World News – CA – Mock NHL Draft: Who’s selected after Alexis Lafreniere?

After months of waiting, the NHL Draft is suddenly, almost surprising, upon us The first round will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN (livestream) and rounds 2-7 will have takes place Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET on NHL Network With so much going on 2019-20 that didn’t go as planned (but some that did – kudos to the Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup champion!) and so much still unknown on what we can expect from a 2020-2021 season, a draft now looks somewhat disappointing

But aside from the fact that hundreds of players and their families – not to mention your humble analyst – won’t be gathered in a cavernous hockey arena to experience the event together, there are still plenty of reasons to to be excited as we look to put this traumatic year behind us and envision a better future I think this is something fans from all 31 teams can support

The content of this NHL Draft is based on the work I did with my fellow McKeens Hockey over the past season, spending weekends at rinks around the world and following up of additional video work to complement our impressions of the players to consider Collectively, we watched, reported on and finally noted 575 players who got to hear their names mentioned this week

For skaters, we looked at their current and future abilities in skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physics / play read, technique / style, rebound control and puck handling Once we have a complete picture of who a player is and who they seem to tend to, we can give them a score for future overall projection ( OFP), which allows us to compare the expected future value of any group of players and then rank it as a result, while still maintaining some subjective wiggle room in rankings Our subscribers can read full reports on over 150 of those 575 on the website, with detailed breakdowns of each category to see how we got to our ranking

In addition to the scout reports, our subscribers can download our NHL Draft Guide and the new Leads Report, looking at the top leads in each system Over the next few months, our annual fantasy hockey guide will also be available for download to our members

Once we know the considered players, we can then take a look at the team writing and how they wrote in the past under their current leadership, or their respective system crashes, and try to guess how they would write if we didn’t. weren’t doing it allow any further trade This mock NHL Draft takes all of that into account, looking at how we plan the draft based on player strengths, team organizational strengths and weaknesses, and team writing philosophies More importantly again, once I make the choice, I will justify it under this heading, so that when the team chooses otherwise, you can examine not only my choice, but my logic to see how far away I was.

Anything else would be over-thinking. Maybe you like Quinton Byfield for his potentially higher potential, a guess based on his relative age and height combined. Would you prefer 97 cents currently, or 90 cents, with the option that I give you another 15 cents in a few years, or that I withdraw 10 cents? Byfield has immense potential, but so does Lafreniere, and Lafreniere is as ready to produce in his first post-draft season as any prospect since Connor McDavid.I see him playing on the left-wing second row behind Artemi Panarin right away La rebuilding of Broadway is complete

So I checked Byfield explaining the first choice above, but I’m not even taking it second? What gives?

In fact, not much The McKeens Hockey scout team and I see very little daylight between Stutzle and Byfield This includes the fact that the impressive OHL dynamo is a center while the dynamic Deutschlander is a natural winger who can play in the middle Both can play straight away, while Stutzle is more certain to take a central role immediately.He has frontline puck skills and incredibly well-refined play, while also holding the distinction of being arguably the best skater in the world. NHL Draft Also, it helps that the Kings are very comfortable with their perception of Stutzle as they have a constant interest in Berlin’s DEL team. He will be part of the next (post-Gabe Vilardi) wave of top prospects reaching LA

Considering that the third overall pick, in this scenario, is a player who could likely pass first or second (5/95 on those possibilities), general manager Pierre Dorion is rubbing his hands before making this choice. perfect world, Byfield becomes a level player against the franchise In a reasonably disappointing scenario, he becomes a regular 25-30 goal scorer for a decade and more Byfield may not have one of the best attributes in the world. this NHL Draft Class, but his skill mix can be considered the best He’s a real five-tool player (skating, shooting, puck skills, intelligence, physicality)

Here’s where things get interesting The first choice was a no-brainer Chalk There are arguments to be had about 2/3 or 3/2, but the choice there is limited only to those two players The Red Wings could literally going in seven different directions with the fourth pick, and none would be as surprising as their selection of Moritz Seider in sixth place last year And may I remind you that this choice is doing pretty well One thing I know about Yzerman is that he won’t be afraid to be patient with the choice The fact that a player doesn’t has only a 10% chance of playing in the NHL next season, and only 50% of shooting in 2021-22, while another player has a 35% chance of playing right away and an 80% chance of playing in 21-22 will have far fewer precedents than each player will be able to produce from 2022-23 to 2028-29 and beyond

I believe Yzerman values ​​hockey IQ, and among those available the most polished are Perfetti, Lucas Raymond and Marco Rossi Rossi falls short of the other two in terms of skill (although he’s still awesome), while Perfetti has the advantage Raymond’s offensive play is more complete Ultimately I take Perfetti because he seems to have fewer scenarios where he fails to live up to his potential and just as much where he ends up becoming a first liner of more than 70 points in the long term

Lucas Raymond wouldn’t be crazy here, but I find it hard to justify taking two forwards when a future No 1 defenseman stares me in the face So the question is why Sanderson and not Jamie Drysdale? The answer is, the first is a 25 minute / game player, who plays in all situations, skates like the wind and moves the puck with grace and skill. Sanderson will travel to North Dakota for at least one season, where he will play with fellow Sens Jacob Bernard-Docker They could (should) even be partners Imagining a future top four of Sanderson, Bernard-Docker, Thomas Chabot and Erik Brannstrom gives me chills

If the question is what is lacking in the Ducks organization, the answer is easily Jamie Drysdale If the question is which player in the table is the “best,” which means the greatest perceived future value , we have to add Lucas Raymond and Marco Rossi to the discussion I’m leaning towards Drysdale in this scenario because the stylistic fit is too good to pass Drysdale could finally allow the Ducks to move on from regret letting Shea Theodore make it to Vegas to allow the Ducks to keep Josh Manson and Sami Vaatanen Drysdale is hands down the best skating defenseman in this NHL Draft and is right up there with the Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar of the world in that regard. Many love Drysdale as much, if not more, than Sanderson, but the two project themselves as early advocates of the twinning for a long time.

With both top defensemen drafted by the first teams reasonably likely to draft them, the Devils are now the first team that can be convinced to draft the best-in-class goalie Their current NHL holder Mackenzie Blackwood is still quite young (23) and only really broke through last year, but there is little behind him in the system. Under the new leadership of first-time GM Tom Fitzgerald, there’s an element of mystery in New Jersey’s leadership They could add another high-end forward to a system that already has recent top picks in the table. general to Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes and other young people in addition They could add a high-end winger to work with those two, as Lucas Raymond or Marco Rossi Rossi has the added benefit of playing for the Ottawa 67s, a club the Devils know very well, already having three more. players in the system who play it last year Ultimately I’m going with Askarov for that pick, believing that the New Jersey organization, being heavily in the analysis, will want to be ahead of the curve with two knowledgeable goalies to share starts when the team is ready. to fight for a place in the playoffs again

Another first time GM will pick here, and we have even less clue as to what Kevyn Adams will do than we did with Fitzgerald and the Devils. At least we’ve seen Fitzgerald make some trades at the end from last season With the top two defensemen gone as well as the number one goalie in this scenario, we can be reasonably certain that the Sabers will add a top-end forward here. Options include Raymond and Rossi, mentioned above, as well as Swedish winger Alexander Holtz Dark Horse options include Jack Quinn, Seth Jarvis and Anton Lundell

Given that the organization has little outside of Dylan Cozens to replenish the advanced ranks, these options could all fit here.It feels like Buffalo will rely more on statistical benchmarks this year than scouting said ‘old-fashioned’ (there are only four amateur scouts listed on the team’s website) The question then is whether Rossi’s leading CHL production outweighs what Raymond or Holtz accomplished while playing against men in Sweden It is said here that Rossi’s accomplishments will prevail in this scenario, giving the Sabers a player with high-end offensive tools and an engine that never stops. His low center of gravity also helps alleviate concerns about his lack of height Rossi is very close to NHL ready

Three picks, three GMs for the first time on mic Bill Guerin has been at work longer than Fitzgerald or Adams, and between his past as a right-hand man as Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh and the addition of Judd Brackett of Vancouver for working with him almost makes too much sense in this scenario to put an end to the undeserved downfall of Lucas Raymond Stylistically, Raymond is playing a different game than Brackett’s former pick Elias Pettersson, in that Raymond is more of a game creator than a finisher, but his overall offensive game dynamics has too many parallels with Petterssen to ignore Plus, putting Raymond on a line with right winger Kevin Fiala, perhaps with a two-way cross between them, will give the Wild a look they’ve rarely had since their addition to the NHL.

For a team with just one high-end striker in the pipeline at Kristian Vesalainen, expect the Jets to look at the same group of strikers I listed above to discuss the choice of the Sabers With Rossi and Raymond now off the table, that leaves Holtz, Jarvis, Quinn, Lundell Holtz and Lundell are the closest to being NHL ready, Jarvis could be the most dynamic offensive driver and Quinn is a latecomer who doesn’t. may not have reached its peak yet The Jets went to Finland in the first time recently, between Vesalainen and the 2019 first round City Heinola Winnipeg also did not hesitate to make the draft from Sweden early in the rounds, but remained largely in the WHL gap, with two picks in four years, only one of which was signed Considering how the Jets seem to prefer well-rounded players, I’m giving Lundell a bit of a boost here considering all of the factors already mentioned. Look for him very soon in the top six

One could argue here to start looking at defenders again, be it Braden Schneider or Kaiden Guhle, but I don’t see it yet.The Predators have one of the strongest and deepest blues in the sport and have to keep going. to strengthen their front ranks to better balance the alignment Even though the top four players in the system (check out the McKeens Hockey Prospects report) are forwards, a team usually plays with 12 of them at a time. Of the top three forwards in the table (Holtz, Jarvis, Quinn) there are two scorers and a game driver.I could see the Predators pick one of the above, but in their place I would take the player who is most likely to be able to improve the play of his line mates, so I associate them with Seth Jarvis A top-of-the-line skater and playmaker, Jarvis also knows how to score and has the top six written all over him

And we’re back to the early GMs here.In the case of Bill Zito, we can see how his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, got drafted, or we could look to their scouting staff, though Only five Scouts are currently listed on the team’s webpage, including their Director of Amateur Scouting, Jason Bukala, who has been in the role since 2011-12.Depending on organizational needs, it would be almost obvious to draft one of the blueliners mentioned in the Nashville section above The system has one of the best goaltenders yet in the NHL at Spencer Knight, and a wide array of talented forwards who are all almost ready. In the end, however, I find it hard to pass up a possible front-row winger for a likely second-back in the pair. I’m going to face the Panthers with Jack Quinn over Holtz just because of the Panthers’ recent history of drafting out of the OHL, as I rarely look to Sweden. Quinn doesn’t meet a need per se, but this team needs goals and Quinn can provide

Given owner Tom Dundon’s (you might call it a dictate) expressed preference for not drafting defenders in the first round, it’s almost unfathomable that Holtz will stay on the set after this spot. Hurricanes’ award for taking note of Patrick Marleau’s final year of contract with Toronto Once the NHL Draft kicks off, Holtz could be taken out of the table upon pick No 6, but in this scenario he’s here to editorial, and his stock drops here Holtz has an NHL frame, and plans to offer a bit of everything at a high-end level, although his shooting is currently his best weapon

We are now entering a more solid fourth level of prospects with the Oilers picking The separation between available players is no longer so distinct, so it depends on what the Oilers are most comfortable with Despite defenseman drafting with their first players in the last two NHL drafts, a team can never have enough defensemen Between the top two of Schneider and Guhle, the latter is more suited to the Oilers as he can play at a higher pace.If they lean forward, I could see them watching Noel Gunler, Connor Zary, Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, Mavrik Bourque, Rodion Amirov, Dylan Holloway and others

After careful consideration I like Mercer as the best fit Neither of the forwards are a Burner who can keep up with McDavid, but the Oilers also need guys to play Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Mercer has the best. combination of skill and courage that would help his linemates maximize their abilities His game is also quite mature (he played for Team Canada at WJC last year at the age of 17), and he could be in good shape sooner rather than later

For an organization that almost always needs a stud defender, ideally an organization with a strong defensive presence and playing on the right side, having Braden Schneider just sitting here is almost ideal before you pull the trigger, I had to think about it a bit The Toronto system is pretty shallow these days at all posts But look at those forwards mentioned above and add to those names the likes of JJ Peterka, Lukas Reichel and Brendan Brisson Toronto research certainly skill and intelligence in his choices, so which players available have the best combination of these attributes? Among the blueliners, I give Schneider a slight advantage over Guhle For the attackers, I then watch Brisson, Bourque, Peterka, Nybeck, Amirov and Zary

If I want to use the skating as a tiebreaker that doesn’t help much, other than probably removing Nybeck from the list.If I want to give crosses more respect over wingers, and account for the close to the NHL, I seem to land on Zary as the choice among forwards I’m not advocating for need-based drafting, but in the event that I see two players with an anticipated future value getting closer, I will allow the need to break the tie. Schneider is a right-side top-four defenseman who can close the opponent’s top lines and move the puck well enough to help the offense as well

Looking at probably the same group of players discussed in the Maple Leafs and Oilers comments above, and a few more besides, the Canadiens don’t have any traits they’re looking at in the draft picks they’ve written both local and foreign in recent years, forwards and defenders Their system runs pretty deep on the blue line and their best prospect Cole Caufield is one of the best snipers yet in the NHL I thought long and hard about Bourque, a very fun player with a ton of skill, but I picked Zary here for his moderate added certainty of hitting his cap and a nod to the Canadiens’ slight propensity to get out of hand. withdraw from WHL Zary’s tools aren’t the most showy, but over the past few years not many people have surpassed their skills more consistently I think he would someday do as well playing alongside Caufield

I feel like the Blackhawks would have liked Askarov to slip them off, but between their upset over Edmonton in the qualifying round and Askarov’s hot start in 2020-21, it wasn’t meant to be The System Chicago is otherwise pretty well stocked at the blue line, but lacking up front The strength of the NHL draft here is ahead anyway, so no need to sweat as the strength of the draft at this point is all in all. attackers way They have had a slight tendency to recruit players from Western Canada as well as players linked to the university in recent years. This could be the early WHL forwards as Ridly Greig and Jake Neighbors are on the line Brisson and Holloway have been mentioned before too But the Blackhawks have also been more comfortable than most in the early drafting of the Russians and I can see that Rodion Amirov helped influence the Hawks in this direction And then again the team didn’t hesitate to do a lot of scouting in the QMJHL And that’s where I ended up eventually, finding a home for Bourque’s puck skill combination, IQ hockey and tangible courage Already named captain of Shawinigan for the 2020-21 season, he will strengthen Chicago’s central six for years to come

The Devils have already selected the best goaltender in the NHL Draft class in Askarov and can now choose twice from three places They have a lot of options and just consider here who among their potential targets is also the more likely on Calgary’s radar, whose choice is sandwiched by the two of the Flames The Calgary system is one of the shallowest in the league, but their blue line is particularly lacking.If I’m in their shoes, I hope the Devils get over Kaidan Guhle The New Jersey system is actually pretty deep with defenders, watching Ty Smith, Kevin Bahl and Reilly Walsh among others Stick to forwards, the Flames don’t have a type per se, but they tend to stick (not exclusively) to the North American League early in the rounds

Although I go back to the names I mentioned several times above, I ended up landing on Sarnia sniper Jacob Perreault, whose father, Yanic, had a long career in the NHL Young Perreault is one of the best shooters in the draft class, and his skating ability and puck handling are also very impressive. He could be a good candidate in a few years, lining up alongside Jack Hughes

I said it above and if I’m right the Flames breathe a sigh of relief for the chance to add Guhle to their organization.The younger brother of Anaheim defender Brendan, Kaiden is one some of the most physical defensemen in this NHL draft class He skates well and can carry the puck, although its potential usefulness in the power play is uncertain

Askarov and Perreault are in Who is joining them? In situations like this – where a team has three first-round picks – I like the idea of ​​swinging for fences at least once Take a risk on a player who might never succeed, but if he the fact, the superstar is upside down Noel Gunler might be that guy, but the best boom or bust game here is Lapierre Potential Top 10 pick a year ago, Lapierre was injured in his year of repechage, limited to 19 games First a concussion, then apparently another It has since been reported that the second bump was actually a neck injury and Lapierre was set to return to the ice before COVID-19 ended the season earlier If he can regain his 2018-19 form in good health, this choice will be a home run

Usually a spectator in the first round, Columbus is fully involved this time around Even without an early draft, Columbus has managed to endow his organization with Russian prospects, especially as they have been prepared to wait for the players to come to their own. pace It just so happens that there is a very talented Russian striker, experienced at KHL level, who has already shown at the start of the current season that he can score at the highest level. Between his high level of skill, his mature hockey brain and a positive work ethic, Amirov seems to fit in perfectly with the system built by Jarmo Kekalainen. It’s an easy top six

On the one hand, the Rangers could almost be excused for neglecting this choice, with much of their organization pivoting towards the obvious selection of Lafreniere first overall.But to be perfectly honest the scouting staff don’t No need to think too much about this choice at all It’s choice 22 where they’ll earn their pay in their place, considering not only Lafreniere but their incredibly deep prospect pool, especially along the line blue, I would look at a player who combines the six best skills with versatility And I wouldn’t be too concerned with the timing, as I can afford to be more patient.I would be honed on Brendan Brisson, Jan Mysak, Ridly Greig and Dylan Holloway The former two have the highest benefits, especially the Brisson at Michigan destination The latter two have more gritty games more based on speed and agitation.I go with Greig in this scenario, noting the gains he made in the second half of his draft year, and knowing that he can be a rhythm factor, whatever lineup he plays

The Flyers would target forwards with their first round pick and that’s good, because it makes sense here They’ve also long focused on college-related players – which also holds up if we look at the weather passed by General Manager Chuck Fletcher and AGM Brent Flahr in Minnesota So for that pick, in this scenario, I’m considering Brisson and Dylan Holloway Brisson was an offensive play maestro with the Chicago Steel last season, while Holloway crushed AJHL two years ago and was doing fine as a true rookie with Wisconsin last season Brisson has a more offensive advantage, while Holloway is playing a more physically rigorous game.If those two were gone I’d also watch Noel Gunler and Ty Smilanic, but here we are Brisson will be heading to Michigan, where he will play with the first round of the 2019 Flyers Cam York Holloway played with former Philly prospect Wyatt Kalynuk who chose not to sign with the Flyers, leaving school and signing instead as a free agent with Chicago A strange tiebreaker, but that might be enough in this scenario

If there’s one team that’s happy to draft Europe early (I know Connor McMichael breaks that mold), it’s Washington. It turns out that a very talented Swedish striker is available, even s ‘he has his share of question marks Gunler is a very talented attacking forward, but he has repeatedly shown that defense is not so much his thing McKeens’ Swedish analyst prospect Jimmy Hamrin has compared his reputation to Ryan Merkley’s Either of the two available German forwards – John-Jason Peterka and Lukas Reichel – could also be targets here, but Gunler, whose skating, puck skills, and all shot rates are well above average, suitable here Capitals believe in tools, and the niceties can run through player development Gunler may be booming or broken, but the Capitals haven’t built their power roster playing it safe

One of the most talented teams in the league (not even counting hopefuls Bowen Byram or Alex Newhook) has a chance to add to their wealth here.They didn’t hesitate to talk about the Europeans in the first round these years (see Martin Kaut) and the most intriguing Europeans still on the board in this scenario both play in Germany, in wingers John-Jason Peterka and Lukas Reichel Both are small, but Peterka is stockier You can argue that Reichel’s mental game is more refined (although it wouldn’t be a unanimous decision), while Peterka has better tools and plays more in the more difficult areas. Both are good, although not spectacular, skaters Due to his willingness to attack the middle of the ice, I have a little more optimism that Peterka’s play will result, as is, in North America

Like many teams that have recently enjoyed success, the St. Louis Prospect pipeline is quite shallow.In fact, in the outlook report we recently published at McKeens, the Blues’ system was ranked as the weakest of the 31 NHL teams, with room to spare So apart from a little depth in young goalkeepers, the Blues need it all.With a few exceptions, this is a team that likes to draft bigger players, with the ability to carry guts and washer generally desired If a player’s finer points of play are a bit rougher around the edges, they’ve been okay with that and look who’s on the board! Dylan Holloway!

The Wisconsin forward was one of the top scorers in Jr A in Alberta, but played a more complementary role as a rookie last season, behind stars like Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte. physically mature power forward who has very good wheels and has also shown gentle hands The reason he might still be available in pick 26 is a concern over his offensive advantage as he can show clear signs of tunnel vision which leads to a lack of creativity. He can play the game too fast and out of control, resulting in too many rushes going right around the corner and dying. If he can reign himself, he could prove to be a very valuable late first round in two. or three years

If Anaheim had used their first pick on a striker, they might have been the team to dig into the next level of available defenders, such as Swedish prospects Helge Grans and William Wallinder In this scenario, they are more like following St Louis’ lead and pushing power forward, namely Sam Colangelo The Ducks actually have a history of drafting USHL players, and Steel (Jack Badini, Blake McLaughlin, Jackson Lacombe) in particular The northeast commit has a beefy frame, skates well and has a solid set of tools for the offensive zone The question about his game is how well he can lead the game and how much he relies on his line mates to release the attack Interestingly, just as Jack Quinn and Marco Rossi rarely played on the same line with the Ottawa 67s, Colangelo was often not on the same line as his Steel first-round mate, Brendan Brisson. He has good hands and can play a game more like Alex Tuch’s than that of his own younger brother Luke, who will be drafted mid-round this year.

In this scenario, the Senators have already drafted Byfield and Sanderson, doing more to improve the state of their franchise than any other team, with the possible exception of the New York Rangers. In real life, Byfield meant end up meaning Stutzle, and Sanderson could mean Drysdale, or a striker like Rossi or Raymond. There has also been a rumor that owner Eugene Melnyk wants the team to select Russian goalkeeper Yaroslav Askarov with the No 5 pick Assuming the top two picks are a striker / defender combination I would expect what Ottawa is looking for another striker at No 28 pitches Two forwards would make them look at the blue line If they write Askarov, well, who knows But for this drill, we’ll be focusing on starting F / D

As the Senators here, I’ll just take the next player on our NHL Draft Don’t Think Too Much, Don’t Be Cute Over the past few years, the Senators have been more than willing to sign players. from anywhere so i wouldn’t exclude anyone And by “next man” logic, the next player on the McKeens Hockey Draft in this scenario is Edmonton Oil Kings forward Jake Neighbors, a leader with more puck skills and a hockey IQ that. is exceptionally engaged in all areas I’m not saying he’s the next Mark Stone, but he’s definitely a fitting role model here Neighbors Lacks Flash, but he’s got a ton of substance

Between their volcanic rise to the top of the NHL and their continued status as an expansion team, it’s no surprise that the Golden Knights have a very shallow system Trading around the expansion draft gave them a head start, but a lot of their potential capital (Erik Brannstrom, Nick Suzuki, 2018 first-round pick) was traded to serve their power roster in booming I can’t make a legitimate complaint about their priorities, but I can say that they need to approach this pick like they did last year when they caught Peyton Krebs later than his talent as the aloe would have indicated, as its perceived value was moderate due to an injury – which it has since healed In their shoes, I would look high, even if there are warts, or some other stain that prevents other scouts from doing the movement Many of these guys are located in Europe in this scenario

I considered players like Theodor Neiderbach, William Wallinder and Helge Grans from Sweden, Marat Khusnutdinov from Russia and Roni Hirvonen and Kasper Simontaival from Finland, but eventually landed with Lukas Reichel from Germany Reichel has had better numbers in LED than John-Jason Peterka’s previous project and seems to be improving every month He’s not the flashiest, but his total package is more productive than the sum of its parts suggests.

For the one time in this fake NHL Draft I’ve let recency bias creep into my thinking The Stars have had a wonderful postseason, reaching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final It seemed sometimes all that separated them from a seventh game, if not a parade, was a nutcracker A player with the requisite skills and style who could break through with creative play to change the complexion of a game There has a few players like that on the board, although they have their warts, which is why they are still available here. Forwards mentioned in the Vegas pick comment above are just a few

In the end, I associate the Stars with a native Texan of the USNTDP, Thomas Bordeleau Born in Houston as his father Sébastien’s North American career drew to a close, Thomas cut his teeth at AAA hockey in Quebec before returning to the country of his birth to wear red, white and blue C. ‘is a very good skater, with a killer shot The reasons he will still be available at the end of the first round are twofold First of all, he is small The second concern is that he spent too much time in his draft year to play around the perimeter Towards the premature end of the season he started showing more courage and will to play in dirty areas. This has not gone unnoticed

Erik Karlsson means Sharks miss chance to draft one of the Stutzles or Byfield Swap Blake Coleman means they get at least one player on day one of the NHL draft The Sharks didn’t get their full roster of seven picks in five years and they’ve already traded perhaps the best player of those years, Josh Norris The system is understandably thin, but they did a respectable job supplementing their draft picks with free discoveries of talent, both foreign and domestic. A notable trend in their writing is the relative scarcity of choices from Sweden, with just one in the past six years and three in the past decade.

In their place, I would watch forwards such as Kasper Simontaival, Roni Hirvonen (both from Finland), Martin Chromiak and Luke Evangelista (both from OHL), and defenders Justin Barron and Ryan O’Rourke Hirvonen has experience at the highest level, having spent the entire last season playing against men in Liiga Simontaival’s shot is one of the best in the draft class Chromiak and Evangelista play well-balanced matches well suited to a NHL midfielder Chromiak in particular is very young for this draft class and may have more room for continued growth than anyone else O’Rourke is a low-key defenseman who has been captain of his OHL team. at 17 and who doesn’t really have weak points in his match Barron is similar, but with both a higher ceiling and a lower floor, considering how much time he missed with a blood clot last year and the recent procedure he had to try to complete. his healing With another pick at 34, the Sharks can reasonably get two of these guys, with Canada-based players most likely to be available. As such, I’m going to pair them with Hirvonen, a fluid skating center with a high-end hockey IQ that will allow him to maximize his tools, even if he remains undersized.

The Edmonton Oilers announced Monday night that team captain Connor McDavid tested positive for COVID-19 earlier today

McDavid has voluntarily quarantined himself at his home and will continue to be monitored

A little over a week ago, the NHL ended its 2020 playoffs which took place entirely in two bubble cities, Toronto and Edmonton

In the two-month playoffs, which brought together 24 teams, the league performed nearly 34,000 tests in nine weeks and reported no positive test results McDavid is the first positive result we know of since the end of the playoffs The league had strict masking and social distancing rules in place in both bubbles The league reported two positive tests during training camp and 43 tests positive during phase 2 (small group training at team facilities) of their return-to-play plan

McDavid finished the 2019-20 season with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games He finished fifth in the MVP vote

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports Message him on phtblog @ nbcsportscom or follow him on Twitter @AGretz

It’s time for NHL Free Agency! The offseason is underway and with the market opening Oct 9 There will be plenty of action this fall Some teams have already been busy getting their 2020-2021 rosters in order. Check back here for all the signings that the teams will do so in hopes of improving their chances of winning the 2021 Stanley Cup

• Toronto Maple Leafs sign Jason Spezza again for one-year $ 700,000 contract (link)
• Ottawa Senators sign Josh Brown to two-year, $ 2, 4 million contracts
• Minnesota Wild signs Nico Sturm for two-year contract, $ 1.45 million contracts
• Philadelphia Flyers sign Justin Braun two-year, $ 3, 6 million contracts
• Minnesota Wild signs Carson Soucy for three year contract, $ 8 25 million contracts
• Los Angeles Kings sign Mikey Eyssimont for one-year contact and $ 700,000
• Los Angeles Kings sign Matt Luff to one-year, $ 700,000 contract
• Buffalo Sabers sign Tage Thompson three-year, $ 4 contract, 2 million contracts
• New York Islanders sign Sebastian Aho for $ 1 over two years 45 million contracts

• St Louis Blues signs Nolan Stevens for one-year $ 700,000 contract
• Dallas Stars sign Andrej Sekera for two-year, $ 3 million contract (link)

• Vegas Golden Knights sign Robin Lehner to five-year, $ 25 million contract (link)
• Pittsburgh Penguins sign three-year $ 10 contract to Tristan Jarry with 5 million contracts (link)
• Philadelphia Flyers sign Brian Elliott to one-year, $ 1.5 million contracts (link)
• Washington Capitals sign Lucas Johansen to one-year, $ 700,000 contract

• Buffalo Sabers sign Andrew Oglevie to two-year, $ 1 contract, 5 million contracts
• Toronto Maple Leafs sign Denis Malgin to one-year, $ 700,000 contract
• Winnipeg Jets sign Laurent Brossoit for one year, $ 1.5 million contracts
• Columbus Blue Jackets signs Kole Sherwood for a one-year contract of $ 735,000

• New Jersey Devils sign Brett Seney to one-year, $ 700,000 contract
• New Jersey Devils sign one-year, $ 750,000 contract at Ben Street
• New Jersey Devils sign Josh Jacobs to one-year, $ 700,000 contract
• Montreal Canadiens sign Michael McNiven for one-year, $ 700,000 contract

• Philadelphia Flyers sign Robert Hagg to two-year $ 3 contract with 2 million contracts
• Calgary Flames sign Justin Kirkland to one-year, $ 700,000 contract
• Detroit Red Wings sign one-year, $ 750,000 contract with Dominic Turgeon
• Montreal Canadiens sign Jacob Lucchini for one-year $ 700,000 contract

• Detroit Red Wings sign Sam Gain a one-year contract for $ 850,000
• Detroit Red Wings sign Turner Elson to one-year, $ 725,000 contract

• Philadelphia Flyers sign Alex Lyon to one-year $ 700,000 contract
• Montreal Canadiens sign Joseph Blandisi for one-year $ 700,000 contract
• Montreal Canadiens sign Jeff Petry to four-year, $ 25 million contract (link)

• Nashville Predators sign Yakov Trenin to two-year $ 1 contract – 45 million contracts
• Buffalo Sabers sign Curtis Lazar on two-year, $ 1.6 million contract

• Montreal Canadiens sign two-year, $ 1.5 million contract to Jake Evans
• Nashville Predators sign Michael McCarron to one-year, $ 700,000 contract

• Washington Capitals Give Daniel Sprong Two-Year $ 1.45 Million Contract
• Pittsburgh Penguins sign Jared McCann to two-year $ 5 contract – 88 million contracts
• Colorado Avalanche signs Logan O’Connor for $ 1 over two years, 45 million contracts

• Washington capitals sign Brian Pinho to two-year, $ 1 contract 45 million contracts
• The Philadelphia Flyers sign Nicolas Aube-Kubel at $ 2 for two years15 million contracts

• Arizona Coyotes sign one-year, $ 800,000 contract for Adin Hill
• Minnesota Wild signs a seven-year, $ 42 million contract with Jonas Brodin (link)

• Los Angeles Kings give Austin Wagner three-year, $ 3 million-contract (link)
• Los Angeles Kings sign Carl Grundstrom on two-year, $ 1.45 million contract

With the NHL offseason underway, we’ll take a look at some of the rumors around the NHL on a daily basis Today we take a look at some updates on the business front Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Torey’s pending free agency Krug and what’s up with Matt Murray and the Pittsburgh Penguins

The biggest commercial chip (that we know of) that currently hangs out remains Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson

According to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Ekman-Larsson « almost certainly played his last game » as a member of the Coyotes, and his preference is to be traded to the Boston Bruins or the Vancouver Canucks

And his preference matters here as he has a full no-trade clause that allows him to dictate where he goes. It certainly puts new GM Bill Armstrong in a little corner for his first major move

None of these teams have their 2020 first-round picks, meaning a potential comeback likely starts with a 2021 first and includes a lead, plus another pick. This is no easy task for new Arizona General Manager Bill Armstrong to maneuver as he faces a limited market

The Coyotes appreciate Boston prospects more than Vancouver prospects, but this weekend it looked like the Canucks were the most motivated buyer, liking the idea of ​​a longtime left side to Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes Arizona is believed to have asked about Thatcher Demko, who is said to have been a non-runner

Speaking of the Bruins and a major defenseman, general manager Don Sweeney admitted Monday that the team had not made progress with pending free agent Torey Krug

If the Bruins are able to land Ekman-Larsson in a trade, you have to imagine that would almost certainly mean Krug will not return given the salary cap constraints.

But if the Bruins don’t land Ekman-Larsson, their motivation should be increased to strike a deal with their longtime blue-liner

“Several free agents have gone out to test the market and come back to where they were at, and that’s something we would consider as well,” said Sweeney “There’s no way you can change your mind on this that I think Torey has a right to do and I believe him.So he’s putting himself in a great position, either with us or with other teams who are interested in him.Will listen to any situation that might improve our hockey club and will move on from there if it goes that way « 

Chicago Blackhawks are going to be looking for a goalie, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to trade a goalie

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the two teams have spoken of a potential trade with Matt Murray, with the Blackhawks even having permission to talk to Murray about a long-term contract (Murray is a restricted free agent) some reason (trade compensation or contract negotiations) things didn’t work out

It always seems to be a question of when, and not if, the Penguins move Murray this offseason.They have already re-signed Tristan Jarry to a three-year contract and are likely ready to move forward with him as as new main caretaker

The Tampa Bay Lightning have two important restricted free agents to re-sign this offseason (forward Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev) and two unrestricted free agents they would likely like to re-sign (Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Maroon)

Two of the candidates most likely to be moved to create the salary cap space are veteran strikers Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn But even that poses a problem in the form of no-trade clauses Johnson has a full no-trade clause, and according to the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Lightning approached him over the weekend to start work. on a potential movement He still has four years left on a contract that earns him $ 5 million per season

Johnson is a good player, but that’s a heavy price for a 30-year-old forward after a 14-goal, 31-point season in 65 games

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports Message him on phtblog @ nbcsportscom or follow him on Twitter @AGretz

The San Jose Sharks and Minnesota had two separate trades Monday morning, involving goaltender Devan Dubnyk and forward Ryan Donato

This was followed by a separate deal that saw the Wild send Dubnyk and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Sharks for a 2022 fifth-round pick According to Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Wilds retain half of Dubnyk’s salary cap

The Martin Jones-Aaron Dell duo have been one of the least productive goaltending tandems in the league for two years now, and they had become a major burden on the defense and the team. Considering the seriousness of the duo two years ago, it was quite disconcerting to embark on the 2019-20 season with the same tandem. It was the classic approach, « we haven’t tried anything and we’re all out of ideas »

Well now they are at least trying something The question is, is this the right something

Dubnyk, 34, has one year left on his contract and carries a $ 4 million salary cap hit (which San Jose is on the hook for half) For most of his tenure in Minnesota, he was one of the best goalies in the league, finishing twice in the top five of the Vezina Trophy vote

But his 2019-20 season was by far the worst of his career and saw him finish near the bottom of the league in most goalie measures

If he can bounce back and regain the form he’s shown in his first five seasons at Minnesota, he could be a huge improvement. But that’s not a given

Donato, meanwhile, adds much needed forward depth to Sharks roster The 23-year-old has scored 14 goals in 62 games this season, despite just over 10 minutes per game He is $ 1 9 million against the salary cap and will be a restricted free agent after this season The Wild originally acquired him from the Boston Bruins in the Charlie Coyle trade in the 2018-19 season

Some ceiling space and more of a clean slate to work with building the list

By dropping Donato and Dubnyk (and half of his milestone reached) for a few draft drafts, the Wild trim about $ 4 million off their maximum count for the 2019-20 season and gives GM Bill Guerin a little flexibility to try and improve your list

His two biggest areas to deal with: the center, where the team is incredibly thin after the departure of Mikko Koivu, and the goalkeeper

Between the free agent market and the trade market, a ton of options are available to them

It’s worth considering if Donato’s trade was worth it He’s a very good player, doesn’t cost a ton of money, and the return is really nothing significant A third pick round is hardly a 50-50 move to even make the NHL, let alone become a regular NHL player, and that pick is still a year away from being used (assuming it isn’t being used as a an asset in another trade before that)

Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports Message him on phtblog @ nbcsportscom or follow him on Twitter @AGretz

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