No shortage of interesting things to talk about surrounding the draft. The league was very active and made for an entertaining time following all the moves and picks made. It just had nothing to do with the Penguins. Pittsburgh was one of the few teams that did nothing on one of the most active days of the year to do something and you know what? They might have been on to something. By doing nothing they watched the Flyers and Rangers voluntarily make their teams worse. In fact, there were quite a number of teams who made awful moves. There were teams that did some really smart things. Let’s try and sift through the carnage.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres were the most active team of the day. They of course had the #1 overall pick, but they also had some big trading chips to move. The first trade of the day will be the gift that keeps giving to the Penguins. I was under the impression the Flyers gave away a Ghost, but it sure looks like they received one
Not only did the Philadelphia Flyers pay another team a second round pick to just take Shayne Gostisbehere, but the Flyers immediately used those cap savings on Ristolainen and wait it gets better. The Flyers gave up a first(!) round and a second round pick to do so. We haven’t even gotten to the best part. Chuck Fletcher claimed he wasn’t going to use the #13 overall pick on a short term asset so you can bet at some point we’re all going to gather around and laugh at the absurd extension he gets for being one of the worst players at his position the last eight years.
The Sabres used their first overall pick on Owen Power. I don’t have a strong opinion on if it was the right selection or not, but I do feel bad for the Sabres having to select a defenseman #1 overall twice in the past few years. You want to see dynamic and impactful forwards at the top of the draft board when you are selecting at #1 (or #2) overall. Especially when you are trading your former #1 and #2 overall forward picks away in Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart.
Reinhart was indeed traded. For what? I don't think it is official yet. Here are the details I was able to find.
It is unfortunate the Sabres had to move on from such a good player, but it was their own self-inflicted errors that drove things to this point. It is why they are trading Jack Eichel as well. Eichel was not moved at the draft and the Sabres are taking their time with the trade to avoid a Ryan O’Reilly trade situation. While the draft is a great time to make a big trade with a player like Eichel there is still enough runway to find the right deal. Although, Eichel’s full no move clause kicks in next year and will close the door on the Sabres being able to get anything even remotely close to fair value.
Chicago Blackhawks
This is a horrible franchise from top to bottom for the serious allegations and coverups of sexual abuse that are being reported on. Truly horrible stuff and nobody involved should be allowed to continue working in the NHL.
As for their on-ice product they may have issued what will be the worst contract in the league after they traded for Seth Jones.
Wow, that’s just... something else. And all for this
Do I think Jones can rebound from this bad of a season as a 26 year old? Yes. Do I think he’s worth even half of his AAV, probably not. Just a truly horrible trade and signing for the Blackhawks.
Columbus cleaned up. They received Chicago’s first and second round pick this year as well as Chicago’s first round pick next year. Also Adam Boqvist who looks to be on track to being a productive NHLer.
Things are going so bad in Chicago you might expect them to use a logo change to try and distract from it all.
Vancouver Canucks
Jim Benning was wheeling and dealing and as is tradition he didn’t make the Canucks any better. He did acquire Connor Garland which is objectively good. He will help them. The problem is Benning acquired what is likely to be the worst defensive contract in hockey before Seth Jones takes the title. The Canucks traded for Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Once upon a time a very good player. The last three years have been flat out bad.
He makes 8.3M for the next six years. It is a long time when the decline has already been going for three years.
Vancouver did clear some dead weight by moving it to where all teams move their dead weight contracts, the Southwest desert. Louis Eriksson, Jay Beagle, and Antoine Roussel are now on the Coyotes. Arizona also collected the 9th overall pick in the deal to try and make up for losing their first round pick (11th overall) for cheating during the scouting process.
I can’t help but see these three defensemen (Ristolainen, Jones, Ekman-Larsson) and wonder if Ron Hextall might be able to swing a Mike Matheson deal. It appears the most in thing right now is acquiring terrible defense contracts.
New York Rangers
It wasn’t just the Flyers helping out the Penguins in the division. The Chris Drury led New York Rangers have started out of the gate making sketchy trades that have a grit flavor to them. The first mistake was trading for Barclay Goodrow and then giving him 3.6M for six years. It’s the Brandon Tanev contract and it isn’t good to give these players money and term. It will screw up your cap and the gains just aren’t there to overcome it.
Drury wasn’t done. He decided to give away Pavel Buchnevich who was just coming into his own as a great top six winger.
You could find room in your cap for Goodrow, but not this? That’s a self-own.
Montreal Canadiens
Shame on Montreal for their draft selection of Logan Mailloux at 31st overall.
While playing in Sweden, Mailloux engaged in a consensual sexual encounter with a woman, then distributed a photo of the encounter without the victim’s consent. Mailloux was convicted for the crime, given a fine by Swedish authorities as his punishment.
Despite cooperating with authorities, Mailloux has yet to apologize to his victim. In an interview with The Athletic, the victim mentions that she doesn’t feel Mailloux’s statement came from a place of goodwill and were more to appease his team and the courts. Even when asked to do the bare minimum, Mailloux failed to even come close.
Mailloux just this past week announced he was renouncing himself from the NHL Draft. He did not want to be selected while he attempted to work on himself and rebuild his character.
Who drafted Mailloux? None other than Marc Bergevin who was with the Chicago Blackhawks during the time period of their sexual abuse allegations.
Hockey loves to talk about culture and character almost as if it is the core of their existence as a sport. Yet, time and time again they fall woefully short of doing the bare minimum to live up to those lofty platitudes.
The Penguins have the 58th overall pick today. I hope he has better luck than all the other recent draft picks of the Penguins
Thanks for reading!
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