Learning to skate might never be a top-of-the-bucket-list item for the youth of the American Southwest, with a prohibitive climate and a scant tradition, but hockey has been on the rise in the Phoenix area since the franchise relocated from Winnipeg in 1996.
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Matthews offers speed, strength, excellent hockey sense, a quick and accurate shot and improving defensive play, and is widely expected to have an instant impact on a Toronto team that have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967.
No one was surprised when the Toronto Maple Leafs selected American centre Auston Matthews first overall. The Leafs previously drafted Wendel Clark first overall in 1985.
For Toronto, Matthews represents a significant addition in general manager Lou Lamoriello’s bid to restore relevance to one of the league’s most high-profile franchises.
The 6-foot 2-inch center played on the Zurich Lions’ first line last season and finished 10th in league scoring with 24 goals and 22 assists in 36 games. But after the Toronto Maple Leafs made their choice, 11 more Americans were taken in the opening round, a record.
The team also confirmed that William Nylander, selected in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, will play in the NHL next year, slotting in on the wing.
The Columbus Blue Jackets made a bit of noise with the third selection deciding to take Canadian-born center Pierre-Luc Dubois over Finnish forward Jesse Puljujarvi. Born outside of Toronto, he has the opportunity to become the first with Malaysian roots to play in the National Hockey League. He is expected to stay in Russian Federation for the 2016-17 campaign. Korshov impressed at the World Junior Championship with two goals and eight points in seven games.
“It was a dream come true and such and honor”, Matthews said.
Frederic described himself as a “two-way physical player that’s good with the puck”.
Wild: The team bought out the final year of left wing Thomas Vanek’s contract. “I hope that I can maybe do the same some day”, Laine said of the Teemu Selanne connection to the city of Winnipeg.
“Obviously we got a lot better”, Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the Matthews selection.
Florida used the 23rd pick to take Henrik Borgstrom, a Finnish centre. The Washington Capitals acquired Lars Eller from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Washington’s second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and second-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Before the draft began, Bettman announced that the league’s annual pre-draft rookie combine will return to Buffalo for a third consecutive year.
Blackhawks trade Shaw • The Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Andrew Shaw to Montreal for two second-round picks.
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Rounds 2-7 will be held Saturday.
