Blues nab Klim Kostin with final pick in 1st round after trade with Pens
The St. Louis Blues drafted Klim Kostin 31st overall Friday night after acquiring the pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Klim Kostin
Position: Left Wing/Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 196 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Dynamo Moscow
Nationality: Russian
The Russian forward wasn't one of the most coveted prospects entering this draft, but he did have a couple of things in common with Nolan Patrick.
Kostin's KHL campaign was derailed by an injury, as a shoulder ailment limited him to only eight games and forced him to have season-ending surgery in February.
Despite the setback, he finished atop NHL Central Scouting's final rankings for European skaters, just as Patrick's injury didn't stop him from being ranked first among North American non-goaltenders.
Kostin possesses an intriguing mix of size and skill. He impressed at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup last summer, and appeared to put this winter's injury behind him when he was medically cleared at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier in June.
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Blues trade Reaves, 51st pick to Penguins for 31st, Sundqvist
The Pittsburgh Penguins added some toughness on their quest to a third straight Stanley Cup title.
The Penguins acquired forward Ryan Reaves and the 51st overall pick from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Oskar Sundqvist and the 31st overall pick, the Blues announced.
The Blues ended up selecting Russian forward Klim Kostin with the 31st pick.
Related: Blues nab Klim Kostin with final pick in 1st round
The Penguins were apparently eager to acquire some toughness to protect the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel. Reaves has racked up 695 penalty minutes and 1,324 hits across 419 career NHL games.
In doing so, the Pens passed up on a chance to acquire some high-end skill.
By all reports, Kostin has elite offensive upside. He was the No. 1 ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting heading into the draft, but he was limited to just eight games for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL this season due to a shoulder injury.
Kostin stands at 6-foot-3 and is considered a mobile power forward who plays a physical game. In addition to his size, he is also a strong skater with good speed and possesses a high hockey IQ.
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Flyers trade Brayden Schenn to Blues for Lehtera, picks
The Philadelphia Flyers traded forward Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for the 27th overall pick in this year's draft, center Jori Lehtera, and a conditional first-round pick in 2018.
Conditions on second pick from STL to PHI: top 10 protected, STL has option to push to 2019. If they do so, PHI also gets a third in 2020.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 24, 2017
The Flyers took Morgan Frost, a center from the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, with the 27th selection.
Schenn is coming off his second straight season with at least 25 goals and 55 points, following a 26-goal, 59-point campaign in 2015-16. He signed a four-year, $20.5-million contract extension with the Flyers last summer.
Lehtera's production declined again in his third NHL season, as he posted only 22 points in 64 games.
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Stars trade up to select Jake Oettinger 26th overall
The Dallas Stars traded the 29th overall selection and the 70th pick in the draft to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 26th pick, which it used to select goaltender Jake Oettinger on Friday night.
Jake Oettinger
Position: Goalie
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 205 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Boston University
Nationality: American
| GP | W | L | OTL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 2.11 | .927 | 4 |
Oettinger was the top North American goalie on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, and deservedly so.
The 18-year-old impressed in his freshman campaign with the Terriers after spending two seasons in the U.S. national team development program.
Whether he ends up being the best goalie in the 2017 class will be interesting to see, as International Scouting Services ranked Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen the top netminding prospect in this draft over Oettinger, but the latter certainly has the tools to justify a relatively early selection.
Oettinger started playing as a blue-liner until switching positions at age 10, and he still brings that puck-moving approach to the crease.
"I definitely have a feel for what it's like to be a defenseman and have the goalie play the puck to you," he told NHL.com's Adam Kimelman last fall. "For me nowadays, I try to get the puck off my stick as quickly as I can and let the defenseman break the puck out. ... It's their job to get the puck out of the zone. I've just got to stop the puck."
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Flames bolster defense, draft Juuso Valimaki 16th overall
The Calgary Flames added one of the most touted defensemen in the draft, selecting Juuso Valimaki 16th overall Friday at the NHL Entry Draft.
Juuso Valimaki
Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 201 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Nationality: Finland
| GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 19 | 42 | 61 | 0.2 | 0.48 | 50% |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Valimaki entered the draft as the 11th-ranked North American skater, and the second-ranked defenseman. A native of Finland, the 18-year-old appears to be the complete package on the blue line, and should immediately shoot to the top of the Flames' prospect pool.
Mobility is Valimaki's best asset, as his effortless stride allowed him to dominate the WHL this season, finishing seventh among defensemen in league scoring, and the only player of his age to crack the top 10.
Valimaki isn't physically imposing on the ice, but is a legitimate offensive threat. He operated the Americans' power play frequently in 2016-17, managing 25 points - 17 of which primary - with the man advantage.
You can see highlights of Valimaki's draft season below.
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Rangers draft Lias Andersson 7th after acquiring pick from Coyotes
The New York Rangers selected forward Lias Andersson with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Lias Andersson
Position: Center
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 198 lbs
Age: 18
Club: HV 71 (SHL)
Nationality: Swedish
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 9 | 10 | 19 |
Andersson entered the draft as the third-ranked European prospect, according to NHL Central Scouting, having remained steady in the same position after the midterm rankings.
"He is a really skilled, two-way forward with great moves with the puck," NHL director of European scouting Goran Stubb said. "He shows very good attitude, works hard both ways, has smooth hands, and is very effective in the offensive zone as he can both shoot and create scoring chances for his linemates."
The 18-year-old represented Sweden at the World Junior Hockey Championship this year where he posted three goals in seven games.
Andersson has all the tools to be an effective offensive player. He possesses vision, speed, and a great release, and isn't afraid to go to the net to score a dirty goal.
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Golden Knights take Cody Glass at No. 6 with first-ever draft pick
The Vegas Golden Knights selected forward Cody Glass with the 6th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Cody Glass
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 178 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Nationality: Canadian
| GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 32 | 62 | 94 | 0.29 | 0.91 | 62.79 |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Glass finished sixth in the final rankings among North American skaters, two slots higher than his midterm showing, according to NHL Central Scouting. He is a right-shot center who can line up at all three forward positions, but is at his best as the pivot given his up-tempo style.
"He has good hands and playmaking ability with a style of play that has been compared to Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron," writes Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com.
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Canucks nab Swedish center Elias Pettersson 5th overall
The Vancouver Canucks selected forward Elias Pettersson with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Elias Pettersson
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 161 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Timra IK (Swe-1)
Nationality: Swedish
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 19 | 21 | 40 |
Pettersson displays good hockey sense and solid offensive instincts, attributes that have earned his playing style comparisons to fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom, according to NHL.com. He finished second among European skaters ranked by NHL Central Scouting.
"(Pettersson) has good vision and hands and is considered more of a playmaker," writes Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com. "He can play wing or center, and can effectively run a power play."
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Ducks sign Eaves to 3-year contract
The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Patrick Eaves to a three-year contract, the team announced Friday.
Patrick Eaves contract breakdown: $3.3 M, $3.15 M, $3 M (AAV is $3.15 M)
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 23, 2017
Eaves was acquired by the Ducks from the Dallas Stars ahead of the trade deadline this past season. In 20 games down the stretch, he tallied 11 goals and three assists, adding two goals and two assists in seven postseason games.
The 33-year-old had a career year in 2016-17, hitting highs in goals and points with 32 and 51, respectively, in 79 games.
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