Hunter Shinkaruk traded for Kerby Rychel

         The Calgary Flames have acquired forward Kerby Rychel from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Hunter Shinkaruk.

         Since this is a minor trade, I'll do one paragraph for both teams. Both Rychel and Shinkaruk were once decent prospects who haven't found a place to play. Both now get a change of scenery, which could help them. Also, both were RFAs, having not signed at all this whole offseason.

         Rychel, 23, scored a goal and an assist for two points in four games for the Canadiens this past season. In his NHL career for the Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets, Rychel has scored three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 41 games.

         Shinkaruk, also 23, has scored two goals and two assists for four points in 15 career games for the Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Where will these current free agents land?

             Well, it's currently August 18th. It's been almost 50 days since NHL UFAs could sign with other teams. But, there is still some players who haven't signed with other teams. The most notable are ex 40 goal scorer Rick Nash, goalies Kari Lehtonen and Steve Mason, forwards Mike Cammalieri and Troy Brouwer, plus defenseman Luca Sbisa. Since they have to sign eventually, here are my predictions to where they will go.

              Rick Nash, winger, Dallas Stars

              Nash, a 34 year old winger who scored 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points in 71 games for the Rangers and Bruins last season, is the most notable player left on the market. He has scored 30 goals eight times, including three 40 goal campaigns. The Stars have been in need for a winger in recent years, and added Alex Radulov before the 2017-18 season. This offseason, they've only added 4th liner Blake Comeau. Plus, they regained Valeri Nichushkin, an old star who played in Russia the past two seasons. But, they could still use more, as they are in need for a top six winger. Getting Nash on a 1-2 year deal with a $3-5 million AAV would be ideal.

               Mike Cammalieri, winger, Boston Bruins
            
               Cammalieri, a 36 year old who is definitely going to sign with a contender to go cup chasing, led all current UFAs in assists last year with 22 for the Kings and Oilers. A two time 30 goal scorer, Cammalieri would bring veteran presence to the Bruins bottom six, which has 27 year old Chris Wagner as their oldest bottom six player. Cammalieri would certainly accept another one year, $1 million deal.

               Luca Sbisa, defensman, Ottawa Senators

               Sbisa, one of the youngest players on the market at 28, is a decent top 6 defenseman that I think should be signed by now. At 28, he's not at the age where he'd only go to a contender. Ottawa's most experienced left defenseman is Mark Borowiecki, with his 269 career games. Sbisa would be a good fit.

                Kari Lehtonen, goalie, Winnipeg Jets

                Lehtonen, a 34 year old who had a 2.56 GAA and .912 SV% in 37 games for the Stars last year, is going to have to settle in to a backup role this next season. Winnipeg lost both Steve Mason and Michael Hutchinson, leaving Connor Hellebuyck with just Laurent Brossoit as his backup. WInnipeg is going to be very competitive this next season, and a backup like Lehtonen would help them win some games.

                 Steve Mason, goalie, Pittsburgh Penguins

                  The Penguins experimented with having a formerly bought-out goalie as their backup in Antti Niemi last season. Mason has been solid in his career, but was bought out following a trade to Montreal. He's an improvement over Casey Desmith as Matt Murray's backup.

Best NHL player by number!

           I know, you've probably seen a lot of these around the internet. But I looked around, and a lot of the articles I found with the same idea were missing numbers for no reason. Since 99 is forever retired by Wayne Gretzky, as no one stepped on the ice this season wearing numbers 69, 80 and 84. this should be a 95 section list, and is. Also, if this hits big, say 200 pageviews, I'll do one for the MLB at the end of the season. Finally, a lot of credit goes to Hockey-reference.com, where I found pretty much all of this info. So, let it begin. The top player to suit up in 2017-18 per jersey number, NHL.

          #1: Roberto Luongo    Other: Mike Condon, Semyon Varlamov, Keith Kinkaid
          #2: Duncan Keith        Other: Nick Leddy, Matt Niskanen
          #3: John Klingberg      Other: Keith Yandle, Seth Jones
          #4: Tyson Barrie          Other: Cam Fowler, Ryan Ellis, Justin Schultz, Niklas Hjalmarsson
          #5: Aaron Ekblad         Other: Mark Girodano, Noah Hanifin
          #6: Brock Boeser          Other: Shea Weber, Jake Muzzin, Collin Miller
          #7: Jordan Eberle          Other: T.J. Brodie, Kyle Turris, Brent Seabrook
          #8: Alex Ovechkin        Other: Drew Doughty, Joe Pavelski, Zach Werenski
          #9: Taylor Hall              Other: Artemi Panarin, Filip Forsberg, Mikko Koivu
          #10: Brayden Schenn    Other: Alex Wennberg, Corey Perry
          #11: Anze Kopitar         Other: Mikael Backlund, Jonathan Huberdeau, Zach Parise
          #12: Josh Bailey            Other: Eric Staal, Patrick Marleau
          #13: Johnny Gaudreau  Other: Mat Barzal, Cam Atkinson    
          #14: Jamie Benn           Other: Sean Couturier, Mattias Ekholm, Tomas Plekanec
          #15: Jack Eichel            Other: Ryan Getzlaf, Artem Anisimov
          #16: Aleksander Barkov Other: Mitch Marner, Max Domi
          #17: Wayne Simmonds   Other: Ryan Kesler, Jaden Schwartz
          #18: James Neal             Other: Ondrej Palat, Bryan Little
          #19: Jonathan Toews      Other: Nick Backstrom, Joe Thornton, Reilly Smith
          #20: Ryan Suter              Other: Sebastian Aho (CAR), Brandon Saad, Chris Kreider
          #21: Kyle Palmieri          Other: Vincent Trocheck, Brayden Point, Derek Stepan
          #22: Kevin Shattenkirk   Other: Daniel Sedin, Nino Niederreiter
          #23: Oliver Ekman-Larsson Other: Sean Monahan, Sam Reinhart
          #24: Matt Dumba             Other: Travis Hamonic, Kasperi Kapanen
          #25: James van Riemsdyk Other: Mike Green, Jonas Brodin
          #26: Blake Wheeler          Other: Jimmy Vesey, Thomas Vanek
          #27: Alex Pietrangelo      Other: Anders Lee, Ryan McDonagh, Dougie Hamilton, Nikolaj Ehlers.

           #28: Claude Giroux        Other: Damon Severson, Elias Lindholm    
           #29: Nathan MacKinnon Other: Marc-Andre Fleury, Leon Draisaitl, Patrik Laine
           #30: Matt Murray            Other: Henrik Lundqvist, Ben Bishop
           #31: Carey Price              Other: Martin Jones, Frederik Andersen
           #32: Jonathan Quick        Other: Antti Raanta, Kari Lehtonen
           #33: Dustin Byfuglien      Other: Henrik Sedin, Zdeno Chara, Viktor Arvidsson, Cam Talbot
           #34: Auston Matthews     Other: James Reimer, Jake Allen
           #35: Pekka Rinne             Other: Cory Schneider, Steve Mason, Jimmy Howard
           #36: John Gibson             Other: Mats Zuccarello, Jussi Jokinen
           #37: Patrice Bergeron      Other: Connor Hellebuyck, Yanni Gourde, Brian Elliott
           #38: Ryan Hartmen         Other: Boone Jenner, Nikita Scherbak
           #39: Logan Couture        Other: Anthony Mantha, Toby Enstrom
           #40: Tukka Rask             Other: Carter Hutton, Devan Dubnyk, Michael Grabner
           #41: Paul Byron              Other: Mike Smith, Craig Anderson
           #42: David Backes          Other: Joel Ward, Tyler Bozak
           #43: Nazem Kadri           Other: Conor Sheary, Tom Wilson
           #44: Morgan Reilly         Other: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Josh Morissey, Calvin de Haan
           #45: Sami Vatanen          Other: Jonathan Bernier, Lukas Sedlak
           #46: David Krejci           Other: Jared Spurgeon, Pontus Aberg
           #47: Alex Radulov          Other: Hampus Lindholm, Sven Baertschi, Torey Krug
           #48: Tomas Hertl            Other: Vinnie Hinostroza, Matt Grzelcyk
           #49: Victor Rask             Other: Ivan Barbashev, Sam Girard (on Colorado)
           #50: Corey Crawford      Other: Adam Pelech, Antoine Vermette
           #51: Frans Nielson          Other: Jake Gardiner, David Desharnais
           #52: Sean Kuraly            Other: Michael Amadio, Jonathan Ericsson, Martin Marincin
           #53: Shayne Gostisbehere Other: Bo Horvat, Jeff Skinner
           #54: Charles Hudon         Other: Adam McQuaid, Oskar Lindholm
           #55: Mark Scheifele         Other: Colton Parakyo, Rasmus Ristolainen, Johnny Boychuk
           #56: Eric Haula                Other: Magnus Paajarvi, Marko Dano
           #57: Tyler Myers              Other: David Perron, Trevor van Riemsdyk
           #58: Kris Letang               Other: David Savard, Anton Slepyshev
           #59: Roman Josi               Other: Jake Guentzel, Jake Dotchin
           #60: Markus Granlund      Other: Collin Delia, Carson Soucy
           #61: Rick Nash                 Other: Mark Stone, Justin Braun
           #62: Carl Hagelin             Other: Denis Malgin, Andrej Sustr
           #63: Brad Marchand         Other: Tyler Ennis, Jesper Bratt, Evgeni Dadonov
           #64: Mikael Granlund       Other: Tyler Motte, Nail Yakupov
           #65: Eric Karlsson             Other: Andre Burakovsky, Danny DeKeyser
           #66: Josh Ho-Sang            Other: None
           #67: Max Pacioretty          Other: Rickard Rakell, Michael Frolik
           #68: Mike Hoffman           Other: Jaromir Jagr, Melker Karlsson
           #69: None, last worn by Andrew Desjardins in 2011-12
           #70: Braden Holtby           Other: Tanner Pearson, Joonas Korpisalo
           #71: Evgeni Malkin           Other: William Karlsson, Nick Foligno, Dylan Larkin
           #72: Sergei Bobrovsky      Other: Patric Hornqvist, Anthony Beauvillier
           #73: Tyler Toffoli               Other: Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Pirri
           #74: John Carlson              Other: Jake Debrusk, Jaccob Slavin
           #75: Ryan Reaves              Other: Jaycob Megna, Brandon Halverson
           #76: P.K. Subban              Other: Brady Skjei
           #77: Victor Hedman           Other: T.J. Oshie, Jeff Carter, Oscar Klefbom
           #78: Beau Bennett              Other: Filip Chlapik, Maxim Mamim
           #79: Michael Ferland         Other: Justin Auger, Nathan Walker
           #80: No one, last worn by Matt Tennyson in 2015-16.
           #81: Jonathan Marchessault Other: Phil Kessel, Kyle Connor
           #82: Nathan Beaulieu          Other: Jordan Oesterle, Justin Kloos
           #83: Trevor Daley               Other: Ales Hemsky, Jay Beagle, Matt Nieto
           #84: None, last worn by Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Varone in 2015-16
           #85: Mathieu Perreault       Other: None
           #86: Nikita Kucherov         Other: Teuvo Teravainen, Nikolay Kulemin
           #87: Sidney Crosby            Other: Vadim Shipachyov, Liam O'Brien
           #88: Patrick Kane               Other: Brent Burns, David Pastrnak, Andrei Vasilevskiy
           #89: Alex Tuch                   Other: Mikkel Boedker, Pavel Buchnevich, Sam Gagner
           #90: Ryan O'Reilly             Other: Marcus Johansson, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jason Spezza
           #91: Steven Stamkos          Other: John Tavares, Tyler Seguin, Vladimir Tarasenko
           #92: Ryan Johansen            Other: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jonathan Drouin, Gabriel Landeskog
           #93: Jakub Voracek             Other: Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Bennett
           #94: Sam Girard (on NSH)  Other: Andrei Mironov
           #95: Matt Duchene              Other: Justin Bailey, Henrik Borgstrom
           #96: Mikko Rantanen          Other: None
           #97: Connor McDavid         Other: None
           #98: Mikhail Sergachev       Other: Jesse Puljujarvi
           #99: Retired forever by Wayne Gretzky

           Hope you guys all enjoyed this article. If you disagree, comment below your opinion, and share with your friends, and follow me on Twitter @Carterhudblog.

Our interview with New York Islanders rookie Mat Barzal

           At the beginning of the 2017-18 NHL season, there was talk about who would win the Calder trophy. Now, there isn't any conversation. New York Islanders center Mat Barzal has absolutely run away with the trophy, awarded to the best rookie of the season. The 20 year old Coquitlam, British Columbia native was drafted 16th overall by the Isles in the 2015 NHL draft. The pick was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers along with the pick the Isles traded up for Barzal's best friend, Anthony Beauvillier for defenseman Griffin Reinhart. In his rookie season, Barzal has scored 18 goals and 49 assists for 67 points in 66 games, first among rookies by far. He played in two games in 2016-17, so his career totals are 67 points in 68 games. Also, he became the first rookie to score five assists in a single game twice. He's also the first rookie with three five point games since Joe Malone in the NHL's inaugural season, 100 years ago. Many players, like Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, have commented on Barzal's play. At teammate Anders Lee's kancer jam, I asked Barzal about those comments, Beauvillier and more.

             Carter LaCorte (me): Many players around the league have commented on your play. How did you react to that?

             Mat Barzal: It's so cool hearing it from other guys around the league. Knowing that they have seen my game and that kind of stuff. It's really flattering.

              CL: Many teams passed on you in the draft, including the Boston Bruins three times. Did that motivate you to work harder to get where you are now?

              MB: It did at the time. You just have to be self-motivated. At the time I wanted to prove everybody wrong.

                 CL: Do you think you could beat Connor McDavid in a race?

                MB: No, I'm not sure of that.

                CL: Can you tell us more about your "bromance" with teammate Anthony Beauvillier?

                MB: He's my best friend on the team. We've had a lot of fun together. We're kind of crazy too. We have a lot of fun.

               CL: Would you rather get an assist or a goal?

               MB: I love scoring but I love getting assists too. I like both. Either one is good for me.

               CL: Do you consider yourself a playmaker or a goal scorer?

               MB: I'm more of a playmaker.

               CL: The team has been very good on offense this season, but has struggled on defense. How can the forwards help prevent more goals from scoring?

              MB: We have to work harder and block more shots.

              CL: What's it like being here at Anders' kan jam event?

              MB: It's the best. Anders is an amazing guy. This is so great, and being his teammate I want to show him as much support as I can.

              CL: You played in Seattle in the WHL. Do you think it's a good NHL venue?

              MB: It's great, definitely.

              CL: What would you name an NHL team there?

               MB: I would have it... maybe the Metropolitans.

               CL: Who has the biggest personality on the team?

               MB: Jason Chimera (he hadn't been traded to the Ducks yet at the time of this recording). He's so funny.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Nolan Patrick to Entry Level Contract

The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Monday that they signed second overall pick, Nolan Patrick to a three-year entry-level contract worth 925,000 per season.

Patrick, who the Flyers chose with the number two pick, after their division rivals, the New Jersey Devils nabbed Nico Hischier with the first overall selection, put up 20 goals and 26 assists in 33 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League this past season.

Patrick missed 39 games during the season, including the WHL Playoffs, with a sports hernia. He underwent surgery for the injury on June 13, holding him out of the Flyers Development Camp this past week.

Patrick said, “This is the first time in a while that I will be completely healthy. My injury was bugging me all season. I will be back on the ice next week and I am excited.”   

Regarding the surgery he added, “If I had waited any longer it would take two weeks off my training. When the doctor told me, `It needs to be done’, I told him, OK I will get it done right away, `When can we do it?’”

Patrick went on to say, the doctor told him to go home for a couple of days and then return. He said, “I went home on Friday, came back on Monday and had it done on Tuesday morning. I am feeling great, really happy I got it done.”  

Patrick’s father, Steve was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, 20^th overall, of the 1980 National Hockey League Entry Draft. His uncle James, patrolled the blueline in 1,280 NHL games between the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Sabres, between 1983 and 2004.

Flyers general manager, Ron Hextall said that he expects the 18-year old center to be ready for the start of Flyers training camp in September. The Devils inked Hischier to his three-year, entry-level deal just two days earlier on Saturday. 

New Jersey Devils Sign 2017 Number One Selection Nico Hischier to Three Year Entry Level Contract

The New Jersey Devils announced on Saturday that they signed 2017 number one overall draft pick, Nico Hischier, to a three-year entry-level contract worth 925,000 per season, plus performance bonuses.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ray Shero, made the announcement following the conclusion of the team’s development camp that the 18-year-old, Swiss-born player was inked to the maximum salary allowed for entry-level contracts.

The Devils made Hischier the first ever player from Switzerland to be chosen first overall, during last month’s National Hockey League Entry Draft in Chicago, Illinois. The Devils received their first ever number one slot in the NHL Draft, after winning the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery and moving up from the fifth slot to the top spot in the draft.

On Saturday, Hischier participated in the team’s Red and White Scrimmage between the prospects that were invited to the development camp, at the RWJ Barnabas Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey.  Season ticket holders were invited to watch the scrimmage between the team’s future stars.

During the 2016-2017 season, Hischier played for the Halifax Mooseheads, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as he led all rookies in scoring with 38 goals and 48 assists in 57 games. He added three goals and four assists in six QMJHL playoff games.

The Canadian Hockey League and QMJHL Rookie of the Year, was also QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year, a member of the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and recipient of the Mike Bossy Trophy for QMJHL Best Professional Prospect. During the second day of the NHL Draft, he was awarded the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, given to the player that best exemplifies the commitment to excellence through strength and character, competitiveness and athleticism.

The Brig, Switzerland native, represented his homeland during the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships in Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. He put up seven points during the tournament.

The team also announced that Hischier will become the second player in team history to don the number 13. He wears the number for the Mooseheads, for his favorite player, former Detroit Red Wing star, Pavel Datsyuk. Hischier’s playing style has also been compared to Datsyuk.

Shero said, “He has been everything I had hoped he would be, I know this is not an evaluation but certainly his on-ice skill set is really fun to watch. He is a respectful kid and the way that he carries himself is nice to see and he has interacted well with the younger players and veterans that came in. That is his upbringing, but it has been a great learning week for him and it has been nice to see the type of person he is as well.”  

The Devils also noted that they are continuing to work to sign former Harvard Crimson forward, Alexander Kerfoot and restricted free agent defenseman, Damon Severson to contracts with the club. Kerfoot can become an unrestricted free agent on August 16, if the Devils can’t work out a contract agreement.

The 22-year-old Harvard captain, put up 16 goals and 29 assists in 36 games last season. He was a first-team All-Ivy League player, as well as a finalist for the 2016-2017 Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

The Devils fifth round pick, 150^th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft also finished in the top 10 for the Hobey Baker Award, for top player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division I hockey.  

Severson, 22, is coming off a three-year, two-way, 2.85 million-dollar contract with New Jersey. He was given a qualifying offer on June 26, which gives them a little bit of more time to work a way with the right-handed defenseman.  

In 80 games, during the 2016-2017 campaign, Severson put up three goals and 28 assists while patrolling the blueline with captain Andy Greene. 

Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid Reach Agreement on Eight Year 100 Million Dollar Contract Extension

The Edmonton Oilers announced that they have reached an eight-year, 100-million dollar, contract extension with 2015 number one draft pick, Connor McDavid on Wednesday.

The new deal will kick in before the start of the 2018-2019 National Hockey League, as the 20-year-old captain is in the final year of his entry-level contract as the Oilers prepare for the upcoming 2017-2018 season. When the contact begins next season, McDavid’s annual average value of 12.5 million per season, will have the highest salary cap hit in the league. 

McDavid said, “It is insane to really think about, someone is going to pay me 100 million dollars to do what I am going to do what I would do on a regular day; it is insane. It is very special, and to do that in Edmonton makes it even better.”

 

According to CapFriendly.com, Chicago Blackhawks forwards, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane currently have the highest cap hit in the NHL, for the 2017-2018 season, at 10.5 million dollars. Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Carey Price, who just signed an eight-year extension over the weekend, will have an AAV of 10.5 million dollars beginning in 2018. 

McDavid added, “For me, it just makes me want to be better, it just makes me want to work harder. You want to earn that money. You do not want to be somebody that signs a deal and kind of shuts it down, that is not going to be me at all. It is only driving me more.”    

By signing the extension, he avoids worrying about becoming a restricted free agent next July 1^st. He said, “You see guys go through years where it is their contract year; I saw [Tampa Bay Lightning captain] Steven Stamkos go through it firsthand and I know him pretty well. I do not think it is very fun. It is not fun to answer that question every day you come to the rink: `Is there any updates, is there any of this?’”     

He went on to say, “For me, getting it done early shows a sign that I want to be here, there was no hesitation, it is not even a thought, I want to be here in Edmonton, and I think getting it done early shows that.” 

This past season, the 2015-2016 Calder Trophy winner, put up 100 points (30 goals and 70 assists), as he led the league in scoring during his sophomore season. The 2017 Hart Trophy winner (Most Valuable Player), and 2017 Ted Lindsay Award recipient (top player chosen by his peers), helped lead the Oilers to a second-place finish in the Pacific Division and the club’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after in nearly a decade. 

Through 127 games in his young NHL career, he has scored 46 goals and 102 assists. He has also added five goals and four helpers in 13 postseason games. 

Oilers general manager, Peter Chiarelli pretty much made getting McDavid signed to an extension a top priority for the Oilers, so as not to have any worries as it got closer to next summer when he would become a RFA. 

Chiarelli said, “This may be one of the largest contracts ever given in the NHL, but I can assure you, it could be a lot higher in value and shorter in term. Building a team to win the Stanley Cup was a constant discussion point in this negotiation.”

 

Oilers forward, Leon Draisaitl, became a RFA on July 1^st. The organization said that they will match any offer sheet that Draisaitl may receive from one of the other 30 clubs. 

Now that Chiarelli has completed the extension with McDavid, he can shift his focus on getting Draisaitl locked down in Edmonton as well. He believes the deal with his captain, helps to give the club some more flexibility to continue to build the club around McDavid. 

The 21-year-old, Draisaitl, put up 29 goals and 48 assists during the 2016-2017 season. The general manager said, “Any time you enter July 1, with a player of Leon’s caliber unsigned, there is always that chatter of offer sheets across all of the networks. We are in a comfortable position and will match any offer.”

The team has about 17.9 million dollars wriggle room under the 75-million-dollar cap for the 2017-2018 season. 

The Oilers did lose center David Desharnais on Wednesday after the New York Rangers gave him a one-year, one-million-dollar deal. 

In 49 games between the Oilers and Canadiens, Desharnais, put up six goals and eight assists. He added four more points in the Oilers’ 13 postseason games. 

The 31-year-old center felt the Rangers were the right fit for him, after they lost center Derek Stepan in a trade to the Arizona Coyotes and the Vegas Golden Knights claimed Oscar Lindberg in the expansion draft. 

Desharnais said, “They lose two centers, so they only have two centers [Mika Zibanejab and Kevin Hayes], so that is a good opportunity for me to come and have a little bit of ice time and show what I can do. I feel like it was a good fit.”

 

The undrafted free agent, signed with the Canadiens back on November 5, 2008 and has put up 81 goals and 173 assists through 453 games between Montreal and Edmonton. In 51 Stanley Cup Playoff games, he added, four goals and 13 assists throughout his career.