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World Juniors

Snapshots: Despres, Maple Leafs, Zuccarello

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Simon Despres was offered a contract by the AHL’s Laval Rocket before this season began, but opted not to sign with the team. After spending a couple of months examining his options, the veteran defenseman has decided to take them up on their offer after all. Except now, the deal is just on a tryout basis. Laval announced today that Despres has signed a PTO with the team. Despres, a former first-round pick and NHL regular with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, struggled with injuries and was more or less forced out of the league in recent years. After finally returning to full health last season and performing well with the KHL’s HC Slovan Bratislava, Despres expressed an interest in returning to the NHL this year. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned his interest in the relatively new AHL franchise in his hometown of Laval and eventually signed a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens this summer in hopes of landing a two-way contract where he could play in Laval and potentially work his way onto the Habs’ roster. He fell short of that goal, but a one-way AHL contract with the Rocket seemed like the next-best thing. Hopefully it’s not too late to land a real contract with Laval.

  • The official camp roster for Sweden’s World Juniors entry will be announced tomorrow. However, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the luxury of knowing two of their prospects – defensemen Tim Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin – will be selected to the team. The Leafs also have the luxury of ample depth that will allow them to send both to the tournament without a second thought, reports Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. With the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season, Sandin leads all defensemen on the team with four goals despite playing in all twelve games, while Liljegren has been arguably the team’s top defensive defenseman. Neither of the two look quite ready for the NHL just yet, but are well on their way.
  • Not many players have the clarity and foresight about their own status to predict when they’ll be traded, but a respected veteran like Mats Zuccarello does. The New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis relays a report from a journalist in Zuccarello’s native Norway that Zuccarello believes a trade is more likely than him finishing out the year in New York. A career Ranger, Zuccarello is likely upset about the end of his time with the team coming, but as a pending free agent on a rebuilding club, he was likely moving on one way or another. Zuccarello will likely be a coveted piece at the trade deadline.

Ottawa Senators Recall Forward Drake Batherson

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The meteoric rise of Drake Batherson continues. A relative no-name just a few years ago, Batherson is now set to join the Ottawa Senators on his first NHL call-up as a first-year pro. The team announced that they have recalled Batherson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators and he could make his debut when the Sens host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Batherson, 20, was a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in 2017, merely the 121st overall pick. Batherson had completed just one full season in the QMJHL prior to being drafted, recording 58 points in 61 games for the Cape Breton Screming Eagles. Yet, Batherson was still included in the initial camp to compete for a spot on the Canadian World Junior roster. Against the odds, Batherson earned a spot and skated with the U-20 team at the World Juniors last January. Seemingly out of nowhere, Batherson tallied seven goals, tied for the second most in the tournament behind only American first-round pick Kieffer Bellows and tied for fourth-best in points for the Canadians. Batherson continued a strong campaign back in the QMJHL, totaling 77 points in 51 games between Cape Breton and the Blainsville-Boisbriand Armada, which was good enough to share eleventh place in league scoring. He then led all QMJHL skaters with an astounding 33 points in 22 postseason games for Blainville-Boisbriand, leading the team to an appearance in the league championship.

Some thought that Batherson may be unable to continue his impressive play after making the jump to the pro level this season. Instead, the rookie has 20 points through 14 games with Belleville, tied for second-best in the entire AHL. His 13 assists are additionally third in the league, while he leads the Senators across the board on offense by a wide margin. Ottawa hopes that Batherson can continue to find success against a new challenge, as he has for the past year or so. The Senators have won just three of their past eleven games and could use all the help they can get, especially if it comes from a young, potential future core piece. At this rate, Batherson is looking like just that.

Janis Voris Seeking Opportunity In North America

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Young Latvian goaltender Janis Voris has his heart set on a jump to North America and he’s being proactive about it. KHL squad Dinamo Riga announced today that they have suspended the contract of the 18-year-old netminder so that he may pursue other options overseas. The two sides mutually agreed that he should explore options in North America to further his development.

Voris played in all but six games for Riga’s youth team in the MHL last season, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.81 GAA in 58 contests against some of the best young players in Russia and Eastern Europe. He was also one the major highlights of the U-18 World Juniors 1A tournament, where he turned in an incredible .969 save percentage and 0.67 GAA in three games.

With Latvia’s top pro goaltender and former NHLer Kristers Gudlevskis returning home to man the net at the KHL level for the foreseeable future, as well as two other veteran keepers on the roster, Voris likely did not have much of a path to tougher competition in his current situation. However, his talent demands more of a challenge. Although Voris was not selected this past June in his first year of NHL Draft eligibility, he could be an intriguing option for an NHL team to sign to an entry-level contract and let develop at the junior level for several years. At the very least, the young goalie should find a new home in the junior ranks in no time.

Vladislav Kolyachonok Joins OHL’s London Knights

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The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League used their second-round pick in the CHL Import Draft in June to select a very intriguing prospect. Now, they have been able to convince him to come over to North America and join the team for the coming season. The OHL announced today that the Knights have signed Belorussian defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok to  a standard player agreement, as the 17-year-old will begin his draft-eligible year in London.

Kolyachonok is part of what might just be the most highly-regarded class of prospects out of Belarus this century. While no one is expecting the import blue liner or any of his countrymen to be taken in the first round – at least not yet – Kolyachonok is one of eight Belorussians selected in the Import Draft out of a class of 77 players. There have only been 15 players selected out of Belarus in the NHL Draft since 2000 and only two of those picks – Andrei Kostitsyn and Konstantin Zakharov in 2003 – have come in Round Three or earlier. In that same time span, there have been nine drafts in which no players hailing from Belarus were selected. While Kostitsyn and brother Sergei, as well as Mikhail Grabovksi, developed into capable NHLers, there has not been a Belorussian player of note in the league for some time. Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Maxim Sushko, a 2017 fourth-rounder, might just be the most well-known active prospect, while multiple Belorussians were selected this year for the first time since 2005, with both Yegor Sharangovich and Vladislav Yeromenko being chosen in the fifth round.

Kolyachonok is just one of a number of talented draft-eligible players from Belarus who could turn the tides for the country’s developmental history next June. Vladimir Alistrov, the second overall pick in the Import Draft and now a member of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, leads a group that includes Kolyachonok, Aliaksei Protas, Daniil Stepanov, and more who could hear there names called next June. Kolyachonok is likely to be the top defenseman of the bunch, as last season he was one of the top players for the U-18 national team, recording 20 points in 43 games on the top pair. He was also a hidden gem at the World Juniors, where he led all Belorussian defenders in points and plus/minus. While Kolyachonok still has a long season ahead of him, adjusting to tougher competition and a more intense pace of play in the OHL, if he is able to thrive in London, then he could potentially even be the highest-drafted player from his country in some time at the draft next year.

Overseas Notes: Lundestrom, Vesalainen, Free Agents, Paille

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While the Anaheim Ducks finalized an entry-level contract with newest first-round pick Isac Lundestrom yesterday, don’t expect to see him donning a Ducks jersey right away. Beat writer Eric Stephens reports that Lundestrom is expected to remain in Sweden for at least one more year to finish out his contract with the SHL’s Lulea. This would line up with the specifics of Lundestrom’s contract, which contains a European Assignment Clause for next season. After that, Lundestrom’s future is more of a mystery, but the high-ceiling center is still relatively raw and likely a few seasons away from an NHL debut.

  • Another prospect in limbo between the NHL and Europe is the Winnipeg Jets’ 2017 first-rounder, Kristian Vesalainen. The 19-year-old power forward had a breakout campaign last year, recording 43 point in 49 games between HPK and Karpat of the Liiga, the top pro league in his native Finland, and impressing at the World Juniors. However, Vesalainen’s contract in Finlad has expired and he remains an unsigned – and highly sought-after – free agent across the continent, having now spent time in both Sweden and Finland. Yet, Vesalainen may be holding out for a spot with the Jets this season. The budding young star has yet to sign his entry-level contract, but may be hoping that he can somehow work his way in to a loaded forward corps in Winnipeg. Otherwise, one would think that he would have already signed with another team in Europe.
  • Speaking of European free agents, Vesalainen is not the only recognizable name still available who played overseas last season. After a point-per-game season with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA, Mason Raymond still remains unsigned, perhaps hoping for NHL interest. Raymond, offensive defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti, and capable two-way forward Nick Spaling highlight NLA players awaiting jobs, while Brandon Gormley and Jonathon Blum are puck-moving defenders still looking for a contract after playing in the SHL and KHL respectively last year. In Finland, veteran defenseman Henrik Tallinder has remained productive well into his late thirties but is still looking for another shot, while consistent forward Jesse Saarinen, a top 20 per-game scorer in the Liiga, also remains unemployed.
  • Joining the list of European free agents today is long-time NHL checking forward Daniel Paille. Paille, 34, spent 11 years with the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers before departing for Sweden in 2016. Paille signed a three-year deal with Brynas IF of the SHL and played well in his first season. However, injuries limited the two-way forward to just 14 games last season and Brynas decided to move on. The team announced today that both they and Paille have mutually agreed to terminate the final year of the contract, allowing Brynas to get out from under the contract and allowing Paille to focus on getting healthy. At this point, it is unclear if Paille will be actively looking for work this season or if he is leaning toward taking the year off or perhaps hanging up the skates for good.

 

USA Hockey Cuts 13 From Summer Showcase Roster

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We’re beginning to get a better idea of who will be representing USA Hockey at this winter’s World Junior tournament, as the program cut 13 players from the current Summer Showcase group. The showcase is being held currently in Kamloops, British Columbia and is a chance for the coaching staff to see how their young prospects play together. The two US teams took on Canada yesterday, and won both games. Those two groups will be combined into one for the final three matches, and will no longer include the following players.

D Max Gildon (FLA, 66th overall, 2017)
D Tommy Miller (undrafted)
D David Farrance (NSH, 92nd overall, 2017)
D Josh Ess (CHI, 215th overall, 2017)
D Alec Regula (DET, 67th overall, 2018)

F Curtis Hall (BOS, 119th overall, 2018)
F Cole Coskey (undrafted)
F Ivan Lodnia (MIN, 85th overall, 2017)
F Jake Wise (CHI, 69th overall, 2018)
F Jacob McGrew (SJS, 159th overall, 2017)
F Brandon Kruse (VGK, 135th overall, 2018)
F Logan Hutsko (FLA, 89th overall, 2018)
F Jon Gruden (OTT, 95th overall, 2018)

The remaining 29 players can be found here, though that includes Ryan Poehling who will not be used in any game action after undergoing surgery less than a month ago. Those players who were cut are not necessarily out of the running for a spot on the World Junior roster, though they’d have to have quite the first half of the season or hope for an injury to one of those who remain. The US will take on Sweden tomorrow afternoon, who they lost to earlier in the tournament.

Morning Notes: Miller, van Riemsdyk, Virtanen

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K’Andre Miller will miss out on his next opportunity to impress the New York Rangers staff as he’s been forced off the USA Hockey World Junior Summer Showcase roster due to illness. Miller, selected 22nd-overall in June’s draft, will give up his spot to Max Gildon, a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers who attended the Showcase last summer as well.

Miller will play this season at the University of Wisconsin, and continue to develop as a defenseman after switching positions from forward just two years ago. Though he’ll need time to develop his defensive instincts further, there are already signs that Miller could grade out as a top-end option for the Rangers down the line. His length and skating ability should allow him to thrive in the NCAA right away, though the World Juniors may have to wait until next year.

  • James van Riemsdyk knew that he wouldn’t be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season long before he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, as his former team was up front with him heading into free agency. van Riemsdyk told media including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com that the Maple Leafs informed him they would be going in a different direction a few weeks before July 1st, and that he was grateful to them for being so honest. Interestingly, if we’re to believe that John Tavares made up his mind to go to the Maple Leafs just the night before signing, the team was prepared to let van Riemsdyk walk regardless and would have had an immense amount of cap space to go after other free agents. Signing a five-year $35MM contract with the Flyers, van Riemsdyk was arguably the second-best free agent option on the market behind Tavares.
  • Jake Virtanen has a lot of pressure on him to perform up to his high draft status this season, and he’s enlisted the help of a somewhat non-traditional source. Pavel Barber, the YouTube stickhandling sensation, has been working with Virtanen this summer according to Mike Johnston of Sportsnet. Barber runs coaching camps across North America and is known for his off-ice stickhandling routines, and Virtanen apparently can already feel an improvement in his game. After struggling to carve out a top-six role for himself despite a sixth-overall draft selection, any help is appreciated by Virtanen and the Vancouver Canucks. The 21-year old forward signed a two-year contract yesterday, and has a lot of pressure on him to perform in the next couple of seasons.

Yegor Sharangovich, Eric Tangradi Sign With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have convinced Yegor Sharangovich to sign his three-year entry-level contract, and according to team beat reporter Amanda Stein, expect him to come to North America this season. Sharangovich played last season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk, and suited up for Belarus at the World Juniors this past winter. The team has also announced a one-year, two-way contract for veteran minor league forward Eric Tangradi.

Sharangovich, 20, was a fifth-round selection by the Devils in June in his third year of eligibility. It was a worthwhile gamble by the Devils after watching the young forward participate in the last two World Championships against NHL players, and now play a regular shift in the KHL. Though he recorded just 12 points in 47 games there, it bodes well for his professional future that he wasn’t completely overmatched at such a young age. It’s unlikely that he’ll make an NHL impact right away, but for the small price of a late-round pick, the Devils will try to develop his big talented frame into a legitimate two-way center prospect.

Tangradi on the other hand comes with plenty of NHL and AHL experience. The 29-year old forward has spent the last two seasons exclusively in the minor leagues playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he won a Calder Cup in the spring of 2017. In this most recent season he led the club with 31 goals and finished eighth in the entire league in points with 64. He should give the Binghamton Devils a huge offensive boost and even be depth for the NHL club if injuries arise. Tangradi has played in 144 NHL games, though hasn’t been able to find much success at the higher level.

USA Hockey Announces Summer Showcase Rosters

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The World Juniors are still several months away, but we’ll get a look at those players vying for spots this weekend at the 2018 World Junior Summer Showcase. The tournament begins on Saturday in Kamloops, British Columbia and runs through August 4th, pitting teams from around the world against each other as a warm up for the winter tournament. USA Hockey will submit two teams as usual, and today announced the rosters for each along with the coaching staffs.

Team Blue will be led by Scott Sandelin and Chris Clark, who currently work for the University of Minnesota-Duluth and Columbus Blue Jackets respectively. Their roster will feature some exceptional talents including returning names like Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Samberg. The full Blue roster is as follows:

F Evan Barratt (CHI, 90th overall, 2017)
F Sasha Chmelevski (SJS, 185th overall, 2017)
F Logan Cockerill (NYI, 201st overall, 2017)
F Paul Cotter (VGK, 115th overall, 2018)
F Sean Dhooghe (undrafted)
F Jon Gruden (OTT, 95th overall, 2018)
F Logan Hutsko (FLA, 89th overall, 2018)
F Brandon Kruse (VGK, 135th overall, 2018)
F Jacob McGrew (SJS, 159th overall, 2017)
F Ryan Poehling (MTL, 25th overall, 2017)
F Brady Tkachuk (OTT, 4th overall, 2018)
F Jake Wise (CHI, 69th overall, 2018)

D Josh Ess (CHI, 215th overall, 2017)
D David Farrance (NSH, 92nd overall, 2017)
D K’Andre Miller (NYR, 22nd overall, 2018)
D Tommy Miller (undrafted)
D Alec Regula (DET, 67th overall, 2018)
D Dylan Samberg (WPG, 43rd overall, 2017)
D Reilly Walsh (NJD, 81st overall, 2017)

G Kyle Keyser (BOS, free agent)
G Keith Petruzzelli (DET, 88th overall 2017)

Team White will be led by Steve Miller and Pat Mikesch, who currently work with Ohio State University and the Green Bay Gamblers respectively. Their club may be even more exciting as it includes potential 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes along with his brother Quinn Hughes and plenty of other high-end talents. The full roster is as follows:

F Noah Cates (PHI, 137th overall, 2017)
F Cole Coskey (undrafted)
F Jack Drury (CAR, 42nd overall, 2018)
F Joel Farabee (PHI, 14th overall, 2018)
F Curtis Hall (BOS, 119th overall, 2018)
F Jack Hughes (2019 eligible)
F Ivan Lodnia (MIN, 85th overall, 2017)
F Grant Mismash (NSH, 61st overall, 2017)
F Josh Norris (SJS, 19th overall, 2017)
F Jay O’Brien (PHI, 19th overall, 2018)
F Jason Robertson (DAL, 39th overall, 2017)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (NYI, 11th overall, 2018)

D Matt Anderson (undrafted)
D Mikey Anderson (LAK, 103rd overall, 2017)
D Quinn Hughes (VAN, 7th overall, 2018)
D Joey Keane (NYR, 88th overall, 2018)
D Phil Kemp (EDM, 208th overall, 2017)
D Ben Mirageas (NYI, 77th overall, 2017)
D Mattias Samuelsson (BUF, 32nd overall, 2018)

G Spencer Knight (2019 eligible)
G Cayden Primeau (MTL, 199th overall, 2017)

Finnish Goalie Jere Huhtamaa Commits To Merrimack College

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The Hockey East Conference could be getting another star in the next few years. Finnish junior goalie Jere Huhtamaa has personally announced his commitment to Merrimack College. Although it is unclear when Huhtamaa plans on coming over to North America, Mike McMahon of The Mack Report speculates that it will not be until at least the 2020-21 season.

Although Huhtamaa, 18, went undrafted this year it was somewhat of a surprise. The Finnish netminder, who is described as being big, patient, and quick, was ranked 12th among European goalies by NHL Central Scouting and projected even higher by others. Yet, he was not one of the more than 25 keepers selected back in June. Interestingly, Huhtamaa’s numbers compare well to some of the highest drafted European goalies. Huhtamaa played in 32 games last season at the top junior level of the Finnish Liiga with the Espoo Blues program, posting a .907 save percentage and 2.35 GAA. He also played for five games with Finland’s U-18 team, including a shutout spot start at the U-18 World Junior Championships, and recorded a .914 save percentage. In comparison, highly-touted Colorado Avalanche third-round pick Justus Annunen played at the same levels as Huhtamaa and posted nearly identical numbers. Anunnen played 26 games for Karpat of the Junior-A Liiga with a .907 save percentage and 2.31 GAA and as the starter for Finland’s U-18 team, had a .914 save percentage at the World Juniors and an .889 mark overall. Maybe even more impressive is how Huhtamaa compares to Olof Lindbom, the first goalie selected in the draft. At the same top junior level in Sweden, Lindbom – who also has a similar size and style to Huhtamaa – managed only an .897 save percentage and 3.10 GAA in 20 games, although he was phenomenal at the U-18 World Juniors.

All things considered, Merrimack may have found a diamond in the rough and player that very well may be drafted as an overager before he ever arrives in North Andover, Massachusetts. The Warriors could use a star as they look to reinvigorate the program. Still relatively new to Division I hockey, Merrimack fired the only head coach they have ever had at the top collegiate level in Mark Dennehy following this past season. The team has failed to advance past the quarterfinals of the Hockey East tournament since 2011 and have had six straight seasons with losing records. Merrimack needs to improve their performance if they hope to attract elite talent possibly landing a legitimate NHL prospect in Huhtamaa as their future starting goalie could be a good start.

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