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Snapshots: Lafreniere, Belmont, Nylander

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The World Junior Summer Showcase and Hlinka-Gretzky tournaments are now over, and junior aged players will soon be heading back to their respective teams to get the season underway. The summer headlines were dominated by performances by Jack Hughes, but one young talent may have impressed even more. Alexis Lafreniere won’t be eligible for selection in the NHL Entry Draft until 2020, but could already be one of Canada’s top forwards at the upcoming World Junior tournament. Craig Button of TSN believes the 16-year old Lafreniere should be at the selection camp and could easily climb out of a “13th forward” role normally given to underaged players.

Lafreniere already has a full season in the QMJHL under his belt despite not turning 17 until October and he registered 42 goals which ranked sixth in the entire league. There’s no doubt he’s already one of the CHL’s most talented offensive players, which may lead to a starring role at the late December tournament despite his age. Though teams often try to load up on as many 19-year old players as possible for the U20 tournament, the potential first-overall pick in 2020 could shake things up with a good first part of the CHL season.

  • Anyone that might have been worried about the progress of the New York Islanders future home at Belmont Park can rest easy, as Lou Lamoriello today told Brian Compton of NHL.com that the arena plans are still “100 percent” on track for 2021. The new building will give the Islanders a permanent home and a chance to build some organizational consistency moving forward, something they’ve lacked in recent years. With the John Tavares era over, and a bunch of new voices running the show in Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz, the Islanders are trying to turn things around and get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in more than thirty years.
  • William Nylander remains without a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but James Mirtle of The Athletic was on TSN Radio where he explained the two sides may wait until much closer to training camp next month to sign a deal. Mirtle suggests that it would likely be either a two-year or six-year contract, given that a seven or eight-year pact would likely get too pricey for the Maple Leafs. Dylan Larkin’s new $6.1MM cap hit is brought up as a “pressure point” which we’ve noted in the past, and could drive Nylander’s price up even further if the Maple Leafs intend on buying out any unrestricted free agent years. Toronto heads to camp in a month, and would presumably like to have their final restricted free agent under contract and in uniform on the first day.

Morning Notes: 2019 Draft, Schedule, Karlsson

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The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is ten months away and there will be plenty of speculation on who should be selected in the first round. Already prospect gurus are beginning to release their early lists, which almost all have Jack Hughes as the easy first-overall selection. Craig Button of TSN released his early top five at the end of the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, and started with Russian forward Vasili Podkolzin in the fifth overall spot. Podkolzin had a great U18 tournament with 11 points in five games, and is starting to put together all the talent and skill that people have been waiting for.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) released a more in-depth list for 2019, breaking down more than two dozen players who could find themselves selected in the first round next June. Wheeler goes with the consensus in spot number two and lists Kaapo Kakko as the easy selection after Hughes is off the board. The Finnish forward is almost pro-ready and looks like he’ll be a dominant puck-protecting forward for a long time.

  • For any readers in the United States, NBC has released their national broadcast schedule for the 2018-19 season which will include a record 109 games. Wednesday Night Hockey will now feature regular double headers and include a variety of teams from around the league. The first such occasion will kick off the season on Wednesday, October 3rd when the Washington Capitals welcome in the Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks travel to San Jose to face the Sharks. Kevin Allen of USA Today provides the whole broadcast schedule.
  • Count at least one member of the Ottawa Senators that doesn’t want to see Erik Karlsson traded before the season begins. Thomas Chabot, a young defensemen trying to round out his game at the NHL level, spoke out about his hope to see Karlsson in uniform when the season begins. There has been very little smoke surrounding Karlsson of late, and if he does begin the year with the Senators there might be a good chance that Chabot is the player lined up beside him on the blue line. Though different players, Chabot told media at his charity golf tournament that he is trying to model his game after the Senators captain and doesn’t think anyone could replace Karlsson if they did move him.

Draft Pick Currency Makes Buffalo Sabres Dangerous During Rebuild

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Plenty of people have been impressed with the work Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill has done this offseason to help turn around a franchise that is working on a seven year playoff drought. Not only did the Sabres get the chance to finally select first in the NHL Entry Draft, adding Rasmus Dahlin to a blue line that desperately needed playmakers, but Botterill has improved the team’s depth immensely with several trades. Jeff Skinner, Conor Sheary, Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, and Tage Thompson are all in line for full-time roles in a remade forward group, while Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark should give the team a solid goaltending tandem to work with.

The Sabres did trade away a quality center in Ryan O’Reilly, but it’s with that deal that perhaps the most interesting part of the offseason arises for Buffalo. Today, an unnamed NHL GM told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal that “nobody’s trading their first-round draft picks for 2019” given the immense talent that several players at the Hlinka-Gretzky U18 tournament showed off. Though potential first-overall pick Jack Hughes wasn’t part of the tournament—he played earlier this summer at the World Junior Summer Showcase and was working in Toronto with Connor McDavid and others—the rest of the field was filled with names that should be called out in the first round next June. Gord Miller of TSN suggested that “at least a dozen” players in the Canada-Sweden will be first-round picks, though some of those (including superstar Alexis Lafreniere) aren’t eligible in 2019.

It’s that idea that no one is willing to trade 2019 first-round picks that comes back to Buffalo, as the Sabres have already acquired a pair this offseason. When Evander Kane re-signed with the San Jose Sharks the team committed to sending their top pick to Buffalo in June, accepting that the upgraded selection was worth keeping the power forward in town long-term. Should the Sharks miss the playoffs this season they do still have an option to send a pick in 2020 instead, though that would come with no protection and could potentially be a situation like the Senators find themselves in currently. Buffalo also has a third first-round pick via the St. Louis Blues, who included it in the O’Reilly deal. That pick also has some protection that could slide it forward to 2020, though only if it ends up a top-10 selection.

The situation the Sabres now find themselves in is an enviable one, holding three picks in what should be an excellent draft class while likely being good enough to battle for a wild card playoff spot already. Knowing that they hold extra selections, Buffalo could be one of the most dangerous teams around trade deadline time. If they believe they can make the playoffs, who is to say they won’t go after a top tier player to help them down the stretch, even one that may not be in town for long. Giving playoff experience to this young group is a must if they are trying to build a real contender, and with “nobody” else willing to move first-round selections the Sabres could find themselves with the most leverage on the market.

On the other hand, there could be a real benefit to keeping all three picks and simply building up a huge prospect pool. With a trio of Dahlin, Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt forming the core of a playoff contender, adding even more talent from the latter half of the first round can only help insulate them going forward. Though they finished dead last in 2017-18 the Sabres are one of the most interesting teams to watch this season, almost regardless of their decision.

Arizona Coyotes Discussed Ryan O’Reilly With Buffalo Sabres

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In an almost unprecedented example of behind the scenes access, the Arizona Coyotes have released a 16-minute video that follows GM John Chayka as he prepared for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The feature shows clips from scouting discussions and prospect interviews, eventually concluding with the Coyotes first-round selection of Barrett Hayton with the fifth-overall pick. In one particularly interesting scene though, Chayka is in his office speaking with Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill about a trade for forward Hudson Fasching, which would eventually be announced on June 14th.

Before Chayka hangs up, he mentions to Botterill some ongoing talks he had been having with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and mentions their previous discussions about Ryan O’Reilly. We can only hear Chayka’s side of the conversation, but it is quite an interesting reveal.

We’re working with Jim [Rutherford], Pittsburgh on a few things. I guess as it relates to our O’Reilly discussions, is there anything there that would entice you, that you would consider to be an important piece that you’d like as part of that deal? 

Whatever Botterill responded with wasn’t a good fit for Chayka, who responded that it would be “tough to do” while they still had things brewing with Pittsburgh. O’Reilly would end up being traded to the St. Louis Blues on July 1st just before his signing bonus was due to be paid, while the Coyotes failed to make a trade with the Penguins at all. Interestingly, there were reports that the Penguins had been interested in Max Domi, who was traded to the Montreal Canadiens just a day after the Fasching deal was completed.

While there are likely plenty of other examples of teams discussing O’Reilly before he was eventually traded, the fact that the Coyotes were interested at least in passing shows how the team is ready to start competing for the playoffs instead of stockpiling young assets. Arizona really took a step forward in the second half of last season, and should be an improved team that could jump up in the standings this season. While they didn’t acquire an excellent two-way center like O’Reilly, they did add Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Grabner and Vinnie Hinostroza to a forward group that already had solid talents like Clayton Keller and Derek Stepan.

Matvei Guskov Signs With London Knights

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It’s never too early to start keeping tabs on the top prospects for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and now teams around the league will be able to get a much closer look at one of the very best. Matvei Guskov, who could potentially go in the first handful of selections next June, has signed with the London Knights of the OHL for the 2018-19 season, according to agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Guskov fell to 42nd in the recent CHL import draft because of doubts he would come to North American this season, but is an incredibly skilled center prospect that should find success quickly in the junior ranks.

This comes after the Knights also convinced Chicago Blackhawks top prospect Adam Boqvist to sign for this season, giving them another elite weapon on the blue line. Evan Bouchard, the team’s captain will also be back after being selected 10th overall by the Edmonton Oilers, unless his training camp is good enough to earn him a spot in the NHL right away. The Knights are notorious for getting players to sign with them unexpectedly, and have developed countless NHL players throughout the years.

Vitali Kravtsov Signs In KHL

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The New York Rangers took a calculated risk in the first round of the most recent NHL Entry Draft, when they selected big Russian winger Vitali Kravtsov ninth overall. The Rangers avoided several other top rated prospects, betting on the high-end potential that Kravtsov brings. With any Russian player though, there is always the threat of them staying in the KHL for several years and failing to join their NHL organization. For at least one season, that will be the plan for Kravtsov who today re-signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The deal is for just one year, at which point the Rangers will attempt again to bring their young forward over and add him to the organization. There was a very small chance that Kravtsov would play in the NHL this year, leaving the KHL as likely the best destination for his development path.

Kravtsov was always expected to stay in the KHL for this season, but some had hoped that given his new status as a top-10 pick there would be a impetus to get him into the Rangers organization right away. Instead his camp has negotiated an improved contract for the 2018-19 season with Traktor, where he’ll continue on his steep development path. The Rangers can re-visit contract negotiations in the spring after his KHL year ends, and potentially get him into minor league action before the end of the season.

The 18-year old winger played just over nine minutes a night last season with Traktor, but saw that bumped up quite a bit in the playoffs where he went on a tear offensively. Kravtsov scored 11 points in 16 games and shot up the NHL draft rankings, with teams drooling over his skilled power forward frame and excellent skating ability. If he does eventually come over—which is assumed at this point—he’s a good bet to be a versatile top-six forward who the Rangers should feel comfortable playing in nearly any situation. If he reaches his absolute ceiling, there could be a dominating offensive presence in New York for years to come.

Coyotes Sign Barrett Hayton To Entry-Level Contract

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The Arizona Coyotes have come to terms on an entry-level contract with their most recent first-round pick. Barrett Hayton, the fifth overall pick last month, has signed his first professional deal, per a team release. It is a standard three-year ELC and, while financial terms were not disclosed, it is fair to assume that he will have a maximum $925K base salary and maximum allowable performance bonuses.

Hayton, who only turned 18 in June, is an intriguing prospect for the Coyotes. While few expected him to be selected as high as he was, there is no doubt that Hayton is a supremely talented player with a high hockey IQ and a two-way game that is well beyond most of his peers’. The talented center registered 60 points in 63 games with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds last season and earned an invitation to Team Canada’s World Junior Showcase this summer.

Hayton is still a ways away from owning a pro-ready offensive arsenal and is likely to return to the Greyhounds for at least one more season. However, he does have the potential to be a unique, high-caliber player in the NHL and the type of asset that the Coyotes have been lacking. This contract is little more than a formality, but it is the next step toward an exciting young player heading to Arizona in the future.

London Knights Sign Adam Boqvist For 2018-19 Season

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It shouldn’t be a surprise at this point to anyone that follows the Ontario Hockey League, but the London Knights have once again signed an incredible talent that seemed unlikely to ever play in the CHL. Adam Boqvist, selected 109th in the 2017 import draft, has decided to leave Sweden and play for the Knights in 2018-19. This comes after Boqvist was selected eighth-overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL Entry Draft, and quickly signed his entry-level contract.

Boqvist, 17, is an outstanding talent who possesses some of the best goal scoring ability of any defenseman in the most recent draft. His 2017-18 season was split between the junior league in Sweden and the SHL, almost entirely skipping the Allsvenskan where many young players develop. The undersized Boqvist loves to carry the puck and will join Evan Bouchard in London as one of the best 1-2 punches in the entire CHL. Both young defense prospects are right handed and may not play together, but will likely help the Knights push back near the top of the OHL once again.

For the Blackhawks, this allows them to keep a closer eye on Boqvist as he develops this season. Though the SHL would have certainly provided a good opportunity, London is arguably the best organization in the CHL for developing NHL talent, and have seen plenty of players take huge leaps while hitting the ice for them. Should he experience an OHL playoff run and perhaps even a Memorial Cup berth, Boqvist will get to play against many faces who he’ll be up against at the next level in a few years.

2018 CHL Import Draft Results

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The CHL held its annual import draft today, where teams from across the Canadian junior leagues get to select the rights of players around the world. Often these are recently drafted prospects, or those seen to have good chances at next year’s draft. Being selected has no guarantee that the player will actually ever suit up for the team, as Filip Chytil proved last season. Chytil was selected seventh-overall by the North Bay Battalion, but ended up spending the year with the New York Rangers and Hartford Wolf Pack after impressing in his first training camp.

There are clear benefits from picking at the top of the draft though, as the Barrie Colts found out last season. Andrei Svechnikov was the first-overall selection, and ended up scoring 40 goals in 44 games before being the second-overall pick in the NHL draft last week. This year saw Slovakian-born Maxim Cajkovic go first to the Saint John Sea Dogs after tearing up the Swedish junior leagues last season. Cajkovic is eligible for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Teams are only allowed a certain number of import players, which leads to some passing on their selections even in the early part of the draft. Check out last year’s draft to see some familiar names.

The full results are below:

Round 1

1. Saint John – Maxim Cajkovic (RW, Slovakia)

2. Edmonton – Vladimir Alistrov (LW, Belarus)

3. Sudbury – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G, Finland/Buffalo Sabres)

4. Shawinigan – Valentin Nussbaumer (C, Switzerland)

5. Prince George – Matej Toman (LW, Czech Republic)

Read more

Hockey Canada Releases 2018 Ivan Hlinka Camp Roster

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One of the tournaments that has a huge impact on draft position is the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, held each year in August for the best U18 players in the world. Many of these players will be eligible for selection in the following draft, though some are even younger than that. It gives many fans a first chance to see some of the top stars that they’ll hear about for the coming season, and an inside look at the prizes their competing for in the first round.

Today, Hockey Canada released its 44-player selection camp roster for the tournament, which will be whittled down in time for the tournament in early August. Among the names are some spectacular talents, including Bowen Byram, arguably the top defenseman available at this point for 2019, and Alexis Lafreniere, an early candidate to go first-overall in 2020. Plenty of other talent like Peyton Krebs, Ryan Suzuki and Dylan Cozens are also competing for a roster spot, making the Canadian roster one to watch out for.

Below is the full roster, along with the year they are eligible to be drafted in:

G Luke Cavallin (2019)
G Taylor Gauthier (2019)
G Mack Guzda (2019)
G Nolan Maier (2019)

D Jacson Alexander (2019)
D Justin Barron (2020)
D Mitchell Brewer (2019)
D Bowen Byram (2019)
D Maxence Guenette (2019)
D Christopher Inniss (2019)
D Braeden Korczak (2019)
D Grayson Ladd (2019)
D Jake Lee (2019)
D Christopher Merisier-Ortiz (2019)
D Matthew Robertson (2019)
D Braden Schneider (2020)
D Nathan Staios (2019)
D Michael Vukojevic (2019)

F Alex Beaucage (2019)
F Brett Budgell (2019)
F Graeme Clarke (2019)
F Brandon Coe (2020)
F Dylan Cozens (2019)
F Kirby Dach (2019)
F Dylan Holloway (2020)
F Ethan Keppen (2019)
F Peyton Krebs (2019)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020)
F Nathan Legare (2019)
F Dawson Mercer (2020)
F Blake Murray (2019)
F Sasha Mutala (2019)
F Alex Newhook (2019)
F Xavier Parent (2019)
F Jakob Pelletier (2019)
F Samuel Poulin (2019)
F Jamieson Rees (2019)
F Massimo Rizzo (2019)
F Xavier Simoneau (2019)
F Ryan Suzuki (2019)
F Philip Tomasino (2019)
F Josh Williams (2019)
F Nick Wong (2020)
F Connor Zary (2020)

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