Sport-scan daily brief

MacKinnon spent this past season with Halifax of the QMJHL and had 32 goals and 43 assists in 44 games. He scored 11 goals and had 22 assists in 17 playoff games.

“I think seeing that push and seeing him elevate his game and carry a team to a championship and then into the Memorial Cup is special,” Pracey said. “Having this player handle the distractions and the media and all the scrutiny that goes with being a top player and then being able to perform and raise his game, are all key, key qualities.”

After Florida and Tampa Bay, Nashville and Carolina round out the top five. All seven rounds will be held on the same day for the first time since 2006.

The next decade will tell if this class was worth the hype.

“It is certainly one of the better ones probably in the last couple of years in terms of overall depth,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “Compared to ‘03, it’d be difficult, now. You look back at those players, there was a lot of impact players from that draft.

“So, that’s probably for future debate,” Holmgren said.

NHL entry draft

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Newark, N.J., Prudential Center.

TV: NBC Sports Network, 3-8 p.m.; NHL Network, 8 p.m. until the last pick

Red Wings picks: 18th, 48th, 79th, 109th, 139th, 169th, 199th

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130629/SPORTS0103/306290041#ixzz2Xgd6GZFu

Detroit News LOADED: 06.30.2013

682996 Detroit Red Wings

Wings re-sign Jakub Kindl for four years, $9.6 million

Ted Kulfan

The Detroit News

June 29, 2013 at 6:34 pm

Detroit — The Red Wings have re-signed defenseman Jakub Kindl to a four-year contract worth $9.6 million.

Kindl, 26, was a restricted free agent, and is coming off the best season of his young career — playing in 41 games, with four goals and nine assists, with a plus-15 rating.

Signing Kindl leaves the Red Wings with three other restricted free agents — defenseman Brendan Smith, and forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson.

General manager Ken Holland and the rest of his staff are in Newark, N.J., this weekend preparing for Sunday's NHL entry draft.

Holland plans to meet with the agents for unrestricted free-agent forwards Valtteri Filppula, Damien Brunner and Daniel Cleary. All three could hit the open market July 5, and can sign with any team.

Holland is also exploring trade options, leading into the start of free agency next week, as he attempts to clear roster and financial space.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130629/SPORTS0103/306290039#ixzz2XgdCd0iF

Detroit News LOADED: 06.30.2013

682997 Detroit Red Wings

Free-agent forward Vincent Lecavalier schedules meeting with Detroit Red Wings

By Brendan Savage | bsavage@mlive.com

on June 29, 2013 at 9:26 PM, updated June 29, 2013 at 10:19 PM

The Detroit Red Wings' pursuit of free-agent forward Vincent Lecavalier has apparently begun.

According to a Tweet by TSN.ca's Ryan Rishaug, the Red Wings are among the teams who have scheduled meetings with Lecavalier, whose contract was bought out by Tampa Bay and will be able to sign with any team he chooses beginning July 5.

"Sources tell TSN Lecavalier camp has met with Dallas, St. Louis, Philli and Montreal with more to come tonite," Rishaug Tweeted Saturday night before later adding "Lecavalier meeting with Anaheim now, Detroit and Toronto to come still tonite. Lecavalier will meet with one more team early tomorrow then fly home."

Update: The meting with the Red Wings apparently will take place Sunday, according to a Tweet by CBC's Elliotte Friedman.

"Check that: hearing Lecavalier will meet with Detroit and Calgary tomorrow," Friedman Tweeted. "Two meetings, not one."

Hours after learning that the Lightning were buying out his contract, Lecavalier said the Red Wings were among the teams he was interested in joining.

Lecavalier, 33, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 NHL entry draft and has spent his entire 14-year career in Tampa.

He has scored at least 20 goals 12 times in his career, topped 30 five times and led the NHL with 52 goals in 2006-07.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.30.2013

682998 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings announce forward Drew Miller has signed three-year contract extension

By Brendan Savage | bsavage@mlive.com

on June 29, 2013 at 11:54 AM, updated June 29, 2013 at 12:16 PM

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Drew Miller to a three-year contract extension, the club announced this morning.

MLive.com first reported June 14 that Miller had agreed to the deal, which will pay him $4.05 million and locks him up through the end of the 2015-16 season.

Miller had four goals, four assists and a minus-8 rating in 44 games last season, when he was sidelined for the final four games of the campaign after suffering a broken hand.

After missing Detroit's first eight playoffs games, Miller returned in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals vs. Chicago and had one goal, one assist and a plus-1 rating in six games.

He scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks in Game 3.

Miller, who plays on the fourth line and kills penalties, has appeared in 257 regular-season games with the Red Wings since being claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay in November 2009.

He played for Anaheim's 2007 Stanley Cup championship team.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.30.2013

682999 Detroit Red Wings

Teams appear to have more trade options this year; Detroit Red Wings 'motivated' to make a move

By Ansar Khan | akhan1@mlive.com

on June 29, 2013 at 1:01 AM, updated June 29, 2013 at 2:15 AM

DETROIT – Trade talks will heat up this weekend at the NHL entry draft in Newark, N.J., as they usually do.

This year, it appears many more prominent players are being shopped.

Various reports indicate the long list of forwards available includes Thomas Vanek (Buffalo), Paul Stastny (Colorado), Dave Bolland (Chicago); Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky (Edmonton), Mike Cammalleri (Calgary), David Perron (St. Louis) and Erik Cole (Dallas).

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Friday that he's had conversations with some team executives, but nothing is imminent.

“This is the weekend that teams are motivated to make a move, and we're motivated to make a move or two between now and unrestricted free agency (which starts next Friday) that we think will make our team a little better,'' Holland said.

If nothing else, the Red Wings would like to trim a player or two from their crowded roster, either through trades or a compliance buyout or two.

The club's course of action depends, in large part, on whether it re-signs any of its unrestricted free-agent forwards – Daniel Cleary, Damien Brunner or Valtteri Filppula, who appears to have one foot out the door.

Holland will continue talking to the agents for all three players this weekend. He might opt to shop Filppula's negotiating rights if no progress is made.

If Filppula leaves, the Red Wings would prefer to fill the void on the second line with a center.

Many teams are expected to make a pitch for Vincent Lecavalier, 33, who was added to the free-agent list after the Tampa Bay Lightning bought out the final seven years of his contract on Thursday.

The Red Wings will explore that option, but they're not likely to get into a bidding war for him.

The smaller, quicker Stephen Weiss of the Florida Panthers is an option. Matt Cullen, 36, of the Minnesota Wild and Patrik Elias, 37, of the New Jersey Devils are a pair of older alternatives.

The Red Wings also are interested in right wing Jarome Iginla, the long-time Calgary Flame who was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the season. Whether the interest is mutual is uncertain, since Detroit was not on his short list of teams he agreed to waive his no-trade clause for this past season (Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago).

They don't appear to be interested in spending big money on the likes of David Clarkson (New Jersey) or Nathan Horton (Boston), should they hit the market.

The Red Wings are set on the blue line, unless they can acquire a top-three defenseman, which is unlikely.

They have eight defensemen and are pondering whether to keep Carlo Colaiacovo. If they don't trade him this weekend, they might use a compliance buyout on him before the July 4 deadline (5 p.m.).

But, that would leave them thin on defense if they have an injury or two in training camp or early in the season. They might opt to keep Colaiacovo and waive somebody at the start of the season if they need to clear a roster spot.

Forwards Mikael Samuelsson and Todd Bertuzzi are other buyout candidates. Players who are bought out must be waived first.

Decision due on McCollum

The Red Wings will wait until Monday's deadline to decide whether to tender a qualifying offer to goaltender Tom McCollum, thereby retaining his rights.

McCollum, the club's top pick in the 2008 entry draft (30th overall) hasn't panned out as projected, struggling his first three seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He improved this past season, going 18-11-2, with a 2.63 goals-against average, but still couldn't beat out Petr Mrazek for the starting job.

Next year, the Red Wings have 6-foot-5 free agent Jared Coreau from Northern Michigan slotted as Mrazek's backup, leaving McCollum's future with the organization in question.

Wings hoping to sign Glendening

Holland is talking with the agent for center Luke Glendening, hoping to sign him to an NHL contract.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound, right-handed shooting Glendening (Michigan) blossomed during the AHL playoffs for the Griffins, tying for third on the team with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists). He had eight goals and 18 assists in 51 regular-season games.

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.30.2013

683000 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings are going to pick best available player

By CHUCK PLEINESS

chuck.pleiness@macombdaily.com; @wingsfrontman

Posted: Saturday, 06/29/13 04:28 pm

DETROIT – Like many of the other drafts before it for the Detroit Red Wings, they’re going to look at the best available player at the time of their pick.

But this year they’re leaning a bit in one direction … a skilled forward with decent size.

“The only difference this year is we’d really like to get a forward, unless there’s a defenseman that’s too good to pass up,” said Joe McDonnell, the team’s director of amateur scouting. “When it comes to our pick, if we feel there’s two players that are even we’ll lean toward the forward.”

This goes against many of the mock drafts that have Detroit taking a blue liner with its first pick.

“Every team’s almost in the same boat,” McDonnell said. “It’s just the way the game has evolved. It’s a big man’s game. I’m not saying there’s no room for smaller guys, but if you can get a big, skilled guy, you go that route. Still take small guys if we have to. But we’re looking to get bigger. We have bigger guys coming up in (Tomas) Jurco and (Riley) Sheahan.”

The draft, which is one day this year, begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday with the Wings having the 18th pick, which is their highest pick since 1991.

“We’re excited, at 18, we know we’ll get someone we really like,” McDonnell said. “The draft in general is strong, in the first round and even into the second round. It’s deep at the top end of the draft and then it peters out. There will be guys we like even in the seventh round. But the high-end part of the draft is good. At 18, we’ll get a quality player.”

The Wings have selected forwards with their top picks in each of the last three drafts – Martin Frk (2012), Tomas Jurco (2011) and Riley Sheahan (2010).

“It’s always the best player,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “We feel like we’ve got some good prospects on defense and some good prospects up front. We’d like to add a few more. We’re hoping to look back in six years and we’ve got two NHL players out of this draft. If you have a great, great day maybe you have three.”

The Wings have a number of defensemen coming up through the ranks, including Brian Lashoff, Ryan Sproul, Xavier Oullette and Mattias Backman.

“We have a lot of good, young defensemen,” McDonnell said. “We think we have a number of good ones. If we can add a little size up front, it would be beneficial.”

One position the Wings won’t be looking at highly is goaltending where they’re well-stocked.

Petr Mrazek just got done leading the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Calder Cup as a rookie. They’ve also got Jake Paterson, who the Wings drafted in the third round a year ago, and free agent signee Jared Coreau out of Northern Michigan.

“It’s not a high priority for us,” McDonnell said. “We’re happy with Mrazek. Paterson is a high-end kid. We’re not pressed to take a goalie, but if there’s one rated highly we’ll take him. Not in the top three rounds, though.”

Holland added that the Wings probably won’t be trading up in this draft, but like in year’s past they’re willing to listen to offers to move down.

“You deal in percentages and hopefully we come down the road and we have some NHL players,” Holland said. “As we’ve all seen it’s a very patient process. You’re dealing with 18-year-old kids and most of them, other than the top end of the draft, there’s a developing process they have to go through.

“It starts on draft day by holding onto your picks, making selections and then working their way through juniors, college and then to Grand Rapids,” Holland continued. “Some funnel up to Detroit and some drop by the wayside. We have number of prospects within our organization and we’d just like to our pool of prospects.”

The Wings have picks in all seven rounds – 48th, 79th, 109th, 139th, 169th and 199th overall.

“In the salary-cap era (the draft is) everything,” McDonnell said. “If you don’t draft well and develop your players you don’t have any hope. If you’re going to be a good organization you better draft. It’s the lifeline of an organization.”

This is McDonnell’s first year of making the final decision on players, replacing Jim Nill, who was hired as the Dallas Stars’ general manager on April 29.

“Jim and I were sitting there the past 18 years, the only weird thing is I’ll look to my left and no Jim Nill, it’ll be Ken Holland,” said McDonnell, whose first draft with the Wings was in 1995. “Jim taught me a lot in those early years.”

Macomb Daily LOADED: 06.30.2013

683001 Edmonton Oilers

Darnell Nurse not short of suitors ahead of NHL draft

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton JournalJune 29, 2013

New York – Darnell Nurse was only a year old when his father, Richard, was playing out his last season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. His time at Ivor Wynne Stadium was spent in the stands rooting for the Tabbies.

He also experienced the game through his uncle, Donovan McNabb, who directed the Philadelphia Eagles offence, but taking part on the field was never an option, no matter how much Nurse might have wanted to play.

“I wasn’t allowed to play,” he said. “I tried. My parents wanted to keep me safe, as crazy as that sounds now that I’m playing hockey. But I do go to as many Tiger-Cats games as I can, especially the Labour Day games when they’re playing the Argos.”

The Sault St. Marie Greyhounds defenceman is perched on a chair with his back to the Hudson River, his eyes on the future — a view that will become a little clearer Sunday when NHL teams make their draft selections at the Prudential Centre in Newark, N.J.

If Nurse is still available when Edmonton makes the seventh selection, he could well end up with the Oilers.

That’s if the Oilers still have the selection. The team was linked to several trade rumours Saturday, in part because rookie general manager Craig MacTavish has said he wants to leave the draft with a deal and in larger part because the team has needs and has some assets to move.

MacTavish will, however, need to find a trade partner. He wasn’t available for comment on Saturday.

There are several top-tier defencemen in Sunday’s draft, starting with the Portland Winterhawks’ Seth Jones, ranked No. 1 on Central Scouting’s list.

Nurse is OK with that.

“I think it’s cool to be a part of it,” he said. “You see guys like Seth, who is such a gifted player and a great guy. You can take some things from guys like that.”

Nurse made one trip after the NHL combine meetings in Toronto, and that was to Edmonton at the behest of the Oilers, but he talked to several teams in Toronto. Two of the more notable interviews were with the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils.

The 18-year-old grew up as a fan of the Devils, in particular Scott Stevens, and he has a connection to Philadelphia through his uncle and more recently Chris Pronger, another favourite. But when it comes to modelling his game, Shea Weber is Nurse’s measuring stick.

“I’ve watched him a lot and he has an ability to not only have an impact in the defensive zone but the offensive zone … just keeping it simple.”

What he liked about Pronger was his snarl, a trait that Nurse said he can pull out when need be. He also likes to hit.

“I think that (aggressive streak) is something you have or you don’t,” he said. “I’ve always liked to hit people more than I like getting hit. It’s better to give than receive, right?”

Nurse did get into a fight with the Edmonton Oil Kings’ Curtis Lazar at the prospects game. Lazar said he was asked about it at several of his interviews at the combine and later joked he was hopeful teams didn’t have him pegged as a fighter.

“I wasn’t going in there looking for it,” Nurse said.

“I didn’t think anyone was going to fight, so when Curtis asked me to go, I said, ‘Fine, we can do this if you want.’ It’s just something that comes with my game. Even during the season it happens. If you get challenged, there’s always a right time to step up.”

The one person Nurse won’t take on is his mom, Cathy, especially on the basketball court. She played at McMaster University.

Although his two sisters are both skilled on the court, “no one can take my mom,” he said.

“My two sisters might be better basketball players, but I don’t think anyone wants to receive an elbow from Mama Nurse.”

The defenceman is determined to make a push out of camp, no matter where he ends up, but he also acknowledged he has to put on a bit more weight this summer.

“I’m six four and just getting to 200 pounds now. It’s going to take some time,” said Nurse, who grew up in Hamilton. “I just need to eat.

“No matter what situation I’m in, I have to push and give it everything I have. I’m almost there, but almost isn’t enough. I need to push myself through the rest of the summer. When it’s all said and done, I could play at 215-220, but breaking in, I think I’d have to get to 205.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 06.30.2013

683002 Edmonton Oilers

Could the Edmonton Oilers move both of their second round picks in trade for players at the 2013 NHL Draft?

June 29, 2013. 4:00 am

Posted by:

Jonathan Willis

On Tuesday, Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig Mactavish made reference to second round draft picks as being “the most liquid currency” in trade talks with other general managers (see our full recap of his press conference here). The Oilers enter draft weekend with two picks (37th overall and 56th overall), but yesterday Oilers radio host Bob Stauffer suggested they might leave the draft without using either of them.

From New York, Stauffer was interviewed by guest host Reid Wilkins, and offered the following take:

Look, Craig MacTavish basically inferred on Tuesday at the media availability, if you read between the lines of what he was saying, that they he’d almost be disappointed if he used both second round picks because he’s looking to upgrade the team with those second round picks. I personally feel that Minnesota is a team that would be willing; the Minnesota Wild are looking to turn two second round picks into a number one because they want to trade back into the number one after they moved their number one pick in the deal for Pominville. We know Clutterbuck’s out there. In a perfect world, the Oilers acquire a top-four left-shooting defenceman with a second round pick and a prospect, and I wonder if they don’t move the other second round pick and get a guy like Clutterbuck with maybe a (B) or (C) prospect. We’ll have to wait and see, but it would not surprise me if the Edmonton Oilers did not have a pick in the second round. We know they don’t have a pick right now in the third or in the fourth… it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Oilers trade both [second round picks].

Asked to clarify whether the Oilers would package those second round picks together, Stauffer quickly and definitively, “Separate deals” and suggested the Oilers could make “four or five trades in the next three weeks.”

It isn’t all that hard to draw up plausible trade scenarios.

Cal Clutterbuck’s name has been circling Edmonton since at least April, when the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson suggested him as a plausible target; rumours heated up when Minnesota Wild beat reporter Michael Russo mentioned the possibility of a deal with Edmonton that would include prospect Tyler Pitlick. At the time, Pitlick was the only piece suggested on the Edmonton side (David Staples argued that Pitlick was not a Grade A prospect and would be expendable in such a deal). Looking at Stauffer’s comments, might Pitlick and a second round pick (I would suggest the 56th overall selection) be on the table for Clutterbuck?

As for a top-four left-shooting defenceman, it’s awfully easy to connect the name Braydon Coburn to that comment. Coburn was mentioned by TSN as a player who might be on the move yesterday, but Stauffer had actually brought up his name back on Tuesday, describing him using almost the exact same words and indicating Philadelphia might part with him to clear salary space (our analysis of that rumour here). Would the 37th overall pick and a second-tier prospect – names that come to mind include people like Mitch Moroz and David Musil – get a trade done there? Would the Oilers be better off moving that second round pick rather than swapping first rounders (Edmonton picks seventh, Philadelphia 11th) if the Flyers are open to that kind of arrangement?

What seems certain is that Craig MacTavish is going to have a very busy weekend. Stauffer’s comments reinforce the notion that the Oilers are going to be very active; as one NHL general manager told CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, MacTavish has “got his fingers in everything.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 06.30.2013

683003 Edmonton Oilers

NHL draft prospect Darnell Nurse not afraid to fight, but willing to be a role model, too

By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun

First posted: Saturday, June 29, 2013 05:30 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday, June 29, 2013 07:07 PM MDT

NEW YORK - Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish aren’t the only people in Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse had face-to-face meetings with this season — he traded punches with Edmonton Oil King forward Curtis Lazar at the Top Prospects game in January.

Getting in a fight in what amounts to an all-star game wasn’t on his agenda, but when a scrap comes knocking, he’s always quick to answer.

“I didn’t go in there looking for it, I didn’t think anyone was really going to fight,” said the Sault Ste. Marie captain, projected to go anywhere from fifth to eighth on Sunday. “When Curtis asked me to go I said ‘We can do this if you want, nothing wrong with that.”