriors in scoring with 25 goals and 54 assists in 68 games.  He also chipped in with five points in as many games in the playoffs in their first round victory over Saskatoon.

As Korczak turns 20 in September, he will be eligible to turn pro and play in New York’s farm system next season or go back to junior.  After the season he had, however, the likelier scenario is that he suits up with AHL Hartford in the fall.

Antti Raanta Leaves Game Two With An Injury

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A day after Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith left Game One against the Rangers during overtime, another netminder has been injured.  This time, it’s Hurricanes netminder Antti Raanta who left early in the first period in the second game of their opening round series against the Bruins.

The injury – which can be viewed on a tweet from Carolina team reporter Walt Ruff – occurred on a hit from Boston winger David Pastrnak.  It was initially ruled as a five-minute major but after review, it was overturned to a two-minute minor.

There’s never an ideal time for an injury but this one is particularly impactful for the Hurricanes as they remain without starter Frederik Andersen who is also injured.  While the team hopes he’ll be able to play at some point in the first round, there is no firm timetable for his return.

This meant that Pyotr Kochetkov, who only made his NHL debut less than two weeks ago, was pressed into duty.  He has a 2.42 GAA along with a .902 SV% in his first three NHL appearances.  Meanwhile, Jack LaFontaine is serving as Carolina’s emergency goaltender and will be the backup for the rest of the game with Raanta unable to return.  He was convinced to leave college midseason to turn pro and got into two games with Carolina plus 13 more with AHL Chicago.

 

KHL Contracts of Lukas Sedlak, Tomas Hyka Terminated

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A pair of former NHL forwards could head back to North America this offseason. After both having strong seasons with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, the club has opted to terminate the contracts of Lukas Sedlak and Tomas Hyka.

Sedlak, a 2011 sixth-round pick of Columbus, actually spent six years in the Blue Jackets organization, spending the last three as a full-time NHLer. He tallied 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 162 games from 2016 to 2019 in a Blue Jackets uniform, and he was a member of the 2019 Blue Jackets squad that upset the Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep.

He had a pair of solid seasons in Chelyabinsk but had a career year this season, his third there, with 43 points in 49 games. He netted an assist in four games representing Czechia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Hyka was a sixth-round pick just a year later of the Los Angeles Kings, but he never played for the organization and his rights expired. The Vegas Golden Knights signed him as a free agent prior to their inaugural season, and he appeared in 27 games from 2017 to 2019. He scored twice and compiled seven points in the big leagues. He and Sedlak have both spent the past three seasons in Chelyabinsk.

With both Czech forwards 29 years old, they could prove to be solid bargain-bin options for high-end veteran AHL depth or fourth-line roles should they opt to return stateside for 2022-23.

Tom Wilson Will Be Game-Time Decision For Game 2

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Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette announced today that forward Tom Wilson is a game-time decision for tomorrow’s Game 2 against the Florida Panthers.

Wilson tried skating twice after originally leaving the game 7:47 into the first period after trying to hit Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar but ultimately did not return. T.J. Oshie slid up the depth chart, taking Wilson’s place on the second line alongside Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom.

Washington jumped out to a surprise 1-0 lead in the series with an impressive 4-2 on the road against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Panthers in Game 1 on Tuesday. Wilson played just 1:31 but still managed to draw a penalty and score the first goal of the game. Wilson’s playoff-suited game looked extremely strong before the injury, so the Capitals obviously hope he’s able to play tomorrow to boost their shot of taking a 2-0 series lead on the road.

Wilson had a career year this season, setting career-highs in goals (24), assists (28), points (52), +/- (13), and average time on ice (18:35).

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