The Detroit Red Wings have signed 2020 third-round pick Donovan Sebrango to a three-year, entry-level contract. Montreal Canadiens prospect Cole Caufield played the hero again, scoring the overtime winner to propel Wisconsin to the Big Ten Championship. Carolina Hurricanes prospect Alexander Pashin recorded a four-goal game for Tolpar Ufa in the KHL playoffs.
Red Wings Sign Donovan Sebrango
The Red Wings announced that they’ve agreed to a standard three-year, entry-level contract for Donovan Sebrango. Drafted 63rd overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the 2019-20 season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kitchener Rangers, where he recorded six goals and 24 assists for 30 points in 56 games and ranked tenth in team scoring. He was named to the CHL Top Prospects Game and won a silver medal for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with two assists in five games played.
Before Sebrango was drafted, THW’s Mark Scheig broke down what makes him so effective:
Sebrango’s biggest weapon is his skating. He uses it to his advantage at both ends of the ice. On defense, he can close the gap on just about anyone. On offense, he can lead the rush and start in transition. Then he uses his decision-making and passing ability to make the correct read.
This season, Sebrango played five games in the Slovakian second division with HK Levice, recording one goal and two assists. He’s now playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League, where he has one assist in nine games played. He is still eligible to return to the Kitchener Rangers when the OHL returns for their 2020-21 season.
Caufield Carries Wisconsin To Big Ten Championship
It wasn’t easy, but the University of Wisconsin managed to scrape by Penn State and secure a 4-3 victory in overtime to advance to the Big Ten Championship game. As he has been all season, Cole Caufield was again the hero, scoring the game-tying goal late in the third period and the overtime winner. The two goals bring his season totals to an unbelievable 27 goals in 29 games played. He also has 21 assists for 48 points. He leads the NCAA in goal scoring with nine more than the next skater and also leads both the NCAA and Wisconsin in points.
Drafted 15th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the 2019-20 season as a freshman at Wisconsin, amassing 19 goals and 17 assists in 36 games played. Caufield also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship, where he scored two goals and three assists for five points in seven games. He was Big Ten Rookie of the Year and Scoring Champion in 2019-20, so it’s no a surprise to see him challenging for the NCAA scoring title this season. Wisconsin takes on Minnesota tonight at 7 pm for the Big Ten Championship.
Pashin Records Four-Goal Game
Hurricanes prospect Alexander Pashin had a game to remember in Toplar Ufa’s 5-4 overtime playoff victory against Mamonty Ugry. The Russian winger factored in on every one of his team’s goals, finishing with four goals and one assist, including the overtime winner. He was the team’s leading scorer this season with 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points in 41 games played. His five-point game gives him five goals and two assists in three playoff games.
Before the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, THW’s Victor Nuño outlined why Pashin was one of the Top 5 Underrated Russians in the draft.
…There are many reasons to be optimistic about Pashin including his fantastic skating ability, his motor, stickhandling, and his offensive creativity. He is not regarded as a defensive forward at all and his play when opponents have the puck leaves much to be desired. When he has the puck, he dictates the play with his speed and ability to make nifty plays, escaping the physical encounters. Offensively, Pashin is an extremely well-rounded player. Aside from occasionally trying to do too much on his own, there aren’t too many downsides to his offensive game
– Victor Nuño
Drafted 199th overall in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Pashin likely fell due to his size (5-foot-7). He spent the 2019-20 season in Russia’s MHL with Tolpar Ufa, recording 17 goals and 22 assists in 37 games played. The Hurricanes have had a lot of success finding players in the later rounds of the draft recently, and Pashin seems like another gem unearthed by the organization.