Here's a creative new way of looking at the NHL's RFA logjam with the calendar not far away from flipping to September.
The only *new* news is Tuesday's announcement that Jesse Puljujarvi has signed to play in Finland — with an out clause that would allow him to come back to the NHL before December 1.
While claiming that nothing has changed, Ken Holland seems to be using this move as an opportunity to amp up his trade efforts.
As far as Vancouver's unsigned RFAs go, the biggest news of the week out of Minnesota was the celebration of Brock Boeser's nephew's first birthday.
Over in Moscow, Goldy's hard at work in the gym.
That's about it for news, so let's continue with this summer's draft prospect profiles, looping back to Carson Focht.
I've already written about Focht a fair amount this summer — he played a prominent role for Team Canada as a checking centre at the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this month.
Focht turned 19 last February, so he was in his second year of draft eligibility when he was selected 133th overall by the Canucks in June, in the fifth round. He went undrafted the first time around despite jumping from No. 200 at mid-term to No. 155 among North American skaters in the
2018 Central Scouting Rankings.
In 2018, he was listed at 6'0" and 178 pounds. On Team Canada's
World Junior Summer Showcase roster from last month, he checked in at 6'0" and 177 pounds.
A native of Regina, Focht decamped for the prestigious Athol Murrary College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, SK as a 14-year-old, and was named MVP of the school's Bantam AAA squad as he led the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League in 2014-15 with 39 goals and 70 points in 38 games. He also played six games for the school's midget team that year.
That led to a seventh-overall selection by Tri-City in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. Focht spent the 2015-16 season back in his hometown, playing midget for the Regina Pat Canadians, then joined Tri-City for two games at the end of the year.
As a 16-year-old, Focht was quiet with the WHL Americans, putting up just 12 points in 62 games. His numbers improved during his draft year. He was traded to Calgary at mid-season and put up 17 points in 32 games with the Hitmen before the draft.
After being passed over at the draft, Focht's role increased dramatically in Calgary last season. He was second on the team with 64 points in 68 games, then added five goals and nine points in 11 games as the underdog Hitmen knocked off the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who had finished 12 points ahead of them, in their seven-game first-round playoff series.
The Hitmen fell behind 0-2 in that series in Lethbridge but when they returned to Calgary, Focht scored twice, including the game-winner, in a 5-3 Game 3 victory. The home team ended up winning every game in the series until Game 7, when Focht opened the scoring and added the game winner as the Hitmen took a 3-0 first-period lead and hung on, eventually earning a 4-2 win.
Focht says his favourite player is Jonathan Toews, and we saw him play with that type of two-way tenacity during the Summer Showcase. He showed well — and there's always a need at that tournament for players who will embrace a bottom-six role on a roster full of offensive stars. I imagine his chance to go to the Czech Republic this winter will be determined by the status of other Team Canada centres like Barrett Hayton and Dylan Cozens who didn't participate in Plymouth but could land above him on the depth chart.
Here's more from Focht on attending the Boston Bruins' rookie camp as an undrafted prospect last year, his season in Calgary, Canucks' development camp and the Summer Showcase.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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