Saturday Morning Skate: Flyers expansion options; Stanley Cup Final set

Welcome to the Morning Skate, our roundup of links on Philly Hockey Now as well as other sites around the National Hockey Now network and hockey world!

Flyers News

• The Flyers are bound to lose a valuable asset in the expansion draft. Who might they protect and who might they lose? (Philly Hockey Now)

• The Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft is now less than a month away. The player that they take from the Flyers could loom large in the grand scheme of the offseason. (Philly Hockey Now)

• The Kraken may have a low-risk, high-reward option to select from the Flyers in the Expansion Draft. Nicolas Aube-Kubel is flying under the radar. Why might they take him, and why might they pass on him? (Philly Hockey Now)

• Shayne Gostisbehere is another option for the Kraken if they want an offensive defenseman, but is it realistic? (Philly Hockey Now)

• Now, James van Riemsdyk seems like the safest bet to land in Seattle, but could the Kraken go elsewhere? (Philly Hockey Now)

• Jakub Voracek could be an option for the Kraken as well. He’ll be one of the best players available, but also have one of the largest contracts. (Philly Hockey Now)

• Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers “poked around” Oliver Ekman-Larsson last offseason. OEL is back on the block this summer. Could –– and more importantly, should –– the Flyers revisit those talks? (Philly Hockey Now)

• The Flyers may have a chance to land Jack Eichel this offseason. (Philly Hockey Now)

• Dougie Hamilton has been granted permission to talk to other teams, including the Flyers. Chuck Fletcher has to do whatever he can to land the top free-agent defenseman, right?… (Philly Hockey Now)

• Stay up to date on all the latest Flyers rumors and NHL trade talk by bookmarking our page.

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Around the NHL

OTR: Sticker Shock, GMs Gasp At Sabres’ Trade Ask For Eichel | PHN+ –  (National Hockey Now)

The asking price on the NHL trade market for Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel has gotten to the point where rival NHL executives are questioning how Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is approaching the Eichel sweepstakes.

In this week’s ‘Off The Record,’ a rival NHL executive got specific and vented about Buffalo’s Eichel trade ask. The source described it as ‘just crazy!’

Rapid Reaction: Islanders Fairy Tale Run Ends in Disappointing Game 7 Shutout Loss – (NYI Hockey Now)

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the New York Islanders from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 1-0 win over New York in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. It had been the first time the Islanders had been one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final since 1984.

Vegas Golden Knights Must Rip Off the Band-Aid, Make Changes – (Vegas Hockey Now)

I’ll start by ripping off the most painful band-aid: this team isn’t good enough to win the Stanley Cup. There are some real issues for the Vegas Golden Knights to address this summer, namely an offense that blacks out at the worst time, a power play that might be better off declining the penalty, $12M in cap space tied up in goaltending, no number one center and more.

Expansion Draft: Hagelin or Sprong? Projecting Capitals Protected List – (Washington Hockey Now)

The NHL is ready to release the Seattle Kraken, but questions remain who stays or goes for the Washington Capitals as the expansion draft looms.

The Capitals have a few loose ends to tie off before the draft, or they could use the draft as a solution. Alex Ovechkin needs a new deal, Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s future hangs in the balance, and T.J. Oshie is among the top names who could be left unprotected.

Kingerksi: NHL Has it Wrong, Playoffs & League Reward the Worst not Best – (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

After 20 years and enough diet soda and press box nachos that would kill a lesser man, I should not be surprised, but I am. In a sad and disappointed way, I truly am discouraged by the NHL playoffs and the stubborn, unmovable force that are the plumbers and plugs who have ingrained themselves into running the NHL and controlling the game’s culture.

Avs-Red Wings Rivalry Continuing In NHL Front Offices – (Detroit Hockey Now)

Watching Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin exulting in the moments immediately following Artturi Lehkonen’s overtime goal that punched the Habs’ ticket to the Stanley Cup final, it’s easy to forget that for one season of his playing career, Bergevin was front and center in the NHL’s hottest rivalry of the 1990s.

Boston Bruins Ink Trent Frederic To A Two-Year Deal –  (Boston Hockey Now)

The Boston Bruins have begun ticking off their offseason checklist by signing young power forward Trent Frederic to a two-year contract for $1.05 million per season.

Can Erik Karlsson Be Elite Again? – (San Jose Hockey Now)

Kyle, Erik, and JD ask if Erik Karlsson can be elite again? We look at his time with the San Jose Sharks, then try to determine what realistic expectations should be for him now. We talk about his usage and how to best utilize Karlsson (10:00) and how his offense needs to stay the same but his defense needs improvement (15:00). We finish by talking about the road for improvement and his power play time with Brent Burns (20:00).

Photo: Heather Barry Images