Congrats to the Montreal Canadiens and their GM Blake for winning the GVFHL Stanley Cup in 2018. Well done and well deserved.
Penguins Evgeni Malkin Breaks GVFHL Single Season Scoring Record
History was made in the GVFHL this season as Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin broke the single season scoring record, putting up 109 points in 80 games. Malkin broke the previous record, formerly set by Patrick Kane, by 8 points. When asked about the achievement, Malkin had this to say:
“I am score”.
In a recent interview, Penguins GM Jordan Richards stated:
“Geno breaking the scoring record is a great accomplishment, both for him and our organization. Geno is a key piece to our team and our captain, when he’s confident and on his game he is the biggest difference maker in the league. He was for this season, and our record reflected that”.
With the Art Ross locked up and having likely earned a nomination for the Hart Trophy, Geno will now set his sights on the Conn Smythe Trophy, and more importantly bringing a GVFHL championship to Pittsburgh.
Avalanche win it all!
Congratulations to Mark on a great season and winning the cup with just 4 losses in the playoffs!
New Blue Jackets management finally moves in
Only three days ago did new general manager Lance Lavelle arrive in Columbus to visit Nationwide Arena for the first time.
“I was hired after the trade deadline. The team was outside the playoff window and competing hard to qualify,” Lavelle said. “They didn’t need a new owner coming in a making a fuss. But I wasn’t absent from the team, to be sure.”
Indeed, Lavelle sent his staffers to Columbus immediately after he was hired to advise the coaching staff on some minor tweaks to the line-up, resulting in the Blue Jackets coming up just short of qualifying for the playoffs.
“I’d like to say that we have a lot to build on here in Columbus, but frankly that’s just not the case,” Lavelle posited. “Our on-ice product is in shambles and I think anyone who is honest with themselves would agree with that. This roster hasn’t seen much improvement since the start of the season. That doesn’t sit well with me.”
Sources in the Columbus front office suggest that Lavelle will likely shop his established players for younger roster players with potential. It’s possible that defenders Kris Letang and Duncan Keith could be on the block, as wingers Mike Cammalleri and Troy Brouwer.
“While we did almost make the playoffs, I want to be able to win a game once we get there,” Lavelle said. “Colorado would have kicked us to the curb.”
Summer could prove busy for Lavelle and his front office team with the draft and free agency critical to Lavelle’s presumed makeover of the Columbus roster. But even with the off-season in full swing, Lavelle already has plans to head back east to the Delaware coast.
“I do my best work in Sussex County,” Lavelle said of his place of residence. “I need a place to think and a place to work. Delaware provides that. The coaching staff doesn’t need me looking over their shoulder every day. I know they’ll do their best with the team I assemble.”
Blockbuster Trade – “Hurri-Kane” to Carolina
With the trade winds blowing, the Canes decided to make a major move by adding superstar Patrick Kane. Coming into the season, Carolina was only hoping to sneak into the playoffs. But some offseason moves, like trading for Ryan Kesler and Martin Jones, had the Canes leading the Eastern Conference after the first quarter of the season. In addition, the Canes had to make a separate trade as a salary dump by moving goaltender Semyon Varlamov to Edmonton, giving up a 3rd round pick in 2018 in return for depth forward Ben Smith and backup goalie Anton Khudobin. Without making that move, Carolina couldn’t add the $10.5M cap hit that comes with Kane.
And now with the addition of Kane, Carolina can make a strong push for the postseason as a top contender. He will likely slot into the top line next to Boone Jenner and Sasha Barkov, both good 2-way players to allow Kane to cheat some more. Carolina had to give up promising blueliner Josh Morrissey, young winger Jesper Fast, solid d-man Jason Demers, 3 top prospects (Brock Boeser, Dillon Dube and Matt Grzelcyk), AND the Canes 1st roun
d pick in 2017. The Canes also received young defensive d-man Alex Petrovic in the deal who will likely split time on the bottom pair with another young defender in Jake Gardiner. It was a big price to pay for basically 1 player this season but it likely will pay dividends quickly and hopefully keep teams like Pittsburgh and defending Cup champs New Jersey from passing Carolina in the standings.
Carolina Draft Review
Before taking over as GM of the Hurricanes, Rich Basterd had identified adding some additional picks at the trade deadline. Though one of those picks was eventually moved this offseason (Calgary’s 3rd) to acquire a veteran center in Vermette, the other 2 picks acquired were put to good use. Being active in several trades this offseason involving some youngsters means Carolina needed to restock some of the prospect pool.
Here’s the breakdown of all the new baby Canesin the organization:
Round 1, #12 pick
C Luke Kunin, (NCAA) Wisconsin University, 5’11” 195 lbs
Stats: 34GP 19G 13A 32pts 52PIM
Drafted by NHL: Minnesota Wild, 1st round, pick 15
Projection: Upside of a Joe Pavelski but should at least be a top 6 forward
Comments: Possibly seen as a bit of a reach at 12 but I have a gut instinct about him. He was just 17 yrs old in his freshman yr at Wisconsin so still one of the younger players in the draft but had a very strong yr against older players. Tons of character too so he’s not just all about scoring and can play in all 3 zones. I think the Wild will use him as a C so gives me an eventual high-end 2C behind Barkov.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Jost (if he fell) and Bellows
Round 2, #42 pick
D Philippe Myers, (QMJHL) Rouyn-Noranda, 6’5″ 210 lbs
Stats: 63GP 17G 28A 45pts 44PIM
Drafted by NHL: Undrafted, signed as FA by Philadelphia Flyers
Projection: #4 D-man who can play an all-around game
Comments: He’s a kid who I had rated as good as anyone I could’ve drafted at the end of the 1st round so falling to my pick was fantastic. Some will question where he will fit in long term with the depth the Flyers have on defense but he’s a RHD which they are not that deep at so he should be a top 4 d-man, likely on the 2nd pairing. He had an offensive coming out party this past season that shows he can be a 2-way type of defender too.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Mascherin, Borgstrom, Bastian and Bitten
Round 2, #58 pick (via Detroit)
C Dillon Dube, (WHL) Kelowna Rockets, 5’10” 185 lbs
Stats: 65GP 26G 40A 66pts 50PIM
Drafted by NHL: Calgary Flames, 2nd round, pick #56
Projection: A feisty 3rd liner who could move up to the 2nd line
Comments: He’s been described as an agitator type of player but he has some good offensive upside too. Compared at times to Brendan Gallagher, the the question will be can he play the same style at the NHL level. He probably tops out as a 3rd liner (probably best to play on the wing but could be a good C too). Gave up a future 2nd round pick to acquire him so hoping he pans out well.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Bitten, Kyrou, and Dineen
Round 4, #112 pick (via Pittsburgh)
LW/RW Jack Kopacka, (OHL) Saulte Ste. Marie Greyhounds, 6’2″ 190 lbs
Stats: 67GP 20G 23A 43pts 12PIM
Drafted by NHL: Anaheim Ducks, 4th round, pick #93
Projection: Bottom 6 power forward with some offensive upside
Comments: While I was hoping Filipe would have fallen to this spot, I was okay selecting Kopacka too. He probably doesn’t have much future as a top 6 winger but should likely be at least an NHLer. Hoping he can be a north-south winger but at least feel confident in him being a rated sim player.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Hunt, Filipe, and Ang
Round 5, #150 pick (via Tampa Bay)
D Dan Renouf, (NCAA) Univ. of Maine, 6’2″ 205 lbs
Stats: 38GP 6G 9A 15pts 36PIM
Drafted by NHL: Undrafted, signed as FA by Detroit Red Wings
Projection: Bottom pair 2-way d-man but could possibly move up
Comments: Signed after his junior year, Renouf could be another Dekeyser type of d-man coming from the NCAA but better defensively. He keeps it simple and he has good mobility so he plays a mistake-free style of game. Probably will be a bottom pairing guy but because he plays so simple, he could be a good complimentary guy on the 2nd pairing.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Mattson, Somppi, Bratt, and Lappin
Round 7, #192 pick
C/RW Justin Scott, (OHL) Barrie Colts, 6’1″ 200 lbs
Stats: 67GP 28G 37A 65pts 60PIM
Drafted by NHL: Undrafted, signed as FA by Columbus Blue Jackets
Projection: Middle 6 forward who is a good complementary type
Comments: At this late of a pick, I felt like going with a 20 yr old undrafted kid who’s been solid but unspectacular the last 2 yrs. Reminds me a bit of Bozak in that he’s not special in any one area but solid all-around. Good at even strength, in the faceoff dot, and seems like a deceptive shot so could be a guy that makes it to the NHL in 3-4 yrs.
Other prospects considered at this pick: Sawchenko, Fortier, and Pribyl
Islanders Select 4 In First Round
The New York Islanders are a young up and coming franchise. The plan from the initial dispersal draft last year was to build young, but when many veterans like Roberto Luongo, Henrik Sedin, and Dan Girardi were on the board, the Isles felt they had to grab them. After a failed playoff push with that group, Sedin and Girardi along with superstar Vladimir Tarasenko were traded for young studs Connor McDavid, Joel Eriksson-Ek, and picks. Following another trade yesterday moving Justin Williams out of town, New York had 4 first round picks and feel they got excellent players to add to the deep prospect pool with each pick.
Olli Juolevi – D – 1st Round – 7th Overall
With their first pick, the Islanders selected the best defenceman in the draft in Juolevi. A blueline that is already built around Seth Jones, Madison Bowey, and Griffin Reinhart, adding Olli will become a great addition to round out the top 4 for years to come. He is a well-rounded, complete defender who is well known for his hockey sense and offensive skills, but excels in skating and the defensive zone as well. Could develop into a top line defender and Seth Jones’ linemate on Long Island in the near future.
Tyler Benson – LW – 1st Round – 20th Overall
Benson was very high on the Islanders draft list, however in a season dogged by nagging injuries, scouts had him pegged as a top 15 talent, but because of limited viewings, he was viewed as a second round pick. New York traded back 2 spots, but realizing he may not last to their next pick, they took him a little early. Benson is a natural goal scorer and also defensively responsible, but a bit of a wildcard due to his injury concerns. With the Isles quite deep at forward in the prospect pool, they were more than willing to take the risk he will develop into a solid two-way winger at the NHL level.
Lucas Johansen – D – 1st Round – 27th Overall
Adding to the high top end pool on the blue line, Johansen was too good to pass up. He comes from the great Kelowna Rocket program which has seen NHL’ers Shea Weber, Tyler Myers, Alex Edler, among many others. With his ex-partner on the blueline Madison Bowey in the organization, and the brother of NHL star Ryan Johansen, selecting Lucas just made too much sense. Like Juolevi, he is a very smart and calm defender who is a strong skater and produce offense. Johansen and Bowey would be a great second pairing behind Jones and Juolevi for many years to come.
Rasmus Asplund – C – 1st Round – 28th Overall
Asplund appears to be a safe pick for New York, one who may not be a future superstar, but could be a very useful piece at both ends of the rink. The Islanders were scouting a few different forwards with this pick, but his play at the World Juniors as well as the belief he will be a very effective player in the NHL for a number of years put him ahead of the pack. Asplund is a fast skater, with a quick and accurate shot who projects to be a middle 6 center at the NHL level. After selecting the wildcard in Benson, a little safer pick in Asplund made for good balance to close out the first round.
Devils win GVFHL Cup!
The New Jersey Devils came up on top in the first GVFHL season. Big congrats to GM AJ
Blockbuster at the Deadline
What started as an inquiry the day before the deadline, turned into a blockbuster reported a few minutes after it. The Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers were able to finalize a deal for Jonathan Toews minutes prior to the deadline, but due to a technical glitch were unable to report it until a conference call with the league. The Capitals sent Tyler Bozak, prospects Dylan Larkin, Kyle Rau, Connor Carrick and their 1st and 2nd draft picks in 2017 to the Oilers for Toews and Michael Frolik.
“At first it was only an inquiry and then discussions continued throughout Saturday morning and afternoon. We were able to come to an agreement a few minutes prior to the deadline. We are extremely happy we could acquire a player like Toews. He will bring great leadership to this team. We are sad to see Larkin go, but it is the price you pay for elite players,” GM Torrie told the media.
Toews and Frolik will add more depth to an already deep lineup. Toews will likely line-up with Corey Perry and James Neal on the first line, while Frolik will lineup Nick Bonino and new acquired Benoit Pouliot.
Prior to the deadline, the Caps made several trades to improve their team’s chances in the playoffs. Over the past month, the Caps have brought in Brent Seabrook, Mike Green, Mike Hoffman, Pouliot, Boyd Gordon, Andrew Campbell, Brad Boyes and Kimmo Timonen. The team has improved their chances of making a deep run in the playoffs with the new additions.
Projected lines
Neal-Toews-Perry
Hoffman-Bergeron-Eriksson
Pouliot-Bonino-Frolik
Miller-Gordon-Condra
Bflyguien-Seabrook
Russell-Green
Irwin-Campbell
Quick
Kinkaid
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