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Mason McTavish

Mason McTavish Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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When the Anaheim Ducks decided to keep Mason McTavish for the start of the season, it came with the same caveat as any other freshly-drafted player out of the CHL. If they used him for ten games, he would burn the first year of his entry-level contract and become a restricted free agent sooner than if he was sent back to junior. They also couldn’t send him to the AHL, as he’s too young to be eligible for the minor league. That is of course, unless he’s coming off an injury, as he is now. McTavish has been loaned to the San Diego Gulls on a conditioning stint as he recovers from a lower-body injury, he is also no longer listed on the team’s injured reserve.

A normal conditioning loan can last up to 14 days and any games McTavish players in the AHL will not count toward that ten-game threshold for his entry-level contract. In this case, it’s a sly way to get him some additional professional experience while not clicking up his NHL game count. It’s also a good way to get him back on track after being injured earlier this month.

McTavish, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, had two points in his first three games with the Ducks including his first NHL goal. The 6’1″ forward plays with a physical presence but also has enough skill to contribute at the top of the lineup. Just 18, he spent last season playing in Switzerland when the OHL didn’t hold a season and hasn’t actually suited up for his Peterborough Petes since the 2019-20 season. If he sticks at the NHL level this year, it will have been a very interesting road for McTavish, who has just that one season of CHL hockey under his belt–in which he scored 29 goals and 42 points. The year before that, he was still playing for the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

For at least a little while longer, the Ducks won’t have to make the decision on whether to send him back or not.

Pacific Notes: Gaudreau, McTavish, Whitecloud, Doughty

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Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau is one of the more intriguing players in the 2022 UFA class.  He’s not that far removed from being a point-per-game player – a mark he hit as recently as 2018-19 – but his per-game production has dipped the last two seasons.  In a piece for Daily Faceoff, former Sabres assistant GM Steve Greeley examined Gaudreau’s situation, highlighting how term will be a big element as the 28-year-old will likely be looking for that one last big deal over a short-term pact that gets him back to the market in a more favorable cap environment a few years from now.  Gaudreau is in the final year of a deal that carries a $6.75MM AAV and it will cost a bit more than that on his next contract.

More from around the Pacific Division:

  • Ducks center Mason McTavish returned to practice on Friday as he works his way back from a lower-body injury sustained on Monday against Calgary, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. The third-overall pick in 2021 has a goal and an assist in three games this season and could be activated for Tuesday’s game versus Winnipeg.
  • Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud is listed as week-to-week after suffering an injury in the second period last night against Edmonton, relays Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link). Granger adds that there is concern that the 24-year-old may have broken his hand.  That paves the way for Daniil Miromanov to make his NHL debut on Sunday.
  • Kings defenseman Drew Doughty won’t play in the remaining two games of their current road trip and will undergo imaging for the injury he sustained last night, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). That paves the way for Olli Maatta to make his season debut tonight against St. Louis.

Anaheim Ducks Place Mason McTavish, Max Jones On Injured Reserve

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Per CapFriendly.com (Twitter links), the Anaheim Ducks placed forwards Mason McTavish and Max Jones on the injured reserve list Tuesday night ahead of their contest against the Edmonton Oilers.

In their place, the team has recalled forward Sonny Milano and forward Sam Carrick from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. They’ll likely serve as healthy scratches tonight, allowing Sam Steel to draw into the lineup for the first time this season and for Derek Grant to return to the lineup.

It’s a rough break especially for the 18-year-old McTavish, who was drafted third overall this past year and has a goal and an assist through his first three games. He’ll miss at least the next ten days’ worth of action.

Milano and Carrick could make their season debuts during their callups. Milano missed a good portion of last season due to injury but still carries scoring upside. Carrick had the most productive year of his career at the NHL level last season, notching six points in 13 games during his time with the big club.

OHL Will See Influx Of 2021 NHL Draft Selections For 2021-22

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After a year that saw a straight-up canceled season, one of the most prestigious junior programs in the world will see an influx of talent for the 2021-22 campaign. The Canadian Hockey League as a whole has received some welcome news over the past few days, as high-end prospects from the 2021 NHL Draft have signed on to play with various teams in the CHL next season. Today, Stanislav Svozil, a third-round pick of Columbus, added himself to that list. We’ll dive into a list of notable first-rounders from the 2021 Draft who are expected to be returning to the OHL or coming there for the first time after stints elsewhere last season.

F Mason McTavish (Anaheim Ducks, 3rd overall) – A somewhat surprising selection, the 6′ 2″, 207-pound power forward will be among the OHL’s biggest stars when the league resumes play after a lost 2020-21 season. McTavish played last season on loan with EHC Olten in the second-tier Swiss League, and impressed with 11 points in 13 regular-season games and seven points in just four playoff games. With an impressive 11 points in seven games for Canada’s U18 squad, serving as their captain during the U18 World Championships, McTavish comes back to his Peterborough Petes as the team’s best and most dynamic forward. He’ll look to improve on his rookie season with the team in 2019-20, in which he scored 29 goals and 42 points in 57 games.

D Brandt Clarke (Los Angeles Kings, 8th overall) – One of the most dynamic defensemen in the draft, Clarke fell all the way to Los Angeles at eighth overall, a lucky break for an already stacked prospect pool. Clarke, property of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, spent the 2020-21 campaign on loan with HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia’s Tipos Extraliga. Posting 15 points in 26 games, the two-way defender flaunted his skating ability on a professional stage. The immense growth in his game overseas will surely be on full display this year in Barrie.

F Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers, 16th overall) – A teammate of McTavish’s with EHC Olten in 2020-21, Othmann looks to bring his elite shot back to the OHL for 2021-22 with the Flint Firebirds. Othmann was able to score some decent playing time in Switzerland, posting 16 points in 34 regular-season games. Those numbers in a professional setting lead many to believe that Othmann will improve on his 17 goals and 33 points that Othmann put up in 55 games with Flint in 2019-20.

F Oskar Olausson (Colorado Avalanche, 28th overall) – Joining Clarke with the Barrie Colts, Olausson is somewhat of a surprise addition to this list. The newly-minted Avalanche prospect has spent the entirety of his career in his native Sweden, yet his decision to move to North America signals a desire to join the Avalanche organization professionally as soon as possible. Picked up by Barrie in the OHL’s Import Draft, Olausson will find more opportunity there than he would have overseas, especially after his HV71 team was relegated to the second-tier Allsvenskan for the upcoming season. His offense should help create an extremely strong attack in Barrie, who’ll have one of the deeper teams in the league next season.

 

Anaheim Ducks Sign Three Draft Picks

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced deals for three draft picks, inking Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger and Sasha Pastujov to three-year entry-level contracts.

It was reported yesterday that Pastujov would be signing, as his plans for next season have changed. The young forward took back his commitment to the University of Notre Dame and will instead play for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. A player in the NCAA isn’t able to ink an NHL contract, but that’s not the case for someone in the CHL. Pastujov can continue his development in the junior league while also being under contract with the Ducks, receiving his signing bonus in the process.

The 18-year-old was a big-time offensive threat for the U.S. National Team Development Program, but dropped to the third round of the recent draft. The Ducks snapped him up with the 66th pick, and will hope that he can continue that development path in the OHL. Pastujov’s contract will slide forward should he spend the year in junior, meaning the first season will not be burned in 2021-22.

For Zellweger, it’s much of the same story. The 34th overall pick from this year’s draft, he’ll be heading back to the WHL to refine what is an intriguing package of tools. Just 5’10”, Zellweger is one of the youngest players in the 2021 draft class and won’t even turn 18 until next month. He flew up draft boards this year, going from C-rated to the start of the second round. There’s no doubt that size will be a challenge, but scouts rave about Zellweger’s maturity, work ethic, and hockey IQ, not to mention his obvious skating ability.

The big fish in this group though is McTavish, the third-overall pick from last month’s draft. Physically, McTavish could likely handle the grind of an NHL season right now. The Swiss-born, Canadian center spent this year overseas playing for Olten EHC where he scored nine goals and 11 points in just 13 games. His physical, bang-and-crash style makes a fan of every coach he plays for, as McTavish regularly engages down low and comes out with control of the puck. That’s not to say he lacks offensive flair, though there may not be the same kind of scoring upside in McTavish as future teammate Trevor Zegras.

That’s likely exactly why the Ducks are so excited by the pick, as the 18-year-old can provide a stylistic complement to the slick Zegras down the middle in Anaheim. While those days still may have to wait for a little while, there’s little doubt that McTavish will climb the ranks quickly and become an NHL talent before long. If he does return to junior this season for the Peterborough Petes, it will be more about letting him dominate a level offensively and perhaps play at the World Juniors. His contract–like the other two–would slide if that happens, meaning the Ducks would have McTavish signed through at least 2024-25.

2021 NHL Draft Selections By Team

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Today concluded the 2021 NHL Draft, the first edition with 32 teams in the running. Some teams selected just three times (sorry, Toronto), while Don Waddell and the Carolina Hurricanes selected an NHL-record 13 times for a seven-round draft. After all the chaos of last night and today, catch up here on who your team selected and when.

Anaheim Ducks
Round 1, Pick 3: F Mason McTavish
Round 2, Pick 34: D Olen Zellweger
Round 3, Pick 66: F Sasha Pastujov
Round 3, Pick 76 (from CHI via MTL): D Tyson Hinds
Round 4, Pick 98: F Josh Lopina
Round 5, Pick 130: F Sean Tschigerl
Round 5, Pick 148 (from EDM via OTT): G Gage Alexander
Round 6, Pick 162: F Kyle Kukkonen

Arizona Coyotes
Round 1, Pick 9 (from VAN): F Dylan Guenther
Round 2, Pick 37 (from CBJ via OTT): F Josh Doan
Round 2, Pick 43: F Ilya Fedotov
Round 2, Pick 60 (from COL via NYI): D Janis Jerome Moser
Round 4, Pick 107: D Emil Martinsen Lilleberg
Round 4, Pick 122 (from PIT): G Rasmus Korhonen
Round 5, Pick 139: F Manix Landry
Round 6, Pick 171: D Cal Thomas
Round 7, Pick 223 (from MTL via CHI): F Sam Lipkin

Boston Bruins
Round 1, Pick 21: F Fabian Lysell
Round 3, Pick 85: F Brett Harrison
Round 4, Pick 117: G Philip Svedeback
Round 5, Pick 149: F Oskar Jellvik
Round 6, Pick 181: D Ryan Mast
Round 7, Pick 213: F Andre Gasseau
Round 7, Pick 217 (from TOR): D Ty Gallagher

Buffalo Sabres
Round 1, Pick 1: D Owen Power
Round 1, Pick 14 (from PHI): F Isak Rosen
Round 2, Pick 33: F Prokhor Poltapov
Round 2, Pick 53 (from BOS): F Alexander Kisakov
Round 3, Pick 88 (from FLA): F Stiven Sardarian
Round 3, Pick 95 (from MTL): F Josh Bloom
Round 4, Pick 97: F Olivier Nadeau
Round 5, Pick 159 (from MTL): F Viljami Marjala
Round 6, Pick 161: F William von Barnekow Lofberg
Round 6, Pick 188 (from COL): D Nikita Novikov
Round 7, Pick 193: F Tyson Kozak

Calgary Flames
Round 1, Pick 13: F Matthew Coronato
Round 2, Pick 45: F William Stromgren
Round 3, Pick 77: F Cole Huckins
Round 4, Pick 89 (from TOR via LAK): D Cameron Whynot
Round 5, Pick 141: D Cole Jordan
Round 6, Pick 168 (from LAK): F Jack Beck
Round 6, Pick 173: F Lucas Ciona
Round 7, Pick 205: G Arsenii Sergeev

Carolina Hurricanes
Round 2, Pick 40 (from LAK via NSH): D Scott Morrow
Round 2, Pick 44 (from CHI via CBJ): D Aleksi Heimosalmi
Round 2, Pick 51 (from NSH): F Ville Koivunen
Round 3, Pick 83 (from NSH): G Patrik Hamrla
Round 3, Pick 94 (from VGK via DET): D Aidan Hreschuk
Round 4, Pick 109 (from CGY via LAK): F Jackson Blake
Round 5, Pick 136 (from LAK via OTT): F Robert Orr
Round 5, Pick 147 (from NSH): F Justin Robidas
Round 6, Pick 170 (from OTT): D Bryce Montgomery
Round 6, Pick 187: G Nikita Quapp
Round 7, Pick 200 (from LAK): G Yegor Naumov
Round 7, Pick 209 (from STL): C Nikita Guslistov
Round 7, Pick 219: D Joel Nystrom

Chicago Blackhawks
Round 1, Pick 32 (from TBL via CBJ): D Nolan Allan
Round 2, Pick 62 (from VGK): F Colton Dach
Round 3, Pick 91 (from CAR): D Taige Harding
Round 4, Pick 105 (from VAN): D Ethan Del Mastro
Round 4, Pick 108: F Victor Stjernborg
Round 6, Pick 172: F Ilya Safonov
Round 7, Pick 204: D Connor Kelley
Round 7, Pick 216 (from FLA): F Jalen Luypen

Colorado Avalanche
Round 1, Pick 28: F Oskar Olausson
Round 2, Pick 61 (from NYI via NJD): D Sean Behrens
Round 3, Pick 92: F Andrei Buyalsky
Round 7, Pick 220: F Taylor Makar

Columbus Blue Jackets
Round 1, Pick 5: F Kent Johnson
Round 1, Pick 12 (from CHI): F Cole Sillinger
Round 1, Pick 25 (from TOR): D Corson Ceulemans
Round 3, Pick 69: D Stanislav Svozil
Round 4, Pick 101: D Guillaume Richard
Round 5, Pick 132 (from NJD): D Nikolai Makarov
Round 5, Pick 133: F James Malatesta
Round 6, Pick 165: F Ben Boyd
Round 7, Pick 197: F Martin Rysavy

Dallas Stars
Round 1, Pick 23 (from WSH via DET): F Wyatt Johnston
Round 2, Pick 47: F Logan Stankoven
Round 2, Pick 48 (from NYR via DET): D Artem Grushnikov
Round 3, Pick 73 (from VAN): F Ayrton Martino
Round 3, Pick 79: F Justin Ertel
Round 4, Pick 111: F Conner Roulette
Round 5, Pick 138 (from OTT via MTL, DET): D Jack Bar
Round 5, Pick 143: D Jacob Holmes
Round 6, Pick 175: F Francesco Arcuri
Round 7, Pick 207: F Albert Sjoberg

Detroit Red Wings
Round 1, Pick 6: D Simon Edvinsson
Round 1, Pick 15 (from DAL): G Sebastian Cossa
Round 2, Pick 36 (from NJD via VGK): D Shai Buium
Round 3, Pick 70: F Carter Mazur
Round 4, Pick 114 (from WPG via VGK): F Redmond Savage
Round 5, Pick 134: F Liam Dower Nilsson
Round 5, Pick 155 (from CAR via VGK): D Oscar Plandowski
Round 6, Pick 166: F Pasquale Zito

Edmonton Oilers
Round 1, Pick 22 (from MIN): F Xavier Bourgault
Round 3, Pick 90 (from PIT via SJS, MIN): D Luca Munzenberger
Round 4, Pick 116: F Jake Chiasson
Round 6, Pick 180: F Matvei Petrov
Round 6, Pick 186 (from PIT): F Shane Lachance
Round 7, Pick 212: D Maximus Wanner

Florida Panthers
Round 1, Pick 24: F Mackie Samoskevich
Round 2, Pick 56: D Evan Nause
Round 4, Pick 120: D Vladislav Lukashevich
Round 5, Pick 152: G Kirill Gerasimyuk
Round 6, Pick 184: F Jakub Kos
Round 7, Pick 210 (from WPG): D Braden Hache

Los Angeles Kings
Round 1, Pick 8: D Brandt Clarke
Round 2, Pick 42 (from OTT): F Francesco Pinelli
Round 2, Pick 59 (from CAR): F Samuel Helenius
Round 3, Pick 84 (from EDM via CGY): D Kirill Kirsanov

Minnesota Wild
Round 1, Pick 20 (from EDM): G Jesper Wallstedt
Round 1, Pick 26 (from PIT): D Carson Lambos
Round 2, Pick 54: D Jack Peart
Round 3, Pick 86: F Caedan Bankier
Round 4, Pick 118: D Kyle Masters
Round 4, Pick 127 (from MTL): F Josh Pillar
Round 6, Pick 182: D Nate Benoit

Montreal Canadiens
Round 1, Pick 31: D Logan Mailloux
Round 2, Pick 63: F Riley Kidney
Round 2, Pick 64 (from TBL): F Oliver Kapanen
Round 3, Pick 87 (from WSH via SJS): D Dmitri Kostenko
Round 4, Pick 113 (from STL): D William Trudeau
Round 5, Pick 142 (from PHI): D Daniil Sobolev
Round 5, Pick 150 (from MIN): F Joshua Roy
Round 6, Pick 191: F Xavier Simoneau
Round 7, Pick 214 (from MIN): G Joe Vrbetic

Nashville Predators
Round 1, Pick 19: F Fedor Svechkov
Round 1, Pick 27 (from CAR): F Zachary L’Heureux
Round 3, Pick 72 (from LAK via CAR): D Anton Olsson
Round 4, Pick 115: D Ryan Ufko
Round 4, Pick 124 (from COL via OTT): D Jack Matier
Round 6, Pick 179: F Simon Knak

New Jersey Devils
Round 1, Pick 4: D Luke Hughes
Round 1, Pick 29 (from NYI): F Chase Stillman
Round 3, Pick 68: F Samu Salminen
Round 4, Pick 100: G Jakub Malek
Round 5, Pick 129 (from BUF): D Topias Vilen
Round 6, Pick 164: D Viktor Hurtig
Round 7, Pick 203 (from ARI): F Zakhar Bardakov

New York Islanders
Round 2, Pick 52 (from EDM via DET): F Aatu Raty
Round 3, Pick 93: G Tristan Lennox
Round 4, Pick 125: F Cameron Berg
Round 5, Pick 157: F Eetu Liukas
Round 6, Pick 189: D Aleksi Malinen
Round 7, Pick 221: D Tomas Machu

New York Rangers
Round 1, Pick 16: F Brennan Othmann
Round 3, Pick 65 (from BUF): F Jayden Grubbe
Round 3, Pick 75 (from ARI via NJD, WSH): F Ryder Korczak
Round 4, Pick 104 (from LAK): F Brody Lamb
Round 4, Pick 106 (from OTT): F Kalle Vaisanen
Round 4, Pick 112: G Talyn Boyko
Round 5, Pick 144: F Jaroslav Chmelar
Round 7, Pick 208: D Hank Kempf

Ottawa Senators
Round 1, Pick 10: F Tyler Boucher
Round 2, Pick 39 (from SJS): F Zach Ostapchuk
Round 2, Pick 49 (from STL via BUF, VGK, LAK): D Ben Roger
Round 3, Pick 74: F Oliver Johansson
Round 4, Pick 123 (from CAR): F Carson Latimer
Round 7, Pick 202: D Chandler Romeo

Philadelphia Flyers
Round 2, Pick 46: F Samu Tuomaala
Round 3, Pick 78: G Aleksei Kolosov
Round 4, Pick 110: D Brian Zanetti
Round 5, Pick 158 (from VGK via WSH): D Ty Murchison
Round 6, Pick 174: D Ethan Samson
Round 7, Pick 206: F Owen McLaughlin

Pittsburgh Penguins
Round 2, Pick 58: F Tristan Broz
Round 5, Pick 154: D Isaac Belliveau
Round 7, Pick 194 (from ANA): D Ryan McCleary
Round 7, Pick 215 (from WSH): D Daniel Laatsch
Round 7, Pick 218: F Kirill Tankov

San Jose Sharks
Round 1, Pick 7: F William Eklund
Round 3, Pick 81 (from STL): G Benjamin Gaudreau
Round 4, Pick 103: D Gannon Laroque
Round 4, Pick 121 (from TOR): F Ethan Cardwell
Round 5, Pick 135: D Artem Guryev
Round 5, Pick 156 (from COL): F Max McCue
Round 6, Pick 167: F Liam Gilmartin
Round 6, Pick 177 (from STL): F Theo Jacobsson
Round 7, Pick 199: F/D Evgenii Kashnikov

Seattle Kraken
Round 1, Pick 2: F Matthew Beniers
Round 2, Pick 35: D Ryker Evans
Round 3, Pick 67: F Ryan Winterton
Round 4, Pick 99: D Ville Ottavainen
Round 5, Pick 131: F Jacob Melanson
Round 6, Pick 163: G Semyon Vyazovoi
Round 7, Pick 195: F Justin Janicke

St. Louis Blues
Round 1, Pick 17: F Zachary Bolduc
Round 3, Pick 71 (from SJS): F Simon Robertsson
Round 5, Pick 145: D Tyson Galloway
Round 7, Pick 198 (from DET): F Ivan Vorobyov

Tampa Bay Lightning
Round 3, Pick 96: D Roman Schmidt
Round 4, Pick 126 (from VGK via MTL): F Dylan Duke
Round 5, Pick 160: F Cameron MacDonald
Round 6, Pick 192: D Alex Gagne
Round 7, Pick 196 (from NJD): D Daniil Pylenkov
Round 7, Pick 211 (from NSH): F Robert Flinton
Round 7, Pick 224: F Niko Huuhtanen

Toronto Maple Leafs
Round 2, Pick 57: F Matthew Knies
Round 5, Pick 153: F Ty Voit
Round 6, Pick 185: G Vyacheslav Peksa

Vancouver Canucks
Round 2, Pick 41: F Danila Klimovich
Round 5, Pick 137: G Aku Koskenvuo
Round 5, Pick 140 (from CHI): D Jonathan Myrenberg
Round 6, Pick 169: D Hugo Gabrielsson
Round 6, Pick 178 (from WPG): F Connor Lockhart
Round 7, Pick 201: F Lucas Forsell

Vegas Golden Knights
Round 1, Pick 30: F Zach Dean
Round 2, Pick 38 (from DET): D Daniil Chayka
Round 4, Pick 102 (from DET): F Jakub Brabenec
Round 4, Pick 128 (from TBL via DET): F Jakub Demek
Round 6, Pick 190: D Artur Cholach
Round 7, Pick 222: G Carl Lindbom

Washington Capitals
Round 2, Pick 55: D Vincent Iorio
Round 3, Pick 80 (from NYR): D Brent Johnson
Round 4, Pick 119: D Joaquim Lemay
Round 5, Pick 151: F Haakon Hanelt
Round 6, Pick 176 (from NYR): D Dru Krebs
Round 6, Pick 183: G Chase Clark

Winnipeg Jets
Round 1, Pick 18: F Chaz Lucius
Round 2, Pick 50: F Nikita Chibrikov
Round 3, Pick 82: D Dmitri Kuzmin
Round 5, Pick 146: F Dmitri Rashevsky

Vancouver Canucks Targeting Center With No. 9 Pick

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The Vancouver Canucks have a number of talented young forwards on the roster and in the pipeline, but outside of Elias Pettersson they have very few at the center position. After a deep playoff run last season, Vancouver expected to continue as a contender for years to come. Instead, they took a major step back this season. The thin silver lining is that they have the opportunity to address their greatest prospect need with a top ten pick – and plan to do just that.

In his first round mock draft, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler also included some hints from league sources that influenced his decisions. The most detailed report pertained to the Canucks and their hopes for the No. 9 overall pick. Wheeler writes that the Canucks are expected to take one of William Eklund, Mason McTavish, or Kent Johnson with the selection, assuming at least one is still available. While all three have played wing as well in their young careers, they are primarily considered centers and Johnson and McTavish are largely expected to stick at center at the pro level.

In Wheeler’s mock, he has Eklund – the consensus top player of the group – and McTavish already off the board by the time Vancouver picks. However, that shouldn’t be a problem. Wheeler believes that Johnson, the most natural center of the group, is considered to be the Canucks’ top choice for their pick. Johnson may need to fill out his frame and work on his physical compete level, but his talent  is obvious. The University of Michigan is natural puck-mover and play-maker with some of the best puck skills in the draft class to go with smooth skating and great vision. Once Johnson grows into his frame and develops more two-way sense, he should be a perfect fit down the middle. If he falls to Vancouver, Wheeler notes it would be another instance of an incredibly skilled but lanky, physically immatures player going later than he probably should to the good fortune of the Canucks. It worked out nicely with Pettersson and the team would not hesitate to take the chance again.

If Johnson is gone by No. 9, as are Eklund and McTavish, the Canucks could still target the center position with U.S. National Team Development Program standout Chaz Lucius, another versatile forward who could line up down the middle in Cole Sillinger, or a natural center and preseason top pick candidate Aatu Raty. The team will have plenty of options to address their biggest development need in the first round, before addressing their current roster over the rest of the off-season.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Schedule, Sedins

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The NHL Entry Draft is right around the corner and rankings, mock drafts and scouting reports continue to pile up. The Buffalo Sabres have the first-overall pick once again and another defenseman is at the top of most lists. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic released his full draft board today and like most other scouts, has University of Michigan star Owen Power at the top. The 6’6″ Power recently won a gold medal at the World Championship and is almost certainly going to be the first player selected next month.

It’s Wheeler’s other rankings that are even more interesting, however, as he goes in-depth on the first 100 prospects listed. One place where he diverts quite a bit from the NHL Central Scouting ranking is on Mason McTavish, who he slides in at tenth overall. McTavish finished second among North American skaters in the CSS rankings and will be in the mix for the first few selections. The entire list is worth a few minutes (or perhaps an afternoon, given how thorough it is) for hockey fans of every NHL team.

  • NHL insider John Shannon tweets that the league will be sending out two drafts of a 2021-22 schedule this week, one with the Olympics included and one without. It is still not clear whether the league will be participating in the Games, as there is considerable support for and against going. Shannon notes that the official schedule will be out in the third week of July.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have been working with Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin to find them a new role in the organization, and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports that the official announcement is expected tomorrow. It’s still not clear exactly what the role or responsibilities will be for the twins, but they are expected to be involved with the new Abbotsford AHL team.

Snapshots: NHL Draft Forwards, Rangers Front Office, Johnson

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Just three days after NHL Central Scouting released its top five lists for North American and international players, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale released his list of the top 10 forwards for upcoming NHL draft. With no dominant player at the top of draft lists this year, most draft rankings have differed significantly from list to list, and Morreale’s is no different. After NHL Central Scouting listed Michigan center Matthew Beniers as the No. 6-ranked North American skater, Morreale has him as the top NHL forward in this upcoming draft, moving him ahead of names such as Mason McTavish, Kent Johnson and Dylan Guenther.

McTavish, who has moved up the draft rankings quite a bit since his performance at the recent WJC-18’s, ranking as the second-best forward in the draft. He notched five goals and 11 points in seven games for gold-medal winning Team Canada. Sweden’s William Eklund, Johnson and Guenther round out the top five.

  • It looks as if the New York Rangers front office continues to get smaller and smaller as the New York Post’s Larry Brooks confirms that Nick Bobrov, who has served as the team’s director of European scouting over the last six years has left the organization. Bobrov has had a hand in quite a bit of the Rangers’ drafts over the years, giving the team quite an international flavor in their young prospects. Bobrov joins a list of exiting executives, including the firings of President John Davidson, GM Jeff Gorton and head coach David Quinn as well as the resignation of Brian Leetch of Hockey Ops.
  • The Colorado Avalanche got a welcome sight on the ice when defenseman Erik Johnson stepped onto the ice this morning for an optional morning skate, according to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. The veteran blueliner has been out since January with an upper-body injury and was ruled out for the season. Head coach Jared Bednar said he doubted that Johnson would return at some point in the playoffs, however. “I don’t know about him being fully cleared or anything like that to actually play,” said Bednar. “He’s just taking it step-by-step. … As he feels better, he’s doing more.”

Owen Power Leads 2021 NHL Central Scouting Ranking

at CDT | by 5 Comments

NHL Central Scouting has released their final ranking for the 2021 NHL Draft and as expected, University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power leads the way among North American skaters. The 6’6″ defenseman is currently in Latvia playing at the IIHF World Championship with Team Canada and is the odds-on favorite to be selected first-overall this summer.

While two of Power’s Michigan teammates, Kent Johnson and Matthew Beniers are also highly ranked, the number two spot is somewhat of a surprise. Mason McTavish, who had usually been ranked a little further down the chart by other publications, slides in directly behind Power after his outstanding U18 tournament and experience overseas. When the OHL failed to return this season, McTavish went to play in Switzerland, where he was actually born while his dad Dale McTavish played pro hockey in 2003. In 17 games for EHC Olten, the 18-year-old center recorded 11 goals and 18 points.

The full rankings can be found here, but the top five on each list are:

North American Skaters:

D Owen Power
F Mason McTavish
F Kent Johnston
D Luke Hughes
F Dylan Guenther

North American Goalies:

G Sebastian Cossa
G Benjamin Gaudreau
G Tristan Lennox
G Olivier Adam
G Emerik Despatie

International Skaters:

F William Eklund
D Simon Edvinsson
F Aatu Raty
F Nikita Chibrikov
D Daniil Chayka

International Goalies:

G Jesper Wallstedt
G Aleksei Kolosov
G Patrik Hamrla
G Aku Koskenvuo
G Carl Lindbom

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