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Bode Wilde Commits To The University Of Michigan

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The Michigan-based U.S. National Development Program may see an uptick in attendance for their games this season. Bode Wilde, the U-18 team’s top defenseman, announced that he will be taking his talents to the University of Michigan, in nearby Ann Arbor, for the 2018-19 season beyond. Wilde is a top 2018 NHL Draft prospect, and if that wasn’t enough of a draw, fans of the Maize and Blue will likely be looking to get a preview of their incoming talent.

Wilde, 17, was born in Canada – Montreal to be exact – but has lived almost all of his life in the United States. At 6’2″, 194-lbs. and still growing, the physical, puck-moving blue liner has the potential to be the first American taken next June. He posted 19 points in 56 games with the USNTDP U-17 team last year and put on a show at the U-17 World Junior Championships, netting six points in five games. Wilde has good offensive ability and is a strong skater, but also plays with an edge and isn’t afraid to sit back and dominate the defensive zone. He has a powerful shot, but is just as likely to throw his weight into a check on the penalty kill as he is into a slapper on the power play.

A well-rounded prospect with room to grow in the NCAA, Wilde is a truly intriguing prospect. Yet, he faces some stiff competition if he wants to be the “first” anything in the 2018 NHL Draft. It seems extremely unlikely that Wilde could be the first defenseman taken in June, given that Swedish phenom Rasmus Dahlin has long been considered the odds-on favorite to go #1 overall. For Wilde to be the first American, he would have to hold off the likes of USNTDP teammate Joel Farabee, a talented scoring forward, and Boston University freshman Brady Tkachuk, a big, game-changing winger like his father and brother. Heck, Wilde even faces a challenge to be the first Michigan-bound player taken, as teammate and fellow blue liner Mattias Samuelsson commited to the school long ago and is also considered a first-round talent.

Regardless of when Wilde is selected in the draft, Wolverine fans will be happy to have him in Ann Arbor. The school already had sophomore rearguard Luke Martin selected in the second round by the Carolina Hurricanes last year and brought in San Jose Sharks first-rounder Joshua Norris as well. With Wilde, Samuelsson, and yet another promising defenseman, 2019 draft-eligible Michael Vukojevic, coming soon, they are building quite a program in Ann Arbor.

If you’re looking to check out Bode Wilde or any of his talented teammates on the U.S. Development Team this year, you’re in luck if you live in the Great Lakes region or near any of their frequent NCAA stops. Check out this year’s schedule.

NHL Snapshots: Dallas Stars, Zadorov, Butcher

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As announced yesterday, the Dallas Stars will host the 2018 NHL Entry Draft at American Airlines Arena on June 22-23. One key reason they received the honor, according to NHL.com’s Sean Shapiro, is that 2018 will mark the team’s 25th anniversary in Dallas and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the way the team has successfully built a hockey community is a main reason for get awarded with the draft.

“I think they’ve done a fabulous job over the 25 years they’ve been here,” Daly said. “The Stars organization has led the way in turning a non-traditional hockey market into a hockey market. Your involvement in promoting and supporting youth hockey in the greater Dallas area comes from rink initiatives and sponsoring youth hockey teams. It’s not only inspiring, but it’s a model that all NHL clubs in non-traditional markets aspire to.”

Stars CEO and president Jim Lites said it has been a two-year commitment to get the draft to come to Dallas. The team has worked hard this year to get back into the playoff picture after a down year for their 25th anniversary. They have hired coach Ken Hitchcock, traded for goaltender Ben Bishop and defenseman Marc Methot and signed several key free agents, including Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal.

  • Adrian Dater of BSN Denver, writes that it is highly unlikely that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov will return to the KHL next year when his contract is up. Dater writes that the defensive defenseman and Colorado are less and $1MM apart in negotations and believes the Avalanche wouldn’t let the future restricted free agent leave over that little money. Zadorov, who was the key piece in the Ryan O’Reilly trade two years ago, played 56 games last year for the Avalanche and had 10 assists.
  • Joe Haggerty of CSNNE writes the Bruins, who are well-known for going after top college talent, should not consider signing Hobey Baker Award winner Will Butcher. The defenseman, who will become a free agent if he doesn’t sign with Colorado before Aug. 15, is likely to receive multiple offers. However, Haggerty writes that the team doesn’t need another undersized, unproven player on their defense since they already have Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy on the roster.

NHL Snapshots: Ennis, 2018 NHL Draft, Minor Signings

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The Minnesota Wild didn’t make too many changes to a team that finished with 106 points in the Western Conference last season. However, one major move was to move defenseman Marco Scandella and veteran Jason Pominville to Buffalo for Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis. While the team has high hopes for the 25-year-old Foligno, still a restricted free agent, could have a breakout year and he has predicted a 20-goal season, the team is even more focused on Ennis returning to form.

Ennis, who has battled the injury bug for the last two years has only played in 74 games during that time. Last year, he missed time due to groin surgery and only played in 51 games. Before those injuries, the 27-year-old wing scored 41 goals in two seasons between 2013-15. However, since then, he has tallied just eight goals. NBC Sports Adam Gretz writes that Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau has high expectations for Ennis this year and believes that if Ennis can remain healthy, he expects to see a resurgence like the one that veteran Eric Staal did last year.

Staal scored 28 goals last year for the Wild a year after he was coming off a lackluster 13-goal season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers. Yet Boudreau believes Ennis could duplicate that kind of comeback performance in Minnesota.

“Tyler Ennis, I’ve seen and talked to and met,” Boudreau said. “I don’t want to put pressure on him, but three years ago, he was a great player in this league. He’s missed 90 games in the last two years due to injury. If we can keep him healthy, I think he’s going to have a rebound year like Eric Staal had. I’m very excited about having him. In our top-9 forwards, I think we’re as strong as anybody in the league.”

Of course Ennis’ personal high is 21 goals, and while he has hit 20 goals three times in his career, it’s unlikely to see Staal-like numbers.

  • The Dallas Stars tweeted they will host the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center next season on June 22-23. It was held this year in Las Vegas.
  • The Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL team of the Arizona Coyotes, signed three more players along with the reported signing of Ryan Culkin earlier today. The minor league affiliate also inked goaltender Michael Houser and wingers Scott Allen and Trevor Cheek, according to SB Nation. Houser played most of last season with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones finishing with a 2.58 GAA in 41 games. Allen played 57 games for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and finished with eight goals and 11 assists, while Cheek split time between both the AHL and the ECHL.

Top 2018 Draft Picks That Have Already Been Traded

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About 11 months from now, 31 NHL general managers will come together in a room with thousands of people watching and select the next group of young players destined to make it to the professional ranks. The 2018 NHL Entry Draft will be a huge event, mostly because of the elite talent that will be available at the top.

Without a clear consensus on the top pick so far, the next year will be extremely interesting to watch for prospect hounds. Andrei Svechnikov, Rasmus Dahlin, Joe Veleno, Quinn Hughes and others all have incredible talent, and could push for the top spot with a big year (and perhaps a growth spurt or two). Like this year, we could also see a relative outsider like Nico Hischier fly up the ranks to take over the top spot by draft day. One thing is for sure though, that there is plenty of talent to find in the first round and beyond at next year’s draft.

It has already been clear that teams don’t want to give up their 2018 draft picks, as we saw with the collection of selections acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights. They have multiple second-round picks in 2019 and 2020, but couldn’t secure an extra top pick in 2018. That said, there have already been many transactions that have moved picks around. Here are the teams that have acquired extra picks in the first three rounds of the 2018 draft (key player traded in parentheses).

Arizona Coyotes:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Minnesota Wild (Hanzal)

Detroit Red Wings:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick (OTT) from New York Rangers (Smith)

Florida Panthers:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Arizona Coyotes (Crouse)

Minnesota Wild:

Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from Buffalo Sabres (Scandella)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from Vegas Golden Knights (Tuch)

Montreal Canadiens:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Chicago Blackhawks (Weise)

New York Islanders:

Acquired 2018 1st-round pick from Calgary Flames (Hamonic)
Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from Calgary Flames (Hamonic)

Philadelphia Flyers:

Acquired conditional 2018 1st-round from St. Louis Blues (Schenn)

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Acquired conditional 2018 2nd-round pick (WSH) from Montreal Canadiens (Drouin)

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick from San Jose Sharks (Polak)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick from San Jose Sharks (Reimer)

Washington Capitals:

Acquired 2018 2nd-round pick (FLA) from New Jersey Devils (Johansson)
Acquired 2018 3rd-round pick (TOR) from New Jersey Devils (Johansson)

Best Players Available On Day Two Of NHL Draft

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Two of the biggest slides in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft belonged to Eeli Tolvanen and Klim Kostin. Tolvanen, a Finnish winger ranked #17 by International Scouting Services, was regarded as one of the top offensive talents of the draft thanks to his heavy shot and great speed. However, recent news that Boston College admissions turned him down for 2017-18 enrollment coupled with concerns over his lack of any defensive ability sent him tumbling. Kostin, a big winger from Russia ranked #16 by International Scouting Services, fell victim to the “Russian factor” as well as a lack of a 2016-17 resume due to injury, which overshadowed his potential to be an elite power forward. Both players were considered likely top ten picks at one point, but for a while looked like they would drop out of the first round. Unfortunately for the lowly teams at the top of the second round, Tolavanen was selected by the Nashville Predators at #30 and the St. Louis Blues traded up to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ final first round slot at #31 and took Kostin. So who is still available? Here are the ten best prospects remaining on Day Two:

Nicolas Hague
Position: Left Defense
Team: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
ISS Ranking: #18
Scouting Report: The closest thing to a top-pair shutdown defenseman in this draft, Hague will never be a smooth-skating puck-mover at the NHL level, but possesses the defensive instincts and vision to dominate the defensive zone. At 6’6″, 214-lbs. already, Hague is a big kid who will fill out into a monster on the back end, equipped with a long reach and powerful checking ability. He also packs a punch with his slap shot.

Isaac Ratcliffe
Position: Left Wing
Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)
ISS Ranking: #22
Scouting Report: At 6’5″, 203-lbs., Ratcliffe is bigger than any player selected in the first round, nevertheless forward. However, don’t let the size deceive you; Ratcliffe is a powerful skater and has great hands for someone of his stature. He simply has a lot of frame to fill out before he can put it all together and be an elite power forward.

Kole Lind
Position: Right Wing
Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
ISS Ranking: #24
Scouting Report: Lind is not a flashy, high-skill player, but he is consistent and efficient. Equipped with one of the more accurate shots in this draft class, Lind puts in the effort, wins battles, and puts up points. He has the ability to be a solid albeit unexciting top-six forward down the road.

Conor Timmins
Position: Right Defense
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
ISS Ranking: #29
Scouting Report: After a run on talented, two-way defenseman in Round One, Timmins is still on the board. A top-end puck-mover who can start the rush, make a great outlet pass, and more-or-less play mistake-free transition defense, Timmins offensive ability is unquestioned. He is an asset on the power play and capable of playing major even strength minutes. However, concerns remain about his compete level and reluctance to play physically and set the tone of the game.

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Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Ben Chiarot

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The Winnipeg Jets were professional multi-taskers last night. Not long after drafting Kristian Vesalainen 24th overall in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, the “True North” locked up one of their own in defenseman Ben Chiarot. Renaud Lavoie of TVA reported the extension close at close to 11 PM CT in Chicago, as the Jets’ brass were working into the wee hours of the night. Chiarot, an impending restricted free agent, will return for two more years at $1.4MM per season.

Winnipeg has already been masterful this season at keeping their defense intact. They first convinced veteran Toby Enstrom to waive his No-Movement Clause, allowing him to be exposed in Wednesday’s Expansion Draft so that Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Jacob Trouba could be protected. Then, upon hearing rumors that the Vegas Golden Knights were considering selecting Enstrom, the Jets struck a deal to move down 13 spots in the NHL Draft, swapping their #13 overall pick with Columbus’ #24 overall pick, which Vegas had already acquired. Now, having survived Expansion with all of their top-four defenseman, Winnipeg has locked up their #5 at a reasonable rate over the next two years of the 26-year-old’s career. With youngster Josh Morrissey  and veteran Mark Stuart also in the fold, it seem that the Jets will enter free agency next week with a solid seven on the blue line and no need for concern.

Chiarot, a big stay-at-home defenseman, also put up a career-high 12 points in Winnipeg last year. In 59 games, the 6’3″, 219-lb. blue liner registered two goals and ten assists, all at even strength. While Chiarot may not be an asset on the power play, he is one of the team’s top penalty killers. Chiarot can check and block shots very well, though the Jets wouldn’t mind if he did more of both. They have two more years to work on rounding out the still-developing defender’s game before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2019. Don’t be surprised to see Chiarot on a short leash over the course of this new contract, as Winnipeg already sports strong depth on defense with top prospects Logan Stanley and Luke Green on their way up sooner rather than later as well.

Morning Notes: Dahlin, NWHL, Weal

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Rasmus Dahlin is the early favorite to go first-overall in the 2018 NHL Entry draft, and he’s about to skip another step in his outstanding young hockey career. According to Uffe Bodin of Hockeysverige, the 17-year old Swedish defenseman will skip the Ivan Hlinka U18 tournament and instead join team Sweden at the U20 tournament. Dahlin played last year in the Hlinka and the World Junior Championship, and will be all over the prospect circuit again this year as he tries to clinch that top spot.

A prototypical two-way defenseman, Dahlin has the size, physicality and offensive upside that makes him a dream for whichever team gets the chance to choose him next season. Likely battling with Andrei Svechnikov for the top spot, Dahlin should be seen with franchise-altering upside. He’ll be tracked carefully for the next year.

  • The NWHL has reached a streaming agreement with Twitter to show select games next season, bringing the women’s league to the forefront for the first time. Their games have previously been available to stream on the internet, but they’ll obviously be on a much bigger platform with Twitter for the next season. Last year the Buffalo Beauts took home the Isobel Cup, and just re-signed Corinne Buie the only woman to have won the Cup both years of the league’s existence. She seems to bring victory with her wherever she goes, winning a Clarkson Cup in her last season in the CWHL as well.
  • Tim Panaccio of CSN reports that agent J.P. Barry has spoken to Vegas about all the free agents he represents, mentioning Jordan Weal in particular. Weal is a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, and though there have been contract talks between his camp and the Flyers to try and keep him around, he’s unprotected and could easily be a target of the Golden Knights in the free agency period. After playing well down the stretch with the Flyers and putting up another outstanding AHL season, Weal is determined to make an impact at the NHL level next season.

Official Entry Draft Order Released

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The NHL released the official order of selections for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Thursday, highlighted by the New Jersey Devils selecting first overall. The first round of the draft will be held on Friday, June 23rd in Chicago, with rounds 2-7 following the next day. The entire list can be found here, but as for the first round it will look like this:

  1. New Jersey Devils
  2. Philadelphia Flyers
  3. Dallas Stars
  4. Colorado Avalanche
  5. Vancouver Canucks
  6. Vegas Golden Knights
  7. Arizona Coyotes
  8. Buffalo Sabres
  9. Detroit Red Wings
  10. Florida Panthers
  11. Los Angeles Kings
  12. Carolina Hurricanes
  13. Winnipeg Jets
  14. Tampa Bay Lightning
  15. New York Islanders
  16. Calgary Flames
  17. Toronto Maple Leafs
  18. Boston Bruins
  19. San Jose Sharks
  20. St. Louis Blues
  21. New York Rangers
  22. Edmonton Oilers
  23. Arizona Coyotes (from Minnesota)
  24. Columbus Blue Jackets
  25. Montreal Canadiens
  26. Chicago Blackhawks
  27. St. Louis Blues (from Washington)
  28. Ottawa Senators
  29. Dallas Stars (from Anaheim)
  30. Nashville Predators
  31. Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s important to note that the lottery results do not affect rounds 2-7, thus giving Colorado the #32 pick. The Vegas Golden Knights will be given the third pick in each round held on Saturday.

Final Draft Order Set

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After the 2017 Stanley Cup was awarded last night to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the full order in which teams will select at the upcoming Entry Draft is set. Round one will go on June 23rd, with the remaining rounds being completed the next day. Below is the order as of now for the first round.

  1. New Jersey Devils
  2. Philadelphia Flyers
  3. Dallas Stars
  4. Colorado Avalanche
  5. Vancouver Canucks
  6. Vegas Golden Knights
  7. Arizona Coyotes
  8. Buffalo Sabres
  9. Detroit Rd Wings
  10. Florida Panthers
  11. Los Angeles Kings
  12. Carolina Hurricanes
  13. Winnipeg Jets
  14. Tampa Bay Lightning
  15. New York Islanders
  16. Calgary Flames
  17. Toronto Maple Leafs
  18. Boston Bruins
  19. San Jose Sharks
  20. St. Louis Blues
  21. New York Rangers
  22. Edmonton Oilers
  23. Arizona Coyotes (from Minnesota)
  24. Columbus Blue Jackets
  25. Montreal Canadiens
  26. Chicago Blackhawks
  27. St. Louis Blues (from Washington)
  28. Ottawa Senators
  29. Dallas Stars (from Anaheim)
  30. Nashville Predators
  31. Pittsburgh Penguins

It is important to note that the Golden Knights will pick third in each subsequent round, regardless of where they finished in the draft lottery. This is to try to give the expansion team a bit of an advantage heading into their first season. The wheeling and dealing will ramp up this week, and several of these picks will likely be in play.

Los Angeles Could Be Trading Partner For Vegas

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The Vegas Golden Knights have been open with the fact that they expect to acquire more picks as the NHL Entry Draft approaches, and Pierre LeBrun of TSN previously reported that he’d heard talk of a first-round pick in the discussions. Today on TSN radio, Gord Miller expanded on that idea by saying that Los Angeles is a likely partner for the Golden Knights. The Kings would send Dustin Brown to Vegas along with a first-round pick just to rid themselves of his contract. Dustin Brown

While it likely is just speculation from Miller, the idea that Brown is a perfect candidate for banishment to Vegas is not new. The Kings have two huge problems on their roster with Brown and Marian Gaborik, who combine for $10.75MM per year for the next four seasons. They both are obviously on the downside of their careers, with Gaborik only scoring 21 points this season. The Kings tried to move him at the deadline, but couldn’t find a palatable deal. Brown has some leverage on this front as his partial no-trade clause allows a deal to only eight teams that he specifies, making it even harder to move him.

Buyouts are options for the Kings, but with Gaborik rehabbing from surgery GM Rob Blake has already announced he won’t use that option with the 34-year old sniper. Obviously they’d rather move Brown out in a trade than a buyout but a first-round pick is a hefty price to pay especially when it comes at #11 this season. The Kings want to compete next season, and moving Brown or Gaborik would help their offseason, but they need to keep an eye on the future as well and make sure that it doesn’t cost too much to fix the mistakes of the previous regime.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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