PhHN Daily: NHL Draft Growing Closer; Conflicting Reports; Trade Targets

It’s been a few days since I’ve done a daily, and with the NHL Draft drawing closer, there’s plenty of news circulating.

Starting with the Flyers, the final PhHN mock draft is here, and this one covers the entire first round! As the draft gets closer, keep an eye on a build off from that, looking at each of the Flyers’ selections.

Oh, and yet another set of conflicting reports on a free agent surfaced on Sunday. At least this time, the conflict came from the same person.

Around the league, trade is the word. Teams are looking to move up in the draft. Other teams are looking to improve their roster with right now players. Trade rumors are everywhere. Buckle up, this is going to be a fun offseason.

Philadelphia Flyers

Philly Hockey Now: The NHL Draft is getting closer and closer, as the first round begins this Friday. The Flyers have three picks in Friday’s first round, and four more picks to start Saturday, followed by a third, two fifths, and a sixth rounder.

The first round of the draft is going to be busy, and we took a stab at predicting the whole first round, including a Flyers trade, as we mocked the entire first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Conflicting Reports: I have not addressed the Maxim Shabanov news, as it was initially reported by a Russian news outlet and only vaguely transcribed in English as “Shabanov Flyers”. While I am not going to deny the possibility that there is some agreement in place, I would also rather wait until I hear anything myself (from a trusted source, of course), or someone who has never (or rarely) falsely reported jumps in on the news.

That next step has been taken.

Hockey News Hub, while not being a reputable source, is not entirely a clickbait source either. I will not see this and say “Shabanov to the Flyers”. However, it’s worth noting that this account is usually spot-on with KHL coverage.

Then of course, this:

Followed by:

So, class, what did we learn today?

Well, the big obstacle has been removed. Maxim Shabanov now has American representation, Quartexx. However, as most have expected, this will go to July 1st. Shabanov will likely not announce his decision until after the draft. That’s expected. When his agents say that no decision has been made, I believe it.

From the sound of it, Sunday’s Shabanov news was just another case of conflicting reports. Don’t trust anything until you hear it from the Flyers or Shabanov himself.

NHL News and Rumors

The Athletic ($): JJ Peterka has become one of, if not the hottest name (not named Jason Robertson) on the trade market. The Sabres’ young and talented forward seems to be on the block, and with the NHL Draft around the corner, talks could pick up sooner rather than later. The Athletic lists 12 teams that should be interested in the Sabres’ star.

Friedman: Trevor Zegras is back in the middle of trade rumors. Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Ducks are having significant discussions about trading their young star, and he could be dealt as soon as this week.

It sounds like a draft-night deal to me.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: For the Flyers’ Keystone State rival, the NHL Draft is just as big of a deal. The Penguins need to take advantage and quickly reset. Dan Kingerski writes why Kyle Dubas should move up in the draft order.

Islanders Hockey Now: The team at the center of almost every rumor. Long Island may have become the center of the trade universe, as the Islanders are looking to make a splash, while also having some of the hottest trade chips in the league. Russ Macias writes the calm before the storm.

Detroit Hockey Now: Speaking of the Islanders being the center of the trade universe, the Detroit Red Wings are reportedly gearing up to make a move for one of those premier assets. Can the Red Wings make a move for one of the best available blueliners with the assets they have?

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