Category Archives: Hockey News

Draft Grades: Central Division

With the draft now in the rearview mirror, NHL organizations and their new prospects move onward into the next stages of attempting to build a championship-caliber team.

That being said, it's only fair to assess each teams picks and hand out some grades.

Here's our rundown of the Central Division.

Chicago Blackhawks

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
2 39 F Alex DeBrincat
2 45 D Chad Krys
2 50 F Artur Kayumov
3 83 G Wouter Peeters
4 110 D Lucas Carlsson
4 113 F Nathan Noel
5 143 F Mathias From
6 173 D Blake Hillman
7 203 D Jake Ryczek

The Blackhawks didn't have a first round pick, but still managed to make a big splash in selecting an elite point producer in Alex DeBrincat. Chicago also did well in adding picks via the Andrew Shaw trade to Montreal, totaling nine picks on the second day. After their second-round haul, Chicago showed balance by nabbing a goalie, two forwards and three defenseman. DeBrincat has the highest potential, but overall, Chicago did well.

Grade: B+

Colorado Avalanche

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 10 F Tyson Jost
2 40 F Cameron Morrison
3 71 D Josh Anderson
5 131 G Adam Werner
6 161 D Nathan Clurman
7 191 F Travis Barron

The Avalanche got their man in Tyson Jost at No. 10 - a two-way center workhorse set to suit up for North Dakota next season - but Colorado didn't wow anybody after the first round. Morrison is a towering two-way forward, while Anderson and Clurman could turn into useful pieces on a blueline in need of an overhaul.

Grade: B-

Dallas Stars

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 25 F Riley Tufte
3 90 F Fredrik Karlstrom
4 116 F Rhett Gardner
5 128 G Colton Point
5 146 F Nicholas Caamano
6 176 D Jakob Stenqvist

The Stars nabbed 6-foot-5 power forward Riley Tufte straight out of high school, and followed up with five prospects that stand over 6-foot-1. Karlstrom developed strongly as his season progressed, and should become serviceable for the Stars. General manager Jim Nill addressed a dire team need by taking a goaltender. Although Point won't be with the big club, he shot up the Central Scouting Rankings from No. 17 to No. 4.

Grade: B

Minnesota Wild

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 15 F Luke Kunin
4 106 F Brandon Duhaime
7 196 F Dmitry Sokolov
7 204 D Brayden Chizen

With only four picks, it's difficult to declare draft weekend a success for the Wild. General manager Chuck Fletcher traded away Minnesota's mid-round picks in a series of questionable trades over the past few seasons, but went with three skilled forwards to help a Wild team plagued by an inability to score.

Grade: C-

Nashville Predators

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 17 D Dante Fabbro
2 47 D Samuel Girard
3 76 F Rem Pitlick
3 78 D Frederic Allard
4 108 D Hardy Haman Aktell
5 138 F Patrick Harper
6 186 G Konstantin Volkov
7 198 D Adam Smith

Nashville's blueline just got even deeper. Fabbro at 17 was a terrific choice, as was Girard at 47. Both have strong offensive instincts combined with a steady defensive game, and should both eventually find minutes on the Predators back end. Pitlick scored 46 goals in the USHL this season, while Allard had 59 points, as Nashville hit on both third round selections. The Predators put emphasis on size and skill, while stockpiling future assets.

Grade: A

St. Louis Blues

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 26 F Tage Thompson
2 35 F Jordan Kyrou
2 59 G Evan Fizpatrick
4 119 F Tanner Kapsick
5 125 F Nolan Stevens
5 144 F Conner Bleackley
7 209 F Nikolaj Krag Christensen
7 211 F Filip Helt

It's clear the Blues want offense, adding seven forwards to their crop of prospects. However, none of St. Louis' selections are bursting will point-producing skills. A multitude of late picks helped, and adding bodies to the system is a solid plan, but time will tell if Doug Armstrong and company chose an effective personnel.

Grade: B-

Winnipeg Jets

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 2 F Patrik Laine
1 18 D Logan Stanley
3 79 D Luke Green
4 97 D Jacob Cederholm
5 127 F Jordan Stallard
6 157 G Mikhail Berdin

Winnipeg confirmed the inevitable by taking Patrik Laine No. 2, then orchestrated a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, ultimately moving up four spots for their second selection of the first round. With the pick, the Jets selected a 6-foot-7 behemoth in Stanley, but the choice raised some eyebrows as Winnipeg already has a multitude of towering defenders.

Afterward, the Jets created some balance by taking Green, a skill-oriented rearguard. Ultimately, Winnipeg landed a future star, and added mid-level pieces to a strong prospect pool.

Grade: B

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Ray Bourque arrested on drunk driving charge

Legendary former NHL defenseman Ray Bourque was arrested on a drunk driving charge late Friday night.

Bourque was arrested in Andover, Mass., and charged with operating under the influence after getting into an accident, Lt. Cecilia Blais told Felicia Gans of The Boston Globe.

There were no injuries in the two-car accident and Bourque was released on bail, according to Blais.

Bourque was arrested around 11:30 p.m. ET on Friday night.

The 55-year-old played 21 seasons for the Boston Bruins and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. Bourque was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Draft Grades: Atlantic Division

Just like that, the 2016 NHL Draft is a thing of the past.

But before we turn our attention to free agency, and what will be a fascinating, if not fierce, courtship of Steven Stamkos, we need to dish out some grades.

Here's our evaluation of the Atlantic Division:

Boston Bruins

Round Pick Player
1 14 Charles McAvoy
1 29 Trent Frederic
2 49 Ryan Lindgren
5 135 Joona Koppanen
5 136 Cameron Clarke
6 165 Oskar Steen

It's not necessarily a bad thing that Don Sweeney and his scouting staff are working off a big board inconsistent with most. The problem, and what's irked Bruins fans, is their inability to recognize this as fact.

It's a tremendous oversight, and frankly, mismanagement, to continue making blind submissions without considering how that player is valued elsewhere. Sure, they're not privy to specific draft strategies, but they must gauge overall interest in a prospect like Trent Frederic in a more efficient manner.

Grade: D

Buffalo Sabres

Round Pick Player
1 8 Alexander Nylander
2 33 Rasmus Asplund
3 69 Cliff Pu
3 86 Casey Fitzgerald
4 99 Brett Murray
5 129 Philip Nyberg
5 130 Vojtech Budik
6 159 Brandon Hagel
7 189 Austin Osmanski
7 190 Vasily Glotov

In adding lottery skill up front and a more stability on the back end through trade, Buffalo continues its aggressive pursuit of icing a competitive roster.

Some consider second-round pick, Rasmus Asplund - who has previously played with Nylander - a first-round talent, and third rounder Cliff Pu could prove to be a value selection at 69th overall.

Grade: B+

Detroit Red Wings

Round Pick Player
1 20 Dennis Cholowski
2 46 Givani Smith
2 53 Filip Hronek
4 107 Alfons Malmstrom
5 137 Jordan Sambrook
6 167 Filip Larsson
7 197 Mattias Elfstrom

Invariably, Detroit will have picked up on something others hadn't, but at a quick glance, this draft class doesn't appear to quite measure up.

That said, Ken Holland finding the means to extricate the Pavel Datsyuk's contract from their tangled web could be worth so much more to the franchise than the skilled forwards who have fallen to them in recent seasons.

Grade: B-

Florida Panthers

Round Pick Player
1 23 Henrik Borgstrom
2 38 Adam Mascherin
3 89 Linus Nassen
4 94 Jonathan Ang
4 114 Riley Stillman
6 175 Maxim Mamim
7 195 Benjamin Finkelstein

A team on the rise is now suddenly very much in transition. The Kulikov deal means one of the best defenses in the East last season will see at least a 50-percent turnover.

Meanwhile, the new-look management team went a touch off the board with Borgstrom at No. 23. He's no lock to be a quality pro, but many believe he can reach the value Florida suited him for.

Grade: C-

Montreal Canadiens

Round Pick Player
1 9 Mikhail Sergachev
3 70 William Bitten
4 100 Victor Mete
5 124 Casey Staum
6 160 Michael Pezzetta
7 187 Arvid Henrikson

With the defenseman many believe to be the best in his class, squeezing an undeniably effective middle-six forward out of Chicago in Andrew Shaw, and recouping lost value with the selection of Bitten in the third round, Canadiens fans should be relatively satisfied with the effort, at least for the moment.

Marc Bergevin's work takes on a different inference should Shaw be overpaid with his evidently imminent long-term extension.

Grade: B

Ottawa Senators

Round Pick Player
1 11 Logan Brown
2 42 Jonathan Dahlen
4 103 Todd Burgess
5 133 Maxime Lajoie
6 163 Markus Nurmi

Ottawa has been criticized for conceding too much to its players, and that same argument can be made even before selecting Logan Brown at No. 11. Few doubt Brown will be an impact pro, and he possesses the qualities this team needs, but that doesn't change the fact this is an asset management league.

The Senators showed a level of skittishness on draft night, and it cost them a future asset. New Jersey's willingness to even entertain the idea of trading down one spot should have been enough of a tell that they planned on going in another direction at No. 11.

Grade: C+

Tampa Bay Lightning

Round Pick Player
1 27 Brett Howden
2 37 Libor Hajek
2 44 Boris Katchouk
2 58 Taylor Raddysh
3 88 Connor Ingram
4 118 Ross Colton
5 148 Christopher Paquette
6 178 Oleg Sosunov
7 206 Otto Somppi
7 208 Ryan Lohin

It should be no surprise that the Lightning loaded up on late-first and second-round talent; their detailed strategy to swell their collection of picks was left in the hotel lobby for everyone to see. But they succeeded nonetheless.

Steve Yzerman made four selections between No. 27 and No. 58 after netting a second-round pick for Anthony DeAngelo. Howden, Hajek, Katchouk, and Raddysh are all valuable assets, and will lead another six selections into the system.

Grade: B

Toronto Maple Leafs

Round Pick Player
1 1 Auston Matthews
2 31 Yegor Korshkov
2 57 Carl Grundstrom
3 62 Joseph Woll
3 72 James Greenway
4 92 Adam Brooks
4 101 Keaton Middleton
5 122 Vladimir Bobylev
6 152 Jonathan Walker
6 179 Nicolas Mattinen
7 182 Nikolai Chebykin

Following up a brilliantly executed, markedly patient strategy from last summer, in which the Leafs delved into Mark Hunter's backyard and found value in dynamic imports, it was a perplexing, oddly specific plan of attack for the Leafs once the best prospect in his class was fitted with a cap.

After Matthews, the Leafs almost exclusively targeted towering defenders, over-aged domestic-level talent, and relatively unheralded Europeans with pro experience.

This will endure as the Matthews draft, and good thing.

Grade: B-

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Canadian teams’ drafts in 140 characters

Face it: Every team's draft can be summed up in a 140 characters, in a tweet. But after a Stanley Cup Playoffs devoid of Canadian teams, we're shining a light on the north's clubs as they look to right their respective ships.

Let's go, in alphabetical order.

Calgary Flames

Brian Burke wants more "pains in the ass" on his roster If Brad Treliving keeps this up, he'll be just that to 29 of his fellow general managers.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers were forced to take one of the consensus top-three forwards in the draft. One day, things will go Edmonton's way.

Montreal Canadiens

Sergachev's going to look great with Subban, and just the thought of Gallagher and Shaw playing together is enough to make one go crazy.

Ottawa Senators

The Maple Leafs weren't the only Ontario-based team to land their future No. 1 center, and the Dahlen bloodlines appear strong.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto drafted 11 players over the weekend, as many as it did in 2013 and 2014 combined. The Shanaplan is real. Lamoriello said it himself.

Vancouver Canucks

Jim Benning has a plan. He will tell you all about it. No, really, he'll tell you everything.

Winnipeg Jets

The chip on Patrik Laine's shoulder is exactly what Winnipeg needs, and the city treats its Finns the best. This is going to be fun.

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Sharks GM expects to let Reimer, other in-season acquisitions hit free agency

Doug Wilson is leaning toward parting with the pending unrestricted free agents he added during the season.

The San Jose Sharks general manager told reporters at the NHL draft Saturday that he'll probably let goaltender James Reimer, forwards Nick Spaling and Dainus Zubrus, and defenseman Roman Polak reach the open market on July 1, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.

"We have a lot of guys internally that will be knocking on the door,” Wilson said, adding that he'll likely be in the market for a new backup netminder if and when Reimer signs elsewhere.

The Sharks acquired Reimer, Spaling, and Polak in two separate trades with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a five-day span before the trade deadline in February. San Jose signed Zubrus in November.

Polak and Spaling played every game for the Sharks during their playoff run, and Zubrus took part in 14 postseason contests.

Reimer only appeared in one playoff game behind Martin Jones, but he went 6-2-0 with a 1.62 GAA and .938 save percentage in eight contests for San Jose following the trade.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday that the Sharks were open to trading the goalie's rights over the weekend if another team expressed interest in him.

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3 best players taken on Day 2 of the NHL Draft

The 2016 NHL Draft concluded Saturday with teams flying through Rounds 2-7.

While most of the elite talent being scooped up Friday, Saturday saw its share of diamonds in the rough.

Some were just on the cusp of being named first-round selections, while others fell by the wayside. Here are three of the best players taken on Day 2 of the draft:

Alex DeBrincat

Alex DeBrincat entered the 2016 NHL draft with more goals this season than any draftee in the Canadian Hockey League. He hit the 51-goal mark for the second straight season, despite battling injuries.

The biggest knock on DeBrincat - and likely the biggest factor in his fall to 39th - is his size, as he stands just 5-foot-7. Still, he remains an offensive dynamo with 102 goals and 205 career points in two seasons with the Erie Otters.

He isn't afraid to get in the dirty spots and with the ability to finish, he's an ideal fit with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kale Clague

With the likes of Olli Juolevi, Mikhail Sergachev, and Jakob Chychrun going in the first round, it is safe to say that the Los Angeles Kings may have grabbed the next best defensive talent outside of the first round with Kale Clague.

The Brandon Wheat Kings defender played his first full-season in the Western Hockey League in 2015-16, where he finished with six goals and 43 points in 71 games while playing behind Flyers defensive prospect Ivan Provorov.

Clague was a monster for the Wheat Kings en route to their WHL Championship, leading the team's defense with six goals and 14 points in 21 playoff games.

The 6-foot D-man is a smooth skater with fantastic vision and a comfort while carrying the puck. With more consistent playing time and a couple years of development, he has the tools to be a top-end offensive blue-liner in the league.

Tyler Benson

Despite a season that was plagued by injury, Tyler Benson still managed nearly a point per game.

He was limited to just 30 games with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League, but manged nine goals and 28 points. He impressed enough, as the winger was picked up by his hometown Edmonton Oilers after slipping just outside of the first round at 32.

His skill has never been overlooked, as he's suited up for Canada internationally on several occasions, including most recently at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, where his six points in five games helped lead Canada to gold.

He models his game after John Tavares, which should gel perfectly with the Oilers.

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Blue Jackets draft pick Abramov survived meteor strike

Vitaly Abramov, selected 65th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets, has one of the more unique backstories of the 2016 NHL draft class.

On Feb. 15, 2013, Abramov was attending school in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia when a meteor exploded above the city. The estimated energy released by the explosion was between 300-500 kilotons, roughly 20 times the amount released by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, according to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com.

"I was in school and all the windows in my class crashed," Abramov said. "All windows in the city was gone. ... It was like big panic because it was something none of us had ever seen. But after that it was fine when everyone said it was a meteorite and we're still alive.

"Normal school day and a meteor came down."

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Draft Grades: Metropolitan Division

The NHL draft is complete, so it's time to hand out some grades.

We're going team by team in alphabetical order below, listing each club's picks and acquisitions, and evaluating its weekend.

Carolina Hurricanes

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 13 D Jake Bean
1 21 F Julien Gauthier
2 43 F Janne Kuokkanen
3 67 F Matt Filipe
3 74 F Hudson Elynuik
3 75 G Jack LaFontaine
4 104 F Max Zimmer
5 134 G Jeremy Helvig
5 164 D Noah Carroll

Bean is another young defenseman injected into the Hurricanes' system, and he's got tremendous offensive upside. The rest of the club's draft was focused on forwards, highlighted by snipers Gauthier and Kuokkanen. Carolina had six picks in the first three rounds - that's a great draft no matter how you look at it. And you can never have too many goalies in the system.

Grade: A

Columbus Blue Jackets

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 3 F Pierre-Luc Dubois
2 34 D Andrew Peeke
3 65 F Vitaly Abramov
6 155 G Peter Thome
7 185 F Calvin Thurkauf

Everyone had Jesse Puljujarvi going third in the first round - except the Blue Jackets. Watching how the careers of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Puljujarvi evolve will be fascinating, but the bottom line is that Columbus got a highly touted offensive player it desperately needs. Peeke was projected to go later in the draft, but Columbus was able to snag Abramov late, and he's an offensive dynamo - he put up similar numbers to Dubois in the QMJHL last season. The club also traded Kerby Rychel, but the return - Scott Harrington and a conditional fifth-round pick - will only serve as minor-league depth. A few more selections over the weekend would have been ideal.

Grade: C+

New Jersey Devils

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 12 F Michael McLeod
2 41 F Nathan Bastian
3 73 F Joey Anderson
3 80 F Brandon Gignac
4 102 F Mikhail Maltsev
4 105 G Evan Cormier 
5 132 D Yegor Rykov
6 162 F Jesper Bratt
7 192 D Jeremy Davies

The Devils traded down one selection to select Michael McLeod, picking up the 80th pick from the Ottawa Senators in the process. McLeod has the talent to become a No. 1 center, and Bastian is another big body who played with McLeod in Mississauga. New Jersey loaded up on young offensive talent, because that's what it needs. The club also added Beau Bennett for a third-round pick, and he's got ties to general manager Ray Shero.

Grade: B

New York Islanders

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 19 F Kieffer Bellows
4 95 F Anatoli Golyshev
4 120 F Otto Koivula
6 170 F Collin Adams
7 193 F Nick Pastujov
8 200 D David Quenneville

In a perfect world - and a few years down the line - Kieffer Bellows will be the Islanders' next Kyle Okposo. The kid can flat out score, and to get him at No. 19 is a win. New York traded up to grab Golyshev, who scored 25 goals in the KHL last year. He's a small, skilled forward who's older than most draftees at 21 and signed to play in Russia through 2019. Garth Snow also traded up to draft Koivula, who's a massive 17-year-old with offensive talent. The club made moves to secure help up front, and did it with only one pick through the first three rounds. We applaud their faith.

Grade: A-

New York Rangers

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
3 81 D Sean Day
4 98 D Tarmo Reunanen
5 141 F Tim Gettinger
6 171 F Gabriel Fontaine
6 174 G Tyler Wall
7 201 F Ty Ronning

Nobody remembers the last time the Rangers drafted in the first round. Day had exceptional status to play in the OHL at 15, and he fell to New York in the third round. The Rangers will have to work with him, but there's definitely talent there as well as in offensively minded Reunanen. Gettinger is a huge body and has upside as well. The club made a late trade in acquiring defenseman Nick Holden from the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-rounder, but eventually New York has to learn that it needs more picks, not less.

Grade: C-

Philadelphia Flyers

Round Pick Player
1 22 F German Rubtsov
2 36 F Pascal Laberge
2 48 G Carter Hart
2 52 F Wade Allison
3 82 F Carsen Twarynski
4 109 F Connor Bunnaman
5 139 D Linus Hogberg
6 169 F Tanner Laczynski
6 172 F Anthony Salintri
7 199 D David Bernhardt

Five picks in the first three rounds - and 10 overall - is a definitive win. The Flyers loaded up on offensive talent, trading down four spots to grab a very smart player in Rubtsov while moving up 43 spots later in the draft. Also, Laberge has the talent to become a top-six forward. Ron Hextall also drafted a goalie in Hart who he believes can be a No. 1. A great weekend.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Penguins

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
2 55 G Filip Gustavsson
2 61 F Kasper Bjorkvist
3 77 D Connor Hall
4 121 D Ryan Jones
5 151 D Niclas Almari
6 181 D Joseph Masonius

The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016, so their 2016 draft isn't necessarily the most important to them. Still, the club targeted defensemen - trading Beau Bennett for the 77th pick in Hall, who can fit into Mike Sullivan's system that emphasizes speed and skill. The blueprint's in place for years to come, and Gustavsson could develop into an NHL starter in the crease. Bjorkvist has been compared to Leo Komarov, and the Pens love the edge in his age. All in all, not a bad weekend for the champs.

Grade: B-

Washington Capitals

Draft picks

Round Pick Player
1 28 D Lucas Johansen
3 87 F Garrett Pilon
4 117 F Damien Riat
5 145 F Beck Malenstyn
5 147 F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
6 177 D Chase Priskie
7 207 D Dmitriy Zaitsev

The Capitals are hopeful Johansen can be a middle-pairing defenseman. They targeted responsible offensive players on Day 2, and there's nothing wrong with that. Priskie could be a steal out of the NCAA.

Grade: B-

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