Happy Saturday! We have two more weekends to suffer through before the beginning of Draft Week in the NHL. We’re all watching for trade rumors, players being placed on waivers (for purposes of a buyout? The window opened on Friday) and mock drafts that change our ideas of how the first round will play out. With nothing else to get us going today, let’s talk a little puck.
The Blackhawks dropped some details about their Chicago draft party on Friday evening. ICYMI, we’ve got the info for you here:
“For sure. It’s my big dream.” That’s how prospect Ilya Safonov answered Scott Powers’ question regarding whether or not the big Russian center would play for the Blackhawks at some point. He has two years remaining on his contract in the KHL, but we should all be fascinated at the prospect of him joining the organization. With many fans looking at the stature of players in this year’s draft and overanalyzing how “smaller” forwards have so much skill, the 6-4, 202-pound center would be a nice fit somewhere in Chicago’s lineup. And his play this past season tells us he’s growing into a player that’s likely significantly better than his sixth-round overage draft status from when the Hawks selected him in 2020. Here’s some of what Powers wrote:
“And then out of nowhere, Safonov took off this past season in the KHL. He produced 19 goals and 18 assists in 64 games. His goal production was the most of any under-22 player in the KHL and was tied for the most among under-23 players. He played a top-six center role and averaged 15:34 of ice time a game. In the playoffs, he played even more and helped Ak Bars to a runner-up finish in the Gagarin Cup. He was even made team captain last season.”
Give this piece a read because it’s a good glimpse into a potential center for the Blackhawks who we don’t see much of and hear a lot about because he’s in Russia. And, again, he’s signed for two more years there.
Our latest Blackhawks prospect breakdown is on forward Ilya Safonov. I watched a number of his games, spoke to the Blackhawks hockey ops and his agent about him and even talked to him from Russia. — Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers)
A lot of Blackhawks fans who watched the University of Michigan this past season because of a) Frank Nazar‘s return, and b) the possibility the Hawks were in a position to draft Adam Fantilli were likely to notice another forward in the Wolverines’ lineup: Gavin Brindley. The draft-eligible center/wing isn’t big (5-9, 170) but he’s productive. And a lot of what he brings to the ice makes Hawks fans want him even in spite of his size. Here are a few quotes about the player from this terrific feature from Steven Ellis at that stood out to me:
“The best words to describe Gavin are ‘versatile’ and ‘evasive,’ with and without the puck,”a scout said. “He’s committed to his crafไt and helping his team win. He’s a team-first guy. You like seeing that. And I feel like he’s willing 🐽to play anywhere in a lineup for a team.”
“Getting to play with him this year was absolutely amazing,” Fantilli said. “His compete level and his brain and how much he loves the game is phenomenꦿal. I always say he’s the best locker room guy I’ve ever played with.”
Adam Fantilli will tell anyone who will listen: His teammate Gavin Brindley is the most underrated prospect.
Story from :— Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey)
In somewhat surprising news on Friday afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks announced they are . The buyout means OEL will hit their books for eight more years, albeit at lower cap hits.
One note as made by today: Out of the $29 million owed to OEL, $18.5 would be paid in the next two seasons.
Vancouver will save almost $10 million in real cash and is banking on large cap increases next few years.— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli)
This is noteworthy from this transaction as well. According to CapFriendly, the Coyotes are getting hit here, too. Because they retained salary when they traded OEL to Vancouver, they are now stuck with that spot being filled for eight more years!
Interesting t🃏rickle down effect from buyout of OEL for
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli)
This piece from Harman Dayal at has some interesting questions as we get into the thick of the offseason, and a few of his ten biggest are in the Central Division. He mentions the Avalanche possibly trading a significant piece off their blue line, what the heck is going on in Winnipeg, and whether or not the Blues will be darkhorse buyers this summer as they look to retool instead of rebuild. Some good stuff in here.
NHL’s 10 biggest of⛦fseason questions — Elias Pettersson’s big decision, Leafs changes, potential star trades and more:
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2)
The Devils have already filed for arbitration with Timo Meier, but that doesn’t exclude them from avoiding that process completely if they can get a deal done before the hearing. And it appears they’re trying; he wants to be in New Jersey long-term. One would certainly hope the Devils make him a long-term piece of their future because they paid a BIG price to get him: Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Nikita Okhotyuk, Shakir Mukhamadullin, first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 and a seventh-round pick in 2024.
Tom Fitzgerald reveals that he spoke with Timo Meier yesterday, and Meier has expressed wanting to stay here for the next eight years.
Has asked his agent to negotiate an eight-year deal to stay with — Amanda Stein (@amandacstein)
In the WHL, the Seattle Thunderbirds will have a new, more geographically easy-to-reach rival. The Winnipeg Ice were sold on Friday, and are moving to Wenatchee, Washington. According to , “The Ice originally moved to Winnipeg from Cranbrook, BC and a condition of the sale was a new facility in Winnipeg. That condition was never met.” So a WHL franchise, like (apparently) some of the players on the NHL’s Jets roster, doesn’t want to be in Winnipeg. Ouch!
📰 BREAKING NEWS 📰
The Wenatchee Wild organization is excited and humbled to announce its approval as the newest member club in the Western Hockey League, effective with the 2023-24 season. — Wenatchee Wild (@WHLwild_)
Finally, we opened our bullets this morning talking about a party — so let’s finish them with a party as well. A homer party, that broke out at Wrigley Field yesterday.
It's a Homer Party! Amaya, Swanson, and Morel All Go Deep in the Third Inning — Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation)
Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the and is the author of three books about the Blackhawks: (Triumph Books),"100 Things Blackhawks Fans S👍hould Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X🍰/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab
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