CANTLON’S CORNER: 2017 NHL DRAFT RESULTS AND MORE 

CANTLON’S CORNER: 2017 DRAFT RESULTS AND MORE

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – The first round of the NHL Draft went more or less according to the script.

There wasn’t much in the way of “cloak and dagger” or major surprises at Friday night’s two and half hour TV spectacle.

The New York Rangers did manage, for the first time since 2012, to have a first round pick. In fact, they didn’t just have one, but they had two selections to start the restocking process for a team in serious need of prospects. The team stocked up on centerman which seemed to be a shortage of over the past half dozen years or more.

The Blueshirts acquired the seventh overall choice in the draft from the Arizona Coyotes earlier in the day. They converted that pick into Lias Andersson from HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Andersson posted nine goals and 19 points in 42 games. The question with this 18-year-old is not about his skill or his compete level, but will he fill out his current 6’1 180-lb frame?

Just a reminder, Jaromir Jagr was 175-pounds in 1991 when the Pittsburgh Penguins selected him. He’s still playing if you didn’t know.

Gordie Clark, the Rangers Director of Scouting, graciously allowed retiring scout Ander Kallur make the selection.

Andersson is contracted to play next season in Sweden for Frolunda HC, the team his father and grandfather played on. He was drafted twice last year. The first time was in the CHL Import Draft in the 110^th spot overall by the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). The CHL (Canadian Hockey League) draft covers all three major junior leagues. In the second draft, he went in the third round (83^rd overall) in the KHL Draft by Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Andersson comes with a serious Swedish hockey pedigree. Andersson’s father, Nicklas, was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the fourth round (68^th overall) in the 1989 NHL Draft. He played 165 NHL games and another 548 games in Sweden. The senior Andersson is presently the European scout for the Los Angeles Kings.

Lias’ uncle, Mikael, was a first round (18^th overall) pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1984 NHL draft. The former Hartford Whaler played games in the NHL and is presently the European scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Another uncle, Thomas, played briefly in the Sweden first division.

Lias’ younger brother, Noah, 15, plays for Kungavle U-16 as well as a few games for the U-18 team. Their grandfather, Ronny, played in Sweden’s top league for the then Frolunda IF in the early 1960’s.

He would only play in Hartford at the conclusion of either Frolunda’s regular season or when eliminated from the playoffs.

With the Rangers second pick of the first round, the team selected the youngest player of the night, 17-year-old, Czech center, Filip Chytil, from HC Zlin.

Like Andersson, he was listed as a center/left wing and when he physically develops will be interesting. In 38 games, his numbers include four goals and eight points. These figures don’t jump out at you, but he was a boy playing against grown men and is slated to do so again in the Czech Elite League in the fall.

Given his age and draft selection, he could be part of the CHL Import draft in Canada. That draft is Wednesday. It would certainly be a closer trip for the Rangers’ scouting department to monitor the young man if he played in the QMJHL, WHL, or the OHL.

The only other name of note in the first round was that of second overall pick Nolan Patrick by Philadelphia. He was the first of four former NHL players sons taken in the first round (Andersson, Cale Foote, and Josh Norris) were the others.

Like Andersson, Patrick has a serious hockey family. His father, Steven Patrick, was a first round pick (20^th overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in 1980. Toward the end of his career, he played 71 games for the Rangers potting 15 goals and 36 points plus 100 PIM in a two-season span.

Nolan’s sister, Madison, plays college varsity hockey in Canada for the University British Columbia (CWUAA-W). She will be a senior this coming season.

James Patrick, a Ranger for years, is his uncle. James was also a first round pick, (9^th overall) in the 1981 draft. James also played for the Hartford Whalers and made stops in Calgary and Buffalo in a 1,280 game NHL career. He was recently let go by the Dallas Stars where he was an assistant coach. He became Head Coach for the Kootenay Ice (WHL) last week.

His other uncle is Rich Chernomas who was a WHL scoring star in Victoria (WHL) in the early 1980’s. Rich had a nice AHL career (424 games) with Maine and St. John’s and in the original IHL with Salt Lake City (443 contests). Rich has been a long-standing coach in the German DEL league for 17 years where he ended his playing career.

SECOND THRU SEVENTH ROUNDS

The first CT connected name selected was Jake Leschyshyn, the son of former Whaler and NHL’er Curtis Leschyshyn. Jake went in the second round (62^nd overall) from Regina (WHL) by the NHL expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Ben Mirageas, a defenseman, third round (77^th overall) by the New York Islanders is from Bloomington (USHL). Mirageas played at Avon Old Farms and is committed to Providence College (HE).

One of the top goalies in the draft and is an incoming freshman for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats (ECACHL), is Keith Petruzelli. In the 3^rd round (88^th overall) the Detroit Red Wings used their pick to select him. The Red Wings saw a lot of Petruzello because he played for the nearby Muskegon (MI) Lumberjacks (USHL).  He also spent two years at Springfield (MA) Cathedral, and one at the US Selects Academy program at South Kent Prep.

Anaheim took Harvard-bound Jack Badini (Old Greenwich, CT) in the third round (91^st overall) from the USHL Clark Cup champion Chicago Steel.

Jacob Bryson, who played at Loomis Chaffe Prep (Windsor), is now a freshman at Providence College (HE). Buffalo took him in the fourth round (99^th overall).

In the fifth round, (136^th overall) the Los Angeles Kinga took Drake Rymsha of Sarnia (OHL). Drake is the son of former New Haven Nighthawk, Andy Rymsha.

In the sixth round, the son of a familiar NHL player’s was taken. Skylar Brind’Amour is the son of Rod Brind’Amour, who played at the US Select Academy program at South Kent Prep. He was taken by the Edmonton Oilers, (179^th overall) and is committed to Michigan State (Big 10) for 2018-19. He will play Canadian Junior A this year with Chilliwack (BCHL).

In the seventh round, a pick was made that might one day be considered a steal in this draft in a goaltender, Cayden Primeau, who’s the son of ex-Whaler and NHL’er Keith Primeau and the nephew of another former NHL’er, Wayne Primeau. (Side note: who can forget their famous brother fight in Hartford?) The younger Primeau is heading to Northeastern (HE) in the fall and had a solid season with Lincoln (USHL). He has size at 6’3 and has excelled at every level so far.

Greenwich native and former Brunswick Prep star, is right-handed shooting defenseman, Philip Kemp. Edmonton took him in the seventh round (208^th overall). He was the captain of the US National Development U-18 Team and played 25 games with the USNDTP Junior Team (USHL). Kemp is heading to Yale University this year and could be on the US WJC team come Christmas time. He will also be another player to watch as he develops in college.

Other names of note are three former AHL players’ son’s selection in the draft. The highest chosen was right-handed, defenseman, Reilly Walsh. The New Jersey Devils took him in the third round (81^st overall). Reilly is heading to Harvard University (ECACHL) in the fall. He split the year playing 30 games at Proctor Academy (New Hampshire) where he tallies 69 points and another 24 with Chicago (USHL) posting 10 points. His father Mike played for the Springfield Indians.

Alexei Toropchenko, the son of another former Springfield Indian, Leonid Toropchenko, was taken in the fourth round (113^th overall) by the St. Louis Blues. Drake Batherson, is the son of former Portland Pirate, Norm Batherson. He also went in the fourth round (121^st overall) from Cape Breton (QMJHL).

RANGER DRAFT PICKS

After several lean years of drafting, the Rangers had seven picks and several players who’ll likely at least make it to the Wolf Pack training camp in September.

The third pick for the Rangers was in the fourth round. He was 20-year-old defenseman Brenden Crawley from London (OHL). Crawley is 6’2 and205 lbs. He is a left-handed shot who registered respectable numbers (61-7-20-27-114 and a plus 53). In his three years in the OHL, Crawley compiled 16 goals, 45 assists 61 points, 290 PM in 187 games.

The Rangers struck gold for eleven years with ex-Pack Dan Girardi and was recently brought out. Girardi was undrafted out and came from the highly regarded London team, but that scenario didn’t pan out the same way for the affable Tommy Hughes who played the last three seasons in Hartford.

In the fifth round, the Rangers used the 145th overall pick to select defenseman Calle Sjalin. Currently 17 but turning 18 on September 2, Sjalin skated in 34 games with Ostersund of HockeyEttan in Sweden this past season. He registered five goals and ten assists for 15 points, along with a plus-12 rating and 26 penalty minutes. He led all junior players (younger than 18 years old) in the league in points during the past season.

He is contracted to play with Leksands if in the Swedish Allsvenskan league for 2017-18.

In the sixth round, the Rangers used their second pick of that round to choose another center/left wing in 20 y20-year-old, Czech-born, Dominik Lakatos. He played in the Czech Elite League with HC Liberec. At 5’11, 180 lbs. Lakatos is known for having a gritty game. In 41 contests his numbers were 10-12-22 and 80 PM and with the Czech World Junior team in eight games, he had four goals and five points and led the tourney with 37 PIM.

He is also a left-handed shot and is supposed to play with an edge. Remember though the last European to come to Wolf Pack training camp with the that label was, “The Swedish Sean Avery.” That player was Andreas Jamtin. He lasted five regular season games and never came back!

With their second pick in the sixth round (174th overall), the Rangers selected 18-year-old forward Morgan Barron who skated in 56 games with St. Andrew’s College this past season. Barron registered 34 goals and 26 assists for 60 points, along with 22 penalty minutes. He helped St. Andrew’s College win the CISAA Championship in 2016-17.

The 6-2, 200-pounder is committed to play at Cornell University (ECACHL) in 2017-18. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native also played seven games with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season.

In the seventh round, New York used the 207th overall pick to select Patrik Virta. The 21-year-old skated in 49 games with TPS Turku in Finnish Elite League this past season, where he registered 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points, along with a plus-9 rating and 22 penalty minutes. He also recorded six points (five goals, one assist) in six playoff contests.

He is contracted to play for TPS this coming season.

His father, Tony Virta, played two season with the Houston Aeros (AHL) and eight NHL games with the Minnesota North Stars and had a distinguished Finnish League career.

(Note portions of a Rangers press release were used in this section)

NEWS

In a surprise move, former Wolf Pack assistant coach, Jeff Buekeboom, who was promoted to be a Rangers assistant coach last year, was demoted to the scouting department in favor of veteran NHL coach Lindy Ruff, who most recently was the Head Coach in Dallas, so much for organizational loyalty.

The move can’t be a good thing long-term for Head Coach, Alain Vigneault. An assistant coach with over a 1,000 games of NHL head coaching experience  between Dallas and Buffalo is next to you on the bench. At the first serious sign of trouble, Vigneault could be canned and replaced by Ruff.

It will be interesting to see who becomes the new assistant coach in Hartford will be. All of them have been defenseman except the two years when Ken Gernander was an assistant alongside J.J. Daigneault under Jim Schoenfeld. The others were Mike Busniuk, Ulf Samuelsson, Daigneault, Beukeboom and now the team new head coach, Keith McCambridge.

The Rangers gave a qualifying offer to the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer last season, Nicklas Jensen (32 goals and 55 points). He made $150K in 2016-2017. He had his KHL rights traded to Jokerit Helsinki a month ago, but has not signed a deal with them.

The Rangers did not tender qualifying offers to several making them all UFA (Unrestricted Free Agents). They include Chris Summers, Marek Hrivik, Chris Brown, Tommy Hughes, Daniel Catenacci and Mackenzie Skapski.

Magnus Hellberg (China-KHL), Philip McRae (Finland-FEL) and Taylor Beck (Russia-KHL) have already signed elsewhere.

Matt Carey, along with Jensen and Summers, was the only other truly salvageable piece from last year’s AHL worst team that should get an offer from the Rangers at the end of the week when NHL/AHL free agency kicks in.

Presently there are 21 players under contract who will likely be in Hartford when camp opens in late September.

Former Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Travis Harmonic, was traded by the New York Islanders to the Calgary Flames for three draft picks. Why? Have Sound Tigers Adam Pelech or Ryan Pulock developed that significantly to warrant dispatching a quality right-handed shooting defenseman? The Islanders are thinking short term with this move.

Former New Haven Nighthawk, Paul Boutilier, becomes an assistant coach with the new AHL team, the Belleville Senators. He replaces Steve Stirling, the one time Sound Tigers head coach. Boutilier was an assistant coach with Saint John (QMJHL) the last four years. Former Nighthawk, Scot Kleinendorst, remains as the head coach in Belleville.

Former Whaler Chris Pronger begins his upper management position with the Florida Panthers as the Senior Advisor to the President of Hockey Operations.

Another ex-Whaler, Chris Murray, is re-signed as an assistant coach with Kamloops (WHL).

The 2017 Class for Hockey Hall of Fame was announced. Congratulations to Teemu Selannne, Paul Kaiya,, Dave Andreychuk, Mark Recchi, Danielle Goyette, Canada’s most elite female hockey player, and in the builder’s category, Clare Drake, the long-time Canadian college coach, and Jeremy Jacobs, the Bruins owner since 1975.

Sorry for inadvertently leaving legendary BU Head coach Jack Parker off the list to the US Hockey Hall of Fame list announced last week.

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