A late-night blockbuster trade. Plus: Why you need to care about this NHL draft

New York Times

3 days ago

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I don't know about you, but I didn't get a whole lot of sleep thanks to the Mammoth and Sabres pulling off a blockbuster just before midnight last night. Let's break it down…
We'd been hearing rumblings about J.J. Peterka's availability for weeks now, going back to the combine in Buffalo when I listed both these teams as likely to be big players this offseason. The player wasn't happy on the struggling Sabres, and he had real leverage after back-to-back seasons clearing 25 goals at a young age.
Utah, meanwhile, had acres of cap space – more than $18 million, fifth most in the league before the deal – and a new market and owner that wanted to go big. Mission accomplished, Ryan Smith.
Did the Sabres get enough – power forward prospect Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring – for one of their best young players? Our trade graders, including yours truly, aren't so sure, but a lot will hinge on Doan's development and Kesselring's ability to absorb tough minutes alongside Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power.
This deal certainly sets the table for a massive draft weekend, where you can expect more teams to be very aggressive on the trade front. More on that from our insiders further down.
Without a huge name headlining the 2025 NHL entry draft class, there hasn't been as much buzz around this one as in past seasons.
With Round 1 set to open tomorrow night in Los Angeles, however, I wanted The A's prospect experts, Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, to weigh in on why you should care about this draft, despite the lack of a generational talent at the top.
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For a more casual hockey fan, how would you sell this draft in terms of the highlights or interesting things to watch for?
Pronman: After Matthew Schaefer goes (first overall), there's a blob of forwards in the 2-9 range. We don't have any high degree of confidence as to how these forwards, almost all of them premium young centers, will go. As well, there is a major question mark among them in Roger McQueen, who is a top 5 talent but suffered from a back injury most of the season.
Wheeler: I think the story of this draft is that it hasn't been written yet. Last year, you had Macklin Celebrini and then this rare collection of high-end defensemen that you knew were going to shape the way the draft was viewed in five or 10 years. Next year, we know Gavin McKenna is around the corner. This year feels much less certain, which should create a fascinating continued conversation. There are different potential outcomes as to which players will be the defining players of this class.
How close will the top three picks be to helping the Islanders, Sharks and Blackhawks – who pick 1-2-3 – next season?
Pronman: Schaefer and Michael Misa (ranked No. 1 and No. 2) could play in the NHL right away. The rest of the top prospects likely need a year or two outside the league.
Wheeler: What Corey said.
Are there any dark horse picks who could go 10th or later that you think have a chance to turn into stars?
Pronman: I'm a big fan of Victor Eklund, who we don't expect to go in the top 10. I think he has a lot of similarities to Seth Jarvis at the same age.
Wheeler: I've given winger Ryker Lee (projected to go in the late-first or early-second) one of the highest skill grades in the class and believe he's one of the only prospects likely to be taken outside the top 20 who is talented enough to become a productive, top-six, power play type if he hits some development checkpoints.
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Here's our latest draft big board for more on how Corey and Scott see things playing out. And here's the full draft order going into night one.
Speaking of the draft …
Why the Canucks rolled the dice on trading for Evander Kane and what the Oilers are up to after dumping his contract.
Ranking every NHL team's salary-cap situation, from best to worst. Who has the most money to spend as we sit five days from free agency? (Spoiler: The Sharks are loaded.)
Where could Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson get dealt, given his $10 million contract?
Pierre LeBrun has been Mr. Rumblings of late and his latest doesn't disappoint with a ton of good nuggets from around the league, including notes on Mitch Marner, Claude Giroux and the John Gibson trade we've been waiting decades for.
'The Athletic Hockey Show' serves up an erudite draft preview show, looking at if the Sharks might skip Michael Misa and take Anton Frondell as No. 2 instead.
We know a lot of NHL teams are flush with cap space. And we know free agency is underwhelming (but still check out the big board anyway). Which means the trade market should be extra busy here in the days to come, as clubs attempt to embiggen their rosters starting at the draft tomorrow.
I checked in with our insiders – Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston – and a top NHL player agent on which teams they think will be leading the charge this weekend.
LeBrun: Edmonton. They're probably the team given the urgency internally to sign Evan Bouchard before July 1, still move more money (Viktor Arvidsson), find some cheaper forward alternatives, and likely tweak the goaltending. It's a lot to do.
Johnston: Montreal. GM Kent Hughes has gone shopping on draft week before and has first-round picks to move as he pursues a top-six forward.
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Anonymous agent: Pittsburgh. They're attempting to be very active. In addition to Karlsson, a guy like Bryan Rust could bring a return that adds a lot to their asset base.
Exciting stuff. Flip your The Athletic app NHL notifications on this weekend, as it's going to be a busy one.
💡Mirtrivia answers: Question 1 is my gift to our oldtimers. Many will recall the Islanders taking Rick DiPietro first in 2000, making him just the second goalie ever drafted with the top pick. But do you remember the 1972 and 1973 drafts when they set the table for an 1980s dynasty by taking Billy Harris (who was later traded for Butch Goring) and Denis Potvin?
Question 2, however, should be a relatively easy one: Aaron Ekblad to the Panthers, drafted from the Barrie Colts back in 2014. The other three defensemen to go No. 1 in the past 28 years? Erik Johnson (2006), Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021).
Pretty good company for Schaefer, who is a kid worth rooting for.
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(Top photo of J.J. Peterka: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)