Revisiting Markov's Career & Maple Leafs' Best Free Agent Signings of All Time
Also, some "Today in Hockey History", looking back at the Sabres' 2015 draft class, best first-round drafted goalies, and more.
Welcome to the THW Hockey History Substack newsletter, with all the best from our extensive archives.
In today’s edition, we have a couple “Today in Hockey History” posts, revisiting Andrei Markov’s career in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3 best free-agent signings of all time, looking back at the Buffalo Sabres’ 2015 draft class, and more.
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Now on to the good stuff…
Today in Hockey History: Dec. 20
Dec. 20 has been a very eventful and exciting date in the history of the National Hockey League. Some of the biggest names in the Hall of Fame had memorable moments on this date, especially in the “Original Six” cities of Montreal and Chicago. Let’s all climb aboard our hockey time machine and take our daily trip through the decades.
Canadiens’ Andrei Markov – Revisiting the General’s Career
Andrei Markov, one of the Montreal Canadiens’ all-time great defensemen, announced his retirement from professional hockey on April 16, 2020, at the age of 41. Being one of the best at your position for a team with a plethora of legendary players like the Canadiens is no easy feat, but the man they nicknamed “The General” has earned his place on that illustrious list.
Markov spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Habs before playing three years in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl from 2017 until the end of this season. He also represented Russia at the Olympics, as well as both the World Junior and Senior Championships. In 2008, Markov captured gold at the World Championships in Canada (Halifax and Quebec City were the host cities).
Maple Leafs’ 3 Best Free Agent Signings of All-Time
With NHL free agency opening in less than 10 days, all 32 NHL teams will be in preparation mode. Before that, the 2023 NHL Draft will take place on June, 28 and 29, 2023, where the general managers (GM) of each organization will hope to find future centrepieces for their club. However, most contenders will try and add that key piece through free agency to help their team immediately, and sometimes it works out.
Contending clubs typically take a chance on support players on the open market, and often, it looks like a steal. This has happened many times for the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially during the Auston Matthews era, when former GM Kyle Dubas signed low-risk, high-reward players like David Kampf.
This article is the second of two parts that look at the best and worst Maple Leafs signings. These are the three best in franchise history.
Today in Hockey History: Dec. 19
When it comes to historical dates in the National Hockey League, Dec. 19 is right up near the top of the list. The first game in league history was played on this date, and it also saw the 1,000-point mark reached faster than it ever had before or will again. Let’s start our daily trip through hockey history.
10 Best First-Round Drafted Goalies in NHL History
Historically, 12,250 players have been drafted in the NHL Amateur (1963-1978) and Entry Drafts (1979-present), with 1,389 (11 percent) being first-round selections. Statistically, there have only been 68 goalies to hear their name called in the first round, which accounts for just 4.8 percent of the selections.
Although sorting the names on that list was easy, stacking them in a list to determine who the top ten best first-round goalies were was hard. Whether factoring in wins, trophies, or Stanley Cup titles, outside of the top three, the list didn’t have any slam-dunk choices.
Revisiting The Sabres’ Failed 2015 Draft Class
Of the numerous reasons for the decade of futility that was the 2010s for the Buffalo Sabres, their constant inability to cultivate their own talent was perhaps the biggest. With three separate general managers (GMs) at the helm at various points from 2010 to 2019, the team either drafted well but failed to develop players, or just drafted badly altogether. With that being said, their biggest debacle of the decade doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.
Heading into the 2015 NHL Draft, the Sabres had the opportunity of a lifetime on their hands but somehow managed to waste it. It was a day that could have rejuvenated the franchise and set it back on the road to greatness, but instead became one of its all-time biggest blunders. With the 2023 NHL Draft upon us, let’s take a look back at the 2015 Draft and how it proved to be a disaster for the Sabres.