Tag Archives: 2021 NHL Draft

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(4/22/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: Could Max Domi Be a Fit for the Oilers?

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Tuukka Rask (BOS), Max Domi (CBJ), Frederik Andersen (TOR), and many more!

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

*NEW* What’s the plan for Edmonton’s defense after this season? Check that out here!

*NEW* Are the Edmonton Oilers poised to make a tough trade before next year? Maybe…

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NHL Rumors and Speculation

Stan Sweeney: Believes the fit between the Columbus Blue Jackets and forward Max Domi isn’t working out and anticipates there will be trade interest in the player from these three teams this summer,

  • Minnesota Wild: The 26-year-old Domi would provide the Wild with another option for their top-2 center positions. The Wild have a ton of depth on defense so these two make a ton of sense as trade partners.
  •  Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers need help up front and Domi would be a great option as a #3 center for the Oil, or something who can fill in on their top-six if there’s an injury. This will especially be the case if Edmonton is unable to sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an extension, look for them to bring in some fresh faces via trade if they let RNH walk.
  • Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks have a tremendous amount of depth on defense with the likes of Cam Fowler and Josh Manson, two defensemen who the Jackets could have interest in acquiring.

BLH’s Thoughts: Unless Connor McDavid goes out on a limb to get the Oilers to bring in Max Domi, I’m not sure he’d be a fit in Edmonton. Yes, they could use a third-line pivot who can move up into the top-six as a winger and I think most fans would love to have an abrasive Theo Fleury-like forward on the team, but personally, I’m concerned about how his career is trending. Plus that $5.3M/yr contract is a massive hurdle not to mention that he’s going to be paid $6M next year. If they want him, I’d suggest waiting until the 2022 offseason when he’s a UFA. 

Anthony Scultore (Daily Goal Horn): Lists out the top-5 UFA goaltenders heading to the free agency market this summer,

  • Tuukka Rask: The Bruins may like to brink him back, but it won’t be for the $7 million AAV he’s coming off of. That being said, some desperate Cup contender just might if he hits the open market.
  • Frederik Andersen: The 31 year-old is currently on LTIR, and earns $5 million AAV. He will be looking for a raise, but it appears the Leafs may be very happy with Jack Campbell going forward.
  • Pekka Rinne: If Rinne is looking to play past this season and the Preds want to go a different direction, will he retire? Or chase a Cup with a contender on a one year-deal? That’s the question.
  • Phillip Grubauer:  The Colorado Avalanche will look to lock up the 29 year-old Grubauer but they will have to fork over more than his current $3.33 AAV.
  • Linus Ullmark: The Sabres want to keep him and thus refused to move him at the deadline, his camp may be looking at the freedom of free agency. We will see where this goes

Craig Morgan (AZ Coyotes Insider): Dmitri Jaskin’s agent Allain Roy has confirmed that the Arizona Coyotes are one of the teams they are talking to, but that no decision has been made yet.

Steven Ellis (The Hockey News): Lists out 15 overage players to keep an eye on at the 2021 NHL Draft,

  • James Hardie, LW – Hardie has quick hands and despite not being a big kid, he puts a ton of power into his wrist shot. Hardie’s skating was good enough to hang with some top talent, albeit not at a level that sets him apart from other big goal scorers.
  • Janis Moser, D – Moser’s skating has taken big leaps, specifically in how much quicker he is off of his first stride and he wastes little effort getting back into his zone to retrieve a puck. He’s more offensively minded, too, and his coaches continue to give him opportunities to move the puck without any real restraints. His defensive awareness, specifically how he gets himself to break up passing lanes, has always been a nice trait of his.
  • Ethan Cardwell, C – Cardwell has a solid wrist shot – nothing incredible about it, but the results show he knows what he’s doing – and his own zone play is a big asset that many other fringe prospects haven’t figured out.
  • Joel Nystrom, D –  The 18-year-old has fantastic acceleration and despite not seeing a ton of offense, his wrist shot often contains a nice degree of velocity. Nyström is a great puck-mover that doesn’t give up the puck often and doesn’t lose a ton of 1-on-1 battles going towards his own net.
  • Zakhar Bardakov, F – Bardakov plays a power forward game, but at points, it looked like he was more focused on the power side of things, evidenced by leading the MHL in penalty minutes in consecutive years.
  • Josh Doan, C –  Doan’s most exciting trait is his all-out, never-stop-moving style that really makes you value him as a team player – he plays every shift like he’s on a tryout contract trying to earn one last shot at an NHL deal.

  • Ilya Safonov, C – Scouts like his big 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame, but as he continues to develop, he has to prove he’s more than just a big body. Don’t be surprised if he’s selected in the top 100.
  • Simon Knak, RW – Knak’s skating – in top speed, fluidness and acceleration – has taken nice leaps over the past few years and he has become a more confident shooter, too.
  • Theo Rochette, C – He has some diamond in the rough potential and might get another look after a good season with the Remparts.
  • Ruben Rafkin, D – Rafkin will never wow you in any particular area, but he doesn’t let playing against top competition drag him down and he has the energy and fight in him that you like to see in tight contests.
  • Brett Brochu, G – It’s hard for a goalie to not get into any meaningful game action, but scouts took notice of what he did during the streamed Hockey Canada camp games and could – and should – take a chance on him.
  • Florian Elias, C – For a small prospect, Elias does engage quite a bit physically and if you’re not paying attention, he’ll sneak up on you and take the puck down to the other end of the ice.
  • Alexi Kolosov, G – Kolosov’s flexibility and athletic style can make him an entertaining goalie to watch, and while entertainment isn’t an actual goaltending trait, you can never count him out on a scoring chance.
  • Pavel Tyutnev, C – At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, he’s pretty feisty for his frame and he’s got one heck of a wrist shot.
  • Josh Lopina, C – His mix of hard forechecking and penalty kill prowess could result in him getting some NHL attention down the line.

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2021 World Junior Hockey Championships: BLH’s Underrated Players to Watch

Later on today, the 2021 World Juniors in Edmonton, AB, are going to kick off. So, I apologize for not getting this post out earlier! I’m near certain all of the big names that you should watch out for have been covered. I’m talking about the likes of Kirby Dach (pre-injury), Cole Caufield, Alexander Holtz, Rodion Amirov, Anton Lundell, Martin Chromiak, Marco Rossi, or Edmonton Oilers prospects Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

So for this post, I want to introduce to you some players that might not get much ice time or put up a lot of points, but should, in theory, stand out in their limited appearances. Some of these players are eligible for the 2021 NHL draft and some won’t be drafted until 2022, but I’m very certain at some point you’re going to hear their names getting talked about.

If you’d like a more in-depth preview to the tournament this year as well as some fantastic profiles for the upcoming draft, please check out the $5 guide that Dan Stewart’s Draft Pro team has put together.

You can get that right here. 

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

*2021 Draft Eligible
**2022 Draft Eligible

  • #24 Oskar Olausson (SWE)* – LW/RW – 6’2″ 181lbs – I recently watched some game video of Olausson and came away very impressed. He’s very fast and strong. His quickness off the start is suprisingly good for a kid his size. He injects himself into as many plays as possible on both sides of the puck and he’s a responsible two-way winger. The zip on his shot is stunningly good and I just look at him and see future NHL power winger. Even if he doesn’t develop into a pure goal-scorer, his work ethic and ability in the muck will allow him to contribute in other ways.
    • “Olausson is not quite as physical as his older Swedish counterpart (Filip Forsberg). But there are other aspects of their game that mirror each other. Both have great shots and skating, are brilliant at effecting zone entries. The two would also both rather fire the puck than defer to a team-mate. They both shield the puck exceptionally well on the cycle and are dangerous on the rush, with hands and confidence. The two also share the ability to find space in danger areas. They also both play the game at a high-tempo, and can be effective penalty-killers. Forsberg is a slightly more natural play-maker though.” (source)

  • #6 Semyon Chistyakov (RUS) – D – 5’11” 180lbs – I was really impressed with Chistyakov last year. He’s not a big guy but he stirs the drink for his teams. He’s offensively gifted but he’s also fearless and will take on all comers no matter the size. I dig his leadership abilities as being one of the older players on Team Russia. He really is a little Russian tank and I feel like this kind of player could really dominate a tournament like this.
    • “He is willing to play a physical game. His low centre of gravity and his strength allows him to compete on the boards and in front of the net despite his lack of height. Chistyakov maintains good gap control and keeps his opponent in front of him. Forwards attacking his side of the ice need to keep their head up as he looks to land a big hit. He also is well positioned and uses his stick to break up passing plays. Once turnovers are created, Chistyakov starts the transition game quickly with a good breakout pass.” (source)

  • #10 Matthew Beniers (USA)* – 6’1″ 174lbs – Beniers is the kind of player that inserts himself into every aspect of the game during each shift. It’s impossible not to notice him because he’s everywhere trying to make a difference, be that offensively or defensively. He demands the puck coming out of his own zone as he’s quite good at controlled zone entries. He so smart too, and because of that we’ll probably see him playing in every scenario for Team USA as well.  He’s a fantastic two-way talent that some are projecting to be better than LA Kings first rounder Alex Turcotte.
    • “Matthew displays high end hockey sense and instincts that allows him to be in the right place on the ice consistently. He is not a possession player as much as he is a quick strike player. He makes quick decisions with the puck due to his hockey sense and ability to think the game at another level”. [2019 Black Book]

  • #5 Stanislav Svozil (CZE)* – D – 6’1″ 172lbs – The first I’d heard of Svozil was when I saw a tweet announcing he’d won the rookie of the year award in the Czech pro league as a 16yr old. I thought to myself, “You’ve got to be pretty good to do that at that age.” Then later one I saw he was drafted in the CHL import draft to Regina, the same team as wonderkid Connor Bedard. If Svozil is as good as the report below, players like Bedard (when they get to the WHL) and Jan Mysak will thrive having a defender who can get them the puck. Svozil has already had a couple of highlights in the preliminary games for the Czech team.
    • “Svozil isn’t a big kid at 6-foot-0 and 172 pounds but he’s strong enough to fend for himself and doesn’t lose the puck on his stick often. He knows how to put pucks in the net and he’s responsible in his own zone” – (source)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1WzQ7Bjy84

  • #18 Juraj Slafkovsky (SVK)** – RW – 6’4″ 220lbs – Look, this guy is 16yrs old and already 6’4″ and 220lbs… What in Sam’s Hell do they feed hockey players in Slovakia? I mean is this guy a relative of Zdeno Chara or what? All joking aside, Slafkovsky is slated to play alongside Martin Chromiak on his side’s top line and he is an elite goal-scorer. The release on this guys shot… It’s outstanding. The last time we saw a double underager with this kind of size dominate the World Juniors was Jesse Puljujarvi, no? And he ended up winning the tournament MVP eventually…
    • “Capable of creating offense with slick hands in traffic, he has a soft touch on the puck, as well as great vision and offensive instincts. He plays a mature game with the puck and he is always aware of his passing options. He has a knack for taking away time and space and creating turnovers. He has a quick release on his wrist shot which makes him a threat from further out. But he can also be straight forward and drive to the net when needed. He has soft hands and can stickhandle in small spaces with ease.” (source)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_YkJ7FowhM

  • #8 Simon Knak (SUI)* – RW – 6’1″ 194lbs – Knak is a player you’ll appreciate for his tireless work rate and honest game. The Swiss don’t have a lot going for them at this year’s tournament but Knak will get his fair share of attention for being a very good disruptor in addition to most likely being his team’s generator of offense. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not some elite grinder, there’s high-end skill to go with that outstanding two-way game.
    • “He works to get inside positioning on the puck and rushes up & down the ice to stay ahead of the play. He helped break many opposing rushes by supporting his defencemen with backpressure. In the offensive zone, he worked the walls and the front of the net. Overall, Knak looked like a highly engaged player”. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide

  • #33 Brad Lambert (FIN)** – C – 5’11” 172lbs – Lambert is a direct rival to Shane Wright’s designation as best NHL prospect for the 2022 NHL draft. To say that he’s electrifying couldn’t be more of an understatement. He’s just so fast, strong, and smooth with the puck. I wonder if he could turn out to be a Sidney Crosby-lite kind of player with those kind of attributes?
    • “He’s like watching a Nathan MacKinnon clone: Lambert is a dynamic two-way forward with incredible top-end speed, and it’s rare that someone manages to take the puck off him during a rush”. – Steven Ellis (SI.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s76Z5m4p5i8

  • #2 Braden Schneider (CAN) – D – 6’2″ 210lbs – Team Canada doesn’t have a defenceman on their team that they can count on 100% to be a shutdown specialist. They’ve got offensive juggernauts like Jamie Drysdale and Bowen Byram to go with a plethora of high-end two-way d-men such as Just Barron, Thomas Harley, Kaedan Korczak ,and Jordan Spence. Kaiden Guhle would be the closest to Schneider, but I think by tournament’s end, the New York Rangers first-rounder in 2020 will have the pundits talking about how critical his presence was to Canada’s blueline. He’s the new Shea Weber for me.
    • “He is an absolute behemoth of a dude at this level, imposing his will with thunderous hits, overpowering one-hand pushes, and crosschecks. He’s composed and doesn’t over-do the physicality or take needless penalties; enters every hit with his stick leading and doesn’t hit unless he can’t break up the play otherwise.” -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsgO62X_GkQ

Enjoy the tournament and have a wonderful holiday season!

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(12/25/2020) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup Xmas Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Mortiz Seider, Frederik Gauthier, the 2021 NHL Draft, and more!

At the 2010 World Juniors, Jordan Eberle was a hero but it was all for naught in the Gold Medal Final… Watch the epic 6-5 battle with Team USA in its entirety right here.

Oilers Insider Bob Stauffer dropped a massive hint regarding a new signing. Read about it here!

BLH has five pre-training camp questions regarding the Edmonton Oilers’ upcoming season. Read all about them here.

The Fourth Period is reporting that the Oilers are in on FIVE players! Read about it here!

Could Ryan Nugent-Hopkins be leaving Edmonton and might his replacement be Dylan Holloway? Read about that here!

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • David Pagnotta (The Fourth Period): The plan, as of now, is for the 2021 NHL Draft to be an in-arena, not a virtual draft. The host city/team has not yet been determined.
  • Jason Gregor (TSN1260): During the 2021 season, players with positive COVID tests will be named publicly. During camp, the league will only announce total positive test numbers.
  • Adam Vingan (The Athletic): Team practices are not permitted to be open to the public this season per the NHL. Coaches will also be required to wear masks behind the bench.
  • Adrian Dater (Colorado Hockey Now): It’s likely teams will wear the reverse retro jerseys again after this season because they are not available for sale in arenas. It’s highly likely that the Avs will wear theirs vs. St. Louis.
  • NHL Rumors Daily (Twitter): The NHL is shopping its TV rights to other entities. NBCSN is likely shutting down after the Tokyo Olympics since NBC favors moving their sports to Peacock. The NHL wants maximum TV exposure, not a paywall.
  • Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer): Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher doesn’t plan to make any more deals or signings before the season. Says Oskar Lindblom is in really good shape physically.
  • Andy Strickland (The Athletic): The St. Louis Blues are working with local authorities to get limited numbers of fans to the Enterprise Center for home games. Working to make it happen as quickly as possible.
  • Detroit Free Press: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman says Joe Veleno and Moritz Seider will stay in Sweden for the remainder of the SHL season instead of coming to training camp.
  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): Sounds like former Toronto Maple Leafs center Frederik Gauthier is weighing a pro tryout offer with the Arizona Coyotes as they’re looking for a center.

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(12/19/2020) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup AM Edition: “There Are Two Obvious Prospects to Earmark For Trade”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Zdeno Chara, Owen Power, Vitali Kravtsov, Mike Hoffman, and more!

Watch 16yr Old Wayne Gretzky Destroy the Czechs at the ’78 World Juniors!

Watch Connor McDavid help Team Canada end a five-year WJHC gold medal drought right here!

Evan Bouchard has been recalled from his loan in Sweden, now he’s got to make the Oilers or his future could be cloudy. Read about that here.

Read what TSN’s Craig Button had to say about Carter Savoie, Dylan Holloway, and the 2020 World Juniors right here!

At the 2010 World Juniors, Jordan Eberle was a hero but it was all for naught in the Gold Medal Final… Watch the epic 6-5 battle with Team USA in its entirety right here.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

Before we get to the links, I’d like to direct you to the tweet below. My hometown’s university hockey team needs help due to cutbacks and obviously financial pressures thanks to the pandemic, so they’ve set up a Go Fund Me to try and raise enough money to keep their program alive.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many hours I spent as a boy running around the Max McLean Arena in Camrose at Vikings games. It has to be in the hundreds as my dad took me to as many as we could get to and add in all the Viking Cup games. Without this hockey program, many people wouldn’t have been able to be introduced to the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Dominik Hasek, Mike Comrie, Olli Jokinen, Mikko Koivu, PJ Axelsson, Dave Tippett, Fernando Pisani, Petr Klima, Sergei Zubov, Ziggy Palffy, Milan Hejduk, Andrei Markov, Henrik Zetterberg, Tuuka Rask, etc. before they became NHL superstars and that’s thanks to the Vikings and the fine people over the years that have worked tirelessly to keep things afloat.

If you have time, visit the Go Fund Me, and if you have an extra buck or two, help out. I know it’s not easy these days, but Camrose without the Vikings would leave a massive hole in the fabric of that town.

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic): Who are the top-ten candidates to coach Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in China? LeBrun and former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau team up to give you the list!

BLH’s Thoughts: I’m going to say that if Jon Cooper isn’t coaching Team Canada in 2022, there should be a re-evaluation of the gentlemen putting together that team in 2026. Cooper is by far the best coach in the NHL right now, it’s that simple. Surround him with Barry Trotz, Dave Tippett, Travis Green (maybe?) and that’s a helluva coaching team. 

  • Scott Powers (The Athletic): Owen Power in the consensus top-prospect for the 2021 NHL entry draft (at the moment). Powers tells us why he’s the man to beat for 1st overall and, in an interview with the 6’6″ defenceman, gives us some insight as to what it’s been like playing at the University of Michigan so far.

BLH’s Thoughts: I’d be shocked if Power wasn’t chosen first in the next draft. He’s like a stay-at-home version of Victor Hedman. He uses is size so well but not in a physical manner per se. He doesn’t go out there looking to blow guys up is what I mean. He’s more cerebral, he is really good at making the opposing player go where he wants them to and his skating, for a guy that size, is very smooth and graceful. The Red Wings will be lucky to have him and Mortiz Seider running the show there for the next two decades. :p

  • Adam Herman (Blueshirt Banter): Earmarks two of the New York Rangers’ top-prospects for trade due to redundancy within the organization, Vitali Kravtsov and 2020 1st-rounder Braden Schneider.

BLH’s Thoughts: I get that the Rangers have some good young defencemen in their system right now but there’s no way I’d be taking offers on Schneider right now. He’s probably four or five years from breaking into the NHL and by then Nils Lundqvist or Adam Fox or even K’Andre Miller could be gone. I mean, ideally, with the way the salary cap is going to work for the next three or four years, you’d promote your younger, cheaper players and trade your more expensive ones, right? So keep Schneider, because he’s going to be a beast, and move on from a Fox, Trouba, or Lundqvist. 

  • John Vogl (The Athletic): Figures the Buffalo Sabres could dangle struggling prospect Casey Middlestadt and land a reputable goaltender.

BLH’s Thoughts: Noooooop. Unless Middlestadt shows a helluva lot more than he has, the Sabres would be lucky to get an AHL netminder for him.

  • Matt Larkin (The Hockey News): With Alexander Steen now “LTIR” retired, Larkin wonders if Mike Hoffman would go to St. Louis for $4M on a short-term deal to try and replace the goals not being scored by Vladdy Tarasenko since he’s on IR recovering from surgery.

BLH’s Thoughts: Makes sense to me. Between Boston, St. Louis, Nashville, and Columbus; Hoffman has the pick of the litter. If I were him, Nashville is a really fun place… Why not there if you’re looking to cash in?

  • Joe Haggerty (Boston Hockey Now): Believes there’s a better chance that UFA Mike Hoffman is on the Bruins roster next season than 43yr old former Captain Zdeno Chara.

BLH’s Thoughts: I reckon there’s an even better chance neither of them are playing for the Bruins in 2020-21. 

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(12/18/2020) – BLH’s NHL Rumor Roundup PM EXTRA Edition: “He Could Be Worth More To Another Team Than Edmonton.”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Vince Dunn, Erik Haula, Connor McDavid, Corey Perry, and more!

Watch 16yr Old Wayne Gretzky Destroy the Czechs at the ’78 World Juniors!

Watch Connor McDavid help Team Canada end a five-year WJHC gold medal drought right here!

Evan Bouchard has been recalled from his loan in Sweden, now he’s got to make the Oilers or his future could be cloudy. Read about that here.

Read what TSN’s Craig Button had to say about Carter Savoie, Dylan Holloway, and the 2020 World Juniors right here!

At the 2010 World Juniors, Jordan Eberle was a hero but it was all for naught in the Gold Medal Final… Watch the epic 6-5 battle with Team USA in its entirety right here.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

Before we get to the links, I’d like to direct you to the tweet below. My hometown’s university hockey team needs help due to cutbacks and obviously financial pressures thanks to the pandemic, so they’ve set up a Go Fund Me to try and raise enough money to keep their program alive.

I can’t even begin to imagine how many hours I spent as a boy running around the Max McLean Arena in Camrose at Vikings games. It has to be in the hundreds as my dad took me to as many as we could get to and add in all the Viking Cup games. Without this hockey program, many people wouldn’t have been able to be introduced to the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Dominik Hasek, Mike Comrie, Olli Jokinen, Mikko Koivu, PJ Axelsson, Dave Tippett, Fernando Pisani, Petr Klima, Sergei Zubov, Ziggy Palffy, Milan Hejduk, Andrei Markov, Henrik Zetterberg, Tuuka Rask, etc. before they became NHL superstars and that’s thanks to the Vikings and the fine people over the years that have worked tirelessly to keep things afloat.

If you have time, visit the Go Fund Me, and if you have an extra buck or two, help out. I know it’s not easy these days, but Camrose without the Vikings would leave a massive hole in the fabric of that town.

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Allan Mitchell (The Athletic): Is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins worth more outside of Edmonton and could that mean The Nuge finishes his career outside of the Albertan capital?
    • “Nuge could be worth more to another NHL team than Edmonton. A natural centre, the Oilers have him playing wing. He’s a ridiculous power-play quarterback but is playing a role as opposed to being the key link in the chain.”
  • Bet Online: Has Connor McDavid (+400), Nathan MacKinnon (+500), and Leon Draisaitl (+800) in their top-three to win the Hart Trophy in 2020-21.
  • Dave Poulin (TSN):  Sees Travis Hamonic winding up in Vancouver, filling one of the holes made by the loss of two right-handed defencemen, and he had a suggestion for Corey Perry.
    • “Go home,” said Poulin, referring to Toronto. “Join Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton and have some fun. They won’t need you until the playoffs anyway.”
  • Emily Sadler (Sportsnet): Despite seeing other professional sports franchises in Washington and Cleveland change their team names, the Chicago Blackhawks will be keeping theirs.
    • “Obviously, we respect the decision the Cleveland Indians made to go down that path, but we continue to deepen our commitment to upholding our namesake and our brand,” Wirtz told reporters Thursday morning. “The work we’ve been doing over the last several months and expanding and deepening conversations and partnerships within the Native community, we continue to feel really positive about the types of work we can do, the way in which we can be better stewards of the namesake and the history, and to use our platforms to be educators not only for our fans but for our internal teams and making sure that we provide that reverence and respect that we talk about that.”
  • Adam Gretz (NBC): With the news of Alex Steen’s retirement Thursday, the St. Louis Blues should have enough cap space to re-sign RFA d-man Vince Dunn and possibly add another forward. Gretz suggests one of Mikael Granlund or Erik Haula as a couple of possible candidates.
  • Bruce Garrioch (Ottawa Sun): Says there’s chatter within the league that the NHL is discussing the possibility of moving the 2021 entry draft to next December.
    • “Don’t rule out the possibility of draft being moved back because look at all the debate that went into moving it from June 24-25 to Oct. 6-7. Every option has to be on the table and it may have to be done virtually again because it’s doubtful prospects could leave their teams to fly to Montreal.”

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