Latest news with #ZeevBuium
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Where Wild's Zeev Buium Ranks In Calder Trophy Voting
Minnesota Wild rookie defenseman Zeev Buium burst onto the scene in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round. He had just finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver where he was up for the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award as the top player in College Hockey.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Can Zeev Buium become the Minnesota Wild's breakout star this season?
Photo byWhen training camp opens in September, all eyes will be on Zeev Buium. The 19-year-old defenseman, drafted 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2024, isn't looking for a slow introduction to the NHL. He's planning to step in and make an impact right away. 'I do think that there is an opportunity for me to step in and be a player on the team,' Buium said recently. 'And for me, I don't just want to be a guy who's out there—I want to help this team win.' From college dominance to NHL playoff debut: Zeev Buium's rise to stardom Zeev Buium signed his three-year entry-level contract on April 13, just three days after the University of Denver's Frozen Four elimination. One week later, on April 20, he made his NHL debut in Game 1 of Minnesota's first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, logging 13:27 of ice time in a 4-2 loss. He appeared in four playoff games and recorded one assist, giving him an early taste of the league's intensity. 'Being able to play in those couple games at the end of the year and then going to World Championships [with the United States] really helped me,' Buium said. 'You learn a lot… how guys carry themselves and what you need to do.' Before signing with Minnesota, Buium had a remarkable college season. He put up 48 points (13 goals, 35 assists) in 41 games for Denver, earning NCHC Player of the Year and Best Offensive Defenseman honors, while finishing as a Hobey Baker finalist. He was also a unanimous NCHC First-Team All-Star selection. The California native isn't short on championship experience either. He helped Denver win the 2024 NCAA title and was part of the U.S. teams that claimed gold at both the 2025 World Juniors and the IIHF World Championship—the latter breaking a 92-year drought for Team USA. 'There'll always be enough room [for more trophies],' Buium joked. 'The group of guys we had was so special… everyone's so great and cares about each other. ' Zeev Buium's offseason grind and Bill Guerin 's blueprint for a breakout rookie year Now, Buium is focused on adding strength and explosiveness to his 6-foot, 183-pound frame before camp. 'I think for me, it's putting on weight,' he said. 'Working on explosiveness, getting faster and stronger… get ready to play a full NHL season.' Wild GM Bill Guerin believes he's on the right track. 'Zeev is a young guy that we've all seen what he's capable of,' Guerin said. 'He's one of those young pieces of talent we're very excited to see make a push and have an impact on the team.' After a year packed with milestones and championships, Buium's hunger to succeed at the NHL level has only grown. 'Losing in the Frozen Four put into perspective how hard it is,' he said. 'It makes me more grateful… and realize how much more I want it.' Also Read: Winnipeg Jets sign Gabriel Vilardi to $45M deal—blockbuster trade pays off after breakout NHL season For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Answering your Marco Rossi and Kirill Kaprizov questions: Ask Russo and Smith, part 1
Zeev Buium's offseason has been a busy one, starting with winning another gold medal for Team USA during May's World Championship. 'There'll always be room for another one,' he said, smiling. But what was striking about Buium, 19, at last week's Wild development camp was the muscle he's gained this offseason. The touted defense prospect wants to add 10-15 pounds to his 6-foot, 183-pound frame to be ready for a regular role on the blue line. Advertisement 'I don't just want to be a guy who is out there, but help this team win,' he said. Riley Heidt, who got a taste of the NHL last preseason before being sent back to the WHL, feels more comfortable and confident he can make a push this year as he'll probably start his first year pro in AHL Iowa. 'Just having maybe not as much nerves and being able to really show my game a little,' he said. Ryder Ritchie, who had the 'time of my life' in helping lead Medicine Hat to the Memorial Cup championship game, is going the college hockey route at Boston University. Adam Benak, the intriguing 5-foot-7 fourth-round pick, was deciding between Brantford, where his buddy Adam Jiricek plays, and Youngstown, where he was the leading scorer. As for the rest of the offseason as the franchise enters its 25th anniversary season, the Wild still have to try to extend Kirill Kaprizov and work out a contract for restricted free agent Marco Rossi if he doesn't sign an offer sheet elsewhere, or trade him (which remains an option). Other than that, the roster is largely set unless the Wild decide to add Rossi holdout insurance or a left-shot D or something in that realm. As you can tell in Part 1 of our mailbag — more to come later this week — Wild fans are oddly fretting waaaaaay more about Rossi than Kaprizov: It seems counterintuitive to say that everyone is 'buying,' yet there is no market for Rossi. Have we again overinflated a Wild player's value? – Teams were interested, but they were either offering futures or top-six forwards the Wild didn't want. If you look at Vancouver, I'm not sure there was a player the Wild would have wanted with the 15th pick. If you look at Carolina, who would the Canes offer other than Jesperi Kotkaniemi? I can't imagine the Wild would have wanted him for five more years at $4.82 million. But I don't think the Wild helped their own cause by portraying to the league they didn't feel he could function in the meat of a Stanley Cup playoff run. I guarantee you that was a red flag to a league that watched a guy like Bennett win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Florida's 2C. – Russo Advertisement Guerin announced he would match any offer sheet for Rossi. You have posited that after signing Rossi in that manner, he could still be traded. However, Sean McIndoe just wrote, 'According to the CBA, any team that matches an offer sheet cannot trade that player for one full year.' – YellingAtTheClouds We have never, ever, ever said or written or 'posited' that Rossi could be traded if he signs an offer sheet. You're misunderstanding. We have said and written that Rossi's camp is worried about signing any contract with the Wild that they deem under value because that could just allow Bill Guerin further time to trade him elsewhere on an affordable contract, and there'd be no way to stop that because Rossi isn't eligible for no-trade protection in his contract until 2029. Also, Guerin's announcement was designed to just scare off suitors. In the next breath, he said they have a pay structure they have Rossi falling in line at. If somebody called his bluff and offered Rossi $7 million-plus, I'm still not confident that the Wild match. – Russo Predict when you feel the Rossi situation will get resolved and what will happen. What teams are realistically interested in Rossi that have the cap space to satisfy his demands and have the draft picks that would need to be given to the Wild for an offer sheet? – @northstarsGM If he doesn't sign an offer sheet to force the Wild's hand, I think this could be a long one right up until training camp or even beyond. The schism just remains wide and the two sides haven't been actively negotiating. As for offer sheets, let's just assume the figure would be five years at $7.02 million per — the max contract to fork over a first- and third-round pick if the Wild didn't match. There are 18 teams besides the Wild that own their 2026 first- and third-round picks. Of those with the cap space to offer Rossi a deal the Wild would have to debate matching: Anaheim, Buffalo, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Utah and Winnipeg. Prior to the draft, I was led to believe Buffalo, Chicago and Nashville had no interest in Rossi, Calgary's interest was sorta lukewarm (but that was when the Flames had to give up a roster player) and Utah felt its roster was too small already. Columbus seems set up the middle. – Russo I don't understand contract structure very well, but could you guys see Billy G doing a contract with Rossi for six or seven years x $5.5 million with milestone incentives for goals, assists and points that would push his contract to where Rossi sees his value at? – Austin Chromey Rossi can't get performance bonuses. The only players eligible are players on entry-level contracts, players on one-year deals that are 35 or older and players coming back from long-term injuries (i.e. Jonathan Toews). – Russo If San Jose or Chicago offer-sheeted Rossi at let's say at 6×7, that would be a 1st- and 3rd-round pick with the first being a lottery pick. Would that be enough to send those two picks and Rossi to Buffalo for Tage Thompson! – Tim77988872 Well, we assume a lottery pick because we assume they're not making the playoffs, which is also why we assume neither would do it. Also, one offer sheet wrinkle? For compensation purposes, if the term is six or seven years, divide the total price by five. So in your example, $42 million divided by five is considered an $8.4 million offer sheet and the compensation would actually be a first, second and third. – Russo Advertisement What similarities do you see with the Rossi situation and the situation last year between Carolina and Martin Necas? – Ameer Eldomiatti Different but similar. Necas seemed to indicate he'd like to move on and Carolina found a couple trade options, but Necas wouldn't sign a contract extension with those teams. So the two sides begrudgingly agreed on a two-year deal with a $6.5 million AAV. But when I sat down with Necas at the NHL media tour last summer in Prague, I got the impression that fences hadn't been mended and he was just waiting to get moved. Last season, he got off to an incredible start before hitting the skids big-time and ultimately being traded to Colorado in the Mikko Rantanen deal. The difference with the Wild is a simple disagreement on value. Rossi would 100 percent take that high-AAV Necas deal, but the Wild have offered a two-year deal at below $5 million. And Rossi doesn't really want to get traded, so he doesn't want to do them any favors by accepting an easily-movable AAV. – Russo At what point should we start to worry if the Kaprizov extension isn't done? – Jack Sandbulte Guerin kept insisting nobody should 'panic' if the Kaprizov extension wasn't done July 1, or right away, and we'd agree with that. There's still plenty of time and both sides seem to be moving in a positive direction. It's the Wild's 'priority No. 1' to sign Kaprizov, and the Russian superstar has said negotiations 'should be good'; the new CBA rules should make it more advantageous to stay here, too. Remember, Leon Draisaitl's long-term deal with Edmonton last summer didn't get finalized until September. When the Wild sign Kaprizov, they'll want to pull out all the bells and whistles, so perhaps they'll wait until he's back in town to announce it. We'd say maybe you can start to worry if Kaprizov isn't signed by the time the season opener comes around. That's one distraction nobody on the team wants to have. – Smith Who are some potential 'big fish' the Wild would maybe take a stab at trading for in-season or around the deadline? – Matty Ellenson I want to make clear to all the aggregators out there that like to pull stuff for articles and banners on X, etc.: THIS IS CONJECTURE! But, to Guerin's point, he has noted that in recent years big fish like Jack Eichel, Mikko Rantanen, Matthew Tkachuk and Mark Stone have been traded. The Wild, because of four years of cap hell, couldn't get in the game. He didn't want to go out this offseason and overpay for a Nikolaj Ehlers or Mikael Granlund or somebody like that and inhibit his flexibility to go 'big-game hunting.' The only one he likely would have made an exception for was Brock Boeser, but we assume they realized he had other options (like returning to Vancouver) and that's why they pivoted to Vladimir Tarasenko on a one-year bet. Why? What if Tage Thompson finally says to Buffalo, like Eichel, JJ Peterka and so many others, 'get me out of here?' What if Dylan Larkin's frustration bubbles over if the Red Wings go a 10th straight year of not making the playoffs? What if Buffalo can't get an extension done for Alex Tuch? Artemi Panarin is another potential option, as Joe points out below. – Russo Who are a couple top free agents in next year's class? – Jeff Wyatt There are a bunch of big-name players due to be UFAs next summer, starting with Connor McDavid, then Eichel, Panarin, Kyle Connor and Adrian Kempe. Kaprizov too, if he's not re-signed. The problem is, like we saw this offseason, a lot of the top players are staying with their own teams (see: Sam Bennett, Boeser, etc). It's rare for a superstar to get to UFA status. So it's probably best not to bet or count on those being the 'big fish' the Wild can pounce on. The cap is going up, and every team seems to have cap space, which helps them retain their top talent. Other names to look at are Martin Necas and Alex Tuch. – Smith Is Panarin a viable option? – @ncarm8 Panarin, 33, has one year left before becoming a UFA. It's unclear if the Rangers are going to bring him back, at least as of now. We know Kaprizov and Panarin are good friends, and they share the same agent in Paul Theofanous. That's not to say it's a guarantee the Wild go after the star sniper or that the Rangers trade him. But the longer Panarin goes without a deal, it's something that would make a lot of sense for the Wild to pursue. Or, they could gamble and wait if he becomes a free agent. Advertisement Bringing in another scoring winger to help Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, providing more balance to the lineup, seems to be important for Minnesota to take the next step. If Kaprizov was willing to get on the phone to help convince Vladimir Tarasenko to waive his no-trade clause, we'd think he'd make a pretty good pitch to Panarin. Panarin carries an $11.6 million cap hit on his deal, so it'd be interesting what he'd command on a new one as he hits his mid-30s. – Smith Any interest in signing Jack Roslovic? Seems like a guy who could be handy to have around on the cheap. – @underground970 I don't get the impression they are (Toronto seems to have interest), but I agree it'd be good insurance if Rossi held out or even a producing center they could add if they decided they just wanted to trade Rossi for futures. – Russo (Top photo of Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi and Kirill Kaprizov: Dennis Schneidler / USA TODAY Sports)
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft consensus big board: Schaefer, top centers headline class
No matter how much we analyze, report and project, the NHL Draft always finds ways to surprise us. Take last year, for example. When The Athletic compiled its annual consensus big board, Zeev Buium checked in at No. 4 — the second-highest-ranked blueliner in a defense-heavy class. But when draft day came along, Buium hung around longer than expected, lasting until the Minnesota Wild finally traded up for him at No. 12. Advertisement So, throw all the rankings out the window, right? Not so fast. While the overall consensus board did have Buium much higher than he went, the makeup of those rankings also told a story that could have much more closely predicted the outcome on draft day. While Buium did rank fourth overall and second among the group of six D atop the class — and no lower than seventh overall on any individual list we surveyed — you could also look a little closer and see that four defensemen (Artyom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Anton Silayev and Carter Yakemchuk) were ranked ahead of Buium by at least one of the five rankings we compiled to create the consensus list. A fifth defender (Zayne Parekh) was back-to-back with Buium on one of the lists. So while it was still stunning to see Buium as the sixth defenseman off the board that night at Sphere, it also wasn't totally unheard-of; it only takes one team to love a player, and it's more than possible to be ranked high by virtually everyone (including teams) but end up on the wrong side of a few close calls. That's where the beauty lies in the draft, and it's also why, each year, The Athletic seeks to make a consensus big board like this one, which surveys five lists in search of both agreements and outliers. The original five lists forming this consensus belong to Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, The Athletic's prospect experts; Flo Hockey's Chris Peters, who co-hosts The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series podcast; former NHL general manager Craig Button, now TSN's director of scouting; and the great Bob McKenzie, also of TSN, whose list is itself a consensus ranking of 10 NHL scouts — and thus a great barometer for the league's opinion on players. We highly encourage you to read all of their individual lists as well. But in analyzing them all together, the hope is to find those little extra details that can play such a big role in shaping how things play out on draft day. The draft's headliner and projected first pick, Matthew Schaefer, is a defenseman, but after that, it's the centers who are expected to dominate the top 10. That starts with Michael Misa at No. 2 on all five lists, and even though winger Porter Martone checks in at third on the overall list, it's entirely possible that there could be an early run on centers right after Schaefer. Advertisement There are all different styles of center making up that group, too. Coming in at No. 4 is Anton Frondell, a strong two-way center out of Sweden whose Allsvenskan production outpaced William Nylander's and David Pastrnak's at the same age. He also plays a responsible game that is easy to project to the NHL. Tied at fifth are Caleb Desnoyers and James Hagens, who was at one time the favorite to go first in the class. His freshman season in college hockey wasn't as loud as recent top picks Macklin Celebrini and Adam Fantilli, but he was still a point-per-game player and brings dynamic skating and skill. At No. 7 is Jake O'Brien, whose playmaking ability is among the best in the class, and at No. 8 is the late-rising Brady Martin, who was a major standout at the U18 World Championships and plays with the kind of physicality and hard skill that tends to shine in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And that's before getting to perhaps the most interesting prospect in the whole class. Roger McQueen is a highly skilled pivot who stands 6-foot-5 and skates well, normally the kind of profile that gets you picked closer to the top five. But McQueen missed much of the season with a back injury, and as a result there's some hesitation, particularly after Cayden Lindstrom (the No. 4 pick last season) missed nearly his entire season in 2024-25. Still, McQueen ranked as high as fifth (Button) among the five lists we tracked, though the other four had him more in the nine-to-11 range. Even outside the top 10, there are more names to monitor, again in all kinds of varieties. Cole Reschny (No. 14 on the aggregate list) is a small, skilled and smart pivot, while Jack Nesbitt (24th) is 6-foot-4 and a big-time competitor with sneaky hands. Teams can pick their flavor. In all, 12 of the consensus top 25 are potential centers — and while not all of them will stick down the middle in the NHL, it's still notable (and quite appealing) to have that much down-the-middle talent high in a draft. A year ago, in last year's defense-heavy class, 10 blueliners were picked in the first round. This year, our consensus board has only 11 in the top 50. Schaefer, a unanimous pick at No. 1 among these five lists, is the headliner, but there's a real difference in who should go next among the D. Wheeler, Button and McKenzie's lists all have rangy 6-6 defender Radim Mrtka as the next man up at the position, but Pronman and Peters both have the hard-hitting Kashawn Aitcheson. Penn State commit Jackson Smith, though, is right in that mix with them, bringing strong two-way potential, with his skating a real asset to transition play. Advertisement There's a slight gap after that group before the next cluster on this list, which begins at No. 18 with Kitchener's Cam Reid, who's on the smaller side but plays a very smart and competitive game, which could make him a nice bet in the late teens or early 20s in spite of his stature. It's worth noting that McKenzie's list, however, has Wisconsin righty Logan Hensler (No. 20) at 15 after his poll, closer to the first group of defenders than to this later cluster, which also includes Swedish lefty Sascha Boumedienne, who won top defense honors at the U18 World Championship, and WHL righty Blake Fiddler, who plays in the shutdown mold. While only Reid finished top 20 on this consensus ranking, it wouldn't be a shock to see any of the four, or multiple, go in the top 20 on draft day. In fact, when you consider the scarcity of defense in this class, perhaps that should be the expectation. This is always one of the most interesting parts of this exercise, but this year, it was notable how much agreement there was between most of the lists. Many of these gaps, then, aren't all that massive. And to be clear, these aren't necessarily the biggest gaps on the top-50 list — the deeper you get in the rankings, the more variance there is, so we tried to look for one of two things: any differences high in the draft (where any distinctions are more notable) or a strong outlier high ranking, as in the cases of smaller forwards Cullen Potter and Cameron Schmidt, or goalies Jack Ivankovic and Joshua Ravensbergen. Ravensbergen, out of WHL Prince George, finished as the top goalie on the consensus list, but notably only had one vote inside the top 25: Pronman, who ranked him 19th. Meanwhile, Ivankovic was outside the top 35 on every list, except for Button's, where he ranked 12. Drafting top goalie prospects in the first round has yielded mixed results in recent years, and for that reason, it would be understandable if teams are hesitant to do so this year. But again, it only takes one team to really believe in a goalie to swoop them up and surprise the field. Advertisement Potter is among the most dynamic skaters in the draft, and has some offensive flair as well — the question is, as a 5-foot-10 forward, will he create enough in the interior parts of the ice to really translate as a top-six player in the NHL? His 22 points in 35 games as a freshman for Arizona State were good, though they don't provide an emphatic answer to that question. And accordingly, Potter is outside the top 30 on three of the five lists. But Wheeler has him all the way up at No. 16, and he slots in at No. 21 for McKenzie. Another interesting split is Nesbitt, who at 6-foot-4 brings toughness, good hockey sense and impressive hands, but is also a heavy-looking skater. Pronman and McKenzie's lists both have him in the top 17; the other three have him 25th or later, with Button having Nesbitt all the way down at No. 38. The bet is he will be a comfortable first-rounder on Friday night, but that range of opinions is what can make the draft so interesting. More toward the top of the first round, where the differences are smaller, but under more of a microscope, it's notable to see a nine-spot gap between Wheeler (No. 7) and Pronman (No. 16) on Mrtka, and to see Hagens and O'Brien all the way down at No. 8 and No. 11, respectively, for Button. Hagens in particular feels like one of the top stories in this draft. It's possible that his early-season front-runner status has put too much of a microscope on him, allowing his flaws to be nitpicked in a way more late-surging prospects were not. A point-per-game season in the NCAA is still outstanding production, and Hagens has a long track record of success. Again, there seems to be less disagreement on these lists this year than in the past. Could that mean we're headed for more of a 'chalk' draft? Perhaps. But as last year showed, even something that feels like consensus can be shaken up by just a couple of key decisions going a different direction. Here is the complete consensus list for 2025: (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of Roger McQueen, Jake O'Brien and James Hagens: Minas Panagiotakis, Jonathan Kozub, Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings NHL Draft scenarios: The steal, the trade-up, the chalk
The NHL Draft is always good for a few surprises. Last year, the right permutation of picks led to exciting young defenseman Zeev Buium still being available at No. 12, where Minnesota picked him. In 2023, the uncertainty around thrilling Russian winger Matvei Michkov allowed Philadelphia to snag him at No. 7. We've seen exciting young players such as Cole Caufield, Zach Benson and Jonathan Lekkerimaki hang around into the teens. Advertisement The point is: No matter how many mock drafts you make (or read), there's always something that can throw it all out the window. And in a year where the Detroit Red Wings once again moved down in the draft lottery, dropping to Pick 13, they could use that kind of break. With enough talent in the top half of the first round to find a good fit, the Red Wings should get a good player regardless. It helps that their range is particularly rich in skilled wingers, which is one of their top needs. But with a little luck in front of them, and perhaps some creativity, could Detroit benefit from a draft-day surprise? That's what this article is meant to explore, looking at three different scenarios: the (broadly) expected outcome, one way the Red Wings could get a steal, and one path that could entice them to trade up. 1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, LHD, Erie (OHL) 2. San Jose Sharks: Michael Misa, C, Saginaw (OHL) 3. Chicago Blackhawks: Anton Frondell, C, Djurgårdens (Allsvenskan) 4. Utah Mammoth: Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (QMJHL) 5. Nashville Predators: James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA) 6. Philadelphia Flyers: Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL) 7. Boston Bruins: Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL) 8. Seattle Kraken: Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL) 9. Buffalo Sabres: Brady Martin, C, Soo (OHL) 10. Anaheim Ducks: Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle (WHL) 11. Pittsburgh Penguins: Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Barrie (OHL) 12. New York Rangers: Jackson Smith, LHD, Tri-City (WHL) For the chalk scenario here, I mainly used the results of The Athletic's latest staff mock draft — with one exception. As much as the Rangers could use a young center in their pipeline, I think the better value at 12 would be with Smith, a 6-foot-4 left-handed defenseman with real upside who should go right in this range. Defense is still a premium position worthy of the 12th pick, and New York could use more young blueliners, especially if it trades K'Andre Miller. Advertisement Odds are, not every center listed above will stick at the position in the NHL, but they all at least have a chance to. Seeing so many centers and defensemen going in the top 12 wouldn't be a surprise with how hard it is to find top players at those positions outside the top of the draft. But because Detroit has done well to stockpile centers and blueliners with its own early picks in recent years, the Red Wings are well suited to take a winger who slips as the premium positions fly off the board. The pick: Victor Eklund, LW, Djurgårdens (Allsvenskan) Earlier in this draft cycle, Eklund still being on the board at 13 would have qualified as a steal — and you could still argue that it is, with the tenacious Swede rated the eighth-best player in the class by both Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler. He's a speedy winger with great goal-scoring ability, which he's proven translates against men. You can't quite call it a perfect fit. Eklund is a smaller winger (5-11, 169 pounds) and a right-hand shot, and Detroit is arguably over-leveraged on both traits. But it's hard to argue with Eklund's talent, and his competitiveness (and track record in a European pro league) certainly tracks with the Red Wings' M.O. Perhaps more importantly, Eklund's speed, skill and scoring ability would add more of a dynamic element to Detroit's system. This would be a great chance to pounce on a potential top-line forward. If Smith makes it to 13, it would be a good debate between his upside as a potential top-four, two-way defenseman and Eklund — or even one of the other top forwards, such as Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneau, Cole Reschny and Lynden Lakovic. But if things go as expected in the top 12, I keep coming back to Eklund as the choice. 1. Islanders: Schaefer 2. San Jose: Misa 3. Chicago: Frondell 4. Utah: Desnoyers 5. Nashville: O'Brien 6. Philadelphia: Martin 7. Boston: Hagens 8. Seattle: Martone 9. Buffalo: Mrtka 10. Anaheim: Eklund 11. Pittsburgh: Smith 12. Rangers: Aitcheson Advertisement There's one obvious name missing from the group of 12 above Detroit here. McQueen was confident enough in his recovery from a back injury to participate in fitness testing at the NHL Combine, which is a good sign. He discussed the issue being 'past' him, and if team doctors agree with that assessment, it's very hard to envision a 6-5 center with his skill set lasting to the 13th pick on draft day. But he's still an 18-year-old who has already experienced a back injury, and that's something teams will have to weigh when it comes time to actually pick him. With lots of other centers and defensemen high in the draft, maybe that introduces just enough doubt to sway some decisions against him in that No. 6-12 range — leaving a rare young talent on the board. The pick: McQueen Of course, Detroit's own doctors would need to be on board here, which is not a given, especially because this scenario requires some hesitation from other teams that would presumably have the same information. But McQueen's upside as a skilled, big-bodied center who can skate is immense. That would make this a risk worth taking for the Red Wings to get the kind of talent the draft lottery has seldom afforded them a swing at. Pronman compared him to Quinton Byfield, who went second in the 2020 draft. He would also give the Red Wings a ton of future options with their center group, which already includes Dylan Larkin, Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson. Larkin is soon to be 29, and if McQueen hits, it would take some pressure off of Kasper to grow into a No. 1 center as Larkin ages. It would also open up the possibility of moving someone to the wing down the line, while still having enviable center depth. That said, if teams are confident in McQueen's back, it's hard to imagine this one coming to fruition. It would take a lot of things going Detroit's way. But you never know for sure, especially when there are injury questions this high in a draft. Advertisement 1. Islanders: Schaefer 2. San Jose: Misa 3. Chicago: Frondell 4. Utah: Desnoyers 5. Nashville: Martin 6. Philadelphia: Hagens 7. Boston: McQueen 8. Seattle: Mrtka 9. Buffalo: Martone Let's get this out of the way first: Teams picking in the top 10 rarely trade down. That being said, we did see Buffalo move back a few spots (from 11 to 14) last year, at the cost of a second-round pick, so it's also not impossible. In this scenario, there's a heavy run on centers in the top seven, with the Kraken deviating from the trend and taking Mrtka. O'Brien and Martone are highly talented forwards whose skill and size could fit the still-building Kraken, but Seattle has taken forwards with its first-round pick in all four drafts in franchise history. At some point, you'd think the Kraken would opt for a blueliner, and maybe that happens this year. If it does, Buffalo would be sitting pretty at No. 9, getting to pick between two big playmakers in Martone and O'Brien. O'Brien has the center factor going for him, but the potential physicality from Martone would be something the Sabres' highly skilled prospect pool lacks. So in this scenario, they take the 6-3 winger. Anaheim could very easily take whichever of the two falls to 10, of course. But you can argue the Ducks are pretty well-stocked with both playmakers and responsible centers and could use more of an up-tempo scorer to complement Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Beckett Sennecke, Trevor Zegras and Cutter Gauthier in their young core (though Gauthier is certainly a scorer). The Ducks also have a pair of extremely promising young LHD in Jackson Lacombe and Pavel Mintyukov, which means that side of the blue line isn't a glaring need. Could that put a trade-up in play? In that scenario, Anaheim would drop back a few spots, add an asset on the right side of the blue line via the trade and target a scoring winger such as Eklund, Carbonneau, Bear or Lakovic with Pick 13. The deal: Detroit trades Pick 13 and RHD Anton Johansson for Pick 10 The pick: O'Brien Parting with Johansson could sting for Detroit. Watching him in the AHL playoffs (which he jumped right into, having spent the whole year in the SHL), I was actually more impressed by the 6-4 Swede than I was by Grand Rapids Griffins regulars William Wallinder and Shai Buium, both high second-round picks in recent years. He's a smooth skater, he plays with an edge, and he has some offense in his game, too. Advertisement So while Johansson was a fourth-round pick in 2022, I'd put his value in line with a second-rounder, and he's closer to the NHL than a pick would be. If I'm a little off on that valuation, Detroit also has two back-to-back third-rounders (75 and 76) and could also include one of those if needed — though I'd already be hesitant to part with Johansson, who has some serious tools. The draw, though, would be in O'Brien's promise as a 6-2 center with plenty of offensive upside. O'Brien nearly put up 100 points in the OHL this season, finishing at 98 (32 goals, 66 assists) in 66 games. That was good for eighth in the league, and he won't turn 18 until next week. Adding a playmaker of his caliber would be worth the big swing to get him, even if, again, his right-hand shot isn't quite ideal for the Red Wings' forward makeup. Whether Detroit wants to use him as a center or on the wing, the appeal is his skill and brain in a bigger body. That should allow him to create more in the middle of the ice, a key need for the Red Wings. It's not a likely scenario. But if you're looking for something to dream on as the June calendar drags on, this would be one path to a draft-day splash. (Top photo of Jake O'Brien: Dennis Pajot / Getty Images)
