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CAROLINA HURRICANES

NEWS CLIPPINGS • Sept. 22, 2017

Encourage your kids to read, parents – it just might get them Carolina Hurricanes rewards

By T. Keung Hui

[email protected]

September 21, 2017 2:41 PM

RALEIGH

Reading can not only help Wake County elementary school students learn – it could also lead to prizes such as tickets to Carolina Hurricanes games and a field trip to PNC Arena to watch the hockey team practice.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Wake County school system announced Thursday a new literacy program called “Readvolution,” where prizes will be given both to elementary schools and individual students to encourage them to read more this semester. Between Oct. 2 and Jan. 12, all 114 Wake elementary schools will be challenged to read 2,020 books. Each student is encouraged to read 20 minutes each day outside of school, for a total of 22 hours.

“Much like the skill of an athlete, the earlier that a person starts (reading), and the more one practices, the better one gets,” Wake Superintendent Jim Merrill said at the news conference. “That’s why we’re excited about the ways this project will help develop a habit of reading in our students.”

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner talks about the value of reading, his favorite book, his last book read and the Canes' "book club."

Competition could be intense to win the prizes.

The big prize is a field trip in February to PNC Arena for nine elementary schools that have the highest number of books read, based on the percentage of their student population. The trip for more than 10,000 students will include watching the Hurricanes practice and other special activities to celebrate their school’s academic accomplishments.

Ten elementary schools will get a visit from Stormy and the Storm Squad. Students at those schools will be eligible for items such as tickets and hats.

The Hurricanes could be on the hook for as many as 75,000 free tickets this season if every student completes the 22-hour reading goal to get a complimentary ticket.

“I’d love to put a rush on the box office with 40,000-50,000 tickets,” Merrill said. “We’ll promote it and push this pretty heavily. I think that is an opportunity for our students and is a nice reward.”

The Hurricanes will also recognize 18 teachers for their contributions to the reading program.

During the program, students will place paper hockey pucks that list their name and the book they read in a large hockey goal graphic mounted on a wall at their school. Cengage Learning created an online tracking system where students can log in and record their daily reading activity for the challenge.

Wake County Superintendent Jim Merrill, center, shakes hands with Carolina Hurricanes player Jeff Skinner after getting a jersey to mark a new program to encourage students to read more. On the other side of Merrill is Don Waddell, president of the Hurricanes.

T. Keung Hui [email protected]

The program celebrates both the Hurricanes’ 20th anniversary and the school system’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, which among other things calls for raising the graduation rate to 95 percent by 2020.

Canes’ star player Jeff Skinner said helping out in the reading program is part of the obligation that athletes have to set a good example. Skinner already has a program where he invites area teachers to games and donates money to their classes.

“This program, being able to reach young kids and maybe foster that sort of passion or enjoyment of reading, is something that I think in the future hopefully will pay dividends and hopefully improve a bunch of people’s lives down the road,” he said.

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Pre-season position battles to watch: Metropolitan Division

By: Matt Larkin Sep 21, 2017

Each team has players jockeying for important assignments this pre-season. How will each competition play out? We continue with the Metropolitan Division.

We continue our division-by-division looks at key pre-season position battles with the Metropolitan, which boasted three of the NHL’s top four teams and four of the top nine last season. It has arguably surpassed the Central as the sport’s shark-tank division. Every roster tweak can make a difference. Now, on with the Metro. CAROLINA HURRICANES: What are the top three forward lines? The Canes are a unique squad in that they have only one true first-line forward right now: Jeff Skinner, who sniped a career-high 37 goals last year. Sebastian Aho has the ceiling to become one, of course, but typically plays the same position as Skinner. If we accept those two as the No. 1 and 2 left wingers, who the heck fills Carolina’s other spots? The Canes have capable bodies, but each of them is better suited to a secondary scoring role, from Victor Rask and Jordan Staal at center to Justin Williams, Teuvo Teravainen and Elias Lindholm on the wings. Teravainen and Lindholm, of course, can also play center, just adding to the confusion. Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak are also in the mix, having played with Skinner late last year. Who lines up with whom this season? Bet on: Aho-Staal-Lindholm, Teravainen-Rask-Williams and Skinner-Ryan-Stempniak. This isn’t an overly confident guess, I must admit, especially since coach Bill Peters is a major line juggler. But there’s some circumstantial evidence. For one, as beat reporter Chip Alexander notes, these were the lines to open camp. Also, per leftwinglock.com, Ryan and Stempniak were Skinner’s most common linemates last season, and Staal was Aho’s and Lindholm’s most frequent center. So maybe the Canes start with what’s comfortable, mixing in off-season addition Williams. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Who plays with Artemi Panarin and Alexander Wennberg? The Jackets remind me of the New York Islanders in that they’re a team of swing men, boasting multiple forwards who can play center or the wing or play both wings. Columbus’ line combinations can thus be tough to hammer out. Blink

and Nick Foligno switches from right to left wing and back again. Boone Jenner plays a lot of wing but is a natural center who does fine on draws. We have a good sense of who makes up two thirds of line 1 entering 2017-18, though. Panarin was brought in to be a front-line scorer, obviously, and opens as the top left winger. Puck distributor Wennberg has entrenched himself as the first-line center. But that right wing spot is open for auditions. Cam Atkinson is the team’s best goal-scoring winger, and the line could use a trigger man. Foligno could slide over to the right side, too, and bring the line more versatility and jam. Bet on: Atkinson…for now. That’s the official arrangement to start the year. That trio should make for the most purely skilled line in Columbus’ short history. It will bring a lot of speed. But I wonder if this line will get pushed around a bit too much. Panarin and Atkinson are little guys, and while Wennberg is 6-foot-2, he checks in below the 200-pound mark. Foligno on the right would make for a more balanced trio, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get time on line 1. Unless, of course, Panarin-Wennberg-Atkinson turns out to be all-out-fire, which is entirely possible. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Who replaces Travis Zajac as the No. 1 center? Reigning first overall draft pick Nico Hischier, whose plucky, creative game resembles that of Danny Briere and Claude Giroux, had a chance to play a major role in New Jersey the moment it selected him. That was a given. If a team wins the draft lottery, it’s a non-playoff squad with holes on the roster. Hischier looked like a strong bet to play in the top six as a rookie right away. But he might not have surpassed Travis Zajac, the veteran with good two-way chops, the safer option for line 1. Now Zajac is out half the year with a torn pectoral, seemingly opening the gates for Hischier to inherit that job. Is it a given? Or might we see Adam Henrique move back to center on an emergency basis? Pavel Zacha, another high-end prospect, has the edge on Hischier in service time. Even newly acquired Marcus Johansson used to be a center. Bet on: Johansson. He’s most comfortable on the left wing, where he spent much of his time in Washington, but Johansson has the maturity and two-way sense to handle the center position. He played with Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri on line 1 to open the pre-season this week. Henrique shifted to center as well – on the second line, with Hischier working on the third. It’s a smart move by the Devils not to put too much pressure on Hischier right away. This team isn’t in a hurry – and we saw what happened a few

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years ago when it gave Adam Larsson too much responsibility too quickly. NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Is Thomas Greiss still the starting goaltender? Greiss, a career backup, took the starting job in winter 2016 after Jaroslav Halak got hurt. Greiss secured a long-term commitment in the role by outduelling Florida’s Roberto Luongo in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. The Islanders rewarded Greiss with a three-year, $10-million extension last January. The message was “starter,” especially when Halak got shipped to the AHL. But so much has happened since then. The Islanders fired coach Jack Capuano and installed Doug Weight. Halak took his demotion like a champ and excelled with the farm club in Bridgeport. Greiss tired during the stretch run last season as he adjusted to the biggest workload of his career, posting a 3.14 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 26 appearances after the all-star break following a 2.25 GAA and .928 SP in the first half. Halak, upon his return, lifted the Isles by going 6-1 with a 1.58 GAA and .949 SP. That was enough to reignite a goalie controversy. So who starts? Bet on: A near even split of starts, with the slight edge going to Greiss. He’s the one under contract for the next three seasons, whereas Halak is a UFA next summer. It makes sense for the Isles to invest more time in Greiss. But it’s clear he’s not a true workhorse in the mold of Braden Holtby or Cam Talbot. Halak should start at least 30 games, assuming he isn’t traded, as Weight tries to keep Greiss fresher. The leash will also be short. If Greiss struggles again, Halak can snatch the catbird seat back. Greiss is the likely pick to start Game 1 of the season, though. NEW YORK RANGERS: Who centers the second line? The Derek Stepan trade shuffles the Blueshirts’ depth chart a bit, enough that we could even see 2017 fist-rounder Lias Andersson win a roster spot. It appears Mika Zibanejad will climb up to the first-line role. Does that mean Kevin Hayes also climbs a spot? Or do the Blueshirts want to keep him in his ideal deployment as a dominant third-line pivot and look at shifting J.T. Miller back to his old position of center? Bet on: Hayes and Miller. So far this camp and pre-season, Hayes has played the No. 2 spot, but Miller has indeed shifted to center. Miller, though, is in the No. 3 role for now. General manager Jeff Gorton spoke to the New York Post’s Brett Cygralis about it and singled out Zibanejad and Hayes as the guys with the big opportunities, so the Rangers’ plans seem clear for now. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Is Claude Giroux really moving to the wing? Giroux’s goals, assists and points have declined three consecutive seasons, so Flyers coach Dave Hakstol has experimented in camp with moving Giroux to the left wing. Sean Couturier, usually operating in a checking role, moved up to the No. 1 center spot, with Jakub Voracek on the right side. Sounds like a fascinating top line, especially since

Giroux and Couturier have never played together. Having Giroux’s skill on the wing would spread out the talent more, as the Flyers could still deploy rookie Nolan Patrick and newly acquired Jori Lehtera down the middle. Scott Laughton can play center, too. So is this idea for real or just a fun little camp gimmick? Bet on: Giroux to stay at center. As soon as it was time to start thinking about exhibition games, Hakstol backtracked, saying he wouldn’t commit to the idea and that there was “a chance” they’d try it. Giroux influences the game too much as a puck quarterback for Philly not to keep him at center, and Couturier is so good in a shutdown role that it might throw his game off to ask him for more offense. Giroux moving to wing feels more like a mid-season decision if he’s still in a funk. We’ll see. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Who replaces Nick Bonino as the No. 3 center? The Penguins lost a handful of significant pieces from their Stanley Cup roster, including Marc-Andre Fleury, Chris Kunitz, Trevor Daley, Ron Hainsey and Matt Cullen. But the Nick Bonino departure may have the greatest impact. He was an effective two-way pivot, a gritty clutch scorer in the playoffs and capable of flourishing in a scoring role, too, as he did the season prior with Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin on the ‘HBK’ line. The Penguins, crunched against the cap as always, made no major summer additions, leaving the No. 3 center spot unfilled. Who gets the important third-line center role? The default option is Carter Rowney, who at least logged 47 games in 2016-17 (27 regular season, 20 playoffs) and is familiar with the system. Greg McKegg comes in as an off-season signing. What about Zach Aston-Reese, the reigning NCAA scoring champ? Teddy Blueger, having marinated in the Pens’ system, is in the mix, too. The Penguins also added veteran checker Jay McClement, who does a lot of the things Cullen did but with less scoring ability. Bet on: Blueger. Rowney is best suited to a fourth-line duty. As Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rightfully notes, Blueger has the most upside of the contenders. That’s important because, even on the third line, a Penguins center will have skill on his wings, likely the swift Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust. It’s still likely GM Jim Rutherford trades for a No. 3 during the season, though. WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Which newbie joins the fop four on defense? Yes, Kevin Shattenkirk had a bad playoffs. Yes, looking under Karl Alzner’s analytics hood suggests he’s overrated as a defensive defenseman. But their departures still leave gaping wounds on the Capitals’ blueline. The speedy Nate Schmidt is now a Vegas Golden Knight, and that hurts, too. Veteran Brooks Orpik has slowed down too much to handle top-four responsibility, so someone new will have to step up and join Dmitry Orlov, Matt Niskanen and John Carlson. A Band-Aid fix would mean throwing a low-ceiling vet like Taylor Chorney in there, but the upside play would be to install one of the Caps’ top prospect D-men. The battle to

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watch is between Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey. Bet on: Djoos. He’s a bit older than Bowey and shoots left, which makes Djoos a better complement to the righty Carlson. Bowey is also coming off an injury-shortened

campaign in the AHL, whereas Djoos was almost a point-per-game player in the AHL and has little left to do there. Djoos has breakout potential if he can crack the top four. That doesn’t mean Bowey can’t also make the team on the third pair, however.

Can Martin Necas Play His Way onto Hurricanes’ Opening Night Lineup?

A great month of September has given Czech center Martin Necas a real chance of making the Hurricanes roster in the eyes of head coach Bill Peters

A supposedly weak 2017 draft class might still provide the Carolina Hurricanes with an early impact player in the form of first-round pick Martin Necas.

The 12th-overall selection in June has done nothing but impress both Carolina’s coaching staff and front office since the start of mid-September’s Traverse City prospect tournament, in which he looked like a man among boys as the reasons why this team drafted him became very clear.

Despite possessing a slender frame at 6’1”, 179 pounds, he didn’t shy away from contact but instead thrived in it in select situations, but the real reason why he stuck out was his skating ability.

He has everything in this regard, showing off Skinner-like edgework, great acceleration and top-end speed, and the ability to stop on a dime on the rush to create passing lanes. When he does these things, he has the skill to then make plays.

Dominating a prospect tournament largely comprised of players who may never crack an NHL roster is one thing. Performing at a high level against players with experience at the top level is another, and Necas has continued to make an impact in the two preseason games that he has skated in.

While he didn’t find the scoresheet in Carolina’s preseason opener on Monday in Buffalo, the 18-year-old received positive reviews from scouts and media members in attendance.

His second exhibition game was not only his first in front of his future home fans, be it this year or in the years to come, but it was also his first opportunity to display his game to a larger group of fans as the game was streamed online by the Hurricanes.

The first impressions? Very good.

He and Elias Lindholm connected with Lucas Wallmark via tic-tac-toe passing for a first-period powerplay goal on Wednesday.

Necas added a hit and a blocked shot to his boxscore by the end of Carolina’s 4-3 loss to the Bolts.

Postgame, head coach Bill Peters didn’t have a lot of bad things to say about his young center, saying he was “dangerous” during stretches throughout the game. When asked if there were areas in which Necas has been struggling, Peters was complimentary but said there’s still work for him to do outside of his offensive game.

“I don’t see him struggling a whole bunch,” Peters said. “His challenges are going to be defensively. With his skill set, skating and vision with the puck, there’s going to be no issue whatsoever offensively. Just faceoffs and the details of the game at the pro level are going to be higher than he’s ever played.”

Necas won just two of his seven faceoffs on Wednesday and there were times when his line was unorganized in their own end, but as Peters alluded to, that’s what happens when several young, inexperienced players are on the same line. Much of his even strength ice time was shared with Phil Di Giuseppe and Patrick Brown, neither of whom have been able to carve out long-term roles with the NHL club through a number of opportunities over the past few seasons.

Despite his very normal shortcomings as a young, dynamic player playing his first stretch of pro hockey in North America, Necas’ ability to create offense has caught the eyes of fans and coaches alike, only adding more fuel to the fire that Peters, in part, started last week when he said that the center has a real chance of making the team out of training camp.

On the surface, him saying that a player who dropped to the 12th-overall pick has a feasible chance to make the team out of camp is a bit surprising given that honor is usually reserved for select top-five picks, but diving deeper brings more legitimacy to the coach’s claims.

During 99.9 The Fan’s Aftermath following Carolina’s win in Buffalo, Hurricanes play-by-play man John Forslund said that

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Necas was not the 12th-best player in the draft in the eyes of Carolina’s front office and many other teams across the league.

General manager Ron Francis told Forslund after the Caniac Carnival last weekend that Necas was the fourth-highest player on Carolina’s draft board and other teams had him just as high, if not higher.

There was a legitimate buzz around this player entering the draft and we are seeing, in a small sample size, why this was the case. Francis could have moved the pick for immediate NHL help, but when you think you have a future top-end centerman available to you in the middle of the first round, it’s hard to even think about making that kind of move, which surprised and angered many fans at the time, but that scrutiny has nearly vanished entirely.

The question now arises if the potential reward of playing Necas at the NHL level this year is worth the risk. In addition, who would he supplant from their spot in the top-nine? Playing Necas in a bottom-of-the-lineup role would be detrimental to the team and the development of the player.

The first and most obvious candidate would be Derek Ryan, but as of now, there’s as close to no chance of that happening as there could possibly be as Ryan and elite winger Jeff Skinner produced the bulk of Carolina’s offense down the stretch last season with the 29-year-old rookie playing a crucial role in Skinner’s excellent finish. The potential next team captain finished sixth in NHL goal scoring with a career-high of 37 and was the league’s hottest player in the final 20 contests.

Ryan is off to a fast start again with three goals and four points in his first two preseason outings. Say what you want about him, but he’s smart and talented enough to man a top-nine center position and be a difference maker with the right pieces around him.

Marcus Kruger was an offseason acquisition whose two-way game cannot be replicated by Necas at this point in his career. Kruger will be leaned on for tough defensive assignments and killing penalties, a role in which the young Czech would have a very difficult time being successful given what we’ve seen from him so far.

The other two centers are Victor Rask and Jordan Staal, but Necas would have to pile up 70 points and have a 45-save shutout in net through the final four preseason games in order to displace one of those established top-six centers.

They could move Necas to the wing, where his speed and dynamic offensive ability could thrive, but the player projects as a long-term top-six, if not first-line, center and moving him away from that position could be detrimental to his development looking at the long-term scheme of things. Moving him to the wing right now would mean forgetting about the overall plan and instead focusing on a short-term situation that is not in need of addressing given Carolina’s depth on the wings.

If this was the Hurricanes of old, the situation would be different. A player like Tim Brent or Riley Nash would get the boot and Necas would play top-nine minutes whether he was

entirely ready or not, but this team now has an array of options down the middle with opening night locks Staal, Rask, Ryan, and Kruger. Beyond the obvious mainstays, promising 21-year-old Swede Lucas Wallmark is fresh off of a marvelous rookie season in Charlotte and in the midst of a very impressive preseason and training camp, and though his preseason was derailed by a concussion, center Nicolas Roy has made a big impression on the team and is bound to see some call-ups after he likely joins the Charlotte Checkers within the next week. Additionally, Lindholm, Sebastian Aho, and Josh Jooris can all play center in spurts.

It’s also an obvious risk that rushing Necas to the league could hurt his growth as a player. Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin both played immediately following their drafts, likely a year before they were truly ready to do so. Thankfully for the Hurricanes, Lindholm has worked out of early struggles and turned into a key playmaker and two-way player as he has transitioned to the wing and Hanifin showed major promise and confidence down the stretch last season, finally playing consistent top-four minutes after Ron Hainsey was traded to Pittsburgh at the deadline.

While it would be exciting to see number 88 flying around the PNC Arena ice on October 7, there seems to be too much working against him, and while most of that is out of his control, the time just isn’t right for him to make the jump.

He is expected to return to Brno in the Czech league and play substantial minutes as a center against grown men. He’ll gain valuable experience, get bigger, and likely see his offensive numbers jump after posting 15 points in 41 games as a 17-year-old rookie in that league last season. Barring injury, his season will undoubtedly include an appearance in the World Junior Championships for the Czech Republic.

Another possibility is that Necas makes the jump to North America but plays in the AHL with the Checkers, giving him more games throughout the year and allowing Canes management, namely assistant general manager and Checkers head coach Mike Vellucci who has a direct line of contact with Francis, to keep a close eye on him and his development. He has surely proven that he can handle playing the North American game and he could get a head start on getting acclimated with the team’s systems over the course of the season. If he impresses at that level, they have the option of calling him up to the big team. The downside here is, if he plays north of nine games in the NHL, they would then be burning a year of his entry-level contract and a year of team control down the line.

Despite his seemingly inevitable reassignment, what he has shown so far should provide a huge amount of optimism for the organization and its fanbase. The fact that he has even played himself into the conversation is remarkable.

The Hurricanes have been looking for a true number one center for a long time as they haven’t had one since the prime days of Eric Staal’s stint with the organization. With what Necas has shown thus far, there’s plenty of reason to believe that he can one day be that guy, and I don’t think we will have to wait long until he is doing some breathtaking things in the NHL.

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Patience could finally pay off for Hurricanes

Expect Darling to shore up goaltending, Williams to provide veteran leadership needed to return to playoffs

by Kurt Dusterberg / NHL.com Correspondent

12:00 AM

The Carolina Hurricanes have improved their point total in each of the past three seasons under coach Bill Peters, but the days of settling for incremental progress appear to be over. General manager Ron Francis used the summer to address Carolina's most glaring needs -- starting goaltending, scoring and veteran leadership -- with the goal of ending an eight-season Stanley Cup Playoff drought.

After years of rounding out the roster with depth free agents and prospects with no long-term outlook, Carolina has patiently drafted and developed players and made trades to improve the depth. The result is a roster of speedy, skilled forwards and big, mobile defensemen. At times, the transition was painstaking, with the Hurricanes overmatched against some of the NHL's elite teams.

"Now every night when we go into a building, I expect to win," Peters said. "We're a deep, deep team right now that can be dangerous offensively. Our defensive core, to me, is in the top echelon in the League. If we get the kind of goaltending we think we're going to get from both goaltenders, we'll be fine."

Here is a look at the five keys for the Hurricanes, the inside scoop on their roster questions and projected lines for the 2017-18 season:

5 KEYS

1. Getting off to fast start

The Hurricanes have been doomed by a slow start in each of the past three seasons, winning no more than five of their first 13 games. They must be better during their annual October road trip that coincides with the North Carolina State Fair. Carolina has gone 4-10-3 on the trip since 2014-15. This season, the Hurricanes open at home against the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets before going on

the road to play the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars.

2. Darling taking reins in goal

Carolina is so confident that Scott Darling will be the successor to Cam Ward that they gave him a four-year, $16.6 million contract ($4.15 million average annual value). Acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on April 28, the 28-year-old has a .923 save percentage in 75 regular-season games in three seasons but has never played more than 32 games in each.

"People ask me if I feel the pressure or if I'm stressed out; I don't really feel like that at all," Darling said. "I'm more just excited for the chance."

3. Better results in overtime

The Hurricanes consistently generated chances in overtime last season but went 5-9. Peters wants to find three, three-man units he can trust.

"A bunch of the overtimes, we'd go down on a 2-on-1 and not score, and all of a sudden there is a 2-on-1 the other way and the game is over," he said. "We were on the short end of the stick a little too often. We have to make sure we are finishing our opportunities."

4. More production from Lindholm, Rask

The Hurricanes are counting on more from the two forwards, who each had 45 points last season. Elias Lindholm, a first-round pick (No. 5) in the 2013 NHL Draft, has scored 11 goals in each of the past two seasons.

"Overall, I think I'm a passer, but you don't want to score 11 goals," said Lindholm, who scored his first goal in his 17th game last season. "You want to score 25."

Victor Rask dropped to 16 goals last season after scoring 21 in 2015-16.

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"If we can score 5-10 more goals, each guy, it's going to make a huge difference," Rask said.

5. Grow with Aho

Sebastian Aho was a revelation as a 19-year-old rookie last season, finishing second on the Hurricanes with 49 points (24 goals, 25 assists). The forward displayed elite playmaking and skating, and scored in a variety of ways. Aho (5-foot-11, 172 pounds) showed he can handle the rigors of the NHL by playing 82 games. With added strength from summer conditioning, he could take his offensive game to another level.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Biggest lock

Jeff Skinner shed his reputation as a streaky scorer last season with an NHL career-best 37 goals. The 25-year-old forward has the ability to create chances for himself, but his chemistry last season with linemates Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak helped make him a consistent scoring threat.

Biggest battle

There won't be many spots open among the forwards, but there will be several candidates for the last couple of positions. Josh Jooris and roster holdovers Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe are veterans, but others will challenge. The Hurricanes have a handful of prospects in Charlotte of the American Hockey League who have made their NHL debut. Lucas Wallmark impressed during an eight-game audition last season, and Valentin Zykov and Andrew Poturalski will push to play in the NHL.

Most intriguing addition

The Hurricanes signed Justin Williams on July 1, bringing back a member of the 2006 Stanley Cup championship team. With three Stanley Cup rings and the nickname "Mr. Game 7," he will help shape the identity. But can Williams, who will be 36 years old when the season begins, deliver a seventh season of at least 20 goals? His two most productive seasons (31 goals in 2005-06 and 33 in 2006-07) came during his first stint with Carolina.

Biggest potential surprise

The Hurricanes have their deepest group of forwards in years and are stocked with prospects who have yet to begin their pro career in North America. Czech center Martin Necas (No. 12 pick in 2017) is a dynamic center who made an immediate impression on Peters at the start of training camp. Julien Gauthier (No. 21 pick in 2016) has the body (6-4, 225) and scoring prowess of an NHL power forward. Either one could sneak onto the roster.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Sebastian Aho -- Jordan Staal -- Elias Lindholm

Justin Williams -- Victor Rask -- Teuvo Teravainen

Jeff Skinner -- Derek Ryan -- Lee Stempniak

Joakim Nordstrom -- Marcus Kruger -- Josh Jooris

Jaccob Slavin -- Brett Pesce

Noah Hanifin -- Justin Faulk

Klas Dahlbeck -- Trevor van Riemsdyk

Scott Darling

Cam Ward

Skinner leading candidate to be Hurricanes' next captain

Forward has respect of players, staff on, off the ice

by Dan Rosen @drosennhl / NHL.com Senior Writer

12:00 AM

NEW YORK -- Sitting in a quiet room in the NHL's office, microphone clipped onto his shirt and the camera parked on the other side of the table recording everything he says, forward Jeff Skinner was asked to state his case for why he should be the Carolina Hurricanes' next captain.

He giggled and smiled, but he got skittish. This was hardly an interrogation, simply a preseason interview on a timely topic, but there might have even been a bead of sweat that dripped off Skinner's forehead.

"I don't have much," Skinner said, clearly trying to avoid giving some awkward answer. "I guess I'm a bad campaigner. I think we've got a lot of great leaders."

He's one of them, and he's a candidate to be named the Hurricanes first captain since Eric Staal was traded to the New York Rangers on Feb. 28, 2016.

Coach Bill Peters has said he will name a captain before the season-opener against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena on Oct. 7. He said Skinner is under consideration along with a few others, including defenseman Justin Faulk, center Jordan Staal and right wing Justin Williams, who won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and returned this offseason on a two-year contract.

That Skinner is a candidate isn't surprising. He was an alternate captain last season.

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However, considering Skinner still smiles, laughs and looks like the 18-year-old who stole the show at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, N.C., and the 19-year-old who accepted the Calder Trophy a few months later, it does seem surreal that he's in this position now.

It shouldn't be.

Skinner is 25, entering his eighth NHL season and is Carolina's second-longest tenured player behind goalie Cam Ward. His voice has become one of the most respected in the dressing room. His impact on the Hurricanes extends off the ice.

"He's a passionate guy and he's a passionate player," Peters said. "He's a real good pro in the fact that he looks after himself, he trains properly and the guys have unreal respect for the way he looks after his body. The maturity shows. I know guys bring it up quite a bit."

To that end, Peters said he was at a staff golf outing prior to the start of training camp with about 16 people, including members of the Hurricanes' medical and strength training staffs, and he polled as many people about the captaincy candidates as he could.

"[Skinner's] name came up in the conversation quite a bit, and they bring up that type of stuff, the way he looks after himself and the way he prepares," Peters said. "He's passionate about it and he's hungry to win."

Skinner did his part last season, scoring an NHL career-high 37 goals and tying his NHL career high of 63 points, a mark he hadn't hit since his rookie season (2010-11). He has 330 points (180 goals, 150 assists) in 497 games, all with the Hurricanes, but he has never played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs since 2009. Theirs became the longest drought in the NHL when the Edmonton Oilers ended a 10-year postseason drought last season.

Skinner and Peters expect the drought to end this season.

"This is our best team in my four years here, for sure," Peters said.

"There's definitely a buzz around the city, around the team," Skinner said. "It's deserved."

They're confident because of the way the Hurricanes finished last season. They're eager because of the offseason additions brought in by general manager Ron Francis. They're optimistic because of the expected growth of the young players who now look up to Skinner.

The Hurricanes had a 13-game point streak (9-0-4) from March 9-30 to move within four points of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference before losing five straight games to start April.

They added goalie Scott Darling, who slots in as the new No. 1, forwards Williams and Marcus Kruger and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk in the offseason. Between them their names are engraved on the Stanley Cup seven times.

Carolina also re-signed defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce to long-term contracts, solidifying one of the most promising blue-line groups in the NHL, which also features Faulk, Noah Hanifin and van Riemsdyk -- all 26 years old or younger.

Forwards Sebastian Aho (49 points), Victor Rask (45 points), Elias Lindholm (45 points) and Teuvo Teravainen (42 points) -- all 24 or younger -- are expected to build on their production from a season ago.

Skinner is too.

"The way we finished last year was a good message internally for us," Skinner said. "We were just on the edge of being in the mix for quite a long time coming down the stretch. Those are the games you want to play. For us the next step is pretty obvious and it's been talked about a lot, but now it's up to us to take it."

Regardless if he is named captain, Skinner will be one of the players expected to hammer home that message throughout the season. That he doesn't have a dynamic speech outlining the reasons why he should be the captain shouldn't matter.

He knows his role in Carolina now. He has grown into it.

"You want to be counted on by your teammates, by your coaches," Skinner said. "That's obviously what a captain is supposed to do. They're supposed to lead and be the guy that people can count on.

"I want to be counted on."

TODAY’S LINKS http://www.news http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article174515341.html

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/pre-season-position-battles-to-watch-metropolitan-division https://www.canescountry.com/2017/9/21/16343320/can-martin-necas-play-his-way-onto-carolina-hurricanes-opening-night-lineup-bill-peters-ron-

francis https://www.nhl.com/news/jeff-skinner-in-line-to-be-next-carolina-hurricanes-captain/c-291214724

https://www.nhl.com/news/carolina-hurricanes-season-preview/c-291208696

CAROLINA HURRICANES


1074746 Carolina Hurricanes

Encourage your kids to read, parents – it just might get them Carolina Hurricanes rewards

BY T. KEUNG HUI

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 2:41 PM

Reading can not only help Wake County elementary school students learn – it could also lead to prizes such as tickets to Carolina Hurricanes games and a field trip to PNC Arena to watch the hockey team practice.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Wake County school system announced Thursday a new literacy program called “Readvolution,” where prizes will be given both to elementary schools and individual students to encourage them to read more this semester. Between Oct. 2 and Jan. 12, all 114 Wake elementary schools will be challenged to read 2,020 books. Each student is encouraged to read 20 minutes each day outside of school, for a total of 22 hours.

“Much like the skill of an athlete, the earlier that a person starts (reading), and the more one practices, the better one gets,” Wake Superintendent Jim Merrill said at the news conference. “That’s why we’re excited about the ways this project will help develop a habit of reading in our students.”

Competition could be intense to win the prizes.

The big prize is a field trip in February to PNC Arena for nine elementary schools that have the highest number of books read, based on the percentage of their student population. The trip for more than 10,000 students will include watching the Hurricanes practice and other special activities to celebrate their school’s academic accomplishments.

Ten elementary schools will get a visit from Stormy and the Storm Squad. Students at those schools will be eligible for items such as tickets and hats.

The Hurricanes could be on the hook for as many as 75,000 free tickets this season if every student completes the 22-hour reading goal to get a complimentary ticket.

“I’d love to put a rush on the box office with 40,000-50,000 tickets,” Merrill said. “We’ll promote it and push this pretty heavily. I think that is an opportunity for our students and is a nice reward.”

The Hurricanes will also recognize 18 teachers for their contributions to the reading program.

During the program, students will place paper hockey pucks that list their name and the book they read in a large hockey goal graphic mounted on a wall at their school. Cengage Learning created an online tracking system where students can log in and record their daily reading activity for the challenge.

IMG_3635

Wake County Superintendent Jim Merrill, center, shakes hands with Carolina Hurricanes player Jeff Skinner after getting a jersey to mark a

new program to encourage students to read more. On the other side of Merrill is Don Waddell, president of the Hurricanes.

T. Keung Hui [email protected]

The program celebrates both the Hurricanes’ 20th anniversary and the school system’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, which among other things calls for raising the graduation rate to 95 percent by 2020.

Canes’ star player Jeff Skinner said helping out in the reading program is part of the obligation that athletes have to set a good example. Skinner already has a program where he invites area teachers to games and donates money to their classes.

“This program, being able to reach young kids and maybe foster that sort of passion or enjoyment of reading, is something that I think in the future hopefully will pay dividends and hopefully improve a bunch of people’s lives down the road,” he said.

News Observer LOADED: 09.22.2017

1074747 Carolina Hurricanes

Canes forward Jeff Skinner has a studious side. So, what does he like to read?

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 1:28 PM

There’s a studious side to Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner that Canes fan may not have seen: He loves to read.

Skinner says his favorite book is “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Baroness Orczy, first published in 1905, but adds it’s one of 10 or 15 books that he has on his personal favorites list.

Skinner took part Thursday in a news conference at PNC Arena as the Hurricanes and Wake County Public Schools announced a joint program that challenges school kids to read more — the “Readvolution,” as the initative is being called, which allows students to be rewarded with tickets to Canes games.

Skinner can often be seen on the team flights with a book in his hand. After an interview Thursday in which he discussed “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and his latest read, “Moth Smoke,” he smiled and said he also has some other favorites — the Harry Potter books.

Kids read books, win Carolina Hurricanes tickets

Wake County Superintendent Jim Merrill explains new Readvolution program, where elementary schools and students can win prizes from the Carolina Hurricanes based on how many books are read.

News Observer LOADED: 09.22.2017

CAROLINA HURRICANES


1074771 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers notes: Too early to tell with Jesse Puljujarvi

ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI

There is some intense debate taking place in Oil Country regarding Jesse Puljujarvi’s performance in training camp, which comes as a bit of a surprise to Todd McLellan given that there’s basically nothing to judge yet.

The Oilers head coach understands that everyone is anxious for conclusions — has the 19-year-old fourth overall draft picked improved enough to make the team or should he be sent down for more seasoning? — but says any conclusions drawn at this point are wildly premature.

“I think it’s too early,” said McLellan. “He’s played one game. To even make a comment would be very unfair to the player and to us as a staff. We have to see where he’s at.”

McLellan, who’ll have a pair of exhibition games Friday and Saturday to help with the evaluation process, is seeing a more comfortable Puljujarvi in camp, though.

“I like his attitude. He seems refreshed and excited about being here. He seems a little more confident. The other night (split-squad game vs Calgary) he could have left the game with two or three goals for the number of opportunities he had. It just didn’t go in for him. If he puts himself in those situations he’ll score.

“But he can do more than that. He can create on the forecheck and use his size and strength to help others.”

But whether he’s at in his development is a question for another day.

“We can answer that in a few weeks,” said McLellan.”But right now it’s too early.”

SPECIAL KAILER

Kailer Yamamoto is off to a strong start in camp, scoring in each of his two pre-season games while showing he can function against NHL-sized competition.

He isn’t trying to be anything he wasn’t in junior and it’s a formula that’s working so far.

“I like the attitude and I like the approach,” said McLellan. “If he begins to play outside of what his skill set allows him to do he’s not going to have any success.

“He knows his limitations size-wise and I really don’t think there are many of them. He plays situations so smart. There will be the odd time where he’ll get out-muscled or somebody heavier will win the battle but nine out of 10 times he’s positioned himself so well and anticipates so well that he can play the game built the way he is.”

There have been nerves out there, but that’s normal. McLellan wouldn’t hold butterflies against any teenager in his first camp.

“As far as recognizing the opposition and being a little anxious at times, six-foot-seven guys are that way when they come out of Junior. Everybody is a little nervous. I don’t think it has to do anything with size.”

The Oilers would like to see more and plan on playing the 22nd overall pick in one or both of the pre-season games this weekend.

“He’s earned the right to play against and he’ll continue to do that.”

SWEET SIXTEEN

Jujhar Khaira had to go with his second favourite number this season, Kelly Buchberger’s old No. 16, because his first choice isn’t an option in Edmonton.

“That was the first number I ever wore playing hockey,” he said. “My favourite number is 11 but obviously that is retired and there’s no questions asked there.

“I wore 16 in Prince George and thought I’d bring it back.”

Khaira, who wore 54 last year, feels confident enough this season to ditch his training camp number and go with one that has a long history in town. After getting his foot in the door last season, he says this is the year he pushes through for good.

That’s good; the organization wants him feeling that way.

“I think I’m ready and now it’s time to go out there and prove it every day,” he said. “I have to be consistent, I can’t just play one good game and then take the night off. I want to be a guy who is always counted on. This is definitely the year for me to make a mark.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 09.22.2017


Oilers: Jussi Jokinen could be another all-purpose player for Edmonton

JIM MATHESON

When Mark Letestu looks at Jussi Jokinen, what does he see?

“A left-handed version of me,” the Edmonton Oilers’ multi-purpose forward said with a laugh.

So twins, then. If not by birth, then by circumstance.

Jokinen scored a power-play goal and two assists, killed penalties and had five shots in his first game with the Oilers on Wednesday, a pre-season tilt against the Winnipeg Jets, who trotted out 75 percent of their NHL roster, including five of their top six defencemen and top two lines. The hosts were schooled by the Oilers in a 4-1 Edmonton win.

“Jussi’s good in the shootout, can play in all situations … when you watch him, it screams ‘heady player,’” said Letestu, promoting Jokinen’s as a teammate but also sounding like a coach, which is what Letestu’s current bench boss, Todd McLellan says, he’ll be some day if he wants to go that route.

The off-season signing of Jokinen got lost in the shuffle after the free-agency frenzy of July 1, and much was made — maybe too much — of the storyline that the older Finn was signed to mentor his teenaged countryman Jesse Puljujarvi because Jokinen co-owns the Karpat team Puljujarvi played on.

“I’m 99 per cent here to help this team and one percent to help Jesse,” Jokinen said the day of Oilers fitness and medical assessments.

“When I was a young player coming into the league, I had Jere Lehtinen in my room (with the Dallas Stars) but that’s how it goes,” he said. “Older players help younger players. I hope I can help Jesse reach his potential.”

But No. 36 is looking out for No. 1 first. An honest answer from a no-frills guy who’s played 891 NHL games.

Again, Letestu sees an accomplished, low-maintenance pro joining a team on the rise, a team with twin offensive peaks in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and a good many other supporting players that came close to making the Western Conference final last spring.

CAROLINA HURRICANES


Jokinen knows his way around the rink, without GPS, without directions from the coach. He’s not going to bring you out of your seat with his speed or his banging ability or his shot, but he looks like he’ll be a very useful, multi-purpose piece.

“Really smart player … he’s already integrating himself into our team talking about strategies, a very good piece for us,” said Letestu, sounding like a campaign manager.

Nothing wrong with that. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who will likely centre for the left-winger Jokinen and Puljujarvi or somebody else on the right side, is equally effusive about the 34-year-old.

“I sure like playing with him … lots of experience, lots of years in this league,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “I find we’re a little similar with the style we play, actually. He’s responsible, but looking at his point totals, obviously he can get it done there, too. I believe he’ll be a good leader for us.”

Ever the professional, Jokinen asked the media to wait until he put on an Oilers’ ball-cap for an interview after Wednesday night’s game. He’s worn a lot of hats in his NHL career, starting in Dallas, stopp;ing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Florida Panthers and now with the Oilers. He did miss one day of camp last weekend because McLellan says but he was sore. It wasn’t because he’s aging.

“Last year in Florida, I felt young because Jagr was 11 years older than me,” Jokinen said with a chuckle. “Now, here it’s the first time I am the oldest guy on a team, but at 34, I have lots of years left. Apart from last year (69 games), I haven’t missed many games. I take pride that I can stay healthy.”

When you watch him, it screams 'heady player.'Mark Letestu

Jokinen’s role on the team isn’t easy to define because he’s played all three forward positions, has long played both side of special teams and is a career 53.7 per cent on 3,800 face-offs.

Every coach loves players who can move around a lineup card, of course.

Letestu’s like that, and now, McLellan has Jokinen in his lineup, too.

“What I like about Jussi is he knows who he is,” said McLellan. “He knows how to play with his skill-set and he’s positionally sound…he’s not going to win the Kentucky Derby with his speed but somehow he’ll find a way to be in the race.”

THIS ‘N’ THAT: The five-foot-eight, 154-pound Kailer Yamamoto found himself standing between six-foot-eight Tyler Myers and the six-foot-five Dustin Byfuglien in front of the net on one Oilers power play Wednesday. At that point, Yamamoto looked up, way up, and probably said ‘OK, I know I’m in the NHL now.’ … Oilers winger Zack Kassian took a puck off his hand early in the game but soldiered on, setting up Jujhar Khaira for a goal. “Took the shot in the palm,” said Kassian … Ex-Oiler Josh Green will be doing some TSN colour commentary for Jets TV with Shane Hnidy moving to Vegas to fill the same role for the Golden Knights. Green finished up his pro career with four years in Finland.



Oilers fourth line plans on making a big impact

ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI Published on: September 21, 2017

While most of the attention will be on Edmonton’s top two lines this season, where Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be the driving forces, don’t be surprised if the bottom of the Oilers lineup makes a little noise.

Or a lot.

With a unique combination of speed, size, savvy, grit, and goal scoring ability, the trio of Mark Letestu, Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira has the potential to make big impact this season.

In fact, Kassian is coming right out and saying it: They could be the best fourth line in the NHL.

“I would put us against any other fourth line,” he said. “I think we can dominate that role. We still need to feel each other out a little more, but the way we skate, the way we protect pucks, that’s what you want out of a fourth line. There’s a lot of hope there. We’re looking forward to playing together.

“(Letestu) is so smart. I call him The Wizard. He can read, react and make plays. And having (Khaira) on the other wing we can really push the pace against teams.”

It’s a good mix. Letestu is rock solid on faceoffs and has the hands to score 16 goals last season. Kassian has top end speed, world class tenacity and can kick in a few goals himself. And Khaira is big, strong, fast, and can shoot.

“They’ve made it really easy for me to come in and play with them,” said Khaira. “They’re both great players and we complement each other really well. Having Mark, who’s a rock on the line and then Zack, who’s really fast on his skates and isn’t afraid to get dirty, makes a good combination.

“The way we can play, we can do well this year.”

If they outplay and outscore the other team’s fourth line on most nights, it’s going to lay the foundation for a lot of wins.

“We expect that,” said Letestu. “We joke about it with Kass, but he was picked in the first round for a reason. His hands, his speed, the presence he has on the ice. And the way Jujhar has come to camp, he’s scored in every game and every scrimmage he’s played in. And I’ve been offensive throughout my career. There is potential there for goals.

“But more importantly, when you have a team like this you need that push from the bottom, you need guys to be competing for ice time and pushing the guys on the second and third lines. The inner competition breeds a good team.”

All of them are success stories in their own way. Kassian authored an inspirational comeback story, Letestu is a vastly under-rated utility guy finally being recognized for doing everything well and Khaira is a level-headed kid who worked his way from Junior A to the third round of the draft to a starting job in the NHL.

“He’s not second-guessing anything out there,” Letestu said of Khaira. “He’s shooting the puck when he has a chance to shoot. He’s not looking to pass off to somebody. He’s taking the puck to the net and using his body. I think we’re seeing the skill set that management saw in him.”

Khaira calls Letestu the glue, the key to the whole thing.

“He’s so smart out there. I think he compliments everybody’s game. He’s always in the right position, such a steady player. It makes it easier on everybody else.”

Kassian, meanwhile, has turned out better than anyone expected he would when the Oilers first brought him to Edmonton.

Everybody except Kassian, maybe.

“I knew, deep down, that if I cleaned my act up and played the way I could I’d be in the NHL,” he said. “I’m not surprised with it at all. I’m thankful and grateful, but not surprised at all.”

CAROLINA HURRICANES


The makeup includes a little bit of everything, meaning they can be the hard-hitting energy line if need be or a trio that can produce offence. Or both.

“We can play,” said Kassian, who promises they will be hard to compete against. “We want to be physical and be skating, that’s our recipe for success, but if we get chances to bury we can do that as well.”

If the Oilers hope to go beyond where they went last year, these three plan on being a big part of why.

“Deep teams have deep rosters,” said Kassian. “You need a deep team to be successful not only in the regular season but in the playoffs.”



Oilers power play clicks against Jets even without McDavid

JIM MATHESON Published on: September 21, 2017

If you think there’s round pegs trying to fit in square holes when Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl aren’t around on the power play, forget it?

With McDavid and Draisaitl at home, along with first-unit front-presence guy Milan Lucic, it didn’t much matter Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets because the Edmonton Oilers still had Mark Letestu and newcomer Jussi Jokinen, and the Forgotten One, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Letestu, who had 11 power-play goals last year and four more in the playoffs, tapped in a back-door pass from likely third-line winger Jokinen and then returned the favour with a sweet pass into the blue paint to the Finnish forward.

Jokinen kicked it in, but they counted it as the Oilers, who had the NHL’s fifth-best power play last year, scored on two of their first three on the Jets in a 4-1 win.

Fielding a lineup of mostly AHL bound players the Oilers still found a way to win their third straight in pre-season as Jujuhar Khaira solidified his spot on the fourth line with his second pre-season goal and Kailer Yamamoto added an empty-netter off RNH’s third assist.

“The guys on our unit tonight have all been on power plays before. It’s just a different first overall pick on the half-wall (Nugent-Hopkins),” said Letestu. “The pass he made to me through a guys legs was all-world. It’s not a huge step down from unit one to unit two.”

Jokinen was outstanding in his first Oilers game with five shots and the goal and two helpers. He also killed penalties with Letestu and Nugent-Hopkins.

“This team is really deep on power play players. Obviously, the first unit was really good for the Oilers last year but there’s lots of guys who want to do it. I’ve played there my whole career. I want to be there with the Oilers, too,” said Jokinen.

“We still have some pretty smart players with Jokinen, Nuge and Letestu, they move it around and find holes and finished things off,” said McLellan.

McLellan summed up Jokinen, who had three points on the night, in one emphatic word.

“Smart. Simple as that,” he said. “He knows who he is with his skill-set.”

The Jets had their top two lines, five of their top six defencemen along with their No. 1 goalie Steve Mason, but it didn’t matter after the Oilers had a pulse but no wheels in the first period.

“I think we left our legs on the plane,” said Letestu after being outshot 11-4 and outscored 1-0 on Nik Ehlers power-play effort.

“You have tough circumstances in exhibition when you fly in an hour before you play, but we responded because of real good leadership from Letestu, Jokinen, Nuge, (Eric) Gryba when it would have been easy to take the easy route. They worked hard,” said McLellan.

McLellan liked Ryan Stanton, in his first game, trying for a No. 7 defence spot.

“He played a good hard game. I remember him in Vancouver. That’s the type of game he plays. He plays inside the other team’s equipment. Not overly flashy but he gets the job done. He looked like he belonged out there and that’s the first tell-tale sign of a guy who’s comfortable. Good for him,” he said.

THIS ‘N’ THAT: Letestu had five goals in games in Winnipeg last year. “Every guy has one team (he’s poison against),” said Letestu … Yamamoto had a second-period goal called back because he kicked a pass from Brad Malone past Mason. It looked exactly like Jokinen’s but they allowed the Finn’s, not the rookie’s. “I’ve scored a few goals like that but obviously there’s no video ruling in pre-season games,” said Jokinen … The Jets hit five posts, four on Laurent Brossoit, one on reliever Nick Ellis … Brossoit, who played 34 minutes and allowed one goal in 14 shots, appeared to have trouble picking up pucks early with the LED lighting in the building because Trouba also drilled iron from the blue line. “He settled down after the start,” said McLellan.



Oilers notes: Too early to tell with Jesse Puljujarvi

BY ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

There is some intense debate taking place in Oil Country regarding Jesse Puljujarvi’s performance in training camp, which comes as a bit of a surprise to Todd McLellan given that there’s basically nothing to judge yet.

The Oilers head coach understands that everyone is anxious for conclusions — has the 19-year-old fourth overall draft picked improved enough to make the team or should he be sent down for more seasoning? — but says any conclusions drawn at this point are wildly premature.

“I think it’s too early,” said McLellan. “He’s played one game. To even make a comment would be very unfair to the player and to us as a staff. We have to see where he’s at.”

McLellan, who’ll have a pair of exhibition games Friday and Saturday to help with the evaluation process, is seeing a more comfortable Puljujarvi in camp, though.

“I like his attitude. He seems refreshed and excited about being here. He seems a little more confident. The other night (split-squad game vs Calgary) he could have left the game with two or three goals for the number of opportunities he had. It just didn’t go in for him. If he puts himself in those situations he’ll score.

“But he can do more than that. He can create on the forecheck and use his size and strength to help others.”

But whether he’s at in his development is a question for another day.

“We can answer that in a few weeks,” said McLellan.”But right now it’s too early.”

CAROLINA HURRICANES


SPECIAL KAILER

Kailer Yamamoto is off to a strong start in camp, scoring in each of his two pre-season games while showing he can function against NHL-sized competition.

He isn’t trying to be anything he wasn’t in junior and it’s a formula that’s working so far.

“I like the attitude and I like the approach,” said McLellan. “If he begins to play outside of what his skill set allows him to do he’s not going to have any success.

“He knows his limitations size-wise and I really don’t think there are many of them. He plays situations so smart. There will be the odd time where he’ll get out-muscled or somebody heavier will win the battle but nine out of 10 times he’s positioned himself so well and anticipates so well that he can play the game built the way he is.”

There have been nerves out there, but that’s normal. McLellan wouldn’t hold butterflies against any teenager in his first camp.

“As far as recognizing the opposition and being a little anxious at times, six-foot-seven guys are that way when they come out of Junior. Everybody is a little nervous. I don’t think it has to do anything with size.”

The Oilers would like to see more and plan on playing the 22nd overall pick in one or both of the pre-season games this weekend.

“He’s earned the right to play against and he’ll continue to do that.”

SWEET SIXTEEN

Jujhar Khaira had to go with his second favourite number this season, Kelly Buchberger’s old No. 16, because his first choice isn’t an option in Edmonton.

“That was the first number I ever wore playing hockey,” he said. “My favourite number is 11 but obviously that is retired and there’s no questions asked there.

“I wore 16 in Prince George and thought I’d bring it back.”

Khaira, who wore 54 last year, feels confident enough this season to ditch his training camp number and go with one that has a long history in town. After getting his foot in the door last season, he says this is the year he pushes through for good.

That’s good; the organization wants him feeling that way.

“I think I’m ready and now it’s time to go out there and prove it every day,” he said. “I have to be consistent, I can’t just play one good game and then take the night off. I want to be a guy who is always counted on. This is definitely the year for me to make a mark.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 09.22.2017


Oilers fourth line plans on making a big impact

BY ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI

While most of the attention will be on Edmonton's top two lines this season, where Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be the driving forces, don’t be surprised if the bottom of the Oilers lineup makes a little noise.

Or a lot.

With a unique combination of speed, size, savvy, grit, and goal scoring ability, the trio of Mark Letestu, Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira has the potential to make big impact this season.

In fact, Kassian is coming right out and saying it: They could be the best fourth line in the NHL.

“I would put us against any other fourth line,” he said. “I think we can dominate that role. We still need to feel each other out a little more, but the way we skate, the way we protect pucks, that’s what you want out of a fourth line. There’s a lot of hope there. We’re looking forward to playing together.

“(Letestu) is so smart. I call him The Wizard. He can read, react and make plays. And having (Khaira) on the other wing we can really push the pace against teams.”

It’s a good mix. Letestu is rock solid on faceoffs and has the hands to score 16 goals last season. Kassian has top end speed, world class tenacity and can kick in a few goals himself. And Khaira is big, strong, fast, and can shoot.

“They’ve made it really easy for me to come in and play with them,” said Khaira. “They’re both great players and we complement each other really well. Having Mark, who’s a rock on the line and then Zack, who’s really fast on his skates and isn’t afraid to get dirty, makes a good combination.

“The way we can play, we can do well this year.”

If they outplay and outscore the other team’s fourth line on most nights, it’s going to lay the foundation for a lot of wins.

“We expect that,” said Letestu. “We joke about it with Kass, but he was picked in the first round for a reason. His hands, his speed, the presence he has on the ice. And the way Jujhar has come to camp, he’s scored in every game and every scrimmage he’s played in. And I’ve been offensive throughout my career. There is potential there for goals.

“But more importantly, when you have a team like this you need that push from the bottom, you need guys to be competing for ice time and pushing the guys on the second and third lines. The inner competition breeds a good team.”

All of them are success stories in their own way. Kassian authored an inspirational comeback story, Letestu is a vastly under-rated utility guy finally being recognized for doing everything well and Khaira is a level-headed kid who worked his way from Junior A to the third round of the draft to a starting job in the NHL.

“He’s not second-guessing anything out there,” Letestu said of Khaira. “He’s shooting the puck when he has a chance to shoot. He’s not looking to pass off to somebody. He’s taking the puck to the net and using his body. I think we’re seeing the skill set that management saw in him.”

Khaira calls Letestu the glue, the key to the whole thing.

“He’s so smart out there. I think he compliments everybody’s game. He’s always in the right position, such a steady player. It makes it easier on everybody else.”

Kassian, meanwhile, has turned out better than anyone expected he would when the Oilers first brought him to Edmonton.

Everybody except Kassian, maybe.

“I knew, deep down, that if I cleaned my act up and played the way I could I’d be in the NHL,” he said. “I’m not surprised with it at all. I’m thankful and grateful, but not surprised at all.”

The makeup includes a little bit of everything, meaning they can be the hard-hitting energy line if need be or a trio that can produce offence. Or both.

“We can play,” said Kassian, who promises they will be hard to compete against. “We want to be physical and be skating, that’s our recipe for success, but if we get chances to bury we can do that as well.”

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If the Oilers hope to go beyond where they went last year, these three plan on being a big part of why.

“Deep teams have deep rosters,” said Kassian. “You need a deep team to be successful not only in the regular season but in the playoffs.”



Oil Kings Koch and Warm better for experiences at NHL camps

BY DEREK VAN DIEST

Davis Koch believes he’s a better player for the experience at Edmonton Oilers rookie camp.

Koch, along with Trey Fix-Wolansky and defenceman Will Warm, had the opportunity to mingle with aspiring NHLers before returning to the Edmonton Oil Kings for the upcoming Western Hockey League season.

Koch and Fix-Wolansky were with the Oilers and had an opportunity to play in the Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, B.C., while Warm attended the Vegas Golden Knights rookie camp.

“It was awesome. It was a great experience,” Koch said. “It was tough, though, playing in that tournament in Penticton, there were lots of pretty big guys that are possibly going to play in the NHL this upcoming season. It was good to get some competition against them to see how I kind of stood up against guys that have played at the pro level.”

Undrafted, Koch, 19, finished last season as the Oil Kings' leading scorer with 21 goals and 70 points in 72 games. He fared well at the Young Stars Tournament and also played in the rookie showcase game in Edmonton against the NAIT/McEwan All-stars, where the Oilers lost 2-0.

“I thought I did pretty well,” Koch said. “It’s hard because there were times where there are plays I wanted to make, but I’m not big enough or strong enough yet. It’s a pretty big deal when you’re at that level and it showed me the things I need to work on.”

Warm, 18, who was surprisingly passed over in this summer’s NHL Draft, was extended an offer by the expansion Golden Knights, who begin play this season.

Warm had a strong rookie season for the Oil Kings last year with nine goals and 24 points from the blue line.

“It was an awesome experience, it was great to be around those NHL guys and kind of see how they handle themselves at the rink and whatnot,” Warm said. “Just being around the NHL guys and seeing how hard they work and how much more they work out and everything they put into it, it’s good to see.”

Warm’s stay with Vegas extended a few days into main camp before being sent back to Edmonton. The few days skating with established NHL players gave Warm a good indication of what the expansion franchise means to the city.

“You can tell the city of Las Vegas is really excited about having a team,” he said. “Everywhere you look, there are Golden Knights hats and T-shirts, and all the practices at camp, the rink was filled. It was just a practice facility, but there were tons of people coming to all the skates we had, so it was cool to see.”

Back with the Oil Kings, the two are looking to build on their experiences at NHL camps. Both Koch and Warm will be relied on heavily this season in continuation of a rebuild, which commenced midway through last season.

“I think the experience made me realize how much further I have to go before I’m at that level,” Warm said. “It showed me how hard I still have to work and make sure I’m coming to the rink every day, working hard and getting better every single day.”

Koch hopes to continue developing offensively this season after breaking out last year. He had an 47-point improvement and picked up some of the slack after captain Aaron Irving and sniper Lane Bauer were traded away.

“In major junior hockey, you look at your 19- and 20-year-olds and it’s your time to shine in the league,” said Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton. “Davis is a guy who was gone for a few weeks with the Oilers through pre-season and we had a chance to look at some other guys, but he came back and we saw the instant difference he made in our lineup.”

Oil Kings release overage players

The Oil Kings have released 20-year-olds forwards Adam Berg and Jesse Roach, leaving winger Colton Kehler and goaltender Travis Child as their overage players.

Berg had five goals and 18 points in 61 games for the Oil Kings last season, while Roach had two goals and four points.

The move opens a 20-year-old spot for the Oil Kings heading into the season.

“I think that move perhaps offers (GM) Randy (Hansch) some flexibility going forward,” Hamilton said. “But a lot of it had to do with us just making sure we have opportunity for our players that are a little bit younger. One of the hardest things in the league is being a 20 or being a 16. Being a 16, it’s hard to crack into the league, and as 20-year-olds, you’re limited by numbers, and in this particular case, we felt we needed to expand the role of some of our 17-, 18-, 19-year-old players. That was probably the reasoning behind it.”



Jokinen could be another all-purpose player for Oilers

BY JIM MATHESON

When Mark Letestu looks at Jussi Jokinen, what does he see?

“A left-handed version of me,” the Edmonton Oilers’ multi-purpose forward said with a laugh.

So twins, then. If not by birth, then by circumstance.

Jokinen scored a power-play goal and two assists, killed penalties and had five shots in his first game with the Oilers on Wednesday, a pre-season tilt against the Winnipeg Jets, who trotted out 75 percent of their NHL roster, including five of their top six defencemen and top two lines. The hosts were schooled by the Oilers in a 4-1 Edmonton win.

“Jussi’s good in the shootout, can play in all situations … when you watch him, it screams 'heady player,'” said Letestu, promoting Jokinen’s as a teammate but also sounding like a coach, which is what Letestu's current bench boss, Todd McLellan says, he’ll be some day if he wants to go that route.

The off-season signing of Jokinen got lost in the shuffle after the free-agency frenzy of July 1, and much was made — maybe too much — of the storyline that the older Finn was signed to mentor his teenaged countryman Jesse Puljujarvi because Jokinen co-owns the Karpat team Puljujarvi played on.

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“I’m 99 per cent here to help this team and one percent to help Jesse," Jokinen said the day of Oilers fitness and medical assessments.

"When I was a young player coming into the league, I had Jere Lehtinen in my room (with the Dallas Stars) but that’s how it goes," he said. "Older players help younger players. I hope I can help Jesse reach his potential."

But No. 36 is looking out for No. 1 first. An honest answer from a no-frills guy who’s played 891 NHL games.

Again, Letestu sees an accomplished, low-maintenance pro joining a team on the rise, a team with twin offensive peaks in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and a good many other supporting players that came close to making the Western Conference final last spring.

Jokinen knows his way around the rink, without GPS, without directions from the coach. He’s not going to bring you out of your seat with his speed or his banging ability or his shot, but he looks like he’ll be a very useful, multi-purpose piece.

“Really smart player … he’s already integrating himself into our team talking about strategies, a very good piece for us,” said Letestu, sounding like a campaign manager.

Nothing wrong with that. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who will likely centre for the left-winger Jokinen and Puljujarvi or somebody else on the right side, is equally effusive about the 34-year-old.

Jussi Jokinen speaks to reporters during Edmonton Oilers medicals at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017.

“I sure like playing with him … lots of experience, lots of years in this league,” said Nugent-Hopkins. “I find we’re a little similar with the style we play, actually. He’s responsible, but looking at his point totals, obviously he can get it done there, too. I believe he’ll be a good leader for us.”

Ever the professional, Jokinen asked the media to wait until he put on an Oilers’ ball-cap for an interview after Wednesday night’s game. He’s worn a lot of hats in his NHL career, starting in Dallas, stopp;ing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Florida Panthers and now with the Oilers. He did miss one day of camp last weekend because McLellan says but he was sore. It wasn't because he's aging.

“Last year in Florida, I felt young because Jagr was 11 years older than me,” Jokinen said with a chuckle. “Now, here it’s the first time I am the oldest guy on a team, but at 34, I have lots of years left. Apart from last year (69 games), I haven’t missed many games. I take pride that I can stay healthy.”

Jokinen’s role on the team isn’t easy to define because he’s played all three forward positions, has long played both side of special teams and is a career 53.7 per cent on 3,800 face-offs.

Every coach loves players who can move around a lineup card, of course.

Letestu’s like that, and now, McLellan has Jokinen in his lineup, too.

“What I like about Jussi is he knows who he is,” said McLellan. "He knows how to play with his skill-set and he’s positionally sound…he’s not going to win the Kentucky Derby with his speed but somehow he’ll find a way to be in the race."

THIS 'N' THAT: The five-foot-eight, 154-pound Kailer Yamamoto found himself standing between six-foot-eight Tyler Myers and the six-foot-five Dustin Byfuglien in front of the net on one Oilers power play Wednesday. At that point, Yamamoto looked up, way up, and probably said 'OK, I know I’m in the NHL now.' ... Oilers winger Zack Kassian took a puck off his hand early in the game but soldiered on, setting up Jujhar Khaira for a goal. “Took the shot in the palm,” said Kassian … Ex-Oiler Josh Green will be doing some TSN colour commentary for Jets TV with Shane Hnidy

moving to Vegas to fill the same role for the Golden Knights. Green finished up his pro career with four years in Finland.


1074785 Minnesota Wild

Carson Soucy makes his case for Wild

By Rachel Blount SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 — 12:31AM

Carson Soucy got a bit of a flashback Wednesday, when he ran into some old friends. Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin and winger Karson Kuhlman were at Xcel Energy Center for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s preseason news conference, giving Soucy — a former Bulldog — a chance to catch up.

As nice as it was, Soucy’s mind has turned firmly to his future with the Wild. The 6-4, 212-pound defenseman has played both preseason games, catching the eye of Wild coach Bruce Boudreau with his physical play and the strides he has made in his short time as a pro. Though Boudreau said Soucy “is going to need time’’ to adapt to the NHL game and will likely start the season with the team’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, he is excited at what the big defenseman could become.

A native of Viking, Alberta, Soucy was a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NHL draft and played four seasons at UMD.

“He’s a first-year guy, and defense is an awful hard position to come in as a first-year guy,’’ Boudreau said. “I think he’s going to need games in the American League. But he’s definitely a high prospect.’’

The competition for the final roster spots on defense is deep, but Soucy believes he can lend some muscle, energetic defense and quickness on breakouts.

“You want to try to make a lasting impression,’’ he said. “I’ve got to play the best I can in these exhibition games. And if I get sent down, make the best of that, play my minutes and keep working on what the coaches have to say.’’

Star Tribune LOADED: 09.22.2017


Wild's Zach Parise is cleared to begin practicing with team

By Rachel Blount Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 — 12:26AM

As pleased as Bruce Boudreau was with Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Winnipeg at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild coach got an even bigger lift when Zach Parise was cleared to practice Friday.

Parise has been dealing with a back injury since training camp started a week ago. The winger has yet to participate in any practices and has instead been skating before or after the team sessions. Parise’s workouts have become more intensive this week, and he got the go-ahead to dive into a full practice after speaking to his doctors Thursday.

“I think he’s feeling better,’’ Boudreau said. “It’s still a day-to-day type thing. But from my reports, he’s skating good on his own, and he can’t wait to join the group.’’

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About the victory

The Wild moved to 2-0 during preseason play, thanks to its strong defensive performance in its victory over the Jets. Jared Spurgeon scored the game’s only goal at 9 minutes, 20 seconds of the second period, and goaltender Alex Stalock stopped all 21 shots he faced.

Stalock, the top candidate to back up regular goalie Devan Dubnyk, praised his teammates for keeping many shots to the outside and helping him see the puck well. Marcus Foligno had eight hits as the Wild outhit Winnipeg 25-17. The Jets, using a lineup heavy with young players, also lost to the Wild on Monday in a shootout.

Making his case

Carson Soucy got a bit of a flashback Wednesday, when he ran into some old friends. Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin and winger Karson Kuhlman were at Xcel Energy Center for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s preseason news conference, giving Soucy — a former Bulldog — a chance to catch up.

As nice as it was, Soucy’s mind has turned firmly to his future with the Wild. The 6-4, 212-pound defenseman has played both preseason games, catching the eye of Boudreau with his physical play and the strides he has made in his short time as a pro. Though Boudreau said Soucy “is going to need time’’ to adapt to the NHL game and will likely start the season with the team’s AHL affiliate in Iowa, he is excited at what the big defenseman could become.

A native of Viking, Alberta, Soucy was a fifth-round pick in the 2013 NHL draft and played four seasons at UMD.

“He’s a first-year guy, and defense is an awful hard position to come in as a first-year guy,’’ Boudreau said. “I think he’s going to need games in the American League. But he’s definitely a high prospect.’’

The competition for the final roster spots on defense is deep, but Soucy believes he can lend some muscle, energetic defense and quickness on breakouts.

“You want to try to make a lasting impression,’’ he said. “I’ve got to play the best I can in these exhibition games. And if I get sent down, make the best of that, play my minutes and keep working on what the coaches have to say.’’

Singer search

The national anthem was sung Thursday by former NFL tight end Ben Utecht. The Hastings native and former Gopher also did the “Let’s Play Hockey’’ chant with his extended family.

Utecht and Francine Roche, who handled the Canadian national anthem, filled in at a position that remains empty after the departure of longtime anthem maestro James Bohn. He announced in August that he was giving up the gig he held since the 2010-11 season in order to devote more time to his family and to traveling. Wild officials plan to hire another permanent voice, but no decision has been made.

Finn-tastic

Finland’s president, Sauli Niinisto, did a ceremonial pregame puck drop with the Wild’s Matt Cullen and Jets forward Matt Hendricks, a Blaine native who played at St. Cloud State. Niinisto wore a No. 17 Wild jersey and got loud applause from the crowd, which might have included some folks with ties to the country. Minnesota has the largest percentage of residents with Finnish ancestry of any state in the U.S.



Wild tops Winnipeg 1-0 in preseason home opener

By Staff reports SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 — 12:27AM

Jared Spurgeon’s goal at nine minutes, 20 seconds of the second period gave the Wild a 1-0 victory over Winnipeg on Thursday, pushing its preseason record to 2-0.

The Wild kept Winnipeg in check with physical play, registering a 25-16 edge in hits against a Jets lineup heavy with young players. Goaltender Alex Stalock, the top candidate to back up Devan Dubnyk, stopped all 21 shots he faced.

"Our goalies are playing awesome so that definitely helps," forward Charlie Coyle said after the game. "I think there's some things we still need to work on structure-wise."



Will Zach Parise start practicing with the Wild soon?

By Rachel Blount SEPTEMBER 21, 2017 — 11:50AM

Zach Parise still didn’t join his teammates on the ice Thursday morning at Xcel Energy Center. But Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said the winger is getting closer to participating in practice for the first time since training camp began last Friday.

Boudreau said Parise, slowed by a back injury, was “looking to talk to the doctors tonight’’ about beginning practice. “I think he’s feeling better,’’ Boudreau said. “It’s still a day-to-day type thing, but from my reports, he’s skating good on his own, and he can’t wait to join the group.’’

The group of players not in the lineup for tonight’s home game against Winnipeg held a practice Thursday morning, before the pregame skate for those who are playing. Those getting a second look after playing Monday’s preseason opener in Winnipeg include defensemen Carson Soucy and Ryan Murphy, forwards Charlie Coyle, Marcus Foligno, Luke Kunin, Daniel Winnik, Zack Mitchell and Tyler Ennis; and goalie Niklas Svedberg.

Regulars who will play for the first time this preseason include Matt Cullen, Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Matt Dumba, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon.

Soucy, the former Minnesota Duluth defenseman, looked strong and poised in his debut Monday. Boudreau likes what he’s seen from the 6-4, 212-pound prospect, though he plans for Soucy to hone his game in Iowa before seeing time with the Wild.

“Carson Soucy has improved,’’ Boudreau said. “He’s going to need time. He’s a first-year guy, and defense is an awful hard position to come in as a first-year guy. So I think he’s going to need games in the American League. But he’s definitely a high prospect.’’

Murphy hasn’t generated as much chatter as others contending for spots on the blue line, such as Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson. But Boudreau wants to give him a good look in camp. Murphy was chosen 12th overall by Carolina in the 2011 NHL draft but has struggled to establish himself as an everyday NHL defenseman.

“Murph is sort of flying under the radar right now, because everybody else is getting the attention,’’ Boudreau said. “I thought he played a pretty good game in Winnipeg. He’s going to get the opportunity to play a few

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more games, just to see where he stands and stacks up against these guys.’’

Alex Stalock, the leading contender in the No. 2 goaltender race, is expected to start tonight.



Wild’s Zach Parise expected to practice with team on Friday

By DANE MIZUTANI

After missing the first week of training camp, star winger Zach Parise is expected to be on the ice with his teammates on Friday.

“He’s going to skate with us tomorrow,” coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed after the Wild earned a 1-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center.

Parise has been held out of practices since tweaking his back. That said, he has been working out with skating coach Andy Ness before and after practices

Asked last week why the team was being so cautious with Parise, Boudreau responded, “I want everybody to be ready on Game 1 of the regular season.

“It’s great that we have seven preseason games to get everybody looked at,” Boudreau added. “As long as we’re ready for Game 1, that’s all that matters. If somebody has to take a day or two off of the preseason skates, then so be it.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.22.2017


Wild earn 1-0 win over Jets in second game of preseason

By DANE MIZUTANI | September 21, 2017 at 10:16 PM

Yes, the Minnesota Wild looked at little shaky at times. Yes, the Winnipeg Jets brought their B team to town. Yes, it’s the preseason, so the results don’t matter.

At the end of the day, though, the Wild are still undefeated after a 1-0 win over the Jets on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center.

“A real barn burner,” coach Bruce Boudreau joked afterward.

Asked earlier this week how he wants his teams to approach preseason games, Boudreau responded, “We just want to play the right way. If we play the right way, then I’ll be happy.”

Well, his team played the right way for most of the contest with Jared Spurgeon tallying the only goal in the win.

Alex Stalock, meanwhile, started his campaign for the backup goaltender job with a 21-save shutout. He said it was good to come out and play well after having the entire day to think about it.

“You have time to sit at home and wonder, ‘Well, how it’s going to go tonight?’” Stalock said. It’s the first real action after all the summer

hockey. … Obviously, coming into tonight, I just wanted to work and be consistent, be simple, simple is a big thing, and I felt like I did that.”

Stalock was also aggressive in how he played the puck throughout the night, something that’s become a calling card for him over the course of his career.

“He’s so good at playing the puck,” Spurgeon said. “It makes it easier on a defenseman to go back. We can peel out to the corners and he can make a play. He played great out there. He was very vocal. And on the times that he had to, he came up big.”

Boudreau was also impressed with how Stalock played the puck and said that style of play could be beneficial for the Wild this season, especially considering they’ve tweaked the neutral zone with the goal of being more aggressive.

“You saw how many pucks ended up rolling into our zone and he had to go out and get them,” Boudreau said. “So the way that we’re playing … it’s something good for the goalie to be able to do.”

As for the game itself, it looked very much like a preseason game with neither team able to establish a rhythm despite the referees swallowing their whistles.

Spurgeon finally gave his team a 1-0 lead midway through the second period, burying a beautiful touch pass from Charlie Coyle.

That was more than enough for Stalock, who really buckled down in the third period, bailing the Wild a handful of times with the Jets consistently applying the pressure.

“Our goalies are playing awesome,” said Coyle, who has played in both preseason games so far. “That definitely helps when there are breakdowns. I think there are still some things we need to work on structure-wise. That is what exhibition games are for. I think it’s good to still come out with a win.”



Wild report: Under-the-radar Carson Soucy still chasing blue line spot

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: September 21, 2017

As a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman, Carson Soucy has rarely flown under the radar. He was consistently a focal point for opponents throughout his four-year career with Minnesota Duluth, and down the road, figures to be a major part of the Wild blue line.

Nearly a week into training camp, however, Soucy is almost an afterthought.

With roster battles are heating up, it has become something of a forgone conclusion that either Gustav Olofsson or Mike Reilly will fill the final open blue line spot. But Soucy is trying his best to prove he deserves a closer look.

Asked about the ongoing competition, Soucy responded, “It’s good. You wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Soucy brought a physical presence to Monday’s preseason opener against the Winnipeg Jets and was slated to be back in the lineup for Thursday’s rematch at the Xcel Energy Center.

“It’s good to get these games in,” Soucy said. “You want to try to make a lasting impression.”

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Soucy added it’s probably good he’s already gotten his “welcome to the NHL” moment out of the way as he works to make the team.

“I think my first shift was against a pretty touted line of (Mark) Scheifele and (Patrik) Laine and (Blake) Wheeler, so that’s kind of welcoming right there,” Soucy said. “They played a good lineup, so that’s as welcome as I’m going to get playing against those guys.”

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau has spoken highly of Soucy throughout training camp, though he isn’t exactly convinced he’s ready for NHL yet.

“He is going to need time,” said Boudreau, who’s long emphasized that it can take about 200 games for a player to really get used to playing on an NHL blue line. “You know, he’s a first-year guy, and defenseman is an awful hard position to come in and play as a first-year guy. I think he’s going to need games in the American League.”

Soucy, meanwhile, still has goals of making the team out of training camp. Even if it’s a long shot.

“I’ve got to try my best to play the best I can,” Soucy said. “If I get sent down, then I’ll make the best of that, and play my minutes down there, and keep working.”

BACKUP GOALTENDER BATTLE

Alex Stalock was scheduled to get the start between the pipes Thursday, and knows he has something to prove after seeing how competition Niklas Svedberg and Steve Michalek played in a 3-2 victory Monday night.

“Every time they get on the ice, whether it’s a practice, a pregame skate, or a game, they’re giving it everything they have because they know there’s an opportunity,” Stalock said. “Obviously, tonight it’s my turn to go in there and hopefully keep it going and give the team a chance to win.”

Stalock entered camp as the favorite to back up Devan Dubnyk this season, but Boudreau said, “It would have had to open his eyes to see the goaltending efforts the other night. And I’m sure he’ll come in well prepared to show how good he is tonight.”

PARISE IMPROVING

Zach Parise has been skating on his own before and after practices because of a back issue but it appears he could be practicing with the rest of his teammates in the very near future.

“I think he’s looking to talk to the doctors tonight to see if he can start practicing with the team,” Boudreau said. “I think he’s feeling better.”

Boudreau still classified Parise as day-to-day.

“You know, from my reports, he’s skating good on his own,” Boudreau said. “He can’t wait to join the group.”


1074869 Washington Capitals

A running list of cuts from Washington Capitals training camp

By Isabelle Khurshudyan September 21 at 4:05 PM

The Capitals started training camp with 65 players and 20 days to whittle down the roster to no more than 23. On Thursday, Washington returned 11 players back to their respective clubs and the team also released goalie Adam Morrison from his professional tryout with the team.

None of the cuts were surprising, though of the players sent home, Coach Barry Trotz seemed especially impressed with how 2016 draft picks Garrett Pilon and Beck Malenstyn played in their preseason games. Both return to their Canadian junior teams.

Washington now has a 53-man roster and another round of cuts is expected this weekend. This list will update as the Capitals continue to trim their training camp.

Here’s who has been cut from camp:

F Kevin Elgestal

F Garrett Pilon

F Beck Malenstyn

F Damien Riat

F Kristian Marthinsen

F Robbie Baillargeon

F Jimmy DeVito

F Mark Simpson

F Tanner Jeannot

F Brendan Semchuk

D Dmitri Zaitsev

G Adam Morrison

Washington Post LOADED: 09.22.2017


Capitals Coach Barry Trotz wants to see Alex Ovechkin eliminate slashing penalties

By Isabelle Khurshudyan September 21 at 1:55 PM

MONTREAL — Before the puck dropped to start the third period at Bell Centre on Wednesday night, Alex Ovechkin was talking with two referees on the ice. Both sides had their say, and then Ovechkin returned to the penalty box to finish serving his second slashing penalty of the game.

“I asked them, ‘You can’t even hit the guy any more?’ They said no,” Ovechkin said.

As the NHL cracks down on slashing and faceoff violations, players have struggled to stay out of the penalty box during the preseason. These first few exhibition games have been largely unwatchable with clubs just alternating between special teams. Evaluating NHL hopefuls has been challenging with so little even-strength time. In the Capitals’ game at New Jersey on Monday night, 20 penalties were called. On Wednesday night in Montreal, Washington had just one faceoff violation as centers seem to have made adjustments, but of the game’s 13 penalties, four of them were slashes by Washington.

Some have their doubts officials will continue these uber-strict standards, but the league is using exhibition games to get players accustomed to how it intends to call games during the regular season. That means Ovechkin will have to be more mindful of his stick if he wants to stay out of the penalty box.

“Too many slashing penalties,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said after the team’s 4-2 win in Montreal. “Ovi took two. We’ve got to get that out of his game.”

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Ovechkin was second on the team in minor penalties last season with 25, and 10 of those were for slashing. After he had a stretch of five infractions in three games last season, Trotz called the captain’s time in the penalty box “unacceptable.”

After an NHL board of governors meeting in June, Commissioner Gary Bettman warned the league would look to enforce slashing penalties more this year. Ottawa’s Marc Methot and Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau were two high-profile examples of players missing time with hand injuries from slashes. In Wednesday preseason slate alone, 40 slashing minors were called across nine games.

“I hope it’s not going to be like that in the regular year,” Ovechkin said.

“In past years, I think they’ve given players a bit of leeway with that and there was sometimes maybe a bit of a gray zone,” center Lars Eller said on Monday night. “Now, as soon as your stick is off the ice and you touch the other players’ stick or hands, it was zero tolerance.”



Whoops: Caps prospect jumps into Canadiens’ bench after intermission

By Scott Allen September 21 at 11:12 AM

Capitals Coach Barry Trotz was happy with the play of his team’s young prospects during Wednesday’s preseason game in Montreal.

“All the kids were okay,” Trotz said after Washington’s 4-2 win at Bell Centre, which included a power-play goal by 21-year-old Jakub Vrana. “They had their moments.”

Some of those moments were funnier than others. Before the start of the second period, CSN’s cameras caught 20-year-old Capitals defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler climbing over the boards and into the Canadiens’ bench.

“Uh, Jonas, maybe the other bench,” Capitals play-by-play man Joe Beninati cracked. “Jonas? Jonas, it’s the other bench.”

“Maybe he thinks you change benches after every period,” analyst Craig Laughlin replied.

Vrana and Capitals forward Tom Wilson also got a kick out of Siegenthaler’s goof.

“Sometimes you just have to send a message to the other team and take their bench,” Wilson tweeted.



Capitals trim 11 players from training camp roster in first round of cuts

By Tarik El-Bashir September 21, 2017 5:20 PM

To start Thompson in your Fantasy league this week or not?

The Capitals made their first round of roster cuts on Thursday, trimming 11 players ahead of their back-to-back preseason games against the Blues and Hurricanes.

Among the youngsters who were returned to their respective clubs: forwards Robbie Baillargeon, Tanner Jeannot, Brendan Semchuk, Mark Simpson, Jimmy DeVito, Damien Riat, Kristian Marthinsen, Beck Malenstyn, Garrett Pilon as well as defenseman Dmitri Zaitsev and goalie Adam Morrison.

Forward Kevin Elgestal, meanwhile, was returned to his European team on Wednesday.

A week into training camp, Washington’s roster now stands at 53—30 forwards, 17 defensemen and 6 goalies. That means 30 more players will be cut or reassigned as the team gets down to the roster maximum of 23.

Coach Barry Trotz said earlier this week that a second round of cuts could come over the weekend.

None of the Friday cuts qualify as a surprise; Pilon, Riat and Malenstyn—all 2016 draft picks—appeared in a preseason game before being released back to their clubs.

The Caps were off on Thursday. They return to the ice Friday for a morning skate at 10 a.m. (for players suiting up against St. Louis) and 11:15 a.m. (for players who aren’t).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.22.2017


Projecting the Caps' roster after the first week of training camp

By J.J. Regan September 21, 2017 7:00 AM

To start Thompson in your Fantasy league this week or not?

The Capitals are one week into training camp with two preseason games already in the rearview mirror. The roster battles are coming into focus and some players are already staking their claims.

So what will the final roster ultimately look like on opening day? Here's a projection based on what we have seen and heard through the first week:

Forwards (14)

Andre Burakovsky - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie

Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Jakub Vrana

Brett Connolly - Lars Eller - Tom Wilson

Nathan Walker - Jay Beagle - Alex Chiasson

Anthony Peluso - Devante Smith-Pelly

Defensemen (7)

Dmitry Orlov - Matt Niskanen

Aaron Ness - John Carlson

Brooks Orpik - Madison Bowey

Taylor Chorney

Goalies (2)

Braden Holtby

Philipp Grubauer

Notes:

According to Cap Friendly, this roster would put the Caps $40,000 over the salary cap. My caveat is that the salary cap is so complex that no one

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really knows exactly what a team's salary number is except for the team and the NHL. Cap Friendly is an incredibly useful tool, but it is a projection. A difference of $40,000 is well within the margin of error I consider to be realistic. for the Caps to make this roster fit under the cap.

If the Caps can't make this work, don't be surprised to see them start with 22 players.

Peluso is not talked about all that much, but the team needs Wilson to focus on his offense and not fighting. They need someone else to take that responsibility from his shoulders. Peluso may spend more time in Washington than you may think, even if he spends more games in the press box than on the ice.

Chiasson played well in Washington's first preseason game and his versatility makes him attractive to Washington. In a pinch, he could play on the third line, perhaps even the second if needed. The only way it can really work in Washington, however, is if he agrees to sign for a league minimum $650,000 which you would think is certainly doable. He was without a job a few weeks ago, is he really going to haggle over price?

Christian Djoos did not play particularly well in the team's first preseason game and given his size, the team will not simply give him a spot because they have a hole in the lineup. As of now, I would predict the Caps will send Djoos back to the AHL and hope his size will dissuade any potential poachers form snagging him. If he hopes to make the NHL roster, he needs to make an impactt with his next opportunity or he will almost certainly be back in the AHL.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.22.2017

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ESPN / How defensemen became the NHL's most valuable asset

3:09 PM BST

Tal Pinchevsky

It really all started June 29, 2016, when the Edmonton Oilers dealt All-Star Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson, who had barely established himself since being drafted fourth overall in 2011. Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli was mostly savaged for the trade, which was immediately overshadowed by the blockbuster deal the same day that swapped franchise defensemen P.K. Subban and Shea Weber.

A year later, between Subban and the Nashville Predators' run to the Stanley Cup Final and the Vegas Golden Knights' stockpiling blueliners in the expansion draft, defensemen have never been more valuable. If you want to acquire even a serviceable D-man, it'll cost you.

"I don't know if it's just the way that the league is going or the style of play that teams are having success with, but defensemen are at a premium," Hall said. "You have to draft them. If not, then you have to give up good players to get them."

Perhaps no player understands that better than the left winger, who was the first-overall pick in 2010.

"In Edmonton, for so long we needed defensemen. It was very obvious. Then I get to New Jersey, and what do we need? We need defensemen," Hall said. "Right now defensemen are certainly hard to find."

Los Angeles Kings star defenseman Drew Doughty talked to Tencent about what he wants to do in China, his advice to budding Chinese defensemen and ... being pals with Kobe Bryant?

Getting briefly benched in 2016 was a wakeup call for Seth Jones. Since then, the Blue Jackets' young blueliner has put the league on notice, establishing himself as Columbus' top defenseman and an All-Star advocate for diversifying his sport.

Big Question: What rule would you change?

Reinstate the red line. Quicken coaches' challenges. Expand the ice ... or the nets. NHL players had lots of ideas on how to improve the game. But the most common -- and impassioned -- suggestion we heard was about rectifying a missed Olympic opportunity.

After losing the 2004-05 season to a work stoppage, the league took the opportunity to institute several rule changes -- most notably allowing two-line passes and cracking down on obstruction -- designed to open up the game and revive offenses. The game has gotten faster, and one thing has become abundantly clear: defensemen must be able to skate.

Since so many of the league's most dynamic players now occupy spots on the blue line, every team is looking for an elite defenseman. Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns and Drew Doughty have established themselves as franchise players by becoming the engines that drive their respective teams' offense from the back end. Any defenseman capable of making a swift tape-to-tape pass out of his own zone might have a place in the NHL.

When it came to defensemen driving the attack, the Predators' fleet-footed quartet of Subban, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis and Mattias Ekholm proved crucial in Nashville's run to the Stanley Cup Final, in which it lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. When those four generated offense, the Predators won. In fact, the Preds went 5-0 in the postseason when they got goals from Josi, who was named on Sept. 19 to replace Mike Fisher as the team's captain.

"To have somebody that can help you get out of the zone, that's a big plus. A guy who has two guys coming at him and he still gets the puck out and on the tape -- not just distributing on the boards," said veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who won three Stanley Cup with the Penguins before the Golden Knights made him their first expansion draft pick. "When you have guys like that, it can get it out of your zone quickly. The transition is so much easier, and you have more puck possession also, which leads to more goals."

Fleury has witnessed firsthand the evolution of NHL defensemen. He backstopped the Penguins to a championship in 2009 alongside the defensive pair of Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill. Although the shutdown duo was typically matched against opposing teams' best offensive players, Scuderi and Gill weren't exactly known for their balletic skating stride. Pittsburgh relied instead on their keen defensive minds, toughness and stickwork.

Championship bonafides notwithstanding, the Scuderi-Gill combo represents where the game used to be.

"I think it has changed. Don't get me wrong: I love Scuds, I love Hal. They're awesome, and they played the best guys on the other team," Fleury said. "They were our shutdown guys. But maybe the game is a little quicker and more about skating now."

Mere weeks after Pittsburgh beat the Predators in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, the Golden Knights set the market for defensemen in the expansion draft. With limited assets to work with, Vegas general manager George McPhee identified defensemen as his ultimate bargaining chip.

McPhee, who was required to select a minimum of nine defensemen, picked 13 before quickly trading away four for draft picks.

When the NHL draft rolled around the next weekend, it became apparent that the age of the hulking intimidator on the blue line had come and gone. Of the nine defensemen picked in the first round, five measured 6-feet or shorter.

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Free agency kicked off days later. Its prime target: puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed a four-year, $26.6 million contract with the New York Rangers.

"It seems like if you can't skate, you can't play. Now everyone needs to move the puck and support the offense. You can't just have guys backing up and playing defense and blocking shots," Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask said. "That's where a lot of the offense starts from nowadays. You have to have those puck-moving D-men who give you the first pass and then join the rush."

The new emphasis on mobile defensemen isn't just introducing a new challenge for general managers. It's also creating careers for players who wouldn't have been considered pro prospects just a few years ago. Such is the case with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev. A 19-year-old nonentity among scouts when he arrived at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009, Tanev was undrafted, unheralded and mostly unwanted. In 2015, less than five years after being discovered by Vancouver, Tanev established himself as a fixture on the Canucks blue line by signing a five-year, $22.25 million contract extension.

"I don't think anyone knew who I was. I was planning on going to school for four years and graduating and doing my thing after that. I was going to school for finance. I'd probably be in accounting or in finance somewhere," Tanev said. "The game changed a bit, where there's less clutching and grabbing and hooking and holding. You have guys who are mobile out there and can pivot and turn. That definitely played a huge role in me being discovered. If the game was played the way it was in the '90s, I probably would have never been found at all."

ESPN LOADED: 09.22.2017

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The Athletic / Mirtle: A closer look at the NHL's investigation into Joffrey Lupul's health status

James Mirtle

7 hours ago

The NHL head office has apparently heard enough about Robidas Island in Toronto.

After years of rumours about the Maple Leafs and exaggerated injuries, the league is investigating the medical status of Joffrey Lupul, who hasn't appeared in a Leafs uniform since February of 2016.

Under strange circumstances, Leafs management stated that Lupul failed physicals both last September and then again earlier this month. But on the weekend, Lupul disputed that claim in comments made on Instagram. (He later deleted those posts.)

There's been something fishy about Lupul's situation the whole time, something I did my best to document here earlier this week. Now that the league is involved, we might get more answers.

Emphasis on might.

Here's what we know about the independent review that will take place:

Lupul isn't considered at fault here. This investigation is about whether the league believes the Leafs have misused the system by declaring a healthy player injured in order to get around the roster limit or salary cap. “Essentially it's a safeguard in the CBA to make sure long-term injured reserve is not abused by the clubs,” one source said.

The league initiated this process. I'm told that this wasn't a result of other teams complaining but directly because the league saw the allegations from Lupul on Instagram.

This isn't the first time this has happened. One source called these medical reviews “common,” although it's unclear what exactly that means. (Other sources disputed that these medical reviews happen regularly.) What's interesting is that two are happening at the same time this year: One with Lupul and another with Marian Hossa in Chicago. With Hossa's case, a lot of other teams complained the Blackhawks were getting cap relief.

These reviews are supposed to be completed before the season starts, so we should have more answers within the next 12 days.

(The Leafs declined comment on the situation on Thursday night.)

All this said, I'm told that even if the independent doctor rules there is something off with the medicals that doesn't mean either player will necessarily return to the roster. What it could mean is that the team won't be permitted to use long-term injured reserve to get cap relief from these contracts.

At the moment, the Leafs can easily become cap compliant even with Lupul's full contract on the books. Obviously that isn't ideal — having $5.25 million in dead cap space instead of a pile of money to spend during the year — but it doesn't sound like there will be more ramifications than that from this review.

That could change if Lupul decides to pursue the issue. But he already said on Twitter that he doesn't intend to seek a second opinion on his medical. Which is a good thing given the deadline to do so has already passed.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.22.2017

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The Athletic / Duhatschek: Travis Hamonic brings all the qualities Flames were looking for to Calgary

Eric Duhatschek

13 hours ago

There are many ways to ponder Travis Hamonic’s value and importance to the Calgary Flames this coming season, but let’s start with the most basic one — and the one that most affects his on-ice performance — good health. Hamonic had an onwards-and-upwards trajectory to his career with the New York Islanders until last year, when a series of injuries limited him to 49 games and undermined the way he played even on the nights he was in the lineup.

Hamonic’s injuries, he will tell you, were a little unlucky. Twice he broke bones in his hand. One came as a result of a fight with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Dale Weise late in March; the other, blocking a shot from the Edmonton Oilers’ Patrick Maroon 12 games into the season.

Accordingly, when the matter of his recovery came up the other day — and inquiring minds wondered what he might do to stay well in his first year with Calgary, Hamonic had a ready quip: “Drink more milk.”

Touché. Calcium may well contribute to stronger bones, and curiously, part of what made Hamonic so attractive to the Flames was his genuine overall wholesomeness, a quality you tend to associate with milk drinkers.

Quantifying just what being an exceptional human being means to on-ice success is problematic, but the general rule of thumb in any team sport is

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this: If you have good people, all working together toward the same goals, then your chances of succeeding are far better than if you assemble a collection of me-first guys, intent on padding stats, but caring less, or little, about wins.

It isn’t the only reason why you trade a first- and two second-round draft choices to acquire a player, but it is a factor in the equation.

“If we put enough great people together, I’ll take my chances with them,” said Flames’ general manager Brad Treliving, who made the deal to acquire Hamonic in June. “Everybody says character counts, but I really believe that. If you get enough people who really care and are elite character people, you give yourself a better chance. This is a player we felt fit with our playing style, but we also think is a really good person. There was a method to the madness.”

Much about Hamonic’s back story is well known to hockey fans, thanks to an ESPN2 documentary titled In the Name of The Father that ran as part of the network's E:60 feature. It tells how Hamonic, as the youngest of three children growing up in the farm community of St. Melo, Man., lost his father, Gerald, to a heart attack when he was 10 and dad just 44. How, after he turned pro, Hamonic started a program in Long Island called D-Partner, in which he hosted – and counselled – children who found themselves in a similar situation – losing a parent at a too-young age. Last year, the NHL honored Hamonic for his work with the NHL Foundation player award, which annually goes to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the community. Hamonic’s new teammate, Mark Giordano, won the award the year before.

Treliving engineered the trade that brought Hamonic to Calgary by outbidding a number of other NHL suitors for his rights. Hamonic, 27, is entering the fifth year of a seven-year, $27 million contract he signed with the Islanders back in July 2013. It carries an attractive cap charge of $3.857 million, though the dollar value from here until the end of the contract’s term is $4.875 million.

Hamonic originally asked the Islanders to trade him to a team in Western Canada early in the 2015-16 season for family reasons, but rescinded the request when his family situation stabilized. Naturally, the Flames, as one of three Western Canadian teams, made an inquiry at that time, but couldn’t find a fit.

Part of that had to do with the Islanders, who were not in a position to trade a top-four defenceman because, while they had young defencemen coming through the system, none were ready to assume the minutes or responsibility needed to replace Hamonic. This spring, two years later, some of the players coming through the Islander pipeline are readier, which made general manager Garth Snow more willing to listen to overtures.

The Flames, meanwhile, were also better equipped to make the trade, because they had $5.5 million worth of Dennis Wideman’s contract coming off the books.

According to Treliving, after scanning the available market of top-four defencemen available through either trade or unrestricted free agency “you end up with a short, short list. Everyone’s looking for them – and usually the cost is significant. What we were trying to do was not move a young piece and create another hole on our team.

“You don’t like moving draft picks either, because you don’t feel it for a couple of years, but you eventually do. But with the reserve list we have and the nucleus of our team still being very young, we felt if we could get someone in the right age bracket that will be with us long term, that we would be prepared to spend that.

“And Travis was right at the top of the list.”

Complicating matters this year was the NHL expansion draft and the Islanders had a greater challenge figuring it out than most teams. In the end, they made a complicated deal with Vegas that cost them a first-rounder, but enabled them to dump the Mikhail Grabovski contract, which in turn permitted them to trade for Jordan Eberle. They had a lot of

moving pieces and in dealing Hamonic, they were able to recoup the first rounder they gave up to Vegas.

Like a lot of GMs when picking through a series of roughly comparable bids, Snow moved Hamonic outside of his own conference, where his presence can only come back to haunt the Islanders if they get to a Stanley Cup final. The deal made competitive sense and moving to Western Canada was also still Hamonic’s personal preference, which made it a good fit all around.

Hamonic and his wife Stephanie were at their summer cottage in Falcon Lake, Man., when they first learned about the trade on Twitter. Later, when the details were confirmed, they spent most of the next day listening to Paul Brandt’s version of Alberta Bound. Their collective enthusiasm hasn’t lessened any, now that training camp is underway and they’re settling into their new home.

“When the trade happened, we were beyond excited for numerous reasons,” Hamonic said. “Playing in a Canadian market, I’m really excited for the challenge – and truthfully, I’m grateful. Not every player gets to play in a market like this. I’m sure winning in a market like this, they’re can’t be anything better. That’s what I’m here to do and try to help.”

In the end, building a successful hockey team can be a little like solving a Rubik’s Cube. For Calgary, one of the big steps in getting the right pieces clicked into place was solidifying that second defence position. Nobody builds a team to match up against a single opponent, but if the path out of the Pacific Division eventually has to go through Edmonton during the Connor McDavid era, the Flames had better be armed with two effective defence pairs, because once the match-up game starts, one isn’t going to be enough. Hamonic understands that there will be nights when he and TJ Brodie, his new partner, do the heavy lifting against the opposition’s top line.

“I was always told, ‘try and find something you’re good at and try to be the best at it,’” said Hamonic. “Because if you’re playing with the best players in the world, you need a role and you try to be as good at that role as you can be. As my career progressed, I had a responsibility to play against some of the best players in the game every night and try to match up with them. That is something I took a lot of pride in doing.

“On every team, it’s different, but you come in and find a role and make yourself the best player you can be and ultimately that helps the team. It’s always about turning the page and progressing.”

Hamonic played half a season for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport during the 2012-13 NHL lockout, but has been a full-time NHLer ever since. Hamonic plays down last year’s injuries as a one-year aberration, noting: “A couple of those injuries, where you break your thumb, it’s fluke stuff. I feel I’m someone who comes back extremely strong from injury. You try and limit that from happening, but it’s a contact sport and things happen fast.”

The move to Calgary was the first time Hamonic’s been traded since 2009-10, when he went from Moose Jaw to Brandon for a WHL playoff run. Hamonic will acknowledge there is a learning curve as he adjusts to new surroundings, new teammates and a new system.

“You’re trying to build that chemistry and rapport away from the rink, so you’re extremely comfortable with one another – and that translates onto the ice,” he said. “Sometimes, it takes a practice. Sometimes, it takes a game. Sometimes it takes a week. Sometimes it takes a month. But you have some time to adjust and get familiar with one another and put your best foot forward as a pair, whoever you’re paired with.”


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The Athletic / Dellow: In terms of style and production, Hemsky a fit in Montreal

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Tyler Dellow 23 hours ago

Ales Hemsky always seemed like a Montreal Canadien to me. It's fitting that he finally ended up there and there's a reasonable chance that he ends up being a very good value signing for them this year.

Different cities love different types of players. For about twenty years, I was an Oilers fan. Edmonton's always loved the blue collar third/fourth liner. Ethan Moreau won the Oilers' fan vote for MVP in 2003-04 in a year in which he scored 20 goals, added 12 assists, fought six times and was just generally a very useful bottom six forward. There's nothing wrong with Moreau, who was a fine player at his peak but the MVP as selected by the fans? The coveted Zane Feldman Trophy? Ethan Moreau?

Toronto likes a little grease in a star. Doug Gilmour resonated there in a way that Mats Sundin, a superior player, never did. Philadelphia's similar, although their ideal player is perhaps a little more violent with fewer teeth.

Montreal's different. It's always seemed to have a unique appreciation for a player with some style. Guy Lafleur. Patrick Roy. Alexei Kovalev. P.K. Subban. Great players who looked great while they played.

Ales Hemsky won't be remembered as a great player (although he's been very good at 5-on-5 for much of his career, as we'll see) but he looks great doing what he does. Montrealers unfamiliar with Hemsky may find this video enlightening in that regard.

He's always had a sense of the moment, which is part of being one of those players who look great, although there weren't too many moments to sense after 2005-06 in Edmonton. The Oilers were life-and-death to make the playoffs in 2005-06 due to some spotty goaltending. He scored the goal with 35 seconds left in the 81st game that got them over the line. In the first round against Detroit, with Edmonton trailing 3-2 in the game and facing a game seven in Detroit against a much better team, he scored a pair of goals late to eliminate the Red Wings.

The next decade of Oilers hockey was somewhat big-moment free, but Hemsky departed in style. In his final game before the 2014 trade deadline, when everybody in Edmonton knew he was leaving, he scored a pair of goals against the Ottawa Senators, to whom he'd be traded the following day.

If Hemsky ends up being valuable for Montreal, it's unlikely that it will be due to his operation of a power play unit. Playing at 5-on-4 was never a particular strength of his, which is very much contrary to the public perception of him as a player. He's a fantastic example of something that's really important to understand about power plays – a player who gets a lot of points on a power play that doesn't score many goals isn't necessarily good at the power play. In Hemsky's case, the problem is pretty simple. When he's been on the power play, he's almost always been running it. He runs a plodding power play.

The best power plays generate great shots and plenty of them; power plays with Ales Hemsky on the ice generate great shots but with excruciating infrequency, something that hasn't really changed as his career progressed. He's an intriguing option as a bumper on PP1, but you wouldn't want him running it. Being in the middle of the ice would force him to move the puck quickly as the penalty killers closed on him and he's certainly deft enough with the puck to do it. It's a spot that would take advantage of his skill, while using the other team to impose a constraint on his taste for delay.

If Hemsky's going to pay off in a big way for the Canadiens, it will likely be at 5-on-5. Montreal was a pretty middling team in terms of scoring 5-on-5 goals last year, finishing 13th in the NHL with 2.3 GF/60. Hemsky played only 15 games last year, all for a Dallas Stars team that was out of contention, so it's hard to take much from his season. During his three years in Dallas though, the Stars scored 2.6 GF/60 when he was on the ice, which is very good if you're getting it from a third line player.

He did a lot of that with Radek Faksa and Antoine Roussell, which is kind of consistent with his career 5-on-5 production. When he's produced, it hasn't really been with highly skilled players. It's been with players who go in straight lines up and down the ice. It seems plausible to me that you can only have so many guys who need the puck on their stick before you run into diminishing returns.

If you look back over Hemsky's career at 5-on-5 in the NHL's data era, it divides neatly into three categories. In his age 24-27 seasons, which covered 2007-11, Hemsky's 5-on-5 production was outstanding by any standard. I could write a book about why the 2007-09 Oilers failed but it wasn't because of Hemsky.

This was followed by the 2011-14 window, up until his departure from the Oilers, which was a disaster for him. He looked like the same player but nothing happened when he was on the ice. It was incredibly difficult to figure out and his age 28-30 window was not at all what you'd have expected, given his production from age 24-27.

His brief period as a Senator in 2014 hinted that there was a still a player there, as the puck started going in when he was on the ice again. He did enough that the Dallas Stars signed him to a three-year, $12 million contract in the summer of 2014.

While Hemsky missed most of the 2016-17 season after hip surgery, his production after leaving Edmonton looks very much like what you'd expect from a player aged 31-33 who had produced the way that he did from age 24-27. It's not as good in terms of points – few players are – but it's still impressive.

There's just a weird, inexplicable three year crater in his production. His production in his age 31-33 window puts him amongst the 75th percentile or so for forwards playing at least 1,500 minutes between the ages of 31 and 33 since 2007-08. If he's healthy – and historically, he tends to be reasonably healthy provided that he isn't having major surgery – he still produces.

It's easy to look at Hemsky's point totals and kind of write him off as bottom-six filler at this point in his career. That misses that his point totals are low because he (quite sensibly) wasn't on Dallas' PP1 and spent most of his time outside of their top six forwards. All he did was drive a line at 5-on-5 that produced a reasonably high amount of offence in the time that he played. Montreal could use a player like that in their bottom six and if he's able to give them more than that, so much the better.

What does this mean for Montreal? I'm skeptical that Hemsky and Jonathan Drouin will work particularly well, something that Claude Julien is experimenting with in the early days of training camp. Moreover, it doesn't seem like a particularly good use of Hemsky's talents. Put him with two guys who can skate hard to the net but aren't the most creative players in the world and see if he's got one more year left. If he does, I expect Montreal will take to him, the way it has with past players who could put on a show.


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The Athletic / Bourne: Fringe NHLers largely at the mercy of pre-season luck

Justin Bourne 14 hours ago

For a couple dozen players around the NHL, these are life-altering times. Management generally knows what their roster is going to look like come the end of training camp, but a number of teams still have holes at the fringes. Main camp may be a small sample on which to judge the players

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vying for those spots, but guys in that 18-24 age range can make massive gains over a summer, and they need to be reevaluated. And given teams have pulled players from different leagues all over the world, how they look when contrasted on the same ice can greatly alter perceptions.

Their performances over these next few games matter a great deal.

Grabbing those last NHL spots versus suffering a demotion to the AHL can have life-altering consequences. Money, fame, lifestyle, legacy … these things are all on the line. It doesn't take many NHL games for the perception of two fairly comparable players to start to skew drastically. Other teams may not know how close the decision between the two was, but when they see one spent a year in the NHL and the other in the minors, I can tell you who's more likely to get an invite to their camp.

These decisions don't just effect this current year.

So obviously, players are motivated at this time of year. You’d assume these guys are like Alaskan sled dogs right now, pulling at their leashes desperately looking to run.

And sure, they are.

But there’s a problem here: hockey itself doesn’t necessarily reward that. It’s great to be that fired up, but this game doesn’t always play nice.

Few sports offer its players less opportunity to dictate their own fortunes within a single game. It isn’t basketball, with its guarantee of offensive touches. A hockey player can have all the talent in the world, but if the play doesn’t present them with chances to prove it, 60 minutes may tick past without that being demonstrated.

All teams today play fairly ridged systems. So if you’re F2 in a neutral zone forecheck and the puck never comes up your side, you won’t get the chance to make the takeaway the other winger on your line may get. And you certainly can’t chase over to the other side of the ice and leave your assigned spot unless you’re eager to get that AHL career started even sooner.

A pass from low to high in the D-zone can result in a number of luck-based outcomes depending on the pass staying flat or hitting a chunk of ice and bouncing. One is that the D-man catches the flat pass and gets to show off his monster shot, while scouts nod their heads in silent approval. The other is that the pass jumps, and the winger coming out to defend what could have been a shot is now on a breakaway the other way. Meanwhile our defenceman is caught flat-footed, looks slow, and those same scouts may opt for the old black line strikethrough.

Worst of all, sometimes nothing happens anywhere around you, good or bad. You'd at least like chances to succeed or fail, but there's no guarantee they'll come.

With that, there’s a reason every year some no-name rookie looks like Rocket Richard during the pre-season. As much as opportunity can treat some guys like mosquitos do citronella, others can win the Powerball.

It’s an extremely frustrating truth for hockey players on the verge of breaking through. You do require at least a little luck.

This comes to mind often for me when you hear of “underwhelming” pre-season performances. Those assessments may be completely fair, but they don’t necessarily tell us if that refers to the player, or the play simply not happening around them.

This isn't to excuse players who do little. Over enough games, we're able to weed those guys out. It can just be hard to tell if the inaction is on the player or circumstances in just a few games.

Some fans have almost hockey-parent-motivational-poster style attitudes about this reality. You gotta make your own luck. You gotta go out there and earn it. Make something happen.

And those points aren’t entirely without merit. Players can do a few things. They can prepare, so that if chances do come, they perform. That

means proper nutrition, sleep, knowing the systems, and knowing their enemy.

They can demonstrate their commitment to the team's structure, even when things aren't happening for them.

Or they can go mental, run around and chase hits, and maybe fight someone. But that's not exactly the best option for somebody looking to demonstrate their silky hands.

All told for these players, there’s some truth in “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” and that preparation is within their control. But in this game, there’s unfortunately no guarantee it crosses paths with opportunity.


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The Athletic / Autant par son style que sa production, Hemsky est fait pour le CH

Tyler Dellow

23 hours ago

Ales Hemsky m’a toujours semblé être un Canadien de Montréal. C’est approprié qu’il soit abouti avec le Tricolore et il y a de bonnes chances que cette signature rapporte au CH cette année.

Certaines villes aiment certains types de joueurs. Pendant environ 20 ans, j'ai été un partisan des Oilers. Edmonton avait toujours adoré le genre de joueur « col bleu » de troisième ou quatrième trio. Ethan Moreau a remporté le vote du public pour le titre de joueur par excellence en 2003-04 dans une saison où il avait marqué 20 buts, ajouté 12 aides, livré six combats et où il était généralement utilisé sur les deux derniers trios de l’équipe. Je ne veux rien enlever à Moreau – qui était un bon joueur à son apogée à ce moment-là – mais… joueur par excellence choisi par les fans? Le trophée Zane Feldman à Ethan Moreau?

Toronto aime toujours que ses joueurs étoiles soient un peu « plombiers ». Doug Gilmour était apprécié des fans d’une façon dont Mats Sundin, un joueur plus talentueux, ne l’a jamais été. Philadelphie est semblable, même si le joueur idéal des partisans des Flyers est probablement un peu plus violent et a sûrement un peu moins de dents.

À Montréal c'est différent. La ville semble toujours avoir eu une préférence unique pour des joueurs qui ont du style. Guy Lafleur. Patrick Roy. Alexei Kovalev. P.K. Subban. D’excellents joueurs qui ont toujours eu fière allure lorsqu’ils jouaient.

On ne se souviendra pas d’Ales Hemsky comme d’un excellent joueur (même s’il a très bien fait à 5-contre-5 pendant la majeure partie de sa carrière), mais il semble bon dans ce qu’on lui demande de faire. Les Montréalais qui ne le connaissent pas devraient trouver cette vidéo instructive.

Il a toujours eu le sens du moment décisif, ce qui fait partie des raisons pour lesquelles c'est un joueur qui paraît bien, même s’il n’y a pas eu tellement de grands moments depuis la saison 2005-06 à Edmonton. Les Oilers se battaient désespérément pour une participation aux séries cette saison-là, ayant été plombés par des performances en dents de scie devant le filet. Hemsky avait marqué le but qui leur avait permis de franchir le fil d'arrivée avec 35 secondes à faire lors du 81e match de l’année. En première ronde, contre les Red Wings de Detroit, alors que les Oilers tiraient de l’arrière 3-2 dans le sixième match face à une équipe beaucoup plus talentueuse, il avait inscrit deux buts en fin de match pour éliminer les Wings.

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La décennie des Oilers qui a suivie a été plutôt dénuée de grands moments, mais Hemsky a quitté avec panache. À son dernier match avant la date limite-des transactions en 2014, alors que tout le monde à Edmonton savait qu’il allait quitter, il a touché la cible deux fois contre les Sénateurs d’Ottawa… où il a été échangé le lendemain.

Un joueur d'égalité numérique

Si l’arrivée d’Hemsky à Montréal finit par avoir de la valeur pour le CH, il y a peu de chances que ce soit grâce à sa tenue en avantage numérique. Jouer à 5-contre-4 n’a jamais vraiment été sa force, ce qui est assez contraire à la perception que le public a de lui comme joueur. Hemsky est un bon exemple d’un aspect important à comprendre en ce qui a trait à l'avantage numérique: un joueur qui amasse beaucoup de points sur une unité qui ne génère pas beaucoup de buts n’est pas nécessairement bon sur le jeu de puissance. Dans le cas d’Hemsky, le problème est assez simple. Lorsqu’il s’est retrouvé en avantage numérique, il était presque toujours celui qui le dirigeait. Il dirigeait un jeu de puissance laborieux.

Les meilleures supériorités numériques génèrent beaucoup de bons lancers tandis que celles qui dont Ales Hemsky a fait partie, si elles ont généré des tirs de qualité, l'ont fait de façon dangereusement sporadique. Et ça n’a pas vraiment changé au cours de sa carrière. Il constitue une option intrigante sur la première unité, mais il ne faudrait pas que ce soit lui qui en soit le quart-arrière. À tout le moins, s'il était posté au centre de la patinoire, il serait forcé de redistribuer la rondelle rapidement et il est certainement assez doué pour y parvenir. C’est un rôle qui lui permettrait de se servir de ses habiletés tout en imposant des limites à sa tendance à ralentir le jeu.

Mais si l’arrivée d’Hemsky s’avère payante pour le Canadien, ce sera sûrement à 5-contre-5. Le Tricolore était une équipe moyenne en termes de buts marqués à égalité numérique l’an dernier, ayant terminé au 13e rang de la LNH avec une moyenne de 2,3 buts inscrits/60 minutes. Hemsky n’a disputé que 15 rencontres la saison passée avec les Stars de Dallas, une équipe qui était hors de la course aux séries. Il est donc difficile de l’évaluer pour cette année-là. Par contre, sur l'ensemble de ses trois campagnes à Dallas, les Stars ont marqué 2,6 buts/60 minutes en moyenne lorsqu’il se trouvait sur la glace, ce qui est très bon quand ça vient d’un joueur qui évolue sur le troisième trio.

On l'a beaucoup vu avec Radek Faksa et Antoine Roussel, ce qui cadre dans sa production offensive typique à 5-contre-5: quand il a produit, Hemsky n’a jamais vraiment été avec des joueurs très talentueux à l’attaque. Il l'a davantage été avec des joueurs de type “nord-sud”.

Plus qu'un bouche-trou

Si on jette un coup d’œil à la carrière d’Hemsky à 5-contre-5 dans la LNH à l’ère des statistiques avancées, elle se divise en trois catégories distinctes. Lors des saisons où Hemsky était âgé de 24 à 27 ans (2007-11), sa production offensive à forces égales était phénoménale. Je pourrais écrire un livre sur les raisons qui expliquent les déboires des Oilers entre 2007-09, mais ce n’était pas à cause d’Hemsky.

S’en est suivie la période entre 2011-14, jusqu’à son départ des Oilers, qui a été un désastre pour lui. Il semblait être le même joueur, mais plus rien ne se passait lorsqu’il était sur la patinoire. C’était très difficile à comprendre et sa production entre 28 et 30 ans était loin de ce à quoi on s’attendait après ce qu’il avait réussi à faire entre 24 et 27 ans.

Son bref passage avec les Sénateurs en 2014 a laissé entrevoir qu’il y avait toujours un bon joueur qui se cachait là-dessous, alors que la rondelle s’est remise à pénétrer dans le filet lorsqu’il était sur la glace. Il en a fait assez pour que les Stars de Dallas lui accordent un contrat de trois ans et 12 millions $ à l’été 2014.

Alors qu’Hemsky a raté la majeure partie de la saison 2016-17 après une opération à la hanche, sa production après son départ d’Edmonton ressemble beaucoup à ce à qu'on pourrait attendre d’un joueur âgé entre 31 et 33 ans qui a produit comme il l’avait fait plus tôt dans sa carrière. Les résultats n'ont pas été aussi bons en termes de points – comme c’est

le cas avec plusieurs joueurs vieillissants – mais ils sont tout de même impressionnants.

Il y a juste un étrange et inexplicable cratère de trois ans dans sa production offensive. Entre 31 et 33 ans, sa production le place au sein du 75e percentile parmi les attaquants ayant disputé au moins 1500 minutes entre 31-33 ans depuis 2007-08. S’il est en santé – et il a l’habitude de demeurer plutôt en santé quand il n’a pas de grosse opération de prévue – il continue de produire.

Ce serait facile de jeter un coup d’œil au total de points d’Hemsky et de le dépeindre comme un bouche-trou de troisième ou quatrième trio à ce stade-ci de sa carrière. Mais ça ne tiendrait pas compte du fait que son total de points est bas puisqu’il n’était pas sur la première vague du jeu de puissance à Dallas et qu’il a passé la majeure partie de son temps sur les troisième et quatrième trios de l’équipe. Tout ce qu’il a fait, c’était de mener un trio à 5-contre-5 qui a produit un niveau raisonnable d’attaque à son passage avec les Stars. Le Canadien pourrait avoir besoin d’un joueur comme lui au sein de ses deux derniers trios et s’il est en mesure de lui en donner plus que ça, ce sera tant mieux.

Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire pour le Tricolore? Je n’ai pas l’impression qu’Hemsky et Jonathan Drouin fonctionneront bien ensemble, une combinaison que Claude Julien essaie depuis le début du camp d’entraînement. Ça ne semble pas non plus être un très bon usage des habiletés d’Hemsky. Placez-le avec des joueurs qui peuvent foncer au filet mais qui ne sont pas les plus créatifs au monde et vous verrez s’il lui reste encore une bonne saison dans le corps. Si c’est le cas, je m’attends à ce que Montréal l’aime bien, tout comme elle a aimé d’autres joueurs dans le passé capables de donner un bon spectacle.


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Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Would teams want tougher policing on LTIR?

Elliotte Friedman

September 21, 2017, 1:55 PM

The phone rings, you say hello. Before any further pleasantries, Jason Blake has a question.

“How’s Brian doing?”

Told Brian Boyle sounded as positive as can be expected, Blake recalls sitting at home with his son one night. They were watching the New York Rangers and on came a feature about Boyle’s family.

“I remember thinking, ‘God, he’s got a wonderful family.’ That’s going to help him a lot. I was so fortunate to do everything I loved as a kid. When you’re playing, you take it for granted once in a while, but you learn the only thing that matters is your family. They’re the ones who are going to be there at the end of the day.”

“He carries himself with such character,” Blake adds about Boyle. “I think he’ll be just fine. I really do.”

Boyle revealed Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with chronic myeloid (or myelogenous) leukemia. It’s been 10 years, almost to the day, Blake received the same diagnosis. He remembers every detail.

“It’s not uncommon in training camp to have your blood tested twice. Then, they came to me and said, ‘We’re going to do it a third time. Meet us at Princess Margaret Hospital.’ Remember, I’ve just signed with Toronto, I don’t know the city, there’s construction everywhere. I park the car with my wife and we go up to the second floor.”

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The elevator doors open. Jason and Sara Blake see the words: “Princess Margaret Cancer Research Centre.”

“They tell us to go to the right. I’m starting to lose my mind, but I see we’re going to a section marked, ‘Leukemia.’ Then, I’m saying, ‘What the f—? What is going on?’ They told me, ‘We have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?’”

Blake laughs when recalling this part of the conversation.

“Obviously, I want the bad news first, because, since you’re telling me there’s good news, I want that last,” he answered.

The good news was that there were major advancements in CML treatment prior to his diagnosis. Blake gave great reviews to his oncologist, Dr. Jeffrey Lipton, who had done a ton of research and gone to Europe to study the new option. Blake was told that if he had been diagnosed five years earlier, the success rate was much lower.

But a new drug, Gleevec, was available. It was, and still is, known as “the magic bullet.” Blake was given the choice of trying that, or a bone marrow transplant.

“With bone marrow, I knew I was going to have to give up a year, and there was no guarantee it would work. They were confident the pill would be great. For us as players, it’s a reminder how fortunate we are that we get to do this. Because we do these blood tests, they catch it early. Often, men don’t start it until north of 45. I was 34. Brian is 32. When I got diagnosed, as much as it sucked… they caught it early. The support system will be excellent.

“The Devils and the NHL will take care of him.”

A decade later, Blake still takes one pill every morning. But our conversation indicated he’s in a great headspace, living in Minnesota with his wife and four children. He played 445 NHL games after the diagnosis. As you can imagine, the hardest part was the beginning.

“I didn’t miss any (regular-season) games, but it was tough. It’s basically chemotherapy in a pill form. I came to camp (at) 182 pounds, because that’s what I played at. I lost 10 pounds in the first seven, eight, days. It was a big adjustment, trying to manage weight. Every time I ate, I couldn’t stay out of the bathroom, because your stomach is upset and you’re nauseous.”

“As time went on, I cramped up quite a bit and started drinking tonic water during periods. I still drink it today.”

He and Boyle share something else: both signed with new teams, which brought its own pressures. In the summer of 2007, no free agent hit the market with more goals the previous season than Blake’s 40 for the New York Islanders. Toronto pounced with a five-year, $20-million deal. Boyle’s on a new two-year, $5.5-million contract in New Jersey.

“That day (I was diagnosed), they took part of my bone marrow,” Blake said. “That night, we had a pre-season game against Buffalo. I wanted to play, but it hurt so bad I couldn’t. It was tough. I missed practices, I missed pre-season games. I didn’t want to be the new guy in town, with teammates thinking I was asking for special treatment. So I asked if I could address the team.”

“Darcy Tucker,” Blake pauses to laugh a little bit, “We had some real run-ins when I played for the Islanders. Then, we sat next to each other in Toronto. After I spoke, Darcy sat me down and said, ‘We sit next to each other. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this. We would have taken care of you.’ He’s a great guy.

“They’ll take care of (Boyle). It’s a fraternity, almost. Even if you hate each other on the ice, people care for guys. One morning in Carolina, I went to talk to Peter Laviolette, who was my coach with the Islanders. He must have talked to his team, because they were coming over the red line in warmup, tapping me on the ass.”

Blake said Matt Cullen sent him Boyle’s number, and he will reach out. But he’s waiting for the right time, because, “as much as you appreciate all the notes, you want your privacy, too.”

What would he tell him?

“I’ve played against him. He’s a tough guy who works hard every shift. His attitude will get him through this.”

Then Blake pauses.

“Yes, I was dealt a s—ty hand. But how you play that hand decides what kind of a person you are moving forward. As much as it sucks, accept the fact. Deal with it. There is no other option.

“God bless him, I really mean that.”

31 THOUGHTS

1. Blake’s 14-year-old son, Jackson, will participate in the USHL showcase next week in Pittsburgh. “Maybe he will play for North Dakota one day,” he laughed. Blake had 171 points in 119 games in Grand Forks from 1996-99.

The Big Show

Johnston: Joffrey Lupul's intentions from his comment are still unsure

Originally aired September 19 2017

2. Joffrey Lupul tweeted Wednesday that he will not pursue a second opinion to challenge his failed physical with Toronto. The question now becomes: does the NHL ask him to see a doctor for its own ruling?

It’s not unprecedented. During the 2008-09 season, other clubs complained after Calgary placed Rhett Warrener on waivers, then put him on long-term injury, where he spent the season. The defenceman was examined twice, the second time when the Flames were forced to play with just 15 skaters because of salary-cap problems. Philadelphia was on LTIR for almost a decade and, while no one would confirm it, word was there were several occasions where Flyers players had to see league-appointed physicians.

As a couple of Lupul’s former teammates indicated, he still wants to play. That’s different than say, Andrew Ference/Edmonton or Chris Pronger/Philadelphia. As you all know, if you don’t live in Toronto, you hate Toronto; certainly opposing teams wouldn’t mind seeing the Maple Leafs with a deeper cap crunch. But, how many really want tougher policing?

3. Lupul’s initial Instagram post revealed what has long been suspected: he does not like that the Maple Leafs decided they don’t want him around. After the great disappointment of 2014-15, the organization made it clear things were going to change and certain personalities were not long for the city. I don’t profess to know the exact reason, but the team took the first opportunity it could to remove him. This was Lupul’s way of stating his disapproval. It’s not easy for him to be banished as Toronto appears on the rise. It is also a reminder that if anyone says anything remotely controversial on social media or in a foreign language — it is not going to stay hidden.

(Via Instagram)

4. I’m a big believer in the Lou Lamoriello, “If you have time, use it,” philosophy, so, when it comes to unsigned players, the next pressure point is the start of the season. That said, I’m surprised that Josh Anderson remains without a deal. Columbus went the extra mile to keep the edgy, rapidly improving forward from Vegas, and others.

It is believed, for example, that Colorado asked for him in Matt Duchene talks, only to be rejected. Word is the Jackets want a three-year term to protect against Anderson’s upcoming salary arbitration eligibility, but the two sides are nowhere close on value. Another source indicated Anderson used Tom Wilson as a comparable. The Washington forward signed for two years and $4 million, but that did not bridge the gap,

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either. Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, declined comment. This is a huge year for the Blue Jackets, too.

5. Ferris also represents Andreas Athanasiou. The longer this takes, the more you think a Detroit-Pittsburgh trade is contingent on his signing with the Red Wings. At his season-opening media conference, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford indicated there were three options for the Penguins to consider. Riley Sheahan is one, and I think the parameters are all but agreed to. (I’m wondering if Derrick Pouliot is a possibility, he seems like a sensible gamble for Detroit.) But, I don’t know how the Red Wings feel about potentially losing both Athanasiou and Sheahan, which could be holding up the deal. Of course, Pittsburgh could decide to move on, too.

6. Part II of this whole scenario is the Penguins may be waiting to figure out this move before making Evgeni Malkin happy and taking the plunge with Danis Zaripov.

7. Reports from overseas indicate Jaromir Jagr is prepared to make an announcement about a future club on Oct. 5. That indicates he’s got a KHL situation sorted out, and is just waiting to see if anything shakes loose in the NHL. HC Neftekhimik’s Rail Yakupov told Sport-Express’s Igor Eronko that his club is “very interested” in Jagr.

Neftekhimik's GM (Yakupov's father) says they're in talks with Jagr's representatives. Assures that they have enough money to sign him #KHL

— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) September 19, 2017

8. Vegas has told all of its defencemen to act as if you are staying, find a place for the season. GM George McPhee is not tipping his hand. Someone’s going to have to break a lease.

9. Like Fight Club, the first rule of Andy O’Brien’s special end-of-summer training camp in Vail, CO is: don’t talk about Andy O’Brien’s special end-of summer training camp in Vail, CO. O’Brien, Pittsburgh’s Director of Sports Science and Performance, attracts the likes of Jamie Benn, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Tyler Seguin. Guys swear by him. This year’s rookie was St. Louis’s Brayden Schenn. Schenn politely declined an interview request, sending word the group likes to keep things private. But I’m curious to see if it has a positive effect on his 2017-18 season.

10. From 2011-12 to 2014-15, Philadelphia had a top-five power play using four forwards and one defenceman on the top unit. During that four-season span, only Washington and Pittsburgh were better. But the Flyers dropped to 11th in 2015-16 and 14th last year. Newly hired assistant coach Kris Knoblauch is trying a new look, four forwards and one defenceman on the second unit, too. The scouting report on Knoblauch’s power plays at OHL Erie:

“They loved to generate chances off the rush. Their group will attack the offensive zone with speed and try a lot of rush offence…not something you see much strategically in the NHL like the OHL, though. Setting up in-zone was much more conventional, but similar to Washington in the sense everyone has a purpose.”

ALSO: Expect a lot of movement from between the goal line and bottom circle and, “Running that 4F 1D, the defenceman will be very involved. Not just a set up on the half-boards guy.” That could be very good for Shayne Gostisbehere.

Asked about all of this, Philadelphia head coach Dave Hakstol said Knoblauch’s philosophy is to “always evaluate his personnel, and put different setups in place to use that personnel best. We will have the same base, but additional options. We do have to be careful, though. This unit has been very good for several years. I look at it as growing and adding.” He pointed out that what happens with the first power play group won’t be the same for the second. “We will have additional options for them.”

11. At the NHL media tour, Gostisbehere said he feels completely different than he did a year ago, when he was rehabbing from hip/abdominal surgery.

“I feel great on the ice, there’s no doubts in my mind about injuries holding me up,” he said. Were there doubts last season? “Not physically or anything, but I think mentally it takes a toll on you after a while, just thinking things aren’t really working out. (You’re) thinking, ‘Is it my injuries, is it this?’ But this year I have a clear mind and I’m ready to go.”

He and Claude Giroux tried their best to refute the idea their recoveries interfered with their performance.

“We’re no-excuse guys,” Gostisbehere said. “We know when we’re playing bad. We’ll let you know. I don’t need anyone to tell me. I know.” Biggest lesson he learned in 2016-17? “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to play in the NHL.”

12. Hakstol on this talented defender: “Honestly, what I’ve seen is a mindset to make sure he’s staying positive. That doesn’t mean he’s being soft on himself. It means being positive and confident. The dedication of his summer is what builds confidence. He put in the work. When you do the work and do the prep, you feel better. Maturity is figuring out what you have to do, and be disciplined every day. He’s done that.”

13. The Flyers also raised eyebrows at practice by lining up Giroux on the wing. “You heard about that?” Hakstol laughed. “It’s an option we wanted to look at, because he can excel at any position. People may look at that as a negative, but no, it’s not. It’s what’s best for our team, the best fit at end of day. It doesn’t mean a set line every night, but the right option in certain situations. There’s a good opportunity in pre-season to take a look.”

Personally, I like the idea because it gives Giroux a bit of a jolt. We get a little flat the longer we stay in one place, so something different ignites challenge in the best of us. “Giroux entering the zone on his off-wing, using the middle of the ice, if there’s any gap from the defence, there are offensive benefits for us,” the coach said.

Does he worry about Giroux being on his weak side in the defensive zone? “No,” was the reply. “With (opposing) defencemen, everybody pinches deep. Where’s the one place you can’t go as a winger? You can’t chip up the wall. You have to protect that lane with your body, and if you can turn on the forehand, it’s easier to make a play. When the pressure comes, if you’re on your strong side, you have to be on your backhand, or jam the puck past a 6-foot-5, 240-pound monster ‘D’ on your back.” Hakstol paused. “Wherever, we play Giroux, he will be at a high level.”

Tape II Tape

Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.

14. I’m always intrigued about the approach of dealing with star players. Did Hakstol broach this with his captain over the summer, or wait until training camp? “We waited,” he answered.

15. Finally on Philadelphia, Hakstol talked about some of the pre-season battles. He likes Scott Laughton’s mentality early, then added, “Somebody — or a couple of guys — are going to have to adjust to a different role if Nolan Patrick proves ready to be here. If he’s going to make this team, we’ve decided he makes it as a centre.” So no hiding him on the wing to start his NHL career.

16. Assuming my math is right (and that’s always a big assumption), the NHL is averaging almost 15 penalties a game through Tuesday’s exhibition action. That’s very high. For comparison’s sake, coming out of the 2004-05 lockout and into the obstruction crackdown, the number was around 12.

The emphasis on slashing looks here to stay, and I get the sense most around the league support that. The faceoff penalties don’t seem as well-received. The biggest complaint: that the teams and players did not understand how much it was going to be emphasized, especially since they knew slashing was under the spotlight.

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I’m going to be in the minority on this one, but I’d like to see where it goes over the next week. After watching Toronto and Ottawa play their exhibition opener, my concern was the linesman dropping the puck couldn’t watch both centremen. Connor Brown was nailed for a violation, the right call, but the same official couldn’t see Zack Smith also lined-up illegally. The next night, when both teams played again, the other linesman came from across the ice to make a call. That’s good.

I don’t mind the idea of exhibition play being a “testing ground.” There’s really nowhere else for the majority of NHLers to tinker. If it makes the game better, everyone benefits. As for Brad Marchand, it’s always good to hear blunt honesty, even if I disagree.

17. Request for next year? Do some games with the two-line pass disallowed.

18. The GMs were the driving force behind a two-minute penalty for an incorrect offside challenge. The interesting thing is that the league office didn’t want it. They believe, as the stakes get higher, GMs are going to regret this decision.

19. Leo Komarov was “patient zero” on the league’s visor-wearing crackdown, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the officials all over him this week. When footage was shown to the GMs last June about players wearing it too high, Komarov was the star of the show.

20. I say this every year, but be careful how much emphasis you put on the first week of pre-season play. Week Two is a truer indicator. Veterans start to care a little bit more.

21. Teams are notoriously private about their sports science data, but it’s very interesting that Toronto decided it will keep 49 players until the end of camp. That’s exactly the kind of thing that department would recommend. With the length and intensity of the NHL season, why waste energy in exhibition? Watching some of Vancouver’s young players (Brock Boeser, Jake Virtanen) show life while the veterans are overseas makes me wonder if this is where we should be headed.

The thinking has usually been, “Okay, get these guys out of here so we can get ready.” Everyone shows up in shape now, so maybe it should be, “Let’s give these guys extra opportunity, we know what the other guys can do.” It might actually increase interest, letting fans see excited, motivated young players for a few extra days, rather than bored veterans.

22. One of the non-Canucks executives in Penticton for that rookie tournament had some interesting comments on Olli Juolevi. “He’s subtle, not dynamic. You have to look for him. Sometimes, people think you have to notice a guy to believe he’s making an impact. That’s not him. He’s still working his way through, but I think those fans have to adjust their expectations.”

23. Haven’t heard a ton of Vancouver on the Matt Duchene watch. (Doesn’t mean it’s not true, just means I haven’t heard much.) Last I heard of anything really with the Canucks and Colorado was two years ago about this time. The Canucks liked Tyson Barrie, but, from what I understand, weren’t so interested in including Ben Hutton as part of the package. As for Duchene, I’ve got no problem with his reluctance to speak. Let his play do the talking.

24. Had heard the Rangers took a look at Thomas Vanek during the summer, but that was going to be on a tryout basis.

25. Word is Ottawa’s players have been really impressed with Alex Formenton. The 47th overall pick last June is only 18, so he’s a long shot to make it this year. But he’s still with the big club.

26. At the NHL media tour, Roman Josi — who wore the best suit of anyone there — was asked if he’d discussed the captaincy with David Poile. Answer: “No.” So, either the whole thing came together in a week, or you don’t want to play poker against him. Excellent bluffer.

27. Interesting comment from one of the Lightning: “No more taking anything for granted. We’ve learned our lesson. We thought our skill would get us into the playoffs last year.”

28. Tampa Bay with a couple small moves this week, waiving both Cameron Darcy and Brian Hart for the purposes of a buyout. Hart (taken 53rd in 2012) and Darcy (185th in 2014) split time in the AHL and ECHL last season. It’s a battle in the Lightning’s loaded prospect pool. Both will try fresh starts elsewhere. This also drops Tampa to 45 contracts (the maximum is 50), depending on any junior-age players who might make the team. Flexibility is always good.

29. Erik Cole signed an honorary contract to retire as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Anyone who saw him play the final two games of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final won’t forget it. Recovering from a broken neck, the Hurricanes kept denying there was even a chance, until Cole showed up in warmup for Game 6. I didn’t work that night due to CFL hosting duties, but Scott Oake told a great story of standing on the bench waiting to do an interview, trying to catch Cole’s eye to ask if he was really going. Finally, Cole looked over, winked and nodded.

30. I have zero faith in politicians, and believe that their only concern is counting votes. So, when it comes to the fight over a new arena in Calgary, if mayoral candidates believe the voters want a new arena, the Flames will get one. If not? I don’t believe for a second the team will move, because it makes the league weaker.

I was sharing this opinion with someone who lives there, and his reply was, “(Owner) Murray Edwards is a total wild card. He picked up and moved to London, remember?” The accusation is that he did it to avoid heftier Canadian taxes, although Edwards told The Globe and Mail in 2016 it was “based on my personal circumstances, which I don’t want to go into…a change of scenery.” The NHL controls relocation, not the individual owners, but it is an interesting point to make.

31. Last week, when reporting on Matt Duchene’s media availability in August, I saw some quotes from him that were not credited to a specific reporter. After publication, I learned those particular words were said to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Wanted to make sure Dan got the credit for his work.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.22.2017

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Sportsnet.ca / Hockey world sends support to Brian Boyle after cancer diagnosis

Sportsnet Staff


The New Jersey Devils announced on Tuesday that forward Brian Boyle had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer that is not expected to keep the 32-year-old from playing this season.

Boyle has made his mark throughout the NHL since being drafted in 2003, and it was no surprise to see an outpour of support from those he played with, and against, over the years.

Devils forward Brian Boyle has been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.


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Sportsnet.ca / NHL’s crackdown on slashing could leave slower defencemen behind

Mark Spector


EDMONTON — So they’re cracking down on slashing in the National Hockey League, which really means they’re challenging the slower player to defend without using his stick as a tool, or weapon.

Which means you’d better be able to get body position. Which really means, you’d better be fast enough because the foot-speed bar just got raised. Again.

For the sake of this column, let’s say the crackdown lasts. That the slashing of a puck carrier’s hands or stick will remain illegal years from now, the same way the “stick parallel to the ice” hook remains a penalty after being introduced a decade ago, post-lockout.

What happens to stay-at-home defenders like Eric Gryba in Edmonton or Luke Schenn in Arizona?

How about Deryk Engelland in Las Vegas, or Mark Borowiecki in Ottawa? Roman Polak is in Toronto’s camp on a PTO. Does this rule change give the Maple Leafs a new lens through which to watch Polak play?

What about Radko Gudas in Philly, or even Erik Gudbranson in Vancouver? Did they just get a best-before date stamped on their careers?

“It definitely changes how you have to defend. Those reactionary slashes of the stick, taps to the hands, are so ingrained in a defenceman,” Gryba said on Wednesday, in a long, insightful conversation about defending in the 2017-18 season. “If they stay as rigid on the rules as they are right now… the whole makeup, landscape of the D-corps is going to change, from top to bottom. Everyone is going to have to be a better skater to defend.”

Where today the six-foot-four, 225-pounder slots in as the Oilers’ seventh defenceman — Gryba is currently a No. 6 with Andrej Sekera injured — that traditional big, burly penalty-killing No. 7 may morph into a smaller, better skating defenceman. A player who can help on the extra power plays being handed out.


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Sportsnet.ca / NHL expected to seek second opinion for Maple Leafs’ Joffrey Lupul

Mike Johnston


The NHL will seek a second opinion on the status of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon.

Lupul hasn’t played since February 2016 due to various injuries and the team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters last week the 33-year-old had failed his physical at training camp.

Hearing,even though Joffrey Lupul is not seeking a 2nd opinion, the NHL Is going to have him medically evaluated by an independent doctor.

— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) September 21, 2017

The winger then made headlines over the weekend when he insinuated the Maple Leafs might not exactly be playing by the rules.

Lupul said in an Instagram post, which he ended up deleting, that he was ready and “awaiting the call” but when someone mentioned his failed physical Lupul replied with: “Haha failed physical? They cheat, everyone lets them.”

The Leafs, ever since Brendan Shanahan and Lamoriello came on board, have made a habit out of burying contracts on long-term injured reserve.

Fans of the team have dubbed this “Robidas Island” after veteran defenceman Stephane Robidas sat out the entire 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons while under contract with the team. The team also acquired forward Nathan Horton from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015 as a way to ship David Clarkson’s unwanted contract out of town.

Jared Cowen, acquired by Toronto in the deal that sent Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa and eventually bought out by the team, has been vocal in his criticism of the Maple Leafs and how the organization treats its injured players.

“Basically, they got me, figured out that I was hurt, they didn’t want to deal with it and they got rid of me,” Cowen said.

Lupul released a statement Wednesday night apologizing for his comments.

“I responded earlier this week to some negative comments on Instagram. It was an inappropriate response, and I deleted it, but I take full responsibility,” Lupul wrote. “It’s been extremely tough not being able to play over the past 1.5 years. I will not be seeking a second opinion, but I hope one day to get back on the ice. I apologize to the media, fans, Leafs organization, and most of all my teammates for this unneeded distraction.”


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Sportsnet.ca / Avs’ Matt Duchene scores in pre-season debut amid trade rumours

Mike Johnston

September 22, 2017, 12:33 AM

Matt Duchene has had tumultuous off-season with his name constantly being brought up in trade rumours, but on Thursday night the Colorado Avalanche centre was able to put all that to the side and focus on playing the game he loves.

Duchene scored a goal six minutes into the third period to put his team up 5-0 over the Dallas Stars in pre-season action. The Stars scored midway through the final frame to break up a Semyon Varlamov shutout bid and the final score ended up being 5-1.

Centring a line between Alex Kerfoot and Nail Yakupov, Duchene finished the game with 18:38 of ice time spread across 25 shifts and led his team with six shots on goal.

His performance impressed Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar.

“I’ve talked to him. I think he’s come back a motivated player and he’s playing with two other new players and that line’s been good all training camp and they were good again tonight,” Bednar told reporters at the Pepsi Center.

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Jared Bednar talks about Matt Duchene and David Warsofky after 5-1 win over Stars #Avs pic.twitter.com/W87qKN6gLF

— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) September 22, 2017

Fans in Denver were happy to see No. 9 back on the ice, cheering loudly when he beat Stars netminder Landon Bow with a nice wrister.

The 26-year-old has two years remaining on his current contract with an annual salary cap hit of $6 million and is still reportedly garnering trade interest from around the league.


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Sportsnet.ca / Blue Jackets RFA Josh Anderson contacts Hockey Canada about Olympics

Mike Johnston

September 21, 2017, 10:19 PM

The NHL’s regular season is right around the corner yet Columbus Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson remains an unsigned restricted free agent.

According to Sportsnet’s John Shannon, this has resulted in the Burlington, Ont., native’s representatives reaching out to Hockey Canada to inquire about the possibility of Anderson donning the red and white maple leaf at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

Anderson scored 17 goals and added 13 assists last year in his first full season with the Blue Jackets, but he and his agent, Darren Ferris, are finding it difficult coming to terms on a new deal with the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft.

“Word is the Jackets want a three-year term to protect against Anderson’s upcoming salary arbitration eligibility, but the two sides are nowhere close on value,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote in his latest 31 Thoughts column.

The NHL announced earlier this year it would not allow its players to participate in the upcoming Games.

“We’re not anti-Olympics, we’re anti-disruption to the season,” NHL commissioner Bettman said in May.

The league’s deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, added in August that “all players under NHL contract will be subject to similar treatment,” including players in the American Hockey League and ECHL on two-way deals or players loaned to minor-league affiliates.


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Sportsnet.ca / Sharks’ Vlasic takes another jab at NHL over Olympics decision

Mike Johnston

September 21, 2017, 11:06 PM

Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been one of the more vocal NHL players opposed to the league’s decision to skip the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

The medal designs for the upcoming Games were unveiled Thursday and the San Jose Sharks defenceman didn’t waste the opportunity to take a shot at the NHL.

The Montreal native is not shy about being patriotic. He has represented his country on multiple occasions at international tournaments and he even penned a passionate op-ed column for the CBC in June in which he wrote, “If players don’t go to Pyeongchang I will feel hatred towards the NHL.”

Vlasic won gold medals as one of Team Canada’s top six blueliners at Sochi 2014 and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.


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Sportsnet.ca / Which teams could benefit most from a spike in penalties this season?

Sonny Sachdeva


When the haze of the NHL’s 2004-05 lockout finally lifted, the hockey world saw the beginnings of what wound up being a significant offensive evolution for the sport. And if the 2017-18 pre-season is any indication, we may be on the cusp of a similar shift.

With an increased emphasis on enforcing obstruction penalties coming out of the 2005 lockout, the league saw its rough-and-tumble style slowly transition into a quicker, more skillful product. It also saw a sharp rise in the importance of special teams proficiency, as the average number of power-play opportunities earned by teams each game spiked from 4.24 in the year prior to the lockout to 5.85 in the first post-lockout campaign.

That abrupt rise made the 2005-06 season the historic ceiling for power-play opportunities, as teams earned more man-advantage time, on average, than in any other season in which such numbers have been recorded. It didn’t last, of course. The average dropped down to 4.85 power-play opportunities per game one year later, and continued to slide for the next decade. Last season saw clubs earn just 2.99 man-advantage chances per game, the lowest since these stats have been kept.

But for that one 2005-06 campaign, clubs were rolling in power-play time, and the most offensively gifted squads were reaping the rewards.

Through the early goings of this year’s pre-season, we’ve seen the potential for 2017-18 to bring a similar effect for the game’s highest-scoring teams.

First came the faceoff violations, which had both fans and NHL players in a tizzy, as pre-season game after pre-season game became bogged down with calls off of draws.

Then the big fish arrived: the crackdown on slashing penalties, which many a quick-footed NHLer has likely hoped for in recent years.

Though the number of penalties currently being called is almost certain to drop off once the schedule shifts to the regular season — and could very well slide in the next few years as was the case in the mid-2000s — there’s certainly precedent to suggest 2017-18 could bring a notable uptick in slashing calls, especially with the game’s most marketable talents often the victims of these rogue plays.

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That being the case, who stands to benefit from some more time on the man-advantage?

There’s certain to be a fair bit of ‘the rich getting richer’ should penalties indeed climb significantly. The Buffalo Sabres (ranked first in the league), Toronto Maple Leafs (second), and Edmonton Oilers (fifth) already proved their power play worth last year, and all head into 2017-18 with dominant, young scoring talents who look likely to keep improving each season. The presence of Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid, one year older and stronger, will already provide potential for a step forward in terms of man-advantage play.

Giving them more time to go to work offensively can only help things along.

As for the other two clubs among last year’s top five power-play squads – Pittsburgh and Washington tied for third place – more time to flex their offensive muscle is likely the last thing the rest of the league is hoping for.

The back-to-back champs return a dominant unit featuring the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, while No. 1 rearguard Kris Letang returns to the fray to further torment opposing netminders. The Capitals are similarly stacked, with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, and Evgeny Kuznetsov continuing to lead the top unit.

More interesting, however, will be the few clubs for whom the timing of a possible rise in penalties couldn’t line up more perfectly. Jonathan Drouin amassed the 12th-most power-play points in the league last season – his 26 man-advantage points ranking just one fewer than McDavid’s – and he’s already got the Montreal Canadiens faithful buzzing about his potential future impact on the team’s special teams effectiveness.

The Dallas Stars are in a similar situation. After underperforming on the man-advantage in 2016-17, the club went out and snagged free agent Alexander Radulov, who led all Canadiens forwards in power-play points last season. He’ll round out a star-studded cast that also includes Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, and John Klingberg.

While a number of these clubs have already established themselves among the best in the league and would likely simply pull away even further, the Stars are perhaps the most intriguing case.

Finishing 15 points out of a playoff spot last season, Dallas loaded up this summer and looks primed for a redemption campaign. Unsurprisingly, adding offensive pieces was one of their primary off-season tasks, their minus-39 goal differential in 2016-17 a far cry from the Western Conference-leading plus-37 they posted one year prior.

We saw in 2015-16 just how dominant a Stars club with a rolling offence can look. Throw in Radulov and a glut of extra power-play time, and we might just see that team again this season.


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Sportsnet.ca / Roberto Luongo gives social media advice to athletes

Mike Johnston


Whether it’s Joffrey Lupul or Kevin Durant, it’s common for athletes to find themselves in hot water based on something they post on social media.

One athlete who’s steered clear of online controversy is Roberto Luongo.

The Florida Panthers goalie was a guest on The Program with Andrew Walker and Scott Rintoul on Sportsnet 650 where he gave some advice to fellow athletes on how to run a social media account.

“To me, the best advice I can give is nobody can ever get mad at you for making fun of yourself,” Luongo said.

If you polled sports fans and asked them which athlete Twitter account is their favourite, Luongo would garner plenty of votes primarily due to his self-deprecating sense of humour.

For example, on the day the world delighted in the solar eclipse, the man known as “@Strombone1” took the opportunity to chirp himself.

The 38-year-old mentioned he’s healthy and feeling sharp as he enters his 18th NHL season, but that didn’t stop him from posting this earlier in the week.

Luongo added he feels there’s enough going on in the world that professional athletes should appreciate how fortunate they are, which is one reason he keeps things light-hearted on social media.

It’s not bad advice when you think about it. Athletes, and everyone for that matter, take note.


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Sportsnet.ca / 2017-18 NHL Team Preview: Montreal Canadiens

Mike Johnston

September 21, 2017, 10:06 AM

The Montreal Canadiens were perhaps busier this off-season than any NHL team located outside the state of Nevada. All teams undergo annual roster turnover yet it felt like every move the Canadiens made this summer had crucial long-term implications.

It began in mid-June when the team sent its top prospect, defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, plus a conditional second-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Quebec native Jonathan Drouin. The Canadiens have sought a top-line centre for years and Drouin might just be the answer if he can develop into that role. It won’t be easy, though, since he has spent much of his pro career on the wing. This move somewhat makes up for the fact Alexander Radulov signed with the Dallas Stars.

On the back end, general manager Marc Bergevin continued his aggressive pursuit of improving his team by making a big splash in free agency. Karl Alzner was among the most coveted players on the open market and he inked a five-year deal with the Habs. If Alzner plays beside Shea Weber that’s a formidable top pairing. If he’s with Jeff Petry or another Montreal blueliner it gives the defence depth they did not have in 2016-17.

The team also brought back Mark Streit as a way to replace modern-day Habs great Andrei Markov. The team and Markov could not come to terms on a new deal and the 38-year-old decided to head back to Russia and join Ak-Bars Kazan in the KHL. Streit could potentially be used as a quarterback on the top power-play unit with Weber.

The team sent Nathan Beaulieu to the Buffalo Sabres and essentially replaced him with David Schlemko whom they acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights. Also, Peter Holland can add some depth to the bottom-six forwards and we’ll see if Ales Hemsky can get back up to the 15-goal mark, something he hasn’t done in nearly a decade. Signing Joe Morrow, a 2011 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ who has yet to play up

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to his potential, to a one-year deal worth $575,000 is another low-risk, potentially high-upside move.

Bergevin’s most consequential undertaking, however, was extending Carey Price for eight years. When healthy, Price is as good as any netminder on the planet and without him it all falls apart — remember the 2015-16 season in which Price only played 12 games? It didn’t go so well for them.

Alex Galchenyuk’s name was brought up in trade rumours early in the summer, but those rumblings vanished when he re-signed for three years at a cost-effective $4.9 million per. With Drouin now in the fold there is less pressure to make Galchenyuk a full-time centre.

UP-AND-COMING PLAYER TO WATCH

Is this finally the year Charles Hudon makes an impact with the big club? The 23-year-old has toiled away in the American Hockey League the past three seasons, only suiting up for six NHL games.

As Eric Engels recently wrote, the fifth-round pick from 2012 has been “turning heads” during training camp and in the pre-season.

“He’s going to be a dynamic player, that’s for sure,” Canadiens defenceman Jordie Benn said. “He can handle the puck and the kid can skate. Obviously he’s in great shape, he’s like a little pit bull out there. He’s just one of those players that in due time is going to be one of the big players in this league.”

WHAT A SUCCESSFUL 2017-18 WOULD LOOK LIKE

Anything besides maintaining top spot in the Atlantic and going on a deep playoff run is likely to disappoint this rabid fan base. Montreal earned division titles in two of the past three years, yet didn’t make it out of the second round in either of those seasons.

They were one of four teams to allow fewer than 200 goals against last season. That’s not the problem. The problem is they were a middle-of-the-pack offensive team (15th in goals per game) and had average special teams (13th on the power play, 14th on the penalty kill). If this group is going to go on a deep run this season they’ll need to close in on the top 10 in those categories. When you have Price in your crease in the prime of his career there’s no excuse for you to be anything but a perennial Cup contender.

BIGGEST REMAINING QUESTION

Can the new faces make the impact they’re supposed to?

If Drouin can improve on the career year he had in Tampa, losing Radulov’s 18 goals and 54 points won’t hurt as much. If Alzner can continue to be the steady presence he was in Washington and Streit chips in on the power play, then the losses of Markov and Beaulieu won’t be felt as much.

On the flip side, if Drouin stagnates and fails to live up to the hype, if Alzner (or Weber for that matter) begins to decline, if Hemsky and Streit prove to be washed up, the Habs might have a problem on their hands.


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TSN.CA / Productive preseason ‘a blast’ for Jake Virtanen

By Jeff Paterson

CALGARY – The joy has returned to Jake Virtanen. It’s funny what team and individual success can do for a hockey player. When sent down to Utica by the Vancouver Canucks last November, the 2014 first round

draft pick seemed confused about his role with the organization and at times did little to hide his disappointment at the way he was being handled.

That was then. The Jake Virtanen who showed up to training camp a week ago – and has impressed through three games of the preseason – not only looks like a different hockey player. He has the appearance of a whole different person.

There is a light in the 21-year-old’s eyes and a purpose to his play. He seems to have freed his mind of any disappointments from his first two seasons as a professional. He looks fast on his skates and sure of himself and in the preseason, at the very least, gives the appearance of a player who could very well be on the Canucks opening night roster.

There is still plenty of work to be done and a return to the National Hockey League to start the season is far from a guarantee. But what is certain at this stage is that Jake Virtanen is playing well and loving the game again. And that may not have been the case at times over the past two seasons.

“I’m having a blast,” Virtanen said enthusiastically after contributing a goal and a potential game-changing back-check in the Canucks 5-3 win over the Flames here on Wednesday night. “Especially with the other guys in China, it’s given a lot of the younger guys an opportunity. So we get to go out there and have fun and show the management and the fans and each other what we have in here. It’s a good little thing we have going on in here right now.”

Virtanen’s goal – his second of the preseason and the eventual game-winner at the Saddledome where he once starred with the Western Hockey League Hitmen – was a thing of beauty. On a late second period power play, Virtanen took a pass from defenseman Jordan Subban in full flight, kicked the puck up from his skate to his stick, managed to get around the Flames defensemen and then roofed a quick snap shot on the short-side past goalie Jon Gillies.

It was the offensive highlight of the night for both Virtanen and the Canucks – part of a night’s work that saw the big winger play 14:08, record two shots on goal and four attempts and drive the play with his speed.

“I saw Subby kind of get some speed there and I wanted to match it and I got it off my stick and I don’t even know how it went through the defenseman,” he said with a smile that hasn’t left his face all preseason. “Luckily it did, and I saw the shot there, took it and it went it in. It was good. It was a good play.”

It was a good play, but it was far from Virtanen’s best play of the night. That came midway through the first period with the Canucks already down 2-0 and facing the very real threat of being run out of the rink. Somehow two Calgary forwards got behind the defense and were bearing down on Thatcher Demko in the Vancouver net.

From out of nowhere, a streaking Virtanen rode to the rescue on the back-check and not only broke up the play, but started the transition up ice that led an Anton Rodin goal that put the Canucks on the board and gave them a much needed boost. Along with a spectacular Demko glove save of Mikael Backlund moments earlier, Virtanen’s hustle and determination provided one of the turning points in the Canuck comeback victory.

“I saw they had an odd-man rush there and I saw the second guy was going to the net pretty hard and I just pretty much buried my head and as soon as I put my head up I was right beside him,” Virtanen recalls. “I just barely touched the puck. I just nicked it. It could have been a goal, but it turned out to be a goal the other way so that was good.”

The effort and all-around strong play didn’t go unnoticed either. The goals are gravy for a player like Virtanen. It’s the small things like not giving up on plays and providing a spark for the hockey club that gets the attention of the coaching staff and management. And there is simply no way that Virtanen’s performance in the first three exhibition games has gone unnoticed.

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He was arguably the best player on the ice in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win in Los Angeles and rewarded for his efforts by starting overtime alongside Bo Horvat. With the veterans overseas, Virtanen has been asked to be a net-front presence on the Canucks power play – an opportunity he’s not likely to get in the regular season should he make the team. But it’s one he’s embraced and poured himself into.

“He’s one of those guys who at any point can make a play and take over the game, so it’s been very positive,” Utica head coach Trent Cull, who’s working the Canucks bench in the absence of Travis Green, says of Virtanen. “He works really hard and comes back and breaks up that play and you saw what that leads to -- and you see that so often in hockey. I know coach Green is trying to make guys three zone hockey players and it goes a long way when guys start making those plays.”

Wednesday was a good night for the Vancouver Canucks and another strong showing for Jake Virtanen. If not for the phenomenal play of teammate Brock Boeser, Virtanen would surely be the talk of training camp. Both players have been terrific in the first three games of the preseason. Considering both are projected to be big parts of the future of the hockey club, that’s a positive development for the organization.

Positivity was in short-supply for Jake Virtanen just 10 months ago. That certainly isn’t the case these days.

TSN.CA LOADED: 09.22.2017

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TSN.CA / Why NHLers hate analytics

By Frank Seravalli

Full disclosure: I like analytics and advanced stats. I believe the numbers have provided a different prism to view hockey; another tool to help tell a more complete tale. But I also know that they are just part of the story, not the whole story.

We are now entering the fourth season since the NHL’s summer of analytics awakening, so I was curious: How much do NHL players pay attention to analytics and advanced stats?

TSN polled 18 players over two days earlier this month in New York at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour.

The question was simple: “Do you know what your Corsi percentage was last season?”

The answer: Not a single one of those players had even a vague idea.

“No,” Patrick Kane said. “I couldn’t even tell you what a good Corsi is. It’s not something our team really pays attention to.”

“No clue,” Tyler Seguin said. “I don’t really look at the Corsi stuff.”

“No idea,” T.J. Oshie said. “I don’t even know what Corsi is. I know it’s something about shots on net.”

“Nope,” Jordan Eberle said.

“I don’t know my Corsi,” Jack Eichel said. “I don’t pay attention at all. I’ve heard of it.”

The follow-up question: “Do you know what your plus/minus was last season?”

Interestingly, for a stat that some say is the worst in hockey, 13 out of the 18 players polled either knew their exact plus/minus, or were within one or two. The others had a general idea of the range.

“Plus-3,” Eberle said confidently.

“Minus-14?” Seguin asked. [It was 15.]

“It had to be low,” Eichel said.

Perhaps that should not be surprising: plus/minus stats are available on game sheets and stat packages, which are sometimes handed out to players in the dressing room post-game, and coaching staffs will obviously let players hear it in meetings or video sessions if they’re on for too many goals against. It’s also a traditional stat that has officially kept by the NHL since the 1967-68 season.

What was surprising, though, is how a non-leading question served as an unprompted launching point in the conversation for players to voice their thoughts on Corsi, advanced stats and analytics in general.

Hint: They aren’t big fans.

“If there is one stat I could take away, it would be Corsi,” Seth Jones said. “Because I don’t think it gives a full representation of the game. You can be caught in situations that are not your fault. You will have four shots against and you have nothing do with that situation.”

In some cases, Corsi is even a running joke on the ice.

“I’ve never heard any player say ‘Oh man, I had a great Corsi last night. I crushed it!’” Oshie said. “We’ll joke about it in practice or in the summer league. To me, I don’t think it means that much.”

There was also some outright disdain.

“I think Corsi is garbage. It’s kind of a waste of time,” Eberle said. “I know stats. I pay attention to team puck possession – you know which teams are good at it. But I also think plus/minus is a waste of time, too. There was one year I had nine empty-net minuses.”

Jones said he believes “defencemen hate Corsi more than forwards.”

“If you’re out against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin all game, your Corsi isn’t going to be very good,” Jones said. “Those guys control the game.”

Is there a solution? Eberle would like to see a new stat invented.

“It’d be hard to do. I just think you should be able to give responsibility for a goal,” Eberle said. “I’ve been in situations where I know I’m responsible, and I deserve that, but I’ve also been in situations where I have nothing to do with the play and I get a minus.”

Kane said he believes some players consciously try to game the numbers.

“I do think some guys know in the back of their head it’s a stat, so they just throw the puck on net,” he said.

The only time, it seems, that Corsi becomes important - or that players pay attention - is when it’s used at the negotiating table for the next contract.

“Players pay attention a little bit then,” Jones said. “I know it’s getting frustrating for players because [teams] they’re using it in negotiations, saying ‘Hey, this guy has a Corsi that’s low, we’ll give him $200,000 less bucks.’ It’s a little frustrating for some players.”

Oshie also said “a lot of people” have reminded him or mentioned last season’s league-best shooting percentage of 23.1 per cent – which is 75 per cent higher than his career average – almost as a way of suggesting he won’t be able to repeat that success.

Oshie had no way to explain the jump in percentage. He said his shooting skills weren't any different than prior seasons. That statistical anomaly didn't stop him from earning a new eight-year, $46-million extension in the off-season.

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To be fair, nearly all of the players polled at the Player Media Tour are stars. They don’t have nearly as much of an incentive to pay attention as rank-and-file players who are fighting for jobs.

Cody Franson, who is in Blackhawks camp on a tryout deal, recently said his advanced stats painted a better picture of his season than his point totals. He was on the positive side (50.4) of shot attempts on a Sabres team that was 29th in that category (47.2) last season.

“I take a lot of pride in putting up those [Corsi] numbers,” Franson told the Chicago Sun-Times this week. “Some people take those into account, some don’t. Obviously, I’m biased because I have good numbers. But I think they count for something. I thought I played a lot of really good hockey last year [with the Sabres], and the stats just never really showed up for me.”

Schlemko on his possession metrics: “I don’t really know where to look for them...but I have heard they like me, so I guess I like them too”

— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 15, 2017

Even the stars are paying attention to advanced metrics, just not necessarily the publicly available ones. Each team, especially those with a dedicated hockey analytics staff, has their own analytics they place emphasis on.

“I look at 5-per-cent chances sometimes,” Seguin said. “Basically, you could just say it’s a little box around the net and you have to be in it to have a 5-per-cent chance. You look to see if you’re plus or minus for 5-per-cent chances for the night. As a centre, I use it more to see what is against me and my line for that night, how we did.”

Just don’t ask them about Corsi.


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TSN.CA / Panthers send Demers to Coyotes for McGinn

TSN.ca Staff

The Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes have completed a trade just as training camps are getting in full swing.

The Panthers have sent defenceman Jason Demers to the desert in exchange for left winger Jamie McGinn.

A native of Dorval, Que., the 29-year-old Demers appeared in 81 games for the Panthers a season ago, scoring nine times and adding 19 assists. Demers was heading into the second year of a five-year, $22.5 million deal signed with the Panthers in the summer of 2016. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Panthers will retain 12.5 per cent of Demers' salary.

Demers has played in 504 career NHL games over eight seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Panthers.

McGinn, 29, joins his sixth organization. A veteran of nine NHL seasons, McGinn appeared in 72 games for the Coyotes last year, scoring nine times and adding eight assists.

A native of Fergus, Ont., McGinn has appeared in 522 NHL contests for the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks and Coyotes.

He has two years remaining on his current deal.


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TSN.CA / The search for solid bounce-back candidates

By Travis Yost

The post-mortem of Alexander Ovechkin’s 2013-14 season was a fascinating one.

You remember it, right? Ovechkin – after suspiciously low goal-scoring totals in 2010-11 and 2011-12 – rebounded on that front, finding the back of the net 51 times and pulling down another Rocket Richard Trophy. But plenty of observers were still underwhelmed.

That’s because his other numbers were all over the place. Ovechkin’s point totals were substantially lower versus prior years. His plus-minus was in the tank. Outside of his raw goal-scoring totals, it genuinely looked like Ovechkin had a bad year.

But consider the table below for one moment, with the subject year highlighted:

The takeaway here is clear: Ovechkin had little or no help around him. Whether that’s because he was playing with substandard teammates or was victimized by randomness or a combination of the two, the reality is that the Capitals didn’t do much of anything with Ovechkin on the ice unless Ovechkin quite literally scored a goal himself.

When your teammates aren’t scoring, your point totals plummet. When your goaltender doesn’t stop shots, your plus-minus drops off of a cliff. Despite having a great individual season, your numbers at aggregate appear horrifying.

It’s one of many lessons of why digging into the data beyond just point totals is critical for player analysis. A quick glance at Ovechkin’s year would have all but guaranteed a bounce-back season in 2014-15, mostly because it was highly improbable that Ovechkin’s teammates would play as poorly as they did in the year prior.

Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what happened. Ovechkin remained a great goal-scorer (winning another Rocket Richard Trophy), his teammates shot at normal rates, his goaltender stopped shots at a normal rate, and Washington’s top line oscillated back to elite status.

You might ask here how to easily differentiate between unlucky and truly degrading performance. There are a million ways to slice this sort of data up, but one quick way to accomplish it is by considering the following factors:

Was there a substantial divide between a player’s shooting percentage and his 5-on-5 shooting percentage?

Was there any drop-off in the generation of shots?

If the answers are yes and no, respectively, then you have a possible “rebound” candidate – a player who probably played better than his numbers showed in the year prior, and, with a little bit of luck, should see a substantial rebound in overall performance.

The next logical question, then, is who is this year’s forward rebound candidate? To find applicable players, I looked for every forward who (a) had an individual shooting percentage above league average; (b) had an on-ice shot generation rate above league average; (c) had an on-ice shooting percentage below league average; and (d) had a Point% below league average.

Two players met those criteria: Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl, and Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn.

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Let’s take a peek at Raffl first, much in the same way we did Ovechkin:

Raffl didn’t have as rough of a go at it last year (primarily because he did get decent goaltending behind him), but Philadelphia did struggle to score when he was on the ice. Nothing suggests that Raffl’s game individually was the driver of that – the numbers that do matter were eerily similar to years prior, and the only thing that seemed to degrade was his teammates’ ability to find the back of the net.

To that end, I’m highly confident in Raffl having a nice 2017-18 season. (For what it’s worth, his most common linemates last year were Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek – two guys who I’d bet on rebounding for a lot of the same reasons.)

Now, Alex Killorn:

Killorn’s a bit of an odd case. Clearly, he played more of a distributing/playmaking role in prior years, and you can put that largely on the fact that his most common teammate in that window was superstar goal-scorer Steven Stamkos. When Stamkos went away, Killorn assumed more of the goal-scoring duties. But from a team scoring perspective, that void created quite the hole – not only is Killorn not the same calibre goal-scorer as Stamkos, but his teammates (most commonly Brayden Point and Jonathan Drouin) weren’t nearly as effective at 5-on-5.

This is more of a lesson in how substantially injuries and the lack of requisite depth can have on individual player performance. Killorn’s a fantastic, if perhaps complementary player. He’s probably at his best when he’s playing on a first or second-line with another player who can create just as much havoc as he can.

Either way, it’s something to keep in mind for Tampa Bay’s outlook, too. Killorn’s going to continue to get sweet minutes on a Lightning roster loaded with talent. It might have some kind of a negative impact on his goal-scoring numbers, but his total output – and his team’s performance – will almost certainly improve on what we saw last year. Forty-five per cent of goals over an entire season is absurdly low, especially for a team as strong as Tampa Bay.

Like Raffl, expect Killorn to be a solid bounce-back candidate this season.


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TSN.CA / Eyeing 10 training camp developments

By Frank Seravalli

With training camps in full swing in 31 different markets, and two teams preparing for the season 9,000 kilometres away in China, a lot is happening in the NHL at once.

Luckily for you, we have 10 important training camp developments:

1. Triple Digit Threats?

Marchand: 'This faceoff rule is an absolute joke'

The NHL has a mandate to crack down on faceoff violations this season and Brad Marchand isn't happy about it. 'This faceoff rule is an absolute joke,' the Bruins winger said. 'That’s how you ruin the game of hockey, by putting that in there.'

By now, we all know the NHL is cracking down on slashing and faceoff violations in a big way this preseason. The result has been a power play bonanza, with an average of 14 power plays per game. Does that mean

we now need to readjust our point totals and scoring expectations for the regular season? Players will adjust, but it won’t happen overnight. Connor McDavid, Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby are the NHL’s only 100-point scorers over the past five seasons.

2. No Nick and Ovi

For the first time in nearly a decade, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom won’t start the season on the same line. Ovechkin will instead start on a tandem with Evgeny Kuznetsov; Backstrom will centre T.J. Oshie. First-round pick Jakub Vrana will audition on the Ovechkin line at left wing on Wednesday in Montreal. Over the last seven seasons, Backstrom has been Ovechkin’s centre for nearly 5,000 minutes at even strength, just about 65 per cent of The Great Eight’s total ice time. Kuznetsov accounted for nearly 30 per cent of that last season, a number that will be trending up.

3. Hemsky’s Big Shot

Drouin gets his first taste of centre with Habs

Jonathan Drouin lined up at centre between Max Pacioretty and Ales Hemsky during the Canadiens inter-squad game on Sunday. The line wasn't able to generate any offence but did have a couple of quality chances.

Jonathan Drouin is getting his shot to be the Habs’ No. 1 centre, lining up with Max Pacioretty for his exhibition debut on Wednesday, but the surprise is that Ales Hemsky will be to his right. Hemsky, now 34, signed a one-year, $1-million deal with Montreal after missing 67 games last season. He has cracked 40 points just once since 2010-11 in Edmonton, often being asked to play a more defensive role, but this is his big audition to rejuvenate his career.

4. The Coyotes have …

…one of the NHL’s better defence corps? That definitely isn’t a sentence you would have read at any point in the last handful of years. GM John Chayka has nicely rebuilt Arizona, whose backend includes Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Alex Goligoski, Jakob Chychrun, Luke Schenn and now Jason Demers after last week’s trade for forward Jamie McGinn. That is going to make new netminder Antti Raanta’s transition to the desert smoother, plus shows Ekman-Larsson the team is serious about improvement, as OEL can sign an extension beginning next July 1.

5. ‘G’ to LW

Claude Giroux is no longer the Flyers’ No. 1 centre, at least for the moment. In a surprise move, Giroux shifted to the left wing on Tuesday – a position he has never played in the NHL – where coach Dave Hakstol will conduct an experiment with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek. That line could be a puck-possession monster and jumpstart Giroux, 29, who is coming off his worst season since 2009-10 (58 points last year). It would also mean second-overall pick Nolan Patrick will stay firmly at centre, as GM Ron Hextall desires, with newcomer Jori Lehtera likely also playing left wing.

6. Eichel Finds a Finisher?

Duchene, Tavares, Eichel playing waiting game

Despite an offseason full of trade rumours, Matt Duchene still reported to training camp with the Avalanche. Now he's taking it 'one day at a time' as the team looks to move him. What's the interest level in the former third overall pick? And are Jack Eichel and John Tavares any closer to getting new contracts? Darren Dreger has more.

Jack Eichel collected 33 assists in 61 games last year, but that number could be on the rise if linemate Jason Pominville’s early preseason production is any indication. Pominville, back in Buffalo for the first time since 2013, scored twice in Happy Valley (the House that Pegula Built) alongside Eichel for the first time. There is reason to temper those expectations: Pominville has just 24 goals in his last two seasons, the same number Eichel netted in last year’s injury-shortened season, but

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there is also room for optimism that Eichel may have found the finisher he’s so desperately needed.

7. Long Look for Logan

Senators GM Pierre Dorion said Colin White was “devastated” after learning he needed to undergo surgery to repair a fractured left wrist, which will keep him out of action for most of the next two months. But with Derick Brassard possibly missing time to start the season, No. 11 overall pick Logan Brown and 20-year-old Filip Chlapik will both get an extra-long look at centre. Brown, 19, and Chlapik (an empty-netter) each scored in their first auditions of the preseason on Tuesday night against the Leafs.

8. Bruise Brothers

It’s been a rough training camp for the St. Louis Blues. Defenceman Jay Bouwmeester will miss at least the first week of the season with a fractured ankle, winger Zach Sanford will sit the next five or six months after shoulder surgery, and the Blues announced Wednesday that forward Alex Steen will miss the remainder of training camp before being evaluated again. With Bouwmeester out, St. Louis will have nearly 23 minutes to fill on the blueline each night.

9. Franson’s Good Bet on Hawks

Former Maple Leafs defenceman Cody Franson reportedly turned down other contract offers to join the Blackhawks on a tryout deal. He seems like a good bet to make the roster. Franson was strong in his first preseason appearance, scoring a goal in addition to posting four shots on goal in the first period alone. The cap-strapped Hawks don’t currently have the cap space to sign the 30-year-old, who spent the last two seasons in Buffalo, but will after they move Marian Hossa’s $5.275 million cap hit to the long-term injury list once the season starts.

10. Quiet Quebec City

The tickets for preseason NHL hockey were expensive at $180 in the lower bowl. And the NHL has shown little promise in bringing a team back. But it was still surprising to see Quebec City’s sparkling Videotron Centre just half full (attendance: 9,248) on Monday night for the Canadiens/Bruins. It will be interesting to see if more fans show up for the next go-round on Sept. 27 when the Habs face the Leafs.


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