Brayden Schenn

Flyers’ Bloated Forward Contracts Becoming Issue

July 30, 2017 at 3:08 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 10 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers haven’t seen the second round of the post-season since 2012, and in those 5 seasons since, missed the show entirely 3 times. For a team that spends as much on offense as the Flyers, their production has been incredibly mediocre. Many point to the seemingly never-ending goaltending carousel as the root cause of the team’s woes, and they wouldn’t be entirely incorrect. That said, over the last four seasons, their goals for per 60 minutes (GF60) is good for only 25th league-wide. That puts them above only the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Coyotes, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres in that timeframe. In short, their offense has been remarkably underwhelming for years. And yet, the team is allocating $47.32 MM of its available $75 MM to its forward group in 2017-18, with most of that money tied up in only a handful of skaters. For comparison’s sake, that’s more than $5 MM more than their divisional rivals in Pittsburgh or Washington.

Leading the pack in terms of bloated contracts are the team’s captain Claude Giroux and last season’s team-points-leader Jakub Voracek. Neither player is detrimental to the cause – they both have tallied multiple 50+ point seasons with relative consistency. That said, their contracts are some of the most exorbitant in the league. Giroux’s $8.275 MM AAV for the next 5 seasons puts him in an elite group of forwards. So does Voracek’s $8.25 MM for the next 7 seasons. This places them 12th and 13th respectively among the highest paid players league-wide for the 2017-18 season. Giroux’s career PPG is .87, while Voracek’s is a measly .71. Excluding defensemen P.K. Subban and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, these stats simply don’t match up to the rest of the “elite” group. Jonathan Toews’ and Anze Kopitar both also account for around .87 PPG, but unarguably do far more on the defensive side of the puck than the simply capable Giroux. One of these bloated contracts alone would be a hindrance; two on the same roster is nearly insurmountable.

Further down the roster, you see other albatross contracts. Valtteri Filppula was acquired by the Flyers to shore up the center position and increase playmaking ability. He only scored 8 points through 20 games in Philadelphia. Thankfully for the Flyers, his $5 MM contract expires at the end of 2017-18. Jori Lehtera was acquired this off-season in a bizarre move for Brayden Schenn, who arguably saw a great deal of improvement last season. Lehtera has only two seasons remaining at $4.7 MM, but his only effective (44 points) season is two years in the past. He scored only 7 goals all last season. Then there’s Sean Couturier, who while not a total dud, has failed to progress the way the organization hoped when they drafted him with the 8th overall in 2011 acquired as part of the Jeff Carter transaction. He provides solid defensive play, but he has never broken 40 points, and seemingly regressed last season, falling out of Selke conversations. He has 5 seasons remaining at a moderate $4.33 MM AAV. Wayne Simmonds (the one true bargain on the team) and Matt Read both make over $3 MM, while Dale Weise and Michael Raffl both draw over $2 MM. For a team that truly struggles to put the puck in the net, a lot of money is being spent on marginal players.

Ultimately, the Flyers are in a difficult spot playing in the Metropolitan Division. With the high-flying, offensively-dynamic Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins competing for playoff positioning, the inclination to try and duplicate those franchises is only natural. The team did luck into a dynamic, potentially franchise, talent in Nolan Patrick, which may help alleviate some of the problems with consistent offensive production. That said, if the Flyers continue to struggle this season, look for some of the offensive big guns to find themselves on the trading block. Excluding the one year of Filppula and the incredibly valuable Simmonds, only Giroux has any sort of no-movement clause. With Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere looking to be core pieces on the back-end for many years, the day may soon come where an offensive overhaul visits Philadelphia. GM Ron Hextall will have money moving out in the next few seasons, but he undoubtedly has decisions to make going forward, particularly if this season again falls short of a playoff appearance.

Patrik Berglund Undergoes Surgery, Out Until December

June 28, 2017 at 11:08 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

In an announcement that might explain their acquisition of Brayden Schenn even more, the St. Louis Blues have revealed that Patrik Berglund underwent left shoulder surgery yesterday and will be out until December. The injury happened during his offseason training in Sweden.

Berglund is just heading into a new five-year contract extension that will pay him $3.85MM per season, and was set to start the season as one of the centers for the Blues. Instead, he’ll miss almost the first half of the season and the Blues will scramble to fill the position. Luckily, they acquired Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers on the weekend and have several players who can move to the middle. Alex Steen, Vladimir Sobotka, Kyle Brodziak, Zachary Sanford, Ivan Barbashev and Oskar Sundqvist all have various levels of experience in the middle, giving the Blues several options behind Schenn and Paul Stastny.

Even so, losing Berglund for that amount of time is a painful hit to a team looking to contend this year. His 23 goals were a career high and actually ranked second on the team, and he’s a responsible checker capable of providing minutes in all situations. The Blues don’t have a ton of room to spend on free agency for another fix, as the majority of their cap room is going to be eaten up by a Colton Parayko extension. They have more than enough depth to fill his role, though a lesser addition to the wing may still be in the cards for the summer.

2017 NHL Draft Trade Tracker

June 24, 2017 at 9:00 am CDT | by natebrown 6 Comments

Along with the draft selections, NHL Draft weekend always features plenty of trades as well. Keep track of all the action right here, as we’ll update any and all deals concerning draft picks over the course of the Draft:

Round One:

Chicago Blackhawks trade a first-round pick (#26) to the Dallas Stars for a first-round pick (#29) and third-round pick (#70)

St. Louis Blues trade a first-round pick (#27), a conditional 2018 first-round pick, and center Jori Lehtera to the Philadelphia Flyers for center Brayden Schenn

Pittsburgh Penguins trade a first-round pick (#31) and center Oskar Sundqvist to the St. Louis Blues for a third-round pick (#51) and right wing Ryan Reaves

Round Two:

Arizona Coyotes trade a second-round pick (#35) to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick (#44), third-round pick (#75), and fourth-round pick (#108)

Vegas Golden Knights trade a second-round pick (#45) to the Columbus Blue Jackets for right wing Keegan Kolesar

Round Three:

Arizona Coyotes trade a third-round pick (#78) to the Edmonton Oilers for a third-round pick (#82) and a fifth-round pick (#126)

Round Four:

New York Rangers trade a fourth-round pick (#102) to the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick (#123) and a sixth-round pick (#174)

Round Seven:

Montreal Canadiens trade a 2018 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for a seventh-round pick (#199)

Zach Leach contributed to this post (Day Two)

Philadelphia Flyers Trade Brayden Schenn To St. Louis

June 23, 2017 at 8:48 pm CDT | by natebrown 9 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers pulled off perhaps the biggest shocker of the draft, trading Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for Jori Lehtera, the 27th-overall pick and a conditional first-round pick next year. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that if the 2018 pick happens to be in the top 10, St. Louis would have the option to push it to 2019. If they do so, Philadelphia would also gain a third-rounder in 2020.

The Flyers used the 27th pick to select Morgan Frost, son of former Maple Leafs in-house announcer Andy Frost and forward from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhouds of the OHL. Frost put up 62 points in 68 games for the Greyhounds but is still very undersized and will need to develop his all-around game.

Lehtera is coming off an extremely disappointing season in St. Louis, in which he scored just 22 points. He’s heading into year two of a contract that pays him $4.7MM per season, a number that hopes he’s more of the 44-point player he showed in his first year. Philadelphia will hope they can turn him back into that, but with a system now flooded with centers after trading for Valtteri Filppula at the deadline and selecting Nolan Patrick tonight, it’s not clear what his role will be.

Schenn though is clearly the prize of the deal, as clearly the best player involved for the time being. Schenn scored 25 goals again last season and has developed into one of the more effective power forwards in the league. He was unstoppable with the man advantage, scoring 28 of his 55 points on the powerplay. Now traded twice before he turns 26, Schenn is locked up for three more seasons at $5.13MM and immediately fills some of the center concerns for the Blues. It was a hefty price to pay, with two firsts going the other way but he’ll help St. Louis in their quest for a Stanley Cup once again next year.

Having Schenn allows the Blues to move Patrik Berglund back down to a third-line center and keep both Vladimir Sobotka and Alex Steen on the wings. That upgrade will make their top-9 one of the best groups in the league.

Expansion Primer: Philadelphia Flyers

May 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 1 Comment

Over the next few weeks we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The Philadelphia Flyers are coming off a disappointing season of Metropolitan struggles. Thankfully, with the #2 pick in the upcoming draft, they will receive an infusion a top level talent in Nico Hischier or Nolan Patrick. There aren’t a ton of success stories from this last season for the Flyers, in which Wayne Simmonds led the way up front. Many players took a noticeable step back and the younger forwards failed to produce at an impactful clip.

The Flyers are in desperate need of embracing a full youth movement. The longer they cling to players like Andrew MacDonald, the worse off their rebuild will be. This is not a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup in the near future and with the expansion draft forcing tough decisions, now is the time to embrace that organizational mentality.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
Claude Giroux (NMC), Valtteri Filppula (NMC), Jakub Voracek, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Matt Read, Dale Weise, Michael Raffl, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Nick Cousins, Scott Laughton, Greg Carey, Colin McDonald, Taylor Leier

Defense
Andrew MacDonald, Radko Gudas, Brandon Manning, Shayne Gostisbehere, T.J. Brennan, Will O’Neill, Jesper Pettersson

Goaltender
Michal Neuvirth, Anthony Stolarz

Notable Exemptions

Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Samuel Morin, Carter Hart

Key Decisions

The Flyers have to protect two players – both of whom are probably not deserving of the no movement clause they have been granted. Giroux had his second straight offensively disappointing season. At $8.275 MM a season until 2022, the Flyers have created a really difficult situation for themselves. And although previous GM Paul Holmgren was somehow able to unload Mike Richards prior to his momentous fall from grace, Giroux is already known to be an albatross. He’s still producing, with 14 goals and 58 points in his last outing, but he is struggling to be a difference maker against tough competition. Filppula only played 20 games this past season for Philadelphia, so any criticism might be premature. But the well-rounded center has only broken 20 goals twice in his career, most recently 4 seasons ago. He seems rather redundant on a team with lots of mediocre offensive talents.

Voracek might also be slightly overpaid for what he brings to the team ($8.25 MM), as his possession metrics have trended consistently downward over the course of four seasons. That said, he was Philadelphia’s leading scorer in 2016-17 and has a secure roster spot. He’s only two years removed from an All-Star appearance, but is he dominant enough to carry an offense if another key member struggles again? Simmonds is an obvious keeper for the physical edge he brings along with his consistent production. The net-front presence and leadership skills make him a prime candidate for captain if Giroux were somehow jettisoned in the near future. Both Schenn and Couturier are promising key pieces to the future of the squad, and had solid outings last season.

From here, the decision at forward gets difficult. Weal had solid underlying metrics and showed flexibility in his game. Does GM Ron Hextall believe there is there more to his game, and if so, is he worth signing as a UFA before the expansion draft, burning a protection slot? Probably not. Some believe Cousins is worth protecting, as he is still young at 23 years old, and shown potential at the AHL level. With the other players vying for the position, however, the organization would have to be incredibly high on his ability to piece it all together next season.

The three serious remaining choices – Laughton, Raffl, and Bellemare – a group which likely contains the player to be claimed by Vegas, poses a question which will be entirely decided by organizational philosophy. Laughton is the player who has the highest upside but also the greatest potential for bust. Mike Raffl is a consistent producer whose ability would guarantee a certain amount of offense on a forward corps that can really struggles over long stretches. Bellemare is your classic heart-and-soul player – his latest perfomance in the World Championships put that on display for all onlookers. In the end, based on the praise afforded him by the coaching staff and other players, as well as his assistant captainship, Bellemare could easily find himself as the final protected player. Whether that is the correct long-term decision will be a topic of great scrutiny.

On defense, there are very few players signed. Gudas and Gostisbehere will absolutely be protected, so the third choice is the only one up for debate. Many believe that MacDonald is considered the veteran savvy anchor, but his possession stats have been poor, while his turnover frequency has been disturbing. He plays over 20 minutes a night, but hasn’t performed as consistently as a top-pairing player should. Manning still has room to improve, is four years younger, and posts a positive Corsi influence (51.3%) on a corps that truly floundered all season. Neither is going to be a game breaker for Vegas, but it would seem odd that Philadelphia wouldn’t roll the dice and expose MacDonald in hopes that his $5 MM contract for three more seasons could be removed from the books.

The goaltending decision will be an interesting one for outside watchers. With Steve Mason gone, Neuvirth is obviously their tender going forward, correct? Well, perhaps not. Neuvirth’s stats (.901 SV%) really don’t justify his protection, and especially considering the forward situation, he would almost certainly not be claimed. Stolarz is the goaltender of the immediate future for the team and will see quite a bit of duty this year. The 6’6″ former London Knight is going to be relied upon to take a step forward, and his progression in Lehigh Valley has been quite promising. Exposing him could backfire in a way that leaving Neuvirth open for taking could not. If the team is serious about a youth movement, his value as an asset needs to be shielded.

After quite a few tough determinations, and trying to be realistic about the organization’s valuation of certain players, what follows is the final projection for Philadelphia.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F / 3D / 1G

Forwards
Claude Giroux (NMC)
Valtteri Filppula (NMC)
Sean Couturier
Wayne Simmonds
Brayden Schenn
Jakub Voracek
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Defensemen
Shayne Gostisbehere
Radko Gudas
Brandon Manning

Goaltender
Anthony Stolarz

Flyers Notes: Del Zotto, Schultz, Hextall, Mason

April 8, 2017 at 4:47 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Philadelphia’s defense is setting up to look a lot different next season as youngsters like Samuel Morin and Travis Sanheim, among others, make a push for a full-time roster spot. Accordingly, their pending unrestricted free agents, Michael Del Zotto, aren’t likely to return next season.

Del Zotto confirmed to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer that there haven’t been any talks about a potential contract extension. The blueliner acknowledged he has been frustrated this season after seeing his role change considerably; his average ice time is down nearly four minutes a night from last year while he has also spent time as a healthy scratch.

As for Schultz, he acknowledged to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio that there’s a good chance he won’t play next season. He doesn’t like the idea of moving his family to sign a one year deal while it’s unlikely that the Flyers will look to bring him back, even in the current depth role he finds himself in.

Combined, the duo accounted for a little over $6MM on Philadelphia’s salary cap this season and if they are replaced with players on entry level deals, GM Ron Hextall should have some flexibility heading into the offseason.

Deadline Primer: Philadelphia Flyers

February 24, 2017 at 1:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

With the trade deadline less than a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the most depressing stories of the season so far (sorry Flyers fans) after their hot start has crumbled in front of their eyes. Once winners of ten straight, the Flyers have gone 9-15-4 since then and have almost seen their playoff hopes vanish entirely. They are currently five points out of a playoff spot with two teams between them, and are in danger of being overtaken by the surging Tampa Bay Lightning and perhaps even the Buffalo Sabres.

It’s not all bad for the Flyers though, who have seen Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny have solid debuts as teenagers, and Wayne Simmonds continue to make his deal look like one of the best in the NHL. They have two games remaining before the deadline, one against their cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins, and one against the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Perhaps they will decide the fate of the Flyers come the deadline.

Record

28-25-7, 6th in Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Likely Seller, but with eyes on a quick reload.

Deadline Cap Space

$740K – full-season cap hit, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, BOS 3rd, PHI 4th, NYI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th
2018: PHI 1st, PHI 2nd, PHI 3rd, PHI 4th, PHI 5th, PHI 6th, PHI 7th

Trade Chips

It’s all about the rental defensemen for the Flyers, who have a few options to sell at the deadline. If they want to move on from both Mark Streit and Michael Del Zotto, there will be takers for both. While neither is a defensive dynamo, both provide offensive ability and can be used to boost a powerplay. Their value is fairly low, as both have been healthy scratches at times this season and aren’t reliable enough in their own end to warrant a high draft pick or top prospect.

Both Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth are free agents at the end of the year, but neither has played well enough for a team to think they could help them win games down the stretch. Philadelphia is likely stuck with them for the rest of the year, unless they can convince someone to take Mason’s hit in a salary-swapping deal.

It will be interesting to see if the Flyers push any of their other assets into the fray, and try a little rebuild on the fly. They’ve benched Shayne Gostisbehere at times this season to try and help his development defensively, and could get a ransom for him if they made him available. Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier would both be considered among the best available names if they listened on them, and could bring back packages close to the ones Joe Sakic is looking for in Colorado.

Likely though the deadline will come down to shopping defenders for Philadelphia, who would listen on Radko Gudas and Andrew MacDonald if anyone called. Both players (especially MacDonald) likely have too big of a contract to deal in-season though.

Five Players To Watch: D Michael Del Zotto, D Mark Streit, D Radko Gudas, C Nick Cousins, F Chris VandeVelde

Team Needs

1) Expansion Draft Goaltending: The Flyers have a decision to make at the expansion draft, as currently the only goaltender that fills the requirement is Anthony Stolarz, a prospect they likely wouldn’t want to lose—though they do also have Carter Hart and Alex Lyon in the pipeline. They’ll either have to re-sign one of the two pending free agents, or bring in another goaltender to expose. It doesn’t have to be anyone who will play for the team next season, but look for them to at least address that situation by the deadline.

2) Young Roster-Ready Players – The Flyers won’t want to undergo a complete rebuild, with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek right in their prime and signed long-term. Mid-round draft picks are nice to keep a pipeline full of talent, but the Flyers need to get better now. Look for them to go after any pre-prime player that is available, though those are few and far between this season. The crunch up front in Tampa Bay, or the crop of good young defenders in Carolina and Anaheim could be targets but will likely have to wait until the summer to get anything done.

Metro Division Notes: Wennberg, Vesey, Schenn, Raffl

December 17, 2016 at 7:00 pm CDT | by Glen Miller 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the league’s biggest surprises this season under head coach John Tortorella. The team’s points-percentage is #1 in the league, and they boast the NHL’s top-ranked man-advantage unit as well. While the play of rookie defenseman Zach Werenski and goaltender Sergei Bobrovski is garnering much of the attention, third-year center Alexander Wennberg has played a vital role in the team’s surge this season.

Wennberg debuted in 2014-15 and tallied 20 points in 68 games as a rookie. He would double that points total in 69 contests in his sophomore campaign but is in the midst of a breakout season in 2016-17 with 25 points in 28 appearances. If he maintains that pace he would finish with more than 70 points. According to Tortorella via Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch, Wennberg, now in his third professional season, has embraced the added responsibility that comes with experience.

“Before camp started, we talked about responsibility as a third-year pro,” Tortorella said. “He’s not a rookie anymore. He’s not feeling his way through the league anymore. He needs to take responsibility with his play, and he’s done that.”

For his part, the young pivot believes his physical development has allowed him to improve in all aspects on the ice.

“I’m bigger now, stronger,” Wennberg said recently. “It’s a hard league, the best in the world, and I was a young guy when I got here. Of course it’s tough. I do feel different this year. I know Torts better and he knows me better, too. So it’s good.”

Although known more for his skill, Wennberg recently had occasion to show he isn’t afraid of physical play. Friday night he dropped the mitts with Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk after the latter delivered a big hit on Brandon Saad in the Jackets defensive zone. He may not have fared particularly well in the engagement but he certainly earned the respect of his teammates and his coach.

“I’ve talked since I’ve been here that I think Wenny needs to be more involved,” Tortorella said. “Not to fight, but to be more involved in the inside part of the game, and he’s done that this year.

“For him to stand in there – right in front of the bench – that’s important for camaraderie and the tightness of the bench to see that guy stand in there.”

Elsewhere in the Metro Division:

Jimmy Vesey spurned several teams when he agreed to terms with the New York Rangers this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Chief among them was the club who originally drafted the skilled winger in the 3rd round of the 2012 draft, the Nashville Predators. Of course everyone knows the story by now. Nashville GM David Poile thought Vesey would sign with the club upon the completion of his senior season at Harvard but Vesey had other ideas. Once it became clear the Predators would not be adding the young winger, the team pivoted and traded his rights to Buffalo in exchange for a third-round pick. Buffalo also failed to secure Vesey’s name on a contract and it was the Rangers who would add the talented prospect to their organization. Vesey is off to a strong start with the Blueshirts, registering 10 goals and 17 points in 31 contests. He’s already played against the Sabres in Buffalo and received a cold reception. Tonight, however, Vesey and the Rangers travel to Nashville where Adam Vingan of The Tennessean expects Vesey will receive a hostile welcome from Predators fans. Vesey certainly expects one and is looking forward to getting it over with: “I kind of have been knowing it was coming. It’s going to be the worst of it, and once this game is done with, maybe it’ll settle down.” Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault doesn’t expect the atmosphere to distract the rookie: “I think this is the third time this is happened. He hasn’t shown at all that he’s been at all influenced by it. If the fans get their money’s worth, then I guess fine for them, but I know it’s not going to bother the young man at all.”
The Philadelphia Flyers had their 10-game winning streak broken today in Dallas, but the stretch of winning hockey has elevated the Flyers from a .500 club to one that comfortably holds a playoff spot. Coincidentally, their streak began at the same time Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol moved Brayden Schenn to center from wing, replacing him with Michael Raffl on the top line, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes. Schenn initially centered the fourth-line for two games but has spent the past eight on the second-line and that trio has combined for 12 goals and 22 points since.

Notable Major Junior Trades From Recent History

December 12, 2016 at 10:25 am CDT | by Brett Barrett 3 Comments

We reported yesterday that Pierre-Luc Dubois, the 2016 third-overall pick, is about to be traded from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada when the QMJHL trading period opens on December 18.

While the Screaming Eagles’ return on Dubois won’t be known until that date when the trade goes through, let’s take a look at the most recent top-five picks to be traded in junior:

John Tavares – Tavares was the first player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL; in fact, the rule was colloquially known as the John Tavares Rule for years afterward. Tavares is a little different from the rest of the players on this list, in that he was traded during his draft year, as opposed to after. On January 8, 2009, the Oshawa Generals (who will appear a few more times in this list) traded Tavares, future NHL defenseman Michael Del Zotto, and goaltender Daryl Borden to the London Knights for winger Christian Thomas, defenseman Scott Valentine, goaltender Michael Zador, and six draft picks. Tavares and Del Zotto were rentals who went on to play in the NHL the following seasons, while Borden played three games with the Knights before ending up in senior hockey. Thomas scored 246 points in 212 games with the Generals before turning pro. He’s appeared in 27 NHL games with three points to his name, and 241 AHL games with 125 points. He’s currently a member of the Hershey Bears. Valentine played out his uneventful CHL career in Oshawa and then bounced around North American pro leagues before heading to Europe. Zador is now retired.

Brayden Schenn – The younger Schenn brother was traded while he was playing for Canada at the 2011 World Juniors. The Los Angeles Kings 2009 fifth-overall pick was traded from the Brandon Wheat Kings to the Saskatoon Blades, who were gearing up for a playoff run. Schenn had played just two games that season prior to the WJC due to injury. Schenn was fantastic for the Blades, scoring 53 points in 27 games and another 11 points in 10 playoff games. The Wheat Kings received four draft picks (two first round picks) and two 15-year-old prospects, Tim McGauley and Ayrton Nikkel. Nikkel is now playing Canadian University hockey, while McGauley was actually a member of the Wheat Kings until last year; he’s now on the AHL Hershey Bears roster.

Leon Draisaitl – The Oilers selected Draisaitl third overall in 2014 with high expectations for “The German Gretzky.” Draisaitl had earned that nickname while playing German junior where he scored a ridiculous 192 points in 29 games. He then came to the WHL, where he scored 163 points 128 games before being drafted. With only two actual NHL centers (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Boyd Gordon) on the roster, Draisaitl made the Oilers out of training camp despite not showing he was ready. He played 37 games with the Oilers, scoring just 2 goals and 9 points before Oilers GM Craig MacTavish orchestrated a trade of Draisaitl’s rights in the WHL. The Memorial Cup-bound Kelowna Rockets acquired Draisaitl from the Prince Albert Raiders for forward Kris Schmidli, defenceman Dalton Yorke and three draft picks. Neither player did much for the Raiders, while Draisaitl scored 53 points in 32 games for the Rockets and was named the MVP of the Memorial Cup, which the Rockets lost to the aforementioned Oshawa Generals in overtime.

Michael Dal Colle – The Islanders’ fifth-overall pick in 2014, Dal Colle had three productive seasons in Oshawa before struggling in his second season, post-draft. Dal Colle was not picked by Canada for the World Juniors and fought with injuries. He had 25 points in 30 games before the Generals traded him on New Years’ Day 2016. The Kingston Frontenacs traded Robbie Burt, a first round pick, two seconds, and two thirds for the Generals captain Dal Colle. The ’99 born Burt has just 12 points in 56 games, and is not ranked by Central Scouting for the upcoming draft. Dal Colle turned it on in Kingston, scoring 55 points in 30 games and is now playing in the AHL, where he has 11 points in 24 games.

Metropolitan Notes: Wilson, Cousins, Schenn, Teravainen

December 1, 2016 at 9:25 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

After being predominantly a fourth line physical presence through the first three years of his career, Washington right winger Tom Wilson is looking to redefine himself as more of an all-around player, writes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post. The Capitals made Wilson their first round pick (16th overall) back in 2012 but he has primarily been known for his hitting and fighting and not the scorer he was back in junior where he had 91 points in 125 OHL games with Plymouth.

Considering the role he had as a junior-aged rookie (he had more fights than points by a 14-10 margin), some members of Washington’s front office have expressed some regret in rushing him to the NHL as an energy player instead of allowing him to hone his all-around game at the junior level.

Wilson is hardly the first high draft pick to start out as a fourth line tough guy and then develop more of an offensive game over the years as both Milan Lucic and Wayne Simmonds have had career paths like that. As Wilson does that, he is passing up on more opportunities to fight (his fight totals have dropped each year) and in turn, he is spending a lot less time on the penalty box. He’s on pace for 82 PIMS this season and while that total may seem high, his career low in that regard is 151 which came in his rookie year.

Head coach Barry Trotz hasn’t hesitated to trust Wilson more this season as he is averaging over 13 minutes of playing time per game (a career high) while he also is playing a regular role on the penalty kill. While that hasn’t translated into offensive success just yet as he has just a single goal in 21 games, the fact that he is playing a bigger role should pay dividends down the road even if the production isn’t there yet.

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