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Seattle Kraken Sign Kole Lind

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The Seattle Kraken continue to make moves today, now signing expansion draft selection Kole Lind. CapFriendly reports that Lind accepted his qualifying offer, giving him a one-year two-way deal worth $874,125 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the minor league level.

Lind, a 2017 second-round selection by the Vancouver Canucks, will continue his development with the Kraken organization after they selected him in the expansion draft. Lind got his first taste of NHL action this season, going pointless in a seven-game stint with Vancouver. But what those numbers don’t show is his quick scoring development at the minor league level. Lind had somewhat of a breakout season for the Utica Comets in 2019-20, his second professional season, posting 44 points (14 goals) in 61 games. And while Lind didn’t play much this year as he served a decent portion of the season on Vancouver’s taxi squad, he did score eight points in just eight AHL contests.

Due to Seattle’s deep forward group, a return to the AHL (now with the Charlotte Checkers) is likely for Lind, especially with the team’s signing of Marcus Johansson today. However, Lind’s development over the past few seasons shows extreme promise, and he could be a long-term middle-six piece as the Kraken continue to take shape.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Veteran Derek Stepan

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced today they’ve signed Derek Stepan to a one-year contract. It’ll pay him $1.35MM and give Stepan at least one more try at a championship in the NHL.

Stepan, a veteran of 11 seasons and 759 NHL games, will now head to his fourth team in the NHL. After previous stints with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and Ottawa Senators, the veteran center attempts to win his first Stanley Cup Championship at age 31 this season. He’s struggled with injuries and declining play in recent seasons, scoring just six points in 20 games in his only season with Ottawa last year. It also marked the lowest ice-time average of his career at 15:04 per night.

Even with a refreshed roster, Stepan likely won’t see any more usage than that with Carolina, who looks to take the next step towards becoming a contender next season. It’ll be a harder sell without defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the fold, but they’re a still a deep team that should be competitive all year long. Stepan likely slots in immediately as the team’s fourth-line center, serving behind Sebastian Aho, Vincent Trocheck, and Jordan Staal. If he can’t rebound offensively this season, or if he faces additional injury issues, it could be his last in the NHL.

St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Dakota Joshua

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The St. Louis Blues have announced a one-year extension for restricted free agent forward Dakota Joshua. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that it’s a two-way deal for Joshua making him the league-minimum $750,000 at the NHL level. The Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas further adds that Joshua will be paid $100,000 at the AHL level.

Joshua made his NHL debut this year, getting into 12 contests with the Blues. He tallied his first NHL goal while he was called up, but that was his only point during his short stint. Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round in 2014, Joshua produced well offensively post-draft at Ohio State University. However, he’s more well-known for his physical brand of play and could be in for a long career in the NHL as a fourth-line forward. Joshua was traded to the Blues on July 12, 2019, for future considerations.

He’s a likely candidate to see some NHL games next season after his previous call-up, but the two-way deal suggests that the team doesn’t envision him making the squad out of camp. He’ll likely start with the Springfield Falcons, the Blues’ AHL affiliate for 2021-22.

Chris Wideman Returns To NHL, Signs With Montreal Canadiens

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TVA’s Renaud Lavoie has reported that the Montreal Canadiens inked defenseman Chris Wideman to a one-year deal. It’s a league-minimum contract at a $750,000 cap hit. Wideman returns to the NHL after a season abroad in the KHL.

Wideman is one of the lucky few who left the NHL hoping that his accomplishments in Europe would earn him a second look back home, only for it to work out exactly that way. After two solid seasons with the Ottawa Senators to begin his pro career, Wideman had lost his footing in the NHL, bouncing around to several clubs – including the AHL – without much success. He turned to Russia this past season, signing on with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod for one year, and made the most of it. Wideman recorded 41 points in 59 games, leading the entire KHL in defensive scoring. The Canadiens, and surely others, took notice and now Wideman is back in North America.

While Wideman will likely still have to battle for starts, if not a roster spot, his scoring prowess last season showed that he is capable of making a difference. The 31-year-old brings experience to the table as well with 181 NHL games and 280 AHL games. This should position him to be one of the top options to replace any Habs defenders in case of injury or slump.

2021 NHL Draft Selections By Team

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Today concluded the 2021 NHL Draft, the first edition with 32 teams in the running. Some teams selected just three times (sorry, Toronto), while Don Waddell and the Carolina Hurricanes selected an NHL-record 13 times for a seven-round draft. After all the chaos of last night and today, catch up here on who your team selected and when.

Anaheim Ducks
Round 1, Pick 3: F Mason McTavish
Round 2, Pick 34: D Olen Zellweger
Round 3, Pick 66: F Sasha Pastujov
Round 3, Pick 76 (from CHI via MTL): D Tyson Hinds
Round 4, Pick 98: F Josh Lopina
Round 5, Pick 130: F Sean Tschigerl
Round 5, Pick 148 (from EDM via OTT): G Gage Alexander
Round 6, Pick 162: F Kyle Kukkonen

Arizona Coyotes
Round 1, Pick 9 (from VAN): F Dylan Guenther
Round 2, Pick 37 (from CBJ via OTT): F Josh Doan
Round 2, Pick 43: F Ilya Fedotov
Round 2, Pick 60 (from COL via NYI): D Janis Jerome Moser
Round 4, Pick 107: D Emil Martinsen Lilleberg
Round 4, Pick 122 (from PIT): G Rasmus Korhonen
Round 5, Pick 139: F Manix Landry
Round 6, Pick 171: D Cal Thomas
Round 7, Pick 223 (from MTL via CHI): F Sam Lipkin

Boston Bruins
Round 1, Pick 21: F Fabian Lysell
Round 3, Pick 85: F Brett Harrison
Round 4, Pick 117: G Philip Svedeback
Round 5, Pick 149: F Oskar Jellvik
Round 6, Pick 181: D Ryan Mast
Round 7, Pick 213: F Andre Gasseau
Round 7, Pick 217 (from TOR): D Ty Gallagher

Buffalo Sabres
Round 1, Pick 1: D Owen Power
Round 1, Pick 14 (from PHI): F Isak Rosen
Round 2, Pick 33: F Prokhor Poltapov
Round 2, Pick 53 (from BOS): F Alexander Kisakov
Round 3, Pick 88 (from FLA): F Stiven Sardarian
Round 3, Pick 95 (from MTL): F Josh Bloom
Round 4, Pick 97: F Olivier Nadeau
Round 5, Pick 159 (from MTL): F Viljami Marjala
Round 6, Pick 161: F William von Barnekow Lofberg
Round 6, Pick 188 (from COL): D Nikita Novikov
Round 7, Pick 193: F Tyson Kozak

Calgary Flames
Round 1, Pick 13: F Matthew Coronato
Round 2, Pick 45: F William Stromgren
Round 3, Pick 77: F Cole Huckins
Round 4, Pick 89 (from TOR via LAK): D Cameron Whynot
Round 5, Pick 141: D Cole Jordan
Round 6, Pick 168 (from LAK): F Jack Beck
Round 6, Pick 173: F Lucas Ciona
Round 7, Pick 205: G Arsenii Sergeev

Carolina Hurricanes
Round 2, Pick 40 (from LAK via NSH): D Scott Morrow
Round 2, Pick 44 (from CHI via CBJ): D Aleksi Heimosalmi
Round 2, Pick 51 (from NSH): F Ville Koivunen
Round 3, Pick 83 (from NSH): G Patrik Hamrla
Round 3, Pick 94 (from VGK via DET): D Aidan Hreschuk
Round 4, Pick 109 (from CGY via LAK): F Jackson Blake
Round 5, Pick 136 (from LAK via OTT): F Robert Orr
Round 5, Pick 147 (from NSH): F Justin Robidas
Round 6, Pick 170 (from OTT): D Bryce Montgomery
Round 6, Pick 187: G Nikita Quapp
Round 7, Pick 200 (from LAK): G Yegor Naumov
Round 7, Pick 209 (from STL): C Nikita Guslistov
Round 7, Pick 219: D Joel Nystrom

Chicago Blackhawks
Round 1, Pick 32 (from TBL via CBJ): D Nolan Allan
Round 2, Pick 62 (from VGK): F Colton Dach
Round 3, Pick 91 (from CAR): D Taige Harding
Round 4, Pick 105 (from VAN): D Ethan Del Mastro
Round 4, Pick 108: F Victor Stjernborg
Round 6, Pick 172: F Ilya Safonov
Round 7, Pick 204: D Connor Kelley
Round 7, Pick 216 (from FLA): F Jalen Luypen

Colorado Avalanche
Round 1, Pick 28: F Oskar Olausson
Round 2, Pick 61 (from NYI via NJD): D Sean Behrens
Round 3, Pick 92: F Andrei Buyalsky
Round 7, Pick 220: F Taylor Makar

Columbus Blue Jackets
Round 1, Pick 5: F Kent Johnson
Round 1, Pick 12 (from CHI): F Cole Sillinger
Round 1, Pick 25 (from TOR): D Corson Ceulemans
Round 3, Pick 69: D Stanislav Svozil
Round 4, Pick 101: D Guillaume Richard
Round 5, Pick 132 (from NJD): D Nikolai Makarov
Round 5, Pick 133: F James Malatesta
Round 6, Pick 165: F Ben Boyd
Round 7, Pick 197: F Martin Rysavy

Dallas Stars
Round 1, Pick 23 (from WSH via DET): F Wyatt Johnston
Round 2, Pick 47: F Logan Stankoven
Round 2, Pick 48 (from NYR via DET): D Artem Grushnikov
Round 3, Pick 73 (from VAN): F Ayrton Martino
Round 3, Pick 79: F Justin Ertel
Round 4, Pick 111: F Conner Roulette
Round 5, Pick 138 (from OTT via MTL, DET): D Jack Bar
Round 5, Pick 143: D Jacob Holmes
Round 6, Pick 175: F Francesco Arcuri
Round 7, Pick 207: F Albert Sjoberg

Detroit Red Wings
Round 1, Pick 6: D Simon Edvinsson
Round 1, Pick 15 (from DAL): G Sebastian Cossa
Round 2, Pick 36 (from NJD via VGK): D Shai Buium
Round 3, Pick 70: F Carter Mazur
Round 4, Pick 114 (from WPG via VGK): F Redmond Savage
Round 5, Pick 134: F Liam Dower Nilsson
Round 5, Pick 155 (from CAR via VGK): D Oscar Plandowski
Round 6, Pick 166: F Pasquale Zito

Edmonton Oilers
Round 1, Pick 22 (from MIN): F Xavier Bourgault
Round 3, Pick 90 (from PIT via SJS, MIN): D Luca Munzenberger
Round 4, Pick 116: F Jake Chiasson
Round 6, Pick 180: F Matvei Petrov
Round 6, Pick 186 (from PIT): F Shane Lachance
Round 7, Pick 212: D Maximus Wanner

Florida Panthers
Round 1, Pick 24: F Mackie Samoskevich
Round 2, Pick 56: D Evan Nause
Round 4, Pick 120: D Vladislav Lukashevich
Round 5, Pick 152: G Kirill Gerasimyuk
Round 6, Pick 184: F Jakub Kos
Round 7, Pick 210 (from WPG): D Braden Hache

Los Angeles Kings
Round 1, Pick 8: D Brandt Clarke
Round 2, Pick 42 (from OTT): F Francesco Pinelli
Round 2, Pick 59 (from CAR): F Samuel Helenius
Round 3, Pick 84 (from EDM via CGY): D Kirill Kirsanov

Minnesota Wild
Round 1, Pick 20 (from EDM): G Jesper Wallstedt
Round 1, Pick 26 (from PIT): D Carson Lambos
Round 2, Pick 54: D Jack Peart
Round 3, Pick 86: F Caedan Bankier
Round 4, Pick 118: D Kyle Masters
Round 4, Pick 127 (from MTL): F Josh Pillar
Round 6, Pick 182: D Nate Benoit

Montreal Canadiens
Round 1, Pick 31: D Logan Mailloux
Round 2, Pick 63: F Riley Kidney
Round 2, Pick 64 (from TBL): F Oliver Kapanen
Round 3, Pick 87 (from WSH via SJS): D Dmitri Kostenko
Round 4, Pick 113 (from STL): D William Trudeau
Round 5, Pick 142 (from PHI): D Daniil Sobolev
Round 5, Pick 150 (from MIN): F Joshua Roy
Round 6, Pick 191: F Xavier Simoneau
Round 7, Pick 214 (from MIN): G Joe Vrbetic

Nashville Predators
Round 1, Pick 19: F Fedor Svechkov
Round 1, Pick 27 (from CAR): F Zachary L’Heureux
Round 3, Pick 72 (from LAK via CAR): D Anton Olsson
Round 4, Pick 115: D Ryan Ufko
Round 4, Pick 124 (from COL via OTT): D Jack Matier
Round 6, Pick 179: F Simon Knak

New Jersey Devils
Round 1, Pick 4: D Luke Hughes
Round 1, Pick 29 (from NYI): F Chase Stillman
Round 3, Pick 68: F Samu Salminen
Round 4, Pick 100: G Jakub Malek
Round 5, Pick 129 (from BUF): D Topias Vilen
Round 6, Pick 164: D Viktor Hurtig
Round 7, Pick 203 (from ARI): F Zakhar Bardakov

New York Islanders
Round 2, Pick 52 (from EDM via DET): F Aatu Raty
Round 3, Pick 93: G Tristan Lennox
Round 4, Pick 125: F Cameron Berg
Round 5, Pick 157: F Eetu Liukas
Round 6, Pick 189: D Aleksi Malinen
Round 7, Pick 221: D Tomas Machu

New York Rangers
Round 1, Pick 16: F Brennan Othmann
Round 3, Pick 65 (from BUF): F Jayden Grubbe
Round 3, Pick 75 (from ARI via NJD, WSH): F Ryder Korczak
Round 4, Pick 104 (from LAK): F Brody Lamb
Round 4, Pick 106 (from OTT): F Kalle Vaisanen
Round 4, Pick 112: G Talyn Boyko
Round 5, Pick 144: F Jaroslav Chmelar
Round 7, Pick 208: D Hank Kempf

Ottawa Senators
Round 1, Pick 10: F Tyler Boucher
Round 2, Pick 39 (from SJS): F Zach Ostapchuk
Round 2, Pick 49 (from STL via BUF, VGK, LAK): D Ben Roger
Round 3, Pick 74: F Oliver Johansson
Round 4, Pick 123 (from CAR): F Carson Latimer
Round 7, Pick 202: D Chandler Romeo

Philadelphia Flyers
Round 2, Pick 46: F Samu Tuomaala
Round 3, Pick 78: G Aleksei Kolosov
Round 4, Pick 110: D Brian Zanetti
Round 5, Pick 158 (from VGK via WSH): D Ty Murchison
Round 6, Pick 174: D Ethan Samson
Round 7, Pick 206: F Owen McLaughlin

Pittsburgh Penguins
Round 2, Pick 58: F Tristan Broz
Round 5, Pick 154: D Isaac Belliveau
Round 7, Pick 194 (from ANA): D Ryan McCleary
Round 7, Pick 215 (from WSH): D Daniel Laatsch
Round 7, Pick 218: F Kirill Tankov

San Jose Sharks
Round 1, Pick 7: F William Eklund
Round 3, Pick 81 (from STL): G Benjamin Gaudreau
Round 4, Pick 103: D Gannon Laroque
Round 4, Pick 121 (from TOR): F Ethan Cardwell
Round 5, Pick 135: D Artem Guryev
Round 5, Pick 156 (from COL): F Max McCue
Round 6, Pick 167: F Liam Gilmartin
Round 6, Pick 177 (from STL): F Theo Jacobsson
Round 7, Pick 199: F/D Evgenii Kashnikov

Seattle Kraken
Round 1, Pick 2: F Matthew Beniers
Round 2, Pick 35: D Ryker Evans
Round 3, Pick 67: F Ryan Winterton
Round 4, Pick 99: D Ville Ottavainen
Round 5, Pick 131: F Jacob Melanson
Round 6, Pick 163: G Semyon Vyazovoi
Round 7, Pick 195: F Justin Janicke

St. Louis Blues
Round 1, Pick 17: F Zachary Bolduc
Round 3, Pick 71 (from SJS): F Simon Robertsson
Round 5, Pick 145: D Tyson Galloway
Round 7, Pick 198 (from DET): F Ivan Vorobyov

Tampa Bay Lightning
Round 3, Pick 96: D Roman Schmidt
Round 4, Pick 126 (from VGK via MTL): F Dylan Duke
Round 5, Pick 160: F Cameron MacDonald
Round 6, Pick 192: D Alex Gagne
Round 7, Pick 196 (from NJD): D Daniil Pylenkov
Round 7, Pick 211 (from NSH): F Robert Flinton
Round 7, Pick 224: F Niko Huuhtanen

Toronto Maple Leafs
Round 2, Pick 57: F Matthew Knies
Round 5, Pick 153: F Ty Voit
Round 6, Pick 185: G Vyacheslav Peksa

Vancouver Canucks
Round 2, Pick 41: F Danila Klimovich
Round 5, Pick 137: G Aku Koskenvuo
Round 5, Pick 140 (from CHI): D Jonathan Myrenberg
Round 6, Pick 169: D Hugo Gabrielsson
Round 6, Pick 178 (from WPG): F Connor Lockhart
Round 7, Pick 201: F Lucas Forsell

Vegas Golden Knights
Round 1, Pick 30: F Zach Dean
Round 2, Pick 38 (from DET): D Daniil Chayka
Round 4, Pick 102 (from DET): F Jakub Brabenec
Round 4, Pick 128 (from TBL via DET): F Jakub Demek
Round 6, Pick 190: D Artur Cholach
Round 7, Pick 222: G Carl Lindbom

Washington Capitals
Round 2, Pick 55: D Vincent Iorio
Round 3, Pick 80 (from NYR): D Brent Johnson
Round 4, Pick 119: D Joaquim Lemay
Round 5, Pick 151: F Haakon Hanelt
Round 6, Pick 176 (from NYR): D Dru Krebs
Round 6, Pick 183: G Chase Clark

Winnipeg Jets
Round 1, Pick 18: F Chaz Lucius
Round 2, Pick 50: F Nikita Chibrikov
Round 3, Pick 82: D Dmitri Kuzmin
Round 5, Pick 146: F Dmitri Rashevsky

2021 Expansion Draft Protection Tracker

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The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft does not take place until Wednesday, July 21, but the proceedings are already underway. The NHL enacted a transactions freeze at 2:00pm CT on Saturday and at 4:00pm protection lists were due from all 30 teams taking part in the draft. The league will review and approve these lists and release them to the other teams and to the public on Sunday. In the meantime though, there will inevitable be leaks of who has been protected as well as who has been exposed. This list will be updated until all protection lists are confirmed:

Anaheim Ducks
Protected: F Nicolas Deslauriers, F Max Jones, F Isac Lundestrom, F Rickard Rakell, F Jakob Silfverberg, F Sam Steel, F Troy Terry, D Cam Fowler, D Hampus Lindholm, D Josh Manson, G John Gibson

Key Players Exposed: D Haydn Fleury, D Brendan Guhle, F Adam Henrique, D Kevin Shattenkirk, F Alexander Volkov

Arizona Coyotes
Protected: F Lawson Crouse, F Christian Dvorak, F Conor Garland, F Clayton Keller, F Phil Kessel, F Johan Larsson, D Kyle Capobianco, D Jakob Chychrun, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, G Darcy Kuemper

Key Players Exposed: F Christian Fischer, F Tyler Pitlick, D Ilya Lyubushkin, G Josef Korenar 

Boston Bruins
Protected: F Patrice Bergeron, F Charlie Coyle, F Jake DeBrusk, F Trent Frederic, F Brad Marchand, F David Pastrnak, F Craig Smith, D Brandon Carlo, D Matt Grzelcyk, D Charlie McAvoy, G Daniel Vladar

Key Players Exposed: D Connor Clifton, F Ondrej Kase, F Curtis Lazar, D Jeremy Lauzon, F Nick Ritchie, F Chris Wagner, D Jakub Zboril

Buffalo Sabres
Protected: F Rasmus Asplund, F Anders Bjork, F Jack Eichel, F Casey Mittelstadt, F Victor Olofsson, F Sam Reinhart, F Tage Thompson, D Rasmus Dahlin, D Henri Jokiharju, D Rasmus Ristolainen, G Linus Ullmark UFA

Key Players Exposed: D Will Borgen, F Zemgus Girgensons, D Colin Miller

Calgary Flames
Protected: F Mikael Backlund, F Dillon Dube, F Johnny Gaudreau, F Elias Lindholm, F Andrew Mangiapane, F Sean Monahan, F Matthew Tkachuk, D Rasmus Andersson, D Noah Hanifin, D Chris Tanev, G Jacob Markstrom

Key Players Exposed: D Mark Giordano, D Oliver Kylington, F Milan Lucic

Carolina Hurricanes 
Protected: F Sebastian Aho, F Jesper Fast, F Warren Foegele, F Jordan Staal, F Andrei Svechnikov, F Teuvo Teravainen, F Vincent Trocheck, F Brett Pesce, F Brady Skjei, F Jaccob Slavin, G Alex Nedeljkovic

Key Players Exposed: D Jake Bean, D Jake Gardiner, F Morgan Geekie, F Nino Niederreiter

Chicago Blackhawks
Protected: F Henrik Borgstrom, F Alex DeBrincat, F Brandon Hagel, F David Kampf, F Patrick Kane, F Dylan Strome, F Jonathan Toews, D Caleb Jones, D Connor Murphy, D Riley Stillman, G Kevin Lankinen 

Key Players Exposed: F Ryan Carpenter, F Brett Connolly, D Calvin de Haan, F Adam Gaudette, G Malcolm Subban, D Nikita Zadorov

Colorado Avalanche 
Protected: F Andre Burakovsky, F Tyson Jost, F Nazem Kadri, F Nathan MacKinnon, F Valeri Nichushkin, F Logan O’Connor, F Mikko Rantanen, D Devon Toews, D Samuel Girard, D Cale Makar, G Philipp Grubauer UFA

Key Players Exposed: F J.T. Compher, F Joonas Donskoi, D Erik Johnson, F Gabriel Landeskog UFA 

Columbus Blue Jackets (link)
Protected: F Cam Atkinson, F Oliver Bjorkstrand, F Boone Jenner, F Patrik Laine, F Gustav Nyquist, F Eric Robinson, F Jack Roslovic, DVladislav Gavrikov, D Seth Jones,  D Zach Werenski, G Joonas Korpisalo

Key Players Exposed: D Gabriel Carlsson, F Max Domi, D Dean Kukan, F Kevin Stenlund

Dallas Stars
Protected: F Jamie Benn, F Radek Faksa, F Denis Gurianov, F Roope Hintz, F Joe Pavelski, F Alexander Radulov, F Tyler Seguin, D Miro Heiskanen, D John Klingberg, D Esa Lindell, G Anton Khudobin

Key Players Exposed: G Ben Bishop, F Tanner Kero, F Adam Mascherin, D Andrej Sekera

Detroit Red Wings
Protected: F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Adam Erne, F Robby Fabbri, F Dylan Larkin, F Michael Rasmussen, F Givani Smith, F Jakub Vrana, D Filip Hronek, D Nick Leddy, D Gustav Lindstrom, G Thomas Greiss

Key Players Exposed: D Dennis Cholowski, D Danny DeKeyser, F Vladislav Namestnikov, D Troy Stecher, F Evgeny Svechnikov

Edmonton Oilers
Protected: F Josh Archibald, F Leon Draisaitl, F Zack Kassian, F Connor McDavid, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, F Jesse Puljujarvi, F Kailer Yamamoto, D Ethan Bear, D Duncan Keith, D Darnell Nurse, G Stuart Skinner 

Key Players Exposed: F Tyler Benson, G Mikko Koskinen, D William Lagesson, F Cooper Marody, D Kris Russell

Florida Panthers
Protected: F Aleksander Barkov, F Sam Bennett, F Anthony Duclair, F Patric Hornqvist, F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Mason Marchment, F Carter Verhaeghe, D Aaron Ekblad, D Gustav Forsling, D MacKenzie Weegar, G Sergei Bobrovsky

Key Players Exposed: F Noel Acciari, G Chris Driedger UFA, D Radko Gudas, D Markus Nutivaara, D Anton Stralman, F Frank Vatrano, F Lucas Wallmark

Los Angeles Kings
Protected: F Lias Andersson, F Viktor Arvidsson, F Dustin Brown, F Alex Iafallo, F Adrian Kempe, F Anze Kopitar, F Trevor Moore, D Drew Doughty, D Matt Roy, D Sean Walker, G Cal Petersen

Key Players Exposed: F Andreas Athanasiou, D Kale Clague, F Carl Grundstrom, F Brendan Lemieux, D Olli Maatta, D Kurtis MacDermid, G Jonathan Quick

Minnesota Wild
Protected: F Joel Eriksson Ek, F Kevin Fiala, F Marcus Foligno, F Jordan Greenway, F Ryan Hartman, F Nico Sturm, F Mats Zuccarello, D Jonas Brodin, D Matt Dumba, D Jared Spurgeon, G Cam Talbot

Key Players Exposed: F Nick Bjugstad, G Kaapo Kahkonen, D Brennan Menell, F Victor Rask, D Carson Soucy

Montreal Canadiens
Protected: F Josh Anderson, F Joel Armia UFA, F Jake Evans, F Brendan Gallagher, F Jesperi Kotkaniemi, F Artturi Lehkonen, F Tyler Toffoli, D Ben Chiarot, D Joel Edmundson, D Jeff Petry, G Jake Allen

Key Players Exposed: F Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin, D Brett Kulak, G Carey Price, D Shea Weber

Nashville Predators
Protected: F Filip Forsberg, F Tanner Jeannot, F Luke Kunin, D Alexandre Carrier, D Mattias Ekholm, D Dante Fabbro, D Philippe Myers, D Roman Josi, G Juuse Saros

Key Players Exposed: F Matt Duchene, F Rocco Grimaldi, F Calle Jarnkrok, F Ryan Johansen, F Rem Pitlick, F Colton Sissons, F Yakov Trenin, D Mark Borowiecki, G Connor Ingram

New Jersey Devils
Protected: F Jesper Bratt, F Nico Hischier, F Janne Kuokkanen, F Michael McLeod, F Yegor Sharangovich, F Miles Wood, F Pavel Zacha, D Ryan Graves, D Damon Severson, D Jonas Siegenthaler, G Mackenzie Blackwood

Key Players Exposed: F Nathan Bastian, F Andreas Johansson, D P.K. Subban

New York Islanders
Protected: F Mathew Barzal, F Anthony Beauvillier, F Cal Clutterbuck, F Anders Lee, F Matt Martin, F Brock Nelson, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, D Adam Pelech, D Ryan Pulock, D Scott Mayfield, G Semyon Varlamov

Key Players Exposed: D Sebastian Aho, F Josh Bailey, F Kieffer Bellows, F Michael Dal Colle, F Jordan Eberle, D Thomas Hickey, F Ross Johnston, F Richard Panik

New York Rangers
Protected: F Pavel Buchnevich, F Filip Chytil, F Chris Kreider, F Artemi Panarin, F Kevin Rooney, F Ryan Strome, F Mika Zibanejad, D Libor Hajek, D Ryan Lindgren, D Jacob Trouba, G Alexandar Georgiev

Key Players Exposed: F Colin Blackwell, D Anthony DeAngelo, F Julien Gauthier

Ottawa Senators
Protected: F Drake Batherson, F Connor Brown, F Logan Brown, F Nick Paul, F Brady Tkachuk, F Austin Watson, F Colin White, D Thomas Chabot, D Victor Mete, D Nikita Zaitsev, G Filip Gustavsson

Key Players Exposed: F Vitaly Abramov, D Josh Brown, G Joey Daccord, F Evgenii Dadonov, G Matt Murray, F Chris Tierney

Philadelphia Flyers
Protected: F Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F Sean Couturier, F Claude Giroux, F Kevin Hayes, F Travis Konecny, F Scott Laughton, F Oskar Lindblom, D Ryan Ellis, D Ivan Provorov, D Travis Sanheim, G Carter Hart

Key Players Exposed: D Justin Braun, D Shayne Gostisbehere, D Robert Hagg, F James van Riemsdyk, F Jakub Voracek

Pittsburgh Penguins 
Protected: F Teddy Blueger, F Jeff Carter, F Sidney Crosby, F Jake Guentzel, F Kasperi Kapanen, F Evgeni Malkin, F Bryan Rust, D Brian Dumoulin, D Kris Letang, D Mike Matheson, G Tristan Jarry

Key Players Exposed: G Casey DeSmith, D Marcus Pettersson, F Brandon Tanev, F Jason Zucker

San Jose Sharks
Protected: F Rudolfs Balcers, F Logan Couture, F Jonathan Dahlen, F Tomas Hertl, F Evander Kane, F Kevin Labanc, F Timo Meier, D Brent Burns, D Erik Karlsson, D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, G Adin Hill

Key Players Exposed: D Ryan Donato, F Dylan Gambrell, G Martin Jones, F Matthew Nieto, D Radim Simek

St. Louis Blues
Protected: F Ivan Barbashev, F Jordan Kyrou, F Ryan O’Reilly, F David Perron, F Brayden Schenn, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Robert Thomas, D Justin Faulk, D Torey Krug, D Colton Parayko, G Jordan Binnington

Key Players Exposed: F Sammy Blais, D Robert Bortuzzo, F Kyle Clifford, D Vince Dunn, D Niko Mikkola, F Zach Sanford, D Marco Scandella, F Vladimir Tarasenko 

Tampa Bay Lightning 
Protected: F Anthony Cirelli, F Nikita Kucherov, F Brayden Point, F Steven Stamkos, D Erik Cernak, D Victor Hedman, D Ryan McDonagh, D Mikhail Sergachev, G Andrei Vasilevskiy

Key Players Exposed: F Ross Colton, D Cal Foote, F Yanni Gourde, F Tyler Johnson, F Mathieu Joseph, F Alex Killorn, F Ondrej Palat

Toronto Maple Leafs 
Protected: F Mitch Marner, F Auston Matthews, F William Nylander, F John Tavares, D T.J. Brodie, D Justin Holl, D Jake Muzzin, D Morgan Rielly, G Jack Campbell

Key Players Exposed: D Travis Dermott, F Pierre Engvall, F Alexander Kerfoot, F Jared McCann

Vancouver Canucks
Protected: F Brock Boeser, F Jason Dickinson, F Bo Horvat, F J.T. Miller, F Tyler Motte, F Tanner Pearson, F Elias Pettersson, D Olli Juolevi, D Tyler Myers, D Nate Schmidt, G Thatcher Demko

Key Players Exposed: D Madison Bowey, F Loui Eriksson, F Jonah Gadjovich, F Matthew Highmore, G Braden Holtby, F Kole Lind, F Antoine Roussel, F Jake Virtanen

Washington Capitals
Protected: F Nicklas Backstrom, F Lars Eller, F Evgeny Kuznetsov, F T.J. Oshie, F Daniel Sprong, F Tom Wilson, D John Carlson, D Dmitry Orlov, D Trevor van Riemsdyk, G Ilya Samsonov

Key Players Exposed: D Brenden Dillon, D Nick Jensen, D Justin Schultz, F Conor Sheary, G Vitek Vanecek

Winnipeg Jets
Protected: F Kyle Connor, F Andrew Copp, F Pierre-Luc Dubois, F Nikolaj Ehlers, F Adam Lowry, F Mark Scheifele, F Blake Wheeler, D Josh Morrissey, D Neal Pionk, D Logan Stanley, G Connor Hellebuyck

Key Players Exposed: F Mason Appleton, G Mikhail Berdin, D Dylan DeMelo, F Jansen Harkins, D Sami Niku

Calgary Flames Hire Mitch Love As AHL Coach

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Calgary Flames have decided on a new AHL coach, hiring Mitch Love from the WHL. He replaces Cail MacLean, who will be making the jump to the NHL as an assistant this season.

Love, 37, has led the Saskatoon Blades for the last three seasons and has served as an assistant with Hockey Canada’s World Junior team for the last two years. A physical minor league defenseman, he racked up more than 1,000 penalty minutes in 365 career AHL games. In his three years with Saskatoon, the team put up a 95-44-16 record.

The Heat will add another assistant coach in the coming weeks, according to the team, joining Love and assistant Joe Cirella. MacLean and Ryan Huska, the team’s previous two head coaches, have both graduated to the NHL team, carving out a clear path for Love to follow.

Tampa Bay Lightning Win 2021 Stanley Cup Championship

at CDT | by 31 Comments

For just the second time since the turn of the century, the NHL champion reigns for a second consecutive season. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game Five at home on Wednesday night, cementing their back-to-back champion status after taking home the Stanley Cup in 2020 as well. Young Ross Colton scored the only goal of the game early in the second period and his teammates played tough defense to keep Montreal off the board for a shutout win to seal it.

The 2020-21 season was far different for the Lightning, though. In 2019-20, Tampa was a wire-to-wire favorite, leading the league in goals for and finishing second in goal differential, which earned them a share of the third-best record in the league. This year, the Lightning had their fair share of issues along the way, finishing only third in their own division and eighth overall in the league, falling to eighth in scoring and seventh in differential. Yet, in the postseason they were even better this time around than they were last year. In the 2020 playoffs, the Bolts recorded 3.08 goals for per game and 2.28 goals against per game, finished fifth in power play and penalty kill efficiency, and required extra time to win seven games. This year, Tampa Bay notched 3.26 goals for per game and led the postseason with 1.96 goals against per game, finished third and fourth respectively on the power play and penalty kill, and did not need overtime to win a single game.

Though it may not explain every difference between this season and last, it is hard to argue against the x-factor this season for the Lightning being Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov, the 2020 postseason scoring leader, missed the entire regular season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. While this cost Tampa one of the best players in the league, which could explain their regular season drop-off, the added salary cap space allowed the team to keep their championship roster together against all odds. Kucherov then returned to health in time for the playoff and again led the field in scoring – and by a wide margin. Having a fresh, energized Kucherov in the lineup was key to the Bolts’ success, especially as they faced several defensively skilled teams. While opinions differ on the integrity of how Tampa Bay managed Kucherov’s injury, the team stayed within the NHL’s rules and it led to a second consecutive title. While some may also argue that the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cups came in the 2020 “bubble” playoffs and following a shortened 2020-21 season, it is difficult to see this roster not finding success under normal circumstances as well. Kucherov was followed in the 2021 playoff scoring race by four teammates – Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Alex Killorn – to round out the top five, while Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had the best goaltending numbers of the postseason and was clutch when it mattered most, including a shutout to clinch all four series. The likes of Ondrej Palat, Anthony Cirelli, and Ryan McDonagh were also phenomenal for Tampa.

As for the other Stanley Cup finalist, the efforts of the Montreal Canadiens were valiant and will not soon be forgotten. The team with the worst regular season record in the postseason stunned two top-five teams en route to a completely improbable and unforeseen trip to the championship round. They will get a chance at revenge soon – Tampa Bay and Montreal will be back together in the Atlantic Division again next season, alongside several other top teams.

Tom Dundon Becomes Sole Owner Of Carolina Hurricanes

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The NHL’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved Tom Dundon as sole owner of the Carolina Hurricanes after he purchased all remaining minority shares. That includes those owned by the previous majority shareholder Peter Karmanos, and as the press release indicates, makes this the first time that Karmanos has not owned a piece of the franchise since 1994.

Quite simply, Dundon reiterated his desire to see the Stanley Cup return to Raleigh:

We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base that supports what we believe is a team that can compete every year for the Stanley Cup. That is the only option.

Dundon purchased a majority of the team in 2018 and restructured both the business and hockey operations departments. In the time since, the team has reached the playoffs three times, even making it as far as the Eastern Conference Final in 2018-19. The group of players currently on the roster has made an impactful connection with a rejuvenated fan base, while franchise icon Rod Brind’Amour quickly became one of the most beloved head coaches in team history.

Once again, Dundon will be asked to make a financial commitment to the team this summer as they currently have just 12 players under contract for next season. Young star Andrei Svechnikov is a restricted free agent for the first time, while veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, Dougie Hamilton, and Petr Mrazek are all unrestricted free agents. Though it is unlikely all of those names will be returning, the Hurricanes are in a strong position to take advantage of the free agent market and add some support to their strong foundational pieces.

Lou Lamoriello Wins Second Consecutive GM Of The Year Award

at CDT | by 11 Comments

For the second year in a row, the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award belongs to the New York Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello. The long-time NHL executive is the first ever two-time winner of the award. Lamoriello beat out fellow playoff semifinalist Marc Bergevin of the Montreal Canadiens and Bill Zito of the upstart Florida Panthers for the honor this season. Bergevin actually outpaced Lamoriello in first-place votes by one, but had far fewer second-place votes.

Unlike most awards, the Jim Gregory Award is voted on after the second round of the playoffs as opposed to before they begin. As a result, his Islanders’ upset of the top-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins and favorite Boston Bruins to win the East Division, all without ever facing an elimination game, certainly came into play. As for the moves that earned Lamoriello the award this year, it started last season when he acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Andy Greene. He was able to re-sign both of those players, who have played key roles all season. Lamoriello then added a pair of veterans again at the trad deadline this year, acquiring Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils. Palmieri has been one of the top goal scorers of the postseason to this point.

Lamoriello adds his second GM of the Year Award to a trophy shelf that already sports three Stanley Cups, a World Cup Gold Medal, a Lester Patrick Award, and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame and United States Hockey Hall of Fame. He hopes to add a third Cup to the tally this postseason and, even at 78 years old, will try to catch David Poile for the most GM wins in NHL history.

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