The Seattle Kraken expansion draft has officially come and go, marking a new era in National Hockey League history. Unlike its predecessor, the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, however, the Kraken took a different approach to this expansion draft. In a way, it was almost as if the Vegas draft was a masterclass in howContinue reading “Seattle Kraken expansion draft: pick analysis, thoughts and comparison”
Author Archives: High Wrap Hockey
NHL Awards Recap: What the voters got right, and what they didn’t
For the first time in a long time, the NHL Awards were actually quite bearable. Usually it is a cringe-filled evening to honor the games best players and philanthropists, as the NHL ruins the night with an attempt at comedy. In the past there have been seldom good moments, such as Jiri Hudler going upContinue reading “NHL Awards Recap: What the voters got right, and what they didn’t”
The implications of the Erik Karlsson contract extension for the San Jose Sharks
On June 17, the San Jose Sharks made a powerful move in the hockey realm, securing one of the top free agents of 2019’s class by re-signing Erik Karlsson to a massive 8-year, $92 million deal. The agreement, which carries an annual average value of $11.5 million and was first reported on by TSN’s BobContinue reading “The implications of the Erik Karlsson contract extension for the San Jose Sharks”
Lack of center depth in 2019 NHL free agency serves as a cautionary tale
As the end of the Stanley Cup Final quickly approaches, the NHL offseason appears on the horizon. Despite being a league with an unusual amount of parity given the amount of teams, general managers still tend to throw a remarkable amount of money around when free agency comes around.
Post-mortem: what comes next for the New York Islanders?
The New York Islanders’ storybook season came to an end on May 3, as they were swept out in the second round of the NHL playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Islanders became the first team since the 1993 Buffalo Sabres to sweep an opponent in the first round and then be swept in theContinue reading “Post-mortem: what comes next for the New York Islanders?”
Philadelphia’s firing of Ron Hextall is a failure of the franchise’s system
On Monday morning, the Philadelphia Flyers fired general manager Ron Hextall after starting the season 10-11-2. Hextall took office as general manager on May 7, 2014, and his teams made playoff appearances in two of four seasons.
Quenneville’s firing is problematic for Chicago in multiple ways
On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks fired head coach Joel Quenneville after just over 10 seasons at the helm. Quenneville took over as the boss behind Chicago’s bench for the 2008-09 season and subsequently led the franchise to championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Kevin Kopf 