The Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers have each loaned one of their prospects overseas for the start of the 2020-21 season. The Saint John Sea Dogs acquired a defenseman via trade and we look at a player who could very well be a first-round pick for our Prospect of the Day.
Kings Loan Moverare to Finland
The Kings announced that they have loaned defenseman Jacob Moverare to SaiPa of the Liiga. He was originally drafted by the Kings in the fourth round, 112th overall, in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Related: Our Free NHL Draft Guide
Moverare spent this past season playing for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) where he scored 7 goals and added 12 assists for 19 points in 51 games. Throughout his time in the SHL, he has tallied 11 goals and added 15 assists for 26 points in 97 games.
Moverare is an interesting prospect for the Kings. Standing at 6-foot-3, he has great size, can make an impact on the ice and is not afraid to be physical when called upon. He plays with an active stick and his gap control is good. He will need to work on his overall game when he comes over to play in the AHL and will definitely need a few years to develop before making the jump to the NHL, but the potential is there.
Oilers Loan McLeod to Switzerland
The Oilers announced that they have loaned prospect Ryan McLeod to EV Zug of the National League (NLA). He was originally drafted by the Oilers in the second round, 40th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
McLeod spent this past season playing for the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he scored 5 goals and added 18 assists for 23 points in 56 games. He made his AHL debut in the playoffs last year and managed to collect three assists in five games.
McLeod will have the chance to continue developing his game while playing meaningful minutes. He is an effortless skater who uses his edges to create plays and makes the players around him better. He has the chance to make an impact on the Oilers in a few seasons and I am excited to see where his development takes him.
Sea Dogs Acquire Dow Via Trade
The Sea Dogs announced that they have acquired defenseman Sam Dow from the Moncton Wildcats in exchange for a 10th-round pick in 2021. He was originally drafted by the Wildcats in the eighth round, 132nd overall, in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Dow spent this past season playing for the Wildcats and the Campbellton Tigers of the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJAHL). In 24 games with the Wildcats, he managed to collect 5 assists while he collected 10 assists in 17 games with the Tigers.
Dow will have the chance to make an impact for the Sea Dogs come next season. He has decent size at 6-foot-0 and uses his stick to break up passes in the defensive zone. He is good at clearing his net of any danger and can transition the puck with the ice with ease. It will be interesting to see how he can ease into play with his new team and hopefully he can stick in the QMJHL full time this season.
Prospect of the Day – John-Jason Peterka
For our Prospect of the Day, we will take a look at forward John-Jason Peterka who had a great season while playing in the top German league, the DEL. Currently ranked seventh amongst European skaters, Peterka has the chance to become a great player in the NHL.
Peterka spent this past season playing for EHC Munchen where he scored 7 goals and added 4 assists for 11 points in 42 games. He also represented his country of Germany on the world stage in tournament such as the World Junior Championship where he collected 9 goals and added 7 assists for 16 points.
Our own Dayton Reimer thinks that with time and patience, Peterka could develop into a top-six winger.
“Anyone selecting Peterka will have to wait some time before he’s ready to take on the NHL. The talent is there, and he’s already made improvements to his defensive game, but he’ll need to work on becoming more consistent. That will likely mean he won’t break into the NHL for another four or five years, spending some more time with the DEL and a season or two in the AHL. However, if he’s selected by a patient team, he projects to be a top-six scoring winger who can be utilized on both the power play and penalty kill.”
Time will tell whether or not Peterka will develop into a solid NHL player, but he has all the potential in the world. He plays at such a high level and is able to see the game unfold in such a unique way. The team that drafts him will have to be patient but if all goes well, they will be adding a quality player to their lineup.
