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Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Jake Muzzin

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There have been many trades so far this season, but with less than a month to go before the NHL Trade Deadline, we finally the first that qualifies as a blockbuster. The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have acquired defenseman Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings. Going the other way is a package of forward prospect Carl Grundstrom, defense prospect Sean Durzi, and the Leafs’ 2019 first-round pick. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that Toronto GM Kyle Dubas and L.A. GM Rob Blake had been discussing the framework for this deal for weeks before finally pulling the trigger tonight.

Muzzin, 29, is a major addition for the Maple Leafs. Dubas has been searching for help on the blue line all season long and adds a bona fide top-pair defender without having to move any pieces off his NHL roster. Muzzin is a well-rounded and versatile two-way defenseman. Although he is a left-shot, Muzzin often plays his off side and will likely slot next to Morgan Rielly on Toronto’s top pairing. Muzzin will also play a major role on the penalty kill, as he is a tough, durable defenseman who plays a steady game in his own end. Perhaps more than anything, Muzzin is known as a big game player, capable of playing his best when it matters most. Muzzin was a Stanley Cup champion in 2014 with the Kings and has 20 points and 125 hits in 50 playoff games. He has also starred for Canada on the international stage, including a 2015 World Championship in which he notched eight points in ten games. An experienced and clutch defenseman who excels in all three zones, Muzzin is truly a complete defender joining the back end in Toronto. Add in that he makes just $4MM against the cap and is signed for one more year and you get an acquisition that no one in Toronto should be unhappy with.

Los Angeles should be commended for this trade as well, though. Although Muzzin was one of their best players – arguably their top player this season – they maximized the return from a Leafs team that was unwilling to move any current roster players. Grundstrom and Duzri are two of Toronto’s very best prospects and each project to be NHLers sooner rather than later. Grundstrom, 21, was a second-round pick in 2016 out of Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. In his first season in North America this year, Grundstrom had 29 points in 42 games for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Grundstrom will now join the Ontario Reign and could see action with the Kings before the season is out. The powerful winger is certain to compete for a regular job in L.A. next year. Durzi, 20, was considered the top overage player in the NHL Draft last year and was selected in the second-round as a result. The skilled defenseman has been better than a point-per-game in the OHL this year after returning from injury and has the experience and intelligent game that should translate to the pros easily next season. As for the first-round pick, the Kings have to hope that Muzzin’s addition isn’t enough to get the Leafs past likely playoff opponents in the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, as Toronto’s pick could still very well end up in the early twenties. If the rest of Blake’s fire sale yields similar returns, L.A. is going to be in good shape moving into their rebuild phase.

 

Snapshots: Mock Draft, Arizona State, Jokinen

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Itching for the NHL Entry Draft already? Several fan bases are, as many teams are beyond a reasonable shot at the postseason as the unofficial second half of the season begins. After a recent rash of mid-season draft rankings were published, NHL.com writers Adam Kimelman, Mike Morreale, and Guillaume Lepage tried their hands at a mock draft of the first round for the upcoming draft. They did not conduct a lottery simulation nor did they try to predict how the playoffs would unfold, so the mock is strictly the current standings inverse. However, each of the trio made their own selections and interesting trends can already be spotted. Of course, all three had the Colorado Avalanche, using the Ottawa Senators’ first-rounder, taking U.S. National Team Development Program phenom Jack Hughes first overall. Regardless of who picks first, Hughes is the unanimous pick to go No. 1 in any scenario. There was also a consensus for Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko going second to the New Jersey Devils and Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin going third to the Los Angeles Kings. However, there was not much agreement the rest of the way. Western Hockey League centers Dylan Cozens and Kirby Dach and USNTDP forwards Alex Turcotte and Trevor Zegras went early for all three writers, but no two agreed on the fit for any one team. There was also dissent over the first defenseman taken and where, as Kimelman placed Swedish rearguard Philip Broberg at No. 6 to the New Jersey Devils, while Morreale and Lepage had Canadian blue liner Bowen Byram going No. 7 to the Florida Panthers or No. 8 to the Edmonton Oilers, respectively. One of the biggest surprises was Morreale’s selection of wunderkind goaltender Spencer Knight to the Panthers. While many consider Knight to be the best draft-eligible goalie prospect in some time, no keeper has been taken in the top ten since Carey Price in 2005. The other two writers had Knight at No. 14 to Colorado and No. 24 to the Vegas Golden Knights. Later in the round, opinions differed greatly on OHL defenseman Thomas Harley and hyped overage forward Brett Leason as well. There is still a lot to be decided about the upcoming draft board, not to mention the draft order and the impact of trades, but it is interesting to get a good look at this point in the season as the picture becomes more clear for both the teams and prospects.

  • Arizona State University continues to make waves this season in college hockey. In just their fourth year of existence as an NCAA program, ASU is currently ranked No. 17 in the country and could push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. As AZ Central’s Jeff Metcalfe writes, the play of forward Johnny Walker and goalie Joey Daccord is making all of the difference and beginning to draw national attention. After blanking the immensely talented Boston University Terriers 3-0 on Saturday night, Walker’s two tallies put him in the NCAA lead for goal scoring, while Daccord’s shutout was his NCAA-best seventh of the year. Daccord, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2015 out of Cushing Academy and it is beginning to look like the Sens’ late-round waiver on the long-term project could pay off. Daccord is a junior and could be enticed to turn pro this off-season if Ottawa hopes to avoid him becoming a free agent after another year. Walker, 22, went undrafted as a Phoenix native playing in the NAHL and is only a sophomore at ASU. However, that won’t stop NHL teams from trying to pry him away from college to get a look at his near goal-per-game pace at the pro level. A tournament run by Arizona State would only further amplify the status of these unlikely heroes of the collegiate campaign.
  • Veteran forward Jussi Jokinen has been unable to find NHL employment this season. The fact is somewhat amazing considering Jokinen played in 14 or more games with four different NHL teams last season. The well-traveled 35-year-old signed a PTO with the Detroit Red Wings this summer, who would have become his tenth different NHL team, but it did not pan out and no one else has come calling. Finally, Jokinen has decided to move on. Finnish reporter Pasi Tuominen reports that Jokinen is set to sign with Karpat of the Liiga in his native Finland for the remainder of the season. Jokinen will be a valued mentor for top NHL prospects like Rasmus Kupari (LAK) and Aleksi Heponiemi (FLA) while with Karpat and may even lead the first-place team to a championship. Regardless, it is highly likely that Jokinen’s days in the NHL are done. The well-liked and respected forward leaves a great legacy behind him in North America, but will surely continue to play overseas for a few years to come.

 

L.A. Kings, Chicago Blackhawks Make Minor Trade

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In a rare exchange of intangible assets, the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to swap an unsigned prospect for a draft pick. The Kings have announced that the rights to European pro forward Dominik Kubalik have been assigned to the Blackhawks in exchange for a 2019 fifth-round pick. Kubalik will be placed on Chicago’s reserve list indefinitely.

Kubalik, 23, was a Kings’ seventh-round pick back in 2013 from the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. However, he returned to his native Czech Republic after one more junior season and has not played in North America since. The 6’2″ two-way winger spent several years in the Czech pro leagues, but has enjoyed back-to-back strong campaigns now with HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss NLA. Kubalik registered 27 points in 25 games last year, only to top that with a team-best 43 points in 36 games thus far. Kubalik was also a contributor for the Czech entries at the Winter Olympics and World Championships last year. The late-round waiver seems to be developing into a capable pro.

While it’s unclear whether Kubalik has any intentions of signing in the NHL and, if so, if his ability will translate, this seems like a worthwhile gamble for the Blackhawks. Chicago also had two fifth-round picks already, belonging to the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning. The pick sent to the Kings belongs to the Coyotes and will thus be earlier in the round. Los Angeles clearly is not convinced that Kubalik would ever be a major piece of their team are likely happy to recoup another draft pick, as the rebuilding team had just their seven original picks prior to this deal.

Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko Lead Central Scouting Mid-Season Lists

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With the 2018-19 NHL season more than half over, the league’s Central Scouting Bureau has released their rankings of the best draft-eligible prospects from around the world. These players are eligible to be selected in just a few months at July’s draft in Vancouver, and two familiar names lead the way. Central Scouting breaks their lists into the top North American and International skaters and goaltenders, not directly comparing the groups. The top names from each are as follows:

North American Skaters:

  1. C Jack Hughes, USA National Team Development Program
  2. C Kirby Dach, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
  3. C Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes, WHL
  4. D Bowen Byram, Vancouver Giants, WHL
  5. C Alex Turcotte, USA National Team Development Program

International Skaters:

  1. RW Kaapo Kakko, TPS, Finland (Liiga)
  2. RW Vasili Podkolzin, SKA St. Petersburg, Russia (MHL)
  3. D Philip Broberg, AIK, Sweden (Allsvenskan)
  4. C Ilya Nikolaev, Yaroslavl, Russia (MHL)
  5. D Victor Soderstrom, Brynas, Sweden (SHL)

North American Goalies:

  1. Spencer Knight, USA National Team Development Program
  2. Hunter Jones, Peterborough Petes, OHL
  3. Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL

International Goalies:

  1. Pyotr Kochetkov, Ryazan, Russia (MHL)
  2. Samuel Hlavaj, Slovakia U20, Slovakia*
  3. Hugo Alnefelt, HV71, Sweden (Jr.)

Hlavaj recently joined the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. 

Nick Suzuki Traded In OHL Blockbuster

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The OHL trade deadline is today for any deal involving over-aged players, while tomorrow is the deadline for any other deals. That means plenty of player movement has happened over the last few days and the Guelph Storm were at it again this morning. The team officially announced that they have acquired Nick Suzuki, Sean Durzi and Zachary Roberts from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for a package including three players and four picks. Guelph is obviously working to load up before an OHL playoff run that will determine a Memorial Cup berth.

Suzuki, the prize of the deal, is a Montreal Canadiens prospect after he was included in an NHL trade prior to the season. The key piece coming back to Montreal in exchange for Max Pacioretty, he’s projected to slot into their forward group before long. This year though Suzuki is back in junior dominating in the offensive zone again, recording 45 points through his first 30 games. That run with the Attack was broken by a stint with the Canadian World Junior Team, where Suzuki ran one of the team’s powerplay units and recorded three assists in five games.

Durzi too is a huge addition for the Storm, coming off a Second All-Star selection in 2017-18. The cerebral defender was finally picked in the second round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in his second year of draft eligibility, and was sent back to junior for an over-age season. Unfortunately he has missed a good chunk of that season with an upper-body injury, but should play a big role for Guelph down the stretch.

Interestingly, this load up by Guelph comes less than a month after trading away San Jose Sharks first-round pick Ryan Merkley for a package of picks. Merkley had been dominating offensively like usual for the Storm, but was sent to the Peterborough Petes who are also fighting for a spot in the OHL playoffs.

World Junior Notes: Eriksson Ek, Czech Republic, Hughes, Keyser

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With the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship underway in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, those teams that have yet to fill out their rosters continue to do so in the midst of the first round. Sweden made a notable addition to close out their roster, adding another goaltender in Olle Eriksson Ek, the IIHF announced. The 19-year-old keeper was a fifth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2017 and was a backup for Sweden at the WJC last year. Eriksson Ek is having an underwhelming season with BIK Karlskoga of the Allsvenskan, the Swedish minor leagues, and has yet to appear in the SHL. However, the younger brother of Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek has undeniable athleticism and ability and was worthy of a roster spot again for the Swedes. However, so long as Samuel Ersson, a Philadelphia Flyers fifth-rounder this year, continues his hot start to the tournament, Eriksson Ek is unlikely to see any action.

  • The Czech Republic has also rounded out their roster with addition of a pair of NHL prospects. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman notes that the Czechs have added forward Jan Jenik and defenseman Radim Salda to their tournament team. Jenik was a third-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes back in June and has been a regular contributor for Bili Tygri Liberec of the top Czech league. Jenik is a smart, hard-working player who will bring a boost to the bottom-six for the Czechs. Salda is also a recent selection, a seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Salda currently plays for Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL and brings the offensive touch that is typical of defenders out of that league. Salda is having a strong season for Rimouski and could prove to be a major addition on the Czech blue line. The Czechs have yet to win a game in regulation through two contests and face a tough challenge in the Canadians up next. The team hopes their newest additions can both be difference makers through the rest of their games.
  • When it was announced that American prodigy Jack Hughes would miss his team’s game against Kazakhstan yesterday, few were concerned, as the Americans won handily anyway, 8-2. However, head coach Mike Hastings has now announced that Hughes will also miss tonight’s game against another undefeated team in Sweden and that is concerning. Hastings added that Hughes is “progressing” toward getting back in the lineup, but how long the presumptive 2019 No. 1 overall pick remains out with this undisclosed injury could dictate how far the U.S. goes in the tournament.
  • Hastings also announced that Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser will be back in net tonight for the Americans after getting a rest against the underdog Kazakhstan team. With top 2019-eligible goalie Spencer Knight and impressive collegiate keeper and Montreal Canadiens draft pick Cayden Primeau also on the roster, few expected the undrafted Keyser to be the go-to goalie for the Americans. However, Keyser is in the midst of a dominant season for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and performed well in the Americans first game of the tournament, so Hastings seems content to ride Keyser’s hot hand for as long as he can.

Snapshots: Keane, Byfuglien, Bruins

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The London Knights must have felt a little thin on defense with Evan Bouchard and Adam Boqvist off playing in the World Junior Championship. The powerhouse OHL organization has added another top option to their blue line, trading for Joey Keane from the Barrie Colts. Keane himself was almost suiting up for Team USA at the tournament, but was one of the final cuts just before Christmas.

After going undrafted in his first year of eligibility, Keane was snapped up in the third round by the New York Rangers in June after putting up a solid season with Barrie. His 44 points in 62 games were impressive, but it’s Keane’s legitimate shutdown ability that intrigued most scouts. While he’s not the biggest or strongest, the Illinois native is a force in his own end with his exceptional reads, and will only strengthen what is already a dominant London blue line. The opportunity he’ll get to compete in the OHL playoffs will only help his development as he tries to jump to the professional ranks down the road.

  • While the Department of Player Safety is looking more closely at a David Backes hit, they’ve already handed out punishment for a different incident last night. Dustin Byfuglien has been fined $2,500 for slashing Johnny Gaudreau in last night’s Winnipeg-Calgary game. When Gaudreau beat Byfuglien at the Calgary blue line and had a clear path for an empty-net goal to seal the win, the Jets defenseman spun and delivered a forceful slash. While he won’t serve any suspension for it, the incident will be taken into account in any future supplementary discipline. Gaudreau practiced today for Calgary.
  • It seems the Boston Bruins can’t possibly have everyone healthy at the same time. After activating Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller and Jake Debrusk yesterday, the team has placed Charlie McAvoy on injured reserve today in order to get under the 23-man roster limit. McAvoy’s injury is only expected to keep him out a few days, but will definitely keep him out of tomorrow’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Whether he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s Winter Classic at Notre Dame is still undetermined.

Paul Cotter Signs Entry-Level Contract With Vegas Golden Knights

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The Vegas Golden Knights have inked another prospect, signing Paul Cotter to a three-year entry-level contract. Cotter currently plays with the London Knights of the OHL, and will remain there for the rest of the season.

Cotter, 19, made a huge impact during the Golden Knights development camp but looked like he wouldn’t be joining the organization for some time. That’s because Cotter was set to head to Western Michigan University, where he would be unable to sign a professional contract. After just eight games with the college though, the feisty forward decided to leave and play junior hockey, where his rights were owned by London. The Knights have an incredible chance at the Memorial Cup this year—especially after adding another top defenseman in Joey Keane today—and Cotter could be a real part of it.

Registering eight points in 12 games for the Knights, the biggest part of leaving Western Michigan is that Cotter will be able to start his professional career even sooner. Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, he looks to have a legitimate path to the NHL through his hard work filling an energy role. Though he very well may never make it there, he’s at least taken the first step towards it today by signing his entry-level deal.

Ryan Merkley Traded In OHL

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When the San Jose Sharks strode up to the podium at June’s NHL Entry Draft, there was plenty of talent left on the board. They had the 21st pick of the draft, and big names that had been talked about for months like K’Andre Miller, Joe Veleno and Dominik Bokk were still available. They could have even taken Isac Lundestrom, one of the few players from the draft who has already made his NHL debut. Instead, the Sharks threw caution to the wind and selected one of the most polarizing figures in the entire field, Ryan Merkley.

Merkley was one of the youngest players eligible for the 2018 draft, and didn’t turn 18 until nearly two months after his selection. That youth, combined with some much publicized attitude issues scared away several teams. Once considered a potential top-5 or top-10 pick, he very well could have fallen out of the first round entirely if the Sharks hadn’t snapped him up in the later part of the round. Playing for the Guelph Storm, Merkley recorded 55 and 67 point seasons in his first two years in junior, easily showing off his skill from the blue line as one of the most exceptional passers in the league. This year he is off to an even better start, recording 39 points in 28 games for the Storm.

Those 28 games are all he’ll play for Guelph this year though, as today the team traded Merkley to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for Pavel Gogolev and a package of five draft picks (three of which are conditional). It’s not often you see a team that is in a playoff chase trade away arguably their best player, but the Storm must have felt it was the right time to cash in on their star defenseman. The Petes meanwhile will add a top talent as they try to compete in the OHL’s Eastern Conference with the likes of Ottawa and Sudbury.

Merkley was noticeably absent from the World Junior selection camp roster, but that likely has more to do with his age and the high level of competition than anything else. Unless he surprises everyone and makes the Sharks roster out of camp next year, you can be he’ll be among those competing to play in next year’s tournament. In fact, he very well could be the star puck-mover on that team, given how dominant he projects to be in the OHL next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Alexei Toropchenko

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While the rest of the league is waiting to see what the St. Louis Blues will do with their current roster, they’re busy adding players away from it. The team has announced they have agreed to terms with prospect Alexei Toropchenko on a three-year entry-level contract. Toropchenko was the Blues fourth-round pick in 2017 and is currently playing with the Guelph Storm of the OHL.

It’s been an interesting few years for Toropchenko, going from the Russian junior system to the OHL. Selected fourth overall by the Storm in the CHL Import Draft, he was expected to have a bit more of an immediate impact despite the cultural change. Last season was a fine one for the 6’3″ winger, but with Guelph’s relative struggles he recorded just 39 points in 66 games. Unfortunately, the big offensive numbers haven’t followed this year either but the Blues must see something they like in his development.

Even without big offensive numbers, there is plenty to like in Toropchenko’s game. Willing to go to the front of the net with speed and physicality, he very well could end up playing on the powerplay at the next level. There is a lot of raw ability there, but he’s still quite a distance from the NHL.

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