TRAIKOS: Who will be number one? Will Reefs be exchanged for a goalkeeper? And other burning questions heading to the draft

Shane Wright or Juraj Slavkovsky 1 It will be ranked

This is the first of many questions towards this Thursday's NHL entry draft. But, like all drafts, predicting where each prospect will end up is not as a priority as predicting which player will be driven through trade.

Johnny Gordrow is heading to Philadelphia. Will Pierre-Luc Dubois go to the New York Rangers? Does Edmonton find Jesse Purjuyarbi's seekers? And who is J. T. mirror.

With free distributors coming out next week, these next few days could set up a table of worthwhile moves in the summer. Here are some of the questions that should be answered quickly:

Who will be number one

All signs indicate that the Montreal Canadian is choosing Shane Light. 1st overall. But that's far from a guarantee. The Kingston Frontenax Center, which gained an extraordinary position to play at OHL at the age of 16, is considered a safe choice. However, after failing to dominate aggressively, TSN recently dropped Wright under Slovak winger Juraj Slavkovsky. In the case of Habs, it can result in a positional need. Logan Cooley, an American center, is also reportedly on the Montreal radar, which could be a race of three horses. In any case, the mystery of who the Canadian chooses requires adding another layer of drama to the draft, which already has so many question marks.

Will anyone give the Russians a chance?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is expected to affect this year's draft. It is not yet known how much impact it will have. However, the fact that Ivan Fedotov, the prospect of Flyers goal tending, was recently detained as a "military evader" has "wasted" a player's top pick that some teams never see on NHL. It should scare you to "do". This is bad news for Danila Yurov and Ivan Miloshnicenko, who will be locked into the top five in other years, but before the team rolls the dice, until the end of the first round, or it. You may have to wait longer.

Who can steal the draft?

With both a lack of generational stars and a lack of consensus on order, this year's draft reminds us of many 2017 scouts where Nico Hiskie and Nolan Patrick were in the top two. Masu Pick — But he wasn't necessarily the top two player. In that case, don't be surprised to ask how Joakim Kemell or Simon Nemec slid out of the top three, like Cale Makar and Elias Pettersson, three years later. One of the players that can trigger the second speculation is the Moose Joe Warriors Forward Jaguar Philcus. He surprised fans with Lacrosse-style goals in the WHL playoff and was named MVP in the CHL Top Prospect Game, but is ranked 12th among the North American skaters. Because he tilts his weight scale at 150 pounds.

People at risk of falling.

Matthew Savoie, who was in the top 10 of this season's WHL score, also led all newcomers with 90 points in 65 games. At best, he looks like he could be another Braden point. It is for these reasons that NHL Central Scouting ranks Alberta natives as the fourth best skater in North America. However, the scout second guessed if he was in the top ten, as he played alongside Connor Geeky, the prospect of the first round, which may have inflated the number of Savoie, rather than a very large center. I'm starting. Sixth overall, TSN recently dropped him ninth overall, and another scout wondered if he was still available when Maple Leafs was picking 25th overall. If so, Toronto fans will be happy.

Will Senators exchange what they choose?

Otawa was named 7th overall in this year's draft. This is a familiar spot for teams that have been stocking cupboards for some time, with four top 10 picks appearing in the last four years. Ultimately, we need to focus not only on the future, but also on the present. So it's probably time for Senators to trade their first round of the year for an NHL-enabled player who can get closer to the playoff spot. The question is what they need. Well, you can discuss almost everything. This includes a top 6 winger to replace Nick Paul and a right arm defense against Thomas Chabot. If they can get both, they can probably convince Claude Jiro to go home as a free agent.

Where does Johnny God Draw end up?

The fact that the 40-goal scorer who finished fourth in the Heart Trophy has not signed an extension in Calgary should be worrisome to Flames fans. After all, all the concerns the team had with Gordraw as a playoff performer were answered by the year of Bounceback, which led the team with 14 points in 12 games. That said, 28-year-old price tags aren't cheap. Gordrow, who is in court from Philadelphia and New Jersey, and anyone looking for a top five scorer, will want nearly $ 10 million. The problem is that Calgary can afford it, while at the same time saving money for the limited free agents Matthew Takachuk and Andrew Manjapane. Otherwise, maybe his rights will be redeemed before losing him for free.

Will Reefs exchange for a goalkeeper?

Colorado Avalanche has shown that he can win the Stanley Cup with a good goalkeeper from the average, but he also shows that he needs the best defense in NHL to do that. I did. It's a fact that shouldn't be overlooked. Leafs do not have Cale Makar. Also, there is no Devon Toews. They don't even have Josh Manson. So while it's great that Colorado won the Darcy Quempor on the net, Toronto has to aim for a much higher Quemper and other B Listers at the free agency if they want to finally get out of the first round. I have. Fortunately for them, John Gibson of Anaheim may be available. But to win him, GM Kyle Dubas may have to think of a way out with William Nylander.

Does Edmonton trade Jesse Purjuyalbi and / or Kyler Yamamoto?

Despite advancing to the finals of the conference, many of the same questions that plagued the Oilers a year ago haven't disappeared. They are still No. I need the help of one goalkeeper and backend. They also need to understand if they intend to bring Evander Kane back. But the most pressing issue is what to do with Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto, both of which require extensions. The good news is that both are limited free agents. But the bad news is that people in both first rounds have had a disappointing season and may not be worth the money needed to resign them. In that case, GM Ken Holland can turn one ( or both) over and use the money of Kane and the goalkeeper to share the crease with Mike Smith.

Vancouver is J. T. mirror.

Canucks and Miller have been reported to be farther apart about the possibility of extension, and it is possible to see a 29-year-old child move in a draft. Is high. Coincidentally, Canucks won him first and sent the first and third round picks to Tampa Bay with Marek Mazanec in 2019. After scoring 32 goals and 99 points in 80 games last season, Miller's value has probably increased since then. For Kanuk, who is ranked 15th overall, this is another opportunity to develop further into the future.

Will Jets trade with Pierre-Luc Dubois?

After missing this year's playoff, jets need to know where they are heading. On paper, this should be a candidate for the Stanley Cup. But the problem is that the team continues to fall short of expectations. Something is wrong, whether on the ice or in the dressing room. Maybe the new coach Rick Bowness can solve some of those problems. But when Dubois expires in 2024, he has to wonder if something more important should happen, as he reports he's not interested in resigning with the team. Hmm.If so, it's not difficult to move to a 24-year-old center with 28 goals and 60 points, as the Rangers and Canadians are already showing interest.

mtraikos @ postmedia. com

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