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Martin Hanzal Retires From NHL

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It’s been talked about for quite some time. Martin Hanzal has been considering retirement for quite a while, but he finally decided to retire from professional hockey, according to Arizona Coyotes’ beat writer Craig Morgan. The 33-year-old Hanzal was a solid forward for many years with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, but back injuries cut his career short. He finished his career scoring 127 goals, 338 points and 574 penalty minutes in 673 career NHL games.

“It’s a little bit of a relief because the last couple of years I wasn’t sure if I’d play another NHL game or be healthy again so now it’s official: I am retired from the NHL,” Hanzal said by phone. “If I was healthy, I would probably still be playing, but after three back surgeries and especially after the last one, I just can’t do it anymore. I was doing everything I could after this last one and it took me a year to get back on the ice. When I went to see the doctor again, it was either do another surgery or be done playing. Even the doctor said, ‘We’re not sure another surgery will help.’ I still have a long life ahead of me. I don’t want to do another surgery when it’s not 100 percent sure it will even help.”

Hanzal was a first-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005 (17th overall) and debuted with his team in 2007 and played 10 years for the franchise, who at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, served as a power forward, who gave the Coyotes’ much of their grit. After 10 years and with an expiring contract, the Coyotes decided to trade Hanzal at the trade deadline to Minnesota in 2017 for a slew of draft picks (which eventually netted Arizona defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Kevin Bahl – both since traded). Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to help much with Minnesota’s hope of a long playoff run as they were eliminated in five games that year. He then signed a three-year deal to sign with the Dallas Stars, but back issues allowed him only to appear in 45 games over that time before his contract ran out this past year.

NHL’s Free Agent Interview Period Could Return

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As if the 2020 off-season wasn’t already going to be strange, what with the October start date and flat salary cap, it also marked a new age in free agency negotiations with the removal of the free agent interview period. Well, it seems this new age may be short-lived. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the NHL’s general managers have already discussed bringing back the interview period, with 48- and 72-hour periods being considered. Such a reinstatement would need to be approved by the NHLPA as well, as it is a collectively-bargained policy.

The interview period, also known as “legal tampering”, occurs just prior to the new league year beginning and the opening of free agency (which until this year has been July 1). It is a period of time in which teams can contact unrestricted free agents and their representation to discuss potential contract terms before the market officially opens. This policy, agreed upon in the previous CBA, led to a rush of contracts when the market opened, implying that teams and UFA’s had not only discussed contract terms, but agreed in principle. Upset that the interview period was being abused, the two sides eliminated the construct when the new CBA was ratified back in July.

Just a few months later, the teams want it back. This off-season has been much slower than usual, going all the way back to the first day the market opened. Being unable to discuss contract terms has undoubtedly impacted GM’s abilities to read market value and plan accordingly. The result has been a number of notable free agents – including two top-10 and 14 top-50 UFA’s per PHR – remaining unsigned several weeks into free agency.

Especially while dealing with the flat cap, this unpredictable market has helped no one. It is understandable why the teams would like it back and it is safe to assume that the players will agree. The interview period structure could certainly stand to be a bit stricter and perhaps a more limited time frame would also help avoid abuse, but a cold opening to free agency seems unsustainable moving forward.

NHL Facing Major Challenges In Planning 2020-21 Season

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The 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the “bubble playoffs”, were nothing short of an immense success for the NHL. The venture may have cost the league upwards of $90MM to put on and there were a few complaints after the fact about living conditions and scheduling, but the postseason was an incredible accomplishment for the league and players’ association. In the midst of a global pandemic, the NHL hosted 24 teams in two cities over two months, fielded a workable playoff structure and competitive match-ups that yielded a fair champion, all while receiving zero positive COVID-19 results out of more than 33,000 tests. It was as close to perfect execution as anyone could have expected.

Yet, the issues faced in planning the postseason are exponentially more difficult to tackle in mapping out how the 2020-21 regular season may proceed. As Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly tells The Athletic’s Michael Russo, “it’s going to be a challenge”:

It’s a totally different challenge and requires a whole bunch of different considerations that I think probably, in some respects, are more challenging than the (postseason) return to play plans. You need to gather as much information as you can, you need to take as much time as you can, and you need to make the best decisions you can… We’re in a situation where things are evolving every day. You’re monitoring the evolution of the virus and the searches for answers on the virus. You’re monitoring travel restrictions and how we can move clubs around, if we can move clubs around. And we’re monitoring local restrictions with respect to spectators and fans. You’ve got to stay on top of everything and understand things, and they become a very relevant context for the ultimate decisions you make.

While the league is sticking with their expected start date of on or around January 1st, there are still several hurdles to beginning play and they may still be in place by that point in time. The league undoubtedly hoped and believed that the Coronavirus would have subsided somewhat by this point, but the numbers in North America are still not close to ideal. This all but rules out fans in the stands from the get-go, a tough pill to swallow for a league that relies on gate revenue, and even makes travel a struggle. The U.S.-Canada border is the largest travel issue of all, with no resolution to that closure in sight. The league can’t possibly support all 31 teams playing in just two bubbles again, but there is some thought that there could be several hubs, including one that contains all seven Canadian clubs. However, is even this format feasible for a full season or will the NHL have to shorten another year?

There are many questions the league still has to answer and Daly believes that they have the full support of the owners in figuring out some resolution to make sure the 2020-21 season happens and is as close to normal as possible. Of course, this is not a binary decision for the league though, as Daly acknowledges:

We have to work with the Players’ Association over what a return to play plan looks like for next year. And anything considered, talked about, discussed in the context of that ultimately has to be signed off on by both sides. Everybody has an interest in us having a season and awarding a Cup next year. And everybody will be pulling in the same direction in terms of getting there… The players’ perspective and the Players’ Association’s perspective and their input on whatever plan we ultimately come up with is critical to our ability to be successful.

With so many moving parts, questions without clear answers, and an ever-changing pandemic landscape, there is still nothing firm as to what next season could look like. Planning a full professional sports season right now is a daunting task – the MLB and NFL have had their fair share of issues even without fans in most cases and limited travel – so the NHL will take their time, consult their partners and stakeholders, and try to come up with some format that works. Daly believes they will find a solution, but admits that they are still far from that point:

I’m being honest when I say that there is no likely scenario. In other words, I couldn’t pick one. I could identify 10 to 12 scenarios for you right now and I wouldn’t be able to pick a likely scenario. While we have to make these decisions in a matter of weeks, I couldn’t tell you that we’re leaning any one over any other. It really is going to be a product of a whole bunch of considerations that have yet to materialize.

NHL General Managers Discussing Draft Lottery Changes

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While Friday’s NHL GM meeting was supposed to center around plans to return to play, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that “a good chunk” of the discussion instead was spent on proposed changes to the NHL Draft Lottery system. Specifically, the Detroit Red Wings are leading the charge to get the lottery odds of the league’s worst teams boosted and Friedman believes they have considerable support.

The lottery structure is far from untouchable. The design has shifted several times since its inception and odds have been tweaked regularly. When the lottery began in 1995, there was only one winner selected and that team would only move up four spots. That structure changed in 2013, when the four spot limit was eliminated and every non-playoff team had a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, as they do now. In 2015, things got even more difficult for the league’s worst teams, as the odds shifted to the benefit of those teams closer to playoff contention in an effort to deter “tanking”. Finally, in 2016 things got even worse for those bottom dwellers, as all three of the top picks became lottery selections and the league’s worst team could fall all the way to fourth. And that is exactly what has happened in three of the past four years. In fact, the last-place finisher in the regular season standings has only retained the top pick twice since the structure shifted in 2013.

With teams like the 2017 Colorado Avalanche and now the 2020 Detroit Red Wings enduring historically bad seasons – without obvious tanking tactics at that – only to drop out of the top three picks entirely, it seems many of the league’s clubs have decided a change is in order. The current odds of the 31st-place team winning the lottery is 18.5%. This is 5% more than the team in second place, but still relatively low compared to the pre-2015 odds of 25%. The league has asked for specific proposals for a new alignment, which will also have to account for an incoming 32nd team in 2021-22, but given the recent history of deeply needy teams striking out in the lottery, it would not be surprise to see the odds for the last-place team bump back over 20% at least with bottom-three in the regular season standings all receiving a boost in their likelihood of sticking in the top three slots.

Winnipeg Jets Sign C.J. Suess, Dominic Toninato

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced a pair of minor league signings, inking Dominic Toninato and C.J. Suess. Toninato has signed a one-year, two-way deal that carries a $700K salary at the NHL level, while Suess’s deal is a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $725K in the NHL.

Suess returns to the only professional organization he’s known, following his strong 2019-20 season with the Manitoba Moose. The 26-year-old forward scored 14 goals in 57 games for the team and even earned himself an NHL call-up, making his debut for the Jets in November. A fifth-round pick in 2014 he’ll likely return to the minor leagues this season and provide some scoring punch for Manitoba.

Toninato meanwhile is joining his third organization, fourth if you include the Toronto Maple Leafs who drafted him in 2012. The University of Minnesota-Duluth product never did sign with Toronto, instead joining the Colorado Avalanche where he played 39 NHL games over two seasons. Traded to the Florida Panthers in 2019, he actually spent most of the year in the NHL, suiting up 46 times and playing in three postseason matches.

Getting Toninato on an NHL-minimum two-way contract is a nice pull for the Jets, given his experience and ability to jump into the lineup if needed. While he shouldn’t be inked onto the lineup card on a regular basis, he’ll be a useful piece in case of injury.

Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Xavier Ouellet

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The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed depth defenseman Xavier Ouellet, inking him to a two-year, two-way contract. The contract will carry an NHL salary of $725K in 2020-21 and $750K in 2021-22.

Ouellet, 27, actually has 172 NHL games under his belt, even though he rarely stays up in the NHL for more than a few games at a time. His only full season was in 2016-17 when he suited up 66 times for the Detroit Red Wings, and he has played in 31 games with Montreal since arriving in 2018. More importantly, he’s been a leader and rock for the Laval Rocket, where he wore the “C” the last two seasons.

The minor leagues will be where he’s headed again, but having a defenseman with that much NHL experience stashed in the AHL is valuable. He can come up when injuries strike and faces little chance of being claimed on waivers upon his return.

Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Sam Lafferty

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After making a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Sam Lafferty, the Pittsburgh Penguins have now come to terms on a contract extension with the young forward. The team has announced a two-year, $1.5MM contract for Lafferty. The 25-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires following the 2021-22 season.

While Lafferty’s new $750K AAV is actually a reduction from his prior NHL cap hit of $768K, it is a one-way contract that promises the local product more guaranteed money than his entry-level deal. Lafferty’s low cap hit will also make him a more valuable asset to the cap-strapped Penguins this year. Lafferty played 50 games with Pittsburgh in his rookie season, recording 13 points, and he will look to win and retain a full-time role again next season. If he can provide positive contributions on a consistent basis, the Penguins will appreciate his affordable impact.

Lafferty is still waivers-exempt and could potentially be sent down to the AHL,but  it is a safe bet that he is in Pittsburgh for good. GM Jim Rutherford stated the following in the team’s press release announcing Lafferty’s extension: “We have been very pleased with Sam’s development. His size and speed are big advantages in today’s game, and we like what he brings to our lineup.”

2020 NHL Entry Draft Results

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It’s been more than three months since the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was originally be scheduled to be held, but the day has finally arrived. Rather than a Friday night and Saturday event held in front of a capacity crowd at an NHL venue, it is instead a Tuesday and Wednesday affair and an entirely virtual format. However, the results will be the same. A new generation of future NHLers will hear their names called, beginning with 31 top prospects tonight and another 186 hopefuls tomorrow. Below are the picks for the ongoing and completed rounds, with updated selections:

Round One

  1. New York Rangers – F Alexis Lafreniere, Rimouski (QMJHL)
  2. Los Angeles Kings – F Quinton Byfield, Sudbury (OHL)
  3. Ottawa Senators (from SJS) – F Tim Stutzle, Manheim (DEL)
  4. Detroit Red Wings – F Lucas Raymond, Frolunda (SHL)
  5. Ottawa Senators – D Jake Sanderson, USNTDP (USHL)
  6. Anaheim Ducks – D Jamie Drysdale, Erie (OHL)
  7. New Jersey Devils – F Alexander Holtz, Djurgardens (SHL)
  8. Buffalo Sabres – F Jack Quinn, Ottawa (OHL)
  9. Minnesota Wild – F Marco Rossi, Ottawa (OHL)
  10. Winnipeg Jets – F Cole Perfetti, Saginaw (OHL)
  11. Nashville Predators – G Yaroslav Askarov, St. Petersburg (KHL)
  12. Florida Panthers – F Anton Lundell, HIFK (Liiga)
  13. Carolina Hurricanes (from TOR) – F Seth Jarvis, Portland (WHL)
  14. Edmonton Oilers – F Dylan Holloway, Univ. of Wisconsin (NCAA)
  15. Toronto Maple Leafs (from PIT) – F Rodion Amirov, Ufa (KHL)
  16. Montreal Canadiens – D Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert (WHL)
  17. Chicago Blackhawks – F Lukas Reichel, Berlin (DEL)
  18. New Jersey Devils (from ARI) – F Dawson Mercer, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
  19. New York Rangers (from CGY) – D Braden Schneider, Brandon (WHL)
  20. New Jersey Devils (from VAN via TBL) – D Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ufa (KHL)
  21. Columbus Blue Jackets – F Yegor Chinakhov, Omsk (KHL)
  22. Washington Capitals (from CAR via NYR, CGY) – F Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
  23. Philadelphia Flyers – F Tyson Foerster, Barrie (OHL)
  24. Calgary Flames (from WSH) – F Connor Zary, Kamloops (WHL)
  25. Colorado Avalanche – D Justin Barron, Halifax (QMJHL)
  26. St. Louis Blues – F Jake Neighbours, Edmonton (WHL)
  27. Anaheim Ducks (from BOS) – F Jacob Perreault, Sarnia (OHL)
  28. Ottawa Senators (from NYI) – F Ridly Greig, Brandon (WHL)
  29. Vegas Golden Knights – F Brendan Brisson, Chicago (USHL)
  30. Dallas Stars – F Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
  31. San Jose Sharks (from TBL) – F Ozzy Wiesblatt, Prince Albert (WHL)

Round Two

32. Detroit Red Wings – D William Wallinder, MODO (Allsvenskan)
33. Ottawa Senators – F Roby Jarventie, Ilves (Liiga)
34. Buffalo Sabres (from SJS) – F J.J. Peterka, Munchen (DEL)
35. Los Angeles Kings – D Helge Grans, Malmo (SHL)
36. Anaheim Ducks – F Sam Colangelo, Chicago (USHL)
37. Minnesota Wild (from NJD via NSH) – F Marat Khusnutdinov, St. Petersburg (KHL)
38. San Jose Sharks (from BUF) – F Thomas Bordeleau, USNTDP (USHL)
39. Minnesota Wild – D Ryan O’Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
40. Winnipeg Jets – F Daniel Torgersson, Frolunda (SHL)
41. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR) – F Noel Gunler, Lulea (SHL)
42. Nashville Predators – F Luke Evangelista, London (OHL)
43. Florida Panthers – F Emil Heineman, Leksands (SHL)
44. Ottawa Senators (from TOR) – D Tyler Kleven, USNTDP (USHL)
45. Los Angeles Kings (from EDM via DET) – D Brock Faber, USNTDP (USHL)
46. Chicago Blackhawks (from PIT) – G Drew Commesso, USNTDP (USHL)
47. Montreal Canadiens – F Luke Tuch, USNTDP (USHL)
48. Montreal Canadiens (from CHI) – F Jan Mysak, Hamilton (OHL)
49. Arizona Coyotes – Forfeited
50. Calgary Flames – D Yan Kuznetsov, Univ. of Connecticut (NCAA)
51. Detroit Red Wings (from VAN via LAK) – F Theodor Niederbach, Frolunda (SuperElit)
52. Pittsburgh Penguins (from CLB via OTT) – G Joel Blomqvist, Karpat (Liiga)
53. Carolina Hurricanes – F Vasili Ponomaryov, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
54. Philadelphia Flyers – D Emil Andrae, HV71 (SHL)
55. Detroit Red Wings (from WAS) – F Cross Hanas, Portland (WHL)
56. San Jose Sharks (from COL) – F Tristen Robins, Saskatoon (WHL)
57. Tampa Bay Lightning (from STL via MTL) – F Jack Finley, Spokane (WHL)
58. Boston Bruins – D Mason Lohrei, Green Bay (USHL)
59. Toronto Maple Leafs (from NYI via OTT) – F Roni Hirvonen, Assat (Liiga)
60. New York Rangers (from VGK via LAK) – F Will Cuylle, Windsor (OHL)
61. Ottawa Senators (from DAL) – F Egor Sokolov, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
62. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Gage Goncalves, Everett (WHL)

Round Three

  1. Detroit Red Wings – D Donovan Sebrango, Kitchener (OHL)
  2. Toronto Maple Leafs (from OTT) – D Topi Niemela, Karpat (Liiga)
  3. Minnesota Wild (from SJS via DET) – D Daemon Hunt, Moose Jaw (WHL)
  4. Los Angeles Kings – F Kasper Simontaival, Tappara (Liiga)
  5. Anaheim Ducks – D Ian Moore, St. Mark’s (USHS)
  6. Vegas Golden Knights (from NJD) – D Lukas Cormier, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
  7. Carolina Hurricanes (from BUF) – D Alexander Nikishin, Spartak Moscow (KHL)
  8. Detroit Red Wings (from MIN) – D Eemil Viro, TPS (Liiga)
  9. Ottawa Senators (from WIN) – G Leevi Merilainen, Karpat (U20 Liiga)
  10. Calgary Flames (from NYR) – D Jeremie Poirier, Saint John (QMJHL)
  11. Nashville Predators (from PHI) – D Luke Prokop, Calgary (WHL)
  12. Florida Panthers – F Ty Smilanic, USNTDP (USHL)
  13. Colorado Avalanche (from TOR) – F Jean-Luc Foudy, Windsor (OHL)
  14. San Jose Sharks (from EDM) – F Daniil Gushchin, Muskegon (USHL)
  15. Pittsburgh Penguins – G Calle Clang, Rogle (SuperElit)
  16. Columbus Blue Jackets (from MTL) – D Samuel Knazko, TPS (U20 Liiga)
  17. Chicago Blackhawks – F Landon Slaggert, USNTDP (USHL)
  18. Calgary Flames (from ARI via COL, WSH) – D Jake Boltmann, Edina (USHS)
  19. Chicago Blackhawks (from CGY) – D Wyatt Kaiser, Andover (USHS)
  20. Vancouver Canucks – D Joni Jurmo, JYP (Liiga)
  21. Los Angeles Kings (from CLB via OTT, TOR) – F Alex Laferriere, Des Moines (USHL)
  22. New Jersey Devils (from CAR) – G Nico Daws, Guelph (OHL)
  23. Tampa Bay Lightning (from PHI via SJS) – F Maxim Groshev, Nizhnekamsk (KHL)
  24. St. Louis Blues (from WAS via MTL) – F Dylan Peterson, USNTDP (USHL)
  25. Florida Panthers (from COL) – F Justin Sourdif, Vancouver (WHL)
  26. St. Louis Blues – D Leo Loof, Farjestad (SuperElit)
  27. Boston Bruins – F Trevor Kuntar, Youngstown (USHL)
  28. New York Islanders – F Alexander Ljungkrantz, Brynas (SHL)
  29. Vegas Golden Knights – F Jackson Hallum, St. Thomas (USHS)
  30. New York Rangers (from DAL) – F Oliver Tarnstrom, AIK (Allsvenskan)
  31. Tampa Bay Lightning – D Jack Thompson, Sudbury (OHL)

Round Four

  1. Philadelphia Flyers (from DET via TBL) – F Zayde Wisdom, Kingston (OHL)
  2. Florida Panthers (from OTT) – D Michael Benning, Sherwood Park (AJHL)
  3. Calgary Flames (from SJS via MTL, BUF) – G Daniil Chechelev, Chekhov (MHL)
  4. Detroit Red Wings (from LAK) – F Sam Stange, Sioux City (USHL)
  5. San Jose Sharks (from ANA via MTL) – F Brandon Coe, North Bay (OHL)
  6. New Jersey Devils – F Jaromir Pytlik, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
  7. Edmonton Oilers (from BUF via SJS) – F Carter Savoie,  Sherwood Park (AJHL)
  8. Nashville Predators (from MIN) – D Adam Wilsby, Sodertalje (Allsvenskan)
  9. Montreal Canadiens (from WIN) – F Jack Smith, St. Cloud (USHS)
  10. New York Rangers – G Dylan Garand, Kamloops (WHL)
  11. Anaheim Ducks (from NSH via PHI) – D Thimo Nickl, Drummondville (QMJHL)
  12. Florida Panthers – D Zach Uens, Merrimack College (NCAA)
  13. Toronto Maple Leafs – G Artur Akhtyamov, Kazan (MHL)
  14. Detroit Red Wings (from EDM) – G Jan Bednar, Karlovy Vary (Czech)
  15. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Lukas Svejkovsky, Medicine Hat (WHL)
  16. Montreal Canadiens – F Blake Biondi, Hermantown (USHS)
  17. Chicago Blackhawks – D Michael Krutil, Praha (Czech)
  18. Arizona Coyotes – D Mitchell Miller, Tri-City (USHL)
  19. Los Angeles Kings (from CGY) – G Juho Markkanen, SaiPa (U20 Liiga)
  20. Vancouver Canucks – F Jackson Kunz, Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS)
  21. Columbus Blue Jackets – F Mikael Pyyhtia, TPS (U20 Liiga)
  22. Carolina Hurricanes – F Zion Nybeck, HV71 (SHL)
  23. Tampa Bay Lightning (from PHI) – D Eamon Powell, USNTDP (USHL)
  24. Washington Capitals – F Bogdan Trineyev, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
  25. Colorado Avalanche – F Colby Ambrosio, Tri-City (USHL)
  26. St. Louis Blues – F Tanner Dickinson, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
  27. New Jersey Devils (from BOS) – D Ethan Edwards, Spruce Grove (AJHL)
  28. New York Islanders – F Alex Jefferies, Gunnery (USHS)
  29. Toronto Maple Leafs (from NYR) – D William Villeneuve, Saint John (QMJHL)
  30. Dallas Stars – F Antonio Stranges, London Knights (OHL)
  31. Montreal Canadiens (from TBL) – F Sean Farrell, Chicago (USHL)

Round Five

  1. Vegas Golden Knights (from DET) – G Jesper Vikman, AIK (SuperElit)
  2. Edmonton Oilers (from OTT via SJS) – F Tyler Tullio, Oshawa (OHL)
  3. New York Rangers (from SJS) – F Evan Vierling, Barrie(OHL)
  4. Los Angeles Kings – F Martin Chromiak, Kingston (OHL)
  5. Anaheim Ducks – F Artyom Galimov, Kazan (KHL)
  6. New Jersey Devils – F Artem Shlaine, Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS)
  7. Buffalo Sabres –F Matteo Costantini, Buffalo (OJHL)
  8. Detroit Red Wings (from MIN) – D Alex Cotton, Lethbridge (WHL)
  9. Winnipeg Jets – D Anton Johannesson, HV71 (SuperElit)
  10. New York Rangers – F Brett Berard, USNTDP (USHL)
  11. Philadelphia Flyers (from NSH) – F Elliot Desnoyers, Moncton (QMJHL)
  12. Montreal Canadiens (from FLA) – G Jakub Dobes, Omaha (USHL)
  13. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Novosibirsk (KHL)
  14. Edmonton Oilers – F Maxim Berezkin, Yaroslavl (KHL)
  15. Colorado Avalanche (from PIT) – F Ryder Rolston, Waterloo (USHL)
  16. Los Angeles Kings (from MTL via CAR) – D Ben Meehan, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
  17. Chicago Blackhawks – D Isaak Phillips, Sudbury (OHL)
  18. Arizona Coyotes – F Carson Bantle, Madison (USHL)
  19. Calgary Flames – F Ryan Francis, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
  20. Vancouver Canucks – D Jacob Truscott, USNTDP (USHL)
  21. Columbus Blue Jackets – D Ole Bjorgvik-Holm, Mississauga (OHL)
  22. Minnesota Wild (from CAR via STL) –F Pavel Novak, Kelowna (WHL)
  23. Tampa Bay Lightning (from PHI) – F Jaydon Dureau, Portland (WHL)
  24. Washington Capitals – F Bear Hughes, Spokane (WHL)
  25. Pittsburgh Penguins (from COL) – F Raivis Ansons, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
  26. St. Louis Blues – D Matthew Kessel, Univ. of Massachusetts (NCAA)
  27. Boston Bruins – D Mason Langenbrunner, Eden Prairie (USHS)
  28. New York Islanders – F William Dufour, Drummondville (QMJHL)
  29. Florida Panthers (from VGK via TOR) – D Kasper Puutio, Everett (WHL)
  30. Dallas Stars – F Daniel Ljungman, Linkoping (SHL)
  31. Ottawa Senators (from TBL) – F Eric Engstrand, Malmo (SHL)

Round Six

  1. Detroit Red Wings – D Kyle Aucoin, Tri-City (USHL)
  2. Tampa Bay Lightning (from OTT) – F Nick Capone, Tri-City (USHL)
  3. Ottawa Senators (from SJS) – F Philippe Daoust, Moncton (QMJHL)
  4. Carolina Hurricanes (from LAK) – F Lucas Mercuri, Salisbury (USHS)
  5. Anaheim Ducks – F Albin Sundsvik, Skelleftea (SHL)
  6. New Jersey Devils – F Benjamin Baumgartner, Davos (NLA)
  7. Dallas Stars (from BUF via CAR, FLA) – F Yevgeni Oksentyuk, Flint (OHL)
  8. St. Louis Blues (from MIN) – G Will Cranley, Ottawa (OHL)
  9. Winnipeg Jets – D Tyrel Bauer, Seattle (WHL)
  10. New York Rangers – F Matt Rempe, Seattle (WHL)
  11. Nashville Predators – D Luke Reid, Chicago (USHL)
  12. Colorado Avalanche (from FLA) – F Nils Aman, Leksands (SHL)
  13. Toronto Maple Leafs – F Veeti Miettinen, Espoo (U20 Liiga)
  14. Edmonton Oilers – F Filip Engaras, Univ. of New Hampshire (NCAA)
  15. Pittsburgh Penguins – F Chase Yoder, USNTDP (USHL)
  16. Montreal Canadiens – F Alexander Gordin, St. Petersberg (KHL)
  17. Chicago Blackhawks – F Chad Yetman, Erie (OHL)
  18. Arizona Coyotes – F Filip Barklund, Orebro (SuperElit)
  19. Calgary Flames – F Rory Kerins, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
  20. Vancouver Canucks – F Dmitry Zlodeyev, Moscow (MHL)
  21. Columbus Blue Jackets – D Samuel Johannesson, Rogle (SHL)
  22. Toronto Maple Leafs (from CAR) – D Axel Rindell, Kukurit (Liiga)
  23. Philadelphia Flyers – F Connor McClennon, Winnipeg (WHL)
  24. Washington Capitals – G Garin Bjorklund, Medicine Hat (WHL)
  25. Toronto Maple Leafs (from COL) – F Joe Miller, Blake (USHS)
  26. Ottawa Senators (from STL) – F Cole Reinhardt, Brandon (WHL)
  27. Boston Bruins – F Riley Duran, Lawrence Academy (USHS)
  28. New York Islanders – D Matias Rajaniemi, Pelicans (Liiga)
  29. Vegas Golden Knights –D Noah Ellis, Des Moines (USHL)
  30. Dallas Stars – G Remi Poirier, Gatineau (QMJHL)
  31. Tampa Bay Lightning – G Amir Miftakhov, Kazan (KHL)

Round Seven

  1. Detroit Red Wings – Kienan Draper, St. Andrew’s (CAHS)
  2. Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT via MTL) – D Louis Crevier, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
  3. Toronto Maple Leafs (from SJS) – D John Fusco, Dexter (USHS)
  4. Los Angeles Kings – F Aatu Jamsen, Pelicans (U20 Liiga)
  5. Vancouver Canucks (from ANA) – D Viktor Persson, Brynas (SuperElit)
  6. Arizona Coyotes (from NJD) – F Elliot Ekefjard, Bjorkloven (Allsvenskan)
  7. Buffalo Sabres – D Albert Lyckasen, Linkoping (SuperElit)
  8. St. Louis Blues (from MIN) – D Noah Beck, Fargo (USHL)
  9. Toronto Maple Leafs (from WIN) – F Wyatt Schingoethe, Waterloo (USHL)
  10. San Jose Sharks (from NYR) – F Alex Young, Canmore (AJHL)
  11. New York Rangers (from NSH) – G Hugo Ollas, Linkoping (SuperElit)
  12. Florida Panthers – F Elliot Ekmark, Linkoping (SuperElit)
  13. Carolina Hurricanes (from TOR) – F Alexander Pashin, Ufa (KHL)
  14. Edmonton Oilers – F Jeremias Lindewall, MODO (SuperElit)
  15. San Jose Sharks (from PIT) – F Adam Raska, Rimouski (QMJHL)
  16. Nashville Predators (from MTL via PHI) – F Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Chicago (USHL) 
  17. Detroit Red Wings (from CHI via STL) – F Chase Bradley, Omaha (USHL)
  18. Arizona Coyotes – F Ben McCartney, Brandon (WHL)
  19. Calgary Flames – D Ilya Solovyov, Saginaw (OHL)
  20. San Jose Sharks (from VAN via NYR) – F Linus Oberg, Orebro (SHL)
  21. Anaheim Ducks (from CLB) – F Ethan Bowen, Chilliwack (BCHL)
  22. Carolina Hurricanes – D Ronan Seeley, Everett (WHL)
  23. Nashville Predators (from PHI) – F Chase McLane, Tri-City (USHL)
  24. San Jose Sharks (from WAS) – F Timofey Spitserov, Culver Academy (USHS)
  25. Washington Capitals (from COL via PIT) – F Oskar Magnusson, Malmo (SHL)
  26. Florida Panthers (from STL via TOR) – G Devon Levi, Carleton Place (CCHL)
  27. Toronto Maple Leafs (from BOS) – F Ryan Tverberg, Toronto (OJHL)
  28. New York Islanders – G Henrik Tikkanen, HIFK (U20 Liiga)
  29. Vegas Golden Knights – F Maxim Marushev, Kazan (KHL)
  30. Buffalo Sabres (from DAL) – F Jakub Konecny, Praha (U20 Czech)
  31. Tampa Bay Lightning – F Declan McDonnell, Kitchener (OHL)

New Jersey Devils Re-Sign Three Players

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed a trio of minor leaguer players, inking Brett Seney, Ben Street and Joshua Jacobs to new deals. Seney and Jacobs will each be back on one-year, two-way contracts worth $700K at the NHL level, while Street has managed to secure a one-year, two-way deal that pays $750K in the NHL.

Seney, 24, played 51 games for the Devils in 2018-19 but was back to logging big minutes in the minor league this season. A sixth-round pick of the Devils in 2015, he has 53 NHL games under his belt and will likely be used as an injury replacement once again. The undersized forward has good skill, scoring 44 points in 61 games for the Binghamton Devils.

Street, the captain of those AHL Devils, has the most NHL experience of the three. A true journeyman, he went undrafted and has bounced around the professional ranks for the last decade, suiting up for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Wheeling Nailers, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Abbotsford Heat, Lake Erie Monsters, San Antonio Rampage, Grand Rapids Griffins and San Diego Gulls before arriving in the Devils organization in 2019-20. He scored 42 points in 49 games for Binghamton and played just three games for New Jersey.

Jacobs, the only defender of the three, was actually a second-round pick of the Devils back in 2014 but has played just three NHL games so far in his career. Instead he has spent the last several years in the minor leagues manning an AHL blue line, the same place he’ll likely play next season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Win 2020 Stanley Cup Championship

at CDT | by 31 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned NHL champions and hoisted the Stanley Cup on Monday night with a 2-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars in Game Six. This title feels as if it has been a long time coming for the Lightning, whose young core fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Cup Final and a few years later survived a heart-breaking first-round upset sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. With a flat salary cap set to blow up the roster this off-season, it almost seemed inevitable that this Lightning team would emerge victorious with the franchise’s second championship before the impressive group was torn apart. It also seems fitting that such a truly talented and title-worthy team will go down in history for winning the “bubble Cup”.

Tampa Bay won the Cup in style this postseason, too. The Bolts were one of just two teams to actually earn their regular season seeding in the round robin, entering the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 2 seed. Their path to victory first included vengeance against the Blue Jackets in a five-game series that included a historic five-overtime win in Game One and another overtime win to seal the series. Tampa then took on their greatest rival, the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, and made quick work of the talented team in five games, again clinching the series in extra time with a double-overtime victory. Next up were the New York Islanders, who had upset higher seeds in each of their first two series and had smother opposing defenses. The Isles couldn’t keep it going against the Lightning though, falling in six games with Tampa again winning the final game in overtime. Finally, the Stanley Cup Final arrived with a match-up against the Dallas Stars, who had defeated championship favorites Colorado and Vegas en route to the title bout. However, Dallas could not keep the upset streak going, with Tampa Bay taking the series in six games with a decisive shutout victory.

The Conn Smythe Trophy was a three-horse race on the Lightning side, with forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman all playing at a historic level. It was the Hedman though who received the award for postseason MVP, due in no small part to his ten goals, third-most for a defenseman in postseason history. Hedman totaled 21 points while averaging more than 26 minutes per night of solid defense in an outstanding all-around effort. Kucherov logged more assists than anyone not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux in league history and led all postseason participants with 33 points, which would have been enough to take the Conn Smythe almost any other year. With 32 points, including a league-leading 13 goals, Point was also invaluable to the team’s success. Finally, no team can win the Cup without a stellar performance in goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy played every minute for Tampa and led the playoffs in save percentage

Also deserving plenty of praise and recognition for this Stanley Cup victory are the NHL and NHLPA, who made the postseason possible in light of difficult circumstances. The Coronavirus pandemic shut down the league back in March and nearly five months later the league and players’ association were able to work together to put together an expanded playoff format that produced months of exciting playoff hockey. After 64 days in the bubble, across two cities, there were zero positive COVID tests, allowing for the postseason to proceed without a hitch. Without this expert oversight, there easily could have been no Stanley Cup champion this season. Hockey fans will never forget what the league and its players, especially those on the Tampa Bay Lightning, were able to accomplish in this incredible summer postseason.

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