Speculating from an Oilers fan’s perspective, BLH comments on the latest NHL news and rumors feat. Tyler Johnson, Steven Stamkos, Wayne Simmonds, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and many more!
"I expect a contract announcement really any day here between the #Oilers and Puljujarvi." – Mark Spector (Sportsnet) pic.twitter.com/Q54SxXXdRD
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) October 7, 2020
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The News and Rumors
Pierre LeBrun (TSN): The Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens both have genuine interest in Wayne Simmonds. It would have to be a reasonable contract but he’d be a good fit for both clubs.
BLH’s Thoughts: I really like Wayne Simmonds. He’s not the guy he used to be back in the day that everyone feared but he’s a very serviceable bottom-six winger who’ll provide excellent depth and a really good net-front presence on a second-unit PP. Oh, and he’s still one of the toughest players in the league.
Ryan Rishaug (TSN): After a quiet weekend, wouldn’t be surprised if things pick up on the RNH contract front this week. The Puljujarvi situation should be clarified as well.
BLH’s Thoughts: My feeling is that Oilers management is planning this season’s offseason with next year’s at the forefront of their mind and want to know how big of a piece of the pie RNH is going to be getting. Also, if they aren’t even close, maybe Ken Holland gets a little more aggressive with some other moves like Taylor Hall or an elite defender.
James Mirtle (The Athletic): Kyle Clifford turned down an offer from the Maple Leafs for a 3yr deal at over $1M AAV. He’s coming off of a $1.6M deal and he’ll be going to market.
BLH’s Thoughts: Can you see a team giving him $1.6M on a deal in this financial climate? He should’ve taken the money I reckon. Don’t get me wrong, Clifford is a fine 4th line grinder who I’ve heard is fantastic in the locker room and those Stanley Cup rings look good, but it’s not the right year to be looking to make bank if you’re playing under 12 minutes a game.
Bob McKenzie (TSN): Word on the street is the Washington Capitals are the clear front runner to sign Henrik Lundqvist. It would presumably be a short-term, bargain contract.
Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): The NHL is planning for a new “target date” to start next season on January 1st. Not a guarantee it starts then, but that’s where they stand now.
BLH’s Thoughts: Good luck with that starting date. I haven’t heard anything on the CAN/US border lately and things aren’t looking rosy in either country COVID-wise…
David Pagnotta (The Fourth Period): Plenty of chatter around Buffalo lately. Sabres actively trying to trade for a top-six scorer. Have been linked to Nick Schmaltz and Jake DeBrusk.
BLH’s Thoughts: Personally, I like DeBrusk for the Sabres better. I’m thinking Dylan Cozens is going to make the club as their 3C or if not there take one of their RW slots. This is a club that needs players who give a shit. Similar to Edmonton. They’ve got to nip this “losing culture” vibe in the bud and fast while Rasmus Dahlin and Jack Eichel are still happy to play there.
More Pagnotta: Tampa is trying to get a 1st round pick as part of a deal for 30yr old Tyler Johnson or Alex Killorn and teams are balking.
BLH’s Thoughts: HAHAHAHAH! I suppose it doesn’t hurt to ask but man. That’s reaching. I’m betting that they’ll be paying to get rid of one or both of those players. Maybe if it’s enough, Edmonton gets in the action for one of them.
The Oilers Speculation
I don’t know what’s going to happen today for sure. I’ll be asleep while day two of the draft takes place, so hopefully, Mr. Holland has a few moves up his sleeve.
I’d love to see the Oilers take a swing on some high skill forwards if they’re available like Alexander Pashin (Tolpar Ufa), Daniil Guschin (Niagara Ice Dogs), Daniel Torgersson (Frolunda), Theodor Niederbach (Frolunda), Emil Heineman (Leksands), Tyler Tullio (Oshawa Generals), Tristen Robins (Saskatoon Blades), James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads), Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion), and Oskar Magnusson (Malmo).
If he’s going for defensemen in the later rounds, I really like Ethan Edwards (Spruce Grove Saints), Tyler Kleven (USNTDP), Michael Benning (Sherwood Park Crusaders), and Luke Prokop (Calgary Hitmen).
As for goalies, I’m not sure they’ll go for one but they could land one of the better ones with their 3rd rounder in Joel Blomqvist (Karpat) or just wait until the 7th rounder and go for an overager like they did last year.
As it is, I’m looking forward to waking in a few hours up to some earth-shattering news but knowing the NHL, I won’t be shocked if nothing happens.
I’ll be posting my thoughts on the Oilers draft probably tomorrow or the day after when everything is all said and done and I’m not competing with the other blogs to see who can have their analysis up first.
Have a good one!
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Today’s news and speculation from the NHL includes notes on Oscar Klefbom, Alex Pietrangelo, Tyson Barrie, Taylor Hall, Bobby Ryan, Andrei Svechnikov, and much more!
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The News and Rumors
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams: “People make calls and ask about players every day. My job is to listen. We’re not looking to do anything with Jack Eichel.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Adams doesn’t want to be the GM who traded Jack Eichel… It never works out for a manager when he deals his franchise player. Although the Sabres have a history of doing it.
In my opinion, Buffalo needs to bring in a #1 goalie. They always seem to do good when they’ve got one, even when the rest of the club looks questionable. Adding Eric Staal was an elite move in the right direction I believe.
Bobby Ryan on the Flyers: “It would be very, very high on my list and hard to top… A lot of elements about playing there are very attractive.
BLH’s Thoughts: I think this would be a fantastic story and a fairy tale ending to an epic career for Ryan. That said, I don’t know how much interest the Flyers would have in him. I would think that he would want to go to a club where he could play in the top-9 and be in a position to win a Stanley Cup. Maybe if Tampa could get their finances in gear, that could be a destination.
Blackhawks VP of Am. Scouting Mark Kelley says they’re having discussions about trading up from 17th but it’s more hypotheticals right now.
BLH’s Thoughts: There’s chatter out there that the Oilers will consider trading down. I don’t know how much of a return you’re going to get to drop three spots, mind you.
Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): Among the teams suspected of eyeing goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in the top-15 of the draft; Ottawa, New Jersey, Carolina, and Edmonton.
BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t know if he’s going to be around when Edmonton is selecting. Ottawa is drafting 5th, New Jersey is 7th, and Carolina is at 13th overall. It’s more likely that a player like Anton Lundell drops and I hope Edmonton jumps all over that! He may not be a great skater (Draisaitl wasn’t either), but his IQ is off the charts. I see a lot of Sean Couturier/Mikko Koivu in this player.
Friedman Cont: Word is Carolina was willing to look at 8x$7.5M on a Svechnikov deal but he wants to bet on himself to do even better. It might end up being a bridge deal.
BLH’s Thoughts: I dig this from the Russian kid. What 20yr old spurns $60M to say, “I can get more!”? AWESOME! I hope it works out for him.
More Friedman: Patric Hornqvist didn’t want to accept the trade to Florida but Pittsburgh said they might have to waive him and realized Florida wanted him, so he went.
Michael Russo (The Athletic): Teams that may have interest in Mikko Koivu? Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins.
BLH’s Thoughts: Add the Oilers to the list of clubs who might have interest in Mikko Koivu. Especially if Puljujarvi is coming back.
Kevin Kurz (The Athletic): There are some real legs to the Sharks interest in Ryan Donato and Devan Dubnyk. It feels like we “could” be looking at some sort of package deal for both.
BLH’s Thoughts: I read that the Panthers could have interest in Donato as well. Maybe a Henrik Borgstrom/Donato swap could take place since Paul Fenton (former Wild GM) is now employed by Florida.
Craig Custance (The Athletic): Multiple teams have called Florida about the potential availability of goaltending prospect Spencer Knight. Multiple teams have been completely shut down.
The Oil Stream Podcast: Oscar Klefbom is considering his hockey future after suffering a chronic shoulder injury that could keep him out all year.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve been told by multiple sources there is NO truth to this at all. Who do you believe? The guys who’ve been in the locker room with Klefbom or the ones on the outside with connections to management/coaching?
The fact of the matter is, Klefbom has a few years left on his contract. There’s no way he’s going to forfeit that at his age. He might be down because his shoulder is a mess and the pandemic doesn’t have him clamoring to return to North America, but he’ll stay in Sweden, get the surgery, be out for the 2020-21 season and return as healthy as an ox for 2021-22.
Mike Morreale (NHL.com): The NJ Devils may pursue Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo if he hits free agency this off-season.
BLH’s Thoughts: It’s a good plan but they’ve got $9.5M PK Subban on the books. Are they really going to have $18M in salary locked up in two right-shot d-men? Now, if they can find a way to move Subban and his bulbous contract, Pietrangelo to New Jersey makes much more sense.
Frank Seravalli (TSN): The Boston Bruins could be a good fit for Taylor Hall when he hits free agency this off-season.
Kurt Leavins (The Cult of Hockey): Taylor Hall is willing to sign a 1yr “show me” deal worth $6M or $7M. He’s willing to go somewhere and say, “See. I’m an MVP-quality player.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Leavins added that the Oilers would’ve been in on Hall had the pandemic not hit…
If Boston is going after Hall, that surely means Jake DeBrusk is out? OR because we’re living in uncertain times, is Brad Marchand possibly on the outs?
Darren Dreger (TSN): Jack Eichel has told the team he doesn’t want to rebuild. Trade rumors could heat up if they aren’t in playoff contention by the trade deadline.
BLH’s Thoughts: Have you got your popcorn ready? The Sabres have a quarter of their roster signed passed this season… Could they really throw together a team via trades and free agency and be expected to be playoff contenders?
Pierre LeBrun (TSN): The Lightning are already taking calls. They need to clear $10M in three weeks. Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde are trade candidates.
BLH’s Thoughts: How good would either Johnson or Gourde look in an Oilers jersey? A couple of high-character buzzsaws would really inject some energy into the club’s middle-six.
The Oilers Speculation
Last night I had a ton of stuff thrown at me and if you follow me on Twitter (@beerleagueheroe), you probably have read it by now. But for those of you who haven’t, here ya go:
IF the Oilers can get the money together, they’ll be in on Alex Pietrangelo.
Despite Oscar Klefbom’s injury, there’s still a chance that the Oilers could move a top-4 defenseman for a package that includes a first-round pick at the draft next week.
The Oilers have NOT made an offer on Oliver Ekman-Larsson but they have great interest in the player. However, they are VERY reluctant to move either Philip Broberg or Evan Bouchard in a trade to bring the Coyotes defenseman to Edmonton.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is NOT being shopped but the Oilers are listening to offers. There’s no urge to move him and in fact, they’d like to get him signed to a long-term deal so he can retire a lifelong Edmonton Oiler.
Jesse Puljujarvi’s KHL rights were traded to SKA yesterday… That’s a team that could pay him as much as the Oilers are looking to…
Bob Stauffer continues to throw Tyson Barrie’s name out there but I’m getting mixed messages as to what the defenseman is looking for in a contract. Some say he wants a 1yr “show me” deal and others say he wants a 4yr deal.
If you’re Barrie, are you going to Edmonton on a 1yr deal or to Anaheim or Vegas on a multi-year one?
Speaking of Stauffer, when a texter sent him a message regarding Jake DeBrusk, he said, “We’ll see…” Keep an eye on that one.
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Today’s news and speculation from the NHL includes notes on Jack Eichel, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Petr Mrazek, Jaden Schwartz, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, next week’s 2020 NHL draft, and much more!
— Late Night With Uncle PARODY Pants George Parros (@SafetyNhlParros) September 30, 2020
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The News and Rumors
Andrew Gross (Newsday): Isles GM Lou Lamoriello: Casey Cizikas, Adam Pelech, and Tom Kuhnackl all had surgeries but will be ready for camp. More players will be available around the NHL that most people think.
TSN690: Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin says he’d be willing to trade prospects/1st round picks (or packages) “tonight.” Nothing is close, “it takes two to tango.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Bergevin also said in that interview that there’s nothing on the free-agent market that could fill his team’s needs. He expanded by saying he just doesn’t believe making one UFA signing will have a huge impact on your team, believes you can add players that can help via UFA, complimentary players.
So, no more Taylor Hall to the Habs?
Aaron Portzline (The Athletic): Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen wants new deals for Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Anderson signed quickly so he can get to off-season upgrades.
BLH’s Thoughts: The word is that Columbus wants to add some skill to the roster. Jesse Puljujarvi has been connected to the Blue Jackets in rumors recently but I wonder if they’d be more open to someone like Evgeni Dadonov. A little more expensive but you know what you’re getting.
Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer): Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher says the “mindset” is to pick at 23rd overall but he’d consider moving it in a package to acquire a high-scoring forward.
BLH’s Thoughts: Patrik Laine is one name that Philly is rumored to be interested in. Surely that pick alongside some prospects and a couple of roster players would be enough to interest Winnipeg.
Darren Dreger (TSN): There’s a lot of interest in Jake Virtanen. Canucks would like to keep him but are intrigued by the interest. Virtanen is looking at 2yrs @ $3M on his next deal.
BLH’s Thoughts: Bob Stauffer floated out a Puljujarvi/Virtanen proposal weeks ago. I’m not sure if the interest is still there mind you. Virtanen is right on the cusp of breaking out but he seems to be having a helluva time with the coaching staff and management in Vancouver. He could be a really nice pick-up for a team looking for a fast power-forward on the wing.
More Dreger: The Oilers have had preliminary discussions with the Arizona Coyotes regarding Oliver Ekman-Larsson but the cap-hit is going to be a challenge for the Oilers to overcome.
Patrick Johnston (Vancouver Sun): The Edmonton Oilers are a team to keep an eye on. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could be on the move.
BLH’s Thoughts: Preliminary discussions?! Ha! They’ve been talking for weeks. Some folks were started to connect Johnston’s RNH comment with Dreger’s and panic ensued on Twitter with Oilers fans going ballistic thinking that Edmonton was trading RNH for OEL…
I wouldn’t discount that sort of trade outright though…
Bruce Garrioch (TSN): Senators Chief scout Trent Mann says they’ll pick either Quinton Byfield or Tim Stutzle at 3rd overall. Teams have been calling to move up to 5th and Ottawa is listening.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Sens would be daft to move the 5th overall. Take the best defenseman or the best goalie and be done with it.
Craig Morgan (The Athletic): Lightning assistant director of scouting Darryl Plandowski is in the mix for the role with Arizona. Same goes for Buffalo DoS Ryan Jankowski.
Jeremy Rutherford (The Athletic): Jaden Schwartz’s situation is worth monitoring in the next weeks. Doesn’t sound like St. Louis wants to trade him, but his value may never be higher.
BLH’s Thoughts: Schwartz is one year from being an unrestricted free agent. So I agree, there may be no better time to trade him. Lol.
Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): “Don’t think Jack Eichel is traded before next season. Buffalo already paid him $7.5M (signing bonus), they’ve told teams they see no point in trading him right now.
Nick Kypreos: Buffalo Sabres Forward Jack Eichel has told the club that he is open to playing elsewhere, but hasn’t requested a trade.
BLH’s Thoughts: Considering that the Sabres are looking to cut as much expenditure as possible, it’s not shocking that Eichel’s name would come up. But you’d have to think that if Sabres ownership wants to make some money in the future, they’ll keep their franchise player.
David Schoen (Las Vegas Review Journal): The Vegas Golden Knights will heavily pursue Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo this off-season if he hits free agency.
More Schoen: Other defenseman options for the Golden Knights are Tyson Barrie, Dylan DeMelo, Brendan Dillon, Travis Hamonic, and Sami Vatanen.
BLH’s Thoughts: Some say to keep an eye on the Oilers this off-season, but I reckon Vegas is going to be the club to watch. They want to make some big moves and have very little cap space to do it. With an owner as ambitious as theirs, how much of the future is willing to sacrifice to stay at the top?
Eric Duhatschek (The Athletic): The Winnipeg Jets could take a chance on Columbus defender Ryan Murray with center Jack Roslovic possibly going the other way.
BLH’s Thoughts: I dunno about this one. Could the Jets find someone as good as Murray on the free agent market and for a bit cheaper? Maybe a “success by committee” approach would be prudent next season?
Pierre LeBrun (TSN): The Oilers have shown interest in Darcy Kuemper, Matt Murray, and are keeping an eye on Jacob Markstrom. Petr Mrazek is a secondary option in case the primary ones fall through.
BLH’s Thoughts: If Markstrom is looking for $6M+ I can’t see the Oilers wanting anything to do with that unless they decide to move on from Mikko Koskinen. Even Matt Murray is a bit concerning when thinking about how much he’s looking for and considering that Ken Holland is probably only looking to spend about $7.5M on his netminders. Kuemper is going to cost a 1st rounder (more on that below) and surely there will be better (and cheaper) goalies than Mrazek available.
More LeBrun: The Lightning could surprise everyone here, they may move a player that no one expected they would move.
BLH’s Thoughts: As I watched Tampa pass the Cup around the other night, I wondered if Ryan McDonagh might be the one that gets moved but he’s got a NTC. So that nixes that idea. What if it’s Brayden Point? Two more seasons at a shade over $6M and then he’s going to make bank. Would the Lightning cash in on that kind of trade with an eye towards the future? Sounds dumb, right? He’s got no trade protection though…
The Oilers Speculation
I’ve had two sources tell me that the Oilers could very well trade one of their top-four defensemen for a package that includes a 1st round pick in 2020. I’m not sure if that’s all the return would be but that would be part of it.
Bob Stauffer (630CHED) has talked about the Oilers trading down recently but I talked to another very well respected source that said not to count on that happening because the expectation is that a very good player is going to drop to the Oilers at 14th overall. The thought is that Seth Jarvis, Jack Quinn, Yaroslav Askarov, AND Braden Schneider will climb into the top-13 and if that happens maybe a player like Anton Lundell, Alexander Holtz, or Marco Rossi will be there when Edmonton is picking.
Now enjoy this semi-hypothetical I’ve got for you…
This morning I woke up and the first thing that came to mind was what if the Oilers moved a defenseman to another team with multiple 1st rounders (NJ has 18th and 20th overall) and then traded down with Ottawa to get their 28th, 33rd, and 58th picks?
Yesterday, I spoke about a Jake DeBrusk rumor that was out there and one of my sources out East figured that the Bruins would probably just want the picks/prospects in order to have more room to add Taylor Hall.
If the Oilers had an extra 1st and an extra 2nd, that puts them in a much better position to go after DeBrusk and a goalie like Matt Murray. Plus they would still have another 1st rounder and potentially another 2nd rounder to use on prospects or to bring in a replacement for the departing defender.
So to summarize,
Edmonton sends Oscar Klefbom to New Jersey for the 18th overall pick and Pavel Zacha (for example)
Edmonton sends their 14th overall pick and Kris Russell (2020) to Ottawa for the 28th, 33rd, and 58th overall picks (2020)
Edmonton uses the 18th overall and Alex Chiasson to acquire Jake DeBrusk from the Bruins.
Edmonton uses the 33rd overall pick from Ottawa and Cooper Marody to bring in Matt Murray and Juuso Rikola from the Penguins.
I threw in some extra names to make it interesting but you get the gist (I hope).
At this point, the Oilers would still have to move some pieces around if they hoped to bring in Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Maybe that’s a “Darnell Nurse and a 2021 first-rounder” sort of trade with Arizona eating a couple million to make it work.
My oh my. I’ll admit, that’s an awful lot of wishful thinking though. That said, it accomplishes the following:
Brings in a big-bodied third-line center.
Changes the overall makeup of the defense.
Gives the club a starting netminder.
Upgrades the LW and top-six overall.
It’s a roster that stays under the cap if DeBrusk and Murray are given $5M/yr and ARI eats $2M of OEL’s deal.
Hello, Heroes! Welcome back to another round of draft talk.
Last time, I promised you guys a top-100 ranking which you can find in the images below.
Additionally, an early mock lottery draft was promised and here that is, as well. Thanks to the folks at tankathon.com for providing a draft simulator – in which: San Jose, Montreal, and Anaheim moved up into the top-3 spots, respectively.
This couldn’t have worked out better for Ottawa who are in need of a quick rebuild with a big ol’ Band-Aid to cover up their scars. While teams are always looking to build down the middle, Lafreniere’s potential as a franchise-level talent matches, if not exceeds, that of a first-line center.
BLH’s Pick: No doubt, the Sens take the elite goal-scoring Lafreniere here and hope he doesn’t turn out like the last one they picked 1st overall… I don’t even know who to compare this guy to. He shoots like Stamkos, handles the puck like Nugent-Hopkins, sees the ice like Crosby, and hits like Tkachuk. He’s also got that “it” factor so many people respect Jonathan Toews for. He’ll be an impact player immediately.
Montreal have been looking for a new face of their club and a true #1-Centerman to anchor their top-6, and Byfield is the godsend they’ve been praying for. With ideal NHL size and skill, already, I’d expect Montreal wouldn’t waste time getting him into the line-up – possibly alongside Max Domi.
BLH’s Pick: If this is how the draft lottery played out, I wonder how hard Marc Bergevin would work to try and get to 1st overall? That said, he has to go with the next Evgeni Malkin here in Byfield. The way that this behemoth controls the ice when he has the puck will leave Habs fans with mouths agape on a nightly basis. Montreal would surely be a team to reckon within three years having Byfield, Suzuki, and Kotkaniemi as part of their spine.
I don’t know why but the Ducks seem to always select the player I’d like the Kings to select. Anywho, Stutzle has risen in many rankings and holds a solid billing as a top-5 selection. Anaheim adds another offensive, playmaking, dynamo into their system – a strong 1-2-punch with Trevor Zegras.
BLH’s Pick: I’m not sold Stutzle will get taken this high nor would Anaheim take him. They’ve got lots of talent coming at forward but nothing really on defense. Jamie Drysdale makes a lot of sense here for the Ducks in my opinion. A slick puck-moving defender whose hockey IQ is off the charts. Anybody else reminded of ex-Duck Scott Neidermayer here?
Detroit is still in the midst of a full-on rebuild and it likely won’t be another 3-5 seasons until they’re back to being the club that made the playoffs 25 years in a row. Goaltenders take a bit longer than skaters to develop and, by the time Detroit’s ready to make a run, Askarov will fit in nicely like a custom fit glove.
BLH’s Pick: Now here I could see Steve Yzerman going with another German. Stutzle is flashy and clever like Stevie Y used to be and the Red Wings will be envisioning a 1-2 punch of Zadina and Stutzle driving them to future Stanley Cups. Throw Joe Veleno in there and someday Detroit might have a line that could remind folks of who they’ve got running the show in Boston right now.
The Kings end up with the worst scenario, again, falling from the 2nd-overall slot down to the 5th. But, with Raymond still on the board, the Kings may have found their final piece to their future-forward puzzle. LA hasn’t been shy about their affinity with Swedish-born prospects and Raymond seems like a natural fit.
BLH’s Pick: I agree with Keith here. Raymond terrorizing defenses on the wing alongside Alex Turcotte will provide maximum entertainment for years to come. This guy should probably be a top-3 pick to be honest, but for whatever reason, he’s not been able to stick. He doesn’t get a lot of TOI with his team in the SHL mind you. So I would say that has something to do with it but he sure impresses on the international stage. Such a smart and talented hockey player.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Devils continue to build up their prospect pool with as much forward talent as they can get their hands on, but Drysdale’s offensive skillset from the backend could prove to be the point producer that New Jersey is seeking.
BLH’s Pick: Alexander Holtz would give the Devils a ridiculous youth core and NJ a bonafide scoring threat from the wing and a target man for Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. If you like Filip Forsberg, you’re going to love Holtz.
It doesn’t matter who Ottawa picks on day two as both the selections of Alexis Lafreniere and Marco Rossi should be enough to reward the Senators with an A+ draft grade. In my early number run, both are leading ALL prospects in points. That should sound like a symphony to the Ottawa contingency.
BLH’s Pick: I can’t argue with taking Rossi here. Last time they had the chance to pick a hometown boy, it was Cody Ceci. Even with centers like Logan Brown, Josh Norris, and Filip Chlapik on the brink of making the team, you can never have enough high-end pivots but none of the aforementioned have the vision and playmaking abilities that Rossi has. Lafreniere will need someone of equal intelligence and skill to be feeding him the puck too.
Like LA, Buffalo has a lot of love for the Swedes and is looking to fill the last hole (or two) in their forward core of the future. Holtz would apply to both categories and, as arguably this draft’s best sniper, could bolster Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt, and Dylan Cozens’ points when they hit a scoring slump.
BLH’s Pick: I reckon center Anton Lundell would be a good pick for the Sabres here. In my opinion, he’s going to be a great two-way forward when he achieves his potential and Buffalo will need someone reliable on the 2nd line. On the other hand, it wouldn’t shock me if they traded this pick for immediate help given the disaster they’ve got on their hands right now.
I don’t need to elaborate much further… This just sounds right, doesn’t it?!
BLH’s Pick: Charlie Coyle much, Keith? I’m not sure Holloway goes this early. That said, they like their College boys there. I see them taking Cole Perfetti here though. They’ve already had plenty of looks at him since he’s a teammate of Wild prospect Damien Giroux, so it’ll be a comfortable pick for them. Perfetti will give them a player who’s positionally flexible and can contribute with the shot or the pass. A very smart player here who could help transform this team.
10. New York Rangers – Noel Gunler (RW) – Lulea, SHL
Every year, you’ll hear/see the word “polarizing” appear next to various prospects’ names and such is the case for Gunler. Still, this offensively gifted Winger has some grit and bite in his game, a solid combination of skills that should make him a favorite amongst the blue shirt faithful.
BLH’s Pick: Here’s a team that seems tailor-made for forward Dylan Holloway. He’s not as strong and powerful as Chris Kreider right now, but he could get there. I really feel like he could give New York a twin threat with him and Kakko. Now, if Kreider decides to re-sign with the Rangers, he’ll be a perfect mentor for Holloway.
Having fallen much further than he should have, the Blackhawks select Lundell in what could be the steal of this draft. The solid, two-way, Centerman’s upside is as high as he wants it to be. With both Lundell and Kirby Dach as their future anchors down the middle, Chicago’s future looks very, VERY, bright.
BLH’s Pick: With Corey Crawford and Robin Lehner offering more question marks than exclamation marks, I think they’ll should take uber-goalie Yaroslav Askarov here and solidify their netminding future. If he can be as good as that guy over in Tampa, the Hawks could return to domination sooner than later.
12. Winnipeg Jets – Jan Mysak (C/LW) – Hamilton, OHL
The Winnipeg Jets seem to be a cultural melting pot and their winning ways are reflected in their decisions to draft the best player available, in each draft class. Mysak (arguably) is the best player on the board and will be a solid gear to put into the machine once it’s in need of repairs.
BLH’s Pick: Connor Zary, one of the WHL’s top-scoring centers, would be a dazzling pick for the Jets here. Winnipeg have a nice future set for them down the middle with Scheifele, Roslovic, and Gustafsson, but I think that Zary has a higher offensive ceiling than the latter two gentlemen and he’ll be an NHL player sooner than later.
The Predators have established themselves as one of the NHL’s high-powered offenses and Nybeck fits the mold of their play. He can distribute the puck as well as he can bury it – the kind of offensive flexibility that will serve Nashville, well. A country-singer might even write a song about him…
BLH’s Pick: The Predators are finally heading into a rebuild after years of being one of the leagues best teams thanks to its spectacular goaltending and unbelievable defense. Pekka Rinne has slowed down and its defense isn’t what it used to be. For that reason, I see them taking USNTDP blueliner Jake Sanderson. His skating and ability to defend and recover is amongst the best in this draft class.
If there’s one team in the NHL that the country of Finland roots for, it’s undisputedly the Carolina Hurricanes. They continue to add another highly-skilled Finnish-born prospect to their pool – a legit playmaker with top-6 potential.
BLH’s Pick: As if Carolina needs another draft pick… LOL! I don’t share Keith’s sentiment that they’ll take another Finn though. Knowing how much they rely on analytics, I think it’s winger Noel Gunler for the Canes here. Fact is, this guy scores at will against his peers and when he’s ready to do so in North America, he’ll provide the Hurricanes with some sublime secondary scoring to complement that of Andrei Svechnikov’s.
Like last year, a sniper named “Cole” falls to the 15th-overall slot for reasons that should leave you scratching your head. While the Flyers have been known as the “Broad Street Bullies” and a bunch of rabble-rousers, Perfetti’s scoring touch could be the catalyst for a change on identity, in Philly.
BLH’s Pick: To me, the Flyers should be looking at defender Jeremie Poirier. His skating and edgework is amazing to watch and the way he moves the puck reminds me a bit of Kris Letang. Shit, if there’s a team who’s seen a lot of that guy over the years, it’s Philly. At some point, they’re going to move on from Shane Gostisbehere and one of Morin, Hagg, and Myers is going to be a miss too. If they’ve got Cam York and Poirier ready to go, they’ll be sorted.
That’s it for me this week, Heroes. Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @BeerLeagueHeroe/@keithfries and don’t forget to tip your waitresses. Until next time… Cheers!
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Let’s not waste any time and jump right into it with my updated top-20 draft rankings for the month of January.
1 Alexis Lafreniere 2 Anton Lundell 3 Quinton Byfield 4 Lucas Raymond 5 Yaroslav Askarov 6 Tim Stutzle 7 Noel Gunler 8 Alexander Holtz 9 Jamie Drysdale 10 Marco Rossi 11 Cole Perfetti 12 Dylan Holloway 13 Kasper Simontaival 14 Jan Mysak 15 Zion Nybeck 16 Jeremie Poirier 17 Justin Sourdif 18 Connor Zary 19 Justin Barron 20 Jaromir Pytlik
I’ll have my official mid-season top-100 available during the All-Star break but expect this top-20 to remain intact. Additionally, I’ll release my first mock draft (only the lottery picks) which will include a simulation for the top-3 spots.
Mavrik Bourque?
BLH: I’d read over at Lowetide’s blog that this Bourque kid was someone to keep an eye on for the Oilers and to be honest, I had only seen his name in the rankings but not really heard or read anything on the guy. So I asked Keith here to give me a little write-up on him so that I could get more of an understanding of the player as he’ll most likely be in the range that Edmonton will be selecting in and I know that they’ll be aiming for a forward with some offense to his game.
Bourque, in June, will likely slot into the 15–30th-overall bracketwhich speaks both to how deep this class is and how he’s perceived within it. Where he succeeds is below the dots, jumping up and finishing on a rebound or finding an open shooting lane for a one-timer. He doesn’t have the hardest or most accurate shot but his compete level is elite, always capitalizing on his opportunities. Bourque’s skating is probably the area he should address most, as he’s not a speedster and sometimes looks like he’s got two left feet. But, as I mentioned before, he competes and disguises his warts because of it.
Bourque leads the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in points with 53 (23Gs|30As) in 40 GP, which is 15 more points than the second-best point producer on the team, Xavier Bourgault. On a stacked roster, featuring: Vasili Ponomaryov, Valentin Nussbaumer, and Kirill Nizhnikov (to name a few),Bourque running away with the team’s scoring title could certainly increase his draft stock.
There are always a handful of solid prospects that go undrafted, each year, and such was the case in 2019. Kristian Tanus likely hears his name called, this June, maybe even as early as the second-round (somewhat like Samuel Fagemo, last year). He’ll likely be joined in that conversation by Oleg Zaitsev (WHL – Red Deer Rebels) and Ilya Mironov (MHL – Yaroslavl), but who I’m keeping a close eye on is Mironov’s teammate at Yaroslavl, Daniil Gutik. Already up to nearly a PPG in 34 MHL GP, Gutik is a fantastic puck-handler whose deceptive hands make dangles and toe-drags look like child’s play. His size is desirable at 6’3” – 176 lbs., but he could stand to improve his two-way game. Not the fastest skater either, but his hands help create space that his feet don’t. All-in-all, still a prospect in need of some molding but has the primary tools that scouts are looking for in an 18-year-old. …To that last point, Gutik has a late-August birthday meaning he’ll still be 18 if he’s selected, in June.
Which Swede will be selected first, and at what number?
I can’t see any other scenario than Lucas Raymond being the first Swedish-born prospect drafted, this year. I’ll circle back to the second part of your question in a second, but one point I want to make first is rankings are all subjective. Some people see Alexander Holtz as the best Swede available this year, and his shot certainly makes a case. Yet, I feel as though it’s Noel Gunler who is the second-best Swede available due to a more well-rounded style of play. He’s gritty and has real finishing abilities, which is what NHL teams claim they want. I’ve seen Gunler’s name appear all over various draft boards, some thinking he’s a top-10 prospect while others claim he’s lucky to be drafted in the first-round. Between the three, Raymond is 1, Holtz is 2, but Gunler is 1A – meaning he supersedes Holtz.
Raymond is a really in a league of his own and should be drafted with the 3rd-overall pick but if he slides further than that it won’t be outside the top-5.
Oilers Draft Talk
And finally, what would a post of Beer League Heroes be without some Oilers talk? As I mentioned above, my next post will feature a mock draft lottery and based on Edmonton’s current standings they might either be featured in that article to jump up a few points to a playoff position.
Sitting in the middle of the standings, Edmonton has a few options that may fall out of the top-10 who shouldn’t have. Gunler could be available, even Marco Rossi if size bias plays a factor, but, if he’s still on the board, I could see Dylan Holloway becoming the newest member of the Oiler family. Already playing in the NCAA for the competitive U. of Wisconsin, Holloway has fit in very quickly against much older, more physical, competition in what would otherwise be his senior year of high school.
He battles well in the corners and isn’t afraid to attack the puck when it sails into the dirty areas of the ice. Holloway currently leads the team in PIMS, with 41, but that’s largely due to him adjusting to the older, more physically taxing, NCAA. His inside-out versatility as forward would provide Edmonton with some nice options while setting the line-up and could help bring stability to their top-6.
Anyways, that’s it for me. Until next time… Cheers!
BLH: Not to shit on Keith’s wonderful prognosis here, but I’m not sure Holloway will be around when Edmonton is picking unless the wheels completely fall off the bus down the stretch here. It’d be nice though, wouldn’t it. A guy with this combination of size, skill, and sandpaper… Very nice!
My feeling is that they might opt for someone like Hendrix Lapierre or the aforementioned Mavrik Bourque, but to buy them some more time for development they could go Russian with Snipers Alexander Pashin (Tolpar, MHL) or Vitali Ponomaryov (Shawinigan, QMJHL) as easily. I will say to keep an eye out for Jack Quinn (Ottawa, OHL) too though. The first two names there are playmakers, but the latter three will take you to Snipe City.
The one time it’s okay to be a JERK! Grab this shirt while supplies last!Elias Pettersson’s nickname is “Alien”. Here’s a shirt to celebrate it! Click the image to buy one!Click the image above to get the new Pulju shirt!
