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Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Devils-Rangers. March 19, 2012. Three fights off the opening draw. Mike Rupp, Eric Boulton, Stu Bickel, Ryan Carter, Brandon Prust and Cam Janssen reminisce about that night. (As you might expect, I’d give you a language warning on this video.)
RE: The pick the Devils are owed by the Canucks:
I would say the Canucks are among the teams that may have warmed up to the June draft idea if it means following the proposed layout in Friday’s NHL memo. They would much rather give up a non-lottery 1st RD pick to NJ now than an unprotected 1st RD pick next year.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 3, 2020
The Devils are among the teams linked to Mikko Lehtonen, a 26-year-old KHL defenseman who looks to be headed to the NHL. [Sportsnet]
The latest Devils player check-in: goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. [NHL]
Kind of a fun exercise: Create the best team from the Devils franchise with players who have never played together. Good luck. [The Athletic ($)]
Hockey Links
A conference call with the league’s board of governors is expected on Monday, with discussions on the possibility of an early June draft. [Sportsnet]
FWIW:
If the draft lottery proposal outlined in tonight's NHL memo becomes reality:
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 2, 2020
-- Detroit would be guaranteed No. 1 or No. 2 overall
-- Ottawa could do no worse than owning No. 3 AND No. 4
-- New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal and Chicago couldn't jump beyond No. 2/3/4/5, respectively https://t.co/tlP5zVthA4
Just spoke to a front office executive who anticipates that an early June draft is going forward, with an announcement as early as tomorrow or Tuesday at the absolute latest.
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) May 3, 2020
Count the The Athletic’s Justin Bourne in the “not a fan” column on holding the draft in June: “But would a toothless, mostly tradeless version of the NHL Draft hold public attention for long enough to be worth the cost of it playing out less fairly (in terms of actual gameplay)?” What do you think? [The Athletic ($)]
COVID-19 testing, obviously, will be a major facet to the NHL resuming play. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on an Edmonton radio station: “We’re going to need to have access to testing, and we’re going to make it a point that we’re not accessing testing, even in a private way, if testing availability is an issue in the community. We will not test asymptomatic players ahead of symptomatic people who are unable to get tested. It’s just something we will not do.” [NHL]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.