Tag Archives: 2016 NHL Draft

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Breaking News, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

Ducks Calling?

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conyak

Boy things are starting to move as we get closer to the draft, eh? Rumours be flying left and right! So let’s go with another quick hitter today guys! I’m going to comment on Taylor Hall, Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Nail Yakupov, and trading down.

Sami Vatanen Signs!

  • So there we have it. First it was Travis Hamonic rescinding his trade request, then it was Justin Faulk being pulled off the market, after that Avs head honcho Joe Sakic said Tyson Barrie wasn’t going anywhere, and now we’re at this point. Sami Vatanen is NOW the Anaheim Ducks most paid defenseman.
  • Every major right-handed defenseman the Edmonton Oilers are pursuing is becoming unavailable IF you believe what the GMs are saying.
  • Where do the Oilers go from here?
  • Well I guess that is a plus. Edmonton can still trade for Vatanen. But what about going after Cam Fowler or Josh Manson?
  • Fowler was a name that was being tossed around a bit in trade rumours last season as the guy Ducks’ brass was less than enamoured with. He was Taylor Hall’s teammate when they won the Memorial Cup together along with Zach Kassian.
  • I guess it all depends on your definition of “High quality left winger”. Is Taylor Hall that guy? Lowetide often speaks of the Hampus Lindholm for Hall scenario but you’d have to think that if Anaheim isn’t willing to give Lindholm $6M per year, why would he give that to Hall? And Lindholm is tracking as a future no.1 defender. So I could see why the Oilers would want him but that’s the same reason the Ducks won’t be letting him go.
  • But let’s say that was a deal that happened, what would that mean for Oscar Klefbom, Brandon Davidson or Darnell Nurse? Would we see Klefbom moved to Brooklyn for Hamonic?
  • Perhaps that Pouliot package may very well still be alive. Why Pouliot though?
  • Jason Gregor reported that Pouliot was rumoured to be going to the Ducks last year at the deadline WITH Nail Yakupov before his injury scuttled that deal. One can only at least speculate talks would resume this off-season.
  • Speaking of Nail Yakupov, how many of you think that he’s already been dealt and we’re just waiting for the announcement on draft day? The rumours are becoming stronger that he’s going to Philly but I have a hard time believing that one.
  • I wonder though, could Detroit get in on him? Maybe offering towering winger Anthony Mantha? Mantha hasn’t progressed at the pace the brass in Michigan have expected after tearing up the QMJHL.
  • There’s a connection there too. Yakupov’s agent, Igor Larionov, played many a year for the wheeled wing.
  • Would Montreal take a flyer on him and pair him up with his junior centre, Alex Galchenyuk? Perhaps dangling Nikita Scherbak or Jacob de la Rose?
  • Personally I think that Chiarelli would like to get a 1st rounder and perhaps a prospect. Yak’s contract is a value one given the potential he still has and it’s only for one more season expiring at the end of the upcoming season.
  • The team that acquires Yakupov would still have him under control I believe for another three years? But don’t quote me on that. I’m not too well versed in the regard.
  • If Arizona adds to that offer that was bandied about earlier this week (the #7 and #20 overall), I think there’s a good chance we could see the #4 pick moved.
  • And if that happens, I feel that it’s Mikhail Sergachev that will be picked at #7. His junior coach was a former member of the Oilers coaching staff and rising star in the coaching fraternity, Rocky Thompson.
  • As for the no.20… I had Arizona taking University of Wisconsin forward Luke Kunin in my mock draft here.
  • You’d have to think though that Chiarelli would be tempted into taking Connor McDavid’s old junior linemate in Erie. The uber-scoring Alex Debrincat.
  • God knows that the Oilers need some depth scoring coming up through the pipeline and Debrincat would be a blessing from Mana. Adding him to Slepyshev and Caggiula.
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Brennen York, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

WHL Players to Watch

Another exciting season of WHL hockey is right around the corner, and with main camps kicking off this week, the anticipation of opening night is almost unbearable. There are tons of enticing storylines to watch for as the season gets underway, and the one I will be watching the closest is how the 2016 draft eligibles will perform. Over at DraftGeek.ca, we currently list six WHL’ers in our top thirty which is somewhat underwhelming, however I fully expect to see Sam Steel, Tyler Benson, and Jake Bean’s stock rise over the course of the year, meaning we could see three WHL players in the top ten come draft week. Aside from the draft eligibles, there’s a laundry list of players to keep an eye on this season for a number of different reasons.

Mathew Barzal (C) – Seattle Thunderbirds

After an injury plagued campaign in 2015, Mathew Barzal has possibly the most to prove out of any Western Hockey League player. Barzal will be a huge threat this year as his elite level puck skills and vision make him a dangerous junior hockey player. The T-Birds are a team on the rise with a good, young core in place; it’s possible we see them take over as the top squad in the U.S division. Though they will lose veterans like Shea Theodore, Roberts Lipsbergs, and Justin Hickman, players like Nolan Volcan, Gropp, Kolesar, and Bear will be able to pick up the slack, and along with Barzal carry the team into the playoffs.

Nolan Patrick (C) – Brandon Wheat Kings

Nolan Patrick may be the next superstar to come from the WHL. Since Ryan Nugent Hopkins, the WHL has lacked in elite talent near the top of the draft order, and I’m not saying they haven’t been producing great talent, there just hasn’t been a Jonathan Toews or Steven Stamkos level prospect come around for a while. That changes with Nolan Patrick. I believe he’s the next one. Nolan brings a unique package to the Wheat Kings in that he’s as good of a goal scorer as he is a puck distributor. He has a big frame and gets around the ice extremely well. The Wheaties will push for a memorial cup this season, and it will be on the back of Nolan Patrick.

Carter Hart (G) – Everett Silvertips

The 2014/15 season was an interesting one for the young netminder. Playing behind a veteran goaltender usually means you won’t see a ton of starts, and it’ll be a while before you see time as a regular. Carter had a different story to write. After unseating Austin Lotz as the starter late into the season, Hart ran with the starting gig throughout the playoffs posting a .929 save percentage along the way. Coming off a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament, expect Carter to come into the season with a ton of confidence. Without anyone to really push for the job, I fully expect Carter to run with the job and finish top 10 in the league.

Conner Bleackley (C) – Red Deer Rebels

It wouln’t be a huge surprise to see Bleackley stick around in Colorado this season, but with the additions of Carl Soderberg and Mikhail Grigorenko, it’s more likely he suits up for the Rebels this season. With a lack of game breaking forwards up front, Bleackley will be heavily relied upon as the key offensive spark plug for the Mem Cup hosts. Conner is a strong two way player who isn’t necessarily considered an offensive minded player, but this will be the year we get to watch him emerge as a dominant junior hockey player. If all goes well for Conner, his offensive totals will be in the 70 point range. If he can prove to be a reliable point producer this season, it’s likely he’s brought in as a third line NHL’er next season.

Of course there are a ton of players who will play key roles on their clubs this season, but if I were to list every player who’s poised to have a breakout campaign I’d be writing for weeks. In a year that almost any team will be able to push for a playoff spot, I think this will be a very exciting season, and I can’t wait to get things rolling.

Edmonton Oilers, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects

2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Awards

Today Brayden Sullivan (@sullydraftgeek) blesses us with his 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Awards for MVP, Best Forward, Best Defenceman, Best Goaltender, and Best 2017 Draft Eligible!

MVP: Tyler Benson
(Runners up: Michael McLeod, Jacob Cederholm)

Tyler Benson

The current Vancouver Giant was a beast throughout the tournament for Canada. He finished

the tournament tied for 3rd in scoring with 6 points in 5 games (2 Goals, 4 Assists) and with the game winning goal in the gold medal game. He beats out his team mate Michael McLeod for   this award because he was much more consistent then McLeod was and much more utilized/relied on.Another part that helped him was that he didn’t take a single penalty the whole tournament and drew a few penalties that helped his team win.

The thing he brought most to Canada was his playmaking abilities while still being somewhat physical, as he was a player who won a lot of his battles in the corner and always found the open man. As a 2016 draft eligible, Tyler is ranked very high as he currently sits ranked at 7th overall by Future Considerations and 14th by DraftGeek. It will be interesting to see how Tyler plays this year in Vancouver, under a new coach, and how he will be able to maintain his draft stock on a weaker team in the WHL.

Top Forward: Alexander Nylander
(Runner up: Sam Steel, Nikita Popugaev)

Alexander Nylander: Better than William?

Alexander Nylander’s current CHL rights are owned by the Mississauga Steelheads, as they took him 12th overall in the 2015 CHL import draft. His USHL rights are owned by Dubuque Fighting Saints. I predict that he will commit to Mississauga and have a great year playing alongside Canadian, Michael McLeod.

Going into the tournament Nylander was a player that everyone had their eyes on and was someone who everyone knew would play a lot for Sweden. He always seemed to be on the ice for Sweden and was easily one of the most skilled players in this tournament. He was a very quick and creative player throughout the tournament and he always showed that he wanted the puck on his stick. As the tournament progressed his skill did not decline but his shot started to become more of a weapon and he ended his tournament by scoring a great goal on a shot in slot that went over the shoulder of the Canadian goalie in the gold medal game.

Going into his draft year I hope that Nylander chooses the right team to commit to and gets the attention throughout the year that he deserves.

Top Defenseman: Jacob Cederholm
(Runner Up: Kale Clague, Libor Hajek, Markus Niemelainen)

Jacob Cederholm

The 6’3 Swedish defenseman was a wall for his national team, he was heavily relied upon and was by far the top defenseman in this tournament.

Cederholm is a big strong two way defenseman who is very good defensively but also brings high end puck moving skills. He possesses a very long stride which allows him to get to pucks first before using his body. He was someone who played crucial minutes for the Swedish side. He also came on as a leader through the tournament and took on the responsibility of captain. Jacob Cederholm beats out 3 high scoring blueliners to this award because of the way that he was relied upon and how he always rose to the occasion.

For the 2016 draft eligible the giant Swede is ranked 17th on DraftGeek’s new draft rankings, he should suit up this season with HV71 in the SHL but if not he will be a dominant force on their J20 team.

Top Goalie: Severi Isokangas
(Runner Up: Vladislav Sukhachev, Filip Gustavsson)

Severi Isokangas

The reason Isokangas beats out all goalies to this award is because how he makes himself look big in his net and how calm he looked at all times.

He finished the tournament with a 1.77 GAA and a .920 SVG % through 4 games and put himself 4th in goalie statistics. He’s a 6’1 goalie who is currently committed to Karpat in the Finnish league and will most likely play with their U20 team once again. Although Finland did not take home a medal in this tournament he was the true reason why they finished on top of group B and the reason why they made it to those semi-final games.

Isokangas is currently ranked 2nd amongst all goalies going into the 2016 draft by DraftGeek, right behind Sweden’s goaltender Filip Gustavsson. Through the 2015-2016 year it will be fun to see Severi playing up and down the Karpat junior system, looking for every starting opportunity he can get with the team as a 17 year old.

Best 2017 Draft Eligible: Nico Hischier
(Runner Up: Nolan Patrick, Kailer Yamamoto)

Nico Hischier

The final award goes to Nico Hischier as the top 2017 draft eligible through this tournament. As one of only a few 1999’s in this tournament, Hischier surpassed all expectations set and was by far the best player for a 7th place Switzerland side.

He finished the tournament tied for 3rd in scoring with 6 points in 4 games (3 goals; 3 assists), and was far and away one of the best forwards in this tournament. A strong playmaker who also possess some two way in his game, as he is always the deepest forward in his own zone. His skating was much better than anyone else’s on his team and playmaking abilities were heavily utilized by the Swiss. He was the most played player on his team and was always on the ice in the last 5 minutes, regardless of the score.

He beats out two of the top 5 2017 draft eligible, Canadian Nolan Patrick and American Kailer Yamamoto because of how he dominant he was on a 7th place team and how he always stood out in the games he played in. It will be good to see if Nico makes the switch over to NA hockey in the coming years and if he can push to be a top pick in the 2017 draft.

I wonder if any of these guys will be wearing an Edmonton Oilers jersey someday? Benson is a local boy but I’d be more than disappointed if Edmonton was in a position to draft him next summer.

Big thanks to Brayden Sulluvan for working his ass off to bring us coverage from the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. It’s been a real pleasure working with him and reading his posts! So I urge you to head over to DraftGeek.ca for all your NHL draft information. I know Brennen and Brayden and they are top guys who know their stuff when it comes to the draft! Follow them on Twitter too @draftgeekDOTca and @sullydraftgeek.

And don’t forget to check out Jack Gruninger‘s Season Primer series. He’s up to Colorardo now and all we’ve gotten is rave reviews regarding the team previews! You don’t want to skip these ones! Check out his latest here!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a good day!

Take Care!

– BLH (@beerleagueheroe)