A Ducks first-round pick is headed for a different setting next season. OHL London announced that it has signed Marcus Nordmark for the upcoming campaign, giving the 18-year-old a new team and a new league after Anaheim took him 28th overall.
The Ducks moved up one spot to get Nordmark, jumping from the 29th pick they had acquired as part of the return for Mason McTavish. Nordmark spent most of last season in Djurgardens’ under-20 system, where he produced 38 points in 25 games.
He also saw eight SHL appearances and recorded one assist. If his season in London goes well, he could be in position to move up to the AHL in 2027-28.
In Vancouver’s camp picture, prospect Ilya Safonov said in a blog for Sports.ru that his contract gives him an option to return to the KHL at some point in the coming season if he doesn’t land a spot with the Canucks. The 25-year-old signed a one-year, entry-level deal in June after a solid KHL season with Ak Bars Kazan, finishing with 16 goals and 17 assists in 68 games.
On the surface, Safonov looks like a tough fit for the opening-night NHL roster, and AHL Abbotsford would seem the likeliest starting point. Still, he said he won’t head back home at the first challenge, which points to at least some time in the minors in 2026-27.
As for Calgary, GM Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that the Flames do not plan to add anyone else to training camp on a PTO beyond winger Alex Nylander. Conroy also addressed some uncertainty around veteran Jonathan Huberdeau, but he said he wants to give younger players a chance to compete for a roster spot. With Calgary looking like a team that is likely to miss the playoffs again, that kind of approach makes sense as the Flames try to learn what their prospects can actually give them.
In Other News...
Yegor Sharangovich Faces A Big Flames Question He Has To Answer
Craig Conroys first big move as Flames general manager brought Yegor Sharangovich to Calgary in the deal that sent Tyler Toffoli to New Jersey, and for a while it looked like the kind of trade that could help set the tone for a new era. Sharangovich answered with a breakout 2023-24 campaign that gave the organization exactly the sort of scoring punch it had been hoping for, enough to lock in a contract extension and make him seem like a key part of the forward group moving forward.
The problem is that the momentum has not carried over. Over the next two seasons, injuries and uneven play chipped away at the consistency that made him so effective, leaving Sharangovich with a bigger question hanging over him than almost any other Flame forward: can he find the same offensive rhythm again, or was that peak season the exception rather than the start of something more permanent? For Calgary, the answer matters because it goes beyond one player and touches the value of a trade Conroy made to help reshape the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Leadership Shakeup Could Put New Core In Charge
The Flames leadership group is in flux after the departures of several veteran players, leaving an opening for a new wave of voices to shape the room. Among the names being discussed are Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato, Kevin Bahl and Jacob Middleton, a mix of younger players and emerging contributors who have started to matter not just for their on-ice work, but for the way they carry themselves within the group.
Middleton stands out as a particularly intriguing possibility because of the steadiness he has brought to the lineup, while Farabee and Coronato fit the profile of players whose roles have grown along with the teams need for a fresh core. Nothing is official yet, and that is part of the point: the next step in Calgarys leadership picture seems likely to reflect who has earned real trust inside the room, not just who has been around the longest. [Read more 🡒]