Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-13-2018
21. San Jose Sharks--LHD, Jared McIsaac. First off, long-time GM Doug Wilson traded for and eventually re-signed former Sabre LW Evander Kane. Now news has come out that the Sharks interviewed 35 yr. old pond-jumping left winger Ilya Kovalchuk, who wants back into the NHL. In addition to that there's even been talk about the Sharks being a possible destination for John Tavares. Buying out Paul Martin and not re-signing Joe Thornton will help create some room for these grandiose plans but it would take some crafty cap configuring for them to accommodate some pretty pricey players. Luckily they've drafted extremely well to the point where there's a pool of cost-controlled youngins ready to contribute at the NHL level. Names like LeBlanc, Meier, and Ryan are ready to roll (or are already rolling) and they add another solid prospect in McIsaac, a 6'1" 196 lb. defenseman and reigning QMJHL Defenseman of the Year. Although offense isn't his forte, he's solid on the back end, very agile on his skates and he still has time to grow into his frame to become a physical presence on the back end.
22. Ottawa Senators (from PIT)--RW, Martin Kaut. Ottawa's been getting a bad rap lately and it seems as if much of it is deserved. Melnyk is one thing, as billionaire owners have their own mindset (regardless of country) which is usually taken in stride, but AGM Randy Lee's debacle at the NHL Combine really leaves a black mark on the front office. Now Erik Karlsson's wife files for a restraining order against team mate Mike Hoffman's girlfriend? And you thought Buffalo was bad when Evander Kane was in town? This is looks like it will be the end of Karlsson's time in Ottawa which will put the Sens in full rebuild-mode. Drafting an impact player fourth-overall certainly helps them down the road as does landing Kaut who rose up from mid-term rankings but falls a bit to No. 22. The solid two-way play of the 18 yr. old right winger who played in the top Czech league makes for an intriguing pick here. Kaut isn't flashy, but he's quick and is smart in all zones plus he has some finish to his game, which is good for the Sens as they'll need solid foundational pieces as they move on from the present soap opera.
23. Anaheim Ducks--C, Isac Lundestrom. The Ducks know how to draft and although they're not quite at a Detroit Red Wings level they continue to bring in quality NHL players and continue to make the playoffs despite a draft history that had them in the top-10 only three times since 2005. Anaheim still has a very deep talent pool on defense and have been drafting plenty of centers lately but still take Lundestrom, a speedy, versatile player with an NHL frame who plays a strong, two-way, north/south game and can also play the wing. The model of consistency that has been the Ducks since their 2007 Stanley Cup win is being tested right now as rumors of big changes are swirling. RW Corey Perry is said to be on the block and C, Ryan Kesler might miss all of next season because of bad hips. Both are 33 yrs. old and have seen better days with Perry possibly done in Anaheim.
24. Minnesota Wild--LHD, Rasmus Sandin. New GM Paul Fenton came from the Nashville Predators organization, the model for the new blueline approach to the NHL game, and served under Preds GM David Poile who was never afraid to pull off a big trade (see Shea Weber and Seth Jones trades.) Welcome to Minnesota where it's assumed that Fenton will do both. He's got his work cut out for him with the Wild, not so much talent-wise, but building a roster that can make it past the first round of the playoffs, something they've been unable to do the last three years. Will he blow it up? Or will he slowly disassemble this group of playoff underachievers? Perhaps because of his background we can expect at least one big move this off season, maybe at the draft. The Wild head into next week with a good pool of defensemen but you can never have enough good d-prospects and they find one in Sandin. Although he's the third Rasmus taken at this draft he's still a damn good player who thinks the game extremely well, is solid in his own end and is a great puck-mover, something Fenton is sure to love. Sandin crossed the pond and quickly became a top-pairing, all-around defenseman on a stacked Sault Ste. Marie squad and his selection by the Wild is a pretty good way to start the Paul Fenton-era in Minnesota.
25. Toronto Maple Leafs--RHD, Ryan Merkely. The Leafs have been propped up as the model for a successful rebuild, and they've earned it so far. Team president Brendan Shanahan built the organization with some of the best minds in the business which included Hall of Famers and analytics gurus leading the hockey operations. Although GM/Senior Advisor Lou Lamoriello bailed and it's said that head coach Mike Babcock is having some issues with his young stars, it's still the Leafs lead by three-time Cup-winner Shanahan atop and an almost enviable hockey department. New GM Kyle Dubas, who was promoted from AGM, is an analytics guru who served under an old-school type in Lamoriello providing a nice balance. But with 'Sweet Lou' gone, Dubas can't help himself when selecting Merkley as the Leafs need defense and the 18 yr. old checks all the analytics boxes in a dramatic way. Merkley has it all in the offensive zone and eventually it will be up to Babcock to bring out the full potential of a dynamic offensive-minded defenseman that is said to have issues, which is why he's dropped this far in the draft.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
2018 NHL Mock Draft Picks 16-20
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-12-2018
16. Colorado Avalanche--LHD, Mattias Samuelsson. Colorado's rebuild is going swimmingly and they've been reaping the benefits of trading Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene. Nikita Zadorov and JT Compher from Buffalo (O'Reilly,) plus a very young Samuel Girard played roles (some prominent, like Zadorov) for the 'Lanche this season and they loaded up with draft picks in the process. In fact they had so many young picks and prospects that they could conceivably hatch a trade with Buffalo to bring Ryan O'Reilly back. Ha ha. Just kidding. Colorado has some serious talent up front but they could still use some help on the back end. Luckily this draft is deep with defensemen and they literally decide to go heavy on the left side by drafting Samuelsson, a 6'4" 218 lb. d-man who's the son of Cup-winning defenseman, Kjell, who was a defensive defenseman for the Pittsburg Penguins in the early 90's.
17. New Jersey Devils--LW, Grigori Denisenko. The Devils have been on a roll since GM Ray Shero came aboard in 2015. Shero was downright devilish when he hosed the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for LW, Taylor Hall, something that got the franchise off and running. That and a jump from No. 5 to No. 1 in the 2017 draft to select Nico Hischier was enough to catch the attention of the NHL's top bandwagoner, Justin Bieber. "Sup, Selena?" was the tweet from Hall to Gomez after she was seen in Bieber's Devils jersey back in November. Methinks Hall has a real jersey worn by a real NHL'er for Gomez, you know, since her and the Beibs are now on the outs. Hall and a career-best 93 points (39+54) while Hischier and free agent college defenseman Will Butcher were in the top ten in rookie scoring and the Devils made the playoffs. Although there was no shot at the first-overall this year, the Devils do land a Shero-type player in Denisenko who has great speed and skills while oozing offense. Coach John Hynes likes to call hockey "controlled chaos," and reminds Hall that it's a thought for what happens on the ice and it's best to keep chaos out of one's personal life. Hall's girlfriend Rachel agrees.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets--RW, Vitaly Kravtsov. Columbus is loaded with talent thanks to some stout drafting by GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Co. They're loaded up and down the lineup and well into their prospect pool, but they're still struggling with deeper talent up-front and haven't found the right mix to get them past the first round of the playoffs. The top-end forwards (read, winger) they could use is up at the top of the draft and the player they'll be taking at No. 18 won't help immediately. Kekalainen can find talent anywhere and this time it's off to Russia where the very talented Kravtsov just set a KHL record for points in the playoffs by a U-20 player. His 11 points bested by two the high of nine that was previously held by Evgeni Kuznetzov and Valeri Nichushkin. Although the Nikita Filatov situation a few years back may still have lingering affects in Buckeye Country (the Jackets have selected exactly two Russians since 2010, a 6th-rounder in 2016 and a 3rd rounder in 2017,) Kekalainen pulls the trigger on Kravtsov and may end up with the steal of the 2018 draft.
19. Philadelphia Flyers--RW, Serron Noel. It's hard for them to resist the raw talent Noel, who played for the Oshawa General (OHL) as a 17 yr. old. Twenty-eight teams interviewed him at the NHL Combine, according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, as teams were intrigued by his 6'5" 203 lb. frame and the ability to anchor in front of, and produce from, the front of the net. Noel is at least a few years away from the NHL and with the Flyers prospect pool as deep as it is, they'll be able to develop Noel at a pace that suits him.
20. Los Angeles Kings--C, Rasmus Kupari. Had this been the 2014 LA Kings, they may have bemoaned missing out on a powerforward like Noel, but this is 2018 and GM Rob Blake is moving his team more towards speed. The traditional western conference "heavies" the Kings were built upon went to the playoffs with last month were overtaken by the hornet's nest that was the Vegas Golden Knights. Although the Knights didn't have a lot of top-end talent they buzzed around the Kings and disposed of them in a four-game sweep which included a 56-shot onslaught in Game-2. LA gets a lucky here as Kupari, an explosive skater with pure offensive skills, drops to them at No. 20 where they snatch him up. Kupari , who played in Finland's top professional league as a 17/18 yr. old last season, should eventually compliment their highly skilled (and highly paid) beast of a center in captain Anze Kopitar.
16. Colorado Avalanche--LHD, Mattias Samuelsson. Colorado's rebuild is going swimmingly and they've been reaping the benefits of trading Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene. Nikita Zadorov and JT Compher from Buffalo (O'Reilly,) plus a very young Samuel Girard played roles (some prominent, like Zadorov) for the 'Lanche this season and they loaded up with draft picks in the process. In fact they had so many young picks and prospects that they could conceivably hatch a trade with Buffalo to bring Ryan O'Reilly back. Ha ha. Just kidding. Colorado has some serious talent up front but they could still use some help on the back end. Luckily this draft is deep with defensemen and they literally decide to go heavy on the left side by drafting Samuelsson, a 6'4" 218 lb. d-man who's the son of Cup-winning defenseman, Kjell, who was a defensive defenseman for the Pittsburg Penguins in the early 90's.
17. New Jersey Devils--LW, Grigori Denisenko. The Devils have been on a roll since GM Ray Shero came aboard in 2015. Shero was downright devilish when he hosed the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for LW, Taylor Hall, something that got the franchise off and running. That and a jump from No. 5 to No. 1 in the 2017 draft to select Nico Hischier was enough to catch the attention of the NHL's top bandwagoner, Justin Bieber. "Sup, Selena?" was the tweet from Hall to Gomez after she was seen in Bieber's Devils jersey back in November. Methinks Hall has a real jersey worn by a real NHL'er for Gomez, you know, since her and the Beibs are now on the outs. Hall and a career-best 93 points (39+54) while Hischier and free agent college defenseman Will Butcher were in the top ten in rookie scoring and the Devils made the playoffs. Although there was no shot at the first-overall this year, the Devils do land a Shero-type player in Denisenko who has great speed and skills while oozing offense. Coach John Hynes likes to call hockey "controlled chaos," and reminds Hall that it's a thought for what happens on the ice and it's best to keep chaos out of one's personal life. Hall's girlfriend Rachel agrees.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets--RW, Vitaly Kravtsov. Columbus is loaded with talent thanks to some stout drafting by GM Jarmo Kekalainen and Co. They're loaded up and down the lineup and well into their prospect pool, but they're still struggling with deeper talent up-front and haven't found the right mix to get them past the first round of the playoffs. The top-end forwards (read, winger) they could use is up at the top of the draft and the player they'll be taking at No. 18 won't help immediately. Kekalainen can find talent anywhere and this time it's off to Russia where the very talented Kravtsov just set a KHL record for points in the playoffs by a U-20 player. His 11 points bested by two the high of nine that was previously held by Evgeni Kuznetzov and Valeri Nichushkin. Although the Nikita Filatov situation a few years back may still have lingering affects in Buckeye Country (the Jackets have selected exactly two Russians since 2010, a 6th-rounder in 2016 and a 3rd rounder in 2017,) Kekalainen pulls the trigger on Kravtsov and may end up with the steal of the 2018 draft.
19. Philadelphia Flyers--RW, Serron Noel. It's hard for them to resist the raw talent Noel, who played for the Oshawa General (OHL) as a 17 yr. old. Twenty-eight teams interviewed him at the NHL Combine, according to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, as teams were intrigued by his 6'5" 203 lb. frame and the ability to anchor in front of, and produce from, the front of the net. Noel is at least a few years away from the NHL and with the Flyers prospect pool as deep as it is, they'll be able to develop Noel at a pace that suits him.
20. Los Angeles Kings--C, Rasmus Kupari. Had this been the 2014 LA Kings, they may have bemoaned missing out on a powerforward like Noel, but this is 2018 and GM Rob Blake is moving his team more towards speed. The traditional western conference "heavies" the Kings were built upon went to the playoffs with last month were overtaken by the hornet's nest that was the Vegas Golden Knights. Although the Knights didn't have a lot of top-end talent they buzzed around the Kings and disposed of them in a four-game sweep which included a 56-shot onslaught in Game-2. LA gets a lucky here as Kupari, an explosive skater with pure offensive skills, drops to them at No. 20 where they snatch him up. Kupari , who played in Finland's top professional league as a 17/18 yr. old last season, should eventually compliment their highly skilled (and highly paid) beast of a center in captain Anze Kopitar.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
2018 NHL Mock Draft Picks 11-15
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-11-2018
11. New York Islanders--C, Jesperi Kotkaniemi. It's hard to believe a center hasn't been take off the board to this point, which is a good thing for the Isles as they may have a huge hole to fill if John Tavares leaves this summer. Not only is the dark specter of a Tavares departure looming over the wandering Islander franchise, but for the second year in a row a division rival has made the jump from double-digits in the draft to No. 2 thanks to the lottery. Even with the Garth Snow soap opera era over and Lou Lamoriello in charge, some of the moves, especially their city/arena issue is just plain messed up and can't really sit well with Tavares, who's been a good soldier throughout his tenure. Anyhow, if Tavares does leave, he won't be replaced by an 11th-ovearll pick but Kotkaniemi is a helluva good player with plenty of upside who had a strong season (10 goals, 19 assists in 57 games) as a 17 yr. old playing against men the top Finish league.
12. New York Islanders (from CGY)--D, Ty Smith. Not even Snow, were he still GM, could pass on Smith at this spot in the draft. It's a new era on the back-end in the National Hockey League with elite-skating/offensive-minded puckmovers being the d-man d'jour and Lamoriello knows the score. Size doesn't matter, which is good for the 5' 10" 170 lb. Smith who racked up 73 points (14+59) in 69 games for the Spokane Chiefs of the rough and tumble Western Hockey League. Those totals were second in the league amongst defensemen to David Quenneville, an Isles seventh-round pick (200th) from last year.
13. Dallas Stars--C, Barret Hayton. The host city for this year's NHL Draft wasn't planning on making a splash and sticks to best player available. Last year the Stars made a huge jump via the draft lottery moving up five spots to land defenseman Miro Heiskanen at No. 3. It was manna from heaven and although it won't help them find a goalie, Heiskanen, who immediately jumped to the top of the prospect pool, will make any goalie's life a bit easier. So will Hayton, who's a well-rounded, two-way center likened to Patrice Bergeron. That kind of player will also balance out the projected return of winger Valeri Nichushkin, the 2013 10th-overall pick who left for the KHL in a huff when things weren't going his way. Although Hayton isn't the flashiest player, he skates very well and has solid offensive acumen (21 goals and 39 assists in 63 games last year.)
14. Philadelphia Flyers (from STL)--LW, Joel Farabee. The Flyboys have nine picks in the 2018 NHL Draft including two first-rounders which will add to a deep prospect pool that includes plenty of depth on defense. It's a good thing for them as defensemen have been flying off the board leaving plenty of solid forward prospects to choose from. This is a very strong Flyers organization and although they won't need to worry about President Trump uninviting them to a championship gathering at the White House in the next year or two, the future beyond that looks very, very promising. Enter LW, Joel Farabee, a 6'0" 161 lb. product of the USNTDP. The Cicero, NY native has the ability to cut to open ice and the skill to finish or set up. He plays a 200' game, is said to be a high-character player and captained the U.S. U-18 team. Sounds like a real good fit as a future Fly-boy.
15. Florida Panthers--C, Joe Veleno. The Cats prospect pool is loaded with forwards, three of which rest atop their rankings, but they can't pass on center Veleno who is the best player on the board. Although Florida is still feeling the pangs of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, along with former head coach Gerrard Gallant (whom they kicked to the street,) helping lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup Final, there's lot to look forward to with this team. Veleno was granted exceptional status in the QMJHL as a 15 yr. old and was projected to be a top center. Although it hasn't gone swimmingly for him, Veleno still has great speed and an excellent set of tools despite not having the creativity or production of a top-five pick. Some think that in the right situation and with the right chemistry, he can be a force. Perhaps Florida is that place.
11. New York Islanders--C, Jesperi Kotkaniemi. It's hard to believe a center hasn't been take off the board to this point, which is a good thing for the Isles as they may have a huge hole to fill if John Tavares leaves this summer. Not only is the dark specter of a Tavares departure looming over the wandering Islander franchise, but for the second year in a row a division rival has made the jump from double-digits in the draft to No. 2 thanks to the lottery. Even with the Garth Snow soap opera era over and Lou Lamoriello in charge, some of the moves, especially their city/arena issue is just plain messed up and can't really sit well with Tavares, who's been a good soldier throughout his tenure. Anyhow, if Tavares does leave, he won't be replaced by an 11th-ovearll pick but Kotkaniemi is a helluva good player with plenty of upside who had a strong season (10 goals, 19 assists in 57 games) as a 17 yr. old playing against men the top Finish league.
12. New York Islanders (from CGY)--D, Ty Smith. Not even Snow, were he still GM, could pass on Smith at this spot in the draft. It's a new era on the back-end in the National Hockey League with elite-skating/offensive-minded puckmovers being the d-man d'jour and Lamoriello knows the score. Size doesn't matter, which is good for the 5' 10" 170 lb. Smith who racked up 73 points (14+59) in 69 games for the Spokane Chiefs of the rough and tumble Western Hockey League. Those totals were second in the league amongst defensemen to David Quenneville, an Isles seventh-round pick (200th) from last year.
13. Dallas Stars--C, Barret Hayton. The host city for this year's NHL Draft wasn't planning on making a splash and sticks to best player available. Last year the Stars made a huge jump via the draft lottery moving up five spots to land defenseman Miro Heiskanen at No. 3. It was manna from heaven and although it won't help them find a goalie, Heiskanen, who immediately jumped to the top of the prospect pool, will make any goalie's life a bit easier. So will Hayton, who's a well-rounded, two-way center likened to Patrice Bergeron. That kind of player will also balance out the projected return of winger Valeri Nichushkin, the 2013 10th-overall pick who left for the KHL in a huff when things weren't going his way. Although Hayton isn't the flashiest player, he skates very well and has solid offensive acumen (21 goals and 39 assists in 63 games last year.)
14. Philadelphia Flyers (from STL)--LW, Joel Farabee. The Flyboys have nine picks in the 2018 NHL Draft including two first-rounders which will add to a deep prospect pool that includes plenty of depth on defense. It's a good thing for them as defensemen have been flying off the board leaving plenty of solid forward prospects to choose from. This is a very strong Flyers organization and although they won't need to worry about President Trump uninviting them to a championship gathering at the White House in the next year or two, the future beyond that looks very, very promising. Enter LW, Joel Farabee, a 6'0" 161 lb. product of the USNTDP. The Cicero, NY native has the ability to cut to open ice and the skill to finish or set up. He plays a 200' game, is said to be a high-character player and captained the U.S. U-18 team. Sounds like a real good fit as a future Fly-boy.
15. Florida Panthers--C, Joe Veleno. The Cats prospect pool is loaded with forwards, three of which rest atop their rankings, but they can't pass on center Veleno who is the best player on the board. Although Florida is still feeling the pangs of Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, along with former head coach Gerrard Gallant (whom they kicked to the street,) helping lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup Final, there's lot to look forward to with this team. Veleno was granted exceptional status in the QMJHL as a 15 yr. old and was projected to be a top center. Although it hasn't gone swimmingly for him, Veleno still has great speed and an excellent set of tools despite not having the creativity or production of a top-five pick. Some think that in the right situation and with the right chemistry, he can be a force. Perhaps Florida is that place.
Monday, June 11, 2018
2018 NHL Mock Draft Picks 6-10
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-10-2018
6. Detroit Red Wings--RHD, Adam Boqvist. Lordy, the Wings have a tough decision at this spot but can't really lose and go with Boqvist at No. 6. For them and the 5'11" 170 SHL d-man it's like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, Hitsville USA and Detroit. It's the Red Wings and Swedes. Boqvist is a shifty player and elite skater which kinda fits right into what Detroit has liked in their players for decades, well before the league finally caught on with what they were doing. GM Ken Holland is retooling his roster and has been looking for a defenseman like Boqvist. Although he's not Dahlin, the 17 yr. old got the tools of a forward on the blueline and has a very high hockey-IQ. Plus, he's Swedish like their Hall of Fame defenseman Niklas Lidstrom.
7. Vancouver Canucks--LHD, Quinn Hughes. Hughes was born in Florida, which is a fairly rare for hockey players (although it's becoming more commonplace,) was raised in Toronto, the self-proclaimed "Center of the Hockey Universe" and spent his young adult life in Michigan playing for the US National Development Program and the Wolverines. With Hughes right there for the Wings to scout, this should have been written above at No. 6, right? But it's not and the 'Nucks are very happy to have a the 5'10" 174 lb. Hughes, who's skating is elite in all facets and who looks to be a future powerplay QB and elite set-up man.
8. Chicago Blackhawks--RW, Oliver Wahlstrom. The 'Hawks could use some help on the back end and Hughes would have been their selection, but like the magnet for ultra-talented wingers that Chicago is, Wahlstrom and his pure sniping ability fall to them at No. 8. This is a very unusual spot for the Blackhawks as they haven't had a pick this high since 2007 when a pretty good right-winger in Patrick Kane was drafted first-overall. That's what success, which includes three Stanley Cups, will do in that regard. Chicago has lost a lot of talent over the years because of the NHL's salary cap but they still have their core of Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. This year they'll have a wave of young talent coming in on top of a handful of youngins that cut their teeth last season. Wahlstrom and his high-end skill-set should fit right in with the Blackhawks and could very easily join an impressive list of recent eighth-overall picks that includes Casey Mittelstadt (2017, BUF,) Zach Werenski (2015, CLB,) and William Nylander (2014, TOR.)
9. New York Rangers--RHD, Evan Bouchard. The Rangers are another team that's unaccustomed to being on the outside of the playoffs as they've missed them only twice in the last 14 years. Other than the seventh-overall pick last season, which was acquired from Arizona in a trade, the Rangers have selected in the top-10 only once since 2004 and from 2013-16 didn't select in the first round at all as they chased a Stanley Cup during Henrik Lundqvist's prime. They're rebuilding this year and have a franchise record 10 draft picks which includes three first-rounders, two seconds plus two thirds, and a good place to start the bonanza will be landing the very intelligent and highly skilled Bouchard. The right-handed d-man believes he'll be ready for the NHL next season and his 87 points (25+62) in 67 regular season games for the OHL's London Knights lends credence to that confidence.
10. Edmonton Oilers--RHD Bode Wilde. How many hockey fans in North America had an 'X' marked on their wall in anticipation of the Oilers winning the lottery for Dahlin? Yeah, I thought there were a lot of you. Edmonton surprisingly missed the playoffs and didn't have that lottery luck this time. Unfortunately for them, the tier of defensemen grouped behind Dahlin has been picked over but Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli still sticks with defense at the draft (and with Connor McDavid, he can afford to) and won't be accused of reaching as the d-men and forwards available at No. 10 are fairly equal. Chiarelli does, however, throw a bit of a curveball as he chooses not to go 'smurfin' again with the smaller Ty Smith. Instead he goes for an impact defenseman, in Wilde, partly because he's a righty and in part because the 6'2" 196 lb. native of Montreal is a real good defenseman who's been likened to Scott Neidermayer.
6. Detroit Red Wings--RHD, Adam Boqvist. Lordy, the Wings have a tough decision at this spot but can't really lose and go with Boqvist at No. 6. For them and the 5'11" 170 SHL d-man it's like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, Hitsville USA and Detroit. It's the Red Wings and Swedes. Boqvist is a shifty player and elite skater which kinda fits right into what Detroit has liked in their players for decades, well before the league finally caught on with what they were doing. GM Ken Holland is retooling his roster and has been looking for a defenseman like Boqvist. Although he's not Dahlin, the 17 yr. old got the tools of a forward on the blueline and has a very high hockey-IQ. Plus, he's Swedish like their Hall of Fame defenseman Niklas Lidstrom.
7. Vancouver Canucks--LHD, Quinn Hughes. Hughes was born in Florida, which is a fairly rare for hockey players (although it's becoming more commonplace,) was raised in Toronto, the self-proclaimed "Center of the Hockey Universe" and spent his young adult life in Michigan playing for the US National Development Program and the Wolverines. With Hughes right there for the Wings to scout, this should have been written above at No. 6, right? But it's not and the 'Nucks are very happy to have a the 5'10" 174 lb. Hughes, who's skating is elite in all facets and who looks to be a future powerplay QB and elite set-up man.
8. Chicago Blackhawks--RW, Oliver Wahlstrom. The 'Hawks could use some help on the back end and Hughes would have been their selection, but like the magnet for ultra-talented wingers that Chicago is, Wahlstrom and his pure sniping ability fall to them at No. 8. This is a very unusual spot for the Blackhawks as they haven't had a pick this high since 2007 when a pretty good right-winger in Patrick Kane was drafted first-overall. That's what success, which includes three Stanley Cups, will do in that regard. Chicago has lost a lot of talent over the years because of the NHL's salary cap but they still have their core of Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. This year they'll have a wave of young talent coming in on top of a handful of youngins that cut their teeth last season. Wahlstrom and his high-end skill-set should fit right in with the Blackhawks and could very easily join an impressive list of recent eighth-overall picks that includes Casey Mittelstadt (2017, BUF,) Zach Werenski (2015, CLB,) and William Nylander (2014, TOR.)
9. New York Rangers--RHD, Evan Bouchard. The Rangers are another team that's unaccustomed to being on the outside of the playoffs as they've missed them only twice in the last 14 years. Other than the seventh-overall pick last season, which was acquired from Arizona in a trade, the Rangers have selected in the top-10 only once since 2004 and from 2013-16 didn't select in the first round at all as they chased a Stanley Cup during Henrik Lundqvist's prime. They're rebuilding this year and have a franchise record 10 draft picks which includes three first-rounders, two seconds plus two thirds, and a good place to start the bonanza will be landing the very intelligent and highly skilled Bouchard. The right-handed d-man believes he'll be ready for the NHL next season and his 87 points (25+62) in 67 regular season games for the OHL's London Knights lends credence to that confidence.
10. Edmonton Oilers--RHD Bode Wilde. How many hockey fans in North America had an 'X' marked on their wall in anticipation of the Oilers winning the lottery for Dahlin? Yeah, I thought there were a lot of you. Edmonton surprisingly missed the playoffs and didn't have that lottery luck this time. Unfortunately for them, the tier of defensemen grouped behind Dahlin has been picked over but Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli still sticks with defense at the draft (and with Connor McDavid, he can afford to) and won't be accused of reaching as the d-men and forwards available at No. 10 are fairly equal. Chiarelli does, however, throw a bit of a curveball as he chooses not to go 'smurfin' again with the smaller Ty Smith. Instead he goes for an impact defenseman, in Wilde, partly because he's a righty and in part because the 6'2" 196 lb. native of Montreal is a real good defenseman who's been likened to Scott Neidermayer.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
2018 NHL Mock Draft Picks 1-5
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-9-2018
1. Buffalo Sabres--LHD, Rasmus Dahlin. Even with the top pick, which happens to be a franchise defensemen, the Buffalo media still feels the need to spend hours fueling an alternative view. Josh Allen isn't a franchise QB, the Bills ain't the Pats, the Sabres ain't the Leafs, and ownership still won't talk to us. The tank, ticket prices, and the ghosts of Ted Black/Russ Brandon, Rex Ryan, Ralph Wilson, Marv Levy, Whaley, Murray, Mularkey, Marrone, Regier, Quinn, Lucic and Rolston are all collectively embedded deep within the bowles of studios and news rooms throughout Buffalo and continue to haunt the Buffalo sports scene. The last 17 yrs. of football and seven years of hockey may have bruised the collective synapses of producers, editors, writers and personalities beyond repair and only Rick Jeanneret remains sane thanks to a nip and some regular quips at the expense of Rob Ray. At the podium to announce the first-overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres, the 75 yr. old Jeanneret clears his throat before getting the Rasmus' mixed up as he mistakes Ristolainen for Dahlin. He recovers by raising the roof and yelling "May Day! May Day! May Day!" Buffalo fans go wild. All is well in Western New York.
2. Carolina Hurricanes--RW, Andrei Svechnikov. New Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon promised a major shakeup when taking over the team. Out with the old in GM Ron Francis and in with the...old...as in Don Waddell, who was the general manager in Atlanta for all but the last season of the defunct Thrashers franchise (1999-2010.) In the final year before their move to Winnipeg, Le Thrash bumped Waddell up to president and brought in GM Rick Dudley who is now Senior Vice President of Hockey operations for...the Carolina Hurricanes. The wheels on the bus... Good news for 'Canes fans, Waddell will not be drafting a Patrick Stephan with his first-ever pick in Carolina. Nope, as luck would have it the Carolina made a huge jump from No. 11 to No. 2 thanks to the lottery and will have an Ilya Kovalchuk-type waiting for them there in Svechnikov. And no, Buffalo, the 'Canes will not be trading this pick for Ryan O'Reilly.
3. Montreal Canadiens--LW, Filip Zadina. There's a song in there somewhere (Zadina, Zadina, where ya been so long?) GM Marc Bergevin had an Eastern Conference Finals team in 2013-14 lead by captain Brian Gionta, who would leave for the Sabres at the end of that season. The Habs have been singing the blues since that season as it's pretty much been downhill. Despite former Sabres forward Nic Deslauriers channeling Martin LaPointe for a brief stint, the Habs were done-in last season by poor goaltending and injuries as well as inadequacies down the middle. Their reward for a 28th-place finish was the third-overall pick which happens to be a pure goal scorer in Zadina, who happens to be a winger, a position their well stocked at for now. And no Buffalo, you're not getting this pick for Ryan O'Reilly.
4. Ottawa Senators--RHD, Noah Dobson. The Sens are in a pickle with Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson. They want to believe the 28 yr. old will re-sign with the team and they want to believe they'll get him at less than an eight-figure salary, although that might still be too much for the cost-conscious Senators even if he does want to stay in Ottawa. When owner Eugene Melnyk starts throwing phrases like “change in approach,” “difficult decisions,” and being “dedicated to be an even larger part of Ottawa's fabric" in a letter to the fan base, those are really euphemisms for "grab your ankles and kiss your ass goodbye." Luckily for Ottawa, Dobson, who was a key member of the Memorial Cup-winning Acadia Bathurst Titans, has an intriguing NHL package of skating, skill and hockey sense that can ease the pain of the probable loss of Karlsson.
5, Arizona Coyotes--LW, Brady Tkachuk. Even though a right-handed defenseman would be a good fit here, it's going to be hard to pass on Tkachuk, a player many had starting the third tier of prospects ever so close behind Svechnikov and Zadina. And Tkachuk kinda flows with Chayka, as in 'Yotes GM John. (Catch the beat--Chaka, Tkachuk; Chaka, Tkachuk; Chaka, Tkachuk.) Arizona is very interested in the 6'3" 196 lb. Tkachuk who has size, speed, and skill packaged with a powerforward's mentality. Plus he's NHL ready. Brady's father Keith played for the Coyotes and the 18 yr. old is said to be a bit better prospect than his older brother Matthew who's doing great things with the Calgary Flames.
1. Buffalo Sabres--LHD, Rasmus Dahlin. Even with the top pick, which happens to be a franchise defensemen, the Buffalo media still feels the need to spend hours fueling an alternative view. Josh Allen isn't a franchise QB, the Bills ain't the Pats, the Sabres ain't the Leafs, and ownership still won't talk to us. The tank, ticket prices, and the ghosts of Ted Black/Russ Brandon, Rex Ryan, Ralph Wilson, Marv Levy, Whaley, Murray, Mularkey, Marrone, Regier, Quinn, Lucic and Rolston are all collectively embedded deep within the bowles of studios and news rooms throughout Buffalo and continue to haunt the Buffalo sports scene. The last 17 yrs. of football and seven years of hockey may have bruised the collective synapses of producers, editors, writers and personalities beyond repair and only Rick Jeanneret remains sane thanks to a nip and some regular quips at the expense of Rob Ray. At the podium to announce the first-overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres, the 75 yr. old Jeanneret clears his throat before getting the Rasmus' mixed up as he mistakes Ristolainen for Dahlin. He recovers by raising the roof and yelling "May Day! May Day! May Day!" Buffalo fans go wild. All is well in Western New York.
2. Carolina Hurricanes--RW, Andrei Svechnikov. New Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon promised a major shakeup when taking over the team. Out with the old in GM Ron Francis and in with the...old...as in Don Waddell, who was the general manager in Atlanta for all but the last season of the defunct Thrashers franchise (1999-2010.) In the final year before their move to Winnipeg, Le Thrash bumped Waddell up to president and brought in GM Rick Dudley who is now Senior Vice President of Hockey operations for...the Carolina Hurricanes. The wheels on the bus... Good news for 'Canes fans, Waddell will not be drafting a Patrick Stephan with his first-ever pick in Carolina. Nope, as luck would have it the Carolina made a huge jump from No. 11 to No. 2 thanks to the lottery and will have an Ilya Kovalchuk-type waiting for them there in Svechnikov. And no, Buffalo, the 'Canes will not be trading this pick for Ryan O'Reilly.
3. Montreal Canadiens--LW, Filip Zadina. There's a song in there somewhere (Zadina, Zadina, where ya been so long?) GM Marc Bergevin had an Eastern Conference Finals team in 2013-14 lead by captain Brian Gionta, who would leave for the Sabres at the end of that season. The Habs have been singing the blues since that season as it's pretty much been downhill. Despite former Sabres forward Nic Deslauriers channeling Martin LaPointe for a brief stint, the Habs were done-in last season by poor goaltending and injuries as well as inadequacies down the middle. Their reward for a 28th-place finish was the third-overall pick which happens to be a pure goal scorer in Zadina, who happens to be a winger, a position their well stocked at for now. And no Buffalo, you're not getting this pick for Ryan O'Reilly.
4. Ottawa Senators--RHD, Noah Dobson. The Sens are in a pickle with Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson. They want to believe the 28 yr. old will re-sign with the team and they want to believe they'll get him at less than an eight-figure salary, although that might still be too much for the cost-conscious Senators even if he does want to stay in Ottawa. When owner Eugene Melnyk starts throwing phrases like “change in approach,” “difficult decisions,” and being “dedicated to be an even larger part of Ottawa's fabric" in a letter to the fan base, those are really euphemisms for "grab your ankles and kiss your ass goodbye." Luckily for Ottawa, Dobson, who was a key member of the Memorial Cup-winning Acadia Bathurst Titans, has an intriguing NHL package of skating, skill and hockey sense that can ease the pain of the probable loss of Karlsson.
5, Arizona Coyotes--LW, Brady Tkachuk. Even though a right-handed defenseman would be a good fit here, it's going to be hard to pass on Tkachuk, a player many had starting the third tier of prospects ever so close behind Svechnikov and Zadina. And Tkachuk kinda flows with Chayka, as in 'Yotes GM John. (Catch the beat--Chaka, Tkachuk; Chaka, Tkachuk; Chaka, Tkachuk.) Arizona is very interested in the 6'3" 196 lb. Tkachuk who has size, speed, and skill packaged with a powerforward's mentality. Plus he's NHL ready. Brady's father Keith played for the Coyotes and the 18 yr. old is said to be a bit better prospect than his older brother Matthew who's doing great things with the Calgary Flames.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Onward to the off season but a quick note on the Caps. Plus, Ryan O'Reilly
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-8-2018
Interesting note on the Washington Capitals roster from last night. Steve Kourianos, founder of TheDraftAnalyst, noted that the Caps had 12 first round picks on their roster. Here are their draft slots, the year they were drafted:
Alexander Ovechkin-1st-overall, 2004
Niklas Backstrom-4th, 2006
John Carlson-27th, 2008
Evgeni Kuznetsov-26th, 2010
Tom Wilson-16th, 2012
Andre Burakovsky-23rd, 2013
Jakub Vrana-13th, 2014
Brooks Orpik-18th, 2000 (PIT)
TJ Oshie-24th, 2005 (STL)
Matt Niskanen-28th, 2005 (DAL)
Lars Eller-13th, 2007 (STL)
Brett Connolly-6th, 2010 (TBL)
As shown, seven of those players were drafted by Washington with only two Caps players being drafted top-four or higher and only three total drafted top-six or higher.
All 12 of those players were on Washington's playoff roster last year. That Caps team lost a seven-game series to their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in round two. Nine of that group were on Washington in the 2015-16 playoffs when they lost in the second round to...the Penguins, in six games. Those not on the roster that post season were--Eller (MTL,) Connolly (BOS) and Vrana who was with Washington's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
In 2014-15, Oshie was with the St. Louis Blues meaning that eight of Washington's 12 core skaters drafted in the first round have been with the team the past four seasons. Until last night when they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup, the Caps had lost in the second round three years running with this core.
Head coach Barry Trotz spent 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators before the Caps hired him in 2014 and he'd never gotten past the second round until this year. He was on the ice with the NHL Network talking about the quest. "You know, I've been chasing this thing for a long time and I have a lot of people I've known who've won Stanley Cups and have done a lot of things," he said. "You need a little bit of luck, you need a great group (of players,) you need to be playing well."
The Caps trailed in every series this year, but kept coming back. And that includes dropping the first two games to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round at home. However, they were able to win Game-3 in double overtime and Trotz had a sense something good was about to happen. "After we got that first win under our belts," he said, "I knew this team was going deep (in the playoffs.) I knew we were going to get to the Final, I knew we were going to kill some demons."
This was a different Washington Capitals team than were accustomed to seeing and it was a different Alexander Ovechkin as well. "The Great Eight" had been labeled me-first type player who choked in the playoffs and was never thought of to have enough leadership capabilities to lead his team to the promised land. But he did it, and did so by playing the best two-way hockey of his career while also scoring 15 goals in the playoffs which tied him with his individual nemsis, Sidney Crosby, for the most playoff goals in the last 20 years.
So what does this all mean?
Props to Caps management who stuck with a core group despite many playoff failures and to their scouting staffs who found their own prospects at the amateur level and added pieces at the pro level. In the age of analytics, coaching still matters, as does leadership and luck, amongst many other factors, is always in the mix.
Finally, hats off to the Golden Knights who went on an incredible run, but in the end, talent usually wins out, and that was the case here.
Onward to the off season.
*****
The Buffalo Sabres had 10 first round picks on their full-time roster this season and finished dead last:
Zemgus Girgensons---14th, 2012
Rasmus Ristolainen--8th, 2013
Sam Reinhart--2nd, 2014
Jack Eichel--2nd-overall, 2015
Benoit Pouliot--4th, 2005
Kyle Okposo--6th, 2006
Zach Bogosian--3rd, 2008 (ATL)
Evander Kane--4th, 2009 (ATL)
Jacob Josefson--20th, 2009 (NJD)
Nathan Beaulieu--17th, 2011 (MTL)
Of that grouping above, Kane was traded at the trade deadline, Josefson has already signed to play overseas and it's not expected that Pouliot will be re-signed and of the remaining, only Eichel is sure to be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.
Not listed was Casey Mittelstadt a 2017 eighth-overall pick who spent one year in college and played in six games for the Sabres last season. It's a bit early to call him a cornerstone but his play in those games has pretty much placed him on the untouchable list while simultaneously putting center Ryan O'Reilly firmly in the rumor mill this summer.
And, of course, the Sabres have the first selection overall in the 2018 NHL Draft and unless a catastrophe happens, they will be selecting defenseman Rasmus Dahlin whom is looked to as another franchise cornerstone.
Eichel, Dahlin, Mittelstadt. Three first rounders that look to move this Sabres franchise forward near term.
*****
The end of the Stanley Cup playoffs means the beginning of the off season and first thing up is the NHL Draft.
Buffalo won the draft lottery and will select first overall. Carolina made a huge jump and will be selecting second while the Montreal Canadiens are selecting third. It's expected that the Hurricanes will select Andrei Svechnikov while the Habs are expected to take Filip Zadina.
Both players are extremely talented wingers whom the 'Canes and Canadiens would be hard pressed to pass on. And, oddly enough, both teams could really use a center, of which there are few and far between in the first round.
Which brings us to O'Reilly.
Rumors are running rampant that O'Reilly will be moved either because the team wants to move him or he wants to move on from the team. Carolina and Montreal top the list of possible destinations while teams like the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks are also said to be interested.
What's also to be determined is the price a team is willing to pay for O'Reilly, who is a top-six center with a $7.5 million cap-hit. He's been consistent throughout his career and arguments can be made from all sides as to what his true value is.
As always, it's up to the buyer and he'll be worth what someone is willing to pay for him.
Interesting note on the Washington Capitals roster from last night. Steve Kourianos, founder of TheDraftAnalyst, noted that the Caps had 12 first round picks on their roster. Here are their draft slots, the year they were drafted:
Alexander Ovechkin-1st-overall, 2004
Niklas Backstrom-4th, 2006
John Carlson-27th, 2008
Evgeni Kuznetsov-26th, 2010
Tom Wilson-16th, 2012
Andre Burakovsky-23rd, 2013
Jakub Vrana-13th, 2014
Brooks Orpik-18th, 2000 (PIT)
TJ Oshie-24th, 2005 (STL)
Matt Niskanen-28th, 2005 (DAL)
Lars Eller-13th, 2007 (STL)
Brett Connolly-6th, 2010 (TBL)
As shown, seven of those players were drafted by Washington with only two Caps players being drafted top-four or higher and only three total drafted top-six or higher.
All 12 of those players were on Washington's playoff roster last year. That Caps team lost a seven-game series to their nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins, in round two. Nine of that group were on Washington in the 2015-16 playoffs when they lost in the second round to...the Penguins, in six games. Those not on the roster that post season were--Eller (MTL,) Connolly (BOS) and Vrana who was with Washington's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.
In 2014-15, Oshie was with the St. Louis Blues meaning that eight of Washington's 12 core skaters drafted in the first round have been with the team the past four seasons. Until last night when they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup, the Caps had lost in the second round three years running with this core.
Head coach Barry Trotz spent 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators before the Caps hired him in 2014 and he'd never gotten past the second round until this year. He was on the ice with the NHL Network talking about the quest. "You know, I've been chasing this thing for a long time and I have a lot of people I've known who've won Stanley Cups and have done a lot of things," he said. "You need a little bit of luck, you need a great group (of players,) you need to be playing well."
The Caps trailed in every series this year, but kept coming back. And that includes dropping the first two games to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round at home. However, they were able to win Game-3 in double overtime and Trotz had a sense something good was about to happen. "After we got that first win under our belts," he said, "I knew this team was going deep (in the playoffs.) I knew we were going to get to the Final, I knew we were going to kill some demons."
This was a different Washington Capitals team than were accustomed to seeing and it was a different Alexander Ovechkin as well. "The Great Eight" had been labeled me-first type player who choked in the playoffs and was never thought of to have enough leadership capabilities to lead his team to the promised land. But he did it, and did so by playing the best two-way hockey of his career while also scoring 15 goals in the playoffs which tied him with his individual nemsis, Sidney Crosby, for the most playoff goals in the last 20 years.
So what does this all mean?
Props to Caps management who stuck with a core group despite many playoff failures and to their scouting staffs who found their own prospects at the amateur level and added pieces at the pro level. In the age of analytics, coaching still matters, as does leadership and luck, amongst many other factors, is always in the mix.
Finally, hats off to the Golden Knights who went on an incredible run, but in the end, talent usually wins out, and that was the case here.
Onward to the off season.
*****
The Buffalo Sabres had 10 first round picks on their full-time roster this season and finished dead last:
Zemgus Girgensons---14th, 2012
Rasmus Ristolainen--8th, 2013
Sam Reinhart--2nd, 2014
Jack Eichel--2nd-overall, 2015
Benoit Pouliot--4th, 2005
Kyle Okposo--6th, 2006
Zach Bogosian--3rd, 2008 (ATL)
Evander Kane--4th, 2009 (ATL)
Jacob Josefson--20th, 2009 (NJD)
Nathan Beaulieu--17th, 2011 (MTL)
Of that grouping above, Kane was traded at the trade deadline, Josefson has already signed to play overseas and it's not expected that Pouliot will be re-signed and of the remaining, only Eichel is sure to be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.
Not listed was Casey Mittelstadt a 2017 eighth-overall pick who spent one year in college and played in six games for the Sabres last season. It's a bit early to call him a cornerstone but his play in those games has pretty much placed him on the untouchable list while simultaneously putting center Ryan O'Reilly firmly in the rumor mill this summer.
And, of course, the Sabres have the first selection overall in the 2018 NHL Draft and unless a catastrophe happens, they will be selecting defenseman Rasmus Dahlin whom is looked to as another franchise cornerstone.
Eichel, Dahlin, Mittelstadt. Three first rounders that look to move this Sabres franchise forward near term.
*****
The end of the Stanley Cup playoffs means the beginning of the off season and first thing up is the NHL Draft.
Buffalo won the draft lottery and will select first overall. Carolina made a huge jump and will be selecting second while the Montreal Canadiens are selecting third. It's expected that the Hurricanes will select Andrei Svechnikov while the Habs are expected to take Filip Zadina.
Both players are extremely talented wingers whom the 'Canes and Canadiens would be hard pressed to pass on. And, oddly enough, both teams could really use a center, of which there are few and far between in the first round.
Which brings us to O'Reilly.
Rumors are running rampant that O'Reilly will be moved either because the team wants to move him or he wants to move on from the team. Carolina and Montreal top the list of possible destinations while teams like the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks are also said to be interested.
What's also to be determined is the price a team is willing to pay for O'Reilly, who is a top-six center with a $7.5 million cap-hit. He's been consistent throughout his career and arguments can be made from all sides as to what his true value is.
As always, it's up to the buyer and he'll be worth what someone is willing to pay for him.
Friday, June 8, 2018
The '99 Sabres and this Vegas team have a lot in common.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 6-7-2018
Plans for a parade in Las Vegas celebrating the Golden Knights inaugural season, regardless of the outcome of the Stanley Cup Finals, have been put on hold temporarily while the series is still going on. The Clark County Commission had put the parade up for discussion without the involvement of the hockey club but did an about face saying that the planning would be lead by the team at the appropriate time.
With Vegas staring at a 3-1 deficit heading into Game-4 tonight, the odds are stacked heavily against having a victory parade with Stanley Cup in tow. They'll need to run the table on a talented Washington Capitals team that has top-end talent, is enjoying great goaltending and is coached by Barry Trotz, who's coached in over 1,500 NHL games and has over 800 wins including 39 in the playoffs.
It's been a helluva run for Vegas as they barreled through the western conference losing only three times and leaving their opponents left to wonder what the hell just hit them. The Los Angeles Kings were swept by Vegas in the first round, the Anaheim Ducks won two games in the second round and the high powered Winnipeg Jets lost their Western Conference Finals series in five games. The Capitals themselves felt the full force of the Golden Knights desert storm losing the opener of the series by a 6-4 score at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.
All of it, including a Pacific Division championship and the league's fifth-best record (109 points,) was done by an expansion team using unprotected players from the NHL's 30 other clubs. It's the greatest run by a top-end talent-bereft team since the 1999 Buffalo Sabres did so under an endearing moniker as "The hardest working team in hockey."
Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher laid out what is team would face in their first matchup with the Golden Knights very early in the season. "It's very simple. They are a meat and potatoes team, that is absolutely relentless," said Boucher of Vegas back in early November via NHL.com. "That's it, that's how they get their success. This is probably the hardest working team in the league. Period."
Boucher went on to say that Knights came into the league without a lot of talent, but they had a team flush with experience where they could do what a lot of other teams couldn't--roll four lines and three defensive pairs. "They've got guys that are not only good NHLers, but guys that contribute. They're all hard working guys, and I think you can see they're on a mission."
The Golden Knights are lead by William Karlsson (CLB,) Jonathan Marchessault (FLA) and James Neal (NSH) up front and three-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) in net. Their top-pairing on defense consisted of Nate Schmidt, who was with Washington last season in a third-pairing role and was often a healthy scratch, and Brayden McNabb who struggled for minutes with the Kings before he was left unprotected and the Knights grabbed him.
This was a group dubbed 'The Golden Misfits' by rugged checking forward Ryan Reaves, a player labeled a dinosaur because of his old-school style of play who'd been cast aside by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade. Vegas is lead by a coach in Gerard Gallant who might be construed as the ultimate throwaway. Gallant had coached the Florida Panthers to a franchise record 103 points in 2015-16 only to be kicked to the curb the following season. Literally. Gallant was fired while the Panthers were in Carolina and he was photographed with his bags on the curb hailing a taxi. He's kind of like King Moonracer on the Island of Misfit Toys.
What Gallant is doing isn't rocket science. In an age of analytics where numbers and schematics flood the game-plan, he kept it simple while molding his misfits into a force. Gallant is a players coach who expects his team to go full bore every shift of every game with the knowledge that his goaltending had to hold the fort, which Fleury and an array of other goalies did. From the get-go there's been a trust factor between coach, skaters and goalies.
In a nutshell, Vegas is not the most talented team but they bust their butts as a teamm are motivated by their coach and have been rewarded for their hard work and determination.
Back in the late-90's the Buffalo Sabres were in the same boat. Up-front they had the talented Miroslav Satan leading the charge and had Michael "Captain Crunch" Peca as their on-ice leader. The Sabres had Jason Wooley and Alexei Zhitnik on defense and a guy named Dominik Hasek in net who's considered one of the greatest goalies of all time. Lindy Ruff was their head coach and he, like Gallant, was a players coach. Ruff's players would run through a brick wall for him and it got them to Game-6 of the Stanley Cup Finals that year. On their way to the Finals the Sabres rolled through the Eastern Conference by sweeping Ottawa then defeating the Boston Bruins in six games before closing out the East in five games over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Even taking away the exact same records heading into the Finals, the Sabres and the Golden Knights are virtually the same team in different eras. Both played to their strengths, worked hard, relied on depth and goaltending, and played their style to an extreme. The Sabres had to battle through a clutch and grab era where toughness and grit were the norm and they did so with one of the toughest teams in hockey from top to bottom. The Knights play in an era of speed and not only are they one of the fastest teams in the league, they play the game fast. Both teams were relentless in their play and made it extremely difficult for the opposition and at the root of it all for both teams was what can only be described as an onslaught from the drop of the puck.
However, the rule in sports is that talent usually prevails. In '99 Dallas was lead by four Hall of Famers in Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Joe Nieuwendyk and goalie Ed Belfour, plus a little help from a blown Game-6 call. The Washington Capitals are lead by future Hall of Famer Alexander Ovechkin and a slew of others that are considered some of the best at their positions including goalie Brayden Holtby, defenseman John Carlson and forwards TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetzov.
None of this should take away from the accomplishments of either the Sabres or the Golden Knights. Nearly 20 years ago Ruff stood in front of City Hall as 20,000 Sabres fans thanked the team for a remarkable run (while also coining 'No Goal') and many more will be on hand in Vegas as they celebrate the team's historic inaugural season. Both were unexpected successes that made it far beyond anyone's expectations. What both teams lacked in talent, they more than made up for in heart. They both were lead by supreme motivators behind the bench, great goaltending and they fed off of their respective roles as underdogs.
Although the Caps still have one more win before relegating the Golden Knights to also-ran status, this Vegas team should be damn proud of what they've accomplished in their first season. An historic NHL season worthy of a parade, even without the Cup.
Plans for a parade in Las Vegas celebrating the Golden Knights inaugural season, regardless of the outcome of the Stanley Cup Finals, have been put on hold temporarily while the series is still going on. The Clark County Commission had put the parade up for discussion without the involvement of the hockey club but did an about face saying that the planning would be lead by the team at the appropriate time.
With Vegas staring at a 3-1 deficit heading into Game-4 tonight, the odds are stacked heavily against having a victory parade with Stanley Cup in tow. They'll need to run the table on a talented Washington Capitals team that has top-end talent, is enjoying great goaltending and is coached by Barry Trotz, who's coached in over 1,500 NHL games and has over 800 wins including 39 in the playoffs.
It's been a helluva run for Vegas as they barreled through the western conference losing only three times and leaving their opponents left to wonder what the hell just hit them. The Los Angeles Kings were swept by Vegas in the first round, the Anaheim Ducks won two games in the second round and the high powered Winnipeg Jets lost their Western Conference Finals series in five games. The Capitals themselves felt the full force of the Golden Knights desert storm losing the opener of the series by a 6-4 score at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.
All of it, including a Pacific Division championship and the league's fifth-best record (109 points,) was done by an expansion team using unprotected players from the NHL's 30 other clubs. It's the greatest run by a top-end talent-bereft team since the 1999 Buffalo Sabres did so under an endearing moniker as "The hardest working team in hockey."
Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher laid out what is team would face in their first matchup with the Golden Knights very early in the season. "It's very simple. They are a meat and potatoes team, that is absolutely relentless," said Boucher of Vegas back in early November via NHL.com. "That's it, that's how they get their success. This is probably the hardest working team in the league. Period."
Boucher went on to say that Knights came into the league without a lot of talent, but they had a team flush with experience where they could do what a lot of other teams couldn't--roll four lines and three defensive pairs. "They've got guys that are not only good NHLers, but guys that contribute. They're all hard working guys, and I think you can see they're on a mission."
The Golden Knights are lead by William Karlsson (CLB,) Jonathan Marchessault (FLA) and James Neal (NSH) up front and three-time Stanley Cup winning goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) in net. Their top-pairing on defense consisted of Nate Schmidt, who was with Washington last season in a third-pairing role and was often a healthy scratch, and Brayden McNabb who struggled for minutes with the Kings before he was left unprotected and the Knights grabbed him.
This was a group dubbed 'The Golden Misfits' by rugged checking forward Ryan Reaves, a player labeled a dinosaur because of his old-school style of play who'd been cast aside by the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade. Vegas is lead by a coach in Gerard Gallant who might be construed as the ultimate throwaway. Gallant had coached the Florida Panthers to a franchise record 103 points in 2015-16 only to be kicked to the curb the following season. Literally. Gallant was fired while the Panthers were in Carolina and he was photographed with his bags on the curb hailing a taxi. He's kind of like King Moonracer on the Island of Misfit Toys.
What Gallant is doing isn't rocket science. In an age of analytics where numbers and schematics flood the game-plan, he kept it simple while molding his misfits into a force. Gallant is a players coach who expects his team to go full bore every shift of every game with the knowledge that his goaltending had to hold the fort, which Fleury and an array of other goalies did. From the get-go there's been a trust factor between coach, skaters and goalies.
In a nutshell, Vegas is not the most talented team but they bust their butts as a teamm are motivated by their coach and have been rewarded for their hard work and determination.
Back in the late-90's the Buffalo Sabres were in the same boat. Up-front they had the talented Miroslav Satan leading the charge and had Michael "Captain Crunch" Peca as their on-ice leader. The Sabres had Jason Wooley and Alexei Zhitnik on defense and a guy named Dominik Hasek in net who's considered one of the greatest goalies of all time. Lindy Ruff was their head coach and he, like Gallant, was a players coach. Ruff's players would run through a brick wall for him and it got them to Game-6 of the Stanley Cup Finals that year. On their way to the Finals the Sabres rolled through the Eastern Conference by sweeping Ottawa then defeating the Boston Bruins in six games before closing out the East in five games over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Even taking away the exact same records heading into the Finals, the Sabres and the Golden Knights are virtually the same team in different eras. Both played to their strengths, worked hard, relied on depth and goaltending, and played their style to an extreme. The Sabres had to battle through a clutch and grab era where toughness and grit were the norm and they did so with one of the toughest teams in hockey from top to bottom. The Knights play in an era of speed and not only are they one of the fastest teams in the league, they play the game fast. Both teams were relentless in their play and made it extremely difficult for the opposition and at the root of it all for both teams was what can only be described as an onslaught from the drop of the puck.
However, the rule in sports is that talent usually prevails. In '99 Dallas was lead by four Hall of Famers in Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Joe Nieuwendyk and goalie Ed Belfour, plus a little help from a blown Game-6 call. The Washington Capitals are lead by future Hall of Famer Alexander Ovechkin and a slew of others that are considered some of the best at their positions including goalie Brayden Holtby, defenseman John Carlson and forwards TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetzov.
None of this should take away from the accomplishments of either the Sabres or the Golden Knights. Nearly 20 years ago Ruff stood in front of City Hall as 20,000 Sabres fans thanked the team for a remarkable run (while also coining 'No Goal') and many more will be on hand in Vegas as they celebrate the team's historic inaugural season. Both were unexpected successes that made it far beyond anyone's expectations. What both teams lacked in talent, they more than made up for in heart. They both were lead by supreme motivators behind the bench, great goaltending and they fed off of their respective roles as underdogs.
Although the Caps still have one more win before relegating the Golden Knights to also-ran status, this Vegas team should be damn proud of what they've accomplished in their first season. An historic NHL season worthy of a parade, even without the Cup.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)