Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Kasperi Kapanen poses for a photo with team officials after being selected as the number twenty-two overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL Draft is less than two weeks away and rumors are starting to heat up. There will be plenty of talk about the obvious like Cam Talbot getting traded. I want to spend more time on teams and trades that may (or may not) happen flying more under the radar. Much of this will be gut feeling looking at rosters and others will be going against popular opinion or rumor. With that in mind let’s get started.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will trade into the first round.
The Penguins are a team going into the draft after a disappointing first-round playoff loss and, looking at their roster, they aren’t getting much younger up front. Despite having two of the best players in the league with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the window is closing on the Penguins and they need to get younger and faster to support them.
Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-5Buffalo Sabres were correct to take Rasmus Dahlin in 2018 /
Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t going anywhere and neither is Malkin despite rumors otherwise. It’s a long shot but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Penguins dangle Kris Letang. Based on this recent mock draft the place I can see the Penguins looking to move as high as the eighth pick in the NHL Draft.
The Columbus Blue Jackets were hammered with injuries last year, ruining a promising season. Getting healthy and bringing in Letang at the NHL Draft would create expectations I believe the Blue Jackets can meet. They would have to send some salary back to Pittsburgh to make the trade work. Rene Bourque on an expiring contract after the season could work. Bourque is also a player whom could be traded at the deadline for futures, helping the Penguins get younger still.
If Pittsburgh moves up this high look at Pavel Zacha to be the choice. He can play center or left-wing like Malkin can and has the puck possession game to succeed at the next level. He projects as the type of player to perfectly complement the two big guns and still be there after they move on. Zacha is projected at the bottom of the top ten picks. Pittsburgh could certainly make a play for him ahead of San José.
If the Penguins don’t trade that high, I still expect a trade to shed salary and get into the NHL Draft first round. Their future success depends on their ability to do so soon.
The Buffalo Sabres will make only one first round pick.
puts on a team cap after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Sabres are on the other end of the league when compared to Pittsburgh. The Sabres roster finished with less talent than Pittsburgh but more young promising players ready to play now.
The offense will improve with Evander Kane and likely Jack Eichel taking the ice with Zemgus Girgensons, Tyler Ennis, Matt Moulson and perhaps Sam Reinhart. There is another promising crop of young forwards coming and the Sabres have a ton of picks in this NHL Draft as well as next year. They aren’t going to make them all.
This pick won’t be traded for a defenseman, either. Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk, Josh Georges and Zach Bogosian are going to make the Buffalo Sabres very hard to play against, many of them for years to come. But perhaps not all of them.
That pick could also be moved for a goaltender. Cam Talbot and Eddie Lack are both on the trade block. While Talbot keeps coming up with the Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo could be a destination for Lack at the NHL Draft. The Sabres and Canucks have been trade partners before, most recently with Cody Hodgson. Talks can certainly heat up again, though GM Tim Murray would likely expect more back (picks?) with Lack for a first-round pick in a very deep NHL Draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will not trade Phil Kessel at the NHL Draft.
Apr 8, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right-wing Phil Kessel (81) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
It feels like close to two years since rumors began flying about Phil Kessel being traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now Kessel has apparently given his list of eight teams he would accept a trade to, fueling more rumors heading into the NHL Draft.
Looking at that list, it’s a whose who of teams with enough cap space to sign me. Trading Kessel will be difficult enough with his massive contract. Trading him to a team with limited space will force the Maple Leafs to take back salary. Is that really the strategy a rebuilding team takes?
No, it’s the strategy a retooling team takes. Did the hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach put “win now” pressure on a franchise that needs to shed salary, draft well and often, and show patience with player development? Is moving Phil Kessel at the NHL Draft the only move between the lottery and a playoff berth? Not by a long shot.
The only team on that list I believe is insane enough to pull off a next-level blockbuster is the Philadelphia Flyers. If Kessel were to be traded to the Flyers at the NHL Draft, I think it’s in the CBA that Hextall has to get a goaltender back in the deal. Someone else to contribute to the endless Philadelphia crease curse.
There is no way Hextall can pull this off without sacrificing the core of his team. The Flyers are closer to the playoffs than Toronto is and this deal would set that back. I do expect the Maple Leafs to be very active at the NHL Draft. Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk are two players whom could change addresses, particularly Kadri. But Phil Kessel isn’t going anywhere.
Tampa Bay Lightning will shed salary
Jun 13, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Valtteri Filppula (51) celebrates with teammates Steven Stamkos (91) and Alex Killorn (17) after scoring a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period game five of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Lightning are fighting for the Stanley Cup against the Chicago Blackhawks, but after this week is over and the parade confetti has fallen the NHL Draft brings the first taste of reality. Steven Stamkos will be in the last year of his deal next season and will get paid in a major way. Finding the money to do it will be difficult for Steve Yzerman.
If the salary cap goes to $73 million as Commissioner Gary Bettman has suggested that leaves the Lightning around $8 million in space. Stamkos is likely to get $10 million, meaning he takes $2.5 million of that space. Add in Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, and Cedric Paquette as restricted free agents going into 2016-17 and that money is gone.
Where will Yzerman find the space to keep the nucleus of the Eastern Conference champions together? He has to look to the future now and lock up Kucherov for sure, most likely all three RFA’s. Mattias Ohlund and his $3.8 million dollar cap on the last year of his deal could be moved, but looking behind the defense could bring your answer.
Would Yzerman sell high on Ben Bishop? The NHL Draft has plenty of teams looking for goaltending help and it’s all over the place. Trading a goaltender with Stanley Cup experience would bring a nice return and help a team looking to make a charge. Would the Calgary Flames add salary for Bishop after their trip to the second round this year?
What about the Dallas Stars? Kari Lehtonen has maintained the crease in Texas for several years but the team is coming off a season with high expectations but missed the playoffs. The NHL Draft is shaping up to be quite active with goaltenders. Turning the Tampa crease over to Andrei Vasilevskiy now would help the Lightning keep their core together and challenge for the Stanley Cup for years.
The St. Louis Blues will trade at least one forward
Apr 26, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Saint Louis Blues forward David Backes (42) carries the puck during the third period against the Minnesota Wild in game six of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Blues 4-1 advancing them to the second round of playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Another NHL Draft means another failed postseason for the St. Louis Blues, this year at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. I feel bad for Brian Elliott, whom was the starter much of the last two seasons only to lose the crease to Ryan Miller and Jake Allen. Both goaltenders had poor playoff showings, but the change will come up front.
Vladimir Tarasenko is an offer sheet target but ultimately he will stay in St. Louis for a big payday. He is a young, exciting goal scorer which is exactly what the Blues need more of. Steve Ott, however, plays a game that no longer translates as well in the league. Ott still brings leadership and work ethic, but the Blues have plenty of that with other forwards and their young defensive core.
Ott is on the last year of his deal and would fit well on young teams looking for a veteran presence on their bottom two lines. There is no rush to trade him as Ott will be an attractive player at the trade deadline as well as the NHL Draft.
Trading Ott only goes so far to address the recent string of playoff failures for the Blues. I believe we will hear chatter about T.J. Oshie and David Backes as the NHL Draft approaches. Backes himself knows big changes are coming to the roster but he could be the one moving on. St. Louis wouldn’t be the first team having a hard time trading their captain among necessary big changes (looking at you, San Jose Sharks). Perhaps the Blues will learn from the hard lessons the Sharks experienced.
What do you see happening at the NHL Draft? No matter what this will be one of the more exciting NHL Draft experiences in recent years. Plenty of rumors and trades to follow. It’s going to be an exciting offseason.
