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2017 NHL Draft Results

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Pro Hockey Rumors will be following and updating every selection of the 2017 NHL Draft. Stay here for every pick made in the draft this weekend:

Round One

  1. New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier (C) – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
  2. Philadelphia Flyers: Nolan Patrick (C) – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
  3.  Dallas Stars: Miro Heiskanen (D) – HIFK (Finland)
  4. Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar (D) – Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
  5. Vancouver Canucks: Elias Pettersson (C) – Timra (Sweden)
  6. Vegas Golden Knights: Cody Glass (C) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
  7. New York Rangers (from AZ): Lias Andersson (C) – HV71 (Sweden)
  8. Buffalo Sabres: Casey Mittelstadt (C) – Eden Prairie High School
  9. Detroit Red Wings: Michael Rasmussen (C) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
  10. Florida Panthers: Owen Tippett (RW) – Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
  11. Los Angeles Kings: Gabe Vilardi (C) – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
  12. Carolina Hurricanes: Martin Necas (C) – Brno (Czech)
  13. Vegas Golden Knights (from WPG): Nick Suzuki (C/RW) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
  14. Tampa Bay Lightning: Cal Foote (D) – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
  15. Vegas Golden Knights (from NYI): Erik Brannstrom (D) – HV71 (Sweden)
  16. Calgary Flames: Juuso Valimaki (D) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
  17. Toronto Maple Leafs: Timothy Liljegren (D) – Rogle (Sweden)
  18. Boston Bruins: Urho Vaakanainen (D) – JYP (Finland)
  19. San Jose Sharks: Josh Norris (C) – USA U-18 National Development Program
  20. St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas (C/RW) – London Knights (OHL)
  21. New York Rangers: Filip Chytil (C/LW) – Zlin (Czech)
  22. Edmonton Oilers: Kailer Yamamoto (RW) – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
  23. Arizona Coyotes (from MIN): Pierre-Olivier Joseph (D) – Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
  24. Winnipeg Jets (from CLB via VGK): Kristian Vesalainen (LW) – Frolunda (Sweden)
  25. Montreal Canadiens: Ryan Poehling (C) – St. Cloud State (NCAA)
  26. Dallas Stars (from CHI): Jake Oettinger (G) – Boston University (NCAA)
  27. Philadelphia Flyers (from STL): Morgan Frost (C) – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
  28. Ottawa Senators: Shane Bowers (C) – Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
  29. Chicago Blackhawks (from DAL via ANA): Henri Jokiharju (D) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
  30. Nashville Predators: Eeli Tolvanen (LW/RW) – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
  31. St. Louis (from PIT): Klim Kostin (LW/RW) – Dynamo Moscow (KHL)

Round 2

32. Colorado Avalanche: Conor Timmins (D) – Saulte Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
33. Vancouver Canucks: Kole Lind (RW) – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
34. Vegas Golden Knights: Nicolas Hague (D) – Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
35. Philadelphia Flyers (from AZ): Isaac Ratcliffe (LW) – Guelph Storm (OHL)
36. New Jersey Devils: Jesper Boqvist (C) – Brynas (Sweden)
37. Buffalo Sabres: Marcus Davidsson (C) – Djurgardens (Sweden)
38. Detroit Red Wings: Gustav Lindstrom (D) – Altuma (Sweden)
39. Dallas Stars: Jason Robertson (LW/RW) – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
40. Florida Panthers: Aleksi Heponiemi (C) – Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
41. Los Angeles Kings: Jaret Anderson-Dolan (C) – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
42. Carolina Hurricanes: Eetu Luostarinen (C) – KalPa (Finland)
43. Winnipeg Jets: Dylan Samberg (D) – Team North (USHS)
44. Arizona Coyotes (from PHI): Filip Westerlund (D) – Frolunda (Sweden)
45. Columbus Blue Jackets (from TB via VGK): Alexandre Texier (C) – Grenoble (France)
46. New York Islanders: Robin Salo (D) – Sport (Finland)
47. Ottawa Senators (from CGY): Alex Formenton (LW) – London Knights (OHL)
48. Tampa Bay Lightning (from TOR): Alexander Volkov (LW) – SKA St. Petersburg (Russia)
49. San Jose Sharks (from BOS via NJD): Mario Ferraro (D) – Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
50. Anaheim Ducks (from SJS via TOR): Maxime Comtois (LW) –  Victoriaville Tigres (QMHL)
51. Pittsburgh Penguins (from STL): Zachary Lauzon (D) – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
52. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR): Luke Martin (D) – Michigan (NCAA)
53. Boston Bruins (from EDM): Jack Studnicka (C) – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
54. Buffalo Sabres (from MIN): Ukko-Pekka Luukonen (G) – HPK (Finland)
55. Vancouver Canucks (from CLB): Jonah Gadjovich (LW) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
56. Montreal Canadiens: Josh Brook (D) – Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
57. Chicago Blackhawks: Ian Mitchell (D) – Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
58. Montreal Canadiens (from WAS): Joni Ikonen (C) – Frolunda (Sweden)
59. Toronto Maple Leafs (from OTT): Eemeli Rasanen (D) – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
60. Anaheim Ducks: Antoine Morand (C) – Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
61. Nashville Predators: Grant Mismash (C) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
62. Vegas Golden Knights (from PIT via CAR): Jake Leschyshyn – Regina Pats (WHL)

Round 3

63. New Jersey Devils (from COL): Fabian Zetterlund (RW) – Farjestad (Sweden)
64. Vancouver Canucks: Michael DiPietro (G) – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
65. Vegas Golden Knights: Jonas Rondbjerg (RW) – Vaxjo (Sweden)
66. Florida Panthers (from AZ): Max Gildon (D) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
67. Carolina Hurricanes (from NJD): Morgan Geekie (C/RW) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
68. Montreal Canadiens (from BUF): Scott Walford (D) – Victoria Royals (WHL)
69. Arizona Coyotes (from DET via SJS): MacKenzie Entwistle (RW) – Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
70. Chicago Blackhawks (from DAL): Andrei Altybarmakyan (C) – SKA St. Petersburg (Russia)
71. Detroit Red Wings (from FLA): Kasper Kotkansalo (D) – Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
72. Los Angeles Kings: Matt Villalta (G) – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
73. Carolina Hurricanes: Stelio Mattheos (RW/C) – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
74. Winnipeg Jets: Johnny Kovacevic (D) – Merrimack (NCAA)
75. Arizona Coyotes: Nate Schnarr (C) – Guelph Storm (OHL)
76. Tampa Bay Lightning: Alexei Lipanov (C) – Dynamo Balashik (Russia)
77. New York Islanders: Ben Mirageas (D) – Chicago Steel (USHL)
78. Edmonton Oilers (from CGY via AZ): Stuart Skinner (G) – Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
79. Detroit Red Wings (from TOR): Lane Zablocki (C) – Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
80. Philadelphia Flyers (from BOS): Kirill Ustimenko (G) – MHK Dynamo (Russia)
81. New Jersey (from SJS): Reilly Walsh (D) – Chicago Steel (USHL)
82. Arizona Coyotes (from STL via EDM): Cameron Crotty (D) – Brockville Braves (CCHL)
83. Detroit Red Wings (from NYR): Zach Gallant (C) – Peterborough Petes (OHL)
84. Edmonton Oilers: Dmitri Samorukov (D) – Guelph Storm (OHL)
85. Minnesota Wild: Ivan Lodnia (RW) – Erie Otters (OHL)
86. Columbus Blue Jackets: Daniil Tarasov (G) – Russia
87. Montreal Canadiens: Cale Fleury (D) – Kootenay Ice (WHL)
88. Detroit Red Wings (from CHI via CAR): Keith Petruzelli (G) – Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
89. Buffalo Sabres (from WAS): Oskari Laaksonen (D) – Ilves (Sweden)
90. Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT via CAR): Evan Baratt (C) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
91. Anaheim Ducks: Jack Badini (LW) – Chicago Steel (USHL)
92. Nashville Predators: David Farrance (D) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
93. Pittsburgh Penguins: Clayton Phillips (D) – Fargo Force (USHL)

Round 4

94. Colorado Avalanche: Nicholas Henry (RW) – Regina Pats (WHL)
95. Vancouver Canucks: Jack Rathbone (D) – Dexter (USHS)
96. Vegas Golden Knights: Maxim Zhukov (G) – Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
97. Minnesota Wild (from AZ): Mason Shaw (C) – Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
98. New Jersey Devils: Nikita Popugaev (RW) – Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
99. Buffalo Sabres: Jacob Bryson (D) – Providence (NCAA)
100. Detroit Red Wings: Malte Setkov (D) – Malmo (Sweden)
101. Dallas Stars: Liam Hawel (C) – Guelph Storm (OHL)
102. San Jose Sharks (from FLA via NYR): Scott Reedy (RW/C) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
103. Los Angeles Kings: Mikey Anderson (D) – Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
104. Carolina Hurricanes: Eetu Makiniemi (G) – Jokerit (Finland)
105. Winnipeg Jets: Santeri Virtanen (C) – TPS (Finland)
106. Philadelphia Flyers: Matthew Strome (LW) – Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
107. Philadelphia Flyers (from TB): Maxim Shushko (RW) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
108. Arizona Coyotes (from NYI via PHI): Noel Hoefenmayer (D) – Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
109. Calgary Flames: Adam Ruzicka (C) – Sarnia Sting (OHL)
110. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ian Scott (G) – Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
111. Boston Bruins: Jeremy Swayman (G) – Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
112. Chicago Blackhawks (from SJS via VAN): Tim Soderlund (LW/C) – Skelleftea (Sweden)
113. St. Louis Blues: Alexei Toropchenko (LW): HK MVD (Russia)
114. Colorado Avalanche (from NYR): Petr Kvaca (G) – HC Ceske (Czech Rep.)
115. Edmonton Oilers: Ostap Safin (RW) – HC Sparta (Czech Rep.)
116. Minnesota Wild: Bryce Misley (C) – Oakville Blades (OJHL)
117. Columbus Blue Jackets: Emil Bemstrom (C/RW) – Leksands (Sweden)
118. Los Angeles Kings (from MTL via DAL): Markus Phillips (D) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
119. Chicago Blackhawks: Roope Laavainen (D) – Jokerit (Finland)
120. Washington Capitals: Tobias Geisser (D) – EVZ Academy (Switzerland)
121. Ottawa Senators: Drake Batherson (C) – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)
122. Anaheim Ducks: Kyle Olsen (C/RW) – Tri-City Americans (WHL)
123. New York Rangers (from NSH via NJD & SJS): Brandon Crawley (D) – London Knights (OHL)
124. Toronto Maple Leafs (from PIT): Vladislav Cara (C) – Irbis Kazan (Russia)

Round 5

125. Colorado Avalanche: Igor Shvyryov (C) – Stalnye (Russia)
126. Arizona Coyotes (from VAN via EDM): Michael Karow (D) – Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
127. Vegas Golden Knights: Lucas Elvenes (RW) – Rogle (Sweden)
128. Arizona Coyotes: Tyler Steenbergen (C) – Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
129. New Jersey Devils: Gilles Senn (G) – Davos (Switzerland)
130. St. Louis Blues (from BUF): David Noel (D) – Val-d’Or Foreur (QMJHL)
131. Detroit Red Wings: Cole Fraser (D) – Peterborough Petes (OHL)
132. Dallas Stars: Jacob Peterson (C) – Sweden
133. Florida Panthers: Tyler Inamoto (D) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
134. Los Angeles Kings: Cole Hults (D) – Madison Capitol (USHL)
135. Vancouver Canucks (from CAR via CHI): Kristoffer Gunnarsson (D) – Ik Oskarshamn (Sweden)
136. Winnipeg Jets: Leon Gawanke (D) – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)
137. Philadelphia Flyers: Noah Cates (LW) – Stillwater (USHS)
138. Los Angeles Kings (from TB): Drake Rymsha (C) – Sarnia Sting (OHL)
139. New York Islanders: Sebastian Aho (D) – Skelleftea (Sweden)
140. Calgary Flames: Zach Fischer (RW) – Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
141. Toronto Maple Leafs: Fedor Gordeev (D) – Flint Firebirds (OHL)
142. Vegas Golden Knights (from BOS via CAR): Jonathan Dugan (C) – Northwood (USHS)
143. New Jersey Devils (from SJS): Marian Studenic (RW) – Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
144. Chicago Blackhawks (from STL): Parker Foo (C) – Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
145. New York Rangers: Calle Sjalin (D) – Ostersunds (Sweden)
146. Edmonton Oilers: Kirill Maximov (LW) – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
147. Minnesota Wild: Jacob Golden (D) – London Knights (OHL)
148. Columbus Blue Jackets: Kale Howarth (C) – Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
149. Montreal Canadiens: Jarret Tyszka (D) – Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
150. Chicago Blackhawks: Jacob Galvas (D) – HC Olomouc (Czech Rep.)
151. Washington Capitals: Sebastian Walfridsson (D) – MODO (Sweden)
152. Pittsburgh Penguins (from OTT): Jan Drozg (RW/LW) – Leksands (Sweden)
153. Anaheim Ducks: Olle Eriksson Ek (G) – Farjestad (Sweden)
154. Nashville Predators: Tomas Vomacka (G) – Corpus Christi (NAHL)
155. Pittsburgh Penguins: Linus Ohlund (C) – Byrnas (Sweden)

Round 6

156. Colorado Avalanche: Denis Smirnov (LW) – Penn State (NCAA)
157. New York Rangers (from VAN): Dominick Lakatos (C/LW) – Billi Tygri (Czech Rep.)
158. Vegas Golden Knights: Nicholas Campoli (C) – North York Rangers (OJHL)
159. San Jose Sharks (from AZ): Jacob McGrew (RW) – Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
160. New Jersey Devils: Aarne Talvitie (C) – Espoo (Finland)
161. Vegas Golden Knights (from BUF): Jiri Patera (G) – Ceske (Czech Rep.)
162. Detroit Red Wings: Jack Adams (RW) – Fargo Force (USHL)
163. Dallas Stars: Brett Davis (C) – Kootenay Ice (WHL)
164. Detroit Red Wings (from FLA): Reilly Webb (D) – Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
165. New York Islanders (from LA): Arnaud Durandeau (LW) – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
166. Carolina Hurricanes: Brandon De Jong (D) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
167. Winnipeg Jets: Arvid Holm (G) – Karlskrona (Sweden)
168. Philadlephia Flyers: Olle Lycksell (C) – Linkoping (Sweden)
169. Tampa Bay Lightning: Nick Perbix (D) – Elk River (USHS)
170. Columbus Blue Jackets (from NYI via CHI): Jonathan Davidsson (RW) – Djurgardens (Sweden)
171. Calgary Flames: D’Artagnan Joly (RW) – Baie-Comeau Drakkar
172. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ryan McGregor (C/LW) – Sarnia Sting (OHL)
173. Boston Bruins: Cedric Pare (LW) – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
174. New York Rangers (from SJS): Morgan Barron (C) – St. Andrew’s (CISAA)
175. St. Louis Blues: Trenton Bourque (D) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
176. Nashville Predators (from NYR): Pavel Kolygin (LW/C) – Drummondville Voltiguers (QMJHL)
177. Edmonton Oilers: Skyler Brind’Amour (C) – Selects (USPHL)
178. Minnesota Wild: Andrei Svetlakov (C) – CSKA Moscow (Russia)
179. Columbus Blue Jackets: Carson Meyer (RW) – Miami (OH) (NCAA)
180. Tampa Bay Lightning (from MTL): Cole Guttman (C) – Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
181. Vancouver Canucks (from CHI via CLB): Petrus Palmu (RW/LW) – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
182. Washington Capitals: Benton Maass (D) – Elk River (USHS)
183. Ottawa Senators: Jordan Hollett (G) – Regina Pats (WHL)
184. Florida Panthers (from ANA): Sebastian Repo (RW) – Tappara (Finland)
185. San Jose Sharks (from NSH via NJ): Alexander Chmelevski (C) – Ottawa 67’s
186. Pittsburgh Penguins: Antti Palojarvi (D) – Lukko (Finland)

Round 7

187. Colorado Avalanche: Nick Leivermann (D) – Eden Prairie (USHS)
188. Vancouver Canucks: Matthew Brassard (D) – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
189. Vegas Golden Knights: Ben Jones (C) – Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL)
190. Arizona Coyotes: Erik Walli Walterholm(RW) – Djurgardens (Sweden)
191. New Jersey Devils: Jocktan Chainey (D) – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
192. Buffalo Sabres: Linus Weissbach (LW/RW) – Tri-City Storm (USHL)
193. Detroit Red Wings: Brady Gilmour (C) – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
194. Dallas Star: Dylan Ferguson (G) – Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
195. Boston Bruins (from FLA): Victor Berglund (D) – MODO (Sweden)
196. Philadelphia Flyers (from LA via TB): Wyatt Kalynuk (D) – Bloomington Thunder (USHL)
197. Carolina Hurricanes: Ville Rasanen (D) -Jokipojat (Finland)
198. Winnipeg Jets: Skyler McKenzie (C) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
199. Montreal Canadiens (from PHI): Cayden Primeau (G) – Lincoln Stars (USHL)
200. Tampa Bay Lightning: Samuel Walker (C) – Edina (USHS)
201. New York Islanders: Logan Cockerill (RW) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
202. Calgary Flames: Filip Sveningsson (LW) – HV71 (Sweden)
203. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ryan O’Connell (D) – St. Andrew’s (CISAA)
204. Boston Bruins: Daniel Bukac (D) – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
205. New Jersey Devils (from SJS): Yegor Zaitsev (D) – Dynamo Moskva (Russia)
206. St. Louis Blues: Anton Andersson (D) – Lulea (Sweden)
207. New York Rangers: Patrik Virta (C/RW) – TPS (Finland)
208. Edmonton Oilers: Phillip Kemp (D) – U.S. U-18 National Development Program
209. Minnesota Wild: Nick Swaney (C) – Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
210. Columbus Blue Jackets: Robbie Stucker (D) – St. Thomas (USHS)
211. Winnipeg Jets (from MTL): Croix Evingson (D) – Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)
212. San Jose Sharks (from CHI): Ivan Chekhovich (LW) – Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
213. Washington Capitals: Kristian Roykas Marthinsen (LW) – Almtuna (Sweden)
214. New Jersey Devils (from OTT via SJS): Matthew Hellickson (D) – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
215. Chicago Blackhawks (from ANA): Josh Ess (D) – Lakeville (USHS)
216. Nashville Predators: Jacob Paquette (D) – Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
217. Pittsburgh Penguins: Will Reilly (D) – RPI (NCAA)

Zach Leach contributed to this post (Day Two)

2017 NHL Draft Trade Tracker

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Along with the draft selections, NHL Draft weekend always features plenty of trades as well. Keep track of all the action right here, as we’ll update any and all deals concerning draft picks over the course of the Draft:

Round One:

Chicago Blackhawks trade a first-round pick (#26) to the Dallas Stars for a first-round pick (#29) and third-round pick (#70)

St. Louis Blues trade a first-round pick (#27), a conditional 2018 first-round pick, and center Jori Lehtera to the Philadelphia Flyers for center Brayden Schenn

Pittsburgh Penguins trade a first-round pick (#31) and center Oskar Sundqvist to the St. Louis Blues for a third-round pick (#51) and right wing Ryan Reaves

Round Two:

Arizona Coyotes trade a second-round pick (#35) to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick (#44), third-round pick (#75), and fourth-round pick (#108)

Vegas Golden Knights trade a second-round pick (#45) to the Columbus Blue Jackets for right wing Keegan Kolesar

Round Three:

Arizona Coyotes trade a third-round pick (#78) to the Edmonton Oilers for a third-round pick (#82) and a fifth-round pick (#126)

Round Four:

New York Rangers trade a fourth-round pick (#102) to the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round pick (#123) and a sixth-round pick (#174)

Round Seven:

Montreal Canadiens trade a 2018 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for a seventh-round pick (#199)

Zach Leach contributed to this post (Day Two)

Tampa Bay Still Trying To Acquire A Defenseman

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Even though they’ve already acquired one of the best defensive prospects in the game, the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking for more immediate help on the back end. That’s what Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes, saying that he thinks they might land one tonight at the draft. The Lightning of course opened up one spot when they moved Jason Garrison to the Vegas Golden Knights, and aren’t yet guaranteeing an NHL role for Mikhail Sergachev to start the year.

With rumors bouncing around about Travis Hamonic, Marco Scandella and the crop of defenders Vegas selected, there shouldn’t be any lack of options for the Lightning. Both the Islanders and Wild are rumored to be asking for a first-round pick (and in New York’s case two) to start the negotiations, something that they may not want to part with. If the Lightning did move it, they wouldn’t pick until #48, a selection they received for Brian Boyle at the deadline.

With Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman firmly entrenched as two of the top four, and Jake Dotchin expected to fill a role after a surprisingly good rookie debut, the other three spots are more up in the air. Braydon Coburn, Andrej Sustr and Slater Koekkoek would slot into those spots right now, but the former is becoming less effective by the day and the latter two are both still currently restricted free agents (as is Dotchin). As above, Sergachev could find his way into that group at the beginning of the season or the team could go with several other minor league or prospect types, but it’s clear they’d like a real improvement somewhere.

After moving so much salary out in the last few months, the Lightning could legitimately go after an unrestricted free agent as well, something that was completely out of the question before moving Garrison, Jonathan Drouin and Valtteri Filppula. If they don’t find a solution at the draft or in the next few days, expect them to start talking to free agents when the negotiation windows open next week.

Vegas Golden Knights Trying To Move Into Top-3

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If you’ve read or taken part in any of the live chats, you’ll know that I’ve firmly believed for a while that the Vegas Golden Knights would find a way to get into the top couple of picks to get their hands on Nolan Patrick. Darren Dreger of TSN lends credence to that idea, with a recent report that the Golden Knights are still pushing to get into the top three selections. He also mentions the New York Rangers, fresh off acquiring the seventh-overall selection as a possibility to move up again.

Vegas of course has a deep connection with Patrick through Assistant General Manager Kelly McCrimmon, who drafted and developed Patrick with the Brandon Wheat Kings before moving to the NHL’s expansion franchise. Patrick—or even Nico Hischier—would give the Knights an immediate player to market in the city as the first face of the franchise, especially as more and more believe he’s ready to make the jump next year.

With Vadim Shipachyov likely taking first-line center duties in the Golden Knights’ first season, Patrick (or Hischier) could be brought along in a more sheltered role and allowed to develop at his own pace. Don’t underestimate him though, as while he’s not Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews he does have tremendous potential to be an elite two-way center in the league.

For the Rangers, moving up to grab one of the top centers would be a huge move after trading away Derek Stepan earlier today. While Mika Zibanejad looks like he’ll be an excellent center for many years, adding another top prospect down the middle would be exciting for that fan base. They could also go after one of the top defensemen, with Miro Heiskanen and Cale Makar both getting top-pick love from around the scouting community. Those two have very different skill sets, but could both anchor play in a top pair in the future.

If either team does move up into the top three slots, it would mean one of New Jersey, Philadelphia or Dallas would be moving down. It’s not clear who is the most likely to do that, though the Stars have been clear about their willingness to move down if the right offer came along. With them also showing interest in the Golden Knights’ Marc Methot, hold on to your hats for the next few hours.

Toronto Maple Leafs Showing Interest In Nate Schmidt

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According to Louis Jean of TVA Sports, the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt. Picked from the Washington Capitals at last night’s expansion draft, Toronto had an up-close look at Schmidt in their first-round playoff series at the end of the year. Nate Schmidt

With Toronto on the lookout to upgrade their defense corps on both sides, Schmidt would represent a substantial upgrade over Martin Marincin who is currently penciled in to battle with newly signed Calle Rosen and perhaps prospect Travis Dermott for the bottom pair. Before the draft, when George McPhee admitted that he was still talking to Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello even after his self-imposed deadline, it was speculated that it could be about the acquisition of a young defender.

Schmidt fits that bill and though he’s a restricted free agent could command a similar return to the earlier-traded Trevor van Riemsdyk. TvR went for a second-round pick to Carolina, though that may have also been linked to the trade they made during the draft for certain protection assurances. Schmidt is the same age, has had very similar production and was also signed as a college free agent after three years at a top school.

An elite skater, Schmidt is a bit more dynamic than van Riemsdyk and would fit into an increasingly mobile defense group in Toronto. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap room to operate with this summer due to several LTIR-bound contracts, but as Scott Wheeler of the Toronto Star notes, Schmidt has been a long time target of the Maple Leafs. He was involved in the talks that resulted in the acquisition of Brooks Laich and Connor Carrick, the second straight time Toronto dealt Daniel Winnik.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Acquire David Schlemko From Vegas

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Another pick-and-flip from the Vegas Golden Knights as the Montreal Canadiens have traded for David Schlemko. The Golden Knights will receive a 2019 fifth-round pick in return. Schlemko was the expansion selection from the San Jose Sharks last night. David Schlemko

It was clear that the Montreal Canadiens needed to add defense after trading away Mikhail Sergachev and Nathan Beaulieu while losing Alexei Emelin in the expansion draft. They’ve found that depth in the former Sharks defender, and it comes at a very low price. The 30-year old defender will join his seventh career team, previously suiting up for the Coyotes, Stars, Flames and Devils in addition to the Golden Knights and Sharks.

Impressively, Schlemko turned a one-year $625K contract in 2015-16 with the Devils into a four-year $8.4MM deal which still has three years left on it. That $2.1MM cap hit is reasonable for a player who can contribute at both ends of the rink, and actually has sneaky-good possession numbers. His shot suppression ability is excellent, and he’s put up nearly 20 points in each of the last two seasons.

In fact, Schlemko likely adds more than Emelin ever did even if they play very different styles and it will come for just over half the salary next season. George McPhee seems to have done the Canadiens a favor, clearing cap space and providing a better defender. Even so, Montreal still has quite a bit of work to do as this can’t be the only acquisition they make on the back end.

It is interesting that this is all the Golden Knights received for their San Jose selection, even though there doesn’t seem to have been any side-deal with the team. Brenden Dillon, Dylan DeMelo and Paul Martin were all left unprotected, and each of them seems to have more value than a 2019 fifth-round pick. Perhaps there is something else going on behind the scenes, but it does seem like a rather poor return for a serviceable defenseman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trevor Van Riemsdyk Traded To Carolina

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The Carolina Hurricanes have made the first big post-expansion deal, acquiring Trevor van Riemsdyk and a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights will receive Pittsburgh’s 2017 second-round pick in return, originally acquired for Ron Hainsey at the trade deadline."<strong

As noted last night, there was immediately chatter among insiders that the Golden Knights would immediately flip van Riemsdyk to Carolina, though nothing was certain after the fireworks that went on last night in terms of trades. This is one of the more interesting flips, as Carolina already has an excess of defenders on the roster and has been looking to move at least one for scoring help. Bringing van Riemsdyk aboard gives them even more leeway to make an upgrade at forward, with Justin Faulk perhaps being the most likely candidate to be on the move.

van Riemsdyk was selected from the Chicago Blackhawks last night in what was expected to be half of a side deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. We’d heard for weeks that the Blackhawks would send Marcus Kruger to Vegas as well, but with news breaking yesterday that Marian Hossa would not be able to play next season, suddenly things shifted. Chicago was no longer in such dire need of cap relief, though there is no guarantee things will stay that way. Kruger may still be in play at some point, especially if the league decides Hossa can’t stay on LTIR.

For Vegas, this was the plan all along. Pick many more valuable assets than needed—in this case defensemen—and immediately flip them for prospects and picks that will benefit the team more down the road. Though van Riemsdyk is only 25 and could help the Golden Knights immediately, he’s also a restricted free agent next summer and is likely due to get a hefty raise. His current contract—$825K this year—is so appealing to teams around the league that there were likely several suitors once Vegas got their hands on him.

In three seasons since turning pro out of the University of New Hampshire, van Riemsdyk has developed into more than just another NCAA free agent. He registered 16 points in 56 games this season (all at even strength), and was a solid possession contributor. He’s clearly good enough to log more than the average bottom-pairing defenseman, but behind both Faulk and Brett Pesce there won’t be much opportunity for that should they both remain.

Frank Seravalli of TSN was first to break the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Florida Panthers Will Be Aggressive On July 1st

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The Florida Panthers shocked everyone yesterday when they dealt Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights and allowed Jon Marchessault to be selected. That’s left a hole in their forward group, one GM Dale Tallon might be shopping in free agency to fill. In a conference call with the media today including George Richards of the Miami Herald, Tallon said that the Panthers would be aggressive on July 1st and has the full support of ownership to spend on free agents.

If this was his plan all along, moving smith was integral. The Panthers now have around $20MM to spend under the cap, and more importantly the actual money to do so. While new deals are needed for both Alex Petrovic and Mark Pysyk (as well as Jaromir Jagr if the team brings him back) they should have enough to be big players on the open market.

The question then becomes if that’s the right way to go. Unrestricted free agency this season looks like one of the weakest groups in recent years, with 37-year olds (Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau) virtually leading the way. There are the trio of UFAs from Washington—T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk and Karl Alzner—to consider, but each has their own drawbacks and should command hefty salaries on the open market.

The team could bring back Thomas Vanek, but he won’t replace the 45 goals and 88 points they lost on expansion day by himself. Sam Gagner could be a sneaky good option after a bounce-back year and could help the scoring both at 5-on-5 and on the powerplay. But that question still remains; is there anything worth being “aggressive” on? Fans disappointed with losing Smith and more importantly Marchessault will be frustrated to hear that the money might be put back into older players on July 1st, but perhaps there is something else up Tallon’s sleeve. For now, we’ll have to wait to see if he’s involved in any other trades over the next few days.

Early Notes: Galchenyuk, Arizona, Pronger

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Ah the morning after. The Vegas Golden Knights finally selected their expansion roster last night, and with it came a barrage of trades. Teams lined up to offer draft picks for protection slots, but one team conspicuously silent were the Montreal Canadiens. After making two major moves before the draft—acquiring Jonathan Drouin and shipping off Nathan Beaulieu—the team watched as Alexei Emelin was selected to be part of the expansion franchise. That leaves the team with just five NHL defensemen, and that’s including Jakub Jerabek who will try to prove he’s ready right away.

Enter Alex Galchenyuk, who again dominated the headlines this morning. Bob McKenzie of TSN noted as much, saying that he still believes the talented forward would be moved at some point and counts Minnesota as a team with assets that would interest the Canadiens. Interestingly, he also doesn’t think the Wild are very high on Galchenyuk, making it a tough fit for any potential deal. Eric Engels of Sportsnet still believes they’re the most likely destination and that it’s still more likely that he moves somewhere.

  • The Arizona Coyotes are an interesting team in the next few days as they begin to turn the corner from rebuild to contention. While the team shouldn’t be expected to compete for the Stanley Cup just yet, they’d like their days of finishing last in the league to be behind them. Darren Dreger of TSN notes that they’re in the market for a goaltender, centers and defensemen, making them a possibility on most names floated recently. McKenzie thinks they might re-open negotiations with the New York Rangers, a team they’d had conversations with last week. For a squad who has said goodbye to two long-time veterans in recent times, young GM John Chayka looks determined to turn over a new page in Coyotes history and build around the young core of forwards he’s acquired.
  • Chris Pronger has taken a position as senior adviser to the President of Hockey Operations Dale Tallon in Florida for one year, according to Dan Murphy of Sportsnet. Pronger hasn’t been shy about his goal of becoming an NHL GM one day, even reaching out to former rival Steve Yzerman for advice. Yzerman of course also took a lesser role in Detroit after retiring, in order to learn the trade from Ken Holland and company. In the next few years, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pronger given the reins of a team.

Vegas Golden Knights Trade Breakdown

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The Vegas Golden Knights have already completed ten trades this offseason, wheeling and dealing around the expansion draft with a third of the NHL. While more deals will undoubtedly drop tomorrow and in the next few days, these first ten transactions have set the team up for success. We’ll take a moment to break down why each trade happened, though there may be more dominoes to fall regarding some of them.

Buffalo sends their 2017 sixth-round pick to Vegas

In the first trade of the night, Vegas acquires a late round pick in order to not select G Linus Ullmark from the Sabres. Golden Knights GM George McPhee explained on the Awards broadcast that they were down to two players, Ullmark and William Carrier and the Sabres made their decision for them with a pick. For what it’s worth, our mock draft had the same split decision over the two players with Ullmark eventually ending up as the selection.

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