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.
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.
2022 NHL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for All 1st-Round Prospects
Jul 3, 2022
KITCHENER, ONTARIO - MARCH 23: Shane Wright #51 of Team Red skates during morning skate prior to the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on March 23, 2022 in Kitchener, Ontario. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens will make an addition to their forward line with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft.
Who that forward will be has yet to be determined. There is a decision to be made between Shane Wright and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Wright has been the top prospect on most NHL draft boards, but Slafkovsky has generated some steam among various reports in the buildup to Thursday's first round.
The rest of the teams beneath Montreal in the first-round order will base their decisions off which player lands at the top.
The New Jersey Devils will likely select the other top prospect who isn't selected by Montreal, but there is always a chance they throw a wrench into the projected plans of the franchises looking to land the premier players in the draft class.
2022 NHL 1st-Round Mock Draft
1. Montreal Canadiens - Shane Wright, C, Kingston (OHL)
2. New Jersey Devils - Juraj Slafkovsky, LW, TPS (Finland)
3. Arizona Coyotes - Logan Cooley, C, USA U-18
4. Seattle Kraken - Cutter Gauthier, C/W, USA U-18
5. Philadelphia Flyers - David Jiricek, D, Plzen (Czech Republic)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets - Simon Nemec, D, Nitra (Slovakia)
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the Canadiens appear to have everyone guessing about their decision-making process.
"The Canadiens are doing an excellent job shielding their thoughts on who will go first overall. I’ve heard Shane Wright. I’ve heard Juraj Slafkovsky. Someone even said, 'Few know Logan Cooley better than Montreal management.' It’s their job to keep everyone guessing, and so far, the Canadiens are doing just that," Friedman wrote.
Wright, an 18-year-old Canadian, totaled 94 points for Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League this past season. He has been a member of Canada's youth hockey setup. He featured for the U-17 and U-18 squads. He had 14 points at the U-18 World Championships in 2021.
Slafkovsky played a larger role on the international stage with Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored seven goals in Beijing to boost his profile among the draft class.
Slafkovsky, who is also 18, played in Finland with TPS and moved up through the club's youth teams before earning time with the first team this past season.
Montreal will add one of those players to bolster its young core around Cole Caufield. It could use Wright to pad its depth at center, or it could bring in more attacking firepower to the wing with Slafkovsky.
The Canadiens could use either player on the same line as Caufield and make that one of the most promising lines in the NHL.
New Jersey will be waiting to land whichever player falls to No. 2. The Devils have Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier as part of their young core from previous drafts.
Ideally, the Devils would want Montreal to take Wright so that they can land a natural winger in Slafkovsky who could partner with Hischier or Hughes, instead of adjusting a position of one of their top young players to make them fit on the same line.
Arizona, Seattle and Philadelphia round out the top five. All of those teams need depth across the board and could use the best player available strategy.
American center Logan Cooley, winger Cutter Gauthier and defenseman David Jiricek are among the prospects who should be selected after Wright and Slafkovsky.
The Coyotes, Kraken and Flyers would love one of the top two prospects to fall to them, but that seems unlikely given the perceived gap between Slafkovsky, Wright and the rest of the draft class.
Other than some kid named Crosby, no one is more Pittsburgh than Evgeni Malkin. The Russian-born center joined the organization when the Penguins made him the...
