WINGS HOPING TO FINALLY CATCH A LOTTERY BREAK
Critics accusing NHL of bending rules so GM Yzerman’s crew can land No. 1 pick
Let the conspiracy theories begin.
When the NHL announced last Friday that it not only intended on holding its entry draft in June — before the start of the playoffs — but that only one of the non-playoff teams would be able to move up four spots in the order, some read it as the commissioner’s way of rewarding the Detroit Red Wings for a historically awful season.
Under the old rules, Detroit could fall to fourth overall. Now, the team is guaranteed a top-two pick.
That’s a huge difference. And for an Original Six franchise that recently built a new arena and rehired Steve Yzerman as general manager, it might sound a little convenient — especially after the Red Wings basically tanked this year by winning just 17 of 71 games.
“To those people who say that, they don’t know what they’re talking about,” said Red Wings senior vice-president Jim Devellano. “We got screwed by the lottery. That’s factual.”
Indeed, this isn’t the Oilers winning four No. 1 picks in six years. The Red Wings fell two spots in the draft order last year. They dropped one spot in 2018 and two spots in 2017.
The last time the Red Wings had the No. 1 overall pick was when they selected Joe Murphy in 1986. Since then, the team has had just one other top five pick (Keith Primeau, third overall, in 1990).
According to Devellano, the team is long overdue.
“It would be a magnificent shot in the arm,” said Devellano. “We badly need it. And I mean badly. We’ve been out of the playoffs for four straight years. It’s one thing to be out of the playoffs and be close, but we’ve been in the bottom five.”
This isn’t the first time the league has been accused of bending the rules to benefit a team in need. In 2005, a Pittsburgh Penguins team that was on the verge of bankruptcy ended up with Sidney Crosby after winning a draft lottery that was open to all 30 teams.
Ending up with top prospect Alexis Lafreniere could do the same for Detroit.
“I can’t help but remember the shape that the Maple Leafs were in when they hired Brendan Shanahan and Mike Babcock,” Devellano said. “They caught a break. And it was a wonderful break. And his name is Auston Matthews. And now they’re a wonderful team. That’s the kind of thing that Detroit needs.
“We’re hoping and we’re praying for a break.”
THE FINNISH TOREY KRUG
Antti Makinen isn’t a scout.
But as a play-by-play broadcaster, he watches a lot of hockey games.
In his opinion, the Toronto Maple Leafs got the Finnish version of Torey Krug when they signed Mikko Lehtonen on Monday.
“I did over 50 of Mikko’s games, so I can say I know what I’m talking about,” Makinen said. “Most definitely, the best D in the KHL last season. One hundred per cent a top-four D for the Leafs and a power play player.” Others agreed.
Finnish reporter Sami Hoffren called the 26-year-old “a mobile two-way D who’s matured a lot in the last few years” to become the “best D outside of NHL.”
According to Janne Vuorinen, Jokerit’s director of player personnel, Lehtonen is a typical late bloomer who’s offensive game clicked this year. After scoring 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games for Jokerit, teams were lining up trying to sign him. Vuorinen believes the Leafs had the inside edge because of their run-andgun philosophy.
“His style fits well for Toronto,” said Vuorinen. “He’s a good mobile skater and an active defenceman. He runs the power play well and gets pucks to the net with a good wrist shot. He was the best defenceman in the league, and in all of Europe, in my opinion.”
AHL TO CANCEL SEASON
While the NHL appears to be moving forward with resuming the regular season and playoffs sometime in the summer, the American Hockey League is getting closer to announcing the cancellation of the season.
“When we suspended, there was so much going on where whether or not we cancelled the season wasn’t a concern,” said AHL president and CEO Dave Andrews. “But we’re a gate-driven league and it’s pretty unlikely that we’ll be able to play.”
Andrews, who has been at the league’s helm for 26 years, retires on June 30. His concern for his successor, Scott Howson, is that if fans still aren’t allowed in arenas by October, then the 2020-21 season could also be in jeopardy.
“There is a lot of uncertainties,” he said. “We need to do some financial modelling for next season. Some teams can sustain to play games with no fans in the building. But not a large number of games.”
If that is the case, don’t be surprised if the AHL is forced to delay the start of the season or reduce the number of games it plays next year.
OPEN THE FLOODGATES
With goal-scoring at a rate unseen since the 2005-06 season, this has been a tough season for goalies in the NHL. From Sergei Bobrovsky and Pekka Rinne to Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby, a significant number of past Vezina Trophy winners had down years.
Well, don’t expect that to change once the season resumes.
While forwards aren’t skating, most are at least keeping their skills sharp by shooting pucks into nets or rollerblading around their subdivision.
Not so for the goalies.
“I’m not doing much, to be honest,” Holtby, of the Washington Capitals, said during a video conference on Monday. “It’s going to be tough once there’s kind of a game plan in play.”