NHL GM Meetings Roundup: Salary Cap, LTIR, No Trade Clause, Russian Draft Picks, Officiating, Revenue
With the conclusion of this year’s NHL GM Meetings, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly gathered for media availability earlier today to discuss the meetings, including their thoughts on certain hot topics, potential changes to rules, and the overall state of the game.
One change reported earlier was that the salary cap is expected to increase by $1MM next year to $82.5MM. Although the salary cap is expected to remain flat through 2024-25, Bettman clarified that a $1MM increase on the cap is still in-line with a flat cap. Albeit a small change, the extra space could stand to benefit some teams who are already dangerously close to the cap ceiling and project to be in the same position next year. Bettman did add that after 2024-25, he expects that the cap would increase more substantially.
- On the much-discussed LTIR situation in the NHL, Bettman and Daly did not express much concern, a relay of the feelings of the 32 teams. Bettman did acknowledge the situation, but said that it was “not going to be addressed as a front-burner issue anytime soon.” In regards to teams who have players return right at the start of playoffs, a seemingly convenient occurrence, Daly clarified the NHL’s process of handling these issues, noting that the league, when a player is placed into LTIR, requests the projected date of return, and if that date is around the start of the playoffs, they do look deeper into it and may even use an independent medical expert to verify the proposed timetable.
- Touching on no-trade and no-movement clauses in light of the Evgenii Dadonov non-trade, Daly said that the league has already had discussions with the NHLPA about the possibility of having a rule requiring all such clauses to be filed with both the NHL Central Registry and the NHLPA. Ultimately, a new software that the two sides could share to store and access the clauses, appeared to be an idea on the table for the league. To get the process started, Daly added that a draft letter agreement had been written and the league was planning on sharing that with the NHLPA today in hopes of jumpstarting negotiations.
- When asked about any possible restrictions on Russian players in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, Daly did not anticipate any restrictions, but did qualify that the state of the world could be much different at that time.
- On the topic of officiating, Bettman explained that he thought the officiating meeting went well, with the topic of the meeting being merely an update, and that it was otherwise uneventful. Bettman also appeared surprised that anyone thought the meeting could be construed as contentious and did not share those beliefs when asked.
- One last topic that many hockey fans may gloss over, is revenue. Bettman mentioned that the league expects revenue to once again hit the $5B mark this year, notwithstanding the attendance restrictions and movement of games in the Canadian markets in late 2021 and early 2022.
2022 NHL Draft Confirmed For Montreal
The city of Montreal was set to host the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but those plans were scuttled when the world was turned upside-down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued pandemic restrictions meant that the city was unable to hold the draft in 2021 as well, but things finally seemed to change when fans returned to the stands at NHL arenas and the city was awarded the 2022 NHL draft. But as the Canadiens were once more forced to play games behind closed doors this season, the possibility of the draft being moved out of Montreal once again became a very realistic thought. In his annual meeting with the media at the NHL All-Star Weekend, Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the NHL “would consider” moving the draft out of Montreal if the pandemic restrictions were still in place.
This was a disheartening development for many in the city who were eager to see Montreal host its 27th NHL Draft, but it seems that those fears can now be laid to rest. According to Chris Johnston of TSN, speaking on TSN’s Insider Trading program, the threat of the draft being moved out of Montreal again is “totally gone.” Johnston reports that the expectation is for the draft to be held as it was pre-pandemic, meaning with representatives from every NHL club on the draft floor and the hosting arena featuring a full-capacity crowd. NHL officials will “be heading to Montreal” next week to finalize all the details, but the bottom line is that it looks as if the vision of a draft in Montreal will finally be realized after a significant wait.
For Montreal as a market, this announcement can have particular significance because of the state of the Canadiens’ season. Despite their resurgence under coach Martin St. Louis, the team is still last in the NHL with 37 points. Should they stay in that place in the standings, they will have the highest odds of winning the #1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, and be guaranteed to be picking inside the top-3. For a hockey-mad market like Montreal, the Canadiens potentially being able to select a future franchise cornerstone like Shane Wright at a draft hosted inside the Bell Center is an exciting prospect and a nice consolation prize for a fanbase that has been through a largely miserable season.
Draft Pick Landscape For 2022
This was a busy summer. With the 2020-21 season only getting underway in January, things got a little condensed in the offseason, what with an expansion draft to fit into the normal schedule. It feels as though the Stanley Cup was only awarded to the Tampa Bay Lightning a few weeks ago, and yet training camp is underway and regular season games will start before you know it. With that condensed, frenzied, transaction period, it’s easy to have missed some of the moves that teams made to prepare their organization moving forward.
Many of those deals had implications that will reach far beyond 2021-22. In particular, next summer’s draft has already been affected drastically, with high picks flying around the league. That could spell disaster or jubilance depending on how the season plays out and how the lottery balls fall, as there is quite the prize coming for the team that selects first overall in 2022.
Shane Wright, who became the fifth player to be granted exceptional status in the OHL and started his rookie season with the Kingston Frontenacs at age-15, is the no-doubt choice at the top of the draft. Now 17, he’s ranked as the top available prospect by basically every list, and Bob McKenzie’s scout poll recently suggested that he would have gone first overall in the 2021 draft as well, had he been eligible. There’s a lot to like about the potential first-line, franchise-defining centerman, even though he won’t turn 18 until January.
As any year beyond that first spot though, there is still plenty of talent to be accrued in the other rounds. That’s where you’ll see most of the draft pick movement through trade anyway, as teams throw around mid- and late-round picks for depth players or as add-ons in bigger deals. So who is heading into 2022 with a leg up on the competition already? Here is how the draft pick landscape sits right now:
Snapshots: Kaprizov, Elias, Robert Morris
While no one wants to see dynamic and entertaining talent Kirill Kaprizov leave the NHL after just one year, especially after waiting so long for his arrival, the ongoing negotiations between he, the Minnesota Wild, and allegedly the KHL’s CSKA Moscow has been an intriguing storyline to say the least. However, the recent report that CKSA has an eight-figure offer out to Kaprizov is almost certainly a farce. As first pointed out by Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland, the KHL salary cap is equivalent to about $12MM, making an eight-figure offer one that eats up at least 83% of the team’s payroll on just one player. Even if they did want to make that kind of unrealistic commitment to Kaprizov, the perennial contenders are already flush with talent, including recent NHLers Joakim Nordstrom, Lucas Wallmark, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikita Nesterov, and several others. There is no possible way that CSKA can afford Kaprizov for anything more than Minnesota’s best offer, leading Strickland to call this “one of the worst bluffs in sports history.” So, rest easy Wild fans. Minnesota maintains all of the leverage in this negotiation and isn’t about to lose Kaprizov and certainly not to an imaginary KHL offer.
- Following a strong performance at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Sports Illustrated’s Steven Ellis reports that talented young Slovakian goalkeeper Rastislav Elias has decided to make the move to North America and will play in the USHL this season. Unlike the past few draft classes, which have featured elite goaltending prospects that were long considered first-round picks, the title for top goalie prospect in the 2022 NHL Draft is still up for grabs. Elias hopes that by joining the Green Bay Gamblers and testing himself in a new league, having only played in Slovakian juniors to this point, will earn him some consideration for that label. The spotlight will be on Elias in 2021-22, who is already considered one of the top prospects in net alongside Canadian Tyler Brennan and Russian Sergei Ivanov in particular. Not only will NHL teams be eying Elias, but NCAA programs will also be heavily scouting the talented prospect, who is still eligible to go the college route if he so chooses.
- Robert Morris University made waves this spring – and not the good kind – when they shockingly terminated their men’s and women’s hockey programs. The decision spurned numerous outside efforts to raise money to bring the programs back before the coming season, but there had been no update as to whether those attempts had been successful. That official word came down today, as the Pittsburgh-area university announced that they will not be icing hockey teams in 2021-22. Robert Morris reports that they have raised $1.34MM in contributions and pledges, but would require $1.4MM in immediate contributions and another $1.4MM in future pledges in order to reinstate the programs. The school notes that it is “eyeing [a] comeback in 2022-23” if fundraising continues, but by then the players from both teams likely will have transferred and the program will be starting from scratch. It is a disappointing result and seeming lack of dedication and effort on the part of Robert Morris, especially as schools around the country are adding Division I hockey programs, not subtracting them.
2021 NHL Draft Results
It may not be a Tuesday in October, but it isn’t the fourth Friday in June either. The 2021 NHL Entry Draft will again be a unique event and it is about far more than just the date. With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting many draft-eligible prospects from competing in full seasons and in some cases at all, as well as limiting NHL scouts from live viewings, this is set to be a very unpredictable draft. While the class is not especially strong at the top, it is deep and teams could have very different opinions on top players based on their incomplete profiles. Some players expected to go early could fall, even by a round or two, while others taken with top picks could come as complete surprises. On top of that, the draft class has also expanded by seven picks, one per round for the NHL’s newest addition, the Seattle Kraken expansion franchise. Beginning on Friday night and through Saturday afternoon, 223 NHL hopefuls will hear their names called. Perhaps more than ever though, it is hard to predict where each of those 223 may fall.
Round One
- Buffalo Sabres – D Owen Power, Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)
- Seattle Kraken – F Matthew Beniers, Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Mason McTavish, Peterborough (OHL)
- New Jersey Devils – D Luke Hughes, USNTDP (USHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F Kent Johnson, Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)
- Detroit Red Wings – D Simon Edvinsson, Frolunda HC (SHL)
- San Jose Sharks – F William Eklund, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Los Angeles Kings – D Brandt Clarke, Barrie (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from VAN) – F Dylan Guenther, Edmonton (WHL)
- Ottawa Senators – F Tyler Boucher, USNTDP (USHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – Forfeited
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from CHI) – F Cole Sillinger, Sioux Falls (USHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Matthew Coronato, Chicago (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from PHI) – F Isak Rosen, Leksands IF (SHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from DAL) – G Sebastian Cossa, Edmonton (WHL)
- New York Rangers – F Brennan Othmann, Flint (OHL)
- St. Louis Blues – F Zachary Bolduc, Rimouski (QMJHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – F Chaz Lucius, USNTDP (USHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Fedor Svechkov, Ladia Togliatti (MHL)
- Minnesota Wild (from EDM) – G Jesper Wallstedt, Lulea HF (SHL)
- Boston Bruins – F Fabian Lysell, Lulea HF (SHL)
- Edmonton Oilers (from MIN) – F Xavier Bourgault, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
- Dallas Stars (from WSH via DET) – F Wyatt Johnston, Windsor (OHL)
- Florida Panthers – F Mackie Samoskevich, Chicago (USHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets (from TOR) – D Corson Ceulemans, Brooks (AJHL)
- Minnesota Wild (from PIT) – D Carson Lambos, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Nashville Predators (from CAR) – F Zachary L’Heureux, Halifax (QMJHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – F Oskar Olausson, HV71 (SHL)
- New Jersey Devils (from NYI) – F Chase Stillman, Sudbury (OHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights – F Zach Dean, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Montreal Canadiens – D Logan Mailloux, London (OHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from TBL via CLB) – D Nolan Allan, Prince Albert (WHL)
Round Two
- Buffalo Sabres – F Prokhor Poltapov, CSKA Moscow (KHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – D Olen Zellweger, Everett (WHL)
- Seattle Kraken – D Ryker Evans, Regina (WHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from NJD via VGK) – D Shai Buium, Sioux City (USHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from CLB via OTT) – F Josh Doan, Chicago (USHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights (from DET) – D Daniil Chayka, CSKA Moscow (KHL)
- Ottawa Senators (from SJS) – F Zack Ostapchuk, Vancouver (WHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from LAK via NSH) – D Scott Morrow, Shattuck St. Mary’s (HS-MN)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Danila Klimovich, Molodechno (Belarus)
- Los Angeles Kings (from OTT) – F Francesco Pinelli, Kitchener (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – F Ilya Fedotov, Novgorod (MHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from CHI via CLB) – D Aleksi Heimosalmi, Assat (Liiga)
- Calgary Flames – F William Stromgren, MODO (Allsvenskan)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Samu Tuomaala, Karpat (Liiga)
- Dallas Stars – F Logan Stankoven, Kamloops (WHL)
- Dallas Stars (from NYR via DET) – F Artem Grushnikov, CSKA (Russia-Jr.)
- Ottawa Senators (from STL via BUF, VGK, LAK) – D Ben Roger, London (OHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – F Nikita Chibrikov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from NSH) – F Ville Koivunen, Karpat (Liiga)
- New York Islanders (from EDM via DET) – F Aatu Raty, Karpat (Liiga)
- Buffalo Sabres (from BOS) – F Alexander Kisakov, Dinamo Moscow (MHL)
- Minnesota Wild – D Jack Peart, Fargo (USHL)
- Washington Capitals – D Vincent Iorio, Brandon (WHL)
- Florida Panthers – D Evan Nause, Quebec (QMJHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – F Matthew Knies, Tri-City (USHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Tristan Broz, Fargo (USHL)
- Los Angeles Kings (from CAR) – F Samuel Helenius, JYP (Liiga)
- Arizona Coyotes (from COL via NYI) – D Janis Moser, Biel-Bienne (NLA)
- Colorado Avalanche (from NYI via NJD) – D Sean Behrens, USNTDP (USHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from VGK) – F Colton Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)
- Montreal Canadiens – F Riley Kidney, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from TBL) – F Oliver Kapanen, KalPa (Liiga)
Round Three
- New York Rangers (from BUF) – F Jayden Grubbe, Red Deer (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Sasha Pastujov, USNTDP (USHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Ryan Winterton, Hamilton (OHL)
- New Jersey Devils – F Samu Salminen, Jokerit (Finland-Jr.)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – D Stanislav Svozil, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Carter Mazur, Tri-City (USHL)
- St. Louis Blues (from SJS) – F Simon Robertsson, Skelleftea AIK (SHL)
- Nashville Predators (from LAK via CAR) – D Anton Olsson, Malmo (SHL)
- Dallas Stars (from VAN) – F Ayrton Martino, Omaha (USHL)
- Ottawa Senators – F Oliver Johansson, Timra IK (Allsvenskan)
- New York Rangers (from ARI via NJD and WAS) – F Ryder Korczak, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from CHI via MTL) – D Tyson Hinds, Rimouski (QMJHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Cole Huckins, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from PHI) – G Alexei Kolosov, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
- Dallas Stars – F Justin Ertel, St. Andrew’s College (HS-CAN)
- Washington Capitals (from NYR) – D Brent Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from STL) – G Ben Gaudreau, Sarnia (OHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – D Dmitry Kuzmin, Molodechno (Belarus)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from NSH) – G Patrik Hamrla, HC Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic)
- Los Angeles Kings (from EDM via CGY) – D Kirill Kirsanov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
- Boston Bruins – F Brett Harrison, Oshawa (OHL)
- Minnesota Wild – F Caedan Bankier, Kamloops (WHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from WSH via SJS) – D Dmitri Kostenko, Lada Togliatti (VHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from FLA) – F Stiven Sardarian, CSKA Moscow (Russia-Jr.)
- Calgary Flames (from TOR via LAK) – D Cameron Whynot, Halifax (QMJHL)
- Edmonton Oilers (from PIT via EDM) – D Luca Munzenberger, Kolner EC (Germany-Jr.)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from CAR) – D Taige Harding, Fort McMurray (AJHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – F Andrei Buyalsky, Dubuque (USHL)
- New York Islanders – G Tristan Lennox, Saginaw (OHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from VGK) – D Aidan Hreschuk, USNTDP (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from MTL) – F Josh Bloom, Saginaw (OHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – D Roman Schmidt, USNTDP (USHL)
Round Four
- Buffalo Sabres – F Olivier Nadeau, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Joshua Lopina, UMass (NCAA)
- Seattle Kraken – D Ville Ottavainen, JYP (Finland)
- New Jersey Devils – G Jakub Malek, VHK Vsetin (Czech-Jr.)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – D Guillaume Richard, Tri-City (USHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights (from DET) – F Jakub Brabenec, HC Kometa Brno (Czech)
- San Jose Sharks – D Gannon Laroque, Victoria (WHL)
- New York Rangers (from LAK) – F Brody Lamb, Green Bay (USHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from VAN) – D Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga (OHL)
- New York Rangers (from OTT) – F Kalle Vaisanen, TPS (Liiga)
- Arizona Coyotes – D Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway)
- Chicago Blackhawks – F Victor Stjernborg, Vaxjo Lakers HC (SHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from CGY via LAK) – F Jackson Blake, Chicago (USHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – D Brian Zanetti, Lugano (Switzerland-Jr.)
- Dallas Stars – F Conner Roulette, Seattle (WHL)
- New York Rangers – G Talyn Boyko, Tri-City (WHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from STL) – D William Trudeau, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from WPG via VGK) – F Red Savage, USNTDP (USHL)
- Nashville Predators – D Ryan Ufko, Chicago (USHL)
- Edmonton Oilers – F Jake Chiasson, Brandon (WHL)
- Boston Bruins – G Philip Svedeback, Vaxjo Lakers HC (Sweden-Jr.)
- Minnesota Wild – D Kyle Masters, Red Deer (WHL)
- Washington Capitals – D Joaquim Lemay, Salmon Arm (BCHL)
- Florida Panthers – D Vladislav Lukashevich, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from TOR) – F Ethan Cardwell, Barrie (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes (from PIT) – G Rasmus Korhonen, Assat (Finland-Jr.)
- Ottawa Senators (from CAR) – F Carson Latimer, Edmonton (WHL)
- Nashville Predators (from COL via OTT) – D Jack Matier, Ottawa (OHL)
- New York Islanders – F Cameron Berg, Muskegon (USHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (from VGK via MTL) – F Dylan Duke, USNTDP (USHL)
- Minnesota Wild (from MTL) – F Josh Pillar, Kamloops (WHL)
- Vegas Golden Knights (from TBL via DET) – F Jakub Demek, HC Kosice (Slovakia)
Round Five
- New Jersey Devils (from BUF) – D Topias Vilen, Pelicans (Liiga)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Sean Tschigerl, Calgary (WHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Jacob Melanson, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
- Columbus Blue Jacket (from NJD) – D Nikolai Makarov, CSKA Moscow (KHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F James Malatesta, Quebec(QMJHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Liam Dower Nilsson, Frolunda HC (SHL)
- San Jose Sharks – D Artem Guryev, Peterborough (OHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from LAK via OTT) – F Robert Orr, Halifax (QMJHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – G Aku Koskenvuo, HIFK (Finland-Jr.)
- Dallas Stars (from OTT via MTL and DET) – D Jack Bar, Chicago (USHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – F Manix Landry, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Vancouver Canucks (from CHI) – D Jonathan Myrenberg, Linkoping HC (Sweden-Jr.)
- Calgary Flames – F Cole Jordan, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from PHI) – D Daniil Sobolev, Windsor (OHL)
- Dallas Stars – D Jacob Holmes, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
- New York Rangers – F Jaroslav Chmelar, Jokerit (Finland-Jr.)
- St. Louis Blues – D Tyson Galloway, Calgary (WHL)
- Winnipeg Jets – F Dmitri Rashevsky, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from NSH) – F Justin Robidas, Val-d’Or (QMJHL)
- Anaheim Ducks (from EDM) – G Gage Alexander, Winnipeg (WHL)
- Boston Bruins – F Oskar Jellvik, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from MIN) – F Joshua Roy, Saint John (QMJHL)
- Washington Capitals – F Haakon Hanelt, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL)
- Florida Panthers – G Kirill Gerasimyuk, SKA-Varyagi (MHL)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – F Ty Voit, Sarnia (OHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – D Isaac Belliveau, Rimouski (QMJHL)
- Detroit Red Wings (from CAR via VGK) – D Oscar Plandowski, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from COL) – F Max McCue, London (OHL)
- New York Islanders – F Eetu Liukas, TPS (Liiga)
- Philadelphia Flyers (from VGK) – D Ty Murchison, USNTDP (USHL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from MTL) – F Viljami Marjala, Quebec (QMJHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – F Cameron MacDonald, Saint John (QMJHL)
Round Six
- Buffalo Sabres – F William von Barnekow, Malmo (SHL)
- Anaheim Ducks – F Kyle Kukkonen, Maple Grove (HS-MN)
- Seattle Kraken – G Semyon Vyazovoi, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)
- New Jersey Devils – D Viktor Hurtig, Vasteras IK (Sweden-Jr.)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F Ben Boyd, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
- Detroit Red Wings – F Pasquale Zito, Windsor (OHL)
- San Jose Sharks – F Liam Gilmartin, USNTDP (USHL)
- Calgary Flames (from LAK) – F Jack Beck, Ottawa (OHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – D Hugo Gabrielsson, Frolunda HC (Sweden-Jr.)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from OTT) – D Bryce Montgomery, London (OHL)
- Arizona Coyotes – D Cal Thomas, Maple Grove (HS-MN)
- Chicago Blackhawks – F Ilya Safonov, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)
- Calgary Flames – F Lucas Ciona, Seattle (WHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – D Ethan Samson, Prince George (WHL)
- Dallas Stars – F Francesco Arcuri, Kingston (OHL)
- Washington Capitals (from NYR) – D Dru Krebs, Medicine Hat (WHL)
- San Jose Sharks (from STL) – F Theo Jacobsson, MODO (Allsvenskan)
- Vancouver Canucks (from WPG) – F Connor Lockhart, Erie (OHL)
- Nashville Predators – F Simon Knak, Portland (WHL)
- Edmonton Oilers – F Matvey Petrov, MHK Kyrlia Moscow (MHL)
- Boston Bruins – D Ryan Mast, Sarnia (OHL)
- Minnesota Wild – D Nate Benoit, Mount St. Charles (HS-RI)
- Washington Capitals – G Chase Clark, Jersey Hitmen (NCDC)
- Florida Panthers – F Jakub Kos, Ilves (Liiga)
- Toronto Maple Leafs – G Vyacheslav Peska, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
- Edmonton Oilers (from PIT) – F Shane Lachance, Tabor Academy (MA-HS)
- Carolina Hurricanes – G Nikita Quapp, Krefeld Pinguine (DEL)
- Buffalo Sabres (from COL) – D Nikita Novikov, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
- New York Islanders – D Aleksi Malinen, JYP (Liiga)
- Vegas Golden Knights – D Artur Cholach, Sokol Kiev (Ukraine)
- Montreal Canadiens – F Xavier Simoneau, Drummondville (Simoneau)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – D Alex Gagne, Muskegon (USHL)
Round Seven
- Buffalo Sabres – F Tyson Kozak, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (from ANA) – D Ryan McCleary, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
- Seattle Kraken – F Justin Janicke, USNTDP (USHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (from NJD) – D Daniil Pylenkov, Vityaz Podolsk (KHL)
- Columbus Blue Jackets – F Martin Rysavy, HC Prerov (Czech Republic)
- St. Louis Blues (from DET) – F Ivan Vorobyov, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
- San Jose Sharks – D Evgeni Kasnikov, Gatineau (QMJHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from LAK) – G Yegor Naumov, MHK Kyrlia Moscow (MHL)
- Vancouver Canucks – F Lucas Forsell, Farjestad BK (Sweden-Jr.)
- Ottawa Senators – D Chandler Romeo, Hamilton (OHL)
- New Jersey Devils (from ARI) – Zakhar Bardakov, Vityaz Podolsk (KHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks – D Connor Kelley, USNTDP (USHL)
- Calgary Flames – G Arseni Sergeev, Shreveport (NAHL)
- Philadelphia Flyers – F Owen McLaughlin, Mount St. Charles (HS-RI)
- Dallas Stars – F Albert Sjoberg, Sodertalje SK (Sweden-Jr.)
- New York Rangers – D Hank Kempf, Muskegon (USHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes (from STL) – Nikita Guslistov, Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)
- Florida Panthers (from WPG) – D Braden Hache, Kingston (OHL)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (from NSH) – F Robert Flinton, St. Paul’s (HS-NH)
- Edmonton Oilers – D Maximus Wanner, Moose Jaw (WHL)
- Boston Bruins – Andre Gasseau, USNTDP (USHL)
- Montreal Canadiens (from MIN) – G Joe Vrbetic, North Bay (OHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (from WSH) – D Daniel Laatsch, Sioux City (USHL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (from FLA) – F Jalen Luypen, Edmonton (WHL)
- Boston Bruins (from TOR) – D Ty Gallagher, USNTDP (USHL)
- Pittsburgh Penguins – F Kirill Tankov, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)
- Carolina Hurricanes – D Joel Nystrom, Farjestad BK (SHL)
- Colorado Avalanche – F Taylor Makar, Brooks (AJHL)
- New York Islanders – F Tomas Machu, HC Vitkovice (Czech Republic)
- Vegas Golden Knights – G Carl Lindbom, Djurgardens IF (Sweden-Jr.)
- Montreal Canadiens – F Sam Lipkin, New Jersey (NCDC)
- Tampa Bay Lightning – Niko Huuhtanen, Tappara (Finland-Jr.)
2021 NHL Draft Pick Trade Tracker
While there has been no shortage of major trades of late, many of the deals that occur during the NHL Draft are simply swaps of draft selections. As the 2021 draft unfolds, with the first round taking place on Friday night and the remaining six following on Saturday afternoon, follow along here for all of these trades as teams move up and down the draft board:
Detroit Red Wings Receive: No. 15 (G Sebastian Cossa)
Dallas Stars Receive: No. 23 (F Wyatt Johnston), No. 48 (F Artem Grushnikov), No. 138 (D Jack Bar)
Minnesota Wild Receive: No. 20 (G Jesper Wallstedt)
Edmonton Oilers Receive: No. 22 (F Xavier Bourgault), No. 90 (D Luca Munzenberger)
Nashville Predators Receive: No. 27 (F Zachary L’Heureux)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: No. 40 (D Scott Morrow), No. 51 (F Ville Koivunen)
Detroit Red Wings Receive: No. 36 (D Shai Buium)
Vegas Golden Knights: No. 38 (D Daniil Chayka), No. 128 (F Jakub Demek)
Los Angeles Kings Receive: No. 42 (F Francesco Pinelli)
Ottawa Senators: No. 49 (D Ben Roger), No. 136 (traded)
Los Angeles Kings Receive: No. 59 (F Samuel Helenius)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: No. 72 (traded), No. 109 (F Jackson Blake)
St. Louis Blues Receive: No. 71 (F Simon Robertsson)
San Jose Sharks Receive: No. 81 (G Ben Gaudreau), No. 177 (F Theo Jacobsson)
Nashville Predators Receive: No. 72 (D Anton Olsson)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: No. 83 (G Patrik Hamrla), No. 147 (F Justin Robidas)
New York Rangers Receive: No. 75 (F Ryder Korczak)
Washington Capitals Receive: No. 80 (D Brent Johnson), No. 176 (D Dru Krebs)
Anaheim Ducks Receive: No. 76. (D Tyson Hinds)
Montreal Canadiens Receive: 2022 third-round pick
Los Angeles Kings Receive: No. 84(D Kirill Kirsanov)
Calgary Flames Receive: No. 89 (D Cameron Whynot), No. 168 (F Jack Beck)
Chicago Blackhawks Receive: No. 91 (D Taige Harding)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: 2022 third-round pick
Vegas Golden Knights Receive: No. 102 (F Jakub Brabanec)
Detroit Red Wings Receive: No. 114 (F Red Savage), No. 155 (D Oscar Plandowski)
Ottawa Senators Receive: No. 123 (F Carson Latimer)
Carolina Hurricanes Receive: No. 136 (F Robert Orr), No. 170 (D Bryce Montgomery)
Tampa Bay Lighting Receive: No. 126 (F Dylan Duke)
Montreal Canadiens Receive: 2022 fourth-round pick
Minnesota Wild Receive: No. 127 (F Josh Pillar)
Montreal Canadiens Receive: No. 150 (F Joshua Roy), No. 214 (G Joe Vrbetic)
Logan Mailloux Renounces Himself From 2021 NHL Draft
Any team that was struggling with the decision of whether or not to select Logan Mailloux in the upcoming draft has now been taken off the hook. The top prospect has renounced himself from the 2021 NHL Draft, asking teams not to select him.
Mailloux, 18, according to reports in The Athletic and Daily Faceoff, was charged in Sweden with taking and distributing an offensive photo without consent during a consensual sexual encounter last year. According to Katie Strang and Corey Pronman of The Athletic, at least nine teams had already completely dropped Mailloux off their draft list because of the incident. Now, the prospect is asking for the entire league to pass on him. In a Twitter post today, Mailloux wrote:
Being drafted into the NHL is an honour and a privilege that no one takes lightly. The NHL Draft should be one of the most exciting landmark moments in a player’s career, and given the circumstances I don’t feel I have demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 Draft. If I were to ever have the honour of being selected I would want a fanbase to be proud to welcome me to their organization. I know it will take time for society to build back the trust I have lost, and that is why I think it is best that I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL Draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend. I feel that this would allow me the opportunity to demonstrate an adequate level of maturity and character next season with the London Knights in the OHL and provide all the NHL teams the opportunity to reassess my character towards the 2022 NHL Draft.
Should he go undrafted, Mailloux could return to the London Knights and continue his hockey career. When asked for comment by Strang, the Knights released a statement indicating that they would continue to work with the young defenseman to “help him better understand his actions, the ramifications of his actions and [ensure] that this does not happen again.” If undrafted, he would be eligible for the 2022 draft. Mailloux was ranked 23rd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Snapshots: Power, Olympics, Orlando
The past few days have been quite the event in NHL news, leading up to the Seattle Expansion Draft on Wednesday and the NHL Entry Draft on Friday. But while the majority of news and notes have had to do with the Kraken, including their reported signing of goalie Chris Driedger earlier today, the Entry Draft hasn’t been lost in the shuffle. TSN’s Bob McKenzie, in his final draft piece before the event on Friday, states that in his polling of NHL scouts, University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power has pulled away from the rest of the field and is the consensus No. 1 overall choice ahead of the draft. This comes after reports that the Buffalo Sabres, who hold the first pick, had yet to interview Power and had significant interest in Swedish forward William Eklund instead. But based on McKenzie’s polling, it seems as though Buffalo will still be selecting Power with that first choice. What remains to be seen is if the Sabres acquire an additional top-10 draft choice ahead of Friday, allowing them to potentially select both Power and Eklund. What’s for sure is that neither will join the team next season, as both Power and Eklund have expressed their desire to return to their respective teams for at least one more season.
- ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski notes that despite the NHL expected to leave an Olympic break in their 2021-22 schedule, their participation in the event is not yet confirmed. This builds on earlier reporting that the NHL had until July 23rd to find a resolution for the situation. However, that was based on the fact that the schedule would be final and without modification. The expectation here is that with an Olympic break built into the schedule, the NHL won’t need to add any time to the season if they are able to send their players to China in 2022. If not, the schedule can be adjusted without extending the season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning announced in a press release today that they’ve extended their ECHL affiliation with the Orlando Solar Bears for two years. The agreement takes the two teams through the 2022-23 season and ensures a pipeline of Orlando in the ECHL and Syracuse in the AHL remains constant for the next two seasons. Orlando, previously the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has seen success in recent years after matching with the Lightning organization. The team likely appreciates having a relatively local minor league affiliate and had no desire to move elsewhere.
NHL Announces Official Order For 2021 Entry Draft
The NHL has announced the official order of selection for the upcoming 2021 Entry Draft, which will be held virtually starting on July 23. The first round will be held that night, with rounds 2-7 going on July 24. The Buffalo Sabres hold the first overall pick, while the expansion Seattle Kraken will make their first draft choice in franchise history second overall.
The full order:
Analyzing 2021 NHL Draft Capital
Draft picks are not created equal, that much is certain. While there is randomness and unpredictability inherent in any professional sports draft, higher picks still have a higher likelihood of success. That decline in value is not linear, either, as early picks hold much greater weight. However, it is difficult to judge just how valuable one selection may be compared to another or, in the process of making a trade, several. Many sources have tried to quantify the value of draft picks based on historical data. The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn produced one of the more recent models ahead of last year’s NHL Entry Draft. Using an aggregate statistic known as Game Score Value Added, or GSVA, Luszczyszyn ranked all draft picks on how the average selection pans out in the NHL. Not only was the drop-off not linear, it showed an incredibly steep decline that all but flatlined after the third round. Using that model, it is clear that quality is greater than quantity when it comes to the NHL Draft, though a quantity of quality picks is the ultimate prize
How does that play out this year? Here is a look at each team’s draft capital in the upcoming draft by total GSVA to provide, as well as an idea of how they might be able to use it to move up and down the draft board, adding high value picks or adding additional picks, based on number of selections, specific draft slots, and prospect depth. Though draft pick trades are not nearly as common in the NHL as in some other major North American sports, in a deep and unpredictable draft later this month there could be a shift in the status quo.
1. Buffalo Sabres
No. of Picks: 10
Total GSVA: 24.9
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up Into First Round
2. Detroit Red Wings
No. of Picks: 12
Total GSVA: 19.5
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up In First Round
3. Seattle Kraken
No. of Picks: 7
Total GSVA: 16.9
Potential Draft Move: Trade Back In First Round
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
No. of Picks: 9
Total GSVA: 16.7
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up In First Round
5. New Jersey Devils
No. of Picks: 8
Total GSVA: 15.3
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up In First Round
6. Anaheim Ducks
No. of Picks: 7
Total GSVA: 14.9
Potential Draft Move: Trade Back In Second Round
7. Ottawa Senators
No. of Picks: 6
Total GSVA: 11.4
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up Into First Round
8. Minnesota Wild
No. of Picks: 9
Total GSVA: 11
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up In First Round
9. Los Angeles Kings
No. of Picks: 7
Total GSVA: 10.7
Potential Draft Move: Trade Up Into Second Round
10. Vancouver Canucks
No of Picks: 8
Total GSVA: 10.2
Potential Draft Move: Trade Back In Second Round
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