Today marks the beginning of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, with the first round schedule for 6:00 PM CDT and the rest for tomorrow morning and afternoon. It marks an important time for not just the Dallas Stars, but the prospects they have helped raise.
Cross Hanas and Chase Yoder are two prospects who grew up playing for the Dallas Stars Elite Hockey Club, each with decent chances of being selected in this year’s draft. Their head coach, Eric Silverman, has nothing but glowing remarks for the two players:
Hanas is an offensive weapon… “a dynamic offensive, power play, goal-scorer, high-skill type player” who possesses “very high-end creativity.”
…
“[Yoder] skates at a high, high elite level…He’s a guy who does a lot of little things to help teams win.”
Both players hope to follow in Seth Jones and Blake Coleman’s footsteps by getting drafted and then subsequently making the NHL. That dream can be realized with any NHL team, but of course there is some desire to be selected by Dallas:
“Just growing up here and being a Stars fan, I think that’s what every kid dreams about. Playing for their hometown team,” Hanas said.
You can read more from Matthew DeFranks here.
Stars Stories
Speaking of the draft, Mike Heika highlights some of the Stars’ recent draft successes:
2020 NHL Draft: Impact of recent picks already felt in Stars’ lineup https://t.co/yvYLHjhSzu via @NHLdotcom
— Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) October 6, 2020
How might the Stars resolve their cap issues (internal or otherwise)? Sean Shapiro offers his insight:
Because of performance bonus overages the Stars salary cap for 2020-21 is going to be close to $78.5 million, not $81.5. That’s likely going to lead to some potential major movement in the coming days.
Story here:https://t.co/19SoArJsK1
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) October 5, 2020
Around the League
Corey Pronman offers his final first round mock draft of this year’s draft:
Just hours away from the NHL Draft, this is your final look at where we are hearing players will be selected ⤵️https://t.co/SdCnmM8YNP
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) October 6, 2020
It’s an end of an era for the Minnesota Wild, as Bill Guerin ships off Devan Dubnyk to the San Jose Sharks:
The #mnwild has acquired a fifth-round selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft from the @SanJoseSharks in exchange for goaltender Devan Dubnyk and the #mnwild seventh-round selection in the 2022 #NHLDraft.
🗞 » https://t.co/CUW6EVAXhj pic.twitter.com/RZ4pjp6oCr
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 5, 2020
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, ex-Star Matt Niskanen has retired from the NHL:
13 seasons between four different teams and one #StanleyCup victory.
Congratulations to Matt Niskanen on a great career and enjoy retirement!
Details: https://t.co/gfpCeOjzF7 pic.twitter.com/uY9lQhqamM
— NHL (@NHL) October 5, 2020
Niskanen is only 33 and still has a passion for the game, but the uncertainty of the 2020-21 season ultimately led him to walk away:
It wasn’t that Matt Niskanen didn’t want to play hockey anymore, it was the prospect of preparing for another NHL season that is shrouded in uncertainty that caused him to walk away, said his agent.https://t.co/qu9szJJx5v
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) October 6, 2020
Speaking of the new season, looks like the NHL is hoping to start up again on January 1st:
Hearing new “target date” of Jan 1 is being planned for by NHL/NHLPA. This does not guarantee season starting New Year’s Day, but replaces Dec 1 as the current target. (Potential training camp would be beforehand.) This could change in the future — but that is where we stand now.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 6, 2020
The Edmonton Oilers announced yesterday that Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19:
#Oilers update re: Connor McDavid pic.twitter.com/IiovqDWBY9
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 6, 2020
Finally…
Get pumped, y’all:
Who will be next?#NHLDraft | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/C6u8NiEQni
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 6, 2020