Draft Notes: Mock Draft, Rangers, Canadiens, Sabres
Now that the lottery portion of the 2018 NHL draft has clarified, TSN’s Craig Button has already released his first mock draft. No surprise, the Buffalo Sabres are projected to take defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The Carolina Hurricanes are projected to take winger Andrei Svechnikov at No. 2, who Button compares to Marian Hossa and who could walk in and join Carolina immediately next season, aiding their struggling offense.
Wingers Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk are targeted to be taken at No. 3 and No. 4 by the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, respectively, while the Arizona Coyotes are projected to select defenseman Quinn Hughes with the fifth pick, rounding out the top five.
- While there is no shot at getting Dahlin, the New York Rangers have made it clear they want to move up in this year’s draft. With the eighth-worst record in the NHL this past season, the team moved back a spot in Saturday’s draft lottery. The Rangers have the ninth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, but have after tearing down their team at the trade deadline, the team has quite a few assets to offer a team willing to trade down. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes the team is focusing on two teams, including the Ottawa Senators and Arizona Coyotes, two former trade partners, as potential landing spots at No. 4 and No. 5. While it’s considered to be a deep draft and the Rangers would get a quality player at No. 9, there is said to be a drop off around No. 4 or No. 5. The Rangers not only have the ninth-overall pick, but also have two other first-round picks, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins’ first-rounders, which could fall anywhere between 24 and 31. They also have two second and two third-round picks.
- The Montreal Canadiens might also be a trade possibility for teams looking to move up. While the team had a couple of extra hours to imagine winning the lottery when they were among the top three first announced Saturday, the team ended up at No. 3. While there are plenty of high-quality wingers that would be available to the team, it doesn’t really help with the team’s top need, which is a big center, writes Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette. One interesting option would be if the Canadiens trade down or just reach for center Joe Veleno from the Drummondville Voltiguers of the QMJHL and was coached by Dominique Ducharme, who was just hired by Canadiens as an assistant coach. Cowan compares this situation to the 2016 draft when the Columbus Blue Jackets shocked everyone when they took Pierre-Luc Dubois with the third-overall pick, although no one is complaining now.
- An interesting note from the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington, the Buffalo Sabres won the lottery twice Saturday. They initially won the No. 1 pick and then again won the No. 3 pick. The No. 3 pick was then was redrawn, which allowed the Montreal Canadiens to move up.
Draft Lottery Can Change Many Franchises’ Futures
A lottery it really is this year.
While the NHL draft lottery always garners quite a bit of attention, some years are just a bit different if the top pick is a game-changer, whether you’re talking about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or this year’s No. 1 option. With prospect Rasmus Dahlin listed as the consensus top pick this year, and described by many as having no weaknesses, he is considered to be one of the top defensive prospects to enter the league in possible decades. The 18-year-old defenseman out of Sweden should immediately change the state of any franchise that wins tonight.
With the lottery just hours away, how will each club look if they were to get lucky and win it?
Buffalo Sabres (18.5%) — The Sabres franchise would get a huge boost with the addition of Dahlin plus some badly needed luck that they seem to never have. Already boasting one of the worst defenses in the league and sudden talk that the team shouldn’t consider Rasmus Ristolainen a No. 1 defenseman, the team and general manager Jason Botterrill’s job would get much easier if they can win the lottery.
Ottawa Senators (13.5%) — Winning the lottery should make their tough decision easier as they traded away their top pick in the Matt Duchene trade, which is, fortunately for them, top-three protected. Winning the lottery is a no-brainer as they would take Dahlin who could either join star defenseman Erik Karlsson or allow the team to trade the veteran, knowing they already have his replacement. However, the real issue is they end up in the top three, do they keep the pick or send it to Colorado to avoid giving Colorado an unprotected first-rounder in 2019.
Arizona Coyotes (11.5%) — Despite having the third-worst record in the league this year, the Coyotes seem to be heading in the right direction as they went 19-12-4 in their final 35 games of the season as many of the team’s young players had started to figure things out. What better way to improve on that then to add Dahlin, who could convince fellow countryman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to stay on with the team for many years to come.
Montreal Canadiens (9.5%) — With the injury struggles of aging defenseman Shea Weber and little else defensive help nearby, the team could use the infusion of a franchise-changing defenseman joining the team. With Weber and goaltender Carey Price on huge contracts, a cheap franchise player could move the team in the right direction.
Detroit Red Wings (8.5%) — What better way to finally start the rebuild, then by adding a young, talented defender to join the team. With few defensive prospects on the horizon, the team’s suspect defense could get a huge boost with Dahlin. With the return of Mike Green unknown, and a group of aging veterans, the team needs someone to take over as the face of the franchise.
Vancouver Canucks (7.5%) — The Canucks rebuild is looking better and better with players like Adam Gaudette, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen and defenseman Olli Juolevi about to arrive. Throw in Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and a number of other prospects on the way, Dahlin would only quicken this team’s rise of young players. On top of that, the team is loaded with defensive-minded blueliners and could use an offensive power-play quarterback.
Chicago Blackhawks (6.5%) — While a lottery victory by the Blackhawks might infuriate the rest of the league, the Blackhawks do need to bolster their defensive depth and Dahlin could easily vault a struggling team back into the playoffs as he could take a lot of pressure off veterans Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
New York Rangers (6%) — Just started a rebuild and they walk away with a generational talent? While many people believe the Rangers intend to have a quick rebuild and compete for a playoff spot within the next year or two, having Dahlin on the roster would only jettison the team to that goal quicker and putting him alongside Brady Skjei and Neal Pionk along with veteran Kevin Shattenkirk would help stabilize their blueline.
New York Islanders (6% total with 3.5% from their pick and Calgary’s 2.5%) — Perhaps winning the lottery would be enough to convince John Tavares to stay. Regardless, adding Dahlin to their defensive woes would only stabilize a team that has the offense to reach the playoffs. He could be a cornerstone the franchise hasn’t had there since Denis Potvin. Add in the fact that the Islanders also have the Calgary Flames’ pick, the team has a better chance to winning the lottery than quite a few teams.
Edmonton Oilers (5%) — Angry fans might protest Edmonton walking away as another lottery winner, but adding Dahlin to, again, a failing defense would allow a team that already has McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should bounce back to where they left off one year ago. Dahlin would provide the team with the No. 1 defenseman that they currently lack
Carolina Hurricanes (3%) — As the percentage begin to really drop, Carolina would only get richer as the team is already loaded in quality young defensemen and would allow the team to move other defenseman like Justin Faulk and acquire more scoring, which the team badly needs.
Dallas Stars (2%) — The addition of Dahlin along with last year’s third overall pick in Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen would make for a deadly combo and that’s not including John Klingberg.
Philadelphia Flyers (1.5% from St. Louis Blues) — Adding Dahlin could put Philadelphia at the same level with Pittsburgh, Washington and Tampa Bay.
Florida Panthers (1%) — The hottest team that didn’t make the playoffs would get a much needed boost if they could hit that 1/100 chance.
Snapshots: Chayka, Zito, Aucoin
Despite another disappointing season for the Arizona Coyotes, GM John Chayka still has his job. However, he knows that the stakes have been raised and the upcoming NHL Draft will be an another important step toward making something of this long-term rebuild in Arizona. With the NHL Draft Lottery fast approaching, Chayka spoke with AZ Central’s Richard Morin about his options at the top of the draft. The ‘Yotes will pick somewhere in the top six selections on June 22, but like any GM, Chayka has an eye on that top pick. Chayka believes, as most do, that Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will be the first player selected and, if it’s Arizona making the pick, believe he would make the roster out of camp and contribute immediately. As for the other top-six players, Chayka sounds prepared to take the top player on their draft board, regardless of position. However, if the Coyotes don’t land the top pick, Chayka admits that he will consider offers for the team’s top pick. Arizona traded their #7 overall pick last year, so a repeat would be surprising, but Chayka says that they will be “as prepared as possible” for potential offers.
- The Minnesota Wild need to make a decision on a GM before they make any decisions at the draft. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Wild brought in another candidate to fill that vacancy on Thursday, speaking with Columbus Blue Jackets Assistant GM Bill Zito. Zito was a finalist for the Buffalo Sabres’ GM job last summer and is currently putting together the Team USA squad for the upcoming World Championships. Many people consider Zito to be one of the top GM candidates in hockey right now. However, the Wild already interviewed Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton, who is considered the favorite for the position.
- At 39 years old, Keith Aucoin is closer in age to some GM’s than some fellow players, but has continued to be a game-changing force while playing for EHC Munchen in Germany, the champions of the DEL. Aucoin has decided to go out on top, as the team announced that he has retired from pro hockey (link in German). North American fans will remember Aucoin as one of the most accomplished AHL players of all time, whose career featured nine seasons of NHL action with five teams, but more notably seven AHL All-Star appearances, and AHL MVP Award, and two Calder Cups. Aucoin is not only one of the most recognizable minor leagues of this century, he also is easily the best pro player to ever come out of Division III college hockey as an alumnus of Norwich University. EHC Munchen adds that Aucoin is headed back to the United States and don’t be surprised to see the accomplished veteran in the coaching ranks sooner rather than later.
International Notes: Koskinen, Yakovlev, Lyubushkin, Yelesin
In the always enlightening 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, he touches on several international players that are on the radar for NHL teams. Starting with goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who he reports recently agreed to a deal with Edmonton, Friedman has also heard—but can’t confirm one way or the other—the $2.5MM/year rumor that has been floating around.
Though nothing has been announced by the team, a deal of that magnitude for the 29-year old goaltender would likely mean the team has plans for him at the NHL level, perhaps as part of a tandem with Cam Talbot next season.
- The Vancouver Canucks could sign Par Lindholm according to Friedman, or at least have the best shot at this point. The 26-year old Swedish center competed at the Olympics this year and was one of the SHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons. With 47 points in 49 games he ranked fourth in league scoring.
- Friedman reports that Yegor Yakovlev is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, after another good season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. The 26-year old defenseman played at the Olympics as well, and is heading to the World Championships for Russia.
- Ilya Lyubushkin (24) and Alexander Yelesin (22), two young Russian defensemen are also expected to sign, though Friedman only sources overseas reports that say the former is headed to Arizona. We’ll have to wait to see where exactly they end up.
- Bogdan Kiselevich is also still on NHL radar, with Friedman reporting that “several teams continue to chase” him. Kiselevich, 28, has been playing in the KHL for years and was even selected in the CHL import draft way back in 2008. He was an alternate captain for CSKA Moscow this season, but becomes a free agent in a few days.
Barzal, Boeser, Keller Nominated For Calder Trophy
The NHL released the names of the 2018 Calder Trophy nominees as the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal, Vancouver Canucks’ Brock Boeser and the Arizona Coyotes’ Clayton Keller were named as the league’s top rookies. The award will be voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association with the winners to be announced on June 20 in Las Vegas.
In a year in which there were a large amount of talented rookies, several good players didn’t get nominated, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Boston Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy, New Jersey Devils’ Nico Hischier, Chicago Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat and Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor.
Barzal is the likely hands down winner after putting up a great rookie year with 22 goals and 83 points, centering the Islanders’ second line for most of the season. He was the only rookie to average more than a point per game (1.04) and had three five-point performances throughout the season. His emergence could lessen the blow if teammate John Tavares opts to leave via free agency as Barzal could easily take over as the team’s franchise player.
Boeser’s chances are slimmer after only playing in 62 games when he was lost for the season with a back injury. However, in that time, he put up 29 goals, 55 points and was named MVP of the 2018 All-Star Game. He should be a constant presence along with Bo Horvat with the young core of forwards that are coming in as the team’s rebuilding project begins to come to fruition.
Keller led all rookies in ice time (18:05) and put up 23 goals and 42 assists in his freshman campaign and also led the team in goals, assists and points. He provides the franchise with another core piece as the Coyotes begin to build their team back to contending status.
NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy was the first to report the news.
Coyotes To Sign Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin
With the KHL season over, there continue to be numerous rumors connecting foreign free agents, young and old, with interested NHL teams. Trusted European hockey insider Igor Eronko of NHL.com says that Lokomotiv Yaroslavl defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is next up. Eronko relays the message that Lyubushkin is set to sign with the Arizona Coyotes.
While no terms of the deal have leaked yet, the 24-year-old Lyubushkin seems to be more of gamble on upside for the Coyotes rather than a player expected to start immediately without issue. The contract will most likely be for relatively little money and may even be of a two-way nature. In 2017-18, Lyubushkin tallied just nine points in 50 games, which was fifth among Lokomotiv defenseman. The stay-at-home defender was more effective in his own zone, posting a +14 rating, but even this was fourth on the team. Lyubushkin’s only noticeable lead on Yarolslavl was in penalty minutes, where he was tops by a wide margin due to his propensity for the physical side of the game.
What the Coyotes likely see in Lyubushkin is a strong, young blue liner who already has extensive pro experience, with five years with Lokomotiv under his belt. A right-shot defenseman under 25 with that much experience doesn’t hit free agency very often and Arizona likely hopes that his more conservative games translates well to the NHL. They could use him sooner rather than later, as Luke Schenn‘s free agency leaves only Jason Demers as a right shot on the Arizona back end. Even in the AHL, there are no better righty options to step in than Lyubushkin, as only college free agent Jordan Gross – a similar style player to Lyubushkin – looks ready to play at the pro level. Of course, this situation could all change this off-season in free agency or if the ‘Yotes land elite defenseman Adam Boqvist in the draft (though they would of course prefer lefty Rasmus Dahlin), but for now Lyubushkin looks to be a sleeper pick to fill a regular role with Arizona in the next year or so.
Vezina Finalists Announced; Is The Evaluation Process Flawed?
The NHL has announced the three finalists for the Vezina Award, given each year to the league’s best goaltender, as voted on by the league’s general managers. Vying for the trophy at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas this June will be the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, the Nashville Predators’ Pekka Rinne, and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. This is the first nomination for Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy, while Rinne has previously been up for the award three times.
At first glance, the three nominees are not surprising. All three have had great seasons and are clearly among the top goaltenders in the league. However, hockey analytics guru Rob Vollman makes a pretty good case for why the evaluation process my be flawed. As Vollman points out, the only category in which the trio were tops in the league is wins, a statistic based entirely off of team performance, not individual performance. Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy led the league with 44 wins, while Rinne was right behind with 42. Yet, only Rinne was top three in the league among goalies with 41+ starts in save percentage, quality starts percentage, and goals saved above average, Vollman’s stats of choice. By those standards of evaluation, Vasilevskiy should have been nowhere near Vezina contention. Instead, Vollman’s poster boy for proper evaluation is the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson, who was a top-four finisher in each of those three categories and a top-ten finisher in wins. Also garnering some more attentions should have been the Vegas Golden Knights’ Marc-Andre Fleury and the Arizona Coyotes’ Antti Raanta, both of whom were excellent statistically, but lacked the number of starts and wins that are apparently requisite for Vezina contention in today’s NHL.
It’s no surprise that the three contenders for best goaltender are who they are. However, that doesn’t mean it’s correct, especially in a season so many other obvious choices. General managers surely do not evaluate goalies based on wins alone when evaluating them for acquisition, so why does a clearly-flawed statistic hold so much weight in the Vezina race? It’s a question worth asking and Vollman’s reaction, as well as others’, may change the voting results come next season. In the meantime, look for Rinne to finally take home the hardware this year in his fourth try, a result that was likely even with proper evaluation.
Snapshots: Panik, Kaspick, Islanders
Arizona Coyotes forward Richard Panik was arrested for trespassing on April 8th, reports ABC15 in Arizona. Panik reportedly refused to leave the entrance of a nightclub called Bevvy in Scottsdale, and was booked for criminal trespass. He was later released with a criminal citation.
Panik, acquired by the Coyotes during the season from the Chicago Blackhawks, is under contract for one more season at $2.8MM. He seemed to fit in well with the Coyotes system, recording 19 points in 35 games. The 27-year old’s future in Arizona will likely not be affected by the incident, though it is something to keep an eye on.
- Tanner Kaspick has been assigned to the Manitoba Moose for the remainder of the season, allowing the St. Louis Blues prospect to keep playing despite his CHL team’s recent elimination. The Blues don’t have a primary AHL affiliate this season, meaning Kaspick had to be loaned to the Moose and will be under the purview of their coaching staff. The Moose are headed into the playoffs as one of the better teams in the AHL, but could use another talented player like Kaspick. The former Brandon Wheat Kings captain had 64 points in 60 games split between two teams this season.
- According to a report from Chris Botta of SportsNet New York, the New York Islanders are looking to add a “top executive” to the hockey operations department that could work as a general manager under current President Garth Snow. While Botta lists Julian BriseBois (Tampa Bay Lightning), Paul Fenton (Nashville Predators) and Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey Devils) as possible candidates, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that they have not yet contacted the Devils to speak with the latter.
AHL Calder Cup Playoff Matchups
Yesterday, the AHL season came to a close and 16 teams advanced to the Calder Cup Playoffs. Though it’s not exactly like a Stanley Cup pursuit, the AHL playoffs are a battleground created specifically to test the mettle of young players, while providing a chance for glory to veterans who may not get another opportunity in the NHL.
Below are the eight matchups, with some interesting storylines to watch in each one:
All times CST
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) vs Providence Bruins (Boston)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 7:05PM | LV @ PRO
Game 3 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 7:05PM | PRO @ LV
While the Flyers and Bruins do battle in their respective NHL playoff series, their AHL affiliates will take each other on in the first round. Phil Varone, fresh off winning league MVP, will try to lead the Phantoms all the way to the Calder Cup finals. He’ll have to go through the previous MVP to do it, as Kenny Agostino heads a diverse Bruins attack.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 5:00PM | WBS @ CHA
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 4 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 2:05PM | CHA @ WBS
Daniel Sprong was the top scorer for the WBS Penguins this season, recording 65 points in 65 games. That kind of production is excellent from anyone, but Sprong is in just his first full season of professional hockey and looks poised to make the jump to the NHL before long. Charlotte has their own talented offensive piece though in Lucas Wallmark, who had 55 points in just 45 AHL contests between NHL call-ups.
Toronto Marlies (Toronto) vs Utica Comets (Vancouver)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:00PM | TOR @ UTI
Game 5 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | UTI @ TOR
Toronto had the best goaltending in the league en route to a historically dominant season, but if there was a team that could match them in net it would be Utica. Thatcher Demko put up a .922 save percentage as the absolute MVP of a relatively average Comets team, and could end up stealing a series if the Marlies aren’t careful.
Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo)
Game 1 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SYR @ RCH
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:00PM | RCH @ SYR
Though the Buffalo Sabres didn’t have much fun this season, but their affiliate is headed back to the playoffs for the first time in four years. If the Sabres want to build a different culture for their organization and expose their young players to the idea of winning, having Rochester go deep in the playoffs is the first start. They’ll have to topple one of the league’s best teams to do it, as Syracuse is still loaded with future NHL talent.
Chicago Wolves (Vegas) vs Rockford IceHogs (Chicago)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 3 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
Game 4 – Sun. Apr 29, 2018 – 3:00PM | CHI @ RFD
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | RFD @ CHI
You could call this this All-Chicago series, as Blackhawks prospects will take on the Wolves in a series that spans only about 75 miles. Though technically the Vegas Golden Knights’ affiliate, the Wolves still house several players from the St. Louis Blues including Beau Bennett, who put up 57 points in 60 games this year.
Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) vs Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)
Game 1 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 2 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 1:00PM | GR @ MB
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 4 – Thu. Apr 26, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | MB @ GR
If you think the Winnipeg Jets are good, just wait until the next wave of talent comes up from Manitoba. Sami Niku was named the league’s top defenseman, while Mason Appleton earned Rookie of the Year honors. Both will be on full display when they take on the reigning Calder Cup Champion Griffins.
Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona) vs San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 2 – Sat. Apr 21, 2018 – 6:00PM | TUC @ SJ
Game 3 – Wed. Apr 25, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 4 – Fri. Apr 27, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Game 5 – Sat. Apr 28, 2018 – 6:05PM | SJ @ TUC
Like the Americans, the Roadrunners will try to make up for their NHL parent team’s failures this season. The Coyotes minor league team got a huge boost when Dylan Strome was returned, perhaps for the last time in his professional career. Strome is expected to make the jump to the NHL next season, and could put a stamp on what has been a solid year with a long playoff run.
Texas Stars (Dallas) vs Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)
Game 1 – Thu. Apr 19, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 2 – Fri. Apr 20, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
Game 3 – Sun. Apr 22, 2018 – 2:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 4 – Tue. Apr 24, 2018 – 6:00PM | TEX @ ONT
Game 5 – Mon. Apr 30, 2018 – 6:00PM | ONT @ TEX
If the Los Angeles Kings bow out quickly enough we could see the Reign get a boost for their playoff chances, as Michael Amadio, Paul Ladue, Jonny Brodzinski and Oscar Fantenberg are all eligible for the AHL playoffs. The Kings could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow night, meaning the Reign could welcome back several key names for Game 1.
Western Notes: Coyotes Free Agency, Perron, Jarnkrok, Fowler
With the team comfortable at both goaltending and defense, the Arizona Coyotes are expected to be add to their forward lines this offseason. Don’t be surprised if Arizona looks into the free agent market this summer and attempts to grab itself a top-six forward, according to AZCentral’s Richard Morin.
A team with ample cap space, Arizona has spent the last few years building through the draft and then this past season made multiple trades to upgrade its roster, acquiring the likes of Derek Stepan, Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Richard Panik. The scribe writes the franchise, especially after an impressive second-half run, might look to dip its feet into the free agency market. While acquiring center John Tavares is not a likely scenario, the team might be able to snag an elite winger such as James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Maroon or Rick Nash. The team will have a couple of their own free agents they must sign, including veteran Brad Richardson, Zac Rinaldo, Kevin Connauton and Luke Schenn (as well as try to extend defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson), but the team should have the assets to upgrade their offense.
Morin does also admit that general manager John Chayka might also go back to the trade route as well, but at the same time, the team believes they will see an uptick in production from rookie Clayton Keller and now believe that prospect Dylan Strome is ready to handle full-time duties in the NHL.
- While the Los Angeles Kings are expecting back defenseman Jake Muzzin from injury, the Vegas Golden Knights might get back an injured player of their own as head coach Gerard Gallant said winger David Perron is a game-time decision, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Perron, who has been out since Mar. 26 with an undisclosed injury is expected to return and start on the team’s third line if he returns to the game. “There’s a chance he might play tonight,” Gallant said.
- Adam Vingan of the Tennessean writes the Nashville Predators might be getting Calle Jarnkrok back from injury soon. The forward hasn’t played since Mar. 13 due to an upper-body injury. He scored 16 goals this year as a bottom-line forward.
- Orange Country Register’s Eric Stephens reports that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler is not expected to go on the team’s road trip to San Jose. Fowler has been out with a shoulder injury since early April.