Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois, Los Angeles Kings
After months of rumors regarding Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois and his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens, Dubois’ long-term landing spot has finally come into focus.
TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported this morning that the Los Angeles Kings “continue to pursue Pierre-Luc Dubois,” and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta followed up reporting on a trade being worked on that would land Dubois in Los Angeles with “multiple players/pieces” going to Winnipeg, including forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo. Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe adds that he’s “expecting F Jansen Harkins to be involved” in a Dubois trade to Los Angeles as well.
Now, The Athletic’s Murat Ates has given a more firm indication that Dubois could be headed to California, reporting that the Kings and Dubois are “talking contract extension,” and although there are still things to be worked out regarding the deal and the exact trade, “things are well on their way” toward Dubois landing in Los Angeles.
That would be a relatively surprising outcome given the strong indications over the ongoing Dubois trade saga that his preferred destination was Montreal. But finding an ideal match between the Jets and Canadiens for a Dubois trade seems to have been difficult, especially since Montreal would likely be loath to surrender rising center Kirby Dach as part of a trade package. Los Angeles has a deeper pool of NHL-ready assets to attract the Jets as a trade partner, which is likely why a Dubois to L.A. move has gotten significantly more concrete momentum than a Dubois-to-Montreal trade.
For the Kings, adding Dubois is in large part about succession planning for the eventual end of incumbent number-one center Anze Kopitar‘s playing career.
Kopitar, 35, scored 74 points and showed no real signs of slowing down this past season but with his contract set to expire next summer, Kopitar’s future is becoming more and more of a team focus.
A top-of-the-lineup number-one center might just be the hardest thing to acquire in the NHL, and given the slower-than-expected development of 2020 second-overall pick Quinton Byfield, Dubois represents perhaps the best chance the Kings have at finding a franchise face for when Kopitar’s playing days are over.
Dubois and Kopitar are represented by the same agent, CAA’s Pat Brisson, so that shared relationship could aid the Kings in their efforts to lock up Dubois as their next star forward.
It’s still up for debate whether Dubois is a true number-one center in the NHL. He scored 63 points in 77 games this past season and has certainly shown flashes of greatness, but he has also left fans wanting more at both NHL stops in his career.
In the immediate term, Dubois would be an exceptional complement to Kopitar in the team’s top-six, and would shift Danault into a third-line center role. Danault, who scored 54 points last season and is among the league’s most well-respected defensive centers, would instantly become arguably the league’s top third-line pivot and their new arrangement would give the Kings some of the best center depth in the NHL.
Seeing as Dubois has been rumored to be seeking a maximum-term contract extension that mirrors the financial value of the $8.7MM contract Dylan Larkin received from the Detroit Red Wings, by actively attempting to acquire and extend him it’s clear the Kings believe in Dubois’ potential to be Kopitar’s successor as a number-one center. All that’s left now is for the team to complete the deal and for Dubois to prove them right on the ice next season.
For the Jets, this trade is about moving forward from a player who didn’t see a long-term future for himself in Winnipeg and getting the best possible return for the one year left of control they have over Dubois’ services. While a trade has yet to be completed and the rumored return centering around Iafallo and Vilardi is still just that, a rumor, Vilardi’s presence as a centerpiece player reveals the Jets’ priorities in their trade negotiations.
Despite facing quite a few significant departures in the next few weeks, the Jets remain committed to building around their established stars such as Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.
Getting Vilardi and locking him down to a long-term contract would add another building block into the mix, especially after Vilardi’s breakout 2022-23 campaign where he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. While Vilardi has been a winger at the NHL level, he does have some prior experience playing center and the Jets could be planning on trying Vilardi down the middle again if they do end up acquiring him.
Again, it must be stressed that no trade is completed at the current moment and that how Winnipeg fares in this trade will likely come down to whether Vilardi is indeed the centerpiece of the deal and what other players, prospects, or picks are involved. At this moment the most concrete development that has been reported is that Dubois’ camp is actively negotiating an extension with the Kings, meaning the long-awaited trade could be just around the corner.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Sanheim, Rohrer, Smith
Although it seemed yesterday that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim was headed to St. Louis as part of one version of the blockbuster Kevin Hayes trade that is still yet to be fully ironed out, new details have emerged on Hayes’ status. Defenseman Torey Krug is reportedly not waiving his no-trade clause to be part of the Hayes deal, likely eliminating the possibility of Sanheim getting included in the trade. That doesn’t mean Sanheim won’t be on the move this summer, though.
The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that “a few teams spoke with Philly about Sanheim, including the Toronto Maple Leafs.” While Sanheim’s $6.25MM cap hit expiring in the early 2030’s might seem difficult for Toronto to fit on their books, Sanheim would certainly be an intriguing addition to the left side of their defense. Worth noting is a conflicting report from Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo, who tweets that Toronto has not yet spoken to the Flyers about a possible Sanheim deal.
Some other notes from the NHL’s Eastern Conference:
- Montreal Canadiens prospect Vinzenz Rohrer has signed a two-year deal with the ZSC Lions of Switzerland’s National League, per a team announcement. Rohrer, 18, was a third-round pick of the Canadiens at the 2022 draft and has played the last two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, scoring 97 points in 118 games and earning Second-Team All-Rookie honors in the OHL in 2021-22. The Austrian forward captained ZSC’s U17 side at the junior level and with this contract, he’ll now get the chance to test himself at the pro level against men.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets’ choice at the number-three pick is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the draft three days from now, and The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline has injected some more mystery into the lead-up to draft night. Writing what he called “informed, but highly speculative insights” Portzline said “The Blue Jackets are huge Will Smith fans,” and that “if we had to pick one today, some 72 hours before the draft, we’d lean toward Smith.” (subscription link) Seeing as Portzline stressed the speculative nature of those insights his piece shouldn’t be seen as a firm indication of Columbus’ preferences, but rather more of an indication that their choice at number three between Smith, Leo Carlsson, and potentially Adam Fantilli isn’t as clear-cut as some might lead one to believe.
PHR’s 2023 NHL Mock Draft
The 2023 NHL Draft will take place next week in Nashville, and it’s shaping up to be a special night both from the intriguing storylines emerging at the top of the draft order as well as the abundance of high-end prospects available to be selected. Even beyond generational talent Connor Bedard,this class boasts a deep, impressive group of emerging hockey players.
In this mock draft, we’ll examine which player each team might pick at their draft position, building a roadmap for how the draft might play out. We’re taking into consideration a team’s needs and the currently available media reports indicating which players a team might be interested in. To be clear, this is not an exercise in picking players based on any personal evaluations of the prospects in question, but rather a look at the current landscape of the draft as well as the current standing of each team’s prospect pool.
1. Chicago Blackhawks — Connor Bedard, C, Regina Pats
This is the easiest draft pick any NHL team has had to make since the Edmonton Oilers selected Connor McDavid first overall at the 2015 draft. Bedard possesses an elite shot, an elite mind for the game, and exceptional all-around talent.
The Blackhawks can’t outright say they’re selecting Bedard before they’re on stage at the draft in Nashville.
But it’s been obvious who they’d be taking since the moment their logo appeared on the number-one draft card in NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly’s hands during the draft lottery.
2. Anaheim Ducks — Adam Fantilli, C, University of Michigan
This is where some more intrigue has emerged. For a while it had been assumed that Fantilli would be a sort of “automatic” number-two pick the way Jack Eichel was to McDavid at the 2015 draft, especially after Fantilli had an Eichel-like rookie season at Michigan and took home the Hobey Baker award. But, it could be that something different could play out next week.
The Athletic’s Corey Pronman wrote in a recent mock draft that “half the league thinks” the Ducks will take Swedish center Leo Carlsson, while “Half the people in the NHL think it will be Fantilli.” (subscription link)
John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor tweeted yesterday that he’s “continuing to hear Anaheim Ducks will take Leo Carlsson at No. 2,” and on the 32 Thoughts podcast Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek brought up the possibility that the Ducks could take Russian winger Matvei Michkov. Although he stressed him bringing that possibility up was not a concrete report on the Ducks’ preferences. Clearly, who GM Pat Verbeek will draft is far more of a mystery than it may have seemed a few weeks ago.
With all that said, though, it still seems as though Fantilli is where the team ends up. The Ducks already have Mason McTavish projected as one of their top-six centers going into their next competitive phase and they have star forwards Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry in the mix as well. With just how deep the Ducks’ pipeline of defensive talent is, it seems they’re best served taking the best forward available. Fantilli’s play both in the NCAA and at the IIHF Men’s World Championships served as a convincing case for why that player is him.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets — Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro HK
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline addressed the Blue Jackets’ thought process with their top pick quite simply, writing that the “Blue Jackets will spend the No. 3 pick on a center.” (subscription link) Who that center is likely depends on what Anaheim does with their pick. While the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Will Smith has tantalizing skill, the Blue Jackets drafted a similar player in Kent Johnson with the number-five pick at the 2021 draft.
Both Carlsson and Fantilli offer more well-rounded skillsets at the current moment, and given each has experience playing against men (Carlsson from the SHL and IIHF Worlds, and Fantilli from World’s) they’re likely to be a bit closer to NHL-ready than Smith, who is headed to Boston College for next season.
The Blue Jackets have been aggressive in upgrading their team in advance of officially hiring Mike Babcock as head coach, so either Fantilli or Carlsson seems the most likely pick here. Since the Ducks took Fantilli second overall here, the Blue Jackets are thrilled to land Carlsson.
4. San Jose Sharks — Will Smith, C, U.S. National Team Development Program
The Sharks are building for the future, and we previously covered reports that San Jose is targeting defensemen and goaltenders as their priority for this class. Austrian blueliner David Reinbacher is the top defenseman in this class and could be under consideration here. But the Sharks have a second first-round pick and quite a few more selections, so they shouldn’t feel forced to spend this pick to fill their wider organizational need.
Yes, the Sharks have centers Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture locked into long-term contracts. But it’s going to be a few years at the earliest until the Sharks are ready to return to competing for Stanley Cups, and it’s an open question where either player’s abilities will be at that stage of their careers. Smith is an exceptionally skilled pivot who plays on one of the best lines in junior hockey. He adds a level of dynamic skill to a San Jose prospect pool that already boasts 2021 seventh pick William Eklund, and although some question whether he’ll be a center at the NHL level he’s the best chance the Sharks have at landing a first-line center with this draft selection.
5. Montreal Canadiens — Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. National Team Development Program
This Canadiens front office has repeatedly emphasized how much they value seeing high compete levels in prospects, and that’s something Leonard has in spades. While Michkov is still on the board, we’ve covered reports indicating the Canadiens don’t “seem very likely” to take a shot at the electric Russian winger. That same report indicated the Canadiens are zeroing in on Reinbacher and Leonard for their pick. It is worth noting that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that “there’s a lot of teams that think” the Canadiens are “taking Reinbacher” if Smith isn’t available, meaning he’s also a very strong possibility.
6. Arizona Coyotes — David Reinbacher, RHD, EHC Kloten
Michkov remains on the board here, but the Coyotes have spent top-ten picks in the last two drafts on forwards. There’s also the uncertainty of the Coyotes’ long-term future in Arizona, which certainly can’t help their efforts to lure Michkov out of the KHL, where he’s under contract for the next three seasons. The Coyotes don’t yet have the type of player in their organization who profiles as an all-situations NHL number-one defenseman, not since they traded Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators. So, they can use this pick to add the draft’s top blueliner in Reinbacher.
7. Philadelphia Flyers — Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg
Michkov’s wait to see which team will own his NHL rights is over, though the Flyers’ wait has just begun. The Flyers are in a prime position to take a shot at Michkov, a player some would argue has the highest offensive upside in this draft class — Bedard included. A report today indicated that the Flyers were interested in selecting Michkov, and Philadelphia as a landing spot would make sense. New GM Daniel Briere has a long runway to execute his rebuild plan, so the wait for Michkov wouldn’t be as big of a hurdle as it may be for other clubs.
The Flyers have some talent in their system and on their NHL roster but badly need to inject some offensive star power into their organization since they said goodbye to Claude Giroux last season. Michkov is the best chance they have to do so of the players still on the board.
8. Washington Capitals — Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK
The Capitals can’t be thrilled to have Michkov go one pick before theirs, let alone to a division rival. Their reported interest in Michkov means they’re likely to attempt to trade up in the draft, likely with the hope of leap-frogging Philadelphia in order to secure the rights to the Russian winger. But in this scenario where they’re unable to do so, Dvorsky is a sound pick in his own right.
Capitals Assistant General Manager Ross Mahoney told The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir that the Capitals “this year, we’re gonna take the best player,” regardless of the organization’s larger positional needs. (subscription link)
Dvorsky’s ability to play down the middle would certainly help the Capitals, though, as Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s contract expires in two years, so other than Dylan Strome the Capitals don’t have many players who confidently project to become top-six pivots. Dvorsky is exactly that, a potential top-six center with experience already playing against men in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan.
9. Detroit Red Wings — Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver Giants
According to Steve Ewen of The Province, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman personally scouted Honzek’s playoff games against the Kamloops Blazers in April. At the NHL Combine in Buffalo, Honzek told the media “Detroit was one of the, I would say the best meeting I’ve ever had here.” While the rankings from the draft media sphere might indicate that Honzek could be available for the Red Wings to pick at 17th overall, his impressive physical testing and tantalizing physical tools make him a defensible selection inside the top ten.
The six-foot-four Slovak winger scored 56 points in 43 games in the WHL and has some believing he can play center at the next level, which only enhances his value going into the draft next week.
10. St. Louis Blues — Tom Willander, RHD, Rogle BK
Willander, a smooth-skating Swedish blueliner, has been a fast riser during the draft process since his season ended with Rogle. He’s committed to play for Boston University next fall, meaning the Blues could keep tabs on him without needing to cross an ocean.
The last time the Blues selected a blueliner in the first round was Jordan Schmaltz over a decade ago at the 2012 draft. Willander makes a lot of sense as a pick to help the team infuse some high-end talent into a blueline that has gone a bit stale at the NHL level.
11. Vancouver Canucks — Nate Danielson, C, Brandon Wheat Kings
The Canucks’ Patrik Allvin has told the media that he’s looking at options to trade up in the draft, but if a trade-up scenario never materializes Danielson is the type of pick that would help their organization. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reported that Danielson was among the players the Canucks are most interested in selecting with their top pick, (subscription link) and he could fit in their long-term plans as a number-two center behind Elias Pettersson. That would allow J.T. Miller to shift to playing as a winger, where he may be most suited to play long-term.
12. Arizona Coyotes — Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg Ice
After the Coyotes passed on Michkov to select Reinbacher with the sixth pick, Arizona gets incredibly fortunate here and has Benson, a widely respected WHL winger, still on the board. This Coyotes front office has spent high picks on forwards with size in the past, such as Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, and Conor Geekie. With Logan Cooley on the way, Arizona takes another somewhat undersized forward in Benson, who happens to be oozing offensive skill and all-around creativity.
13. Buffalo Sabres — Dmitry Simashev, LHD, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
The Sabres are so well-stocked with young talent that they’re in a uniquely strong position to roll the dice on one of the draft’s more intriguing talents: Simashev. The Sabres are widely rumored to be seeking help on defense this offseason, and after drafting forwards with all three first-round picks in their possession last season the Sabres now take a rangy six-foot-four Russian blueliner who has reportedly drawn quite a bit of leaguewide attention.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins — Matthew Wood, RW, University of Connecticut
The leader of Pittsburgh’s hockey operations, Kyle Dubas, said today that he’d likely be retaining the Penguins’ top pick, their highest selection over a decade. They’ve had one of the NHL’s weaker prospect pools in recent years, and their need for quality scoring forwards has resulted in trades that have been widely panned, such as the team’s acquisition of Mikael Granlund at the trade deadline a few months ago. Adding an offensive talent like Wood, who scored at a nearly point-per-game rate as the youngest player in college hockey would be a huge boost to their organization’s future. If he can improve his skating, the six-foot-four forward can be a true difference-maker.
15. Nashville Predators — Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury Wolves
New Predators general manager Barry Trotz has an identity in mind for his Predators club: a fast, skilled, high-octane offensive team. He’s tasked his scouts with taking “swings” at the draft on offensive upside, so a player like Musty could be a fit for this pick as a result. In his age-17 season, Musty scored 78 points in 53 games in the OHL and offers a combination of six-foot-two size and high skill level that many NHL teams covet.
16. Calgary Flames — Oliver Moore, C, U.S. National Team Development Program
The consensus best skater in this draft class, Moore is the top center prospect still on the board. While Moore might not end up a first-line center in the NHL he drove play as a second-line center at the NTDP and his skating provides some hope that there’s even more offensive upside to be unlocked in his game. With incumbent first-line center Elias Lindholm looking likelier than ever to depart Calgary at the expiry of his contract (or before) the priority in Calgary has to be adding more talent down the middle to their prospect pipeline, and drafting Moore achieves that.
17. Detroit Red Wings — Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, Skelleftea
The Red Wings have a bit of a logjam of blueliners in their system shaping up, but that shouldn’t stop them from taking a swing on Sandin Pellikka, who is arguably the most skilled defenseman in this draft class.
18. Winnipeg Jets — Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw Warriors
Winnipeg is set to potentially lose both of its top-six centers in the same offseason, with Pierre-Luc Dubois a near certainty to be traded and Mark Scheifele in the final year of his contract. With Danielson and Moore gone, it’s not an ideal scenario for the Jets to be in but Yager remains a quality consolation prize. He didn’t quite meet lofty expectations this past year but with Brad Lambert and Chaz Lucius already in the system Yager can add to their wave of young pivots who will replace the outgoing ones.
19. Chicago Blackhawks — Daniil But, LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
The Blackhawks landed Bedard, so regardless of how they spend the rest of their stockpile of draft picks this year will be considered a success. This gives GM Kyle Davidson the type of room to take risks other GMs might not have, and as a result, he gambles on talent here by taking But, a big Russian winger.
Like most teenage prospects But didn’t play or score much in the KHL but was more dominant against his peers and offers the type of size and skill combination not even Bedard can offer.
20. Seattle Kraken — Colby Barlow, RW, Owen Sound Attack
There isn’t a large sample size of Seattle draft classes to work off of.
But, their picks of Ty Nelson, David Goyette, Jagger Firkus, Ryker Evans, and Ryan Winterton in the last two drafts indicate a willingness for the team to nab top-end CHL talents who might have fallen a little bit farther than they might have expected.
Barlow is exactly that, a potential lottery pick who slid right into GM Ron Francis‘ hands.
The Kraken already spent two high picks on right-wingers last class with Firkus and Jani Nyman but Barlow is firmly in the “best player available” argument at this slot and that’s the philosophy most NHL teams draft under.
21. Minnesota Wild — Eduard Sale, LW, Brno Kometa
The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith asked Judd Brackett, who runs the Wild’s drafts, about the possibility of selecting Sale at 21, and he had the following to say: (subscription link)
When you talk about Ed Sale, you’re talking about a guy at 6-2 who can skate, has terrific hands, a prolific scorer. He’s done it in his draft minus one year as good as anyone, and playing against men this year. We want goal scoring, and that’s what he brings.
While there are other possibilities on the board and the Wild’s overarching organizational need for centers may force their hand, Sale seems like a strong possibility here.
22. Philadelphia Flyers — Oliver Bonk, RHD, London Knights
After making the choice to invest the seventh overall pick in Michkov, a decision some would deem to be highly risky, the Flyers could opt to make a safer bet with their second first-rounder. Drafting Bonk, the son of former NHLer Radek Bonk would add a valuable right-shot all-around blueliner to a defensive prospect pool lacking those. He could even end up competing for an NHL spot sooner than some realize, which would certainly soften the blow of waiting for Michkov.
23. New York Rangers — Gabriel Perreault, LW, U.S. National Team Development Program
The Rangers have a quality NHL team well-stocked with players in their prime and ready to contribute. As a result, they’re able to draft players with less regard given to their current NHL needs, and that allows them here to roll the dice on the offensive upside by drafting Perreault. While Perreault’s linemates both went inside the top five picks, the son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault was far from a third wheel. He led the trio in scoring and offers the type of playmaking ability and hockey IQ that’s rare to find at this stage of the draft, something the Rangers could definitely use in their system.
24. Nashville Predators — Gavin Brindley, RW, University of Michigan
Standing just five-foot-nine, Brindley would represent perhaps an even greater home-run swing than Musty and fit Trotz’s requests of his scouts. He scored 38 points in 41 games in his first year of college hockey, an extremely impressive total, and while some might say his numbers were inflated by playing with Fantilli he is a quality offensive player in his own right. Brindley fits what the Predators are looking to achieve in this draft and would be a solid complement to their earlier pick of Musty.
25. St. Louis Blues — Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa Generals
The Blues addressed a top priority of their offseason, adding quality defensive prospects, and with this pick, they check another significant box: adding center talent to their system. Ritchie’s numbers may not jump off the page but like two of the last Blues CHL first-rounders, Jake Neighbours and Zachary Bolduc, Ritchie was a counted-upon team leader.
26. San Jose Sharks — Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha Lancers
Reports cited earlier in the mock draft indicated that the Sharks are highly interested in adding goalie talent to their system this offseason, and with their second first-round pick they select arguably the top goalie prospect in this class. Hrabal’s numbers declined a little from early in the season when they were elite, but standing at six-foot-seven the UMass commit offers the combination of size and athleticism NHL teams want to see from top-end goalie prospects.
27. Colorado Avalanche — Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix
Colorado had just two picks at last year’s draft, and their first came 193rd overall. They of course won the Stanley Cup, so it’s hard to imagine their scouts were complaining, but with their first-rounder this year they need to repair the pipeline of young talent graduating to their NHL roster. They intend on competing for Stanley Cups into the future and teams with elite talent that do so typically need a consistent stream of young players to occupy roles on their roster at entry-level prices.
Gauthier isn’t the best offensive player left on the board but he’s the soundest balance between offensive upside and likelihood of making an NHL impact. That’s the sort of investment the Avalanche need to make.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs — Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard Omsk
Excluding size, Gulyayev has just about everything one could want from a defensive prospect. Toronto has not hesitated to draft talented Russian players in previous drafts which leads one to believe their scouts won’t hesitate yet again, even though they have changed general managers. Gulyayev would instantly become the Maple Leafs’ best defensive prospect and bolster a left side of their blueline in need of some more young options after the Rasmus Sandin trade.
29. St. Louis Blues — Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna Rockets
The Blues drafted two relatively safe players with their last two picks, and in the unlikely scenario, they make all three of their first-round picks taking a major swing on offensive upside could be in order. Cristall is an extremely divisive player whose stunning flashes of skill have drawn him many admirers and his low moments, such as in the WHL playoffs, have earned him quite a few detractors.
There has been an exodus of talent along the wings in St. Louis recently, with David Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ivan Barbashev all now playing for different teams. If Cristall hits, he’d go a long way toward fixing that.
30. Carolina Hurricanes — Bradly Nadeau, LW, Penticton Vees
The Hurricanes are among the NHL’s best teams at mining upside at the draft from situations where most teams struggle to find high-end talent. They found one of the best hockey players not yet in the NHL, Alexander Nikishin, in the third round in 2020 and rolled the dice on offensive upside with Gleb Trikozov as their top pick last year. Nadeau ripped the BCHL apart with Penticton and if he can do it again at a heightened level of competition in the NCAA next year the Hurricanes could quickly have another steal on their hands.
31. Montreal Canadiens — Tanner Molendyk, LHD, Saskatoon Blades
After selecting Leonard the Canadiens double-down on traits that project well to the NHL game by selecting Molendyk. Molendyk is a premier rush defender who both skates and competes extremely well, and while the team already has quite a few young left-shot blueliners to work with (Jordan Harris, Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson to name a few) Molendyk is arguably the best player remaining and fits what the organization is targeting at their draft table.
32. Vegas Golden Knights — Etienne Morin, LHD, Moncton Wildcats
The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup with a defense that combined size and offensive ability in many areas. While they have one of the NHL’s best bluelines their group isn’t getting any younger. Adding Morin, who scored 21 goals and 72 points in the QMJHL, would give the Golden Knights a potential successor to one of their current blueliners and someone who would give them a chance to maintain their current ability to generate offense from the blueline.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Offseason Notes: Wheeler, Staal, Bunting, Ekman-Larsson
Former Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler is set to part ways with his team this summer, and on TSN’s Insider Trading program Pierre LeBrun put that quite succinctly, stating Wheeler “will not be playing for the Jets next season.” But where the two-time All-Star will end up playing next season remains a mystery, as is what exact method will be used to finalize his exit from the Jets. LeBrun reports that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and Wheeler’s representation are working collaboratively to find a solution for Wheeler, and potential outcomes include not only a trade or a traditional buyout, but also a combination of both wherein Wheeler is traded to another club and then bought out by his new team.
The Jets have gone down that route with players in the past, such as in 2018 when they sent Joel Armia and draft picks to the Montreal Canadiens so Montreal would buy out the contract of netminder Steve Mason. A Wheeler buyout would cost a team $2.75MM against the cap for the next two seasons, and with the buyout deadline looming next Friday the Jets will need to either come to terms on a Wheeler trade with another club or figure out whether they or another club will be on the hook for Wheeler’s buyout.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- It has long been expected that Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal‘s pending unrestricted free agency was more of a formality than anything else, and that the 34-year-old center would end up re-signing with the franchise he’s been with since the 2012 offseason. But according to TSN’s Darren Dreger on Insider Trading, that may no longer be the case. Dreger reports that Staal’s camp “has supplied” the Hurricanes “with a number of options” on a new deal but that their negotiations are “at an impasse,” and that owner Tom Dundon will need “to move from his position” in order to re-sign his captain. Dreger adds that if that doesn’t happen, we “absolutely could see” Staal “as a free agent on July 1st.” That would be a decently shocking outcome for Staal and the Hurricanes, though it now seems like a once-remote possibility Hurricanes fans may need to begin preparing for.
- A player that is looking like he’ll hit the free agent market at the start of the new league year is Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on Insider Trading that while Bunting “would love to remain” in Toronto there “have been no substantive negotiations” on a contract extension. Johnston adds that Bunting is “likely headed to the marketplace” where he could receive contract offers that exceed what the Maple Leafs are in a position to offer. Bunting, who will turn 28 in September, scored 23 goals and 49 points last season and established himself as a legitimate NHL scoring option in his time with Toronto.
- While the Vancouver Canucks made the decision not to pay Oliver Ekman-Larsson to play for them moving forward, it seems other teams on the open market will be more than happy to add the 902-game veteran to their lineup. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports on Insider Trading that Ekman-Larsson’s next contract “could be one year or as many as four years” in term, and won’t come at a bargain-bin rate simply because Ekman-Larsson is already owed money from Vancouver. Dreger adds that Ekman-Larsson would like to sign with a contending team, and he could be eyeing a trip to the free agent market similar to Ryan Suter‘s in 2021, when Suter landed a four-year $3.65MM AAV deal from the Dallas Stars.
Latest On Tyler Toffoli
Earlier today, we covered reports out of Calgary stating that several important Calgary Flames players, namely Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Mikael Backlund, were not planning to sign contract extensions to remain with the team beyond next season. Now, another name can be added to the list of likely-to-depart players: Tyler Toffoli.
DailyFaceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that Toffoli “plans on not re-signing in Calgary,” and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman adds “Calgary has made [Toffoli] available for trade.”
It’s another significant blow to the Flames’ hopes of Stanley Cup contention in the near future as the Flames are now readying for the possibility of trading their leading scorer from last season. Toffoli, 31, had a stellar 2022-23, setting a career-high of 34 goals and 73 points.
While he missed the postseason, the two-time Stanley Cup champion captained Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships, with his third-period snipe on German netminder Mattias Niederberger effectively clinching the trophy for his country.
But while Toffoli seems to still be in the prime of his career and on a team that won a playoff series just a year ago, these reports indicate that he’s likely to continue his career elsewhere. He’s set to cost $4.25MM against the cap for one more season before hitting unrestricted free agency, and given his exceptional form last season he’d likely be a coveted player on the trade market.
There happens to be a useful comparable to project a potential Toffoli trade this summer: the 2021 deal that sent Toffoli to Calgary. He was coming off of a season where he scored at a 44-goal 69-point pace with the Montreal Canadiens and net his team a first-round pick, a fifth-round pick, and a solid prospect in Emil Heineman.
While Toffoli only has one year of team control left on his contract compared to the two-and-a-half years left on his deal at the time of the last trade, his increased offensive production is likely what will keep his trade value high.
One would imagine Calgary would be looking for a first-round pick as a starting point for any Toffoli trade, though with players such as Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and MacKenzie Weegar already signed to long-term deals, it’s also feasible GM Craig Conroy might try to target NHL-ready players in return for Toffoli rather than draft compensation.
In any case, this news adds yet another challenge for Conroy to navigate in his first offseason as Brad Treliving’s successor in Calgary. It definitely isn’t an ideal situation for the franchise to be in, but thanks to Toffoli’s exceptional 2022-23 season the team could very well view trading the player as a valuable opportunity to improve the franchise’s long-term outlook rather than a difficult setback.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Bjork, Simashev, World Juniors
While former college hockey star Anders Bjork finished his season on a high note after a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring five points in his last four games and eight in 13 games overall, it seems Chicago won’t be issuing a qualifying offer. The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the Blackhawks “aren’t planning to give a qualifying offer,” though that “doesn’t mean the Blackhawks won’t necessarily re-sign” Bjork, just that they don’t want to issue a qualifying offer at a value of $1.8MM. (subscription link)
Set to turn 27 in August, Bjork spent most of last season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, the longest stretch he’d spent in the minor leagues in his career. He’d previously been mostly an NHL option, with AHL stretches limited to just a handful of games. He didn’t overwhelm with Rochester, scoring 25 points in 42 games, and was eventually traded to Chicago for future considerations. Bjork showed some life under head coach Luke Richardson in Chicago, and that solid run of eight points in 13 games should serve him well heading into the open market, even if he may not receive a contract at the same value as his qualifying offer.
Some other notes from across the NHL:
- Russian blueliner Dmitri Simashev was recently ranked 19th in Bob McKenzie’s final draft rankings of the cycle for TSN, though he could end up going even higher than that at the draft next week. As relayed by CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, Simashev’s agent Dan Milstein says 24 of the NHL’s 32 teams have asked for a meeting with Simashev at the draft in Nashville. He’s a rangy six-foot-four blueliner currently under contract in the KHL through 2024-25. He’s widely regarded as a high-upside prospect with tantalizing physical tools, and in a draft thinner on defenseman compared to forwards, Simashev could be a fast-rising prospect.
- Hockey Canada, the CHL, and the IIHF announced today that the 2025 World Junior Championships will be played in Ottawa, Ontario. The Senators’ home arena, Canadian Tire Centre, will serve as the event’s primary location with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s’ TD Place as the secondary venue. Canada has won three of the last four WJC events and will hope to take home the gold medal on their home turf just as they’ve done the past two events.
Boston Bruins Extend Brandon Bussi
The Boston Bruins have announced that they have re-signed netminder Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Per the announcement, the deal has a cap hit of $775,000.
According to CapFriendly, the contract has an AHL salary of $100,000 and contains total guarantees of $140,000.
Bussi is a fast-rising young goalie who was recently named to the AHL’s All-Rookie team after an exceptional first season as the leader of a three-person goalie group with the Providence Bruins.
Now 24, Bussi was originally a signing by the Bruins last March. He inked a one-year entry-level deal at an $825k cap hit, plucked from the college ranks after a strong final season at Western Michigan University.
He started all of Western Michigan’s games in 2021-22 and went 26-12-1 with a .912 save percentage. After leaving college he got an early taste of pro action with AHL Providence near the end of 2021-22 on an ATO, and went 3-2 with a .920 save percentage in five games. He actually began this year at the ECHL level as the Bruins already had Kyle Keyser and veteran Keith Kinkaid entrenched as Providence’s goalie tandem.
But Bussi quickly proved himself to be overqualified for the ECHL, immediately stopping 75 out of 80 shots in his first two starts. He earned a call-up in November and didn’t look back. He went 22-5-4 in the AHL with a .924 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against-average.
While NHL opportunities might be difficult to come by in Boston as the Bruins already have Vezina Trophy frontrunner Linus Ullmark and the talented Jeremy Swayman in their crease. But another brilliant AHL campaign could see Bussi be a player of interest for other clubs and a potential trade asset for the Bruins, or could even force the team to choose between Ullmark and Swayman in order to provide Bussi with the chance to become a part of an NHL tandem.
In any case, he now has his contract for next season and will likely pair with Keyser as Providence’s goalie tandem for next season.
Travis Green Reportedly Joining New Jersey Devils Coaching Staff
Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green is reportedly set to join the New Jersey Devils coaching staff under head coach Lindy Ruff, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’ll fill the role vacated by Andrew Brunette, who was hired by Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators to be their next head coach.
Per Friedman, Green chose New Jersey over a few other options, such as joining the coaching staff of either the Calgary Flames or Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Devils, Green will get the opportunity to coach a team bursting at the seams with young talent and high-end players.
The Devils took a major step forward this past season, defeating their arch-rival New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs and cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Metropolitan Division.
Their future looks bright, and it’s a future Green will now get to be a part of. Joining Ruff’s bench seems a wise choice for a coach likely looking to earn another chance to be an NHL bench boss.
The Devils look like a team that could soon contend for a Stanley Cup, and with one assistant already plucked from Ruff’s staff to be a head coach elsewhere it would be no surprise to see a future where teams come calling with interest in hiring Green.
In Brunette’s vacated role Green will be responsible for running the Devils power play. The Devils ranked 13th in the NHL with a 21.9% power play percentage, and Green will hope to improve that number next season.
There’s surely an opportunity for growth on a power play unit that boasts one of the league’s best offensive defensemen, Dougie Hamilton, alongside star forwards such as Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Green also has to be excited at the prospect of having Timo Meier, who the Devils acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a mid-season trade.
Vancouver’s power play ranked fourth in the NHL in 2019-20 under Green, and also managed a top-10 finish in 2017-18. But in both 2018-19 and 2020-21, Vancouver’s man advantage was outside the NHL’s top 20 and as head coach of the Utica Comets Green’s power play was never among the AHL’s best.
The most significant determinant of a power play unit’s success is personnel, of course, but Devils fans must nonetheless be excited by some of the high power play rankings on Green’s resume.
Green, 52, played nearly 1,000 games in his NHL playing career and was a head coach in Vancouver for nearly five seasons. While he dealt with some significant challenges and his tenure ultimately ended in disappointment, he did have his moments behind the bench for the Canucks.
He led them on a surprising playoff run in the Edmonton bubble in 2019-20, with his team nearly knocking off the Vegas Golden Knights to reach the Western Conference Final.
Now he’ll get his second chance to coach in the NHL, and it’s with an entirely new team.
He does have one notable connection to the Devils organization: their current AHL affiliate is the Comets, the team Green coached for four seasons and led to the Calder Cup Final in 2015 back when it was the affiliate of the Canucks. Now, the former Utica bench boss will get to coach a host of former Comets players in New Jersey.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Draft Notes: Canucks Draft Strategy, Canadiens, Sharks
As we get closer and closer to the 2023 NHL draft, more teams are putting the finishing touches on their draft lists and preparing the strategies they’ll take into next week’s hugely important event. One of the teams with a lot on the line is the Vancouver Canucks, who pick eleventh and are looking to add to their pipeline of young talent. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance wrote today that he’s “heard throughout the draft preparation process that positional need” will “loom large in Vancouver’s consideration” as they finalize their final draft list. (subscription link) The positions of need, according to Drance, are at center and at right-handed defenseman.
Drance also named several prospects he has “been hearing that the organization is high on” entering the draft, and are under consideration for the team’s top pick at #11 overall. Those players are WHL center Nate Danielson, Slovakian pivot Dalibor Dvorsky, Swedish right-shot blueliner Tom Willander, and OHL winger Colby Barlow. Three of those four prospects are centers or right-shot defensemen, so it does seem quite likely that the Canucks will end up spending their top pick on a player of either of those positions, though there is obviously room for a surprise selection just like at any NHL draft.
Some other notes about the draft from across the NHL:
- One of the top picks under a more significant media microscope leading into the draft is the Montreal Canadiens’ top pick at #5 overall. That’s because this draft is considered to have a clear top tier of four center prospects, meaning if each of the four teams ahead of Montreal chooses to select one of those pivots, the draft could truly open up at the fifth pick. Speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said “there’s a lot of teams that think if [the Canadiens] don’t get [USNTDP Center Will Smith] they’re taking Reinbacher,” meaning Austrian right-shot blueliner and projected top defensive prospect David Reinbacher. We previously covered reports that the Canadiens were “seriously considering” Reinbacher alongside Smith’s teammate Ryan Leonard, and now a key insider has added to those rumors of Montreal’s interest in Reinbacher.
- Also on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek spoke on the San Jose Sharks (owners of the fourth overall pick) stating “they want defensemen and they want goaltenders.” Marek wondered about the team’s interest level in Reinbacher, and whether that would lead to them trading down at the draft once again after doing so at last year’s event. It has already been reported that the Canadiens are “aggressively” looking to move up in the draft, so perhaps based on this report a potential one-spot pick swap that would secure the Sharks Reinbacher and the Canadiens Smith could be in play. It must be noted, though, that it is incredibly rare for top-five picks to change hands, so the more likely scenario is always that each team simply picks from the pool of players left available to them.
Blue Jackets Notes: Third Overall Pick, Coaching Staff, Voronkov
With phenom Connor Bedard effectively a lock to go first overall to the Chicago Blackhawks and Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli widely expected to be pick number two, many believe that the first pick with major intrigue at the draft later this month is the third pick, held by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus has long sought after a star number-one center, and with this third pick they have an excellent opportunity to draft a player who can fill that role.
According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, that’s exactly what they’re going to do. Portzline writes: “We know this much: the Blue Jackets will spend the No. 3 pick on a center.” (subscription link) While there is always room for a surprise, the two players widely expected to be available for the team to select are Orebro HK’s Leo Carlsson and Boston College commit Will Smith. It seems likely that Columbus will end up with one of those two players, and it’s difficult to go wrong picking either one. Carlsson was extremely impressive playing largely at left wing for Orebro, scoring 25 points in 44 regular-season games and nine in 13 playoff games. He also showed well at the IIHF Men’s World Championships, serving as Sweden’s first-line center. Their other expected option, Smith, is an extremely intelligent player who plays the style of a deceptive and creative playmaking center. Operating in between two other top prospects (Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perrault) Smith had one of the most productive seasons in U.S. National Team Development Program history. So while we may not know exactly who Columbus will draft in 10 days, we do know they’re going to get an impactful center prospect.
Some other notes about the Blue Jackets:
- Portzline also reported today that the Blue Jackets are expected to retain the assistant coaches they had under former coach Brad Larsen to fill the staff of reported new head coach Mike Babcock. Those assistants are Pascal Vincent, who was a candidate for the team’s head coaching job in their past two searches, Steve McCarthy, Kenny McCudden, and Jared Boll. They each have one year remaining on their contracts with Columbus, according to Portzline.
- One last bit of information from Portzline’s piece today regards center Dmitri Voronkov, who the team signed to an entry-level deal in May. Per Portzline, Voronkov’s contract contains a stipulation that would allow him to “return to Russia if he’s not on the Blue Jackets roster by the end of December.” The hope is, of course, that the 22-year-old Voronkov can seize an NHL job in training camp and make an instant impact in Columbus. He had an impressive final season in the KHL with 26 goals and 43 points in 78 combined regular season and playoff games. But if he can’t manage to hold down a spot in Babcock’s lineup and ends up playing with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters by the end of 2023, we now know he’ll have the option to head back to Russia.