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Minor Transactions: 01/20/20

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After a flurry of activity yesterday with half of the NHL’s teams entering their bye weeks, things should slow down today with those teams now officially on bye. In fact, there are only two games on the docket tonight and eight games total scheduled this week before the All-Star break begins on Thursday. Yet, those teams remaining in action may still be active with roster tweaks over the coming days. Keep up with all of those moves here:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks witnessed Patrick Kane’s 1000th NHL point last night, and Dennis Gilbert and Brandon Hagel got as good a view as anyone, watching from the press box. The two have now been returned to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, the Blackhawks announced. Gilbert has been a frequent call-up of the ‘Hawks this season, skating in 20 games with Chicago versus just 11 with Rockford. Hagel has been in the opposite position, spending his time almost exclusively with the Ice Hogs, where he leads the team in goals, except for a few games spent watching – but not playing with – the Blackhawks. However, that could change for the first-year pro if he continues to produce in the minors. (UPDATE: Both players have been recalled again, meaning it was just a paper transaction)
  • German Rubtsov is on his way to Philadelphia, the Flyers announced this morning. The 2016 first-round pick made his NHL debut earlier this season, skating in three games with the Flyers. However, he has was held scoreless. Rubtsov has just 12 points in 28 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms as well, so Philly could be looking for the young forward to re-discover his scoring tough with a call-up to the big leagues.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have reassigned Zack MacEwen to the AHL’s Utica Comets, but that might mean very little. MacEwen has been back-and-forth between the two clubs all season, including several paper transactions, so expect the forward to be back in Vancouver before too long.
  • Joseph Blandisi has been recalled once again by the Pittsburgh Penguins, a normal occurrence for the minor league forward this season. This will be the seventh time he has been recalled, and he has actually played more games in the NHL than the AHL.

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

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Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Chicago Blackhawks

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Chicago Blackhawks.

What are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Goaltending.

After several years of watching and waiting for Corey Crawford to return to full health after a slew of concussion issues, the team splurged and signed Masterson and Jennings Trophy winner Robin Lehner as an insurance policy. The team hoped Crawford could bounce back, but after two years of unreliable backup options, the team felt that Lehner was the perfect addition for one season.

Instead, Lehner has been sensations (minus his struggles with shootouts), but the 28-year-old has a 2.71 GAA, but an even more impressive .929 save percentage in 15 appearances. However, Crawford has bounced back as well with a 2.89 GAA and a .912 save percentage, giving the team an impressive one-two combination.

Who are the Blackhawks most thankful for?

Patrick Kane

The Blackhawks leader continues to post impressive numbers as the 31-year-old leads the team in scoring, showing that he remains an elite scorer. The winger is ranked eighth in the NHL with 35 points and is also ranked 12th in the league with 14 goals. He’s also tied for seventh in the league with 109 shots on goal and the veteran is ranked fifth in the league, among forwards, in TOI as he averages 21:28 on the ice.

With other players struggling to produce offense, the team at least knows it can count on Kane to provide his usual amount of offense as he continues to carry the team on his back.

 

What would the Blackhawks be even more thankful for?

More offense.

While Kane is among the top in the league in points, the rest of the Blackhawks squad is quite a bit back. Even Alex DeBrincat isn’t putting up points at the same level he did a year ago as the 21-year-old has just 21 points through 29 games after a 78-point season last season. Fellow star Jonathan Toews has seen his offense plummet even more. Toews has just 15 points this season after an 81-point campaign last year.

Even the defense is struggling to produce points. Erik Gustafsson, who tallied 60 points last season, has just 10 points more than a third into the season.

What should be on the Blackhawks’ Holiday Wish List?

An improvement on defense.

The Blackhawks and their general manager Stan Bowman made changes in hopes of improving their defense this summer. The team traded for Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta to add to their depth in hopes that Duncan Keith and Gustafsson as well as Connor Murphy and Brent Seabrook would be able to take their struggling defense to another level.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. The Blackhawks are ranked 30th in shots allowed as the team has allowed 35.7 shots per game, forcing their goaltending tandem to work harder.

The team has to hope that youngster Adam Boqvist can make the transition to the NHL as quick as possible. The team played him for six games earlier in the season, but he has since been returned, but you have to figure the team will give him another chance. Another late-season possibility might be if the Blackhawks can convince University of Denver’s Ian Mitchell to turn pro after his season, but it might be too late for that this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Three Stars, Makar, Nugent-Hopkins

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With another month having passed, the NHL revealed its Three Stars for the month of November and no surprise that Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid heads the list. The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner dominated November in 14 games, leading the league with 13 goals, 26 points, six power play goals and 11 power play points over the month. That performance has put Edmonton at the top of the Pacific Division with a 7-5-2 record in November.

The Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane round out the top three. MacKinnon ranked second in the NHL in points in November with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games and did it while being without his two linemates, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog for most of that month. Kane, meanwhile, scored a point in all 15 games that he played, scoring 11 goals and 24 points.

  • The NHL also announced the NHL ’Rookie of the Month,’ handing the award to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who dominated the month of November. The 21-year-old led all rookies with seven goals, 16 points, three game-winning goals, +10 plus/minus and ATOI, averaging 21:25. Makar became the fifth rookie to score seven or more goals in a month and the last to do it since Brian Leetch did it in 1989. Makar beat out New York Rangers’ Adam Fox, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, Buffalo Sabres Victor Olofsson and Pittsburgh Penguins’ John Marino.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that despite rumors that Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a surgical procedure last week on his hand, he did not. Instead, Nugent-Hopkins received an injection, suggesting that the injury is more pain-related than anything else. The Oilers hope to get the top-six forward back sometime later this week.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current Cap Hit: $78,163,461 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kirby Dach (three years, $925K)
F Dominik Kubalik (one year, $925K)
F Anton Wedin (one year, $925K)
D Adam Boqvist (three years, $894K)
F Dylan Strome (one year, $863K)
F Alexander Nylander (two years, $863K)
F Alex DeBrincat (one year, $778K)

Potential Bonuses

Dach: $2.5MM
Strome: $2.48MM
Nylander: $850K
Kubalik: $850K
Boqvist: $850K
DeBrincat: $33K

The Blackhawks have done quite a bit of work to bring in a number of top players on entry-level contracts over the past few years in hopes of taking a team that was loaded with high-priced, aging talent and getting them back into playoff contention. They have hit the jackpot with DeBrincat, who immediately stepped onto the ice and has been a phenomenal top-six player for the past two years, scoring 69 goals so far, including a key 41-goal season last year. The diminutive winger was passed up by many teams in the 2016 draft and has proven that his size isn’t an issue on the team. The only problem is that his entry-level deal will be up at the end of the season, meaning the Blackhawks will likely have to pay a high price to lock him up. Strome, in the meantime, has been a solid trade acquisition. The top prospect, who couldn’t seem be able to turn the corner in the pros, broke out once arriving in Chicago, putting up 17 goals and 51 points in 58 games. If he can produce at a similar level, the Blackhawks will have to offer pay up again, giving them two potential significant contracts the team will have to pay out one year from now.

Chicago also is banking on a number of their draft picks to make an impact. Dach, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, could be an option for the team if he can prove he’s ready for NHL action now, but with a number of young forwards pushing for playing time on their roster, he’d have to dominate and prove he might be ready to assume a third-line center position. Boqvist, the team’s eighth-overall pick in 2018, will challenge for playing time as well, but could just as easily spend time in the AHL to get used to playing against adults for part of the season first. Regardless, the team has two core pieces that are close to joining the organization.

General manager Stan Bowman has also made an effort in bringing in talent from outside the organization as the team has brought in a pair of prospects over from Europe in Wedin and Kubalik. The 26-year-old Wedin broke out in his rookie season in the SHL with 14 goals, while Kubalik scored 25 goals and 57 points in 50 games in the NLA. The team also surprised a few people earlier this summer when it traded top defensive prospect Henri Jokiharju to Buffalo for Alexander Nylander. The team hopes to get Nylander going as the eighth-overall pick in 2016 has so far struggled with consistency in three AHL seasons.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Corey Crawford ($6MM, UFA)
G Robin Lehner ($5MM, UFA)
F Drake Caggiula ($1.5MM, RFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($1.2MM, UFA)
D Slater Koekkoek ($925K, RFA)

The team did a phenomenal job of bringing in some goaltending help by stealing away UFA goaltender Lehner with a one-year, $5MM deal. That’s a steal if Lehner can produce anything close to last year’s numbers of a 2.13 GAA and .930 save percentage in 46 games. The 2018-19 Jennings and Masterton Trophy winner last year, Lehner can stabilize the Blackhawks goaltending situation, which has struggled due to concussion issues that Crawford has sustained over the past two years. Without Crawford, the team has struggled in goal. The hope is that both will be healthy this year and can share the workload, but if Crawford has trouble getting on the ice again, Chicago can now turn to Lehner. With both players down to one year remaining before unrestricted free agency, the Blackhawks can look at how both players fare this year and offer a long-term deal to the player they feel can best help them in the future.

The team may have their most challenging decision to make about Gustafsson next season. The rising defenseman put up impressive numbers in a full season last year after looking sharp in the second-half of 2017-18. The 27-year-old scored 17 goals and 60 points and if he can duplicate a season like that could find himself to be one of the most marketable UFA blueliners next year. With the Blackhawks having to hand out big contracts to DeBrincat and Strome, the team may have to move Gustafsson at the trade deadline or let him go at the end of the season for nothing.

Two Years Remaining

F Brandon Saad ($6MM, UFA)
F Zack Smith ($3.25MM, UFA)
F David Kampf ($1MM, RFA)
D Carl Dahlstrom ($850K, RFA)
F Dylan Sikura ($750K, RFA)
F John Quenneville ($750K, RFA)

The team has two contracts that they might want to see gone soon. The team re-acquired Saad back in 2017 in hopes of bringing back a big-time goal scorer. However, Saad hasn’t been nearly as dominant since returning, although he did rebound with a 23-goal campain last season. However at $6MM AAV, Saad could easily be a candidate to move on from when they need to free up some extra cash next offseason. Smith is in a similar situation. The team acquired Smith this summer in a swap of bad contracts as the team managed to unload Artem Anisimov. Smith, however, scored just nine goals last season in Ottawa and could have a hard time locking down a spot in the bottom-six with so many younger players pushing for playing time.

The team can only hope that some of their younger players like Sikura and the newly acquired Quenneville can contribute immediately, but both would have to take their game up a notch to prove themselves at the NHL level. Sikura, signed out of Northeastern University after the 2018 season, fared well in the AHL, but failed to register a goal in 33 games with the Blackhawks. The team also hopes that Kampf and Dahlstrom can prove themselves in their lineup.

Three Years Remaining

D Calvin de Haan ($4.55MM, UFA)
D Olli Maatta ($4.08MM, UFA)
D Connor Murphy ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Andrew Shaw ($3.9MM, UFA)
F Ryan Carpenter ($1MM, UFA)
G Collin Delia ($1MM, UFA)

In hopes of improving its defense, the team went out and acquired a pair of defenders in de Haan and Maatta over the summers. The Blackhawks picked up de Haan from Carolina  and while he’s currently dealing with a shoulder injury and isn’t expected to start the season, he has proven to be a solid defender for years and should upgrade the team’s top-four. The team also moved some of its young forward depth by sending Dominik Kahun to Pittsburgh to get the defensive-minded Maatta. The two veteran blueliners should bolster a defense that had plenty of issues over the past few years. However, both come with significant contracts, especially if either defenseman struggles to succeed in Chicago. The team also has Murphy, who the team acquired two years ago from Arizona, who has three years remaining and has found himself a solid contributor on the team’s blueline.

The team also has acquired Shaw this summer to improve their depth in hopes of getting Chicago back in the playoffs. The former Blackhawk should add a significant presence on their bottom-six and add an element of physicality to the team. Carpenter, signed away from Vegas, should also improve the team’s bottom-six.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Patrick Kane ($10.5MM through 2022-23)
F Jonathan Toews ($10.5MM through 2022-23)
D Brent Seabrook ($6.88MM through 2023-24)
D Duncan Keith ($5.54MM through 2022-23)

Things will likely change next season, but Chicago’s four biggest contracts haven’t changed with all of them, minus Seabrook’s, down to four more years and starting to look more and more manageable. Kane continues to amaze at age 30 as he posted 44 goals and a career-high in points with 110. His contract doesn’t even look like it’s a questionable one. The 31-year-old Toews also had a resurgent season as he tallied a career-high 35 goals and 81 points, showing that as long as he has talented players around him, he is more than capable of justifying his $10.5MM AAV.

Keith is somewhat of a different story. He’s 36 now and will be 40 when his contract ends and while there has been an evident decline, the veteran has still shown that he’s a solid defender, scoring six goals and 40 points last year and is averaging more than 23 minutes of ice time a game still. The question will be how long can Keith keep up those numbers and will his game decline even more over the next couple of years. Seabrook, however, has that extra season on his deal as he is locked up for five more years. At 34-year-old, Seabrook has seen an obvious decline that even saw his minutes drop under 20 minutes a game for the first time in his career, not a good sign when the team has him under contract until 2024. The team can only hope that he can come back and prove that he still has the skills to be a top-four defenseman.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

F  Brendan Perlini

Chicago still has one restricted free agent and must find a number that will make the youngster happy, but considering his inconsistent season, the team may have some trouble figuring out how much to pay him. Perlini, also acquired with Strome in the Nick Schmaltz trade during the season last year, struggled at first in Chicago, but finally broke out in March with eight goals and 10 points in 13 games. A one-year or bridge deal would be the most likely course of action to see whether Perlini’s late success can be duplicated. The former first-round pick from 2014 could be a major asset if Chicago can get the most out of the team.

Best Value: Lehner
Worst Value: Seabrook

Looking Ahead

The Blackhawks have done quite a bit in the last year to improve their team with the hopes of getting their veteran core back in the playoffs once again after a two-year absence. Chicago has added a bunch of veteran players and young and cheap roster additions that should be able to turn their team around. The key, of course, is the team needs their veterans to continue to thrive, while their younger players must continue to improve. On top of that, the Blackhawks must hope that a number of their roster additions can take that next step in their development and prove to be valuable to the team’s overall depth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: CBA Talks, Scherbak, Kane

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The NHL’s recent decision to decline their early opt-out clause from the current Collective Bargaining Agreement was a step in the right direction to labor talks, but there’s still work to be done, with the NHLPA next up to make a decision. Fortunately, it seems both sides are open to doing whatever it takes to avoid a work stoppage. The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell reports that both sides seem willing to extend the players’ union’s upcoming September 15th opt-out deadline to allow for talks to continue. Campbell writes that negotiations on a CBA extension are well on their way and neither side wants to see progress stalled by a deadline. He believes that the NHLPA could be given a few extra months, perhaps into early 2020, before they would have to make a decision on their opt-out clause. An extension on that deadline could give the talks enough time to lead to an agreement on a CBA extension, pushing the current expiry date from 2022 to 2025. It would also be an act of good faith on the part of the owners, who clearly stand to benefit more from an extension on the current CBA than do the players, who continue to be frustrated by escrow terms. With two weeks to go until that existing deadline, an official announcement on a possible deadline extension should be coming sooner rather than later, if it does in fact happen.

  • Rumors emerged yesterday that former NHL forward Nikita Scherbak had not done enough in training camp and the preseason with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk and that his recently-signed contract was in jeopardy of being terminated. However, the KHL regular season began today and Scherbak was in the lineup as Omsk snapped a nine-game losing streak against rival CSKA Moscow. Granted, in a match-up chock full of former NHLers, Scherbak only served as a substitute for Avangard and played little role in the win. He has a ways to go to earn the trust of Bob Hartley, also an NHL vet, but TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that, for now, the team does not plan to buy out his contract. Scherbak signed a three-year, $3.6MM contract with Omsk in June after dropping from 26 NHL games in 2017-18 to just eight last season. A 2014 first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens, Scherbak failed to produce at the NHL level over four pro seasons, recording eight points in 37 combined games with the Habs and Los Angeles Kings, and took his very first opportunity to return to Europe. Considering how things have gone thus far in the KHL, it seems unlikely that the 23-year-old will ever make his way back across the Atlantic.
  • Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane is being honored for his achievements well before the end of his career. Ryan Pyette of The London Free Press reports that Kane will have his number retired by the OHL’s London Knights this season. GM Mark Hunter confirmed that Kane’s No. 88, the same number he wears in the NHL, will be lifted into the rafters in London on January 17th. Kane, now 30, only played one season with the Knights, having graduated from the U.S. National Team Development Program. However, in that illustrious 2006-07 campaign, Kane put up unthinkable numbers, recording 145 points in just 58 games (2.5 points per game), and another 31 points in the postseason. His efforts made him an easy choice for the Blackhawks with the first overall pick in 2007. Kane becomes the ninth player to have his number retired by the storied junior franchise, joining a list of other familiar NHL names like Rob Ramage, Dino Ciccarelli, Darryl Sittler, Brendan Shanahan, Brad Marsh, Rick Nash, Dave Bolland, and Corey Perry.

Poll: What Should The Blackhawks Do With The No. 3 Pick?

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While there are still some who would argue that Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko should be selected first overall over American center Jack Hughes, the vast majority see Hughes going No. 1 to the New Jersey Devils and Kakko going No. 2 to the New York Rangers and everyone agrees that the pair will be the first two picks in whatever order. As such, the first real question of the 2019 NHL Draft comes with pick No. 3. The Chicago Blackhawks were the big winners of the NHL Draft Lottery this year, moving up from No. 12 to win the third overall pick. However, without an obvious option at that slot, Chicago’s decision could dictate much of the early first round.

In all likelihood, GM Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks will hold on to their pick and add an elite prospect to the pipeline, but which one? The recent NHL Scouting Combine did not provide many hints, as the team spoke multiple times with most of the top prospects in the draft class. Forwards Alex Turcotte, Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach, and Peyton Krebs and defenseman Bowen Byram all met with Chicago several times over the week and could all be in contention at No. 3.

Turcotte will likely be the fan-favorite pick for the Blackhawks faithful. An Illinois native and lifelong Chicago fan, Turcotte has drawn comparisons to both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Despite an injury-ridden season, Turcotte impressed when able and may be the most well-rounded forward in the draft class. It’s hard to find many holes in the talented center’s game and he’ll only improve after a year at the University of Wisconsin. In many ways, Turcotte is a bust-proof pick who is sure to be a good NHLer one day.

Yet, Turcotte may not be the best player available at No. 3. Most top scouting services are split between he and the defenseman Byram as the third ranked prospect. Byram is an incredible skater and is unmatched in this draft class in his ability to lead the rush and move the puck. Smart, skilled, and poised, Byram has the makings of a first pair defenseman. The only problem is that the Blackhawks used both of their first-round pick in 2018 on defenders – Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin – and a first- and second-round selection at the position in 2017 – Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell. Chicago is well-stocked on the blue line and may be hesitant to take another defenseman, regardless of his talent level.

Of course, just because most scouts say it should be either Turcotte or Byram at No. 3, doesn’t mean the Blackhawks staff agrees. Cozens and Dach are bigger, stronger centers who, unlike Turcotte, could step in and play in the NHL right away next year if asked. Cozens is an athletic, hard-working player who could be an elite goal scorer at the pro level. Dach is dangerous at the center position, using space well, creating offense, and also playing a physical, two-way game. There’s also a chance that the Blackhawks could go off the board and take a player like Krebs, who they clearly have some interest in, undersized sniper Cole Caufield, who draws comparisons to budding Chicago star Alex DeBrincat, or skilled Russian project Vasili Podkolzin, who could be an offensive force in a few years.

Then there’s also the possibility that the Blackhawks could move the pick. Just because Bowman and company got lucky in the lottery doesn’t mean that they won’t entertain offers for No. 3. In such a deep draft, Chicago could move back to recoup another pick or prospect, and still land a promising prospect with their new pick. If a defense-needy team like the Los Angeles Kings (No. 5), Detroit Red Wings (No. 6), or Anaheim Ducks (No. 9) want to make sure they can get Byram, the Blackhawks could net a nice return and not have to move back too far. Other teams may also be dead-set one of the drafts top centers, while Chicago may not be as sold on one versus the other and could be willing to move back to still get a player they really like. It’s not often that NHL teams, especially ones in a top position, trade back, but the Blackhawks are in a unique position to do just that.

What do you think? What will Chicago do with the third overall pick?

Draft Notes: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Golden Knights

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While the first two picks of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft are considered simple enough for the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers who have to claim the top two players in the draft in Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, the real draft gets started at No. 3 where the Chicago Blackhawks must wade through a bevy of prospects and decide who is the best of the rest.

Many scouts have suggested the next obvious player to be taken could be defenseman Bowen Byram, who Chicago head scout Mark Kelley compared to Paul Coffey. However, would the Blackhawks take a defenseman in the first round after selecting Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin in the first round last year and Henri Jokiharju in the first round in 2017 (plus taking Ian Mitchell in the second round that year as well).

Even if Chicago is willing to take the plunge to draft another defenseman in the first round, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (subscription required) writes that the team is banking on success as quickly as possible while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are on top of their game, leaving little time to sit around and develop their first-rounders. Lazerus writes that the team needs the most NHL-ready player to take over and defenseman rarely fit that bill as forwards develop much quicker and produce more quickly than defensemen.

  • Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Colorado Avalanche will find themselves watching what the Blackhawks will do at the draft. The Avalanche, who own the No. 4 pick in the draft, also would be interested in drafting Byram, but could have more pressing needs as well. The team has a number of top defensemen in Tyson Barrie, Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Connor Timmins, which would make Byram a luxury, especially considering they could have a bigger need on offense. While the team has a number of young NHL players in Tyson Jost, J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot that could fill the team’s second line, none of them have taken that next step in their development. All have done well, but none look like top-six players yet. That could still happen, but the team also has interest in Alex Turcotte, who could help the team out quickly as well.
  • With a need to bring in a future franchise goaltender and the top goaltending prospect, Spencer Knight, likely to be available when the Vegas Golden Knights pick at No. 17, it would look to be a great fit. Even his last name fits perfectly in Vegas. However, Sinbin.vegas’ Ken Boehlke writes that while Marc-Andre Fleury was a major success when he was drafted in the first round back in 2003, there have been 18 goaltenders selected in the first round and few of those have been successful as only five of them have made more than 10 starts in the NHL with only two of them having become franchise goalies for the teams that drafted them in Carey Price and Andrei Vasilevskiy, suggesting the team would be better off going after a skater than taking a major risk with their first-round pick.

2019 Hart Trophy Finalists Announced

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The finalists for the Hart Trophy, given to the player most valuable to his team, have been announced. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the three finalists are Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

Kucherov is considered to be a favorite for the award after putting up a tremendous year. The 25-year-old took his game to another level as he has already captured this year’s Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in total points. He finished the year with 41 goals and 128 points, the most in the league since the 1995-96 season. His totals are also the most-ever by a Russian-born NHL player. Kucherov has also been nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, awarded to the most outstanding player and voted on by the players. Kucherov led his team to the Presidents’ Trophy, given to the team with the best regular-season record.

Crosby had an impressive season as well. Often forgotten when talking about the league’s best players, Crosby helped lead the Penguins to the playoffs this year and did it by breaking the 100-point mark for the first time in five years. On top of that, he was 18-points better than any other players on his team, making his season quite valuable for a Pittsburgh franchise that struggled to get into the playoffs this season.

McDavid’s name is not surprising either, other than the fact that the Edmonton Oilers didn’t have a very impressive season and while they weren’t mathematically eliminated from the playoffs until late in the season, they were never truly considered to be a playoff threat this season. In fact, McDavid is just the sixth player in NHL history to be a Hart finalist from a non-playoff team. McDavid, however, who won the Hart Trophy in the 2016-17 season when he tallied 30 goals and 100 points, continues to improve on each season as he tallied 41 goals and 116 points to reach new career highs.

Several interesting players were left off the finalist list as well, including Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane.

 

NHLPA Announces Ted Lindsay Award Finalists

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The National Hockey League Players’ Association has named the three players up for their most prestigious honor. The Ted Lindsay Award is presented each year to the “most outstanding player in the NHL”. Unlike the Hart Trophy though, the Ted Lindsay is voted on by the candidates’ peers themselves, the NHLPA’s member players. This year, the three named as finalists are the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid.

McDavid is no stranger to the Ted Lindsay; the Oilers’ superstar has won the award in each of the past two seasons. Generally, the players put less stock into team success than do voters for the Hart, making McDavid an easy choice despite Edmonton’s struggles. The last player to win the award before McDavid was none other than Kane, who took home the honor in 2015-16. Not only has Kucherov never won the award, he is a first-time finalist.

Yet, Kucherov would seem to be the favorite to receive the title this year. Tampa’s top scorer led the league in scoring with 128 points, 12 more than McDavid and 18 more than Kane. He also finished first in assists and power play points by a wide margin, as well as among the league’s best in goals, plus/minus, and shots. Also, if team performance does come into play in voting, Kucherov’s Lightning had a record-setting regular season, winning the President’s Trophy with 128 points, 21 more than the next-best team. Kucherov seems to have on overwhelmingly strong case for the Ted Lindsay (and Hart), but the final result won’t be revealed until the NHL Awards on June 19th.

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