Washington Capitals Re-Sign Lucas Johansen
Even more extension news has come in today. The Washington Capitals have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Lucas Johansen on a two-year, $762k AAV deal. Per the Capitals’ announcement, the deal has the following financial structure:
- 2022-23: two-way, $750k NHL salary/$125k AHL salary
- 2023-24: one-way, $775k
Johansen, 24, was the Capitals’ top draft pick at the 2016 draft, going 28th overall. He’s taken a long time to develop, and spent four full seasons in the AHL before finally making his NHL debut in 2021-22. He got into one game with the Capitals this year and registered an assist.
At the AHL level, Johansen has grown since his debut season and become a top-four defenseman for the Hershey Bears. In addition to his 28 points in 62 games, Johansen averaged just over 20 minutes of ice time per game, which ranked fourth among regular Bears defensemen. He often played as the partner to another Capitals first-rounder, Alexander Alexeyev. Johansen was also a factor on both of the Bears’ special teams units, averaging 1:59 of short-handed ice time per game and 1:20 per game on the Bears’ power play.
Johansen probably won’t become the top-four staple he was drafted in the first round to be, but the Capitals still see enough in him to give him a one-way commitment in 2023-24. Two of Johansen’s professional seasons were wrecked by injuries, and that could mean that Johansen is simply a late-blooming former top prospect who needed a longer runway to finally develop into an NHL player. It’s also possible that Johansen doesn’t improve on the consistency he showed this season, and tops out as a solid middle-of-the-lineup AHL-er.
With this new contract, Johansen will have a crucial two-year window in the Capitals’ organization to finally break into the NHL and become the NHL regular scouts once believed he could become.
Post-Draft Notes: Wild Free Agents, Nemec, Vlasic
The Minnesota Wild just wrapped up an impressive eight-man draft class, and now, with the free-agent market set to open next Wednesday, they focus their attention to the upcoming group of free agents. The team has a few players set to hit free agency, although they took one of those players off the market yesterday, re-signing Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year extension. Two players Wild GM Bill Guerin won’t be giving extensions, as relayed by Michael Russo of The Athletic, are mid-season pickup Nicolas Deslauriers and Minneapolis native Nick Bjugstad.
The Wild acquired Deslauriers, 31, from the Anaheim Ducks for a third-round pick last season, and he added some grit and physicality to the bottom of their lineup. He looked like a decent fit in Minnesota, but with the pressure of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts heavily squeezing Guerin’s financial flexibility this summer, it seems they don’t have the necessary cap room to retain him. Guerin did say that he expects Deslauriers to garner “a lot of interest,” which likely means Deslauriers has priced himself out of a return to the state of hockey. Bjugstad is coming off a year where he was a depth forward for the Wild, and he has not scored double-digit goals or more than 20 points since his impressive 49-point 2018-19 campaign with the Florida Panthers. It’s unlikely that Bjugstad sees the same level of leaguewide interest as Deslauriers when he too hits the market.
Now, for some other notes on information that has come out after the draft:
- The New Jersey Devils didn’t flinch when they saw long-time consensus number-one prospect Shane Wright surprisingly on the board after the Montreal Canadiens took Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. They stuck to their board and selected Simon Nemec, an extremely talented defenseman and Slafkovsky’s countryman. The Devils made a bold choice, and won’t waste any time getting Nemec into the fold in their organization. As relayed by Amanda Stein of NHL.com, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald says he spoke to Nemec’s agent and “expects to sign” Nemec to his entry-level contract this week. Stein notes that Nemec expressed a willingness to play in the AHL at the NHL Combine in Buffalo, and Nemec joining the Utica Comets for 2022-23 is beginning to seem like the most likely outcome.
- Earlier in July, we covered the San Jose Sharks’ situation with defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic and whether he would be bought out by the team after 16 seasons in teal. Today, Vlasic told The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak that “it doesn’t look like” he’ll be bought out and that he’s “excited” for a fresh start under a new coaching staff and a new GM in Mike Grier, who he played with for three seasons. Vlasic’s past few years haven’t been up to the standard he established earlier in his career. If the Sharks have any hope of returning to contention next season, as the organization fully intends to do, Vlasic will need to play like the $7MM defenseman he once was.
2022 Draft Results By Team
The 2022 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:
Anaheim Ducks
1-10 – D Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw (OHL)
1-22 – F Nathan Gaucher, Quebec (QMJHL)
2-42 – D Noah Warren, Gatineau (QMJHL)
2-53 – D Tristan Luneau, Gatineau (QMJHL)
4-107 – F Benjamin King, Red Deer (WHL)
5-139 – F Connor Hvidston, Swift Current (WHL)
5-154 – F Michael Callow, St. Sebastian’s School (High School)
6-178 – G Vyacheslav Buteyets, Chelyabinsk (VHL)
Snapshots: Kane, Talbot, Kase
As the league begins to decompress from a busy NHL Draft with some blockbuster news, the Chicago Blackhawks are sure to be in the forefront of many discussions after being one of the most active teams on the market this week. One question that remains to be answered is how their Hall of Fame talent feels about the club’s direction. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta confirms today that the team will reach out to winger Patrick Kane “in the very near future” to have a conversation about his future with the team.
Both Kane and Jonathan Toews each have just one year remaining on their matching contracts, both carrying a cap hit of $10.5MM. They also both have full say in what the future holds for them in the form of full no-movement clauses. If one or both do end up wanting a trade out of Chicago in order to make another championship run, it makes sense that the Blackhawks would want to know now. The highest value for them will likely be this offseason, as the risk of declining performance could lower their trade value by next year’s deadline.
- There’s some good old-fashioned drama in the State of Hockey. Many believed the Minnesota Wild had reinforced their goaltending situation by re-signing Marc-Andre Fleury to a two-year contract yesterday, but as quotes from general manager Bill Guerin and Cam Talbot‘s agent George Bazos reveal, Talbot may not be entirely happy with the team’s choice to keep Fleury around. Bazos gave a cryptic quote after meeting with Guerin during the third round of today’s draft, saying that Guerin “had a lot to think about.” Guerin countered later, reminding media that Talbot is still under contract, and said that “George can say whatever the hell he wants.” If the relationship turns sour quickly between Talbot and the Wild, it could leave them in an interesting position next season in the crease.
- The deadline for issuing qualifying offers to restricted free agents is July 11, and the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made a decision on whether or not to qualify winger Ondrej Kase. Kase is eligible for arbitration, and after producing 27 points in 50 games, the award might be too rich for Toronto’s blood if Kase elects for it. Not issuing a qualifying offer to Kase wouldn’t prevent him from returning to Toronto, but it would make him an unrestricted free agent, and could sign anywhere in the league.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Liam Gorman
The Chicago Blackhawks have nabbed the rights to Princeton forward Liam Gorman from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the 167th overall pick in today’s draft.
Gorman, 22, was a sixth-round selection by the Penguins in 2018 and has not yet completed his NCAA eligibility. Standing 6’3″, he hasn’t had much success so far, scoring just six points in 28 games this season for the Tigers.
The Blackhawks must see something they like in the hard-working forward, though it won’t cost them much to add him to the system. He’ll need a contract before August 15, 2023, or could become an unrestricted free agent.
With the pick, the Penguins ended up with defenseman Nolan Collins from the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.
San Jose Sharks Acquire Luke Kunin
The San Jose Sharks have landed another depth forward, acquiring Luke Kunin from the Nashville Predators. The Sharks will be sending back John Leonard and a 2023 third-round pick.
Kunin, 24, is a restricted free agent this summer, coming off a two-year deal that carried a $2.3MM cap hit. He’ll need a qualifying offer worth the same amount and is eligible for salary arbitration, though the Sharks could also work out a contract before that is necessary.
While he hasn’t exactly lived up to his billing as the 15th overall pick in 2016, Kunin’s game has developed to the point where he is an effective bottom-six option. This year, he seemingly decided to lean into the physical side of the game, racking up 223 hits and 99 penalty minutes–nearly doubling his career totals.
Still able to contribute around the net, he also potted 13 goals, the third-straight double-digit total for the young forward. As the Sharks start to form a new identity under general manager Mike Grier, Kunin’s toughness and versatility will come in handy.
For the Predators, landing a depth forward and a third-round pick certainly makes up for it. Leonard, 23, has 58 games of NHL experience and was a strong performer for the San Jose Barracuda this year. He too will need a contract and is arbitration-eligible but doesn’t have much of a case for anything over the league minimum.
By moving Kunin out, the team has opened up some additional cap space as they fit in Ryan McDonagh and continue to speak with Filip Forsberg.
2022 NHL Draft Pick Trade Tracker
While names like Alex DeBrincat and Kevin Fiala have been moved in blockbuster trades, a lot of the deals around the draft are limited to just selection swaps. As the 2022 draft unfolds, with the first round on Thursday evening and the remaining six on Friday, follow along here for all of those draft-pick-for-draft-pick deals, as teams move up and down the board.
Arizona Coyotes Receive: No. 11 (F Conor Geekie)
San Jose Sharks Receive: No. 27 (F Filip Bystedt), No. 34 (F Cameron Lund), and No. 45 (D Mattias Havelid)
Vegas Golden Knights Receive: No. 79 (F Jordan Gustafson)
Toronto Maple Leafs Receive: No. 95 (F Nicholas Moldenhauer), No. 135 (F Nikita Grebyonkin)
Tampa Bay Lightning Receive: No. 86 (F Lucas Edmonds)
Los Angeles Kings Receive: No. 103 (F Kenny Connors), No. 169 (F Jared Wright)
Seattle Kraken Receive: No. 91 (F Ben MacDonald)
Boston Bruins Receive: No. 117 (F Cole Spicer), No. 132 (D Frederic Brunet)
Arizona Coyotes Receive: No. 94 (D Jeremy Langlois)
Chicago Blackhawks Receive: 2023 third-round pick (DAL)
Toronto Maple Leafs Receive: No. 122 (G Dennis Hildeby)
Nashville Predators Receive: 2023 fourth-round pick (TOR)
Vegas Golden Knights Receive: No. 128 (G Cameron Whitehead)
Montreal Canadiens Receive: 2023 fourth-round pick (TBL)
Columbus Blue Jackets Receive: No. 138 (G Sergei Ivanov)
San Jose Sharks Receive: 2023 fifth-round pick (CBJ)
Chicago Blackhawks Receive: No. 188 (F Nils Juntorp)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: 2023 sixth-round pick (CHI)
Arizona Coyotes Receive: No. 204 (F Adam Zlnka)
San Jose Sharks Receive: 2023 seventh-round pick (VAN)
Florida Panthers Receive: No. 214 (F Liam Arnsby)
Pittsburgh Penguins Receive: 2023 seventh-round pick (FLA)
Los Angeles Kings Receive: No. 215 (F Kaleb Lawrence)
Boston Bruins Receive: 2023 seventh-round pick (LAK)
2022 NHL Draft Results
The Bell Centre in Montreal is home to delegations from 32 teams this evening, as one of the premier events on the hockey calendar is finally happening again in person. After two straight years of being held remotely, the executives, players, and fans are back in attendance.
The 2022 NHL Draft will include trades, surprise picks, and plenty of intrigue, as the hometown team gets to pick first overall.
Below, we’ll keep track of all 225 selections (remember, the Minnesota Wild will receive a compensatory second-round pick for failing to sign Filip Johansson), through tonight and tomorrow.
Round 1
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- Montreal Canadiens – F Juraj Slafkovsky, TPS Turku (Liiga)
- New Jersey Devils – D Simon Nemec, Nitra MHC (Slovakia)
- Arizona Coyotes – F Logan Cooley, USNTDP (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Shane Wright, Kingston (OHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Cutter Gauthier, USNTDP (USHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from CHI) – D David Jiricek, Plzen HC (Czech)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT) – D Kevin Korchinski, Seattle (WHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Marco Kasper, Rogle BK (SHL)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Matthew Savoie, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – D Pavel Mintyukov, Saginaw (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from SJS) – F Conor Geekie, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – D Denton Mateychuk, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI, via MTL) – F Frank Nazar, USNTDP (USHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – F Rutger McGroarty, USNTDP (USHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from VGK) – F Noah Ostlund, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Joakim Kemell, JYP HT (Liiga)
- Dallas Stars – D Lian Bichsel, Leksands IF (SHL)
- Minnesota Wild (from LAK) – F Liam Ohgren, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Washington Capitals – F Ivan Miroshnichenko, Omskie Krylia (VHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – D Owen Pickering, Swift Current (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from BOS) – F Nathan Gaucher, Quebec (QMJHL)
- St. Louis Blues – F Jimmy Snuggerud, USNTDP (USHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Danila Yurov, Magnitogorsk (KHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from TOR) – D Sam Rinzel, Chaska High (High School)
- Montreal Canadiens (from CGY) – F Filip Mesar, Poprad HK (Slovakia)
- San Jose Sharks (from CAR, via MTL, ARI) – F Filip Bystedt, Linkoping HC (SHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from FLA) – F Jiri Kulich, Karlovy Vary HC (Czech)
- Arizona Coyotes (from EDM) – D Maveric Lamoureux, Drummondville (QMJHL)
- Winnipeg Jets (from NYR) – F Brad Lambert, Lahti (Liiga)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Isaac Howard, USNTDP (USHL)
- Edmonton Oilers (from COL, via ARI) – F Reid Schaefer, Seattle (WHL)
Round 2
- Montreal Canadiens – F Owen Beck, Mississauga (OHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from ARI) – F Cameron Lund, Green Bay (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Jagger Firkus, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from PHI) – D Artem Duda, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow (MHL)
- Washington Capitals (from NJD) – D Ryan Chesley, USNTDP (USHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (from CHI) – F Fraser Minten, Kamloops (WHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT) – F Paul Ludwinski, Kingston (OHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Dylan James, Sioux City (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres – G Topias Leinonen, JYP HT (Liiga)
- Anaheim Ducks – D Noah Warren, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – F Julian Lutz, EHC Munich (DEL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F Luca Del Bel Belluz, Mississauga (OHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from NYI, via ARI) – D Mattias Havelid, Linkoping HC (SHL)
- New Jersey (from WPG, via WSH) – D Seamus Casey, USNTDP (USHL)
- Minnesota Wild (from VAN, via ARI) – F Hunter Haight, Barrie (OHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Matyas Sapovaliv, Saginaw (OHL)
- Seattle Kraken (from NSH) – F Jani Nyman, Ilves (Liiga)
- Dallas Stars – D Christian Kyrou, Erie (OHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – F Jack Hughes, Northeastern (Hockey East)
- Detroit Red Wings (from WSH) – F Dmitri Buchelnikov, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from PIT) – D Tristan Luneau, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Boston Bruins – F Matthew Poitras, Guelph (OHL)
- Winnipeg Jets (from STL, via NYR) – D Elias Salomonsson, Skelleftea AIK (SHL)
- Minnesota Wild (compensatory) – F Rieger Lorenz, Okotoks (AJHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from MIN) – F Ryan Greene, Green Bay (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken (from TOR) – G Niklas Kokko, Karpat (Liiga)
- Calgary Flames – F Topi Ronni, Tappara (Liiga)
- Carolina Hurricanes – F Gleb Trikozov, Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
- Seattle Kraken (from FLA, via CGY) – F David Goyette, Sudbury (OHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from EDM, via CHI) – D Lane Hutson, USNTDP (USHL)
- New York Rangers – F Adam Sykora, HK Nitra (Slovakia)
- Ottawa Senators (from TBL) – D Filip Nordberg, Sodertalje SK (Allsvenskan)
- New York Islanders (from COL) – D Calle Odelius, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
Round 3
- Chicago Blackhawks (from MTL) – F Gavin Hayes, Flint (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – F Miko Matikka, Jokerit (Finland U20)
- Seattle Kraken – D Ty Nelson, North Bay (OHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Devin Kaplan, USNTDP (USHL)
- Washington Capitals (from NJD) – F Alexander Suzdalev, HV71 (Allsvenskan)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from CHI) – F Alexander Perevalov, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
- Ottawa Senators – F Oskar Pettersson, Rogle BK (SHL)
- St. Louis Blues (from DET) – F Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, HIFK (Liiga)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Viktor Neuchev, Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from ANA) – F Vinzenz Rohrer, Ottawa (OHL)
- San Jose Sharks – D Michael Fisher, St. Mark’s (High School)
- Winnipeg Jets (from CBJ) – F Danny Zhilkin, Guelph (OHL)
- New York Islanders – F Quinn Finley, Madison (USHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights (from WPG, via VAN and TOR) – F Jordan Gustafson, Seattle (WHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – D Elias Pettersson, Orebro HK (SHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from VGK) – F Samuel Savoie, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Adam Ingram, Youngstown (USHL)
- Dallas Stars – D George Fegaras, North York (OJHL)
- Nashville Predators (from LAK) – D Kasper Kulonummi, Jokerit (Finland U20)
- Washington Capitals – F Ludwig Persson, Frolunda HC (SHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (from PIT, via LAK) – F Lucas Edmonds, Kingston (OHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from BOS) – D Tomas Hamara, Tappara (Liiga)
- St. Louis Blues – D Michael Buchinger, Guelph (OHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Mikey Milne, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from TOR, via CGY) – F Aidan Thompson, Lincoln (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken (from CGY, via BOS) – F Ben MacDonald, Noble & Greenough School (High School)
- Montreal Canadiens (from CAR) – D Adam Engstrom, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Florida Panthers – D Marek Alscher, Portland (WHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from EDM, via CHI) – D Jeremy Langlois, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (from NYR, via VGK) – F Nicholas Moldenhauer, Chicago (USHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from TBL) – F Jordan Dumais, Halifax (QMJHL)
- New York Rangers (from COL) – F Bryce McConnell-Barker, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Round 4
- New York Islanders (from MTL) – D Isaiah George, London (OHL)
- Winnipeg Jets (from ARI) – D Garrett Brown, Sioux City (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken – D Tyson Jugnauth, West Kelowna (BCHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from PHI) – D Simon Forsmark, Orebro HK (SHL)
- New Jersey Devils – G Tyler Brennan, Prince George (WHL)
- Los Angeles Kings (from CHI, via TBL) – F Kenny Connors, Dubuque (USHL)
- Ottawa Senators – F Stephen Halliday, Dubuque (USHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – D Anton Johansson, Leksands IF (SHL)
- Buffalo Sabres – D Mats Lindgren, Kamloops (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Benjamin King, Red Deer (WHL)
- San Jose Sharks – G Mason Beaupit, Spokane (WHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F Kirill Dolzhenkov, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow (MHL)
- New Jersey Devils (from NYI) – D Daniil Orlov, Sakhalinskiye Akuly (MHL)
- New York Rangers (from WPG, via VGK) – F Noah Laba, Lincoln (USHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Daimon Gardner, Warroad High (High School)
- Detroit Red Wings (from VGK) – F Amadeus Lombardi, Flint (OHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Cole O’Hara, Tri-City (USHL)
- Dallas Stars – D Gavin White, Hamilton (OHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – D Angus Booth, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
- Boston Bruins (from WSH, via SEA) – F Cole Spicer, USNTDP (USHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – G Sergei Murashov, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
- Boston Bruins – F Dans Locmelis, Lulea HF (SHL)
- St. Louis Blues – D Arseni Koromyslov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
- Minnesota Wild – D Ryan Healey, Sioux Falls (USHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – G Dennis Hildeby, Farjestad BK (SHL)
- Seattle Kraken (from CGY) – F Tucker Robertson, Peterborough (OHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes – F Cruz Lucius, USNTDP (USHL)
- Florida Panthers – D Ludvig Jansson, Sodertalje SK (Allsvenskan)
- New Jersey Devils (from EDM) – D Charlie Leddy, USNTDP (USHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from NYR, via FLA) – F Cedrick Guindon, Owen Sound (OHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights (from TBL, via MTL) – G Cameron Whitehead, Lincoln (USHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from COL) – F Luis Schinko, Grizzlys Wolfsburg (DEL)
Round 5
- Montreal Canadiens – F Jared Davidson, Seattle (WHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – D Matthew Morden, St. Andrew’s College (High School)
- Boston Bruins (from SEA) – D Frederic Brunet, Rimouski (QMJHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Alex Bump, Omaha (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from NJD) – D Vsevolod Komarov, Quebec (QMJHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (from CHI, via VGK) – F Nikita Grebyonkin, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
- Ottawa Senators – D Jorian Donovan, Hamilton (OHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – D Tnias Mathurin, North Bay (OHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from BUF, via VGK, SJS) – G Sergei Ivanov, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Connor Hvidston, Swift Current (WHL)
- San Jose Sharks – D Jake Furlong, Halifax (QMJHL)
- New Jersey Devils (from CBJ) – F Petr Hauser, HC Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)
- New York Islanders – F Matt Maggio, Windsor (OHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from WPG) – F Cameron O’Neill, Mount St. Charles Academy (High School)
- Vancouver Canucks – G Ty Young, Calgary (AJHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Patrick Guay, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
- Nashville Predators – D Graham Sward, Spokane (WHL)
- Dallas Stars – G Maxim Mayorov, Lada Togliatti (VHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – D Otto Salin, HIFK (Finland U20)
- Washington Capitals – F Jake Karabela, Guelph (OHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Zam Plante, Chicago (USHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from BOS) – G Kevin Reidler, AIK (Sweden J20)
- St. Louis Blues – D Marc-Andre Gaudet, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
- Minnesota Wild – D David Spacek, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from TOR) – F Michael Callow, St. Sebastian’s School (High School)
- Calgary Flames – F Parker Bell, Tri-City (WHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes – D Vladimir Grudinin, Krasnaya Armiya Moscow (MHL)
- Florida Panthers – F Sandis Vilmanis, Lulea HF (Sweden U20)
- Edmonton Oilers – G Samuel Jonsson, Brynas IF (Sweden U20)
- New York Rangers – D Victor Mancini, University of Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – G Nick Malik, KooKoo (Liiga)
- New York Rangers (from COL) – F Maxim Barbashev, Moncton (QMJHL)
Round 6
- Montreal Canadiens – G Emmett Croteau, Waterloo (USHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – D Maksymilian Szuber, EHC Munich (DEL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Barrett Hall, Gentry Academy (High School)
- Philadelphia Flyers – D Hunter McDonald, Chicago (USHL)
- New Jersey Devils – F Josh Filmon, Swift Current (WHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (from CHI) – D Nolan Collins, Sudbury (OHL)
- Ottawa Senators – D Theo Wallberg, Skelleftea AIK (Sweden U20)
- Los Angeles Kings (from DET, via TBL) – F Jared Wright, Omaha (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Jake Richard, Muskegon (USHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from ANA) – G Jakub Vondras, HC Plzen (Czechia U20)
- San Jose Sharks – F Joey Muldowney, Nichols School (High School)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from CBJ) – F Dominic James, University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
- New York Islanders – F Daylan Kuefler, Kamloops (WHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – F Fabian Wagner, Linkoping HC (Sweden U20)
- Vancouver Canucks – D Jackson Dorrington, Des Moines (USHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Ben Hemmerling, Everett (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from NSH) – G Vyacheslav Buteyets, Chelyabinsk (VHL)
- Dallas Stars – F Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops (WHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – D Jack Sparkes, St. Michael’s (OJHL)
- Washington Capitals – F Ryan Hofer, Everett (WHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Luke Devlin, St. Andrew’s College (High School)
- Boston Bruins – G Reid Dyck, Swift Current (WHL)
- St. Louis Blues – F Landon Sim, London (OHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Servac Petrovsky, Owen Sound (OHL)
- Florida Panthers (from TOR, via CBJ) – F Joshua Davies, Swift Current (WHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from CGY, via FLA) – F Gustav Karlsson, Orebro HK (Sweden U20)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from CAR) – F Nils Juntorp, HV71 (Sweden U20)
- Florida Panthers – G Tyler Muszelik, USNTDP (USHL)
- Edmonton Oilers – D Nikita Yevseyev, Kazan (VHL)
- New York Rangers – F Zakary Karpa, Harvard (ECAC)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Connor Kurth, Dubuque (USHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – D Christopher Romaine, Milton Academy (High School)
Round 7
- Montreal Canadiens – D Petteri Nurmi, HPK (Liiga)
- San Jose Sharks (from ARI) – D Eli Barnett, Victoria (BCHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Kyle Jackson, North Bay (OHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Santeri Sulku, Jokerit (Finland U20)
- New Jersey Devils – D Artyom Barabosha, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks – F Riku Tohila, JYP (Finland U20)
- Boston Bruins (from OTT) – D Jackson Edward, London (OHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Owen Mehlenbacher, Muskegon (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres – F Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson, Frolunda HC (Sweden U20)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from ANA) – F James Fisher, Belmont Hill School (High School)
- Arizona Coyotes (from SJS) – F Adam Zlnka, Sioux Falls (USHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from CBJ) – D Alexander Pelevin, Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from NYI) – F Tyson Dyck, Cranbrook (BCHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – G Domenic DiVincentiis, North Bay (OHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – D Kirill Kudryavtsev, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – D Abram Wiebe, Chilliwack (BCHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Benjamin Strinden, Muskegon (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from DAL) – F Linus Sjodin, Rogle BK (SHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from LAK) – F Brennan Ali, Avon Old Farms School (High School)
- Washington Capitals – D David Gucciardi, Michigan State University (Big 10)
- Florida Panthers (from PIT) – F Liam Arnsby, North Bay (OHL)
- Los Angeles Kings (from BOS) – F Kaleb Lawrence, Owen Sound (OHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from STL, via PHI, ARI) – D Miguel Tourigny, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from MIN) – F Reese Laubach, Northstar Christian Academy (High School)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – F Brandon Lisowsky, Saskatoon (WHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Cade Littler, Wenatchee (BCHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers (from CAR) – F Alexis Gendron, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
- Florida Panthers – F Jack Devine, University of Denver (NCHC)
- Edmonton Oilers – F Joel Maatta, University of Vermont (Hockey East)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (from NYR) – D Dyllan Gill, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Klavs Veinbergs, Zemgale (Latvia)
- Colorado Avalanche – G Ivan Zhigalov, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
New Jersey Devils Acquire Vitek Vanecek
The New Jersey Devils are next to ride the goaltending carousel, acquiring Vitek Vanecek from the Washington Capitals. They will also receive pick No. 46 in today’s draft, while sending picks No. 37 and 70 to the Capitals.
For a little bit of draft capital, the Devils have found an answer in net, or at least someone to potentially pair with Mackenzie Blackwood as he looks to get his career back on track. Like Ville Husso when he was traded earlier today, Vanecek is without a contract for next season and will need to work out a new deal with New Jersey in the coming days. A significant difference, however, is that he is a restricted free agent that can’t get to the open market if the Devils extend him a qualifying offer (which they will).
That qualifying offer only needs to be $787,500 but Vanecek’s NHL history to this point would certainly land him more than that in arbitration. Since entering the league in 2020, the 26-year-old netminder has posted a .908 save percentage in 79 games, going 41-22-10 in the process. At his age, any multi-year extension would be buying out UFA seasons, thus making a deal more expensive.
Despite only ever playing for the Capitals, this actually isn’t the first time Vanecek has been traded. He was also the Seattle Kraken’s expansion selection, only to be traded back to Washington last summer. By moving him now, the team has recouped at least part of the value they had to give up in that trade, while also opening a spot for a goaltending upgrade.
Though Capitals’ general manager Brian MacLellan admitted that Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov would both get qualifying offers, it was clear that he wanted to upgrade the position in some fashion. A plan for that appears to be in place; the only question will now be whether Samsonov is also moved out, or if he partners with a newcomer for next season.
Detroit Red Wings Hire Bob Boughner, Alex Westlund
The Detroit Red Wings have brought in some experience to help Derek Lalonde’s transition to head coach, hiring the recently-dismissed Bob Boughner as an associate coach. The team has also brought in Alex Westlund as goaltending coach for the upcoming season.
Boughner, 51, was fired by the San Jose Sharks when they decided to allow the incoming general manager to choose his own coaching staff. That ended a run that spanned parts of three seasons, in which he went 67-85-23. While you certainly can’t blame Boughner for all of the Sharks’ struggles, moving back to an assistant role seemed likely given how late he was released into the open market.
In fact, he’ll get an associate role in Detroit, giving him even more responsibility and sway with the organization as they transition away from Jeff Blashill and into a new coaching era. Lalonde has head coaching experience at the USHL, ECHL, and AHL levels but not in the NHL, where he has only served as an assistant. Having a veteran like Boughner, who also played more than 600 games in the NHL, should only aid his move to head coach.
Westlund, meanwhile, is coming over from the Hershey Bears, where he has served as goaltending coach for the last five years. The former minor league goaltender last played in 2013-14 with the Wheeling Nailers and actually carved out quite a professional career despite standing just 5’9″, a height that is usually dismissed by most scouts. He’ll now get a chance to work with Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso at the NHL level, while helping the development of top prospect Sebastian Cossa, the Red Wings’ goalie of the future.