Morning Notes: Denver, McDavid, KHL
The Denver Pioneers were eliminated from the NCAA Frozen Four tournament last night by an overtime goal from Marc Del Gazio of the UMass Minutemen. That means their players are free to sign entry-level contracts with NHL clubs, including top prospect Ian Mitchell. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) earlier in the year that he wanted to play with them “as soon as [he] can” though nothing had been decided yet on his future. The 20-year old was the 57th overall pick in 2017 and recorded 27 points in 39 games for DU this season.
What the win also means is that Cale Makar is moving on to the NCAA final and can’t join the Colorado Avalanche until at least after tomorrow’s championship game. The young defenseman is expected to join Colorado right away and could potentially jump into their series against the Calgary Flames. That’s still on the back of his mind though, as the Minutemen prepare for Minnesota-Duluth.
- The Edmonton Oilers sent Connor McDavid for second and third opinions on his leg injury this week according to Sportsnet, though they do not have any information on what exactly is wrong with the superstar forward. McDavid injured the leg when he slid into the post during the team’s last game of the season, and will not be suiting up for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship.
- Igor Eronko of Sport-Express tweeted some KHL notes this morning, reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Nikita Scherbak could be heading to the KHL next season. The 23-year old forward is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer after his current deal expires, and could potentially bolt for Russia. Scherbak, originally a first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, was claimed on waivers this season by the Kings but failed to make much of an impact at the NHL level. The winger has just eight points in 37 NHL games across his career.
- Eronko also notes that Rushan Rafikov, a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames back in 2013, has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv. The 23-year old defenseman set a career high with 14 points in 48 games last season, and doesn’t appear interested in the NHL at this point. The Flames will maintain his exclusive draft rights indefinitely.
2019 NHL Draft Lottery Results
The ping pong balls have been drawn and the first 15 picks of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft are set. The league conducted its annual Draft Lottery tonight and the big winners were the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils, with an 11.5% chance of winning the No. 1 overall selection, did just that and astoundingly will have their pick of the class for the second time in three years. New Jersey won the draft lottery in 2017 and selected Nico Hischier and will have the chance to add another elite talent this year. This continues the almost comical lottery luck that has followed Taylor Hall in his career, moving from Edmonton to New Jersey. The Rangers held a 7.8% chance of moving up to the second overall pick and in this specific draft class were very lucky as well, as their consolation prize will be the second of two elite players at the top of the draft board. This will also be the first time in the modern draft era that New York selects within the first three picks. The Blackhawks may have a more difficult choice facing them at No. 3, but aren’t complaining after jumping from No. 12 into the top three, a move that had just a 3% chance of happening. Chicago has been a dynastic franchise this decade and will look to return to greatness by adding one of the draft’s top talents. Altogether, these three teams all moving up in this order was a result that had just a 0.027% chance of occurring.
Following the lottery results, the odds for which were set by the final league standings for non-playoff teams, the first half of the first round will play out as follows:
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Rangers
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa Senators)
- Los Angeles Kings
- Detroit Red Wings
- Buffalo Sabres
- Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks
- Vancouver Canucks
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Minnesota Wild
- Florida Panthers
- Arizona Coyotes
- Montreal Canadiens
The biggest loser of the night has to be the Colorado Avalanche, who fall out of the top three spots despite having a 49.4% chance of winning at least one of the those picks. This is the second time in just three years that Colorado has entered the lottery with the best odds at No. 1, only see three teams win the lottery and pass them up. In 2017, it was again the Devils who stole their top pick. After swindling the Ottawa Senators, it seemed the Avs were destined to cash in, but instead end up with the worst-case scenario. The Los Angeles Kings also have to be unhappy with the results, as the team slides from their second-to-last finish to the fifth overall pick. The Kings desperately could have used an injection of elite young talent next season and may not end up with an immediate contributor at No. 5. While they didn’t have the best of odds, the Vancouver Canucks are undoubtedly still disappointed in missing out on an opportunity to pair Jack Hughes with older brother Quinn Hughes, the team’s first-round pick in 2018 who already made a splash in his first few pro games down the stretch, or to at least make a top-three selection in front of the home crowd.
The younger Hughes, who was actually in attendance at tonight’s lottery event, has of course long been considered the likely top pick this spring and should start getting used to the idea of playing in New Jersey. The U.S. National Team center is considered a high-end play-maker already and turned down a scholarship to the University of Michigan earlier this season, knowing that he could be an impact player immediately in the NHL. As for the fit with the Devils, Hischier has already climbed atop the depth chart at center, but New Jersey will soon be able to boast amazing youth and depth down the middle with the addition of Hughes. Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko has pressured Hughes to be the top pick this year, but many still see him as a close second. The Rangers won’t mind, as Kakko is an extraordinary offensive talent who will score goals and throw his body around right away in the NHL. Kakko could become a major star in the New York market with his flashy goal-scoring ability and will certainly have the opportunity to play a major role right away. At third overall, there are many options for the Blackhawks, but the early expectation based on organizational depth would be a skilled forward like Vasili Podkolzin or Alex Turcotte. Chicago already has several promising young defensemen in the pipeline and can now add an elite forward to their growing young core of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, and Brendan Perlini. Now relegated to the No. 4 pick, the Avalanche will still undoubtedly get a strong player, just as they did two years ago with Cale Makar, if not an immediate contributor in the top remaining prospect on their board. A player like big Canadian center Dylan Cozens would fit in nicely with what Colorado is building.
Now that the order is set, the next step is the draft itself. Everyone may have their projections, but only the day of will reveal the actual futures of these teams and players. This year’s draft is set to take place in Vancouver beginning on June 21st, a day that New Jersey, New York, and Chicago are now much more excited for. Stay tuned.
College Notes: Makar, Jackson, McDonald
The Avalanche will have some extra defensive depth in the near future. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Colorado has agreed to sign top prospect Cale Makar as soon as his college season comes to an end. Makar’s University of Massachusetts Minutemen have reached the Frozen Four with the semi-finals going on Thursday and the final game on Saturday so they’ll be without him for the first couple of games of the first round at the very least. Despite not having any pro action under his belt, it’s like that the Avs will put Makar into their lineup as soon as he puts pen to paper on that new deal. His contract will be a three-year, entry-level pact with the base salary being capped at $925K (which includes signing bonus money).
Other news from the college ranks:
- St. Cloud forward Robby Jackson has agreed to a two-year AHL deal with San Antonio, affiliate of St. Louis, reports Jake Jensen of The Athletic (Twitter link). While the Rampage hasn’t announced the deal, he has been added to their roster on the AHL’s website while it’s noted that he’s not on a tryout contract, suggesting that the first year will be burned this season. The 21-year-old wrapped up his college career by averaging over a point per game for the second straight year and finished third on the Huskies in scoring.
- The Kings have added Bowling Green defender Connor McDonald on an amateur tryout agreement, their AHL team in Ontario announced. The undrafted 23-year-old was a steady stay-at-home player over four seasons with the Falcons. His 161 career games played are the fifth most in Bowling Green history among blueliners.
2019 Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists Announced
The second round of voting has closed, and the Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists have been announced. 83 players were nominated for the award this year, and a fan vote was added to the opinions of NCAA head coaches to determine the final ten names, which has now been reduced to just three.
The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country, and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2013-14, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015-16. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher and 2017-18 winner Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact, but look like they’ll each have long NHL careers.
The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.
The finalists are as follows:
Cale Makar – University of Massachusetts-Amherst (unsigned, Colorado Avalanche)
Makar, 20, was the fourth overall pick in 2017 and is expected to sign with the Avalanche as soon as his college season ends. That may not be for a little while though, as the talented defenseman has led his team to the Frozen Four with back to back 4-0 victories over Harvard and Notre Dame. Makar is arguably the best drafted prospect outside of the NHL and could be a difference maker as soon as he arrives in Colorado. His offensive game has been there since he played junior hockey in the AJHL, but the mobile defender has polished his defensive game and increased his physicality in two years at UMass-Amherst.
Adam Fox – Harvard University (unsigned, Carolina Hurricanes)
Fox, 21, wasn’t drafted quite as high as Makar but is an exciting prospect in his own right. A third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2016 he was traded to Carolina last summer and has already indicated he won’t be signing with the Hurricanes. Armed with incredible vision and playmaking ability Fox is considered one of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the nation and recorded 48 points in 33 games this season for Harvard. While his skating isn’t as dynamic as Makar’s, his huge offensive upside will make him highly sought after if he reaches free agency next summer.
Jimmy Schuldt – St. Cloud State University (Vegas Golden Knights)
Schuldt, 23, is the most experienced of the group having played four seasons at St. Cloud State. The team was arguably the best in the country for almost his entire time there, and the two-way defenseman was a big part of it. Captaining the team for three seasons, Schuldt has an excellent offensive game but really stands out in his own end. An accomplished defender, he can quickly shut down offensive chances and send his team the other way without having to be overly physical. Recently signing as a free agent with the Golden Knights, he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer and able to ink a bigger contract.
NHL Prospects Receiving NCAA Conference Awards
Tomorrow night kicks off the final weekend of conference tournaments in the NCAA, with Selection Sunday setting the stage for the NCAA Tournament beginning next week. With the collegiate regular season a thing of the past, the conferences haves used the gathering of their top teams ahead of this weekend’s games as a chance to hold end of the year banquets and announce award winners. To no surprise, many notable NHL prospects were also among those honored.
Perhaps the top pro prospect in the NCAA and the favorite to win the Hobey Baker Award this year, it was predictable that Cale Makar (COL) would first be unanimously named the Hockey East Player of the Year. The dynamic defenseman was the No. 4 overall pick by the Avalanche two years ago and has lived up to the hype through two seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Makar was one of six UMass players to also be named all-league players, including Mario Ferraro (SJ) and John Leonard (SJ) and scoring champion Mitchell Chaffee. 2018 first-round pick Joel Farabee (PHI) was named Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year following a point-per-game freshman campaign for Boston University. Similarly impressive teenager Cayden Primeau (MTL) was named Goaltender of the Year, backstopping Northeastern University with a .935 save percentage and 2.02 GAA. Providence College’s Vincent Desharnais (EDM) and the University of Maine’s Chase Pearson (DET) were also honored as the Defensive Defenseman and Defensive Forward of the year, respectively.
In the Big Ten Conference, recent Red Wings signing Taro Hirose (DET) out of Michigan State University was named Player of the Year, as well as scoring champion as the NCAA’s leading point-getter. The University of Minnesota’s Sammy Walker (TB) was named Freshman of the Year after the seventh-round pick surprised many this season. Quinn Hughes (VAN) of the University of Michigan and Evan Barratt (CHI) of Penn State University were other notable Big Ten stars, earning first-team all-conference considerations.
Elsewhere, a trifecta of NHL hopefuls won both Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year for their conference. Adam Fox (CAR) is the most notable, as the Harvard University product enjoyed yet another dominant year in the ECAC and could be an impact player immediately once he joins the Hurricanes. Jimmy Schuldt hopes to do the same wherever he ends up, as the priority free agent from St. Cloud State University was named both Player of the Year and Defensive Defenseman of the Year for the NCHC and will push for a National Championship this year before turning his attention to the pros. Finally, Atlantic Hockey’s undisputed top player was Joe Duszak (TOR) of Mercyhurst University, who recently signed with the Maple Leafs after leading all NCAA defensemen in scoring.
Other awards of note include the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Scott Perunovich (STL) winning the NCHC’s Offensive Defenseman of the Year Award for the second year in a row and Cooper Zech (BOS) being named the WCHA’s Rookie of the Year despite already leaving Ferris State University after just one year for the AHL’s Providence Bruins. With the NCAA postseason still to come, there will be more honors on the way for college hockey’s top players, but the conference awards already show that the best of the collegiate ranks includes many NHL draft picks and free agent signings, who will hopefully go on to continue their strong play at the next level.
Ten Finalists Named For 2019 Hobey Baker Award
The first round of voting has come to an end, and the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been named. 83 players were nominated for the award this year, and a fan vote was added to the opinions of NCAA head coaches to determine the final ten names.
The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country, and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2013-14, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015-16. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher and 2017-18 winner Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact, but look like they’ll each have long NHL careers.
The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.
The finalists are as follows:
Joseph Duszak – Mercyhurst University (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Adam Fox – Harvard University (unsigned, Carolina Hurricanes)
Taro Hirose – Michigan State University (Detroit Red Wings)
Quinn Hughes – University of Michigan (Vancouver Canucks)
Mason Jobst – Ohio State University
Cale Makar – University of Massachusetts-Amherst (unsigned, Colorado Avalanche)
Patrick Newell – St. Cloud State University
Chase Priskie – Quinnipiac University (unsigned, Washington Capitals)
Jimmy Schuldt – St. Cloud State University
Nico Sturm – Clarkson University
Snapshots: Fines, Barrie, Senators
James van Riemsdyk has been fined $5,000 for his high-stick on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez last night. That is the maximum allowable fine for the incident, which did not draw a penalty in the game. While van Riemsdyk will not face a suspension, fines like these are taken into account for any future discipline handed down from the Department of Player Safety.
- The Colorado Avalanche are about to have a wealth of right-handed defensemen available to them, and Mike Chambers of the Denver Post believes it might mean they end up trading Tyson Barrie. In fact, Chambers went so far as calling a Barrie trade “inevitable” in his latest mailbag, noting that Conor Timmins is close to a return from injury and Cale Makar is expected to sign after the NCAA season is completed. Barrie is having another outstanding offensive season with 40 points in 49 games and could likely bring back a substantial trade package for the Avalanche if they make him available. With another year on his current contract, a trade doesn’t necessarily need to be before this month’s deadline.
- Elliotte Friedman was on Sportsnet radio today to talk about the trade market, and he explained that “in the next three to five days” there should be a resolution one way or another with Mark Stone and Matt Duchene in Ottawa. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Senators will have signed or traded their two star free agents, but likely that their camps will have indicated to GM Pierre Dorion where negotiations are headed and whether he needs to move them. Friedman notes that those players are still holding up the market at large.
Trade Rumors: Predators, Avalanche, Henrique, Ferland
The Nashville Predators made a splash yesterday when they acquired both Brian Boyle and Cody McLeod to strengthen their bottom-six. However, many continue to speculate that the Preds are not done and in fact remain one of the top players for the market’s most valued rentals forwards. That may not be so, though. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen cites an interview with GM David Poile on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today in which he spoke about the additions of Boyle and McLeod, the return from injury for center Kyle Turris, and his hope of improvement from young winger Kevin Fiala. “If those guys can do it, we’re probably not making any more moves,” Poile stated. It seems that the veteran executive is willing to wait on pulling the trigger on another trade before he can see if the team improves internally. Poile has never been afraid to make a move at the deadline, but is also a careful dealer. “It’s a little bit of an arms race these couple weeks before the trade deadline and I don’t want to say I would react to what another team does. I mean, first and foremost, you’ve got to take care of your own team,” Poile continued, but did add that “nothing is out of the realm of possibilities… I’m making calls. I’m receiving calls. I’m just looking for an opportunity to improve our team. If that comes our way between now and Feb. 25, I’m all in.”
- One team that will play it safe at the deadline, and understandably so, are the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have lost four games straight and eight of their last ten and have fallen out of a playoff spot, all the way to 10th-place in the Western Conference, behind both the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues for the final wild card slot. Colorado still has the talent to right the ship and reach the postseason, but their total lack of secondary scoring and their inconsistent goaltending have put them in a tough spot. GM Joe Sakic is not about to mortgage the future at the trade deadline when his team may has such serious needs and may not even make the playoffs. Sakic told The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers that he believes the team can get back into playoff position and he may look at some minor trades to help them along, but Colorado’s top trade capital is off the table. This includes both of the team’s first-round pick in 2019, their own and the Ottawa Senators’, the latter of which has strong odds of being the No. 1 overall pick. Also included in the untouchables are top defensive prospects Cale Makar and Conor Timmins and top forward prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut. As such, any sellers dealing with Sakic and company should not expect an overwhelming offer for their rental players and, as a result, Avs fans should not expect fireworks at the deadline.
- The Anaheim Ducks are desperate for a shake-up. The team has just two wins in their last 19 games, including a current five-game losing streak, and have plummeted to 14th in the Western Conference. The team also has more cap space committed to their roster for next season than any other team in the NHL and are equally desperate for help alleviating that cap crunch. The result is that Ducks players not previously thought to be available are popping up on the rumor mill. It seems almost anyone on the Anaheim roster could be had in the right deal, but Adam Henrique is currently the most talked-about name. TSN’s Frank Seravalli recently moved Henrique up to No. 15 on the Trade Bait List; he had previously been off the board completely. Henrique signed a five-year extension with the Ducks back in July and will carry a $5.825MM cap hit beginning next season. Although Henrique is second in scoring for Anaheim, his 27 points through 54 games is significantly behind his production rate from last season after coming over from the New Jersey, as well as his scoring pace in most seasons with the Devils. With the Ducks in search of both re-shaped roster and a lesser payroll, the underacheiving Henrique could be on his way out of Anaheim before ever playing a full season with the team.
- TSN’s Trade Bait List also reflects another intriguing change on the trade market. Carolina Hurricanes winger Micheal Ferland, once though to be as good as gone, has fallen down the board to No. 9 overall. While still a high ranking, Seravalli notes that trade talks surrounding Ferland have cooled as the ‘Canes may prefer to hold on to him. Colleague Darren Dreger recently reported the same thing, believing Carolina could use Ferland as their “own rental”. The Hurricanes are currently three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in pursuit of the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, and have played one more game than Columbus and the Buffalo Sabres. However, when your team has holds a league-worst nine-year playoff drought, you jump on any chance you have to get back to the postseason. Ferland is now looking increasingly likely to stay in Carolina as the team tries to make the most of their stretch run and secure a playoff berth, but their play leading up to the deadline will be the deciding factor when it comes to Ferland’s future this season.
2019 Hobey Baker Award Voting Opens
With the collegiate hockey season entering the home stretch, voting for this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award has opened with 83 players nominated for the award. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country, and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2013-14, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015-16. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher and 2017-18 winner Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact, but look like they’ll each have long NHL careers.
The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.
The fan vote will be added to the opinions of NCAA head coaches to come up with a 10-man finalist group, which will then have another fan vote and go through a selection committee. The nominees are as follows:
Shane Bowers Returns To Boston University
Fans of the Boston University Terriers were happy to see sophomore forward Shane Bowers back in the lineup Tuesday night against cross-town rival Harvard University. Bowers was participating in the World Junior Championship with Team Canada recently, but that wasn’t what had supporters and teammates alike worried. Instead, rumors had sprouted that Bowers could sign with his NHL rights holder, the Colorado Avalanche, or join his junior rights holder, the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, after the WJC wrapped up. Instead, as the Providence Journal’s Mark Divver notes, he is back with BU for the remainder of the season.
Bowers, 19, was the 28th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators. As one of the core pieces of the Matt Duchene trade, Bowers was moved to Colorado last season. After an impressive freshman campaign with the Terriers, recording 32 points in 40 games on one of the most talent-laden teams in college hockey – Bowers led even Brady Tkachuk in scoring – there was some speculation that Bowers could sign with the Avalanche this off-season. Instead, he returned to BU for another year. So far, Bowers has just eight points in 15 games, but has displayed a more well-rounded two-way game. He also impressed for Canada at the WJC in a similar role, while adding a pair of assists in five games.
With the Avalanche struggling to find secondary scoring this season, rumblings began that perhaps the easiest way to inject energy and scoring into the lineup would be for GM Joe Sakic to get a head start on signing Bowers, who is expected to sign his entry-level contract after the NCAA season. Thus began the questioning of whether Bowers would return to BU for the remainder of the season after the WJC. That concern was compounded when the Voltigeurs acquired Bowers’ rights from the Saint John Sea Dogs late last month, a move often made with some inside information of an impending transition. In fact, the Voltigeurs simply saw the connection between Bowers and their own players, Maxime Comtois and Joe Veleno, in that all three were members of Team Canada at the recent tournament. They reportedly acquired Bowers’ rights in hopes of convincing him to continue playing with his fellow top Canadian prospects for the remainder of the season, and worked hard to do so, but apparently were not successful. Colorado also seems to have either not persuaded Bowers to leave school earlier or, as some rumors go, were never actually interested in such a move.
For now, Bowers will continue to star for the Terriers in hopes of winning a Beanpot Tournament and Hockey East title and making another NCAA Tournament. The young forward will soon be a pro, but seems content to makes the most of his remaining collegiate career. However, once the season comes to an end, expect Bowers (and Hockey East rival and future teammate, UMass defenseman Cale Makar) to join the Avalanche for the stretch run and postseason. It’s only a matter of time at this point.