This has been a busy weekend. The picks are all in, and the NHL Draft is over. You can find a complete list of all of the Maple Leafs selections here.

Fedor Gordeev (Leafs 5th round pick): An interview with Flint Firebirds head coach Ryan Oulahen - MLHS
"Oulahen brings the added perspective of having attended training and development camps under Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock during his playing career as a former fifth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2003."

With Ninth Overall Pick The Detroit Red Wings Selected Disappointment - Winging It In Motown
Detroit’s first top ten pick in over twenty years was not a popular one

This week the league will be turning its attention toward free agency, which begins one week from today on July 1 at noon. There could very well be some trades prior to that, big names like Alex Galchenyuk are still floating around, so stay tuned.

Flames pay the price for Hamonic - TSN
"The whole issue for Hamonic is whether last season was an aberration. He’s been a positive play driver while playing tough minutes in the past, but certainly struggled in 2016-2017. If he bounces back and gives the Flames reliable top-four minutes, this figures to work out well for Calgary."

Tyler Inamoto trying to be trailblazer for Japanese hockey players - Chicago Tribune
Inamoto hopes to see the game spread to Japan and other Asian  countries, but he acknowledged for that to happen, there would need to  be investment and interest in playing from a young age.

Two of the Flyers’ 2017 draft-day trades can be traced back to Mike Richards - Broad Street Hockey
[Species: This is fun if you like seeing how long forgotten trades are the genesis of new trades, and the draft picks came and went in the process.]

2018 NHL Draft should have plenty of impact talent - NHL
Sweden defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, USHL forward Andrei Svechnikov among top candidates to go No. 1

From The Branches