The Arizona Coyotes selected defenseman Victor Soderstrom with the 11th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Coyotes moved up in a trade with the Flyers that sent picks No. 14 and No. 45 to Philadelphia.

Victor Soderstrom

Position: Defense
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 183 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Brynas IF (SHL)
Nationality: Sweden

(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)

Soderstrom has the potential to be a special player. His game is perfectly built for today's NHL. As a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman, he'll be a highly coveted commodity. His stats don't jump off the page, but that's because he was a 17-year-old playing against grown men in Sweden's top professional league.

He's your prototypical Swedish blue-liner. He's a smooth skater, calm with the puck, and makes an excellent first pass. After moving the puck, he loves joining the attack. He's not afraid to get creative at the point as the last man back. It can get him into trouble at times, but he has the quick hands to make plays that other players could only dream of. Adept at quarterbacking a power play.

Soderstrom gets it done on the defensive end as well. He isn't very physical, but has a good stick, closes gaps well, and can read plays.

What they're saying

In an exercise with The Athletic's Craig Custance, an amateur scout was asked to draw comparisons between draft prospects and current NHLers. For Soderstrom, the scout decided on Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

"He’s another offensive player. He’s not Erik Karlsson. How offensive is he going to be? Who knows? He’s reliable. He’s dependable. He could be top 10 in the draft. He could be the second D off the board. Josi is a pretty good all-around defenseman who has some offense, too."

Highlights

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The Carolina Hurricanes are shopping defenseman Justin Faulk after Friday talks between the team and the player's camp regarding an extension didn't go well, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Faulk has one year left on his current contract with a cap hit of $4.83 million and is eligible to sign an extension with the Hurricanes at any time. He's one of several reliable right-handed shots on Carolina's blue line, however, and could thus be deemed expendable if an agreement isn't reached.

The 27-year-old Minnesota native is the longest-tenured member of the Hurricanes with eight seasons in Raleigh, N.C., under his belt.

Faulk suited up in all 82 games for the Hurricanes this past season, notching 11 goals and 24 assists while averaging 22:25 per contest. He added eight points in 15 playoff games during the club's run to the Eastern Conference Final.

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The NHL's salary cap will be between $81.5 and $82 million for the 2019-20 season, according to The Associated Press.

Commissioner Gary Bettman projected during the NHL Board of Governors meetings in December that the current $79.5-million cap would increase to $83 million.

The lower-than-expected number will result in added difficulty for teams trying to re-sign key players and fill out their rosters while already facing limited cap space.

The cap is calculated as a percentage of the league's revenue from the previous season.

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Forward Joonas Donskoi's camp informed the San Jose Sharks that they will meet with other teams once the unrestricted free-agent speaking period begins on June 23, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

While the 27-year-old will explore his options for a deal elsewhere, he's not closing the door on the Sharks, LeBrun added.

Donskoi enjoyed a productive rookie campaign in 2015-16, producing 11 goals and 36 points, but hasn't shown much growth since. The Finnish winger recorded 37 points in 80 games this past season while logging a career-low 13:25 of ice time per game.

The Sharks have a long list of forwards in need of new contracts, including restricted free agents Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc. Captain Joe Pavelski and veteran Joe Thornton are also set to become unrestricted free agents. Under the estimated $83-million salary cap, the club has a projected $15.34 million to work with.

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Toronto Maple Leafs restricted free-agent forward Mitch Marner is not interested in signing for the maximum term on his next contract, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.

Marner remains committed to exploring his options with other teams if there is no agreement with Toronto, Dreger adds.

Since he is already a Leafs player, Marner would be eligible to re-sign for a maximum of eight years on his next deal, as opposed to the seven-year max if he signed with a new team.

Marner enjoyed a career year last season, leading the Maple Leafs with 94 points in 82 games.

More to come.

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There has been mutual interest shown between the Nashville Predators and free-agent forward Corey Perry, according to sources of The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

The Chicago Blackhawks have also shown interest in the 34-year-old, another source told LeBrun.

Perry is not the top-tier scorer that he used to be, but he's still capable of producing when healthy. The veteran winger tallied 19 and 17 goals during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively, as a member of the Anaheim Ducks.

The Predators scored the third-fewest goals among all playoff teams this past season and could benefit from the offensive upside that Perry supplies on the wing. The 2011 Hart Trophy winner could also provide the Predators with another option for a dismal power-play unit that ranked last in the NHL a season ago.

Scoring isn't the Blackhawks' problem these days, but with $16.2 million in projected cap space, adding another offensive threat to a skilled forward group could be something they consider.

Perry was bought out by the Ducks on Wednesday after spending the first 14 years of his career with the team. In a franchise-record 988 career games, Perry recorded 372 goals and 776 points.

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When

• Friday, June 21, 8 p.m. ET (Round 1)
• Saturday, June 22, 1 p.m. ET (Rounds 2-7)

Where

• Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia

How to watch

United States

Canada

Draft order (Round 1)

Player profiles

• Philip Broberg was no child prodigy. Now he's a top talent in the 2019 draft
• 1st round? 2nd? Either way, Spencer Knight will write his own story
• Boom, bust, or Vanek: Why Arthur Kaliyev's a wild-card prospect
• Vasili Podkolzin is relentless. Are teams too timid to draft him in the top 10?
• Backyard roller rink started California's Cam York on quirky path to draft

More draft content

• Final NHL Mock Draft: Byram, Cozens move up while Broberg falls to Habs
• NHL Combine Takeaways: Draft really starts with Kings, and more
• Construction Season: Retooling the NHL's Metropolitan Division team
• Construction Season: Retooling the NHL's Central Division team
• Construction Season: Retooling the NHL's Pacific Division team
• Construction Season: Retooling the NHL's Atlantic Division teams

Top prospects

Jack Hughes - Center, U.S. National Under-18 team

Hughes has elite short-area quickness, hands softer than butter, and a sky-high hockey IQ. He'll be a dynamic, playmaking offensive threat the minute he steps on the ice for his first NHL game, and has the potential to become a franchise player. Don't be fooled by his small stature.

Kaapo Kakko - Right Wing, TPS Liiga (Finland)

With such an impressive resume, Kakko predictably enters the draft as the top-ranked European skater, and he's expected to make the jump to the NHL immediately. Kakko is naturally gifted offensively, possesses a hard and accurate shot, and has showcased plenty of creativity to manufacture plays for his linemates.

Bowen Byram - Defenseman, Vancouver Giants

Byram is the consensus best defensive prospect in the draft and is projected by many to be a top-five pick. The blue-liner racked up more than a point per game in the regular season and led the WHL with 26 points in 22 playoff contests during his second full season with the Giants.

Kirby Dach - Center, Saskatoon Blades

Dach enters the draft as the third-ranked North American skater, and he has all the tools to become a prominent NHL center. He likely won't jump straight to the big leagues out of junior, but Dach immediately upgrades any team's prospect pool.

Alex Turcotte - Center, U.S. National Under 18 team

Turcotte is the fourth-ranked North American skater in the draft and projected to be taken in the top 10. The tenacious, two-way center plays the game at a high speed and possesses a strong hockey IQ. His elite skill set combined with a tireless work ethic and competitive edge help separate him from the pack.

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