The NHL Draft has ended, capping off a two-day occasion in Las Vegas and a busy week throughout the NHL.
Shocked?
OK, most likely not by the existence and/or ending of the draft. However half the enjoyable of a draft is the surprises it hits us with, each huge and small. In spite of everything, we spend weeks making mocks and rating prospects, and if all the pieces simply went off in accordance with these lists, it wouldn’t be very attention-grabbing.
Let’s take a second to recalibrate, by working by way of among the most and least shocking moments from the previous week. We’ll do that in chronological order, reaching method again into the previous for our first choose.
The Stanley Cup Ultimate ended
The Panthers beat the Oilers in Recreation 7. Keep in mind that night time? We have been all so younger.
Shock scale: 80/100. Wait, that was this week? As in, 5 days in the past? It already appears like a month. Time has no which means anymore.
The predraft motion
We received’t get into ranking every transfer individually, however the week had already seen trades involving Linus Ullmark, Jake Walman, Ilya Mikheyev and Andrew Mangiapane, amongst others. That’s one huge title after which a bunch of table-setting. However setting the desk is vital if somebody’s going to cook dinner, which we have been assured that NHL GMs would.
Shock scale: 55/100. I wouldn’t name any of the offers surprising, though the disappointing return on Ullmark was shut.
The Sharks paid off a depressing season by touchdown a real franchise participant.
Shock scale: 0/100. Mike Grier had principally already informed us who he was taking, which might have spoiled the suspense if there was any. It was anticlimactic, certain, however typically the plain selection is completely the proper one.
The Geese choose shocks at the least one individual
At third, the Geese went with ahead Beckett Sennecke.
Beckett Sennecke when he heard his title referred to as with the No. 3 choose within the 2024 NHL Draft:
“Oh my God. Holy f—.” 😂
🎥 @BR_OpenIce | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/X8L5tIZrt1
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 28, 2024
Shock scale: 100/100. Not less than in case you’re Beckett Sennecke, whose healthful response to the choose was one of many highlights of the night time, to not point out the night’s finest supply of memes. Eric Stephens had extra from the child himself.
Celine Dion!
After a quick preamble, the Canadiens informed us that their choose could be made by their “greatest fan.” All of us form of rolled our eyes – bear in mind, this can be a workforce that when picked certainly one of its personal gamers as their celeb captain – however as a substitute, they dropped a reliable legend on us. Dion obtained an enormous pop from the Vegas crowd, and rightly so.
Shock scale: 70/100. In hindsight, perhaps we should always have seen it coming, but it surely made for an important second.
One of many weekend’s most intriguing storylines was what would occur when the Flames choose at No. 9 got here up and Tij Iginla was nonetheless on the board. Tij is after all the son of franchise icon Jarome Iginla and could be the sentimental choose. But when they’d any person else ranked greater on their board, would Craig Conroy have the center to interrupt his followers’ hearts?
We didn’t get to search out out, as Utah took Iginla with the sixth choose. In line with studies, the Flames did speak to Utah about shifting up however couldn’t pull it off. So now we wait and see in the event that they remorse that for years to come back or look again on this as a blessing in disguise.
Shock scale: 65/100. Utah’s been within the league for quarter-hour and is already ruining all the pieces.
Michael Buffer!
The “Let’s get able to rumble man” confirmed as much as assist the Flyers make their choose. That might have been lame, however they actually leaned into the bit, having him do the total height-and-weight introduction, and it labored.
You realize you’re in Vegas when Michael Buffer proclaims a choose! 🗣️#NHLDraft | @NHLFlyers pic.twitter.com/FPtxPj1hp1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 29, 2024
Shock scale: 75/100. At this level, having seen Celine Dion and Michael Buffer announce picks, there was some buzz about which celeb would present up subsequent. The reply was none, which was disappointing. This might have been a neat proof-of-concept for future celeb draft choose bulletins, however these most likely received’t work as properly subsequent 12 months once we’re doing this throughout Zoom.
The Sphere being undeniably cool
Everybody mentioned it might be. However that is nonetheless the NHL, so it wasn’t laborious to think about them taking this big marvel of expertise and utilizing it to challenge static headshots or bored-looking gamers mumbling about how a lot they love getting pucks in deep.
Nope. They crushed it. Full credit score to the league for going out of their consolation zone, spending the cash to make it work and delivering one thing actually memorable.
Shock scale: 50/100. In case you missed it, take a look at Different Sean’s deep dive into what the expertise was like.
GO DEEPER
Inside Sphere: The NHL Draft expertise from contained in the one-of-a-kind venue
And talking of the league getting issues proper…
The NHL to GMs: Shut up and choose
It’s develop into an evening one custom: Crew after workforce trudging to the stage with dozens of entrance workplace fits, then having their GM give a rambling speech thanking the host metropolis, congratulating the champions and saying hello to their followers again residence. And the entire time, you’re sitting at residence screaming, “Simply choose!”
The NHL apparently heard you, as rumors earlier than the draft have been that the league had informed groups to chop out the preamble, restrict their stage presence to 3 or much less, and simply make the dang choose. And so they did. And it was a ravishing factor.
Shock scale: 95/100. I’ve been begging for this for years, but it surely was nonetheless a shock to see them truly do it.
(Additionally, Ottawa slipped up and by accident provided a fast thanks to Vegas, which can presumably result in Gary Bettman taking away one other first-round choose.)
Numerous choose trades on Day One
Seven, to be actual. None of them concerned a participant, falling extra into the class of ordinary asset administration. However at the least they did set off the large “TRADE ALERT” graphic and accompanying sound results, which actually appeared to throw Gary Bettman off every time it occurred.
Shock scale: 35/100. We at all times see a number of of those, on each days of the draft. The twist this 12 months was that a number of of them obtained completed days earlier than the draft, which is a bit unusual – you’d assume a GM would need to wait to see who was accessible earlier than surrendering draft capital to maneuver up a number of spots. But it surely was a draft that some noticed as having very clear and particular tiers, and the costs to maneuver into one have been excessive.
But it surely’s value noting that this rating may have been quite a bit greater, as one workforce was apparently prepared to take a really huge swing:
Might have been fireworks on the high of the draft tonight. Listening to that the Blackhawks provided subsequent 12 months’s 1st Rd choose, unprotected, plus one other choose, in return for the fourth total choose. Consider it got here fairly shut however the Blue Jackets handed. They actually love Cayden…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 29, 2024
No participant trades on Day One
There’s an actual “Charlie Brown taking a run on the soccer” vibe over draft weekend commerce rumors, however a complete shutout was nonetheless a disappointment, if solely as a result of we didn’t get to listen to Bettman battle to pronounce anybody’s title whereas the TRADE ALERT horn interrupted him each few seconds.
Shock scale: 30/100. The calm earlier than the storm, because it seems.
The primary participant traded on the draft
It was Beck Malenstyn, a participant you positively knew existed, and who went from Washington to Buffalo for a second-round choose shortly earlier than Day 2 obtained began.
Shock scale: 0/100. We’ve all been on Beck Malenstyn look ahead to weeks now. He wasn’t even on our commerce board, presumably as a result of it was so apparent that he’d be the primary domino. Now that he’s been moved, all the opposite huge offers may fall into place.
Utah makes its mark
We’ve been listening to about them being in on nearly everybody, due to a stockpile of draft picks, loads of cap house, and a brand new proprietor prepared to discover the novel technique of (checks notes) truly spending cash. And certain sufficient, they delivered with a pair of offers, touchdown Mikhail Sergachev from the Lightning for a package deal of picks and gamers and John Marino from the Devils for picks.
Shock scale: 90/100. The Sergachev deal was a real blockbuster, with the added bonus of involving a participant who most of us hadn’t been fascinated about as a commerce chip. Gosh, I’m wondering what different gamers the Lightning could be prepared to maneuver?
Tanner Jeannot to the Kings
Oh proper, the man they traded roughly a dozen draft picks to accumulate only a few years in the past. Ah properly, sunk prices and all that, and the Lightning are clearly getting their cap to ensure that one thing.
Shock scale: 35/100. All of us assume that a few of that cap house will go to bringing Steven Stamkos again, and finally to a Victor Hedman extension that can kick in for 2025-26. However Tampa could have sufficient house to do one thing else now, particularly since Julien BriseBois is clearly prepared to make some powerful calls this weekend.
He didn’t value them something and, in reality, got here with a second-round choose connected in return for taking him off the Blues’ books. Nonetheless, is a 32-year-old making $3.5 million in opposition to the cap actually what the Penguins want proper now? I don’t get it, and I’m clearly not the one one.
Shock scale: 87/100. See, once we mentioned the Penguins wanted to get youthful, what we meant was…
Montreal takes Saku Koivu’s son
Aw, they drafted the son of their beloved former captain. That’s good. Isn’t that good, Flames followers? No? Too quickly? OK, cool, good to know.
Shock scale: 11/100. Significantly, this was fairly nice.
One of many funniest moments of Day 2 got here halfway by way of the second spherical when the Maple Leafs floor the proceedings to a halt when it was time to make the 58th choose. That led to a number of admonishments from an more and more irritated Invoice Daly and finally to boos raining down from the followers in attendance.
And sure, all of us made the identical “It’s the Leafs, how would they know what to do within the second spherical?” jokes.
Shock scale: 67/100. I want to determine the best way to get “In case you take too lengthy to make a choose, a number of thousand individuals begin booing you” labored into my fantasy soccer league.
They despatched Logan Thompson to Washington for picks, which was effective, apart from:
Logan Thompson is, certainly on the concourse signing autographs. The road is lengthy and getting longer. pic.twitter.com/I1BBe3IO7S
— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) June 29, 2024
Shock scale: 0/100. The league’s most heartless group strikes once more. I wouldn’t be stunned in the event that they instantly deactivated Thompson’s worker cross, and he’s nonetheless wandering round Sphere pulling on locked doorways and begging to be let loose of the constructing whereas Kelly McCrimmon factors and laughs at him.
This story
And also you thought Pronman was good at spoiling picks.
Favorite draft story at this time: Jacob Battaglia visited a non secular healer at Christmas who informed him they noticed town of Calgary in his future.
“Phrase of a lie, I’m not making this up. She informed me she says, she feels Calgary, someplace in Canada…” pic.twitter.com/guRKaCPpfW
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) June 29, 2024
Shock scale: -100/100. So long as you will have psychic skills.
Numerous huge names nonetheless on the board when the draft ended
By way of commerce targets, we didn’t get something on Mitch Marner, Martin Necas, Nikolaj Ehlers, Yaroslav Askarov, Jacob Trouba, Patrik Laine or Jakob Chychrun. There’s no assure that each one and even most of them are moved, however with cap house across the league set to start out disappearing, you’d determine one thing has to offer with at the least a number of over the approaching hours.
And Monday’s UFA market nonetheless options Stamkos, Sam Reinhart, Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault, Matt Duchene and Chris Tanev (until he indicators with the Leafs, who acquired his rights within the draft’s remaining commerce). That’s nonetheless two days away, which is a very long time in a league the place gamers love to remain the place their stuff is.
Shock scale: 80/100. The NHL’s week-long offseason churns on.
The entire thing being a ton of enjoyable
Sphere was cool, the vibes have been good, the followers have been drunk enthusiastic, and we finally even obtained some wheeling and dealing. What extra may you ask for?
Shock scale: 50/100. These in-person drafts by no means fail to ship a great time, and it offers the NHL one thing distinctive that you simply don’t see from different main professional leagues. I hope they maintain doing this eternally.
They’re not doing this anymore
Oh, proper.
I hate that they’re decentralizing the draft. It is smart, however there’s one thing particular about having everybody below one roof, on one ground. To not point out the velocity of Day 2 as all of the execs have flights to catch. The digital pandemic drafts have been *excruciating* on Day 2.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) June 29, 2024
Shock scale: 0/100. For this reason we will’t have good issues.
(High photograph of Celine Dion on the NHL Draft: Dave Sandford / NHLI by way of Getty Photographs)