NHL Hockey Player News

McDavid becomes the Oilers fourth 1st overall pick in the last six years. The 18-year-old phenom has dominated the OHL for the last two seasons and was the consensus number-1 overall pick coming into the draft. He finished the 2014-15 season with 44 goals and 76 assists (120 points) in 47 games with Erie. He did not slow down in the playoffs either, tallying 49 points (21G / 28A) in 20 contests. He wraps up his junior career with 97 goals and 188 assists (285 points) in 166 career regular season games.

Miller, 22, led all Manchester (AHL) defensemen and finished second among all AHL blue liners with 52 points (19G / 33A) in 70 games this season. He is under-sized at 6-foot, 173 lbs, but the 2012 5th round pick has plenty of offensive upside that will help ease the Bruins loss of Dougie Hamilton, who was traded to the Flames earlier in the day.

Jones appeared in 15 games last season, going 4-5-2 with a 2.25 GAA and .906 SV%. He was never going to emerge from Jonathan Quick’s shadow and will have an equally difficult time in Boston trying to supplant Tuukka Rask. He has a 1.99 GAA and .923 SV% in his brief, 34-game NHL career.

Lucic, 27, had one of the worst seasons of his NHL career last year. The 6-foot-3, 228 lbs. hard-nosed forward had just 44 points (18G / 26A) in 81 games after averaging 60.6 points per season in his previous three full seasons. A change of scenery might do Lucic some good and he should fit in perfectly with the Kings.

Hamilton is a pending restricted free-agent, but the Flames should have no problem getting him under contract. Since being draft 9th overall in 2011, Hamilton has scored 22 goals with 61 assists (83 points) in 178 career NHL games. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2014-15, registering 42 points (10G / 32A) in 72 contests. He joins Mark Giordano, T.J Brodie and Kris Russell to form a very strong top-4 on the Flames back-end.

Legwand, 34, will head into the final year of his contract in 2015-16. He was a salary dump for the Senators, who signed him-to a two-year, $6 million dollar deal last offseason. The veteran centre posted just nine goals and 18 assists (27 points) in 80 games.

Lehner, 23, fell behind Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond at the end of 2014-15 and with two years left on his deal, the Senators decided to ship him to Buffalo. With the Sabres, Lehner has a shot to be their everyday starter. He was 9-12-3 with a 3.02 GAA and .905 SV% last year and has posted a 2,88 GAA and .914 SV% in 86 career NHL games.

Toffoli, 23, had 23 goals and 26 assists (49 points) in 76 games in his second full season with the Kings. Toffoli was set to become a restricted free agent next Wednesday, but is now signed through the 2016-17 season.

Zibanejad, 22, had the best season of his career in 2014-15. The former 6th overall pick tallied his first ever 20-goal season to go along with 26 assists (46 points) in 80 games for the Senators. It was another step in the right direction for Zibanejad, who will be in the Sens’ top-6 for at least the next two seasons.

Stone, 23, was one of the hottest players in the final few months of the season and earned himself a rookie of the year nomination. The former sixth-round pick led all rookies with 64 points (26G / 38A) in 80 games. Stone heads into 2015-16 in search of his first career 30-goal season.

Colorado acquired Soderberg’s rights from the Bruins on Thursday and got the pending unrestricted free agent under contract prior to this evening’s draft. Soderberg had 13 goals and 31 assists (44 points) in 82 games with Boston a season ago. His new deal hints that the Avalanche are likely to ship Ryan O’Reilly out of town.

Soderberg, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, had his rights traded to Colorado on Thursday. The Avalanche did not waste any time by signing the 29-year-old forward to a five-year deal.

McKegg, 23, has not registered a point in four career NHL games with the Maple Leafs. The 2010 third round pick (62nd overall) had 22 goals and 15 assists (37 points) in 62 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) last season.

Hyman, 22, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, but is expected to get a deal done with the Maple Leafs. Hyman is a Toronto native and was a Hobey Baker finalist in the NCAA after scored 22 goals with 32 assists (54 points) in 37 games at the University of Michigan.

Schmidt, 23, had four points (1G / 3A) in 39 games with the Capitals in 2014-15. In 19 games with Hershey he collected nine points (3G / 6A). He signed a one-way contract which suggests he might take Mike Green’s spot on the team. Green is expected to test free agency on July 1st.

Chiarot, 24, missed a chunk of time after having hand surgery this past season, but he finished his rookie season with eight points (2G / 6A) in 40 games with Winnipeg. In 24 games at the AHL level, he tallied four goals and five assists.