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NHL Entry Draft

Snapshots: Chayka, Ryan, Ceci

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There’s a new Chayka in the news. No, not John Chayka the former Arizona Coyotes executive that left his position earlier this summer, but Daniil Chayka, one of the top prospects for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 17-year-old Russian forward will be heading home to continue his development, signing with the CSKA organization for the 2020-21 season.

Chayka was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 OHL draft after playing a year in the GTHL and has spent the last two seasons with the Guelph Storm. He won gold at the most recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with Russia and had 34 points in 56 games for Guelph this season.

  • Speaking of heading home, Bobby Ryan recently spoke on the possibility of playing for the Philadelphia Flyers now that he is an unrestricted free agent. The Cherry Hill, New Jersey native told NBC Sports that he’d basically take any chance to play for the team he grew up cheering for, saying “if the Flyers were to make an offer or extend a camp invite, they’d move high on my list because of all the connections.” Ryan has already drawn interest from other teams after seeing the final year of his contract with the Ottawa Senators bought out last week.
  • Cody Ceci won’t be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, at least not until he checks out the free agent market. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Ceci will become an unrestricted free agent on October 9 when the market opens, though does suggest that he could circle back to the Maple Leafs eventually.

Draft Pick Breakdown By Team

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The NHL released the full order of selection earlier this afternoon following Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup victory last night. To see the full order in its entirety, click here. Below is a breakdown for each team heading into the draft on Tuesday, Oct 6.

Anaheim Ducks

1st round – 6th overall
1st round – 27th overall
2nd round – 36th overall
3rd round – 67th overall
4th round – 104th overall
5th round – 129th overall
6th round – 160th overall

Arizona Coyotes

4th round – 111th overall
5th round – 142nd overall
6th round – 173rd overall
7th round – 204th overall

Boston Bruins

2nd round – 58th overall
3rd round – 89th overall
5th round – 151st overall
6th round – 182nd overall
7th round – 213th overall

Buffalo Sabres

1st round – 8th overall
2nd round – 38th overall
4th round – 100th overall
5th round – 131st overall
7th round – 193rd overall
7th round – 216th overall

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NHL Announces Official 2020 Draft Order

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Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded the order of selection has been finalized for next week’s draft. The first round will take place on Tuesday, Oct 6 and will be followed by rounds 2-7 the next afternoon. The entire draft will be held virtually this year.

The full draft order:

Round 1

1. NY Rangers
2. Los Angeles
3. Ottawa (from SJS)
4. Detroit
5. Ottawa
6. Anaheim
7. New Jersey
8. Buffalo
9. Minnesota
10. Winnipeg
11. Nashville
12. Florida
13. Carolina (from TOR)
14. Edmonton
15. Toronto (from PIT)
16. Montreal
17. Chicago
18. New Jersey (from ARI)
19. Calgary
20. New Jersey (from VAN via TBL)
21. Columbus
22. NY Rangers (from CAR)
23. Philadelphia
24. Washington
25. Colorado
26. St. Louis
27. Anaheim (from BOS)
28. Ottawa (from NYI)
29. Vegas
30. Dallas
31. San Jose (from TBL)

Round 2

32. Detroit
33. Ottawa
34. San Jose
35. Los Angeles
36. Anaheim
37. Nashville (from NJD)
38. Buffalo
39. Minnesota
40. Winnipeg
41. Carolina (from NYR)
42. Nashville
43. Florida
44. Toronto
45. Detroit (from EDM)
46. Chicago (from PIT via VGK)
47. Montreal
48. Montreal (from CHI)
49. No selection
50. Calgary
51. Los Angeles (from VAN)
52. Ottawa (from CBJ)
53. Carolina
54. Philadelphia
55. Detroit (from WSH)
56. San Jose (from COL via WSH)
57. Montreal (from STL)
58. Boston
59. Ottawa (from NYI)
60. Los Angeles (from VGK)
61. Ottawa (from DAL via VGK)
62. Tampa Bay

Pick 49 – The NHL directed the forfeiture of this pick in sanctions against the Arizona Coyotes announced Aug. 26, 2020.

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Snapshots: Entry Draft, Daccord, Koivu

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The NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner and the Ottawa Senators will be almost living at the (virtual) podium. Ottawa owns seven picks in the first two rounds including the third and fifth overall selections. Jeff Marek gave his thoughts on that fifth pick in today’s 31 Thoughts podcast for Sportsnet, including some interesting names that may be in play.

Five’s gonna be interesting. I’m told there are three different beliefs in that organization.

There is the “let’s take a defenseman here.” There is a belief that that would be Jake Sanderson, Geoff Sanderson’s kid. There is another belief within the organization that they are thin on the right side as it comes to prospects after players like Drake Batherson. That Jack Quinn, who was a 50-goal scorer two-way player with the Ottawa 67’s, the local boy, might be the right fit for Ottawa…and then the wildcard in all of it is the goaltender.

Yaroslav Askarov, that goaltender Marek mentions, is one of the more interesting prospects to follow in the draft given the wide-ranging opinions on where netminders should be taken in the draft. In the same podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggests that even the New Jersey Devils would consider Askarov at seven, despite having Mackenzie Blackwood in the organization already.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have named Brian Daccord special assistant to the general manager and director of goaltending operations. Daccord comes to Arizona by way of Toronto after spending the last several seasons with the Maple Leafs. Father of Ottawa Senators goalie prospect Joey Daccord, Brian comes with plenty of experience in professional hockey including seven years as the goaltending coach for Adler Mannheim in the DEL.
  • Mikko Koivu’s time in Minnesota may be over, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his playing career is done. Koivu told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic that he is returning to Finland to start training as if he is playing in 2020-21, though he hasn’t made a decision on his future just yet. Koivu, 37, scored just four goals in 55 games for the Wild this season and has played in nearly 1,100 games over a long career.

Justin Barron Out Indefinitely Following Medical Procedure

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One of the top prospects available for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will not start his junior season on time. Justin Barron is out indefinitely following a medical procedure. A further timeline will be given after a follow-up examination. Barron missed several months last season with a blood clot, though the press release does not clarify whether this is the same issue or even related.

The QMJHL season is set to start next week, with the Halifax Mooseheads playing their first game on October 2. Barron is ranked 16th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was expected to be taken in the first round.

The 18-year-old is among the most polished defenders available in the draft and scored 41 points in 68 games during the 2018-19 season. While those numbers fell as he dealt with the blood clot issue this year, Barron was still considered a strong prospect that would be snatched up quickly in the draft.

Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi

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Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.

  • Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with  Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
  • Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.

Morning Notes: Trade Bait, Pietrangelo, Draft Takes

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In a normal year, the NHL Entry Draft is usually a hotbed for trading action. The event normally takes place at least a week before free agency opens and brings the front offices of every team in the league into one room at the same time. This year might be different, but thanks to a flat cap and poor financial situations for several teams, the next two weeks may actually have even more trade action. With that in mind, Frank Seravalli of TSN released his latest Trade Bait board, which includes a snippet of each team’s current situation. Matt Murray remains on top of the list, with Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford essentially guaranteeing a move before the season begins.

Still, it’s the rest of the board that may draw interest. Nikolaj Ehlers has disappeared from it, for one thing, while Matt Dumba has climbed to the second spot. Stars like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Patrik Laine and Kris Letang all fall in the top-ten, suggesting that it could be more than just depth moves coming around the corner.

  • Interestingly, the negotiating rights for Alex Pietrangelo also found a home on the board, just two weeks before the star defenseman hits unrestricted free agency. Perhaps that’s because of Pierre LeBrun’s latest for The Athletic, where he details the possibility of a sign-and-trade of the St. Louis Blues captain. Of course, these sign-and-trade moves basically never happen in the NHL, even if it could be a beneficial situation for all parties. As LeBrun notes, adding an eighth year onto Pietrangelo’s next contract (which only the Blues can do) would likely serve to reduce the cap hit for a new team. St. Louis could also get an asset out of the deal, but it still seems like a long-shot plan given the rarity of these moves in the hockey world.
  • Of course, in many of the trades made over the next few weeks, there will be a draft pick component as rebuilding squads try to accumulate talent on October 6. Corey Pronman of The Athletic writes about the prospects currently causing the biggest divide among scouts, with quotes from either end of the spectrum. For a player like Kaiden Guhle for instance, who is expected to go in the first round, one scout believes he can play 22 minutes a night in the NHL and the other believes he’s nothing more than a third-pairing defender. Guhle was ranked eighth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting after his breakout season with the Prince Albert Raiders.

NHL Announces Official Dates And Times For 2020 Draft, Opening Of Free Agency

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With the 2020 postseason proceeding ahead of schedule, there has been reporting and considerable speculation that the league would move up the dates of the delayed 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the beginning of the new league year and opening of free agency. The NHL has followed through on that speculation, officially announcing today the new dates for these events. The Draft will take place on October 6-7, and the new league year will commence on October 9.

The first round of the NHL Draft will begin at 7pm ET on Tuesday, October 6, a departure from its usual Friday night slot. Similarly, the second day of the draft, comprising rounds 2-7, will take place on Wednesday, October 7 rather than it’s typical Saturday placement. Otherwise, the structure of the draft stays the same. One key difference though is that all draft operations will take place virtually.

As for the start of free agency, the July 1 unofficial holiday will instead take place on Friday, October 9. Other than a delay of more than three months, the opening of free agency will not be much different; at 12pm ET, the signing window will open and free agents will be free to speak with teams and sign contracts. What may be very different however is the pace at which players will sign. While there is usually a massive rush of contracts when free agency opens, there are factors working against a fast-paced market. First, the NHL’s new CBA has eliminated the free agent contact period, meaning teams and available players cannot formally communicate until after free agency officially opens. Second, the flat salary cap will force the majority of NHL teams to be very careful with their roster operations this off-season, potentially prioritizing re-signing their own restricted free agents before throwing money at unrestricted free agents. This combination could produce an abnormally slow start to free agency, but October 9 will be an intriguing day league-wide nonetheless.

Snapshots: NHL Draft, Suter, Point

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The 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be held a few days earlier than expected, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that it has been moved up to October 6-7. The change is thanks to a playoffs that is moving along briskly, with the first game of both conference finals already in the books.

An earlier draft only makes it even more imperative for teams like the Arizona Coyotes to get a new GM in place over the next few weeks, though it’s already probably too late for a new executive to really make his mark on the draft process. Even though four teams are still working to win the Stanley Cup, the offseason is fast approaching.

  • Pius Suter is headed back to Switzerland for the time being, as expected. The 24-year old Chicago Blackhawks forward has been loaned to GCK Lions of the Swiss second league until training camp starts in North America. Suter signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks a few months ago after winning the MVP in Switzerland’s top league.
  • Brayden Point has become one of the very best players in the entire NHL, and Chris Johnston of Sportsnet examines his early case for the Conn Smythe trophy this year. Point now has 23 points in 14 postseason games and is an obvious leader on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster, but is in just the first year of a contract that carries a $6.75MM cap hit. While he’ll still be a restricted free agent in 2022 when this deal expires, Point will be owed a $9MM qualifying offer and could easily become one of the highest-paid players in the entire league.

Senators Won’t Attempt To Trade Up For Top Pick

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While the draft lottery didn’t quite go the way that the Senators wanted, they still wound up with two of the first five selections in October’s NHL Entry Draft with their picks slated to fall third and fifth.  Considering that they’ve added several notable picks and prospects in recent years (even without having their own first rounder a year ago), the thought of packaging those two picks together to try to move up to the top slot to land prospective top pick Alexis Lafreniere had come up.

However, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that they won’t be entertaining the idea of trying to move up to nab that top selection:

The idea of trading our 3rd and 5th picks for the No. 1 pick is nonsensical.  We’re very excited to welcome our many new Ottawa Senators that will come to us via the upcoming draft.

As things stand, Ottawa is likely to land one of OHL center Quinton Byfield or German forward Tim Stutzle with the third pick and both could be ready to play in the NHL next season.  Whoever they get with the fifth pick may not be NHL ready right away but the Sens have several youngsters in the system that are close to making the jump so there’s no rush for whoever is picked there to suit up for Ottawa.

Garrioch suggests that the Canadiens will likely make a push for the top selection.  Lafreniere is from Quebec while he notes that Montreal’s management made a strong push for them to be a part of the Draft Lottery during the NHL’s Return to Play discussion.  However, they upset Pittsburgh in the Qualifying Round and as a result, they will pick no higher than 16th which will likely make such a move quite difficult.

Having said that, the odds that the Rangers would deal the pick are quite low.  The last time a number one pick was moved was back in 2003 when Florida moved down two spots.  However, with Melnyk stating that the Senators don’t intend to try to move up, the one team that could do a similar deal is now off the table as it appears that they’ll be quite content to stay at picks three and five.

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