Latest news with #NHLScoutingCombine
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan fill Sabres' needs, but did Buffalo get enough for JJ Peterka?
BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams held his pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, he was short on specifics when it came to JJ Peterka and the trade rumors surrounding him. But he finished his answer by saying, 'We have a plan.' We saw the first piece of that plan late Wednesday night when Adams traded Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for right-handed defenseman Michael Kesselring and right wing Josh Doan. Peterka, who was unwilling to sign a long-term extension in Buffalo, immediately agreed to a five-year contract worth $7.7 million. Advertisement There's a lot to unpack with this trade, one that will go down as one of the biggest of the offseason. It's not often that a homegrown, 23-year-old fresh off a 68-point season gets traded. But Peterka was keen on a change of scenery. It's hard to imagine he would have taken that same contract extension to stay in Buffalo. The fact that Peterka, who is still four years away from unrestricted free agency, didn't want to commit to playing for the Sabres can be viewed as a legitimate indictment on the organization, one that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 years and is entering year six with Adams as general manager despite going backwards each of the last two seasons. It also put Adams in a position he hasn't been in since Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart asked for trades back in 2021. Adams had to know any trade involving Peterka would mean giving up a player perceived to be the best in the deal, just like those Eichel and Reinhart trades. He also had to know the longer the situation dragged on, the more he risked losing leverage in trade talks. When the offseason started, dealing Peterka wasn't necessarily on the top of Adams' to-do list. Peterka's name first popped up in trade rumors around the NHL trade deadline, but Adams said then that he viewed Peterka as part of the Sabres' core. But by the time the NHL Scouting Combine rolled around, the Sabres were getting inundated with inquiries about Peterka's availability. If Peterka was that unhappy, why wouldn't Adams listen to those offers? Setting aside how Peterka got to that point and what it means about the state of the Sabres under Adams, the question will be whether Adams got enough in return for Peterka. That depends on your view of Peterka and your view of the players the Sabres acquired. In a vacuum, Peterka is the best player in this deal. He had 68 points last season and set a career high with 41 assists. He had 28 goals two seasons ago and 27 goals last season. He's a legitimate top-six winger with the speed and shooting ability to create a ton of offense off the rush. Peterka got a lot of opportunity to do just that in Buffalo, where he spent a lot of time on the first line and got a healthy dose of power-play minutes. It's worth noting, his five-on-five shooting percentage was also north of 14 percent last season. That may not be sustainable. Advertisement Peterka is also not a strong defensive player at this point in his career. Despite his offensive ability, the Sabres have only 46 percent of the expected goals when Peterka was on the ice at five-on-five last season. According to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn's model, Peterka's defensive impact was in the second percentile in the league. Peterka's potential is obvious, but he still needs to round out his game. Here's something else to consider: Peterka while playing with Tage Thompson together at five-on-five: 50.34 percent expected goal share Peterka without Thompson: 42.77 percent expected goal share Thompson without Peterka: 53.31 percent expected goal share None of this is to say Peterka isn't a quality asset, but he's far from a sure thing to develop into a star. Utah is placing a reasonable bet on a player who fits the way they want to play. Meanwhile, the Sabres are adding two players who aren't nearly as flashy as Peterka but who could help the Sabres in their aim to become a more well-rounded team. Kesselring is the right-shot defenseman Adams has coveted for his entire tenure as general manager. He's 25 years old, stands 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds and has the toughness to match. But he also skates well and has one of the heaviest shots in the league. He looks like an ideal partner for Owen Power and is under contract for one more year at $1.4 million before becoming a restricted free agent. Right-handed defensemen tend to be among the most difficult players to find and acquire. The Sabres clearly needed to add a tough defender to their blue line this summer, and Kesselring is that. Doan, the son of former NHLer Shane Doan, had only 19 points in what was mostly a bottom-six role for Utah last season. But the 23-year-old also acquitted himself as one of the most tenacious forecheckers in the league last season. According to AllThreeZones, Doan was among the league leaders in forecheck pressures per 60 and recovered dump-ins per 60. Utah controlled 61 percent of the expected goals when Doan was on the ice at five-on-five. He plays a smart, well-rounded game and has room to get better offensively. He's in the third year of his entry-level contract. Advertisement The Sabres were one of the worst teams in the league at generating chances off the forecheck last season and have habitually struggled to convert chances around the front of the net. Doan can do both of those things, but how big a role he has could determine how much of an impact he's able to make. In a team statement, Adams said the Sabres came into the offseason with the goal of becoming 'more competitive and tougher to play against. The additions of Michael and Josh will help us tremendously in both of those categories.' Another previously stated goal of the offseason was fixing the team culture. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff noted it multiple times during a behind-the-scenes video of the team's trade deadline process. It was a talking point after the season, too. Keeping a disgruntled player doesn't necessarily contribute to that goal. The Sabres have developed a reputation for high-profile trades that don't age particularly well. The list of drought-era Sabres who have won a Stanley Cup elsewhere is a long one. So it's easy to look at this trade and think Peterka will be the next talented Sabre to hit his ceiling in another uniform. But the Sabres are getting back two players who could make them a more complete team next season. The key to all of this is what comes next. The Sabres saved more than $5 million in cap space based on Peterka's new extension. The Sabres now have roughly $20 million in cap space with 18 players under contract. For a team that hasn't spent within $6 million of the cap ceiling since 2019-20, that gives off the scent of a cost-savings move. One way to dispel that is by using those savings to improve the roster elsewhere. Adams still has a lot to get done over the next few weeks. Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Devon Levi are all restricted free agents. Alex Tuch is also eligible to sign an extension on July 1 and that should be a priority for the Sabres. Byram is another name that has been in trade rumors all offseason. Will Adams keep him to have a top four on defense of Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Power and Kesselring? Or will he move Byram to try to add some offense to replace Peterka's production? Could Adams move the No. 9 pick or some of his prospects for more NHL help? Is there a free-agent swing in the cards? Advertisement The answers to those questions will help us judge the totality of Adams' offseason plan. Adams hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt with Sabres fans after the last five years. And this trade with Utah is a risky one. But it's just the first piece of what should be an eventful offseason for Adams and the Sabres.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
NHL draft news: New York Islanders hold top NHL draft pick as Matthew Schaefer leads buzz with ‘he does it all' praise
NHL-Matthew Schaefer during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Credit: Getty Images) NHL-Matthew Schaefer during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Credit: Getty Images) NHL-Matthew Schaefer during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Credit: Getty Images) NHL-Matthew Schaefer during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Credit: Getty Images) NHL-Matthew Schaefer during the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (Credit: Getty Images) 1 2 All eyes are on the New York Islanders as the NHL Draft kicks off at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. After a surprising lottery win in May, the Islanders hold the No. 1 overall pick. Their decision could transform the franchise's trajectory, especially with the spotlight centered on one name: Matthew Schaefer. Despite enduring a season plagued by illness and injury, the Erie Otters defenseman remains the highest-ranked North American skater. Scouts praise Schaefer's elite skating, offensive instincts, and mental toughness. The 6-foot-2 Ontario native logged 22 points in just 17 games before a collarbone injury ended his season early. His international performance, where he captained Canada to gold at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, further boosted his stock. Welcome to the NHL | Matthew Schaefer Michael Misa and Anton Frondell in serious contention While Matthew Schaefer leads the projections, other elite prospects could make the Islanders' decision more complex. Michael Misa, a high-scoring forward from the OHL's Saginaw Spirit, is drawing attention as a potential top-two selection. Still, the Islanders' organizational needs may influence their final decision, with defensive depth a growing concern. A foundational blue-liner like Schaefer might be too valuable to pass up. Even with high-octane forwards available. James Hagens adds local angle and emotional twist James Hagens could offer the most compelling narrative twist, the Boston College standout is not only the top-ranked American player in the draft. But also a Long Island native and lifelong Islanders fan, with elite offensive instincts and two standout seasons on the U.S. national development team. Hagens brings both sentimental value and high-end talent. As the clock ticks down to the first pick Friday night, the Islanders face a pivotal decision: whether they stick with the presumed choice in Schaefer or shake up expectations. Along with Misa or Hagens, the 2024 draft could mark a defining chapter in New York's quest to return to contender status. Also Read: NHL trade news: New York Rangers confirm they are trading 2025 12th overall pick to Pittsburgh Penguins Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"Doesn't matter where you go; it's what you do after": Joshua Ravensbergen targets NHL first-round draft pick as Canada looks for next great goalie
Joshua Ravensbergen (via Getty Images) Joshua Ravensbergen, the 6-foot-5.25 North Vancouver, British Columbia goaltender, has become one of Canada's standout hockey prospects on the eve of the 2025 NHL Draft. Despite slipping through the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft undrafted, the Prince George Cougars phenom is now estimated to be a first-round candidate, making him an unprecedented Canadian goaltending prospect in a time when top national talent between the pipes has been a rarity. Joshua Ravensbergen rekindles Canadian optimism within the NHL goaltender universe From forgotten junior to NHL Draft news story, Joshua Ravensbergen's path is exceptional. Passed over in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft, Joshua Ravensbergen never allowed the disappointment to define him. Through boundless work and progress, he carved out a spot as one of the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects—this time, as an athletic goaltender who is tough to defeat and tougher to ignore. For Joshua Ravensbergen, this summer's NHL Draft might become an individual milestone—and an emblematic moment for Canadian goaltending. The problem, Joshua Ravensbergen thinks, is limited CHL opportunities and results-oriented development design. But with the new CHL-NCAA transfer agreement now established, he envisions greater latitude for late-blooming goaltenders to come into their prime through longer development. 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Josh Ravensbergen "At the end of the day, it's not really about where you go, and I learned that not being drafted to the (WHL)," Ravensbergen told theScore at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier in June. "It's what team you go to, then you have to work your way up. At the end of the day, it would be cool, but you have to take into perspective (that) it doesn't really matter as much where you go; it's what you do after." Also read: NHL Trade Rumors: JJ Peterka emerges as potential trade piece in Buffalo Sabres' offseason plans Joshua Ravensbergen is not only pursuing an NHL aspiration, he's also shouldering the expectations of an entire nation eager for its next great goaltender. Approaching the 2025 NHL Draft, Joshua Ravensbergen is not only talented, he is also the promise of a goaltending renaissance in Canadian hockey. And whether he does or does not hear his name called on Day 1, his path already says everything.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Flyers Mock Draft: Expert Predicts Philly's Best-Case Scenario
The Flyers could end up with arguably the most talented forward in the draft class. (Photo: Eric Canha, Imagn Images) The Philadelphia Flyers still hold the sixth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but this expert's latest mock draft says that's not such a bad thing after all. Much of the dialogue to this point has centered around which players the Flyers are interested in, where those players will fall in the draft, and which teams are jockeying for their services. Advertisement Philadelphia figures to be one of the teams most locked onto a center, even despite their public comments regarding their willingness to take a winger or a defender. Fortunately for the Flyers, momentum is starting to pick up around the fall of one of the very best centers in the draft class in James Hagens. In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, prospects expert Scott Wheeler predicts Hagens will fall right into the Flyers' laps at No. 6, with Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, Caleb Desnoyers, and Porter Martone getting drafted ahead of him. "If Hagens gets here, I think the Flyers like him and would consider taking him. Same goes for Desnoyers, whose well-rounded game and smarts could really support and complement Matvei Michkov. But Desnoyers isn't going to be there," Wheeler wrote. "If Hagens isn't, I think they lean [Brady Martin] over Jake O'Brien here in terms of the other centers (though they did take O'Brien to dinner in Buffalo). The pull of a center, and a player like Martin, is real in this range." Advertisement The Utah Mammoth, who pick fourth, are said to be high on Martin as well and could consider taking him inside the top five. Perhaps Utah and Philadelphia are playing a game of chicken with the draft's most violent forward prospect. NHL Scouting Combine: Flyers Draft Board, Targets Taking Shape NHL Scouting Combine: Flyers Draft Board, Targets Taking Shape The Philadelphia Flyers, as expected, had a hectic week meeting with various top prospects at the NHL Scouting Combine. Such is life as a team with three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. That said, Hagens is an undeniable talent who continues to draw comparisons to New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes, who's already come within one point of a 100-point season early in his NHL career. Advertisement Pairing the 18-year-old Boston College talisman with Matvei Michkov will set the Flyers up for offensive success for two decades, and the remainder of the grueling rebuild would then center on adding cornerstone pieces around those two. Defenseman Jackson Smith, a potential top-10 pick, could be a trade-up candidate for the Flyers if management and scouts think he can be one of those pieces. On the right side of the defense, the Flyers have Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Helge Grans, so they have no need to force an early pick at this position. Plus, who knows what the future holds for Rasmus Ristolainen? Wheeler had other surprises in store for the Flyers in his latest mock draft (be sure to check those out), but landing Hagens would assuredly be the best-case scenario for the Flyers, who finished higher in the standings than many fans would have liked on the heels of that dreary ending to the 2024-25 season. Advertisement And that dream scenario seems to be gaining real momentum with the 2025 NHL Draft less than three weeks away. For more Flyers news and up-to-date coverage, visit The Hockey News and like our Facebook page. Follow us on 𝕏: @ByJonBailey, @TheHockeyNews
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
New York Rangers' Chris Kreider traded to Anaheim Ducks for prospect
The New York Rangers agreed to trade Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday for center prospect Carey Terrance after Kreider, who has a 15-team no-trade list, signed off on the deal, according to league sources. The deal, which is pending a trade call with the league, also includes a draft pick swap, with the Rangers getting a third-round pick and the Ducks getting a fourth-round pick. Kreider, New York's first-round pick from 2009, was the club's longest-tenured player. New York is not retaining any of Kreider's $6.5 million average annual value cap hit. Advertisement The Rangers and Ducks had the framework for the deal completed on Tuesday night, but Kreider's no-trade list included Anaheim, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported. Kreider agreed to the trade on Thursday. Kreider, 34, has two years left on his contract. With his contract off the books, the Rangers now have just under $15 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. Rangers' president Chris Drury still has to sign or explore his options with multiple restricted free agents, including Will Cuylle, K'Andre Miller, Matt Rempe and Adam Edström. Miller's name came up as a potential trade candidate at the NHL Scouting Combine this month. Kreider debuted in the 2012 playoffs, then played 883 regular-season games with the Rangers over the next 13 seasons. He's coming off the most disappointing season of his career. In 68 games, he had only 22 goals — his lowest total since the shortened 2020-21 season — and eight assists. He dealt with back spasms, a midseason illness that resulted in vertigo and a hand injury that he said after the season might require surgery. Before 2024-25, he had at least 36 goals in each of the previous three seasons, including a 52-goal campaign in 2021-22. He also had a memorable hat trick in Game 6 of the 2024 second round against Carolina, lifting the Rangers to their second conference final in three years. Fans littered his lawn with hats after the game, which took place in Raleigh. The Kreider deal is the second major trade Drury has made with the Ducks in the past year involving a core player. He sent captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim in December. Drury mentioned both Trouba and Kreider in a November memo to league general managers that indicated he was open to trades. Kreider finished his Rangers career in third place on the all-time goal list (326) and tied for first in power-play goals (116). He also played in 123 playoff games with the club and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He is the franchise leader in playoff goals. Advertisement At his best, Kreider is one of the best net-front presences in the league and a speedy skater who can play on both special teams. By acquiring him, the Ducks are making a bet that he can get back to his 2023-24 level after a difficult season both on and off the ice, after Drury's trade memo. He was an alternate captain, and younger Rangers players, including Matt Rempe, credited him with being a mentor. 'This is home for me,' Kreider said during an interview after the season. 'This is the organization that gave me an opportunity to live out my dream. I have so many incredible relationships, spent so much time in this area. Obviously, this is where I want to be.' The Ducks drafted Terrance, who was born in Akwesasne, N.Y., with the No. 59 pick in 2023. In January, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler ranked him 10th in the Ducks' prospect pool. He played for Erie in the OHL this season with 39 points in 45 games, and brings center depth to a Rangers prospect pool that needs it. The Ducks signed him to an entry-level deal in April. 'While I've seen signs of creativity and vision, the development of his playmaking into a more consistent element could be the difference between an AHL future and any chance of becoming a call-up option/fourth-liner who adds the desired speed to a line,' Wheeler wrote in January. The Ducks entered this offseason with bountiful cap space and a determination to end a seven-year postseason drought. PuckPedia had them with more than $38 million to spend, so the full freight of Kreider's contract puts a dent in that, but it won't impede their ability to go after this year's prize free agent, Mitch Marner, if the Toronto Maple Leafs star goes to market, as is widely expected. Anaheim has two premier restricted free agents to sign, in center Mason McTavish and goaltender Lukas Dostal, while Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger are coming up as potential RFAs in 2027. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek could be faced with some decisions as to who he'll prioritize — and who he may consider parting with — as he shapes his core while shifting from rebuild to win-now mode. Advertisement With the hiring of Joel Quenneville as coach and owner Henry Samueli openly expressing that he's prepared to open the purse strings, Verbeek is looking to be aggressive. Commitments to McTavish and Dostal will eat away at that cap space, but securing them helps set the table for Quenneville. Kreider, who joins former Rangers teammates Trouba, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano in Anaheim, gives the Ducks a dedicated and proven net-front performer, something they've long lacked. Kreider's 22 goals were his lowest total since the 56-game 2020-21 season, but that number would have tied McTavish for Anaheim's team lead last season. The Ducks' 217 goals ranked 30th in the NHL, ahead of only the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. (Photo of Chris Kreider: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
