Foto: Ola Westerberg / BILDBYRÅN /
With the national team break now having come and gone, and Europe’s major leagues now back in full swing, there are plenty of stories we’re following across the continent.
Like every year, the SHL has been full of special moments this fall and thankfully, plenty of young men with probable NHL futures are giving us reason to get excited. Of all the wonderful talents strutting their stuff in Sweden just now, fans of the Detroit Red Wings can officially be perhaps the most excited franchise. The reason? Axel Sandin Pellikka. Currently at 8 goals and 12 points in 22 games, we can say that he certainly should have more points than that. His vision and playmaking ability has been outstanding and he’s already quickly approaching the top league record for goals by an U20 defensemen (uh, 11) in a season. At this rate, he should pulverize it.
But it’s not just the numbers, it’s been the types of goals and assists themselves. Every shot going in has been a bullet. The assists have been methodically created offensive thrusts. They scream of NHL quality. Here’s a prime example of what we’ve been seeing this fall:
Not far behind on the prospect achievement list in the SHL has, to the great joy of Vancouver Canucks fans, been the play of Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Making the jump to Örebro of the SHL after a huge playoff run for Djurgarden in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Lekkerimäki has already established himself as one of the league’s go-to goalscorers to date with 9 tallies in 21 games. He’s seen PP time and has often been on the ice when his team is hungry for offense (which has been a bit at times). His goals have been trademark for his style:
Or also the type that bring fans out of their seats:
Around the league, we’ve seen plenty of fantastic play from draftees getting ample playing time such as Noah Östlund, William von Barnekow (both BUF), Filip Bystedt (SJS), Albin Sundsvik (ANA), Oscar Molgaard (SEA) and David Edstrom (VGK). Nonetheless, we’re not seeing real offensive explosions from them. Two other draftees have nonetheless done some things to really catch our attention.
Adam Engström (MON) has been learning the ropes at the pro level and makes his fair share of mistakes and poor choices, but Rögle doesn’t hesitate to keep bringing him. He can really move with the puck, is always getting his body involved, and gets pucks to the net from the point. He’s also becoming a bit of a breakout specialist. Then he just things like this which make you think he’s a 28-year old veteran:
Even more impressive than that has been Vegas Golden Knights’ 2021 7th rounder Carl Lindbom, who is taking the league by storm. Playing for powerhouse Färjestad, he came in to get a shot at being a 2nd string goalie. He’s now the first stringer and has some of the best stats in the league with his .915 SV% and impressive 1.90 GAA in 13 games. The 10-5 record isn’t shabby either for a 20-year-old.
Oh, and let us not forget his 3-0 record with a 1.67 GAA and .929 SV% in Champions Hockey League play. Quite simply, things like this have been a dime a dozen for him all fall long:
Something else that has become very clear is that next spring’s top UFA out of Sweden will most likely be sniper Marcus Sylvegard. Marinating nicely as a six year SHLer, the 24-year-old broke out last season with 18 goals and 45 points in 57 games. Now with reigning champ Växjö, he’s third in the league in scoring (and first overall in goal scoring) with 13 goals and 21 points in 23 games. He’s got a +17 as well, so it’s not all about the power play points.
This is the kind of sniping he’s been bringing for two seasons now:
We can’t leave Sweden without looking at the immensely popular and incredibly evened out HockeyAllsvenskan, where NHL properties contribute 6 of the league’s top 50 scorers. No-one is banging down any doors as Detroit’s Liam Dower Nilsson and San Jose’s Theo Jacobsson lead the way with 17 and 15 points respectively in roughly 22 games each, but there is a goalie that we have to mention. Brynäs is expected to be the league’s team-to-beat this year and although the record is pretty convincing to date, many of the victories have been tight and some of the losses have been ugly. But on a team full of SHL-caliber players, the addition of 18-year old Italian netminder Damian Clara, a 2023 pick of the Anaheim Ducks, came as a bit of a surprise to pundits around the Swedish hockey scene.
Now, his 2.63 GAA is pretty good while his .894 SV% is certainly nothing to write home about, but he’s gone from “Just here to learn” to “Splitting crease duties” real quick and his 7-2 record has him sporting the league’s 2nd best winning percentage. In addition, he’s earning a reputation as quite a puck-snatcher as we’ve being seeing saves like this all season long:
Also playing for Brynäs is recently drafted Noel Nordh (ARZ), whose 9 points in 21 games are fairly exceptional for an 18-year old. That he’s spent so much time with the big boys is logical after leading the U20 circuit with 16 points in 9 games, which remains the strongest PPG output in that league. Not far behind him in that department is a younger Norwegian protege in the ballyhooed Michael Nygard, who had 12 points in 7 U20 league games before moving up to the HockeyAllsvenskan, where he’s collected 6 points in 21 games. He continues to be viewed as a top 15 option in next summer’s draft.
Liiga
We were certain last summer that Finnish winger Lenni Hämeenaho would be selected in the top three rounds of the draft. New Jersey snagged him up with the 58th overall pick and felt they had a nice little steal in the process. Initial returns are that he’s every bit the unsuspecting generator of offense that he hinted at last winter. Not only have his 9 goals in 20 games tied his total in 51 games last season, but he’s on pace to put up a good 15 points more than he did last season. He’s also improved his +/- from -11 last season to +8 this season. Oh, and he’s not shy about showing what he’s got in his wheelhouse:
At the other end of the spectrum is the mystery of now 27-year old Finnish defender Sami Niku. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that he put up 54 points and a +17 in his rookie season in the AHL. Somehow, it never translated into a regular gig at the NHL, but usually because he was getting lost in the numbers game. Well, after being an impact player last season upon his return to Liiga action (42 points in 54 games), he’s blowing things out of the water now. After 23 games, he’s already got 10 goals and 28 points, making him 5th overall in league scoring and 4th overall in PPG percentage.
It feels like every goal he’s scored has been a rocket from the point like this one and well, there are a few NHL teams out there that can’t say they’re getting that from their current blueliners:
A number of NHL properties are getting ample ice time and respectable roles across the league, but the two young men making the most noise are Aatu Jämsen (21, LAK) and Jani Nyman (19, SEA). Now, whereas Jämsen has missed his fair share of action, he’s managed to keep a PPG pace in the 13 contests he’s played, while posting 8 goals in the process. Nyman, featuring a 6’4” frame, has been lighting the lamp all season long. He’s up to 13 goals, 21 points, and a +15 in 26 games this season, clearly verifying the hype of last season, when he had 10 goals in 29 games coming off a monster Mestis season in his draft year.
It feels like every goal he’s scored this year has been slightly different, with most coming from somewhere around the net or in the slot. But if you give him time and space, he’ll do this to you:
Of course, we can’t mention this league without tipping our hats to Konsta Helenius. Not the biggest player around, he’s a 17-year-old with 19 points in 25 games and he’s just not easy to play against. He’s been skyrocketing up the charts for the 2024 draft and it’s very understandable. There’s just so much poise to his game and command of the action when the puck is on his stick. In addition, he’s become a power play weapon off of that RW board:
We always enjoy checking out the 2nd tier league in Finland, Mestis. It’s often a place where young men are putting up big numbers against much older competition. Whereas we’re not seeing a whole lot of that with perhaps the exception of Philadelphia’s 19-year old Santeri Sulku and his 5 goals in 9 games, we can say that Washington’s 20-year old prospect Ludwig Persson has been raising eyebrows as a supreme playmaker, going 3-24-27 in 21 games, gathering a +12 in the process. Just don’t see that every day.
KHL
We don’t need pass revue on the rise (and fall?) of Matvei Michkov in last summer’s draft after long having been seen as a neck-and-neck rival with Connor Bedard for first overall, but it certainly looks like the Flyers played their hand right by selecting him when he fell to 7th overall. Loaned out to Sochi this season, he’s already accounted for 11 goals and 26 points in 28 games, simply outstanding numbers for a player who may not even turn 19 by the time this article is published. While his done much to revive all belief in his future as an impact NHLer, especially with some impressive highlight reels moves and passes, we’re just seeing a lot of this kind of thing that puts his confidence on display:
And while last winter’s shooting star defenseman Alexander Nikishin (Carolina - 26 points and +9 in 35 games) and the recent ELC-signee from Colorado, Nikolai Kovalenko (24 points in 21 games), continue to shine as notable impact players, we simply haven’t been able to overlook the development coming from Minnesota prospect Danila Yurov. Lost a bit in the pandemic shuffle, Yurov has long been seen as an immense talent who has already loaded up on KHL experience despite being just 19 years of age. But entering the season with just 15 points over 134 total contests, it was uncertain where this winter’s journey would take him. Well, color the uncertainty abated.
With 26 points in 33 games, he’s third in scoring for Magnitogorsk. Moreover, he’s been delighting us with plays such as this throughout the fall:
Minnesota took a bit of a gamble on him in 2022 and we can’t hold it against them if they may be feeling right now like it’s going to pay off in spades.
Winnipeg’s winger Dmitri Rashevsky has stood out for several years as a KHL scorer but is currently on course to put up his best numbers yet this year with 15 goals and 26 points in 36 games while Vegas prospect Ivan Morozov, who had his struggles as an AHL rookie for Henderson last season, has been the biggest prospect surprise in the KHL this year. 31 points and +11 in 30 games are not numbers anyone could’ve reasonably expected after just 17 points in the AHL last season.
Among those first eligible for next summer’s draft, Ivan Demidov remains the greatest object of desire despite missing just about the entire season to injury, but there’s no getting past what 6’7” defenseman Anton Silayev has been doing with his 10 points in 36 KHL games. Only 17 until next April, the fact that he’s getting his 13+ minutes a night at that age in a league that has often frowned upon providing U20 defensemen with regular ice time simply cannot be overlooked. He’s looking like a lock to be a top 10 overall pick and quickly joining the discussion as a top 5.
But just in case you’d like to know what the scouts are seeing, we’d like to provide exhibits A and B.
Using his huge frame in a short, flurry-filled segment of action (#21 in dark blue):
Scoring a goal as the extra man on the attack (#21 in white):
There’s a whole lot of “raw” in this young man right now, but there are too many moments where he shows glances of what he can be when he’s one day got his adult strength - and it’s a very tempting thing to envision!
Germany
The DEL continues to grow into a league where the number of U23 players, much less U25 players, hailing from Germany and assuming impact player roles, is growing considerably. It’s been a trend for several years now. Always wondering who the next Dominik Kahun style signing will be out of Germany, we are continuing to see great things not only from Leon Hüttl (23), Wojciech Stachowiak (24), Florian Bugl (20), and Filip Varejcka (22), but career seasons from the likes of Justin Schutz (23), Colin Ugbekile (24), Josh Samanski (21), Mario Zimmermann (21), Daniel Neumann (21) and Philipp Krauss (22) as well as arrivals from still draft-eligible players Bennet Rossmy (20 – now out for 4 months), Veit Oswald (19), Moritz Elias (19), and Roman Kechter (19). The latter three will be essential pieces of Team Germany at the upcoming WJC, with Kechter heading in as the team’s captain.
Two recent draftees are also playing in the DEL, with Dallas’ 2023 5th rounder Arno Tiefensee continuing to be a regular goaltender. Splitting time in net for a thus far disappointing Mannheim (who just sacked its coach, replacing him with former NHL coach Dallas Eakins), Tiefensee is posting respectable numbers of 2.38 GAA and a .913 SV% with a 6-5 record. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the young DEL season is that Detroit’s 2023 5th rounder Kevin Bicker has stuck in the DEL all season. Still 18 until January, he’s been up and down the line-up, but despite only having registered one goal this season, his speed is already quite noticeable in the DEL and - internationally - he recently rocked a 3-game test game outing against Finland with eight points. He too appears to be a lock for the WJC this month.
We regret to inform Washington Capitals fans that Haakon Hänelt has had a season to forget thus far, having not only not cracked Cologne’s line-up for any significant ice time, but playing a lower line role at the DEL2 in which he’s scored just one goal this season.
Czech Republic
The top league in Czechia continues to be one filled with primarily older Czech and Slovak players who may have once been a topic or are still somewhat auditioning themselves for better contracts in leagues in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, or even Russia. There are formerly recent NHL topics such as Ondrej Kase and Martin Kaut who are big parts of their teams while clipping at roughly a PPG pace.
Prospectwise, there’s probably hardly a country in Europe that sees so many of its top talents playing in the CHL, if not in somewhere else in North America or Scandinavia. Another tier of prospects also show up in countries close by like Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. As such, it’s a bit of an attest to the depth of capable hockey players that the country continues to host two pro circuits with a fairly high quality of play. The top league also has a couple of notable overagers at the moment who are still draft eligible.
Daniel Kral, a 20-year old 6’1” goaltender, has pretty run with the number job for traditional powerhouse Liberec, putting up an 8-8 record with a 2.60 GAA and .916 SV%. We like his athleticism and ability to follow the puck through traffic, which he often does just like here:
And whereas Kral’s teammates Tomas Galvas (D, 17) and Spanish Czech Jaromir Perez (F, 18) are doing just fine in establishing themselves as possible topics for next summer’s draft, it’s 20-year old defender Jiri Tichacek who is busy showing everyone that he’s taken it very personally that he hasn’t been drafted yet. With 6 goals and 19 points in 21 games, he’s not only 15th overall in league scoring, but second overall among defensemen. It’s been quite a display thus far this season and although we could put together a highlight reel of passes and bombs from the blueline while manning the point, it’s Tichacek’s speed and readiness to jump up into the attack that can get us excited:
Switzerland
The Swiss NL continues to look like a “Who’s who” of former NHLers and top prospects. As international as it gets, many of the movers and shakers are in that 26-30 age range. The current top scorer in the league is no spring chick himself in Calvin Thurkauf (31 points in 26 games), but his rights remain with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Although a handful of youngsters are dotting the line-ups, none has made the impact that 17-year-old Leon Muggli is making with his 5 points and +14 in 19 games for Zug. Check out our recent article for more on him (https://www.mckeenshockey.com/feature-story/2024-nhl-draft-early-season-favourites-central-europe-leon-muggli-vasili-zelenov-paul-mayer-veit-oswald/?fbclid=IwAR02-eADuxWwjykyy4xDhcsWEdYsIB2Gjxs4ixwmNP9Q0SpWWayWb59Hv5Q). Among the others, there’s really little to denote.
David Reinbacher went 5th overall in last summer’s draft but has just 3 points and a minus rating in the 10 games he’s participated in thus far. Vinzenz Rohrer (MON) and Simon Knak (NAS) are doing just fine in lower, middle six roles, each sporting a plus rating after roughly 20 games. Of overagers eligible for next summer’s draft, former Spokane Chief Tommaso De Luca leads the way with 10 points in 22 games, showing that he truly was ready for pro hockey after an unexpected departure from the WHL.
But the youngster turning the most heads has been Theo Rochette. Undrafted with five seasons of QMJHL hockey under his belt, Rochette was last seen captaining the Quebec Remparts to a Memorial Cup championship at the tune of 106 points and a +23 topped off by another 21 points in 17 playoff games. Now he’s 3rd in team scoring for Lausanne with 7 goals and 16 points in 27 games, easily tops among players aged 21 or younger.
He’s got power forward moves like this:
And he’s got dekes in his arsenal like these:
One can’t help but think he’s going to earn himself an NHL shot some point down the line, likely going the Pius Suter route.
Slovakia
Lastly, recent years have included a number of prospect-related sagas with negative connotations. Almost none have made as much noise as that of 21-year-old US defenseman Mitchell Miller, who has ultimately headed to Eastern Europe for his first season of professional hockey.
Playing in Slovakia’s top pro league, he is currently third overall in scoring with 29 points in 19 games, actually featuring a higher PPG percentage than the league’s other two top scorers, each forwards. The guy at the top is none other than Sam Bucek, who himself was the subject of an NHL opera last season when he hopped out of his ELC to go to the KHL, where he played all of 6 games.