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West Notes: Sharks, Predators, Steel, Nill, Sale

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The San Jose Sharks just drafted a potential first-line center with the fourth overall pick with Will Smith, and at the draft in Nashville, there are some rumors that the team’s current top-six centers could be on the move. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that “teams have talked to” the Sharks about Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture.

Pagnotta stressed that no trade is close, and it’s worth noting that Hertl has a full no-move clause and Couture has a three-team no-trade list. It’d be a hard trade to complete, but the news that they’re listening on their two top centers signals GM Mike Grier is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to rebuild San Jose into a playoff contender.

Some other notes from the Western Conference:

  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman cites colleague Jeff Marek to report that the two restricted free agents the Nashville Predators will issue qualifying offers are center Cody Glass and defenseman Alexandre Carrier. That means notable players such as 2017 first-round pick Cal Foote and capable defensive winger Rasmus Asplund will hit the open market. It’s somewhat a surprise to see Foote go unqualified, seeing that he was recently acquired as part of the Tanner Jeannot trade and does have a first-round pedigree.
  • Sam Steel won’t be issued a qualifying offer by the Minnesota Wild, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo. Steel had a decent season with the Wild, scoring 10 goals and 28 points playing at times in the team’s number-one center role. But the Wild could be weary of Steel’s arbitration potential given their dire cap issues, so he’ll now have a chance to hit the open market in a few days.
  • Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill was named the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year, beating out finalists Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers. While Nill’s club didn’t make it to the Stanley Cup Final like Zito’s or go on a historic regular season run like Sweeney’s, Nill’s shrewd moves such as acquiring Max Domi and Evgenii Dadonov during the season helped propel the club to the Western Conference Final.
  • Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Eduard Sale, the Seattle Kraken’s recent first-round pick, is going to play for the OHL’s Barrie Colts next season. Sale has played the last two seasons in Czechia’s top pro league for Brno Kometa, and now will get the chance to play against his peers in major junior hockey. He’s an exceptionally skilled offensive player, so Colts fans should expect Sale to be among their top scorers if all goes well.

Atlantic Notes: Matthews, DeBrincat, Reaves, Reinbacher

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Although numerous insiders have spoken about their confidence that the Toronto Maple Leafs will end up re-signing Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews, it doesn’t appear a deal is imminent according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. Pagnotta says “a deal is not yet close,” and adds “his next deal will be 3, 4, or 5-year” term.

Matthews would be a league-altering free agent if he were to hit the open market, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to get there. It’s something of a surprise that the Matthews won’t be locked down to a longer term, but going on a shorter deal allows him to take another bite of the apple down the road to secure another massive deal in his late 20s.

Some other notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told The Athletic’s Ian Mendes that they “are not close” to an Alex DeBrincat trade. Many had assumed that the Senators would push to make a trade before the 2023 NHL draft in order to potentially add a first-round pick for Ottawa to be used in tonight’s first round. But Ottawa’s reluctance to give other teams permission to negotiate a contract extension with DeBrincat has likely slowed the trade negotiations, meaning we’re unlikely to see a DeBrincat deal in the near future.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports today that the Toronto Maple Leafs are “looking to beef up their bottom six,” and specifically connects two names to the team: Ryan Reaves and Austin Watson. Neither Reaves or Watson offer much on the ice outside of their physical play, but given the perception among many that Toronto didn’t put up enough of a fight in recent playoff series that might be exactly what the team needs.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have been eager to give recent top selections every chance to make their NHL roster in the fall after their selection, but that may not be possible with David Reinbacher. The Austrian defenseman told the media after the draft, including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, that he has one more year of business to take care of before joining the Canadiens organization in North America. Reinbacher played in the Swiss National League in his draft season and could return to EHC Kloten for another year, or he could move to another team in Europe.

Philadelphia Flyers Select Matvei Michkov Seventh Overall

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The Philadelphia Flyers have taken one of the most electrifying talents in this draft class. Matvei Michkov is a Flyer, although the team might have to wait a few years before he actually steps onto the ice for them.

There’s no doubt – the Flyers just nabbed the second-highest upside prospect in the entire draft outside of the top five. There are some very understandable reasons for that, which have been covered at length, but Michkov is well worth the contractual gamble at seventh overall.

Best-case scenario, Philadelphia has a generational scoring winger slated to etch his name among the legends of Flyers lore. Michkov was far and away the best player on his KHL team this season, HK Sochi, which finished at the bottom of the league – which is to say he didn’t have much help. Recording 20 points in 27 games with them, he owns the best draft-year scoring rate of any KHL player.

At the draft, Michkov seemed to show a great deal of enthusiasm for the selection and could aim to head over to the Flyers before his three-year deal with KHL side SKA St. Petersburg expires, but it’s not something anyone should expect. With the Flyers seemingly content to enter an extensive and complete rebuild, Michkov not joining the NHL squad until 2026 isn’t a huge issue.

Columbus Blue Jackets Select Adam Fantilli Third Overall

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The Columbus Blue Jackets might finally have found the first-line center they’ve long been waiting for. They have taken Adam Fantilli, the Hobey Baker winner, with the third overall pick at the 2023 draft.

This is a major stroke of luck for the Blue Jackets franchise, as it’s highly likely they would have selected Fantilli had they owned the second-overall selection. They were passed by the Chicago Blackhawks in the draft lottery, but now their fall turned out to not be a setback.

Fantilli is the type of player who might go first overall in any draft class that doesn’t include Connor Bedard. He combines speed, size, skill, and an impressive compete level to make him a strong bet to become a number-one center at the NHL level.

He’ll quickly become a fan favorite in Columbus, and he’ll join a growing stable of former Michigan Wolverines with the Blue Jackets, who already roster Zach Werenski, Nick Blankenburg, and Kent Johnson.

Even with 2021 first-rounder Cole Sillinger, Boone Jenner, and Russian import Dmitri Voronkov in Columbus’ long-term plans down the middle, Fantilli is likely to end up Columbus’ first-line center in the long term.

He may take a little while to reach that point, but if his impressive form at Michigan (30 goals, 65 points in 36 games) is any indication he’ll eventually become the face of the Blue Jackets.

Anaheim Ducks Select Leo Carlsson Second Overall

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The Anaheim Ducks have made a bit of a surprise choice, selecting Swedish center Leo Carlsson second overall.

Carlsson rose up draft lists thanks to a stellar sophomore season with Orebro HK in the SHL. Carlsson posted 10 goals and 25 points in 44 games in the regular season and helped propel Orebro on a solid run in the SHL playoffs with nine points in 13 games.

While he isn’t the strongest skater, Carlsson offers a tantalizing combination of size and skill. He’s projected to play the center position in the NHL, enhancing his value even further. While he largely played wing at Orebro, he ended up Sweden’s number-one center at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships, and many believe he has the potential to occupy a similar role in the NHL and be the face of a franchise.

To some, skipping over Michigan’s Adam Fantilli is a massive oversight. The well-rounded center was the public consensus second overall pick and was only the third freshman in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey.

The Carlsson selection does offer the Ducks a bit more versatility down the middle, giving them options in case one of Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, or Mason McTavish needs to get shifted to the wing longer term. Still, one has to wonder if passing over the likely best player available is a wise choice.

Chicago Blackhawks Select Connor Bedard First Overall

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One of the NHL’s most historic clubs has acquired a new face of their franchise. Just a few months after saying their goodbyes to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks have selected generational prospect Connor Bedard first overall at the 2023 NHL draft.

The Blackhawks’ selection is perhaps the least surprising first-overall choice since 2015, when Connor McDavid was picked by the Edmonton Oilers. He’s had a junior career for the ages, ever since he first joined the Regina Pats at 15 years old.

Despite not having the strongest supporting cast around him, Bedard managed to post video game numbers with Regina. He totaled 134 goals and 271 points in just 134 games of major junior hockey, taking home an endless number of league awards.

His international play has been similarly stunning. There aren’t enough words in the English language to describe Bedard’s performance at the most recent World Junior Championships, where he scored nine goals and 23 points in just seven games.

Besides size, Bedard offers just about anything a team could want out of an NHL scoring center. He’s arguably the most intelligent player in this year’s class, with the type of hockey IQ that makes him stand out shift after shift.

The moment he steps into the NHL he’ll be among the league’s most lethal shooters as well. Not only is Bedard’s shot extremely powerful and accurate, but it’s also the deception in his shooting motion that really sets him apart. He’s able to let high-end shots loose from a variety of angles and in the face of all sorts of defensive pressure, and he’s got legitimate Rocket Richard Trophy upside.

The Blackhawks are still missing a lot of pieces that Stanley Cup contenders typically boast. Their long-term goalie of the future is still a mystery (Drew Commesso showed some promise at Boston University) and outside of Seth Jones they still lack high-end NHL defensemen.

But Bedard signals an important shift for Chicago. The Blackhawks might not make the playoffs next year, but they’re no longer wandering the hockey wilderness in search of a young, league-altering star to build around. With this pick, they’ve drafted one.

Photos Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nashville Predators Trying To Acquire Top Five Pick

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This is a huge night for the Nashville Predators franchise, hosting the 2023 NHL Draft – the first under the leadership of new general manager and franchise coaching legend Barry Trotz. Over the past few hours, it’s become clear Trotz is looking to make an earth-shattering move on the draft floor tonight to move up in the first round.

Multiple reports suggest the Predators have called the Montreal Canadiens about trading up to fifth overall, and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli now reports Nashville’s put goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov into play. The Russian netminder, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, is one of the best netminder prospects in the world and posted a .911 save percentage in 48 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals this season.

Askarov would make tremendous amounts of sense for the two teams Nashville’s called about in the top five – Montreal and the San Jose Sharks, who Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic says are getting multiple calls about their fourth overall selection. Both teams have a decent pool of goalie prospects but no surefire starter in their future.

It’ll take much more than Askarov to get either of those teams to part with their picks, though. Nashville holds the 15th and 24th overall selections tonight, with the latter acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for Mattias Ekholm. It’ll take at least Askarov plus the 15th pick, potentially a tad more given the game-breaking, franchise-changing talent available with each of the first five picks in this draft.

With Trotz’s public posturing of wanting high-upside, skilled players in Nashville’s prospect pool, it’s fair to wonder if Nashville is targeting Matvei Michkov if they do move up. While there are some concerns about his defensive engagement (depending on who you ask) and obvious off-ice questions given his contract status and geopolitical uncertainty, he’s the highest-upside prospect in this draft not named Connor Bedard.

Florida Panthers Showing Interest In Noah Hanifin

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For the past few weeks, it’s seemed a matter of when, not if, the Calgary Flames would trade defenseman Noah Hanifin. The left-shot blueliner made it known earlier this month he wasn’t particularly interested in signing an extension, and he’ll likely join Tyler Toffoli as players slated for unrestricted free agency in 2024 finding their way out of the organization a year early.

It’s also been clear that the Florida Panthers are seeking another puck-moving defenseman for their top four, mainly to help buoy the group, while Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour are sidelined with injuries to start the season. They’ve inquired with Calgary about Hanifin to fill that gap, says Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, confirming some speculation earlier in the week about a potential fit.

Hanifin to Florida is far from a sure thing, though, as LeBrun notes trade interest is high in the 26-year-old, who has one season remaining at a $4.95MM cap hit. As LeBrun notes, a potential trade could see winger Anthony Duclair heading the other way, who the Panthers have been shopping to clear some additional cap space. It would still be a tight salary cap dance for the Panthers, depending on what other moves they make in free agency, and they don’t have many other assets on the block the Flames would be particularly interested in. The potential is high here for Florida to get outbid.

If he does end up in the Sunshine State, though, Hanifin would be an immeasurable upgrade in the team’s top four on pending UFA Marc Staal, who’s posted middling advanced numbers despite an increased role alongside Montour. The 26-year-old has averaged over 20 minutes per game in each of the past five seasons, and he’s totaled 86 points and a +29 rating in 162 games since 2021-22.

Duclair would also be a solid addition to a deep Flames top nine, although it’s poised to potentially lose some talent by way of Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund. For now, he’d replace the top-six spot vacated by Toffoli after dealing him to New Jersey yesterday. Duclair notched 20 points in 40 combined regular-season and playoff games in 2022-23 after recovering from a severe Achilles tear sustained during off-season training.

Vegas Golden Knights Extend Ivan Barbashev

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After dealing Reilly Smith just hours earlier, the Vegas Golden Knights have put their cap space to use. They’ve signed top pending unrestricted free agent forward Ivan Barbashev to a five-year, $25MM extension, earning him $5MM per season. That’s significantly shorter and cheaper than what Barbashev was expected to earn on the open market. PuckPedia has the breakdown of the deal:

2023-24: $3MM base salary, $4MM signing bonus, eight-team no-trade clause
2024-25: $5.4MM base salary, eight-team no-trade clause
2025-26: $4.2MM base salary, eight-team no-trade clause
2026-27: $4.2MM base salary, five-team no-trade clause
2027-28: $4.2MM base salary, five-team no-trade clause

This has now become a money-in, money-out move for the Knights, who’ve swapped Smith’s $5MM cap hit for Barbashev’s, retaining the younger player (with more term) in the process. The move takes Barbashev, who was ranked eighth on our list of the top 50 UFAs, off the open market sooner than most had expected.

The two-time Stanley Cup champion has seemingly sacrificed a bit on his big payday in hopes of running it back. It’s quite a cheap deal, especially considering the lack of significant trade protection included in the contract.

That being said, it’s a good bit of business here for Vegas to keep Barbashev in the organization after he emerged as a true top-six threat down the stretch. While he’s not incredibly strong defensively, extended time on the wing has done Barbashev well, and he seems likely to be a consistent long-term fixture – just not as a center as the St. Louis Blues tried with him many times.

The Blues’ 2014 second-round pick was one of the hotter commodities at this year’s trade deadline, where Vegas picked him up in a one-for-one swap for prospect Zach Dean, who the Knights selected 30th overall in 2021. Barbashev proceeded to find a home as the left wing on a line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault, finishing fifth on the Knights in playoff scoring with 18 points in 22 games. He also recorded 16 points in 23 regular-season games with Vegas after notching 6o points in a full season for the first time in 2021-22 with St. Louis.

Barbashev will undoubtedly reprise his first-line role next season, and he’ll look to start his new extension off strong by setting a career-high in points alongside one of the best centers in the league and the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Of significance, the Golden Knights will once again be over the salary cap once Adin Hill’s reported two-year, $4.9MM average annual value extension becomes official. That could be alleviated, though, if Robin Lehner and his $5MM cap hit are destined for long-term injured reserve next season.

San Jose Sharks Re-Sign Eetu Makiniemi

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The San Jose Sharks have re-signed 24-year-old netminder Eetu Makiniemi to a one-year, two-way contract, per PuckPedia. The deal will carry a $775K NHL cap hit and includes $145K in guaranteed salary.

Makiniemi was a pending restricted free agent. The one-year extension comes in below his qualifying offer of $840K.

Choosing to keep Makiniemi in the organization is an expected decision after the Finnish goalie made his NHL debut this season, posting a .906 save percentage across two appearances. Acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Brent Burns trade last offseason, Makiniemi unfortunately didn’t get to finish out the season with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda after sustaining a labrum tear. He’s expected to be healthy for training camp.

After San Jose acquired Mackenzie Blackwood, Makiniemi is slated for the starting role with the AHL Barracuda, assuming the team holds onto Kaapo Kahkonen at the NHL level too. In 22 appearances last season, Makiniemi led the team with a .900 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average, holding his own behind a squad that struggled defensively.

At 24, the 2017 fourth-round pick still has some room to grow and could viably be a long-term backup option for the Sharks someday, should he continue on his development path.

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