Buffalo – – The two biggest dinner budgets during Combine week were Utah and the Leafs. Utah took a lot of players to dinner this week and the Leafs are doing the same after the draft since the prospects are flying out of Toronto. Knowledge is power.
Here is a list of players who spoke to certain teams or didn’t talk to them. It’s a smattering of them.
Guys who are probably not first-rounders got a lot of attention.
John Mustard – C – Spoke to 23 teams. Since he’s not likely a first-rounder, I didn’t dig in, but he had a high number for a non-first-rounder.
Kamil Bednarik – C – Spoke to 24 teams. Same thing, not a first-rounder but a lot of teams spoke to him.
Lucas Van Vliet – C – He spoke with 16 teams. No for the Flyers and Rangers but he said local teams. So they were teams that were still interested in him from earlier in the year. They saw him in Ann Arbor. My guess is the Leafs and Sabres. No Metro teams it seems.
Carter Yakemchuk – D – Spoke with the Flyers. Smiled. I think there’s a real chance the team is hoping to get him in the 12th spot.
Maxim Masse – RW – Spoke with 29 teams so just about everyone. Good chance he’s a first-rounder. When players spoke to that many teams, usually Tampa was one of the teams who didn’t talk to them.
Berkly Catton – C – Spoke with 22 teams so anybody in the top 20 is a candidate to take him. He will go sometime after 7.
Lucas Pettersson – C – Spoke with the Flyers and Devils.
Leo Sahlin –Wallenius – D – Spoke with the Flyers and Devils. I think the Devils want Wallenius. He won’t be there in the third and they have no second round pick. So look for the Devils to possibly deal their 10th pick to get whatever assets, move later into the first or early second to get him.
Charlie Elick – D – Seems a lock for the Rangers. Models himself after Schneider. He did speak with them and they could take him if here is there at 30th.
Teddy Stiga –LW – Rangers and Flyers – Stiga could be a Flyers option after Yakemchuk as an example. It the Flyers might hope he’s there in the second to snag him. He could be the Rangers’ second option if Elick is taken.
Tanner Henricks – D – Rangers and Flyers.
