The London Knights received a commitment from one of their draft picks. The Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings announced that they have each loaned a prospect overseas for the start of the 2020-21 season. The Quebec Remparts put pen to paper with one of their prospects. Finally, we will take a look at a player who was solid this season in our Prospect of the Day.
Knights Receive Commitment From George
The Knights announced that they have received a commitment from defenseman Isaiah George. He was originally selected in the fourth round, 68th overall, by the Knights in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.
George spent this past season playing for the Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). In 26 games, he scored 5 goals and added 6 assists for 11 points. He also suited up for one game with the Oakville Blades but was held pointless.
With the signing of George, the Knights get one of the top defensemen in this draft. If he had not been contemplating going to the NCAA, he would have been a first-round selection in this past Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft. George does the most damage with the puck on his stick and will provide another great option for the Knights when the season resumes.
Capitals Loan Defensive Prospect Alexeyev Overseas
The Capitals announced that they have loaned defenseman Alexander Alexeyev to Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) to begin the 2020-21 season. He was originally drafted by the Capitals in the first round, 31st overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Alexeyev spent this past season playing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he tallied three goals and added 18 assists for 21 points in 58 games.
Alexeyev has the chance to be a solid contributor on the Capitals’ blue line as soon as next season. Standing at 6-foot-4, he has great size and is not afraid to go and battle in the corners. He is great at clearing the front of the net of any danger and can transition the puck quickly up the ice. He is one of the Capitals’ top prospects and it will be exciting to see what he can do as time rolls on.
Sharks Send Hrabik to the Czech Republic
The Sharks have loaned Krystof Hrabik to Bili Tygri Liberec of the Tipsport Extraliga, the highest league in the Czech Republic. He was undrafted but signed with the San Jose Barracuda on Oct. 3, 2019.
Hrabik spent this season playing for the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League (WHL) where he scored 14 goals and 31 points in 42 games. In his two-year WHL career, he has managed 35 goals and 82 points in 105 games.
Hrabik could become a solid prospect for the Sharks down the line. The organization doesn’t have the best pipeline and could use all the help they can get. At 6-foot-4, he is not afraid to play a physical game and is always willing to stick up for his teammates in a scrum. It will be exciting to see how much of an impact he will have on the Barracuda next season when he returns for camp in November.
Kings Loan Prospect Fagemo to Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan
The Kings announced that they have loaned Samuel Fagemo to Sodertalje SK of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest league in the country. He was originally drafted by the Kings in the second round, 50th overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Related: Our Free NHL Draft Guide
Fagemo spent this season playing for Frolunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) where he tallied 13 goals and 22 points in 42 games. He also represented his country on the international stage in tournaments such as the World Junior Championship (WJC) where he scored 25 goals and 39 points in 25 games.
Fagemo emerged as a top prospect at the WJC. He displayed his elite skill and vision and proved he could show up when it mattered. The Kings already have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, including Fagemo in that group is another reason for fans to be excited about the future.
Remparts Recieve Commitment From Bays
The Remparts have announced that they have received a commitment from defenseman Brendan Bays. He was originally drafted by the Oshawa Generals last year but he was able to join the Remparts after being liberated this past summer.
Bays spent this past season playing for the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) where he managed to score 2 goals and added 8 assists for 10 points in 52 games.
Bays has the chance to step right into the lineup and make an impact. He plays the game with an active stick and knows when it is the time to jump into the rush. He is great at making plays with the puck on his stick and can skate around opponents with ease. It will be exciting to follow his progress this season and I hope he can develop himself into one of the top two-way defensemen in the QMJHL.
Prospect of the Day – Connor McClennon
Our Prospect of the Day is Connor McClennon who consistently produced points this season. Currently ranked 43rd amongst North American skaters, he will likely hear his name called in the mid-rounds of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
McClennon spent this season playing for the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL where he managed 21 goals and 49 points in 42 games. During his three-year WHL career, he has collected 35 goals and 78 points in 93 games.
THW’s own Greg Boysen believes McClennon could become a solid secondary producer at the NHL level:
“The ceiling is high for McClennon, who has shown he can produce at every level he’s played at so far. He is a raw product who will need time to become a more complete player. While he may never be a Hart Trophy candidate, he has the chance to be a very good secondary scorer and playmaker at the NHL level.”
McClennon has really good tools to work with. He plays the right game and always puts forth his best effort. He creates plays with the puck and does not shy away from going into the dirty areas such as the front of the net. He will be an interesting prospect to keep a tab on over the next little while and could become a solid NHL player down the line.
