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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who Are The Carolina Hurricanes Projected To Draft At 29?
The first-round of the 2025 NHL Draft is tonight and the Carolina Hurricanes currently hold the 29th overall pick. While it feels more likely that the Canes trade the pick either for a player or for more picks later in the draft, there's still the chance that they make the selection. Advertisement So who are the Hurricanes projected to take at 29? Here's a look at what some draft experts are saying: *Scout quotes are from The Hockey News' 2025 Draft Issue. Be sure to check it out here. TSN - Bob McKenzie / The Hockey News - Ryan Kennedy Bill Zonnon RW, QMJHL - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 28g, 83pts, 64gp The 6-foot-2, 187lb winger is a player that brings a lot to the table that teams like. One scout told The Hockey News: 'He's a lock to play, and anyone who is a lock to play is someone you should draft. This guy makes it so easy to project him when you watch him. His energy, hustle and compete jump off the page, plus he has a good shot, can score, and his sense is above average.' However, he is also viewed as a player with a lack of dynamism and potentially a low-ceiling. 'I like him just because of his size and compete," said another scout to THN. "He has the size and skating ability, but whether he can play in the top six, I'm not sure.' TSN - Craig Button Joshua Ravensbergen G, WHL - Prince George Cougars 0.901 Sv%, 3.00 GAA, 51gp Ravensberen is the consensus top-rated goaltender in this year's draft, and it's never a bad thing to stock up on goalies, especially with Carolina having a weak pipeline there. 'He has quickness, and he's agile and mobile for a big guy,' said one scout. 'He has really good balance and control of his movements. I like that, for a big guy, he steps out and challenges shooters effectively instead of always staying deep in his net. He gets above the crease on long shots and cuts the angle on shooting lanes on the side. He demonstrates a lot of good awareness in his game and has developed very well.' Another scout said: 'The things he's good at, his length, his speed and his compete, are the hardest things to teach,' said another scout. 'There's definitely some technical and structural refinement that needs to happen, but it's a late-developing position.' The Hockey News - Tony Ferrari Gustav Hillstrom C, U20 Nationell - Brynas IF J20 16g, 38pts, 43gp While not very high on a lot of other mock drafts and lists, Ferrari has the 6-foot-2 Swedish center fairly high up on his list. Advertisement Here's an excerpt from Ferrari: "Hillstrom is a solid 200-foot center who moves quite well and plays with excellent instincts. His offensive tools are still developing, but he always finds himself in an excellent position to score or make plays because of his intelligence. "Whether he is cleaning up rebounds around the net or picking up a loose puck and firing a pass to a teammate in the slot, Hillstrom finds ways to make things happen. The upside may not be at the high end, but he brings a package you want for a third-line center who could help in the top six in a pinch." The Athletic - Cory Pronman Cullen Potter LW, NCAA - Arizona State 13g, 22pts, 35gp A smaller-set winger at 5-foot-10, the 18-year-old was an impactful player in college hockey this season. There's a lot to like in terms of his skating and his offensive abilities. 'He didn't have a big supporting cast, but he can play against big guys,' a scout told THN. 'He goes to the hard areas and beats guys by changing speeds. He's a dawg. He hunts pucks. He's on the slighter side, but he doesn't play that way.' FloHockey - Chris Peters Jakob Ihs-Wozniak RW, U20 Nationell - Lulea HF J20 23g, 57pts, 40gp The 6-foot-2 winger broke the 17-year-old scoring record in the Swedish Junior league last season, but his production didn't really keep up the way many had expected this year. Ihs-Wozniak is a player some scouts have questioned the compete level of, but he has the tools to be a successful player. 'When he decides to compete and work, he is very hard to stop,' one scout told The Hockey News. 'I find him wildly inconsistent, particularly with his compete. When he's using his body, he's really good. I just haven't seen him do it that often.' Jack Murtagh C/LW, U.S. National Team Development Program 22g, 53pts, 56gp The forward was regarded by many as one of the top players on the US NTDP this past season. A good skater with a high compete level, his talent jumped off the page quite a bit in comparison to his peers there. 'He's a talented kid with a good shot,' one scout said. 'He can skate, and he's competitive.' Another said: 'Jack's been interesting on that team because he has a little bit of hardness to his game. He takes pucks to the net and plays around in those hard areas. On a team that hasn't been overly successful and doesn't have a lot of high-end skill, his game has jumped out for people.' Daily Faceoff - Steven Ellis Ryker Lee F, USHL - Madison Capitals 31g, 68pts, 58gp Lee was the USHL's rookie of the year this season and a top scorer for most of the year. The 6-foot winger has question marks regarding his skating, but his compete level and willingness to go to the hard areas has impressed scouts. 'He's an offensive player with soft hands who goes to the hard areas and has a great shot and release,' one scout told THN. 'But he's never going to be the first guy back. He cheats for offense, and he's an average to below-average skater. He's not a go-to guy.' He's committed to Michigan State next season. McKeen's Milton Gastrin C/LW, U20 Nationell - MoDo Hockey J20 18g, 42pts, 40gp The 6-foot Swedish center is a responsible two-way player who doesn't cheat the game. Gastrin plays hard, competes and also served as the captain of Sweden's U18 World's and Hlinka Gretzky teams. 'There's a lot of love for him,' a scout told THN. 'He has good hands, and he's a good skater.' Recent Stories • Should The Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Brent Burns? • Rod Brind'Amour Once Again Snubbed By Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee • What Might A Jason Robertson Trade Package Look Like? • Is Mitch Marner The Answer For Carolina? • The Carolina Hurricanes' 2025 UFAs • The Carolina Hurricanes' 2025 RFAs Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
CTV News
a day ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Flames' Wolf and Weegar serve as a reminder of the imperfect NHL draft process
Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf celebrates with MacKenzie Weegar after defeating the Buffalo Sabres in NHL hockey action in Calgary on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal) The future stars of professional hockey are set to take the stage at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles on Friday, but it's not a perfect process. Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf almost went undrafted in 2019, not selected until the seventh round. 'Being a late draft pick, I couldn't have been much later – [I was] fourth from last,' Wold said. 'You have a chip on your shoulder trying to prove people wrong every day.' Over the course of the 2024-25 season, he proved a lot of people wrong, compiling a 2.64 goals against average and .910 save percentage. Wolf won 29 out of the 53 games he started. Wolf was then nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given out to the league's top rookie. TSN's director of scouting, Craig Button, was asked where Wolf would go if teams could re-draft him. 'Everybody's looking for a number one goaltender, and now you know that he's a number one goaltender. Not only is he a number one goaltender, but he is also amongst – in his rookie year in the NHL – amongst the top 10 to 12 goaltenders in the entire NHL. I would even go further, [and draft him in the] top half of the first round.' Button points to Wolf's smaller six-feet-tall frame for what held him back. 'Everybody is looking for a number one goaltender, you got to find them. [The Flames] found him in the seventh round. He was the best goaltender outside the NHL for five straight years. Two years in Everett in the Western [Hockey] League, three years in the American [Hockey] League – and he hasn't missed a beat in his sixth year in the NHL. 'Once they show that they're capable and continue to show that they're capable, the opportunities will abound.' Another player who found themselves waiting late for their name to be called was defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, selected in the seventh round in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Button describes him as an incredibly versatile player. 'He's a first-round pick every day of the week,' said Button. 'MacKenzie might not have been the biggest guy, MacKenzie might not have been the fastest guy, but all MacKenzie continued to do was just improve and improve and work in improving.' Weegar was initially passed by in his first year of draft eligibility in 2012 when he was playing with the Halifax Mooseheads. Instead, he was selected 206th the year after. That same draft, the Mooseheads had Nathan Mackinnon selected first overall, Jonathan Drouin third, while goaltender Zachary Fucale was taken in the second round. 'He might have been overlooked a little bit because, when you talk about oxygen in a room, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin took up a lot of the oxygen in the room. That might have been just a case of MacKenzie was just a quiet, effective player, and maybe didn't grab your attention the way those other two guys did.' Weegar and Wolf are just a few examples of how imperfect the draft process is. 'Every player you draft – whether it be in the first round or the seventh round – anywhere you think they got a chance to make it, that's why you draft them, and you believe in them. But the NHL is a big step, and you're watching these players at 17 and 18, and there's so much growth ahead of them, and what I call the natural laws of maturity: physical, mental and emotional. So not only do you have to look at those players and project them to where they'll be when they're 22, for the most part, but then how are they going to handle the challenges? Wolf had the following advice for those waiting to be drafted. 'For guys that don't get drafted, or even get drafted late, it doesn't matter,' he said. For the Flames, they could use a few more hidden gems found in the late rounds, and they might have the right guy in charge, as the team general manager Craig Conroy was a sixth-round selection of the Montreal Canadians back in 1990.
National Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Is Vancouver Giants' Cameron Schmidt the most polarizing player in the NHL Draft?
Article content Pundits' predictions of how early diminutive Vancouver Giants speedster Cameron Schmidt might be selected in this weekend's NHL Draft vary wildly, but he doesn't seem phased by the plethora of possibilities. Article content 'Putting in the work after is what matters,' the 18-year-old winger from Prince George said. 'That is what I'm looking forward to. Article content Article content 'I understand how it can work out for guys my size. I know what to expect. I know that I could fall in the draft. I'm not too worried. But anything could happen.' Article content Schmidt scored 40 goals last season for the Giants, making him one of a mere three draft eligibles in the WHL to reach that mark. Schmidt is also 5-foot-7 and a half inches tall — at that size you want to be exact — and 160 pounds. Article content How much teams override the first sentence with the second one will be clear this weekend at the draft proceedings in Los Angeles. Article content TSN's Craig Button has touting Schmidt since last season — 'He lacks height. Nothing else,' Button told Postmedia this year — and slotted him at No. 19 in his latest rankings for this weekend. Article content That's the high-water prognostication. From there, it's the likes of Elite Prospects pegging him for No. 22 and Sportsnet's Jason Bukala ranking Schmidt at No. 30. It works its way to TSN's Bob McKenzie tabbing him for No. 47 and FloHockey's Chris Peters having him at No. 58. Article content Article content Article content We've heard lots of the stories the past few years about NHL teams giving more opportunities to smaller players, with the latest shining examples of that including Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (5-8, 170 pounds) and Carolina Hurricanes centre Logan Stankoven (5-8, 165 pounds). Article content Also true is the fact that only three players under 5-10 were picked in last year's seven-round draft, and they were all chosen in the fifth round or later. But if you redid the 2021 draft today, Stankoven would probably be a top-15 choice rather than going in the No. 47 slot he was actually picked at. Article content NHL teams undoubtedly wonder about Schmidt's play in his own zone. That's a standard question regarding smaller players. For what it's worth, he wasn't a regular penalty killer for Giants coach Manny Viveiros last season. There were some stints where Viveiros had him on the ice late in games with a one-goal lead. Article content Schmidt wears his emotion on his sleeve. There were instances where his frustration on the ice in a game was crystal clear. There were instances that led to ill-timed penalties. That's not usual for young players. Article content Article content He can clearly bring instant offence. Schmidt might be the most dynamic player that Giants have ever had. He's at least in that conversation with guys like Gilbert Brule and Bowen Byram. Article content Article content Schmidt is at top speed in a blink. He's so fast that you'd wish the WHL would keep track of breakaways. They don't, but Giants play-by-play man Nathan Kanter guesses that Schmidt had at least 30 this past season. Article content The WHL does pick a highlight of the night every game day, and Schmidt was one of six players to receive that accolade four times. Medicine Hat Tigers winger Gavin McKenna, Spokane Chiefs winger Shea Van Olm and Edmonton Oil Kings centre Gracyn Sawchyn led the way with five apiece, and McKenna and Van Olm both benefitted in that regard from extended playoff runs. Article content 'Just the way I play, the speed I have, and the smarts I play with,' Schmidt said. 'The speed I have and the ability to escape out of situations … I'm able to find ways to play the game that way. I think it will translate to the next level.'
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
BREAKING: Matthew Knies contract talks get bold Tkachuk comparison from NHL expert Craig Button
BREAKING: Matthew Knies contract talks get bold Tkachuk comparison from NHL expert Craig Button (Image via Getty) A young star from the Toronto Maple Leafs is waiting for a new contract, but things might get tricky. Fans are watching closely to see what the team does next. A former NHL general manager has now spoken about the situation and made a strong comparison that surprised many. Could the Leafs be repeating an old mistake? Craig Button compares Matthew Knies' situation to Matthew Tkachuk's 2019 holdout On Friday, June 14, 2025, hockey analyst Craig Button appeared on the Leafs Morning Take show and talked about Matthew Knies, a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs. As his entry-level contract has expired, Knies is now a limited free agent going into free agency on July 1. Craig Button, once an NHL general manager, made a rather courageous contrast. — tlndc (@tlndc) He alleged this situation mirrors what happened in 2019, when Matthew Tkachuk was present and Brad Treliving was the GM of the Calgary Flames. While Tkachuk wanted a long-term deal then, the Flames only gave him three years just before the regular season got underway. Button said on the show, 'Matthew Tkachuk was hoping for a big deal like Leon Draisaitl, but Brad went short-term. In the end, that hurt Calgary because they lost him later.' He also added, 'Brad Treliving upset Tkachuk… and then he wanted out.' Now, Button is warning the Maple Leafs not to make the same mistake with Knies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Also Read: Craig Button Highlights Maple Leafs Changes After Playoff Opener Matthew Knies becomes a key player after a strong 2024–25 season Matthew Knies, 21, had a fantastic year with the Leafs. During the 2024–25 NHL season, he had five goals in 13 playoff game,s together with 29 goals and 29 assists in 78 games. He was among the team's best forwards even though he battled a bit on defence. On May 29, 2025, Leafs GM Brad Treliving said in an interview with Athlon Sports that re-signing Knies is one of the team's top jobs this summer. He said, 'I'd like to get it done as soon as possible… Matthew had a tremendous year. He became a really important player.' Still, Treliving hasn't clearly confirmed if other key players like Mitch Marner and John Tavares will stay with the team. The Leafs also want to improve their defense and find players who can handle pressure during playoff games. Now, all eyes are on how Treliving handles Knies' new contract before it becomes another Tkachuk-like story.
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Wild offseason needs: How Minnesota measures up to NHL conference finalists
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The path seems arduous. Think about the Central Division — from the Dallas Stars, who are in another conference final, to the Avalanche, who usually reload, and top-seed Winnipeg. The Utah Mammoth have an impressive young core and the Nashville Predators aren't likely to belly flop again. Advertisement So, where do the Minnesota Wild fit among the Western Conference contenders? They went from the best record in the league in mid-December to just sneaking into the playoffs after a dramatic win in the season finale. But the oh-so-close loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round did feel different than the others in the last decade. 'I don't think there's any question this is a team on the rise,' said former NHL GM Craig Button. On the rise, sure, but how close to actually making a run? This pivotal summer will have a lot to do with it. GM and president of hockey operations Bill Guerin is armed with $16.4 million and a potentially valuable trade chip in Marco Rossi to bolster his roster. There are needs, for sure, and to figure out where, we used Dom Luszczyszyn's Net Rating model to compare the state of the Wild roster to the average roster of the NHL's four conference finalists. This snapshot of the Wild roster is a bit incomplete, considering Rossi's possible departure, plus some rookies slated to make the lineup in Zeev Buium, Danila Yurov and Liam Ohgren. The ratings here are based on what they contributed during the 2024-25 season. For Buium, it was his college numbers at the University of Denver; for Yurov, we used replacement-level stats as he's coming from the KHL. But it provides a picture of how the Wild compare to the average roster from the four teams that won two playoff rounds: the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. The Net Rating model has a long track record of demonstrating predictive value, and even though it's imperfect, there's some reliability in how it can put into perspective what individual players are contributing to the team's success from an offensive and defensive standpoint. We based this on the idea that the Wild would not re-sign pending unrestricted free agents Gustav Nyquist, Justin Brazeau, Marcus Johansson and Jon Merrill. Declan Chisholm is a restricted free agent, though if he's re-signed, he could end up a seventh defenseman with Buium jumping into the lineup. Advertisement What stands out right away is how well the Wild match up to the top teams in terms of how they defend. Their overall rating of 18.9 tops the average of the four conference finalists, with a stick tap to the forward group of stout two-way players like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno. The defensive rating for the Wild's blue line, despite a minus-4.3 rating for Zach Bogosian and a minus-1.7 rating for Jake Middleton, is 6.4, above the 4.4 for the conference finalists. The defense, as Guerin has put it, is pretty much set. What does need some work, and perhaps some significant help, is the offensive support in the forward group beyond Kaprizov and Boldy. The average conference finalist has two forwards in the elite category, meaning above the 11 in net rating. The Wild pretty much have that in Kaprizov (19.3), arguably one of the top 10 players in the world, and Boldy (10.2). Joel Eriksson Ek (9.1) matches up pretty well as the supporting top-line forward to the conference finalist (9.8). But there are only two other Wild forwards with a positive net rating: Mats Zuccarello (5.5) and Rossi (4.2), who could be on the move. The conference finalists have at least three other top six forwards with a rating of three or above. Foligno, for what it's worth, was at a minus-0.3 net rating even though he had arguably one of his best seasons. The Wild's blue line is solid overall, especially the top four with Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin, and Jared Spurgeon is tops in terms of the net rating at 5.2. The conference finalists' average has a No. 1 defenseman at 10.3, a top-pair defenseman at 8.0 and another top-four D at 4.3. Brodin is the Wild's next highest at 3.7, though we can see Faber's 1.2 net rating as lower than what he produces as a franchise-caliber defenseman. If Jake Middleton bounces back with a better year from an analytical perspective and Buium grows into the star many people believe he'll be, then this group will be much closer. Advertisement In net, Filip Gustavsson showed he's a solid No. 1, though his net rating is 2.7, below that of the conference finalist (7.9). But we think most wouldn't mind having Gustavsson over Stuart Skinner (Oilers) and Frederik Andersen (Hurricanes). Meanwhile, Jake Oettinger (Stars) and Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers) do have an edge. So, what do the Wild need this summer? Guerin made it clear at his exit interview press conference what he's focused on this summer. He'd like to upgrade his center position, supporting their No. 1 in Joel Eriksson Ek, who is also their top shutdown pivot. 'I think Ekky needs a little help,' Guerin said. 'He's in a battle every single night. And there's no easy nights for him. So I think we could create some help there.' There will be some internal help in the form of top prospect Yurov, a skilled playmaker who has won a title in the KHL. Guerin admitted there would be some 'growing pains' as Yurov tries to prove his 200-foot game, so let's not just guarantee he'll be a 2C right away. And if the Wild do trade Rossi, who has been a top-six center most of the season, that leaves another hole. That's why you're hearing about the Wild being interested in veteran UFA Brock Nelson. He's 33 and the money would have to be right, but he'd bring a stabilizing presence up the middle to take some defensive pressure off of Eriksson Ek. The UFA market for centers isn't extremely deep, and while Sam Bennett seems like a great fit, his price is only going up during these playoffs, and there's no guarantee he gets to July 1. John Tavares is out there, if he doesn't re-sign in Toronto, and Matt Duchene played for John Hynes before in Nashville and would likely come cheaper. Guerin also said he 'wouldn't be opposed to a scoring winger.' Balanced scoring is something of a need for the Wild, who dropped off quite a bit when Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov missed several months with injuries. Zuccarello didn't produce as much when not on a line with Kaprizov. They're probably going to lose UFA Marcus Johansson, who was a mainstay as a second-line winger all year. Advertisement This is where the Wild being connected to the likes of Brock Boeser comes in; for what it's worth, Boeser's net rating of 4.4 last season was the same as Rossi's. Prospect Ohgren could get a shot if he's ready. Ryan Hartman's impressive playoffs performance was reminiscent of his 34-goal season a few years back, so he could be an option in the top six. The Wild could also address this hole in a Rossi trade. Whether it's targeting the likes of JJ Peterka from Buffalo or another scoring winger, Minnesota could use a boost here. Patrick Kane is also a free agent, as is clutch performer and agitator Brad Marchand. Does Nikolaj Ehlers re-sign with the Jets? If you look at the sizable difference between the Wild's forward net rating and that of the conference finalists, the eye-watering negative numbers in Minnesota's projected bottom six play a large role. The lowest-rated five forwards on Minnesota combined for minus-29.6, compared to minus-16 for the conference finalists. Yakov Trenin underwhelmed in the first season of a four-year, $14 million deal, which is why his net rating was minus-6.7. He looked like a much different player in the postseason, a forechecking force who created both of Marco Rossi's goals. If Trenin plays like that, his number will look a lot different, and so will his role. And if the Wild do add in free agency, perhaps Vinnie Hinostroza (minus-4.9) is more of a 13th forward. The combined minus-15.5 for Ohgren and Yurov is partly due to Ohgren's small sample size in the NHL and Yurov being put at replacement level for this exercise as an unknown. So the 20-point gap between Minnesota and the contenders can be bridged in some portion. But the Wild could use some attention in the bottom six. They looked like they missed Brandon Duhaime, who was a beloved 'dawg' in his first year with the Capitals. In hindsight, Nico Sturm would have been a great addition at the trade deadline. The Wild need a fourth-line center who can win draws and kill penalties while driving that line. If Minnesota adds and it pushes Gaudreau down there, that's one thing. But as for wingers, why not give a look to Corey Perry? The 40-year-old former MVP still plays at a high level and can be useful on any line from first to fourth. He brings an edge and swagger to the room, too, much like a Pat Maroon. Advertisement The elephant in the room is whether Rossi is here playing for the Wild next season, vs. being on this chart. But if Rossi isn't, the 2020 No. 9 pick leaves a hole in the middle. That's still 24 goals and 60 points on a team that struggled with secondary scoring. The emergence of Hartman late in the season offers the belief he can step into a top-six center role again. But there still needs to be some more depth added here. We'll explore in future articles what a return for Rossi might be, but it would make sense for the Wild to ask for an impact forward in return, vs. futures like a first- and third-round pick, similar to what the compensation might be if they lost Rossi in an offer-sheet situation. (Top photo of Kirill Kaprizov and Gustav Forsling: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
