NHL News

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with forward Kyle Brodziak.
Brodziak joined the Blues as a free agent last summer and played in 76 games with St. Louis during the 2015-16 season, scoring seven goals and four assists (11 points). Three of his goals came while shorthanded, and four of his goals were game-winners. In 20 playoff games last season, Brodziak scored two goals - one shorthanded and another game-winner.
The 32-year-old native of St. Paul, Alberta, Canada would have become a free agent if not signed by July 1. In 11 seasons and 697 career regular season games with the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and the Blues, Brodziak has scored 105 goals and 134 assists (239 points).


The Blues have made qualifying offers to eight restricted free agents:
Jaden Schwartz
Magnus Paajarvi
Ty Rattie
Anders Nilsson
Jordan Binnington
Jordan Caron
Pheonix Copley
Jacob Doty
Submitting a qualifying offer means the Blues will retain negotiating rights with each player when free agency opens on July 1. Had the Blues not submitted qualifying offers, the players would have become unrestricted free agents.

SAN JOSE - Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has issued qualifying offers to the following players and thus will retain their negotiating rights:


Forward - Ryan Carpenter
Defenseman - Dylan DeMelo
Forward - Tomas Hertl
Forward - Matt Nieto



The following players were not issued qualifying offers and thus become unrestricted free agents:


Forward - Chris Crane
Forward - Petter Emanuelsson
Forward - Jeremy Langlois
Forward - Jeremy Morin
Goaltender - Joel Rumpel



Dallas - Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has issued qualifying offers for the following players, thus retaining their negotiating rights:


Valeri Nichushkin - RW
Jamie Oleksiak - D
Matej Stransky - RW
Maxime Lagace - G

The following players were not issued qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents on July 1:


Emil Molin - C
Taylor Peters - C
Troy Vance - D

Chicago Blackhawks News

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired two second-round picks (39th and 45th overall) in the 2016 National Hockey League Draft from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Andrew Shaw.

Shaw

Shaw, 24, registered 34 points (14G, 20A) in 78 regular-season games last year with Chicago and added six points (4G, 2A) in six 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs contests. Drafted by the Blackhawks in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2011 National Hockey League Draft, Shaw won the 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup championships with Chicago. The Belleville, Ontario, native has recorded 137 points (70G, 67A) in 322 career regular-season games and 35 points (16G, 19A) in 67 postseason tilts, all with the Blackhawks. With the addition of the two picks acquired from Montreal, Chicago now has 10 overall selections in the 2016 NHL Draft including three in the second-round (39th overall, 45th overall and 50th overall).

Right wing Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks has won the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Kane received 121 first-place votes and appeared on each of the 150 ballots cast for 1,395 points. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, named on 145 ballots including 11 first-place tallies, finished second in voting with 800 points, followed by Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (637). Kane posted career highs in goals (46), assists (60) and points (106) to capture the Art Ross Trophy and power the Blackhawks to their eighth straight playoff appearance. The Buffalo, N.Y., native notched at least one point in 64 of his 82 contests (78.0%), highlighted by a 26-game streak Oct. 17 – Dec. 13 (16-24—40) – a franchise record, the longest by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and the longest by any player since 1992-93 (Mats Sundin: 30). Kane, who became the first U.S.-born player in League history to win the scoring title, is Chicago’s first Hart Trophy winner since 1967-68 (Stan Mikita).

2015-2016 Hart Trophy Voting

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)
1. Patrick Kane, CHI 1395 (121-22-5-2-0)
2. Sidney Crosby, PIT 800 (11-64-31-24-15)
3. Jamie Benn, DAL 637 (8-34-40-34-17)
4. Braden Holtby, WSH 292 (5-13-19-13-17)
5. Joe Thornton, SJS 267 (0-8-19-31-23)
6. Alex Ovechkin, WSH 212 (2-6-18-13-21)
7. Jaromir Jagr, FLA 60 (1-1-5-4-6)
8. Anze Kopitar, LAK 53 (1-0-2-8-9)
9. Erik Karlsson, OTT 44 (0-1-4-2-11)
10. Ben Bishop, TBL 42 (1-1-1-4-8)
11. Drew Doughty, LAK 29 (0-0-2-5-4)
12. Vladimir Tarasenko, STL 13 (0-0-1-1-5)
13. John Tavares, NYI 10 (0-0-0-2-4)
14. Joe Pavelski, SJS 8 (0-0-0-2-2)
15. Roberto Luongo, FLA 8 (0-0-0-1-5)
16. Claude Giroux, PHI 6 (0-0-1-0-1)
17. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR 5 (0-0-1-0-0)
Cory Schneider, NJD 5 (0-0-1-0-0)
19. Evgeny Kuznetsov, WSH 4 (0-0-0-1-1)
20. Brent Burns, SJS 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
Ryan Getzlaf, ANA 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
Ryan Kesler, ANA 3 (0-0-0-1-0)
23. Kris Letang, PIT 1 (0-0-0-0-1)

Hart Trophy Winners Since 1990

Year Winner Runner-up
2016 Patrick Kane, Chi. Sidney Crosby, Pit.
2015 Carey Price, Mtl. Alex Ovechkin, Wsh.
2014 Sidney Crosby, Pit. Ryan Getzlaf, Ana.
2013 Alex Ovechkin, Wsh. Sidney Crosby, Pit.
2012 Evgeni Malkin, Pit. Steven Stamkos, T.B.
2011 Corey Perry, Ana. Daniel Sedin, Van.
2010 Henrik Sedin, Van. Alex Ovechkin, Wsh.
2009 Alex Ovechkin, Wsh. Evgeni Malkin, Pit.
2008 Alex Ovechkin, Wsh. Evgeni Malkin, Pit.
2007 Sidney Crosby, Pit. Roberto Luongo, Van.
2006 Joe Thornton, S.J. Jaromir Jagr, NYR
2004 Martin St. Louis, T.B. Jarome Iginla, Cgy.
2003 Peter Forsberg, Col. Markus Naslund, Van.
2002 Jose Theodore, Mtl. Jarome Iginla, Cgy.
2001 Joe Sakic, Col. Mario Lemieux, Pit.
2000 Chris Pronger, St.L Jaromir Jagr, Pit.
1999 Jaromir Jagr, Pit. Alexei Yashin, Ott.
1998 Dominik Hasek, Buf. Jaromir Jagr, Pit.
1997 Dominik Hasek, Buf. Paul Kariya, Ana.
1996 Mario Lemieux, Pit. Mark Messier, NYR
1995 Eric Lindros, Phi. Jaromir Jagr, Pit.
1994 Sergei Fedorov, Det. Dominik Hasek, Buf.
1993 Mario Lemieux, Pit. Doug Gilmour, Tor.
1992 Mark Messier, NYR Patrick Roy, Mtl.
1991 Brett Hull, St.L Wayne Gretzky, L.A.
1990 Mark Messier, Edm. Ray Bourque, Bos.

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Artemi Panarin has won the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Panarin received votes on all 150 ballots and was the top choice on 88 for 1,258 voting points, ahead of Shayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers (955) and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (858).
Panarin, who signed with the Blackhawks in May 2015, led all rookies in goals (30), assists (47), points (77), power-play goals (t-8), power-play points (24) and game-winning goals (7) while skating in 80 contests. He became the fourth rookie in franchise history to reach the 30-goal milestone and the first to do so since 1995-96 (Eric Daze). That included his first career hat trick Feb. 17 at NYR, the first by any Blackhawks rookie since 2002-03 (Tyler Arnason).
Panarin is the first Blackhawks player to win the Calder Trophy since linemate Patrick Kane in 2008.

2015-2016 Calder Trophy Voting

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)
1. Artemi Panarin, CHI 1258 (88-41-16-3-2)
2. Shayne Gostisbehere, PHI 955 (33-53-42-12-8)
3. Connor McDavid, EDM 858 (25-45-48-15-8)
4. Jack Eichel, BUF 449 (2-9-25-72-25)
5. Dylan Larkin, DET 170 (1-0-8-23-51)
6. Max Domi, ARI 92 (0-2-2-12-32)
7. John Gibson, ANA 62 (0-0-5-9-10)
8. Colton Parayko, STL 52 (1-0-4-4-10)
9. Sam Reinhart, BUF 2 (0-0-0-0-2)
10. Anthony Duclair, ARI 1 (0-0-0-0-1)
Jaccob Slavin, CAR 1 (0-0-0-0-1)

Calder Trophy Winners Since 1990

Year Winner Runner-up
2016 Artemi Panarin, Chi. S. Gostisbehere, Phi.
2015 Aaron Ekblad, Fla. Mark Stone, Ott.
2014 Nathan MacKinnon, Col. Ondrej Palat, T.B.
2013 Jonathan Huberdeau, Fla. B. Gallagher, Mtl.
2012 Gabriel Landeskog, Col. R. Nugent-Hopkins, Edm.
2011 Jeff Skinner, Car. Logan Couture, S.J.
2010 Tyler Myers, Buf. Jimmy Howard, Det.
2009 Steve Mason, CBJ Bobby Ryan, Ana
2008 Patrick Kane, Chi. N. Backstrom, Wsh
2007 Evgeni Malkin, Pit. Paul Stastny, Col.
2006 Alex Ovechkin, Wsh. Sidney Crosby, Pit.
2004 Andrew Raycroft, Bos. Michael Ryder, Mtl.
2003 Barret Jackman, St.L Henrik Zetterberg, Det.
2002 Dany Heatley, Atl. Ilya Kovalchuk, Atl.
2001 Evgeni Nabokov, S.J. Brad Richards, T.B.
2000 Scott Gomez, N.J. Brad Stuart, S.J.
1999 Chris Drury, Col. Marian Hossa, Ott.
1998 Sergei Samsonov, Bos. Mattias Ohlund, Van.
1997 Bryan Berard, NYI Jarome Iginla, Cgy.
1996 Daniel Alfredsson, Ott. Eric Daze, Chi.
1995 Peter Forsberg, Que. Jim Carey, Wsh.
1994 Martin Brodeur, N.J. Jason Arnott, Edm.
1993 Teemu Selanne, Wpg. Joe Juneau, Bos.
1992 Pavel Bure, Van. Nicklas Lidstrom, Det.
1991 Ed Belfour, Chi. Sergei Fedorov, Det.
1990 Sergei Makarov, Cgy. Mike Modano, Min.

The Blackhawks announced last week that they have agreed to terms with forward Dennis Rasmussen on a one-year contract. Rasmussen, 25, registered nine points (4G, 5A) in 44 regular-season games with Chicago this season during his National Hockey League debut. The Vasteras, Sweden, native also added 16 points (7G, 9A) in 25 regular-season games with the Rockford IceHogs and two points (1G, 1A) in three 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs contests. He registered 27 points (13G, 14A) and a +9 plus/minus rating in 73 regular-season games with Rockford last year in his North American debut and added five shots on goal in seven Calder Cup contests. Rasmussen has also appeared for Sweden in international competition, helping Sweden to a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships and the 2010 World Junior Championships.

Chicago Blackhawks - 2016 Entry Draft

The Chicago Blackhawks drafted forward Alex DeBrincat (39th overall), defenseman Chad Krys (45th overall), forward Artur Kayumov (50th overall), goaltender Wouter Peeters (83rd overall), defenseman Lucas Carlsson (110th overall), center Nathan Noel (113th overall), forward Mathias From (143rd overall), defenseman Blake Hillman (173rd overall) and defenseman Jake Ryczek (203rd overall) at the 2016 National Hockey League Draft at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday.
Chicago Blackhawks 2016 NHL Draft Recap

Round	Pick	Player	Position	2015-16 Team	DOB	Ht.	Wt.
2^	39	Alex DeBrincat	RW	Erie (OHL)	12/18/97	5'7"	165
2^	45	Chad Krys	D	USNTDP	4/10/98	5'11"	185
2^^	50	Artur Kayumov	RW/LW	RUS U18 (MHL)	2/14/98	5'11"	171
3	83	Wouter Peeters	G	Salzburg (RBHS)	7/31/98	6'4"	205
4*	110	Lucas Carlsson	D	Brynas (SHL)	7/5/97	6'0"	189
4	113	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	6/21/97	5'10"	179
5	143	Mathias From	LW	Rogle (SHL)	12/16/97	6'1"	187
6	173	Blake Hillman	D	Denver (NCAA)	1/26/96	6'1"	180
7	203	Jake Ryczek	D	Waterloo (USHL)	3/19/98	5'10	181

^Both acquired from MTL on June 24, 2016, in exchange for forward Andrew Shaw.
^^Acquired from CAR on June 15, 2016, in exchange for forwards Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen.
*Acquired from NYI on June 25, 2016, with a sixth-round 2017 NHL Draft pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick (95th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft (which was originally acquired by CBJ on June 30, 2015, with forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin and Corey Tropp in exchange for forwards Alex Broadhurst and Brandon Saad and defenseman Michael Paliotta)
**Acquired a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft from STL on June 25, 2016, in exchange for a 2016 fifth-round pick (144th overall), which was originally acquired from FLA on March 2, 2014, with a third-round choice in the 2014 NHL Draft in exchange for forward Brandon Pirri


Blackhawks Draft Pick Bios:
DeBrincat, 18, ranked seventh in the Ontario Hockey League with 101 points (51G, 50A) in 60 regular-season hockey games with the Erie Otters. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native added 19 points (8G, 11A) in 13 postseason contests. DeBrincat has collected 205 points (102G, 103A) in 128 career OHL games and 35 points (17G, 18A) in 33 playoff tilts. He won a bronze medal and tallied one goal in five games with Team USA at the 2016 World Junior Championship. DeBrincat played with Lake Forest Academy during the 2013-14 season.
Krys, 18, recorded 29 points (3G, 26A) in 53 games with the USNTDP U-18 club; he also collected 13 points (2G, 11A) in 18 United States Hockey League contests with the USNTDP. The Ridgefield, Conn., native won bronze and skated in seven games with Team USA at the 2016 World Junior Championship. Krys also won bronze and tallied three assists in seven games with Team USA at the 2016 U-18 World Championship.
Kayumov, 18, registered 31 points (12G, 19A) in 39 games with Russia’s U-18 team in the MHL and added one assist in three postseason tilts. The Podgorny, Russia, native has notched 36 points (13G, 23A) in 53 career MHL games and added one assist in five career playoff tilts. Kayumov won a bronze medal and posted five points (2G, 3A) in five games at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. He won a silver medal and posted seven points (1G, 6A) in four games at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.
Peeters, 17, appeared in 24 games and tallied a 3.27 goals-against average with the Czech Republic’s EC Salzburg U20 team and a 4.25 GAA in four contests with EC Salzburg’s U18 club.
Carlsson, 18, recorded nine points (4G, 5A) in 35 regular-season games with the Swedish Hockey League’s Brynas and added two assists in three postseason tilts. The Gavle, Sweden, native also collected 11 points (1G, 10A) in 15 games with the Swedish Junior League club. He has posted 10 points (4G, 6A) in 51 career SHL games and two helpers in four playoff contests.
Noel, 19, scored 57 points (21G, 36A) in 61 regular-season games with Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The St. John’s, Newfoundland, native has collected 158 points (61G, 97A) in 190 contests across three seasons with the QMJHL. Noel was a member of Team Canada at the 2015 U-18 World Championship where he won a gold medal and notched two assists in seven games.
From, 18, notched 21 points (6G, 15A) in 36 regular-season games with Rogle in the Swedish Junior League and added four points (2G, 2A) in seven postseason tilts. The Frederikshavn, Denmark, native also played 16 games with Rogle in the Swedish Hockey League, netting two goals and adding two assists. He scored one goal and added an assist as a member of Team Denmark at the 2016 World Junior Championship.
Hillman, 20, recorded 11 points (3G, 8A) in 39 games with the University of Denver of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference during his freshman year. The Elk River, Minn., native was named the Most Outstanding Player of NCAA West Regional after tallying four points (2G, 2A) and netting the game-winner vs. Ferris State University on March 27. Hillman collected 31 points (6G, 25A) in 112 regular-season career games across two seasons with Dubuque and Warterloo of the USHL; he also appeared in seven postseason contests with Dubuque.
Ryczek, 18, split the season between the USHL’s Sioux City and Waterloo, tallying 34 points (7G, 27A) in 47 regular-season games. The Ludlow, Mass., native also added four assists in nine postseason tilts with Waterloo. He has collected 52 points (13G, 39A) in 102 career USHL games across two seasons and notched four assists in 14 playoff contests.

Dallas Stars - 2016 Entry Draft

The Dallas Stars made five more picks at the NHL Draft on Saturday, and they made a trade as well, sending goaltending prospect Jack Campbell to Los Angeles for minor league defenseman Nick Ebert. Campbell, the Stars’ first-round pick (11th overall) in 2010, has struggled the past two seasons with the Texas Stars of the AHL. Dallas GM Jim Nill said Campbell, who is a pending restricted free agent, could benefit from a change of scenery.
“He’s a great young man, a great young goalie. Sometimes a change of pace is the best thing,” Nill said. “I had talks with Jack after this season, and we agreed that it is probably best to move on. Goaltending is a long development curve. Jack needs to go somewhere to get playing and get his confidence back.”
In return, the Stars get the 22-year-old Ebert, a Los Angeles seventh-round pick (211th overall) in 2012. The New Jersey native, who is 6-0, 203 pounds, has played with Manchester and Ontario in the AHL the past two seasons, registering 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) and a plus-25 rating in 89 games.
“He’s a right-shot defenseman,” Nill said. “We’ll put him in Texas (AHL), bring him to training camp and see what he does. We’ll go from there.”

Stars add forwards, goaltender and defenseman on day two of draft
The Dallas Stars added three forwards, one goaltender, and one defenseman as they wrapped up the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo on Saturday.
Those picks followed Friday night’s selection of forward Riley Tufte with the 25th overall selection in the first round. None of the six picks the Stars made this weekend are expected to make an immediate impact. They will be put into the prospect pipeline and given time to develop.
“We have to have young kids coming in our cap system. If we get two or three players out of every draft, we are going to be in a good position,” said Stars GM Jim Nill. “We are leaving here happy. It’s going to take a lot of hard work from the players now, a lot of work from our development team. Most of these kids are two, three, four, five years away. You can’t break that chain. We continue that.”

Here’s a look at Saturday’s picks in rounds three through six for the Stars:
Fredrik Karlstrom, center (3rd round/90th overall)
Karlstrom, who was ranked 57th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting, registered 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 44 games with AIK in Sweden’s top junior league. He recorded 11 points (five goals, six assists) in six playoff games. He’s a left-shot center who is listed at 6-2, 185 pounds.
“Highly skilled guy,” said Joe McDonnell, Stars Director of Amateur Scouting. “He needs some overall body strength. He thinks the game well and his skill level is high.”
“Like his upside and his skill. He’s a real high-end skill guy,” Stars scout Rickard Oquist said. “He’s very smart, competes. Many times you find him one step ahead in the game. Really excited over him.”
The 18-year-old will play in Sweden again next season, most likely starting in juniors.
Rhett Gardner, center/left wing (4th round/116th overall)
Gardner, who was not ranked by Central Scouting this year but was 134th on International Scouting Services’ list, played at the University of North Dakota, registering 18 points (11 goals, seven assists) in 41 games as a freshman. The 20-year-old Saskatchewan native plays both center and left wing and is listed at 6-2, 215 pounds.
“He’s just one of those guys you know is going to play. He does all the little things right,” McDonnell said. “Big body who plays a full 200-foot game. People rave about his character. The coaches just rave about him.”
Gardner picked up an assist as North Dakota defeated Quinnipiac, 5-1, to win the NCAA championship in April.
Colton Point, goaltender (5th round/128th overall)
Point, who was ranked fourth among North American goaltenders by Central Scouting, played for Carleton Place of the Central Canada Hockey League, posting a 2.16 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 33 games. The 6-4, 219-pound netminder posted a 12-4 record, 1.82 goals-against average and .933 save percentage as Carleton Place won the league championship.
“We love his size,” McDonnell said. “Our goalie guy Mike Valley saw him last week at the Team Canada camp and really liked how he moved in the net. He’s on Team Canada’s radar, which is a really good thing.”
Point, an Ontario native, was in Buffalo to hear his name called by the Stars.
“I stood up and I looked at my mom, and she said, ‘I love you,” and I said, ‘I love you,’” Point said. “It’s the biggest day of my life. I thought the OHL draft was big, but this is huge. It is unbelievable. Being able to shake everyone’s hand and give everyone a hug is an awesome feeling.”
Point will play college hockey at Colgate starting next season.
“He’s going to college next year and the coach there says he is the guy,” McDonnell said.
Nicholas Caamano, right wing (5th round/146th overall)
Caamano was ranked 69th among North American skaters by Central Scouting and 67th among all draft prospects by McKeen’s Hockey, an independent scouting service. The 6-1, 185-pound Caamano, who is a left-shot, played junior hockey with the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League, tallying 20 goals and 17 assists in 64 games. McDonnell compared him to Dallas prospect Remi Elie, a second-round pick in 2013 who played with the Texas Stars of the AHL this past season.
“He’s just up and down the wing, skates well, decent size and decent overall skillset,” McDonnell said. “He does all the little things pretty well. He just has to develop.”
Caamano, who is from Ontario, was in Buffalo for Saturday’s draft.
“It’s been filled with a lot of nerves, but definitely a lot of excitement. My mom told me she wasn’t going to cry, but she was bawling her eyes out. They are really excited and happy for me,” Caamano said. “It’s been great for my family, and I can’t be prouder to thrown on that Dallas jersey.”
Caamano is expected to continue to play in juniors.
Jakob Stenqvist, defenseman (6th round/176th overall)
Stenqvist played three levels of junior hockey in Sweden this past season. He registered seven points (three goals, four assists) in 36 games with MODO in the top Swedish junior league. The 6-2, 163-pound will need to bulk up, but the Stars say he is in the mold of highly skilled Dallas defense prospect Niklas Hansson, a third-round pick in 2013 who played in Sweden’s top league last season.
“He’s a very intriguing guy. Raw in many areas. Right-handed shot defenseman who is very skilled,” Oquist said. “Like all these guys, he needs to work on everything. He needs to become a little quicker, work on his skating, getting stronger and all that. But he has things you can’t teach offensively. We are really excited over him, too.”
Stenqvist will continue to play in Sweden next season.
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill and Director of Amateur Scouting Joe McDonnell concluded the 2016 NHL Draft held at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York by selecting five players on Saturday. Below is a review of all six of the selections from the two-day draft.

Riley Tufte - Left Wing (First Round, 25th Overall)

Tufte, 18, played for both Blaine High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota and for the Fargo Force of the USHL during 2015-16. With Blaine, he posted 78 points (47-31=78) in 25 games played and was named "Mr. Hockey" for the state of Minnesota. At the USHL level, he appeared in 27 games and recorded 14 points (4-10=14) as his 10 goals were tied for fifth on the team. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota represented the United States at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Frederik Karlstrom - Center (Third Round, 90th Overall)

Karlstrom, 18, played at three levels of AIK's system in Sweden during the 2015-16 season. The majority of his time was spent with AIK J20 of the SuperElit League, where he posted 33 points (13-20=33) in 44 regular season games. He added 11 points (5-6=11) in six games played during their playoffs. He also appeared in nine total games with the J18 program, he combined to produce 23 points (11-12=23) in 9 games played. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of Sweden also appeared in two games at the Sweden-2 League where he didn't register a point.

Rhett Gardner - Forward (Fourth Round, 116th Overall)


Gardner, 20, completed his freshman season at North Dakota and produced 18 points (11-7=18) and 52 penalty minutes in 41 games played. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound native of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan recorded two shorthanded goals, which were tied for first on the team.

Colton Point - Goaltender (Fifth Round, 128th Overall)


Point, 18, appeared in 33 regular season games or Carleton Place of the CCHL in 2015-16. He recorded a 2.16 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. In 16 playoff contests, he registered a 1.82 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound native of North Bay, Ontario will attend Colgate University in the fall.



Nicholas Caamano - Right Wing (Fifth Round, 146th overall)


Caamano, 17, appeared in 64 games for Flint of the Ontario Hockey League in 2015-16, recording 37 points (20-17=37). His 20 goals were third most on his team and he was fourth in points. The 6-foot, 188-pound native of Hamilton, Ontario has spent the last two seasons in the OHL, appearing in 128 regular season contests and recording 46 points (23-23=46).

Jakob Stenqvist - Defenseman (Sixth Round, 176th overall)


Stenqvist, 18, played at three levels of the MODO Hockey organization in Sweden during 2015-16. In four games at the J-18 Elit level, he posted 10 points (4-6=10). He then recorded 19 points (6-3=19) in 13 games played with the J18 Allsvenskan club. The 6-foot-2, 163-pound native of Sweden appeared in 36 games for their J20 SuperElit club, where he posted seven points (3-4=7).


In addition to the selections, the Stars acquired defenseman Nick Ebert from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Jack Campbell.

St Louis Blues - 2016 Entry Draft

The St. Louis Blues made eight selections at the 2016 NHL Draft at First Niagara Center in Buffalo.
First Round, 26th Overall – Tage Thompson (forward)
Thompson, 18, dressed in 36 games during his freshman season at the University of Connecticut in 2015-16, recording 32 points, including 14 goals and 18 assists. In 2014-15, the 6’5, 194-pound forward appeared in 64 games with the United States National U-18 Team, posting 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) and 32 penalty minutes. In addition, the Oyster Bay, New York, native dressed in seven games with Team USA at the U-18 World Junior Championships, helping the team capture the Gold Medal.

Second Round, 35th Overall – Jordan Kyrou (forward)Kyrou, 18, has spent the past two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's (OHL) Sarnia Sting. In 2015-16, the 6'0, 183-pound forward ranked third on the Sting with 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists) in 65 regular season games, earning a selection to the Canadian Hockey League's (CHL) Top Prospects Game. In addition, in international play, the Toronto, Ontario native logged eight points (five goals, three assists) in eight games at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, helping Team Canada capture the Gold Medal.

Second Round, 59th Overall – Evan Fitzpatrick (goaltender)Fitzpatrick, 18, has spent the past two seasons with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's (QMJHL) Sherbrooke Phoenix. In 2015-16, the 6'3, 222-pound goaltender posted an 18-26-8 record along with a 3.42 goals against average, a .896 save percentage and two shutouts, earning a selection to the CHL Top Prospects Game. In international play, the St. John's, Newfoundland, native recorded a 3.17 goals against average and a .895 save percentage in five games with Team Canada at the 2016 U-18 World Junior Championships. In 2014-15, Fitzpatrick was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team after accruing a 13-11-3 record along with a 3.41 goals against average and a .884 save percentage.

Fourth Round, 119th Overall – Tanner Kaspick (forward)Kaspick, 18, has spent the past two seasons with the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Brandon Wheat Kings. In 2015-16, the 6'1, 201-pound forward collected 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 53 regular season games as well as 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 21 postseason appearances, leading the Wheat Kings to WHL Championship. In international play, the Brandon, Manitoba, native dressed in four games with Team Canada at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, helping the team capture the Gold Medal.

Fifth Round, 125th Overall – Nolan Stevens (forward)Stevens, 19, has spent the past two seasons at Northeastern University after graduating from the United States Developmental Program. In 2015-16, the 6'3, 185-pound forward collected 42 points, including a team-leading 20 goals, in 41 regular season games while leading Northeastern to the 2016 Hockey East Championship. In international play, the Sea Isle City, New Jersey, native dressed in seven games with Team USA at the 2014 U-18 World Junior Championships, helping the team capture the Gold Medal.

Fifth Round, 144th Overall – Conner Bleackley (forward)Bleackley, 20, has spent the past five seasons with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels. In 2015-16, the 6'1, 192-pound forward ranked fifth on the Rebels with 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists) in 55 regular season games. In international play, the High River, Alberta, native served as an Assistant Captain on Team Canada at the 2014 U-18 World Junior Championships, helping the team capture the Bronze Medal.
Seventh Round, 209th Overall – Nikolaj Krag Christensen (forward)
Nikolaj Krag Christensen, 17, dressed in 30 games with Rodovre in Denmark in 2015-16, posting four points (two goals, two assists) and 10 penalty minutes. In international play, the 6'3, 201-pound forward dressed in seven games as an Assistant Captain for Denmark at the 2016 U-18 World Junior Championships, helping the team capture the Division 1A Gold Medal. The Rodovre, Denmark, native also appeared in five games at the 2016 U-20 World Junior Championships.
Seventh Round, 211th Overall – Filip Helt (forward)Helt, 18, has spent the past five seasons with HC Litvinov in the Czech Republic. In 2015-16, the 6'1, 194-pound forward posted 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 42 games in the Czech U-18 league, while logging three assists in seven games with the U-20 club.

San Jose Sharks - 2016 Entry Draft

The San Jose Sharks concluded the 2016 NHL Draft today with Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson and Director of Scouting Tim Burke making five selections.

With their first selection of the 2016 NHL Draft (second round, 60th overall), the Sharks chose C Dylan Gambrell, a freshman at the University of Denver. The six-foot, 180-pound forward posted 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in 41 games with the Pioneers. Gambrell, a native of Bonney Lake, WA, turned in the 12th-best scoring total by a freshman in DU history winning the Barry Sharp Award as the DU's top rookie. He was named to NCHC All-Rookie Team and was a finalist for NCHC Rookie of the Year Award and also earned All-Tournament Honors at NCAA West Regional. Additionally, Gambrell won both the NCHC and HCA National Rookie of the Month Award for February and earned five NCHC Rookie of the Week Awards. Prior to his collegiate career, Gambrel spent three seasons (2012-15) with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, recording 108 points (39 goals, 69 assists) in 172 career games, serving as Dubuque's alternate captain in 2014-15 and winning a Clark Cup in 2013. He also captured a Gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 World Junior 'A' Challenge in Kindersley, Saskatchewan. Ranked 149th overall and 67th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, Kirk Luedeke of Red Line Report says Gambrell is "is a very talented pivot with plus-speed and vision; quick and elusive; very opportunistic; puck just follows him around the ice."

With the 111th selection (fourth round), San Jose selected C Noah Gregor, who posted 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) in 72 games in his first full season with Moose Jaw (WHL). He also added nine points (three goals, nine assists) in 10 WHL playoff games and was ranked 45th overall among North American skaters and 66th overall by The Hockey News. The six-foot, 178-pound native of Beaumont, AB also represented Canada at the 2016 Under-18 World Championship (two assists in five games).

With the 150th selection (fifth round), San Jose selected C Manuel Wiederer from Moncton (QMJHL). In his first season playing in North America, he notched 64 points (29 goals, 35 assists) and a +24 in 54 games, good for third on the team in scoring. He led the team with 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in 17 QMJHL playoff games. The six-foot, 171-pound native of Deggendorf, Germany has represented his native country at the World Jr. and World Championships.

With the 180th overall selection (sixth round), San Jose selected D Mark Shoemaker from North Bay (OHL), who posted 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 67 games. The six-foot-two, 208-pound native of Mississauga, Ontario added three assists in 11 OHL playoff games.

With their final selection of the 2016 NHL Draft at 210th overall (seventh round), the Sharks selected LW/RW Joachim Blichfeld from Malmo Jr. in Sweden. The six-foot-two, 176-pound native of Denmark posted 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 45 games for Malmo Jr. He has also represented his native Denmark at the U-18 World Jr. Championships, where he added 15 points (12 goals, three assists) in 14 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins - 2016 Entry Draft

The Pens ended up with six picks in the 2016 NHL Draft, none of them coming in the first round. After taking a goaltender and a forward with their two second-round picks, the Pens proceeded to select defensemen with their final four choices.

"We’re delighted," director of amateur scouting Randy Sexton. "We came into the draft knowing there was a very slim chance at getting a first-round pick, but we felt because of the depth of this year’s draft that we would be able to get first-round talent in the second round and we believe that was the case."

It started with Filip Gustavsson, who Sexton and his staff believed was the best netminder in the entire draft. And while general manager Jim Rutherford had leaned more towards taking defensemen at that point, they just couldn't pass on the young Swede – and Sexton said he won't be disappointed.

"I think when Jimmy has a chance to see him next week at development camp he’s going to be pretty happy," Sexton said with a smile. "Jim’s incredibly supportive. We walked him through our whole list and we laid out where we thought we could get some D-men. We talked about trading up but in our opinion the D-men that were available to trade up were of marginally better than the guys we thought we could get and we just didn’t think it was worth losing a pick or two to get someone who’s marginally better. He supported us in that."

Here’s a quick look at each selection, coupled with a scouting report from Sexton.

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Name: Filip Gustavsson
Selection: 2nd round (55th overall)
Position: G
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Amateur Team: Lulea Jr. (Sweden Jr.)

Notes: Gustavsson was one of three junior-aged goaltenders to suit up in the Swedish Hockey League in 2015-16, winning four of six appearances for Lulea ... Backstopped Team Sweden to medals at a number of major international events, including silver at the U-18 Championship where he was named Top Goaltender.

Red Line Report: So calm and relaxed in net – composed and exudes confidence. Team plays differently when he's in net – gives his 'mates confidence that he will bail them out on mistakes. Very good at getting low to absorb low shots, leaving no rebounds – soft pads. Great flexibility to get across crease quickly and cover far side post. Economical in his movements. Always manages to get squared up to shooters, even when moving cross-crease on his knees. Resets quickly for second shots. Takes away the lower half with an effective paddle-down style, but plays too much on his knees – needs to cover top corners better. Technically sound and always in position. Anticipates well and never has to get scrambly. Excellent directing shots to the corner with blocker. Finds pucks through traffic. Challenges when necessary. Doesn't play the puck much and doesn't handle it well when he does.

Sexton’s Take: "Our first pick, Filip Gustavsson, was in our opinion the best goalie in the draft. I think when our fans and particularly Jimmy has a chance to see him next week at development camp (they're) going to be pretty happy. He’s a technically very strong goalie, he’s got tremendous rebound control and tremendous poise and mental toughness. He didn’t play on the greatest junior team in Sweden, their national team was just okay. But he helped them win several medals in the tournaments over the course of the season because of his outstanding play."

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Name: Kasper Bjorkvist
Selection: 2nd round (61st overall)
Position: RW
Height: 6-1
Weight: 198
Amateur Team: Blues Jr. (Finland Jr.)

Notes: Represented Finland in several international tournaments, including the WJC Championship, 4-Nations Tournament, U-18 World Championship and Ivan Hlinka ... Posted 21 points (9G-12A) in 21 games for the Blues U-18 team in Finland ... Friend and former teammate of fellow Pens' selection Niclas Almari.

Sexton’s Take: "We saw Kasper play at the World Juniors. He had a fourth-line role there; he’ll have a significantly more prominent role this year. He’s going to be playing at Providence College. We think he’s a year or two away from being ready to turn pro. He’s physically very strong, he’s got great hockey sense, his overall skillset is very, very strong."

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Connor Hall
Selection: 3rd round (77th overall)
Position: D
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Amateur Team: Kitchener (OHL)

Notes: Plays for head coach and former Penguins Jay McKee in Kitchener ... Posted 49 PIMs in 39 games in 2015-16.

Sexton’s Take: "Connor Hall, our third-round pick, is kind of a throwback, old-style NHL defenseman. He’s got good size, he skates very well. His puck skills are solid and he plays with a lot of aggression. Very, very physically aggressive defenseman."

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Name: Ryan Jones
Selection: 4th round (121st overall)
Position: D
Height: 6-1
Weight: 186
Amateur Team: Lincoln (USHL)

Notes: Set career highs in assists (27), points (30) and PIMs (112) in 2015-16 with Lincoln.

Sexton’s Take: "Ryan played in the USHL, he’s been through the draft a couple of times, little bit of a late bloomer, 6-foot-3, he’s extremely mobile like Hall and plays with a real edge. He’s going to be going to the University of Nebraska-Omaha next year."

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Name: Niclas Almari
Selection: 5th round (151st overall)
Position: D
Height: 6-1
Weight: 167
Amateur Team: Jokerit Jr. (Finland Jr.)

Notes: Played for Blues and Jokerit of the Finnish Junior League ... Represented his country at the U-18 5 Nations Tournament ... Friend and former teammate of Kasper Bjorkqvist.

Sexton’s Take: "Almari is a little bit like Oskar Sundqvist from a physical perspective. Tall but very lean. Oskar is in year 4 of the development program and kind of close to knocking on the door. Almari will be the same. He’s tall, but he’s very slender, very lean. He’s an excellent skater, he’s real smooth-skating, puck-moving transitional type D-man. Don’t know if he’ll ever play on our power play, maybe in a secondary nature. But certainly a mobile puck-moving, transitional type D-man."

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Name: Joseph Masonius
Selection: 6th round (181st overall)
Position: D
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
Amateur Team: University of Connecticut (Hockey East)

Notes:

Sexton’s Take: "Extremely mobile. Not quite the same size as Ryan or Connor Hall, but very mobile. His puck skills are fine. And he also plays with some bite. It was a great example of a kid who played at the U.S. development program, was buried a bit behind some of the higher-end guys two years ago but when he got to Hockey East in UConn this year he had the opportunity to play a more prominent role and play with a lot of confidence and was really their go-to guy on the backend as a freshman."