Episode 0073: NHL Awards and Draft, Ilya Kovalchuk, Darryl Sutter, Marc Bergevin Trades, Craig Button Speaks, Flames/’Canes Trade, and Much More!

Welcome everyone!  The Awards and the NHL Draft have taken place and we at the Two Man Forecheck are ready to give you an opinion.  We will start the show with a 35-year-old heading back to the NHL, that’s right, Kovi’s back!  Ilya Kovalchuk has signed with the L.A. Kings for 3 years, 6.25 million per year. Is he a good fit there?  We believe it is.

The NHL Awards were fairly predictable, and if Mike is to be believed, not at all exciting to watch. The Norris Trophy was somewhat exciting as Victor Hedman won the award, but the variety of the vote getters was vast.

Darryl Sutter has stated that he is retired and is happy with going back to his farm, but the Forecheckers don’t necessarily agree.  We feel that he will be back sometime in the next 2 to 3 years.

Marc Bergevin, much maligned GM for the Montreal Canadiens has made some splashes, appearing to be willing to trade some top players such as Max Pacioretty and Carey Price.  Is he just making a splash or will one of these players be on the move?

Wayne Simmonds is another player who could have a new address in the NHL.  Where should he land?  Boston may be a nice fit, but what do you think?

Craig Button has made some comments regarding the Russian named at the start of the show, stating that he is “average”.  Is there a Russian dislike here, or some other bias against a player that appears to still have the ability to put the puck in the net?  Along with this, will Rick Nash return to Boston or is he ready to hang up his skates?  At 34 he has had his share of concussions throughout his career and may not want to return.

The big trade on draft day took place between the Flames and Hurricanes, but who won the deal?  We posit a theory that the Flames may come out on top.

Finally, we close with all things draft related.  What trends emerged?  Who had a good and/or bad draft.  What players were surprise picks?  Let us know your feelings on the NHL draft.

As always, let us know what you think.  We will return late Sunday, as it is the first day of free agency and we will surely have an opinion on how everything shakes out.  Keep listening and let us know how you feel!