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Jesse Puljujarvi Undergoes Double Hip Surgery

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NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston has an unfortunate injury update on 2016 fourth-overall pick Jesse Puljujarvi: he “recently underwent double hip surgery and is facing a lengthy recovery.” Johnston adds that Puljujarvi won’t be issued a qualifying offer by the Carolina Hurricanes and will hit unrestricted free agency in a few days.

This is the second significant medical setback hitting a young winger of the day, as it was recently announced that Buffalo Sabres winger Jack Quinn will miss quite some time with an Achilles injury. But while Quinn is firmly in an NHL team’s future plans, Puljujarvi is going to be looking for a new opportunity on the open market. The 25-year-old was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes last season but struggled to make an impact for head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team. He scored just two points in 17 games and one point in seven playoff games.

Puljujarvi had his moments as an Edmonton Oiler, such as in 2021-22 when he scored 36 points in 65 games but struggled immensely early in the season with them and played his way out of a future with that organization. Since he was making $3MM against the cap his qualifying offer’s cost made it incredibly unlikely, and now we know he will indeed go unqualified.

The level of interest he garners on the open market is going to be a bit of a mystery due to this injury, which does not have a disclosed recovery timeline. Given the severity of the injury, though, it could be quite some time before we see Puljujarvi back on NHL ice.

2023 NHL Draft Pick Trade Tracker

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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

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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.

Philadelphia Flyers Select Matvei Michkov Seventh Overall

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The Philadelphia Flyers have taken one of the most electrifying talents in this draft class. Matvei Michkov is a Flyer, although the team might have to wait a few years before he actually steps onto the ice for them.

There’s no doubt – the Flyers just nabbed the second-highest upside prospect in the entire draft outside of the top five. There are some very understandable reasons for that, which have been covered at length, but Michkov is well worth the contractual gamble at seventh overall.

Best-case scenario, Philadelphia has a generational scoring winger slated to etch his name among the legends of Flyers lore. Michkov was far and away the best player on his KHL team this season, HK Sochi, which finished at the bottom of the league – which is to say he didn’t have much help. Recording 20 points in 27 games with them, he owns the best draft-year scoring rate of any KHL player.

At the draft, Michkov seemed to show a great deal of enthusiasm for the selection and could aim to head over to the Flyers before his three-year deal with KHL side SKA St. Petersburg expires, but it’s not something anyone should expect. With the Flyers seemingly content to enter an extensive and complete rebuild, Michkov not joining the NHL squad until 2026 isn’t a huge issue.

Columbus Blue Jackets Select Adam Fantilli Third Overall

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The Columbus Blue Jackets might finally have found the first-line center they’ve long been waiting for. They have taken Adam Fantilli, the Hobey Baker winner, with the third overall pick at the 2023 draft.

This is a major stroke of luck for the Blue Jackets franchise, as it’s highly likely they would have selected Fantilli had they owned the second-overall selection. They were passed by the Chicago Blackhawks in the draft lottery, but now their fall turned out to not be a setback.

Fantilli is the type of player who might go first overall in any draft class that doesn’t include Connor Bedard. He combines speed, size, skill, and an impressive compete level to make him a strong bet to become a number-one center at the NHL level.

He’ll quickly become a fan favorite in Columbus, and he’ll join a growing stable of former Michigan Wolverines with the Blue Jackets, who already roster Zach Werenski, Nick Blankenburg, and Kent Johnson.

Even with 2021 first-rounder Cole Sillinger, Boone Jenner, and Russian import Dmitri Voronkov in Columbus’ long-term plans down the middle, Fantilli is likely to end up Columbus’ first-line center in the long term.

He may take a little while to reach that point, but if his impressive form at Michigan (30 goals, 65 points in 36 games) is any indication he’ll eventually become the face of the Blue Jackets.

Anaheim Ducks Select Leo Carlsson Second Overall

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The Anaheim Ducks have made a bit of a surprise choice, selecting Swedish center Leo Carlsson second overall.

Carlsson rose up draft lists thanks to a stellar sophomore season with Orebro HK in the SHL. Carlsson posted 10 goals and 25 points in 44 games in the regular season and helped propel Orebro on a solid run in the SHL playoffs with nine points in 13 games.

While he isn’t the strongest skater, Carlsson offers a tantalizing combination of size and skill. He’s projected to play the center position in the NHL, enhancing his value even further. While he largely played wing at Orebro, he ended up Sweden’s number-one center at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships, and many believe he has the potential to occupy a similar role in the NHL and be the face of a franchise.

To some, skipping over Michigan’s Adam Fantilli is a massive oversight. The well-rounded center was the public consensus second overall pick and was only the third freshman in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey.

The Carlsson selection does offer the Ducks a bit more versatility down the middle, giving them options in case one of Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, or Mason McTavish needs to get shifted to the wing longer term. Still, one has to wonder if passing over the likely best player available is a wise choice.

Chicago Blackhawks Select Connor Bedard First Overall

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One of the NHL’s most historic clubs has acquired a new face of their franchise. Just a few months after saying their goodbyes to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks have selected generational prospect Connor Bedard first overall at the 2023 NHL draft.

The Blackhawks’ selection is perhaps the least surprising first-overall choice since 2015, when Connor McDavid was picked by the Edmonton Oilers. He’s had a junior career for the ages, ever since he first joined the Regina Pats at 15 years old.

Despite not having the strongest supporting cast around him, Bedard managed to post video game numbers with Regina. He totaled 134 goals and 271 points in just 134 games of major junior hockey, taking home an endless number of league awards.

His international play has been similarly stunning. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe Bedard’s performance at the most recent World Junior Championships, where he scored nine goals and 23 points in just seven games.

Besides size, Bedard offers just about anything a team could want out of an NHL scoring center. He’s arguably the most intelligent player in this year’s class, with the type of hockey IQ that makes him stand out shift after shift.

The moment he steps into the NHL he’ll be among the league’s most lethal shooters as well. Not only is Bedard’s shot extremely powerful and accurate, but it’s also the deception in his shooting motion that really sets him apart. He’s able to let high-end shots loose from a variety of angles and in the face of all sorts of defensive pressure, and he’s got legitimate Rocket Richard Trophy upside.

The Blackhawks are still missing a lot of pieces that Stanley Cup contenders typically boast. Their long-term goalie of the future is still a mystery (Drew Commesso showed some promise at Boston University) and outside of Seth Jones they still lack high-end NHL defensemen.

But Bedard signals an important shift for Chicago. The Blackhawks might not make the playoffs next year, but they’re no longer wandering the hockey wilderness in search of a young, league-altering star to build around. With this pick, they’ve drafted one.

Photos Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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