International Notes: Kaskisuo, Iskhakov, Weise
Predators goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo has been on an NHL contract for the past five seasons but only has two career appearances at the top level to this point of his career. As he’s set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, it appears some international opportunities will be presenting themselves; Leksand (SHL) GM Thomas Johansson told SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson that they are considering going after the 27-year-old for next season. Kaskisuo was Nashville’s taxi squad goaltender this season and made just a single appearance lasting 15 minutes while not getting any AHL time so at this point, simply going somewhere where he will have a chance to play would certainly be appealing.
Elsewhere around the international hockey world:
- Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov opted to turn pro last season after spending two seasons at the University of Connecticut but instead of signing with New York, he went overseas and played in Finland. Despite finishing tied for third in scoring with TPS Turku with 38 points in 54 games, the 2018 second-rounder is on the move again and once again, it’s not to New York. Instead, Adler Mannheim of the DEL announced that they’ve signed the 20-year-old to a one-year deal for next season. It’s worth noting that the Isles only hold his rights through August 15, 2022, so if he doesn’t sign with them for next season, he’ll become a free agent.
- After not playing this season, it appears as if winger Dale Weise is set to resume his career. Svensson reports in a separate column that the veteran has agreed to terms with IK Oskarshamn of the SHL with an official announcement expected in the next few days. The 32-year-old is a veteran of 513 career NHL games across five separate organizations and became a free agent last fall after his contract with Montreal was not renewed.
Detroit Red Wings Agree To Terms With Jonatan Berggren
The Detroit Red Wings are getting another top prospect under contract, agreeing to terms with Jonatan Berggren on a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward recently completed a breakout season with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL and will now begin his journey to the NHL.
Berggren, 20, was the 33rd overall pick in 2018, just a few picks after Joe Veleno. He stayed in Sweden after being selected and ended up scoring 45 points in 49 games this season, his first spent fully at the SHL level. Impressively, that was good enough to lead the powerful club and actually tied him for sixth in league scoring. As the release from the Red Wings includes, he became just the 13th player in SHL history to record 40 points in a season at age 20 or younger.
It’s that offensive potential that the Red Wings saw in the 5’8″ forward, and what will help him succeed at the next level. He has put up huge numbers at pretty much every step and will now be joining a program in Detroit that is filled to the brim with other talented youngsters. It’s not clear exactly where Berggren fits into the depth chart, but that’s certainly not a bad thing for a rebuilding club like the Red Wings.
Though sometimes with players like this, the first year of the entry-level contract is spent overseas, Berggren’s team indicated that his time there was finished after this season ended. It seems more likely that he’ll be suiting up for the Grand Rapids Griffins next season, or even the Red Wings should he make an impression in camp.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Erik Kallgren
The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another name to the goaltending depth chart, signing Erik Kallgren to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K at the NHL level.
Kallgren, 24, was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in 2015 and actually did sign his entry-level contract, but left the organization in 2019. His contract was terminated and he returned to Sweden, where he just recently led Vaxjo to an SHL title. Kallgren was dominant in the playoffs, posting a .937 save percentage in ten games and registering a goals-against average of just 1.74.
Interestingly, Kallgren signed a two-year deal with Frolunda in the SHL just a few days ago, which confuses things a bit. It could mean that the Maple Leafs have agreed to loan him back to Sweden for the time being, signing him only to grab his restricted free agent rights, or perhaps he had a change of heart. It will be interesting to see where he starts the 2021-22 season.
The Maple Leafs would have had quite a few looks at the big goaltender, given their interest in one of his teammates. Pontus Holmberg, who was named playoff MVP on the championship Vaxjo squad, is a Toronto draft pick himself.
Snapshots: Lafleur, Sedins, Seider
The QMJHL will never again have a player wearing No. 4. Guy Lafleur‘s number will be retired league-wide as of next season, celebrating his status as the league’s all-time greatest player. Before all of his success at the NHL level, Lafleur dominated the Q, recording 379 points in 118 regular season games. Amazingly, he scored more than 100 goals in each of his two seasons in the league, including seven in a single game (and five in a period!).
Lafleur would go on to be the first player from the league to be selected first overall and won five Stanley Cup championships during his Hall of Fame career. He will actually join Sidney Crosby as the only players to have their numbers retired league-wide, though it seems likely that at least Mario Lemieux will join them before long.
- Though rumblings continue to emerge about more drastic changes in the Vancouver Canucks front office, no official announcements have been made by the team. Darren Dreger of TSN however has heard that team ownership is in talks with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin about potential roles in the organization, without giving any specifics on what those would be. Thomas Drance of The Athletic tweets that the discussions are “not centered on a president or GM-type top decision maker role.” The twins are two of the greatest players to ever pull on a Canucks sweater and will likely be linked to the organization in some fashion for the rest of their lives; an official role would only be an extension of that connection.
- Get excited Detroit, Moritz Seider is coming. The 20-year-old prospect was named Defenseman of the Year for the SHL this season after recording 28 points in 41 games for Rogle. Selected sixth overall in 2019, Seider signed his entry-level contract later that year but has yet to play a game for the Red Wings. Instead, he spent the entire 2019-20 season in the AHL developing his game with the Grand Rapids Griffins, before heading to Sweden to ensure a full season this time around. Playing against opponents sometimes more than a decade his elder, Seider was a dominant force at both ends of the rink.
International Notes: Grigorenko, Zaar, Grewe, Hogberg
Mikhail Grigorenko’s second act in North America may wind up being shorter than his first. According to a report from Sport-Express, the 27-year-old is expected to return to CSKA Moscow of the KHL with the team buying out Ivan Telegin’s contract to create cap space, a move that was made official earlier today. Grigorenko spent the three seasons before this one with CSKA before deciding to give the NHL another try after things didn’t go well with Buffalo and Colorado in his first opportunity. However, he didn’t do any better this time around, notching just four goals and eight assists in 32 games with the Blue Jackets this season while clearing waivers back in mid-March. At this point of his career, a third tour of duty in the NHL would seem unlikely.
More notes from around the international hockey world:
- Sticking with the Blue Jackets, Daniel Zaar has left Rogle, the SHL team announced. However, it’s not to return to North America. Instead, the 27-year-old told SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson and Linus Vedmar that he is off to the KHL to play with Torpedo. Zaar was a 2012 sixth-round pick (152nd overall) and actually received an entry-level contract but opted to head back overseas when it expired back in 2017. Columbus qualified him to retain his NHL rights but they will lose those in July when the calendar flips to begin the 2021-22 season.
- Red Wings prospect Albin Grewe is likely to sign with Ilves in Finland for next season, reports HockeySverige’s Uffe Bodin. The 20-year-old was a third-rounder back in 2019 (66th overall) and was unable to play with OHL Saginaw this year as planned with that league not playing. Instead, he remained with Djurgarden but had a limited role, notching just three goals and three assists in 39 games this season. A transfer to the SM-liiga could give him an opportunity for more playing time which would help his chances of eventually signing an NHL deal. Detroit holds Grewe’s rights through June 1, 2023.
- Senators goaltender Marcus Hogberg is likely to return to Linkoping of the SHL this summer, suggests SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson. Hogberg played in their system from 2010 to 2017 before heading to North America. Ottawa informed the 26-year-old last week that he would not be tendered a qualifying offer this summer and coming off a poor performance that saw him post a 3.74 GAA with a .876 SV% with the Sens, he’s unlikely to attract much NHL interest. Accordingly, Svensson believes that will bring him to Linkoping who has been in touch with his agent already about a potential reunion.
Overseas Notes: Lindholm, Bobkov, Vladar
It’s been an interesting season to say the least for forward Par Lindholm. The veteran sought his release from the Boston Bruins back in February and was granted a contract termination, citing his desire to play a more meaningful role than the 15th or 16th forward on the Bruins’ depth chart. His wish for more commitment and standing was granted almost immediately after he left Boston, returning to his former SHL club Skelleftea AIK on a whopping five-year deal. Lindholm played in 11 games down the stretch for Skelleftea, recording nine points, and then added six points in a dozen playoff games for the semifinalist. Lindholm quickly proved to be an invaluable piece for Skelleftea and with a long-term deal in place, it seemed that it would stay that way for some time. Well, that may not be the case. Skelleftea has announced today that Lindholm has exercised a previously unreported “out clause” in his contract to leave the team for the 2021-22 season. The team notes that the remaining four years on his deal do remain valid and they hope he returns to play out his contract. Where Lindholm is off to next that he considers an upgrade to Skelleftea remains unknown; his time in the NHL showed that the league’s teams do not see him as any more than a bottom-six depth player, so remaining in Europe seems likely. A better offer in Sweden or an opportunity in the KHL could have prompted this decision by Lindholm, but only time will tell.
- So much for the Igor Bobkov NHL comeback speculation. Fresh off of a Gagarin Cup title, Bobkov was granted a release from the newly-crowned champs Avangard Omsk on Monday, with the expectation being that he would be looking to test the NHL free agent market this summer. The former Anaheim Ducks top prospect has dominated the KHL for six years running and at 30 years old could still have had appeal in a second try in North America. Instead, another KHL club, Ak Bars Kazan, has inked Bobkov to a one-year deal, putting an end to any NHL possibilities for next season. Why Omsk, who still had Bobkov under contract for one more year, opted to terminate him instead of trade him to Kazan remains a mystery, but regardless the KHL retains one of its very best netminders for at least the 2021-22 campaign.
- Another KHL club has made an interesting move in net, although they may never reap the benefits. Automobilist Yekaterinburg announced today that they have acquired the KHL rights of Boston Bruins goaltender Dan Vladar in exchange for minor league forward Kirill Pilipenko. Vladar would of course be an excellent addition for Yekaterinburg, that is if he ever leaves North America in his pro career. While Jeremy Swayman has overshadowed Vladar in Boston this season, the latter has quietly been one of the very best goalies in the AHL both this season and last. In fact, he held the best save percentage and GAA mark in the AHL in 2019-20. The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by the Bruins back in 2015 and already has five pro seasons under his belt, including three AHL seasons with a .923 save percentage or better. While Vladar’s early NHL results have not been spectacular, that shouldn’t hurt his value as a prospect as compared to his size, composure, and minor league track record. Heading into next season, other teams may even get a chance to show just how much upside they see in Vladar. The young goaltender will lose his waiver exemption in 2021-22 and if, as many expect, the Bruins go with a tandem of re-signed Tuukka Rask and Swayman next year, the team may try to trade Vladar if they don’t think they can sneak him through waivers. Via trade or waiver claim, Vladar could find himself on an NHL roster on a permanent basis beginning next season. If it goes well, Vladar could be on an NHL roster for much of the rest of his career, as opposed to joining Automobilist in the KHL. Things would have to go south in a major way for the young keeper in order for Yekaterinburg to see any returns on this trade in the near future.
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Arvid Soderblom
The Chicago Blackhawks have nabbed one of the top goaltenders in the SHL, agreeing to terms with Arvid Soderblom on a two-year entry-level contract. Soderblom, an undrafted free agent, will join the organization for the 2021-22 season and carry a cap hit of $883,750.
A casual fan would be forgiven for not knowing much about Soderblom, given he had rarely even appeared at the SHL level before this season, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been on the radar of NHL teams. The 21-year-old posted a dominant .924 save percentage at the Allsvenskan level (AHL equivalent) last season and then continued that performance in the SHL this year. In 22 appearances for AIK Skelleftea, he recorded a 2.03 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. In two playoff starts he stopped 58 of 61 shots.
After a brilliant start to the season, Kevin Lankinen came back to earth a bit for the Blackhawks, finishing with a .909 save percentage. Though a rookie, Lankinen is already 26 and will be an unrestricted free agent after next season. The same can be said for both Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban, meaning there is still an opening in the Chicago net down the line. Soderblom has a lot more to prove before he takes that spot, but adding another talented player to the depth chart is always worth it.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Simon Ryfors
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another undrafted talent, signing Simon Ryfors to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season and will leave Ryfors as a restricted free agent next summer.
In a season that has been so difficult for young players around the world, Ryfors experienced a breakout, scoring 25 goals and 45 points in 51 games for Rogle in the SHL. The 23-year-old had never scored more than six goals in a season previously, but managed to lead the entire league this time around. The actual goal scoring dried up a bit in the playoffs, but Ryfors still had 10 points in 14 games as Rogle lost in the finals.
The Lightning continue to add undrafted skill players through free agency, hoping their development system will be able to turn them into NHL talents before long. In Ryfors case specifically, they weren’t the only team interested. Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked him as his fourth-best free agent among collegiate and European skaters, noting that though he doesn’t have top-end speed, makes up for it with his compete level.
Malmo Showing Interest In Carolina’s Joakim Ryan
It has been a tough season for Hurricanes defenseman Joakim Ryan. He cleared waivers in training camp and has spent the majority of the season on the taxi squad. As a result, he has suited up just seven times this season, three with Carolina and four with AHL Chicago. Not surprisingly, the pending unrestricted free agent is expected to head elsewhere for next season.
In this case, it appears that elsewhere may very well be in Sweden as SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that Malmo of the SHL is in final negotiations to sign Ryan for next season although the deal wouldn’t officially be announced until Carolina’s playoffs come to an end. Svensson qualifies his report by noting that a one-way NHL deal may be enough to sway Ryan to stay in North America although given how little he has played this season and the fact he already is on a two-way pact, that doesn’t seem likely to happen.
If this comes to fruition, it would be a homecoming of sorts for the 28-year-old who grew up just outside of Malmo until he was 12 when his family headed for the United States. Several years ago, he indicated that he had a desire to play for Malmo although San Jose was able to get him to stay at that time before joining Los Angeles on a one-way deal back in 2019.
Between his time with those three organizations, Ryan has played in 144 career NHL games over four seasons but aside from his first year with the Sharks, he never has truly been able to establish himself as a regular player. Accordingly, heading overseas would certainly make a lot of sense for him, especially if he can wind up close to home.
Niklas Hjalmarsson Considering Return To Sweden
Veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is nothing if not loyal. In his 14-year NHL career, Hjalmarsson has never once tested the free agent market. Instead, he has always signed an extension with his current team, each time arguably below market value as well. Hjalmarsson spent a decade in Chicago to begin his career, playing a key role in three Stanley Cup championships. Then, after the team traded him to the Arizona Coyotes, Hjalmarsson again decided to re-sign with his team, despite an unfamiliar rebuild underway in the desert. This season, in the final year of his current contract, Hjalmarsson even told the Coyotes that he would not waive his No-Movement Clause, opting instead to stick it out with his team.
It should come as no surprise then that, with the 33-year-old finally expected to become a free agent this summer, he is considering a return to a former team. No, not the Blackhawks. Swedish new source AftonBladet reports that Hjalmarsson is considering a return to the SHL’s HV71, the club with whom the blue liner played his developmental hockey. Hjalmarsson spent four seasons with HV71 before making the move to North America in 2007, but clearly the club has not forgotten their star alumnus. The report quotes the club’s GM, Johan Hult, as stating that Hjalmarsson is a “dream recruit”. Hult also notes that he has met with Hjalmarsson multiple times – at his home near HV71’s Jonkoping no less – to discuss the possibility of this move.
Of course, Hult admits that the move is dependent on Hjalmarsson not being blown away by an NHL offer this summer. It will be interesting to see what kind of attention, if any, Hjalmarsson draws in the off-season. Formerly a dominant two-way defenseman, Hjalmarsson’s game has slipped over the past few years. With two games left in his 2020-21 season, the veteran defenseman is on pace to record career-lows (among his full NHL seasons) in points per game, plus/minus, and time on ice per game, while his blocks, hits, takeaways, and possession numbers are all down as well. With that said, veteran presence still has value and contenders could still see Hjalmarsson as an experienced third-pair option – at the right price. However, the potential to return home to HV71 to play a major role may be more enticing to Hjalmarsson than chasing a fourth Cup as a depth piece. With the regular season ending soon, we could know shortly what Hjalmarsson’s next step may be.