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Sammi’s Daily: Tributes To Ben Stelter, Capitals News, Kadri & Trade Talk

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Ben Stelter
Photo credit: @mcdavid97/Instagram

To begin this daily, we take a moment to remember Ben Stelter, the Edmonton Oilers superfan who made a great impact on Connor McDavid and the NHL this season. He passed away on Tuesday at the age of six after a brave battle with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer.

Stelter was a good luck charm and inspiration for the Oilers and the hockey world. He skated alongside heroes McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, stood by Edmonton as the team made it all the way to the Western Conference Final and always wanted to “play La Bamba, baby!” And, perhaps most amazing, he brought the hockey world together and was such a beautiful presence during his time here.

McDavid and more took to social media to pay tribute to Stelter.

He’ll be missed, and his legacy will last. Rest in peace.

In other news, the Washington Capitals have seen strong play from two of their young prospects, as Haakon Hanelt and Oskar Magnusson are giving their best efforts to open the 2022 World Juniors. Hanelt is skating on the third line for Germany, while Magnusson is on the fourth line for Sweden.

Meanwhile, across the rest of the league, trade speculation continues to go around, especially with Nazem Kadri apparently set to sign with the New York Islanders. It appears on that front, based on chatter, that the ball is in the Islanders’ court, as New York must clear some cap space to bring the Stanley Cup champion on board.

Here are all the latest news and notes from D.C. and across the NHL:

Washington Capitals Links

  • Former Capitals forward Johan Larsson is reportedly returning home to Sweden and signed a three-year deal in the SHL, and there’s apparently a reason he chose not to continue his NHL tenure for now. (WHN)
  • We’re throwing back to a 1-on-1 with Tom Wilson, who discussed his career year, becoming more of a leader for Washington, shaking off social media and more on his reputation. (WHN)
  • A fun roundtable for the offseason from some great Capitals writers: a discussion on the worst rules in hockey. (Japers’ Rink)

NHL Links

Sammi’s Top Shelf Takes

  • Magnusson and Hanelt have looked good so far, as Magnusson is taking on shorthanded minutes, showcasing his speed and even generating some dangerous chances. He also hit the post in Sweden’s opener on a great breakaway try. Hanelt, meanwhile, is crashing the net, getting to the dirty areas and creating pressure on the forecheck. Both of their teams won on Wednesday, with Sweden topping Switzerland 3-2 and Germany topping Austria 4-2.
  • Martin Fehervary is continuing to get in shape for the upcoming season. He has added great strength and continues to impress; I believe that he will have a standout sophomore season as he continues to add to his arsenal.
  • The longer the Kadri saga plays out, the better it looks that the Capitals didn’t go for star power. Definitely the right call. Plus, the team ended up getting some great additions — and several more — for just as much.