Opening Night is Here!

The 2021 draft is in the books, we've already had our first trade, and the puck drops tonight! As transactions start to come in fast and furious, remember you can customize notifications by clicking the bell icon in the top-right, then the little notifications slider icon.

Here's a breakdown of the draft and where teams stand heading into what we all hope will be a return to full fantasy glory.

Baltimore Skipjacks ⁠- It was a wholesale change on the backend for Baltimore, as GM Alex Dahms opted to not keep a single defenseman from his 2020-21 roster. The Skipjacks' new d-corps will be anchored by Colton Parayko and Jared Spurgeon. Late picks Braden Holtby and Mikko Koskinen have a lot to prove, and will both line up in supporting roles alongside Darcy Kuemper and Kaapo Kahkonen.

Beantown Ball Busters - Joe Pavelski is 37, but is fresh off a resurgent 25-goal, Backes Cup-winning campaign.  Some technical difficulties aside, GM Nate Asdourian ended up with a tough, veteran roster aiming to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2015 when Beantown was the #1 seed. Key situations to monitor will be if and when Evander Kane is allowed to rejoin his team, and if Ben Bishop's body will allow him to play at his usual level. 

Boston Beernuts - The post-Connor McDavid era begins for Joe Mastrangelo and the Beernuts! The pieces are there for a competitive year - Hellebyuck in net (perhaps joined by freshly acquired Tuukka Rask at some point), Doughty/Hamilton/Petry on D, and Barkov/Backstrom (when healthy) at center. X-factors will be Lucas Raymond (part of the McDavid trade) and Nick Ritchie, who could end up being a steal of a 4th round pick if he makes good on his plum opportunity.

Buxton Flyers - It was a well-rounded audition for new GM Andrew Goodwin, who nabbed an elite two-way center (Sean Couturier) with his 1st round pick, a solid offensive defenseman (Justin Faulk) in the 3rd round, and then complimented his lineup with some sandpaper by taking Barclay Goodrow in the 5th. Down the middle is where Buxton figures to shine this season, boasting Couturier, Kopitar, Stamkos, and Kadri. The rebuild is underway for Goodwin after inheriting a neglected roster, but this was a promising start.

California Kwijibos - California has finished lower than second place just once over the last five seasons, a span that also included two Cups. GM Paul Zeman did some expected things at the draft podium, like taking David Perron and Blake Coleman early, but he also ventured from his usual all-in-now approach and used two of his three 3rd round picks on prospects who will not play in the NHL this year--Owen Power and Matthew Beniers. Life is good in California when you can restock the cupboard and still compete because your lineup already features Leon Draisaitl, Victor Hedman, Matthew Tkachuk, and Andrei Svechnikov.

Canadiens de Montreal - This felt like one of the stronger drafts in recent memory for veteran GM Tyler Ladd and the Francophone Express. Ladd reeled in two #1 centers (Couture, Stephenson), a top d-man not long removed from beast status (Burns), and a starting goalie (at least to start the season--Jake Allen) with his first four picks, an impressive feat considering Ladd didn't have a 1st rounder. Mike Hoffman, Nick Foligno, and Kevin Labanc in rounds 5, 6, and 7 should provide excellent value as well, especially Hoffman if he can get back to his elite sniping ways after a down year.

CSKA Moscow - One of the premier eyes for young talent in the league, Nate Fournier stayed true to his colors on draft day by targeting Filip Chytil, Yegor Chinakhov, Hendrix Lapierre, and Tobias Bjornfot. To be fair, Fournier did use three of his first four picks on established talents (Fleury, Kreider, and Slavin), but Moscow fans, pundits, and let's be real, Russian Government officials, are all wondering if CSKA has the depth to be a serious contender in 2021-22.  A Fleury-Hart-Vanecek triad in net is oozing with potential, even if each of them has some individual hurdles to clear in real life, and time will tell if Evgeni Malkin becomes a key ingredient to playoff contention, or a trade chip.

Honolulu Tropics - As of this writing, the defending champion Tropics have four 1st round picks and three 2nd round picks in 2022, and one active goalie. In the industry, we call this "Kyle-ing". GM Josh Deitell said himself that he has four cracks at Shayne Wright, so it's no secret that his Eye of Sauron is fixed on 2022. But hold up a sec - does Honolulu have enough firepower to contend, even without goalies? Take a second to appreciate this potential opening night lineup:

Kaprisov-Aho-Caufield

Gaudreau-Barzal-Necas

Zegras-Point-Boeser

Lafreniere-Norris-Batherson/Hoglander

Provorov-Theodore

Fox-Q.Hughes

Werenski-Miller/Seider

Jotunheim Giants - New rule about 1st rounders costing more be damned - GM Brian Mazzucco eschewed more immediate talent and plucked William Eklund 2nd overall. This was completely on-brand for a rebuilding team that took Lafreniere 1st overall last year, and more recently traded the 2021 5th overall pick for Cole Perfetti. The Giants drafted a few quality veterans (Alec Martinez and Dustin Brown) but proved they are focused on the future by collecting Sillinger, Clarke, Lysell, and other youngsters between picks 5 and 11. 

North Shore Netminders - Derek Maxfield's club looks poised to build off of three straight top-10 seasons and battle for a playoff spot. The Netminders are fittingly competent between the pipes, and absolutely stacked at right-wing and center --1st round pick Blake Wheeler joins Mitch Marner and Jakub Voracek on the right side, and Pavel Zacha (5th round) slots in behind Pierre-Luc Dubois, J-G Pageau, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. 

Northern CHEEFS - It wouldn't be the start of a new fantasy season without a big trade from Kyle Hamel, and the CHEEFS GM did not disappoint, shipping its 9th round pick, Tuukka Rask, to the Boston Beernuts for Jakub Vrana before the dust had settled. Selecting Ovechkin 1st overall along with Torey Krug and T.J. Oshie in the 2nd round will certainly help the CHEEFS return to their contending ways after a planned detour in the basement last season. 

Portland Pints - Ho-hum, another year, another masterful draft from the perennial Cup favorite Pints. GM Colin Smith used four of his first five picks to add Kris Letang, Jake Muzzin, Radko Gudas, and Erik Cernak to his blueline. Letang was chosen 5th overall -- Portland's highest pick ever (previous high was 8th overall in both 2009 and 2007, when Smith took Sidney Crosby and Jaromir Jagr, respectively). Early picks are all well and good, but Portland's penchant for finding value in the middle rounds (see: Rickard Rakell in the 5th round) is part of what's kept them in the upper echelon for so long.

Quispamsis Puckers - Despite some spreadsheet issues in the Puckers war room, GM Joel Hatfield acquitted himself quite well. Jonathan Marchessault 18th overall was solid. Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp in the second and third rounds might've been a tad ambitious with the likes of Burns, Carter, Martinez, Gudas, etc. still out there, but they will still put up points. Snagging James van Riemsdyk in the 6th round (95th overall) was a tidy piece of work to give his club a veteran presence on the left wing. All signs point to a competitive season as Quispamsis battles for its first playoff appearance. 

Saginaw Spirit - Tom Lusty and the Saginaw Spirit have been searching for answers since winning it all twelve years ago in 2009. It may be a year or two before Steagle Cobeagle soars again. Then again, Saginaw's first half of the draft (Alex Pietrangelo, Jamie Benn, Kyle Palmieri, Anthony Duclair, Erik Karlsson, and Tyler Johnson) just might be enough to make some noise this year, especially if the Jack Eichel saga resolves sooner than later. The Spirit also has one of the most promising trios in net between Thatcher Demko, Cal Petersen, and Spencer Knight. 

Sparta Praha - A decade removed from its last championship, Sparta has pinned all of its hopes on McDavid, Mackinnon, Landeskog, and Vegas and Islanders goalies. Outside of that nucleus, Prague will need several players to overachieve in order to compete.

Stockholm Vipers - GM Mike Greeley drafted like an owner who wants to dance now, not later, and with Ryan O'Reilly and Patrice Bergeron manning the dots and Carlson-Josi-Barrie patrolling the back end, why not? That's not to say the Vipers aren't building for the future, as evidenced by investing a 5th round pick in Matthew Coronato and an 8th in Simon Edvinsson. Dance on, Mike.

Tayutic Team Rasta - The down side? Rich Abbondante was one of the few owners who had to rely on auto drafting. The upside -- Tayutic is definitely one of the deepest teams at center as a result after netting Jonathan Toews, Phillip Danault, Jeff Carter, Scott Laughton, and Adam Henrique with its first five selections. And that's already with Austin Matthews, Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller, and Paul Stastny in the mix. Hey, this is what trades are for! 

Whitby Wildcats - This was James Yamada's first WHL draft, but you might not have been able to tell by the results. The Wildcats gathered a blend of proven talent (Anders Lee, Vince Dunn), wildcards who could pay off big in their new real-life surroundings (Dadonov, Gostisbehere), and a cadre of young defenders (Calen Addison, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and Scott Perunovich). There's work to be done, but the future is looking brighter for a franchise that didn't get the love it deserved for far too long.

The Return of Pasta, and a Moose is Loose in Quispamsis

New Hampshire AP — The Northern CHEEFS are known for three things: winning, devouring the waiver wire, and never shying away from a big trade. In his rookie season, General Manager Kyle Hamel traded two first-round picks for David Krejci and Chris Kunitz. A few weeks later, he recouped a 1st and then-rookie Andrei Vasilevskiy in exchange for the Sedin twins, only to trade that 1st at the trade deadline with Brendan Gallagher for Alex Ovechkin. It didn't pan out that year, but Hamel made it abundantly clear that he would do whatever it takes to make a run.

"We’ve been chasing Cups from day one since taking over the franchise," said Hamel in a recent interview. "Now, it’s time to reset in a year that we feel should be tagged with an asterisk. No playoff grind, no real champion! We feel the same way about last year as well. We’ll use all our moves by the trade deadline. Hopefully, we see something from enough of these young guys to build around and get back to where we want to be."

Almost three weeks into the 2020-21 season, the CHEEFS are staying true to their ethos despite finding themselves in unfamiliar territory -- the cellar -- despite never finishing below 8th since bursting onto the scene in 2014. Aside from a handful of building blocks, their roster is made up almost entirely of young players and a shooter tutor guarding the net.

One thing hasn't changed amid the turmoil, though, and that's Hamel's appetite for wheeling and dealing. The CHEEFS have already made four deals in the young season - first shipping out stalwarts Evgeni Malkin and Roman Josi for Quinton Byfield and Cody Glass, followed shortly by another blockbuster that saw recent RFA acquisition Mikko Rantanen and long-time CHEEF defender Aaron Ekblad head to Quispamsis for David Pastrnak and 2021 1st and 2nd round picks.

All of a sudden, David Pastrnak has come home.

"Pasta was drafted by us and we traded him back in 2015 to chase the cup. He’s home now and we couldn’t be happier as his personality and skills represent our team," continued Hamel.

Indeed, that Pastrnak trade in 2015 remains one of the most fascinating deals in league history. CHF moved Pasta, Nathan Beaulieu, Vasilevskiy, and Andrew Hammond to the Wolfsburg Vipers for Ryan Johansen and Tyler Toffoli. The deal certainly looks more appealing to CHEEFS fans now that Pasta is back on the menu.

"We were also lucky to land Mikko as an RFA, but he understands this is a business and he’s happy to land on a contender."

About 6.5 hours up 95-N, nestled against the Bay of Fundy, is where you'll find that contender - Joel Hatfield and the Quispamsis Puckers. Hatfield, whose rookie and sophomore WHL seasons have both been shortened by the pandemic, is over the moon to land Mikko "The Moose" even with the big price tag.

"It all started in the morning when my Director of Analytics had let me know that since the third day of the season (Jan 15) we were the third-best team in the league," said Hatfield, taking a brief break from counting beaver pelts to recount his feelings about what will surely go down in Quispamsis hockey history as "The Trade".

"We had initially inquired about Ekblad because he seemed like a great value to grab from a selling team and would be a big upgrade to some of our underperforming players. [...] After some lengthy internal discussions with the entire Front Office, we agreed that this would be a great deal for both sides. Ultimately it is the injury concerns to Pasta that allowed us to entertain this deal."

Less than an hour after pulling the trigger, Quispamsis traded Anthony Mantha and an 8th round pick to another contender, the North Short Netminders, for a 4th rounder. The modest return surprised some fellow GMs and surely upset more than a few Mantha jersey owners, but Hatfield had his reasons.

"We wish nothing but the best for Mantha, but in full transparency, this was a player and contract that we absorbed from a different administration and we have definitely noticed the drop in play since his big payda. His lack of hustle, toughness, and grit are characteristics we can not ignore. It looks like he gave up big checks for a big check."

Meanwhile, back south of the Canadian border, the CHEEFS completed yet another trade right before this went to press - reacquiring its own 2021 1st round pick from the Jotunheim Giants for Mikhail Sergachev. Under the guidance of new GM Brian Mazzucco, the reinvigorated Giants are in the hunt for prize money and now welcome Sergachev to a promising defensive corps that already includes Cale Makar and Alexander Romanov.

With no shortage of newness this season and mixed feelings about the lack of WHL playoffs, 

the old school total points grind is very much underway and the standings are tightly packed. At a glance, 7th place is within 30 points of 1st, and 12th is just 50 points away from the prize podium. Game on!

Youth Movement in Scandinavia

 

Jotunheim uses top pick on Alexis Lafreniere, Stockholm adds Qunton Byfield and Tim Stuetzle

 

Much like the past year, the 2020-21 WHL draft was replete with a spectrum of emotion. "Great to be back", "when will this end?", and "Go fuck yourself" were all uttered more than a few times throughout the two-hour and 38-minute marathon on Sunday afternoon.

 

Click here for full draft results.

 

Due to the shortened season and the NHL's decision to forge ahead with a mid-January reboot, WHL general managers had less than 48 hours to finalize draft preparations after submitting keepers late on Friday night.

 

It didn't take long for the first surprise of the day. Alex Ovechkin dropped to his lowest WHL draft position (4th overall) in recent memory, maybe ever, after going 1st in four of the last five drafts. Why? Three reasons - Jotunehim GM Brian Mazzucco used his first-ever WHL pick on Alexis Lafreniere, a controversial auto-pick, and Stockholm GM Mike Greeley drafted with a view to the future.

 

More than a few GMs have reported to league offices that today's draft felt deeper than years past, suggesting an influx of more immediate and expensive talent if owners are starting to use more cap dollars on prospects.

 

Draft Strategies were as varied as the number of picks at each owner's disposal. The Northern CHEEFS used its 12 picks almost exclusively on youth. By contrast, after keeping a league-high 26 players, the Honolulu Tropics approached the podium just six times but are surely delighted to have walked way with Alex Ovechkin, Brad Marchand, Zach Werenski, and Torey Krug.

 

On top of the 177 draft choices made, owners were busy on the phones as well. 21 picks were moved across six trades. Click here for the full trades, but let's take a look at how some of them shook out on paper:

 

Josh Deitell's Honolulu Tropics, involved in four of the day's six swaps, opened and closed the trade proceedings- first moving the 17th and 25th overall picks to CSKA Moscow for the 9th OA. That turned into Zach Werenski for Nicklas Backstrom and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

 

Defending champ Paul Zeman and the California Kwijibos were busy as well, making two moves on the day. In one, Zeman sent the 12th overall pick to Stockholm for picks 21 and 39. The Vipers confirmed their youth movement by taking towering center, Quinton Byfield, while the Kwijibos plucked Jamie Benn and Jake Muzzin. A separate trade with Honolulu netted California a pair of 3rd round picks in the 2021 draft in exchange for the 23rd overall selection this year, Torey Krug.

 

The Quispamsis Puckers and Sparta Praha got in on the action in the 3rd round, completing a six-pick trade which some speculate is what temporarily broke the draft room. When the dust settled, Drew Doughty (3-12), Jakob Silfverberg (5-15), and Brendan Lemieux (8-5) had made their way to Prague, while Barclay Goodrow (3-15) and Zack Kassian (5-7) packed for Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

 

The penultimate trade de jour was another high-volume deal. Sensing limited roster spots, Josh Deitell astutely bundled three picks (6-4, 6-7, 7-10) to Joe Mastrangelo's Boston Beernuts for pick 61, turning into offensive defenseman Jared Spurgeon for a trio of brutes in Ben Chiarot, Radko Gudas, and Brandon Tanev. Those three combined for a whopping 560 hits last season.

 

Fittingly, the last trade of the day included the final pick in the draft. Honolulu moved said pick (10-18) and a 2021 10th rounder to Tom Lusty's Saginaw Spirit for the 157th overall choice (9-13). The Tropics scooped up Cal Foote, while Saginaw ended the proceedings with longtime WHL darling, Cal Clutterbuck. 

 

Barring any delays, the World Hockey League's 13th season and California's title defense begins on Wednesday, January 13th. Initial waivers will run at 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday the 12th to allow teams to make moves before opening night and will return to the usual Monday/Thursday format the following week.