Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Hockey Notes After The NHL Draft

06/24/2017 at 6:29pm EDT

from Steve Simmons of hte Toronto Sun,

- Nashville needs some help at centre. Word around is the Preds are kicking tires on the ancient free agent, Joe Thornton?

- A former NHL player worries about the pressure that awaits first draft pick Nico Hischier and second pick Nolan Patrick coming in the years directly after McDavid and Matthews. “They’re not those kind of players,” he said. “I had hoped Nolan would drop a few spots, to maybe five. He’s going to be a good player. I just don’t want people expecting too much from him.”

- George McPhee had all the power heading into the NHL expansion draft. Now the Vegas GM has a roster with way too many defenceman. “Now we can hold him hostage the way he held us hostage,” said an NHL GM. “The power has shifted.”

- How important is your backup goaltender in today’s NHL? Consider this: most teams will average 14 back-to-back games this coming season. Most teams don’t play their starter back-to-back. That’s 28 points up for grabs without your starter. “A backup goalie can be the difference between being in the playoffs and missing the playoffs,” said a Western Conference GM just after the draft Saturday. The goalie market is flooded. “There’s too many goalies, not enough jobs.” Former starters who may not get a starting job include: Ryan Miller, Steve Mason Cam Ward, Antti Niemi, Semyon Varlamov, Jonathan Bernier, Kari Lehtonen, Eddie Lack, and Brian Elliott.

- The biggest waste of space: Rating a draft after it has just happened. The truth: Nobody knows which players are going to turn out and which ones aren’t. You want to know who won? Call me in five years.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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