NHL Prospect Roundup: Devon Levi, Marco Kasper’s NHL debuts were worth the wait

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
NHL Prospect Roundup: Devon Levi, Marco Kasper’s NHL debuts were worth the wait
Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

We still have just under two weeks until the end of the NHL regular season, but most of the hockey world has nearly wrapped things up.

The NCAA’s Frozen Four is this weekend, with many of the top college hockey stars – Adam Fantilli, Logan Cooley, Matthew Knies, Lane Hutson and Mackie Samoskevich, among others – set to decide the national champion. Most European leagues are close to finishing the playoffs, and the CHL’s three leagues all kicked off their post-season action last week.

So we’re seeing a lot of quality prospects turning pro and getting into NHL or AHL action to finish off the season. We’re mainly seeing that with teams further down the standings with extra depth spots, but it’s an excellent opportunity for fans to see what their prospects are capable of without the pressure of playing a full-time role.

We’re kicking things off today by looking at a few players with some memorable debuts:

NHL

– The Buffalo Sabres got a taste of the future on Friday, with top goaltending prospect Devon Levi making his long-awaited debut. The 21-year-old was excellent, stopping 31 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against one of the top Stanley Cup candidates, the New York Rangers. Levi finished his NCAA career as one of the best goaltenders to grace the college ranks perhaps ever, recording 16 shutouts and a .942 save percentage in 66 games with Northeastern. The Sabres sit five points behind Pittsburgh with two games in hand in the Wildcard race, so it’ll be interesting to see how often the Sabres decide to use him as part of an already crowded crease.

– Before the Detroit Red Wings selected Marco Kasper in the first round in 2022, the team lacked a high-impact offensive threat in the pipeline. The blueline depth was stout, and they had a top-flight goaltending prospect in Sebastian Cossa. But Kasper gave the team some serious hope, and he made his NHL debut on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, registering one shot in 14:59 of ice time. It was a decent start, and the Wings hope to get him up to speed down the stretch before he makes a case to go full-time in 2023-24. The Austrian winger had a solid season with Rogle of the SHL, scoring eight goals and 23 points in 52 games. It’s tough for young prospects – especially those signed to NHL entry-level contracts – to get much playing time in Europe, but he didn’t look out of place against the Leafs over the weekend. Kasper will turn 19 next week, so there’s a ton of time to prepare him for full-time duty. For now, enjoy the show, Wings fans.

AHL

– The Topi Niemela era is here, Toronto Maple Leafs fans. After completing the playoffs with Karpat, Niemela got into his first AHL game with the Toronto Marlies over the weekend, recording three shots and registering an assist against Belleville. Matthew Knies might be the Leafs prospect with the most hype, but Niemela is a smart, skilled defender that can turn heads when carrying the puck. The Leafs have a defensive backlog, and they can afford to be patient with their 21-year-old prospect, but the top defender from the 2021 world juniors has a solid future on the right side.

– The Milwaukee Admirals have remained relevant despite heavy turnover due to injuries and other concerns with the Nashville Predators. Forward Joakim Kemell has been a big part of the team’s late-season stretch, scoring twice and adding three assists in eight games. He nabbed assists in both of Milwaukee’s games over the weekend, helping to build upon a solid season that saw him score 12 goals with JYP in Liiga this year. His overall point production dropped from 23 to 15, but JYP was one of the worst teams in Finland. Kemell is considered one of the best prospects in Nashville’s system and is quickly adapting to the smaller ice.

– With Carey Price’s return to the Montreal Canadiens at any point looking less likely, it’s all about the future. Jakub Dobes turned pro after a fantastic two-season run with Ohio State University, with the 21-year-old finishing with a 42-28-5 record with six shutouts and a .926 save percentage over 75 games. He was easily one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA in that span, and he now gives Laval some extra goaltending depth to close out the season. Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault are signed for next year, while Cayden Primeau has another two years left on his deal, too. That’ll give Dobes ample time to find his groove against men and perhaps overtake Primeau in the pecking order before too long. It’s early days, but if Dobes can channel that energy that made him so good in college, the Habs might have a bright future in net.

KHL

– After his best KHL regular season to date, Ak Bars Kazan forward Dmitri Voronkov has kept things rolling with four goals and eight points through 13 playoff games. Drafted 114th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019, Voronkov is a big, 6-foot-4 forward with good muscle and an excellent shot. There’s definite NHL potential here, and Voronkov’s deal is set to expire at the end of the season, making him eligible to join the Blue Jackets next year. Kazan currently leads its conference final series over Avangard Omsk, so Blue Jackets fans might want to watch how Voronkov’s season ends.

OHL

– The good news: there might not be a more dominant defenseman in major junior right now than Brandt Clarke, who had an incredible 23 goals and 61 points in 31 games to finish the regular season with Barrie. He’s now up to 11 points in just three playoff games, with the Colts holding a 2-1 series advantage over Hamilton. The bad news? The Los Angeles Kings prospect Clarke received a five-minute major for a knee-on-knee with Hamilton’s Lawson Sherk on Sunday. We’ll see if the OHL decides to suspend him, and missing Clarke would be a massive blow for a strong Barrie squad. Still, there’s nobody doing what he’s done recently – except for maybe Connor Bedard.

– Speaking of Hamilton, Artem Grushnikov is a huge reason why the Bulldogs managed to take a bite out of the Colts’ playoff run. The defensive blueliner had the game of his life, scoring three goals and adding an assist in a four-point effort on Sunday. That ended a seven-game slide for the Dogs, and Grushnikov’s huge game was massive for the team’s confidence. Taken 48th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2021, Grushnikov already has an entry-level contract with the Stars and can go pro next season.

WHL

– The Winnipeg Ice are off to a 2-0 series lead over Medicine Hat, largely due to the tremendous work by Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie. The 19-year-old center has four goals and seven points through two games, including a hat-trick in the opening game to give the Ice a 5-3 win. Without his scoring exploits early in this series, this may have been a 1-1 series heading into this week. Sabres fans love Savoie, and rightfully so: from a pure talent perspective, he’s one of the best prospects in the game right now. If he doesn’t make Buffalo next year – another year of junior can have its benefits – he’ll torch the WHL.

QMJHL

– So far, so good for Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Dyllan Gill. Drafted with the third last pick in 2022, Gill has three assists in two playoff games to build upon a year that saw him post 57 points. Given he had just 23 points in 105 games over the past two years, Gill’s offensive explosion from the point has been eye-opening. If Rouyn-Noranda are going to advance out of the first round, Gill will need to keep his play up like it is now.

NCAA

– Fresh off being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker, Logan Cooley is ready to lead the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Frozen Four this week. He was a dominant force during the regional championships, recording five points in two games. He’s on a six-game multi-point streak and has 21 points over the past 10 games to make him the most dangerous forward over the past month and a half in college hockey. The Arizona Coyotes have a future star here.

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