LAS VEGAS -- How the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup, what lies ahead for them and the Edmonton Oilers, and why Macklin Celebrini will hear his name called as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday are three of the major topics discussed on this week's episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast.
Co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke are joined this week by NHL.com's own draft guru, Mike G. Morreale, the Senior Draft Writer and co-host of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast.
Morreale answers questions about Celebrini, the projected No. 1 pick to the San Jose Sharks. He discusses what makes him special, his rehab from shoulder surgery he had five months before beginning this season as a freshman at Boston University, and why we should expect to see him in the NHL with the Sharks as soon as a few months from now.
In addition, Morreale talks about the other players in the draft, reasons why he thinks defenseman Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State University should be the No. 2 pick to the Chicago Blackhawks.
He also touches on forward Tij Iginla from Kelowna in the Western Hockey League potentially being the player who steals the draft if he's selected by the Calgary Flames with the No. 9 pick. Iginla's father is Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, who is a legend in Calgary.
Prior to chatting with Morreale, Rosen and Roarke break down the Panthers winning the Stanley Cup, how Game 7 on Monday played out, the viewership and the impact of that 2-1 win.
They also talk about the future of the Panthers, who have 11 pending unrestricted free agents, including forward Sam Reinhart, who scored the Cup-winning goal, and what will come of the Oilers now that they need a new general manager and should be trying to sign forward Leon Draisaitl to a contract extension once eligible to on July 1.
Following the interview with Morreale, Rosen and Roarke dive into some of the bigger names that could make it to the free-agent market Monday, including Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, Jonathan Marchessault and Patrick Kane.
They close with their thoughts on the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2024, with some differences of opinion on if Jeremy Roenick and Shea Weber should be included in the class.
The "NHL @TheRink" podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
