The day between the draft and free agency

The draft is over and free agency begins tomorrow, which means today is tampering day. Lou Lamoriello is famous for not answering the phone until noon on July 1, but my gut feeling is that he's good at gathering information behind the scenes. For example, I don't think he'd trade for Bo Horvat unless he had some idea that Bo Horvat would sign.

Typically we don't hear much about the shenanigans the New York Islanders do or don't do, but Lamoriello spoke to the media yesterday after the draft and had a lot more to say than usual. Of note is that Doug Huda is stepping down as assistant coach, so hopefully the defense and penalty kill will improve. Lue said that Huda's replacement will be announced soon, and that Oliver Wahlstrom is also a fit, but they want to give him a fresh start.

While there were no player transactions on the first day of the draft, there were some big moves on the second day and a bit of news today as well. The Islanders made no trades, but they weren't the only team to finish the draft without making a deal.

Islanders News

• Day 2 draft coverage and Lue's media presence: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NY Post
• More on Wahlstrom, who is looking for more opportunities. Today is the deadline for unsigned RFAs to become eligible. [THN]
• And then there's more news that Whoda Hell Is At Its is leaving – apparently he has another job lined up – but John MacLean isn't going anywhere. [THN]
• Cole Yzerman admitted he had a chip on his shoulder. [his] He feels like he has a “weight on his shoulders” after dropping to No. 20 overall, but is eager to prove the Isles were right in selecting him, adding that “weight on his shoulders never hurts.” [NHL]
• The Islanders didn't trade either of their second-round picks, instead selecting Yzerman's fellow USNTDP draft pick Kamil Bednarik with their one remaining pick. [THN]
• With today being the deadline, here are the final acquisition results: The Islanders, as expected, did not buy out any contracts.

others

• Elliotte Friedman wrote a short “32 Thoughts” summarizing what was said in the mini-episode that aired last night: More on the Bolts' efforts to acquire Guenzel below, but it appears Steven Stamkos is no longer with the Lightning. [Sportsnet]
• The first trade of the day was a blockbuster. Utah acquired Mikhail Sergachev from the Lightning. Utah also acquired John Marino from the Devils. [Sportsnet]
• Tampa also traded Tanner Jeannotte and is expected to use most of the newly freed cap space to provide Jake Guenzel. [Sportsnet]
• Speaking of which, Carolina traded his rights to Tampa this morning. [Sportsnet]
• The Stars traded the rights to Chris Tanev to the Leafs, where they plan to sign him. That would be a big deal for the Leafs. [Sportsnet]
• The Leafs also re-signed Max Domi to a four-year contract. [Twitter]
• The Golden Knights traded Logan Thompson to the Capitals minutes before he was set to sign autographs for local fans. [NHL]
• The Penguins signed Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year contract extension. [NHL]
• Fun fact: The Flames missed out on Jarome Iginla's son, Tizi (who went to Utah sixth overall), but the Canadiens were able to acquire Saku Koivu's son, Artus. [Sportsnet]
• Vladimir Tarasenko shared photos of his son with the 2019 and now 2024 Stanley Cups. [NHL]
• The Ducks and Kings are bringing back an old style this season. [NHL]