Lightning Round: European prospects update

After the start of the 2020-21 NHL regular season, some of the Tampa Bay Lightning prospects stayed in European leagues. Let’s check in on how they’re performing during this season

Forwards

Mikhail Shalagin

8 games: 3 goal, 0 assists – Khimik Voskresensk – VHL

25 games: 8 goals, 12 assists – Gornyak Uchaly – VHL

4 games: 2 goals, 2 assists – Gornyak Uchaly – VHL playoffs

2 games: 0 goals, 0 assists – Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg – KHL

After getting drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, some fans considered Shalagin another late-round steal, after seeing his record breaking season in the MHL (the Russian junior league) where he scored 48 goals in 45 games. However his first season in North America wasn’t very successful, as he recorded just 10 points in 41 games with the Orlando Solar Bears. Before the start of this season he returned to Russia, signing one-year contract with his youth team Spartak Moscow. Later he was traded to another team in the KHL – Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and spent the most of the season with their affiliate team in the VHL. Overall he scored 23 points in 33 games in the VHL and 11 of them were goals. By the end of January Shalagin was recalled by Avtomobilist and made his season’s debut in the KHL. He played just in two games and didn’t recorded any point. Currently he’s still playing in the VHL playoffs and helped his team to advance to the quarterfinals, scoring four points in four games of the first round.

Alexei Lipanov

33 game: 7 goals, 8 assists – Dynamo Krasnogorsk – VHL

5 games: 0 goals, 3 assists – Dynamo Krasnogorsk – VHL playoffs

After spending three seasons in North America, Lipanov also returned to Russia at the start of the 2020-21 season. Before his departure to North America, he was considered as one of the most talented Russian centre forwards, but his career went downhill since that moment: he changed several teams in the OHL, made his debut in the AHL and spent one season in the ECHL, but couldn’t take hold in North America. He spent this season with his team’s affiliate in the VHL, scoring 15 points in 33 games. Lipanov’s team had also made playoffs in the VHL, but unlike Mikhail Shalagin, his season is already over as Dynamo Krasnogorsk was eliminated in the first round.

Maxim Groshev

17 games: 0 goals, 2 assists – Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk – KHL

18 game: 1 goals, 0 assists – SKA St. Petersburg – KHL

1 game: 0 goals, 0 assists – Reaktor Nizhnekamsk – MHL

1 game: 0 goals, 0 assists – SKA-Neva St. Petersburg – VHL

Maxim Groshev is another Lightning prospect who was traded mid-season. As was expected, his ice team decreased after getting traded to SKA St. Petersburg, one of the top teams in the KHL. He recorded just one goal in 18 games, playing just around eight minutes per games and spent a lot of time being scratched. SKA St. Petersburg are currently up 2-0 in the first round of the KHL’s playoffs, but Groshev hasn’t played in both of this games.

Defensemen

Dominik Masin

32 games: 2 goals, 9 assists – Amur Khabarovsk – KHL

After missing almost a month due to injury at the start of the season, Masin became one of the top defenceman of his team, playing around 21 minutes per game. His team hasn’t made playoffs in the KHL and his contract expires on April 30.

Radim Salda

48 games: 2 goals, 5 assists – HK Hradec Kralove – Czech Extraliga

During his second season at the professional level, Radim Salda played a bigger role for his team, making his way into the team’s top four.

Goaltenders

Amir Miftakhov

7 games: 2.25 GAA, 0.917 SV% – Ak Bars – KHL

17 games: 2.73 GAA, 0.917 SV% – Bars Kazan – VHL

3 games: 1.50 GAA, 0.934 SV% – Bars Kazan – VHL playoffs

Miftakhov started this season in the KHL due to COVID-19 outbreak within the Ak Bars, however as the season continued and players recovered he returned to the VHL, where he spent the rest of the season. After a relatively poor start his numbers improved and he finished the regular season with .917 save percentage. In three playoff games in the VHL he recorded two wins, but his team was still eliminated after the first round.

Hugo Alnefelt

18 games: 3.08 GAA, 0.906 SV% – HV71 – SHL

Not the the best season for Hugo Alnefelt either. He recorded just five wins in 18 games during this season and his team remains at the bottom of the league.

Lightning Links

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s winning streak ended after a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night [Raw Charge]

It was a battle of the backups in net as Curtis McElhinney started for the Lightning. He made 24-of-27 saves in his fourth start of the year. Malcolm Subban started for Chicago and was much stronger in net than he was against the Bolts on opening night. Subban stopped 39 shots in regulation and overtime while denying Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos in the shootout.

Jan Rutta missed last game due to an injury, but expected to be back soon

The Orlando Solar Bears shutdown the Florida Everblades last night. Luke McInnis, Mark Auk and Jerry D’Amigo scored for the Solar Bears.

Hockey News

Brandon Carlo was taken to the hospital after receiving a hit to his head by Tom WIlson according to the Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy.

Brent Seabrook announced the end of his career after 15 seasons in the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed a goaltender Beck Warm to the entry-level contract.