Two American Hockey League franchises announced new affiliation deals on Thursday, a trade took place in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and a top prospect for the Edmonton Oilers impressed in Sweden. It’s time to take a dive into the latest prospect news from around the world of hockey.
Wolves, Checkers Announce New NHL Affiliations
The Charlotte Checkers have been the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate since their inception in 2010. However, they will be partnering up with a new franchise for the foreseeable future after signing a multi-year agreement with the Florida Panthers. It’s a bit of a shocking decision considering most teams are trying to have their AHL affiliate as close to home as possible.
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The Checkers are the reigning Calder Cup champions, having beaten the Chicago Wolves in the 2019 Final.
The Wolves became the first AHL affiliate for the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017-18 season. They were left without an affiliation after the Golden Knights purchased the San Antonio Rampage and moved them to the Las Vegas area, launching the Henderson Silver Knights. Hurricanes’ prospects will now call Chicago home after the team signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Wolves.
Baie-Comeau Send Moody To Saint John
The QMJHL has been the center of attention in the Canadian Hockey League lately with schedule and team roster announcements. Add to that a trade, with goaltender Daniel Moody heading to the Saint John Sea Dogs from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for a 12th-round selection in the 2022 QMJHL draft.
Moody has been a backup goaltender for his entire QMJHL career, playing a total of 47 games over three seasons. The Sea Dogs will be his fourth team after he spent time with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Chicoutimi Saguenéens, and Baie-Comeau.
Broberg Shines in SHL Preseason
Edmonton Oilers prospect Philip Broberg channeled his inner Bobby Orr in a preseason game against IF Björklöven. A beautiful skate-to-stick move finished off by a diving effort gave his team a 2-0 lead. Skellefteå AIK ended up winning the game 2-1.
Drafted eighth overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Broberg will be entering his second season with Skellefteå AIK. He amassed one goal and eight points in 45 games with the team during the 2019-20 season. Oilers fans will be excited to see one of their team’s prized prospects getting along well before the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
Prospect of the Day – Anton Johannesson
For today’s prospect we are staying in Sweden with HV71 J20 defenseman Anton Johannesson. NHL Central Scouting has Johannesson ranked as the 31st-best European skater. In his final rankings, THW’s Larry Fisher has him ranked 47th among all players.
Related: Every NHL Team’s Top Prospect – Postseason Update
After missing a fair amount of the last two seasons, Johannesson impressed in the 20 games he played in the SuperElit during the 2019-20 season. He amassed eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. Despite playing only around half of their games, he was still second on the team in scoring by a defenseman.
Johannesson is a skilled offensive defenseman with an exceptional skating ability. He’s extremely agile and his exceptional edgework allows him to change direction on a dime and fool the opposition. His hockey IQ is right up there with some of the consensus first-round picks and he often makes the right decision in both ends of the ice. He’s got an effective first pass and has a hard, accurate shot.
THW’s own Josh Bell had this to say about Johannesson and his potential at the next level.
There’s no denying Johannesson’s potential. There’s a lot to like about his game. The holes stem from his size and lack of strength, and the weight is the most concerning. His speed and intelligence can make up for the height, but he’ll need to put on some weight if he is to compete for an NHL spot. Johannesson can be considered a high-risk, high-reward player.
The problem with predicting where Johannesson could go is that his size is likely going to be an issue for some clubs. Teams must be willing to overlook the fact that he’s only 5-foot-9 and point to his high-end offensive abilities. However, as we’ve seen in the past it’ll likely lead to him falling come draft day in October. He might slip into the late second round, but I’d pencil him in as a third or fourth-round selection.