The Hockey Writers Daily - June 26, 2023
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Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily.
In today’s edition we have some Maple Leafs’ News & Rumors, some goalie options for the Penguins, draft strategies for the Devils and Canadiens and more.
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Here’s the good stuff:.
Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Barbashev, Kadri, Durzi & Keefe
In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors, we’ll take a look at why the Maple Leafs probably won’t go after Ivan Barbashev as a free-agent signing. Second, we’ll look at a similar case in Nazem Kadri and explore his scoring decline after a stellar 2021-22 season.
Third, we’ll report that former Maple Leafs’ draftee Sean Durzi was traded to the Arizona Coyotes from the Los Angeles Kings. Fourth, we’ll talk about the news of a potential announcement that Sheldon Keefe will return as head coach. Finally, we’ll take a look at a potential Maple Leafs’ free-agent target, Evan Rodrigues.
Montreal Canadiens at the 2023 NHL Draft: 5 Things to Know
The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is approaching, and the Montreal Canadiens are poised to be major players in the draft outcome for many teams. The Habs hold the fifth overall pick and it is there that the draft begins to get interesting as their pick is where the draft boards start to diverge, and the Habs’ choice will create a ripple effect, affecting the draft strategies of some teams.
Here are five things that Canadiens fans will want to have answered or completed at the draft.
Devils 2nd Round Targets for 2023 Draft
The New Jersey Devils don’t have a first-round pick in the 2023 draft (at least as of this writing) after giving it up in the Timo Meier deal at the trade deadline. Still, they have a pick in every round, with their first selection coming at 58th overall in Round 2. Let’s look at some prospects they could target with that pick.
Penguins Still Exploring Options in Net
The Pittsburgh Penguins named Kyle Dubas president of hockey operations on June 1. He has no doubt been busy getting familiar with the organization and even hiring Jason Spezza as assistant general manager. However, he has yet to make any big roster moves. The Penguins have several players who will hit the market as unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on July 1. That list of players includes starting goaltender Tristan Jarry. There is no denying that Pittsburgh struggled at the goalie position this season, and with free agency looming Dubas has some big decisions to make.
Oilers’ 4 Burning Questions Heading Into Entry Draft & Free Agency
The Edmonton Oilers are set for a busy week with the NHL Entry Draft and free agency coming up. They might not hold their first, third, fourth, or fifth-round picks this year, but that doesn’t mean something big can’t go down multiple different ways. The Oilers are running out of time to make a decision on one of their players, could make a couple of trades, and are looking to bring in the right pieces in free agency. There’s a fair deal to discuss, so let’s dive in.
More THW stuff from around the NHL:
Carolina Hurricanes - Hurricanes Re-Sign Jordan Staal to 4-Year Deal
From Sportsnet - Erik Karlsson opens up about trade request: ‘There’s a lot of teams that want to do it’
Buffalo Sabres - Sabres Best 2023 Draft Picks For Each Positional Need
NHL Offseason - NHL Trade Bait List for 2023 Offseason
From TSN - Top-ranked goalie Bjarnason ready to prove himself again after NHL draft
Seattle Kraken - Seattle Kraken Top 15 Prospects: 2023 End of Season Rankings
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!