Draft Day Trade Rumors: O’Reilly, Hoffman, Coyotes, Maple Leafs
Given the last-place finish of the Buffalo Sabres and the comments made by veteran leader Ryan O’Reilly at the end of the season, it would come as no surprise if the team was to trade away their best player not named Jack Eichel in an effort to build around Eichel and his fellow promising young players. Earlier today, TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke on the extensive demands that Buffalo GM Jason Botterill has for any return in an O’Reilly deal and, while he admitted that a deal is beginning to seem more likely, felt that it would take a lot of work for any team to make a fair offer in Botterill’s eyes. Dreger’s TSN colleague and The Athletic reporter Pierre LeBrun seems slightly more optimistic about the likelihood of a deal. LeBrun admits that O’Reilly likely wouldn’t mind returning to Buffalo, what with Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Dahlin likely in the fold next year and beyond, and the Sabres may not mind keeping him. However, LeBrun opines that if John Tavares re-signs with the New York Islanders prior to the NHL Draft, the top center on the free agent market will be Paul Stastny and many teams would prefer to search the trade market instead, where O’Reilly appears to be the top prize down the middle. Given the Sabres’ desire to add young pieces – picks and prospects – to develop alongside their new, young core, the draft would be the ideal time to strike on an O’Reilly trade. LeBrun goes so far as to say that the Montreal Canadiens have already discussed such a deal.
- Another player who LeBrun feels is primed to be dealt during or around the upcoming draft is Ottawa Senators forward Mike Hoffman. Hoffman was a frequent member of the rumor mill through the most recent NHL Trade Deadline, but remained in Ottawa, at least for the time being. LeBrun says that those rumors are back in full swing and that he feels Hoffman will be traded at the draft. The Senators are not trending in the right direction and could benefit from both the multi-piece return that Hoffman would command and a reprieve from his $5.18MM salary over the next two seasons. LeBrun notes that the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames were the top suitors for Hoffman at the deadline, but the St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers were also among a plethora of teams pursuing a player who has flirted with 30 goals and 60 points for three years in a row.
- The Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks have already been rumored to be listening on offers for their top ten picks in the upcoming draft; add the Arizona Coyotes to that list as well. LeBrun states that the team has contemplated offers and would consider moving up or down on draft day, depending on how the picks fall. LeBrun believes that GM John Chayka has already spoken with the Montreal Canadiens about a swap involving picks #3 and #5, in case the Habs feel they can get the top center in the draft, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, later on and if the ‘Yotes have a preferred choice between potential second overall picks Andrei Svechnikov and Filip Zadina. He also feels that there is a strong chance that they could trade down, given the depth of defensemen in the first round versus the desire of other teams to move up for top forwards. Look for Arizona to be busy on the draft floor later this month.
- Another team that could be making moves on draft day are the Toronto Maple Leafs. In a mailbag for The Athletic, Jame Mirtle says to expect new GM Kyle Dubas to trade down, perhaps even multiple times, during the draft. When Dubas ran the draft for the Leafs in 2015 he employed this strategy, seen far more often in the NFL than NHL. Dubas traded down twice in order to collect multiple picks in later rounds. In a draft that many feel has a significant drop-off in talent after the first 20-odd picks to a tier that encompasses the next 60 or so picks, if Toronto feels that they don’t have a surefire option at 25th overall, they could swap with a team who has a specific player in mind and potentially grab multiple player of similar caliber later on.
Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Hartnell, Matthews
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is less than three weeks away, and teams and pundits around the league are finalizing their rankings. Today, TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button released his final list of the top-100 prospects eligible for the draft, and Rasmus Dahlin remains on top. That’s not unexpected, neither is Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina at the number two and three spots respectively.
Where Button’s list may vary from others is where he lists his top two center prospects, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Barrett Hayton. The two young pivots are fifth and seventh respectively, ahead of top defensive prospects like Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard and Adam Boqvist. Button is also high on towering power forward Serron Noel (#13) and shifty winger Akil Thomas (#17). Joe Veleno, once expected to be selected at the very top of the first round, is way down at #28.
- Scott Hartnell has begun training for the 2018-19 season, but as Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes in his recent profile on the Nashville Predators free agent, if the 36-year old forward doesn’t find a contract he’s okay with that too. After registering 24 points in 62 games this season there is still reason to believe that Hartnell can be an effective bottom-six player, but it was just a year ago that he was bought out by the Blue Jackets and had to settle for a $1MM contract. If it is the end of his career, he’ll go out with 707 points in 1,249 games—a great career to say the least.
- Toronto Maple Leafs fans were up in arms last night questioning what it could mean when James Mirtle of The Athletic reported that Auston Matthews had changed agencies. Matthews has followed his agent from CAA to the Orr Hockey Group, with many pointing to the fact that they also represent Connor McDavid and negotiated his league-leading eight-year $100MM extension. Matthews can sign an extension on July 1st, and could be the league’s next highly-paid young star. While it may not match the $12.5MM/year that McDavid will start earning next season, Jack Eichel‘s eight-year $80MM deal is certainly within reach.
Chicago Pro Hockey League Is Launched
Since the success of Da Beauty League in Minnesota, a summer league featuring plenty of NHL talent during their offseason, other summer professional leagues have started to pop up. Today saw the launch of the Chicago Pro Hockey League (CPHL) which will take place in Chicago this summer and include more than 80 players from professional leagues across North America.
In their press release, the league states that Vinnie Hinostroza, Nick Schmaltz, Jordan Oesterle, Connor Carrick, Ryan Hartman, Tommy Wingels, Christian Fischer, Ryan Dzingel, T.J. Tynan, Robbie Russo, Alex Broadhurst, Garret Sparks, Christian Dvorak, Anders Bjork, Tommy Di Pauli and Louis Belpedio will all be a part of the inaugural season.
Leagues like this are often a good proving ground for junior or NCAA prospects, as well as a chance for fans to see their favorite players for a lower price. The season begins on July 11th, and tickets will cost just five dollars. Games will be held at the Chicago Blackhawks’ practice facility, and a portion of the proceeds are given to charity each week.
Canucks Are Content With Draft Preparation
The 2018 NHL Draft is less than three weeks away. Relative to length of the season, that seems like no time at all. However, in real time, that leaves teams more than enough time to continue evaluating film, talking with scouts, and meeting with draft-eligible prospects. Yet the Vancouver Canucks and GM Jim Benning would be ready to go if the draft was tomorrow instead. Ben Kuzma of The Province reports that the Canucks’ draft board is set and they have no follow-up visits with prospects planned.
In speaking with Benning, Kuzma relays that the Canucks spoke with the majority of the prospects at the recent NHL Draft Combine and feel that they do not need to meet with any of those players a second time in Vancouver. Kuzma opines that this either means they have no idea who will be available when they pick in the first round at seventh overall – although there is no limit to the amount of pre-draft visits a team is allowed and the Canucks could easily cover their bases – or that they feel their draft profiles for all potential targets are complete and they simply have no desire to speak with the players further. Benning said that he was “satisfied with the process of watching them play, the interviews and the physical and medical testing”, but one would think that with 17 days left before draft day, that Vancouver would continue to evaluate players in any way possible.
The other possible reason that the Canucks seem disinterested in spending more time on the draft is that Benning has his eye on trading the pick. Although he told Kuzma that “We think we’re getting a real good player at No. 7 and we like those who have a chance to be there”, it’s also hard to ignore this report in combination with rumors of the team listening to offers on the selection. In particular, it was discussed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that Vancouver could be the leader in the efforts to pry young stalwart defender Noah Hanifin out of Carolina. The Hurricanes could benefit from trading one of their many talented defensemen and a package including the seventh pick could be tantalizing. If the teams are deep in discussion about such a deal, Benning may not find further draft preparation to be a priority right now.
Only time will tell how it all plays out, but Kuzma’s report of the Canucks being content with their draft preparation this early in the process is certainly strange and worth keeping an eye on.
Negotiation Notes: No. 2 Pick, Nelson, Simon
The Carolina Hurricanes and newly promoted GM Don Waddell are listening to offers on the second overall pick in the NHL Draft, but don’t expect them to make a move. Waddell spoke with the media at the NHL Draft Combine with week and said that if teams “want to present something to us, we’ll look at it” but, quickly added that “it’s going to be hard for us to move that pick.” After moving up nine spots in the draft lottery to #2, the Hurricanes are looking to make the most of their good luck. Although Carolina’s biggest need is a star center – something that isn’t available in this draft – they can still land a generational talent up front. Waddell stated that forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina, and Brady Tkachuk are the most likely candidates, but there could also be a possibility that Jesperi Kotkaniemi could slide into the spot, as the Finnish center has reportedly been flying up draft boards. Waddell did say that he was impressed with several of the top defensemen in this class, but feels the Hurricanes are well-stocked on the blue line. That is an understatement for what is one of the deepest and most talented groups in the league with promising prospects still on the way. Forward is the big need and the ‘Canes seemed prime to make the pick, but Waddell will listen if another team is ready to blow him away with an offer or present him with an intriguing reason to move back in the first round.
- Entering a crucial off-season, New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson has decided to move on from his current representation, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. Nelson has hired Ben Hankinson of Octagon Sports to handle his negotiations this summer as he enters restricted free agency. As Staple points out, Nelson’s last foray as an RFA did not go smoothly. Former agent Ron Salcer struggled in his dealings with the Islanders and talks grew contentious over the 2015 off-season. Nelson ended up finally re-signing with the Isles on the eve of training camp. Although Nelson has the benefit of arbitration rights this time around, he would still prefer a more civil negotiation with New York and new addition Lou Lamoriello in his new pursuit of an extension.
- Contrary to an erroneous report, the agent for young Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Simon says that his client has no immediate interest in leaving North America. Agent Allan Walsh dismissed rumors that Simon could join Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL if the Penguins did not offer the part-time winger a one-way contract extension, reports Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review. Walsh states that Simon is focused only on playing in Pittsburgh in the future and that any talk with foreign teams would be originating from the teams themselves and not the player side. Simon is an RFA this summer and at 23 scored twelve points in 33 games as a rookie and impressed at the AHL level as well. It would be no surprise to see him land a one-way contract, but Walsh makes it sound as if that won’t make a difference in where he plays next season.
NHL Draft Combine Results
The NHL held its annual Draft Combine over the past week, with players able to speak with their potential teams and participate in fitness testing. The physical part of the week was held on Saturday (with a select few tests occurring the day before), with upwards of 100 prospects trying their best to show off their strengths in the gym. Here are the results of the tests, thanks to NHL Central Scouting:
Aerobic Fitness: Test Duration
- Xavier Bouchard – 16:45
- Curtis Douglas – 16:35
- Mattias Samuelsson – 16:30
- Kevin Bahl – 16:10
- Oskar Back – 16:08
Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min)
- Cameron Hillis – 65.0
- Aidan Dudas – 63.0
- Xavier Bouchard – 62.0
- Jack Drury – 61.0
- Ty Dellandrea – 60.0
Recapping The QMJHL Draft Trade Frenzy
Like the NHL, it is not uncommon for there to be a flurry of trades surrounding the draft in the juniors as well. At the junior level though, “flurry” takes on a whole new meaning. The Quebec Junior Hockey League held their entry draft yesterday, with the 14-round event taking up most of the day. The teams’ management staffs were not only busy making picks, but also making trades. There have been 48 trades made in the QMJHL over the past two days alone. While many of those are simply a swap of draft pick packages or including low-end players, there have also been a handful for NHL fans to take note of:
- The Drummondville Voltigeurs paid a heavy price for Anaheim prospect Maxime Comtois. The Ducks’ second-round pick at 50th overall last year was traded by the Victoriaville Tigres for first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft, including the 14th overall pick, and another pair of first- and second-round picks next year. Comtois scored 85 points in 54 games this season and Drummondville is banking on him repeating that production next season. The Voltigeurs better hope that Comtois doesn’t break camp with Anaheim instead.
- Another Ducks prospect, Antoine Morand, who was drafted just ten spots behind Comtois last year, was also dealt in another blockbuster. The QMJHL and Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan traded Moran and teammate Jordan Maher, an overage player eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft, to the Halifax Mooseheads for a first- and third-round pick this year and another pair of future first- and third-rounders. Morand led the Titan in scoring last year and he and Maher combined for 137 points on the season. Halifax is certainly loading up with the acquisition of the duo.
- Center Cedric Pare, a sixth-round selection of the Boston Bruins last year, fetched a hefty return of his own. The two-way forward earned the Saint John Sea Dogs a first-rounder, 15th overall, and fourth-rounder this year from Rimouski Oceanic. Pare scored only 37 points in 60 games this year but brings strong intangibles to his game. In Rimouski, Pare will get to play the defensively responsible role across from 16-year-old phenom Alexis Lafreniere‘s dynamic offensive game.
- Mitchell Balmas will again be eligible for selection in the NHL Draft for the third and final time this year and if his trade value at the junior level is any indication, someone will take a flier on him in the later rounds. The overage forward was another player shipped away by the Titan, who appear to be content with rebuilding following their title run. Acadie-Bathhurst acquired Balmas mid-season only to trade him yesterday for the 9th overall pick in the first round, the 36th overall pick in the second round, and young defenseman Ryan MacLellan. Balmas was a point-per-game player for two different teams this season and his new squad, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, hopes that trend continues next season.
Combine Notes: On-Ice Drills, Kaut, Bouchard, Dobson, Merkley,
While the 2018 Scouting Combine has evolved over the years, much of the combine is nothing more than cardio and fitness events to pick apart the differences between prospects. While there is plenty more than that, change could be coming in the future as Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that on-ice drills could be coming soon.
The scribe writes that he spoke to one executive who believes that on-ice testing will be required, especially if the league intends to televise the combine in the future. The main reason there are no on-ice drills is because some players haven’t been on the ice in months, while others have only recently finished their playoff runs.
Another testing issue that has come up that recently is the constant improvement of technology as times are so much more accurate that you can no longer compare times to older times of five and 10 years ago when they used stopwatches compared to laser times. Another problem is that the combine keeps changing its events. The bench press is no longer about reps and more about power output, while the Wingate bike test made changes in its times as well to simulate real NHL shifts. While the changes are good, teams now can’t compare how a prospect did compared to even players from a couple of years ago.
For a look at the top-10 performers for each drill, go here.
- Kennedy also reports that prospect Martin Kaut left the combine early after a physical detected a heart problem that was swiftly dealt with. The 18-year-old Czech winger, who was considered to be a mid to late first round pick, won’t see his stock drop. According to Kennedy, everyone he talked to said that it shouldn’t affect his draft stock.
- NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes that defensemen combine prospects Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson each had solid fitness tests Saturday. The top two right-handed defensemen in the 2018 NHL draft are expected to be taken in the top 10. Bouchard, who led all defensemen in the OHL with 87 points this year, excelled in upper-body exercises, including a second place finish with 14 pullups and 16th in the bench press after generating a 6.73 watts of power. Dobson, who was an all-star in the QMJHL with 69 points, reached 20 inches in the vertical jump and 110.3 inches in the standing long jump event, both good scores.
- The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports that OHL prospect Ryan Merkley, one of the top offensive defensemen in the draft, has seen his stock drop due to issues with both his defense and character concerns, met with 25 teams at the combine and was repeatedly asked about his attitude. Merkley supposedly admitted he needs to work on both his defense and body language. He hopes to be taken anywhere from 10-31 in the first round.
Schedule Set For AHL Calder Cup Finals
While most eyes are glued to the Stanley Cup Finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals, some other markets may be more interested in what the AHL has to offer. Tomorrow night marks the beginning of the Calder Cup Finals between the Toronto Marlies and Texas Stars, with top prospects and outstanding players on both sides. The AHL released all the schedule and broadcast information for the series, as all seven games will be hosted on both TSN and the NHL Network. The schedule is as follows:
All times CST
Game 1 – Saturday, June 2nd @ Toronto, 3pm
Game 2 – Sunday, June 3rd @ Toronto, 3pm
Game 3 – Tuesday, June 5th @ Texas, 7pm
Game 4 – Thursday, June 7th @ Texas, 7pm
Game 5 – Saturday, June 9th, @ Texas, 7pm*
Game 6 – Tuesday, June 12th @ Toronto, 6pm*
Game 7 – Thursday, June 14th @ Toronto, 6pm*
*if necessary
For more information on specific broadcasters, visit the AHL site for all the detailed information.
Bruins Notes: Free Agents, Czarnik, Injuries, Draft
Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney spoke with the media today from the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo and was very up front about the team’s plans this off-season. The Bruins exceeded expectations this season with a young team that finished with one of the best records in the NHL. Sweeney has previously stated that he would like to return many of the team’s impending unrestricted free agents – Anton Khudobin, Riley Nash, Rick Nash, Tommy Wingels, Tim Schaller, Nick Holden, and Austin Czarnik – but due to salary cap restraints and a promising prospect crop in the AHL in need of opportunity, he did not expect that all would be back. Today, Sweeney went in a different direction, confirming that the team would not offer new contracts to several other free agents: Brian Gionta, Kenny Agostino, and Paul Postma. The announcement should come as no surprise, as the trio all underwhelmed in Boston this season. A late addition to the team for the stretch run and postseason, Gionta looked as if he would have been better off retiring after the Olympics. The veteran forward contributed only seven points in 20 regular season games and played in just one playoff game, in which he was a liability against the fast-paced Tampa Bay Lightning. Gionta is likely to call it quits for good this off-season. Agostino, the 2017 AHL MVP, not only made little difference in Boston with just one point in five games, but finished the minor league season in Providence with 30 points less than his MVP campaign in only one less game. Agostino will need to search for a new home for the third straight summer. Postma, while not necessarily a disappointment in Boston, ended up being of little use to the team. The relative health of the Bruins’ four right-handed defenseman and the emergence of rookie Matt Grzelcyk on the left side made Postma the #8 option for much of the year. He was unable to even retain that role after the Bruins acquired Holden at the trade deadline. Overall, Postma played in 14 games in Boston, recording just one point, before clearing waivers and being assigned to the AHL, where he played another 17 games with Providence in the regular season and postseason. The long-time Winnipeg Jets defender will be on the hunt for a more regular NHL role next year, if he can find one.
- Sweeney briefly touched on the situation with Czarnik, which has put the Bruins in somewhat of a pickle. Czarnik, 25, played in 49 games as a rookie with Boston in 2016-17, but lost out on a roster spot this year to the likes of fellow youngsters Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, Anders Bjork, and Sean Kuraly. Czarnik managed to play in ten games for the Bruins, and looked good doing so with four points, but roster restrictions forced him back to the AHL each time. In the minors, Czarnik was unstoppable with 69 points in 64 games – good enough for third in the AHL scoring race. It was an impressive performance, but still not good enough to vault Czarnik back to the top of a Bruins’ prospect pipeline that is very deep, especially at center. Ideally, the Bruins would have liked to deal Czarnik as a restricted free agent with his value at its highest. However, as a 25-year-old with three pro seasons under his belt but less than 80 NHL games played, Czarnik instead qualifies for Group 6 unrestricted free agency per the NHL CBA and is free to sign with any team. Sweeney expressed that both the team and Czarnik have not closed the door on an extension, but that he feels Czarnik is “intrigued by what may exist elsewhere”. There will surely be a market for the swift, play-making forward and a return to Boston seems unlikely.
- Sweeney also updated the injury status of his team, revealing that banged-up checkers Schaller and Noel Acciari both underwent surgery following the season. The Bruins’ fourth line, while not much of an offensive threat, was one of the best defensively this season. However, their play began to tail off in the postseason and the major injuries for Schaller and Acciari certainly lend some explanation to that trend. The duo were just two of myriad injuries for Boston, but join only Brandon Carlo in going under the knife. Sweeney stated that the rest of the injured – Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Backes, DeBrusk, Nash, and Nash – will all avoid surgery for now.
- Finally, Sweeney responded to a question about whether or not he would try to trade back into the first round of the NHL Draft next month. The Bruins sent their first-rounder to the New York Rangers in the Rick Nash deal and do not own any other team’s pick. Sweeney seemed hesitant to promise anything, saying that it is “hard” to trade back in, but did add that “you never know what some team may want to do”. In a draft class that many feels runs out of elite prospects after the first 15 or so selections, Boston may not be scrambling to trade current or future assets for a first-round pick anyway. With a late second and an early third from the Florida Panthers, the Bruins should be able to add two players with similar career projections to some late first-round picks. Even if they don’t get a future star, the Boston system is one of the best in the league with more than enough talent pushing for play time in the NHL as it is.