Any trades between now and the NHL trade deadline on April 12 should help solidify the 30 rosters of teams participating in the NHL Expansion Draft in July. But Kraken fans should also be keeping an eye out for several potential extensions and therefore additions to protected lists across the league that could also shake up some Expansion Draft rosters.
Here are seven teams with potential player contract extensions that could shape their protected lists in preparation for the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft.
Carolina Hurricanes: Dougie Hamilton
The 27-year-old Hamilton is second in points on the Hurricanes this season and is a big reason behind their success. Re-signing Hamilton is a priority for the Canes and is likely to happen. This will add Hamilton to the defenseman protected list with Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce. With the three protected defensemen accounted for, this will expose young prospect Jake Bean who has been cracking the Hurricanes lineup more often this season.
Colorado Avalanche: Brandon Saad and Gabriel Landeskog
Saad and Landeskog are both 28 years old and having productive seasons for the Avalanche. Saad is playing his first year in Colorado after being acquired last offseason in a trade. Landeskog has played his entire career in Colorado and is the captain for the Avalanche. Saad has signaled that he would like to re-sign in Colorado, but the team might only have room for one of the two. If that is the case, then it is probably the captain Landeskog that remains. If the Avs manage to sign both Saad and Landeskog it might force them to expose 23-year-old forward Tyson Jost and solid defenseman Devon Toews from which the Kraken will have to choose.
Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
RNH has been a pillar in the Oilers’ forward core since he was the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. It’s hard to get a read on contract negotiations out of Edmonton, but his market value might prove too rich for general manager Ken Holland. If Nugent-Hopkins makes it to free agency, the Oilers will likely protect forward prospect Tyler Benson who has gotten off to a good start in the AHL.
New Jersey Devils: Kyle Palmieri
Palmieri has been the most consistent forward on New Jersey since he arrived in 2015. He has over 20 goals in each of his five seasons with the club. Palmieri is a solid NHL veteran that the Devils will want to keep around as they progress through their rebuild. The downside for the Devils in re-signing him to an extension means that they will need to expose at least one of the younger forwards they have in their stables: Janne Kuokkanen, Yegor Sharangovich, or Nick Merkley.
Nashville Predators: Mikael Granlund
There is a lot of dust that needs to settle in Nashville before we have a clear picture of who they protect. Nashville has a glut of decent forwards on their squad and they cannot protect them all. They will not be able to trade themselves out of exposing at least one of them. If Granlund re-signs, he will be a lock to be protected. Assuming these guys are on the team come July 17, when NHL teams must submit their protection list to the NHL, you can assume Filip Forsberg, Luke Kunin, and Viktor Arvidsson are also locks to be protected in the forward category. After that, the Predators will only be able to protect three of the following forwards: Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons, Matt Duchene, Rocco Grimaldi, Ryan Johansen, and Yakov Trenin. Nashville is expected to be active before the trade deadline so we would expect a lot of this to change between now and the Expansion Draft.
St. Louis Blues: Jaden Schwartz
The Blues are another team that will be in a bit of a bind for the Expansion Draft that will leave some quality middle-six forwards exposed. Locks to be protected are Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, and Vladimir Tarasenko. Re-signing Schwartz will add him to the protected list and that means six of the seven slots are filled. That leaves only one spot for David Perron, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, or Oskar Sundqvist.
Los Angeles Kings: Alex Iafallo
The Kings do not have a whole lot to offer in the Expansion Draft, but there are a couple forwards that could be intriguing should they remain with the team at the time of the draft. Iafallo will be protected if he signs an extension with the Kings. That would likely expose Dustin Brown and Andreas Athanasiou. Of course, if Iafallo walks to free agency and Dustin Brown is traded before the Expansion Draft, the Kraken will not have many options to choose from in LA.
A lot can change between now and July, but monitoring the trade deadline and the re-signing of some of these key players will help us forecast the protection lists for the Expansion Draft.
It was a relatively quiet week from a Seattle Kraken perspective, but we did get a few new images of the inside of Climate Pledge Arena and the progress that is being made there.
NEW: @ClimateArena is starting to really take shape.
These pictures, via the @SeattleKraken, show how the light will shine in & how the bowl will be dramatically different than the old barn that sat here.
A personal hockey anecdote comes to mind when I look at these photos of Climate Pledge Arena. When I was a young lad, growing up playing goalie for a city called Burnsville, a suburb of Minneapolis, our closest rival was Apple Valley. One of Apple Valley’s two ice arenas was connected to its high school and had a glass façade on one end, allowing sun to freely shine through during the day. It allowed for some great natural light, no doubt a rarity in hockey arenas around the globe.
But perhaps there is a reason that most arenas do not allow for significant natural light to enter.
If you had the misfortune of tending goal during a day game at Apple Valley High School, then Godspeed to you when you played at the end that faced that façade, because you could not see a damn thing. I recall getting absolutely torched during a Saturday afternoon game in peewees and then vehemently blaming the sun in the locker room after the game. As a consolation prize for giving up nine goals that day, I at least went home with a nice tan, partially from the sun and partially from the goal light illuminating behind me so frequently.
With this torturous experience in mind, I can’t help wondering if curtains will be installed at Climate Pledge Arena, because if not, then we will likely have more of the below.
My guess is that the Kraken have thought of this for Climate Pledge Arena. The sun, after all, is the NHL’s greatest enemy as per Gary Bettman.
Oh, and also, the Kraken have been ranked higher than the Buffalo Sabres in the latest NHL power rankings produced by The Buffalo News. Movin’ on up!
31. Seattle Kraken. Bettman hopeful Opening Night in October will be in front of full house. (NR)
32. Buffalo Sabres. A circus act that deserves to be below a yet-to-start expansion team. (31)
Ralph Krueger out, Don Granato in
Speaking of Buffalo, the Sabres have fired Ralph Krueger after an abysmal start to the season and a downright impressive 12-game losing streak. When the axe finally fell, Krueger’s Sabres were 6-18-4. He becomes the sixth coach fired in Buffalo in just eight years and lasted just one and a half seasons behind the bench. It’s quite remarkable how many different tactics they’ve taken within that organization; how many different players, coaches, and managers they’ve thrown at the issue that is Sabres hockey with seemingly the same miserable result every season.
And speaking of Burnsville, Minnesota, Don Granato—a Burnsville High School alumnus—takes the job over on an interim basis. Granato had been Krueger’s assistant and frankly has paid his dues. He has coached at seemingly every level of hockey, from USHL to the National Team Development Program to college hockey to the NHL. He is the brother of Seattle Kraken pro scout Cammi Granato and University of Wisconsin men’s head coach Tony Granato.
Don Granato nearly died last year after complications from pneumonia, so one has to feel good about the guy getting a shot. Still, it will be a steep uphill battle for him because the situation in Buffalo is quite dire. Only time will tell if Granato can right that porous and listing ship, or if yet another coach will be brought in to face the same impossibilities as the previous half-dozen combatants.
Women’s Frozen Four
The first day of the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four played out on Thursday.
In the earlier of two semi-finals, Skylar Fontaine scored late in the first overtime period to give tournament favorite Northeastern a 3-2 win over Minnesota Duluth.
🚨 NORTHEASTERN GOAL 🚨
In the final minute of the first overtime…SKYLAR FONTAINE WINS IT FOR THE HUSKIES! pic.twitter.com/0nHo4il3CL
The Huskies overcame a 2-0 deficit in the contest with three unanswered goals. The win means they will play in their first ever NCAA championship game.
In the later semi-final, Wisconsin jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Ohio State. The Buckeyes made a game of it, but ultimately the Badgers came away with a 4-2 victory. Wisconsin now has a chance to win its sixth NCAA title.
Northeastern and Wisconsin were the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds entering the tournament, so this should be a fun matchup for the title. That final game will be played Saturday at 4:30PM Pacific (today!) and can be viewed nationally on ESPNU.
NWHL’s founder resigns
Dani Rylan Kearney founded the NWHL in 2015 and served as commissioner of the league until this past October. Since then, she stayed involved in an advisory role and continued serving as president of W Hockey Partners, which owns the Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, and Minnesota Whitecaps. She has resigned from those remaining roles, meaning her involvement in the league that she created has now ceased.
The league didn’t give any particulars on why Rylan Kearney severed ties with the league she launched, opting to instead issue a vague press release.
The NWHL is still planning on finishing its season March 26 and 27 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Mass.
You don’t see that every day
Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras each score first goal
The Anaheim Ducks have several touted prospects in their pipeline, highlighted by Trevor Zegras, the superstar of the gold-medal-winning Team USA World Junior Championship team. Zegras, 19, has been up with the Ducks for 11 games but entering Thursday’s contest against the Arizona Coyotes had been held without his first NHL marker.
That changed when the slick-mitted forward gathered a bouncing Troy Terry pass and lofted it over the outstretched pad of potential future Kraken Aiden Hill.
What was most remarkable about Zegras scoring his first NHL goal was the fact that his roommate, Jamie Drysdale, had beaten him onto the scoreboard with his first NHL goal just minutes earlier, and Drysdale also assisted on Zegras’s goal. Oh, and by the way, this was Drysdale’s first NHL game.
The New York Rangers, who frankly haven’t been great this season, hung a nine spot on the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. You don’t see that every day. What you especially don’t see every day is a team hanging a nine spot on another NHL team when the winners do not have any of their coaching staff on the bench due to Covid-19 protocols.
Here are all nine tallies, including three from Mika Zibanajad, who doubled his season goal total in one period.
Perhaps the struggles on Broadway have been because of the guys behind the bench?
Tragedy in Russia
We at Sound Of Hockey were devastated to hear of the tragic passing of Timur Faizutdinov, a 19-year-old who was playing for Dynamo St. Petersburg’s junior team.
Faizutdinov was struck in the head by a puck during a game this week against Yaroslavl and eventually perished after several days in the hospital. The fatal blow came from an innocuous-looking dump-in from the neutral zone that apparently found its way around Faizutdinov’s helmet and hit him in exactly the wrong place.
Our thoughts are with Faizutdinov’s friends, teammates, and loved ones.
19-year-old Dynamo Saint Petersburg defenseman Timur Faizutdinov has tragically passed away.
He was in intensive care following a head injury sustained in an MHL match against Loko Yaroslavl on March 12.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
On this week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast, the guys break down your latest Seattle Kraken news, focusing on the final payment update and the team’s beer deal (about which Darren is not thrilled).
The guys also discuss WHL and college hockey before diving into the huge news of last week, which was ESPN’s seven-year agreement with the NHL. There’s plenty of commentary on what that means for the league and its fans in this show.
John, Andy, and Darren give their expectations for the upcoming trade deadline before moving onto their bit, Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
On this week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast, the guys break down your latest Seattle Kraken news, focusing on the final payment update and the team’s beer deal (about which Darren is not thrilled).
The guys also discuss WHL and college hockey before diving into the huge news of last week, which was ESPN’s seven-year agreement with the NHL. There’s plenty of commentary on what that means for the league and its fans in this show.
John, Andy, and Darren give their expectations for the upcoming trade deadline before moving onto their bit, Sound Of Hockey’s Three Stars.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Tweets of the Week.
We are still six months away from the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season, but that time is going to fly by. Those of you who are lucky enough to have season tickets will soon need to start planning your calendars for the 2021-22 NHL season.
To help you plan, I look how a typical NHL schedule would shake out for the Seattle Kraken.
NHL schedule basics
Let us start off with some basic information about a traditional (non-COVID impacted) NHL schedule. A typical schedule will have six preseason and 82 regular-season games that are split evenly with home and away games. The preseason starts in mid-September, regular season kicks off about a week into October, and the regular season ends in the second week of April. That gives us a typical home schedule of three preseason games and 41 regular-season games that runs from mid-September to early April.
NHL schedule by month
If you spread the schedule out by month, NHL teams have about 6 home games a month. Here is a look at that seasonality.
NHL schedule by weekday
As we slowly return to normal, you are likely to start re-committing to beer league hockey, book club, date nights, pick-up hockey, trivia night, hockey tournaments, etc. You might want to avoid conflicts in your schedule by looking at the most common NHL nights of the week.
You might want to avoid scheduling activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
NHL schedule wild cards
This data is based on the NHL schedules over the last four fully completed seasons (2015-16 through 2018-19). This does not mean it will stay consistent over the next season. There are few things that could factor into the schedule format next year.
Media partners
ESPN might have plans that could alter the schedule a bit. The ESPN deal has 25 regular-season games on the ESPN TV network (75 on ESPN+). All you mathematicians out there probably estimated that 25 games work out to be about one game a week. It is a best practice to establish a cadence for the games so people do not have to check their local listings every week to determine when hockey will be on ESPN. An example of this is how NBCSN branded Wednesday night as “Rivalry Night” on their network to create some buzz and awareness about their NHL nationally televised games. This has an interesting impact on the rest of the schedule where the league tries to clear out certain days to turn the focus onto the nationally televised game.
Back to backs
The league has made it perfectly clear that they will be returning to our normally scheduled divisions once we get through this 2020-21 temporary alignment. One thing that may stick around is the two-game series scenario. For those unfamiliar with this 2020-21 phenomenon, the NHL strategically scheduled several teams with back-to-back games in the same city to limit travel and potential COVID-19 exposure. Based on some reports, this back-to-back scenario might have some legs for sticking around and could impact the distribution of games in a week. For example, instead of a Thursday in one city, and Saturday in another, teams might play Thursday and Friday in the same city.
I hope this gives you some insight into a typical NHL schedule and what we might expect for the 2021-22 season. There has been no announcement on when that 2021-22 NHL schedule will be released, but we at SOH anticipate its release sometime in August.
Every sports fan and every sports reporter will likely always remember where they were and what they were doing on March 11, 2020.
I was in the hallway near the dressing rooms at Angel of the Winds Arena, conducting interviews with Silvertips coaches, players, and management to gauge their reaction that their last regular-season home game of the 2019-20 season was going to be played without fans.
It didn’t take long for the, uh, stuff to hit the fan.
The Silvertips were supposed to bus over to Kennewick for a tilt with the Tri-City Americans the next day. That never happened. Neither did the WHL playoffs, which was setting up for a fascinating three-way U.S. Division race between Everett, Portland, and Spokane.
Oh, how the times have changed since then.
The Western Hockey League’s U.S. Division will play its first game in 375 days when Portland and Tri-City drop the puck on Thursday for a season-opening tilt at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
The five U.S. Division teams — Everett, Portland, Seattle, Spokane, and Tri-City — will play a 24-game intra-division schedule in their home barns. For now, there will just be a regular season and fans won’t be permitted in the building.
Here’s your guide to following the WHL’s U.S. Division this season.
Everett goaltender Dustin Wolf is the reigning WHL goalie of the year. (Brian Liesse photo)
Everett Silvertips
The Everett Silvertips were cresting when the season was spiked last March, with 11 wins in their last 12 games, and figured to be one of three heavyweights within the division — along with Spokane and Portland — ready to duke it out in the playoffs.
Despite losing key overagers forward Bryce Kindopp (Ducks prospect), defenseman Wyatte Wylie (Flyers), and defenseman Jake Christiansen (Blue Jackets), and two talented overagers Kasper Puutio (Panthers) and Michal Gut, Everett still brings back a lot of talent from last season’s team and should be one of the favorites again this season.
Forward to watch — Cole Fonstad
The overage forward and former Montreal Canadiens prospect jelled really nicely with his new team last season after being acquired from Prince Albert and figures to be one of Everett’s top playmakers up front this season, along with Gage Goncalves and Jackson Berezowski.
“Cole’s a real difference maker,” Everett head coach Dennis Williams said. “You can’t teach that creativity. You’re either born with it or you take that along with you. I expect him to be a key part of our offense like he was last year with Gage (Goncalves).”
Defenseman to watch — Gianni Fairbrother
Fairbrother, who recently inked an entry-level contract with Montreal, is a physically bruising defenseman with a mean slapshot. Expect the North Vancouver native to receive an expanded offensive role in his overage season.
“This year really gives him a role to round out his game offensively,” Williams said. “He’s going to be put in some situations on the offensive side of the puck where he can grow his game, and he’s going to be great at it.”
Goalie to watch — Dustin Wolf
This name should be familiar to most of you. The Calgary Flames prospect, a former guest of the Sound Of Hockey podcast, and reigning WHL goaltender of the year could carry Everett to a division title.
Draft prospect to watch — Olen Zellweger
Rated a ‘C’ prospect by NHL Central Scouting, the 17-year-old blueliner is only listed 5-foot-10, 175 pounds but possesses impressive playmaking abilities for a defensive prospect. He’s also lauded by the Everett front office and coaching staff for his work ethic and commitment to the sport.
“He obviously put a good summer in and if you know Olen, that’s how he is — he’s really driven and committed,” Williams said. “He lives and breathes hockey more than any player I know. I haven’t seen a player like him.”
Rookie to watch — Ryan Hofer
Hofer is a little older for a WHL rookie at 18 years old, but don’t be surprised to see Hofer contribute immediately and often for the Silvertips. He’s the younger brother of former Portland goaltender and Blues prospect Joel Hofer, who is currently playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Utica Comets.
Breakout candidate — Jackson Berezowski
Berezowski has always been a coaches’ favorite and his shoot-first mentality combined with his projected place on Everett’s top line should result in a big season for the Yorkton, Saskatchewan native, who is coming off a 36-point season in 2019-20.
Seth jarvis (above) was drafted No. 13 overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2020 Draft (Keith Dwiggin/Portland Winterhawks)
Portland Winterhawks
The Winterhawks claimed the Scotty Munro trophy last season, the award given to the team with the best regular-season record in the WHL, and are primed for another successful season, even without four key players — 2021 draft-eligible forwards James Stefan and Jack O’Brien, Red Wings prospect Cross Hanas, and defenseman Clay Hanus — loaned to the USHL and top defenseman Johnny Ludvig moving on to professional hockey.
Forward to watch — Seth Jarvis
Jarvis, a Carolina first-round pick in 2020, is fresh off a sweltering stretch with 11 points in nine games, which led the AHL at that stage. Jarvis, 18, is one of the most dynamic players in the US Division.
Mike Johnston, the Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach, is excited to see how Jarvis carries that professional experience into the WHL season.
“Seth is a great leader on our team and always a very good example on and off the ice,” Johnston said. “For him, it’s a motivational experience, but it’s what he imparts on the other players on our team.”
Defenseman to watch — Jonas Brondberg
Brondberg, a native of Denmark, is a sturdy defenseman at 6-foot-4, 195-pounds and has proven to be an adept stay-at-home defenseman at the WHL level.
Goalie to watch — Brock Gould
Gould, a Colorado Springs native, was brought to Portland in an offseason trade with Moose Jaw, mostly because of complications from Gould getting over the Canadian border for the season, according to Johnston. Gould wasn’t drafted last year despite playing in the CHL Top Prospects game and is seeking a rebound season with the Winterhawks.
Draft prospect to watch — Tyson Kozak
Kozak is a two-way forward tabbed as a ‘C’ prospect by NHL Central Scouting and is coming off a 29-point season and should see an expanded role with some key forwards gone this season.
Rookie to watch — Kyle Chyzowski
The Chyzowski name runs deep in the Western Hockey League, with several cousins that have played in the league, Kyle is the next one up. The Surrey, British Columbia native was a third-round pick of the Winterhawks in 2019.
Breakout candidate — Gabe Klassen
Klassen was productive as a 16-year-old rookie with 15 points in 30 games and is set to take on a bigger role in his sophomore season.
At 6-foot-8, Seattle’s Matthew Rempe (above, right) is one of the most imposing players in the WHL (Biran Liesse/Seattle Thunderbirds)
Seattle Thunderbirds
It’s all starting to come together for Seattle.
The Thunderbirds may still be a year away from seriously competing, but several of the young pieces acquired through trades are popping up on this year’s roster. Thunderbirds fans will have a good chance to see the future, along with a trio of recently drafted players in Henrik Rybinski (Panthers), Matthew Rempe (Rangers), and Tyrel Bauer (Jets).
“It’s definitely exciting,” Seattle GM Bil La Forge said. “In this shortened season we’ll be the youngest we’ve ever been; Our average age is 17.5, which is quite low when you consider it. But it will be exciting to see these kids get the opportunity to show what they can do and get their feet wet this year so we can really get on the ground running next season.”
Forward to watch — Matthew Rempe
Rempe shot up draft boards last season with 31 points in 47 games in his first season in the WHL and the Rangers cashed in on that upward trajectory in the sixth round. The towering 6-foot-8 center comes with a hard work rate and some burgeoning skill.
Defenseman to watch — Tyrel Bauer
Bauer is a classic stay-at-home defenseman that should have the opportunity to contribute more offensively with some key players gone from the blueline.
Goalie to watch — Thomas Milic
Milic played two games for the Thunderbirds last year, but Seattle’s third-round pick in 2018 is expected to be the franchise’s goalie for its next wave of young talent.
Draft prospect to watch — Connor Roulette
Rated as an “A” prospect by NHL Central Scouting, the 17-year-old forward is already a proven WHL scorer and playmaker and should fall in the early round of the upcoming NHL Draft.
“I think for a guy like Connor, it’s exciting to see what he’s going to do next,” La Forge said. “He’s a kid with special talent and he loves hockey so much that getting to see him in this 24-game stretch will be really exciting.”
Rookie to watch — Kevin Korchinski
A first-round pick (No. 10 overall) by Seattle in 2019, Korchinski is an adept puck-moving defenseman that should play a big part right away on the T-Birds’ blueline.
Breakout candidate — Lucas Ciona
Ciona, who is draft eligible in 2021, is coming off a 13-point season in 2019-20 and could be a handful for the division during this abbreviated season. At 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, Ciona can play a rugged physical game but chip in offensively.
Spokane’s Adam Beckman, seen above celebrating a goal, is the WHL’s reigning scoring champion (Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs).
Spokane Chiefs
Similarly to Portland, Spokane loaned out key forwards Luke Toporowski and Bear Hughes (a Post Falls, Idaho native) and goaltender Lukas Parik to the USHL, and key import defenseman David Jiricek will not make the trip over for the season.
But the cupboard still isn’t bare. Eli Zummack is a dynamic overager that should form a formidable forward group with Adam Beckman (Wild) and Jack Finley (Lightning).
There are some question marks on the backend and in goal for Spokane, but expect the Chiefs to score their fair share of goals.
Forward to watch — Adam Beckman
If there’s any player that can eclipse 50 points in an abbreviated 24-game season, it’s Beckman. The Minnesota Wild third-round pick is the WHL’s reigning scoring champion with 107 points last season and should be primed for a big total in one last hurrah in the WHL.
Defenseman to watch — Bobby Russell
With Ty Smith (Devils), Noah King (AHL), and Filip Kral (Czech Extraliga) all gone, Russell should play a big role this season, especially on the power play where his offensive abilities should shine.
“I think he’ll be on that first power play unit whereas before he struggled to get any power play minutes with those other guys,” Spokane general manager Scott Carter said. “I think that’s the one area that we’ll be able to see him take advantage of his skating and playmaking abilities. He’s a guy that a lot of teams were always asking me about but we always felt that Bobby had some big upside and I think this year it’s going to show.”
Goalie to watch — Campbell Arnold
The 6-foot backstop played 22 games for the Chiefs last year, posting a 2.59 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage as a frequent understudy to Parik last year. The Nanaimo, British Columbia native is coming off a torn ACL, but is 100 percent healthy, according to Carter.
“Really before he was hurt last year, before Christmas he was pushing Parik for the starting job and showing he could be a No. 1 last year,” Carter said. “He’s looked really good at camp.”
Draft prospect to watch — Graham Sward
Rated a ‘C’ prospect by NHL Central Scouting, the 17-year-old blueliner is only listed 5-foot-10, 175 pounds but possesses impressive playmaking abilities for a defensive prospect.
“I thought Graham really stepped up last year when Matt Leduc got hurt and showed what he can do,” Carter said. “He’s put on another inch and put on some weight … so he’s got more of a pro body on him and he’s going to get some big minutes with (Noah) King, (Filip) Kral, and Ty Smith gone and our euro not coming over. He’s going to play in all situations for us and I think he can be a higher draft pick than what is being reported on some neutral websites.”
Rookie to watch — Blake Swetlikoff
Swetlikoff played in 11 games for the Chiefs last season, but the third-round pick in 2018 was sent home early because of the lack of ice time available with a deep forward group. Swetlikoff could play a bigger role in his second run at the league.
Breakout candidate — Cordel Larson
Larson is hoping to parlay a 43-point campaign in 2019-20 into an even bigger season, and the opportunity should be there with Toporowski and Hughes not in the fold.
Sasha Mutala, above, returns this year after leading Tri-City with 67 points in 2019-20 (Robert Murray photo)
Tri-City Americans
The pandemic-shortened season was a precarious one for the Tri-City Americans, who shipped away key veterans Kyle Olsen and Beck Warm (Hurricanes prospect) in order to restock the cupboard after years of contending.
The Ams are still on the older side, with eight 19-year-olds to go with their overage group. That overage group includes Jack Barnes, the son of Seattle Kraken professional scout and Tri-City ownership partner Stu Barnes.
“We don’t have the elite 20-year-olds like the Jarvis’ or the Beckmans’, but I think we’re pretty deep up front and it will be exciting to see how competitive the division is,” Tri-City general manager Bob Tory said.
Forward to watch — Sasha Mutala
Mutala, a Colorado Avalanche prospect, is coming off a four-game stint in the AHL and should be the Ams go-to scorer this season. The Vancouver native put up 67 points in 62 games last season and is still vying for a professional contract from Colorado.
Defenseman to watch — Luke Zazula
The Americans paid a decent price to go out and acquire Zazula from Kamloops last season, sliding over a second-rounder and a third-rounder in 2021 for the diminutive defenseman, but the 5-foot-8 rear guard came through with 21 points in 37 games for Tri-City last season.
“I wish he was only 19 and not 20,” Tory said with a chuckle. “He was a big acquisition for us because not only is he a really good hockey player and really good leader, he’s a really exciting player to watch for fans, not only our fans but other teams’ fans. He’s such a dynamic skater and he’s a little guy that competes super hard, so he became a fan favorite for us.”
Goalie to watch — Talyn Boyko
Boyko, who is rated a “C” prospect by NHL Central Scouting, is listed at 6-foot-7 and is primed to take over the main duties between the pipes now that Beck Warm has moved on to professional hockey.
“This is Talyn’s third year with us, so obviously it’s time for him to take the reins and be the starter for us,” Tory said. “We just need him to be consistent for us, play good solid hockey, and eliminate the weak goals against. He’s a big kid and put on a lot of weight, starting to fill out his body and mature, and had a good offseason of training.”
Draft prospect to watch — Marc Lajoie
Lajoie, a “C”-rated prospect, carries a big frame at 6-foot-4, 231 ponds and already comes in with plenty of experience after playing a significant role with the Americans as a 16-year-old rookie.
“I think he’s worked really hard at getting stronger and improving his skating,” Tory said. “He’s a big guy, he’s got really good instincts, has a great hockey IQ, and played in a lot of key situations for us last year, probably more than he should have, but in the long run that’s going to help him. As a young player, he needs to have more of a physical presence, which I think he will with (more) confidence and I certainly think he’ll get some quality ice time.”
Rookie to watch — Rhett Melnyk
A second-round pick in 2019, Melnyk played in three games as an affiliate player last year, but the Edmonton native totaled some big points numbers at lower levels and should be a nice young depth piece for the Ams this season and moving forward.
Breakout candidate — Parker Bell
Ice time increased significantly for Bell as a rookie in 2019-20 as the season progressed and Bell could parlay that into an increased role for Tri-City this year.
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and former Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.
Do you like NHL players? Are you interested in NHL players that may be available to the Seattle Kraken in July’s Expansion Draft? Would you like to know when some of those players will be on the ice for your viewing pleasure?
Then you’re in luck because this week’s Games on the Radar focuses on the Mass Mutual East Division and four teams that have NHL players available. Give them a watch, and while you’re watching, take a brief moment to close your eyes and picture them hitting the ice at Climate Pledge Arena with an ‘S’ on their chest and some sort of catchy song blaring from above.
Here are this week’s Games on the Radar:
Philadelphia Flyers versus New York Islanders
When: Thursday, 4 PM, NBC Sports, NHL.TV free game
The Flyers came into the season as a hot pick to contend. They haven’t quite done that but are in striking distance of a playoff spot despite shaky defense and goaltending. They do have interesting Expansion Draft options for the Kraken, however, and that’s all we care about right now.
Dealing with little to no cap space, the Flyers most likely will expose a veteran player who could step in and play right away. One potential to keep an eye on is Jakub Voracek whose contract of $8.25 million a year could lead Philadelphia to expose him. Voracek is a productive scorer and finding goal scoring for the Kraken in the Expansion Draft could prove difficult. His numbers are down a bit this year – with just four goals and an expected goal percentage of 41 percent – which makes his exposure more likely. He’s not the only vet that Philadelphia could expose, however. James van Riemsdyk is a veteran scoring forward who is having a big year and could fit in well with the Kraken. On defense, keep an eye on Shayne Gostisbehere who has had productive seasons in the past but has fought injuries and could be risky.
The Islanders find themselves on top of the East Division somehow, but they too have some cap constraints that could lead to tasty Kraken Expansion Draft picks. Perhaps the top player in the Kraken crosshairs is Josh Bailey. He’s 31 – which feels super young to those of us who have passed that milepost – and is a productive two-way player. If you like expected goal percentage as a gauge, his is 51 percent and Islanders goalies have a collective .944 save percentage when Bailey is on the ice which suggests he takes care of his own end. Not too shabby. A younger guy to watch is Kieffer Bellows who is on the bubble to be protected. Bellows, 22, is a former first-round pick who has yet to catch on in the NHL, although he is coming off a two-goal performance last week. The one-time Portland Winterhawk is still young, which may lead New York to protect him, but he’s worth checking out.
When watching the Islanders, you should always keep an eye on Mathew Barzal who will not be available to the Kraken in the Expansion Draft but is a dangler and worth the price of admission.
New York Rangers versus Washington Capitals
When: Friday, 4 PM, NHL Network
The Rangers aren’t all that good of a hockey team and the players the Kraken have to choose from in the Expansion Draft are not guys that will knock your socks off. So why do we care? Because they do have players who can be depth guys. The glue guys that help a team win. Every team needs them despite their lack of marquee appeal.
Brendan Lemieux is one such player on the Rangers roster. He’s 25 years old and his numbers won’t impress you, but he could be a bottom-six guy for Seattle and will chip in from time to time. Brett Howden, 22, also won’t make you jump out of your seat but he’s young and did score in junior. He has yet to find the net this year but at that age could be a guy to groom in the minors and hope to cash in. We admit this is getting a little depressing, but you could also eyeball Julien Gauthier who is a former first-round pick by Ron Francis. Again, he’s young, just 23, and the potential as a goal-scorer is there. He’s scored in the AHL and that combined with his age may lead him to be protected.
By contrast, the Capitals are a very good team and fighting for first place in the Mass Mutual East Division. It appears that most Kraken fans, based on message board comments, tweets, and all other social media have already figured out who Seattle is going to select in the Expansion Draft. That would be center T.J. Oshie. Did you know he grew up in the area? While the local tie is a fun story, is he worth a pick? He’s aging but his 19 points in 27 games is decent and he has plus-50 numbers in both Corsi-for and expected goals percentage so it appears the production is still there. If you like the local tie but prefer defense, then watch former Seattle Thunderbirds captain Brenden Dillon. He’s not going to score a lot of goals from the backend, but the Kraken could do worse than snaring a physical, shut-down guy in the Expansion Draft.
Last week, the NHL and ESPN announced a seven-year television, streaming, and media rights deal that kicks off at the beginning of the 2021-22 season and runs through the 2027-28 season. Here are the main bullet points:
25 exclusive national regular-season games on ABC or ESPN.
75 national regular-season games per season produced by ESPN that will stream exclusively on both ESPN+ and Hulu.
Half of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on ABC and ESPN each season.
Exclusive coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for four out of the seven seasons.
NHL’s out-of-market streaming package, currently known as NHL.tv, will be available exclusively through the ESPN+ subscription.
Most people in the industry see this as a huge win for ESPN, the NHL, and most importantly the fans. Here is a list of 10 reasons why this NHL/ESPN partnership is a big deal for hockey fans:
1. Streaming focus. The Walt Disney company, the owner of ESPN, reached a tipping point for their direct-to-consumer streaming distribution with their big launch of Disney+. The 75 national regular-season games that are slated for ESPN+ are a clear signal that Disney is planning a big push for direct-to-consumer sports products without the burden of a complete cable package that consumers have been forced to purchase for years to access ESPN content.
2. Change agent for ROOT sports. The biggest complaint we heard from fans after the Root Sports/Kraken announcement was the lack of streaming options that came with that deal. With Disney taking an aggressive approach and making a huge investment in the NHL with streaming rights on ESPN+, this could influence regional sports networks, like Root Sports, to create streaming options sooner rather than later. I do not anticipate changes any time soon, but this will put pressure on the RSN’s.
3. Multi-network. There will be an additional TV partner here. NBC is still in the running, as is Fox Sports. So if you do not want to splurge on the $5 a month to get ESPN+ and the additional 75 games, you will be able to get more nationally televised games on the additional network. Having exposure on both networks creates more visibility for the NHL and will add to the growth opportunities of the sport.
4. Network competition. Between ESPN and the other eventual NHL network partner, there will be a healthy rivalry to outdo each other in coverage and innovation. Expect both networks to push each other for better coverage and content that will ultimately benefit the networks themselves as well as the fans.
5. NHL headed back to the worldwide leader in sports. It has been 17 years since the NHL last appeared on ESPN, and hockey fans have been bitter about the lack of coverage on the network since it left. I have fallen in that trap as well, but as the great Linda Cohn implied on our podcast, the network is not going to heavily promote a sport for which they do not own the television rights. This all changes that. We have already seen Steven A. Smith hyping the Kraken. Haters are going to hate, but having ESPN personalities talking about hockey is great for the sport.
Aaawwwwwww Sugar Crackers! Your Boy’s about to get into Hockey. Yes! HOCKEY!!! Check me out! pic.twitter.com/8Sr4ERzTjS
6. Shoulder content. There have been no commitments around additional programming, but one should expect something like NHL 2Night to go back to ESPN on game nights or move NHL In the Crease onto one of the ESPN linear channels, meaning ESPN or ESPN2. This will draw in more eyeballs from a broad group of sports fans that have ESPN on by default.
Yes, hockey fans, the iconic ESPN @NHL theme music will be back!
Composer Bob Christianson shares more on the musical piece first introduced to viewers in 1992, that still resonates with hockey fans after nearly 30 yearshttps://t.co/PvcI2nDuHupic.twitter.com/hOdPaXAeXg
7. ESPN.com. I have appreciated NBC Sports’ coverage over the years, but rarely have I felt the need to go to NBCsports.com for hockey content. I do like Sean Leahy, but I feel NBC never prioritizes its .com coverage. I find myself going to tsn.ca, sportsnet.ca, or ESPN.com instead. With the media partnership and platform of ESPN.com, I expect coverage should grow and landing on espn.com/nhl will become part of my regular routine. I should call out that friends of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan have done a great job with their coverage over the last few years. If you have not checked out their content, you should, as it is consistently fresh and innovative.
8. Getting the gang back together. I know I am not alone here, but I became a fan of hockey watching the NHL on ESPN. There is already some excitement building for the return of the gang on ESPN, and I am on board. Gary Thorne has already commented on his interest in rejoining ESPN. The fans are clamoring for Steve Levy and the elevated presence of hockey with Linda Cohn and Barry Melrose. I also hope the US hockey market can get more exposure to the great Ray Ferraro and Gord Miller from time to time.
9. NHL out-of-market streaming package just got cheaper. It did not get any headlines, but by moving the NHL.tv subscription over to ESPN+, the package apparently just got cheaper. There could be some price changes coming up for ESPN+, but the NHL.tv subscription usually costs about $159 per season and ESPN+ costs $5 per month, or $50 for a full year.
10. ESPN commercials. I still love these. It should be fun to see Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Mathew Barzal involved in some ESPN commercials of their own.
The old “This is SportsCenter” hockey commercials are great 🤣
The NHL on ESPN will be great for hockey. The exposure and innovation this deal will have on hockey will be incredible and I cannot wait for Seattle to be along for this ride.
Earlier this week there was an AP article talking about secondary scoring in the NHL. I tend to believe that the more spread of scoring you have through your lineup, the better your chances for success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I thought it might be a fun concept to dig into a bit on this week’s Data Dump Saturday. This will take a little exploring.
% of team scoring by the top three scorers
The first thing I want to look at is the percentage of goals scored by the top three scorers on each team. Secondary scoring in this analysis is scoring done by everyone else. There is some context missing from this type of analysis such as injuries, trades, etc. but this is just intended to be a directional exploratory analysis.
Boston appears to be the most dependent on their top three goal scorers while Detroit is the least dependent on their top three scorers.
Let us next look at the last three years’ conference final teams (highlighted) to see if there is a pattern relative to secondary scoring during the last regular seasons.
It would be foolish to draw any hard and fast conclusions based on this quick analysis, but it appears that teams that are more dependent on their top line tend to not fair well in the playoffs, nor do teams that spread scoring across their lineup.
Team Goal Scoring
An important point for context not shown above is the team goal scoring. If you were to look at the first graph above, you might think Detroit is doing well because they are not dependent on their top three scorers. However, Detroit is not having a great season. We need to incorporate the average goal scoring to provide additional context and to explore just a little bit more.
Now we are getting somewhere. Tampa Bay (34%), Carolina (38%), Florida (34%), and Washington (33%) are scoring a lot per game and they are getting secondary scoring with the top three scorers accounting for less than 40% of the team’s goal total. Toronto (44%) and Edmonton (43%) are scoring a lot, but are more dependent on their top three scorers. Meanwhile, Boston (50%) is not scoring a ton AND they are dependent on the top three scorers.
Again, this is just a quick exploratory analysis on the concept of secondary scoring and would need a much more thorough and complete analysis to draw any conclusions, but it is something to ponder during the playoffs.
From the hottest of scoops to the coldest of beers, Sound Of Hockey has all the latest news from the Seattle Kraken and beyond in this edition of Weekly One-Timers.
It’s been another week of somewhat significant stories around the hockey world, so sit back, relax, crack open a cold one if you can (it is Friday after all), and let’s get you caught up on what’s happening on and off the ice.
Seattle Kraken final NHL payment update
Sound Of Hockey has confirmed via email from a team representative that the Seattle Kraken have not yet made their final payment to the NHL.
In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights signed their first free agent, Reid Duke, on March 6. This means that they would have submitted their final payment on or before that date. Astute readers would notice that we are now past that date, so the Kraken are behind the Vegas timeline.
Seattle can make no such signings until that final payment is made. This is notable because college and some European league seasons are ending. When the NCAA season concludes, there is always a clamoring by NHL teams to sign the best players that slipped through undrafted, so unless the Kraken complete that last transaction soon, there is a chance they could miss out on some of those prospects.
The team also cannot vote on issues brought to the league’s Board of Governors, such as whether or not to move the NHL Entry Draft, which has been discussed at length recently.
The payment will of course get made in due time, and it really is nothing to worry about for Kraken fans. As the team confirmed this is on schedule, though exactly where final payment falls on that schedule was not disclosed.
That last payment is the final milestone for the team to hit before real hockey transactions can begin.
Silver Bullets in Seattle
In my college days, I drank a lot of light beers. Miller Light, Bud Light, Busch Light, Michelob Golden Light, Milwaukee’s Best Light, Natural Light, something called Beer 30 Light… You know, good stuff!
For whatever reason, though, I was just never a huge fan of Coors Light.
My beer palate has become quite refined as I’ve aged, but my general dissatisfaction after a Coors Light—regardless of the blueness of the can’s mountains—remains in tact. So, you can imagine my dismay when the Seattle Kraken announced that they had come to an agreement with Molson Coors to make Coors Light the official domestic beer partner for both the team and Climate Pledge Arena.
Thankfully for hopheads like myself, there will be other options available at Kraken games, as Hop Valley Brewing—also a Molson Coors entity—will provide craftier options. Phew!
Read all about the deal and what it means for the gameday experience here.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I shall take a break to enjoy a refreshing and completely flavorless Natural Light, or as I like to call it, a naughty water.
Mainstream Kraken
Ok, now that I’ve been refreshed with an ice-cold naughty water, I’m ready to watch Steven A. Smith talk about the Kraken.
Aaawwwwwww Sugar Crackers! Your Boy’s about to get into Hockey. Yes! HOCKEY!!! Check me out! pic.twitter.com/8Sr4ERzTjS
In a peculiar way, this man shouting at us is why the NHL going back to ESPN is so important for the league. ESPN still has the ears and eyes of the sports fan, and the network has been doing its damnedest to make hockey disappear from the sports lexicon since the league took its talents to something called the Outdoor Life Network in 2005.
But ESPN, ABC, and the NHL announced a new seven-year deal this week. The agreement will bring 25 regular-season games back to those networks starting just in time for the Kraken’s inaugural puck drop, plus playoff games and NHL All-Star Games. Additionally, the out-of-market content we now stream from NHL.tv will be moved to ESPN+.
In all, the deal is reportedly worth $2.8 billion.
It still is not all that easy to find anything about the NHL on ESPN.com, though, so here’s hoping that changes as the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports” re-embraces the game we love so dearly.
Now, give me Gary Thorne calling hockey, or give me death.
NWHL to award Isobel Cup after all
The NWHL’s Lake Placid bubble burst at the beginning of February, abruptly curbing the momentum that was building for the league. When that happened, most in the hockey world assumed that was the last we would see of the league and its players this season.
It was a good try, and the tournament gave the NWHL a nice moment in the sun, but the pandemic had won. It was time to head home and just wait it out until this COVID thing subsides, and then we can start fresh next season.
Wrong!
The league announced this week that it will still award the Isobel Cup to a champion, after four qualifying teams—the Toronto Six, Boston Pride, Minnesota Whitecaps, and Connecticut Whale—battle it out March 26 and 27 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Mass.
One of the most disappointing aspects of the bubble (or “Whubble” as it became more commonly called) bursting was that the NWHL was on the verge of having games nationally televised for the first time ever when it was forced to shut down.
These newly announced games will be carried on NBC Sports, though, giving the league and women’s hockey another opportunity to shine on a national stage. It’s fantastic news all around.
You Don’t See That Every Day
Former Tri-City Americans defenseman, Dylan Coghlan, entered Wednesday night’s game for the Golden Knights with zero career NHL goals. He left with three.
Artemi Panarin returned to the New York Rangers after a leave of absence that began on Feb. 22. The superstar forward stepped away from the team after he was accused of assaulting a young woman in 2011 during his time playing in the KHL. The unsubstantiated allegations came on the heels of Panarin expressing support for Alexei Navalny, the leader of the opposition to Vladimir Putin in Russia.
Justin Bieber wrote a “love letter” to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Please don’t tell any of my colleagues here at Sound Of Hockey, but I kind of love it.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at Sound Of Hockey and the host, producer, and editor of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is an inconsistent beer league goalie who believes that five players have to make a mistake before the puck gets to him. Follow him on Twitter @DarrenFunBrown or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
