His bio says that Auston Matthews was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. His father played college baseball and an uncle of his played in the NFL. The Matthews family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when Auston was two months old. I recently heard Mr. Matthews say that his son's first love was baseball. He developed a love for hockey as he grew older.
Matthews will get a session or two in the batting cages when the NHL's top prospects descend upon Buffalo, NY for the NHL Draft as part of a series of events that the top prospects will partake of in the days leading up to the biggest day of their young hockey lives.
I'm told that Matthews can tear the rawhide cover off the ball with his bat. It will be fun to watch him destroy lob pitches. I'm also pumped to see Jakob Chychrun and Patrik Laine bust windshields of cars on the northbound I-190 Thruway which is situated just behind the centerfield wall. Chychrun and Laine have warning track power and are built like 27 year old men. Beware flying baseballs in downtown Buffalo when you are driving home from work on Wednesday night!
The NHL Awards show will play in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. While the NHL muckity mucks and players rub elbows in Sin City, the future stars will return to Buffalo for fun in the sun in advance of the NHL draft which will take place on Friday and Saturday.
Three weeks ago, I spoke with several of the top prospects and their families at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. There were rave reviews from players from all over the world about Buffalo's hospitality, restaurants, weather and gorgeous waterfront.
The kids and their families will return to Buffalo this week for more fun in the summer sun.
On Wednesday night, Matthews and some of the top prospects will take their hacks with the Buffalo Bisons just before their game with the Louisville Bats.
Many of the Canadian kids will love the fact that the Bisons are the Triple A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Surely, Leafs and Jays fans will be glued to Matthews this week as he is going to be the first player selected at the draft on Friday night.
On Thursday, the top prospects will conduct a hockey skills clinic for two hours inside HarborCenter. Later that afternoon, it's off to Niagara Falls where a tour and trip through the rapids on the Maid Of The Mist awaits the top prospects.
Later that night, several of the prospects, their families, siblings agents, business advisors, and media will check out Chuck D, Flava Flav and Public Enemy live in concert at Canalside.
NHL fans are invited to attend the free Fan Fest on Friday afternoon at Canalside. The party will bgin at 4pm and will run on through the night.
Bring The Noize, boyz!!
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While the kids will be chillin in the summer sun, the NHL GMs and scouting directors will be looking to make trades.
The Detroit Red Wings are trying to find a bottom rung team to trade Pavel Datsyuk's $7.5 million cap hit to. The Wings will have to sweeten the deal by adding in either Tomas Jurco or Teemu Pulkkinen, and a draft choice. The Wings want to take a legit shot at landing UFA stud Steve Stamkos.
The Winged Wheel are not alone.
The Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and NY Rangers all want to sign Stamkos.
Will his UFA rights be traded this week?
I think that will happen.
At what price?
Alex Goligoski's UFA rights were traded for a 5th round pick last week. The Dallas Stars received a 5th rounder from Arizona Coyotes for the rights to sign Goligoski before he teuns UFA on July 1.
Sabres GM Tim Murray has 4, third rounders in this draft that he can use to entice Steve Yzerman with. Stevie Y has code red salary cap issues right now. He can no longer afford Stamkos, therefore, he will be leaving the Bay.
Yzerman has to pay his pending RFAs who have outplayed their entry level deals and have earned pay raises in Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, JT Brown, Nikita Namestnikov, Cedric Paquette, and Nikita Nesterov.
Yzerman has to make decisions on UFAs Mike Blunder and Jonathon Marchessault.
What about Victor Hedman, who is earning $4M thus season and will become UFA next July 1? Hedman will get a max out deal in the 8 years, $80 million range.
Stamkos will not be a Lightning player next season.
Stamkos will get a 7 year, $70 million contract offer from Buffalo.
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I'm hearing a ton of chatter involving the Edmonton Oilers trading their fourth overall pick. The #4 and Jordan Eberle have been linked to Buffalo who want to jump up from #8.
Philly selects 18th and they have been linked to the 4th pick and Eberle.
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Is Pete Chiarelli looking to trade Taylor Hall?
Chiarelli just might trade Hall, if the price is right.
I'm told that Chiarelli is trying to get his hands on St. Louis Blues right QB Kevin Shattenkirk. Chiarelli wants a righty and is trying to out work his former employer, the Boston Bruins. Don Sweeney also wants Shattenkirk, who starred at Boston University. The long term injury to Torey Krug and declining health of Zdeno Chara has Sweeney very concerned about his D corps.
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The Columbus Blue,Jacks have been listening to offers for their third overall pick for three weeks.
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The St. Louis Blues are considering trading the UFA right to their 32 year old captain David Backes, who sold his house in The Loo last week.
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The NY Rangers are actively trying to dump payroll via teades. They want Stamkos but have to find buyers for Rick Nash's $7.8 million cap hit. Good luck with that. I can't see the Rangers trading center Derek Stepan nor Chris Kreider to open up cap room.
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Keep an eye on Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray, who re-signed D-man Sami Vatanen to a four year, $19 million contract extension over the weekend. Murray must now re-sign pending RFA D Hampus Lindholm. Vatanen is 25, Linholm is just 22. I expect Lindholm to sign for 6 years and $5M AAV per season.
I see Murray trading D Cam Fowler and replacing him in Ducks lineup with Shea Theodore, his top organizational D prospect.
With Vatanen's deal done, the Ducks now have $20,600,000 of their 2016-17 salary cap committed to seven defensemen. That represents 29% in terms of their contracts.
Lindholm's new contract will push the D investment to over $25 million and north of 33% of their cap.
Murray is in a serious pinch right now as he now has three D making north of $4 million per season. Lindholm will make four D earni g north of $4M AAV. Add in Simon Despres at $3.7M and Clayton Stoner at $3.25M and Bob Murray has troubes on his hands.
Lindholm will be a 5 year, $30 million player when he signs his next contract.
Here is the Anaheim blue line cap crunch:
Vatanen $4,875,000
Bieksa $4,000,000
Fowler $4,000,000
Despres $3,700,000
Stoner $3,250,000
Lindholm RFA
Manson $825,000
Holzer (UFA)
*Theodore $900,000 (ELC)
How many $4+ million D can one GM have on his roster?
Murray has to sign his UFAs David Perron, Jamie McGinn, Chris Stewart, Shawn Horcoff, Corbinian Holzer, and Mike Santorelli.
The Vatanen contract now levels Anaheim at $57 million of the 2015-16 cap already spent. That leaves $14 million to sign all UFA and Lindholm.
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Colorado Avs GM Joe Sakic pulled in demand D Tyson Barrie off the trade market last week. Barrie, 24, is a pending RFA and he's going to cost Sakic a pretty penny to re-sign in Denver.
Matt Duchene may be the player leaving the Avs.
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The Calgary Flames are looking for a new goalie. Look for Brad Treliving to go hard at Pens backup Marc Andre Fleury and Ducks starter Freddy Andersen.
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The teams that loses the Steven Stamkos showdown will pedal aggressively for UFAS Kyle Okposo, Milan Lucic, Troy Brouwer, and Andrew Ladd.
Giddyup!
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