Instead, they became one of the biggest winners at the NHL draft by acquiring 23-year-old forward Elias Lindholm and 21-year-old defenseman Noah Hanifin in a five-player trade with Carolina on Saturday. It cost the Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton, winger Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox, but they got younger and may have restored their lineup to its rightful order.
Lindholm is a natural center, but could be the perfect fit on Calgary’s first line alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Moving Hamilton will allow T.J. Brodie to slide back on to the first defensive pairing with Mark Giordano, while Hanifin could benefit from playing with those veterans on the blue line.
”I think Noah is just scratching the surface,” general manager Brad Treliving said. ”We’ve got some guys on the blue line who can produce. We also want guys who want to be in Calgary. Both players talking today, in Elias and Noah, they’re excited to get out there.”
Beyond the Flames, here are some more winners and losers from the NHL draft:
WINNER: PHILIPP GRUBAUER
After lifting the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, Grubauer was traded to the Colorado Avalanche where he’ll initially split time with Semyon Varlamov but should take over as the starter after next season. Grubauer signed a $10 million, three-year contract in the biggest payday of his career.
LOSER: NEW YORK ISLANDERS
They got strong value in first-round picks Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson, but didn’t agree to terms on a new deal with John Tavares before he could begin meeting with other teams Sunday. Tavares will host five teams in the coming days and could become a free agent July 1, which would be devastating for the Islanders.
”I have no disappointment, no discouragement,” GM Lou Lamoriello said. ”He’s earned every right to make whatever choice he has. The most important thing is that we hope in the end that he’s an Islander.”
WINNER: BUFFALO SABRES
After years of wandering and floundering, the Sabres have a franchise defenseman in No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin. This was set in stone in April when Buffalo won the lottery, but the organization will get an up-close look at the Swedish playmaker at prospect camp and has every reason to be excited about the future.
”He’s a young player, he’s 18 years old, there’s high expectations down the road Trey Hopkins Jersey ,” GM Jason Botterill said. ”But it’s going to be imperative to us to protect him, put him in and put him in the right situations so he can have success.”
LOSER: ENTERTAINMENT
The only trades involving NHL players were the deal by Carolina and Calgary and the Capitals trading Grubauer and defenseman Brooks Orpik to Colorado. None of the top 10 picks changed hands, and most of the two days went off without drama.
WINNER: ILYA KOVALCHUK
The Kontinental Hockey League’s leading scorer and Olympic MVP had plenty of suitors and wound up agreeing to a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings worth $6.25 million a season. The 35-year-old is returning to the NHL on the same deal Patrick Marleau got from the Toronto Maple Leafs a year ago, which is a coup for Kovalchuk.
LOSER: MONTREAL CANADIENS
Rumors persisted about Montreal trading captain Max Pacioretty or even acquiring center Ryan O’Reilly from Buffalo. Neither move happened, leaving Marc Bergevin with a lengthy to-do list after already trading Alex Galchenyuk to Arizona for Max Domi.
—
A three-run sixth inning for the struggling Milwaukee Brewers against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw set up reliever Josh Hader’s return to the mound following an emotional week.
The embattled, contrite reliever received a warm ovation from the crowd. The Brewers finally ended up getting a win.
Christian Yelich’s tying homer off Kershaw opened the pivotal sixth, and Milwaukee stopped its seven-game losing streak by beating Los Angeles 4-2 on Saturday night.
”It was nice to snap that streak. I feel like you just need … one just to get some positive vibe back on the team,” Yelich said.
For Hader, it was his first appearance since the reliever’s racist and homophobic tweets surfaced during the All-Star Game. Hader, who has apologized for the years-old social media messages, was applauded by the crowd after being introduced before the top of the seventh, with many fans at Miller Park standing.
The left-hander fanned four over two innings, striking out the side in the eighth.
”It means a lot, having the Milwaukee support, just knowing that they know my true character and just forgive me for my past, because that’s not who I am today,” Hader said.
Hader’s work highlighted five scoreless innings from the Milwaukee bullpen, though closer Corey Knebel provided a couple of nervous moments in the ninth.
Knebel allowed a two-out single to Logan Forsythe, bringing up the potential tying run in slugger Manny Machado.
Just the kind of big spot made for Machado, who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles during the All-Star break. But Machado bounced out harmlessly to third to end the game Youth Josh Sweat Jersey , and Knebel got his 12th save.
The Brewers’ bats caught up to Kershaw in the sixth, when Yelich led off with a first-pitch homer for a 2-all tie. Another run scored on an error, and Keon Broxton added an RBI triple.
Kershaw (3-5) allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings, though only one was earned. He struck out five in taking his first loss since April 25, a span of eight starts.
”I pitched OK. I can think of two or three pitches I want back,” Kershaw said.
Chris Taylor drove in the Dodgers’ two runs with a bases-loaded single in the first.
HEY, ROOKIE
Milwaukee rookie Corbin Burnes (1-0) picked up his first major league win with two scoreless innings, bailing starter Chase Anderson out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the fifth. Kershaw was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch before Burnes struck out All-Star Matt Kemp and got cleanup hitter Max Muncy to fly out.
”It was a brilliant inning. It’s a tough inning to come into for just his third big league outing but he did a heck of a job,” manager Craig Counsell said.
DODGER D
It was an up-and-down night for the Dodgers on defense. Machado made a spectacular play at shortstop to hold the Brewers to one run in the sixth after they put runners on the corners with one out. Machado went deep into the hole to his right, took a couple of steps and threw off his back leg to first, with Cody Bellinger scooping the ball to just get the speedy Broxton.
Bellinger made a couple more good plays at first to prevent hits. But a run scored in the sixth when a high chopper by Manny Pina bounced under the glove of Muncy at third and into left field.
”We’ve got to be better for him,” Roberts said about the defensive lapse with Kershaw on the mound.
QUOTABLE
”Didn’t think I gave up a lot of hard contact tonight for the most part. There’s some good things in there, but you know, ultimately, we lost.” – Kershaw.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner (upper right leg) is scheduled to return to the lineup Sunday. He struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.
Brewers: OF-1B Ryan Braun went 1 for 3 and scored two runs in his return from a stint on the 10-day disabled list for a strained back. … OF-1B Eric Thames (right hamstring) is getting closer to returning after taking batting practice for a third straight day and running, Counsell said.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: Start a left-hander for the third straight game, with Alex Wood (5-5) taking the hill for the first time after the All-Star break.
Brewers: LHP Brent Suter (8-6) makes his first career start against the Dodgers.
—
