Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened?

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS




Round 2: Conference Semifinals

GAME 1
Nashville 1 @ Chicago 3 (CHI leads series 1-0)
Goals: Forsberg 3 (Weber, Ribeiro)
Goals: Seabrook 1 (Hossa, Kruger), Saad 3 (Hjalmarsson, Polak), Kane 1 (Saad)
Goalies: Rinne (L, 20 saves on 22 shots), Crawford (W, 20 saves on 21 shots)

Minnesota 4 @ San Jose 2 (MIN leads series 1-0)
Goals: Parise 3 (Vanek, Haula), Niederreiter 6 (Granlund, Spurgeon), Haula 1 (Jeffrey, Dumba), Granlund 4 (Brodin)
Goals: Nieto 1 (Sbisa, Demers), Matthias 3 (Frattin, Sbisa)
Goalies: Kuemper (W, 22 saves on 24 shots), Niemi (L, 23 saves on 27 shots)

Tampa Bay 3 @ Detroit 6 (DET leads series 1-0)
Goals: Barberio 1 (Namestnikov, Johnson), Connolly 4 (Garrison, Boyle), Killorn 1 (Stepan, Callahan)
Goals: Abdelkader 2 (Nyquist, Yandle), B. Smith 1 (Yandle, Zetterberg), Zetterberg 3 (Datsyuk), Nyquist 3 (Tatar, Datsyuk), Nyquist (2) 4 (Datsyuk), Andersson 4 (Ericsson)
Goalies: Bishop (L, 41 saves on 47 shots), Howard W, 20 saves on 23 shots)

NY Islanders 0 @ Pittsburgh 1 (PIT leads series 1-0)
Goals: Malkin 2 (Hornqvist, Scuderi)
Goalies: Halak (L, 38 saves on 39 shots), Fleury (W, 14 save shutout)

GAME 2
Nashville 3 @ Chicago 2 OT (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Jarnkrok 2 (Nystrom, Cullen), Forsberg 4 (Neal, Josi), Cullen (OT) 1 (Ekholm, Nystrom)
Goals: Hjalmarsson 1 (Saad, Polak), Shaw 2 (Saad, Kane)
Goalies: Rinne (W, 34 saves on 36 shots), Crawford (L, 32 saves on 35 shots)

Minnesota 1 @ San Jose 0 2OT (MIN leads series 2-0)
Goals: Zucker (2OT) 1 (unassisted)
Goalies: Kuemper (W, 27 save shutout), Niemi (L, 41 saves on 42 shots)

Tampa Bay 4 @ Detroit 2 (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Hedman 2 (Emmerton, Kucherov), Marchessault 2 (Johnson), Stamkos 1 (Connolly, Kucherov), Brown 1 (Stralman, Drouin)
Goals: Ericsson 1 (Tatar, Zetterberg), Tatar 2 (Datsyuk)
Goalies: Bishop (W, 32 saves on 34 shots), Howard (L, 15 saves on 19 shots)

NY Islanders 3 @ Pittsburgh 2 OT (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Bailey 1 (Conacher, Tavares), Bailey (2) 2 (Tavares, Hamonic), Leddy (OT) 2 (Nielsen)
Goals: Martin 2 (Sill), Crosby 2 (Despres, Sutter)
Goalies: Halak (W, 30 saves on 32 shots), Fleury (L, 20 saves on 23 shots)

GAME 3
Chicago 3 @ Nashville 2 (CHI leads series 2-1)
Goals: Kane 2 (Hjalmarsson, Toews), Hossa 2 (Visnovsky, Shaw), Sharp 4 (Versteg, Kruger)
Goals: Josi 1 (Moulson), Cullen 2 (Josi, Bourque)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 27 saves on 29 shots), Rinne (L, 20 saves on 23 shots)

San Jose 2 @ Minnesota 3 OT (MIN leads series 3-0)
Goals: Sheppard 1 (Sbisa, Gustafsson), Wingels 3 (Nieto, Braun)
Goals: Mozyakin 1 (Zucker, Parise), Brodziak 1 (Scandella, Dumba), Scandella (OT) 3 (Parise, Koivu)
Goalies: Niemi (L, 32 saves on 35 shots), Kuemper (W, 31 saves on 33 shots)

Detroit 5 @ Tampa Bay 1 (DET leads series 2-1)
Goals: Datsyuk 1 (B. Smith, Tatar), Nyquist 5 (Zetterberg, B. Smith), Yandle 3 (Datsyuk, Tatar), Yandle (2) 4 (Tatar, Datsyuk), Ericsson 2 (Tatar, Datsyuk)
Goals: Kucherov 2 (Connolly, Stepan)
Goalies: Howard (W, 15 saves on 16 shots), Bishop (L, 38 saves on 43 shots)

Pittsburgh 5 @ NY Islanders 2 (PIT leads series 2-1)
Goals: Martin 3 (Wheeler, Kunitz), Kunitz 2 (Crosby, Wheeler), Downie 1 (Dumoulin, B. Smith), Hornqvist 2 (Bennett, Malkin), Dumoulin 1 (Comeau, Hornqvist)
Goals: Bailey 3 (Winnik, Tavares), Winnik 2 (Bailey)
Goalie: Fleury (W, 27 saves on 29 shots), Halak (L, 40 saves on 45 shots)

GAME 4
Chicago 1 @ Nashville 2 OT (Series tied 2-2)
Goals: Toews 2 (Kane)
Goals: S. Jones 1 (Fisher, Jarnkrok), Bourque (OT) 1 (Forsberg, Josi)
Goalies: Crawford (L, 24 saves on 26 shots), Rinne (W, 20 saves on 21 shots)

San Jose 5 @ Minnesota 1 (MIN leads series 3-1)
Goals: Wingels 4 (unassisted), Pavelski 2 (Wingels, Irwin), Couture 2 (Frattin, Gustafsson), Pavelski (2) 3 (Wingels, Marleau), Vlasic 1 (Gustafsson)
Goals: Spurgeon 1 (Niederreiter, Granlund)
Goalies: Niemi (W, 24 saves on 25 shots), Kuemper (L, 30 saves on 35 shots)

Detroit 4 @ Tampa Bay 1 (DET leads series 3-1)
Goals: Yandle 5 (Abdelkader, Glendening), Abdelkader 3 (Glendening), Zetterberg 4 (B. Smith), Tatar 3 (Datsyuk, Zetterberg)
Goals: Callahan 4 (Stepan)
Goalies: Howard (W, 13 saves on 14 shots), Bishop (L, 43 saves on 47 shots)

Pittsburgh 2 @ NY Islanders 6 (Series tied 2-2)
Goals: Martin 4 (Letang), Malkin 3 (Bennett, Hornqvist)
Goals: Boychuk 1 (Strome, Leddy), Tavares 5 (Lee, Bailey), Bailey 4 (Tavares, Leddy), Kulemin 1 (Strome, Clutterbuck), Okposo 1 (Donovan, Nielsen), Morin 1 (Donovan)
Goalies: Fleury (L, 16 saves on 22 shots), Halak (W, 27 saves on 29 shots)

GAME 5
Nashville 2 @ Chicago 3 OT (CHI leads series 3-2)
Goals: Jones 2 (Bourque, Volchenkov), Ekholm 2 (Bourque, Fisher)
Goals: B. Richards 1 (Saad, Kane), Oduya 1 (Toews, Kane), Seabrook (OT) 2 (Kruger)
Goalies: Rinne (L, 29 saves on 32 shots), Crawford (W, 28 saves on 30 shots)

Minnesota 3 @ San Jose 6 (MIN leads series 3-2)
Goals: Jeffrey 1 (Zucker, Suter), Coyle 1 (Dumba, Niederreiter), Coyle (2) 2 (Niederreiter, Cooke)
Goals: Matthias 4 (Pavelski, Couture), Nieto 2 (Braun), Pavelski 4 (Matthias), Braun 1 (Irwin, Pavelski), Matthias (2) 5 (Couture, Pavelski), Braun (2) 2 (Sbisa, Vlasic)
Goalies: Kuemper (L, 19 saves on 25 shots), Niemi (W, 22 saves on 25 shots)

Tampa Bay 2 @ Detroit 1 2OT (DET leads series 3-2)
Goals: Stepan 2 (Connolly, Johnson), Garrison (2OT) 1 (Stepan)
Goals: Zetterberg 5 (Ouellet)
Goalies: Bishop (W, 45 saves on 46 shots), Howard (L, 33 saves on 35 shots)

NY Islanders 2 @ Pittsburgh 3 (PIT leads series 3-2)
Goals: Clutterbuck 1 (Donovan), Nielsen 1 (Lee, Clutterbuck)
Goals: Kunitz 3 (Wheeler), Crosby 3 (Downie, Bortuzzo), Kunitz (2) 4 (Wheeler, Crosby)
Goalies: Halak (L, 48 saves on 51 shots), Fleury (W, 11 saves on 13 shots)

GAME 6
Chicago 2 @ Nashville 1 (CHI wins series 4-2)
Goals: Kane 3 (Toews, Saad), Kane (2) 4 (Saad)
Goals: Bourque 2 (Weber, Moulson)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 26 saves on 27 shots), Rinne (L, 17 saves on 19 shots)

San Jose 3 @ Minnesota 4 (MIN wins series 4-2)
Goals: Pavelski 5 (unassisted), Marleau 2 (Frattin, Gustafsson), Marleau (2) 3 (Sbisa, Gustafsson)
Goals: Suter 2 (Granlund, Zucker), Parise 4 (Niederreiter, Mozyakin), Zucker 2 (Suter, Spurgeon), Mozyakin 2 (Suter, Granlund)
Goalies: Niemi (L, 26 saves on 30 shots), Kuemper (W, 22 saves on 25 shots)

Detroit 1 @ Tampa Bay 2 (Series tied 3-3)
Goals: Tatar 4 (Datsyuk, Zetterberg)
Goals: Stepan 3 (Filppula, Johnson), Kucherov 3 (Marchessault, Stepan)
Goalies: Howard (L, 21 saves on 23 shots), Bishop (W, 18 saves on 19 shots)

Pittsburgh 2 @ NY Islanders 1 (PIT wins series 4-2)
Goals: Crosby 4 (Wheeler), Letang 1 (Martin, Crosby)
Goals: Tavares 6 (Okposo)
Goalies: Fleury (W, 20 saves on 21 shots), Halak (L, 23 saves on 25 shots)

GAME 7
Tampa Bay 0 @ Detroit 3 (DET wins series 4-3)
Goals: Glendening 4 (Nyquist, Abdelkader), Zetterberg 6 (Yandle, B. Smith), Nyquist 6 (Glendening, Yandle)
Goalies: Bishop (L, 48 saves on 51 shots), Howard (W, 26 save shutout)

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS




Round 2 Summary

Nashville decided to go with Pekka Rinne in net for their series against Chicago, and didn't go back to Hutton after yanking him during a round one loss. They made a competitive series out of it, showing off their dominant young D-corps and getting a lot of offense from the unexpected source of Gabriel Bourque, but in the end Patrick Kane added too much firepower to Chicago's lineup, scoring two goals in the deciding game six to seal it. Minnesota looked like they would waltz through San Jose when they went up three games to none, but the Sharks had other ideas and fought their way back into the series with two straight wins. In the end, Minnesota pulled out a game six series clinching victory on the strength of four straight goals after being down 3-0 in the third. Their top three of Suter, Spurgeon and Brodin looks almost invincible at this point. Now they will move on to face a dominant Blackhawks team, and their trio of shutdown defenders will have their hands full with the likes of Toews, Kane and Saad. The Wild are not without firepower of their own - Niederreiter's six goals have him tied for the playoff lead, while both Granlund and Suter have eleven points through twelve games, good for a tie for seventh in playoff scoring. How will Kuemper handle the pressure of playing the top offense in hockey? So far Yeo has stuck with his bold choice to start the younger keeper all playoffs, but how much leash will he give him in the Western Conference Finals?

Pittsburgh and New York went back and forth all series, just like they did for the division lead all season long, but in the end the Pens were victorious in six games, with Paul Martin emerging as an underrated offensive threat from the blueline - he scored three goals in the series. John Tavares' heroics fell short, but he finished the playoffs with six goals and fourteen points in his efforts to carry his team into the conference finals. After going down 3-1 in the series, a scrappy Lightning team came back against Detroit to force a game seven but were shutout in a heartbreaker in the decisive game. Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Tatar were lights out all series, with Tatar having a four assist game 3 performance. The Red Wings and Penguins will face off in the Eastern Conference Finals, the clear top two teams in the East. Will the star power of Crosby and Malkin and Letang be able to overwhelm the clinical two way play of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and company? Datsyuk finally notched his first goal of this playoffs, but he leads the postseason in assists with fourteen and points with fifteen. Keith Yandle leads all defencemen with thirteen points in thirteen games.

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS





Round 3: Conference Finals

GAME 1
Minnesota 1 @ Chicago 4 (CHI leads series 1-0)
Goals: Jeffrey 2 (Zucker, Suter)
Goals: Saad 4 (Kane, Hossa), Kane 5 (Keith), Oduya 2 (Bolland, Rozsival), Sharp 5 (Oduya, Bolland)
Goalies: Kuemper (L, 28 saves on 32 shots), Crawford (W, 18 saves on 19 shots)

Pittsburgh 4 @ Detroit 3 OT (PIT leads series 1-0)
Goals: Sutter 3 (Ehrhoff), Crosby 5 (Malkin), Bennett 1 (Malkin), Comeau (OT) 2 (Sill, Crosby)
Goals: Zetterberg 7 (Tatar, Datsyuk), Zetterberg (2) 8 (Tatar), Nyquist 7 (Abdelkader, Glendening)
Goalies: Fleury (W, 33 saves on 36 shots), Howard (L, 40 saves on 44 shots)

GAME 2
Minnesota 1 @ Chicago 4 (CHI leads series 2-0)
Goals: Vanek 3 (Cooke, Spurgeon)
Goals: Keith 2 (Toews), Rozsival 1 (Saad, Toews), Kane 6 (Visnovsky, Toews), Bolland 1 (Sharp)
Goalies: Kuemper (L, 33 saves on 37 shots), Crawford (W, 16 saves on 17 shots)

Pittsburgh 1 @ Detroit 6 (Series tied 1-1)
Goals: Despres 1 (Kunitz, Wheeler)
Goals: Yandle 6 (Glendening, Nyquist), Franzen 1 (Andersson, Yandle), Yandle (2) 7 (Abdelkader, Nyquist), Zetterberg 9 (Yandle, B. Smith), Nyquist 8 (Datsyuk, Tatar)
Goalies: Fleury (L, 18 saves on 23 shots), Greiss (14 saves on 15 shots), Howard (W, 28 saves on 29 shots

GAME 3
Chicago 3 @ Minnesota 2 (CHI leads series 3-0)
Goals: Toews 3 (Saad, Kane), Kane 7 (Saad), Saad 5 (Kane, Toews)
Goals: Coyle 3 (Jeffrey, Vanek), Vanek 4 (Parise, Blum)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 25 saves on 27 shots), Kuemper (L, 26 saves on 29 shots)

Detroit 1 @ Pittsburgh 3 (PIT leads series 2-1)
Goals: Yandle 8 (Zetterberg)
Goals: Crosby 6 (Wheeler), Comeau 3 (Spaling, Sutter), Scuderi 2 (Sutter)
Goalies: Howard (L, 21 saves on 24 shots), Greiss (W, 26 saves on 27 shots)

GAME 4
Chicago 2 @ Minnesota 0 (CHI wins series 4-0)
Goals: Toews 4 (Bickell, Oduya), Shaw 3 (Kruger, Hossa)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 25 save shutout), Kuemper (L, 31 saves on 33 shots)

Detroit 6 @ Pittsburgh 4 (Series tied 2-2)
Goals: Quincey 2 (Kindl, Zetterberg), Nyquist 9 (Kindl, Tatar), Helm 3 (Kindl, Abdelkader), Helm (2) 4 (Tatar, Nyquist), Helm (3) 5 (Abdelkader, Glendening), Burmistrov 1 (Glendening)
Goals: Crosby 7 (Wheeler, Kunitz), Comeau 4 (Spaling), Bennett 2 (Malkin), Crosby (2) 8 (Wheeler, Kunitz)
Goalies: Howard (W, 28 saves on 32 shots), Greiss (L, 24 saves on 30 shots)

GAME 5
Pittsburgh 2 @ Detroit 1 2OT (PIT leads series 3-2)
Goals: Hornqvist 3 (Malkin), Malkin (2OT) 4 (Bennett, Hornqvist)
Goals: Abdelkader 4 (Ericsson, Glendening)
Goalies: Greiss (W, 31 saves on 32 shots), Howard (L, 61 saves on 63 shots)

GAME 6
Detroit 3 @ Pittsburgh 2 (Series tied 3-3)
Goals: Tatar 5 (Yandle), Tatar (2) 6 (Yandle, Datsyuk), Helm 6 (Glendening, Yandle)
Goals: Malkin 5 (Wheeler, Crosby), Scuderi 3 (Dumoulin, Sutter)
Goalies: Howard (W, 29 saves on 31 shots), Greiss (L, 26 saves on 29 shots)

GAME 7
Pittsburgh 5 @ Detroit 3 (PIT wins series 4-3)
Goals: Hornqvist 4 (Despres, Malkin), Hornqvist (2) 5 (Malkin), Malkin 6 (Letang, Wheeler), Sutter 4 (Comeau, Spaling), Martin 5 (Sill)
Goals: Datsyuk 2 (Yandle, Kindl), Datsyuk (2) 3 (Zetterberg, Ericsson), Datsyuk (3) 4 (Zetterberg, B. Smith)
Goalies: Greiss (W, 29 saves on 32 shots), Howard (L, 4 saves on 8 shots), Gustavsson (22 saves on 22 shots)

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS





Round 3 Summary

Chicago handled Minnesota with ease, completing the sweep with a game four shutout and never trailing in the series. Minnesota crumbled on its first real test, but it's hard to blame them for collapsing to the juggernaut Blackhawks. The trio of Toews, Kane and Saad played well and in the closest game of the series, game 3, they each scored a goal as the Hawks won 3-2. Chicago should go into the Stanley Cup Finals as a favourite, however they will face probably the best team they have yet.

Detroit went to seven games with Pittsburgh, a second straight seven game series but this time their luck ran out in game seven. Howard allowed four goals on his first eight shots before being pulled for backup Jonas Gustavsson who was perfect but the offense couldn't quite make up the deficit in spite of Datsyuk putting the team on his back with a hat trick. Detroit is stunned. They are eliminated one game shy of the Cup finals, in spite of having all five of the top playoff scorers. The other remarkable story line in this series was that in game 2, when Pittsburgh was being blown out, Marc-Andre Fleury was replaced with backup Thomas Greiss - Mike Johnston stuck with Greiss the rest of the series and was rewarded with a Cup Final berth. Will he continue to go with the hot hand in the Finals, or will veteran and incumbent starter Fleury get another chance on hockey's biggest stage?

[CanuckJohnny]

2015 NHL PLAYOFFS






Round 4: Stanley Cup Finals

GAME 1
Pittsburgh 3 @ Chicago 1 (PIT leads series 1-0)
Goals: Malkin 7 (Kunitz, Hornqvist), Crosby 9 (Ehrhoff), Downie 2 (Ehrhoff)
Goals: Hossa 3 (Keith, Kruger)
Goalies: Greiss (W, 32 saves on 33 shots), Crawford (L, 17 saves on 20 shots)

GAME 2
Pittsburgh 4 @ Chicago 2 (PIT leads series 2-0)
Goals: Wheeler 3 (Martin, Bennett), Crosby 10 (Wheeler, Bennett), Wheeler (2) 4 (Martin, Bennett), Malkin 8 (Despres, Hornqvist)
Goals: Oduya 3 (Kane, Toews), Versteeg 2 (Shaw, Bolland)
Goalies: Greiss (W, 21 saves on 23 shots), Crawford (L, 18 saves on 22 shots)

GAME 3
Chicago 3 @ Pittsburgh 2 (PIT leads series 2-1)
Goals: Saad 6 (Toews, Kane), Kane 8 (Seabrook, Toews), Toews 5 (Kane, Saad)
Goals: Malkin 9 (Ehrhoff, Wheeler), Kunitz 5 (Sutter)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 26 saves on 28 shots), Greiss (L, 26 saves on 29 shots)

GAME 4
Chicago 5 @ Pittsburgh 1 (Series tied 2-2)
Goals: Bickell 3 (Hartman, Keith), Shaw 4 (Versteeg, Keith), Boyes 1 (Hossa, Keith), Kane 9 (Toews), Oduya 4 (Bolland, Hossa)
Goals: Spaling 1 (Harrington)
Goalies: Crawford (W, 30 saves on 31 shots), Greiss (L, 38 saves on 43 shots)

GAME 5
Pittsburgh 1 @ Chicago 2 (CHI leads series 3-2)
Goals: Downie 3 (Despres, Ehrhoff)
Goals: Toews 6 (Keith, Kane), Kane 10 (Toews, Visnovsky)
Goalies: Greiss (L, 42 saves on 44 shots), Crawford (W, 22 saves on 23 shots)

GAME 6
Chicago 2 @ Pittsburgh 3 (Series tied 3-3)
Goals: Toews 7 (Kane, Keith), Shaw 5 (Sobotka, Richards)
Goals: B. Smith 1 (Bennett, Comeau), Bennett 3 (Despres), Crosby 11 (Hornqvist)
Goalies: Crawford (L, 24 saves on 27 shots), Greiss (W, 25 saves on 27 shots)

GAME 7
Pittsburgh 4 @ Chicago 5 3OT (CHI wins series 4-3)
Goals: Bennett 4 (Hornqvist, Crosby), Crosby 12 (Letang), Sutter 5 (Spaling, Comeau), Spaling 2 (Sutter)
Goals: Versteeg 3 (Polak, Richards), Kane 11 (Keith, Saad), Shaw 6 (Versteeg), Saad 7 (Kane), Saad (3OT) (2) 8 (Kane, Toews)
Goalies: Greiss (L, 59 saves on 64 shots), Crawford (W, 49 saves on 53 shots)

[CanuckJohnny]

Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup in Thrilling Fashion


Game Seven Triple Overtime Hero Brandon Saad with the Cup.



Well it was a series for the ages ending in an historic game seven that didn't disappoint. The Cup Finals started off strangely enough with both teams winning both their road games to head into Chicago for game five tied at two. In game 5 the Blackhawks took the advantage with a two to one victory. Pittsburgh's Chris Kunitz was suspended for the rest of the finals for a headshot in the first period. In game six it looked like Chicago would seal the series, but the Pens tied things up at two late in the second and midway through the third who else but Sidney Crosby extended the Penguins season one more game with what would hold up to be the game winner.

Game seven in Chicago started out rough for the home team. Pittsburgh led 3-0 after twenty minutes on goals from Bennett, Crosby and Brandon Sutter. Versteeg would get the Blackhawks on the board in the second, but the third opened up with Nick Spaling extending Pittsburgh's lead back up to three goals. It looked bleak for the President's Trophy winners. Patrick Kane scored with twelve minutes to go in the third. With only three minutes to go and hope dwindling for the home crowd Andrew Shaw drew Chicago to within one, and with the extra attacker out there Brandon Saad tied it up from a terrible angle below the faceoff circle off a feed from Patrick Kane with 1:07 left to play.

The first overtime period saw both teams playing with energy and asserting themselves offensively, but both goalies were up to the task and we went to double overtime. The fifth period of the game was scoreless, so with game seven still unresolved the teams took a break and came back for triple overtime. By now both benches were visibly exhausted, and Lubomir Visnovsky took an ill advised hooking penalty eight minutes in when he looked like he would be beaten outside. The Blackhawks killed it off. Less than a minute after the kill, the Blackhawks had their top line of Toews, Kane and Saad out there controlling play in the offensive zone. Toews freed up the puck in a board battle and moved it down to Kane behind the net, he passed it to Brandon Saad down by the goal line on the left wing side and he fired a shot that squeaked through Greiss somehow for the winner. From almost the exact same bad angle as his game tying goal in the third. Saad is the hero and the Blackhawks pull through in one of the most intense and exciting Cup Finals we've ever seen. In the aftermath Patrick Kane was presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading all players in playoff scoring despite missing the first round.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks part ways with Dale Hunter






The Vancouver Canucks and Dale Hunter have mutually agreed to move on after one season. The Canucks lost in the first round of the playoffs after having a reasonably good season and winning their (admittedly mediocre) division. There were reports out of Vancouver that Hunter was frustrated with the hand he was dealt by GM Trevor Linden when the executive moved out valuable contributors like Shawn Matthias, Luca Sbisa, Dustin Jeffrey and Derek Dorsett around the deadline. This is the second time Hunter has joined an NHL franchise for only one year before returning to his beloved London Knights, doing the same with the Capitals in 2012.

Trevor Linden had this to say to the media: "we took some time as a management group after our round one exit, conducted interviews with all of our players and staff, and spent some time in meetings considering our vision and choosing a direction to go. We really appreciated the time Dale Hunter gave to this organization and the success we had this season, but it was deemed to be mutually beneficial to move on from each other at this time."

Though no official announcements as to his replacement have been made, sources within the team suggest that Dan Bylsma, hired on as an assistant last year, is probably in line for a promotion to head coach.

Assistant Coach Doug Lidster was also released from his duties. He had handled the defense for the previous coaching staff, and while Bylsma had taken over that primary role, Lidster had continued to help with coaching the blueline and the penalty kill. With the rumours that Bylsma will be soon promoted to head coach, many had assumed that Lidster would move back into his role running the defense, but Trevor Linden and his management team clearly have different plans.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks Offseason Updates




Prospects Brendan Gaunce, Cole Cassels and Ben Hutton have all been signed to 3 year ELCs. All of them are expected to take at least a season in the minors adjusting to the pro game.

Forwards Tom Sestito, Brandon DeFazio, Kellan Lain and Alexandre Grenier will not be re-signed and will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Lain and Grenier were restricted free agents but Vancouver elected not to tender their qualifying offer.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL AWARDS




Jack Adams: Mike Babcock (DET) 57-17-8
GM of the Year: Ken Holland (DET) 57-17-8
Ted Lindsay: Sidney Crosby (PIT) 46-62-108
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby (PIT) 46-62-108
Norris Trophy: Duncan Keith (CHI) 15-53-68, +39
Vezina Trophy: Ryan Miller (VAN) 36-22-5, 1.86gaa, .938sv%, 35.67gsaa, 9so
Selke Trophy: Marcus Kruger (CHI) 3-22-25, +13, 30blk, 26tak, 78hits, 48.7%fo, 57.6%cf, 6.4dps, 59dgr
Calder Trophy: Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) 25-39-64
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby (PIT) 46-62-108
Richard Trophy: Sidney Crosby (PIT) 46 goals
Plus Minus Trophy: Brandon Saad (CHI) +42
Jennings Trophy: Corey Crawford (CHI) 1.76gaa
Lady Byng Trophy: Brandon Saad (CHI) 24-40-64, 14pim
Masterton Trophy: Mark Streit (PHI) 19-38-57
Leadership Award: Henrik Zetterberg (DET) 16-38-54
Conn Smythe: Patrick Kane (CHI) 11-14-25

First Team All Stars:
G Ryan Miller (VAN)
D Duncan Keith (CHI)
D Roman Josi (NSH)
LW Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
C Sidney Crosby (PIT)
RW Patrick Kane (CHI)

Second Team All Stars:
G Semyon Varlamov (COL)
D Jared Spurgeon (MIN)
D Kevin Shattenkirk (STL)
LW Brad Marchand (BOS)
C Jonathan Toews (CHI)
RW Tomas Tatar (DET)

All Rookie Team:
G Michael Hutchinson (WPG)
D John Klingberg (DAL)
D Aaron Ekblad (FLA)
LW Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
C Kevin Hayes (NYR)
RW David Pastrnak (BOS)


........
**I don't know how the heck this game chooses the Selke. No matter what defensive stat or metric I looked at Kruger wasn't anything special. Really weird choice but oh well.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Notable Retirees




RW Jaromir Jagr (NJD)
G Martin Brodeur (NJD)
RW Daniel Alfredsson (STL)
RW Martin St. Louis (NYR)
G Nicklas Backstrom (MIN)
D Sergei Gonchar (DAL)
LW Ryan Smyth (BOS)
C Olli Jokinen (PHI)
RW Todd Bertuzzi (NYR)
C Brad Richards (CHI)
C Scott Gomez (NJD)
LW Erik Cole (DAL)
C Daniel Briere (MTL)
G Mike Smith (ARI)
RW Michael Ryder (NJD)

[CanuckJohnny]

Blockbuster Deal between Division Rivals as Canucks move Edler and Hansen






News came down the wire today that Vancouver and Los Angeles have completed the first big deal of the offseason. Trevor Linden spoke about having a direction for the club after debriefing from the season with his management team, and this is a clearly a big step in his plan.

The Trade: LAK acquires D Alex Edler (29yo, 5x$5M, 45gp, 2-17-19, +7, 20:51toi), F Jannik Hansen (29yo, 4x$2.5M, 82gp, 14-21-35, +7, 17:12toi), 2017 VAN 5th, 2017 VAN 7th; VAN acquires F Justin Williams (33yo, 2x$1.29M, 81gp, 7-19-26, -3, 15:31toi), prospect D Kevin Gravel (6-4, 200lb, 23yo, 2x$550k, AHL: 80gp, 3-10-13, 142pim, -3, 10:39toi), 2015 LAK 2nd
Analysis: The attractiveness of this deal for Vancouver is likely that they move off of a couple of expensive longer term contracts, and the top 50 pick they acquire in this draft. For Los Angeles, they move out an aging Justin Williams who was entirely unproductive for them this year and add an effective middle six winger and a dependable 2/3 defenseman, both in their prime. Los Angeles wins this deal, although Vancouver had little leverage knowing LA was one of the only places to which Edler and Hansen would agree to waive their no trade clauses to go to.

Trevor Linden explained his rationale, "we continue to transition our roster to be younger and geared towards long term success, while aiming to be competitive for the duration of the Sedin's tenure. Alex Edler and Jannik Hansen have both been key pieces of our core, and their contributions to the Canucks organization will not be forgotten, by us or by their fans. However, we see this deal as opening up a lot more financial flexibility, especially long term, as well as finding Alex and Jannik a good home where they want to be. It was important to us to do right by these two teammates. It was a difficult conversation with both of them, and they are both very capable hockey players who will instantly make the Kings a better team, but hard choices have to be made and we believe this is the best direction for our franchise. We are happy to add Justin Williams and his reputation for clutch scoring and his playoff experience are valuable to us. We also added a physical defensive prospect who we hope will find his game and make it to the next level with us in Kevin Gravel. Finally, I have made no secret of the fact we are looking for high draft picks. The Kings second rounder this year was the best we could do in that regard, we looked for a first but couldn't find one available. It should be a top fifty selection still and we expect our scouts will find a player with NHL potential to choose with it."

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Offseason GM and Coach Carousel




GMs:
LAK fires Dean Lombardi, hires Ray Shero
DAL fires Jim Nill, hires Brian Lawton
NYR hires Brendan Shanahan

Head Coaches:
NYI fires Jack Capuano, hires Marc Crawford
CAR fires Bill Peters, hires Jack Capuano
VAN fires Dale Hunter, promotes Dan Bylsma

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks announce changes behind the bench, new hire on the eve of Entry Draft




To the surprise of no-one, Dan Bylsma was officially announced as the new bench boss of the Vancouver Canucks today. Bylsma spent last season as an assistant working with Dale Hunter, so his familiarity should make the transition a smooth one. He has plenty of experience as an NHL head coach, and won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trevor Linden commented, "working with Dan has been a pleasure this past year, and we look forward to working closely with him as we construct a roster for this next season that we expect to be competitive, and we are confident he is the man to instill a winning culture in this team going forward."

The Vancouver Canucks also hired Bob Boughner to be an assistant coach. Boughner spent 12 seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, playing in 630 games. After his playing days were over he started coaching the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. Under his guidance they won back to back Memorial Cups in 2009 and 2010. He will be responsible for running the defense.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Offseason Ticker

• 6-26 COL re-signs RFA F Ryan O'Reilly for 3 years @ $4.23M AAV
• 6-27 WSH acquires LW Emerson Etem; ANA acquires LW Nathan Walker
• 6-27 NSH acquires D Kyle Cumiskey; CHI acquires D Radim Simek
• 6-27 CHI acquires RW Jeff Carter (15% ret); LAK acquires C Marcus Kruger - strange move by the champs, already close to the cap, moving out a young, affordable Selke winner for an expensive veteran. They must really believe Carter can move the needle for that forward group and bring them to another cup.
• 6-27 STL acquires C Jared Knight; BOS acquires D Jani Hakanpaa
• 6-27 OTT acquires F Brendan Ranford, F Scott Glennie; DAL acquires RW Chris Neil, D Miles Gendron
• 6-27 MTL acquires F Scott Sabourin; LAK acquires LW Travis Moen, G Hayden Hawkey
• 6-27 BUF wins the draft lottery and will select first overall, Carolina gets second pick, then Toronto, Florida and Columbus

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks Entry Draft Preview




Canucks Picks:
1-19
2-38 (from CGY)
2-41 (from LAK)
2-49
2-53 (from MIN)
3-77 (from SJS)
4-109

Potential Selections:
The best hope for the Canucks to find a premium talent at nineteen is if talented Russian Kirill Kaprizov falls that far. If he isn't around they could go with a scoring winger in Brock Boeser if he's still available. Other targets around that range would be two way center Joel Eriksson Ek, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, or 6'4" winger Lawson Crouse. If they want to augment their back end they will either hope Jakub Zboril drops a bit or take a flyer on an offensive defenseman like Rasmus Andersson or Vince Dunn.

With a slew of second round picks, Vancouver should get a lot of swings at potential NHLers. If they don't go for a defenseman in the first round, expect them to take one here. Kylington and Carlo are both names that stand out as solid options. Also a little later in the second is Jonas Siegenthaler or Caleb Jones, who they are reportedly high on. For offensive talent in the second round there is Troy Terry if he lasts until their pick, then a bit of a drop off to guys like Gurianov, Stenlund and Forsbacka Karlsson. Goalies who could be slated to go in the second round include Sam Montembault and Connor Ingram.

If they last past round two, there are some talented players who for various reasons could be available still in the third or fourth round and the Canucks would do well to take a flyer on one of the likes of Conor Garland, Andrew Mangiapane or Trevor Moore (all smaller players who could make teams regret not drafting them higher down the road). Some high ceiling goalies to consider would be Alexandar Georgiev, Adin Hill, Dan Vladar and Karel Vejmelka. Defensive prospects in the middle rounds of the draft who are intriguing include Connor Clifton, Vladislav Gavrikov and Neal Pionk. Some scouts are really high on the potential of big bodied center Nico Sturm, who could still be on the board in the fourth round.

[CanuckJohnny]

Round 1 Mock Draft




BUF C Connor McDavid (OHL, 66gp, 30-66-96) - The electrifying center is the de facto number one selection this year. A high flying generational talent, nobody in their right mind would pass on him.
CAR RW Mitch Marner (OHL, 67gp, 34-60-94) - Eichel is a consideration here and has been the second to McDavid in rankings all year long, but the dynamic speed and two way potential lead some scouts to believe Marner has the second highest ceiling of the draft.
TOR C Jack Eichel (HS, 67gp, 37-51-88) - One of a handful of players at the top of the draft who scouts believe could step into an NHL lineup immediately without being out of place, he is an all around offensive talent at the most valuable forward position, and the second ranked forward in the draft all year.
FLA RW Mikko Rantanen (FIN, 56gp, 39-45-84) - After tearing up the Finnish league this season, many consider him to be the most NHL ready prospect besides McDavid in this draft. He also has arguably the best shot in the draft.
CBJ C Sebastian Aho (FIN, 56gp, 27-32-59) - A well rounded center who projects as an NHL 1C, Aho can do it all in both ends of the rink. His ceiling may be lower than the three talents above him in this mock, but his floor is probably the highest.
MTL LW Kyle Connor (HS, 68gp, 37-46-83) - He can fly, maybe the fastest skater in the draft after McDavid, and he can score. If he hits he could be a top line scoring winger at an elite level for a long time.
OTT LD Zack Werenski (HS, 65gp, 6-45-51) - A two way defender with size and physicality but also offensive flair and high end skating, perhaps the most complete defenseman in the draft and probably projects as a first pairing guy if all goes right with his development.
CGY C Mat Barzal (WHL, 66gp, 24-55-79) - A tremendous skater who uses his edges as well as anybody in this draft class, he has high end vision and playmaking ability. Could be a 1C if he can round out his game as he develops.
DAL LD Thomas Chabot (QMJHL, 68gp, 15-45-60) - Probably the best offensive defenseman this year, even if his stats are potentially inflated by playing the Q. He has the size, the skating and the skill to play on a team's first pairing someday, and the offensive acumen to run a PP1.
WPG LD Noah Hanifin (HS, 67gp, 14-29-43) - Hanifin has a big frame that he uses to his advantage at both ends of the ice. He plays physical, potentially costing his team in the box occasionally, but with added maturity and discipline he should develop into a two way top four defender who can help shut down a top line.
WPG (from LAK) C Pavel Zacha (WHL, 67gp, 23-50-73) - Some see potential in Zacha to become a well rounded, defensively responsible, physical playmaking 2C. Even if he can't reach his ceiling he has a high floor as a solid middle six NHLer.
NYR C Dylan Strome (OHL, 65gp, 28-53-81) - Strome has the reach and the skill offensively. Questions about whether he can use his frame to his advantage as a power forward and about whether he will develop a two way game hold him back from being ranked higher, but he has a lot of the tools scouts look for in a potential top of the lineup center.
ARI RW Timo Meier (QMJHL, 68gp, 40-36-76) - The Swiss sniper scores goals, and NHL teams will always covet a winger with 30+ goal potential, especially in skater with Meier's solid build. He should become a force as a top six goal scoring winger in the NHL.
EDM LD Ivan Provorov (QMJHL, 68gp, 12-30-42) - Provorov can skate very well, has offensive potential and plays a well rounded game. The perfect blend of physicality, skill, skating and defensive chops for an NHL top four defenseman.
ANA C Roope Hintz (FIN, 55gp, 22-29-51) - A solid blend of speed, power, two way acumen and offensive ability, whoever drafts Hintz should be reasonably confident he can develop into a top six center in the NHL
CBJ (from WSH) RW Brock Boeser (HS, 67gp, 29-27-56) - A pure sniper, Brock's lethal wrist shot is his calling card. He can get open and when he gets the puck he can sling. He has 30 goal upside at the NHL level.
SJS LD Jakub Zboril (CZE, 56gp, 5-28-33) - A defensive blueliner with a solid frame and decent skating ability, Zboril could become a legit top four defenseman in the NHL if his development goes right.
NJD LW Kirill Kaprizov (RUS, 56gp, 27-24-51) - An offensive star, Kaprizov has top ten upside for sure, but the "Russian factor" could see him slide as comparable talent goes ahead of him and lesser players are taken first simply be virtue of being a safer pick. He should come over eventually and when he does he will be an impact player and somebody will have a steal.
VAN C Henrik Borgstrom (FIN, 55gp, 23-23-46) - A lower ceiling, higher floor type, Borgstrom is capable if not exciting offensively and has a 6-3 frame that he should be able to use effectively at the pro level when he fills out.
PHI C Joel Eriksson Ek (SWE, 56gp, 26-27-53) - A two way center with decent size, Eriksson Ek should become an effective middle six NHLer with the right development.
TBL LW Lawson Crouse (OHL, 68gp, 34-33-67) - A big, heavy winger with range and aggression, he could become a middle six power forward or his offense could top out and he could still turn out to be a solid, defensively responsible bottom sixer who can hold his own physically and be a menace on the forecheck.
COL LD Jacob Larsson (SWE, 56gp, 6-24-30) - A defensively inclined blueliner, Larsson doesn't have the shine or dynamism of most of the defenders above him in this list, but he is reliable and steady in his own end, and teams will hope he can become a shutdown second pairing guy like compatriot Nicklas Hjalmarsson on the Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks.
MIN G Mackenzie Blackwood (OHL, 25gp, 9w, 3.76gaa, .875sv%) - Blackwood is probably the highest potential goalie in the draft, with the size and tools that scouts search for in a future number one. He had struggles in the OHL in his draft eligible season and his statline doesn't shine, but his talent should overcome those results for most evaluators.
TOR (from NYI) LW Anthony Beauvillier (QMJHL, 68gp, 24-33-57) - A speedy playmaker with some scoring touch, he may never crack an NHL top six but could be very effective as a bottom six energy forward with offensive punch who could play on a PP2 unit if necessary.
BOS RW Travis Konecny (OHL, 68gp, 32-36-68) - He oozes offensive skill and potential, but his size will be a question mark. With his feisty style will his smaller frame survive the pounding of the pro game? If everything translates he could be a top six option who plays PP1, but if he misses he might not even crack a lineup.
STL LW Jake DeBrusk (OHL, 66gp, 33-32-65) - A physical winger who can finish, if he translates well DeBrusk could blossom into an effective middle six energy winger who can score for you.
WPG (from PIT) C Colin White (HS, 67gp, 36-32-68) - A decently well rounded, versatile forward with a good shot, White could hit 20 goals as a pro if he is developed properly.
BUF (from NSH) G Ilya Samsonov (RUS, 36gp, 23w, 3.28gaa, .895sv%) - Samsonov has skill and the right measurables to become an NHL starter. If he can put everything together and if he comes over to North America he should at least play NHL games and he could well become somebody's number one.
ARI (from DET) C Anthony Cirelli (OHL, 68gp, 24-38-62) - A scrappy two way forward, Cirelli has playmaking skill but is mostly known for his aggressiveness and his effectiveness in his own zone. He plays an incredibly mature and responsible game for a 17 year old and if his offense translates to the next level he could become a Selke candidate one day.
CHI RD Noah Juulsen (WHL, 68gp, 4-28-32) - A defensive defenseman with size and physicality and a heavy shot, Juulsen's skating will have to continue to improve if he is going to make it as an NHL regular. Whoever drafts him will have confidence they can develop his offensive game beyond what it currently is. He does have a lot of tools.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Entry Draft




Live Blog

Rd 1, Pick 1 - Buffalo selects C Connor McDavid - No surprises here, the obvious and only choice.

Rd 1, Pick 2 - Carolina selects RW Mitch Marner - There was some noise they were trying to trade down but couldn't get a significant package from either team immediately below them.

Rd 1, Pick 3 - Toronto selects C Jack Eichel - After a dismal season, at last something for the Toronto faithful to be excited about. Eichel is a franchise center to build around.

Rd 1, Pick 4 - Florida selects LW Kyle Connor - A bit of a surprising selection with Mikko Rantanen on the board, but Dale Tallon loves this guys speed and takes his guy.

Rd 1, Pick 5 - Columbus selects C Mat Barzal - A dynamic playmaker, they clearly see a high ceiling offensive star playing a premium position and swing for him.

Rumour - Montreal is looking at trading down. Dallas is going aggressively for their pick, presumably coveting Rantanen who is still available at 6.

Trade - Talks between Dallas and Montreal resulted in our first big trade of the draft. DAL acquires 2015 MTL 1st (6th overall), 2015 MTL 6th (155th overall); MTL acquires 2015 DAL 1st (9th overall), 2015 DAL 4th (99th overall), 2016 DAL 2nd, F Devin Shore, rights to RFA F Antoine Roussel.

Rd 1, Pick 6 - Dallas selects Mikko Rantanen - They get their guy. A lot of assets were exchanged to move up and secure the pick to take Rantanen, but none of them are premium assets and Rantanen should be an elite scoring winger for many years in the NHL, I expect this trade will look like a win for Dallas before long.

Rd 1, Pick 7 - Ottawa selects LD Zach Werenski - The first defenseman off the board. Their management was excited he was still there. Ottawa sees Werenski as a future #1 D for their franchise.

Rumour - A couple of teams are trying to entice Calgary for their 8th pick, with Sebastian Aho still available and having slipped a few spots below his projection. Winnipeg is reportedly high on him and wanting to swing a deal, but Calgary's ask might be too much.

Rd 1, Pick 8 - Calgary selects C Dylan Strome - Only a little off the board but a bit of a head scratcher as there were rumours they could've traded down. They must have been convinced some other team had their eye on Strome, and they love his tools and believe in his potential to be a 1C for them.

Rd 1, Pick 9 - Montreal selects LD Thomas Chabot - According to reports he was their target when they traded down out of sixth with Dallas. They pick up a few solid assets and still get the player they want, a high end offensive D out of the QMJHL. He should be running their powerplay for a long time.

Rd 1, Pick 10 - Winnipeg selects LD Ivan Provorov - Reporters have speculated for a while that the Jets would use one of their back to back picks on a defenseman, but most of them expected Noah Hanifin to be the choice. Provorov probably has more offensive upside than any of the other first round projected blueliners still available though.

Rd 1, Pick 11 - Winnipeg selects C Joel Eriksson Ek - It's a real shocker that Aho, a top 5 talent by most accounts, has fallen this far, and especially with rumour that they were targeting him it's a surprise the Jets pass on the talented Finn to take a lower ranked two way center. Eriksson Ek is a solid prospect but doesn't have the same pop as Aho. The Jets may regret this choice in a few years.

Trade - The Carolina Hurricanes making a huge splash here to get into the first round again for a double dip. CAR acquires 2015 NYR 1st (12th overall), prospect D Brady Skjei; NYR acquires LW Jeff Skinner (43-35-78), 2016 CAR 2nd

Rd 1, Pick 12 - Carolina selects C Sebastian Aho - The Hurricanes make a blockbuster trade, moving out 43 goal scorer Jeff Skinner for the opportunity to make this pick. They will be coming out of this draft with two of the consensus top five talents though, so they should be ecstatic with that. The future is looking bright in Carolina.

Rd 1, Pick 13 - Arizona selects G Mackenzie Blackwood - With their 1A off to free agency and their 1B retiring Arizona has a big organizational hole in net, but Blackwood won't be ready any time soon and this seems a bit early to take the first goalie of the draft. If he turns out to be the goalie of the future I expect they're satisfied with this pick all the same.

Rd 1, Pick 14 - Edmonton selects C Roope Hintz - A good pick for the Oilers, though organizationally they should really be bolstering their prospect pool on the blueline and between the pipes. Potentially the BPA though, can't go wrong with that, and he should develop into a good 1-2 with Leon Draisatl down the road.

Rd 1, Pick 15 - Anaheim selects RW Brock Boeser - The Ducks get a sniper with top six upside who should fit in well with their forward group in a year or two.

Trade - Vancouver and San Jose have reportedly come to terms on a blockbuster deal that will be sending Vezina winning goalie Ryan Miller to the Sharks. VAN acquires 2015 SJS 1st (17th overall), rights to prospect F Colin Blackwell; SJS acquires G Ryan Miller

Rd 1, Pick 16 - Columbus selects RW Timo Meier - After drafting one of the best playmakers in the draft at fifth overall in Mat Barzal, the Blue Jackets take one of the best snipers in the draft to go with him.

Rd 1, Pick 17 - Vancouver selects LW Kirill Kaprizov - The Canucks take a chance on the talented Russian - if he comes over he should make an impact. He has the potential to be the best Russian in Vancouver since Pavel Bure.

Rd 1, Pick 18 - New Jersey selects LD Noah Hanifin - Some scouts had this guy pegged as a top ten pick, good value from the Devils getting a well rounded defenseman with top four potential.

Rumour - The Canucks are looking to trade down from the 19th overall pick. So far they don't have any takers and reports are that the ask is too high.

Trade - Old rivals Boston and Vancouver have made a deal, swapping firsts with a prospect going Vancouver's way and some rights going to Boston. BOS acquires 2015 VAN 1st (19th overall), rights to 25yo G Joacim Ericsson (SWE), rights to 24yo LD Henrik Tommernes (SWE), rights to prospect RD Jordan Subban; VAN acquires 2015 BOS 1st (25th overall), F Danton Heinen (19yo, 20 goals in AHL last season)

Rd 1, Pick 19 - Boston selects RW Troy Terry - They move up, giving up a prospect who should become an effective bottom six NHLer in Heinen, to select Terry who has top six upside with good vision and a dangerous shot.

Rd 1, Pick 20 - Philadelphia selects RD Noah Juulsen - This is a bit high for where Juulsen was expected to go (late first, early second) but Hextall clearly loves his toolset and trading down can be difficult so sometimes you just take your guy.

Rd 1, Pick 21 - Tampa Bay selects C Anthony Cirelli - Whether Cirelli can translate offensively to the pros will determine whether this is a good pick or not. He has the defensive ability to one day be a quality NHL shutdown forward.

Rd 1, Pick 22 - Colorado selects RW Travis Konecny - The skilled winger could outplay his draft position if he can overcome his size and his doubters. High risk high reward pick.

Rumour - Minnesota is looking to trade down but not finding many takers.

Rd 1, Pick 23 -Minnesota selects C Chase Pearson - They go way off the board here! No wonder they were looking to move down. This is the biggest head scratcher yet. Pearson was expected to go 3rd or 4th round. He's a two way forward with size who isn't expected to be productive in the pros if he makes it, but Minnesota's scouts must really believe in him and they take the swing. The way too early swing.

Rd 1, Pick 24 - Toronto selects LW Jake DeBrusk - They get a physical scoring winger who they hope will be part of their core for a long time alongside Jack Eichel. Solid pick.

Rd 1, Pick 25 - Vancouver selects RD Erik Cernak - Cernak was slated to go pretty early in the second round, so not a huge reach and a relatively safe pick. Your typical steady, physical stay at home defensive defenseman. Questions about his footspeed and mobility are why most scouts had him outside the first round.

Trade - Surprising move by Arizona to acquire another first, and at the same time figure out their immediate goalie situation. ARI acquires 2015 STL 1st (26th overall), G Jake Allen, rights to RFA RD prospect Josh Manson; STL acquires LD Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Rd 1, Pick 26 - Arizona selects LW Jansen Harkins - Considering what they gave up in OEL, even with his contract expiring after this season, you would expect them to take a bigger swing than this. Harkins is a safe pick, projected to go mid-2nd round but a high floor, defensively responsible winger who can also play down the middle if needed. He should grow into an effective bottom six pro.

Rd 1, Pick 27 - Winnipeg selects G Sam Montembault - Probably seen as a safer pick by their scouts than Russian Ilya Samsonov, Montembault has potential to become an NHL backup at least and maybe play in a tandem as a 1B.

Rd 1, Pick 28 - Buffalo selects LD Jakub Zboril - Some had Zboril higher than this, some had him lower. He's a well rounded defensive defenseman whose ceiling is a top 4 NHLer. He can log a lot of minutes.

Rd 1, Pick 29 - Arizona selects RD Will Borgen - We're in that weird part of the draft now where everybody's boards start to diverge a fair bit. Consensus had Borgen being a late third rounder but clearly Arizona's scouts are high on him. He has a big frame and is a defense first blueliner who should have a reasonable shot at developing into a regular NHLer eventually.

Rd 1, Pick 30 - Chicago selects LW Brett Seney - The diminutive Seney was expected to go late in the second round in his second year of eligibility. He put up good numbers in Junior A and is a skilled and intelligent winger with good skating. The jury is out on whether he can translate his game to the next level.

Well, that's a wrap for Day One, here are some of the top names remaining: Pavel Zacha was projected to be a top ten pick by some but is still on the board, he should be gone early tomorrow. Ilya Samsonov was a goalie some had going in the first round, and if he's slid a bit from the 'Russian factor' he should still hear his name early in round 2. Lawson Crouse and Colin White are two forwards that could have gone in round one and probably won't last long into the second. Defenseman Jacob Larsson out of Sweden was considered a top twenty pick by some scouts, he won't last much longer. Vince Dunn and Rasmus Andersson are offensively productive OHL defensemen that should go early in round 2.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Entry Draft




Live Blog



Welcome back for Day Two of our Live Blog at the NHL Entry Draft. We will be covering the action for round two and will also post a summary of round three. Vancouver has acccumulated four second round picks, should be interesting to see how they use them.

Rd 2, Pick 31 - Toronto selects C David Kampf - Kampf finally gets drafted in his third year of eligibility. He has established himself as a premier defensive forward at the NCAA level.

Rumour - Ottawa has been calling teams trying to move up all morning. Maybe they have their eye on Zacha, who has fallen but probably won't drop much further. So far they haven't had success.
Rd 2, Pick 32 - Buffalo selects LW Lawson Crouse - The big winger didn't fall far from the first round. Big frame and good potential if he can continue to score at the next level. High floor.

Rd 2, Pick 33 - Florida selects C Pavel Zacha - A lot of teams could regret skipping on Zacha. He has all around offensive ability and two way potential. If he grows into a top six forward this is a steal.

Rd 2, Pick 34 - Carolina selects LW Mason Marchment - Marchment has been passed over in his first two years of eligibility but has stuck with it and developed his game in the NCAA to the point of earning this early second round selection. The big bodied winger isn't afraid to throw his weight around and also has a heavy shot.

Rd 2, Pick 35 - Columbus selects RW A.J. Greer - Despite questions about how much of his offense will translate to the pros, the big, physical winger gets picked high in the second round to continue the theme.

Rd 2, Pick 36 - Montreal selects RW Andrew Mangiapane - Mangiapane elevated his stock in his second year of eligibility. He is a sniper, and one of the better ones left. If he was two or three inches taller he could've gone in round one.

Rd 2, Pick 37 - Ottawa selects LW Anthony Beauvillier - The energetic winger with offensive touch should become a fan favourite in the nation's capital.

Rd 2, Pick 38 - Vancouver selects LD Vince Dunn - The smooth skating puck moving defenseman put up 52 points in the OHL last year.

Rd 2, Pick 39 - Dallas selects LD Jacob Larsson - Larsson was pegged as a first rounder by many, the Stars are happy to snag him at 39th. His defense game is already very developed and his size and mobility make him a tantalizing prospect with top four upside.

Rd 2, Pick 40 - Winnipeg selects LW Dryden Hunt - The two way winger wasn't expected to go higher than the fourth round, but Winnipeg saw something they liked in his play in the Dub. The second year eligible Hunt has a quick first step and makes good defensive reads.

Rd 2, Pick 41 - Vancouver selects RD Rasmus Andersson - The Canucks double down on offensive D from the OHL, picking the Swede with a heavy shot and good wheels. Andersson had 11 goals and 52 points last year and can log a lot of minutes.

Rd 2, Pick 42 - NY Rangers select RW Trevor Moore - In his third year of eligibility Moore gets the call. He has rounded out his game and brings energy and intelligence to his team.

Rd 2, Pick 43 -Arizona selects RW Kiefer Sherwood - With just 30 points in 43 games in the NCAA last year, nobody is expecting Sherwood to blow them away offensively, but he is one of those players who does everything well, just nothing amazing. His versatility will be valuable if he cracks the NHL lineup one day.

Rd 2, Pick 44 - Edmonton selects LD Brendan Guhle - The 17 year old has a good frame and offensive acumen. If he can put the complete package together he could be a solid NHLer someday.

Rd 2, Pick 45 - Anaheim selects C Colin White - The sniper was expected by most to be taken in the first round. Good value for the Ducks getting him here.

Rd 2, Pick 46 - Washington selects C Henrik Borgstrom - Another faller from a first round projection, Borgstrom is a high floor center who should make the NHL in some capacity, but may never play a top six role.

Rd 2, Pick 47 - San Jose selects LW Austin Wagner - As a physical winger with good hands Wagner scored 30 goals in the WHL last year. Maybe there's some untapped potential there.

Rd 2, Pick 48 - Winnipeg selects RW Keegan Kolesar - The theme of big bodied wingers flying of the board continues. Kolesar was one of the best hitters in the WHL last season, and he also put up 38 assists, showing possibly better hands and playmaking than he gets credit for.

Rd 2, Pick 49 - Vancouver selects C Ross Colton - Colton is a sniper who is also surprisingly physical with his six foot frame. He is noted for his faceoff skill as well, and is decent value in the mid second round as a potential middle six forward someday.

Rd 2, Pick 50 - Philadelphia selects LW Mathieu Joseph - Joseph won't score you a lot of points, but his defensive positioning is impeccable and he should become an effective checker at the NHL level.

Rd 2, Pick 51 - Tampa Bay selects LW Ilya Mikheyev - Mikheyev was passed over his first two years of eligibility, perhaps due to playing in Russia and being more of a risk, but he'll probably come over and be an effective middle six NHLer. He plays a very defensively responsible game, can play either side, has a knack for scoring goals and is a good skater. Solid value pick for the Lightning

Rd 2, Pick 52 - Colorado selects RD Philippe Myers - Myers is a toolsy defenseman out of the Q, if he puts his game together and is developed well he should become a regular NHLer.

Rd 2, Pick 53 - Vancouver selects RW Conor Garland - The undersized Garland has high end puck skills and skating and was productive in the QMJHL, putting up 65 points. The problem with Garland is that he probably has to hit as a top six player or he won't stick in the pros at all.

Rd 2, Pick 54 - NY Islanders select RD Ethan Bear - A two way defender with some offensive acumen, Bear has potential to be an NHL defenseman if he develops well.

Rd 2, Pick 55 - Boston selects RD John Marino - A responsible two way defenseman, good value pick here with a high floor blueliner.

Rd 2, Pick 56 - St. Louis selects LD Caleb Jones - Jones doesn't really pop. He doesn't do anything especially well, but he also doesn't do anything really poorly. His ceiling is probably a 6/7 defenseman on a decent NHL team.

Rd 2, Pick 57 - Pittsburgh selects LW Jordan Greenway - The 6-6 Greenway is an intimidating physical presence who knows what he's doing in his own end and he can be effective in front of the net on the powerplay.

Rd 2, Pick 58 - Nashville selects C Jack Roslovic - Roslovic has good offensive skills and is a very intelligent player who could become a valuable middle six contributor with powerplay time.

Rd 2, Pick 59 - Detroit selects C Adam Gaudette - Gaudette is an offensively skilled all around center who can hit and reads the play well at both ends. With some time to develop in college he could turn out to be a player.

Rd 2, Pick 60 - Florida selects RW Christian Fischer - A two way forward, Christian is one of the picks of the NHL draft.

That's it for our live coverage of the NHL Entry Draft. Check back later for more insight, analysis and the rest of later round selections.

Round 3:
3-61 TOR RD Brandon Carlo
3-62 BUF G Connor Ingram
3-63 FLA LD Jeremy Lauzon
3-64 CAR C Alex Barre-Boulet
3-65 CBJ G Ilya Samsonov
3-66 MTL C Mitchell Stephens
3-67 OTT C Karson Kuhlman
3-68 CGY RW Zach Senyshyn
3-69 DAL LW Evgeny Svechnikov
3-70 WPG RD Johnny Kovacevic
3-71 LAK C Dylan Gambrell
3-72 NYR C Denis Malgin
3-73 ARI G Dan Vladar
3-74 EDM G Adam Werner
3-75 ANA LW Brandon Duhaime
3-76 WSH RW Tanner Jeannot
3-77 VAN C Nico Sturm
3-78 NJD RD Alexandre Carrier
3-79 CGY LW Alexandre Fortin
3-80 MIN LW C.J. Smith
3-81 TBL RD Artyom Zub
3-82 COL LD Oliver Kylington
3-83 MIN C Cooper Marody
3-84 NYI LD Vladislav Gavrikov
3-85 BOS C Tanner Laczynski
3-86 STL C Kevin Stenlund
3-87 WPG C Nicolas Roy
3-88 NSH RW Jonathan Davidsson
3-89 DET RW Kole Sherwood
3-90 CHI C Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks Entry Draft Summary



Trades:
VAN acquires 2015 SJS 1st (17th overall), rights to prospect F Colin Blackwell; SJS acquires G Ryan Miller

BOS acquires 2015 VAN 1st (19th overall), rights to 25yo G Joacim Ericsson (SWE), rights to 24yo LD Henrik Tommernes (SWE), rights to prospect RD Jordan Subban; VAN acquires 2015 BOS 1st (25th overall), F Danton Heinen (19yo, 20 goals in AHL last season)


Picks:

1-17 (from SJS) - LW Kirill Kaprizov (RUS)
1-25 (from BOS) - RD Erik Cernak (OHL)
2-38 (from CGY) - LD Vince Dunn (OHL)
2-41 (from LAK) - RD Rasmus Andersson (OHL)
2-49 - C Ross Colton (OHL)
2-53 (from MIN) - RW Conor Garland (QMJHL)
3-77 (from SJS) - C Nico Sturm (NCAA)
4-109 - G Alexandar Georgiev (RUS)

Vancouver pulled a big franchise altering trade on Day one, moving out Vezina winning goalie Ryan Miller to acquire an additional first round draft choice. They later moved back from their original choice in order acquire an additional asset, prospect Danton Heinen from Boston.

They took some risky swings with their picks, but if they hit it could look like a good draft a few years from now. Kaprizov is a talented Russian, but who knows if Vancouver will be able to bring him over, or when? Cernak is a heavy shut down defender, but will his lack of mobility limit his NHL effectiveness? Dunn and Andersson were both productive in junior and hopefully at least one of them can translate that into NHL success in the coming years. Ross Colton was a good selection who should eventually figure into Vancouver's bottom six with some scoring punch. Garland is undersized and has a history of underperforming in big moments, but he is also exciting to watch with the puck on his stick. Nico Sturm is an overager who may never turn into an NHLer but if he turns out to be a useful bottom six piece that could be a win for the scouting team. Georgiev could grow into an NHL netminder but it's hard to predict how he will develop in Russia.