While we were in computer heck and at a golf tournament, the Devils made the biggest splash of Day 2 of the draft: At 96, they selected Tyce Thompson, Brent’s younger son, correcting what appears to be a 31-team error last year when Tyce went undrafted in his first year of eligibility. His nice freshman year at Providence* boosted his stock. A good spot in an organization that has become more and more intriguing over the past few days.
Especially since, obviously, that’s not the big splash we were talking about: Greenwich’s John Hayden comes closer to home as the Devils acquire him for John Quenneville, older brother of Islanders prospect defenseman David. Hayden’s a Yale product who’d been with the Blackhawks since they drafted him six years ago.
(Oh, they also got P.K. Subban in a sweet salary dump after they #LosedForHughes, but which blog is this?)
No draft-day(s) dealing for the Islanders, who merely swelled the reserve list by five, beginning with a first-rounder that, depending on how free agency goes in a week, either attempts to corner the market on Holmstroms or only reflects the Principle of Conservation of Holmstroms.
As for the Isles’ second-day selections, CapFriendly pointed out something important about the last two Islander picks: Felix Bibeau (Memorial Cup champion and teammate of Noah Dobson’s) and Cole Coskey (teammate of a couple of Isles prospects) are both 20 already. Coskey has played four full years of junior, in fact. Candidates for pro hockey quickly? We’ll see. Andrew Gross tweeted last night that Simon Holmstrom is a North America possibility, too.
After Darien’s Spencer Knight went 13th last night to Florida, Brunswick’s Cooper Moore went to Detroit in the fifth round.
The legendary Hal Baird and I brainstormed up a great** way to make golf more like hockey.
And speaking of the Brakettes, a tip of the cap to Denise Denis.
*-UConn hoops’ Big East rival, obviously
**-not really