The 2016 vibes are impossible to ignore as Connor Bedard is on the verge of finding out where he will begin his NHL career.
By the time Monday night arrives, one NHL club is going to enjoy a franchise-altering moment when deputy commissioner Bill Daly flips the card of the team that is going to make the No. 1 selection at the draft in Nashville next month.
The Regina Pats captain had a lot on his plate over the course of the past several months, from a dominant gold-medal winning performance with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship, to pushing his Western Hockey League team to the playoffs, culminating in an exciting seven-game series with the Saskatoon Blades — where he did everything in his power to will his group to the second round before they were eliminated.
Bedard has played in front of full houses, entertained the masses, and entertained an invitation to play for his country at the 2023 men’s worlds before deciding against it.
Bedard has been under the spotlight for years as a teenage prodigy, beginning his WHL career as a 15-year-old in the bubble season, and it’s safe to say he’s ready for this close up.
What the North Vancouver, B.C. product has accomplished already is the stuff of legend, with Bedard wrapping up his final junior season with 71 goals, 72 assists and 143 points in 57 games, adding 10 goals and 20 points in the first-round series against the Blades.
Not only are those video-game like numbers, they’re reminiscent of what Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby accomplished before arriving on the NHL scene.
There’s been plenty of debate over whether Bedard should begin his NHL career this fall as a centre or a winger, but what can’t be argued is that he will provide an immediate boost to whatever organization he’s going to join.
Bedard is an electrifying player with speed, vision and an NHL shot, something he’s had since the age of 15, according to Pats head coach and general manager John Paddock, who knows a thing or two about the league from his vast personal experience.
There are sure to be a few growing pains for Bedard to navigate, but he’s equipped to handle them and the NHL as a whole will benefit from his arrival this fall.
Monday will surely be a special moment for Bedard to enjoy, but the journey is really just beginning and the anticipation of his NHL debut is still a few months away.
Let’s allow the young man the opportunity to not gloss over the other fun steps he should be soaking in to the fullest, including being on stage to pull the jersey of his next team over his head after hearing the following sentence:
“With the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, the (fill in the blank on Monday) select centre Connor Bedard, from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League.”
Surely, that’s something Bedard has allowed himself to dream about over the years and it won’t be much longer until he’s able to fill in that blank.
Colleague Jason Bukala has his latest Top-60 prospect rankings below and there will be an extensive look at where Bedard could fit best that drops at sportsnet.ca on Monday:
But for the time being, you can be sure that this isn’t just a matter of one team winning the lottery and the rest of them losing out on the opportunity to add a franchise player.
Bedard is the top prize, but Michigan Wolverines centre Adam Fantilli, Swedish centre Leo Carlsson, Russian winger Matvei Mitchok, Winnipeg Ice winger Zach Benson, American pivots Ryan Leonard and Will Smith, and Swiss defenceman David Reinbacher are among the other players expected to go in the Top-10. They should provide excellent value in what is considered to be a very deep draft.
Look no further than the 2016 NHL Draft for proof that high-end players can be found in various places in a deep prospect pool.
After the Toronto Maple Leafs chose Auston Matthews first overall, the Winnipeg Jets added sniper Patrik Laine second and the Columbus Blue Jackets disrupted things by choosing centre Pierre-Luc Dubois third, ahead of winger Jesse Puljujarvi falling to the Edmonton Oilers.
Sure, there were a few players that haven’t met expectations who were chosen in the Top-10, but Matthew Tkachuk (sixth), Clayton Keller (seventh) and Mikhail Sergachev (ninth) have provided excellent value — though two of those players are already with a second organization after being involved in blockbuster trades.
Later in the first round, you can find a pair of top-pairing D-men in Charlie McAvoy (14th) and Jakob Chychrun (16) and a franchise centre in Tage Thompson (26) — though again, two of those players have been moved in big deals.
The second round of 2016 also featured the likes of wingers Alex DeBrincat, Jordan Kyrou and Dillon Dube, defencemen Sam Girard, Ryan Lindgren and Filip Hronek and goalies Carter Hart and Filip Gustavsson, among others currently earning an NHL salary.
The 2023 NHL Draft coverage will be plentiful during the coming months, but right now, take some time to appreciate what Bedard was able to accomplish to this point in his budding career.
FOUR PACKS PLENTIFUL
Before we go too much further here, a quick stick tap goes out to Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars and Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers for their respective four-goal efforts last week.
It’s a ridiculous accomplishment, even if they came in a losing cause and neither player was all that interested in celebrating the moment at the time.
That Pavelski’s outburst came in his first game back from a concussion he suffered in the opening-round series with the Minnesota Wild after a hit from Matt Dumba made it even more impressive and he kept things rolling with another goal in Game 2 to give him five goals and six points in just three games during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Draisaitl continues to produce at a remarkable pace, chipping in two more goals on Saturday night to give him a league-leading 13 goals and 17 points in just eight games so far.
As someone who covered Draisaitl in person during the Western Conference final last spring, many observers were curious what the German forward might be able to accomplish while playing with two healthy legs (he dealt with a serious ankle injury in 2022).
Well, it looks like we’ve got our answer and if Draisaitl continues at his current pace, the NHL record for playoff goals (19), held by Reggie Leach of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jari Kurri of the Oilers, could be in jeopardy, though the Vegas Golden Knights are going to try to prevent that from happening.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR AVALANCHE?
Whenever the defending Stanley Cup champion is bounced in the opening round, it’s going to send off some alarm bells, but it certainly doesn’t mean the Colorado Avalanche are going to skate off into the sunset.
A first-round exit in seven games to the Seattle Kraken will leave the Avalanche highly motivated for 2023-24, not to mention rested and ready to roll.
After dealing with a short summer and the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover, the Avalanche finished 13 playoff wins shy of their goal of repeating as champions, despite rallying down the stretch to win the Central Division.
Playing an entire season without captain Gabe Landeskog was a factor both on and off the ice, and injuries to other key players throughout the campaign contributed to the ouster, but some roster reconstruction and salary cap gymnastics are on the horizon for Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland.
Along with the contract extension kicking in for top centre Nathan MacKinnon (whose AAV jumps from $6.3 million to $12.6 million for the next eight seasons), the Avalanche have eight unrestricted free agents to sort out and another three restricted free-agent deals to sign, including one for emerging D-man Bowen Byram.
Byram is an interesting study.
His value to the Avalanche is undeniable and he’s definitely shown plenty of top-pairing qualities but his injury history has impacted his ability to put up points.
How much does that factor into his next deal?
Byram, who turns 22 next month, is an incredible skater and still managed to notch 10 goals and 24 points in 42 games this season, while averaging just under 22 minutes per game in ice time (even though he’s not usually on the first power-play unit).
One of the other considerations is fellow blue-liner Devon Toews is now just one season away from pending UFA status (one year at $4.1 million AAV).
With that in mind, do the Avalanche opt for a long-term pact to coincide with the MacKinnon/Landeskog/Mikko Rantanen/Cale Makar window or is a bridge required before the commitment to a much higher salary?
It’s an intriguing question and the answer could impact the latest search for a second-line centre, a role J.T. Compher handled admirably during a season he posted career-highs in assists (35) and points (52) while producing 17 goals (one shy of his career high) while suiting up in all 82 games.
Not only did Compher grow into an offensive threat, he’s a diligent two-way player who is very responsible in his own zone and a valuable penalty killer.
In short, players like Compher are hard to find (and replace), so you can be sure the Avalanche will make him a solid offer.
But given the economic realities, if it’s only about the money, there are probably going to be other clubs that can offer a higher salary or longer term.
Among the eight pending UFAs, new deals are required for D-men Erik Johnson (the longest serving player in the organization) and Jack Johnson, along with forwards Compher, Evan Rodrigues, Andrew Cogliano, Darren Helm, Lars Eller and Matt Nieto.
You could easily see some of those role players re-up on a one-year deal worth close to the league minimum, though there are sure to be some departures.
Rodrigues (16 goals, 39 points in 69 games) was a late addition as a free agent and his one-year bet on himself figures to pay off with a multi-year deal, whether with the Avalanche or elsewhere.
There’s been plenty of chatter about goaltending throughout the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and one could make the argument that Alexandar Georgiev was the second best goalie in the series against the Kraken.
But that had more to do with Seattle netminder Philipp Grubauer raising his level than Georgiev having trouble.
After appearing in what was easily his career high for games and starts (62), Georgiev’s raw numbers rose just slightly for goals-against average (2.60 from 2.53) while his save percentage dropped a bit (.914 from .918).
Georgiev has two more seasons left on his current deal that carries a cap hit of $3.4 million, which is a bargain for a No. 1 goalie these days.
Goaltending won’t be a question-mark going into the season for the Avalanche, though having backup Pavel Francouz return to health should allow Georgiev to reduce his workload a little bit next season.
Any team with MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar and a healthy Landeskog is going to be a force to be reckoned with, especially with a long summer of training on the horizon.
SNUB SEASON
The finalists for the annual NHL Awards have been rolling in during the second round and that means it’s snub season in many of the markets, where fan bases are up in arms over why their favourite player or coach didn’t make the grade.
As a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and one of the voters for most of the awards (other than the Jack Adams, Vezina and GM of the year), this is the time of the year when having thicker skin is sometimes required.
Some of the beefs are certainly warranted and it’s always important to remember that these are regular-season awards, but when the playoffs begin, there is always a performance or two that makes many voters (including myself) wonder if they missed the mark in a certain category.
This isn’t about Eastern bias or West Coast teams not getting enough viewings, especially if they play in the Pacific Time zone, it’s generally a matter of personal preference.
Not all voters value the same things in certain categories and that’s why you can get a wide variation of choices for a number of awards and to be frank, that’s a good thing.
There is room for interpretation when it comes to many of these selections — except for who should be No. 1 on all of the Hart ballots in 2022-23.
Now, that doesn’t mean passionate fans aren’t going to come at voters with both barrels at times, it’s simply a reminder that not having your favourite player on the ballot doesn’t mean the reporter doesn’t appreciate what that individual brings to the ice on a nightly basis.
Although voters are not allowed to reveal their selections until the evening the awards are handed out, I’m comfortable sharing that someone who received consideration for the second spot for a chunk of the second half of the season on my Hart Trophy ballot ended up sixth.
The toughest award to cast a ballot for was in the Norris race, where nearly 10 blue-liners could make a case to finish among the Top-5.
While Makar might have been No. 1 on my ballot had he appeared in north of 70 games, he didn’t make the cut because he missed 22 games due to injury.
That didn’t diminish the incredible impact he had on the Avalanche or the numbers (17 goals, 66 points) he put up (which were obviously impressive, especially when considered in the points per game category).
After careful consideration, I couldn’t justify having Makar ahead of Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars, Josh Morrissey of the Jets or Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils.
For the record, the two other finalists (Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers) were on my ballot, but you’ll need to wait until next month to send along your full onslaught of insults.
Since feedback is always welcome, send along your thoughts on the finalists and snubs to wiebesworld9@gmail.com at your convenience.
GALLANT WALKS THE PLANK
The Rangers are looking for a new head coach after the organization and Gerard Gallant chose to “mutually part ways” on Saturday.
A first-round defeat in seven games to the Devils played a role in the dismissal, as did the findings of the exit meetings between players and GM Chris Drury, according to numerous reports.
These are the same Rangers that advanced to the Eastern Conference final in 2022, pushing the Tampa Bay Lightning to six games after knocking out the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.
But despite an excellent series from goalie Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers didn’t have the same offensive punch when the chips were down and the speed of the Devils seemed to give them difficulty at times.
During his two seasons, Gallant coached the Rangers to a record of 99-46-19 (.662 winning percentage) during the regular season and a 13-14 mark (.482 winning percentage) in the playoffs.
That brings the number of current head coaching vacancies to five, including the Calgary Flames, who dismissed Darryl Sutter early last week, the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Anaheim Ducks.
The Flames plan to hire a GM before conducting their coaching search, though Gallant could end up being a candidate there, since he has a connection to forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
Gallant was the head coach when Huberdeau suited up with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior League and later with the Florida Panthers.
Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette falls into a similar category, having been behind the bench of the Panthers (first as an assistant and then as the interim head coach) as Huberdeau enjoyed his 115-point season.
THE HIT HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD
With the benefit of having a bit of additional time to process what took place, let’s examine the hit Rangers captain Jacob Trouba delivered on Devils forward Timo Meier in Game 7, one that left the hockey world screaming from the rooftops, no matter what side of the issue you may support.
For some folks, there is no grey area, it’s a clear headshot because that’s the principal point of contact.
While technically true, it was only the principal point of contact because Meier was hunched over and leaning forward just inside the blue line, where the devastating hit was delivered by Trouba.
It’s evident that Trouba tucks in his elbow and leads with his shoulder.
If you break it down into slow motion, Trouba commits to the hit and there is really no other place for him to go other than through Meier.
Meier put himself in a vulnerable position in a place on the ice where hits used to occur frequently, but that doesn’t make it a predatory hit.
It’s a high-traffic zone and it’s a dangerous spot to skate through at any time, especially during the playoffs, when hits are more frequent.
The puck carrier needs to be aware of where he is on the ice and aware of who is on the ice against him.
Yes, Trouba is known for handing out hellacious hits like this one and often that leaves opposing fan bases a bit hot under the collar because those hits often lead to injuries.
Open-ice hits are a skill, even if they are far less common than they once were, and I’m not in the camp that wants them penalized (unless it’s an illegal hit) or taken out of the game entirely.
The best news was that Meier was not injured on the play and if you thought he had an issue with the hit, the exchange in the handshake line at the end of the series between the two players should have cleared that up.
EYSSIMONT EARNS DEAL
Prior to this season, Michael Eyssimont had skated in a single NHL game, making his debut for the Jets in Montreal on April 11 of 2022 against the Canadiens.
Chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round (142nd overall) in the aforementioned 2016 NHL Draft, Eyssimont was grinding away in the minors for four seasons and change before the call came.
Then after a strong training camp with the Jets under new head coach Rick Bowness, Eyssimont spent another nine games in the American Hockey League with the Manitoba Moose before getting recalled on Nov. 11.
Although he didn’t know it at the time, Eyssimont was saying goodbye to the long bus rides, though his circuitous path was just getting started.
After collecting a goal and five points in 19 games with the Jets, Eyssimont was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks, where he earned regular duty and collected three goals and eight points in 20 games.
Eyssimont was then traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Vladislav Namestnikov, who ended up being flipped to the Jets.
No, this is not an Abbott and Costello routine, it’s a story of perseverance as Eyssimont signed a two-year, one-way deal that carries an AAV of $800,000 with the Lightning after chipping in a goal and two points in 15 games.
Eyssimont, who turns 27 in September, impressed Lightning head coach Jon Cooper with his tenacious forechecking ability and willingness to play a physical style, while showing flashes of the skill that allowed him to be a high point producer in the minors.