BUFFALO -- We’re back at the First Niagara Center for Rounds 2-7 of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
While Day 2 traditionally lacks the pomp and circumstance of the opening round -- no going to the stage, fewer interviews, etc. etc. -- there’s still a lot of intrigue.
A few things to keep an eye out for on Saturday:
-- Who will be the first goalie off the board? None were taken yesterday, and some consider WHL Everett’s Carter Hart the best ‘tender available in this year’s class.
-- What about those slippery sliders? The likes of Alex Debrincat (OHL Erie, No. 21 North American skater), Tyler Benson (WHL Vancouver, No. 24 NA skater) and Rasmus Asplund (Farjestad, No. 4 European skater) were all considered potential first-round selections, but didn’t get picked on Friday.
-- Are there more trades to come? Yesterday saw a flurry of action as Montreal flipped Lars Eller to Washington, then acquired Andrew Shaw from Chicago. Detroit unloaded Pavel Datsyuk’s contract on the Coyotes, and the Flames finally got their goalie by acquiring Brian Elliott from St. Louis.
-- Today also marks the opening of the free agent interview period, so we could get some news on which teams are talking to July 1 targets.
There’s no shortage of things to cover today, and PHT will be live from the draft floor to cover it all. Check back often for updates.