Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

World Championships

Snapshots: Capuano, Tardif, Asselin

at CDT | by 5 Comments

With the divisional playoffs now over, the days of the North, East, West, and Central (sort of) are over. Teams are already shifting their mindsets back to the Atlantic, Metropolitan, Pacific, and the true Central, working out how best to beat out their division rivals and make the postseason next year. After taking a step forward this season, albeit against lesser competition, the Ottawa Senators are no exception. The long-time bottom-dwellers are just as cutthroat in their pursuit of success, even if that means handicapping one of their own. Joe MacDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that the Senators have blocked associate head coach Jack Capuano from interviewing for the Buffalo Sabres’ head coach vacancy. Buffalo will be Ottawa’s divisional rival once again next season and beyond and the team will not lose a valued member of their staff with inside knowledge of the organization to one of their most frequent competitors. After leading Team USA to a bronze medal and the best record in group play at the recent IIHF World Championships, Capuano’s name is back in the mix as a head coach candidate. The long-time New York Islander bench boss is still held in high regard around the league and the Sabres may not be the only team kicking his tires. Perhaps the Senators will let him go elsewhere, just not within the Atlantic Division.

  • After wrapping a strong junior career in the QMJHL, capped off by a stellar run with the Victoriaville Tigres that ended with a league title, Ben Tardif was expected to have some NHL interest. The 21-year-old forward had scored at better than a point-per-game clip in each of the past two seasons, culminating in 11 goals and 22 points in 19 games for Victoriaville en route to the President’s Cup. However, Tardif seemingly did not receive the attention he might have expected and has settled for an AHL contract. The Colorado Eagles announced that they have signed Tardif to a two-year contract. The Colorado Avalanche obviously have some stock in the move as well, hoping that Tardif can use the time to round out his game and show that his offense can translate to the pro level. If he succeeds, Tardif will find himself in a great spot as part of an Avs club that looks like it will contend for many years to come.
  • One player whose career Tardif will likely be following is Samuel Asselin. A QMJHL star himself –  a Memorial Cup champion and league-leading goal-scorer – Asselin too was surprisingly unable to land an NHL contract after his junior career ended. Like Tardif, he signed a two-year deal with the AHL’s Providence Bruins instead. Following a point-per-game, All-Star season in the ECHL last year, Asselin was a full-time member of the P-Bruins this season and showed that there is more to his game than scoring ability with a gritty, high-energy style. And other teams took notice. Mark Divver of The New England Hockey Journal writes that NHL competitors are sniffing around Asselin and time is running out for the Bruins to lock him in to an entry-level contract. The club holds the right of first refusal to match any competing offer, but only while Asselin remains under contract. Once the off-season arrives, Asselin could depart with Boston having nothing to show for two years of development.

Blackhawks Sign Lukas Reichel

at CDT | by 8 Comments

June 9: Now that the tournament is over, the Blackhawks have officially signed Reichel to his three-year entry-level contract. The deal comes with a cap hit of $925K. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman released a statement on his newest forward:

Lukas made tremendous strides in his second year as a professional. The game appeared to slow down for him this past season, which allowed his play-making skills to be on full display. Bringing him over to North America is the logical next step for his continued development and we’re excited to be able to add such a young, dynamic player to our forward group.

May 22: After being drafted last fall, Blackhawks prospect Lukas Reichel estimated that he was a couple of years away from being ready for the NHL.  However, after a strong season with Eisbaren Berlin in Germany where he worked his way up the lineup down the stretch while transitioning from the wing to center, that timeline could be accelerated.  To that end, Reichel’s agent Allain Roy told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that the expectation is that the youngster will sign his entry-level deal at the conclusion of the World Championships.

The 19-year-old was a late riser in the 2020 draft and went from being ranked as a second-round pick by some agencies to the 17th pick by Chicago after a good first season with Berlin.  He followed that up by finishing fifth in scoring with Berlin this season on a veteran-laden team with 10 goals and 17 assists in 38 games while chipping in with five more points in nine playoff contests.  That helped him earn an invite to the Worlds where he is tied for the tournament lead in scoring through the first few days with two goals and three helpers in just two games.  His presence at that tournament prevents him from being signed right away which is why they’ll have to wait a couple of weeks.

Chicago doesn’t have to have Reichel in the NHL right away, however.  Though he’s still junior-aged, he is eligible to play with AHL Rockford since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL and that might not be a bad idea for his development to ease his transition to the smaller North American ice surface.  In that event, his deal would be eligible to slide a year if he plays in nine or fewer NHL games next season.  Either way, Reichel should be playing under the watchful eye of the organization in 2021-22.

Evening Notes: Carlo, Olympics, OHL Draft

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to just four series and the start of the off-season is still a ways away, but that doesn’t mean the hockey news cycle slows down. There have been quite a few notable announcements today, including one that involves one of those few remaining active teams. After taking a hard, but clean check from New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck, Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo was forced out of Game Three on Thursday with an apparent head injury. Carlo has a history of concussions, including missing time earlier this season, and after his head made contact with the boards, the big defender struggled to get back up and had to be helped off the ice. The expectation of course was that Carlo could miss considerable time as a result of the check; however, the initial reports suggested that Carlo was feeling good after the game. Well, the Bruins will sit Carlo for at least Game Four, the team has announced, perhaps just out of an abundance of caution. The hope is that Carlo can return sooner rather than later, especially with fellow blue liners Kevan Miller and Jakub Zboril also injured and Steven Kampfer out for the year. In the meantime, Jeremy Lauzon will be elevated to Carlo’s spot on the second pair and Jarred Tinordi will sub into the lineup.

  • It appears that the NHL is using the ongoing IIHF World Championships to work with the international governing body on an agreement for the upcoming Olympics. TSN’s Gord Miller relays word from IIHF officials that “significant progress” has been made on terms of NHL participation in the 2022 Winter Games. The two sides have been discussing the topic in-person for the first time while in Riga, Latvia this week and appear to be on the right track. Olympic participation in Beijing, China in 2022 and Milan, Italy in 2026 was negotiated as part of last year’s Collective Bargaining Agreement extension, but was pending an agreement between the NHL and IIHF as well. It seems that such an agreement is now getting close.
  • The OHL wrapped up their two-day Priority Selection Draft on Saturday. The opening of the draft made headlines on Friday, with American Quentin Musty being selected first overall and Oakville Rangers U16 program contributing five of the next ten picks. However, it was pick No. 267 today that stole the show. The Sarnia Sting selected goaltender Taya Currie with the pick, making her the first female player to ever be drafted into the OHL. It is quite the honor for Currie, but she now faces the difficult decision of committing to the men’s junior game or instead reserving her NCAA eligibility to play the women’s game at the next level.

Snapshots: Development Camps, IIHF, Lundell, Abdelkader

at CDT | by 2 Comments

While vaccination rates continue to grow across the NHL’s 32 cities, it doesn’t seem as if one of the staples of the offseason won’t be happening this year either.  Player agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that he doesn’t expect Development Camps to be held due to the various travel and quarantine restrictions.  To that end, some rookie tournaments could also potentially be in jeopardy or will need to be shortened unless things open up considerably over the next couple of months.  It will be a compressed summer schedule with the draft and free agency being later in July but there could be a couple of notable events that are absent from the usual offseason calendar.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The IIHF announced that they have made several changes to their rulebook in an attempt to amalgamate those used in the NHL and various international leagues. Among the changes that will be noticeable is the institution of the trapezoid behind the net, expanded video review and challenge options, plus the adaptation of the NHL’s offside rule which allows for a player to be onside as long as the skate is over the plane of the blue line instead of having to have the skate touch the line.  These changes will be in effect for the Women’s Worlds which were recently moved to Calgary in late August as well as the upcoming Olympic qualification tournaments.
  • The Panthers intend to have 2020 top pick Anton Lundell at training camp in the fall, GM Bill Zito told David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The center was picked 12th overall and is coming off a strong season with HIFK in the SM-liiga while being Finland’s leading scorer at the World Championships.  It’s worth noting that Lundell has not yet signed his entry-level deal but with Zito’s comments, it appears they expect to get him signed by then.
  • Winger Justin Abdelkader was on Team USA’s entry at the Worlds before suffering a lower-body injury in their round robin victory over Germany. GM John Vanbiesbrouck told Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that the veteran will need to have some work done to fix the injury which is speculated to be a knee issue.  That could make it tougher for him to return to the NHL for next season which is his intention.  The 34-year-old was productive with EV Zug in the Swiss League, notching eight points in nine regular season games plus nine more in 13 playoff contests.

Central Notes: Chicago Goalies, Quenneville, Detroit Prospects

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Blackhawks went into this season with plenty of uncertainty between the pipes with Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia battling for the number one role with Kevin Lankinen serving as a third option.  Of course, by the end, Lankinen had established himself as the starter but there is still plenty of uncertainty regarding the viability of this trio.  Despite that, Phil Thompson and Chris Sosa of the Chicago Tribune feel that the team would be justified sticking with that same goalie group for next season which would allow them to evaluate Lankinen’s potential viability as a long-term starter while determining if one of Subban or Delia is worthy of a full-time backup spot.  All three netminders are slated to become unrestricted free agents in the 2022 offseason.

More from the Central:

  • Still regarding a Chicago goaltender, USA Hockey announced that prospect Drew Commesso has been added to their roster for the World Championships, replacing Anthony Stolarz who was injured in Sunday’s victory over Canada. The 18-year-old was a second-round pick of the Blackhawks (46th overall) back in 2020 and had a .915 SV% in 11 appearances in his freshman year at Boston University.
  • The fact that Seattle has yet to name their inaugural head coach is somewhat of a surprise given the veterans that have been available and the fact that GM Ron Francis wants an experienced voice behind the bench. However, Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests the reason for that could be that the Kraken are interested in Panthers bench boss Joel Quenneville, positing that Florida might be willing to let him go for financial reasons.  Considering the season that they’ve had, it’d be tough to imagine that they’d simply let him go to save some money but if there is even a remote possibility of it happening, Francis’ patience in naming a coach would be justified.
  • While many expect Red Wings top prospects Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond to make the jump to the NHL next season, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman told MLive’s Ansar Khan that the youngsters aren’t pencilled into a spot on the roster. While he acknowledged that Seider – recently named the SHL’s defenseman of the year – should be ready to jump into the NHL lineup, Detroit has preferred a slower development approach in recent years which could result in the youngsters getting some AHL time first.

Russia Adds Three To World Championships Roster

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The early playoff exits for the Capitals and Blues is Russia’s gain.  The IIHF announced today that Russia has added winger Vladimir Tarasenko from St. Louis plus defenseman Dmitry Orlov and goalie Ilya Samsonov from Washington.  Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin declined an invitation due to injury; he missed seven of the last eight games in the regular season due to a lower-body issue which he likely still hasn’t fully recovered from.

It was a tough year for Tarasenko who missed the first half of the season with a shoulder injury and then wasn’t particularly productive upon his return, notching just four goals in 24 games.  He managed to pick up a pair of postseason tallies, both coming in yesterday’s 5-2 loss to Colorado.  Nevertheless, he should be able to step in and be a go-to scoring threat as the tournament progresses.

As for Washington’s duo, Samsonov’s sophomore season wasn’t as strong as his first year.  He had two separate stints on the COVID Protocol Related Absences List including one that made him unavailable for the first two playoff games and managed just a .902 SV% in 19 regular season appearances.  Russia kept a goalie spot open presumably in case Washington was eliminated, a decision that looks wise now.  Orlov, meanwhile, picked up 22 points in 51 games for the Capitals this season while chipping in with three helpers in the playoffs while seeing his playing time increase to just over 23 minutes a night.  He’ll be expected to log similar minutes for Russia.

As TSN’s Gord Miller points out (Twitter link), several countries left spots open for potential late additions.  Those are the following:

Canada: Five skaters
Denmark: One goaltender, five skaters
Germany: Five skaters
Russia: One skater
Switzerland: Three skaters
United States: Two skaters

Depending on what other teams get eliminated in the next few days in the playoffs, there could be some reinforcements coming for the above countries.  However, they won’t be allowed to play right away and will be required to serve a six-day quarantine upon arriving in Latvia, just like Russia’s new trio of players will soon be doing.

International Notes: Jokinen, Roy, Samorukov, Kovalenko

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Long-time NHL forward Jussi Jokinen has decided to call it a career, telling NHL.com’s Varpu Sihvonen that he is hanging up his skates at the age of 38.  Jokinen played in 951 career NHL games over parts of 13 seasons with nine different teams, picking up 191 goals and 372 assists.  After spending a year in Switzerland, he returned home to play in Karpat where he spent the last two seasons.  His production dipped this season as he picked up just nine goals in 51 games which helped lead to his decision as he felt that he is no longer able to play at a high enough level to contribute as much as he wants to.  Jokinen didn’t win a Stanley Cup in the NHL but picked up five medals internationally, two at the Olympics and three at the World Championships.

More from the international game:

  • Jokinen wasn’t the only veteran announcing his retirement as Derek Roy did the same today via a post on his Instagram page. The center spent most of his 11-year career with Buffalo and suited up in 738 career games, notching 189 goals and 335 assists.  Roy last saw NHL action in 2015 before embarking on a four-country tour over the past six seasons which ended with EHC Munchen where he had four goals and five helpers in just 12 games in 2020-21.
  • CSKA Moscow of the KHL announced (Twitter link) that they have released defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, paving the way for him to return to the Oilers for next season. The 21-year-old spent last season with AHL Bakersfield but the uncertainty around the pandemic led him to stay in Russia for this season where he managed two goals and six assists in 48 games.  While he’s eligible to play in the playoffs with Edmonton, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury so that won’t be happening.
  • Avalanche prospect Nikolai Kovalenko told Championnat’s Alexander Kozhevnikov that he is leaving Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL due to unhappiness over his role. The 2018 sixth-rounder had a limited role this season but still managed to notch five goals and six assists in 41 games.  The winger indicated that there are a couple of options he’s currently considering – signing with Colorado and coming to North America or staying in Russia and joining Ak Bars Kazan.  As Kovalenko was drafted out of Russia, his NHL rights will be held indefinitely.

Sweden Announces World Championship Roster

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Sweden released their roster for the upcoming World Championships, which gets underway on Friday, early this morning. While they have plenty of players in the NHL (especially on the forward group), this team primarily consists of players playing in leagues overseas.  Their roster is as follows with NHL affiliations noted where applicable.

Goaltenders

Samuel Ersson (PHI)
Viktor Fasth
Adam Reideborn

Defensemen

Klas Dahlback
Albert Johansson (DET)
Viktor Loov
Nils Lundkvist (NYR)
Magnus Nygren
Lawrence Pilut (BUF)
Jonathan Pudas
Jesper Sellgren (CAR)
Henrik Tommernes

Forwards

Max Friberg
Jesper Froden
Filip Hallander (TOR)
Pontus Holmberg (TOR)
Adrian Kempe (LAK)
Mario Kempe
Carl Klingberg
Oscar Lindberg
Par Lindholm
Isac Lundestrom (ANH)
Victor Olofsson (BUF)
Rickard Rakell (ANH)
Dennis Rasmussen
Marcus Sorensen (SJ)
Andreas Wingerli

The group has quite a few NHL players on their roster, especially at the forward position, although only a handful have World Championship experience. The biggest name on the list is Anaheim’s Rakell. The 28-year-old forward has appeared in one previous World Championship, back in 2017-18 when he scored six goals and 14 points in 10 games for Sweden. Los Angeles Kings’ Kempe also headlines a solid forward group. Kempe will be appearing in his third World Championship. Olofsson is another significant name who will be appearing in his first World Championship. He is coming off a 13-goal campaign in Buffalo this year. Sorensen, who has bounced back with a solid campaign in San Jose, also joins the group.

On the prospect front in terms of those that haven’t made their NHL debut, it’s the defense that is loaded up with a number of interesting names. The most notable name is Lundkvist, who is property of the New York Rangers. It’s believed that negotiations between the 20-year-old blueliner and the Rangers will get underway soon, likely after the World Championships to bring the prospect over. He could walk right away onto the Rangers’ blueline with a solid preseason (assuming he signs). Johansson is another defenseman who has put up solid numbers in the SHL and is likely to arrive in Detroit this coming season, although he will likely need some time in the AHL. Sellgren is another player on loan to the SHL who will likely be expected to establish himself in the AHL for the Carolina Hurricanes next season. Don’t forget Philadelphia’s Ersson, who has had a solid year in net this past year in the SHL and looks ready to come over as well.

Sweden’s tournament gets underway next Saturday with a matchup against Denmark.

Finland Announces World Championships Roster

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Finland is the latest country to unveil its roster for the upcoming World Championships which get underway on Friday.  While they have plenty of players in the NHL, this team primarily consists of players playing in leagues overseas.  Their roster is as follows with NHL affiliations noted where applicable.

Goaltenders

Jussi Olkinuora
Harri Sateri
Janne Juvonen

Defensemen

Oliwer Kaski (CAR)
Miika Koivisto
Petteri Lindbohm (STL)
Olli Maatta (LA)
Kim Nousiainen (LA)
Atte Ohtamaa
Ville Pokka
Axel Rindell (TOR)
Mikael Seppala
Tony Sund (SJ)

Forwards

Marko Antilla
Hannes Bjorninen
Jere Innala
Jere Karjalainen
Petri Kontiola
Anton Lundell (FLA)
Saku Maenalanen (CAR)
Niko Ojamaki
Iiro Pakarinen
Valtteri Puustinen (PIT)
Mikael Ruohomaa
Arttu Ruotsalainen (BUF)
Jere Sallinen
Peter Tiivola
Teemu Turunen

It’s a very inexperienced group internationally with no fewer than 14 players making their debuts at the Worlds.  Among the notable names on the list is Maatta, a veteran of eight NHL seasons.  He’s coming off of a particularly quiet year with the Kings as he had just four assists in 41 games while averaging just 16:26 per game, the lowest ATOI of his career.  He should be in line for a much bigger role in this tournament.  Ruotsalainen saw regular action down the stretch for Buffalo and on a team that struggled mightily to score, he wasn’t bad in that regard, notching five goals in 17 games while logging nearly 14 minutes per night, numbers that aren’t bad for a rookie.

On the prospect front in terms of those that haven’t made their NHL debut, Lundell is the name that stands out.  The 12th-overall pick last fall, he averaged nearly a point per game in 26 contests with HIFK in the SM-liiga and was tied for third in scoring at the World Juniors.  He looks like he will be a big part of Florida’s future.  Puustinen was a seventh-rounder (203rd overall) back in 2019 to the Penguins and looks to have outperformed that draft slot already, finishing second in scoring with HIFK with 21 goals and 20 assists in 51 games which helped him earn an entry-level deal with the Penguins earlier this month.

Finland’s tournament gets underway next Saturday with a matchup against the United States.

Russia Announces World Championships Roster

at CDT | by 3 Comments

With the World Hockey Championships now less than a week away, countries have started revealing their roster for the tournament.  Russia is the latest to do so, announcing a group that has a mixture of NHL experience with several key veterans from the KHL as well.  Their roster is as follows with NHL affiliations noted where applicable:

Goaltenders

Ivan Fedotov (PHI)
Alexander Samonov

Defensemen

Grigory Dronov
Vladislav Gavrikov (CBJ)
Alexey Marchenko
Nikita Nesterov (CGY)
Ivan Provorov (PHI)
Igor Ozhiganov
Rushan Rafikov (CGY)
Nikita Zadorov (CHI)
Artem Zub (OTT)

Forwards

Alexander Barabanov (SJ)
Anton Burdasov
Emil Galimov (SJ)
Mikhail Grigorenko (CBJ)
Vladislav Kamenev (COL)
Pavel Karnaukhov (CGY)
Andrey Kuzmenko
Ivan Morozov (VGK)
Konstantin Okulov
Maxim Shalunov (CHI)
Anton Slepyshev (EDM)
Artem Shvets-Rogovoy
Sergey Tolchinsky
Evgeny Timkin
Dmitry Voronkov (CBJ)

That leaves Russia two players short – one goalie and one forward.  They will have two taxi squads of sorts, one with the team and one in Riga.  Players staying in the bubble with the team including goalie Ivan Bocharov and forwards Ilya Safonov and Vasili Podkolzin (VAN) while draft-eligible blueliner Kirill Kirsanov and winger Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) will be in Riga.  Speculatively, keeping only one extra goalie in the bubble suggests that Russia may be looking to see if someone like Washington’s Ilya Samsonov was to become available if Washington is ousted quickly in the playoffs and would turn to Bucharov if that doesn’t happen.

If you follow the KHL closely, you might have noticed that most of the KHL players are from two teams.  SKA St. Petersburg has 11 players on this list while three of the top four scorers from CSKA Moscow (highlighted by Okulov who has attracted NHL interest in recent years and will again this offseason) are there as well.  That familiarity should certainly be helpful in a short tournament like this one.  Russia’s first game is set for Friday against the Czech Republic.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top