Logan Cooley Selected No. 3 Overall by Coyotes in 2022 NHL Draft
Jul 7, 2022
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Logan Cooley speaks at the Top Prospects Media Availability at the NHL Scouting Combine at HarborCenter on June 03, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Arizona Coyotes have found their center of the future, selecting Logan Cooley with the third pick in the 2022 NHL draft on Thursday at Bell Centre.
The selection comes as little surprise as Cooley was widely viewed to be the third-best prospect available in this year's class behind Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky.
The Pittsburgh native has spent the last two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program and is committed to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.
In 51 games with the USNTDP during the 2021-22 season, Cooley tallied 27 goals and 48 assists. He also represented the United States at the World Junior Tournament, posting one assist in one game before the event was postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak.
In addition, Cooley played for Team USA at the Under-18 World Championships, tallying three goals and seven assists in six games, helping the Americans capture a silver medal.
The 5'10", 174-pound center is a great skater who has excellent speed and acceleration that helps him elude defenders with ease. He also is a great puck-handler and has patience, poise and vision that make him a great playmaker.
Cooley's smart positioning and high hockey IQ also make him a great defender and give him the capability to play against just about anybody.
The Coyotes struggled to a 25-50-7 record during the 2021-22 season, one of the worst finishes in the league, and Cooley could enter Arizona's lineup immediately.
Barrett Hayton figures to be Arizona's top center during the 2022-23 season, but it's possible Cooley slots into the second line alongside Lawson Crouse and Travis Boyd. He could also see time on the third line.
Juraj Slafkovsky Selected No. 1 Overall by Canadiens in 2022 NHL Draft
Jul 7, 2022
HELSINKI, FINLAND - MAY 13: Juraj Slafkovsky #20 of Slovakia reacts during the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Group A match between France and Slovakia at the Helsinki Ice Hall on May 13, 2022 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens surprisingly passed on Shane Wright with the first pick in the 2022 NHL draft and instead selected Slovakian forward Juraj Slafkovsky on Thursday at Bell Centre.
Slafkovsky was widely expected to be taken second overall behind Wright, but the Canadiens must have felt the left wing fits their needs more.
He made a name for himself at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, helping lead Slovakia to a historic bronze medal, which was the country's first-ever Olympic medal in men's ice hockey.
The 18-year-old tallied seven goals in seven contests at the Beijing Games, including two goals in the bronze-medal game. His seven goals led the tournament, and he also tied with three other players for the most points with seven.
Slafkovsky also represented Slovakia under-18s at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with three goals and six assists in five games en route to a silver medal. The left-shot winger played his domestic hockey in the Finnish Liiga for TPS Turku, tallying five goals and five assists in 31 games mostly against older players.
The 6'4", 218-pound forward has the big frame to succeed in the NHL and uses his size and skill to his advantage. He has great puck possession skills and is good on the forecheck.
He could use some work on his skating, decision-making, awareness and positioning, though the Canadiens will surely help him develop those aspects early in his career.
Slafkovsky could enter Montreal's lineup immediately. The team struggled to a 22-49-11 record during the 2021-22 season for the worst finish in the league and could use a player of Slafkovsky's caliber.
Cole Caufield and Jonathan Drouin figure to be Montreal's top two left wingers during the 2022-23 season, so look for Slafkovsky to potentially slot in on the third line alongside Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans.
Conflicting Reports Surround Marc-Andre Fleury Contract with Wild
Jul 7, 2022
ST PAUL, MN - MAY 10: Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Minnesota Wild defends his net against the St. Louis Blues in the first period in Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center on May 10, 2022 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Blues defeated the Wild 5-2 to take a 3-2 series lead. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Marc-Andre Fleury has not signed a one-year contract to return to the Minnesota Wild, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
ESPN's Kevin Weekes previously reported Fleury had agreed to a deal.
Minnesota acquired Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks for a conditional first-round pick in a March trade. The move made sense from both teams' perspectives, as Chicago was not a contender and the Wild added a proven goaltender for their playoff push.
This past year marked the franchise's ninth postseason appearance in a 10-year stretch, and in acquiring Fleury they were hoping it past the second round for the first time since 2003.
The Wild came up short, however, losing in the first round to the St. Louis Blues in six games.
Fleury's has built a strong resume of postseason success, including three Stanley Cup victories during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2003-04 through 2016-17. He made two of his four career All-Star appearances with Pittsburgh, led the league in shutouts during the 2014-15 campaign and posted a 2.58 goals-against average and .912 save percentage with the team.
Throw in the playoff success with the Stanley Cup titles, and he will forever be a Penguins legend.
Yet he also found success with the Vegas Golden Knights during the next four seasons when he became the face of the new franchise and seemed to rejuvenate his career some.
Fleury finished with even better numbers with a 2.41 goals-against average and .917 save percentage over the course of the four seasons and took home the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender.
It was the first Vezina in his career, but the highlight of his time with the Golden Knights came when he led them to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's first season in existence.
Fleury was brilliant in four playoff runs with Vegas, recording a combined 2.25 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
While it may not be realistic for Minnesota to expect that type of production considering he will be 38 for most of the 2022-23 season, he has remained effective of late.
The hope for the Wild is the playoff experience will include a Stanley Cup title with this new contract.
NHL Draft 2022: Start Time, Order, Prospects Guide and Mock Draft Predictions
Jul 6, 2022
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Shane Wright speaks at the Top Prospects Media Availability at the NHL Scouting Combine at HarborCenter on June 03, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/NHLI via Getty Images)
It's almost time for another wave of young, talented players to take the next step in their hockey careers. The 2022 NHL draft is set to take place Thursday and Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
With plenty of their fans likely to be in attendance, the Montreal Canadiens are set to use the No. 1 overall pick, which they landed in the NHL draft lottery. It's the first time the Habs have owned the top selection in the draft since 1980.
The first round will take place on Thursday, starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The final six rounds will happen on Friday, starting at 11 a.m. ET on NHL Network.
Here's a mock for how the first round of the draft could unfold, followed by more on the top prospects in this year's class.
First-Round Order, Mock Draft
1. Montreal Canadiens: Shane Wright, C, Kingston (OHL)
2. New Jersey Devils: Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS Turku (Liiga)
3. Arizona Coyotes: Logan Cooley, C, USA U-18 (NTDP)
4. Seattle Kraken: David Jiricek, D, HC Plzen (Extraliiga)
5. Philadelphia Flyers: Cutter Gauthier, LW, USA U-18 (NTDP)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Chicago): Simon Nemec, D, HK Nitra (Slovakia)
7. Ottawa Senators: Matthew Savoie, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
8. Detroit Red Wings: Joakim Kemell, LW, JYP (Liiga)
9. Buffalo Sabres: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgarden (SWE U20)
10. Anaheim Ducks: Kevin Korchinski, D, Seattle (WHL)
11. San Jose Sharks: Marco Kasper, C, Rogle (SHL)
12. Columbus Blue Jackets: Pavel Mintyukov, D, Saginaw (OHL)
13. New York Islanders: Conor Geekie, C, Winnipeg (WHL)
There are likely two players who the Canadiens will be considering with the top pick in this year's draft: Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Wright, an 18-year-old center who plays for Kingston of the OHL, had been projected by many mocks to be the first player taken for months. And according to The Athletic's Corey Pronman, there's a chance that happens.
"There are quite a few people in the league who believe this pick will be Shane Wright," Pronman wrote.
But it could also be Slafkovsky, an 18-year-old forward who plays for TPS Turku of Liiga in Finland. In fact, Pronman seems to think Slafkovsky may be the favorite to go No. 1 overall, which is how he has the draft starting in his latest mock.
"Based on discussions with people in the league over the last few weeks, the winds seem to be blowing in the direction of Slafkovsky—to the point that I think this is the slightly more likely scenario at the No. 1 slot," Pronman wrote.
Either player could work out in the long term for Montreal, considering Wright and Slafkovsky are both talented offensive players. The Canadiens need strong, young players to build around moving forward, and both Wright and Slafkovsky should fit the bill.
Even though Pronman has Montreal drafting Slafkovsky, there are still plenty who think Wright will be the first player to come off the board. Bleacher Report's Lyle Richardson thinks the Habs will go with Wright over Slafkovsky.
"His two-way style has been compared to the Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron," Richardson recently wrote. "Wright should provide a significant boost to the Canadiens' depth at center."
It's highly likely that Wright and Slafkovsky are the first two players to come off the board, even if it's not yet clear in what order that will happen. After that, the best fit for the Coyotes at No. 3 should be Logan Cooley, an 18-year-old center from the U.S. National Team Development Program.
The two best defenseman in this year's class are David Jiricek and Simon Nemec. Either (or both) could be taken in the top five, but neither is a sure thing to be selected that early.
This year's draft has been difficult to project, because many of the top dozen or so prospects are grouped closely together in talent level. So it should be an entertaining draft to watch, as things could unfold in a number of different ways.
The 2022 NHL draft is scheduled to kick off on Thursday, though there remains a fair bit of uncertainty surrounding the early draft picture. The Montreal...
Jessica Campbell Named Kraken Minor League Assistant; 1st Full-Time Female AHL Coach
Jul 5, 2022
Germany's Canadian Assistant Coach Jessica Campbell follows the action during the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships preliminary round group A match between Germany and Denmark in Helsinki on May 19, 2022. - Finland OUT (Photo by Jussi Nukari / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT (Photo by JUSSI NUKARI/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken announced Tuesday they are hiring Jessica Campbell as an assistant coach for their minor league affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds, making her the first full-time female assistant in AHL history.
Campbell spoke with ESPN's Emily Kaplan about the landmark accomplishment:
"I always had a belief as a young girl, playing boys' hockey until I was 17, that I was equal and capable too. I've never focused on my gender. Growing up, I never dreamed of coaching, because I didn't see it and therefore didn't know what that path looked like. But for young athletes now, it's so important to have that visibility for them to understand they can literally be anything they want. Some of the guys I will be coaching, their daughters can now watch them have a female coach. And that opens up the conversation, which can inspire young girls for something they might not have seen as possible."
Campbell, who spent last season as an assistant and skills coach for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany and served as an assistant for Germany in the men's IIHF World Championship, is taking on the highest-profile coaching job ever held by a woman in men's professional hockey in North America.
While Emily Engel-Natzke became the first full-time female coaching staff member in the NHL last week when the Washington Capitals promoted her to video coordinator, there has never been a full-time female assistant coach at the NHL level.
Longtime NHL head coach Dan Bylsma, who was named the Firebirds' head coach for their inaugural season in 2022-23, reached out to Campbell about the job after hearing "rave reviews" about her work.
Bylsma chose Campbell for his staff after speaking with her and coming away impressed, and he discussed the historic hiring with ESPN:
"Obviously this is significant and it's important Jessica is getting this opportunity. But more importantly, I wanted a coaching staff that had a ton of passion for the players, a willingness to put in the work with them, and a plan to help them develop, because our job is developing players for the Seattle Kraken. We just wanted that person, and Jessica was the person who best exemplified that. It's what she's all about."
The 30-year-old Campbell is from Rocanville, Saskatchewan. She played as a forward collegiately at Cornell, professionally in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and for Canada internationally.
Campbell was part of the Canadian team that won a silver medal at the 2015 world championship in Sweden. She also won a gold medal and a silver medal in the under-18 world championship.
She transitioned into coaching after ending her playing career and founded JC Powerskating, training multiple NHL players.
Campbell is joining a brand-new organization, as the Firebirds will begin play next season and the Kraken entered the NHL as an expansion team for the 2021-22 campaign.
Given that the AHL is one step below the NHL, Campbell will have a significant hand in preparing up-and-coming players to become contributors for the Kraken.
Who doesn't like a good sports rumor? It's a particularly hot stretch on the NHL calendar with the approach of the annual entry draft later this week followed...
NHL Rumors: Claude Giroux Linked to Oilers If EDM Is Unable to Re-Sign Evander Kane
Jul 4, 2022
TAMPA, FL - MAY 23: Claude Giroux #28 of the Florida Panthers against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 23, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Vince Del Monte/NHLI via Getty Images)
If the Edmonton Oilers are unable to re-sign Evander Kane this summer, they have a pretty solid backup plan.
Edmonton is interested in free-agent forward Claude Giroux, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, who wrote that the Oilers "have internally discussed the merits of trying to sign" him.
Giroux is coming off an eight-year, $66.2 million deal that had an annual cap hit of $8.275 million. It's unclear what type of deal he's looking for this summer, but the Oilers should be able to make him an intriguing offer with $7.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly.
The 34-year-old began the 2021-22 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to the Florida Panthers at the March deadline in exchange for Owen Tippett, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick.
In 75 regular-season games, Giroux tallied 21 goals and 44 assists for 65 points. Just three of those goals came in his 18-game stint in Florida, though he added three goals and five assists for eight points in 10 playoff games with the Panthers.
LeBrun reported that the Panthers and Giroux are interested in striking a deal for him to return to South Florida, but the team has just $3 million in cap space this summer, per CapFriendly, which likely isn't enough to retain the veteran forward.
In addition, the Panthers have a number of other free agents to sign this summer, including Ben Chiarot and Mason Marchment.
That said, Giroux can play both center and left wing, which makes him one of the more intriguing free agents on the market. The Oilers could opt to put him on the top line alongside Connor McDavid or the second line alongside Leon Draisaitl.
In addition, Edmonton could opt to use Giroux as its third-line center, which would give the team an incredible amount of depth down the middle of the ice.
Giroux spent the first 14 and a half seasons of his career in Philadelphia, which selected him in the first round of the 2006 NHL draft. He earned one All-Star selection and tallied 291 goals and 609 assists for 900 points in 1,000 games with the franchise.
The Flyers ultimately decided to trade Giroux because he wanted an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, and that likely wasn't going to be possible in Philadelphia as the franchise is in a retooling period.
In addition to the Oilers, LeBrun listed the Senators as a "team to watch" for Giroux because he and his family spend their summers in Ottawa, However, he noted "the allure of wanting to win a Cup ASAP would be the sticking point on that one even though it’s a young and talented team that’s on the rise. But maybe the Sens' pitch, if Ottawa decides to dive in on Giroux, wins him over."
Ryan McDonagh Traded from Lightning to Predators for Philippe Myers, Grant Mismash
Jul 3, 2022
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 22: Ryan McDonagh #27 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Colorado Avalanche during the second period in Game Four of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 22, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash, the franchise announced Sunday.
"He's one of the best defenders in the NHL, he's a selfless player and a great leader. I would like to thank him for everything he's done for us," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters.
Tampa Bay's decision to move McDonagh was largely to clear cap space, as the 33-year-old is under contract for four more seasons with an average annual salary of $6.8 million.
If the Lightning buy out the remainder of Myers' contract, which has been speculated, they will have cleared more than $7.3 million in cap space, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. However, BriseBois told reporters Sunday that they don't plan to buy out the veteran defenseman and that they like his "toolbox," per The Athletic's Joe Smith.
That said, the Bolts are still over the salary cap by $933,333, per CapFriendly, and will need to clear more cap space if they hope to re-sign unrestricted free agents Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta this summer.
Tampa Bay is currently set to head into the 2022-23 season with a defense that includes Myers, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, Zach Bogosian and Cal Foote. While that's not a bad group, the loss of McDonagh is a tough blow to the unit.
McDonagh spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Lightning after being sent to Tampa Bay in a trade from the New York Rangers, with whom he began his career, in February 2018. He played a key role in each of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021 and the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.
From 2020-22, the Minnesota native averaged 21:47 of ice time in 171 regular-season games, tallying nine goals and 41 assists for 50 points. He averaged 23:10 of ice time in 68 playoff games in that span, notching two goals and 16 assists for 18 points.
While McDonagh is undoubtedly past his prime, he still had a solid 2021-22 campaign, tallying four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 71 games while averaging 22:27 of ice time, the highest he's averaged since the 2017-18 season.
McDonagh will now be tasked with helping anchor a Nashville defense alongside Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. It's unclear which pairing he will play on, but Josi and Ekholm will probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.
Even with the trade for McDonagh, Nashville has $18.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. That gives the Predators more than enough room to re-sign star forward Filip Forsberg, in addition to some of their other free agents.
However, the Preds could use an upgrade on offense even if Forsberg returns, so it's possible the franchise will look into some of the top available forwards when free agency opens.
As for the Bolts, Myers will probably be one of their bottom pairing defensemen. He tallied one goal and three assists for four points in 27 games with the Preds last season and had an underwhelming three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before that, posting six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 115 games.
Mismash spent the 2021-22 campaign with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, tallying six goals and 12 points in his rookie year. The 23-year-old will likely remain in the AHL for the 2022-23 season as Tampa Bay has plenty of offensive depth.
