Archives for June 2023

2023 NHL Draft Pick Trade Tracker

June 29, 2023 at 10:39 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

On this page, we’ll keep track of all trades that take place between clubs at the 2023 NHL draft including draft picks exclusively.

Nashville acquired the 43rd pick from Detroit in exchange for picks 47 and 147.
Philadelphia acquired the 51st pick from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for pick 167 and a 2024 second-round pick (via the Los Angeles Kings)
The San Jose Sharks have acquired the 71st overall selection from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for the 94th and 100th picks.
The Dallas Stars acquired pick 79 from the Nashville Predators in exchange for their 2024 third-round pick and 2024 sixth-round pick.
The New York Rangers acquired pick 90 from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for pick 91 and a 2024 seventh-round pick.
The Tampa Bay Lightning re-acquired pick 115 from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Chicago’s fourth-round pick in 2024.
The Washington Capitals acquired the 206th pick from the San Jose Sharks for their 2025 seventh-rounder.
Nashville acquired the 218th pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for their 2024 seventh-rounder.
The Vegas Golden Knights traded the final pick in the draft, pick 224, in exchange for a 2024 seventh-rounder.

This page will be updated throughout the draft.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Kailer Yamamoto And Klim Kostin

June 29, 2023 at 10:34 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu 15 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings have pillaged two players from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for future considerations: forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin.

The move adds two wingers of varying promise to the Red Wings in exchange for just cap space, as no assets were surrendered by Detroit to complete this trade. The Oilers were likely motivated to move off of Yamamoto’s cap hit as he’s making $3.1MM for the next season. While Yamamoto managed 20 goals and 41 points in 2021-22, the 2017 first-round pick struggled this past year and lost his spot in Edmonton’s long-term plans.

Yamamoto scored just 10 goals and 25 points this season, playing just 58 games. While that 35-point pace isn’t actually a huge decline from the 41 points he scored the year before, his lack of availability combined with his frustrating inconsistency is likely what led Edmonton to deal him in order to create some cap space to bring in new players.

As for Kostin, he was set to hit restricted free agency at the start of the new league year, and it’s likely that Edmonton wasn’t prepared to give him the type of contract he may be hoping to receive. Kostin was acquired by the Oilers in exchange for defenseman Dmitri Samorukov, and the 24-year-old 2017 first-rounder scored 11 goals and 21 points in 55 games in Edmonton, both easily career-highs.

Now, the six-foot-three forward will join the Red Wings, who have added two NHL-ready contributors in this deal. Their forward corps is already well-stocked with NHL talent, but Yamamoto can now compete with Filip Zadina and Jonatan Berggren for a role in coach Derek Lalonde’s top nine, while Kostin is likely to end up on their fourth line. At no asset cost, this is a savvy deal for Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings, especially if Yamamoto can repeat his form from 2021-22.

Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Jacob Larsson

June 29, 2023 at 10:15 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators have announced that defenseman Jacob Larsson has been signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Per the announcement, the deal carries a league minimum $775k cap hit, as well as an AHL salary of $325k.

Larsson, 26, was a first-round pick at the 2015 draft who joined the Senators organization a year ago after being let go by the Anaheim Ducks. Larsson got extensive NHL time across three seasons with the Ducks but between 2020-21 and 2021-22 he went from playing in 46 NHL games to just six. It became clear that the Ducks organization had moved beyond hoping for Larsson to finally break out, so he left in the offseason for Ottawa.

In Ottawa, Larsson didn’t manage to re-establish himself in the NHL and played just seven games for the Senators. He spent most of the year with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, scoring 17 points in 55 games playing generally in a top-four role.

By locking up Larsson for another season, the Senators have locked in a top-four defenseman, minute-munching defenseman for their AHL affiliate who also can step in and play on their NHL lineup in a pinch.

The Senators already have Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Kleven, and Erik Brannstrom likely to occupy NHL roles on the left side of their defense, meaning it’ll be an extremely long shot Larsson makes the Senators out of training camp, although in the case of injuries this contract could ensure he’s among GM Pierre Dorion’s first call-up options.

Jack Quinn Undergoes Achilles Surgery

June 29, 2023 at 10:15 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn underwent successful surgery to repair an Achilles tendon injury sustained in offseason training this week. His recovery time is expected to be four to six months, and he’ll miss the start of next season.

This is extremely unfortunate news for both the Sabres and Quinn, as it could just about halt the momentum he’d been building after a strong rookie season in the NHL. After tearing the AHL apart last season, Quinn scored 14 goals and 37 points in a 75-game NHL rookie season, earning some stray Calder Trophy votes in the process.

He also represented Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships, taking home the gold scoring seven points in 10 games, including one point in Canada’s final four games.

Quinn’s injury won’t knock him out for all of 2022-23, thankfully, but it will impact his availability for the Sabres early in the season. That could impact the Sabres’ desire to trade sniper Victor Olofsson, a 27-year-old forward who is on a contract that expires at the end of the season.

While the Sabres could still opt to get some compensation for Olofsson if they don’t see him in their long-term plans, this injury could very well keep Olofsson in Buffalo a little longer so the team can maintain its forward depth with Quinn out.

This injury could also impact the odds 2022 first-rounder Matthew Savoie gets some NHL games for the Sabres out of training camp. It looks somewhat unlikely at this point that Savoie is ready to make a difference at the NHL level, but with Quinn’s injury, it could be that the team is more eager to see what Savoie can do.

2023 NHL Draft Results

June 29, 2023 at 10:00 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 147 Comments

The Nashville Predators are hosting the NHL Draft for the first time in 20 years, and it’s shaping up to be a generational one yet again after the famed 2003 first round produced many future Hall of Famers. A potential top five of Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Will Smith, and Matvei Michkov are all set to be possible franchise talents.

Tonight’s draft should also include a fair bit of intrigue with plenty of NHLers on the trade block and potential massive pick-for-pick trades on the draft floor.

Below, we’ll keep track of all 224 selections through tonight and all day Thursday.

Round One

Chicago Blackhawks – F Connor Bedard, Regina (WHL)
Anaheim Ducks – F Leo Carlsson, Orebro (SHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets – F Adam Fantilli, Michigan (NCAA)
San Jose Sharks – F Will Smith, USA U-18 (NTDP)
Montreal Canadiens – D David Reinbacher, Kloten (NL)
Arizona Coyotes – D Dmitri Simashev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
Philadelphia Flyers – F Matvei Michkov, St. Petersburg (KHL)
Washington Capitals – F Ryan Leonard, USA U-18 (NTDP)
Detroit Red Wings – F Nate Danielson, Brandon (WHL)
St. Louis Blues – F Dalibor Dvorsky, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
Vancouver Canucks – D Tom Willander, Rogle (J20 Nationell)
Arizona Coyotes (via OTT) – F Daniil But, Yaroslavl (MHL)
Buffalo Sabres – F Zach Benson, Winnipeg (WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins – F Brayden Yager, Moose Jaw (WHL)
Nashville Predators – F Matthew Wood, UConn (NCAA)
Calgary Flames – F Samuel Honzek, Vancouver (WHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via NYI) – D Axel Sandin Pellikka, Skelleftea (J20 Nationell)
Winnipeg Jets – F Colby Barlow, Owen Sound (OHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via TBL) – F Oliver Moore, USA U-18 (NTDP)
Seattle Kraken – F Eduard Sale, Brno (Czech Extraliga)
Minnesota Wild – F Charlie Stramel, Wisconsin (NCAA)
Philadelphia Flyers (via LAK) – D Oliver Bonk, London (OHL)
New York Rangers – F Gabriel Perreault, USA U-18 (NTDP)
Nashville Predators (via EDM) – D Tanner Molendyk, Saskatoon (WHL)
St. Louis Blues (via TOR) – F Otto Stenberg, Frolunda (J20 Nationell)
San Jose Sharks (via NJD) – F Quentin Musty, Sudbury (OHL)
Colorado Avalanche – F Calum Ritchie, Oshawa (OHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via BOS) – F Easton Cowan, London (OHL)
St. Louis Blues (via DAL) – D Theo Lindstein, Brynas (SHL)
Carolina Hurricanes – F Bradly Nadeau, Penticton (BCHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via FLA) – D Mikhail Gulyayev, Omsk (MHL)
Vegas Golden Knights – F David Edstrom, Frolunda (J20 Nationell)

Round Two

33. Anaheim Ducks – F Nico Myatovic, Seattle (WHL)
34. Columbus Blue Jackets – F Gavin Brindley, Michigan (NCAA)
35. Chicago Blackhawks – G Adam Gajan, Chippewa (NAHL)
36. San Jose Sharks – F Kasper Halttunen, HIFK (Liiga)
37. Tampa Bay Lightning (via MTL) – F Ethan Gauthier, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
38. Arizona Coyotes – G Michael Hrabal, Omaha (USHL)
39. Buffalo Sabres (via PHI) – F Anton Wahlberg, Malmo (J20 Nationell)
40. Washington Capitals – F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
41. Detroit Red Wings – G Trey Augustine, USA U-18 (NTDP)
42. Detroit Red Wings (via STL) – D Andrew Gibson, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
43. Nashville Predators (via VAN) – F Felix Nilsson, Rogle (J20 Nationell)
44. Chicago Blackhawks (via OTT) – F Roman Kantserov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
45. Buffalo Sabres – D Maxim Strbak, Sioux Falls (USHL)
46. Nashville Predators (via PIT) – F Kalan Lind, Red Deer (WHL)
47. Detroit Red Wings (via NSH) – D Brady Cleveland, USA U-18 (NTDP)
48. Calgary Flames – D Etienne Morin, Moncton (QMJHL)
49. New York Islanders – F Danny Nelson, USA U-18 (NTDP)
50. Seattle Kraken (via WPG) – F Carson Rehkopf, Kitchener (OHL)
51. Philadelphia Flyers (via TBL) – G Carson Bjarnason, Brandon (WHL)
52. Seattle Kraken – F Oscar Fisker Molgaard, HV71 (SHL)
53. Minnesota Wild – F Rasmus Kumpulainen, Pelicans (U20 SM-sarja)
54. Los Angeles Kings – D Jakub Dvorak, Liberec (Czech Extraliga)
55. Chicago Blackhawks (via NYR) – F Martin Misiak, Youngstown (USHL)
56. Edmonton Oilers – D Beau Akey, Barrie (OHL)
57. Seattle Kraken (via TOR) – D Lukas Dragicevic, Tri-City (WHL)
58. New Jersey Devils – F Lenni Hameenaho, Assat (Liiga)
59. Anaheim Ducks (via COL) – F Carey Terrance, Erie (OHL)
60. Anaheim Ducks (via BOS) – G Damian Clara, Farjestad (J20 Nationell)
61. Dallas Stars – D Tristan Bertucci, Flint (OHL)
62. Carolina Hurricanes – F Felix Unger Sorum, Leksand (J20 Nationell)
63. Florida Panthers – F Gracyn Sawchyn, Seattle (WHL)
64. Minnesota Wild (via VGK) – F Riley Heidt, Prince George (WHL)

Round Three

65. Anaheim Ducks – F Coulson Pitre, Flint (OHL)
66. Columbus Blue Jackets – F William Whitelaw, Youngstown (USHL)
67. Chicago Blackhawks – F Nick Lardis, Hamilton (OHL)
68. Nashville Predators (via SJS) – F Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans (U20 SM-sarja)
69. Montreal Canadiens – G Jacob Fowler, Youngstown (USHL)
70. Arizona Coyotes – F Jonathan Castagna, St. Andrew’s (CAHS)
71. San Jose Sharks (via PHI) – F Brandon Svoboda, Youngstown (USHL)
72. Arizona Coyotes (via WSH) – F Noel Nordh, Brynas (J20 Nationell)
73. Detroit Red Wings – F Noah Dower Nilsson, Frolunda (J20 Nationell)
74. St. Louis Blues – D Quinton Burns, Kingston (OHL)
75. Vancouver Canucks – D Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener (OHL)
76. St. Louis Blues (via OTT) – F Juraj Pekarcik, Nitra (Slovak Extraliga)
77. Vegas Golden Knights (via BUF) – F Mathieu Cataford, Halifax (QMJHL)
78. Los Angeles Kings (via PIT) – F Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George (WHL)
79. Dallas Stars (via NSH) – F Brad Gardiner, Ottawa (OHL)
80. Calgary Flames – F Aydar Suniev, Penticton (BCHL)
81. Arizona Coyotes (via NYI) – F Tanner Ludtke, Lincoln (USHL)
82. Winnipeg Jets – F Zachary Nehring, Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS)
83. Nashville Predators (via TBL) – D Dylan MacKinnon, Halifax (QMJHL)
84. Seattle Kraken – D Caden Price, Kelowna (WHL)
85. Anaheim Ducks (via MIN) – F Yegor Sidorov, Saskatoon (WHL)
86. Buffalo Sabres (via LAK) – D Gavin McCarthy, Muskegon (USHL)
87. Philadelphia Flyers (via NYR) – G Yegor Zavragin, Khanty-Mansiysk (MHL)
88. Arizona Coyotes (via EDM) – F Vadim Moroz, Minsk (KHL)
89. Vancouver Canucks (via TOR) – D Sawyer Mynio, Seattle (WHL)
90. New York Rangers (via NJD) – D Drew Fortescue, USA U-18 (NTDP)
91. Pittsburgh Penguins (via COL) – D Emil Pieniniemi, Karpat (U20 SM-sarja)
92. Boston Bruins – F Christopher Pelosi, Sioux Falls (USHL)
93. Chicago Blackhawks (via DAL) – F Jiri Felcman, Langnau (Swiss U20-Elit)
94. Carolina Hurricanes – F Jayden Perron, Chicago (USHL)
95. Philadelphia Flyers (via FLA) – F Denver Barkey, London (OHL)
96. Vegas Golden Knights – D Arttu Karki, Tappara (U20 SM-sarja)

Round Four

97. Anaheim Ducks – D Konnor Smith, Peterborough (OHL)
98. Columbus Blue Jackets – D Andrew Strathmann, Youngstown (USHL)
99. Chicago Blackhawks – F Alex Pharand, Sudbury (OHL)
100. Carolina Hurricanes (via SJS) – F Alexander Rykov, Chelyabinsk (VHL)
101. Montreal Canadiens – F Florian Xhekaj, Hamilton (OHL)
102. Arizona Coyotes – D Terrell Goldsmith, Prince Albert (WHL)
103. Philadelphia Flyers – F Cole Knuble, Fargo (USHL)
104. Washington Capitals – F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
105. Vancouver Canucks (via DET) – F Ty Mueller, Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
106. St. Louis Blues – F Jakub Stancl, Vaxjo (J20 Nationell)
107. Vancouver Canucks – F Vilmer Alriksson, Djurgarden (J20 Nationell)
108. Ottawa Senators – D Hoyt Stanley, Victoria (BCHL)
109. Buffalo Sabres – F Ethan Miedema, Kingston (OHL)
110. Montreal Canadiens (via PIT) – D Bogdan Konyushkov, Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
111. Nashville Predators – F Joey Willis, Saginaw (OHL)
112. Calgary Flames – F Jaden Lipinski, Vancouver (WHL)
113. New York Islanders – F Jesse Nurmi, KooKoo (U20 SM-sarja)
114. Columbus Blue Jackets (via WPG) – F Luca Pinelli, Ottawa (OHL)
115. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Jayson Shaugabay, Warroad (USHS-MN)
116. Seattle Kraken – F Andrei Loshko, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
117. Detroit Red Wings (via MIN) – D Larry Keenan, Culver Military Academy (USHS)
118. Los Angeles Kings – G Hampton Slukynsky, Warroad (USHS-MN)
119. Vancouver Canucks (via NYR) – F Matthew Perkins, Youngstown (USHL)
120. Philadelphia Flyers (via EDM) – F Alex Ciernik, Sodertalje (J20 Nationell)
121. Nashville Predators (via TOR) – G Juha Jatkola, KalPa (Liiga)
122. New Jersey Devils – F Cam Squires, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
123. San Jose Sharks (via COL) – D Luca Cagnoni, Portland (WHL)
124. Boston Bruins – F Beckett Hendrickson, USA U-18 (NTDP)
125. Dallas Stars – D Aram Minnetian, USA U-18 (NTDP)
126. Carolina Hurricanes – F Stanislav Yarovoi, Vityaz Moscow (KHL)
127. Florida Panthers – D Albert Wikman, Farjestad (J20 Nationell)
128. Montreal Canadiens (via VGK) – G Quentin Miller, Quebec (QMJHL)

Round Five

129. Anaheim Ducks – D Rodwin Dionicio, Windsor (OHL)
130. San Jose Sharks (via CBJ) – D Axel Landen, HV71 (J20 Nationell)
131. Chicago Blackhawks – F Marcel Marcel, Gatineau (QMJHL)
132. San Jose Sharks – D Eric Pohlkamp, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
133. Montreal Canadiens – F Sam Harris, Sioux Falls (USHL)
134. Arizona Coyotes – G Melker Thelin, Bjorkloven (J20 Region)
135. Philadelphia Flyers – D Carter Sotheran, Portland (WHL)
136. Washington Capitals – D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
137. Detroit Red Wings – D Jack Phelan, Sioux Falls (USHL)
138. St. Louis Blues – D Paul Fischer, USA U-18 (NTDP)
139. Carolina Hurricanes (via VAN) – D Charles-Alexis Legault, Quinnipiac (NCAA)
140. Ottawa Senators – D Matthew Andonovski, Kitchener (OHL)
141. Buffalo Sabres – G Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle (WHL)
142. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Mikhail Ilyin, Cherepovets (MHL)
143. Nashville Predators – F Sutter Muzzatti, Rensselaer (NCAA)
144. Montreal Canadiens (via CGY) – G Yevgeni Volokhin, Khanty-Mansiysk (MHL)
145. New York Islanders – F Justin Gill, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
146. Winnipeg Jets – F Jacob Julien, London (OHL)
147. Detroit Red Wings (via TBL) – F Kevin Bicker, Mannheim (DNL U20)
148. Seattle Kraken – D Kaden Hammell, Everett (WHL)
149. Minnesota Wild – D Aaron Pionk, Waterloo (USHL)
150. Los Angeles Kings – D Matthew Mania, Sudbury (OHL)
151. Winnipeg Jets (via NYR) – G Thomas Milic, Seattle (WHL)
152. New York Rangers (via EDM) – D Rasmus Larsson, Vasteras (J20 Nationell)
153. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Hudson Malinoski, Brooks (AJHL)
154. New Jersey Devils – D Chase Cheslock, Rogers (USHS-MN)
155. Colorado Avalanche – D Nikita Ishimnikov, Yekaterinburg (MHL)
156. Columbus Blue Jackets (via BOS) – G Melvin Strahl, MoDo Hockey (J20 Nationell)
157. Dallas Stars – G Arno Tiefensee, Mannheim (DEL)
158. Carolina Hurricanes – G Ruslan Khazheyev, Chelyabinsk (MHL)
159. Florida Panthers – G Olof Glifford, HV71 (J20 Nationell)
160. Arizona Coyotes (via VGK) – D Justin Kipkie, Victoria (WHL)

Round Six

161. Anaheim Ducks – D Vojtech Port, Edmonton (WHL)
162. Arizona Coyotes (via CBJ) – F Samu Bau, Ilves (Liiga)
163. Carolina Hurricanes (via CHI) – F Timur Mukhanov, Omsk (MHL)
164. New Jersey Devils (via SJS) – F Cole Brown, Hamilton (OHL)
165. Montreal Canadiens – F Filip Eriksson, Vaxjo (J20 Nationell)
166. Arizona Coyotes – G Carsen Musser, USA U-18 (NTDP)
167. Chicago Blackhawks (via PHI) – F Milton Oscarson, Orebro (SHL)
168. Seattle Kraken (via WSH) – G Visa Vedenpaa, Karpat (U20 SM-sarja)
169. Detroit Red Wings – G Rudy Guimond, Taft School (USHS)
170. St. Louis Blues – D Matthew Mayich, Ottawa (OHL)
171. Vancouver Canucks – D Aiden Celebrini, Brooks (AJHL)
172. Philadelphia Flyers (via OTT) – F Ryan MacPherson, Leamington (GOJHL)
173. Buffalo Sabres – D Sean Keohane, Cape Cod (18U AAA)
174. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Cooper Foster, Ottawa (OHL)
175. Nashville Predators – F Austin Roest, Everett (WHL)
176. Calgary Flames – G Yegor Yegorov, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
177. New York Islanders – D Zach Schulz, USA U-18 (NTDP)
178. New York Rangers (via WPG) – F Dylan Roobroeck, Oshawa (OHL)
179. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Warren Clark, Steinbach (MJHL)
180. Seattle Kraken – F Zeb Forsfjall, Skelleftea (J20 Nationell)
181. Minnesota Wild – D Kalem Parker, Victoria (WHL)
182. Los Angeles Kings – F Ryan Conmy, Sioux City (USHL)
183. New York Rangers – F Ty Henricks, Fargo (USHL)
184. Edmonton Oilers – G Nathaniel Day, Flint (OHL)
185. Toronto Maple Leafs – D Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge (WHL)
186. New Jersey Devils – D Daniil Karpovich, Yekaterinburg (MHL)
187. Colorado Avalanche – D Jeremy Hanzel, Seattle (WHL)
188. Boston Bruins – F Ryan Walsh, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
189. Dallas Stars – F Angus MacDonell, Mississauga (OHL)
190. Carolina Hurricanes – F Michael Emerson, Chicago (USHL)
191. Florida Panthers – D Luke Coughlin, Rimouski (QMJHL)
192. Vegas Golden Knights – F Tuomas Uronen, HIFK (U20 SM-sarja)

Round Seven

193. Tampa Bay Lightning (via ANA) – F Jack Harvey, Chicago (USHL)
194. Columbus Blue Jackets – F Oiva Keskinen, Tappara (U20 SM-sarja)
195. Chicago Blackhawks – D Janne Peltonen, Karpat (U20 SM-sarja)
196. San Jose Sharks – F David Klee, Waterloo (USHL)
197. Montreal Canadiens – D Luke Mittelstadt, Minnesota (NCAA)
198. Florida Panthers (via ARI) – F Stepan Zvyagin, Minsk (MHL)
199. Philadelphia Flyers – D Matteo Mann, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
200. Washington Capitals – F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
201. Detroit Red Wings – F Emmitt Finnie, Kamloops (WHL)
202. St. Louis Blues – F Nikita Susuyev, Spartak Moscow (MHL)
203. San Jose Sharks (via VAN) – F Yegor Rimashevsky, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
204. Ottawa Senators – F Owen Beckner, Salmon Arm (BCHL)
205. Buffalo Sabres – D Norwin Panocha, Berlin (DNL U20)
206. Washington Capitals (via PIT) – G Antoine Keller, Geneve-Servette (Swiss U20-Elit)
207. Ottawa Senators (via NSH) – G Vladimir Nikitin, Astana (Kazakhstan U20)
208. Calgary Flames – D Axel Hurtig, Rogle (J20 Nationell)
209. New York Islanders – D Dennis Good Bogg, AIK (J20 Nationell)
210. Winnipeg Jets – F Connor Levis, Kamloops (WHL)
211. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Ethan Hay, Flint (OHL)
212. Seattle Kraken – F Zaccharya Wisdom, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
213. Minnesota Wild – F Jimmy Clark, Green Bay (USHL)
214. Boston Bruins (via LAK) – F Casper Nassen, Vasteras (J20 Nationell)
215. Ottawa Senators (via NYR) – F Nicholas VanTassell, Green Bay (USHL)
216. Edmonton Oilers – F Matt Copponi, Merrimack (NCAA)
217. Pittsburgh Penguins (via TOR) – F Emil Jarventie, Ilves (U20 SM-sarja)
218. Nashville Predators (via NJD) – F Aiden Fink, Brooks (AJHL)
219. Colorado Avalanche – F Maros Jedlicka, Zvolen (Slovak Extraliga)
220. Boston Bruins – D Kristian Kostadinski, Frolunda (J20 Nationell)
221. Dallas Stars – F Sebastian Bradshaw, Elite Hockey Academy (18U AAA)
222. Carolina Hurricanes – G Yegor Velmakin, Novovoronezh (NMHL)
223. Pittsburgh Penguins (via FLA) – D Kalle Kangas, Jokerit (U20 SM-sarja)
224. Columbus Blue Jackets (via VGK) – F Tyler Peddle, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire, Buy Out Josh Bailey

June 29, 2023 at 9:50 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

11:10 AM: Per The Athletic’s Scott Powers, the Blackhawks are going to buy out Bailey, which is a bit of a surprise move. The Blackhawks will be reducing their cap obligation to $2.66MM this season instead of $5MM, at a cost of a $1.16MM cap hit next season.

9:50 AM: The New York Islanders have parted ways with their longest-tenured player, trading forward Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.

In a pure cap dump deal, the Islanders have essentially traded a future second-round for an immediate $5MM in cap space. Bailey had been a consistent middle-six threat for the Islanders throughout a 15-year career there, but after just eight goals and 25 points in 64 games this season and multiple healthy scratches, both the player and organization felt it was time to move on.

Once a high-end playmaker, Chicago is still getting a player that might be effective in their current situation. Bailey was a well-respected leader in the Islanders’ room and has made it to multiple Eastern Conference Finals. Alongside Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall, Chicago is quickly putting together an ancillary group of some veteran skill and leadership to surround yesterday’s first overall pick, Connor Bedard.

It’s worth noting that a buyout for Bailey was rather palatable. Per CapFriendly, buying out the final season of Bailey’s six-year, $30MM contract would have cost them $2.67MM this season, providing $2.33M in savings. It would have cost them $1.167MM against the cap in 2024-25. Instead, they cut ties entirely, although it’s for the cost of a decent draft pick.

This is Chicago’s second significant move to weaponize cap space in the last few days, acquiring Hall and Foligno from the Boston Bruins for a pair of minor-league defensemen.

It’s the end of an era for the Islanders, who selected Bailey with the ninth overall pick in 2008. He would go on to play 1,057 games as an Islander, ranking third in franchise history behind Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin. In that time, Bailey recorded 184 goals and 580 points.

The Islanders now have close to $10MM in projected cap space, per CapFriendly, which could go to re-signing their quartet of notable UFAs in Pierre Engvall, Zach Parise, Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov.

West Notes: Shattenkirk, Coyotes, Canucks

June 29, 2023 at 9:22 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

Speculation regarding a potential reunion between the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been put to rest. A league source tells Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic that the 34-year-old is expected to hit the free-agent market this Saturday.

Some had wondered whether a Shattenkirk return made sense for Anaheim, given the patchwork state of their largely inexperienced defense. Aside from longtime Duck Cam Fowler, none of Anaheim’s projected top six defensemen to start the year are over the age of 25, and Simon Benoit leads the rest in NHL games played with 137. Shattenkirk is finishing up a three-year, $11.7MM deal he signed with the Ducks in 2020, and he won’t command a raise on his previous AAV of $3.9MM. Still a serviceable defender, there are much worse options out there for teams looking to bolster their second or third pairings and special teams units.

After lifting the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020, Shattenkirk went on to record 14 goals, 63 assists, and 77 points in 212 games with the Ducks, averaging 20:37 per game and posting a -37 rating across three seasons.

Metro Notes: Killorn, Michkov, Konecny, Toffoli

June 29, 2023 at 8:20 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

Following yesterday’s trade of forward Ross Colton, the Tampa Bay Lightning have again turned their attention towards securing a contract extension for pending unrestricted free agent winger Alex Killorn, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic said last night. Things will likely go down to the wire, but this will be one of the tougher negotiations in recent Lightning history. Killorn has reportedly turned down a longer-term extension offer at a low average annual value.

Moving Colton didn’t clear any cap space for Tampa. He was a pending restricted free agent, though, and the team didn’t have the salary cap flexibility to get an extension done. With the contract of retired defenseman Brent Seabrook on their books providing significant cap relief via long-term injured reserve, the team still has just $7.325MM in projected cap space, per CapFriendly – which will be barely enough to re-sign RFA Tanner Jeannot, re-sign or replace their three UFA wingers including Killorn, and re-sign or replace netminder Brian Elliott as Andrei Vasilevskiy’s backup.

With Killorn being one of the top five UFAs available on this year’s market, it’s highly doubtful Tampa can make him a reasonable offer to stay. It would require quite a creative solution from general manager Julien BriseBois, who’s no stranger to cap gymnastics at this stage in his managerial career.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division today:

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere was exuding confidence last night after his decision to draft Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall pick, revealing that he didn’t believe the Russian winger would fall and attempted to trade up. He wasn’t the only one – brand-new Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz was also reportedly trying to leverage assets to move into the top five of last night’s first round. Briere emphasized that the Flyers’ focus on rebuilding allows them to patiently await Michkov’s potential NHL debut, which could come as late as the 2026-27 season after his three-year contract with KHL team SKA St. Petersburg expires.
Staying with the Flyers, LeBrun also mentioned in his midnight column they’ve been receptive to trade offers for winger Travis Konecny, but Briere is inclined to retain him for the upcoming season unless an overwhelming offer emerges. Philadelphia has been the most active team on the trade market thus far in the offseason, already moving Kevin Hayes and Ivan Provorov while still aggressively shopping defenseman Travis Sanheim. The 26-year-old winger matched a career-high in 2022-23 with 61 points and provides high-end contract value at $5.5MM per season through 2025.
Lastly, per LeBrun, recently acquired right winger Tyler Toffoli has expressed his desire to begin contract extension talks with the New Jersey Devils at the earliest opportunity. Toffoli, seeking stability after playing for four teams in the past four years, sees the Devils as a team poised for long-term success. However, LeBrun predicts Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald will encourage Toffoli to familiarize himself with the team and market before initiating extension discussions – similar to the team’s approaches with Erik Haula and Timo Meier as recent examples.

West Notes: Sharks, Predators, Steel, Nill, Sale

June 28, 2023 at 8:41 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks just drafted a potential first-line center with the fourth overall pick with Will Smith, and at the draft in Nashville, there are some rumors that the team’s current top-six centers could be on the move. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that “teams have talked to” the Sharks about Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture.

Pagnotta stressed that no trade is close, and it’s worth noting that Hertl has a full no-move clause and Couture has a three-team no-trade list. It’d be a hard trade to complete, but the news that they’re listening on their two top centers signals GM Mike Grier is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to rebuild San Jose into a playoff contender.

Some other notes from the Western Conference:

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman cites colleague Jeff Marek to report that the two restricted free agents the Nashville Predators will issue qualifying offers are center Cody Glass and defenseman Alexandre Carrier. That means notable players such as 2017 first-round pick Cal Foote and capable defensive winger Rasmus Asplund will hit the open market. It’s somewhat a surprise to see Foote go unqualified, seeing that he was recently acquired as part of the Tanner Jeannot trade and does have a first-round pedigree.
Sam Steel won’t be issued a qualifying offer by the Minnesota Wild, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Steel had a decent season with the Wild, scoring 10 goals and 28 points playing at times in the team’s number-one center role. But the Wild could be weary of Steel’s arbitration potential given their dire cap issues, so he’ll now have a chance to hit the open market in a few days.
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill was named the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year, beating out finalists Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers. While Nill’s club didn’t make it to the Stanley Cup Final like Zito’s or go on a historic regular season run like Sweeney’s, Nill’s shrewd moves such as acquiring Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov during the season helped propel the club to the Western Conference Final.
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Eduard Sale, the Seattle Kraken’s recent first-round pick, is going to play for the OHL’s Barrie Colts next season. Sale has played the last two seasons in Czechia’s top pro league for Brno Kometa, and now will get the chance to play against his peers in major junior hockey. He’s an exceptionally skilled offensive player, so Colts fans should expect Sale to be among their top scorers if all goes well.

Atlantic Notes: Matthews, DeBrincat, Reaves, Reinbacher

June 28, 2023 at 7:52 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 3 Comments

Although numerous insiders have spoken about their confidence that the Toronto Maple Leafs will end up re-signing Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews, it doesn’t appear a deal is imminent according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. Pagnotta says “a deal is not yet close,” and adds “his next deal will be 3, 4, or 5-year” term.

Matthews would be a league-altering free agent if he were to hit the open market, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to get there. It’s something of a surprise that the Matthews won’t be locked down to a longer term, but going on a shorter deal allows him to take another bite of the apple down the road to secure another massive deal in his late 20s.

Some other notes from the Atlantic Division:

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told The Athletic’s Ian Mendes that they “are not close” to an Alex DeBrincat trade. Many had assumed that the Senators would push to make a trade before the 2023 NHL draft in order to potentially add a first-round pick for Ottawa to be used in tonight’s first round. But Ottawa’s reluctance to give other teams permission to negotiate a contract extension with DeBrincat has likely slowed the trade negotiations, meaning we’re unlikely to see a DeBrincat deal in the near future.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports today that the Toronto Maple Leafs are “looking to beef up their bottom six,” and specifically connects two names to the team: Ryan Reaves and Austin Watson. Neither Reaves or Watson offer much on the ice outside of their physical play, but given the perception among many that Toronto didn’t put up enough of a fight in recent playoff series that might be exactly what the team needs.
The Montreal Canadiens have been eager to give recent top selections every chance to make their NHL roster in the fall after their selection, but that may not be possible with David Reinbacher. The Austrian defenseman told the media after the draft, including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, that he has one more year of business to take care of before joining the Canadiens organization in North America. Reinbacher played in the Swiss National League in his draft season and could return to EHC Kloten for another year, or he could move to another team in Europe.

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