X75 Productions

Author: Scott Fairchild

  • Game Recap- New Jersey Devils vs Florida Panthers 10/14/19

    Game Recap- New Jersey Devils vs Florida Panthers 10/14/19

    Game Recap

    This afternoon on Columbus Day, the Devils welcome the Florida Panthers into town for an early matinee matchup. New Jersey is still searching for their first win on season. However, the Devils misfortunes still would remain the same. Florida would jump out to an early lead sixteen seconds into the first period as Jonathan Huberdeau would tally his first goal of the season. The Devils did manage to tie and retake the lead as they received goals from Taylor Hall and Jesper Bratt. New Jersey would take a 2-1 lead after the first period.

    The Devils would strike twice early in the second period on goals from Will Butcher and Pavel Zacha giving the Dells a 4-1 lead. Noticeably missing on the bench in the second period for the Devils was first line center Nico Hischier. Hischier left the game due to an unknown injury and are currently waiting on further updates from the team. However, the Panthers would battle back and cut the lead to one goal as Brett Connolly would score twice. The Devils would take a 4-3 lead going into the final period.

    Unfortunately for the Devils, the same tread of holding onto a lead would continue as they would give up three goals in the final period to give the Panthers a win by the final score of 6-4. Panthers goals would come from MacKenzie Weeger, Noel Accari, and Evgeni Dadonov on the Power Play.

     

    Lineups:

    New Jersey Devils

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183788755100016641?s=21

     

    Florida Panthers

     

    First Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183795020882759680?s=21

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183805268670500865?s=21

    Second Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183807115426709505?s=21

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183813136224280579?s=21

     

    Third Period Highlights

     

    Final Stats    NJ-4         FLA-6

    Shots:             21             34

    Hits:               25             30

    PP:                 0/3            1/5

    Faceoffs:     51.9           48.1

     

    Next Up:

    New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers 10/17/19 @ 7pm EST

    Florida Panthers vs Colorado Avalanche 10/18/19 @ 7pm EST

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils vs Boston Bruins

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils vs Boston Bruins

    New Jersey Devils (0-3-2 2pts) vs Boston Bruins (4-1-0 9pts)

     

    Game Recap

    Tonight the New Jersey Devils go back on the road to take on the Boston Bruins. The Devils are still winless on the season and are hoping to turn their early misfortunes around and finally get in the win column. Unfortunately for the Devils, they’re still not getting the starts that they’re hoping for. Boston struck twice in the first as they got goals from Brad Marchand and Joakim Nordstrom. After the first period, the Bruins would take a 2-0 lead and start the second period with a power play on a late interference penalty called against the Devils.

    The Devils started the second period on the Penalty Kill and were fortunate to kill the penalty off. However, it wasn’t enough as the Bruins towards the end of the period would cash in on the Power Play. Patrice Bergeron went to the front of the net and put the loose puck in the back of the net. Boston would take a 3-0 lead over New Jersey going into the third period.

    Unfortunately for the Devils, they could still not get anything going offensively in the third period. The Bruins played shutdown hockey and kept the Devils from generating any sort of offense. Tukka Rask would make 31 saves as he and the Bruins would shutout the Devils by a final score of 3-0.

     

    Lineups

    New Jersey Devils

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183153546025488391?s=21

    Boston Bruins

     

    First Period Highlights

     

    Second Period Highlights

     

    Third Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1183193758545911813?s=21

     

    Finals Stats      NJ-0       BOS-3

    Shots:                31             32

    Hits:                  11             23

    PP:                   0/4            1/3

    Faceoffs:        46%          54%

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

     

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils vs Edmonton Oilers 10/10/19

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils vs Edmonton Oilers 10/10/19

    New Jersey Devils (0-3-2 2pts) vs Edmonton Oilers (4-0-0 8pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    The New Jersey Devils are still searching for their first win of the season as they take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight. Kyle Palmieri would give the Devils an early lead. Palmieri skated into the offensive zone on a 2 on 1 and lifted his shot into the back of the net. However, the lead would not last long as Leon Draisatl of the Oilers scored his second goal of the season. After the first period, the score would be tied 1-1.

    In the second period, New Jersey would regain the lead as Nikita Gusev would fire the puck from the right circle behind Oilers goalie Miko Kostkinen. James Neal would add his league leading 7th goal of the season to tie the game up for the Oilers 2-2 at the 19:32 mark.

    Devils defenseman Damon Severson would give his team the lead back at the 15:35 on a beautiful feed from winger Taylor Hall. The Devils could not keep the lead unfortunately. Connor McDavid would score the game tying goal on the power play with the Oilers goalie pulled to give the Oilers an extra attacker. McDavid’s goal had to be reviewed as the referees had blown the whistle as they lost sight of the puck. It was determined, the puck was going in motion before the referees blew the whistle and it was a good goal. This game would go into overtime.

    The Oilers and Devils would remain scoreless after overtime which would mean the game would be decided in the shoot out. The shootout would be scoreless until Leon Draisatl scored the game winner for the Oilers as the sixth and final shooter. Edmonton would win the game 4-3 in a shootout.

     

    Lineups

    New Jersey Devils

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182422543136894978?s=21

    Edmonton Oilers

     

    First Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182436048414150658?s=21

     

    Second Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182455842064556032?s=21

     

    Third Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182467470197698560?s=21

    Overtime/Shootout Highlights

     

    Final Stats     NJ-3        EDM-4

    Shots:             31              22

    Hits:               31              26

    PP:                 0/2             2/3

    Face-offs:    52.8%       47.2%

     

    Next Up:

    New Jersey Devils @ Boston Bruins 10/12/19 @ 7pm EST

    Edmonton Oilers @ New York Rangers 10/12/19 @ 1pm EST

     

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

     

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Philadelphia Flyers 10/9/19

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Philadelphia Flyers 10/9/19

    New Jersey Devils (0-2-1 1pts) vs Philadelphia Flyers (2-0-0 4pts)

     

    Game Recap:

    After two tough losses to start the young NHL season, The New Jersey Devils look to get their first win of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers on the road. Tonight former Flyers winger & current Devil Wayne Simmonds returned to visit “the city of brotherly love” for the first time since he was traded at the trade deadline to the Nashville Predators. The first period left a lot to be desired in the scoring department, however, both Cory Schneider and Carter Hart each made some very impressive saves respectively for their teams. At the end of the first period, the Devils and Flyers would remain scoreless.

    In the second period, the Flyers would get on the scoreboard first as defenseman Ivan Provorov would blast a shot pas Devils goaltender Cory Schneider to give his team the lead. New Jersey would have a chance later in the period to tie the game on a five on three power-play but they were unable to convert on the man advantage. The end of the period saw the Flyers maintain their 1-0 lead over the Devils.

    The third period saw the Flyers score twice within the very first minute as they got goals from Kevin Hayes on the power play (his first as a Flyer) and Sean Couturier. Travis Konecny added another goal for the Flyers to give Philadelphia a 4-0 advantage and give his team the victory over the Devils.

     

    Lines:

    New Jersey Devils

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182054564427714560?s=21

    Philadelphia Flyers

     

    1st Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1182093130218254337?s=21

     

    2nd Period Highlights

     

    3rd Period Highlights

     

    Final Stats    NJ-0      PHI-4

    Shots              25           34

    Hits                24           19

    PP:                 0/5          2/4

    Faceoffs:     41.4        58.6

     

    Next Up:

    New Jersey Devils vs Edmonton Oilers 10/10/19 @ 7pm EST

    Philadelphia Flyers @ Vancouver Canucks 10/12/10 @ 10pm EST

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

     

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils @ Buffalo Sabres 10/5/19

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils @ Buffalo Sabres 10/5/19

    New Jersey Devils (0-1-1) vs Buffalo Sabres (2-0-0)

    Game Recap:

    The New Jersey Devils are back in action tonight and are looking to rebound against the Buffalo Sabres on the road. The Devils suffered a crushing loss to the Winnipeg Jets in their home opener in overtime the night before. Unfortunately for the Devils, they did not get off to the right start that they were hoping for in the first period. Buffalo would score twice on the power play from Victor Olofsson and their captain Jack Eichel. At the end of the first period, the Sabres would take a 2-0 lead.

    In the second period, the Devils were able to get their first goal of the game on a beautiful passing sequence from Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier to Kyle Palmieri, who buried the puck in the back of the net. However, the Sabres would maintain their dominance over the Devils as they scored three more times. Goals by the Sabres came from Kyle Okposo, Jeff Skinner, and Victor Olofson (his 2nd of the game). After two periods, the Sabres would take a commanding lead of 5-1 going into the final period.

    New Jersey would score one final goal in the third period as Travis Zajac scored his first goal of the season. However, it wouldn’t matter as Sam Reinhart would tack on his first two goals of the season to seal the victory for the Sabres. Buffalo would go on to win by a final score of 7-2.

     

    Lineups:

    New Jersey Devils

     

     

     

     

     

     

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180612137397473280?s=21

    Buffalo Sabres

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    1st Period Highlights:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2nd Period Highlights:

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180643673698131970?s=21

     

    3rd Period Highlights:

     

    Final Stats:    NJ-2        BUF-7

    Shots:             20            36

    Hits:               11             14

    PP:                  0/2           3/4

    Faceoffs:      51.0          49.0

     

    Next Up:

    New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers 10/9/19 @ 7pm EST

    Buffalo Sabres @ Columbus Blue Jackets 10/7/19 7pm EST

  • Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 10/4/19 (NJD Home Opener)

    Game Recap: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 10/4/19 (NJD Home Opener)

    Game Recap:

    Tonight the New Jersey Devils opened up their season at home against the Winnipeg Jets. The first two periods saw the Devils come out and take a commanding 4-0 lead over the Jets. Goal scorers featured Nikita Gusev (who scored his 1st NHL goal), Sami Vatanen, and Blake Coleman who scored twice. Coleman’s second goal of the season is an early goal of the year candidate as he was down on the ice and lifted the puck with one hand on the stick and into the back of the net for a sensational highlight reel goal.

    In the second period, the Winnipeg Jets would score their first goal at the 19:49 mark as Dmitry Kulikov would blast a shot from the point past Devils goaltender Cory Schneider. The Devils would lead 4-1 after the second period.

    However, things started to turn around and change in the third. Devils goaltender Cory Schneider would leave the game due to injury and backup MacKenzie Blackwood would enter the game. The Jets were able to fight their way back in the third to tie the game on goals from Jack Roslovic, Matthieu Perrault, and newly acquired Neal Pionk. At the end of three periods, the scored would be tied 4-4 going into overtime.

    The first two minutes of overtime was extremely exciting as both teams would exchange several two on one chances to put the game away for either side. However, the game would be decided in a shoot out where the Jets got the game winning shootout goal by their captain Blake Wheeler. The Jets would go onto win the game with the final score being 5-4.

     

    Lineups:

    New Jersey Devils

     

    Winnipeg Jets

     

    1st Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1180272306641391617?s=20

     

    2nd Period Highlights

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180276319814406149?s=21

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1180280773234044929?s=20

    https://twitter.com/njdevils/status/1180279880329641985?s=21

     

    3rd Period Highlights

     

    Overtime/Shootout

     

    Final Stats:    NJ-4            WPG-5

    Shots:             39                30

    Hits:               21                13

    PP:                 0/2               0/2

    Face offs:     50.9             49.1

     

    Next Up:

    NJ Devils @ BUF Sabres 10/5/19 7pm EST

    WPG Jets @ NY Islanders 10/6/19 7pm EST

     

    Sponsored by:

    DerpyCon_General Ad.png

     

  • Game Preview: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 8/4/19 (Devils Home Opener)

    Game Preview: New Jersey Devils v.s Winnipeg Jets 8/4/19 (Devils Home Opener)

    Welcome back hockey fans to another amazing season in the NHL! Tonight we have the New Jersey Devils hosting their home & season opener against the Winnipeg Jets. The Devils are looking to show off their brand new acquisitions that were acquired in the off-season to help boost their lineup and compete for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Offseason. acquisitions feature P.K Subban, Nikita Gusev & in particular the number one overall pick in this years NHL Entry Draft in Jack Hughes. Tonight, Hughes is making his NHL debut & is looking to show off the amazing potential talents and skills he has and show why he is an up and coming superstar in the National Hockey League. Also, the Devils are also getting a huge addition back into their lineup with Taylor Hall back to being healthy as he missed the second half of last season with a knee injury. The Devils are hoping he returns to his form of two years ago when he helped lead the Devils to the playoffs and posting a 93 point season which resulted in him winning the Hart Trophy (league MVP). If all falls into place, the Devils have the potential to be a playoff team. We shall see!

    Winnipeg is a different story compared to the Devils. The Winnipeg Jets are coming off another post season exit and had a very interesting and dramatic off-season. There was a lot of drama during the off-season about re-signing their top two restricted free agent in Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. Both restricted free agents re-signed with the Jets this past week. Kyle Connor re-signed with the Jets on a 7 year $50 million dollar contract. Patrik Laine agreed to re-sign on a 2 year 13.5 million dollar deal. Now without the contract situation being a distraction, the Jets are hoping to keep building off their postseason appearances and go deeper into the Stanley Cup playoffs. They also had some big losses in particular on the defensive side. Winnipeg on paper seems like they’ll take a step back but then again, anything can happen!

    Game Prediction:

    NJ- 4

    WPG- 2

    Devils:

    Taylor Hall (2 goals) Jack Hughes (1g 1a), Nikita Gusev (2 assists, Blake Coleman ( 1 goal)

    Cory Schneider (27 Saves)

    Jets:

    Mark Scheifle ( 1g 1a) Bryan Little (1 goal)

    Connor Hellebyck (32 Saves)

  • 2019-2020 New Jersey Devils Training Camp Preview

    2019-2020 New Jersey Devils Training Camp Preview

    Hello ladies & gents, my name is Scott Fairchild and I will be providing hockey coverage for TXHT as I follow the New Jersey Devils this season! Last season I did game recaps for another favorite team of mine (Washington Capitals) & playoff coverage following the Colorado Avalanche. Here’s a little bit of background info on me. I am a native New Jerseyan (Butler) & grew up as a big Devils fan growing up in North Jersey. I have countless memories of the three Stanley Cup championships that were won (1995,2000, & 2003). I was fortunate getting to watch great players such as Marty Brodeur, Scott Niedermeyer, Patrik Elias, ,Ken Daneyko, & my all time favorite Devil Scott Stevens. Those Stanley Cups were a long time ago and it’s time to build another contender in the present. Anyway, I will be taking a look at the Devils as training camp has just begun. First, let’s take a look at what transpired during off-season

     

    Offseason Moves

    Well, to say the Devils had a good offseason would be a HUGE understatement. They had the BEST offseason out of any team in the National Hockey League in my opinion. The Devils really made big moves to help improve their team and putting them on a path to being Stanley Cup contenders.

     

    Let’s start with the 2019 NHL Entry Draft:

    Draft Moves

    First, they had the number one overall pick and selected arguably the best player in the draft in Jack Hughes. He has the potential to be an elite number one center that has the abilities to change the game both offensively and defensively. Hughes potentially could win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie as long as the coaching staff put him in a position to succeed & build chemistry with teammates. While Hughes is the headlining move at the draft, the Devils had 12 overall draft picks as they moved back in the draft order at times to gain more prospects. The Devils did a great job here in restocking their farm system.

     

    Trades/Free Agency

    After the draft, the New Jersey Devils did not stand pat and were highly aggressive in their pursuit to vastly improve the team. On day 2 of the NHL draft, the Devils traded prospects Steven Santini/Jeremy Davies & draft picks for former Norris Trophy winner & elite defenseman PK Subban. The Devils are hoping he shores up the defense and will help to improve the Devils offense, especially on the power play which struggled mightily. Also via trade, the Devils acquired a very intriguing Nikita Gusev from the Vegas Golden Knights. Gusev is considered to be one of the best players who has not played in an NHL game yet. He was a big scoring star in the KHL and the Devils are hoping he can provide the same offensive flair he showed while playing over in Russia. The Devils also acquired forward John Hayden from the Chicago Blackhawks. They are hoping through more playing time he will capitalize on the potential they think he has and what the Hawks used to think he had.

    In Free Agency, the Devils went out and acquired veteran winger Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds is being counted on to provide a veteran presence and a net front presence while providing a scoring touch for the Devils.

     

    Training Camp Battles

    As fun as it is talking about Jack Hughes, there are some other intriguing story lines in training Camp that are just as intriguing as he is. We all know Hughes is going to make it onto the roster but let’s take a look at some other potential training camp battles. Two Devils rookies have a big chance to make it this year and crack this years opening night roster. One of them being defenseman Ty Smith. Smith was the Devils 17th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of the Western Hockey League. He almost made the opening night roster last year before being returned back to the WHL for some more development. He is considered to be the best defensive prospect the Devils have had in a long time. He had 69 points in 57 games which definitely opens up your eyes to the potential this kid has as a two-way defenseman that can certainly provide offense. Another potential Scott Niedermeyer? Maybe, who knows? Smith went onto win CHL Defenseman of the Year award. It’ll be interesting to see if you can crack the lineup this year.

    On the forward side, Devils 2017 2nd round pick from Sweden Jesper Boqvist has a great chance to nab a spot in training camp in the bottom six forward groups. Boqvist has shown while playing in Sweden why the scouts liked him as he played for Byrnas IF in the SHL. On tape, he shown that he has explosive offensive abilities and potentially can play anywhere in the lineup. His ability to crack the lineup is going to depend on where the Devils envision him and getting the best out of this young forward.

     

    Taylor Hall

    Another intriguing training camp highlight is going to be the return of superstar left winger Taylor Hall. Hall is coming off a left knee injury which kept him from playing the second half of last season as the Devils went downhill along with Taylor Hall (amongst other injuries). However, Hall is healthy and is hoping to return to his Hart Trophy form of two season ago when he produced 93 points which helped propelled the Devils into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Taylor Hall is a valuable asset to this team and they’re counting on him to produce offense which they were sorely lacking without him in the lineup towards the end of last year. However, Hall is entering the final year of his contract and the Devils are hopeful they will be able to convince him to stick around especially with the offseason moves they made to show him how serious they are about winning and taking the steps necessary to win a Stanley Cup.

     

    Potential Opening Night Lineup:

    Forwards:

    LW- Taylor Hall C-Nico Hischier RW- Kyle Palmieri

    LW- Nikita Gusev C- Jack Hughes RW- Jesper Bratt

    LW- Blake Coleman. C- Travis Zajac. RW- Wayne Simmonds

    LW- Miles Wood. C- Pavel Zacha. RW- Jesper Boqvist

     

    Defense:

    Will Butcher- P.K. Subban

    Andy Greene- Damon Severson

    Ty Smith- Sami Vatanen/Connor Carrick

     

    Goaltenders:

    Cory Schneider

    MacKenzie Blackwood

     

    Overall Outlook

    • All I know is this, the New Jersey Devils have a very bright future ahead of them as they brought in very good additions through trades/Free Agency and restocking their minor-league system through the draft. It also helps by having the number one overall draft pick and selecting a generational talent such as Jack Hughes as well! There’s a lot to be excited for being a fan of Jerseys team! It would not surprise me if the Devils qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, they are not ready yet to win the Stanley Cup. Concerns such as goaltending & keeping players on the roster healthy are the only things that are holding this team back! With what has transpired this off-season certainly does give hope that the New Jersey Devils could win another cup in the very near future!
  • 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees

    2019 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees

    Yesterday the 2019 hockey Hall of Fame class has finally been decided on and announced. This year’s class features one of the greatest Canadian women’s hockey players, a 2-time time Stanley Cup champion defenseman from Russia, a former Montreal Canadiens great, a Czech player who defected from the other side of the “Iron Curtain”, and two builders who helped build and shape their respective teams. Here at TXHT, we are proud to share with you the 2019 hockey Hall of Fame class which is:

     

    Haley Wickenheiser- the 7th Canadien woman to be inducted into the HHOF & a winner of seven world championships and four Olympic gold-medals

     

    Sergei Zubov- put up 888 career points in the NHL in 1,232 career games as a defenseman. Zubov also on the Stanley Cup twice once for the New York Rangers and on the second time for the Dallas Stars

     

    Guy Carbonneau- a three time Stanley Cup champion, once with the Dallas Stars in 1999 & twice with the Montréal Canadiens in 1986 & 1993. Carbonneau was also a three time Selke trophy winner as the league’s best defensive forward

     

    Vaclav Nedomansky- was the first European player to deflect from the other side of the “Iron Curtain” started in the World Hockey Association and went on to record 278 points in 421 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, St Louis Blues, and Rangers. Also helped Czechoslovakia win the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics & win the 1972 World Championships

     

    Jim Rutherford- known for being the longtime general manager of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Rutherford went on to win the Stanley Cup Championships As a general manager in 2006, 2016, & 2017

     

    Jerry York- known for coaching college hockey programs such as Bowling Green and Boston College to five national titles and currently has the most wins of any active NCAA Division I men’s hockey coach.


     

    Congrats to the class of 2019… very well deserved class of all time greats!

  • 2019 NHL Entry Draft Recap- Round 1

    2019 NHL Entry Draft Recap- Round 1

    My fellow Hockey fans, we are now officially in phase one of the NHL offseason! Tonight begins round one of the 2019 NHL entry draft. This is considered to be one of the most deepest draft classes in recent memory highlighted by superstar prospects in American born center Jack Hughes & Finnish winger Kappo Kakko. Each of these two prospects are capable of turning around a teams misfortunes and help speed up the process of becoming a Stanley Cup contender again. Jack Hughes is expected to be your prototypical number one center who can create plays, score goals, pass, defend, and can overall make his teammates better players. Kappo Kakko on the other hand really showed how capable he can be as a superstar goal scorer at the National Hockey League level as he showcased his abilities at the IIHF 2019 World Championships. While these two are expected to be generational and franchise changing players, this draft class also shows there are other players that have excellent abilities that could help a franchise improve their depth in a big way. Let’s take a look at the draft results:

    Draft Results:

    1. Devils – Jack Hughes, USNTDP

    https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1142225278455799809?s=19
    2. Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Finland)


    3. BLACKHAWKS – Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)


    4. Avalanche (via Senators) – Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)


    5. Kings – Alex Turcotte, USNTDP


    6. Red Wings – Moritz Seider, Adler Mannheim (Germany)


    7. Sabres – Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)


    8. Oilers – Philip Broberg, AIK (Sweden)


    9. Ducks – Trevor Zegras, USNTDP

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1142237184675631104?s=19
    10. Canucks – Vasili Podkolzin, SKA (Russia)


    11. Coyotes (via Flyers) – Victor Söderström, Brynäs IF (Sweden)


    12. Wild – Matthew Boldy, USNTDP


    13. Panthers – Spencer Knight, USNTDP


    14. Flyers (via Coyotes) – Cam York, USNTDP


    15. Canadiens – Cole Caufield, USNTDP


    16. Avalanche – Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)


    17. Golden Knights – Peyton Krebs, Kootenay (WHL)


    18. Stars – Thomas Harley, Mississauga (OHL)


    19. Senators (via Blue Jackets) – Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)


    20. Jets (via Rangers) – Ville Heinola, Lukko (Finland)


    21. Penguins – Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)


    22. Kings (via Maple Leafs) – Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)

    https://twitter.com/LAKings/status/1142259915353780224?s=19
    23. Islanders – Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (Sweden)


    24. Predators – Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)


    25. Capitals – Connor McMichael, London (OHL)


    26. Flames – Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL)


    27. Lightning – Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)


    28. Hurricanes – Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)


    29. Ducks (via Sabres/Sharks) – Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)

    https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1142268296395235330?s=19
    30. Bruins – John Beecher, USNTDP


    31. Sabres (via Blues) – Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)

     

    Analysis:

    This draft class as stated earlier featured generational stars and a lot of depth. Obviously Jack Hughes & Kappo Kakko will change the New Jersey Devils & New York Rangers each respectively in a HUGE way. It really could’ve went either way who would’ve went first or second. It just depended on what each team’s plans were. The Devils are looking to build their team with Center ice depth down the middle which has been the trend of teams that have won the Stanley Cup in recent memory. It definitely factored into them drafting Hughes number one. The Rangers on the other hand are looking to speed up their rebuild a little bit faster by adding a more polished product while Hughes may take a year to develop despite his higher overall talent ceiling. The fact that Kaako is more “NHL ready” falls in line with the Rangers plans of speeding up the rebuilding process which certainly factored into their decision. Tonight’s draft also featured a record-setting eight American first-round draft picks. Obviously, tonight was a great night for USA hockey overall and the national development program. There were some other picks within this round I really liked and one that shocked me being drafted highest:

    Chicago Blackhawks: I really like the Blackhawks drafting Kirby Dach. Other scouts have made comparisons of his game with Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf. He has size like him, can score, and is a very great play maker. Dach also has the benefit of learning how to play a full 200 foot game in the NHL from a great center like Jonathan Toews.

    Colorado Avalanche– drafting Bowen Byram is a great choice as he has shown so far in his development he could possibly play in the NHL very soon with comparisons to a young Duncan Keith. He can potentially add a lot more to the Avalanche’s already impressive d-core with fellow youngster Cale Makar.

    Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres pick of Dylan Cozens is a pick I’m a big fan of. His game reminds me a lot of a young Ryan Kessler. Like Kessler, he plays a full 200 foot game, plays with a tough competitive edge, and also has a bit of a scoring capability like Kessler. He definitely has the potential of being a Selke trophy nominee or winner

    Detroit Red Wings- the Wings pick of German defenseman Moritz Seider at #6 was a big shock amongst other scouts and GMs as he wasn’t projected to be selected that high. Maybe Steve Yzerman knows something we don’t? Yzerman when he was a consultant with the Lightning had a lot of time to travel and scout a lot of these young players. Time will tell how this pick works out

    Washington Capitals: The Capitals with the 25th pick drafted London Knights Center Connor McMichael. From watching highlights, he really seems like he has a scoring touch with a nose for the net. McMichael has a nice release and is capable of shooting and scoring from anywhere. He also is very versatile and can play on the wing as well as a Center.

     

    What’s Next/Important Dates:

    NHL Free Agent interview period- begins this Sunday June 23rd

    2019-2020 Schedule Release: June 25th

    Restricted Free Agent Qualifying Offers due: June 25th

    Restricted Free Agent contact period: June 26th

    1st Buyout Period ends: June 26th @ 5pm

    NHL Free Agency- begins July 1st