Down the Frozen River

Tag: Michael DiPietro

Tricks with the occasional treat

One game isn’t that unexpected. Two games isn’t fully a trend. But three? That’s officially the start of a slump.

Thankfully for the Boston Bruins, they’re not slumping courtesy of Morgan Geekie‘s game-tying goal seconds before the end of regulation and Elias Lindholm‘s game-winning goal in overtime as the Bruins came from behind to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.

Boston went 9-4-1 in October after their perfect 1-0-0 in September and are now 10-4-1 overall with 21 points on the season.

Lindholm now has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his last eight games.

It was a sloppy effort all-around, but resiliency is an important factor in hockey.

Despite allowing four goals in the effort, Michael DiPietro was peppered with 41 shots against. He stayed in the fight all afternoon and sprawled out to make a save while attempting a poke check on Anton Frondell‘s breakway bid for a hat trick.

Had DiPietro’s confidence been affected by anything earlier in the game, Frondell would’ve been walking out of TD Garden feeling elated. Instead, DiPietro is dialed in.

He has three wins, as well as a 2.00 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in his last three games. He also has a shutout in that span.

Sure, Saturday’s win came with four goals against, but DiPietro is one of the best backups in the league currently. He’s 3-1-0 overall with a 2.26 GAA and a .929 SV%.

In the meantime, Saturday’s victory also secured five consecutive wins on home ice for Boston.

Marco Sturm made two lineup changes between Thursday night’s loss in St. Louis and Saturday’s matinée matchup with Chicago, replacing Matthew Poitras on the fourth line with Sean Kuraly and Connor Clifton on the third defensive pairing with Jonathan Aspirot.

Both Poitras and Clifton were healthy scratches.

I’d have to imagine the lineup moves were more about getting reps than any sort of indication of poor performance or poor standing with the coaching staff on Poitras’ behalf, at least.

It’s not ideal to remove one of your better, faster forwards on the fourth line, but it’s understandable that a fourth line player gets swapped with a fourth line player for a game.

Entering Saturday, Kuraly had a 67.6 faceoff win percentage in four games this season.

He’s now up to a 69.0 FOW% in five games, while Mark Kastelic– who has also taken quite a few faceoffs on the fourth line when either Kuraly or Poitras is playing– went from a 61.4 FOW% in 14 games entering the afternoon to a 60.3 FOW% after Saturday’s effort.

Poitras currently has a 59.4 FOW% in 11 games played.

Kuraly (69.0) leads the team in faceoff win percentage, though Kastelic (60.3) leads among the regulars with Lindholm (60.2), Poitras (59.4), Pavel Zacha (54.7), James Hagens (50.0), Fraser Minten (46.3), Geekie (45.7), Tanner Jeannot (45.0) and Marat Khusnutdinov (38.9) rounding out the top-10 on the entire roster.

Late in the middle frame, Kuraly and Kastelic had a great shift on the penalty kill. If Kuraly is a depth forward nowadays, Saturday’s showing in 8:45 time on ice was what you need him to do in a pinch.

We spend far too much time arguing about bottom-six forwards and third pairing defenders on hockey Twitter. One occasional appearance early in the regular season is not worth fussing about.

At the same time, it wasn’t a great afternoon for the Aspirot-Lohrei pairing.

It’s hard to build chemistry on-the-fly, even if Aspirot and Mason Lohrei spent a good chunk playing together last season, but it’s a new season. These things can happen.

It also doesn’t help if one player (Aspirot) hasn’t played much this year to begin with in terms of establishing a baseline. That said, two things can be true– Aspirot is a depth defender on this roster and Lohrei can be a candidate for being the next healthy scratch.

Well, the latter part would’ve been true if Lohrei didn’t end up turning things around later in the game– scoring his third goal of the season in the process.

Nevertheless, the good news is that if you follow my “observation game (or two)” logic, then you should expect Frédéric Brunet to be back in the lineup Monday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Crisis averted.

Whether or not Aspirot or Clifton get another game if Lohrei is to be scratched remains to be seen.

Crisis back on?

File this in the “needs improvement” dept.

Penalty kill woes continue to haunt the Bruins.

You may look at the scoresheet and say “but Chicago’s power play was only 1/3 on the afternoon?” Yes, but prior to Saturday in Boston, the Blackhawks hadn’t scored a road power-play goal so far this season.

That and there’s this observation from Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe— that St. Louis’ two power-play goals in Thursday’s loss for the Bruins were scored four and six seconds into the power play for the Blues. Chicago only needed 11 seconds to score on their first power play opportunity of the afternoon Saturday.

Sure, that’s an improvement by about double the time it took Boston’s penalty kill to allow a goal against, but it’s still a goal against in a “that’s way too soon to give up a power-play goal while shorthanded” sense.

There’s effective power plays that wear down their opponents and then there’s giving up before things even get started and right now the Bruins need to find a way to avoid the latter.

Now for the positives:

David Pastrňák scored a goal midway through the first period to tie things up, 1-1.

It was the 428th career goal for Pastrňák– passing Patrice Bergeron for sole-possession of the third-most goals in Bruins history in the process.

If the last couple of games needed more production from Boston’s top-six forward group, Pastrňák and Geekie heard the call as each had a pair of goals in Saturday’s win. Geekie’s goal was just his second of the season.

Players go on hot streaks and cold streaks throughout the season. It’s when an entire line or majority of the top-six goes cold for multiple games at a time that’s troubling.

Though he didn’t have a goal in the game, JJ Peterka, had a pair of assists and tied Pastrňák for the most shots on goal among the Bruins with four each.

Despite Chicago badly outshooting Boston, 28-13, through 40 minutes, the B’s managed to amass 17 shots on net– the most they’ve had in any period so far this season– in the final frame of regulation to the Blackhawks’ 10.

Chicago still finished with a 41-32 advantage by the end of the afternoon, however.

Oh and Elias Lindholm’s overtime-winning goal looked cool as hell.

Sick hands like that, even Peter Forsberg has to nod approval out of respect.

Finally, whatever this is

“What if the Bruins traded Pavel Zacha, Dean Letourneau, Will Zellers, Matt Poitras and a first round pick for Nikita Kucherov?”

One thing’s for sure, you’re definitely not eating Halloween candy before saying these kinds of things. You should lay off of whatever you’ve been getting into.

Then again, with the way Nikita Zadorov has been disciplined by Sturm for his undisciplined actions this season and in light of the fact that Zadorov and Kucherov share the same agent (Dan Milstein) what are the odds Boston could trade Zadorov for Kucherov one-for-one? I’ll hang up and listen.

After all, the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have to do something on defense sometime with Victor Hedman, John Carlson and Ryan McDonagh being 35, 36 and 37-years-old, respectively. O.K., I’ll hang up for real this time.

October 31, 2026
(Way too) Early season Bruins thoughts

The 2026-27 NHL season is almost a month old and as of this writing, the Boston Bruins sit second in the entire league with a 9-2-1 record (19 points) through 12 games. They take on the defending Stanley Cup champion, Carolina Hurricanes– who sit first in the league at 9-2-2 (20 points) through 13 games– Tuesday night in Raleigh.

Though it’s still early in the season, there’s a lot to look forward to and a lot of “they should probably stay the course, shouldn’t they?” to keep in mind.

After eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the 2024 First Round before losing to the Florida Panthers in six games in the 2024 Second Round, the Bruins’ inevitable collapse in the post-Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí center-depth era commenced with a 28th place finish in the overall standings in 2024-25.

General manager, Don Sweeney, dealt Brad Marchand to the Panthers, Brandon Carlo to the Maple Leafs and Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche at that season’s trade deadline as part of a larger selloff that sent Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers and Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild in the buildup to the 2025 deadline itself.

But then Boston rebounded and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026, after finishing eighth in the 2025-26 overall standings– good enough for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and ultimately a six-game First Round exit at the hands of the Atlantic Division-winning Buffalo Sabres.

Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov emerged as promising young forwards throughout last season after being components in the Carlo and Brazeau trades.

Minten has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 12 games thus far in 2026-27, while Khusnutdinov isn’t far behind with 3-3–6 totals in that same 12-game span. They’ve both played up the lineup in a pinch due to injuries or whenever Bruins head coach, Marco Sturm, makes in-game adjustments to try to spark some offense.

Because of Boston’s own shortcomings in 2024-25, the Bruins ended up with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The B’s lucked out by selecting James Hagens after Hagens’ draft stock tumbled from “potential first overall pick” in 2025, to “somewhere in the top-10.” Hagens didn’t live up to expectations in his jump from the U.S. National Development Program to Boston College while others– like Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa– became clear-cut favorites.

In 12 games so far this season, however, Hagens has nine points (four goals, five assists) and has established himself as an early contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.

He also has 16 blocked shots, so at this point he might be chasing Bergeron’s NHL-record six Frank J. Selke Trophy awards as the “best defensive forward.”

Not to put any pressure or anything on the 19-year-old that turns 20 on Nov. 3rd.

In the meantime, Boston has also had contributions from Matthew Poitras (4-3–7 totals in nine games since becoming the regular fourth line center) and Frédéric Brunet (1-3–4 totals in nine games while emerging as a power play quarterback on the blue line) as the youth movement has seen surprising returns.

Nobody expected the Bruins to be leading the league in goal differential with 48 goals for and 26 goals against (a plus-22 differential), though last year’s Vezina finalist, Jeremy Swayman, and this year’s backup, Michael DiPietro, may have a say in the matter.

Swayman is 7-1-1 in nine games (nine starts) with a 2.20 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and one shutout. Not to be outdone, but DiPietro is 2-1-0 in three games (three starts) with a 1.69 GAA, a .941 SV% and one shutout as well.

Oh, and, yes, David Pastrňák still exists.

He’s the captain now and not only leads the team behind closed doors– though anyone in Boston’s dressing room will tell you they lead by committee– but also leads the club with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 12 games.

Pastrňák (427 goals in 845 games from 2014-present) is one goal away from surpassing Bergeron (427 goals in 1,294 games from 2003-23) for sole-possession of the third-most goals in Bruins franchise history.

Offseason acquisition in a trade with the Utah Mammoth, JJ Peterka, has made an impact too with 4-5–9 totals in 12 games.

Additionally, Elias Lindholm looks a lot more comfortable knowing he doesn’t have to be the first line center and can simply play his game by fitting in on the third line and contributing on the power play with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 games.

That’s all fine and dandy, though there’s still 72 games left in the regular season and lot to consider long-term.

So now let’s try to answer some questions you might have about the B’s and NHL at large.

What should the Bruins do with Pavel Zacha?

Pavel Zacha is back to centering the first line flanked by Peterka and Pastrňák on his wings and despite only having two goals in 11 games this season, Zacha doesn’t look out of place.

He’s on pace for 49 points this season, which would be down from his career-high 65 points in 78 games last year.

Zacha has become a pretty consistent near or above 50-point scorer in a Bruins uniform since he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula prior to the 2022-23 season.

There’s no denying that Zacha has played his best hockey in Boston. He’s become a fan favorite in the awkward transition from Bergeron and Krejčí’s Bruins to Pastrňák, Charlie McAvoy and Swayman’s Bruins.

But with this season being a contract year and a $4.750 million cap hit, Zacha is the biggest blue chip the Bruins have that could make an immediate impact on another NHL roster that’s looking to bolster their lineup for a Cup run.

Boston is by no means out of the woods from their retool.

You aren’t a de facto Stanley Cup contender until you at least make the Conference Final round a year prior to the current season and you haven’t successfully completed a rebuild or retool (or whatever you want to call it) until you’ve at least made it to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Bruins– since they hit the “reset” button in 2024-25– have only made the postseason in 2026, and lost in the First Round.

It does not make sense to add any major components that would help them present themselves as being in “win now” mode when they actually aren’t, contrary to how nice it would be to see Pastrňák accepting the Cup in June.

Minten, Hagens and Poitras are shaping up to be the future of Boston’s center depth with Minten and Hagens auditioning for first or second line roles to Poitras’ third line center presence.

Dean Letourneau and Will Zellers are on their way after they’re both done playing college hockey.

The Bruins could use Zacha to shore up another top-six winger– whether that’s a current NHL player (like Peterka) or another young, NHL ready prospect on the verge of a burgeoning career (a potential first line center, winger or otherwise in the next two or three years).

Boston isn’t going to contend for the Cup this season or possibly next season, but by trading Zacha and getting younger players and draft picks, they can help keep their own cupboards full of potential as the rest of the roster starts translating their potential into kinetic energy.

Re-signing Zacha at $9.000 million or more per season is a risky move considering Elias Lindholm already exists as your one token “this won’t age well 30 or older” contract.

Though, if you’re able to move on from that one as well at some point, all the power to you and kudos.

What about Casey Mittelstadt?

Casey Mittelstadt is a little easier to answer despite the fact that he’s also on pace for 49 points this season and is a pending-unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Mittelstadt is two years younger than Zacha. He’s 27.

He’s also probably not commanding that much more than his current $5.750 million cap hit on his next deal which, unlike Zacha, is probably a more acceptable three or four years at most.

Boston could lock up Mittelstadt through the rest of his NHL prime and only face a slight pay raise in the process.

Mittelstadt plays an important role on the third line and is much better as a wing than as a center as he’s rejuvenated his career in Boston after his production fell from 59 points in 82 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23, to 57 points in 80 games combined with the Sabres and Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24, to just 40 points in 81 games with the Avalanche and Bruins in 2024-25.

Last season he had 42 points in 71 games.

He probably won’t have more than that from here on out and that’s not bad for a third line winger that could potentially drop down to the fourth line as Boston’s youth movement climbs the ladder.

By that point, the Bruins would just be hoping that Mittelstadt is able to get 20 or more points in a season.

And that’s assuming he signs a four-year extension and becomes the next Sean Kuraly.

Realistically, a player of Mittelstadt’s caliber won’t command more than $7.000 million per season in the new NHL with player salaries skyrocketing this offseason and the salary cap expected to continue climbing.

Compared to Zacha, Mittelstadt wouldn’t be doubling his current cap hit and gives Sweeney plenty of space to tend to other matters like re-signing his two biggest pending-restricted free agents in Poitras and Mason Lohrei, while giving himself enough room to make a trade or sign some depth pieces and leave cap space for in-season action in 2027-28.

It feels like there’s mutual interest in continuing the symbiotic relationship that Mittelstadt and the Bruins have developed, whereas Zacha could be in a Michael Ryder in 2011, type of situation.

Wait, what about Mason Lohrei? You wouldn’t trade him?

At this point, no.

Lohrei is off to a good start this season with five points in 12 games. He’s on pace for 35 points which would establish a career-high for the 25-year-old Louisiana native.

By now, he is what he is and that’s not necessarily a bad thing so long as he can remain as a steady second or third pairing defender long-term.

His current cap hit is $3.200 million and prior to the Philadelphia Flyers signing Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet with an $18 million cap hit that sent a shockwave around the league in player salaries, Lohrei probably wouldn’t be getting more than $4.500 to $5.000 million on whatever his next deal looks like.

Now, of course, he might land (at most) in the $6.500 to $7.500 million cap hit range after asking for something crazy like an $8.000 million cap hit, but that’s assuming he hits his mark in point-pace and goes above and beyond in his defensive elements that have otherwise plagued him thus far.

Unless the Bruins find a way to get Simon Edvinsson from the Detroit Red Wings– which would likely mean including Lohrei and more in the hypothetical trade– any sort of move coming from the blue line is probably one in which Boston finds a trading partner to extend the NHL career of Henri Jokiharju who is currently buried in Providence (AHL).

Speaking of Detroit…

It’s probably a good thing that Dylan Larkin is not interested in a trade with the Boston Bruins at this point.

Sure, he would immediately become a first line center with Peterka and Pastrňák on his wings, but isn’t that just what got Detroit into this problem in the first place?

Larkin needs to be dealt to the type of roster where he can just “fit in”– both in the literal “NHL players don’t like to stand out and are boring” sense and in a manner similar to how Nathan Horton played really well for the Bruins after being acquired from the Panthers prior to the 2010-11 season.

Neither Larkin nor Horton are true first line talent, but in the right situation or by simply being demoted to a second or third line on a Cup contending team they can just play their game and contribute to the overarching depth in scoring and roster construction.

Besides, if you’re going to potentially package Zacha, Lohrei and more, you should be acquiring Edvinsson and a draft pick or two for good measure as part of the two or three-year plan to return to Cup contention.

October 27, 2026
DTFR Podcast #145- We Plan To Be Good In 2021-25

Evgeni Malkin did a bad thing, the 2019 NWHL All-Star Game broke attendance records and more trades happened in the NHL. Patrice Bergeron reached 1,000 games and David Pastrnak is injured for the Boston Bruins leaving Nick in a glass case of emotion.

Plus, Eugene Melnyk plans to spend money, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a new alternate sweater, Randy Carlyle was fired and Scott Niedermayer will have his number retired (again) this week. Finally, Connor has a new segment.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Stitcher and/or on Spotify. Support the show on Patreon.

February 13, 2019
2018 Offseason Preview: Vancouver Canucks

It’s the third day of our 2018 offseason previews for all 31 National Hockey League teams and today kicks off with the Vancouver Canucks.

Nobody expected the Vancouver Canucks to be a mid-pack team in 2017-18 and well, what do you know, they weren’t. The Canucks finished 7th in the Pacific Division this season with a 31-40-11 record and 73 points on the season.

Vancouver was second-to-last in Western Conference standings, behind the Chicago Blackhawks by three points in the standings and just ahead of the Arizona Coyotes.

Chicago was the only team in the Central Division to not reach the 90-point plateau, while Vancouver was one of three teams in the Pacific Division to amass less than 80 points on the season.

Yes, Brock Boeser— the 2018 NHL All-Star Game MVP– emerged as a rookie sniper, but the faces of the franchise in Daniel and Henrik Sedin retired after almost 20 years in the NHL.

Other than that, Vancouver still has two fringe starter/backup goaltenders, 32-year-old Loui Eriksson under contract with a cap hit of $6.000 million through the 2021-22 season and a lack of apparent depth throughout the lineup.

At least Bo Horvat is part of the core and the team has gotten younger (due, in part, to the Sedin’s retiring).

2018 NHL Entry Draft

There’s no reason to sound all doom-and-gloom regarding the Canucks, because they’ve managed to establish a small pool of productive prospects in Thatcher Demko, Michael DiPietro, Olli Juolevi, Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlén.

Another down year can be expected, but there’s plenty of room to grow and turn a lot of heads in 2018-19.

Thankfully, in the deep draft that is the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Vancouver won’t miss out on a decent top-10 prospect with the 7th overall pick as long as General Manager Jim Benning doesn’t mess things up.

It only makes sense that Benning goes with the best available player by the time the Canucks are on the clock– whether it’s (not listed in any particular order) Brady Tkachuk, Oliver Wahlstrom, Evan Bouchard, Quintin Hughes, Adam Boqvist, Rasmus Kupari or Joel Farabee– since there’s no immediate need on the NHL roster that can be filled by a player in this year’s draft.

Pending free agents

What it all comes down to for Vancouver is sticking to the plan. Now is the time to implement more youth with the likes of Demko, Juolevi, Pettersson and Dahlén in expanded or new roles altogether on the NHL club.

However, Demko’s path to stealing a job in net for the Canucks is currently crowded by Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson as 1A and 1B solutions to the fact that Vancouver does not have a true number one, starting goaltender.

Markstrom, 28, has two-years remaining on his current contract with a $3.667 million cap hit. That’s a friendly value for any team that’s looking for a temporary placeholder in net as a low-cost, potentially high-reward, starting goaltender– as long as that team has a defense to limit shots against.

Nilsson, 28, has one-year left on his contract and a $2.500 million cap hit. Again, also a bargain in the grand scheme of things, where top-notch goaltenders run organizations around $7.000 million in cap space.

Both are in their goaltending prime, which is different from a skater’s prime in that it’s usually delayed in comparison by a few years, but neither Markstrom nor Nilsson have shown they are going to get better than their 2.71 and 3.44 goals against averages in 60 and 27 games played, respectively.

That’s not just a case of a bad defense.

Average is still average and below average is still below average. For the Canucks to get better, they almost have to get worse, which sounds horrible to diehard fans, but might not actually be that bad.

Sure, Demko doesn’t have the level of experience that Markstrom and Nilsson have, but for a team that’s truly committed to a rebuild, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let him get more playing time to help bring his NHL game up to speed.

Aside from goaltending, Vancouver has six pending free agent forwards to assess. Three of them (Jussi Jokinen, Nic Dowd and Darren Archibald) are pending-unrestricted free agents and three of them are pending-restricted free agents (Jake Virtanen, Markus Granlund and Sven Baertschi).

Of their pending-UFA forwards, Dowd should get a callback, while the priority remains on re-signing the 21-year-old Virtanent and 25-year-old Granlund this summer.

Baertschi has only passed the 30-point plateau once in his career, but fills a role as a third line forward that the Canucks desperately need. Anything more than a bridge deal for the 25-year-old forward could come back to bite the organization if his offense doesn’t improve.

Finally, the Canucks have a pair of pending-RFA defenders to re-sign this offseason in 24-year-olds Derrick Pouliot and Troy Stecher.

Once expected to change the course of Pittsburgh’s blueline, Pouliot was the 8th overall selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and only just played his first full NHL season with Vancouver in 2017-18. Plus/minus aside (he was a minus-22 in 71 games played), Pouliot is worthy of keeping around, so long as Erik Gudbranson is considered expendable.

Stecher, on the other hand, has shown signs of being a puck-moving defender with flashes of a decent transition game, but had 1-10–11 totals in 68 games played as part of a sophomore slump.

While the Canucks may have higher expectations for Stecher, given his homegrown development, Pouliot outplayed his teammate with double the production (22 points).

If Vancouver is serious about moving Gudbranson and convinces Alexander Edler to waive his no-trade-clause for a transaction, then both Pouliot and Stecher have bigger roles and a proving ground to make the most of what should be bridge contract extensions.

The Canucks have a little more than $22 million to work with in cap space this summer.

Other pending free agents throughout the organization include:

Joseph Labate (UFA), Anton Cederholm (RFA), Cole Cassels (RFA), Griffen Molino (RFA), MacKenze Stewart (RFA), Patrick Wiercioch (UFA), Jayson Megna (UFA), Richard Bachman (UFA), Reid Boucher (RFA), Michael Chaput (RFA)

June 13, 2018
2017 Mock Draft: The First Round

NHL Entry Draft logos via NHL

The time has come for my annual prediction of how the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft will go. This year’s draft class is overall weaker than years past, but comes with a difficult choice for the New Jersey Devils, as they hold the 1st overall pick. The talk surrounding Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier is reminiscent of the Taylor Hall vs. Tyler Seguin days leading up to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles.

With that in mind, let’s see how many picks I get wrong (it’s an annual tradition!)– this year’s draft is being held in Chicago.

1) New Jersey Devils –> C Nolan Patrick, Brandon (WHL)

A gifted center, Nolan Patrick’s status as the long-time coming predicted 1st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft should not be affected by his injury shortened season with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Patrick is a 6’2″, 199-pound gifted two-way player that can not only contribute in goals and assists, but brings some size down the middle for the Devils.

2) Philadelphia Flyers –> C Nico Hischier, Halifax (QMJHL)

If New Jersey doesn’t take Nolan Patrick 1st overall, then the Flyers shouldn’t really have any complaints, because either Nico Hischier or Patrick is quite the impressive steal for the 2.4% longshots at the 2nd overall pick in this year’s draft. Hischier stands tall at 6’2″, 179 pounds, and had 38-48-86 totals with the Halifax Mooseheads in 57 games this season en route to being named the CHL’s Rookie of the Year.

3) Dallas Stars –> C Gabriel Vilardi, Windsor (OHL)

Gabriel Vilardi was part of this year’s Memorial Cup champion, the Windsor Spitfires, and amassed 29-32-61 totals in 49 games played this season. He’s a two-way center that remains composed in all situations while utilizing unparalleled hands and finesse in this year’s draft. Vilardi would be quite the addition to Dallas’s prospect pool at 6’3″, 203 pounds and only 17-years-old (until August 16th, that is).

4) Colorado Avalanche –> D Miro Heiskanen, HIFK (Finland)

One can assume that the Avalanche are bound to be trading a bunch of forwards for forwards this offseason (at least), but more important than having an offense is having a defense and an offense (which Colorado has had one in recent years and I’ll give you a hint– it hasn’t been a defense). Miro Heiskanen is a 6’1″, 172-pound two-way defenseman that had five goals and five assists (10 points) in 37 games with HIFK this season and is just part one of many moves towards turning things around at Pepsi Center.

5) Vancouver Canucks –> C Casey Mittelstadt, Eden Prairie (HS-MN)

The Vancouver Canucks can begin to start thinking about their long term approach to the end of the Sedin era by assuring themselves of a strong presence down the middle. Casey Mittelstadt brings that strong presence at center by virtue of his 6’1″, 201-pound frame and tremendous skill. There’s a reason why he was named this year’s Mr. Hockey in the state of Minnesota. Mittelstadt had 21-43-64 totals in 25 games with Eden Prairie and 13-17-30 totals in 24 games with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) this season.

6) Vegas Golden Knights –> C Cody Glass, Portland (WHL)

For their first draft selection in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights are bound to select perhaps the most tactically smart playmaker of the draft in Cody Glass. The 6’2″, 178-pound, right-handed center had 32 goals and 62 assists (94 points– T-7th in the WHL) and is sure to fit right in with the Golden Knights roster and longterm plans. Vegas would be wise to let him play coming out of the draft, since Glass is perhaps the most NHL ready player besides Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier.

7) Arizona Coyotes –> D Cale Makar, Brooks (AJHL)

The Arizona Coyotes have been stockpiling forwards (if you can believe it) in recent drafts, so this year seems to be the right time to snag a puck moving defenseman that’s committed to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst next season. Cale Makar had 24 goals and 51 assists (75 points) in 54 games with the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League this season– a 20-point improvement in as many games compared to last season.

8) Buffalo Sabres –> C Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City (WHL)

At 6’6″, 215 pounds, Michael Rasmussen is exactly what the Sabres need to compliment the already sized up centers of Jack Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly. Sheer intimidation could be one thing Buffalo banks on in the near future, thanks to their Goliath centers, but don’t let that be the only thing. Rasmussen has silky hands and had 32-23-55 totals with the Tri-City Americans this season in the Western Hockey League.

9) Detroit Red Wings –> RW Owen Tippett, Mississauga (OHL)

Owen Tippett has been drawing comparisons to Phil Kessel (no, not necessarily because he’s a hot dogs and hamburgers guy– though we haven’t asked him– but rather, because Mike Morreale of NHL.com says so). The 6’0″, 200-pound, right winger had 44 goals and 31 assists (75 points) in 60 games with the Mississauga Steelheads and is a natural sniper.

10) Florida Panthers –> C Martin Necas, Brno (Czech Republic)

Martin Necas is a versatile center that can create space for the puck and generate offense with his playmaking mindset. The right-handed shot had seven goals and eight assists (15 points) in 41 games with Brno this season. Florida shouldn’t be too concerned with his 6’0″, 167-pound frame, considering they’ve got a good mix of forwards to balance things out while Necas works on adding some muscle to his game.

11) Los Angeles Kings –> C Elias Pettersson, Timra (SWE-2)

After missing out on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Los Angeles Kings fired their now former head coach (Darryl Sutter) and general manager (Dean Lombardi) and immediately replaced them with John Stevens behind the bench and Rob Blake as GM, so trying to predict who they’ll draft is difficult based on recent history. However, Elias Pettersson (19-22-41 totals in 43 games with Timra) might just happen to fall into their hands at 11th overall. He’ll need a year of seasoning before appearing in the Kings lineup.

12) Carolina Hurricanes –> D Timothy Liljegren, Rogle (Sweden)

After a bout with mononucleosis in November, Timothy Liljegren wasn’t fully able to rebound this season with Rogle BK, however his skating remains unparalleled as one of the better defensemen of the draft. Liljegren can join the rush and pinch in from the point when needed in the offensive zone and scouts have yet to see the full potential impact of his style of play. Given the uncertainty surrounding Carolina’s money-puck strategy and how it will affect their blue line, drafting Liljegren might provide some security.

13) Winnipeg Jets –> C/LW Klim Kostin, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)

Klim Kostin missed a lot of time thanks to a shoulder injury, but that shouldn’t stop the Winnipeg Jets from taking a chance on what might be the best Russian forward in the draft. Puck possession is Kostin’s middle name and his 6’3″, 196-pound frame certainly must have something to do with that. The Jets could use him down the middle or restructure their wingers around the Kostin model, albeit acknowledging Blake Wheeler‘s size and existence already in Winnipeg.

14) Tampa Bay Lightning –> D Juuso Valimaki, Tri-City (WHL)

Steve Yzerman may continue to be a master of the salary cap (in terms of carefully maneuvering around large contracts, drafting and developing talent on a consistent basis and the like), but he’s got some critical thinking to do this offseason, what with pending RFAs galore and the Vegas expansion draft. Juuso Valimaki might be just enough to help relieve some of that pressure, having been one of the best defensemen of the WHL this season and amassing 19-42-61 totals in 60 games played.
15) New York Islanders –> C Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound (OHL)

Offensively skilled, Nick Suzuki isn’t the biggest player (5’11”, 183 pounds), but he is one of the best power play specialists in this year’s draft– notching 14 power play goals for the Owen Sound Attack this season. Suzuki had 96 points alone (45 goals, 51 assists) in 65 games and would be an upgrade for the Islanders in more ways than one.

16) Calgary Flames –> LW/RW Kristian Vesalainen, Frolunda (Sweden)

Kristian Vesalainen is a 6’3″, 207-pound power forward that might be able to muster his way to a new arena for the Calgary Flames. Jokes aside, Vesalainen would be a solid draft pick by Calgary for his physical prowess and goal scoring ability. In the Battle of Alberta, the Flames could select their very own Milan Lucic, but with more of a two-way element to his game.

17) Toronto Maple Leafs –> D Nicolas Hague, Mississauga (OHL)

How could the Toronto Maple Leafs get any better than they already are with a lineup full of kids? Answer: they could draft Nicolas Hague. Toronto’s got a plethora of players waiting to insert themselves into their mix of forwards that it wouldn’t hurt them to give a little more attention to their blue line for a bit. Hague is a monstrous 6’6″, 215-pound, shutdown defenseman that can also contribute on the power play. He had 18-28-46 totals in 65 games with the Mississauga Steelheads this season.

18) Boston Bruins –> C Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud State (NCHC)

It seems unusual to say, but the Boston Bruins have a little something on the horizon to start thinking about– what will the team look like after Patrice Bergeron (and David Krejci)? Boston GM Don Sweeney has a recent history of opting for college players and could select center Ryan Poehling with the future in mind. The 6’2″, 183-pound, playmaker has great vision and puck protection and had 7-6-13 totals in 35 games with St. Cloud State this season. Additionally, Poehling’s got intelligence (both on and off the ice) as he graduated a year early from high school and just tuned 18 on January 3rd.

19) San Jose Sharks –> D Callan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)

The San Jose Sharks have some big names to re-sign this offseason, including Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. Naturally, while one might think the Sharks should use this draft to find their eventual replacements, San Jose is already in a good spot regarding forwards. Their blue line, however, could use someone like the 6’4″, 212-pound, likeness of Callan Foote. He had six goals and 51 assists (57 points) in 71 games this season and is sure to follow in the foot(e)steps of his father, Adam Foote.

20) St. Louis Blues –> LW Eeli Tolvanen, Sioux City (USHL)

A 30-goal-scorer in 52 games played with Sioux City this season, Eeli Tolvanen brings just about every offensive element the St. Louis Blues are looking for in a forward. He can shoot from just about anywhere on the ice– at any time too. Quick with his feet, Tolvanen can snipe an impressive shot. Don’t let his 5’10”, 170-pound setup fool you, this winger is ready to become even better at Boston College in the fall. After a couple of seasons of losing vital veteran forwards, the Blues get a chance for redemption by bringing in a goalscorer that could soon be skating on a line with Vladimir Tarasenko.

21) New York Rangers –> LW Jason Robertson, Kingston (OHL)

In 68 games with the Kingston Frontenacs this season, Jason Robertson (6’2″, 192 pounds) had 42 goals and 39 assists for 81 points. He knows what to do with the puck and with the unwavering uncertainty of Rick Nash‘s longevity, along with the legitimacy of Jimmy Vesey and others as impact players when you need them the most (like in the playoffs, for example), Robertson is a risk worth taking. He’s only a risk because his skating game could use some improvement.

22) Edmonton Oilers –> C Lias Andersson, HV71 (Sweden)

Lias Andersson is a mobile two-way forward that matches grit with nifty hands that generate scoring chances, as evidenced by his 9-10-19 totals in 42 games played with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League this season. At 5’11”, 198 pounds, Andersson is the right fit for the Edmonton Oilers lineup, where he can increase his offensive skill by learning from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, while taking a page or two from Milan Lucic in the physical game. Additionally, his father, Niklas Andersson, is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Kings and played in 164 career NHL games.

23) Arizona Coyotes (from Minnesota Wild) –> C Shane Bowers, Waterloo (USHL)

The Coyotes have two 1st round picks in this year’s draft and they’d be smart to take a forward with their second pick. Luckily, Shane Bowers is just the player for Arizona. The Boston University-bound center scored 22 goals and had 29 assists (51 points) in 60 games for Waterloo this season. The 6’1″, 183-pound forward models his game after Jonathan Toews, which wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Coyotes to have in their prospect pool with a clear need for a stable, solid, two-way center.

24) Columbus Blue Jackets –> RW Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane (WHL)

At 5’8″ and 153 pounds, Kailer Yamamoto is not a player to overlook. Why? Because he scored 42 goals and had 57 assists for 99 points (6th in the WHL in scoring) in 65 games with Spokane this season. Yamamoto is relentless on the puck and has hands beyond his years, as well as speed and skill that make him quite the threat on the ice.

25) Montreal Canadiens –> LW Maxime Comtois, Victoriaville (QMJHL)

After acquiring Jonathan Drouin from the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason, the Montreal Canadiens have made great strides at improving their group of forwards. But with the uncertainty of everything panning out as planned, why not add to the plan? Maxime Comtois is versatile and ready to take the next step in his professional career with the right guidance (*ahem* Claude Julien‘s system). Best inserted on the wing, Comtois had 22-29-51 totals in 64 games with Victoriaville this season. The 6’2″, 200-pound forward could play center if the Canadiens see it fit.

26) Chicago Blackhawks –> D Urho Vaakanainen, JYP (Finland)

Chicago is bound to have a tough offseason in a non-Cup year for the first time in a while, it seems, what with the Expansion Draft, as well as the salary cap working against their favor. While the Blackhawks may have to deal a top-4 defenseman or part of their core group of forwards (without getting too crazy, mind you, we’re not talking a trade involving Patrick Kane), Chicago can rest assured that Urho Vaakanainen is their defenseman of the future. The 6’1″, 185-pound blue liner is good at 1) getting the puck out of the zone and 2) playing his game– and a physical one at that.

27) St. Louis Blues (from Washington Capitals) –> D Conor Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

An offensive-minded defenseman with a right-shot, Conor Timmins fits the bill for the St. Louis Blues. At 6’1″ and 185 pounds, Timmins can rush the ice as a two-way defenseman who contributed 61 points (seven goals, 54 assists) for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 67 games this season. Think Colton Parayko, but not, because this guy’s name is Conor Timmins and he doesn’t already play for the Blues.

28) Ottawa Senators –> C Josh Norris, USA U-18 (USNTDP)

A product of the United States National Team Development Program, Josh Norris had 23-28-51 totals in 52 games played this season. The 6’1″, 192-pound center could contribute to the Senators organization in a manner similar to how Colin White has been implemented into the roster. Who knows, he might be worth it, Ottawa.

29) Dallas Stars (from Anaheim Ducks) –> RW Kole Lind, Kelowna (WHL)

Tremendous hockey sense and intelligence are part of Kole Lind’s game. A natural playmaker, Lind was also known to produce goals of his own for the Kelowna Rockets this season, amassing 30-57-87 totals in 70 games played. The 6’1″, 178-pound right winger could be a solid fit alongside the likes of Jamie Benn and Seguin in Dallas.

30) Nashville Predators –> C Robert Thomas, London (OHL)

Hey look it’s Rob Thomas from Matchbox Twenty! Again, I’m only kidding. This Robert Thomas of the London Knights had 16-50-66 totals in 66 games this season as a two-way forward. A noted playmaker, Thomas reads and reacts to the play before him beyond his years and will need some time to really come into his own at the NHL level. Yet, the Nashville Predators can afford to take their time carefully crafting the almost 6′, 188-pound, center in their system that’s produced the likes of Colton Sissons, Pontus Aberg and many more in recent years.

31) Pittsburgh Penguins –> D Henri Jokiharju, Portland (WHL)

It took Henri Jokiharju a few months to really transition to the North American style of the game, but for this offensively focused defenseman, that wasn’t a big deal. He can get the puck out of his own zone with ease– not just with crisp passes, but also due to his incredible stride and speed in the transition department. Jokiharju (6’0″, 180 pounds) had nine goals and 39 assists (48 points) in 71 games for the Portland Winterhawks this season.

Other top potential 1^st round prospects that should easily be 2^nd round picks if they’re not taken in Round 1 of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft:

G Jake Oettinger, Boston University (Hockey East)

LW Isaac Ratcliffe, Guelph (OHL)

D Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

D Erik Brannstrom, HV71 (Sweden)

LW Filip Chytil, Zlin (Czech Republic)

C Aleksei Heponiemi, Swift Current (WHL)

G Michael DiPietro, Windsor (OHL)

LW Matthew Strome, Hamilton (OHL)

C Antoine Morand, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)

LW Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current (WHL)

So there you have it. This is how I see the 1st round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft shaking out. Be sure to tune in next Friday night (that’s one week from now) to watch your favorite team pick a teenager and hope for the best. I’ll be at work that night, so no spoilers, please. Let me believe I got more than two picks right for once.

June 16, 2017