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Check Out Hoops Rumors For NBA Draft Coverage

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Draft day is here for the NBA, and Hoops Rumors has all the latest news and rumors! Last season saw several teams jockeying for position to land coveted draft picks, and the expectation is that there will be plenty of trades tonight. We’ve already seen three significant deals leading up to the draft, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, because the rumor mill is buzzing about several other possibilities.

The top of the draft looks pretty set, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported this morning that a projected top three of Jabari Smith to the Magic at No. 1, Chet Holmgren to the Thunder at No. 2, and Paolo Banchero to the Rockets at No. 3 looks “increasingly firm.” The three big men are widely considered the top prospects in the draft.

If Wojnarowski is right and there are no major surprises in the top three, tonight’s fun could begin at No. 4, where the Kings have been linked to both Jaden Ivey and Keegan Murray and are reportedly considering trading the pick. The Trail Blazers are also trying to improve their squad after a disappointing season, so a win-now move for a veteran in exchange for their No. 7 pick is reportedly being considered as well.

Over at Hoops Rumors, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest NBA news and rumors tonight, in addition to tracking each of this year’s 58 draft picks. With the draft upon us and free agency only one week away, this is the most eventful time of year for the NBA rumor mill, so be sure to visit Hoops Rumors and follow @HoopsRumors on Twitter for all the latest updates!

Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils

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Free agency is now less than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  Next up is a look at the Devils.

Key Restricted Free Agents:

F Jesper Bratt – The rumors surrounding Bratt have already started swirling even during the Stanley Cup Finals, with conflicting reports on the forward coming from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, who says the two sides haven’t begun talking and other teams are interested, and Ryan Novozinsky of the Star-Ledger, who confirmed with both Bratt’s agent, Joakim Persson and with the Devils, that the two sides had been talking. Whether Bratt stays in New Jersey, is traded, or even encounters an offer-sheet scenario, one thing is for sure: he’s going to get a hefty raise. A sixth-round pick in 2016, Bratt went from an unheralded prospect, to an NHLer, to a player who proved he could carry a line, to this year, where he proved he could carry an offense. The 23-year-old set career-highs with 26 goals, 47 assists, 73 points, in 76 games, those 73 points good enough to lead a Devils team that only had 49 games of Jack Hughes this season. Now at the conclusion of a two-year contract that carried an AAV of $2.75MM, Bratt could very likely see his salary double, if not more. New Jersey finds itself with an impeccable amount of salary cap space moving forward, so meeting Bratt’s asking price shouldn’t be an issue, but negotiating term and finding the proper overall value could hold the negotiation up.

F Miles Wood – The speedy winger missed the majority of this past season following a hip injury and surgery in the preseason. He would return to the lineup in late March, getting into three games before ultimately being shutdown for the remainder of the season. Wood has been a steady presence in the Devils lineup for the past few years, acting as the team’s primary agitator while also using his speed to create some offense too. With the Devils roster turnover as they try to put a close to their rebuild, it’s possible they could let the forward walk, but given their desire to add some “sandpaper” in to the lineup, simply keeping a familiar face in Wood who has the ability to play up and down the lineup would make sense without breaking the bank. New Jersey would also likely have control in the negotiations, considering Wood’s injury history and his status as a soon-to-be 27-year-old RFA, but it is worth noting that Wood is arbitration eligible this summer. Wood recently concluded a four-year, $11MM deal.

F Pavel Zacha – The first major piece of the Devils rebuild, it’s safe to say Zacha has not lived up to the expectations set for him when New Jersey drafted him sixth-overall in 2015. Zacha appeared to turn a corner in what could be described as a breakout 2020-21 season, where he totaled 35 points in 50 games, then a career-high. The forward would eclipse that career-high with 36 this year, but that was seen as a setback, considering he played in 70 games. On the heels of a three-year, $6.75MM contract and arbitration eligible, New Jersey could move on from Zacha, opting to give some of their prospects a chance at more regular ice-time, but given the flashes of talent he’s shown over the past two seasons along with a predictably reasonable price, it’s also quite likely the Devils will give Zacha another year in the Garden State.

F Jesper Boqvist, F Tyce Thompson, F Fabian Zetterlund

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D P.K. Subban – The former Norris Trophy winner is coming off an eight-year, $72MM contract which saw him traded not once, but twice, finally landing in New Jersey. Although not the same player he once was, Subban’s name still holds weight as an exciting player on the ice with big hits and shots, and off the ice as a charismatic and community-driven player, evidenced by his 2022 King Clancy Award. Subban’s next contract won’t see him come too close to his previous $9MM AAV, however the 33-year-old should be able to find himself a role well-suited for him at a reasonable rate. Even with his recent regression, the ball may be largely in Subban’s court with contenders close to the salary cap looking to give him a tailored role as a powerplay specialist at a lesser rate or a team with more payroll flexibility and more minutes to offer looking for an exciting name and a dynamic leader. A return to New Jersey isn’t out of the picture, but the Devils do have a bevy of young talent on defense they will try to work into regular roles at the NHL level in the near future.

F Chase De Leo, F Brian Flynn, F Frederik Gauthier, F Mason Geertsen, F A.J. Greer, F Jimmy Vesey, D Colton White, G Jon Gillies, G Andrew Hammond

Projected Cap Space:

At a time when many NHL teams are struggling to stay cap-compliant, the Devils are able to breathe easy, with just over $25.3MM in available cap space this offseason. That number actually feels a bit restrictive when you consider the $56.1MM the team is currently projected to have after the 2022-23 season. Perhaps the best part of all of this for New Jersey, is this factors in Dougie Hamilton’s $9MM cap hit, Hughes’ $8MM cap hit, and Nico Hischier’s $7.25MM cap hit.

The main financial commitment the Devils have to make this offseason is Bratt, who could approach the $7MM AAV threshold. After Bratt, the team could bring back Zacha, Wood, and Subban, and still have plenty of room with which to work. The organization will likely use that remaining cap to address their goaltending issues, the team currently expected to ice Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier next season, both of whom dealt with significant injury issues in 2021-22, and perhaps one of the several dynamic forwards available on this year’s trade and free agency markets. Even with their cap freedom, the Devils will need to take care, with a significant number of players hitting free agency next summer, including RFAs Yegor Sharangovich, Ty Smith, Jonas Siegenthaler and UFAs Tomas Tatar, Andreas Johnsson, Ryan Graves, and Damon Severson, amongst others.

Poll: Where Will Johnny Gaudreau Sign?

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We’re just under a month away from free agent frenzy and the potential UFA class is loaded. Franchise icons like Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Claude Giroux, and Patrice Bergeron are all without contracts. Top-six pivots like Nazem Kadri, Ryan Strome, and Vincent Trocheck appear to be available. Even a few interesting goaltending targets are about to hit the market. But ahead of all those, at least according to some, is Johnny Gaudreau, arguably the top free agent available after his 115-point regular season.

Gaudreau, 28, has long been one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league but this season he took it to an entirely new level. After a few rather disappointing goal outputs, he set a new career-high with 40 tallies, while playing on arguably the most effective line in hockey. His plus/minus was a staggering +64 to lead the league, as a huge amount of his damage was done at even-strength.

The Calgary Flames, knowing that he is the lynchpin of their offense, are trying hard to sign Gaudreau to an extension. For the next few weeks, they have the added benefit of being able to offer him an eighth year, something that would likely seem very appealing to a player that will turn 29 later this summer. This contract could very well take Gaudreau to the end of his career, and reward him very handsomely for his outstanding platform year.

But with Gaudreau especially, there have always been whispers of a return to the east coast. The New Jersey native played his college hockey at Boston College and a return to the U.S. always seemed inevitable, even if it was at the very end of his career. Now, with just a month left before he could listen to every team’s pitch, that transition is certainly possible, if not likely.

This isn’t a player who has made his intention to go to free agency clear though. Gaudreau told the Flames before the season started that he didn’t want to discuss a contract during the year, and both sides followed his wishes. He’s only ever spoken glowingly about the city and explicitly stated at his end-of-year press availability how much his wife loves it in Calgary.

So where will he be, when the dust settles on July 13? Will Gaudreau stay in Calgary and potentially become the highest-scoring Flame of all time (he is currently 486 points behind Jarome Iginla)? Or will he take his talents elsewhere, adding his talents to a program much closer to his family? Cast your vote below, and make sure to explain it in the comments.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Buffalo Sabres To Retire Ryan Miller’s Number

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The Buffalo Sabres will have a second goaltender in the rafters next season. Ryan Miller’s No. 30 will be retired by the team, joining Dominik Hasek as the only two netminders in franchise history to receive the honor.

Miller will join Tim Horton (2), Rick Martin (7), Gilbert Perreault (11), Rene Robert (14), Pat LaFontaine (16), Danny Gare (18), and Hasek (39) as the numbers retired by the organization.

Sabres’ general manager Kevyn Adams released the following statement:

Ryan Miller embodied what people in Western New York expect from those who wear a Buffalo Sabres uniform: on-ice excellence, commitment, and authentic love for this community. His lasting relationship with the people here in Buffalo remains a standard we strive to follow every day.

We are thrilled for Ryan to take his rightful place alongside his fellow Sabres legends and look forward to celebrating his career.

One of the greatest American-born goaltenders in history, Miller played 540 regular season games for the Sabres over parts of 11 seasons, the most in franchise history. He also leads in wins (284) and saves (16,217), having posted a strong .916 save percentage over his time in Buffalo. While that doesn’t quite touch what Hasek did, Miller’s time with the Sabres was outstanding, culminating in a Vezina Trophy in 2010 as the league’s best netminder.

Interestingly enough, it was 39 that Miller wore at Michigan State and what he would have worn in Buffalo, had it not been for Hasek’s legacy with the team. The two have been compared and linked for decades, as the younger netminder came into the spotlight soon after the legend left. They’ll now both be in the rafters at the KeyBank Center, though a date has not been revealed for Miller’s ceremony to this point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Looking At A Pair Of Intriguing Colorado Avalanche UFAs

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With the Colorado Avalanche headed to their first Conference Finals in 20 years and vying for their first Stanley Cup Championship since 2001, much has been made about their impending UFAs and their ability to re-sign them. The bulk of that discussion has centered around star center Nazem Kadri and starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, both of whom were brought in to take Colorado to the next level as a playoff team, and the noise surrounding them has been more than justified. Kuemper posted another strong season, his first in Colorado, with a .921 save-percentage and 2.54 goals-against average. Kadri, already a strong performer, had nothing short of a sensational breakout year, with 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 games. Not surprisingly, both have carried their production over to the playoffs. If and when Kadri or Kuemper hit the UFA market in July, they will have plenty of interest.

As much as the chatter around those two is justified, there are two key pieces of the Avalanche also on the heels of breakout seasons, headed for free agency, who appear to have considerably less buzz. Despite the lack of hype, or maybe being overshadowed on a star-studded team, forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Andre Burakovsky will hit free agency with, one would expect, strong markets for their services.

Burakovsky’s production is not exactly a new phenomenon, as the winger has averaged 0.79 points-per-game over his three seasons in Colorado, his 61 points in 2021-22 actually representing a (very small) step down at 0.76 points-per-game, but is a major step-up from the 0.44 points-per-game he averaged with the Washington Capitals previously. For the most part, COVID-19’s schedule disruptions are responsible for Burakovsky’s lower point totals in the two seasons prior to this one, however this season represent’s Burakovsky’s ability to produce at this rate not over 50-60 games, but over a full NHL season. Although Burakovsky has amassed his numbers on an incredible offensive team like Colorado, during a period of increased scoring league-wide, he has shown the ability to stay in the lineup and produce consistently, and at just 27 years of age, he appears ripe for a longer-term contract.

Unlike Burakovsky, Nichuskin had a true breakout season, setting a career-high with 52 points, 18 more than his previous career-high of 34 set in his rookie season in 2013-14 with the Dallas Stars. After three seasons with Dallas, Nichushkin left the NHL to play with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, but returned for the 2018-19 season, where he struggled to just 10 assists in 57 games for Dallas. He would leave Dallas for Colorado, where he would find consistent production before a strong 2021-22 season. Though Nichushkin does not have Burakovsky’s consistency, he has shown his ability to adapt and produce throughout his career, entering the league as an 18-year-old, where he put up 34 points. He has shown an ability to produce in the NHL since then, and while his production back home in the KHL was no more impressive than his NHL production to date, he proved he could take his game from one league and one side of the globe to another and produce, then back once again. Nichushkin also has a factor in his game that cannot be taught or taken away: his size. Listed at 6’4 and 210 pounds, Nichushkin is able to use his body to impose himself and create space for him and his teammates.

Nichushkin may have trouble finding the term that Burakovsky might be able to, however his unique skillset and his recent production should be enough to land him a contract with a strong AAV, and at just 27 years old, if he can continue to match his 2021-22 production over the life of a shorter contract, perhaps two or three years, he could be in line for a long-term deal in the future.

Looking at the market for these two certainly does not mean that Colorado will not be able to retain one or both of them, however the organization does have several questions to ask. First and foremost among them is how do they fit along with trying to re-sign the aforementioned Kadri and Kuemper? After letting goaltender Philipp Grubauer sign in Seattle, replacing him with Kuemper, Colorado will likely push to retain Kuemper. As brilliant as Kadri was this season, he is likely headed for a long-term deal with a reasonably high AAV this offseason, and at 32 years of age on opening night, it might not be the most prudent investment for Colorado, especially if they can, instead, re-sign both Nichushkin and Burakovsky.

With $26.485MM in projected cap space this offseason, Colorado could, in theory, bring all four back, leaving things a bit tight cap-wise (and would likely necessitate Josh Manson leaving via free agency). However, issues then arise after next season, when Nathan MacKinnon becomes a UFA, and would require a significant raise over his current, team-friendly $6.3MM cap hit. Defenseman Erik Johnson’s $6MM cap hit would also expire, and while he might take a reduced salary to stick around, it would probably not be enough to balance out MacKinnon’s raise, all of this before considering J.T. Compher’s UFA status, and the expiration of Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook’s ELCs. As much as some of these things seem like future problems for Colorado, the questions they pose back up into now, and how the organization could approach this upcoming offseason with four of their key pieces set to become UFAs.

2022 King Clancy Finalists Announced

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After revealing the 32 nominees earlier this month, the NHL has announced the finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.

The selection committee, a group of senior NHL executives led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, applies the following criteria to determine a winner:

  • Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
  • Investment of time and resources
  • Commitment to a particular cause or community
  • Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
  • Creativity of programming
  • Use of influence; engagement of others

The finalists this year are Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks, Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers, and P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils.

In reality, all of this year’s nominees deserve recognition for their efforts, and picking a single winner doesn’t change the impact that each player has. Like usual, the award will have a new winner this year, as none of the three have taken it home previously. There has only ever been one player to be awarded the King Clancy multiple times; Henrik Sedin won it in 2016 on his own, and split it with his brother Daniel Sedin in 2018.

Subban has been a finalist three times previously, including each of the past two seasons. Other active winners include Patrice Bergeron, Nick Foligno, Jason Zucker, and Matt Dumba. You can read more about each of their community efforts here.

Latest On St. Louis Blues Defensemen

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After St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug left last night’s game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury, Blues head coach Craig Berube said today that he expected Krug to be out for “some time” (link). The loss of Krug is yet another in a growing list of St. Louis defensemen who are out with injury, joining Nick Leddy, Robert Bortuzzo, and rookie Scott Perunovich. Krug has been an important piece for a deep Blues team this season, playing a pivotal role on their powerplay while averaging 20:33 in time-on-ice in the regular season. No timetable, beyond Berube’s comments, has been given.

Looking at those other three names, returns for Leddy, Bortuzzo, and Perunovich could be fairly soon. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who spoke with Berube, Perunovich is a possibility for Game Four against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (link). Perunovich had been out since January 15th with a left wrist injury, which ultimately required surgery in March. The young defenseman’s regular season would end after just 19 NHL games, in which he tallied six assists.

A return for Leddy and Bortuzzo does not appear to be as imminent as that of Perunovich, however the pair did practice Saturday with St. Louis. Still, as Thomas reports, the team will have to wait and see on their status. Leddy, who played in Game One, missed games Two and Three against Minnesota with an upper-body injury. It’s unclear what exactly the nature of Leddy’s injury is, however he did take an awkward hit into the boards during Game One from the Wild’s Matt Boldy. Bortuzzo’s injury was more clear, having taken a puck to his face while attempting to block a shot during Game Two.

There was concern about Justin Faulk, as the defenseman did not practice with the team on Saturday. However, Thomas reports, Faulk’s absence was merely for rest, after playing heavy minutes in last night’s game. Faulk was not only one of the Blues’ best players this season, but one of the league’s best, recording 16 goals and 31 assists in 76 games along with a stellar plus-41 rating, all while averaging 23:12 time-on-ice.

Latest On Andrew Copp

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While first-round picks were being thrown around at the trade deadline, the New York Rangers were able to hang onto theirs and land pending free agent Andrew Copp for a package of other pieces. While one of those could be upgraded to a first if they find immediate playoff success, it certainly seems so far like they got a bargain from the Winnipeg Jets. Copp has fit right in alongside Artemi Panarin and has eight goals and 18 points in 16 games with the Rangers, including a hat trick against the rival New York Islanders.

All of that makes it easy to understand why the Rangers will try to do everything in their power to retain Copp’s services past this season. Darren Dreger explained the situation on TSN’s Insider Trading last night, indicating that the team “will push hard” to extend him before he hits the open market this summer. Our John Gilroy recently looked at some comparables, including the six-year, $30MM contract that Jean-Gabriel Pageau signed with the Islanders in 2020.

Unfortunately, Copp left a game earlier this week with a lower-body injury, and although the Rangers called it nothing more than a cautious approach to keep him out on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, he was still absent from morning skate and will not play this evening against the Washington Capitals. Panarin was also missing and won’t play, though head coach Gerard Gallant did tell Mollie Walker of the New York Post that he still expects both to be ready for the playoffs.

Interestingly enough, if he does miss any time with the injury, it could actually drastically affect the Jets’ return given the conditions attached to one of the picks. Not only do the Rangers need to advance past the second round for the 2022 second-round pick to upgrade to a first, but Copp needs to play in at least 50 percent of those games.

Obviously, the Rangers are hoping to have him in the lineup, now and in the future. The 27-year-old center has already set career highs with 21 goals and 53 points this season, and could easily reach new heights in the playoffs as well. Copp has just three goals in 34 career postseason appearances.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Follow The NFL Draft At Pro Football Rumors

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The 87th NFL draft begins tonight from Las Vegas. Our sister site, Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter), has all the top stories covered. Although this draft differs from the past several, as it appears to lack a top-end quarterback, the event features a host of teams with high-stakes decisions. This promises to be the most enigmatic NFL draft in at least nine years.

Picking first for the second straight year, the Jaguars have their quarterback (2021 top pick Trevor Lawrence) and are focusing on their lines. Georgia defensive end Travon Walker has become the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick, despite fellow D-end standout Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan) producing far better college numbers. But Jags owner Shad Khan was believed to disagree with GM Trent Baalke’s Walker preference, adding intrigue to tonight’s top pick. The Jaguars are also interested in trading down, though a lack of interested suitors may force them to stay at No. 1.

The Panthers look to represent the draft’s first quarterback domino, having needed an answer here since Cam Newton’s injury run began years ago. Rather than the NFC South team gambling on one of this class’ polarizing QBs, waiting for a mid- or post-draft trade for the Browns’ Baker Mayfield is in play. That said, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule recruited one of this class’ top QBs (Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett) when he was Temple’s coach years ago; a belated partnership remains a possibility. The Falcons (No. 8), Seahawks (No. 9), Saints (No. 15) and Steelers (No. 20) also loom as quarterback suitors. Liberty’s Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral join Pickett as this class’ top signal-caller prospects; the group could be in for an Aaron Rodgers-esque green-room wait.

This draft’s most interesting subplot: the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel decision. The All-Pro wide receiver requested a trade last week. Reports of Samuel disenchantment with the 49ers’ first extension offer, his unconventional role as a part-time running back, and a desire not to live in California have come up as reasons for the request. The Jets are viewed as Samuel’s most likely landing spot, and the 49ers’ future with the fourth-year playmaker could come down to the wire tonight — with a loose deadline being the Jets’ No. 10 overall pick.

For the latest updates throughout tonight’s first round, and the final six rounds this weekend, stay with Pro Football Rumors and follow us on Facebook and Twitter — @pfrumors.

Michael Misa Selected First Overall In OHL Draft

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The next exceptional status player is on his way, as Michael Misa was announced as the first-overall pick in the upcoming OHL draft. The Saginaw Spirit, who won the lottery to select first, confirmed that Misa would be their selection, despite the draft not actually being held until Friday evening.

Misa, 15, is the sixth player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL and eighth overall. He joins John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, and Shane Wright as those who have been selected first in the OHL draft following that status. Sean Day, the other exceptional status player for that league, went fourth to the Mississauga Steelheads in 2013.

While many will point to Day–who only made his NHL debut this season after being selected in the third round by the New York Rangers in 2016–as proof that the exceptional status moniker doesn’t necessarily guarantee future success, three of the other players given it in the OHL ended up going first overall in their respective NHL drafts, and Wright is expected to continue that trend this year. Misa will now carry that pressure as the “next one” after a brilliant performance at the OHL Cup, where he tallied 20 points in just seven games, winning the tournament MVP and tying the all-time record.

Not eligible for selection into the NHL until 2025, the young Oakville native will still have to prove it at the OHL level before anyone puts him at the top of a draft board. Ending up in Saginaw means he won’t have to deal with his older brother Luke Misa as much, as he plays for the Mississauga Steelheads in the league’s other conference.

He’ll also have the pressure of turning Saginaw into a contender. The Spirit went 24-43-1 this season and have never won an OHL championship in their history, going only as far as the third round in 2019 when they were led by the likes of Cole Perfetti and Owen Tippett.

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