The NHL trade deadline is always a fun time for NHL fans. If our team is in the thick of the playoff picture, we hope it makes huge trades and pushes all our collective chips into the center of the table with hopes of playing for the Stanley Cup.
But is this the right approach? Do we want to mortgage the future in hopes of acquiring the top player from the TSN trade bait board? Does it even work?
Against my better judgement, I went back and reviewed the last five trade deadlines of the Stanley Cup Finalists in hopes of clarifying if going “all in” is the right approach to the trade deadline.
2016 trade deadline acquisitions
Stanley Cup champion
Justin Schultz was the primary acquisition at the trade deadline by the eventual 2016 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The only notable move the Pittsburgh Penguins completed around the trade deadline was the acquisition of Justin Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers for a third-round pick.
At the time, the move was not thought to be very significant, and Pittsburgh did not give up much to get him. Schultz drew into 15 of the 24 playoff games for the Penguins and averaged just 13 minutes of ice time in those games, the lowest time on ice across all Penguins defensemen.
While Schultz did not play a significant role in the Penguins 2016 playoff run, he played four more seasons with the Penguins and contributed significantly to their 2017 Stanley Cup Championship.
Stanley Cup runner-up
The San Jose Sharks did not make any significant moves at the trade deadline in 2016. The team swapped back-up goalies with the Toronto Maple Leafs (Alex Stalock for James Reimer).
In a separate trade with the Leafs, the Sharks acquired Roman Polak and Nick Spaling for a pair of second-round draft picks. Polak played in all 24 of the Sharks’ playoff games but did not register a point. One of those draft picks turned into Maxime Comtois, who is having himself a pretty good season currently.
Other notable trades from the 2016 NHL trade deadline
The New York Rangers swung for the fences and acquired Eric Staal from the Carolina Hurricanes for two second-round draft picks and the signing rights to Aleksi Saarela. The Rangers lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and although it is still early to assess the prospects that Carolina acquired in the trade, they have only played a collective nine NHL games since being traded to the Hurricanes organization.
2017 trade deadline acquisitions
Stanley Cup champion
The Pittsburgh Penguins added Ron Hainsey at the trade deadline for a second-round draft pick. Hainsey logged the second-most minutes on the Penguins during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and pitched in with eight points across the 25 Penguins playoff games.
Stanley Cup runner-up
The Nashville Predators did not add any players of significance at the trade deadline.
Other notable trades from the 2017 NHL trade deadline
Kevin Shattenkirk was a trade deadline acquisition by the Washington Capitals in 2017.
Kevin Shattenkirk was traded to the Washington Capitals with goaltender prospect Pheonix Copley for two prospects and two draft picks, a 2017 first-round and 2019 second-round pick. The St. Louis Blues defenseman was considered one of the prized targets of the trade deadline in 2017. Shattenkirk played fine for the Capitals in the playoffs, but Washington was eliminated by the Penguins in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Shattenkirk signed with the Rangers in the ensuing offseason.
The Minnesota Wild sent a prospect and three draft picks (first, second, and fourth-round picks) to Arizona for Martin Hanzal, Ryan White, and a fourth-round pick back to the WIld. Minnesota was eliminated in the first round and Hanzal posted one point in the five playoff games. White played three of the playoff games and has been bouncing around the AHL ever since.
2018 trade deadline acquisitions
Stanley Cup champion
Perhaps learning their lesson from the big swing they took on Shattenkirk a year earlier, the Washington Capitals only added Michal Kempny at the trade deadline from Chicago for a third-round pick.
Kempny played in all 24 Capitals playoff games and averaged about 17 minutes of ice time per game. He did not show up on the score sheet that often, but he was an important depth piece for the Caps championship run.
Stanley Cup runner-up
Tomas Tatar was a trade deadline acquisition by the Golden Knights in 2018 but would appear in less than 50% of the Golden Knights playoff games.
Flush with draft picks from the 2017 Expansion Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights took a big swing at the 2017 trade deadline on Tomas Tatar. The Detroit Red Wings received three draft picks: a first, second, and third-round pick from Vegas.
In retrospect, the Tatar trade was a disaster. Tatar was a healthy scratch through most of the playoffs, appearing in just eight of the Golden Knights’ 20 playoff games. He was packaged up with Nick Suzuki and another draft pick in the offseason in a trade with Montreal for Max Pacioretty.
Vegas also added Ryan Reaves in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although popular with the fans, Reaves only got into 10 playoff games and averaged only eight minutes.
Other notable trades from the 2018 NHL trade deadline
The Tampa Bay Lightning pulled off a big trade with the New York Rangers, acquiring Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller for Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, and Libor Hajek plus two draft picks (first and second-round picks).
Tampa advanced to a game seven in the Conference Finals against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals. McDonagh and Miller both played a significant role in the Lightning’s playoff success that year. McDonagh logged the second-most minutes behind Victor Hedman while Miller chipped in eight points over the Lightning’s 17 playoff games.
The San Jose Sharks traded a prospect and two draft picks (a first and a fourth) for Evander Kane. The Sharks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs and Kane had five points in the nine games he played. The Sharks re-signed Kane in the offseason and currently leads the team in goals scored since he joined the Sharks organization.
Winnipeg acquired Paul Stastny from the St. Louis Blues for a prospect and two draft picks (first and fourth-round). The Jets were eliminated by the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Conference Finals. Stastny played very well for the Jets in the playoffs with 15 points in 17 games. He became a free agent in the offseason and signed with Vegas.
Rick Nash was traded to the Boston Bruins by the Rangers for Matt Beleskey, Ryan Spooner, signing rights to Ryan Lindgren, a first-round, and a seventh-round draft pick. The Bruins lost in the second round of the playoffs where Nash posted five points in 12 games, his final season in the NHL.
2019 trade deadline acquisitions
Stanley Cup champion
St. Louis Blues essentially did nothing at the trade deadline. They acquired Michael Del Zotto for a sixth-round draft pick. Del Zotto appeared in just seven regular-season games for the Blues and did not crack the lineup during their Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Stanley Cup runner-up
Boston Bruins added two significant pieces to their roster in Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johnsson. Coyle was acquired from the Minnesota Wild for prospect (at the time) Ryan Donato and a fourth-round draft pick. Johansson was acquired from the New Jersey Devils for a second and fourth-round draft pick.
Coyle and Johansson had 16 and 11 points respectively in the Bruins playoff run. At the time Coyle had one additional year on his contract and signed a six-year extension with Boston that started with the 2020-21 season. Johansson became an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 playoff run and signed with Buffalo.
Other notable trades from the 2019 NHL trade deadline
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators for Oscar Lindberg, Erik Brannstrom, and a second-round pick. Stone signed an eight-year extension with the Golden Knights shortly after joining the team during the 2018-19 regular season. Vegas eventually lost to the San Jose Sharks in the opening round of the playoffs and Stone accumulated 12 points in seven games. Stone also leads Vegas in points since being acquired in 2019.
Winnipeg acquired Kevin Hayes for Brendan Lemieux plus a first and fourth-round draft pick. Winnipeg was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs where Hayes had three points over six games. Hayes entered free agency in the offseason and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
2020 trade deadline acquisitions
Stanley Cup champion
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Barclay Goodrow and a third-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Tampa Bay’s first-round pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and prospect Anthony Greco. The Lightning also acquired Blake Coleman from the New Jersey Devils for prospect Nolan Foote and a first-round pick in 2020.
Both Coleman and Goodrow were considered modest trades when they happened but have been widely acknowledged as a significant reason why the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2020. Both of them logged about 18 minutes per game and were a major part of the team’s penalty kill in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Goodrow logged the most penalty kill time on the ice (70+ minutes) amongst forwards for Tampa during the playoffs while Coleman was third in penalty kill ice time (~60 minutes) amongst forwards.
Stanley Cup runner-up
The Dallas Stars made no material moves around the 2020 trade deadline.
Other notable trades from the 2020 NHL trade deadline
New York Islanders acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau for a first-round and second-round pick from the Ottawa Senators. Pageau signed a six-year extension with the Islanders shortly after being traded and had eight goals in 22 games in the Islanders’ playoff run to the Conference Finals.
The Hurricanes did not have one big trade, but they made a series of moderate trades in acquiring Vincent Trocheck, Brady Skjei, and Sami Vatanen in three unique deals.
Trocheck was acquired from Florida for Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark, and two prospects.
Skjei was acquired from the New York Rangers for a first-round draft pick.
Vatanen was acquired from New Jersey for two prospects and a third-round draft pick. One of those prospects was Janne Kuokkanen who is having a pretty good year in his first full NHL season with 20 points in 34 games.
None of them had much success in the playoffs but at the time of the trade, both Skjei and Trocheck had term remaining on their contracts and remain with the team this season. Trocheck is having one of the better seasons of his career.
Finally, the Golden Knights acquired their eventual playoff starting goalie, Robert Lehner, and also added a top-pairing defenseman in Alec Martinez with trades with the Chicago Blackhawks (with a little help from the Toronto Maple Leafs) and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively.
Lehner costed the Golden Knights Malcolm Subban, two draft picks, and a prospect.
Martinez was obtained with two second-round picks to LA.
Both Lehner and Martinez played well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Golden Knights before being eliminated in the Conference Final against the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars.
Is it worth it?
It is hard to reach a definitive conclusion on the right approach teams should take to the trade deadline based on our research of the prior five trade deadlines, but it is hard to find a team that went all in where it paid off. It can be debated that of the last five trade deadlines, the only team that went big during the NHL trade deadline that reached the Stanley Cup Final was the 2019 Boston Bruins.
Conversely, the 2016 New York Rangers, 2017 Washington Capitals, 2018 Tampa Bay Lightning, and 2019 Vegas Golden Knights went big at the trade deadline without material success in the subsequent Stanley Cup Playoffs.
What are your thoughts? Do you recall a time where a team took a big swing at the trade deadline that paid off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
When we last discussed the Seattle Thunderbirds 2017 Championship run, the team was finding a way to win during the second half of the season and get into the playoffs. They had overcome injuries and reeled in the Everett Silvertips, who had previously built up a lead in the U.S. Division race.
The two clubs would take turns on top of the standings down the stretch.
With a couple of short weeks before the playoffs, Seattle faced another blow. It was a Friday night game at the ShoWare Center against Everett, and just as the national anthem was starting, Mathew Barzal skated off the ice and did not return. He would miss the next month of the season.
Donovan Neuls: I remember that clear as day, against Everett. Everybody was cautious because the mumps were going around. He just skated off. Everyone was a really worried.
Keegan Kolesar: I remember someone told me Barzy isn’t going. My immediate reaction was ‘Are you kidding me? Good joke, the guy doesn’t miss a game, there’s no way he’s missing this one.’ He missed the last while there and the first round of playoffs. We were happy he was ok but in the moment that really sucked.
Ethan Bear: We didn’t know how long he’d be out for. We thought he had the mumps, and we would have other guys going out later on. With Barzy, he stayed away from everybody, but we knew he was doing what he could to get back. Whenever you see a top guy go down like that it’s scary.
Austin Strand: That was very strange. It was a big game, and it was weird because he warmed up and all of a sudden, he’s being waved off the ice. We were all looking around wondering.
Turner Ottenbreit: That was crazy. I think I was on the ice for the anthem and skating around. He didn’t make it to the anthem.
Scott Eansor: You need the big guys and you need them to be healthy and whenever one of those guys is not healthy it’s a concern.
Keegan Kolesar led the WHL in scoring during the 2017 WHL Playoffs (Brian Liesse photo)
The Thunderbirds would come up just short of the U.S. Division Title
With Barzal out with what would later be learned was mononucleosis and not the mumps, the Thunderbirds continued to fight with Everett for the U.S. Division lead. The Silvertips would edge out Seattle for the title by one point, despite the Thunderbirds winning two more games. It meant that the Thunderbirds would not be the top seed in the playoffs.
Kolesar: We wanted the division title for sure. We were a confident team and felt that there was not a team that could beat us. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get it but at the end of the day we got the whole thing.
Bear: We knew we were the better team. Everett played that shutdown style and we knew that if we met in the playoffs, we were confident that we could beat them. I think them winning the division gave us extra motivation.
Strand: We all kind of knew what a special team we had. We weren’t too worried about the banner at that point.
Neuls: Looking back on it now, it doesn’t mean much being that we got the big one. To be honest I didn’t care about the division so maybe it was good they beat us out by a point.
Up first in the playoffs for the Seattle Thunderbirds were the Tri-City Americans
Not only did Seattle lose the Division title but a week before the playoffs, the Thunderbirds lost their goalie as well. Rylan Toth had come over from Red Deer in the offseason and won 36 games during the regular season. He got hurt, and Seattle turned to 16-year-old goalie Carl Stankowski to take over. The rookie had barely played during the regular season and now was the number one goalie heading into a first-round series with the Tri-City Americans.
Matt O’Dette: We were mindful he was a young guy. It doesn’t change a whole lot, but you want to dig in even more. That was probably the biggest adversity we faced, having your starter go down for the playoffs.
Bear: That was definitely another scare for us. As a player we knew how good a player Stankowski was. We let him be, he made the saves. He bailed us out more times than we helped him. It was definitely phenomenal what he did. Tother was there supporting him too.
Neuls: Going into the first game I think everyone was a little nervous. It didn’t take long to gain our confidence, he stopped like four or five breakaways and he didn’t let one in. For him to come in and play like he did was remarkable.
O’Dette: I think everybody in the building and on the bench, when we saw those breakaways there was a sigh of relief and feeling that Carl was up to the challenge. It gives me nightmares, those breakaways but that was a turning point.
Eansor: Everyone loved Carl, you couldn’t not. He was so innocent and nice and worked his ass off. It was really easy to stand behind him.
Strand: I was consistently shocked because he made massive saves. I thought he looked tiny back there, but he started making all the saves and we were confident.
With the rookie goalie standing tall, the Thunderbirds would sweep Tri-City in the opening round of the playoffs. Barzal and Ryan Gropp missed the series but Seattle didn’t miss a beat and dominated the Americans, including a blowout win in Kennewick.
Ottenbreit: They had some good players, so we weren’t too sure of what to expect. I think Donny [Donovan Neuls], Keegs [Keegan Kolesar], and [Alexander True] piled up points in that series.
Bear: That just shows you how deep our team was. I remember that last game we had three guys get five-point nights to seal the deal. A lot of us were joking [with Gropp and Barzal] we don’t want you guys to come back.
Neuls: I think everybody had a pretty good night that night. It was fun, happy we won.
Strand: I had never been on a playoff team that just swept right through a series. We got that longer rest to hang out and bond. We went to a Mariners game and then went into that Everett series.
The Thunderbirds had to rely on rookie goalie Carl Stankowski in 2017 (Brian Liesse)
After a first-round sweep, the Thunderbirds headed to Everett
The second round of the playoffs for the Thunderbirds would feature an anticipated matchup with the Everett Silvertips. Everett was the higher seed and opened at home. Seattle would get Barzal and Gropp back for Game 1 and set the tone when Barzal helped set up a late game-winning goal from Neuls.
Neuls: That was probably the biggest goal I had scored up until then.
Kolesar: We were pumped up, that’s the rivalry. I-9? I-5? I didn’t even know the highways when I was there. I was pumped, we took them out the year before, so we knew they were coming. I was really hyped.
Bear: We knew we were going to have to earn every inch in that rink. We dug down and gave everything we had in that series. They don’t give you much room in the D-Zone and it was challenging, plus they had Carter Hart.
Eansor: We always battled with Everett. It was always a hard, hard series. Despite the sweep it’s the hardest team to play in all of hockey that I’ve ever played. It takes a lot out of you to play them.
Ottenbreit: It’s always fun playing those guys. We hated them and I’m sure they hated us. Everett and Seattle are never going to like each other.
Kolesar: They were a tough team, and they weren’t going away at any point in that series. It was annoying, we would get a lead and they’d come back, and it was ‘Come on, just give up.’ It just makes it more fun when it’s a rivalry.
Bear: The way it all turned out it was one of the most fun series I’ve played.
Neuls: I think any time you can beat Everett, any time, you’re pretty excited.
In Part 3 of the Oral History of the Seattle Thunderbirds 2017 Championship, we’ll look at the Western Conference finals, another huge set back, the Regina Pats, and the big trophy.
The Sound Of Hockey Podcast has a NEW BIT this week! We repeat, the Sound Of Hockey Podcast has a new bit. This is not a drill.
Yes, folks, HYPEotheticals will both get your mind in a pretzel and simultaneously get you hyped.
On this week’s episode, Andy gives a WHL update, Darren gives a NCAA Frozen Four preview, and John leads a raucous game of Buy, Sell, or Hold.
The guys also discuss what’s happening with the Vancouver Canucks before diving into segments, which this week include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
We knew this Western Hockey League season was going to be different. There were several target start dates that came and went without a single puck being dropped. Slowly but surely the WHL worked with local government entities in each province and state to come up with a plan to salvage something resembling a season. When everything was said and done, all teams targeted a 24-game intra-divisional schedule with no fans and no playoffs. The phrase we heard over and over from teams leading up to this shortened season was “player development.” For this week’s Data Dump Saturday, I am going to dig into how WHL teams are approaching development based on age, specifically focusing on their usage of 16-year-old players.
WHL eligibility rules are a bit complicated, but for the purposes of this analysis, you can assume that 16-year-olds are the youngest players eligible to play in the WHL.
Number of 16-year-olds
Comparing this season to any prior season is challenging. Let us first focus on the actual number of 16-year-olds playing in the league. In a normal season, general managers and coaches will play 16-year-olds, but if they keep players that age on their roster, they are mandated to play them in at least 40 games. If the team feels a 16-year-old rookie is not developed enough for that number of games, the player will be sent down to a lower-level club prior to the start of the season.
Outside of the top prospects, most 16-year-olds that do stay end up with limited ice time during games as they get acclimated to the league, getting deployed in favorable matchups or playing on bottom lines. This season is unique due to the emphasis on development, so many teams chose not to carry a full complement of over-aged 20-year-olds or imports, opening up ice time for younger players. To come up with a fair comparison season over season I have identified the number of 16-year-olds that have played in over 50% of their team’s games.
As you can see already, this season has the most 16’s playing in the last 10 years of the WHL, with 58 players that have participated in over 50% of their team’s games.
Here is a look at it by WHL team.
It’s interesting to note the range of how these teams are using their 16-year-olds. Victoria seems to be playing a lot of 16’s with six in its lineup, while Red Deer only has one being used on a regular basis.
A proxy for time on ice
Counting the number of 16-year-old players getting into games only tells part of the story. Actual playing time is an important data point to determine how much experience they are getting. Unfortunately, the common time on ice statistic is not available on the WHL’s stats page.
As a proxy, I am going to use average shots on goal per game in lieu of time on ice. It is not perfect, but the logic is the more ice time you get, the more shots on goal you have. Spread over the whole league, this at least gives us an idea of how much 16-year-olds are playing compared to other seasons.
If we assume shots on goal as a proxy for ice time, it appears that the average shots on goal is flat over the last four WHL seasons and therefore there is no change in ice time for players this age. This surprised me a bit since the Seattle Thunderbirds have three 16-year-olds that appear to be getting a lot of playing time.
To prove (or disprove) that gut feeling, I isolated the Seattle Thunderbirds to see if this is correct.
In this case, the data confirms what I believed based on the eyeball test.
Of course, there could be various reasons for this increase in Seattle, but they all bode well for the future if this group of 16’s is being given plenty of opportunities and generating this type of production.
Here is a look at how this group compares with 16-year-olds in previous seasons:
How this group of 16-year-olds develops based on this deployment will be interesting to monitor. With more usage of players at this this age, will we see faster development in the WHL?
If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to drop me a line in the comments section or on twitter.
Taran Kozun led the Wheeling Nailers onto the ice at Hertz Arena in Estero, Florida, last weekend and took his familiar place in net. That’s where a goalie feels most at home. The Nailers were battling the Florida Everblades, and Kozun kicked away 26 of the 28 shots he faced to pick up a 6-2 win.
It was the second start Kozun made for the Nailers and his first win, backing up teammates he is still getting to know after being signed two weeks prior. Back in Wheeling, he’s barely unpacked his bags, just relying on a few necessities.
Outside of the goal crease, “home” has become a novelty for the 26-year-old former Seattle Thunderbird this season.
Since the ECHL season started in January, he has been with six different teams. The Nailers are the latest stop for Kozun and he’s hoping he can stay a while; hoping he can finally unpack his belongings. Life in the minor leagues offers no guarantees, especially for goalies, but this year has been uniquely topsy-turvy as Kozun has learned firsthand.
“Honestly, it’s been a whirlwind,” he says.
Taran Kozun’s journey to the Nailers began in Kansas City
After signing an ECHL contract to play for the Mavericks in Kansas City, Kozun traveled from his home in Nipawin, Saskatchewan to start training camp in December.
Things started rough as he tested positive for Covid and was put on the inactive list just prior to the start of the ECHL season. The Mavericks brought in other goalies and Kozun was on the move after playing in one game.
He had hoped he’d stay longer but also was aware the possibility of ending up with a different team was always in the cards.
“With ECHL you never know what’s going to happen with the goalie situation,” Kozun says. “When other teams sign a guy and guys get sent down there’s never a guarantee that you’re going to stay. I kind of knew there’s always the possibility of changing teams and that you’re never really set in stone to play for one team.”
Taran Kozun has played two games so far with the Wheeling Nailers. (photo Zach Rawson courtesy Wheeling Nailers)
As an ECHL goalie he was at the mercy of the NHL organization’s goalie movement. When the big club sends down a guy on an AHL or NHL contract, a player like Kozun is the odd man out.
The first change came quick and on Dec. 30 he was loaned to the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL. He played in one game and two weeks later was headed back to the ECHL to suit up for the Indy Fuel. After making 41 saves and picking up a win for the Fuel he was packed up and sent to the Rapid City Rush.
Again, he played one game before heading to the Orlando Solar Bears.
He was becoming the fill-in goalie. If a team had an injury, or another goalie ended up on the Covid list, Kozun would be brought in. Sometimes he’d hole up in an apartment with teammates who were strangers with little time to get to know them.
Others, he’d arrive with a team and go on a road trip, living in hotels and on Door Dash.
The constant moving was starting to drag on the normally easy-going Kozun.
“There were some tough days, I didn’t really want to go to the rink some days,” he says. “I didn’t know if I’d be coming home to pack my stuff. It was a really stressful time but I got my mind right and went to the rink and worked as hard as I could and worked out off the ice to help my cause to make sure I was ready to practice hard. It was definitely a hard couple of months. It took a lot of days of getting to know myself and getting through it.”
After a tough outing with the Solar Bears, he was able to turn to a friendly face. Kozun’s older brother, Tad, plays for Orlando and the two were able to spend some time together.
“I was getting to the breaking point to be honest,” Kozun said. “Just getting to hang out with him on the off days, if I wasn’t there, I was probably real close to saying I’ll just go home and call it a year. I didn’t know what to do or what to say to stick in a spot.
“Every time I brought it up with my brother he just said, ‘If you make it through, you’ll be good because you’ll know how to do it the next time.’ Not something that you like going through your head especially when you love showing up to the rink with the guys, hanging out with your teammates every day.”
Thanks to brotherly advice and a passion for hockey, Kozun has stuck with it. After Orlando he would move to the Allen Americans on Feb. 24 and eventually to the Wheeling Nailers on March 8.
Taran Kozun has played for six different ECHL teams this season. (photo Zack Rawson courtesy Wheeling Nailers)
Hockey is still fun for Taran Kozun
Off the ice, Kozun is quick to smile and is a hit with his teammates everywhere he’s played.
He’s performed well in his stops prior to this year’s ECHL merry-go-round. The Seattle Thunderbirds picked him up via a trade with the Kamloops Blazers in 2014. The following season, his last in the WHL he was spectacular and would end up winning the WHL Goalie of the Year award.
After the WHL he played college hockey for the University of Saskatchewan where he turned in his best season of hockey. Kozun led the Huskies last season to a Canada West title. He was named Canada West Male Athlete of the Year after posting a 17-3-2 record and 1.87 goals-against with a .931 save-percentage.
“We had a really great coach in Dave Adolph,” Kozun says of playing in college. “Once he got the guys on the same page and got us playing the Husky way, it was a lot of fun. Those guys I’ll have great memories with, they’re like best friends. I have to give the coaching staff a lot of compliments. They did everything for me.”
Not only did he win a title with Saskatchewan, he fulfilled something that every goalie dreams of.
“That was pretty wild and something I’ve tried in the past and never been able to hit the net,” Kozun says. “For that moment, didn’t really know what was going through my head. I was lucky enough to hit the net. I think I was more excited to see the guys’ faces and how excited they were for me, that made the moment even better.”
After a goal and a college championship, Kozun has described this season as a ‘180’ from last year. But that doesn’t mean it’s been all bad. He’s been reunited with a former Seattle teammate in Evan Wardley in Wheeling and once the puck drops, he’s had fun.
“Once you get to skate around and play the game, you forget about what’s happened,” Kozun says. “If you’re having troubles off the ice when you get to the rink and hang out, once you get on the ice everything else you forget. It’s the highlight of the day to get on the ice and not worry about anything else.
“You’re just stopping the puck and making sure your movements are right…making sure my game’s always good. Playing games, you forget about everything, you’re worried about your compete level and being positive.”
Taran Kozun played a season and a half with the Seattle Thunderbirds. (Brian Liesse)
Can Taran Kozun stay with the Wheeling Nailers?
Kozun’s love of hockey has helped him persevere through what has been an extreme season.
He’s learned how to deal with the unpredictability of minor pro hockey and done whatever he can to put his best skate forward when given the opportunity.
The plan is to keep pushing and to see how far he can take his hockey dreams, even if it means not fully unpacking his bags. For now, he’s a Wheeling Nailer and he’s going to compete every time he’s on the ice in practice or games.
“Whenever I get a chance to play, I want to win,” Kozun says. “If I don’t win, I’m not very happy with myself. Being able to have that compete really drives me and helps me mentally prepare for games and do my best. I’ve enjoyed it here in Wheeling and hopefully I can stay for a while.”
Here we go with Sound Of Hockey’s fourth mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. Queue the blaring horns and confetti cannons.
Like the previous three that were written by colleagues John Barr, Josh Horton, and Darren Brown, I found the exercise fun and harder than it would appear. It turns out that it’s easier to mock other people’s drafts than it is to mock your own Expansion Draft.
Also, this gives me the chance to do two things I don’t actually enjoy – writing in first-person and doing a mock draft. But I’m a team player and so here my neck is, out and exposed.
When doing this I tried to put myself into the head space of Kraken general manager Ron Francis to figure out how he would go through the Expansion Draft process. I also imagined what it was like to win the Stanley Cup, which Francis has done twice. It seems like it would be nice, so let’s hope that is what he ends up doing here in Seattle.
I tried to balance youth with experience for my first Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. I say ‘my first’ but let’s face it, nobody is going to ask me to participate in a real one, ever. Finding that balance is harder than it seems. It’s also made harder since we are tied to the rules we established. Trust me, I tried to make an exception or two, but was told I couldn’t.
These mocks come after a great deal of effort and – I think – level-headed guess work, as we tried to predict how the protection lists of the other 30 teams would look. You should definitely check those out at some point; they are worth your while.
After a brief look at those rules, we’ll get into it with my team. A feisty, scrappy, and hard-working group that will win at least 20 games, year one. Plan a parade.
Rules of the Sound Of Hockey Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft
Protection lists are based on latest projections on Sound Of Hockey (Central, East, West, North).
You are allowed one UFA draft-and-sign selection. This selection should pass the sniff test of being a legitimate option (i.e. expecting to draft and sign Alex Ovechkin does not feel legitimate).
No side deals. Although we are aware that this will be a major part of the actual Expansion Draft, we don’t have enough insider knowledge about what could be done here or what the Kraken would actually try to pull off. So for the purposes of this Mock Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, we’re keeping this off the table.
The Expansion Draft picks
Anaheim: Danton Heinen (LW) – The Ducks have a couple of veteran defensemen who could make intriguing picks, but I felt I could get defensemen elsewhere so went with winger Danton Heinen. I don’t expect scoring from a guy who will be a depth winger, but I want him to win shifts and his career positive Corsi and expected goal numbers show he can do that.
Arizona Coyotes: Adin Hill (G) – Hill, who played for the Portland Winterhawks, is a promising 24-year-old goaltender. He has the potential to be a number one but may still need some seasoning as a backup for a year or two. More on that later in this draft.
Boston Bruins: Nick Ritchie (LW) – Another young forward, Ritchie drives the play and could end up in the Kraken’s top six. If the Kraken can get players like that in the Expansion Draft then they will be in good shape.
Buffalo Sabres: Cody Eaken (C) – There is not a lot to choose from off of the Sabres roster as things are not going so well in Buffalo. I nabbed Eaken here as a veteran of over 600 games who could provide experience in the bottom six.
Calgary Flames: Sam Bennett (C) – Bennett has recently begged out of Calgary so lets get him a new home and hope he can bring his playoff success into the regular season.
Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Bean (D) – The Hurricanes have a number of good players who will be exposed and I’m picking up Bean here. A former first-round pick of Francis, he’s coming off a season where he won the AHL’s Defenseman of the Year award and should work his way into a top-pairing role with the Kraken.
Chicago Blackhawks: Brandon Hagel (LW) – Hopefully Hagel doesn’t play himself into being protected by the Blackhawks, but he’s 22 and only getting better. He will probably end up protected, but within the rules of this Mock Draft, I’m taking him.
Colorado Avalanche: Devon Toews (D) – An obvious choice here and Seattle will add a top-pairing defenseman. If the Avalanche choose to protect him, it will open up other nice options for Francis and the Kraken.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Eric Robinson (LW) – Speed is the name of the game in today’s NHL and Robinson has it. That’s enough for me to add him here.
Dallas Stars: Jason Dickinson (C) – Watch veteran Joe Pavelski here. If he’s exposed by the Stars, which could free them of his high salary, he might be the pick. But we have him protected so I’m going with Dickinson who is a possession center.
Detroit Red Wings: Troy Stetcher (D) – The picking is slim with the Red Wings but I like Stetcher as a bottom-pairing defenseman. He won’t be flashy but plays a solid game.
Edmonton Oilers: Tyson Barrie (D) – Barrie is having a strong resurgence this season and will be a nice, puck-moving defenseman for the Kraken. His underlying numbers are solid, and I’m using my one UFA allowance here, which won’t break the bank.
Florida Panthers: Anton Stralman (D) – I’m going with a veteran two-way defenseman, but I’m interested to see if the Panthers expose Patric Hornqvist. If they do, I might be tempted to add him and his offense.
Los Angeles Kings: Olli Maatta (D) – I wasn’t blown away by what the Kings have to offer, and I went with Maatta who’s better days may very well be behind him. I like him for depth and the Kraken would only need to pay him for one more season.
Minnesota Wild: Matt Dumba (D) – This is a no-brainer pick as Dumba is a top defenseman and still early in his career. There are rumors out there that the Wild could move him before the Kraken can get their mitts on him. If that’s the case, then I’d go with another defenseman in Carson Soucy.
Montreal Canadiens: Jake Allen (G) – It is becoming more and more clear that Allen is destined for Seattle in the Expansion Draft to become Seattle’s starting goalie. I like him to serve as a mentor for the younger, less proven, goalies I’m stocking up on.
Nashville Predators: Connor Ingram (G) – Speaking of unproven goalies, I’m taking a swing at one with Ingram. He’s put up great AHL numbers but has yet to play an NHL game. If all goes well, Ingram and Hill take over the crease in a couple of seasons.
New Jersey Devils: Miles Wood (LW) – Wood has a glue-guy type of game and every team can use on of those, so welcome to Seattle, Miles.
New York Islanders: Josh Bailey (RW) – Another veteran who does a little of everything. You can’t go wrong with Bailey in your lineup.
New York Rangers: Brendan Lemieux (LW) – Boy, most of the Rangers’ interesting players are not available in the Expansion Draft so come to Seattle, Lemieux, here’s a nice Kraken jersey for you.
Ottawa Senators: Chris Tierney (C) – Another veteran from a team without a lot of exciting options. He can play and is having an OK season for a bad Senators team.
Philadelphia Flyers: Shayne Gostisbehere (D) – I like defensemen who can score so I’m taking the ‘Ghost Bear’ from the Flyers. There are other options here up front and keep an eye on Jakub Voracek. Gostisbehere is not the best defensive defenseman but he’ll be my power play guy.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Teddy Blueger (C) – I like Blueger’s game. He won’t light up the scoreboard but can kill penalties and give you good minutes every night.
San Jose Sharks: Alexander True (C) – It came down to the two hometown guys with the Sharks. I took True over Bonney Lake’s Dylan Gambrell because he’s younger, bigger, and I like big centers.
St. Louis Blues: Zach Sanford (LW) – I wanted a power forward up front and Sanford gives me that.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Ondrej Palat (RW) – The Lightning have a number of options and are probably primed for a side deal with the Kraken that will give Seattle an Expansion Draft bounty of sorts. I’m taking Palat here as he has the potential to be a staple in the Kraken top six.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Adam Brooks (C) – I’m taking another swing here at future potential with Brooks. He’s scored at the lower levels. Can he in the NHL? Let’s find out.
Vancouver Canucks: Kole Lind (LW) – Perhaps the Canucks’ top prospect, Lind is knocking on the NHL door and we could strike gold here.
Washington Capitals: T.J. Oshie (RW) – Honestly, I wanted to avoid being the Kraken message board hero here. I don’t believe in drafting guys with local ties to breed excitement amongst the fans. I only want productive players. Turns out, Oshie is still productive, so let the reunion begin.
Winnipeg Jets: Logan Stanley (D) – If he’s exposed, I like Stanley. He’s huge and physical and will anchor what will now be known as the “imposing Kraken blueline”.
Overall Thoughts
The thing that jumps out at me when trying to predict who the Seattle Kraken select in July’s Expansion Draft is that centers are at a premium.
Most of the talent available to Francis is on the wing and on defense. Center is important so it will be a position that may need to be addressed in free agency or in the NHL Draft. It may also be something the Kraken can fill through side deals or trades.
