Lightning s 2021 Draft class prioritizes size and strength
Tampa Bay made seven selections on day two of the Draft, putting an emphasis on skaters who are difficult to play against by Bryan Burns @BBurnsNHL /
TampaBayLightning.com
The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to lose a significant portion of their roster this offseason, key players that helped the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
A lot of the roster holes opened up by this summer s cap crunch will have to be filled organically by players knocking on the door of the National Hockey League according to general manager Julien BriseBois, prospects in the system like Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk and Alex Barre-Boulet to go along with players such as Mathieu Joseph, Cal Foote and Mitchell Stephens who have already seen significant time in the League with t
Drafted: No. 114.
Shoots: Left.
Draft year: 10 goals, 10 assists in 22 games with USNTDP Juniors; 18 goals, 24 assists in 46 games with US National U18 team. Captained Team USA at U18 World Championship; had one goal in five games.
Scouting report: Son of former NHLer Brian Savage is dynamic offensive player and solid forechecker.
Round 5: F Liam Dower Nilsson
Drafted: No. 134.
Shoots: Left.
Draft year: No points in five games with Frölunda’s SHL club; 17 points in 16 games with club’s J20 team; 14 points in 14 games with Hanhais IF in third-tier league; three points in seven games with Sweden’s U18 team at World Junior Championship.
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It was the ice hockey equivalent of a virtual debutante party.
The next generation of NHL stars took initial strides onto a global stage Friday night when the league held the first round of its annual selection process from myriad North American sites.
The draft was broadcast live on ESPN2 in Bristol, Connecticut, while NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman appeared from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Bettman pivoted to various team executives and personnel at their respective facilities for the actual picks, which were followed by the requisite reaction shots with the players and their families.
It was the second straight remote draft session for the NHL, though Bettman said the league will return to an in-person draft next year at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
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Bourgault becomes the third small-ish sniper chosen at #22 by the Oilers in recent years, following Jordan Eberle in 2008 and Kailer Yamamoto in 2017. Both successfully made the jump to the NHL in relatively short order.
Anything but a reach pick, Bourgault was ranked within a few spots of the slot he was chosen almost across the board.
A range of observations and opinions follows from various amateur scouts:
In ranking Bourgault #21 (exactly where he was taken given Arizona’s forfeited pick at #11),
The Athletic gave his customary thorough review:
Due to his October 2002 birthday, Bourgault has the rare advantage of having just completed his third QMJHL season. In the last two of those seasons, he’s had an impressive run, with a combined 53 goals and 115 points in 97 regular-season and playoff games. He was Shawinigan’s second-most productive player in both of those seasons behind Stars first-round pick Mavrik Bourque. Bourgault’s game doesn’t leap o
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So, general manager Ken Holland, short on picks heading into this season’s NHL draft, turned one pick into two Friday, trading the 20th-overall selection to Minnesota for the 22nd- and 90th-overall picks.
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Try refreshing your browser, or Edmonton Oilers trade first-round pick, select Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall Back to video
With the 22nd pick, the Oilers selected Xavier Bourgault, a six-foot, 172-pound centre from Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Bourgault finished seven in the QMJHL league in goals with 20 in 29 games. He also added 20 assists and is described as an elusive player with a quick release. He had 33 goals and 38 assists in 63 games last year.