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2018 Draft Results By Team

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The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did with accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:

Anaheim Ducks

1-23.  F Isac Lundestrom, Lulea (SHL)
2-54. F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
3-79. F Blake McLaughlin, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-84. G Lukas Dostal, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic-Jr.)
4-116. F Jack Perbix, Elk River HS (USHS)
5-147. G Roman Durny, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6-178. D Hunter Drew, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)

Arizona Coyotes

1-5. F Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2-55. D Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-65. F Jan Jenik, HC Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic-2)
3-73. D Ty Emberson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-114. G Ivan Prosvetov, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
5-142. D Mitchell Callahan, Central Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)
5-145. D Dennis Busby, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-158. G David Tendeck, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
7-189. F Liam Kirk, Sheffield Steelers (England)

Boston Bruins

2-57. D Axel Andersson, Djurgardens IF (SuperElit)
3-77.  F Jakub Lauko, Pirati Chomutov (Czech Republic)
4-119. F Curtis Hall, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
6-181.  D Dustyn McFaul, Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
7-212. F Pavel Shen, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)

Buffalo Sabres

1-1. D Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda HC (SHL)
2-32. D Mattias Samuelsson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-94. F Matej Pekar, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
4-117. D Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Malmo Redhawks (SuperElit)
5-125. D Miska Kuukonen, Ilves (Jr.-Liiga)
7-187. D William Worge Kreu, Linkoping (SuperElit)

Calgary Flames

3-105. F Martin Pospisil, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
3-108. F Demetrios Koumontzis, Edina HS (USHS)
4-122. F Milos Roman, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
6-167. F Mathias Emilio Pettersen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-198. F Dmitri Zavgorodny, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

1-2. F Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-42. F Jack Drury, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
4-96. F Luke Henman, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
4-104. F Lenni Killinen, Espoo Blues (Jr.-Liiga)
6-166. D Jesper Sellgren, MODO (Allsveskan)
7-197. G Jake Kucharski, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

1-8. D Adam Boqvist, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
1-27. D Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
3-69. F Jake Wise, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
3-74. F Niklas Nordgren, HIFK Helsinki (Jr.-Liiga)
4-120. F Philipp Kurashev, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5-139. F Mikael Hakkarainen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6-162. G Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7-193. F Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)

Colorado Avalanche

1-16. F Martin Kaut, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic)
3-64. G Justus Annunen, Karpat (Jr.-Liiga)
3-78. F Sampo Ranta, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4-109. F Tyler Weiss, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
5-140. F Brandon Saigeon, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
5-146. D Danila Zhuravlyov, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
6-171. F Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-202. G Shamil Shmakov, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)Read more

Philipp Grubauer Traded To Colorado Avalanche

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Saturday: TSN’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Grubauer has signed a three-year contract extension, like expected, for around $10MM. The deal will be worth an average of $3.33 AAV, worth $3.35MM, $3.9MM and $2.75MM over the three years, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Friday: The Colorado Avalanche have acquired Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick (47th overall) in this year’s draft. This move accomplishes big things for both teams, despite the Capitals only receiving a second-round pick. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Orpik may not be long for Colorado, as the team will either try to trade him or buy him out.

Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was clear that he would look for an opportunity to send Grubauer somewhere he could become the starting goaltender, or at least work in tandem with one. While Colorado still has Semyon Varlamov under contract, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer and has struggled with injury in recent years. Grubauer is a restricted free agent, but is only 26-years old and could be a long-term solution for the team.

The team is already working on a three-year contract with Grubauer according to LeBrun, giving the team some continuity in net going forward. It’s not clear where his salary will end, but you can bet Colorado didn’t make the deal without having some idea of the demands of Grubauer and agent Allain Roy.

This all but guarantees that Jonathan Bernier will not be returning to the Avalanche, but does solidify their goaltending situation. Orpik comes as a pure salary dump by the Capitals, as getting rid of his $5.5MM cap hit will help them offer John Carlson a fair market deal. Orpik played a big part in the recent Stanley Cup Championship, but he’s clearly slowing down and losing his touch as the league gets quicker and quicker.

The Avalanche are committed to speed all over their roster, which makes the flip or buyout of Orpik extremely unsurprising. Led by Tyson Barrie and Samuel Girard on the blue line, there isn’t much room for a bruising defender like the 37-year old Stanley Cup champion.

Washington Capitals Close To Signing John Carlson

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The Washington Capitals cleared extra cap space earlier today when they tagged Brooks Orpik onto a trade with the Colorado Avalanche. That space might not be available very long, as Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that Capitals GM Brian MacLellan believes they are “close” to a new contract with defenseman John Carlson. MacLellan wants to get the deal done before Carlson can start talking to other teams on Sunday during the free agent interview period.

If Carlson does sign before Sunday, the free agent market would be changed considerably. The 28-year old currently sits as the top defenseman on the market and it’s not even really close. After scoring a career-high 68 points this season and being a key factor in the first Stanley Cup in Capitals history, he could demand as much as $8MM per season on a long-term deal. If teams were holding open that kind of cap space for a chance at Carlson on the open market, only to see him sign just before the interview period opens, you can bet some phone calls will be ringing on the draft floor inquiring about other defensemen around the league.

Carlson is an excellent player, capable of putting up big offensive numbers while not hurting his team in his own end. He’d be welcome on nearly any team in the league, but is more important to the Capitals than nearly anyone else. After losing Nate Schmidt in the expansion draft, Kevin Shattenkirk to free agency and seeing Orpik’s recent decline, the Capitals’ blue line has been substantially weakened in the last 12 months. Losing Carlson on the open market would put an immense amount of pressure on Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov, who already carry a huge load for the team.

Michal Kempny, a revelation for the team down the stretch and into the playoffs is also an unrestricted free agent. Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post confirms MacLellan’s intention to try and bring Kempny back as well, though doesn’t specify how close negotiations are. After a trade deadline deal that brought Kempny to Washington from the Chicago Blackhawks, he found his game and developed into a legitimate top-four option for the team. Bringing him back for a reasonable price would allow the Capitals to really contend for the Stanley Cup once again with the same group, something that may not have seemed possible at the end of the year.

Capitals To Interview Todd Rierden For Head Coach Role Next Week

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  • The Capitals will interview associate coach Todd Reirden for their now-vacant head coaching position, GM Brian MacLellan told reporters, including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. He has long been expected to be the successor for Barry Trotz (who now is with the Islanders) and it’s clear the team views him the same way as no other interviews are scheduled at this time.

Philipp Grubauer Generating Plenty Of Interest

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Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan was very clear after the season that he would try to give Philipp Grubauer a chance to be a starting goaltender. That chance won’t be with the Capitals though, as MacLellan admitted he’d explore the trade market to try and find Grubauer an opportunity where he could step into a bigger role. In doing so, several sets of ears perked up around the league and speculation started swirling around who could afford to acquire the 26-year old goaltender.

Grubauer is a restricted free agent this summer, meaning a trade is the best outcome for the Capitals as well. Even with the increase in the salary cap from $75MM to $79.5MM, Washington doesn’t have a ton of room. Unrestricted free agent John Carlson may take half of their projected $15.7MM in cap space should they re-sign him, while Tom Wilson and others are also restricted free agents looking for raises. Grubauer, with all his success as the backup to Braden Holtby, is a luxury the team may not be able to afford.

He does have a successful resume though, which is likely why several teams have been calling with interest. Bob McKenzie of TSN was on the radio this morning reporting that there is plenty of interest in acquiring Grubauer, and listed the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche as teams that are “in” on the RFA goaltender. McKenzie suggests that teams may be willing to part with a first or second round pick if they believe Grubauer can step into a starting role, or at least a tandem with one of their current options. That goes along with the reports from Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) and Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the Capitals are looking for—or perhaps expecting—a late first or early second-round pick in exchange for their backup goaltender.

None of this means that the team will definitely trade Grubauer at the draft this weekend, but a draft pick today is worth more than one down the line in terms of development. The Capitals are looking to compete for a second consecutive Stanley Cup in 2018-19, but are also committed to building a program that can continue contending long-term. They are one of the few contending teams that did not give up their first-round pick at this year’s trade deadline, and are in good shape to keep adding prospects to a pipeline that has produced several key players over the years. If they can procure a pick in tonight’s first round, it would by default be higher than their first selection and allow them some more currency to try and work with as they strengthen their roster for another run.

Snapshots: Trotz, Tavares, Salary Cap, Seattle

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As soon as Barry Trotz announced his resignation from the Washington Capitals, the vast majority of speculation pointed to him joining the Metropolitan Division-rival New York Islanders, now under the control of famed executive Lou Lamoriello. Recent events will only add fuel to that fire. Newsday’s Andrew Gross believes that Lamoriello prefers to have a coach named before the beginning of the NHL Draft in Dallas on Friday. While Gross notes that Lamoriello will not rush if time doesn’t permit him to fully consider his choice, it seems likely that Lamoriello knows who he wants and simply wants to finalize terms ahead of a major roster-building event. Yet there have been no reports of any candidates formally interviewing for the Islanders’ head coach vacancy, though several names have been brought up so far. However, who was spotted at an airport in Newark yesterday but Trotz. As expected, it seems Trotz is likely on his way in to New York to meet with Lamoriello and the Islanders and, if all goes well, Lamoriello will make the call prior to the draft.

  • Another important note for the pace of the Islanders’ head coach hiring is its impact on the John Tavares situation. With each day closer to the opening of free agency, the Isles lose control over their superstar player. If Lamoriello can land Trotz, one of the top coaches in the game, it could help to finalize an extension with Tavares. However, at this point it seems inevitable that Tavares will at least meet with interested teams. In fact, he and agent Pat Brisson have already whittled down the suitors. While no organizations have been specifically named, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that if Tavares entertains other offers, he will likely only meet with up to five other teams. This self-limited market could benefit the Islanders, but it could also indicate to each of the five teams that they have a legitimate chance of signing Tavares and could up the ante. Only time will tell as July 1st fast approaches.
  • As teams get ready to spend this summer, there is still some question as to what limit they will have. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly estimated earlier this month that the salary cap ceiling for 2018-19 would rise to somewhere between $78-82MM from its current $75MM. This would present quite a jump, but still leaves teams with a $4MM window of possibility. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston states that clarification is coming soon. He expects an official announcement in the next day or two, likely prior to the start of the draft on Friday. Johnston estimates a narrower range of possibility, speculating that the cap limit will be somewhere on the lower end to midpoint of the original projection, between $79-80MM.
  • Looking further ahead, Don Muret of the Oak View Group relayed information today from recently named CEO and President of the Seattle expansion team Tod Leiweke. Leiweke, the younger brother of Oak View CEO and part owner in the venture Tim Leiweke, has clarified the timeline of the expansion process somewhat over the next year or so. Leiweke stated that both the NHL Board of Governors and the city of Seattle will have their final vote in early September. Assuming the team is moving forward, they will break ground on a new stadium in October. Leiweke expects that construction will be a two-year project, likely meaning that Seattle’s inaugural season will be 2020-21. Regardless, Leiweke and company expect to reveal a name for the future team in the first quarter of 2019. This process is moving a bit slower than it did with the Vegas Golden Knights, but still seems to be full steam ahead.

Barry Trotz Will Not Return As Head Coach Of Washington Capitals

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Huge news today for the Washington Capitals, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that head coach Barry Trotz will be stepping down. Trotz was no longer in the final year of his contract as many believed. Friedman reports that winning the Stanley Cup had triggered a potential two-year extension for Trotz, but the two sides could not come to an agreement on salary. The Capitals will allow Trotz to immediately begin talking to other teams, essentially making him a free agent right away. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the two-year extension would have come with just a $300K salary boost, which would have kept him vastly underpaid at just $1.8MM per season. The team released a statement moments after Friedman’s report:

Barry Trotz informed the organization today of his decision to resign as head coach of the Washington Capitals. We are obviously disappointed by Barry’s decision, but would like to thank Barry for all his efforts the past four years and for helping bring the Stanley Cup to Washington. Barry is a man of high character and integrity and we are grateful for his leadership and for all that he has done for our franchise.

The only current other opening in the NHL for a head coach is with the New York Islanders, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Trotz is headed to work with Lou Lamoriello. As we’ve seen in the past, teams are willing to fire their current coach when an elite option comes available, and Trotz certainly qualifies. In four seasons as head coach of the Capitals, Trotz compiled a 205-89-34 record and won more games than he lost in the playoffs even before this season’s championship run. In fifteen years with the Nashville Predators, Trotz went 557-479-100 with 60 ties. He now ranks fifth all-time in coaching wins, behind just Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Ken Hitchcock and Al Arbour.

A dozen or more teams could potentially move to hire Trotz, though it’s not clear yet who would actually fire their current coach for the chance. The Islanders obviously present the most obvious opportunity, and it could be another move to try and impress John Tavares before his upcoming free agency. Lamoriello fired head coach Doug Weight quickly after taking over, and has worked with high-price coaches before, most notably with Mike Babcock recently in Toronto. Babcock and Quenneville are the highest paid coaches in the league, a list Trotz will likely hope to add his name to in the coming days.

For Washington, this is obviously huge news but may not come as much of a surprise. As recently as last summer the team was reported to be seriously considering moving on from him, after being thrown out of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins once again. Heading into the season on his final year—championship clause not withstanding—there was always a real possibility that the two teams would part ways. The fact that it comes after the team lifted their first Stanley Cup in franchise history is shocking, but is understandable if the team was unwilling to offer a large increase in salary.

The Capitals now will have to search elsewhere for their head coaching job, but may not have to look very far. Todd Reirden, named associate coach of the team two years ago, has been blocked from interviewing with other teams in the past and is an obvious candidate to replace Trotz for the 2018-19 season. Some teams prefer to not promote assistants because of their different relationships with the players, but in this case there might not be a better option. Reirden was a head coach in the AHL briefly before joining the Pittsburgh Penguins’ coaching staff in 2010.

Pheonix Copley Likely To Serve As Backup Next Season If Philipp Grubauer Is Dealt

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While the Capitals have top prospect Ilya Samsonov under contract, don’t expect him to make the jump to the NHL right away if backup Philipp Grubauer is traded as expected.  GM Brian MacLellan told J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington that they would like to give him some time to get acclimated to playing on the smaller North American rink and that Hershey starter Pheonix Copley would likely be the number two in Washington.  The 26-year-old didn’t put up great numbers in the minors this past season, posting a .896 SV% and a GAA of 2.91 in 41 appearances.  However, it’s at least worth noting that he’s signed for the league minimum $650K for 2018-19 which will come in handy for a team that figures to be right up against the Upper Limit again.

Toronto Notes: Keefe, Dubas, Draft, Greening

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While winning a Calder Cup championship historically bodes well for that AHL head coach, so far it doesn’t look like it will help Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe with getting an NHL gig.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that no NHL team has requested permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with Keefe. The 37-year-old highly-touted coach was on many teams list earlier this offseason when there were many coaching lists. He was rumored to have been on the candidate list for job openings in Dallas and the New York Rangers. However, most of the NHL coaching vacancies were already filled before his team finished their playoff run.

Now there are only two current NHL head coaching positions remaining and the Washington Capitals are technically already set as the team is expected to either re-sign Barry Trotz, who is a free agent, or promote assistant coach Todd Reirden. That leaves the New York Islanders, which seems like a good fit with former Maple Leafs Lou Lamoriello now in charge in New York. However, Lamoriello is well-known for keeping things to himself.

Keefe posted a 150-63-15 record in three seasons with the Toronto Marlies with two all-star appearances and two 54-win seasons in that span. Nine NHL coaches currently sport AHL titles, so it’s likely Keefe will get that opportunity at some point, but whether it will be this year might be another question.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said the team has made no definitive decisions on their unrestricted free agents, which include James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov amongst others, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. The scribe reports that Dubas is still in touch with their agents, but speculates that it sounds like nothing is in the works. Dubas also said that he expects that the success of the Marlies will have an effect on their outlook on free agency as many of those players will be in the mix for next year’s Maple Leafs’ roster.
  • While the perception is that Dubas has a draft history of trading down, the GM said he is more than willing to consider moving up in this draft, especially with all the assets the team has, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. “I think if there is an opportunity for us to add players that can help our team, we have the capital in draft choices to be able to do so,” Dubas said.
  • TSN’s Kristen Shilton reports that Colin Greening has chosen to re-sign with the Toronto Marlies as he has signed a one-year deal with the AHL franchise. The alternate captain of the Calder Cup champions opted to return to the team after posting 16 goals this season as a veteran presence for the team. After playing in 286 NHL games throughout his career, he has accepted his role as a veteran leader for the minor league franchise. He played a critical role in the Marlies’ playoff run, putting up four goals and nine points.

Capitals Have Not Made Contract Offer To Barry Trotz

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The Washington Capitals, defending Stanley Cup champions, would like to bring back the man who led them to the promised land, head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz was in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent along with the players when the new league year begins. It is common sense for Washington to want him back, but has nonetheless been reported by several sources as well. Yet, the Caps have a funny way of showing their loyalty to Trotz; Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that the team has yet to extend a contract offer to their coach.

Trotz, 55, has long been expected to be a free agent this summer. Despite a immensely successful career by a wins standard, Trotz had often been criticized for not being able to get the job done in the postseason. That excuse is out the door now, after the Capitals secured their first Cup title in franchise history last week. As a result, rumors of Trotz’ free agency were also supposed to be thrown away. It seemed like a sure thing that GM Brian MacLellan and the Caps would want to retain his services. However, an offer has yet to be made and Shannon adds that the two sides do not have any meetings schedule to negotiate an extension.

This could simply be the pre-occupied champions dragging their feet or focusing all of their attention to catching up on draft and free agency preparations. Of course, it could be something else entirely. It’s possible that Trotz, now a championship coach, is intrigued with the possibility of other positions. Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders are known to be eyeing Trotz for their current vacancy, while it has also been rumored that at least one team with a head coach has considered hiring Trotz regardless if he was to become available. Trotz has reportedly had some preliminary contract talks with the Capitals already and it could be that the recent title and his improved free agent status has raised the price tag beyond what Washington is comfortable paying. This very real possibility is only supported further by the idea that the team had been grooming assistant Todd Reirden to take over. Anticipating the expiration of Trotz’ contract and, after years of letdowns, not expecting their miraculous Stanley Cup run, the Capitals were reportedly comfortable with handing the job off to Reirden. Of course, the situation has changed greatly, but if the price is too high to retain Trotz, Washington would not panic, but could simply stick with their original plan.

The odds still favor an extension for Trotz. He is fresh off of a title with the Capitals, knows and trusts his players and staff, and understands that his best chance at another Cup is likely to stay in Washington. However, Shannon’s report that – with days remaining on his contract – Trotz does not have an extension offer nor any scheduled meetings to discuss a new deal, raises questions. The lure of more money and a new challenge could be enticing Trotz and his asking price could be scaring off the Capitals. Only time will tell, but suddenly the idea of one of the winningest coaches in NHL history hitting the free agent market is back in the realm of possibility.

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