Wow. What a day we had! Day one of the 2021 NHL Draft began with many, many, trades. 12 players and 11 picks – including three first round picks for this draft – were traded before the draft began. Let’s look at the pre-draft trades first:
New York Rangers trade Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues for Sammy Blais & a 2022 2d round pick.
Buffalo Sabres trade Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers for Robert Hagg, a 2021 1st round pick (13th overall), & a 2023 2nd round pick.
Arizona Coyotes trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson & Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks for Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, a 2021 1st round pick (9th overall), a 2022 2nd round pick, and a 7th round pick.
Columbus Blue Jackets trade Seth Jones, 1st round pick (32nd overall), & a 2022 6th round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Adam Boquist, 1st round pick (12th overall), 2nd round pick (44th overall), and a 2022 1st round pick.
Columbus Blue Jackets trade a 2nd round pick (44th overall) to the Carolina Hurricanes for Jake Bean.
Also, not a trade but the New York Rangers will be buying out noted racist and hated teammate Tony DeAngelo.
Now, the picks:
1st – Buffalo Sabres – Owen Power (D) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: Mississauga, ON 2020-21 NCAA stats: 26GP – 3G – 13A – 16Pts 2021 Team Canada stats: 10GP – 0G – 3A – 3Pts Awards: BIG10 All Rookie team, 2021 World Championship Gold Medal
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2nd – Seattle Kraken – Matthew Beniers (C) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: Hingham, MA 2020-21 NCAA Stats: 24GP – 10G – 14A – 24Pts 2021 Team USA Stats: 13GP – 2G – 3A – 5Pts Awards: BIG10 All Rookie Team, 2021 World Jr. Championship Gold, 2021 World Championship Bronze
4th – New Jersey Devils – Luke Hughes (D) – USA NTDP From: Canton, MI 2020-21 Team USA Stats: 56GP – 10G – 39A – 49Pts
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5th – Columbus Blue Jackets – Kent Johnson (C) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: North Vancouver, BC 2020-21 NCAA Stats: 26GP – 9G – 18A – 27Pts 2021 Awards: BIG10 All Rookie Team
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6th – Detroit Red Wings – Simon Edvinsson (D) – Frölunda HC, SHL / Västerås IK, HockeyAllsvenskan From: Onsala, SWE 2020-21 League Stats: 28GP – 1G – 11A – 12Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 15GP – 2G – 7A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
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7th – San Jose Sharks – William Eklund (LW) – Djurgårdens IF, SHL From: Haninge, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 40GP – 11G – 12A – 23Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 4GP – 1G – 1A – 2Pts 2021 Awards: SHL Rookie of the Year
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8th – Los Angeles Kings – Brandt Clarke (D) – HC Nove Zamky, Slovakia From: Ottawa, ON 2020-21 League stats: 26GP – 5G – 10A – 15Pts 2020-21 Team Canada Stats: 7GP – 2G – 5A – 7Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
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9th – Arizona Coyotes – Dylan Guenther (W) – Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL / Sherwood Park Crusaders, AJHL From: Edmonton, AB 2020-21 League stats: 16GP – 15G – 15A – 30Pts 2020-21 Team Canada stats: 7GP – 4G – 3A – 7Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
13th – Calgary Flames – Matthew Coronato (RW) – Chicago Steel, USHL From: New York, NY 2020-21 USHL Stats: 51GP – 48G – 37A – 85Pts 2021 Awards: 2021 Clark Cup, USHL Forward of the Year, USHL Most Goals
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14th – Buffalo Sabres – Isak Rosén (W) – Leksands IF, SHL From: Stockholm, SWE 2020-21 League Stats: 35GP – 9G – 8A – 17Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 8GP – 7G – 2A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
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We have a trade to announce….
The Detroit Red Wings trade picks 23, 48, and 138 to the Dallas Stars for pick 15
15th – Detroit Red Wings – Sebastian Cossa (G) – Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL From: Hamilton, ON 2020-21 WHL Stats: 19GP – 1.57GAA – .941sv% – 4SO
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16th – New York Rangers – Brennan Othman (LW) – EHC Olten, Swiss Div 2 From: Scarborough, ON 2020-21 SD2 Stats: 34GP – 7G – 9A – 16Pts 2020-21 Team Canada Stats: 7GP – 3G – 3A – 6Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
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17th – St. Louis Blues – Zachary Bolduc (C) – Rimouski Océanic , QMJHL From: Trois-Rivières, QC 2020-21 QMJHL Stats: 27GP – 10G – 19A – 29Pts 2021 Awards: Mike Bossy Trophy – Best Professional Prospect
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18th – Winnipeg Jets* – Chaz Lucius (C) – USNTDP From: Grant, MN 2020-21 Team USA Stats: 25GP – 26G – 12A – 38Pts
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19th – Nashville Predators – Fedor Svechkov (F) – Ladia Togliatti, Russia From: Togliatti, RUS 2020-21 League Stats: 53GP – 9G – 21A – 30Pts 2020-21 Team Russia Stats: 7GP – 4G – 6A – 10Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Silver Medal
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We have a trade to announce…..
The Edmonton Oilers trade pick 20 to the Minnesota Wild for picks 22 and 90
20th – Minnesota Wild – Jesper Wallstedt (G) – Luleå HF , SHL From: Västerås, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 22 GP – 2.23GAA – .908sv% – 2SO 2020-21 Team Sweden stats: 2GP – 2.40GAA – .923sv%
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21st – Boston Bruins – Fabian Lysell (RW) – Luleå HF, SHL From: Göteborg, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 26GP – 2G – 1A – 3Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden stats: 8GP – 3G – 6A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
