SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 06/22/19 1147834 Kings' and Ducks' are ready 1147866 Canes take with 28th pick in NHL Draft to soak in sun and the new rivalry 1147867 Hurricanes to host Canadiens in 2019-2020 1147835 Ducks pick center Trevor Zegras, wing in opener Round 1 of NHL draft 1147868 How much is Petr Mrazek really worth, and what should 1147836 Ducks add offensive punch with picks of Trevor Zegras, the Hurricanes do about it? Brayden Tracey in NHL draft 1147837 Ryan Miller on why he re-signed with the Ducks for another year, and his future beyond 2019-20 1147869 Blackhawks select forward Kirby Dach with the No. 3 pick 1147838 Ducks haven’t followed a script with their recent (and rare) in the NHL draft high draft picks 1147870 The wait to discover the No. 3 pick is nearly over for Blackhawks fans. Their reward? More waiting. 1147871 Blackhawks have work left to do on Day 2 of 2019 NHL 1147839 Arizona Coyotes trade up to draft right-handed Draft defenseman Victor Soderstrom 1147872 NHL Draft 2019: Complete results for Round 1 1147840 Arizona Coyotes to hire former Sabres head coach Phil 1147873 Blackhawks select Kirby Dach with No. 3 pick in NHL Draft Housley as assistant 1147874 How to watch the 2019 NHL Draft on TV and online 1147841 Coyotes’ NHL Draft headlined by 14th pick, cap space and 1147875 Blackhawks pass on suburban native Turcotte; Kings draft more him at No. 5 1147876 Blackhawks select center Kirby Dach with third pick 1147877 Retooling on the fly, Blackhawks hoping they hit the 1147842 Matt Boldy of Millis goes No. 12 to Minnesota jackpot with Kirby Dach 1147843 Bruins select big center John Beecher at No. 30 in NHL 1147878 The pick is in: Blackhawks select center Kirby Dach at No. Draft 3 overall 1147844 Devils select Jack Hughes at No. 1 in NHL draft 1147879 Kirby Dach could be a decade-defining selection for the 1147845 Bruins to open 2019-20 season Oct. 3 at Dallas Blackhawks 1147846 For Don Sweeney, Bruins future at center of plan to pick 1147880 ‘Kirby’s different’: The newest, and biggest, Blackhawks John Beecher prospect’s whole life has been about this moment 1147847 NHL Draft Notebook: Bruins begin to move on to 2019-20 1147881 12 players the Blackhawks could select on the draft’s 1147848 BU’s Trevor Zegras goes to Ducks, Medway’s Matthew second day Boldy leads trio of BC players picked 1147849 2019 NHL Draft: Bruins select USNDP center John Beecher at No. 30 1147882 Analysis: Avalanche gets an A-plus for choosing Bowen 1147850 Bruce Cassidy gets right back to work Byram, the draft’s best defenseman 1147851 Bruins draft a big, speedy body with first-round pick 1147883 NHL draft: Avalanche selects Boston College-bound Beecher center at No. 16 1147852 It would be nice for the Bruins to keep Marcus Johansson, 1147884 NHL draft: Avalanche selects defenseman but it may not be in the cards at No. 4 1147853 Bruins draft picks 2019: Full list of Boston's selections in 1147885 Avalanche 2019-20 home-opener: Oct. 3 vs. Vancouver Flames 1147886 Avalanche aiming to select the draft’s best defenseman and top goalie 1147854 Five things to know about Sabres first-round pick Ryan 1147887 How , the quiet hometown kid, might have had Johnson the NHL’s loudest night in his backyard 1147855 Sabres hold on to No. 31 pick, select defenseman Ryan 1147888 First round picks Byram, Newhook join young Avalanche Johnson core 1147856 Dylan Cozens was right choice at the perfect time for 1147889 The unsurprising quality that led Alex Newhook right to the Sabres Avs 1147857 Sabres 'very comfortable' taking Dylan Cozens at No. 7 in 1147890 Bowen Byram’s road was always going to lead to the NHL draft Avalanche 1147858 Sabres GM Jason Botterill open to offers for No. 31 pick, 1147891 Avs take Newhook with 16th pick Rasmus Ristolainen 1147892 Avs take Byram with fourth overall pick 1147859 Sabres to open season on road for first time since 2013, 1147893 Why trading makes sense meet Devils in home opener 1147894 Draft rumor round-up: Barrie, Nyquist, and Byram? 1147860 Is this the draft that puts Sabres over hump? Time only knows Columbus Jackets 1147861 From homemade rinks to KeyBank Center: Dylan Cozens 1147895 NHL increases plays that can be reviewed is picked up by the Sabres at No. 7 1147896 Season opener will be home game against Maple 1147862 Sabres plan to keep No. 7 pick, although Ristolainen’s Leafs on Oct. 4 future remains uncertain 1147897 Blue Jackets still seeking picks going into draft 1147863 Flames select winger Jakob Pelletier in first round of 2019 NHL Draft 1147864 Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall pulled duty on his own draft day 1147865 Flames draft Jakob Pelletier, a diminutive winger with some ‘eff-you’ to his game 1147899 Stars select defenseman Thomas Harley with the 18th 1147934 Wild takes left winger with 12th pick in NHL overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft Draft 1147900 Stars to open regular season at home against Eastern 1147935 Wild pick Matthew Boldy has seven teammates taken in Conference champion Boston first round; Gophers commit goes at No. 31 1147901 Why the Stars should trade down in the first round of the 1147936 Who goes where? Puck Drop's mock NHL draft takes a NHL draft to accumulate picks at it 1147937 Wild GM Paul Fenton won’t trade Jason Zucker unless the price is right 1147902 Here's why Detroit Red Wings picked Moritz Seider: He 1147938 Wild select dynamic winger Matt Boldy with No. 12 pick in makes pressure plays NHL Draft 1147903 Upset about Red Wings picking Moritz Seider? Remember 1147939 ‘Minnesota got a steal’: Wild make Matt Boldy a Tyler Bertuzzi centerpiece of their future 1147904 Steve Yzerman's surprise first Red Wings pick reminder of 1147940 Minnesota Wild draft primer: Fully loaded with picks to fill his own draft in 1983 the cupboards 1147905 Even Moritz Seider couldn't believe Detroit Red Wings picked him Canadiens 1147906 Detroit Red Wings stun by picking Moritz Seider at No. 6 1147941 Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin gets pleasant surprise at in NHL draft NHL Draft 1147907 take Plymouth's Jack Hughes No. 1 in 1147942 Canadiens draft pick Cole Caufield a little guy with a big 2019 NHL draft shot 1147908 Detroit Red Wings NHL draft: 6 candidates for Round 1 — 1147943 Canadiens select 5-foot-7 Cole Caufield 15th at NHL Draft and a wildcard 1147944 Former Canadien Larry Robinson earns his 10th Stanley 1147909 Plymouth-based program steals spotlight, smashes record Cup ring for first-round NHL Draft picks 1147945 Canadiens will play Red Wings in home opener at Bell 1147910 'Still in shock': Red Wings pull stunner, select defenseman on Oct. 10 Moritz Seider with No. 6 pick 1147946 What the Puck: Bergevin pours cold water on Canadiens 1147911 NHL Draft recap: 7 USNDTP players taken in top 15 picks fans' dreams 1147912 Steve Yzerman unsure about more changes in Red 1147947 Cole Caufield oozes confidence and skill, and now he has Wings' front office something (else) to prove 1147913 Two-way defenseman Moritz Seider ‘shocked’ Red Wings took him at No. 6 1147914 Red Wings select defenseman Moritz Seider with No. 6 1147948 Predators take center with first-round pick pick in surprise move in 2019 NHL Draft 1147915 Steve Yzerman hoping draft accelerates Red Wings 1147949 NHL Draft: Predators fans are satisfied with Philip rebuild Tomasino selection 1147916 Moritz Seider No.1 not that outside-the-box by Yzerman, 1147950 Report: Maple Leafs among teams showing interest in Red Wings Predators' P.K. Subban 1147951 Upon further review, NHL announces rules changes for Oilers 2019-20 season 1147917 Oilers draft notes: Nice Jump for Fort Sask's Kirby Dach 1147952 Predators to face Wild in 2019-20 home opener at 1147918 banking on Swedish Bridgestone Arena 1147919 Oilers draft mantra: you can never have too many 1147953 Is worth all the fuss? defencemen 1147920 Even with defence depth, Oilers call out Broberg at No. 8 New Jersey Devils 1147921 Oilers Draft Day 1: Getting it right at No. 8 overall and 1147954 2019 N.H.L. Draft: Devils Take Jack Hughes at No. 1, and multiple trade winds for Ken Holland the Rangers Pick Kaapo Kakko 1147955 NHL Draft 2019: 5 things to know about Devils’ No. 1 pick Jack Hughes | ‘He’ll find a way to be that superstar 1147922 The Florida Panthers drafted this Boston College 1147956 NHL Draft 2019: Devils select Jack Hughes first overall | with the 13th overall pick Where, how to buy his new jersey 1147923 Florida Panthers select goalie with 13th 1147957 NHL Draft 2019: Devils select F Jack Hughes with No. 1 pick in NHL draft overall pick | Scouting report, analysis 1147924 The Florida Panthers pick 13th, but they have plenty of 1147958 When will Devils play their 2019-20 home and season other work to do at the NHL Draft opener? 4 known games so far 1147959 NHL Draft 2019: Don’t worry, Devils’ Ray Shero has no Kings plans to trade No. 1 pick 1147925 Kings pick center Alex Turcotte, defenseman Tobias 1147960 NHL Draft: Projecting the NJ Devils' lineup with Jack Bjornfot in Round 1 of NHL draft Hughes 1147926 The Kings’ rebuild begins now 1147961 NJ Devils select Jack Hughes with first pick in NHL Draft 1147927 Kings take forward Alex Turcotte with No. 5 pick in NHL over Kaapo Kakko Draft 1147962 Farinacci family affair: What got New Jersey native John 1147928 BLAKE ON FAVORING “CHARACTER AND COMPETE Farinacci to the 2019 NHL Draft LEVEL;” GASPARINI TALKS TURCOTTE 1147963 Jack Hughes’ : Join Devils in his first season 1147929 INTRODUCING: TOBIAS BJÖRNFOT 1147964 NBC Sports causes NHL Draft confusion with graphic 1147930 INTRODUCING: ALEX TURCOTTE gaffe 1147931 LA KINGS SELECT ALEX TURCOTTE FIFTH OVERALL; 1147965 Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko have just reignited MUCH MORE TO COME Rangers-Devils rivalry 1147932 BARRING SOMEONE FALLING, KINGS HAVE THEIR 1147966 2019 NHL draft: Devils make Jack Hughes the No. 1 pick GUY; FINAL Q&A WITH YANNETTI 1147967 From NHL ready to wild cards, what the Devils’ prospect 1147933 KINGS TO OPEN 2019-20 ON ROAD; HOME OPENER depth chart looks like ahead of the 2019 draft 3:00 PM OCTOBER 12 VS NASHVILLE 1147968 Duhatschek Notebook: Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko? Devils can’t go wrong with first overall pick in draft 1147969 Islanders’ surprise pick is a big Mat Barzal fan 1148000 5 things to know about Penguins’ first-round draft pick 1147970 2019 NHL draft: Full first round order and picks for all 31 Samuel Poulin teams 1148001 Penguins pick winger Samuel Poulin with 1st-round draft 1147971 2019 NHL draft: Islanders snag Simon Holmstrom with No. choice 23 pick 1148002 Penguins listening to offers for Kris Letang 1147972 Isles take Swedish forward Holmstrom in NHL Draft 1148003 'He’s a guy we liked a lot': Penguins take Samuel Poulin in 1147973 Isles' home opener will be at Coliseum on Oct. 4 first round 1147974 Evaluating the Islanders’ options if Anders Lee and Robin 1148004 Source: Chris Kunitz contemplating retirement, may go Lehner walk into coaching 1148005 Penguins to open season at home against Sabres on Oct. 3 1147975 Devils select U.S. center Jack Hughes with 1st pick in 1148006 What to do — and not do — for Jim Rutherford at the NHL NHL draft, Rangers pick Finland’s Kaapo Kakko draft 1147976 How Rangers, fans should manage Kaapo Kakko 1148007 Yohe: What I’m hearing about the Penguins after Day 1 of expectations the NHL Draft 1147977 Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko have just reignited 1148008 Why trade Kris Letang? Let’s unravel the reasons Rangers-Devils rivalry 1147978 Knicks’ RJ Barrett welcomes Rangers’ top pick Kaapo Kakko to New York 1148009 Joe Pavelski, other Sharks’ pending UFAs, near interview 1147979 2019 NHL draft: Full first round order and picks for all 31 period teams 1148010 Sharks to open 2019-20 season with two games vs. 1147980 2019 NHL draft: Rangers scoop up Kaapo Kakko with No. fiercest rival 2 pick 1148011 NHL responds to playoff controversy involving Sharks, 1147981 Rangers take Kaapo Kakko second overall in NHL Draft others, expands video review 1147982 Isles' home opener will be at Coliseum on Oct. 4 1148012 What gives Peter DeBoer optimism Joe Pavelski will 1147983 Rangers have a franchise-altering night by drafting Kaapo re-sign with Sharks Kakko at No. 2 1148013 NHL schedule 2019-20: Sharks open season with home- and-home vs. Vegas NHL 1148014 NHL Draft 2019: Here's how Sharks' recent picks have 1147984 Seattle on the hunt for a future general manager at NHL been doing so far draft in Vancouver 1148015 Sharks free-agency decisions: Should center Dylan Gambrell stay or go? 1148016 NHL rumors: Joonas Donskoi tells Sharks he'll explore 1147985 GARRIOCH: Senators take offensive Finnish defenceman free-agency options with the No. 19 pick 1148017 Lower salary cap could make life more difficult for Sharks 1147986 SNAPSHOTS: Nashville Predators trying to move some and general manager Doug Wilson big names to clear cap space 1147987 Senators will open the season against the Toronto Maple St Louis Leafs 1148018 Talent search: With no first-rounder Blues must dig deeper 1147988 ‘He’s a great kid. They got a good pick’: Senators surprise for talent in draft by taking Lassi Thomson at No. 19 1148019 Media Views: Former Blues broadcaster Wilson not bitter, relishes title 1148020 There's hockey next week at Enterprise Center 1147989 NHL draft 2019: Start time, how to watch and stream 1148021 Champion St. Louis Blues to open season rounds 2-7 against Washington 1147990 Flyers’ GM Chuck Fletcher’s first pick in NHL draft 1148022 Blues sit back on draft day, soak up praise from around continues trend of unpredictability | Sam Donnellon the NHL on their Stanley Cup 1147991 NHL draft: Flyers surprisingly pick defenseman Cam York in first round 1147992 Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher vowed to be aggressive, and 1148023 NHL Draft: Lightning select Nolan Foote as its No. 27 pick he has been | Sam Donnellon 1148024 Lightning’s home opener will be Oct. 3 against Florida 1147993 Flyers keeping options open heading into NHL Entry Draft Panthers 1147994 With scorers available, Flyers' Fletcher opts for defense in 1148025 What does long-term injured reserve mean for Lightning’s first round of NHL Draft salary cap? 1147995 2019 NHL draft: Flyers trade back, take Cam York with 1148026 NHL Draft: Where are the last five No. 27 draft picks? 14th overall pick 1148027 Both feet in: Lightning double down on Foote family, draft 1147996 Flyers will play Devils in what promises to be fun home Cal’s brother Nolan opener to 2019-20 season 1148028 What ’s career-ending injury means for the 1147997 2019 NHL draft profile: Victor Soderstrom may be the Lightning offseason Flyers' pick at No. 11 1148029 Q&A: Breaking down the Tampa Bay Lightning draft and 1147998 NHL draft 2019: Preview, start time, pick order, live stream prospect pool with Corey Pronman and how to watch Round 1 1147999 Flyers select Cam York with 14th pick in NHL draft Websites 1148030 Two all-Canadian matchups set for first night of 2019-20 1148062 The Athletic / Ranking the 2019 NHL Draft’s first-round NHL season winners and losers into tiers 1148031 Leafs’ scouts will get busy Saturday at the NHL draft 1148063 The Athletic / GMs blame uncertainty around next year’s 1148032 The Leafs’ off-season excitement begins at home this year cap for lack of trades at the Draft 1148033 Leafs coach Mike Babcock backs expanded video review 1148064 The Athletic / Best available players for Day 2 of 2019 1148034 Leafs have firm date to start season, but Dubas' roster NHL Draft roster remains in flux 1148065 The Athletic / If right fit can be found, Seattle NHL team 1148035 Why the Leafs should match (just about) any offer sheet will consider hiring a GM this summer for Mitch Marner 1148066 The Athletic / 2019 NHL Draft pick-by-pick breakdown of the first round 1148067 The Athletic / Behind the Numbers: An analysis of every 1148056 Star athletes become trophies that banks covet as salaries NHL team’s recent draft history skyrocket 1148068 The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: Draft day strategy, a Gary 1148057 Canucks had options, but were always sold on Russian Bettman proposal and Brian Burke tells a story about b Vasili Podkolzin 1148069 .ca / 2019 NHL Draft Roundup: Rumours, 1148058 Canucks notebook: Rumours, Russians, B.C. roots and reaction, highlights Rogers connection issues on Day 1 1148070 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks take calculated risk on Podkolzin, 1148059 Canucks announce Alex Burrows is joining Ring of Honour don't move on Barrie trade 1148060 NHL Draft Live: Canucks take Russian forward Vasili 1148071 Sportsnet.ca / Holland uses first pick as Oilers GM on Podkolzin at 10 another smooth-skating defenceman 1148061 First bits of Canucks’ 2019-20 schedule revealed 1148072 Sportsnet.ca / U.S. sniper Caufield shoots to top of Canadiens deep prospect pool 1148073 Sportsnet.ca / Jakob Pelletier's competitive spirit 1148036 Golden Knights take Peyton Krebs in first round of NHL convinces Flames at draft draft 1148074 Sportsnet.ca / Jets dip back into Finnish 1148037 Knights set to renew rivalry with Sharks in season opener prospect pool with high IQ Heinola 1148038 Golden Knights minor leaguer Brooks Macek signs with 1148075 Sportsnet.ca / Senators land much-needed right-shot KHL club defenceman in Lassi Thomson 1148039 Golden Knights select forward Peyton Krebs in first round 1148076 TSN.CA / After quiet Friday, could Leafs be pursuing of NHL draft Preds’ Subban? 1148040 Fitting opponent: Golden Knights open next season with 1148077 TSN.CA / Trade Bait: Avalanche listening to offers for two games against Sharks Barrie 1148041 Golden Knights could be major player at NHL Draft with 1148078 USA TODAY / NHL draft winners and losers: Canadiens bounty of picks get a steal with Cole Caufield at No. 15 1148079 USA TODAY / NHL draft 2019: First-round picks, scouting reports 1148042 As Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko go 1-2 in NHL draft, 1148080 USA TODAY / Devils select US-born Jack Hughes with Capitals take Connor McMichael at No. 25 the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft 1148043 Capitals pick Connor McMichael, Canadian center, in first round of 2019 draft 1148044 NHL going with battle of recent champions Blues and 1148051 Jets go with Finnish D-man Capitals to start 2019-2020 season 1148052 'A little bit of a change is a good thing': Maurice 1148045 2019 NHL Draft: Six players the Capitals could take at No. 1148053 Jets season-opener pits Pionk against Trouba, Lemieux in 25 New York 1148046 Caps with decisions to make on their remaining free 1148054 Jets select defenceman Heinola agents 1148055 Maurice sticking with approach: Jets head coach doesn’t 1148047 Looking back at the Capitals’ 2018 NHL Draft: A strong see need for philosophical change draft to follow up a Stanley Cup championship 1148048 Looking back at the Capitals’ 2017 NHL Draft: The lost draft SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1148049 Capitals Free Agency Bracket: Deryk Engelland vs. Carl Gunnarsson 1148050 How are the Capitals approaching the 2019 draft? Brian MacLellan will tell you 1147834 Anaheim Ducks could have issues. You can sense that everybody’s a little apprehensive at the moment. You feel it.”

Kings general manager said he won’t spend to the cap ceiling. Kings' Alex Turcotte and Ducks' Trevor Zegras are ready to soak in sun “We understand our position on the cap for the next couple of years, and the new rivalry regardless if it comes in a million or two under the models we’re using,” he said.

By CURTIS ZUPKE Bjornfot, who represents the pick acquired in the trade of , did provide Blake with a piece to improve the defense. The Kings were JUN 21, 2019 | 10:25 PM sold on his leadership, having served as for Sweden in international competition.

“I take big responsibility on and off the ice,” Bjornfot said. Once the spectacle and the awe of the NHL draft set in, Alex Turcotte could feel the emotion of it. Bjornfot said he is signed with his Swedish club for the next two seasons, but he expects to meet with the Kings and “maybe get some tan before I He was like any other teenager selected Friday, but it really hit home go back to Sweden.” when the Kings picked him fifth overall and he thought of his father, Alfie, a former NHL forward who has guided him every step of the way. Cam York and Ryan Johnson made history as the two highest drafted Orange County players ever taken. York went 14th to the Philadelphia “I think he’s just really happy for me and proud, and I think that’s the Flyers and Johnson went 31st, to the Buffalo Sabres. Both played for the coolest part,” Turcotte said. “He’s so important to me. He’s helped me so Jr. Ducks. much, on and off the ice, and without him, I wouldn’t be here. To have him there is just unbelievable. He’s always been my biggest fan. For him, Johnson was the final pick of the night at , to the this is really important for the rest of my family. It’s just such a cool disappointment of Murray. moment.” “We were hoping he would be there [Saturday],” he said. Turcotte can now focus on starting his NHL journey with U.S. national development squad teammate Trevor Zegras, a fellow forward chosen Etc. ninth by the Ducks. Both teams kept their first-round picks on a quiet The Kings’ home opener is Oct. 12 against the Nashville Predators. The night on the trade front, as the Kings selected defenseman Tobias Ducks will open at home on Oct. 3 against the Arizona Coyotes. The full Bjornfot at No. 22 and the Ducks chose winger Brayden Tracey at No. regular season schedule will be released Tuesday … 29. Tod Leiweke, president and chief executive officer of Seattle’s NHL team, Turcotte gives the Kings an impact center considered one of the best said a nickname and team colors have not been decided and that he two-way players in the draft. He was well aware that he might someday could hire a general manager this summer. Seattle will debut in the 2021- be teammates with Anze Kopitar. 22 season.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, and it’s just so cool that being LA Times: LOADED: 06.22.2019 in the same organization as him,” Turcotte said. “I can’t wait to get started.”

Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin to play for former Kings forward . His uncle, Jeff, is a coach in the Jr. Kings program and Turcotte has visited Manhattan Beach, among other locales.

“I’ve been down there the past three summers and I kind of have a feel for it,” Turcotte said. “It’s definitely a great place to live, and it’s pretty cool.”

Zegras might someday face off against Turcotte in the rivalry, but “honestly, I can’t even think about that,” he said. “That’s so funny. But I’m so happy for him. He worked so hard. He deserves it.

“It’s so awesome. I ran into Alex outside and gave him a big hug. It’s so surreal. I couldn’t have really thought about this in a million years.”

Zegras could give Turcotte a for his money as a playmaking forward with good vision and speed. Like Turcotte, he’ll hone his game in college, at Boston University.

Ducks general manager Bob Murray said he didn’t think Zegras would be available at No. 9, and he was glad to grab two capable forwards.

“The hockey IQ on both is very good,” Murray said. “They’re both very smart. They have very good hands .They both see the ice really well. And we’ve got to, obviously, improve our offense over the next how many years. This is a good start today.”

As expected, Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko were the first two selections, by the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, respectively. The big shakeup came with the No. 6 pick, when the Detroit Red Wings went off the boards and chose German defenseman Moritz Seider.

The lack of trades was related to the new salary cap, which has not been announced and is expected to fall between $81.5 million and $82 million, or less than the $83 million that was initially thought. The holdup was reportedly because the NHL Players’ Assn. has yet to sign off on the number.

“The PA is holding up everything, as usual,” Murray said. “It’s going to be $81.5 [million] or $82 [million], we think, and that means a lot of teams 1147835 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks pick center Trevor Zegras, wing Brayden Tracey in Round 1 of NHL draft

By CURTIS ZUPKE

JUN 21, 2019 | 6:00 PM

A look at the Ducks’ two picks in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday:

TREVOR ZEGRAS, Round 1 (Pick 9), center, shoots left.

Why Ducks picked him: Zegras, 18, will be a play-making impact forward in their system. He is a great skater who can play center or wing, and he sees the ice well. Zegras is part of an excellent draft class for the U.S. national development team, having scored 12 goals with 35 assists in 33 games in the exhibition part of the season (60 minutes). He is committed to Boston University.

BRAYDEN TRACEY, Round 1 (Pick 29), wing, shoots left.

Why Ducks picked him: They need to improve scoring and Tracey will help in the long run. He was a prolific producer in the with 36 goals and 45 assists in 66 games for Moose Jaw. Tracey, 18, is regarded as a good puck control player, especially in traffic.

LA Times: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147836 Anaheim Ducks The last time the Ducks had two first-round selections they picked with the 24th pick and Sam Steel with the 30th in 2016. They have five picks remaining in the second through seventh rounds, to be Ducks add offensive punch with picks of Trevor Zegras, Brayden Tracey conducted Saturday. in NHL draft Orange County Register: LOADED: 06.22.2019

By Elliott Teaford

PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 7:18 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 9:23 PM

The Ducks got their man Friday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Actually, they got two of them in the first round of the NHL draft.

General Manager Bob Murray said he wanted to add scoring punch, and that’s exactly what he did when he selected Trevor Zegras of the United States National Team Development Program with the ninth pick and Brayden Tracey from Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan) of the WHL with the 29th.

Zegras had 26 goals and 87 points in 60 games this past season in the junior-level U.S. Hockey League. He was the third player from his team to be selected, following Jack Hughes, who went first overall to New Jersey, and Alex Turcotte, who was selected fifth by the Kings.

Murray had hoped that two defensemen would be selected in the top nine, giving him a shot at one of the top-ranked centers. Not only did Bowen Byram go fourth to Colorado, but Moritz Seider went sixth to Detroit and Philip Broberg went eighth to Edmonton.

The Ducks could have picked Cole Caufield, Matthew Boldy or Peyton Krebs with the ninth selection, but Murray couldn’t pass up Zegras, listed at 6 feet, 173 pounds. Zegras, an 18-year-old native of Bedford, New York, was sixth among North American skaters in the final scouting rankings.

“We got lucky that the three defensemen went before us,” Murray said in a telephone interview with the Southern California News Group when asked about selecting Zegras. “We figured that was how it had to be and it broke our way.

“Zegras has elite skills. He’s a really creative, exciting player. He loves to create. He’s a modern-day player. He’s like a lot of these guys now. He’s not afraid to try things. That’s the way it is with these guys now. They like to try things.”

The Ducks acquired their second first-round pick via their swap with Buffalo of defensemen Brandon Montour and Brendan Guhle on Feb. 24. Tracey, 18, from Calgary, Alberta, had 36 goals and 81 points in 66 games this past season for Moose Jaw.

“Today was a good day,” Murray said.

Hughes called Zegras the most creative player on their loaded junior team this past season. Zegras had 61 assists in 2018-19, second on the team behind Hughes, who had 78. Zegras also had 100 assists in 116 games the past two seasons, the fourth-most in the program’s history.

“It’s just him being a really nice guy,” Zegras said of Hughes in an interview with NBCSN.

Zegras said he planned to attend the Ducks’ prospect camp for draft picks and other top young players in their system next Tuesday through Saturday at their new $110-million practice facility at the Great Park in Irvine. He has committed to play at Boston University in the fall, though.

“I’m pretty well decided on BU, but it’s not set in stone,” he said in a telephone interview.

Asked for a scouting report on himself, Zegras said without hesitation, “I’m a two-way forward, a good skater, really skilled and can run the power play.” Of his ninth overall selection, he said, “It’s a really cool experience. It’s something you dream about. It’s surreal.”

Whenever he does sign with the Ducks and joins their lineup, he could aid their middling power play in a big way. The Ducks had the NHL’s 24th-ranked power play last season with a 17 percent success rate. Tampa Bay led the league by clicking at 28.2 percent.

“I think I’m good with zone entries, but I can help in all areas,” he said. 1147837 Anaheim Ducks Though hockey players are well-compensated for their work, there’s not a ton of time for family from training camp until the end of the season.

This is why Anaheim is again a perfect fit for Miller, because he can still Ryan Miller on why he re-signed with the Ducks for another year, and his see his family, his wife can be closer to the center of power in a tough, future beyond 2019-20 competitive business and he can attempt to close off some of those career loose ends.

By Josh Cooper Jun 21, 2019 “This serves a big part of me obviously, but I also want to be around my family. It’s still a really, really selfish job where you’re gone a ton and you have to be fully committed and you just have to be showing up,” he said. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, someone needs help around the house or a kid is sick When Ryan Miller was deciding whether to play another season with the and I’m going to call into the GM and say I need a minute.’ That’s not the Ducks, the 38-year-old pending unrestricted free-agent goaltender kind of job it is. It’s still extremely selfish in that regard, but I want to be solicited the opinion of someone much younger. around, I don’t want to disappear or if we were to look for a different He needed to get the view of this major choice through a child’s eyes – situation – yeah we could pull it off and make it work but it’s not going to so he questioned his 4-year-old son, Bodhi. be a settled situation.”

“We talked about it. When I was signing and we told him about it and he There was a time when he thought about 400 wins, a number that only was excited. But another part was like, when I was asking, ‘Hey what 13 goalies have accomplished. After reaching a total of 20 the last two should I do?’ He was like ‘You should retire,’” Miller recalled. seasons, that’s now become a bit of an afterthought. Currently it’s about having experiences he missed out on in 2018-19. “He said, ‘You should retire so you should play with me.’” Last year because of his injury, he didn’t get to play at Madison Square Miller understood that of course, a 4-year-old wants his dad around more Garden – a place with a great hockey atmosphere. He didn’t play in often, and Miller said he didn’t get too emotional when Bodhi told him to Buffalo where he spent most of his career or in Detroit, which isn’t too far hang up his goalie gear. from East Lansing, his hometown.

“It’s not like he’s a little bit older and understands the full weight of his “It’s like some of the games (where) it was like, ‘I get to go to some of the words,” Miller said. “He was like, ‘If you aren’t doing that, you could be places where I like to play or see family or be around people I know’ and playing superheroes with me every single day.’” that injury kind of – there’s a lot that transpired and kind of revolves around that, to where I didn’t get enough out of my system,” he said. “I Really, Miller, who is arguably the greatest American-born goaltender of feel like I have enough games left in me where I can play and give the the post-2005-lockout era, felt he had a lot of unfinished business in his team what they need at this position.” career. He was still playing at a high level as Anaheim’s backup behind John Gibson and he didn’t want to leave the game after a season in The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 which a knee injury knocked him out from December to February and the Ducks missed the playoffs.

So Thursday, he signed for one year at $1.125 million with the Ducks because he just felt he still had more to give.

“It just didn’t feel like a settling place to leave it,” he said. “I do believe it’s important to do things as a group and I wanted to have another crack at it with a good group. You know, just jumping to another team didn’t feel right (after) last year. I wanted to see if we could make a run at it as a group and see how it goes, and it seems like Anaheim is making some adjustments and we’ll see how things end up.”

Miller understands that in today’s NHL, so much is about buy-in and team-concept. A group could be littered with stars but still not win a Stanley Cup – take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning, for example. He has seen Ducks youngsters like Troy Terry, Max Jones, Max Comtois and Sam Steel up close and believes that if everyone pulls the same direction, Anaheim could have a solid season.

“I mean there’s going to be skill and just going to see how organized we can get under (new coach) Dallas (Eakins) and how fast. I think it just comes down to honestly who’s going to be playing the most complete game,” Miller said. “As you saw, St. Louis – they obviously have talented guys and (Ryan) O’Reilly had a great playoff but they all were buying it. It was pretty obvious by the end they were playing a complete game. You just want to have buy-in and when you have that … it can be any team.”

Miller doesn’t see this season as a potential final year, but will see how it plays out and determine what he’ll do moving forward. He’s provided a nice tandem with Gibson – when they’re both healthy — and it’s probably no fluke that Gibson has had his best years as a pro since Miller arrived two seasons ago on a two-year, $4 million contract. Miller is the winningest U.S.-born goaltender in NHL history (378) and a former Vezina Trophy winner. He also led the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

He has provided leadership in the Ducks’ locker room and mentorship to Gibson – another American.

“It’s just year-by-year,” he said. “I’ll say, ‘year-by-year’ but I’ll treat it as … I’ll try to treat it like it’s my last but I’ll also treat it like it’s year to year.”

Miller truly does seem to understand both the job and human side of hockey, more than many. When the Ducks initially showed interest in him two years ago, he jumped at the opportunity to move to SoCal, where his wife, Noureen DeWulf, an actress, could better pursue her career. Her IMDB page lists four acting credits in post-production for 2019. 1147838 Anaheim Ducks Hampus Lindholm was the Ducks’ last top-10 draft pick, at No. 6 in 2012. (Marc DesRosiers / USA Today)

“I think the top two, top three every year, you know at that level with Ducks haven’t followed a script with their recent (and rare) high draft those picks, you’re getting – not every year, but most years you’re getting picks a player that’s a game-changer,” Madden said. “You’re getting a player that’s not only can’t-miss but most likely impact. If you get in the top 10 – hopefully depending on the year – the one thing that you’re supposed to By Eric Stephens Jun 21, 2019 do and able to do is you narrow the risk.

“You might be able to get somebody with the same type of talent five years later with a late first, early second. Just look at the history of the VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Two picks in the first round. Three draft. You know that a really good bunch of players are going to come out picks among the first 39 overall. Martin Madden is rubbing his hands of that part of the draft. But there’s more risk associated with it. They’re together a lot in the Ducks’ draft war room these days. not quite as mature. They’re not quite as further along the path than a Having that many picks high in the NHL Draft also gives an itchy general top-10 pick usually is.” manager ammunition to use one as currency in a deal. Maybe to move Madden followed up by pointing out that the quality of the draft varies up from current draft positions. Maybe to help acquire a proven talent to from year to year, and how teams want their top pick to reach the big boost the current club. club as soon as possible. As in other years, the Ducks aren’t looking for This year’s exercise to add young talent gets underway Friday night at immediate help from their choices. Rogers Arena. The Ducks didn’t have lottery luck to turn a bottoming-out “I don’t think we’re too concerned about that aspect of it at this point,” he 2018-19 season (if that was indeed the bottom) into a chance to draft said. “Obviously, it’s nice to have somebody step in right away. But I Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kaako. But there are worse places to be. At the think we’ve got some good players. Some good young players that are moment, they have the ninth, 29th and 39th choices among their seven ready to do that.” total picks. Is there anything to glean from prior drafts? Is there a profile the Ducks Sitting at No. 9 is rare for Anaheim. It is the highest position the Ducks stick to, particularly with a top-10 choice? Madden long has said that their have had since choosing sixth in 2012 (defenseman Hampus Lindholm). philosophy is to take the best player available at their slot in the higher They’re not completely averse to trading picks on draft day – they move rounds. Organizational needs are more for the lower rounds. (Rounds their lower first-round selection in 2014 to acquire Ryan Kesler after two through seven will take place Saturday). taking Nick Ritchie at No. 10 overall. But this is a draft-and-development organization. The Ducks tend to keep their picks. Surely, the higher ones. But I asked him about the process with the only two top-10 picks the Ducks have made since taking Bobby Ryan second in 2005: Lindholm in Will they do so again this year? Madden, the Ducks’ chief scout and draft 2012 and Ritchie two years later. maestro, isn’t going to tip his hand or reveal general manager Bob Murray’s draft plans. But three high picks, including a spot in the top 10, The 2012 draft is remembered for Edmonton selecting Nail Yakupov first. is something to look forward to. But it was also known for being heavy on highly-ranked defense prospects. Eight went among the first 10 selections. Lindholm was “You can narrow down the field a lot more than when you’re looking in soaring up draft lists but the Swede wasn’t quite as well-known to general the mid to low 20s,” Madden said. “I’m not sure if that’s any help. In the hockey fans as Canadians Ryan Murray, Griffin Reinhart, Morgan Rielly, end, maybe you over-analyze things. [He laughs.] I’ll take it this time. Matt Dumba and Derrick Pouliot or the lone American, Jacob Trouba. We’re going to get a good player there. And then you know what? As I tell you every year, we go through the same process. We define our tiers. “That’s public perception though,” Madden said. “When you’re doing the We try to narrow down to a number of guys, a number of scenarios for job, these types of picks, they’re not latecomers. You’ve been watching the lower first-round picks. And we’ll sit down. Probably the second- them all year. Publicly, people might start to zone in on those guys later rounder brings us a player from a similar grouping, from a similar tier. because they’re not as well covered by media because they’re in a different market or whatever it is. It’s not the case for us.” “It’s exciting. We’re going to add three good players for sure.” Lindholm moved to the forefront for the Ducks after he led Sweden’s blue Murray will have more salary-cap room to play with after buying out line with a strong showing in the 2011 World Under-18 Junior A longtime star Corey Perry this week. How (or if) he will put that added Challenge in Langley, B.C. He became European scout Jan-Ake flexibility toward addressing his roster, either at the draft or during the Danielson’s top assignment. upcoming free-agency period isn’t clear, though the GM did throw out a big hint Wednesday. He anticipates an NHL cap ceiling that may not go “Jan was tracking him, and he started playing more and more on the big to $83 million, as long had been predicted. team, the men’s team,” Madden said. “I know the season did not go well obviously, but I don’t remember exactly where we were in the standings “You can’t go jumping into any long-term deal right now,” Murray said in early January. I remember mid-January we were starting to look at top with clear reference to Perry’s sizable $6.625 million cap hit for the 2020- 10 picks. And there were a bunch of defensemen in that group. I spent 21 season. “The further issue is, when we get the cap number we’re more time in that group at that time.” going to know that’s not the number that we thought it was going to be. A lot of us are going to be scratching our heads as to what we can do. Lots What sold the scouting staff on Lindholm completely was an exhibition of teams are in worse shape than we are, that’s for sure. game between Sweden and the United States before the Under 18s. The Ducks expected Lindholm and Trouba would be available at their draft “But, one-year deals always work. We’re going to try to surround this position, and they were going head to head. young group with a little more oomph, I would think. We’re trying to do that, but I don’t know if we can. I’m going to protect them a little bit and “They were both very, very good,” Madden said. “We liked Hampus a let them grow.” little bit more at that time. We knew Murray was not going to be available at 6. That came down to Hampus, Trouba and Matt Dumba. We knew That isn’t Madden’s worry. His job is simply to identify players that can Toronto was taking Rielly before us. Those were the three guys we were not only make the NHL but succeed – ideally with the Ducks for a lengthy looking at. time. Murray has to manage those assets, but Madden has to give those to him. And he has been doing that well for 11 years. “We weren’t quite as excited with the forwards, although (Alex) Galchenyuk got back in the picture when he came back and played and A top-10 asset is at his disposal. As they compiled their draft list, Madden did OK in the playoffs. He reassured us that he came back from knee and his staff mulled over the players they figure will be available. We’ve injury. But we were pretty much dialed into the defensemen that year. speculated who they could choose at 9 and conducted mock drafts. Peyton Krebs? Trevor Zegras? Dylan Cozens? Matthew Boldy? Philip “Hampus’s overall hockey sense and confidence and demeanor sold us.” Broberg? Minnesota took Dumba – now an impact NHL defender – with the next Who knows? Madden obviously isn’t telling. But he did dig into what type pick. But the Wild might not have, if Anaheim had passed on Lindholm. of player they could get at that position, compared to their usual spot in Confident from the day he suited up for the Ducks, Lindholm recalled his the 20s and lower. draft year and the stages he went through in his advancement. “I wasn’t that much on the radar the year before the draft,” Lindholm said. about him and his game, compared to the inquiries that can be off the “By the end of the season that year, I came on the national team and into wall. “Almost like you’re interviewing for a job kind of thing,” Ritchie said. my draft season, I made the pro team for my home club around Christmas. And then my value just went up because people got to see “I remember there was a team or two that would give you two options me on a higher stage earlier. and you had to pick one of them, the one you liked better,” Ritchie continued. “It’d be like a donut and a Danish. Weird questions like that. “I was a guy that was ranked around 16. (Maybe) 10-15, around there. There’s no real good answer but you just answer it. Something like that.” Because I skyrocketed that much, people didn’t really know where I was going to go.” Lindholm recalled a lot of personal questions being asked.

Lindholm said he recalled talked to every team at the NHL Draft Combine “Do you have a girlfriend?” he said. “Who knows? Maybe some guys give except Detroit. a different answer depending on how each situation is in the locker room. Because obviously they do a background search on how are you as a “I couldn’t really say that I had a feeling that Anaheim was going to pick teammate. What you like to do off-ice? Are your parents married? Do I me,” he said. “I didn’t really know. I’m not a guy that worries or thinks have any siblings? What do they do? Just try to figure out who you are. about stuff like that too much. Coming into it, I just wanted it to be a fun experience. I think I had a meeting the day before. After the combine and “That question was always the funniest. Are your parents married? My stuff, I had a meeting with them at the draft. But I had one with a lot of go-to answer was they were married when I left Sweden. I hope they are other teams too. when I get back.”

“And then when I got picked sixth, I don’t think I really understood what it The Ducks have attempted to get as much value possible out of their meant. I was more like, ‘Oh, I got picked by Anaheim. OK. Cool. I’m selections. Discussions with teams are held before they get to the arena excited.’ It wasn’t until I came over here in the American League. I had a floor or on it, and that’s when they’ve consummated a deal. They’re not guy from the Canadian junior leagues – I think he played in the OHL – averse to moving down in the first round if the situation calls for it. In (tell me) if you get drafted sixth overall, you’re like the king, right? And I 2011, Murray did so and used an extra second-round pick to take star had no idea what it even meant. I think we were in the shower or goalie John Gibson after grabbing Rickard Rakell with the 30th and final something and he said so, you’re the sixth overall. I’m like, ‘What?’ pick in the first.

“I never even thought about it that way. It was kind of funny. I understood Not surprisingly, Madden wouldn’t give a hint about the direction they’ll for them it meant more. The way I looked at it never changed but at least go with this year’s three early picks. There might be a completely I understood that other people kind of look at you in a different way. Like different strategy for this top-10 pick. The top of this draft is full of pure at training camp and stuff. But I never understood that until he actually centers and versatile forwards. That’s a position the Ducks must address said that.” throughout their organization. But so is defense. There’s a need for higher-end prospects at both. With the top of the draft heavily populated by defensemen, Lindholm thought there were several teams he could wind up with. He knew he But the Ducks’ draft guru does feel that NHL teams’ greater emphasis on wouldn’t go off the board right away, but he hoped to go to a team that skill and speed is more of a natural reflection of the game being played at would give him an opportunity to play. Once he learned the Ducks had a faster tempo at lower levels. Young players are more prepared to jump him second overall on their list, he understood how good a fit it might be. into the league more quickly because of better coaching and development. “As I’ve shown over the years, I’m really grateful that they gave me so many opportunities,” Lindholm said. “If you select the best player at your spot, inherently he will help your team get faster,” Madden said. “Get more productive offensively. Just In 2014, Anaheim had Ottawa’s first-round selection – No. 10 overall – follow the path of the league as a whole. Now the GM still defines the which was acquired along with Jakob Silfverberg in the trade that sent way he wants his team to play. That will always be the case. away popular goal scorer Bobby Ryan. That allowed Murray to dangle their natural pick as he looked to pry Kesler out of Vancouver. “I don’t think it’s a cookie-cutter league. There are still major differences in the way that good teams are playing the game. You saw it this year, The Ducks had a different philosophy that year. Madden said they liked the way it shaped out in the playoffs. It doesn’t mean it’s going to shape several forwards. Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl went off very early, out the same way next year. Bottom line, I think if you get good players, but Jake Virtanen, William Nylander and Nikolaj Ehlers might have been they reflect the way the game is being played. And it helps bring your possible. “Most of them were gone at our pick,” Madden said. “It was team in that direction over time.” down to two guys. And we took Nick.” Notes What was the decisive factor in choosing Ritchie? Ryan Miller re-signing with the Ducks seemed very possible at the end of “The swinging factor was still the big, heavy Western teams dominating the season, when he though he could remain with the club as long as the playoffs in those years,” Madden recalled. “And the fact we felt we he still had the desire to play. That became official Thursday when the needed that presence. The power forward who could score. That was a 38-year-old backup goalie and the club agreed on a one-year contract main factor in the selection.” worth $1.15 million.

Nick Ritchie was among several forwards the Ducks liked with their No. Miller has enjoyed the comforts of playing near his full-time home for the 10 pick in 2014. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today) last two seasons. A midseason knee injury limited him to 20 games in a backup role to Gibson last season but he became the winningest Looking back, Ritchie thought Anaheim was a potential destination. His American-born goalie with 378 career victories. He went 8-7-2 with a size and penchant for playing a heavy game fit their mold. 2.76 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

“I remember being at the combine and hearing from my agent they were The Ducks also re-signed defenseman Korbinian Holzer to a one-year interested,” Ritchie said. “One of those things, you don’t know how it’s deal worth $850,000 and inked center Derek Grant to a one-year contract going to shake out. You knew where everyone’s picking but you never worth $700,000. Holzer, 31, averaged 16:04 of ice time over 22 games know what happens on draft day. There were a group of teams that I last season and scored his lone goal in the season finale against the thought it could be there or it could be there. Kings. Grant, 29, had four goals and 10 assists in 56 games split “The Ducks were definitely one of them. I was excited when they between Pittsburgh and Anaheim, which reacquired him on Jan. 17. selected me. I knew they were high on me. But obviously you go in not The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 knowing. It’s hard to say. You don’t want to talk about how you don’t really want to go (a team) because the chances of that happening aren’t that good. So, I just kind of went in open-minded and I was happy when that happened.”

Ritchie said he recalled Madden leading the conversation at the combine and Murray chiming in as he met with the scouting staff. The Ducks, he said, were among the teams that asked more of the standard questions 1147839 Arizona Coyotes of play. Quick outlets, sharp edges and nice vision. Could use more power on his shot."

Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet, May 8): "Top-notched skating ability is the Arizona Coyotes trade up to draft right-handed defenseman Victor basis for a solid two-way game. Played big minutes in 44 SHL games this Soderstrom season."

Chris Peters (ESPN, May 6): "A mature defender who skates well and Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 6:33 p.m. MT June 21, 2019 | plays a solid two-way game despite average size, Soderstrom impacts Updated 10:40 p.m. MT June 21, 2019 the game in simple, subtle ways while making his team better when he is on the ice."

Hannah Stuart (theScore, May 1): "His elite skating allows him to pivot John Chayka didn't see much point in discussing why he traded up to quickly and transition from offense to defense - crucial in today's NHL. select defenseman Victor Soderstrom. There were too many reasons, His vision and puck skills are also high end." and it was easier instead to list those that would have prevented him from doing so. Coyotes announce home opener

None. The NHL revealed the 2019-20 home openers for each of the 31 clubs on Friday. Chayka, the Coyotes' president of hockey operations and general manager, traded up three spots in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft The Coyotes will host the Boston Bruins on Oct. 5 at Gila River Arena. to Soderstrom, a right-handed defenseman from Sweden whom the They will open the season on Oct. 3 in Anaheim against the Ducks. Coyotes had ranked third overall among draft-eligible skaters. The full schedule is expected to be released on Tuesday.

The Coyotes traded their original first-round pick (No. 14 overall) as well Arizona Republic LOADED: 06.22.2019 as their second-round pick (No. 45) to the Philadelphia Flyers in order to nab Soderstrom, who is the third defenseman Chayka has drafted in the first round since 2016.

The swap was the only trade executed on the draft floor Friday.

"I guess it was an active day for us," Chayka said. "We feel like we got a core player for a long time. It's almost like the list is shorter if you ask why not to take him. There is every reason to take him. He's a right-shot defenseman. He's playing against men and excelling against men. He's a great person, great leader, great character.

"He checks all of our boxes. We had a very thorough process this year and there was not one thing we came across where we felt like it was a deficiency."

Soderstrom, 18, tallied four goals and seven points in 44 games for Brynas IF, a team in Sweden's top professional league. The Coyotes already have two Swedish defensemen on their active roster in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

“I know it's a talented team, a young team," Soderstrom told reporters in Vancouver. "They have two Swedish defensemen there as well. It’s awesome to be a part of the organization, I’m just really happy right now."

The addition of Soderstrom undoubtedly bolsters the Coyotes depth on the blue line, which is perhaps the team's biggest strength. It is unclear whether Soderstrom would return to Sweden next season or make the transition to North America.

Are you a sports fan? Stay in the know. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

"He's not far off," Chayka said when asked how soon Soderstrom could reach the NHL. "I can't make a prediction. We'll have him in camp and we'll see how he does. But he's already playing against men as an 18- year-old and excelling, playing significant minutes and in all situations."

Soderstrom is lauded for his exceptional two-way ability on the blue line. Although not a flashy offensive player, many scouts believe Soderstrom's skating ability, hockey sense and compete level make him a complete package.

Not to mention that Soderstrom is right-handed, which combined with his other assets make Soderstrom a valuable commodity.

As a right-handed shot, Soderstrom gives the Coyotes something they do not currently possess in their prospect pool — a puck-moving, right- handed defenseman with adept skating talent. Both Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Jakob Chychrun, first round picks by Chayka in 2017 and 2016, respectively, are left-handed.

Rounds 2-7 of the draft will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. Arizona time. The Coyotes hold two picks in both the third and sixth rounds as well one pick apiece in the fourth and seventh rounds.

What they're saying

Cam Robinson (Dobber Prospects, May 15): "A puck-moving and fast- paced blueliner who loves to create offence. Enjoys controlling the pace 1147840 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes to hire former Sabres head coach Phil Housley as assistant

BY MATT LAYMAN | JUNE 20, 2019 AT 8:27 PM

UPDATED: JUNE 20, 2019 AT 8:29 PM

The Arizona Coyotes will hire former Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley to join the organization, 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro has learned.

Housley, 55, most recently coached the Sabres but was fired on April 7 following a 33-39-10 season and a sixth-place finish in the division. The Sabres started out hot, going 21-13-6 before the end of the 2018 calendar year. But they went a dismal 12-26-4 the rest of the way, getting shut out six times in that span and missing the playoffs.

Last season, the Coyotes’ coaching staff under head coach Rick Tocchet included assistants Scott Allen (defense and penalty kill), John MacLean (offense and power play), Corey Schwab (goaltending) and Steve Peters (video). It wasn’t immediately clear what the hire of Housley would mean for those coaches.

As a player, Housley was a defenseman and played 21 years in the NHL for eight teams, eventually making the Hall of Fame.

The greatest deficiency in the Coyotes’ overall game last year was goal- scoring, as the team finished 28th in the league in goals scored and 26th in power place percentage (16.3%). Their 30.7 shots per game ranked 20th in the 31-team league.

Defense, however, was set: They allowed the sixth-fewest goals in hockey, and the five teams that finished ahead of them in that category made the playoffs. Their 85.0 penalty kill percentage was tied for first in the NHL with Columbus and Tampa Bay. They allowed the 11th-fewest shots per game and had a .913 save percentage as a team, ranked sixth in the league.

Arizona finished four points out of the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference last season.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147841 Arizona Coyotes The Coyotes should and will be looking to bolster an offense that was among the bottom of the NHL last year. Teams looking to move scoring forwards could be a fit for Arizona to complete deal.

Coyotes’ NHL Draft headlined by 14th pick, cap space and more CAP UNCERTAINTY

Part of the trouble with making a trade is that the Coyotes could benefit BY MATT LAYMAN from teams who are trying to get large contracts off their books, but things are uncertain when it comes to next year’s salary cap. That could JUNE 20, 2019 AT 7:01 AM bring movement via trade to a standstill.

A report from Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston stated Wednesday that next year’ salary floor and ceiling may not be in place until Saturday. That PHOENIX — Arizona Coyotes fans may have bemoaned their favorite means that through the draft, team’s won’t know how much cap space team getting the 14th pick in the NHL Draft lottery this year. General they have to work with. manager John Chayka didn’t seem to feel that way on Wednesday, two days prior to the first round of selections. The salary cap in 2019-20 could reportedly be as low as $81.5 million, according to Sportsnet’s . That’s a good deal lower than “I think it’s one of those years where the first two seem pretty obvious, than the $83 million that had been previously projected. and after that, there’s a large grouping,” Chayka said. “We anticipate that we’re going to get a player that’s a lot higher on our list than 14, and it Chayka said he wasn’t sure whether that would affect how many deals feels like that secondary grouping is a strong group.” get done at the draft.

When asked to clarify if he thought a talented player would “fall” to 14 “I think there is some uncertainty over the cap, some uncertainty over where the Coyotes sit, Chayka hinted that when you look around at mock some RFAs. So those variables are real,” he said. “But some of those drafts and draft analysis, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on where things might cause teams to have to make some moves, as well. … I certain players are “supposed” to go, to begin with. anticipate there will be movement. Is it going to be greater or less than years past? Until it happens, I would just be guessing.” “Just looking at everything that’s been said, written about — and sometimes you never know — but it appears that there’s a lot of different However, Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was recently quoted as opinion on a lot of different players,” Chayka said. “Time will tell. But we’ll saying that there has been an unprecedented amount of conversation certainly be sitting there at 14 waiting for what we expect to be a good among league GMs. Chayka seemed to reflect a similar feeling on player, either way.” Wednesday.

Indeed, different mock drafts have linked the Coyotes to Vasili Podkolzin, NEW SCOUTS GUIDE COYOTES AT DRAFT Peyton Krebs, Cole Caufield, Arthur Kaliyev or even trading the pick. It’s not clear that Arizona will draft in a position where a player is heavily The 2019 NHL Draft will be the first draft since the Coyotes replaced favored to be selected, as would be the case with Jack Hughes and former director of amateur scouting Tim Bernhardt. That position is now Kaapo Kakko at No. 1 and 2. held by Lindsay Hofford, whose title is officially assistant general manager, director of scouting. Even if there were, think back to the last draft. The team also decided not to renew the contracts of a handful of scouts, The Coyotes, selecting fifth overall, were seen as likely to select one of a as they announced in March. handful of players that included Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and a few others, but they took Barrett Hayton, a player that “It’s been an enjoyable experience, obviously not to see some guys go received a wide variety of opinion from draft analysts and was mostly but just the process of getting better and looking to improve in that ever- mocked to go a little later. evolving process and trying to go 7-for-7 in the draft if we have the seven picks that we’re given,” Chayka said. “We’re trying to just modernize our Needless to say, the Coyotes will stick by their own analysis. infrastructure, modernize our process of evaluation and get as many people aligned as possible together to achieve that common goal. It should also be noted that Chayka plans to, more-or-less, go with a best player available approach. “So as a manager, it’s been a really enjoyable process, a really enlightening process as well as we go through and continue to learn new “There are positional values and there’s some values on centermen and things and work towards, like I said, trying to be that elusive perfection.” right shot defensemen, those types of things,” he said. “So as it evolves, it’s a variable that we consider as we’re making the greater decision, but RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS ultimately, we’ll take the best player available.” Speaking of the salary cap, the Coyotes had three NHL regulars on their TRADE THE PICK? roster last season that are set to become restricted free agents: forwards Lawson Crouse, Nick Cousins and . The 2019 NHL Draft will be Chayka’s fourth. In his three previous drafts, he has made eight trades. In 2017, he traded the team’s first pick — Chayka provided an update Wednesday on how discussions with the seventh overall — and Anthony DeAngelo for Derek Stepan and Antti RFAs is going. That list also would include minor-league players Hudson Raanta, now two key pieces of the Coyotes. Fasching, Michael Bunting, Dysin Mayo and .

The Athletic‘s Craig Custance suggested that as far as trades go in this “A lot of good conversations to date,” Chayka said. “I think you see year’s draft, the Coyotes could be a team to WATCH: league-wide, there haven’t been a lot of RFAs that are signed yet. I don’t know if that’s strategy or just players being willing to be a little more “It’s been made clear to many NHL teams that the Coyotes are willing to patient. But ultimately we’ve got a pretty good history of being able to get move this pick in return for a front line offensive player. The Coyotes are deals done. another team of interest leading up to the draft.” “We want to be reasonable, we want to be fair, we want to pay players Chayka acknowledged Wednesday that a trade was at least possible. what they’ve earned. But again, we’re trying to build out a great team “With any asset, we’re wide open,” he said. “If there’s a chance to here and in order to do that, you’ve got to make things fit, make things improve our team and achieve our goals and be a good team in the short work. So we’re looking for that true partnership, and to find that middle term and the long term, then it’s something that there’s a value on every ground that both sides are maybe a little uneasy, but ultimately that’s asset. what it takes to get it done and get players signed, get them to camp and get them playing.” “Certainly, the 14th overall pick would have a value, it’d be high. But at the same time, just my philosophy is to explore everything and have Arizona Sports LOADED: 06.22.2019 discussions to the point where the external value is greater than the internal value and we make a decision.” 1147842 Boston Bruins

Matt Boldy of Millis goes No. 12 to Minnesota

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,June 22, 2019, 3 hours ago

Matt Boldy was one of nine American players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Matt Boldy, the lone Massachusetts player ranked among the United States elite, went in the No. 12 spot to the Minnesota Wild.

Boldy, from Millis, Mass., played a year at Dexter prior to playing the last two seasons with the US National Development Program. He is headed in the fall to Boston College, where he’ll be joined by American goaltender Spencer Knight, who was selected by the Florida Panthers at No. 132.

Eight Americans were taken among the top 20 and nine in the first round.

The 2016 draft set the record with 12 Americans selected in the first round.

Boston Globe LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147843 Boston Bruins The Bruins will have gone 113 days between games when they face off in Dallas in the Stars’ home opener.

The partial NHL schedule released on Friday, detailing home openers, Bruins select big center John Beecher at No. 30 in NHL Draft did not list starting times for any of the games.

Some of the old familiar faces at the Bruins draft table included Tommy Shirley Leung McVie, P.J. Axelsson, Sven Svensson, Scott Bradley and John Ferguson, Jr. . . . Arguably the best draft for the Bruins in recent history came in 2014, when they followed the Pastrnak pick by selecting Ryan Donato (56), Danton Heinen (116), Anders Bjork (146) and Emil “I couldn’t be more happy to go to the organization,” said Beecher, who Johansson (206). The lone defenseman in the bunch, Johansson, is also was overshadowed by some elite talent on the National program, in part the only one of the five not to have played in the NHL . . . Andersson why he was still available late in Round 1. “I’m a big power forward. I played his first of elite level hockey last season in Sweden, logging a used my size and speed to my advantage. I think my game really modest 0-5—5 line during his 41 games with Sodertalje. The Bruins translates well to Boston. So I am a guy who gains a lot of momentum for surrendered three picks in this year’s draft as chips in prior trades. They my team . . . it’s exciting.” yielded their second-round pick to the Devils in February when they The pick alone caused some drama on the draft floor when the Bruins picked up Marcus Johansson, a deal in which they also gave up a fourth- were placed on the clock just after 11 p.m. General manager Don rounder in 2020. Their fourth-rounder this year went to Chicago in Feb. Sweeney stood up when the Bruins were called and huddled with his 2018 when they added Tommy Wingels, who played in Switzerland assistants, including scouting boss Scott Bradley, and they were still (Geneve Servette) this past last season. talking at the table when the three-minute time limit expired. The Bruins also gave up this year’s seventh-round pick to the Rangers in Sweeney later noted that the internal debate was whether to make the the Nash deal. The Blueshirts in turn wheeled the pick to the Hurricanes. pick on Beecher or choose a couple of options: 1. Move the pick in a deal Boston Globe LOADED: 06.22.2019 that would bring a current NHL player to the Bruins; 2. Trade down, likely for a pick in the second round, that also would have brought the Bruins another pick in the draft.

“All of the above,” said Sweeney, when asked about those options.

When asked the identity of the NHL player the Bruins had in mind, clearly a rhetorical question, Sweeney only smiled. The Globe noted in Thursday’s editions that the Bruins could be pursuing ex-BC Eagle Chris Kreider, the speedy winger who is believed to be on the move from the Rangers.

Sweeney sounded satisfied with the move to add Beecher, while noting he will have to “grow” his game in certain areas — true of virtually all 18- year-olds. It was Beecher’s size and speed that most intrigued Sweeney.

“We looked at the athleticism, the size, the skating ability,” said Sweeney, named NHL GM of the Year earlier in the week. “We just felt he obviously could play two positions, something we talked about an awful lot. There is growth left in his game — he is obviously a big strong guy . . . we believe there is still growth available.

“He doesn’t necessarily pop offensively, because he hasn’t been put in those siuations. But he is going to be a hard guy to play against.”

By the time the Bruins finally had their kick at the can, all the elite American stock had long been cleaned out of the cupboard. No surprise. The US National Development Program had six skaters ranked among the top 12 North American skaters entering the draft, along with top- ranked goalie Spencer Knight.

The Bruins, parked in the No. 30 spot, only could sit and watch as one Yank after another got picked off — all seven of them gone in the top 15 picks.

Matt Boldy, the lone Massachusetts player ranked among the US elite, went in the No. 12 spot to the Minnesota Wild. Boldy, from Millis, Mass., played a year at Dexter prior to playing the last two seasons with the NTDP. He is headed in the fall to Boston College, where he’ll be joined by Knight, who was selected by the Florida Panthers at No. 132.

Beecher likes to consider Blake Wheeler, the former Bruin forward, as his prototype.

“I try to model my after a guy like Blake Wheeler,” he said. “I mean, you watch him play, and he’s a big guy. He can skate at the same time. He’s really developed his game since he’s been in his league. He gives me something to shoot for. He’s a leader on the [Jets]. He does everything the right way.

The Bruins, who only last Wednesday fell to the Blues in Game 7 of the Cup Final, will open the 2019-20 season on Thursday, Oct. 3 in Dallas and will face the Coyotes 48 hours later in Phoenix.

Boston’s first game on Causeway St. will be Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. the New Jersey Devils, with time of puck drop not to be revealed until this Tuesday, 12:05 p.m., when the NHL releases its master schedule for the 31-team league. 1147844 Boston Bruins The NHL salary cap for next season will be between $81.5 million and $82 million, which is at least $1 million lower than initially projected, the Associated Press has confirmed.

Devils select Jack Hughes at No. 1 in NHL draft The figure was disclosed Friday by a person with direct knowledge of the situation to the AP on condition of anonymity because it hasn’t been formally finalized and isn’t expected to be released until Saturday. The Shirley Leung Athletic first reported the figures.

Initial projections had the salary cap increasing to $83 million from $79.5 million last season. The pick brought to an end the ongoing speculation the last two months that the Devils instead might choose Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. The The cap is calculated on a percentage of league revenue from the bigger (6-1/180) left winger, a more finished physical product, then previous season. It goes into effect once the NHL’s free agency period promptly went No. 2 overall of the Rangers, the pick announced at the opens on July 1, which coincides with the league’s new year. podium by ex-Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton. The lower than expected figure will place a pinch on teams already at or Like Hughes across the Hudson, Kakko should be on the Rangers roster near the cap figure by restricting their ability to add or re-sign players. opening night in October. Countryman Jesperi Kotkaniemi made the leap last year in Montreal, after being selected No. 3 overall last year by the The Winnipeg Jets, for example, are shedding contracts to make room to Habs in the June draft. eventually re-sign forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor.

“The Rangers are a nice team,” Kakko said, his words broadcast to the Winnipeg recently traded defenseman Jacob Trouba to the New York sellout crowd inside Rogers Arena. “I hope I can play there next season.” Rangers, who are at the other end of the cap spectrum with nearly $20 million in cap space available. Hughes became only the eighth American-born player to be chosen No. 1 in the draft, and the first since the Leafs took Arizona-raised Auston Video challenges expand Matthews right off the hop in 2016. The NHL is expanding its video review process to allow an unlimited Only four picks after Hughes, the Kings grabbed another Yank, selecting number of coaching challenges to address concerns raised after several Illinois born-and-raised Alex Turcotte, who played in the US program with notable missed calls during the playoffs. Hughes. The new freedoms, however, come at a price. On Thursday, the league’s After Hughes and Kakko, the Chicago Blackhawks picked next after general managers approved lifting limits on the number of times a coach jumping from third from 12th in the order after being one of the teams to can challenge a play during the game for goalie interference, offside and win the draft lottery. The Blackhawks went with size in selecting 6-foot-4- added the element of possible missed calls that would have resulted in a inch center Kirby Dach out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. stoppage in play before a goal was scored.

Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, who grew up in suburban On the downside, the first challenge that proves unsuccessful will result Vancouver, received a big cheer from the crowd before announcing the in a minor penalty. A second unsuccessful challenge in the same game fourth pick. He then drew an even louder cheer after selecting would result in a double minor. defenseman Bowen Byram, who played for Vancouver of the Western The league also will allow officials to review major penalties to determine Hockey League. whether the call was accurate.

Three NTDP players went in the top 10 with Turcotte selected with the Boston Globe LOADED: 06.22.2019 fifth pick by Los Angeles and Boston University’s Trevor Zegras going ninth to Anaheim. The Detroit Red Wings took German defenseman Moritz Seider at No. 6.

Then began a run of NTDP players with picks 12 through 15. Minnesota selected forward Matthew Boldy (headed to Boston College in the fall), followed by the Panthers’ taking Spencer Knight (another BC commit). Philadelphia chose defenseman Cameron York at 14, and Montreal drafted Cole Caufield, who at 5-7 scored an NTDP-record 72 goals last season. Yet another BC commit, Alex Newhook, went 16th to the Colorado Avalanche.

Eight Americans were taken among the top 20 and nine in the first round.

The 2016 draft set the record with 12 Americans selected in the first round.

With the seventh pick, Buffalo selected center Dylan Cozens, who became just the third player born in Canada’s Yukon Territory ever drafted — and the first in the first round. Cozens showed such ability he was playing against adults as a 13-year-old in Yukon’s capital, Whitehorse.

‘‘It always felt like a far reach to me, not really achievable,’’ Cozens said of being drafted. But I believed it, I believed in myself that I could make this happen one day and now that it’s here it’s a crazy feeling.’’

Bettman opens draft

NHL commissioner opened the draft and was greeted by a traditional round of loud boos from the sold-out arena. Bettman then left the podium and waited for former Canucks stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin to join him on stage, where they were greeted by loud cheers.

The Sedin twins were selected second and third overall in the 1999 draft. Bettman announced both jerseys — Daniel wore No. 22 and Henrik, 33 — will be retired this season.

Low salary cap expected 1147845 Boston Bruins

Bruins to open 2019-20 season Oct. 3 at Dallas

By Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,June 21, 2019, 4:13 p.m.

The Bruins will hit the TD Garden ice for the 2019-20 home opener on Oct. 12.

The Bruins will hit the TD Garden ice for the 2019-20 home opener on Oct. 12. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff file)

The home openers for the 2019-20 NHL season have been announced for all 31 teams, and the Bruins will begin the season on the road on Thursday, Oct. 3 at Dallas. They will play again at Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 5 in the Coyotes home opener.

The Bruins’ first home game at TD Garden will be on Saturday, Oct. 12 against the New Jersey Devils.

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For Don Sweeney, Bruins future at center of plan to pick John Beecher

By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: June 22, 2019 at 1:52 am | UPDATED: June 22, 2019 at 2:04 am

VANCOUVER — Patrice Bergeron was just up for the Selke Trophy, again, and David Krejci tied his career high in points last season. While both are 33 years old (Bergeron will turn 34 in July), it stands to reason the Bruins have a couple of years left of good mileage from those two stalwarts in the middle of the ice.

But the Boys Club closes for everyone, as Bill Parcells used to say, and it’s no use putting off preparing for the day when those two centermen no longer are in uniform.

With a nod to the future – and another to the fact that, as the playoffs continue to prove, size still matters – B’s GM Don Sweeney held on to the 30th overall pick in the NHL draft Friday night at Rogers Arena and chose 6-foot-3, 209-pound center John Beecher. He is an Elmira, N.Y., native, product of the U.S. National Development Team and rising freshman at Michigan.

While Beecher has size, he is not exactly a plodding throwback to yesteryear. It’s his skating ability that drew Sweeney to him, though the GM said there’s lots of room for development. Beecher will join a growing stable of young center ice prospects that includes Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic.

“He really covers a lot of ice and the game is not going to slow down. It’s not. And he can get to the net and get inside. I think we were an effective hybrid-type team in that regard, being able to play with skill,” Sweeney said. “We’re cognizant, and you guys know, we’re looking at our center ice position from a future standpoint.

“Where we’re sitting right now, we’re comfortable, but moving forward we have to be able to fill in behind some guys who have been very prolific in Boston. I think with Jack and Freddy and Charlie (Coyle), (Sean) Kuraly is another one – obviously Patrice and Krech are still there – we have the makings of being able to carry forward.”

Sweeney did a lot of chattering on his cellphone most of the night, and there was some talking at the B’s table before the crew went up and handed out the jersey to Beecher.

The GM conceded he had talks with teams about moving back, but when asked if it was to pick up more picks or to get a player, he smiled and said “All of the above.”

But there were no fireworks from the Bruins, or anyone else for that matter. But there are seeds that may have sown to create a little stir in the upcoming days.

“There’s been a lot of talk. Obviously, a lot of it was tempered during the draft itself. Not many moves made, but I think coming out (Saturday) and the days leading to (free agency) I think there’ll be some activity,” said Sweeney, who said he’ll touch base with UFA Marcus Johansson’s agent this weekend.

“Obviously, everyone’s intrigued with the interview period that’s upcoming. People may window shop and do what they have to do and then circle back around.”

But it remains to be seen what Sweeney can do without having cost certainty on his restricted free agents Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen. McAvoy always was thought to be a big ticket item if he doesn’t choose to go the bridge deal route. And Carlo earned a few extra schillings with his first playoff performance.

It didn’t sound like Sweeney was expecting that certainty any time soon.

“I think the RFA market is one that’s going to require patience on everyone’s behalf,” Sweeney said. “It just seems that’s what’s going on around the league. We’re not the only team that’s probably going to have to see it this way.”

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NHL Draft Notebook: Bruins begin to move on to 2019-20

By MARISA INGEMI | June 22, 2019 at 12:26 am

VANCOUVER — Depending on how you look at it, the NHL Draft is the start or the end of a season.

After the Bruins season ended in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final — without hoisting the Cup on home ice — they would like to look at it as a fresh start.

The Bruins didn’t pick until late Friday night, with the 30th selection after finishing as the league runners-up. That’s still better than last season, when they didn’t have a first-round pick.

There was some depth to the first round beyond the first few picks, which were led by No. 1 overall Jack Hughes (New Jersey) and No. 2 Kaapo Kakko (New York Rangers). But there always are a couple of other players from the first day who end up making an impact right away.

The Bruins hope, as they move on to their next phase, they might hit that jackpot.

“There’s always one surprise,” general manager Don Sweeney said. “There are probably two guys, in my opinion, that have the ability. And then there’s probably another one that usually sneaks up on you in one way shape or form. The players themselves may think there are four or five, but realistically I would say there’s at least two and probably one sleeper.”

As the Bruins focus on moving into the offseason and getting ready for the next one ahead, focusing on the draft and development in the next week might be the best step in that direction.

Getting defensive

The Bruins have had a trend in recent years of selecting defensemen early, especially with their first pick. They went with Axel Andersson a year ago (second round, No. 57 overall) and Urho Vaakanainen in 2017 (No. 18 overall).

Sweeney thinks that’s mostly a coincidence.

“We try and find and identify the best players in the organization,” Sweeney said. “Certainly, we identify some needs and areas of depth that we’d like to at times deal from a position of strength. Also over history you’ve seen, and we’ve held true to this, you go through defensemen pretty quickly in this league. But we never want to pass up on the who we think is the best player. Have we done it 100 percent correctly? Maybe not. Hindsight’s 20/20 in that regard, if you can play back things.

“But overall I think we’ve attacked the areas we’ve needed to strengthen. And we need to continue to do that, be cognizant of what the trends of the league are, but find the balance. Sometimes you get through the regular season and you realize it’s a different animal in the playoffs. The depth is so very, very important. That’s what we’ve tried to do – take the best player, philosophically, but also identify some area and positions of strength around the league.”

With as much defensive depth as the organization has, this season might buck that trend.

Home opener set

Part of the Bruins schedule puzzle became clear Friday morning.

The NHL announced all the league home openers, and the Bruins will begin their Garden slate Oct. 12, a Saturday contest against the Devils.

Before that, the Bruins will be the opponent for the Dallas Stars home opener Oct. 3, and for the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 5.

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BU’s Trevor Zegras goes to Ducks, Medway’s Matthew Boldy leads trio of BC players picked

By MARISA INGEMI | June 22, 2019 at 12:00 am

VANCOUVER — Another year, another Boston University prospect going in the first round of the NHL Draft.

A BU prospect was the first local off the board Friday night with Trevor Zegras going to Anaheim, but that turned out to just be the appetizer for a trio of Boston College incoming freshmen who went later on in the first round.

With the ninth overall selection, the Ducks went with United States National Development Program’s Zegras. The center, who posted 87 points in 60 games this past season, is committed to play his freshman season at BU in the fall.

Zegras falls in line with the norm of the past few years, with a Terrier going in the first round in each of the last five seasons. Brady Tkachuk went No. 4 to the Senators a year ago — the highest in that five-year stretch — and Jack Eichel was No. 2 to the Sabres in 2013.

Medway’s Matthew Boldy went No. 12 overall to the Minnesota Wild. Boldy, a Boston College commit, tallied 81 points in 64 games with the USA U18 team.

Boldy played at the Dexter School and for the Jr. Eagles program before a stint with the Cape Cod Whalers ahead of his career in the USA Hockey program.

With the No. 13 pick, the Panthers went with incoming Boston College goalie Spencer Knight. He became the first goalie to go in the first round since Boston University’s Jake Oettinger to Dallas in 2017 at No. 26 overall.

Knight had a 2.36 goals against average and .913 save percentage in 33 games with the USNTDP this past season, and appeared in six games with the U-18 team at World Juniors.

“For me, I wasn’t going in with any expectation of which team,” Knight said. “I was just trying to take in the moment. For the guys on my team that were picked ahead of me, I was just happy for them and then when your name is called it’s just a dream come true.”

Fellow Boston College commit Alex Newhook went 16th to the Avalanche. The Victoria Grizzlies star posted 102 points in 53 games in the WHL last season. His sister, Abby, is also a Boston College commit who currently plays at Tabor Academy.

The Eagles became the fifth NCAA program to ever have at least three players go in the first round of the draft. Boston University had four prospects go in the first round of the 2016 draft.

All three Boston College prospects selected are expected to play their freshmen seasons beginning in the fall before going pro.

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2019 NHL Draft: Bruins select USNDP center John Beecher at No. 30

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 11:48 pm | UPDATED: June 22, 2019 at 1:54 am

VANCOUVER — Hopefully, the wait was worth it.

It was a long time to the 30th overall selection, more than three hours from the start of Friday night’s NHL draft before the Bruins selected United States National Development Team player John Beecher.

A center headed to Michigan in the fall, Beecher posted 43 points in 63 games with the development team last season. He’s a 6-foot-3 presence who tallied 15 goals in 2018-19.

“It’s one of those things I strived for,” Beecher said about going in the first round. “I couldn’t be happier that it worked out. But at the end of the day, it’s just an opportunity whether you get it today or in the seventh round, you just have to make the most of it.”

When it was the Bruins’ turn to pick, they waited until the final moments left on the clock. There were several projected first-rounders still on the board when the Bruins selected, including BU prospect Robert Mastrosimone and University of Denver incoming freshman Bobby Brink.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney lauded Beecher’s skating ability and size, while mentioning growth opportunities to his game when he heads to Michigan.

“We looked at the athleticism, the size, the skating ability, just felt that he can play two positions, there’s room for growth in his game, he’s a big, strong guy,” Sweeney said. “His skating ability, the ground he can cover. The second half of his year with production. … Playing with a very elite group of players. We believe there’s growth still.

“He doesn’t necessarily pop offensively, because he hasn’t been put in those situations.”

Sweeney cited the smaller areas of Beecher’s game and the details, along with generating pure offense as areas where he can grow, while calling him a bit raw.

“I just think the skating ability,” he said. “He really covers a lot of ice, the game’s not going to slow down on him. He can get to the net, he can get inside.”

The Bruins GM also discussed getting deeper at the center position, even with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci in Boston for the forseeable future.

Beecher also played for the U.S. National U17 Team and prep school hockey with the Salisbury School in Connecticut.

According to scouting reports, Beecher likes to play in front of the net and has a physical presence. He also adds some overall size to the forward depth in the organization,

Sweeney said some calls were made before the pick.

“We still had some debate,” he said.

As expected, the Devils selected United States National Development Team forward Jack Hughes at No. 1 overall, and the Rangers went with Finland’s Kaapo Kakko second overall.

Among teams in the Atlantic Division, Buffalo selected Dylan Cozens with the seventh pick, while the Panthers took Boston College goalie Spencer Knight at No. 13 overall. Montreal took Cole Caufield with the 15th overall pick, while Ottawa went with defenseman Lassi Thomson with the 19th selection.

The Bruins don’t have a second-round pick but will return in the third round Saturday, when they pick No. 92 overall. They also enter the day with picks in the fifth (No. 154), sixth (185) and seventh (192) rounds.

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Bruce Cassidy gets right back to work

By STEVE CONROY June 21, 2019 at 11:12 PM

VANCOUVER — Bruce Cassidy will have no choice but to unplug from hockey next week when he undergoes knee surgery to fix an old injury. All things considered, it might not be a bad thing for the Bruins coach to take a break.

“I would have went right back to work right after Game 7,” Cassidy said on Friday from the floor of Rogers Arena. “It’s weird. This is the longest I’ve coached, the longest run, but I was ready to go back to work the next day. It was just a good group. You know you like your job and your environment when you want to go back even when it’s this late. I think our players will tell you the same thing. I think they like being around each other.”

That’s not to say Cassidy is still not feeling the pain of a run that fell one win short of the needed 16 for the Cup. He’s finding that coming here to the draft, where the entire hockey world convenes, is part of the process.

“I’m still working through it,” Cassidy said. “You come here and you see coaches that you’re friends with and they say ‘Hey nice run.’ ‘Yeah, but a lousy ending.’ You’ve got your answers ready to go. ‘A lot of great moments but a lousy ending.’ ‘I didn’t like our first game of the season and I didn’t like our last game of the season, but everything in between…’ So they keep reminding you, too. So this will be it. Once it’s done and you go back to Boston and you’re among your friends and neighbors, and then you’re done with it. But I’m not that guy who says ‘Well, we might as well have lost in the first round.’ There were a lot of building blocks, for me, too. I’d never been there. It should benefit me somewhere down the road. That’s the way I feel. You want a bit of do-over, but you don’t get those.”

Cassidy did weigh in on some of the rule changes with the expanded replay. The league announced on Thursday that missed stoppages of play (i.e. hand pass, high stick, puck off the protective netting) would be open for review. He generally had positive feelings about the changes.

“I like the high stick (rule). You bat a puck out of the air with a high stick, it’s so close. We had a goal this year that might have high-sticked by (Chris) Wagner. That was a weird series of events. But those are some things that you can get right and it shouldn’t take too long,” said Cassidy.

He also liked the fact that refs can now review their own calls of major penalties. There was a major mistake in Game 7 of the Vegas-San Jose series when Cody Eakins was mistakenly called for a major and the Sharks scored four times on the five-minute power play.

Subsequently, refs were hesitant to call another major, which affected the B’s series with the Blues. The B’s had suffered two head shots, one on Matt Grzelcyk that knocked the defenseman out for Games 2-6, and another in Game 5 on Marcus Johannson. Oskar Sundqvist was given a two-minute minor for the Grzelcyk hit, then a game suspension. Ivan Barbashev was not called for any penalty at all on the latter hit and was suspended for a game after the fact.

Perhaps now, referees will feel more empowered to call the major immediately when they have the chance to dial it back upon review.

Considering both those players were suspended, those head shots were most likely worthy of majors and that could have changed the series.

“That’s right out of the Vegas series,” Cassidy said. “They’re trying to address situations that come up. Those are big calls. For me, I wouldn’t want every penalty to be looked at because it’d be crazy. But the big ones that would truly affect a game? You want to get it right.”

One disappointment for Cassidy was that the offsides challenge remains in effect as is.

“I was hoping they’d address that somehow,” Cassidy said. “If a player’s not involved in the goal, like the goal that called back against Colorado in the playoffs. There’s no effect on play. I think it just takes away from the game when something good happens. I would hope someone would come up with the offside call.” 1147851 Boston Bruins

Bruins draft a big, speedy body with first-round pick Beecher

By Joe Haggerty June 22, 2019 1:03 AM

The Bruins knew following the Stanley Cup Final loss to the St. Louis Blues that they needed to get bigger and stronger up front. It may or may not impact what they end up doing this summer to improve their roster, but it certainly informed their decision to draft 6-foot-3, 210-pound center John Beecher with their first-round pick in the NHL Draft on Friday night.

The Bruins had a few different high-end talents to choose from with Arthur Kaliyev, Bobby Brink, Raphael Lavoie and Alex Vlasic all available when the B’s picked 30th overall near the end of the first round. Instead, they opted for the big-bodied, fast-skating center who played more of a supportive role behind centers Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte with the US National Team Development Program last season. He'll seemingly have plenty of room to grow his game once he moves to the University of Michigan next season.

“We think there’s higher upside there, offensively,” Bruins GM Don Sweeney told the NBC Sports Network on the draft broadcast. “The second half of the year he started to score, take more pucks to the net, be more comfortable in situations he’s in. I think there’s a lot more growth left in his game. He’s already 6-3 and over 200 pounds and skating is so paramount in the NHL. He’ll fit in well with our group.”

The pros are obvious. Beecher, 18, is big and will only get bigger while already showing a willingness to use his body to be a net-front presence and win battles along the boards. He skates well for a big center and the combination of size and speed should make him an impact player in the middle of the lineup.

For a team that got pushed around in the Stanley Cup Final by the Blues and couldn’t win enough battles to get to the front of the net, Beecher will help the Bruins reverse that trend once he gets to the NHL. Drafting another impact center also helps prepare the Bruins for the time a couple of years from now when David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron will no longer be the 1-2 punch for Boston as their top-six centers.

The cons are also pretty obvious. Many of the qualities and words being used to describe Beecher were similarly used to describe 2016 first- rounder Trent Frederic when he was selected 29th, near the end of the first round. Beecher had only 15 goals and 43 points for the US National Team Development Program last season, so there is a lot of room for him to grow as an offensive player. Beecher is by no means a finished product offensively and that means there may be a limit to his ceiling offensively that keeps him a bottom-six center rather than top six.

Add Beecher to these Bruins prospects

Obviously. Frederic is still a top center prospect and had his moments last season, but he didn’t exactly light it up in his first pro season playing for Providence (11 goals, nine assists in 45 games) and Boston (no points in 15 games). One wonders how closely Beecher’s path will track like Frederic's even if it seems the 2019 first-rounder has more speed and playmaking ability than Frederic did at the same stage.

The good news is that the 18-year-old will get some time to develop at his own pace at Michigan next season. The hope is Beecher develops more of that offensive game to realize the potential that the B’s see in him.

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It would be nice for the Bruins to keep Marcus Johansson, but it may not be in the cards

By Joe Haggerty June 21, 2019 3:30 PM

The Bruins weren’t exactly sure what they were going to get out of Marcus Johansson when they dealt for him at the trade deadline this winter.

They knew they were getting a skilled winger that could help them fill out their depth with their top-9 forward group, but there were questions about his health, his ability to play tough in the postseason and how well he would mesh with his new Bruins teammates.

Well, they are clearly sold in Johansson after watching him turn out to be one of their best forwards during the . Johansson finished with four goals and 11 points in 22 games for the Bruins during the postseason and gave the Bruins the kind of depth, production and threat they were looking for out of their third line all season.

With that in mind, Bruins general Don Sweeney has made contact with Johansson’s agent JP Barry and there is expected to be a contract offer to keep him in Black and Gold. Clearly there is interest in keeping him around to be more than a rental given the way he played.

“We found that Marcus was a really good fit for our hockey club,” said Sweeney. “I was proud of how he got injured, came back and elevated his play, was really invested, thought he fit in really well with Charlie [Coyle] coming in, gave us some options on the power play, was a really good fit. Good person, great teammate and got us to a certain point. Wish we could’ve finished it off.”

Certainly Johansson sounded open to returning to Boston after really finding his groove with the Bruins in the postseason, but it also sounded like he was going to see it through to free agency as most veteran players would in his situation.

“I’ve loved it here. It’s been unbelievable. We’ll talk and see what happens and if we can work something out, this has been an unbelievable place to play. I’ve really loved it,” said Johansson. “Playing somewhere where you feel good, you’re happy and your family is happy, like it has been for me, that means a lot and it’s something I value a lot too. Hopefully we get to taking soon and we’ll see what happens.”

The problem with Johansson remaining with the Bruins?

He’s an unrestricted free agent and that means he’s going to be paid a premium if he gets to the July 1 open of NHL free agency. Johansson isn’t in the class of a player like Kevin Hayes, obviously, but watching him sign a seven-year contract worth more than $7 million is a sign to all free agent forwards that the money floodgates are open.

While Johansson won’t get the big money based on a pair of 20-goal seasons and some of the injury issues he’s endured over the last few seasons, he certainly could be in line for a long term deal paying him out $5-6 million per season. Given that the Bruins hold roughly $13 million in cap space and at least $11 million of that could be eaten up by RFAs Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen, it will take some maneuvering to get Johansson back into the fold.

Unless Johansson is going to become a bona ride top-6 forward capable of regularly scoring 20 goals per season and playing on one of the top two lines, that’s probably a luxury the Bruins are not going to be able to afford given their current cap situation. It was a nice run while it lasted for Johansson and the Bruins, but it may not be a workable relationship moving forward unless the Swedish forward is willing to take a lot less than market value when things get going ahead of the July 1 open of the NHL’s free agent funny season.

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Bruins draft picks 2019: Full list of Boston's selections in Vancouver

By Nick Goss June 21, 2019 2:36 PM

The Bruins have five 2019 picks in the NHL Draft, and without a real deep pool of prospects, this is an important draft for the franchise coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance where they lost in seven games.

Here's a list of all the Bruins' picks in the 2019 draft. T

First round: 30th overall - John Beecher, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound center from Elmira, N.Y.

Second round: no pick

Third round: 92nd overall

Fourth round: no pick

Fifth round: 154th overall

Sixth round: 185th overall

Seventh round: 192nd overall

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Five things to know about Sabres first-round pick Ryan Johnson

By Staff|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Sat, Jun 22, 2019

Here are five things to know about the Sabres’ 31st-overall pick, Ryan Johnson:

1. His father, Craig, played 10 years in the NHL. Johnson’s father, Craig, enjoyed a 10-year career with St. Louis, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Toronto and Washington. He was traded to the Kings from the Blues in 1996 as part of the trade.

Craig coached Ryan on the 16U Anaheim Jr. Ducks, where Ryan played for two seasons and matured as a player.

“It was awesome growing up with those players,” Ryan told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

2. He drew scouts’ attention last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Johnson racked up 33 points on six goals and 19 assists last season with the Stampede in the United States Hockey League. That performance earned him a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team.

3. He’s committed to the University at Minnesota, the same school that his father attended. Craig recorded 55 points during the 1992-93 season as a Golden Gopher. So far, Ryan only has one season of junior hockey under his belt.

4. He had the highest plus/minus of any player on his team at plus-24. Johnson might not have the flashiest stats, but he proved himself to be a solid defenseman with the Stampede. He was plus in four of Sioux Falls’ last five games.

5. He helped the United States win the 2018 World Junior A Challenge. The United States defeated Russia to win gold. Johnson played in all six games.

Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147855 Buffalo Sabres That progress, Johnson said, made him a more well-rounded defenseman and introduced him to the rigors of a more competitive, physical league. His work has only begun, though.

Sabres hold on to No. 31 pick, select defenseman Ryan Johnson Johnson will participate in the Sabres' development camp next week in Harborcenter, where he will compete against a number of the organization's talented defensive prospects. The team used five of its six By Lance Lysowski|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Sat, Jun 22, picks in last year's draft on defensemen, including Rasmus Dahlin and 2019 Mattias Samuelsson.

Johnson, though, will require at least a few collegiate seasons before he is ready to start a professional career. VANCOUVER — Jason Botterill didn't attempt to trade up from the No. 31 pick Friday night in Rogers Arena. "Obviously try to have a good training camp and do my best out there, work the hardest," Johnson said. "After that, head to Minnesota; Develop, Instead, the Buffalo Sabres' General Manager sat at the team's table and grow as a player and play a couple years there. We’ll see where that waited to see which player would be atop his NHL draft board when they takes me." were on the clock with the final pick in the first round. Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 His selection: Ryan Johnson, a 17-year-old left-shot defenseman who played this past season for Sioux Falls of the United States Hockey League. Johnson, a University of Minnesota commit, was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the draft's 33rd-best North American skater.

The Sabres could have chosen a number of talented forwards -- winger Arthur Kaliyev went undrafted on Day 1 despite being ranked the draft's seventh-best North American skater -- but Botterill added yet another young defenseman to his prospect pool.

"I talked to them at the combine and obviously had no idea going in," Johnson said of the Sabres. "Anything can happen at the draft, but I’m just grateful to be part of this organization."

There was some question whether the Sabres would keep the No. 31 pick, which was acquired from the St. Louis Blues as part of last summer's Ryan O'Reilly trade. After all, Botterill could have tried to use his draft capital to acquire an NHL player, particularly a forward.

However, no trades were made as teams wait for the league to finalize its salary cap for the 2019-20 season. Picking a defenseman may have also surprised fans since the team has selected seven during Botterill's first two drafts as General Manager.

Johnson, though, is the sort of new-age, offensive-minded defenseman the Sabres are trying to build around.

Johnson, who is listed at 6-foot, 170 pounds, scored six goals among 25 points in 54 regular-season games for Sioux Falls, a performance that earned him a spot on the USHL's all-rookie team.

Johnson also recorded eight points in 12 playoff games to help Sioux Falls win the Clark Cup.

"We felt very comfortable with his development throughout the year," Botterill explained. "Some similar characteristics to Dylan: very good athlete, very good skater. Has that ability to play well in his defensive zone, play against other teams’ top players. He also has puck-moving ability.

"When we talk about how we eventually want our team to play and how we play when we’re successful, it’s our defensemen joining the rush. Our defensemen getting pucks up to our talented forwards and we really felt Ryan fits the bill."

Some of those attributes are similar to those held by Johnson's father, Craig, who was the 33rd overall pick of the St. Louis Blues in 1990. Craig Johnson played 10 NHL seasons as a left winger for the Blues, , Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.

He scored 75 goals among 173 points in 557 career NHL games from 1994-2004, capping his playing career with a four-year stint overseas.

The family settled in Orange County, Calif., where Ryan played for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and grew up rooting for the NHL club of the same nickname.

Johnson flourished with Sioux Falls, where he won a championship and established himself as one of the top defensemen in this draft.

"I think I grew a lot defensively," Johnson said. "I really found my game in that aspect. I found out I can defend really well and I think that carried over. That’s a big part of playing defense, obviously. I got more comfortable playing in a tougher league and grew a lot. Became more confident as well." 1147856 Buffalo Sabres "It seems like a real hockey city and that the fans get behind them a lot," Cozens said. "I loved my time there, just walking around the city and down by the water there."

Dylan Cozens was right choice at the perfect time for Sabres Cozens will get to find out plenty more next week at development camp. These top picks go to the Combine, the Stanley Cup final and the draft, and then they are whisked away to their new teams. Cozens will be on By Mike Harrington|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Sat, Jun 22, the ice starting Wednesday. 2019 [Comprehensive coverage: the 2019 NHL Draft]

As far as the pick, Botterill knocked away the narrative that he wouldn't VANCOUVER — There is the need and there is the best player take a Canadian junior. The Sabres hadn't taken a single one in the first available. When they intersect in the Top 10 of the NHL draft, you've two years since Botterill took over, and there were plenty of eyebrows done your job. raised around the league about the point. The Sabres insisted it was coincidence, but you sure had to wonder. The Buffalo Sabres had to feel super Friday night in Rogers Arena. They need centers in their organization in the worst way. There was a buffet of On one hand, you do get longer control over college and European pivotmen to ponder with the No. 7 pick. Especially once Detroit threw the players. On the other hand, it was just a bad look for the organization. first round's biggest curve by taking German defenseman Moritz Seider There's another narrative swept away. at No. 6, far above where anyone predicted. Cozens had plenty of family and friends at the draft, with Whitehorse The Sabres had the temptation of American winger Cole Caufield, he of being a quick flight to Vancouver. There will be all kinds of people he will 72 goals at just 5-foot-7. But NHL GMs are still loathe to take little guys, be hearing from at home as well. It's 3,400 miles from Buffalo to and the Stanley Cup run of the St. Louis Blues might harden that position Whitehorse, and the folks by the Arctic Circle will now have plenty to talk some. Caufield lasted until Montreal at No. 15, far below where he should about when it comes to the 716. have gone. "I’m so proud to represent the Yukon," Cozens said. "My phone will be The Sabres had their chance with Caufield but had to stay down the absolutely blowing up." middle. American Trevor Zegras, a slick passer, was on the board. So were Canadian juniors Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs. The same might be said for Botterill's. The GM said he tried a little bit to move up from No. 7, but not from No. 31 so the Sabres took Sioux Falls The choice was Cozens, a powerful skater at 6-foot-3 who was a defenseman Ryan Johnson. Botterill also said he tried to move 31 for standout at Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League. some NHL talent but there just weren't any deals going down. At least not Friday. "We were locked in based off our list and how we prepared for it," said General Manager Jason Botterill. "But I'll tell you right off the bat, there Botterill said to stay tuned. Maybe things will happen today. Maybe next was a lot of players in there that I'd like to have on my team. A lot of week at the start of free agency. Maybe sometime in the summer. Seeds different types of players. Defensemen, scoring wingers, power forwards. are planted here, but not much happened Friday on the trade front. As for It was a unique draft that seemed to sort of touch point on every getting another core guy at No. 7, it appears Botterill found some position." success.

Every player in the draft has a backstory, of course. Cozens' is one of the Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 most unusual as he tries to make the NHL after growing up in Whitehorse, the largest city in the Yukon — which hasn't produced an NHLer in 40 years.

There's plenty of pressure now from two sides — the expectations of Buffalo fans as a Top 10 pick and the buzz in his homeland about what had to once seem like an impossible NHL quest.

Cozens reveled in the moment and understood the history.

"It does feel like that, and I know it's just going to get crazier when I go back, but I'm happy to be that guy that kind of gives it back for hockey in the Yukon," he said. "It always felt like a far-fetched dream, not really achievable. But I believed it, believed in myself I could make this happen one day."

Cozens: “I’m so proud to represent the Yukon. My phone will be absolutely blowing up.” #Sabres pic.twitter.com/uvdzE5vHgQ

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) June 22, 2019

Cozens was downright brash at the combine that he can be NHL ready this season, especially because of his strong skating. Nothing wrong with that in these eyes. I think we'd all agree any extra swagger the Sabres can add would be a good idea.

So when Cozens was reminded of that conversation and asked what else he needs to do, he had an answer.

"I know I have to get stronger. It's a whole new level up there," he said. "Guys are way bigger and stronger."

5 things to know about new Buffalo Sabre Dylan Cozens

The NHL loves hosting the scouting combine in Buffalo because of the setup of KeyBank Center, Harborcenter and the adjacent hotels. But the Sabres love it, too, because they can take some hometown advantage with players, taking them out to dinners and giving them in-depth tours of their massive training facility in the arena.

And players walking around downtown the last four years have often talked about how they have chance meetings with folks who instantly want to talk hockey and the Sabres with them. 1147857 Buffalo Sabres Cozens honed his skills on a rink in the family's backyard, and Whitehorse's climate allowed for an outdoor sheet of ice to last up to six months. The lack of high-end competition his own age forced Cozens to Sabres 'very comfortable' taking Dylan Cozens at No. 7 in NHL draft play in a men's recreation league when he was 12, an experience that led to a broken leg.

Cozens left home at 14 to play at Yale Hockey Academy Prep and joined By Lance Lysowski|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Sat, Jun 22, Lethbridge the following spring. He has embraced the pressure of being 2019 a possible trailblazer in Whitehorse, but Cozens hopes to be more than a feel-good story.

"There are just so many people that are talking to me about it and VANCOUVER – The wait felt like several hours to Dylan Cozens. watching me," Cozens said. "So many people that want to see me The 6-foot-3 center was unsure when his name would be called in the succeed. I don’t want to let them down. Now that it’s here and the draft’s first round of the NHL draft in Vancouver. All he knew for certain was happened, I’m so excited." Friday night was more meaningful than the realization of his lifelong Cozens acknowledged he will need to get bigger and stronger to dream. compete in the NHL. He is listed at only 183 pounds -- 15 less than Dach When the Buffalo Sabres drafted Cozens seventh overall, he hugged his -- but provides the sort of versatility the Sabres lack. Cozens, a right- family, walked to the Rogers Arena stage with a wide smile on his face handed shot, is capable of playing center or wing, both areas of need for and pulled his new team’s jersey over his head. He knew what this new coach Ralph Krueger. moment meant to people in his hometown of Whitehorse. The Sabres are in need of immediate scoring help -- particularly at even- Cozens became the first player from the Yukon Territory to be selected in strength, an area of strength for Cozens -- to complement Jack Eichel, the first round of the NHL draft, and he’s joining an organization that was Sam Reinhart and Jeff Skinner. in dire need of a versatile scorer. However, Botterill didn't sound eager to rush Cozens to the NHL. Though “It’s something I’ve work towards my whole life, and now I know a whole Cozens will have an opportunity to make the team out of training camp, new journey has just begun,” Cozens, 18, beamed while wearing a navy he is likely to play another season in Lethbridge. Sabres jersey. "Probably the best thing for any player is to go back to junior and have The draft’s first round was as unpredictable as expected. The Sabres had another year of development, but we’ll see how the summer goes," their choice of Cozens, USA National Team Development Program Botterill said. "As we’ve talked about before, Dylan is a very good athlete center Trevor Zegras and undersized, record-breaking goal-scoring and has that great size and frame. But he certainly has to get stronger winger Cole Caufield. and it’s a big jump from to junior. We’ll see how things go in training camp." General Manager Jason Botterill and his staff opted for Cozens, who was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the fifth-best North American skater Regardless of where Cozens plays next season, he knows his — and his in the draft. Cozens was an electric goal scorer for Lethbridge of the hometown's — dream has been realized. Western Hockey League, scoring 34 goals among 84 points in 68 games "I always believed I could make this happen," Cozens said. "It did seem this past season, tied for 10th in the league. tough being in Whitehorse, but every time I would go out to tournaments, Cozens then served as an alternate captain for Canada at the IIHF I’d do well in those, and I think that’s when I knew this could be a Under-18 World Championship, scoring four goals among nine points in possibility. I always believed it. I believed in myself." seven games. Most mock drafts predicted Cozens would be gone when Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 the Sabres selected; however, the top 10 did not play out as expected.

Center Jack Hughes and winger Kaapo Kakko went first and second overall, respectively, and center Kirby Dach went third to the Chicago Blackhawks. Defenseman Bowen Byram went No. 4 to Colorado, NTDP center Alex Turcotte fell to the Los Angeles Kings at No. 5, and Detroit pulled a stunner by picking defenseman Moritz Seider sixth.

Botterill told reporters following the first round he unsuccessfully tried to trade up from No. 7 before taking the top player remaining on the Sabres' draft board.

"Size, speed," Botterill said when asked what attracted the Sabres to Cozens. "It’s not just speed – the way he plays. He pushes the pace quite a bit out there. Versatility, playing center and playing wing. His ability to play a two-way game. There were so many different attributes. You look over our report trail with him all year, whether it was [the ] in August, U-18s at the end of the year, he was very consistent from that standpoint. We felt very comfortable making the selection there."

The Sabres met with Cozens twice during last month’s scouting combine in Buffalo, where they expressed interest in him joining the organization.

“They’ve got lots of young players up and coming,” Cozens said. “Hopefully I can fit in there somewhere. I’m just super excited to help the team out, and there’s lots of good guys I can learn from there.”

Cozens has excelled since joining Lethbridge as a 15-year-old during its playoff run in 2017. He was named the league’s rookie of the year in 2017-18 after scoring 22 regular-season goals and was outstanding in Canada’s gold-medal run during last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Cozens could become only the third player in the Yukon Territory to ever appear in an NHL game, joining Peter Sturgeon (six games from 1979- 81) and Bryon Baltimore (two games in 1979-80). He is also only the third player from the territory to ever be drafted.

5 things to know about new Buffalo Sabre Dylan Cozens 1147858 Buffalo Sabres Ristolainen was a league-worst minus-41 rating this past season and is a minus-143 since entering the league in 2013, which is also the worst mark in the NHL during that span.

Sabres GM Jason Botterill open to offers for No. 31 pick, Rasmus "We value Risto a lot as a player," Botterill said. "Right-shot defenseman, Ristolainen physical presence and we’ve talked about, Ralph and I have talked a lot about, ‘Hey, how do we continue his development?’ ... Look, we understand there are going to be inquiries about it. We’re open as an By Lance Lysowski|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Fri, Jun 21, organization to continue to try to find ways to improve our team, but we’re 2019 very glad to have Risto as part of our organization."

Though the Sabres won't announce their qualifying offers to restricted free agents until Tuesday, Botterill said the team has retained the VANCOUVER — Jason Botterill did not hide his excitement Friday negotiating rights to its five NHL regulars: winger Zemgus Girgensons, morning. center Johan Larsson, goalie Linus Ullmark, defenseman Jake McCabe The Buffalo Sabres' General Manager smiled when speaking to reporters and center Evan Rodrigues. in Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Vancouver, and If all sign their offers and are retained at the expected rate for a one-year expected to have the same expression on his face when he walked to the deal, the Sabres will have roughly $13 million in cap space for 2019-20. stage in Rogers Arena hours later. That gives Botterill a number of options. Botterill, amid his final preparations for his third draft on the job, holds He plans to return to Buffalo late Saturday night in preparation for when two first-round picks — seventh overall and No. 31 — with possibly six he can begin negotiating with pending unrestricted free agents Sunday. selections more on Saturday. He has leverage in a draft that is said to Though Botterill plans to engage in talks with targeted players, he stated have the best crop of first-round prospects in recent memory, and previously trades are a "more realistic" option to supplement the Sabres' Botterill is actively looking to upgrade his NHL roster. roster. Though he did not anticipate trading his top pick, he remained open to all Though Botterill must be cautious with his cap space since Sam Reinhart other moves, including a trade of defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. is a restricted free agent next offseason, the Sabres are willing to make a "We feel very, very comfortable with that at seven and you always put trade with a team looking to unload a contract, much like they did last inquiries into possibly moving up depending on what’s there," Botterill offseason by acquiring Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick from Pittsburgh. said. "Those other teams certainly have players they want to get too, so "There’s always a lot of communication at this time of year," Botterill said. I’d be surprised if there is a lot of movement. Predicting whether there "I think sometimes there’s a belief everything is going to happen right are trades or anything is very difficult from that standpoint, but we feel here, right now, this weekend, but maybe it’s building up for next week or very comfortable where we’re at at seven." the week after." There is no secret which two players will be drafted first and second Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 overall. Center Jack Hughes is expected to be the top pick to New Jersey, followed by Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko to the New York Rangers.

The rest is a mystery. Botterill, Assistant General Manager Randy Sexton and the amateur scouting staff, led by Ryan Jankowski, have finalized the draft board with the intention of selecting the best player available. The question is whether the Sabres will have their pick of one of the top centers or land a dynamic winger such as Cole Caufield at seventh overall.

Botterill added he would be "absolutely shocked" if a team enticed him to deal that pick for an NHL player and didn't sound interested in making such a move. After all, such a trade would work against his model of building through the draft and player development.

But the No. 31 pick could be available. Botterill plans to see how the first- round unfolds because a number of teams will be interested in acquiring the selection. The Sabres do not own a second-round pick — theirs was dealt to Carolina in the Jeff Skinner trade last August — and are exploring a number of options to address their need for supplementary scoring.

Botterill is even open to moving up from No. 31 to try to take a player high on the Sabres' board.

"Is there an opportunity to still move up with one of your picks or a player?" Botterill added. "You’re also having discussions with teams about NHL players with that pick, too. You have to see what’s here. ... So, it’s something we’ll certainly talk about and we’ve been prepared for that."

There have been few substantive trade rumors this week since the league's salary cap for next season has yet to be finalized. However, talks have begun to pick up before the draft. Ristolainen is arguably one of the best players though to be available.

Ristolainen, 24, is under contract for three more years at an annual cap hit of $5.4 million, a discounted rate for a right-shot defenseman with his offensive upside. Though Botterill is willing to listen to offers, he doesn't sound eager to part with Ristolainen.

Botterill views Ristolainen as a "developing player" despite a resume that includes 424 NHL games since 2013. There have also been substantive conversations between Botterill and new Sabres coach Ralph Krueger about how the latter can help Ristolainen improve. 1147859 Buffalo Sabres him because he took the initiative. He wanted to change things. It wasn't just talk. ... I think he has a great support system there and it was a lot of fun watching him this year, the success he had, and just you saw it in Sabres to open season on road for first time since 2013, meet Devils in that speech. You saw it in his interviews throughout the entire year. He home opener looks like a different person and his engagement when coming back to Buffalo and talking to people. It's a great story. It's great to see him be that dedicated and now you just hope it continues."

By Mike Harrington|Published Fri, Jun 21, 2019|Updated Fri, Jun 21, No buyouts 2019 Botterill told reporters he does not intend to buyout the contract of any players on the NHL roster, including center Vladimir Sobotka.

VANCOUVER — The first two games of the Buffalo Sabres' 2019-20 Sobotka, 31, scored five goals among 13 points in 69 games during his schedule — and the Ralph Krueger era — were unveiled Friday first season with the Sabres. He's signed through next season with a cap afternoon and the team will be opening its season on the road on hit of $3.5 million. The Sabres owe former forward Cody Hodgson Thursday, Oct. 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in PPG Paints Arena. $791,667 in each of the next four seasons because of a buyout from The home opener will be Saturday, Oct. 5 against the New Jersey Devils 2015. in KeyBank Center. Waiting on word from San Jose Home openers for all 31 teams were released by the league on Friday. The complete schedule of the Sabres' 50th anniversary season will be The Sabres won't know until tomorrow if they'll own a fourth-round pick released on Tuesday. this year.

The Devils will be coming into Buffalo on a back-to-back after opening Their only selection in the round is a conditional draft choice obtained their season at home Oct. 4 against Winnipeg. Those will be the first two from the San Jose Sharks in the Evander Kane trade last February. If the NHL games for presumptive No. 1 overall draft pick Jack Hughes, who is Sharks choose to retain their fourth-round selection -- the 122nd overall slated to be selected here Friday night. The last time the Sabres played a selection -- they will have to send their third-round pick next year to the home opener against New Jersey was a 2-1 win on Jan. 25, 1994 at the Sabres. start of the league's first lockout-shortened season. Buffalo News LOADED: 06.22.2019 The Sabres had opened at home the last five years. Their most recent season opener on the road was a 2-1 loss in Detroit on Oct. 2, 2013.

The Sabres have not played a season opener against the Penguins since a 5-4 loss in Memorial Auditorium on Oct. 4, 1991. They previously opened against Pittsburgh in their first two NHL seasons. Buffalo's first game in the league was a 2-1 win in Civic Arena on Oct. 10, 1970, and the Sabres beat the Penguins by the same score exactly one year later in Memorial Auditorium to open the 1971-72 season.

Elsewhere, the league will open the season with four games on Wednesday, Oct. 2: St. Louis will host Washington in a meeting of the last two Stanley Cup champions, Ottawa is at Toronto, Vancouver is at Edmonton and San Jose will be at Vegas in a rematch of the teams' controversial seven-game series in the first round of this year's playoffs. The Golden Knights and Sharks, in fact, will open with a home-and-home set as they meet Oct. 4 in San Jose.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins are one of three times with the latest home opener, playing Oct. 12 in TD Garden against New Jersey. It was announced the Bruins open the season Oct. 5 in Arizona, so Boston is getting a Western trip at the start of its campaign.

Qualifying offers

The Sabres will announce their qualifying offers to restricted free agents Tuesday, but General Manager Jason Botterill told reporters the team's five NHL regulars received one: goalie Linus Ullmark, defenseman Jake McCabe, winger Zemgus Girgensons, center Johan Larsson and center Evan Rodrigues.

The organization's other restricted free agents are C.J. Smith, winger Sean Malone, winger Remi Elie, winger Eric Cornell, defenseman Jack Dougherty and defenseman Brycen Martin.

A qualifying offer ensures the Sabres retain negotiating rights to each player but does not guarantee each will return next season. Players who choose to accept the offer will sign a one-year contract per the terms stated but can also negotiate a multi-year deal.

Lehner's speech

Former Sabres goalie Robin Lehner did not receive a qualifying offer last June and signed with the New York Islanders as an unrestricted free agent. Lehner, who endured issues with mental health and alcohol abuse during his time in Buffalo, delivered a passionate speech at the NHL awards Tuesday after accepting the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an award given to a player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game.

"I'm very proud of Robin," Botterill said. "Very, very proud of Robin. It's a great story and I hope he continues to stay after it. I have a lot of hope for 1147860 Buffalo Sabres Caufield will play at the University of Wisconsin for at least a year before making the jump to pro hockey. Casey Mittelstadt, Buffalo’s first-round pick in 2017, No. 8 overall, played a year at Minnesota before joining the Is this the draft that puts Sabres over hump? Time only knows Sabres last season.

Again, hockey is all about patience.

Leo Roth It means the draft picks who will help the Sabres next season aren’t the players who will be picked Friday and Saturday in Vancouver. It’s the Published 4:05 AM EDT Jun 21, 2019 ones who were picked going back five and six years, to drafts overseen by Tim Murray and Darcy Regier.

It’s Linus Ullmark (sixth round, 2012) locking down the starting For the seventh consecutive year, the Buffalo Sabres will select in the goaltending job. It’s winger Victor Olofsson (seventh round, 2014) and Top 10 of the National Hockey League draft taking place Friday in center Rasmus Asplund (second round, 2016) adding punch to an Vancouver. offense ranked 24th in goals. It’s defenseman Will Borgen (fourth round, Their annual June reward for dashing hopes and dreams. 2015) winning a job with the big club. It’s winger Alex Nylander finally living up to his potential as the No. 8 overall pick in 2016, or the Last season was especially cruel, what with that franchise-record tying organization moving on. 10-game winning streak merely a tease toward a 33-39-10 final record. Costing coach Phil Housley his clipboard and whistle and putting general It’s defensemen Jacob Bryson and Oskari Laaksonen and goalie Ukko- manager Jason Botterill on notice. Pekka Luukkonen, highly touted picks from Botterill’s first draft in 2017, launching their pro careers with the . All in hopes of But this is the time of year when hope springs eternal, leaving us to making the NHL someday and making the Sabres relevant again. wonder, is this the draft that gets the Sabres over the hump? The next influx of skating, shooting, passing and puck-blocking talent that gets the That hasn’t been the case since 2010-11, the last season they finished dominoes tumbling and ends Buffalo’s league-high eight-year playoff with more than 40 wins and 90 points, the benchmarks for making the drought? playoffs. The last time the Sabres got close to making the was 2006 and 2007 when they lost in the conference finals both Unfortunately, only time will tell. A lot of time. years.

Rasmus Dahlin, of Sweden, left, the Buffalo Sabres No. 1 pick at the Those entertaining teams featured more than 20 draft picks, accumulated NHL draft on Friday, poses with Sabres general manager Jason Botterill and developed over 10 years, going back to first-rounders Jay McKee during a news conference Monday. and Marty Biron in 1995.

The building of a Stanley Cup contender proceeds at the rate of an ant When the Sabres made the Stanley Cup finals in 1999 behind goalie crossing the road. Rome was built faster. Dominik Hasek they were drafting their goaltender of the future in the fifth round (Ryan Miller) that year. The St. Louis Blues, this season’s champions, were a model of building through the draft. Fourteen players on their 26-man roster were Paul Gaustad, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Clarke homegrown, but they were accumulated over the course of 12 years, MacArthur, Andrej Sekera, Drew Stafford and many others followed. starting with solid winger David Perron in 2007, captain Alex Peitrangelo Joining the likes of , Max Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik and in 2008 and top-goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko in 2010. Dmitri Kalinin. And, of course, it’s nice when trades for players like and Daniel Briere work out. But even though the Blues drafted well, it left room for a dozen more pieces to find via free agency and trades, such as the doozy with Buffalo Getting back to that level established by Regier and coach has that landed center Ryan O’Reilly, their leading scorer and Conn Smythe been a long slog for the Sabres. Trophy winner as MVP of the playoffs. But there are no shortcuts to take and sometimes detours make the trip Talk about finding the final piece to a puzzle. longer.

Jack Eichel, shown here on draft day, has No. 15 reserved but he says Like the O’Reilly saga, where two trades involving the rugged center saw he won't wear it until he earns it. eight players and three draft picks change hands. Players in, players out. Draft picks in, draft picks out. Unlike the NFL, where rookies, lots of them, can make a roster and contribute, NHL prospects, except for the elite of the elite, are headed For the Sabres, the ant is still crossing the road. back to junior or college hockey, their European league clubs or to the minors. Remember, college football players are 21, 22 when drafted, Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 06.22.2019 hockey players are 18.

That makes hockey more of a canning process than merely picking ripened fruit.

This year, the Sabres have eight selections in the draft, including two in the first round, their own at No. 7, and the Blues’ pick at No. 31 courtesy of the O’Reilly deal. For obvious reasons, Botterill sure would like to make that last pick in Friday’s first round count, but it will likely take years before a thumbs up or thumbs down can be given.

According to the draft services, center Jack Hughes of the National Team Development Program and winger Kakko Kaapo of Finland will go 1-2 to New Jersey and the New York Rangers. Then it’s anybody’s guess what Chicago, Colorado, the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit do before Buffalo picks.

The good news for the Sabres, in the market for a Top Six forward, is that the draft is loaded at the top with centers and wings, and a good one will be there when it’s their turn, maybe even Cole Caufield, the 5-foot-7 mighty mite from NTDP who scored 72 goals last season.

Worried about his size? At the U18 World tournament, Caufield scored 14 goals in seven games to tie a record set by a Russian, some guy named Alex Ovechkin. 1147861 Buffalo Sabres “I have so much support up there in the Yukon,” said Cozens, who became just the third Yukon native drafted into the NHL. “I’m happy to be that guy that pays it back for hockey in the Yukon. … There’s just so From homemade rinks to KeyBank Center: Dylan Cozens is picked up by many people that are talking to me about it and watching me and so the Sabres at No. 7 many people that want me to succeed; I didn’t want to let them down.”

Cozens had an entourage of more than 30 people at the draft and a large crowd watching at a Yukon sport club. Though Whitehorse is in a remote By John Vogl Jun 21, 2019 part of the world, it’s hardly a pioneer village.

“When people think of Whitehorse in the north, they think of ‘White Fang’ or ‘The Call of the Wild,’” Mike Cozens said. “I just say to people: We VANCOUVER — It was pretty quiet on the fishing boat. have three Starbucks. We’re on the Alaska Highway. People driving to Dylan Cozens had just left Buffalo, where he dealt with the stress of NHL Alaska go right through White Horse. It’s a government town, so there’s a combine interviews and workouts this month. He and his dad, Michael, lot of money. knew the nerves of the NHL Draft were ahead. So they floated along “Whitehorse is a thriving, athletic city. It’s not the remote north. It’s got serene Kathleen Lake in the Yukon with their lines in the water and pretty much everything that we think we need — except for places to play thoughts in their heads. when you’re an elite hockey player.” Then Mike got a bite — a big one. As he reeled in the fish, Dylan And that’s why Dylan headed to British Columbia in 2015. He spent the grabbed the net. They pulled up a 30-pound lake trout, which they past two seasons playing for Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League, immortalized in pictures before releasing it in the water. recording 34 goals and 84 points in 68 games this year. “He said, ‘Finally, we’ve got a monster,’” Mike Cozens said Friday night. “He has obviously the unique background growing up in Yukon,” Sabres “That was the biggest one that he and I have caught.” general manager Jason Botterill said, “but there’s a drive in there, a The biggest fish came a couple of weeks before Dylan’s biggest moment motivating factor in his work ethic and a knowledge of what he has to to date. The Buffalo Sabres drafted the center with the No. 7 pick Friday, work on.” allowing the athletic Cozens family to realize a dream that started on a The motivation comes internally and externally. The 6-foot-3 homemade rink 15 years ago. center/winger pushes himself, but it’s clear the family drives him. His “Just sitting there waiting for your name called, every pick takes three father is a judge, so both parents can lay down the law about doing minutes, but it feels like an hour,” Cozens said in the Rogers Arena. things right. “When you finally hear your name called, it’s just so much emotion that’s “Dylan had to become mentally strong very early with some of the released. So much has been put into this moment and now that it’s here, disappointments he had with certain teams,” his dad said. “He it’s unbelievable.” experienced being cut. He experienced breaking his leg and missing It almost defies logic how much went into Cozens’ moment. At age 14, he virtually a whole season. He had to learn to say, ‘OK, what do I do now? moved away from his family in Whitehorse, Yukon, to play hockey 1,500 How do I keep moving forward?’ miles away. There simply weren’t enough talented players in Canada’s “That’s what we are really proud about. No matter what happened, he upper, upper northwest to challenge Cozens. And make no mistake — just said, ‘OK, I’m going to get better because I know I’m not where I the forward is talented. want to be yet.’ And that’s how he’ll be now.” “It was the most difficult decision that we’ve ever made,” said his mother, Cozens’ biggest bout with adversity was moving away. The decision was Sue Bogle, “but it was just one of those decisions where it’s like, ‘Well, if difficult, but as he hugged family members in the concourse while we don’t let him go, is it just going to be a lifetime of regret?’ You want wearing his blue Sabres jersey, the decision was obviously the right one. your kids to reach their full potential, and we knew he needed to leave home to do that.” “Even before this there were no regrets,” his mom said, “but this is unbelievable.” In a twist, Cozens will finally have a chance to be close to his relatives. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 His uncle just took a job in Buffalo and is moving to the city. The grandparents on his mom’s side live in Burlington, , only 65 miles from the Sabres’ arena. So when the 18-year-old comes to development camp and makes the leap to the NHL in a couple of years, he’ll have a cheering section.

“There’s going to be a lot of happy family on my side just being close — which I think is fair since we’ve lived so far away from him for a long time,” Bogle said.

Her visits to see Cozens in Buffalo will include a long run. A prosecutor by trade, she’s a regular on the marathon circuit and wants to add Buffalo to a list that includes Boston and Chicago. Bogle was born in Jamaica to a father who played soccer and cricket. Her mother played field hockey in England. Mike Cozens’ dad was a goalie in Toronto’s junior circuit.

So sports run in Dylan Cozens’ blood. His grandfather used to build ice rinks in the yard, and Mike Cozens followed suit when Dylan turned 3. It started with fallen trees as the boards and grew to pallets as Dylan aged.

“I just can’t thank my husband enough for his work on the outdoor rink,” Bogle said. “It started the passion for it all.”

Listening to Mike Cozens explain the rink, it’s easy to understand why Dylan wanted to be on the ice all the time.

“I like to be out there at 11:30 at night sometimes,” Mike said. “It’s quiet. You’re putting a clean sheet down, and the water just is beautiful. The sky is beautiful with the Northern Lights. It’s very relaxing.”

Cozens’ surroundings enhanced his hockey as much as his bloodlines. Whitehorse is 1,500 miles north of Vancouver and 700 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska, so the 25,000 people in the area rely on one another. 1147862 Buffalo Sabres “We do have some salary cap space right now,” Botterill said. “We have younger players that we know we’re going to have to pay in the future, so you’re trying to find things that help your team right now. We did it last Sabres plan to keep No. 7 pick, although Ristolainen’s future remains year in a move with Conor Sheary, and certainly we’re going to be open uncertain to that.

“We have to be ready to see the trade possibilities. Maybe a team just can’t add it all together from a cap perspective. And we’re certainly at By John Vogl Jun 21, 2019 least going to be in discussions with some free agents, for sure.”

He’s also looking at the prospects. The Sabres’ scouting staff is still tweaking its list. VANCOUVER – Jason Botterill will head to the draft stage with a smile on his face. There’s still a question of whether Rasmus Ristolainen will “Most teams have from (No.) 3 to 12 the same players, but I guarantee be part of the Sabres when he does it. Vladimir Sobotka probably will be. there’s a lot of different orders there,” said Botterill, who will pick a goaltender at some point. “We’re excited still with the growth of (Linus) Botterill anticipates keeping the No. 7 overall pick Friday, and he’s Ullmark. Obviously, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had an amazing year last confident the selection will grow into an integral part of Buffalo’s future. year and we’re very proud of where he’s going to go with his “We feel comfortable at seven, and when we go up to the stage we’ll development. definitely have smiles on our faces,” the general manager said Friday “But yeah, you’re always looking to try to add goaltending to the mix, to morning. “You always put inquiries into possibly moving up and what’s the fold because you understand it’s going to be a longer development there, but those other teams have players that they certainly want to get, cycle. It’s always a little more difficult predicting that, so if you can just too. So I’d be surprised if there’s a lot of movement, but predicting have more options in your organization, you’re certainly looking to do whether there’s trades or anything is very difficult from that standpoint. that.” But we feel very comfortable with where we’re at.” While Botterill is excited to add new players, he’s also thrilled with the While movement up and down the board is still possible in terms of pick new coaching staff. Krueger kept Steve Smith and added Don Granato swaps, Botterill said he’d be “absolutely shocked” if a team offered him a and Mike Bales as the other assistants. player for No. 7. The Sabres are also scheduled to close the first round with No. 31, and there are no absolutes there. “How I’ve always worked with a coach on that is that we go over different names and we’re working in unison on sort of what we feel the “That’s where you’re just at the table and you’re watching how the draft’s combination should be,” Botterill said. “We provide different names, and progressing,” Botterill said in the team hotel. “Is there an opportunity to then ultimately Ralph’s got to sit down and make sure that he has a still move up with one of your later-round picks or a player? You’re also, comfort level with the people. If it’s someone that I don’t know, I’m having too, having some discussions with teams about NHL players with that that conversation and stuff, too. pick. “I have worked with Mike Bales in the past. Very excited to bring him on “You just have to see what’s there. I think a lot of times with those later not only helping with our goaltending but in the defensive zone a little bit. first-round picks, you come back and get two in the second. It’ll be Donnie Granato, I think you look at his history: AHL, NHL, what he did something that we certainly talk about and we’ve been prepared for that.” the last couple years in Chicago, U.S. development program. He’s had a The biggest trade possibility remains Ristolainen. The defenseman has great track record from a development standpoint, and we’re excited to been part of talks all month, both in trade chatter with other teams and have him working with our young forwards.” internally between Botterill and new coach Ralph Krueger. Botterill also expressed congratulations to Robin Lehner on winning the “We value Risto a lot as a player,” Botterill said. “A right-shot Masterton Trophy and Ryan O’Reilly for winning the Stanley Cup and defenseman. A physical presence. Ralph and I have talked a lot about, Conn Smythe. ‘Hey, how do we continue his development?’ “Very, very proud of Robin,” Botterill said. “It’s a great story, and I hope “I know everyone talks about development in our organization. They talk he continues to stay after it. I have a lot of hope for him because he took more about our young players – (Rasmus) Dahlin, (Casey) Mittelstadt the initiative. He wanted to change things, and it wasn’t just talk. He and some of our players who aren’t here yet – but we still view Risto as a actually went out there and did it. developing player. So, look, we understand there’s going to be inquiries “I think he has a great support system there, and it was a lot of fun about him. We’re open as an organization to continuing to trying to find watching him this year, the success that he had. You saw it in his speech ways to improve our team, but we’re very glad to have Risto as part of and you’ve seen it in his interviews throughout the entire year. He looks our organization.” like a different person.” If the Sabres are hoping to make an impact move, Ristolainen is the The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 asset with the most value. So talks and phone calls will continue.

“Sometimes there’s a belief that everything is going to happen right here, right now this weekend, but maybe it’s building up for next week or the week after,” Botterill said.

While the GM wants to shake up his team, it won’t be through buyouts. That means Sobotka and his $3.5 million cap hit aren’t going anywhere, unless a team is willing to take the underwhelming center in a trade.

“I don’t anticipate using any buyouts,” Botterill said.

He’s also issued qualifying offers to restricted free agents Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson, among others.

“We’ll wait to make an announcement on that Tuesday,” he said, “but I will say the guys that have been sort of NHL regulars, they certainly have all received them.”

The Sabres have about $10 million in cap space, which is a precious commodity because the cap won’t rise as much as teams expected. It could allow for additional moves in which the Sabres take a bad contract in order to get a nice asset. Tampa Bay is still looking to move Ryan Callahan, who can no longer play because of a back problem. 1147863 Calgary Flames The 18-year-old centre is currently recovering from surgery on a partial tear to his Achilles tendon — an injury suffered during a skating drill earlier this month — but is hopeful he can be back on the ice for training Flames select winger Jakob Pelletier in first round of 2019 NHL Draft camp in the fall.

“I couldn’t thank Vegas enough for picking me and I’m excited to get started,” Krebs said. “It feels so good to just have a team. It’s amazing.” Wes Gilbertson Calgary’s Brayden Tracey, fresh off a 36-goal, 81-point campaign as a rookie with the WHL’s , was picked at No. 29 by the Anaheim Ducks. VANCOUVER — Jakob Pelletier apparently has high hopes for the Calgary Flames. ICE CHIPS

The feeling is mutual. Flames fans, circle Thursday, Oct. 3, on your calendar — Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Giordano & Co. will be in the Mile High City that evening The Flames cashed in their first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft on for a season-opening showdown against the Colorado Avalanche, a Pelletier, a speedy left-winger from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey rematch of their first-round playoff series this spring. Calgary’s home- League’s . opener is two nights later, with the Vancouver Canucks visiting the “He’s all about winning,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving Saddledome. The full schedule for the 2019-20 campaign will be unveiled after picking Pelletier at No. 26 overall in Friday’s first round at Rogers Tuesday. Arena in Vancouver. “We said (in a pre-draft interview), ‘We’re sitting Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.22.2019 there at No. 26 and we have a few names — why do we call Pelletier?’ And he said, ‘Because I’m going to help win a Stanley Cup.’ It’s better than saying, ‘Because I like the mountains.’

“You hear a lot of things, but it’s authentic with him. He’s a driven, competitive kid.”

Talented, too.

Not exactly a big dude at 5-foot-9 and 165 lb., Pelletier piled up 39 goals and 50 assists in 65 outings for the Wildcats this past season.

“I’m a small guy who is going to play big,” he promised. “I’m a competitor. I can create offence and can play some defensive role, too.”

Pelletier, an 18-year-old from , was one of several prospects to meet with the Flames on Friday morning in Vancouver.

They must have been impressed.

“(Treliving) asked me, ‘Why are you different than the other guys?’ ” Pelletier relayed. “And I say, ‘I’m a winner and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.’ ”

Treliving stressed after Friday’s first round that Pelletier won’t be pushing for a roster spot next season — “He is years away, he’s not right around the corner” — but the staff at the Saddledome believe this kid is hell-bent on ascending to the highest level.

“Elite compete and elite hockey sense, and those are two thing we value greatly,” Treliving said of Pelletier. “He’s very productive, he has skill, but he has hard skill. He goes to the hard areas. The DNA of this kid is a high, high motor and just ultra, ultra competitive. Tons of character. That’s the core of him and it’s wrapped in a pretty skilled package.

“At the end of the year, he has a pretty bad ankle injury in the playoffs and a lot of people are telling him ‘Don’t go to the Under-18s. You’re hurt, it probably won’t help your draft stock.’ There were a few expletives and he said, ‘I’m going to the Under-18s.’ Those are the kind of guys you want to have.”

The 2019 NHL Draft resumes bright and early Saturday morning. The Flames own four more picks — Nos. 88, 116, 150 and 214.

KNIGHTS NAB KREBS

Peyton Krebs is currently slowed by an Achilles injury.

Nonetheless, the Calgary-born, Okotoks-raised forward felt like his commute from his seat to the stage was over in a blink.

Krebs, captain of the just-relocated in the Western Hockey League, was picked at No. 17 by the Vegas Golden Knights, an announcement that prompted a roar of approval from one of Friday’s largest fan clubs.

“I have a big family — I think we have about 60 people here,” Krebs said. “It was a pretty special moment for me and my family. I wish I would have maybe went a little slower and enjoyed it. It was kind of a blur. But I’m super-pumped. It feels great.”

Krebs notched 19 goals and 49 assists in 64 regular-season showings this past winter in the Dub and also captained Canada at the 2019 IIHF U-18 World Championship. 1147864 Calgary Flames “And I never did get a jersey from the Sabres. They gave me a hat, and I could keep that, but I never did get a jersey.”

Has a heck of a draft story, though. Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall pulled double duty on his own draft day Pascall patrolled the blue-line for Buffalo’s farm club for two winters but never reached the highest level.

He is, believe or not, one of five current Flames’ employees selected Wes Gilbertson during the 1990 NHL Draft at BC Place — a list that also includes fellow assistant general manager Craig Conroy, scouts Eric Lacroix and Rob Sumner and equipment man Corey Osmak. VANCOUVER — The TV coverage had wrapped before Brad Pascall’s name was announced. “To me, the number of players that play across Canada or across the world that ever get drafted, it’s like .01 percent. And then the number of Good thing, too, because it’s hard to be on both sides of the camera at players that get drafted and signed, it’s another .001,” Pascall said. “And once. then some players go on to either play a game or to have a long career. I didn’t do that but to accomplish those two goals, it’s quite special. There are a lot of great stories from past instalments of the NHL Draft and Pascall, now an assistant general manager for the Calgary Flames, “So for the kids who are here this weekend, for them as young individuals has a doozy — in 1990, in his backyard at BC Place, the young and for their parents and for every coach that crossed their path and defenceman from Coquitlam, B.C., pulled double duty as a production helped them get here, you really take a step back and you think about all assistant for TSN and a prospect who was plucked by the Buffalo Sabres the support of family and friends and coaches. It’s an accumulation of all in the fifth round. those things.

It’s your story, Brad, take it away … “In saying that, we tell the guys, ‘This is the first step but to be a full-time NHL player is not guaranteed. Now, the work begins. Now you’ve been “I was playing at the University of North Dakota and I would come back in identified and now you have a team that wants you and wants to work the summers to train and to see my family and friends and being a with you, but now it’s up to you. Now, you have to invest in yourself. college student, you’re always looking for a few bucks,” Pascall explained We’ve invested in you and now you have to invest in yourself.’ during the final countdown to the 2019 NHL Draft across the street from BC Place at Rogers Arena. “My dad (Bernie) is a Hall-of-Fame “I think that’s really what the draft is all about — knowing this is an broadcaster and worked at BCTV for years so through him, connection- accomplishment, this is great, but now the work begins.” wise, I ended up getting a part-time job for the draft in Vancouver of being essentially a production assistant or a runner for TSN. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.22.2019

“My job was being on the draft floor, going table to table with a headset on to the truck. Gary Green was the interviewer, so I would be following him around and he would be like, ‘OK, I have John Muckler here for an interview,’ and I would radio the truck that, ‘Hey, we have John Muckler,’ and then I’d signal ‘Yep, we’re on.’ That was my job. It was great.”

TSN rolled for the opening round only — covering Owen Nolan’s march to the stage as the first overall selection of the Quebec Nordiques, followed by Petr Nedved, Keith Primeau, Mike Ricci and Jaromir Jagr.

The Flames famously traded up, swapping spots with the New Jersey Devils and welcoming goalie Trevor Kidd to the organization. The Devils picked a puck-stopper, too — some dude named .

For Pascall, the highlight of the day was still to come.

“I didn’t have an agent or anything at that point, but you have different teams talk to you and through that, it was like, ‘You might be drafted anywhere between the third and ninth round,’ ” he recalled. “So after my job was finished, there was a lunch break and the TV is done so my parents and my brother and I went for a bite to eat and then I went into the washroom at the restaurant, threw my suit on and went back there for the rest of the day.

“Friends of the family, they had a suite and my parents were up in the suite and my brother and I were kind of wandering around, sitting in the stands. And I’m trying to remember the teams — there was Buffalo, Hartford, Philadelphia, Vancouver … Teams that had expressed some interest, anytime they were up, we were like, ‘Jeez, maybe this is it.’ And then around comes with the fifth round, No. 103 overall, and the Buffalo Sabres pick from the University of North Dakota, Brad Pascall, and I’m like, ‘Holy crap!’ ”

Pascall exchanged a high-five and hug with his brother and headed toward the draft floor to meet the Sabres higher-ups.

After handshakes and photos and a couple of media interviews, he figured he would proudly sport his new sweater for the remainder of the day.

Or not.

“The other story that I tell is how times have changed … ” Pascall said with a chuckle. “It’s pretty special for a young kid to be drafted, so you throw on the Sabres jersey — no number or name-bar, how it is today — and take some pictures and then basically everything is over and they said, ‘Hey, you can go up to our suite. But hey, before you go, you have to take the jersey off.’ I guess they needed it for the next guy. Maybe they only brought one jersey … 1147865 Calgary Flames HockeyProspect.com, 20th by Future Considerations, 32nd by ISS Hockey, 43rd by McKeen’s Hockey and 23rd by Elite Prospects.

“Jakob is obviously a guy we’ve followed a lot all year,” Treliving said. Flames draft Jakob Pelletier, a diminutive winger with some ‘eff-you’ to “Elite compete, elite hockey sense. And those are two things that we his game value greatly. He’s very productive — he’s got skill — but he’s got hard skill. He’ll go into hard areas. The DNA of this kid … a high, high motor and just ultra, ultra-competitive, tonnes of character, and that’s the core By Scott Cruickshank Jun 21, 2019 of him and it’s wrapped in a pretty skilled package. So we thought it was a good pick at the spot.

“Again, he’s a guy that’s going to need some time. A real good kid. We’re VANCOUVER — Brad Treliving painted a picture of a player the Calgary happy to have him.” Flames fans will love — even if the equipment guys won’t. Keen to replenish the prospect cupboards, which had been well- “His jersey needs to get washed at the end of the game,” the general plundered over the past couple of years, the Flames were almost manager said after taking Jakob Pelletier in the first round — 26th overall guaranteed to select a player that would immediately become one of their — on Friday at Rogers Arena, “because it’s a little bit filthy. He goes in … top prospects. and scores goals in hard areas. It’s not perimeter. He plays inside. And he produces.” They opted for the undersized (left-shooting) winger from Quebec City, with prospects like Bobby Brink and Ryan Suzuki and Brayden Tracey On top of which, “he’s got some eff-you in his game.” and Brett Leason still sitting in the stands. After the Flames’ pick at the NHL Draft, a Quebec reporter mentioned to “He’s been on the radar for a long time,” Treliving said. “We had a group one of his peers that Pelletier’s style is similar to Brad Marchand’s or of players there. You’re picking 26th … and the groupings sort of fell off Brendan Gallagher’s. Treliving nodded at the comparisons. the board as we thought. We had this guy higher. We’re excited about The left winger certainly has moxie. Asked to describe his own game, he him. He’s a good player.” replied: “I’m a small guy who’s going to play big. I’m a competitor.” But to be sure, the Flames asked to meet again on Friday morning. “So I When his QMJHL postseason was undone by an ankle injury, he didn’t knew they were interested,” Pelletier said. “I had a good feeling, for sure.” flinch. Rather, he jumped at a chance to join Canada’s entry at the U18 He showed up for the sit-down on time, wearing a suit and tie. Among the world championship in Sweden. questions, why should the Flames take him instead of someone else? “A lot of people are telling him not to go, ‘You’re hurt. It probably won’t Pelletier replied that he’s going to help them win the Stanley Cup. help your draft stock,'” Treliving said. “There were a few expletives (from “It’s better than saying, ‘It’s because I like the mountains,'” Treliving said. him in response) and he says, ‘I’m going.’ Those are the kind of guys you “And it’s authentic with him. You hear a lot of things, but it’s authentic want to have.” with him. You guys will get to know him. He’s a driven, competitive kid. At the U18 tourney, he suited up for all seven dates, collecting a pair of “Our guys were excited to get him.” helpers. Since drafting blueliner Juuso Valimaki in the first round in 2017, the “When you talk about him and what’s his best moments, everything is Flames had taken forwards with the nine subsequent selections. team, right?” Treliving said. “It’s all about team memories and winning moments. That’s what this kid is. That’s what he cares about.” Pelletier made it 10 in a row.

The boy is not big — he’s listed at five-foot-nine, 165 pounds — but he’s “You know what? It’s just amazing. It’s incredible,” Pelletier said, who also not playing in the NHL this season. There is still some natural turned 18 in March. “Just to get drafted, it’s a dream. The dream came growth coming his way. true, so I’m pretty proud.”

“He’s going to thicken up, right?” Treliving said. “He’s got some ass on Pelletier, at the 2017 QMJHL draft, had been taken third overall, behind him, he’s got some legs on him. He’ll widen up. But what he’s going to Alexis Lafreniere and Samuel Poulin. do, he’s going to do whatever it takes. He’s years away, right? He’s not right around the corner (from NHL work), but what you love about this kid Rounds 2 through 7 go on Saturday, with the Flames owning four picks is that he lives and breathes it. He’s prepared to do whatever he can to — Nos. 88, 116, 150, 214. make himself a player. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 “When you take a guy, (you have to make sure), ‘Does he have the juice to make sure he’s going to do everything he can?’ If he needs to work on his skating, if he needs to get stronger, is he going to have the DNA to make sure he’s putting the work in? This kid, he’s going to make it or die trying.

“Jakob will probably tell you his goal is the make (our) team in October … but you’re not drafting for October, you’re drafting for, down the road, who do you think will be the best player?”

Pelletier will return for his third season in Moncton. He made the league’s all-rookie team in 2017-18. For the Wildcats last winter, he piled up 89 points — including 39 goals — in 65 games.

“From everything we looked at, from our eyeball (viewings) … we do a lot of data,” Treliving said. “We track a lot of things not only in the NHL but amateur-wise. And the data that we keep, this guy? It’s impressive. His brain. He’s got a great hockey brain.

“Sometimes he’s not going to pull you out of your seat, but what he ends up doing, he makes the right play a lot of the time. The coaches trust him. He plays in all situations. So he’s a guy that had 40 goals and 90 points and he’s killing penalties. He’s one of the three on the five-on- three (shorthanded unit).”

In the lead-up to the draft, Pelletier had earned plenty of attention — and rankings — 27th by Central Scouting, 40th by The Athletic, 39th by 1147866 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes take Ryan Suzuki with 28th pick in NHL Draft

JONATHAN HAYWARD

The Carolina Hurricanes had to wait a long time Friday before making center Ryan Suzuki their first-round draft pick.

The Canes had the 28th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, which was not a bad thing in that it was a byproduct of reaching the Eastern Conference finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They also got a player they wanted.

A year ago, with the No. 2 overall pick, the Canes took forward Andrei Svechnikov from the of the . In Suzuki, they drafted one of Svechnikov’s former Barrie teammates -- Svechnikov later tweeted “Welcome to the family!”

Suzuki is the younger brother of Nick Suzuki, a first-round draft pick in 2017 who is now in the organization. The 6-1, 180- pound forward had 25 goals and 50 assists in 65 games for Barrie this past season and was ranked 18th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

“I’d say I’m a playmaking centerman,” Suzuki said of his style of play. “I like to be electric and make plays all around the ice. I think I’m a just super smart player with a good hockey IQ.”

Suzuki, in the media scrum in Vancouver, also said he learned a lot in Barrie from Svechnikov, calling him a “true professional” and saying the Russian was in the gym working all the time, “being a pro on and off the ice.”

For the first time in a decade, the Canes had to wait through most of the first round -- marking names off their draft wish list -- until the 28th pick.

Jack Hughes, a center in the U.S. National Team Development Program, was the No. 1 overall choice by the New Jersey Devils, who won the NHL lottery draft this year. The New York Rangers quickly took Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko.

The final six rounds will be held Saturday at Rogers Arena and the Canes have nine draft picks -- three in the second round. Canes general manager Don Waddell said before the draft that he would not rule out trading some of the picks. He mentioned a top-nine forward as a priority and went to Vancouver ready to negotiate and with the reputation of being one to pull the trigger.

A year ago, the Canes were the talk of the draft in Dallas, which had to please team owner Tom Dundon, the Dallas billionaire who bought the majority ownership share of the team in January 2018.

The Canes, who had won the No. 2 overall pick in the NHL lottery draft, took Svechnikov in the first round. That surprised no one. But a day later they had everyone buzzing after trading forward Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin for forward Micheal Ferland, defenseman Dougie Hamilton and defensive prospect .

With Ferland due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and the Canes apparently re-signing him, Waddell is looking for a forward. But does he have another surprise trade in the works?

Waddell has a full plate in Vancouver. He has been meeting with agents for center Sebastian Aho and defenseman Justin Faulk, proposing contract extensions for both.

Faulk’s name again popped up in trade speculation Friday. He joked last month that “I think I’ve been traded 100 times,” and with defensemen Trevor van Riemsdyk and Calvin de Haan coming off offseason shoulder surgeries, the Canes may not be in the position of dealing him away -- Faulk has one year left on his contract before reaching UFA status next year.

News Observer LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147867 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes to host Canadiens in 2019-2020 season opener

By Jonas Pope

The Carolina Hurricanes will host the Montreal Canadiens in their 2019- 2020 season opener, the NHL announced Friday.

The Canes, coming off an Eastern Conference finals appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, will face the Canadiens at PNC Arena on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.

The NHL will release the complete 2019-20 schedule on Tuesday, June 25. But the Canes will play the Washington Capitals in the Caps’ home opener Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

The Canes’ ended the Caps’ 2018-19 season in the first round of the playoffs, with a Game 7 double-overtime win at Capital One Arena. The Caps, in tweeting out the news Friday on the season opener, added, “See you in October, jerks.”

It will be the fifth time in franchise history that the Canes have hosted the Canadiens in their home opener but the first time since Oct. 3, 2007.

The Canes were 2-1-0 against Montreal this past season as the Canadiens fell just short of a wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

News Observer LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147868 Carolina Hurricanes The Athletic’s resident goaltending expert Cat Silverman weighs in:

Mrazek’s style is still kind of tough to pin down, especially when considering the tumultuous situation he’s been through in the last few How much is Petr Mrazek really worth, and what should the Hurricanes years. do about it? On the one hand, he’s one of the more agile on the market, and if he officially hits free agency that’s a rare and precious thing for a By Sara Civian Jun 21, 2019 team looking to restock its goaltending cupboard. His year with Mike Bales proved that when he’s reminded to stay patient with his depth and given a chance to establish consistency, his agility and reaction speed contribute to the kind of toolkit that puts up good numbers in the NHL — , finally captain of a finally inspiring Hurricanes team, sat just looking at his performance in Carolina this year, especially when on the Panthers’ visitors bench back in March. There had been moments looking at workload distribution, is proof of that. sprinkled throughout the season that indicated these Canes were different, but none as compelling as that Petr Mrazek overtime poke On the other hand, though, he won’t be with Bales next year. And his check. tendency to play out farther than he needs, jumping out of the blue paint to attack shots instead of remaining patient, combines with what has “This game is ours now!” Williams screamed on the bench. looked like a lack of focus and consistency in seasons past to put up And then it was. poor numbers. He’s coming off a great year for Carolina, but he’s just a year removed from some struggles with Detroit and a massive dip in The Hurricanes hadn’t had goaltending like that or (perhaps equally Philadelphia. important) team-wide confidence in goaltending like that, so of course they’d like to re-sign him. They didn’t sign him to a one-year, $1.5 million He’s clearly a goaltender who can thrive and benefit in the right situation, “prove yourself” deal for nothing. but he’s not a universal talent that can fit in anywhere — and while he’ll boast some rare youth on the market (not to mention both significant GM Don Waddell said before last season that league average NHL experience and a playoff resumé), he also boasts a bit of a goaltending was the most important piece missing in the playoff puzzle. checkered stat sheet. They got above league average goaltending in Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney, then they got to the Eastern Conference finals. They said Bottom line they wanted to re-sign both Mrazek and McElhinney. Just because Mrazek is likely headed to free agency doesn’t mean he So why are both goaltenders almost certainly headed to free agency July won’t end up with the Canes. This strikes me as a “see what others are 1, as sources have confirmed to The Athletic? willing to pay and use it for leverage” situation. Mrazek is right to seek out the absolute most money he can make. The Hurricanes are right to turn McElhinney is the least complicated situation: a journeyman coming off a down an initial ask they deem too high. Don’t let their budget team career season seeking the best possible outcome in what could be the reputation cloud your judgment on this one. last NHL contract he signs. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 As for Mrazek, several scenarios could be playing out right now.

Some are fair game for a freakout, most aren’t.

Shall we dive in?

Mrazek earned a raise

How high would “too high” be? Mrazek had a great end to the 2018-19 regular season, and a solid season in general:

40 starts

23-14-3 record

2.39 GAA

.914 save percentage

0.863 high danger save percentage (top 6 among goaltenders who played at least 30 games — the top five were Jaroslav Halak (40 GP), (46), Pekka Rinne (56), Thomas Greiss (43) and Jordan Binnington (32).

The numbers, the fact that he set out to prove himself to the Canes and he did and the Canes’ obvious need for a competent goaltender all warrant an obvious raise.

But the Hurricanes should not just ‘pay him whatever he wants’

It gets tricky when a player becomes a UFA, because who wouldn’t ask for an overpay knowing he can either get the money, use the offer for leverage, or see if any other team would bite come July 1?

He’s not at all wrong to try and get his, but it would be a gamble by the Canes’ to pay and give term to Mrazek like he’s a proven No. 1. Thirty- two goalies logged more than or the same amount of games as him, including “backups” Halak, Greiss and Anton Khudobin.

I could see term being the main issue here. Part of the reason Carolina finally got its coveted “league average goaltending” is because they didn’t just rush into a long-term deal. They did that before with a goaltender who is now one of the most likely buyout candidates of the offseason.

The Canes need to (and they are, according to a source) take consistency and things like amount of games logged into consideration before they sign a long-term goaltender. 1147869 Chicago Blackhawks drama that began two months ago when the Hawks defied the odds and moved from the 12th spot to the third thanks to the draft lottery.

Dach, who compared his game to that of Jets center Mark Scheifele, Blackhawks select forward Kirby Dach with the No. 3 pick in the NHL knows he still has plenty to work on. draft “You can never be good enough,” Dach said. “Everything you can work on all the time. I’m always trying to fine-tune my game and get better at By JIMMY GREENFIELD the next level. I’ve got a lot of work in front of me this summer. Just kind of sit back and enjoy the next couple of days and soak all this in and JUN 21, 2019 | 9:00 PM have fun.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.22.2019 The shock wasn’t nearly as big as it would have been if Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko had fallen out of the top two spots, but when the Blackhawks announced the selection of Canadian forward Kirby Dach with the No. 3 pick on Friday at the NHL draft it still turned some heads.

Most draft experts believed the Hawks were leaning toward center Alex Turcotte or defenseman Bowen Byram. All along, general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley have said they were focused on taking the player they believe has the best long- term NHL future.

That player turned out to be Dach, a powerful and skilled 6-foot-4, 198- pound center with a right-handed shot who won’t turn 19 until next January and should only get stronger.

"It's pretty surreal," Dach said. "I'm kind of at a loss for words of what just happened. But it's awesome to be picked by the Blackhawks."

Confirmed: @kdach77 is a very big hockey player. pic.twitter.com/2QyO2J3nDL

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 22, 2019

The Hawks passed on Turcotte, who grew up in the Chicago area, and Byram as well as forwards Dylan Cozens and Trevor Zegras, all of whom will be compared and contrasted with Dach for years to come to determine if the Hawks made the right choice.

Byram went fourth to the Avalanche and the Kings took Turcotte at No. 5. After the Red Wings surprisingly took defenseman Moritz Seider, the Sabres grabbed Cozens with the seventh pick.

Dach isn’t age-eligible to play in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs and likely would have to return to the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Hawks roster. He had 73 points (25 goals, 48 assists) in 62 regular-season games for Saskatoon then added five goals and three assists in 10 games during the WHL playoffs.

As expected, Hughes, an American center, and Kakko, a Finnish winger, went first and second to the Devils and Rangers, respectively.

If Dach is ready to make the leap, the Hawks should have an opening for him as the third-line center behind and Dylan Strome if Artem Anisimov is traded as expected. Last year’s No. 3 pick, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, made the leap straight to the NHL and had 34 points in (11 goals, 23 assists) in 79 games for the Canadiens. The last Hawks draft pick to be on the opening-day roster in their draft year was , who was taken first overall in 2007.

“As a player and competitor you want to play at the next level as quick as you can, so it’s obviously a goal of mine to get there,” Dach said. “But we’ll see.”

The long-term plans for Dach are more important to the Hawks than what he may contribute next season. It’s expected he’ll one day assume the reigns as the top-line center from Toews, who is coming off arguably his best season but recently turned 31 and has 1,001 NHL games behind him, including 128 playoff games.

There seemed to be a favorite du jour as draft week approached and even while Turcotte and Byram maintained their status as lukewarm favorites there would be occasional buzz that Cozens, Zegras or Dach was pulling into the lead.

“I’m pretty excited to be going to a city with an team and get to learn from a couple guys in Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome, both centerman to kind of mentor me,” Dach said. “It’s going to be awesome.”

Momentum started to shift to Dach on Friday as the start of the draft approached. When Bowman arrived at the podium he put an end to the 1147870 Chicago Blackhawks Trade chatter is progressing at a typical rate for this time of year, Bowman said, and while he’s not closing the door on dealing the No. 3 pick he said it’s “unlikely to happen.”

The wait to discover the No. 3 pick is nearly over for Blackhawks fans. “It’s not like we have a magic formula that we’re waiting for someone to Their reward? More waiting. call and offer us,” he said. “If somebody made a really appealing offer, then we’d have to consider it, but that hasn’t happened yet. If it does, then as a group, we’ll talk about it.” By JIMMY GREENFIELD It’s far more likely the Hawks will hold on to their pick and, right around JUN 21, 2019 | 7:05 AM 7:30 p.m. Central time, finally reveal their choice.

And that’s when the waiting will really begin.

Whomever the Blackhawks select with the No. 3 pick Friday night at Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.22.2019 Rogers Arena in Vancouver will make his way to the podium in his Sunday best.

The player will exchange hugs and handshakes before slipping on a pristine Hawks sweater. It’s now a routine yet very memorable moment intended to symbolize a dream becoming reality, both for the player and the team.

But the truth is that the player’s future is far from certain and an actual spot in the Hawks’ lineup will have to wait, perhaps a year or two. Or longer.

“At the end of the day we’re projecting these players out,” Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said. “It’s not like we have a game next week and we have to draft the one that’s going to give us the best chance to win that game. We’re looking for where these players will be when they establish themselves as NHL players, which one’s going to have the biggest impact.”

The Hawks have spent the better part of a year scouting prospects, but only since early April — when they moved up to the third overall pick thanks to the luck of the draft lottery — have they known they would be getting a player expected to become a star.

That’s exciting, of course, but the pressure is even greater to get it right. If the Hawks were drafting 12th they would not have any hope of taking defenseman Bowen Byram or a dynamic forward from a group that includes Alex Turcotte, Dylan Cozens and Trevor Zegras.

On the other hand, there doesn’t appear to be much difference among the six or seven players expected to be drafted after consensus top two picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. The Hawks aren’t trying to figure out which of the players they’re considering will be a bust. Right now, they all look like future stars.

Bowman and his scouts have been sifting through every last detail to determine which of the players has that little extra something to separate one from the rest.

“Although a cluster of them may look the same on paper, they approach the game differently and they have different skills,” Bowman said. "So we’ve spent a lot of time getting to know what’s really happening when they’re on the ice. Part of it is looking at the underlying information, part of it is your feel about what kind of player they are and then what kind of player they’ll become. There’s a lot of factors at play.

“It leads to a lot of discussion and it’s been an interesting process and we’ve had a lot of fun with it. These are great kids. The one thing I’ve learned in the last couple months in getting to know each one of them is they’re all fantastic players and they’re all going to have great NHL careers. We’re choosing between great options and that puts us in a really good position.”

With the first two picks all but certain, Bowman and his staff know they get their first choice from the remaining pool of players. Bowman still won’t say that he knows for sure whom the Hawks will take. He has hinted that they do but won’t say for certain.

Perhaps this is to keep other teams guessing and keep trade talks from drying up. Perhaps there’s still a chance they’ll change their mind. But all signs indicate Bowman knows which teenager will hear his name called and then don a Hawks uniform for what he hopes will be a dozen years or more.

“We’re not going to be cramming last minute,” he said. “I think we’re going to be very comfortable with the guy we pick when we get to Friday night.” 1147871 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks have work left to do on Day 2 of 2019 NHL Draft

Ben Pope

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Blackhawks chose Kirby Dach as the headliner of their 2019 draft class Friday. On Saturday, he’ll need some classmates.

Without a third-round selection, the Hawks will be able to focus most of their attention on Day 2 on their second-round pick, No. 43 overall. They also have two picks in the fourth round (Nos. 105 and 123) and one each in the sixth and seventh rounds (Nos. 167 and 194).

Had consensus top defenseman Bowen Byram gone to the Hawks at No. 3, their priorities Saturday would have centered squarely on forwards. But with Dach now in the system, complementing the three blue-liners the Hawks have taken in the first round the last two years, the Saturday plan will be more a mix of positions.

“Every year, there are players in the later rounds who become [NHL] players,” general manager Bowman said ahead of the draft. “Not a ton, but there are always players in a draft, and it’s our job to find who those players are. There’s always a focus on the first round because that’s where the top players come from. But if you can do well later in the draft, that’s what makes your draft a great draft.”

Alex DeBrincat, a second-round pick in 2016, is an impressive example of a Day 2 selection panning out for the Hawks. But otherwise, they don’t have a great recent track record. After consistently landing gems such as Brandon Saad, , Vinny Hinostroza and Joakim Nordstrom in the later rounds in 2010-2012, their second-best Day 2 pick (behind DeBrincat) since 2013 is Dylan Sikura, although the jury is still out on a few others.

Bowman will hope 2019 breaks that trend, even if it takes a few years to assess.

“You want scouts to go to bat for these guys, and [you want the] players we get Friday and Saturday to have attributes we’re really excited about, instead of someone [just] rated high,” he said. “For us, it’s good to have one, two or several scouts pounding the table saying, ‘I want this guy. He’s a Blackhawk.’ ”

A number of forwards projected to land in the mid- to late-first round — Arthur Kaliyev, Raphael Lavoie, Bobby Brink and Nils Hoglander — slipped out of the action Friday, though most should be gone before the 43rd choice. Wilmette native Alex Vlasic is the best defenseman left and would be a storybook Hawks pick.

“Maybe [we could] use some picks to move up and target a player,” Hawks scouting director Mark Kelley said. “[It] depends on how the board is. We’re a little excited to go back tonight and talk about the board. There’s some players up there we like a lot.”

Trades are a real possibility. Day 1 included little trade action, so Day 2 could become a pressure bomb of negotiations. And the Hawks have made at least one trade in every draft weekend since 2010.

If that streak continues Saturday, it will likely involve a defenseman. The Hawks still need help there, especially after passing on Byram. Coach Jeremy Colliton, who mostly sat quietly at the table while the scouts ran the show Friday, bluntly admitted “we know that we’ve got to defend better.”

The Hurricanes have become more aggressive in shopping defenseman Justin Faulk, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Friday. Faulk was part of the team’s playoff run this spring and closely fits the mold of player Colliton is hoping to get more of.

“You really notice this year, the teams that had success in the playoffs were very hard-working, very team-oriented, loved to battle, loved to compete,” Colliton said. “We have some of that, but we want more of it in our team.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147872 Chicago Blackhawks 27. Lightning – Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)

28. Hurricanes – Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)

NHL Draft 2019: Complete results for Round 1 29. Ducks (via Sabres/Sharks) – Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)

30. Bruins – John Beecher, USNTDP

Satchel Price 31. Sabres (via Blues) – Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.22.2019

The 2019 NHL Draft kicked off with the first round Friday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The first 31 picks were be announced as part of the opening night before Rounds 2-7 are held Saturday.

The Devils did as expected with the No. 1 overall pick by taking American center Jack Hughes, who’s widely considered one of the top talents to enter the draft in recent memory. Legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur announced the pick to cheers as Hughes hugged friends and family before taking the stage.

The Rangers, holders of the No. 2 pick, also provided no surprises by going for Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko.

The real fireworks began with the Blackhawks’ No. 3 pick, which ended up being center Kirby Dach out of the WHL. Reports had pointed toward Alex Turcotte, Bowen Byram and Trevor Zegras as top candidates, but it’s no surprise that GM Stan Bowman had his typical draft-day splash in store.

Byram, the top defenseman prospect in the class, went to the Avalanche and Turcotte, a star center committed to the University of Wisconsin, went to the Kings to round out the top five.

Here are the complete results for the first 31 selections of this year’s draft.

2019 NHL Draft results, Round 1

1. Devils – Jack Hughes, USNTDP

2. Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Finland)

3. BLACKHAWKS – Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)

4. Avalanche (via Senators) – Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)

5. Kings – Alex Turcotte, USNTDP

6. Red Wings – Moritz Seider, Adler Mannheim (Germany)

7. Sabres – Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)

8. Oilers – Philip Broberg, AIK (Sweden)

9. Ducks – Trevor Zegras, USNTDP

10. Canucks – Vasili Podkolzin, SKA (Russia)

11. Coyotes (via Flyers) – Victor Söderström, Brynäs IF (Sweden)

12. Wild – Matthew Boldy, USNTDP

13. Panthers – Spencer Knight, USNTDP

14. Flyers (via Coyotes) – Cam York, USNTDP

15. Canadiens – Cole Caufield, USNTDP

16. Avalanche – Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)

17. Golden Knights – Peyton Krebs, Kootenay (WHL)

18. Stars – Thomas Harley, (OHL)

19. Senators (via Blue Jackets) – Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)

20. Jets (via Rangers) – Ville Heinola, Lukko (Finland)

21. Penguins – Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

22. Kings (via Maple Leafs) – Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)

23. Islanders – Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (Sweden)

24. Predators – Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)

25. Capitals – Connor McMichael, London (OHL)

26. Flames – Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL) 1147873 Chicago Blackhawks His broad shoulders will be asked to balance a lot of pressure as a top- three pick in one of the league’s biggest markets. The career trajectories of the prospects passed over in his favor won’t help, either.

Blackhawks select Kirby Dach with No. 3 pick in NHL Draft Dach was all smiles Friday, though, and insisted his grin wouldn’t fade away anytime soon. It better not — the Hawks just went all-in on that bet.

Ben Pope Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.22.2019

VANCOUVER — Kirby Dach was a consensus top-10 pick entering the 2019 NHL Draft, a growing power forward with high upside and plenty of skill.

But the No. 3 overall pick? That’s an unexpected gamble by the Blackhawks that will be perhaps thrilling, perhaps painful and undeniably fascinating to evaluate over the coming decade.

Indeed, it’s the Saskatoon center Dach — not Bowen Byram, not Alex Turcotte, not even relative dark horses Trevor Zegras and Dylan Cozens — who became on Friday the face of the Hawks’ next generation, the kid chosen to singlehandedly revive a forward prospect pipeline that began the weekend pretty dry.

Even Dach himself seemed surprised.

“I didn’t talk to anybody today. It was kind of quiet, I didn’t hear anything,” he said. “And then all of a sudden, my name was being called.”

It’s a bold decision by Stan Bowman and the Hawks scouting staff, who weren’t thought to be likely to choose the Canadian until a swarm of rumors emerged in the final hours.

Dach, nonetheless, does bring plenty to the table.

“You’re projecting — if each of these players becomes the best version of themselves, what would that look like?” Bowman said. “If you look at the player that he could become if everything works out and he reaches his most potential, that’s a really impressive player. And that’s the kind of player you can’t get anywhere.”

The 6-foot-4 Alberta native looks an old-school power forward, and gets to the net mouth and the dirty areas of the ice like one, too.

And yet that label undersells his full skillset. Dach is a deceptively good playmaker, waiting for the right pass or shot to develop and using his soft hands to maintain possession until that opportunity presents itself, and uses his long reach and high physicality effectively to defend his own goal.

He also tallied a solid 25 goals and 48 assists in 62 games in the Western Hockey League this past season.

“I’m a great 200-foot player, and I can see the ice really well and see plays before they happen,” he said at the combine. “That’s something I’ve noticed playing at the junior level that I’m a little more advanced [at] than others.”

Dach should be a quality top-six player in the NHL, particularly after another year or two of development. Still, he lacks the skating speed of Turcotte (who went fifth to the Kings) and the flashy highlight reel of Zegras (who slid to the Ducks at No. 9), two forwards considered far more likely than Dach to land in Chicago.

What he doesn’t lack is attentiveness to his own end. Dach projects as one of the best defensive forwards in the draft class, which likely helped allure the Hawks into his camp — in the long run, he’ll hopefully help the franchise stop its back-end bleeding without further complicating the already overcrowded defenseman depth chart.

Dach said Friday that he’s tried to model his game after the Jets’ Mark Scheifele, and that comparison fits well. “Just that kind of bigger, courageous centerman who plays hard up and down the ice,” he explained.

Hawks scouting director Mark Kelley canceled a planned trip to Europe to watch the WHL playoffs after the draft lottery shock in April. Byram, the draft’s consensus top blueliner, was in those playoffs. But so was Dach, and although his Blades were eliminated in the second round, the team’s first-line center clearly impressed.

“I love playing in the playoffs,” Dach laughed Friday. 1147874 Chicago Blackhawks

How to watch the 2019 NHL Draft on TV and online

Satchel Price

The top prospects in hockey will hear their names called in the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday night. The opening segment of the two-day event includes the first round spanning a total of 31 picks. The final six rounds will be held Saturday afternoon.

Jack Hughes, an American center with stellar all-around skills, projects as the No. 1 selection by the Devils after delivering on the hype with another strong season in the U.S. developmental program. He’s expected to be followed by Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko with the No. 2 pick, giving the Rangers a foundational piece up front.

The Blackhawks have one of the toughest decisions in the draft as the team that picks after those two. Defenseman Bowen Byram and centers Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras and Dylan Cozens appear among the strongest candidates. In recent weeks, it’s starting looking more like it’ll be Byram or Turcotte.

The Avalanche hold the No. 4 pick from the Senators as part of the Matt Duchene trade, followed by the Kings with the No. 5 pick. The Red Wings, Sabres, Oilers, Ducks and Canucks round out the top 10.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147875 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks pass on suburban native Turcotte; Kings draft him at No. 5

John Dietz

After the Blackhawks passed on the local kid with the third overall selection of the NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings ended up grabbing Island Lake's Alex Turcotte two picks later in Vancouver on Friday.

Turcotte, who idolized Jonathan Toews growing up, was considered by many to be the top center in the draft.

"Turcotte is a complete 3-zone player -- always doing the right thing," said Dave Gregory of NHLCSB during the NBCSN telecast. "Has excellent hockey sense and a dominant compete level. Gets to top speed quickly and is both a scorer and playmaker. Has great vision. Will play in traffic and forces his will on you."

Turcotte scored 27 goals and had 35 assists in 37 games playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program last season. He did miss time with a hip injury and mononucleosis.

"I can't even believe it. I'm at a loss for words," Turcotte told NBCSN. "I'm happy they believe in me and I can't wait to get started with the L.A. Kings."

In addition to idolizing Toews, Turcotte said he also models his game after the Blackhawks' captain.

Turcotte's father, Alfie, was taken 17th overall by Montreal in 1983. He played just 112 games in the NHL for the Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals, but his pro career lasted until the 1998-99 season.

"I look up to him," Turcotte told NHL Network. "I mean he's taught me a lot. I've done lessons with him since I was a little kid; and my grandpa too. … Everyone in my family was a big influence on me, even my mom, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles. They treated me with a lot of love and support, and that's all you can really ask for."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147876 Chicago Blackhawks Angels to face Cardinals on the road

PITCHING PROBABLES: Angels: Felix Pena (5-1, 4.70 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 63 strikeouts) Cardinals: Dakota Hudson (5-3, 3.55 ERA, 1.45 Blackhawks select center Kirby Dach with third pick WHIP, 54 strikeouts)...

Miley, Astros to face Tanaka, Yankees

John Dietz PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Wade Miley (6-4, 3.30 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 71 strikeouts) Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka (5-5, 3.23 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 84 strikeouts)... So much for taking the safe road. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 Instead of grabbing local product Alex Turcotte or top-rated defenseman Bowen Byram, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman stunned most observers and took 6-foot-4, 197-pound center Kirby Dach with the third overall pick of the NHL draft in Vancouver on Friday.

Dach, who scored 25 goals and had 48 assists for the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League last season, drew immediate comparisons to Ryan Getzlaf from NBCSN analyst Bob McKenzie.

"I really fell in love with his game," Bowman told NBCSN's . "He brings so much to the table. … He showed not only does he have the size and the skill, the talent to make plays and do the offensive things that you hope a top player (will) do, but he was so competitive in the (WHL) playoffs.

"He's a hard guy to play against and that combination of size, speed, skill, intensity -- it's hard to find those guys."

Byram and Turcotte went fourth and fifth overall to Colorado and Los Angeles, respectively.

The selection of Dach shouldn't be a total shock given the fact that coach Jeremy Colliton recently talked about his desire for the Hawks to get bigger and stronger.

"He was great at the physical play when the series got pretty intense in the playoffs," Bowman told reporters after the first round ended. "It was clear they were targeting him. He not only took it, but he gave it back. It was impressive to see him raise his game at the time of the year when it matters most."

Dach has most everything GMs are looking for in a top-end center: Silky- soft hands, impressive passing skills, a hard shot, and he's solid defensively.

"I'd say I'm a 200-foot centerman who has an elite playmaking ability and good hockey IQ and vision," Dach told reporters in Vancouver. "A guy I kind of compare myself to and want to play like is Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets -- just kind of that bigger, rangy centerman who can play hard up and down the ice."

If Dach meets Bowman's expectations, it would give the Blackhawks incredible depth down the middle. Imagine Jonathan Toews, Dylan Strome and Dach centering the first three lines for Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Alex DeBrincat and a big-time free-agent signing or two.

Add in Drake Caggiula, Brendan Perlini (assuming he signs), Dominik Kubalik and Anton Wedin, and it would seem the Hawks will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

The 18-year-old Dach could make the team out of camp, but he may need one more season to grow his game in juniors.

"We're going to give him every chance to do it," Bowman said. "It's sometimes hard for young guys, but I think he's certainly got the profile. … He's got NHL size right now. So you can't put too many expectations on it, but he's going to have every chance to be on our team."

Down the road, it will be interesting to see if Bowman should have selected Byram or Turcotte. Many believe Byram is a slam-dunk No. 1 defenseman in the mold of -- and we'll have plenty of opportunities to find out as he'll be playing in the Central Division with the Avalanche.

The Blackhawks have five selections Saturday, the first coming 43rd overall in the second round.

Detroit to visit Cleveland Saturday

PITCHING PROBABLES: Tigers: Spencer Turnbull (3-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 77 strikeouts) Indians: Aaron Civale (0-0, 0.00 ERA) JaCoby Jones leads them with eight, ... 1147877 Chicago Blackhawks another day and a good "problem" to have because the Blackhawks' center depth has been the strongest over the last several years.

Ultimately, the Blackhawks are hoping that they hit the jackpot in Dach. Retooling on the fly, Blackhawks hoping they hit the jackpot with Kirby They made an all-time great selection with Toews 13 years ago in Dach Vancouver, and doing the same on Dach would be a franchise changer during a time where the Blackhawks were retooling on the fly.

By Charlie Roumeliotis June 22, 2019 1:00 AM While the pick may have been a surprise to most, what matters is the Blackhawks feel Dach is the right player that's going to make an impact on the franchise for many years to come and will be added to a core group that is striving for more Stanley Cups. VANCOUVER — The last time the Blackhawks were in Vancouver for the NHL Draft, they selected Jonathan Toews third overall in 2006 that "He's got it all," Bowman said. "You see that when the game matters he altered the direction of the franchise forever. Thirteen years later, the can raise his game. Competitive kid, he really wants to be a player. In the Blackhawks are hoping to have found another superstar in the making interview process to try to get to understand them and see what after taking center Kirby Dach with the No. 3 overall pick on Friday. motivates them, what makes them tick, I was really impressed with he wants to be the best player. He wants to be the best player in the game. In many ways, the Blackhawks felt like they had won the lottery when He's driven to do it but he's really respectful though. He knows it's a they jumped from No. 12 to No. 3. As Stan Bowman called it, this is a process and it doesn't just happen overnight. I was just really impressed "game-changer" for the organization because the top-three is where with his approach to the game." teams can add game-breaking type players for the next 10-15 years. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 The Blackhawks had a plethora of options at No. 3 — including standout defenseman Bowen Byram, who went No. 4 to Colorado, and Island Lake native center Alex Turcotte, who went No. 5 to Los Angeles — and felt the 6-foot-4, 197-pound Dach separated himself from the rest because he plays the kind of style that wins games in both the regular season and playoffs. He's a gifted offensive player but also has some bite to his game, which is important when the games tighten up.

"The thing we liked about him is it's obvious to see what he's good at with his skill set," Bowman said. "He's got good hands, great playmaker, he can do everything. Scores some beautiful goals. He does all the things that can wow you but then he does the other stuff, too.

"He was great at stripping pucks, he was great at backchecking, he was great at the physical play when the series got pretty intense in the playoffs and it was clear they were targeting him. He not only took it, he gave it back. It was impressive to see him raise his game at a time of year when it matters most which is playoff hockey. You watch the NHL playoffs and you see how intense it can be and then you look at the way he plays and you can see that that game translates."

History shows that Bowman tends to favor the fast and skilled players, as that's where the NHL has trended towards over the last several years. And that's still true. But it also shows he realizes there's still an important place in the game for players who can play heavy, and Dach is considered to be multi-dimensional.

"Part of the process is to project where's a player going to be in 2-3 years, four years when they’ve really established themselves in the league and you’re projecting what they can be — if each of these players becomes the best version of themself, what would that look like?" Bowman said. "In Kirby’s case, if he becomes the player that he can become — which remains to be seen, but it’s our job now to help him get there — I think we ask him to put in the effort and we need to guide him along as coaches and as the organization.

"But if you look at the player that he could become if everything works out and he reaches his most potential, that’s a really impressive player. And that’s the kind of player you can’t get anywhere, that can do a little bit of everything with the size, the strength, the skillset, the instincts and the playmaking and the intensity. I don’t know where you find those players."

Bowman had always said that NHL readiness is not a prequisite when weighing who to take at No. 3, but they're going to give Dach every chance to make the Blackhawks out of training camp for the 2019-20 season and there's a legitimate possibility that he does. Dach isn't your typical 18-year-old who needs to bulk up before he can handle an 82- game season and potentially playoffs playing against men.

And you don't have to look very far to see that more and more top draft picks are stepping into the league right away. The first four players selected in 2018 (Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Tkachuk) each started and finished the season with their respective teams and made an impact.

Where Dach fits into the lineup in the long term will be something to monitor because the Blackhawks already have Toews, who's coming off a career season offensively at age 30, and Dylan Strome, who was also a No. 3 overall pick in 2015 and is expected to be in Chicago for a long time, serving as their 1-2 punch in the top-six. But that's a discussion for 1147878 Chicago Blackhawks

The pick is in: Blackhawks select center Kirby Dach at No. 3 overall

By Charlie Roumeliotis June 21, 2019 5:00 PM

VANCOUVER — The Blackhawks had an 8.2 percent chance of jumping into the Top-3 of the 2019 NHL Draft. But that was enough for the ping- pong balls to bounce in a way that could alter the course of the franchise for many years to come.

After months of preparation, the moment has finally arrived: With the No. 3 overall pick, the Blackhawks have taken center Kirby Dach. As expected, Jack Hughes went No. 1 to the New Jersey Devils and Kappo Kakko went No. 2 to the New York Rangers.

"It's pretty surreal," Dach said. "I'm kind of at a loss for words of what just happened. But it's awesome to be picked by the Blackhawks. You look at what they've been able to accomplish in the coming years and the management group they have in Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough. It's going to be an opportunity for me to kind of step in there. I'm thrilled to be a Blackhawk."

Dach becomes the sixth player in franchise history to be taken third overall, joining Terry Caffery (1966), Denis Savard (1980), (1984), Cam Barker (2004) and Jonathan Toews (2006).

"These are the kind of moments that really energize a franchise, energize a team," GM Stan Bowman said on April 9. "Players get excited when they know they have a chance to play with these elite talents. It's great for everybody on our team currently, guys that are on their way to this team, members of our organization and most importantly our fans. Gives them excitement for what could be in the years to come."

At 6-foot-4, 197 pounds, Dach checks many boxes you're looking for in a center. He's big but is a smooth skater. He can be a power forward but is skilled. And he's trusted in all three zones, which is always an important quality in a center. He's often drawn comparisons to Ryan Getzlaf and tries modeling his game after Mark Scheifele.

"The thing we liked about him is it's obvious to see what he's good at with his skill set," Bowman said. "He's got good hands, great playmaker, he can do everything. Scores some beautiful goals. He does all the things that can wow you but then he does the other stuff, too.

"He was great at stripping pucks, he was great at backchecking, he was great at the physical play when the series got pretty intense in the playoffs and it was clear they were targeting him. He not only took it, he gave it back. It was impressive to see him raise his game at a time of year when it matters most which is playoff hockey. You watch the NHL playoffs and you see how intense it can be and then you look at the way he plays and you can see that that game translates."

The 18-year-old standout registered 73 points (25 goals, 48 assists) in 62 games for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. He also recorded eight points (five goals, three assists) in 10 postseason contests.

Dach immediately becomes the top prospect in the organization and has the potential to be a future No. 1 center in the NHL. Whether he starts with the Blackhawks next season remains to be seen, but it's not out of the realm of possibility.

"It's too early to tell," Bowman said. "We're going to give him the opportunity. We're going to bring him to training camp then at that point he's like every other player. He's there to earn a spot on the team so I don't want to put any expectations on it. He's going to have a chance to make our team."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147879 Chicago Blackhawks But when it comes to the draft, the Blackhawks’ opinion matters more than those of our experts. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last the Blackhawks made a polarizing draft pick. The Blackhawks believe they Kirby Dach could be a decade-defining selection for the Blackhawks made the right choice.

“I think part of the process is to project where is the player going to be in 2-3 years, four years, when they’ve really established themselves in the By Scott Powers Jun 21, 2019 league,” Bowman said. “And you’re projecting out what can they be if each of these players becomes the best version of himself. What would

that look like? In Kirby’s case, if he becomes the player he can become, VANCOUVER — You can be angry. You can be ecstatic. You can be which remains to be seen, but it’s our job now to help him get there. We confused. ask him to put in the effort, and we need to guide him along as coaches and the organization. But if he becomes the players he can become, if You can feel whatever you want about the Blackhawks selecting center everything works out and he reaches his most potential, that’s a really Kirby Dach with the third overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday impressive player, and that’s a kind of player you can’t get anywhere that night. can do a little bit of everything with the size, the strength, the skill sets, the instincts, the playmaking and the intensity. I don’t know where you The truth is none of us knows how Dach will turn out. There were two find those players.” players thought to be certainties in this draft, and they were taken right before Dach. After Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, this draft was How does Dach describe himself? considered a bit of a crapshoot. There were plenty of others who were deemed to be talented and some will undoubtedly emerge as stars, but “(I’m a) 200-foot centerman who has an elite playmaking ability and high we’ll have to wait for those results to reveal themselves. hockey IQ, vision,” Dach said. “A guy I compare myself to and want to play like is Mark Scheifele, just that kind of bigger centerman.” What we do know is this pick could define the Blackhawks for the next decade. If Dach pans out, the Blackhawks, Stan Bowman and Mark Even though defense has been the Blackhawks’ most glaring issue in Kelley look like geniuses. If not, it’s the type of pick that haunts an recent years, they didn’t go into this draft thinking they had to fill that organization. need. Bowman basically said Dach was too good to pass up. Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell might already That’s the blessing and the curse of having the third pick, especially in prove to be enough, but there were some who thought Byram could have this draft. The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers had it easy. solidified their need there. The Colorado Avalanche adding Byram with Hughes and Kakko were the sure things. The Blackhawks’ job was to the fourth pick after already possessing certainly caused decipher the third-best player in the draft or at least a prospect who has a some heads to shake thinking of what their defense could look like for legitimate chance of becoming an impact NHL player. many years.

If Dach turns out to be a No. 1 center, it doesn’t matter what Bowen For the Blackhawks, they have to be thinking the same of their center Byram, Alex Turcotte or any of the other players taken just after Dach position. Down the middle, they could go Toews, Dylan Strome and become. But if he doesn’t, his name will be linked to Bowman and Kelley Dach. With David Kampf proving himself as a defensive center in the for years to come. Like all drafts, this one will be redrafted and judged NHL and Evan Barratt, Philipp Kurashev and Jake Wise being among time after time in the years ahead. their next wave, the Blackhawks have to like where they’re at with that position. You only get so many cracks at a top-five pick, and this was the Blackhawks’ opportunity to set up the organization for success as “It’s obviously an important position if you’re strong down the middle,” Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wind down their careers over the next Bowman said. “I think that was something that wasn’t a strength of our 10 years. This could be a legacy pick for Bowman and Kelley. team last year. I think we were better when Dylan came in. I think it helped us quite a bit. But you look at some of the other teams, I think we And, yes, a lot of us were surprised the Blackhawks went with Dach. But need to be stronger down the middle. I think Kirby’s a big part of that some of that is because of groupthink. You hear Byram is the No. 1 future. Whether it will factor into next season or not, that’s too early to defenseman in the draft. You hear the Toews comparisons for Turcotte. tell. I think looking forward, I think it’s going to be a big strength of our You hear what the experts think and you tend to think the same things team.” over time. I spent a few hours with Turcotte a few weeks ago, and I became convinced he was the player the Blackhawks should take. If the Dach probably needs another year with the Saskatoon Blades, but he experts had told us Dach was the guy to take, everyone would have isn’t ruling out an immediate jump to the NHL. reacted differently, or at least wouldn’t think of Byram and Turcotte as safer picks. “As a player and competitor, you want to play at the next level as quick as you can,” Dach said. “So, it’s obviously a goal of mine to get there, but The Athletic’s Corey Pronman watches these players and studies them we’ll see.” for years, and he still gets players wrong. That said, I still trust Pronman’s opinion. I can’t count how many times I’ve bothered him over the past The Blackhawks are keeping that door open too. Time will tell. few months. “I think the next thing is to get him to Chicago, get him with Paul So, what does he think of Dach? The good news is Pronman believes Goodman, get him with the strength coaches,” Kelley said. “Let’s see from a pure talent standpoint, Dach, who is 6-foot-4 with physical gifts, is where he is in September. I think he’s worth a look.” the third- or fourth-best player in this draft. The Blackhawks felt good Friday night. They were given a gift in the third Where the problem lies with Dach, at least right now, is his production pick, they pinpointed Dach as their guy and then drafted him. The hasn’t matched that supposed talent level. He was 24th in the WHL last question is how will everyone feel in five years about the pick? You’re season with 1.18 points per game. That’s not bad, but Pronman wanted welcome to have an opinion tonight, but it’s only in the future will we truly to see him more to place him in that elite category. It’s ultimately why know if the Blackhawks made the correct decision in drafting Dach. Pronman ranked him 10th in the draft class and why he described the The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 pick as very risky after the Blackhawks announced Dach.

Kirby Dach meets with the media after being selected by the Blackhawks with the No. 3 pick in the draft. (Scott Powers / The Athletic)

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler also had Dach outside of his top-5 rankings, but Wheeler was somewhat more positive about the pick.

“I like him a lot,” Wheeler said. “I don’t think he’s a better player, center, or prospect than Turcotte, but Dach has size, playmaking ability, puck- protection skill, and an improving offensive game around the net as a scorer. He’s legit. Going to be an impact second center or a low-end first center. Decent skater for his size too.” 1147880 Chicago Blackhawks breakfast. It hit even harder when they walked into Rogers Arena shortly before the draft began at 5 p.m. local time.

Imagine the feeling as a player. Imagine the feeling as a parent. ‘Kirby’s different’: The newest, and biggest, Blackhawks prospect’s whole life has been about this moment “Just walking around town today, I started going, ‘This is unbelievable,’” Dale said. “It’s something that you watch your kid dream of. Even as a dad, it was something I dreamed of as a kid. It’s pretty cool to see your By Mark Lazerus Jun 21, 2019 kid experience that.”

So few actually do. After all, every little kid wants to be a professional athlete, or an astronaut, or president, or some other job that, statistically VANCOUVER — Kirby Dach probably won’t read this story. speaking, virtually nobody gets to have. But Dach never strayed, never doubted. Neither will his parents, Hilary and Dale. Nor his siblings, Colton and Callie. They’ll also probably never see the online meltdown that Colton said there were several teachers over the years who would ask happened when Stan Bowman selected Dach — a 6-4 center with the brothers what they wanted to do when they grew up, and they would offensive flair and defensive prowess — with the third overall pick in the always answer “Play in the NHL.” It was usually met with a patronizing NHL Draft on Friday night. chuckle.

They didn’t read the scouting reports equating Dach to Mark Scheifele “They’d say, ‘That’s like point-one percent of people; maybe think of and Ryan Getzlaf, either. They didn’t see the concerns about his skating. something else,’” Colton said. “But we always said, ‘No, we want to play They didn’t know the prevailing opinion of the hockey world was that the hockey. That’s our dream.’ And Kirby’s dream just came true.” Blackhawks were choosing between defenseman Bowen Byram and center Alex Turcotte. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019

Hell, Kirby just got online last fall — after a veritable family summit to discuss the decision, no less.

He’s not your typical teenager.

“We’ve never been a big social media family,” Dale Dach said outside Section 118 of Rogers Arena, still beaming less than an hour after Dach, 18, was selected. “We try to stay away from that. It’s always somebody’s opinion that you’re subject to reading, and it can be good or it can be bad, but I just tend to stay away from it.”

And Dach didn’t get on Twitter and Instagram to fish for likes and build social credit. It was his draft year, and the family decided it was in his best interests to put himself out there more. Because for Kirby Dach, it always comes down to hockey. Always has. Always will.

While most little kids are all over the place, cycling through dream jobs every other week, Dach had been looking ahead to Friday night his whole life.

“Kirby’s different,” said Colton Dach, a promising 16-year-old forward himself, who will make his WHL debut next season with the Saskatoon Blades, Kirby’s team. “He’s very serious, so everything’s been hockey for him. That’s what he loves to do, and that’s what he’s going to do for the rest of his life. So that’s all he thinks about. Family first, then hockey.”

That drive, that singular focus, is why he seemingly always stayed on the ice longer than all his teammates at every level. Why he wore a weighted vest during peewee practices. Why he spends his summers skating and working out five days a week.

And it’s why the Dach family home in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta — just outside of Edmonton — looks like ’s washing machine.

“I don’t know how many holes we’ve had to fix in the house because of him and his brother wrestling to get up the stairs first, or get down the hallway first, or whatever,” Dale said. “He is so competitive. On or off the ice, he doesn’t like to be second. He wants to the best, he wants to help his team be the best, and he’ll do anything to get his team to win.

“He was so focused from Day 1. He gave up a lot. He never went out and partied. He never did any of the things a lot of other teenagers would do. He missed a lot of his teenage years, but he trained, worked and stayed extremely focused in everything he does.”

With his size, skill set and maturity, Dach could conceivably crack the lineup immediately, and he’s already looking forward to learning from Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome at the next level.

“You can never be good enough,” he said. “Everything, you can work on all the time. I’m always trying to fine-tune my game and get better at the next level. I’ve got a lot of work in front of me this summer.”

But first, he allowed himself a break in the unceasing work of becoming an NHL player, a chance to sit back and “soak all this in.” The serendipity of him wearing a No. 19 Blackhawks jersey — a number that belongs to one of his idols — wasn’t lost on him. It started to hit all the Dachs on Friday morning, when they attended the prospect family meet-and-greet 1147881 Chicago Blackhawks expert Cat Silverman said of Alnefelt, “Alnefelt has been a bit overlooked because this year is a bit of a weak class for European goaltenders. But he’s the highest-performing of this year’s Swedish goaltenders by a 12 players the Blackhawks could select on the draft’s second day pretty wide swath, spending most of the year playing J20 as a 17-year- old and likely to move up to see some looks in the SHL next year. … I’d say he’s a year or two out from North America, but should be pretty ready to hit the ice comfortably when he does come over.” By Scott Powers Jun 21, 2019 Seventh round

Dustin Wolf, goalie, WHL: Wolf is another goalie the Blackhawks could All the NHL Draft talk surrounding the Blackhawks has been about the look at. He had a .936 save percentage for the Everett Silvertips in the third overall pick, and rightfully so. WHL last season. Silverman said of Wolf, “Dustin Wolf I like because he But the Blackhawks currently have five other picks in the draft. They’ll plays a calm, controlled game that doesn’t rely too much on trying to be select once in the second round, twice in the fourth round and once more aggressive, which is especially good considering his size. He’s been in the sixth and seventh rounds. severely overlooked because he’s only 6-foot, but he’s got a ton of potential, and we’ve seen from guys like Antti Raanta that the 6-foot Who could they draft after that No. 3 pick? Let’s look at some options. threshold isn’t necessarily a hindrance to playing well at the NHL level.”

Second round Yevgeni Oksentyuk, forward, Belarus: Oksentyuk is another player to possibly take a chance on late. He’s just 5-foot-7, but he’s shown some Artemi Knyazev, defenseman, QMJHL: If the Blackhawks don’t go with goal-scoring ability and flies under the radar being from Belarus. Bowen Byram at No. 3, they may look to take a defenseman with their second pick. There are whispers they could be interested in drafting The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 Knyazev with the 43rd overall pick. He’s a left-handed defenseman, stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 176 pounds. He’s from Russia and played last season with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL. He had 13 goals and 21 assists in 55 games. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman thought he was kind of a left-handed version of someone like Blackhawks prospect Ian Mitchell.

Ryan Johnson, defenseman, USHL: Johnson, who is 6-foot and 160 pounds, is another defenseman the Blackhawks may consider. A source said, “He’s the best draft-eligible D-man in the USHL, in my opinion. He can defend, moves the puck, smart, good skater. He has an under- developed body and untapped offense.”

Alex Vlasic, defenseman, NTDP: The Blackhawks could be looking at a defenseman from the U.S. program here too. Vlasic, who is a Chicago- area kid, is one to consider. He has a lot of size at 6-foot-6.

Fourth round

Alexei Protas, forward, WHL: The Blackhawks hosted Protas at their draft camp in Chicago. He’s a big center at 6-foot-5. He was especially impressive in the WHL, where he had 22 points in 23 games for the Prince Albert Raiders.

Rhett Pitlick, forward, high school: “He looks like a Blackhawk” was how Pitlick was described to me. He’s only 5-foot-9, but he’s smart, crafty and skilled. The Blackhawks certainly don’t mind those players. He may not last until the fourth round.

Ryan Siedem, defenseman, USHL: The Blackhawks may take a few players heading to college next season. They have a lot of defensemen who recently turned pro or are close to it, and they could use some who are further away. Siedem, who is 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, could make sense as he’s headed to Harvard next season. A source said, “He’s a mobile, poised right-handed defenseman. I worry he is soft, but he has parts. He has puck poise, size, ability to play in the NHL.”

Mikko Kokkonen, defenseman, : I expect the Blackhawks to dip into Finland at some point in the draft. They’ve been getting help from Jussi Ahokas, who coached Finland’s under-20 team. Kokkonen is an option.

Adam Liska, forward, KHL: Liska is one of the better centers to come out of Slovakia in recent years. He was one of the better under-20 players in the KHL while playing for Slovan Bratislava this past season. A source said, “He’s a grinder, great backcheck, strong hands, good skater. He played a lot of PK at the Worlds. The coaches love his attitude, very mature for his age.”

Sixth round

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, forward, USHL: Fontaine is the type of player to take a shot at in the later rounds, as there’s high upside. He’s a smaller forward at 5-foot-10 and was under the radar compared to some others in the USHL, but there’s a lot of potential there. He’s just someone who kept getting better and better throughout the season. One source said, “He has no real deficiency. He can skate, has skill, can score and make plays.”

Hugo Alnefelt, goalie, Sweden: The Blackhawks tend to draft their goalies late. Alnefelt would be an option if he’s still on the table. Goalie 1147882 Colorado Avalanche

Analysis: Avalanche gets an A-plus for choosing Bowen Byram, the draft’s best defenseman

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 9:40 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 10:09 PM

The Avalanche made the right choice Friday night, making up for what it didn’t do for nine years from 2008 and 2016 and much of its 25-year history with the NHL draft.

The Avs, using a selection obtained from Ottawa in the 2017 Matt Duchene trade, chose the top-ranked 2019 draft-eligible defenseman, Bowen Byram, with the fourth pick at Rogers Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The move marked the first time Colorado selected the top blue-liner available, and further sets up a fabulous defensive corps for 2019-20 and beyond.

And, yes, it further turns veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie into a valuable trade piece for that much-needed top-six forward because Byram is good enough to begin his NHL career this fall.

By choosing Byram, the Avs passed on centers Alex Turcotte and Dylan Cozens, who went fifth and seventh to Los Angeles and Buffalo. In hindsight, “losing” the draft lottery in April — Colorado had the best odds at No. 1 — wasn’t such a bad thing. Because the Avs got a franchise defenseman.

With the 16th pick — the Avs’ own first-rounder — they chose Boston College-bound center Alex Newhook, a junior-A star from the British Columbia Hockey League. Newhook likely will play a year or two at BC before signing with the Avs.

Byram will likely get a nine-game regular-season audition with the Avs in October before the team decides to keep him or send him back to his major-junior team, the Vancouver Giants. But make no mistake, he’ll be an NHLer by his 20th birthday.

He’s that good, and Colorado has generally ignored the top draft-eligible defenseman for too long.

In a 10-year span from 2007 to 2016, the Avs selected just two defensemen in the first round — Kevin Shattenkirk (No. 14) in 2007 and Duncan Siemens (No. 11) in 2011 — before going strong on the back end in 2017, with defensemen Cale Makar (No. 4) and Conor Timmins (No. 32).

Players like Makar and Byram don’t grow on trees. You have to draft them. The top free agent defensemen are too expensive and the others who become available aren’t good enough. They must be obtained in the draft, and ideally with a top-10 pick.

NBCSN analyst said of Byram reminds him of Duncan Keith, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks

“He will dial it up like a Duncan Keith but he’s got that closing speed defensively. Like Duncan Keith, eyes up all the time and you break down opponents and put them in positions where he can take advantage.”

Button added: “To me, not only is this brilliant for the Colorado Avalanche but if you’re Nathan MacKinnon and you’re Gabriel Landeskog and you’re Mikko Rantanen, you (already) got Cale Makar — that puck is going to zip around pretty nicely.”

Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic selected another potential captain in Newhook, who wore the “C” with his junior team, the Victoria Grizzlies, last season. At the 2019 World Under-18 Championship, Newhook tied Peyton Krebs for Canada’s scoring lead with 10 points (five goals) in seven games.

Krebs was selected at No. 17 by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Overall, it was a good first round for the Avalanche, which enters Saturday with six more picks in the seven-round draft, including three more in Rounds 2 and 3.

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NHL draft: Avalanche selects Boston College-bound center Alex Newhook at No. 16

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 8:14 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 10:09 PM

Alex Newhook is returning to the Eastern seaboard but will likely end up living in the West.

Newhook, an 18-year-old center from St. Johns, Newfoundland, played junior hockey in Victoria, British Columbia, and is committed to join Boston College this fall. He became a first-round draft pick of the Avalanche on Friday, selected 16th overall at Rogers Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Newhook is coming off a 102-point season with the Victoria Grizzlies, earning the league’s MVP award.

In 2017-18, he burst onto the BCHL scene with 66 points (22 goals) in 45 games and was named the league’s rookie of the year.

Newhook, who has played internationally for Canada, likely will represent his country at this year’s World Junior Championship.

C Alex Newhook

St. Johns, Newfoundland

5-foot-10, 192 pounds

DOB 1/28/2001

Ranked 13th among North American skaters

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147884 Colorado Avalanche

NHL draft: Avalanche selects defenseman Bowen Byram at No. 4

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 6:46 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 10:10 PM

No surprise here. The Avalanche selected the NHL draft’s top-ranked defenseman, Bowen Byram, with the No. 4 pick Friday at Rogers Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Byram, 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, turned 18 this month, but he could begin his NHL career next season. He could join an already-stout defensive corps that includes Tyson Barrie and young stars Cale Makar and Sam Girard, among others.

“I do happen to think he’s capable but that doesn’t mean I would do it,” NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton told The Denver Post of Byram. “You can always pump the brakes on these kids a little bit. I think it’s been proven over time that you need to give them a little more time. Joe’s job is to really shield these kids of some of the pressures of the National Hockey League to give them more time. Byram’s got the skill and I think he has the mental makeup but I think he would be better served to be a little more patient.”

Byram has been playing major-junior for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. He led WHL players in the playoffs with 26 points (eight goals) in 22 games — marking the first time a blue-liner has ever been the top scorer in the postseason. He had 71 points (26 goals) in 67 games in the regular season. His 26 goals led all WHL defensemen and his 71 points were second on the Giants.

Byram earned the top-prospect award, which goes to the best-undrafted player in the major-junior umbrella.

Colorado also has the No. 16 pick in the first round.

Stay tuned to DenverPost.com tonight for more updates and analysis of the Avs in the NHL draft.

D Bowen Byram

Cranbrook, British Columbia

6-foot-1, 195 pounds

DOB: June 13, 2001

Vancouver Giants (WHL)

Ranked No. 2 among North American skaters

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Avalanche 2019-20 home-opener: Oct. 3 vs. Calgary Flames

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 2:55 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 9:29 PM

The NHL announced the home-openers for all 31 teams Friday, and the Avalanche is slated to play its first game of the 2019-20 season at the Pepsi Center on Oct. 3 against the Calgary Flames.

The NHL season will begin Oct. 2 but the Avs’ game against the Flames could be the season-opener for both teams.

The league’s entire 1,271-game schedule will be released Tuesday.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147886 Colorado Avalanche The Avs took a huge step forward last year and yet I feel like they’re on the precipice of taking another huge step (next) year and I feel like Tyson Barrie could be a big part of that. I got to think it has to knock Joe’s socks Avalanche aiming to select the draft’s best defenseman and top goalie off to really consider (trading Barrie anytime soon).”

Footnote. The Avs will host their annual development camp Tuesday through June 29, with practices and scrimmages at Family Sports Center By MIKE CHAMBERS | June 21, 2019 at 6:00 am June 26-28. The camp includes an activity at Red Rocks Amphitheater and a 3-on-3 tournament in Fort Collins.

Denver Post: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Expect the Avalanche to select defenseman Bowen Byram and goaltender Spencer Knight in the first round of Friday night’s NHL draft.

If they’re available, that is.

Colorado has the Nos. 4 and 16 overall picks at this year’s event in Vancouver, British Columbia, plus three others in the first three rounds and eight overall. Rounds 2-7 are Saturday at Rogers Place.

Byram, a 6-foot-1 Canadian for major-junior’s Vancouver Giants, is the draft’s top-ranked defenseman. Knight, a 6-foot-4 American for the U.S. National Development Program (committed to Boston College), is rated No. 1 among draft-eligible goaltenders. Both 18-year-olds are considered potential NHL franchise cornerstones.

NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton — the first American-born player drafted first overall (1983) — said the Avs’ ideal night Friday would be to get Byram at No. 4 and Knight at No. 16.

“I would say there’s at least a 65 percent chance that those guys will both be available (at four and 16),” Lawton told The Denver Post. “I have Byram third (best available player) on my list — obviously, I’m doing the draft for the Network and I’ve put a lot of time and effort into it.”

The big question is, will the Chicago Blackhawks pass on Byram for an elite center at No. 3? Lawton thinks the Blackhawks will take centers Alex Turcotte or Kirby Dach. Forwards Jack Hughes and Kappo Kaako are expected to go first and second, respectively, to the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.

“For me — the draft starts at No. 3. Unfortunately for the Avs, it doesn’t really start at No. 4. We already know what is going to happen with No. 1 and 2. I would take Byram third overall. He just checks every box that you possibly could want to for a guy who I believe will be a No. 1 defenseman. That would be an absolute windfall for the Avs if he doesn’t go No. 3, and I don’t believe he will. I actually believe Turcotte will go No. 3.”

A goalie hasn’t been selected in the top-20 of the NHL draft since Andrei Vasilevskiy went No. 19 to Tampa Bay in 2012. Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie at the league’s annual awards show Wednesday in Las Vegas.

“In terms of Spencer Knight, it’s a worthwhile risk and I can see Joe (Sakic) coming to that conclusion and absolutely killing it. They might jump in (with) potentially something that I consider more risky, in terms of drafting a goalie anywhere in the first round. But they’re a team that maybe can absorb that risk. So I’m really excited to see what they do. They just have great options available for Joe Sakic.”

Based on immediate needs, the Avalanche should draft an elite young center who is capable of beginning his NHL career in 2020-21. Colorado has a No. 1 goalie in Philipp Grubauer and a deep blue-line corps featuring the offensively skilled Tyson Barrie, Sam Girard and Cale Makar. But Byram — who led the Western Hockey League in playoff scoring — seems too good to pass up. But Lawton said Chicago will do just that.

“I talk to people on every team. That’s part of my preparation,” Lawton said. “And when I look at the history of who the Blackhawks have selected in the last few drafts of the first round, it has been D. And I see Turcotte being a Jonathan Toews-like player — it’s pretty strong for them. I would also throw Kirby Dach into (going No. 3 to Chicago).

Lawton and others say Byram could potentially begin his NHL career next season, but he would be better served to play another year in the WHL. And that would give Colorado a chance to field offers for Barrie, who is entering the final year of his contract at $5.5 million and could fetch an attractive top-six forward in return.

“I wouldn’t be in a hurry to trade Tyson Barrie. I just think he’s a really good player, very valuable. I wouldn’t do it,” Lawton said. “He’s an incredibly valuable guy and I really, truly believe that. I would be patient. 1147887 Colorado Avalanche J.T. Compher, Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Alexander Kerfoot, Cale Makar and Nikita Zadorov.

And they are further insulated by veterans Matt Calvert, Ian Cole, Philipp How Joe Sakic, the quiet hometown kid, might have had the NHL’s Grubauer, , Matt Nieto, Carl Soderberg and Barrie. loudest night in his backyard That’s the surface view. Figuring out where Byram and Newhook fit into the big picture is another facet of what made Friday even more By Ryan S. Clark Jun 21, 2019 interesting.

Byram is expected to be part of a future defensive unit comprised of Girard, Makar and Conor Timmins. They are all puck-moving options who VANCOUVER — Roll call at the NHL Draft is more than a traditional give the Avalanche a combination of two left-handed shooters to go with proclamation to alert those in attendance about the franchises that are two right-handed shots. Girard and Makar gave a preview of what they present for what is easily one of the most important nights within the could do together against the San Jose Sharks in the Western hockey galaxy. Conference semifinal, whereas Timmins used the season to continue recovering from a concussion, with the hopes of playing in 2019-20. It provides fans a chance to do what they do best: Cheer. Or boo. Having those three for the future was already viewed as a strength. Deciding to applaud or lambast on a night like this is purely emotion. Adding Byram creates the notion Sakic and the Avalanche are Especially in Vancouver, where there is history. Take when the Boston constructing a blueprint toward having one of the league’s most Bruins were being presented. The current Eastern Conference promising defenses in the near future. Byram led the Giants to the champions were booed because of what happened back in 2011 during Western Hockey League playoffs after scoring 26 goals and 45 assists the Stanley Cup final when they denied the Canucks and the city from for 71 points in 67 games. He then led all skaters in the playoffs with 26 capturing hockey’s prize. points. Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche, however, received a much Girard turned 21 back in May, while Makar and Timmins hit that mark different response. Sakic got one of the loudest cheers during roll call later in the year, and Byram turned 18 on June 13. that was further amplified when he walked onto the stage to announce who his team was selecting with the fourth pick of the NHL Draft at “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. You look at their defensive corps and they’ve got a Rogers Arena. lot of good players,” Byram said. “I got my work cut out for me to make the team, but I’m confident in myself. Like you said, there’s a lot of Sakic’s first few words were drowned out by a crowd beyond willing to players throughout their lineup as well. So it’s going to be pretty cool to show respect for someone who lived the Canadian dream. meet those guys as well.” Rogers Arena got quiet enough to hear the Avalanche were taking So what about Newhook’s place in this dynamic? Vancouver Giants defenseman Bowen Byram. That move was applauded because Sakic and his front office staff landed the draft class’ Let’s start here. Newhook enjoyed one of the more offensively dynamic consensus No. 1 blueliner. And when they picked again at No. 16, the seasons of any forward in this year’s draft class. The 18-year-old scored Avalanche selected Victoria Grizzlies center Alex Newhook. 38 goals and 64 assists for 102 points during his final campaign with the Grizzlies. He will attend Boston College next season and is a member of Let’s recap. The Avalanche took one kid from British Columbia while a class that also features first-round picks in Matthew Boldy and Spencer drafting another kid who plays in British Columbia, and it came with the Knight, among others. narrative they were drafted by the hometown boy who has a street named after him nearly 13 kilometers from the venue where everything The goal for the Avalanche is for Newhook to develop into someone who went down. can either help or outright drive the second line for years to come.

How the Colorado Avalanche were going to maneuver this draft was a “I think my strengths are my quickness and my hockey sense,” Newhook talking point for several months. Would they take a forward for the said. “I think I think the game really well, and I really use my quickness to future? Or do they get a defenseman? They got both and, with their haul, create offense that way. I’m a guy — I try to work on speed in every entered into the conversation for having one of the stronger evenings of aspect. That’s the biggest thing. It’s just trying to keep that edge skating- any NHL franchise. wise. If I can keep that, it’ll help me to continue to be the player I am right now.” And that’s with the cloud of speculation that defenseman Tyson Barrie, who is also from British Columbia, was going to be traded at some point Everything the Avalanche did Friday will not have a final evaluation until during the day. the moment Byram and Newhook have stopped playing.

“I don’t know why everybody here is talking,” Sakic said about the Barrie But for now? It’s a start to a weekend that takes on a new challenge for rumors. “Obviously people here in Vancouver, the draft is here, and they the Avalanche in finding draft picks beyond the first round who can seem to be coming up with some stuff because it seems like every become contributors at the NHL level. morning I wake up and I see that Tyson’s traded, and I don’t know who’s talking to me in the middle of the night. I must be talking in my sleep Then comes free agency and all the challenges that portion of the because I go to bed and I wake up and all of a sudden he’s gone. offseason presents.

“Lot of media here and a lot of speculation and a lot of rumors. There’s Sakic knows this is a key part of his job. And that in itself is the wild part. nothing to that.” Go ask the man himself if becoming an NHL general manager was something he dreamed about as a child growing up in nearby Burnaby. Yeah. He said that. The artist known as “Quoteless Joe” during his playing days expressed himself in such a manner that drew a few “Oh, never! I was just hoping to play!” Sakic said Thursday. “I was hoping chuckles from everyone within earshot. to just play in the game. I never thought about (being a) GM, and I never thought about coaching. Never ever. At the end of my career, my plan Sakic is one to normally shy away from superlatives or even was when I was retired, I was gone. I was going to enjoy life, and then acknowledge they exist when asked. the game brought me back.

Now, that said, this is shaping up to be what could be the most pivotal “You leave for a couple years and you can’t play anymore. But just to be offseason in his tenure as general manager while staking a claim as one part of it, it’s all I need. … I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” of the most crucial in recent franchise memory. The Avalanche were the NHL’s worst team two seasons ago, and now they are an organization Addressing the other NHL franchises to start the draft along with the that appears to be a piece away from being a legitimate Stanley Cup whole of Rogers Arena was how his night started. Taking the stage and contender even though bookmakers project them to have the fifth- announcing his team was selecting Byram and later Newhook was the strongest odds of challenging for the title next season. middle portion of the evening. His night looked like it was over once he was done speaking with reporters. Of course, this all starts with captain and left winger Gabriel Landeskog, superstar center Nathan MacKinnon and superstar-in-waiting right winger Sakic and Jean Martineau, the senior vice president for communications Mikko Rantanen. There is also the collection of young talents featuring and team services, had a foot in the doorway up to the 200-level suites when Conrad Tyrkin, a Port Coquitlam resident, asked the Hall of Fame center if they could take a photo together while asking for an autograph.

The 49-year-old Sakic stopped walking, smiled and had no problem fulfilling that request. Tyrkin initially went for a selfie before Martineau stepped in to take his phone and snap a photograph of him and Sakic together. As this was happening, Tyrkin told the Avs’ GM that he has autism.

(Ryan S. Clark / For The Athletic)

“I’m a self-advocate for other people with disabilities,” Tyrkin said. “That’s what I do.”

Tyrkin said Sakic still resonates throughout British Columbia because of what he did as a player and what he continues to do as an NHL general manager.

“I really appreciate him,” Tyrkin said. “He’s really open to the public. I really appreciate people like him.”

Sakic was finished when three more fans asked if they could get a few autographs and a picture with him, too.

Again, the man stopped. He smiled. He listened to everything those fans said to him, and he paid attention as if they were telling him the secret to infinite wealth.

Part of Sakic’s mystique is the fact that he’s one of the quieter general managers who stays out of sight. He speaks to reporters only a handful of times. Sakic is omnipresent at the team’s practice facility and at the Pepsi Center but moves in silence like the letter “G” in lasagna.

There are moments, however, that can strike an observer if they are paying close attention.

Sakic was with his staff during development camp last year when an older special-needs fan wearing a vintage Avalanche sweater with “SAKIC 19” on the back asked for an autograph.

Once again. The man stood there and signed a few photos and hockey cards without even remotely acting like that moment was taking him away from something else.

“That’s who he is,” Tyrkin said. “That’s the kind of person he is.”

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First round picks Byram, Newhook join young Avalanche core

By Aarif Deen - June 21, 2019

The Avalanche have bolstered their young roster at the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. With the fourth overall pick, they selected defenseman Bowen Byram before selected centerman Alex Newhook twelve picks later.

Byram, 18, was the final piece, albeit a vital one, of the three-team blockbuster deal that sent Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators and to the Nashville Predators 21 months ago.

The first blueliner selected in the draft, Byram recorded 26 goals and 71 points with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. He was the third-highest scoring defenseman in the regular season before leading the entire league in playoff scoring with 26 points.

Newhook, selected with Colorado’s own 16th overall pick, dominated the BCHL for the Victoria Grizzlies. He led the league with 64 assists and 102 points, both of which were 18 better than the next leading scorer. In the playoffs, Newhook continued to dominate, adding a league-best 24 points in 15 games.

The 18-year-old Canadian from St. John’s Newfoundland is committed to Boston College next season, where he will join fellow first-rounders Matthew Boldy (12th, Minnesota) and Spencer Knight (13th, Florida).

Colorado is slated to pick six more times, including three picks in the next two rounds. milehighsports.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147889 Colorado Avalanche “It’s just another step in the path,” Newhook said of what comes next. “I think it’s going to be a great spot to develop, a great spot to go in and learn as much as I can and take in every step to becoming a pro.”

The unsurprising quality that led Alex Newhook right to the Avs Colorado is familiar with this path as they selected BCHL and AJHL stars in 2016 and 2017 and watched both go off to the NCAA. Tyson Jost signed after one year and Cale Makar stayed to annihilate college BY AJ HAEFELE JUNE 21, 2019 hockey a second season. Both are now with the Avs and given Jost’s NHL struggles and Makar’s dominance, it seems to make sense to

expect Newhook to play at BC for at least two seasons. The NHL draft is a weird world of its own. Whereas the NBA and NFL “My approach going in is to taking it year by year,” Newhook said. “Just drafts feature players who are mostly expected to contribute quickly to learn as much as I can, be the best I can for that time and when the time their clubs, the NHL is more like the MLB draft in selecting players a few is right to become pro and step into pro with the Avs, that’s when it will years away. The highest drafted players in the NHL typically reach the happen.” NHL in two-three years, whereas the MLB guys take much longer. With Newhook apparently not in a hurry, the Avalanche shouldn’t be Like I said, a world of its own. Trying to get NHL players out of teenagers either. Newhook’s outsized talent is going to take time to refine. He was is incredibly difficult and even tougher on players who get labeled as simply too talented for the league he spent the last two years in. The way “raw.” Those guys are also some of the most tantalizing players in the he dominated, however, is what attracted Colorado to him early in the draft as they possess kind of untapped potential teams lust after when season as they were in on him early. they aren’t drafting in the first several selections. “I think so,” Newhook said when asked if there was an obvious interest Then there’s a team with both. from Colorado. “On draft day, anything can happen. Throughout the year, The Colorado Avalanche decided they could have their cake and eat it, I definitely had a good connection with them. It definitely felt it could be a too, when they selected Bowen Byram fourth and followed it up by using fit. I’m really happy to be part of the Avalanche family right now.” the 16th selection on Alex Newhook. They went “safe” with Byram, the The initial contact between scouts and player are a vital part of the draft’s top defenseman, and then went all-in with Newhook, the third relationship building process and outside of talent, nothing gets players Canadian Junior A player selected by the Avs in the first round since drafted quite like relationships. This was a connection Newhook felt early 2016. on and is glad paid off in the end. Newhook’s speed and skill are obvious as soon as you watch him fly “I feel like the first time I talked to the scouts in the organization, it felt like around in a Victoria Grizzlies jersey. In the wake of his destruction of the a team that was interested,” he said. “It felt like a team that had a really BCHL was a league MVP after a 102-point season (38g, 64a) in 53 good connection. It’s definitely nice to have that and be part of a team out games played. Newhook’s blazing speed and high-end offense carried of that connection.” over to Team Canada in the U-18s as he racked up 10 points (5g, 5a) in just seven games as he played next to fellow first-rounders Peyton Krebs With his megawatt smile and infectious enthusiasm, it’s not hard to and Dylan Cozens. envision Alex Newhook creating a connection with Avalanche fans in Denver. How fast he gets there is to be determined but given how the “I think my strengths are my quickness and my hockey sense,” Newhook speed with which he does everything else, Avalanche fans can expect it said, echoing every scouting report written about him. “I think I think the to be sooner than later that he dons the Avalanche ‘A’. game really well and I really use my quickness to create offense that way. I’m a guy that I try to work on my speed in every aspect. That’s the It all comes back to speed. Of course it does. biggest thing, just trying to keep that edge skating-wise. If I can keep that, it’ll help me to continue to be the player I am.” BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019

The skating is top-notch and was an obvious draw to Colorado, who fancies itself as an organization who prioritizes skating as one of the main components of its identity. Watching them fly around and create problems even for a matchup mismatch like San Jose drives home the success they’ve already had in building that identity. In Newhook, they saw an opportunity to say, “More of that, please.”

The path for Newhook has been unconventional as he hails from Newfoundland but found himself drafted on the other coast in Canada right down the road from where he dominated the BCHL. His two years in the BCHL almost never happened as Halifax owned his QMJHL rights and he was tempted by the possibility of playing in the .

“It was a tough decision,” Newhook said. “With Halifax having the Memorial Cup and then being such a great organization but I was committed to playing with the Grizzlies to do as much as I could to help our team win there and going back and being a captain and being a part of that group was something that meant a lot to me. Great two years there, I’m very happy with my decision.”

That decision allowed him to come back and captain the Grizzlies for one last run with a team he built an unbreakable bond with. That support was reciprocated tonight when they showed up to support him on the biggest day of his life.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Newhook said. “Having the guys here from Victoria that you shared all those memories with throughout the year and for them to want to be here so badly and to support me I think it means a lot.”

The decision to eschew Halifax also allowed Newhook to maintain his NCAA eligibility and he’s committed to Boston College next season. He will join Matthew Boldy and Spencer Knight, both Americans drafted just before Newhook, at BC as they look to inject some life into the Eagles program. 1147890 Colorado Avalanche That challenge will include some of the same things every teenager must overcome in their draft plus-one season. He must get bigger, stronger, and adjust to the blinding speed of the NHL game. Byram is already Bowen Byram’s road was always going to lead to the Avalanche comfortable with the changes he has to make in order to leave junior hockey behind for good.

“I’ve got to get bigger, stronger, faster,” he said. “I’ve got to shore up BY AJ HAEFELE JUNE 21, 2019 details in my game. The way I look at it, everyone’s got to get better, everyone’s got to fix things. I got to work extremely hard and put myself

in a good spot.” Sometimes you just let the universe do its thing. Byram mentioned several times he felt good about the possibility of Avalanche fans and front office members alike watched in horror as the joining Colorado, especially as the postseason draft process got draft lottery dropped them from the first overall selection to number four. underway. It was the maximum number of spots Colorado could slide. “I met with them at the combine in Buffalo and then met with them a Again. couple days ago at their hotel down the road,” he said. “I had a good feeling about them. It’s a pretty incredible place to play and they’ve got a The lottery was a replay of what happened back in 2017, except really good team right now so I’m super excited.” Colorado was the team coming off a last-place finish instead of using Ottawa’s misfortune to further their chase for the Stanley Cup. The While Colorado’s interest was obvious, his interest in Colorado began similarities were downright spooky. after the lottery. The stars were aligning and he was prepared for it.

New Jersey won both lotteries thanks to the voodoo possessed by Taylor “I always had a good feeling ever since the draft order came out,” Byram Hall, a team from the jumped up to the second said. “I was hoping it was going to be Colorado. It’s a beautiful place to selection, and a Central Division foe leapfrogged Colorado for the third live, kind of similar to my hometown. I’m not totally sure what I thought pick. but when they got up on stage I kind of figured it was going to be me.”

The 2017 draft represented a massive shift for the Avalanche He was right. organization and their selection of Cale Makar is only just beginning to With him in tow, the Avalanche have set themselves up to modernize the pay off as his potentially brilliant career is only 10 playoff games old. Ray Bourque-Rob Blake top pairing that won them a Stanley Cup in 2001 Fast forward to tonight and the Avalanche followed the same path that with Byram and Makar. Sam Girard lurks (as much as he can lurk at his led them to Bowen Byram, this year’s top defenseman available. size, anyway) as the Adam Foote of the group, showing just how much Colorado had plenty of reason to take a center, especially when the the modern game has changed. That trio has the potential to create a presumptive third-best player in the draft in Alex Turcotte got by Chicago new generation of classic memories for Avs fans. at three. The Avalanche didn’t budge and simply made the decision that Byram is, as the youths say, very here for it. made the most sense all along. “I ended up in a great spot,” he said. “Super happy with Colorado. They “I think everyone kind of knew what was happening in the first two picks,” have an unbelievable team right now with so many superstars on that Byram said. “After that, nobody knew what was going on. When team. Now the biggest worry for me is just working hard and trying to [Colorado] got up there, I had a real good feeling about them from the make the team.” start. So then when they got up there and called my name it was pretty cool for sure.” When Byram gets to Colorado, he’s not going to be hurting for entertainment away from the rink. Byram joins an organization on the rise after the Avs made the second round of the postseason. They have a cadre of young superstars in “I love the outdoors,” Byram said. “Fishing, hiking, things like that. I Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. They’re deep always seem to be outside. We live on an acreage so there’s always defensively and have the most salary cap space in the league. There’s things to do around the house. I love the outdoors.” plenty of good going on in Colorado right now but drafting Byram could put them over the top. See?

“It’s pretty cool,” Byram said. “You look at their defense corps and they’ve Destiny. got a lot of good players. I know I’ve got my work cut out for me to make BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019 the team but I’m confident in myself. There’s a lot of good players throughout their lineup. It’s going to be pretty cool just to meet these guys as well.”

That defense corps is already deep with five established NHL players and Makar already slated for ice time next season. While there are rumblings of a potential Tyson Barrie trade, day one of the draft came and went without the B.C. native changing teams.

While the Barrie drama unfolded without any action, the Vancouver ties for the Avalanche were strong tonight. Joe Sakic, from nearby Burnaby, received a hero’s welcome when he was introduced for roll call and again when he stepped to the podium to announce Colorado’s selection. That selection was Byram, who just finished helping the local Giants make a run to Game 7 of the WHL Finals. Byram’s name being called resulted in a raucous cheer from the hometown crowd.

“Obviously, there’s quite a few Giants fans in the stands,” Byram said. “Being in Vancouver is pretty special for me and my family. Vancouver has kind of been a second home for me since I started playing here.”

While Byram and the Giants achieved great success this season, there’s doubt whether Byram returns next season. Certainly, Byram’s goal is to make the leap and leave the WHL for the memory bank but Colorado’s talent at the position makes it a tricky proposition.

“Obviously, it’s the NHL,” Byram said. “It’s going to be a whirlwind but I definitely have my work cut out for me. I’m confident in myself. I’m confident in my abilities. But I know I’ve got to get better, too. It’s going to be a challenge. I’m ready for it.” 1147891 Colorado Avalanche

Avs take Newhook with 16th pick

BY HENRY CHISHOLM JUNE 21, 2019 2 MINS READ

The Colorado Avalanche selected center Alex Newhook with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Newhook, 18, played the last two seasons with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. He won league MVP this year. Newhook is committed to Boston College, where he will enroll this fall.

Newhook scored 102 points in 53 games last season, the most in the league, making him the youngest BCHL point leader in over 20 years. He also scored 10 points in six games for Team Canada in the World Juniors. As a 16-year-old, Newhook recorded 66 points in 45 games for Victoria. He won Rookie of the Year for his performance.

At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Newhook’s speed poses a threat matched by few other players. He has a high-ceiling as a forward mostly of his speed, skill and senses. The biggest question mark is how he will adjust to a higher level of competition than he faced in the BCHL. Newhook also has a tendency to fall asleep defensively, but his offensive production and potential have easily counteracted this flaw in the past.

The Avalanche have six picks left in the draft, including one in the second round and two in the third.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147892 Colorado Avalanche

Avs take Byram with fourth overall pick

BY HENRY CHISHOLM JUNE 21, 2019

The Colorado Avalanche selected left-handed defenseman Bowen Byram with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Byram, 18, played the last three seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. He was named the league’s top draft-eligible player this year.

Byram scored more than a point per game in the regular season this year, recording 26 goals and 45 assists in 67 contests. He upped his output in the postseason with 26 points in 22 games as the Giants dropped Game 7 of the WHL finals in overtime. Byram was the first defenseman in WHL history to lead the playoffs in scoring.

At 6-foot, 194 pounds, Byram is a high IQ offensive defenseman who will rely more on his stick than his body defensively. He has a high ceiling and could eventually be a replacement for Erik Johnson.

Byram will join a young Colorado defensive corps that already features Cale Makar, Sam Girard.

Byram is just the third defenseman chosen by the Avalanche in the first round since 2008.

The Avalanche have seven picks remaining in the draft. Next up is the 16th overall selection.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147893 Colorado Avalanche Player

Gabriel Landeskog

Why trading Tyson Barrie makes sense Mikko Rantanen

Nathan MacKinnon

BY LUKE MARSHALL JUNE 21, 2019 GF% With

58.33

This hypothetical is sounding more like a reality every minute with rumors 62.5 flying regarding his destination. Tyson Barrie is coming off his best National Hockey League season in which he notched 14 goals and 45 54.55 assists, combining for a career-high 59 points. He was the seventh- GF% Without Barrie highest point-producing defenseman in the league, he set the franchise record for most all-time goals by a defenseman, and he was instrumental 28.57 in Colorado’s late push into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 50 So why are Joe Sakic and crew considering getting rid of him? 33.33 In recent years, the Avalanche player most commonly mentioned in trade xGF% With rumors has been Barrie—for a variety of reasons. Perhaps Colorado’s executives can’t bear to watch him give away the puck in the defensive 56.6 zone any longer, or maybe they are fully onboard the Cale Makar bandwagon and simply don’t see a need for Barrie anymore. 59.55

Barrie’s elite playmaking skills are obvious. So are his costly defensive 56.06 mistakes. However, it may come as a surprise that Barrie is one of xGF% Without Barrie Colorado’s most effective D-men at stopping opponents from entering the Avalanche zone. He excels at breaking up opposing rushes, collecting 58.14 the puck, and leading breakouts. 51.78 Barrie ranks highest on the Avs defensive corps in Break-up Percent with 8.33% of entries stopped (next highest is Patrik Nemeth with 6.67%), 51.98 while he ranks second in Possession Exit Percent with 41% of breakouts High Danger Scoring Chance% With Barrie on his tape (league average is 31.11%), according to Figure 1 below. Barrie’s break-up success is likely caused by his reliance on his stick 58.46 more than his body defensively, which is more useful when breaking up an opposing rush at the blue line. Conversely, a big-bodied player like 62.96 Nikita Zadorov is better at checking players off the puck deep in the 57.75 Avalanche zone. High Danger Scoring Chance% Without Barrie The numbers suggest Barrie is great at taking the puck away defensively, but the narrative surrounding his offensive turnovers may be overhyped. 55.26 Barrie ranked in the middle of the Avalanche defensemen this season in Takeaway/Giveaway rate (total takeaways divided by total giveaways), 45.24 trailing the team average (0.9) and Erik Johnson (0.8) while matching 47.73 Nikita Zadorov (0.7). Table 1: Data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. GF% represents the So why is Barrie’s defensive game often highly criticized? First, big hits percentage of total goals while a given player is on the ice that are are obvious and effective positioning isn’t. Considering Barrie’s size and scored for that player’s team. xGF% represents the percentage of total style, it’s not surprising that his defensive play goes unnoticed. expected goals while a given player is on the ice that are scored for that Accordingly, his hits plus blocked shots metric is the lowest among the player’s team. top six Avs defensemen (Figure 2). If the Avalanche decides to sign Barrie to an extension, it would cost However, Barrie’s offensive excellence often coaxes NHL GM’s into them some serious cap space. Barrie will likely be asking in the $7-8 selectively ignoring his defensive struggles, and for good reason. After million average annual value (AAV) range for a long-term deal, all, Barrie was the highest-scoring defenseman on the Avalanche by a referencing comparable contracts like Victor Hedman’s $7.875 million whopping 23 points last year. His 294 points since the 2013-14 season AAV, Kris Letang’s $7.25 million, and John Carlson’s $8 million, each match those of P.K. Subban for eighth among all active NHL defensemen spanning eight years. in that time. However, an eight-year extension — like those given to the defensemen Maybe keeping that kind of offensive production in the company of two named above — would put the nearly 28-year-old Barrie under contract budding young defensive prospects isn’t such a bad idea. At least Joe with the Avalanche until he’s just under 36. Yikes. Sakic seems to think so. According to Hockey-Graphs.com, most NHL players begin to decline in “[Barrie] was a driving force down our stretch,” Sakic said in his post- production after age 25 and begin to see the most significant drop-offs in season press conference. “With what we saw with him, Cale [Makar], and play after age 30. The graph below shows the average change in Wins [Sam] Girard, I would be very, very comfortable starting the year with that Above Replacement (WAR) for NHL regulars according to their age. group. I think that they can do a lot of special things together.” Figure 4: WAR by Age. WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is a metric Perhaps Sakic was inspired to clone San Jose’s defensive powerhouse used to show the difference in value between a given player and the after seeing the trio of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, and Marc-Edouard average replacement player in terms of wins. Courtesy of Hockey- Vlasic up close during the Western Conference Semifinals. Graphs.com at https://hockey-graphs.com/2017/03/23/a-new-look-at- But Barrie’s presence doesn’t only aid his defensive partners. His impact aging-curves-for-nhl-skaters-part-1/. on the production of Colorado’s top guys is unmatched by any other Avs Along with Tyson Barrie’s age, Avalanche executives must also consider player. Barrie drastically improves the goals scored by the first line while the context of the Avalanche as a team. Last season, Colorado’s highly he is on the ice, and supports the production of high-danger scoring touted prospects began to show that they haven’t fully grown into their chances per Table 1 below. Barrie’s offensive help and potentially NHL roles. As a result, Colorado’s secondary scoring options struggled to irreplaceable chemistry with the top Avalanche forwards may force find the back of the net this year (forwards not named MacKinnon, Sakic’s hand in extending his contract. Rantanen, or Landeskog only accounted for 46% of total team goals). On the other hand, Colorado’s defense has dramatically improved in recent years with the additions of Nikita Zadorov, Sam Girard, Ian Cole, prospects Nicholas Meloche and Connor Timmins, and of course, fourth overall draft pick Cale Makar. The NCAA Frozen Four finalist and Hobey Baker Award winner’s surge onto the NHL scene began with a goal in Game 5 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which just so happened to be his first professional game. His goal and five assists nearly matched Barrie’s eight playoff points and left Avs fans wondering whether Tyson Barrie might really be expendable.

Last season, the Colorado Avalanche glimpsed their future with one of the best top lines in the NHL and a solid defensive group featuring hopeful young talent. Their performance in the playoffs proved that their Stanley Cup window has cracked open. Now the Avs need to decide if either Tyson Barrie or Cale Makar is going to be the deciding factor in whether it remains cracked or the shutters are blown clean off.

Luke’s Take

Barrie’s play this season allows the Avs to make a choice that any NHL team would envy: maintain an extraordinarily talented defense or trade for a top-six forward. They can keep an elite NHL defenseman to pair with young talent, or maximize his trade value and still maintain that young talent. Betting on a young, unproven player will always be a risky option, but Makar has shown the potential of a top pairing defenseman capable of replacing Tyson Barrie, and even maybe outshining him. Similarly, Girard’s potential is beginning to show after a season in which he logged 23 assists. His offensive production has mirrored that of Barrie in his early career, but whether his development will take the same path remains to be seen.

Barrie’s strengths definitely outweigh his weaknesses but if all goes as expected, the Avs won’t lack offensive production from their blue line in his absence. Right now, the Avs are in need of secondary scoring from their forwards, not their defensemen. A younger, preferably cheaper forward who can produce numbers similar to Barrie’s would provide the Avs with the same offensive production without the defensive risks.

If the Avs have the opportunity to trade Barrie in return for a high- producing young forward, they should pull the trigger.

BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147894 Colorado Avalanche Detroit, Nyquist is coming off the best statistical season of his career as he broke the 60-point plateau for the first time.

Colorado is set to head into free agency with the most money to spend Draft rumor round-up: Barrie, Nyquist, and Byram? and clear needs at forward in the top six. The 29-year-old Swede is slated to turn 30 before the start of the season and can play on either wing. The Avs don’t really have a clear plan for the second line right now BY AJ HAEFELE JUNE 21, 2019 so Nyquist is a guy to keep an eye on as the legal tampering period begins next week.

Another Ranger on the move? Editor’s Note: Above is an audio story, designed to give BSN Denver subscribers the option to listen to this story if they don’t have time to stop The New York Rangers have been very active in the last 18 months after and read it in its entirety. We would love to know what you think about it penning a letter to fans in which they asked for patience as they in the comments. Enjoy! embarked on a rebuild. General manager Jeff Gorton has taken a very aggressive approach to moving out veteran players with value and VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Greetings from Canada! After a turning them into high-end prospects or top draft picks. Because of the long day of travel, I’ve settled into my accommodations for the weekend results, the Rangers have re-shaped their roster and appear not far from and am catching up on some news from the day. There’s a ton of chatter potential playoff contention once again. here in town as all 31 NHL teams are in a confined space for the next several days, which always creates an opportunity for chaos. One longtime Ranger has danced through the trade raindrops so far – Chris Kreider. A feisty forward with a knack for scoring goals and Some Avalanche-related tidbits fell from the trees after a couple of good frustrating opponents, Kreider is a perfect fit for the Avalanche and shakes today and they aren’t unfamiliar to Avalanche fans. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned today that he’s heard Colorado Barrie rumors resurface connected to the forward.

First off, Tyson Barrie trade rumors have once again heated up with the Kreider has just one year remaining on his contract and the 28-year-old Avalanche recognizing his value will never be higher than it is this is coming off another 20-goal, 50-point campaign. The player is a great weekend. The team has been reticent to part with him in the past fit; I’m not sure the (high) cost is. because he’s such a key cog to their offensive success and is the kind of The Great Smokescreen Debate personality that can help keep a locker room loose if too many serious personalities take over. What are the Avalanche going to do with the fourth overall pick?

Barrie is entering the final year of his contract this summer and while he I’ve previously reported the Avs were leaning heavily towards selecting a is eligible for an extension, the presence of Cale Makar and Sam Girard forward with the fourth pick tomorrow night and have not backed off that might make his more offensive-oriented role a touch redundant. Barrie is stance. However, I seem to be on an island at this point as most of the slated for a significant raise from the $5.5 million AAV he currently people around the league are operating under the assumption the Avs carries. will take either Alex Turcotte, the American forward, or Bowen Byram, the draft’s top defenseman. Whichever player Chicago doesn’t take at three Coming off a career-high 59-point season, an extension for Barrie could lands in Colorado’s lap. justifiably climb above $8 million per year. That’s a hefty cap charge when there’s the possibility Girard and Makar can combine for similar Many have tied the renewed interest in Barrie’s availability to the production at a fraction of the cost with both players still on their ELCs. potential selection of Byram but I’m not so sure they’re related. I still believe Colorado prefers forward at four but it’s obvious Byram is there. So what would the Avs trade him for? Maybe I’m just being stubborn and this whole thing has been a great This is a big part of the discussion this weekend. Colorado isn’t keen on smokescreen to hide their interest in Byram. taking steps backward after making the postseason two years in a row. It’s clear he hasn’t been ruled out yet. They’re here to compete and simply removing Barrie from the lineup in a futures-heavy (read: draft picks) trade does nothing to address their Tomorrow is shaping up to be one memorable day in Avalanche history. current needs and only opens up a hole on what is otherwise a very solid group of six defensemen with Ryan Graves and Mark Barberio set to BSN DENVER LOADED: 06.22.2019 fight for the seventh D job.

The problem with trying to trade Barrie for established NHL talent is Barrie only has one year remaining on his current contract before he can test the waters of unrestricted free agency. Why would a team give up a young, cost-controlled player for potentially just one season of Barrie? It simply makes no sense to take that risk.

This leaves Colorado at a bit of an impasse. It’s good business to test the Barrie trade market and it’s equally as good of business to see what a potential extension might cost. The bottom line is the worst thing they can do here is nothing.

And yet that’s exactly what I ultimately expect them to do. A Barrie deal has always been and remains a tricky proposition in trying to find proper value for the dynamic blueliner. His defense is suspect enough that teams won’t view him as a top-pairing player and those limitations carry particular weight in trade discussions.

Two of the teams linked to Barrie are Vancouver and Montreal. Each is an interesting fit in their own right. Ultimately, I don’t expect much to come from this and I doubt the Avs hand over such a hefty raise to Barrie this summer. The temptation to sit tight and let this team see what it can do with Cale Makar around for an entire season is a very real one and is the route I expect this to go, good business be damned.

Nyquist and Avs a match?

On the front of free agent business, it sounds like there might be mutual interest between the Avs and Sharks forward Gustav Nyquist. Traded to the Sharks at the deadline after spending his entire career to that point in 1147895 Season opener

The Blue Jackets will open next season against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 4 at Nationwide Arena, the team revealed Friday. The remainder NHL increases plays that can be reviewed of the Jackets’ 2019-20 schedule will be released Tuesday.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.22.2019 Brian Hedger

Posted Jun 21, 2019 at 10:37 PM Updated Jun 21, 2019 at 11:08 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Among the NHL coaches who can appreciate the league’s rule changes for next season, Craig Berube is at the top of the list.

The interim coach of the St. Louis Blues, who guided them to their first Stanley Cup, was on the wrong end of a blown call in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks, who benefited from an illegal hand pass before Erik Karlsson’s overtime winner.

Officials weren’t allowed to use video replays to review hand passes, so the goal stood and the Blues fell behind 2-1 in the series. Starting next season, it will no longer be an issue thanks to the expansion of coaching challenges to include offensive-zone plays before goals that should have led to a stoppage.

“It’s a fast game and for the referees, it’s hard to get everything right,” said Berube, who still has the interim tag while negotiating a contract with the Blues. “It’s not fair to them either. It’s smart. The game’s fast and there are things that are missed — so it’s important, especially on goals, to get them right.”

The rule would have also pertained to a play that occurred in the Blue Jackets’ second-round series against the Boston Bruins, which led to a goal by Artemi Panarin in Game 4 at Nationwide Arena.

Trailing 2-0 in the first period, the Jackets cut the Bruins’ lead in half when Panarin scored seconds after the puck deflected into the safety netting behind the Boston goal. All four officials missed it, the puck dropped to the ice and Oliver Bjorkstrand got it to Panarin.

The Bruins won 4-1, so it wasn’t detrimental to the Bruins — but it was one of several high-profile officiating mistakes that weren’t reviewable. The league’s general managers, the Board of Governors and competition committee addressed it, voting unanimously to pass the new rule, along with a spate of others.

Coaches will no longer be faced with losing a timeout for issuing a challenge. They will, however, face the prospect of increased penalty time for unsuccessful challenges, starting with a minor infraction for the first and double-minors for each one that follows.

“The theory there is we don’t want lots and lots of challenges,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We don’t want to disrupt the flow of the game. We only want challenges where it’s crystal clear that an egregious mistake has been made. I think the coaches and video coaches will adapt to that.”

Other changes include:

• Officials will be required to review all nonfighting major and match penalties, looking to see if it should have been a minor instead. Referees will get the final say and cannot rescind the penalty entirely.

• Double minors for high-sticking can also be reviewed to determine if the offending stick was actually the injured player’s stick or that of a teammate. It’s the referee’s discretion to check and not mandatory.

• Players who lose their helmet during play must exit the ice immediately or retrieve the helmet immediately and put it back on. Failure to comply will be a minor penalty, as will intentionally removing an opposing player’s helmet.

• Line changes for defensive teams whose goalie freezes pucks shot from outside the red line will not be allowed.

• Automatic goals will be counted if goalies are judged to have knocked the net off its moorings during breakaways.

• Attacking teams will get their choice of which face-off dot to use in the offensive zone after icing calls and to start power plays.

• Face-offs will no longer come outside the offensive zone when a puck is sent out of play by the attacking team. 1147896 Columbus Blue Jackets

Season opener will be home game against Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 4

Brian Hedger

Jun 21, 2019 at 3:38 PM Jun 21, 2019 at 4:05 PM

The Blue Jackets will open their 2019-20 NHL season on Friday, Oct. 4, against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. in Nationwide Arena, the club and the NHL announced Friday.

The St. Louis Blues will begin defense of their Stanley Cup championship at home against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 2, the first night of the season.

The full NHL schedule will be announced at noon Tuesday on the NHL Network.

The Blue Jackets will play seven preseason games, including the opener against the Buffalo Sabres on Sept. 17 at Nationwide Arena.

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Blue Jackets still seeking picks going into draft

Brian Hedger

Posted Jun 21, 2019 at 12:01 AM Updated Jun 21, 2019 at 12:13 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — If you’re among those anticipating the Blue Jackets adding picks in this year’s NHL draft, you’re not alone.

Ville Siren, their director of amateur scouting, is, too.

With just two picks, in the third and seventh rounds, heading into this year’s draft, which starts Friday at Rogers Arena, Siren would be happy if general manager Jarmo Kekalainen finds a way to add a few more.

“Certainly, yes,” said Siren, who watched with a measure of surprise when Kekalainen traded away a pile of picks and prospects to bolster the Blue Jackets at the Feb. 25 trade deadline. “I’m waiting and expecting us getting more picks, but you never know. We’ll see. Jarmo does whatever he thinks is best for the club.”

That he does, even if his decisions raise a few eyebrows around the league.

Kekalainen’s deadline moves did that, bringing in four pending unrestricted free agents headlined by star center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel in deals with the Ottawa Senators.

The Jackets acquired four pending unrestricted free agents, headlined by star center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel in separate deals with the Ottawa Senators, and decided not to trade stars Artemi Panarin and , two more pending unrestricted free agents.

After the dust settled, Kekalainen had assembled a formidable roster, which ultimately generated a third straight playoff appearance and stunning sweep of the NHL’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round.

It was the franchise’s first playoff series victory, which was a big hurdle to clear, but the run ended in the second round against the Boston Bruins.

Was it worth it? If you ask Kekalainen, the answer is a resounding “yes,” despite the cost at the draft.

“When you feel that you have that window of opportunity with a group of guys that you might have for the last time, I think that’s the time to go for it,” said Kekalainen, who met with reporters Thursday. “That’s going to be the philosophy moving forward, too, that if we feel we have a chance with adding certain pieces at the deadline or keeping the group together — or whatever the needed transaction might be — that’s the time we’re going to try to go for it.”

If that requires forking over picks and prospects, like this year, so be it.

“That’s the way it is,” said Siren, who watches about 200 amateur games per year and has 11 other scouts doing the same. “I was kind of surprised (at the deadline). ... We don’t have any picks and you have worked all year, but then you think, well, OK, if we have a chance to win the Cup, then who cares if you don’t have any picks? So, that’s how it was.”

How it will be for the Jackets at the draft remains a mystery.

That was still a mystery as of Thursday, but Kekalainen said he feels optimistic about striking a deal or two, possibly even moving back into the first round, though he put the odds of acquiring a first-round pick at “no more than 50 percent.”

“I’m an optimistic guy, so I think there’s going to be some opportunities for picks and trades and so forth,” he said. “We’re going to keep all of our options open and if we have to draft without a first-round pick, then we’ll go without a first-round pick. We had one year where we didn’t have a second-round pick and we got (Alexandre Texier 45th overall), so a lot of things can happen.”

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Blue Jackets still seeking picks going into draft

Brian Hedger

Posted Jun 21, 2019 at 12:01 AM Updated Jun 21, 2019 at 12:13 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — If you’re among those anticipating the Blue Jackets adding picks in this year’s NHL draft, you’re not alone.

Ville Siren, their director of amateur scouting, is, too.

With just two picks, in the third and seventh rounds, heading into this year’s draft, which starts Friday at Rogers Arena, Siren would be happy if general manager Jarmo Kekalainen finds a way to add a few more.

“Certainly, yes,” said Siren, who watched with a measure of surprise when Kekalainen traded away a pile of picks and prospects to bolster the Blue Jackets at the Feb. 25 trade deadline. “I’m waiting and expecting us getting more picks, but you never know. We’ll see. Jarmo does whatever he thinks is best for the club.”

That he does, even if his decisions raise a few eyebrows around the league.

Kekalainen’s deadline moves did that, bringing in four pending unrestricted free agents headlined by star center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel in deals with the Ottawa Senators.

The Jackets acquired four pending unrestricted free agents, headlined by star center Matt Duchene and forward Ryan Dzingel in separate deals with the Ottawa Senators, and decided not to trade stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, two more pending unrestricted free agents.

After the dust settled, Kekalainen had assembled a formidable roster, which ultimately generated a third straight playoff appearance and stunning sweep of the NHL’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the first round.

It was the franchise’s first playoff series victory, which was a big hurdle to clear, but the run ended in the second round against the Boston Bruins.

Was it worth it? If you ask Kekalainen, the answer is a resounding “yes,” despite the cost at the draft.

“When you feel that you have that window of opportunity with a group of guys that you might have for the last time, I think that’s the time to go for it,” said Kekalainen, who met with reporters Thursday. “That’s going to be the philosophy moving forward, too, that if we feel we have a chance with adding certain pieces at the deadline or keeping the group together — or whatever the needed transaction might be — that’s the time we’re going to try to go for it.”

If that requires forking over picks and prospects, like this year, so be it.

“That’s the way it is,” said Siren, who watches about 200 amateur games per year and has 11 other scouts doing the same. “I was kind of surprised (at the deadline). ... We don’t have any picks and you have worked all year, but then you think, well, OK, if we have a chance to win the Cup, then who cares if you don’t have any picks? So, that’s how it was.”

How it will be for the Jackets at the draft remains a mystery.

That was still a mystery as of Thursday, but Kekalainen said he feels optimistic about striking a deal or two, possibly even moving back into the first round, though he put the odds of acquiring a first-round pick at “no more than 50 percent.”

“I’m an optimistic guy, so I think there’s going to be some opportunities for picks and trades and so forth,” he said. “We’re going to keep all of our options open and if we have to draft without a first-round pick, then we’ll go without a first-round pick. We had one year where we didn’t have a second-round pick and we got (Alexandre Texier 45th overall), so a lot of things can happen.”

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Stars select defenseman Thomas Harley with the 18th overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft

Matthew DeFranks

The Stars have a new premier prospect on defense.

The team selected defenseman Thomas Harley with the No. 18 pick during the first round of the NHL draft on Friday night, two years after selecting Miro Heiskanen in the first round. Harley is a 6-3, 192-pound offensive defenseman who plays junior hockey for Mississauga in the Ontario Hockey League.

The left-handed Harley totaled 58 points in 68 games for Mississauga, with 31 points coming on the power play. He also played for Canada in the World Juniors last year, and was ranked in the top 20 of draft prospects by nearly every scouting service.

Harley, 17, is an above-average skater that likes to join the rush, and nearly quadrupled his point production this season in the OHL from his debut in 2017-18. OHL coaches named Harley the Eastern Conference's most improved player, the best offensive defenseman and second-best skater.

Not including Heiskanen at No. 3 two years ago, Harley's selection at No. 18 was the highest pick the Stars used on a defenseman since they picked Julius Honka at No. 14 in 2014. Harley will instantly become the most promising prospect -- with the highest ceiling -- on defense for the Stars.

The Stars had a handful of options at No. 18.

They entered the weekend with only four picks, which would be the lowest total since the franchise moved to Dallas. They only have four picks in next year's draft. So the Stars could have traded No. 18 to move down and accumulate more picks later in either this draft or the next one.

The Stars also have a glut of forward prospects and lack depth on defense in their pipeline, especially on the right side. They could have selected forwards Ryan Suzuki or Arthur Kaliyev or Raphael Lavoie to bolster the forward pool, but instead chose Harley to add a needed defenseman to their pipeline.

Harley is the ninth first-round pick by general manager since he arrived in Dallas in 2013. He joins Heiskanen and Honka as the third defenseman Nill has taken in the first round.

Under Nill, the Stars have drafted inconsistently.

Heiskanen is already arguably the Stars' best all-around defenseman after he was taken third overall in 2017 and finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting for the league's best rookie. Roope Hintz developed into a legitimate top-six forward this season after he was a second-round pick in 2015. Jason Dickinson broke through this season

Riley Damiani and Jason Robertson look like promising prospects, and Riley Tufte and Ty Dellandrea are unfinished products. The team has also been good at finding undrafted talents like Joel L'Esperance, Gavin Bayreuther and Tye Felhaber.

But former first-rounders Valeri Nichushkin (2013) and Honka (2014) have struggled to find a role in the NHL.

Nichushkin failed to score a goal in 57 games this season, slipping from the second line to the fourth to a healthy scratch. Honka missed a chance to cement his spot in the lineup after the Stars were ravaged by injuries and was a healthy scratch for the season's final 35 games. just finished his most productive season in North America, but has to make the jump to becoming an NHL regular.

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Stars to open regular season at home against Eastern Conference champion Boston

Matthew DeFranks

Another opener, another finalist.

After the Stars open their preseason against Stanley Cup champion St. Louis on Sept. 16, they will open the regular season Oct. 3 against Eastern Conference champion Boston, the NHL announced on Thursday afternoon.

The league announced all 31 home openers on Thursday, which also included the Stars visiting Detroit on Oct. 6 for the Red Wings' home opener. In addition to the Boston and Detroit games, it has already been announced that the Stars will host the Predators in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day.

The rest of the league-wide regular-season schedule will be unveiled Tuesday at noon on NHL Network.

Here is the announced Stars schedule.

Preseason

Monday, Sept. 16: St. Louis at Dallas, American Airlines Center, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 17: Dallas at Minnesota, Xcel Energy Center, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 19: Dallas at Colorado, Pepsi Center, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21: Dallas vs. Florida, BOK Center (Tulsa, Okla.), 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 24: Dallas at St. Louis, Enterprise Center, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 26: Minnesota at Dallas, American Airlines Center, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 28: Colorado at Dallas, American Airlines Center, 5 p.m.

Regular season

Thursday, Oct. 3: Boston at Dallas, American Airlines Center, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 6: Dallas at Detroit, Little Caesars Arena, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 1: Nashville at Dallas, Cotton Bowl, TBA.

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Why the Stars should trade down in the first round of the NHL draft to accumulate picks

By Josh Lile

Jamie Benn missing that yawning net that would have ended Game 7 has already made some waves. The butterfly effect is in full swing here. By Benn not burying that puck, the St. Louis Blues were able to move on to the Western Conference final and eventually to win their first Stanley Cup. In turn, the Stars did not make the Western Conference final, so they were able to keep their 2019 first-round draft pick that would have been owed to the New York Rangers as a condition on the trade. So, here we sit on the of the draft, with the Stars in the game.

The problem the Stars face is that they only have eight draft picks over the next two years combined, as of now. Much of their draft capital was spent on acquiring Zuccarello, but also Jamie Oleksiak, Ben Lovejoy and Taylor Fedun. They've made efforts to accentuate their talent pool by signing some undrafted free agents in recent years, which is wonderful. You still want to have some skin in the game at the draft to get the first crack at prospects deemed to be the best of their age group.

It would make sense for the Stars to consider trading back from the 18th pick in an effort to pick up more draft capital, especially if they attack the draft the same way they did in 2018, when they selected several quality prospects. Ty Dellandrea, Albin Eriksson, Adam Mascherin and Riley Damiani all look like inspired picks.

Eriksson, Mascherin and Damiani were second-, fourth- and fifth-round selections, respectively. The Stars got some quality value out of the middle rounds by being more open-minded about the type of players they select. They didn't draft a bunch of hulking behemoths outside of Curtis Douglas, the most on-brand Stars pick possible. He moves really well for a big guy though, so even he doesn't really fit the previous Stars mold, either.

Little guys were welcome. Dellandrea is listed at 6 feet, Damiani 5-foot- 10 and Mascherin 5-9. They aren't big, but they can play. Mascherin was a re-draft after he didn't sign an entry-level contract with the Florida Panthers, who made him a second-round pick in 2016. As an older prospect, he dropped to the fourth round, but he's still a player. Because of his age, he was able to go directly to the AHL, too, which more immediately boosted the Stars' depth.

Ideally, you want first-round picks. In a perfect world, the Stars have a middle of their draft to complement the 18th pick, but we don't live in an ideal world. If the Stars can drop back 5-10 spots and pick up a middle- round pick, they should. It would be interesting to see them go full-force trusting this philosophy by getting out of the first round altogether and picking up a handful of picks.

Another possibility worth considering is flipping some extraneous depth pieces for middle-round picks. The Stars are starting to get backlogged again with decent depth options. At some point, they're going to need a chance to get NHL ice time if they're ever going to do anything. Flipping some for middle-round picks would help the cause, too, particularly guys who aren't going to be long-term fits.

The official start of the NHL crazy season is upon us. Over the next three weeks, most of what will ultimately be the Stars' opening-night roster will fall into place. Step No. 1 of that gauntlet begins tonight.

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Here's why Detroit Red Wings picked Moritz Seider: He makes pressure plays

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 11:01 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 11:43 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Moritz Seider couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop shaking.

He was as shocked as everyone else Friday at Rogers Arena when Steve Yzerman announced the German defenseman, who'd been projected to go anywhere from No. 12 to No. 23, as his his first pick as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

When Seider, selected with the sixth overall pick, ascended the platform to greet the Wings’ brain trust, Yzerman gave him some advice:

“He told me, just be calm and enjoy the moment," Seider said, "because my hands were still shaking I was so sweaty.

“It’s insane. I can’t describe it in words.”

The highest-rated defenseman in the draft, Canadian Bowen Byram, was picked by Colorado at fourth. The Wings had the choice among elite forwards Cole Caufield, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Vasili Podkolzin. But the Wings, who have drafted forwards in five of their last six first rounds, instead chose a 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman who was rookie of the year in the (DEL), Germany’s top men’s hockey league, in 2018-19 (he had six points in 29 games for Adler Mannheim).

Seider is a smart, two-way defenseman who loves to join the rush and isn’t afraid to play the body.

“He’s big, he’s efficient, and he’s smart,” said Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who saw Seider at the IIFC World Championship in May, when Seider had two goals in five games for his native Germany. “He made plays under pressure. For me, that’s what the best defensemen do.”

Germany defender Moritz Seider (21) and Czech Republic's Dmitrij Jaskin battle during the IIHF Men's World Championships quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and Germany on May 23, 2019 in Bratislava.

Blashill estimated Seider has the potential to be a top-four defenseman.

Seider said he expected to be picked “somewhere between 15 and 20,” but also knew the Wings were interested when his interview at the NHL combine lasted 40 minutes.

“Steve Yzerman wanted to know every single thing about me,” Seider said. “He wanted to know me as a person. He wanted to know everything about my parents, what they did for me. We decided to move to Mannheim so they quit their jobs and that was a huge commitment. It was a great meeting.

“It was the last meeting so I think that is going to be stuck in my memory for a long time. I think there was just a little percentage being drafted by Detroit.”

Seider’s parents quit their jobs as managers of an “old folks home,” he said, and relocated to Mannheim to nurture Seider’s development.

Seider started playing hockey when he was 5. He had a chance while in kindergarten to jump on the ice once a week, and “after a couple times, I got a little piece of paper in my stall from the hockey organization” in his hometown. The next week ,he was skating with his idols and in love with hockey.

He’ll be at development camp next week with the Wings' recent draft picks.

“Mannheim and Detroit I think have a lot in common,” Seider said. “They are both worker cities. I’m really looking forward to being in Detroit.”

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Upset about Red Wings picking Moritz Seider? Remember Tyler Bertuzzi

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 11:32 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Jeff Blashill pushed back when asked why the Detroit Red Wings chose Moritz Seider higher than any projections.

The Wings scored an upset in the first round of the NHL draft Friday at Rogers Arena when they selected Seider at sixth overall; he himself thought he’d be a 15-20 guy. It was Steve Yzerman’s first decision, and a bold one, since taking over as general manager of the Wings on April 19.

While Yzerman and chief amateur scout Tyler Wright bore the weight of making the pick, Blashill pointed to a pick in the 2013 draft that was questioned at the time.

“We have really good player in Tyler Bertuzzi that a lot of people thought we went off the board on a number of years ago,” Blashill said. “Yet it looks like a heck of a pick now.”

The Wings drafted Bertuzzi at 58th overall, using the second-round pick they received when they flipped first-round picks with the San Jose Sharks. Leading up to the 2013 draft, Bertuzzi wasn't expected to go as high as the second round as he missed about two months that year from a whiplash injury. Bertuzzi is now an integral part of the rebuild, a top-six forward and power play guy.

Bertuzzi made his Detroit debut in 2016-17, playing in seven games, but he didn't record a point. In the 2017-18 season, he played the majority of his games in Detroit (48 with the Red Wings, 16 with Grand Rapids), recording 24 points (seven goals). But it was last season that was a breakout for Bertuzzi, as he logged 47 points and was a plus-11 player.

That was less of a risk, of course, because had he not worked out, it’d have been forgotten by most people. Making an “off the board’” pick at sixth is going to be remembered.

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Steve Yzerman's surprise first Red Wings pick reminder of his own draft in 1983

Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press Published 10:08 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 11:13 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman made his first pick as Wings general manager on Friday night, taking German defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth pick of the draft in Vancouver, British Columbia. And while there's plenty of drama surrounding Seider's pick, it's easy to forget that drafts don't always work out down the line how we expect they will at the time.

Case in point: Yzerman's own draft, held on June 8, 1983, in Montreal. (By the way, Michigan was playing in the College World Series back then, too. Some things never change. Of course, the Tigers were actually close to being good. Some things do change, we guess.)

Anyway, here's the Sports front from the next day's paper, led by a Tigers win, a Wolverines CWS win, and, oh yeah, way downpage, the NHL draft. Safe to say, Stevie Y wasn't high on anyone's mind then.

The buzz then was about the quality of the American draft class; Red Wings fans were salivating about their chances to get Waterford native Pat LaFontaine with the No. 4 pick. Alas, it was not to be. Rhode Islander Brian Lawton became the first American taken No. 1 overall in the draft. And the Islanders swooped in with the third pick to take LaFontaine. Three other Americans went in the first round of the draft, including Milford resident and Michigan State alum . Oh, and the Wings?

They had to settle for some kid playing in Peterborough, Ontario.

Here's the first mention of Yzerman from the Freep's Bill McGraw, in the fourth paragraph of his story on the draft: "But the New York Islanders, drafting third, wound up with LaFontaine. The Red Wings, picking fourth, took Steve Yzerman, a highly rated player from the Ontario Hockey League."

Again, fourth paragraph. (And this was well before the draft was televised, as it is now.) It took six more paragraphs — and a jump to another page — to get back to Yzerman, after a quick rundown of how the Wings' hopes for LaFontaine were dashed, including this scene-setter from McGraw, a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame: "At the Red Wing table, owner Mike Ilitch lowered his head and stared at the floor."

Oof.

But hey, everyone knew Yzerman was a future legend, right?

More from McGraw: "Yzerman, pronounced EYE-zer-man, played for the Canadian Junior National team this winter in a tournament in Leningrad, U.S.S.R. He was considered one of the best players in the OHL, although he was not among the league's top 25 scorers. The Central Scouting Bureau report called him "mentally tough ... (has) great desire and attitude with excellent hockey sense ... good leadership qualities."

"Good leadership qualities," you say? Just a bit.

Of course, The (future) Captain was confident about his chances with the Wings, as he told McGraw: "They're rebuilding; I think I have a chance."

That he did. He made the team that season, scoring 39 goals and adding 48 assists in 80 games. He was named team captain in 1986, a role he held for 19 seasons, and finished with 692 goals (second in team history) and 1,063 assists, a Red Wings franchise record, and, oh yeah, three Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the in 2009.

LaFontaine, meanwhile, had a pretty solid career of his own, spending 15 seasons in the NHL before concussions forced his early retirement. He, too, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in 2003.

Still, we suspect Wings fans are pretty happy they had to settle for Stevie Y.

(Oh, and one last connection between 1983 and this year: Alfie Turcotte? His son, Alex, went fifth in Friday's draft, to the Los Angeles Kings.) 1147905 Detroit Red Wings

Even Moritz Seider couldn't believe Detroit Red Wings picked him

Greg Levinsky, Detroit Free Press Published 9:40 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 10:00 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

Even Moritz Seider didn't expect to be picked so early Friday night.

Selected No. 6 overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2019 NHL draft, the 6-foot-3, 208-pound German defenseman's early selection came as a surprise to everybody, even him and his family at the draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Ranked by all outlets outside of the top-9 picks, the 18-year-old rose up the draft board to become Steve Yzerman's first selection back in Detroit as the Red Wings general manager.

Moritz Seider, exhale.

The newest Red Wings draft pick’s reaction says it all. pic.twitter.com/UmFO62L7My

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) June 22, 2019

Seider, 18, was rookie of the year in the DEL, Germany’s top men’s hockey league. He had two goals and four assists in 29 games last season for Adler Mannheim.

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Detroit Red Wings stun by picking Moritz Seider at No. 6 in NHL draft

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 8:51 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 10:20 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — At sixth overall in the 2019 NHL draft, the Detroit Red Wings picked German defenseman Moritz Seider at Rogers Arena.

Seider was rookie of the year in the DEL, Germany’s top men’s hockey league in 2018-19. He had six points in 29 games for Mannheim. He brings size at 6 feet 3 and 208 pounds, and shoots right. Moritz looked stunned to hear his name called so early.

It was the first pick with Steve Yzerman as general manager. Seider was ranked sixth among European skaters in final draft rankings. The Wings passed up several highly rated forwards — Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield — and the pick reflects the lack of defensemen depth in the organization.

More: Steve Yzerman's surprise first Red Wings pick reminder of his own draft in 1983

Jack Hughes of the U.S. NTDP went first overall, as he’d been projected to do for more than a year. The New Jersey Devils had the luck of selecting him. The New York Rangers picked Kaapo Kakko at second. Those two were expected,

The Chicago Blackhawks chose center Kirby Dach at third overall. He was someone the Wings scouted heavily and had very high on their list. Bowen Byram, the top-rated defenseman, went at fourth overall to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Los Angeles Kings picked NTDP’s Alex Turcotte at fifth.

Seider joins recent first round picks in 2018’s Filip Zadina (sixth), 2017’s Michael Rasmussen (ninth), 2016’s Dennis Cholowski (20th) and 2015’s Evgeny Svechnikov (19th). Cholowski is a defenseman, all the others are forwards.

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New Jersey Devils take Plymouth's Jack Hughes No. 1 in 2019 NHL draft

Greg Levinsky, Detroit Free Press Published 8:18 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 8:42 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

Selected by the New Jersey Devils with the first overall pick of the 2019 NHL draft on Friday night, Jack Hughes has plenty of Michigan connections.

The consensus best player in the draft, the 18-year-old winger spent the past two years in the United States National Team Development Program based out of Plymouth. He tore it up this past winter with 112 points (34 goals, 78 assists) in 50 games as the captain of the U18 National Team.

"I'm so fired up," Hughes said on NBCSN's draft telecast. "I'm so pumped up to be a Devil right now. Great people, great organization."

Follow: 2019 NHL draft live updates: Tracking every pick in Round 1

Hughes' older brother, Quinn, played at Michigan the past two seasons before signing with the Vancouver Canucks in March. His younger brother, Luke, was born in Canton and plays for Little Caesars U15, and is committed to Michigan following his impending stints in Plymouth.

Born in Orlando, Florida, Hughes grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.

As the youngest USA player to compete at IIFH U18 World Championships this winter, Hughes, 17 at the time, broke the tournament's scoring record set by Alex Ovechkin. Hughes also has the USNTDP's all-time scoring record.

He'll play with two other No. 1 overall picks in Taylor Hall and .

"Unreal," Hughes said. "So many great players in the league, so many great players on the Devils. To be a part of that team, a part of that group now, I'm so fired up."

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Detroit Red Wings NHL draft: 6 candidates for Round 1 — and a wildcard

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET June 21, 2019

Months of scouting, days of meetings and hours of video are coming to a head as the Detroit Red Wings face the NHL draft.

Round 1, in which the Wings hold the sixth pick, begins Friday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Wings have nine picks spread across Rounds 2-7, which are Saturday.

Center Jack Hughes, the headliner on the stellar U18 U.S. National Team Development Program, and Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko are projected to be the first two picks. Bowen Byram, the top-rated defenseman, and center Alex Turcotte, another NTDP product, are also projected to be gone by the time the Wings choose.

Here are six candidates to take at sixth, followed by a wild card.

More: Steve Yzerman could accelerate Wings rebuild in NHL draft

F Matthew Boldy

Part of that outstanding U18 NTDP group, contributing 33 goals and 48 assists in 64 games. He plays with skill and power, using his 6-foot-2 body to his advantage as he maneuvers both to make plays and finish them.

F Cole Caufield

He’d be hard to pass up if available because he’s the purest scorer available. He racked up 72 goals among 100 points in 64 games for the NTDP, topping the previously single-season record set by (55 goals in 2014-15). Caufield, who shoots right, is only 5-7, but he’s wily and opportunistic. For a team that lacks scoring, Caufield has tremendous allure.

F Dylan Cozens

A really nice package of size (6-3, 183 pounds) and skill (34 goals and 50 assists in 68 games with Lethbridge in the WHL). He’s adept at both ends of the ice, drawing comparisons to Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews. Cozens isn’t shy around the net, and holds further appeal because he’s a very good skater and he shoots right. Could fit at center or right wing.

F Kirby Dach

Another well-rounded center who boasts size (6-4, 198 pounds), skill (73 points in 62 games for Saskatoon in WHL) and physicality to boot. He sees the ice well and uses his body to protect the puck while finding an open teammate. Another guy who shoots right.

F Vasili Podkolzin

He’s an extremely competitive winger who plays with tenacity at both ends of the ice. His numbers (eight goals and five assists in 26 games split between Russia’s junior league and second-highest league, scoreless in three KHL appearances) look anemic compared to the other forwards projected to go in the top 10, and he’s under contract for the next two seasons in the KHL, but he appeals in the way he gets involved every time he’s on the ice.

F Trevor Zegras

One of the most creative centers in the draft, who makes plays at an elite level but also does a nice job finishing (26 goals and 61 assists in 60 games with the NTDP). Eludes defenders going one-on-one. Counters what he lacks in skating and defense with slick moves in tight areas.

F Peyton Krebs

Led his Kootenay (WHL) team with 68 points (19 goals) in 64 games. Plays a skilled, smart game, and shows his competitiveness on both sides of the puck.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147909 Detroit Red Wings Boldy was the first of four straight picks for the program. With the next pick, the Florida Panthers grabbed goaltender Spencer Knights. Knight (6-3, 193) is the first goalie to go in first round of the NHL Draft since Plymouth-based program steals spotlight, smashes record for first-round Andrei Vasilevskiy went No. 19 to Tampa Bay in 2012. NHL Draft picks With the 14th pick, the Philadelphia Flyers took defenseman Cameron York from the NTDP. York (5-11, 172) had 14 goals and 65 points in 63 games for the program and is headed to the University of Michigan in the By Jim Parker, Special to The Detroit News Published 11:53 p.m. ET fall. June 21, 2019 | Updated 1:01 a.m. ET June 22, 2019 Then, diminutive Cole Caufield was the seventh program player to go when he was scooped up by the Montreal Canadiens at No. 15.

Trevor Zegras was the third NTDP player to be drafted in the first round The only knock on Caufield is his 5-7, 170-pound frame, but he has been of Friday's NHL Draft, which tied the team's record. a scoring machine for the program with a team record 126 goals in 123 games and is also headed to the University of Wisconsin. It took a dozen picks for the United States National Team Development Program to set a new team record. Caufield, who got a hug from Hughes on the draft floor, is also headed to the University of Wisconsin in the fall. The program of elite American hockey talent, which is located in Plymouth, never had more than three players selected in the first round The American run at the draft continued with the 18th pick as the Dallas of the NHL Draft until Friday. Stars took Syracuse, New York, native Thomas Harley. A 6-3, 193-pound defenseman, Harley plays in the Ontario Hockey League with the The old record was set in 2014, led by the Detroit Red Wings’ selection . of Dylan Larkin, but it was shattered on Friday when seven players were taken before the midway mark of the draft, which is being held in Denver native Nolan Foote, who played for Kelowna in the Western Vancouver. Hockey League, went to the Lightning with the 27th pick in the first round. The 6-3, 187-pound forward is the son of two-time Stanley Cup champion “I don’t think words can grasp how we’re feeling here,” NTDP Under-18 Adam Foote, and his older brother Cal Foote was selected 14th overall head coach John Wroblewski said. “It’s the culmination of a lot of effort by Tampa Bay in the 2017 NHL Draft. from a lot of different people. The NTDP extended its record to eight picks in the first round when the “All of these kids ended up in the appropriate spots and they place the Boston Bruins selected forward John Beecher with the 30th pick. went were huge beneficiaries.” Beecher (6-3, 212) is also headed to the University of Michigan in the fall. It all started with the New Jersey Devils, who made center Jack Hughes And, after starting the draft with an American, the first round came to a the fifth player to go through the NTDP program in its 22-year history the close with the 11th player from the United States being selected as the first overall in the NHL Draft and the eighth American ever taken with the Buffalo Sabres took defenseman Ryan Johnson. top pick. Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2019 “Obviously, going first overall, that was a dream of mine,” Hughes said. “I’m just excited to be part of the organization now.”

The 5-foot-10, 171-pound Hughes finished his two-year career NTDP with a program record 228 points in 110 games, which breaks the previous mark of 189 points set by former NHL first-round pick Clayton Keller.

“I’m so excited to be a part of that organization,” Hughes said of the Devils. “Just really fired up right now. It’s a surreal feeling. It’s unbelievable everything you work for and I’m really just blessed to be around the people I am.”

Hughes was off to interviews when NTDP teammate Alex Turcotte went to the Los Angeles Kings with the fifth pick overall.

Turcotte (5-11, 186) has battled injuries, but still finished with 27 goals and 62 points in 37 games for the program. His 1.68 points per game was second on the team to Hughes, who averaged 2.24 points per game.

The son of former NHLer Alfie Turcotte, who was a first-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 1983, is scheduled to attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall.

The 2018-19 team tied the program record by pick No. 9 when the Anaheim Ducks took center Trevor Zegras.

Zegras (6-foot, 173) was third in team scoring this season with 26 goals and 87 points in 60 games and is scheduled to attend Boston University in the fall.

The new record for the program came with the 12th overall pick when the Minnesota Wild took left-winger Matthew Boldy.

Boldy (6-2, 196), who is headed to Boston College, is known to play a hard 200-foot game and had 33 goals and 81 points in 64 games with the program.

He showed his two-way ability by leading the team with four short- handed goals and was second on the club with 10 power-play goals.

Matthew Boldy's selection in the first round set the record for first-round picks by United States National Team Development Program players in a single draft. 1147910 Detroit Red Wings Yzerman said he considered moving back in the draft, and possibly acquire more draft picks from another team, but nothing materialized.

And the Wings weren’t optimistic Seider would last into the second round 'Still in shock': Red Wings pull stunner, select defenseman Moritz Seider on Saturday. with No. 6 pick “We had to make a decision,” Yzerman said. “We’re pretty excited to get him.”

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 9:07 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Red Wings pick Moritz Seider is all smiles after being taken in the first Updated 12:27 a.m. ET June 22, 2019 round of Friday's NHL Draft.

Beyond Seider, there weren’t many surprises at the top of the Friday’s Vancouver, British Columbia — Moritz Seider was as shocked as draft. everyone else was in Rogers Arena. Jack Hughes, from the Plymouth Township-based U.S. National Team Seider, a German defenseman who was expecting to be picked Development Program, was picked first overall by the New Jersey Devils. somewhere in the 15-20 range in Friday’s NHL Draft, heard his name Hughes was announced by former Devils legend goaltender Martin called by the Red Wings with the No. 6 overall pick. Brodeur, and was cheered by the Vancouver crowd. Hughes was also Unexpected? Yes, you could say that. congratulated by his brother Quinn, who is a defenseman on the Canucks and a former Michigan standout. “Amazing,” Seider said minutes after having met everyone at the Red Wings’ table. “I’m still in shock. I had no idea. My hands were shaking “It’s a surreal feeling,” Hughes said. “I’m pumped to be a Devil. I’m real and legs were shaking. I looked at my mom and she was so shocked, excited.” she was way more nervous than I was.” After Hughes, as expected, the New York Rangers selected Finnish When Seider met general manager Steve Yzerman at the podium, sensation Kaapo Kakko second overall. Yzerman had some advice for his young prospect. Kakko had an excellent men’s world championships tournament in May, “Just be calm and enjoy the moment,” Seider said. “Because my hands solidifying his position right behind Hughes. were shaking and I was so sweaty.” It was after those two players that the draft became one larger question Yzerman has been intrigued with Seider since watching the 6-foot-4, mark. 198-pound right-hand shot at the world junior tournament. And the Chicago Blackhawks threw a bit of a curveball, selecting center The all-around versatility Seider displayed, Yzerman said, was Kirby Dach (Saskatoon/WHL) at No. 3. impressive. Dach had 25 goals and 73 points in 62 games, and projects as an “We think he has excellent hockey sense,” Yzerman said. “Obviously offensive force the Blackhawks need with Patrick Kane and Jonathan he’s a big kid, real good skater. He’s a real smart player. When I first saw Toews not getting any younger. him, I was surprised. You’re going to see a young kid in Germany and Colorado, at No. 4, chose defenseman Bowen Byram, who played for the you don’t expect that kind of hockey IQ. Vancouver junior team in the WHL and was rated as the best “In our opinion he was one of the top defensemen in the draft. Anyone defenseman in this draft class. we picked (at No. 6 overall) would have filled a need, based on where With the No. 5 pick, the Kings selected the second USNTDP player, Alex we’re at. A big, good skating, smart defenseman…it’s a very valuable Turcotte. asset.” Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2019 Coach Jeff Blashill saw Seider up close during the world championships — Blashill coached Team USA — and came away impressed.

“He’s big, efficient, smart and he plays under pressure,” Blashill said. “That’s what the best defensemen do. As an 18-year-old in a men’s league, he handled himself very well. He looks like a guy who can keep growing into his body.”

Seider’s ability to play so well against men in the German pro league is a good example, said Blashill, of Seider’s poise.

“When I watched him under pressure, he was able to make passes through people,” Blashill said. “That’s what the best defensemen do. They don’t see the first forechecker, they see their options and he did a good job of that.”

“Certainly he has the look of a guy that can be a top-four defenseman who helps you win hockey games.”

Seider played in Mannheim in the German pro league last season, tallying two goals and four assists in 29 games and was the rookie of the year in the German pro league.

The Wings met with Seider during the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, New York.

“They asked so many questions, and wanted to know everything about me,” said Seider, who felt the 40-minute meeting might be an inkling the organization might have interest in him.

Yzerman wouldn’t commit as to where Seider will play next season, be it in North America or returning to play with Mannheim.

“Let’s get to training camp and if he goes back there (to Germany), it’s a first-class organization, a good program, a real good team,” Yzerman said. “We’ll let it play out and whatever is best for him.” 1147911 Detroit Red Wings A bonafide two-way player, Cozens becomes the first player drafted from Canada's Yukon Territory. His size and physical force will mix in nicely with Buffalo's rising crop of young talent.

NHL Draft recap: 7 USNDTP players taken in top 15 picks 8. Edmonton — D Philip Broberg (AIK - Sweden)

Old friend of the Motor City Ken Holland makes his first selection as Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News Published 7:08 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | president of hockey operations with Edmonton, following the defensive- Updated 11:56 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 minded selection of his replacement in Detroit by selecting an elite- skating defenseman of his own.

9. Anaheim — C Trevor Zegras (USNDTP) The Detroit Red Wings take another big step forward in their rebuilding efforts on Friday night with the No. 6 pick in the NHL Draft. You can Zegras is an elusive skater and creative puck-mover, giving Anaheim a follow all of the picks, news and developments with live updates from top playmaking center for the future. He's also the third NDTP player Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. selected tonight, tying the club's first-round draft record.

FIRST ROUND 10. Vancouver — RW Vasili Podkolzin (SKA St. Petersburg - KHL)

1. New Jersey — C Jack Hughes (USNTDP) Podzolzin has a knack for getting the puck near the front of the net, and at 6-1, 185, is an absolute force to be reckoned with when he picks up a Despite recent whispers that Kaapo Kakko had been closing in on full head of steam. Hughes for the No. 1-overall selection in this year's draft, the Devils didn't deviate from the draft's consensus best player when it came time to 11. Arizona (from Philadelphia) — D Victor Soderstrom (Brynas IF - SHL) make the official call. We have our first trade. Arizona moves up to No. 11 in exchange for the The Orlando-born center is the eighth American to be taken first overall 14th and 45th pick. and the brother of former Michigan Wolverine Quinn Hughes, who was With it, the Coyotes select the draft's fourth defenseman, grabbing the taken seventh in the 2018 draft. two-way blue-liner as a possible top partner for Jakob Chychrun.

Jack Hughes, center, poses for photos after being selected by the New 12. Minnesota — LW Matthew Boldy (USNTDP) Jersey Devils with the first pick in Friday's NHL Draft. That makes it a record-breaking night for the NDTP, as Boldy, a Boston 2. N.Y. Rangers — RW Kaapo Kakko (TPS Turku - LIIGA) College commit, goes 12th overall.

With Hughes off the board, the Rangers' decision to draft Kakko will be 13. Florida — G Spencer Knight (USNDTP) the easiest choice made by any team tonight. The Finnish LIIGA Rookie of the Year tallied 38 points in 45 games for TPS; his hockey IQ and Knight is arguably the most NHL-ready goaltender in this year's draft, and physicality make him a great consolation prize (if you can even call him it'd be a surprise to see him spend any longer than one season with that). Boston College before competing for a job in the national league.

3. Chicago — C Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades - WHL) 14. Philadelphia (from Arizona) — D Cam York (USNDTP)

Dach might need a year or two to develop before he becomes an NHL- Make it three in a row and six total players drafted from the USNDTP. caliber player, but with a 6-4 frame at just 18 years old, his combination York, a Michigan commit, has above average vision coming out of his of size, speed and ability should put him on the fast track to earning a own zone and excellent spacing in the defensive end. spot with Chicago. Friendly reminder that Cole Caufield is still on the board. 4. Colorado (from Ottawa) — D Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants - WHL) 15. Montreal — RW Cole Caufield (USNDTP) And the draft's first defenseman has come off the board. Byram's skating ability and puck-handling skills make him a valuable asset in every zone Looks like I jinxed it. Nonetheless, Montreal gets high value for Caufield, and his knack for taking away passing lanes has drawn comparisons to a projected top-10 pick. the game of Chicago All-Star Duncan Keith. The Wisconsin commit scored 72 goals in 64 games last season, and 5. Los Angeles — C Alex Turcotte (USNTDP) despite a 5-7 stature, has been pegged as the best goal scorer in this year's draft. Turcotte becomes the second American to come off the board, joining USNTDP roommate Hughes as a top-5 pick. Turcotte, who racked up 62 16. Colorado — C Alex Newhook (Victoria Grizzlies - BCHL) points in 37 games during his last season with the Plymouth-based club, With its second pick of the first round, Colorado grabs a goal-scorer to is currently committed to the University of Wisconsin. compliment the pick of Byram. Newhook scored 102 points with the 6. Detroit — D Moritz Seider (Addler Mannheim - DEL) Victoria Grizzlies a year ago, 18 more than the next closest player.

Well, this comes as quite a surprise. After Byram, the run at defensemen 17. Vegas — C Peyton Krebs (Winnipeg ICE - WHL) wasn't expected until a few picks down the road, but Steve Yzerman gets A torn achilles probably cost Krebs anywhere from six to eight draft aggressive with his first selection at general manager and makes Seider positions, but he ends up in a pretty nice situation with a playoff the first German-born defenseman to be drafted in the first round. contender regardless.

Detroit with the first stunner: Take Moritz Seider with the No. 6 pick. 18. Dallas — D Thomas Harley (Mississauga Steelheads - OHL) There was an audible gasp in the crowd. Harley's biggest upside is his offensive ability. He's an excellent coast-to- — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 22, 2019 coast skater with great playmaking vision.

At 6-4, 207, Yzerman told NBCSN's Kathryn Tappen about Seider, 19. Ottawa — D Lassi Thomson (Kelowna Rockets - WHL) "Ultimately what we liked is a big defenseman who can skate, who has excellent hockey sense." Thomson is the second consecutive defenseman to come off the board. His poise while breaking out of the defensive zone is his biggest asset Even Seider was caught off guard by the selection. and his ceiling projects as a top-4 puck-moving defenseman.

Love the reaction, Moritz Seider! 20. Winnipeg — D Ville Heinola (Lukko - Finland) #NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/UKAglDPdWw With back-to-back Fins taking us into the 20s, consider the 2019 NHL — NHL GIFs (@nhlgifs) June 22, 2019 Draft as Finland putting the international hockey community on watch. 7. Buffalo — C Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes - WHL) The former World Junior gold medalist doesn't have a ton of star power attached to his game, but he's a reliable, smart player that'll have the chance to be an important player on Winnipeg's blue line. 21. Pittsburgh — LW Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke Phoenix - QMJHL) Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2019

Poulin will probably require another season or two in juniors before trying his hand at making Pittsburgh's roster, but with an extremely high offensive upside, makes him worth a late first-round selection.

22. Los Angeles (from Toronto) — D Tobias Bjornfot (Djugardens IF - SHL)

Bjornfot is the third Swedish defenseman to be drafted in the first round thus far. Los Angeles' quest to find "grit and sandpaper" players continues.

23. N.Y. Islanders — RW Simon Holmstrom (HV71 - SHL)

This pick will be deemed as a bit of a stretch — for reference, TSN's Bob McKenzie had Holmstrom slated to be taken in the 40s — but Holmstrom has goal-scoring tools that fit in well with the philosophy Lou Lamoriello is building in .

24. Nashville — C Philip Tomasino (Niagra IceDogs - OHL)

Tomasino's elusive speed makes him an intriguing player in today's game. Still just 17 years old, he'll have a little bit of time to form other tools around the focal point of his talent.

25. Washington — C Connor McMichael ( - OHL)

McMichael is the ultimate utility man and an on-the-rise producer. He made a 56-point improvement between his first and second juniors seasons, putting up 36 goals and 36 assists for the OHL's London Knights last year.

26. Calgary — LW Jakob Pelletier (Moncton Wildcats - QMJHL)

Pelletier's 89-point season in Moncton is all the proof anybody should need that the Canadian-born winger can produce on offense, but at 5-9, 161, Pelletier's size makes him a risky first-round selection.

If only there was a recent example of a pure-scoring, undersized forward finding success in Calgary...

27. Tampa Bay — LW Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets - WHL)

Foote is a great finisher with a knack for getting open around the net. His speed could use some improvement, but with Tampa Bay's loaded forward depth, Foote will likely have all the time he needs to develop into the player the Lightning want.

28. Carolina — C Ryan Suzuki (Barrie Colts - OHL)

Suzuki is a playmaking center with great hockey sense and puck- handling ability. Suzuki was widely projected as a top-10 pick prior to his most recent season with Barrie, but his lack of competitive edge and reluctance to play inside forced him to nearly slip out of the first round.

29. Anaheim (from San Jose) — LW Brayden Tracey (Moose Jaw Warriors - WHL)

Tracey's development from Triple-A Bantam to juniors earned him an impressive rise amongst pre-draft rankings. With a changing of the guard in Anaheim's front end already underway, Tracey becomes the second forward drafted by the Ducks tonight.

30. Boston — C John Beecher (USNDTP)

Make it eight USNDTP players to be taken in the first round of tonight's draft. Like Tracey and Zegras in Anaheim, Beecher is a pick that won't be expected to make an immediate impact, but will instead have some time to grow as David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron finish their careers at center.

31. Buffalo (from St. Louis) — D Ryan Johnson

The first round of the NHL Draft has been bookended by American players, bringing the total amount to nine. Johnson is the only one who didn't play for the USNDTP, though, instead playing his most recent season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

NHL DRAFT

When: Friday, 8 p.m.

Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver

TV: NBCSN

Format: First round Friday, rounds 2-7 Saturday 1147912 Detroit Red Wings Recent draft picks Keith Petruzzelli, Joren Van Pottelberghe and Jesper Eliasson are still years away from potentially seeing the NHL.

“We have several prospects acquired through the draft, we’re hoping Steve Yzerman unsure about more changes in Red Wings' front office they evolve into NHLers at some point,” Yzerman said. “Whether we use a pick on a goaltender I couldn’t definitively say. Certainly there are some guys in the draft that we have some interest in.” Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 4:28 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 Goaltenders Hunter Jones (Peterborough/OHL), Ethan Haider (Minnesota/NAHL), Isaiah Saville (Tri-City/USHL) and Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat/WHL) are possible second-day selections. Vancouver, British Columbia – There have been a couple changes in the Red Wings’ front office since Steve Yzerman took over as general Busy, busy manager. Yzerman has immersed himself in his job since returning to the Wings’ Pat Verbeek arrived from Tampa to become assistant general manager, organization on April 19. similar to what Verbeek did in the Lightning organization, and Ken Holland departed to run the Edmonton Oilers. With the draft this weekend, the development camp next week, and start of unrestricted free agency on July 1, there’s been much to prepare for. Yzerman isn’t sure if he’ll make more changes in the weeks ahead. “It’s been very busy,” Yzerman said. “I find myself very busy every day, “I don’t want to rule it out, but I don’t have any specifics,” Yzerman said. I’m not sure what, exactly, I’m accomplishing each day but it’s been busy. “Will there be change? Yes. To what extent? I can’t say definitively. I That’s how I feel at the end of every day. There’s a lot of things going on. don’t want to change just to change. There’s good people here. “We’re king of chipping away at it all. We’re going to be very prepared “I want to make sure things are running the way I want them to run and I (for the draft and free agency). I’m not too worried about that. We’ll chip have the right people in place to do that. How much, I really can’t predict away at the other things.” at this point. If there’s some things that need to be answered or positions that need to be settled, whether that’s with people that are in place or Combine helpful new people, that will be determined over the summer and, really, over The NHL draft combine, held earlier in the month in Buffalo, doesn’t the course of next season, as well.” necessarily sway the team to pick one player over another, said One department to keep an eye on is amateur scouting. Yzerman. But it does help Yzerman, and the rest of his staff, to know the prospects a little better. Holland hired Tyler Wright as the Wings’ director of amateur scouting in 2013 and has yet to fill the position with the Oilers. Edmonton, “It’s just an opportunity to get to know them a little bit, spend a few incidentally, was the team that drafted Wright when he was a player. minutes making a first impression if you’ve never met them before,” Yzerman said. “I just like to meet them and get a feel for their personality. Earning their spots It doesn’t really change where we have them in our order.”

Just like Holland did before him, Yzerman said the Wings will not be Detroit News LOADED: 06.22.2019 giving NHL jobs to young players who haven’t earned them.

“Nobody is getting handed a position on the Red Wings,” Yzerman said. “I don’t care if you’re a first-round pick or a free-agent signing. You have to earn your spot. If players have that attitude – they come in and they will work hard and push themselves – whether they’re on the team at the start of the season or not, we’ll have them competing for spots because the most competitive kids are going to make our team better.”

Yzerman wants to see a high level of internal competition for roster spots.

“We’re all part of trying to get the Red Wings back into Stanley Cups and becoming a good team,” Yzerman said. “I want them (players) to push each other. They’re all in it together. Are they competing for jobs? I don’t necessarily look at it that way. I want them to push each other and be part of making us a good hockey team.

“But competition is good.”

Home opener

The Red Wings will open the home portion of their 2019-20 regular season schedule on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. against the Dallas Stars.

It’s the Wings’ organization’s 94th season in the NHL.

The full regular season schedule will be released Tuesday.

Goalies needed

Don’t be surprised if the Red Wings address the goaltending position at some point during Saturday’s portion of the draft.

The Wings have nine picks in rounds 2-7 – including three in the second round.

The Wings would like to strengthen their goaltending depth in the organization. There’s no NHL-ready talent, at this stage, beyond Jimmy Howard and .

The Wings hope Filip Larsson will develop into an NHL goaltender, but he will begin his pro career this season in Grand Rapids. Patrik Rybar is unsigned to return to the Griffins. 1147913 Detroit Red Wings The Red Wings will have nine more picks Saturday in the final six rounds (11 a.m., NHL Network), including three second-round selections (Nos. 35, 54 and 60).

Two-way defenseman Moritz Seider ‘shocked’ Red Wings took him at Michigan Live LOADED: 06.22.2019 No. 6

Updated Jun 21, 11:24 PM; Posted Jun 21, 11:18 PM

By Ansar Khan

When Moritz Seider stepped onto the stage Friday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Steve Yzerman offered him some advice.

“He said just be calm and enjoy the moment because my hands were so shaky and I was so sweaty,” Seider said.

The Detroit Red Wings selected Seider, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound right- shooting defenseman from Germany, with the sixth selection at the NHL Entry Draft.

Yzerman pulled a shocker with his first pick ever as Red Wings general manager. Seider wasn’t projected to be taken in the top 10 by most draft analysts. He even admitted he hoped to go between 15 and 20.

Seider’s surprise reaction when his name was called was telling.

“I was just shocked,” Seider told media at the draft. “My hands are shaking. My legs are still shaking. I looked to my mom; she was so shocked. I think she was way more nervous. … It’s still an unreal moment.”

Many expected the Red Wings to tab one of several forwards available – Dylan Cozens (No. 7 to Buffalo) , Trevor Zegras (No. 9 to Anaheim), Vasili Podkolzin (No. 10 to Vancouver) or Cole Caufield (No. 15 to Montreal). But they need defensemen with top-two potential in their system, and Seider fits the bill.

“I would say smart, two-way defenseman who loves to join the rush and create space for his teammates but also is not afraid to play the body on the ice,” Seider said in describing his game.

He said he improved by playing in the German men’s league, appearing in 29 games for Mannheim (two goals, four assists).

“I think it was the perfect opportunity for myself, challenging, getting better as a player, but also I think it’s very important getting better as a person and just hanging around with all those experienced guys, getting to know their family, that was a huge step for myself as a person,” Seider said.

He said he needs to improve his acceleration, his first few steps, and getting shots through traffic.

He said Nashville’s Roman Josi is one of his biggest idols because he’s “a very smart, two-way defenseman.”

Seider will take part in Red Wings development camp at Little Caesars Arena next week from Tuesday to Saturday. He said it’s still to be determined if he will play in Mannheim next season or come to North America.

“I think we have to settle down and have a couple of meetings and figure out what’s best for myself, where I can play the most, where I can learn the most and where I feel comfortable,” Seider said.

Seider said he had ‘great’ pre-draft meetings with the Red Wings, including his last at the NHL Draft Combine, which took 40 minutes and stuck in his memory.

“Steve Yzerman wanted to know every single thing about me, but when you saw a couple of rankings there, I wasn’t that high on any of them,” Seider said.

Yzerman wanted to know about him as a person as well as his parents and what they did for him.

“We decided to move to Mannheim, so they quit their jobs, that was a huge commitment,” Seider said. “I’m just happy to pay a little bit back now.” 1147914 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings select defenseman Moritz Seider with No. 6 pick in surprise move

Updated Jun 21, 10:02 PM; Posted Jun 21, 9:01 PM

By Ansar Khan

Steve Yzerman pulled a shocker in his first draft as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, selecting defenseman Moritz Seider of Germany with the six overall pick Friday at the NHL Entry Draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Seider has good size at 6-3 and 208 pounds and shoots right.

He appeared in 29 games for Mannheim this past season, picking up two goals and four assists. He was named rookie of the year in the German league.

“He’s a very good prospect,” Yzerman said on NBC Sports Network. “We felt the top five kind of went somewhat as we expected, and this next group of players, including Moritz, they’re very good prospects. Ultimately, what we liked is he’s a a big defenseman who can skate and has excellent hockey sense.

“There’s a lot of players to choose from. It wasn’t a no-brainer, but we’re excited to get him.”

Seider was rated only sixth among Europen skaters in the final rankings by NHL Central Scouting, Most mock drafts did not project him to be selected in the top 10.

Red Line Report said of Seider: “Two-way defender with outstanding size and mature beyond his years. Both at the senior and junior levels, plays a calm and collected game, glaring mistakes are as rare as snow in July. Simply does not make any bad decisions. Played huge minutes and nearly all of them as a take-charge-guy. Very good mobility and agility, can skate people out of danger areas. Excellent hockey sense, near perfect positional play and no panic at all. Won a DEL championship with Mannheim, then made Germany’s senior men’s World Championship team afterward. Not used in an offensive role in Mannheim, but showed both at the U-20 and the WC that he excels on the PP too -- distributes the puck well and his wrist shot is hard and accurate. Carries the puck out of his own end or makes great outlets. Only setbacks in a great year were two shoulder injuries, as well as getting driven into the boards at the WC.”

He models his style of player after Nashville defenseman Roman Josi.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147915 Detroit Red Wings “For me it’s just an opportunity to get to know them a little bit, spend a few minutes making a first impression if you’ve never met them before,” Yzerman said. “Kind of size them up a little bit. Very unscientifically, Steve Yzerman hoping draft accelerates Red Wings rebuild trying to figure out is he going to grow? Is he going to put on weight? Is he done growing? Mostly I just like to meet them and get a feel for their personality a little bit. It doesn’t really change where we have them in our order.” Updated Jun 21, 4:48 PM; Posted Jun 21, 6:01 AM Michigan Live LOADED: 06.22.2019 By Ansar Khan

Steve Yzerman’s first draft as Detroit Red Wings general manager could have a profound effect on the franchise’s rebuild.

The Red Wings figure to get an impactful player with the sixth pick and they have a good opportunity to find solid contributors in second round, where they have three selections (Nos. 35, 54 and 60).

Overall, Detroit has 10 picks.

The first round is tonight (8 p.m., NBC Sports Network) and Rounds 2 through 7 is Saturday (11 a.m., NHL Network) at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

“Ideally, we’d hit on all of these prospects and have players that turn out for us, but there’s no guarantee of that,” Yzerman said during his pre- draft media address last week. “When you look back at the histories of drafts and the percentage of players playing for us, it’s more difficult than it seems. The more players you get out of each draft, it speeds up the process.”

Center Jack Hughes of the U.S. National Team Development Program and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko are certain to be the first two players taken, by New Jersey and the New York Rangers.

It is difficult to predict the order of the next 10 to 12 picks, but defenseman Bo Byram of Vancouver (WHL) is highly unlikely to be available for the Red Wings at No. 6.

That’s why Detroit will probably take one of several highly rated centers, one or two of whom will probably be off the board: Alex Turcotte and Trevor Zegras of the USNTDP, Kirby Dach of Saskatoon (WHL) and Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge (WHL).

The Red Wings might instead opt for a winger like Cole Caufield (USNTDP) or Vasili Podkolzin (St. Petersburgh, KHL).

Yzerman believes it’s a deep draft.

“The big two up top get a lot of attention and they deserve it, but we’re as excited about the 35th pick,” Yzerman said. “I think there’s a lot of good prospects in this draft.”

The Red Wings have many talented young forwards on their roster (Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Michael Rasmussen) and several with promise in their system (Filip Zadina, Evgeny Svechnikov, Joe Veleno). They need more depth of defense prospects to join the likes of Filip Hronek, Dennis Cholowski, Oliwer Kaski, Gustav Lindstrom and Jared McIsaac.

The Red Wings are sure to select a goaltender, perhaps as early as the second round.

“Filip Larsson coming from Denver to play in Grand Rapids,” Yzerman said. “(Jesper) Eliasson I’m familiar with him because in Tampa we had our eye on him. A couple more goalies over in Europe (Victor Brattstrom and Joren Van Pottelberghe). We have several prospects that the Red Wings have acquired through the draft (including Keith Petruzzelli). We’re hoping that they evolve into NHLers at some point.

“Whether we use a pick on a goaltender I couldn’t definitively say. Certainly, there are some guys in the draft that we have some interest in.”

The top-rated North American goalies, according to the final NHL Central Scouting rankings, are 6-3 Spencer Knight (USNTDP), 6-8 Mads Sogaard (Medicine Hat, WHL) and 6-4 Hunter Jones (Peterborough, OHL). The top-rated European goalies are 6-3 Pyotr Kochetkov (Ryazan, KHL), 6-3 Hugo Alnefelt (HV71, Sweden) and Lukas Parik (Liberec Jr., Czech Republic).

Yzerman said his meetings with prospects at the Draft Combine in Buffalo did not alter his draft strategy. 1147916 Detroit Red Wings

Moritz Seider No.1 not that outside-the-box by Yzerman, Red Wings

By Pat Caputo Updated 4 hrs ago

Steve Yzerman shocked the world with his first No. 1 draft pick for the Red Wings, German defenseman Moritz Seider.

But it may not have been as outside-the-box as it seems simply based on media mock drafts.

Seider is tall (6-foot-4), has a long reach and by most accounts did get better playing in a men’s league, albeit not among the best in Europe, last winter in his native Germany. He is also a right-handed shot, who more than held his own during the Hockey World Championship.

Because he is not from one of the hockey hotbed countries, and hasn’t been showcased on a top team internationally, doesn’t mean Seider won’t have the same upside as some of the defensemen taken early in this draft, such as Canada’s Bowen Byram (4th overall to Colorado) or Sweden’s Philip Broberg (8th overall to Edmonton).

The Red Wings went into this draft with two primary needs: Defense and center.

In the process of selecting Seider, they bypassed highly-regarded centers Dylan Cozens (from Canada, 7th overall to Buffalo) and Trevor Zegras (United States Development Program, 9th overall to Anaheim).

If they become top-end players - and Seider doesn’t - it, of course, will be a decision that could come back to haunt Yzerman.

But don’t be so sure Yzerman wasn’t right about this pick. Seider was expected to be selected in the first round. It was just supposed to be in the mid-to-late portion. And he is a player, who helped himself a great deal during the past season - especially against high-end talent at the world championship. It is a signal Seider may have been underrated when the evaluation process began in earnest by various media outlets.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147917 Edmonton Oilers Hockey is gaining serious momentum in the U.S., with their national teams giving Canada all it can handle in international competitions and Americans going first overall in two of the last four drafts. Canada hasn’t Oilers draft notes: Nice Jump for Fort Sask's Kirby Dach had a first overall since Connor McDavid in 2015.

“The game has grown so much in the U.S. over the last decade,” said Turcotte. “It’s contributed to players like Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, ROBERT TYCHKOWSKIUpdated: June 21, 2019 Dylan Larkin, there are so many of those superstars who’ve come through the NTDP. We all really look up to those guys.”

“They’ve produced a lot of NHL draft picks over the years so to be part of VANCOUVER — Kirby Dach was as surprised as everyone else when it is really special,” said Cole Caufield, who went 15th to Montreal. “I’m the Chicago Blackhawks strayed from the draft rankings to grab him third happy for all the guys who are getting the attention they deserve.” overall Friday in Vancouver. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 06.22.2019 “It’s pretty surreal,” said the six-foot-four centre from Fort Saskatchewan, who was rated in the five-to-six range on a lot of lists. “I’m kind of at a loss for words for what just happened. It’s awesome to be picked by the Blackhawks. You look at what they’ve been able to accomplish and the management group they have. It’s going to be a great opportunity for me.”

Blackhawks fans and draft experts were all caught flat-footed by Chicago’s decision, but the team wanted him badly and Dach is glad they did.

“I met with them at the combine and was in touch with the team but I didn’t know what to expect, but when I heard my name it was a surreal feeling, hard to describe.

“I’m pretty excited to be going to the city. It’s an original Six team. I get to learn from a couple of guys like Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome.”

Dach also has the distinction of being the first Canadian player taken in the draft behind American Jack Hughes and Finland’s Kaapo Kakko.

“It’s huge. There is such a great talent of Western Hockey League players and Canadian players here, to be the first one selected in an honour to represent my country.”

His stock rose a little because of the playoffs, both his own as well as those in the NHL, where the St. Louis Blues proved that big, heavy hockey can still win the day.

“I love playing in playoffs,” he said. “It’s a time where I can kind of ramp up my intensity and be a difference maker every night. I think that’s what makes good players great.”

He hopes he make the jump to the NHL next season, but that will be a decision made at training camp in the fall.

“As a player and a competitor you want to play at the next level as quick as you can so it’s obviously a goal of mine to get there, but we’ll see. You can never be good. I’m always trying to fine-tune my game to get ready for the next level. I have a lot of work in front of me this summer, but I’m going to sit back and enjoy the next couple of days and soak it all in.”

NO HURRY

Oilers general manager Ken Holland says fans should expect about a three- or four-year wait before they see Philip Broberg showing his stuff on the Edmonton blueline. He says rookie defencemen take a long time to develop and he plans on using all of it to groom their eighth pick overall.

“If you pick eighth you’re hoping he will be a top-four defenceman,” said Holland. “To play defence in the NHL you probably have to be 21, 22 or 23 years old. He’s 18. He’s got two years of junior left to go. We’ll see if he goes to (OHL) Hamilton or stays in Sweden. We have to make sure he develops and becomes an NHL defenceman. You can’t rush him. He needs to play in a league where he’s important and he plays a lot of minutes.”

AMERICAN MADE

Seven of the top 15 picks this year were Americans as the U.S. National Team Development Program enjoyed a banner year at the Draft. Oilers GM Ken Holland described this year’s crop as a generational team and it’s hard to argue.

“It’s all the top players in the U.S.,” said Alex Turcotte, who went fifth overall to Los Angeles. “We’re going against each other every day, we’re pushing each other and motivating each other. We all want to be the best. That makes everyone a better player.” 1147918 Edmonton Oilers games (live), but I’ve seen a lot of clips. He was a really good player and a really good guys as well off the ice.”

Broberg, who turns 18 on June 25, isn’t sure where he will play next Edmonton Oilers banking on Swedish defenceman season. It’s something he and the team will discuss shortly. In the wake of the Jesse Puljujarvi situation, leaving him in Sweden might be a good option, but he definitely looks forward to one day feeding Connor ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI McDavid some tape to tape passes.

Updated: June 21, 2019 “He’s the best player in the world and his speed is a great aspect of his game. One day I hope I will play with him.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 06.22.2019 VANCOUVER — Ken Holland has the Stanley Cup rings from his Detroit years to show how valuable a player like Nick Lidstrom can be to a hockey team, so the opportunity to bring a slick Swedish defenceman to Edmonton was too great to resist.

Now, nobody is saying Philip Broberg will ever grow up to be anything close to his idol — a player he describes as “the perfect human” — but Holland and the Oilers scouts are banking that he has more than enough tools to make his own name in the NHL.

“I like that he’s talented, I like that he’s six-foot-three and that he can skate,” said the Oilers general manager. “He can move the puck, he can transport the puck. We’re excited to get Philip.”

There were still several high-scoring forwards on the board when the Oilers, starved for depth on the wing, picked eighth overall Friday in Vancouver, but they stuck to their philosophy of taking the best player available regardless of need.

“I’m certainly aware that we need forwards,” said Holland. “But I also know that you have to have a good defence. It has to be deep and talented. That’s really important in the league today.”

Broberg was all over the draft rankings (the finals TSN rankings had him 15th) but almost all the experts agree that his upside is through the roof. He hasn’t killed it in the Swedish League (nine points in 41 games), but 17-year-old kids don’t get the premium ice time on a team full of men. At the World U18 championship he had six points in seven games.

There are warts that had him ranked outside the top 10 in most circles, but Holland trusts his own intel on this one.

“The people who don’t watch the games seem to have all the answers,” he said. “The truth is you don’t know. They’re 18 years of age. We’re going to find out over the next number of years how good all these players are. But we’re excited to get a six-foot-three, puck-moving defenceman.”

What sold the Oilers is that Broberg is one of the best skaters in the entire draft and in a league where puck-moving defencemen are the most important element of a team, they are trying to stack the odds in their favour by taking one with their first pick in back to back seasons. They took 10th overall last season.

He joins a team that is suddenly deep in defensive prospects, with Bouchard, Dimitri Samorukov, Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear and William Lagesson.

“If you’re going to have a good team in the NHL you need a good defence,” said Holland. “The teams that go for long playoff runs have good defence, big defence, deep defence. We’re going to build a good, big, deep defence.

“When we won the Cup in ’08, we had Lidstrom, we had Rafalski, we had Kronwall, Brad Stuart. We had a top-notch top four. They were all mobile, they could all skate and handle the puck.”

Broberg is plenty glad the Oilers took a chance on him.

“I think I was around this spot,” said the six-foot-three, 203 pound left- shot blueliner. “I’m so honoured to be an Oiler. I’m so happy right now. I started to get a feeling (it might be Edmonton), but you never know in the draft. I’m so honoured right now to be an Oiler.

“It’s the Edmonton Oilers; they have a great history. I want to be a part of that one day.”

Broberg, like most Swedish kids, grew up dreaming of being the next Lidstrom and wants to emulate as much of his game as possible.

“He’s a legend. A good guy. The perfect human. He had 20 good years and in my mind was the best defenceman ever. I haven’t watched many 1147919 Edmonton Oilers “The young Swedish defencemen have a lot of players to look at (model) … Karlsson, Hedman. They are looking at that (NHL) channel every day. Not just them, other superstars (defencemen),” said Havelid.

Oilers draft mantra: you can never have too many defencemen The Oilers sent Lagesson back to Sweden for a year after he left UMass Lowell rather than have him join Bakersfield in 2017, feeling the coaching of defencemen back there was so good, he would benefit from a season Jim Matheson, in the SEL. When the Oilers drafted Oscar Klefbom 19th in 2011, they kept him at home for two seasons. He split time in OKC and Edmonton

for a season before becoming a full-time Oiler in 2014-2015. The Edmonton Oilers picked for need last June, desperate for an “At the same (draft) age, I believe Broberg is better than Klefbom was,” offensive, preferably right-shot defenceman and felt like dancing on the said draft guru Craig Button, who had Oilers taking Broberg in his TSN draft floor when Evan Bouchard was there at No. 9. mock draft. They needed a D and got one. “I think Broberg can be a No. 2 NHL defenceman.” This June, the draft selection was BPA. He’s not a puck distributor, he’s more of a puck rusher. Best. Player. Available. He’s a phenomenal skater for a six-foot-three, 200-pound D-man. He’s a When they called another defenceman Philip Broberg at No. 8 Friday defender in the offensive zone which is how the NHL game is played night, there may have been some anguished screams in OilerNation. now. He gets himself up ice and out of trouble with his feet, “a one-man “Hey, what about that (Trevor) Zegras kid? A centre, great passer, going break-out,” say the scouts. He closes off space on attackers too. The to Boston University … played in the shadows of Jack Hughes this past knockers say he needs work on his vision, that he sometimes plays with winter with the U.S. National Development team. Hey don’t we need blinders on. And that’s a valid criticism. forwards more?” You can teach a defender to defend better, but you can’t coach offence Yes, the Oilers do. Anaheim got Zegras at No. 9 just after Broberg had into one easily. finished a TV interview. And if there’s little room at the inn for young D in the Oiler organization, There’s Bouchard and the kid scouts have called “a ”, Dmitri so be it. Samorukov, who was a third round draft in 2017. They could easily be a Is it as simple as you can never have enough defencemen? defence pair in Bakersfield this upcoming season. There’s another Swede William Lagesson, terrific this past season on the farm. There’s “Exactly,” said Oilers assistant GM Keith Gretzky. Caleb Jones, who could be a third-pairing Oiler this winter after playing 17 games last year. There’s farmhand Ethan Bear, a puck-mover like You can bet their second round draft (38) will be a forward. Hamilton’s Bouchard, who’s done with junior in London as the Russian Samorukov 51-goal scorer Arthur Kaliyev is still there, so is over-ager Brett Leason is done with Guelph. They also have a Swede Joel Persson at 25, from Prince Albert and Raphael Lavoie. coming over. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.22.2019 But they couldn’t pass up Broberg, the second best kid defender after Vancouver Giants Bowen Byram, who went fourth overall to Colorado Avalanche. He could stay another year in Sweden, playing against men, or maybe he’ll come over to play in the CHL as Adam Boqvist, Chicago’s eighth overall choice last June. He played in London with Bouchard this past season.

Broberg’s CHL import rights are held by , the team Steve Staios manages.

“He’s got all the skill, the way he skates, the way he moves the puck,” said Swedish coach Magnus Havelid during last summer’s Hlinka- Gretzky Cup which was Broberg’s coming out party with the scouting community. “Compared to the year before, he’s really improved. For the future, that’s for the scouts, but he jumps up the ice game by game, there’s a high level with him.”

“Will he come over (North America). I think he’ll stay another year in Sweden in the Allsvenskan, the league below (elite). Of course, when he is drafted, maybe he will change his mind,” said Havelid.

“When they had the Hlinka last summer in Edmonton you couldn’t find this kid on anybody’s list, he was nowhere to be found,” said Sportsnet’s hockey expert Sam Cosentino. “He started lugging the puck around and scouts were saying ‘hey, this kid’s pretty good.’ He was good in that tournament, everybody was making him a top 10 pick.’

He was a divisive pre-draft choice for many scouts because his play dropped off back in Sweden, playing in the Allsvenskan, but he did make the Swedish under 20 world junior team this past Christmas when Leafs’ prospect Timothy Liljegren was injured but got sick at the tournament. When he returned to his club team AIK , his play fell off. He couldn’t gain any traction but at the world under 18s this spring, he was terrific with his age group.

If he stays in Sweden, that’s fine with the Oilers. No country develops more of them.

Five went in the first round last June, after Rasmus Dahlin went first to Buffalo. Chicago took Boqvist, Minnesota took Filip Johansson 24th, the Rangers got Nils Lundkvist at 28 and Toronto took Rasmus Sandin at 29. After Broberg went eighth Friday, Victor Soderstrom went 11th to Arizona and Tobias Bjornfot 22nd to Los Angeles 1147920 Edmonton Oilers

Even with defence depth, Oilers call out Broberg at No. 8

Jim Matheson,

So much for too much of a good thing.

Even though the Edmonton Oilers organizational strength is young blueliners and they probably need young forwards more, they called out Swedish defenceman Philip Broberg with their eighth overall pick Friday night at the NHL draft in Vancouver.

This was a BPA selection. Best. Player. Available.

They may have wanted Fort Saskatchewan’s Kirby Dach more but the six-foot-four centre who plays for Saskatoon Blades surprisingly went to Chicago at No. 3. They were very interested in Whitehorse-born centre Dylan Cozens, a nice human interst story who plays for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, but he went at No. 7 to Buffalo.

In the end, for the Oilers at No. 8, it came down to U.S. National Development Team centre Trevor Zegras, a fantastic playmaker whom many scouts feel will be a first-line C — he went to Anaheim at No. 9 — or the second-best defenceman in the draft pool, Broberg, after Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants went at No. 4 to Colorado.

Even though they picked offensive defenceman Evan Bouchard with the ninth selection in round one last June, and their second-best prospect is Russian two-way defender Dmitry Samorukov, two kids who could be a pairing on the farm in Bakersfield this upcoming season, they love Broberg, who turns 18 next Tuesday.

Broberg did struggle against men for AIK Stockholm in the tier below the clubs this past winter but his tools are first-rate. He’s probably the second-best skater next to centre Jack Hughes, who went at No. 1 to New Jersey Devils. He eats up the ice with his long stride, joining the attack effortlessly. He’s not a true puck-moving D but as one scout said, “His size and his skating is such an advantage from the get-go.”

“I see Broberg as a No. 2 NHL defenceman,” said draft guru Craig Button.

“At this age I think he’s better than Oscar Klefbom was.”

“Best forward-skating defenceman in the draft,” said Sportsnet commentator Louie DeBrusk.

“When they had the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer, you couldn’t find this kid on anybody’s list before it started, he was nowhere to be found,” said Sportsnet’s hockey expert Sam Cosentino. “He started lugging the puck around and scouts were saying, ‘Hey, this kid’s pretty good.’ He was so good in that tournament, everybody was making him a top-10 pick.’

He made the Swedish Under-20 world junior team this past Christmas but got sick and when he returned to AIK, his play fell off. He couldn’t gain any traction but at the world under 18s, he was terrific with his age group.

In the final analysis, he was a divisive pre-draft pick to many scouts who feel he needs work when he doesn’t have the puck, but his toolbox when he has it is so good Oilers couldn’t pass up Broberg. He started his hockey career as a centre before moving back to defence. Even with Bouchard and Samorukov and the other kids in their stable too good to pass up.

“He’s a six-foot-three defenceman with skill and they’re hard to find,” said Oilers GM Ken Holland.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147921 Edmonton Oilers trade goes down on Saturday (as was the case in 2015 with ).

The Lucic trade Oilers Draft Day 1: Getting it right at No. 8 overall and multiple trade winds for Ken Holland If we made a list of contracts that are comparable to the current Lucic deal, and then took out all of the players not covering the bet while on longer deals, the leftover list would be James Neal, Loui Eriksson and By Allan Mitchell Jun 21, 2019 Kevin Shattenkirk. So it’s not surprising those names have been mentioned leading up to draft weekend, and in fact it appears there could be actual trade talk involving the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks or both. Craig MacTavish set the tone for his time as Edmonton Oilers general manager with his first draft selection in the role. During the media The issues with the Lucic deal are length (four more years), strength of availability after choosing Darnell Nurse at No. 7 overall in 2013, MacT buyout language and expansion draft worry (he will need to be protected) discussed the reasons for the pick: “He gives us an element we’re sorely attached to the veteran winger. A team like Vancouver, looking to add a lacking. He’s a guy who, over time, if we’re patient with him, is going to rugged nuclear deterrent, could absolutely see enough value to trade provide us with toughness. He’s a guy that will ride shotgun for a lot of Eriksson for Lucic. Those other concerns, like expansion, are going to be our first overall picks and our skilled players for a lot of years.” trouble in negotiating a trade.

Peter Chiarelli arrived in the days after Edmonton won the lottery in 2015, The Puljujarvi trade so his first selection set the stage for a massive turnaround across the organization. Connor McDavid delivered in every way imaginable, while Edmonton’s metro population, based on the 2016 Census, was Chiarelli authored a false-start recovery, wasting the first four seasons of 1,321,426; if you’ve spent more than a weekend in the city, you know a 97’s brilliant career. large percentage of that population spends much of their day giving opinions on the Oilers. Ken Holland arrives to an Oilers team that can’t make the playoffs despite enormous riches. His first draft pick is scheduled at No. 8 on Solving the Jesse Puljujarvi problem will take some creativity and for Friday night, and rumors about possible targets run the gamut. Either Holland it’s an unwelcome (inherited) headache. The hope was young JP Holland is sending out mixed signals or none at all, leading fans and would look at the depth chart, see a new management and coaching media to speculate about the course laid out. staff, and join everyone in the idea that a change is as good as a rest (or a new city). Whatever the reasons behind the request, it appears there’s Along with the picks, Holland’s weekend will include possible trades a determination on the player side to see things through. As I wrote this involving Milan Lucic, Jesse Puljujarvi and if the rumored week, it’s best for Holland to slow play the trade scenario, hoping for a names in play are correct. Here’s a quick look at the issues and options change of heart, or a strong offer. for the Oilers this weekend. Other priorities The pick at No. 8 Holland’s list of needs is a monster, so don’t be surprised if the team Fans are currently melting social media arguing over the correct pick at acquires an RH centre during draft weekend, or even a second-pairing No. 8 overall, a neat trick since no one knows who will be available. A RH defenceman. Options I think they could target include Jean-Gabriel year ago, fans worried over what the board might look like at No. 10 Pageau of the Ottawa Senators and Colin Miller of Vegas Golden overall, with the hope that one of Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson or Oliver Knights. Expect a substantial RH defenceman coming in if Larsson is Wahlstrom would still be there. As it turned out, all three were in their dealt — Nikita Zaitsev should not be considered a capable replacement. I seats — giving Edmonton its choice among the three coveted prospects. wrote about Larsson’s difficult season, and why the Oilers shouldn’t deal him, earlier in the spring. This year, the top 10 breaks down into segments. The top two (Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko) are locked in, followed by three names (Alex What to expect Friday night Turcotte, Bowen Byram, Kirby Dach) who should be gone before Edmonton picks. After those players are chosen, Edmonton need only The key to Day 1 is getting it right at No. 8 overall. Broberg has been wait for Detroit and Buffalo to pick, before choosing among who’s left of getting much of the attention, but I have a dozen names who are worthy Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield or Matt Boldy of the U.S. National Team; of going inside the top 10. Assuming that Hughes, Kakko, Byram, WHL forward Peyton Krebs, Russian winger Vasili Podkolzin or Swedish Turcotte and Dach are off the board, I see the best players available as defenceman Philip Broberg. (in alphabetical order):

Holland has been telling anyone who will listen that the Oilers will get a LW Matthew Boldy, U.S. National Development Team (USHL). His good player in the first round. Since early May, Broberg’s name has been resume screams future Oilers winger. A skill player with two-way acumen mentioned the most among industry insiders who have the best intel on who brings some edge and physical play. There’s very little buzz about the situation. Are the Oilers signaling Broberg to force another team’s him in Edmonton, maybe it’s by design. hand, or will they choose the young lefty blue, further enhancing an area LHD Philip Broberg, AIK (Allsvenskan). He wasn’t mentioned heavily until of strength? Holland arrived early May, and since then it’s been a constant stream My guess (wrote about it here) is that one of the names expected to be from industry insiders. Broberg has great wheels and some offensive chosen inside the top six overall will be passed over by franchises acumen, with defending and outlet passing being average. He would be choosing members of the U.S. National Team. The individual a fascinating choice and set a new tone for the organization. I’ve performances by the Americans at the U18’s still resonates. observed this team for decades; picking Broberg would be outside the Oilers norm. The goalie RW Cole Caufield, U.S. National Development Team (USHL). I think he’s HEARING THAT THE OILERS ASKED CAROLINA ABOUT THE worthy of a top 10 pick, but in my opinion the Oilers will pass on him. RIGHTS TO PENDING UFA GOALIE PETR MRAZEK BUT FOR NOW Caufield’s size has to be a factor, especially considering Kailer THE HURRICANES ARE STILL TRYING TO SIGN AND KEEP HIM… Yamamoto’s possible presence on the Oilers roster. BUT THE CLOCK IS TICKING RHC Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL). The math likes him — PIERRE LEBRUN (@PIERREVLEBRUN) JUNE 20, 2019 and the scouting report suggests he’s easily one of the 10 best players available. Reading tea leaves, he seems to be sliding a little, and it might Oilers fans are more interested in wingers and the potential Lucic trade, be enough for the Oilers to get him. but for the organization adding a goaltender is a priority. Based on Pierre LeBrun’s intel, Edmonton is shopping in a good spot. Mrazek played for RW Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL). Sniper scored 52 goals Detroit from 2012 to 2018 and was drafted by Holland’s Red Wings in and is unlikely to be chosen inside the top 10 overall, but I have him well 2010. Mrazek’s .929 save percentage at even strength during 2018-19 inside Edmonton’s range. You can’t teach skill. ranked him No. 9 among all goalies who played in 30 or more games. Something to keep in mind during draft weekend, it’s more likely any LHC Peyton Krebs, Winnipeg Ice (WHL). Aggressive energy forward with skill and some edge. I think he’s an Oilers type but possibly judged as being a little shy offensively in this group.

LHC Trevor Zegras, U.S. National Team (USHL). Magic man with the puck, a little undersized but exceptional passer and playmaker. Although the Oilers are drunk with this player type, he may be best available when Edmonton heads to the podium.

The pick at No. 8 may be used on Broberg, but my guess is someone falls. In fact, there’s a good chance we’ll see a repeat of last year’s wild and crazy top 10. Edmonton is in a good spot, better than many fans believe.

One never knows when trade opportunities arise, but the Holland news conference on Thursday gave fans an indication where the wind is blowing. The goaltending situation will be addressed, with the Mrazek rumors suggesting the team is fishing in a very good area.

My bet is the Oilers can’t find a fit on Friday for a Lucic trade, and as days go by moving the idea of moving the big man may fade for another year. It’s about 50-50 Puljujarvi gets moved draft weekend, Holland has been through these wars before and won’t take a beating on the assets returning.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147922 Florida Panthers Goaltenders typically take a longer time than skaters to develop and when asked about a timeline for graduating to the NHL, Knight maintained that he’s only focused on the present.

The Florida Panthers drafted this Boston College goaltender with the “I’m just going to take it year by year and not try to get ahead of myself. 13th overall pick I’m trying to develop and focus on the now instead of looking down the road,” knight said.

BY HARMAN DAYAL Both the Panthers and Knight must be confident in the next step as the young netminder will take his talents to Boston College for 2019-20. JUNE 21, 2019 10:27 PM Boston College has orchestrated the successful development of marque goalies including Cory Schneider and Thatcher Demko.

Miami Herald LOADED: 06.22.2019 The Florida Panthers are bucking the trend with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Florida’s selection of goaltender Spencer Knight marks the first time since the Los Angeles Kings’ 2010 pick of Jack Campbell that a netminder’s been drafted within the top-15.

It’s a bold move considering that there have only been 64 first-round selections used on goalies compared to 799 used on forwards and 401 on defensemen since the inception of the draft.

There are many special moments in a player’s career, but it’s obvious that this day will stand out among the others for Knight.

“Hearing your name called is a dream come true,” Knight said. “It doesn’t seem real, almost. Growing up it’s all you dream of.”

The Stamford native sported a sparkling 32-4-1 record, 2.36 goals against average and a .913 save percentage — including two shutouts for the United States National Team Development program.

His impressive season was capped off by a tournament-best 1.56 goals against average and .936 save percentage over six games as the United States’ starter en route to a bronze medal at the U18 World Junior Championships.

Standing at 6-4, Knight boasts an athletic frame, excellent anticipation and unflappable calmness between the pipes.

His adaptability has been touted as one of his strongest assets as he looked impressive playing in a variety of competition levels including USHL hockey, NCAA exhibition games and international tournaments.

“He’s mobile, he’s confident,” Panthers general manager said. “He’s very calm in the net, nothing bothers him … He’s just a great athlete and plays the position extremely well … Goaltenders like this rarely come along.”

But what really makes Knight special is his unparalleled puck moving ability as a goalie.

“He’s gonna be like a third defenseman back there,” Tallon said. “His ability to read plays and move the puck [is impressive], especially with the way the game is played today.”

As far as joining the Panthers’ organization, the 18-year-old had nothing but good things to say.

“They’re all great people, great staff. We had a lot of good conversations and made a good connection. Going into the draft, I had no expectations as to where I was going to go. I’m happy to be here, though.”

Knight’s selection fills a positional need for a Panthers team that has struggled in getting consistently goaltending — an issue that’s become exacerbated with 40-year-old goalie Roberto Luongo’s uncertain future. But the Panthers are confident that Knight was the best player available regardless.

This selection breaks a trend as previous to this the Panthers had selected a forward within the first two rounds with seven consecutive picks.

Interestingly, that non-forward pick was also a goalie as Samuel Montembeault was brought in with a third round pick in 2015. Knight’s pick is the first time in franchise history that the Panthers have taken a goalie in the first round.

“First-round picks you usually get the best player and we felt he was first a need,” Tallon said. “With the possibility of things happening for us in the next couple of weeks, we felt that along with [Samuel ] Montembeault, we needed to add depth to that position and now we’re very confident.” 1147923 Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers select goalie Spencer Knight with 13th pick in NHL draft

By WELLS DUSENBURY

JUN 21, 2019 | 9:54 PM

The Florida Panthers are hoping they’ve found their goalie of the future.

With the 13th pick in Friday’s NHL draft, the Panthers selected 18-year- old goalie Spencer Knight. This marks the first time in franchise history the Panthers used their first-round pick on a goalie.

The 6-foot-4 193-pound Connecticut native made 39 appearances for the USA National Team Development Program. During that span, he posted a 32-4-1 record, 2.36 goals against average and .913 save percentage. NHL Scouting Central rated Knight as the top North American goaltender.

“We are proud to have selected Spencer with the 13th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft,” Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said in a press release. “He is a big, athletic and dynamic young player with the potential to be an elite goaltender at the NHL level.

"He had an outstanding season playing for the US National Team and proved to be a difference maker in international play. Spencer will begin his next stage of development in an excellent program at Boston College and will be an exciting addition to the future of the Panthers.”

Kinght played for Team USA at the IIHF 2019 U18 World Junior Championship, winning a bronze medal. The goalie recorded tournament-best numbers in save percentage (.936) and goals against average (1.51) in six games.

While Knight is still years away from suiting up for Florida, this could serve as a symbolic changing of the guard in goal. Longtime net-minder Roberto Luongo, who turned 40 in April, hasn’t made a decision yet about his future, Tallon said earlier this week that it wouldn’t factor into what Florida did in the draft.

“I don’t expect it to be much longer [before Luongo makes a decision],” Tallon said. “We’re allowing him to make the decision. It’s a very difficult decision after such an illustrious career, so he’s going to let us know shortly.”

A 19-year NHL veteran, Luongo has spent 11 of those seasons with the Panthers, including the past six. This past season, he played in just 43 games due to injury. In those contests, he posted a .899 save percentage and 3.12 goals-against average

The Panthers also return backup James Reimer and 22-year-old Samuel Montembeault in net. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Friday that Florida is looking to trade Reimer. The Panthers are also expected to be in the mix for highly coveted free agent goalie Sergei Bobrovski.

In its mock draft, NHL.com described Knight as “the best goaltender in the draft matches well with a team in desperate need of adding a young goaltender. Knight (6-3, 193) is solid fundamentally and a tremendous athlete, which he displayed by finishing in the top 15 in eight categories during the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine.”

Last year, the Panthers selected Russian winger with its first-rounder (15th overall). The 18-year-old spent the past season in the Kontinental Hockey League, tallying four goals and two assists in 25 games.

The draft will conclude Saturday with Rounds 2-7. Florida has eight additional picks in this year’s draft, including three fourth-round selections.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147924 Florida Panthers Owner Vinnie Viola has pledged the Panthers will spend to it — for the right players.

“We want to keep ourselves as flexible as possible for free agency,” The Florida Panthers pick 13th, but they have plenty of other work to do Tallon said. “We have made (cap space) available throughout the season at the NHL Draft with some trades to free ourselves up so that we would be aggressive July 1. …

By George Richards Jun 21, 2019 “We’ve got the full support of Vinnie Viola, he wants me to be aggressive in free agency and wants to spend to the cap. So, we’re going to do what the boss wants us to do. And I’m happy with that.”

VANCOUVER — Dale Tallon loves being at the draft, and he definitely Who will they draft? loves being in this city. When it comes to the draft, Tallon has made no secret he is going to pick Almost 50 years ago, the expansion Vancouver Canucks took a young a player at a position of need within the organization. That means Florida defenseman second overall in 1970, making Tallon the first draft pick in is likely to take either a defenseman or goalie with its top pick at No. 13. the organization’s history. Even though the Panthers traditionally have had strong goaltending play Tallon spent 11 seasons in the NHL, but only three came in Vancouver. throughout their 25 seasons, they have never taken a goalie in the first The Canucks traded him to Chicago — beginning a long association with round. the Blackhawks — in 1973. Tallon retired as a player in 1980. It would be somewhat surprising to see them do it Friday. “I have a lot of fond memories,” he said Thursday afternoon. “I often wonder what would have happened if I stayed here, but you know, life The top defenseman in this draft is Bowen Byram, a 17-year-old who has been pretty good.” plays junior hockey here for the Vancouver Giants.

Tallon really does have plenty of pressing things on his mind besides this Unless he drops — really, really drops — he will be long gone by the time draft, but this is what he and his scouting staff have been working on for Tallon and the Panthers step up to the mic at No. 13. weeks. Outside of Byram, who could go as high as third to the Blackhawks, the The biggest issue to deal with right now is the goaltending situation. Panthers should have a few good defensive choices.

Roberto Luongo, who was traded from Florida to Vancouver by Mike Florida’s top D-man target is believed to be Philip Broberg, a 6-3, smooth Keenan the last time the draft was held here in 2006, has apparently not skater from Sweden who could go a few selections before the Panthers yet informed the team of his intentions for next season. come to the plate.

Luongo, 40, has three years remaining on the 12-year contract he The top goaltending prospect — and the only one projected to be a top originally signed with the Canucks at a cap hit of $4.5 million charged to pick — is Boston College commit Spencer Knight from the U.S. national the Panthers (but an actual salary of around $3.6 million left to be paid development team. out). Tallon said he has already spoken to teams to find out what the price tag There is a lot of speculation Luongo could retire — and forfeit the money would be to move up (or down) in the first round and he could be tempted owed to him while penalizing both the Panthers and Canucks for the next to slide up if a player of interest is available. three years with dead money against the cap — or he could give in to the “I love the draft. I love the excitement of it,” he said. “I love the fact that hip and core injuries he has been dealing with the last three years and go you can move up or move back. It makes it fun. on the long-term . “You know, we have a line in the sand at 13, and if all those players are In that scenario, Florida would still be on the hook for Luongo’s cap hit, gone … we’ve already talked to teams about who’s willing to move up, but it would be able to spend above it. who’s willing to move back and what the cost is to do that. And that’s part When Luongo last spoke publicly, he said he was all for returning to the of the fun of it on the floor and at the (draft) table. We’re willing to do Panthers in a backup role as Florida goes shopping for a new starter. As whatever it takes. I love the draft, the volatility of it. I have fun doing it.” of Thursday, however, Luongo’s plans remain a mystery. If Broberg is gone and the Panthers remain at 13, The Athletic’s Corey “It’s a decision that’s probably going to come shortly,” Tallon said. “You Pronman has Florida going with Moritz Seider, a German defenseman, in know, there is no rush for the draft because it will not make any impact his latest mock draft. (on whom the Panthers select) … but moving forward before free Florida could also look at defensemen Thomas Harley, Cam York or agency, I would think we would have an answer before then. Victor Söderström. Also, do not be surprised if the Panthers go off the “It’s totally up to Roberto. We have talked a couple of times and the board a bit and draft Finnish defenseman Ville Heinola. decision is solely up to him, what’s best for him and his family. And we’re The Panthers have invested a lot of money in European scouting with going to go along with what he decides he wants to do.” Tallon and amateur scouting director Jason Bukala relying heavily on the The Panthers are also looking to trade backup goalie James Reimer and work and insight of Jari Kekäläinen. the two years left on his contract which carries an annual cap hit of $3.4 The Panthers have drafted a European player with one of their top two million. selections in each of the past three years.

Tallon likely will have to give up an asset — either draft picks, a prospect “This is the best time of the year,” said Kekäläinen, whose brother Jarmo or roster player — to make a deal work. Florida may also retain some of is general manager of the Blue Jackets. the money owed to Reimer, but unloading a big chunk of that salary cap hit would be a relief to a team looking to spend to the ceiling. “All the scouts have been working hard all year, traveling a lot, and now it’s a fun time to put all the work and all the information together. We are Florida is also looking to improve its defense either in free agency or in a spot where there’s lots of moving parts with 12 teams picking before trade. us, but we are very confident that we are going to do good.”

On Sunday, after the draft ends, the Panthers and the rest of the league The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 will be allowed to talk to pending free agents from other teams.

Florida is expected to be busy, with Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and winger Artemi Panarin believed to be at the top of Tallon’s wish list.

Although the NHL has yet to determine exactly what next season’s cap ceiling will be — it is said to be either $81.5 million or $82 million, reports The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun — Florida currently has north of $20 million available. 1147925 Los Angeles Kings

Kings pick center Alex Turcotte, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot in Round 1 of NHL draft

By CURTIS ZUPKE

JUN 21, 2019 | 5:45 PM

A look at the Kings’ two picks in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday:

ALEX TURCOTTE, Round 1 (fifth pick), center, shoots left.

Why Kings picked him: Their success is typically center-driven and Turcotte fits the mold as one of the best two-way forwards in the draft. He models his game after future teammate Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks. The No. 2 center behind Jack Hughes with the U.S. national development team, Turcotte was injured for part of last season but had 27 goals and 35 assists in 37 games. Turcotte, 18, is headed to Wisconsin to play under former Kings forward Tony Granato.

TOBIAS BJORNFOT, Round 1 (Pick 22), defenseman, shoots left.

Why Kings picked him: The Kings need to build organizational depth on defense, and Bjornfot, 18, should help as the club’s first defenseman taken in the first round since Derek Forbort in 2010. Bjornfot’s biggest attribute is his leadership. He has served as captain for Sweden in international competition. He’s considered to be a steady, two-way defender. Bjornfot is signed for two more seasons with his Swedish club.

LA Times: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147926 Los Angeles Kings the draft, Arizona and Philadelphia swapping picks (and Philly used its pick on a defenseman with SoCal roots, Cam York).

“The phones were dead” on the draft floor, Yannetti said by phone from The Kings’ rebuild begins now Vancouver. “We had one offer to move back, the whole draft, and it was a laughable offer, more like insulting.”

By Jim Alexander | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 10:44 pm | There will be more opportunities to add young talent in Saturday’s UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 11:02 PM second day of the draft, and the Kings will have the second pick of the second round, giving them three shots in the first 33 picks. This is when the future takes shape, the idea being that “The Plan,” as new coach Todd MacLellan called it at his introductory press conference, likely will EL SEGUNDO — This isn’t quite a strip-it-to-the-studs rebuild, but the take time. Kings have recognized that it is, indeed, time to start over. Kings fans waited 45 years for that first Stanley Cup, so they can be They took the first steps Friday night in Vancouver. Small steps, mind patient. It’s best, however, not to test that patience too much. you, and ones that probably won’t have an impact for at least a couple of years. But at least there is a definitive direction. Orange County Register: LOADED: 06.22.2019 With the fifth pick – thanks to a lack of lottery luck back in April, following their next-to-last in the league finish – the Kings jumped into the pool of USA Development Program products that dominated the top of the draft, picking Alex Turcotte, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound center who has played for the USA Under-17 and Under-18 teams and played for Team USA in the Midwestern-based USHL. In 64 games this past season (including the Five Nations Tournament and the World U-18 Championships), he scored 47 goals and added 63 assists.

He does not seem to lack confidence.

“First and foremost, I’m a really competitive person,” he said in a teleconference interview with the L.A. area media on Friday evening.

“I think my game is the total package. Defensively I’m very reliable. You don’t have to worry about me making any mistakes, and you can trust me in my own end. Offensively, I’m really gifted. I make my teammates better, and I can make plays and put up a lot of points.”

Mark Yannetti, the Kings’ director of amateur scouting, didn’t disagree.

“His game is far more mature at this age than you usually see, especially for a center,” he said. “He’s diligent, responsible and accountable.”

Turcotte will have a transition period. He’s committed to the University of Wisconsin and will play next season for Tony Granato, the Badgers coach and a mainstay of the Kings during the Wayne Gretzky era. It will be an opportunity to get stronger and play against a higher level of competition, and in a year or two he’ll be ready to start his professional clock.

The Kings also had the 22nd pick – let’s call it the Jake Muzzin Memorial Pick, acquired from Toronto in the midseason trade for Muzzin – and they used it on another defenseman, Tobias Bjornfot of Sweden, ranked as the No. 7 European skater in Central Scouting’s final pre-draft rankings (Turcotte was fourth among North American skaters). Bjornfot played 39 games for the Djurgarden club’s junior team and seven for the senior club and was also captain of the Swedish team that won the World U-18 Championship last January.

Bjornfot also will wait a year, staying home this coming season to play for Djurgarden in the Swedish Elite League.

It’s worth noting that Yannetti said the two players the team picked could both be considered captain material somewhere down the line.

It’s also worth noting that the No. 5 spot usually nets a pretty good player. Elias Pettersson of Vancouver was the Calder Trophy winner in 2018 as a No. 5 pick. Noah Hanifin, drafted by Carolina and currently with Calgary, has been an All-Star. And Phil Kessel and Carey Price were picked fifth.

So the lottery results that kept the Kings away from the two players considered transformative, Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, only verified what seemed apparent, and what General Manager Rob Blake and team president have both confirmed in recent weeks: The thinking and planning is now long-term, rather than trying to wring one more playoff run out of the old guard as was the intention going into last season.

The Kings made one move in that direction by buying out Dion Phaneuf’s contract. But the move that had been speculated about since midseason, a trade of goalie , has not taken place. It might not.

Quick didn’t move at the trade deadline, which had been the expected deal, and he didn’t move Friday. In fact, there was only one trade during 1147927 Los Angeles Kings Two Orange County natives were selected. Defenseman Cam York of Anaheim Hills went to Philadelphia at No. 14 and defenseman Ryan Johnson of Irvine went 31st to Buffalo.

Kings take forward Alex Turcotte with No. 5 pick in NHL Draft As expected, New Jersey selected forward Jack Hughes out of Orlando, Fla. with the first pick. He is the eighth American to be drafted No. 1 overall and was also part of the U.S. National Under-18 team. By Robert Morales | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 6:49 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 9:25 PM It was also no surprise that the New York Rangers took forward Kaapo Kakko out of Finland with the second selection.

The Chicago Blackhawks took forward Kirby Dach out of Canada at No. EL SEGUNDO — With two picks in the first round, the Kings on Friday 3, and the Colorado Avalanche made defenseman Bowen Byram the night entered the NHL Draft hopeful of getting players capable of helping fourth pick. The Canadian was considered the top defenseman available. turn around a franchise that has lost its way after winning Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014. Also Friday, the Kings announced their home opener for the upcoming season will be Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. against the Nashville Predators. The rest Step one in that direction was the Kings selecting American forward Alex of the Kings’ 2019-2020 regular-season schedule will be released Turcotte with the fifth pick overall. Tuesday morning.

Turcotte, 18, is from Island Lake, Ill. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center had Orange County Register: LOADED: 06.22.2019 34 points in 16 games for the U.S. National Under-18 team this past season.

The Kings finished with a Western Conference-low 71 points this past season, missing the playoffs for the third time in five seasons.

Later, the Kings took defenseman Tobias Bjornfot out of Sweden with the 22nd pick acquired from Toronto in a trade for then-Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin this past January.

Day 2 of the draft – rounds 2 through 7 – is Saturday.

Turcotte did not try and downplay how stoked he was to be taken by the Kings.

“Just surreal,” he said. “I mean, I just can’t believe they picked me and I’m just so happy to get started. It’s just a dream come true. It’s just really cool to share this with my family and friends.

“It’s definitely the best day of my life.”

Turcotte spoke to reporters by telephone after his selection. When asked, he described himself as a player.

“First and foremost, I’m a really competitive person, and kid, and I think my game is the total package,” he said, not shy about bragging a bit. “I think effectively I’m very reliable, where you don’t have to worry about me; I don’t make any mistakes and you can trust me in my own end.

“But offensively, I think I’m really gifted and talented and make my teammates better and make plays and put up a lot of points on offense.”

Turcotte believes that playing in the U.S. National Team Development Program has helped him hone his game.

“Playing against the best players in the United States every day … we had a really special group this year,” he said. “I think so far there’s been seven of us picked in the first round, which is pretty cool.

“Going against guys like that every day, you’re only going to get better.”

Mark Yannetti, the Kings’ director of amateur scouting, is very high on Turcotte.

“He leads with compete,” Yannetti said. “He’s got intangibles, he’s potentially a future letter-wearer if not a captain.”

Turcotte will first test his skills in college at the University of Wisconsin.

Turcotte’s father, Alfie, was a forward who played 112 NHL games for Montreal, Winnipeg and Washington from 1983-91.

Bjornfot, 18, played this past season in the SuperElit league in Sweden. In 39 games for Djurgårdens IF J20 “A,” he had 11 goals and 11 assists with a plus-15 ratio.

Bjornfot is 6-foot, 184 pounds.

Christian Ruuttu, the Kings’ head European scout, likes this pick.

“He is a two-way, strong skating defender,” said Ruuttu, who added, “He is a special character player as well.”

Bjornfot, like Turcotte, was overjoyed.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. 1147928 Los Angeles Kings rink all the time, so he has a little connection to the organization there, too.

Tony Gasparini, on announcing Alex Turcotte’s name with the fifth pick: BLAKE ON FAVORING “CHARACTER AND COMPETE LEVEL;” GASPARINI TALKS TURCOTTE I’ve got to be honest, I was a little surprised because I was told I have a look for radio. Obviously having had the opportunity to get to know Alex throughout this draft process, it was special to call his name. He’s JON ROSENJUNE 22, 20190 certainly a quality young man, and the first thing he said to me, he goes, ‘I had a feeling – as soon as I saw you making the pick, I knew it, I knew it,’ and we started laughing. He’s a great kid, and we’re certainly have him a part of our family and organization. I’ll have more from Christian Ruuttu (on Tobias Bjornfot) and others tomorrow, but to wrap up today’s coverage, here’s the Q-and-A from our Gasparini, on Turcotte’s bulldog nature and competitiveness: scrum with General Manager Rob Blake and a quick conversation on scouting Alex Turcotte (and being the one to announce the fifth pick) with Whether it be his skating, whether it be the pace in which he plays the the Kings’ Midwestern-based Amateur Scout-United States, Tony game or whether it’s sheer determination, he wills himself into the game Gasparini, plus the first batch of draft day photos. and he wills himself into all the areas on the ice where he can have an impact, and in particular in front of the net. He wants to have an impact Rob Blake, on selecting Alex Turcotte 5th overall: each and every shift that he takes out there. In saying that, he’s obviously a student of the game, because how mature his game is at I think it’s no secret – the character and the compete level. We found that times without the puck comes from watching a lot of hockey and growing to be a very important ingredient for our first round picks, both of them. up around this game. Blake, on selecting Tobias Bjornfot 22nd overall: Gasparini, on how scouts accounted for a partial sample in Turcotte’s Christian Ruuttu does a really good job with Mark Yannetti over in draft season: Europe. As far as the D part was concerned, we were looking for a D. We Although the fact that he missed the first half of the season, one thing didn’t take one in last year’s draft, so we knew we had to have something you have to remember is he played the second half of the season with in the high-end on that aspect. Good skating D, but again, a captain on the U-18s a year ago, and as a result, there was some background, and the U-18 team. Has that leadership ability, that character and that he already familiarized everyone on our staff with his game, and he compete. impacted last year as an underage. He played top-six minutes a year ago Blake, on valuing character and leadership qualities: on the U-18 team, in particular at the end of the season. That allowed us to be familiar with his game going into this season. We knew he was a Very much. Most important. [Reporter: Why is that? – is it high in this top-end player coming in. The scary thing is if you go back to our list from draft?] I think it’s most important in any draft – it’s a very important September, before a game was even played, I don’t think he moved very ingredient. much at all. There may have been some movement, but where he started is where he finished on the list, which doesn’t happen very often. Blake, on Bjornfot’s leadership abilities as Sweden’s captain: LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Skating ability, too. He’s a high-end skater, more in him and Alex, picking that ability. For us, the compete and the character, that’s one of the main ingredients we were looking for in these kids.

Blake, on Turcotte’s willingness to go into “dirty areas”:

100%. He does that. He has a lot of leadership, natural leadership built into him.

Blake, on any comparison between Bjornfot and Mattias Norstrom:

Yeah, a little bit. That was ’s comparison. Not a bad one – not a bad one to do.

Blake, on what impressed him about Bjornfot at the NHL Draft Combine:

The interview period – pretty professional, pretty well mature for his age and growing up. All that part. Our guys do a lot of the vetting prior to that also. There’s 10 or 12 of us in a room there for 15 minutes, so it’s more just getting a face to the name and that.

Blake, on the lack of trade action:

It’s hard to tell. Not a lot of activity on that front. [Reoprter: So was the discussing, the talking less than it usually is this time of the year?] Yeah, yeah. [Reporter: Why do you think that is?] I don’t know, no idea.

Blake, on whether the uncertainty around the salary cap forces them to use different models:

Well, we understand our position on the cap for the next couple years, regardless if it comes a million or two under the models we’re using. Jeff’s pretty conservative when he does his models, projecting year after year.

Blake, on Turcotte rebounding from injury and illness to finish the year strong:

He’s good. It’s funny – he’s going to Wisconsin. Tony Granato has a really good relationship, so all the diligence that you do on him points to those characteristics.

Blake, on whether he crosses paths with Alfie Turcotte:

Not really. I mean, I know him, and [Alex’s] uncle Jeff, obviously, does a lot for the Junior Kings and stickhandling. Daryl will know he’s around the 1147929 Los Angeles Kings Stats (SuperElit-Djurgardens U-20): 39 GP, 11-22=22, +15

Stats (SHL-Djurgardens): 7 GP, 0-0=0, 0

INTRODUCING: TOBIAS BJÖRNFOT Stats (Int’l-Sweden U-18): 7 GP, 0-1=1, -1

Corey Pronman’s final ranking: 37

JON ROSENJUNE 21, 2019 (subscribe to The Athletic here)

Björnfot was a touted prospect for a few years and a minutes eater for Sweden’s international teams, including being one of the best A familiar fixture internationally who drew constant eyes on the Tre defensemen at the U18s and named the best defenseman in Sweden’s Kronor blue line along with fellow first round selections Philip Broberg J20 league. His skating provides a lot of his value. His ability to lead a (Edmonton/8th) and Victor Soderstrom (Arizona/11th), Tobias Bjornfot rush, pinch off the blueline and close on his checks is very good. His feet had a fine draft season, earning best defenseman honors in Sweden’s allow him to make stops and transition pucks. He has solid defensive top U-20 league and earning a late-season and playoff call-up to acumen and generally is trusted by coaches to play tougher minutes. His Djurgardens late in the season. His offense didn’t explode, but he carved puck game is average. He can have the odd flash offensively due to his out a consistent and versatile niche as a competitive multi-situational feet and above-average vision. His skill level doesn’t overly impress, but minutes eater with good mobility. there were times, particularly in the second half of the season, he More revealingly, his pick, coupled with the pick of Alex Turcotte at fifth showed more confidence making creative plays. He could be a reliable overall, provides the Kings with a pair of players whose character has two-way defenseman in the NHL who might not put up points. been lauded — and it also highlighted the team’s continued deference to NHL scout on Bjornfot: “He’s not flashy, but he’s a very mobile and smart competitiveness and work ethic while they continue to look to add speed defenseman. He kills a lot of plays, can skate pucks up and can give you and skill throughout the organization. some offense.”

“I think it’s no secret – the character and the compete level,” Rob Blake McKeen’s final ranking: 19 said of Turcotte, though he might as well have said it of Bjornfot. “We found that to be a very important ingredient for our first round picks, both (subscribe to McKeen’s here) of them.” Before his draft year got officially underway, he played in the Hlinka Bjornfot captained Sweden to the gold medal at the U-18 Championship Gretzky Cup, further establishing his defensive reputation, showing as the host country this past spring, marking Sweden’s first title in the growing calmness in his own zone and playing a regular penalty killing event. He’s worn an “A” for Djurgardens’ U-20 and U-18 teams and role. While he did spend a small portion of his draft year in the SHL – captained Sweden’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup team. Like most of the players even playing in the playoffs for his SHL team, he spent most of the year selected 22nd overall, he’s a project who’s at least a year away from again in the SuperElit, earning himself the nod as the league’s best playing in North America, telling LA Kings Insider he signed a two-year defenseman. That last reward was a recognition of his growing two-way extension with his Stockholm-based club in January. He’ll be eligible to game as his offensive game was good, but not near the head of the play at World Juniors for the next two years, and that 2021 Sweden league. squad could potentially be something to behold on the back end. At this point, Bjornfot is a legitimate two-way defender, with the ability to Sharing that he models his game after Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm, contribute at both ends and in all game situations. He rarely makes the Bjornfot is expected to take longer to get to the NHL than Lindholm, who same mistake twice and is almost always found on the right side of the was drafted sixth overall in 2012 and was an effective NHL defenseman puck. He is helped in the latter endeavor by his strong four-way skating. as a 19-year-old. He is a long strider, who can cut down on the length when he is accelerating allowing him to conserve energy. “He is a two-way, strong skating defender,” said Christian Ruuttu, Head European Scout. “He can play the power play and penalty-kill and is a While he did not produce the kinds of numbers this year as he had in the leader on his team highlighted by the gold medal this past spring, the first past (especially internationally), he still has a full set of offensive tools in gold medal Sweden has won in the Under-18 Worlds. Each player we his bag. He has a good wrist shot with velocity and a quick release. He talked to talked about Tobias was him being a leader on their team. He is lacks the kind of slapshot typically associated with a powerplay a special character player as well.” quarterback though.

Having already put on bulk and weighing in at 203 pounds at the NHL He is a solid stickhandler and good passer, as likely to make the simple, Draft Combine earlier this month, Bjornfot should be well prepared to safe play as he is to attempt something more challenging. Bjornfot also step into Djurgardens’ senior lineup this coming season. has respectable size for the NHL game, with the strength to match. He can handle pressure in his crease and can bring out an aggressive First Round, 22nd overall: Tobias Björnfot streak, although that isn’t his first recourse. The narrative around Bjornfot Position: Defense has been steady throughout his time on the prospect radar. What you see is what you get. That is, a nice future number three blueliner. Shoots: Left Tobias Bjornfot, on getting drafted by the Kings: DOB: 4/6/01 … I’ve got my family and it’s a dream come true, so it’s an amazing Height: 6’0 feeling.

Weight: 203 Bjornfot, on whether he knew the Kings would take him:

Hometown: Upplands Vasby, SWE No. I had a good meeting with them at the combine and I got to meet Rob Blake, so I think they were impressed with me, but I had no clue. NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 7 (European skaters) Bjornfot, on the Kings’ approach towards him at the combine: NHL Central Scouting midterm ranking: 8 I had a good meeting with them. So, I don’t know, I just had a good Sportsnet’s final ranking (Sam Cosentino): NR meeting. Sportsnet’s mock draft (Sam Cosentino): NR Bjornfot, on what he believes sold him to the Kings: TSN’s final ranking (Bob McKenzie): 27 I think I would say it was my leadership. I take big responsibility on and TSN’s final ranking (Craig Button): 27 off the ice. Obviously my leadership and my skillset.

ESPN’s final ranking (Chris Peters): 29 Bjornfot, on how he has served as a leader:

ESPN’s mock draft (Chris Peters): 31 I’ve been captain of the national team of Sweden and taking care of the guys and having good communication with the coaches, too. I think I have it natural.

Bjornfot, on playing against Turcotte in the U-18s:

The USA team has a good roster and we lost against them in the U-18 Worlds, so they’re a good team and Turcotte of course is a tremendous hockey player too.

Bjornfot, what he thinks he can bring to the Kings franchise:

It’s a great organization and a hockey market, and a great city too, so they have Adrian Kempe and Carl Grundstrom too– so Swedes– and it’s a great city and i think i can bring my leadership and my defensive game to the club.

Bjornfot, on whether he’s been to California before:

No, never.

Bjornfot, on what he’s looking forward to about California:

To meet the organization and maybe get some tan before I go back to Sweden.

Bjornfot, on how he would describe his personality:

I was like a typical Swede. A calm person who likes to have fun.

Bjornfot, on his contract with Djurgardens:

I signed in January to two years.

Bjornfot, on his family and whether they have any sporting background:

Not a big [inaudible], but my dad plays soccer and my mom and sister swim.

Bjornfot, on whether he followed Mattias Norstrom when he was younger:

I watched some games when I was young.

Bjornfot, on if there is another Swedish defenseman that he looked up to growing up:

You know, Nick Lidstrom was a big role model for a lot of [inaudible].

Bjornfot, on how he’d describe his play:

I would describe myself as a two-way defenseman with a good defensive zone and good skating abilities.

Bjornfot, on following the NHL from Sweden:

I watched the finals in the morning and some games and if like Stanley Cup playoffs are on.

Bjornfot, on if he has watched play:

I’m a two-way defenseman, so I think I’m similar to him.

Bjornfot, on his relationships with the other Swedish players in the first round:

Yeah, I’m good friends with every Swede that went in the first round, and Moritz Seider, the German player.

Bjornfot, on whether he ever gets fired up as a leader:

Sometimes I get fired up in the locker room, but not so much. I think I’m a calm person.

Bjornfot, on whether he heard the music that was playing while he walked to the stage:

I [heard] they had Mamma Mia.

Bjornfot, on what type of music he likes:

Pop music and Abba – Swedish stuff. [laughs]

Bjornfot, on who came to the draft with him:

My family members and my cousins and my agents – I would say eight from my family and four or five agents. [Reporter: Who represents you?] In Sweden, Johan Lindstrom (?), in Canada Claude Lemieux.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147930 Los Angeles Kings versatile a threat he can be. He can make creative plays off the flank and sees his options well. It’s not just his speed and skill that stand out, but his compete level is elite. Turcotte is the kind of forward who can dangle INTRODUCING: ALEX TURCOTTE around defensemen, blow by them or drive his way through them. He gets to the net, consistently and without fear. He battles for pucks as hard as anyone and typically wins them, even at 5-foot-11. He’s not the biggest center, but that is really the only criticism I can find of his game. JON ROSENJUNE 21, 2019 Turcotte has been a top prospect for many years and this season he showed exactly why he’s been so touted.

The LA Kings selected U.S. National Team Development Program center USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski on Turcotte: “Sandpaper and silk. Alex Turcotte with the fifth overall pick on Friday at Rogers Arena, He’s the perfect blend of speed, skill and power. He’s kind of a Brad claiming a player that hadn’t been expected to fall beyond the fourth Marchand type who plays center. He’s got that 1-on-1 ability, he’s got a selection. With the third pick, Chicago selected WHL-Saskatoon center great shot in tight, unbelievable vision and he plays with an edge. His Kirby Dach, and at four, Colorado chose WHL-Vancouver defenseman game is predicated on him driving the puck to the net and putting the Bowen Byram. opposition on their heels. His bravery combined with his speed makes him the player that he is.” In Turcotte, the son of former Canadien, Jet and Capital Alfie Turcotte, Los Angeles claims a skilled and hard-nosed two-way center whose McKeen’s final ranking: 7 approach, ability and skill set have drawn comparisons to Jonathan We already mentioned his hands, but let’s dwell on them a bit more. He Toews. is an immensely talented puck mover and specializes in creating “I think I’m going to fit in really well,” Turcotte said. “I think I have a lot of dangerous zone entries that lead to quick strike scoring chances. He is grit, but I’m also really fast and skilled and I think that’s what the Kings just as liable to cut through multiple layers of a defense as he is to need. They need a lot of speed and skill and I’m also not afraid to get in creatively dish off to a linemate in a better position. Sometimes he will the dirty areas so I think I’ll fit in very well. I mean, it’s going to be a lot of skate into the slot himself, and other times he will cycle behind the net fun. “ and create a scoring chance from there.

Because Turcotte has committed to play for Tony Granato at the Turcotte would not be able to turn those skills into so many points were it University of Wisconsin, he’ll be eligible to attend development camp but not also for his high-end hockey IQ and motor. He shows advanced won’t be able to attend training camp absent of an NHL contract (at game awareness in all three zones and can be utilized in all manner of which point he’d forego his NCAA eligibility). But he should suit up for an game situations, including key defensive zone shifts and penalty kills. He offensively gifted Badgers team that’s also expected to field a lineup reads plays like a pro and anticipated far more than he reacts. including 2018 New York Rangers first round pick, sophomore K’Andre A great example of his quick, soft hands, working in tandem with his Miller, and 2019 Montreal first rounder, freshman Cole Caufield. anticipation came in a seemingly simple goal he scored against Russia in Wisconsin also has a good character core beyond its dynamic incoming the round-robin portion of this year’s WU18 tournament. As a two-on-one freshman class. rush approached the cross, Turcotte’s linemate passed across the slot, “I think as of now that’s what I’m planning on doing,” he said. “I don’t through a Russian defenders legs, such that Turcotte would barely have think it could hurt me. I think it’s only going to help. I’m really excited by been able to see the puck moving laterally. No matter, he received the the coaching staff there, Tony Granato — I think that’s going to be a pass cleanly and redirected it past the netminder in one quick motion. great spot and they’re going to get me ready for the NHL.” Speaking of goals, Turcotte would not have so many to his name were First Round, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte he not a gifted shooter, too, showing a special propensity for scoring from the rush. His wrist shot combines high-end velocity, placement and a Position: Center quick release, that should continue to allow him to light the lamp at the next few levels. Despite not being very large or physical, he likes to park Shoots: Left himself in front of the net once the offensive zone has been established. DOB: 2/26/01 Turcotte, on his reaction to getting drafted by the Kings: Height: 5’11 I’m super excited and it hasn’t even hit me yet. It’s so surreal. I just can’t Weight: 180 wait to get started with the Kings. It’s a dream come true.

Hometown: Island Lake, IL Turcotte, on whether he knew the Kings would pick him:

Twitter: @Turcotte__71 No, I definitely knew they were interested in me, but I never knew for sure, so I was definitely happy. NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 4 (North American skaters) Turcotte, on imagining what the draft scenario would be: NHL Central Scouting midterm ranking: 5 You definitely think of different things, but I was just trying to stay laid Sportsnet’s final ranking (Sam Cosentino): 4 back. You’re going to get nervous, that’s normal, but I was just more anxious and excited and you kind of don’t really control who they pick Sportsnet’s mock draft (Sam Cosentino): 6 and you just try to be yourself. You just want to go to a team that wants TSN’s final ranking (Bob McKenzie): 4 to.

TSN’s final ranking (Craig Button): 10 Turcotte, on what words were exchanged onstage:

ESPN’s final ranking (Chris Peters): 3 I thanked them so much for believing in me and picking me and I can’t wait to get started and I’m extremely excited to be a King. Stats (USHL-USNTDP): 37 GP, 27-35=62 (incl. 7 GP, 4-5=9 at U-18 WC) Turcotte, on joining a team with a reputation of having responsible Corey Pronman’s final ranking: 3 centers:

(Subscribe to The Athletic here) Yeah, guys like Kopitar and Towes and Bergeron, those are the type of Turcotte had a tough season, missing time due to injury and contracting players that are very important, and I tried to take things from those guys mononucleosis late in the season. When healthy, though, he was and use them in my game. I think players like that help win awesome and a dominant center at the USHL level. He’s a well-rounded championships and I definitely looked up to guys like that. Kopitar, he’s prospect without any clear weakness in his game and a lot of high-end one of the best players in the world and it’s just so cool that I get to be in elements. He’s a great skater with a clean stride and can barrel down the the same organization as him and I can’t wait to get started. wing with speed. Turcotte’s speed is good, not overwhelming, but he’s Turcotte, on how his time in the USHL prepared him up until now: got a fantastic first step and a great overall pace to his game. He combines that pace with very good hands and vision, showing how I mean our team we had so much offensive talent. So many good players — Stephen Nelson (@StephenNelson) June 22, 2019 on our team and I think going against those guys every day in practice was always a challenge and it made me a way better hockey player. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Without those guys, I definitely don’t think I’d be as good of a player as I am today. I credit a lot to them and everyone who helped.

Turcotte, on how familiar he is with Los Angeles:

Well, my uncle actually lives down there and coaches in the LA Junior Kings association, so I’ve been down there the last three summers and I kind of have a feel for it and it’s definitely a great place to live and it’s pretty cool.

Turcotte, on whether he surfs:

No, not yet. But I guess I’ll have to learn, right? My uncle can teach me.

Turcotte, on the “sandpaper” element to his game:

I think it just shows that I’m not afraid to go to the dirty areas. I’m not going to go out there and try to run someone over, but I think just knowing that I’ll go to the dirty areas to make a play, that’s really important.

Turcotte, on his uncle’s name and what he’s seen of LA:

Jeff Turcotte. I remember Manhattan Beach. That’s the area I’ve been to. It’s a beautiful area and it’s pretty cool.

Turcotte, on Tony Granato:

I think he’s made me feel really comfortable since day one, since I was fifteen years old. I know he’s really going to help prepare me with our other freshman in our class. I think we’re going to have a really exciting team and we have a lot of high expectations and we’re expecting a lot out of ourselves, but I think we’re going to have a great year and we’re going to have a lot of fun.

Turcotte, on whether he’s heard from Granato yet:

No, I’ve seen him a lot around here, but I’m sure I’ll see him. I can’t wait to see him. It’s definitely going to be pretty cool and he’s definitely going to tell me a lot about LA.

Turcotte, on his dad’s reaction to him getting drafted:

He’s just really happy for me and proud and I think that’s the best part is that he’s so important for me and he taught me so much on and off the ice. Without him, I wouldn’t really be here and to have him there is unbelievable. He’s always been my biggest fan, so I think with him, this is really important for us and just such a cool moment.

Turcotte, on how many people are at the draft:

I don’t really know, just parents, grandparents, uncles, friends. Nothing too crazy, but definitely not a small crowd.

Turcotte, on who in his family had the best reaction to him getting drafted:

I would say my grandpa or my dad. Like I said, they’re just so happy. I mean they’ve been a big part of my hockey life on and off the ice so I think they were ecstatic.

Turcotte, on how he sees himself helping the Kings improve upon last season:

Obviously the Kings didn’t have the best year and all of them are pretty disappointed with their season and I think I can help just by bringing that speed and skill, and I think that’s going to be really helpful for the team and I’m just going to do anything I can to help the team win.

Turcotte, on impressions he was left with after meeting with Los Angeles at the combine:

I knew they really liked me and that I felt really comfortable with them. I knew that if I was there and was there pick i felt really good about my chances and I would be really happy with that situation and it’s how it played out. I couldn’t be any happier. It’s a dream come true and it’s just unreal. I can’t believe it happened.

“Let’s put him as a mixture between Jonathan Toews & Brayden Point.”

I asked Alex Tanguay on @NHLNetwork for his scouting report of #LAKings #NHLDraft pick, Alex @Turcotte__71. pic.twitter.com/oSCixYGRDX 1147931 Los Angeles Kings

LA KINGS SELECT ALEX TURCOTTE FIFTH OVERALL; MUCH MORE TO COME

JON ROSENJUNE 21, 2019

PROSPECTS AND SCOUTING

Much more to come. First, the press release, courtesy LA Kings PR:

The Los Angeles Kings tonight selected center Alex Turcotte with the 5th overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver.

“I can’t even believe it. I am at a loss for words,” said Turcotte as part of the National TV Broadcast. “I am just so excited. I am happy they believe in me and I can’t get wait to get to camp.”

Turcotte, 18, is a native of Island Lake, Illinois. A 5-11, 185-pounder, Turcotte has played the past two seasons with the U.S. National Under- 18 and Under-17 teams. In 16 USHL games this year he had 34 points (12-22=34) and in 21 exhibition games this year he had 28 points (15-13- 28). Having represented the U.S. in several international tournaments, among Turcotte’s highlights is earning a silver medal at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship in Russia.

His father, Alfie, was originally selected in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens in 1983 and he played in 112 total NHL games throughout his long pro career. Alex’s uncle, Jeff, played in the NHL and is a coach with the Jr. Kings program. Alex has committed to play at the University of Wisconsin which is coached by former Kings forward Tony Granato.

The Kings tonight also are slated to choose 22nd overall.

All subsequent rounds – rounds 2 through 7 – take place Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. and will be broadcast on NHL Network.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147932 Los Angeles Kings the Patriots who learned from Belichick and that’s my philosophy, and I learned from them and you take things from different people. I don’t know why you would, if you’re at five, why would you not pick at six and get BARRING SOMEONE FALLING, KINGS HAVE THEIR GUY; FINAL something else? Why would you not pick at 10 and get something else? Q&A WITH YANNETTI Now, okay, now you get Rob coming in and you say, ‘Because you’re craz’.” Right? You know, because you can’t do that. Because at five, we have a guy who’s going to help change the team. Mike [Futa] used to measure me that way. Mike and I balanced each other really well JON ROSENJUNE 21, 2019 because I want to go out and do that. You know what, why are we going into the draft with ten picks when we could have 15? When we could have 17? And Mike was very good at listening to me, letting me tire PROSPECTS AND SCOUTING myself out and then you saw it. We moved quite a bit early on, but again, it comes to a point where there is a guy in this draft who can change the In the final story before the – my goodness, here we are! – NHL Draft direction of the Kings at five and we can start that rebuild of the culture. starts at 5:00 p.m., Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti joined LA We can start that rebuild of stockpiling the talent. Not picking in the first Kings Insider from the team hotel Friday to share some final thoughts round and picking at 29 or picking at 20 — you don’t get a chance to before players start falling off the board. It’s an interesting conversation – affect that, and when you haven’t had the fifth pick in a long time, maybe one interrupted early on by a friendly passerby in Todd McLellan, who you shouldn’t trade the fifth pick back, right? So again, I appreciate the drew laughs by encouraging Daryl Evans and I to “go easy on him.” patience he shows when he listens to me go off on my tangents. And he Placed within the context of our conversation of a month ago, it’s another does. He listens and he’s thoughtful about it and it’s great that I know that fascinating glimpse into the way the scouting staff and front office he’s listening to me and then he’s saying, ‘this is how we’re going to processes information and prepares for the draft. It’s also a revelatory change the franchise and we’re going to pick at five.’ And he says, discussion in which Yannetti shares that the Kings have their guy – “because A, B, and C,” and it makes perfect sense. But again, we have barring someone falling from above, of course – and didn’t finalize that ascribed values for each pick. Pick one is not worth 100, pick two 99, 98, decision until arriving in Vancouver. LA Kings Insider: So, in the final it doesn’t go like that. It’s an exponential curve. And I won’t give our hours before the draft, what are the loose odds and ends that you and numbers away, but just because pick one is worth 100, and I’m not the front office are wrapping up right now? saying that’s the numbers, it doesn’t mean pick two might be worth 50. You might have picks 42 to 72 all worth the same, based on historical Mark Yannetti: Actually, we were finalizing our pick up until today. This numbers, based on tendencies. Jeff Solomon and I have created and might be the first time that we’ve actually — I think we usually come into used other people to do that and now you have a full-time guy like Rob the draft with the pick finalized, so this would be similar to the Doughty Vollman who tweaks it and says, ‘this formula works a little bit better.’ So draft. In terms of that, in retrospect, we came into the Doughty draft each year our draft value, our allotted slot, will change a little bit. It’s a knowing it was Drew and really finding out it was Drew after that sit down little different this year than the year before. I would assume the next with the family and then watching the combine. So, it was probably year it’ll be a little bit different. But in a vacuum, each pick has its own between our final meetings and now. This one, we were really, really assigned number. Then you have to get out of the vacuum and do some deadlocked between two players and almost split evenly down party real world stuff, too. You can’t just be cold, hard numbers and analytics. lines. So, it took probably, from between the time the meetings ended But yeah, we don’t even have a player there, we have a number there. until now, I’ll bet you we put in 100 hours’ worth of work, 150 hours’ worth of work on these guys, and a lot of it had to be done when we were LAKI: You say you have your guy at five. But with the 22nd pick, how together, so we spent two full days on finalizing this pick and then many different scripts and scenarios do you have there? Are you at all solidified it today. So, it might seem last minute, but the work was left to able to essentially say ‘it’s going to be one of these four or five guys?” be done here. But it was probably the latest that we’ve finalized MY: It’s like Kupari last year. Kupari is one of the guys we thought would something. be there at 20. It wasn’t a certainty. We had five players we thought could LAKI: This’ll be the last and most pointed question I’ll ask about that be there at 20. Two were unrealistic, but not infinitesimal, and they both particular pick, but when you say ‘you have your guy,’ is that barring went. And then, three were really realistic. One of ‘em went and Kupari somebody falling from three or four? and one other guy who was actually the next guy after Kupari on our list, they both were there. So, at the end of it, we got one of the guys we MY: Of course. We have our list from one-to-five. We have the list from wanted, one of the guys we thought would be there, and there was one one-to-whatever, but in terms of the first pick it only matters from one-to- remaining guy should Kupari have gone. So, I would say, I think there’s five. So, we know for a fact, if the draft falls in the worst possible way for going to be four guys there, and we have two players targeted, that we us, we get our pick at five. So, if it comes down to two players, it doesn’t think. One of those two players I think will be there. come down to Hughes and Kakko – it comes down to three players. One was clearly a three, and then two were four and five, and as I said, it was LAKI: One final question – with that 33rd pick, having the second pick of that deadlocked, and it took a lot of really unique work. We used a full the second day opens up other possibilities. That’s a commodity, that spectrum of subjective, objective, analytic scouting – emotional. The pick. Is there any unique other approach towards that pick, which has interviews, too, that’s the other thing. I thought the interviews, we did a been in the realm of certain other picks the team had last decade, as couple of prolonged interviews. Not quite the Doughty interview, but well? prolonged interviews and I thought they would be the definitive one and MY: It’s the one thing with Rob and I were talking, it’s the one pick you they weren’t. They were so close. And it was cool because they were so don’t have to plan for, because at 33 you sit there and wait. The draft opposite. It was really good because different personalities liked different unfolds and every single year we see it. Every single year there’s five personalities. Like, I won’t say who, but I might have gravitated towards teams picking, saying, ‘oh my God, how did this guy fall out of the first?’ one personality, Rob Blake might have gravitated towards another, So, there’ll be two guys that 30 teams in the league are saying, “How did Nelson Emerson, Mike Futa, Glen Murray — like, we all found little that happen?” So, there’ll be 15 teams in the league trying to get 32. I’ve nuances in the personalities. I think we learned a lot from the process. said it before, I don’t know to who, but we tried to get the Islanders pick, And it surprised me. 31, to try and draft Ryan O’Reilly, and we made seven different offers. At LAKI: Year after year, how do you update your database when it comes one time it included five or six different draft picks – and we couldn’t get to exchanging picks and how does that guide the team’s approach when the pick. So, it’s a pick that everyone wants, but it’s also a hard pick to to decide to move up or down? I know ultimately that’s a Rob Blake get. We’ll certainly listen to any offers that include five picks in case decision, but how is it guided by the data that you have? anyone’s reading this. You have to plan for movement in every round except if you’re picking 32, 33, 34. If you’re that, it’s the only time where MY: Rob’s and my approach to trading picks would be drastically you sit, you evaluate what happened in the draft and you sit in the room different. I don’t mind calculated risk. I don’t think you gamble, and I don’t and you wait for the phone calls to come in. think you throw things around, but you know what? I’ll tell you, I would never pick where we picked at any draft. Ever. If we have the fifth pick, of LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 the 50th pick, or the 100th pick, I don’t know why you would pick at those picks. You should pick at the 90th pick or the 110th pick. I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to sit down with some people who are extraordinarily successful and intelligent and sat down with Scott Pioli of 1147933 Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Winnipeg

Ottawa Senators: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. New York Rangers

KINGS TO OPEN 2019-20 ON ROAD; HOME OPENER 3:00 PM Philadelphia Flyers: Wednesday, Oct. 9 vs. New Jersey OCTOBER 12 VS NASHVILLE Pittsburgh Penguins: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Buffalo

San Jose Sharks: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Vegas JON ROSENJUNE 21, 2019 St. Louis Blues: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Washington

Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Florida The LA Kings will open up the 2019-20 season on the road and will welcome the Nashville Predators to for their home opener Toronto Maple Leafs: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Ottawa at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, the league announced Friday. Vancouver Canucks: Wednesday, Oct. 9 vs. Los Angeles

Los Angeles is 21-20-10 all-time in season openers and 24-18-9 all-time Vegas Golden Knights: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. San Jose in home openers. With last year’s overtime loss to San Jose on October 5, they’re 1-5-1 in their last seven home openers. Washington Capitals: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Carolina

They will also be the visitor for Vancouver’s home opener on Staples Center will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this season. All Wednesday, October 9. The preliminary schedule I saw had Los Angeles shots below are of the first game at Staples Center in franchise history, a opening in Edmonton, and after an off-day flying to Calgary to start their 2-2 tie with Boston on October 20, 1999, and are via the LA Kings first back-to-back set of the season. These preliminary schedules always Legacy Collection. change, but if this one holds true at the start of the season, I’d expect a LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Western Canada three-in-four on October 6, 8 and 9. Again! These schedules always change, so don’t book your WestJet flights just yet, so to speak.

October 9, 1970 was the Canucks very first NHL game also against the Kings pic.twitter.com/inRLmPA2mw

— Andrew Castell (@ACHockeyHistory) June 21, 2019

The season begins Wednesday, October 2 with the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues hosting Washington, Toronto hosting Ottawa, Edmonton hosting Vancouver and Vegas playing host to San Jose.

There’s one other confirmed date: Saturday, February 15, the day the Kings will face the Avalanche outdoors at the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. I don’t have other firm dates, but I’m expecting the Father’s Trip to be held in Tampa and South Florida in January and the Eastern Canada trip to take place in mid-November.

The full schedule will be released on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. PT and will be promoted through an NHL Network show hosted by Jamison Coyle and featuring analysts E.J. Hradek and Mike Johnson. The 30-minute program will also be streamed live on NHL.com and SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.

Anaheim Ducks: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Arizona

Arizona Coyotes: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Boston

Boston Bruins: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. New Jersey

Buffalo Sabres: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. New Jersey

Calgary Flames: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Vancouver

Carolina Hurricanes: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Montreal

Chicago Blackhawks: Thursday, Oct. 10 vs. San Jose

Colorado Avalanche: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Calgary

Columbus Blue Jackets: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Toronto

Dallas Stars: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Boston

Detroit Red Wings: Sunday, Oct. 6 vs. Dallas

Edmonton Oilers: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Vancouver

Florida Panthers: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Tampa Bay

Los Angeles Kings: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Nashville

Minnesota Wild: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Pittsburgh

Montreal Canadiens: Thursday, Oct. 10 vs. Detroit

Nashville Predators: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Minnesota

New Jersey Devils: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Winnipeg

New York Islanders: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Washington 1147934 Minnesota Wild Before the pick, Boldy had a feeling he’d be slipping on a Wild sweater; he interacted with the team at the combine and throughout the season, meetings that left him feeling encouraged.

Wild takes left winger Matthew Boldy with 12th pick in NHL Draft “It’s crazy to be honest,” said Boldy, who huddled on stage with a Wild The 18-year-old from the U.S. National Development Team will play for contingent that included owner Craig Leipold since Leipold was watching Boston College next season. the first round from the Wild’s table on the draft floor. “I think you don’t even realize. It happened so quick. It’s a dream come true so it’s something that you look forward to your whole life. Once it happens, it definitely happens quick but it’s something I’ll never forget.” Sarah McLellan Later this year, Boldy will report to Boston College. He isn’t sure how JUNE 22, 2019 — 12:34AM much development time he’ll require there, but he isn’t an immediate fix for a Wild offense that finished 27th in the NHL in goals (210) and goals- per-game (2.56) — a slide that flared a familiar problem for the VANCOUVER – How the Wild tries to improve its offense for next season organization and suggested its offseason focus. remains to be seen, as the team has yet to make a move to address its scoring woes. It exited the first round of the NHL Draft without pulling off Fenton said he did consider making a trade to draft another player and any trades, idling more than a week until free agency opens on July 1. mentioned steady chatter among GMs, but “I do not have a trade on the table right now that I can say anything about.” But the organization did provide some hope for the future by selecting left winger Matt Boldy with the No. 12 pick Friday inside Rogers Arena, In the future, though, Boldy could be a reliable source for scoring. adding a slick scorer to a pool of prospects the team plans to bolster this “The higher level I go, obviously, the harder it gets,” he said. “You’ve got weekend with seven more picks on deck Saturday. to learn ways to produce still. I’m looking forward to that.” “It definitely helps knowing I’m there and that’s what they’re looking for,” Star Tribune LOADED: 06.22.2019 Boldy said. “It gives me a little bit more confidence and comfortability going into camp and stuff like that. It definitely helps my confidence.”

Boldy is a solid get after being projected by some to be scooped up before the Wild reached the podium; he was ranked ninth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

A self-described “skilled power forward,” Boldy racked up 33 goals and 81 points in 64 games with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s Under-18 squad and was named Player of the Game at the 2018 USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game at Xcel Energy Center.

“It’s a unique style,” General Manager Paul Fenton said of Boldy’s game. “It doesn’t have a lot of pizazz, but he comes at you, through you, around you, inside [and] out. He has that skill level that you freeze up and then he can score, and then he’s got this phenomenal release.”

Standing 6-2 and weighing 196 pounds, Boldy possesses the size to compete but not at the expense of mobility. He’s smooth on his skates and with the puck on his stick; Boldy’s especially crafty in tight and around the net.

The 18-year-old native of Millis, Mass., is also tenacious and has the awareness to be responsible in his own end; his four shorthanded goals were a team-high.

Overall, Boldy’s potential could position him as a top-six winger.

“Pretty easy playing with the guys we had on that team,” said Boldy, who was one of eight players from the U.S. U18s selected in the top-20. “So I give a lot of credit to them. We had an awesome team with the national team development program. Couldn’t say enough about them. It’s a lot of hard work throughout the years and it kind of all comes together at once. Things just kind of happen for you once in a while. Last year I just had a great year. Things were clicking.”

The draft started as expected, with the New Jersey Devils taking center Jack Hughes with the top pick, winger Kaapo Kakko going second to the New York Rangers and a wave of unpredictability following.

Chicago passed on local boy Alex Turcotte and instead the Blackhawks picked up center Kirby Dach at No.3. The Detroit Red Wings surprised the crowd when they used the sixth pick on defenseman Moritz Seider, and the Arizona Coyotes traded up to nab the Philadelphia Flyers’ 11th selection and lasso defenseman Victor Soderstrom.

“It just made more players available when we were picking that we really liked,” Fenton said.

With winger Cole Caufield and centers Peyton Krebs and Alex Newhook, along with goalie Spencer Knight, still up for grabs, the team considered trading down — after previously wondering if it should move up. But ultimately, it opted to stay put.

“The right player fell to where we were because we had him rated higher than 12,” Fenton said. 1147935 Minnesota Wild • South St. Paul native Phil Housley will join the Arizona Coyotes as an assistant coach, according to multiple reports. Housley was fired by the Buffalo Sabres in April after spending two seasons as their head coach.

Wild pick Matthew Boldy has seven teammates taken in first round; • The NHL salary cap parameters are expected to be announced Gophers commit goes at No. 31 Saturday, and reports suggest the ceiling will be lower than the $83 million originally anticipated. Last season’s ceiling was $79.5 million.

Sarah McLellan Star Tribune LOADED: 06.22.2019

JUNE 22, 2019 — 12:39AM

VANCOUVER – They competed against each other in practice, but when it came time to assess the draft order Friday inside Rogers Arena, there wasn’t a rivalry among the USA Hockey National Team Development Under-18 teammates.

“Everyone has worked so hard for this moment,” Wild pick Matt Boldy said. “So we don’t really have that jealousy for each other. You’re more so just happy for each other.”

Eight players from the NTDP were selected in the first round, an impressive class of Americans headlined by top selection Jack Hughes.

Centers Alex Turcotte (fifth) and Trevor Zegras (ninth) filled out the top 10 before four in a row were called from 12th through 16th — starting with Boldy, then goalie Spencer Knight, defenseman Cameron York and winger Cole Caufield. John Beecher was taken at No. 30.

Boldy moved away from home at 16, a transition the now 18-year-old acknowledged as challenging, but a decision he felt was best for him. And where he and his teammates slotted Friday only seemed to reinforce that.

“You grow up really quick there,” said Boldy, who’s from Millis, Mass., and is committed to Boston College. “You move away from home a little bit earlier than some other kids.”

Gophers player No. 31

Gophers incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson was the final pick (31st overall) of the first round, taken by Buffalo.

Johnson, 17, led Sioux Falls to the Clark Cup title last season, and is from Irvine, Calif.

His father, Craig, was a Gophers standout who played 10 season in the NHL after being taken 33rd overall by St. Louis in 1990.

Challenge moves

The league announced a series of tweaks Thursday that focus on expanded video review, player safety and promoting more offense and flow in the action.

Coaches will now be able to issue a challenge on goals that should have resulted in a play stoppage but didn’t, such as on a puck hitting the netting or high-sticked to a teammate in the offensive zone. Hand passes are also included, after one led to the overtime winner for the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of their Western Conference series against St. Louis.

Teams will be allowed to issue a challenge at any time, but there will be a minor penalty for the first unsuccessful attempt and double minors for ensuing misses. .

Home cooking

The Wild will open the season on Oct. 3 in Nashville against the Predators, more than a week before the team’s home opener Oct. 12 at Xcel Energy Center against Pittsburgh. Winnipeg’s home opener will also be against the Wild, on Oct. 10.

Each NHL team announced its home opener on Friday. The remainder of the NHL schedule will be released Tuesday.

Etc.

• Wild coach Bruce Boudreau’s son Ben was recently named head coach of the Fort Wayne KoMets of the ECHL, following in his father’s footsteps. Bruce Boudreau coached the KoMets from 1993 to ’95.

“I love it,” Boudreau said. “I think that’s great. We checked it out. We’re the only father [and] son coaching professionally at the same time.” 1147936 Minnesota Wild 24. Nashville, Arthur Kaliyev, RW, Hamilton (OHL)

25. Washington, Samuel Poulin, RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

Who goes where? Puck Drop's mock NHL draft takes a shot at it 26. Calgary, Tobias Bjornfot, D, Djurgarden Jr. (Sweden)

27. Tampa Bay, Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton (QMJHL)

Randy Johnson 28. Carolina, Nils Hoglander, LW, Rogle (Sweden)

JUNE 21, 2019 — 7:59AM 29. Anaheim (from San Jose via Buffalo), Ryan Johnson, D, Sioux Falls (USHL)

Comment: The incoming Gopher from Irvine, Calif., lands with the Ducks. NHL teams begin restocking their cupboards Friday night with the first His father, Craig, is a former Gopher who played for both Los Angeles round of the draft in Vancouver, British Columbia. Expect to see Jack and Anaheim. Hughes and Kaapo Kakko picked first and second, respectively. After that, the fun begins with plenty of variables coming into play. And don’t 30. Boston, Robert Mastrosimone, C, Chicago (USHL) forget about trades, which will blow up many a mock draft. Here’s mine, with comments on select players: 31. Buffalo (from St. Louis), Connor McMichael, C, London (OHL)

1. New Jersey, Jack Hughes, C, U.S. Under-18 team Star Tribune LOADED: 06.22.2019

Comment: The speedy Hughes is the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick, and he should contribute quickly. He put up stunning stats for the U.S. Under-18 team, amassing 34 goals and 78 assists this season.

2. N.Y. Rangers, Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Finland)

Comment: Some draft observers have Kakko ahead of Hughes, pointing to his leadership and productivity in Finland’s run to the world junior title. Hughes and Kakko should spice up the Devils-Rangers rivalry.

3. Chicago, Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver (WHL)

Comment: The Blackhawks take the best defenseman in the draft over a solid center in Alex Turcotte.

4. Colorado (from Ottawa), Alex Turcotte, C, U.S. Under-18 team

Comment: The Wisconsin signee has drawn raves for his two-way game and playmaking skills.

5. Los Angeles, Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge (WHL)

6. Detroit, Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

7. Buffalo, Trevor Zegras, C, U.S. Under-18 team

8. Edmonton, Phillip Broberg, D, AIK (Sweden)

9. Anaheim, Matthew Boldy, LW, U.S. Under-18 team

10. Vancouver, Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay (WHL)

11. Philadelphia, Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas (Sweden)

12. Wild, Vasili Podkolzin, RW, Neva St. Petersburg (Russia)

Comment: GM Paul Fenton has plenty of options here. Will he go with the top goalie in Spencer Knight? How about center Alex Newhook or 5- 7, Wisconsin-signed winger Cole Caufield? It might be tough to say no to Podkolzin, the No. 2-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting.

13. Florida, Spencer Knight, G, U.S. Under-18 team

14. Arizona, Cole Caufield, RW, U.S. Under-18 team

15. Montreal, Cam York, D, U.S. Under-18 team

16. Colorado, Alex Newhook, C, Victoria (BCHL)

17. Vegas, Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie (OHL)

18. Dallas, Raphael Lavoie, C, Halifax (QMJHL)

19. Ottawa (from Columbus), Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim (Germany)

20. Winnipeg (from N.Y. Rangers), Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga (OHL)

21. Pittsburgh, Bobby Brink, F, Sioux City (USHL)

Comment: The Penguins have had success with Minnesotans – see Guentzel, Jake – and Brink, a former Minnetonka star, brings offensive flair. He’ll continue his development against NCHC competition at Denver next season.

22. Los Angeles (from Toronto), Ville Heinola, D, Lukko (Finland)

23. N.Y. Islanders, Philip Tomasino, C, Niagara (OHL) 1147937 Minnesota Wild

Wild GM Paul Fenton won’t trade Jason Zucker unless the price is right

Dane Mizutani

June 22, 2019 at 3:53 am

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — As much as Jason Zucker has been at the epicenter of trade rumors this offseason, with many thinking the saga would hit a breaking point during the NHL draft, the first round came and went Friday night and he’s still on the Wild roster.

As far as general manager Paul Fenton is concerned, that says everything that needs to be said about that situation.

“He’s a part of our team,” Fenton said. “I don’t plan on getting rid of Jason unless the right thing (comes) to me. That’s how it should be stated.”

Although that doesn’t necessarily mean Fenton won’t trade Zucker at some point, it’s clearly going to have to be a no-brainer for him to pull this trigger.

“I listen to offers and I make offers just like everybody else does,” Fenton said. “It doesn’t mean that he’s pigeon-holed into something. I love Jason as a player and he’ll be a great fit for us when he comes back.”

The only trade Fenton even thought about making after selecting dynamic left winger Matt Boldy with the No. 12 pick was moving back into the the first round to select another top prospect.

“I looked into trying to get another player that we had rated highly,” Fenton said. “Now we go into tomorrow pick at No. 42. There’s going to be a lot of really good players available at No. 42. And that’s the nice part for us.”

It wasn’t just the Wild that opted against executing a blockbuster trade at Rogers Arena. It was a nearly silent night on the trade front with only the Philadelphia Flyers moving back a few spots in a ho-hum deal with the Arizona Coyotes.

“There’s a lot of bantering,” Fenton said, adding that nothing has presented itself to him yet. “Some teams may have some more things going than I do. That doesn’t mean that we’re not exploring it.”

HOME OPENERS REVEALED

While the full schedule will be revealed next week, the NHL announced home openers for each team Friday afternoon.

NHL announces home openers for 2019-20 regular season. https://t.co/oxFKjU74pO #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/XJC0JRiQk1

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 21, 2019

For the Wild, that means least three games are set in stone heading into next season, starting with their season opener at the Nashville Predators on Oct. 3.

Besides that, the Wild also learned they will play at the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 10 before their home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 12.

TOP-TIER TALENT

As expected, Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko went back-to-back to kick off the draft.

Hughes, 18, is the most highly regarded American prospect in recent memory. He averaged more than two points per game last season with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, finishing with 34 goals and 78 assists in 50 games.

Kakko, 18, scored 22 goals last season for Turun Palloseura, commonly known as TPS, in the Finnish Elite League. That was the most every by a draft-eligible prospect in league history.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147938 Minnesota Wild “It’s whenever I’m ready as a player,” Boldy said. “It’s kind of crazy that that’s even going through my head right now. I’m looking forward to going to Boston College, and we’ll kind of go from there.”

Wild select dynamic winger Matt Boldy with No. 12 pick in NHL Draft Pioneer Press LOADED: 06.22.2019

Dane Mizutani

June 21, 2019 at 11:11 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Wild general manager Paul Fenton wouldn’t tip his hand in the days leading up to the NHL draft, saying only that he felt the organization was going to get “a very good player” no matter what.

Still, even Fenton couldn’t have imagined the draft board shaking out any better as the Wild waited in anticipation for their pick.

Thanks to a couple of head scratchers from other teams early in the draft, the Wild were able to secure left winger Matt Boldy with the No. 12 pick on Friday night. He addresses an immediate need within the organization as highly skilled scorer. He netted 33 goals and dished out 48 assists last season as a member of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

“For us, the right player fell to where we were, because we had him rated higher than No. 12,” Fenton said, refusing to say exactly how high he had Boldy ranked. “All I can say is much higher.”

In the crowd, as the time ticked away during the first round, Boldy said he had a feeling it was going to be the Wild. He met with the club a couple of times at the NHL scouting combine and a few times last season.

That said, nothing could have prepared Boldy for the moment Fenton called his name at Rogers Arena. He hugged his parents in the stands, and the next thing he knew he was on stage holding up a Wild sweater.

“It happened so quick,” Boldy said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s something that I’ve look forward to my whole life.”

And something Boldy has been working toward ever since he moved away from home as a 16-year-old to join the National Team Development Program. As hard as a decision as it was, diving headfirst into a situation that featured a lot of unknowns, Boldy knew deep down it was the right move for his career.

“It was definitely a little bit harder at the beginning,” Boldy said. “That was the best path for me, so I was willing to do it.”

It’s easy to see how much it helped Boldy simply by looking at the talent he got to play alongside daily.

Aside from Boldy, six other players from the National Team Development Program were selected in the first round: Jack Hughes, Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras, Spencer Knight, Cameron York and Cole Caufield.

“It’s pretty easy playing with the guys we had on that team,” Boldy said. “I give a lot of credit to them. We had an awesome team with the National Team Development Program. I can’t say enough about them.”

As much as his surrounding helped him grow as a player on the ice, it also helped him grow as a person off it.

“You move away from home a little bit earlier than some other kids,” Boldy said. “You kind of go from being a boy to a man a little faster that way. It definitely helped me mature and grow up and realize what I had to do to help myself and take responsibility to do the right things on and off the ice.”

Asked about his skill set, Boldy confidently described himself as a highly skilled player who can use his body effectively in all three zones.

“It’s a unique style,” Fenton said. “It doesn’t have a lot of pizazz. He just has that skill level that (makes guys) freeze up and then he can score. And he’s got this phenomenal release.”

Besides that, Boldy has a solid frame, standing 6 feet 2 and weighing nearly 195 pounds, and should continue to grow as he tries to realize his dream of playing at the highest level.

In the meantime, Boldy is focused on taking his talents to Boston College next season. He’s excited about that next step and doesn’t have a timeline for when he wants to reach the NHL. 1147939 Minnesota Wild Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom — the byproduct was a lot more forwards than the Wild expected suddenly there for the picking.

Fenton and his staff were stunned Boldy, a left wing who scored 33 goals ‘Minnesota got a steal’: Wild make Matt Boldy a centerpiece of their and 81 points in 64 games for the U.S. Under-18 program last season, future fell to them. They selected him over talented forwards like Cole Caufield (who went No. 15 overall to Montreal), Alex Newhook (No. 16 overall to Colorado) and Peyton Krebs (No. 17 overall to Vegas). Michael Russo PAUL FENTON GIVES A BREAKDOWN ON MATT BOLDY AFTER THE Jun 21, 2019 FIRST ROUND. #MNWILD | #NHLDRAFT PIC.TWITTER.COM/YHCFDSXRIS

— MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) JUNE 22, 2019 VANCOUVER — Very proud, very loquacious John Wroblewski saw Matt Boldy walking his direction in a Minnesota Wild jersey and hat. “It just made more players available when we were picking that we really liked,” Fenton said. “Matt was very high on our list. You can’t find power Singing Boldy’s praises for five minutes at this point, the man they call forwards like him that have the skill and the ability to score or make “Robo” interrupted what he was saying, smiled cheek to cheek, yelled plays. He’s a multi-positional player. He’s played center in his life. For us, Boldy’s name and gave the skilled power forward one giant bearhug. it was the right pick. Boldy, 18, had just met with the media and said of being drafted No. 12 “We had him rated higher than 12. I can tell you that. Our guys are by the Wild, “It’s crazy, to be honest. I think you don’t even realize. It ecstatic about it.” happened so quick. It’s a dream come true. It’s something that you look forward to your whole life. Once it happens, it definitely happens quick, Boldy had a feeling the Wild were going to take him once he wasn’t but it’s something I’ll never forget.” selected in the first 11.

After the long, very touching embrace, Boldy’s U.S. National Team He felt he had great interaction with Fenton and the scouts during the Development Program coach turned back to the reporter he had been interview process at the combine in Buffalo. speaking to and continued where he had left off. “It was always good vibes,” Boldy said. Only this time, tears welled in his glassy eyes and words were much harder to come by. This is a kid who right in St. Paul last fall was named Player of the Game at the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game at Xcel Energy Center “I think Minnesota got a steal,” Wroblewski said of the Boston College- after scoring a goal and two assists for Team Langenbrunner. bound, Millis, Massachusetts, native. “He had first overall potential. The way that he plays the game is different than any other player I’ve ever Ranked No. 9 on the NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American seen. The puck is glued to him and then he gets into the offensive zone skaters, Boldy scored 62 goals and 157 points in 125 NTDP games over and then the magic happens.” the past two seasons. He helped the United States win gold at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he finished third in tournament WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, US NATIONAL TEAM COACH JOHN scoring with three goals and nine points. He ranked third in points (12) in WROBLEWSKI EMBRACED #MNWILD FIRST-ROUND PICK MATT seven contests at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 World Championship where BOLDY: “MINNESOTA GOT A STUD, AN ABSOLUTE STUD,” the U.S. earned a bronze medal. WROBLEWSKI TOLD ME DURING AN AWESOME INTERVIEW PIC.TWITTER.COM/9BQ6LVVGDA “What you get with this guy, you’ve got 6-foot-2, so you’ve got an undeniable force in regard to physicality,” Wroblewski said. “So you’ve — MICHAEL RUSSO (@RUSSOHOCKEY) JUNE 22, 2019 got a built-in third-liner because of how good and predictable he is as a player. Then let’s toss into the mix his skill game and one that is so The 38-year-old coach shook his head and smiled: “I’m going to call unique. Jason Zucker immediately and tell him to take this guy under his wing. Hopefully Zuck will still be there … but I’m going to tell him to take this kid “I’ve never seen a kid who can throw saucer passes to himself or little flip under his wing.” passes within the (offensive) zone to a destination that someone’s going to skate into while he’s got opponents coming up to him. The way he Well, at least after the first day of the two-day NHL Draft, Zucker, a player comes into the offensive zone and darts and finds his seams and then Wroblewski also coached once upon a time with USA Hockey, is indeed he’s got the width, the release, the fluidity, the hands, you’ve got a stud, still here. an absolute stud there.” On a day where not a single NHL player switched teams via trade, the "IT WAS EXHILARATING." heavily-rumored-to-be-going Zucker has so far not been traded by the Wild. GRANDMA SHARYN IS SO PROUD OF MATT  PIC.TWITTER.COM/CJWW6PQ3AW In fact, one day after general manager Paul Fenton said he didn’t have much going on the trade front, sources told The Athletic that Fenton has — MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) JUNE 22, 2019 been telling others he only plans to trade the speedy left winger if a deal was a no-brainer that immediately improves the Wild. Added Fenton, “It’s a unique style. It doesn’t have a lot of pizazz, but he comes at you, through you, around you, inside out. He has that skill level “For Jason, he’s a part of our team,” Fenton said Friday night of Zucker, that you freeze up and then he can score. And then he’s got this who two seasons ago scored 33 goals and Wednesday night was phenomenal release. But at the same time, he freezes you because he awarded the King Clancy Trophy for all his humanitarian work in can make a play. He’s a unique player.” Minnesota. “I don’t plan on getting rid of Jason unless the right thing came to me. I listen to offers and I make offers just like everybody else Wroblewski said Wild fans will adore Boldy’s character. They’ll get to see does. It doesn’t mean that he’s pigeon-holed into something. I love Jason Boldy for the first time during development camp Tuesday through Friday as a player and he’ll be a great fit for us when he comes back for us.” with open practices Tuesday and Wednesday and a 3-on-3 tournament Friday night. Wild owner Craig Leipold, after attending the Board of Governors meetings, stayed in Las Vegas to support Zucker on Wednesday. He “First guy on the ice every single day. That’s without question,” the coach flew Thursday to Vancouver, took the entire staff to dinner Thursday said. “He shows up every single day, first guy on the ice. So he’ll sprint night and on Friday sat in on three hours of amateur scouting meetings. out of the weight room and then he’ll be in his equipment before you Then, Friday night, he sat directly to the right of Fenton at the Wild’s draft know it and he’s asking (assistant coach) Dan Hinote for one-timers and table. everything else.

In a somewhat unpredictable first round — in large part because the “I can’t tell you enough the unique skill set that he has. The physical Detroit Red Wings went off the board by taking defenseman Moritz attributes are all there and then he’s got this innate work ethic that Seider No. 6 overall and the Arizona Coyotes traded up to No. 11 to take derives somewhere between his father being a Massachusetts state trooper and him just being so confident.” Boldy’s dad, Todd, is a detective and his mom, Jenn, is a bartender. Older brother Mike also plays club hockey, but growing up playing with Mike helped Matt develop until he left home for the National Team Development Program at age 16.

“You grow up really quick there,” Boldy said. “You move away from home a little bit earlier than some other kids. You grow up fast kind of doing things on our own and kind of being an independent person. You kind of go from being a boy to a man a little faster. It definitely helped me mature and grow up and realize what I had to do to help myself and take responsibility to do the right things on and off the ice.”

MATT BOLDY GETTING A WARM WELCOME FROM #MNWILD OWNER CRAIG LEIPOLD. #NHLDRAFT PIC.TWITTER.COM/PILSUPXJNO

— MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) JUNE 22, 2019

Boldy was one of seven U.S. National Team Development players drafted in the first 15. He was the fourth of eight selected overall in the first round and the first of four in a row drafted Nos. 12-15.

It was a very special team.

“He was on our second power play. If this was any normal Development Team year, he’d be running our first power play,” Wroblewski said. “He’ll fit right into the Minnesota culture even though he’s a kid from Boston. He’s got a great heart. He never once came into my office and asked, ‘Why aren’t I here,’ compared to (No. 1 overall pick) Jack (Hughes) or (No. 9) Trevor (Zegras) or Cole or (No. 5) Alex (Turcotte).

“He was so selfless throughout the whole process. Everybody talks about him as like the fifth guy on our forward chart. To say that he scales down a depth chart, it’s utter insanity. (NHL) scouts and managers would always bring him up last to me. He was the fifth guy always on our team talked about. I’d tell them, ‘You are way off and if you don’t bring up Boldy earlier, it’ll be one of your biggest mistakes.’”

As much as many Wild fans were clamoring for the 5-foot-7 sniper that is Caufield (72 goals, 100 points last season) when he was still on the board for the Wild to take, that line by Wroblewski is something to remember.

He’s not saying Boldy is better than Hughes, Turcotte, Zegras or Caufield, “but Boldy is right there with them.”

“Being a Massachusetts kid like me played into it,” Fenton, who went to Boston University, said. “I’ve actually already heard from (Boston College coach) and I’ve had to push it down and tell him that he’s probably going to be the first Eagle that I’ve rooted for and then I refrained and told him the second because we have (last year’s third- round pick Jack) McBain there.”

Fenton said after selecting Boldy, he did explore trying to acquire another first-round pick. In the end, the Wild decided to keep all seven of their picks for Saturday’s second through seventh rounds.

“We now go into (Saturday) picking at 42,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of really good players available at 42 also. And that’s the nice part for us.”

As for any other trades he may have cooking and why Friday was such a dead day in terms of leaguewide player movement, Fenton said, “There’s a lot of bantering. There’s really not enough where I would say that it’s presented itself to me anyway. Some teams may have some more things going than I do. That doesn’t mean that we’re not exploring it. … I do not have a trade on the table right now that I can say anything about.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147940 Minnesota Wild *Fourth round: 99th overall (from Rangers via Boston in Charlie Coyle trade)

*Fifth round: 149th overall (from Washington via Montreal in Mike Reilly Minnesota Wild draft primer: Fully loaded with picks to fill the cupboards trade)

Sixth round: 166th overall and 172nd overall (from Vegas in Brad Hunt Michael Russo deal)

Jun 21, 2019 Seventh round: 197th overall

*Wild traded their own fourth-round pick in the 2017 Martin Hanzal trade; Wild traded their fifth-round pick in Brad Hunt trade. VANCOUVER — As painful as post-New Year’s was for the Wild, one silver lining comes this weekend at the NHL Draft, where the team has Notable NHL No. 12 picks eight picks, including one in all seven rounds for the first time since 2012. Max Domi, Arizona, 2013; former Wild Ryan Murphy, Carolina, 2011; Paul Fenton resisted trading picks for quick fixes, and he brought up the Cam Fowler, Anaheim, 2010; Tyler Myers, Buffalo, 2008; former season-ending injury to Matt Dumba. Minnesota Mr. Hockey Ryan McDonagh, Montreal, 2007; Bryan Little, Atlanta, 2006; Marc Staal, N.Y. Rangers, 2005; Alex Tanguay, Colorado, Not replacing the high-scoring defenseman provided a huge hole the rest 1998; Marian Hossa, Ottawa, 1997; Gary Roberts, Calgary, 1984; Dave of the season and quite possibly even led to the breaking up of a core Gagner, N.Y. Rangers, 1983; , Montreal, 1974 with the trades of Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund. *The Wild have picked 12th once in team history. In 2004, they selected But Fenton said he didn’t want to pull the lever on the handful of Minnesotan A.J. Thelen, who never played an NHL game. opportunities where he could have traded his first-round pick or a second-round pick for a lesser right-shot defenseman. Players potentially there at No. 12

He gets it because the previous regime was always tasked with being in Recently, The Athletic’s Tony Abbott looked at a number of players who a win-now mode, but Fenton says, “In the past that probably would have could be there at No. 12 when the Wild select 12. Here’s that story. And cost an asset and I wouldn’t be sitting here today picking 12th.” here’s our Corey Pronman’s latest mock draft as well as his complete guide to this year’s draft. Fenton says the goal is to build through Iowa, which made the playoffs last season for the first time largely because of the great play of veterans Right wing Vasili Podkolzin: Just because the Wild have yet to be able to like captain Cal O’Reilly, goalie Andrew Hammond, defensemen Nate sign prospect Kirill Kaprizov since drafting him in the fifth round in 2015, Prosser and Matt Bartkowski and forwards Gerry Mayhew, Kyle Rau, Fenton says that wouldn’t scare him off from Podkolzin. He says, “I’ve Colton Beck and Matt Read. taken a Russian in the first round in (Alex) Radulov before. Certainly, when the time comes, if Kaprizov is able to come over here and play (in O’Reilly, Hammond, Read and Prosser are unrestricted free agents. The 2020-21), it would be great to have somebody that he could be Wild are turning the goalie job over to Mat Robson and Kaapo Kaakonen, comfortable with. I’d have no problem with that.” so Hammond is likely leaving. Same thing with Read and Prosser. Goalie Spencer Knight: Earlier this week, The Athletic wrote a story why O’Reilly, who set Iowa single-season records this past season with 51 the Wild would consider Knight. Here is that piece. assists and 67 points, has been offered a two-way contract from the Wild. He could command a one-way contract from another team in free agency Center Peyton Krebs: Severed his Achilles’ tendon in training earlier this and has plenty of fruitful European options, so it’s believed he has opted month, but that shouldn’t shy anybody from taking the talent. to leave Minnesota. Center Alex Newhook

Other than on the blueline, there were precious few prospects down in Center Arthur Kaliyev Iowa, something Fenton wants to see change by having a multitude of draft picks that lead to the eventual infusion of talent down in Des Left wing Matthew Boldy Moines. Notable Minnesotans in 2019 draft PREPARATION IS  #NHLDRAFT | #MNWILD Bobby Brink, Minnetonka, Sioux City (USHL), RW, 43 games, 35 goals, PIC.TWITTER.COM/JGTTQFGT7A 68 points — MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) JUNE 20, 2019 Jackson LaCombe, Eden Prairie, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, D, 50 games, 20 Several young prospects turn pro this season with Iowa (Ivan Lodnia, goals, 81 points Brandon Duhaime and Connor Dewar to name a few), so the more the Graeme Clarke, Waconia, Ottawa (OHL), RW, 55 games, 23 goals, 34 merrier, Fenton says. points “I’m excited at 12,” Fenton said. “This year I can confidently say at 12 Drew Helleson, Farmington, U.S. Dev. Team, D, 64 games, 5 goals, 23 we’re going to get a very good player. It does not matter what position it points is. It’s going to be a very good player.” Grant Silianoff, Edina, Cedar Rapids (USHL), RW, 55 games, 18 goals, Fenton doesn’t see himself moving up unless it was a no-brainer. 41 points “It would be a significant move and thought process to move up because Michael Koster, Marshall, Chaska High, D, 26 games, 20 goals, 61 points I believe that once you get to 4 or 5, you’re getting the same player at 12,” Fenton said. William Francis, St. Paul, Cedar Rapids (USHL), D, 59 games, 2 goals, 10 points, 131 PIM Moving down a few slots is a better likelihood if the Wild get close to 12 and suddenly have a handful of players they absolutely love still near the Bryce Brodzinski, Blaine, Blaine High, RW, 29 games, 36 goals, 91 top of their list. points

Plus, the Wild own a second-round pick for the first time in four years and Aaron Huglen, Roseau, Roseau High/Fargo (USHL), RW, 54 games, 21 only second time since 2013, and he sees several players the Wild think goals, 68 points they’ll have a shot at in the second and third rounds. Ryder Donovan, Duluth, Duluth East High, C, 29 games, 17 goals, 47 Wild 2019 draft selections points

First round: 12th overall Ethan Haider, St. Louis Park, Minnesota Magicians (NAHL), G, 37 games, 19-13-2, 2.35 GAA, .926 SV% Second round: 42nd overall

Third round: 73rd overall *28 Minnesotans selected in the first round since 2000, the highest being Erik Johnson at first overall by St. Louis in 2006.

Wild development camp

The Wild have moved development camp up from mid-July to immediately following this month’s draft and also trimmed the number of days to four. The camp will be June 25-28 at TRIA Rink in St. Paul and feature three days of free, open-to-the-public practices and scrimmages.

Some prospects scheduled to participate include Nico Sturm, Mat Robson, recently-acquired Fedor Gordeev, Connor Dewar, Brandon Duhaime, 2018 first-round pick Filip Johansson, Simon Johansson, Alexander Khovanov, Ivan Lodnia and Jack McBain. The Wild will also invite their soon-to-be 2019 draft picks and likely undrafted free agents that intrigue them.

The sessions open to the public are two practices on both June 25 and June 27 at 9:20 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. and a 3-on-3 tournament June 28 at 6:30 p.m. that will be followed by player autographs.

Important dates

Friday: First round of draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, 6:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network

Saturday: Second through seventh rounds of draft, noon, NHL Network

June 23: Free-agent interview period begins, 12:01 a.m.

June 25-28: Wild development camp

June 25: Wild schedule announced

June 25: Deadline to tender qualifying offers to restricted free agents, 4 p.m. (Pontus Aberg expected to be cut loose if not traded before)

June 26: Teams can talk to restricted free agents about offer sheets

July 1: Free agency begins, 11 a.m.

July 5: Deadline for players to file for arbitration, 4 p.m. (Ryan Donato and minor-leaguers Louis Belpedio and Carson Soucy are arbitration eligible)

Sept. 6-10: Traverse City prospects tournament

Sept. 12: Wild players report for training camp

Sept. 13: First on-ice session of training camp

Sept. 17: Wild exhibition game vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21: Wild exhibition game vs. Colorado, 5 p.m.

Sept. 29: Wild exhibition game vs. Winnipeg, 1 p.m. (Kids Day)

Oct. 3: Wild open regular season in Nashville

Oct. 12: Wild home opener vs. Pittsburgh

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147941 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin gets pleasant surprise at NHL Draft

Never expected high-scoring right-winger Cole Caufield to still be available with the No. 15 overall pick.

STU COWAN

June 22, 2019

VANCOUVER — Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin didn’t expect Cole Caufield to still be available with the No. 15 overall pick at Friday night’s NHL Draft.

Not after speaking with Caufield’s agent, Pat Brisson, who is a longtime friend of the GM.

“He said to me: ‘Marc, if you don’t think you’ll be able to go to the top 10 you’re not going to see him.’” Bergevin said. “Those were his words about a week ago. Time will tell, but we were pretty pleased to see that he was available.”

Caufield is only 5-foot-7 and 163 pounds, but he has a big shot. Playing on the same line as centre Jack Hughes this season on the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-18 team, Caufield scored 72 goals and added 28 assists for 100 points in 64 games.

“Goal-scoring is at a premium in this league,” Bergevin said. “It’s hard to score goals and every level he was he was able to do that, so we don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to do that at the next level. He’s done it everywhere. It’s not like he’s been 6-foot-4 and then he wakes up one morning and now he’s smaller. He’s been scoring at that size everywhere he’s been.”

Caufield has committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season, but said he’s looking for the quickest route to the NHL. The OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hold his junior rights.

“I don’t expect him to play next year (with the Canadiens), but he won’t spend four years in college,” Bergevin said. “I don’t think so … I hope not.

“I think most kids want to play in the NHL, so he’s not different from anybody else, I guess,” the GM added. “It’s way too early. We’ll place him next week at (development) camp and we’ll see where he’s at. Most likely he’ll be in college next year … most likely, but you never know.”

The always dapper #Habs GM Marc Bergevin meeting with media now #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/yhvGN2zNv5— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) June 22, 2019

Centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi surprised a lot of people by making the Canadiens last season as an 18-year-old after being the No. 3 overall pick at the NHL Draft. The previous year, defenceman Victor Mete made the jump straight from junior to the Canadiens as a 19-year-old after being selected in the fourth round (100th overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft.

“I don’t know (about next year) because we haven’t seen him with the pros,” Bergevin said when asked about the possibility of Caufield following in Kotkaniemi and Mete’s skate strides. “It’s a big step. I mean it’s a huge step. But again, he’s a driven kid, so we’ll see.

“I think now the Canadiens, the way we’ve been able to draft the last few years with KK (Kotkaniemi), (Ryan) Poehling coming up, (Nick) Suzuki played in the middle in Guelph (of the OHL) down the stretch. I think we’re finding that the Canadiens are stronger down the middle than they were in the past and if we could have a goal-scorer on the wing, I think it could be a nice fit.”

The Canadiens took Caufield out for dinner at the NHL Combine in Buffalo and the kid impressed Bergevin with his swagger.

“Not arrogant, not cocky, but confident kid,” the GM said. “In hockey it’s what it’s all about … there’s nothing else that matters. I just like his personality. His best interviews happen on the ice, but when you have that it makes you feel good. We were more than surprised he was still there.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147942 Montreal Canadiens Caufield’s shot is the best part of his game and he said it’s something he has always worked on and will continue to do so.

“I just put down a bucket of pucks anywhere and started shooting from Canadiens draft pick Cole Caufield a little guy with a big shot anywhere,” he said. “I think I just developed the love for shooting the Five-foot-7 winger scored 72 goals in 64 games this season with USA puck. I think some people don’t do it enough and I’ve always been a kid Hockey's U-18 team to break record set by Maple Leafs' Auston that just loves to shoot the puck. I’ve continued to work at it.” Matthews. Caufield’s parents have told him the story about him crying when he was 2 years old while watching his brother Brock, who is two years older, skating on a rink because he wanted to be out there with him. STU COWAN “That’s just how I am as a kid … my passion for the game is so much and June 22, 2019 I love it and would do anything for it,” he said.

Caufield has committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season, where he would join his brother. But after being drafted by the VANCOUVER — If you’re a Canadiens fan shaking your head a bit after Canadiens, Caufield said he was looking for the fastest route to the NHL. watching the Canadiens draft 5-foot-7, 163-pound right-winger Cole The OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hold his junior rights. Caufield with their first-round pick (15th overall) at Friday night’s NHL Draft, I have two words for you: Alex DeBrincat. As for his being constantly asked about his size, Caufield said: “Now I kind of just laugh it off. Nobody’s going to stop asking me about it. I’m DeBrincat, who is 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, posted 41-35-76 totals in 82 just going to have to continue to prove people wrong. I’ve been dealing games this past season with the Chicago Blackhawks. As an NHL rookie with it my whole life.” the previous year, he had 28-24-52 totals. The Blackhawks selected DeBrincat, 21, in the second round (39th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft So has Alex DeBrincat. with a pick they acquired from the Canadiens in the Andrew Shaw trade. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 DeBrincat, among others, has proven that in today’s NHL, size isn’t everything — especially if you have offensive skills. Caufield has a ton of them, highlighted by his shot.

The native of Stevens Point, Wisc., posted 72-28-100 totals in 64 games this season while playing on a line with Jack Hughes on the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-18 team. Caufield’s 72 goals broke the previous record of 55 for the U-18 team that was set by Auston Matthews, selected No. 1 overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2016 NHL Draft. Caufield scored 126 goals in 123 career games with the U-18 team, breaking the previous record of 104 set by Phil Kessel.

He shoots, he scores!

“If you’re going to do one thing, you’d better do it really well,” one scout said about Caufield in The Hockey News Draft Preview. “And he scores and he just scores and scores. His one-timer is outstanding. He is a true scorer. He can score in a number of ways, but his one-timer is elite.”

Caufield was the No. 9 ranked prospect by The Hockey News heading into the draft. NHL Central Scouting had him ranked No. 8 among North American skaters.

“I’m exciting … a guy who plays like Alex DeBrincat,” Caufield said when asked to describe his game after being selected by the Canadiens. “I think what I bring to the table is offence and my shot is probably the best part of my game. So if there’s any way I can use that to help my game. … I mean there’s a lot of things I do other than score goals, too. I’m a big competitor and I hate to lose, so I’ll do anything it takes to win.”

Caufield has drawn inspiration from DeBrincat.

“I’ve been in contact with him for a while now,” Caufield said. “He’s given me some advice … just try and enjoy the moment. I really thank him a lot because without him this might not have been accomplished. He’s a great player and someone I look up to and always have.”

Caufield was really looking up to Shea Weber Friday night when the Canadiens captain announced the team’s first-round pick from the draft stage.

“He’s huge,” Caufield said with a smile about the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Weber.

As expected, Hughes was selected by the New Jersey Devils with the No. 1 overall pick. Hughes posted 34-78-112 totals while playing centre on a line with Caufield on the U-18 team and obviously helped him. But how did Caufield help Hughes?

“I’ve said this before, he wouldn’t have the amount of assists if it wasn’t for me, too,” Caufield said. “I’m confident in myself in that way. I know he’s such a great player, he can make anyone better. But the way we work so well together is because our brains are so smart and we do things at such a high pace. I can play with anyone, I can make anyone look better.” 1147943 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens select 5-foot-7 Cole Caufield 15th at NHL Draft

“My goal is to play in the NHL as soon as possible," newest Hab says after posting 72-28-100 totals in 64 games with USA Hockey's U-18 team.

STU COWAN

June 22, 2019

VANCOUVER — The Canadiens selected right-winger Cole Caufield with the 15th overall pick at Friday night’s NHL Draft at the Rogers Arena. Canadiens captain Shea Weber announced the selection.

The 5-foot-7, 163-pound Caufield played this season with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s U-18 team, posting 72- 28-100 totals in 64 games while playing on a line with Jack Hughes, who was selected No. 1 overall by the New Jersey Devils Friday night.

Caufield was the No. 9 ranked prospect by The Hockey News heading into the draft and was ranked No. 8 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. There was reason for the Canadiens and GM Marc Bergevin to smile when Caufield was still available with their pick.

“He was just so excited,” Caufield said about Bergevin’s reaction after drafting him. “I had the biggest smile on my face. It all happened so fast and I’m just trying to enjoy the moment right now.

“My goal is to play in the NHL as soon as possible,” added Caufield, who has committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season. “That’s the dream of every kid and that’s the biggest goal of mine. So as fast as I can get into the NHL is my goal for now.”

As for having to sit around watching 14 other players be selected before his name was called, Caufield said: “It all doesn’t matter right now to me. I’m really happy with where I went and I’m really excited.”

C'est tout pour ce soir du nouveau membre des Canadiens, Cole Caufield.

That’s it for tonight from our new Hab, @colecaufield.#NHLDraft #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lQD2E4gnlj— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 22, 2019

As expected, the Devils took Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick and then the New York Rangers took Finnish right-winger Kaapo Kakko at No. 2. Centre Kirby Dach (Chicago), defenceman Bowen Byram (Colorado) and centre Alex Turcotte (Los Angeles) rounded out the top five. Turcotte is the son of Alfie Turcotte, who was selected by the Canadiens in the first round (17th overall) at the 1983 NHL Draft.

Caufield had dinner with the Canadiens at the NHL Combine in Buffalo and knew they had interest in him heading into the draft.

“We had a good relationship going in,” Caufield said. “I can’t be happier right now.”

Caufield added that one of the Canadiens he admires is Brendan Gallagher, who is 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds.

“Watching him in the playoffs growing up and stuff like that it is really unbelievable the stuff he does,” Caufield said. “We’re kind of similar in size and I can’t wait to learn a lot from him and see what he has to say. I’m just so excited right now.”

The Canadiens have 10 picks overall at this year’s draft, which will continue Saturday (1 p.m. ET, SN, TVA Sports) with Rounds 2 through 7. The Canadiens have two picks in the second round and three in the fifth round and have at least one pick in all seven rounds.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147944 Montreal Canadiens “Having talked to him during training camp and everything else, he’s a good coach,” Robinson said about Daigneault. “He’s a very good coach. So there’s not anything that probably I would have done any differently Former Canadien Larry Robinson earns his 10th Stanley Cup ring than what J.J. did.”

Worked as an assistant coach and senior consultant with the St. Louis Did we mention Robinson is humble? Blues this season. “It’s water under the bridge and you can’t turn the clock back,” Robinson added. “I made the decision to go where I did and that’s just how it worked out. It’s unfortunate … I always will be a Montreal Canadien at STU COWAN heart and I always wish them well. But right now that’s not where I am.”

June 21, 2019 Robinson’s contract with St. Louis has now expired, but he’s hoping to re-sign with the Blues this summer.

“I loved being part of this whole run,” he said. “It was great. We’ll see VANCOUVER — Larry Robinson has now won an incredible 10 Stanley what happens. I’d like one more year … it would be 50 years (in hockey) Cup rings, but he doesn’t wear any of them. for me, so I’m looking forward to it.” That says so much about the humble Hall of Famer, who won his first six Has he ruled out the possibility of ever returning to the Canadiens? Stanley Cups as a defenceman with the Canadiens and then won three more with the New Jersey Devils — two as an assistant coach and one “Never say never …. never’s a long time,” Robinson said. “Right now, it’s as interim head coach. Stanley Cup No. 10 came this season as an not on the front burner … let’s put it that way.” assistant coach and senior consultant with the St. Louis Blues. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 “First of all, they’re too damn big to wear anywhere,” Robinson said Friday in a phone interview from his Florida home when asked why he doesn’t wear any of his Cup rings. “I don’t know, I just never have. I’m proud of them, but I don’t flaunt them.”

Where does this Blues Stanley Cup championship rank among his 10?

“You know what, every one has a special place,” Robinson said. “This one I think is special because you’re kind of part of history. First-ever (Stanley Cup) in a tremendous hockey city and tremendous sports city. So to be part of that and to be part of a lot of things that went on during these playoffs has been almost a fairytale ending to everything.”

Robinson was hired by the Blues as a senior consultant before the start of the 2017-18 season after spending five years with the San Jose Sharks as an associate coach and director of player development. Four teams expressed interest in Robinson at the time, but not the Canadiens.

The Blues fired head coach Mike Yeo in November this season when the team was sitting in last place in the Central Division with a 7-9-3 record and replaced him with Craig Berube on an interim basis. Berube then asked Robinson if he would be willing to join him behind the bench for the next game in Nashville as an assistant coach.

“You’re coming on the bench, eh?” Robinson recalled Berube asking him. “I said: ‘I guess, if you want.’ So I did.”

Robinson, 68, helped Berube behind the bench for 15 games before the travel schedule became too much for him. Robinson kept his role as a consultant, sitting in on meetings and helping out on the ice during some practices while providing advice for the coaching staff and players, especially the defencemen. He was with the Blues during their entire playoff run, living out of hotel rooms in St. Louis and on the road for two months.

Robinson addressed the team before the start of the playoffs and again before the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins. He also spoke with the players during the first intermission of Game 7 against the Bruins, which the Blues won 4-1, telling the defencemen they had to remain physical, but shouldn’t be skating all over the ice looking to make hits.

When a Hall of Famer with Robinson’s reputation and people skills speaks, players will listen.

Right now, Canadiens fans will be asking why Robinson wasn’t behind the Montreal bench or at least working as a consultant for the team he spent 20 seasons playing with. Robinson was supposed to meet with Marc Bergevin after he was named GM of the Canadiens in the summer of 2012 about becoming an assistant coach in charge of the defence, but it never happened. Robinson had to postpone the meeting after his farm in Florida was flooded in a storm and Bergevin then decided to hire J.J. Daigneault instead as an assistant to new head coach Michel Therrien.

“It’s kind of just the way the scenario played out,” Robinson said. “Blame the weather, otherwise maybe I would have been there. But that’s not how it played out and other things came along.”

Ironically, Daigneault is now an assistant coach to Drew Bannister with the AHL’s , the Blues’ farm team. 1147945 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens will play Red Wings in home opener at Bell Centre on Oct. 10

Habs finished with a 25-12-4 record on home ice last season, but still missed playoffs for second straight year.

STU COWAN

June 21, 2019

The NHL announced Friday that the Canadiens will play their 2019-20 home opener at the Bell Centre on Thursday, Oct. 10, against the Detroit Red Wings.

The two Original Six franchises will meet for a Canadiens home opener for only the eighth time in history. The Canadiens have a 5-2-0 record in home openers against Detroit, outscoring the Red Wings 24-14. The Canadiens swept their four-game series against the Red Wings last season, outscoring them 21-7.

NHL announces home openers for 2019-20 regular season. https://t.co/oxFKjU74pO #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/XJC0JRiQk1— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 21, 2019

Last season, the Canadiens lost 3-0 to the Los Angeles Kings in their home opener after starting the season with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs in Toronto, followed by at 5-1 win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Canadiens finished the season with a 44-30-8 record — a 25-point improvement over the previous season — but missed the playoffs for the second straight season, coming up two points short of the final spot. The Canadiens had a 25-12-4 record at the Bell Centre and went 19-18-4 on the road.

The complete NHL schedule will be released next Tuesday at noon.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147946 Montreal Canadiens When KotkaKid, Poehling, Nick Suzuki, and Alexander Romanov hit maturity — say four seasons from now — Price and Weber will be 36 and 38 respectively. But that kind of chatter is way too rational for the chap What the Puck: Bergevin pours cold water on Canadiens fans' dreams who believes you win the Cup by chance, with the wave of a magic wand. Montreal general manager tempers expectations he will make any big trades or sign big-name free agents to improve his team this off-season. The other fairy tale Bergevin once again spun this week was that you simply can’t trade for A-list centres in today’s NHL.

“It’s hard to get top centremen,” Bergevin said. “They’re just not BRENDAN KELLY available.”

June 21, 2019 To credit Mitch Melnick, he was the first guy to say publicly to Bergevin, on air on TSN 690 last year, that in fact that statement is false. Another

friend, Richard Labbé from La Presse, pointed out the same thing this Watching Marc Bergevin’s meeting with the press on Thursday, I couldn’t week, with much wit. help thinking of some memorable lyrics from a classic Aerosmith hit: “It’s I mean, it's not like you can just find 2 top line centers on the market and the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend.” then go on and win the Stan… Get into the playoffs, anything can happen. Trading for centres is Oh wait.— Richard Labbé (@Richardlabbe) June 18, 2019 impossible. I’m happy with the direction we’re going in. We’re young and fast. In the immortal words of another iconic rocker, Iggy Pop: Blah blah Exactly. The Blues in fact traded for two A-list centres, Brayden Schenn blah. and Ryan O’Reilly, and those two, especially O’Reilly, helped seal the Cup victory. Sitting through the Montreal Canadiens general manager’s press meet- and-greet just prior to the NHL draft in Vancouver Friday night was akin But why let the facts get in the way of a good story that keeps Habs fans to watching an episode of Friends you’ve already seen five times. in their place.

But I get the strategy. The idea, clearly cooked up by Bergevin in close Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 collaboration with his seasoned public-relations staff, was to throw a wet towel on the buzz among Habs fans that the team’s management might actually do something major this summer. Only last week, the talk of the town was that superstar defenceman Erik Karlsson might be coming, but those dreams were dashed a few days later when the all-star D-man signed an eight-year, $92 million deal to remain with the San Jose Sharks.

But many fans are still dreaming of free agents like Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene or Anders Lee coming to play for the CH. Or we’re thinking maybe Bergevin will make a major trade that will finally bring a genuine star top-six forward to town.

But Bergevin’s message couldn’t have been clearer this week — what you see now is what you’ll get come October. On free agents, he basically said he can’t sign a big-money player because he needs to worry about re-signing the young Habs in a few years.

“I have young players who’re coming up,” Bergevin said. “KK (Jesperi Kotkaniemi), Max Domi, eventually Ryan Poehling. These are players, if the salary cap continues to rise a little bit more slowly than expected … well you have to make decisions in not just the short-term but the long- term, so as a manager, I have to be prudent.”

And Bergevin continued to hammer home the point he made in his post- season remarks — that the Canadiens almost made the playoffs and so there’s nothing to worry about.

“So I think if we could squeeze a couple of extra wins here and there, we should be in good shape,” he said.

He also drew precisely the conclusion I feared he would draw from these playoffs. For Bergevin, the St. Louis Blues’ Cup win simply proves what he has been saying ad nauseam. Get in the playoffs and anything can happen. In other words, he’s using the Blues’ success to argue that you don’t need a coherent plan.

“Like I say, when you make the playoffs, anything is possible,” said Bergevin. “Who thought Tampa Bay would lose in four? Nobody! First- place teams went out fast. It’s so tight today in the National Hockey League that anything is possible. You have to have a team that believes in itself and plays good hockey. I like the direction the team is going in. We have made big progress and we’ll keep going in the same direction. We’re focusing on speed and youth. The progress of the team last year surprised a lot of people and we’re going to keep moving in the same direction, with youth and speed.”

After this season, Carey Price said “my window is growing smaller” and so it is. He turns 32 this summer and Weber turns 34. But Bergevin once again said Thursday he doesn’t buy that window-of-opportunity talk.

“I have conversations with Carey and he knows the directions we’re going in and I think he also likes the direction the team is going in,” Bergevin said. 1147947 Montreal Canadiens His grin would soon turn into a beaming smile, as the scrum was interrupted by a well-wisher, Caufield’s under-18 coach, John Wroblewski.

Cole Caufield oozes confidence and skill, and now he has something Caufield was actually the seventh USNTDP player selected at that point (else) to prove in the draft, but you wouldn’t have known it from Wroblewski’s reaction.

“I am so pumped. So pumped,” Wroblewski said as he engulfed Caufield Marc Dumont with a hug and several vigorous pats on the back.

Jun 21, 2019 It was a raw moment that gave us a glimpse into the human side of the game. The hundreds of hours of hard work create a bond between player and coach that few people will experience, and their success is inevitably intertwined, as evidenced by Wroblewski’s unbridled excitement. VANCOUVER – “I just laugh it off.” “I’m amazed that he slid the way he did, and I’m very excited that Despite having scored 72 goals in 64 games last season with the U.S. Montreal picked him up,” Wroblewski said. National under-18 team, Cole Caufield, listed at 5-foot-7 and 163 pounds, knew the questions about his size would be at the forefront once he Early mornings at the rink. Late nights in the gym. Countless hours in the heard his name called by the Canadiens with the 15th pick at the 2019 video room. It all led to this moment. draft Friday. “This happens once in a [lifetime],” Caufield said. “Sitting there with my And he had a ready-made answer. family, it was really special. I thought I was waiting there for a while, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Very few players have been blessed with Caufield’s goal-scoring prowess in recent drafts, and yet, there was a significant amount of pre- Many scouts would agree with Caufield; he probably waited too long to draft trepidation about his diminutive size. hear his name, but once Shea Weber made the announcement, all the anxiety faded away. Now all he has left to do is make the teams who “Nobody is going to stop asking me about it,” Caufield said. “I’m just passed on him regret it, something he has been doing basically his whole going to have to continue to prove people wrong. I’ve been doing it my life. whole life. “I think I proved a lot of people wrong, pretty fast.” “I don’t think I’d be the player I am today without my size. I can’t do anything about it. I’ve used it to my advantage my whole life.” The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 His ability to cause nightmares for opposing goalies isn’t the only thing Caufield brings to the table. He exudes confidence and youthful exuberance.

And he’s not about to let his linemate and the No.1 pick, Jack Hughes, get all the credit.

“He wouldn’t have had the amount of assists if it wasn’t for me, too,” said Caufield, noting that Hughes is a great player.

“I can play with anyone. I can make anyone better.”

He’s a confident kid – his goal is to make the Canadiens out of camp – but he is conscious there are areas of his game that need improvement, notably his skating, which has been cited as an area of concern by scouts despite Caufield’s high number of breakaways last season.

Realistically, Caufield probably won’t even make an appearance at Canadiens training camp, seeing as his participation would lead to him losing his amateur status and thus disqualifying him from playing in the NCAA. But he didn’t shut the door on the possibility.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said with a wry smile.

He likens his play to that of Alex DeBrincat’s and admires Brendan Gallagher’s tenacity, though Canadiens fans might have another small, talented forward in mind, one who retired six years before Caufield was born; Mats Näslund.

There’s no guarantee Caufield can match Näslund’s back-to-back 40- goal seasons, but he has the right skill set to attempt the feat.

“I’m just a kid that loves to shoot pucks,” he said, summing up his style quite succinctly. But there’s more to it than that according to Corey Pronman.

Caufield’s shot is special. There’s plenty of snipers out there, but Caufield’s wrist-shot technique is like a slingshot. He gets control of the puck and fires it a million miles an hour on target. He’s not going to pick a corner every shot, but his finishing rate is very good, and he scored some of the most amazing goals I saw all season at any level.

Caufield’s earliest hockey memory gives us a glimpse into his passion for the game. He would burst into tears watching his older brother play hockey, frustrated that he wasn’t allowed to jump on the ice.

But it wasn’t a case of his parents playing favourites. He was only 2 years old at the time.

“I wanted to be out there,” he said with a grin. “That’s just how I am. My passion for the game is … so much. I love it. I would do anything for it.” 1147948 Nashville Predators

Predators take center Philip Tomasino with first-round pick in 2019 NHL Draft

Paul Skrbina

11:12 p.m. CT June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Nashville Predators selected center Philip Tomasino with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday.

Tomasino, who is 17, had 34 goals and 38 assists for Niagara of the OHL last season. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder had a goal and four assists for Team Canada in the Under-18 World Championship.

"A little nerve-wracking for sure," Tomasino said of draft day. "To finally get my name called, it feels like it was in a dream a little bit. I can’t really describe what it feels like. To have my name called by a special organization, it's awesome. I’m really thankful for my family."

Scouts have tabbed him as an elite skater and a playmaker who is willing to play in "dirty areas." But they also say he needs to work on his defense, thus leaving him a few years away from being ready for the NHL.

No. 24: Center Philip Tomasino, Nashville Predators.

Tomasino said he needs to work on his strength and his first three steps. Once he does that, he said, he feels like he'll be ready for the next level.

Tomasino will join other Predators prospects, including Dante Fabbro and , and other hopefuls at the team's developmental camp next week in Nashville, where he's never been.

He said he hasn't thought ahead to where he might play next season.

As expected, center Jack Hughes went first overall to the Devils, who picked first for the second time in three years. Right wing Kaapo Kakko was selected second by the Rangers.

"It's a surreal feeling," said Hughes, whose brother Quinn was drafted seventh overall by the Canucks last year.

Rounds 2-7 will take place Saturday, when the Predators are scheduled to have six picks over the final six rounds.

"It's a futures draft," Predators general manager David Poile told The Tennessean last week. "Maybe you could argue the first few players are so good this year, or most years, that they have a chance to play for their NHL teams. If you were to tell me in three years our first-round pick was playing for us, I’d be pretty happy."

Former Predators captain Shea Weber announced the Canadiens' pick of Cole Caufield at No. 15.

The Predators didn't have a first-, second- or third-round pick last year. They chose Tolvanen 30th overall in 2017 and Fabbro 17th overall in 2016.

Tennessean LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147949 Nashville Predators

NHL Draft: Predators fans are satisfied with Philip Tomasino selection

Clevis Murray

10:22 p.m. CT June 21, 2019

With the 24th overall pick the Nashville Predators selected Philip Tomasino, a center out of Canada.

Here are some of the reactions around social media on the Preds' pick:

In all seriousness...I like this one. I think Tomasino will develop well with the #Preds. Welcome to Smashville!

— Fiona Black (@Princess__Fiona) June 22, 2019

With the 24th pick the #Preds select......

The #Preds Watch Party reaction from the ⁦@BrewhouseSouth⁩ pic.twitter.com/mu02htKonA

— ESPN 102.5 The Game (@1025TheGame) June 22, 2019

ABSOLUTE STEAL. Congrats #preds

— Matt Cameron (@MattCam49070295) June 22, 2019

That’s a steal for the Predators. Congrats to @OHLIceDogs forward Phillip Tomasino!

— Ron D. (@back2ron) June 22, 2019

The Nashville Predators select Philip Tomasino 24th overall.

Tomasino is one of the most naturally skilled forwards in the class. He's a fantastic skater with hands to match. He's an above average finisher as well. Drives offense really well. Tremendous value here#2019NHLDraft

— Sam Stern (@aqualunggg) June 22, 2019

Tennessean LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147950 Nashville Predators

Report: Maple Leafs among teams showing interest in Predators' P.K. Subban

Paul Skrbina

7:05 p.m. CT June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — While rumors swirled around about P.K. Subban's possible future with the Predators, Nashville general manager David Poile joined 30 other general managers on the floor inside Rogers Arena on Friday night for the first round of the NHL Draft.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Subban's hometown Toronto Maple Leafs "investigated" the possibility of acquiring the defenseman from Nashville. The report also said the Canucks might be interested in trading for Subban, who has three years and $27 million remaining on his contract. His $9 million cap hit is the highest on the team.

After the Predators fell to the Stars in the first round of the playoffs, Subban expressed his desire to stay with the Predators but said he understood he could be the subject of trade rumors.

Poile: 'Anything can happen'

"If I’m talking facts, I'm the highest paid player on the this team," Subban said in late April. "With that comes responsibility. Just like everybody else, the responsibility is on me to take the fact that we didn’t win the first round. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish.

"I hope I’m part of the solution. I hope I can be here and be a part of that. But at the same token, I’m prepared to understand that this organization deserves and demands the best, and they should."

Poile acquired Subban in June 2016 from the Canadiens for Shea Weber. Subban's original contract with Montreal contained a no- movement clause that was to kick in just before he was traded. The Predators declined to honor the clause, meaning Subban has no control over where or whether he will be dealt.

When asked last week by the Tennessean about the possibility of trading Subban, Poile chuckled.

"Why would I tell you that?" he said. "Anything can happen in this business. Who knows what's going to happen. We just have to think it out. That’s all."

Roman Josi very likely will receive a contract extension within a couple of weeks that could come with a price tag in the $9 million per year range — and with the Predators in need of another scoring threat, Poile could explore the option of dealing Subban.

Subban missed 19 games last season with a lower body injury and had just nine goals and 22 assists.

Tennessean LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147951 Nashville Predators HELMETS: Subject to further consultation with the NHL Players’ Association on precise language, a Player on the ice whose helmet comes off during play must (a) exit the playing surface, or (b) retrieve and Upon further review, NHL announces rules changes for 2019-20 season replace his helmet properly on his head (with or without his chin strap fastened). A Player who is making a play on the puck or who is in position to make an immediate play on the puck at the time his helmet comes off, shall be given a reasonable opportunity to complete the play Paul Skrbina before either exiting the ice or retrieving and replacing his helmet. Failure 4:19 p.m. CT June 21, 2019 to comply with the above will result in a minor penalty being assessed on the offending player. A Player who intentionally removes an opponent’s helmet during play shall be assessed a minor penalty for roughing.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Upon further review, the NHL will LINE CHANGES FOR DEFENSIVE TEAM: The defensive team will not expand video review for the 2019-20 season. be permitted a line change when a goalie freezes the puck on any shot from outside the center red line. Similarly, if the actions of a skater of the That was just one of a few rules changes approved unanimously by the defensive team cause a stoppage by unintentionally dislodging the net league's board of governors, general managers and competition from its moorings, the defensive team will not be permitted to make a line committee during the last week. There also will be some player-safety change. In both of these instances, the offensive team will have the initiatives involving helmets, penalties adjustments and tweaks the choice of which end zone dot the face-off will take place. league hopes will result in more offense. FACE-OFFS FOLLOWING AN ICING & TO BEGIN A POWER-PLAY: Below is the release sent out by the NHL outlining the changes, which Following an icing as well as at the beginning of any power-play, the will be added to the rulebook during the coming weeks: offensive team will have the choice of which end zone dot the face-off will Expansion of coach's challenge take place.

NEW CATEGORY: In addition to Coach’s Challenge for “Off-side” and AWARDED GOAL: If the goal post is deliberately displaced by a “Interference on the Goalkeeper”, a third category will allow for the goalkeeper during the course of a “breakaway”, a goal will be awarded to Coach’s Challenge of goal calls on the ice that follow plays in the the non-offending team. Offensive Zone that should have resulted in a play stoppage, but did not. PUCK OUT OF BOUNDS: When the attacking team is responsible for This change will allow Challenges of plays that may involve pucks that hit the puck going out of play in the attacking zone, in all instances, the face- the spectator netting, pucks that are high-sticked to a teammate in the off will be conducted at one of the two face-off dots in the attacking zone. offensive zone, pucks that have gone out of play but are subsequently Tennessean LOADED: 06.22.2019 touched in the offensive zone and hand passes that precede without a play stoppage and ultimately conclude in the scoring of a goal. Plays that entail “discretionary stoppages” (e.g. penalty calls) will not be subject to a Coach’s Challenge.

Coach’s Challenges for these types of plays (and for “Off-Side” Challenges) will only be available if the puck does not come out of the attacking zone between the time of the “missed” infraction and the time the goal is scored.

PENALTIES FOR UNSUCCESSFUL CHALLENGES: The number of Coach’s Challenges that can be made will no longer be limited based on the availability of a team’s time-out. Teams will be permitted to exercise a Coach’s Challenge at any time, but with escalating “consequences” for unsuccessful Challenges. The consequences of unsuccessful Coach’s Challenges will be made consistent across all three Categories of Coach’s Challenges: (1) minor penalty for Delaying the Game on a Club’s first unsuccessful Coach’s Challenge; and (2) double minor penalty for Delaying the Game for each additional Coach’s Challenge that is unsuccessful.

The Situation Room in Toronto will continue to be responsible for initiating video review in the final minute of regulation time and overtime as well as continue to have final authority over all Coach’s Challenge video review decisions with input and consultation from both the On-Ice Officials and a former Official staffed in the Situation Room.

Referees review of major/match penalty calls and double minor high- sticking penalties

MAJOR & MATCH PENALTIES: Referees will be required to conduct an on-ice video review for all Major (non-fighting) and Match Penalties they assess on the ice for the purpose of: (a) “confirming” the penalty; or (b) “reducing” the penalty to a two-minute minor penalty. Referees shall not have the option to rescind a called penalty altogether.

The Referees will be provided with all available video to review their own calls but will not otherwise consult with the NHL Situation Room with respect to their review.

DOUBLE MINOR FOR HIGH-STICKING: Referees will have the ability to conduct an on-ice video review to confirm (or not) their original call on the ice, and, in particular, whether the stick causing the apparent injury was actually the stick of the Player being penalized. The Referee’s review of all High-Sticking/Double-Minor Penalties will be discretionary and not mandatory and will be conducted without consultation with the NHL Situation Room.

Other approved rule changes 1147952 Nashville Predators

Predators to face Wild in 2019-20 home opener at Bridgestone Arena

Paul Skrbina

2:51 p.m. CT June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Predators are guaranteed to have a Wild beginning to the 2019-20 season.

Nashville's home opener is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3, at Bridgestone Arena against Central Division rival Minnesota, the NHL said Friday ahead of the first round of the draft.

The rest of the season's schedule will be released at 11 a.m. Central on Tuesday on NHL Network.

The Predators were 5-1, including three shootout victories, against the Wild last season. Ryan Johansen's back-to-back shootout winners against the Wild left some players in a huff about his slow-motion approach.

The Predators also will face the Kings in the latter's home opener on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Los Angeles.

Tennessean LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147953 Nashville Predators As with most free agents, Duchene, 29, will get more than he’s worth. (Evolving Wild projected he would receive a $7.8 million cap hit on a seven-year contract, which would be reasonable.) With the salary-cap Is Matt Duchene worth all the fuss? ceiling expected to be lower than anticipated, the already cap-strapped Predators will have even less space.

Based on a projection of $82 million, they will have roughly $6.1 million Adam Vingan available. And that’s before re-signing Colton Sissons, Rocco Grimaldi and possibly Brian Boyle. Also, don’t forget Roman Josi, whose contract Jun 21, 2019 extension looms large over everything the Predators do this summer.

“We’re getting closer to the cap, and some things we might want to do VANCOUVER, British Columbia — On Wednesday, the Philadelphia could be affected by it, absolutely,” Poile said Thursday after the GM Flyers announced the signing of free-agent center Kevin Hayes to a meetings. “I’m not only speaking for myself, but I’m also speaking for seven-year contract that carries an annual cap hit of $7.14 million. When other teams.” the terms leaked Tuesday evening, they were instantly met with How much is too much for Duchene? Johansen’s $8 million cap hit is the incredulity on social media (as most things are nowadays, especially if largest the Predators have given out in their history, and it’s hard to they pertain to the Flyers). imagine Poile shelling out much more than that for Duchene, who is less When a player whose career highs are 25 goals and 55 points receives multifaceted. Anything higher would be prohibitive. (Poile also hasn’t such a lucrative deal, we know that silly season is officially here. softened his stance on trade protection.)

After the initial sticker shock wore off, attention turned to Matt Duchene. The alternative, though risky, is to hope Kyle Turris rebounds next As the top center on the free-agent market, Duchene stands to benefit season and make improvements to the lineup elsewhere, like on the most from Hayes’ contract. If Hayes is worth more than $7 million per wings. Whatever happens with Duchene, the Predators can’t return the season, then Duchene could easily command a $9.5 million salary from a same roster next season after a disappointing finish. forward-needy team. Either way, the Predators will probably contact Duchene’s The Predators are in the mix, but don’t expect general manager David representatives during the free-agent interview period, which begins Poile to go overboard. Sunday.

The coming together of Duchene and the Predators has been destined “There’s at least a couple of players I’d like to reach out to,” Poile said. for some time. There’s a widely held belief that Duchene has long “Whether that means any visits to Nashville or not, that’s not clear. I’ve desired to play in Nashville. His love of country music and the fact he got a couple guys in mind.” owns a rental property in town have been used to support that belief. COLUMBUS REMAINS IN THE MIX FOR PENDING UFA STAR C The Predators also haven’t been shy about their interest in Duchene. MATT DUCHENE. HE HASN’T CUT THE CORD THERE. BUT THE EXPECTATION IS HE WILL TALK TO TEAMS ONCE SPEAKING “It’s no secret that we talked to Colorado for a long, long time about PERIOD OPENS. AGENT PAT BRISSON IS SLATED TO TAKE PHONE Duchene,” Poile said in November 2017 after helping to facilitate CALLS FROM TEAMS SUNDAY/MONDAY THEN DECIDE ON Duchene’s departure from the Avalanche in a three-way trade with the POTENTIAL VISITS Ottawa Senators. — PIERRE LEBRUN (@PIERREVLEBRUN) JUNE 20, 2019 Because of that, the Predators are considered among the favorites, if not the favorite, to land Duchene in free agency. He would certainly provide As perfect as the marriage between Duchene and the Predators seems, them with some much-needed scoring ability up front and partner well it’s far from a sure thing. The cost to acquire him, including whatever with Ryan Johansen in their top six. steps it takes to clear the necessary space, is going to be incredibly challenging. And although Poile has a chance to finally capture his white SEASON PERCENTAGE OF PREDATORS GOALS SCORED BY whale, he might have to let him go. FORWARDS The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 2018-19 81.8 (27th in NHL)

2017-18 78.5 (29th in NHL)

2016-17 81.1 (28th in NHL)

2015-16 75.4 (30th in NHL)

2014-15 75.7 (30th in NHL)

In the three-plus years since he was traded to the Predators, Johansen has raised his profile as a high-end playmaker whom the coaching staff trusts in defensive situations. Duchene, who scored a career-high 31 goals for the Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets last season, is more of a finisher; his 12.76 shooting percentage at 5-on-5 since 2016 is 39th among 276 forwards with at least 2,000 total minutes of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick.

But a look at Duchene’s isolated impact over the past few years, as formulated by Micah Blake McCurdy, shows that he doesn’t really move the needle on either side of the ice or on the power play despite his shooting prowess.

Courtesy of HockeyViz.com

Duchene’s time with the Blue Jackets produced similar results. He had a 47.53 shot-attempt percentage and minus-4.38 relative percentage despite starting 67.73 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. As colleague Marc Dumont recently wrote, “Rather than being the driving force behind his team’s offense, he depends on chemistry and strong linemates to be productive.” For as highly skilled as Duchene is, he alone won’t solve the Predators’ second-line issues that lingered throughout last season. 1147954 New Jersey Devils “That’s my goal,” Hughes said. “I want to be the first player to kind of break a barrier there, that you can go from the program to playing in the N.H.L. the following year.”

2019 N.H.L. Draft: Devils Take Jack Hughes at No. 1, and the Rangers With the 23rd pick, the Islanders selected right wing Simon Holmstrom Pick Kaapo Kakko from Sweden. Rounds two through seven of the draft will continue Saturday in Vancouver.

Carol Schram New York Times LOADED: 06.22.2019

June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko can’t escape each other, even though they come from opposite sides of the hockey world.

This pair of 18-year-olds — Hughes, who was born in Florida and now lives in Michigan, and Kakko, a native of Turku, Finland — have shared space at the top of most N.H.L. draft ranking lists for the past year. Now they will enter the league on teams separated by the Hudson River, just 13 miles apart.

As expected, the Devils selected Hughes first in the draft on Friday, and the Rangers used the second pick to take Kakko.

Both teams were set up for these prizes at the draft lottery in April. After finishing 29th in the N.H.L. standings last season, the Devils won the first pick for the second time in three years. The Rangers finished 26th, and Kakko is their first top-five pick in two decades, since Pavel Brendl was chosen fourth in 1999.

At the start of the draft, Devils General Manager Ray Shero built suspense by taking his time before introducing Martin Brodeur, the former Devil and Hockey Hall of Famer, to call Hughes’s name.

“The only time I really got nervous was when Ray was talking up there for two minutes or so,” Hughes said of waiting for Brodeur. “To hear him call my name was pretty special.

Though Kakko and Hughes were often paired at the top of rankings by scouting services and the news media, the first pick was no surprise. Hughes invariably was rated just a bit higher.

He is the product of a hockey family. His father, Jim, and his mother, Ellen, played the game, and Jim has continued to work in hockey in coaching and player development positions. His older brother, Quinn, 19, was drafted seventh by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018, and his younger brother, Luke, 15, will join the national team program in the fall.

The family’s connections in the hockey world have allowed Hughes to build relationships in the N.H.L. well ahead of his arrival in the league. His new general manager, Shero, once worked as his father’s agent.

Hughes has also had an opportunity to skate with many N.H.L. players, including Taylor Hall, one of his new teammates.

“I know him a little bit through training with him, texted a little bit,” Hughes, a center, said of Hall, who won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 2018. “I’m excited to be on his team.”

The Rangers are equally excited about adding Kakko, who set a record for goals by a draft-eligible prospect in Finland’s top league last season. In international play, he became the first player to win gold at the world under-18 tournament, the world junior championship and the world championship before being drafted.

“I can hardly wait to see the fans at watch this kid grow before their eyes,” the Rangers team president, John Davidson, said. “It’s going to be marvelous.”

“I was a little bit nervous before this, but now I’m so excited,” said Kakko, who will soon visit New York for the first time in his life. “It was my dream to be No. 1, but of course, the second one is also good. I’m happy.”

Kakko, a wing, is the fourth Finn in the last four years to be among the top three choices in the draft, following Jesperi Kotkaniemi (No. 3 in 2018), Miro Heiskanen (No. 3 in 2017) and Patrik Laine (No. 2 in 2016).

Hughes is the eighth American ever to become the No. 1 pick in the N.H.L. and the fifth from the United States national team development program. After setting a program record with 228 career points over two seasons, he hopes to be the first player to step directly from the national development program into the N.H.L. 1147955 New Jersey Devils But the vote wasn’t the deciding factor. Coaches and staff, all their with the purpose of developing America’s next great hockey superstars, wanted to give Hughes the chance to develop and harness his ability as NHL Draft 2019: 5 things to know about Devils’ No. 1 pick Jack Hughes | a leader. ‘He’ll find a way to be that superstar he’s destined to be’ "Regardless of whether it was a unanimous decision for Jack to be our captain, he would have been our captain,” Wroblewski said. “Because we’ve found it to be very important that he takes on that leadership role Jun 21, 10:04 PM and learns how to not only take care of his game — he had a massive year — but also to be a leader and to bring guys and drag guys into the Chris Ryan good fights.”

He’s mature off the ice The Devils drafted center Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick of the Hughes has been dealing with the attention and pressure of potentially 2019 NHL Draft on Friday, officially adding the top prospect to the being the top player in the 2019 NHL Draft for years. organization. He kept setting his own bar higher and higher, rarely failing to exceed it. Hughes went ahead of Finand’s Kaapo Kakko, who went No. 2 to the And his teammates saw a person fully capable of handling anything Rangers. thrown his way on and off the ice. Now that the Devils have another No. 1 pick set to quickly become a key "So much media. 17-year-old kid, high school guy,” teammate Trevor piece of the franchise, here’s more about what you need to know about Zegras said. "And obviously one and two, Hughes and Kakko, I think he’s the American center. done a really good job of that, especially at men’s worlds. He kind of Hughes appears NHL ready blocked that stuff out and just played hockey."

One of the biggest reasons many people beat the Kakko drum in the Hughes is endlessly driven weeks and months leading up to the draft was the Finn’s size. At 6-2 and When the NTDP played at the U18 World Championships in April, the 190 pounds, he’s already got an NHL frame that will certainly develop group was the clear favorite to win gold. With the talent on the roster, more as he gets older. anything less would have been disappointing. At 5-10 and 171 pounds, Hughes isn’t at the same level physically. He’ll But running into a hot goaltender led to a semifinal shootout loss to potentially grow a bit more in the next year or two while certainly adding a Russia, sending the U.S. to the bronze medal game one day later against bit more weight. Canada. Dealing with that disappointment and suiting up for another Jack Hughes has long been hyped as the top prospect in the 2019 NHL game would have been incredibly difficult for anybody, but Hughes Draft, where the New Jersey Devils could take him No. 1 overall. managed to piece together, arguably, his best game of the tournament.

But even with that smaller frame, many aren’t worried about Hughes’ "Jack is the captain. He’s the one who forged a lot of those relationships ability to handle the NHL as an 18-year-old. While he plays the game and kept everything going in the right direction,” Wroblewski said. “It said fearlessly and will skate to the areas that lead to hits, his speed and a lot about him, the way that he performed, and it said a lot about his agility allow him to avoid some of those bigger checks. leadership capability, and the character of the players around him that showed up to win that bronze medal in the fashion that he did.” Aside from that, those who know Hughes best expect him to continue pushing himself to be the best of the best. Star Ledger LOADED: 06.22.2019

“He’s one of those players, if he starts in the National League and doesn’t have instantaneous success, all that will do is fuel this young man,” NTDP coach John Wroblewski said. "And he will be able to bank that knowledge and utilize it going forward. Whereas some players, they get buried by being overwhelmed in the National League too early. That will not affect this kid. He will find a way and my assumption is that it will be sooner than later.

"He will acclimate and he will find a way to continue to produce scoring chances and continue to be an NHLer next season that brings fans out of their seat, and as a young 18-year-old, it might not happen every night. There might be some ups and downs through 82 games. But the fans will see why this kid is a generational type talent next season, and then he’ll find a way to be that superstar he’s destined to be.”

Hughes fits the Devils’ mold of an ideal player

When John Hynes and Ray Shero talk about the things they look for in hockey players, they often hit on the same notes. They want hard workers and self starters who possess a high hockey IQ.

And based on what Shero has added and targeted since arriving in New Jersey, he aims for players who can skate and play with speed.

Hughes checks all those boxes.

"He plays above the pace in almost every situation and every area of the ice, combined with his elite hockey sense that just allows him to process things as quickly as he plays,” NHL Central Scouting’s David Gregory said. "It’s a tough combination to defend.”

He’s a leader

Hughes served as team captain for the NTDP during the 2018-19 season, and just based on skill alone, that’s not a surprise. But Hughes’ captaincy stemmed from more than just his prodigious skill.

He earned a unanimous vote from his teammates, many of whom knew Hughes and played with him prior to arriving at the program. 1147956 New Jersey Devils

NHL Draft 2019: Devils select Jack Hughes first overall | Where, how to buy his new jersey

Jun 21, 10:04 PM

Brian Fonseca

The Devils got their guy.

New Jersey selected American center Jack Hughes with the first overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday night.

Fans can buy his jersey at Fanatics, NHL Shop and Lids.

Wondering what the Devils are getting in Hughes? Here is a scouting report from CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn:

“The 18-year-old forward has a dynamic and electrifying set of skills to pair with strong vision/IQ, and the total package makes him an extremely dangerous playmaker with the puck. But Hughes’ greatest asset is his skating ability. Not only does he have explosive acceleration and speed, but he’s also incredibly gifted in his ability to control himself and the puck at high rates of speed. His edge work is great.”

Jack Hughes has long been hyped as the top prospect in the 2019 NHL Draft, where the New Jersey Devils could take him No. 1 overall.

Hughes spent the last two years with the USA National Development program. He became the program's all-time leading scorer in that time, beating out some elite NHL talent like Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel.

Hughes scored 34 goals and racked up 112 points in 50 games last season for the USDP. He captained the United States at the World Junior Championships last winter, where he provided four assists.

Buy Devils tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster

He is the brother of Quinn Hughes, a defenseman who was taken 7th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Hughes is the Devils’ second ever first overall pick.

Nico Hischier, a Swiss center, was the franchise’s first when it selected him in the 2017 NHL Draft. He has scored 99 points — 37 goals, 62 assists — in 152 appearances over the last two seasons.

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NHL Draft 2019: Devils select F Jack Hughes with No. 1 overall pick | Scouting report, analysis

Jun 21, 10:05 PM

Chris Ryan

The wait is over, and Jack Hughes is officially a New Jersey Devil.

The Devils selected Hughes as the first overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, picking the talented American center over Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko.

Hughes is the eighth American to ever be taken with the first overall pick of a draft and the first since Auston Matthews went No. 1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016.

“I’m fired up,” Hughes said in his first interview on NBCSN after leaving the stage. “I’m so pumped up to be a Devil.”

Hughes, who has been considered the top prospect in the 2019 draft class for years, will join the Devils as the team’s second No. 1 overall pick in the past three years. The team also drafted Nico Hischier No. 1 overall in 2017.

Jack Hughes has long been hyped as the top prospect in the 2019 NHL Draft, where the New Jersey Devils could take him No. 1 overall.

Hughes set the career record for points with the United States National Team Development Program, amassing 228 points over 110 games over the past two seasons to beat the 189 points posted by current Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller. He finished 2018-19 with 160 points in 74 games between the USNTDP and the USHL.

SCOUTING REPORT

Hughes is an elite skater, capable of using his speed and quick turns to create space with ease anywhere on the ice.

He thinks the game at a high level, and according to multiple scouts and experts, he possesses the ability to make every player around him better.

Hughes doesn’t shy away from the biggest moments of a game, and when the puck isn’t on his stick, he works relentlessly to get it back.

“It’s a combination of a couple things that are really important in today’s game,” NHL Central Scouting scout David Gregory said. “He plays above the pace in almost every situation and every area of the ice, combined with his elite hockey sense that just allows him to process things as quickly as he plays. It’s a tough combination to defend.”

Hughes also served as the captain of the NTDP during the 2018-19 season, and he possessed natural leadership abilities. Between his words and his actions on the ice, he’s naturally drawn to the center of a group.

He was unanimously voted captain by his teammates, but his coaches would have bestowed that honor on him regardless.

“He would have been our captain because we’ve found it to be very important that he takes on that leadership role,” NTDP coach John Wroblewski said,"and learns how to not only take care of his game — he had a massive year — but also to be a leader and to bring guys and drag guys into the good fights."

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When will Devils play their 2019-20 home and season opener? 4 known games so far

Jun 21, 4:01 PM

Chris Ryan

The entire 2019-20 NHL schedule won’t be released until Tuesday, June 20, but the Devils know of four games on their slate, including their first game at in Newark.

The Devils will play their home and season opener on Friday, Oct. 4, against the Winnipeg Jets, two days after the NHL season officially gets underway.

The NHL released the home openers for all 31 teams on Friday ahead of the 2019 NHL Draft, and the Devils will be involved in three other home openers around the league in early October.

Following their home game against the Jets, the Devils will head to Buffalo to play in the Sabres’ home opener on Saturday, Oct. 5

They will also be in Philadelphia to play the Flyers on Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the first game at Wells Fargo Center.

The Devils will then head to Boston to play the Bruins in their first home game on Saturday, Oct. 12, at TD Garden.

Among other notable home openers around the league, the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues will raise their banner on Wednesday, Oct. 2, against the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.

In other opening night action, the Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Ottawa Senators, the Edmonton Oilers will host the Vancouver Canucks, and the Vegas Golden Knights will host the San Jose Sharks.

The New York Islanders will host the Capitals on Friday, Oct. 4, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, marking the first time since 2014 the team played its first home game of the season on Long Island.

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NHL Draft 2019: Don’t worry, Devils’ Ray Shero has no plans to trade No. 1 pick

Jun 21, 7:24 AM

Chris Ryan

Ray Shero said to expect the unexpected during draft weekend. At least with everything outside the No. 1 overall pick.

Speaking Thursday, the Devils general manager said he has no intention of moving the top pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, which starts with the first round on Friday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Shero and the Devils hold that top selection, which will be made around 8:15 p.m. Eastern.

New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero's view of the team's upcoming contract talks with Taylor Hall haven't changed since the end of the season.

“No, there’s really not a lot of that at all. That’s not what you’re looking to do,” Shero said about the possibility of moving the No. 1 selection. “These players up here are really good players, and again, you never say never ... We’re focused on picking No. 1. You have to expect the unexpected, but I’m expecting to pick No. 1”

The No. 1 overall pick of a draft hasn’t been traded since 2003, when the Florida Panthers moved to the third pick while sending the top selection to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who took goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

So fully expect Shero and the rest of the Devils’ brass to walk up on the stage to call either Jack Hughes’ or Kaapo Kakko’s name when the team officially goes on the clock.

Shero, of course, wouldn’t tip his hand on which player the Devils would take. Shero will speak with Devils managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer late Thursday night following the NBA Draft, where the two are at with the Philadelphia 76ers. Shero will make his final recommendation, and a decision will be made.

Along with the Devils’ formal interview with Hughes at the scouting combine in late May, the team also had dinner with Hughes and his agent in Buffalo during that week, spending about three-and-a-half hours in a more casual setting.

Since the Devils couldn’t do the same for Kakko when he skipped the combine, Shero and coach John Hynes flew to Helsinki, Finland, last week to have that same dinner with the Finnish forward.

The Devils, along with the rest of the hockey world, remain high on both players, and Shero’s focus is still on bringing in the best option for the Devils.

“Both the Devils and Rangers are going to get great kids and great players here,” Shero said. “It’s a combination of both on and off ice from the scouting reports to obviously different sorts of interviews, and making a decision and selecting the guy that’s best for the Devils right now and best for our franchise.”

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NHL Draft: Projecting the NJ Devils' lineup with Jack Hughes

Abbey Mastracco

11:37 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

VANCOUVER — Jack Hughes is now a New Jersey Devil.

The Devils selected the 18-year-old, American-born center with the first pick in the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday Night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Hughes is a dynamic playmaker that boast tremendous speed, skills, hands and vision. He makes everyone around him better, elevating the play of his teammates. His quickness, creativity and hockey sense make him dangerous every time he steps out on the ice.

Hughes is considered NHL-ready. Though general manager Ray Shero said he’ll need to earn a roster spot out of training camp, if he’s as good as advertised, he will.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shakes hands with Jack Hughes after being selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.

So, what does the Devils lineup look like with Hughes? There are several possibilities and the roster will likely undergo several changes over the coming weeks, but for now, here’s an early look at where Hughes might fit.

Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt

Miles Wood - Jack Hughes - Kyle Palmieri

Blake Coleman - -

Kevin Rooney - Pavel Zacha -

Andy Greene - Damon Severson

Connor Carrick - Sami Vatanen

Will Butcher - Ty Smith

Mackenzie Blackwood

Cory Schneider

Hughes gives the Devils considerable depth up the middle. He’s perfect to put in between a big, bruising power forward like Miles Wood who can get to the net and a speedy skater like Kyle Palmieri, who can beat a goalie clean with his shot. Hughes also gives the Devils flexibility with their other centers. They could move Kevin Rooney, a strong defender, out to the wing or maybe Pavel Zacha to better capitalize on his shot.

Travis Zajac would be able to move back to a more manageable third- line role and this could reunite a staunch defensive line, if the team chooses to qualify Stefan Noesen, who is set to become a restricted free agent.

The defense still needs some work. Ty Smith will shore up the back end but it’s unclear if the Devils will qualify Mirco Mueller or Connor Carrick, both restricted free agents. They could use a top-pairing defenseman to pair with Damon Severson and add depth to a thin blue line. Another defenseman would take some pressure off and Sami Vatanen, who both chew up big minutes.

Again, this is a very, very early projection. But there’s no doubt the Devils just got a big boost to their lineup.

Bergen Record LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147961 New Jersey Devils Leafs. He was born in Orlando, a coaching stop for Jim, and spent much of his life in Boston and Toronto.

Jim also briefly played in Europe. The agent who negotiated that NJ Devils select Jack Hughes with first pick in NHL Draft over Kaapo contract? It was Shero. Kakko Jack Hughes smiles after being selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on Abbey Mastracco June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.

1:05 a.m. ET June 22, 2019 Ellen Hughes, Jack’s mother, played hockey for the U.S. women’s national team, as well as played and soccer for the University of New Hampshire. She’s a member of the UNH Hall of Fame and Jack has cited her as an influential coach for he and his brothers. VANCOUVER — Jack Hughes has never backed down from his claim that he is good enough to be the first player selected in the 2019 NHL Top Prospect Jack Hughes arrives prior to the first round of the 2019 Draft. NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.

As it turns out, he was right. His older brother, Quinn, calls Rogers Arena home. The seventh pick in the 2018 draft, the 19-year-old defenseman plays for the Vancouver With the first pick in the draft, the New Jersey Devils selected the 18- Canucks. year-old center Friday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The top- ranked North American skater and the consensus top player in the draft, His younger brother, Luke, is following his brothers’ footsteps going to the 5-foot-10, 171-pound Hughes has projected to go No.1 overall to play for the U.S. National Team Development Program. New Jersey since the Devils won the lottery April 9. The next step for Jack is to head to New Jersey, where he will be “I’m so excited to be a part of that organization,” Hughes said. “Just really introduced next week. The area is unfamiliar to him but he'll get a chance fired up right now.” to adjust to his new surroundings when he attends development in July.

Hughes has been confident all along but there was a brief moment when "New Jersey is a beautiful state," he said. "As long as they like their that confidence gave way to nerves. hockey I'll be good."

General manager Ray Shero took the stage after an introduction from After development camp in Newark, he'll return to Toronto to train for the commissioner Gary Bettman, along with Devils' co-owners Joshua Harris summer. Quinn and several other pros will train with him and Jack said and David Blitzer. But he didn't immediately announce the pick. Shero Devils' winger Taylor Hall is typically around that training group as well. can filibuster like a senator and he did exactly that. He feigned an announcement and instead introduced former Devils' goaltender and Hall Jack Hughes smiles after being selected first overall by the New Jersey of Famer Martin Brodeur. Devils during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. "I started saying something about Hall of Fame and he’s like, ‘What the heck?’" Shero said. "I think I said everything except an Enterprise (Rent- It's been a wild ride for the middle Hughes brother and all started a year a-Car) plug for Marty. I thought I’d get a little piece of it too." ago when Quinn was drafted. The hype surrounding him never seemed to die down and the super-polished Jack deftly managed it all. Hughes found it less humorous than Shero. After staying calm all day, he suddenly felt anxious and has he heard Shero yammering on about All of the extra skating, the international tournaments and the media Brodeur. His mother, Ellen, even started to cry. requests led up to this day in Vancouver. Now that it's over, he's ready for the real fun to start. "I’m a pretty calm kid I think but the only time I really got nervous was when Ray was talking up there for like two minutes or something," he "It’s been a hectic day," he said. "I had like 60 friends and family going in said. "That was really the only time I got nervous." and out of the room throughout the day. Some camera crews and things like that. But it’s been an awesome day and I’m really happy with how it No hard feelings toward the GM who made his dream come true by ended." taking him with the first pick. Hughes becomes the Devils' second No. 1 pick in the last three years, "He's a beauty," Jack said. "He's a pretty good guy. He's a really smart joining Swiss center Nico Hischier, the first pick of the 2017 draft class. hockey person and built the Penguins Cup teams. I'm sure he'll put a really good team in place in New Jersey." The Devils hold nine more picks, including three in the second round and two in the third. The draft will resume Saturday with rounds 2-7 taking A forward for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Hughes place at Rogers Arena at 1 p.m., ET. produced at a pace of more than two points per game. In 51 games, he amassed 112 points (34 goals, 78 assists). He broke numerous records Bergen Record LOADED: 06.22.2019 with the program as well as IIHF records as well. He recently played in the U-18 World Championships and was also promoted to the senior team to play for Team USA shortly before his 18th birthday.

Top Prospect Jack Hughes looks on prior to the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.

A dynamic playmaker, he boasts tremendous speed, vision and a talent for making others around him better. His creativity and hockey sense make him dangerous. Few can execute the type of plays that Hughes makes look easy. Many scouts view Hughes as being ready to play in the NHL right away and he could become the first player to go straight from the program to the NHL.

"He was projected to be the No. 1 overall pick for years and there’s a reason for that," Shero said. "But what really excites me about Jack Hughes is his hockey IQ, his skating, his agility, his total instincts as a hockey player. He’s got incredibly quick hands, he sees the ice."

Hughes comes from NHL bloodlines. His father, Jim Hughes, was a star defenseman at Providence College before transitioning into a career as a coach and executive. He was an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins and worked as the director of player development for the Toronto Maple 1147962 New Jersey Devils and error back then, as well as some moving of the backyard furniture in order to find a flat space.

But for nine years, the Farinacci family would have a backyard rink. Farinacci family affair: What got New Jersey native John Farinacci to the Eventually, those games of shinny went late as Tony added spotlights to 2019 NHL Draft the operation.

“I know my neighbors thought I was a little crazy, especially the first Abbey Mastracco year,” Tony said. “That was a pretty neat experience where they could just go out there and have fun. It wasn’t structured. They would always 11:08 a.m. ET June 21, 2019 look forward to the first cold snap of winter, December or January or whenever that was and get out there after school and just have a good

time with their friends.” John Farinacci might have a knack for finding his teammates on the ice The middle but as a player, it’s a different story. Anthony moved on to Delbarton, where he became an all-state high Farinacci, an 18-year-old New Jersey native who was born in Red Bank school player and helped the Green Wave capture the 2016 New Jersey and now splits time between Chatham and the Boston area, has always state championship. John followed his big brother to Delbarton but only subscribed to the notion that if you’re good enough to play hockey, briefly. After his freshman season, he transferred to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, hockey will find you. a Minnesota prep school with one of the best hockey programs in the It appears as though hockey has found Farinacci. The top-ranked high country. school hockey player in the country and the 35th-ranked North American But then came the USNDTP tryouts. John didn’t make the team, but most skater by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau, he’s projected to go of his teammates at school did. And those who didn’t left to play junior anywhere from the second round to the fourth at the 2019 NHL Draft in hockey in the USHL. Vancouver this weekend. This fall, he’ll head to Harvard to play for the Crimson. Away from home for the first time and faced with a decision, he turned to his cousin, Ryan Donato. The Minnesota Wild forward and the son of He made a name for himself by doing things his own way. Harvard head coach Ted Donato, Ryan helped John decide to take a Farinacci wasn’t selected to play with the U.S. National Team route similar to the one he took and attend Dexter Southfield, a prep Development Program, the program that produced potential first-overall school in Brookline, Massachusetts. With him committed to play for his pick Jack Hughes and a whole slew of other players projected to go in uncle at Harvard, he wanted to make sure he was maintaining his grades the first few rounds of the draft this weekend. He didn’t go the USHL and his game. route. He doesn’t have the same pedigree as players like Hughes. “Having that relationship (with Donato), I kind of grew up around the rink,” Delbarton's Danny Farr, left, celebrates John Farinacci's goal in the John said. “So for me, it was always a no-brainer to want to go there. It’s second period vs. CBA in the NJSIAA Non-Public hockey final at the almost like a childhood dream of mine to want to play there.” Prudential Center in Newark. The Green Wave won 3-1. March 7, 2016. A Boston-area school made sense. Aside from the Donatos, Anthony Newark, N.J. was playing at Tufts and John’s older sister Emma was at Boston So when teams started to take notice of Farinacci, he wanted them to University. Noreen eventually rented an apartment in Dedham. The goal know him for him, and not the logo across his hockey sweater. was to help John during his high school years but the place became a place for a family that was used to being apart come together. “I’m just trying to kind of get my story across and show them what I’m all about,” he said earlier this month at the NHL Scouting Combine in Tony is the only one left back in New Jersey, making the trek every Buffalo, New York. “So for me, it’s just about being myself and seeing weekend, sometimes by train but most of the time by car. how it goes.” “Unfortunately, I have to work in New Jersey. That’s kind of the one This is Farinacci’s story. nuance of the whole thing,” he joked. “I’m sure we’ll look back on it in a few years and laugh about all of the miles we put on the car and The beginning everything else. It was definitely worth it.”

The youngest of three siblings to Tony and Noreen Farinacci, John tried Tyler Kobryn, Andrew Petrillo and Anthony Farinacci from Delbarton; his hand at several sports, along with his older brother Anthony, but it Kyle Beyer, Jakob DeFares and Evan Szary, of Morristown for the Daily was hockey that seemed to stick. Record ice hockey first team March 16, 2016. Parsippany, N.J.

John didn’t grow up rooting for a team in New Jersey or New York, he Producing nearly two points per game at Dexter, USA Hockey took grew up a Pittsburgh Penguins fan while the rest of his family rooted for notice. He played for Team USA at the 5 Nations Tournament in 2017. the Rangers. Tony will say it was because of Sidney Crosby. The The following year, he was selected to play in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup admiration for Sid the Kid was so great the family named one of their and named a captain. bulldogs after him, calling him Crosby. Naturally, the other one was named Ovi, after Alexander Ovechkin. “When we named the team, you could see it in his face,” said Cory Laylin, the head coach of the 2018 U.S. Hlinka-Gretzky Cup team. “He But Anthony said that Pittsburgh fandom stemmed from something else: was so prideful and other guys follow that. But you could feel his pride Like many little kids, John just liked penguins. and joy of being on the U.S. Team.”

“I remember going to a Ranger game with my dad and one of his work Laylin and Team USA saw a two-way center with a great vision and clients and I remember John being a little baby at the time saying he likes hands. His brother calls him a “heady” player with strong defensive the Penguins,” Anthony said. “We were like, ‘Why?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, abilities. Laylin said there’s rarely a time where the game gets away from he just likes the animal.’ It stemmed from absolutely nothing more than him. him liking Penguins.” “I thought, ‘Here’s a kid who’s in control,’” Laylin said. “And then when I There was some ribbing on the part of his big brother, his father and learned him personally, I learned his leadership skills, his honesty and maybe even the client. But John quickly grew used to it. Plus, it worked his loyalty. He’s got wonderful personality traits.” out in his favor with the Penguins having won the Stanley Cup three times in the last decade. Laylin describes him as a chameleon, able to blend easily with his surroundings and get along with just about everyone. He’s a very “We’re still waiting for the Cup,” Anthony said, of the Rangers. cerebral player who thinks faster than he skates.

Anthony and John honed their skills on a backyard rink. It wasn’t quite The draft the same as the frozen ponds Canadians grow up skating on. This one was equal parts adventure and equal parts experiment, at least in the This may be a reason Farinacci hears his name called closer to the beginning. Tony purchased a kit for the backyard but it took some trial afternoon instead of the morning on Saturday. He’s not a great skater. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds you need to be fast and explosive and Farinacci is neither.

However, that doesn’t mean he can’t improve on that aspect of his game in college.

“People may say his skating is a detriment. It’s not a detriment,” Laylin said. “He just may not be the fastest kid on the team or the most explosive. But he’s a very efficient skater. He’s got good strides and he’s efficient with his strides. Overall, he’s a really good hockey player and someone is going to be lucky to get him.”

John is aware of his shortcomings on the ice and feels that he’s improved his pace over the last year. Other players have been considered poor skaters at the draft but went on to change that. Brayden Point, the Tampa Bay Lightning forward, is a prime example, improving his skating with the help of a former Olympic pair skater.

There was also a knee injury last season that left him sidelined during key scouting periods. But he’s not worried about who didn't get to see him because he knows the scouts who saw him thought highly of him.

John always knew he was good enough to get drafted and he wasn’t wrong. He’ll realize that dream he had playing mini-sticks in the basement with his brother on Saturday at Rogers Arena.

“Me being in prep school, it’s probably not viewed as the top league or anything like that. But for me it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “I know that I can play and I know these teams know that.”

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Jack Hughes’ goal: Join Devils in his first season

Brett Cyrgalis

June 22, 2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — There was no misdirection this time.

Instead, Devils general manager Ray Shero did what most thought he was going to do and took American center Jack Hughes with the No. 1- overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday night. The most recent time Shero had the top pick was just three years ago, when he surprised quite a few people by taking Nico Hischier.

This time, there had been some speculation that maybe Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko had closed the gap on Hughes as the consensus top pick. But despite never tipping his hand, Shero went with the stock pick — and Hughes himself was never fazed.

“I’m pretty confident, but obviously Kaapo Kakko had a great year,” Hughes said while clad in Devils’ black-and-red. “There are a lot of great players in this draft.”

The 18-year-old Hughes is hoping to become the first player to go straight from the U.S. Development Program into the NHL. Standing 5- foot-11 and weighing in at 170 pounds, Hughes said he models his game after Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, who is about the same size and has carved out one of the best careers in league history. The two became friendly over the past few years, and even more so when they were U.S. teammates at the World Championships in Slovakia in May.

Hughes also said he thinks he has a chance to contribute to the Devils immediately, joining a club that missed the playoffs this past season, the sixth time in the seven years they haven’t qualified since losing in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. But he is adding an extreme amount of skill down the middle of the ice, and at the very least will compete for a roster spot in training camp.

“Man, I’m just so excited to be part of the organization,” Hughes said. “Really fired up right now.”

Hughes is from a big hockey family. His older brother, Quinn, was selected No. 7-overall by the Canucks in last year’s draft and cracked the NHL for five games this past season.

Their father, Jim, was a captain at Providence, an assistant coach for the Bruins, a director of player development for the Maple Leafs — and was recently hired to work for CAA, the most influential player agency, which will represent Jack. Even Hughes’ mother, Ellen, played on the women’s silver-medal winning hockey team in the 1992 World Championships.

Now Jack is part of the Devils organization, and the club is hoping he can be a cornerstone for a long time.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Hughes said. “It’s unbelievable, everything you work for. I’m really just blessed to be around the people I am, and I’m really thankful to the people that got me to where I am today.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147964 New Jersey Devils

NBC Sports causes NHL Draft confusion with graphic gaffe

Mollie Walker

June 22, 2019 | 12:33am

There weren’t many surprises in the 2019 NHL Draft, except for an alert that appeared at the bottom of NBCSN’s broadcast.

Just as the Philadelphia Flyers traded the 11th pick to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for the 14th and 45th picks, an accompanying message of a Rangers-Devils transaction appeared at the bottom of the screen indicating that had been traded.

This obviously couldn’t be possible with the Devils already having officially taking Jack Hughes with the first-overall pick and the Rangers scooping Kaapo Kakko directly after.

And the likelihood of Lundqvist being part of any trade deal, is considered blasphemy to most in New York.

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147965 New Jersey Devils “It’s going to be real interesting to see how this all matures along the way,” Davidson said. “It’s going to be fun.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko have just reignited Rangers-Devils rivalry

Brett Cyrgalis

June 22, 2019 | 3:22am

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — This storyline was not lost on anyone — not the Rangers, not the Devils, and not the teenagers in the middle of it all.

A new chapter in the Hudson River Rivalry has begun in earnest with the biggest draft in New York-area hockey history commencing Friday night. It started with the Devils going the consensus route and taking American center Jack Hughes with the No. 1-overall pick. That allowed the Rangers to take Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko at No. 2, beginning a comparison of 18-year-olds that will continue for the foreseeable future.

“You know, that’s true,” Rangers team president John Davidson said. “I was thinking about that this morning. And how good is that? Rivalries across the river. It’s going to be talked about for a long, long, long time. I think that’s just the greatest. It’s fantastic. I think that’s what hockey needs.”

It must have been a bit of a strange moment for the Rangers when they finally heard the Devils — through the voice of old nemesis Martin Brodeur — announce that they were taking Hughes. That was when it became clear Kakko was going to be theirs after so many months of speculation.

“I think we’ve been in the state of mind for a while that we knew we were getting one of these two players, and we were really comfortable with that,” Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said. “By all accounts, they were really close in a lot of ways. Talent level really high.

“We felt like the last few days this was going to happen and this was the player we were going to get. So you didn’t see me jump up and down at the table that way. But inside, we’re excited. We’ve never taken a pick this high. There are a lot of good things happening, and this is another thing.”

Kakko stands 6-foot-2 and is 200 pounds, and was a standout while playing with men at the World Championships last month in Slovakia, when he scored six goals in 10 games while his team won the gold medal. It finished a 13-month stretch when Kakko won gold at the Under- 18 World Championship, the World Junior Championship — when he scored the tournament-winning goal — and then the World Championship.

“I think it helped me very much, to play against the best players in the world,” Kakko said. “In the NHL, there are the same players. So I think I can play there next season.”

Still learning the language, Kakko was able to say, “Of course it was dream to be No. 1. But every team is a good team, so I’m happy.”

He also had a very succinct and powerful answer to if he wants to prove the Devils wrong.

“Yeah,” he said with a shake of his head.

For all of the excitement the Rangers were feeling in getting a player like Kakko, they were trying to at least partially temper the expectations. Despite his ability to play along the walls, and play physical, and make plays in and around the net, they don’t want to just hand him a spot on the roster of a team that is trying to take a big step forward this season in their difficult rebuilding process.

“Don’t forget, he’s young. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Davidson said, before adding his signature candidness. “I’m trying to talk myself into that one also. I’m just telling you the truth.”

Kakko said he has never been to , but he did hear it is “a nice city. Little bigger than Turku,” which is where he played in Finland with a population of 186,756. He will get a chance to see it at some point during Rangers prospect camp, starting Monday.

That’s when it might sink in that Kakko is a Ranger, while Hughes plies his trade across the river for an easy constant comparison. 1147966 New Jersey Devils

2019 NHL draft: Devils make Jack Hughes the No. 1 pick

Brett Cyrgalis

June 21, 2019 | 8:24PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — After months of speculation, the Devils went stock. And they likely couldn’t be happier.

General manager Ray Shero chose 18-year-old American center Jack Hughes with the No. 1-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft here on Friday night, selecting the player that had been considered the best in this draft class for years. The pick allowed the Rangers the opportunity to take big- bodied Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko at No. 2 overall, as the two players will be indelibly linked across the Hudson River for years to come.

Hughes is now hoping to become the first player to go straight from the U.S. Development Program to the NHL. That certainly was the plan from the Devils’ perspective, even before they declared if it would be Hughes are Kakko as the top choice.

“Both players should be able to step in and play,” Shero said on Thursday. “But speaking for us, he will need to make the hockey team and earn his spot. That’s a given. I’m expecting the player we draft to play next season, but there are no guarantees and no promises.”

Hughes isn’t the biggest player, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing about 170 pounds. But he models his game after Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, who is about the same size and has carved out one of the best careers in league history. The two became friendly over the past few years, and even more so when they were teammates at the World Championships in Slovakia in May.

This was Shero’s second No. 1-overall pick in the past three years, as he took Swiss center Nico Hischier with the top choice in 2017. The club missed the playoffs this past season, the sixth time they haven’t qualified in the past seven years since losing in the 2012 Stanley Cup finals.

Full List of Devils 2019 NHL Draft Picks

Total picks: 10

Round 1, No. 1 overall

JACK HUGHES, C, USNTDP (USHL)

5-10, 170, 18

Skinny: A dynamic, offensively gifted left-handed center from Orlando who has been described as a “generational” talent. He’s considered a ‘game changing’ type of player who has an elite hockey IQ and endless potential to be a franchise player. Known for having a tremendous, quick first step with explosiveness in his skating. What sets him apart from the rest of the fast skaters this 2019 Draft will have to offer is his ability to control his play at the speedy, consistent pace he maintains on the ice. Recorded three assists for team USA at this year’s World Championship while playing amongst NHL stars like Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk and Jack Eichel.

— Mollie Walker

Round 2, No. 34 overall

Round 2, No. 55 overall (via NSH)

Round 2, No. 62 overall (via BOS)

Round 3, No. 70 overall (via ANA)

Round 3, No. 80 overall (via DAL)

Round 4, No. 96 overall

Round 5, No. 127 overall

Round 6, No. 158 overall

Round 7, No. 189 overall

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147967 New Jersey Devils or free agency. If New Jersey keeps Zacha at center and drafts Hughes, there might not be room in the middle for McLeod, Rooney or Seney. The three of them could end up competing with each other for a wing spot on From NHL ready to wild cards, what the Devils’ prospect depth chart the fourth line, along with a group that could include Jesper Boqvist, looks like ahead of the 2019 draft Nathan Bastian, Joey Anderson and others. Rooney is already trusted on the penalty kill, so that’s an area where McLeod needs to make up some ground. The Devils could also decide they’d rather have him getting big minutes with Binghamton instead of being the 12th or 13th forward. Corey Masisak Yegor Sharangovich Jun 21, 2019 Acquired: 2018 draft (No. 141)

Age: 22 on June 6, 2020 The current state of the Devils’ farm system could be considered a little depleted, but that’s also very likely to change this weekend. 2018-19: 9 goals, 17 points in 68 games for Binghamton

New Jersey promoted a bunch of players last season during an injury- ETA: Competing for a call-up in 2020-21 riddled, disappointing campaign. Joey Anderson, John Quenneville, Brett Seney and Kevin Rooney all played enough NHL games to lose their Sharangovich looks a bit like Rooney, though not quite as swift on his rookie status, while Mackenzie Blackwood established himself in net and skates. Rooney had 13 goals and 21 points as an (older) AHL rookie, but players like Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian and Kurtis Gabriel earned then boosted his point total to 34 in his second year and looked more like prolonged stays in the big leagues. a potential NHL option. That’s going to be the key for Sharangovich, as well. The Devils are going to infuse the pipeline with more talent at the 2019 NHL Draft. New Jersey currently owns 10 picks in the draft, including six Mitchell Hoelscher of the first 96 selections. The headliner is the No. 1 pick, which is Acquired: 2018 draft (No. 172) expected by just about everyone in the hockey community to be Jack Hughes, a potential franchise center and one of the most hyped Age: 20 on Jan. 27, 2020 prospects of this generation. 2018-19: 10 goals, 40 points in 68 games for Ottawa (OHL) While the weekend is going to be a celebration of Hughes, the extra picks could help general manager Ray Shero land another impact NHL ETA: 2022 player in a trade. Even if the Devils move some of their draft assets, Hoelshcer had a nice OHL playoffs on a loaded roster. His year looked a there are enough high picks to believe New Jersey can fortify the pipeline lot like Marian Studenic’s post-draft year in Hamilton, but with fewer further. goals. He was a third-line center for the 67s last year. He needs to have Adding players with potential to a group that includes Hughes, Ty Smith a bigger role this season and show he is able to produce more like a and Jesper Boqvist could give New Jersey one of the best collections of potential NHL player. talent at the top of their prospect list in the NHL. Brandon Gignac

Here’s a look at where the system stands today, knowing that more talent Acquired: 2016 draft (No. 80) is on the way this weekend. Age: 22 on Nov. 7 Center 2018-19: 12 goals, 36 points in 66 games for Binghamton, 1 game for Young NHL talent New Jersey

Nico Hischier, Pavel Zacha, Brett Seney ETA: Competing for a call-up in 2019-20

Overview This is a huge year coming up for Gignac. His first season post-major Assuming the Devils draft Hughes on Friday night, they could be set at knee surgery proved his quickness and skating can still be strengths. center for a long time. Hischier, Hughes and Zacha could be an excellent Now he’s got to show he can produce enough to maybe be a middle-six 1-2-3, and there’s still time for 2016 first-rounder Michael McLeod to forward option in the future for New Jersey. prove he’s going to be an NHL center, as well. New Jersey likes Rooney Wing as a fourth-line center, though he’ll need to improve his 5-on-5 play for them to keep him there once the roster is upgraded. Young NHL talent

That said, the pipeline is not exactly teeming with other options. There Jesper Bratt, Miles Wood, Joey Anderson are guys like Jesper Boqvist, Aarne Talvitie and Fabian Zettlerlund who Overview were all listed as centers on draft day but have been playing on the wing since. There are guys like Yegor Sharangovich and Brandon Gignac who There is one guy here who could definitely be a top-six forward (Jesper played some center for Binghamton last year, but each has a lot of work Boqvist) and then there are a few who at least have middle-six potential to do to be more than a fill-in option at the NHL level. and will be intriguing to monitor over the next season or two. Fabian Zetterlund and Aarne Talvitie have the body types to handle being a It might seem weird to think a team with Hischier, Hughes and Zacha strong player along the wall and in the corners. Boqvist and Marian needs more center depth, but the Devils could definitely use a center or Studenic have the ability to separate from people in open ice. two with legitimate top-nine NHL potential after Hughes in the 2019 draft. And if they did shock everyone by taking Kaapo Kakko at No. 1, then Teams don’t often go into any draft thinking, “We really need to beef up they would really need more of them. our depth on the wings” because so many guys get drafted at center and then shift to one side or the other. But it’s likely the Devils draft a player Michael McLeod or two in this group. Acquired: 2016 draft, No. 12 overall Jesper Boqvist Age: 22 on February 3, 2020 Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 36) 2018-19: 6 goals, 33 points in 55 games for Binghamton (AHL); 3 assists Age: 21 on Oct. 30 in 21 games for New Jersey 2018-19: 13 goals, 35 points for Brynas (SHL) ETA: Competing for a spot in camp, hoping to secure a regular role by the end of 2019-20 ETA: 2019-20

McLeod’s chances of earning a spot in the opening night lineup could be If the Devils don’t add another top-six caliber forward, Boqvist could earn determined by how active the Devils are adding forwards through trades a spot on one of the top two lines with a strong camp — something like Hall-Hischier-Bratt/Boqvist-Hughes-Palmieri, or maybe even flip Boqvist SKA throughout the KHL playoffs last year. He could be the surprise of and Bratt. Or he could maybe bump Blake Coleman or Miles Wood out of camp or he could struggle to adjust to North American hockey during the a spot on the third line. The most likely scenario is Boqvist starting on the year in Binghamton, or anywhere in between. fourth line, and a fourth unit with Boqvist, Zacha and Anderson, Bastian or McLeod would be fun to watch. Blake Speers

It’s important to note that before Boqvist signed his contract, assistant Acquired: 2015 draft (No. 67) general manager Tom Fitzgerald said the Devils would likely allow him to Age: 23 on Jan. 2, 2020 return to Brynas next season if he doesn’t make the team out of camp. 2018-19: 3 goals, 8 points in 43 games for Binghamton Fabian Zetterlund ETA: 2020-21 Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 63) Speers went from on the fringe of the competition for the last spot on the Age: 20 on Aug. 25 NHL roster in camp to a disastrous season in Bingo. One bad year 2018-19: 2 goals, 4 points in 16 games for Farjestads (SHL) doesn’t have to derail a player’s career, but he’ll need to bounce back to have a future with the organization and in the NHL beyond next year. ETA: 2020-21 Eetu Pakkila Zetterlund could be a wild card at training camp. If he shows no ill effects from an ACL injury, maybe he wedges his way into the competition for Acquired: 2018 draft (No. 203) one of the last roster spots. It’s more likely he starts in Binghamton for all Age: 20 on Oct. 3 of the usual reasons (more ice time to develop, adjusting to the smaller rinks, etc.) 2018-19: 38 goals, 60 points in 52 games for Karpat U20 (SM-liiga Jr. A)

Aarne Talvitie ETA: 2022-23

Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 160) A big year in the Finnish junior league, and he should get a chance to play in the top division this season with Ilves. Then, the Devils might try Age: 21 on Feb. 11, 2020 to get him to North American the following year. He’s still a long way from 2018-19: 5 goals, 16 points in 17 games for Penn State (NCAA) having a real chance at playing in the NHL, but if he keeps producing he’ll convince more people. ETA: 2021-22 Defense His ACL tear happened a little later in the year than Zetterlund’s did. If he is ready to start the season with Penn State and returns to form, his Young NHL talent timeline could be one more year in college and a year with Binghamton Will Butcher, Damon Severson, Mirco Mueller and Connor Carrick are all before he gets a chance to make an NHL impact. Or he could follow Joey 24 or older Anderson’s path — spend three years in college but compete for NHL work right away in his first pro season. Overview

Nathan Bastian Those guys listed above are still pretty young by NHL defenseman standards, but the next wave of youth is coming. And it’s probably the top Acquired: 2016 draft (No. 41) position in the pipeline in terms of both depth and potential impact talent. Age: 22 on Dec. 6 Ty Smith is the team’s top prospect for one more day, and should fit comfortably inside all of the top-50 NHL prospect lists that will circulate 2018-19: 18 goals, 24 points in 58 games with Binghamton, 3 goals in 7 before the start of next season. Jeremy Davies, Reilly Walsh and Colton games with New Jersey White all have NHL potential.

ETA: 2019-20 The Devils’ drafts from 2015-17 were pretty forward heavy, but Smith and Xavier Bernard were the first two picks last year. Expect New Jersey to He made a positive impression during his brief appearance with the big add at lease one more defenseman in the early rounds this year, as well, club. Bastian could fill a specific role as a fourth-line wing and a net-front even with a “best player available” strategy. presence on the second power-play unit (essentially replacing Brian Boyle in both), but there’s going to be plenty of competition for those last Ty Smith couple of spots in camp. Acquired: 2018 (No. 17) Marian Studenic Age: 20 on Mar. 24, 2020 Acquired: 2017 (No. 143) 2018-19: 7 goals, 69 points in 57 games for Spokane (WHL) Age: 21 on Oct. 28 ETA: 2019-20 2018-19: 13 goals, 28 points in 64 games for Binghamton If the Devils are really aggressive this offseason and add two impact ETA: 2020-21 defensemen, there could be a scenario where Smith doesn’t make the team and ends up back in Spokane for another season. Still, there’s Studenic was the breakout prospect of the first half of the season in the nothing left for him to prove at that level and the better question is New Jersey system, but then his production disappeared in the second whether he’ll start next year in a sheltered role like Will Butcher in his half. He’s got a pretty simple task this season — prove he can be more rookie year or whether the Devils feel more comfortable challenging him consistent at the AHL level. If he does, he could make his NHL debut at sooner. some point later in the year. Reilly Walsh Mikhail Maltsev Acquired: 2017 (No. 81) Acquired: 2016 draft (No. 102) Age: 21 on Apr. 21, 2020 Age: 22 on Mar. 12, 2020 2018-19: 12 goals, 31 points in 33 games for Harvard (NCAA) 2018-19: 7 goals, 17 points in 31 games for SKA-Neva (VHL); 1 goal, 2 points in 13 games for SKA (KHL) ETA: 2021-22

ETA: 2020-21 Walsh has shown he can put up big numbers in college. Now, like the next guy on the list did last year, Walsh’s objective as a junior will be to Speaking of wild cards, Maltsev will be one of the most intriguing players assume more responsibility and be a driver for his team. Harvard will still to watch at development camp and into training camp after playing for have a very talented defense corps without Adam Fox, but there should be more opportunities for Walsh to own tough assignments (and to Acquired: Signed Sept. 25, 2018 quarterback the power play). Age: 20 on Oct. 25 Jeremy Davies 2018-19: 8 goals, 23 points in 57 games for Chicoutimi (QMJHL); 1 goal, Acquired: 2016 (No. 192) 2 points in 5 games for Binghamton

Age: 23 on Dec. 4 ETA: 2021-22

2018-19: 8 goals, 36 points in 37 games for Northeastern (NCAA) Groleau played well enough at development camp and rookie camp for the Devils to offer the undrafted free agent a contract. He is eligible to ETA: Mid 2019-20 play for Binghamton this season, though he could also return to It seems unlikely that the Devils would keep two rookie defensemen for Chicoutimi as an overage player and then spend 2020-21 getting opening night, so Davies would need to outplay Smith in camp (and not adjusted to pro hockey. just by a little, because New Jersey can’t put Smith in Binghamton for a Yegor Zaitsev couple of months). Davies could start the year in the AHL and compete with the next guy on the list for the first injury recall, pending further Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 205) additions to the defense corps this offseason. Age: 22 on May 3, 2020 Colton White 2018-19: 1 goal, 2 points in 47 games for Dynamo Moscow (KHL) Acquired: 2015 draft (No. 97) ETA: Unknown Age: 23 on May 3, 2020 Last year was Zaitsev’s first full season in the KHL, though he had played 2018-19: 7 goals, 30 points in 71 games for Binghamton; 3 games for games for Dynamo each of the previous two years. Is he going to want to New Jersey come over at some point? He could end up as a KHL/NHL ‘tweener, a guy who can make a lot more money as a regular at home than trying to ETA: Mid 2019-20 grind out a role here.

White had a consolidation year. That’s prospect lingo for “he became Matthew Hellickson more consistent and looked like a player more capable of reaching his potential after only showing flashes of his tools before.” He can skate and Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 2014) move the puck and that should earn him a chance to fill in at some point this season, with maybe a more permanent role in his future. Age: 22 on Mar. 21, 2020

Xavier Bernard 2018-19: 4 goals, 16 points in 40 games for Notre Dame (NCAA)

Acquired: 2018 draft (No. 110) ETA: 2022-23

Age: 20 on Jan. 6, 2020 The Devils did not sign the first of their three seventh-round picks from 2017, defenseman Jocktan Chainey, and Zaitsev remains an unknown. 2018-19: 6 goals, 25 points in 66 games for Drummondville and Hellickson could spend two more years at Notre Dame before the Devils Charlottetown (QMJHL) decide to offer him a contract, but he’s an older prospect so a big year with the Fighting Irish could expedite the process. ETA: Mid 2021-22 Goalie Bernard is bigger than most of the New Jersey defensemen in his age range, so that could be a way for him to offer something different. He’ll Young NHL talent spend another year in the Q, and while he’s not expected to be an offensive defenseman as a pro, it would help if he shows more aptitude Mackenzie Blackwood in that area. Overview

Josh Jacobs The goaltending situation looks markedly better at the NHL level than it Acquired: 2014 (No. 41) did six months ago, and there’s some more clarity in the pipeline as well. Given that Cory Schnieder has three seasons left on his contract and Age: 24 on Feb. 15, 2020 Blackwood looked like a legitimate NHL goalie last year, all of these guys could be competing for a fill-in role, but things can change pretty quickly 2018-19: 3 goals, 13 points in 69 games for Binghamton; 1 game for New at the position (just look at 2018-19). Jersey Will the Devils draft another goalie this year? The “take one every year” ETA: 2020-21 strategy certainly isn’t a bad idea, and one that’s going to college or He needs a contract for next season, but he’s a restricted free agent. staying in Europe for a while could be a good fit, given the timelines of Jacobs is in a similar spot as Speers, running out of time to prove he can the three goaltenders below. be more than a fill-in guy at the NHL level. Any gains Jacobs can make Gilles Senn this summer with his skating and quickness could be the difference for him. Acquired: 2017 draft (No. 129)

Colby Sissons Age: 24 on Mar. 1, 2020

Acquired: Signed Oct. 3, 2016 2018-19: .901 save percentage in 20 games for HC Davos (Swiss NLA)

Age: 22 on Jan. 15, 2020 ETA: 2021-22

2018-19: 2 goals, 11 points in 38 games for Binghamton, 1 goal in 9 Senn didn’t get to play as much as he or the Devils might have wanted games for Adirondack (ECHL) last year because Davos added veteran Anders Lindback just before the season started. He signed with New Jersey in April and will likely ETA: 2021-22 compete for playing time either with Evan Cormier or a veteran offseason Sissons signed with the Devils and then spent two more seasons in the addition. WHL. He had a monster second season in the WHL, then his first pro Evan Cormier year was a little uneven. He’ll need to prove he can be a consistent player for Bingo before he’s ready to make a run at a potential Acquired: Signed Feb. 25 midseason call-up. Age: 22 on Nov. 6 Jeremy Groleau 2018-19: .926 save percentage in 13 games for Guelph (USports); .902 save percentage in 15 games for Binghamtom; .875 save percentage in 6 games for Adirondack

ETA: 2021-22

Few prospects in any organization had a 12 month-span like Cormier did. He went from being cast off by the Devils as the deadline to sign him as a 2016 draft pick passed, then to an amateur tryout contract, then an AHL contract, then the entry-level contract he didn’t get in June by February, with a detour to Canadian college hockey in between. Now he’s here and needs to prove himself again, but that’s part of the deal at the position.

Akira Schmid

Acquired: 2018 draft (No. 136)

Age: 20 on May 12, 2020

2018-19: .741 save percentage in 1 game for Lethbridge (WHL); .948 save percentage in 2 games for Corpus Christi (NAHL); .926 in 37 games for Omaha (USHL)

ETA: 2022-23

Speaking of wild journeys, Schmid’s year was just as remarkable as Cormier’s for different reasons. He’ll spend another season with Omaha, but could join the Devils on an ELC next offseason. Based on his timeline, he’s looking like the best option to replace Schneider as Blackwood’s partner in the New Jersey net, but that’s a long ways off and … a lot could happen between now and then.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147968 New Jersey Devils There is no bad choice here. Just two different versions of a good — and eventually maybe even a great — choice.

Or to filter it through the prism of draft history, this isn’t Alex Daigle vs. Duhatschek Notebook: Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko? Devils can’t go Chris Pronger. Or Patrik Stefan vs. Daniel Sedin. Or even Vincent wrong with first overall pick in draft Lecavalier vs. David Legwand — when one candidate for first overall becomes a star and/or Hall of Famer and the other tops out as a journeyman, or something even less. Eric Duhatschek Instead, it looks more like vs. Victor Hedman or Taylor Hall Jun 21, 2019 vs. Tyler Seguin — scenarios in which the teams picking No. 1 and No. 2 are both generally satisfied with the outcome. The consolation prize —

whoever it might end up being this year — is still a pretty great option. If you want to play Devils’ advocate when it comes to the 2019 NHL Entry But Hughes and Kakko are different players, with different skill sets, who Draft, there is probably no better year to do it than this one, when New play different positions and are at different stages in their respective Jersey has the first overall pick — again. developmental arcs. There apparently are a handful of teams who’ve For the second time in three years, the Devils used their Taylor Hall bumped Kakko up to No. 1 on their lists, which would have seemed voodoo to win the NHL’s Draft Lottery. In 2017, it left them with a choice inconceivable in October, but the majority still appear to have Hughes of Nico vs. Nolan, and the Devils ultimately settled on Nico Hischier there. ahead of Nolan Patrick — a choice that in the early going, looks as if it So, as promised, let’s play Devils’ advocate for a minute and examine might be the right one. what it would look like if New Jersey actually went against the general Naturally, that’s the challenge at the top of any entry draft. Even though consensus. there is nothing ever certain about a system in which you’re projecting The normal rhetoric — as it pertains to drafting teenagers — starts with how a teenage prospect will adapt to the NHL, when you get to select the premise that you take the best available player, because drafting to from among every available player, you absolutely positively cannot get fill a hole in your lineup rarely makes sense. By the time even the most the call wrong. precocious of teenage talents matures into a difference-maker, your And while the misses in this day and age don’t seem to be nearly as wild needs can have changed. as they once were, you don’t have to go too far back — to 2012 — to see It’s been a roller coaster ride in New Jersey these past three years — what can happen when your selection goes off the rails. That year, Nail from 70 points and last place in the Metropolitan in ’17; to 97 points and a Yakupov went No. 1 overall to the Edmonton Oilers and never even wild-card playoff spot in ’18; to 72 points and last in the Metropolitan panned out as an NHL regular, let alone the sort of star player you again in ’19. Injuries contributed greatly to last year’s slide, but you can imagine you’re getting at the top of the draft heap. imagine that organizationally, getting back on their feet again in 2019-20 Increasingly, in the rush-to-judgment world we live in, it doesn’t take long is a priority — and short term, Kakko probably will make a bigger initial for a prospect to become a suspect. Sometimes, that requires an NHL splash than Hughes based on physical maturity alone. organization to demonstrate a little courage and go the more patient I framed this as a hypothetical — whom do you take and why — with a option, knowing the timeline that matters most isn’t halfway through a few different decision-makers, and one NHL executive took the bait, player’s rookie season, or as soon as the Calder Trophy ballots are noting: “It’s a great discussion actually because there’s a little bit of a counted at the end of Year 1, but when they get a couple of seasons’ position thing first — center vs. the winger — and then the reality that worth of experience under their collective belts. Kakko is more physically ready. Kakko is a big strong powerful guy, so if Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo of the recently crowned Stanley Cup the league started playing tomorrow, there would be no physical champion St. Louis Blues might be the poster boy for slow-but-steady limitations on him playing against men, where they might be, short term, wins the developmental race. In 2008, after and Drew with Hughes, until he fills out. Doughty went 1-2, the next three players selected were all defencemen “They are two different players, but both are going to be fantastic. You — Zach Bogosian by the Atlanta Thrashers, Pietrangelo by St. Louis and get the slick, dynamic, fast, skilled centerman in Hughes; and then you then Luke Schenn by the Toronto Maple Leafs. get more of a finisher with Kakko, a big powerful winger, with talent. Both If you assessed their relative progress by the end of Year 2, you would are front-line players, exceptional, with great upside there.” have seen Schenn with 149 NHL games played by the end of the 2009- There had been some speculation this month that the Devils might not be 10 season; Bogosian with 128; and Pietrangelo trailing them both with able to sign Hall, the NHL’s 2018 MVP, to an extension, once his current only 17 games played. Accordingly, if you made your evaluations strictly contract runs out at the end of the 2019-20 season. Hall tried to calm the on the basis of how they looked between the ages of 18 and 20, you waters in a conversation earlier this month with The Athletic’s Arpon might have been under the mistaken impression that one of the three Basu, noting that he and the organization wanted time to assess where was in danger of turning into a bust. they were before making a decision — but that he loved it in New Jersey. Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth. As it turned out, even A reasonable stance, especially as the marketplace for high-end free if Pietrangelo was slow getting to the dance, once he arrived full time, he agents seems to be changing rapidly. Still, with that tiny bit of uncertainty flourished and thrived. The other two topped out as serviceable NHLers. there, does the possibility of losing Hall, a winger, factor into their drafting Pietrangelo turned into an elite blueliner. That was him, just a little over a decision? week ago, receiving the Stanley Cup from NHL commissioner Gary “I would say this,” said another NHL executive. “It’s certainly a Bettman as the Blues’ captain. Arriving to the NHL early doesn’t always consideration, but I still think you go with who you think is the best player. translate into lasting success. If you have Hughes one and Kakko two, you’re not going to move Kakko All of which circles us back to the Devils and general manager Ray Shero up just because you might lose Taylor Hall and need to replace a winger and the choice he’s facing Friday. in a year. You can always shift a center to the wing. Get the best asset.

Do the Devils select the mostly consensus No. 1 player, the American “Between Hughes and Hischier, you are set down the middle for the next Jack Hughes, who has been on the NHL radar for years now and checks 15 years. You can find third- and fourth-line centers. With those two, practically every important box, on and off the ice? you’ve got two dynamic centermen. Hughes is a special, special player. Not to say Kakko isn’t. If you saw Hughes at the under-18s, you’d have Or do they turn to the hard-charging No. 2, Finland’s Kaapo Kakko, who said, ‘OK, that’s your pick.’ Then two weeks later, you go the worlds and had a chance to show his other-worldly finishing skills at the recently see Kakko and you’d say, ‘that’s the pick.’ Both are terrific players — but completed world hockey championships and looks as if he could step into I always think if it’s anywhere close, you take the center.” your lineup tomorrow without missing a beat? On the Button Most of the NHL decision-makers who’ve watched, reviewed, monitored and otherwise paid attention to the race at the top of the 2019 draft all It’s a view that’s also shared by TSN’s chief scout Craig Button, who has seem to agree on one theoretical starting point. for years been one of the definitive voices in assessing draft-eligible talent. Button is a hockey lifer from a sprawling hockey family. His father, Jack Button, was for decades the director of player personnel of the band. He just does everything so consistently. But Glen Sonmor always Washington Capitals and spent five years running the NHL’s Central warned: ‘Beware of the cymbal player, because while they may add a Scouting service. His brother, Tod, is the Calgary Flames’ director of sound to the orchestra, they don’t lead the orchestra and they’re not the amateur scouting. Button was the Flames’ GM for three seasons, joining key components of the orchestra.’” them after his work as the Dallas Stars’ scouting director helped them win the 1999 Stanley Cup and got his name engraved on it. The Class of 2003 is fading fast

Button cut his teeth in scouting and will freely discuss the challenges Around this time of year, people sometimes like to speculate on which inherent in a profession that obliges you to project what’s to come from a might be the greatest draft of all time. I usually start with 1979, when two prospect based on what you’re seeing in the here and now. of the players that went in the first round — Laurie Boschman to Toronto at No. 9 and Paul Reinhart to Atlanta at No. 13 — were in Calgary, trying But based on years of watching this year’s top prospects, Button says his out for the 1980 Olympic team, on draft day. views on Hughes have not budged, even as Kakko soared up the charts. If he were making the pick, it would unequivocally be Hughes — because Boschman actually came back to the newsroom at The Calgary Albertan of his long-term upside. with me and spent part of the afternoon watching the picks arrive, round by round, via The Canadian Press wire service. (In 1979, it was just a “I think Jack Hughes will have the greater impact because I think he’s the six-round draft, held later in the summer than usual because of the NHL- superior talent,” said Button. “He skates better, his hands are better, his WHA merger.) Mike Gartner went fourth that year; Ray Bourque eighth processing speed is better. He’s got an imagination and creativity that top overall. Michel Goulet was at 20, at 48 and Glenn players have. I don’t assess players on their height and weight. I assess Anderson at 69 – all future Hall of Famers. them on their ability and then ask: Will their size inhibit them? I see lots of big players that can’t do very much. Physical size, I hear about it all the So ’79 was special, but it’s also hard to argue against the wonderful 2003 time, but what I would say is: Steve Yzerman was once considered a draft, in which Marc-Andre Fleury went first overall, Eric Staal was small center from Peterborough. second, and virtually half the first round turned into NHL stars. When you factor in the later rounds — Patrice Bergeron at 45, Shea Weber at 49, “When I watch Jack Hughes play, I see someone who has the ability to Joe Pavelski at 205 and Dustin Byfuglien at 245 — you’d have to adapt to any single situation in the game. To me, what makes him so concede, it was an amazing across-the-board haul of talent. special is he has this massive unpredictability to him. He does things like skate backwards in the zone with the puck. I’ve talked to defencemen Sadly, time waits for no one, and what we’re seeing now is more and who practice with him who say: He does this to us in practice and you go, more of these talented ’03s aging out. ‘well, what do you do now?’ He can pivot around you really quickly — or This past week, the Los Angeles Kings bought out the remaining years of he can make a quick pass the other way on his forehand. So, he can Dion Phaneuf’s contract, and then a few days later, so did the Anaheim make you look silly, but really, what he ends up doing is getting all this Ducks with Corey Perry. Two others from the ’03 first round — Ryan space. Kesler, who went 23rd overall, and Patrick Eaves, who was 29th — will “And if he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, then how the hell can you need to overcome serious health challenges if they want to play again. as a defender know what he’s doing? And how do you defend against a Given the grim payroll challenges facing the majority of NHL teams this player like that? To me, that’s something that’s really special. It’d be one summer, the demand for players with fading skills is not expected to be thing to simply say, ‘he’s unpredictable.’ But good luck defending against particularly high. And so, a lot will depend upon the willingness of a him in the game. Hockey is built on doing the same things again and wealthy accomplished older player to a) relocate and b) play for a again and again, and he’s unpredictable — so he’s a nightmare to defend significant pay cut if they plan to continue on in the NHL. against.” Perry just turned 34, is coming off an injury-plagued season and likely Beyond the things Hughes brings as player, Button also likes the position isn’t quick enough to play a top-six role for any team anymore. So, the he plays. question becomes: Is there enough value in Perry’s size (6-3, 210) and “When I think it’s close, I always go with the center,” said Button. “A top- the fact he plays with such a snarl, to interest a contender? end, offensively gifted center, with that kind of speed. I’m not even going For his part, Ducks general manager Bob Murray believes the answer is to talk about how he brings people out of their seats, the electrifying part yes. Murray, who spoke with Perry on Tuesday to notify him of the of his game. To me, you take the center. I love Taylor Hall. Taylor Hall is buyout news, said on a conference call with reporters: “I firmly believe he an MVP in this league. But Taylor Hall-Tyler Seguin? I know what my can be, as I describe it, the cherry on the ice cream sundae that puts a preference is — and where I’d be going. Kakko is a really good player. team over the top that’s close — because of his competitiveness and his Below the circles, around the net, he’s great. But I see a lot more players willingness to do whatever it takes to win. We’re just not there — and we like Kakko than I do players like Jack Hughes.” have to let people grow into that. But I still think he can do it. And I’m Button says his scouting philosophy was shaped, in part, because of a hoping he does.” conversation he had in the early 2000s with New England Patriots coach That part of Perry’s game — the nasty, edgy part — is probably never Bill Belichick about player development. going away. Like Murray, I predict there’ll be interest in him — on a short- “He said, ‘to play in the NFL, you really need smart players that can think term deal and not anywhere near the salary level ($8.625 million) he’s and adjust to different game plans, because the game plans can change. used to earning. If a player can only think one way and can’t adjust, what happens when CapFriendly estimates Perry’s career earnings at $80.289 million, so you have to make a schematic adjustment?’” presumably, if he plays again, it doesn’t have to be about the money. It’ll Button’s point is that you need to be able to process information faster be about lifestyle and career goals. than ever to survive in all manner of professional sports — and thus the Think about it from a contender’s point of view. If you can get Perry on a scouting process sometimes requires you to be a bit more nuanced. short-term deal for minimal dollars and he gets his game back to a Something Glen Sonmor, the former ’ coach and reasonable level, he could be your trade-deadline acquisition in July — scout once told him also stuck with Button: that you can’t always be your Rick Nash or your Andrew Ladd, the veteran player for whom you’d distracted by a player who makes the occasional eye-catching play but be giving up assets to acquire in February. This way, it’s just money. I doesn’t perform, consistently, from shift to shift. have to think, somebody’s going to look at it long and hard.

“Glen Sonmor would compare guys like that to the cymbal player in the The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 orchestra,” said Button. “Every once in a while, you hear the cymbal go off in the orchestra and you can’t help but notice it. It’s the same in hockey. You’re watching a game and all of a sudden, a guy does one spectacular thing — and like the cymbal player in the orchestra — bang! He gets your attention.

“But there are other, more important parts to the orchestra that you might not notice as much. The trumpet player is moving his fingers, quietly playing for hours. That’s Ryan O’Reilly. He’s the trumpet player in the 1147969 New York Islanders

Islanders’ surprise pick is a big Mat Barzal fan

Brett Cyrgalis

June 22, 2019 | 2:05am

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Nice comparison, kid.

The Islanders went off the grid a bit when they took Swedish winger Simon Holmstrom with the No. 23-overall pick in the NHL draft on Friday night. And then the 18-year-old sat there wearing his blue-and-orange hat and said one of the players he models his game after is Islanders first-line center Mat Barzal — who just happened to be in the building and was able to offer a bit of advise.

“I’d say try to learn as much as you can. Take as much as you can from the veterans. And have an open mind,” Barzal said. “Don’t think you know it all right away.”

Maybe that’s the way Barzal felt when he jumped into the league and won the Calder Trophy two seasons ago. But it seems like Holmstrom was just as surprised as everyone else that he was taken that high in the first round, with a couple more notable names still on the board.

“It was a big surprise and I was really shocked,” Holmstrom said. “But it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Holmstrom, listed 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, has played for the junior team HV71 in Sweden and has been part of their national Under-18 and World Junior teams over the past year. He also has reportedly dealt with some hip and thumb injuries that has limited his playing time, but both he and the Islanders believe won’t be an issue.

“We had all that checked out,” team president Lou Lamoriello said. “All you can do is go on your doctors. Going through things like that in past experience, you check them out. They’re young, doctors feel there are no issues, you’ve got to go with that if it’s the best player. If there are any concerns, you don’t do it.”

Lamoriello, who only has the No. 57 pick remaining in the first four rounds, did get some calls about moving up or down in the draft, but chose to stand pat.

“Nothing made sense,” he said. “There were three players available when it was coming to us so we decided to just stay where we were at.”

They were also quite enamored with Holmstrom, and didn’t want to let him go.

“Our scouts were extremely high on him, where we had him rated,” Lamoriello said. “Top-six forward with skill, and you can’t go beyond that, in comparison to other players. Unanimous with [our scouts] that if he was going to be there at that point, we were going to take him.”

So for an organization that really wanted to add some high-end skill up front, they started with a player that not many besides them saw coming. It’s unclear if he’s going to stay in Sweden this season or make his way over. But either way, he is factoring into their future plans.

“I couldn’t expect a better city and a better team,” Holmstrom said. “I’m very grateful.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147970 New York Islanders 26. Calgary Flames

27. Tampa Bay Lightning

2019 NHL draft: Full first round order and picks for all 31 teams 28. Carolina Hurricanes

29. Anaheim Ducks (from BUF, via SJS)

Staff Writer 30. Boston Bruins

June 21, 2019 | 5:50PM 31. Buffalo Sabres (via STL)

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019

In a city more known for its rainy weather, it’s about to get drafty up in Vancouver.

The 2019 NHL Draft kicks off with the first round on Friday, June 21, and it portends to be a weekend with some franchise-changing picks made and maybe even a few big-name trades going down.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers figure to make Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko the first two picks made, but who goes after that will be the subject of debate right up until the No. 3 pick is made. There will be plenty of surprises and prospects wearing freshly pressed jerseys milling around Rogers Arena by the end of the weekend.

Here’s a look at the 2019 NHL Draft and the full first-round order of picks heading into Friday evening:

2019 NHL Draft by the numbers:

Rounds: 7

Total picks to be made: 217

Teams with multiple first-round picks: Colorado Avalanche (Nos. 4, 16), Buffalo Sabres (Nos. 7, 31), Anaheim, Ducks (Nos. 9, 29).

Teams with zero first-round picks: Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs

2019 NHL Draft: Full first-round order

1. New Jersey Devils

2. New York Rangers

3. Chicago Blackhawks

4. Colorado Avalanche (via OTT)

5. Los Angeles Kings

6. Detroit Red Wings

7. Buffalo Sabres

8. Edmonton Oilers

9. Anaheim Ducks

10. Vancouver Canucks

11. Philadelphia Flyers

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Florida Panthers

14. Arizona Coyotes

15. Montreal Canadiens

16. Colorado Avalanche

17. Vegas Golden Knights

18. Dallas Stars

19. Ottawa Senators (via CBJ)

20. Winnipeg Jets

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

22. Los Angeles Kings (via TOR)

23. New York Islanders

24. Nashville Predators

25. Washington Capitals 1147971 New York Islanders

2019 NHL draft: Islanders snag Simon Holmstrom with No. 23 pick

Mollie Walker

June 21, 2019 | 11:37PM

With the 23rd overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders took right-winger Simon Holmstrom Friday night in Vancouver. A natural goal scorer, the 6-foot-1 lefty is best known for his impressive release and dynamic ability to find open space on the ice.

“Our scouts were saying he has got a really good release, lots of quickness, really good hockey IQ,” coach Barry Trotz told NBCSN. “Hopefully he’ll be a good match when you’re watching him and [Mat] Barzal working together, hopefully they’ll play together someday.”

The 18-year-old started the 2018-19 season projected to be a high first- round pick, but injuries set off red flags and allowed him to slip. His injuries came in waves, including a hip surgery during this recent offseason, a broken thumb as well as a concussion. Holmstrom missed a lot of development time because of his time on the sidelines, but he caught the Isles’ attention anyways.

Holmstrom logged 21 games with HV71 in the SuperElite junior league in Sweden where he recorded 27 points (7 goals, 20 assists) and finished plus-seven. The Swede was a major asset during the playoffs, recording three points in the postseason run.

During the U18 World Championship, Holmstrom helped Team Sweden to a gold medal with six points through seven games (three goals, three assists).

The combination of solid puck-handling and creativity make Holmstrom an offensive weapon, but he’ll need to increase his durability and physicality before he’s an NHL-ready player. He fulfills the Isles need for a skater they can mold to fit their style of play.

Full List of Islanders’ 2019 NHL Draft Picks

Total picks: 5

Round 1, No. 23 overall

SIMON HOLMSTROM, RW, HV71 (SWE)

6-1, 192, 18

An offensively skilled player who competes hard. Holmström is a good skater and stands out with really good hands and impressive puckhandling skills. Quite shifty and a player that can do the unexpected offensively. Has a good wrister and his two-way game is underrated. Great character and team player.

— Elite Prospects

Round 2, No. 57 overall (via CGY)

Round 5, No. 147 overall

Round 6, No. 178 overall

Round 7, No. 209 overall

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147972 New York Islanders Impending UFAs can begin talking to other teams on Sunday. The free- agent market opens on July 1.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Isles take Swedish forward Holmstrom in NHL Draft

Staff Writer

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Lou Lamoriello worked the floor and his cellphone in the hours preceding the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday night at Rogers Arena, talking with executives from several teams as the Islanders’ contingent gathered around the team’s table.

But the Islanders’ president and general manager made no immediate moves. The team retained its pick at No. 23 and went somewhat off the board from most mock drafts by picking Swedish forward Simon Holmstrom, who dealt with injury issues the past two seasons.

“Our scouts were extremely high on him,” Lamoriello said. “He’s a top-six forward with skill, and you can’t go beyond that. In comparison to the other players, it was unanimous with them that if he was going to be there at that point, we were going to take him.”

Holmstrom is a 6-1, 185- pound, left-shooting wing with strong skating ability, according to scouting reports, but has endured hip and thumb issues.

“We had that all checked out,” Lamoriello said. “All you can do is go with your doctors. If the doctors feel there are no issues, you’ve got to go with that if it’s the best player. If there are any concerns, you don’t do it.”

Lamoriello said the Islanders discussed trading up — and also trading back and accumulating more picks — but “nothing made sense.”

“There were three players available when it was coming to us, so we decided to just stay where we were at,” he said.

Holmstrom had seven goals and 13 assists in 21 games for his junior squad in Sweden last season. Lamoriello said it was too early to project whether Holmstrom will play in North America this season or remain in Sweden.

Holmstrom acknowledged that his injury issues have been “frustrating.”

“I’ve tried to keep looking forward, pushing forward,” he said.

He described himself as an “offensive player who likes to drive the net and score goals” and added that he knows he needs to get stronger to be able to compete physically in the NHL.

He said he tried to pattern his game on Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, a fellow Swede.

Islanders center , who is from Coquitlam, about 20 miles east of Vancouver, sat at the team’s draft table and met Holmstrom on Friday.

Holmstrom will attend the Islanders’ summer prospect development camp starting Monday. Training camp in September will be another proving ground.

“I’ll keep pushing forward and doing my best, and hopefully that takes me to where I want to go,” Holmstrom said.

Lamoriello came to Vancouver with five picks in the two-day draft, which concludes Saturday with rounds two through seven. The Islanders do not have a pick in rounds three and four.

The draft was expected to be a fertile ground for deal-making, especially with the salary cap coming in lower than expected. The ceiling will be announced Saturday and will be either $81.5 million or $82 million after it initially was expected to rise to $83 million.

The delay in setting the salary cap has made it difficult for teams to plan for the upcoming season.

“I think it’s only frustrating if you allow it to become frustrating,” Lamoriello said. “What you can’t control, don’t let it become a distraction.”

The Islanders are believed to be looking for scoring forwards potentially at the expense of their defense depth, especially with Anders Lee’s return uncertain (the captain is an impending unrestricted free agent). Defenseman Nick Leddy is considered a prime candidate to be moved. 1147973 New York Islanders

Isles' home opener will be at Coliseum on Oct. 4

Staff Writer

VANCOUVER – The Islanders will face the Capitals on Oct. 4 at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum and the Rangers will face the Jets on Oct. 3 at Madison Square Garden, the NHL announced on Friday as the league revealed the home openers for all 31 teams.

The full schedule will be released on Tuesday at noon.

For the Islanders, in their second season of splitting games between the Coliseum and Barclays Center, it will mark their first home opener in Uniondale since a 4-3 win over the Hurricanes on Oct. 11, 2014.

The Rangers’ home opener will be a special one for defenseman Jacob Trouba, who will face his former team after being acquired from the Jets on Monday for defenseman Neal Pionk and the 20th overall pick in Friday night’s first round at Rogers Arena.

The Rangers will also play at Ottawa on Oct. 5 for the Senators’ home opener.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147974 New York Islanders left-handed defenseman. The Islanders happen to have Nick Leddy available, though the Habs are just about $10 million under a projected $82-million cap with a few RFA forwards to sign. Montreal has 14 Evaluating the Islanders’ options if Anders Lee and Robin Lehner walk forwards already signed for next season; to make Leddy’s $5.5 million cap hit work, they’d need to move some money out. Jonathan Drouin is the only Montreal forward making as much as Leddy and the Canadiens, like the Islanders, need to beef up their scoring. This one may not be a Arthur Staple fit. Jun 21, 2019 But Lamoriello is surely listening and offering to add some punch up front. These next two days could be interesting in terms of how trades shape the landscape heading into free agency — and may give us a VANCOUVER — Lou Lamoriello reiterated on Thursday his desire to better sense of where things are heading with Lee and Lehner once the bring Anders Lee and Robin Lehner back on new contracts. He’s said the teams leave here on Saturday. same all along through this offseason. But we’re now about 72 hours away from the free-agent contact period without deals for either the For now, it’s status quo, which means time to start thinking about the Islanders captain or their Masterton/Jennings Trophy-winning goaltender, Islanders without their captain and their top goaltender. so the question has to be pondered: The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 What’s the plan if Lee and Lehner go elsewhere?

Negotiations between Lamoriello and Lee’s camp have been status quo for quite a while now, with the believed sticking point being term. Lee’s side wants the seven or eight years that pending UFA forwards Jeff Skinner and Kevin Hayes got from the Sabres and Flyers, while the Islanders want something shorter, most likely a five-year deal. There’s room and time to agree and, as with the Jordan Eberle deal, there’s no point in assuming talks are going one way or another — Lamoriello works under the cone of silence and it’s strictly enforced, so things can change.

But Neil Sheehy, Lee’s agent, has been on Long Island numerous times this season and the deal hasn’t gotten done. So, it’s conceivable that Lee gets to next week’s contact period and has positive discussions with other teams. His hometown Wild have the cap space to add Lee, as do the Hawks and Blue Jackets, among some other interesting squads.

Lamoriello won’t be blindsided if Lee leaves, of course. If the battle of wills between the Leafs and Mitch Marner goes into July 1 and the star winger is open to an offer sheet, the Isles may be tempted to go down that road, even at the probable cost of over $11 million per season and four first-round picks in compensation to Toronto. Artemi Panarin is the big UFA fish among the wingers, but his cost may be upwards of $12 million per.

Beyond those two huge names, there isn’t anyone available as a free agent who fills the net as regularly as Lee does. Carolina’s Micheal Ferland had a nice season with 17 goals and is a couple of years younger, but far from proven. Gustav Nyquist, Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Johansson will cost less than Lee, who would easily command $7 million per on the open market, but they have different skill sets.

Lamoriello said Thursday the Islanders had issued qualifying offers to all of their RFAs save for John Stevens, an undrafted free-agent signing by the previous regime. Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho- Sang will all get offers and, as Trotz told us this week, to see them all contribute would be a step forward. It would also soften the blow of losing Lee should it come to that.

Then there’s the captain factor. Barry Trotz didn’t put the ‘C’ on Lee’s sweater lightly this season; he felt it was a needed step to take after John Tavares’ departure and Lee wore it well. Moving on to another captain without a real obvious candidate in the room could be a bit demoralizing for a tight-knight group of players and for the fans.

With Lehner, the choice seems simpler: Either the Islanders want him to be their guy for several more years or they don’t. Perhaps Lamoriello feels Sergei Bobrovsky isn’t signed, sealed and delivered to the Panthers; perhaps the GM feels Ilya Sorokin could step into the starter’s job in 2020-21 and signing Lehner is superfluous. But Lehner’s emotional speech after winning the Masterton on Wednesday, plus his stated desire to return, may mean the Islanders could get him back on their terms — maybe even a three-year deal, below what he could get on July 1.

Without Lehner, the Islanders have Thomas Greiss and … crickets. There is a host of one-year stopgap options among the free-agent goalies, from older vets like Mike Smith to younger ones like Long Island native Keith Kinkaid, though Columbus may want to hang onto Kinkaid after Bobrovsky moves on. Carolina’s Petr Mrazek will be a hot commodity, too, after a bounce-back season.

The trade chatter is intense out here, so there could be movement on that front. The Canadiens, according to our Pierre LeBrun, are seeking a 1147975 New York Rangers Jack Hughes, c, is selected by the Devils with the first pick in the NHL hockey draft on Friday.

Hughes' selection was expected to open what should be a banner first- Devils select U.S. center Jack Hughes with 1st pick in NHL draft, round for USA Hockey's development team and American-born players Rangers pick Finland’s Kaapo Kakko overall.

The scouting bureau ranks NTDP Turcotte and center Trevor Zegras JOHN WAWROW fourth and sixth. Though under-sized at 5-foot-7 and 162 pounds, winger Cole Caufield is ranked eight after scoring a NDTP record 72 goals this JUN 21, 2019 | 9:21 PM season. And the list of potential first-round selections are rounded out by left winger Matthew Boldy, defenseman Cameron York and Spencer

Knight, the top-ranked North American goalie. And that doesn't include a VANCOUVER — The Devils selected American center Jack Hughes with handful of Americans playing in high school or in the Canadian junior the first pick in the NHL draft Friday night. leagues.

From Orlando, Florida, Hughes is the eighth American selected No. 1, The 2016 draft set the record with 12 Americans selected in the first and first since 2016, when the Toronto Maple Leafs chose Auston round. Matthews. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman opened the draft and was greeted by The 5-foot-10, 170-pound play-making center was the NHL Central a traditional round of loud boos from the sold-out arena. Bettman then left Scouting Bureau's top-ranked North American prospect. Hughes was the podium and waited for former Canucks stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin chosen ahead of Finland's Kaapo Kakko, who was the top-ranked to join him on stage, where they were greeted to loud cheers. European prospect. The Sedin twins were selected second and third overall in the 1999 draft. "Man, it's a surreal feeling," said Hughes, who had a lengthy dinner with Bettman then announced both players’ jerseys — Daniel wore No. 22 Devils GM Ray Shero during the pre-draft combine in Buffalo this month. and Henrik, 33 — will be retired this season. "I've said this like eight times already, but I'm pumped to be a Devil and New York Daily News LOADED: 06.22.2019 I'm so excited."

Hughes had 74 goals and 154 assists to set the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's two-year record with 228 points in 110 games.

The Rangers followed by selecting Kakko. He's a 6-foot-2 winger, who helped Finland complete an international gold-medal sweep at the world championships, world juniors and Under-18 tournament. He had 22 goals the Finnish Elite League, the most by a draft-eligible player.

Rangers pick Kaapo Kakko, c, during the first round of the NHL hockey draft on Friday.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who jumped from 12th in the order to third following the draft lottery, went with size in selecting 6-foot-4 center Kirby Dach out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, who grew up in suburban Vancouver, received a big cheer from the crowd before announcing the fourth pick. He then drew an even louder cheer after selecting defenseman Bowen Byram, who played for Vancouver of the Western Hockey League.

Los Angeles rounded out the top five by selecting American center Alex Turcotte.

Former Devils star goalie Martin Brodeur took the podium to announce the No. 1 selection.

Hughes comes from a hockey family. His father, Jim Hughes coached at the professional level, and also served also served as the Toronto Maple Leafs' director of player development. Jack Hughes credits the time he spent playing minor hockey in Toronto as helping spur his development.

A year ago, Hughes attended the NHL draft to watch his older brother, defenseman Quinn Hughes, be selected with the seventh pick by the Vancouver Canucks.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning cracked a joke this week when asked if Quinn Hughes lobbied to have Vancouver attempt trading up from the 10th pick to first and draft his brother. "Yeah, I had conversations but they didn't last long," Benning said. "He's a great player. I don't expect him to be there at 10."

This marked the second time the Devils have selected first. In 2017, the Devils chose Switzerland’s Nico Hischier, who helped the Devils reach the playoffs in his rookie season. Injuries contributed to Devils taking a step back last season in which they finished 29th in the overall standings.

The Devils jumped up three spots in the draft order by winning the lottery in April.

With Hughes expected to make an immediate jump to the NHL next season, he has the potential of providing the Devils an even stronger presence up the middle, joining Hischier and Taylor Hall, the league's 2018 MVP. 1147976 New York Rangers And while Rantanen recorded 87 points (31 goals) playing on the line with Nathan MacKinnon in the middle and Gabriel Landeskog on the left in his third full season, the fact is the right wing spent most of his rookie How Rangers, fans should manage Kaapo Kakko expectations season with San Antonio of the AHL, getting into nine games (0-0=0) with Colorado. It isn’t Year One that necessarily counts, it’s the ones that follow.

Larry Brooks Listen, Kakko is coming, so is Vitali Kravtsov, last year’s No. 1, so is Libor Hajek, so is Filip Chytil, so is Andersson, so is Igor Shesterkin, so is

Yegor Rykov, so is Fox. It is an exciting time. But the operative word is Kaapo Kakko went No. 2 in the 2019 NHL Draft and wears No. 24 on his time. As in, it is going to take some. back, but 18 is the number the Rangers and their delirious fan base Kaapo Kakko is 18. should never forget. New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 That is his age.

By every account and through every eye test, the Blueshirts have themselves a special young man and an especially promising prospect in Kakko, the opposite of a booby prize following the Devils’ first-overall selection of Jack Hughes on Friday night in Vancouver.

The lottery victory that boosted the Rangers to their highest draft position in 53 years, since Brad Park went second-overall in 1966, energized everyone associated with the franchise. So did Kakko’s bravura performance for gold medalist Finland in the World Championships. So did the deals for righty defensemen Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox. The Rangers are on to Phase Two of their reconstruction process.

But just as it is essential for the coaching staff to work on Kakko’s development, it is critical for management not to get too far over its skis as it presents the teenager, who won’t turn 19 until Feb. 13, to New York. It is critical for the Blueshirts to manage expectations for Kakko out of the gate, the way they did not for seventh-overall Lias Andersson two years ago.

That is going to be the responsibility of John Davidson as president, to assert control over the marketing people whose job is to, well, probably the opposite of managing expectations. Business is business, but let’s face it, the Rangers aren’t exactly hurting for revenue. No one wants fried vendace on their face.

This isn’t meant to rain on the parade that has been a quarter of the century in the making. But it is important to be realistic. The Rangers have been chopping and pruning for a couple of years, beginning with the Derek Stepan 2017 draft day deal, and there will be more ahead in the not-too-distant future. Chris Kreider (I’d keep and extend him, but the team doesn’t seem to be leaning in that direction), Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich, Vlad Namestnikov, Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith are also endangered species.

And by the way, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes, Kreider and Vesey received the second, third, fourth and fifth most ice time per game among Rangers forwards last year behind . So a new generation not only is on its way, but also will assume more and more of the responsibility, perhaps even be force-fed to a degree by David Quinn, the coach who demands that young players earn their ice time.

Enlarge ImageKaaapo Kakko and Jack Hughes

Kaaapo Kakko and Jack HughesAP

Kakko has been a force. He zoomed up the charts like a Beatles’ single released in 1964 off his historic production in Finland’s Liiga, in which he established a record for draft-year players by scoring 22 goals to break the mark of 21 established by Aleksander Barkov in 2012-13. And we know that he is a hard-edged, north-south player who will give as good as he gets while blessed with exceptional finesse skills as well.

But he is 18, and no matter how broad his shoulders, he cannot be counted upon to carry the load, or even a couple of bricks of it. That would be ridiculous. The Rangers will need to give Kakko time to breathe and so will all the rest of us. Not only is he going to be asked to make the jump to the best league in the world as a teen, he is going to be asked, for better or worse, to assimilate into American culture.

Davidson would do cartwheels, even on his creaky knees, if Kakko becomes the dynamic player into which countryman Mikko Rantanen has developed for Colorado after having been selected 10th overall out of TPS in 2015. Granted, being selected 10th is different than being selected second. But Rantanen, who was rated the top European skater by Central Scouting in his draft year, would probably go fourth in a re-do behind Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. 1147977 New York Rangers “It’s going to be real interesting to see how this all matures along the way,” Davidson said. “It’s going to be fun.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko have just reignited Rangers-Devils rivalry

Brett Cyrgalis

June 22, 2019 | 3:22am

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — This storyline was not lost on anyone — not the Rangers, not the Devils, and not the teenagers in the middle of it all.

A new chapter in the Hudson River Rivalry has begun in earnest with the biggest draft in New York-area hockey history commencing Friday night. It started with the Devils going the consensus route and taking American center Jack Hughes with the No. 1-overall pick. That allowed the Rangers to take Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko at No. 2, beginning a comparison of 18-year-olds that will continue for the foreseeable future.

“You know, that’s true,” Rangers team president John Davidson said. “I was thinking about that this morning. And how good is that? Rivalries across the river. It’s going to be talked about for a long, long, long time. I think that’s just the greatest. It’s fantastic. I think that’s what hockey needs.”

It must have been a bit of a strange moment for the Rangers when they finally heard the Devils — through the voice of old nemesis Martin Brodeur — announce that they were taking Hughes. That was when it became clear Kakko was going to be theirs after so many months of speculation.

“I think we’ve been in the state of mind for a while that we knew we were getting one of these two players, and we were really comfortable with that,” Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said. “By all accounts, they were really close in a lot of ways. Talent level really high.

“We felt like the last few days this was going to happen and this was the player we were going to get. So you didn’t see me jump up and down at the table that way. But inside, we’re excited. We’ve never taken a pick this high. There are a lot of good things happening, and this is another thing.”

Kakko stands 6-foot-2 and is 200 pounds, and was a standout while playing with men at the World Championships last month in Slovakia, when he scored six goals in 10 games while his team won the gold medal. It finished a 13-month stretch when Kakko won gold at the Under- 18 World Championship, the World Junior Championship — when he scored the tournament-winning goal — and then the World Championship.

“I think it helped me very much, to play against the best players in the world,” Kakko said. “In the NHL, there are the same players. So I think I can play there next season.”

Still learning the language, Kakko was able to say, “Of course it was dream to be No. 1. But every team is a good team, so I’m happy.”

He also had a very succinct and powerful answer to if he wants to prove the Devils wrong.

“Yeah,” he said with a shake of his head.

For all of the excitement the Rangers were feeling in getting a player like Kakko, they were trying to at least partially temper the expectations. Despite his ability to play along the walls, and play physical, and make plays in and around the net, they don’t want to just hand him a spot on the roster of a team that is trying to take a big step forward this season in their difficult rebuilding process.

“Don’t forget, he’s young. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Davidson said, before adding his signature candidness. “I’m trying to talk myself into that one also. I’m just telling you the truth.”

Kakko said he has never been to New York City, but he did hear it is “a nice city. Little bigger than Turku,” which is where he played in Finland with a population of 186,756. He will get a chance to see it at some point during Rangers prospect camp, starting Monday.

That’s when it might sink in that Kakko is a Ranger, while Hughes plies his trade across the river for an easy constant comparison. 1147978 New York Rangers

Knicks’ RJ Barrett welcomes Rangers’ top pick Kaapo Kakko to New York

Michael Blinn

June 21, 2019 | 9:05PM

The kids are already playing nice.

Moments after the Rangers picked Finnish power forward Kaapo Kakko with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, he was welcomed to town by none other than RJ Barrett.

“Sup, Kaapo, It’s RJ Barrett. Welcome to the family! I’m excited to start this journey together. Go Rangers!” he said in a message tweeted out by the Knicks.

Barrett was top pick — No. 3 overall — for the Knicks on Thursday at the NBA draft, and he’ll be sharing the confines of Madison Square Garden with Kakko and building a pair of winners for what fans hope is years to come.

Rangers fans at the team’s draft party showed their appreciating for the rising star, chanting his name as he donned a Rangers jersey.

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147979 New York Rangers 26. Calgary Flames

27. Tampa Bay Lightning

2019 NHL draft: Full first round order and picks for all 31 teams 28. Carolina Hurricanes

29. Anaheim Ducks (from BUF, via SJS)

Staff Writer 30. Boston Bruins

June 21, 2019 | 5:50PM 31. Buffalo Sabres (via STL)

New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019

In a city more known for its rainy weather, it’s about to get drafty up in Vancouver.

The 2019 NHL Draft kicks off with the first round on Friday, June 21, and it portends to be a weekend with some franchise-changing picks made and maybe even a few big-name trades going down.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers figure to make Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko the first two picks made, but who goes after that will be the subject of debate right up until the No. 3 pick is made. There will be plenty of surprises and prospects wearing freshly pressed jerseys milling around Rogers Arena by the end of the weekend.

Here’s a look at the 2019 NHL Draft and the full first-round order of picks heading into Friday evening:

2019 NHL Draft by the numbers:

Rounds: 7

Total picks to be made: 217

Teams with multiple first-round picks: Colorado Avalanche (Nos. 4, 16), Buffalo Sabres (Nos. 7, 31), Anaheim, Ducks (Nos. 9, 29).

Teams with zero first-round picks: Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs

2019 NHL Draft: Full first-round order

1. New Jersey Devils

2. New York Rangers

3. Chicago Blackhawks

4. Colorado Avalanche (via OTT)

5. Los Angeles Kings

6. Detroit Red Wings

7. Buffalo Sabres

8. Edmonton Oilers

9. Anaheim Ducks

10. Vancouver Canucks

11. Philadelphia Flyers

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Florida Panthers

14. Arizona Coyotes

15. Montreal Canadiens

16. Colorado Avalanche

17. Vegas Golden Knights

18. Dallas Stars

19. Ottawa Senators (via CBJ)

20. Winnipeg Jets

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

22. Los Angeles Kings (via TOR)

23. New York Islanders

24. Nashville Predators

25. Washington Capitals 1147980 New York Rangers displayed the strength to compete with men of the Finnish Liiga so adjusting to the NHL should be seamless.

— Mollie Walker 2019 NHL draft: Rangers scoop up Kaapo Kakko with No. 2 pick Round 1, No. 2 overall

Round 2, No. 49 overall (via DAL) Brett Cyrgalis Round 2, N0. 59 overall (via TBL) June 21, 2019 | 9:02PM Round 3, No. 68 overall

Round 4, No. 112 overall (via CBJ) VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It seems like Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton spent most of this week walking on air. At least Round 5, No. 130 overall when it came to deciding on who to take with the No. 2-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, it was a relatively pressure-free decision. Round 6, No. 161 overall

So after the Devils took American center Jack Hughes with the top- Round 7, No. 205 overall (via CBJ) overall selection here on Friday night, Gorton didn’t mess around and New York Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 took 18-year-old Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. It was a home-run selection as the two players had separated themselves from the rest of the draft over the past few months.

Gorton had said on Thursday that he was “not losing much sleep on this one,” knowing that both players were terrifically talented and project to be NHL players much sooner than later. For Kakko, he showed that at the men’s World Championship in Slovakia in May, when he helped his team win the gold medal while scoring six goals in 10 games.

That ended a 13-month stretch when the 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefty-shot had won the Under-18 World Championship, the World Junior Championship — when he scored the tournament-winning goal — and then the men’s World Championship. He also spent the whole season playing for TPS in Finland’s top men’s league, where he excelled.

“I’ve seen young guys accomplish things that he has, and I see that they’re already thinking that they’re the superstars. He still finds time, and he knows he has to get better,” said his assistant coach for TPS and longtime NHL defenseman, Sami Salo. “He’s really a down-to-earth guy.”

After winning the World Championship, Kakko went back to Finland to celebrate and relax after a very hectic couple months of traveling. That meant he didn’t attend the NHL Combine in Buffalo a month ago, which hardly changed anyone’s opinion on him.

But it did keep Gorton from meeting him until this week, when they spent a few hours together over the course of two days. Gorton came away saying he was “very impressed,” and that Kakko’s English was actually quite a bit better than he thought. He also said that Kakko was “a funny kid. …He’s a real positive outlook and real confident guy.”

Kakko did meet with the media here on Thursday afternoon, and he seemed pretty poised while answering questions as well as he could. He has never been to New York City, but he did hear it is “a nice city. Little bigger than Turku,” which is his hometown in Finland with a population of 186,756.

Kakko will get a chance to see The Big Apple when he shows up to the Rangers prospect camp, starting on Monday. The practices will be held up at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Conn., while the team’s practice facility in Tarrytown undergoes a renovation. But there will be a tour of the Garden at some point during the week, and that’s when it all might sink in for Kakko that he is a Ranger, and will figure to be a big part of the organization going forward.

Full List of Rangers’ 2019 NHL Draft Picks

Total picks: 8

Pick: Round 1, No. 2 overall

KAAPO KAKKO, RW, TPS (Liiga)

6-2, 190, 18

Skinny: The heavyweight Finnish lefty, who has been NHL ready-for longer than most in this year’s draft. A confident puck carrier who knows how to use his size to his advantage. Plays an incredibly mature and smart game for his age. His biggest asset is his versatility paired with his size, making him difficult to body off the puck or defend all together. For Liiga’s TPS he contributed 38 points in 45 games this past season. Was the youngest player on the team but led in goals, game-winning goals and was second in average ice time (18+ minutes). Already has 1147981 New York Rangers

Rangers take Kaapo Kakko second overall in NHL Draft

Colin Stephenson

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Rangers’ much-talked-about rebuild reached a turning point on April 9, the night when the Ping-Pong balls bounced their way and they moved up from sixth to second in the NHL Draft Lottery. With two transformative players available, the Rangers were assured that one would be there when it was their turn to select.

So when the Devils took American Jack Hughes with the first pick Friday at Rogers Arena, Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton wasted no time announcing that the Blueshirts were taking Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko, 18, who starred in his country’s top professional league. He led Finland to the gold medal in the World Junior Championships in this city in January and the World Championships in Slovakia last month.

“I think we got a chance at a special player,’’ Gorton said when asked what the Rangers have in Kakko, who scored 22 goals in 45 games this season for TPS, a Finnish league record for draft-eligible players. “We all saw what he did over the course of the season; we saw that he’s won a few championships and excelled at every one of them. It’s an exciting day for us, and you win the lottery, although it seems like months ago, and here we are to finally call the name, so it’s an exciting day.’’

Team president John Davidson hardly could contain his excitement at landing Kakko. He tried to temper expectations that the 6-2, 194-pounder will step right into the lineup but then gave up trying.

“He’s young. Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves too far,’’ Davidson said. “Let’s let things fall into place.

“But I’m trying to talk myself into that also,’’ he said with a laugh. “I’m just telling you the truth.’’

Kakko said he had hoped to go No. 1 but got over the disappointment quickly.

“Yeah, of course, it was my dream to be No. 1, but the second one is also good,’’ he said. “And I don’t know, every team in the NHL is a good team, so I’m happy.’’

When asked if he hopes to prove that the Devils made the wrong choice, he smiled and said, “Yeah.’’

Kakko was the top-rated European skater in the NHL’s Central Scouting list of prospects and was tabbed as the second-best player available, behind Hughes, who had 112 points in 50 games for the U.S. National Team Development Program. But Kakko made people take notice when he scored the winning goal for Finland in the gold-medal game at the World Juniors — against a U.S. team led by Hughes — and when he led a Finland team that had no NHL players to the World title, totaling a team-high six goals.

A native of Turku, Finland, Kakko lives with Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease, which requires him to follow a strict gluten-free diet.

On the ice, Kakko demonstrated elite stickhandling and finishing ability, but he will have to adjust to the smaller NHL rinks after growing up playing on the bigger sheets in Europe.

He should step right into the Rangers’ lineup and improve an offense that had 221 goals last season, tied for 24th in the league. He could slot in as the first-line right wing, playing with Mika Zibanejad and — if he isn’t traded — Chris Kreider.

“I hope I can play in the NHL next year,’’ Kakko said, adding that he needs to get stronger and to improve his skating to make that happen.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147982 New York Rangers

Isles' home opener will be at Coliseum on Oct. 4

Andrew Gross

VANCOUVER – The Islanders will face the Capitals on Oct. 4 at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum and the Rangers will face the Jets on Oct. 3 at Madison Square Garden, the NHL announced on Friday as the league revealed the home openers for all 31 teams.

The full schedule will be released on Tuesday at noon.

For the Islanders, in their second season of splitting games between the Coliseum and Barclays Center, it will mark their first home opener in Uniondale since a 4-3 win over the Hurricanes on Oct. 11, 2014.

The Rangers’ home opener will be a special one for defenseman Jacob Trouba, who will face his former team after being acquired from the Jets on Monday for defenseman Neal Pionk and the 20th overall pick in Friday night’s first round at Rogers Arena.

The Rangers will also play at Ottawa on Oct. 5 for the Senators’ home opener.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147983 New York Rangers older than him. He has a chance to be really, really, really good. But I don’t want to sit here and say that he’s got to be the best we’ve ever had in New York, in the history of the Rangers. You don’t do that to young Rangers have a franchise-altering night by drafting Kaapo Kakko at No. 2 people. You let them come in there – he’s going to show his way.

“I get excited about everything he does. He competes. A lot of times you need will along with skill, and he’s got a real compete level to him. I think Rick Carpiniello he’s got a good understanding of the player that he is. When you talk to him and you ask him questions, he’s thoughtful, he thinks about it. He’s a Jun 21, 2019 young man that I think knows the 200-foot game. A lot of times you find a player who has great skill and the coaches go, ‘Oh, I’ve got a lot of work to do here. He’s got to learn his own end, he’s got to do this, he’s got to VANCOUVER — Can’t. Miss. do that.’ We see a player that knows the game.”

The two words you hear so often at a crapshoot like the NHL Entry Draft. Davidson noted the small population of Finland continues to win And sometimes the players who have those two words attached to them, international hockey events because its players understand the concept fairly or unfairly, well, they miss. of a “team game.”

Rangers fans with memories don’t need to be told that. “This is what we want here and he’s going to fit right in because of that,” Davidson said. But there are just times when a player such as Kaapo Kakko comes along, and when you just know that he can’t miss. Gorton, the architect of the rebuild, was somewhat more reserved, but just as enthusiastic. The Rangers’ franchise was altered Friday night when the dynamic, at times spectacular, 18-year-old winger Kakko was selected No. 2 overall. “We got a chance at a special player,” Gorton said. “We all saw what he did over the course of the season. We saw that he’s won a few Actually, the tone of the Rangers’ rebuild completely changed on that championships and excelled at every one of them. It’s an exciting day for early April evening when the ping-pong balls fell GM Jeff Gorton’s way us. You know, you win the lottery all those – it seems like months ago – (with the late Steven McDonald’s NYPD badge in his jacket pocket as a and here we are today to finally call the name. So it’s an exciting day.” borrowed lucky charm). Gorton said Kakko’s name couldn’t have snuck up on anybody and the This after a season of fans begging to “Lose for Hughes” … a common kid’s been under the microscope for years now. cry for the Rangers to tank games and try to win the lottery and get the eventual No. 1 pick, center Jack Hughes. “He does a lot of things well,” Gorton said. “He creates space for himself with his body. He uses his body to shield people and find a little extra Kakko popped so many eyes while playing for Finland at the World time that other guys aren’t able to do. He can make plays really quickly Junior Championships here in Vancouver around the new year, and so and identify where (teammates) are, and he’s a threat to score from far many more eyes at the World Championships, playing against NHL out, which is unique in this day and age. In the corners, I think he likes competition, that suddenly fans wanted Kakko over Hughes. And Kakko contact. Hit him and he rolls off you and he feels like he has you and he’s became the object of their affection immediately when Gorton won the got you beat with a step to the net. So he’s got lot of little plays like that No. 2 pick at the lottery. that are fun to watch.” There was no decision to make for Gorton and his staff, though. It would The first time he saw Kakko play, Gorton said, he went “Wow, this guy’s be up to the Devils. got confidence. The Rangers knew for sure which player they were getting when the “He’s so strong. I mean you say, just if you go back to the empty-net goal Devils stepped up first and chose … Hughes. against Canada (at the Worlds). I mean it was an empty-net goal but he’s No drama, no surprises. But a huge prize for the Rangers. throwing a guy off him, to overpower him, because he wanted to score that badly. Those goal scorers, they want to score. You can see it in their Gorton didn’t jump up and celebrate or pound the table – he would have determination when they’re playing and you just can’t take your eyes off been perfectly fine with getting Hughes – but boy was he excited. So was him when he’s playing. So it’s an exciting opportunity for our fans to see team president John Davidson and every Rangers scout and front office a guy like that.” person on the draft floor. And now, as both execs noted, there is going to be that Hughes-Kakko Here’s the thing, everybody is trying to exercise caution with Kakko – rivalry along the Hudson River for years to come. including Kakko, who said he hopes to play in the NHL this coming season. Everybody is trying not to get ahead of themselves and raise First things first, Kakko joins the Rangers prospects at camp this coming ridiculous expectations and force the teenager to be a full-grown NHL week in Stamford, Conn. Then he gets to see New York City for the first player right away. time.

But at the same time, there is no hiding the stratosphere in which the “No, never before,” Kakko said. “It’s bigger than (his hometown) Turku.” Rangers believe Kakko belongs. He knows of Henrik Lundqvist, of course. He knows Alexandar Georgiev, “The sky’s the limit for this fellow,” Davidson gushed. who played in Finland for three seasons before coming to North America in 2017. He certainly knows of Hughes from all the talk the past 10 “He really doesn’t have a weakness. He can play wing, he can play months or so, and admitted again, that he wanted to be picked first center, which is always a good thing. … He can score. He can be a overall. playmaker, and a lot of times when you get a guy who can be both, in a very skilled player that has size, that has speed, you go, ‘Woah, we’ve “Of course,” Kakko said. “It was my dream to be a No. 1.” got a heck of a player here.’ Asked if he will now be out to prove the Devils made a mistake, he “A lot of times when you study players, you look for weaknesses. You smiled, “Yeah.” don’t see weaknesses here, especially with the No. 2 pick. That’s pretty He said the right things, how he needs to be stronger, needs to improve exciting.” his skating, and how he “hopes” to be in the NHL when the Rangers Franchise-altering. Like other first-rounders who turned out to be open at home against Winnipeg on Oct. 3. spectacular — Brad Park (1966), Rick Middleton (1973), Kakko met with Gorton and Co. at length Saturday and impressed them (1986). That also shows how rarely these meteors cross the Rangers’ again. He said he didn’t remember what Gorton said to him on the draft universe. stage, and smiled. “I would love to see him be a cornerstone for us,” Davidson said. “There’s “It was like one dream for me,” Kakko said about being drafted. something special about (him). When you talk to him, he’s very even. He knows he’s good. He’s always played up above with older people along “The next is playing in the NHL.” the way; even as a younger player he was playing with kids two years The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147984 NHL “We’re excited to show this building to the world because it’s really spectacular,’’ Bruckheimer said. “We’re sitting on something that you haven’t seen yet and we’re really proud of it and can’t wait for everybody Seattle on the hunt for a future general manager at NHL draft in to see it.’’ Vancouver Famed Hollywood producer and director Bruckheimer, who first watched hockey as a boy in his native Detroit and became a rabid fan as an adult, said he relishes the opportunity to step into the professional sports world. June 21, 2019 at 9:41 PM “To be a part of creating something, that’s what I do,’’ Bruckheimer said. Geoff Baker “I create things. I tell stories and this is a fabulous story.’’

Bruckheimer said he planned to use the weekend here to soak in the draft and surrounding events and maybe pick up on a few ideas. VANCOUVER, B.C. – NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke told reporters from across North America gathered here Friday that he still “We have no card in the game here,’’ he said. “So we’re really kind of hopes to hire a general manager this summer. able to watch and listen and learn and talk to a lot of fabulous people.’’

During a media scrum ahead of the opening round of the NHL draft, Seattle Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 Leiweke, seated next to Seattle owner Jerry Bruckheimer, said he had meetings planned with “old friends’’ and other team officials from around the league to discuss the GM opening. There’s also a chance Leiweke and Bruckheimer will interview candidates this weekend before departing.

Seattle’s team won’t take the ice for another two-plus years, but Leiweke would prefer to hire a GM now rather than next summer given what’s expected to be a challenging expansion draft come June 2021.

“Because of … our owners, we’re prepared to do it,’’ Leiweke said. “We’re prepared to make that investment if we land on the right candidate who says the right things. So we’re prepared to do that. And part of what Jerry and I will be doing is having dinners and lunches and coffees with folks and getting their take on it.’’

Though there’s no set timeline for a hire this year, NHL Seattle would likely want the job filled by July to give the incoming GM nearly two full years to build a staff ahead of the expansion draft.

“The timeline is to get it right – that’s the ultimate goal,’’ Leiweke said. “I think in a perfect world, we’d have somebody engaged sooner versus later. But more important than any timeline is getting it right.’’

NHL Seattle saw potential GM candidate Ken Holland signed to a record deal by the Edmonton Oilers, while Kelly McCrimmon was promoted by the Vegas Golden Knights. Another candidate, Bill Zito, told the team a few weeks after being interviewed that he wanted to remain in Columbus and was promoted to an executive position by the Blue Jackets last week. Remaining potential candidates with experience include former Vancouver Canucks GMs Mike Gillis and Dave Nonis and ex-Carolina Hurricanes GM Ron Francis. There is also former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Mark Hunter.

The Golden Knights under GM George McPhee and assistant McCrimmon were wildly successful in the last expansion draft, held in 2017. Bolstered by a plethora of side deals made ahead of the draft with teams trying to protect certain players, the Knights landed a boatload of talent and made the Stanley Cup Final their first season.

McCrimmon and Zito were intriguing to NHL Seattle because of their in- depth knowledge of prospects, which Leiweke’s group believes will be instrumental ahead of the expansion draft. Leiweke acknowledged that teams now are likely to be more cautious of making side deals like they did with Vegas two years ago, meaning it could be tougher for Seattle to snag the same type of talent.

“We like the expansion rules and I think the challenge for us is to hire the same kind of caliber of people and leadership that Las Vegas did,’’ Leiweke said. “And we like our chances because when we talk to prospective GMs about the beauty of the city, the 32,000 depositors and 25,000 people in line, how epic the building is gong to be and our training center. And then the ambition we have on our team, I think we’re going to get top, top talent in the GM spot. I think we’re going to get a chance to build out a world-class staff around that GM. And therefore, we’re going to be well-prepared as well.’’

Leiweke and Bruckheimer, one of two principal owners alongside managing partner David Bonderman, spent much of their media session talking up the “brand-new building’’ their $930 million renovation of KeyArena will construct under the venue’s historically preserved roof. Getting the arena done by a revised June 2021 target date will be crucial in snagging the 2021 entry and expansion drafts, which both have made no secret of wanting Seattle to host. 1147985 Ottawa Senators play and he has upside at the offensive blueline. Those are the defencemen that have the impact on the game now.”

You cannot afford to go wrong with a first-round pick and it’s paramount GARRIOCH: Senators take offensive Finnish defenceman with the No. that this selection plays some games down the road and has an impact. 19 pick The Senators have a strong track record on that front and they liked Thomson a lot.

Bruce Garrioch “After a hard year of work for our scouts we were discussing this morning who we were going to get and amongst the big group in the room Published:June 21, 2019 everyone felt that Thomson was going to be the guy we were going to get,” said Dorion. “We asked everyone if they would be happy about that Updated:June 21, 2019 11:46 PM EDT and everybody seemed to be ecstatic.

“We’re really happy to get this player as part of our organization.” VANCOUVER — The Ottawa Senators got their young man Friday night Mann said the Senators like what Thomson brings to the table. and they made the pick in style. “We’re pleased with this player. Right shot, skilled defenceman with a Ottawa winger Brady Tkachuk, the club’s top pick in last year’s NHL good shot and he scored 17 goals in Western Hockey League for a kid draft, welcomed the Senators’ newest face to the organization with open that moved away from Finland,” said Mann. “The scouts are happy with arms by announcing on stage the club had taken the Kelowna Rockets’ the pick and if you talk to his coach Adam Foote he speaks very highly of Lassi Thomson. the kid. The Finnish defenceman had 17 goals and 41 points in his first season in “He was one of those kids that kept getting better as the year went on so the Western Hockey League. He was the Rockets’ rookie of the year and we’re excited about the potential.” was named a second-team all-star in the WHL. An offensive defenceman, he’s got a good shot and scouts like the way he moves the The Senators have six selections Saturday when rounds 2 through 7 get puck. underway at 1 p.m. EST. By the end of the day, the next step, and one of the most important in this rebuild, will be complete. Mann said the key for Thomson couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he became the first the scouting staff is to ensure Dorion and the hockey staff have talent Finnish player the Senators have taken with their first-round pick. He can coming up through the organization. return to Finland next year, play for Kelowna or play with Belleville in the American Hockey League. The decision on where he goes will be made “Our job is to keep picking players so we keep pushing from underneath,” during development camp. Mann said. “As long as we’re pushing from underneath, the guys that are on top are going to be forced to be at their best and to get better. If “I’m really surprised,” said Thomson. “I don’t know what’s happened. I they’re not, they’ll get pushed out. was thinking that maybe I’d be late first or second round. I couldn’t expect that. “For the last little while, when you take a run like we did (in 2018) you lose some of those prospects and you lose some of those picks, it’s hard “I’m so excited. I don’t know what to say now.” to do that. It happens to every team when they make a run for it. We’re at Thomson decided to move to North America after speaking to some the point now where we have lots of picks and we’re going to keep other Finnish players who’ve made the jump, and decision paid off. picking. Our staff do a tremendous job of finding of those players.”

“That’s been good for me to play here,” said Thomson. “Different game The Senators hope they found a winner Friday night. and different hockey. We have a good coach and a good team. I think I Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.22.2019 was getting better the whole year and I’ve played better.

“I talked to a couple of Finnish players who’ve played here and they say it’s a good league and it’s a good place to play. I wanted to see how I could play hockey here. I wanted a good experience here.”

He played in a minor hockey tournament in Ottawa five years ago and, of course, was asked about his memories.

“I really don’t know. What I know is that it’s cold there,” said Thomson.

The No. 19 pick in this year’s draft was acquired as part of the Matt Duchene deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the February trade deadline. Should Duchene decide to sign an extension with the Columbus when free agency opens, the Senators will get a first-round pick from the Jackets in next year’s draft.

GM Pierre Dorion worked the phones Friday, but wasn’t able to find any dance partners in an attempt to move up.

“Of course I’m excited,” said Thomson. “We’ll see what happens in the next couple of years. Now it’s hard work, and I’l try to show my best to keep going.”

Thomson felt he may have to wait until Saturday and was able to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard his name called by Tkachuk.

“I didn’t know what the wait would be, but I was ready to come tomorrow,” said Thomson.

Given the depth of this year’s crapshoot, the Senators were confident they’d get a good player who is going to help the organization down the road, but many felt the first round was going to be unpredictable and it was. The club had a list of about 18 names they liked for the pick and they were hoping to get one of those players.

“The defencemen are part of the offensive game now and teams play with units of five,” said chief scout Trent Mann. “He’s able to move the puck and transition the puck up the ice quickly. He’s able to support the 1147986 Ottawa Senators Oilers may also study the possibility of bringing in Robin Lehner if he doesn’t re-sign with the Islanders.

THE LAST WORDS SNAPSHOTS: Nashville Predators trying to move some big names to clear cap space If the Vegas Golden Knights really want to get the contract of the injured David Clarkson off the books, they’re likely going to have to give up a first-round pick. It doesn’t sound like anybody is any hurry to do GM Bruce Garrioch George McPhee a favour after the demands he made from opposition teams to protect their players in the expansion draft. … While many Published:June 21, 2019 believed Columbus forward Artemi Panarin was going straight to the Florida Panthers as soon as unrestricted free agency opens July 1, some Updated:June 21, 2019 9:40 PM EDT think that may not be the case anymore. There are going to be a lot of teams willing to throw a lot of money his way, although the Panthers remain the frontrunner. As for Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, it VANCOUVER — Kyle Turris’ days with the Nashville Predators may be sure sounds like he’s headed to the Panthers. … The San Jose Sharks numbered. are trying to move defenceman Brenden Dillon and there are a few teams with interest. … Before the draft got underway, the Canucks It’s not going to be an easy contract to move by any stretch of the announced winger Alex Burrows, who was traded to the Senators in imagination, but the word here is the Predators are trying to move the 29- February 2018, will be added to the club’s Ring of Honour in November. year-old centre and the five years left on his contract at a cap hit of $6 million per season. Have a nice Saturday and enjoy the draft weekend.

Dealt to the Predators by the Ottawa Senators in November 2017 in the Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.22.2019 massive three-way Matt Duchene trade with the Colorado Avalanche, Turris hasn’t performed up to expectations in Nashville and now GM David Poile would like to move on from the deal.

His name is one of several that was being shopped around before the NHL draft was held Friday night at Rogers Arena. Turris, who had only seven goals and 23 points in 55 games with Nashville last season, simply has to be better.

Turris is only in the second year of the extension he agreed to with the Predators when the deal was made with the Senators. He has a whopping $30 million left on his contract, and the only way to get out of this deal may be to eat salary. Nashville needs space under the salary cap.

Turris may not be the only Nashville player on the move. There’s been a lot of talk here about the future of defenceman P.K. Subban, and his name surfaced Friday when TSN’s Bob McKenzie indicated he was available.

Subban, who has three years at $9 million left on his deal, is an impact player who can make a difference every night. You can expect there will be interest if the Predators really want to go that route.

OFF THE GLASS

Speaking of Duchene, his future with the Columbus Blue Jackets looks clouded, at best, with teams set to begin the interview period for unrestricted free agents Monday. While the Jackets have put their best foot forward to try to sign Duchene and they’re still in the mix, the reality is that once the talking period begins those hopes will likely fade. Suddenly, the market for Duchene is strong and he’ll have his choice of destinations on July 1. The belief is the Predators are ready to make a pitch — a big reason why they want to move Turris’ contract — and the Montreal Canadiens are expected to show interest as well. … The Buffalo Sabres have held talks with several teams about the possibility of moving blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen, and it sounds like there’s a strong chance he’ll be dealt before the start of next season. Scheduled to make $5.4 million through the 2021-22 campaign, Ristolainen probably wouldn’t mind getting dealt. He didn’t have a whole lot of success under former coach Phil Housley, so a change could make sense for both sides.

AROUND THE BOARDS

It sure sounds like Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is trying to make a deal or two, and it’s to be determined how busy he’ll be. The names of forwards Nazem Kadri, William Nylander, Patrick Marleau and defenceman Nikita Zaitsev have all been mentioned, to varying degrees, in NHL trade rumours. There’s also the whole watch on what’s going to happen with restricted free agent winger Mitch Marner, who will start entertaining other teams next week when the talking period begins. The belief in league circles is the Leafs could make several moves in the coming weeks. … Edmonton general manager Ken Holland is trying to put his stamp on the Oilers and has been shopping around for a goalie. You can expect the Oilers to make a pitch for Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek if he does hit the free agent market. The Hurricanes want to keep Mrazek, but Holland did select him for the Wings in the 2010 draft. The 1147987 Ottawa Senators

Senators will open the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs

Bruce Garrioch

Published:June 21, 2019

Updated:June 21, 2019 7:39 PM EDT

VANCOUVER — It won’t take D.J. Smith long to face his old team next season.

The Ottawa Senators will open the 2019-20 campaign with a Battle of Ontario game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at in Toronto.

While the rest of the schedule will be unveiled Tuesday at noon, it’s tradition for the Senators and Leafs to face off early. The Senators will play their home opener against the New York Rangers on Saturday, Oct. 5.

“Why not get the nerves out right away?” says Ottawa coach D.J. Smiith about facing the Leafs in his NHL debut. “I’m certainly comfortable with the building, it’s somewhere I’ve worked for the last four years. Why not?”

Hired by the Senators last month as a full-time replacement for Guy Boucher, the 42-year-old Smith spent four years on coach Mike Babcock’s staff. The Senators will also open the pre-season against the Leafs in St. John’s, N.L., on Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. EST before facing Toronto again at home on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Smith has spent the last few days in Vancouver interviewing candidates to round out the club’s coaching staff. He has spoken to six or seven people.

“I’ve got to find someone that’s a power-play guy, an offensive guy, and I’ll continue to talk to people to make sure we get the right guy, the right fit for the culture and the right fit for knowing the league,” said Smith. “I just want the right man for job. I’ll find him.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147988 Ottawa Senators “A little bit of a surprise, maybe, for some people,” Senators chief amateur scout Trent Mann said. “At that point, at 19, we felt the best player available to us was Lassi Thomson.”

‘He’s a great kid. They got a good pick’: Senators surprise by taking Dorion said talks about potentially moving up were ongoing as the draft Lassi Thomson at No. 19 unfolded. There were some surprises, but as the draft progressed towards the Senators’ position, the players the Senators expected to be taken were gone, if not exactly in the order they anticipated. By Chris Stevenson 2h ago “We were happy where we were. We did talk. There were some players that fell that maybe we would have like to have got, but at the same time, we stopped phoning what we saw there was going to be a certain group VANCOUVER — Adam Foote leaned against the doorframe of the of players there at 19,” Dorion said. “We stopped phoning because we Tampa Bay Lightning’s suite overlooking the NHL draft floor at Rogers knew we’d be happy with whomever we got at 19.” Arena. Dorion said they did not draft by positional need. The burly former stay-at-home defenceman, a two-time Stanley Cup champ with the Colorado Avalanche, a gold-medal winner with Canada “No, for us, we wanted someone who could bring an offensive aspect to at the 2002 Winter Olympics and a captain of the Avs and the Columbus the game,” Dorion said. “We knew that Thomson could do that with his Blue Jackets, remains an intimidating presence. skill set. There was no ‘let’s take a defenceman instead of a forward.’ We were just going to take whoever we felt would be best suited for the He’s can still cast a glare that can make people look at their feet, but his Ottawa Senators moving forward.” face opened into a big smile under that hawk-like nose when the name of defenceman Lassi Thomson was mentioned. Thomson was selected, a The addition of Thomson adds to the Senators depth of blue-chip bit surprisingly, by the Ottawa Senators from the Kelowna Rockets with prospects on the blue line. With Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom, the No.19 pick Friday. Foote was Thomson’s coach in Kelowna last Christian Wolanin and Max Lajoie on the left side, Thomson joins Jacob season. Bernard-Docker, last year’s first-round pick, on the right side.

“He smiles the whole time. He’s just happy. His teammates love him,” They have the makings of a mobile group that can generate offence from Foote said of his Finnish defenceman, who was a pleasant surprise in the backend. the WHL this season after making the decision to come to North American to play. The Senators hope Thomson will be added to the list of Rockets defencemen who have gone on to have success in the NHL. Kelowna “He’s humble. Part of the smiling might be the language and the has become a bit of a defenceman factory: Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, nervousness that we’re seeing with that smile. I love him because he’s Tyson Barrie, Alexander Edler and Tyler Myers have set the standard. always happy and he competes. He gets mad when he gets whacked or things don’t go his way, he reacts. That’s going to be tamed, but that’s a Thomson played on the second pair in Kelowna, but he was Foote’s go- good issue to have, a good thing to try and fix. He goes hard. He’s fun to to guy on the first power-play. be around. He’s happy.” “When we needed something to happen or close it down at the end, he’d Foote was in the Tampa suite to celebrate the selection of his second be out there,” Foote said. “He’s got work to do on that part, but that’s son by the Lightning. The Bolts took left wing Nolan Foote from the okay. They all do. They got a great guy, a great pick.” Rockets with the No. 27 pick Friday. They had selected Cal Foote, a Foote would love to have Thomson back for another season, especially defenceman, No. 14 in the 2017 draft. with the Rockets hosting the Memorial Cup next season. Dorion said the But Foote was happy to entertain questions about Thomson and his options for Thomson are three-fold: he could return to Ilves in Finland to potential under new Senators coach D. J. Smith, another former play professionally, he could return to the Rockets or he could play in the defenceman. AHL. He said they will discuss it after development camp.

“Very high-end skill, high-end skater. He’s really lucky to have D.J. Smith “There’s word that he may say in Finland, but I hope we get him back,” because he will teach him the box outs, the little subtleties of playing D. Foote said. “He’s going to play a lot of minutes for us. He’ll have the puck That’s what all these young D need anyway,” Foote said. “The beauty is on his stick a lot and also go through a Memorial Cup run, which is a he has the athleticism and the compete and the things that might need to great experience. be fine-tuned and he’s got a great coach in D.J.” “Hopefully he can be swayed by Ottawa (to play in Kelowna). I’m his Thomson has a heavy and accurate shot which resulted in him scoring coach, so I really hope that happens because he is a helluva talent and 17 goals as a rookie in the WHL (keep in mind he’s an older draft pick; he good kid. We’re going to miss him. At the same time he’s a person and I missed being eligible for last year’s draft by nine days). He led WHL told him, ‘hey, you do what’s best for you.’ rookie defencemen in scoring with 41 points. “He’s a great kid. They got a good pick, yeah.”

“Seventeen goals and he just got better as the season went on. That’s The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 why for us, we just knew he was going in that direction. He keeps on getting better and better and better,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. “That’s what attracted us to him.

“The way he skates, how he moves the puck. He can move the puck with his skating ability, but he can move it with his passing ability. At the same time, the way he transitions in to the zone and the way he jumps into the play to create offence are all things we’re happy to have.”

The looks on some of the kids’ faces spoke to what Dorion had referred to the other day as the potential “volatility” of the first round. Defenceman Moritz Seider, projected to go in the teens, had a shocked look on his face when the Detroit Red Wings called his name at No. 6.

Thomson had been projected by some forecasters to be a player taken in the second round. You could include Thomson in that group.

“I was so nervous the whole time. I feel great now, but when they called my name, I didn’t know what happened,” Thomson said.

“I was surprised … I was thinking late first or the second round. I can’t expect (to be taken at No. 19),” he said. “I was ready to come tomorrow morning again here.” 1147989 Philadelphia Flyers • No. 65 (Round three)

• No. 72 (Round three)

NHL draft 2019: Start time, how to watch and stream rounds 2-7 • No. 103 (Round four)

• No. 165 (Round six) by Rob Tornoe, • No. 169 (Round six)

• No 196 (Round seven)

After an exciting and highly watched Stanley Cup Final, the 2019 NHL • No. 201 (Round seven) draft kicked off Friday night with the New Jersey Devils selecting Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.22.2019

The Flyers surprised many by trading down a few picks to select 18-year- old defenseman Cameron York with the No. 14 pick, who is committed to the University of Michigan next season. According to NHL Central Scouting, York is “elusive with the puck, can dominate with his decision- making and is deceptive in the offensive zone.”

The NHL draft is held over a two-day period. Round 1 took place Friday night on NBCSN, while Rounds 2 through 7 will air on the NHL Network on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Despite not airing on broadcast television, the NHL draft has drawn decent television ratings in recent years. Last year, the draft drew 368,000 viewers on NBCSN, a fraction of the audience for the NFL and NBA drafts but enough to outdraw the MLB draft on the MLB Network (297,000 viewers), according to Sports Media Watch.

In the NFL and NBA, draft picks can quickly become impact players, while MLB draft picks usually take years to move up to the big leagues. I asked both Carchidi and Donnellon where NHL draft picks fall on that scale. Here are their answers:

Carchidi: “It generally takes NHL draft picks a few years to reach the NHL. The top picks, however, usually make an impact the first season following their draft [see Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, etc.].”

Donnellon: “It’s kind of a hybrid. Like baseball picks, NHL [prospects] can come from high school into college age, but as a general rule all but the top guys, say 1-7, will not play for the big club without first going to the minors or to college (or back to college). Last year’s pick [14th] went to Boston University for a season, has signed an entry contract, and has an outside chance to stick with Flyers next season. Likely he will go to the Phantoms for a year at least.

“Year before they took Nolan Patrick with the No. 2 pick and he made the Flyers that fall without any minor experience.”

2019 NHL draft rounds 2 - 7

When: Saturday, June 22

Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada

Time: 1 p.m.

TV: NHL Network

Hosts: Jamison Coyle and Jackie Redmond

Streaming: NHL.com (free), Sling TV, DirecTV Now, NHL.tv (all require a subscription)

Media coverage

Carchidi and Donnellon will be covering all the action live on Twitter. Notes and observations about the draft will be at Inquirer.com/Flyers.

Rounds 2 through 7 of the draft will air on the NHL Network beginning at 1 p.m. Jaimson Coyle and Jackie Redmond will host the network’s coverage alongside analysts Brian Lawton, Dave Reid, and NHL Network reporter E.J. Hradek.

Flyers draft picks

The Flyers have a total of eight 2019 draft picks. The team traded away its second-round pick (and a third-round pick in 2020) to the San Jose Sharks to acquire defenseman Justin Braun, and its fifth-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for center Kevin Hayes.

• No. 14: Cameron York

• No. 45 (Round two, obtained via trade) 1147990 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.22.2019

Flyers’ GM Chuck Fletcher’s first pick in NHL draft continues trend of unpredictability | Sam Donnellon

by Sam Donnellon

The Flyers had a nice dilemma when their pick came up at No. 11 on Friday night.

Too many of the guys they were projected to like were still available.

Matthew Boldy was still there. Cole Caufield was still there. Peyton Krebs was still there. Alex Newhook was still there.

Cam York, an offensive defenseman from Anaheim Hills, Calif., was still there.

So they traded the pick. For the 45th and the 14th picks, which after the unusual first 10 selections, was probably going to be their 11th pick anyway.

In any case, general manager Chuck Fletcher’s seeming indifference to whom he got in the first round now seems sincere. "It’s a strong draft,’’ he said Thursday, voicing a position he expressed before.

Despite so much hand-wringing about surrendering picks to acquire proven veterans, as he did in giving up a second-rounder for Justin Braun, Fletcher walked out of Rogers Arena with four picks inside the first 75. In a draft that was universally seen as deep.

And the Flyers walked out with York at 14, after Florida’s equally unexpected decision to pick a goaltender, Spencer Knight, one pick ahead of the Flyers.

Carter Hart, believed to be that long-awaited Flyers franchise goaltender, was drafted 48th overall in 2016.

Three picks later, Caufield, Newhook, and Krebs were off the board, and Flyers fans were left to wonder once again about their new GM.

Is he smarter than the people running Montreal, Colorado, and Las Vegas? Because Fletcher was constant about his first-round pick: It would be about talent, not need.

And make no mistake. Most of the mock drafts out there had several, if not all, of the three who were selected after York going before him.

At 5-11, he draws comparisons to former Rangers great Brian Leetch. And if that’s right, then Fletcher will be too.

Fletcher wasn’t alone in unpredictability. New Detroit GM Steve Yzerman shocked even German defenseman Moritz Seider when he picked him sixth overall, bypassing more touted prospects Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, and Russian Victor Podkolzin. The Chicago Blackhawks, picking third, raised eyebrows when they bypassed defenseman Bowen Byram to pick 6-4 center Kirby Dach.

There were groans from the hometown crowd when Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin was announced as the Vancouver Canucks’ pick.

There were boos, as there always seems to be, when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman stepped to the microphone at the start.

I know he’s the commissioner. Still, I don’t understand why Bettman begins these proceedings every year. I get that he wants to stand strong, but the start of these things are so electric, and then he walks onto that stage and then it becomes uncomfortable from the moment he speaks.

The boos become the focal point at the start of the draft. It’s not fair – no NHL commissioner has done more for the sport – but he just triggers that emotion. If you can’t slip through Vancouver – a town mellower than a Grateful Dead song – without getting booed, it’s time for a new strategy.

Bettman tried, bringing out popular retired Canucks Daniel and Henrik Sedin, after he had endured what he must have thought were a sufficient amount of boos.

But in the future, why not try that in reverse?

Give the commissioner a fighting chance. 1147991 Philadelphia Flyers As expected, center Jack Hughes was selected by New Jersey with the No. 1 overall pick and big right winger Kaapo Kakko went No. 2 to the New York Rangers.

NHL draft: Flyers surprisingly pick defenseman Cam York in first round Hughes was one of seven players from the U.S. National Team Development Program chosen among the first 15 picks, including Caufield, who went to Montreal at No. 15 -- just after the Flyers took by Sam Carchidi, York. The 5-7, 163-pound Caufield was regarded as the draft’s best pure scorer.

Breakaways VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Flyers traded down and selected standout defenseman Cam York with the No. 14 pick in the first round of Rounds 2-7 will be held Saturday; the Flyers now have the No. 45 overall the NHL draft Friday night at jam-packed Rogers Arena. pick in the second round after dealing the No. 41 pick in the Justin Braun trade. They have two selections (Nos. 65 and 72) in the third round. … York, who starred on the U.S. National Team Development Program, The Flyers will play their first home game Oct. 9 against New Jersey. It was somewhat of a surprising pick because the Flyers bypassed highly will be their first game since they open the season Oct. 4 against touted forwards Cole Caufield and Peyton Krebs. Chicago in the Czech Republic… The league will announce all 31 teams’ The University of Michigan-bound York (5-foot-11, 172 pounds) is quick season schedules Tuesday at noon. … The Flyers’ prospect camp will and has great offensive upside, but his size might be a detriment against start June 25 in Voorhees. … Next year’s draft will be held in Montreal on bigger forwards. He’s a terrific skater who led the U.S. team with a plus- June 26 and 27. 40 rating. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.22.2019 “He’s a premier defenseman in this draft,” said Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, who oversees the organization’s amateur-scouting department. “He’s an offensive guy, a terrific skater with a great pedigree. He had a very successful couple years with the U.S. program. Our guys felt when he needed to elevate his game he was extremely dynamic, and he has a chance to be a top-end NHL player.”

York, 18, a native of Anaheim, Calif., isn’t concerned that he’s too small to defend bigger, more physical players.

“I think the way the NHL is going, size doesn’t matter as much as it used to,” he said. “If you can move your feet and have skill, you can be successful.”

Flahr said the Flyers had York ranked in the draft’s top 10 and that he was the best available player left at No. 14.

“He’s very poised, very intelligent, smooth,” Flahr said. “He’s never in a hurry. He seems to have that ability to deal with pressure. He has offense, as I mentioned, but he’s a real solid defender for a player his size. He uses his stick extremely well.”

Flahr said the left-handed-shooting York was coached in minor hockey by former NHL defenseman , a Hockey Hall of Famer, “and he’s a kid who is very confident in his abilities.”

York, the U.S. program’s No. 1 defender, wasn’t surprised that the Flyers selected him.

“I talked to them at the combine and talked to them a few days ago as well,” he said, “so I knew they were interested, and to hear them call my name was pretty special.”

The redheaded York, who had 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games, said he models his game after Toronto star Morgan Rielly.

“He’s somebody who’s not the biggest in physical stature, but he’s a good puck mover and can move his feet really well,” York said. “He plays hard in all situations.” (Rielly has bulked up, however, and is now listed at 6-1, 221.)

Just before their scheduled pick, the Flyers traded the No. 11 overall choice to Arizona for the No. 14 and No. 45 (second round) selections. At 11, Arizona took defenseman Victor Soderstrom, who had interested the Flyers.

“When we were sitting at 11, we still had three kids who were in our top 10 on the board,” general manager Chuck Fletcher said.

Minnesota took left winger Matt Boldy at No. 12 and Florida selected goalie Spencer Knight at No. 13. That left the Flyers with a plethora of great choices, including right winger Caufield and center Krebs.

York is believed to be the player drafted the highest who grew up in southern California. When he was younger, York said, his father built a roller-hockey rink in his backyard, getting him interested in the sport.

He said he took extra pride in coming from a nontraditional hockey area. “It’s exciting. I want to promote the game as much as I can,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent in my state.” 1147992 Philadelphia Flyers replace as second-line center, 20-year-old Nolan Patrick? The second pick overall in the 2017 draft, Patrick too has struggled with mistakes, effort, and preparation in his first two seasons as a pro.

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher vowed to be aggressive, and he has been | ``As important as anything, we’ve kept all our prospects,’’ Fletcher said. Sam Donnellon ``Our staff has worked hard the last few years to acquire some top picks, some top kids. We’ve been able to keep those assets. We’re still as deep as any franchise with respect to quantity and quality of prospects. We by Sam Donnellon anticipate adding to that this next weekend.’’

So did they overpay? On the surface, probably. But the Flyers’ problems go below the surface, to playing, as Hayes said, ``the correct way.'' Shortly after being hired as the Flyers’ general manager, Chuck Fletcher Fletcher bet most of his available money and two picks that all three promised to be aggressive this offseason. players will help Vigneault accelerate the learning of those talented Many Flyers fans, having tired of ’s patient approach -- and of youngsters. watching a mistake-prone defense, the struggles of several young Maybe you think that’s a reach, but the man was true to his word. He was forwards, and a perennial goalie carousel --applauded this approach. aggressive. Fletcher has been true to his word. Heading into the NHL draft Friday Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.22.2019 night in Vancouver, he has already added a pair of 32-year-old, 6-foot-2 defensemen and signed one of this offseason’s coveted free agents, 6-5 Kevin Hayes, to a seven-year, $50 million contract after trading a draft pick for his rights.

And Flyers fans? Many of those same fans who applauded back in December believe that Fletcher spent too much for too little -- that he was too aggressive. Two of the team’s 10 draft picks were sacrificed, including one in the second round.

The much-anticipated cap space has mostly evaporated, with little fizz.

Sometimes that’s not a bad thing. I think about being at the baseball winter meetings in 1993, when, amid big free-agent signings of players such as Barry Bonds and David Cone that required TV cameras and conference rooms, then-Phillies GM Lee Thomas needed only a hotel suite to announce the acquisitions of Jim Eisenreich, Pete Incaviglia, Danny Jackson, David West, and several others.

It turned out well.

Did the Flyers overpay for Hayes? We’re about to find out. He is coming off a 55-point season that suggests he is both in his prime and may even be able to build on that.

At 6-5, he also continues Fletcher’s offseason trend to add some mass to a smallish, easy-to-play- against team.

Phil Myers and Samuel Morin – both over 6-5 -- will certainly help in that regard on the blue line in the years to come. So the addition of Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun should not be looked at through metrics alone.

Certainly Fletcher didn’t. In signing the two veteran defensemen with loads of postseason experience, he hopes to influence and stabilize a young defense that struggled mightily as a unit last season.

That should be factored into determining Hayes’ worth as well. Despite reports he did not want to be a Flyer and would explore free agency, he signed here and cited the hiring of his former Rangers coach, Alain Vigneault, as a contributing factor.

``It’s always tough when you go to a new team,’’ said Hayes. ``You don’t know how you’re going to fit in with the coach. You don’t know how you’re going to fit in with the players. But playing under AV for four years, we had a great relationship on and off the ice. He demands hard work. If you play the correct way, he kind of lets you play freely offensively. That was a huge factor in the decision. Being comfortable with him made the decision a lot easier.’’

That relationship has not always been ``comfortable.'' In November 2015, when Hayes was 23 and in his second NHL season with the Rangers, Vigneault repeatedly benched him for egregious mistakes and uneven effort and preparation.

``In Kevin’s case, I think we made it clear our expectations about him and what we felt he could do were very high,” Vigneault said before one such benching in November 2015. “Obviously, he hasn’t lived up to that. Did we overestimate his possibilities? I don’t know, time will tell.

"But … for us to be at this stage right now, it’s obviously because we’re very unhappy with the way he’s played so far.”

Hayes’ ``possibilities’’ matured under Vigneault, a big reason he received this contract. And who is better to mentor the player he is expected to 1147993 Philadelphia Flyers 15. Alex Newhook, center.

Flahr and his staff have extensively scouted all these young players.

Flyers keeping options open heading into NHL Entry Draft Caufield, he said, has potential, even though he’s only listed as 5-foot-7, 157 pounds.

“He’s as advertised (58 goals in 57 games for the U.S. Under-18 By Wayne Fish development team),’’ said Flahr. “You can pick apart his size, but he’s a Jun 21, 2019 at 1:10 PM pure goal-scorer, a competitive kid, a lot of intangibles. He has intrigue.’’

Flahr indicated Caufield could drop to No. 11 because of his slight build.

Most likely scenario seems to be taking the 'best player available' at No. Also, Flahr said that while working for Minnesota in a similar capacity, he 11 on Friday night. generally had handle on which players were going where about a week before the draft. But this year, things look a little more unpredictable. Judging by the Flyers’ recent flurry of activity, it shouldn’t be a given that they will hang on to their No. 11 pick when the NHL Entry Draft gets “A little different,’’ he said. “We’ll have a better idea just through talking to underway Friday night in Vancouver. agents of players what teams are high on certain players.’’

General manager Chuck Fletcher has already swung several big deals, Flahr also likes Boldy and probably would go for him if he’s still around at including a pair of name defensemen (Matt Niskanen, Justin Braun) and 11. a potential second-line center (Kevin Hayes). “He’s a unique guy, a power forward (6-2, 187 pounds out of Fletcher had to give up his second-round pick (41st overall) to secure Massachusetts),’’ Flahr said. “Really good hands, can shoot. He’s a guy Braun, so it wouldn’t be a big reach to suggest the Flyers might trade we like but other teams do as well.’’ down in order to fill that hole, thus possibly gaining an extra pick in the Flahr reiterated the draft has become more and more important in recent process. years because of salary cap restrictions and possibly because the talent Assistant GM Brent Flahr, who oversees the scouting operation, level continues to go up each time around. indicated it would be a little frustrating if the Flyers parted ways with the “You have some of these guys who are having impacts,’’ Flahr said. “Just No. 11 pick after all the scouting work put in. to have young players, the energy that they bring ... when teams start to “It always hurts for me,’’ he said with a smile at a recent press briefing. “If look a little older, you bring a couple young guys in and they give you that we’re going to trade (away) 11, it would be for a significant piece. It won’t energy. be a ‘rental’ (pending free agent) — it will be a younger player. “You see players who might struggle in September and October but then “At the same time, I don’t like to think about that stuff. I like to keep my they contribute in the second half, like (Robert) Thomas (19-year-old first-round picks when I can.’’ rookie) in St. Louis (Stanley Cup champions). These guys can have an impact down the stretch, which is a big deal.’’ That said, if the Flyers do stand pat, it sounds like they will go the “best available player’’ route rather than pinpoint a particular position. Flyers’ picks:

Fletcher and Flahr have indicated there is enough depth in the draft to Round 1: 11th overall. select strictly on a talent basis. Round 2: No selection (traded to San Jose).

“In this draft, especially in the top 15, I think there are a number of Round 3: 65th overall (from NJ-Edmonton); 72nd overall. different types of players, which is interesting,’’ Flahr said. “There are power wingers, scoring wingers, centers, a number of ‘D’ (defensemen). Round 4: 103rd overall.

“Obviously picking 11, we’ve identified five or six guys that we think have Round 5: No selection (traded to Winnipeg). a chance to be there at 11. Probably some of the teams in front of us will dictate that. We’re really confident we’re going to get a good player.’’ Round 6: 165th overall; 169th overall (from Arizona).

The top two prospects in the draft — Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko — Round 7: 196th overall; 201st overall (from Montreal). appear to be a lock for the one-two positions. Burlington County Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 After that, things could get a little more wide-open.

Here are the top 15 prospects, as rated by The Hockey News/International Scouting Services:

1. Jack Hughes, center.

2. Kaapo Kakko, right wing.

3. Dylan Cozens, center.

4. Kirby Dach, center.

5. Vasili Podkolzin, right wing.

6. Bowen Byram, defense.

7. Trevor Zegras, center.

8. Matthew Boldy, left wing.

9. Cole Caufield, right wing.

10. Alex Turcotte, center.

11. Peyton Krebs, center.

12. Victor Soderstrom, defense.

13. Thomas Harley, defense.

14. Raphael Lavoie, right wing. 1147994 Philadelphia Flyers As for Caufield, he wound up going at No. 15 to Montreal, and Krebs was taken at No. 17 by the Vegas Golden Knights. Flahr admitted Caufield's diminutive size worked against him. Then again...

With scorers available, Flyers' Fletcher opts for defense in first round of "I think this kid's going to beat the odds," he said of the Canadiens' draft NHL Draft pick. "He's obviously small. He's been small his whole life. But he's had nothing but success. He's a great kid. If we had ended up with him we'd have been happy as well. But we got a guy who we think will be a very By Rob Parent 5 hrs ago good player for a long time."

York is one of seven USA Under-18 players to go in the draft's first 15 picks, had an outstanding World Junior Championships tournament early Chuck Fletcher got the top-shelf defensive prospect he wanted Friday this year, registering four goals and 11 points and a plus-13 rating in night at the NHL Draft, and the Flyers general manager was able to get a seven games for Team USA. He has stepped up and impressed not only bonus, too. with his skating speed, but also his "hockey sense," as scouts are fond to With perhaps one more European selected in the Top 10 than expected, say. and predictably with a center-heavy series of selections preceding him "He's kind of a modern defenseman, very mobile, very intelligent, very Fletcher was able to trade down with Arizona from No. 11 overall to No. cerebral, lots of poise, plays a real responsible two-way game," Flahr 14, and picked up a second-round pick in the process. said. "A very good defender for a six-footer, with his ability to move the Fletcher then eschewed a couple of top scoring prospects and instead puck and his offensive dimension as well. He'll need some time to get opted to select U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman stronger and fill out like any young player, but he has a tremendous Cameron York at No. 14. upside."

York, 18, is a native of hockey hotbed Anaheim, Calif. He honed his skills The draft had started as anticipated, with USNTDP captain Jack Hughes playing roller hockey in his hometown area, but made his mark with the taken by the New Jersey Devils, and Finnish right wing Kaapo Kaakko national team as a puck-moving defender. At 5-11, 175 he has to grow a going at No. 2 overall to the New York Rangers. Flyers fans will see a lot bit in college in order to hold his own physically in the NHL. of those guys in the near future, probably as early as exhibition season.

A left-handed shot, York registered 65 points last season in 63 games They could see Hughes for real as early as Oct. 9, with the Devils coming with the U.S. National Team. In 28 games in the USHL he scored seven to Wells Fargo Center for the Flyers' regular season home opener. goals and 33 points and carried an eye-opening plus-40 rating. The remainder of the draft, rounds 2 through 7, will be conducted in a He was ranked 12th overall among North American skaters by Central whirl Saturday afternoon. The Flyers will pick at No. 45 overall in the Scouting and is on his way to the University of Michigan. For a while, second round by virtue of the trade with the Coyotes, which comes less anyway. than a week after they traded away the 41st overall pick to the San Jose Sharks in the deal that brought veteran defender Justin Braun. "I don't think he's going to play all four years there," Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr said. "Let's put it that way." They have two picks fairly high in the third round (65th and 72nd), a fourth-round pick (103), two more in the sixth round and two in the For at least as long as it takes for York to develop, Fletcher will be seventh round. primed for criticism over what he could have done on this draft night rather than what he did do. Delaware County Times LOADED: 06.22.2019

When his turn came at 11, Fletcher had three favored forwards still available. Two were York's U.S. National Team Development Program teammates Cole Caufield and Matthew Boldy, as well as WHL scoring star Peyton Krebs.

Instead, Fletcher chose to trade down with the Coyotes, perhaps indicating to some that he thought he'd get one of the three forwards at No. 14, while picking up a nice No. 45 overall pick in the trade. Only Boldy was selected in the interim, going at No. 12 to Fletcher's old colleagues in Minnesota.

Arizona had taken Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom, who had caught the Flyers' collective eye, too. Boldy went to the Wild at No. 12, then Florida predictably picked up American goalie Spencer Knight at 13.

Fletcher brought his army of scouts up to the stage then ... and bypassed both Caufield – a right wing who had scored the most goals in USNTDP history, but had his 5-7 size working against him – and Krebs, a skilled center who earlier this month suffered a partially torn Achilles while training.

None of that mattered, because Fletcher figured the Flyers needed to pump up their defensive prospects list. The club had not picked a first- round defenseman since Ivan Provorov in 2015.

Though Flahr claimed the plan didn't necessarily call for a defenseman in the first round, it was clear what Fletcher's preference was, since he didn't gamble on one of the remaining scorers.

"When we traded back, there were a couple of good players there and we were confident we'd get one of them," Flahr said. "It's just kind of the way it worked."

York is happy it worked out just that way.

"It's a special moment for me," York said in a network television interview. "I got a lot of friends and family here, so I'm really happy to be a Flyer.

"They have a rich history with much success. You know they're going to have a really good team soon." 1147995 Philadelphia Flyers • Seventh round, 196th overall

• Seventh round, 201st overall.

2019 NHL draft: Flyers trade back, take Cam York with 14th overall pick Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019

By Jordan Hall June 21, 2019 9:45 PM

Chuck Fletcher continued his wheeling and dealing Friday night at the 2019 NHL draft.

OK, it wasn't anything too crazy, but the Flyers' general manager traded the No. 11 overall pick to the Coyotes in exchange for the 14th and 45th overall selections.

With the No. 14 pick, the Flyers drafted defenseman Cam York out of the U.S. national team development program. York, a 5-foot-11, 172-pound lefty shot, is an aggressive, offensive-minded blueliner. The Anaheim Hills, California, native scored 65 points, a USNTDP single-season record for a defenseman, was a plus-56 and is headed to Michigan.

York became the first defenseman drafted by the Flyers in the first round since Ivan Provorov (2015). He's also the Flyers' second straight first- round pick out of the USNTDP after the team drafted winger Joel Farabee at No. 14 last summer.

"As a kid, this is what you dream of," York said on the NBCSN broadcast. "Really happy to be a Flyer."

Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault and Cam York. (Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers)

York was the fourth-ranked defenseman in the draft by TSN's Craig Button. He turned out to be the fifth blueliner taken Friday night, after Bowen Byram, Moritz Seider, Philip Broberg and Victor Soderstrom. The Flyers clearly liked York over some of the others. When they traded back, Soderstrom went to the Coyotes at No. 11.

York notched 14 goals and 51 assists in 63 games with the U.S. national U-18 team. He is skilled with the puck on his stick and loves to think offense.

One of the best rushes I’ve seen from Cam York.

Great spin move on the defender, and somehow manages to keep great control with one hand on his stick. Works the goal line to lose his defender and cuts back to the net, nearly a highlight real finish.#2019NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/HylhxNBTqK

— Evan (@Shattenkirk) June 13, 2019

The Flyers had a chance to draft 5-foot-7 sniper Cole Caufield, who was considered the best goal-scorer in the draft. He put up 72 goals and 100 points in 64 games this season with the U.S. national U-18 team.

Assistant general manager Brent Flahr said last week that the Flyers had a couple of defensemen on their top-10 list. The Flyers have goals of replenishing the position throughout this draft.

Brent Flahr said #Flyers liked Cole Caufield. Flahr thinks Caufield will beat the odds and be a good player. But #Flyers really liked Cam York obviously and he was still available.

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) June 22, 2019

(Rena Laverty/USA Hockey)

Day 2 begins Saturday afternoon with Rounds 2-7. The Flyers hold eight picks. With the trade, Fletcher gained back a spot in the second round after losing their second-round pick in the Justin Braun trade. The Flyers also gave up their fifth-round selection in the Kevin Hayes trade.

Here are the Flyers' picks for Saturday:

• Second round, 45th overall

• Third round, 65th overall

• Third round, 72nd overall

• Fourth round, 103rd overall

• Sixth round, 165th overall

• Sixth round, 169th overall 1147996 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers will play Devils in what promises to be fun home opener to 2019- 20 season

By Jordan Hall June 21, 2019 3:26 PM

The Flyers' 2019-20 home opener should be a fun one.

Not only will the Flyers have a different look — from the coaching staff to the roster — but they'll also welcome a division rival with a new feature, as well.

The Flyers will host the Devils on Oct. 9 in their first game at the Wells Fargo Center. This comes after the Flyers play their season opener in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 4 against the Blackhawks as part of the NHL Global Series.

The Devils hold the No. 1 overall pick in this weekend's 2019 NHL entry draft. Jack Hughes is the consensus top selection and has a strong chance to make New Jersey's roster.

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2019 NHL draft profile: Victor Soderstrom may be the Flyers' pick at No. 11

By Jordan Hall June 21, 2019 2:05 PM

The 2019 NHL entry draft is Friday and Saturday in Vancouver, British Columbia. General manager Chuck Fletcher, assistant general manager Brent Flahr and the Flyers hold the 11th overall pick and eight selections in total (see story).

"This draft's a little unique," Flahr said last week. "Especially in the top 15, there are a number of different types of players, which is interesting — some power wingers, some smaller scoring wingers, some centermen, there's a number of D, a goaltender.

"We've identified probably five or six guys that we think have a chance to be there at 11 and probably some of the other teams in front of us will dictate that. But we're really confident we're going to get a good player."

This week, we are breaking down options for the Flyers at No. 11.

Victor Soderstrom

Position: Defenseman

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 182

Shoots: Right

Team: Brynas

Scouting report

The Swedish product is regarded by many as a top-two or- three defenseman in this class. TSN's Bob McKenzie believes Soderstrom is the second-best defenseman in the draft, while NHL Central Scouting has him ranked as the third-best European skater.

Soderstrom turned 18 years old on Feb. 26 and played 44 games in the Swedish Elite League against grown men. He is a mature, modern defenseman who is excellent at moving the puck and dictating pace.

The Flyers' scouting staff is familiar with Brynas, a program the team has drafted out of in recent history, including a 2014 fifth-round selection of Oskar Lindblom. Over the past five drafts, the Flyers have taken four Brynas products.

Fit with Flyers

This may be the Flyers' guy.

The early first round is top-heavy with forwards, which will result in some of the top blueliners being within range of the Flyers at No. 11 overall. The Flyers will draft the best available player at that selection, but Flahr mentioned how the club wants to restock a bit on defense throughout this draft.

"We have a couple of defensemen in our top 10 that we like," Flahr said.

The Flyers haven't drafted a defenseman in the first round since Ivan Provorov (2015) and Soderstrom fits the Flyers' criteria of blueliners.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1147998 Philadelphia Flyers 26. Calgary Flames

27. Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL draft 2019: Preview, start time, pick order, live stream and how to 28. Carolina Hurricanes watch Round 1 29. Anaheim Ducks

30. Boston Bruins By Jordan Hall June 21, 2019 12:15 PM 31. Buffalo Sabres

Flyers' focus The 2019 NHL draft is here and it's the first one general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant general manager Brent Flahr will head up for the Flahr mentioned how the Flyers would like to replenish the organizational Flyers. depth at defensemen during this draft. However, at No. 11 overall, the Flyers will pick the best player available on their list. The club owns eight picks, including No. 11 overall in the first round Friday night. True centers are never easy to find, as Flahr said, and goal-scoring wingers are always attractive. The early first round appears top-heavy Day 2 of the draft kicks off Saturday afternoon with Rounds 2-7. The with forwards. It will be interesting to see how things play out after Flyers hold the following picks: third round, 65th overall; third round, 72nd consensus top-two picks Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko go off the overall; fourth round, 103rd overall; sixth round, 165th overall; sixth board. round, 169th overall; seventh round, 196th overall; seventh round, 201st overall. "We've identified probably five or six guys that we think have a chance to be there at 11 and probably some of the other teams in front of us will We'll have everything you need to know for then, but first, let's get you dictate that," Flahr said June 10. "But we're really confident we're going set for Day 1. to get a good player."

Essentials, Day 1 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019

When: June 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Rogers Arena (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Network: NBCSN

Live stream: NBCSports

Social media: @NBCSPhilly

Order

1. New Jersey Devils

2. New York Rangers

3. Chicago Blackhawks

4. Colorado Avalanche

5. Los Angeles Kings

6. Detroit Red Wings

7. Buffalo Sabres

8. Edmonton Oilers

9. Anaheim Ducks

10. Vancouver Canucks

11. Philadelphia Flyers

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Florida Panthers

14. Arizona Coyotes

15. Montreal Canadiens

16. Colorado Avalanche

17. Vegas Golden Knights

18. Dallas Stars

19. Ottawa Senators

20. Winnipeg Jets

21. Pittsburgh Penguins

22. Los Angeles Kings

23. New York Islanders

24. Nashville Predators

25. Washington Capitals 1147999 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers select Cam York with 14th pick in NHL draft

Dave Isaac, NHL writer Published 9:48 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 | Updated 11:15 p.m. ET June 21, 2019

Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr recently has gotten pretty good at reading the room. Friday night, the Flyers leaned on him to take a risk.

With Philadelphia on the clock at No. 11, the Arizona Coyotes came calling for it and the Flyers agreed to move down three spots with the 45th-overall selection as a sweetener. Flahr had a feeling that Cam York, the top defenseman for USA Hockey National Team Development Program, would still be there and he was. The Flyers selected the California native at No. 14.

“We did a little investigating and had an idea of what teams were looking at,” Flahr said on a conference call with reporters. “At the same time, there was a number of players that fell that we would have been fine with, but Cam was a guy we were excited to get and we were able to acquire a second-round pick as well, which is a big asset.”

That made it a double win for the Flyers, considering they recently traded away their own second-round pick (41st overall) to San Jose to acquire Justin Braun. First and foremost they were happy to get York, a 5-foot-11 defenseman who had 14 goals and 65 points in 63 games with NTDP, which churned out three of the top 10 picks. York, an Anaheim Hills, California native, is set to play at the University of Michigan this fall.

York was the fifth defenseman selected in the draft. Bowen Byram went fourth to the Colorado Avalanche, Moritz Seider sixth to the Detroit Red Wings and Philip Broberg to the Edmonton Oilers and Victor Söderström to Arizona.

Obviously the Flyers had an idea of who Arizona would select before making the trade and knew there would be some talent waiting for them, be it York or someone else.

A couple scorers were sitting there for them, including 5-foot-7 goal machine Cole Caufield, but the Flyers thought York was the best player available. It was a happy coincidence, Flahr said, that York also happens to be a defenseman and the Flyers’ prospect pool is a little thin on the back end. He and his staff thought York was the best player available. The Montreal Canadiens selected Caufield at 15, one pick after the Flyers took York.

“(Matthew) Boldy (who Minnesota selected at No. 12) and Caufield are good players and York is as well,” Flahr said. “He’s put up big numbers offensively. He’s a talented guy and a guy that projects to be a very good defenseman for a long time.

“There were a couple good players that went right around us there. It worked out well for us.”

The NTDP squad at this draft is probably the best in the program’s history, starting with Jack Hughes, who the New Jersey Devils selected first overall. Because there was so much talent on that roster, Flahr and the Flyers’ scouts saw York between 10 and 15 times this season.

York always seemed to impress.

“He’s kind of a modern defenseman,” Flahr explained. “He’s very mobile, very intelligent, very cerebral with lots of poise and plays a real responsible, two-way game. He’s a very good defender for a 6-footer and with his mobility and ability to move the puck and the offensive dimension he brings as well, he checks a lot of boxes. He’ll need some time to get stronger and fill out, like any young player, but he’s a guy that has tremendous upside.”

Courier-Post LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148000 Pittsburgh Penguins

5 things to know about Penguins’ first-round draft pick Samuel Poulin

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Saturday, June 22, 2019 12:51 a.m.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The definition of the term “power forward” has changed drastically in NHL circles over the past two decades.

It used to describe a player such as Kevin Stevens or Rick Tocchet, who was just as likely to deliver a knockout punch as a game-winning goal.

These days, it describes a player like Samuel Poulin, whom the Pittsburgh Penguins took with the 21st overall pick of the NHL draft Friday night in Vancouver.

He’s 6-foot-1, 206 pounds and he put up 29 goals and 76 points in 67 games with Sherbrooke of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season with a mixture of skill and physicality.

“Someone that isn’t scared to go in the corners,” Poulin said, when asked how he defines the term. “The game is different from this year to 20 years ago, but I think, overall, it stays the same. It’s the same way to describe my game. I can play a dirty game.”

For players of Poulin’s ilk, dirty is good. Physical is good. The key to success as a pro, though, is whether they can keep up with the speed of the modern game.

According to a scouting report by hockeyprospect.com, Poulin’s skating doesn’t hold him back, but it isn’t a strength, either. Poulin said improving his skating is his No. 1 offseason goal.

“I just want to work on my skating a lot, improving that over the summer,” Poulin said. “At the next level, everybody’s quick and everybody’s fast. The game has gotten so quick in the past few years. Just to work on that would help me a lot.”

Here are five other things to know about Poulin:

• Family ties: His father Patrick scored 101 goals in 634 career NHL games with Hartford, Chicago, Tampa Bay and Montreal from 1991- 2002. He was the ninth overall pick in the 1991 NHL draft, selected by Whalers GM Eddie Johnston. His godfather is former Penguins goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who is also Sherbrooke’s GM.

• Ceiling fan: Scouts from hockeyprospect.com love Poulin’s consistency and competitiveness. The only knock on him is his offensive ceiling. In that respect, the pick was a conservative one by the Penguins. He might only top out as a third-line winger, but his chances of being a bust are low.

• Arrival date: Poulin seems to have a realistic take on when he might reach the NHL. “For sure, I want to play next year. It’s everybody’s dream to play as fast as possible in the NHL, but a logical answer would be two or three years just to get … stronger and get faster as well,” he said.

• Position versatility: General manager Jim Rutherford said Poulin is comfortable playing center or wing.

• Letter carrier: Poulin was the QMJHL’s youngest captain last season. “It meant a lot for me, especially at 17 years old,” he said. “It’s a big role on a team. I embraced it as much as possible. My teammates, they already were respecting me. Overall, I stayed the same person. I stayed the same player on the ice as well. I didn’t want to try to change the way I was.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148001 Pittsburgh Penguins “He has a good skill level. He’s got great character, too,” Rutherford said. “He was a guy that we liked a lot.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.22.2019 Penguins pick winger Samuel Poulin with 1st-round draft choice

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, June 21, 2019 10:28 p.m.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford did a few things at the NHL Draft on Friday night in Vancouver that he hasn’t done in a while.

First, he actually used a first-round draft choice for the first time since 2014, spurning trade offers and taking power forward Samuel Poulin with the 21st overall selection.

Then, for the first time this offseason, he threw cold water on the idea his planned roster retooling might include a trade of a high-profile, tenured star such as Kris Letang or Evgeni Malkin.

“I’m prepared to say it’s highly unlikely,” Rutherford said.

“The point I was making is I’m open to accepting calls and have conversations about our players. I wasn’t actively trying to move those top guys.”

In general, Rutherford downplayed the scope of the changes he has planned after a humbling first-round playoff exit last season.

It’s common knowledge he would have sent Phil Kessel to Minnesota for Jason Zucker earlier this month if the 31-year-old winger hadn’t used his modified no-trade clause to veto the deal.

Beyond that, expectations of fireworks were misguided, Rutherford said.

“Now we’ll just see where things go,” Rutherford said. “Certainly based on assumption or what people are thinking, that there’s going to be a lot of turnover with the Penguins, I don’t think there was ever that intention. We wanted to make some changes, change a little bit of the culture in the room. We started to do that. We’ll probably do it prior to training camp.”

A change in attitude might be more important than a change in personnel, Rutherford said.

“I think we could go about our business with a little different approach as to how we bring the team together,” Rutherford said. “If we can make two or three moves here over the summer — we’ve already made one — and then regroup and get the team in the right direction where they come together, we have good players. They’re good enough players to win. We could never bring the team together last year. If I’d have made a lot of changes, it’s going to take a while for the team to come together.”

League wide, only one trade was completed Friday night, and it was a swap of draft picks between Philadelphia and Arizona.

The NHL is expected to announce the salary cap number for next season Saturday, and it’s likely to be lower than originally thought, no higher than $82 million. That led to speculation that teams were hesitant to make deals because they had less cap space than expected.

Rutherford said the Penguins won’t have any such problems.

“We’re not going to be under any pressure from a cap point of view,” Rutherford said. “When we made the Olli Maatta deal, it took the pressure off.”

He also said he didn’t think the lack of cap space had a chilling effect Friday night.

“Still got a ways to go, but the draft is so strong,” Rutherford said. “I don’t think people wanted to move their picks.”

Poulin, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound right-handed shooter, had 29 goals and 76 points in 67 games last season. He was the youngest captain in the QMJHL.

The son of longtime NHL forward Patrick Poulin, he’s known as a modern-day power forward, showing a degree of physicality and exceptional smarts. Scouts say he’s a safe pick with a high floor and low offensive ceiling.

He is the Penguins’ first first-round pick since they took Kasperi Kapanen 22nd overall in 2014. 1148002 Pittsburgh Penguins Tribune Review LOADED: 06.22.2019

Penguins listening to offers for Kris Letang

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, June 21, 2019 5:00 p.m.

VANCOUVER — From the moment the Pittsburgh Penguins were ousted by the New York Islanders in four games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, general manager Jim Rutherford has been steadfast in his desire to retool his team’s roster before next season.

That retooling could include trading away a five-time all-star defenseman.

The Penguins are listening to trade offers for Kris Letang, multiple sources confirmed before the first round of the NHL Draft began Friday night.

Given several opportunities, Rutherford has not ruled out trading Letang in any public comments he has made this offseason.

“It’s the same as anything,” Rutherford said in an interview on 93.7 FM this week. “There’s been great players traded in this league. You know, somebody comes along with a package that makes sense for the Penguins, we have to look at it.”

Trading Letang would be a dramatic transaction, and finding a partner with the cap space to accommodate his contract and the tradable assets to tempt Rutherford to complete the deal wouldn’t necessarily be easy.

Letang, 32, has three years left on a contract that pays him $7.25 million annually. As more defensemen sign rich, new contracts, Letang’s salary looks more and more like a bargain. Still, with the salary cap expected to increase to no more than $82 million next season, not all teams could fit him into their budgets.

Letang also has a lengthy injury history, including major neck surgery in April 2017 and a stroke in 2014.

The Penguins remain committed to a win-now philosophy, so Letang would not be moved for prospects or picks. The trade would have to make the Penguins a better team in the near term.

Given Letang’s accomplishments and ability to play in all situations, it certainly wouldn’t be easy for the Penguins to replace him.

In the last five years, the only NHL defensemen to average more ice time per game than Letang’s 25 minutes, 52 seconds are Ryan Suter, Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson.

Last season, Letang finished fifth among NHL defensemen with 16 goals and eighth with 56 points. He finished sixth in voting for the Norris Trophy, given to the top defenseman in the league.

When Letang was on the ice at five on five last season, the Penguins outscored their opponents, 74-47 (plus-27). When he wasn’t on the ice, that advantage dropped to 108-103 (plus-5).

Despite his impressive resume, Letang also committed high-profile gaffes in playoff losses to the Islanders last season and Washington the year before that.

After the latest playoff exit, Letang bristled at the notion he might need to change his game.

“That’s the thing, maybe next year you are saying, ‘We have Kris on our lineup and he doesn’t do anything offensively,’ so are you going to rip me apart because I don’t produce anything?” Letang said. “I totally (understand) sometimes I make mistakes. I wish I could take those back. At the end of the day, yeah, I wish I could have done something (different) at different times.”

Trading Letang wouldn’t be Rutherford’s first choice when it comes to making moves to retool the roster this offseason.

He made that perfectly clear when he completed a trade of Phil Kessel to Minnesota earlier this month, only to see the deal scuttled when the 31- year-old winger exercised his modified no-trade clause to nix it.

Note: The Penguins will open next season with a home game against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, Oct. 3, the team announced. The rest of the schedule will be revealed Tuesday. 1148003 Pittsburgh Penguins If there’s something to improve upon, it’s his skating. A big chunk of that is his acceleration, but the good thing is that Poulin seems to know he needs to work on his foot speed.

'He’s a guy we liked a lot': Penguins take Samuel Poulin in first round “I want to work on my skating, improving that for the summer,” Poulin said. “At the next level, everybody’s quick. Everybody’s fast. Working on that will help me a lot.” JASON MACKEY And in 2-3 years — Poulin’s stated goal — maybe he’ll do something JUN 21, 2019 11:53 PM else like his dad and make it to the NHL.

“It’s a good thing that happened, but I don’t really focus much on those kinds of things,” Poulin said when asked about being the first French- VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It had been five years since the Canadian taken, just like his dad. Penguins made a first-round pick at the NHL draft. “It’s a great organization,” Poulin continued. “They’ve won so many Cups So long, in fact, that they could’ve been excused for forgetting they were in the past few years. It’s an honor for me to get drafted by them.” on the clock. Post Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 Or needing directions to locate the stage.

Turns out they remembered how this thing went just fine, and what they did Friday was a lot like what they did back in 2014 — they took the son of a former NHL player.

Jim Rutherford didn't make any moves during Day 1 of the NHL draft at Rogers Arena.

After selecting Kasperi Kapanen (Sami) five years ago, they selected left wing Samuel Poulin with the 21st overall pick at Rogers Arena Friday.

Poulin’s father, Patrick, was the ’ first-round pick (ninth overall) back in 1991.

“I don’t have any memories of my dad playing because he stopped when I was 1,” Poulin said. “I’ve seen a few clips, but from what I hear roughly the same style of play.”

While the older Poulin (101 goals) didn’t quite live up to the first-round hype, he did have the tools to do so — tools his son also seems to have.

The 18-year-old Poulin has tremendous size at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, and he had team-highs with 29 goals and 76 points in 67 games for Sherbrooke in the QMJHL this past season.

An alternate captain, Poulin led the Phoenix to a first-round playoff upset of Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and wound up leading the team in goals (8) and points (14) over 10 postseason games.

“Samuel is a high-character player who is a great leader,” said Penguins director of amateur scouting Patrik Allvin. “He is a good, powerful skater that plays the right way and fits the Penguins’ style of hockey. He is capable of playing center or wing but he projects as a winger for us. The Penguins are thrilled to have Samuel.”

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford watches afternoon practice Thursday, April 11, 2019 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Poulin said his game evolved quite a bit this season, the biggest increases occurring in his confidence level and being more comfortable with the puck on his stick.

The Penguins first let Poulin know they were interested in him back at the NHL Combine, when they met over dinner, so Poulin had a pretty good idea he might be ticketed for Pittsburgh.

Growing up, Poulin liked watching Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, though he plays like your prototypical power forward, unafraid of venturing into the corners.

“He’s got good skill level,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “He’s a power forward. He’s a guy who will go inside. He’ll go to the net. He’s got great character, too. He’s a guy we liked a lot.”

The character thing could be big for Poulin, who was praised in scouting reports for his leadership qualities.

“It meant a lot for me, especially at 17 years old, it’s a big role on the team,” Poulin said of being named an alternate captain. “I embrace it as much as possible. I stayed the same way on the ice. I didn’t want to try and change the way I was or change the way I was playing.”

Poulin — who actually sounds a lot like Pascal Dupuis — has solid hands, can hold his own defensively and has a terrific compete level. 1148004 Pittsburgh Penguins

Source: Chris Kunitz contemplating retirement, may go into coaching

JASON MACKEY

JUN 21, 2019 4:15 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Former Penguins winger and four- time Stanley Cup champion Chris Kunitz is contemplating retirement and may go into coaching, a source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Friday.

Kunitz will turn 40 on Sept. 26 and played this past season on a one- year, $1 million contract for the Chicago Blackhawks, producing five goals and 10 points in 56 games.

According to the source, it’s entirely possible that Kunitz will go into coaching, as he already has several potential options to become an NHL assistant.

Kunitz played nine years with the Penguins, producing 169 goals and 388 points in 569 games. His last season with them was 2016-17 before he signed with the Lightning that summer.

Penguins selected left wing Samuel Poulin from the QMJHL.

The Regina, Saskatchewan, native also helped the Ducks win the Cup in 2006-07 and was traded to the Penguins during the 2008-09 season along with Eric Tangradi for Ryan Whitney.

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148005 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins to open season at home against Sabres on Oct. 3

MATT VENSEL

JUN 21, 2019 3:31 PM

The Penguins announced Friday that their 2019-20 home opener at PPG Paints Arena will take place Oct. 3. They’ll host Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres.

It was also announced that they are the opponents for the Minnesota Wild’s home opener, which is scheduled for Oct. 12 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The entirety of the NHL schedule will be revealed Tuesday.

Earlier this week, the team released its preseason schedule.

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148006 Pittsburgh Penguins What Rutherford said at the beginning of this offseason should still ring true when he vowed to strip any emotion away from his decision-making process.

What to do — and not do — for Jim Rutherford at the NHL draft Don’t: Get caught up with the hustle and bustle of draft night.

Don’t forget what some of these potential moves might mean to the JASON MACKEY players who aren’t going anywhere.

JUN 21, 2019 2:54 PM Put another way: A couple years after losing Marc-Andre Fleury, do you think Sidney Crosby is terribly eager to encounter life without Malkin or Letang?

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Jim Rutherford figures to be a Do: Draft well. popular guy on Friday at Rogers Arena, for the first night of the NHL draft. This might sound obvious, but the Penguins need to leave Vancouver with something better than Zach Lauzon, the defenseman they selected Rutherford usually is anyway, the result of his reputation as one of the in the second round — their top pick — in 2017. Because of injuries, the more aggressive general managers, but this year may be different than Penguins relinquished Lauzon’s rights. He’ll be at development camp most. next week and could still earn a spot, but it’s a long shot.

Such is life when you talk openly about the possibility of moving marquee Regardless of position, this is the best opportunity the Penguins have to players, guys who have helped you win the Stanley Cup two or three ensure their championship window stays open, especially when we’re times. talking top-of-the-draft guys who could help the NHL club in a couple years. With that in mind, here’s a list of what Rutherford should and maybe shouldn’t do when the action picks up later this evening: Don’t: Take a player who’s more of a project, who carries some sort of injury risk or who may not be a fit for their system. Do: Have a lot of conversations. Even a one-dimensional player like Daniel Sprong. With every GM in the league in one place, the ability to talk things over in relatively short order is there. Last year, they hit the nail on the head with puck-moving defenseman Calen Addison, who looks like a steal for a second-round pick. Get a feel for potential returns and what other teams may need. Even how much they may be willing to pay for guys like Evgeni Malkin, Kris Regardless of position, stick with guys who fit what you do. Letang and Phil Kessel. Learn about any sort of potential return. Do: Have confidence in what you currently have. Don’t: Do anything reactionary, just because you feel like you have to. The Penguins, as currently constituted, should compete for the Cup, Four years ago, at BB&T Center in South Florida, Rutherford set in even if Rutherford does nothing more than draft and head home. motion the plan to acquire Kessel, but the deal wasn’t consummated until July 1, the start of free agency. The Islanders series was frustrating, but it was also one where the Penguins didn’t play very well and got poor performances from a lot of If Rutherford deems there’s a deal to be made, he would be smart to their defensemen. It’s always going to be hard to win when that happens. exercise a similar amount of patience. Don’t: Get sucked in by what other Metropolitan Division teams have Do: Try to re-stock the cupboard a little bit. done.

Buffalo Sabres goalie Carter Hutton (40) is screened by Pittsburgh Let the Flyers overpay for Kevin Hayes. Don’t allow the Capitals keeping Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist (72) during the second period of an to skew what you do here. NHL hockey game Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Buffalo, N.Y. Stay true to building a team around your current franchise pillars and Penguins to open season at home against Sabres on Oct. 3 using tradable commodities — players such as Tristan Jarry or even Nick Bjugstad — to fill in the cracks the proper way. It’s not bare, mind you, but the Penguins’ farm system could use some work, regardless of position. Post Gazette LOADED: 06.22.2019 With this being a deep draft, Rutherford knows he can get a quality player at No. 21, someone that should be able to help somewhat soon, but he should be looking beyond that one pick.

The Penguins don’t have a second- or third-round selection, and that’s an area where they’ve often had success by taking guys such as Jake Guentzel, Matt Murray and Bryan Rust.

If there’s a way to get a pick in one of those two rounds, that may make a lot of sense.

Don’t: Trade that first-round pick.

It’s been common during Rutherford’s tenure. But this is not the year, and Rutherford seems to know that, the result of this being a pretty deep draft.

Only an extremely unique circumstance — a deal he simply can’t pass up — should change that line of thinking.

Do: Remember the over-arching goal when this offseason first started.

It’s to make the Penguins a better team, one with better structure and the ability to again compete for the Stanley Cup.

It’s tough to reconcile how the Penguins would be better off without Malkin or Letang in 2019-20, even without Kessel, a point-per-game player last season. 1148007 Pittsburgh Penguins • The Penguins were willing to trade their first-round pick on Friday night for the right return. Rutherford, when asked if he came close to making such a move during the draft, simply responded, “No.”

Yohe: What I’m hearing about the Penguins after Day 1 of the NHL Draft • By all accounts, this was accurate not only for the Penguins but around the league in general. One agent I spoke with on Friday said, “This is the most boring first round I’ve ever seen. From what I’ve heard, there’s By Josh Yohe Jun 21, 2019 nothing going on right now. Nothing at all. No one is close to a trade.”

• The uncertainty with the salary cap figure for the 2019-20 season probably isn’t helping teams make moves, though Rutherford said it VANCOUVER — History repeated itself on Friday as, for the second didn’t play a role in his plans. Rather, Rutherford said there was another straight year, Jim Rutherford failed to make one of his patented trades reason that few trades were made. “Everyone knew how good this draft during the first round of the NHL Draft. was,” he said. “Nobody wanted to give up their pick.” The Penguins did make a selection in the first round — power forward • I get the very strong sense the Penguins are satisfied with their current Samuel Poulin went to them with the No. 21 overall pick — but blue line. This doesn’t mean one of their defensemen won’t be traded or Rutherford’s NHL roster remains largely unchanged, with last week’s that no new blood will enter the occasion, but Rutherford and the trade of Olli Maatta the only sign of movement. Penguins seem to think the state of their defensive core is quite strong. If Now what? indeed the Penguins make any kind of significant changes, it will probably be the decision to add a forward or two before next season Rutherford’s tune has changed significantly in the past two months. In begins. late April, he admitted Sidney Crosby was the only member of the Penguins who wasn’t available in the right trade. This didn’t mean he was • Rutherford was prepared to trade Kessel last month, clearly. However, actively shopping the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, but many in the organization are now convinced he will start next season Rutherford refused to commit to those players as part of the with the Penguins. Trading Kessel, in the Penguins’ eyes, would have organization’s future. helped usher in the “culture change” Rutherford has discussed. All is quiet on the Kessel front and Rutherford is now expecting him to play in One month later, he attempted to trade Phil Kessel to Minnesota in a Pittsburgh next season. deal that would have brought Jason Zucker to the Penguins. Kessel, however, vetoed the trade. • Rutherford said he wasn’t talking with Kessel during this offseason, and said he communicates “through his agent,” who is Wade Arnott. Rutherford’s desire to dramatically alter his roster’s landscape was unmistakable. • Mike Sullivan, who sat with Rutherford at the draft table, will be visiting Evgeni Malkin in Florida later this summer to discuss the state of Malkin’s And then, it wasn’t. game, among many other things. I suspect that, in case Malkin is upset by some of the comments Rutherford made after the Penguins’ season Perhaps Rutherford’s hands are simply tied. He possesses precious little concluded, Sullivan will also being smoothing things over with Malkin. wiggle room under the salary cap, doesn’t have many tradable prospects and has absolutely no leverage with Kessel, who he wanted to trade • Barring a trade, the Penguins will have only around $3 million under the when the season concluded in embarrassing fashion against the salary cap to spend. Thus, don’t look for them to make any kind of a Islanders. Rutherford surely isn’t interested in trading players for the sake splash when the free agency period opens on July 1. Money is tight. of making moves, but rather, wants to add a couple of fresh faces to his locker room. But if he can’t, then he can’t. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019

There was a sense in Rutherford on Friday, however, that he’s endured something of a change of heart with his team. He now speaks of making “a change or two” before the summer ends, but no longer appears interested in a significant change to his Penguins, who have gone from back-to-back champions to losing each of their past two playoff series.

One thing is becoming increasingly clear: Malkin and Letang are almost certainly not going to be traded this summer.

“I’m prepared to say it’s highly unlikely,” Rutherford said.

Rutherford was repeatedly asked about Letang, whose name has been buzzing around Vancouver all week. It has been suggested by some members of the Toronto media that the Maple Leafs have had interest in Letang.

“I won’t get into that,” Rutherford said. “The point I was making is, I’m open to accepting calls and having conversations about our players. I wasn’t aggressively trying to move those top guys.”

Rutherford seemed a little miffed at the idea he was planning on blowing up the Penguins this summer. This, he insists, wasn’t ever the case.

“On people thinking there’s going to be a lot of turnover, I don’t think that was ever the intention,” he explained. “We wanted to make some changes, changes the culture a little in the room. We started to do that. We’ll probably do that prior to training camp.”

Rutherford said the Penguins never came together as a team last season and suggested, as he’s done for the past couple of years, that a better locker room dynamic will make for a better Penguins team.

“We need to freshen things up a little bit,” he said, “and get a few new faces in there. Then (we need to) go about our business a little different from the coaches’ point of view, from my point of view, from the leaders of the team. Try to bring it together earlier in the year.”

Here are some things I’ve heard in Vancouver the past couple of days: 1148008 Pittsburgh Penguins anything offensively.’ Now you’re going to rip me apart because I don’t produce anything.

“Sometimes I make mistakes. I wish I could take those back. … I don’t Why trade Kris Letang? Let’s unravel the reasons think the answer is to change my whole game. I’m not going to change the type of game I play over three plays.”

By Sean Gentille Jun 21, 2019 3. He’s overpaid. And now we descend into the realm of the ridiculous. For a no-doubt, by-any-measure top defenseman in 2019, Letang’s $7.25 million is the going rate. It might be higher, actually.

Kris Letang is a talented man. That talent can manifest itself in a few Throw in the fact that NHL GMs are currently offering their grandchildren different ways. for right-side guys like Letang, and you’ve got an argument worth ignoring. We’ll soon live in a world where Justin Schultz, good as he is The most obvious is — or should be, at least — based on his on-ice when paired with the right person, is going to make $6 million annually. performance. Kris Letang is a really, really good hockey player. Your mileage may very on the specifics, but it’s a fact. We should treat it as If that doesn’t work, think of it this way: if you trade Kris Letang, you have such. to replace Kris Letang. The best right-shot defensemen about to hit the market are Tyler Myers and Anton Stralman, who at this point in their The spot where Letang’s talent might be generational, though, is making career are several degrees worse and coming off deals that paid them a subset of the people who follow the Penguins vocally, proudly insane. $5.5 million and $4.5 million against the cap. It’s Kris Letang Derangement Syndrome, and baby, we’re in the middle of an outbreak. Then, there’s a decent argument that the next best-available free agent from that category is Ben Lovejoy. So … yeah. The impetus here is Rob Rossi’s report on Letang’s trade-market availability. It’s far from a given that the Penguins move him, but Jim 4. They’re better without him. Provably false. For his career, the Rutherford is accepting calls. At least two, per Rossi, are from teams that Penguins control 53.54 percent of 5-on-5 shot attempts when he’s on the are on Letang’s list of approved teams. That’s a change of pace from the ice and 49.63 when he’s off. Shots on net: 53.64 vs. 50.6. Phil Kessel-to-Minnesota debacle, but then, that’s probably a topic best broached at a different time. Last season specifically, he was at 53.5 percent — 6.8 percent better than the team’s overall mark. The Penguins scored nearly 62 percent of This is about Letang, and the cluster of half-baked, often weird dialogue their goals with him on the ice, which is particularly amazing. He’s their that tends to pop up around him during the offseason. The Penguins are best defenseman, he has been for a decade, and it isn’t particularly a better team with him on the roster, and they shouldn’t trade him. That close. They generate more shots and chances with him on the ice. It’s seems like it should be self-evident; it apparently is not. not an opinion. It’s reality.

So, whether you’re in the “move him” group or not, let’s go through the THE MARGIN BY WHICH LETANG HAS MADE THE PENGUINS A talking points. Some have a kernel of truth behind them. Others … nah. BETTER TEAM IN TERMS OF CONTROLLING THE PUCK WHEN HE’S IN THE LINEUP AND ON THE ICE IS INSANE. 1. He’s injury-prone. This is as close as we can come to a solid reason to PIC.TWITTER.COM/G4WEKHBTRA ship him out. Letang’s neck issue will never be fully in the rearview. It cost him most of a season already, and it may well shorten his career. — LITTLE GEOFFY JEREMY (1923-2019) (@G_OFF817) JUNE 21, 2019 Beyond that, and this is based largely on his predilection for playing like a defenseman who isn’t 6-foot, is a history of concussions and his quarterly 5. They won a Cup when he was injured. They sure did — they won the groin/shoulder/whatever issue. For years, I thought he’d stay healthy long 2017 Stanley Cup in spite of his absence. That, to an astronomical enough to win a Norris Trophy. Now, that seems unlikely. degree, was due to Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray bailing out the Ron Hainseys of the world. Funny how a .929 save percentage can make Know who else has injury histories, though? Most 30-year-old hockey up for a top pair that gets out-attempted by nearly 57-43 percent, as players. There’s a particularly obvious example at the top of the Hainsey and Brian Dumoulin did. Penguins’ roster. It’s luck-based, to a very real extent. So, if you’re the Penguins, you hope for the best regarding the short-term stuff. Maybe (While we’re on the topic of Dumoulin: He’s a very good player, and years’ worth of trying to get Letang to play a little smarter there will sink possibly a perfect partner for Letang. Away from Letang last season, his in. shot-attempt percentage dropped from 55.7 to 48.6. His goals-for percentage — 63.6 to 45.7. Attributing Letang’s overall success to him Maybe it won’t — and maybe it shouldn’t. There’s a “be careful what you would be unwise.) wish for” element in play there; if you’re asking someone to, essentially, play with less physicality and stick up for his teammates less, you could In any case, goaltending covers up for a lot in small sample sizes, as be headed for a slippery slope. Either way, you cross your fingers and does next-level production from star forwards. It’s a sucker’s bet to rely live with the consequences, because he’s good enough to justify it. on it every time, just because it worked once. If you drive from Pittsburgh to North Carolina with your check engine light on, congratulations. All You do the same regarding his neck. If it stops him from playing until he’s things considered, you’d be dumb to try it a second time. Entering a 36 or whatever, so it goes. The window is open today, and he was No. 5 season with a hole on the top pair and Jack Johnson on another? That’s in Norris voting earlier this week. By 2022, it’s not going to matter. We a check engine light. just went over this. 6. They have to do something. This, more than anything else on our list, 2. He’s irresponsible. This isn’t a new argument regarding Letang, or any is the trap the team and the fanbase seem in danger of tripping into. talented defenseman. It’s the concept of The Big Mistake. Talented people try difficult things because they can actually pull them off. Was that a flawed roster last season? Absolutely. Is it going to be tough Sometimes, the risky pinch works. Sometimes, as we saw in the to improve upon it? Yep. It’s Rutherford’s job to try — and if you can Islanders series, it doesn’t. Again, you live with the consequences. squint hard enough, you can see a Kessel trade that takes him down that Memory-banking the most obvious errors is human nature. It’s just not path. It’s eminently harder here, though. always smart. And the thing is, Rutherford should do something. The obvious itch in his If your fallback here is giveaway numbers, here’s some context (aside trigger finger makes sense; the clock is ticking on the Crosby-Malkin Era, from the fact that NHL real-time stat tracking is notoriously bad). Brent at least as it relates to the Penguins being legitimate contenders. Trading Burns had 118 turnovers last season. Drew Doughty had 105. Morgan Letang wouldn’t make it tick faster, though — it’d make it stop. Rielly had 94. John Carlson had 87. Letang had 76. It happens with great players; if you have the puck on your stick all the time, sometimes, you’re The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 going to lose it.

Letang said it himself after the season: “You don’t want me to make mistakes? I’ll try that. Next year, I’ll try to make no mistakes at all. Maybe next year you’re going to say, ‘We have Kris in our lineup. He doesn’t do 1148009 San Jose Sharks ▪ The Sharks’ season opening game will be against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 2 at T-Mobile Arena, the NHL announced Friday. The two teams will meet again at SAP Center on Oct. 4 for San Jose’s home Joe Pavelski, other Sharks’ pending UFAs, near interview period opener. The full 2019-20 regular season schedule will be announced Tuesday morning.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.22.2019 By Curtis Pashelka | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 8:38 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 8:42 PM

More and more it appears Joe Pavelski and the Sharks’ other pending unrestricted free agents will be able to talk freely with other teams as soon as Sunday, potentially moving those players that much closer to leaving San Jose.

Sharks general manager Doug Wilson met with Dan Plante, Pavelski’s agent, Friday in Vancouver before the start of the NHL Draft and there was little change in negotiations for a new contract, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. LeBrun also reported that Joonas Donskoi will speak with other teams once the NHL’s interview period for UFAs opens Sunday.

During the interview period, pending UFAs can meet with prospective teams, but are not allowed to discuss contract details. Those players, if they remained unsigned by their own teams, can sign with any team after 9 a.m. (PDT) on July 1.

Officially, the Sharks have four players besides Pavelski and Donskoi who can go to market July 1, including forwards Gus Nyquist and Micheal Haley and defenseman Tim Heed. Joe Thornton will also become a UFA at that time, but has said he would like to play at least another year and that he only wants to play in San Jose. He’ll be back.

It’s not so clear-cut with Pavelski, 34, who is coming off a team-leading 38-goal season and would still appear to have a handful productive years ahead of him. LeBrun, though, reported that the length of a potential contract agreement between the Sharks and Pavelski could be a sticking point.

That was the case two years ago when the Sharks and Patrick Marleau were unable to reach a contract agreement. The Sharks reportedly only offered a two-year deal before Marleau signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marleau is now 39.

Thornton became a UFA that same offseason. But after Marleau officially left for Toronto, Thornton signed a one-year deal to remain with the Sharks.

“Ultimately we want players who want to be here, but they also have the ability and should have the ability, if they want, to gather more information and see what’s out there,” Wilson told reporters earlier this week. “We did that with Joe Thornton and we did that with Patty Marleau.

“While they might have made different decisions, the approach to me has always been consistent. If some of our players want to do the same thing, we’re open to that.”

Pavelski, who has 761 points in 963 career games with the Sharks and has been the team’s captain for the last four seasons, reiterated earlier this month his desire to remain in San Jose, saying he was “definitely optimistic. Definitely love it there and we’ll see where it goes.”

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer told NHL.com that Pavelski’s “a really hard guy to replace, borderline irreplaceable. So I’m hopeful. I don’t play a role in that. There’s a lot of different things that go into those decisions both for him and the team, but I’m hopeful and I think he wants to be back, so that gives me optimism.”

▪ The Sharks did not have a pick Friday when the first round of the draft was held at Rogers Arena. The conditional 2019 pick they dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for Evander Kane at the 2018 NHL trade deadline turned into a first rounder when the Sharks signed Kane to a contract extension last offseason.

NHL Awards tonight: Do Sharks have a chance?

When the second round resumes Saturday morning, the Sharks will pick 41st overall, a selection they received Tuesday when they traded defenseman Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Sharks also have picks in the third round (91st overall), and fifth (153rd), sixth (184th) and seventh rounds (215th). 1148010 San Jose Sharks

Sharks to open 2019-20 season with two games vs. fiercest rival

By Curtis Pashelka | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 12:34 pm | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 7:59 PM

Considering how memorable — and controversial — the last meeting between the Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights was in April, perhaps it’s only fitting the two teams will meet twice to open up the 2019-20 regular season.

The Sharks’ season opening game will be against the Golden Knights on Oct. 2 at T-Mobile Arena. Two days later, the two teams will meet again at SAP Center for San Jose’s home opener.

It’s the first time since the start of the 2015-16 season the Sharks will begin the year on the road. It’s also the first time since 2010 the Sharks will start a season with two games against the same opponent. That year, the Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets played each other twice in Sweden to start the season.

All 31 NHL teams announced their home openers Friday, and the remainder of the regular season schedule will be announced Tuesday at 9 a.m. (PDT). The Sharks will also be in Chicago on Oct. 10 for the Blackhawks’ home opener.

The Sharks and Golden Knights have developed arguably one of the biggest rivalries in the NHL after the two teams met each other in the playoffs each of the last two seasons. Vegas won the second round matchup between the two teams in six games in 2018, and San Jose earned a heart-stopping seven-game series win in the first round of this year’s playoffs in April.

The Sharks trailed the series against the Golden Knights this year three games to one before they charged back to win three straight, including a 2-1 double overtime win in Las Vegas in Game 6 and a 5-4 overtime win in an unforgettable Game 7 on April 23 in San Jose.

In that April 23 game against the Golden Knights at SAP Center, the Sharks trailed 3-0 midway through the third period before Cody Eakin was given a major penalty for cross checking Joe Pavelski after a faceoff in the Vegas zone.

NHL Awards tonight: Do Sharks have a chance?

The Sharks scored four times in 4:01 on the ensuing power play — including two goals from Tomas Hertl — to take the lead, then later won in overtime on a goal by Barclay Goodrow.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148011 San Jose Sharks properly on his head (with or without his chin strap fastened). A player who is making a play on the puck or who is in position to make an immediate play on the puck at the time his helmet comes off, shall be NHL responds to playoff controversy involving Sharks, others, expands given a reasonable opportunity to complete the play before either exiting video review the ice or retrieving and replacing his helmet. Failure to comply with the new rules will result in a minor penalty being assessed on the offending player. A player who intentionally removes an opponent’s helmet during play shall be assessed a minor penalty for roughing. By Curtis Pashelka | PUBLISHED: June 21, 2019 at 11:08 am | UPDATED: June 21, 2019 at 8:00 PM LINE CHANGES FOR DEFENSIVE TEAM: The defensive team will not be permitted a line change when a goalie freezes the puck on any shot

from outside the center red line. Similarly, if the actions of a skater of the Two of the most dramatic postseason victories the Sharks enjoyed this defensive team cause a stoppage by unintentionally dislodging the net spring also involved two of the most contentious moments of this year’s from its moorings, the defensive team will not be permitted to make a line Stanley Cup playoffs. change. In both of these instances, the offensive team will have the choice of which end zone dot the face-off will take place. By announcing Thursday that it was expanding its video review process for the 2019-20 season, the NHL hopes to eliminate such controversial FACEOFFS FOLLOWING AN ICING & TO BEGIN A POWER- occasions from happening again. PLAY:Following an icing as well as at the beginning of any power-play, the offensive team will have the choice of which end zone dot the face-off Meeting in Vancouver, site of this year’s NHL draft, the league’s general will take place. managers approved a new rule that would allow coaches an unlimited number of video challenges for goalie interference, offside and other AWARDED GOAL: If the goal post is deliberately displaced by a possible missed calls that would have otherwise resulted in a stoppage in goalkeeper during the course of a breakaway, a goal will be awarded to play. the non-offending team.

If a coach’s first challenge is unsuccessful, however, a minor penalty for PUCK OUT OF BOUNDS: When the attacking team is responsible for delay of game will be assessed. All subsequent unsuccessful challenges the puck going out of play in the attacking zone, in all instances, the face- by the same team in the same game will result in double minor for delay off will be conducted at one of the two face-off dots in the attacking zone. of game. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Had the new video review rules been in place in the Western Conference San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.22.2019 Final, it’s likely Erik Karlsson’s overtime goal, which gave the Sharks a 5- 4 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 3, would not have counted. Karlsson’s goal, which gave the Sharks a 2-1 series lead, came after a hand pass by Timo Meier in the Blues’ zone, a play which would have resulted in a stoppage had officials seen the sequence.

The Blues bounced back from the loss and won three straight games to capture the series 4-2 and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Asked prior to Game 1 of the Cup final between the Blues and Boston Bruins about Karlsson’s goal and Meier’s hand pass, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, “We were all unhappy. It would be good if I kept my head from exploding. It was unfortunate, to say the least.”

The league also will have officials review all major penalties — except fighting majors — to determine whether each call was accurate. After review, referees could then reduce a major penalty to a minor penalty if they felt a mistake was made.

The Vegas Golden Knights were irate after Cody Eakin was assessed a five-minute major penalty for cross checking Joe Pavelski in Game 7 of their first round series against the Sharks.

In that unforgettable April 23 game against the Golden Knights at SAP Center, the Sharks trailed 3-0 midway through the third period before Eakin was given a major penalty after a faceoff in the Vegas zone. The Sharks scored four times in 4:01 on the ensuing power play to take the lead, then later won in overtime on a goal by Barclay Goodrow.

Days later, according to Vegas owner Bill Foley and general manager George McPhee, the NHL called the organization to apologize for the blown call, although the league would not confirm that.

Even Pavelski, less than two weeks later, doubted that Eakin should have been assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct.

“Was it a five-minute major? No. I don’t think it was,” Pavelski said May 5. “Am I glad they called it that way? Heck yeah.

“The refs have a very tough job with how fast plays happen. It’s a scary play. It gets twisted and everything. Was it malicious or anything like that? I don’t believe so. It’s part of the game. I got twisted up. Got bumped on the way down, hit the head.

“Again, I was glad it was called that way. From that moment on, what the guys did after it, to actually go and do that, score four goals, it was a special night.”

Other approved rule changes (from the NHL)

HELMETS: A player on the ice whose helmet comes off during play must (a) exit the playing surface, or (b) retrieve and replace his helmet 1148012 San Jose Sharks

What gives Peter DeBoer optimism Joe Pavelski will re-sign with Sharks

By Ali Thanawalla June 21, 2019 5:47 PM

The Sharks crossed off an important to-do item off their list Monday when they re-signed defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Now their attention turns to captain Joe Pavelski.

While the Sharks have the cap room to re-sign Pavelski, they also have other free agents to think about.

But head coach Peter DeBoer feels pretty confident that the Sharks and Pavelski will come together on a new contract.

"He's our captain. He's our leader," DeBoer said Friday at the NHL Coaches Association meetings, according to NHL.com. "He's a really hard guy to replace, borderline irreplaceable. So I'm hopeful. I don't play a role in that. There's a lot of different things that go into those decisions both for him and the team, but I'm hopeful and I think he wants to be back, so that gives me optimism."

Pavelski just completed a five-year, $30 million contract with the Sharks. This past season, he finished with 64 points and led the Sharks with 38 goals.

After re-signing Karlsson and trading defenseman Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers for two draft picks, the Sharks now have $15.342 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly.com.

In addition to Pavelski, Joonas Donskoi, Joe Thornton, Gus Nyquist and Micheal Haley are all unrestricted free agents. Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier and Dylan Gambrell are all restricted free agents.

So, the Sharks have decisions to make. But bringing their captain back should be a pretty easy one for both sides.

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NHL schedule 2019-20: Sharks open season with home-and-home vs. Vegas

By Dalton Johnson June 21, 2019 12:31 PM

The Sharks' growing rivalry with the Vegas Golden Knights will continue right away when the 2019-20 regular season begins.

The Sharks will start on the road, where they'll play Vegas on Oct. 2, before coming home to play the Golden Knights two days later on Oct. 4 at SAP Center, the NHL announced Friday.

We're hosting the Sharks for our home opener, and we just have one question

IS IT OCTOBER YET?????

The Chicago Blackhawks also will host the Sharks for their home opener, which will be played Oct. 10.

The Sharks took down Vegas in their first-round playoff series last season with one of the greatest comebacks ever. After taking the first game at home, the Sharks lost three straight before winning three in a row to advance to the second round. San Jose stormed back from a three-goal deficit in the third period of Game 7 to pull off an unreal 5-4 overtime victory.

It didn't come without controversy, too.

The Sharks were given a five-minute power play in the third period after captain Joe Pavelski was taken out of the game by Vegas' Cody Eakins in a gruesome scene. The NHL apologized days later to the Golden Knights for the penalty call, but they surely haven't forgotten what transpired.

There's bound to be plenty of animosity on the ice right away between these teams to kick off the season.

Let the games begin.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148014 San Jose Sharks When the Sharks signed Chekhovich to an entry-level contract in April 2018, Wilson was quick to point out how quickly the then-19-year-old adjusted to playing hockey at the pro level.

NHL Draft 2019: Here's how Sharks' recent picks have been doing so far "He has proven in his short stint of professional hockey that he can keep up with the pace and physicality," Wilson said in a team press release. "His offensive instincts and creativity make him a dangerous player in the By Chelena Goldman June 21, 2019 12:30 PM opposing team's end and we look forward to seeing him develop with our organization."

The Russian winger continues to build on his game season after season The San Jose Sharks have found a wealth of success with some of their and is coming off a staggering 105-point campaign with Baie-Comeau draft picks over the last couple of years, whether it's a first-round Drakkar of the QMJHL. He added to that with four points (one goal, three selection like Tomas Hertl or Timo Meier, or a sixth-round choice like assists) in five regular-season games and three points (one goal, three Kevin Labanc -- or even a seventh-rounder like captain Joe Pavelski. assists) in four playoff games with the Barracuda this past season. San Jose doesn't have a first-round selection in this year's NHL draft up Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 in Vancouver. So in preparation for the rest of the weekend and the upcoming development camp, here's how San Jose's prospects from the last two drafts are doing:

Ryan Merkley, defenseman -- first round, 21st overall pick, 2018

The Sharks turned some heads when they used their first-round pick in 2018 to select Merkley. While the Oakville, Ontario native was considered a dynamic two-way defenseman, he also had a couple of behavioral mishaps that made him a bit of a risky pick-up. But San Jose was confident in the homework it did on Merkley and took him with the 21st overall pick.

Merkley, 18, started the 2018-19 season with the before being traded to the , registering 71 points (14 goals, 57 assists) and a plus-4 rating between the two teams.

He was called up to make his AHL debut with the Barracuda this past April, playing in two regular-season contests for San Jose. He tallied no points and a minus-1 rating.

Zachary Emond, goalie -- sixth round, 176th overall pick, 2018

It's no wonder the Sharks signed Emond to an entry-level contract this past spring. The 18-year-old netminder finished his 2018-19 campaign for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies with a 24-0-1 record, leading the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a 1.73 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and seven shutouts.

With that shining résumé, Emond helped lead the Huskies to a QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup championship.

"Zach's overall development and growth improved immensely this season, recording seven shutouts and an unprecedented 24-0-1 record," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a press release after the team signed Emond. "We're excited to watch him take over the helm in the crease next year and build on his impressive performance from the previous campaign."

Mario Ferraro, defenseman -- second round, 49th overall pick, 2017

Ferraro was coming off his final season with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL when the Sharks drafted him in 2017. He since has put together two impressive campaigns playing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, serving as an alternate captain during the 2018- 19 season.

The 20-year-old blueliner registered 37 points (six goals, 31 assists) and 43 penalty minutes over two seasons playing at the NCAA level.

Alexander Chmelevski, center -- sixth round, 185th overall pick, 2017

Chmelevski is one player Sharks fans are no doubt excited to see participate in this summer's prospect scrimmage after the impressive season he just had at the junior level.

The Huntington Beach native is coming off a beastly campaign, tallying 75 points in 56 regular season games for the Ottawa 67s and 31 points in 18 playoff contests. He also tallied seven points for Team USA in this past year's World Juniors competition.

Chmelevski had a brief stint with the Barracuda during their 2017-18 season, tallying four points (three goals, one assist) in six regular-season matchups and two points (one goal, one assist) through four AHL playoff games.

Ivan Chekhovich, left wing -- seventh round, 212th overall pick, 2017 1148015 San Jose Sharks

Sharks free-agency decisions: Should center Dylan Gambrell stay or go?

By Chelena Goldman June 21, 2019 2:45 PM

During the Sharks' rollercoaster 2018-19 season, Dylan Gambrell did a little bit of everything.

He would get recalled from the Barracuda when one of San Jose's big guns was injured, fill in on the fourth line when need be, then get reassigned to the AHL with a list of things to work on.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The Bonney Lake, Washington native then capped off his first stint in the NHL playoffs by scoring San Jose's lone goal against the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

Needless to say, that was an impressive way for Gambrell to end the season before becoming a potential restricted free agent. Here's a look at why Gambrell could be staying in teal, and why that Game 6 goal might've been his last for San Jose.

Why he could stay

San Jose has a couple pending RFAs that look to be the future of this team, and Gambrell is one of them.

The 22-year-old impressed Sharks coach Peter DeBoer every time he was recalled to the big club, showing growth with every opportunity he got to fill in on San Jose's fourth line. DeBoer's biggest note was that the speedy center needed to bring his physicality up to the NHL level.

“He just has to realize up here that, to use that speed, you have to attack holes and draw penalties,” DeBoer said back in November. "I think he’s an honest 200-foot player.”

Offensive depth is a key area the Sharks want to beef up next season, especially when it comes to finding a winning combination on the fourth line. San Jose spent the better part of last season trying to find a replacement for Chris Tierney, only occasionally finding a combo that could be rolled out multiple nights in a row.

It's highly possible Gambrell gets the chance to audition for that fourth- line center job full-time when camp gets underway.

Why he could go

As we've said with every skater facing free agency: No one is safe from a trade.

San Jose is still looking to make room to get under the cap and sign some of their key players and are far from being at that point. With draft weekend ready to get underway and free agency just around the corner, there will no doubt be more players on the move.

And, as the Sharks proved earlier this week with the Justin Braun trade, no level of seniority on the team is going to prevent them from making a deal.

Even though the Sharks were happy with Gambrell's development this season, that wouldn't necessarily stop them including him in a trade.

The verdict

Dylan Gambrell is a player the Sharks want to keep around for a while.

Over the past season, he displayed a strong work ethic and an ability to learn and grow with the team around him, at both the AHL and NHL level. With the Sharks looking to get more out of its bottom six this upcoming season, Gambrell is a player they can plug in and get a lot out of.

Since Gambrell looked so good centering San Jose's fourth line in the conference final, it's possible he gets a chance to step up and take that job for himself this upcoming season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148016 San Jose Sharks

NHL rumors: Joonas Donskoi tells Sharks he'll explore free-agency options

By Dalton Johnson June 21, 2019 10:49 AM

Joonas Donskoi is just one player on a long list of Sharks that will hit free agency this summer. The winger could be on his way out the door, too.

Donskoi's camp reportedly has told the Sharks that they're going to talk to other teams once the unrestricted free agency speaking period opens Sunday, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Friday.

Joonas Donskoi’s camp have informed the Sharks they’re going to talk to other teams once the UFA speaking period opens Sunday while not closing the door on SJ. But also feels like might be time for a fresh start for him.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 21, 2019

LeBrun makes it clear this doesn't automatically mean Donskoi's time with the Sharks is done, though he could be looking for a fresh start. However, Donskoi made it clear he wanted to return after the Sharks' season ended in disappointing fashion in the Western Conference final.

"Of course, it's been a great four years here and I really hope to be back," Donskoi said at the end of May.

Donskoi, 27, is coming off a season where he played a career-high 80 games. But it was also a year full of inconsistency. He scored a career- high 37 points -- 14 goals, 23 assists -- but that's only five more points than he scored last year when he appeared in 14 fewer games.

"There were a lot of ups and downs," Donskoi said. "I think the main thing for me coming into this season was staying healthy. I was pretty healthy all season long, during the regular season. Some small injuries. But like I said, there were ups and downs."

Even if Donskoi's desire is to return to San Jose, it could be tough for the Sharks. After signing Erik Karlsson to a massive contract that made him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, the team still has to make decisions on Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton and many others.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148017 San Jose Sharks Pavelski has been the Sharks captain for four seasons and the team has won a total of six playoff series, the most in any four-year span in franchise history. That includes a trip to the 2016 Stanley Cup final and Lower salary cap could make life more difficult for Sharks and general this season’s Western Conference final. manager Doug Wilson “Well, he’s been tremendous for us. I think everybody knows how we feel about Pavs,” Wilson said. “As you go through this system, players earn the right to have choices. I think historically we’ve gone through it, and By Kevin Kurz Jun 21, 2019 we want players to want to be here, but I also respect the options that are out there. These are never easy. I think the confidence of the

discussions, the understanding of the process is important. VANCOUVER — Here’s something that will surprise absolutely no one: If “Recent history is we’ve had some high-end players that, we want them Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is sweating the lower-than- to be Sharks, and I think they want to be Sharks, but there’s also the expected salary cap for the 2019-20 NHL season, he’s not letting on. balance of financial opportunities that can be out there. I respect that Instead of the cap being $83 million, as initially projected months ago, it journey and process. To me, doing it in confidence is the respectful way.” will be either $81.5 million or $82 million, as first reported by The If Pavelski departs, the Sharks would still need to fill a hole or two at Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. The official figure is expected to be announced wing. That could put them in the market for a cheaper free agent. Or, on Saturday. perhaps there is a prospect or two already in the system who could make That could pose a problem for the Sharks. If the cap ends up at $82 the jump. million, they have approximately $15.3 million in cap space with only 15 The Sharks will hold their prospect development camp next week, giving players on the projected NHL roster, according to CapFriendly.com. They them a chance to look at what they have in-house before committing to still have to sign restricted free agents Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc and any free agents on July 1. Previously, it was held in the first or second Dylan Gambrell, as well as Joe Thornton, who told reporters in Las week in July. Vegas this week that he would be returning for at least one more season. It’s difficult to envision the Sharks being able to sign all four of those “A lot of the young players that we really are excited about are coming aforementioned players while also keeping captain Joe Pavelski. into San Jose on Monday,” Wilson said. “Our coaches will all be there. We moved the camp up a week for a reason. It gives us the opportunity It seems as if all that would make Wilson’s job a bit more complicated. to take a look at some of our internal options that are not that far away in Right? some cases. You’ve got multiple ways of filling those holes. Some are internal, some are external. Some of them could be on pending “It doesn’t complicate it at all. It is what it is,” Wilson said in an interview (unrestricted free agents), also.” on Friday morning at the Sharks draft headquarters, as they prepared for the upcoming first round a few hours later at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. There’s also the matter of the goaltending. Although Martin Jones recovered from a difficult regular season and found his game in the “We were operating off the range being anywhere from $81 to $83 playoffs, the Jones-Aaron Dell duo combined for the worst save (million),” he said. “What you try to do is prepare for the worst case percentage in the league in 2018-19 (.889). Jones isn’t going anywhere, scenario, and you have plans to do it. That’s one of the reasons why as he just finished the first of a six-year contract extension, but could Dell getting the (Justin Braun) deal done when we did was very important.” be replaced before the Sharks open their season in Vegas on Oct. 2?

Braun, traded to the Flyers on Tuesday for a pair of draft picks including Antonie Bibeau and Josef Korenar both had decent years with the AHL the 41st overall selection in this year’s draft, freed up $3.8 million in Barracuda, so it’s fair to wonder if Dell will be fighting to keep his job at salary cap space. But is that enough? training camp in September, assuming he’s still with the organization (Dell has one year left on his contract with a $1.9 million salary-cap hit). Perhaps another worry from the Sharks’ perspective should be the prospect of an offer sheet to Meier, who posted 30 goals in 2018-19 in “We think we have four goaltenders,” Wilson said. “There’s some work to just his third NHL season. Wilson would prefer to extend Meier on a be done. And I’m looking forward to our camp next week with (goalie bridge deal like he did with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, who each coaches and Evgeni Nabokov). There were times when signed two-year extensions after their entry-level contracts expired. (Jones and Dell) played really well and there were times that they would be the first to tell you they weren’t on top of their game. Part of it was But what if a team out there really likes Meier, and offers him something team play, part of it was system play. But individual players know what like a six-year, $42 million deal? If the Sharks are only offering two years they’re capable of, what our expectations are, and what they need to get and between $5-6 million per year, you’d have to think that Meier would back to.” at least be tempted with that kind of discrepancy on the bottom line. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 Or here’s another scenario — the Chicago Blackhawks could be one of the teams that is interested in Pavelski. They could throw a huge offer sheet at Meier, forcing the Sharks to match, and thereby preventing them from keeping Pavelski, too. The Blackhawks could then offer the Sharks captain a much better deal than the Sharks would be able to afford.

These are hypothetical situations, of course, but they are also very real possibilities.

Does that offer sheet possibility worry the longtime Sharks GM?

“The system is the system,” Wilson said. “I guess it’s a good problem that we have a lot of good players, and with that comes just the reality of the system. You’re trying to dedicate your dollars within the cap to the appropriate players and where they are in their cycle. We’re the same as every team: trying to build a really good team, and trying to take care of guys in an appropriate manner.”

While Meier is probably the Sharks’ brightest rising star and they will surely keep him around one way or another, the chances that Pavelski could be on the move grow with each passing day. The Sharks captain will be permitted to start talking to other teams on Sunday morning when that window for free agents opens.

Wilson said he talks with Pavelski’s agent, Dan Plante, “on a continuing basis.” 1148018 St Louis Blues It also happened in 2013 when they took defenseman Tommy Vannelli — who’s no longer with the organization and never played in an NHL game — at No. 47 overall in the second round with their first pick.

Talent search: With no first-rounder Blues must dig deeper for talent in And in 2011, the Blues made forward Ty Rattie their first pick as the draft second player taken in the second round, No. 32 overall. Rattie has played only 99 NHL games since then — just 30 with the Blues, but 50 with the Edmonton Oilers last season. By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jun 21, 2019 Can the Blues somehow trade into the first round Friday? Doug Armstrong has been known to do the unexpected, but he concedes such a move is unlikely. When he met with his amateur scouts early in the Stanley Cup Final series, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong had a simple message: “I don’t envision it right now,” he said earlier in the week. “There’s nothing no excuses. on our roster that we’re looking to move out (in exchange) for picks. You never say never in this industry. But as I sit here … I don’t see a way. But Just nine days after the Blues became Stanley Cup champions with their that could change on Friday.” Game 7 victory over the Boston Bruins, the 2019 NHL draft begins Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia. Never mind that the Blues don’t have a The Vannelli and Rattie picks notwithstanding, the Blues have had plenty first-round pick. Never mind that they have only four picks overall. of success with picks taken outside the first round. Seven players on their playoff roster this season were draft picks taken after Round 1. “We need to find players,” Armstrong said. “The guys have done a great job finding a player like Vince Dunn, Colton Parayko in the second, third There was Dunn in 2015. Ivan Barbashev in the second round and rounds. That’s the task that we’ve given them now.” Sammy Blais in Round 6 in 2014. Parayko and Mackenzie MacEachern both were taken in Round 3 in 2013. In 2011, Joel Edmundson was taken While Armstrong was making a pit stop in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards in Round 2 and Jordan Binnington in Round 3. show Tuesday and Wednesday, he said the Blues’ personnel department already had set up shop in Vancouver “going over their list a second and “You never know,” Bill Armstrong said. “They’re going to be guys third time and trying to get a sense of what might and might not be lingering around the third round. They might take a little bit longer (to available.” develop), but they might just be as good as some of the guys you could’ve picked at 20 or 15. The first round of the draft takes place Friday, starting at 7 p.m. Rounds 2-7 are selected Saturday, starting at noon. “The draft, it’s one of those things that’s unpredictable. You’re dealing with human beings. There’s some ones that you’d think would never As Stanley Cup champions, the Blues pick last in every round. So barring make it and they make it. And there’s guys that are a sure thing and they a move, they must wait until the end of the second round — No. 62 don’t make it. overall — to make their first pick of the draft early Saturday afternoon. Their other picks come in the third, fifth and seventh rounds. “You try and do your best job with the knowledge of your scouts, your analytics, and your information from your doctors and your trainers. What happened to those three other picks? You’re putting the odds in your favor by having the most information and — This year’s first-rounder went to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the being able to process it the right way.” Ryan O’Reilly trade last July 1. (The Blues also sent Patrik Berglund, St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.22.2019 Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson and a second-round pick in 2021 to the Sabres for O’Reilly.)

Certainly no one’s complaining about the trade terms. Not after O’Reilly led the Blues in scoring in the regular season, won the as playoff MVP, and then took home the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward Wednesday in Vegas.

— The Blues’ fourth-round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 15, 2018, for forward Nikita Soshnikov. The injury-plagued Soshnikov played only 12 games for the 2017-18 Blues, and just five this season. A restricted free agent in terms of his Blues rights, Soshnikov recently signed a two-year deal to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.

— The team’s sixth-round pick went to the Anaheim Ducks in a Feb. 25, 2019, trade deadline deal for defenseman Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto appeared in seven games for the Blues, recording three assists, but did not play in the playoffs. He’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency July 1.

Even without those picks, the Blues need to restock the organizational shelves. So the goal over the weekend is to make every pick count.

“You get picks, you want players,” said Bill Armstrong, the Blues’ assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting. “We tell our staff that all the time.”

Bill Armstrong, no relation to Doug Armstrong, spoke Friday from Vancouver.

This isn’t the first time the Armstrongs have gone through a draft without a first-rounder.

“We’ve kind of been through the drill before,” Bill Armstrong said. “So it’s one of those things where I think it probably helps us that we’ve done it before. We kind of know what to expect because one of the tricky things is we have to anticipate basically what 61 picks are going to be (before the Blues pick).”

The Blues last went without a first-rounder in 2015, when Dunn was the team’s first pick at No. 56 overall in the second round. 1148019 St Louis Blues “They should have called me in and say, ‘Hey Ken. You’ve been here 20 years and we’d like to make a change, what is your reaction?’” Wilson said. “I would have said, ‘That’s fine with me, I’d love to do 15 or 20 Media Views: Former Blues broadcaster Wilson not bitter, relishes title games, can we work that in?’ They would have said, ‘No.’ They should have then said, ‘What do you want to do about this?’ I would have looked at them, Mark Sauer and Jim Woodcock, across the table and say, ‘Why don’t I just announce my retirement tomorrow? I’m going to move to By Dan Caesar St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jun 21, 2019 Hawaii with my family, my little kids. We’ve had a home there, the time has come for me to move on.’

Oh, baby, Ken Wilson holds no grudges. “They should have said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ That’s what I would have done. It’s still hard for me to imagine they didn’t see that as a way to go, Wilson, who spent 20 years as a Blues announcer before being as opposed to firing me. They didn’t have to fire me, I was leaving unceremoniously dumped a decade and a half ago, certainly could be anyway.” bitter about how things ended in St. Louis and have a disdain for the team. Wilson said he moved on long ago.

Wilson, now 71, never has had another sportscasting job and is living in “Does it make sense that I’m not bitter?” he asked. “I never had any Hawaii, where he got his start in broadcasting and returned to after his bitterness, and I have no bitterness today. All I’ve ever thought was it ouster. It’s been a far different path than he walked in St. Louis. could have been handled better.”

The circumstances certainly could have soured Wilson on the Blues, but LIFE AFTER BLUES it has been quite the opposite. He said he was gleeful as he saw the After his messy exit from St. Louis, he spent a year as a television news Final on television and let out one or two of his signature “Oh, Baby!” reporter in Honolulu, then owned a pizza parlor there for nearly three exclamations while watching the team finally win the Stanley Cup last years before moving to the Pacific Northwest for about a decade to run a week. pair of college baseball summer leagues, as well as a team. He lived in “It was exciting for me,” he said this week from Hawaii. “I had my first big Portland, Ore., before recently returning to Hawaii. He’s not working now, screaming ‘Oh, Baby!’ when they got the second goal in Game 5 to make but said he isn’t retired. it 2-0 (in a 2-1 victory), then the goal in Game 7 that made it 3-0 that told “I’m between endeavors, I just don’t know quite what I want to do,” he us all they were going to win the Cup. My wife said she couldn’t believe said. ”I’m looking for something to do. I’m going to do something. But I how loud I screamed. I seems to me I was screaming ‘Oh, Baby!’ and it don’t want a Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30 job. I’ll admit I’m spoiled. I’ve done seemed rather natural. that two or three times in my life, probably no more than three years total “I was absolutely thrilled, I could not have been any more excited. I didn’t and it wasn’t fun. I realize what everybody does in the world, they work cry much, but I cried a little bit in happiness (after they won). I was happy hard and they work long hours and it isn’t any fun.” for the fans. This is what it’s all about anyway. It’s not about But it was fun for Wilson to follow the Blues’ remarkable run from fewest administrators and owners, broadcasters, writers. It’s really about the points in the NHL in early January to their first title. fans, and we’ve all been fans. That’s where the real joy is.” “It’s all great, for (Brett) Hull, (Keith) Tkachuk, Bernie (Federko), There wasn’t any joy for Wilson in 2004, when he was fired. Blues congratulations to all of them, it’s a wonderful thing they all worked hard officials said the move was made in part because Wilson didn’t attend for over the years, they all deserve credit,” he said. “But I kind of feel bad practices or socialize much, which Wilson has said was irrelevant to his for the Ron Carons of the world, who gave his soul and blood and job. Management at what now is Fox Sports Midwest wanted to keep unfortunately is not around anymore, like Jack Quinn. (Both are former him, but the team overruled that. Blues executives.) “We felt we could be more electric, more energetic than we have been on “And I never heard anything about Brian Sutter. When I think of my 20 television in recent years,” Blues vice president Jim Woodcock said then. years, Brian was front and center in the organization bleeding blue, MAN ABOUT TOWN tough. He exemplified that blue-collar lunch-bucket kind of team the Blues were. I feel sorry of the people who passed way or got overlooked. It was a rough way to leave for a guy who was a fixture in St. Louis But there were too many people to recognize.” sports for more than two decades. He not only broadcast the Blues, but also was a Cardinals announcer in the latter half of the 1980s and was a In the end, the Blues’ accomplishment provided Wilson a time to reflect. co-owner of the Frontier League’s River City Rascals and Gateway “My memories of my time in St. Louis are the fondest of my life,” he said. Grizzlies in the early years of those independent baseball clubs. “I never worked anywhere longer, or lived anywhere longer, than I did in He was replaced by John Kelly, son of legendary Blues announcer Dan St. Louis. I really, really enjoyed doing the Cardinals and obviously Kelly, and Wilson said he was convinced team executives didn’t want him enjoyed doing the Blues. That’s the greatest connection I have anywhere passing to become the club’s longest-tenured broadcaster — in sports, the St. Louis Blues. It means a lot, and it always will mean a which he would have done with another season of work. lot.”

“With the Blues’ ownership and upper management, there seems to be St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.22.2019 some dislike for Ken Wilson and a strong agenda to keep Dan Kelly’s name alive and to keep the Kelly name something like royalty in the world of the St. Louis Blues,” Wilson said at the time. “I am unable to fully explain their disdain for me other than to assume their agenda overwhelmed any and all reasonable thinking when it came to Ken Wilson.”

Wilson didn’t exactly have a warm relationship with John Kelly when they shared Blues play-by-play duties before Kelly left in 1992 to be the No. 1 announcer with Tampa Bay.

Wilson said then, and says now, that his biggest gripe was how things were handled. A full-season NHL lockout was looming the next year, and he already had planned to move his family to Hawaii. He said he would have offered to cut his schedule to about 15 games on the West Coast, and if that wasn’t acceptable he simply would have announced his retirement.

But instead he was fired and verbal shots were taken by both sides. All Blues executives at that time no longer are with the team. 1148020 St Louis Blues St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.22.2019

There's hockey next week at Enterprise Center

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jun 20, 2019

Hey, it's been more than a week since the Blues won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Are you ready for some hockey?

If the answer is yes, you're in luck. The Blues are holding their post-draft Prospect Camp June 25-28 at Enterprise Center.

Scrimmages, either of the 4-on-4 or 3-on-3 variety, will take place each day and are open to the public. Information for fans wishing to attend scrimmages will be made available in the coming days.

Scrimmages are scheduled as follows:

_ 2 p.m. Tuesday June 25

_ 2 p.m. Wednesday June 26

_ 3 p.m. Thursday June 27

_ 6 p.m. Friday June 28

Players selected in this weekend's draft by the Blues also are expected to attend, but for now here are the "team" rosters. Past draft picks are in caps:

Team Tkachuk

G – JOEL HOFER (Portland, WHL)

G – Jakub Dobes (Topeka, NAHL)

D – TYLER TUCKER (Barrie, OHL)

D – Colin Swoyer (Michigan Tech, WCHA)

D – Jared Kucharek (Western Michigan, NCHC)

F – ALEXEY TOROPCHENKO (Guelph, OHL)

F – MATHIAS LAFERRIERE (Cape Breton, QMJHL)

F – NIKOLAJ KRAG (Rungsted, Denmark)

F – Taylor Schneider (Bowling Green, WCHA)

F – Ben Copeland (Colorado College, NCHC)

F – Tyson McLellan (Denver, WCHA)

F – Casey Gilling (Miami-Ohio, NCHC)

F – KLIM KOSTIN (San Antonio, AHL)

F – Kevin Hancock (London, OHL)

Team MacInnis

G – Jonas Arntzen (, IF)

G – Jack Caruso (Brookings, NAHL)

D – SCOTT PERUNOVICH (Minn-Duluth, NCHC)

D – Griffin Mendel (Denver, NCHA)

F – DOMINIK BOKK (Vaxjo, SweHL)

F – FILIP HELT (Litvinov HC, Czech)

F – HUGH MCGING (Western Michigan, WCHA)

F – Connor Sodergren (U-Mass-Lowell, H-East)

F – Pat Curry (Boston U., H-East)

F – Robby Jackson (St. Cloud, NCHC)

F – Cam Donaldson (Cornell, ECAC)

F – Mitchell Balmas (Cape Breton, QMJHL)

F – Krystof Hrabik (Tri-City, WHL) 1148021 St Louis Blues

Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues to open season against Washington

BY DEAN CRIDDLE

JUNE 21, 2019 02:51 PM

The St. Louis Blues will open defense of the Stanley Cup Championship on Wednesday, Oct. 2 when they host the Washington Capitals at the Enterprise Center.

Game time is 7 p.m. The Blues will raise the Stanley Cup Banner to the Enterprise Center rafters in a special ceremony prior to the game.

The Blues won the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in a seven game series earlier this month..

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148022 St Louis Blues Brodeur, who now works in a business capacity with New Jersey, was asked if he had any regrets or disappointments leaving the Blues the summer before they won the Stanley Cup.

Blues sit back on draft day, soak up praise from around the NHL on their “A little bit, just like anything,” he said. “You wish you could have been Stanley Cup there just to celebrate with everybody. For sure if I had never won a Stanley Cup and this would happen, I would be like, ‘I missed it by one year.’ But I’ve won my Stanley Cups, too.” By Jeremy Rutherford Jun 21, 2019 Others on the floor of Rogers Arena have won their share of championships, too, which allowed them to know what Armstrong was feeling. VANCOUVER — One by one, NHL general managers, coaches and scouts made their way over to the Blues’ draft table Friday at Rogers “They did an extraordinary, fantastic job,” said New York Islanders Arena and offered their congratulations on the club’s first Stanley Cup. president and GM Lou Lamoriello. “When you’re in last place in January and you find a way to overcome all of the obstacles that you have in front “Yeah, it’s obviously a special time for our whole staff to be here with our of you, getting everybody on the same page, I haven’t seen a job like that peer group,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. “Hockey is a in a long time.” small fraternity, and if you’re around long enough, you get to work with and meet a lot of people, and everyone is truly respectful of everyone “It was great, terrific story,” Rutherford, Pittsburgh’s GM, added. “And else. When Stan Bowman and Jimmy Rutherford and Ray Shero won, good for them because in our position, it’s easy to get impatient, and you’re happy for them. We’re just fortunate that it was our time.” Doug Armstrong, he was not. He changed his coach and brought in a goalie and he had a lot of good players. It’s a great story. It was fun to On the opening night of the two-day draft, Armstrong had time to accept watch.” the high praise because the Blues didn’t have a first-round pick. In fact, the reason went hand-in-hand with winning the Cup because they traded Armstrong’s patience seemed to be the takeaway of most executives at the selection to Buffalo last summer for Ryan O’Reilly, who won the Conn the draft. Smythe Trophy as the league’s postseason MVP. It was the ultimate payoff for a GM who could have sat in a recliner Friday. “I think that Army, when they were in last place, he was trying to figure out ‘What’s next?’ and it’s pretty impressive what was next,” New York “Yeah, it’s nice to have a stress-free first round,” Armstrong said. “This is Rangers GM Jeff Gorton said. “My hat goes off to Army and the job he a year obviously with what the guys accomplished, we were not looking did. He could have easily blown it up and done something different. He to get into the first round. It’s been a quiet day, but I’m looking forward to made the move with coach, obviously Craig Berube did a heckuva job getting back to work (Saturday) and having some picks.” and the goalie (Binnington) was a huge difference. I have nothing but high praise for what Army did.” The second round begins at noon CT and the Blues will have four picks (Nos. 62, 93, 155 and 217). “You can look back in hindsight,” Cheveldayoff said, “but Army is the only one that can answer the questions on what was going through his mind Armstrong went to Vancouver from Las Vegas, where a contingent of at any given time.” Blues, including O’Reilly, coach Craig Berube and goalie Jordan Binnington were up for several honors at the NHL’s Award show. O’Reilly So we asked Armstrong. was the organization’s only winner of the trophies that are voted on at the conclusion of the regular season. But while the Blues may not have taken “I guess you look back and you say ‘patience,’ he said. “But I don’t really home all of the hardware, the reception they received in Vancouver know if it was patience as much as watching the guys find their footing. I perhaps made up for it. quite honestly thought we played some good hockey in October and November and didn’t get any results and that was the hard part. New Jersey had the No. 1 overall pick and before announcing the Obviously you’re talking to teams (about trades) at different times, but I selection, Shero, the Devils’ GM, opened by congratulating the Blues and think if you’re going to blow it up, you have to get fair return and during saying “it was worth the wait.” that time, I valued those players very highly and probably the guys I was talking to were saying, ‘Well they’re probably not as good as you think Shero wasn’t the only one, as Winnipeg’s Kevin Cheveldayoff also gave they are, or you wouldn’t be in last place.’ So I held the players whose a shout out to Armstrong and the Blues before making the 20th overall names were being bandied around in high regard and it wasn’t going to pick of the night. Remember it was the Jets whom the Blues beat in the be a situation where we were going to do anything that didn’t match the first round of the playoffs. value we had on them, and ultimately we had more value than everybody “You know what, it’s amazing,” Cheveldayoff said of the Blues’ worst-to- else. I’m glad we did.” first story. “That group of players, for me, it really just accentuates how BRODEUR CONGRATULATING ARMSTRONG AND DAVE TAYLOR: “I much of a team sport this really is, and how a group of players, WAS HAPPY FOR EVERYONE. DOUG IS THE GUY THAT BROUGHT regardless of their situation, when they decide to be that kind of a group, ME IN THERE AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM. JUST TO SEE THE you can accomplish pretty much anything. To me that’s a great story. I JOY ON THE ICE FROM ALL THE GUYS…THESE GUYS HELPED ME know how hard Army worked to assemble it, and obviously the passion SO MUCH IN MY GROWTH…TO SEE THEM GOING CRAZY WAS that Craig had behind the bench and in everything that he does … my hat GREAT!” PIC.TWITTER.COM/U9OBSHPWHR goes off to them. In some way does it ease it a little bit that they beat you and they went on to win? No, but you know what, they earned every bit of — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) JUNE 22, 2019 it.” Knowing the Blues’ inner-workings, Brodeur wasn’t surprised that Midway through the first round Friday, Toronto coach Mike Babcock, Armstrong stayed the course. whom Armstrong has worked with on Team Canada, stopped by the Blues draft table to offer congrats, and later former Blues assistant GM “He really believed in them,” Brodeur said. “Like from the get-go, he felt Marty Brodeur shook hands with his old boss. The Hall of Famer ended that getting O’Reilly was the right move and a huge commitment, and his career with the club before spending three years alongside Armstrong when you commit to it, you stay with your guns. More power to him, not in the management booth. many guys would have been able to do that, but he was. I say this in the best way possible, there’s no way they should have been (in last place). “I was happy for everyone,” Brodeur said. “Doug is the guy that brought It was unbelievable how tough of a start they got, like nobody saw that me in there and I learned a lot from him. Just to see the joy on the ice coming. So yes it’s a surprise that they come back, but they should have from all the guys — from Kevin McDonald, Dave Taylor, Rob DiMaio — never been there at the beginning. The team that they were at the end of to me these guys helped me so much in my growth and to see them the year, that was supposed to be the team all year.” going absolutely crazy was great! Even though you don’t work there and you don’t get the credit, it’s still pretty cool to know that the people you Calgary GM Brad Treliving, who also spent some time with Armstrong on worked with are experiencing it.” the draft floor, said: “There’s a reason he’s been a manager for as long as he has. You don’t stick around if you don’t know what you’re doing, and Army knows what he’s doing. And (Berube) did a helluva job, that goes without saying.” Berube was in Vancouver, but as is common with NHL coaches, he wasn’t at the table Friday night. Armstrong addressed Berube’s performance with the Blues after taking over for Mike Yeo, and also answered the question — kind of — about when will the team will be announcing a new contract for him.

“He did a great job coming in,” Armstrong said. “It took a little while. I thought our team game changed a little and I thought we played better, but the results weren’t changing. And then when the results changed, I thought he did a really good job of keeping the players in the moment. I think that’s really why we had success in the playoffs because really from January on, we couldn’t celebrate a win or agonize over a loss because every game was very important. I thought in the Winnipeg series, it showed itself losing the two home games and then going back there tied. That could have been a situation where we didn’t respond, but we did. You just saw it every round, where there were situations where it could have gone the wrong way but the experience the guys picked up of having to park the wins and losses quickly were a huge benefit.”

So about that contract? Armstrong said during the Western Conference final against San Jose that his coaching search was down to a list “of one.” On Friday, he didn’t say anything that should discourage anyone from believing that the job still belongs to Berube, but was honest about where the topic stood.

“Ultimately it just comes down to business,” Armstrong said. “We’re trying to work toward something and ultimately we hope to get something done. It’s like with a player, you hope for the best and we hope it works out, but until it gets done, it’s not done. He and I talk every day and we want him to be our coach. We’ve just got to get something done here. There’s no real time constraint on it, but free agency, players want to know who their coach is. We want it to be Craig, like there’s no question we just have to find something that both sides can live with and that’s just today’s NHL. We’ve had it with players and you have it with coaches. You work all the way up until you get it done or it doesn’t work out.”

If it works out like the Blues’ plan to trade a first-round pick in a package for O’Reilly a year ago, then everything will be fine.

“Yeah, sometimes the plan works out well,” Armstrong said, as he shook more hands and watched his counterparts do all the drafting Friday.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148023 Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Draft: Lightning select Nolan Foote as its No. 27 pick

By Diana C. Nearhos and Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

The Lightning’s first-round draft pick celebrated with a new teammate before he even reached the stage. Nolan Foote got a big hug from his brother Cal, who is already in the system, after being picked 27th overall.

Nolan, a left wing, is now lined up to play with Cal, a defenseman, in a few years. The Lightning selected Cal 14th overall in 2017.

“It’s crazy to now be in the same organization in the NHL,” Nolan told reporters in Vancouver. “We didn’t think anything of it; we just thought it would be cool. But now it’s real and I can’t wait to celebrate with him.”

He added that Cal has been his biggest support throughout the draft process. The two played together in juniors, including on the same power play unit. Nolan believes they have some brother chemistry when on the ice at the same time.

Jon Cooper was ready with a quip about “two great feet” in his interview on the NBCSN broadcast.

“First of all, when the player comes up and is taller than the coach and the GM, that’s a good sign at this age,” he said of 6-foot-3, 189-pound, 18-year-old Foote.

Meet No. 27, Nolan Foote! ⚡️ #NHLDraft https://t.co/X0cS8Gk6gU

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 22, 2019

Their father Adam played 19 NHL seasons and won the Stanley Cup twice with Colorado. So there are some good hockey genes in the Foote family.

This season, Foote scored 63 points, including 36 goals, in 66 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. He’s a goal scorer with room for improvement in his skating before he makes the NHL.

Foote said he talked to the Lightning and the combine but didn’t have an inkling he was on their board.

Before the draft, Julien BriseBois said the Lightning wouldn’t be considering need and would stick to its ranking. Outside of the top five picks, draftees likely won’t see the NHL for a few years. No team can really know what it will need years from now, so going for the best available makes the most sense.

This was the first of the Lightning’s six picks in this year’s draft. Barring any trades, Tampa Bay still has picks No. 89 (third round), 120 (fourth), 182 (sixth), 198 and 213 (seventh).

The Lightning did not have a first-round pick last season. Tampa Bay traded it to the Rangers as part of the trade package for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. This year’s second round pick was also included.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148024 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s home opener will be Oct. 3 against Florida Panthers

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Tampa Bay Lightning fans can finally count down the days. Only 104 days stand between now and the Thursday, Oct. 3 season opener at Amalie Arena.

After wrapping up seven preseason games in September (three of which will be played at home), the Lightning will take on the Florida Panthers in their first official game of the 2019-20 season. The team announced the date of the home opener on Friday.

This is the seventh time Tampa Bay has kicked off the year against its cross-state rival, owning a 4-2-0 record in that span.

The Lightning will also travel to Sunrise for the Panthers’ home opener the following Saturday, Oct. 5.

The full NHL schedule will be announced at noon Tuesday in a 30-minute program on the NHL Network that also will be streamed on nhl.com.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148025 Tampa Bay Lightning

What does long-term injured reserve mean for Lightning’s salary cap?

By Diana C. Nearhos

Published Yesterday

Two specters have been looming over the Lightning since the season ended: its playoff embarrassment and the salary cap.

Everyone is still working to move on from the first-round sweep loss to the Blue Jackets, but putting Ryan Callahan on long-term injured reserve does alleviate some of the cap issues.

The Lightning announced Thursday that Callahan has been diagnosed with a degenerative back disease, has been advised to not play again and would be put on long-term injured reserve.

The move doesn’t simply take Callahan’s $5.8 million off the books. His cap hit remains. The long-term injured reserve designation gives the Lightning the ability to exceed the cap limit by up to $5.8 million.

Last season’s cap was $79.5 million. The new cap, reported to be between $81 million and $82 million, likely will be announced next week.

“Using (long-term injured reserve) is not ideal,” general manager Julien BriseBois said. “But it looks like that will be our best option for this year.”

But getting to go over the salary cap fixes everything, right? Not so fast. It’s a complicated issue.

A team’s cap hit is calculated daily, and a team can save any available funds for later use. That’s part of why the term “deadline cap space” gets thrown around as the trade deadline approaches. Teams can appear to go over the cap limit because a) they have to pay only the remaining portion of an acquired player’s salary and b) they have saved money up to that point of the season.

But money from long-term injured reserve relief can’t be saved. The money is there only to give a team relief if its average payroll begins to exceed the cap limit. It’s essentially use it or lose it.

The Callahan move does mean the Lightning — with a cap hit as of Friday of $76.1 million, according to the salary website Cap Friendly — has money to work with right now. That’s important for re-signing players (for example, Brayden Point, who can be a restricted free agent July 1) and bring in free agents.

Speaking of Point, BriseBois said he has been talking to Point’s agent, Gerry Johannson (who also is Braydon Coburn’s agent), and they planned to meet in Vancouver during draft activities this week. He said he was confident they would agree on a deal but he didn’t have a time line in mind.

It’s possible they are waiting for the 2019-20 cap figure to know better what the Lightning has to work with.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148026 Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Draft: Where are the last five No. 27 draft picks?

By Diana C. Nearhos

Published Yesterday

Ah, lucky No. 27.

The Lightning is picking late in the 2019 NHL Draft, a position the team is very familiar with. Tampa Bay has had a pick in the top 15 only twice in the last seven years. That’s a good thing; it means the Lightning has been good enough to make the playoffs and stay out of the lottery.

So what does the 27th overall pick look like? We looked at the last five players drafted in that spot and found where they are now.

2018, Nicolas Beaudin

The Blackhawks picked Beaudin, a defenseman out of the QMJHL. He returned to Drummondville this season and put up 56 points (seven goals, 49 assists) in 53 games and helped the Voltigeurs to the second round of the playoffs.

Beaudin signed with the Blackhawks in November and is expected to play in the AHL next season.

2017, Morgan Frost

The Flyers drafted Frost, a center out of the OHL. He returned to Sault Ste. Marie for the past two seasons, putting up big numbers. Frost recorded 112 points with 42 goals the season after being drafted and a similar 109 points this year.

Frost’s future is undetermined. He could head back to the OHL for another year. The Flyers could decide to add that playmaking ability to their roster.

2016, Brett Howden

The Lightning selected Howden, a center out of the WHL. He returned to the Moose Jaw Warriors to put up 81 points, reported to the AHL for five games once his season ended, and headed back to the Warriors last season.

Here’s where his path differs than the others’. Midseason, playing in a different league, Howden was traded, part of the package for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller (interestingly, 2011 27th overall pick Vladislav Namestnikov was also part of that trade).

Howden spent this season in the NHL, and posted 23 points (17 assists) in 66 games with the rebuilding Rangers.

2015, Jacob Larsson

The Ducks drafted Larsson, a defenseman out of Sweden. He stayed in the Swedish league for another season, winning the championship with Frolunda, before starting his North American career.

After playing four games in Oct, 2016, Larsson was loaned back to Frolunda to finish out that season. He spent the following year in the AHL and bounced between the AHL and NHL this season. In all, Larsson has played 53 NHL games in parts of two seasons.

2014, Nikolay Goldobin

The Sharks picked Goldobin, a Russian left wing out of the OHL. He played the following year in the Finnish league and joined the AHL affiliate for the end of the season.

Goldobin got tastes of the NHL but spent most of two years with the AHL Barracuda before being traded to Vancouver with a fourth round pick for Jannick Hansen.

Last year, Goldobin split his time between Utica (AHL) and Vancouver, finally an official rookie and this year he was a full-time NHLer, scoring 27 points (20 assists) in 63 games.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148027 Tampa Bay Lightning “He’s a big powerful winger,” Cal said of Nolan. “He can shoot the puck like no other. But he can also defend, and play both ends of the ice. He’s a smart hockey player, knows where he needs to be.”

Both feet in: Lightning double down on Foote family, draft Cal’s brother Nolan said he models his game after Jets star Mark Scheifele for the way Nolan he shoots, finding holes in scoring areas and his hockey IQ. TSN director of scouting Craig Button, who has seen Nolan a lot the last three years, has a more appropriate NHL comp: Flyers winger James Van Riemsdyk, By Joe Smith Jun 21, 2019 a two-time 30-goal scorer.

“He’s a big body scorer,” Button said. “Gets in and around the net. He’s a lower-case JVR type.” VANCOUVER — During childhood pickup games in their backyard, Cal Foote and younger brother Nolan used to talk about the pipe dream of If there’s one thing Nolan needs to improve, much like his big brother, is one day playing together in the NHL. skating. Murray believes that when Nolan puts on some more muscle, the strength will help in that area. Adam, who coaches Nolan in Kelowna, Their father, former Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote, 48, marveled at can help. how different his sons were. “He’s still developing,” Adam said. “At that level, the NHL level, it’s hard “All (Nolan) cared about was shooting,” the elder Foote said, laughing. to tell where guys are going to fit in. I’m not going to sit here and say he’ll “And Cal wanted to play in goal. I’m like, ‘Not a chance you’re playing be a top-six or top-three (player). All I know is he’s going to be excited. goal.’ I remember Patrick Roy for way too long. Goalies are weird.” I’m sure he’ll do whatever they ask.” Want to talk about strange? Take the scene near the end of the first Cal just wrapped up his first full pro season with AHL Syracuse, where he round of Friday’s NHL Draft at the Rogers Arena. There was Nolan, a bounced back from some early growing pains to become a top-pairing Kelowna left winger, getting selected by the Lightning No. 27 overall — caliber player for the Crunch down the stretch. Syracuse coach Ben nearly two years to the day that Cal, a defenseman, was picked No. 14 Groulx said Foote progressed as much or more than anyone on the by Tampa Bay. team, especially in the maturity of handling difficult moments and “I was just shaking, happy, smiling,” Nolan, 18, said. “I couldn’t believe it.” struggles.

Cal, 20, was the first to hug his brother, telling him, “I’m proud of you.” “He’s got to get faster, stronger, so he’s got to feel his body,” Groulx said. “Obviously speed is something everyone has to work on. You can’t THE FOOTE BROTHERS. BOTH MEMBERS OF THE @TBLIGHTNING. project, ‘This guy is going to need a year or two.’ I like Cal Foote’s PIC.TWITTER.COM/TMAKZV45YH progression. Next year, his role will be increased here. He’s ready for that maturity-wise. — NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) JUNE 22, 2019 “I think we’re going to see a different player next year.” Thirty minutes later, their father was still shaking his head. Cal and Nolan had been teammates in junior with Kelowna (Western Hockey League). Adam Foote, a former second-rounder who played 1,154 games in the But come on. NHL, said he appreciates the patient way Tampa Bay has approached Cal’s development. “Disbelief,” Adam, 48, said. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that before. I remember the boys talking about it here and there. But it never crossed “They were hard on him early and he responded,” Adam said. “They do a my mind it could be possible. It’s almost like winning something.” great job. What I like is they don’t push or force, especially D-men. You’ve got to be ready to make that jump. And I think Tampa has been Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray said selecting Nolan, a pretty smart with how they’ve handled him.” 6-foot-4, 195-pound winger, wasn’t unexpected to them. They had Foote in a group of five players they wanted after the initial top 12-15 had gone As Cal waited for Nolan to finish his array of post-draft interviews, he off the board. While forwards Bobby Brink, Brayden Tracey (whom shared hugs on the concourse with a bunch of friends and family. You Tampa Bay interviewed twice at the combine) and Arthur Kalieyev were couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. available, Tampa Bay brass headed to the stage midway through their three-minute window. “I still can’t believe it,” Cal said. “It was like my draft, it doesn’t feel like it’s real. This is the best-case scenario for us and our family. Can’t wait to They had their man. celebrate.”

“He’s got an NHL shot right now,” Murray said. “A quick release. Hard The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 shot. He’s a big boy who plays with some edge. He’s a good skater and we think he’s got room to improve.

“With him, we feel like he’s just scratching the surface.”

BROTHERS SELECTED IN 1ST RD OF NHL DRAFT BY SAME TEAM.

DAVE (NO. 17, 1978) & MARK HUNTER (NO. 7, 1981) – MTL

DUANE (NO. 17, 1979) & BRENT SUTTER (NO. 17, 1980) – NYI

DANIEL (NO. 2, 1999) & HENRIK SEDIN (NO. 3, 1999) -VAN

CAL (NO. 14, 2017) & NOLAN FOOTE (NO. 27, 2019) – TBL

— TOM GULITTI (@TOMGULITTINHL) JUNE 22, 2019

Cal said it feels like a long time ago when he heard his name called at the United Center in Chicago. He remembered how nervous he was, thinking the day was taking forever as he waited for the draft to start. Cal was a huge resource for Nolan, giving him advice on the NHL Scouting Combine and interviews to preparing for the day. Even Adam learned from last time, when he pored over mock drafts before Cal was picked. This time, dad just let it go. “It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions,” Adam said.

Adam said Nolan and Cal are “best friends,” and the two share a close bond. So who better to give a scouting report on Nolan, a 36-goal scorer for Kelowna, than his big brother? 1148028 Tampa Bay Lightning and Callahan was notably made the team’s 13th forward after the All-Star break this season. He wasn’t always available, although he did play in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against Columbus, the final game What Ryan Callahan’s career-ending injury means for the Lightning of the Lightning’s season (and his career). offseason “It’s been a couple years now, but this is the year where it was a bit unbearable,” Callahan said. “This year was the worst it’s been. We did treatments and different things to help me get through, which did help. By Joe Smith Jun 21, 2019 But at the end of the day, the whole year was day to day (with) how I felt and how my back felt.”

Callahan, a father of three, said the injury won’t impact his quality of life VANCOUVER — When the season ended, veteran wing Ryan Callahan post-career, noting that daily non-contact exercises help. The Rochester, figured he was probably “on the outside looking in” on the Tampa Bay N.Y., native said he plans to return with his family to Tampa next season, Lightning roster, largely due to the team’s salary cap crunch. as his kids are already established in area schools. Callahan said the But Callahan, 34, still wanted to finish out the final year of his contract — Lightning have approached him about playing an undetermined role with and maybe sign another one — even if it meant he was dealt or bought the organization (he won’t officially retire until after next season, out this summer. deservedly claiming the final $4.8 million he’s owed).

That was until a few visits with specialists in late April confirmed the “If everything lined up, certainly we’d be interested in it,” BriseBois said of worst: that his chronic back pain that became “unbearable” during the a future role for Callahan. “It’s just too bad a guy like that doesn’t get to season would end his career. Diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, go out on his own terms.” Callahan was told he should never play hockey again. For now, Callahan will have a chance to focus more on his family and the “Just devastating,” Callahan said by phone Thursday night. “I’m truly pediatric cancer foundation (The Ryan Callahan Foundation) he and wife, disappointed I didn’t get a chance to win the Cup — that will always stay Kyla, have created. The work with those courageous kids has brought with me. Something I wish I would have done. But at the end of the day, Callahan a refreshed perspective the past few years. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful career. There’s no complaints.” “You realize this game, this is a job at the end of the day,” Callahan said. The fact that the team announced the news Thursday, on the eve of the “You hug your kids a bit more every night. You see their families and typically trade-heavy NHL Draft weekend, seemed curious, especially what their kids are going through, I realize that (hockey) is a very small with the Lightning — along with other teams around the league — part of my life. I’m very lucky and blessed to have the health of my kids knowing for more than a month that Callahan was done. and my family.”

Once they learned the news, the Lightning could plan their offseason with Callahan, a former Rangers captain, scored 132 goals and 254 points the understanding that they wouldn’t have to give up assets to move over his 13 seasons in the NHL. (Steve Roberts / USA Today) Callahan’s $5.8 million cap hit, nor did they have to buy him out. They will Callahan isn’t the only veteran who could be leaving the Lightning locker put Callahan on the long-term injured reserve list, which will provide room. Defensemen Anton Stralman and Dan Girardi are expected to some cap relief. enter next week’s unrestricted free agent interview period without Tampa Bay, which needs to add another defenseman and re-sign RFA contracts from Tampa Bay. BriseBois said he hasn’t ruled out a return by Brayden Point, now can basically exceed the cap ceiling in the amount of either defenseman, but said, “I don’t have a definitive answer one way or his cap hit. But it’s a little more complicated than that — the Lightning another.” simply do not have $5.8 million extra sitting around to throw at free Even having re-signed veteran defenseman Braydon Coburn to a two- agents. year, $3.4 million deal earlier this week, Tampa Bay still has only six As CapFriendly explains, if the Lightning submit their 23-man roster and blueliners under contract for next season. Unless Tampa Bay decides to it comes in at $85 million, they can place Callahan on LTIR the last day put Mikhail Sergachev in the top pair with Victor Hedman, the franchise of training camp, but his $5.8 million cap hit will only cover the $3 million could be in the market for a top-four-caliber, right-shot defenseman on they’re over the NHL’s $82 million ceiling — leaving them wasting $2.8 the trade market. million they could have used and left with no wiggle room when it comes “It’s a work in progress,” BriseBois said of his blue line. “We’ll see what to recalls and trades during the season. And it’d be harder to accrue cap comes out of this weekend in Vancouver.” space for later in the season. Unlike last year, the Lightning will have a selection in Friday’s first round Still, the Lightning are in a better position to make a move at this of the NHL Draft (27th overall), one of six picks over the next couple of weekend’s draft, and they are believed to have interest in Buffalo days. When asked if he’d consider moving that first-round pick in a trade, defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, among other right-shot defensemen. BriseBois said, “Anything is possible, but I expect us to select the 27th But they are still going to have to be creative. Currently, there is $5.8 pick.” million in cap space, and that’s with the projection of an $82 million BriseBois has taken care of some offseason business, including ceiling. There are many different ways this offseason can go. extending qualifying offers to all of the team’s restricted free agents, from “We have serious cap constraints,” GM Julien BriseBois said. “But the Brayden Point to Cedric Paquette, Adam Erne, Danick Martel, Carter reason we have serious cap constraints is that we have a number of Verhaeghe, Dominik Mašín and Ben Thomas. The big name, of course, good players signed to contracts. We’re happy with those players and is Point, who is due a massive raise this summer. those contracts. I’d much rather have to deal with the challenge of not Though talks have been slow so far and could pick up this weekend, having a lot of cap space to go out on the free agent market than having there’s optimism on both sides. to deal with the challenge of putting together a team that has all these players we have. “I do feel good about it,” BriseBois said. “Because we want Brayden to come back, and he wants to come back. He’s made it clear to us. The “We have some limitations in terms of what we can do this summer with dialogue has been constructive.” our cap constraints. But we’re exploring every option. And if there’s something that makes sense, we’ll obviously do it.” While some believe there could be the threat of an offer sheet this summer among the high-profile RFAs, BriseBois doesn’t appear Framing Callahan’s career-ending injury in cap context doesn’t seem fair concerned. Nor will it impact the timelines of their talks. to the former Rangers captain. He’s been a heart-and-soul player for the Lightning since he was acquired in the Martin St. Louis trade with New “That’s a tool allowed under the CBA, but at this point, my focus is York in 2014. Callahan has been a big presence in the dressing room, signing Brayden Point, not on avoiding offer sheets.” his fearless and relentless play on the ice contagious. He’s struggled to stay healthy the past three years, going through several hip surgeries. Even with the Lightning knowing Callahan would not count completely toward their cap for next year, there’s still some mystery as to what the But Callahan could never shake the nagging back issues, which have league’s salary cap ceiling will be, though it is projected to be between bothered him for a couple of years. They impacted his abilities on the ice, $81.5 million and $83 million. But BriseBois said that uncertainty hasn’t swayed him from pursuing opportunities.

“I have a ballpark (number) that is pretty tight,” BriseBois said. “So I have a good idea that I can navigate over the next couple days until we find out the exact numbers.”

BriseBois said there was no strategy involved in waiting to announce Callahan’s career-ending injury, other than it was on a day he was scheduled to speak with the media. But the resulting cap relief could make them an interesting team to watch the next few days in Vancouver.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148029 Tampa Bay Lightning I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying definitively. I would have to go back and look at tape I had on him. I like him. It wouldn’t shock me if he made the team. I think he could use another year. (Erik) Cernak started the Q&A: Breaking down the Tampa Bay Lightning draft and prospect pool year in Syracuse last year, and I thought he surprised everybody with with Corey Pronman how good he was right away last season. Do they have a pressing need for a right-hand defenseman? I think (Mikhail) Sergachev is an X factor — is he going to take the next step?

By Joe Smith Jun 21, 2019 Cal Foote has a chance to start next season with the Lightning, but Corey Pronman makes it sound unlikely. (Reinhold Matay / USA Today)

Which prospects might have the best chance to make the jump to the VANCOUVER — The Tampa Bay Lightning likely wish they weren’t NHL out of camp? drafting at all in the first round of Friday’s NHL Draft. I figured Stephens would be the first up. Volkov is there too. I figured Had they won the Stanley Cup, their first-round selection (now 27th (Alex Barre) Boulet would be an option next season and potentially overall) would have gone to the New York Rangers as part of a condition Stephens as a fourth-line center. They’ve talked very highly of Boulet in of their blockbuster trade for Ryan McDonagh in 2018. It’d be a worthy Tampa. I think he’s in the mix next year. tradeoff. Raddysh likely needs another year; him and Katchouk are probably a Instead, Tampa Bay execs have been meeting all week in Vancouver year from banging on the door. Volkov needs more time. But he seems to with the idea that they could inject some talent into their prospect pool. do well in training camp, so who knows? Even with former GM Steve Yzerman gone, the core of the organization’s scouting staff remains intact, so the philosophies are similar to what How would you rate the Lightning’s drafting in the first round? There are they’ve been for the last eight years. The Lightning typically make their only a couple of first-rounders left now from the past eight drafts, only picks based on the best player available, not need, valuing hockey Foote and Andrei Vasilevskiy remain. sense, skating ability and skill over size. You can get a sense of their strategy in this profile of scouting director Al Murray. It’s been a mixed bag. Their picks in Rounds 3 and later covered up a mediocre first-round draft for that stretch. We’ll see what happens with With the help of The Athletic prospect guru Corey Pronman, we took a (Brett) Howden (traded to the Rangers). Foote is going to play. DeAngelo look at the state of Tampa Bay’s system, what players they might end up was a big headache but is obviously playing games right now. I don’t with in the first round and which prospects would be the most valuable as mind that pick at 20; it was a fair value. Drouin at No. 3 (in 2013) is an trade chips this summer. You can follow along all weekend with The impact player. (Slater) Koekkoek at 10 (in 2012) was a disaster. Athletic’s Draft Guide. Vasilevskiy at 19 (in 2012) was good. The (Namestnikov) pick at 27 was OK. The (Nikita) Kucherov pick (in the second round) saved them. There Corey, you ranked the Lightning 30th overall in your NHL prospect pool were a couple good ones but some crap in there, too. I think Foote at 14, rankings this past year. What is your take on their system? you’re hoping for some more. I like him, but you look at guys that went Looking at their system now, they don’t have a lot of high-end skilled after him like Robert Thomas. Is he going to hit that level? Not saying he forwards at the top. Look at (Taylor) Raddysh, (Boris) Katchouk, can’t. But there’s a mild reason for thinking he wasn’t the 14th-best (Mitchell) Stephens, (Gabriel) Fortier — there’s a lot of role kind of player in the draft. players. Hard-working, PK, energy types. All those guys have offensive I WAS TOLD THAT TAMPA'S LATER-ROUND HITS WERE JUST ability. Raddysh, Fortier can make plays. (Alex) Volkov has skill. But "LUCK", AND THAT THE NYR AREN'T ALL THAT BAD DRAFTING there’s probably not a first-round caliber prospect skill-wise at the BETWEEN ROUNDS 3-7 COMPARED TO EVERYONE ELSE. moment. WELL, WRONG. SINCE 2014-17, TAMPA'S THE BEST AT GETTTING Who do you see the Lightning potentially taking in the first round at No. NHL GAMES FROM ITS 3RD TO 7TH ROUNDERS; NYR ONE OF THE 27? WORST PIC.TWITTER.COM/HRMYDQCSDA You can see what happens, if Nils Hoglander, Bobby Brink, Nicholas — STEVE KOURNIANOS (@THEDRAFTANALYST) JUNE 8, 2019 Roberston could be a fit there. Brayden Tracey. Those are the kinds of guys with a little more offense than guys they’ve drafted. Part of it also, I’m sure, is that the Lightning are routinely picking in the mid-to-late first round, not top-10 picks like before. Is that why it might In Pronman’s latest mock draft, he had Tampa Bay going with Moncton make sense not to trade this first-rounder? LW Jakob Pelletier or Tracey, profiled here, who met twice with the Lightning at the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo and is from the same I’m sure Al Murray wasn’t pleased with my (ranking them 30th), but it is Moose Jaw junior program that Brayden Point came from. “He’s got high what it is. There are a lot of guys in their system that are lower-end, third- puck skills … a high, high hockey IQ,” said Moose Jaw coach Tim , fourth-line guys, third-pair guys. That’s what their system is right now. I Hunter. “He’s going to be a great player, in my opinion.” was talking to some guys at the (NHL scouting combine) this week, and people can say “This team has the best scouts,” but if you’re taking away I think it’s possible they could go with a D there. (Alex) Vlasic would bullets, you’re not going to be able to kill anybody. As good a (group of) make sense. He and Cal Foote are not the same player, but you’re scouts as you think your team has, if you don’t have the picks, it makes it looking at the same type of thing: a smart, big D, not incredibly fast or really hard on them. It’s a mixed bag in terms of drafting. You get skilled, but a nice solid player. I think you look at Foote, Dmitri Semykin, (Brayden) Point, Kucherov, (Anthony) Cirelli, (Mathieu) Joseph and they haven’t really drafted a puck-moving D in a long time. Ryan Johnson (Ondrej Palat), it makes all those other issues go away very quickly. would make a lot of sense, Lassi Thomson, Tobias Björnfot. There’s not a whole lot of really good skating and skill from the back end in their With it being trade season as we lead up to the NHL Draft and free system. agency window, what prospects do the Lightning have that they could use as trade chips? Check out the above prospects’ bios in Pronman’s top 107 prospects breakdown. I don’t think Tampa has a whole lot. Barre-Boulet and Foote are the two most interesting players to other teams. Both of those guys could play in What did you see from Foote last year, his first pro season with the near future. And looking at the amateur ranks, Sammy Walker, a lot Syracuse? of teams talk about him. He had a really good, big freshman year at I saw him a decent amount. I thought he played well. There are times Minnesota. I think he could play in the NHL. He’s a player that a lot of where I thought he’d play well, and then his skating got exposed at that people are kicking themselves over. level. That said, there was a time where he made some high-end plays. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 I’m not sure if he’s ready for the next level — he may need another year. He’s going to play for them, but I just don’t think he’ll be a top-four guy.

So Foote is likely not someone who could make the Lightning out of camp? 1148030 Toronto Maple Leafs

Two all-Canadian matchups set for first night of 2019-20 NHL season

THE CANADIAN PRESS

PUBLISHED JUNE 21, 2019

UPDATED JUNE 21, 2019

Four Canadian teams will be in action on the first night of the 2019-20 NHL season on Oct. 2.

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators and the Edmonton Oilers entertain the Vancouver Canucks in two of the four contests on the first night of the 1,271-game schedule.

The NHL announced home openers for all teams Friday and will unveil the full schedule on Tuesday.

Also on the first night of the season, the St. Louis Blues open defence of their Stanley Cup title against the visiting Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights host the San Jose Sharks in a rematch of a first- round playoff series.

The Calgary Flames’ home opener is Oct. 5 against Vancouver, while the Senators play their first game in Ottawa the same day against the New York Rangers.

The Canucks open their home schedule Oct. 9 against the Los Angeles Kings. One night later, the Winnipeg Jets play their home opener against the Minnesota Wild and the Canadiens play their first game in Montreal against the Detroit Red Wings.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148031 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs’ scouts will get busy Saturday at the NHL draft

Kevin McGran

Fri., June 21, 2019timer3 min. read

VANCOUVER—The Maple Leafs didn’t have a pick in the first round of the NHL draft Friday— they traded their pick to Los Angeles for defenceman Jake Muzzin in January — so that amps up the pressure on the team’s scouts Saturday.

Toronto has seven picks in the final six rounds, the first one coming with the 53rd selection.

“They will get a guy that is between No. 25 and No. 35 on their final list due to their variance from the other 30 teams,” said Mark Seidel, the chief scout for North American Central Scouting. “It is hard to determine who will fall, but I’d fully expect the Leafs to swing for the fences at that slot and perhaps take an older player or someone who has speed and skill but also has other warts.

“(GM Kyle) Dubas has always shied away from the safe pick and this year won’t be any different.”

The Leafs also have picks scheduled in the third (84), fourth (115 and 121), fifth (146) and seventh (204, 208) rounds

Toronto has never chosen 53rd, but good players have been found at that number, though. The Red Wings struck gold in 1989 taking future hall of famer Nicklas Lidstrom at 53. The Panthers chose David Booth, who eventually played for the Leafs, at that spot in 2004. And current NHLers defenceman Travis Hamonic and winger William Karlsson were also taken at 53.

It usually takes three or four years for players taken after the first round to make the NHL, if they make it at all.

If the goal is to get two NHLers out of every draft, then the pressure is not just on the Leafs scouting staff to find a diamond in the rough, but for the team’s developmental coaches to bring them along as professionals. There are 16 amateur scouts working under Jim Paliafito, the senior director of player evaluation, and John Lilley, the director of amateur scouting.

“The scouting staff, a lot of the guys have been here for a long time,” Dubas said. “Our player development staff, led by Scott Pellerin and Stephane Robidas and Hayley Wichkenheiser, they’ve done great work with our guys.

“It’s exciting to see that. The two departments — and I know it’s not always the case in sports — they really work closely together, in concert with one another. There’s no conflict between draft and develop. They draft and then they work together to know what their weaknesses are and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to development.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148032 Toronto Maple Leafs This won’t make some happy. The first-round loss to Boston still stings, and the overall Toronto sports landscape has been changed by the success of the Raptors. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is basking The Leafs’ off-season excitement begins at home this year in the glory of that NBA championship, understanding that a big trade last summer with San Antonio completely altered the season’s outcome for their basketball franchise.

By Damien CoxContributing Columnist MLSE knows the Leafs are close to taking a similarly large step forward, but should also recognize one NHL player cannot make the same impact Fri., June 21, 2019 as one NBA player like Kawhi Leonard.

A year after losing in the first round and luring Tavares to Toronto, the The situation is the same, yet different. Leafs are in the same place but a very different position. Until Marner gets done, they must mind their dollars and move more incrementally The Maple Leafs go into draft weekend after losing in the first round of and conservatively. the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third straight spring. But last year, the club was positioned to make a significant strike in free agency and, a few Toronto Star LOADED: 06.22.2019 days later, it landed marquee centre John Tavares.

His addition, along with another year of experience for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, was supposed to substantially enhance Toronto’s chances at challenging for the Cup. But Nylander didn’t sign until December, and while Tavares, Matthews and Marner all had strong regular seasons, the result was a slight dip to 100 points and a second consecutive opening-round defeat to Boston.

So here we are again, except no one is expecting a Tavares-like free- agent splash for GM Kyle Dubas this summer. Teams like Edmonton, the New York Rangers, Columbus, Carolina and Winnipeg look to be serious about making major moves, but the Leafs are in a different category.

The goal of signing Marner by July 1 appears to be in serious jeopardy, although it’s worth noting that none of the many high-profile restricted free agents have signed either. One, defenceman Jacob Trouba, already had his rights traded to New York by the Jets.

There are expected to be significant roster deletions, with defencemen Jake Gardiner, an unrestricted free agent, and Nikita Zaitsev, who has asked for a trade, at the top of the list. But instead of creating room for another significant player, those payroll trims should mostly be spent on Marner.

So exactly how is the NHL’s seventh best team during the regular season going to get better?

There are certainly names out there on the trading block, players like P.K. Subban, Tyson Barrie, Chris Kreider and Jesse Puljujarvi, who has told Edmonton he would rather play in Finland than continue to be an Oiler. Kasperi Kapanen’s name is out there, and so is Connor Brown, with links again to the Oilers. Nazem Kadri’s future is uncertain after another damaging suspension in the playoffs, but replacing Kadri is no easy deal and this would have to be for more than just cap relief.

Assuming there is no Tavares-like star coming this summer, the path to getting better for the Leafs consists of Marner getting signed soon and continuing to get better, Matthews and Nylander continuing to develop into elite NHLers, Morgan Rielly solidifying his status as a top NHL rearguard and the modified coaching staff under Mike Babcock finding a way to get more out of this young roster as it matures.

One intriguing area to watch is between the pipes. For the third straight spring, the Leafs were out-goaltended in the playoffs, with Freddie Andersen getting most of the work. Despite claims last season by prominent media members that Andersen was one of the best goalies in the league, he wasn’t. Vezina Trophy voting had the workhorse Leafs goalie tied for 10th with John Gibson of Anaheim and Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom. So based on the opinions of the league’s general managers, Anderson is regarded as a middle-tier starter.

And there was a major drop-off in backup goaltending last season, going from Curtis McElhinney to Garret Sparks. The Leafs have goalie prospects in the system, including draft picks Joseph Woll and Ian Scott, but nobody is ready to jump in and challenge Andersen. This would seem to be an area where Dubas could make an impact, improving on the league’s 12th best goals-against numbers last season.

In general, the moves the Leafs are likeliest to make should be subtle and internal. You can’t totally dismiss the possibility that Dubas might come up with a big move — Kadri seems the likeliest possibility — but it just seems promoting players from the AHL Marlies and giving a couple of Euro free agents a shot seems more where this is heading in the next few weeks. 1148033 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs coach Mike Babcock backs expanded video review

By Kevin McGran

Fri., June 21, 2019

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock thinks it’s a “good thing” that the NHL is expanding video review, allowing coaches to challenge more calls.

In addition to challenges for offside and goalie interference, coaches may now challenge goal calls on the ice that follow plays that should have resulted in a play stoppage but did not. If the coach is wrong, his team gets a delay-of-game penalty. If the coach is wrong a second time in the game, it’s a double minor.

“The biggest thing is they made it real clear, you have to be right,” Babcock said as he exited a meeting of the NHL Coaches Association. “We all want it to be right. The referees want it to be right, the fans want it to be right. So I think that’s a good thing.”

The fact that teams could incur penalties means coaches will probably not challenge instances that are too close to call.

Examples of allowable challenges includes pucks that hit the protective spectator netting, pucks that are high-sticked to a teammate in the offensive zone, and hand passes that lead to the scoring of a goal. Discretionary stoppages, like a missed tripping call, are not challengeable.

Another change will see the attacking team choose its faceoff dot following an icing, as well as at the beginning of any power play.

“It’s real good, the centre going on the ice is going to know where he wants it to be,” Babcock said. “Ideally, it’s an advantage. It’s all about offence.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148034 Toronto Maple Leafs We would be surprised if Dubas doesn’t make a trade of some consequence before the weekend is over. And if not, then the likelihood remains that he laid the groundwork for trades to come at some point Leafs have firm date to start season, but Dubas' roster roster remains in during the off-season. Minutes before the draft started, he made his way flux over to the Blues table and chatted with St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong.

Meanwhile, that the Leafs didn’t select a player in the first round for the first time since 2010 shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a negative, Terry Koshan considering the cap balancing act that Dubas will have to walk for the next few years — and the fact they’re stocked with excellent first- Published:June 22, 2019 rounders as it is. Updated:June 22, 2019 12:06 AM EDT The Leafs don’t have a player on their roster from the 2010 draft, and of the seven picks they made that year, only three — Greg McKegg, Petter Granberg and Sam Carrick — played in the NHL. VANCOUVER — We know when the Maple Leafs will open the 2019-20 regular season. It’s what came in the ensuing years in the first around that helped the Leafs attain the status they have in the league now. Throw out 2011, The night of Oct. 2, a Wednesday, to be exact. which produced Tyler Biggs at No. 22 (no NHL games) and at No. 25 (12 NHL games), and the Leafs got it right for the majority of The Leafs will play host to the Ottawa Senators as the National Hockey the years that followed, starting with Morgan Rielly at No. 5 in 2012 and League kicks off with four games, including a match of the two most continuing, in order, with Frederik Gauthier, William Nylander, Marner, recent Stanley Cup champions, the Blues and Capitals, in St. Louis. Auston Matthews, Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin. Oh, to have a crystal ball to peer into the future to get a firm grip on what The rest of the NHL schedule, meanwhile, is slated to be released on the Leafs’ roster will look like on opening night. Tuesday at 12 p.m. Eastern. If the rumours flying around Rogers Arena as the 2019 NHL draft kicked The indications are clear that changes, more than a few in all probability, off on Friday night are any indication, the Leafs, as we know them, are will have been made by Dubas by the time the Leafs get going again. done. Now, it’s really just a matter of time. And just more than an hour before the draft got under way, there was Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas along the side boards, deep in Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.22.2019 conversation with Nashville Predators GM David Poile.

It wasn’t a simple exchange of greetings. The two talked for nearly 10 minutes, rather significant because earlier in the day, the name of Predators defenceman P.K. Subban popped up in speculation involving the Leafs.

There was no handshake as Dubas and Poile finished talking and made their way to their respective draft tables.

Subban, 30, has an average annual value of $9 million US in each of the next three seasons, and word on the draft floor was that the Preds would retain some salary in a trade.

But let’s pump the brakes a bit and remind that the Leafs don’t exactly have a ton of salary cap space. Like, not much at all, not when Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson have to be signed.

While Dubas has said that signing Marner would be his top priority, there was speculation that the Leafs were getting closer to signing Kapanen. Whether the club would keep Kapanen or use him as a trade piece remains to be seen. Dubas also continues to talk with the agent for Johnsson.

The idea that Dubas would trade Marner, with whom no new contract seems close, is preposterous. We’re of the belief Marner will continue to wear the Leafs colours, and that the speculation regarding an offer sheet will wind up being nothing more than chatter.

Still, the thinking is Marner will listen to other teams once the period to interview restricted free agents opens on Wednesday. It would be in the best interests of agent Darren Ferris, who did not return a message left by the Toronto Sun on Friday, to ensure all options are explored.

The Leafs had to anticipate that signing Marner would not be easy, especially after the 94-point season just produced by No. 16.

Taking into account the salary-cap challenges the Leafs face, they’re being linked to more players across the NHL.

A defenceman would be on the Leafs’ list if they wind up trading Nazem Kadri or Kapanen, and among those mentioned include Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes or Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche.

The Leafs wouldn’t mind moving Patrick Marleau, but a trade with the San Jose Sharks does not appear to be in the offing. And Nikita Zaitsev, of course, wants to play somewhere else.

Connor Brown also could be on the move. And William Nylander can’t be totally secure with his roster spot, even if Dubas gave him a guarantee of some sort last December that he would not be traded. 1148035 Toronto Maple Leafs all murky. Even if they can find that defender, it’s through a trade, which means other assets, valuable ones certainly, out the door.

The offer sheet return is really all question marks that way. Sure, the haul Why the Leafs should match (just about) any offer sheet for Mitch Marner looks mighty appealing in theory: four first round picks! Maybe one even turns into the No. 1 overall pick down the line. First round picks aren’t certain commodities though, and even if one, two, three or even four of By Jonas Siegel Jun 21, 2019 them turn out, most likely aren’t turning out when the Leafs actually need them — now.

And Marner, what he is already and what he’s likely to become, is Kyle Dubas had it right before when he brushed aside any thought of essentially what any team would hope to get in the first overall pick, a letting Mitch Marner, or at that point, any of the Leafs’ other young stars, two-way star. And for the Leafs, one that hails from the area. get snatched away on an offer sheet. The risk, of course, is that in paying a few pretty pennies for Marner — “Can we match it? And the answer, this summer and next summer and Matthews, Tavares, and Nylander — the Leafs won’t be able to (2019), will be, ‘Yes we can match it,'” Dubas said back in October of populate the rest of the lineup with quality players, particularly on 2018. defence. But do we know that for sure? Do we know for certain that the And the Leafs absolutely should in just about any circumstance. Leafs, with their research and development department and large scouting team, couldn’t find diamonds (or even gems) in the rough Let’s start by saying that the chances of Marner actually getting elsewhere and make due? And if they find out they can’t, is it really that presented with an offer sheet (and then signing) are uncertain and difficult to find one or two helpful parts at the trade deadline? probably slim; we’ve seen three offer sheets in the NHL in the last decade. But if some desperate, talent-hungry team does comes along, Like, say, another Jake Muzzin? one that’s willing to give up four first round picks to get Marner, the Leafs Sacrificing stars to pay for depth seems like a foolish way to do business. should send them packing. It also seems like a uniquely hockey thing to do. The system, the one that Why? Marner, and Leon Draisaitl and Nylander and Matthews and all these Well, for starters, Marner turned 22 in May and he’s already an all-world other current star RFAs seem to be challenging, has been set up so that level performer, one who piled up the sixth-most even-strength points in young players, even the brightest ones, have to wait to get paid. But hockey last year. Marner trailed only Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov why? Kucherov put up 128(!) points last season and did so with the and Connor McDavid in even-strength assists, but squashed both in seventh-highest cap hit on his own team. primary even-strength markers; Marner (40) had four more than McDavid One hundred and ninety-two players league-wide were carrying a bigger and six more than Kucherov. cap hit than Kucherov, who was wrapping up a three-year, heist of a deal Some of that, you might say, was the presence of John Tavares, and that carried a $4.76 million cap hit. sure, that’s certainly a factor. But it’s also true that Tavares, over his first That’s exactly what those like Marner are fighting against. nine seasons in the NHL, never had numbers — 47 goals and 88 points — like he did in year one with Marner. Consider, too, that more than half The kind of offer sheet that would make the Leafs squirm and maybe of Tavares’ 47 goals (26) were set up by Marner, and all but three of consider passing is one that likely makes Marner the highest-paid winger those were direct set ups. in the league, an honour that currently belongs to Patrick Kane at $10.5 million. So, you may argue, Marner isn’t better than Kane, isn’t the Since the 2004-05 lockout, these are the only players to put up 224 league’s best winger, why should he get paid like it? Well, for one, if he’s points or more in their first three NHL seasons: Alex Ovechkin; Evgeni not the absolute best winger — that’s Kucherov — then he’s definitely in Malkin; Sidney Crosby; Nicklas Backstrom; McDavid; Artemi Panarin; the top-10. And that’s today. Kucherov took off at 23 — two years older Steven Stamkos; Patrick Kane; and now, Marner. than Marner was last year — when he had 85 points. Then, came 100 at But you know all that. Marner is good. That’s abundantly clear. 24, and finally, 128 ridiculous points as a 25-year-old last season.

He’s almost certain to get better, too. He started killing penalties in the What’s Marner look like in a year or two? Or three or four? Is an Art Ross NHL for the first time last year and was a menace anytime he took the Trophy out of the question? Even an MVP if the stars align right? Does ice. He should improve with experience. He also thrived offensively in Marner have Conn Smythe Trophy potential if the Leafs ever go on a spite of his line’s nightly matchup against opposing top lines, finishing deep playoff run and finally break the Cup drought? with 94 points even while ranking 49th (tie) in power-play points. As we just saw on the NBA side, you win with stars. Kucherov had 27 more power-play points than Marner as the Leafs Asked before the season how the organization decided what number was power play took a definite step backward. Maybe that changes with new best on a long-term deal for their young players, Dubas said the assistant coach and apparent power-play guru Paul McFarland on board. following: Shooting a bit more often last year, Marner also scored a career-high 26 “Brandon Pridham is in charge of all that for us. And he’s one of the best goals and did so on the same 11 percent shooting clip as the year earlier in the sport at that, because of his unique experience of being with the and the year before that. Thirty goals doesn’t seem out of the question league and now being here for five years. You see his intelligence and one day. his ability to build these things out and model them. We also have an Finding that kind of talent, that young, isn’t easy as the Leafs found out in excellent R and D department, led by Darryl Metcalf, and they’re able to the initial aftermath of Mats Sundin’s exit. It’s why, if you’re the Leafs GM, work with Brandon, work together and model things out. you hang onto Marner — and Auston Matthews and William Nylander — “We try to project everybody out — the players, the salary cap, what our as tightly as you possibly can even if the price tag is a little (and maybe a team structure is going to be — and then it’s up to us to continue to work lot) more than you’d like to spend. with our group of players and show, We can make this work. We The Leafs are set up to contend for Stanley Cups over the next 5-7 years absolutely know we can make it work. Here’s how we have to make it (maybe longer) almost entirely because they have Marner to pair with work. Here’s what we need everybody to do.” Tavares, Matthews, Nylander, and Morgan Rielly. Zap Marner from the He added: “Our goal, and theirs, are stated as everyone wants to be here roster and suddenly, the Leafs, while still imposing, don’t offer quite the for a long time so eventually we’ll get to that point.” same variety and depth of game-breaking threats. Without Marner around doing work with Tavares, opposing teams will feel free to pin their Is there a number that’s too high? Is some team out there willing to pay defensive spiders on Matthews. The Leafs’ multi-layered threat won’t Marner even more than Matthews or perhaps something approaching totally vanish with Tavares still around, but it will be undoubtedly McDavid, who’s earning $12.5 million on the cap? Probably not. And diminished. even still, the initial overpay will eventually turn into value as Marner improves and the cap rises. Maybe the Leafs can take the cap space freed by letting Marner walk and use it elsewhere, maybe for the top pair defenceman they need, and maybe the trade-off, plus all those picks, makes it worthwhile. But that’s As Dom Luszczyszyn pointed out last week, Marner is going to deliver a whole bunch of value — top-10 in the league-calibre value over the next eight seasons, to the tune of $12 million per season on the open market.

Pay the stars. You’ll get what you pay for. Pay to create depth and who knows. Depth, mind you, is replaceable, stars aren’t, a point Dubas acknowledged when he made news on Thursday evening in suggesting that maybe the Leafs won’t match any offer sheet for Marner after all. “I would rather, if we’re going to pay our players, pay our top guys, and then force our staff to get creative around the edges of the team,” he said.

Dubas also added in regards to the offer sheet, “But if the dollar amount doesn’t make sense, both in terms of our internal economics and the marketplace and the compensation as such, it’s going to be a decision on our end as to what we do. I wouldn’t know one way or another without knowing more about where those are going to land — if they happen.”

Now, can the Leafs make due next season with Marner eating up $11-12 million on the cap? No, not without some other transactions, like moving out Nikita Zaitsev and Patrick Marleau, and maybe even Connor Brown, too. Or maybe, if some of that’s not doable, the answer is selling Nazem Kadri and/or dealing one of the two other pending UFAs, Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson for help on defence.

Point is it’s not impossible, if not ideal perhaps, to make room. And after the 2019-20 season the Leafs’ cap concerns will ease when (if he’s not moved) Marleau comes off the books.

The answer shouldn’t be parting with the most alluring piece on the roster outside of Matthews. Signing Tavares for $11 million last summer shouldn’t mean that one year later, the Leafs have to part with Marner. The point was to keep them all together — all the stars. That shouldn’t change, even now when the tide is coming in higher than Dubas and the Leafs may have anticipated.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019

1148036 Vegas Golden Knights McCrimmon said the Knights gave little consideration to moving up in the first round and never considered moving down when Krebs was on the board at 17.

Golden Knights take Peyton Krebs in first round of NHL draft “The wait was there for sure, but I knew that I’d get picked and someone really wanted me, and I’m happy to be here,” Krebs said. “I think I went right where I was supposed to, and I’m going to make the most of it for David Schoen sure.”

June 21, 2019 - 7:02 PM LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.22.2019

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Peyton Krebs rose from his seat after hearing his name called Friday and made his way toward the stage at Rogers Arena.

He slowly walked up the stairs and limped toward the Golden Knights’ front-office staff waiting to greet him.

“I had my brace on here,” Krebs said. “I was not riding that scooter across the stage. That’s all I knew. I was walking.”

Krebs suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon during training this month, but that didn’t prevent the Knights from selecting the playmaking center with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the NHL draft.

The seven-round draft continues Saturday, and the Knights have eight picks from the second through fifth rounds.

“Our staff knew him exceptionally well, and we liked him a lot,” Knights incoming general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “It was real exciting for our organization that he got to our pick. We sure didn’t anticipate that going into the first round. We’re very pleased that it played out the way that it did.”

Krebs finished 10th in the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s rankings for North American skaters and was projected as a possible top-10 pick by multiple analysts until he was injured June 4 in a freak accident.

According to multiple reports, Krebs was cut by another player’s skate blade, and he underwent surgery on his Achilles three days later.

“It’s one of those things that you often wonder how’s it going to affect him? There’s just uncertainly around it,” said Cindy Krebs, Peyton’s mother. “He’s always been just the most tenacious, driven kid. He’s a big dreamer. He’s worked so hard for everything he does. He will not give up. He’s been like that since he was an infant.”

McCrimmon did not have a timetable for Krebs’ return but said the 18- year-old will attend the club’s development camp, which starts Tuesday at City National Arena. He is not expected to participate in rookie camp, which begins Sept. 5.

”My guess is it’s going to likely be a little longer term than that,” McCrimmon said. “Our medical people have been in contact with the doctor who did the surgery, and we’ll probably get a little bit better feel at that time for what lies ahead. Most importantly, we’re comfortable that it’s not going to be an ongoing issue or anything that haunts him for a long period of time.”

Krebs (5-11½, 183 pounds) had 19 goals and 48 assists while serving as captain for Winnipeg (formerly Kootenay) of the Western Hockey League and is regarded as an elite playmaker and leader. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the WHL bantam draft in 2016.

A native of Okotoks, Alberta, Krebs was a member of Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August and served as captain for Canada during the Under-18 World Championship, where he tied for the team lead in scoring.

“We had him ranked considerably higher than where we selected him,” McCrimmon said. “I just really look at him as a really good two-way center. He’s creative offensively. He’s been a dominant player in his peer group for many years. Fits in really nicely with what we have in our organization. Our organization got better tonight.”

Krebs had close to 60 people in attendance, including his older sister, Maddison, a singer-songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee.

They let out a loud ovation after the announcement of the Knights’ pick.

“We kind of like to do it Vegas style,” Cindy Krebs said. “Big crew.” 1148037 Vegas Golden Knights

Knights set to renew rivalry with Sharks in season opener

Adam Hill

June 21, 2019 - 12:05 PM

The Golden Knights won’t have to wait long for a shot at revenge against the rival San Jose Sharks.

After a controversial ending to Game 7 of their bitter Western Conference playoff series, Vegas will open the 2019-20 season at T-Mobile Arena against the Sharks on Oct. 2.

The NHL released each team’s season-opening game Friday. Full schedules are expected to be unveiled Tuesday.(Las Vegas Review- Journal)

It will mark the second consecutive season that the Knights open at home. They dropped a 5-2 decision to Philadelphia to begin the 2018-19 slate.

In addition, the Sharks’ home opener will be against the Knights two days later.

The Knights and Sharks have met 21 times over the last two seasons, by far the most the Knights have played against any opponent in their brief history.

Fuel was added to an already contentious rivalry when a questionable major penalty against Cody Eakin sparked a San Jose rally from a 3-0 third-period deficit in the first round of the playoffs in April.

The Knights are 5-1-2 in eight regular-season meetings, while the teams have split a pair of playoff series.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148038 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights minor leaguer Brooks Macek signs with KHL club

David Schoen

June 21, 2019 - 9:25 PM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Forward Brooks Macek is returning to Europe after he signed a one-year contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the Kontinental Hockey League club announced Friday.

Macek never appeared for the Golden Knights after signing a one-year, two-way contract last June but was a key contributor for Chicago of the American Hockey League. He got off to a scorching start and finished the regular season with 26 goals and 34 assists in 64 games.

Macek added five goals and six points in 17 postseason appearances to help the Wolves reach the Calder Cup final.

The 27-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Macek played the previous five seasons in the German League and holds dual citizenship with Canada. He won a silver medal with Germany at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Wolves forward Tomas Hyka was rumored to have agreed to terms with KHL club Traktor , but Knights incoming general manager Kelly McCrimmon did not confirm his departure in an interview with the Review-Journal.

Hyka earned the first call-up last season after center Paul Stastny was injured but didn’t do enough to grab hold of a regular spot in the Knights’ lineup. The 26-year-old from the Czech Republic managed four points (one goal, three assists) in 17 games.

In 27 career NHL appearances, Hyka notched two goals and seven points.

Hyka had 16 goals and 40 points in 43 regular-season games for Chicago and added 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 22 games during the Calder Cup playoffs.

He is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Demin invited to Team USA camp

Golden Knights prospect Slava Demin was one of 44 players invited to the Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase from July 26 to Aug. 3 in Plymouth, Michigan.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 194-pound defenseman from Cypress, California, was drafted in the fourth round (No. 99 overall) in 2018 and will be a sophomore at the University of Denver.

He had four goals and 14 points with a plus-19 rating to help the Pioneers reach the Frozen Four.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148039 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights select forward Peyton Krebs in first round of NHL draft

Justin Emerson

Friday, June 21, 2019 | 9:15 p.m.

The Golden Knights anxiously watched Friday night as the NHL Entry Draft unfolded. Needing a forward, they saw more defensemen go early than projected, and they got their man with the 17th overall pick.

Vegas selected forward Peyton Krebs in the first round at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Krebs was considered a top-10 pick before an injury earlier this month.

"It's surreal, I was trying to hold in the tears," Krebs said, via the team's Twitter account. "I wasn't really sure where I was going to end up. I just heard my name and I was so pumped, so excited. I know my uncle texted me right before, he said 'Vegas baby' right before. That was pretty cool."

The 5 foot, 11.5 inch, 183-pound center scored 68 points in 64 games with the of the Western Hockey League. He captained Canada’s World Junior Championship team and had 10 points in seven games.

Krebs adds a high-end center to a prospect pool that is deep in defensemen but lacking in impact forwards. The Golden Knights grabbed the best available center when their spot came, and Krebs will join Cody Glass as the future down the middle in Vegas.

Krebs suffered a partial tear of his Achilles tendon during an on-ice workout June 4 that required surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery, but the inability to see him during development camp may have given teams pause.

"I like the speed, like the character, play-making ability,” general manager George McPhee told NBC Sports Network right after the pick. “There was risk in what we do, but we're comfortable in that risk. We feel we got a top 10 player at 17."

Vegas did not have a first-round pick last year after the Tomas Tatar trade with Detroit. Barring a trade, the Golden Knights will not select again tonight. They have eight picks Saturday, including three third- rounders and three fifth-rounders. They will start Saturday with the No. 28 overall pick on Day 2.

Day 2 of the draft begins at 10 a.m. on NHL Network.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148040 Vegas Golden Knights

Fitting opponent: Golden Knights open next season with two games against Sharks

Justin Emerson

June 21, 2019 | 12:12 p.m.

The Golden Knights took fewer than two seasons to develop a hated rival. Last year’s first-round playoff series with the San Jose Sharks had everything a feud could ask for, including a controversial ending.

Naturally, next season will start with a home-and-home with that rival.

The NHL announced home openers for all 31 teams today, tabbing the Golden Knights to open the season at T-Mobile Arena against the Sharks on Oct. 2. Two days later, the Golden Knights will visit SAP Center for San Jose’s home opener.

Times for the games have yet to be determined.

Vegas took a 3-1 lead in last year’s opening round of the playoffs amid verbal barbs between Vegas forward Ryan Reaves and San Jose’s Evander Kane. The series featured a suspension of Sharks star Joe Thornton, a struggling San Jose goalie and the coming out party of Vegas’ Mark Stone.

After a Game 5 win, Sharks forward Tomas Hertl promised the home crowd they would be back for Game 7, then made good on his guarantee, scoring a short-handed goal in double overtime of Game 6.

The Golden Knights took a 3-0 lead in the third period of Game 7, only to have everything flip. Cody Eakin took a five-minute major for a cross- check, and the Sharks scored four times on the power play to grab the lead and eventually win in overtime.

The call was so debated, it forced the league to change its replay policy.

The rest of the regular season schedule will be released on an NHL Network special Tuesday.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148041 Vegas Golden Knights If Vegas is enamored enough with one of those players, however, a trade could be in play. The Golden Knights need to shed cap space, and packaging their first-rounder with a proven player like Eakin or Colin Golden Knights could be major player at NHL Draft with bounty of picks Miller could move them high enough to take one of the aforementioned centers.

They also have three third-round picks, three fifth-rounders and two Justin Emerson second-rounders next year, so they have plenty of assets for a potential move up the draft board. Friday, June 21, 2019 | 2 a.m. Outside of the top tier, the next group of centers still provides Vegas with

plenty of options. NHL Central Scouting grades Alex Newhook, Philip For as much as the Golden Knights have their sights on winning now, Tomasino, Ryan Suzuki and Raphael Lavoie as potential first-rounders, they still must maintain a long-term vision for the franchise. and multiple mock drafts agree.

The future will come into a little clearer focus starting at 5 p.m. tonight This is Vegas’ sweet spot. If they don’t trade up in the draft, it wouldn’t be when the NHL Draft begins in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vegas has a a surprise if Newhook, Tomasino, Suzuki or Lavoie grab a Golden chance to retool its farm system over the next two days with nine picks in Knights cap when their name is called. the opening five rounds, including five picks in the top 100. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.22.2019 The Golden Knights have the 17th overall pick in tonight's first round, which will air on NBC Sports Network in its entirety. The final six rounds will start at 10 a.m. Saturday with NHL Network providing television coverage.

The Golden Knights have their own picks in the second through fifth rounds — Nos. 48, 79, 110 and 141 overall — to go with several others they’ve acquired. The team holds the rights to Winnipeg’s third (No. 82), Nashville’s third (No. 86), Minnesota’s fifth (No. 135) and Montreal’s fifth (No. 139).

The draft presents an opportunity to replenish the depth Vegas couldn’t stockpile last year. The Golden Knights didn’t have a first-round pick last year after the Tomas Tatar trade and didn’t make a selection until grabbing center Ivan Morozov with the 61st overall pick.

They then grabbed defenseman Slava Demin at No. 99, their only other pick in the top 100.

The Tatar deal, as well as trades for Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, zapped much of the prospect pool the Golden Knights acquired in their first draft, where they owned three first-round picks and seven in the top 100.

Vegas still has enviable defensive depth with draft picks and Dylan Coghlan, as well as former free agent signings Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud nearly ready to contribute. They’re stocked at the blue line even after trading top prospect Erik Brannstrom to Ottawa for Stone.

At goalie, Vegas has one of the league’s best in Marc-Andre Fleury, but he’ll turn 37 years old when his contract expires in three years, meaning the Golden Knights may need to start planning for down the road. Goalies don’t often go in the first round, but US National Team development backstop Spencer Knight could be an exception to the rule.

If he’s available at No. 17, Vegas will have a tough call to make.

But there are more pressing needs. The most likely possibility is that the Golden Knights draft a forward tonight — more specifically, a center.

The Golden Knights do own the rights to one of the top centers outside of the NHL in 20-year-old Cody Glass, who’s shown plenty of reasons for optimism. Glass cruised through his season with Portland in WHL juniors this year, knotting six points in five games, and then scored 15 points in 21 AHL playoff games with the .

That was the most AHL postseason points by a player 20-years-old or younger since 2005.

Outside of Glass though, Vegas is particularly thin on potential impact centers. And with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare a free agent, Cody Eakin and Erik Haula hitting free agency after next season, Paul Stastny the year after that and the uncertainty around William Karlsson, center is Vegas’ biggest need in the draft.

The question then is, who do they take?

The issue is that while there are a lot of strong center prospects in this year’s draft, none of them are expected to slide to No. 17. Vegas would sprint to the podium if Jack Hughes, Kirby Dach, Alex Turcotte, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zergas or Peyton Krebs were available, but they’re all likely to be gone by the top 10. 1148042 Washington Capitals The Capitals “were kind of a team that I talked to a lot during the year, and I got good impressions from them,” McMichael said. “Obviously, when they went up on the stage, I kind of had a little bit of a feeling, but As Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko go 1-2 in NHL draft, Capitals take Connor it’s kind of tough to tell where you’re going to end up. I’m really excited to McMichael at No. 25 be a Capital.”

Washington Post LOADED: 06.22.2019

Isabelle Khurshudyan

June 21 at 11:53 PM

The last time the Washington Capitals made a first-round selection at an NHL draft in Vancouver, they took Nicklas Backstrom, the organization’s top center for the past decade. Thirteen years later, with the 25th pick, Washington opted for a center of the future — Canadian Connor McMichael.

McMichael is coming off a breakout season, finishing with 36 goals and 36 assists in 67 games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, and a connection to Washington through London Coach Dale Hunter, who played 12 seasons with the Capitals, might have factored into the pick. The versatile 5-foot-11, 174-pounder is expected to play with the Knights next season and potentially the one after that, too. McMichael, 18, grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but he patterned his game after centers Sean Monahan and Bo Horvat.

“I like to say I’m a two-way centerman, but when I have the puck on my stick in the [offensive] zone, I’m always creating plays,” McMichael told reporters in Vancouver. “I’m always able generate chances when it looks like there’s no chances to be made, but I’m also responsible in my end.”

American center Jack Hughes was the first overall pick, to the New Jersey Devils, followed by Finnish right wing Kaapo Kakko, selected second by the New York Rangers. It was an especially successful draft for the U.S. National Development Team, which had a whopping seven players selected among the first 15 picks.

The night also was notable for what didn’t happen. After an uptick in trade activity in the week leading up to the draft, Friday was unusually quiet, perhaps because next season’s salary cap won’t be set in stone until Saturday. After it was initially projected at $83 million, the cap is now expected to be somewhere between $81.5 million and $82 million, a devastating reduction for teams such as Washington that annually use up every bit of it. Among the big-name players rumored to be on the trade block are Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk, Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban, Pittsburgh forward Phil Kessel and Colorado’s Tyson Barrie.

On a conference call Thursday, Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan said the team has fielded interest in forward Andre Burakovsky, a pending restricted free agent and the organization’s 2013 first-round pick. To retain his negotiating rights, Washington has to tender him a $3.25 million qualifying offer by Tuesday’s deadline, which is high for a player who finished with 12 goals and 13 assists last season. He could be dealt for a draft pick Saturday, when the Capitals have four selections over the final six rounds but none in the third round.

The Capitals have used their past three first-round picks on a goaltender, Ilya Samsonov, and two defensemen, Lucas Johansen and Alex Alexeyev, and the team’s last first-round forward selection was Jakub Vrana in 2014. As a result, Washington’s goaltending and defense pipelines are organizational strengths, but the Capitals are deficient in prospect forwards with top-six skill and potential. MacLellan acknowledged that, barring an exceptional blue-liner being available, Washington’s intention was to select a forward in a draft class deep in them.

“If the decision is close, I think we’re going to go with the forward,” MacLellan said Thursday. “There seems to be a section in that draft right after those forwards where there’s quite a few good defensemen that the scouts really like. Overall, I think it’s a pretty deep draft. A lot of guys are going to play, and there’s quite a few defensemen in the middle to late first round that guys like. There’s also a group of forwards that our guys like a lot, and we’re going to balance that decision between the two.”

Eight of the first 20 picks were surprisingly defensemen, which helped some quality forwards fall into the bottom third of the draft. Notable forwards Washington passed on include Arthur Kaliyev and Ryan Suzuki, who went to the Carolina Hurricanes with the 28th selection. Some draft analysts projected McMichael as a high second-rounder, with skating the biggest knock on him. 1148043 Washington Capitals

Capitals pick Connor McMichael, Canadian center, in first round of 2019 draft

Adam Zielonka

Friday, June 21, 2019

The Washington Capitals selected center Connor McMichael with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NHL draft Friday night.

McMichael, 18, got onto scouts’ radars with a breakout season for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in which he tallied 36 goals and 36 assists. He shoots left-handed and hails from Ajax, Ontario.

The pick addresses the Capitals‘ lack of depth at forward in their minor league system; analysts project the 5-foot-11 McMichael as a potential top-six forward in the NHL.

General manager Brian MacLellan told reporters before the draft that their positional need could play a role in their final choice.

“I think it’ll factor into our decisions unless we see a defenseman that’s clearly above a forward that we like,” MacLellan said. “If the decision is close, I think we’re going to go with the forward.”

Washington went with a forward a year after drafting defenseman Alexander Alexeyev in the first round.

The Capitals hold four more picks in the draft, in rounds two, four, five and seven.

Washington Times LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148044 Washington Capitals

NHL going with battle of recent champions Blues and Capitals to start 2019-2020 season

Brian McNally

June 21, 2019 3:35 PM

The Capitals will see the Stanley Cup banner drop for the second year in a row, but this time will not be as much fun.

The 2019-20 season begins in St. Louis on Oct. 2, where the Blues will raise their championship banner into the rafters at Enterprise Center. The two teams have a contentious history with Washington forward Tom Wilson earning suspensions in preseason meetings between the two teams each of the past two years.

The NHL announced all home openers on Friday afternoon. The Capitals’ first game at Capital One Arena will be the same as the last one: Against the Carolina Hurricanes, who won Game 7 of a first-round playoff series there on April 24. The home opener is on a Saturday evening and will be Washington’s third game in four nights to start the new campaign.

The Capitals play Wednesday in St. Louis and then travel to New York to play the Islanders in their home opener on Oct. 4. That game will be played at smaller, louder Nassau Coliseum and not in New York’s other home arena in Brooklyn, Barclays Center.

The Islanders played 12 of their 41 home games and the first round of the playoffs at Nassau Coliseum last year while they await a new arena at nearby Belmont Park.

Washington has won the Metropolitan Division four consecutive years, but after a run to the Eastern Conference Final the young Hurricanes are expected to make a push to end that streak.

The NHL will announce its full schedule on Tuesday afternoon. Friday was for home openers only.

This will actually be the third time in four years the Capitals will be on hand to witness the Stanley Cup banner raising on opening night. They had their own last season against the Boston Bruins and won it 7-0 before a raucous crowd. In 2016 they had to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins’ banner ceremony just a few months after losing to them in the second round of the playoffs.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148045 Washington Capitals D Thomas Harley (Mississauga, OHL)

The obvious need for the Caps is at forward and if they reach the 25th pick and the best players on the board are all defensemen, the most 2019 NHL Draft: Six players the Capitals could take at No. 25 likely scenario is that they would trade back. They may make an exception depending on which defenseman falls to them, however. If Harley is still on the board at 25, I would not be surprised to see J.J. Regan MacLellan go for it.

June 21, 2019 1:59 PM Harley played in all situation for Mississauga and has an uncanny ability to find shooting and passing lanes in the offensive zone which means he

could quarterback the power play some day. He is also very dependable The Capitals have the 25th pick in the first-round of the NHL Draft on in his own zone and has the size, skill and mobility to be an NHL Friday. While there has been much speculation that Washington could defenseman despite the fact that he does not turn 18 until August. move up or down in the draft, they also must prepare for the possibility of Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 keeping the pick and finding the best available player at that point. If they do keep the pick, here are six players who could fall to them.

F Philip Tomasino (Niagara, OHL)

Most draft projections have Tomasino going long before he reaches the Caps, but the unexpected can happen in the draft and sometimes players fall. If there is mid-round forward who drops, Tomasino would likely be the guy and the Caps would be smart to pounce on him.

Tomasino could drop because of his size as he is just 6-foot, 183 pounds. Washington has not been shy in the past about drafting an undersized player and it is also important to keep in mind that Tomasino is one of youngest draft-eligible forwards and does not turn 18 until July 28. He can easily bulk up with age.

Tomasino racked up 72 points in 67 games in the OHL this past season, representing a 48-point improvement from the previous year. His skating and speed are exceptional which are highly coveted attributes by the Caps.

F Bobby Brink (Sioux City, USHL)

The biggest need in the draft for Washington is high-end offensive talent and Brink certainly fits the bill. He is not the best skater, but late in the first-round, you expect there to be negatives to a player’s skillset. What he lacks in skating he makes up for in hockey IQ, vision and pure offensive ability.

Brink scored 35 goals and 33 assists in 43 games in the USHL this past season. With 1.58 points per game, he averaged the most among any player with at least 25 games. He will play for the University of Denver in the fall.

F Connor McMichael (London, OHL)

McMichael is another undersized forward at just under 6-foot, 182 pounds. If he were a couple of inches taller and 10-15 pounds heavier, his skill would make him a top-10 pick.

With the London Knights, McMichael became the go-to player on offense with 36 goals and 36 assists in 67 games. His shot is deceptive, but his greatest attribute is his hockey IQ. He understands and sees the game very well. You can help a player bulk up, but it is hard to develop the same kind of vision he possesses.

F Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke, QMJHL)

At 18, Poulin is already 6-foot-1, 212 pounds. He is not just a bruiser, however, as he still put up 29 goals and 47 assists in the QMJHL last season. He is also the son for former NHLer Patrick Poulin.

A hard-working, big-bodied forward with high offensive upside? Yeah, that sounds like a good fit for the Caps.

F Brett Leason (Prince Albert, WHL)

Leason will be one of the older players in the draft at 20. He was passed over in the past two drafts and appears to be a bit of a late-bloomer. His skating has improved tremendously over the past year which helped his overall game. With 36 goals and 53 points last season, Leason improved his point total by a whopping 57 points from the year before.

The route that he took the NHL by going from undrafted for two years to first-round talent will likely scare off some teams and 25 may ultimately be a bit high for Leason. The Caps, however, like taking players from the WHL and Leason’s extra maturity and size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) could help him reach the NHL sooner than many of the other 17, 18-year-olds in the draft. That would appeal to the Caps who are in desperate need of depth offense but don’t have the cap room to add much in free agency. 1148046 Washington Capitals Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019

Caps with decisions to make on their remaining free agents

Brian McNally

June 21, 2019 1:51 PM

The Capitals are in Vancouver and focused on tonight’s NHL Draft, but there is plenty more left to do this summer.

On Thursday, general manager Brian MacLellan gave an update on his restricted and unrestricted free agents. We already gave an update on Andre Burakovsky’s uncertain status heading into tonight.

But that still leaves Jakub Vrana, who had a career-high 24 goals last year and should command a nice bridge deal to unrestricted free agency to say the least. At age 23 he has some time to go to get there. But with an expected spot on the top-six again next year there’s no reason to expect a drop off from Vrana.

Somewhere in the $4 million range would make sense. MacLellan has already had a few conversations with Vrana’s agent, J.P. Barry. Reading the tea leaves, that negotiation could carry on well into July.

“We're going to play it out here,” MacLellan said. “We're going to see where the cap is and see what our roster decisions are and make a decision with Jakub and his agent."

MacLellan was a little hesitant on Thursday in part because he won’t know until Saturday exactly what salary-cap number he’s working with. General managers expected it would be $83 million and instead it will land at $82 million or less, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

For now, the Capitals have about $9.74 million in cap space to re-sign Vrana and add five other bottom-six forwards and a depth defenseman, according to the web site CapFriendly.com. That's a pretty tight squeeze.

Brett Connolly is not expected back with the Capitals, according to an NHL source. But MacLellan still publically left the door slightly open. Connolly has been a good player for Washington for three years after it took a chance on him in 2016 and then re-signed him to a two-year deal that is now expiring.

The shrinking cap doesn’t help matters and even the $83 million number likely forced Connolly’s departure anyway given interest around the league in his services.

"It could be. We're in conversations with his agent also,” MacLellan said. “It depends on how the league views him and what kind of contract offers and what kind of role he's going to be presented with. I think he's earned the right to listen to all the teams and to see where they fit with opportunity and financially. We're going to talk to him and see where that ends up for him and try and make a decision based on that."

That applies to defenseman Brooks Orpik and forward Devante Smith- Pelly, too. MacLellan again left the door open. He said he’s spoken to the agents for both players. It’s unlikely either player returns, however, and Orpik still has to decide if he wants to play another season at all at age 39.

“We’re going to wait until the interview period here and continue to converse with them going forward, see what our other opportunities are and then try to make a good decision based on that,” MacLellan said.

Washington’s three other restricted free agents are forwards Chandler Stephenson and Dmitrij Jaskin and defenseman Christian Djoos. MacLellan would not 100 percent commit to making those players qualifying offers by the June 25 deadline. He again wanted to see the cap space available.

Trades this weekend could upend all of this as well. If any of those players are not tendered qualifying offers they become unrestricted free agents.

“We're in the same mode that we've been in for the last five years - try and have the best team we can put on the ice,” MacLellan said. “I think [Alex Ovechkin] and [Nicklas Backstrom] are still high-end quality players and we're trying to surround them with the best guys we can every year.” 1148047 Washington Capitals average to above average, but he was great in the World Juniors Under 18 tournament for Team Canada with a 1.33 GAA and .949 save percentage in three games.

Looking back at the Capitals’ 2018 NHL Draft: A strong draft to follow up 93rd overall pick (3rd round): Riley Sutter F a Stanley Cup championship Sutter was limited to 38 games this past season in the WHL by an injury, but overall he has had a successful junior career with the Everett J.J. Regan Silvertips and is hopeful he will be in Hershey next season. He is a power forward primarily. June 21, 2019 12:04 PM 124th overall pick (4th round): Mitchell Gibson G

Gibson played last season in the USHL and will be headed to Harvard in The NHL Draft takes place on June 21 and 22. The Capitals hold the the fall to begin his collegiate career. We will have a better sense of what 25th overall pick and will be looking for future stars among all the hopeful he projects to be there. prospects. 155th overall pick (5th round): Traded But just how successful has Washington been in finding those stars? How much value have the Caps found through the draft? The Caps traded this pick to the Minnesota Wild in June 2017 in order to get Tyler Graovac and expose him in the expansion draft. Rules NBC Sports Washington will be looking at how Washington has drafted stipulated you had to expose a certain number of forwards with a certain over the last 10 years. Today’s draft: 2018 level of experience and the Caps needed one more or they would risk having to expose a player from their core who they really did not want to 31st overall pick (1st round): Alex Alexeyev lose. Despite having to wait for the final pick of the first round, Washington got Minnesota took the pick and selected forward Damien Giroux who, as a steal in Alexeyev who looks like he can be a top pairing NHL captain of the in the OHL, scored 30 goals and 21 assists defenseman. last season. Alexeyev is a smart, mature player with good mobility. He has good 161st overall pick (6th round): Alex Kannok-Leipert D vision and poise on both ends of the ice, is a talented puck-handler and has good size. The only real concern for him is his durability as injuries The Caps traded up to get Kannok-Leipert, swapping sixth-round picks have limited him to fewer than 50 games in all three of his seasons in the with the Vancouver Canucks and sending an additional sixth-round pick WHL. in 2019 to Vancouver. He had a very good season in the WHL and is primarily a physical stay-at-home defenseman. He has been praised for There is good news on the injury front, however. Alexeyev suffered a his leadership and intangibles and could potentially be the team captain scary looking knee injury after a knee-on-knee collision that ended his in 2019. season in Red Deer. He had to be taken off in a stretcher. This happened three months ago in March. Caps general manager Brian MacLellan said 186th overall pick (6th round): Traded on Thursday however that Alexeyev had avoided serious injury and would participate in the team’s development camp starting on Tuesday. In the trade with Vancouver, the Canucks used this pick to select forward Artyom Manukyan. In 62 games in the KHL last season, Manukyan “[Alexeyev’s] healthy,” MacLellan said. “I don't think it was as bad as scored three goals and 12 assists. He was very productive in the MHL, initially expected. He'll be at development camp here and fully healthy.” but at the higher level he has struggled so there does not appear to be much NHL upside for him. 46th overall pick (2nd round): Martin Fehervary D 217th overall pick (7th round): Eric Florchuk F The Caps traded Marcus Johansson to the New Jersey Devils in 2017 for a second and a third-round pick. Washington traded the third-round pick As the Stanley Cup champs, the Caps had the final pick in the draft and away for Michal Kempny, but kept the second-round pick and used it to made Florchuk the NHL’s Mr. Irrelevant for 2018. He scored 21 goals select Fehervary. and 29 assists in 68 games in the WHL last seasons and will look to build on that in 2019-20. This is a player the team is very excited about and who they quickly signed to an entry-level deal after drafting him. He is a very fast skater Takeaways who uses his speed to cover opponents closely and can use his body and stick to break up plays. He is seen as a high-character player and a Obviously it is going to take a while before we know just how good of a future leader. He was originally seen primarily as a defensive shutdown draft this was for Washington, but the early projections are good. player, but showed there may be more offensive upside to his game than Alexeyev and Fehervary both look like top-four defensemen and that previously thought with five points in five games at the World Junior alone will make this a great draft if both pan out. Championships. In addition, I could potentially see Clark and Sutter have depth roles one 47th overall pick (2nd round): Kody Clark F day after a few more years of development.

The Caps snagged a second pick in the second round in a trade with the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik. Washington used the pick to select Clark, the highest picked forward by the Caps since Jakub Vrana in 2014.

That puts a lot of undue pressure on Clark who most likely projects as a third-line winger in the NHL, though Ross Mahoney told me in January he was hopeful he could potentially develop into a second-liner.

Clark scored 17 goals and 29 assists in 57 games in the OHL last season. He is not going to be a 30-goal scorer in the pros, but he is a hard-working, grind it out sort of player who could be in the 15-20 goal range in the right situation. Perhaps aware of this, Clark is working to add more of a physical edge to his game.

62nd overall pick (2nd round): Traded

The Caps traded away two second-round draft picks to the Montreal Canadiens for Lars Eller. The first was for 2017, this was the second. Montreal traded the pick to the Edmonton Oilers who selected goalie Olivier Rodrigue. The Oilers signed him to an entry-level deal in May so they see something in him. His numbers in the QMJHL have been 1148048 Washington Capitals sophomore year where he scored only one goal and five assists in 30 games.

Maass is a mobile, two-way defenseman with good size, but has not Looking back at the Capitals’ 2017 NHL Draft: The lost draft shown enough yet to make you think he could be an NHL player. He is only 20, but this will be his junior season at New Hampshire. That is a big year for college players considering the rule that allows them to become J.J. Regan free agents after four years in college. If a team thinks a player has NHL potential, they often try to sign him to an entry-level contract after his June 21, 2019 10:25 AM junior season to avoid seeing him go back to college for a fourth year and potentially reach free agency the following summer. Maass has shown some potential, but not nearly enough yet for Washington to consider The NHL Draft takes place on June 21 and 22. The Capitals hold the trying to coax him to the pros next year. 25th overall pick and will be looking for future stars among all the hopeful prospects. 213th overall pick (7th round): Kristian Roykas-Marthinsen F

But just how successful has Washington been in finding those stars? Roykas-Marthinsen was a productive scorer in Swedish junior hockey How much value have the Caps found through the draft? and had a successful first season in the WHL scoring 13 goals and 16 assists in 62 games. The NHL may be a bit of a stretch for him, but he NBC Sports Washington will be looking at how Washington has drafted played well enough to at least show it is too early to write him off. That’s over the last 10 years. Today’s draft: 2017 not a bad outlook for a seventh rounder.

27th overall pick (1st round): Traded Takeaways

As part of the trade for Kevin Shattenkirk, the Caps sent their first-round Never. Trade. A. First. Round. Pick. For. A. Rental. pick to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues, in turn, traded the pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in a package that netted them Brayden Schenn. The Ever. Flyers used the pick to select forward Morgan Frost. Frost just wrapped Full stop. up a pretty impressive OHL career where he scored 221 combined points in the past two seasons in just 125 games. Shattenkirk played 19 games for the Caps and an additional 13 in the playoffs. He was not a good fit which is the risk you run with a rental. You 58th overall pick (2nd round): Traded just do not know how a player will fit in with a team when you add him Washington sent two second-round picks to the Montreal Canadiens in mid-season, especially with so little time before the playoffs. exchange for Lars Eller. The Canadiens used this pick on forward Joni And if you are saying to yourself, “this trade looks bad because Ikonen, who Montreal placed on unconditional waivers in May, thus Shattenkirk didn’t work” let me clarify. If the only way you can justify a releasing his rights. Eller has played in 243 games with the Caps with 43 trade is to say you won’t care about the cost if you win the Stanley Cup, goals and 56 assists. He is under contract through the 2022-23 season that is a bad trade. Period. Don’t do it. and scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for Washington in 2018. Value in the NHL draft is very limited. You cannot give up the chance to 89th overall pick (3rd round): Traded pick up an NHL player in the first round, maybe the only NHL player you The Caps sent a third-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for will get in a draft, for 32 games from a veteran. That is not enough. defenseman Mike Weber. This would prove to be Weber’s last NHL Now, having said all of that, for a team that did not draft until the fourth season. As a rental, he played in just 10 regular season games for round, Washington did pretty well in this draft. Geisser has real NHL Washington and two playoff games. potential and there may be some potential in Maass as well if he The trade seems to have worked out for Buffalo as the Sabres selected continues on the trajectory he was on after his freshman season. defenseman Oskari Laaksonen who has looked impressive in Finland You also can’t argue with Washington giving up its second-rounder for and is progressing nicely towards becoming an NHL player in the near Eller. Solid work there. future. But the point about the first round remains. Go back and look at the stats 120th overall pick (4th round): Tobias Geisser D for Frost who was taken by the Flyers with the Caps’ pick. That is a Washington actually kept this pick and took a real live player with it! They player with more value than 32 games from Shattenkirk. potentially got a good one as well in Geisser who has the tools to be an Never. Trade. A. First. Round. Pick. For. A. Rental. NHL player, it is just a matter of putting it all together. Ever. Geisser is compared to his fellow countryman Jonas Siegenthaler in that he is a tremendous skater despite his large frame. At 6-foot-4, 201 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 pounds, Geisser needs to take advantage of his size and learn to play a more physical game. He is very smart in his own end but has the skills to be more of a two-way player if he can develop more offensively.

One positive in his development is that Geisser elected to come to North American and play in Hershey last season rather than stay in Europe. At 19, he was already playing in the AHL. That should help speed along his development and in a year he could be competing to make the NHL roster.

151st overall pick (5th round): Sebastian Walfridsson, D

Walfridsson has failed to stand out while playing in Sweden. A future in the NHL feels like a longshot at this point, especially with Washington considering how many quality defensive prospects the team has.

182nd overall pick (6th round): Benton Maass D

This looked like a savvy pick by Brian MacLellan initially. Maass had just finished his final year in high school when he was selected by the Caps. He had not yet even played a year of college hockey. His freshman year in New Hampshire made you take notice of him as he stepped into a starting role and scored four goals and 13 assists in 36 games as a defenseman. An injury limited his playing time and production in his 1148049 Washington Capitals head coach Craig Berube at the urinal he just needed one more opportunity. Gunnarsson had just seven points in the regular season so no one should expect a ton of offense, but the point is he delivered when Capitals Free Agency Bracket: Deryk Engelland vs. Carl Gunnarsson it mattered most.

When he is not playing the overtime hero, he is a third-pairing, stay at home defenseman who can play on the penalty kill which is pretty much J.J. Regan exactly what the Caps need in a depth defenseman.

June 21, 2019 8:25 AM Take a look at Gunnarsson’s contract projection. You can’t beat that price. Sure, those projections came out before he won the Stanley Cup,

but even if his price goes up, it will not be significant. It is almost time for NHL free agency to begin and the Capitals certainly One major issue with Engelland is the fact that he is a Las Vegas have needs to fill and a limited budget. Who would be the best fit? Who resident and an alternate captain with the Knights. He has great meaning would be the best free agent target for Washington to pursue? That’s to that franchise and both he and the team will probably work to make what NBC Sports Washington wants to find out! sure he does not head out of the desert. Gunnarsson just won a Cup in Our experts got together and made a bracket of the 16 best free agent St. Louis, but he does not have the same level of attachment as fits. The bracket is divided into four regions: Third line forward, fourth line Engelland has to Vegas. forward, depth defenseman and Caps’ free agent. Now we want you to Who’s your pick? Vote here: tell us who you want to see rocking the red next year! Free Agent Bracket Round Two: Every weekday we will match two free agents up against one another and present a case for each player. Then you get to vote and decide who Carl Gunnarsson vs Deryk Engelland advances! Who do you choose? Check out today’s matchup:  for Gunnarsson Region: Depth defenseman ❤️ for Engelland pic.twitter.com/mKkVcnH6kv Derek Engelland vs. Carl Gunnarsson — NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) June 21, 2019 2018-19 stats Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019 Deryk Engelland (37-years-old): 74 games played with the Vegas Golden Knights, 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, 19:53 TOI

Playoffs: Seven games played with the Vegas Golden Knights, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point, 23:19 TOI

Carl Gunnarsson (32-years-old): 25 games played with the St. Louis Blues, 3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points, 15:56 TOI

Playoffs: 19 games played with the St. Louis Blues, 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points, 14:57 TOI, won Stanley Cup

Hockey-Graph contract projections

Deryk Engelland: 1 year, $1,934,154 cap hit

Carl Gunnarsson: 1 year, $731,159 cap hit

The case for Deryk Engelland

Engelland is a right-side defenseman and one the Capitals know well. Engelland primarily played next to Nate Schmidt the past two years in Vegas on the top pair. Washington saw him in the Stanley Cup Final last year.

Engelland was still an above-water possession player at 50.51 percent against consistently tougher competition than Gunnarsson faced over the course of the season. Playing with the smooth-skating Schmidt, the former Capitals defenseman, had to help. Engelland is probably past that role now at 37 after struggling in the first round of the playoffs against the San Jose Sharks and he is a good bet to transition to a more traditional third-pair role.

Engelland was ninth in short-handed minutes (237:01) last season and 13th in shots-for percentage on the PK out of the 27 players who logged 200 minutes or more. He has 55 games of playoff experience, including that Cup Final series vs. Washington.

Sure, Gunnarsson scored that overtime winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. It was also his first goal of the playoffs. It was a clutch moment, but don’t let that fool you into thinking Gunnarsson is suddenly a clutch producer.

The case for Carl Gunnarsson

The Caps are going to need a No. 6/7 defenseman should Brooks Orpik retire or if the team elects not to re-sign him. If you do have to replace Orpik, why would you go with someone just as old? Engelland is 37 and there is no reason to go that old when there are younger alternatives.

Gunnarsson was the hero of the “Boston Pee Party” when he scored the overtime winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final after declaring to 1148050 Washington Capitals MacLellan tried to play down those rumors by saying the team is always trying to win.

“I don't know that we're ever not in an all-in situation,” he said. “We view How are the Capitals approaching the 2019 draft? Brian MacLellan will ourselves as a contender for the Cup and we want to put the best team tell you forward and make the best decisions to do that. I think we have some good players and some players that are getting a little bit older but are still high-end quality players and we want to surround them with the best J.J. Regan team possible.”

June 21, 2019 6:00 AM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.22.2019

The 2019 NHL Draft is going to have a very different feel to it for the Capitals than in 2018. Just one year ago, Washington was still basking in the glow of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship. The draft felt almost like an afterthought. This year, after a first-round exit and with the roster still influx given the team’s salary cap constraints, the draft weekend feels like a significant point in the offseason for general manager Brian MacLellan.

The draft can be a big weekend not just for setting the team up for the future, but also for the present. A lot of trades and business can happen when all the general managers get together. So just what is MacLellan thinking heading into the big weekend? While he would not reveal all his secrtes, MacLellan did reveal his basic strategy and mindset as he prepares for the draft to begin on Friday.

The Caps currently hold the 25th pick in what is expected to be a rather deep draft. Should they hold onto that pick, the need at forward is obvious. Washington has not selected a forward in the first round since taking Jakub Vrana in 2014. The lack of high-end offensive talent in the system seems to be catching up with them this year. With the team up against the salary cap, it will be hard to address the weakness of depth offense. This is where other teams would plug in their top offensive prospects into the bottom-six as cheap fix to fill out the roster.

Washington, however, does not seem to have any obvious prospect candidates who can step into those roles for the upcoming season.

When it comes to the NHL draft, however, it rarely makes sense to draft for need. The vast majority of players in the draft and even the majority of players in the first round will not play in the NHL in their first year after getting drafted. Many of those players will take several years to develop into being NHL players if at all so it makes no sense for MacLellan to draft for need when the needs of the team could be completely different once that player is ready to make the jump to the NHL.

While position would not be the only consideration, MacLellan certainly made clear that the team’s need at forward would certainly play a factor when considering who to take.

“I think it'll factor into our decisions unless we see a defenseman that's clearly above a forward that we like,” MacLellan said. “If the decision is close, I think we're going to go with the forward.”

The good news for Washington is that this draft is expected to be deep in terms of high-end offensive talent. The bad news is that those players could all be gone once the draft gets to Washington’s 25th pick. While the priority may be forward, MacLellan also said there were plenty of skilled defensemen who the scouts were really high on who could be available given how many forwards are expected to go early.

“There seems to be a section in that draft right after those forwards where there's quite a few good defensemen that the scouts really like,” MacLellan said. “You know, overall I think it's a pretty deep draft. A lot of guys are going to play and there's quite a few defensemen in the middle to late first-round that guys like. There's also a group of forwards that our guys like a lot and we're going to balance that decision between the two.”

Further complicating the team’s draft plan is whether or not MacLellan would be interested in moving the first-round pick in a bid to move up or down the draft.

With so many forwards expected to be taken early, that could signal MacLellan would want to trade up to ensure he can snag one, but there are also reports that Washington is focused strictly on winning now.

Elliotte Friedman reported in his 31 Thoughts column that other teams believe the Caps to be in “go for it” mode. In those situations, you typically see teams dangle draft picks as trade bait. 1148051 Winnipeg Jets "We just want him to be him and to play his game. He’s something that from a development standpoint, because he’s played with men, he should be on a good development curve," he said.

Jets go with Finnish D-man The Jets certainly had an opportunity to draft a forward Friday night, with several talented centres still available when they stepped to the podium including Philip Tomasino, Ryan Suzuki, Arthur Kaliyev and Connor Mike McIntyre McMichael.

06/21/2019 11:33 PM "(The draft) developed as we thought it would kind of develop. Again, it’s a testament to our scouts and how they valued and viewed the draft,"

said Cheveldayoff. "There was a bit of a flurry at a certain area where VANCOUVER — Just call them the Finn-ipeg Jets. you started to see if you could move up maybe, to look at some different things. But teams seemed pretty content in picking what they had in front Ville Heinola doesn’t know much about his new hockey home, except for of them." one thing — they sure do love his country. The 18-year-old defenceman was added to the organizational prospect ranks Friday night, picked 20th- As for Laine, Heinola said it was the booming shot that first caught his overall in the NHL draft by the Winnipeg Jets. eye as a boy growing up in Honkajoki.

"I always look up to Patrik Laine. And being in the same organization "I always look at the way he shoots the puck so hard and scores the feels good," the baby-faced Finn told reporters just moments after having goals. When he was my age he was really good and playing international his name called out by the Jets. games and dominating the league in Finland," he said.

Laine, Sami Niku and Kristian Vesalainen are all Finns selected by the Now Heinola is going to be the one looking to make an impact in the Jets in recent drafts, while the team added free agent Joona Luoto earlier NHL. The draft continues today with rounds two through seven. The Jets this month. Considering just how dominant Finland has been in recent currently have four picks (51, 113, 134, 144). international hockey competitions, that’s clearly not a bad thing. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 06.22.2019 "Finnish hockey is now a hot thing. Many gold medals. This year under 20s and men’s. I don’t know what we’re doing right, but we’re doing something right," said Heinola, who was joined in Vancouver by his mother, father and agent.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said this isn’t about targeting a specific nation.

"It just kind of worked out that way. Obviously, you’re taking the best player on your list at that point and time. We’re excited obviously to get a puck-moving defenceman that has hockey sense off the charts. He’s right around six feet in height. He makes and sees the play exceptionally well and that’s what the scouts were drawn to," Cheveldayoff said.

"He’s played with men. He’s played at a high level already and the experiences that he’s gained and shown that he can play in a men’s league is certainly something that is of great value."

Heinola had two goals and 14 points in 34 games ast season with Lukko in Liiga l, the top Finnish men’s league. He was a member of the 2019 gold-medal winning world junior team, with a goal and assist in five games before getting injured. He also played for Finland in the U19 world championship, with a goal and three assists in five games.

At 5-10 and 176 pounds, he’s still got room to grow. Various scouting reports paint him as a slick puck-moving defenceman and skater with strong hockey sense and playmaking abilities.

"I think I’m dependable. I can play with the puck and give smart passes," said Heinola, who models his game after another young Finnish defenceman in Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars.

The Jets didn’t own a first-round draft pick until Monday, when they traded defenceman Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers in exchange for blue-liner Neal Pionk and the 20th pick, which Winnipeg originally owned and shipped to the Big Apple last February in the Kevin Hayes trade.

Heinola said he had a good meeting with the Jets at the draft combine earlier this month and sensed there was interest. The feeling, he said, was definitely mutual.

"Yeah, I felt good after those meetings," he said. "It feels awesome. It was a little bit strange when I heard (his name called)."

Heinola is under contract for next season in Europe but didn’t rule out making the jump to pro hockey in North America.

"I hope it’s soon as possible. I think the first year no one think I could play in Liiga. Maybe next year, I hope it’s next year," he said. "I always dreamed of playing in the NHL."

Cheveldayoff said every player has their own development path, but there’s reason for optimism with Heinola. 1148052 Winnipeg Jets filling out that lineup on the back end over the course of the summer," said Maurice, who also spoke this week with Pionk's former coach with the Rangers, David Quinn.

'A little bit of a change is a good thing': Maurice Maurice admits he can be tough on young players, and it's clear that Jets' bench boss excited about next season doesn't always sit well with them. It's no secret the Jets were a fractured bunch by the end of last season as things began heading south, and Maurice even referenced having to smooth over some "ruffled feathers."

Mike McIntyre Given the passage of a couple months now, I asked Maurice on Friday whether it was time to look at some leadership changes. I firmly believe 06/21/2019 7:00 PM the current group of captain Blake Wheeler and alternates Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien needs an overhaul or an addition. While Maurice certainly left the door open — he named both Josh Morrissey VANCOUVER — Regrets? Sure, Paul Maurice has a few. Just don't hold and Adam Lowry specifically — it doesn't sound like anything is your breath expecting the admittedly stubborn head coach of the imminent. Winnipeg Jets to completely overhaul his style, or his philosophy, going forward. "You know what, I like our room and I like the people that are building that next layer of leadership we’ve got coming in. They’re coming into a In a wide-ranging chat Friday afternoon prior to the start of the NHL draft, time where they can hold the room with a comment and they can impact the veteran bench boss shared his thoughts on numerous topics: losing the game with a play," said Maurice. to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games; his usage of young players; the Jacob Trouba trade and the state of his blue- "So much of leadership is based on age. As you get a little experience line, player turnover caused by salary cap constraints; the leadership you get your difficult challenges that all teams have and you learn to group on his team and whether changes are needed; and how to get his handle them. And that’s leadership." group back on track after falling short of high expectations. Translation: the young guys still have some dues to pay in the eyes of There was one overriding theme to the majority of his answers, which the coach. More of that staying the course. likely won't sit well with fans and/or critics who believe Maurice has either Maurice may have no choice but to lean on several more young players lost the room or lost his way. next season, including Sami Niku and Tucker Poolman on defence, and "I’m not ready to change the grip. We hit the ball down the fairway an Jack Roslovic, Mason Appleton and Kristian Vesalainen at forward. All awful lot. We had one go in the water on us in the playoffs, but I’m not could find themselves playing important roles, thanks, in part, to their sure that I’m changing my clubs or my grip yet. We’ve got a pretty good relatively cheap contracts, which are desperately needed to balance the hockey team," Maurice said of his club, which posted 99 points last big-ticket ones. season, good for second in the Central Division, following a 114-point Maurice may have no choice but to lean on young players next season campaign a year earlier like Sami Niku. (Paul Chiasson / Canadian Press files) "I’m not ready to change the grip. We hit the ball down the fairway an Maurice may have no choice but to lean on young players next season awful lot. We had one go in the water on us in the playoffs, but I’m not like Sami Niku. (Paul Chiasson / Canadian Press files) sure that I’m changing my clubs or my grip yet. We’ve got a pretty good hockey team," Maurice said of his club. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press Maurice said there's plenty he and his players could learn from St. Louis, files) which went from last in the NHL standings at the beginning of January to winning it all less than six months later. They battled back from the dead, "I’m not ready to change the grip. We hit the ball down the fairway an a combination of veteran savvy and youthful exuberance mixed with awful lot. We had one go in the water on us in the playoffs, but I’m not sparkling goaltending from rookie Jordan Binnington, firm, steady sure that I’m changing my clubs or my grip yet. We’ve got a pretty good coaching from Craig Berube and the momentum of a runaway freight hockey team," Maurice said of his club. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press train. files) The Jets, of course, dropped the first two games to the Blues on home That's not to say everything will be status quo when the Jets kick off the ice, won the next two in Missouri and then had a 2-0 lead through 40 2019-20 season with a road trip that begins Oct. 3 in the Big Apple, of all minutes in Game 5, only to implode and give up three straight goals to places, and a meeting with former defenceman Jacob Trouba, who was lose. They then were overwhelmed in Game 6 in St. Louis, which ended shipped to the New York Rangers earlier this week for Neal Pionk and their season. the 20th-overall pick in the first-round of the draft. Maurice watched the rest of the playoffs and said it was like Groundhog Seriously, you couldn't have scripted a better storyline to kick off the new Day with the Blues. campaign. It's like something right out of a Broadway show, with Trouba even tweeting Friday "who's paying the schedule maker?" "I thought it was the exact same series over and over again. Resilience. Tight games. Not necessarily domination through the series but "Not surprised. You know it’s coming. I like Jake. The tough part is you domination at times. Great goaltending. And that would be the painful feel like you invested in a player, especially a defenceman because they thing. It was the same series over and over. Each team that they beat take a little while longer to get their feet wet and get comfortable, he was were right there but not quite good enough in the end," said Maurice. hitting his peak and in his prime," Maurice said of the trade. He said any lingering sour taste is long gone from his mouth. "But the challenge is a function of we’ve got a bunch of really, really young players that produced at a young age and their numbers say "I’m more excited now maybe going forward than I was at this time last they’re going to get paid, so not everybody gets to stay." year. The reality is we’re not that much older, the door wasn’t closed. There’s a bunch of teams, yep, that are going to have cap constraints That means changes are coming to the lineup, and Trouba likely isn't the and there’s a reason for it. The really, really good young players that only familiar face not coming back. That's not necessarily a bad thing, produced are going to get paid. And we’ll go through that," he said. according to Maurice. As for the "ruffled feathers" comment, Maurice said it was a case of "It can be exciting. When you didn’t get to where you wanted to get to but everyone on the team being "growly" at the way the year ended. That's a you think you’re moving in the right direction, a little bit of a change is a feeling he hopes stays with them through the summer and comes with good thing," he said. "We’re still a real young group. A little bit of change them at training camp. can be a good thing, so I’m excited about our group." "You don’t want them all healed. You want to bring a little bit of that pain Maurice said he's watched video of most of Pionk's play last season and back. You want to keep some of that. Sour is a better word. Whether thinks fans are going to be pleasantly surprised by the new addition. you’re right or wrong, but if you think you’re in that mix of teams that are "I like his game, he skates, can get to the puck first and he’s not afraid to good enough to win and you don’t, it hurts like hell," said Maurice. go back and get it. I think his style of game is going to fit in specifically with what we need with the other defencemen we have back. We’re still "The last thing that you want is everybody coming back happy the next year. It was good enough. The golf season was longer. That’s the exact opposite mindset of what you want."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 06.22.2019 1148053 Winnipeg Jets

Jets season-opener pits Pionk against Trouba, Lemieux in New York

Mike McIntyre

06/21/2019 2:52 PM

VANCOUVER — It appears the NHL schedule-maker has a flair for the dramatic.

How's this for starting the new season with a splash? The Winnipeg Jets will open the 2019-20 campaign at Madison Square Garden, facing Jacob Trouba, Brendan Lemieux and the rest of the New York Rangers. The Oct. 3 game will mark the home opener for the Broadway Blueshirts, who acquired the two former Jets in a pair of separate trades.

It will also mark a homecoming for the newest Jets defenceman, Neal Pionk, who travelled the other way last week in the Trouba swap.

Winnipeg will continue the road trip the following night, Oct. 4, by invading Newark to take on the New Jersey Devils in their home opener.

It's likely the Jets will play one more game in the New York area following the initial back-to-back — a date with the Islanders would seem a likely bet — before returning north of the border for their own home opener, set for Oct. 10, when the Minnesota Wild visit Bell MTS Place.

The Rangers, Devils and Wild dates are the only known thus far, as the NHL released just the home openers for all 31 teams Friday. The complete, 82-game regular-season schedule will be unveiled Tuesday.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 06.22.2019 1148054 Winnipeg Jets The Jets currently have four picks on Day 2 on Saturday: 51st overall (second round), 113th overall (fourth round), 134th (fifth round) and 144th (fifth round).

Jets select defenceman Heinola Winnipeg Ice captain Peyton Krebs was chosen 17th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Ken Wiebe Krebs, who recently had surgery to repair a torn Achilles, had 19 goals and 68 points in 64 games with the Kootenay Ice last season.

The skilled centre was getting around on a scooter, but he didn’t use it to VANCOUVER — Ville Heinola didn’t hesitate when asked which NHL get on the draft stage and to put his jersey on for the first time. player he patterns his game after. “I have my brace on here. I was not riding on a scooter across the stage. And if the Winnipeg Jets first round pick on Friday can have close to the We made it happen and I was fortunate to have some good people impact Dallas Stars blue-liner Miro Heiskanen had as a rookie, the around me,” said Krebs. “The wait was definitely hard, for sure. I was organization will be thrilled. thankful for whoever picked me. Someone really wanted me and I’m happy to be here. Vegas couldn’t be a better spot for me. “’In the NHL I like to watch Miro Heiskanen. I learn some things from him,” said Heinola, who had two goals and 14 points in 34 games with “Vegas was one of those meetings you walked out of and just felt really Luuko Raumo of Liiga last season and helped Finland capture a gold good about. I’m so happy, they felt like family from the get-go.” medal at the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.22.2019 Heiskanen was chosen third overall by the Stars in the 2017 NHL Draft and spent one more season in Finland before coming over to North America, chipping in 12 goals and 33 points in 82 games last season while averaging 23:07 of ice time.

“I would say that’s a good comparison. His skating is not as good, but otherwise, they are quite similar,” said Jussi Ahokas, who coached Finland at the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship. “He has really good hockey sense. He sees the game really well. He gaps up really well defensively. I would say he still needs to build up some strength, but for me, I like his choices and how he can pass. How he sees the ice, that’s the best part of him.”

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn’t want Heinola putting any unnecessary pressure on himself in terms of expectations or comparisons.

“We just want him to be him and to play his game. He’s something that from a development standpoint, because he’s played with men, he should be on a good development curve,” said Cheveldayoff. “He’s played at a high level already and the experiences that he’s gained and shown that he can play in a men’s league is certainly something that is of great value. He got hurt at the world junior. But in talking to our scouts and seeing the video and watching all the different things about him, he has a high, high hockey IQ.”

Heinola played in the top Finnish league and averaged roughly 20 minutes per game, according to Ahokas.

“He’s always been a good player in his age group, but he stepped up the last couple of years,” said Ahokas.

Heinola is under contract with Luuko Raumo for next season, but he seemed to be keeping his options when asked if he could come over to North America next season.

“I don’t know, let’s see what happens,” said Heinola, who plans to attend Jets development next week. “I hope it’s soon as possible (to play in the NHL). I think the first year no one thinks I could play in Liiga. Maybe next year, I hope it’s next year.”

The Jets organization already has some Finnish flavour with winger Patrik Laine, 2017 first-rounder Kristian Vesalainen, defenceman Sami Niku and recently signed Joona Luoto, which should help Heinola with the transition whenever he comes over to start playing full-time.

“Yeah, I always look up to Patrik Laine. And being in the same organization feels good,” said Heinola. “I always look at the way he shoots the puck so hard and scores the goals. When he was my age he was really good and playing international games and dominating the league in Finland.”

Heinola felt good about his meeting with the Jets at the NHL Combine in Buffalo, but didn’t have much of an idea when he might be chosen, as the mock drafts had him listed in a number of different spots in the first round.

“I don’t know. I didn’t expect anything, I just come to enjoy and wait if someone wants to take me,” said Heinola. “I always dreamed of playing in the NHL. I’m dependable. I can play with puck and give smart passes.” 1148055 Winnipeg Jets coming in, I like his game, he skates, can get to the puck first and he’s not afraid to go back and get it.

“His style of game is going to fit in specifically with what we need with the Maurice sticking with approach: Jets head coach doesn’t see need for other defencemen we have back. We’re still filling out that lineup on the philosophical change back end over the course of the summer. We like him for the person that he is and the style of game that he plays.”

Ken Wiebe Maurice still isn’t sure where Neal Pionk will fit on the depth chart, but he’s under consideration to play alongside Josh Morrissey, as is Dustin Byfuglien.

VANCOUVER — Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice doesn’t sound “The only way that can probably be answered is if you understand the like a guy who is on the verge of making radical changes or changing his other names,” said Maurice, who realizes the Jets back end could be in approach. flux with the expected departures of pending unrestricted free agents Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot. “I’ll give you more general. Absolutely he Prior to the 2019 NHL Draft, Maurice made himself available to members could. Based on style. When you look at the first three-quarters of the of the media for the first time since the end-of-season exit meetings and season, he’s playing with Marc Staal and playing against the other spoke on a variety of topics during a conversation that lasted nearly 30 team’s best. When you talk to their coach he had complete comfort doing minutes. that. So that’s a possibility. Or you’d say with that skill set are we better When asked if he was planning to make any philosophical changes to the matching him somewhere else so we have a little bit more depth.” structure his team plays, Maurice sounded like a guy who is planning to Maurice sought out Rangers head coach David Quinn in Vancouver this stick to his guns. weekend to compare notes on the players that were exchanged in the That won’t prevent some minor modifications in terms of structure, but two deals this season. the Jets will continue to be a team that attempts to play fast and use When it came down to the top priorities for the Jets heading into next speed to its advantage. season, Maurice was a bit more guarded than usual. “I’m not ready to change the grip. We hit the ball down the fairway an “Just get better,” he said, noting he expects his group to come back awful lot,” said Maurice. “We had one go in the water on us in the hungry after an early exit. “You don’t want (the wounds) all healed. You playoffs, but I’m not sure that I’m changing my clubs or my grip yet. want to bring a little bit of that pain back. You want to keep some of that. We’ve got a pretty good hockey team.” Sour is a better word. Whether you’re right or wrong, but if you think The Jets have been a pretty good hockey team over the course of the you’re in that mix of teams that are good enough to win and you don’t, it past two seasons. hurts like hell.

But after advancing to the Western Conference final in 2018, the Jets “The last thing that you want is everybody coming back happy the next were bounced from the first round in six games by the St. Louis Blues, year. It was good enough. The golf season was longer. That’s the exact who eventually won the Stanley Cup after dispatching the Dallas Stars, opposite mindset of what you want.” San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins. The Winnipeg Jets got a gift from the schedule maker on Friday. “It was the exact same series over and over again,” said Maurice. Although the full schedule won’t be released until the morning of June 25, “Resilience. Tight games. Not necessarily domination through the series the NHL unveiled the home openers for the 2019-20. but domination at times. Great goaltending. And that would be the painful thing. It was the same series over and over. Each team that they beat The Jets open the campaign on Oct. 3 against the New York Rangers, were right there but not quite good enough in the end.” then face the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 4.

With that in mind, did seeing the Blues dig deep and won each of the Most likely, the Jets would close out a three-game East Coast swing with next three series make it a recurring nightmare for Maurice? a game on Oct. 6 against the New York Islanders.

“Almost the opposite. My mood’s almost the opposite,” he said. “The The Jets home opener is on Oct. 10 against the Minnesota Wild. nightmares came the day after and the week after. And then you go back and watch the series again. Two really good teams went really, really There’s a tinge of irony to the Jets opening the new campaign against a hard at each other. Go through the analytics, the five-on-five chances Rangers club that includes recently departed defenceman Jacob Trouba generated we were slightly better in four out of six games. The painful and winger Brendan Lemieux, who was shipped out at the NHL trade part is we liked part of game 2, and 3, 4, and 5, big chunks of it we liked deadline. and you can still walk away losing the series. Didn’t love the way we “The old band back together,” Maurice said during a lengthy discussion played in game six so that hurts a little bit. But now I’ve moved on. They with reporters at the team hotel on Friday. “To be honest with you, it were just a little bit better than the teams that they beat. And in the areas would have been a bigger story if it had happened in year and we hadn’t they struggled with they were able to rebound the next night. seen him. The bigger story is it’s the first game of the year and we’re in “They earned it. That resilience to me is what I saw in-series with them, Canada, so you have to win that one or it impacts the rest of the year. by shift. I wouldn’t say they sagged, but they got beat sometimes but they There will be bigger stories around it. But I think by now, we’ve probably were able to come back. They’ve certainly introduced a new rallying cry got somebody on just about every team that you’re running into. The first in the National Hockey League for the next 30 years. There’s going to be, time you run into them, it’s a big deal.” every team, a 31st and soon to be a 32nd place team at that point in the Trouba took to Twitter on Friday after news of the schedule came out. season, and that coach is giving that speech. ‘There was another team that was exactly where we are boys and they won the Stanley Cup.” “Who’s paying the schedule maker,” said Trouba

The Jets made a big move on Monday when they traded defenceman Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.22.2019 Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for the 20th overall pick on Friday and fellow blue-liner Neal Pionk.

The move didn’t catch Maurice off guard.

“Not surprised. You know it’s coming,” said Maurice. “I like (Trouba). The tough part is you feel like you invested in a player, especially a defenceman because they take a little while longer to get their feet wet and get comfortable, he was hitting his peak and in his prime. But the challenge is a function of we’ve got a bunch of really, really young players that produced at a young age and their numbers say they’re going to get paid so not everybody gets to stay. I like (Pionk), he’s 1148056 Vancouver Canucks “Nobody has our cross-border capabilities,” Bob McKee, Royal Bank’s managing director for sports professionals, said at his Vancouver office. “That is the key.”

Star athletes become trophies that banks covet as salaries skyrocket The company works with about 900 sports professionals, about 80 per cent tied to hockey — mostly NHL players, but also those playing in the American Hockey League or Europe, as well as drafted junior players, Jeff Vinnick retired NHLers, coaches, agents and executives. The rest are in MLB or the NFL, where Royal Bank expanded in the past two years, or in the

NBA or professional golf. John-Michael Liles knows the temptations that can accompany a A 38-member Royal Bank team includes a dozen private bankers in lucrative NHL contract. His came in the form of a ’69 Chevy Camaro. Canada and the U.S. who act as “quarterbacks,” coordinating the bank’s Back when the retired defenceman was a rookie in 2003, he was wowed response to client needs, along with 15 investment advisers, McKee said. by a muscle car owned by a Colorado Avalanche teammate. Liles vowed “It’s not a 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday job,” said McKee, 63, who spent that if he ever landed a big National Hockey League contract, he’d build years as a private banker for athletes before moving into his current role. that custom Camaro. Five years later, the Indiana native signed a four- “You’ve got to be able to work 24/7, seven days a week. It’s not a job for year deal with the Avalanche — then proceeded to fritter away everybody.” US$100,000 on a yellow convertible with black racing stripes. Canucks clients “I probably spent more money on it than I realistically should have,” Liles, 38, said from his home outside Vail, Colorado. “It was a great car and I Royal Bank established a North American sports professionals segment loved it, but at some point I had to become an adult. I have two kids and within its private-banking division in 2004, consolidating services for it’s not exactly child-friendly.” athletes scattered across its branch network. But the beginnings reach back further, when McKee was a senior loans officer at a branch near the To help him avoid bigger lures and protect 14 years of NHL earnings, Canucks’ Vancouver arena. His break came in 1991, when he landed Liles said he has relied on Royal Bank of Canada. players Trevor Linden and Cliff Ronning as clients. The firm was earlier than most in specifically targeting hockey players as Royal Bank’s U.S. foray starting in the late 1990s helped expand the clients and thinks it can replicate that success with other athletes. As its practice of serving border-hopping NHL players. The firm extended its hometown celebrate breaking Canada’s 26-year reach when it bought City National — Hollywood’s “bank to the stars” — championship drought in the biggest North American sports, Royal Bank in 2015. sees an opportunity. A playbook emerged: Get athletes when they’re young — often 18, 19 or It has plenty of competition from major banks trying to ride the wave of 20 years old — to give them guidance before the big paychecks and surging salaries in professional sports. Morgan Stanley established a bigger temptations arrive. To win over those players and their families, Global Sports & Entertainment division almost five years ago, and now attending the annual NHL entry draft became a requirement — including has 132 directors and associates in the group. Goldman Sachs Group this week’s gathering in Vancouver. Inc. made a similar move last July, setting up a Sports and Entertainment Solutions business in its private wealth-management division. “The opportune time is before they sign that contract, before they start to think about what they’re going to do with this money — and some of it “We have long-standing relationships with clients who are within the could be frivolous like buying a Ferrari or something,” McKee said. sports and entertainment industry, going back decades. Within the past year, we decided to have a more dedicated presence,” Nicole Pullen Royal Bank also attracts athletes midway through their careers or Ross, who oversees the business at Goldman, said. “We’ve been approaching retirement. Today, about 18% of clients are retired players. extremely fortunate to have some very early success.” Swedish twins John-Michael Liles #4 of the Colorado Avalanche shoots against the Phoenix Coyotes at the Pepsi Center on January 6, 2011 in Denver, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who played their entire 18-year career with the Colorado. Michael Martin / PROVINCE Canucks before retiring last year, know about heady career trajectories. The longtime Royal Bank clients went from getting about $100 a game in Seeking action a Swedish league in the late 1990s to earning about US$1 million a season with their first NHL contract, a three-year deal in 1999. Their It’s not just banks. Smaller companies, independent money managers salaries reached US$7 million a season in their final years. and boutique firms are clamouring for some of the action in a business with mammoth contracts and sponsorship deals. Financial adviser Chris “It’s easy to say a lot of players make a lot of money, but for the most Moynes, who spent a decade in Royal Bank’s sports division before part players make league minimum or up to a million and a half, maybe becoming managing director of One Sports + Entertainment Group, $2 million,” Henrik Sedin, 38, said. “If you play for three or four years, handles about 75 NHL players. Even former athletes have made the you’re not going to be able to live the rest of your life doing nothing — leap. The latest example: Tony Parker, a four-time National Basketball and that’s the case for the majority of players in the league.” Association champion who retired from playing last week, joined NorthRock Partners LLC’s sports, artists and entertainment division. The Sedins are a wealth manager’s dream: They had long careers and lucrative contracts, yet are restrained in their spending. Their biggest The biggest firms are on the hunt for sports clients eager to avoid getting indulgence came when they each spent around $150,000 on motorboats burned in a world rife with financial mismanagement. Professional for their oceanfront home in Sweden that they didn’t really enjoy, and athletes alleged almost US$600 million in fraud-related losses from 2004 sold a year later at a loss. through 2018, Ernst & Young LLP said in a report. “We grew up in a family that never really talked money — we didn’t think And there’s plenty of money to be taken: Multiple baseball stars signed that way,” Henrik Sedin said. “We were never guys that bought anything contracts this year paying more than US$300 million, and a dozen NBA luxury or stuff like that.” players may score nine-figure deals this summer. Average athlete salaries in the NHL, National Football League, NBA and Major League Still, the former captain relied on Royal Bank’s acumen to help on Baseball ranged from US$2.7 million to US$7.1 million in 2017, complicated financial issues, including putting together a mortgage for an according to the EY report. Endorsements and sponsorship deals apartment in Stockholm and transferring the money abroad before a tight brought in US$887 million for the top 100 earners. deadline.

Two countries Out-of-the-ordinary demands from sports stars have been the norm for Royal Bank’s David Vander Voet during his 13 years as a private banker In serving those highly paid athletes, Royal Bank stands out, having in Toronto. advised pros for almost three decades. It focused initially on hockey players, whose careers often shuttle them between the U.S. and Canada. “I’ve played real estate agent, I’ve taken delivery of cars, I’ve delivered paperwork and so forth to weird places, to hotels. I’ve gone down to the depths of locker rooms, gone to the practice facilities,” he said. “You make yourself available to them, at their schedule.”

‘A 911’

Vander Voet works with “brand-name athletes” as well as hockey executives, agents and retired players. He typically manages around 150 households, and currently 20 are in sports, including active players in the NHL, MLB and NBA. His first client as a private banker was a newly acquired Toronto Maple Leafs player, and he’s since built relationships with young athletes and their families, from their junior hockey days, to American Hockey League debuts, and on to the NHL.

Young players tend to be “a bit boring” in their demands, Vander Voet said, unlike some players taken on later in their careers. “I have clients that I’ve inherited when they’re close to retirement, when it’s been more of a 911 instead of a 411. It’s been a bit of a tire fire and we’re trying to get them right again.”

Like his colleagues, Vander Voet won’t disclose client names. He’s dealing with one player eager to buy a $10 million house, and once had a Raptors basketball player who was paying $8,500 a month in rent for a condo and even more for Toronto parking stalls for his cars and those driven by his entourage.

Liles’s tastes have been far more modest, Camaro notwithstanding. He bought and sold some homes, but mostly rented during his career. He was tempted by a vacation club, but his Royal Bank adviser, Trevor Johnson, made him reconsider.

“Any time I had something in my mind that wasn’t on track with my plan for my career and post-career, Trevor was always there to say ‘Let’s just table this one for a little while,’” Liles said. “For the most part, we’ve made some pretty sound financial decisions.”

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148057 Vancouver Canucks “We go by our list and we had him rated above these other guys,” added Benning. “He was the name where if he wasn’t there at No. 10, we were looking to maybe trade down and get another pick. There were some Canucks had options, but were always sold on Russian Vasili Podkolzin guys we like, but when he was there, we were going to make the pick.”

Added Chibisov: “He’s a good overall player who works hard and protects the pucks and is strong on the puck and in the corners. And he Ben Kuzma can shoot and make a play. He killed penalties and was blocking shots, too. He was a good team leader and is physically strong — almost like a

man.” With size and strength the Moscow native — referred to as a raging bull Benning was thought to be making another play Friday. He was linked to in the past — projects as a future NHL power forward acquiring Colorado right-shot defenceman Tyson Barrie, especially after Move up. Move down. Stand pat. Make a trade. Trade the pick. the Avalanche selected Vancouver Giants standout blueliner Bowen Byram with the fourth pick. Name an NHL draft-week scenario and the Vancouver Canucks were linked to speculation on some level. Part of the rationale was the sense With young talents like Samuel Girard and Cale Markar, the 59-point that general manager Jim Benning needed to make a splash. Part of it Victoria native is deemed expendable. Jake Virtanen and a 2020 pick was the due diligence of kicking the tires on what it would take to make a were supposed to be going the other way in the deal that gained trade, or move up from the 10th overall selection. Or, maybe do both. momentum throughout the day and fizzled out at night.

However, what always made sense — and what Benning always knew — “Yeah, we tried,” admitted Benning. “We were looking at a lot of different is that keeping his pick and continuing to add to franchise depth was of things and I’m hoping to get something done. We’re still looking at some paramount importance. As for a hockey trade, that could happen things. It may happen tomorrow (Saturday) with a bunch of deals. I think Saturday because there was a lot of chatter Friday, but nothing got there’s going to be quite a bit of movement — it just didn’t happen today.” finalized. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.22.2019 What many didn’t know is that Russian right-winger Vasili Podkolzin, a projected NHL power forward, had climbed into the Canucks’ top-10 considerations — as high as eighth or ninth — and that a Thursday meeting cemented the club’s interest in the 6-1, 196-pound Moscow native.

Benning sees a Timo Meier type who can work the walls and play with speed and strength, but needs to work on his shot. Podkolzin may have ranked higher in this draft, but is under contract for two more seasons with SKA St. Petersburg and that had a lot to do with the winger being rated all over the first-round map.

“He’s got the size and strength and can get to the net,” said Benning. “He’s going to be a good complementary player for some of our really skilled players. He plays a heavy game and we’ve seen in the playoffs that you need those strong guys who can get to the net and protect the puck.

“Once we get him over here, he can step in and play right away. We think he can score in the NHL.”

In 2018, Podkolzin was captain of Team Russia in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where the club claimed a bronze medal. In that outing, he scored a hat trick against the U.S. to raise his draft stock for 2019. He led that tournament in scoring with 11 points (8-3) in five games. He also had three assists in seven games of the 2019 world junior tournament as the Russians pocketed bronze.

“I can do whatever I can be asked to do — power forward or playmaking and I can score goals as well,” Podkolzin said through an interpreter in Canucks’ Russian scout Sergei Chibisov. “Playing against men wasn’t hard from a physical point of view, it was hard psychologically and I hope in two years that I play in Russia I will get stronger.

“I hope it is the beginning of the new stage of my career.”

Which would be something.

The Canucks haven’t had much recent success with Russian players who were either discontented to haven’t performed to expectations. The lure of returning home saw Nikita Tryamkin play that card.

“We’ve looked into all that and he wants to come over after two years,” said Benning. “I guess there’s a little risk involved and we’re confident from what his agent said.”

The 10th selection was about a scouting consensus. The Canucks could have chosen between those who were still on the board — WHL centre Peyton Krebs, Swedish defencemen Victor Soderstrom and U.S. National Team Development Program winger Matthew Boldy — but they didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on Podkolzin.

His statistics didn’t stand out in league play. He was pointless in three KHL games and in the junior ranks — five points (2-3) in 14 VHL games and eight points (6-2) in a dozen MHL games — but his potential trumped playing other draft cards Friday. 1148058 Vancouver Canucks It wasn’t funny at the time, but the selection of Podkolzin brought with it the collapse of the media Wi-Fi. Champagne problems, of course, as most quickly shifted to using their phones as a hot spot.

Canucks notebook: Rumours, Russians, B.C. roots and Rogers It did feel funny in hindsight, given the name of the connection-friendly connection issues on Day 1 arena.

Lu being forced out?

Patrick Johnston All the chatter this week about Roberto Luongo possibly retiring leads one to a singular conclusion: The Panthers are trying to force the veteran goalie out. The Canucks seemed set to make a trade in the first round. They didn't. Maybe Saturday? He’s told several people close to him since the season ended that he doesn’t want to retire, that he’d like to be a backup. He’s not ready to Jim Benning had been saying for weeks he wanted to add a right-shot quit. defenceman. His situation remains one to watch. For a time, we thought that maybe, just maybe, that was going to happen. CORRECTION:An earlier online version of this story had the Arizona- Philadelphia trade in the wrong order. It was the Coyotes who moved up Tyson Barrie’s name was one in the rumblings. There was some noise to select Soderstrom. that maybe the Canucks had been talking to the Nashville Predators — about what or who we don’t know. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.22.2019

At the end of Round 1 in Friday’s NHL Entry Draft at Rogers Arena, nothing had happened.

It seems clear that Barrie is on the block, especially with the Colorado Avalanche selecting Bowen Byram at fourth overall. There were rumours the Canucks and Avalanche were close to a Barrie deal; when asked if he had been set to make a deal, he said that Vasili Podkolzin being still available had changed their minds.

If he hadn’t been, the Canucks were going to trade down; he didn’t say with which team, of course.

Govorit’ po-russki?

The selection of Vasili Podkolzin brings with it intriguing questions: When will he be ready to come to Vancouver? And when will the Canucks have another Russian on the roster?

Nikolay Goldobin spoke a year ago about how good it was to have Russian teammates like Alex Burmistrov and Nikita Tryamkin alongside him, given the cultural differences between Russia and North America.

Does that mean the Canucks will look to keep Goldobin in the fold, just to help Podkolzin along in a season or two? Or perhaps more tantalizing for Canucks fans, a big reason to push for a return for Tryamkin, who has another year to go on his contract with Yekaterinburg?

It’s certainly something that makes you go “hmmmm!”

A trade! A trade!

There was much speculation going into Friday’s draft that there might be some shuffling around in the top end of the draft, given the interesting options available.

But as is almost always the case in the modern draft, everyone stayed put.

There was one trade on Day 1 as the Arizona Coyotes traded up to take Victor Soderstrom, the Swedish defenceman who some thought the Canucks were going to nab at No. 10.

The Coyotes traded their own first-round pick, which was slated for 14th overall, to the Philadelphia Flyers, and the 45th overall pick, to make the move happen.

The Flyers used their pick to select defenceman Cameron York.

A trio of B.C. picks

After Byram was picked by the Avalanche, two other prospects with B.C. connections were picked: Alex Newhook, who was skating with the Victoria Grizzlies, was scooped up by the Avalanche with their second pick of the round, 16th overall. A pick later, the Winnipeg (formerly Cranbook) Ice’s Peyton Krebs went to the Vegas Golden Knights.

“I’m excited. I’ve never been to Vegas; it will be my first time,” Krebs said with a bit of a laugh when in-arena host Hannah Bernard asked him about being picked by the Golden Knights.

Holy Wi-Fi 1148059 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks announce Alex Burrows is joining Ring of Honour

Patrick Johnston

The Canucks are adding a dragon slayer to the team’s Ring of Honour.

Alex Burrows will join Orland Kurtenbach, Kirk McLean, Harold Snepsts, Thomas Gradin, Pat Quinn and Mattias Ohlund as players the Canucks have recognized for their accomplishments with the club.

For years, Burrows played wing for twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, tallying 203 goals for the Canucks, including a memorable Game 7 overtime goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2011 NHL playoffs.

An undrafted player out of junior, the Canucks signed him after he scratched and clawed his way into pro hockey.

The announcement was made Friday by host John Shorthouse just before the 2019 NHL Entry Draft started at Rogers Arena. Burrows was welcomed to the stage with a massive ovation from the crowd.

“It’s extremely special, obviously. I spent 12 great years here in Vancouver; they’re the team that gave me my first chance to play in the NHL. I’ll forever be grateful to them for everything they did for me and my family,” Burrows said.

“But especially the fans’ reaction was extra special. I tried my hardest every night, play the right way and tried to do all the right things so I would be successful and bring a championship to Vancouver. Now to be inducted to the Ring of Honour is a tremendous honour and I’m really proud of it.”

Burrows retired from playing last summer, after a season-plus with the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks traded Burrows to the Senators at the 2017 trade deadline, with prospect Jonathan Dahlen going west. (Dahlen was traded this past season to the San Jose Sharks for Linus Karlsson.)

The Canucks also announced that a ceremony to retire the Sedins’ numbers will take place next February.

“He’s the best winger we ever played with,” Henrik Sedin said. “He was such a big part of our team.

“The work he did in pulling himself to the NHL alone was worthy of a spot in the ring, let alone his play once he made The Show.”

Sedin added: “He’s a good example for young players. It’s not all about being drafted as a high pick or being promising when you’re 12, 13, 14 years old. You can get to where you want to be just by playing hard.”

Burr with Shorty and Burrows future place in the #Canucks ring of honour, in spotlight. Fun way to kick off the draft. Amazingly, Burrows was never drafted into the NHL. pic.twitter.com/GXh68Rw0Oe

— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) June 21, 2019

Burrows said he was pleased the Sedins were able to join him for the announcement.

“They’re tremendous human beings. For them to be there tonight, up there with me was special.”

And he was visibly flattered by the praise from his former captain.

“Hank’s a great guy. It’s pretty special for me,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my supporting cast.

“My parents, my sisters, wife, all my friends, obviously the staff here in Vancouver, starting from ownership, Mr. Aquilini and his family, down to management, coaching staff and all my teammates throughout the years. I know this honour is about me, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148060 Vancouver Canucks 7:45 p.m. — The rumoured Tyson Barrie-to-Vancouver trade was reportedly close at one time this evening, so it seems strange that nothing has happened as we approach the last few picks of the first NHL Draft Live: Canucks take Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin at 10 round. Is it still on? Did talks fall through for some reason? Was it ever a real thing? No one I’ve spoken to is quite sure what’s going on or if it’s something we should continue to monitor.

Harrison Mooney It’s typical, really. So far, an unprecedented amount of trade chatter has resulted in a whole lot of nothing, as usual. We really should know better

by now. Let us all take a moment to remind ourselves that anyone who Will the hometown Canucks make a splash at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft? suggests two hockey teams are talking trade is a LIAR. No one trades. It’s a myth. Day 1 of the NHL Draft went Friday night in Vancouver at Rogers Arena, and Postmedia was there all night, reporting on the comings and goings, This draft has been an absolute dud and I feel bad for fans, rumours and intrigue, and anything else that unfolded on the draft floor. especially ones that paid big money on the secondary markets for tickets. Near unprecedented low levels of buzz and trades. *** — Mike Halford (@HalfordTSN) June 22, 2019 8:20 p.m. — IT’S OVER. Thus far, watching this draft has been like watching four incredibly With the 31st and final pick in the 2019 draft, the Buffalo Sabres select cautious people play the world’s most orderly game of Settlers of Catan. Ryan Johnson, whose boring name is a metaphor for this entire boring No trades. No development cards, even. Just road-building and dice- night. Perhaps there will be more intrigue, and more interesting names, rolling until the game is through. At the risk of mixing my metaphor by tomorrow, when the teams make another 200-something picks. referencing another popular party game, what hockey really needs is a GM who’s a true chaotic neutral. Imagine if your job was to sit and watch the whole, entire thing, and then immediately abandon your dreams of working in hockey media. You don’t So it goes. Here’s what happened while I was complaining: want this. 21. Pittsburgh Penguins – Samuel Poulin The draft is over, and the floor is now emptying in a hurry, while Freddie Mercury sings, “Don’t stop me now, I’m having a good time,” which is 22. Los Angeles Kings – Tobias Bjornfot pretty ironic, to be honest. 23. NY Islanders – Simon Holmstrom Thanks for following along! We’ll see you next time when, perhaps, 24. Nashville Predators – Philip Tomasino something interesting will happen. Stay tuned for plenty of post-event coverage from Postmedia’s reporting team, as well as reporting on 25. Washington Capitals – Connor McMichael whatever happens tomorrow, beginning tomorrow. 7:15 p.m. – A little more on Podkolzin from Postmedia’s Patrick 8:15 p.m. — The Boston Bruins picked at 30, and boy oh boy, did they Johnston: There was no disagreement among the Canucks’ delegation ever get booed. The moment Gary Bettman told Rogers Arena that they about their first-round selection. were on the clock, the booing started, and then it got louder, and then there was a nasty “Boston sucks” chant, and then the Bruins took to the Now then. Here are the picks to round out the top 20, as this thing stage and that’s when the booing really got going. Boston rushed the pick continues to hum along with little intrigue: just to shut the whole thing down. 16. Colorado Avalanche – Alex Newhook

Here’s what happened since I last told you what happened. 17. Vegas Golden Knights – Peyton Krebs

26. Calgary Flames – Jakob Pelletier 18. Dallas Stars – Thomas Harley

27. Tampa Bay Lightning – Nolan Foote 19. Ottawa Senators – Lassi Thomson

28. Carolina Hurricanes – Ryan Suzuki 20. Winnipeg Jets – Ville Heinola

29. Anaheim Ducks – Brayden Tracey 6:45 p.m. — More about 10th overall pick Vasili Podkolzin coming up, I 30. Boston Bruins – John Beecher imagine (there’s not much else to discuss yet), but let’s briefly turn our attention back to the draft. With the Colorado Avalanche on the clock at We have one pick to go, as the Buffalo Sabres get set to close the draft 16, we are now at the halfway point of the first round. Here’s what with a pick they acquired from the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. happened after the Canucks took Podkolzin and I stopped paying Then we’re done, and thank the high heavens. According to the Bible, attention to everything else: the apostle Paul once preached a sermon so boring that a young boy fell asleep, and out a window. I always thought that was a silly story, but then 11. Arizona Coyotes – Victor Soderstrom I endured this year’s NHL Draft and now I get it. 12. Minnesota Wild – Matthew Boldy

8:00 p.m. — Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma has filed a piece on the newest 13. Florida Panthers – Spencer Knight Canuck. Here’s a snippet: 14. Philadelphia Flyers – Cameron York His statistics didn’t stand out in league play. He was pointless in three KHL games and in the Russian junior ranks, he had five points (2-3) in 14 15. Montreal Canadiens – Cole Caulfield VHL games and eight points (6-2) in a dozen MHL games. But what scouts saw was raw talent that could be harnessed. If you’re wondering, the Coyotes and the Flyers traded first-round picks prior to their selections in the only trade of the day so far. This is shaping (…) He has been called a raging bull with a powerful stride and ability to up to be a really dry first round. Somebody do something interesting. protect pucks while playing against men in the KHL. That opened a lot of eyes, and even this season where he played at three different levels, he 6:30 p.m. — Since nothing else really matters, let’s ignore what’s constantly caught the scouting eye a 17-year-old playing against more happening at the draft for a brief look at what sort of player the newest experienced players often attracts. Canuck, Vasili Podkolzin, actually is.

7:50 p.m. — Here’s a clip of Vasili Podkolzin’s post-draft media A right-winger with average size who plays a “fearless,” power forward- availability, courtesy the Canucks. You might enjoy it, although I warn type game, Podkolzin turns 18 in three days, which makes it quite you that it’s pretty standard: save for the infamous draft, I impressive that he’s already seen some ice time in men’s leagues. That’s don’t think I’ve ever seen a drafted player say he wasn’t excited to be what happens when you tear up the Russian U16 and U17 leagues, and drafted by the team that drafted him. Maybe one day, my dreams will he’s also turned heads during international play in the past, captaining come true. Team Russia to a bronze in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018. Podkolzin led the way in the bronze-medal game, scoring a hat trick in a 5-4 victory. But he was less notable earlier this year, when he won another bronze 5:50 p.m. — The Los Angeles Kings selected two-way centre Alex medal with the Russian team at the world juniors right here in Vancouver. Turcotte out of the U.S. national development program with the fifth pick. He had just three assists in that tournament, likely hurting his draft stock. There was some scuttlebutt that the highly touted Turcotte could slide out So did his performance in three separate Russian leagues this year, of the top five. It was bad scuttlebutt. where he also struggled to produce. At sixth overall, the Detroit Red Wings went waaaaay off the board, Still, he was at one time considered the third-best prospect in this year’s selecting the German hockey league’s rookie of the year, defenceman draft, and the Canucks are betting on that initial scouting report being the Moritz Seider. That explains the rumours Detroit was trying to trade correct one. Podkolzin is known as a relentless competitor, with speed, down. They probably could have gotten him lower and they clearly knew puck-handling and finishing ability in spades, when he’s on. He’s also it. Seems like a wasted opportunity to add an asset or two, but I’m sure considered a strong, two-way player, capable of killing penalties and they’re just happy to get their man. known for a solid back-check and impressive takeaway ability. Shocker!! Wow. Seider to the Wings! Audible gasp when they picked And before you ask: Podkolzin has said that he wants to play in the NHL. Last summer, Podkolzin signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the — Blake Price (@BlakePriceTSN) June 22, 2019 KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg, which will likely prevent him from playing in The announcement drew a considerable, collective gasp, as most were North America until 2021-22. That probably hurt his draft stock too. But expecting Detroit to take a player rumoured to be on the Canucks’ radar. he is coming. Vancouver is, of course, mostly waiting to see who’s still available to “Obviously, teams are expressing some concern about that, but there’s round out the top 10, so this move likely pleases them. Now it’s more really nothing I can do,” Podkolzin told media through his translator, Adel likely that one of their white whales will be there. Mansurov, yesterday afternoon. “It makes sense they’re concerned 5:40 p.m. — This is where the draft really gets going. The first two picks because I’ll be away for a couple of years. I want to play in the NHL. It’s went down just as expected, but everything after this is difficult to predict. up to the teams at this point.” Which teams will go off the board? Which prospects will fall? Will there On Friday, his translator said Podkolzin was excited to be drafted by be trades? Will there be blood? Vancouver. With the third overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks selected 6’4″ centre “He’s proud to be part of it, where the famous Pavel Bure played,” Kirby Dach from the Saskatoon Blades. Mansurov said. “He will try to do his best.” At four, the Colorado Avalanche selected Vancouver Giants defenceman For more info on Podkolzin, here are a few quick links: Bowen Byram, the top-rated blue-liner in this draft. Does this increase the likelihood of a Barrie trade, perhaps with Vancouver, as rumoured? You’d • DOBBER HOCKEY – Prospect Deep Dive: Vasili Podkolzin have to think so, at least in regards to Barrie being outbound, as the Avalanche now have an embarrassment of riches on the back end and • BUFFALO NEWS – Winger Vasily Podkolzin, the draft’s great mystery: can deal from a position of strength. ‘I want to play in the NHL’ Colorado selects Vancouver Giants D-man Bowen Byram fourth • CANUCKS ARMY – 2019 Draft Countdown No. 3: Vasili Podkolzin overall. It fans the flames that the Avs could trade blueliner Tyson Barrie, 6:13 p.m. — The Canucks delegation was rather large, which is what possibly to the Canucks. Colorado also has good young Ds in Samuel happens when the draft is in driving distance. But I digress. With the 10th Girard and Cale Makar. #NHLDraft2019 overall pick, the Canucks have selected Russian forward Vasili — Ben Kuzma (@benkuzma) June 22, 2019 Podkolzin. 5:16 p.m. — It’s rare that there’s much suspense around the first overall The fans were not particularly pleased about this selection, especially pick, but the Devils had a choice to make this evening: Wunderkind with some big names left on the board. There was a smattering of boos American forward Jack Hughes, brother to Vancouver’s Quinn and the when the kid’s name was announced, which is never ideal. expected first overall pick, or Kaapo Kakko, the Finnish winger many Poor kid, booed being picked in his own rink. believe is the actual best player in this draft. Oooooh, what will they do?

— Paul Chapman (@PaulChapman_) June 22, 2019 They picked Jack Hughes. No surprise there. Did I say there was suspense? No, you must have misread me. Obvious pick. But as soon as Podkolzin slipped on the jersey, the crowd bounced back, cheering their fool heads off. Hopefully he lives up to the pick. According The second pick went to the New York Rangers, and they did as to several pundits, Podkolzin is a boom-or-bust type prospect. Lots of expected as well, giving their rebuild a significant boost with the selection talent, but some question marks. of Kakko.

We’ll give Vancouver the benefit of the doubt on this one. They’ve have 5:10 p.m — As is tradition, Gary Bettman has hit the stage to fire the had intermittent success with Russian prospects in their history — one starter’s pistol on the NHL draft, and the hometown crowd booed the hell can only hope Podkolzin is more Pavel Bure than Sergei Shirokov. out of him. After drinking in the jeers like the boo vampire he is, Bettman, who couldn’t even be heard over the crowd, left the stage, only to return Podkolzin could absolutely be a home run selection. You're swinging with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Smart man. for the fences with this one. Extremely talented, let's see if the production follows. The Rogers Arena crowd responded with a mixed bag of rowdy cheers and jeers. Incredibly, there was never any confusion as to which — Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) June 22, 2019 response was for whom.

6:00 p.m. — That rounds out the top nine picks, meaning the Canucks Bettman then went on to announce that Daniel and Henrik’s jerseys will are officially on the clock. Gary Bettman has informed the crowd. The be retired this February as part of a week-long celebration. We already crowd is quite pleased. While Vancouver deliberates, a quick rundown of knew that, but it’s nice to hear again. Be sure to mark your calendars for what just happened: Sedin Week, February 2020.

At seven, the Buffalo Sabres selected Lethbridge centre Dylan Cozens. Anyway. Then Bettman kept talking, welcoming everyone to the event, and the fans went right back to booing him so loudly that I honestly have At eight, the Edmonton Oilers selected Swedish defenceman Philip no idea what he said. Good show, Vancouver. Broberg, preventing Vancouver from being tempted to take him. A lot of fans seemed skeptical of Broberg, who scored just twice last season, and Bettman better have some more Canucks legends backstage. the hometown crowd sounded downright pleased when Edmonton snagged him. That’s reasonable. Being selected by the Oilers generally — Scott Brown 烙 (@BrownieScott) June 22, 2019 means you’re not as good as people think. I heard him say this, though: “The first selection of the 2019 NHL Draft At nine, the Anaheim Ducks selected American forward Trevor Zegras, belongs to the New Jersey Devils.” We are underway. who many were hoping would fall to the Canucks. He did not. 4:55 p.m. — The draft hasn’t even started yet and the Vancouver Canucks have already made their first splash of the night, announcing that Alex Burrows, the dragon slayer himself, is headed to the Ring of Honour.

The undrafted Burrows is in the building, and was greeted with a massive ovation from the fans as he took the stage. That’s to be expected: Burrows, who played in Vancouver from 2006 to 2017, was always a fan favourite, and absence has only made the heart grow fonder.

It’s only fitting, too, that Burrows will join the ROH in the same year his regular linemates, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, will see their numbers retired. That’s two very fun nights to look forward to in the Canucks’ 50th season.

Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston has more.

4 p.m. — We’re now an hour away from the first pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The draft floor has filled up, and with so many GMs standing and chatting with one another, it’s little wonder that the trade rumours are coming fast and furious.

Tyson Barrie is the name that keeps coming up, both in online reports and among the assembled hockey media here on the risers. Several pundits are now saying they’d be surprised if Barrie, a right-handed, B.C.-born defenceman coming off a 59-point season, didn’t end up in Vancouver.

Pierre McGuire says at this point he'd be surprised if Barrie doesn't end up as a Canuck

— Blake Price (@BlakePriceTSN) June 21, 2019

But don’t expect the Avalanche to just give the 27-year-old away. What would the Canucks surrender in return? One rumour has the club giving up a prospect — Jake Virtanen’s name has come up — as well as their 2020 first-round pick. It’s a suspect report, especially since it doesn’t sound ideal for a team that’s still absolutely rebuilding (and it would be just the Canucks’ luck to finally win the lottery with a pick they’ve traded away), but if Canucks management thinks a Barrie deal could lead to a playoff spot, the first-rounder may not mean as much to them, right or wrong.

It bears mentioning that owner Francesco Aquilini said this morning that he believed the franchise’s dark days are over. That’s certainly the sort of thing you’d say if you really needed to believe the Canucks wouldn’t be a lottery team again next summer.

Either way, don’t expect anything until the Canucks are on the clock. With a hometown crowd just waiting for something to cheer, you just know that Benning and Co. will want to hold off until the stage is theirs before they make any splashy announcements.

3 p.m. — The last time the NHL Draft came to Vancouver, the Canucks made the biggest trade of the weekend. At the 2006 event, held in this very building (then named GM Place), Vancouver acquired goaltender Roberto Luongo in a massive deal, announced on the eve of the draft, that saw power forward Todd Bertuzzi headed back to Florida.

Thirteen years later, the host Canucks are again rumoured to be considering a splashy deal in their home arena. GM Jim Benning has made no secret of his intention to revamp a defence corps that hasn’t seen significant change in several seasons; it’s not surprising, then, that Vancouver has been linked to a number of blue-liners reportedly on the trade block: Colorado’s Tyson Barrie, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, Nashville’s P.K. Subban.

Time will tell on that. In the meantime, let’s focus on what we (think we) know for sure: barring a deal that includes the pick (don’t do it!), the Vancouver Canucks will select 10th overall, as they look to add another piece to complement their developing core. Expect them to pick the best player available, rather than draft for organizational need. They need everything.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148061 Vancouver Canucks

First bits of Canucks’ 2019-20 schedule revealed

Patrick Johnston

The Canucks will host the Los Angeles Kings in their 2019-20 home opener, a call back to their inaugural game in 1970.

The first three games of the Vancouver Canucks’ 50th season celebration have been revealed.

The National Hockey League announced the 2019-20 home openers for all 31 clubs ahead of Friday’s first round of the NHL Entry Draft; the Canucks will help open the season in two rivals cities before opening their home schedule.

The Canucks will face the Oilers in Edmonton on Oct. 2 and then the Calgary Flames on Oct. 5 before hosting the Los Angeles Kings, their first opponent in their inaugural season in 1970, on Oct. 9.

It is expected there will be significant hoopla around the home opener against the Kings; in 2010, when the Canucks celebrated their 40th anniversary season, they also opened at home against the Kings. Both clubs wore uniforms made to resemble the togs they wore in 1970.

There was a pre-game ceremony that night, which featured Henrik Sedin being unveiled as the club’s new captain. Might the Canucks engage a similar practice this season?

The rest of the Canucks’ schedule, along with their theme nights and the program for rest of their 50th season, will be unveiled June 25.

The Canucks joined the NHL for the 1970-71 season and have played games in 48 seasons to date; the 2004-05 season wasn’t played because of an owners’ lockout.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.22.2019

1148062 Websites The Avalanche got their guy. And though Turcotte was my BPA here, this pick can’t be knocked. Byram was far and away the best D prospect in this draft. He can score, he can play in transition, his D-zone play is The Athletic / Ranking the 2019 NHL Draft’s first-round winners and improving, his skating makes him an adequate defender off the rush, he losers into tiers can quarterback a power play and he’s dynamic with the puck. He, Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Conor Timmins are going to make up the best young defence in the NHL for a number of years.

Scott Wheeler Add in Alex Newhook (No. 11 in my final top 100) at No. 16 and the Avalanche might be the biggest winners of the first round. Period. Jun 21, 2019 Newhook has the potential to be an excellent 2C to Nathan MacKinnon, giving the Avs even more explosiveness than they already have at forward (in fact, Newhook is a budget MacKinnon in a lot of ways). I love Day 1 of the 2019 NHL Draft has come and gone. everything about Newhook’s game, from his strength on the puck (he’s built thick despite being smaller in terms of height) to his electric skating With the dust settled, here’s a look at how every team that selected in the (second only to Hughes) and playmaking ability. first round performed, including a pick-by-pick and team-by-team rating (because some teams picked twice) versus my ranking and evaluations The Avalanche are built for lasting success, and Friday was yet another of the available players. major step toward Cup contention in the next half-decade.

This analysis is broken down into four tiers: Minnesota Wild

Winners: Teams I believe won out of their competition with sleuth, home- Optimism among the Wild fan base heading into this year’s draft, after run-level selections given where they selected. the debacle at the draft last year, was understandably low. Fear not, though; Matthew Boldy has a chance to be a steal at No. 12. My seventh- Overtime winners: Teams I believe did well with where they were slotted, ranked prospect, Boldy has been a favourite of mine for two seasons even if they might not have picked the exact player(s) I would have. because of his versatility. He can play with any kind of linemate as an on- Overtime losers: Teams I believe could have done better but might, in puck carrier, a scorer or a playmaker. The only thing that might hold him time, be happy with their pick(s) regardless. back is his skating, but I think concerns about it have often been overstated. Boldy is a stud and will get to play with Newhook at Boston Losers: Teams I believe will regret taking the player(s) they took. College next season, where the duo should make up one of the better freshman pairings in the NCAA. Boldy can do it all and shows real The analysis will not evaluate any of the trades that occurred. Instead, it flashes of brilliance in spurts. will focus strictly on the players and the range they were selected within. Philadelphia Flyers For more context on my evaluation process for each of the players, see my guide to scouting and final top-100 ranking. I’m a lot higher on Cam York than most scouts I talked to this year, but I’m firm in my belief that he has the potential to be a good No. 2 Winners defenceman who can share the load with Ivan Provorov at even strength New Jersey Devils on the left side for a long time while sliding in behind him on the second power-play unit. Though York certainly benefitted from playing on This was always going to be a can’t-miss pick. And though Kaapo arguably the best NTDP team in history, he was also a major factor in Kakko’s play and standout World Championship performance created everything it did offensively and defensively. Along the way, he just so intrigue, that’s all it ever was. Jack Hughes is a world-class prospect who happened to put together the best raw point-total outputs of any NTDP at his best has a chance to be one of the five best centres in hockey. He defenceman, ahead of names like Bode Wilde and Zach Werenski. He changes everything for New Jersey and allows Nico Hischier to slot in as makes the smart play so often that he can tend to be knocked for lacking a dominant No. 2 centre, giving the Devils enviable young depth. Hughes a dynamic quality, but I don’t see that. He was my clear-cut second-best will stick at centre, and he will be in the Calder conversation this time defenceman in the draft, and I think there are very good odds he next summer. His blend of pull-away speed and puck creativity are becomes a better player than Moritz Seider, Philip Broberg and Victor unrivaled in this draft and will make him a dynamic playmaker at the NHL Soderstrom, who were all taken ahead of him. The Flyers made the right level. choice trading back.

New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens

If Hughes was the can’t-miss first-overall option, Kakko was even more A number of teams didn’t learn the Alex DeBrincat lesson, but the pronounced as the clear-cut option over the next-best players at No. 2. Canadiens obviously weren’t one of them. On a team with a lot of His combination of size, puck protection, power and finishing ability make playmakers, Cole Caufield was a no-brainer. He’s DeBrincat with a little him the most NHL-ready prospect in the draft, and the Rangers are built less physicality and (borderline) a lot more speed. Caufield is one of the to give him an immediate role in the top six and PP1. A 30-goal season only players in the 2019 class with 40-goal upside, and he’s potentially isn’t out of the question. the most dynamic power-play scorer of the bunch (with Kakko as the only Buffalo Sabres other player in that discussion). This is a big, big moment for the Canadiens’ short-lived rebuild. Give him a year or two to get stronger in If Alex Turcotte was the first real prize of the first round, Dylan Cozens college and Caufield should be ready to jump right into the NHL and was a close runner-up. He was one of the three players I debated as the make an impact. No. 3 prospect in the draft in the back half of the season (alongside Turcotte and Bowen Byram). His ability to play out wide with his speed Vegas Golden Knights and length — while still having the presence of mind to make a lot of The Golden Knights have crushed it at the draft since inception, and in high-end plays in transition or off the cycle — should make him an Peyton Krebs they found a top-10 talent (No. 6 in my final top 100) in the excellent top-six centre and impact forward. He’s the perfect fit for the late teens and my best player available at the time. Krebs is dealing with Sabres too, in that they desperately need a 2C to play behind Jack Eichel a major Achilles rehab, but Vegas has the luxury of already being a and he and Casey Mittelstadt can now challenge each other for those contending team, so its ability to wait for a season or two while Krebs minutes. The Sabres did well. plays on what should become an excellent Winnipeg Ice team makes this Though I’m a little lower on the Ryan Johnson pick (I felt like he was a pick a potential home run. Krebs plays fast and hard. He can make plays late second-rounder instead of a first-rounder), he’s an impressive two- at top speed, and his rehab will allow him to add some needed strength. way defenceman who really came into his own offensively in the last third Despite being a little small, it’s hard to tell because he wins so many of the season and will have the benefit of time to continue to progress at battles and comes away with possession to hit a teammate for a scoring the University of Minnesota. He won’t wow you, but he can really skate chance. and get the puck moving in transition to avoid spending time in his own Carolina Hurricanes zone. There’s a tremendous risk in Ryan Suzuki’s game and in him as an Colorado Avalanche upper-echelon prospect. He can get caught playing on the perimeter, he can overpass, and when he doesn’t overpass, it’s normally because he’s Overtime Losers boxing himself trying to beat a player one-on-one without the pull-away speed needed to do so (or the willingness to just go wide when he needs Chicago Blackhawks to). But he’s ridiculously skilled, and that made him my No. 16 prospect, The predictability of the first two picks didn’t last long. Kirby Dach, the so the Hurricanes knocked this one out of the park at No. 28. The reward eighth-ranked prospect in my final top-100 ranking, is a standout puck- will be significant once (or if) he puts it all together. Suzuki is one of the protection and -possession centre who learned last season to use his best playmakers in the draft. size to go to the net and finish plays a little more often (something he Overtime Winners lacked a year earlier). Think Dylan Strome but with a less heavy shot and better skating. If Dach doesn’t become a 1C (which he might well Los Angeles Kings become), he’s going to be an excellent line-driving second-line centre who can play on the top power play. He wouldn’t have been my This is a home run — and was the first major “get” of the first round. selection, though, given the two-way upside of a centre like Turcotte Turcotte has the making of an excellent two-way centre while still having (who I don’t think gives anything other than size to Dach) and the No. 1 a ton of dynamic qualities as a playmaker from the wall on the power play potential of Byram. It’s hard to regret drafting an impact centre with size, and as a threat one-on-one. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to be a star though. and someone the Kings can build around. The Kings could be laughing about this pick in three or four years like a team like the Canucks Dallas Stars have/will with where they got Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. There’s a lot to like about Thomas Harley, and I highlighted him as a Though the Kings undid some of the goodwill they earned with the player to watch for as a riser in my pre-draft final thoughts piece, so it Turcotte pick by taking Tobias Bjornfot (whom I project as a third-pairing doesn’t surprise me that he went in the late teens, even if he’s in the mid- defenceman and recently highlighted as one of my players teams should to-late-20s range on my board. Harley is long, played massive minutes avoid in the first round), the Turcotte selection will make this first round a for the Mississauga Steelheads down the stretch and can make plays success for the Kings in the long run regardless. They might have missed offensively. Though there’s room to work on his gap control off the rush, a chance to have a special night with the Bjornfot pick, though. his decision-making and his D-zone coverage, Harley has all the tools to become a second-pairing PP2 defenceman at the NHL level in the right Anaheim Ducks development program. He’s going to go back to the OHL and be one of I have said all season the forwards who ranked in my Nos. 6-12 range the best defencemen in junior hockey next season and a challenger for were so close that I could listen to arguments for any of them as the Canada’s world junior team. sixth-best prospect in the draft, so don’t read too much into the fact that Pittsburgh Penguins Trevor Zegras was at the back half of that group for me. The biggest concern with Zegras’ game is one of strength. If he can add 10 pounds, Samuel Poulin’s one of those players who has always been a star his unique playmaking ability (second only to Hughes in the draft) and everywhere he has played but has never quite taken the steps required knack for playing a physical, in-your-face brand will make him an to be a top-15 pick. That’s OK, though. The former second-overall pick excellent second-line centre at the NHL level and one of the better half- into the QMJHL has all the makings of a productive middle-six forward at wall power-play passers in the league. the NHL level, even if he’s not going to drive a line or play on the top power-play unit. He’s good defensively, tough to contain along the wall Though I would argue Brayden Tracey is a second-round talent in this and sneaky-talented with the puck off the rush and below the goal line. class, especially with some of the truly exciting players who slipped on This is a fine pick. my board, his play in the second half of the season was enough to make him a legit option where the Ducks plucked him (pun intended). He plays Washington Capitals fast (even if he isn’t a blinding skater), he drives the net and he can make plays consistently enough to warrant a second-line ceiling. This isn’t I softened on Connor McMichael’s upside as the year progressed (he going to be Corey Perry/Ryan Getzlaf all over again in the first round, but went from a kid who I projected as a plus-level second-liner to someone the Ducks did well and probably found two future top-nine forwards. who’s probably a decent second-liner or a very good third-line forward at the NHL level. His London Knights, who tend to do a really good job Winnipeg Jets playing their kids in the right roles, need to figure out where he slots. After spending most of the season as a centre, he finished it as a winger. I love the way Ville Heinola plays, and he’s a kid who impressed me I envision McMichael as a kid who finishes out his junior career and more and more the longer I watched him (and drove up my draft board starts in the AHL to prove himself for a season or two before making the throughout the year as a result). He plays the game the way it’s meant to jump. He does a lot well without doing anything at a truly high-end level be played in today’s NHL. He makes quick decisions with the puck, he (though he has some of the better touches around the net as a finisher in takes risks when they’re there but doesn’t force things too often, he’s the draft). smart with the puck, he’s calm under pressure and he can play at an NHL pace. The Jets are loaded with young (and old) talent up front, so Tampa Bay Lightning this pick makes a ton of sense. For a team built primarily on diminutive skill up front, the two Foote picks Nashville Predators never really fit the typical Lightning mould. But here we are with the brothers as potential teammates, which is pretty cool. Nolan Foote’s Philip Tomasino leaped up draft boards like few other players in this skating is going to be his biggest hurdle, but he played almost the class as the season progressed, and he instantly becomes one of the entirety of his draft year with a wrist injury, and that likely impacted him more impressive prospects in their pool, particularly up front. Though I more than most other forwards because he’s so reliant on his shot as a don’t share the belief of some evaluators that he has first-line upside, scorer. If he can pick up a step, there’s middle-six power-forward upside Tomasino projects as a versatile middle-six forward who can help out on in his game. At this point in the draft, teams were increasingly crazy not the power play and make plays at top speed. Patience and a couple of to take Arthur Kaliyev, though. years in the OHL will do wonders in making him one of junior hockey’s better players. Losers

Calgary Flames Detroit Red Wings

I’m a big fan of Jakob Pelletier’s, and he fits right in with the Flames’ If the Dach pick at No. 3 was the beginning of the train derailing, Moritz established willingness to draft small, talented forwards. Pelletier is Seider to the Red Wings at No. 6 was the crescendo. There’s a ton to among the most creative players in the draft, has excellent puck skills like about Seider’s game. His size is unique, he’s going to get stronger, and makes his linemates better by getting them involved before they he can skate for his size and his offensive game has taken real steps expect it and finding them in dangerous areas for scoring chances. The after playing on the best team in a midlevel pro league. It became clear Flames are committed to just out-skilling teams up front, and that’s after the combine that he was going to be a top-15 pick. Frankly, the exactly what Pelletier does. He’s going to terrorize the QMJHL next year early teens would have been a fine range (though I see him as a late-20s and was one of the only available forwards with true second-line upside, or early-30s guy on my board). No. 6 is a reach. Even if Seider becomes even if I think Bobby Brink or Suzuki better fit the mould of what they a top-four defenceman in the NHL (and I suspect he will be), he’s not were going for. going to be a No. 1, so you’re looking at a fringe No. 2 defenceman when there were high-end, borderline first-line-forward prospects available. Edmonton Oilers while also being a tremendous skater (you’d never notice he’s lugging 210-ish pounds around). But I worry that his skill set doesn’t match his The Oilers all but telegraphed their pick in recent weeks, so this shouldn’t physical tools, and that might make him a bottom-six forward at the NHL surprise anyone. Philip Broberg is one of the closer prospects in the level, even if he’s a safer-than-most bet to get there. Beecher is one of class to being NHL-ready, and it’s clear the Oilers don’t want to waste those kids who might have flown under the radar because he played on any more of Connor McDavid’s best years. In Broberg, they get athletic such a talented team, so maybe I’ll eat my words for identifying him as a depth on the blue line who is probably only a year away from potentially bottom-of-the-lineup guy. There’s some Jake DeBrusk in him, and I was helping out. I don’t think Broberg was dynamic enough to merit a top-10 a little too low on DeBrusk in hindsight. pick, though. His transition game is excellent, but he makes a lot of mistakes with the puck (he doesn’t have great handling ability once he The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 establishes an entry, and he tends to try to do too much), and I question his ability to be a power-play option. He’s a lot like Darnell Nurse, to be honest. The Oilers are one of a number of teams that I suspect will regret taking a defenceman given the glut of talented forwards available in the top half of the draft.

Vancouver Canucks

I wrote in advance of the draft that while there was a lot to like about Vasili Podkolzin, I felt a team was going to reach on him. And though No. 10 isn’t crazy, this is a high-risk pick. Podkolzin can pull you out of your seat with his puck skills and the power necessary to use them to drive to the middle of the ice, split defenders and get to the net. Like Zegras, he’s also a physical, annoying presence when he’s on the ice (and often the cause of post-whistle shenanigans). But when he doesn’t have the puck, he can look lost out there, so he’s going to need to play with linemates who can playmake for him. There’s a difference between being effective and looking like you are. Sometimes I think we see the latter when the former is actually the case with Podkolzin.

Arizona Coyotes

I would have probably classified this pick as an overtime loss if the Coyotes took Victor Soderstrom at No. 14 and a few of the available forwards (Krebs, Boldy, Caufield) were off the board. But they moved up to pluck a kid who projects as a second-pairing defenceman who might be able to help out on PP2. Soderstrom is a modern defenceman, ahead of his peers as a defender off the rush, physical despite being on the smaller side, and calculated with the puck. But he lacks a dynamic quality, and that likely holds him back from being a real hit in this slot, especially if the aforementioned forwards become 60- to 70-point guys.

Florida Panthers

Just like it became clear that Seider was going to leap into the upper half of the draft in recent weeks, the same was true of Spencer Knight (though that was clear in recent months, rather than weeks). Knight is my best goaltender in the draft, but it takes a considerably more impressive resume for me to consider taking a goalie in the first round, especially at No. 13. He’s not going to be Marc-Andre Fleury or Carey Price or even Andrei Vasilevskiy (who went 19th). Goalies are extremely hard to evaluate, and as consistent as Knight has been, there’s a ton of risk involved in this pick, even if the Panthers know they need a post-Roberto Luongo option.

Ottawa Senators

Lassi Thomson’s biggest strength is his ability to score, which is a trait very few defencemen in this class outside of Byram possess. He looks to activate into the rush and the slot every chance he gets to score, and he’s a major threat on the power play. The rest of his offensive game is fairly raw, but I like the way he defends (very aggressively) and he’s physical in board battles. His numbers don’t leap out at you, especially considering he’s one of the older in players in the draft. Thomson has a full year over a lot of players in this class, and if the Senators were married to taking a defenceman, Heinola would have been my guy.

New York Islanders

In Simon Holmstrom, the Islanders get a kid who I quite liked at the beginning of the year (even as a potential late-first-round pick) but ultimately slid all the way to No. 55 when he failed to really grab hold of it and become the go-to forward on his SuperElit team, on which he was often outshined by 2020 prospect Zion Nybeck. Holmstrom has excellent hands and an NHL frame, both of which should help him become a decent middle-six forward at the next level. Just don’t expect him to become a star, or even a line-driver. He’ll need the right mix of linemates to become a worthwhile first-round pick.

Boston Bruins

John Beecher is a kid who I really struggled to get a pulse on this year, honestly. He’s one of the most physically mature players in the draft 1148063 Websites Justin Faulk’s camp met with Hurricanes management on Friday morning regarding a possible extension and I don’t get the sense it went terribly well. Word on Friday afternoon was that Carolina was shopping him The Athletic / GMs blame uncertainty around next year’s cap for lack of around. Seems eerily similar to a year ago when a meeting between trades at the Draft Elias Lindholm’s camp and the Hurricanes on an extension went south and he was traded a day later to Calgary. Now, there’s always a chance calmer heads prevail and both sides ultimately find common ground on a contract extension, but for now, teams know they can bid on Faulk, who Pierre LeBrun has one year left on his deal at a $4.83-million cap hit but is being paid Jun 21, 2019 $6 million in real cash next season.

Joe Pavelski’s agent Dan Plante met with Sharks GM Doug Wilson on Friday. No one is talking but my impression is that not much movement VANCOUVER — No trades! was made on the pending UFA, with term being a key issue. Perhaps both sides are keeping their best counter-offer for the 11th hour but right “Sorry,’’ one GM actually said to me on Friday after the first round of the now it appears the captain of the Sharks will be talking to other teams NHL Draft produced zero player trades. once the speaking period opens on Sunday. However, it wasn’t for lack of trying. All signs point to a long-term extension being completed soon enough There were a number of ongoing conversations that will carry over into between William Karlsson and the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s still not Saturday when the use of second-round picks, in particular, might spur done but there’s been serious progress and unless some last minute some moves. Think of Montreal with two second-round picks, for detail provides a roadblock, we should hear an announcement over the example. They could easily use one of those picks in a trade. next week or two about a new deal for the 26-year-old top-line center who earned $5.25 million this past year. But there’s also some reasoning behind the straightforward nature the draft’s first round took on Friday and it has to do with the salary cap. Four Joonas Donskoi intends to explore the UFA speaking period while still GMs pointed to the fact that the final cap number for next season has not keeping the door open to a return to the Sharks. The pending UFA yet been announced and it has become a factor that’s paralyzing some winger has had back-to-back 14-goal seasons but saw his role trade conversations. diminished late this past season. He might be looking for a fresh start elsewhere although again, the Sharks remain in the mix. And that’s despite the fact we know the cap is either going to be $81.5 million or $82 million for next season once announced Saturday. The Panthers continue to shop veteran backup goalie James Reimer who has two more years left on his deal that carries a $3.4-million cap hit Is a $500,000 difference really that big of a deal? and $3.1-million per season in real cash. Florida has gotten a couple of nibbles on him this week. The Panthers would obviously have to eat “Yes it is, for some teams,’’ another GM said. some of his salary to find a trade partner. Could Philadelphia or That doesn’t mean that there aren’t conversations going on. Edmonton use him? He’d be cheaper at a reduced rate than some of the UFA options out there. If Florida can’t find a trade partner, I believe they Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was seen conversing on the draft floor with his will buy him out before the June 30 deadline. counterpart, David Poile, from the Predators. My TSN colleague Bob McKenzie reported during our Insider Trading segment on Friday that the By the way, it is still possible — not certain by any stretch — that the Leafs have indeed inquired about P.K. Subban. Lightning end up moving Ryan Callahan’s contract. Sure, there is less pressure to do so now because he can go on LTIR. But as we saw when It certainly makes sense from the Leafs perspective as they desperately the Flyers were carrying Chris Pronger on LTIR or Chicago with Marian need help on the right side of their defense. But I also think that given Hossa, it’s far from ideal. For one, it would likely mean Tampa’s Toronto’s precarious cap situation, the Predators would have to eat some performance bonuses earned in 2019-2020 (Mikhail Sergachev, Anthony of that $9-million cap hit on Subban’s contract. Cirelli, Mathieu Joseph, etc) would perhaps carry over to the 2020-21 And, well, it goes without saying there are other teams calling Nashville Bolts salary cap. Teams try to avoid that if they can. I think all things about Subban, too. being equal, the Lightning may still try to find a landing spot for the contract. Would Ottawa inquire if the cap-rich Sens could get an asset For the Leafs to shed some cap space they need to figure out the Patrick out of it? Marleau situation for one. A source told me on Friday night that the Leafs and Coyotes have re-engaged on the idea of a potential trade scenario in The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 which Arizona gets a sweetener for taking on Marleau’s deal and then turning around and buying him out, which would make him a UFA. He would then, presumably, be free to sign a cheaper deal in San Jose where he wants to return.

Dubas was seen having a lengthy chat with Marleau’s agent Pat Brisson during the early part of the draft Friday.

Other rumblings from the draft on Friday

Gerry Johansson, the agent for star RFA Sebastien Aho, met again with Carolina brass on Friday. However, there is not much progress to report. My belief is that the Aho camp wants a five-year deal while the Hurricanes are adamant in their desire to go the maximum of eight years. Not to mention they’re not on the same page salary-wise. But at least they’re talking, unlike some RFA situations. Still, one Western Conference team executive said to me Friday: “Everyone thinks Mitch Marner is the one to worry about with an offer sheet, I would put my money on Aho,’’ he said. His point was that a team could blow Carolina out of the water with the kind of offer that might be hard to match financially. Interesting, but my sense is that Johansson if focused on trying to get a deal done with the Hurricanes.

Over the past few days in Vancouver, Neil Sheehy, the agent for Islanders captain Anders Lee, met with GM Lou Lamoriello and plans to do so again before leaving town. But as far as I can tell, it remains status quo as far as the term of the deal being the hill either side is willing to die on. The pending UFA can start hearing from other teams on Sunday. 1148064 Websites draft an average skater at that size in the top 31, and it’s clear some teams weren’t willing to make that risk even if he’s full of talent.

Raphael Lavoie, RW, Halifax-QMJHL The Athletic / Best available players for Day 2 of 2019 NHL Draft Sept. 25, 2000 | 6-foot-4 | 198 pounds

Throughout the season, discussions with scouts about Lavoie were met Corey Pronman with significant unease, more than optimism, especially around the winter Jun 21, 2019 where his scoring dried up significantly. Scouts were concerned about his hockey sense among other issues. I know several teams that didn’t have him as a top two rounds pick. He was awesome in the past two months, and I started to hear more teams giving him a first-round tag, but it The first round of the 2019 NHL Draft concludes with a 50-goal scorer in became clear Friday that a lot of clubs still had significant concerns about the OHL in Arthur Kaliyev, the USHL player of the year in Bobby Brink his season and the way he plays. However he’s still a big winger with a and a highly talented winger in Raphael Lavoie waiting to be selected on lot of skill who can score goals. That will only last so long. Day 2. Nils Hoglander, LW, Rogle-SHL This was not completely unforeseeable, even if I remain high on all three. Dec. 20, 2000 | 5-foot-9 | 185 pounds Aside from who didn’t get picked, the other big story from Friday was Seider being the sixth-overall pick to Detroit. I didn’t think he was likely to Hoglander had a quality first season in the SHL as a top-nine forward for go top 10, but he was the most likely sleeper candidate to rise into that Rogle who showed his high-skill game can translate versus men. range, as he rose significantly for numerous teams in the past two Hoglander has the best hands in the draft. When he has the puck on his months. stick, he’s trying to make a skilled play. His puck handling is lightning quick and he often leaves defenders in a knot with how he dangles while He was a very tough player for teams and myself to evaluate. He was a in stride. He’s not a selfish dangler, though, as he’s a great passer and third-pair defenseman in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and often without looks for his teammates constantly. He’s not a typical playmaker you see playing special teams. I know teams who think he’s more than just a big run a power play and hang around the half-wall hitting seam passes. defenseman who can skate and think there’s real offense, but even they He’s always in motion and makes creative feeds. Hoglander isn’t the would admit he didn’t show it a ton this past season. biggest forward at 5-foot-9, but he plays with a lot of energy and engages A lot of stock was put into the U20 B pool, which isn’t the world juniors well. He’s got a bit of an edge to his game, too. He’s a decent skater, format but a tournament to get into the world juniors. Germany won that more elusive than a burner with very good edges, but he can turn a event, getting promoted, and Seider was a huge part of that, being corner when he needs to. I wish he had more of a dangerous top gear named top defenseman in an event full of 18 and 19-year-olds, albeit not because versus men he got eliminated along walls quite often on zone from top hockey countries. A lot of stock was also put into the World entries. Championship, where Seider was impressive, albeit also in limited ice Patrik Puistola, LW, Taapara-Liiga time. Jan. 11, 2001 | six foot | 174 pounds In discussions with scouts following Friday, this pick was met in part with amazement, in part admiration for the Wings to have the guts to make I saw Puistola two years ago at the U17s in British Columbia and was that decision, and a small minority endorsed the pick. Seider will be one very impressed by his skill, identifying him as a possible second/third- of the most discussed drafts picks in recent years due to the context of round prospect. Since then he’s continued to do nothing but impress at his season and how high a draft slot was used on him. the junior and pro levels. He’s one of the best puck handlers in the draft. As a 17-year-old he made pro defenders look foolish, and he has the On the other end of the spectrum was Cole Caufield sliding to 15th- high level of creativity to try to make tough plays every game. He’s a overall (Montreal). Going into the month, there were feelings in the good passer, but I wouldn’t call him the type who tries to find seams off industry that Caufield might be a guy who slides on draft day. The the flank. Rather he relies on his creativity to find options the defense reasons were what you would expect, but they were numerous. He’s very isn’t expecting and plays well in small spaces. Puistola has a good shot, small, he doesn’t have a ton of defensive value, it’s not elite speed, it’s too; but despite his high goal totals this season, I wouldn’t call him a not elite vision … he’s very small. Teams had a bunch of reasons to be sniper. He created goals with his skill and compete level. He got to the very concerned about Cole. I’ve gotten into these issues, some of which I net and showed he can be a decent penalty killer. My main issue with his feel are legitimate. He’s not a perfect player and I can see why he scared game is his skating. It’s not bad and he has some speed, but his stride is teams, but he also has impact ability. He will be a much discussed player inefficient and can break down at times. for the next few years. Did teams miss on Alex DeBrincat again (although as I’ve discussed numerous times they are not identical players) or did Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP-USHL they identify significant flaws that I didn’t appreciate? June 5, 2001 | 6-foot-6 | 198 pounds Here are the best players available for Day 2 of the NHL Draft: Vlasic entered the NTDP with a lot of hype. He’s a unique player in that Arthur Kaliyev, LW, Hamilton-OHL he’s 6-foot-6 and has offensive potential, which makes him very intriguing. I like his hockey sense. There are times I even really like it. He June 26, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds understands how to attack, how to move pucks, when to jump into lanes Kaliyev was a highly divisive player this season. A lot of teams didn’t and how to use his long wingspan to break up plays. I’ve seen several have much time for him, despite his 50 goals and 100 points, due to occasions where he does a give-and-go off the blueline with his D concerns about his pace and compete level. I know some teams were partner where he pinches after his pass and receives it for a scoring high on him, but I thought going in, if the right teams didn’t line up, he chance. You don’t often see a big man make that play or make a high- could fall. And fall he did. I still think highly of his goal-scoring ability and end pass through a seam. That is Vlasic at his best, creative puck-mover his elite hockey sense, but it’s clear a lot of teams could not stomach his with solid defense who uses his size to lean on his checks. However, that significant warts, and wherever he ends up, that is something their fan player doesn’t always show up. Vlasic will have moments where he’s a base should be aware of. turnover machine and shows underwhelming puck skills under pressure. He skates quite well for a big man, but there are moments where his Bobby Brink, RW, Sioux City-USHL game lacks pace. Some evaluators not only believe in him as an NHLer but believe he could be an impact NHLer. Others see the warts and are July 8, 2001 | 5-foot-8 | 163 pounds scared off. I’ve seen the potential, but there’s a ways to go for him before Brink had an awesome season dominating the USHL. He’s a very skilled he’s there. player with fantastic vision, but his 5-foot-8 frame and wonky skating Nicholas Robertson, LW, Peterborough-OHL stride scared teams a lot. I got mocked once or twice for suggesting he was a first-round pick (although I also know teams who loved him and Sept. 11, 2001 | 5-foot-9 | 161 pounds rated him very highly). Following the U18 World Championship, the fastest pace he’s ever played at, numerous scouts were concerned by Robertson impressed all season, from the Hlinka Gretzky through his how he tailed off in that event and saw his ice time cut. It’s a big bet to play in the OHL. He’s a dynamic player. His scoring stats may not jump off the page, but he’s one of the youngest players in the draft and a corner from the circles. Fagemo gets a lot of chances close to the net, generated a lot of shots. Robertson’s skill level is very high. He often and despite not being that big or strong, he drives the net hard. He makes highlight reel plays, making creative plays through legs and showed flashes of top-end hands and vision, but not consistently. The finding a way to create a chance out of nothing. Robertson can make the skill set on its own doesn’t overly excite, but it’s hard to ignore his creative dekes, but he’s also a very good passer and shooter. His passes incredible production. are often flashy, but he can try to do too much at times with his playmaking and turns pucks over. His shot is one of the best in the draft. The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 He can snipe pucks off the crossbar and has often beat goalies from a distance. He could use an extra gear in his feet for such a smaller player with a hunched-over stride. Off the puck he’s OK. He’s no penalty killer, but he competes fine. He leans on his shot a bit too much, and I’d like to see him get between the dots more.

Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Chicago-USHL

Jan. 24, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds

Mastrosimone had a fantastic 16-year-old season in the USHL, following it up with a good 17-year-old season as one of the best wingers in the USHL and a great postseason. He also performed well in international events. I love his skill level and hockey sense. When Mastrosimone has the puck, he’s looking to make a play. He always had the high-level creativity and offensive instincts, and as the season went along his playmaking developed into a real weapon. He can set up his teammates, but he also has a hard, accurate shot and can score from a distance. He’s small but competes well and gives it his all each shift. His main issue is his skating. For a small player, he lacks a true separation gear, and his technique isn’t the best. He flashes average speed but not consistently. His production may not have been fantastic for a U18 in the USHL, but I’m a big believer in the skill level.

Nathan Legare, RW, Baie-Comeau-QMJHL

Jan. 11, 2001 | six-foot | 196 pounds

Legare was a top player on one of the best teams in the CHL. The best way to describe him is he’s a power play weapon. He lines up on the left circle typically and creates so much havoc from that spot. First, he’s got one of the best shots in the draft. He’s scored a lot of goals this season wiring a shot from long distance off a post/crossbar or blowing it past a goalie. He’s a great scorer and it’s where he’ll make his money, but he’s also a very smart overall player. Legare can hit tight seams consistently and is very crafty overall with the puck. He’s not often going to wow you with an end-to-end rush, but he’s skilled. A wonky skating stride is Legare’s most noticeable weakness. He has a decent top gear, but the stride isn’t smooth with a rough first step, and he can tail off toward the end of a shift. Legare is a big body forward, but he’s not overweight, it’s a lot of muscle. That’s good, but also a minor cause for concern as scouts wonder if the skating can ever improve because his strength level is so advanced already. He’s also tough on pucks, goes to the net, is physical and is hard to dislodge along the boards.

Egor Afanasyev, LW, Muskegon-USHL

Jan. 23, 2001 | 6-foot-4 | 201 pounds

Afanasyev is an acquired taste. Initially, he didn’t do much for me, but as the season went on he kept climbing up my board, as he was one of the best forwards in the USHL and leaders in shots on goal. What’s immediately noticeable about Afanasyev is his 6-foot-4 frame and his high skill level. He’s a very coordinated puck handler for a big man who can make the flashy, between-the-legs play and toe drag. He gains the zone with skill quite often. Afannasyev also has a very hard shot, and is able to finish chances and ring iron from mid-distance. Scouts expressed concerns over his playmaking. He’s no power play quarterback, but as the season went on, he showed better passing, And while he forces plays here and there, he seems to see the game well. His main issue is so-so speed and pace combined with taking shifts off here and there. He’s not a perfect player by any means, but his strengths standout, make him valuable and could lead to him scoring in the NHL.

Samuel Fagemo, LW, Frolunda-SHL

March 14, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 194 pounds

Fagemo went undrafted last season after a good, albeit unspectacular, draft season. He started off briefly in the J20 Sweden ranks but quickly rose up to the SHL. He was extremely productive for an 18-year-old, getting significant minutes and power play time for a Frolunda team that won the SHL. He was also impressive at the world juniors. Fagemo isn’t a guy who wows you in any one area. He skates well, but he’s not a blazer. He’s skilled but won’t have a highlight reel rush. He has a good shot and can score goals in a variety of ways, be it a hard drive or picking 1148065 Websites Leiweke has a broad range of experience in most of North America’s major professional sports, but he also has some familiarity with running an NHL , having previously been on board with the The Athletic / If right fit can be found, Seattle NHL team will consider Minnesota Wild in their formative years. hiring a GM this summer All four of the expansion teams added by the NHL between 1998 and 2000 struggled to find their footing. Vegas, which entered the league two years ago, has made the playoffs in consecutive years and qualified for Eric Duhatschek the Stanley Cup final in its inaugural season.

Jun 21, 2019 “We like the expansion rules,” Leiweke said. “The challenge for us is to hire the same kind of caliber of people and leadership that Las Vegas did

– and we like our chances. When we talk to prospective GMs about our VANCOUVER – It was a few minutes after the formal press conference beautiful city; the 32,000 depositors and the 25,000 people in line; how had ended and Jerry Bruckheimer, part of the new NHL 2021 Seattle epic the building’s going to be; our training centre; and then the ambitions ownership group, had stopped to chat about the progress of the team. we have for our American Hockey League team, I think we’re going to Bruckheimer and Tod Leiweke, the team’s president and chief executive get top, top talent in the GM’s spot. officer, had just completed a 20-plus minute availability at a tiny podium “We’re going to have a chance to build out a world-class staff around that that couldn’t remotely accommodate the crowd of reporters that had GM. Therefore, we’re going to be well prepared.” gathered, trying to glean information about the team. Leiweke indicated that he was not planning to replace Dave Tippett, who I reminded Bruckheimer that we’d last spoken – briefly – a dozen or so acted as the organization’s adviser until leaving to join the Edmonton years ago, the first time the NHL awards were held in Las Vegas. At that Oilers as their new head coach in the past few weeks. Even after time he was part of a prospective ownership group, angling to bring an Tippett’s departure, there remain about 40 full-time employees now – and NHL team to Sin City. That didn’t happen, largely because of the he expects the number will jump to 200 eventually. economic downturn, which sent the plans for the building off the rails. He did not, however, have a firm timetable to roll out either a name for It took a long time for Bruckheimer to find the right ownership fit again, the team or its colors. though his interest in – and passion – for hockey never waned. He fell in love with hockey as a kid, watching the Red Wings play from the “We’re deliberate about it, but there’s not a sense of urgency because we nosebleed seats in the old Olympia in the 1950s – and remembers a want to get it right,” Leiweke said. “It’s a complicated world. There are a playoff overtime game that Detroit ultimately won as part of a Stanley lot of trademark restrictions out there and names already taken. Cup run. “As anxious as people are to learn the name on our chest, taking time is “It just got in my blood,” Bruckheimer said, “and I’ve carried it with me for going to serve us well.” the rest of my life.” And while Leiweke highlighted the fact that a current priority is to ensure Even now, at age 75, when he’s at home in Los Angeles, Bruckheimer the building is “concert-hall perfect” because “music is something we’re still plays in agent Pat Brisson’s weekly pick-up game – Sunday nights at very bullish on, the same principles that will make it brilliant for hockey 6:15 p.m., at the twin arenas in El Segundo, where the Kings have their and brilliant for music and make it brilliant for the NBA. practice facility. It continues to attract actors and celebrities and as recently as this past Sunday, Bruckheimer mentioned that PK Subban of “We will have a huge welcome mat out for the NBA when they’re ready. the Nashville Predators had dropped by to participate in the game. Again, we’re never going to get in front of the league, but they’re well aware of what we’re doing. We’re ensuring that it’s not only compliant In his day job, as a wildly successful television and movie producer, with NBA standards, but well above those standards – and we’re excited Bruckheimer can control the outcome of any story. In his world, if a about that.” director doesn’t like the way a particular scene looks, he can re-shoot it again and again until he gets it right. In the world of professional sport, In time, Leiweke said he wants to bring a world junior hockey tournament however, you only get one take – and you need to make it count. Is that to Seattle, perhaps in conjunction with a bid co-sponsored with going to be something he’s going to have trouble wrapping his head Vancouver. around? He acknowledged that the renovated Key Centre is over budget, but “Not really,” Bruckheimer answered, “because when you finish a movie, there are no corners being cut despite the cost overruns. it’s finished. Once it gets into the theatres, you can’t change it. Even “It’s certainly more than we initially thought,” he said. “An enormous though I see it over and over again and want to change it, I can’t. At least positive for us is ownership has not blinked. It’s fantastic to work for with this, you surround yourself with great people – and that’s what I do ownership committed to quality. This building – I’m not sure the building in my business, and that’s what we’re going to do here. would be what it could have been if the owners hadn’t ultimately said, “To be part of creating something – because that’s what I do, I create ‘keep going.’ We’ve hit some speed bumps, but most of those are in the things and I tell stories – and this is a fabulous story.” rearview mirror. Two years from now, you can judge for yourself – but we think we’re building one of the greatest buildings in the world. No arguing Bruckheimer’s point there. “By being a subterranean arena and having to dig down 15 feet, it really Even though Seattle is still more than two years away from actually defined the bowl as being tight and intimate. Jerry’s memories of hockey hitting the ice, Leiweke indicated the ownership group was prepared to – and many of our memories – were of old-time arenas that had this look at hiring a general manager this summer, if the right person sense of intimacy and the players connected to the fans. Ultimately, we becomes available. think that’s what our arena is going to be.”

“We’re prepared to do that,” Leiweke said. “We’re prepared to make that Seattle plans to plumb Bruckheimer’s entertainment background to investment – if we land on the right candidate, who says the right things. enhance the in-arena experience for fans. Part of what Jerry and I have been doing here has been having lunches and dinners and coffees with folks, getting their take – and it’s really a lot “Absolutely,” Bruckheimer said. “It’s show business. However, you want of fun.” to look at it, we’re entertainers. That’s what we do. That’s what those players do. They entertain an audience, a worldwide audience. This is a Seattle is a fascinating case study in NHL expansion for many different sport that translates all over the world. You get players from everywhere. reasons, including the fact that Vegas flipped the script on what an That’s what’s so exciting about this sport.” expansion team can actually be. It doesn’t necessarily have to struggle forever in order to become competitive. Instead, reasonable rules to The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 stock the franchise – which will oblige most NHL teams to lose a viable player – should give them a fighting chance to become competitive right off the mark. 1148066 Websites Team Fit: In Kakko, the Rangers get the most important part of their rebuild: the top piece, the star forward they can build around. Kakko projects to step into the Rangers’ lineup right away and score in the The Athletic / 2019 NHL Draft pick-by-pick breakdown of the first round league, and down the line become an impact player in the NHL. He’s dabbled at center and scouts feel he could feel that 1C role if the Rangers try, but even on the wing he could be incredibly valuable. There is still more work to do in their rebuild, but this is a massive step forward Corey Pronman for the Rangers. Jun 21, 2019 Chicago Blackhawks: Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon-WHL 34 Jan. 21, 2001 | 6-foot-4 | 198 pounds Welcome to The Athletic‘s coverage of the 2019 NHL draft. When you think of what teams are looking for in a No. 1 center, it looks a I’ll be commenting throughout the night on the picks made in the first lot like Dach. He’s a right-shot centerman who measures in around 6- round with my thoughts on the players picked, as well as what each pick foot-4, with a lot of skill and offensive IQ, and plays heavy minutes. He means for the organization. makes high-end plays to his teammates and through defenders with consistency. His vision particularly stands out. He has great patience, Check out Pronman’s complete preview of the draft and all of The finds guys in traffic and makes tough passes when you least expect it. Athletic’s coverage from Vancouver. He’s a prototypical power play QB and plays a 5-foot-10 skill game in a big man’s body. Dach showed that he can play all situations. He’s not the New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP-USHL most physical big man, but he’s reliable defensively and often played May 14, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 168 pounds more than 20 minutes a night for Saskatoon in tough matchups. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he showed he could be a net-front guy on the power Jack Hughes is one of the best USA prospects to be a first-year, draft- play. Dach has good speed. His feet don’t match his skill and his first eligible prospect and could be the first USNTDP player to make the direct step could be a bit better, but overall he’s the total package and a player jump to the NHL. What makes Hughes a top prospect isn’t his skill level, who projects to be a front-line center in the NHL. His consistency is the but his pace. He’s a unique skater who is so tough when he gets going only issue I have. With his toolkit, he should have dominated the WHL, with speed. Defenses can see it coming, and they still can’t stop it. His but he only did that in stretches with a midseason lull, though he ended speed is dangerous but particularly his edge work is special. He spins off his season strong. pressure so well and can create space for himself like few others with his cutbacks. He’s got a high skill level and fantastic vision with the puck, Saskatoon Blades coach Mitch Love on Dach: “He’s a student of the and at a standstill, he can make highly skilled plays. But what makes game. He’s got a very high hockey IQ. His playmaking ability is second to Hughes stand out from your typical playmaker is how he makes those none. There aren’t many 6-foot-4, 200 pound, 17-year-old players who plays at a million miles an hour. He’ll put pucks through legs while can play center the way he can.” skating full speed and hit a target across the ice. He has a small, slight Team Fit: Dach on a pure tools level is above, if not clearly above, both frame, and plays hard, which can lead to him getting knocked around a Alex Turcotte and Bowen Byram. I would have had some hesitation doing bit. His compete level is high, though. When he loses a puck, he wants that pick at No. 3 given his production last season and alternative the puck as bad as anyone on the ice, and he attacks the net without options, but if Chicago believes he will become the sum of his parts, he is fear. He has the potential to be a star, play-driving, No. 1 center. absolutely worthy of this pick. This isn’t the first time an incredbly talented USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski on Hughes: “The electricity when forward has gone high without great production. It reminds me of the he hits the ice, it’s undeniable. It’s controlled chaos. He is top speed, Ryan Johansen and Mark Scheifele picks, which both worked out, flying around the sheet. Only he and a couple other guys know what’s although their circumstances were a bit different, with Johansen going happening.” through a growth spurt and Scheifele being a first year player in the OHL. Dach becomes the best forward prospect in the Chicago system by a Team Fit: In Hughes, the Devils add one of the very best prospects of the wide, wide margin and the best prospect overall in the system. If the past few years to their organization. Hughes can be a cornerstone of team did its homework and wasn’t scared off by his midseason slump, 6- their rebuild, a player who immediately plug into their top six and projects foot-4 centers with his skill, vision and skating are rare to find, and he has to become an elite player in the NHL in a few years. Nico Hischier is a the potential to become a star in the NHL. great player, but if Hughes becomes everything he could be, he would be the foundational piece of the Devils’ rebuild, an elite driver at even Colorado Avalanche: Bowen Byram, D, Vancouver-WHL strength and a playmaker on the man advantage. June 13, 2001 | six-foot | 192 pounds New York Rangers: Kaapo Kakko, LW, TPS-Liiga Byram is my top ranked defenseman in this draft class. He was often Feb. 13, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds asked to play 30 minutes a game for the Giants, showing immense offensive potential, including leading the WHL playoffs in scoring. Byram Kakko had a fantastic season in Finland, playing significant minutes in is a high-end skater with the ability to lead a rush and close gaps. He’s the country’s top league and showing flashes of dominance versus men got quick-twitch feet and a great first step. He’s very active with his in Liiga and at the World Championships. Kakko has a ton of skill in his skating, as I often see him join rushes and lead ones, and he can game. He’s got the high-end hands to make plays through defenders and activate well off the blueline. He’s very skilled. I don’t think he’s truly the cute dangles that will make highlight reels. Kakko can make the real tapped into how good offensively he can be despite his great numbers. tough passes and makes a lot of great decisions, but his creativity is He’s got fantastic puck skills. I’ve watched him in practice manipulate the what impressed me most. He improvises very well, with the high puck at an elite level. While he makes plenty of skilled plays, I think his offensive IQ to know how to create offense versus men. Kakko has good individual creativity has another level than he’s shown. I didn’t see him size, and he’s not afraid to lean on guys. He’s not a crash and bang type, consistently make high-end passes through seams at the offensive but he protects pucks very well, he takes pucks hard to the net and he blueline. He has that in his game, but at times he relies on his skating already showed that he can power his way past pro defensemen as a 17- and shot. He’s a very patient and poised player who sees the game year-old. His speed is just average for me. He’s not slow, but his develop and has great outlets, which is why I give his IQ a 60 grade. skating is not the selling point of his game. Despite average speed, he Byram has an accurate shot and scored quite a few difficult goals from a gets inside to the net so well because of how fearless and strong he is. distance this season. Defensively he’s solid with good gaps, awareness Kakko could be an impact forward in the NHL, whether at the wing and and compete level, plus some physical edge; but it’s how often the team possibly even at center, and should transition quickly into that role. has the puck when he’s on the ice that makes him so good.

TPS manager Antero Niittymaki on Kakko: “His stick handling and overall Vancouver Giants coach Michael Dyck on Byram: “His ability to jump skill level is one of the best I’ve ever seen at his age. We put him on the away from checks is elite. He’s got a great first four steps. He moves well top line early in the year, and even though he was this young, skinny guy, laterally across the blue line. He can defend speed off the rush. His puck you could see right away he’s strong with the puck in the corners. He’s skills are elite. He can move the puck and has a great sense to find the really balanced on his skates. It’s tough to knock him off the puck. Since open man and playing fast.” the world juniors, he was dominant in regards to (his physical play). He can hang onto the puck as long as he wants. He’s NHL ready.” Team Fit: In Byram, the Avs get the top defense prospect in this class Buffalo Sabres: Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge-WHL and a player I think could be a No. 1 defenseman, a similar projection to their other top prospect Cale Makar. By adding Byram, the Avs, already a Feb. 9, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 185 pounds playoff team, have the necessary pieces to become a contender in the Cozens is a very well-rounded prospect. For the past two seasons in the near future. Byram is close to NHL ready and could push to make their WHL and in international play, he consistently impressed. Cozens team out of camp. measures in at 6-foot-3 and is a very good skater, not just for his size, Los Angeles Kings: Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP-USHL but overall. That combination alone makes him a handful to deal with when a guy that size comes barreling through the neutral zone. He Feb. 26, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 194 pounds doesn’t just skate fast, he consistently pushes the pace and plays the game hard. Cozens is not going to do a fancy between the legs kind of Turcotte had a tough season, missing time due to injury and contracting play, but he gets by defenders with dekes at full speed, makes skilled mononucleosis late in the season. When healthy, though, he was plays to the net and can make plays in small areas. He’s not a dynamic awesome and a dominant center at the USHL level. He’s a well-rounded playmaker, but he’ll have the odd play that will hit that level and his vision prospect without any clear weakness in his game and a lot of high-end can surprise defenders. He has a shoot-first mentality and, for elements. He’s a great skater with a clean stride and can barrel down the Lethbridge, would often be the team’s shot off the flank on the man wing with speed. Turcotte’s speed is good, not overwhelming, but he’s advantage. Cozens can be deployed in any situation and competes hard got a fantastic first step and a great overall pace to his game. He every shift with a bit of an edge to his game without taking a ton of combines that pace with very good hands and vision, showing how penalties. versatile a threat he can be. He can make creative plays off the flank and sees his options well. It’s not just his speed and skill that stand out, but Lethbridge Hurricanes coach Brent Kisio on Cozens: “He’s a difference his compete level is elite. Turcotte is the kind of forward who can dangle maker. He’s very fast and utilizes his speed very well. His playmaking around defensemen, blow by them or drive his way through them. He abilities are exceptional. He’s a reliable two-way player.” gets to the net, consistently and without fear. He battles for pucks as hard as anyone and typically wins them, even at 5-foot-11. He’s not the Team Fit: In Cozens, the Sabres get a potential high-end power forward biggest center, but that is really the only criticism I can find of his game. who can bring a unique blend of speed, size, compete and skill to an Turcotte has been a top prospect for many years and this season he NHL team. He’s a true top prospect, was my best player available at that showed exactly why he’s been so touted. spot and provides something unique to that organization they don’t have in their current forward group. He’s close to NHL ready and might just USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski on Turcotte: “Sandpaper and silk. need one more year of junior. He’s the perfect blend of speed, skill and power. He’s kind of a Brad Marchand type who plays center. He’s got that 1-on-1 ability, he’s got a Edmonton Oilers: Philip Broberg, D, AIK-Allsvenskan great shot in tight, unbelievable vision and he plays with an edge. His June 25, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 203 pounds game is predicated on him driving the puck to the net and putting the opposition on their heels. His bravery combined with his speed makes Broberg exploded onto the scene this season with a great Hlinka Gretzky him the player that he is.” tournament. He had good stretches in the Allsvenskan, some so-so stretches that coincided with an illness and he finished off strong at the Team Fit: In Turcotte, the Kings added a projected impact center to their U18s. His value comes from his athleticism. He’s a 6-foot-3 defenseman organization, and the most critical piece to date of their rebuild. Turcotte who is an elite skater. That combination alone is scary. There are some joins and the injured Gabriel Vilardi as recent high rushes he’s made this season where the opposition didn’t even have a forward picks in the Kings’ system. It also creates versaility for a player chance to get a stick on the puck because he needs a few steps and he’s like Kupari to play wing, which is where some scouts feel he might be blazing by guys. However, I found in league games he was hesitant to better suited. Turcotte will need one NCAA season, but he could be in a push the pace versus men like he did versus his peers. He has that Kings jersey by the spring and a top player for them in the not too distant ability and it may be a maturation thing. Broberg is divisive due to his future. He will become a fan favorite because of his elite skill and elite offensive upside. I think there is some offense to his game. He executes compete level. give-and-goes in a clever way to make the most of his skating, he moves Detroit Red Wings: Moritz Seider, D, Mannheim-DEL the puck decent on the power play, and he flashes both good handling and distributing skills. He can be careless with the puck too, and often April 6, 2001 | 6-foot-4 | 198 pounds I’ve seen him make terrible turnovers, but I’ve also seen a few high-level plays with the puck. If you’re expecting more, you’ll be disappointed. But Seider played all season in the top German pro league and was if you want a two-way defenseman with size who can close a gap, man a impressive in the World Championships for a U18 player. He looked second power play and transition the offense at even strength at a high good for a 17-year-old but never stood out versus men until the end of level, he’s your man. the season. At the IIHF U20 B pool, though, we saw the best of Seider. He was the best defenseman in the tournament as a double underage AIK manager Anders Gozzi on Broberg: “Broberg has enormous potential player. He’s got great athletic tools as a 6-foot-4 defenseman who skates and will play in the NHL in the near future. He is one of the best well. He uses his feet to join attacks often and can make plays at speed. defenders we have gotten in AIK throughout the years due to his skating Seider’s main criticism from scouts is his lack of standout puck skill and and skill level.” that he won’t be a true power play guy in the NHL. With that said, he has decent touch and makes plays. He moves the puck well, showing great Team Fit: In Broberg, the Oilers get an immensely talented defenseman poise and instincts. Defensively he’s a rock with his wingspan, feet and and a unique player in terms of how elite his skating is for 6-foot-3. It’s a defensive acumen, and projects as a tough minutes player in the NHL. dimensional attribute and will make him stand out in the NHL. He’s not a He is one of the best German prospects in recent memory. high-end puck skills or passer, but he gets a bad rap in that area. He has skill, he makes plays, he can operate on a power play. His game is Germany U20 coach Christian Kunast on Seider: “The most impressive projected to be a top-pair guy who can drive play. It’s interesting to see thing about Moritz is that he competes every shift – when he steps on the how he fits in Edmonton, with left-handed defensemen in Darnell Nurse ice he wants to win. He sees the game very well and that makes him and Oscar Klefbom, who have some rhymes of Broberg’s game. But he’s special. He’s also a very good skater.” a heck of an asset to add to a team. The Oilers have depth at defense in their organization and can take their time with him. Team Fit: In Seider, the Wings get a player who a lot of teams were interested in and speculated may go in this range but weren’t 100 Anaheim Ducks: Trevor Zegras, C, USNTDP-USHL percent sure if would happen. NHL sources describe him as a bit of a mystery because of how little he played for his club team, but he May 20, 2001 | six-foot | 168 pounds impressed NHL folks a lot in international play, such as at the U20 B pool Zegras was fantastic all season for the USNTDP and was a go-to guy for and the World Championship. It’s an aggresive play for me, especially the program when they needed a goal. In terms of pure offensive skill, since there are some questions on the offensive upside, but I know a lot he’s the best in the draft class. He’s a special playmaker and one of the of teams who were big believers in Seider. This will be one of the most best passers I’ve seen as a first-year draft-eligible in recent years. It’s not fascinating picks of the past decade and one of the gutsiest. GM Steve just that he sees the options, it’s also the fact his timing is elite in terms of Yzerman is known for making gutsy picks, selecting the injured Brett when to execute plays, and he has the high-end skill to feather pucks into Connolly at sixth-overall, the tempermental Tony DeAngelo in the top 20 the right spots. His imagination gets the highest praise from me. He’s and goalie in Russia in Andrei Vasilevskiy in the first round. made some very creative one-touch plays where he’s knocking pucks that were behind him onto the sticks of teammates or firing a bullet pass Team Fit: In Soderstrom, the Coyotes add a highly skilled and intelligent while spinning with the puck on his backhand. He’s known as a defenseman to their system, a player who showed very well versus men playmaker but has a sneaky good shot and can pick a corner if you give this past season as a 17-year-old. He was a tough player to evaluate, as him time. Zegras has fine speed, very good edge work and hands to he barely played versus his peer group or in international play, but a lot evade checks. He can push the pace when he wants to, but for a small, of teams were big fans of his skill set. With his experience and success slight forward, he slows it down a bit too much for me. He’s not the versus men, he’s a player who is likely not that far away from playing in biggest or bulkiest pivot and has at times played wing this season, but the league. he’s gotten steadily better in the physical parts of the game and will push back when opponents get physical with him. Zegras isn’t a guy who you Minnesota Wild: Matthew Boldy, LW, USNTDP-USHL pick to run over guys, though; you’re drafting him to slot onto the half-wall April 5, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 187 pounds of your first power play and get the puck to the scorers on his wing for a decade. Boldy didn’t join the USNTDP as a top prospect, in fact, he was on the bubble to make the team. A sudden growth spurt combined with a great USNTDP center Jack Hughes on Zegras: “He’s the most creative player skill level spiked his prospect stock. Boldy is a unique winger in how he on our team. He thinks outside the box, he’s really smart and super crafty plays the game. His combination of puck skills and hockey IQ are among with his hands and movements. He’s really slippery. He’s an easy guy to the best in the draft. His hand-eye coordination is off the charts. Pucks play with knowing he’ll always give you great passes.” stick to him. He’s also incredibly creative and made some of the best Team Fit: In Zegras, the Ducks add a true impact forward prospect to passes I saw all season. I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker, though; their organization, to join other talented young forwards like Sam Steel, he prefers to play below the dots and around the net rather than QB a Maxime Comtois and Isac Lundestrom. Zegras stands above them, power play. While he’s a great passer, Boldy has a quality shot and was though, and has the potential to be the first-line center they need as they often used as a trigger guy from the slot. Boldy’s consistency was an look to their next wave of talent. Zegras will need some time to round out issue this season. When competing hard, he’s often catching his game, but he’s immensely talented, a top 3-4 player in the draft on unsuspecting players on the backcheck and gets to the net to score. pure upside. However, he had stretches this season where he didn’t impact games, and sometimes they were long stretches. His main weakness over the Vancouver Canucks: Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA-VHL years was his skating. I think it’s improved to an average level, but he’s not a powerful skater and his stride could be cleaned up. June 24, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 190 pounds USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski on Boldy: “Boldy grew from 5-foot- Podkolzin played a lot of hockey this season between multiple levels of 10 to 6-foot-2. His development trajectory has been steep. He can be a junior, pro and international hockey, and impressed almost every single power forward. He has excellent hands and vision. He can finish, he can time. He almost always seems to have an impact on a game. He’s super run a power play, he can be a net-front guy. The puck is attached to him.” talented but also an elite competitor. Podkolzin can make the flashy plays to deke defenders, but he rarely does that off a standstill or along the Team Fit: In Boldy, the Wild get a prospect I am a big believer in. He’s an walls. He has hard skill. Podkolzin is typically full speed ahead to the net; ultra skilled and intelligent winger who you could argue is ahead of Kirill and if he needs to go around or through you, he will. He’s also a very Kapriov in the Minnesota organization. Boldy may need a little time to good playmaker and finisher who can take advantage of space if adjust to the pro pace, but he has massive upside and, in a thin Wild defenders make off him by making a pass or sniping from a distance. system, this changes the perpsective of their farm system significantly. Quite often he made passes this season that were elite, but he didn’t rack up that many assists. The one thing that bugs me about him is his Florida Panthers: Spencer Knight, USNTDP-USHL skating. His stride is a little awkward and inefficient, he’s hunched over, April 19, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 198 pounds kicks his heels out, but he generates decent speed and hustles so hard that any technical flaw isn’t that exposed. He has two years left on his Knight has been a top prospect for years and comes into the draft with a KHL contract with SKA and told The Athletic he intends to see that ton of accolades. He didn’t have the dominant season many expected, contract out. but he was still quite good for most of the season and finished strong with a fantastic U18 tournament. Knight is a super smart goalie without any Russian U18 coach Vladimir Filatov on Podkolzin: “He’s the heart of a extra movement in his game than he needs to square up a puck. There’s team. He always wants to set an example on and off the ice. He’s maybe no panic in the way he plays, yet he can move quickly to get to pucks. not the most elite skill player or an elite sniper, but he’s a leader, he runs When a tough save needs to be made, he’s there, square, in perfect form the game. His game is always about controlling the puck, pushing the even if it requires him to move to get there. He has very powerful legs to play forward and putting everything on the net.” get across his crease. Knight likes to play the puck and is very good at Team Fit: In Podkolzin, the Canucks get a unique prospect to add to their doing so. One nitpick of his game is he doesn’t often make the farm system. Podkolzin is a high-end skilled winger who can score and spectacular save, but scouts will argue it’s because he is never out of make plays, but it’s his elite compete level that makes him so exciting position. As a 6-foot-3 goalie with his tools and IQ, he projects to start in and a driver for his line. He adds a hard element to their organization to the NHL, but his season would give me mild hesitation from tagging him complement all the skill they have drafted in recent years. All indications as a no doubt starting goalie. are he will come to the NHL after his two-year contract is done with SKA Team Fit: In Knight, Florida gets the top goalie in the class and one of the in the KHL. better prospects at that position in the past decade. Spencer is a player Arizona Coyotes: Victor Soderstrom, D, Brynas-SHL with elite intelligence and someone who looks unique in goal. It’s a risk gambling on the goalie here, I wouldn’t have done it, but I knew several Feb. 26, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 176 pounds NHL teams who felt he was a top 10 player in the draft class.

Soderstrom started the season in junior but quickly moved up to the SHL Philadelphia Flyers: Cam York, D, USNTDP-USHL level, logging significant minutes and getting power play time as a 17- year-old. Soderstrom is a great puck mover, showing high-end IQ moving Jan. 5, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 176 pounds the puck and ice in his veins under pressure. Sometimes he’s a little too York was the No. 1 defenseman on the NTDP this past season, the main calm, letting guys close in on him and trying to be too cute, but typically power play QB for most of the season and had one of the most he’s efficient on zone exits. He’s smooth with the puck, but has very productive statistical careers ever by an NTDP defender. York’s hockey quick hands, and is able to make plays through defenders from a sense is what makes him so valuable. His poise with the puck is standstill and off the rush. There were several times this season his fantastic. He’s never pressured into bad decisions and exhibits great game popped with a wow-caliber skill play. For a smaller guy, his game vision. His teammates constantly praise what a calming influence he is could have more speed. His skating looks fine when he winds up and get when he has the puck. York has a high skill level but often does not lean going, but he lacks explosiveness and doesn’t have a ton of pace in his on his stick handling, preferring to make a play to his forwards. York game. Despite his size, he’s a good defender. He closes gaps very well skates well. He lacks a dynamic top gear you’d like in a small due to his IQ, using his body and stick to break up pucks, and makes a defenseman, but he can skate pucks out of trouble or into the offensive lot of stops. zone. He defends well due to his feet and great brain, but it will be Sweden’s U18 coach Magnus Havelid on Soderstrom: “He’s a skillful interesting to see how that translates versus men, as I wouldn’t call him a offensive player. He moves the puck very well. He’s a leader.” top-tier defender. USNTDP center Jack Hughes on York: “He’s such a smart player, so Team Fit: In Newhook, the Avs add a player I am excited about. steady and never in the wrong position. He moves the puck quick. His Newhook is a dynamic and highly competitive player. There were some first pass is always on the tape. He can skate the puck up and shoot it. scouts concerned about investing in a top BCHL talent after seeing the He’s a real good defender, too.” development of Tyson Jost, but the Avs, who picked Jost, were clearly not scared. I love it. I think Newhook is very talented and could be in the Team Fit: In York, the Flyers add a high-end puck-moving defenseman, a NHL in a year or two. The Avs, after picking Byram at No. 4, don’t have player who was an impact player at the junior level for the past two many top forward prospects, so Newhook instantly becomes the future seasons and becomes their top defense prospect right away. York is top scorer for them in the pipeline. such a smart player that despite his size he should be a two-way defender in the NHL. He will likely need a few years between college or Vegas Golden Knights: Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay-WHL the AHL, but is a player who a lot of teams were very high on. Jan. 26, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 181 pounds Montreal Canadiens: Cole Caufield, RW, USNTDP-USHL Krebs was in a tough situation on a rebuilding Kootenay team this Jan. 2, 2001 | 5-foot-7 | 157 pounds season, but he was everything that team could have hoped for. He was an all-situations center, a 17-year-old captain and a consistent offensive Caufield scored 72 goals this past season. That wasn’t a typo. He’s one threat. Krebs has a giddy-up in his step, as he skates quite well, and has of the best goal-scorers to become eligible for the draft in recent years. so much energy to his game. He’s always on the move, be it winding up Caufield’s shot is special. There’s plenty of snipers out there, but in his defensive zone or hunting down pucks. Some scouts feel his feet Caufield’s wrist shot technique is like a slingshot. He gets control of the are high end. I see more just good, but I see the argument for his overall puck and fires it a million miles an hour on target. He’s not going to pick a pace. Krebs is also a fantastic playmaker and one of the best passers in corner every shot, but his finishing rate is very good and he scored some the draft. He’s always looking to make a play and has some of the most of the most amazing goals I saw all season at any level. He’s got a creative plays I’ve seen this season. His seam pass completion rate is good one-timer/slap shot, but it’s his wrist shot that is special. He’s more very high. Krebs is also a competitive defensive forward who can kill than a shot, as in most games Caufield would have four-plus scoring penalties and be trusted to do so in the pros. He has some push back in chances. Part of that was due to having Hughes as his linemate, but his game and isn’t afraid to mix it up. Some scouts said he’s a high-end mostly it was due to Caufield’s skill set. His puck skills are fantastic. skill guy. I haven’t seen that; rather I see a skilled player who looks to Every touch he makes is smooth. He can make the 1-on-1 plays versus use his teammates more than do it all himself. He’s a play-driving center defenders, but he has such quick, crisp touches that it allows him to get who can be used in any situation and that’s very valuable. so many clean shots. His offensive timing is excellent, and he reads how plays develop very well. He’s got great vision, with the ability to make Winnipeg ICE coach James Patrick on Krebs: “He’s a very mature kid. plays in open ice and off the rush. He’s not as great a skater as you’d He does everything possible off ice to make himself better. He goes full hope for 5-foot-7, but he’s an above-average speedster who can flash a out effort all the time on the ice. He’s skilled, he can skate, he can make tier above. His size is his main drawback, but Caufield competes well and so many plays. I expect him to be an explosive top-six forward in the attacks the net to score goals. There are ways to pick apart his game. NHL.” I’ve done it plenty watching him the past two years, but at the end of the day, he scored 72 goals. It’s a lot of goals. Team Fit: Krebs probably went a bit lower than he would have if the draft happened two months ago, due to a partially torn Achilles he suffered USNTDP U18 coach John Wroblewski on Caufield: “I’ve never seen during the offseason. Krebs is a top talent, though, and instantly vaults purer hands coming through the NTDP. When he catches a puck, it lays toward the top of the Vegas farm system behind Cody Glass. After flat. Every pass or shot explodes off his stick. It’s not the flashy dangles, trading Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom, adding a player like Krebs is it’s pure, it’s clean. His shot is so accurate. He hits so many crossbars huge for what was becoming a thin Vegas system. and elbows in practice, it’s insane.” Dallas Stars: Thomas Harley, D, Mississauga-OHL Team Fit: In Caufield, the Habs got a player I’m a huge fan of and think will become a top goal scorer in the NHL. He has warts, it’s obvious — Aug. 19, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 183 pounds he’s tiny, he’s quick but not super quick — but he scored 72 goals. He Harley’s development curve spiked this season. One of the youngest has elite hands, a great brain, he competes and he has a special shot. players in the draft, Harley progressed from a decent prospect to a 25-30 He might underperform because of a lack of potential to be a third/fourth- minutes a night defenseman with impressive tools for the Steelheads. line penalty killer, but that’s not what you are looking for in the draft. When he was on the ice, his team had control of the puck. He’s big, Caufield could become an impact player in the NHL, and you don’t get mobile, skilled and smart. That combination is attractive. Harley skates many at No. 15. He becomes the Habs’ top prospect. with the quickest forwards in the OHL due to the strength of his stride Colorado Avalanche: Alex Newhook, C, Victoria-BCHL and his wingspan. He can jump up into the attack. He’s good with the puck, showing some creativity and good vision, at times very good. Jan. 28, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 190 pounds Defensively he’s a bit of a work in progress. His feet and stick allow him to make stops and close gaps, but he needs to bulk up a lot and be Newhook was fantastic in the BCHL for the past two seasons, as one of better at times in his own end. Harley makes a lot of plays but tends to the most dominant Jr. A players of the modern era. He’s one of the most get too cute and make costly turnovers. Some scouts argue that was just entertaining and dynamic players in the draft. His skating, hands and the byproduct of the massive and arguably excessive minutes he played. vision all get plus grades. He can push the pace with his speed. He’s got quick-twitch feet at full speed, which allows him to jet by defenders, and Mississauga Steelheads GM/coach James Richmond on Harley: “He’s an great edge work to create space in tight areas. He’s often asked to carry above-average skater. He moves extremely well for a big guy. He’s a the puck up the ice, and he does so very well. Newhook makes plays at modern NHL type of defenseman. He can get the puck up quickly. He full speed, often blowing by defenders, while also being able to pull up jumps up into the rush very well. He handles the puck well and is and make a play at pace. I’ve seen him make some very creative passes confident with the puck. He defends extremely well, especially for such where he hits a tight lane with little time or hitting a man on the tape while an offensive player.” he’s going 100 miles an hour. He’s also very skilled, and often makes tough plays to lose a defender and create space. Newhook isn’t just a Team Fit: In Harley, the Stars add their new top defenseman prospect to skill guy, he competes well too, which combined with his great speed a system that already has several highly talented forward prospects. allows him to always be around the puck. I don’t know if he’ll be a true Harley has all the physical tools to excite, and while he was projected to defensive center in the NHL due to his size and I wouldn’t call him overly go around this range, several NHL scouts feel he has the potential to physical, but I like that he battles. The one knock on Newhook is, at the exceed this slot, while some had concerns about the up and down nature levels with higher pace than the BCHL such as the World Jr. A or Hlinka of his game. I like his game and think this is fine value for the Stars at U18 camp where he was cut, he wasn’t dominant; but he was great at No. 18. the IIHF U18 tournament. Ottawa Senators: Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna-WHL

Victoria Grizzlies GM/coach Craig Didmon on Newhook: “He has great Sept. 24, 2000 | six-foot | 190 pounds endurance, he doesn’t tire and wears his opponents down. He can attack in a variety of ways. He has great speed, a great shot on the fly and sees Thomson had a great first WHL season, playing big minutes in all the ice very well. He can play 200 feet.” situations for Kelowna. There are a lot of positive attributes in his game. He has an absolute rocket from the point that can beat goalies clean, as well as generate opportunities around the net. He can move the puck acumen and generally is trusted by coaches to play tougher minutes. His very well with his brain and feet. His puck game is good, showing the puck game is average. He can have the odd flash offensively due to his ability to generate clean exists and entries, stretch the ice on breakouts, feet and above-average vision. His skill level doesn’t overly impress, but and showing confidence with the puck. He can at times make high-end there were times, particularly in the second half of the season, he plays with his poise and vison, but he also tends to be too cute with the showed more confidence making creative plays. He could be a reliable puck and play without urgency, leading to costly turnovers. Defensively I two-way defenseman in the NHL who might not put up points. don’t mind his game, but his strength is more with the puck than without it. I think his offensive game is high-end enough to balance out any minor NHL scout on Bjornfot: “He’s not flashy, but he’s a very mobile and smart defensive issues. He’s going back to Finland next season. defenseman. He kills a lot of plays, can skate pucks up and can give you some offense.” Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton on Thomson: “Lassi skates and handles the puck well. He’s got a big shot. He has a good first pass. He Team Fit: In Bjornfot, the Kings add a very reliable and well-rounded was the biggest surprise on our team and played a ton of minutes, defenseman who played very well at the junior and international level. including the first power play unit.” There is a mild offensive upside question for me, but I know teams who were giant fans and think he could be a no doubt top-four defenseman, Team Fit: In Thomson, the Senators get a highly skilled and mobile puck- as well someone who plays tough minutes. Bjornfot will need a few years moving defenseman who was coveted by numerous NHL teams. I like and the Kings have a few left-handed defensemen coming in Kale the player. I don’t know if I would pick him at No. 19 but there were Clague and Mikey Anderson, so they can be patient. games I saw over the season where he absolutely looked the part of a player to pick at that slot. I might be biased, because I went out to watch New York Islanders: Simon Holmstrom, RW, HV71-J20 SuperElit Kelowna during one of his worst games of the season. I do appreciate May 24, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds the talent. In a deep Sens farm system, he’s a player who Ottawa can take its time with as he heads to Finland to play pro hockey. Holmstrom’s junior career has been bumpy to date due to multiple injuries the past two seasons, as he had hip surgery and tore a ligament Winnipeg Jets: Ville Heinola, D, Lukko-Liiga in his thumb. When healthy, he’s generally drawn praise from scouts, and March 2, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 181 pounds he played well at the junior and international levels. Holmstrom is a very skilled and smart winger. He makes a lot of smart decisions and finds Heinola trended up quickly from a fine prospect to an almost lock to be options consistently well. With HV71, Holmstrom was often used in their drafted high this season. He was called up to his club team where he setups to make plays from behind the net, and he did so very well, played a significant role, as well as on the Finnish U20 team. His hockey finding players in high-percentage areas in a variety of ways. He has sense drives his value. Heinola is a calm, poised puck-moving slippery skill, and while he won’t often go end-to-end, he can get through defenseman who generates clean exits and entries with his vision, and defenders and have the odd impact shift with his skill. Holmstrom makes plays on the man advantage. He’s fine defensively due to his competes well. He’s not overly physical, but he engages defenders well positional play, despite not being the biggest defender. However, he has and will battle for space. His skating is fine. He can show the odd burst limitations that may hinder him as he progresses. His size is obvious but where he turns defenders, but his overall pace is average. his skating is also a minor concern. His stride breaks down when he gets going in a straight line, which is worrisome in a 5-foot-11 defender. I like Sweden’s U18 coach Magnus Havelid on Holmstrom: “He’s talented his edges a lot, with Heinola showing a powerful burst on his first few offensively. He makes great decisions with the puck, he challenges steps to balance out the stride issue somewhat. defenders very well and can protect the puck.”

NHL scout on Heinola: “His brain is fantastic. He sees the game with the Team Fit: A lot of scouts were bullish on Holmstrom’s talent level, but best of them. His skating concerns me for a defender his size.” he’s been tough to watch as he’s been injured so much the past two years. On talent, this is a perfectly reasonable slot; he’s very skilled and Team Fit: In Heinola, the Jets get a player who vaults to the top of their intelligent. I would have hesitations without seeing him over a longer farm system and provides puck-moving skill that they don’t have a ton of period at high levels, but I have some contacts who will endorse this pick. on the backend. He was excellent versus men at 17 years old in Liiga – a He will need time to play and do so versus men and is several years possible indicator that he is not that far from providing help to the Jets. away.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Samuel Poulin, RW, Sherbrooke-QMJHL Nashville Predators: Philip Tomasino, C, Niagara-OHL

Feb. 25, 2001 | 6-foot-2 | 207 pounds July 28, 2001 | six-foot | 181 pounds

Poulin, the 2017 second-overall pick in the QMJHL draft, was a good Tomasino is a very talented forward who started the season down the junior player the past two years and got better as the season went along lineup but worked his way into a decent role on a top OHL team. He’s got and in the postseason. He’s a smart and competitive winger. He’s very all the tools to succeed in the modern day NHL. He’s a very fast skater intelligent, flashing high-end vision and tending to make good decisions with high-end puck skills and the vision to make difficult plays. His pace with the puck. As the season went along he showed more consistent is good but I wish he used his high-end speed a bit more. Tomasino is a playmaking and overall dynamic elements. He’s got some soft skill, but threat off the rush due to how quickly his feet and hands move, and when he’s more of a distributor than an individual creator. He’s got very good you think of “playing fast,” he’s a guy who is built to do that. He looks to hands in tight and scored several nifty goals. His shot is also good, and make plays, often finding tight lanes, and he has the creativity to make he can score with his wrist shot in tight. Poulin works hard, is strong on unique passes. Tomasino has a slight build and isn’t the best at winning pucks, and wins his fair share of battles along the boards and in front of 1-on-1 battles in the tough areas. He can at times get pushed around and the net. He’s already quite strong, measuring in at over 200 pounds. His out of the game, and other times he’ll drive the tough areas. He’ll need to skating is OK. Some days he flashes a good top gear and other times I work on the consistency of his play and making the most of his tools, but don’t think his pace is anything noteworthy. he’s got the ability to impact a shift like few in this class do.

Team Fit: In Poulin, the Pens add desperately needed skill to their Niagara IceDogs coach Billy Burke on Tomasino: “His speed and his organization. Poulin came on very well in the past few months with a skating stand out. He’s fast from the start of his shift to the end of his dazzling postseason. I like the player. Some scouts have concerns about shift. He’s able to find his teammates and make plays while he’s going his skating, but I think it’s average. It’s safe to say he vaults toward the fast. He’s developing into a dynamic playmaker. top of the Penguins’ farm system due to his skill, size and hockey sense. Team Fit: In Tomasino, Nashville gets one of the most dynamic forwards Los Angeles Kings: Tobias Bjornfot, D, Djuargarden-J20 SuperElit outside the top 10, and a player who can excite with his speed and skill. He has warts in his consistency/all-around game that likely scared teams April 6, 2001 | six-foot | 203 pounds off, but I like the value at No. 24. The Preds’ system needed talent, and Bjornfot was a touted prospect for a few years and a minutes eater for he is full of it. He becomes one of, if not their top prospect, although I Sweden’s international teams, including being one of the best would need to think about the latter. defensemen at the U18s and named the best defenseman in Sweden’s Washington Capitals: Connor McMichael, C, London-OHL J20 league. His skating provides a lot of his value. His ability to lead a rush, pinch off the blueline and close on his checks is very good. His feet Jan. 15, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 174 pounds allow him to make stops and transition pucks. He has solid defensive McMichael had a great season, as a go-to player for London when its I was a little low on him. He provides a goal-scoring element up front that lineup was depleted, and he continued to produce and generate shots at the Bolts don’t really have in their current crop of forward prospects. I like a high level when the roster filled out, although he tailed off toward the his hockey sense, but his skating worried some teams. end. He doesn’t wow you with his tools, but he’s a quality player. McMichael is a very smart all-around hockey player. He sees the ice very Carolina Hurricanes: Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie-OHL well, is creative with the puck and understands the game away from the May 28, 2001 | six-foot | 172 pounds puck. He’s not the biggest guy but McMichael competes well. He gets to the net and gets back on defense. With the puck, he’s skilled but not Suzuki, the younger brother of Montreal prospect Nick Suzuki, has been amazingly so. He can make some space with his hands, and his shot can a top playmaker in the OHL since being drafted first-overall in 2017. His surprise goalies with the ability to pick corners. His skating leaves some vision is outstanding, with the ability to wait out lanes and hit passes to be desired. He has decent speed but not great for his size, and his through seams at a very high rate. He’s skilled with flashes of plus stride is inefficient. I give a nod to his sense and production as indicators hands, and he can navigate in tight spaces. He doesn’t have as good a that he could play in the NHL. shot as his brother, but he’s a better skater with a bit of a separation gear to gain the zone and create space for his playmaking. Ryan Suzuki’s London Knights assistant coach Rick Steadman on McMichael: “He criticism among scouts is his lack of physicality, especially as a makes plays. He can play up and down a lineup. He can play at both smaller/slighter forward. However, he will get to the middle of the ice to ends of the ice. He’s very skilled and has a great shot.” make a play. I like how he defends due to how smart he is, and he can Team Fit: In McMichael, the Caps get a top goal-scorer and playmaker at kill penalties at the amateur level. Some will look at his production this the junior level whom scouts praise for his hockey sense and his season (25 goals-75 points in 65 games) and not be wowed, but he didn’t compete level. He tailed off toward the end of the season, but clearly the play on a good team. It’s fair to say he hasn’t been as dominant as he Caps liked the body of work and the player. His average skating worried could be with his talent level, but he’s a good player and projects to be a me a bit, but inside the offensive zone he’s lethal. He likely becomes the top-six center. Caps’ top forward prospect. Barrie Colts coach Dale Hawerchuk on Suzuki: “He has real strong Calgary Flames: Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton-QMJHL hockey sense. He handles the puck well, he sees it well. He’s got all the tools it takes to be a good NHLer.” March 7, 2001 | 5-foot-9 | 161 pounds Team Fit: Carolina said they were going forward, and they went forward Pelletier had a great second season in the QMJHL and was among the and they got a very good one. Suzuki had a tough end in April but overall top scorers in the league. Despite his massive point total (39 goals-89 I liked his season. He’s an elite playmaker who, despite Carolina’s points in 65 games), Pelletier is not a natural scorer. He’s a fine skater system being deep, especially at forward, will be near the top of the but doesn’t have an explosive stride. His stride breaks down at times, but system in terms of talent. I’ve seen him pull away from players at times too. He’s skilled but won’t dangle defenders or go end to end. Rather he’s a very smart and very Anaheim Ducks: Brayden Tracey, LW, Moose Jaw-WHL competitive forward. Pelletier shows great vision as a playmaker and May 28, 2001 | six-foot | 176 pounds makes tough plays in small areas. If you ever can’t find Pelletier on the ice, look around the opponent’s slot or net and you’ll likely spot him. He Tracey played his first full season in the WHL after playing Midget AAA lives in the tough areas of the ice and competes very well for pucks as a 16-year-old. He was one of the best rookies in the league, working despite not being that big. He scores by going to the tough areas but has his way into a major offensive role on Moose Jaw’s top line and a sneaky good shot, too. You don’t have 39 goals by accident. He also eventually Canada’s top power play at the U18s. Tracey is the kind of kills penalties quite well. There are legit concerns about a player his size player who you want with the puck. He’s a creative offensive player with without great speed or hands projecting to the NHL, but he could make it high-end, offensive hockey sense. He’s always looking to make a play, based on his compete level, character and sense. controls the puck well and sees his options very well. Sometimes he tries to do too much and can force pucks where the option isn’t available, but I Moncton Wildcats former coach Darren Rumble on Pelletier: “He’s so like that he tries things. He’s got a lean body and can struggle versus smart and patient. He sees the ice well. He plays a 200-foot game. He bigger players, but he goes to the net, scoring a lot of goals this season gets so many offensive chances because he’s so good defensively. I around the tough areas. Tracey’s skating for me is so-so with a stride trust him a lot. He’s a player you want to go to battle with; he brings it that lacks power and breaks down. He has enough speed to skate with every night. There are zero holes in his game. pros but not challenge them. Some scouts like it and think, when his Team Fit: In Pelletier, the Flames add a player who has scored a ton the lanky frame fills out, he’ll be fine; but for me, he lacks that extra gear. past two years in the QMJHL. He’s a highly intelligent and competitive Canada U18 coach Brett Gibson on Tracey: “He’s an opportunistic forward. He’s been subject to mild debate in scouting circles on his shooter. He goes to the hard areas where goal-scorers score goals. His offensive upside despite his massive numbers, but I knew some teams feet are a bit of a concern but hard to argue with his production.” who thought he was a clear first-round talent. In a thin Flames system, he becomes one of their very best prospects. Team Fit: Tracey was a sudden riser this season, going from outside the WHL in 2017-18 to a top scorer as a U18 player. He’s a player who Tampa Bay Lightning: Nolan Foote, LW, Kelowna-WHL wouldn’t have lasted much longer than this slot as many teams were in Nov. 29, 2000 | 6-foot-3 | 187 pounds on him. He adds a grit/skill combo to the Ducks’ now very deep group of forward prospects. Foote, the son of longtime NHLer Adam Foote and younger brother of Tampa first-round pick Cal Foote, was successful in the WHL the past Boston Bruins: John Beecher, C, USNTDP-USHL three seasons and was one of the leading shot generators this past April 5, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 209 pounds season. Nolan Foote is a trigger man for a power play, with a heavy shot that can finish plays. He has good vision and overall hockey sense, but Beecher entered the NTDP as a physical beast and was ready to win the key to his game is his ability and willingness to shoot the puck. He’s a battles versus USHL players as a 16-year-old. His production this season big man who competes well for pucks. Given his shooting skill, he might was similar to the previous one, albeit with little to no power play time this have taken too many outside chances when he could have driven the time around. There are very few 6-foot-3 centers who can skate like net, but he can attack when he wants to. My concern with Foote is Beecher. He regularly turned defenders around with his surprising speed, whether he can create enough of his own chances at the pro level. His and with his reach/ability to protect pucks, he generated so many feet are below-average and, while he has puck skills, I never really saw chances with his skating. Beecher is big, strong and plays hard. He him create space consistently with his skill. competes hard for pucks, is physical and makes his presence known on the ice. Offensively he has some question marks in the industry about Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton on Foote: “He’s got a great shot whether he’ll score in the NHL. I don’t mind his puck game. His hands and has great hockey sense. He forechecks and works very hard. He can are very average, but I’ve seen him pull off the odd move around a find open ice for his shot. His feet are ahead of where Cal’s were at the defender. I think he’s got enough vision to make plays in the NHL. He same age.” finds his options, whether a defender at the line or option near the slot to Team Fit: In Foote, the Bolts get a big winger who can score goals. He’s move the puck to. I don’t see a power play guy, but I could see him a player I thought about a lot in the past two weeks as teams were mildly become a decent top-nine center with penalty kill duties. critical of my draft ranking (No. 80 on my board), and I’m open to the fact NHL scout on Beecher: “(He is) 6-foot-3, 200 (pounds) and an elite NHL skater. Could be a good third-line guy who can kill penalties. I don’t see much offensive production in the NHL or a power-play guy.”

Team Fit: In Beecher, the Bruins get a player with high-end physical tools. There are very few players with his size who can skate like he can. This pick reminds a bit of the Trent Frederic pick a few years ago. I think Beecher has a bit more upside, though. Even if scouts are skeptical if he can be a power play guy in the NHL, he could be a great posession guy at even strength.

Buffalo Sabres: Ryan Johnson, D, Sioux Falls-USHL

July 24, 2001 | six-foot | 161 pounds

Johnson was a name touted in the prospect world for a few years. He didn’t put up amazing boxcar numbers, but he was a solid two-way defenseman for Sioux Falls who tilted the ice when he was on and was a rock at the World Jr. A Challenge for Team USA. What immediately stands out is his skating. He’s an effortless skater who can evade checks and generate clean zone exits with his feet. He’s not a blazing fast skater, but his edges and first step are high end. Johnson has a good skill level but that part of his game didn’t stand out as much as his feet. Some scouts think his puck game is great, but I’ve seen him just good in that regard. He sees the ice very well, and while he can make a big play, he also has a tendency to turn too many pucks over and at times be careless with his decisions. I don’t see him as a true point producer in the NHL. Defensively he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s so solid due to his smarts and mobility. His gap control is very good and often closes on guys quicker than they anticipate. Truth be told, he’s a player I’ve never been blown away by, but he’s a player who every scout and USHL source I know pushed very hard, so this ranking may undervalue him a bit.

Sioux Falls Stampede GM/coach Scott Owens on Johnson: “He’s a very strong skater and passer. He’s a really good defender. His offense is untapped and his offensive abilities improved over the course of the season.”

Team Fit: In Johnson, Buffalo gets a player who may not have put up huge numbers but had a ton of scouts very excited about his potential. He was a point of debate all season in the scouting community, but he was an important part of a championship team. The Sabres don’t really have a player in their pipeline who can skate and move pucks like he does, but he will need several years to develop.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148067 Websites This methodology isn’t perfect and only meant to establish a general idea of which teams have recently drafted well and poorly. There are bound to be teams that are portrayed better and worse than they should be, but it The Athletic / Behind the Numbers: An analysis of every NHL team’s would be next to impossible to account for every variable. By introducing recent draft history as much data as possible, we hope to provide different approaches to viewing draft results so that you as the reader can be open to applying context as necessary for best interpretation.

Harman Dayal Without further ado, let’s start simply by looking at the value each team has added so far through the 2014-17 drafts. This approach would be the Jun 21, 2019 descriptive, immediate impact teams have gotten from their picks and we’ll first present it without accounting for the draft capital each team had during this span. Building through the draft is an integral concept for all teams. For rebuilding organizations, the draft represents a time of hope and an The Boston Bruins lead the way in having accumulated 28.4 wins above opportunity to mine for future cornerstone pieces in an attempt to turn replacement with their 2014-17 draft picks. They’ve rejuvenated their things around, while contending clubs rely on it to replenish the prospect core with impact players like David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jake cupboards and secure cost-controllable talent. DeBrusk, but have also done an excellent job finding difference makers outside of the first round such as Brandon Carlo, Danton Heinen and Drafting well is important for all teams, but if there’s one thing we’ve Ryan Donato (who was traded at the deadline for Charlie Coyle). come to realize over the years it’s that doing so is more of an art than it is Excellent drafting is why the Bruins have been able to sustain a a science. Scouting hundreds of teenagers playing for all sorts of contention window for as long as they have. It’s honestly scary to think different leagues under a litany of varying circumstances and then trying what core the Bruins could have assembled had they not whiffed on two to determine who will become the most impactful NHLers many years of their three consecutive first-round picks in 2015. down the line is an onerous task, to say the least. Edmonton’s results are skewed and inflated quite drastically because of But which teams are finding a competitive edge at the draft table in just how freakishly good Connor McDavid is, which isn’t really fair given recent times? It’s a simple question, but one that requires lots of context, that he was a no-brainer selection. At the same time, they deserve a lot objective data and subjective interpretation — particularly if we’re trying of plaudits for selecting Leon Draisaitl third overall in what was otherwise to analyze more recent drafting performances. a mediocre 2014 draft as far as high-end talent.

It’s a tricky task, but one we’ll try and tackle anyway. To measure There’s one team that won’t show on this chart and that’s the New York success, I’m going to rely on Evolving Hockey’s wins above replacement Rangers. That’s simply because they’ve yet to receive above (WAR) data and analyze how much value each team has extracted from replacement level value from this era. Their 2014 to 2016 picks have drafted players that have graduated to the NHL. WAR isn’t perfect and combined for just five NHL games to this point which is quite every model has its biases, but it’s the best shot at a singular stat that underwhelming even after considering the fact that they didn’t own a first- captures as many meaningful metrics and counting stats together. round pick during this time frame. New York’s results should improve in due time as the 2017 class looks to have landed a couple of solid One of the most important factors that I wanted to account for in this NHLers in Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson, although they won’t show analysis was draft pick value. Rebuilding teams holding lottery picks here because they haven’t been above replacement value yet. should naturally be expected to draft better than contending teams with later picks. By accounting for the draft slot of each teams’ selections we Now let’s account for each team’s draft capital by plotting each team’s can measure their success based on how much production they drafted accumulated WAR against the expected value of their picks. relative to the value of their picks. The higher a team is on this chart, the more WAR they’ve accumulated With the gracious help of Sean Tierney, I was able to do exactly that — from the draft picks they’ve made from 2014-17. Meanwhile, the further establishing expected values for every pick that NHL teams held from right the team is on the chart, the more draft capital they had. The 2014 to 2017 based on Michael Schucker’s research as depicted below. diagonal line across the chart is the trend line. It’s certainly interesting that roughly half the teams fall extremely close to the average trendline As you can see above, the first overall pick holds an arbitrary expected — teams usually do get production in correlation with where they’re value of 1000 with the drop in worth of each subsequent selection. The picking. eighth overall pick, for example, holds roughly half the expected value of the first pick on average. Since I was only able to get expected pick value This approach gives a great look at the immediate impact teams have felt starting in 2014, we’ll key in on draft data from 2014-2017 (four drafts) as from their picks, but the flaw is that it’s biased towards players that were the basis for our analysis. drafted earlier in this period. Take Elias Pettersson or Miro Heiskanen for example. Both are legitimate stars but haven’t accumulated much WAR Before introducing various results, I think it’s important to outline some simply because they were drafted in 2017 and have only played one full disclaimers: season. Prospects from these drafts are still developing — these are just the early To account for this, we can divide each player’s WAR by their games fruits. To account for this, we’ll have a section towards the end of the played. For fairness, the sample only included results from each player’s article that examines prospect pool strength. Players that have yet to draft plus three seasons (three years after they’ve been drafted) and provide above replacement level value (eg: Michael Rasmussen, Adam beyond to ensure players like Sebastian Aho or Pastrnak don’t have their Gaudette, Jesper Bratt, etc.) are added to each team’s “prospect pool” so averages potentially dragged down by their teenage production. that their value is still considered. The exception, of course, is 2017 draftees that have yet to enter their Context is required even after trying to adjust for pick value. A first overall draft plus three seasons as well as players who registered higher WAR pick, for example, may carry an average value, but it varies substantially values in their teenage seasons such as Jake Virtanen. Here are the year over year. In 2014, for example, it’d yield Aaron Ekblad, while the team results after making this adjustment. first pick in 2015 would bring home Connor McDavid. Obviously, the first overall pick in 2015 would be far, far more valuable in this case, but Games played are still a measure teams use to determine drafting expected pick values will always view picks the same from year to year. “success,” so I’ve added a filter whereby each team’s logo size is determined by how many games they’ve gotten out of their drafts during Only skaters are included in this analysis. Any goalie selections are this window. exempt for counting towards expected pick value (eg: if your team drafted a goalie in the second round, that second round pick won’t count Boston looks even better when accounting for the picks each team had towards the expected value). because they didn’t own any top-10 selections during this window. As we mentioned earlier, the Oilers’ results need to be taken with a massive Traded players belong to their drafted team. The Penguins would get grain of salt because of McDavid. Aside from the excellent Draisaitl credit for Kasperi Kapanen, for example, despite shipping him out. selection, Edmonton has drafted rather poorly, including a flubbed fourth Vegas is exempt from this study as their team hasn’t been around for all overall pick from 2016 in Jesse Puljujarvi. these drafts. Elsewhere, the Leafs had the third highest expected pick value during After the Rangers, the Dallas Stars might just have the poorest draft this span and have taken full advantage — adding impact players like record in the league. Among first-round picks in this span, Julius Honka Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and . looks like a bust, while Denis Gurianov has delivered underwhelming They haven’t done the greatest job drafting outside of the first round, but results for being the 12th overall pick in the star-studded 2015 class. Miro that becomes a lot less important when you hit on your first-round Heiskanen is the exception and Roope Hintz appears to be coming along selections. Ditto for the Winnipeg Jets who’ve nailed first-round nicely, but if you extend the Stars’ draft window all the way back to 2009, selections in Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. you can see just how long they’ve struggled at making first-round picks.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, a team that hasn’t quite taken 2018: Ty Dellandrea (13th overall) advantage of high draft picks are the Carolina Hurricanes as they’ve added very little to date outside of stealing Sebastian Aho in the second 2017: Miro Heiskanen (3rd overall) round of 2015. In having said that, the Hurricanes, in particular, look like 2016: Riley Tufte (25th overall) a team that will show far better for this draft period as time wears on because Martin Necas and Jake Bean look like very solid prospects — 2015: Denis Gurianov (12th overall) an assertion that will be verified when we examine prospect pool strength 2014: Julius Honka (14th overall) later. 2013: Valeri Nichuskin (10th overall) Vancouver owned the fifth highest expected pick value during this time and has capitalized by returning the sixth most value — most of that 2012: Radek Faksa (13th overall) coming from Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, although Jared McCann who’s now with the Penguins also seems to be coming along quite nicely. 2011: Jamie Oleksiak (14th overall) There’s no doubt that the Canucks have done some good work at the 2010: Jack Campbell (11th overall) draft under Jim Benning, but I wouldn’t say they’ve been excellent and their performance falls short by some margin when compared to say the 2009: Scott Glennie (8th overall) Winnipeg Jets in the first four years of their rebuild. Excluding the Dellandrea pick because that was made just last summer, Winnipeg is a good comparable for the Canucks because, for the first five the Stars have had a whopping eight top-15 picks since 2009 and the years of their rebuild, they too failed to win the lottery for a top-3 pick. only pieces of any real significance they have are Heiskanen and Faksa. The Jets should be seen as the gold standard for building through the draft as they hit a home-run on every first-round pick during this span How well has each team drafted outside the first round? (Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, Kyle Connor) and Hitting on first-round picks is always nice, but what often separates good supported that by picking up excellent depth pieces in Adam Lowry and and great drafting teams is how well they find talent outside the first Andrew Copp. The same can’t be said for Vancouver who has missed on round. These later picks more than anyone else are likely still developing, grabbing the best player available with both their Virtanen and Olli so it’s worth mentioning again that these are just the early results. Juolevi picks. As such, you can see that the Canucks have yielded roughly half the immediate value as the Jets did from their picks, with the Tampa Bay has been the king of drafting outside of the first round — gap closing, but remaining at a not insignificant margin when accounting landing a superstar in Brayden Point (79th overall, 2014), a quality third- for games played. line centre in Anthony Cirelli (72nd overall, 2015) and a depth piece that has top-six upside in Mathieu Joseph (120th overall, 2015). The This isn’t meant to take anything away from Vancouver who has still Predators are another contending team that has drafted well during this been good, it’s just important to put things in context and recognize that period with the addition of sniper Viktor Arvidsson and Samuel Girard — their drafting alone won’t take them to contender status — they’ll need to the latter of which was traded and has matured into an excellent top-4 make smart trades and signings to supplement their young talent. defenceman for the Avalanche. Their first-round picks during this span Another team that hasn’t drafted well during this period are the Detroit also deserve some credit as 2014 first rounder Kevin Fiala was parlayed Red Wings with essentially no value coming outside of the Dylan Larkin into Mikael Granlund at this past trade deadline, while Dante Fabbro has pick. 2016 draftee Dennis Cholowski looks promising and while their looked so good as a prospect that he could force Nashville to trade one 2018 haul has been encouraging, it hasn’t shown enough yet. of their core four on the backend this summer.

A team that gets underrated by our methodology are the Colorado There are eight teams that have yet to draft above replacement level Avalanche, in particular, the Mikko Rantanen selection. Despite talent during this span: Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Minnesota, New averaging 90 points per 82 games the last two seasons, Rantanen is a Jersey, New York, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Out of this list, the Jets player that gets really underrated by Evolving Hockey’s WAR model. Add earn some slack because of how excellent they were at the draft table how great Cale Makar looked at the end of the season and the potential under the same management in years past. Vancouver, meanwhile, has development of Tyson Jost and Colorado’s drafting could be a lot better gotten 281 games played outside of the first-round which can’t be than the chart above portrays it as. ignored, but it hasn’t translated to much value yet because all of Nikita Tryamkin, Gustav Forsling and Adam Gaudette are still below The Florida Panthers also get shafted by this methodology because the replacement level. How the Canucks look with respect to their drafting first overall pick they owned was in a much weaker class. As such their outside the first round under Benning will depend heavily on the expected value is higher than it should be. The Panthers draft record development of Gaudette and Thatcher Demko. suffers from the 2015 Lawson Crouse pick, though their selections in more recent times look a lot better and have the potential for How strong is each team’s prospect pool? considerable upside between Henrik Borgstrom, Owen Tippet and Aleksi Given that players picked in these drafts are still developing, it’s Heponiemi. important to try and account for these situations so that teams don’t get Overrated by this methodology are the Ottawa Senators. Thomas Chabot penalized for selecting what could simply wind up being longer-term and Colin White were solid picks in 2015, but their WAR totals are projects. Objectively quantifying prospect pools is a big challenge, but I inflated by Christian Wolanin having an extremely high WAR in 40 decided to lean on Byron Bader’s NHL equivalency tool (which actually games, which is likely unsustainable. Assume a more reasonable now appears unavailable). NHLe uses well-refined league translations to production level moving forward for him and the Senators’ draft haul provide an estimate of how a prospect’s scoring could translate to the looks a lot more pedestrian. NHL. Someone like Elias Pettersson, for example, profiled as an 80+ point NHLe player last year after an excellent season in Sweden. One of the most interesting cases in the league is the Los Angeles Kings. They landed an absolute steal in 2015 with their second-round pick of For our purposes, we’ll simply sum up each team’s NHLe and plot it Erik Cernak who has established himself as a legitimate top-4, right shot against how much regular season success the organization had. The one defenceman at just 21-year-old this season. But the problem is he’s caveat to keep in mind is that because we’ve exempted 2018 from our doing so for the Tampa Bay Lightning after the Kings shipped him out in previous analysis, draftees from that year are all considered “prospects,” the Ben Bishop trade. Top pick Gabriel Vilardi remains a top prospect but which is important to keep in mind when looking Buffalo (Rasmus Dahlin) has had serious injury concerns. After that, it’s quite bleak for the Kings, and Carolina (Andrei Svechnikov). whose WAR is inflated by a small sample of games from Mike Amadio. With an r^2 of 0.39, there’s clearly an inverse relationship with winning and having a strong prospect pool (the more your team wins, typically the weaker your prospects are), which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. As far as outliers, the Minnesota Wild should presumably look a lot weaker than they’re portrayed here as 74 of their 225 points (almost a third) comes from KHL star Kiril Kaprizov who at this point doesn’t appear to be coming to North America anytime soon. If one were to exclude him, the Wild would drop to 23rd in the league for prospect strength which coupled with their declining NHL roster puts them in a bleak situation.

Once you consider that the already graduated Dahlin is inflating Buffalo’s placement on the chart above, you realize the Sabres are a lot weaker than they should be. Casey Mittelstadt has time but hasn’t lived up to the hype, Alex Nylander is still toiling away without much luck in the AHL and Brendan Guhle was traded to the Ducks as part of the Brandon Montour trade. Buffalo has a strong group of youngsters in place but will need to secure talent through trade and free-agency to support this group because there doesn’t appear to be a lot of impact help coming soon.

Similar things can be said for the Canucks. Even after including the uber- talented Quinn Hughes, the Canucks place with the 20th ranked NHLe. Olli Juolevi still has second-pairing upside, while Jett Woo and had a solid draft plus one season, but frankly, almost every pool has prospects of this calibre. Simply put, with Hughes graduating, it’s hard to imagine many needle movers from this pool providing impact within the next couple of seasons. Benning will similarly need to acquire talent through trade and free-agency and fortunately has lots of cap space available to accomplish exactly that, but it remains to be seen if he can take full advantage given his spotty at best track record outside of the draft.

On the positive side of things, the Calgary Flames haven’t had many high picks in recent times, but boast talented youngsters that should push for full-time NHL spots soon in Juuso Valimaki, Dillon Dube and Oliver Kylington. Carolina, whose AHL affiliate the Checkers recently won the Calder Cup, is also in good shape even if you take the graduated Svechnikov away with Martin Necas and Jake Bean leading the way.

The Florida Panthers, meanwhile, are in better shape than they’re portrayed as. They didn’t pick up as many standings points and as such appear lower on the chart, but the truth is that with even average goaltending they’re a playoff calibre team. I’d definitely say that they have a brighter future than say the Stars who look like they’re in a tricky situation in that they’re too good to get high picks yet aren’t true Stanley Cup contenders and have an aging roster with limited help coming through the prospect ranks.

Chicago could have a quick retool in the works as they boast arguably the best defensive prospects in the league between the likes of Adam Boqvist, Henri Jokiharju, Nicolas Beaudin, Ian Mitchell and Jakub Galvas in addition to the third overall pick in this upcoming draft. The same can be said for the New York Rangers who appear to be executing an incredibly smart and quick rebuild.

Conclusion

All told, hopefully, the prospect pool data provides some added context for some of the results above. Among contending teams, Boston and Tampa Bay are irrefutably the kings of drafting during this span with the Predators as another competitive team that’s not too far behind. The Stars, Red Wings and Rangers have had major issues although, in New York’s case, they’ve turned things around in recent times. Edmonton’s drafting leaves much to be desired beyond the Draisaitl pick, while similar sentiment can be expressed for the Sabres who’ve added little value outside of the first and second overall picks they’ve owned in this time frame. Rebuilding teams that have drafted well include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148068 Websites The second star: Game 7 as NHL 94 – Like I wouldn’t be all over this. The Schenn goal works a little too perfectly.

I REMIXED LAST NIGHT’S STANLEY CUP GAME 7 AS THE CLASSIC The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: Draft day strategy, a Gary Bettman NHL ’94 VIDEO GAME  PIC.TWITTER.COM/03QSTSDSC6 proposal and Brian Burke tells a story about blackmail — BENSTONIUM (@BENSTONIUM) JUNE 13, 2019

The first star: – Yeah, he seemed to be having a good time at Sean McIndoe the Blues’ parade. It’s possible that he may even have enjoyed a Jun 21, 2019 beverage or two. Either way, it’s cool to see that “greatest goal scorer in modern NHL history” isn’t the only title he wants to go head-to-head with Alexander Ovechkin for.

The NHL Draft is this weekend, and there’s been all sorts of speculation Nothing’s topping this, though: as to which teams might do what. Luckily, DGB spies have been busy digging for information, and were able to get the scoop on what several HERE’S YOUR NEW CELL PHONE RINGTONE FOR THE SUMMER, teams might have in mind. COURTESY @KOLE_TRAIN123 AT KMOX! PIC.TWITTER.COM/RUZ3R0DWLY Colorado Avalanche: Joe Sakic is keeping the door open to a major move, which is good because if there’s one thing the playoffs showed us — TOM FRANKLIN (@TOMFRANKLINKMOX) JUNE 17, 2019 this team needs, it’s somebody who knows how to open a door. Be It Resolved Tampa Bay Lightning: Are said to be watching Jack Hughes closely, Tonight’s first round of the draft should be fun, as NHL drafts usually are. mainly because it will be their only chance this year to see anyone who’s We should get at least a few trades, and maybe a handful of draft floor ranked number one actually accomplish anything. surprises. Ottawa Senators: After a miserable season, are being especially tight- But tonight will feature an added bonus: Gary Bettman. The lipped about what they’ll do with their top-four pick, so much so that commissioner shows up for every draft, and almost always gets his Pierre Dorion gets really mad and storms off if you even ask him about it. typical rough ride from the fans. But this year is different. This year, the Minnesota Wild: Are going to get Gary Bettman to announce a different draft is in Vancouver. And as you may remember, Canucks fans really pretend Jason Zucker trade after every pick just to see how many they don’t like Gary Bettman. can get through before he strangles somebody. On any rankings of the most brutal Bettman responses, there are two Detroit Red Wings: Don’t want to give anything away, but might really moments that distance themselves from the pack. The first in the 1995 shake things up by starting their pick by congratulating the Blues, final, in which Devils fans savaged the commissioner on live television as thanking the Canucks for hosting and giving a shout out to everyone he tried to do a Fox Sports interview. And the second is the 2011 Stanley watching the draft party back home. Cup final, when Canucks fans who’d just seen their team cough up a championship gave it to Bettman with both barrels. Vegas Golden Knights: Probably won’t bother using their draft floor timeout, because honestly how much of a difference could five minutes This will the first time Bettman has been front and center in Vancouver ever make? since that night, meaning it’s the city’s first chance to let us know if their feelings about him have changed. Spoiler alert: I’m guessing they Columbus Blue Jackets: Might show up too, they guess. haven’t. And that means that Bettman had better be prepared for a nasty welcome. Boston fans may have gone easy on him last week, but New York Rangers: Are going to have a guy named Kakko go number Canucks fans won’t. two on a stage in front of thousands of people and you don’t have to think that’s funny but me and my eight-year-old will be over here laughing until So yeah, they’re going to be looking to bury him, and he has to be ready our faces hurt. for it. His usual weak one-liner where he thanks the crowd for their warm welcome isn’t going to cut it. He needs to have a response in his back St. Louis Blues: Can pick whoever they want but if Brett Hull isn’t pocket, ready to go, and it’s got to be one that matches the moment. scream-singing all of their selections then we want our money back. So be it resolved: When Bettman takes the stages tonight and the boos Los Angeles Kings: Will be looking to add a prototypical Kings player, start, he needs to wait patiently. Don’t try to shut the crowd down – let which might be tricky since scouts say this year’s draft doesn’t have them go as long as they need to. Egg them on a bit. Check your watch many over-paid guys in their 30s. occasionally. And then when the crowd starts to lose energy and the New Jersey Devils: The front office spent a lot of time grilling all the noise finally starts to fade, he needs to lean into the microphone and prospects about their combine results, although come to think of it that deadpan “Wow, you guys are a riot.” mainly just Dellow and all he wanted to talk about was how they did on Cheap? Sure, but don’t act like you don’t want to see him do it. He’d get the cycling test. a “Hogan at Bash at the Beach”-level heel pop. Canucks fans haven’t Carolina Hurricanes: Know that it can be difficult to generate headlines had much to get worked up about over the last few years, so let’s give when you’re an afterthought in your own market because fans in your them a chance to have a moment. area are more interested in other more popular sports, so should Would you need extra security? Sure. I’d suggest one of two options. The probably see if the Maple Leafs want any advice on that. first is to hire a few hundred extra cops and security guards to Boston Bruins: Have decided to largely stay the course because immediately storm the arena and surround Bettman. The second is to sometimes it just isn’t the right time for a change, they say, before just get Gino Odjick to come up on stage, crack his knuckles, and mutter everyone turns and awkwardly stares at Brad Marchand. “I think everybody needs to settle down”. That should put an immediate halt to any potential problems. It’s always worked in the past. The week’s of comedy Or maybe it wouldn’t. But on Bettman’s behalf, that’s a risk I’m willing to The third star: Jordan Binnington – The Blues goalie, previously best take. Do it, Gary. known for never displaying human emotion, actually seemed to have some fun in the aftermath of the Cup win. He played a trombone! He Obscure former player of the week swore! He rode a little scooter! He’s no Brett Hull, but that’s not bad for a With the draft in Vancouver, it’s a good time to look back on the history of goalie. Canucks picks. They’ve had their hits and misses over the years, with THIS HAPPENED. #STLBLUES #STANLEYCUP some busts (Cody Hodgson, Shawn Antoski, Jason Herter), some big PIC.TWITTER.COM/A7TBCGSJOA hits (the Sedins) and some busts that still somehow worked out great (Alek Stojanov turning into Markus Naslund). — ST. LOUIS BLUES  (@STLOUISBLUES) JUNE 15, 2019 Their first ever draft pick will actually be up on the stage tonight, although it won’t be with Vancouver. That would be Panthers GM Dale Tallon, who the expansion Canucks took in 1970 in the aftermath of the debacle with the Leafs TV channel, another chapter in a long-running battle between The Wheel. He wasn’t a bad pick, but he was no Gilbert Perrault, and Burke and his former team. that was kind of a theme of the Canucks’ early years. So today, let’s give Obscure Player honors to another early Vancouver first-rounder: That’s kind of a fascinating what-if, right? On the one hand, you’d Defenseman Jocelyn Guevremont. obviously rather have Hedman today. But that Canucks team was two years away from winning the Presidents’ Trophy and going to the Cup Guevremont was coming off a high-scoring junior season heading into final. Vancouver fans, would you trade the best season in franchise the 1971 draft, and was considered one of the most well-rounded history to have Hedman right now? Knowing how it ended, yeah, you defensemen in the draft. The 1970-71 Canucks hadn’t been very good in probably would, but it’s a tough one. their inaugural year, and headed into the season’s final week with the second-worst record in the league, ahead of only the perpetually awful We get the obligatory part about how great Luke Schenn is and how the Golden Seals. But a short win streak pushed the Canucks ahead of the Leafs will never trade him because he’s their future captain, which I think Red Wings, and out of the top two in the 1971 draft. That turned out to be is included in every piece of marketing the team produced from 2008 an issue, since the 1971 draft featured two blue chip prospects in a pair through 2011. Burke says the Leafs wouldn’t get dramatically better by of forwards named Guy Lafleur and . trading him. Fact check: false.

Yes, for the second year in a row, the Canucks found themselves picking Burke drops some more inside information: That the Bruins have thrown right after the future Hall of Famers were off the board Instead, the “a legitimate frontline player” at rookie Avalanche GM Greg Sherman for Canucks had to settle for the third pick, and they used it on Guevremont. the third overall pick. I don’t remember ever seeing any speculation over That wasn’t actually a bad choice; he put up 51 points as a rookie, and who that was, but … I mean, Kessel makes sense right? was named to the midseason all-star team in 1974. Seriously, why don’t we have an hour-long draft preview show that’s just That turned out to be his last full season as a Canucks, as he was traded Brian Burke spilling on every trade rumors he’s heard? Put it on pay-per- to Buffalo early in the 1974-75 season in a deal for future Sabres GM view for $100 and I’m absolutely watching. Gerry Meehan. Guevremont would spend five seasons with the team, Next up are the Thrashers at No. 4 and Kings at No. 5, and here Burke helping them make the Stanley Cup final in 1975 and recording a career starts getting ornery because neither team wants to trade their pick for high 52 points the following year. He was dealt to the Rangers in 1979 Tomas Kaberle. There’s probably some logic to that, but I can’t process it and played 20 games for them in 1979-80 while spending time in the because I’m too busy laughing at the shot of David Poile and Dean AHL. He’d retire after that season due to shoulder problems, having Lombardi doing the “No, stay away!” stiff-arm as Burke tries to approach played 571 NHL games and recording 307 points. Not quite Lafleur or them. He does anyway, of course. Draft floor Brian Burke is the best. Dionne numbers, as old-time Canuck fans will probably remind you, but not bad. Arizona at six doesn’t help the Leafs, so it’s on to the teams below who might want to trade up. Burke’s open to it, and has three players he likes: Classic YouTube clip breakdown Nazem Kadri, Zack Kassian and Jared Cowen. (“The Russian kid” is Guevremont turned out OK for the Canucks, but he didn’t come close to presumably Dmitry Kulikov.) Burke seems open to drafting any of them, their all-time greatest draft moment. That came 20 years ago, when Brian although that’s changed by draft night, when he infamously rejected Burke swung a series of draft floor deals to lock down Daniel and Henrik Bryan Murray’s attempt at trade talk to take Kadri. Burke later said he felt Sedin in an otherwise terrible draft. There’s a great clip that shows just a bad about how that came across, which is one of the interesting things few seconds of that deal being made that you can find right here. It’s you can learn in this great piece from earlier this week. really something to watch Burke hold court, as he basically tells three OK, here comes the crazy Hartford story. Burke mentions that you can other NHL GMs exactly what they’re going to do and when they’ll do it. trade down while making the other team promise that they won’t take a I love that stuff. I’ve always been fascinated by the kind of behind-the- player you want. He explains that in 1993, when he traded up from No. 6 scenes maneuvering that goes into these sorts of decisions in the rare to No. 2 to get the Chris Pronger pick from San Jose, the Sharks made times that we get to see it. You may remember the infamous clip of Peter him throw in a conditional first-round pick if their guy wasn’t still there. Chiarelli and the Bruins talking themselves into trading Tyler Seguin that That player was Viktor Kozlov, or as Burke hilariously calls him here, “the we broke down last year. big Kozlov, not the little one.” So far so good.

For this week’s clip, let’s go back a decade to watch Burke try to work his But here’s the amazing part: Bobby Clarke and the Panthers find out magic again. It won’t end up going quite as well as it did in 1999, but it’s about the side deal, and Clarke threatens to take Kozlov one pick ahead still pretty cool to see. of San Jose unless Burke gives him a second-round pick. Burke had to either give up a second-round pick for nothing, or call Clarke’s bluff while So it’s 2009, and Burke is getting ready to run his first ever draft as the risking a first rounder. In the end, he paid up and surrendered the Leafs’ GM. The draft is in Montreal, and the Leafs have the seventh second. overall pick. This is the last year they’d have a high first for a while, since the Phil Kessel trade is coming in a few months. We don’t know that yet, Bobby Clarke basically blackmailed Brian Burke. Successfully! How high of course, but Burke wants to make sure he lands a top prospect. does that rank among conversations you wish there was tape of? If Burke wanted to fight Kevin Lowe in a barn for signing a standard offer And yes, I know, it’s yet another Leafs-centric clip. But trust me on this sheet on a middle-six forward, how do you think he reacted to what one – if you sit tight through some of the Toronto stuff, you’re going to get Clarke pulled? NHL GMs used to be so much fun back when we to hear Burke tell a story from his Hartford days that’s truly jaw-dropping. expected them to actually do their jobs. We’ll get there. By the way, the players the Panthers got with that second-round pick was A little refresher on the 2009 draft: The top prospects are John Tavares, Jason Podollan, who never did much in the NHL but was once traded for Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene, and Burke has been working hard to Kirk Muller. And the player the Whalers took with that first-round pick that move up to a top-three pick to take one. He even all but called his shot Burke paid Clarke’s ransom to keep: A pretty decent winger who now on Tavares, which probably didn’t help his cause. If he can’t get one of chirps people on Twitter. those guys, he wants Brayden Schenn, who figures to go somewhere in the top five. But can he pull off a deal without moving Brayden’s brother We end with more talk about trading down, which the Leafs didn’t end up Luke, who the Leafs had just taken a year ago? doing. They just took Kadri at seven, and it was the right call; with 161 career goals, Kadri has outscored everyone taken after him in 2009 with We start with a quick clip of Burke sharing his philosophy on taking the the exception of 33rd overall pick Ryan O’Reilly, who I hear might still be best player available regardless of position, which is notable only for pretty good. being the only known instance of Brian Burke having to think about having too much goaltending. That’s the end of our clip. It’s actually the first of a series, and you can find the rest on YouTube; the whole thing is an entertaining watch. Come We move on to Burke updating his staff on what he’s been able to learn on, it’s draft day, don’t act like you were going to do any work this about the top of the draft, and it’s … uh, it’s kind of amazing. He casually morning. lets it slip that the Canucks have offered Alex Burrows, Kevin Bieksa and their first-round pick to the Lightning for the second overall choice. If that And that’s it for this week’s breakdown. Will we see any major seems like an odd thing for a GM to say on camera, well, the Canucks blockbusters tonight? Maybe not. Are there at least a few being talked thought so too. They complained to the league once the footage aired on about behind the scenes? Almost definitely. Will Brian Burke tell us all about them whether those teams want him to or not? Yes, probably, unless Bobby Clarke blackmails him again.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148069 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / 2019 NHL Draft Roundup: Rumours, reaction, highlights

Luke Fox

June 22, 2019, 12:01 AM

Welp.

For the first time since the Sidney Crosby draft in 2005, not a single player trade was completed during the first round of the NHL Draft Friday night in Vancouver.

While the midday rumours — P.K. Subban! Kris Letang! Tyson Barrie! — kept us on the edge of our seat, the draft played out with minimal movement, save for one minor adjustment between Philadelphia and Arizona.

Here, you can recap the highlights and surprises of draft in our minute- by-minute blog of all the happenings.

Luke Fox June 21, 201911:27 PM

Kaliyev curiously tumbles out of Round 1

Arthur Kaliyev, who was slotted among the top 15 in many a mock draft, was not selected in Round 1 Friday.

The 17-year-old winger sniped 51 goals and piled up 102 points for the Hamilton Bulldogs in just 67 games this season.

Peg him as a potential second-round steal.

Luke Fox June 21, 201911:23 PM

Buffalo wraps Round 1 with another American

The Sabres bookend the first round with another U.S. prospect, defenceman Ryan Johnson.

Committed to the University of Minnesota, Johnson is known as a one- man breakout who is solid in his own end.

GM Jason Botterill praises his skating and puck-moving ability.

All told, 11 players each were taken from the United States and Canada, four from Sweden, three from Finland, and one each from Germany and Russia.

Luke Fox June 21, 201911:17 PM

Boston booed lustily by Vancouver crowd

Either they were screaming “Brooooooooins” or 2011 isn’t as long ago as it feels.

The locals greet Boston’s 30th-overall choice, John Beecher, with a Bronx cheer.

Beecher is a “second-line winger at worst,” per Brian Burke’s scouting contact. Beecher marks the eighth pick out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in the first round, crushing a new record for the program.

The previous record was three.

“It’s a childhood dream come true,” Beecher says.Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148070 Websites old from Victoria who Denver general manager Joe Sakic almost certainly will move.

Sakic used the fourth pick Friday to take the best defenceman in the Sportsnet.ca / Canucks take calculated risk on Podkolzin, don't move on draft, Vancouver Giant Bowen Byram, thickening the crop of excellent Barrie trade young blueliners in Colorado and thickening the plot for a Barrie trade to the Canucks.

Iain MacIntyre Byram, Makar and Girard in Colorado. What a future blueline. Tyson Barrie trade talks to Vancouver will only intensify. #Canucks June 21, 2019, 11:50 PM — Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) June 22, 2019

Since Benning was not going into his own draft without a first-round pick, VANCOUVER – Since Pavel Bure walked out on the Vancouver Canucks Friday wasn’t much of a pressure point in whatever discussions may be 21 years ago to force a trade, Russian hockey players and the National ongoing with the Avalanche. There’s plenty of time between now and Hockey League team have gone together on the West Coast like oil spills October to make a deal, but a lot of teams will be interested in Barrie and and orcas. the player won’t come cheap in any sense.

So when Canuck senior advisor Stan Smyl stepped to the Rogers Arena After a career-best 59 points last season, Barrie has one year and $5.5 microphone Friday night and announced to an excited, expectant “home” million remaining on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free crowd that the team’s first pick, No. 10 in the NHL Draft, was Vasily agent. His next contract could be for $8 million (or more) per year, which Podkolzin, the reaction was, well, muted. could complicate things for Benning, who knows Canuck rookie-of-the- year Elias Pettersson and super-prospect Quinn Hughes may require It’s not that the Russian power forward can’t turn into a good player in massive paydays when their entry-level contracts expire in 2021. Vancouver some time after he completes the final two years on his contract with SKA St. Petersburg. But it took a few seconds to process There’s also the size-bias question about how many five-foot-10 that the organization had skipped past a bunch of high-scoring prospects defencemen one NHL team can accommodate. The Canucks already to select a player from a country that has been a wasteland for Canuck have Hughes and Troy Stecher. draft picks for two decades. Vancouver has eight more selections, three of them in the sixth round, on Even on the rare instances when the Canucks have connected on the second day of the draft Saturday. Russians, like third-round pick Nikita Tryamkin in general manager Jim Benning’s first draft in 2014, like second-rounder Artem Chubarov in Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019 1998 — and, really, there was no one in between – the players couldn’t wait to return to Russia to play in the Kontinental League after successfully starting their NHL careers in Vancouver.

As they begin celebrating their 50 years in the NHL, the Canucks on Friday drafted a Russian in the first round for the first time. They could have chosen American power forward Matthew Boldy, or tiny 58-goal scorer Cole Caufield or Victoria Grizzlies Junior-A scoring machine Alex Newhook.

But Benning took the six-foot-one Podkolzin, a first-round wildcard who divided last season between three levels of hockey with St. Petersburg, but plays a robust game and possesses huge upside. The analytics community likes him. Canuck historians, not so much.

Cultural profiling, of course, is as unfair to Podkolzin as it is to most people. Not every Scottish sportswriter, for instance, is pasty, ill- tempered and cheap.

Podkolzin is unattached to the Canucks’ past and bears no responsibility for it. And through an interpreter – the Canucks’ long-time Russian scout Sergei Chibisov – he said the right things about wanting to be an NHL player and helping Vancouver win. Tryamkin said the same things five years ago.

“He’s a good overall player,” Chibisov said, speaking for himself, not Podkolzin. “He works hard. He does have leadership qualities. He’s strong on the puck, along the boards and in the corners. He can shoot and he can make a play. And all the boys he plays with, they all like him. He’s a good team leader.”

Podkolzin, who starred at the Hlinka under-18 tournament and made the Russian team for the world juniors in Vancouver at Christmastime, bounced between three club teams last season. He played at the junior level, the KHL and the Russian second division.

“Vasily says it wasn’t hard from a physical point of view, it was hard psychologically,” Chibisov said in translation to a question about Podkolzin’s fractured year. “He hopes these (next) two years he’s going to play in Russia, he will get stronger. He will be more a man.

“Vasily says it is hard to express his feelings now. He is so excited. He hopes that in two years from now, he will come to Vancouver and help the team win. Vasily says he can do whatever he will be asked to do.”

Had Podkolzin not been contractually obligated in Russia another two seasons, he likely would have been chosen higher than 10th on Friday.

But his selection by the Canucks had a feeling of anti-climax after a draft day of rumours that included reports that Benning was pursuing a trade for Colorado Avalanche offensive defenceman Tyson Barrie, a 27-year- 1148071 Websites “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Broberg said. “I started to get a feeling, but you never know in the draft. I’m so honoured right now to be an Oiler.”

Sportsnet.ca / Holland uses first pick as Oilers GM on another smooth- The Oilers, a team that has drafted inside the Top 10 in 10 of the last 11 skating defenceman drafts, has a nice stockpile of young defencemen, with the Broberg joining the 6-foot-3 Bouchard and 6-foot-2 Dmitri Samorukov, who are both turning pro in September. It’s a nice crop, though one that won’t Mark Spector impact the NHL for at least one more season.

June 22, 2019, 12:17 AM When he does arrive, Broberg will join a defensive corps that includes countrymen Oscar Klefbom, perhaps Joel Persson, and Adam Larsson,

who also has Skelleftea roots. Larsson and Broberg train at the same When he was running the Detroit Red Wings, Ken Holland used to kid Skelleftea gym. about how having the best defenceman in the game — Nicklas Lidstrom “It’s the Edmonton Oilers. They have a great history. I want to be a part — helped make him a smart general manager. It was one of the jokes of that one day,” said Broberg. that was really only funny because it was true. Which number does he prefer? So, with his first draft pick as the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, Holland went back to his old strike out pitch, choosing Swedish “Obviously, I like No. 5.” defenceman Philip Broberg with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 National Hockey League Draft. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019

“If you’re going to have a good team in the National Hockey League, you have to have a good defence,” Holland said after Day 1 of the draft was complete. “Teams that go for long playoff runs have a good defence, big defence, deep defence.”

Broberg, like all young Swedish defencemen, spoke of Lidstrom in hushed tones.

“(Lidstrom) is a legend. The perfect human,” Broberg said. “He had 20 good years and in my mind was the best defenceman ever.”

A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and . New episodes every Thursday.

With forwards Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, Vasili Podkolzin and Matthew Boldy all still on the board, the Oilers opted for the left-shot, 6- foot-3 Swede, a player believed to be the best skating defenceman in the 2019 draft class.

Why another defenceman (Edmonton took Evan Bouchard at No. 10 last year) and not a scoring winger for Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent- Hopkins to work with?

“I’m certainly aware that we need forwards, but we need a good defence,” said Holland. “I think back to our team in ’08 when we won the Cup (in Detroit). We had Lidstrom, we had (Brian) Rafalski, we had (Niklas) Kronwall, we had (Brad) Stuart. A really top notch Top 4.

“All mobile, they could skate, handle the puck, get back, pivot and get the puck snapped back up into our forwards’ hands.”

We saw Broberg at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament in Edmonton last summer. To watch him stop behind his goal, then take six or eight strides while transporting the puck — a gait that was smoother than silk — was literally jaw dropping. He is truly blessed with a stride that is, well, stunning.

“I’ve been skating with about six different skating coaches throughout the years,” Broberg said. “I would come to Canada for four weeks every summer to train my skating. It’s the hard work I’ve put into my skating is probably why I skate so well now.”

Will he process the game at the NHL level? Will he be a 40-point defenceman? All are still questions.

“I would say I’m a two-way defender with good skating,” Broberg said. “I like to move the puck and skate with it as well. I also want to improve my first pass and be stronger in the corners as well.”

Newly named Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland speaks at a press conference in Edmonton. (Jason Franson/CP)

In a league that is all about skating, Broberg’s ability to get around the rink is not in question. A stride like Broberg’s has taken Jay Bouwmeester through over 1,200 NHL games, and now Broberg — the son of two civil engineers back home Orebro, Sweden — will try his luck in the NHL, eventually. He will play next season either in Skelleftea of the Swedish Elite League, or perhaps more likely in OHL Hamilton, which owns his junior rights. 1148072 Websites Caufield, who has committed to play for the NCAA’s Wisconson Badgers next fall, was shocked when he heard his name called by Canadiens captain Shea Weber.

Sportsnet.ca / U.S. sniper Caufield shoots to top of Canadiens deep “It’s a dream come true,” said Caufield, the third-highest point producer in prospect pool the USNTDP’s history. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet. They’ve got a great staff and great organization. I’m really pumped to be a part of something like that and I can’t wait to get started.” Eric Engels With Caufield, the MVP of this year’s World Under-18 Championship, in June 21, 2019, 11:56 PM the fold, it’s expected the Canadiens will attempt to fill their needs on defence with their nine other picks in this year’s draft. As for their

immediate need on left defence, Bergevin told Lavoie prior to Friday’s Phil Kessel. Patrick Kane. Auston Matthews. draft that the chance of his team being involved in a trade over the weekend isn’t very high. Those are the names Cole Caufield, the newest member of the Montreal Canadiens, left in the dust on his way to becoming the most prolific goal “You have discussions with other GMs and there’s things you want to do, scorer in the United States National Development Program’s history. but both GMs have to agree,” he said. “We’ve had discussions but they haven’t borne fruit.” It would be an understatement to say Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin was shocked to find the Wisconsin native still available at No. Bergevin added that he’s extended invitations to pending unrestricted 15 when Bergevin stepped up to the podium at the 2019 NHL Draft in free agents to discuss signing with the Canadiens and that he’s waiting Vancouver on Friday. for confirmations before the free agent discussion window opens on Sunday. “We believed he’d go in the top-10,” Bergevin told TVA Sports reporter Renaud Lavoie as he stepped off the stage. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019

He wasn’t alone. Virtually all pre-draft lists had Caufield, who scored 72 goals and 100 points this past season while riding shotgun on a line with first overall pick Jack Hughes, going earlier than No. 15. Caufield, a right winger, is a bona fide sniper. A wrist-shot wielding terror who, according to one amateur scout we reached out to, has “the best touch in this year’s class.”

A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday.

One reason Caufield didn’t go higher could be due to the fact he’s only 5- foot-7 and not considered to be among the most explosive skaters available. We also can’t discount some of the surprises we saw following the predictable selections of Hughes at No. 1 to the New Jersey Devils and Kaapo Kakko at No. 2 to the New York Rangers.

It started with Kirby Dach, a rangy centre who spent last season with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, going third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks, pushing the consensus best defenceman of this class (Bowen Byram) to the Colorado Avalanche at fourth overall.

When newly-minted Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman surprised almost everyone by picking German defenceman Moritz Seider at sixth overall it pushed other premiere talents down the board. After the Florida Panthers drafted for top-rated goaltender Spencer Knight with the 13th overall pick, and the Philadelphia Flyers chose defenceman Cam York 14th, the Canadiens were essentially gifted Caufield.

“It was a yoyo ever since Pick No. 3,” Montreal draft guru and assistant general manager, Trevor Timmins, told Elliotte Friedman. “It’s been all over the place. We didn’t think we’d have the two guys available that we had to choose from in the end, and it was a difficult decision, but we went with the pure goal scorer.

“We spent a lot of time with Cole. He’s a great young man. He’s a heck of a competitor and he knows how to put the puck in the net.”

In the eyes of the Canadiens Caufield was a better bet than dynamic, play-making centres such as Alex Newhook and Peyton Krebs, who were chosen next by the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, respectively.

York was a sure target for Montreal before the Flyers chose him. The Canadiens also liked Thomas Harley, the big, smooth-skating lefty who went 18th overall to the Dallas Stars. WHL standout Lassi Thomson (19th overall to the Ottawa Senators), and cerebral Finn Ville Heinola (20th overall to the Winnipeg Jets), were two other players multiple sources told us the Canadiens had their eyes on heading into the draft.

But in Caufield, Bergevin and Timmins got their hands on a player who fills another need. He’s a player who vaults straight to the top of Montreal’s impressive prospect list, alongside—and perhaps above— explosive scorer Nick Suzuki, multi-dimensional centre Ryan Poehling, budding goaltender Cayden Primeau and stalwart defenceman Alexander Romanov. 1148073 Websites “You don’t pick a guy because he thought of some good answers in an interview,” said Treliving. “But he believes it. He is wired that way. Everything is about winning and about team.”

Sportsnet.ca / Jakob Pelletier's competitive spirit convinces Flames at Treliving raved about the fact an ankle injury hobbled Pelletier going into draft the playoffs, but he insisted on playing on it anyway to try helping the team.

Eric Francis Same goes for the under-18s where many suggested that due to injury he shouldn’t go and risk his standing as a ranked first rounder. June 22, 2019, 2:00 AM “He said, ‘I’m going,’ – he’s going to make it or die trying,” said Treliving, who has four more picks to make Saturday.

A quick gander at the left side of the Calgary Flames offence suggests “To me, you bet on those guys. He’s got a motor to push himself to it’s the last position that needs bolstering, thanks to Johnny Gaudreau, maximize his ceiling. He’s got talent but it’s not perimeter talent.” Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane. He isn’t expected to make the jump from the QMJHL this fall, as the However, the drafting of left winger Jakob Pelletier wasn’t about filling Quebec City native will focus instead on adding muscle to a frame eerily holes on the current roster or trying to predict a future weakness. similar to Gaudreau’s.

It was about picking the best player available when the Flames picked Some believe a premium should be placed on adding some size to the 26th overall. Flames organization given how physical the two Stanley Cup finalists were. And if there was ever a doubt the undersized sophomore with the Moncton Wildcats wasn’t made up of the type of stuff the Flames were However, a large part of why the Flames lost to Colorado in five games looking for, it was erased during a recent interview with the club. was that they couldn’t keep up with the Avalanche’s speed – something Pelletier can bring in a year or two when he’s ready to start playing with “We’ve gotten to know him a lot and what we love about him is his men. competitive spirit,” said Flames GM Brad Treliving from the draft floor in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. “He certainly can play with speed, but I like his will,” said Treliving.

“We asked, ‘why you,’ and he said, ‘because I’m going to win the Stanley “We value competitive and smart people.” Cup.’” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019 Fair enough.

Confidence is key, but Flames scouts liked most that it comes with a package of skill balled up in a five-foot-nine, 161-pound frame that just doesn’t quit.

Although the 18-year-old scored 39 goals and had 89 points in 65 games with the Wildcats, his competitiveness is considered perhaps his greatest asset.

“They asked me what separates you from the others and I say, ‘I’m a winner and I want to win and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win,’” said Pelletier, who met with the Flames once again early Friday.

“I think it was a the fourth or fifth time I met with them, so I had a good feeling, and when I had a talk with them this morning, it went well.”

Ranked 27th amongst North American skaters by Central Scouting, Pelletier is considered to be a shifty, two-way player who models his game after Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews.

“I think I’m a small guy who can play big,” he said. “I’m a competitor and can play at both ends of the ice.”

Because of his size, Pelletier is the type of player who wouldn’t have had a chance at going in the first or second round five or 10 years ago. However, smaller, speedier players like Gaudreau have opened the door for a lengthy list of diminutive players to be drafted in the first round Friday to continue bolstering the game’s speed.

The Flames had plenty of undersized forwards and defencemen to choose from with their late-round pick, but opted to continue a trend that had seen them choose one blueliner and nine forwards their last two drafts.

“I’m not a big fan of comparing people but he’s a (Brendan) Gallagher- type,” said Treliving.

“He’s not going to pull you out of your seat with a toe-drag but he’s going to play in the guts of the game and bang away in the crease. He’s a high- end competitor and high-end thinker. He’s ultra smart.

“His worth ethic and will and want and competitiveness are off the charts and he’s got skill.”

As Treliving is quick to point out, this was a late-round pick and time will decide who is right and who is wrong at every draft. But Treliving said it’s an attitude and drive like Pelletier’s that made him an easy player to gamble on. 1148074 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Winnipeg Jets dip back into Finnish prospect pool with high IQ Heinola

Ryan Dixon

June 22, 2019, 12:12 AM

Combine the rise of young Finnish players with the Winnipeg Jets’ established ability to mine amateur talent and you could have a perfect match with defenceman Ville Heinola at the 20th overall pick.

The Jets may soon have to be re-named the Lions — as in, the team name of Finland’s national club — given the amount of young kids from that country now in GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s pipeline. Winnipeg’s two most recent first picks in Round 1 were Finns, with sniper Patrik Laine selected second overall in 2016 and big winger Kristian Vesalainen nabbed 24th overall two years ago in 2017. (No first-round pick for Winnipeg last June.) The Jets also took a seventh-round flyer on Sami Niku in 2015 and he was the American Hockey League defenceman of the year in 2017-18.

Now comes Heinola, whose 14 points in 34 Liiga games — Finland’s top circuit — may not melt your brain, but represent a very solid showing for an undersized kid who didn’t turn 18 until March. For reference, emerging Dallas Stars stud D-man Miro Heiskanen managed just 10 points in 37 contests during his draft-eligible season while competing against the best professionals in Finland. Some of Heinola’s points, as Sportsnet draft guru Sam Cosentino noted, came while the left-shooting rearguard was flipped around, playing the right side of the ice.

His less-than-imposing frame might lead you to assume Heinola depends on hot wheels to make an impact, but that’s not really the case. He’s got a big hockey brain that shines playing the thinking player’s position. Heinola’s calm demeanour — the boys used the old “looks like he’s playing in a rocking chair” line on the Sportsnet broadcast — and spectacular vision allow him to usually make the right play at the right time.

The young man’s good instincts may have even been in play on draft night, as the Jets sauntered up to the podium.

“Our meeting at the [NHL Draft Combine] went well,” he said of the interview he had with the Winnipeg brass in Buffalo a few weeks ago.

Heinola was part of the Finnish team that won gold at the 2019 World Junior Championship in Vancouver six months ago and the amount of talent pouring into the NHL from that country right now is staggering. With Heinola’s WJC teammate Kaapo Kakko going No. 2 overall to the New York Rangers, a Finn has now been selected among the top three picks in each of the past four drafts and five times in the past seven years dating back to Aleksander Barkov being taken by the Florida Panthers in 2013. Prior to that year, a Finn had gone in the top three picks on just three occasions in the entire history of the draft.

Of course, Winnipeg — which dealt away its first-rounder at each of the past two trade deadlines, but got this one back from the Rangers in the Jacob Trouba swap — is a here-and-now team gunning for a title. Heinola probably won’t be able to help with that in the next couple years, but it’s easy to see him being a big part of the plan — along with some of his talented countrymen — in the years to come.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148075 Websites By his own admission, Thomson needs to work on his “skating and shooting,” though he considers himself an offensive player who likes to shoot the puck.

Sportsnet.ca / Senators land much-needed right-shot defenceman in He has visited Ottawa once – five years ago, playing with a Finnish team Lassi Thomson in a minor hockey tournament.

What does he know of the Nation’s Capital?

Wayne Scanlan “I know it’s cold,” Thomson said. Smart kid.

June 22, 2019, 12:07 AM As happy as he was to get Thomson at 19th overall, Dorion is eager to return to the podium in short order for picks 32 and 44 in the second round. That is, if no one steps up with an offer Dorion can’t refuse for that With Erik Karlsson long gone to San Jose, the Ottawa Senators were on first pick of the second round. the hunt for a talented right-shot defenceman. “Having pick 32 is really exciting, because between pick 31 and 32 is the They went off the board to get him, selecting Lassi Thomson of the longest break in the draft,” Dorion said. “A lot of times scouts tell their Kelowna Rockets 19th overall in the first round of Friday’s NHL Draft. GM, ‘we never thought this guy would be available at 32, can you try to The native of Tampere, Finland is 6-feet tall, 186 pounds and produced get No. 32.’ So we figure we’re going to get a lot of calls between the end 17 goals and 41 points for the Kelowna Rockets this season. of Round 1 Friday night and Saturday morning when it starts again.”

“I’m so excited, I don’t know what to say now,” Thomson told reporters in Before the first round ended, Dorion was seen visiting with Leafs GM Vancouver after his selection. When he heard his name called, Thomson Kyle Dubas, likely discussing ways that the Cap-friendly Senators might says he thought to himself, ‘what happened?’ “I didn’t expect that,” he provide relief to Cap-stressed Toronto. said, of going 19th overall. 220 picks and counting: Thomson was the Senators’ 220th draft pick The pick was something of a shocker to others as well, considering most since they re-joined the NHL in 1992, and he is the 31st first-round draft analysts had Thomson projected to go in the second round. On the selection. Of the 220, 79 draftees were defencemen, 44 centres, 38 left ISS list, Thomson was 38th. He was 45th on McKeen’s. The Recrutes wingers, 37 right wingers and 22 goaltenders. A total of 109 Ottawa picks site of Grant McCagg, however, had Thomson 13th. Thomson was have played at least one NHL game. Twenty-three of Ottawa’s 30 ranked 15th among North American skaters. previous first-round choices have played for the Senators and five others played in the NHL for other teams. Sportsnet analyst Brian Burke said he was “baffled” by Ottawa’s pick, suggesting Thomson does “not have elite skill level.” Join the crowd: The Senators have five former first-rounders still in the organization, including Brady Tkachuk (2018), (2016), A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Thomas Chabot (2015), Colin White (2015) and Cody Ceci (2012). Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Tkachuk stepped to the mic Friday to announce the selection of “He’s a mid-sized guy,” Burke said. “Not small, but mid-sized. Hard shot. Thomson. Not an elite skill level. There’s a split (of opinion) on this guy.” Draft day frenzy: Prior to 2019, the Senators have made dozens of draft- McCagg replied on Twitter: “I think I am disagreeing with everything day trades. None were bigger than the deal concocted by then-GM Burkie is saying.” Marshall Johnston on June 23, 2001. Johnston dealt centre Alexei Yashin to the New York Islanders in exchange for defenceman Zdeno McCagg called Thomson a “great pick by Ottawa.” Chara, forward Bill Muckalt and New York’s first-round pick that year. Johnston used the pick to draft Jason Spezza. Spezza would eventually Louie DeBrusk of Sportsnet concurred. More or less. become captain of the Senators and Chara anchored Ottawa’s defence “I like when these players take that risk and come over to North America until he left to join the Boston Bruins in 2006. and play,” DeBrusk said. “It’s a different game, in a different rink, and Smith on the prowl: New Senators head coach D. J. Smith is in show themselves in the world. It’s worked out for Thomson.” Vancouver, interviewing assistant coach candidates. He needs at least a An excellent puck carrier, Thomson has strong lateral ability. Some couple more to round out his staff. scouts see him as more of a second-pair defenceman in the future, which “I’ve got to find someone who’s a power play guy, an offensive guy,” isn’t the worst thing considering the Senators already have top-D Smith said, in a scrum at the draft. “I’ve had all kinds of interviews, prospects Thomas Chabot and Erik Brannstrom. However, both those probably upwards of six or seven. players shoot left, and Thomson provides some balance, along with 2018 first-rounder Jacob Bernard-Docker. “I’ll continue to talk to people to make sure we get the right guy, the right fit for the culture.” Smith may or may not also hire an “eye in the sky” It may take a while to find out where Thomson slots in. He could return to coach. He expects to add a video coach soon. play in Kelowna next season, or join AHL Belleville or he may be in Finland with Ilves. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.22.2019 issue will be discussed with the player.

“We’re extremely pleased,” Dorion said in a scrum after the first round. “We were discussing this morning who we were going to get … and everyone felt Thomson was going to be the guy.

“Seventeen goals is a lot for a defenceman — the way he skates, and moves the puck, the way he transitions in the offensive zone and jumps into the play are all things we are really happy to have,” Dorion added.

Thomson is the 11th Finnish born defenceman to be selected in the first round of the draft, and the first Finn picked by Ottawa in the first round. Immediately after Thomson’s selection at No. 19, the Winnipeg Jets took another Finnish defenceman, Ville Heinola, at No. 20.

Thomson felt he progressed as his first season playing junior hockey in Canada went along and enjoyed the more physical game on a smaller rink.

“I wanted to see how they play hockey here, and get good experience,” Thomson said. 1148076 Websites Earlier this season, Kyle Dubas said that he wasn't worried about Mitch Marner getting an offer sheet from another team. Now, Dubas says that the Leafs would have to review the situation before making a decision. TSN.CA / After quiet Friday, could Leafs be pursuing Preds’ Subban? Why the change? The TH panel shares their thoughts.

Would the difference between $81.5 million and 82 million really grind the market to a halt? Couldn’t these GMs just budget on $81.5 million and if Frank Seravalli it’s over that, enjoy the gravy?

“I guess what you don’t want to do is trade a player you need to for cap purposes and then all of a sudden you realize ‘Hey, with the extra half VANCOUVER — For trade thirsty and rumour-mongering hockey fans, million, I could have fit him in and kept him,’” Chayka surmised. the first night of the 2019 NHL Draft was like an episode of Seinfeld - a “Obviously, the market stagnated.” show about nothing. Maybe we should have seen this coming, Flames GM Brad Treliving There was one measly trade, a classic draft pick value swap, with the said. Philadelphia Flyers trading down three spots from No. 11 to No. 14 in exchange for a second-round pick from Arizona. “There’s a little bit of a noose right now,” Treliving said. “You’ve got everybody going into a narrow area, it’s tight from a cap perspective, Yawnnnnnn. there’s a lot of teams with their own guys they’ve got to sign, there’s a After weeks of buildup, and a flurry of chatter in the days leading up to cap that came in maybe a little bit lighter than [we] thought. Then you Draft, there hasn’t been a single deal of consequence since all 31 look at teams that you look and maybe they have guys to sign a year general managers landed in Vancouver on Thursday. Just two years ago, from now. It’s making teams a little bit cautious.” 16 players were traded on Friday night. Treliving was firm in his prediction: “We’ll see movement.” The only Round 1 with fewer trades in the salary cap era was in 2005, Chayka said: “We’re trying. We’ll be active.” the first Draft out of the year-long lockout, when the Penguins selected Sidney Crosby. Saturday’s entertainment may rest on Treliving and the Flames. The last two Saturday’s at the Draft, Treliving has made a sizeable trade, Even the Vancouver Canucks, who vowed to make a splash as draft acquiring Travis Hamonic in 2017 and Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin host, simply stuck to their pick at No. 10 overall and selected Russian- last year. born forward Vasily Podkolzin. Does Treliving have another one in him? “Yeah, we tried,” GM Jim Benning said. “We were looking at a lot of different things and I’m going back to my office to keep working at it and “I don’t know,” Treliving said, chuckling. “We’re going to go back to the I’m hoping to get something done. We’re still looking at some things.” hotel here and see if we can cook something up.”

They aren't alone. He wasn’t alone.

Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was all over the draft floor on Friday night - TSN.CA LOADED: 06.22.2019 and he wasn’t asking other managers about their dinner plans.

Dubas visited with Predators counterpart David Poile to perhaps, as TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie speculated, chat about the availability of defenceman P.K. Subban. He spoke to Blues GM Doug Armstrong, possibly about the availability of forward . Then he met with agent Pat Brisson, of CAA Hockey, concerning veteran Patrick Marleau and his no-move clause that’s gumming up Toronto’s cap.

With trade winds swirling across the NHL world, P.K. Subban might be the biggest name on the market. Looking to move out some salary, will the Predators deal their star defenceman? That's Hockey weighs in.

It’s believed Dubas turned up the heat on Marleau’s camp about moving his contract. Is it possible to send Marleau to Arizona, where he could be bought out, become a free agent, and sign a bargain deal with the San Jose Sharks?

Poile and the Predators are reportedly willing to retain 30 per cent of Subban’s $9 million salary cap hit. Depending on what the Maple Leafs take in return from Arizona, it doesn’t seem difficult to make the math work between moving Marleau’s $6.25 million and carrying hometown boy Subban at $6 million.

Whether it was the Canucks trying for Colorado's Tyson Barrie, the Hurricanes entertaining offers for Justin Faulk, or the Rangers fielding calls on Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey, it was all just talk.

Nothing came to fruition. But that doesn’t mean Saturday - and the week leading up to Free Agent Frenzy on July 1 - will be quiet.

“There has been a lot of chatter and maybe it’s going to happen [Saturday] with a bunch of deals,” Benning said. “I think there’s going to be quite a bit of movement. It just didn’t happen today.”

Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL hoped to announce next season’s salary cap figures on Saturday. The expectation is for the cap to come in between $81.5 and $82 million, at least one million below the March projection of $83 million.

“I think some uncertainty around the cap has kind of chilled the market a bit,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said. “Teams are in a holding pattern to see where that comes in before they make big decisions.”

Why has Dubas changed his tune on offer sheets? 1148077 Websites 8. Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI LD 26 78 9 37 $4.5M 4

9. Chris Kreider, NYR LW 28 79 TSN.CA / Trade Bait: Avalanche listening to offers for Barrie 28 54 $4.63M 1

10. Canucks' 1st Round Pick 10th OV Frank Seravalli

11. Jimmy Vesey, NYR LW 26 81 17 35 $2.28M 1 VANCOUVER - The volume has been turned up on the noise surrounding Tyson Barrie’s future with the Colorado Avalanche in the last 12. Kris Letang, PIT RD 32 65 16 48 hours. 56 $7.25M 3

Whether or not Barrie remains with Colorado beyond NHL Draft weekend 13. Travis Hamonic, CGY RD 28 69 remains to be seen, but one thing is crystal clear: the Avalanche are 7 19 $3.86M 1 listening to offers for the defenceman. 14. Connor Brown, TOR RW 25 82 Barrie has rejoined the TSN Trade Bait list at No. 5 after being a staple 8 29 $2.1M 1 on the board in recent off-seasons. Talk surrounding a number of big- 15. Kyle Turris, NSH C 29 55 7 name defencemen, including P.K. Subban (No. 7) and Kris Letang (No. 23 $6M 5 12), is heating up here in Vancouver. 16. Michael Frolik, CGY LW 31 65 But Barrie remains on the front burner. 16 34 $4.3M 1

The hometown Vancouver Canucks headline a list of teams believed to 17. Colin Miller, VGK RD 26 65 be interested in the Victoria, B.C., native. Barrie would certainly be one 3 29 $3.88M 3 way to make a splash as host of the draft. 18. Nazem Kadri, TOR C 28 73 It’s easy to imagine the endless power play possibilities with the right- 16 44 $4.5M 3 shooting Barrie setting up left-shooting Calder Trophy winner Elias Pettersson. 19. Justin Faulk, CAR RD 27 82 11 24 $4.83M 1 Barrie, 27, is entering the final season of his four-year, $22 million deal signed in 2016. He is coming off a 59-point season – one that could vault 20. Mathieu Perreault, WPG LW 31 82 him into the $9 million range on his next contract. 15 30 $4.13M 2

Barrie has collected 116 points over the last two seasons. That’s more 21. Penguins' 1st Round Pick 21st OV than Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, , Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Subban and Letang, 22. Patrick Marleau, TOR LW 39 82 If projected No. 1 defenceman Bowen Byram falls into Colorado’s lap at 16 37 $6.25M 1 No. 4 overall – the pick once held by the Ottawa Senators – that could certainly make GM Joe Sakic’s decision to part ways with Barrie easier. 23. Garret Sparks, TOR G 25 20 They are already well positioned on the right side with Cale Makar and 3.15 .902 $750K 1 Erik Johnson. 24. James Reimer, FLA G 31 36 The Avalanche are looking to add to their scoring depth beyond Nathan 3.09 .900 $3.4M 2 MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who requires a new contract as one of 25. Chris Tanev, VAN RD 29 55 the high-profile restricted free agents who will set the market this 2 12 $4.45M 1 summer. 26. David Clarkson, VGK RW 35 0 For now, Sakic has informed teams that he is perfectly willing to play out 0 LTIR $5.25M 1 this season – as the up-and-coming Avalanche hope to contend for the Stanley Cup – with Barrie as an “own rental” and risk letting him walk 27. Jesse Puljujarvi, EDM RW 21 46 next summer for nothing. 4 9 $925K RFA

Stay tuned. 28. Kevin Shattenkirk, NYR RD 30 73 2 28 $6.65M 2 Here is the latest TSN Trade Bait board, which always seeks to blend a player’s prominence with his likelihood of a trade: 29. Canes' 1st Round Pick 28th OV

Trend Player Pos Age GP G PTS Cap Hit Years 30. Adam Larsson, EDM RD 26 82 3 20 $4.17M 2 1. Nikita Zaitsev, TOR RD 27 81 3 14 $4.5M 5 31. James Neal, CGY RW 31 63 7 19 $5.75M 4 2. Jason Zucker, MIN LW 27 81 21 42 $5.5M 4 32. Milan Lucic, EDM LW 30 79 6 20 $6M 4 3. Phil Kessel, PIT RW 31 82 27 82 $6.8M 3 33. Loui Eriksson, VAN LW 33 81 11 29 $6M 3 4. Ryan Murray, CBJ LD 25 56 1 29 $2.85M RFA 34. Artem Anisimov, CHI C 30 78 15 37 $4.55M 2 5. Tyson Barrie, COL RD 27 78 14 59 $5.5M 1 35. Jack Johnson, PIT LD 32 82 1 13 $3.25M 4 6. Nikolaj Ehlers, WPG LW 23 62 21 37 $6M 6 36. , ANA C 29 82 18 42 $5.83M 5 7. P.K. Subban, NSH RD 30 63 9 31 $9M 3 37. Victor Rask, MIN C 26 49 3 9 $4M 3 38. Mike Hoffman, FLA LW 29 82 36 70 $5.19M 1

39. Artemi Panarin, CBJ RW 27 79 28 87 $6M UFA

40. Mitch Marner, TOR

TSN.CA LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148078 Websites Loser: All of the mock drafts, including USA TODAY’s, that had Arthur Kaliyev, Bobby Brink and Raphael Lavoie going in the top 20.

The NHL didn’t see it that way. All of those players are available to be USA TODAY / NHL draft winners and losers: Canadiens get a steal with taken in the second round. Kaliyev scored 51 goals for Hamilton in the Cole Caufield at No. 15 Ontario Hockey League, but NHL teams didn’t view him as worthy of the first round.

Kevin Allen Winner: Colorado Avalanche

1:23 a.m. ET June 22, 2019 By drafting top defenseman Bowen Byram with the No. 4 pick, the Avs have a premium prospect in the pipeline if they trade Tyson Barrie. They also added Alex Newhook, a forward with dynamic speed.

The Montreal Canadiens didn’t land the best player in the first round These are two A grade prospects for a team that is already on the rise. Friday night, but they might have achieved the best value with their No. 15 pick. Loser: Fans who were awaiting a multitude of NHL trades.

General manager Marc Bergevin selected 72-goal scorer Cole Caufield There was only one trade transacted during the first round, and it only from the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. With his included draft picks. The Coyotes moved up three spots to take Brett Hull-like release, Caufield was considered the most dangerous defenseman Victor Soderstrom. They gave up the 45th pick to do so. scorer available in the draft. Winner: German defenseman Moritz Seider

“He’s always got that twinkle in his eye,” said NHL Central Scouting He looked shocked on television when the Red Wings took him with the director Dan Marr. “He loves the game, loves to be at the rink, loves No. 6 pick. He was projected to be drafted five to 10 picks later. being on the ice and loves to score. USA TODAY LOADED: 06.22.2019 Caufield’s scoring total established an NTDP record for a single season. Auston Matthews. Jack Eichel. Dylan Larkin. Patrick Kane. Phil Kessel. Nobody reached 60 goals, let alone 72.

After Caufield excelled at the under-18 world championships, there was speculation he could be drafted in the top five.

“He’s fearless and he always puts his talent on display,” Marr said.

But Caufield is 5-7, 165 pounds. He fell and fell and fell. The Canadiens were thrilled he was available at No. 15.

The Canadiens were a winner on the first day of the NHL draft. Other winners and losers:

Loser: NHL teams that passed on Caufield because they worried about his size

We say size doesn’t matter in the NHL anymore, but do team executives believe that? Didn’t Alex DeBrincat teach you anything?

While it’s true that the Blues won the Stanley Cup with “heavy hockey,” the game is still about pace and scoring. That’s Caufield’s game. He will make NHL teams regret not taking him, just as DeBrincat did.

Winner: The NTDP

Eight players from the under-18 team – Jack Hughes (No. 1, Devils), Alex Turcotte (No. 5, Kings), Trevor Zegras (No. 9, Ducks); Matthew Boldy (No. 12, Wild), Spencer Knight (No. 13, Panthers), Cam York (No. 14, Flyers), Caufield (No. 15, Canadiens) and John Beecher (No. 29, Bruins) – went in the first round.

That’s most players from any team taken in the first round. The previous record for the NTDP was three.

The number could have been nine because Alex Vlasic was a candidate to go near the end of the first round. He should go early in the second round.

Loser: Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin

He went 10th to the Vancouver Canucks. He was ranked third on some team’s lists, but he fell because he has two years remaining on his Kontinental Hockey League contract.

Winner: New York Rangers

They have been winners the entire offseason, starting with acquiring Adam Fox from the Hurricanes and then hiring John Davidson as team president.

Sandwiched in there was winning the No. 2 pick in the lottery.

Now during draft week, they land defenseman Jacob Trouba for a reasonable price of Neal Pionk and giving the Jets their draft pick back, the one they gave up in the Kevin Hayes trade.

Friday, they used the No. 2 pick to take Kaapa Kakko, who seems to be ready to play in the NHL immediately. 1148079 Websites He’s a sometimes dazzling, always creative, offensive player who can make something happen when nothing seems available. He has exceptional hands and a high hockey IQ. He has spunk, evidenced by USA TODAY / NHL draft 2019: First-round picks, scouting reports the fact that he totaled 94 penalty minutes to go with his 87 points in 60 games.

10. Canucks: Right wing/left wing Vasili Podkolzin (St. Petersburg, KHL), Kevin Allen 6-1/190

11:35 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 Podkolzin is contractually obligated to play in St. Petersburg for two more seasons, but he says definitely wants to play in the NHL. He is projected

to be a top-line scorer, a player with a quick release and the NHL columnist Kevin Allen provides analysis of the 31 players taken in aggressiveness to fight his way into high traffic areas. He’s a forceful the first round of Friday's draft in Vancouver. winger with the passion to win puck battles and out-hustle opponents for the puck. He is an exceptional prospect. 1. Devils: Center Jack Hughes (USA Hockey National Team Development Program), 5-10, 170 11. Coyotes (from Flyers): Defenseman Victor Soderstrom (Brynas, Sweden), 5-11/177 The Devils are getting a No. 1 center and a player they can market. Hughes, an American, has been compared to Patrick Kane because of Coyotes gave up the 45th pick to move up three spots to grab his quickness and ability to dart into the seams of the defense. He posted Soderstrom, a finesse defenseman who is an exceptional skater. He 34 goals and 78 assists in 50 games this season for USA Hockey’s reminds scouts of Torey Krug. He likes to make the home run pass. He National Team Development Program. He’s expected to play next will be a power play quarterback. season in the NHL. He’s the younger brother of Vancouver Canucks 12. Wild: Left wing Matthew Boldy (NTDP), 6-2/190 player Quinn Hughes. A Boston College recruit, Boldy plays a power forward game that should 2. Rangers: Left wing Kaapo Kakko (TPS Turko, Finland), 6-1/195 allow him to be a top-six forward in the NHL. He can shoot the puck off Some NHL scouts thought Kakko was the best prospect in this year’s the rush or work down low. Surprisingly sharp passer. But scoring will be class, or at least tied with Hughes. He has been compared to Florida’s his ticket to the show. He could blossom into a 30-goal scorer in the NHL. Aleksander Barkov, mostly because he broke Barkov’s scoring record by 13. Panthers: Goalie Spencer Knight (NTDP), 6-3/200 producing 22 goals as an under-18 player in the Finnish Elite League. He is probably the best U.S. goaltending prospect since John Gibson. He 3. Blackhawks: Center Kirby Dach (Saskatoon, Western Hockey was 32-4-1, with a 2.36 goals-against-average and .913 save League), 6-4/200 percentage, playing for the under-18 team. He has committed to Boston He’s the big center that every coach covets. He’s strong on the puck and College. He’s got a pro body, athleticism and playing style. possesses the skill to be a top-line performer. He had 25 goals and 73 14. Flyers (from Coyotes): Defenseman Cam York (NTDP), 5-11/180 points in 62 games for the Blades this past season. He’s a Mark Scheifele-type center. He one day will be a superb power-play quarterback. He thinks the game extremely well, makes good decisions as a puck mover and defensive 4. Avalanche (from Senators): Defenseman Bowen Byram (Vancouver, player. Because he can’t outmuscle players, he is very good at defending WHL) 6-0/195 with his stick. Scoring 26 goals and 71 points in 67 games, Byram is considered the 15. Canadiens: Right wing Cole Caufield (NTDP), 5-7/160 best puck-moving defenseman in the draft. He’s the speedy, flashy offensive star that many teams are trying to find. He can quarterback a He set an NTDP record with 72 goals this season. Because of his size power play and a trigger the offense with his skating and vision. He and scoring touch, he reminds scouts of Blackhawks winger Alex doesn’t have a strong defensive game and he will need to clean that up DeBrincat. Caufield is the most dangerous scorer in the draft. He has a to play in the NHL. quick release and a laser shot. Caufield has committed to play college hockey at Wisconsin. His size won't hold him back. 5. Kings: Center Alex Turcotte (NTDP), 5-11/190 16. Avalanche: Left wing Alex Newhook (Victoria, British Columbia He’s a smart, flashy center, capable of making a highlight-reel pass or a Hockey League), 5-11/185 game-saving defensive play. Has hockey in his DNA. His father was former NHLer Alfie Turcotte. Alex is a creative player with the speed The speedy Boston College recruit helped himself with a strong showing necessary to excel in today’s NHL. Seems to always make the best play. at the world under-18 championships. He had 38 goals and 102 points in 53 games this season. He has been compared to Jake Guentzel. 6. Red Wings: Defenseman Moritz Seider (Mannheim, Germany), 6- 4/200 17. Center Peyton Krebs (Kootenay, WHL), 5-11/180

Among the available defensemen, he might be the closest to being ready Krebs managed to be better than a point-per-game player (68 in 64 for pro hockey. He’s mature beyond his years. He’s already played for games) playing for a poor team. He’s a hustling, hard-working playmaker Germany at the World Championships. He helped his German team win with exceptional speed. Nobody in this draft class will outwork him. He is a league championship. Should end up being a quality shutdown a relentless competitor every shift. defenseman at the NHL level. He has good mobility and can handle and shoot the puck. 18. Stars: Defenseman Thomas Harley (Mississauga, OHL), 6-3/190

7. Sabres: Center Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge, WHL), 6-3/185 He projects to be an NHL top-pairing defenseman with a strong offensive up-side. He had 11 goals and 58 points in 68 games. He’s a very In 68 games for Lethbridge, Cozens posted 34 goals and 84 points. confident player, a strong decision-maker. Scouts like his skating and his intelligent playing style. He doesn’t have to score to help his team. Solid passer, strong on the puck and competes 19. Senators (from Blue Jackets): Defenseman Lassi Thomson hard. He is the first player from the Yukon to go in the first round. (Kelowna, WHL), 6-0/190

8. Oilers: Defenseman Philip Broberg (AIK, Sweden), 6-3, 200 The Finnish-born defenseman scored 17 goals this season, thanks to a noteworthy shot from the point. He likes to handle the puck. The Scouts believe he will develop into a top-pairing defenseman. He is going Senators now have a collection of quality prospects on defense. to be a two-way defender who can trigger a rush or play a shutdown role against a premium scorer. He has a poise beyond his years. He is still 20. Jets (from Rangers): Defenseman Ville Heinola (Luuko Rauma, learning the defensive game, but it’s easy to see he’s going to be hard to Finland), 5-11/176 play against at some point. He's a safe pick for a team looking at rebuilding its defense, particularly if 9. Ducks: Center Trevor Zegras (NTDP), 5-11/170 Tyler Myers leaves through free agency. Heinola is still two seasons away, but he is a very composed player with a habit of making the right play at the right time.

21. Penguins: Left wing Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), 6-1/212

He is the son of former NHL player Patrick Poulin, who also was a first- round pick. He can skate and he can be a force down low. He scored 29 goals this season.

22. Kings (from Maple Leafs): Defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (Djurgarden, Sweden) 6-0/196

Draft expert Craig Button compares him to Ryan McDonagh, meaning he's a strong two-way defenseman who is above average in all aspects of the position.

23. Islanders: Right wing Simon Holmstrom (HV71, Sweden), 6-0/183

Scouts like his goal-scoring prowess, but most teams had him rated in the second round. His progress has been undermined by injuries. Quick release on his shot.

24. Predators: Center Philip Tomasino (Niagara, OHL), 6-0/183

Tomasino's speed fits well for the up-tempo game that Predators coach Peter Laviolette uses. Tomasino had 34 goals and 72 points in 67 games.

25. Capitals: Center/winger Connor McMichael (London, OHL) 6-0/175

Because he plays for Dale Hunter in London, he already has an NHL mentality. He scored 36 goals this past season. His shot is sneaky good. He will shoot from odd angles and seems to catch goalies by surprise.

26. Flames: Left wing Jakob Pelletier (Moncton, QMJHL) 5-9/165

The Flames have been thrilled to have Johnny Gaudreau, and Pelletier is Gaudreau's size. He doesn't have exceptional speed, but he knows how to tuck into seams in the defense. He scored 39 goals in 65 games last season.

27. Lightning: Left wing Nolan Foote (Kelowna, WHL), 6-3/190

He is the son of former NHL standout Adam Foote. Nolan's brother, Cal, also is in the organization. Nolan scored 36 goals this season. "He can shoot the puck with NHL players right now," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said about Nolan.

28. Hurricanes: Center Ryan Suzuki (Barrie, OHL), 6-1/180

He slid down the rankings during the season, but he is an elite playmaker who finished with 75 points. He had 50 assists. The Hurricanes are looking for more offensive skill and Suzuki can be an NHL table-setter.

29. Ducks (from Sharks via Sabres). Left wing Brayden Tracy (Moose Jaw, WHL) 6-1/170

After buying out Corey Perry, the Ducks are looking for young scoring wingers. Tracy scored 36 goals last season. He rose in the ranks throughout the season. He is an elusive skater. "We have to score some more goals in Anaheim," GM Bob Murray said.

30. Bruins. Center John Beecher (NTDP), 6-3/204

He's a big guy with exceptional speed. He didn't score much this season, but he has some potential. There wasn't much opportunity for him to score because of the talent on the U.S. team. He was considered one of the NTDP squad's more underrated guys.

31. Sabres (from Blues): Defenseman Ryan Johnson (Sioux Falls, USHL), 6-0/172

He is an elite skater with the potential to become a top four puck mover. He has the skill level to play in the faster, up-tempo NHL. The Sabres need to upgrade their defense. He is the son of former NHLer Craig Johnson.

USA TODAY LOADED: 06.22.2019 1148080 Websites New Hampshire. She’s a member of the UNH Hall of Fame and Jack has cited her as an influential coach for he and his brothers.

His older brother, Quinn, calls Rogers Arena home. The seventh pick in USA TODAY / Devils select US-born Jack Hughes with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, the 19-year-old defenseman plays for the Vancouver the NHL draft Canucks.

His younger brother, Luke, is following his brothers’ footsteps going to Kevin Allen and Abbey Mastracco play for the U.S. National Team Development Program.

11:14 p.m. ET June 21, 2019 The next step for Jack is to head to New Jersey, where he will be introduced next week. He'll participate in development camp before returning to Toronto to train for the summer. Quinn and several other pros will train with him and Jack said Devils' winger Taylor Hall is typically The New Jersey Devils drafted Jack Hughes with the top pick Friday around that training group as well. night and the rebuilding New York Rangers picked Finland's Kaapo Kakko No. 2 to create what could become an instant rivalry. It's been a wild ride for the middle Hughes brother and all started a year ago when Quinn was drafted. The hype surrounding him never seemed Hughes, 18, the eighth American to go No. 1 overall, was considered the to die down and the super-polished Jack deftly managed it all. top prospect from the start of the season until the finish, but in the second half of the season, many NHL scouts said Hughes and Finland's All of the extra skating, the international tournaments and the media Kaapo Kakko were neck and neck. requests led up to this day in Vancouver. Now that it's over, he's ready for the real fun to start. “A lot of the projections on Jack go back a couple of years now,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr told USA TODAY Sports. “The way "It’s been a hectic day," he said. "I had like 60 friends and family going in he has approached this year – I just loved the discipline he has shown, and out of the room throughout the day. Some camera crews and things the self-motivation and the way he has handled himself.” like that. But it’s been an awesome day and I’m really happy with how it ended." Despite being injured, Hughes had 34 goals and 112 points in 50 games. Thirty of his goals came at even strength or shorthanded. Both Hughes USA TODAY LOADED: 06.22.2019 and Kakko could play in the NHL next season.

Hughes also established a USA Hockey National Team Development Program record of 228 points in his two-season career.

“He’s put on a pedestal that carries an immense amount of pressure,” Marr said. “The way he has (dealt) and played through injuries … and the best thing is that everyone realizes the best is yet to come. He has the skill and the smarts to go out there and generate offense.”

Hughes is a natural center with speed, creativity, passing sharpness and a scoring touch. Kakko is a scoring winger who might be able to switch to center. He set a record of 22 goals by an under-18 player performing in the Finnish Elite League.

Now, they'll compete against each other regularly in the Metropolitan Division.

"There’s been a lot of talking about me and Jack all season," Kakko said.

Kakko wasn't shy when asked if he was hoping to be picked first instead of Hughes — "Of course," he said. "It was my dream to be No. 1" — but he also expressed his excitement to join a young Rangers' team that's on the upswing.

"It’s such a good group (of talent)," he said. "Everything that’s (happened) has been a good thing, so I’m happy."

Hughes had been confident all along about going No. 1, but there was a brief moment when that confidence gave way to nerves.

General manager Ray Shero took the stage after an introduction from Commissioner Gary Bettman, along with Devils co-owners Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. But he didn't immediately announce the pick. Shero can filibuster like a senator and he did exactly that. He feigned an announcement and instead introduced former Devils goaltender and Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.

Hughes, who had been calm all day, suddenly felt anxious.

"I’m a pretty calm kid I think but the only time I really got nervous was when Ray was talking up there for like two minutes or something," he said. "That was really the only time I got nervous."

Hughes comes from NHL bloodlines. His father, Jim Hughes, was a star defenseman at Providence College before transitioning into a career as a coach and executive. He was an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins and worked as the director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was born in Orlando, a coaching stop for Jim, and spent much of his life in Boston and Toronto.

Jim also briefly played in Europe. The agent who negotiated that contract? It was Shero.

Ellen Hughes, Jack’s mother, played hockey for the U.S. women’s national team, as well as played lacrosse and soccer for the University of