On the NHL Draft …
Amir Basu: Bob McKenzie: “I can tell you this, Kotkaniemi got multiple votes in the top 5 from the 10 scouts I talked to, same thing with Dobson. Hughes and Bouchard had more than one mention as a top 5 prospect. Boqvist, Wahlstrom, Hayton & Kravtsov, all of them got a mention in top 5.”
Amir Basu: McKenzie: “Multiple scouts have Zadina falling out their top 5 now, I don’t think it’s cause he has done anything wrong with his game, but I think it’s cause the centremen (Kotkaniemi, Hayton) and d-men (Boqvist, Hughes, Bouchard, Dobson) have really stepped up.”
On the New York Rangers …
Larry Brooks of the NY Post: Rangers forward Kevin Hayes is getting some trade interest leading up to the draft according to multiple sources. The 26-year old is a restricted free agent.
The Rangers are looking to move up in the draft from their No. 9 slot.
They have talked to the Carolina Hurricanes about the No. 2 pick, but a deal seems unlikely.
The cost to move up is high, and they might be able to get one of their targets at No. 9 – maybe Oliver Wahlstrom or Evan Bouchard.
Other pending RFAs that the Rangers could look at moving include Jimmy Vesey, Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov – all have been qualified.
Spooner is getting some interest, but not as much as Hayes. Hayes on a long-term deal could be five-years and at around $4.75 million per.
The Rangers could try to move Hayes for a right-handed defenseman. Potential targets could be Jets Jacob Trouba or Flames Dougie Hamilton or Adam Fox.
It’s believed that GM Jeff Gorton has spoken with the Oilers and they “might be willing to accept Milan Lucic and his five-year, $30 million contract commitment if Leon Draisaitl comes the other way. There is, however, zero evidence the Oilers have the slightest inclination to make a deal like that, even if it would involve, say Brady Skjei, also an impending Group II free agent.”
The Rangers have been told that unless they add a player or two that would put them in contention, Ilya Kovalchuk would likely sign elsewhere.
The Rangers have some cap space and could take on Carl Hagelin‘s $4 million if the Penguins added a piece. Ryan Callahan could be another option if the Lightning added a sweetener.