Hockeywiztalks Hockey Blog

 The Anaheim Ducks are a rebuilding team right now but if they draft right in the next couple of years, they could be a contender in a few years. This is how the Anaheim Ducks should draft the next few years. Before the 2022 Draft, two trades are made: Anaheim Ducks trade Jakob Silfverberg to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Kasperi Kapanen, Danton Heinen, 2024 3rd round pick. The Penguins add a veteran in Jakob Silfverberg, while the Ducks get two solid depth players in Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen as well as a 3rd round pick. The Ducks also trade Sonny Milano, Zach Aston Reese to the Chicago Blackhawks for Dominik Kubalik, 2022 3rd round pick. The Ducks trade Sonny Milano and Zach Aston Reese, two solid players to the Blackhawks for a top 6 winger in Dominik Kubalik and a draft pick. 2022 Draft 12-Jonathan Lekkerimaki 24-Tristan Luneau 44-Owen Pickering 60-David Goyotte 90-Jake Furlong 108-Ludwig Persson 140-Nicholas Mouldenhauer 154-Colton Smith Anaheim improve their prospect po...

 The Buffalo Sabres may not be very good right now but if they draft right in the next couple of years, they should be a contender very soon. This is how the Buffalo Sabres should draft the next couple of years. Before the 2022 Draft, two trades are made Buffalo Sabres trade Victor Olofsson to the New Jersey Devils for Nolan Foote, Jesper Boqvist, 2023 2nd round pick. The Devils get a proven goal scorer in Victor Olofsson, while the Sabres get a top prospect in Nolan Foote, Jesper Boqvist and a 2nd round pick. Buffalo Sabres also trade Colin Miller, Cody Eakin, Vinnie Hinostroza to the Dallas Stars for Joel Kiviranta, 2022 5th round pick, 2023 6th round pick. This is a win-win trade for both teams; Dallas gets some depth to fill out the roster while Buffalo add Joel Kiviranta and some draft picks. 2022 Draft 5-Danila Yurov 17-Tristan Luneau 30-Alexander Perevalov 37-Filip Bystedt 70-Aleksanteri Kaskimaki 101-Kasper Kulonummi 132-Dominik Rymon 144-Nicholas Moldenhauer 165-Kasper Lar...

 The Arizona Coyotes have never won a Stanley Cup in their franchise history, so my goal is to turn the Arizona Coyotes into a Championship caliber team. It will take some time to do so, but the Coyotes could potentially be a Stanley Cup Champion if they rebuild correctly. At the Expansion draft, the Coyotes make a major trade. The Arizona Coyotes trade Phil Kessel to the Seattle Kraken for their 2023 1st round pick. Phil Kessel gives the Seattle Kraken a household name that can draw people to the game, and at the same time give Kessel a change of scenery. Arizona Coyotes lose Antti Raanta to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion draft. Before the 2021 Draft, two trades are made: Arizona Coyotes trade the rights to Niklas Hjalmarsson, Derick Brassard to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the rights to Blake Coleman. This is a good trade for both teams because the Lightning probably isn't going to be able to re-sign Coleman, so they get two veteran players who could be signed for a cheap co...

     The Minnesota Wild have never won a Stanley Cup in their franchise history, so my mission is to transform them into a cup-winning team. To do that, they will have to make some improvements to the roster. This is how I would turn the Minnesota Wild into a Cup-winning team. At the Expansion draft, the Minnesota Wild trade Zach Parise, 2021 1st rd pick to the Seattle Kraken for Logan Brown, 2021 3rd rd pick. The Wild dump Zach Parise's on Seattle by including a 1st round pick in the trade. Minnesota Wild lose Victor Rask to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft. Before the 2021 draft, two trades are made: The Wild trade Ryan Suter, Nick Bjugstad to the Boston Bruins for Jeremy Lauzon, Connor Clifton, Jake DeBrusk, Jack Studnicka, 2022 1st round pick. The Wild retain 25% of Ryan Suter's annual cap hit until the 2024 season. The Boston Bruins fill a much-needed hole on the left side of their defense with the addition of Ryan Suter, while the Wild get two solid young...

 The Philadelphia Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 1970s, but since then they have yet to win the Stanley Cup again. The Flyers have some great players on the team, but I think they might need to make some adjustments to win it all. At the trade deadline, Philadelphia Flyers make one major trade: Philadelphia Flyers acquire Ryan Ellis, Erik Haula from the Nashville Predators for Oskar Lindblom, Phil Myers, German Rubtsov, and a 2021 1st round pick. The Flyers acquire Ryan Ellis, a top-pair defenseman to pair with Ivan Provorov. With the addition of Ryan Ellis, the Philadelphia Flyers make the playoffs but get eliminated in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Before the expansion draft, the Philadelphia Flyers trade Jakub Voracek to the Detroit Red Wings for a 2021 2nd round pick (from NYR), 2022 2nd round pick. The Flyers free up more than 8 million in cap space by unloading Voracek's contract, and at the same time add two 2nd round picks. Philadelphia Flyers lose Scott Laug...

 The New Rangers already have some nice pieces in place, but for some reason, they just can seem to put it all together. If they draft correctly and make the right trades, the Rangers have the potential to become a dynasty. At the trade deadline, the New York Rangers make one major trade: New York Rangers trade Pavel Buchnevich, Brendan Smith, Ryan Strome to the San Jose Sharks for Marc Eduord Vlasic, and a 2021 1st round pick. The Sharks retain 1 million of Marc Eduord Vlasic's annual cap hit. The Rangers get a Marc Eduord Vlasic, who has a terrible contract but will also gain a 1st round pick for taking on his contract. The Sharks get Pavel Buchnevich and Ryan Strome, two top 6 forwards, and Brendan Smith, a top 6 defenseman. The New York Rangers miss the playoffs in the 2020-21 season and end up with the 5th pick in the draft. The New York Rangers lose Brendan Lemieux to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion draft. At the 2021 draft, the New York Rangers trade Jacob Trouba to the...

 The LA Kings are a rebuilding team right now, but if they make the right trades and draft correctly, they could become a dynasty. At the trade deadline, the LA Kings make one major trade: LA Kings trade Jeff Carter, Alex Aifallo to the Nashville Predators for Calle Jarnkrok, Rocco Grimaldi, and a 2021 2nd round pick. The Kings get Jarnkrok and Grimaldi, two solid role players, as well as a 2nd round pick for Jeff Carter and Alex Aifallo, a pending UFA. The LA Kings finish the 2020-21 season with the 4th worst record in the league. LA Kings lose Andreas Athanasiou to the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion draft. Before the 2021 draft, t he LA Kings trade Jonathan Quick to the Carolina Hurricanes for James Reimer, Brock McGinn, and a 2021 2nd round pick. The trade gives the Kings a reliable 1B to tandem with Cal Petersen, Brock McGinn, and a 2nd round pick. At the 2021 draft, LA Kings trade picks 58, 59 to the Detroit Red Wings for picks 51, and a 2022 2nd round pick. 2021 Draft 4-S...

 The Buffalo Sabres have the pieces in place to be the next dynasty in the NHL if they make the right trades and draft correctly in the next two years. While the process may take some time, it is not out of the possibility that the Sabres could become the NHL's next dynasty. At the trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres make a huge trade: Buffalo Sabres trade Taylor Hall to the Winnipeg Jets for Nikolaj Ehlers, a conditional 2022 1st round pick. If Taylor Hall re-signs with the Winnipeg Jets, the Sabres get the Jets 2022 1st round pick. This is a straight one-for-one swap of Hall for Ehlers; the Sabres get a 1st round pick if Hall re-signs with the Winnipeg Jets.  Buffalo Sabres miss the playoffs in the 2020-21 season and end up with the 10th pick in the draft.  The Buffalo Sabres lose Cody Eakin in the Expansion draft to the Seattle Kraken. Buffalo Sabres buyout Kyle Okposo ; the buyout will cost them 1 million per season until 2025. Before the 2021 draft, the Buffalo Sabre...

 The Minnesota Wild are a mediocre team that is stuck in no man's land; they aren't good enough to be a contender, but at the same time, they aren't bad enough to be a lottery team. So the most logical thing to do is to trade their veteran players and rebuild for the future. At the trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild make two blockbuster trades. Minnesota Wild trade Jonas Brodin, Nick Bonino to the New Jersey Devils for Will Butcher, Andreas Johnsson, and a 2021 2nd rd pick.  The Devils get a top 4 defenseman in Jonas Brodin and a top 9 forward in Nick Bonino, while the Wild get Will Butcher, Andreas Johnsson, and a 2nd round pick. The Wild also trade Marcus Johansson, Victor Rask, 1st round pick '21 to the Detroit Red Wings for Vladislav Namestnikov, and a 2021 2nd round pick. This is a good trade for both sides because the Wild gain cap space, while the Red Wings get Marcus Johansson and a 1st round pick. The Minnesota Wild finish the 2020-21 season with the 10th worst...

 The Anaheim Ducks are a rebuilding team right now, so they won't likely make the playoffs this season, so they should trade their veteran players to stack up on prospects and picks for the future. Doing this would enable the Anaheim Ducks to build a legit contending team. At the trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks make one major trade: Ryan Getzlaf is traded to the Calgary Flames for Sam Bennett, a 2021 1st round pick. The Calgary Flames a great veteran center in Ryan Getzlaf to help bolster the depth at center, while the Ducks get Sam Bennett, as well as a 1st round pick. The Anaheim Ducks finish the 2020-21 season with the 5th worst record; However, the Ducks slide to the 7th pick as two teams jump them in the 2021 draft lottery. Before the Expansion draft, the Anaheim Ducks make one major trades: Anaheim Ducks trade Cam Fowler to the New Jersey Devils for Sami Vatanen, Nick Merkley, Michael McLeod, 2022 2nd round pick. The Devils get Cam Fowler, a top 4 defenseman, while the Duck...

 The Montreal Canadiens are a borderline playoff team right now, but if they were to add a star player, they would immediately become a legit threat in the North Division. This is what the Montreal Canadiens need to do to become a legit contender. The Montreal Canadiens Make two major trades: Montreal Canadiens trade Phillip Danault, Joel Armia, Victor Mete, and a 2021 2nd round pick to the San Jose Sharks for Tomas Hertl, Marcus Sorensen. The Canadiens get Tomas Hertl, a great second-line center, and Marcus Sorensen, while the Sharks add Phillip Danault, a great two-way center, Joel Armia, and Victor Mete, two good depth players and a 2nd round pick. The Canadiens also trade Paul Byron, Artturi Lehkonen to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Emil Benstrom, Eric Robinson, and a 2021 3rd round pick. The Blue Jackets get Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen, two top 9 forwards, while the Canadiens get Emil Benstrom and Eric Robinson, two solid young players, and a 3rd round pick. The Montreal C...

 Even though the Vancouver Canucks should be a contending team this year, they can still improve their team to become a Stanley cup favorite. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the moves the Vancouver Canucks could make to win a Stanley Cup. The Vancouver Canucks trade Michael Ferland, Brogan Rafferty, Sven Baertschi to the Detroit Red Wings for 3rd rd pick '21, 4th rd pick '21. The main purpose of this trade from Vancouver's perspective is to get rid of Michael Ferland and Sven Baertschi; from Detroit's point of view, this is low-risk trade, where they add some nice players for some draft picks. After creating more than 5 million in cap space, the Vancouver Canucks add some players in Free Agency: Derrick Brassard-1yr/2 million Corey Perry-1yr/1 million Madison Bowey-1yr/800k  The Vancouver Canucks finish the 2020-21 season as the second-best team in All-Canadian Division and the 4th best team in the Western Conference; the Canucks make it to the Weste...

The Winnipeg Jets have a solid team, but if they want to make the playoffs in the newly formed All-Canadian Division, they need to improve their roster. The Jets should focus on improving their defense, their offensive depth, and prospect pool. The Winnipeg Jets start by making two huge blockbuster trades: Winnipeg Jets trade Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens for Jonathan Drouin, Philip Danault, Victor Mete, Artturi Lekhonen, 1st round pick 2021.  This trade is beneficial for both sides because the Habs get Patrik Laine, a stud goal scorer, while the Jets get Jonathan Drouin, Philip Danault, two Mete, and Lehkonen, solid role players, and a 1st round pick. Winnipeg also trades Adam Lowry, Nathan Beaulieu, and a 2021 2nd round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Brandon Montour. This is a good trade for both teams because the Jets get Brandon Montour, a stable two-way defenseman, while the Sabres get Adam Lowry, a valuable role player, Nathan Beaulieu, and a 2nd round pick. At the t...

 The Florida Panthers have showed over the last decade why they are a losing organization but their draft success in last 5 years is especially bad. If the Florida Panthers drafted correctly in the last 5 years, they would have been a contender by now. 2015  11-Matt Barzal over Lawson Crouse 102-Ethan Bear over Denis Malgin 132-Kirill Kaprizov over Karch Bachman Matt Barzal and Kirill Kaprizov will some much needed secondary scoring to the team and Ethan Bear can be a solid top 4 defenseman. 2016 23-Tage Thompson over Henrik Borgstrom 38-Sam Girard over Adam Mascherin Sam Girard is a solid young top 4 defenseman, while Tage Thompson can grew to be a good power forward 2017 10-Robert Thomas over Owen Tippett Robert Thomas is much better then Owen Tippett at this point in their careers. 2018 No Change in draft picks 2019 52-Nic Robertson over Vladislav Kolyachonok The Panthers still draft Spencer Knight but draft Nic Robertson over Vladislav Kolyachonok, which is a major u...

 The San Jose Sharks aren't good enough to make the playoffs, yet are too good to be a lottery team when everyone is healthy, so I think the best thing for the Sharks to do is to do a full on rebuild. This rebuild would see the Sharks trade everyone except for three players: Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson. Before the 2020 draft, the Sharks make a couple trades: San Jose Sharks trade Evander Kane to the Florida Panthers for Frank Vatrano, Henrik Borgstrom, 2nd round pick 2020. The Florida Panthers get a top 6 winger in Evander Kane, which is important because both Dadonov and Hoffman are UFA's, while the Sharks get a solid 3rd line winger in Frank Vatrano, a prospect center in Henrik Borgstrom and a 2nd round pick. The Sharks also trade Brent Burns to the Ottawa Senators for Alex Formenton, Logan Brown, Artem Zub, 1st round pick 2020. The Ottawa Senators get a star defenseman in Brent Burns, which really bolsters their blueline, while the Sharks get two top forward prosp...