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Corey Pronman Releases 2023 NHL Draft Rankings

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With the trade deadline now over and the playoffs approaching, the next big transaction frenzy won’t occur until the 2023 NHL entry draft. Several teams have positioned themselves to be active at the draft and today Corey Pronman of The Athletic released his 2023 NHL draft rankings. Pronman considers this to be an above average draft that is heavy on forwards, this is evident in the rankings as he has only defenseman in his top ten.

The top of the draft offers no surprises as Connor Bedard is still the consensus top overall pick. Bedard continues to be viewed as a franchise changing player drawing favorable comparisons to David Pastrnak, Patrick Kane, and Nikita Kucherov. The only knock on Bedard continues to be his size, as he stands just 5′ 9″ and weights 185 pounds. While he does play with a physical edge, Pronman wonders if he eventually gets pushed from center to the wing.

Russian born winger Matvei Michkov is Pronman’s second ranked prospect in the draft. He too is on the smaller size standing just 5’10” and weighing in at just 172 pounds. Pronman considers Michkov to be one of the best draft eligible prospects he’s seen inside the offensive zone. Michkov recently completed the best 17-year-old season in Russia’s junior league history, topping Nikita Kucherov. He is seen as a game breaking elite scorer with a mind that sees the game in a way that few players do. He is currently signed to the KHL until 2025-26, meaning any team that drafts him might have to wait a few years for Michkov to make an impact.

Slotting in at number three in Pronman’s rankings is center Adam Fantilli out of Michigan. He was ranked second back in Pronman’s January rankings and draws comparisons to Jonathan Toews. Fantilli is fresh off one of the best underage seasons in USHL history and is currently having one of the best seasons seen in the modern era by a first-year draft eligible college player. While his speed and hockey sense are ranked as NHL average, his puck skills are seen as elite. Fantilli projects as an elite NHLer and a number one center on a very good team.

Pronman views Bedard, Michkov and Fantilli as first overall pick type of prospects. But obviously there can only be one first overall pick this June in Nashville and it appears as though that will be Connor Bedard.

 

Pronman’s top ten draft eligible players are:

  1. Connor Bedard, Regina (WHL)
  2. Matvei Michkov. Sochi (KHL)
  3. Adam Fantilli, Michigan (NCAA)
  4. Leo Carlsson, Orebro (SHL)
  5. Nate Danielson, Brandon (WHL)
  6. William Smith, USA U-18 (NTDP)
  7. David Reinbacher, Kloten (NL)
  8. Danil But, Yaroslavl (MHL)
  9. Colby Barlow, Owen Sound (OHL)
  10. Samuel Honzek, Vancouver (WHL)

 

Pronman’s full list can be found here.

 

 

Boston Bruins Extend David Pastrnak

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Tyler Bertuzzi was just the appetizer. The Boston Bruins have provided their fans with quite the morning, following the trade by announcing an eight-year extension for David Pastrnak that will keep him under contract through the 2030-31 season. The deal will carry an average annual value of $11.25MM, making him one of the league’s highest-paid players.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal has a full no-move clause for the first five years, then a modified no-trade clause for the final three. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has the year-by-year breakdown:

  • 2023-24: $8.5MM salary + $4.5MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $8.5MM salary + $4.5MM signing bonus
  • 2025-26: $8.5MM salary + $4.0MM signing bonus
  • 2026-27: $8.25MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $8.25MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2028-29: $7.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2029-30: $7.0MM salary + $2.5MM signing bonus
  • 2030-31: $7.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus

The $90MM contract is the sixth-largest in NHL history, in terms of total money, and Pastrnak goes into next season with the sixth-highest cap hit in the league, right behind Erik Karlsson’s $11.5MM.

If there was ever a player that was going to break the bank in Boston, it was Pastrnak, who has been an incredible bargain for them the last six years. Since he started his six-year, $40MM contract in 2017, which carries a $6.67MM cap hit, Pastrnak ranks fifth in goals (223), ninth in points (461), and tenth in points-per-game (1.16).

With the salary cap set to increase in the coming years, this still—unbelievably—is probably a discount for the Bruins’ sniper. While many believed he would become the highest-paid winger in the NHL, that title will continue to belong to Artemi Panarin, whose seven-year, $81.5MM deal carries an average annual value of $11.64MM.

Not only are the Bruins likely paying less than he would have gotten on the open market, the structure of the deal is also in their favor, allowing them to get out of it should Pastrnak’s game decline considerably in the future.

Given his relative youth, though, that seems unlikely. The contract will expire when he is 35, a perfectly reasonable extension to hand out at this point to a franchise icon who is one of the best offensive weapons in the league. Even if his overall game takes a step backward down the line, Pastrnak’s innate goal-scoring ability seems likely to continue through most of his career.

Committing nearly $100MM to one player is a huge risk, but there are few players in the game more deserving than Pastrnak. With him now locked up long-term, the Bruins front office knows exactly where they stand in other negotiations and how much they can spend on his supporting cast.

It’s been quite a year for Boston, who head into the playoffs as the odds-on favorite for the Stanley Cup, and have now secured their franchise player for the majority of his NHL career.

NHL Announces 2023 All-Star Player Assignments

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The 2023 NHL All-Star Skills competition will take place tomorrow night, and today the league announced the full lineup of participants. Players from around the league will get to show off their unique abilities in several events, with each individual winner taking home $30,000.

Fastest Skater

Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Chandler Stephenson, Vegas Golden Knights
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes

Breakaway Challenge

Roberto Luongo, Celebrity goaltender
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals*
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

*Ovechkin and Crosby are listed as “teaming up”

Tendy Tandem

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers
Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Logan Thompson, Vegas Golden Knights
Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Splash Shot

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Adam Fox, New York Rangers
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers

Accuracy Shooting

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
Nazem Kadri, Calgary Flames
Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues

Pitch ’n Puck

Johnny Gaudreau, Columbus Blue Jackets
Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

Hardest Shot

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
Seth Jones, Chicago Blackhawks
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks

Snapshots: Pastrnak, Krebs, Dumba

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The Boston Bruins have had a dream start to their Jim Montgomery era. After hiring their newest coach in the offseason, the Bruins have stormed out the gates in 2022-23 to rank first in the NHL with an extremely impressive 33-5-4 record. A major reason for Boston’s success has been the play of David Pastrnak, who is up to 33 goals and 59 points in 42 games on the season. But what does cloud the Bruins’ future is the upcoming unrestricted free agency of Pastrnak, whose contract expires in the summer.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Bruins are trying to prevent reaching that point. Friedman reported yesterday on Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast that the Bruins were making “progress” on a new deal with Pastrnak. The Bruins signed Pastrnak’s countryman Pavel Zacha to an extension last night, and are seemingly hard at work on a new deal with their star forward, who will undoubtedly earn a major raise from his current $6.66MM cap hit.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The Buffalo Sabres made a roster move that local media, including Noted Hockey’s Joe Yerdon, have reported is a paper transaction. The team has recalled forward Peyton Krebs from their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, and loaned down goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Luukkonen is expected to be back on the roster in time to help the Sabres navigate back-to-back games on Monday and Tuesday.
  • Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin gave an interview to The Athletic’s Joe Smith yesterday and issued a few notable updates on current Wild players. (subscription link) One such player is pending unrestricted free agent Matt Dumba, who has been the subject of trade rumors thanks to his expiring deal. Guerin told The Athletic that they are “not actively shopping” Dumba, and that any Dumba trade “would have to be something that works extremely well for [the Wild]” in order to get the team to part with him. Some might believe that this is simply Guerin attempting to put himself in a strong bargaining position ahead of the trade deadline. But it’s likely that Guerin, who is often straightforward and clear in his thinking, is communicating a genuine desire to retain Dumba, who has been with the Wild for his entire professional career.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Comrie, McCabe

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The NHL released its Three Stars of last week, with David Pastrnak taking the top spot. The Boston Bruins superstar has scored seven goals in the last three games and now has 32 in 40 games this season. Quite the platform year for the pending free agent, who will need a massive contract from the Bruins to stay in town. It’s also a great showcase for his All-Star participation, which isn’t certain given he’s in the fan vote.

Second and third place went to Jack Hughes and Rasmus Dahlin, two of the most impressive young players (and first-overall picks) in the league. Hughes, 21, leads the league in even-strength goals with 21 and has already matched the career-high he set last season with 26 overall. Five of those came last week as he continues to lead the New Jersey Devils into contender status in the Metropolitan Division. Because of the attention that Tage Thompson is getting as an emerging superstar, Dahlin’s season for the Buffalo Sabres may actually be going a little bit under the radar. The 22-year-old now has 44 points in 36 games, putting him in real contention for the Norris Trophy, given how important he is to the Sabres every night. His 1.22 points-per-game rate trails only Erik Karlsson among NHL defenders this season.

  • Speaking of Buffalo, there’s a bit of a roster crunch happening for the Sabres, as they try to figure out the goaltending situation. Eric Comrie’s conditioning stint is over and he told reporters including Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News that he is healthy and ready to play. As of right now, Comrie remains on injured reserve and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who has played so well in his absence, is still on the roster as an emergency call-up. That won’t be allowed to continue, and the Sabres will have to make a decision one way or another. Send Luukkonen down, put Comrie (or Craig Anderson) on waivers to send him down, or carry three goaltenders on the active roster.
  • When discussing potential defense targets for the Edmonton Oilers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast touched on Jake McCabe of the Chicago Blackhawks. Friedman believes that Edmonton is on McCabe’s no-trade list, which could be the end of any speculation that he could be acquired at the deadline. McCabe holds a seven-team NTC, carries a $4MM cap hit and is signed through the 2024-25 season.

Snapshots: Sharks, Domi, Bruins

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It appears that the Sharks have determined their list of untouchables and it’s a pretty small one.  In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that San Jose’s list of players that they’re not open to considering trading starts and ends with Tomas Hertl who is just beginning an eight-year, $65.1MM contract.  GM Mike Grier made one notable shakeup trade last summer with the move of Brent Burns to Carolina and will certainly be looking to continue to reshape his roster.  As we start to see a bit of trade activity around the league, the Sharks could be a team to watch for over the next little while on that front.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Max Domi joined the Blackhawks early in free agency on a one-year deal, it appears as if that wasn’t his original preference. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that Domi’s camp had approached the Maple Leafs to gauge their interest in a one-year deal at a significantly lower price than the $3MM he received from Chicago.  Obviously, Toronto opted to go in a different direction, adding Nicolas Aube-Kubel on the opening day of free agency and Calle Jarnkrok two days later as forwards signing for more than the minimum.
  • Bruins GM Don Sweeney met with the media (video link) on Thursday following their trade with Vancouver. Sweeney acknowledged that discussions with winger David Pastrnak about a contract extension continue on a regular basis but that they have not yet “found the endpoint”.  The 26-year-old is off to a hot start with 15 points in eight games to start the season and is set to land a significant raise on his current $6.667MM AAV, one that could push his cap hit near or past the $10MM mark.
  • Sweeney also indicated that they’ve not yet worked out where they will send goaltender Michael DiPietro who was acquired in yesterday’s swap. They have two netminders with AHL Providence already – Keith Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser – while they have Brandon Bussi at the ECHL level as well.  As DiPietro is past his entry-level contract, he has the ability to block an assignment to the ECHL.  Speculatively, if DiPietro wants to stay in the AHL, a short-term loan to another AHL squad could be a possible outcome with Sweeney suggesting they have a couple of options in the works for their new goalie at the moment.

Salary Cap Could Increase More Than Expected In 2023

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Speaking with the media today, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said there’s a “good probability” that the remaining COVID-related escrow balance could be paid by the players this season, and remains optimistic about revenues. If the escrow balance gets paid off, the salary cap could jump more than the predicted $1MM incremental increase, two years sooner than originally expected coming out of the pandemic.

Bettman did note that it would be a close call, but if the revenue numbers hit, the cap could jump roughly $4MM to a figure of around $86.5MM for the 2023-24 season. The league’s cap growth would then mirror pre-pandemic trends, if not more.

This is gigantic news for a number of teams, especially those who have big-name free agents due for contracts by July 1 of next year. It also bodes well for teams tight to the salary cap to be able to have more roster flexibility in the offseason.

That list of big-name unrestricted free agents next summer is no joke, and a ~$4MM salary cap increase would have a massive effect on many negotiations. Ryan O’Reilly in St. Louis, David Pastrnak in Boston, Dylan Larkin in Detroit, Bo Horvat in Vancouver, and Frederik Andersen in Carolina are some notables who could re-sign with their current teams for a big payday.

It also makes life easier for teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, who are poised to get a healthy Robin Lehner back but already remain well over the currently projected $83.5MM salary cap for 2023-24.

Latest On David Pastrnak

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The NHL saw a number of high-priced extensions this summer, with players like Nathan MacKinnon, J.T. Miller, and Jonathan Huberdeau, all signing long-term deals since the beginning of August to keep them away from unrestricted free agency. As the names started ticking off the list, the focus narrowed to a handful of names that still don’t have deals for 2023-24.

Chief among them is David Pastrnak, the Boston Bruins superstar that could hit the open market at the age of 27 in a little over eight months from now. Pastrnak is one of the most consistent offensive players in the league, with at least 34 goals in each of the last five full-length seasons (and 20 in the shortened 2020-21 campaign).

Coming off a 77-point season, he started things off on the right foot last night by posting four points against the Washington Capitals to take the early NHL lead. Friend and teammate David Krejci told Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic after the game, that Pastrnak “has no ceiling” and “just keeps getting better.”

With that in mind, the extension negotiations between Pastrnak and the Bruins could lead to quite a contract. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that talks continue between the two sides, and notes that the star forward is a “Panarin-level player on the open market.”

That, of course, is referring to New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who secured one of the biggest contracts in the league when he reached the open market in 2019. The Rangers handed Panarin a seven-year, $81.5MM deal that carries a cap hit of $11.64MM, making him the highest-paid winger in the league and second only to Connor McDavid in terms of overall cap. Both have since been eclipsed by MacKinnon’s whopping eight-year, $100.8MM deal.

“I don’t play hockey for money, man,” said Pastrnak in 2019 when discussing his last deal, a contract that put him at a very team-friendly $6.67MM cap hit for six years. It has become one of the most valuable deals in the league, with the Czech winger far outpacing his salary in terms of on-ice production.

Now, as the next contract approaches, it will be interesting to see if Pastrnak again gives Boston a discount. LeBrun notably said that he would be Panarin-level on the open market, but suggested that re-signing with the Bruins is a different story. Currently, Boston’s highest-paid player is Charlie McAvoy, who signed an eight-year, $76MM extension almost exactly a year ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Kravtsov, Pastrnak, Flames

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The New York Rangers and winger Vitali Kravtsov were both hoping that the former top prospect could finally make an NHL impact this season in a top-six role. Unfortunately for Kravtsov, his season has gotten off to a rough start. After taking a hit early in the first period of tonight’s season opener from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, the Rangers said that Kravtsov would not return to the game with an upper-body injury.

The ninth overall pick in 2018 returned to North America this season after spending last year with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, recording 13 points in 19 games. He made his season debut tonight skating on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Kravtsov played just 1:28 before leaving the game.

  • Talks remain amicable between the Boston Bruins and David Pastrnak on an extension. Still, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported today that the Bruins have yet to make a specific offer to Pastrnak’s camp. It makes sense, all things considered, as Pastrnak has publically said multiple times since he was eligible for an extension that his main focus is on starting the season strong. The team will need to rely on him heavily, of course, with Brad Marchand out of the lineup. Dreger cited Jonathan Huberdeau’s recent eight-year, $84MM extension as a reasonable comparison.
  • Speaking of the Calgary Flames, head coach Darryl Sutter said today that the team has “no need” to name a captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. The Flames have not had a captain since the 2021 offseason when Mark Giordano was claimed in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken. New acquisition Huberdeau was a commonly discussed candidate for the role, as well as longtime Flame, Mikael Backlund.

Snapshots: Canadiens Injuries, Pastrnak, Rangers Leadership Group, Blais

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After heading all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21, only to finish dead last in the NHL standings in 2021-22, it’s unclear exactly what is to be expected from the Montreal Canadiens this year. Injuries were a large part of what plagued the team last season, and heading into this season, they’re still a part of the headline. Of course, legendary goaltender Carey Price will be on LTIR and is unlikely to play this season, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever return. Still, there are some shorter-term updates available out of Montreal today.

For one, veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson, who is recovering from a back injury, was able to skate this morning and though his rehab is progressing, the team is still unable to provide a timetable for his return. Forwards Joel Armia and Emil Heineman will both be out with injury, Armia out one to two weeks with an upper-body injury and Heineman six weeks with a thumb injury. Defenseman Mike Matheson, who the team acquired in the Jeff Petry deal, is continuing to rehab a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Finally, forwards and expected key contributors Nick Suzuki, Mike Hoffman, and Christian Dvorak, who had all been dealing with separate ailments, were back at practice this morning.

  • Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney spoke to the media this morning, including Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, where he discussed a number of Bruins-related topics. Most notably, he touched on extension talks between the team and pending UFA forward David Pastrnak. While many teams and players, in hockey as well as other sports, generally put off contract talks once the season starts, that doesn’t appear to be the case here. Sweeney says the Bruins and Pastrnak have been talking almost every day and are comfortable talking into the regular season. While a deal isn’t done yet of course, the continued dialogue is clearly a good sign for the Bruins and their fans, showing Pastrnak presumably has interest in staying with the team.
  • Earlier this summer, the New York Rangers announced defenseman Jacob Trouba would be their next captain, remarkably their first since previous captain Ryan McDonagh was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018. In the interim, the team has relied on a group of alternate captains to fill their leadership group until they found the perfect fit for the vacant captaincy. Having now chosen Trouba as their man, the Rangers still have their contingent of alternates to go along with him, formally announcing them today. This season, the team will run with veterans Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad as alternates.
  • Tough news for Rangers forward Sammy Blais, who had been out with injury since last November, as he’s still dealing with the aftermath of an upper-body injury suffered after taking a hit from New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov in their Saturday evening preseason contest. According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, the Rangers have said the forward will not practice today and is doubtful for tomorrow’s season opener against the, Tampa Bay Lightning.

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