In other news today

London Knights defenceman and Canadiens controversial 1st round pick Logan Mailloux will be reinstated by the OHL Jan. 1 (the Knights are supposed to be in Erie that evening). His indefinite suspension will end at 26 games.

— Ryan Pyette (@RyanatLFPress) December 29, 2021

the London Knights (cheaters as usual) - sandbagged the WJ so they could bury this news.

crazy.

😂

Well, I guess we'll see what happens now, I had Mailloux as a 2nd before the news, we'll see how he develops and copes with having a huge monkey on his back that he will never shake off

The timing of the release of that news is suspect at best.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 29, 2021

He is going to have a target on his back and rightfully so. It will not be easy for him

Interesting development here as Topi Niemelä signs another one-year extension with Karpat into 2022-23.Harri Aho, Karpat's sporting director says Karpat "is committed to helping the young defender on his way to the next goals of his career." https://t.co/F1PFNLLNNu

— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) December 29, 2021

Noteworthy detail on this: The Leafs can/will still sign Niemelä to an ELC next summer and bring him to camp, but given his age and the new Liiga deal, they'll have to offer him back to Kärpät first instead of sending him to the AHL if he doesn't end up sticking. #Leafs https://t.co/tjnbmeX9GT

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) December 29, 2021

After seeing his game grow after getting a more prominent role with more minutes, no objection here as it seems Karpat knows what they are doing when it comes to his development.

Anyways things could change if he signs an ELC in the summer as if he makes the team out of camp we do get priority and can always send him back after 9 games. All depends on how well he impresses Mr. Keefe and the training staff.

Does anyone have a good current NHL-player comparison for Juraj Slafkovsky? I'm updating my card on him and I can't find one.

IIHF Will Attempt To Reschedule 2022 World Junior Championship

International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif told Russian outlet Championat on Wednesday that they’d like to reschedule the 2022 World Junior Championship, which was cancelled today due to a series of forfeited games at the tournament due to COVID cases among teams.

Tardif says that the summer of 2022 is the most likely outcome and that the tournament would likely stay in Canada. From a financial and television perspective, it would make sense to hold the tournament after the conclusion of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final in July.

Translated from Russian, Tardif had this to say on the tournament’s cancellation:

"The integrity of the tournament was violated, for reasons of player safety, we decided it was necessary to hold the [WJC] for real… Hockey is excellent, but the [Omicron] situation is disappointing. We preferred to end the tournament now, we will develop a proposal for all federations with new dates."

One important note from the interview is that teams will be able to modify their rosters for the tournament, should it be rescheduled. It’s big news for players like Finland’s Aatu Raty, who weren’t taken to the tournament due to testing positive for COVID during the selection process.

Tardif says he doesn’t know if the tournament will be held in a bubble this time around. To be fair, it’s impossible to predict the nature of COVID six months from now, and it’s therefore impossible to make a call on that front.

Still, optimism remains for these junior players to get an honest crack at medalling at the World Juniors in 2022. -ProHockeyRumors.com

I’ve seen people compare him to Rantanen

Well thats good. I think they should restart from scratch so the forfeited games are void. Or just allow said teams to play those forfeited games so they dont count as a loss.

Sounds like they're going to start from scratch, he said in the interview that they'd even allow teams to re-select new rosters for the summer if they wish

Does the start from scratch thing mean that Canada could bring the likes of Byfield, Drysdale, and Jarvis if they want? Since it would take place in the summer, after the NHL is done, presumably the NHL teams wouldn’t mind loaning them out for some conditioning.

Also what would it mean for points? Like, McDavid as a 16yo only had 4 points in the tournament, Bedard was already at 5 points through 2 games, which is super impressive and noteworthy as a talking point/for projections. Are we supposed to forget that, and only count points in the new tournament? Or will he potentially get 9 games to his name in 1 tournament (typically the max is 7: 4 RR/QF/SF/F) and another crack at lighting up Austria? I think it makes more sense from a stats and fairness (they earned these points) perspective to treat the 1-2 existing games as already played and go from there (but only games played, not the forfeits) but I can see how that would be awkward (e.g. Canada only gets 2 games before the medal rounds, most teams get 3 which is a better warm-up).

Actually? Ummm, ok then.

Probs not the place to ask this but has Ivan Ivan got a chance of making it at the NHL level? He'd be one of the greatest names in the league from day 1.

This is the exact place to ask that! Alas, I don’t really think so, but it certainly looks like he’s trying. He was eligible to be drafted last year and the year before and went undrafted both times. He also only played 7 games all of last season according to elite prospects, which isn’t great for anyone’s development (and none of them were in the Q). He is around a point per game this year in the Q, which is good, but as a double overager that should be taken with a grain of salt. If he has other good skills (i.e. good speed, or is a good penalty killer, can’t really find much in the way of a scouting report) someone might take a late round flier on him, but I feel like the biggest thing he has going for him is his name lol

This is the prospect discussion thread and draft eligibles are prospects technically so this is the exact place. I don’t think Ivan Ivan has a shot of making the NHL, he’s already been passed by the draft a couple of times sadly

Rantanen's scouting report from 2015 is similar to Slafkovsky's. I think he's a good comparison. Thanks

Dustin Wolf, 20, who will be Calgary’s back-up goalie tonight in Seattle, has only lost four games in regulation during the pandemic. Let that sink in.Over that span, he’s won 35 times — 18 with Everett (WHL), 16 with Stockton (AHL), 1 with Team USA (WJC).

— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) December 30, 2021

Be cool if he gets in a game

Jonathan Lekkerimäki 🚨 #SHL #DIFhockey #2022NHLDraft 🎥 C More pic.twitter.com/Mx8j7r5lZp

— SwehockeyGIFs (@swehockeygifs) December 30, 2021

Dude has such a canon of a shot

hmmm that shot reminds me of someone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWEckX-S2YU

Now that I think about it one guy who kind of benefited from the WJC cancellation was Shane Wright. I know hes 17 and all that and not saying it will affect is #1OA pick status but man was he quiet for those 3 games. Should do much better now that he knows what the U20 is all about.

Anyways with WJC probs happening after the Stanley Cup and before the draft (my guess they move the draft back a bit) gonna be interesting to see who ends up doing well

Hurt Lambert, he was picking up and then it was canceled.

Lambert I feel will pick up right where he left off

I'm hoping the do 2 bubble, one of the world juniors, and then one for a world cup with nhlers. Bubbles make easily the most sense for tournaments like that.