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Buffalo Sabres Win 2021 NHL Draft Lottery

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For the final time for the foreseeable future, all non-playoff teams were eligible to win the first overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery. Beginning in 2022, a team can only move up a maximum of ten spots, meaning the teams who finish No. 12 through No. 16 in the final league standings cannot move high enough to take over the top pick. The stage was set for a climactic send-off for the old format.

Well, the lottery balls decided not to take a crazy bounce in their last opportunity to move a team from the middle of the first round all the way to the top. Instead, the draft order stayed virtually the same. The Buffalo Sabres, who held the worst record in the NHL this season and thus the top odds in the lottery, retained the No. 1 pick. The expansion Seattle Kraken, awarded the same odds as the third-worst record in the league, moved up one spot, switching places with the Anaheim Ducks. New this year, there were only two lottery draws as opposed to the former three. Here is the official first-round draft order for the top 15 picks:

  1. Buffalo Sabres
  2. Seattle Kraken
  3. Anaheim Ducks
  4. New Jersey Devils
  5. Columbus Blue Jackets
  6. Detroit Red Wings
  7. San Jose Sharks
  8. Los Angeles Kings
  9. Vancouver Canucks
  10. Ottawa Senators
  11. Chicago Blackhawks
  12. Calgary Flames
  13. Philadelphia Flyers
  14. Dallas Stars
  15. New York Rangers

(As a reminder, the Arizona Coyotes forfeited their first-round pick this years as discipline for scouting violations)

This will be the second time in four years that the Buffalo Sabres will pick first overall after selecting Rasmus Dahlin at the top spot in 2018. It also means that two teams, the Sabres and New Jersey Devils, will have owned the first pick in four of the past five drafts. The two clubs are happy that the NHL’s new rule limiting teams to two lottery wins in a five-year span kicks in next year with a clean slate. Incredibly, the Sabres lottery win also further advances the mythology of Taylor Hall. Although Hall is now with the Boston Bruins, this is the fifth time in Hall’s career that his most recent team eligible for the draft lottery has won. A No. 1 overall pick himself, Hall has brought luck to the Edmonton Oilers, Devils, and now Sabres.

Perhaps bigger news than Buffalo at No. 1 is Seattle at No. 2, a major opportunity for the Kraken to draft a player who is ready to join the team in their inaugural season. The Vegas Golden Knights, with the same odds in the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery, fell to No. 6 overall and drafted Cody Glass, who has still yet to establish himself as a regular in the Vegas lineup. With the second pick, Seattle will have better odds of adding an instant difference-maker.

The 2021 NHL Draft is unique compared to recent years in that there is no consensus top prospect. In fact, it is difficult to remember a draft class in recent memory that is so undecided at the top. One major factor has been the lack of complete scouting due to canceled and shortened seasons and limited live viewings. However, even with complete information, there is still seemingly no prospect that stands heads above the rest. University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers are largely considered the top players at each position and the two most likely candidates for the top pick, with Power having a slight lead according to draft pundits. However, current teammate Kent Johnson and Wolverines commit Luke Hughes, a forward and defenseman respectively, are also in the mix. Canadian junior standouts Mason McTavish, Dylan Guenther, and Brandt Clarke and European pros William Eklund and Simon Edvinsson may also be in play.

Offseason Checklist: Los Angeles Kings

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The offseason has arrived with roughly half of the league finished up after missing the playoffs.  It’s time to examine what those teams need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Los Angeles.

The rebuild has been in full effect for the Kings lately as they’ve missed the playoffs in three straight seasons while carrying one of the lowest payrolls in the league as they attempted to integrate several young players into their lineup with mixed results.  GM Rob Blake has done well in terms of stockpiling quality young talent (particularly down the middle) but his veteran core, led by Drew Doughty, are hoping to see some win-now moves made.  With their cap flexibility closing as their young players come off their entry-level deals, the time is right for Los Angeles to try to strike and accordingly, several items on their offseason checklist revolve around that idea.

Leverage Cap Space

This will be a common theme for the few teams that have cap room.  The Kings have a little more than $20MM in space for next season and perhaps even more notably, few free agents of consequence (more on one of those later).  While they have several contracts to hand out, some of those will be of the relatively cheap variety so they will have the ability to make a splash or two if they so desire.  They’ll be a team to watch for in free agency or on the trade market as a result.

Defensive Upgrades

Doughty has been a fixture on the back end for Los Angeles for 13 years and with six years left on his contract that briefly was the richest for a defenseman in NHL history, it’s safe to say he’s going to be there for a while yet.  However, while there are some supporting pieces in place, they don’t have the deepest of back ends and the rest of their players combined basically make what Doughty does ($11MM).

Matt Roy and Sean Walker have emerged as capable pieces but while both are signed for at least three more years, they’re more ideally suited to the bottom half of the depth chart.  Michael Anderson had a nice rookie year and has top-four upside, a projection that could also be extended to Tobias Bjornfot though he is a little further away from getting there.  They should be part of the picture for a while as well.

The depth thins out after that, however.  Olli Maatta didn’t have a great year and considering he was brought in as a cap dump from Chicago, it’s unlikely that he’s part of their long-term plans.  Kale Clague heads up a list of secondary prospects that could make it as role players.

At a minimum, one impact blueliner needs to be added to push most of their current ones down a spot on the depth chart to a more optimal position.  Doughty has been a workhorse for many years now and logged more than 26 minutes a night again this season.  But he’s 31 and can’t keep doing it alone for much longer.  His request for Blake to add help is certainly understandable and he probably wouldn’t mind one bit if that help came at his position.

Determine Athanasiou’s Future

Last fall, one of the more intriguing non-tender decisions revolved around winger Andreas Athanasiou.  Edmonton had just paid two draft picks for him at the trade deadline and needed to decide whether or not to tender a $3MM offer.  They didn’t and he eventually landed in Los Angeles.  The decision point is much lower this time around – $1.2MM – but the same question exists thanks to his arbitration eligibility.

Statistically speaking, it was a decent season for the 26-year-old.  He had 10 goals and 13 assists in 47 games, good enough to finish sixth on the team in scoring.  Extrapolated to a full season, that’s not far off a 20-goal pace which for $1.2MM is solid value.  If it wasn’t for his ability to file for arbitration, this would be a no-brainer decision.

But he can file which makes things a lot harder.  Given the fact that he was making $3MM just a year ago and has a recent 30-goal season under his belt from the 2018-19 campaign, there’s a strong likelihood that his camp will come in with a proposed contract even higher than that.  Yes, it’s a different system from MLB in that an arbitrator doesn’t pick one number or the other but they often wind up close to the midpoint so even with the Kings coming in closer to the $1.5MM range, the midpoint where the deal would be more likely to fall might be higher than they’re comfortable going to.

As a result, this feels like a situation where there will need to be a concerted effort to get a deal done before the qualifying offer deadline.  Athanasiou did well enough to earn a bit of a raise even in this marketplace but after not garnering a lot of interest on the open market (it took until late December for him to get this deal just as training camps were starting), sticking around with Los Angeles seems like a good idea for him.

Add Top-Six Wingers

Despite their poor finish, the Kings are in good shape down the middle.  Anze Kopitar is still signed for three more years while Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Gabriel Vilardi, and Rasmus Kupari are all recent first-rounders.  That’s a nice core to build around.

They aren’t anywhere near as deep on the wings, however.  Alex Iafallo’s new four-year deal kicks in for 2021-22 so he’s one piece of the puzzle.  After that, there aren’t any long-term pieces.  Dustin Brown has had a bit of a late-career resurgence but he’s entering the final year of his contract next season and at 36, he’s not going to be around for much longer.  Adrian Kempe, a former center, is better suited on the third line than the top six.  The rest of their current roster are role players or question marks.

Some of the young centers may wind up on the wing and players like Arthur Kaliyev should be part of their future plans but that’s a short-term solution.  If they’re going to add and use that cap space this summer, they’ll need to go outside the organization.  Fortunately for Blake, there are options in free agency and with some teams needing to make cap-shedding trades this summer, there will be several upgrades available and it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or two of them in a Kings uniform next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Kings Sign Vladimir Tkachyov

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The Kings have dipped their toes into the international free agent waters, announcing the signing of winger Vladimir Tkachyov to a one-year, entry-level contract.  The deal is worth $832.5K in salary, per the team. PuckPedia reports that the deal also includes up to $850K in Schedule “A” performance bonuses.

The 25-year-old is coming off a strong season in the KHL, leading SKA St. Petersburg in scoring with 38 points in 45 regular season games while chipping in with eight more in 11 playoff contests.  He has been a productive player in his seven-year KHL career, recording 185 points in 254 games.

If the name sounds familiar, Edmonton signed Tkachyov back in 2014 following the draft.  However, that deal was rejected by the league after he was ruled ineligible for a free agent contract after spending part of the 2013-14 campaign in Russia before joining Moncton of the QMJHL.  He spent one more year with the Wildcats and then returned home despite receiving more NHL interest at that time.  Several teams have shown interest in him over the years as his contracts in Russia expired but he has decided that now is the optimal time to take a chance at playing in the NHL.

Tkachyov should push for a roster spot with the Kings next season and is experienced enough internationally that he could conceivably hold a middle-six role fairly quickly.  Los Angeles will be able to get a look at what he can provide and if they like what they see, they’ll be able to control his rights as a restricted free agent through the 2022-23 season.

Snapshots: Ducks, Kings, Desruisseaux

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The Anaheim Ducks will not be making any changes at the general manager or head coaching positions, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Ducks GM Bob Murray indicated today that both he and Dallas Eakins will return for the 2021-22 season, despite the struggles the team has gone through on the ice. The team finished 17-30-9 on the season but do have some nice building blocks in young players like Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.

Eakins, who now has an 82-126-32 record as an NHL head coach, is only signed through next season. With the team going through a rebuild, it seems as though he may end up being the sacrificial coach before a more experienced or successful name is brought in to really compete. Of course, if the Ducks turn things around and make the playoffs next year that could all change.

  • The Los Angeles Kings have made four additions to their hockey operations staff hiring Ryan Kruse as Vice President of Research and Development, Jake Goldberg as Senior Director of Hockey Operations, Vukie Mpofu as Manager of Hockey Operations, and Legal Affairs and Rosie Yu as Software Engineer for Research and Development. The group has a varied history, but in terms of NHL experience, Goldberg is coming from the Arizona Coyotes where he served as Director of Hockey Operations and Assistant to the General Manager.
  • The Laval Rocket have announced a one-year, two-way minor league contract for Cedric Desruisseaux, who will join the club for the 2021-22 season. Though he stands only 5’8″ 165-lbs, Desruisseaux dominated the QMJHL this season, recording 42 goals and 78 points in 40 games. That easily led the league in both categories, though the undrafted 21-year-old will have a much tougher time putting up those kinds of numbers in professional hockey. Still, he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in the Rocket organization.

Alexander Dergachyov Traded In KHL

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  • Kings prospect forward Alexander Dergachyov has been traded to Avangard Omsk, the KHL team announced. Going the other way to Vityaz Podolsk is none other than current Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington, as well as minor league forward Alexander Yaremchuk. Kylington, 24, is of course playing in North America, but as a restricted free agent this off-season following a campaign in which he was used very sparingly, perhaps the Swedish blue liner will be intrigued by the opportunity to move the KHL. On the flip side, the 24-year-old Dergachyov was a fifth-round pick of Los Angeles back in 2015 (74th overall) but hasn’t opted to sign with the team yet, instead preferring to remain at home.  He signed a two-year contract with Omsk following the trade, so any move to L.A. will have to wait a while longer.

Anaheim Ducks Hire Jeff Solomon As Assistant GM, VP Of Hockey Ops

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A name well known to NHL hockey in Southern California is on the move, but isn’t going far. Long-time Los Angeles Kings executive Jeff Solomon has joined his former team’s most bitter rival. The Anaheim Ducks have formally announced Solomon as their new Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Hockey Operations. He fills the position left behind by the recently-retired David McNab. Solomon served as VP of Hockey Ops (later Senior VP and Executive VP) over 14 years across town with the Kings.

Solomon, 63, has spent 35 years in hockey, first as an agent and then with L.A. since 2007. His role with the Ducks will be very similar to how he served the Kings. Solomon will work primarily in “strategic budget planning”, managing the salary cap, negotiating contracts, and handling salary arbitration proceedings. Of course, Solomon will also have some input into player evaluations and personnel decisions.

A long-time Californian, Solomon oversaw two Stanley Cups ins L.A. but is now on to a new challenge in Anaheim. Whereas the Kings have considerable cap space heading into the off-season, the Ducks are more limited with only 15 regulars under contract, a number of restricted free agents in need of new contracts, and $22.555MM to add a much-needed boost of talent to the roster. With that said, Solomon also enters a situation where the organization has budding stars at forward and defense in Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, a deep pipeline at all positions, and a guaranteed top-four pick this year. His job of managing the cap will be made much easier if the Ducks impressive group of entry-level players all take a step forward next season.

 

Jonathan Quick To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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After another disappointing season, both personally and for his team, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is wasting no time with getting a start on his preparation for next year. According to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman, Quick is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday. GM Rob Blake states that Quick will be ready for training camp and the start of the regular season.

Ironically, Quick’s shoulder is a separate ailment from the one that kept him out the final weeks of the Kings’ season. Quick suffered a rib injury on May 3 and this is the issue that prevented him from returning to action at the end of the year. Instead, Blake notes that the shoulder surgery is to fix “wear and tear over the years.” This is potentially good news for Kings fans, as Quick’s underwhelming performance has spanned the past three years, not just 2020-21. Correctly a lingering injury as opposed to a recent issue is more of a proactive move to improve rather than a reactive move merely to keep playing. Perhaps a refreshed shoulder could lead to return to form for the 35-year-old, a multi-time Jennings Trophy winner, All-Star, and Stanley Cup-winning starter.

Interestingly, especially given that Quick receiving fewer starts than Calvin Petersen even before his late-season injury, the veteran was recently named by franchise icon Drew Doughty as still being part of L.A.’s aging “core”, who Doughty believes deserve to be surrounded by superior talent. Quick may have had a better record than Petersen this season at 11-9-2 and even had a slightly better goals against average, but the younger member of the tandem had a substantially better save percentage and simply passed the eye test more often. While to the outside observer it may seem like Quick’s play over the past few years and Petersen’s presence no longer make him a key player for the Kings, there at least seems to be some internal belief that the long-time netminder is still a top option in net and a key member of the roster. A healthy Quick to begin the 2021-22 campaign could be on a mission to prove his teammates right and to return himself and his team to relevance.

Doughty Wants The Kings To Make Win-Now Moves

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When Drew Doughty inked his then record-setting eight-year, $88MM contract, he wasn’t signing up for a rebuild but that’s what the Kings have been doing lately.  Speaking with reporters in an end-of-season media conference (video link), the veteran called on GM Rob Blake to make some significant additions to the roster this summer:

Doughty is certainly correct in that the Kings have ample cap room; per CapFriendly, as they have a little over $20MM in space with no high-priced players to re-sign.  That’s one of the benefits of having a roster that features several prospects on low-priced entry-level deals and as those will be getting expensive quicker, the time to strike for win-now veterans may very well be in the coming months.

Minor Transactions: 05/10/21

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With three of the four major European leagues having wrapped up their postseasons and the NHL and AHL winding down their regular seasons, there are a vast number of players now looking ahead to next season. While most players under contract in North America are still months away from free agency, there are many overseas that are free to move and decide on the next step in their careers. Here are some of those recent moves with NHL implications:

  • A pair of notable forward prospects have found their new home for the next several seasons. Liiga club KalPa has announced multi-year contracts with 2020 draft picks Kasper Simontaival and Jaromir Pytlik. Simontaival, a third-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings, is no stranger to the Finnish pros. The local product has spent time in the Liiga with Tappara over the past few years, but is seemingly looking to move on from his developmental club. Simontaival appears willing to take his time developing at home, signing a three-year deal with KalPa, but has already shown some potential NHL-caliber offensive skill. Pytlik, a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, is new to Finland but just eager to play after waiting for the OHL all season, only playing in a handful of international tournament games and Czech second-tier games. The big, two-way forward has signed a two-year deal with KalPa and will look to contribute in all scenarios for the club.
  • 2021 NHL Draft prospect Fyodor Svechkov has been traded in the KHL, or rather sold. Lada Togliatti announced today that they have moved their young standout to powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg in exchange for “monetary compensation.” Svechkov signed a three-year extension with Lada before this season, meaning SKA will have him under contract through the 2022-23 season. Given his draft stock, that may be all they get. Svechkov is projected by many to be a first-round pick this summer and helped his case by dominating the Russian junior and minor league ranks this season. The skilled and versatile forward could be an early selection that a team may want to rush to North America as soon as possible. SKA will have to find a spot in their veteran roster for Svechkov sooner rather than later if they want to maximize their investment.
  • Has Igor Bobkov had enough of dominating the KHL? The Gagarin Cup-winning goaltender has been granted a contract termination by the recently-crowned champions, Avangard Omsk announced. A well-respected and well-compensated KHL netminder, it stands to reason that this move likely points toward Bobkov giving the NHL another shot. A 2009 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Bobkov spent two seasons in the OHL and three seasons in the pros, split between the AHL and ECHL. Unhappy with his role and trajectory, Bobkov returned to Russia in 2015. Since then, he has become a three-time KHL All-Star with a career .923 save percentage and 2.09 GAA, including a GAA of 2.01 or lower in each of the past three seasons. The 30-year-old is one of, if not the best goalie in the KHL right now and could be eyeing a return to the NHL with a more established resume and plenty of gas in the tank.

Dustin Brown Out Rest Of Season

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The Los Angeles Kings are technically still alive in the West Division playoff race, but will have to complete the final five games of the season without Dustin Brown. The veteran forward has been ruled out for the rest of the year with an upper-body injury he suffered earlier in the year. The Kings released a statement indicating that he will “continue to undergo treatment and rehabilitation.”

Brown, 36, has had a very strong season for the Kings, scoring 17 goals and 31 points in 49 games. That matches the goal total he had last year in 66 games and actually leads the kings, three ahead of Adrian Kempe. He was part of both wins against the Arizona Coyotes this week that kept the Kings’ playoff hopes alive, playing 17:41 on Wednesday. That will end up being his last appearance of at least the regular season.

The Kings, who sit at 21-24-6 on the season, are eight points back of the St. Louis Blues with five games left, meaning they likely won’t make the playoffs for a third consecutive season. The team hasn’t had a winning record since 2017-18, John Stevens’ only full year as head coach. Brown has been effective but will turn 37 in November and has just one year left on his current contract, meaning the end of his time in Los Angeles is coming soon, one way or another.

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