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Thursday’s Dump & Chase: The Week of Luke

Nashville Predators News & Notes

2020 NHL Draft: Instant Reactions to the Nashville Predators’ Picks | On the Forecheck
Eric grades the Predators’ seven picks this draft (spoiler alert: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine has a better name than grade). You can also browse the stream of individual draft articles here, and stay tuned for more draft analysis next week.

Nashville Predators trade Nick Bonino, picks to Wild for Luke Kunin, pick | On the Forecheck
We should have known when this trade went through that it was just going to be the Day of Lukes. I don’t really know what else they were doing here, but we’ll see.

Nashville Predators prepare to buy out Kyle Turris | On the Forecheck
We all knew this was coming, especially after Bryan’s scoop that the Predators were looking to replace him with prospect Philip Tomasino, but I still don’t like it.

Other News & Notes

2020 NHL Draft Tracker | Sportsnet.ca
Catch up on all the picks that you missed, from all the teams.

All of the winners and losers from the 2020 NHL Draft | ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports
The Predators don’t make either “winner” or “loser” status in this feel-good quick reaction.

Winners and losers from one-of-a-kind 2020 NHL Draft | Sportsnet.ca
Or this one.

Pointing out the Detroit Red Wings as a draft loser for being a draft lottery loser, but objecting to tanking, just makes it more obvious that the NHL should implement gold drafting. I like Micah Blake McCurdy‘s added suggestion: let teams eliminate themselves from qualification whenever they want. If you’re going for, say, a Connor McDavid, just announce in September that you’ve been eliminated from playoff contention. Then every single point you get all season goes toward your draft positioning, not your playoff positioning.

Hockey Diversity Alliance torches ‘performative’ NHL in statement, will operate independent of league | RMNB
It’s disappointing but not surprising that the NHL doesn’t want to make too many waves.

Swede Redemption is Coming to Detroit | The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated
I for one cannot blame the Red Wings for wanting to travel back in time and not be in 2020 any more, and when it comes to drafting Swedish players, well, that’s a fun way to have a #Throwback…Tuesdayandwednesday.

NHL trade rumors, free agency rumblings: Laine, Hall, Fleury, more | ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports
We’ll have more later today about the rumors that the Predators might be interested in Taylor Hall, whose agent confirmed yesterday that he would not be re-signing with the Coyotes.

Report: Henrik Lundqvist expected to sign with Capitals on Friday | RMNB
Seeing Henrik Lundqvist playing for some non-New York Rangers team is going to be a very odd experience. I think a lot of people will end up hoping for the Caps to repeat in their attempt to will Lundqvist to a Cup of his own.

Sens Acquire Matt Murray From Pens | Silver Seven
The Senators acquired Matt Murray, who has had a rough last couple of seasons with the Penguins. Murray’s own former team’s management implied that he was sulking about not getting enough credit for the Stanley Cup wins (??!?), but Pensburgh’s AHL correspondent has mentioned that Murray’s struggles actually began when his father passed away. Not, uh, the best quote from Pens management if that’s really what’s been going on with Murray.

How head coach Don MacLeod prepared Team USA for the full-contact 1990 Worlds | The Ice Garden
This is an incredible story, both about the value of choosing large players to throw hits and about trying movie-style locker room speeches, and about the point where both of those things can still collapse against a more skilled opponent.

Why Jesse Puljujarvi and the Oilers are Giving Their Relationship Another Try | The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated
This was one of the few pieces of good news yesterday for Oilers fans. Good luck to everyone involved.

Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur facing recurrence of lung cancer | ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports
Very unfortunate news.

Whitecaps should seek secondary scoring in free agency | The Ice Garden
The Minnesota Whitecaps have finally signed a few more players, but they’ve also lost a key contributor from last year and still have the smallest roster of any of the NWHL teams. Maybe waiting until every other team had been signing players for months wasn’t actually the best strategy?

QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada has 18 positive coronavirus cases | ProHockeyTalk | NBC Sports
This is horrifying. The Armada suspended in-person activities after learning about the first positive test, after the first weekend of play, but it was too late. Their weekend opponents, the Sherbrooke Phoenix, have also shut down. This is not a great start for the QMJHL, the only CHL league to have not postponed its opening.

Best wishes to everyone affected by this–the people who’ve gotten sick, their loved ones, and everyone waiting in quarantine.

Stay safe out there, y’all.