Empty Netter Assists - 06-22-12
Penguins
-Note: We will be running a live blog throughout the evening for the first-round of the draft. Beginning at approximately 6 p.m. Please tune in.
-Jordan Staal (right) HATES THE PENGUINS AND EVERYONE IN PITTSBURGH AND MR. ROGERS AND PIEROGIES AND KENNYWOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Either that or he's keeping his options like a sensible human being.
-"There are so many players, it seems, whose names are involved in [discussions of] trades. That's good for the buzz, but it doesn't mean anything's going to happen." - Ray Shero on the potential for trade movements at the draft.
-Without Consol Energy Center, the draft would never have come to Pittsburgh.
-Evgeni Malkin joined Bobby Orr, Guy Lafleur, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier as the only players to win the Hart Trophy, the Lester B. Pearson/Ted Lindsay Award and the Conn Smythe Trophy.
-The Penguins' scheduled was released.
-Former Penguins forward Craig Simpson married former Canadian figure skater Jamie Sale.
-Happy 45th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Paul Stanton (right). An eighth-round pick in 1985, Stanton spent three seasons with the Penguins. He made his NHL debut in 1990-91 and appeared in 75 games while scoring 23 points. He appeared in 22 playoff games that season and contributed three points as the Penguins won their first Stanley Cup title. In 1991-92, Stanton was limited to 54 games and 10 points, but appeared in all 21 of the team's postseason games and eight points as the franchise successfully defended its Stanley Cup title. Stanton rebounded during the team's historic 1992-93 campaign by playing in 77 games for the Presidents' Trophy champions and scoring 16 points. In the 1993 offseason, Stanton was traded to the Bruins in exchange for a draft pick. In 206 regular season games with the Penguins, Stanton recorded 49 points. In 44 postseason games, he scored 12 points.
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-Happy 51st birthday to former Penguins forward Steve Gatzos. A second-round pick in 1981, Gatzos spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins. As a rookie, Gatzos scored 14 points in 16 games in 1981-82. Gatzos appeared in 44 games in 1982-83 but only scored 13 points. Gatzos totals continued to fall in 1983-84 as he only played in 23 games and recorded six points. In his final NHL season, Gatzos appreared in six games and recorded two assists in 1985-86. The following offseason, Gatzos joined the Tilburg Trappers in Holland. In 89 games with the Penguins, Gatzos scored 35 points.
Atlantic Division
-“The only unique quality about this draft is there is a boat load of defensemen. A disproportionate amount of defensemen compared to other years. There are more defensemen of potential impact than there have been in past years." - Devils director of scouting David Conte.
Northeast Division
-Since 2008, the Senators have drafted eight Swedes.
Southeast Division
-“As far as a trade is concerned I’m not overly optimistic about anything happening here. When a player is available during the season you might have one or two teams you’re competing against. But there are a lot of teams here looking to make deals." - Hurricanes general manager and former Penguins goaltender Jim Rutherford (right) on the potential for a trade at the draft.
-For the first time in a long time, the Panthers are drafting late in the first round.
Central Division
-Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson shot down any suggestion his team would want to move up in the draft from the No. 2 pick to No. 1.
-Howson said he wasn't close to accepting any trade offers for captain Rick Nash.
-The Predators re-signed forward Brandon Yip (right) to a one-year contract worth $750,000 and minor-league forward Chris Mueller to a one-year two-way contract. In 35 games last season, Yip scored seven points (three goals, four assists).
Northwest Division
-“The draft may be the most opportune time to make trades because you have 30 teams, 30 general managers and all their personnel in such close proximity." - Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman on the increase of trades around the draft.
Pacific Division
-"I'd be very interested in doing something with that pick to make us better." - Coyotes general manager Don Maloney on potentially trading his first-round pick (No. 27 overall).
-Sharks general manager Doug Wilson admitted his team wants to draft wingers.
Adams Division
-London Knights goaltender Michael Houser, a native of Wexford, took the long way to the NHL.
-“I think everyone wants to be first. You want to be first too. ... First is first.” - Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov (right) on potenitally being the first overall pick in the draft.
-"I want to make the jump but I have a lot of work to do. But that’s definitely my goal." - Everett Silvertips defenseman Ryan Murray on potentially playing in the NHL next season.
-"Every day. Every minute. Every team asked me about it. If I were a GM or a scout and a guy didn't play a year with an injury situation, I probably would have asked the same thing, right?" he said. "Every answer was the same: 100 percent." - Sarnia Sting forward Alex Galchenyuk on his recovery from a severe knee injury.
-Several of the top prospects took batting practice at PNC Park yesterday:
(Photos: Staal and Rutherford-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Stanton-Penguins Hockey Cards; Yip-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Yakupov-Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)