CANUCKS SELECT DEFENCEMAN OLLI JUOLEVI FIFTH OVERALL AT THE 2016 NHL ENTRY DRAFT
Buffalo, NY – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the club has selected defenceman Olli Juolevi fifth overall at the 2016 NHL En...
Canucks general manager Jim Benning spoke to the media Thursday, where he admitted he has interest in Lucic and will touch base with the bruiser's camp following the draft.
It was reported Wednesday that Lucic will test free agency - having been given permission to speak with other teams - after talks with the Los Angeles Kings fell through.
The born and raised in Vancouverite had 20 goals and 55 points last season.
With Wednesday's announcement of the NHL expanding to Las Vegas in 2017-18, the upcoming expansion draft is on the minds of general managers ... sort of.
While some trade speculation insists teams could deal players for fear of losing them for nothing, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman gave his two cents on the expansion draft - slated for next June - and he feels teams aren't stressing over it yet.
"It's a little bit early to be making moves strictly for an expansion draft," Bowman said, according to Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune.
Bowman said he thinks there will be a lot of moving parts just before the expansion draft happens.
Each team will be able to protect seven forwards, three defenseman, and a goalie, or eight skaters (defenseman or forwards) and a goalie, while teams can only lose a maximum of one player.
"Discussion I've had with other managers, they haven't mentioned the expansion draft," said Bowman.
Ahead of the NHL draft and free agency - which opens July 1 - we're looking at three teams from each division facing pivotal offseasons. First up, the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Calgary Flames (77 points)
Needs: Goaltending and a seasoned top-six forward.
The Calgary Flames need a goaltender, and that's no secret.
The club is coming off a season that saw it finish last in the league in goals against, averaging 3.13 per game, while allowing the 11th fewest shots, which clearly points to the goaltending.
The Flames dressed four goalies last season, and each one failed to impress.
What all these players have in common is they're under age 27. The Flames could use a skilled forward who could lead the team's front end. A potential fit might be Andrew Ladd, who has averaged more than 25 goals per season since the 2010-11 campaign, and has a Stanley Cup on his resume.
Sure, the club could use help up front, but with a hopefully healthy Connor McDavid, a continually improving Leon Draisaitl, and the likes of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle still contributing admirably, forwards aren't nearly as much in demand as D-men.
On the back end, the club has budding prospects in Oscar Klefbom, Brandon Davidson, and Darnell Nurse, but they're still years away from being elite, and outside of that the defensive core is thin.
Brian Campbell, who is likely to test the free-agent market, could be a stabilizing force on the back end, while also providing guidance to the team's young core.
The Canucks recently missed the postseason for just the second time in the last eight seasons, largely thanks to an ageing core.
Vancouver finished with the second-fewest goals last season, averaging just 2.27 per game - only slightly better than the New Jersey Devils. On the other side of the puck, the team didn't fare much better, finishing 23rd in goals against, giving up an average of 2.91 per game.
For the 10th straight season, Daniel and Henrik Sedin finished one-two in team scoring, but the twins are now 35 years old, and need some assistance up front.
No player outside the Sedins managed more than 40 points, so goal-scoring is a must. With a young crop coming up, though, the team also needs someone who can play with an edge - a player similar to that of Ryan Kesler, ironically.
On the defensive side of the puck, the team needs an offensive-minded blue-liner.
Alex Edler led the team's defensemen with just six goals last season, while Ben Hutton's 25 points bested all Canucks pivots. That just won't do.
The Canucks hold the fifth overall pick in the draft and should have ample opportunity to select either a solid two-way forward like Pierre-Luc Dubois, or a puck-moving defenseman. That being said, the additions shouldn't stop there, as the team needs help now and not later.
The club needs to be active in free agency and on the trade front to fill those holes.
If St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong had it his way, David Backes would play out the rest of his playing career - and beyond - with the organization.
Armstrong admits he would like to ink the pending unrestricted free agent to a contract and envisions a management position for Backes once his career concludes.
"I'd love to see David sign a contract here, play the remainder of his contract here as our captain, have success, get his jersey retired one day, and jump in the front office," Armstrong said, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch. "That's the vision that you'd love to have because he's a smart man.
"He's going to be great at management down the road if he so chooses. I'd love to see him play here his whole career."
The 32-year-old is coming off his sixth season as the club's captain having hit the 20-goal mark for the third straight year. Backes also just completed the final year of a five-year contract that paid him an average of $4.5 million.
With six of the first 10 picks, Canadian teams will be front and centre at this weekend's NHL draft in Buffalo.
But it won't be Canadian players heading the group of top prospects in Friday's first round. Instead, those from the United States...
Malkin's elbow injury kept him out of the final 15 regular-season games and the first game of the postseason against the New York Rangers.
"This is a guy that had a real serious injury that played before most guys would have played and made a contribution to the team," Rutherford said, according to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Just shows his character. It was pretty impressive."
According to Rutherford, the 29-year-old will rehab the elbow over the summer and shouldn't miss any time.
Portzline reports the asking price for the No. 1 pick is steep, but not completely out of reach, like it apparently was when the Edmonton Oilers held it last year with Connor McDavid projected to go first overall.
There was no price for McDavid last year. #Oilers wouldn't even listen. #cellphonesoff
Despite the interest, though, Fletcher admits he's reticent to deal the 26-year-old especially with the team's history of injuries at the position.
"With our track record of injuries to our goaltenders, I’m a little hesitant to get aggressive in shopping him, is the best way to put it," Fletcher said. "I also want to be fair to Darcy. He’s been a real good goaltender, and a real good teammate, and clearly the net right now is Devan (Dubnyk's). If we have an opportunity to move him and get a fair return, we’ll look at it, but I don't want to be too aggressive in that regard and leave us short in that position.
"It’s such a very important position. We're comfortable if we can get the right return in moving him, but we’re also comfortable in having him come back, and work with Devan to form a great one-two punch. If that means he leaves us next summer, then that’s the price we pay. You just want to make sure you have enough depth in goal."
Kuemper - who posted a 2.43 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage last season in 21 games - will become a restricted free agent July 1.
