David Poile made his final moves as general manager of the Nashville Predators during the tail end of the seventh round at the 2023 NHL Draft on Thursday.
The longtime executive selected right winger Aiden Fink 218th overall, marking his final draft pick with the organization. Those in attendance at Bridgestone Arena gave Poile a rousing ovation.
Poile needed a little help from a familiar face to pull off the moment, though. The Predators didn't have a seventh-round pick of their own after sending it to the Ottawa Senators as part of a package for defenseman Erik Gudbranson during the 2021 trade deadline.
Enter New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, who traded his 2023 seventh-rounder to Nashville in exchange for the Predators' 2024 seventh-round pick. Fitzgerald was the first captain in Predators history and played for the organization from 1998-2002.
In David Poile’s final trade as Nashville’s GM, he has exchanged their 2024 7th round pick with Tom Fitzgerald, the first captain Nashville history, for the Devils 7th rounder in this year’s draft.#NJDevils | #2023NHLDraftpic.twitter.com/WrJXhvsAPD
Poile will officially retire on June 30, with former head coach Barry Trotz taking over as general manager.
Poile has served as Nashville's general manager since it was awarded an expansion franchise in 1997. The Predators made the playoffs 15 times under his direction and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
The 73-year-old became the first general manager to be in charge for 3,000 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Prior to joining Nashville, he held the position in Washington for 15 years.
Fink scored 41 goals and 97 points in 54 games as a member of the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Brooks Bandits this past season.
The Washington Capitals selected Andrew Cristall with the 40th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Andrew Cristall
Position: Left wing Height: 5-foot-9.5 Weight: 175 lbs Shoots: Left Age: 18 Club: Kelowna (WHL) Nationality: 🇨🇦 NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 15th among North American skaters
2022-23 stats
GP
G
A
Kelowna
54
39
56
U18 Worlds
7
2
6
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
5
1
5
If not for Connor Bedard, Cristall would've had the highest scoring rate by a draft-eligible WHLer in a full season since 1999. That's the caliber of offensive talent here in this prospect.
Concerns over Cristall's size - he's listed at 5-foot-10 - and subpar skating resulted in him being ranked in a wide range. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler listed Cristall as the No. 13 player overall in the draft class, Central Scouting had him as the No. 15 North American skater, and The Athletic's Corey Pronman ranked him as a third-round prospect at No. 68.
A lackluster showing in the WHL playoffs, where he scored just one goal as Kelowna was swept by the Seattle Thunderbirds, only made the concerns over his game stronger. It was again reinforced when Cristall was bumped down the lineup with Team Canada early at the U18s.
The vastly different perspectives on Cristall made him one of the more uncertain players to project heading into the 2023 draft. His size and skating concerns, in addition to his struggles at the end of the season, loom large, but the upside of his skill and scoring ability is tantalizing.
Cristall will return to the WHL's Kelowna Rockets next season, where he'll have a strong chance to feature prominently for Team Canada at the 2024 world junior.
What they're saying
"He's as fun to watch with the puck on his stick as almost anyone in this draft," The Athletic's Scott Wheeler wrote. "He's just a natural creator for himself and others who manufactures offense in a variety of ways. And while his speed in straight lines is a definite barrier, his skating is adjustable in tight space."
"Dynamic when he has time and space," wrote Sportsnet's Jason Bukala. "Pace off the puck, zone exits, and overall detail have room for significant improvement."
"The concerns come down to his frame and especially his skating," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "He will need to score a lot in the NHL to justify his various risk factors, and while I think he can get games due to his immense offensive talent, I have a hard time seeing him as a long NHL career type given his various risk factors."
The Edmonton Oilers traded forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin to the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations, the clubs announced Thursday.
Yamamoto is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $3.1-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. He'll be eligible for restricted free agency with arbitration rights next summer.
The American winger, who'll turn 25 in late September, collected 10 goals and 15 assists while being limited to 58 games this past season. He established career highs with 20 tallies and 21 helpers in 2021-22.
Kostin is currently a pending RFA. The 24-year-old Russian registered 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 contests this season.
Both players were drafted in the first round in 2017. The Oilers chose Yamamoto 22nd, while the St. Louis Blues selected Kostin nine picks later. The Blues dealt him to Edmonton last October.
The Calgary Flames appear to have some options in trade talks centered around Noah Hanifin.
The Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins are two clubs to have shown interest in the defenseman, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. Florida is reportedly including forward Anthony Duclair in those discussions.
The Bruins have inquired about Hanifin but lack financial flexibility, LeBrun adds.
A June report indicated that Hanifin wasn't expected to sign a contract extension with Calgary and that a trade was likely. The 26-year-old is on the books through next season at a $4.95-million cap hit, after which he can become a UFA, according to CapFriendly.
Hanifin collected seven goals and 31 assists across 81 games this past season after tying a career high with 10 tallies to go along with a personal-best 38 helpers over 81 contests in 2021-22. The Boston-born blue-liner also authored favorable underlying numbers in 2022-23, including five-on-five expected goals for and scoring chances for rates of 54.93% and 52.87%, respectively, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Calgary acquired Hanifin in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on the second day of the 2018 draft. The Canes dealt Hanifin and forward Elias Lindholm to the Flames for rearguard Dougie Hamilton, future Norris Trophy winner (and New York Ranger) Adam Fox, and forward Micheal Ferland.
The Flames fired head coach Darryl Sutter and parted ways with ex-general manager Brad Treliving after missing the playoffs this spring. On Tuesday, Calgary traded leading scorer Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick. The Flames signed Sharangovich to a two-year contract Wednesday.
The Calgary Flames took Samuel Honzek with the 16th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Samuel Honzek
Position: Left wing Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 185 lbs Shoots: Left Age: 18 Club: Vancouver Giants (WHL) Nationality: 🇸🇰 NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 9th among North American skaters
2022-23 stats
GP
G
A
43
23
33
Honzek is a physically imposing winger who the Giants used in all situations this past season. He finished second on his team in scoring - which is particularly impressive given that it was his first campaign in North America. However, an injury sustained at the world juniors slowed Honzek down and kept him sidelined long after the tournament finished.
He's not the flashiest offensive player, but he's a powerful skater with a knack for finding the back of the net in tight. While Honzek might be a few years away from contributing in Calgary's lineup, he certainly has the tools to blossom into a productive NHL player.
What they're saying
"He skates quite well for his size, he's got good hands and dexterity, he's got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice, and he's by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game," wrote The Athletic's Scott Wheeler.
"Honzek's game is exciting from a pro-projection standpoint," stated The Athletic's Corey Pronman in May. "He's a big forward who can skate well, which, when combined with the offense he's showing, makes for a well-rounded player. I don't think he's amazing with the puck, but he has good hands, can make tough plays with pace, and can finish chances both from range and in tight."
The Winnipeg Jets selected Colby Barlow with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Colby Barlow
Position: Left wing Height: 6-foot-0.5 Weight: 195 lbs Shoots: Left Age: 18 Club: Owen Sound (OHL) Nationality: 🇨🇦 NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 12th among North American skaters
2022-23 stats
GP
G
A
Owen Sound
59
46
33
U18 Worlds
6
3
1
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
5
2
3
Barlow is among the best finishers in the draft. Over the past decade, only three draft-eligible OHL forwards have scored more than the 46 goals Barlow tallied this season: Buffalo's Jack Quinn, Los Angeles' Arthur Kaliyev, and Ottawa's Alex DeBrincat.
That production made him a first-team OHL All-Star at season's end, the lone draft-eligible player to make the All-Star team.
Ranked the No. 10 North American skater on Central Scouting's midterm list, Barlow slipped to No. 12 in the final edition. While his goal-scoring increased with 23 goals in 28 games during the second half of the season, his overall point production decreased down the stretch.
In addition to his immense goal-scoring ability, Barlow's been lauded for his leadership qualities. He became the youngest captain in Owen Sound Attack history at the start of the season and was named the CHL's Scholastic Player of the Year for 2022-23.
The Orillia, Ontario, native battled through a nagging injury while playing a major role at the U18s in April. Barlow logged over 22 minutes in Canada's semifinal loss against Sweden and tallied a goal in the bronze-medal game versus Slovakia.
Barlow will return to the OHL with Owen Sound next season.
What they're saying
"Barlow is a goal-scorer with an elite release who doesn't require much room to rip pucks on net," Sportsnet's Jason Bukala wrote. "He's a threat off the half wall and net front at even strength and on the power play."
"He has a high floor and should safely become a strong third-line player but also has the upside to become more if things really click in his north-south game at the next level," The Athletic's Scott Wheeler wrote.
"Barlow is a well-rounded winger," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman. "He's a hard-working forward who has some physicality, can kill penalties, and is quite physically advanced for his age. Offensively, he has excellent stick skills and a great shot."
NASHVILLE - The international man of mystery is a mystery no longer - and if first impressions are to be taken at face value, the Philadelphia Flyers are getting a wholly committed Matvei Michkov.
Following a year of questions about everything from his desire to play in North America to a supposedly hard-to-like personality, Michkov slid to seventh overall and into the Flyers' lap Wednesday during the first round of the NHL draft. It was the first selection by Philadelphia's new president-general manager duo of Keith Jones and Daniel Briere, and it's one that could make the executives who picked in the 2-6 range look awfully foolish in the coming years.
John Matisz / theScore
Michkov, who some talent evaluators have labeled a "hockey genius" for his exceptional offensive instincts, thoroughly impressed over a 10-minute session with reporters in the bowels of Bridgestone Arena. Flanked by two interpreters, the largely anonymous Russian said on multiple occasions, and in no uncertain terms, that he's committed to playing for Philly.
The sharp-shooting winger even noted the Flyers were atop his list of preferred destinations.
"My biggest wish and biggest expectation is that I want to come to Philadelphia and I want to help them win a Stanley Cup," Michkov said. "I know they've been waiting a long time for one. That's my goal (too), and that's why I'm coming."
Michkov's KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg runs through the 2025-26 season. "But," he said, "I am hoping as soon as I can get out, I'm going to be coming."
Michkov, 18, met with Philly brass twice during 2022-23. Both interactions were extremely positive and made the youngster feel very comfortable. The organization, he said, is "smart" and "strong."
Briere, meanwhile, tried to trade into the top six of the draft because he was worried Michkov wouldn't be available at seven. The price was too steep, yet Briere still got his guy. "We don't have anybody like him in our organization," the GM said, spitting truth. Beyond 2022 first-rounder Cutter Gauthier, the Flyers previously lacked high-end talent.
The soft-spoken Michkov praised his entire immediate family for influencing his career up to this point, and he specifically credited his late father Andrei with teaching him how to disguise his shot, which is considered elite.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
Adding to the mystique of Michkov in the leadup to the draft was a lack of live viewings. Most NHL scouts and executives were limited to assessing Michkov and his Russian peers exclusively on video due to travel restrictions because of the war in Ukraine. Many teams had yet to meet the kid until earlier this week.
With so many enticing options at the top of the draft, passing on Michkov - the first overall pick in several recent draft classes, based on his current talent level and NHL ceiling - wasn't particularly hard for risk-averse teams. But that doesn't make the Flyers' decision to tap Michkov any less impressive, especially when coupled with a safe but smart pick at 22nd overall (defenseman Oliver Bonk from the OHL's London Knights).
As the questioning slowed and the scrum with reporters dissipated, Michkov uttered his first English words to North American media and, by extension, fans. "Thank you. Thank you very much," he said into the NHL-branded microphone before walking away.
If Michkov actually has no plans on playing in the NHL, he put on one heckuva acting performance in Nashville.
Loud winner: Blue Jackets
While the Flyers left Bridgestone with a potential game-changer, the Columbus Blue Jackets were the true winners Wednesday. That's saying something considering seven teams held more than one first-round pick.
After phenom Connor Bedard went first to Chicago and Anaheim chose Swedish center Leo Carlsson at No. 2, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen didn't overthink it when picking Adam Fantilli.
Fantilli, a total-package center who was named the top player in college hockey this past season, might step into the Blue Jackets' lineup as early as this fall. There's little else for him to prove in the NCAA following 30 goals and 35 assists in 36 games against players in their early-to-mid 20s.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
It's possible Carlsson ends up being the more impactful NHLer, but the smart money's on Fantilli, not Carlsson, reaching superstar status. Scouts rave about Fantilli's skill set - the shooting, the skating, the stickhandling - as well as his physical tools and strong character. In a word: stud.
It's ideal timing for Kekalainen, who acquired defensemen Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson via trade earlier this month and will introduce Mike Babcock as the club's new coach in a few days. Fantilli will face hurdles, as all young players do, but he's a polished prospect.
Kekalainen is 10 years into his tenure. The Blue Jackets have won a grand total of one playoff series over that period. It's clear he's uninterested in being a middling squad moving forward and views last season's woeful record (25-48-8-1) as an aberration. If the Finnish GM's track record tells us anything, he isn't done wheeling or dealing, either.
Translation: Continue to keep an eye on the Blue Jackets as free agency opens Saturday. They should be active, as usual.
Predators nab 'diet Cale Makar'
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Pundits tend to traffic in superlatives around the draft. Sometimes, it gets out of hand. In Tanner Moldendyk's case, though, the hype surrounding his skating is legitimate. As FloHockey analyst Chris Peters puts it, he's a "diet Cale Makar."
"He doesn't have Makar's straight-line explosiveness," Peters said of Molendyk, the 24th overall pick to Nashville. "But he's got multiple avenues of mobility. His edge work is outstanding, and if he's on the offensive blue line, he can make some puck plays with his feet after standing still."
Molendyk, a defenseman for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, studies elite NHL skaters Shea Theodore and Miro Heiskanen. The 5-foot-11, 181-pounder says he honed his stride as a kid by skating twice a day at the arena in tiny McBride, British Columbia. His quick feet allow him to keep a tight gap on attackers. He's also known for having an active stick and an edge to his defensive game.
The next step: Molendyk, who put up 45 points in 85 regular-season and playoff contests this past season, wants to "crack that seal" in his offensive game with an improved shot. He didn't score his first goal until his 21st game of 2022-23 - though his draft stock bounced back after a strong postseason.
While Peters believes Molendyk can blossom into a top-four NHL defenseman, it's no guarantee. "Does he think the game at a high enough level to maximize those athletic tools that he clearly has?" the analyst asked.
I love this pick for new Predators GM Barry Trotz. His pick at 12th overall - forward Matthew Wood - was relatively safe. He's banking on upside with Molendyk.
Player to watch: Dylan MacKinnon
Dennis Pajot / Getty Images
Earlier this month at the scouting combine, MacKinnon grinned widely after being asked about his mullet. Was it new? Nope, he's been rocking it all year.
"I had a mustache earlier this week," MacKinnon said proudly. "But I figured I'd give that a trim before I started talking to NHL teams."
MacKinnon, who could go off the board Thursday as early as the third round, is a throwback defenseman. He works his ass off. He plays a simple, north-south game. He uses every inch and pound of his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame to deliver thunderous body checks. He kills penalties. He fights if need be.
Unsurprisingly, the Halifax Mooseheads blue-liner models his game after the NHL's premier open-ice hitter, Jacob Trouba. "Very physical guy," MacKinnon said. "He isn't afraid to shed the mitts. I just absolutely love the way he plays."
MacKinnon's NHL ceiling is the bottom pair. But even in a limited role, he'd be a fan favorite. Don't believe me? Here he is on trash-talking in the QMJHL:
"I'm usually the one throwing them around. There were a couple (high-quality chirps) in the last series of the playoffs. They were all asking me what I do for my team. But none of them would fight me," MacKinnon said. "I told them I was a (younger player) and that I'd still fold them like a lawn chair. They got the memo. In that series, I think I was averaging like 10 pretty big hits a game. They all knew they weren't going to do anything about it."
Quiet winner: Devils
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
The salary cap is rising by only $1 million. The UFA crop is weak. The draft class is strong.
These variables suggested Wednesday would be a busy night of trades. In the end, though, there wasn't a single swap completed on the draft floor. How anticlimactic.
Hey, maybe it all comes down to the fact that New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald ticked off the bulk of his offseason business prior to the opening pick. Even without a first-rounder, the Devils had themselves a draft week to remember by pulling off a pair of trades and re-signing a key free agent.
Coming in through a trade with the Calgary Flames: two-time 30-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli. Sticking around through an eight-year extension: three-time 30-goal scorer Timo Meier. Leaving: underperforming goalie Mackenzie Blackwood and middle-six forward Yegor Sharangovich. (There was a trade involving AHLers, too, as well as late-round picks that went in and out at different points, but you get the point.)
If you loop in Jesper Bratt's extension and Severson getting shipped to Columbus, Fitzgerald's been the league's most productive GM in a generally busy month of movement. Now, after allocating his cap space cleverly over the past three years, New Jersey's front office has locked in an enviable core.
Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Ondrej Palat, Bratt, Toffoli, and Meier - a dynamite top-six forward group - will combine to make $42.2 million in 2023-24, and all but Toffoli are signed through 2026-27. It's too early to pick Stanley Cup contenders for next season. But New Jersey, who lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round in May, has certainly commanded my attention.
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).
The Philadelphia Flyers selected Russian winger Matvei Michkov with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday.
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said he didn't think Michkov would be available at No. 7, and that he even tried to trade up to pick him, but the price was too high, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
"We were blown away by his personality. ... He kept saying he wanted to be a Flyer," Briere said, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.
Matvei Michkov
Position: Right wing Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 172 lbs Shoots: Left Age: 18 Club: Sochi (KHL) Nationality: 🇷🇺 NHL Central Scouting final ranking: 2nd among European skaters
2022-23 stats
GP
G
A
30
9
11
There's a case to be made that Michkov is the second-most talented player in this entire draft. However, he's signed in the KHL for the next three seasons, meaning his NHL debut likely won't come until at least the 2026-27 campaign.
But he could be well worth the wait. What Michkov lacks in size, he makes up for in high-end skill and genius hockey IQ. He possesses elite hands and elusiveness that allow him to embarrass defenders one-on-one, a lethal shot, and excellent goal-scoring instincts.
Michkov's 0.67 points per game set the KHL record for the best mark by a draft-eligible player. For comparison, Alex Ovechkin managed just 0.45 points per game in his draft year.
When asked how excited he was to be part of the Flyers' rebuild, Michkov offered a confident quip.
"Michkov is one of the very best first-year draft eligibles I've ever seen from inside the offensive blue line," wrote The Athletic's Corey Pronman, who ranked Michkov No. 3 on his board and used Nikita Kucherov as a player comparison. "He has truly special offensive skill and hockey sense. His mind operates differently from other players in how he sees the play develop, and he always seems to find ways to figure into scoring chances despite not being the biggest or fastest."
"Michkov has remarkable net sense, which makes him a scoring threat at all times," wrote FloHockey's Chris Peters, who had him at No. 4 in his prospect rankings. "While (Connor) Bedard has the best shot in the draft, Michkov may have the best understanding of how to score. He outthinks goalies and opposing defenses and is always in an attack position in the offensive zone."
