Flyers looking to move veterans before NHL draft

Good morning and happy Thursday, June 22nd

One thing we were reminded of during the first week of the NHL offseason: the season may be over but the work of an NHL GM never ends!

Today’s lineup:

• 🟠 Flyers look to acquire draft picks

• ⭐️ HHOF announces 2023 inductees

• 🚨 How elite playmakers like Connor Bedard move pucks to space in today’s expanded Coaches Corner

• 👇 And a lot more…

Enjoy today’s issue and we’ll see you twice next week thanks to the 2023 NHL Entry Draft next Wednesday and free agency opening up next Saturday. 🫡

Flyers looking to move veterans before NHL draft

The Philadelphia Flyers’ decision to take a wrecking ball to their roster may mean there will be plenty of action leading up to next week’s NHL draft in Nashville.

The Flyers’ signaled their intentions to retool earlier this month when they traded Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team deal that gained them the No. 22 pick in the first round.

Over the past couple of days, the NHL has been abuzz about the possibility that 31-goal scorer Travis Konecny will be dealt. Multiple outlets, including hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, have reported the Detroit Red Wings are interested in Konecny.

The Red Wings are looking to improve their goal-scoring potential before the start of next season. The St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers are also listed as possible destinations for Konecny who has two seasons left on a contract with a $5.5 million salary cap hit.

The Flyers are looking to add at least one more first round pick, perhaps two, before the start of the NHL draft on Wednesday.

Other Flyers who could be moved: forward Scott Laughton, defenseman Travis Sanheim, center Kevin Hayes, defenseman Tony DeAngelo and even goalie Carter Hart, although the Flyers would want a king’s ransom for him.

Philadelphia’s Danny Briere isn’t the only general manager looking to move veteran players.

The Winnipeg Jets are shopping goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and the Hockey News is reporting that they might have a trading partner in the New Jersey Devils. Apparently, Hellebuyck is willing to entertain a long-term deal with the Devils.

Hellebuyck is not the only proven goalie in the trade market. John Gibson asked the Anaheim Ducks to trade him and his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins will officially be without a No. 1 goalie when Tristan Jarry becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Ottawa Senators are also looking to trade 27-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat. He’s a Michigan native and the Red Wings are also linked to him.

Both Konecny or DeBrincat will require Detroit GM Steve Yzerman to give up first round picks. Yzerman’s team is in a rebuild mode and it’s not easy for him to give up those first rounders. He has No. 9 and No. 17 in the upcoming draft.

Whether Yzerman pays the necessary price or not, you can be sure there will be plenty of trade action by the time the first pick is made Wednesday.

CAN’T MISS 🔥

⭐️ Hockey Hall of Fame announces class of 2023. Mike Gartner, the chair of the Hall of Fame selection committee, announced goalies Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, and Mike Vernon, players Caroline Ouellette and Pierre Turgeon, and builders Ken Hitchcock and Pierre Lacroix as the newest inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame celebrations will take place on Nov. 10 to Nov. 13, with the induction ceremony taking place on Nov. 13.

POLL 🗳️

TRIVIA QUESTION 📚

Who is the Florida Panthers all-time leader in hat tricks?

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• Mike Peca to join Peter Laviolette's coaching staff on Rangers

COACHES CORNER 🏒

How Elite Playmakers Like Connor Bedard “Move Pucks To Space” brought to you by Coach Andrew Martin (website & Instagram).

Moving pucks to space is one of those things that you see all the time once you notice it.

Elite-level players have elite-level stickhandling skills, but they don't just stickhandle for the sake of stickhandling. The best players in the world use different tactics depending on the situation they are presented with.

In this video, Connor Bedard feels the pressure of his opponent's extended stick. Instead of over-handling the puck, he allows the puck to drift off his stick to space. This causes the defender to miss going stick on the puck and pulls him into a less-than-desirable defensive position and posture.

When you use the space on either side, behind, or under the defender's stick, you force them to make a decision. They can create interference, taking a penalty, or lunge and reach to try and swat the puck.

Going on the power play is an obvious advantage. Still, so is having that defender lunge and reach, which puts them in a terrible position.

Here is a drill you can do with a couple sticks and using a few pucks or cones. Remember to force yourself to keep two hands on your stick after the move so that you can make a pass, shot, or extra move.

TRIVIA ANSWER ✅

Pavel Bure holds the Florida Panthers all time hat trick record with 10.