Mailbag: Finnish futures, draft spotlights, and more

by | Mar 16, 2016 | The Pipeline

I’ll put the odds that Aho makes the opening day Hurricanes roster at 80/20. That number will increase after July 4 when I expect a few more rosters spots are filled through trades at the Draft and a minor UFA signing or two. There are only six forwards on the NHL roster signed to contracts for next season. Victor Rask and Joakim Nordstrom will be resigned, leaving one of at least four spots open for Aho.

I don’t know any details of his current SM-liiga contract, but I would imagine there would be an NHL out clause, which would work in his favor. He may be in a similiar situation as Lucas Wallmark where he returns to his club team in Europe if he does not make the big club. He has one year remaining on his current contract, and has yet to sign an NHL contract.

I expect Aho will start his NHL career as a third line left wing, the exact spot he began this current season with Kärpät. I expect he will be moved around a lot during summer camp and hopefully the Traverse City prospect tournament (Aho did not play last year). I can see him fitting in quite well on Elias Lindholm’s wing, taking the occasional draw on the left side circles.

 

Short Answer: No.

Given the number of ‘New Guys’ added to the Checkers’ roster at the AHL trade deadline, it’s a sign to me he wouldn’t be joining the club. Without an NHL contract, he wouldn’t come over for an Amateur tryout contact – similar to the one Andrew Poturalski signed with Charlotte, avoiding the need to burn a year on his entry level NHL contact.

While Saarela’s team is out of the SM-liiga playoffs, his contract does not end until the end of April. The player could buy out the remainder of his deal to come over to North America early. I don’t see that happening, especially now.

In the near future, I could see Saarela signing a contract with the Hurricanes as a precursor to his move to North America this summer. Expect negotiations to begin between now and the World Championships in May. Saarela will likely play for Team Finland.

 

I don’t dip too much into the guys playing professionally in North America here, but I couldn’t resist answering this question.

Barring an injury to a left-handed defensemen, I expect Carrick will have to wait until next season for his call-up. He’s needed on the Checkers roster to help with their final playoff push.

If Charlotte can continue their current winning streak and gain separation from the San Jose Barracuda for the final AHL Western Conference playoff spot, he could sneak up to Raleigh for a game or two. His recall would have to constitute as one of the Hurricanes four standard recalls allowed after the trade deadline. With six healthy defenseman, either Murphy would need to be re-assigned or someone would be healthy scratched – highly unlikely at this point.

Carrick has been deserving for a while, but he’s been caught behind at least four other left-handed defensemen all year. He’s better off playing minutes in the AHL than have a similar season to Michal Jordan – in and out of the lineup.

UPDATE: This morning, Carrick earned his first call up, as Ron Hainsey is going to miss the Washington game with an illness. So, was my prediction correct?

 

If the season ended today and the draft order determined by point percentages, the Hurricanes would hold the 14th and 26th (from L.A. Kings) selections.

First, I’ll say I expect Michael McLeod – 6’2″ Center from Mississauga (OHL) – will be taken in the top ten, and gone before Hurricanes select their first player. Unless they can get a top three pick, I doubt Ron Francis and company trade up in the first round.

At the moment, I would target Tyson Jost with the 14th selection. A 6-foot, 194 pound center currently playing with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL (Junior A), Jost is committed to play at North Dakota next year. In 48 regular season games, Jost put up 104 point (42G, 62A). He currently ranks 9th-15th by various scouting services. He’s described as a player who thinks and plays fast, and has the potential to be a dynamic offensive top-6 player in the NHL.

Names like Logan Brown (C – Windsor/OHL), Max Jones (LW – London/OHL), and Julien Gauthier (RW – Val d’Or/QMJHL) are a few alternatives I’d target at 14. Depending on who they select early could influence whether they take another forward later in Round 1. Tage Thompson (C – UCONN/NCAA) and Tyler Benson (LW – Vancouver/WHL) are two names to watch with the second pick, although Benson could easily slip to Carolina in the second round.

 

At this point of the year, I’m just starting to familiarize myself more with players that will fall into the second round. If there are steals to be had, I’m sure they’ll be players that fit in these profiles:

  • Players with high-end talent, but are seeing their stock fall
  • Late bloomers who are just starting to grow into their bodies
  • Players low on the depth cart on deep teams
  • Players entering the draft for the second time

Last year the Hurricanes selected at least three players in Roy, Smallman, and Lorentz that match one of those descriptions. All three could play professionally by next spring.

But here are a few later round picks I’ll be interested in seeing where they are drafted:

  • Sean Day – D, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL). Fourth player at the time to be granted Exceptional Player Status by the CHL to play Major Junior Hockey at age 15 (John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Conor McDavid). He hasn’t lived upto the expectations, but still seems like a player with untapped potential and raw talent.
  • Frédéric Allard – D, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL). Teammate of Nicolas Roy, these two players seem to be carrying Chicoutimi on their backs. Slowing climbing up the second round ranks.
  • Riley Stillman – D, Oshawa Generals (OHL). Yes, this is the son of former Hurricanes player Cory Stillman. This is a personal pick for me, as I remember watching him play very early on in the Raleigh Youth program. He has the earmarks of a sleeper/steal pick in the late rounds. I’ll be rooting for this kid whenever he plays. I remember thinking he was a better skater at 8-years-old than his dad, at the time an established NHL veteran.

Prospect reports for March 8 – 14, 2016

2015 Draft Picks:

Sebastian Aho, 2nd Round (#35 overall)

  • Last week: 1GP – 1G-0A-1PT, 0 PIM, 5 SOG, 20.0% shooting
  • Kärpät went 1-0 with Aho in the lineup.
  • Aho was Awarded the Matti Keinonen trophy given to the “Most Effective Player” or +/- leader.
  • Finished the season as Kärpät’s leading scorer while playing in 45 of the team’s 60 games.
  • Aho beaome the first SM-liiga U19 player to average 1 PPG in the regular season since 1984.
  • This Season: 45GP – 20G-25A-45PTS, 2 PIM, 178 SOG, 11.2% shooting (Liiga) 11GP – 3G-6A-9PTS, 6 PIM, 21 SOG, 14.2% shooting (CHL), 7GP – 4AG-8A-12PTS, 4 PIM, 16 SOG, 31.2% shooting (WJHC), 2GP – 1G-1A-2PTS, 2 PIM, (Euro Hockey Tour)
  • Next Game: Friday, March 18, 2016 vs. TBD (SM-liiga Quarterfinals Game #1).

Aleksi Saarela, 3rd Round (#89 overall)

  • Last Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0 PIM, 8 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • ässät Pori went 0-2 as they finished the regular season. They finished 12 out of 15 in the standings and out of the 10-team playoff.
  • Saarela is expected to get an invitation to play for Team Finland in the upcoming IIHF World Championship
  • This Season: 51GP – 20G-13A-33PTS, 14PIM, 267 SOG, 7.4% shooting (Liiga); 7GP – 4G-3A-7PTS, 4 PIM (Finland – WJHC)

Callum Booth, 4th Round (#93 overall)

  • Booth suffered a right-knee injury during the first period of a match on 2/28. Initial word is he would be out for three weeks.
  • Québec Remparts finishing their regular season with a home-and-home series with Rimouski on Friday & Saturday (3/18-19).
  • This Season: 39GP (39 Starts) – 16W-17L-3OTL, .902%, 3.15 GAA, 3 SO

Nicolas Roy, 4th Round (#96 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 5G-0A-5PTS, 2 PIM, 13 SOG, 38.4% shooting, 66.4% Faceoffs
  • Chicoutimi Seguenéens went 3-0, with Roy scoring a goal in all three games.
  • Roy currently ranks T-1th in the QMJHL in Goals, 2nd in Power Play goals, 7th in points, 11th in points per game.
  • Chicoutimi finished it’s regular season with a home-and-home series against Baie-Comeau Drakkar
  • This Season: 61GP – 47G-42A-89PTS, 67 PIM, 243 shots, 19.3% shooting, 60.9% Faceoffs
  • Next Game: Friday, March 18, 2016 vs. Baie-Comeau, Drakkar

Spencer Smallman, 5th Round (#138 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 0G-3A-3PTS, 0 PIM, 5 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • Saint John Sea Dogs went 1-2, 1-1 when Smallman recorded a point.
  • Saint John finishes it’s regular season with a 2-game series at Cape Breton.
  • This Season: 56GP – 19G-28A-47PTS, 54 PIM, 118 SOG, 16.1% shooting
  • Next Game: Friday, March 18, 2016 at Cape Breton, Screaming Eagles

Luke Stevens, 5th Round (#126 overall)

  • This Season: 28GP – 24G-31A-55PTS

David Cotton, 6th Round (#169 overall)

  • Last Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • Waterloo Black Hawks went 1-1.
  • This Season: 46GP – 15G-14A-29PTS, 32 PIM, 119 shots, 12.6% shooting
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 at Muskegon Lumberjacks

Steven Lorentz, 7th Round (#186 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 0 PIM, 6 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • Peterborough Petes went 1-1-0-1, 1-0 when Lorentz recoded a point.
  • Peterborough finishes it’s regular season Saturday in Niagara.
  • This Season: 55GP – 21G-25A-46PTS, 27 PIM, 147 SOG, 14.2% shooting
  • Next Game: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 vs. Barrie Colts

2014 Draft Picks:

Haydn Fleury, 1st Round (#7 overall)

  • Last Week: 2GP – 2G-1A-3PTS, 7 PIM
  • Red Deer Rebels went 2-0, with Fleury recording a point in both games.
  • Red Deer finishes it’s regular season Saturday versus the Edmonton Oil Kings
  • This Season: 53GP – 12G-28A-40PTS, 48PIM
  • Next Game: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 vs. Calgary Hitmen

Alex Nedeljkovic, 2nd Round (#37 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP (3 Start) – 2W-1L, 2.03 GAA, .915%
  • Niagara finishes it’s regular season Sunday at Mississauga.
  • This Season: 28GP (28 Starts) – 14W-13L-0OTL-1SOL, 2.59GAA, .911% (NIA) 19GP (19 Starts) – 9W-7L-1OTL-1SOL, 3.21 GAA, .907%, 1 SO (Flint) 39GP (38 starts) 23W-20L-1OTL-2SOL, 2.84 GAA, .909% (OHL Totals), 2 SO, 6GP (6 Starts) – 4W-2L, 1.66 GAA, .942%, 1 SO (WJHC)
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 vs. Kingston Frontenacs

Roland McKeown, 2nd Round (#50 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 1G-0A-1PT, 0 PIM, 8 SOG, 12.5% shooting
  • Kingston Frontenacs went 1-1-1, 0-0-1 when McKeown scores.
  • Kingston finishes it’s regular season Saturday against Hamilton.
  • This Season: 57GP – 7G-35A-42PTS, 43 PIM, 151 shots, 4.6% shooting
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 at Niagara IceDogs

Warren Foegele, 3rd Round (#67 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 2G-1A-3PTS, 0 PIM, 13 SOG, 15.3% shooting
  • Kingston Frontenacs went 1-1-1, 0-1-1 when Foegele records a point.
  • Kingston finishes it’s regular season Saturday against Hamilton.
  • This Season: 51GP – 12G-35A-47PTS, 42 PIM, 143 shots, 8.3% shooting (OHL) 5GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 6 PIM, 8 shots, 0% shooting (NCAA)
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 at Niagara IceDogs

Josh Wesley, 4th Round (#96 overall)

  • Last Week: 1GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 2 PIM, 0 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • Niagara Ice Dogs went 0-1 with Wesley in the lineup.
  • Wesley returned from an 8-Game suspension. Niagara went gone 5-3 with out Wesley in the lineup.
  • Niagara finishes it’s regular season Sunday at Mississauga.
  • This Season: 30GP – 3G-3A-6PTS, 14 PIM, 41 shots, 7.3% shooting (NIA) 24GP – 2G-10A-12PTS, 21PIM, 49 Shots, 4.0% shooting (Flint) 54GP – 5G-13A-18PTS, 35 PIM, 90 shots, 5.5% shooting (OHL Total)
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 vs. Kingston Frontenacs

Lucas Wallmark, 4th Round (#97 overall)

  • Last Week: 1GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 0 PIM
  • This Season: 48GP – 8G-24A-32PTS, 20 PIM (SHL), 5GP – 0G-0A-0PTS, 4 PIM (CHL), 5P – 1G-0A-1PT, 2 PIM (Euro Hockey Tour)
  • Next Game: Thursday, March 17, 2016 at Färjestads BK

Clark Bishop, 5th Round (#127 overall)

  • Last Week: 1GP – 2G-1A-3PTS, 7 PIM, 5 SOG, 40.0% shooting
  • Cape Breton Screaming Eagles went 1-0.
  • Cape Breton finishes it’s regular season with a weekend series against Saint John.
  • This Season: 48GP – 16G-22A-38PTS, 84 PIM, 108 shots, 14.8% shooting, 51.3% faceoffs
  • Next Game: Friday, March 18, 2016 vs. Saint John, Sea Dogs

Kyle Jenkins, 7th Round (#187 overall)

  • Last Week: 3GP – 0G-1A-1PT, 2 PIM, 2 shots, 0.0% shooting.
  • Peterborough Petes went 1-1-0-1, 0-0-0-1 when Jenkins records a point.
  • Peterborough finishes it’s regular season Saturday in Niagara.
  • This Season: 59GP – 3G-30A-33PTS, 32 PIM, 120 shots, 2.5% shooting
  • Next Game: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 vs. Barrie Colts

No 2013 Draft Picks

2012 Draft Picks:

Collin Olson, 6th Round (#159 overall)

  • Olson’s last appearance for Western Michigan was on January 8 when he allowed 3 goals in 8 minutes of relief against Notre Dame.
  • Western Michigan’s season ended on Saturday, March 12 in the NCHC Quarterfinals
  • This Season: 9GP (7 start) – 2W-5L, 4.15 GAA, .877%

Brendan Collier, 7th Round (#189 overall)

  • Last Week: 2GP – 0G-0A-0PT, 0 PIM, 0 SOG, 0.0% shooting
  • Northeastern went 2-0 last week and advanced to the Hockey East Tournament semi-finals to face Boston College.
  • This Season: 37GP – 3G-10A-13PTS, 10 PIM, 28 SOG, 10.7% shooting
  • Next Game: Friday, March 18, 2016 vs. Boston College (TD Garden)

2011 Draft Picks:

Gregory Hofmann, 4th Round (#103 overall)

  • This Season: 46GP – 17G-14A-31PTS, 47 PIM

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