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Free Agency Preview 2021
In our 100-page Free Agency Preview, we have team-by-team breakdowns for all 31 NHL clubs, plus our Top 30 UFA Power Rankings and features on Taylor Hall, Tyson Barrie, Corey Perry and more. Also, we take a look at the changing face of goaltending – and one thing that never changes: Carey Price winning when it matters most.
The COUNTDOWN
THE 2021 DRAFT LOTTERY didn’t feature much chaos, and that was great news for the teams at the top. With only two drawings, the last-place Buffalo Sabres would be picking, at worst, third overall. As it turns out, something went right for the Sabres during a season otherwise mired in lows, as Buffalo won the lottery and claimed the No. 1 pick. The one team that did move up was Seattle. They had the third-best odds but jumped over the Anaheim Ducks, giving the Kraken the second selection. Overall, this class is heavy on talented defensemen and a bit short on difference-making centers, though there are a couple options at the top end. The hallmark of this draft, however, is going to be the havoc that the pandemic played on the hockey world,…
WORTH THE LONG WAIT
IF YOU WANTED TO scout goaltending talent in the U.S. this season, the North American League was the place to be. A super-sized USHL was stocked with veterans, so the best 2021 draft-eligibles tended to be in the second-tier NAHL, where they could get crease time. And down in Louisiana, a Russian netminder named Arseni Sergeyev was making a name for himself with the Shreveport Mudbugs. “He’s intriguing because he’s really athletic and has a lot of talent,” said one scout. “His game is a bit loose, and he’s a bit unstructured at times, but his athletics and hands are big-time.” Sergeyev, 18, came over to North America in 2019, playing for three teams in three different leagues (NAHL, USHL and USPHL). Franchises were intrigued but never had a crease for him,…
Behind the Mask
ANTTI RAANTA >ARIZONA COYOTES RAANTA IS ALL ABOUT paying tribute to Arizona wildlife. His previous mask featured a rattlesnake. This one honors the Gila monster, the only venomous lizard residing in the U.S. Artist Dave Gunnarsson loves to tell stories with his designs, and he’s done that here, featuring an exotically scaly Gila monster skin with the effect of “growing over the mask,” per his words, and transforming into a Coyotes logo on top of the helmet.…
Edmonton Oilers
SHOPPING LIST: So, by now you’ve heard the Oilers are in the market for secondary scoring. That quest has been ongoing since the day Edmonton drafted Connor McDavid first overall in 2015. Six seasons later, it’s still the case. In 17 playoff periods during a first-round sweep at the hands of Winnipeg, the Oilers scored just three goals in which McDavid or Leon Draisaitl didn’t have a hand. That’s not enough. GM Ken Holland won’t have much disposable money if he retains his soon-to-be UFAs, so he’ll likely be selling the notion of short-term discount deals such as the one Tyson Barrie signed a year ago. Does that work again? That approach might interest seasoned veterans such as Ryan Getzlaf or Paul Stastny. UFA WATCH: Before the Oilers go looking elsewhere…
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