Prospects News & Rumors: Andersson, Puljujarvi & Veleno

After an eventful Day 1 of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, we saw some movement among several teams. The New York Rangers sent a former seventh overall pick to the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers resolved their saga with Jesse Puljujarvi and the Detroit Red Wings loaned a former first-round pick to Sweden.

Rangers Trade Andersson to Kings

The Lias Andersson saga in New York is over. The Rangers sent the former seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the Kings in exchange for the 60th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The Rangers then used that picked to selected Windsor Spitfires forward William Cuylle. THW’s Eugene Helfrick covered the trade in more depth and how it affects the Kings going forward in his recent article.

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In Cuylle, the Rangers add some grit and sandpaper to an ever-growing crop of talented and supremely skilled forwards. The Toronto, ON native had 22 goals and 42 points in 62 games played in the Ontario Hockey League.

Andersson spent the 2019-20 season split between the NHL, the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, and HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League. With the Rangers, he had one assist in 17 games played. In the AHL he amassed four goals and one assist in 13 games played, and in the SHL he put up seven goals and 12 points in 15 games played. He has begun the 2020-21 season with HV71 and has four points in four games to start the season.

Oilers Sign Puljujarvi

The Oilers signed their former 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.175 million. His last full season in North America was during the 2018-19 season where he played 46 games with the Oilers and posted four goals and five assists for nine points. He also played four games in the AHL that season with the Bakersfield Condors, amassing two goals and two assists in four games played. THW’s Jim Parson’s covered the signing in more detail in a recent piece.

Puljujarvi spent the entire 2019-20 season playing for Kärpät in the Finnish Liiga. He had an outstanding season in which he totaled 24 goals and 53 points in 56 games played. He finished tied for fourth in league scoring with Kristian Kuusela. He’ll play for Kärpät in the meantime as they continue the start of their season. He will be able to return for Oilers training camp and will be eligible to play in the NHL when the season begins.

Red Wings Loan Veleno to Sweden

The Red Wings have loaned center Joe Veleno to the Malmö Redhawks in the SHL for the entire 2020-21 season. Drafted 30th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the entire season in the AHL playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

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He amassed 11 goals and 23 points in 54 games played. and finished tied for seventh in team scoring. It was his first season of professional hockey after coming over from the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

It’s an interesting choice for Veleno, but with the uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 AHL season it’s one that will award him with valuable playing time in one of hockey’s best leagues. He also won a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship in which he amassed six points in six games played. He will return to the Red Wings after the conclusion of the 2020-21 SHL season.