Rosner’s Wrap: 13th Pick Predicament, Gibson on the Market & More

We are just one day away from the start of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals between the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche. The New York Islanders have a decision to make regarding the 13th overall pick and should the Washington Capitals go all in on Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson?

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

“I don’t think we’re gonna get better by just adding a player. We’re gonna get better by making hockey trades,” is what New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said after the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. How about the 13th overall pick for Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson? Montreal Hockey Now’s Marco D’Amico weighs in. (NYI Hockey Now)

“Isaac Howard is a missile. He attacks open ice like few in this draft and is very explosive in the neutral zone,” D’Amico wrote. “His explosiveness and his ease with the puck really stand out. In the NHL, there are players who are fast, and then there are players who are fast with the puck, and Howard is both.” This could be the player that the Pittsburgh Penguins select. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

According to an NHL source close to the situation, the Boston Bruins have been in contact with former Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach and former Dallas Stars and Frozen Four champion head coach Jim Montgomery about their vacant head coaching post. (Boston Hockey Now)

Colorado, which will have eight days between games and could be rusty in the opener, is gunning for its first title since 2001. The Avs’ drought seems long until you compare it to the Philadelphia Flyers, who haven’t won a Cup since 1975. (Philly Hockey Now)

Top Montreal Canadiens Kaiden Guhle is headed to the Memorial Cup after he and the Edmonton Oil Kings won the WHL Championship on Monday night. The Edmonton Oil Kings won Game 6 on Monday night, completing their march to a WHL title and booking their ticket to the Memorial Cup next week in Saint John. The Montreal Canadiens prospect was the Oil King’s pillar on defence, playing in all situations and coming up big in critical moments. (Montreal Hockey Now)

The Washington Capitals have a busy offseason ahead, and one of the biggest tasks at hand is solving their goaltending problem. There are several names of interest with regard to free agency and the trade market, and now, another goalie is potentially available: Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson. (Washington Hockey Now)

Red Wings of Tomorrow is assessing every prospect in the Detroit Red Wings system and what they are projecting to be in the future. We’ll be looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their game, as well as what the future holds for them as they advance through the Detroit organization. Today, we feature goaltender Sebastian Cossa. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Malcolm Cameron is told that Jared Bednar was called a “Ken Doll” in a Denver paper not too long ago, and Cameron nearly convulses with laughter at that description. “Jared cleans up well and my wife recently got on me for not wearing suits as nice as his. But he ain’t no Ken Doll,” Cameron said. (Colorado Hockey Now)

Welcome back to Vegas Hockey Now’s season in review series where we look at every player on the Vegas Golden Knights and their 2021-22 season from Michael Amadio to Zach Whitecloud. Let’s dive into Max Pacioretty’s season. (Vegas Hockey Now)

Is the San Jose Sharks’ general manager search down to three to five candidates? “San Jose has knocked down its list, [for] general manager, to somewhere around three to five people,” Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday night. San Jose Hockey Now is trying to confirm Friedman’s report. SJHN can confirm that at least one of LeBrun’s dozen candidates has not been informed yet whether or not he or she is moving on to the next phase of the GM interview process. (San Jose Hockey Now)

VHN had a little chat with Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Bruce Boudreau on Monday, mostly to talk about his fun summer exploits, but naturally some hockey business bled into the conversation. It was “Simmer’s Morning Skate” meets “Gabby’s Summer of Fun”. Simmer said ‘one question about the Canucks’, but the conversation took a turn back there later. (Vancouver Hockey Now)