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NHL draft is done but Ryan Smyth trade isn’t

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The NHL draft has ended, with 210 players from 14 countries being selected over two days at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The Kings chose a goalie, two centers and three left wings. The Ducks left with the draft rights to a goalie, two centers, two defensemen, and two wingers.

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According to the NHL, the breakdown by birthplace for the draft picks was 79 from Canada, 64 from the United States, 28 from Sweden, nine from Finland, eight from the Czech Republic, eight from Russia, four from Slovakia, two each from Germany, Norway and Switzerland, and one each from Denmark, France, Lithuania and Ukraine.

Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi told media from Edmonton, Canada, that the Ryan Smyth trade isn’t done. The complicating factor remains that Gilbert Brule, whose contract the Kings were supposed to take to offset the Oilers’ accepting Smyth’s $6.25-million salary cap hit, is listed as having a concussion and isn’t medically cleared to play. That puts in question whether he could be traded or waived, which is what the Kings intended to do. They’d also get a fifth-round draft pick for Smyth.

We’ll have more later, including conversations with executives from the Ducks and the Kings summing up their draft haul. Hoping for an update from Lombardi too.

-- Helene Elliott

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