I Believe Chiarelli (mckee)

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I believe Peter Chiarelli.

He's a Harvard guy and is smarter than 99% of us.

When he speaks, I listen.

Don't let that cookie duster fool you.

Chiarelli is all business.

Having covered the Atlantic Division and the Boston Bruins for decades, I respect Chiarelli's hockey mind.

I saw firsthand how he transformed the Boston Bruins from a middling 8th seed wannabe into a Stanley Cup champion super power.

Chiarelli's not one to rest on his laurels. He won one Cup with the Bruins. Now, he has aspirations to achieve the same goal of winning a Cup, or more, with the Edmonton Oilers.

Chiarelli is a prime mover. Not a tire kicker. Nor a window shopper.

Chiarelli is a power broker. And a damn good one at that.

Like E.F. Hutton, when Pete Chiarelli talks, people listen. NHL people listen.

Last week, the Edmonton Oilers GM said that he is open to listen to any and all opportunities to make trades for his fourth overall pick in the NHL Draft. Chiarelli was awarded the fourth overall pick at the NHL Draft Lottery on April 30.

I believe Chiarelli when he say that he is serious about entertaining offers for his #4.

Chiarelli is the same Boston Bruins GM who recently traded Tyler Seguin to Dallas.

Pete has made bold moves before and I suspect he will do something similar to that trade again in the near future.

On an Edmonton radio station last week, Chiarelli said that 4-5 NHL teams have reached out to him to inquire “what if… on his #4.

I suspect that the number of teams has doubled in the past seven days.

Which teams are calling Trader Pete?

Hard to say from my seat. However, I'd be willing to bet that the teams calling him are those in the 6-10 range.

We already know that Laine, Matthews, and Puljujarvi are the lead pipe locks to be selected first, secoind and third overall. Yes, I know. I placed Laine ahead of Matthews for a reason. I still think that Laine has a puncher's chance of leaping over Matthews for the first overall perch. It's a Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson long shot of a puncher's chance, however, it's still a chance that has to be given respect. Laine has been dazzling NHL personnel men at the early stage games of the IIHF Worlds tourney in St. Petersburg, Russia. I still think that Laine has more to show us. I think that he is conserving his energy and his dangles for when the bright lights are blazing in the medal round. Matthews has been full value for Team USA. He's been USA's most complete player at the Worlds. I don't see him taking a back seat to Dylan Larkin or another USA player for the rest of the tourney.

Back to Edmonton and their fascinating fourth overall pick.

At what cost will it be sold? To which NHL GM? What is Chiarelli asking for in return?

In other words, which big fish is being coveted and what type of bait will Chiarelli go for? If you believe NHL Central Scouting, ISS, and NHL scouts, and I do, there are two players in the 4-5 slots who captivate the imaginations of NHL GMs. They are forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Pierre-Luc Dubois. I happen to like both players a lot. I agree that they are worthy of the 4-5 pick designation.

Here's a thumbnail sketch of a look at the teams slotted to select 4-10 in the draft. All have needs to varying degrees. Some need forwards. Others need D. Some need both forwards and D.

Not all teams are looking to add a power forward.

#4 Edmonton is in desperate need of a top pair right handed D/QB. NY Islanders D Travis Hamonic threw a monkey wrench into Chiarelli's plans earlier this week when he rescinded his trade demand. Now that Hamonic is off the market, Chiarelli needs to go shopping for his right handed puck mover.

There are several suitors in the NHL who have the righty(s) that Chiarelli covets.

I don't see Anaheim GM Bob Murray dealing one of his two pending RFA righties to Edmonton. It is my belief and that of many NHL folks that I keep company with that Murray is fully and completely committed to re-signing both Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen to lucrative, long term contract extensions this summer.

Chiarelli will have to look elsewhere for his QB.

#5 Vancouver is in fact looking for a power forward and folks that I speak with tell me that the Canucks covet Pierre-Luc Dubois. It makes sense. Jim Benning has aging finesse forwards in the Sedins who he has to replace in the next couple of seasons. Dubois plays a heavy, in your face game like Milan Lucic, whom Benning helped to draft to the Bruins from the Vancouver Giants. Benning needs another skilled hammer to augment and further accentuate Jake Virtatnen and Bo Horvat. I can't see Benning trading his #5 for Chiarelli's #4.

#6 Calgary could use another skilled forward, however, their area of dire need right now is their blue line. Having Tkachuk or Dubois would be a nice luxury to have, however, the Flames had a tough time keeping the puck out of their net last season. I see Brad Treliving targeting one of three sensational D in Olli Juolevi, Jakob Chychrun and Mikhail Sergachev. Treliving will get himself a monster D at #6 and I can't see him trading his #6 for Chiarelli's #4 for the sake of selecting a D.

#7 Arizona just hired a 26 year old GM who this observer, nor many others inside the NHL know nothing about. I used to have a bead on the way that former Yotes GM Don Maloney and his assistants viewed the draft. All that changed when Chayka was announced as GM last week. Head coach Dave Tippett will also be more involved than ever before in personnel matters a the drafting of his players. NO> I don't see Arizona trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Oil for the 4th overall pick in this draft.

#8 Buffalo is where Trader Tim lives. Murray is the wild card in this discussion regarding Chiarelli and Edmonton's #4 overall pick. Murray is an avid and frequent caller of his NHL GM counterparts. He also has a few blockbuster trades on his gun belt since taking over the Sabres. Murray loves the shock and awe style deals. He and his Sabres are hosting both the NHL Scouting Combine and the NHL Draft in the next month. What's more, Murray has the need for a power winger to play in his top six. It was Chiarelli who recently submarined Murray for Drake Caggiula's services.

Murray is still in play for Harvard's power winger and UFA to be, Jimmy Vesey. He will also be a front row seat VIP member at the Steven Stamkos “Summer Of UFA Love… tour on July 1. Murray also has the right handed D that Chiarelli covets. His name is Mark Pysyk, he of the Edmonton Oil Kings. Would Chiarelli be of the mind to flip #4 for Pysyk, straight up? Never. However, Chiarelli may be willing to trade Murray the 4th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft in exchange for Pysyk, right shot D prospect Anthony Florentino (Providence College), power forward (winger/center) Zemgus Girgensons, and two of Buffalo's second round picks in the 2016 NHL Draft. Murray would address Chiarelli's immediate needs in the form of two right shot, minute eating puck movers; grit, character and skill, and extra picks for the Oil to add depth or to use as currency for other trades this summer. Murray would then invest the #4 overall pick in Matt Tkachuk, whom Murray and his scouts have graded on their 2016 draft board. Tkachuk has the requisite skill, skating, size, and snarl that Murray loves. Tkachuk would add a presence and an abundance of all of the above to Buffalo's top nine forward group next season.

#9 Montreal were a veritable mess this past season. The eventual, catastrophic, season-ending injury to Carey Price exposed the Habs' to be a one-dimensional team with forwards who were often betrayed by a porous, soft D corps. Mike Therrien's 2-7 Dmen took turn vomiting up pucks in their own zone that led to goals against. The last thing Marc Bergevin needs right now is another skilled forward. Bergy needs to select a top pair D-man in the form of Juolevi, Chychrun, or Sergachev. That, and he needs to pray to the hokcey gods that Price

#10 Colorado can never be ruled out with Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic in control of the team's personnel decisions. Tyson Barrie is a right shot D whom I'm sure that Chiarelli would want to get his hands on immediately to QB his team's 5v5 and PP. Roy and Sakic need to get stiffer and harder to play against up front and on their blue line. Maybe Tkachuk or Dubois check the boxes for the Avs. Perhaps they would invest #4 in one of Juolevi or Chychrun. Again, I see Colorado as a long shot because they really, really want to keep Tyson Barrie, 24, a pending RFA.

Looking at another scenario, would Chiarelli trade his 4th overall for 30-goal man Matt Duchene and the 10th overall pick in the 2016 Draft? In April, Roy and Duchene, 25, had a kerfuffle when the sniper celebrated his 30th goal of the season while his team was losing 4-0 to St. Louis. Roy publicly blasted Duchene and intimated that “Dutchy… grow up and act like a leader rather than heaping praise on himself at a time when the Avs were already out of the playoff race. If I were an Oiler fan, I could wrap my head around Duchene being added to McDavid's world.

____________________________________________________________________________

I suddenly feel very old and very dusty.

One of my best friends in hockey has been named the head coach of the OHL Kitchener Rangers.

I first met Jay in 1998 when he was the spry young buck on the Buffalo blue line.

I had the pleasure of covering Jay for most of his Sabres playing career. He always has made time to talk with me at the rink and in the community. Jay is a solid human being and a bright, young hockey mind. Over the years, I have learned a lot about the NHL and major junior by speaking with Jay.

We've kept in touch as he has transitioned seamlessly to the coaching ranks.

You won't find a more humble, and hilarious, pro athlete than Jay McKee.

In my own humble opinion, there isn't a better bench boss and role model for young men than McKee.

I'm not pumping Jay's tires by saying this.

Connor McDavid told me at the 2015 NHL Draft Combine:

"I love playing for coach McKee. He relates to me and the guys in our (Otters) room so well".

Today, Jay McKee was named the club’s 22nd head coach in franchise history. Daniel Tkaczuk remains a member of the coaching staff in his current role as assistant coach, while Mike McKenzie maintains the role of assistant coach/assistant GM.

“It’s a huge honour,… McKee stated. “I feel very fortunate to have been afforded this opportunity with the Rangers.

“I’m also fortunate and grateful to have learned from two excellent head coaches during my time in the league. Mike Van Ryn being nominated as a Coach of the Year candidate, and Chris Knoblauch being awarded the honour this year, I look forward to applying what I’ve learned from them both and I’m excited for what’s ahead for our team this season.…

“The decision to have Jay step into this role was a simple one from an organizational standpoint,… said Rangers general manager Murray Hiebert.

“Jay is someone who our players are not only familiar with, but enjoyed playing for last season. We’re confident that what we began to set into motion last summer in terms of our philosophies, our approach, and the identity we are seeking as a franchise will continue seamlessly with Jay taking over the reins in his new capacity.…

In 2014, McKee became an associate coach to Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome, Remy Elie, Nick Baptiste and the Erie Otters. Last summer, he joined the Rangers and spent the 2015-16 season as an associate coach to former Rangers head coach Mike Van Ryn.

A first round draft pick in each the OHL and National Hockey League, McKee brings to the table more than 20 years of experience, both as a player and a coach.

After a successful junior career spent as a member of the Sudbury Wolves and Niagara Falls Thunder, he would go on to play 14 seasons in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins.

During his time in the NHL he competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999, the Eastern Conference Finals three times (1998, 1999 and 2006) and was invited to Team Canada’s Olympic Camp in 2002. He was an alternate captain for the Sabres, an NHLPA Player Representative, and also nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey in 2004.

McKee was named as a member of the coaching staff for Team Canada Black at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and was a guest coach with the Under-18 teams as a part of the Hockey Canada National Teams’ Summer Showcase last August.

His foray into coaching began in 2010-11 when he volunteered his time as an assistant coach with the Niagara University Purple Eagles NCAA Division I men’s hockey team, then spent one season as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2011-12. Before joining the Rangers in June, McKee was an assistant coach with the Erie Otters during the 2014-15 season.

The club is currently looking to fill the position of associate coach previously held by McKee.

I'm a big fan of McKee hiring his former Sabres teammate Derek Roy to be one of his assistant coaches. Roy won a Memorial Cup as captain of the Kitchener Rangers.

Roy played in the Swiss Elite League this past season. His team won the Swiss League championship.

Thanks, Kitchener Rangers

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