Even if prospects didn’t get to meet and greet with the teams that picked them, we still got plenty of hugs, some confetti, and plenty of confused looks during the 2020 NHL Draft. So what do we have to look forward to as the best of the rest of the 2020 NHL Draft?
(Absolutely thinking of the Blue Jackets going way off the board selecting Yegor Chinakhov at 21st overall for that “confused looks” part.)
With 31 picks down, are there other gems waiting to be nabbed? Well, judging by how often NHL teams unearth talent later in the draft, or even outside of it, the answer is a combined “almost certainly” and “there’s a good chance we don’t know who the best player still available actually is.”
The best we can do is to make educated guesses, though. Let’s consider “the best of the rest” of the 2020 NHL Draft, available from rounds 2-7.
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Best of the rest of the 2020 NHL Draft: Possible gems on Day 2
Habs Eyes on the Prize put together “consensus” rankings for the top picks of the 2020 NHL Draft. While other sites have done this too, their list is also the friendliest on the eyes, which seems fitting considering the blog title.
Anyway, Habs Eyes on the Prize compiled 12 lists, from The Athletic’s Corey Pronman to TSN’s Bob McKenzie to Chris Peters of ESPN. Here are some players who maybe hoped they could have been selected in the first round, and others who could provide great value in the early second (and possibly beyond).
In case you’re wondering, Chinakov ranked 164th. To add some variety and context, their rankings according to NHL Central Scouting will also be included on this list.
Noel Gunler, RW, ranked 23rd on EOTP’s consensus list. Sixth-ranked European player via NHL Central Scouting. Jan Mysak, C, 25th on EOTP; (28th North American skater, via NHL CS.) John-Jason Peterka, RW, 26th on EOTP. (7th European, via NHL CS.) William Wallinder, D, 29th on EOTP. (14th European, via NHL CS.) Thomas Bordeleau, C, 30th on EOTP. (29th NA, via NHL CS.) Helge Grans, D, 31st on EOTP (6th Euro.) Jeremie Poirier, D, 32nd on EOTP (16th NA.) Ryan O’Rourke, D, 33rd on EOTP (27th NA). Marat Khusnutdinov, C, 35th on EOTP (12th Euro.) Topi Niemela, D, 37th on EOTP (8th Euro). Roni Hirvonen, C, 38th on EOTP (10th Euro). Emil Andrae, D, 39th on EOTP (15th Euro).
Teams may also search for beef, and find it. One name that sticks out in that regard is Jack Finley, a 6-foot-6 center (83rd on EOTP; 38th NA). But there are other options for bigger players as the 2020 NHL Draft goes on.
2020 NHL Draft Order, rounds 2-7
Round 2
32. Detroit Red Wings 33. Ottawa Senators 34. San Jose Sharks 35. Los Angeles Kings 36. Anaheim Ducks 37. Nashville Predators (from NJ) 38. Buffalo Sabres 39. Minnesota Wild 40. Winnipeg Jets 41. Carolina Hurricanes (from NYR) 42. Nashville Predators 43. Florida Panthers 44. Toronto Maple Leafs 45. Detroit Red Wings (from EDM) 46. Chicago Blackhawks (from PIT via VGK) 47. Montreal Canadiens 48. Montreal Canadiens (from CHI) 49. No selection (Originally Arizona Coyotes*) 50. Calgary Flames 51. Los Angeles Kings (from VAN) 52. Ottawa Senators (from CBJ) 53. Carolina Hurricanes 54. Philadelphia Flyers 55. Detroit Red Wings (from WSH) 56. San Jose Sharks (from COL via WSH) 57. Montreal Canadiens (from STL) 58. Boston Bruins 59. Ottawa Senators (from NYI) 60. Los Angeles Kings (from VGK) 61. Ottawa Senators (from DAL via VGK) 62. Tampa Bay Lightning
63. Detroit Red Wings 64. Ottawa Senators 65. Detroit Red Wings (from SJ) 66. Los Angeles Kings 67. Anaheim Ducks 68. Vegas Golden Knights (from NJ) 69. Carolina Hurricanes (from BUF) 70. Nashville Predators (from MIN) 71. Ottawa Senators (from WPG) 72. Calgary Flames (from NYR) 73. Nashville Predators 74. Florida Panthers 75. Colorado Avalanche (from TOR) 76. Edmonton Oilers++ 77. Pittsburgh Penguins 78. Columbus Blue Jackets (from MTL) 79. Chicago Blackhawks 80. Calgary Flames (from WSH via ARI via COL) 81. Calgary Flames+++ 82. Vancouver Canucks 83. Los Angeles Kings (from CBJ via OTT via TOR) 84. New Jersey Devils (from CAR) 85. Tampa Bay Lightning (from PHI via SJ) 86. St. Louis Blues (from WSH via MTL) 87. Florida Panthers (from COL) 88. St. Louis Blues 89. Boston Bruins 90. New York Islanders 91. Vegas Golden Knights 92. New York Rangers (from DAL) 93. Tampa Bay Lightning
++ Oilers have yet to announce whether they will give their 2020 or 2021 third-round pick to the Flames as part of the James Neal trade. If they give up the 2020 choice, the Blackhawks will get No. 76 as part of the Erik Gustafsson trades. If they give up their 2021 pick, the Blackhawks will get the No. 81 pick from the Flames.
+++ If Calgary does not receive Edmonton’s 2020 third-round pick, they will send their own 2020 third-round pick to the Blackhawks.
Round 4
94. Tampa Bay Lightning (from DET) 95. Florida Panthers *(from OTT) 96. Calgary Flames (from SJ vis MTL via BUF) 97. Los Angeles Kings 98. Montreal Canadiens (from ANA) 99. New Jersey Devils 100. Buffalo Sabres 101. Minnesota Wild 102. Montreal Canadiens (from WPG) 103. New York Rangers 104. Anaheim Ducks (from NSH via PHI) 105. Florida Panthers 106. Toronto Maple Leafs 107. Detroit Red Wings (from EDM) 108. Pittsburgh Penguins 109. Montreal Canadiens 110. Chicago Blackhawks 111. Arizona Coyotes 112. Los Angeles Kings (from CGY) 113. Vancouver Canucks 114. Columbus Blue Jackets 115. Carolina Hurricanes 116. Philadelphia Flyers 117. Washington Capitals 118. Colorado Avalanche 119. St. Louis Blues 120. New Jersey Devils (from BOS) 121. New York Islanders 122. Toronto Maple Leafs (from VGK) 123. Dallas Stars 124. Tampa Bay Lightning
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Round 5
125. Detroit Red Wings 126. San Jose Sharks (from OTT) 127. San Jose Sharks 128. Los Angeles Kings 129. Anaheim Ducks 130. New Jersey Devils 131. Buffalo Sabres 132. Minnesota Wild 133. Winnipeg Jets 134. New York Rangers 135. Nashville Predators 136. Montreal Canadiens (from FLA) 137. Florida Panthers (from TOR) 138. Edmonton Oilers 139. Pittsburgh Penguins 140. Carolina Hurricanes (from MTL) 141. Chicago Blackhawks 142. Arizona Coyotes 143. Calgary Flames 144. Vancouver Canucks 145. Columbus Blue Jackets 146. St. Louis Blues (from CAR) 147. Philadelphia Flyers 148. Washington Capitals 149. Colorado Avalanche 150. St. Louis Blues 151. Boston Bruins 152. New York Islanders 153. Toronto Maple Leafs (from VGK) 154. Dallas Stars 155. Ottawa Senators (from TB)
Round 6
156. Detroit Red Wings 157. Tampa Bay Lightning (from OTT) 158. Ottawa Senators (from SJ) 159. Los Angeles Kings 160. Anaheim Ducks 161. New Jersey Devils 162. Dallas Stars (from BUF via CAR via FLA) 163. Minnesota Wild 164. Winnipeg Jets 165. New York Rangers 166. Nashville Predators 167. Colorado Avalanche (from FLA) 168. Toronto Maple Leafs 169. Edmonton Oilers 170. Pittsburgh Penguins 171. Montreal Canadiens 172. Chicago Blackhawks 173. Arizona Coyotes 174. Calgary Flames 175. Vancouver Canucks 176. Columbus Blue Jackets 177. Toronto Maple Leafs (from CAR) 178. Philadelphia Flyers 179. Washington Capitals 180. Toronto Maple Leafs (from COL) 181. Ottawa Senators (from STL via EDM) 182. Boston Bruins 183. New York Islanders 184. Vegas Golden Knights 185. Dallas Stars 186. Tampa Bay Lightning
Round 7
187. Detroit Red Wings 188. Montreal Canadiens (from OTT) 189. Toronto Maple Leafs (from SJ) 190. Los Angeles Kings 191. Vancouver Canucks (from ANA) 192. New Jersey Devils 193. Buffalo Sabres 194. Minnesota Wild 195. Toronto Maple Leafs (from WPG via MIN) 196. New York Rangers 197. New York Rangers (from NSH) 198. Florida Panthers 199. Carolina Hurricanes (from TOR) 200. Edmonton Oilers 201. San Jose Sharks (from PIT) 202. Philadelphia Flyers (from MTL) 203. St. Louis Blues (from CHI via MTL) 204. Arizona Coyotes 205. Calgary Flames 206. New York Rangers (from VAN) 207. Columbus Blue Jackets 208. Carolina Hurricanes 209. Philadelphia Flyers 210. San Jose Sharks (from WSH) 211. Colorado Avalanche 212. Toronto Maple Leafs (from STL) 213. Boston Bruins 214. New York Islanders 215. Vegas Golden Knights 216. Buffalo Sabres (from DAL) 217. Tampa Bay Lightning
The past weekend of football was all about the favourites.
The favoured teams went 13-1 straight up and 10-4 against the spread in the NFL. In college football, the three most teams bet at the BetMGM Sportsbook in terms of number of bets and money all won and covered. All three were favourites.
Trends of the Week
The three most bet college teams that won and covered on Saturday were Ohio State (-3.5) vs. Penn State, Indiana (-7.5) at Michigan State and Oregon (-14.5) at Michigan. Penn State has now lost seven straight home games as underdogs. The Nittany Lions were up 10-0 in the first quarter and were 3.5-point favourites at the time. The Buckeyes won 17-10.
In the NFL, the three most bet teams in terms of number of bets and money were the Washington Commanders (-4) at the New York Giants, the Detroit Lions (-2.5) at the Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills (-6) vs. the Miami Dolphins. All three teams won, but only two of the three covered the spread as Buffalo beat Miami 30-27.
When it came to the players with the most bets to score a touchdown on Sunday, only two of the five reached the end zone — Chase Brown (-125) and Taysom Hill (+185). David Montgomery (-140), Brian Robinson Jr. (+110) and AJ Barner (+500) did not score.
Upsets of the Week
The biggest upset in the NFL was the Carolina Panthers coming from behind to beat the New Orleans Saints 23-22. New Orleans closed as a 7-point favourite and took in 76% of the bets and 79% of the money in against-the-spread betting. The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen following the loss. They have now lost seven straight games after starting the year 2-0.
Arguably the biggest upset in college football was South Carolina beating No. 10 Texas A&M 44-20 at home. Texas A&M closed as a 2.5-point favourite and took in 59% of the bets and 58% of the money.
NEW YORK – Washington Capitals left-wing Alex Ovechkin, Carolina Hurricanes centre Martin Necas and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby have been named the NHL’s three stars of the week.
Ovechkin had a league-leading five goals and nine points in four games.
The 39-year-old Capitals captain has 14 points in 11 games this season, and his 860 career goals are just 34 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Necas shared the league lead with nine points (three goals, six assists) in three games.
Crosby factored on seven of the Penguins’ eight total goals scoring four goals and adding three assists in three appearances. The 37-year-old Penguins captain leads his team with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 games this season.
Crosby and Ovechkin, longtime rivals since entering the league together in 2005-06, will meet for the 70th time in the regular season and 95th time overall when Pittsburgh visits Washington on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
TORONTO – Running back Brady Oliveira of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell are the finalists for the CFL’s outstanding player award.
Oliveira led the CFL in rushing this season with 1,353 yards while Mitchell was the league leader in passing yards (5,451) and touchdowns (32).
Oliveira is also the West Division finalist for the CFL’s top Canadian award, the second straight year he’s been nominated for both.
Oliveira was the CFL’s outstanding Canadian in 2023 and the runner-up to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for outstanding player.
Defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund of the Montreal Alouettes is the East Division’s top Canadian nominee.
Voting for the awards is conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and the nine CFL head coaches.
The other award finalists include: defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette (outstanding defensive player); Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland and Toronto’s Ryan Hunter (outstanding lineman); B.C. Lions kicker Sean Whyte and Toronto returner Janarion Grant (special teams); and Edmonton Elks linebacker Nick Anderson and Hamilton receiver Shemar Bridges (outstanding rookie).
The coach of the year finalists are Saskatchewan’s Corey Mace and Montreal’s Jason Maas.
The CFL will honour its top individual performers Nov. 14 in Vancouver.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31.
