McKenna Musings: ‘Best available’ is out, Drafting by need is in

Mike McKenna
Mike McKenna(MikeMcKenna56)
McKenna Musings: ‘Best available’ is out, Drafting by need is in

The 2021-22 NHL season is over and the NHL Draft is complete. Next up: free agency. And when it opens on Wednesday, July 13, expect bold moves. Until then, I have a few observations.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers haven’t found a solution in net.

And there aren’t many big names available via free agency now that Ville Husso is off the board. Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman swooped in and made a deal with the St. Louis Blues to acquire the 27-year old netminder who was set to become an RFA. The Red Wings promptly signed Husso to a three-year contract.

That leaves Darcy Kuemper and Jack Campell as the final big name UFA’s available, which really puts the pressure on Edmonton and Toronto. Will these two clubs be forced to go the trade route? Names like Matt Murray, Mackenzie Blackwood, and John Gibson have all been bandied about. 

Could they be the solution? Maybe. Murray has won Stanley Cups. Gibson has been a starting goaltender for quite some time. And Blackwood was on the radar for the Canadian Olympic team less than a year ago. But none is a sure bet. All would be reclamation projects given their recent on-ice performances.

It’s a tough spot to be in for Oilers GM Ken Holland and his Maple Leafs counterpart Kyle Dubas. They have to get this right. And Kuemper is really the only viable option at this point. Coming off a Stanley Cup championship, he’s in the driver’s seat.

Everyone wants to play for Marty St. Louis.

Did you catch his speech to open the 2022 NHL Draft? I did, and even as a former teammate of Marty’s, I was captivated. He was so polished. Marty has always been a fierce competitor and leader. But through his words it’s easy to understand why Canadiens GM Kent Hughes believes in St. Louis.

When you grow up battling to earn every inch on the ice, there’s an inherent chip on your shoulder. A fightback mentality in which every challenge is met with vigor and enthusiasm. That’s Marty.

But what doesn’t always shine through in players with a background similar to his is humility. Marty stood on stage and encouraged millions of young hockey players to follow their dreams through hard work and a positive attitude. And coming from him, it meant something. It wasn’t hollow. He’s walked the walk. St. Louis beat the odds to make his career happen.

People often ask me who the best player I ever shared the ice with. And since the 2008-09 NHL season, my answer has been Marty St. Louis. I was only with the Lightning for about a third of that year, but he left a huge impression on me. Marty worked so hard. In practice, in games, in the gym – he was a machine. But he also had an incredible sense of humor. St. Louis was the guy who could always make the locker room smile when needed.

Marty has a challenge on his hands with the Canadiens. They don’t have much of a roster. And all the draft picks they’ve accumulated won’t start to pay off for another couple of years. But right now, winning isn’t St. Louis’ task. It’s building the culture of the Montreal organization so that it’s ready to win. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

I believe in Marty. And I know the players do as well. I’m really looking forward to seeing him grow as a head coach, just like he did as an NHL player.

Teams should always take the best player available – for their team.

If you’ve been around hockey long enough, you’ve probably heard this phrase in reference to the NHL Draft: “take the best player available.” And while that makes sense topically, I think NHL teams are starting to figure out that’s not the most practical way to build a franchise.

Shane Wright had been considered a lock as the No. 1 pick in the 2022 Draft for quite some time. But over the past several years, as COVID ravaged the world, things got weird. Players couldn’t skate. Development was halted. Wright – and the OHL – didn’t even compete in 2020-21.

So it wasn’t a big surprise to me that Wright fell to No. 4 overall, when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken. What did surprise me was how teams – especially the New Jersey Devils – approached the selection process.

It would have been easy for the Devils to take Wright second overall. But New Jersey is already stacked with young centermen. They need defense. So the Devils selected Simon Nemec, a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman from Slovakia.

The Arizona Coyotes were up next at No. 3 and selected Logan Cooley, a wildly creative speedster from the U.S. National Team Development Program. He’s a center just like Wright. But Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has a particular idea in mind of how he wants his club to play, and Cooley was the right fit.

This year was really a case study in how NHL teams should be drafted based on their need, rather than draft rankings. It’s happened before. But this year really put a stamp on it. The selection process was unpredictable and full of drama.

In the long run, I’m sure it will always sting for Wright that he didn’t go first overall. It’s a prestigious territory. But what really matters is each player’s career. Wright is better served in Seattle than he is in New Jersey. And he should be glad to have such an amazing opportunity to star for a young franchise looking to improve quickly. And Wright will likely play a huge role.

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