Annual tradition
Flames make biggest splash among Canadian teams (again) on draft weekend
The draft weekend splash is becoming an annual Calgary Flames tradition.
For the third straight June, Flames general manager Brad Treliving swung a big deal at the draft, this time landing 26-yearold defenceman Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders. “He moves pucks. He’s a character kid. He’s got some bite to him. I think he’s going to fit good with us,” Treliving said of Hamonic, who came at the cost of one first round pick and two seconds.
One year earlier, Treliving sent two picks to St. Louis for Brian Elliott and a year before that, three picks to Boston for defenceman Dougie Hamilton.
Here’s a look at the other Canadian teams fared in Chicago:
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Top pick: Elias Pettersson fifth overall
The Canucks used their all-important top pick on Pettersson, a wiry Swedish centre who models his game after Washington Capitals ace Nicklas Backstrom.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Top pick: C Ryan Poehling 25th overall
The Habs used two of their first three picks at the draft on centres, landing on Poehling, an American attending St. Cloud State University, and Joni Ikonen, a Finn who totalled 41 points in 40 games in the Swedish junior league this past season.
WINNIPEG JETS
Top pick: W Kristian Vesalainen - 24th overall
The Jets would have had the 13th overall pick, but that pick went to the Knights to protect veteran Toby Enstrom from selection in the expansion draft. Winnipeg got back the 24th selection and used it on Vesalainen, a six-foot-four Finnish winger who was named MVP of the under-18 world championships.
OTTAWA SENATORS
Top pick: C Shane Bowers 28th overall
A Halifax native and Sidney Crosby fan, Bowers is a six-foottwo centre who tied for 10th in USHL scoring last year and is headed for Boston University in the fall.
EDMONTON OILERS
Top pick: RW Kailer Yamamoto - 22nd overall
Edmonton had top 10 picks in each of the previous eight drafts, waiting until 22nd overall this time around following the first post-season berth since 2006. Their top pick (22nd overall) went to one of the smallest players in the draft: five-foot-eight, 146-pound right winger Kailer Yamamoto, the WHL’s sixth leading scorer last season.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Top pick: D Timothy Liljegren - 17th overall
A Swedish defender who tries to play like Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty, Liljegren was once thought to be a top 10, maybe even top five pick at the 2017 draft. Then he got mono and had his season derailed.