SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/13/2021 Red Wings 1217218 What should the Ducks do with Adam Henrique? Trade, 1217245 Report on death of Blue Jackets' Matiss Kivlenieks now buyout, expansion or keep him? with Oakland County prosecutor 1217246 Novi police: Probe of goalie's death turned over to Bruins Oakland County prosecutor 1217219 trade franchise mainstay Duncan 1217247 Prosecutor to review death of NHL goalie Matiss Keith to Oilers Kivlenieks 1217220 Source: Will “Go Hard” After Barclay 1217248 Michigan’s Matty Beniers could appeal to Red Wings as Goodrow two-way center 1217221 BHN Puck Links: Would the Boston Bruins Do This 1217249 Red Wings draft: 3 trade-up scenarios from pick No. 23 Tarasenko Deal? and how they’d work 1217222 Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blu 1217223 For the Bruins, an Adam Pelech trade would address a 1217250 Oilers trade for Blackhawks Duncan Keith to strengthen desperate left-side need blueline 1217251 Oilers feel they're getting a winner in Keith regardless of Buffalo Sabres age 1217224 Mike Harrington: Calendar is dictating Jack Eichel timeline 1217252 JONES: Keith deal means time is now for Edmonton – and he can forget about Boston Oilers GM 1217225 Sabres stick with same pricing for season ticket holders in 1217253 Lowetide: What did the Oilers sacrifice in sending Caleb 2021-22 Jones to Chicago in the Duncan Keith trade? 1217254 ‘This isn’t an exact science’: How Ken Holland’s overpay Flames for Duncan Keith limits the Oilers’ offseason options 1217226 Flames hire Love as head coach for AHL’s Heat 1217255 Lowetide: 10 free agents for the Oilers to target this 1217227 The Flames and Johnny Gaudreau: What might a new offseason contract look like? What about a trade? 1217256 Kings Seasons In Review – Anze Kopitar 1217228 Hurricanes assistant coach Dean Chynoweth departs for Maple Leafs 1217257 : North Stars weren't really underdogs in Chicago Blackhawks playoff run 1217229 Duncan Keith is traded to the Edmonton Oilers, ending the 1217258 Minnesota: Sorry, you don't deserve this defenseman’s celebrated 16-year run with the Chicago 1217259 Still hard to believe, North Stars' postseason run in 1991 1217230 Former player could participate in Blackhawks’ review of was a stunner assault allegation 1217231 Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to Oilers for Caleb Jones, Canadiens pick 1217260 Former Canadien Andrei Markov suspended from new 1217232 Blackhawks trade Keith to Oilers for Jones, 3rd-rounder KHL coaching job 1217233 Former player unlikely to participate in Blackhawks review 1217261 Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Eric Staal looking forward to just 1217234 It finally happened: Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to being a dad Oilers, but what a run he had here 1217262 What the Puck: Questions abound about Habs and Marc 1217235 Why Duncan Keith is the best Hawks defenseman ever Bergevin's future 1217236 Keith opens up about trade request from Blackhawks 1217263 Joël Bouchard’s departure from the Canadiens 1217237 Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to Edmonton organization has a familiar feel to it 1217238 Former player open to participating in Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault review under right conditions 1217239 Edmonton Oilers acquire defenseman Duncan Keith 1217264 What the Vegas expansion draft can teach the Predators from Chicago Blackhawks about ’s strategy 1217240 The Blackhawks’ legal strategy, how long it might take, what the NHL can do and the team’s plan in the meantim Devils 1217241 Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith trade was best for him and the 1217265 Sixers, Devils owners hire Tad Brown to replace Scott team O’Neil as CEO 1217242 Blue Jackets to hold memorial services for Matiss 1217266 Is there interest in Vladimir Tarasenko? Could Nick Leddy Kivlenieks on Thursday be shopped? What we’re hearing about the Islanders a 1217243 Prosecutor reviewing police report of incident that killed 1217267 Islanders Need a More Consistent Anthony Beauvillier to Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks Reach Cup 1217268 NYHN Daily: Quietness on Islanders Front, Free Agency Stars Questions, & More 1217244 Circumstances should bring a long-overdue change to the way the Stars construct their lines 1217269 Rangers add two assistants to Gerard Gallant’s staff 1217297 Stanley Cup damaged during Lightning championship 1217270 Why Rangers aren’t rushing Tony DeAngelo buyout celebration 1217271 Why NHL futures bettors will want to keep eye on Rangers 1217298 Another day in Tampa Bay, another boat parade 1217272 NHL mock draft 2.0: NY Rangers land two-way center celebrating a Stanley Cup Fyodor Svechov with pick No. 15 1217299 Cold sport, hot look: How to dress like a Tampa Bay 1217273 Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly join Rangers coach Gerard Lightning fan Gallant's staff as assistants, source says 1217300 This extravagant Bake’n Babes shake celebrates the 1217274 ‘That’s what happens’: Why Rangers winger Pavel Tampa Bay Lightning Buchnevich could be a trade chip after his breakout 1217301 Boat parade: How the Lightning and fans celebrated in season downtown Tampa 1217275 Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, 1217302 Born out of necessity, boat parade has become Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blu emblematic of Tampa Bay 1217303 Severe storms Monday afternoon could dampen Tampa Senators Bay Lightning celebration 1217276 Pierre McGuire will play a key role in the off-season to 1217304 From a champagne shower to a dented Stanley Cup: make the a better team What I’ll remember from Lightning celebration 1217277 Senators' welcomes the addition of Pierre McGuire to the staff Maple Leafs 1217278 The incoming Pierre McGuire will have a big voice in 1217305 Dean Chynoweth joins coaching staff talking to Senators fans as assistant 1217279 Senators bringing back Pierre McGuire and his 30 years of 1217306 Maple Leafs add Dean Chynoweth to coaching staff in NHL knowledge to assist the front office assistant role 1217280 Melnyk calls McGuire a key piece of Sens' Stanley Cup 1217307 Auston Matthews, Jumbo Joe hit UFC 264 with Biebs, drive party with Kendall Jenner 1217281 Pierre McGuire was one of the most polarizing NHL TV 1217308 Mirtle: Ride the Lightning: How do the Maple Leafs catch analysts. Now he’s trying to bring stability to the Senat the best team in the NHL? 1217282 Who are some realistic trade targets for the Senators ahead of the Kraken expansion draft? Canucks 1217316 Canucks top 10 prospects: Jonah Gadjovich's bruising Flyers play and sweet hands are key to his future 1217283 Flyers turn Oskar Lindblom T-shirts into $50,000 for 1217317 Canucks offseason primer: Cap space, trade chips, UFA Ewing’s sarcoma research targets, Kraken bait and more 1217284 Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blu 1217309 Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Penguins Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blu 1217285 Penguins hire new scouts, minor league coach 1217310 Oscar Dansk on his time with the Golden Knights, his 1217286 Over 50 years, the NHL's expansion drafts have changed move to the KHL and a road trip with William Karlsson dramatically 1217311 Report: After Keith Trade, Blackhawks ‘In Play’ for 1217287 Penguins A to Z: Can Drew O'Connor graduate to the Marc-Andre Fleury NHL? 1217312 And away we go. Nikita Kucherov is drinking from the 1217288 Madden Monday: Penguins fans 'will be amazed by how Stanley Cup and anything else within reach while that guy much they stand pat' 1217313 KNIGHTS NOTEBOOK/ Key Dates & Decisions for 1217289 With an eye on the future, adds five to Vegas Golden Knights Offseason Penguins hockey operations staff 1217290 Projecting the Probability of 8 Penguins Offseason Moves 1217291 Penguins Hire Hextall’s Son, Four More in Scouting 1217314 Why Caps must protect Backstrom, but not Ovechkin from Department Seattle Websites 1217292 Sharks have same Cup odds as team currently without 1217318 The Athletic / Pierre McGuire’s parting about players analytics in hockey is a reminder of what we can ignore 1217293 How Close Were Sharks to Drafting Niedermayer? 1217319 The Athletic / Hold ’em or Fold ’em: Which NHL teams would prefer an expansion-style reboot over what they cur 1217320 The Athletic / Best skaters? Top puck skills? Corey 1217294 Kraken on track for home arena to be ready by mid- Pronman ranks the NHL draft-eligibles by skill October 1217321 The Athletic / How Francesco Pinelli’s Slovenian hockey 1217295 Do free agents want to sign with the Kraken? NHL agents experience added extra maturity to his 2021 NHL Draft weigh in 1217322 .ca / Hip to hate Oilers' Keith deal, but the veteran can still play St Louis Blues 1217323 Sportsnet.ca / Senators hoping that Pierre McGuire really 1217296 Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, does 'know everything' Islanders, Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blu 1217324 TSN.CA / The opportunity cost of using a high draft pick on a goalie 1217325 USA TODAY / Senators add NHL TV analyst Pierre McGuire as senior VP of player development Jets 1217315 Andrew Copp trade could allow Jets to solve 3 problems in a single move. But at what cost? SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1217218 Anaheim Ducks Also, the best avenue to moving him for any kind of strong return might be as part of a package to a team that can take on salary, when he essentially is the throw-in to help make the money work. That is why his What should the Ducks do with Adam Henrique? Trade, buyout, name has been mentioned in the Jack Eichel speculation. Trading expansion or keep him? Henrique alone isn’t going to net much, even with salary retained. Moving his contract as part of a bigger deal in which both teams are getting more valuable assets might do the trick.

By Eric Stephens Jul 12, 2021 There also is the fact that Henrique has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract. His representation did not respond to inquiries but it stands to

reason that he may be open to situations where it is more certain he’ll A difficult Ducks season was officially behind him, but Adam Henrique felt have an opportunity to flourish in a top-six role. there was more hockey to play and was determined to finish the year on Buy out his contract a positive note. Since it has already been tough to move Henrique through a Wearing a ’s “C” on his Canada jersey and winning a gold medal conventional swap of players, picks or prospects, is it feasible to cut bait in the IIHF World Championship in Latvia last month didn’t erase the pain by paying him to play elsewhere? of a year in which he was on the outs at times in Anaheim. But it was a pretty good ointment to help heal some wounds. Let’s look at what it would cost the Ducks to go that route. Unlike Corey Perry’s buyout, in which the cap charge for Anaheim has fluctuated – “I think just something fun to go over to look forward to playing,” Henrique notably a $6.625-million hit in 2020-21 – Henrique’s contract is cleanly told reporters before the start of the tournament. “And then come back structured. There are no changes between his cap number and actual and just kind of jump into the offseason to make sure that I’m ready.” salary. Finding an instant connection with Ottawa’s Connor Brown and chemistry It makes for a straightforward buyout number. The Ducks would pay two- with Calgary’s Andrew Mangiapane, Henrique helped power Canada’s thirds of what is left on his deal, which comes out to $11.65 million. With top line with six goals and five assists in 10 games as it roared back from three years left, the buyout would spread over six seasons and leave opening losses to Latvia, the United States and Germany to claim its them with a cap hit of $1,941,667 in each season. 27th title. When you compare that to $5.825 million, it is a significant amount of It was Henrique’s second appearance for Canada at the worlds and was savings. An extra $3.88 million this summer and in the next two could dramatically different than in 2019, when he recorded only two assists in present opportunities for Anaheim to invest in upgrading the roster. For 10 games. More importantly, Henrique showed there was plenty of life in instance, Cap Friendly has the Ducks with a projected $22.555 million in his 31-year-old legs after an NHL season in which he felt Anaheim’s cap space. Boosting that to over $26 million when many teams will be pandemic-related 10-month layoff hurt him. Injuries weren’t the reason facing issues keeping their teams together in a flat-cap situation could why he didn’t play in 11 of their 56 games. Coach benched allow them to add a proven scorer to their youthful core. him for nearly one period in one game, scratched him in another and the Ducks also sat him for almost a week when no team claimed him off The flip side of a buyout is that the Ducks would still be paying a non- waivers. roster player $1,941,667 for another three seasons. It’s dead money and they know about that from paying Perry while the former star flourished in The end to his season offered no positives. He missed six games Stanley Cup runs with Dallas and Montreal in a lesser role the last two because he had to adhere to NHL COVID-19 protocol guidelines after seasons. being in close contact with someone who tested positive. On the final weekend in Minnesota, Henrique scored a goal and assisted on another The buyout window opened last Thursday, and while there might be in just 13 1/2 minutes of duty from the fourth line in the Ducks’ 4-3 some benefit to cutting loose Henrique through a payout, the feeling loss to the Wild. The next night, the 10-year veteran watched as coming out of Ducks HQ is they won’t entertain doing that for him or any grinder Nic Deslauriers was inserted in his place. other player.

The international tournament was, as Henrique said, a means to “help Retain him put things in the right direction.” But where does he go from here? Will that direction toward Anaheim? Or somewhere else? If options such as trading him or buying him out are either too tough or aren’t under consideration, does it make sense to keep Henrique and see Tethered into a contract through the 2023-24 season, the Ducks and if he can recapture more of the form that had him scoring 20 times in 57 Henrique will have to figure out what is best for both sides moving games after his 2017 trade from New Jersey, plus a team-leading 26 forward. There are options. goals in 2019-20?

Trade him At 31, Henrique is no longer a spring chicken. But he doesn’t play a bruising in-the-crease style of hockey that can take a toll on more If this were easy to do, Henrique might already have been dealt by now. physical forwards. He is more of a shooter who can find the soft areas in But it isn’t. the offensive end and he doesn’t deviate too greatly from his career 15.4 The hang-up is that the longtime center (and occasional left wing) still shooting percentage. (His career-low 8.2 percentage and a diminishing has over $17 million owed over the next three seasons. With Ryan role are what got him traded from the Devils.) Getzlaf’s eight-year deal now expired, Henrique’s $5.825-million annual Even though his rough start to last season led the Ducks to put him on salary makes him the Ducks’ highest-paid forward. That amount isn’t bad waivers and scratch him on occasion, Henrique still managed 77 shots when it comes to salary-cap management of an entire roster. It looks on goal to tie Max Jones for fifth on the team. His 12 goals (in just 45 even better given that the cap is staying flat in 2021-22. contests) ranked second. That is a reflection of Anaheim’s horrific scoring But it is bad when the highest-paid forward had 12 goals and nine assists issues more than anything, but in his team-leading 26-goal season, in 45 games and was a spectator on several evenings. If he were Henrique put a career-high 169 shots on net. entering the final year of his deal, Henrique would be a prime trade While it’s conceivable to think that Henrique works best when operating deadline candidate. No team, however, is taking on the rest of his as a secondary offensive producer on a good team, the Ducks could contract at its full amount. benefit from having a proven holdover looking to rebound alongside a Building interest among teams is crucial with this option and to do that, growing group of youngsters. the Ducks will have to swallow hard and eat a sizable portion. Their Does he have one or two more seasons of 20 to 25 goals in him? Maybe. preference would be to not retain the league’s maximum of 50 percent. Joe Pavelski has scored 166 goals since turning 31. Henrique isn’t The question is, would keeping 33 percent ($1.92 million) or even 40 Pavelski, but he can still find the net at a decent level. A response year percent ($2.33 million) be enough to attract some suitors? Does from him would restore confidence in GMs across the league that he can acquiring Henrique as a No. 2 or No. 3 center at $3.5 million to $3.9 help a team looking to take the next step, and he might look more million annually look better? Or does that number have to come down to appealing with two years left on his deal instead of three. $2.9 million? The likelihood that Henrique sticks with the transitioning Ducks until the downward slope and it was increasingly apparent that their Cup window end of his contract is slim. If Getzlaf comes back for a 17th season, it was slamming shut. could make it tougher for Henrique to lock down a top-nine role at center or left wing, given the number of younger forwards needing ice time. But At half his price, Henrique is a good fit on an NHL team. Even better, the if one gets plucked by Seattle in the expansion draft, it could open a spot proven vet with six 20-goal seasons and 198 career goals can be a nice for the Ducks to plug him in. fit on a contender. As shown with his performance at the worlds, he can still play. Expose him to Seattle The Ducks will have to make the best of the situation. Trading him this Speaking of the expansion draft, would the Ducks really think of summer would allow Murray to use his available money – even if it’s $2.9 protecting Henrique when they turn in their list Saturday? million instead of the full cap savings – toward acquiring a better offensive player who is preferably younger and could be part of their core It doesn’t seem to make much sense. In February, they were fine with for the next several seasons. any team taking him and his contract. There was zero chance that it would happen. However, if you apply the same logic of putting him on Keeping him can be a fallback option. In 2015-16 with New Jersey, waivers, wouldn’t it seem like the Ducks would be fine with leaving him Henrique had a career-high 30 goals. Who was on that Devils’ coaching exposed to the Kraken and hoping they would select him? staff? New Ducks assistant . A reunion might get the center back on the beam. There are other Ducks – those with higher trade value, younger players with upside, etc. – who are more of a necessity to protect. With Henrique, “I really enjoyed working with Adam,” Ward told The Athletic. “We had a a pricey contract would be off the books in one clean swipe. great relationship. He is a great professional and is a really good person. He was extremely easy to coach. He was a very motivated athlete.” Adam Henrique. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today) But if a deal cannot be made, the Ducks need to make it work with Of course, that is contingent on Seattle actually taking Henrique, and it Henrique and do what they can to make him a worthwhile asset. Making also makes sense for the Kraken not to fill their roster with high-salaried him feel wanted would be a start. veterans. But they do need to take on salary at some positions to reach the cap floor. And you can’t ice a team solely of low-cost kids and be The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 competitive in the dog-eat-dog NHL, hungry as they may be.

What the Ducks decide on with their protection list may help determine what they do with Henrique. If they opt to go the eight-skater format – and that is very possible given that Anaheim could protect four defensemen, including Haydn Fleury – that certainly would leave Henrique in the exposed column.

But if they opt for the 7-3-1 format (seven forwards, three defensemen, one goalie), it’s possible that they could protect Henrique given that there aren’t many non-exempt forwards considered a pure lock to keep away from Seattle.

Waive him

The Ducks could have Henrique on their roster to start 2021-22 if other attempts to move him fail. And if he is there, one would imagine the club doing what it can to squeeze out as much value as possible out of the veteran.

But what if Henrique has a start similar to 2020-21, when he had just four points (three of them goals) in 16 games while taking up a roster spot that could have been used on another player? As it stands right now, the centers could be, in no particular lineup order, Getzlaf (if he returns), Trevor Zegras, Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom and Derek Grant. Right wings could be Troy Terry, Jakob Silfverberg, Alexander Volkov and possibly Rickard Rakell. Rakell could also be on left wing, where Max Comtois, Max Jones, Danton Heinen and Deslauriers sit.

A couple of names could be off the above lists by October. A trade could bring in a different forward. But while his place in Anaheim’s future is unsettled, Henrique isn’t a lock to be moved before the season starts, given his contract. Having a productive veteran would be beneficial, both for helping the Ducks in 2021-22 and improving his trade value as a year of salary and term disappear.

However, the Ducks could be faced with another uncomfortable situation if Henrique were to struggle badly and become an expensive healthy scratch or, worse, block someone who is more deserving, perhaps like rising forward Bo Groulx. Putting him on waivers is again at their disposal. It isn’t unheard of – Tampa Bay did it with Tyler Johnson twice.

But this isn’t a situation in which the Ducks are a championship-level team, which could make it easier for a proud veteran to acquiesce and not disrupt that team’s aspirations. The prospect of a struggling team putting one of its locker-room voices on waivers again, in the unlikely hope that a team takes his contract off their hands, is an unhealthy combination.

In conclusion…

The cold, hard truth is that the five-year extension GM Bob Murray signed Henrique to in the summer of 2018 was great for the center but not so much for the team, especially not when the Ducks were on a 1217219 Boston Bruins

Chicago Blackhawks trade franchise mainstay Duncan Keith to Edmonton Oilers

From staff and wire reports Updated July 12, 2021, 8:30 p.m.

Duncan Keith (right) was awarded the after the Blackhawks beat the Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.

Duncan Keith (right) was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Blackhawks beat the Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.USA TODAY SPORTS

Duncan Keith, a longtime staple on the Blackhawks’ blue line, was traded Monday to the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 draft pick, according to reports. Keith, who turns 38 Friday, is a three-time Stanley Cup winner with Chicago and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2010 and ’14. Keith asked the Blackhawks for a trade to Western Canada to be closer to his 8-year- old son, Colton, who he went long stretches without seeing last season. Keith has two years left on his 13-year, $72 million contract at a salary- cap hit of just over $5.5 million. His 1,192 games are second in Blackhawks history behind forward (1,396), and he tallied 105 goals and 520 assists. Keith also helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics. Jones, a 24- year-old defenseman, had four assists in 33 games this season. Edmonton will also receive minor league forward Tim Soderlund … Police in Michigan have turned over their investigation into the July 4 fireworks death of Blue Jackets Matiss Kivlenieks to a prosecutor for review. The Novi Police Department has not requested charges in Kivlenieks’s death, which still is considered accidental. The 24-year-old died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast at a private home.

McGuire joins Senators front office

Pierre McGuire is headed to Ottawa for a job with the Senators.

Longtime television analyst Pierre McGuire is returning to an NHL front office as senior vice president of player development for the Ottawa Senators. McGuire was one of the faces of NBC Sports’ hockey coverage since 2006, often serving as the between-the-benches analyst. Before that, he worked for TSN in Canada and did color commentary for radio broadcasts. McGuire, 59, was a Senators pro scout between 1994-96. He won the Stanley Cup twice as a Pittsburgh scout and assistant in the early and was later assistant general manager and coach of the .

Boston Globe LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217220 Boston Bruins what the Lightning did at the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline and bring in both Goodrow and Coleman but as of now, the former appears to be the focus.

Source: Boston Bruins Will “Go Hard” After Barclay Goodrow Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 07.13.2021

By Jimmy Murphy

Are the Boston Bruins set to go after forward Barclay Goodrow again?

Prior to the 2020 NHL Trade deadline, the Boston Bruins were quietly one of a handful of teams that were considered front-runners for then- San Jose Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow. Goodrow and a 2020 third round draft pick (previously acquired from the ), ended up being dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Lightning’s 2020 first round pick and forward Anthony Greco. The six-foot-two, 203- pound Goodrow went on to become an integral piece to the Lightning’s 2020 Stanley Cup run in the bubble and even more important to second straight run that saw them raise Lord Stanley again last Wednesday in Tampa Bay.

Now, just under 17 months later, it appears the Boston Bruins once again have Goodrow on their list of players to acquire except this time it will be in unrestricted free agency, should the rugged forward reach the UFA market on July 28.

“I would expect them to go hard after Goodrow again,” an NHL source, that has direct knowledge of the Goodrow trade discussions leading into the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, told Boston Hockey Now over the weekend. “They knew then that Goodrow is the type of player you need in your middle six to make a real Cup run and he’s obviously proven that since he got to Tampa.”

Goodrow had one goal and five assists in 25 games during the Lightning’s run to the 2020 Stanley Cup and two goals and four assists in 18 games in their most recent Cup run. Goodrow had six goals and 14 assists in 55 games during the regular season.

“You’re not bringing him in for offense, you’re bringing him in to bang and bring the noise,” the source said. “He could play with [David] Krejci or [Charlie] Coyle – I’d play him with Coyle – and instantly he brings security to them.”

As for what the Bruins may have to pay Goodrow?

“You’re probably looking at $4-$4.5 million per,” the source said.

As Joe Haggerty – when he was with NBC Sports Boston – reported leading into the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, the Boston Bruins were also interested in then- forward Blake Coleman. Ironically, Coleman was also dealt to the Lightning, for forward Nolan Foote and Vancouver’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft (previously acquired by Tampa Bay. Coleman, center Yanni Gourde and Goodrow became arguably the best third line in the NHL and were instrumental in both Cup runs for the Bolts. This same source expects the Bruins to revisit their interest in Coleman as well but believes that Goodrow would be prioritized over Coleman.

The interest in Goodrow and players like him should come as no surprise after the Bruins bottom-six forward group wore down for a second straight playoff season and it was once again crystal clear that they need more bulk there.

“We have some areas of depth that we’d like to continue to address. It showed up through the Islanders series, where we got dinged up and ran into some injuries,” Boston Bruins GM said in his end of the season Zoom session with the media. “I think the depth of the Islanders roster and their scoring ability showed up, and we just didn’t get it done to the level we needed to. Otherwise, we’d still be playing.

So, we have to acknowledge the shortcomings, both at a player level and at a management level in terms of the roster composition, as you pointed out. We have to target some areas and expect some improvement in some players that they would admit, and did admit, they fell short in. We’ve been a very competitive team and we put ourselves in a position to compete at the Stanley Cup level. And we’ve just fallen short. That’s where we want to do better.”

The expectation is that the cap-strapped Lightning will have to let Goodrow and Coleman walk. According to PuckPedia, the Boston Bruins have $28.2 million in space. It’s conceivable that they could do 1217221 Boston Bruins

BHN Puck Links: Would the Boston Bruins Do This Tarasenko Deal?

By Joe Haggerty

The Boston Bruins are being mentioned in the mix for Vladimir Tarasenko as the St. Louis Blues continue to explore moving their Russian sniper this offseason.

It’s no surprise that this report from FOH (Friend of Haggs) Jeremy Rutherford has St. Louis native Trent Frederic in the mix if Tarasenko did indeed come to Boston. It also goes without saying that the B’s would probably have to give up their first round pick if they wanted the Blues to retain some of his salary for the next few years. But according to Rutherford, the Blues “would make this deal yesterday” if it was Tarasenko for a 2021 first round pick and Frederic.

It very much remains to be seen if the B’s would want to roll the dice on a player in Tarasenko that’s approaching 30 years old with a handful of shoulder surgeries in his recent past. Clearly there’s a fit there if the Bruins slide Craig Smith back down to the third line right wing, and if they renounce their rights to RFA right wing Ondrej Kase after a couple of lost seasons due to concussion issues.

Still, you could take it to the bank that Tarasenko would be good for 30 goals and 70 points when he was healthy with St. Louis, and that’s exactly the kind of goal-scoring depth the Boston Bruins are still missing in the postseason.

Would you give up Frederic and a first round pick for Tarasenko, or try to get St. Louis to take DeBrusk and a first round pick instead while essentially killing two birds (acquiring Tarasenko and moving DeBrusk) with one stone in a blockbuster deal? It’s certainly worth thinking about, though I feel like the Boston Bruins are going to regret it if they end up waving goodbye to a player in Frederic that absolutely fits the Boston Bruins style like a glove.

Now on to the BHN Puck Links:

*Interesting to see some of the players that the Seattle Kraken are expected to snag in the NHL expansion draft when it goes down. (Detroit Hockey Now)

*Could Jake Voracek make the jump from the Philadelphia Flyers to the just like Ron Hextall? Crazier things have happened. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

SKIP AD

*An interview “from the vault” with Lars Eller as NHL teams like the Washington Capitals stretch their muscles out for some offseason activity. (Washington Hockey Now)

*It looks like Kevin Labanc is on the trade block for the San Jose Sharks as they look to make tangible changes to an NHL roster that’s been riding the struggle bus for a while. (San Jose Hockey Now)

*What a timeline of Jaromir Jagr’s very forgettable time with the Washington Capitals that includes a cameo appearance from Bruce Cassidy. (The Athletic)

*Congrats to FOH Pierre McGuire on his new gig with the Ottawa Senators as he finally gets back into NHL management as he’s wanted to do for years. (Ottawa Sun)

*The Tampa Bay Lightning are having a parade today in Florida and it looks pretty darn fun.

*For something completely different: Saw Black Widow over the weekend and it was solid MCU fare. Florence Pugh is going to make a very good successor as a Black Widow-esque hero. (MCU Direct)

Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 07.13.2021 1217222 Boston Bruins So who are those clubs and what could the return for the Blues look like?

In conversations the past few days with sources familiar with Tarasenko’s list, we’ve come up with five teams that could be trade possibilities: the Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

For return, let’s keep in mind that no two trades are exactly alike, and it’s By Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman Jul 12, 2021 especially difficult to come up with comparables considering that the salary cap will be stuck at $81.5 million in 2021-22 and likely longer. But we wanted to find some similar examples in recent years to help set up some parameters. Here are a couple of moves we looked at: It’s been five days since The Athletic first reported that star Blues right winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade. Golden Knights receive:

It hasn’t been a perfect marriage, but it’s still surreal to think that the Max Pacioretty organization’s purest goal scorer since may have played his last game in the Blue Note. Canadiens receive:

Tarasenko has two years remaining on his eight-year, $60 million Nick Suzuki contract, and there’s no guarantee that Blues general manager Doug Tomas Tatar Armstrong will find a suitable trade before the start of the 2021-22 season. But a split is where this is headed, and it wouldn’t seem wise to Second-round pick (2019) keep a disgruntled player on the roster much longer — especially one who, according to sources, has questioned how the team’s medical staff Rangers receive: handled his surgically repaired left shoulder.

How does Armstrong make this work, though, when the Blues are saying Jets receive: their championship window is still open and operating near the NHL’s $81.5 million salary cap? Does he trade for an established player or a Neal Pionk package that may include prospects or draft picks? Does he dump salary First-round pick (2019) and use it on another position? If so, how much of Tarasenko’s salary will the Blues have to retain? The Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba trades featured a return of what we will call an A-grade future (Nick Suzuki and the first-round pick) plus a It’s all part of a complex equation. good young NHL-proven player (Tomas Tatar and Neal Pionk). BREAKING: BLUES WINGER VLADIMIR TARASENKO REQUESTS A Given the unique circumstances of the current situation — a flat cap, an TRADE, PER SOURCES: WHY HE WANTS OUT, POSSIBLE expansion draft looming and Tarasenko having injury concerns and a full DESTINATIONS AND MORE HTTPS://T.CO/OLNEUCTGSI no-trade clause but also two years left on his contract — it is likely the #STLBLUES return for Tarasenko will be a downgrade from that, but we can still use it — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) JULY 8, 2021 as a starting point.

Since news of the trade request surfaced, many have suggested that the In order to come up with potential trade packages, we roped in The Blues should leave Tarasenko unprotected in the upcoming Seattle Athletic’s prospects guru Corey Pronman. expansion draft. Teams are required to submit their protected lists by Here’s what we came up with: Saturday, and the draft will be held on July 21. Rangers If only it were as easy as the Kraken taking Tarasenko off the books and the Blues using the $7.5 million of salary-cap space that freed up to Overview: It’s been a shocking summer in New York, where new GM and upgrade the roster, either in a trade or free agency. president and head coach Gerard Gallant are now in charge. The Rangers have played in just one postseason series in the past four Seattle GM has a blank canvas with the Kraken, but while years (they were swept by Carolina in the 2019-20 qualifying round), so the expansion club has announced that it will be spending to the cap, the pressure will be on even with a new regime. There’s been a lot of would he commit nearly 10 percent of that to a 29-year-old winger who speculation in the Big Apple about being the landing spot for Buffalo’s hasn’t looked the same since having three shoulder surgeries? Jack Eichel, which would take priority over a Tarasenko deal. In addition to Tarasenko’s health history, there may be concerns about Potential trade package: Right winger Vitali Kravtsov and left-shot how his now-public rift with the Blues will be perceived by teams defenseman Libor Hajek interested in him. Rutherford’s thoughts: The Rangers could have drafted Tarasenko in Furthermore, Tarasenko left his longtime agent, Mike Liut, this summer 2010, but at No. 10, they took defenseman Dylan McIlrath. He spent just and joined Paul Theofanous. As it relates to the Kraken, Liut and Francis 38 games in New York and is now with Detroit’s AHL affiliate. Do they are second cousins and were teammates in Hartford, so Francis would want Tarasenko 11 years later? He’d love to play with his pal Artemi have a deeper understanding of Tarasenko at his disposal, and with the Panarin, but they need a center and some grit. This trade could be recent split between Liut and Tarasenko, you’d have to wonder about plausible, though, if the Blues are getting either Kravtsov or Pavel Liut’s honest opinion. Buchnevich, along with Hajek, who may be available because the For those wondering about Seattle taking Tarasenko in the expansion Rangers have better young defensemen in the pipeline. draft and flipping him in a trade — a la Vegas in 2017 — the question Pronman’s thoughts: The Rangers have a ton of good wingers, so in might become: “If Armstrong is having even a little bit of trouble trading order to make this deal work in all likelihood one has to go the other way. him, why would Francis make that his problem?” Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are non-starters, so the most obvious That’s why it probably makes sense for the Blues to leave Tarasenko off candidate is Kravtsov. He was a top 10 pick by the Rangers, but it would their protected list. Finding the right deal will probably take more time be fair to say if you redid that draft now, based on talks with NHL scouts, than the upcoming expansion-draft deadline provides. From there, if the he would go in the teens or 20s in all likelihood. He is a highly skilled Kraken pick him, the Blues move on. And if they don’t, then the Blues playmaker with size whose game lacks speed. Hajek is a very good were able to protect another forward in the draft — and continue to look skating defenseman with a good frame but lacks ideal skill and puck- for the right spot to ship Tarasenko. moving instincts.

As far as The Athletic can gauge at the moment, that’s the most likely Islanders scenario: a trade. And according to sources, Tarasenko has given the Overview: The Islanders have been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup Final Blues a list that includes as many as 10 teams for which he’d approve a the past two seasons, falling to Tampa Bay in the semifinals both years, deal. including a Game 7 loss last month. How will GM respond? It’s unlikely he’ll want to alter the Islanders’ foundation, but he Flyers could still make a substantial splash to help get them over the hump. The Isles are a hardworking team with balanced scoring but could benefit Overview: After a rewarding 2019-20 season for Philadelphia, which saw from a player like Tarasenko, who, when clicking, can be instant offense. the Flyers finish with the league’s sixth-best record and Alain Vigneault be among the three finalists for the coach of the year award, this past Potential trade package: Right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson, left season was a major step back. They closed at No. 19 in the standings, winger Michael Dal Colle missed the and are facing a pivotal offseason. But with improved goaltending and a few other players returning to previous form, a Rutherford’s thoughts: After and Justin Faulk, the Blues bounce-back year is possible. Still, GM ’s club could use a are thin on the right side of their defense, so Dobson would be a nice shoot-first, goal-scoring threat like Tarasenko. pickup. But if the Islanders are giving up the 21-year-old Dobson, they’re going to want Vince Dunn in the deal, even though Dobson is a righty Potential trade package: Center Morgan Frost, right-shot defenseman and Dunn is a lefty. If Lamoriello were making a trade for Tarasenko, Philippe Myers he’d probably prefer to give up left winger Anthony Beauvillier, 24, who would be a lot more intriguing than Dal Colle, who was the No. 5 pick in Rutherford’s thoughts: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to 2014 and has just eight career goals. Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL Pronman’s thoughts: The Islanders’ farm system is a little on the thin games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so side, so their two best trade options are their 2018 first-round picks in perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player Dobson and winger Oliver Wahlstrom. You can interchange which one of who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to those two to use here if Islanders fans are particularly infuriated by one use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman. or the other being offered up. Both are very good young players who haven’t taken that big step to becoming core parts of a lineup. Dal Colle, Pronman’s thoughts: I realize this package looks very similar to the also a high pick, is a skilled big winger, but due to a lack of footspeed, Flyers one proposed for . I never said we were overly he’s had a hard time becoming a useful NHL player. creative. Frost was injured all season but is still considered a very good prospect with top-six forward potential. It would be between him and Golden Knights defenseman Cam York for the future asset used here. Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose NHL performance has been up and down in Overview: Vegas will remain one of the top teams in the Western his first few years in the league but is a useful big leaguer. Conference in 2021-22, even after being upset by Montreal in this year’s playoffs. The undoing of the Golden Knights was their power play, which There are other possible destinations for Tarasenko, but as you can see, ranked dead last among the 16 playoff teams (9.3 percent). Tarasenko there are a lot of moving parts and possibilities. You may disagree with netted 17 power-play goals for the Blues in 2018-19 (including the some of the scenarios, but our goal, for now, was to provide a list of playoffs), but he has just four PP goals the past two years in 42 games. legitimate clubs where there may be mutual interest, as well as put names on the players who may be available. Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Nicolas Roy The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Rutherford’s thoughts: First Ryan Reaves and Alex Pietrangelo, and now Tarasenko? It’s the “Blues West.” I see why a star like Tarasenko would want to play in Vegas, but will the Golden Knights be interested? They have so many wingers that Alex Tuch, who was tied for third on the team with 18 goals last season, was relegated to the third line. It’s hard to imagine the Blues fetching a first-round pick (even No. 29) for Tarasenko due to his injury situation, and it’s also hard to see Vegas giving up Roy, a center, when the Knights need help at center.

Pronman’s thoughts: Putting in Peyton Krebs would likely be too much for Vegas to handle from a futures standpoint, but I don’t get the sense around the league Brendan Brisson would do it, so the Golden Knights’ first-round pick this summer, No. 29, would be the future used. They’ll have to give a bit more on the current player side than Roy, who is a useful, if not a good, NHL player. Vegas fans likely will squirm at the idea of giving up someone who can play the middle given their depth chart, but ideally Krebs or Cody Glass can step in and play the middle.

Bruins

Overview: Boston has $30 million in projected salary-cap space in 2021- 22, but the Bruins have some high-end unrestricted free agents they’re trying to bring back. For starters, there’s Taylor Hall and David Krejci, and then there’s goalie Tuukka Rask, and also don’t forget they’ve been linked to the Eichel rumors in Buffalo. Boston appears set at right wing with David Pastrnak and Craig Smith, and the Bruins have a more pressing need on left defense. But if they can’t get the top-six talent they’re after, perhaps Tarasenko becomes an option.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Trent Frederic

Rutherford’s thoughts: The Blues would make this deal yesterday. The Bruins’ first-round pick is No. 20, and with the Blues already possessing the No. 16 pick, Armstrong would have two of the top 20 selections in the draft. I’m assuming the Blues would be retaining salary in this proposal, but even if they’re off the hook for some of the $7.5 million, it would allow them to spend that money on another position. Meanwhile, they’d be adding some sandpaper in the St. Louisan, Frederic, and it worked out pretty well the last time a player put on the hometown uniform (Pat Maroon).

Pronman’s thoughts: Boston doesn’t have a lot of premium futures unless they part with Jack Studnicka, which seems unlikely, so using its first- round pick this summer seems the most logical trade asset. Frederic is a competitive, smart forward with size who lacks standout speed or skill for the NHL level. 1217223 Boston Bruins The complication is that if Pelech and the Islanders proceed to arbitration, it’s unlikely the defenseman can approach those standards. Arbitration is about numbers. Pelech’s statistics do not accurately tell the For the Bruins, an Adam Pelech trade would address a desperate left- story of his all-around responsibilities. side need If they proceed to arbitration, the Islanders could use Pulock, Pelech’s partner, as a comparable. Pulock scored 35 points in 2019-20 prior to signing a two-year, $10 million extension. By Fluto Shinzawa Jul 12, 2021 Had 2020-21 been an 82-game season, Pelech was on pace to score 21 points. This happens to be his career high, which he set in 2018-19. It would be challenging for Pelech to win a $5 million arbitration award — a Adam Pelech is a lifelong Islander. The left-shot defenseman’s employer threshold, you could argue, that still sells him short of his real value. acknowledges how critical he is to the team’s success. All the signs point toward a long-term relationship. The sides could negotiate a short- or long-term extension without arbitration. But that would also, in all likelihood, fall short of what Pelech But it might not be so simple. Consider the cluster of circumstances: could earn in a 2022 free-for-all, given the Islanders’ cap squeeze and Pelech’s value has never been higher following three rounds of playoff leaguewide interest in the defenseman’s services. Mattias Ekholm, Mark stoutness. Giordano, Hampus Lindholm, Darnell Nurse and Morgan Reilly are among the left-shot defensemen who will be unrestricted next summer. He is a restricted free agent coming off a team-friendly contract (four years, $6.4 million, per CapFriendly). According to CapFriendly, the Islanders are currently forecast to have $5.7 million in available cap space. Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Pelech is eligible for arbitration. But the avenue favors point producers Sorokin are restricted. Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Travis Zajac and more than defensive defensemen. Andy Greene, who all played roles in helping the Islanders beat the Bruins, are unrestricted. He is one year out from unrestricted free agency, where multiple bidders would be eager to grant him a long-term, big-bucks payday. This is familiar territory for Lamoriello. After 2019-20, Devon Toews was eligible for arbitration. The pace-pushing defenseman was coming off a The Islanders are snug against the cap. 28-point season. A generous award would have put the Islanders in a Because of the club’s paucity of free cash, general manager Lou jam. Lamoriello will probably be unable to pay Pelech now, on a long-term So on Oct. 12, 2020, Lamoriello traded Toews to Colorado for second- extension, what he could command on the open market in 2022. The GM round picks in 2021 and 2022. They didn’t want to deal Toews. The may have to deal someone else to clear enough cap space for a full- former Quinnipiac blueliner scored 31 points as a first-year Avalanche. value Pelech deal. But Lamoriello preferred assets over intensifying the Islanders’ cap A one-year extension, either through arbitration or standard negotiations, issues. would walk Pelech into free agency. To see Pelech leave for nothing You can see, then, why a foregone conclusion on a Pelech extension would be a Long Island calamity. cannot be written in Sharpie. The Bruins would be happy to assist the All of this means an extension for Pelech, while likely, is not a sure thing. Islanders with their problem. A trade is a slim possibility. Left-side deficiency If so, the Bruins would raise their hand just as high as anyone. The Bruins need a left-shot firefighter. They are hunting for someone who Understated and undervalued can deny entries at the blue line, negate sticks in dangerous ice, flex his muscles down low, kill penalties, retrieve pucks, initiate exits and put Cale Makar (44 points), (41) and Miro Heiskanen (27) are pucks on net from the offensive blue line. up for big-time raises. The restricted free agents — technically, Makar and Hughes are classified in the 10.2 (c) category, forbidden to negotiate Grzelcyk does some of these things well. But the 5-foot-9, 174-pounder with any other teams — are high-energy, points-producing defensemen. is simply not designed for heavy deployment on the kill or repeated matchup shifts against angry musclemen. Pelech (14) does not drive offense to the degree of his younger counterparts. In his own way, he is just as valuable. Jeremy Lauzon fills in some of Grzelcyk’s gaps. But after 89 games of career data (76 in the regular season, 13 in the playoffs), it’s unclear The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Pelech averaged a team-high 20:54 of even- whether the 24-year-old can be a permanent top-four resident. Jakub strength ice time per game in the playoffs. He played 2:08 per game on Zboril and Urho Vaakanainen, neither of whom appeared in the playoffs, the penalty kill, second-most after Scott Mayfield. Pelech started only have yet to prove themselves as full-time NHLers, to say nothing of 33.3 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone, lowest among fulfilling hard shifts. team defensemen. At five-on-five, his 50.29 expected goals-for percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick, led the blue line. Mike Reilly was a good fit after arriving from Ottawa. Reilly’s defensive game, however, favors quick feet and rapid decision-making over Pelech, in other words, is a wet blanket against offensive flammability. physicality. Also, Reilly is unrestricted, free to maximize his earnings Coaches, especially details-driven ones like Barry Trotz, love elsewhere, perhaps beyond what the Bruins would prefer. defensemen like Pelech. All of this answers why league chatter has the Bruins sniffing around GMs love them too. Oliver Ekman-Larsson once more. Last offseason, Ekman-Larsson, who has no-move protection, granted the Bruins and Canucks permission to For the last four seasons, Pelech earned $1.6 million annually. You could talk trade with the Coyotes. It is unknown if a second window has argue there was no better bargain in the league. If he were on the Bruins opened. Kevin Epp, Ekman-Larsson’s agent, did not respond to an in 2020-21, Pelech would have made less than Charlie McAvoy, Matt inquiry on whether further discussion between Don Sweeney and Arizona Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo, John Moore and Kevan Miller. counterpart Bill Armstrong was possible. From the organization’s perspective, Pelech signed his second contract Ekman-Larsson, who turns 30 on July 17, appears to be in decline. In at just the right time. He was coming off a 44-game 2016-17 season, part 2020-21, according to Natural Stat Trick, Ekman-Larsson had a 42.02 of which he spent in the AHL. He averaged 16:50 of ice time per game, expected goals-for percentage at five-on-five, the lowest of any Arizona seventh among team defensemen. Pelech scored three goals and seven defenseman. Pelech, in comparison, had a 58.39 xGF%, tops among assists, well off the 11-35—46 pace set by Nick Leddy. Islanders defensemen. Pelech rapidly outgrew the infrastructure of his second contract. It is not The cost of acquiring Ekman-Larsson would be lower than Pelech. The a stretch to compare Pelech’s skill set to those of left-shot stoppers like Bruins would insist that Arizona retain part of Ekman-Larsson’s $8.25 an in-his-prime Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Ryan McDonagh and Jake Muzzin. million AAV, which is active through 2027. The Coyotes, in all likelihood, Their respective AAVs are $7 million, $6.75 million and $5.625 million. would have to accept a moderate return to say goodbye to the defenseman’s contract. If Lamoriello made Pelech available, Sweeney would have to part with more assets, then sign the defenseman to a big-bucks extension. It’s what will happen with Seth Jones, who wants out of Columbus with one year left on his deal. It’s what the Rangers did with Jacob Trouba, acquiring him from Winnipeg for Neal Pionk and a 2019 first-rounder, then signing him to a seven-year, $56 million extension.

If Pelech cannot agree on a long-term deal with the Islanders, the prudent move for pursuers would be to wait until he reaches UFA status.

But by 2022, Patrice Bergeron’s contract will have expired. Brad Marchand will be a year older. The Bruins cannot defer reinforcing their most significant deficiency.

In the crosshairs

The Islanders entered the second round with a primary objective: Make the left side suffer. They sent everything at Grzelcyk, Reilly, Lauzon and Jarred Tinordi with the knowledge that overwhelming the cohort with power and speed would most likely produce results.

“They went at those guys all the time,” said an NHL source familiar with the Islanders’ game plan.

It aligned with how the East Division opponents played the Bruins during the regular season. The book was out: Keep pucks away from McAvoy, Carlo, Miller and Connor Clifton and hammer their weaker left-side partners.

This may be one reason the defense, by Sweeney’s count, accumulated 12 concussions. Opponents knew the Bruins’ weakness was retrieving pucks and moving them below the goal line. Heat-seekers like Tom Wilson had no reservations about going full gas on the forecheck and clobbering anybody in his way.

This is where left-side resistance may discourage full-send assaults in 2021-22. If the Bruins roll out a stout, experienced and cool-under-fire left-shot defenseman, opposing forwards may not be so eager to mash the gas and risk getting caught up the ice. In turn, the defensemen may not be subject to as much battering.

By deploying Grzelcyk and Reilly, the Bruins ended 2020-21 favoring mobility over sturdiness on the left side. They may have to adjust this balance.

“I think you have to be built to play any different way,” Sweeney said at the conclusion of the season. “You look at Vegas and playing against a real strong, heavy, skating team, a fast team, in Colorado, and being able to offset that. They played very well on account of that. Their D was involved (in Game 1 against Montreal) and being a part of their transition game. They’re big and strong and they’re mobile. In a perfect world, you’d have a combination of both.”

The Bruins need an experienced goalie to partner with Jeremy Swayman. They would like to re-sign David Krejci and Taylor Hall.

Their future, however, hinges most critically on an unbending left-shot defenseman. Pelech’s availability may be minimal. But circumstances are in play that could initiate the unexpected.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217224 Buffalo Sabres Chelmsford? Check out where the next Zip Trip is: https://t.co/v0Vs3uEAVs pic.twitter.com/iIrPp0IsLV

— Boston 25 News (@boston25) July 9, 2021 Mike Harrington: Calendar is dictating Jack Eichel timeline – and he can forget about Boston Memo to Eichel: It's not happening now. Forget about it.

Now in fairness, the Captain was in a no-win situation here.

Mike Harrington If you go along with Underwood's rah-rah act and say you'd love to play in your hometown, you infuriate the place where you've played and lost for the last six years when you were supposed to be the savior.

A News staffer since 1987, I'm a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, a 2013 But what's Eichel really supposed to say in that spot? If you don't say inductee into the Buffalo Baseball HOF and the Buffalo chapter chair of you'd love to a Bruin someday, you aggravate everybody on the the Professional Hockey Writers Association. And I insist only Chicago & homefront, too. New York can come close to Buffalo pizza. But enough with the "now" stuff. Eichel is still the captain of the Sabres. Should we be thinking this is Jack Eichel's last week with the Buffalo He should know better. Sabres? Possible, but not likely. There is zero chance – and I repeat for all the Boston media that seems Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning completed their second consecutive to keep needing reminders – zero chance the Sabres are trading Eichel Stanley Cup boat parade Monday, the rest of the league is on the 100- to the Bruins. There is no way they would essentially reward the captain mph pace that a July like no other in NHL history is about to bring. for this situation by sending him to his hometown team.

Start with the most immediate date as far as the Sabres are concerned And before you drop Taylor Hall on me, that was a quickie trade deadline and that's 3 p.m. Saturday. That's when a trade freeze goes into effect deal of a guy who had played here three months and was on an expiring for the 31 existing NHL clubs. From that date until 1 p.m. July 22, the contract. That was not the face of the franchise. only team you can trade with is the Seattle Kraken, who will be making their expansion draft picks July 21. Boston would be Eichel's No. 1 choice. What has he done to earn any say in the matter? You're not trading Eichel anywhere in the Atlantic No date on the calendar this month holds more meaning to the Sabres' Division, let alone Boston. short-term plans than July 17, the start of the NHL’s trade freeze ahead of the expansion draft. And if ever sent Eichel to Beantown, it would be grounds for immediate dismissal. There should be long and hard thought of even The Sabres aren't trading Eichel (or for that matter, Sam Reinhart or sending Eichel within the Eastern Conference to places such as New Rasmus Ristolainen) to the Kraken, who don't yet have any assets. And it York or Columbus. might be tough to trade prior to the expansion draft anyway because it will force teams to incorporate Eichel or Reinhart into their protection Send him on a long trip out West. Trading Eichel to Los Angeles or lists, and force the Sabres to protect the players they acquire. Anaheim would likely get the Sabres what they want, but the Ducks are going nowhere fast just like the Sabres and the Kings, who have won one All that portends July 22 and 23 as the days most likely to see an Eichel playoff game since their 2014 Stanley Cup title, are still in building mode, move. Those are the day before the amateur draft and the day of the first too. It's not as if Eichel would be any happier missing the playoffs out round. West than he is here.

That's all pretty sound logic. But like anything else in this crazy saga, we Still, there's no shortage of teams willing to kick tires on the Eichel front hit another twist and turn last week in the wake of that silly fluff interview and it's obvious why. They all watched the 2019-20 season just like we Eichel did with a Boston television station. did. That was the 36-goal, 78-point Eichel who was a plus-5 player over It seemed harmless and it should have been. Boston25 morning anchor 68 games. Sara Underwood, a fixture in the city for more than 20 years, was doing a That was the guy who finished eighth in balloting for the Hart Trophy – series on what the station calls "Zip Trips" to suburbs around the city. ahead of names such as Brad Marchand, Auston Matthews, Nikita This trip was to Chelmsford, Eichel's homestead. Made sense to have Kucherov, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and . him on. They talked about Eichel's youth dreams of the NHL and then got That wasn't 10 years ago. That was 10 months ago. to important points about Chelmsford. Eichel revealed he loves a restaurant called Fish Bones (I checked out the menu online and it's a That's the player Adams is trying to trade for a big haul. Meanwhile, the super-looking New England seafood haunt), and he's also a big fan of the player people are undoubtedly trying to tell Adams he's trading is the one coffee Oreo ice cream at Sully's. who had two goals this season with a minus-9 rating and has an injured neck. “I think I'm a two-way defenseman that can play in all situations and log a lot of minutes,” Power said when asked why he should be selected first Adams needs to feed off the desperation the likes of Anaheim GM Bob overall. Murray or LA GM must feel. Want desperation in a different way? Try Vegas owner Bill Foley, president George McPhee and GM But then Underwood deviated, pointing out "rumors out there (you're) not Kelly McCrimmon. Four years running, they've been oh-so-close to a happy in Buffalo. I heard that on the radio." Interesting. Underwood, it Stanley Cup. They really need an elite center, especially in the wake of should be noted, is married to longtime Boston sports talk radio host that head-scratching loss to Montreal in the Cup semifinals. Michael Felger, a former newspaper reporter who has been a regular contributor for NBC Sports Boston on Bruins pregame and postgame An Eichel-to-Vegas package wouldn't net the Sabres a top pick, but it coverage. could get you NHL talent from Vegas' young defense, a forward like Syracuse-area native Alex Tuch and probably some strong prospects on Hmmmm. Guess we know where she heard it from. the cusp of the NHL.

"I think every kid grows up dreaming of playing for their hometown team," Adams is never winning an Eichel trade. That's not possible, especially if Eichel first said diplomatically before stepping into the quicksand. Eichel returns to form. But he should still be able to choose his suitors "Whether that happens now, later in my career, whenever. Who knows? wisely. And they shouldn't include Boston. If it ever happens. But it would be pretty cool. Who knows what's going to happen here in the next little bit?" Buffalo News LOADED: 07.13.2021

At the end of the piece, the live shot returned to a giddy Underwood saying, "Jack, come to Boston. All your fans really want you to come here." It was local TV at its cheerleading worst.

"Jack, come to Boston!" @sara_underwood interviewed NHL star Jack Eichel for the first Zip Trip of the summer. Did you know he's from North 1217225 Buffalo Sabres against Boston on April 23. Those who attended had to provide proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative Covid-19 test, an additional expense on top of the ticket price, parking and concessions.

Sabres stick with same pricing for season ticket holders in 2021-22 According to Sports Business Journal, the Sabres’ 35% drop in local television ratings this season was the steepest in the league. It was the first time in 12 years that Sabres games on MSG did not rank in the top Lance Lysowski Jul 12, 2021 two.

Part of General Manager Kevyn Adams’ job is building a competitive roster that will quell fan unrest and fill KeyBank Center with Sabres fans. Season ticket holders for the Buffalo Sabres won’t encounter another Too many seats have been occupied by visiting fans in recent seasons, a price increase for attending three preseason and 41 regular-season product of a struggling on-ice product. games in 2021-22. “There absolutely has to be a connectivity in this community, in this town Fans received information on renewals over the weekend through a letter between what our team looks like and our fan base,” Adams, a Clarence addressed from their ticket sales representative. The letter also included native, said. “And I know every community, every city in the NHL is information about the Sabres’ switch to Ticketmaster and mobile different. I get all that, but that's needed in this town. And we have to get ticketing. There are no changes to the perks that come with being a that identity back and it's been lost for quite a while. So that's something I season ticket holder, including a 20% discount at the Sabres Store and do think about and you know that it really does matter. … I do get excited 2% back in the form of Sabresbucks. and energized by this town. And I don't know if that's because I'm from However, these ticket prices are the same 2.5% increase from 2019-20 here. I know how special it can be when we get this right or will be when that were intended to be used for the 2020-21 season, which due to the we get this right. But to me it is something I think a lot of a lot.” Covid-19 pandemic, was shortened to 56 games, only four of which were Buffalo News LOADED: 07.13.2021 attended by fans at KeyBank Center.

The Sabres' pricing model was created using the ’s standard analytic model, which examines level of demand, seniority of season ticket holders and team performance. The Sabres endured their fourth last-place finish in eight years this season, finishing with a league-worst 15-34-7 record and 37 points.

The NHL has yet to announce an official start date to training camp, the preseason or regular season.

Previously, each section in KeyBank Center cost the same, but the change for 2021-22, which was announced by the Sabres in February 2020, has the price decreasing for 10 of the 30 price points in the arena. That includes some in the 100 level.

There is an increase in most areas on the side of the arena in which the Sabres shoot twice, as well as seats along the glass. Seats in the 200 level range from $106 to $129 per game, while the 100-level seats will cost between $53 and $95.50 per game. The 300 level will cost between $24 and $57.40 per game.

The Sabres have increased the price of season tickets in three of the past five years, despite the franchise’s decadelong playoff drought tying an NHL record. The 2019-20 season included a 2.4% increase from the season before, but each section was priced the same, meaning someone sitting closer to the action could pay as much as someone farther away. Following NHL best practices, the Sabres examined demand internally and on the secondary market.

Season ticket holders weren’t notified of the latest pricing sooner because the Sabres’ switch to Ticketmaster was not finalized until this month. This gives the club the same ticket provider as the Buffalo Bills and Rochester Americans, streamlining the process for fans who also attend games hosted by those teams that also are owned by Pegula Sports and Entertainment. Additionally, the Sabres eliminated season ticket holder cards in favor of mobile ticketing.

The Sabres are also offering interest-free payment plans, with the first installment due Aug. 17. Renewals will be sent out in February 2022, which will include additional payment plans for fans.

It’s fair to wonder how many season ticket holders will want to return in 2021-22, as the club is likely on the precipice of another rebuild. Jack Eichel, the Sabres’ three-year captain and star center, might be traded because of a disagreement between him and the team regarding his preference to have an unapproved surgery on the herniated disk in his neck that’s never been performed on an NHL player.

Forward Sam Reinhart and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, both of whom are scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2022, might also receive a change of scenery. This would usher in another youth movement in Buffalo, led by Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt.

The Sabres sold only 302 of their 1,400 tickets for their first game open to the general public this season. There were 434 fans at the Sabres’ next game open to the public, against Washington on April 9. Then 685 at the next, against Pittsburgh on April 17. Then a little more than a 1,000 1217226 goaltender Dustin Wolf — are expected to be rookies with the Heat in 2021-22.

Love has a history with all three. He overlapped with Wolf at the end of a Flames hire Love as head coach for AHL’s Heat seven-season stint as an assistant coach in Everett, his home-base prior to being hired by the Blades, and worked with Pelletier and Zary as part of Canada’s silver squad at a bubbled edition of the world juniors. Wes Gilbertson “Excited. Honoured. Privileged. Those are just a few words that come to mind for an opportunity like this,” Love beamed after Monday’s announcement. “No different than the players, I’m just excited to continue KELOWNA, BC - DECEMBER 01: ' head coach Mitch to learn at the craft of coaching and ultimately try to help the players get Love and assistant coach Ryan Keller stand on the bench and discusses to where they want to go. Because that’s what this is all about is their a play against the at Prospera Place on December 1, opportunities to take their careers to that next step of being NHL regulars 2018 in Kelowna, Canada. and having a lot of success there. I just want to try to be a part of that.” As an on-ice tough guy. It could prove to be a stepping-stone for Love, too. As an award-worthy citizen away from the rink. The previous two skippers in Stockton, Ryan Huska and more recently And now as a rising-star-of-sorts in the coaching ranks, the guy that the Cail MacLean, are now assistants on Darryl Sutter’s staff at the Calgary Flames are trusting to oversee the development of some of their Saddledome. prized prospects. Love insisted he’s not looking that far into his own future — “at the end of The Flames announced Monday that they’ve hired the 37-year-old Love the day, the proof is in the pudding with what you do as a hockey coach as skipper for their farm team — the ’s and what you’re able to do with making sure players are developing at Stockton Heat. the right pace and getting them ready for the NHL,” he stressed — but the new guy has always found a way to make his mark. “That is a very, very important job,” said Flames general manager . “I’ve talked to a lot of people and behind the head coach in “He’s established himself as an excellent coach,” Treliving said of Love, Calgary, that’s the next real important coaching job — developing that who hails originally from Quesnel, B.C., and spends his off-seasons in next group of players. Tucson, Ariz. “I think it’s a combination of his communication skills, he’s very detail-oriented, the work ethic, the drive, his ability to connect with “I think Mitch is going to do an excellent job with the group there.” younger players, which you have to do at the junior level …

Love has spent the past three seasons as bench boss for the Western “I knew a lot about Mitch, even going back to his playing days, and Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, posting a 95-44-16 record during became more familiar with him during his time in Everett and Saskatoon his run in the Paris of the Prairies. and with Team Canada. And when we went through this process, it became clear that he’d be a great hire.” He has also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the past two instalments of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.13.2021 It’s when you go back to his playing days that his resume gets really interesting.

During the 2002-03 campaign, on behalf of the , Love was the worst-behaved lad in the WHL. The feisty forward racked up 327 penalty minutes that winter, nearly 50 more than the next guy on the list. (“The game has changed so much over the years, right?” Love explained Monday. “At the time, I was a bright-eyed 18-year-old kid that was trying to get noticed by some NHL team, and I felt like that was the way to go about it, because I wasn’t the most talented hockey player in the world. I took a lot of pride in trying to be a good teammate and stick up for my teammates, and I probably had a few too many tussles that disappointed my mom over the years by doing that.”)

While he didn’t shy away from the ruffian role, Love also had a reputation as an exemplary citizen.

Mitch Love, hired by the Calgary Flames to be head coach of the Stockton Heat, has worked with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, including this bench assignment alongside Andre Tourigny, right, at the 2018 .

He wore a letter on several stops. As he chased his dreams in the minors, he was twice nominated for the AHL’s Man of the Year Award, recognition of his above-and-beyond approach to charitable work and other off-ice efforts. (“It was always important for me, wherever I played or coached, that I was a part of the community,” he reasoned. “When I think back to my time in the AHL, I had an opportunity to play in a lot of different cities, a lot of different markets, and really enjoyed my time in those spots. And it was important for me to promote the game in those areas, and I was fortunate enough to win those awards. Again, I wasn’t a very good hockey player. It’s not like I was getting the MVP award or any of that, so I felt like that was the next-best choice for me — to promote the game in those communities.”)

Now, as head coach for the Flames’ primary affiliate, promotion is again the name-of-the-game.

Every guy in Stockton is questing to earn a call-up to Calgary.

This is a particularly important post this winter since a hat-trick of top prospects — first-round forwards Jakob Pelletier and Connor Zary and 1217227 Calgary Flames 463

529

The Flames and Johnny Gaudreau: What might a new contract look like? Alex Ovechkin What about a trade? 518

506 By Hailey Salvian Jul 12, 2021 Blake Wheeler

527 The Calgary Flames are at a well-documented crossroads when it comes to the future of Johnny Gaudreau. 506

Gaudreau is eligible for a contract extension on July 28. He’ll also be Leon Draisaitl eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. 478

And with Gaudreau’s five-team trade list kicking in on Day 1 of free 506 agency (July 28), the pressure is on general manager Brad Treliving to either extend the club’s top offensive player or move him before the trade John Tavares market shrinks. 520 The Flames also could let Gaudreau play out the final season of the six- 504 year contract he signed in the fall of 2016, taking their chances that he won’t walk for nothing a year from now. Nathan MacKinnon

Sportsnet insider recently reported that “Calgary has 491 begun extension discussion” with Gaudreau, though the extent of those discussions is unclear. And given how tight-lipped the Flames and 497 Gaudreau’s agent, Lewis Gross, typically are, I wouldn’t expect there to Johnny Gaudreau be too many details out there before an agreement is reached — or not reached. 519

There is no question that Gaudreau is a top-line player. And when he’s 493 on his game — like “Vintage Johnny Hockey” — his vision, playmaking and ability to enter the zone are among the best in the league. But, the Nicklas Backstrom Flames’ consistently disappointing playoff performances are going to be 516 a major focus this offseason, and changes are most certainly needed in Calgary. 486

Is Gaudreau one of them? Or will he stay with the Flames? Claude Giroux

This isn’t an easy decision for the Flames, which makes this a good time 528 to do a deep dive into Treliving’s options when it comes to Gaudreau’s future with the organization. 481

What might Gaudreau’s next contract look like? Artemi Panarin

Let’s start with some facts. 433

After seven years in the NHL, Gaudreau is nearly a point-per-game 473 player, scoring 494 points in 520 games. He had five straight 60-point Evgeni Malkin seasons to start his career, only missing that mark in the last two COVID- 19 shortened seasons. He scored a career-high 36 goals and 99 points 422 in 2018-19 — eighth and 20th in the league, respectively — and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting. 472

And, since his rookie year in 2014-15, Gaudreau ranks No. 11 in league However, Gaudreau’s last two seasons have been “down” years for his scoring. standards, with only 37 goals and 107 points in 126 games — only marginally better than his 2018-19 season. And while his body of work in Top scorers since 2014-15 the regular season is impressive, Gaudreau has struggled to perform in the postseason, with only eight goals and 19 points in 30 playoff games. Patrick Kane All that’s to say, predicting Gaudreau’s next contract is a difficult 514 exercise, made even trickier by the lack of proper comparables and the 595 addition of the flat salary cap.

Connor McDavid Most of the players with comparable contracts to Gaudreau’s current six- year deal, with a $6.75 million AAV, are either still playing out their 407 contract (like William Nylander or David Pastrnak) or are in need of new deals this summer (like Brandon Saad or Gabriel Landeskog). 574 There aren’t many strong historical comparables, either. If we use age, UFA status and Gaudreau’s statistical profile in Cap Friendly’s handy 489 tool, it produces a wide range of players and contracts.

556 All of the players below are forwards of similar age who signed within the past seven years and had similar career production to Gaudreau when Brad Marchand they signed their UFA deals. These are not meant to be comparable players in terms of style or usage. 504 None of these are perfect comparisons, some for obvious reasons. 529 Jamie Benn is a , so that skews things a bit. Taylor Hall signed a Nikita Kucherov one-year big ticket in Buffalo, and now he’s back on the market after being traded to Boston at the deadline. He’s a bit of an outlier here, High end though they do have similar production. • In 2018, when the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t agree on a new Max Pacioretty was slightly older than Gaudreau when he signed his contract with Pacioretty, who was one year away from being a UFA, they four-year deal for $7 million per season in 2019. And his numbers are dealt him to the Vegas Golden Knights for Tomas Tatar, rising star Nick more modest than Gaudreau’s, so consider his deal (and Vanek’s) to be Suzuki and a second-round pick. on the low-end. • At the 2019 trade deadline, Hall was flipped from New Jersey to Arizona On paper, Patrick Kane is actually the closest player to Gaudreau’s .95 in a rental deal, as Hall was set to become a UFA that summer. In career points per game. But nobody is projecting Gaudreau to haul in exchange for Hall and forward Blake Speers, New Jersey received three $10.5 million. Not to mention Kane had won the Calder Trophy, the AHL prospects (Nick Merkley, Nathan Schnarr and Kevin Bahl) as well as Stanley Cup (twice) and a Conn Smythe Trophy before signing the deal a 2020 conditional first-round pick and a 2021 conditional third-round pick in 2014, a year before his contract expired. He won a third Cup that from Arizona. The Devils also retained half of Hall’s $6 million cap hit. season (2015) and went on to win the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2015-16. It’s a wholly unrealistic example. Middle ground

There are some cautionary tales here, too. Bobby Ryan was bought out • Looking to shake things up in July 2015, the Blues sent 28-year-old T.J. of his contract last summer by the Senators and signed a one-year year Oshie to the Capitals for Troy Brouwer, backup goalie Phoenix Copley deal worth $1 million with Detroit in free agency. And Jeff Skinner has and a 2016 third-round pick. massively underperformed since signing his big UFA deal. The Flames • In 2012, the Penguins moved on from third-line centre Jordan Staal, obviously don’t want to end up in that territory. who was one year away from UFA status. In the deal with Carolina, For the most part, Gaudreau’s top comparable contracts range from $7 Pittsburgh acquired Brandon Sutter, prospect Brian Dumoulin and a 2012 million on the low end, to approximately $9 million on the high end. On first-round pick. average, the players above signed for six years. Low end

With 494 points, Gaudreau is on the higher end of this group. However, • This month, the Predators traded Viktor Arvidsson to the Kings for a we must consider the change in his production over the last two years, 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick. Arvidsson, 28, has and the fact that the year or two immediately preceding the contract three years remaining on his contract with a $4.25 million cap hit and is typically carry more weight in negotiations. coming off back-to-back years in which he failed to hit 30 points.

Additionally, the majority of these deals were signed under the Where could the Flames fall? assumption of an increased salary cap in the years to come. Due to the pandemic, the cap will stay flat at $81.5 million until the league recovers Naturally, there are dozens more trades, but within this sample size, we financially, which has tightened purse strings within front offices. Again, a can see that a high-end deal would include a combination of a quality projection is not that simple. NHL player, a top prospect and at least one draft pick. Arguably, the Staal deal is on the higher end, but considering only Dumoulin really Now, the key for the Flames in these negotiations will be finding a worked out for Pittsburgh, I slotted it in the middle. A low-end return for a number that represents a raise for their star player while not eating up player like Gaudreau would include only draft picks. too much of the cap, and trying to maintain some value. According to one evaluator, the Flames should expect a possible return A six-year deal worth $8 million per year would be around the average of for Gaudreau to be more in the middle range than the high range. For all the contracts in the table above. But can Gaudreau deliver on that kind of Gaudreau has done in his seven-year career, he is worth more than value? Arvidsson (who pulled two draft picks) but he’s not quite in the Hall or According to our Dom Luszczyszyn, Gaudreau projects to be worth $7.25 Pacioretty range, likely due to a combination of his recent down years, million per season in value in the six years after his contract expires. For his performance in the playoffs and perhaps even his profile as a smaller next season, the final year of his contract, he projects to be worth $9.1 player. million, while earning $6.75 million. When Vegas acquired Pacioretty, the winger had scored at least 30 Dom’s model is useful in this exercise as it weighs the last three seasons goals and 60 points in four of his previous five seasons before the deal. in its projections, with the most recent seasons having the biggest While Hall has had down seasons, he has the pedigree of a No. 1 overall impact. So, Gaudreau’s value is naturally going to be lower here than if pick and a Hart Trophy winner. we weighed his seven seasons equally. A return of strictly future assets would not be ideal for the Flames, who Taking everything into account, in my opinion, a six-year, $45 million deal ideally would be looking for an impact player in return for someone like could be fair for both sides. Gaudreau. But, it’s not that easy to get a comparable player in a swap.

Going with term would give Gaudreau stability until he is 34 years old, Another team would really need to want Gaudreau in order to trade an and could make him a Flame for life. With a $7.5 million AAV, it would impact player for him while he is one year away from free agency. And give Gaudreau a moderate ($750,000) raise per year, while keeping the there would likely need to be an understanding that Gaudreau would sign Flames’ cap situation manageable and maintaining some value through an extension to make something happen. the first half of the deal. He is not projected to drop below $7.5 million Given his stance that he would like to stay in Calgary, that could prove to until 2025, which would be Year 4. be an issue, though he has no official trade protection until July 28.

The Flames could also add another year if term is Gaudreau’s priority. Realistically, if fans are hoping for a top-line forward in return for On a seven-year deal, the cap hit would need to be lower to justify that Gaudreau, I’m not sure if that’s going to happen. A middle-six forward, a long of a contract. prospect or some future assets are probably more in the realm of I do wonder how Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ eight-year, $41 million deal possibility. ($5.125 million AAV) sets the tone for UFA contracts this summer, as he But, if the return is something like a prospect and a first-round pick, or a took a lower AAV to stay in Edmonton long-term. His previous deal was depth player and a prospect, is it worth making the move? worth $6 million over the last seven seasons. The Flames seem focused on competing next season, and losing one of That being said, Gaudreau likely has more of a case for a raise, given the their top offensive players isn’t going to help that, especially if the return surplus value on his current contract. is subpar.

What might a trade look like? If Calgary trades Gaudreau, they will need to find a player or package As with the contract comparables, let’s lay out some examples of that will improve their team. Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense. previous trades that vary from a high-end (favourable) return, to a low- What about Door No. 3? end (I’d rather pass) return, and somewhere in between. These examples all included a forward of comparable age (27) who was nearing What if the Flames can’t find a trade that improves their team? And what UFA status. if the terms on an extension end up too pricey? Well, they could just let Gaudreau play out the last year of his contract in Calgary. In this case, the Flames would have one of their top offensive producers for one more year on a value contract while they attempt to right the ship and make a playoff run. There is some value in that, especially if Gaudreau can play the Darryl Sutter Way™ in the postseason and change the narrative around his “disappearing act.”

To be fair, not signing him now doesn’t rule out the possibility of an extension down the line. But, there is a major risk that he would walk without bringing back any return. The Flames already went through that with Jarome Iginla, and I don’t think the front office, or fans, would want to do that again.

My take

If Gaudreau is serious that he wants to stay in Calgary, as he said during exit meetings, then I would pursue a long-term contract extension, ideally around six years, and conservatively between $7 million and $7.5 million per season.

The latter amount would make Gaudreau the highest-paid player on the team, jumping over Matthew Tkachuk’s $7 million deal. It would also be the highest deal in franchise history — until Tkachuk’s next contract. The Flames could certainly go a little higher salary-wise, but saving money against the cap is never going to be a bad thing, especially when we don’t know what else Treliving could be working on.

I am not averse to exploring a trade, but only if the Flames could get a player with relative impact in return. If there is something on the table like the Pacioretty or Hall deals, it could be tempting to pull the trigger. The Flames need to make changes, and if Gaudreau is one of the few players who could bring in the right return, they may need to move on. However, if the market is looking more like the Arvidsson return, I think the Flames would be better off keeping Gaudreau long-term.

MEH

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217228 Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes assistant coach Dean Chynoweth departs for Maple Leafs

BY LUKE DECOCK JULY 12, 2021 06:15 PM

For the second time in four seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes are looking for a new defensive assistant after Dean Chynoweth left for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

Chynoweth, who orchestrated the NHL’s third-best penalty-killing unit on Rod Brind’Amour’s bench, replaces new Seattle Kraken head coach with the Leafs.

Negotiations over new contracts for Brind’Amour’s staff, including Chynoweth, delayed the head coach’s own three-year extension until June this spring: “It’s important to have the right people around me,” Brind’Amour said at the time. Chynoweth was given permission to entertain other offers and will become one of the NHL’s highest-paid assistant coaches with the cash-happy Leafs.

“Everybody’s happy about it. I’m happy for him,” Brind’Amour said Monday in an interview. “I hate to lose him but everyone’s situation is different. It’s just the way it goes.”

Chynoweth, 52, joined the Hurricanes in the summer of 2018 to replace Steve Smith, who Brind’Amour had hoped to retain from Bill Peters’ previous staff when Brind’Amour was promoted to take over. Smith left to join the Buffalo Sabres. Jeff Daniels continues to serve as the other assistant coach.

During Chynoweth’s tenure, the Hurricanes were one of the best regular- season teams short-handed but struggled in that department in the playoffs, while the team’s talented blue line continued to excel. Last season, Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce all received Norris Trophy votes. Hamilton finished fourth in the voting and was named to the NHL’s second all-star team, while Slavin became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to win the Lady Byng Trophy honoring gentlemanly play.

“As someone who grew up in western Canada and watched the Maple Leafs on every weekend, I’m thrilled to join the team’s coaching staff,” Chynoweth said in a statement. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work alongside (head coach) Sheldon (Keefe), the rest of the staff and the talented group of players in Toronto.”

One potential replacement: Former Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason is the team’s roving director of defensemen development, but Brind’Amour said there’s no shortage of coaches interested in supervising a blue line that includes Slavin, Pesce and Brady Skjei. Hamilton is an unrestricted free agent who could still re-sign with the Hurricanes, but has been given permission to talk to other teams ahead of the July 28 opening of free agency.

“Everybody wants this job,” Brind’Amour said. “I’ve got lots of people calling me. Obviously we have a good group to work with.”

News Observer LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217229 Chicago Blackhawks have Nikita Zadorov in the fold if the sides can reach terms on a contract this summer, as well as Riley Stillman if the Hawks protect him from the expansion draft. The Hawks likely will expose Calvin de Haan to the Duncan Keith is traded to the Edmonton Oilers, ending the defenseman’s draft. celebrated 16-year run with the Chicago Blackhawks Keith’s trade puts him closer to his roots in Western Canada, where he spends his offseasons in , .

By PHIL THOMPSON “I knew I didn’t want to go those long periods of time without seeing (his son),” Keith said on the video conference. “That was a huge thing for me, and I just felt like the Edmonton Oilers — right now it was a good fit, a great fit, and I’m excited to start this new chapter of my career.” As unfathomable as it may sound in Chicago, Duncan Keith will end his NHL career wearing something other than a Blackhawks sweater. A two-time Norris Trophy winner (2010, 2014) as the league’s best defenseman and the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the A three-time Stanley Cup champion and the senior member of the Hawks postseason MVP, Keith was selected for the NHL All-Star Game in 2008, at 37, Keith was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, closing the 2011, 2015 and 2017. chapter on a 16-season run in Chicago. The 2002 second-round draft pick scored 105 goals — one of only four “Duncan Keith was the ultimate professional with the Chicago Hawks defensemen to top 100 — and had 520 assists in 1,192 games Blackhawks,” , Hawks president of hockey operations and for the Hawks, the second-most in franchise history behind Stan Mikita general manager, said in a statement. “His toughness on the ice, his (1,394). leadership in the community and his dedication to the game are a few of the reasons the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups during his 16-year He led the Hawks in ice time in all 16 of his seasons, averaging 23 career with Chicago. minutes, 25 seconds in 54 games in 2021.

“He will go down as one of the best and most driven defensemen this game has ever seen. Recently, Duncan came to us with a request to be traded to a team closer to his son, and we were happy to work something He had arguably his best season in 2009-10, when he scored a career- out that was mutually beneficial for Duncan’s family and the future of the high 14 goals and matched his career best with 55 assists. He added a Blackhawks. We appreciate all he has contributed to our team and the goal and six assists during the Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia city of Chicago, and his legacy will always be celebrated.” Flyers, the first of three titles during the Hawks’ six-year “golden age.”

Keith joins , Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Corey In the 2011 playoffs, Keith scored four goals and added two assists Crawford as players departing within the last year who helped the Hawks during a seven-game, first-round loss to the . His win at least two Cups. second-period goal opened the scoring in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning that clinched the 2015 Stanley Cup in six games. He was “Life rolls on,” Keith said on a video conference, according to the awarded the Conn Smythe that year after totaling two goals and 18 Associated Press. “It’s tough to leave Chicago. I’ve been there for 16 assists in 23 postseason games. seasons, I was drafted there. It’s a great organization. We were always treated first class as players and were really part of a transformation of For all of his accomplishments on the stat sheet, Keith made one of his that team, and I just feel grateful to have been a part of it and play with most indelible impressions on fans on May 23, 2010, when he took a so many great players.” puck to the mouth that knocked out seven teeth during the Western Conference finals yet kept playing. Keith assisted on a goal to help The Oilers sent defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round complete a four-game sweep of the San Jose Sharks and clinch the draft pick to the Hawks for Keith and forward Tim Soderlund. Hawks’ first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 1992.

Keith carried a $5.538 million annual salary-cap hit for the final two years “It’s just missing teeth,” Keith said at the time, according to NHL.com. “It’s of his contract, about 6.8% of the Hawks’ cap space, according to a long way from the heart.” CapFriendly.com. The Hawks will retain none of his salary, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported. Jones’ $850,000 contract expires after next He said Monday he feels like “I have a lot” left in the tank. season. “We’ll see what happens when we get on the ice,” he said. “As I get older Jones had four assists and a minus-7 rating in 33 games for the Oilers and my career moves along, I want to be able to compete at the highest last season. The Arlington, Texas, native and left-handed shooter is the level and win. I want to compete and challenge myself to be at my best, younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones and and that’s when I’m at my best — when I’m challenged. The Oilers are the son of former NBA player and current Philadelphia 76ers assistant going to need me to be at my best, and I’m aware of that and I’m looking coach . forward to it.”

Jones, 24, was a fourth-round pick by the Oilers in 2015. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.13.2021

“Caleb Jones is a smooth-skating, versatile defenseman who brings a well-rounded game to the Blackhawks,” Bowman said in a statement. “Caleb transitions the puck nicely with his legs or through outlet passes. He brings some size to our group, and we believe his best hockey is in front of him.

“While he is still young, we see his 93 games of NHL experience as an asset to help our other young defensemen adjust to the NHL.”

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith warms up before a game against the Predators on Jan. 9, 2020, at the United Center.

Keith’s departure and the addition of Jones, 24, kicks off the youth movement on the Hawks blue line in earnest.

The Hawks are pinning much of their hopes on the development of Adam Boqvist, who made strides last season but needs to work on conditioning and aspects of his defense. Young defensemen Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin and Wyatt Kalynuk saw significant ice time last season and will push during training camp to be included among next season’s regular pairings. Isaak Phillips and Chad Krys are also in the pipeline.

Connor Murphy began assuming a leadership role on and off the ice after he was named an alternate captain early this year. The Hawks also will 1217230 Chicago Blackhawks According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and Former player could participate in Blackhawks’ review of assault management. allegation Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John An attorney who represents a former Blackhawks player who alleges he McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report possibility of her client participating in the team’s review of the the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied. accusations. Vincent said Monday in an email to the AP that he had not been contacted by Jenner & Block.

By Jay Cohen | Associated Press Jul 12, 2021, 3:18pm CDT An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at it were groundless. An attorney who represents a former Blackhawks player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan possibility of her client participating in the team’s review of the of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student and is now accusations. on that state’s registry of sex offenders.

An attorney who represents a former Blackhawks player who alleges he The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the possibility of her client participating in the team’s review of the Blackhawks provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich accusations. AP despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the matter. An attorney who represents a former Blackhawks player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School possibility of her client participating in the team’s review of the near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- accusations under the right conditions. season gathering.

A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the Blackhawks about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the team. In an internal would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a memo sent on June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich. Block LLP “have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.” Miami University in Ohio also has opened an investigation. Aldrich was The first suit alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley employed by the school from June 2012 to November 2012. He resigned Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the “under suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult,” the university’s second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of attorney told police. assaulting in Michigan. A spokeswoman for the school said Monday it was aware of two Susan Loggans, an attorney who represents the former player and accusations of sexual assault involving Aldrich. student, said Monday that her clients were open to participating in the review by Jenner & Block. But she said they want to know more about “In November 2012, Miami University was made aware of allegations of the parameters of the investigation, and they want the opportunity to an off-campus sexual assault involving a non-student adult and Brad conduct their own interviews of key former and current team executives. Aldrich,” Jessica Rivinius said in an email to the AP. “When the Miami University Police Department reached out to the alleged victim, they “We’ve never been told what the investigation includes,” Loggans said. offered to assist the individual in filing a police report with the Oxford “For example, are they just investigating whether or not sexual Police Department. The individual declined to make a report. misconduct occurred, which seems to be very evident that it did, or are they going to investigate whether the Blackhawks knowingly allowed it to “A second adult alleged victim came forward in 2018 and filed a police exist without doing anything? They’ve never said what they’re report with Miami University Police about an assault that occurred off- investigating.” campus in 2012. That report was forwarded to the Oxford Police Department.” Loggans also said the Blackhawks haven’t said anything about what if any part of the review would be made available after it was completed, or Rivinius said the review of Aldrich’s employment at Miami is being what they plan to do with the results. conducted by Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and the school plans to release a report at the conclusion of the investigation. Loggans said an attorney from Jenner & Block asked if he could interview her clients, and she asked for more information and the chance Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 to interview one or more team executives under the same terms for interviewing her clients.

“They responded, saying they really couldn’t do that,” Loggans said.

A message was left Monday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had concluded.

In his lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former player says Aldrich assaulted him, and that the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred in the document as “John Doe.”

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, “turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of” the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to “physically, financially and emotionally” hurt the player if he “did not engage in sexual activity” with him. 1217231 Chicago Blackhawks it. . . . The last few years were a little tougher, but sometimes you need those tough times to appreciate the good times.’’

Keith was asked about the Hawks’ alleged sexual-assault cover-up in Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to Oilers for Caleb Jones, pick 2010 but said he’d ‘‘rather not get into anything like that.’’ He added it After 16 years in Chicago, Keith is heading to Edmonton — and the was ‘‘tough to . . . hear’’ about. Hawks aren’t retaining any of his salary cap hit. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.13.2021

By Ben Pope Updated Jul 12, 2021, 6:10pm CDT

Defenseman Duncan Keith’s legendary run with the Blackhawks — three Stanley Cups, two Norris Trophies and nearly 1,200 games played — is over.

But by trading Keith to the Oilers on Monday, the Hawks positioned themselves to upgrade their defense in the post-Keith era.

The Hawks received young defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2022 and didn’t have to retain any of Keith’s $5.5 million cap hit for each of the two seasons left on his contract.

The Hawks also sent American Hockey League forward Tim Soderlund to the Oilers in the Keith deal and acquired AHL forward Liam Folkes in a separate trade between Rockford and Bakersfield, the two teams’ affiliates.

‘‘Recently, Duncan came to us with a request to be traded to a team closer to his son,’’ Hawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. ‘‘We were happy to work something out that was mutually beneficial for Duncan’s family and the future of the Blackhawks.’’

Keith, who will turn 38 on Friday, had a no-movement clause in his contract and used that leverage to facilitate a trade to Western Canada.

His family and 8-year-old son live in Penticton, British Columbia, and he was able to visit them only once in a five-month span last season because of U.S.-Canada border restrictions.

‘‘The Chicago Blackhawks are always going to be in my heart,’’ Keith said Monday. ‘‘At this point in my career, being closer to my son . . . was a huge thing for me. The Oilers, I felt like, were a great fit, and I’m excited to start this new chapter of my career and try to win a Cup in Edmonton.’’

The trade gives the Hawks much more money, flexibility and available minutes to pursue one of the two elite defensemen — Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton — available this offseason. Even outside of those implications, however, the Hawks came out ahead.

Caleb Jones, Seth’s 24-year-old younger brother, is a solid up-and- coming defenseman in his own right. He played in 93 games in the last three seasons with the Oilers, including 33 — in which he averaged more than 13œ minutes of ice time and had four assists — this past season. He’s currently a third-pairing guy who could grow into a larger role.

‘‘Jones is a smooth-skating, versatile defenseman who brings a well- rounded game to the Blackhawks,’’ Bowman said in another statement. ‘‘Caleb transitions the puck nicely with his legs or through outlet passes. . . . We believe his best hockey is in front of him.’’

Moving Soderlund, a low-value 23-year-old prospect who scored only five points in the AHL last season, gives the Hawks more flexibility under the 50-contract limit.

And as for the expansion draft, the Hawks no longer will have to protect Keith. Among the defensemen, they now will protect Connor Murphy and two of the three among Jones, Nikita Zadorov and Riley Stillman.

Keith’s No. 2 jersey almost certainly will be retired by the Hawks in future years, and he will go down as one of the best defensemen in franchise history. But his age and declining play became noticeable in recent seasons, even as he continued to lead the Hawks in minutes.

His departure continues a year in which many key people in the Cup era — from to Brent Seabrook to Brandon Saad to Andrew Shaw, plus team president John McDonough — also have retired or left the franchise.

‘‘It’s tough to leave Chicago,’’ Keith said. ‘‘It’s a great organization, and we were always treated first-class as players. [I] was really part of a transformation of that team, and I just feel grateful to have been a part of 1217232 Chicago Blackhawks he signed in 2009 - months before he helped Chicago end a lengthy title drought.

'œAs I get older and my career moves along, I want to be able to Blackhawks trade Keith to Oilers for Jones, 3rd-rounder compete at the highest level and win,' Keith said. 'œI want to compete and challenge myself to be at my best, and that's when I'm at my best - when I'm challenged. The Oilers are going to need me to be at my best, By JAY COHEN and STEPHEN WHYNO and I'm aware of that and I'm looking forward to it.'•

The Winnipeg, , native goes to a contender in Edmonton that has the past two Hart Trophy winners as league MVP: Leon Draisaitl and CHICAGO -- Duncan Keith is heading to the Edmonton Oilers in the Connor McDavid, the latter of whom is considered the best player in latest departure of a cornerstone player from the Chicago Blackhawks' hockey. The Oilers have long struggled to keep the puck out of their net Stanley Cup core, a move that could help the club speed up a long-term and won only one playoff series since drafting McDavid in 2015. rebuild. That was just after Keith won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in Chicago traded Keith, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, to Edmonton on leading the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup title in six seasons. Monday along with minor league forward Tim Soderlund for young Keith won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2010 defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 third-round draft pick. and 2014 in the midst of Chicago's championship era. Keith asked the Blackhawks for a trade to Western Canada to be closer Keith has 625 points in 1,192 regular-season games since the to his 8-year-old son, Colton, after they spent long stretches apart last Blackhawks drafted him in the second round in 2002. More important, he season. has 86 points in 135 playoff games, averaging 28 minutes of ice time. 'œI knew I didn't want to go those long periods of time without seeing 'œWhatever little bit of experience I can bring to the team, I'm going to him," Keith said on a video conference call. 'œThat was a huge thing for bring that," Keith said. 'œBut my work ethic on the ice is what I'm going to me, and I just felt like the Edmonton Oilers - right now it was a good fit, a have to bring." great fit and I'm excited to start this new chapter of my career.'• Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 No salary was retained in the first blockbuster trade of the NHL offseason since the Stanley Cup Final ended last week. Keith has two years left on his contract at a salary-cap hit just over $5.5 million. He turns 38 on Friday.

'œYou can retain up to 50%. If we were getting Duncan Keith at $2.75 (million), the price would've been a lot higher than it was today," Oilers general manager Ken Holland said. 'œIf we wanted to lower salary, we would have to put more assets with our offer.'•

The 2022 pick becomes a second-rounder if Edmonton reaches next year's Stanley Cup Final and Keith is among the top four Oilers defensemen in total ice time through three rounds. Asked what he had left in the tank, Keith said: 'œI feel like I have a lot. ... We'll see what happens when we get on the ice.'•

Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said in a release announcing the deal that Keith 'œwill go down as one of the best and most driven defensemen this game has ever seen.'•

Keith is the latest member of Chicago's three-time Cup-winning core to depart while the embattled Blackhawks attempt to rebuild their roster amid an investigation into sexual assault allegations from their 2010 championship run.

Longtime defense partner Brent Seabrook announced his retirement in March because of injuries. Blue-line staple Niklas Hjalmarsson was traded to Arizona in 2017. Captain said he expects to play in 2021-22 after missing this past season with an illness.

'œLife rolls on,' Keith said. 'œIt's tough to leave Chicago. I've been there for 16 seasons, I was drafted there. It's a great organization. We were always treated first class as players and were really part of kind of a transformation of that team and I just feel grateful to have been a part of it and play with so many great players.'•

Jones just turned 24 and has 95 regular-season and playoff games of NHL experience. The brother of Columbus defenseman Seth Jones is under contract through next season at a salary of $850,000, slightly above the league minimum.

'œCaleb Jones is a smooth-skating, versatile defenseman who brings a well-rounded game to the Blackhawks," Bowman said. 'œHe brings some size to our group, and we believe his best hockey is in front of him.'•

This move could make the Blackhawks a more attractive suitor for Seth Jones, who is a year away from unrestricted free agency and being shopped by the Blue Jackets this summer. Jones has some control over where he plays next based on which teams he would and would not sign a long-term extension with.

Keith had all the power over his destination thanks to the full no- movement clause that was included in the $72 million, 13-year contract 1217233 Chicago Blackhawks 'œObviously, it's a very important subject and something that's going on right now,'• Keith said on a video conference call after he was traded to Edmonton. 'œAnd, for me, I'd rather not get into anything like that in Former player unlikely to participate in Blackhawks review terms of my memories of that and what happened. It's been a long time, and I realize that people want answers. ... I hope one way or another that things work out for the best with that situation and it gets sorted out and there's some way to move on for everybody.'• By JAY COHEN After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan

of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a high school student CHICAGO -- An attorney who represents a former Chicago Blackhawks and is now on that state's registry of sex offenders. player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a in 2010 is open to the possibility of her client participating in the team's separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the team review of the accusations under certain conditions. provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich despite A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the matter. allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the franchise. In an internal That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School memo sent on June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- Block LLP "have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.'• season gathering. The first suit alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the Aldrich during the team's run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the Blackhawks about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a assaulting in Michigan. search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich. Susan Loggans, an attorney who represents the former player and Miami University in Ohio also has opened an investigation. Aldrich was student, said Monday that her clients were open to participating in the employed by the school from June 2012 to November 2012. He resigned review by Jenner & Block. But she said they want to know more about 'œunder suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult,'• the the parameters of the investigation, and they want the opportunity to university's attorney told police. conduct their own interviews of key former and current team executives. A spokeswoman for the school said Monday it was aware of two 'œWe've never been told what the investigation includes,'• Loggans accusations of sexual assault involving Aldrich. said. "In November 2012, Miami University was made aware of allegations of Loggans also said the Blackhawks haven't said anything about what if an off-campus sexual assault involving a non-student adult and Brad any part of the review would be made available after it was completed, or Aldrich," Jessica Rivinius said in an email to the AP. "When the Miami what they plan to do with the results. University Police Department reached out to the alleged victim, they Loggans said an attorney from Jenner & Block asked if he could offered to assist the individual in filing a police report with the Oxford interview her clients, and she asked for more information and the chance Police Department. The individual declined to make a report. to interview one or more team executives under the same terms for 'œA second adult alleged victim came forward in 2018 and filed a police speaking to her clients. report with Miami University Police about an assault that occurred off- 'œThey responded, saying they really couldn't do that,'• Loggans said. campus in 2012. That report was forwarded to the Oxford Police Department.'• A message was left Monday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further Rivinius said the review of Aldrich's employment at Miami is being comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had conducted by Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and the school plans to release concluded. a report at the conclusion of the investigation.

In his lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 player says Aldrich assaulted him, and that the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred in the document as 'œJohn Doe.'•

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, 'œturned on porn and began to masturbate in front of'• the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to 'œphysically, financially and emotionally' hurt the player if he 'œdid not engage in sexual activity'• with him.

According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

Vincent said Monday in an email to the AP that he had not been contacted by Jenner & Block.

An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at the team were groundless.

Duncan Keith, a defenseman who played on the 2010 championship team, said Monday 'œit's tough to see, to hear about those things.'• 1217234 Chicago Blackhawks Those moments will be all but forgotten when Keith returns to the United Center for the first time in an Oilers sweater.

Keith wasn't nearly as brash or vocal as Hull or Roenick, but he left an It finally happened: Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to Oilers, but what a indelible mark that will never be erased. Etched into every fan's memory run he had here are monumental moments that helped define the Hawks of the last decade.

John Dietz Many of them occurred in 2015, when Keith was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after the Hawks claimed their third Stanley Cup in six years. During that heart-pounding run, Keith averaged 31:08 of ice time, led all players with 18 assists and scored 2 of that postseason's most Unthinkable. Unfathomable. Ridiculous. important goals: the double-OT game-winner in Nashville in Game 1 of Four or five years ago, those would have been the reactions to even a the opening round; and the first goal of Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final rumor of the Blackhawks trading Duncan Keith. against Tampa Bay at the UC.

That's because from 2005-17, Keith established himself as one of the top Keith played in 1,192 games, second only to Stan Mikita's 1,396 in a overall defensemen in the NHL. Few could match his puck-moving skills, Hawks uniform. He scored 105 goals, which ranks second in team annals quickness, speed and -- perhaps most important -- overall hockey IQ. among D-men. He also won the Norris Trophy twice as league's best defenseman. Keith was always a player whose true worth wasn't always measured by goals, assists or whichever hip advanced analytics happened to be in "Life rolls on," Keith said. "It's tough to leave Chicago. I've been there for vogue at any particular time. While he certainly potted some of the 16 seasons, I was drafted there. It's a great organization. We were franchise's most important postseason goals over the years, he also always treated first class as players and were really part of kind of a broke up or thwarted 100 times that many in his own zone. transformation of that team and I just feel grateful to have been a part of it and play with so many great players." He put together a dozen fantastic years -- ones that will make him a first- ballot Hall of Famer. But Father Time waits for nobody and that includes One day his number is sure to hang in the United Center rafters. a workout fiend like Keith. And when it does it will be yet another day '2' remember. So with his skills on the decline, it came as no surprise that the Hawks Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 were looking to trade Keith the last couple of years. It finally happened Monday, as GM Stan Bowman sent the soon-to-be 38-year-old to Edmonton in exchange for D-man Caleb Jones and a third-round pick.

The official announcement came just before 6:30 p.m., which included a statement from Hawks general manager Stan Bowman.

"Duncan Keith was the ultimate professional with the Chicago Blackhawks," Bowman said. "His toughness on the ice, his leadership in the community and his dedication to the game are a few of the reasons the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups during his 16-year career with Chicago.

"He will go down as one of the best and most driven defensemen this game has ever seen. Recently, Duncan came to us with a request to be traded to a team closer to his son and we were happy to work something out that was mutually beneficial for Duncan's family and the future of the Blackhawks. We appreciate all he has contributed to our team and the City of Chicago and his legacy will always be celebrated."

TSN's tweeted earlier in Monday that Keith had signed "all paperwork waiving his no-move to go to Edmonton. This clause will travel with him, so he maintains trade protection. The Oilers were Keith's first choice."

Keith recently changed agents and gave the Hawks permission to shop him to a team out west so he could be closer to his 8-year-old son Colton

"I knew I didn't want to go those long periods of time without seeing him," Keith said on a video conference call. "That was a huge thing for me, and I just felt like the Edmonton Oilers -- right now it was a good fit, a great fit and I'm excited to start this new chapter of my career."

The Hawks were able to shed all of Keith's $5.5 million cap hit, a big coup as they attempt to land a big name or two when free agency opens July 28.

The 6-foot-1, 194-pound Jones had 4 goals and 9 assists in 76 combined games the last two seasons.

What's interesting is that this doesn't at all feel the same as when Bobby Hull left for the WHL or was sent to the Coyotes in 1996. Those moves set the franchise back for years, with the Hawks losing two popular players still in their primes.

Keith, meanwhile, is not nearly the player he was in 2010-17. He is, however, a serviceable defenseman who should give the Oilers 18-20 good minutes a night and possibly chip in on the power play and/or penalty kill.

The Hawks kept asking Keith to defend the opponent's best players while logging 24, 26 or 28 minutes. It worked at times, but there also were too many embarrassing breakdowns, bad passes and misreads. 1217235 Chicago Blackhawks

Why Duncan Keith is the best Hawks defenseman ever

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

Another franchise icon is on the move.

On Monday, the Blackhawks traded three-time Stanley Cup champion Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers, granting the 37-year-old defenseman's wish to finish his NHL career in a market that's closer to his son in Western Canada. He has two years left on his 13-year contract that carries a $5.538 million cap hit.

It's a bittersweet moment for the city of Chicago, which realizes a new era has arrived yet remains uncomfortable with the thought of Keith wearing a uniform that doesn't have a Blackhawks logo on it.

Keith was drafted by Chicago in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft and what he accomplished over that span makes him the greatest defenseman in the Original Six franchise's history.

Just look at where he ranks among Blackhawks defensemen:

• Games played: 1st (1,192)

• Assists: 2nd (520)

• Points: 2nd (625)

• Goals: 3rd (105)

Where Keith cemented his legacy, however, is in the postseason. No Blackhawk has logged more minutes (3,781:00) and no Blackhawk defenseman has registered more even-strength goals (16), game- winning goals (five), assists (68) and points (86) in the playoffs than Keith.

One of only 13 defensemen in NHL history to win the Norris Trophy multiple times, Keith's top career highlight came in 2015 when he was unanimously voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP after recording three goals and 18 assists for 21 points in 23 games.

The most impressive part? Keith averaged 31:07 of ice time during Chicago's 2015 Stanley Cup run, which is the second-highest average by any skater in a single postseason from a Stanley Cup champion since the league began tracking time on ice in 1997. Only Niklas Lidstrom (31:10) had a higher average for the 2002 .

Keith has been the pillar of the Blackhawks' blue line for the last 16 seasons and finished as their time on ice leader in every single one of those years. Even last season, at age 37.

It's only a matter of time before Keith has his No. 2 sweater raised to the United Center rafters. The question is whether that will happen before or after his induction into the .

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217236 Chicago Blackhawks

Keith opens up about trade request from Blackhawks

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

HAWKS INSIDER

When Duncan Keith signed a 13-year contract extension with the Blackhawks in December of 2009, the move was supposed to keep him tied to Chicago for the rest of his NHL career. Both parties would've loved a storybook ending.

But after an extremely challenging COVID-19-shortened season in 2020- 21, Keith recently approached the Blackhawks and respectfully requested a trade to a Western Canadian team that would bring him closer to his son, Colton, who he saw only once over the course of a five- month span during the season due to the border restrictions.

The Blackhawks granted that wish on Monday, shipping the two-time Norris Trophy winner and forward prospect Tim Soderlund to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick in 2022.

Keith opened up about his decision in a video conference call after the trade was made official.

"I'd like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks and the Blackhawk organization, , Danny Wirtz, and the entire Wirtz family for allowing me to be on their team for the last 16 seasons," Keith said. "We had great memories and a great run and Chicago Blackhawks are always going to be in my heart.

"Having said that, at this point in my career, I feel that being closer to my son, Colton, here, he lives here in Penticton [in British Columbia], that was a huge thing for me, and I just felt like the Edmonton Oilers, right now it was a good fit, a great fit, and I'm excited to start this new chapter of my career and try to win a Cup in Edmonton."

Keith will go down as one of the greatest players to ever put on a Blackhawks sweater. You could argue he's the best defenseman in franchise history.

It was difficult for Keith to put into words what the last 16 seasons with the Blackhawks have been like, but the three-time Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner tried his best to do so.

"It's tough to kind of summarize right now, but there's so many great memories of my time in Chicago," Keith said. "You go through those long playoff runs and you come out on top, there's really no better feeling. That's the goal here going to Edmonton. I guess life rolls on.

"It's tough to leave Chicago. I've been there for 16 seasons, I was drafted there, it's a great organization, we're always treated first-class as players, and was really part of a transformation of that team. I just feel grateful to have been a part of it and play with so many great players in [Patrick] Kane and [Jonathan] Toews and [Marian] Hossa and [Patrick] Sharp and [Brent] Seabrook and [Niklas] Hjalmarsson. The last few years were a little tougher, but sometimes you need those tough times to appreciate the good times."

While his chapter in Chicago has come to a close, a new one is beginning in Edmonton. And Keith, who turns 38 on Friday, sounded as hungry and motivated as ever to prove critics wrong and chase another Stanley Cup.

"There's no better feeling than winning a Stanley Cup," Keith said. "I've been fortunate to do it before, but I think it just fuels that fire to do it again. For me, as I get older and my career moves along, I want to be able to compete at the highest level and win.

"But also, I want to compete and I want to challenge myself to be at my best, and I feel like that's when I'm at my best, when I'm challenged. The Oilers are going to need me to be at my best and I'm looking forward to it."

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Blackhawks trade Duncan Keith to Edmonton

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

The Blackhawks have traded Duncan Keith and forward prospect Tim Soderlund to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2022, the team announced Monday.

The third-round selection will become a second-rounder if the Oilers advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022 and Keith finishes Top 4 in ice time among Oilers defensemen during those three rounds. No salary has been retained by Chicago in the deal.

The news comes less than two weeks after the 37-year-old defenseman respectfully requested a trade so that he could be closer to his son.

"Duncan Keith was the ultimate professional with the Chicago Blackhawks," President/GM Stan Bowman said in a statement. "His toughness on the ice, his leadership in the community and his dedication to the game are a few of the reasons the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups during his 16-year career with Chicago. He will go down as one of the best and most driven defensemen this game has ever seen. Recently, Duncan came to us with a request to be traded to a team closer to his son and we were happy to work something out that was mutually beneficial for Duncan’s family and the future of the Blackhawks. We appreciate all he has contributed to our team and the City of Chicago and his legacy will always be celebrated."

Keith has two years left on his contract that carries a $5.538 million cap hit. He is owed only $3.6 million in actual dollars over the next two seasons.

A two-time Norris Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup champion, Keith ranks No. 1 in games played (1,192), No. 2 in assists (520) and points (625) and No. 3 in goals (105) among defensemen in franchise history. He has led the Blackhawks in average time on ice for 16 straight seasons.

Jones, 24, compiled 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 93 games across three seasons with the Oilers. The 24-year-old defenseman is the younger brother of All-Star defenseman Seth Jones, who is likely to be traded this offseason after he informed the Columbus Blue Jackets that he would not sign an extension when his contract expires next season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217238 Chicago Blackhawks radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at the team were groundless.

Duncan Keith, a defenseman who played on the 2010 championship Former player open to participating in Chicago Blackhawks' sexual team, said Monday "it's tough to see, to hear about those things.'' assault review under right conditions "Obviously, it's a very important subject and something that's going on right now,'' Keith said on a video conference call after he was traded to Associated Press Edmonton. "And, for me, I'd rather not get into anything like that in terms of my memories of that and what happened. It's been a long time, and I realize that people want answers. ... I hope one way or another that things work out for the best with that situation and it gets sorted out and CHICAGO -- An attorney who represents a former Chicago Blackhawks there's some way to move on for everybody.'' player who alleges he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010 is open to the possibility of her client participating in the team's After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan review of the accusations under the right conditions. of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a student and is now on that state's registry of sex offenders. A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the team. In an internal separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the memo sent June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & Blackhawks provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich Block LLP "have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead." despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the matter. The first suit alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich during the team's run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- assaulting in Michigan. season gathering.

Susan Loggans, an attorney who represents the former player and the Houghton police records say that an investigator reached out to the former student, said Monday that her clients were open to participating in Blackhawks about Aldrich but that human resources executive Marie the review by Jenner & Block. But she said they want to know more Sutera would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested about the parameters of the investigation and want the opportunity to a search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding conduct their own interviews of key former and current team executives. Aldrich.

"We've never been told what the investigation includes," Loggans said. Miami University in Ohio also has opened an investigation. Aldrich was "For example, are they just investigating whether or not sexual employed by the school in 2012 from June to November. He resigned misconduct occurred, which seems to be very evident that it did, or are "under suspicion of unwanted touching of a male adult," the university's they going to investigate whether the Blackhawks knowingly allowed it to attorney told police. exist without doing anything? They've never said what they're investigating." A spokeswoman for the school said Monday that it was aware of two accusations of sexual assault involving Aldrich. Loggans also said the Blackhawks haven't said anything about what, if any, part of the review would be made available after it was completed, "In November 2012, Miami University was made aware of allegations of or what they plan to do with the results. an off-campus sexual assault involving a non-student adult and Brad Aldrich," Jessica Rivinius said in an email to the AP. "When the Miami Loggans said that an attorney from Jenner & Block asked whether he University Police Department reached out to the alleged victim, they could interview her clients and that she asked for more information and offered to assist the individual in filing a police report with the Oxford the chance to interview one or more team executives under the same Police Department. The individual declined to make a report. terms for interviewing her clients. "A second adult alleged victim came forward in 2018 and filed a police "They responded, saying they really couldn't do that," Loggans said. report with Miami University Police about an assault that occurred off- campus in 2012. That report was forwarded to the Oxford Police A message was left Monday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In Department." his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had Rivinius said that the review of Aldrich's employment at Miami is being concluded. conducted by Barnes & Thornburg LLP and that the school plans to release a report at the conclusion of the investigation. In his lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former player says that Aldrich assaulted him and that the team did nothing after ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred to in the document as "John Doe."

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, "turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of" the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to "physically, financially and emotionally" hurt the player if he "did not engage in sexual activity" with him.

According to TSN, two Blackhawks players told then-skills coach Paul Vincent in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said that he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police but that the request was denied.

Vincent said Monday in an email to the Associated Press that he had not been contacted by Jenner & Block.

An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the 1217239 Chicago Blackhawks

Edmonton Oilers acquire star defenseman Duncan Keith from Chicago Blackhawks

Greg Wyshynski

The Edmonton Oilers acquired Chicago Blackhawks star defenseman Duncan Keith and minor league forward Tim Soderlund on Monday in a trade for defenseman Caleb Jones and a 2022 conditional third-round draft pick, it was announced.

Keith waived his no-movement clause to facilitate the trade; he expressed a desire to be closer to his son in British Columbia.

The conditional third-round pick becomes a second-round pick if Edmonton wins three rounds in the 2022 and Keith is among the top four Edmonton defensemen in total ice time through those rounds.

There was no salary retained in the trade by Chicago. Keith has two years left on his 13-year contract at $5,538,462 against the salary cap.

"Duncan Keith was the ultimate professional with the Chicago Blackhawks," Blackhawks president and GM Stan Bowman said in a statement. "His toughness on the ice, his leadership in the community and his dedication to the game are a few of the reasons the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups during his 16-year career with Chicago. He will go down as one of the best and most driven defensemen this game has ever seen.

"Recently, Duncan came to us with a request to be traded to a team closer to his son and we were happy to work something out that was mutually beneficial for Duncan's family and the future of the Blackhawks. We appreciate all he has contributed to our team and the City of Chicago and his legacy will always be celebrated."

Keith has played 1,192 regular-season games in the NHL, all of them with the Blackhawks. With his departure, only Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews remain from the core that won three Stanley Cups.

Keith won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2015. In his career, he has 105 goals and 520 assists and is a plus-144. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2009-10 and 2013-14.

Keith will go down as one of the best Blackhawks of all time and is almost assured of making the Hall of Fame.

But recent years have not been kind to Keith or the Blackhawks. His effectiveness as a defenseman has declined for several seasons, and specifically since 2019. His points per 60 minutes and puck-possession numbers have declined in consecutive seasons. His minus-8 goals scored above average was third worst for any NHL player over the past two seasons (minimum 100 games). This season, Keith had 15 points in 54 games, skating to a minus-13.

With the Blackhawks in a rebuild, however, the 37-year-old was asked to skate a team-high 23 minutes and 25 seconds per game last season. Chicago also had some of the worst team defensive metrics in the league.

Jones, 24, finished his third NHL season, all with the Oilers, with four assists in 33 games, skating to a career-low 13:36 per game. He has 19 points in 93 games in the NHL, skating to a minus-17.

Jones is the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones. The Blackhawks are one of the rumored destinations for Seth Jones, whom the Blue Jackets are expected to trade before next season.

ESPNChicago.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217240 Chicago Blackhawks determined on a case-by-case basis. There are no specific procedures distinguishing sexual misconduct from other forms of misconduct.”

In the meantime, the Blackhawks are trying to conduct business as The Blackhawks’ legal strategy, how long it might take, what the NHL can usual, with the expansion draft, entry draft and free agency all looming. do and the team’s plan in the meantime Monday, Bowman traded franchise icon Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers, freeing up salary-cap space to make a splash in free agency or on the trade market. By Mark Lazerus, Scott Powers, Katie Strang Jul 12, 2021 “(Bowman is) proceeding as if he’s in charge and he’s going to be in charge for the next ‘X’ amount of years of his contract,” one league executive said. “That’s how he’s conducting his business. He’s The Blackhawks’ legal battle is just beginning, and it likely will drag into conducting Blackhawks business. That hasn’t changed.” the 2021-22 NHL season. But the team’s legal strategy for the two lawsuits filed against it is becoming clear. The Blackhawks announced last month that they have hired prominent law firm Jenner & Block to conduct an “independent review” of Aldrich’s Friday, the Blackhawks filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by John time in Chicago, which will be led by former federal prosecutor Reid Doe 2, the former Houghton (Mich.) High School player whose assault by Schar. At least one player on the 2009-10 Blackhawks roster has been former Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich led to the coach’s stint in contacted to participate in that process. Three others said they have not jail. The lawsuit alleges the Blackhawks gave “positive references” when been contacted yet. he left the team and failed to report the allegations that Aldrich sexually assaulted two Blackhawks players during the 2009-10 season, eventually Susan Loggans, the plaintiff’s attorney for both lawsuits, said her NHL leading to the Houghton player’s assault. client, who is listed as John Doe 1 in the first lawsuit, will not participate in the investigation because the league has not pledged to make the The motion filed by the Blackhawks on Friday insisted that the team had findings public. no liability or responsibility, stating “there is no duty to protect an individual from the criminal acts of a third party absent two exceptions: a “The Blackhawks have been lying all along, denying in court documents ‘special relationship’ between the parties or a voluntary undertaking by that this sexual misconduct even took place, so why would we have any the defendant.” The Blackhawks stated that the Houghton victim “cannot faith now in an investigation that has been paid for by the Blackhawks?” seriously contend that any such ‘special relationship’ existed here” Loggans said to TSN in an interview last week. “Also, there is no because the team wasn’t Aldrich’s employer at the time and didn’t know assurance from anyone, not at the Blackhawks and not at the NHL, that John Doe 2. the results of the team’s investigation will be made public.

The motion also calls the allegation that the Blackhawks provided “Why would we bother to participate in an investigation that may positive references for Aldrich “vague and factually unsupported” and ultimately be buried and hidden from public view?” said the fact the lawsuit doesn’t specifically say the Blackhawks gave Houghton High School a positive reference is a “fatal omission.” Loggans told the Associated Press that she told Jenner & Block she wanted to interview Blackhawks executives as a condition of her clients Later in the motion, the team laid out its defense for not reporting participating in the investigation, a request she said was denied. Aldrich’s alleged assault of the two Blackhawks players in the first place, saying there was no “statutory obligation” to do so. The motion said that The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 under Illinois law, the three categories of individuals who are protected by mandatory reporting requirements are minors, adults aged 18-59 with disabilities and adults over 60 who live in care facilities.

Since John Doe, the former Blackhawks player who filed the initial lawsuit, doesn’t fall under any of those categories, the team stated “it cannot be alleged that (the Blackhawks) had a statutory duty to report allegations of Aldrich harassing an adult hockey player to a government entity.”

As one team source said, the Blackhawks have “gone into bunker mode,” hoping to get the lawsuits dismissed and then taking their chances in the court of public opinion. President of hockey operations and general manager Stan Bowman and senior vice president of hockey ops Al MacIsaac were at the meeting (along with former president John McDonough and skills coach James Gary) in which skills coach Paul Vincent brought forward the players’ claims of sexual assault by Aldrich, Vincent told The Athletic last month.

According to the lawsuit, the Blackhawks chose not to report the complaints to the police. But as the latest motion filed by the team says, the Blackhawks say they weren’t obligated to do so.

The legal process could take months. It typically takes a month or two for such a motion to get a hearing, but it could take these motions even longer, as the Cook County courts have yet to fully reopen under COVID- 19 restrictions. The courts opened for “limited in-person operations and services” on July 6.

Regardless of what happens in the courts, the NHL still wields considerable power when it comes to Bowman and the Blackhawks.

The NHL has no formal sexual violence policy, but the league, via commissioner , has wide latitude to investigate and assess discipline for clubs regardless of whether criminal charges are filed or litigation is pending, deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to The Athletic.

When asked what sort of guidance the league provides teams on how to handle reports of sexual misconduct within their organizations, Daly wrote in an email: “The general guidance is to report all instances and/or complaints of material wrongdoing and then appropriate next steps are 1217241 Chicago Blackhawks Secondly, the Blackhawks can now replace Keith without having to worry about Keith’s ego or how things would come to an end with him. That just makes things easier on everyone.

Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith trade was best for him and the team This should also accelerate the Blackhawks’ rebuild timeline. Keith’s departure opens a roster spot and the cap space the Blackhawks need to help solidify their defense. A key piece to the trade was not retaining any By Scott Powers Jul 12, 2021 of Keith’s $5,538,462 cap hit. The Blackhawks can tap into that and potentially much more, depending how they use long-term injury reserve

for Seabrook and/or Andrew Shaw to pursue another No. 1 defenseman. It was time. They could realistically sign Dougie Hamilton, trade for Seth Jones or pursue another high-caliber defenseman. The trade should also allow the Duncan Keith needed to move on, and the Blackhawks needed to as Blackhawks to protect Murphy, Zadorov and Riley Stillman in the well. It’s why Monday’s trade between the Blackhawks and Edmonton expansion draft. Oilers made so much sense. The official deal, according to a source, was the Blackhawks sent Keith to the Oilers for defenseman Caleb Jones and According to a source, the Blackhawks might still even address other a third-round pick. areas of their team. The Blackhawks like how their forward group is shaping up and believe they have enough there to be competitive. They Keith had his personal reasons to seek a trade. He wanted to be closer know there is a need for a quality defenseman or two. But they’re also to his son, according to a source. Due to COVID-19, travel restrictions in open to addressing their goaltending depth. According to a league Canada and the NHL’s schedule format, Keith barely got to see him last source, the Blackhawks could be in play for Vegas Golden Knights goalie season. The Blackhawks understood that and weren’t about to tell Keith Marc-Andre Fleury. With Fleury having just one year left on his contract, no, especially considering all he’s done for the organization over his 16 the Blackhawks could financially afford his $7 million cap hit if needed. seasons. They owed him to attempt to trade him. Stay tuned.

For the Blackhawks, and this is something that probably won’t be said This trade is the rare occasion where the individual and team can be in publicly, they had to trade Keith to turn the page on their past and agreement that it was best for everyone to move on. That helps to keep continue embracing their future. It’s time for them to go find another what they did in the past intact, too. Keith was the Blackhawks’ defensive Keith. rock. He was an individual star who did everything he could for his team. The Blackhawks don’t win the Stanley Cup three times without him. Keith has been the Blackhawks’ premier defenseman for nearly his entire That’s how he will be remembered. His number No. 2 jersey will career. He’s carried them in so many ways as that No. 1. From leading undoubtedly be retired and hanging in the United Center rafters them in ice time year after year to constantly matching up with the other someday. teams’ best players to being a staple on the power play and penalty kill, the Blackhawks leaned and leaned and leaned on Keith from his early Before that time arrives, there will be a day where Keith returns to 20s into his late 30s. For most of that time, he was up to the challenge. Chicago in a different jersey. It’ll be strange to see him as an Oiler, but it won’t be awkward. The Blackhawks, Keith and the fans can celebrate In recent years, Keith hasn’t been the same player as he had been in the their time together and wish nothing the best for each other going past. He was still a workout warrior, physical freak and looked like his old forward. self on a lot of shifts, but his consistency had fallen off. The narrative wasn’t as critically sharp around Keith as it was Brent Seabrook, which The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 might have had to do with Seabrook’s contract and/or the appearance of his play, but it was clear in recent years that age was also catching up with Keith and he was on the decline.

Not to Keith’s fault, but the Blackhawks continued to play him as if he was still 27 and not his actual age of 37. They again leaned on Keith heavily this past season. He averaged 23-plus minutes for the 16th consecutive season. The Blackhawks did so because they were breaking in so many young defensemen and knew they were going to take their lumps even in limited ice time.

Keith could absorb those minutes without an issue. They also didn’t have a logical replacement for Keith. While Connor Murphy has gotten more and more responsibility, his offensive game and skating aren’t that of Keith. Murphy isn’t about to join the power play. Calvin de Haan and Nikita Zadorov also don’t have the same attributes as Keith. The Blackhawks are hopeful Adam Boqvist, Ian Mitchell, Wyatt Kalynuk and their other young defensemen can someday be like Keith, but they aren’t ready yet.

So, the Blackhawks turned to Duncan Keith to be Duncan Keith. His individual results weren’t great. Analytically, Keith was among the worst defensemen in the NHL last season. According to Evolving Hockey, Keith had the worst Goals Above Replacement (GAR) number, a statistic that “attempts to assign value to a player,” of any defenseman in the league, at minus-7.7.

Keith’s play has been headed in this direction in recent years, as Dom Luszczyszyn’s chart below shows.

Could Keith find a resurgence in Edmonton? Some people think so. He’ll be surrounded by talent and probably won’t have to assume as large of a role. One league executive said recently he expected Keith to flourish in Edmonton with less responsibility and ice time. Most importantly, Keith will be happy to be around his son more often again.

The trade is the best of both worlds for the Blackhawks. For one, Keith is leaving on his own terms, which is something that hasn’t happened with a lot of the Blackhawks’ core in recent years. There won’t be that awkwardness that comes with trading or not re-signing a long-time player or even watching as a player’s games declines further and further. 1217242 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets to hold memorial services for Matiss Kivlenieks on Thursday

The 24-year old goalie's mother and sister are now in Columbus, after traveling more than 4,500 miles from Latvia.

Brian Hedger

A memorial to fallen Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio on July 6, 2021. The medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks said a fireworks mortar shell hit him in the chest during an incident Sunday that killed him in Novi, Michigan.

Memorial services for Matiss Kivlenieks have been determined and a memorial fund has been established for the former Blue Jackets' goalie, who died July 4 in a fireworks accident.

Kivlenieks, 24, will be memorialized 10.m. Thursday at Schoedinger Funeral Home in Upper Arlington with a private service to celebrate his life. Attendance will be limited to family, friends and invited guests.

His mother, Astrida, and younger sister recently arrived in Columbus from Latvia, making a trip that surpassed 4,500 miles.

The Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund will support youth hockey in Columbus and Latvia. The Blue Jackets and McConnell family — the team's majority owners — have pledged to match up to $80,000 in donations to the fund, which has already received donations that were made to the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation in Kivlenieks' name.

Kivlenieks died as the result of a fireworks mishap at the home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach , who was hosting a wedding and celebration for his daughter. A police report has not been released with details on how the accident occurred.

Blue Jackets coaches, players, staff and brass have mourned Kivlenieks' death since the news broke early July 5. The team has also worked with the Latvian Federation and Kivlenieks’ family to make arrangements for the memorial service.

Blue Jackets fans have also mourned the goalie's passing.

Many placed hockey sticks on their front porches as part of a #SticksOutForKivi movement online and others created a makeshift memorial at Nationwide Arena with posters, balloons, flowers and handwritten notes.

Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and his wife, Aleksandra, created a poster for the shrine that displayed a handwritten message to fans about Kivlenieks and his smile — which many have noted as an unforgettable part of knowing him.

Kivlenieks was living with the couple since returning to Columbus on June 23.

“To whoever passes by … know that he would want you to smile and not cry!” the Merzlikins poster said. “So, look up in the sky, say ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and give him the biggest smile!”

Kivlenieks came to the U.S. to play Tier III junior hockey at age 17 and made a lot of friends along his NHL path. He also taught himself English and overcame challenging odds to become a Blue Jackets goalie.

After spending parts of four years with the Cleveland Monster, the Jackets' affiliate in the American Hockey League, Kivlenieks was in position to log his first full NHL campaign next season. He might've handled the team’s backup role if one of the top two goalies — Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo — is traded this offseason.

Hockey isn't on the minds of Kivlenieks' family and friends, though. Memories are what matter most and "Kivi" left many of those to comfort those now grieving him.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217243 Columbus Blue Jackets Kivlenieks' mother, Astrida, is in Riga, Latvia, and memorial plans have not been announced. The Blue Jackets are working to bring Kivlenieks' mother to the U.S.

Prosecutor reviewing police report of incident that killed Jackets goalie Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.13.2021 Matiss Kivlenieks

Brian Hedger

A prosecutor is reviewing a police report about the death of Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, who was killed July 4 in Novi, Michigan, during an apparent fireworks accident.

Novi Police Lt. Jason Meier said no criminal charges have been requested in the incident, which took place a little after 10 p.m. at the home of Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace. It's unknown when the report will be made public.

According to police, Kivlenieks tried to escape from a hot tub after a fireworks device sent an explosive shell over the tub. He was struck by a second shell, fired seconds later, and an autopsy conducted July 5 by Oakland County chief medical examiner Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic showed it hit him in the left side of the chest.

Kivlenieks sustained extensive damage externally and fatal damage to his heart and lungs.

Early in the investigation, police thought Kivlenieks may have died from head trauma due to a slip-and-fall accident while trying to flee. Three 911 calls were made from Legace’s home in less than a span of two minutes.

None of the callers mentioned a fall or head injury, all three cited a fireworks accident and two said a person had been struck by fireworks.

A source told The Dispatch on July 5 that Kivlenieks' death was caused by a firework that struck him. Reports of him being struck in the chest by a fireworks shell were reported earlier the same day by Latvian media. The autopsy confirmed those reports.

The Novi Fire Department 's report of the incident shows that an EMS unit arrived four minutes, 38 seconds after 911 operators were alerted. The ambulance departed with Kivlenieks inside seven minutes, seven seconds later.

According one of the 911 calls, Kivlenieks was still breathing when emergency operators were alerted to the situation around 10:13 p.m. There are conflicting reports about whether he was conscious. Kivlenieks was pronounced dead at nearby Ascension Providence Hospital in Novi.

No other injuries occurred during the incident, which happened at a wedding celebration for Legace’s daughter. Kivlenieks and Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who were visiting Legace for the weekend, attended.

No other Blue Jackets were there, a team source told The Dispatch.

Merzlikins and Kivlenieks are Latvian. Kivlenieks had returned to Columbus from Latvia on June 23. He was staying with Merzlikins and Merzlikins' wife, Aleksandra.

Police said no illegalities were discovered in their investigation and that Kivlenieks' death is considered a tragic accident. The 3-inch mortar shells in question are the largest allowed in Michigan for consumer use. Larger shells are considered professional or military grade and not legal for non- licensed individuals to launch.

The device itself was a commercial "cake style" nine-shot rack that contained three rows of three mortar tubes. All nine shells were launched. Police have not released the distance between the device and hot tub.

The Blue Jackets confirmed the incident took place at Legace’s offseason residence in Novi, but police have not revealed that information. The identities of the homeowner and person operating the fireworks were redacted in the report, which shows no indication that alcohol was a factor in the misfire.

Legace has been part of the Blue Jackets' organization for nine years and has served as the NHL goalie coach the past three seasons. He has not replied to text messages or a voicemail message from The Dispatch. 1217244 For percentage. Is it fair to compare to the back-to-back champions? The Stars openly proclaim championship-or-bust aspirations, so, yes.

Now, those players don’t just grow on trees — though Dallas can try to Circumstances should bring a long-overdue change to the way the Stars steal a third of that Lightning line in free agency — but the point is, if the construct their lines personnel isn’t there, the ice time doesn’t need to be forced onto players who aren’t even top-10 on their own roster. This is where circumstances may help facilitate the change. Comeau is back in the fold but this time, By Saad Yousuf Jul 12, 2021 it’s on a one-year deal for $1 million. If part of the issue in past seasons was not wanting to bench a player making $2.4 million, that’s no longer

an issue. Cogliano hasn’t been re-signed so his $3.25 million is set to It can be easy to get stuck in the ways of the known, creating a come off the books. reluctance to diverge from that path. Sometimes it takes circumstances Perhaps the biggest twist in the line re-shuffling doesn’t even have to do to force a change. Change isn’t always easy but it can be necessary. with any of the three players of the former checking line. Benn’s rise as a In recent years, the Stars have forged an identity as a low-scoring team. center late last season created an option that didn’t exist six months ago They rely on sound defense — from the defensemen and forwards — and Benn, head coach Rick Bowness and general manager are and stellar goaltending. The objective is to get ahead and then play all open to the possibilities that may spring from it. boring hockey late in games — which is a compliment, not a criticism, of “With Jamie at center, that changes things a little bit,” Bowness recently their intended style. This defensive identity slims the margin for error and told The Athletic. “We’ll have Seggy back next year and Roope is requires distinct personnel. An exceptional, Vezina Trophy-caliber obviously a centerman. We’ll take the best 12, 13 forwards that we have goaltender serves as the backbone, which the Stars had for two years and we’ll figure it out from there. … We’re wide open to anything we think prior to this past season in and Anton Khudobin. What the will make our team better. Do we have to have a checking line? No.” goaltending situation will look like next season is anyone’s guess right now. Bowness’ tone and Benn’s approach in exit interviews two months ago indicated that Benn playing at center is not just a possibility but is In playing this defensive-minded style of hockey, the Stars have been arguably the favored position, at this point in time. reliant on their FCC checking line of Andrew Cogliano, Radek Faksa and Blake Comeau. It’s easy to fall back on this group because they are three “We love big, strong, physical centermen, and he certainly fits that build,” reliable veterans. To their credit, they have been consistent, but that Bowness said. “I talked to him almost every day about it, and he enjoyed doesn’t mean they’ve been consistently good. playing center. We certainly liked the look we got from him playing center. Absolutely, we’ll be looking at that for next year.” That’s why now is the time for the Stars to think about changing their on- ice approach. “You feel like you can control the game a little better, have the puck a lot coming through the middle of the ice,” Benn said. “You’re able to make In an examination we did at the end of the season of each Stars player’s plays, and that’s really what I liked about it the most. … After a few years, play in relation to their salary, Cogliano, Faksa and Comeau were the obviously know the game a little more so I was more comfortable this only forwards who individually played more than 500 minutes each and time.” underperformed their contract. They played a team-leading 319 minutes together this past season and the results weren’t great. A mountain of If Benn plays center and Seguin also wants to play his natural position, injuries resulted in so much shuffling that only two lines played at least that could separate the longtime duo but create a look down the middle 150 minutes together, but if we lower the bar to at least 50 minutes for the Stars that features Hintz, Seguin and Benn, and then Faksa on together as a line, the FCC line checks in with the second-worst Corsi the fourth line. With all of the other returning talent the Stars have — For percentage among the nine lines that qualify. Pavelski, Robertson, Denis Gurianov, Radulov, not to mention internal risers like Riley Damiani or outside signings — the third line could be a While plus-minus isn’t always a great tool to measure performance, they skill group with some offensive threat as opposed to what it’s been. posted a team-worst minus-7. The second-worst plus-minus among qualifying lines after that was Cogliano, Comeau and Rhett Gardner at Dallas has grouped its offensive talent in the top six, had a checking line minus-3. All other lines were even or better. The line with the second- as a third line and then the fourth line has mostly been a throwaway line most minutes was Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski, and of fringe NHLers. It has put more pressure on the top six and less they had a Corsi For percentage of 60.5 and were a plus-11 in 250 possibility for the goals to come from elsewhere. That seemed to be minutes. enough to get by when Bishop and Khudobin reigned atop the NHL as the top goaltending tandem for two seasons. With changes to the Some may argue that the rash of injuries throughout the roster — while goaltending outlook, as well as the FCC line itself, circumstances may Cogliano, Faksa and Comeau stayed mostly healthy — resulted in the warrant a change in approach that has frankly been a long time coming. team-leading minutes. Not quite. Go back to the 2019-20 season and the FCC line still tallied the most minutes on the team, with Jamie Benn, The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov coming in second. Again, the issue isn’t just that on a roster with plenty of talent, the third line is hogging most of the playing time; it’s that their play on the ice doesn’t even warrant that ice time. This isn’t the Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow line in Tampa Bay. That checking line led the Lightning in ice time together at 413 minutes this season. That’s just under 100 minutes more than the Stars’ checking line but the difference in results is astonishing:

Cogliano-Faksa-Comeau Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow

TOI 319 413

GF 8 25

GA 15 13

SF% 50.5% 58.3%

CF% 50% 56.3%

The obvious disclaimer is that the Tampa Bay line has arguably the world’s best goaltender behind it in Andrei Vasilevskiy, but still, in comparison to the FCC line, Tampa Bay’s line scored 17 more goals, let in two fewer pucks and had a substantial edge in Shots For and Corsi 1217245 Detroit Red Wings

Report on death of Blue Jackets' Matiss Kivlenieks now with Oakland County prosecutor

Helene St. James

Oakland County prosecutors are reviewing the report on the death of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, who died July 4 in a fireworks accident at the Novi home of former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace.

The police report was closed after a weeklong investigation revealed no wrongdoing.

“We are not asking for any criminal charges,” Novi Police Lt. Jason Meier told the Free Press on Monday. “But we did give it to the Oakland County prosecutor to review, just because of the high profile nature — to get a second set of eyes on it, make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

Kivlenieks died trying to avoid a fireworks shell while escaping a hot tub. Legace, the Blue Jackets’ goalie coach, had a party at his home to celebrate the wedding of his daughter, Sabrina. Legace, who played for the Wings from 2000-2006, has not commented.

[ Blue Jackets: Matiss Kivlenieks' death an 'unspeakable tragedy' ]

Kivlenieks was struck by a shell. An autopsy conducted July 5 by Oakland County chief medical examiner Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic showed the shell hit Kivlenieks in the left side of his chest. Paramedics arrived at the home at 10:13 p.m. and found Kivlenieks unresponsive. He was transported to Ascension Providence Hospital in Novi where he was pronounced dead, Meier said.

Kivlenieks was 24.

Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it an “unspeakable tragedy” last week and said the police report would reveal whether anyone should be help responsible.

Meier said there was “none that we could find” when asked if there had been any wrongdoing.

Kivlenieks appeared in two games this season, playing May 7 and 8 against the Wings. He had a 3.09 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in eight career NHL games.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217246 Detroit Red Wings

Novi police: Probe of goalie's death turned over to Oakland County prosecutor

Mike Martindale

Novi – Police said Monday they have completed their investigation into the July 4 death of Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks and turned in their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

Kivlenieks, 24, died from chest trauma after being accidentally struck in the left side of his chest by a firework shot out of a mortar at a backyard holiday party at the home of former Red Wings goalie Manny Legace, police said.

“We completed our investigation and turned in a report to the prosecutor for review on Friday,” said Novi Police Lt. Jason Meier. “It was investigated as an accident and we did not request any charges.”

Meier also said there was no violation of any related city ordinances or laws in the incident.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said Monday the case had not been reviewed.

Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and was trying to move out of the way of the firework when he was struck. He suffered major damage to his heart and lungs, according to Oakland County medical examiner Ljubisa Dragovic, who believed Kivlenieks died within seconds of being struck by the shell.

Kivlenieks was visiting Legace, who is the Blue Jackets’ goalie coach.

Kivlenieks most recently represented Latvia this spring at the world hockey championship in which he played four games. This past season, he played two games for the Blue Jackets and eight for the American Hockey League’s .

A native of Riga, Latvia, Kivlenieks signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in May 2017 and played eight games for the club overall.

Detroit News LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217247 Detroit Red Wings

Prosecutor to review death of NHL goalie Matiss Kivlenieks

By Ansar Khan

The Novi Police Department has competed its investigation into the fireworks death of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks and turned over its findings to the Oakland County prosecutor’s office for further review.

“We sent it to the prosecutor’s office for review due to the high-profile nature and we’re not actively seeking charges in the case,” Lt. Jason Meier of the Novi Police told MLive.

Meier said the investigation into the Fourth of July incident confirmed the death to be accidental.

Kivlenieks, 24, died after being hit in the chest with a fireworks mortar tube that was inadvertently tipped over and angled toward him. He had been in a hot tub near a swimming pool when the blast struck him. He suffered injuries to his heart and lungs. The incident happened during a gathering at the home of former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace, who is the goalie coach for the Blue Jackets.

The native of Latvia was spending the summer in the U.S. He signed as a free agent with Columbus in 2017 and spent parts of four seasons in the minor leagues, mostly with AHL Cleveland as well as a brief stint with the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings.

He played eight games with the Blue Jackets over the past two seasons, including the final two games of 2021 against the Red Wings.

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217248 Detroit Red Wings

Michigan’s Matty Beniers could appeal to Red Wings as two-way center

By Ansar Khan

Matty Beniers experienced at eventful freshman year at Michigan, despite being denied an opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

He earned a pair of medals with Team USA -- a gold at the World Juniors and a bronze at the World Championship – and was named to the Big 10 All-Rookie Team.

Now Beniers, 18, awaits the NHL draft as one of three Wolverines projected to be selected in the top 10 in the first round on July 23. He could go as high as No. 2 to the expansion Seattle Kraken or be available to the Detroit Red Wings at No. 6.

Whoever lands the 6-1, 175-pound center will get a well-rounded player.

“Beniers is that rare breed of smarts, skills and sandpaper that all NHL clubs covet, particularly in the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, said. “A hardworking and ultimate competitor, he has an intuitive game and dogged determination to not be denied on plays. He possesses the offensive skills to contribute, particularly when it matters most.”

This was evident to linemate Kent Johnson, also expected to be a top-10 pick.

“It’s really nice to be able to play with a guy who takes care of the ice 200 feet,” Johnson said. “He’s buzzing around the whole game. He’s so good at transitioning the puck, getting out of our D-zone and into the O-zone. Really lucky to get to play with him.”

Beniers takes pride in his defensive ability.

“That comes along with my hockey IQ and how I played growing up,” Beniers said. “My dad coached me when I was really young and always stressed the importance of playing the game the right way, playing defense, making sure you’re behind the puck.

“Also, growing up watching (Boston’s Patrice) Bergeron, he does all those things well. He’s one of the best in the league playing that two-way center game. That’s how I played when I was younger and I continued that year after year, making sure I was good in the D-zone before offense.”

He is skilled offensively, too, averaging a point a game at U-M (10 goals, 14 assists in 24 games), where he tied for eighth in the NCAA with a plus-21 rating.

“I think I’m pretty close (to the NHL),” Beniers said. “It takes a lot of work to get there and stay there and be impactful. You got to be ready mentally and physically.”

Beniers had three points (goal, two assists) in seven games at the World Juniors. After the Wolverines were forced to withdraw from the NCAA Tournament due to a COVID outbreak, Beniers was the youngest player selected to the U.S. World Championship team, where he had two points (goal, assist) in six games.

“Going over there was great, playing with a bunch of pros, being around them on and off the ice,” Beniers said. “Everyone always says you got to be like a pro, you got to train like a pro, act like a pro. Those guys embody that. It’s nice to see that firsthand. They take care of their bodies so well on and off the ice, doing the little things, getting out there early, working really hard. It’s pretty cool to be there in that atmosphere and play against older guys, get that experience.”

In his brief time there, he saw growth in his game.

“My ability to make plays, see the ice, my hockey IQ was pretty good,” Beniers said. “My edges, my skating ability … it was definitely a faster pace and that helped me a lot to play well and make plays and kind of have an impact. The way I see the ice and move my feet helped me a lot with forechecking, back-checking. The guys were all a lot bigger. I want to get bigger, stronger.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217249 Detroit Red Wings Red Wings have this year’s class tiered at each position, there’s a number of different circumstances in which it could make sense.

The wave-maker Red Wings draft: 3 trade-up scenarios from pick No. 23 and how they’d work The deal: Detroit trades picks Nos. 23, 38 to Philadelphia for pick No. 14

The precedent: In 2012, Buffalo traded picks Nos. 21 and 42 to Calgary for pick No. 14 By Max Bultman Jul 12, 2021 The rationale: If moving up four spots is assertive, moving up nine is aggressive. For that reason, the comp of the 2012 Buffalo-Calgary trade Every year, the idea of a first round trade up (or down) is among the most (in which the Sabres gave up a pick in the early 40s to move up seven tantalizing pre-draft storylines in the NHL. spots) may even slightly undersell the price for this type of deal. And perhaps that’s reason to favor the more conservative approach. While sheer numbers suggest a first-round trade must be considered a long shot for any team, some draft-day movement does happen every But this avenue would make sense (even at a slightly higher price than year. So, the idea of moving a handful of spots in either direction has a listed) if there’s one particular player on the board who the Red Wings way of tugging at the imagination. love. Maybe that’s Wallstedt, who could very well be gone by this point. Or maybe, if the Red Wings go defense (or even goalie) at No. 6, that’s a That certainly applies this year in Detroit, where, because of the Red forward such as Chaz Lucius, Cole Sillinger or Matthew Coronato. All Wings’ stockpile of early-round picks, the NHL’s flat salary cap and the three of those forwards were gone by No. 14 in our staff mock, but it unique scouting circumstances of the 2021 draft, and would only take one curveball in the top 13 for one to fall. company could be well-positioned to pull off such a move on July 23 — particularly when it comes to their second first-round pick at No. 23. Lucius is Pronman’s No. 7 ranked prospect and Scott Wheeler’s No. 8, so maybe the idea of him slipping is too much of a stretch. But either of Hopefully, by now, you’ve seen The Athletic’s most recent staff mock the other two would offer compelling reasons to make an aggressive draft, in which Detroit came away with Peterborough (OHL) center Mason move up, especially if Detroit passes on a forward early. Coronato won McTavish and SKA (VHL) winger Nikita Chibrikov — a pair of forwards the USHL goal-scoring race this season by an astounding 16 goals. And who could bring a real boost to the Red Wings’ rebuild. It’s a realistic as one evaluator put it in Pronman’s NHL Draft Confidential, “All Sillinger potential outcome for next Friday’s draft. But it would be foolish to think ever does wherever he goes is score, score a lot and play a reliable two- it’s the only one. And the possibility of Detroit making a move up from its way game. I don’t see why he can’t do that in the NHL.” pick at No. 23 (courtesy of Washington in the Anthony Mantha trade) would be one of the surest ways to shake things up. And, of course, there’s Wallstedt. This is more similar to the range where the last two drafts have seen the top goalie picked — Askarov went 11th So, below are three scenarios for what such a trade could look like, and last year and Spencer Knight went 13th in 2019 — and if Detroit strongly how it could change the outlook of the Red Wings’ draft. (And for all of views him as that level prospect, then it’s reasonable to not leave these, remember that any pick after No. 11 will effectively one spot anything to fate. earlier, due to Arizona’s pick being forfeited.) But no matter who the Red Wings would be targeting with this kind of The minor jump move, it has to be completely sold on that player, because moving two top 40 picks is punting on one of the main advantages of being pick- The deal: Detroit trades picks No. 23 (via WSH), No. 48 (via NYR) to heavy in this 2021 draft: the potential variance from list to list and who Nashville for pick No. 19 that variance could cause to drop. The precedent: Rangers traded picks No. 26 and No. 48 to Ottawa for They could justify that opportunity cost if the player they moved up for pick No. 22 in 2018 were near (or in) their top 10. But the pressure to be right would grow The rationale: The most obvious reason for the Red Wings to make a significantly. move like this would be if Detroit really wants to come out of Round 1 The blockbuster with a goaltender. The deal: Detroit trades pick No. 23 to Vancouver for pick No. 9, Loui The 2021 draft is seen as having two top goalie prospects in Jesper Eriksson Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa. And the Red Wings, notably, have no netminders of their caliber currently in the pipeline. In our staff mock, the The precedents: In 2019, Toronto traded Patrick Marleau, a 2020 second of those two prospects (Cossa) went off the board at No. 20, and conditional first-round pick and 2020 seventh-round pick to Carolina for a while some scouts pushed back on him getting that far in Corey 2020 sixth-round pick; In 2016, Arizona traded picks Nos. 20 and 53 and Pronman’s post-mock audit, at least one commented that they saw Joe Vitale to Detroit for pick No. 16, Pavel Datsyuk Edmonton as a reasonable floor for the second goalie off the board. The rationale: Finding an apt price for taking on Eriksson’s contract is the This move, then, would put Detroit in position to get one spot in front of challenge in a deal like this. the Oilers, and finally add a top goalie prospect. One useful comparison is Patrick Marleau example from 2019, when the Now, there are plenty of risks associated with picking a goalie in the first Maple Leafs gave up a first-round pick (top 10 protected and ultimately round, much less packaging a second early pick to move up for one. Red No. 13) in order to get Carolina to take Marleau’s contract off their hands. Wings fans will surely be familiar with the debate over whether to Another is a deal Red Wings fans should be plenty familiar with — the consider Yaroslav Askarov early in last year’s first round. All those risks one that unloaded Pavel Datsyuk’s contract back in 2016 and cost Detroit still apply, and this type of trade would mean losing out on one more shot the chance to pick Jakob Chychrun. in the second round to find the kind of hidden gem the 2021 scouting cycle may have covered up. The Red Wings still got a pair of young defensemen in Dennis Cholowski and Filip Hronek with those picks, in addition to cap space, but they lost But outside the top 10, making the goalie pick does become a more out on Chychrun, a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate this past season. palatable consideration, especially if Detroit considers Cossa and Wallstedt to be of similar caliber to each other, as Pronman does (he This concept, then, attempts to split the difference between those trades actually has Cossa ranked one spot ahead on his final draft board). in the current flat-cap environment. For Vancouver, the motivation has everything to do with Eriksson’s $6 million cap hit for next year and how Realistically, Detroit could make a move like this for a player of any much it stands to limit the Canucks — who have Elias Pettersson, Quinn position, though — as long as they like the player enough. Beyond the Hughes, Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic all up for new contracts. Even net, one other position that stands out as having a distinct tier that could burying Eriksson’s contract would only alleviate a little more than $1 end before pick No. 23 would be on defense. In our staff mock, Carson million of that charge. Lambos went at No. 18, but Wisconsin-bound defender Corson Ceulemans was still on the board (and didn’t end up making it to No. 23). And unlike Marc Staal — who logged 18 minutes a night for the Red Wings in 2021, after the Rangers gave up a second-round pick to trade Making this kind of push for a goaltender would have the stronger him last fall — Eriksson already played just seven games for the narrative force, considering Detroit’s need, but depending on how the Canucks last year. That’s a heavy weight to carry on the cap sheet for a player seldom dressing.

That’s where the Red Wings come in, with the ability to turn their significant cap space into a blockbuster trade up from 23 to 9.

A few crucial caveats apply, though. First Eriksson has a modified no- trade clause, giving him a 15-team no-trade list, per CapFriendly. Second, Detroit would need to be willing to pay the $3 million in cash salary Eriksson is owed, for a player who may play sparsely for them. And third, Detroit would need to have a player on the board at No. 9 it liked enough to pay that price for. None of that is a given.

Still, publicly, there seems to be a group of nine top skaters who have separated themselves at the top of the draft. Picking at No. 9, Vancouver (or Detroit in this scenario), would be guaranteed the chance to pick one of them. In our staff mock, that last player available was William Eklund — a Swedish winger who would fit superbly with the Red Wings. Eklund may not actually make it to No. 9, but if he doesn’t, that means another member of that top group will. Maybe that’s Kent Johnson, the dazzling forward out of Michigan. Maybe it’s Brandt Clarke, the skilled defenseman from the OHL.

For the Red Wings, taking on Eriksson’s contract would be a big ask. And for the Canucks, so would coming off a top 10 pick. But if Vancouver decides it needs the cap space more, and is willing to move back into the early 20s, the potential reward of moving up for a second pick in the top 10 has blockbuster potential for the Red Wings.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217250 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers trade for Blackhawks Duncan Keith to strengthen blueline

The Oilers are giving up defenceman Caleb Jones, who would likely have been left unprotected in the Seattle expansion draft, and a third-round 2022 draft pick

Jim Matheson Edmonton Journal

Two-time Norris trophy winner, three-time Stanley Cup champion Duncan Keith is on his way to the Edmonton Oilers from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Oilers are giving up defenceman Caleb Jones, who would likely have been left unprotected in the Seattle expansion draft, and a third-round 2022 draft pick.

The Blackhawks are not retaining any of Keith’s $5.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons, which is a big swallow for the Oilers. It’s something Edmonton wanted but the Hawks dug in.

The Oilers may also have been trying to get Chicago take goalie Mikko Koskinen, who has one year left at $4.5 million, as part of the deal but the Hawks weren’t buying.

The Oilers also weren’t giving up one of their best prospect forwards in Ryan McLeod or young defenceman Ethan Bear in any Keith negotiation.

Now, the Oilers might buy out Koskinen even as they try and re-sign Mike Smith to a new deal.

Keith, who turns 38 on Friday, had told the Blackhawks he wanted to be traded to a team in Western Canada or in Seattle to be closer to his eight-year-old son Colton, who lives in Penticton, B.C.

Keith’s game isn’t what it used to be, but he’s long been one of the NHL’s fittest players, much like Oilers goalie Mike Smith, so his birth certificate might not be a factor. Plus, he won’t be the first pairing left defenceman with the Oilers. Darnell Nurse has that role, and Keith can slide in with Adam Larsson in a second pairing when he likely re-signs. He’s an unrestricted free-agent.

The addition of Keith gives the Oilers what they sorely need. A player who has won before, and not just once. Three times with the Blackhawks. In 2015 he was also the playoff MVP and won the Conn Smythe trophy.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse will be giving this a two-thumbs up.

Keith will have to be protected in the expansion draft as one of their three defencemen along with Nurse and likely Ethan Bear. Larsson still has to be signed, but the Oilers could have an agreement from the Swede to formalize a three or a four-year contract after the expansion draft with the assistant captain being Keith’s stay-at-home partner and most likely first penalty-killing tandem.

The Oilers do not have a third-round draft pick in this year’s draft. They gave it to Calgary as part of the James Neal-Milan Lucic trade.

Jones, who was in and out of the Oilers lineup this past season and didn’t see any playoff action, has one year left on his contract ($850,000). He went into the 2021 season as a possible top-four defenceman and played the first three games, but his star dimmed after that.

The Hawks will have to decide whether to protect him or not. Connor Murphy, for sure, will be protected. Nikita Zadorov and Riley Stillman are the others they could protect.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217251 Edmonton Oilers Keith will work here if he’s playing with unrestricted free-agent right defenceman Adam Larsson. He can be Keith’s Brent Seabrook, before his body broke down. Keith plays with a tight gap, he holds the line Oilers feel they're getting a winner in Keith regardless of age ferociously but he needs a guy who will cover his back– a partner to play centrefield to allow him to step up against every attacking player.

But whether Larsson is back, who knows? If unsigned by Friday’s Jim Matheson Edmonton Journal expansion draft protected list going to the league, Seattle will have exclusivity to talk to him. If they sign him, he’s the player they choose off

Oilers for their expansion roster. On the surface, this looks like a large swallow to get Duncan Keith: “If I was confident, it would be done by by now. I did talk to Adam and his Young defenceman Caleb Jones, even if he had fallen out of favour here, agents and coach (Dave) Tippett on Zoom and did tip him off about the a third-round draft pick in 2022 that becomes a second-rounder if the possibility of getting Keith,” said Holland. “Dave did tell him that Duncan Edmonton Oilers win three playoff rounds and Keith plays top-four and Adam would be a good second pair. We were talking about Keith,” minutes. And the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t eating any of the two-time said Holland. Norris trophy winner’s $5.538 million cap hit. Keith badly missed his boy, who lives in Penticton, B.C. Keith is also turning 38 on Friday and is past his best-before date as a “Being close to my son is a huge thing for me. I didn’t see him for three season-in, season-out contender for the NHL’s top defenceman, but as months this season, then had a quick visit and didn’t see him again for general manager Ken Holland said, “I’m not trading for a guy who’s 50.” two months,” said Keith. He didn’t give up Philip Broberg or another top prospect defenceman in Jones lost the trust of the coaching staff here and likely was going to be Dmitry Samorukov to get a guy who’s likely going to the Hall of Fame. He left unprotected on the Oilers expansion list for Seattle. His game gave up a player with clear potential in Jones, but one who was became tentative because he was in and out of the line-up, afraid to scratched for 23 games this season. make mistakes. Holland doesn’t feel he had leverage in this deal, also picking up Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 07.13.2021 Swedish prospect Tim Soderland, even if Keith told the the Blackhawks he wanted to play in Western Canada to be closer to his son, Colton.

Holland knew Hawks GM Stan Bowman was giving away a guy who played over 1,300 games and won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic golds, a playoff MVP award and two Norris trophies, even at his age.

“I get that you look at the birth certificate. This isn’t an exact science,” said Holland. “I look at the guide and record book. My experience is the players that have the Norris trophies and they’re at a high level for a long time, they appear to be able to defy, to back off Father Time longer than other people.”

“He played 23-plus minutes a night last year. It’s not like they just played (him) 14 minutes. My hope is that he’s going to come to Edmonton with some adrenalin, he’s going to get excited about the opportunity and I look at Mike Smith last year: 39 years of age and the impact that he had on our team.

“I think that he’s a winner. He’s competitive. He’s committed to fitness, he’s got experience. He’s going to have a lesser role in Edmonton than he did in Chicago. Obviously, Darnell Nurse is going to take up the matchups against the other teams’ first-line players, so we think in a different role.

“You look and say he’s 37 and he’s on the decline. Nobody knows. Nobody knows. We’re going to go through training camp and we’re going to play games and games are going to decide. Certainly, his impact on what he’s accomplished is going to be respected and have an impact on other players. You can’t put a price on intangibles.

“The cap number is a liability if Duncan doesn’t play well. Right now, everybody is speculating. If I could have gotten the cap hit down to $2.75 million, then I give up more assets. You can’t squeeze people in this league,” said Holland, rejecting the idea he had the hammer in this deal.

“Analytics can give you a guide. Stats can give you a guide, but no one knows for sure how players will react. At this stage of Keith’s career, he’s playing behind Nurse.”

The proud Keith, who played with kids like Calahoo’s Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist last year, feels age is only a number, just like Zdeno Chara.

“I feel I have a lot left. Once we hit the ice, we will see who’s a step behind,” said Keith. “I’m not one for talking but we will see what happens when we get on the ice.”

Holland doesn’t feel will be back at all this season, so Keith clearly fills the left defence spot.

“I would say the chances of Klef playing in ’21-22 are very slim,” said Holland, who has had conference calls with doctors and Klefbom after his major shoulder surgery. “He’ll be in Stage 2 around the time of training camp, the six-month mark, which will allow him to skate by himself. I call that just poking around.” 1217252 Edmonton Oilers Few fans had the opportunity to watch many games involving the Blackhawks on Canadian networks. And the Hawks were so bad, not many people would have wanted to watch them anyway.

JONES: Keith deal means time is now for Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland never once crossed the border, so he didn’t have even one live Holland look at Keith this year.

The clock was ticking with protected players to be declared Friday for the His last look, however definitely was live and in person the year previous, Seattle Kraken expansion draft and, obviously, the Oilers had made the when Chicago upset Edmonton three-games-to-one in the best-of-five decision Caleb Jones was not going to be protected qualification series to proceed to the traditional best-of-seven playoff series. All those games, of course, were played in the Hub City bubble in in Edmonton. Terry Jones Obviously, Archie Henderson’s Oilers pro scouting staff watched a significant slice of Keith’s season. And the eventual evaluation of this deal may end up putting some of their jobs on the line. Like a long-ago provincial election campaign of Peter Lougheed, it announces one thing: “NOW!” Essentially, Holland is hoping for the Chris Pronger effect from GM Kevin Lowe’s acquisition of the defenceman who played a massive role in the Despite winning only one of eight Stanley Cup playoff games in the last Oilers getting to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. two years, Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland just announced that the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Stanley Cup Not many people would compare Keith at this stage to a prime-of-his- windows are now wide open. career Pronger that season.

JONES: Keith deal means time is now for Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Pronger, obviously, left at the end of that season. And the entire team Holland that quite likely would have won a sixth Stanley Cup if goaltender Dwayne Roloson hadn’t been injured in Game 1 of the Final, collapsed Close sticky video like a house of cards to begin the decade of darkness. At least when And trading defenceman Caleb Jones and a third-round draft pick for Keith departs, the Oilers ought not collapse. two-time Stanley Cup champion Duncan Keith, with two years remaining There is no lack of developing defencemen in the organization, including on his $11.1-million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, announces Even Bouchard, Philip Broberg and Dmitri Samorukov. The developing D no more tinkering while wearing the set of salary cap handcuffs he should get plenty of playing opportunities with mentorship under Keith predecessor left for him. because the Oilers certainly won’t be burning him out in the season. Holland certainly didn’t get the deal he wanted. There will, no doubt, be plenty of pressure on Keith to perform but the You should know that the cap hit is $11.1 million over two years, but proof will be in the playoffs. owner is paying $3.6 million in actual dollars over the next two And Holland is gambling big time on him to become a leader in helping to years. get McDavid and Draisaitl there NOW. So, it’s not like a free-agent big bucks payday for Keith, himself, a sure- I think it’s a bad bet. But I also think it’s his best bet to make it happen thing Hockey Hall of Famer who won the Norris Trophy in 2009-10 and now. again in 2013-14, while also winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2015. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 07.13.2021 Holland is obviously betting Keith has enough left in him to come close to doing what an aging did after acquiring him for the Detroit Red Wings and going on to win a pair of Stanley Cups.

But it is $5.5 million of a salary cap hit and I’m not sure how many people would figure Keith to be a $5.5-million hockey player at this stage of his career.

Not to be devalued here, however, is that Keith wants to be here and he’s hungry to be here.

He waived his no-movement clause and effectively campaigned to be here.

All that said, you have to figure Chicago GM Stan Bowman got everything he wanted.

There was no salary retention by Chicago on the deal.

And the Oilers GM didn’t get to dump his much-maligned goaltender, Mikko Koskinen, and the final year of his $4.5-million-a-year contract, either.

Now for sure, you have to figure Holland is going to have to buy that out and/or that of James Neal. Indeed, Neal is as good as gone at this moment.

So, make no mistake. Holland put his butt way out the window on this one to get the defenceman, who turns 38 on Friday.

But the clock was ticking with protected players to be declared Friday for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft and, obviously, the Oilers had made the decision Jones was not going to be protected.

He would almost certainly be the player Seattle would have taken. So, the timing basically put Holland on the hot seat to do the deal now.

The trouble with having an opinion on this deal for your average Edmonton fan is that the coronavirus pandemic 56-game schedule featured a Canadian division with play involving only the seven franchises north of the closed Canada-USA border. 1217253 Edmonton Oilers 43

29

Lowetide: What did the Oilers sacrifice in sending Caleb Jones to 14 Chicago in the Duncan Keith trade? This time, it was Jones who received the NHL recall, a 17-game look that showed his range of skills. His foot speed and puck transportation ability were on display, while it also became clear there was work to do on By Allan Mitchell coverage. This was winter and spring of 2019.

The Oilers

Watching young defencemen develop once they turn pro can be a Jones has played parts of three seasons in the NHL with Edmonton, frustrating thing. The ones who make it struggle for a time before ironing never more than 43 games, but in two of those campaigns, he played out those mistakes and providing dependable play in a most difficult more than half of the schedule. His speed, passing and puck transporting position. were all on display, and the coverage had highs and lows under coaches A good defencemen, if he’s healthy, can play effectively for a long time in Ken Hitchock and . He was strictly a third-pair player in the NHL. As he gains experience, his value increases. The trick for NHL terms of five-on-five minutes in each season. That’s a comfortable way teams is to stay patient and live with the problems if progress is being for a young defender to ease into the world’s best league. made. Here were his five-on-five possession stats with the Oilers:

Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland ran out of patience 2018-19 Monday. 17:05 Caleb Jones was traded by the Oilers to Chicago, a promising future sent away before the organization had a chance to know his full potential. The 46.4 reasons are many, including a need for more of a veteran presence and a large group of promising defenders coming up behind Jones. 36.7

None of that affects the future of Jones. He is 24, has terrific speed, 43.5 passes the puck well and has a skill set that should allow him to be 2019-20 effective in coverage when he gains NHL experience. 13:37 We can agree that 95 NHL games don’t give an emerging defenceman a complete canvas to show what he’ll be as a mature player. Should 49.0 Chicago view Jones as a legitimate, long-term solution? What are they 51.9 getting with this player? Has he shown improvement since turning pro? 49.8 What did Edmonton give up Monday? Let’s have a look. 2020-21 12:50 Jones and Ethan Bear arrived in the AHL as 2017-18 rookies and immediately delivered results. Although the AHL is the minor leagues, the 49.2 step up from Canadian junior is massive, and most players taken in the fourth and fifth rounds spend more time in the ECHL as freshmen. Jones 37.9 and Bear survived all season, although Jones had a difficult time (stats at 50.0 even strength): Jones’ expected goals have been improving since he arrived, and the Ethan Bear rest of the possession totals have, too, save for the luck of the goal 19 differential in 2020-21.

27 It points out the importance of the Oilers eventually acquiring an analytics department that management values. -8 I see this trade, at least in part, as the frustration of the coaching staff Caleb Jones over single (and admittedly important) events early in the season. That frustration must be overcome by the wide view, in consideration of age 30 and lack of experience. Teams can’t bleed young talent this way, 54 especially defencemen. The position is absolutely devastating in terms of injury. -24 Based on these NHL totals, it’s likely Jones can play for Chicago in 2021- Bear got off to a flying start with the Condors, scoring two goals and four 22 and be successful on the third pairing. Once he gets comfortable, points in his first five games, with an even-strength goal differential of 8-2 perhaps the following season, Chicago might have a look at him in more (plus-6). Jones was going the other direction in a hurry, with just one of a feature role. assist in those five games and a differential of 1-6 (-5). Both men struggled through a difficult season, but Bear was clearly ahead and was Jones might not be the most qualified third-pairing left-handed rewarded with an 18-game NHL audition. defenceman available to the team in the coming year. At $850,000 for next season, his contract has value and gives general manager Stan At this point in his career, Jones was one year into a three-year entry Bowman some room to wheel in other spots on the roster. deal, and the thought of a second contract must have been a distant bell. Sometimes young defencemen meet the challenge, and in 2018-19, Why did the relationship end so early? Jones was splendid under coaches Jay Woodcroft and Dave Mansion in A player of Jones’ ability would normally get more than 95 games as an their first season with the team (stats at even strength): audition, but Jones was benched three games into the 2020-21 season, Caleb Jones sat for four games, then returned to a reduced role. I think there’s evidence that Tippett had moved on from Jones as an option by the end 48 of January (he played in just three February games).

30 Puck IQ shows Jones ranked fifth among lefty defencemen in percentage 18 of overall five-on-five minutes spent against elite players. Darnell Nurse, Kris Russell, William Lagesson and Slater Koekkoek all played more Ethan Bear often against the league’s best. Jones had a tough start to the season, and Tippett checked down to all other options.

The die was cast before Valentine’s Day. And with the Seattle Kraken draft coming up, Jones’ time in Edmonton might have been coming to an end one way or another. Reports had him unlikely to make the protection list.

What’s next?

For Jones, Chicago offers a fresh start and a chance to establish himself as an NHL player who might not have been available in Edmonton. Chicago traded for him, and though the cap room would have been the key consideration, Jones has value, and 95 NHL games mean the learning curve is well underway.

He needs an NHL franchise to send him over the boards again and again, despite lapses and coverage issues. I think he’s going to be a fine player for a long time. Speed alone will give Jones more audition time than an ordinary skater.

Holland and Tippett are focused on adding veterans, pushing for the playoffs and postseason wins. The Monday trade addresses an area of weakness based on the organization’s assessment of its own needs.

What did Edmonton sacrifice in trading Jones? The future and quite possibly the present. The season ahead will tell the story.

It’s a fine day for Caleb Jones.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217254 Edmonton Oilers “I don’t know if this is a numbers decision,” Holland said. “I can’t put a price on three Stanley Cups, two Norris trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, two (Olympic) gold medals, his leadership, what he’s meant to the ‘This isn’t an exact science’: How Ken Holland’s overpay for Duncan Chicago Blackhawks franchise.” Keith limits the Oilers’ offseason options Of course, Keith hasn’t played for a quality team during that time. Chicago has qualified for the playoffs just once in the past four seasons and its only appearance came after beating Edmonton in the play-in By Daniel Nugent-Bowman series last summer. Chicago was the 12th seed entering the tournament.

Keith played with a rotating cast of partners in Ian Mitchell, Adam Boqvist and Connor Murphy. He managed a 42.8 Corsi For percentage in 48 The Oilers got the player they wanted in Duncan Keith, nabbing a percent of his minutes against middle-calibre competition at five-on-five. decorated defenceman they hope will shore up a key position on the That’s the type of role he is expected to take on in Edmonton. second pairing. And then there are the intangibles Keith brings: a winning pedigree and a There’s the potential for Keith to be a helpful — even impactful — player history of past individual success, Holland said. in Edmonton, especially if he can contribute in a manner somewhat close to his peak years and provide leadership to the team’s all-world core. “I look at the guide and record book,” he said. “My experience is that the players that win Norris trophies and they’re at a high level for a long time, But even with pluses that Keith could provide, the trade to acquire him they’re able to defy Father Time longer than other people. from Chicago on Monday shouldn’t have been made as constituted. “This isn’t an exact science.” Oilers general manager Ken Holland had the hammer this offseason and didn’t use it to his advantage. Unlike in Chicago, Keith is expected to be paired with a more veteran and consistent partner, not appear in as much time as this past season’s Holland relinquished notable assets in blueliner Caleb Jones and a 23:25 average and take on easier matchups. That’s how the Oilers conditional 2022 third-round pick in the deal, acquiring back Keith plus believe he can succeed. 23-year-old minor-league forward Tim Soderlund. Per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the 2022 pick will become a second-round pick if However, the identity of that partner is uncertain. Edmonton wins three rounds in the 2022 playoffs and Keith is among the top four in Oilers defencemen time on ice during the first three rounds. The complexion of the Oilers changed drastically Monday in several facets after the acquisition of Keith. But the real issue wasn’t the personnel. It was the salary-cap space — and Holland didn’t get Chicago to retain even some of Keith’s $5,538,462 Even if it’s for the better in the immediate future — something that’s far cap hit for the last two years of his deal or take one of Edmonton’s bad from certain — it very well might hurt them in the long run. Here are contracts. storylines to now follow after the Keith trade.

Holland defended that in his news conference late Monday, saying Larsson and the expansion draft counterpart Stan Bowman wanted more from the Oilers if Chicago paid The logical spot for Keith is probably next to Adam Larsson on a stable, down some of Keith’s cap hit. well-rounded pair. Larsson took on tough minutes last season, which “Did you want me to get him for free?” he said. “It’s hard to squeeze could help provide Keith with easier ice time than he was tasked with in people in this league. Chicago.

“The deal has to work for both teams. You can sit on the sidelines and Of course, there’s an issue: Larsson is a pending UFA. analyze the deal. I’ve got to make a deal. I got to try to do something to It looked like the Oilers and Larsson were making real headway on a make our team better. I believe I made our team better today because contract less than two weeks ago. The signs were pointing toward a re- we’ve got a legitimate, top-four defenceman.” signing sooner rather than later.

The Oilers were never going to get Keith easily. This is a Chicago At minimum, acquiring Keith throws a wrench into that. franchise icon and its minutes-played leader in 2021. The Oilers were always going to have to give up something. A team source said earlier this month that acquiring Keith and his full cap hit would all but preclude the Oilers from retaining Larsson and Tyson Jones, a 24-year-old defenceman who was scratched 23 times this past Barrie. Holland disputed this Monday, saying he still has money set aside season, always seemed to be that something. for Larsson’s next contract.

Losing Jones wasn’t ideal for the Oilers considering his paltry $850,000 Perhaps Jones’ $850,000 deduction is enough or a subsequent move will cap hit and that he’d played top-four minutes at five-on-five at times over open the door for Larsson’s return. But it’s gone from a solid chance of the past three seasons. But his departure isn’t the end of the world since Larsson coming back to the situation being murky at the very least. Keith would have pushed him further down the depth chart and he was a strong candidate for expansion draft fodder anyway. Larsson’s cap hit was nearly $4.2 million this past season — less than what the Oilers must allot to Keith — and he should command a similar Again, it’s the money the Oilers took on in the deal — roughly $4.5 million salary on his next deal. He is expected to garner interest from several for next season — that’s perplexing and could hinder the Oilers in their teams if he hits free agency. offseason planning. Making the trade this way was something they weren’t initially interested in doing. He’s also now a bit closer to hitting the open market July 28. Because unless Ethan Bear is unexpectedly dealt before expansion draft lists are And there was no reason they should have deviated from that line of due at 3 p.m. MT on Saturday, re-signing Larsson before July 28 thinking. Keith had a no-movement clause and reportedly only wanted to wouldn’t make much sense. be dealt to a select few teams to be closer to his son, who lives in British Columbia’s Valley. The Oilers were Chicago’s only real trade Bear and Darnell Nurse were the Oilers’ two protection locks on defence partner, as colleague Mark Lazerus said on The Athletic’s breaking news before Monday’s trade. Now Keith must be blocked off from Seattle podcast Monday. because of his no-movement clause. Tuesday is the deadline to ask players to waive such provisions in their contracts for the expansion draft. Not only that, but there are real concerns about Keith’s on-ice abilities. Really, this is a moot point when it comes to the Oilers and Keith. He turns 38 on Friday and his advanced metrics haven’t been good for quite some time. Larsson still could return. That door hasn’t closed. But a window sure did. The potential of losing a 28-year-old to acquire a player almost 9 1/2 His expected goals percentage hasn’t cracked 50 percent since 2016, years his senior could be a one-step-forward, two-steps-back kind of Chicago hasn’t outscored opponents with Keith on the ice since 2017, move. and the team has been out-attempted with Keith skating in each of the past three seasons. On the other hand, bringing back Larsson might not be ideal now anyway. Adam Larsson has averaged 20:44 in 329 regular-season games with the Oilers. (Sergei Belski / USA Today)

Where do the Oilers go from here?

It’s not like Holland could re-sign Larsson for a similar cap number (if that’s possible) later this month and then put his feet up.

There are still holes he needs to address — and he now has $4.5 million less with which to work.

Holland has roughly $10 million in cap space for next season after Keith comes aboard and Jones heads to Chicago, according to CapFriendly. That’s with just 10 forwards signed, seven defencemen (two of whom are Philip Broberg and William Lagesson) and Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock.

It’s also with Oscar Klefbom and his $4.167 million cap hit on LTIR, which is where it’s expected to stay when the season begins. Holland said Monday the chances of Klefbom playing next season are “very, very slim.” So, that money can basically be added to the $10 million pot. (Though re-signing Larsson, who had almost an identical cap hit to Klefbom, would cover that and potentially more.)

There are some reductions coming, likely a James Neal buyout (and maybe even Koskinen, too) and a player to be lost in the expansion draft. Those transactions will give Holland a little more wiggle room.

Should Larsson return, the defence would likely be all set minus the likely addition of a veteran depth player to fill out the roster at near-minimum NHL wages a la Slater Koekkoek.

Up front, a few more forwards need to be added to the roster. Though some of those might be youngsters like RFA Tyler Benson or 2020 first- rounder Dylan Holloway at inexpensive cap hits, there were significant positions that must be addressed. The Oilers need another top-six winger, who likely won’t come cheap, and a No. 3 centre.

Right winger Kailer Yamamoto is an RFA and projects to get a raise on a bridge deal if re-signed. Holland must also watch his budget for the 2022- 23 season because Nurse has only one year left on his contract. Holland said earlier this offseason that extending Nurse this summer is a priority. He promises to get a sizable raise, probably in the $2 million ballpark based on his $5.6 million average annual value.

Holland must address his goaltending situation in the next few weeks, as well. Mike Smith, 39, hasn’t re-signed after a season that saw him finish seventh in the Vezina Trophy voting. He had a $1.5 million cap hit in 2021 and could command more money.

Regardless of Smith’s status with the team (and Koskinen’s, for that matter), the Oilers need at least one upgrade in goal via free agency or trade. That appears to be the likely outcome, too. The acquisition cost will vary depending on the route and the netminder. The Oilers almost certainly will have to take on significant money.

There isn’t nearly as much money to work with after bringing in Keith.

That’s a bitter pill to swallow for a player who isn’t the two-time Norris Trophy-calibre blueliner he once was.

The pill only tastes worse when you consider it really shouldn’t have gone down this way.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217255 Edmonton Oilers 5

.946

Lowetide: 10 free agents for the Oilers to target this offseason 1.73

2018-19

By Allan Mitchell Jul 12, 2021 37

.918

Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland has almost $18 million in 2.69 cap space with 18 roster players already signed, meaning he has the ability to make the final five players top-quality additions. 2019-20

If the organization buys out James Neal or Mikko Koskinen, that total will 34 jump past $20 million for summer procurement. .930

In his first two offseasons with the team, Holland had very little spending 2.14 money, and his free-agent shopping reflected it. The 2019 procurement pool included Europeans (Gaetan Haas, Joakim Nygard) and frugal bets 2020-21 on NHL men (Mike Smith, Josh Archibald, Riley Sheahan) from the 20 bargain aisle. .937 The 2020 acquisition list was a little more substantial, with Tyson Barrie as the big signing. He was followed by economical additions Smith 1.96 (again), , Kyle Turris, Tyler Ennis and Slater Koekkoek. Ullmark’s save percentage at five-on-five in 2020-21 (.937) put him in the This year, Holland has a substantial list of targets, three of whom played top five in the category and kept Buffalo in every game. He is 27, the cap with the team a year ago. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has already been hit shouldn’t cost the moon (he was at $2.6 million one year ago), and his signed, and we may hear about Adam Larsson and Smith returning in the progression as a goaltender has been consistent and quality over the days to come. past several years. Chris Driedger of the is very close as an option, but Ullmark’s resume is longer and has a rare consistency This is a fantastic year for quality free agents. Here are the 10 names for such a young and available goaltender. that a hard-target search reveals are the best available candidates for Edmonton in its current situation. 3. Taylor Hall, Boston Bruins

1. Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes I didn’t have him on this list as it was being compiled a week ago, but reports have other teams interested, and if Hall reaches free agency If money is no object, Hamilton should be No. 1 on Holland’s list. things could break wide open. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney However, his cap number will be mammoth, and chances are Holland will likely wants to sign Hall (and other veteran UFAs) after the expansion check down to a less expensive option as the bidding goes up for a fine draft, allowing the organization to protect the maximum number of player. It will be a mistake. players under contract at this time. That makes Boston vulnerable, and Hamilton’s offence is well known. He’s scored 10 or more goals and 39 the Oilers would be wise to step in. or more points in each of the past seven NHL seasons. He has also Hall struggled in Buffalo, but his arrival in Boston coincided with an uptick posted better than 1.00 points per 60 at five-on-five in every season of in production and a return to impact status. At five-on-five, he can push his career, according to Natural Stat Trick. All of his possession numbers the river, he is able to transport the puck from his own zone into the shine, well over 50 percent in Corsi, Fenwick, goal differential and opposition end and set up an offensive sequence all by himself. It’s a expected goals five-on-five. Puck IQ has him shining against elite rare and important part of the game. There are risks: He will turn 30 in competition, both overall and relative to his impressive Carolina November and has missed time with injuries throughout his career. defensive teammates. Per 82 games during his NHL career, Hall scores 27.5 goals and 72 The downside on Hamilton? There isn’t any that I can find, beyond points. He’s familiar with Edmonton and could slide in with any of Connor innuendo and wayward suggestions about time spent in museums. McDavid, Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. If available, Hall If there’s one move Holland could make that would send fans the should be the top option at left wing. message that now is the time to win, signing Dougie Hamilton would be 4. Blake Coleman, Tampa Bay Lightning it. He’s the biggest gem in this year’s free-agent pool. Coleman’s annual brilliance in the Stanley Cup playoffs is making him 2. Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres more famous by the minute and probably means he’ll cost too much in Linus Ullmark led the woeful Sabres to a 9-6-3 record when he played for free agency. As an option for McDavid’s left wing, Coleman is perfect. the team in 2020-21; the team went 6-28-4 without him. Should Ullmark His speed, two-way ability, aggressiveness everywhere and legitimate sign with the Oilers, he’ll play in front of a better team than a year ago, skill make him a going concern across all 200 feet. He’s 29, but with that but being comfortable in a shootout will come in handy in the wild west speed, Coleman should be a productive player well into his 30s. when Edmonton’s defence goes walkabout. The contract is going to be a tough nut because Coleman hasn’t had a Ullmark's five-on-five totals big payday. He’s coming off a three-year deal that paid him $1.8 million a year. The team that lands Coleman will probably strike early, while other 2015-16 teams are pursuing Hall and other left wingers in a large pool of talent at 20 the position. Edmonton would be wise to consider such a plan. Despite being a complementary offensive player, Coleman could help the .922 McDavid line in multiple ways while scoring enough to stay with the big line. 2.33 5. Adam Larsson, Edmonton Oilers 2016-17 This deal should be done by now, with each passing day it adds a little 1 more risk for the Oilers (similar to Hall and the Bruins). Larsson is the .929 Oilers’ top shutdown defender and has been effective in the role when healthy and gifted with a talented partner. Last season, Puck IQ marked 2.37 him playing over 300 minutes (over 30 percent of his overall minutes) and winning the possession battle (Dangerous Fenwick is smart Corsi) 2017-18 by a 53.7 percent total. Holland’s postseason news conference reflected a wish to keep the Yakupov. Murray’s career has been plagued by injury, but the Devils group together, and Larsson is an important part of the lineup. He doesn’t made an astute trade in bringing him in. Murray’s possession numbers bring much offence, so it’s easy to overlook him or criticize him for what against elites include a 14-14 goal share and a DFF (smart Corsi) he doesn’t accomplish on the ice. Late in games, up a goal with percentage of 45.2, a little shy of desirable, but he was playing 40 everything on the line, a veteran partner and Larsson are extremely likely percent of his five-on-five minutes against the league’s best. to be on the ice holding down the fort. He’s worth the contract Edmonton will give him. For Edmonton, Murray on the second pair (with Larsson) would mean less time against top competition. He should be able to provide solid 6. Brandon Saad, performances over the next year or two until the young defenceman can push him down the depth chart. Murray is an underrated option for Saad is an intriguing choice. He has size, speed and two-way acumen. Edmonton. He isn’t a driver like Hall but a top-level complementary winger (similar to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) with a pristine resume. Saad’s scoring rates are A bonus 11th player is Derek Ryan, whom I wrote about for The Athletic excellent, reflected by his five-on-five goals per 60 (1.49) and points per in early July. 60 (2.29) a year ago. The goal total was aided by a mammoth 20.6 shooting percentage in that game state in 2020-21, but he has been a The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 consistent scorer over the past several years.

He just finished a six-year, $36 million contract, and Holland might be able to sign him for less this summer. There’s a plethora of wingers available on the free market, and Saad could get overlooked early in free agency. He’s a fine player.

7. Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres

McCabe’s presence on the free-agent list is obscured by an injury he suffered last season. He is expected to recover by fall, but the injury (major knee problem earlier this year, with damage to his ACL, MCL and meniscus) puts in doubt his effectiveness upon his return. I think it’s worth the risk based on age (he’ll be 28 in October) and consistent quality at the left defence position. Puck IQ has him playing big minutes against elite competition for the past several years and performing well in those minutes during the past two seasons.

The key to the Puck IQ numbers is that McCabe is comfortable playing big minutes against elite competition. He would be second pair (likely with Adam Larsson) and his puck-passing skills (he’s good) would be an important part of the duo’s skill set. This is a risky move, but the payoff once McCabe gets healthy would be worth the gamble on his early- season availability.

8. Tomas Tatar, Montreal Canadiens

There’s a perfect storm brewing with this player, and Holland’s history with Tatar could benefit Edmonton. He is 30, coming off a four-year deal signed with Holland in Detroit that paid him $5.3 million per season. He struggled in Year 1, but in the past three campaigns, his five-on-five points per 60 (2.66, 2.59, 2.03) have all been quality.

However, during the playoffs, Tatar played little (one assist in five games), and that decision by Montreal’s coaching staff could cost him millions. There was no mention of injury. This was a move of strategy, and Montreal didn’t go back to Tatar even when offence was badly needed late in the team’s miracle run.

Was he injured? Has he lost a step? Or was something else amiss? Either way, as of the regular season he was a significant part of the Canadiens offence, and the numbers show he can help a team. Holland should have as good a book on him as anyone, and Edmonton could benefit from this situation.

9. Zach Hyman, Toronto Maple Leafs

In the early days of free agency, Hyman was the top choice for McDavid’s winger based on his skill set and perceived price tag. His ability to play basically any role required of a forward (all three positions, all three game states) and dogged determination make him an attractive player for any team. In recent years, he’s shown an ability to be a successful complementary scorer when playing with elite talent, and that combination of skills would be attractive to the Oilers.

His scoring numbers and possession results at five-on-five are strong, and if Edmonton could sign him for a reasonable cap number, he would provide a major lift. His resume features two 20-goal seasons and a career high of 41 points, so the natural fit for his cap number would be under $5 million. Reports out of Toronto, via James Mirtle at The Athletic, suggest the industry expects Hyman might command a contract that delivers something close to $6 million annually. That’s too much by plenty for any winger in a complementary role.

10. Ryan Murray, New Jersey Devils

Murray was thought to be Edmonton’s pick at No. 1 for several hours on the morning of the 2012 draft, before the club chose Russian winger Nail 1217256 Los Angeles Kings Trending Down – There was a long stretch this season, writing post- game notes, where we’d see Kopitar mentioned as leading, or among the leaders, in the West Division in most offensive categories. He finished Kings Seasons In Review – Anze Kopitar the season in the Top 5 in assists but had just 13 points from his final 26 games played. Seasons have highs and lows, ups and downs, and for the Kings as a whole, the second half was a down, which resulted in lesser offensive numbers. By Zach Dooley While Kopitar’s possession metrics were top-end compared to his

teammates, his numbers weren’t at his typically high standard. When As we approach the final week of our player evaluations, we move to the factoring in Kopitar’s high relative rate, you can attribute some of that to center-ice position, with team captain Anze Kopitar. We’ll conclude our the team overall, with the Kings ranking towards the NHL’s bottom in list later this week with a look at two of Kopitar’s younger understudies, measured categories. Gabriel Vilardi and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, before we officially put the Even if he didn’t score at all in the final 26 games, Kopitar would have 2020-21 season in the rearview mirror and fully turn our attention to brought value to the Kings, as his defensive play and leadership abilities upcoming events. are consistently praised. Kopitar has been a point-per-game player just We’re approaching a busy stretch over the next few weeks, beginning once in his NHL career to date, and perhaps the biggest disappointment with the submission of protected lists on July 17, followed closely by the for him was not finding a few more points down the stretch to turn that expansion draft, NHL Draft and free agency, with the Kings still looking to one into a two. With a few more secondary assists – he had a career-low add talent to the organization in one way or another. 0.22 per 60 minutes this season at even strength – he might’ve gotten there. Anze Kopitar 2021-22 Status – Kopitar has three seasons remaining on his eight-year NHL Statline – 56 games played, 13 goals, 37 assists, -7 rating, 10 contract that runs through the end of the 2023-24 season. You don’t penalty minutes need me to tell you that Anze Kopitar isn’t going anywhere, but he’s not going anywhere, and you’ll see #11 centering the top line for the Kings at Possession Metrics (Relative To Without) – CF% – 51.7% (+5.4%), SCF STAPLES Center in the fall. – 48.2% (+4.7%), HDCF – 49.7% (+5.9%) The bigger question for Kopitar, looking ahead, is who exactly will flank For much of the campaign, Kopitar flirted with his second point-per-game him? Kopitar’s most common linemates this season were Alex Iafallo on season at the NHL level, before settling in right around his career the left, and Dustin Brown on the right, which is a line it’s been made average, with 50 points from 56 games. You know what you’re going to known that Kopitar likes being a part of. That trio wasn’t as “attached at get from captain consistency, on a night-to-night basis, and his presence the hip” as seasons prior, however. in all three zones, all areas of the ice, has been discussed at length. Kopitar was rewarded with a major milestone moment late in the season, With Viktor Arvidsson now in the mix, Iafallo showing the ability to be as he collected his 1,000th career NHL point, a worth recognition of a productive on several different lines, the potential for further additions at storied career. forward and a couple of younger players pushing for roster spots, Kopitar’s linemates moving forward are a storyline to watch entering “It’s remarkable, really, to get 1,000 points in the National Hockey training camp. League,” Kings Head Coach Todd McLellan said of Kopitar’s milestone. “We recognize 1,000 games and make it significant, which it should be, LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.13.2021 but 1,000 points, it’s remarkable.”

Trending Up – Less than 100 players in the history of the NHL have scored 1,000 points in the league……it’s a massive achievement for any player to achieve. But for Kopitar, to hit such a major milestone while also being a top-level defensive forward is that much more impressive. Kopitar is one of just seven players to win a Selke and record 1,000 points, and one of just three to win the Selke twice and hit four digits in the total points column.

While not a finalist this season, Kopitar’s play earned him votes for the Selke again, finishing 12th in the voting process. He lined up against the other team’s top lines whenever the Kings could set it up that way and was voted as one of the “NHL’s most complete players” in an NHLPA survey of players across the league earlier this summer.

“To [hit the 1,000-point mark] while you’re one of the best defensive players in the world throughout your career, I think is quite impressive,” McLellan said. “For him to be as consistent as he’s been, to play as well as he’s played on the other side of the puck, to check as well as he’s check…I think is an incredible milestone for him.”

Offensively, Kopitar led the Kings in assists (37) and points (50), making it 14 straight seasons he’s led the team in assists, and the 13th time in the past 14 seasons he’s led the team in points. At 1.21 first assists per 60 minutes, the Slovenia native posted the best rate of his NHL career, directly impacting more goals for teammates on a pro-rated basis than ever before.

Kopitar was also one of nine players in the one-off West Division to collect 50 or more points this season, and his 37 assists ranked fourth highest in the division, in a campaign where teams played only their divisional foes.

Possession metrics had Kopitar with the best rate amongst forwards, relative to his teammates, in both shot attempts and scoring chances. As you’d expect from your number one center, the Kings generated more opportunities, and allowed fewer, across the board when Kopitar was on the ice. Throw in one of many quotes praising Kopitar’s character and off- ice impact and you’ve got a pretty solid season. 1217257 Minnesota Wild

Brian Bellows: North Stars weren't really underdogs in Stanley Cup playoff run

Staff Report

JULY 12, 2021 — 7:38AM

It's a special week at Daily Delivery as host Michael Rand takes a look back at five high-profile sporting events that took place in the Twin Cities within a one-year span 30 years ago.

First up: The 1991 , which came to after the North Stars — just 27-39-14 in the regular season — made a stunning playoff run to beat Chicago, St. Louis and Edmonton. One of the top players on that team, Brian Bellows, joins the podcast to make his case for that team not being as much of an underdog as we might think as well as to explain how that run was even possible.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217258 Minnesota Wild With the Twins failing to remain relevant, title-starved fans have two choices: start Filling up that Lynx bandwagon again, or scour training camp reports later this month while looking to the Purple for signs of hope. Minnesota: Sorry, you don't deserve this All-Star to watch

The Twins visited the Angels in May 2018, and a few players made a JULY 10, 2021 — 7:54PM point of watching Shohei Ohtani take batting practice.

La Velle E. Neal III "It was pretty special," Brian Dozier said afterward. "I didn't know the guy can run, too. I say let him hit while he pitches." La Velle E. Neal III @LAVELLENEAL Well, the Kraken has been released. He is 4-1 with a 3.49 ERA on the

mound. At the plate, he's batting .279 while leading the league with four The Stanley Cup has been claimed, with Tampa Bay becoming the first triples, 32 home runs and a ridiculous .700 slugging percentage. repeat champion since Pittsburgh in 2016 and '17. He will compete in the Home Run Derby on Monday, with livelier balls not Phoenix has a 2-0 NBA Finals lead, so that series against Milwaukee kept in a humidor. It will be appointment television, as Ohtani could belt a could be over by midweek. couple 500 feet.

This is a tough time of year for Minnesota sports fans as they witness Buyer's remorse? other cities celebrate titles while the local championship drought Forward Ramon Abila is scheduled to receive $1.1 million in total continues for teams in the four biggest leagues. Of that group, the Twins compensation this season, according to Spotrac, making him one of the have the only two titles, and those came a generation ago in 1987 and highest-paid Loons. And Abila finally made headlines Wednesday — 1991. when he was sent off for punching a Colorado player while the Rapids Thank heavens for Cheryl Reeve and the Lynx, who won four titles in set up for a free kick. 2010s. It was good, too, to see Minnesota United threatening last year to Abila had not played in three months when he joined the Loons from reach the MLS Cup. Boca Juniors, where he reportedly had groin surgery. He's looked rusty in This success, however, doesn't completely fill the championship void. his nine games, just one of them a start. He has scored two goals, one The wrinkled, graying men and women who have followed the largest pro on a rebound of his penalty kick. sports franchises for decades, the ones teased many times with the The Loons need Abila to get on the field, stay on the field and score. Or possibility of a storybook ending, they deserve more. he is going to be one expensive mistake. Tampa, for goodness sake, had just one pro team — the NFL's AND TWO PREDICTIONS ... Buccaneers — 30 years ago (thirty!) when the Twins were last champions. Now they are the city of champions. In less than 11 months Suns too hot they have won two Stanley Cups, one Lombardi Trophy and an American League pennant. Milwaukee heads into Game 3 Sunday trailing Phoenix 2-0 in the NBA Finals. The Bucks should get a boost from playing at home, but a Minnesota teams can't even make a little bit of a playoff run before comeback seems unlikely against an inspired Suns team with a top exiting the postseason — if they qualify for the playoffs at all. coach in Monty Williams. Suns in five.

Back in the day, the Vikings would occasionally reach a Super Bowl Twins will make trades before losing. Now their heartbreak takes place in the conference championship game. Still, they might be the closest of this group to have Look for the Twins to make at least two deals before the deadline, with a shot at a title with the Wilf family committed to winning, a defense that Nelson Cruz and Andrelton Simmons the most likely moves. But they should have more bite and top skill position players in Dalvin Cook and should resist offers for Taylor Rogers. On a team that has struggled Justin Jefferson. against lefthanded hitters, he's valuable.

The Wild is the next closest, with a solid core and a couple of promising youngsters in Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy on the way. The team needs Star Tribune LOADED: 07.13.2021 to avoid a big hit in the upcoming expansion draft, and for Kirill Kaprizov to stay in America. Then: Acquire a top center, and squeeze out whatever talent Zack Parise has left in him.

The Gersson Rosas regime gives the Wolves hope. Anthony Edwards will be a star before we know it. Karl-Anthony Towns has to prove Jimmy Butler wrong and raise not only his game but that of his teammates. There's no doubting that they still need some pieces — like a frontcourt partner for Towns — but things are no longer utterly hopeless.

The Twins, frankly, have ruined everyone's summer. They were supposed to contend for their third consecutive division title but assembled an underwhelming pitching staff. Throw in injuries and outbreaks of bad defense, and you have the most disappointing team in baseball.

Look for the Twins to move Nelson Cruz before the trade deadline. This team will not sniff a World Series until they assemble the right arms and come up with a true ace.

Which comes first, the Twins finding an ace or the Wild acquiring a top- line center? My money is on the pucksters.

Fans of the big four in Minnesota purchase expensive season tickets and install remote starters in their cars so they can get to and from arenas and stadiums in January. They endure 2-1 ballgames that last 3½ hours. They observe the annual replacing of the tiles at U.S. Bank Stadium.They deserve more. They need evidence that this championship drought might be ending.

The Lynx have had a terrific month. They are legit contenders again. 1217259 Minnesota Wild Like their upset of the top-seeded Blackhawks, the North Stars dispatched the Blues, who had the NHL's second-best record, in six games.

Still hard to believe, North Stars' postseason run in 1991 was a stunner "Stew Gavin and Gaetan Duchesne just shut down Brett [Hull] and Adam Oates," Modano said, pointing to the Blues stars who had a combined six goals in the series after 86 and 25, respectively, in the regular season.

By Randy Johnson Star Tribune Waiting for the North Stars in the Campbell Conference final were the Oilers, the defending Stanley Cup champions and winners of five Cups in JULY 12, 2021 — 7:32AM the previous seven years.

The North Stars won the opener 4-1 in Edmonton, but the scene that Editor's note: Second in a six-part series. The 1991 Stanley Cup Final night back in Bloomington was interesting. The team opened Met Center started on May 15, and the 1992 Final Four came to a conclusion on and its always-festive parking lots to fans to watch Game 1 on a big- April 6. A Minnesota team or venue was involved in those two major screen TV. Problem was, about 100 of the crowd of 2,300 became too events and three more in between. What a run. We will look back at that rowdy, with fights breaking out and even an usher being bitten by a fan. stretch of Minnesota sports history each day this week. "It just got out of hand," Forciea said.

Three owners in a span of three months. A team that won only one of its After the Oilers routed the North Stars 7-2 in Game 2, Minnesota reeled first nine games. Attendance of just 5,730 for the home opener. off three consecutive victories the 4-1 series victory and trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Little in the early days of the 1990-91 NHL season pointed to the North Stars playing for Lord Stanley's Cup. But there they were, eight months It's midnight, later, grabbing the attention of the Twin Cities in a rollicking, eight-week In the final, the North Stars faced the Wales Conference champion ride that still is recalled fondly. Penguins and their superstar, , who was limited to 26 "Those two months at the Met, the type of run we had, we remember like games in the regular season because of back surgery but amassed 16 it was yesterday," said , who was a second-year pro in goals and 28 assists in the playoffs. 1990-91. "Those kinds of runs don't come around too often." After the North Stars won the opener 5-4 and Penguins took Game 2 4-1, With series victories over the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and the series shifted to Met Center. Before Game 3, Lemieux's back flared Edmonton Oilers, the North Stars made the second Stanley Cup Final in up, and he couldn't play. Minnesota took advantage with a 3-1 win. team history before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Two wins down, two to go for the North Stars. Though they finished 27-39-14, the 16th-best record out of 21 teams that regular season, the North Stars picked the absolute right time to get hot. Lemieux, though, had other ideas.

Against the league's top team, the Presidents' Trophy-winning He returned for Game 4, scoring the third of three Penguins goals in the Blackhawks, the North Stars quickly showed they would be no pushover. opening three minutes of a 5-3 victory. He added a goal and two assists 's overtime goal gave Minnesota a 4-3 victory in Game 1. in a 6-5 win in Pittsburgh. Back at Met Center for Game 6, the Penguins trounced the Stars 8-0 to clinch the Cup as Lemieux had a goal and three The Blackhawks won the next two games, including 6-5 at Met Center in assists. Game 3, and veteran forward said coach 's calm and encouraging approach served the team well. "I remember him "I don't know what they did to his back, but somehow, some way, it's all saying the best 10 forwards on the ice last night were [Chicago's] Jeremy better," said Modano, now an executive adviser for the Wild. "This guy Roenick and our nine guys," Smith said. "That really gave us a boost." just steamrolled us the next three games."

It's a special week at Daily Delivery as host Michael Rand takes a look The North Stars' fun ride was over, two wins short of the Stanley Cup. back at five high-profile sporting events that took place in the Twin Cities 30 years ago. "We beat the No. 1 team in the league. Then we beat the No. 2 team in the league. Then we beat the defending champs. And then we have a 2- The North Stars responded with a 3-1 victory at Met Center to even the 1 lead on Mario Lemieux's team," Smith said. "It was a good run." series 2-2, then drubbed the Blackhawks 6-0 at Chicago Stadium on the strength of five power-play goals. It got so bad for the home team that the For an 11-month span in 1991-92, Minnesota was the focal point of the organist played "Send in the Clowns." nation's sporting world. Thirty years after the Twins and the Vikings made us big-league in our beloved erector set, Met Stadium, we found Smith recalled how goalie coach encouraged players to ourselves bigger than all the rest. shoot high against Blackhawks goalie Ed Belfour. "Chico was in suit, sliding along the dressing room floor, showing how Belfour covered the bottom part of the net," Smith said, laughing. "After practice, every player Star Tribune LOADED: 07.13.2021 had to fire 20 pucks off the crossbar."

Two nights later, the North Stars won 3-1 at Met Center for a 4-2 series triumph in front of the first of nine consecutive sellout crowds.

Playoffs, at a price

North Stars fans started to see a glimpse of how Norm Green, who would move the team to Dallas following the 1992-93 season, played financial hardball. That spring, he made the team's home playoff games available in the Twin Cities market only on a pay-per-view basis. To watch the playoff run, viewers had to pony up $9.95 per home game in the first two rounds and $12.95 in the third and fourth rounds — prices that now would be $19.67 and $25.60 when adjusted for inflation.

Pat Forciea, who helped engineer Paul Wellstone's upset victory in the 1990 U.S. Senate race, was hired by the North Stars for his marketing prowess. He didn't agree with Green's decision.

"It was horrible. It was horrible," Forciea said. "Norm needed the money, and it was very lucrative, but, jeepers, it robbed the fans of some pretty exciting hockey." 1217260 MontrealCanadiens

Former Canadien Andrei Markov suspended from new KHL coaching job

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021

Andrei Markov’s debut as a coach in the KHL has been put on hold.

The former Canadiens defenceman accepted an assistant-coaching job with the HC Vityaz team in May.

The 42-year-old last played in the KHL during the 2019-20 season, posting 1-6-7 totals in 23 games with Lokomotiv. The Russian website championat.com reported Monday that Markov never notified the Russian Anti-Doping Agency of his retirement in an official letter, meaning he was still considered an active player and had to submit to doping tests, which he didn’t do.

“I didn’t know,” Markov was quoted as saying on the website. “Nobody told me.”

Markov has now been suspended for a year and a half by the anti-doping agency.

Markov played 16 seasons with the Canadiens. While representing himself instead of having a player agent, Markov became involved in a contract dispute with Canadiens general manager after the 2016-17 season and decided to go back home to to play in the KHL. He spent his first two seasons in the KHL with Kazan Ak-Bars, helping the team win the Gagarin Cup during his first year there.

Markov expressed interest in returning to the Canadiens after his second season in the KHL, but Bergevin wouldn’t even offer him a professional tryout contract for training camp. Markov hired agent Allan Walsh with hopes of playing with another NHL team, but he ended up going back to the KHL.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217261 MontrealCanadiens another Stanley Cup and I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without that support and I’m real lucky, for sure.”

Staal was hoping to win his second Stanley Cup after winning one as a Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Eric Staal looking forward to just being a dad 22-year-old with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He came up short, but has no regrets.

“Didn’t finish off with the result we wanted, but still very proud to have Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette been a part of this group and these guys,” he said.

Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.13.2021 There’s a really cute scene in Episode 6 of the NHL’s Quest for the Stanley Cup series on YouTube in which Eric Staal is talking with his three young boys back home in Minnesota on FaceTime.

Staal is sitting in the small Montreal condo that became his home after being traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the Canadiens on March 26 in exchange for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick at this year’s NHL Draft. The FaceTime call was the day before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final at the Bell Centre against the Tampa Bay Lightning with the Canadiens trailing the best-of-seven series 3-0.

“You better win,” one of the boys tells Staal.

The boys — Parker, 11, Levi, 9, and Finley, 6 — remind their father that he has to eat his lucky M&M candies before the game.

“Before I head to the rink I get a quick shot of M&Ms to make sure that I’m flying for the beginning of the game,” Staal says on Quest for the Stanley Cup about the personalized candies his boys sent him. “They say ‘Go Daddy Go’, ‘Go Habs Go’, ‘No. 21’. It’s kind of been our thing since I’ve been gone. That’s why he was like: ‘You better eat all of them because we got to win the next game.’ So that’s where that’s at. It kind of keeps them connected into what we’re doing, so it’s good.”

The lucky candies worked for Game 4, with the Canadiens winning 3-2 in overtime. But the Lightning won Game 5 in Tampa 1-0 to win the Stanley Cup and end the Canadiens’ season.

This was a tough season for the 36-year-old Staal, who started with the Buffalo Sabres after being traded from the Minnesota Wild last September. Staal had spent four seasons in Minnesota and his family had settled there. With the three boys in school and also involved in sports and with the COVID-19 pandemic, Staal decided it would be best for his family to stay in Minnesota while he left for Buffalo just after Christmas for the start of training camp.

The Sabres were terrible and the trade to the Canadiens provided a much-welcomed change of scenery for Staal. GM Marc Bergevin believed his three young centres — Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jake Evans — needed a veteran presence to help them out and Staal filled that role both on and off the ice.

It’s unlikely Staal will be back with the Canadiens next season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent and still loves playing and competing, but when he spoke with the media Friday his biggest concern was getting back home to his family.

“The future right now is to get home, be a dad and a husband,” he said. “It’s been a half a year — a little over half a year of being away from them and I’ve never done that, ever. So it’s exciting to be able to be home with them and decompress a little. Obviously, there’s some decisions that we’ll have to make as a family moving forward and it’s not just about what I want, it’s about what makes sense for us as a family with my wife and boys. So we’ll see, but my overall experience this run, this playoffs, was special. It meant a lot to me. It was a treat to be able to come to the arena every day and don the Habs colours and play with these guys. It was very, very special to me and these memories I’ll hold forever and my family will as well. We’ll see what lies ahead, but definitely a time that I’ll cherish in my career, no question.

“I can’t say enough positive things about my support system, my family, my wife, my kids,” Staal added. “It was challenging, for sure, at times. Everyone had their moments — I had my moments, my wife had her moments, each kid individually had their moments. We really did get through it all together. She was rock solid. Having three boys all playing hockey, in school, in different sports and running them all over the place, it takes a team when you’re together and when you’re apart it’s even more so. She’s a special lady and I’m just excited to be able to get home and decompress with them and just be there. It was special to me for her to be as supportive as she was for me to chase my dream of winning 1217262 MontrealCanadiens The team’s No. 1 centre is now unquestionably Nick Suzuki and the top line will feature Slick Nick and cool Cole Caufield, probably with Josh Anderson completing the trio. That leaves Danault as the shutdown centre and he is one of the best at that job in the league. But you don’t What the Puck: Questions abound about Habs and Marc Bergevin's pay a defensive centre $6 million with big term and there’s a chance future that’s what Danault will be asking for.

At his presser, Bergevin openly talked down Danault, the oldest negotiating trick in the book. When someone mentioned his defensive Brendan Kelly • Montreal Gazette prowess, Berg slapped down the compliment, noting that there were four Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021 other players on the ice with him. Ouch!

Even more up-in-the-air is the future of Jonathan Drouin. He left the team for personal reasons and we still have no idea what those reasons are. There are many questions swirling around the Montreal Canadiens in the Could the team end up buying him out? Could happen and that would aftermath of their magical playoff run, but none is more fascinating than give Bergevin another US$3.67 million to spend over each of the next the question of Marc Bergevin’s future with the team. two years, which would come in handy.

Will the general manager stay with the Canadiens beyond next season The short version is we don’t have a clear picture of what next season’s when his contract expires? Most of us are surprised Canadiens owner Habs will look like, so it’s way too early for predictions. The only thing I and president Geoff Molson hasn’t already signed him to a hefty contract know for sure is that Corey Perry MUST return as a Hab. extension. Before the playoffs, Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Molson was already in talks with Bergevin about a possible extension. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.13.2021 But that hasn’t happened. Interesting. My interpretation is that Molson wants to lock in Bergevin for years to come and that the most rock ‘n’ roll of National Hockey League GM is intent on keeping his options open.

At his year-end press conference on Friday, Bergevin was very guarded when talking about his future with the team.

“It ended two days ago, I haven’t had time to think about anything,” Bergevin said. “For the moment, there are more important files. There’s still another year left in the contract so there’s no rush from my side. What happens in the future will happen in the future. I have no idea.”

He was even more explicit a little later when asked about his contract status.

“I have one more year under contract and I will honour that,” Bergevin said.

Hmmm. Hardly a ringing endorsement of his future with the team. Normally when executives are asked that type of question, they say they’re 100-per-cent attached to the organization, even if they’re actually mulling over other offers. So this really seems like Berg putting it out there that he’s maybe going to try the free-agent waters next summer.

At one point, someone mentioned how tough it is to be GM in this market and with a little smirk, Bergevin quipped sarcastically that he was learning something new. As in — “Yeah I get it, the pressure is mighty intense.”

And it is. So maybe he wouldn’t mind taking a GM job in another market, say in the U.S. where the media scrutiny is not a factor and What the Puck headquarters is thousands of miles away! Is there already interest from other teams in Bergevin’s services? There’s no shortage of rumours on the subject.

A lot will depend on how the team does this coming season. Montreal was three wins away from winning the Stanley Cup, but that guarantees nothing for next season. If you doubt that, just ask the management group with the Dallas Stars, who went to Game 6 of the Cup final in 2020 and then missed the playoffs in 2021.

Is this Canadiens squad going to make the playoffs in 2022? It’s very hard to say at this point because we have yet to find who they’ll lose in the expansion draft, what Berg will do come free agency, and what trades are on the horizon.

With this lineup, I’d say it’ll be tough for them to make the post-season. The easy-peasy North Division will be a thing of the past and they’ll be battling some very good clubs, including Toronto, Tampa Bay, Boston, and Florida just to reach the playoffs. Will they finish ahead of any of those teams? It’s far from certain.

The huge question is who they lose over the summer. There’s the Seattle Kraken draft and they might lose a key piece, maybe Ben Chiarot. Then there’s the whole Phillip Danault dossier. Given his performance in the playoffs, you’d figure Danault is an essential piece of the puzzle, but can Bergevin afford him? 1217263 MontrealCanadiens If we go back to the moment Ducharme was forced into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 in the middle of the playoffs, Bergevin was asked if temporarily adding Bouchard to his coaching staff was a possibility. Joël Bouchard’s departure from the Canadiens organization has a familiar feel to it “For now, we’re going to go with the people we have here,” Bergevin said somewhat curtly.

The matter of being in the Canadiens’ bubble did not seem to be a By Marc Antoine Godin problem, because Bouchard says he stayed ready to come help the Canadiens if needed. Jul 12, 2021 “I was on standby at one point in case the group had been

contaminated,” Bouchard said after a moment’s hesitation. “They had There have been relationships within the Canadiens organization over their group and they covered their bases. It turned out well. I was ready the past several years that ended on a bit of a sour note. Whether it was in case anything happened. I got tested again, I isolated myself in case Andrei Markov, Alexander Radulov or Max Pacioretty, there was a anything happened … I was always ready. common thread to the end of the relationship: To understand why it “I see nothing particularly wrong with them going with the guys who had ended, it was one man’s word against another’s. been there since the start.” We can now add former Laval Rocket coach Joël Bouchard to that list. Considering the unusual circumstances the Canadiens found themselves A bit like Radulov, Bouchard had a contract that needed to be renewed, in, being in the Stanley Cup semifinal without a head coach, adding the process dragged on and it was only after July 1, once Bouchard someone with experience in that role might have been useful. But no. technically became a free agent, that the Canadiens presented him with A few days earlier, the Canadiens black aces were essentially disbanded an offer. It was actually two offers; either remain as head coach in Laval once travel to the United States began. Goaltender Cayden Primeau was or become one of Dominique Ducharme’s assistants in Montreal. not permitted to travel, the Canadiens did not have many injuries and We had been hearing for some time that the relationship between Bouchard and Ducharme came to the conclusion that the only player Bouchard and Bergevin was somewhat strained. We’re talking about a they would need to keep active was Cale Fleury. So he joined the group couple of big personalities. But if Bergevin no longer wanted Bouchard and the rest of the black aces were kept at home. around, he would not have brought him closer to the parent club by Over the past week or so, the Rocket and the Trois-Rivières Lions, the making him an assistant coach under Ducharme. Canadiens’ new ECHL affiliate, worked together in signing a bushel of But why would Bergevin wait so long? What was the sincere interest of Quebec-born players. Bouchard, however, was not all that involved in the both sides to come to an agreement? That is where one man’s word signings, which were mainly managed by Lions GM Marc-André conflicts with another’s. Bergeron and Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby. It was a sign that Bouchard was on the way out, because otherwise he would have been According to Bergevin, it was Bouchard who suggested that contract quite active in helping to build the ECHL team. talks be delayed while the Canadiens prepared for the playoffs. “Trois-Rivières is a game-changer for the Rocket,” Bouchard said. “To go “When the Rocket season ended, I spoke to Joël, I told him I wanted to through players the way I went through players when they arrive with talk to him about his contract extension,” Bergevin said. “He said, ‘Take their hockey bag from another organization, it’s not easy. Now, there will your time, Marc, end the season strong, start the playoffs and we’ll talk be some nice continuity.” later.’ He knew exactly that we were interested in him, so there’s no one here who didn’t do their job. Joël just decided to go in another direction. Bouchard said in a video call that he saw a “fit” with the Ducks We will never hold anyone back. He had a (contract offer for a) job in organization. So, the question remains why, after three seasons in Laval, Laval or here with the Montreal Canadiens. the most recent being the most successful with a 23-9-4 record, there was no “fit” between Bouchard and the Canadiens organization “You guys can do what you want with it, but nothing went sideways in the anymore? Joël Bouchard situation.” “The team was performing in Laval, it’s not like it was all crooked,” Bergevin and the Canadiens were busy with the playoffs, yes, but that Bouchard said. “The young players were progressing, it was working in did not stop them from signing vice-president of hockey operations and Laval … There was probably a fit with the players, in any case. Did it look legal affairs John Sedgwick to a new contract on June 23, or eight days like it was not working?” before it expired. It also did not stop them from re-signing a handful of Rocket players. Bouchard presented as proof the fact that several players who had the option to look elsewhere, like Laurent Dauphin, Lukas Vejdemo and Bouchard benefits from an enormous amount of public sympathy Brandon Baddock, all chose recently to re-sign with the Rocket, which is because the results of the program he put in place in Laval have been so always a good sign. strong. But is it at least possible Bouchard wanted to push back contract talks to July 1 to see if someone else came knocking on his door? If Bergevin feels “nothing went sideways” in the discussions with Bouchard, the only conclusion is that both parties are somewhat The Anaheim Ducks were that team, giving Bouchard an exit option to comfortable with the fact the relationship is ending in this way. Bergevin replace Kevin Dineen, whose contract as coach of the San Diego Gulls wasn’t going to fight to keep Bouchard, and Bouchard took advantage of was also expiring. Bouchard says the offer from the Ducks was the fact July 1 arrived without a new contract signed to pack his bags for something he did not expect, just a matter of circumstances falling into Southern California. place. Otherwise, he told us, he would have stayed with the Canadiens “forever.” No matter who is right or wrong here, the result remains the same, that the Canadiens organization has been weakened by the loss of someone “I was in a great spot here,” Bouchard told us, “but on July 1, a team calls who had helped solidify its pipeline of talent. For an organization that is and tells me that they have an NHL coach they will move forward with banking so much on its numerous draft choices over the past three years who has one year left on his contract. ‘We have young players and we and needed to improve its track record on player development, allowing believe in you as a coach. What do you want? We believe in what you the head coach of the farm team to leave when the results are finally do.’ starting to show and that development is improving doesn’t make any sense. “I would not have been unhappy to go back to Laval, but at the same time, wouldn’t it have been a little redundant?” Rather than allow Bouchard to make a lateral career move, it is worth wondering if both parties here could have made more of an effort to keep Indeed, there is only one year left on Dallas Eakins’ contract as Ducks things as they were, especially since in pure hockey terms the results head coach. The road to an NHL head coaching job is clearer in were there. And if one day some team wanted to pluck Bouchard to Anaheim than it is in Montreal. Maybe this is simply a case of make him their head coach in the NHL, nothing would have stopped professional opportunity. Bouchard wanted to feel wanted. Bouchard from doing that, even if he were under contract. Daniel Jacob left with Bouchard for San Diego, so all of a sudden, the entire Rocket coaching staff needs to be rebuilt. The farm club has been severely weakened at a time when stability would have been most welcomed.

Bergevin asks his players to put their personal interests aside for the good of the team, which is a very good principle to follow. Perhaps he was expecting the same of Bouchard and didn’t get it in this case.

This is the time of year, after all, when we are constantly reminded that this is a business above all.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217264 Nashville Predators They took two — forward Cody Eakin and defenseman David Schlemko — who were signed for longer than two years. (Schlemko was immediately flipped to the Montreal Canadiens.)

What the Vegas expansion draft can teach the Predators about Seattle’s That does not bode well for Predators forwards Ryan Johansen or Matt strategy Duchene ending up in Seattle if they are exposed. Johansen and Duchene, both of whom have $8 million cap hits, have four and five years left on their respective contracts. (At $5.75 million, goaltender Marc- Andre Fleury was the Golden Knights’ highest-paid player in their first By Adam Vingan season.) Jul 12, 2021 Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke told The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark earlier this month that Francis “has the authority” to spend to the cap. The Kraken must draft a 30-man roster with a minimum cap hit of $48.9 million, or 60 The Predators have until 4 p.m. CT on Saturday to submit their protection percent of the ceiling. list for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft, which takes place July 21. As the Golden Knights proved, however, there are ways to get there General manager has been trying to reach a deal with without making any significant commitments. Kraken counterpart Ron Francis to remove the uncertainty surrounding the selection process, but prices are high.

“As any good general manager, (Francis) is playing his cards close to the The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 vest,” Poile told 102.5 FM earlier this month. “I think he likes certain defensemen on our team, and I think he likes certain forwards on our team. We need to have more conversations. It may not guarantee that we do anything with them, but if I could make a deal that I like with him, I would probably prefer that.”

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights, who are exempt from this expansion draft, built an immediate Stanley Cup contender through savvy trades and salary-cap maneuvering. Their strategy can provide clues about the Kraken’s approach and how it could impact the Predators.

Vegas selects Marchessault, acquires Smith from Florida

In his lone season with the Panthers, forward Jonathan Marchessault scored 30 goals on a $750,000 salary but was left exposed to the Golden Knights. Forward Reilly Smith, who was about to start a five-year, $25 million contract, was also unprotected.

Golden Knights GM George McPhee took advantage of the situation, picking Marchessault and acquiring Smith in a separate transaction for a fourth-round pick. They have since become essential players in Vegas, combining for 135 points during the team’s highly successful inaugural season. (The Minnesota Wild, wanting to protect exposed defenseman Matt Dumba, made a similar move that backfired with 21-year-old forward Alex Tuc h, throwing him in with expansion pick Erik Haula.)

The Panthers’ botched handling of the previous expansion draft should serve as a cautionary tale. Fortunately for the Predators, they avoided this scenario by trading forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings on July 1 for second- and third-round picks. It was a decent return for a player who was unlikely to be protected.

Arvidsson, who has three years and $12.75 million left on his contract, was the Predators’ closest comparison to Smith — a proven scoring forward whose value to his previous team had diminished. Poile did the right thing by acting quickly.

Anaheim gives away Theodore

Shea Theodore, then 21, was a top defensive prospect for the Ducks when they traded him to the Golden Knights to ensure that Vegas took veteran defenseman Clayton Stoner. (The Ducks did not want to lose young defenders Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen.)

Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro, 23, is in a similar position to Theodore. Alexandre Carrier, 24, surpassed Fabbro on the right side late in the season. Fabbro might not develop into the Norris-caliber defenseman that Theodore is, but it is easy to imagine the Kraken being interested in a young player with top-four experience and under team control.

Like Theodore, Fabbro could be enough to convince the Kraken to select a player who does not factor into the Predators’ long-term plans, such as defenseman Mark Borowiecki or forward Rocco Grimaldi.

Such a trade would also allow the Predators to protect an extra forward, assuming they are considering protecting five defensemen.

As was the case four years ago, the Kraken are required to pick 20 players who are under contract next season.

In making their selections during the 2017 expansion draft, the Golden Knights targeted players without much term remaining on their deals. 1217265 New Jersey Devils

Sixers, Devils owners hire Tad Brown to replace Scott O’Neil as CEO

Updated Jul 12, 2021; Posted Jul 12, 2021

David Stern, Tad Brown

By Chris Franklin

The Sixers and Devils have found a new replacement for outgoing executive Scott O’Neil.

Former CEO Tad Brown agreed to become the CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the entity that owns the Sixers along with the Devils and the . The news was first reported by ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski and later announced by the teams.

Brown spent 15 years in Houston and is already familiar with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. From 2007 to 2020, Morey and Brown worked together in Houston. Brown had announced in April that he would be leaving the franchise at the end of the Rockets’ season.

“I want to thank Josh Harris and David Blitzer for this incredible opportunity to lead HBSE in its next chapter,” Brown said in a statement. “This role not only allows me to work for innovators like Josh and David; it also allows me to work alongside some of the industry’s best talent that has been assembled across the HBSE organization. This is a world-class sports and entertainment organization that cares about the cities and fans it serves. My family and I are thrilled to begin our new journey, and I’m eager to help guide HBSE to even greater heights.”

Brown replaced O’Neil, the longtime Sixers executive who announced in June that he was leaving to pursue other ventures.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tad to the HBSE family,” Harris said in a statement. “Tad is an exceptional leader in our industry and one with a deep passion for innovation and community engagement. With nearly twenty years of experience leading the Houston Rockets and Toyota Center, we are confident that he will bring a fresh energy and new ideas to our teams, organization, and local communities.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217266 New York Islanders two years of Ladd’s, though Ladd has already gotten a $3 million signing bonus and is owed $5 million over the remaining life of the deal despite a $5.5 million cap hit this season and next. It’s not as much of a non-starter as it was last year. Is there interest in Vladimir Tarasenko? Could Nick Leddy be shopped? What we’re hearing about the Islanders as they enter the offseason Whether there are veterans who play more regular Islander roles on offer isn’t known. Would Jordan Eberle or Josh Bailey make sense to move now? Both have three years left on their deals and minimal-to-no trade protection (Eberle has a 16-team no-trade list). But other than shedding By Arthur Staple valuable cap space, moving either one ahead of the expansion draft Jul 12, 2021 doesn’t change the Leddy situation when it comes to protecting seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie.

If Eberle or Bailey is left unprotected and the Islanders want to make a The Islanders’ season ended just over two weeks ago. But the busy side deal with Seattle to get the Kraken to select one of them, it likely season is already underway. won’t come cheap. “Ronnie (Francis) holds all the cards here,” a source said. “Seattle’s got no incentive to play nice right now.” NHL expansion protected lists are due on Saturday, with the Seattle draft to take place July 21. As we outlined last week, there’s a number of ways Tarasenko’s list the Islanders could go this offseason and Lou Lamoriello is well into mapping out how he wants his roster to look for 2021-22 and beyond. Vladimir Tarasenko would indeed be open to an Islander trade, according to two sources, but the list of teams he’d accept a trade to isn’t small — Whether he can get there will be determined by how the next few weeks double-digits at least. The Blues winger has a full no-trade clause but has go. Here’s what we’re hearing about the Isles — who, as we all know, asked to be moved, a request the Blues are willing to accommodate. prefer not to be seen or heard this time of year — as we edge closer to a big stretch for the organization: A potential fit with the Islanders isn’t easy given the cap gymnastics Lamoriello already needs to perform. It’s not as simple as moving out Leddy being shopped? Eberle and another player to fit Tarasenko’s $7.5 million cap hit this season and next. “Also Eberle’s got three years,” a source said. “Even if There have been rumors around the league ever since Lamoriello took you’re scared off by (Tarasenko’s) injury history, to make it work with the over the Isles that Nick Leddy might be on the trade block. There’s a Islanders you’re not getting a cut-rate deal.” much bigger sense of urgency to any trade talk now, given that Leddy could be the odd man out on the expansion protected list submitted on If the Islanders can find a deal for Leddy or they let him go in the Saturday. But two league sources indicated that the Islanders are expansion draft, a Tarasenko deal makes more sense post-expansion, shopping the 29-year-old defenseman this week so they would not have especially if the Islanders have interest in RFA defenseman Vince Dunn, to leave him unprotected and potentially lose Leddy to Seattle for who is also seemingly on the way out in St. Louis. The Blues are seeking nothing. at least a first-round pick for Dunn, as they were at the trade deadline, so a combination Dunn/Tarasenko deal has lots of moving parts. Another reason to try and move Leddy ahead of the expansion draft: The Isles need to free up as much cap space as possible, so trading Leddy Greene’s bonus overage and the one year at $5.5 million AAV ($7 million in salary) remaining on his deal might allow the Islanders to shed two big cap hits rather than There’s clarity on Greene’s bonus overage for 2021-22. The Islanders one. The return might not be valuable given teams know Lamoriello is are on the hook for $1.366 million in bonus overage for next season, eager to shed salary — and that higher cash total than AAV might knock reducing their cap space by that amount. a few suitors out — but Leddy is still a useful top-four defenseman, so The veteran defenseman signed a one-year deal last fall that included $2 there almost certainly wouldn’t be any asset included in the deal, which is million in games-played bonuses, all of which he achieved rather quickly. a plus. With the Islanders on an adjusted salary cap thanks to long-term injured The biggest minus, of course, is that there are no Leddys waiting in the reserve last season, the entirety of Greene’s bonus money automatically wings on the Isles defensive depth chart. Samuel Bolduc showed real goes onto next season’s cap. If the Isles had been under the $81.5 promise in his first pro season but that season lasted 24 games. Robin million cap last season, they could have split the overage between 2021- Salo is over from a successful stint in Sweden. But he has zero pro 22 and 2022-23 to ease the crunch, but not in their current situation. games in North America. Nothing in the Lamoriello or Barry Trotz files shows any indication they’d trust 18-20 minutes a night to an untested Given the shortened 2020-21 season, the $2 million is prorated for next rookie. season down to the $1.366 million number. Still not great given their situation, but not as bad as first thought. Noah Dobson should be in line for bigger minutes and power-play time, which could obviate the need to find a Leddy clone. But there would still be a hole on the left side of the second pair that needs filling and just losing Leddy’s cap hit alone wouldn’t allow the Islanders to find a similar The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 replacement. Maybe they get by with a veteran signing like Marc Staal, pair him with Dobson and put Scott Mayfield with either Andy Greene (if he returns) or a younger, less tested lefty.

Once the protected lists are submitted on Saturday there’s a trade freeze until the Kraken selects its team five days later. So the Leddy situation has a deadline, at least this week.

If there’s no deal and Lamoriello decides to leave Leddy unprotected then there are two likely scenarios: One, the Kraken takes Leddy. A veteran D-man who can still play and is on an expiring deal? That’s extremely tempting for Seattle. Two, Lamoriello makes a side deal with Seattle to give up assets so that the Kraken selects another unprotected Islander.

Other contracts available

Much as he did last offseason, Lamoriello has made it known that there any number of Islander veterans available in his attempt to clear cap space. The usual suspects are on that list: Leo Komarov, Thomas Hickey, Andrew Ladd. All those deals would require extra assets to make them happen and there’s only a handful of teams that might be interested in taking on the last year of Komarov’s and Hickey’s deals and the last 1217267 New York Islanders chasing down loose pucks or creating separation with his skates, his ability to pressure opposing defenses with his speed and I.Q is what makes him a valuable asset.

Islanders Need a More Consistent Anthony Beauvillier to Reach Cup And the streakiness of his linemates, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey, play Goal a role in Beauvillier’s inability to be consistent enough as well.

Hower, Beauvillier’s individual play dictates the success of his line, so when he struggles to create opportunities, the chances are few and far Published 15 hours ago on July 12, 2021 between.

By Stefen Rosner It’s a waiting game to see how a new contract plays out for Beauvillierl. The Islanders are going to need more consistency from Anthony

Beauvillier this upcoming season regardless of the terms. The talk around the New York Islanders this offseason is one we have all It’s a necessity that he gets over the 20-goal, 40 point plateau for sure as heard before. General manager Lou Lamoriello needs to bring in a pure the Islanders look to go even farther in 2022. That will only happen if goal scorer to bolster the offense. However, the current salary cap Beauvillier can find his game at a higher rate. situation for the Islanders will not allow for that, as the offensive answers will need to come internally, which is where Anthony Beauvillier comes in. NYI Hockey NowLOADED: 07.13.2021 Over the last couple of seasons, Beauvillier has been an integral part of the Islanders’ success and their back-to-back semifinal appearances.

The Quebec-native showcased the ability to be a 20-goal scorer in the NHL, but he has only accomplished that goal once in his five-year career (2017-18). One could blame there not being a full 82-game season for him coming up short of that mark over the last two years.

However, the main reason has been the cold streaks Beauvillier goes on during the course of the year. After five seasons in the NHL, those cold streaks have defined him as a player.

This past season, Anthony Beauvillier put up 28 points with 15 goals and 13 assists in 47 games. That equates to a 48.9 point season, with about 26 goals and 22 assists over an 82-game span.

Those are the numbers the Islanders want to see from their second-line winger.

The problem is, the projections do not take into consideration the streaky season Beauvillier was having.

He put together a nine, an eight and a seven-game goal-less streak during the abbreviated 2020-21 season. Given the schedule, without captain and leading goal-scorer at the time of his injury, Anders Lee, the lack of consistent production was a major problem.

That’s 24 games worth of goal-less streaks and that cannot happen for a player with Beauvillier’s skillset.

A season such as what we just saw is nothing new for Beauvillier.

Back in the 2019-20 regular season, (68 games), Beauvillier set a new career-high in points with 39 and was on pace to have a career season. While COVID-19 may be the main source of blame, Beauvillier posted two 13-game goal droughts, including a 10-game drought before the season came to a halt.

So regular-season inconsistencies have been a sure problem and something that needs correcting.

Still, Beauvillier has proven he can be a big game player during the postseason over the last two years. He scored four goals in the first seven games of the 2021 postseason, but then disappeared for 10 straight contests.

Beauvillier finally snapped the streak with his Game 6 overtime winner in the semifinals against the Lightning to force a Game 7.

Now what we saw happen in the 2021 postseason was rather similar to what we saw in the Islanders 2020 playoff run.

Beauvillier piled up the goals early on with four in his first five games. But as the Islanders went farther and farther, Beauvillier’s production became less and less.

He scored twice in seven games against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Quarter-Finals before scoring just one goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the semis. The eventual Stanley Cup winners finished off the Islanders in six games to win the first of their two consecutive Stanley Cups.

Since Beauvillier became an everyday player it has become clear that he is at his best when he uses his speed to make plays. Whether it is 1217268 New York Islanders After making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 14 out of 15 years between 2004 and 2019, the San Jose Sharks have been on the outside looking in two seasons in a row. According to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, changes might be on the way. Kurz wrote the Sharks are “ramping up trade NYHN Daily: Quietness on Islanders Front, Free Agency Questions, & discussions with teams” and have dangled Kevin Labanc, Radim Simek More and Dylan Gambrell as potential trade bait. (TSN)

Published 23 hours ago on July 12, 2021 NYI Hockey NowLOADED: 07.13.2021 By Stefen Rosner

As of now, there is silence on the New York Islanders front, in regards to contract negotiations and protection lists. But don’t worry, here are the NHL stories to know from around the NHL in today’s daily links!

Steve Goldstein, the longtime television voice of the Florida Panthers, will be trading the ice for the gridiron later this summer as he will call Miami Dolphins preseason games on CBS-4 where he works as an anchor. Goldstein, who has been with the Panthers in one capacity or another since 1995, will do play-by-play on the Dolphins’ broadcast alongside former Miami standouts Jason Taylor and Kim Bokamper. But don’t worry Panthers fans: Goldie is not going anywhere. (Florida Hockey Now)

“From The Vault” consists of past 1-on-1 interviews and never-before- seen features on Washington Capitals and NHL players. Here’s Lars Eller. For Washington Capitals center Lars Eller, hockey has always been a family affair. (Washington Hockey Now)

A baseball player going five-for-six will gain consideration as a superstar. When it comes to coming up with five players who might go sixth overall to the Detroit Red Wings, we here at Detroit Hockey Now needed to dive much deeper than six mock drafts in order to come up with five options. (Detroit Hockey Now)

It’s 17 days and counting down until Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez will hit free agency. The Golden Knights must either splash some cash on Martinez, hit the NHL Trade market, or they’ll be shopping on the thin free-agent market. Multiple sources with knowledge of the Martinez negotiations declined to comment to Vegas Hockey Now on the status or progress of talks. “Sorry, I can’t comment,” one inside source replied. (Vegas Hockey Now)

With the NHL free agent signing period about to begin, there are several teams in need of a defenseman who can play top-four minutes or provide leadership in a third-pair role. NHL.com takes a closer look at the top unrestricted free agent defensemen expected to be available when the market opens July 28 (listed in alphabetical order). (NHL)

Connor McDavid said watching the Montreal Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final showed him that his Edmonton Oilers can compete for the title. “I think the parity in the NHL, it just goes to show the margin for error is so slim, and then the margin for success is just as slim,” the NHL MVP told TSN on Friday. “There’s teams that have figured out a way to do it each and every year. Obviously [the Tampa Bay Lightning] winning back to back. It just takes the right formula, a little tweak here and there, and it could send a team off to the races. (NHL)

T.J. Oshie praised the Seattle Kraken hiring of coach Dave Hakstol but reiterated he wants to finish his NHL career with the Washington Capitals rather than join his home state . Oshie played for Hakstol at the University of North Dakota from 2005-08. “I’m a Capital,” the forward told NBC Sports Washington in remarks published Saturday. (NHL)

The NHL offseason began Wednesday after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to win their second straight championship. Though the 2020-21 season ended two days ago, the rest of the NHL had been making plans for what’s to come in the next few weeks, including 2021 NHL Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken on July 21, the 2021 NHL Draft on July 23- 24, and the opening of the free agent signing period on July 28. Here are the top 10 questions going into the NHL offseason. (NHL)

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog for the past nine years. Douglas joined NHL.com in March 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Bryce Montgomery, a defenseman for London of the Hockey League who ranked No. 146 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft. (NHL) 1217269 New York Rangers

Rangers add two assistants to Gerard Gallant’s staff

By Larry Brooks

July 12, 2021 | 5:15pm | Updated

The Blueshirts have elevated Gord Murphy from his associate coaching position with the AHL Wolf Pack to incoming head coach Gerard Gallant’s staff in New York while also hiring Mike Kelly as an assistant, The Post has learned.

Murphy, who worked as an assistant for Gallant with the Blue Jackets for parts of three seasons from 2003-04 into 2006-07, will handle the defense, as he did temporarily during the season when then-head coach David Quinn and his staff were sidelined under the league’s COVID- protocol.

The 54-year-old also handled the defense on an interim basis during the 2020 summer camp and qualifying round after left his post as a Blueshirts assistant to accept the head coaching job in New Jersey.

Murphy — who has also been an assistant for the Panthers and Flyers, the two teams with whom he spent the majority of his 14-year NHL career — replaces Jacques Martin, dismissed following the season.

New Rangers assistant coaches Mike Kelly (l.) and Gord Murphy (r.)

The 61-year-old Kelly, who has served as an assistant on Gallant’s staff in Florida and Vegas (and in the QMJHL and, most recently, for Team Canada’s championship run in the recent World Championships), will act as the club’s eye-in-sky for two periods before joining the club behind the bench for the third period. Kelly is replacing .

The Rangers are still seeking a third assistant coach to in effect replace David Oliver, who was in charge of the forwards and power-play unit.

In addition, general manger Chris Drury and Hartford head coach Kris Knoblauch are conducting a search for an assistant to replace Murphy with the Wolf Pack.

New York Post LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217270 New York Rangers

Why Rangers aren’t rushing Tony DeAngelo buyout

By Larry Brooks

July 12, 2021 | 2:21pm | Updated

When it comes to buying out Tony DeAngelo, Rangers general manager Chris Drury appears to be following the Lou Lamoriello principle that when you have time, you should use it.

Sources have indicated that the Blueshirts are not expected to officially cut ties with the exiled defenseman until after the Seattle expansion draft is conducted on July 21. That would leave a six-day period until the first buyout window closes on July 27.

DeAngelo, who went through waivers and was assigned to the taxi squad for the duration of the season following that Jan. 30 post-game Rumble in the Tunnel with Alex Georgiev, has one year remaining on his contract for $5.3 million and a $4.8 million cap charge.

A one-third buyout of the 25-year-old would carry a $383,333 dead cap charge for 2021-22 and an $833,333 penalty for the following season.

The Rangers aren’t expected to cut ties with Tony DeAngelo until after the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

The buyout window opened on Friday, but the Rangers gain no advantage by getting on with the deed sooner rather than later. Indeed, keeping DeAngelo on the roster gives Drury flexibility prior to drafting his team’s protected list that must be submitted to the league on July 17.

According to regulations, teams must expose at least one defenseman under contract for next year who played at least 27 games last year or a sum of at least 54 matches the last two seasons.

With Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren sure to be protected; Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller and Zac Jones exempt; and Libor Hajek currently a restricted free agent without a contract for next season, DeAngelo and Anthony Bitetto are the only Blueshirt defensemen to meet the exposure requirement.

Though the likelihood of a trade involving Bitetto before the protected list is due would seem slim indeed, Drury does maintain the option to do so by keeping DeAngelo on the roster.

New York Post LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217271 New York Rangers

Why NHL futures bettors will want to keep eye on Rangers

By Andy MacNeil, VSiN

July 12, 2021 | 11:00am

Want even more betting news? Sign up for VSiN’s free daily newsletter. Listen Live to VSiN’s sports betting shows.

Last October, when the NHL bubble wrapped up, I recommended the Montreal Canadiens as a Stanley Cup futures bet at 50/1. They didn’t win, but it would have left you in a great spot as they did make it all the way to the finals.

This time around, the Dallas Stars appear to be a good futures bet, but it depends on the price, of course. The Stars’ season was doomed from the start. It started late due to the virus and was again disrupted by the Texas winter weather emergency.

Dallas also dealt with a lot of injuries. Forwards Alexander Radulov and Roope Hintz played 11 and 41 games, respectively, while pivot Tyler Seguin missed all but three games. Goaltender Ben Bishop missed the entire regular season. There’s definitely some uncertainty about Bishop’s future with the expansion draft on the horizon, but the Stars would still have a solid tandem in the veteran, Anton Khudobin, and Jake Oettinger, who has shown a lot of promise.

The Central Division is not filled with formidable opponents like it used to be. Outside of the Colorado Avalanche, there are no real juggernaut teams. The Minnesota Wild are good, but the Stars are arguably just as good, if not better. The Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues are not far off, but as long as the Stars have better injury luck, I would give them an overall edge over those three teams. They’re definitely better than the likes of the and Chicago Blackhawks.

The Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko is denied by Stars goalie Anton Khudobin on Feb. 3, 2020.

The Stars have a better than 50/50 chance to make the playoffs more often than not. At the SuperBook Sports in Las Vegas, the Stars are listed at 50/1 odds to win the Cup. That’s a bet worth adding to your futures portfolio as we head into the summer. BetMGM has them at 28/1 and Circa Sports at 23/1. Those aren’t quite as good to bet, but 35/1 seems to be what’s widely available.

The Seattle Kraken expansion draft, which will be held on July 21, makes it tougher to predict what the rosters will look like in the 2021-22 season. There’s also a pretty big crop of free agents this year, and where they go will have a big impact on how the true Stanley Cup odds should shake out as we get closer to the season.

There is another team bettors should consider at 30/1 odds at SuperBook Sports and 25/1 at BetMGM. The New York Rangers are a good hockey team that probably should’ve made the playoffs this season. They’ve got a great goaltender and some legitimate superstar talent. Gerard Gallant is taking over as head coach, which should help get this team over the hump. Whether or not there’s value in this wager come October will depend on whether the Rangers can assert themselves as a top team in the early on.

Aleksander Barkov

I’d like to back the Florida Panthers, who are also in the 25/1 to 30/1 range, but with Aleksander Barkov entering the final year of this contract and the slight possibility negotiations could go south, leading to a trade, I will be holding off on adding the Panthers as a futures bet at this time. The Atlantic Division could end up being one of the toughest in the league and I would like to be sure about the Panthers’ best player before taking a price I don’t necessarily believe reflects their true odds of winning.

New York Post LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217272 New York Rangers Duke averaged nearly a point per game for the NTDP U-18 this season, with 49 points (29 goals and 20 assists) in 50 games. He's listed at 5- foot-10, 181 pounds, but considered strong for his size and said to do most of his damage around the net. Many of his goals come from "inside NHL mock draft 2.0: NY Rangers land two-way center Fyodor Svechov the paint" and the "dirty areas." A reliable player in all three zones, with pick No. 15 Duke's tenacity and north-south style reminds me a bit of last year's fifth- round pick and fellow NTDP product Brett Berard.

No. 79 overall – Olivier Nadeau, RW, Shawinigan Cataractes Vincent Z. Mercogliano Analysis: I selected Nadeau with the No. 103 overall pick in my previous NHL Writer mock, but I didn't think there was much of a chance he'd fall there again. So, I jumped on him here.

We're less than two weeks away from the NHL Draft, with the first round The 6-foot-2, 205-pound power winger is strong, physical and protects scheduled for July 23 followed by rounds 2-7 on July 24. the puck well. He also brings some scoring upside with 45 points (13 goals and 32 assists) in 34 QMJHL games last season. I thought about As of Monday afternoon, the New York Rangers still held nine picks, Canadian forward Colton Dach (Kirby's younger brother), who was including No. 15 overall. The trade market is slowly heating up, but our available when this pick came up. But Nadeau is another guy who feels second mock draft is proceeding with the assumption the Blueshirts will like a perfect fit. make all of their picks. Fourth round Once again, we used Draft Prospects Hockey's simulation tool to project all seven rounds. The only difference between this version and mock No. 103 overall (acquired from L.A. in Brendan Lemieux trade) – Riley draft 1.0 is that we used Bob McKenzie's TSN rankings as the basis for Kidney, C, Acadie-Bathurst Titan the simulation after using DPH's for the first go around. Analysis: The run on two-way centers continues. First round Kidney is known as a playmaker with quality hands and vision after No. 15 overall – Fyodor Svechov, C, Lada Togliatti posting 38 points (13 goals and 25 assists) in 33 QMJHL games last season. At 5-foot-11, 168 pounds, he's got room to grow from a physical Analysis: After the Buffalo Sabres took Michigan defenseman Owen standpoint. But the Halifax, Canada native already brings smarts and Power with the first overall pick, several forwards came off the board. defensive commitment, which makes him a well-round prospect. Dylan Guenther went No. 2 to the Seattle Kraken and Matthew Beniers went No. 3 to the Anaheim Ducks, with Kent Johnson, William Eklund, No. 105 overall (acquired from Ottawa in Vlad Namestnikov trade) – Chaz Lucius and Mason McTavish also being selected in the top 10. Vladislav Lukashevich, LD, Loko Yaroslavl

It's no secret that the Rangers would have some of those centers at the Analysis: After taking four forwards, I finally shifted to defense. That's the top of their draft wish list, but there are a handful of others they'll be deepest position in the Rangers' prospect pool, but with nine total picks, monitoring. In this simulation, Zachary Bolduc was selected by the they'll have to take at least one or two. Philadelphia Flyers at No. 13 followed by Aatu Räty at No. 14 to the Lukashevich is listed at only 159 pounds, which is extremely light for a 6- Dallas Stars, taking two more centers off the board. foot-2 prospect. He needs to fill out, but he has the physical tools and In my eyes, that left the Rangers with two clear-cut options. demeanor to develop into a quality player. The Russian is considered a strong skater and a good passer who is responsible in his own end and One was Cole Sillinger, a Columbus, Ohio native who plays for the Sioux not afraid to be physical. That's a pretty good mix of skills for this point in Falls Stampede. He'd be the highest center left on the board, according the draft. to most prospect experts, after having produced 46 points (24 goals and 22 assists) in 31 USHL games last season. If proven point producers No. 111 overall – Victor Stjernborg, C/LW, Vaxjo Lakers HC were the priority, he'd be the choice. Analysis: We'll go back to the center well for a player who isn’t But I went with Svechkov because new team president/GM Chris Drury's considered high-end but hits on many of the Rangers' areas of focus. goal is not only looking to find centers, but ones who bring hard-nosed, Stjernborg falls into the high-effort, two-way forward category. The two-way abilities. And by almost all accounts, no player in this range of Swede is a heavy, strong player at 5-foot-11, 203 pounds who brings grit the draft fits that description as the well as the 6-foot, 187-pound and has experience on the penalty kill. He's also considered a high- Russian. character prospect.

Svechkov is known as a strong defensive forward with a high motor. Fifth round Opinions vary on his offensive upside, but most believe he's skilled No. 143 overall – Liam Dower-Nilsson, C, Frolunda enough to justify a mid-first round pick. And when you factor in his high marks for competitiveness and projection as a middle-six, do-it-all pivot, Analysis: We'll go with back-to-back Swedish centers who both project as he sounds like just the type of prospect the Rangers want to add to their bottom-six grinders. Dower-Nilsson isn't as heavy as Stjernborg at 6-foot, already deep system. 176 pounds, but he forechecks well and clogs the neutral zone. He's not a major offensive threat, but does show some creativity as a playmaker. FRISCO, TEXAS - MAY 06: Danila Yurov #25 of Russia and Fyodor And there are leadership qualities to like, as well, from the captain of Svechkov #9 of Russia react after losing 3-5 to Canada in the 2021 IIHF Sweden's U-18 national team. Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Gold Medal Game at Comerica Center on May 06, 2021 in Frisco, Texas. Sixth round

Second round No. 175 overall – Isaac Belliveau, LD, Gatineau Olympiques

No pick due to trade that sent Marc Staal to the Detroit Red Wings Analysis: We're well-stocked at forward by this point, so we'll take a chance on another lefty shot defenseman. Belliveau is a solid puck- Third round mover with decent size at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. The Rangers are in no No. 64 overall (acquired from Buffalo in Jimmy Vesey trade) – Dylan rush for prospects on D, so they can sit back and allow the Quebec Duke, C/LW, U.S. National Team Development Program native to develop.

Analysis: I gave strong consideration to Minnesota native Tristan Broz, Seventh round but ultimately couldn't pass on Duke's skill set. Like Svechkov, he brings No. 207 overall – Brett Brochu, G, London Knights (OHL) many of the traits Drury is looking for. Analysis: The Rangers took two goalies last year in Dylan Garand (No. Some believe the Ohio native is a borderline first-round pick, which 103 overall) and Hugo Ollas (No. 197 overall), plus their top-two NHLers makes it a long shot he'll be available at the top of the third round. But if are both only 25 in Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev. They don't he is, the Rangers should pounce. need to take one this year, but they like to roll the dice in the later rounds. Brochu is undersized for a goalie at 5-foot-11, 176 pounds, but Rangers goalie coach Benoit Allaire has done tremendous work with small netminders. The Ontario, Canada native has posted good results in the OHL and could be worth a flyer.

Bergen Record LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217273 New York Rangers

Gord Murphy, Mike Kelly join Rangers coach Gerard Gallant's staff as assistants, source says

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated July 12, 2021 6:26 PM

When he introduced Gerard Gallant as the Rangers' new head coach, GM Chris Drury said filling out Gallant’s staff with assistants was at the top of his summer priority list. Drury has secured two of those assistants, a source confirmed Monday, as the Rangers have promoted Hartford Wolf Pack associate coach Gord Murphy and brought in longtime Gallant assistant Mike Kelly to be part of his staff.

The Rangers have not announced the hires because they are waiting to complete the staff first. They are still looking to hire one more assistant, the source said.

Both Kelly and Murphy have worked as assistants for Gallant before. Kelly, 61, was on Gallant’s staff with the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers. He most recently served as an assistant on Gallant’s staff with Team Canada, which won the gold medal at the World Championships in Latvia in May.

Murphy, 54, was an assistant under Gallant with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2004 to 2007. He joined the Rangers organization in 2019, serving as associate coach for the Wolf Pack the last two seasons, under head coach Kris Knoblauch. Murphy worked behind the Rangers’ bench for six games in late March, when he and Knoblauch were called up after Rangers coach David Quinn and assistants Jacques Martin, Greg Brown and David Oliver came down with COVID-19.

Assistant coach Mike Kelly (L) and head coach Assistant coach Mike Kelly (L) and head coach

Kelly and Murphy join director of goaltending Benoit Allaire, who has served in that position since 2004, on the staff. The New York Post first reported the hirings.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217274 New York Rangers is thought to have the Rangers on the list of teams to which he’d like to be dealt and carries a cap hit of $7.5 million.

Just a thought: Would a Buchnevich-for-Tarasenko deal make sense? ‘That’s what happens’: Why Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich could be Again, doubtful. a trade chip after his breakout season Another main consideration is that the Rangers have two top young wingers who both play the right side: Kaapo Kakko, the second pick from 2019, and Vitali Kravtsov, the ninth pick from 2018. By Rick Carpiniello Keeping Buchnevich would block one of those two players from playing Jul 12, 2021 on the top two lines in the coming season. That, however, could be moot if Kravtsov is indeed dealt (in an Eichel blockbuster?) as one of the many

top assets the Rangers can use to fill needs this summer. Rangers team president and general manager Chris Drury has a lot of Can Kakko or Kravtsov become as good a right winger as Buchnevich in irons in the fire and, from what I’m told, two words that are being uttered terms of production? Yes, very possibly. somewhat regularly are: Pavel Buchnevich. Could either learn to be as physically engaged as Buchnevich — who Whether that means teams are asking about Buchnevich, or that Drury is came miles and miles in the last three seasons? Not likely. actively shopping him, I can’t report. But trading the Rangers’ first-line right winger makes sense on a lot of levels, and surely Drury is aware of Could either be imagined, by any stretch, to become a realistic option as it. a penalty-killing forward? I doubt it.

First, allow me to fend off those who read this and think I’m advocating a So the equation is certainly complicated — and frankly a risky one. trade of Buchnevich. I am most certainly not. I think the kid has made gigantic strides (under former coach David Quinn the past three years, I Drury’s window is wide open with the NHL draft approaching on July 23- might add) in his overall game and his consistency. I think he’s now a 24. The opportunity to make a significant change to his roster is prior to very legitimate top-six right winger. He has won me over. the first round of the draft because his first-rounder (No. 15) can be in play as a large trade chip. A consideration, too, is Buchnevich’s universal popularity among his teammates and how important a piece he is to the Rangers’ locker room So there’s a lot to unpack surrounding any decision on Buchnevich. But — a glue guy, so to speak — dubbed Captain Happy, by Quinn, for his we do know that he’s being discussed in fairly serious tones and that he various facial expressions. Buchnevich and linemates Mika Zibanejad very well could be an ex-Ranger by opening night, if not by the end of and Chris Kreider are inseparable at the rink. this month.

That said, the situation is what it is, and Drury — a lot smarter than I am — sees that. Player popularity is rarely a consideration when it comes to The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 transactions, as we’ve certainly seen over the four years of this Rangers rebuild.

Buchnevich, who turned 26 in April (and celebrated the birthday with a hat trick), just finished off a season (20-28-48 in 54 games) that was on pace for 30-plus goals and 73 points in an 82-game season. This after incremental production improvement for three years running, even without any significant first-unit power-play time. In the first half of the season, he may have been the Rangers’ best forward.

He became a legit top-six winger because he found that night-to-night consistency in “battle level” and competitiveness that he lacked early in his career. In 2021, Buchnevich also, perhaps surprisingly, became a two-way player, a fine penalty killer and a perfect fit as Zibanejad’s right winger, whether the left sider was Kreider or Alexis Lafrenière.

That all said, Buchnevich just finished a two-year contract that carried an annual $3.25 million cap hit and is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He is a year away from unrestricted free agency. In other words, he’s going to be due a hefty raise, well over $5 million per, depending on how many years of unrestricted free agency come with the purchase.

“I expect some talks to come up,” Buchnevich’s agent, Todd Diamond, told The Athletic on Monday. “I expect the Rangers to qualify Pavel and then depending on whatever else Chris (Drury) is working on, that could potentially affect the way the contract may look or other issues.”

On Buchnevich’s name coming up frequently, Diamond added, “That’s what happens when you speak to a lot of teams.”

The Rangers will have a pile of cap space with which to play this summer. CapFriendly has them at $22.89 million right now, with the buyout money from Henrik Lundqvist, Kevin Shattenkirk and Dan Girardi’s contracts reduced to $4.044 million this year, Brendan Smith’s $4.35 million average annual value coming off the books, and an almost certain, affordable Tony DeAngelo buyout ($383,334 in ’21-22, $833.334 in ’22-23).

But Drury must spend that new cap space cautiously because of the number of young players (plus Zibanejad, who can be unrestricted after next season) for whom they will need to find money to re-sign as restricted free agents in the coming few seasons — including Adam Fox, Kravtsov and Kakko next summer, and Igor Shesterkin now.

That’s not to mention the possibility of adding Jack Eichel’s $10 million per, or an unlikely trade for St. Louis’ unhappy Vladimir Tarasenko, who 1217275 New York Rangers New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

For return, let’s keep in mind that no two trades are exactly alike, and it’s Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, especially difficult to come up with comparables considering that the Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues salary cap will be stuck at $81.5 million in 2021-22 and likely longer. But we wanted to find some similar examples in recent years to help set up some parameters.

By Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman The Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba trades featured a return of what we will call an A-grade future (Nick Suzuki and the first-round pick) plus a Jul 12, 2021 good young NHL-proven player (Tomas Tatar and Neal Pionk).

Given the unique circumstances of the current situation — a flat cap, an It’s been five days since The Athletic first reported that star Blues right expansion draft looming and Tarasenko having injury concerns and a full winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade. no-trade clause but also two years left on his contract — it is likely the return for Tarasenko will be a downgrade from that, but we can still use it It hasn’t been a perfect marriage, but it’s still surreal to think that the as a starting point. organization’s purest goal scorer since Brett Hull may have played his last game in the Blue Note. In order to come up with potential trade packages, we roped in The Athletic’s prospects guru Corey Pronman. Tarasenko has two years remaining on his eight-year, $60 million contract, and there’s no guarantee that Blues general manager Doug Here’s what we came up with: Armstrong will find a suitable trade before the start of the 2021-22 Rangers season. But a split is where this is headed, and it wouldn’t seem wise to keep a disgruntled player on the roster much longer — especially one Overview: It’s been a shocking summer in New York, where new GM and who, according to sources, has questioned how the team’s medical staff president Chris Drury and head coach Gerard Gallant are now in charge. handled his surgically repaired left shoulder. The Rangers have played in just one postseason series in the past four years (they were swept by Carolina in the 2019-20 qualifying round), so How does Armstrong make this work, though, when the Blues are saying the pressure will be on even with a new regime. There’s been a lot of their championship window is still open and operating near the NHL’s speculation in the Big Apple about being the landing spot for Buffalo’s $81.5 million salary cap? Does he trade for an established player or a Jack Eichel, which would take priority over a Tarasenko deal. package that may include prospects or draft picks? Does he dump salary and use it on another position? If so, how much of Tarasenko’s salary will Potential trade package: Right winger Vitali Kravtsov and left-shot the Blues have to retain? defenseman Libor Hajek

It’s all part of a complex equation. Rutherford’s thoughts: The Rangers could have drafted Tarasenko in 2010, but at No. 10, they took defenseman Dylan McIlrath. He spent just Since news of the trade request surfaced, many have suggested that the 38 games in New York and is now with Detroit’s AHL affiliate. Do they Blues should leave Tarasenko unprotected in the upcoming Seattle want Tarasenko 11 years later? He’d love to play with his pal Artemi expansion draft. Teams are required to submit their protected lists by Panarin, but they need a center and some grit. This trade could be Saturday, and the draft will be held on July 21. plausible, though, if the Blues are getting either Kravtsov or Pavel If only it were as easy as the Kraken taking Tarasenko off the books and Buchnevich, along with Hajek, who may be available because the the Blues using the $7.5 million of salary-cap space that freed up to Rangers have better young defensemen in the pipeline. upgrade the roster, either in a trade or free agency. Pronman’s thoughts: The Rangers have a ton of good wingers, so in Seattle GM Ron Francis has a blank canvas with the Kraken, but while order to make this deal work in all likelihood one has to go the other way. the expansion club has announced that it will be spending to the cap, Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are non-starters, so the most obvious would he commit nearly 10 percent of that to a 29-year-old winger who candidate is Kravtsov. He was a top 10 pick by the Rangers, but it would hasn’t looked the same since having three shoulder surgeries? be fair to say if you redid that draft now, based on talks with NHL scouts, he would go in the teens or 20s in all likelihood. He is a highly skilled In addition to Tarasenko’s health history, there may be concerns about playmaker with size whose game lacks speed. Hajek is a very good how his now-public rift with the Blues will be perceived by teams skating defenseman with a good frame but lacks ideal skill and puck- interested in him. moving instincts.

Furthermore, Tarasenko left his longtime agent, Mike Liut, this summer Islanders and joined Paul Theofanous. As it relates to the Kraken, Liut and Francis are second cousins and were teammates in Hartford, so Francis would Overview: The Islanders have been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup Final have a deeper understanding of Tarasenko at his disposal, and with the the past two seasons, falling to Tampa Bay in the semifinals both years, recent split between Liut and Tarasenko, you’d have to wonder about including a Game 7 loss last month. How will GM Lou Lamoriello Liut’s honest opinion. respond? It’s unlikely he’ll want to alter the Islanders’ foundation, but he could still make a substantial splash to help get them over the hump. The For those wondering about Seattle taking Tarasenko in the expansion Isles are a hardworking team with balanced scoring but could benefit draft and flipping him in a trade — a la Vegas in 2017 — the question from a player like Tarasenko, who, when clicking, can be instant offense. might become: “If Armstrong is having even a little bit of trouble trading him, why would Francis make that his problem?” Potential trade package: Right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson, left winger Michael Dal Colle That’s why it probably makes sense for the Blues to leave Tarasenko off their protected list. Finding the right deal will probably take more time Rutherford’s thoughts: After Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk, the Blues than the upcoming expansion-draft deadline provides. From there, if the are thin on the right side of their defense, so Dobson would be a nice Kraken pick him, the Blues move on. And if they don’t, then the Blues pickup. But if the Islanders are giving up the 21-year-old Dobson, they’re were able to protect another forward in the draft — and continue to look going to want Vince Dunn in the deal, even though Dobson is a righty for the right spot to ship Tarasenko. and Dunn is a lefty. If Lamoriello were making a trade for Tarasenko, he’d probably prefer to give up left winger Anthony Beauvillier, 24, who As far as The Athletic can gauge at the moment, that’s the most likely would be a lot more intriguing than Dal Colle, who was the No. 5 pick in scenario: a trade. And according to sources, Tarasenko has given the 2014 and has just eight career goals. Blues a list that includes as many as 10 teams for which he’d approve a deal. Pronman’s thoughts: The Islanders’ farm system is a little on the thin side, so their two best trade options are their 2018 first-round picks in So who are those clubs and what could the return for the Blues look like? Dobson and winger Oliver Wahlstrom. You can interchange which one of those two to use here if Islanders fans are particularly infuriated by one In conversations the past few days with sources familiar with Tarasenko’s or the other being offered up. Both are very good young players who list, we’ve come up with five teams that could be trade possibilities: the haven’t taken that big step to becoming core parts of a lineup. Dal Colle, also a high pick, is a skilled big winger, but due to a lack of footspeed, prospect with top-six forward potential. It would be between him and he’s had a hard time becoming a useful NHL player. defenseman Cam York for the future asset used here. Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose NHL performance has been up and down in Golden Knights his first few years in the league but is a useful big leaguer.

Overview: Vegas will remain one of the top teams in the Western There are other possible destinations for Tarasenko, but as you can see, Conference in 2021-22, even after being upset by Montreal in this year’s there are a lot of moving parts and possibilities. You may disagree with playoffs. The undoing of the Golden Knights was their power play, which some of the scenarios, but our goal, for now, was to provide a list of ranked dead last among the 16 playoff teams (9.3 percent). Tarasenko legitimate clubs where there may be mutual interest, as well as put netted 17 power-play goals for the Blues in 2018-19 (including the names on the players who may be available. playoffs), but he has just four PP goals the past two years in 42 games.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Nicolas Roy The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Rutherford’s thoughts: First Ryan Reaves and Alex Pietrangelo, and now Tarasenko? It’s the “Blues West.” I see why a star like Tarasenko would want to play in Vegas, but will the Golden Knights be interested? They have so many wingers that Alex Tuch, who was tied for third on the team with 18 goals last season, was relegated to the third line. It’s hard to imagine the Blues fetching a first-round pick (even No. 29) for Tarasenko due to his injury situation, and it’s also hard to see Vegas giving up Roy, a center, when the Knights need help at center.

Pronman’s thoughts: Putting in Peyton Krebs would likely be too much for Vegas to handle from a futures standpoint, but I don’t get the sense around the league Brendan Brisson would do it, so the Golden Knights’ first-round pick this summer, No. 29, would be the future used. They’ll have to give a bit more on the current player side than Roy, who is a useful, if not a good, NHL player. Vegas fans likely will squirm at the idea of giving up someone who can play the middle given their depth chart, but ideally Krebs or Cody Glass can step in and play the middle.

Bruins

Overview: Boston has $30 million in projected salary-cap space in 2021- 22, but the Bruins have some high-end unrestricted free agents they’re trying to bring back. For starters, there’s Taylor Hall and David Krejci, and then there’s goalie Tuukka Rask, and also don’t forget they’ve been linked to the Eichel rumors in Buffalo. Boston appears set at right wing with David Pastrnak and Craig Smith, and the Bruins have a more pressing need on left defense. But if they can’t get the top-six talent they’re after, perhaps Tarasenko becomes an option.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Trent Frederic

Rutherford’s thoughts: The Blues would make this deal yesterday. The Bruins’ first-round pick is No. 20, and with the Blues already possessing the No. 16 pick, Armstrong would have two of the top 20 selections in the draft. I’m assuming the Blues would be retaining salary in this proposal, but even if they’re off the hook for some of the $7.5 million, it would allow them to spend that money on another position. Meanwhile, they’d be adding some sandpaper in the St. Louisan, Frederic, and it worked out pretty well the last time a player put on the hometown uniform (Pat Maroon).

Pronman’s thoughts: Boston doesn’t have a lot of premium futures unless they part with Jack Studnicka, which seems unlikely, so using its first- round pick this summer seems the most logical trade asset. Frederic is a competitive, smart forward with size who lacks standout speed or skill for the NHL level.

Flyers

Overview: After a rewarding 2019-20 season for Philadelphia, which saw the Flyers finish with the league’s sixth-best record and Alain Vigneault be among the three finalists for the coach of the year award, this past season was a major step back. They closed at No. 19 in the standings, missed the playoffs and are facing a pivotal offseason. But with improved goaltending and a few other players returning to previous form, a bounce-back year is possible. Still, GM Chuck Fletcher’s club could use a shoot-first, goal-scoring threat like Tarasenko.

Rutherford’s thoughts: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman.

Pronman’s thoughts: I realize this package looks very similar to the Flyers one proposed for Seth Jones. I never said we were overly creative. Frost was injured all season but is still considered a very good 1217276 Ottawa Senators champion, but look at the depth players that Tampa had and the way they performed. It was phenomenal.”

Pierre McGuire will play a key role in the off-season to make the Ottawa Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 Senators a better team

Bruce Garrioch

Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021

Pierre McGuire spent his first official day on the job with the Ottawa Senators working the phones and trying to get up to speed with a busy part of the NHL’s off-season schedule just around the corner.

As Postmedia was first to report Monday, McGuire, 59, is leaving the broadcast booth to accept a role as Senior Vice President of Player Development with the Senators and he’s been brought in by owner Eugene Melnyk to try to help the organization get to the next level by working with general manager Pierre Dorion.

Leaving the broadcast booth after 24 years after wrapping up his career with NBC Sports last Wednesday with Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final, McGuire is looking forward to the challenge of trying to help this team win a Stanley Cup. He wants to be a part of the solution to help the Senators get to the next level after missing the playoffs for four straight years.

The Senators have made no secret of the fact they want to acquire a defensive defenceman and a centre before next season gets under way. McGuire seemed to agree with that assessment.

You can bet the Senators will spend the coming days studying the trade market and looking at what may be available in free agency to try to help this team make the post-season.

“The biggest thing to me is you can never have enough depth down the middle and I know that’s something (Dorion) and I have talked about,” McGuire said Monday. “I still think we’re a little light on the back end and that’s something we need to talk about and we have and it needs to be addressed.

“I’m excited about the goaltending pool they put together. It’s phenomenal with the internal pieces they’ve put together. It’s really positive in a lot of situations but I’m not sure they’re deep enough down the middle yet. That’s something Pierre and I have talked about along with some robust depth on defence.”

On the radio, McGuire has talked for years about a seven-player profile for building a Stanley Cup champion.

That’s two elite centres, a power forward, a specialized forward, shutdown defenceman, an elite puck-moving defenceman and a top starting goalie. McGuire believes the organization has four of those pieces in place already and may have the other ones i the organization. He doesn’t believe this group is far away.

Naturally, Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk are part of that group.

“We’re probably three players away from that right now,” said McGuire. “Some of them will internally will evolve and will be those players that fit into the seven-player profile. You build around those players and it can be very cap friendly. That formula works with every market, not just big market teams, not just small market teams, but it works with any team.”

For the analytics crowd, McGuire called it another element that can be used. As McGuire says, numbers can’t measure the effort and the way players work.

“It’s not that I hate analytics, but I believe in scouting,” said McGuire. “I believe that there has to be people that are boots on the ground, hardcore hockey people that can actually evaluate a player without utilizing numbers and the player passes the eye test. I still don’t know if there’s an analytic equation for heart, for character, for hard work, for fearlessness, for determination, so that’s part of the formula that hardcore, boots on the ground scouting has to be. I don’t hate analytics

“I think it’s a tool that can be utilized in any kind of evaluation, but I’m a big believer in boots on the ground scouting and I’ll use Tampa Bay as an example _ and I won’t talk about players because it’s a sensitive issue now. But if you look at Tampa and salute them as a Stanley Cup 1217277 Ottawa Senators last season as having the possibility of playing a top-two role with this team and the Senators picked Tim Stuetzle at No. 3.

The focus has to be on the ice and that’s why Dorion will be working with Senators' general manager Pierre Dorion welcomes the addition of Pierre McGuire along with the rest of the hockey operations staff to try to help McGuire to the staff make this team improve. The next few weeks will be pivotal as the Senators try to add another centre through trade or free agency along with a defensive defenceman.

Bruce Garrioch McGuire has the benefit of having seen every player in the league in his role as a broadcaster. He and Dorion met face-to-face Saturday at Mont Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021 Tremblant and spoke for another four hours on Sunday. McGuire had to be brought up to speed on where the organization is at.

And, it’s even better when you bring someone with Pierre McGuire’s Dorion has a lot of respect for McGuire’s knowledge and connections. experience. Those will be valuable when it’s decision time.

Speaking to the media Monday after the Ottawa Senators confirmed the “With his TV experience you go there and you’re unbiased on all the hiring of 59-year-old McGuire as the Senior Vice President of Player teams,” said Dorion. “He comes in here and he’s unbiased. As much as, Development, Dorion welcomed the former NBC colour analyst to the at times, we like to say we’re not biased, we do have favourite players. club’s hockey operations department and he’s happy to have someone Whether it’s the coaches, players or managers or the scouts. with McGuire’s background. “Him coming in here with his unbiased view is going to be really helpful Publicly, there was a lot of excitement with the decision by the for us making proper decisions. He will be someone that has a lot input organization to bring in McGuire. The conspiracy theorists and the people on the decisions we make moving forward.” who don’t like his take on analytics aside, McGuire is a hockey lifer who should be able to help this team. The Senators have been studying the possibility for a long time and Dorion even spoke to McGuire in mid-May Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 about this role.

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk wants to help this team win.

“Pierre brings a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge,” Dorion said. “He’s going to be involved in a lot of things in our hockey department. Having worked in TV for the last years, as far as watching NHL games, he’s definitely going to be able to have a lot of input as far as player movement transactions.

“At the same time, he’s done some scouting, he’s been at a lot of world juniors and he’s seen a lot of college hockey over the last year so I think he can have a lot input in a lot of areas.”

McGuire last worked in the NHL as an assistant coach with the Senators in 1995-96. He spent 10 years as a colour analyst at TSN before joining NBC Sports in 2006. McGuire has broadcast more than 2000 games in his career and that’s why he can help Dorion in his role when it comes to player evaluation.

McGuire will play a big role when free agency rolls around July 28 and will also be part of any last minute discussions about the expansion list set for Saturday. Some observers are trying to play Dorion and McGuire against each other but owner Eugene Melnyk made it clear to this newspaper Sunday that Dorion has the final say..

“The chain of command is (the same). Pierre reports to me,” said Dorion. “But if you know anything about Pierre Dorion operates, I communicate with everyone and everyone knows what’s going on whether it’s the coaching staff or scouting staff. Pierre’s will be in Ottawa, he’ll be very present in everything we do as far as hockey.

“But it was made very clear to me that he reports to me.”

Dorion totally discounted a question that McGuire would some day be the new GM of this team. Those who know the inner workings of this team understand that he was brought aboard to be another voice, a sounding board for Dorion and McGuire is going to help with his knowledge.

Trying to pit them against each other is nonsense, it’s about trying to do what’s best for the team.

“We are excited to add Pierre to our hockey management group,” Melnyk said a in statement. “His experience will be instrumental as we continue to build an elite team. Pierre’s knowledge of the game and its players is highly regarded and I am confident that he will positively assist our team as it progresses to the next level.”

Yes, Dorion is headed into the final year of his contract, but he’s never worried about his job or getting an extension and why should he? That would be the wrong approach to take.

Anyone will tell you Dorion has done an admirable job. The deal sending to the San Jose Sharks may turn out to be one of the best ever made in the history of this organization. Centre Josh Norris emerged 1217278 Ottawa Senators Dorion says he’s not worried about that possibility. “Not at all, not at all,” he said. “I think and I hope to be here for the long

term and I hope that Pierre McGuire is a part of my team for the long The incoming Pierre McGuire will have a big voice in talking to Senators term. We all want ambitious people and people who are driven to work fans with us and there’s no denying the fact that Pierre is ambitious and driven and I think that only makes us a better team and only makes me a better general manager.”

Ken Warren Dorion says he’s not thinking about his contract situation, believing that the club’s rebuild has gone largely according to the big picture blueprint. Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021 “If you start worrying about your contract and the decisions you are going

to make, then you’re not helping the organization,” he said. It’s an interesting dynamic, the Pierre and Pierre show that Ottawa The precise details of McGuire’s responsibilities haven’t been spelled Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has now put in charge of the front office. out, but Dorion says he’s quite comfortable if the new guy ends up taking General manager Pierre Dorion insists he’s still the boss, embracing the on some of the media responsibilities that used to fall on his lap. experience and background that comes with the addition of Pierre “Roles need to be defined, he’s in his first day,” Dorion said. “Pierre will McGuire, who has spent the past two decades talking hockey for TV and be able to do a lot of things here and obviously, he’s a great speaker, so radio audiences. having him … sometimes, hearing from me is not always a thing (the If the chain of command is clear, the voice of a new senior vice president media) want all the time, so having him speak will probably be something of player development should be welcome. The Senators have been he will also do.” mighty thin at the management ranks and Dorion has been overextended The bigger summer signings of Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson are in taking on too much too often. yet to come, but Monday certainly offered up a splash of pre-draft McGuire, who hasn’t been in the coaching or management ranks since attention for the Senators organization. being with the Senators way back in 1995-96, confidently sells himself as having stayed “inside the glass” due to his relationships with coaches, scouts and players. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 He also says he brings a fresh “unbiased eye” to the evaluation process after so many years spent as an objective observer of the game.

McGuire has never been afraid to express his ideas about building a team the proper way. He’s old school in the sense that he steers clear of Twitter and relies far more on the eye test of scouting in person than the newer wave of analytics.

Now that he’s turning all that talk into action — for the record, McGuire offered up positives and negatives in discussing the Senators play during his daily appearances on TSN 1200 during the 2020-21 season — how will it work in practice?

McGuire will be everywhere in helping scout the pro and amateur ranks and as a voice of experience that Dorion can lean on before making personnel decisions.

What’s also intriguing, though, is that he will be out front in selling the message to the fans.

The media savvy McGuire will be tasked with talking publicly for an organization that often struggles with positive messaging. In that regard, his hiring deflects some attention away from the abrupt resignation of Chris Phillips as the executive director of the Senators Community Foundation three weeks ago.

“There’s no question, it is part of the role, and it’s something Mr. Melnyk talked about when we met, maybe the first two or three times in phone conversations,” McGuire said during his Zoom availability Monday. “Yes, it’s definitely part of it and I appreciate that and it’s something that I am comfortable with. I’ve made my living doing that for the last 20 years.”

McGuire says he got his start in broadcasting with CJAD in Montreal because radio executives liked the way he had answered questions when he was a coach.

Being back in management, though, he’s back to what he loves doing best.

“Ever since Mr. Melnyk told me I had the position and I’ve been talking with Pierre Dorion, every day has been like a Game 7 for me,” he said. “I’m just so excited about it. It’s going to be a ton of fun. I know there are going to be ups and downs. There always is in the NHL.”

There are often power struggles, too, and contract situations to contemplate.

McGuire was given a three-year contract, while both Dorion and coach D.J. Smith are headed into the final season of their existing deals.

That gives rise to speculation that McGuire could be a GM-in-waiting if the Senators struggle next season. 1217279 Ottawa Senators guys like (Drake) Batherson and (Alex) Formenton. Last summer, they stole the draft with (Tim) Stuetzle, Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven. They had an amazing draft.”

Senators bringing back Pierre McGuire and his 30 years of NHL This isn’t the first time during his career a team has tried to bring him out knowledge to assist the front office of the broadcast booth. McGuire has had several opportunities to work in the league, but it never seemed to be the right time or fit. McGuire and his wife Melanie will sell their home in New Canaan, Conn., and move to Ottawa full-time. Bruce Garrioch The couple’s two children, Justine and Ryan, are both away at school. Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021 The Senators have a big off-season ahead of them with NHL expansion

draft for the Seattle Kraken set for July 21. Dorion and the rest of the The Ottawa Senators are adding a new face to their front office and it’s hockey department have been busy finalizing their protected list that has expected that the 59-year-old McGuire will be named the club’s Senior to be into the league by Saturday. Vice-President of Player Development on Monday. Then, there’s the NHL draft set for July 23-24 and then it’s on to free McGuire, who previously worked for the Senators as an assistant coach agency July 28 at noon. McGuire said, based on their meeting Saturday, during the 1995-96 campaign, met with owner Eugene Melnyk several Dorion is well-prepared for the expansion draft. times last three weeks and is being brought on board to assist general The Senators have stated they’d like to acquire a centre who can play on manager Pierre Dorion, along with the club’s hockey operations the top two lines and a defenceman for the top four. Those could come department. either through a trade or free agency so the expectation is McGuire will Speaking to Postmedia in an exclusive interview on Sunday from his play a role with Dorion in those acquisitions. home in Mont Tremblant, Que., McGuire said he couldn’t be more thrilled “Before I even got to Ottawa, and I’ve had a chance to go over it with to be joining the Senators by agreeing to what’s believed to be a three- (Dorion), but the plan is really solid and concrete,” said McGuire. “I year deal. Melnyk and McGuire first spoke on June 20 and have had respect the vision that they have. There are organizational needs that several discussions since then. they have, and there are few perfect teams in the league. One thing you “I’m super-pumped. We’re going to have some fun,” said McGuire. “I see try do, and I believe (Dorion) has been doing this, is you try to get players my role as being there to help (Dorion), helping the hockey operations that your coach is comfortable with and players that will help the coach department, player development and being somebody who can help the win. organization. It’s important to have lots of information when you make “That’s the process everyone is going through, right now.” decisions and I’d like to think I’d be very good at gathering information. He likes the work coach D.J. Smith and the staff have done in their two “The biggest thing is just bring my experience and knowledge of the years behind the bench. league. I’ve been in the league for over 30 years. Over the last 23 years, I’ve had pretty much unfettered access to the league in terms of players “That group didn’t quit after a tough start last year and that was and management decisions. That’s something that’s pretty helpful. I felt phenomenal,” he said. “Their improvement in defensive zone coverage my conversations with Eugene and Pierre have been very fruitful and I’ve has been amazing. That’s coaching and he deserves a lot of credit along enjoyed them very much.” with Davis Payne and Jack Capuano.

McGuire is being brought in to support Dorion, because through the “They’ve done some really good things as a staff. I’ve been a head course of McGuire’s career at NBC he’s seen a lot of hockey and has an coach, assistant, I’ve coached with the winningest coach in the NHL encyclopedic knowledge of players. Dorion and McGuire have spoken by () so I’m aware of the pressures and I’ve walked in their phone several times in the last few weeks and met face-to-face on shoes. Saturday in Tremblant to discuss the role and the plan going forward. “I know what they go through on a day-to-day basis and that’s where I “(Dorion’s) vision for the team is really strong and I hope I can be that think I can help as well — both at the NHL and AHL level as well. You sounding board and that’s the plan. He’s got other people internally that can see things are starting to come through here.” he can bounce things off of as well,” McGuire said. “The amateur scouting department, led by Trent Mann, is phenomenal, their McGuire said the Senators have good depth in net and that’s the key to development program in Belleville led by Troy Mann has been great. anything. He’s confident goaltender Matt Murray can bounce back from There’s lots of people internally. his difficult first season.

“I’d like to think I can play a part in that.” “He’s won two Stanley Cups. There’s other guys, Filip Gustavsson, Joey Daccord, (Mads) Sogaard (down the road). Ottawa has positioned so A well-respected evaluator of talent, McGuire’s last job in the NHL was well. They’ve done a great job with depth in goal,” said McGuire. “It with the Senators. He has been with NBC since 2006, but started his reminds me of when Lou Lamoriello was in New Jersey and they had broadcasting career in radio in 1997 as a colour analyst on TSN radio’s Martin Brodeur, Chris Terreri, Mike Dunham, Craig Billington and Kirk Montreal Canadiens broadcasts for five seasons. He then worked for MacLean. It was unbelievable. TSN as a colour analyst on television for four years. “Ottawa’s depth in goal reminds me as being very much the same.” NBC network wrapped up its NHL coverage with Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday in Tampa. McGuire has been seeking the right fit in McGuire said he’s here to help any way he can. The Senators want to a hockey operations department. Making daily morning radio compete for a Stanley Cup and they’d like to push for a playoff spot next appearances on TSN 1200, McGuire has praised the work done by season. Dorion and believes the organization has the pieces in place to be a “I told Eugene that Pierre Dorion has done a phenomenal job. I have no contender down the road. interest in his job and my job is to help the organization with anything I’ve been really bullish on two teams in the league: One is the New York they want,” said McGuire. “I wanted to get back in. This was the perfect Rangers and the other is Ottawa. Just because they’ve had a vision for time in my career to get back in. I’ve had other opportunities over the how they want to build their team,” said McGuire. “With Ottawa, they’re course of my career. This was something that really appealed to me. I’m building the team the right away. They’ve got star players, a power really grateful for that. forward (Brady) Tkachuk, a tremendous defenceman in (Thomas) “I’m coming here to help this team get to the next level.” Chabot. They’ve made some amazing acquisitions, Connor Brown is a tremendous player and Josh Norris has been tremendous. McGuire will do his final radio hit with Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal on Monday and the next time he’s on the airwaves it will be in his role with “You look at Nikita Zaitsev and what he’s done. Artem Zub was a the Senators. He likes Melnyk and appreciates his honesty. fantastic signing and Austin Watson’s character has been tremendous. From outside, they’ve brought in good people and on the inside they’ve “I like how tough and no-nonsense he is,” McGuire said. “He wants to win done some really good things drafting and developing when you look at and he holds people accountable. There’s no messing around and you know exactly where you stand. That’s an important part for a team. He’s treated me honourably. He’s spoken to me very pointedly and honestly. We’ve had nothing but positive energy. From my standpoint, and every discussion we’ve had, it’s all about winning.

“I’ve been through different interviews for GM’s jobs over the years and this was one I really enjoyed.”

THE MCGUIRE FILE

WHAT: The Senators will name NBC’s Pierre McGuire as the senior VP of player development Monday.

PERSONAL Will turn 60 on Aug. 8. Was born in New Jersey, but grew up in Montreal.

EXPERIENCE: Was a defenceman at Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. Started his coaching career there and played briefly overseas. Also attended the New Jersey Devils training camp …

Was an assistant at St. Lawrence University … In 1980, he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a special assignment scout under Scotty Bowman. Was named an assistant when Bowman took over as head coach in 1991and won a Stanley Cup in 1992 …

Was hired as an assistant in Hartford in 1992 and was named the head coach in 1993 before being let go at the end of the season …

He was hired as a scout by the Senators later that year and was named an assistant coach in November, 1995.

He started his broadcasting career in 1996.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217280 Ottawa Senators he gave me was an hour I could never get somewhere else. I love talking to the guys who have experience. I loved talking to Jimmy Devellano.

“They give you an insight, they recall things, and I think McGuire can Melnyk calls McGuire a key piece of Sens' Stanley Cup drive bring this. There’s so much he’s seen and he’s done so many games I don’t think there’s anything he hasn’t seen before and nothing will surprise him. Where he’s at right now in his career, he’s basically seen it all.” Bruce Garrioch The Senators would like to acquire another defenceman and a Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021 centreman either through a trade or free agency. Contract talks with restricted free agents Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Victor Mete and others are under way. Eugene Melnyk wants to lend a hand to general manager Pierre Dorion. Melnyk wants this team to be competitive next season. And, the Ottawa Senators owner is hoping legendary former NBC broadcaster Pierre McGuire will be the right fit as the club’s Senior Vice- “There’s no more excuses. It’s showtime. We’ve done the rebuild. We’re President of Player Development. still building but we’re almost done,” said Melnyk.

While the Senators finished the season strong under coach D.J. Smith “The last couple of pieces have to be put into place. It’s no secret we and the organization made steps in the right direction, Melnyk wants the need a defensive defenceman and possibly a first-line centre and then as club to take the next step during the 2021-22 campaign by making the far as players are concerned I think we’ve covered it. playoffs and believes McGuire can be another piece to the puzzle in “There’s no more ‘we’re still in rebuild’. We’re here to play and, dammit, making that happen. we’re going to win.” Melnyk made it clear that Dorion is in charge of the club’s hockey operations and that won’t change with McGuire’s arrival. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 “He’s another piece and he’s going to be perfect for everything,” said Melnyk on Sunday. “(McGuire) just adds another piece to what is hopefully a Stanley Cup winning team. Our general manager and his group is second to none, our scouting is second to none and we have our coaching in place with a new goalies coach with D.J. and the assistants all lined up.

“We’re just missing a couple of pieces on the ice. We’re hoping with our drafts, our prospects and what we can acquire, it will lead to a perfect team. That’s what we’re after is perfection. (McGuire) adds an important piece to that and that includes helping find those gems that are out there as veterans that we can bring on to help our team.”

After this season ended on such a promising note, Melnyk reached out to Detroit Red Wings senior VP for some advice on what the organization needed to do to get back to the post-season and win a title.

McGuire was the name Devellano highly recommended because Melnyk wanted to have a person in place that knew the league. Commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly also backed the hiring of McGuire, who has been a colour analyst on NBC’s NHL broadcasts since 2006.

“I wanted someone that knew as many of the players as possible,” said Melnyk. “That’s one of the key elements is knowing who you’re acquiring. When I say ‘knowing them’ I mean you want to know that player’s, family, friends, who he hangs out with, who influenced him and everything possible to know you’re getting the right person.

“You can’t fly a plane and build it at the same time. You have to know what you have and you have to work with it. I’ve spent a lot of time with Pierre Dorion and D.J. on the phone about this and when you’re in the middle of a Stanley Cup run, there’s no time to figure out what’s wrong or right with your players. You’d better know. This is the time to do it and it’s very important to come in ready.

“I think (McGuire) has exceptional knowledge of the players around the league.”

Melnyk studied the possibility of bringing someone in two years ago that Dorion could bounce his ideas off in much the same way the late Bryan Murray did as a senior adviser, but couldn’t find the right fit.

“It’s good to have someone there with experience,” said Melnyk. “He used to have, God bless him, Bryan Murray. Bryan would mentor (Dorion), he would help him and he could bounce ideas or thoughts off him. Right now, he’s by far the most senior person and he has to have someone as wing man to help him during the hectic times of a Stanley Cup run.”

And he likes McGuire’s passion for the game.

“He likes nothing more than to talk hockey and that’s what I like to talk about,” Melnyk said. “It’s really a pleasure to talk to a guy that knows his stuff. I used to spend hours and hours with Bryan Murray and every hour 1217281 Ottawa Senators The inclusion of Melnyk in this statement, coupled with the fact the owner was the only one quoted in the official press release, leaves little doubt about who is ultimately in charge in Ottawa. When the Senators first hinted they would be hiring someone in this capacity, the feeling was that Pierre McGuire was one of the most polarizing NHL TV analysts. Now person might serve as a buffer between Dorion and Melnyk. Instead, he’s trying to bring stability to the Senators Monday’s announcement makes it clear that Dorion will still be reporting directly to Melnyk on all hockey matters.

“Obviously I’m the general manager. Pierre (McGuire) reports to me,” By Ian Mendes Dorion said on Monday. “He’ll be very present in everything that we do as Jul 12, 2021 far as hockey, but it was made very clear to me that he reports to me.”

Dorion, however, only has one year remaining on his contract and until he signs an extension, there will be rampant speculation about his future. If we’re keeping track, the quest to bolster the Ottawa Senators front Having McGuire waiting in the wings could be a distraction for Dorion, office officially took 842 days to complete. On March 23, 2019, the considering the longtime broadcaster never hid his desire to be a general Ottawa Senators sent out a statement confirming they were seeking a manager. veteran influence to help guide general manager Pierre Dorion. In speaking with the media on Monday, McGuire says he turned down “The Senators intend to hire a president of hockey operations to support multiple front-office positions with NHL teams over the years while he and provide guidance to the general manager and to fill the void left by was a national broadcaster in the United States. In one instance, he the late Bryan Murray,” the club said. says, he was offered a general manager’s position, but declined the offer because it only came with a two-year contract offer. The statement concluded by boasting, “The Ottawa Senators have become an attractive destination for hockey executives.” “I made a promise to the people at NBC at the time that I wouldn’t leave for anything less than four years. That was at that time. I’ve had other But in the months — and years — that followed, the search went opportunities,” said McGuire. “I’ve had opportunities to go back in mysteriously quiet. Either candidates weren’t interested or the Senators different situations, not just management but into some coaching did not appear to be serious about filling the role. Names such as Trevor situations as well, and I chose not to do it because I gave my word to the Linden, Glen Sather and were all bandied about, but the people at NBC over the last 10 years.” process never seemed to generate any traction. Now that he’s untethered from his broadcasting responsibilities, it stands On Monday, the club stunned the hockey world by unveiling Pierre to reason that McGuire would aspire to eventually assume a general McGuire as the newest addition to its staff. If the Senators intention was manager’s seat — whether it’s in Ottawa or elsewhere. to bring a calming, veteran presence inside their offices, they may have done the exact opposite with the hiring of McGuire. Dorion insisted he would not feel threatened by McGuire’s presence looking over his shoulder. The 59-year-old has become one of the most polarizing figures in the game, with his outgoing, assertive and opinionated personality leaving “Not at all. I think and I hope to be here for the long term, and I hope that little room for a grey area of judgment. There were audible snickers Pierre McGuire is a part of my team for the long term,” said Dorion. “We heard from across the hockey world on Monday, with McGuire critics all want ambitious people and people that are driven to work with us, and chuckling at the notion that somebody who hasn’t been with an NHL there’s no denying the fact that Pierre is ambitious, he’s driven, and I team since the mid-1990s could help resuscitate a franchise that has think that only makes us a better team. That only makes me a better missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. general manager. One thing is I never worry about my contract. If you start worrying about your contract in making decisions you’re going to Those detractors were also quick to share an article that was published make, then you’re not helping the organization.” in the Hartford Courant from May 21, 1994, when a local newspaper columnist eviscerated McGuire as an egotistical, control freak after he McGuire acknowledged that his role would be “multifaceted” with the was relieved from his head coaching duties by the Whalers. Senators, but he confirmed one of his responsibilities will be serving as a club spokesperson. During this rebuilding period, the Senators have “In 15 years of covering the NHL, we had never seen a coach so fumbled their external messaging with clumsy, awkward deliveries that universally disrespected and disliked within his own organization,” have missed the mark on several occasions. columnist Jeff Jacobs wrote. “McGuire fancied himself two parts Scotty Bowman and one part Bob Johnson. It turned out to be a superhuman Think “Unparalleled success.” leap of faith on his part. At 32, McGuire was the youngest head coach in the NHL. He never had been a head coach at any level. And it showed. Or “We’re a team.” He is book smart and X’s and O’s smart, but often not people smart. Or the video with Mark Borowiecki. When a young man is so headstrong, so emotional, so calculating, such a control freak, so full of ambition and so full of himself, he will either Having the broadcast-savvy McGuire help deliver key messages to the rocket to the top or crash.” fan base will be a crucial element of his job.

But it’s probably unfair to judge McGuire from a newspaper column that “There’s no question, it is part of the role,” McGuire said when asked is nearly three decades old. People evolve and change with time and about being a spokesperson. “That’s something Mr. Melnyk talked about McGuire’s defenders would staunchly argue he deserves a fresh when we met maybe one of the first two or three times via phone opportunity without carrying any baggage from Hartford. For his part, conversation. It’s something that I am comfortable with. I made my living McGuire insists he’s matured as a person since that unceremonious exit doing that for the last 20 years.” from Hartford and believes his temperament has evened out over the years. In those 20 years as a broadcaster, McGuire developed a reputation for delivering passionate commentary, often filled with tiny anecdotes about “I think the one thing that I’ve learned over time is how to be more patient a player’s high school or a random childhood connection. His and how to control my emotion,” McGuire explained on Monday. “I’m a photographic memory and exhaustive knowledge of hockey history were very intense person as most people know that have seen me work or often on display for a national television audience. have been working with me. And I think one thing I’ve learned over time as I’ve gotten older is to take a step back and evaluate a little bit more McGuire pioneered the position of game analyst between the benches at calmly and I think that’s a positive sign for me. I thought that was maybe ice level, reporting on the heated interactions among players, coaches a weakness that I had and I think it’s more of a positive sign for me.” and officials while the game played out in front of him. He has an intimate knowledge of the game from a unique vantage point and the Senators While he won’t carry the title of president of hockey operations, McGuire believe they can capitalize on McGuire’s years of experience from that will have a significant voice in all personnel matters, as he has been position. appointed senior vice president of player development. As the club’s official announcement indicated, “(McGuire) will work closely with “With his TV experience, you go in there and you’re unbiased on all the Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and team owner Eugene teams. And he comes in here and he’s unbiased,” says Dorion. “So I Melnyk as the team continues to develop into a Stanley Cup contender.” think him coming in here with his unbiased views I think is going to be really helpful for us making proper decisions, and he’ll be someone that obviously has a lot of input in a lot of the decisions that we’re going to make moving forward.”

But during his time on television, McGuire also garnered a reputation for being dismissive of the analytics community. On Monday, he was asked directly to comment on his feelings toward analytics, now that he’ll have a strong voice within the Senators hockey operations department.

“It’s not that I hate analytics, but I believe in scouting. I believe that there has to be people that are boots on the ground, hardcore hockey people that can actually evaluate a player without utilizing numbers and the player passes the eye test,” says McGuire. “I still don’t know if there’s an analytic equation for heart, for character, for hard work, for fearlessness, for determination. So that’s part of the formula that hardcore, boots on the ground scouting has to be. I don’t hate analytics. I think it’s a tool that can be utilized in any kind of evaluation, but I’m a big believer in boots on the ground scouting.”

McGuire may not lean in heavily on analytics, but he does have a personal team-building formula that he will likely try and help implement in Ottawa. He has often referred to it as his “7-Player Profile” and it’s McGuire’s belief that a championship roster must contain the following seven players:

“You build around those players and you can be very cap friendly,” explained McGuire. “And that formula works with any kind of market team — not just big market, medium market, small market — it works with any team.”

When asked how close the current edition of the Senators are to having the seven players he describes, McGuire responded by saying, “We’re probably three players away from it right now.”

As his Zoom media session concluded on Monday, McGuire was asked about having game results actually matter to him — rather than watching as a neutral observer. As the question concluded, McGuire clapped his hands together, hardly able to contain his excitement.

“Every day’s been like a Game 7 for me. I’m just so excited about it,” McGuire said with a big smile on his face. “It’s going to be a ton of fun. I know there’s going to be ups and downs.”

Ups and downs are all part of the Pierre McGuire experience. And in many ways, he’s the perfect hire for a Senators franchise that has been the embodiment of unpredictability over the past few years. If the Senators needed another card to play in their game of “us against the world” McGuire probably represents the ace in the deck.

If he can help turn the Senators into a Stanley Cup contender, McGuire will have authored one of the greatest redemption stories in recent NHL history. If he fails, there will be no shortage of detractors waiting to celebrate his demise.

Just like the opinions on McGuire, it feels like there is no middle ground here. Either this is going to be a resounding success or a disastrous failure.

And this time around, the Ottawa Senators are banking on the fact that McGuire can rocket to the top — instead of crashing.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217282 Ottawa Senators control over his situation, as he holds a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of 20 teams he would be willing to accept as a destination. Though Ottawa may not make his initial list, the Senators could offer Johnson an opportunity to regain his top-six status playing Who are some realistic trade targets for the Senators ahead of the alongside a collection of young wingers like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle Kraken expansion draft? and Drake Batherson.

Victor Rask: If the Senators are truly searching for a one-year placeholder to allow Pinto to develop in the AHL, then Rask could be the By Ian Mendes perfect fit in Ottawa. Rask’s three seasons in Minnesota have been Jul 12, 2021 plagued by injuries and inconsistency, but there were some brief windows during this past season when he flourished in between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. The 28-year-old probably doesn’t have the offensive upside of Henrique or Johnson, but his contract term could For the past several months, Ottawa Senators fans have been anxiously make Rask slightly more appealing to Ottawa. waiting for this week in the NHL’s offseason calendar. Alex Kerfoot: In many ways, Kerfoot would be a perfect target for Ottawa. There is a widely held belief within the Ottawa fan base that general The soon-to-be 27-year-old doesn’t get the offensive chances playing manager Pierre Dorion is sitting in a perfect position to improve his club behind Auston Matthews and John Tavares in Toronto, but he could ahead of the Seattle expansion draft. The Senators are one of the rare probably flirt with the 50-point plateau if given second-line duties. Not teams who have no expansion protection or salary-cap issues to worry only is his contract extremely reasonable, but he also fits into the right about, making them the ideal trading partner for clubs who may be facing age bracket to potentially help Ottawa for several seasons. The Leafs significant challenges on either of those two fronts. have already made one cap-related trade with the Senators in the past, Before Saturday’s deadline for teams to submit their protected lists to the sending Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown to Ottawa in summer 2019. league office, general managers will be frantically working the phones to Would they do it again? My guess would be no, but stranger things have ensure they have done due diligence with their rosters. Though there are happened. certain to be some side deals made with Seattle GM Ron Francis, many J.T. Compher: Colorado is certainly going to be a team with protection general managers may have learned their lesson from the Vegas issues, and our Avalanche beat reporter, Peter Baugh, believes Compher expansion draft in 2017 and might be more willing to work with other could be one of the forwards left exposed. In Baugh’s projection, he sees teams to maximize the value on their assets. And that’s where a team the Avalanche protecting Nazem Kadri ahead of Compher, but a lot of like Ottawa can enter the equation and use their situation — with cap Ottawa fans are curious about Kadri’s availability. Whichever route Joe space and flexibility with their expansion protection list — to their Sakic decides, it should leave a decent veteran centre — either Kadri or advantage. Compher — available. Over the past few weeks, my counterparts with The Athletic have pieced Sam Steel: Our Ducks reporter, Eric Stephens, suggests Anaheim might together projected expansion protected lists for each of their clubs, giving be one of the rare teams that protects four defencemen in the expansion us a good idea of which players might be available this week. So process, and if that comes to fruition, Sam Steel may be left exposed. knowing the Senators are in the market for a veteran centre and The 23-year-old is a first-round pick who might have as much offensive defenceman, I have scoured The Athletic’s projected lists from all of our upside as anybody on this list. His role in Anaheim was limited to just writers to create a comprehensive list of players who could be suitable over 14 minutes per game this past season, but he did win 52.8 percent targets for the Senators this week. of his faceoffs and carried a 14.3 shooting percentage. I have decided to leave out the list of players who could be unrestricted Potential right-handed defencemen available on the market this week free agents in two weeks, instead focusing on the players who are still under team control for this coming season and beyond. These are There is no question the Senators want to add to their blue line for next players whom teams might be interested in trading over the course of the season, but one question constantly arises: Do they need help on the next few days — rather than losing them to Seattle with nothing in return. right or left side?

The Senators appear comfortable with Josh Norris as a centre heading The case for bolstering the right side is often linked to Jacob Bernard- into next season, but after him, they have a lot of questions down the Docker, a first-round pick who may end up starting next season in the middle. Are the Senators ready for Shane Pinto to elevate into a regular AHL. If that’s the case, the Senators might be looking for help on that NHL centre or would they prefer to let him spend a year developing right side in October, as there could be an opening. Zaitsev and Artem under the tutelage of Troy Mann in the AHL? What role does Colin White Zub appear to have spots locked down, and Josh Brown is third on the play, especially considering he carries a $4.75 million cap hit? Does depth chart. Chris Tierney fit here or are they ready to part ways with the veteran centre? The Senators had some success with Brown in the lineup down the stretch, posting a 7-2-1 record in his final 10 games of the regular season All of these questions, combined with Eugene Melnyk’s podcast before he was sidelined with a broken foot. Do they feel comfortable comments a few weeks ago, lead us to believe the Senators are seeking enough going with him as a regular third-pairing defenceman on the right a veteran centre to help solidify the club down the middle next season. side? Or would they prefer to have him play a depth role and serve as Based on the projected list from my colleagues, here is the list of centres the seventh defenceman? We might get that answer this week. who could be trade bait in the next few days; Matt Dumba: For a lot of Senators fans, Dumba would be the preferred Adam Henrique: I’ve written about the potential fit for Henrique in Ottawa option. The cap hit for Dumba, however, might make this hard to handle in the past and I do think it’s something the club would consider for Ottawa, considering they’ve already got Thomas Chabot booked in at exploring, especially when you consider his previous connection to $8 million. Can they afford to also lock in Dumba for $6 million in the next Senators head coach D.J. Smith from their OHL days in Windsor. Our two seasons? Absolutely they should be able to fit him in because Ducks beat writer Eric Stephens has reported Anaheim might be willing Ottawa is not in danger of being a cap team any time soon. But acquiring to eat up to 50 percent of Henrique’s remaining contract, which could him probably pushes Ottawa into a win-now mode before Dumba hits bring his cap hit down under $3 million for the team that acquires him. unrestricted free agency in summer 2023. He’s unequivocally the best But the three-year term is potentially the bigger red flag here, as defenceman on this list, but are the Senators willing to pay for an asset Henrique will be 34 during the final season of his deal. who could walk out the door when they’re hopefully ready to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in two years? There is also Dumba’s Tyler Johnson: At some point this week, the Stanley Cup champions are no-trade clause to work around, which allows him to submit a list of 10 expected to aggressively try to shed some salary, and Johnson’s name teams where he would not accept a trade. Chasing Dumba this week will once again be on the radar. The 30-year-old has gone unclaimed on might be a case of wishful thinking for Ottawa fans. waivers multiple times, so the price to acquire him should theoretically be very low. He’s shown flashes of brilliance — like his two-goal Colin Miller: Miller was the player the Bruins lost to Vegas in the performance in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final — but he’s a couple of expansion draft in 2017, and the defenceman went on to be a central years removed from being the dynamic centre on Tampa’s triplet line with figure in the Golden Knights’ march to the Stanley Cup Final in their Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat. Johnson does have some degree of inaugural season. He was a key contributor to the Golden Knights special teams unit, racking up five goals and 17 points on the power play that However, he doesn’t have the same penalty kill experience and top-four season. So maybe the Kraken have indicated to Buffalo that Miller would upside as Graves, which would make him a downgrade from the Avs be an ideal fit for them in this upcoming season. But if that’s not the case defenceman. and Miller is available, he might be a worthwhile option for the Senators to consider. Robert Hagg: If the Senators are looking to add a tougher element to their left side, Hagg might be a suitable option. He led all NHL Markus Nutivaara: If the Panthers leave Nutivaara exposed, he could be defencemen in hits in 2018-19 with 258, and with a 6-foot-2 frame, he a nice addition to the blue line in Ottawa. With just one year remaining on would serve as a bigger body versus either Mete or Brannstrom. Hagg is his deal before he becomes a UFA next summer, he could serve as the scheduled to be a UFA next summer, so he could serve as a solid perfect placeholder on the right side until Bernard-Docker is ready to placeholder until Sanderson arrives on the scene. assume full-time duties. He’s someone who doesn’t play a lot in special teams situations but is a reliable defenceman with almost 300 games of Vincent Dunn: Dunn was a regular in the Blues lineup during the Stanley NHL experience. Cup playoff run in 2019, but he might be left exposed in the expansion draft thanks to a deep lineup in St. Louis that includes Colton Parayko, Justin Braun: The 34-year-old Braun was a fixture on some very good Torey Krug and Justin Faulk on the back end. Dunn brings a little bit San Jose teams over the past decade. He settled into a third-pairing more of an offensive element than the other defencemen like Graves, situation in Philadelphia last season and that’s likely where he would slot Soucy and Hagg on, but he also will require a new contract for next in Ottawa. He brings a wealth of experience to the table, but the Senators season. He made $1.875 million last season and would likely be seeking would have to ask themselves how much of an upgrade he would be a raise from that number. over a defenceman like Josh Brown. Jake Bean: In some ways, Bean is like the Hurricanes version of Logan Robert Bortuzzo: The 32-year-old Bortuzzo is likely going to be exposed Brown — just on the blue line. After being taken 13th in the 2016 NHL by St. Louis and could bring some playoff experience to Ottawa’s back Draft, Bean has appeared in just 44 games for the Hurricanes. Like Dunn end. He appeared in 17 playoff games with St. Louis during its Stanley he will be seeking a new contract this summer, but with a limited resume Cup run in 2019, serving in a bottom-pairing capacity. in the NHL, it’s hard to imagine him having too much leverage in this situation. Bean had some success in the AHL during the 2019-20 Ilya Lyubushkin: If the Coyotes leave Lyubushkin exposed, he would campaign, producing 48 points in 59 games with Charlotte. Perhaps he certainly be an intriguing target just based on his contract situation alone. just needs an opportunity to showcase his talents at the NHL level. He has one year left on his deal that pays him only $1.35 million before he becomes a UFA next summer, which makes him a very low-risk In closing this column, there is one thing to consider if Ottawa does proposition for Ottawa. But like a lot of other defenders on this list, acquire a defenceman this week — regardless of which side he plays. Lyubushkin rarely saw time on either special teams unit last season. The Senators would run into an interesting protection dilemma of their own as it pertains to their defencemen. Jan Rutta: Tampa should have plenty of quality players available ahead of the expansion draft and the 30-year-old Ruuta will certainly be one of For the sake of this exercise, let’s suggest the Senators have been able them. He was a bottom-pairing defenceman who appeared in all 23 of to swing a deal to land Graves from the Avalanche for a couple of draft Tampa Bay’s playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup this season. picks. Ottawa would now have to protect Graves, which would present a challenge on the back end. In this scenario, the Senators would certainly Matt Benning: For a sixth-round pick, Benning has carved out a nice NHL protect Graves and Chabot, leaving one more slot for a defenceman to career for himself with more than 300 career games. He became a be protected. reliable option on the penalty kill for Nashville last season, finishing second among all defencemen in short-handed TOI (107:11). Fortunately, Zub and Brannstrom are exempt from the draft because of their status, so it comes down to choosing between Zaitsev and Mete. Cal Foote: I have brought up his name in the past, and it bears repeating The Senators might feel comfortable exposing Zaitsev, figuring Seattle that the 22-year-old Foote could be the ideal option for the Senators. The wouldn’t want to take on three more years with a cap hit of $4.5 million. first-round pick has not been able to crack Tampa’s roster of talented But they may also feel more comfortable exposing Mete in that situation, defencemen and perhaps he could thrive in a different situation. At 6- knowing the left side of the defence would be well taken care of with the foot-3 and 210 pounds, he would provide a sizeable presence on the likes of Chabot, Graves, Brannstrom — and Sanderson waiting on deck. back end for Ottawa. And given his age, he could grow with this group and be a part of the equation for more than just one season. Whatever the case, the Senators could have an opportunity to improve themselves this week, and adding a defenceman like Graves to the mix Potential left-handed defencemen available on the market this week would certainly mitigate any potential losses to Seattle in the expansion Depending on how you look at the Senators’ situation, they might already draft. be set on the left side on their blue line for next season. Thomas Chabot will certainly be the No. 1 defenceman, and both Erik Brannstrom and Victor Mete should slot in behind him. Factor in that Jake Sanderson The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 should enter the equation next spring and there is an argument to be made that Ottawa doesn’t need to tinker with the left side of their defence.

However, if they spend all of next season with Mete and Brannstrom playing on a regular basis, they could be slightly undersized on that side. So when looking at the potential options on the left side, it stands to reason the Senators might be looking for a bigger body.

Ryan Graves: The Avalanche are going to have a tough time protecting Graves, and the defenceman would check a lot of the boxes for Ottawa. His age (26), size (6-foot-5) and contract status (two years, $3.16 million AAV) could make him the ideal fit for the Senators. Last season, Graves finished second among all NHL defencemen in short-handed TOI (178:57) — a crucial part of a Colorado penalty kill unit that ranked No. 5 in the NHL. Graves also doesn’t have any no-trade protection, so the Avalanche are able to shop him to any interested clubs without any strings attached. If Sakic is worried about losing Graves for nothing in the expansion draft, the Senators should be able to offer enough draft picks or young assets (who don’t require expansion protection) to make this work for both sides.

Carson Soucy: If the Senators determine Dumba doesn’t fit their needs, they could always stay on the line to chat with Minnesota GM about Soucy. He brings the exact same age and size to the table as Graves, for a slightly cheaper cost (two years, $2.75 million AAV). 1217283 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers turn Oskar Lindblom T-shirts into $50,000 for Ewing’s sarcoma research

by Ed Barkowitz

Updated Jul 12, 2021

Like a stone tossed into a still lake, the Oskar Lindblom story continues to have ripple effects.

The latest is a $50,000 grant that Flyers’ Charities will present to Dr. Margaret Chou, an associate professor and cancer researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since 2019.

The money was raised by the Flyers selling “Oskar Strong” T-shirts at home games as well as other fundraising activities following Lindblom’s diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma in December 2019.

“This will help us move research forward on this type of cancer at a really critical time,” said Chou. “This is a really rare cancer. Not a lot of people have heard about it, and that’s a problem. If people don’t hear about it, they don’t care about it.”

Lindblom beat the cancer last summer and returned to the Flyers in time for the 2019-20 postseason bubble. He played in 50 of 56 games in 2020-21.

As expected, Lindblom’s ice time last season needed managing as the compacted schedule often left players little time for recovery between games. Like most of his teammates, his numbers were down (eight goals, minus-9 rating), though he did manage to get into his first NHL fight.

Lindblom last month became the fourth Flyer to win the Masterton trophy, given by the Professional Hockey Writers Association for perseverance and dedication to the game. (1972), Tim Kerr (1989), and Ian Laperriere (2011) are the other Flyers to have won.

The grant, officially known as the Philadelphia Flyers Community Research Grant in Honor of Oskar Lindblom, will formally be presented on Wednesday. It was awarded through the Sarcoma Foundation of America. Money is the lifeblood for scientists trying to eradicate disease, and this will help.

Fans hold up signs in support of the Flyers' Oskar Lindblom on Dec. 17, 2019 during a game against Anaheim.

“Every day at SFA we hear stories about people who are diagnosed or people who didn’t make it, and we take it so personally,” said Brandi Felser, SFA’s chief executive officer. “These are people who are literally fighting for their lives, so it’s up to us to fight for them.”

Sarcomas, Felser pointed out, account for about 1% of adult cancers but anywhere from 15-20% of those in children. That is why CHOP is so dedicated.

Lindblom, at 23, was relatively old when he was diagnosed with his sarcoma. Thanks largely to chemotherapy treatments he received at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, he will turn 25 on Aug. 15.

Chou said Ewing’s sarcoma diagnoses often have fatal outcomes within five years for patients who do not respond to chemotherapy. Her team is working on developing cancer immunotherapy, a treatment that has shown success in other cancers but not yet for Ewing’s sarcoma.

“When you think about breast, colon, lung, and skin cancers, those are really common cancers,” Chou said. “Everybody knows people who’ve been affected by them. Everybody donates to them. But these rare kind of cancers, the kind that Oskar had. People don’t know about it, so it’s underfunded.”

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217284 Philadelphia Flyers New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

For return, let’s keep in mind that no two trades are exactly alike, and it’s Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, especially difficult to come up with comparables considering that the Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues salary cap will be stuck at $81.5 million in 2021-22 and likely longer. But we wanted to find some similar examples in recent years to help set up some parameters. Here are a couple of moves we looked at:

By Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman The Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba trades featured a return of what we will call an A-grade future (Nick Suzuki and the first-round pick) plus a Jul 12, 2021 good young NHL-proven player (Tomas Tatar and Neal Pionk).

Given the unique circumstances of the current situation — a flat cap, an It’s been five days since The Athletic first reported that star Blues right expansion draft looming and Tarasenko having injury concerns and a full winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade. no-trade clause but also two years left on his contract — it is likely the return for Tarasenko will be a downgrade from that, but we can still use it It hasn’t been a perfect marriage, but it’s still surreal to think that the as a starting point. organization’s purest goal scorer since Brett Hull may have played his last game in the Blue Note. In order to come up with potential trade packages, we roped in The Athletic’s prospects guru Corey Pronman. Tarasenko has two years remaining on his eight-year, $60 million contract, and there’s no guarantee that Blues general manager Doug Here’s what we came up with: Armstrong will find a suitable trade before the start of the 2021-22 Rangers season. But a split is where this is headed, and it wouldn’t seem wise to keep a disgruntled player on the roster much longer — especially one Overview: It’s been a shocking summer in New York, where new GM and who, according to sources, has questioned how the team’s medical staff president Chris Drury and head coach Gerard Gallant are now in charge. handled his surgically repaired left shoulder. The Rangers have played in just one postseason series in the past four years (they were swept by Carolina in the 2019-20 qualifying round), so How does Armstrong make this work, though, when the Blues are saying the pressure will be on even with a new regime. There’s been a lot of their championship window is still open and operating near the NHL’s speculation in the Big Apple about being the landing spot for Buffalo’s $81.5 million salary cap? Does he trade for an established player or a Jack Eichel, which would take priority over a Tarasenko deal. package that may include prospects or draft picks? Does he dump salary and use it on another position? If so, how much of Tarasenko’s salary will Potential trade package: Right winger Vitali Kravtsov and left-shot the Blues have to retain? defenseman Libor Hajek

It’s all part of a complex equation. Rutherford’s thoughts: The Rangers could have drafted Tarasenko in 2010, but at No. 10, they took defenseman Dylan McIlrath. He spent just Since news of the trade request surfaced, many have suggested that the 38 games in New York and is now with Detroit’s AHL affiliate. Do they Blues should leave Tarasenko unprotected in the upcoming Seattle want Tarasenko 11 years later? He’d love to play with his pal Artemi expansion draft. Teams are required to submit their protected lists by Panarin, but they need a center and some grit. This trade could be Saturday, and the draft will be held on July 21. plausible, though, if the Blues are getting either Kravtsov or Pavel If only it were as easy as the Kraken taking Tarasenko off the books and Buchnevich, along with Hajek, who may be available because the the Blues using the $7.5 million of salary-cap space that freed up to Rangers have better young defensemen in the pipeline. upgrade the roster, either in a trade or free agency. Pronman’s thoughts: The Rangers have a ton of good wingers, so in Seattle GM Ron Francis has a blank canvas with the Kraken, but while order to make this deal work in all likelihood one has to go the other way. the expansion club has announced that it will be spending to the cap, Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are non-starters, so the most obvious would he commit nearly 10 percent of that to a 29-year-old winger who candidate is Kravtsov. He was a top 10 pick by the Rangers, but it would hasn’t looked the same since having three shoulder surgeries? be fair to say if you redid that draft now, based on talks with NHL scouts, he would go in the teens or 20s in all likelihood. He is a highly skilled In addition to Tarasenko’s health history, there may be concerns about playmaker with size whose game lacks speed. Hajek is a very good how his now-public rift with the Blues will be perceived by teams skating defenseman with a good frame but lacks ideal skill and puck- interested in him. moving instincts.

Furthermore, Tarasenko left his longtime agent, Mike Liut, this summer Islanders and joined Paul Theofanous. As it relates to the Kraken, Liut and Francis are second cousins and were teammates in Hartford, so Francis would Overview: The Islanders have been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup Final have a deeper understanding of Tarasenko at his disposal, and with the the past two seasons, falling to Tampa Bay in the semifinals both years, recent split between Liut and Tarasenko, you’d have to wonder about including a Game 7 loss last month. How will GM Lou Lamoriello Liut’s honest opinion. respond? It’s unlikely he’ll want to alter the Islanders’ foundation, but he could still make a substantial splash to help get them over the hump. The For those wondering about Seattle taking Tarasenko in the expansion Isles are a hardworking team with balanced scoring but could benefit draft and flipping him in a trade — a la Vegas in 2017 — the question from a player like Tarasenko, who, when clicking, can be instant offense. might become: “If Armstrong is having even a little bit of trouble trading him, why would Francis make that his problem?” Potential trade package: Right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson, left winger Michael Dal Colle That’s why it probably makes sense for the Blues to leave Tarasenko off their protected list. Finding the right deal will probably take more time Rutherford’s thoughts: After Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk, the Blues than the upcoming expansion-draft deadline provides. From there, if the are thin on the right side of their defense, so Dobson would be a nice Kraken pick him, the Blues move on. And if they don’t, then the Blues pickup. But if the Islanders are giving up the 21-year-old Dobson, they’re were able to protect another forward in the draft — and continue to look going to want Vince Dunn in the deal, even though Dobson is a righty for the right spot to ship Tarasenko. and Dunn is a lefty. If Lamoriello were making a trade for Tarasenko, he’d probably prefer to give up left winger Anthony Beauvillier, 24, who As far as The Athletic can gauge at the moment, that’s the most likely would be a lot more intriguing than Dal Colle, who was the No. 5 pick in scenario: a trade. And according to sources, Tarasenko has given the 2014 and has just eight career goals. Blues a list that includes as many as 10 teams for which he’d approve a deal. Pronman’s thoughts: The Islanders’ farm system is a little on the thin side, so their two best trade options are their 2018 first-round picks in So who are those clubs and what could the return for the Blues look like? Dobson and winger Oliver Wahlstrom. You can interchange which one of those two to use here if Islanders fans are particularly infuriated by one In conversations the past few days with sources familiar with Tarasenko’s or the other being offered up. Both are very good young players who list, we’ve come up with five teams that could be trade possibilities: the haven’t taken that big step to becoming core parts of a lineup. Dal Colle, also a high pick, is a skilled big winger, but due to a lack of footspeed, prospect with top-six forward potential. It would be between him and he’s had a hard time becoming a useful NHL player. defenseman Cam York for the future asset used here. Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose NHL performance has been up and down in Golden Knights his first few years in the league but is a useful big leaguer.

Overview: Vegas will remain one of the top teams in the Western There are other possible destinations for Tarasenko, but as you can see, Conference in 2021-22, even after being upset by Montreal in this year’s there are a lot of moving parts and possibilities. You may disagree with playoffs. The undoing of the Golden Knights was their power play, which some of the scenarios, but our goal, for now, was to provide a list of ranked dead last among the 16 playoff teams (9.3 percent). Tarasenko legitimate clubs where there may be mutual interest, as well as put netted 17 power-play goals for the Blues in 2018-19 (including the names on the players who may be available. playoffs), but he has just four PP goals the past two years in 42 games.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Nicolas Roy The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Rutherford’s thoughts: First Ryan Reaves and Alex Pietrangelo, and now Tarasenko? It’s the “Blues West.” I see why a star like Tarasenko would want to play in Vegas, but will the Golden Knights be interested? They have so many wingers that Alex Tuch, who was tied for third on the team with 18 goals last season, was relegated to the third line. It’s hard to imagine the Blues fetching a first-round pick (even No. 29) for Tarasenko due to his injury situation, and it’s also hard to see Vegas giving up Roy, a center, when the Knights need help at center.

Pronman’s thoughts: Putting in Peyton Krebs would likely be too much for Vegas to handle from a futures standpoint, but I don’t get the sense around the league Brendan Brisson would do it, so the Golden Knights’ first-round pick this summer, No. 29, would be the future used. They’ll have to give a bit more on the current player side than Roy, who is a useful, if not a good, NHL player. Vegas fans likely will squirm at the idea of giving up someone who can play the middle given their depth chart, but ideally Krebs or Cody Glass can step in and play the middle.

Bruins

Overview: Boston has $30 million in projected salary-cap space in 2021- 22, but the Bruins have some high-end unrestricted free agents they’re trying to bring back. For starters, there’s Taylor Hall and David Krejci, and then there’s goalie Tuukka Rask, and also don’t forget they’ve been linked to the Eichel rumors in Buffalo. Boston appears set at right wing with David Pastrnak and Craig Smith, and the Bruins have a more pressing need on left defense. But if they can’t get the top-six talent they’re after, perhaps Tarasenko becomes an option.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Trent Frederic

Rutherford’s thoughts: The Blues would make this deal yesterday. The Bruins’ first-round pick is No. 20, and with the Blues already possessing the No. 16 pick, Armstrong would have two of the top 20 selections in the draft. I’m assuming the Blues would be retaining salary in this proposal, but even if they’re off the hook for some of the $7.5 million, it would allow them to spend that money on another position. Meanwhile, they’d be adding some sandpaper in the St. Louisan, Frederic, and it worked out pretty well the last time a player put on the hometown uniform (Pat Maroon).

Pronman’s thoughts: Boston doesn’t have a lot of premium futures unless they part with Jack Studnicka, which seems unlikely, so using its first- round pick this summer seems the most logical trade asset. Frederic is a competitive, smart forward with size who lacks standout speed or skill for the NHL level.

Flyers

Overview: After a rewarding 2019-20 season for Philadelphia, which saw the Flyers finish with the league’s sixth-best record and Alain Vigneault be among the three finalists for the coach of the year award, this past season was a major step back. They closed at No. 19 in the standings, missed the playoffs and are facing a pivotal offseason. But with improved goaltending and a few other players returning to previous form, a bounce-back year is possible. Still, GM Chuck Fletcher’s club could use a shoot-first, goal-scoring threat like Tarasenko.

Rutherford’s thoughts: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman.

Pronman’s thoughts: I realize this package looks very similar to the Flyers one proposed for Seth Jones. I never said we were overly creative. Frost was injured all season but is still considered a very good 1217285 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins hire new scouts, minor league coach

SETH RORABAUGH

Monday, July 12, 2021 11:15 a.m.

Penguins integrated development coach Brett Hextall was a sixth-round pick (No. 159 overall) of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008.

The Penguins have hired four new scouts as well as a new coach for their minor league system.

Brett Hextall, son of general manager Ron Hextall, was named as an integrated development coach. In his role, Brett Hextall will primarily work with prospects at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. Previously, the 33-year-old Hextall worked as a development coach for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-20. Part of his tenure with the Flyers came while his father was that franchise’s general manager.

Brett Hextall was a sixth-round pick (No. 159 overall) of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008 but never played in the NHL.

Will Acton, Kerry Huffman, Alexander Khavanov and Matt Mangene were hired as scouts.

Acton and Huffman will serve as professional scouts.

The 33-year-old Acton, played in 33 career NHL games as a forward and scored five points (two goals, three assists) for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2010s. He most recently played for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers of (DEL) during the 2019-20 season. He is the son of former NHL forward and coach , a former teammate of Ron Hextall during their playing career with the Flyers.

Huffman, 53, also was a teammate of Ron Hextall during their playing careers as members of the Flyers and in the 1980s and 1990s. Also spending time with the Ottawa Senators, Huffman, a defenseman, appeared in 401 career games and scored 145 points (37 goals, 108 assists).

For the past five seasons, Huffman has served as an assistant coach with the , AHL affiliate of the Flyers.

Khavanov will serve as an amateur European scout with a focus on his native Russia.

The 49-year-old Khavanov spent parts of four seasons with the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs as a defenseman in the 2000s. In 348 career games, Khavanov had 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists).

Mangene, 32, will serve as a amateur free agent scout and oversee draft- eligible players in North America. A veteran of nine AHL seasons, Mangene recently retired as player after spending the 2020-21 season as a forward with Villacher SV in Austria’s ICE Hockey League.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217286 Pittsburgh Penguins A goaltender during his 13-year playing career with the Red Wings, Penguins, Maple Leafs and Kings, Rutherford saw first-hand how the league’s expansion led to greater opportunities for players.

Over 50 years, the NHL's expansion drafts have changed dramatically “It was exciting,” Rutherford said. “It was exciting for the players because when you’re around trying to get into the NHL in a six-team league, that didn’t provide much of an opportunity for guys that were capable of playing in the league. The minors, at that point in time, there were more SETH RORABAUGH minor leagues. The caliber of play in the minors was exceptional. The Monday, July 12, 2021 9:44 a.m. opportunity for everybody in hockey, coaches, managers, trainers, players, when the league doubled, was great.

After absorbing the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec The Penguins lost goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Vegas Golden Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets in 1979 through the WHA merger, the Knights in the 2017 expansion draft. league sat at 21 teams until 1991 when the San Jose Sharks joined for an expansion fee of $45 million. Jim Rutherford has a pretty good appreciation for the process of the NHL’s expansion draft. In 1992, the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning ($45 million) were formed then in 1993, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida He’s watched it as a fan, benefited from it as a player and dealt with it as Panthers ($50 million) pushed the league to 26 teams. a general manager. By 2000, there were 30 teams. Having grown up rooting for the last Stanley Cup-winning teams of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1960s, the Beeton, Ont., native remembers “People were concerned,” said Rutherford, who resigned as Penguins seeing the NHL double in size from the so-called “original six” teams to general manager in February. “Will the league get watered down? But 12 during the league’s 1967 expansion that introduced the Pittsburgh based on what I’m seeing, it hasn’t. It’s created more parity. But with all Penguins, the team Rutherford eventually would play for. the tools that these kids have right from when they start playing hockey, the technology and the coaching they get and expanding the base of not Roughly half a century later, Rutherford was the Penguins’ general just taking players out of Canada or North America, going into Europe, manager and had to determine which players he would expose in the it’s been great for the game and the players.” 2017 expansion draft for the league’s 31st team, the Vegas Golden Knights, to sort through and select. Having taken over as the Whalers’ general manager in 1994 and overseeing that franchise’s transition into the Carolina Hurricanes in In a week and a half, he’ll likely be a spectator as a 32nd team, the 1997, Rutherford dealt with expansion drafts in the late 1990s and early incoming Seattle Kraken, cobbles together a roster when the NHL’s latest 2000s. In total, he lost four mid-level players: Forward Jeff Daniels expansion draft is held July 21. (1998), goaltender Trevor Kidd (1999), defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn In some capacity, Rutherford has watched every expansion draft the NHL and forward Robert Kron (2000 each). has orchestrated. The contrasts between the drafts for Seattle and Vegas “It was more a matter of business,” Rutherford said. “It just was what it and their predecessors are quite vivid. was. You just did what you could. … All those players were guys that “The biggest difference from the Vegas draft and the Seattle draft contributed to Carolina.” compared to prior drafts is … they paid a lot more money to get in the By the 2017 expansion draft, the league’s economic landscape was league and they deserve to get a chance to be competitive right from the dramatically different thanks to the salary cap that was introduced in start — and Vegas was very competitive,” Rutherford said. “Because of 2005. that, the expansion rules are pretty favorable to the expansion team with the amount of players that each (incumbent) team can protect.” The presence of the salary cap was, in part, what led to the Penguins opting to expose franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and allowing The Kraken paid a sum of $650 million to join the league while the Vegas to select him. It also prompted the Penguins to deal away a Golden Knights entered the NHL for a tidy $500 million. As a result, they second-round pick in the 2020 entry draft to the Golden Knights to were/will be able to select some fairly high-end players compared to who guarantee they selected Fleury instead of some other player they did not was available to previous expansion teams. protect. In contrast, the league’s most previous expansion around the turn of the “Oh, (the cap has) changed it dramatically, “Rutherford said. “We know century saw the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild each enter first-hand here in Pittsburgh how much it changed. We weren’t looking to the league for $80 million in 2000s. The Nashville Predators (1998) and get Fleury out of here. But with what his cap hit was and where it was (1999) also paid $80 million apiece. going to go to, that’s what led to that decision. You saw other deals that In 1967, the Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Vegas made because of the cap.” , Oakland Seals and St. Louis Blues each ponied Given the NHL’s salary cap has remained flat at $81.5 million because of up $2 million to join the NHL, roughly the cost of a third-pairing ramifications from the pandemic, Rutherford suggests the practice of defenseman by today’s standards. incumbent teams dealing future assets such as draft picks to the Kraken Those six franchises were placed into a West Division while the in order to get them to take specific players off their payrolls will only be incumbent six teams were placed into an East Division. Such a format amplified compared to the 2017 expansion draft. led to the Blues reaching the Stanley Cup final in their first three seasons “You’re going to see a bunch of them here with Seattle I’m sure where and getting swept by the powerful Montreal Canadiens (1968 and 1969) other teams are going to try to get relief,” Rutherford said. “I thought at and the Boston Bruins (1970). one point, Seattle wasn’t going to have the same benefit that Vegas did “St. Louis did a good job of that because they always had good because one-time through, the general managers might approach it a goaltending. They had Glenn Hall, they had Jacques Plante. … Scotty little different. But because the (salary) cap didn’t grow because of Bowman was the coach,” Rutherford said. “They put in some important (covid-19), it’s a flat cap here now and certainly not what teams pieces to have a competitive team. Because of the coaching and the expected. I would expect there’s going to be a number of teams calling good goaltending, they were able to at least compete right through to the (Kraken general manager) Ron Francis trying to get him to take a player (Stanley Cup Final).” the same way we did with Fleury to Vegas.”

Rutherford entered the NHL as a member of the Detroit Red Wings in While the expansion draft has changed dramatically over 50 years, 1970, the same year the NHL expanded again, adding the Buffalo Rutherford suggests one attribute that has endured over all this time is Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. The and New York the opportunity it offers for players on the move. Islanders joined in 1972 while the City Scouts and Washington “The biggest thing was when you were looking a player off your team, Capitals entered in 1974. All six of those teams paid an expansion fee of one of your teammates, you wondered who was going to fill that hole,” $6 million. Rutherford said. “A player going to a new team could actually benefit sometimes. Like when a player gets traded sometimes, you don’t want to get traded but sometimes it gives a player a chance to start over, get a fresh start and players can excel in those situations.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217287 Pittsburgh Penguins waned once he saw some playing time under current general manager Ron Hextall.

In the AHL, he got some much-needed seasoning playing top-six minutes Penguins A to Z: Can Drew O'Connor graduate to the NHL? and showed he could adapt to the professional game, albeit at a lower level.

A power-forward with some size, O’Connor is one of the largest players SETH RORABAUGH in the organization, admittedly in a field of mostly compact bodies. That said, he’s not a particularly vicious or physical entity on the ice. Monday, July 12, 2021 9:00 a.m. After some growing pains during his cup of coffee at the NHL level, he

showed he could be a productive entity in the AHL. Does that mean he’s Pittsburgh Penguins’ Drew O’Connor skates against the Boston Bruins ready to graduate to the NHL full time? during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Jan. 26, Further development in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton certainly wouldn’t hurt 2021, in Boston. In 10 NHL games last season, Penguins forward Drew O’Connor in 2021-22. But with the possible departures of reserve O’Connor recorded one assist. forwards such as Frederick Gaudreau and Mark Jankowski this With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is offseason (via unrestricted free agency) and the possibility of losing looking at all 48 players currently under NHL contracts to the someone such as Teddy Blueger or Zach Aston-Reese via the expansion organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari draft, there appears to be a legitimate opportunity for O’Connor to stake to top-six winger Jason Zucker. out a regular NHL role next season.

Drew O’Connor Tribune Review LOADED: 07.13.2021

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 23

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 200 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 10 games, one point (zero goals, one assist)

2020-21 AHL statistics: 20 games, 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists)

2020-21 statistics: Seven games, 10 points (six goals, four assists)

Contract: First year of a two-year entry-level contract with salary cap hit of $925,000. Pending restricted free agent in 2022

(Note: Per Cap Friendly, O’Connor is exempt from waivers should he be assigned to the AHL.)

Acquired: Undrafted free-agent signing, March 10, 2020

2020-21 season: After signing O’Connor out of Dartmouth in the late winter of 2020, the Penguins sought an avenue to get him some much- needed development playing time last fall while most leagues in North America were on hiatus due to the pandemic.

As a result, he was loaned to Manglerud Star of Norway’s Eliteserien league Nov. 12. In just over a month in what is a fairly low-level league, O’Connor was dominant in his first taste of the professional game, scoring goals in six of the seven games he played in the land of the midnight sun.

O’Connor’s loan was terminated in mid-December and he attended the Penguins’ NHL training camp in early-January, often practicing with members of the projected NHL roster while other prospects skated with candidates for the American Hockey League roster.

Opening the season on the taxi squad, O’Connor was recalled to the NHL roster Jan. 26 and made his debut that night. In a 3-2 road loss to the Boston Bruins, O’Connor recorded a secondary assist while primarily skating on the fourth line.

A steady presence in the lineup until Feb. 11, O’Connor’s ice time began to wane before he was a healthy scratch on Feb. 14. After four more games and a handful of transactions between the NHL roster, taxi squad and the AHL, O’Connor did not see any other NHL action after March 27.

O’Connor made his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton debut Feb. 6 and was one of that team’s most productive players throughout a disjointed and abbreviated season. A steady presence on the power play, O’Connor finished as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s third-leading scorer despite playing in only 20 of that team’s 32 games.

On May 18, O’Connor was recalled to the NHL roster again to serve as a “Black Ace” during the team’s postseason.

The future: O’Connor was seen as being ready for the NHL under former general manager Jim Rutherford, but those lofty projections quickly 1217288 Pittsburgh Penguins Tribune Review LOADED: 07.13.2021

Madden Monday: Penguins fans 'will be amazed by how much they stand pat'

TIM BENZ

Monday, July 12, 2021 6:07 a.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby waits for the team to leave the ice after losing to the New York Islanders in Game 6 on May 26, 2021 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Now that the 2021 Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, it’s time for Pittsburgh Penguins fans to focus on what moves their team may make in the offseason.

Or according to our Mark Madden, what moves they won’t make.

“I think we’ll be amazed by how much they stand pat,” Madden said during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “You can always do something. But I think they are going to stand pat.”

With 19 contracts committed toward 2021-22 — and just $3.2 million of salary-cap space — only the Lightning are in a tougher salary cap position. So what general manager Ron Hextall can do may be limited, unless they make a big salary-for-salary deal.

However, one perceived need is getting a veteran goalie to buffer against a concern that Tristan Jarry can’t rebound from his disastrous playoff performance this spring.

A name that has come up from time to time is Arizona Coyotes free agent Antti Raanta. As Pro Hockey Talk pointed out over the weekend, a lot of Coyotes could be plucked by other teams on the free-agent or trade markets this summer.

This year, Raanta was just 5-5-2 with a .905 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against average. But the year before he was 15-14-3 with a .921 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average.

Of Raanta, PHT’s James O’Brien said the Coyotes were “hoping a consistently great backup could progress to become a standout No.1 goalie. With a strong .921 save percentage over four seasons with the Coyotes, he’s technically stopped pucks at that level. The problem is that he’s rarely been healthy enough to even flirt with the workhorse status one associates with a top goalie.”

O’Brien added that Raanta could be a worthwhile “buy low” candidate, saying, “Some of that boils down to due diligence. If your people think that Raanta can at least play often enough to be a ‘1B’ goalie, you could arm yourself with enviable goaltending depth at a nice value.”

Madden insisted Raanta would be a worthwhile acquisition.

“I’d like to see him come in and compete for the No. 1 job,” Madden said. “He couldn’t play worse than Jarry did in the playoffs.”

At what price though? Raanta made $4.25 million last year.

One fantasy some Penguins fans have is swinging a deal with the Anaheim Ducks to bring Whitehall’s John Gibson back to Pittsburgh. But Madden says that’s a long shot.

“Even though (the Ducks) stink, they want to keep him because he keeps them respectable. He can keep them afloat,” Madden said.

Plus, Gibson has a $6.4 million tag through 2027.

Also in the podcast, Madden talks about Tampa winning the Cup for a second straight year. He agrees with my stance that the notion of putting an asterisk on the victories because of coronavirus circumstances is unfair.

Plus, we talk about the state of the Pirates at the All-Star break, recent criticisms of the Steelers, the Euro2020 soccer match between England and Italy, and Mark’s visit to Vegas for the Conor McGregor versus Dustin Poirier fight.

1217289 Pittsburgh Penguins

With an eye on the future, Ron Hextall adds five to Penguins hockey operations staff

Matt Vensel

7/12/2021

Penguins general manager Ron Hextall, looking to strengthen the prospect pipeline in Pittsburgh like he did in his previous roles in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, has announced five additions to his hockey operations staff.

The Penguins have hired and Kerry Huffman as professional scouts, Brett Hextall as an integrated development coach, Alexander Khavanov as a European amateur scout and Matt Mangene as an amateur free agent scout.

Acton, 33, is a former NHL and American Hockey League player and the son of former NHL coach Keith Acton. Huffman, 53, is a former teammate of Hextall in Philadelphia and Quebec and worked as an assistant coach for Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate while Ron Hextall was the general manager there. Both will report to director of professional scouting Ryan Bowness.

Brett Hextall, 33, is the son of general manager Ron Hextall. He most recently served as a player development coach for the Flyers from 2017- 20. He will work with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players and other prospects in the organization, reporting to director of player development Scott Young.

Khavanov, 49, played in the NHL and professionally in Russia. He will scout draft-eligible prospects as well as free agents in Russia and report to director of player personnel Chris Pryor, Ron Hextall’s first hockey ops hire here.

Mangene, 32, is another former pro player. A veteran of the AHL and ECHL, he will scout draft-eligible players in North America and also report to Pryor.

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217290 Pittsburgh Penguins 6. New contract (this offseason) for Evgeni Malkin: 25% Do the Pittsburgh Penguins really want the nagging rumors and chatter?

Does this writer want to keep writing about it? If the Penguins are going Projecting the Probability of 8 Penguins Offseason Moves to keep Malkin past this coming season, then getting his signature on a contract would help.

The Penguins can start the chat after July 28. President of Hockey Published 17 hours ago on July 12, 2021 Operations Brian Burke is no dummy regarding public chattering and the heat it creates on the inside; he was the Toronto Maple Leafs GM when By Dan Kingerski Phil Kessel and coach Ron Wilson were daily firestorms.

A new contract would put to bed all of the questions and wonders, There are a few moves everyone is discussing. There are a few externally…and internally. conversations on the NHL trade front that we’ve hinted. And there are 7. Re-Sign Cody Ceci: 33% most certainly a few moves that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall has contemplated or is working that have escaped Radio silence from our internal folks on this one. Ceci took a reclamation everyone’s radar. one-year deal and bet on himself. No reason not to see what his reward will be. He earned the chance to get some big money again, and based Who will Seattle select? on the recent free-agent market, we project him in the $3.5, or even $4 Will the Penguins trade ? Or Marcus Pettersson? million range.

Will the Penguins sign Cody Ceci? The Penguins have John Marino, who can slot in the top-four, allowing the team to sign a much less expensive defenseman for the third pair. We’ll handicap the likeliest moves, the NHL trade possibilities, and everything else. But, every day after July 28 that Ceci doesn’t sign with a new team is a day closer to re-signing with the Penguins at a more favorable amount. Projecting the Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason Probabilities He was a dynamic partner with Mike Matheson, and the Penguins should surely want to reunite them. For now, it is more likely Ceci goes to 1. Seattle will select Jason Zucker: 40% greener pastures. It seems everyone assumes Jason Zucker is the player headed to 8. Marc-Andre Fleury: 20% Seattle. Why? Let me turn the tables–Zucker may be the best player the Penguins make available when lists are submitted on Saturday, but that’s It feels right. It looks right. Fleury would be both the ideal partner for not the deciding factor. Tristan Jarry and an experienced goalie with playoff chops. But there must be the nagging fear–you can’t go home again. Fleury’s life is in Will Jason Zucker be one of the three best LWs made available to Vegas now. The Pittsburgh Penguins would also have to clear a chunk of Seattle? THAT is what you need to look at. There’s a chance Zucker is salary to make it happen, leaving them vulnerable in other areas. one of the best southpaw slingers, but there’s a better chance that he isn’t, especially when you factor his $5.5 million salary. So, the major hurdles are Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, himself a Fleury guy, the Penguins clearing salary without weakening the 2.The Penguins trade Jake Guentzel: 10% team, and, of course, agreeing on trade value. Trading a 40-goal scorer is not done lightly, and Hextall doesn’t move impulsively. If there is a “wow factor” deal out there, Guentzel surely would be part of it. He has good value on the NHL trade front, though I Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 07.13.2021 believe GMs would discount his 40-goal stature just a tad because Guentzel’s center (Sidney Crosby) is a pretty good player.

To get quality, you must give quality. Guentzel would be the best Penguins trade chip if they pursue a high-end talent, but it really would need to be a “wow” deal.

3. Malkin, Letang: 0%.

Moving on.

4. Signing Zach Aston-Reese: 75%.

We were pretty close on his valuations two years ago, and I think we’ve got a good handle now. He’s worth north of $2 million after scoring a career-high nine goals, in addition to his exemplary defensive work. Maybe he settles (again) for less.

I also wonder if the Penguins will wince at the cost and opt for a player such as Freddy Gaudreau or create space for Sam Poulin (notice I omitted Radim Zohorna. Another topic for another day) or a bargain free agent.

Believe it or not, the Penguins grind line was worse off without Aston- Reese. With Teddy Blueger, Brandon Tanev, and a winger not named Aston-Reese, the line was well below water in scoring chances, Corsi, and most measurable statistics, according to NaturalStatTrick.

With Aston-Reese, they were well above water. In fact, the line did not allow a goal at 5v5 (6-0). But here’s a kicker–Aston-Reese was above water without the other two, as well.

Money is tight. Blueger needs a new contract, too. And the Penguins need an RHD. That’s why the odds are not 100%.

5. Sign Teddy Blueger: 80%

We peg Blueger’s value in the $2.5 million range. He’s a no-brainer to sign unless Seattle agrees that he’s a value. 1217291 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Hire Hextall’s Son, Four More in Scouting Department

Published 19 hours ago on July 12, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a few hockey operations hires on Monday, including a last name you already know. The team picked up Will Acton and Kerry Huffman as professional scouts, Alexander Khavanov as a European amateur scout, Matt Mangene as an amateur free agent scout, and Brett Hextall as the Penguins integrated development coach.

Three of the new hires have direct or previous ties to Penguins GM Ron Hextall.

Brett Hextall, 33, is Ron Hextall’s son. He played four seasons of professional hockey in the AHL, including three for the Arizona Coyotes affiliate, the . He played his final season for the Philadelphia Flyers minor league affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in 2014.

Hextall retired following that season in Lehigh. He was most the development coach for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-20 and will work with players at the AHL level and other prospects in the Penguins’ system. The younger Hextall will report to director of player development Scott Young.

Acton, 33, just wrapped a nine-year professional career split between the NHL, AHL, and Germany’s top professional league. Acton also has ties to Ron Hextall. His father, Keith Acton, was a long-time Philadelphia Flyer pest and teammate of Hextall.

The Edina, MN native scored five points (3-2-5) in 33 career NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers. He played the last five years in Germany from 2015-20. Acton will scout players in the NHL and AHL and report to director of professional scouting Ryan Bowness.

Huffman, 53, served as an assistant coach for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the past five seasons (2016-21). The former defenseman played 401 NHL games over 10-years from 1987-96. He recorded 145 points (37-108-145) with Philadelphia, Quebec, and Ottawa. Huffman was Ron Hextall’s teammate in Philadelphia from 1987-92 and ‘96 and in Quebec in ‘92-93.

As a pro scout, Huffman will scout players in the NHL and AHL and report to Bowness.

The rest from the Pittsburgh Penguins press release:

The Penguins have added Khavanov, 49, to their European amateur scouting staff. A native of Moskva, Russia, Khavanov played 15 years of professional hockey in the NHL and Russia. The 49-year old former defenseman played with the St. Louis Blues (2000-04) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2005-06) and recorded 102 points (27G-75A) in 348 career NHL games. Khavanov will scout draft-eligible prospects as well as free agents in Russia. He will report to director of player personnel Chris Pryor.

Mangene, 32, joins the Penguins’ amateur scouting staff after a nine-year professional playing career. The Manorville, NY native played eight seasons split between the AHL and ECHL from 2012-20 and ended his playing career in Austria in 2020-21 with Villacher SV of the ICEHL. Mangene will scout draft-eligible players in North America and will also report to Pryor.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217292 San Jose Sharks

Sharks have same Cup odds as team currently without players

BY BRIAN WITT

The Sharks have been a bad hockey team the last two seasons.

They're determined to be much better in 2021-22, dead-set on getting back to the playoffs, but it's difficult to see that happening without some serious roster upheaval this offseason.

The problem is, San Jose is very restricted in its ability to overhaul the composition of the roster. Most of the larger salaries are unmovable or close, and the Sharks don't have much in the way of young NHL-ready players who could bring back a significant return in a trade. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they rank near the bottom of the league in terms of 2021-22 Stanley Cup Champion odds.

The Sharks are plus-10,000 to win the Stanley Cup next season on PointsBet, meaning that a $100 bet would pay out $10,100. Only seven other teams have worse odds.

Of the two NHL teams that have identical odds to the Sharks', one doesn't even have anything resembling a full roster at this point. That team, of course, is the Seattle Kraken, who will build out their roster via the Expansion Draft later this month.

That's not exactly what you would call a vote of confidence in San Jose. If the Sharks' odds are going to improve before the start of next season, it's going to be a busy couple of months.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217293 San Jose Sharks leading scorer of the 1991 Draft, and Sandis Ozolinsh, 1997 Norris Trophy finalist.

But imagine if the San Jose Sharks had tabbed Niedermayer, Whitney, How Close Were Sharks to Drafting Niedermayer? then Ozolinsh with their first three picks?

That could’ve been the best start for a franchise at an NHL Draft this side of Edmonton’s first three picks — Kevin Lowe, , then Glenn Published 3 hours ago on July 12, 2021 Anderson — in the 1979 Draft.

By Sheng Peng

San Jose Hockey NowLOADED: 07.13.2021 How close were the San Jose Sharks to drafting Scott Niedermayer over Pat Falloon?

“It was split,” then-San Jose GM Jack Ferreira recalled to San Jose Hockey Now. “There was a good portion that wanted Pat and the other guys were interested in Scott.”

Let’s go back 30 years. It was the 1991 NHL Draft, held in Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Eric Lindros was the undisputed first-overall, a generational talent in the vein of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. But the expansion Sharks, slotted at No. 2, never had a chance at the “Big E.”

Sharks & the No. 1 Pick That Never Was

Three prospects were considered likely to go after Lindros, the winger Falloon, along with defensemen Niedermayer and Scott Lachance.

It was an easy choice in hindsight: Niedermayer played 1,263 NHL games and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. Meanwhile, Falloon was out of the NHL by 27 and Lachance enjoyed a solid but unspectacular career as a stay-at-home defender.

“Lachance was never considered,” Ferreira said, contradicting news reports from that time.

So between Niedermayer and Falloon for the first draft pick in franchise history, the San Jose Sharks selected Falloon.

“I think the deciding factor was that most people felt that Pat was a little more NHL-ready [than Scott]. He stepped in the next year and played,” San Jose’s then-Eastern scouting supervisor Ray Payne remembered.

Falloon did jump into the expansion Sharks’ line-up out of juniors and lead the club with 25 goals. Niedermayer, plucked by the New Jersey Devils after Falloon, received just a four-game cup of coffee at the beginning of the 1991-92 campaign.

“The feeling was from us as a new franchise, we needed some young blood,” Payne said. “The guys that we got in the [expansion] draft, a lot of them were older players on the downside of their career.”

Essentially, the expansion San Jose Sharks wanted a flashy star like Falloon to dangle immediately in front of a new market.

“He was a goal scorer. In junior hockey, nobody could score like the kid could,” Payne pointed out. “He had magical hands.”

There was good reason for the San Jose Sharks to opt for Falloon: 64 goals in 61 games in his final season at WHL Spokane was nothing to sneeze at. Neither is a 25-goal rookie campaign as a teenager: Falloon finished fourth in the 1992 Calder Trophy vote, behind , Nicklas Lidstrom, and Tony Amonte.

But that would be the high point of Falloon’s time in teal. He would never surpass the 25-goal mark over a nine-year NHL career and San Jose would deal him to Philadelphia in 1995.

“The general consensus was that he just didn’t have the commitment to do what he needed to do in order to remain an elite player. He might have been one of those guys who relied on his natural talents more than his drive and desire,” Payne opined.

Niedermayer, on the other hand, has a good case to go No. 1 in a re- draft of the 1991 class.

“He is the guy we should have taken,” Ferreira acknowledged. “I’m not bailing on this, but I let my head scout take who he wanted. I’m not throwing anybody under the bus, that’s just the way I’ve always operated. I let people do their job.”

Chuck Grillo was Ferreira’s chief scout. To Grillo and the rest of the Sharks front office’s credit, their next two picks were , the 1217294 Seattle Kraken

Kraken on track for home arena to be ready by mid-October

BY TIM BOOTH

AP SPORTS WRITER

JULY 13, 2021 12:06 AM

Seats have been bolted into position throughout the upper deck and into the lower bowl. All the concrete has been poured and on the floor of , the outline of the rink is waiting to be covered in ice.

Builders say the home for the newest NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken, remains on schedule to be ready by the middle of October, when the NHL season is expected to begin.

“It’s just making certain that everything’s done quality, top quality, because really, we’re into the finish work now,” Ken Johnsen, construction executive with , said Monday. “The biggest issue is just getting the work done, making certain that it’s ready to be turned over and ready to go.”

It’s not a mad rush, but it is a compressed schedule to get most of the work done to have the building ready for the Kraken to begin about three months from now. It’s expected there will be a week of festivities including musical acts surrounding the first Kraken home game, but indications are Seattle will begin its first NHL season on the road. The league schedule is expected later this month or early August.

Seattle announced last week that its home preseason games will be played at three different locations around Washington state in venues used by teams in the . While it’s great outreach for the first-year franchise, it’s also necessary as Johnsen said the arena will likely be undergoing systems testing around the time of the first preseason game on Sept. 26.

The construction team expects 93% of the project to be completed by the end of July and has more than 1,000 workers on site.

“We really want by mid-September, we want to be in really good shape where we feel like everything is in place, and then you test, and you test and you test ... You check everything,” Johnsen said.

The building — constructed under the original roof of the Seattle Center Coliseum — will likely have a final price tag of more than $1 billion. Construction included supporting the 44 million-pound historic roof on temporary supports while dirt was dug out of the former bowl to create a massive increase in space to roughly 800,000 square feet.

The bigger arena is noticeable when standing on the floor, but in the seating bowl, the building feels intimate with clear sight lines of the ice or basketball court. The arena will be home to the WNBA's Seattle Storm, and fans hope the NBA will return sometime in the future.

“We have a tight schedule. We’re gonna make it but there’s just a lot of work to be done,” Johnsen said.

News Tribune LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217295 Seattle Kraken football team. I am not so sure about the Mariners. They lost the SuperSonics, but the city wants them back as well. It is a relatively affluent town based on the major industries that are there. I don’t see it as a negative at all. You’ve gone from what used to happen in the Do free agents want to sign with the Kraken? NHL agents weigh in expansion draft where an owner paid a large lump sum and the other owners tarred and feathered that owner with bad hockey players. That

changed with Vegas. Players are businessmen and they are looking at By Ryan S. Clark the situation in Seattle. It is a few hours south of Vancouver. They are similar cities with similar climates. You’re also paying anywhere between Jul 12, 2021 10 to 15 percent less in taxes being in Seattle. Washington has no state taxes. That is a great draw. Tampa Bay, Florida, Nashville and now

Vegas all have that. Practically anyone can justify anything when they say it out loud. Face it. Agent 1: I don’t think there are any. Seattle is a nice place even without a You’ve done it before. Chances are, you have probably done it when hockey team. Time will tell on how the team is and how it conducts itself. thinking about how the Seattle Kraken will fit into the NHL landscape. At first blush, some guys will want to go there. Some of the older More specifically, would free agents want to come to Seattle? (unrestricted free agents) may not want to go if they are trying to win now. Are they going to be able to do it there? Vegas was pretty Fans can rationalize that decision either because they already live here, successful in their first year and for some, they might see what the once lived here or make it a destination they want to visit at some point. expansion draft looks like and think they do have a chance to go play Exactly how does that work with NHL players in a new market such as there. Seattle? Could they see it the same way? Could they see it differently? Could it be possible that the newness of Seattle coming into the league Agent 3: Everybody wants to win. But Vegas has shifted that old has created more questions than answers? perception of what an expansion team can do very clearly. With the hard cap era, it is not the days of old when these expansion teams could not So who better to ask than the people who help players with these compete in a short period of time. Guys see it as an unencumbered decisions: Agents. The Athletic recently spoke with five agents on the franchise that does not have these sores and warts when you look at the condition of anonymity which would allow them to speak freely and problems facing other teams. It is the blank slate with a coaching staff, a honestly about details that could either make Seattle a bit of a management team and this model Vegas has put together. You could be destination, a place to avoid or somewhere in between. In total, it there in a couple of years. Everyone wants to win but not be in this 10- amounted to eight questions that offered insight into how the Kraken year slog to be legitimate. might shape free agency, the potential hesitations about coming here and what has been said to their clients ahead of the looming expansion What are the pros and cons of going to Seattle? draft on July 21. Agent 2: I think the pros are that the Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place Let’s begin. to live. I think the city is great. I think they are close enough to Canada for these guys that are Canadian. They are close enough in that there is How is Seattle being viewed as a chance for a big payday? warmer weather. I also think we can say what we want, but the no state Agent 1: I think it is definitely a destination as far as financially. I don’t tax is certainly a pro, it is a pro with everyone you talk to. I think it is know about it being a big payday. But it is more money in the system. going to be exciting. There is enough of a rave and fans have traveled There are going to be more jobs. But it definitely is a positive considering around now and you start to see Kraken hats and Kraken T-shirts and the current environment. … I think it helps that teams are now pressed there is a true excitement. If you’re going to say there is a con, maybe up against the cap and need to make some room. I am sure there will be they are not as successful as people think. I don’t know if there really is some deals that teams can use to unload some contracts that they are one. not going to be happy about. It gives Seattle an opportunity to take Agent 3: It’s a really cool city and a really cool market. It’s passionate. I advantage of that and accumulate some assets in the meantime. That is am a big (Dave Hakstol) fan. I like Hak a lot. I like (Kraken general where I see it and there is going to be more change in the system. manager Ron Francis.) I like (Kraken assistant GM) Jason Botterill a ton. Agent 2: I think they are going to spend to a certain degree. They have You have a well-respected staff. A pro is also just the buzz and it will be that and what Vegas did when it came out strong. I think it is going to be fun to be a part of that. Think about how an expansion team elevated the a great spot. It is a great city and obviously, that no state tax factor helps. stature of guys like Willam Karlsson. They are going to get national TV It is a real thing. I think guys are excited. If they have a chance to listen to time. They are going to get pushed by the national media. … I don’t see them and go there, I think there is going to be a great group of guys who a lot of cons honestly. I guess the only con is the lack of clarity of who will listen. They have a great staff from top to bottom and they are all your linemates are going to be. You don’t know who else is going to be great people. I think it is going to be a really good destination. picked. Other than that, I don’t think there is much.

Agent 3: I remember this from Vegas, too. Anytime there is something Agent 4: There are only advantages to signing with a team and most new and you are unencumbered as far as salaries, there is all this players view it that way. You are basically getting a fresh start. Same as opportunity there that is intriguing to players and agents. That is only everyone else. When you start playing for a team whether you were going to become a reality for a small percentage of guys that are entering acquired by trade, free agency or a draft pick, when you get into the free agency. There are guys who could benefit from a bigger payday. Of organization, you are subject to all the crap that is going on there the cap situations in the league, they are the only ones who have room already. Some of it is very good crap like in Tampa. Some of it is very and flexibility to dive in on a player they feel strongly about. bad crap like in most other teams. What I mean by that is, are there established leaders who are not the best leaders? Teams cannot Agent 4: Really, it depends on the player and the particular set of succeed with those people. What do you do with those people? Do you circumstances. The player must be in demand. I think if the player is in take their leadership away? Do you sit them down? You obviously cannot demand like (Mark) Stone was, for example, then you can expect a get rid of them. You are getting a fresh start and maybe you have a bad bigger payday in Seattle than you would for any other team. First of all, apple or two on the next team. But you are getting a fresh start where Seattle wants to make a splash. Nothing like having a splash before you everyone is an equal. start playing. Second, it is because they have money. They have more money than your run of the mill NHL team. Because their expectations Agent 5: That city is a pro. I think you have an excellent choice of general are based on how Vegas performed, it is such that you are not going to manager. Ronnie Francis is a bright guy and he did his due diligence and be in last place. These (expansion draft rules) are so generous to the knows more about Dave Hakstol than I do. At the end of the day, whether new teams that they also gave a generous donation to NHL teams. it is getting $500,000 or $1 million more with the cap flexibility. Even if it is not getting the figure but having more after tax income, all of those What conversations exist about an expansion team being a potential things are very appealing to professional athletes. And for the players turn-off for some players? who have potentially been buried on the depth chart behind somebody. Shea Theodore was not Shea Theodore in Anaheim. William Karlsson Agent 5: I don’t think there are in all honestly. I think Seattle is viewed as was not William Karlsson in Columbus. Alex Tuch was down the depth a desirable marketplace for a lot of reasons. It has been a successful chart in Minnesota. All of these guys found an opportunity that was sports town. The soccer team does amazingly well there. So does the expedited at an expansion because there was not a depth of talent in players. For the guys that teams want. Otherwise, you are probably not front of them. going to get a player. I think with there being more jobs, the environment is changing. … I have had some express that within three or four years, What is considered to be the largest unknown about the Kraken at this we could be at a $100 million cap and that is coming from some point? respectable general managers.

Agent 1: I guess, really, it is what direction are they going to go in. You Agent 2: It’s been pretty quiet. You’re all hoping that it comes back some. want to see if they are assembling a team to win now. The second thing I have to think there is at least one more year of what kind of went on. is when you are working on contract structure and the protections you There are going to be those high-end guys and we saw that last year, want in it and if they have the wherewithal to do it. There are tax too. A couple of guys we thought were going to do well and maybe they implications, too. That always comes into it from a financial point of view. end up sitting there for a while. I think it is going to be similar to what we There is also the safety for families and players. Seattle is a nice enough saw last year for at least one more year. I hope not! area in the times that I have been there that I do not see anything that would consider to be a problem. Agent 3: This is speculation. Because you don’t know. My gut is that it will be somewhere between that two-year spending splurge and last Agent 2: Who are they going to be able to get at the expansion draft? Is it year’s famine. I think you will start there and there will be more than two going to be those same types of side deals like we saw last time? We are guys who got crazy term like what (Alex) Pietrangelo or (Torey) Krug did all saying that nobody will ever do that again. But you never know until a last summer. You will get back to contracts that will be more than four or team needs to free up space on a flat cap. There might be somebody out five-year deals and the dollars will be a little bit up. But I don’t think we there that is available that we never thought was available. I am sure are going to get back to the offseason before that when there were no those conversations are being held daily. We say, “No GM will do what concerns, when people thought the cap was going to grow, a new TV Vegas pulled off.” If there is a perfect storm, it is this year. The cap is flat deal was coming and nobody had heard of COVID-19. Teams will be and teams need to sign better players and if they cannot offload salary, hesitant on terms and the dollars will be between last year’s market and that might be the spot to do it. the one before.

Agent 4: You just don’t know how things will come out. You don’t know. Agent 5: I see it being a bit of a mix. The reason is it is a bit of a mix. Vegas maybe is a model for how it could work out or should come out. Seattle is bringing $81.5 million into the marketplace that was not there But it does not give you any guarantees or assurances that Seattle can last year. If Seattle was not around, the marketplace would be worse do the same. Not because Vegas’ people was better than Seattle’s than last year. More and more money is being allocated to players people. I think sometimes you hit it lucky and sometimes you do not. You coming out of the entry-level system. … At the end of the day, how many don’t know what the chemistry is going to be. You don’t know people until defensemen got long-term deals last year with money? Three. Everyone you live with them. That to me would be the biggest unknown. else took a hit on term and dollar value. Same thing happened among Agent 5: The largest unknown is whether they are going to shoot for the the forwards. My greatest concern last year was would the number of moon out of the gate or build in a more patient manner. defensemen who get those deals drop off? It was three. There were a lot of good defensemen last year that were very good that basically got one- How much of Ron Francis’ prudent past in Carolina plays a role in how year deals at limited dollars. … In terms of premium defensemen, there agents/players perceive what could happen in Seattle? Or is there more might be room for three more. But there were three guys last year. of an understanding that his position in Seattle offers more flexibility? Maybe there is room for six big contracts. They all won’t go to Seattle. Seattle will take money from other teams. Who knows? Agent 1: I don’t think it will (play a role). Even in Carolina, it was a challenge. But when a player is good enough, a team will pay for them. What teams do you see competing against the Kraken in terms of having Today it is about leverage. Regardless of who that team is, you will find a a high amount of cap space? team that will take advantage of that, right? It is the system and the business. If they come and say, “We are going to spend,” I am sure they Agent 1: I guess that is really hard to say. That is all up to Ronnie. I am will be fiscally responsible. I don’t think to the extent of Carolina. I think sure he is going to be fiscally responsible. … Even the teams with they are better financed than Carolina was at that time. money, I am they will all try to be fiscally responsible with whomever is pulling the purse strings. The owner could walk up and say “I don’t care Agent 2: I think it is going to be both. I do. I respect Ron. Obviously, we what it cost, build me a team that wins” and they go out and spend the all do. As a player who became a manager in Carolina, I think he did it money. the right way. … I think he is going to spend (cap space) like it is his own money. Still he will be given the green light. Maybe he did not get that Agent 2: I don’t have any exact names of teams. I think there are going to before to go above and beyond. be plenty of teams and movement. There will be some teams that guys think are going to be more competitive in their own mind and they will go Agent 3: I don’t think it affects it. I don’t think there is a carryover in that direction. Today, depending upon what happens in the expansion perception other than Ron did what he could do. People think he is a draft, they could have a crack at some really good UFAs coming in. capable, smart and well-respected person. Every circumstance is different and it takes from ownership down to build a winning team. Agent 3: There won’t be anyone to that level, probably. There are different situations. I think Arizona is going to have cap space if they Agent 4: They wouldn’t spend. Period. I mean, all you need to do is look make these moves people keep talking about. They’ve got about $30 at how the team operated. … He’s going to be able to do more in Seattle. million-plus in cap space right now and they can make decisions right No question. … He will be able to do more there than he did in Carolina. now. When you are looking at room to operate, that is another team that No doubt about it. I root for Ron because he was put in an impossible comes to mind. They can take it in any direction they want. That is one position with Carolina with the new owners. I would love for him to that pops to mind. Jersey, too. Some of these teams have flexibility. succeed. Agent 4: The expansion draft is going to show not only the skill of Ron Agent 5: Twenty-five teams in the league are cap teams. … They are Francis and his staff but the skill of the other managers who could going to be a cap team. That’s great. But that does not mean he is going influence Seattle in who they are going to pick off their tea. Take a look at to be irresponsible with how he spends money. I think the lessons Tampa, for example. They are over the top. But if they are able to trade Ronnie Francis learned in Carolina in terms of judiciously using your (Tyler) Johnson and Seattle takes (Ryan) McDonagh, they suddenly free money is going to carry over to Seattle. It is one thing being a cap team up around $12 million. … So teams that suddenly go from not taking and another when it comes to going crazy with money. I don’t think anyone to someone that can sign a top-notch free agent. This is so fluid. Ronnie is going to go crazy. He is going to use his resources. … I think Besides the usual — Buffalo and Arizona and New Jersey — there are someone can hand him a bunch of diamonds. But he is still not going to people who are chronically in the low cap. It’s always going to move so give crazy money to someone like a Dougie Hamilton. Maybe he gets quickly that you really cannot tell who is really going to be competing with Dougie Hamilton, but he is not going to give him $12 million a year to Seattle. I think many teams will compete once they reallocate their come to Seattle. resources.

What is the outlook on the current market this year? Are players going to Agent 5: They are a unicorn. To me, there is nobody that comes close to make more than last year or will it be the same? them in terms of the freed up cap space. They have no cap restrictions. Every other team has budget restrictions or cap constructions based on Agent 1: With Seattle coming into the picture, I do think there is more the direction that comes from the owner. … There are a lot of owners that money that will be in the system. Money will be available for the top are reluctant to get into payroll because of what happened the last couple years. We think they are multi-billionaires with a bottomless pit of money. They’re not. And if they do have a bottomless pit, they are realizing money itself does not solve problems. It’s good management.

What have your conversations been like with clients when it comes to the expansion draft? Especially with those who have signed a new deal before the draft, are afraid to sign because of the expansion draft or ones who feel they could be drafted?

Agent 1: We make that aware to them. As much as you sign with a team, there is that chance you are exposed and end up in Seattle. I am going through it with an RFA right now where the GM said if he signs this deal, I am going to protect him, but I will not promise I will not trade him. He could still be traded and it could be where they say, protect this guy but we will give you this guy. You can still be traded there without being exposed and taken in the expansion draft.

Agent 2: If you have a guy who signs, they do ask, “Do you think I will be here?” You gotta tell them, “I certainly hope so or we would have held off.” You try to have those conversations with the team. But it is a moving target on who they are going to protect. You gotta tell the guy, you are taking a leap of faith. We don’t know. It goes back to those “probably” conversations again.

Agent 3: It’s like anything, right? Guys are trying to be predictive of what their own team is going to do. That is the biggest source of curiosity and who do you think we are going to protect? Guys want to know if they are going to be exposed. Which one of their teammates will be exposed? What format will my team take and do you think I could be of interest? That line of questioning seems to be the most intriguing. You try to talk through it with them to basically have them slow down a little bit. That we can’t be predictive of the season. You try to identify some scenarios and get tidbits of information from the GM to try to calm the fears of these guys or you get any kind of concrete information they will stick by so they can provide a little bit of clarity even if it is not full clarity.

Agent 4: We try to keep our clients grounded and treat the expansion draft the same as any other team or any other event. No question about if they are asking our opinion on if they are going to be protected. Most teams have clear-cut protection choices. But the main questions are: Will I be protected? Will I be exposed? Everything else is the same as everywhere. As for what is the point in signing with this team before the draft? If you make a good deal, that is your point. You should make a good deal if you want to sign at any time. You should not refuse a deal if you think you are going to Seattle. That is a defeatist attitude.

Agent 5: It comes down to who the client is. Where they are at in their career. What ties to the community that player has currently. It is all over the map. You have certain clients that because of the success and happiness of the players in Vegas (change their minds). Probably three years ago (they) thought they were going to be like the history of past expansions teams where those teams were not successful and there was a significantly greater sense of reluctance prior to the Vegas expansion draft than there is today. They have seen players achieve levels of success in Vegas.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217296 St Louis Blues New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba trades featured a return of what Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, we will call an A-grade future (Nick Suzuki and the first-round pick) plus a Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues good young NHL-proven player (Tomas Tatar and Neal Pionk).

Given the unique circumstances of the current situation — a flat cap, an expansion draft looming and Tarasenko having injury concerns and a full By Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman no-trade clause but also two years left on his contract — it is likely the return for Tarasenko will be a downgrade from that, but we can still use it Jul 12, 2021 as a starting point.

In order to come up with potential trade packages, we roped in The It’s been five days since The Athletic first reported that star Blues right Athletic’s prospects guru Corey Pronman. winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade. Here’s what we came up with: It hasn’t been a perfect marriage, but it’s still surreal to think that the Rangers organization’s purest goal scorer since Brett Hull may have played his last game in the Blue Note. Overview: It’s been a shocking summer in New York, where new GM and president Chris Drury and head coach Gerard Gallant are now in charge. Tarasenko has two years remaining on his eight-year, $60 million The Rangers have played in just one postseason series in the past four contract, and there’s no guarantee that Blues general manager Doug years (they were swept by Carolina in the 2019-20 qualifying round), so Armstrong will find a suitable trade before the start of the 2021-22 the pressure will be on even with a new regime. There’s been a lot of season. But a split is where this is headed, and it wouldn’t seem wise to speculation in the Big Apple about being the landing spot for Buffalo’s keep a disgruntled player on the roster much longer — especially one Jack Eichel, which would take priority over a Tarasenko deal. who, according to sources, has questioned how the team’s medical staff handled his surgically repaired left shoulder. Potential trade package: Right winger Vitali Kravtsov and left-shot defenseman Libor Hajek How does Armstrong make this work, though, when the Blues are saying their championship window is still open and operating near the NHL’s Rutherford’s thoughts: The Rangers could have drafted Tarasenko in $81.5 million salary cap? Does he trade for an established player or a 2010, but at No. 10, they took defenseman Dylan McIlrath. He spent just package that may include prospects or draft picks? Does he dump salary 38 games in New York and is now with Detroit’s AHL affiliate. Do they and use it on another position? If so, how much of Tarasenko’s salary will want Tarasenko 11 years later? He’d love to play with his pal Artemi the Blues have to retain? Panarin, but they need a center and some grit. This trade could be plausible, though, if the Blues are getting either Kravtsov or Pavel It’s all part of a complex equation. Buchnevich, along with Hajek, who may be available because the Since news of the trade request surfaced, many have suggested that the Rangers have better young defensemen in the pipeline. Blues should leave Tarasenko unprotected in the upcoming Seattle Pronman’s thoughts: The Rangers have a ton of good wingers, so in expansion draft. Teams are required to submit their protected lists by order to make this deal work in all likelihood one has to go the other way. Saturday, and the draft will be held on July 21. Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are non-starters, so the most obvious If only it were as easy as the Kraken taking Tarasenko off the books and candidate is Kravtsov. He was a top 10 pick by the Rangers, but it would the Blues using the $7.5 million of salary-cap space that freed up to be fair to say if you redid that draft now, based on talks with NHL scouts, upgrade the roster, either in a trade or free agency. he would go in the teens or 20s in all likelihood. He is a highly skilled playmaker with size whose game lacks speed. Hajek is a very good Seattle GM Ron Francis has a blank canvas with the Kraken, but while skating defenseman with a good frame but lacks ideal skill and puck- the expansion club has announced that it will be spending to the cap, moving instincts. would he commit nearly 10 percent of that to a 29-year-old winger who hasn’t looked the same since having three shoulder surgeries? Islanders

In addition to Tarasenko’s health history, there may be concerns about Overview: The Islanders have been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup Final how his now-public rift with the Blues will be perceived by teams the past two seasons, falling to Tampa Bay in the semifinals both years, interested in him. including a Game 7 loss last month. How will GM Lou Lamoriello respond? It’s unlikely he’ll want to alter the Islanders’ foundation, but he Furthermore, Tarasenko left his longtime agent, Mike Liut, this summer could still make a substantial splash to help get them over the hump. The and joined Paul Theofanous. As it relates to the Kraken, Liut and Francis Isles are a hardworking team with balanced scoring but could benefit are second cousins and were teammates in Hartford, so Francis would from a player like Tarasenko, who, when clicking, can be instant offense. have a deeper understanding of Tarasenko at his disposal, and with the recent split between Liut and Tarasenko, you’d have to wonder about Potential trade package: Right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson, left Liut’s honest opinion. winger Michael Dal Colle

For those wondering about Seattle taking Tarasenko in the expansion Rutherford’s thoughts: After Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk, the Blues draft and flipping him in a trade — a la Vegas in 2017 — the question are thin on the right side of their defense, so Dobson would be a nice might become: “If Armstrong is having even a little bit of trouble trading pickup. But if the Islanders are giving up the 21-year-old Dobson, they’re him, why would Francis make that his problem?” going to want Vince Dunn in the deal, even though Dobson is a righty and Dunn is a lefty. If Lamoriello were making a trade for Tarasenko, That’s why it probably makes sense for the Blues to leave Tarasenko off he’d probably prefer to give up left winger Anthony Beauvillier, 24, who their protected list. Finding the right deal will probably take more time would be a lot more intriguing than Dal Colle, who was the No. 5 pick in than the upcoming expansion-draft deadline provides. From there, if the 2014 and has just eight career goals. Kraken pick him, the Blues move on. And if they don’t, then the Blues were able to protect another forward in the draft — and continue to look Pronman’s thoughts: The Islanders’ farm system is a little on the thin for the right spot to ship Tarasenko. side, so their two best trade options are their 2018 first-round picks in Dobson and winger Oliver Wahlstrom. You can interchange which one of As far as The Athletic can gauge at the moment, that’s the most likely those two to use here if Islanders fans are particularly infuriated by one scenario: a trade. And according to sources, Tarasenko has given the or the other being offered up. Both are very good young players who Blues a list that includes as many as 10 teams for which he’d approve a haven’t taken that big step to becoming core parts of a lineup. Dal Colle, deal. also a high pick, is a skilled big winger, but due to a lack of footspeed, he’s had a hard time becoming a useful NHL player. So who are those clubs and what could the return for the Blues look like? Golden Knights In conversations the past few days with sources familiar with Tarasenko’s list, we’ve come up with five teams that could be trade possibilities: the Overview: Vegas will remain one of the top teams in the Western There are other possible destinations for Tarasenko, but as you can see, Conference in 2021-22, even after being upset by Montreal in this year’s there are a lot of moving parts and possibilities. You may disagree with playoffs. The undoing of the Golden Knights was their power play, which some of the scenarios, but our goal, for now, was to provide a list of ranked dead last among the 16 playoff teams (9.3 percent). Tarasenko legitimate clubs where there may be mutual interest, as well as put netted 17 power-play goals for the Blues in 2018-19 (including the names on the players who may be available. playoffs), but he has just four PP goals the past two years in 42 games.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Nicolas Roy The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Rutherford’s thoughts: First Ryan Reaves and Alex Pietrangelo, and now Tarasenko? It’s the “Blues West.” I see why a star like Tarasenko would want to play in Vegas, but will the Golden Knights be interested? They have so many wingers that Alex Tuch, who was tied for third on the team with 18 goals last season, was relegated to the third line. It’s hard to imagine the Blues fetching a first-round pick (even No. 29) for Tarasenko due to his injury situation, and it’s also hard to see Vegas giving up Roy, a center, when the Knights need help at center.

Pronman’s thoughts: Putting in Peyton Krebs would likely be too much for Vegas to handle from a futures standpoint, but I don’t get the sense around the league Brendan Brisson would do it, so the Golden Knights’ first-round pick this summer, No. 29, would be the future used. They’ll have to give a bit more on the current player side than Roy, who is a useful, if not a good, NHL player. Vegas fans likely will squirm at the idea of giving up someone who can play the middle given their depth chart, but ideally Krebs or Cody Glass can step in and play the middle.

Bruins

Overview: Boston has $30 million in projected salary-cap space in 2021- 22, but the Bruins have some high-end unrestricted free agents they’re trying to bring back. For starters, there’s Taylor Hall and David Krejci, and then there’s goalie Tuukka Rask, and also don’t forget they’ve been linked to the Eichel rumors in Buffalo. Boston appears set at right wing with David Pastrnak and Craig Smith, and the Bruins have a more pressing need on left defense. But if they can’t get the top-six talent they’re after, perhaps Tarasenko becomes an option.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Trent Frederic

Rutherford’s thoughts: The Blues would make this deal yesterday. The Bruins’ first-round pick is No. 20, and with the Blues already possessing the No. 16 pick, Armstrong would have two of the top 20 selections in the draft. I’m assuming the Blues would be retaining salary in this proposal, but even if they’re off the hook for some of the $7.5 million, it would allow them to spend that money on another position. Meanwhile, they’d be adding some sandpaper in the St. Louisan, Frederic, and it worked out pretty well the last time a player put on the hometown uniform (Pat Maroon).

Pronman’s thoughts: Boston doesn’t have a lot of premium futures unless they part with Jack Studnicka, which seems unlikely, so using its first- round pick this summer seems the most logical trade asset. Frederic is a competitive, smart forward with size who lacks standout speed or skill for the NHL level.

Flyers

Overview: After a rewarding 2019-20 season for Philadelphia, which saw the Flyers finish with the league’s sixth-best record and Alain Vigneault be among the three finalists for the coach of the year award, this past season was a major step back. They closed at No. 19 in the standings, missed the playoffs and are facing a pivotal offseason. But with improved goaltending and a few other players returning to previous form, a bounce-back year is possible. Still, GM Chuck Fletcher’s club could use a shoot-first, goal-scoring threat like Tarasenko.

Rutherford’s thoughts: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman.

Pronman’s thoughts: I realize this package looks very similar to the Flyers one proposed for Seth Jones. I never said we were overly creative. Frost was injured all season but is still considered a very good prospect with top-six forward potential. It would be between him and defenseman Cam York for the future asset used here. Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose NHL performance has been up and down in his first few years in the league but is a useful big leaguer. 1217297 Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup damaged during Lightning championship celebration

By Eduardo A. Encina

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — The Stanley Cup had an eventful day during the Lightning’s championship celebration Monday. And much like many of the revelers and party-goers who attended the team’s boat parade and rained-out rally at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, it’s going to need a day or two to get back to normal.

The Cup sustained unspecified damages and will travel to Montreal for repairs this week, but that isn’t expected to impact the beginning of the Lightning’s Cup tour this weekend.

The team would not detail how or when the Cup was damaged. A social media post showed damage to the bowl of the Cup while it was being held by Lightning forward Pat Maroon.

The Cup went through a full day of events. It traveled from watercraft to watercraft during the team’s boat parade, even taking a ride on a Sea- Doo with Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov. Players and fans alike had the opportunity to drink from the bowl.

The Cup appeared to be in good shape when the Lightning took the stage for their rally in the park ― even as thunderstorms moved through the area and festivities eventually were called off.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217298 Tampa Bay Lightning before other passengers on his boat grabbed on. Moments later, he was drinking from it.

“My therapist told me I’ve got to enjoy moments,” a beaming Vinik told a Another day in Tampa Bay, another boat parade celebrating a Stanley Bally Sports reporter minutes later on a live TV broadcast, “and this is a Cup moment for all of us to enjoy.”

For a while, the Cup was shuttled boat to boat on a jet ski driven by left wing Alex Killorn, who wore a Bucs jersey and held the Cup between his By Christopher Spata, Mari Faiello, Matt Cohen, Jake Piazza, Payton legs, while Kucherov rode on the back. They cruised up to a dock and let Titus and Genevieve Redsten fans touch it before Kucherov sprayed them with champagne.

Published Yesterday The crowd angled for a view of the players, but many of the players took this moment to capture video of the adoring fans on their own phones. Updated Yesterday Some fans wore T-shirts referencing Tampa Bay’s growing status as

“Champa Bay,” reading, “Cup. Boat parade. Repeat.” Others shirts TAMPA — This is what we do now. nodded to the Lighting’s colorful personalities, reading, “Number one bulls--t,” a reference to Kucherov’s shirtless, beer-fueled interview after Throngs of fans crowded the downtown waterfront Monday while the Game 5 of the finals. Tampa Bay Lightning sailed through the heart of the city as world champions for the second time in 10 months. Defender Erik Cernak wore a professional wrestling championship belt slung over his shoulder. The boat parade, born last season from socially-distanced necessity, is now a tradition for the southernmost city to ever bring home a Stanley Payton Michelle, who drove to Tampa from St. Augustine to attend the Cup. Monday made three of these in a year, if you count the Buccaneers parade, wore a knee brace. She’d been knocked down in the crowd Super Bowl championship boat parade in February. waiting outside Amalie Arena hoping to get a glimpse of the Stanley Cup after the Lightning clinched the championship. Hannah West, who lives downtown, was attending her third. No luck that night, but “Pat Maroon did help me up, though,” she said, “so “He’s a big boat parade guy,” she said, pointing to Toro, her Bernese that was nice.” mountain dog, who was wearing a Lightning bandana. On Monday, she brought along her replica Stanley Cup which had 17 And so what if the party started on a Monday morning? Champagne was player signatures, including that of her favorite, Brayden Point. swigged straight from bottles, and a special-edition Coors Light beer brewed using ice from Amalie Arena flowed on tap at the Sail Plaza bar “I still have to get Vasy and Hedman,” she said, “but I’ve got quite a few.” on the Riverwalk. The players disembarked their boats at Rick’s On The River restaurant A group known as the Lightning Ladies had scouted a prime spot near before boarding trolleys that rushed them on closed streets with a police the stage at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park the night before. They passed escort to the celebration at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. blue Jell-O shots around before 9 a.m., hours before players were to take A seasonal downpour sent fans running for cover, but some who braved the stage for celebratory speeches and rapper Big Boi was to perform. the rain were treated to a group hug over the metal barrier from a That Lightning celebration in the park was, somewhat ironically, canceled soaking wet Pat Maroon, who briefly carried Yanni Gourde on his back. when a severe thunderstorm warning threatened dangerous lightning in The players took the soggy stage in a steady rain and passed around the the area, but it was sunny skies for the parade. Cup for a few minutes in front of a cheering crowd. But officials made the Fans watched from hammocks slung between palm trees. Some played call to end the celebration shortly before 4 p.m. for safety reasons. hooky from work.

Lifelong hockey fan Josh Davis, 29, brought his 4-month-old daughter, Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 Lily. He wanted to introduce her early to the hockey “dynasty” he loves. He introduced his wife to the Lightning last season during their five- overtime playoff win over the Blue Jackets, and she became hooked too.

“We live and breathe this team,” Davis said. “We’ve become a hockey family.”

Fan vessels crowded the Hillsborough River, from luxury yachts to pontoons, kayaks, fishing boats, a pirate ship and a floating tiki bar. A Tampa Bay Fire Rescue Boat cleared a path, followed by boats flying banners with the jersey numbers of the players aboard.

Team captain Steven Stamkos stood at the bow of one vessel wearing a “Back to Boat” shirt, alongside defenseman Victor Hedman, holding up two fingers and waving at fans who blasted air horns as police boat sirens blared.

Coach Jon Cooper, cigar in mouth, rested a hand — adorned with a sparkling 2020 championship ring covered in nearly 200 diamonds — atop the gleaming Prince of Wales trophy on the lead boat. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy tossed shirts to the crowd, then danced while wearing the Conn Smythe trophy, honoring the playoffs’ most valuable player, on top of his head.

There were plenty of “Stanley Cups” hoisted, from a fan-made one constructed of flower pots wrapped in tin foil, to the one built from beer cans that rode with winger Nikita Kucherov at the front of his boat.

But all eyes were on the real thing — including those of a police dive team standing by in case the “most historic trophy in sports” wound up in the water.

The closest it came might have been when Lightning owner Jeff Vinik lifted the 34.5-pound trophy over his head, then stumbled backward, 1217299 Tampa Bay Lightning

Cold sport, hot look: How to dress like a Tampa Bay Lightning fan

By Stephanie Hayes

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

Perhaps you went to the Stanley Cup victory boat parade Monday. Maybe you saw me! I was the one crushed behind a 6-foot-3 sweating man, who considered all 5 feet of me, then moved in front like the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. Parades are so fun.

One minute, I was wondering if that distant speck was a Stamkos in the wild. The next minute, left with no choice, I switched to people-watching. Suddenly, it became clear that everyone was dressed for a winter storm in July.

Tampa Bay Lightning fan fashion is zany, but so is an ice sport that culminates with a trophy riding a jet ski. This season is behind us, but based on the trends, experts predict the Lightning will win another Stanley Cup in approximately three weeks. Be prepared with these simple style tips.

First, wear a full hockey uniform on top. It’s called a sweater — do not call it a jersey, unless you’re in the mood for someone to say, “actually.” It should be thick, a durable woven polyester with hulking logo patches glued to the front. It should feel like carrying twins.

Those sweaters can itch, so layer up with an undershirt. Now top it off with the Stanley Cup Champions towel around your neck. You need something to swing around but mostly to absorb the sweat, because it’s 92 degrees. The pain will stop when the Lightning stops.

If you do not wish for heatstroke, opt for a breezy T-shirt. This year’s victory ushered in a line of profane tees inspired by everyone’s favorite Drunk Uncle, Nikita Kucherov, who came in like a shirtless wrecking ball chugging beer at a press conference. Who invited him to Thanksgiving? We talked about this.

Okay, onto the bottoms. Lightning fans should pair hockey sweaters with virtually nothing on the lower half. Got it? Choose the smallest shorts available or forgo them altogether. Seriously, no one minds. Do wear flip flops; your feet will need to breathe while your upper body turns into a chocolate bar forgotten in the car.

Alternately, you may wear these:

Coming from a busy day at the office? No prob. Pull your sweater atop your Oxford shirt. No, it does not unbutton like a baseball jersey. Some of them lace up around your neck! The creeping asphyxiation of dueling collars is half the fun, goof.

Speaking of baseball: Sports got together a couple years ago at a Sports meeting and decided Sports would now be won exclusively here. Loyal fans need to double or triple up on team gear. Why not wear an open Tampa Bay Rays jersey over your hockey sweater? Use the flaps to wipe off your brow, now the riverbank from The Wind and the Willows.

Or, confuse everyone with a shirt in Lightning colors that says “GRONK,” like coach Jon Cooper.

It’s time to finish your look. You, hockey fan, have been drinking blood ice beer since 9 a.m. Now, accessorize like you mean it. Maybe it’s a sequined hat, or a life-size Stanley Cup made of foil, or a Friday the 13th Jason mask. Use your imagination and have fun, because we’re definitely doing this again.

But remember — no pants!

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217300 Tampa Bay Lightning

This extravagant Bake’n Babes shake celebrates the Tampa Bay Lightning

By Helen Freund

Published Yesterday

TAMPA — Need a pick-me-up after watching the Stanley Cup boat parade?

Just in time to celebrate the Tampa Bay Lightning’s second consecutive Stanley Cup championship, Tampa bakery Bake’n Babes is launching a decadent NHL-themed shake worthy of its own celebration.

In typical Bake’n Babes fashion (owner Julie Curry debuts a new over- the-top shake every month), the toppling Stanley Cup Works features a blue and white saccharine extravaganza of vanilla soft serve ice cream topped with blue and silver sprinkles, a vanilla cupcake with an NHL whistle, cotton candy, an Oreo ice cream sandwich, rock candy and a sparkler.

It doesn’t hurt that the championship parade passes right by the front lawn of Armature Works, where the bakery is located. Now that’s something to celebrate.

The shakes will be sold at the bakery on Monday until supplies run out.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217301 Tampa Bay Lightning When the boats came past, fans moved back into the park and in front of the stage. They stood back in the sun, and are waiting. Waiting to see Lord Stanley one more time. Waiting to hear the player speeches they didn’t get a year ago. Boat parade: How the Lightning and fans celebrated in downtown Tampa Wilson Valenzuela’s whistle pierced the air at the Curtis Hixon Riverwalk. He blew it loudly as the boats cruised by. This was a dream for the Columbia native. By Gabrielle Calise, Matt Cohen, Mari Faiello, Jake Piazza, Genevieve Redsten and Eduardo A. Encina ”I wanted to cry,” Valenzuela, 53, said.

Published Yesterday Valenzuela moved to Tampa in 1976 after fleeing Columbia due to political violence. He started in Brooklyn, then Boston, and finally found a Updated Yesterday home in Tampa Bay. He’s all about the Lightning. After last year’s Stanley Cup win, he even scored a selfie with Nikita Kucherov after learning some Russian to speak with him. The Tampa Bay Lightning are celebrating their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship with a boat parade down the Hillsborough Lightning treats and swag abound River in downtown Tampa. And yes, there will be plenty of that beer Amy Stack, Lauren Stamm and Brittany Howerton were among the lucky made out of the ice they played on. fans to catch some Bolts merchandise thrown off boats by the players. Players will board the boats at 10 a.m. on Davis Islands, with the parade Howerton traveled all the way from Virginia for the parade. She snagged starting by 11 a.m. After the parade, the party will continue at Julian B. a “#1 bulls—t” shirt from Andrei Vasilevskiy and Mikhail Sergachev. Lane Riverfront Park for a celebration event and concert. The 25-acre Bake’n Babes announced a special Stanley Cup shake to celebrate the park is located just north of the University of Tampa and across the boat parade. The Armature Works bakery, located on the parade route, Hillsborough River from the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts will be selling the decadent treat until supplies run out today. Wrote food at 1001 North Blvd. in Tampa. and dining critic Helen Freund: That’s all, folks “In typical Bake’n Babes fashion (owner Julie Curry debuts a new over- As of 3:40 p.m., the Tampa Bay Lightning called off the celebration event the-top shake every month), the toppling Stanley Cup Works features a due to the weather. blue and white saccharine extravaganza of vanilla soft serve ice cream topped with blue and silver sprinkles, a vanilla cupcake with an NHL Hardcore fans sticking around whistle, cotton candy, an Oreo ice cream sandwich, rock candy and a sparkler.” As the storm picked up, more and more fans ran off to find shelter. Those remaining were rewarded with players bringing the Stanley Cup through Pepsi, meanwhile, is giving out Lightning-themed sodas and posters. the park. Tampa Bay Times columnist Stephanie Hayes bravely ventured out to “Back to back!” chanted the crowd. A shirtless Yanni Gourde body surfed the boat parade with one mission: to get her hands on some booze. across the stage on a trolley. Watch her try the much-discussed beverage Coors Light brewed with ice shavings collected at Amalie Arena during Game 1. The ones who stayed cheered for every lightning bolt. Stanley takes a jet ski ride “They told us be the thunder, so we’re here,” one fan said. “We’re Floridians. We’re used to this.” Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Alex Killorn drove a jet ski with the 34.5 pound Stanley Cup balanced between his legs. Teammate Nikita Lightning meets lightning Kucherov, perched behind him, waved to fans in the crowd. With the celebration and concert at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park Meanwhile, Lightning coach Jon Cooper shotgunned a beer, firing up the approaching, some kept an eye on the weather. The afternoon forecast crowd as his boat passed fans. Andrei Vasilevskiy and other players calls for thunderstorms, warned Bay News 9 evening meteorologist Brian flung T-shirts and beer cans to cheering people on land. McClure. Time for a beer update As of 2:40 p.m., the mostly blue sky was starting to darken and drizzle, said Times reporter Matt Cohen from downtown. Less than 10 minutes Earlier this morning, the Times spotted Kuch on his boat next to a later, fans heard lightning. Then it started to pour. Stanley Cup made out of Bud Lights.

Juan Alvarez called in sick to work just to see the parade. He was here On dry land, fans lined up at the Bud Light booth in Julian B Lane last year, but he knows that even in Tampa Bay’s run of titles, parades Riverfront Park to grab a commemorative bottle. don’t come every year. There’s also plenty of Champions Ice, the new drink from Coors Light But after a strong thunderstorm sent the crowd scurrying, Alvarez took made with ice from Amalie Arena. We sent columnist Stephanie Hayes to cover outside the men’s bathroom. As the rain poured down, even after do an official taste test. Watch this space. driving from Orlando, Alvarez was ready to go home. Stanley on board ”No matter what, I still got my beer,” he said. Lord Stanley has been spotted on the same boat as Steven Stamkos and An emotional day Victor Hedman. Phil Pritchard, the official keeper of the Stanley Cup, followed on a boat closely behind. Fans along the riverbank at Julien B Lane park started chants of “Champa Bay”, lifted their kids on their shoulders and strained their arms One can assume that he’ll be on the lookout for any funny business, just for even slightest glimpse of the hardware their favorite team had just since the last time the cup took a swim Pritchard made player Dominik won. Hašek give it back early.

Conn Smythe winner and shirtless goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stood on the Keeping an eye on the other kind of lightning hull of his boat tossing T Shirts into the sun-soaked crowd. Jon Cooper’s boat came in toward the shore as he, too, wanted to hype up the crowd. While fans eyes are peeled for Lightning players on the water, there’s Slowly all the players came past, standing and videoing the scene. They also bolts from above to consider. were taking in the moment, the second straight year of glory. Severe storms are expected this afternoon and into the evening in the Many fans were duped by Stanley Cups made of beer cans as the real Tampa Bay area. The storms could bring strong winds, lightning and trophy came past on a jet ski, safely tucked in the legs of Alex Killorn. large hail as Tampa Bay celebrates the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victory The players did not throw the trophy — they kept the divers dry. Owner with a boat parade and an afternoon celebration at Julian B. Lane Jeff Vinik was the closest to dropping the Cup in the water. Riverfront Park. As of 11 a.m., the sky was looking clear. A Bolts tribute made out of...bolts ”It’s awesome because it’s back-to-back No. 1,” Schaller, 55, said, “and No. 2, with everything that went on last year, we’re able to celebrate with Jorge Roldan stood at the Riverwalk in his red banana and painted. everybody now. It’s cool.”

Roldan is a Puerto Rican artist who works under the name Schaller loves how Tampa is unlike any other city in that it can do a boat “Rojotheartist.”Leaning behind him on the light post was a Tampa Bay parade celebration like such. Lightning-themed art piece. After weeks of the city chanting “Let’s go Bolts” in the playoffs, Roldan, 25, was inspired. ”Between the Bucs and the Bolts,” Schaller said, “it’s incredible.”

”It’s be cool to make a Bolts piece out of actual Bolts,” Roldan said. Schaller, who moved to Orlando in 1991, recalls bus trips he used to take to watch the Lightning when the franchise opened in 1992. He connected He used old tools from a friend and bolts from Home Depot, then tied it with some of the players having a Midwest background and the rest was all together with acrylic paint, epoxy, and LED lights. It was 30 hours of history. work and as the parade goes on, Roldan is hoping to find a buyer. With three Cups in the franchise’s short history, Schaller said the team Players boarding boats has proven itself as one of the “legitimate” ones in the league.

Lightning players are now starting to get on boats at Davis Islands. ”(They’ve) become a party of history in the short time they’ve been They’ll head into the Seddon Channel toward downtown. around,” Schaller said. “They’ve done incredible... It’s why they call it Lily Davis wasn’t going to miss her first championship parade. She’s four Champa Bay, right?” months old today and, hey, she’s already missed the last two boat parades. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 Her father, Josh Davis, 29, wants her to grow up a Lightning fan. She wants her to go the Lightning’s summer camps and as girl’s ice hockey continue to grow, he wants Lily to learn to skate.

She’s too young for all that now, but she was born into a burgeoning hockey family in what Davis called a dynasty. For him, this parade is just that much more special because he can introduce his daughter to the team he loves.

”This is what it’s all about,” he said.

Josh Davis has been a lifelong Lightning fan, but in 2019 he married his wife who wasn’t. She’s from Mississippi. But in 2020, Davis asked her to watch the Lightning’s playoff game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was the game that got her hooked. The Lightning won 3-2 in in five overtimes, a year after the Blue Jackets had swept away a President’s Trophy winning season. Suddenly, Josh Davis had a Lightning family.

”We live and breathe this team,” Josh Davis said. “We’ve become a hockey family.”

He’s taking Lily to see parade so she can live and breathe the same.

The Lightning Ladies came to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park last night to scope out the best parking spots and place to sit for the parade. And just a few hours later, the Ladies were first in the park and in the front row — Lightning towels laid out on the ground and blue Jell-o shots passed around before 9 a.m.

At least that’s what Jody Mann, 53, Linda Burrows, 50, Doreen Brooks, 54 and Rhonda Wagner, 63, call themselves. They’ve had a group chat for over four seasons called the same. They celebrate every win, complain about every penalty and they each light up a goal light in their houses for every time the Lightning score. For them, this parade has been a year in the making.

”Seeing the Cup since I didn’t see it last year,” Wagner said of what excited her most.

They all wore shirts that said “#1 Bulls--t”, a quote Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov used many times in press conferences.

”I need a replay of drunk Kuch,” Brooks said.

From their spot by the stage, they might not be able to see the parade run along the river behind the stage, and the players won’t take that stage for hours to come. But they’ve waited a year for this, what’s a few more hours anyway?

Jim Schaller couldn’t miss Monday’s Lightning boat parade. Having missed Tampa’s previous two boat parade celebrations (the Lightning’s 2020 parade last year and the Bucs’ Super Bowl parade earlier this year), Schaller made the drive over from Orlando to get to Tampa around 9 a.m.

Donning an old white Lightning Dino Ciccarelli jersey, Schaller adjusted his work schedule to come to the party (he works in sales). His friends weren’t so lucky, so he’s hanging out along the railway at the Convention Center with other Lightning fans. 1217302 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa holds the Gasparilla flotilla, but organizing a championship boat parade was different. Hungry for an opportunity to get out and celebrate after staying in their homes, fans came out in different ways: boats, personal watercrafts, wakeboards, kayaks. The late September weather Born out of necessity, boat parade has become emblematic of Tampa was perfect. Bay Leading up to the Bucs winning the Lombardi Trophy, virus restrictions had begun to loosen and the city was already formulating ways to integrate more fans as the Super Bowl’s host city through events such as By Eduardo A. Encina the NFL Experience. Published Yesterday “We started with the events in the parks, and they were very much Updated Yesterday controlled and structured after months and months and months of discussion on how to produce events that people could attend safely,” Mulkey said. “And honestly, who really knew that (the Bucs) would be playing at home?” TAMPA — As the Lightning closed in on a Stanley Cup title last year, Tampa’s movers and shakers gathered in a room — check that, a Zoom The parade-party-on-the-water format also created memorable moments room — in September with the tall task of devising a proper and safe way that attracted national and worldwide attention to the city and the bay to celebrate a championship team. area.

The idea of people crowded on sidewalks, elbow to elbow, several rows During the Lightning’s boat parade, Killorn took to his Sea-Doo, with deep and pressed up against steel barricades seemed irresponsible in captain Steven Stamkos lifting the Cup in the seat behind him, closer to the middle of a pandemic. Even the notion of sharing objects, such as the banks of the Hillsborough River to give fans a closer look at it. throwing beads, made everyone uneasy. The Bucs’ parade had an iconic moment when quarterback Tom Brady But what was born and later executed — the boat parade — has come to tossed the Lombardi Trophy from his boat to another as they made their be emblematic of the area’s new “Champa Bay” moniker as much as the way down the river. Watching the parade from a perch near the Tampa titles its professional sports teams have brought home. Convention Center, Whitney Holtzman — owner of Tampa’s Social Victories, which represents pro athletes with their marketing and social “I think being in Florida and in Tampa, we were in a unique situation that media strategies — caught the moment on camera and quickly posted it we’re able to do it on boats,” Lightning forward Alex Killorn said. “And I on social media. think once we did it on boats, a lot of us thought, why would you have done it any other way than this way? And maybe it took COVID for us to Within minutes, Brady’s toss had gone viral. kind of realize how cool it was.” Holtzman spent nine hours doing interviews that day as media outlets And with the Lightning winning their second straight Stanley Cup title last such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated and the Today show reached out to her. week, Tampa hosts its third boat parade in 10 months today. The Bucs Brady’s team also purchased licensing rights for the video to use it on his also celebrated their Super Bowl 55 victory in February on the water. social media platforms.

But today’s celebration will be much different from last year’s for the “It was like a sonic boom,” said Holtzman. “This doesn’t happen in other Lightning. cities. We want to allow people to be themselves and give them the ultimate support, and that’s elicited these kind of moments. I just don’t Last year’s boat parade was spread out, ending with fans socially think there’s that interaction between sports teams and their fan bases in distanced at Raymond James Stadium. Today’s will include a rally at most other cities.” Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park that organizers believe could draw a crowd of 30,000.

In September, that wasn’t possible as the coronavirus pandemic Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 continued. Organizers had to be more creative, unable to duplicate 2004, when the Lightning won the team’s first Cup and players rode in a downtown parade in convertibles.

“We were in a nontraditional way of doing things, so we needed a nontraditional solution,” said Tony Mulkey, superintendent of Tampa’s Office of Special Events. “We weren’t going to do anything that created those gathering points. The idea was really smart. It was to provide an opportunity for the fans to interact with the team, to see the Stanley Cup, to see the trophies, see all the players and get out and do something fun, which I think everybody was starving for.”

They decided to use one of Tampa’s best assets, its waterways, as well as the waterfront — highlighted by the downtown Riverwalk — to create an environment that would make people feel protected from the virus but also allow them to revel in the celebration.

“Looking back on it, it was a group of special-events scientists,” said Ashley Bauman, former communications director and spokesperson for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, “a very small and mighty team that got together and looked at the lay of the land on where we were with COVID and knowing that we’re a celebratory town and had to celebrate. We knew we had to do something unique that would keep our residents safe.”

Weeks went into the planning, though in a sport as superstitious as hockey, the Lightning didn’t want to mention the “P” word until they won. There was a quick turnaround of about 36 hours to finalize everything once the Lightning captured the Cup.

“The challenges are getting so much done in such a short period of time,” said Bill Wickett, the Lightning’s former executive vice president of communications. “You work behind the scenes on a lot of it, but then once your team wins, it’s a whirlwind getting all the details put together.” 1217303 Tampa Bay Lightning

Severe storms Monday afternoon could dampen Tampa Bay Lightning celebration

By Michaela Mulligan

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

Severe storms are expected this afternoon and into the evening in the Tampa Bay area. The storms could bring strong winds, lightning and large hail as Tampa Bay celebrates the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victory with a boat parade and an afternoon celebration at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.

The City of Tampa is hosting the emblematic boat parade, which will begin around 11 a.m. The celebration at the park is expected to begin around 2 p.m. Large crowds are expected. Severe storms could begin about that time.

The storms have the potential for damaging winds of 50 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph, said Rodney Wynn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Ruskin.

Heavy rain could cause flooding, especially in areas where rivers are already full from previous storms.

Wynn says currently there is no threat of tornados. However, he warned how quick weather can change in the Tampa Bay area.

“I know it’s beautiful out there this morning so people might be deceived,” Wynn said.

Spectrum Bay New 9 Weather, which predicts a 60 percent chance of rain, encourages people to stay, “weather aware this afternoon.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217304 Tampa Bay Lightning this is a business. For right now, let’s party hard and enjoy it. We deserve it.”

The Lightning’s culture is about everyone feeling connected, and that From a champagne shower to a dented Stanley Cup: What I’ll remember means everyone in the organization (Cooper, Kucherov and Stamkos from Lightning celebration brought the Cup over to the Amalie Arena ice crew during their celebration). So it was fitting that the boat parade started with Mathieu Joseph bringing it to young fans by the Davis Island docks.

By Joe Smith The kids later yelled “Colton!” to rookie Ross Colton, who scored the Cup clincher, and he made sure to take photos with them before leaving on a Jul 13, 2021 boat with fellow rookies Cal Foote and Taylor Raddysh. Colton’s family was all there, including his mother, Kelly, who missed the Cup-clincher because she was home in New Jersey sick with the flu. During the The Stanley Cup made it all the way up the Hillsborough River for parade, Ross’ father, Rob, asked me to take a photo of him and his son Monday’s raucous Lightning boat parade without a scratch. at the edge of his boat.

Hockey’s holy grail even survived the torrential downpour at the rally at I’ll remember the two franchise cornerstones in Stamkos and Hedman, Julian B. Lane Park, where tens of thousands braved the storm to see who signed long-term deals two days apart in 2016, standing side by side Steven Stamkos and company party with them one more time. on the lead boat with the Cup. They took turns hoisting it in front of thousands of fans who packed the Riverwalk, American Social and more. But by the end of the evening, the Stanley Cup suffered an upper-body Their parents were there, too, Hedman’s coming from Sweden. Stamkos injury and is considered day to day (it’s getting sent to Montreal for and Hedman had seen some dark periods in this franchise and the repairs and returning this weekend). rebirth under Vinik. Both appeared to be playing hurt in the playoffs, with There’s no truth to the report that the Cup will be sidelined for the next the details likely coming later, but this moment had to be extra special for regular season but be available for a three-peat quest once the playoffs the captain, who played just 2 minutes, 47 seconds in last year’s Cup begin. run.

The Lightning’s rally at the park was canceled due to weather (and is Steven Stamkos, left, and Victor Hedman (Joe Smith / For The Athletic) unlikely to be rescheduled), but those who stayed will never forget it. I’ll remember Barclay Goodrow throwing the football to fans from his There were no official speeches, but there was an undeniable connection boat, with kayakers collecting the ball from the water when they were between this team and these fans who lined up to take selfies, share dropped. drinks and hug members of this historic back-to-back Cup team. I’ll remember Brayden Point, the Lightning’s quiet, humble superstar, What will they remember? trying to rev up the fans along the parade route. One fan threw him a I can tell you what I will: seltzer, which he caught, opened and started to down.

A shirtless Yanni Gourde surfing on a dolly across the stage after I’ll remember a fan yelling, “You can’t do this in Canada. You can only do chugging two beers at the same time. this in Florida.”

Pat Maroon, a three-time Cup champ and man of the people, blowing I’ll remember Erik Cernak smiling as he sprayed me with champagne past security to get as close as possible to fans, pouring a Bud Light into from the next boat over, and (wrongly) thinking that was as soaked as I one’s mouth and then finishing a liquor drink of another. would get all day.

Nikita Kucherov pouring beer out of the Cup into the mouth of owner Jeff I’ll remember fans along the route asking me to throw them beers, Vinik, with the two giving each other a bear hug and bouncing to the thinking we actually had alcohol on the media boat (like players did). music. I’ll remember Coleman having one of the bigger boats to himself and his The crowd chanting “MVP!” when Andrei Vasilevskiy hoisted the Conn large family contingent. He arrived with his left arm in a sling, but it didn’t Smythe Trophy and then the Cup. appear to bother him as he lifted the Cup over his head countless times. Coleman, like Goodrow, are likely to see hefty raises in free agency, but It’s like the Lightning didn’t want this to end, and for good reason, as the fans will never forget them being the “final pieces” in the championship team is expected to look much different next season due to the salary puzzle. Coleman’s Superman goal in Game 2 against the Canadiens was cap crunch. If this was Tampa Bay’s “last day of school,” as coach Jon a major turning point. Goodrow’s blocked shot in the final seconds of Cooper put it, it was one hell of a graduation party. The crowd certainly Game 5 epitomized the team’s sacrifice. wasn’t ready to go home. Once the storm’s rain went sideways, many of them dove under a tent and chanted “No. 1 Bullshit!”, a Kucherov phrase It’s what David Savard feels makes this Lightning team special. that’s already on T-shirts. “It’s the commitment to winning,” Savard said. “Everyone has their role, Kucherov was the offensive star in the playoffs, the post-Cup video call everyone buys in. Guys accept what they’re doing, they sacrifice for the and, of course, the boat parade. team and that’s how they bond to become really tight. They’ve been really good for years before I showed up. Then you get to see it from the He danced. He hugged the Lombardi Trophy. He jumped on a water inside. They’re a special group. Their commitment to winning is just scooter with Alex Killorn (and the Cup). He poured beer on a TV reporter. crazy.”

Cooper has said the “transformation” of this Lightning team coincided I’ll remember Killorn in his No. 17 Bucs jersey, his WWE-style with the transformation of Kucherov, who emerged from the 2019 sweep championship belt, and think back to his big-time block on a Jeff Petry by the Blue Jackets as a more mature and determined player and leader. shot in Game 1. Killorn broke his fibula on the play, had surgery that The 128 points, the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy didn’t mean week with a rod put in his leg, and planned to play in Game 6 or 7. anything if they didn’t win the Stanley Cup. I’ll remember Vinik singing Queen’s “We Are the Champions” on his boat Now they have, and Kucherov is a big reason why. with his family, pumping his fist in the air during each rendition. The The world is now getting to see the sneaky colorful personality reason the boat parade was Monday is because Vinik’s oldest son, teammates see behind the scenes. Danny, got married Saturday in Newport, R.I., so he and his wife Penny were there over the weekend. I’ll remember his hoarse voice when we “It’s unreal all the people out here — I love them all,” Kucherov said on spoke over the phone after midnight the night the Lightning won the Cup. WFLA-TV. “You dream about this from the day you bought the team, to do it in front What do you think of this team? of the fans,” Vinik said. “It’s hard enough to win a championship, much less win at home. I said this to my family before the game, ‘This is what “Unbelievable,” he said. “Nobody can beat us in back-to-back years. An it’s all about.’ You’ve got to enjoy these moments.” unreal team. Everyone plays hard. I wish we could keep everybody, but Lightning founder , the Hall of Famer, has said Vinik is the best thing to happen to this franchise. And to see the thousands lining the streets and bridges (and filling boats) during the parade, it should be brought up that it was not always this way. For everything Vinik and his management group have done, it’s what they didn’t do — panic and make massive changes after the 2019 first-round sweep — that are a significant turning point in this journey.

“Usually in sports, you have to lose before you can win,” Vinik said. “There’s no question the pain we suffered for so many years, so many years of being close but being disappointed, that pain, we’re now enjoying the flip side of that, where we are now.”

But what I’ll remember the most is the fans. The ones that made signs such as “Free Champagne Showers” and the best one:

“Kucherov we have Bud Lights and Champagne for you. We are not No. 1 Bullshit!”

I’ll remember the fans that we got closer with while packed into one of the tents during the storm at the rally, the ones that chanted “Let’s Go Bolts!” and would still be in the park had they not shut it down.

I’ll remember the fans who came up to me and said they read The Athletic and have enjoyed our coverage this season. You guys are what makes this job special.

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Dean Chynoweth joins Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff as assistant

Staff Report

By The Canadian Press

Mon., July 12, 2021 updated 12 hrs ago

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach.

The 52-year-old replaces former assistant coach Dave Hakstol, who was recently named the first head coach of the expansion Seattle Kraken.

Chynoweth spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Before joining Carolina, the Calgary native spent nine seasons (2000-09) as a head coach in the Western Hockey League with Seattle and Swift Current before spending three seasons in the NHL as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders (2009-12).

He then spent four seasons as a head coach in the American Hockey League with the Cleveland Monsters and (2012- 16).

Chynoweth has also been a part of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, serving as the head coach of Canada’s Under-18 National Team and assistant coach of Canada’s Under-20 World Junior Team (2003-04).

As a player, Chynoweth spent 10 seasons in the NHL between the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins after being drafted in the first round (13th overall) of the 1987 draft.

“As someone who grew up in Western Canada and watched the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada every weekend, I’m thrilled to join the team’s coaching staff,” he said in a release.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to work alongside (head coach) Sheldon (Keefe), the rest of the staff and the talented group of players in Toronto.”

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Maple Leafs add Dean Chynoweth to coaching staff in assistant role

Terry Koshan

Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021

Sheldon Keefe has filled a hole on his Maple Leafs coaching staff.

The Leafs on Monday hired Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach, some three weeks after assistant Dave Hakstol departed to become the head coach of the expansion Seattle Kraken.

In the 52-year-old Chynoweth, Keefe brings aboard a hockey lifer. Chynoweth spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Carolina Hurricanes, his latest stop on a coaching journey that began in the late 1990s after his professional playing career ended.

“After spending time with Dean, it became clear that his knowledge, passion and personality would make him the right fit,” Keefe said in a statement. “We’re fortunate to add someone of his quality and experience to our staff.”

A native of Calgary, Chynoweth ran the Hurricanes’ defence and penalty kill and is expected to do the same in Toronto. Carolina last season was third in the National Hockey League on the penalty kill at 85.2%; the Leafs were 24th at 78.5%.

“As someone who grew up in western Canada and watched the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada every weekend, I’m thrilled to join the team’s coaching staff,” Chynoweth said.. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work alongside Sheldon, the rest of the staff and the talented group of players in Toronto.”

Chynoweth, a defenceman, played in 241 games in the NHL with the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders after a junior career with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League.

His coaching resume also includes Seattle and Swift Current of the WHL (head), New York Islanders (assistant) and Lake Erie and San Antonio of the American Hockey League (head), and roles with Hockey Canada.

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Auston Matthews, Jumbo Joe hit UFC 264 with Biebs, party with Kendall Jenner

Mark Daniell

Publishing date: Jul 12, 2021

It was a Maple Leafs reunion Saturday night as Auston Matthews and joined pop star Justin Bieber for UFC 264 in Las Vegas.

The Toronto teammates were part of Bieber’s entourage heading into T- Mobile Arena to watch the headline bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.

But the good times didn’t stop after McGregor suffered a brutal ankle injury in the closing seconds of the first round. The Leafs twosome found themselves trending on Twitter after they made a cameo appearance on Kendall Jenner’s Instagram Story as Bieber danced to BIA’s WHOLE LOTTA MONEY on a party bus following the fight.

“Did not expect to see Joe Thornton in Kendall Jenner’s IG Story, but here we are,” one person commented, with another adding, “I did NOT have Joe Thornton hanging out with Kendall Jenner on my 2021 bingo card.”

Another fan wondered, “Joe Thornton hanging out in Vegas with both Bieber and Kendall Jenner … does that make him an influencer now?”

Matthews and Bieber have been friends for years, with the pair spotted out at UFC 263 last month along with Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen. Matthews also regularly sports clothing from Bieber’s Drew brand and even hit the ice with the Grammy winner in 2019 for a little Boxing Day skate at Stratford, Ont.’s Allman Arena. Last year, a video of the two sharing a hug went viral after Biebs was videoed patiently waiting for Matthews post-game.

The Baby singer’s allegiance to the blue and white is no secret. Bieber regularly cheers on the Buds — both virtually and in person — and tried to will the Stanley Cup back to Toronto when he predicted way back in January, “This is the year” (make that next year, Justin).

His song, Hold On, became the club’s official anthem when the “love letter” was released in March. The Buds called it, “The collab you didn’t know you needed.”

In a 2020 interview with NHL.com, Matthews assessed Bieber’s on-ice skills declaring him, “a good player.”

“He’s small, but he’s pretty pretty fast and he’s got good hands. He loves to score goals — loves to score goals. He doesn’t believe in assists.”

In 2019, Matthews said seeing Bieber at Leafs home games was “pretty sweet.”

“It’s cool having guys like that be big fans of the team and support our team and, obviously, him being from here and him being who he is, it’s pretty awesome to see,” the 2021 Rocket Richard Trophy winner told TSN.

Although Matthews will be back with the team next season, Thornton’s tenure with the Leafs is still up in the air. The winger’s one-year deal in Hogtown came to an end after Toronto’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217308 Toronto Maple Leafs Here is a side-by-side of the two lineups, with holes where the Leafs still need to make additions (1LW, 2LW and 3RW). Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game Score Value Added calculations serve as quality indicators for each player: Mirtle: Ride the Lightning: How do the Maple Leafs catch the best team in the NHL? What’s interesting when you look at the Lightning roster that just won the championship and what the Leafs front office is dealing with this offseason is, on paper, the biggest separator is depth.

By James Mirtle Toronto’s forward group is more top-heavy — with the biggest difference coming at 2C between John Tavares and Anthony Cirelli — as we would Jul 12, 2021 expect given their salary structure.

But one of the problems this creates is a third line that cannot measure The Lightning are Stanley Cup champs. Again. up to Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow. And a group of LWs who are far superior to anything Toronto can put together, especially if (or more likely Maybe it’s boring, but given how random this league can be, I like to see when) Zach Hyman walks as a UFA. (He is rated a 2.5 GSVA, ranking the franchises that have built well and smart for years to get the him above all but three Tampa forwards.) appropriate payoff. (Before the comments fill up: If the league is going to allow salary-cap loopholes, I’m categorizing taking advantage of them Tampa, by this measure, has eight forwards with a 1.2 GSVA or better, under “smart.”) meaning they rank in the top 138 in the NHL.

If any team in the past eight years deserves multiple Cups, it’s Tampa. Minus Hyman, Toronto has four — which puts them right about the NHL average. In fact, statistically, you can argue they have put up one of the most impressive runs in the last 30 years, with five final four appearances — This becomes a big issue when there’s an injury (Tavares) and you don’t and three trips to the final — since 2015. have enough players who can fill the gap, the way the Lightning did when Stamkos missed almost the entire 2020 postseason. The number of teams that have won that consistently in the playoffs in that short of a time frame is incredibly small. The 2009-15 Chicago The Leafs have decided to stand by their Core Four forwards and run Blackhawks did it. So did the 1996-2002 Detroit Red Wings and Colorado that group back for another try. It almost goes without saying that they’ll Avalanche. But before that, you probably need to go back to the 1980s need more from them in the postseason, the way the Lightning had Oilers to find a team that piled up as much prolonged postseason standout performances from Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. success — 70 playoff wins in seven years — as the Lightning have. But in saying that Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner need to be better, I’ve noticed some Maple Leafs fans express concern about being back in the other grim reality for the Leafs is even if those two put up numbers, a division with the Lightning next season. With good reason. But I this is still a roster that’s short of the best teams in the NHL. And after actually think it will be good for this organization. seven years, should that not be the bar they’re trying to hit?

Rather than being satisfied with being the eighth-best team in the NHL — The 2021-22 Leafs are outclassed at all three positions by the 2020-21 which is what the Leafs’ record is over the past three regular seasons — Lightning right now. The challenge for Dubas is how do you make up that maybe they can aim a little higher? gap when you have only $10 million in cap space to address three forward holes and add a backup goaltender who is probably going to The goal for this franchise should be to beat the Lightning. Or, frankly, to need to play 35 games? be the Lightning. The Leafs do not have those players coming in the prospect pool, at least Maybe that sounds impossible. There’s no question Tampa has a in time for this fall. (Nick Robertson projects as a fourth-line contributor stacked lineup, with three star forwards, four good defencemen, a Vezina for next season.) Poor drafting between 2013 and 2017 is hurting in a big winner in goal and depth throughout the roster. way at the moment.

They’re well-coached, well-managed and well-run, from owner Jeff Vinik In an ideal world, they need to replace Hyman with a similarly talented on down. They’re the standard. player, add a significant upgrade over Alex Kerfoot at 3C and then add two more forwards who are upgrades over Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre You’re probably already familiar with a lot of the “how” behind how Engvall and can push them down the lineup. Tampa got here, but here’s my Coles Notes version in a few sentences. On defence, the ask is less onerous, as Toronto’s top three are not far 1. Vinik buys the team, which was a mess, and tabs Steve Yzerman as away from Tampa’s thanks to Jake Muzzin and T.J. Brodie. What the GM back in 2010. Leafs need, however, is one of Rasmus Sandin, Justin Holl or Travis 2. Yzerman made a lot of smart calls, including bringing in Al Murray as Dermott to evolve into a higher-end top-four minute eater. Or to pull off a scouting director from L.A., where he had put in place a lot of the parts of trade to find that fourth defenceman. the Kings championships in 2012 and 2014. Matching Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal feels impossible, given Toronto’s cap 3. Murray’s drafts then helped lay an incredible cast on top of what they constraints and his talent level, but they’ll have to hope Jack Campbell is already had, which was primarily Steven Stamkos (drafted No. 1 two the real deal and that they can complement him out of the UFA bargain years before Vinik and Yzerman arrived) and Victor Hedman (drafted No. bin. 2 a year later). So, the answer to “How do the Leafs catch the Lightning?” is probably 4. That group has now peaked with the roster of the last two years, that they can’t. Not entirely anyway. thanks to some savvy tweaks from current GM Julien BriseBois. That said, the salary cap is going to take a bite out of Tampa this The Leafs have missed some of those steps. is offseason, with their UFAs likely gone (Coleman, Goodrow and Savard) Toronto’s version of Yzerman, but he wasn’t able to find an Al Murray and two other pieces getting dealt. Toronto’s hope has to be they can and the Leafs draft performance has been lacking. The Leafs also had to close the gap as the Lightning come back to earth a bit, especially in draft their foundation pieces as part of the Shanaplan, as other than terms of their forward depth. Morgan Rielly, no top talent was in place prior to 2014. It’s really not going to be easy, certainly not with what’s available in free Seven years after Shanahan joined the organization, the Leafs are at a agency. In fact, I think you can probably call it impossible to fill all of the crossroads. They are a good team; they are not a great team — and the Leafs’ needs using UFAs. They’re going to have to explore the trade path from one to the other is unclear. market here.

With Leafs GM now in a critical three-week period where he The reality is there are only around 160 forwards that are around the needs to make some bold moves to better complement his top players, I impact level the Leafs need to add this offseason. They need at least two thought it would be instructive to compare his roster to that of the Cup — and ideally three — of those players to join the roster to get their champs. forward group close to what the Lightning have. Then hope and pray that what they have on D and in goal is enough in a playoff series.

We’re going to have a big list of forward targets up on the site in the next week here. For me, how well Dubas and Co. can execute on adding some of the higher-end names from that group, while staying under the cap, is going to define their summer.

Without some hits there, I have a hard time seeing this team taking a step forward next season. You’re likely not going to be able to beat teams like Tampa with so many Mikheyevs, Kerfoots and Engvalls playing as high as they are in the lineup right now.

There’s no question the Leafs are going to need more from their stars to have a deep playoff run next year. They can’t go anywhere without them producing. But focusing only on that is misguided. This roster needs to be better, too, if they truly want to become an upper-echelon team.

It’s going to be an interesting next three weeks as the front office tries to sort that out.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021

1217309 Vegas Golden Knights So who are those clubs and what could the return for the Blues look like? In conversations the past few days with sources familiar with Tarasenko’s

list, we’ve come up with five teams that could be trade possibilities: the Vladimir Tarasenko trade packages: What the Rangers, Islanders, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Boston Knights, Bruins and Flyers could offer the Blues Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.

For return, let’s keep in mind that no two trades are exactly alike, and it’s especially difficult to come up with comparables considering that the By Jeremy Rutherford and Corey Pronman Jul 12, 2021 salary cap will be stuck at $81.5 million in 2021-22 and likely longer. But we wanted to find some similar examples in recent years to help set up

some parameters. Here are a couple of moves we looked at: It’s been five days since The Athletic first reported that star Blues right VLADIMIR TARASENKO TRADE COMP 1 winger Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade. Golden Knights receive: It hasn’t been a perfect marriage, but it’s still surreal to think that the organization’s purest goal scorer since Brett Hull may have played his Max Pacioretty last game in the Blue Note. Canadiens receive: Tarasenko has two years remaining on his eight-year, $60 million contract, and there’s no guarantee that Blues general manager Doug Nick Suzuki Armstrong will find a suitable trade before the start of the 2021-22 Tomas Tatar season. But a split is where this is headed, and it wouldn’t seem wise to keep a disgruntled player on the roster much longer — especially one Second-round pick (2019) who, according to sources, has questioned how the team’s medical staff handled his surgically repaired left shoulder. VLADIMIR TARASENKO TRADE COMP 2

How does Armstrong make this work, though, when the Blues are saying Rangers receive: their championship window is still open and operating near the NHL’s Jacob Trouba $81.5 million salary cap? Does he trade for an established player or a package that may include prospects or draft picks? Does he dump salary Jets receive: and use it on another position? If so, how much of Tarasenko’s salary will the Blues have to retain? Neal Pionk

It’s all part of a complex equation. First-round pick (2019)

BREAKING: BLUES WINGER VLADIMIR TARASENKO REQUESTS A The Max Pacioretty and Jacob Trouba trades featured a return of what TRADE, PER SOURCES: WHY HE WANTS OUT, POSSIBLE we will call an A-grade future (Nick Suzuki and the first-round pick) plus a DESTINATIONS AND MORE HTTPS://T.CO/OLNEUCTGSI good young NHL-proven player (Tomas Tatar and Neal Pionk). #STLBLUES Given the unique circumstances of the current situation — a flat cap, an — JEREMY RUTHERFORD (@JPRUTHERFORD) JULY 8, 2021 expansion draft looming and Tarasenko having injury concerns and a full no-trade clause but also two years left on his contract — it is likely the Since news of the trade request surfaced, many have suggested that the return for Tarasenko will be a downgrade from that, but we can still use it Blues should leave Tarasenko unprotected in the upcoming Seattle as a starting point. expansion draft. Teams are required to submit their protected lists by Saturday, and the draft will be held on July 21. In order to come up with potential trade packages, we roped in The Athletic’s prospects guru Corey Pronman. If only it were as easy as the Kraken taking Tarasenko off the books and the Blues using the $7.5 million of salary-cap space that freed up to Here’s what we came up with: upgrade the roster, either in a trade or free agency. Rangers

Seattle GM Ron Francis has a blank canvas with the Kraken, but while Overview: It’s been a shocking summer in New York, where new GM and the expansion club has announced that it will be spending to the cap, president Chris Drury and head coach Gerard Gallant are now in charge. would he commit nearly 10 percent of that to a 29-year-old winger who The Rangers have played in just one postseason series in the past four hasn’t looked the same since having three shoulder surgeries? years (they were swept by Carolina in the 2019-20 qualifying round), so In addition to Tarasenko’s health history, there may be concerns about the pressure will be on even with a new regime. There’s been a lot of how his now-public rift with the Blues will be perceived by teams speculation in the Big Apple about being the landing spot for Buffalo’s interested in him. Jack Eichel, which would take priority over a Tarasenko deal.

Furthermore, Tarasenko left his longtime agent, Mike Liut, this summer Potential trade package: Right winger Vitali Kravtsov and left-shot and joined Paul Theofanous. As it relates to the Kraken, Liut and Francis defenseman Libor Hajek are second cousins and were teammates in Hartford, so Francis would Rutherford’s thoughts: The Rangers could have drafted Tarasenko in have a deeper understanding of Tarasenko at his disposal, and with the 2010, but at No. 10, they took defenseman Dylan McIlrath. He spent just recent split between Liut and Tarasenko, you’d have to wonder about 38 games in New York and is now with Detroit’s AHL affiliate. Do they Liut’s honest opinion. want Tarasenko 11 years later? He’d love to play with his pal Artemi For those wondering about Seattle taking Tarasenko in the expansion Panarin, but they need a center and some grit. This trade could be draft and flipping him in a trade — a la Vegas in 2017 — the question plausible, though, if the Blues are getting either Kravtsov or Pavel might become: “If Armstrong is having even a little bit of trouble trading Buchnevich, along with Hajek, who may be available because the him, why would Francis make that his problem?” Rangers have better young defensemen in the pipeline.

That’s why it probably makes sense for the Blues to leave Tarasenko off Pronman’s thoughts: The Rangers have a ton of good wingers, so in their protected list. Finding the right deal will probably take more time order to make this deal work in all likelihood one has to go the other way. than the upcoming expansion-draft deadline provides. From there, if the Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are non-starters, so the most obvious Kraken pick him, the Blues move on. And if they don’t, then the Blues candidate is Kravtsov. He was a top 10 pick by the Rangers, but it would were able to protect another forward in the draft — and continue to look be fair to say if you redid that draft now, based on talks with NHL scouts, for the right spot to ship Tarasenko. he would go in the teens or 20s in all likelihood. He is a highly skilled playmaker with size whose game lacks speed. Hajek is a very good As far as The Athletic can gauge at the moment, that’s the most likely skating defenseman with a good frame but lacks ideal skill and puck- scenario: a trade. And according to sources, Tarasenko has given the moving instincts. Blues a list that includes as many as 10 teams for which he’d approve a deal. Islanders Overview: The Islanders have been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup Final round pick this summer seems the most logical trade asset. Frederic is a the past two seasons, falling to Tampa Bay in the semifinals both years, competitive, smart forward with size who lacks standout speed or skill for including a Game 7 loss last month. How will GM Lou Lamoriello the NHL level. respond? It’s unlikely he’ll want to alter the Islanders’ foundation, but he could still make a substantial splash to help get them over the hump. The Flyers Isles are a hardworking team with balanced scoring but could benefit Overview: After a rewarding 2019-20 season for Philadelphia, which saw from a player like Tarasenko, who, when clicking, can be instant offense. the Flyers finish with the league’s sixth-best record and Alain Vigneault Potential trade package: Right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson, left be among the three finalists for the coach of the year award, this past winger Michael Dal Colle season was a major step back. They closed at No. 19 in the standings, missed the playoffs and are facing a pivotal offseason. But with improved Rutherford’s thoughts: After Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk, the Blues goaltending and a few other players returning to previous form, a are thin on the right side of their defense, so Dobson would be a nice bounce-back year is possible. Still, GM Chuck Fletcher’s club could use a pickup. But if the Islanders are giving up the 21-year-old Dobson, they’re shoot-first, goal-scoring threat like Tarasenko. going to want Vince Dunn in the deal, even though Dobson is a righty and Dunn is a lefty. If Lamoriello were making a trade for Tarasenko, Potential trade package: Center Morgan Frost, right-shot defenseman he’d probably prefer to give up left winger Anthony Beauvillier, 24, who Philippe Myers would be a lot more intriguing than Dal Colle, who was the No. 5 pick in Rutherford’s thoughts: In 2017, the Blues traded two first-round picks to 2014 and has just eight career goals. Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn, and the Flyers used one of them on Pronman’s thoughts: The Islanders’ farm system is a little on the thin Frost. Frost was hurt in 2020-21, and so far he’s played in just 22 NHL side, so their two best trade options are their 2018 first-round picks in games and scored twice. He’s only 22 and has a lot of upside, so Dobson and winger Oliver Wahlstrom. You can interchange which one of perhaps the Blues would have some interest. Myers, 24, may be a player those two to use here if Islanders fans are particularly infuriated by one who gets their attention more than Frost, but the Flyers might prefer to or the other being offered up. Both are very good young players who use him in a bigger trade to help bring an impact defenseman. haven’t taken that big step to becoming core parts of a lineup. Dal Colle, Pronman’s thoughts: I realize this package looks very similar to the also a high pick, is a skilled big winger, but due to a lack of footspeed, Flyers one proposed for Seth Jones. I never said we were overly he’s had a hard time becoming a useful NHL player. creative. Frost was injured all season but is still considered a very good Golden Knights prospect with top-six forward potential. It would be between him and defenseman Cam York for the future asset used here. Myers is a big, Overview: Vegas will remain one of the top teams in the Western mobile defenseman whose NHL performance has been up and down in Conference in 2021-22, even after being upset by Montreal in this year’s his first few years in the league but is a useful big leaguer. playoffs. The undoing of the Golden Knights was their power play, which ranked dead last among the 16 playoff teams (9.3 percent). Tarasenko There are other possible destinations for Tarasenko, but as you can see, netted 17 power-play goals for the Blues in 2018-19 (including the there are a lot of moving parts and possibilities. You may disagree with playoffs), but he has just four PP goals the past two years in 42 games. some of the scenarios, but our goal, for now, was to provide a list of legitimate clubs where there may be mutual interest, as well as put Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Nicolas Roy names on the players who may be available.

Rutherford’s thoughts: First Ryan Reaves and Alex Pietrangelo, and now The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 Tarasenko? It’s the “Blues West.” I see why a star like Tarasenko would want to play in Vegas, but will the Golden Knights be interested? They have so many wingers that Alex Tuch, who was tied for third on the team with 18 goals last season, was relegated to the third line. It’s hard to imagine the Blues fetching a first-round pick (even No. 29) for Tarasenko due to his injury situation, and it’s also hard to see Vegas giving up Roy, a center, when the Knights need help at center.

Pronman’s thoughts: Putting in Peyton Krebs would likely be too much for Vegas to handle from a futures standpoint, but I don’t get the sense around the league Brendan Brisson would do it, so the Golden Knights’ first-round pick this summer, No. 29, would be the future used. They’ll have to give a bit more on the current player side than Roy, who is a useful, if not a good, NHL player. Vegas fans likely will squirm at the idea of giving up someone who can play the middle given their depth chart, but ideally Krebs or Cody Glass can step in and play the middle.

Bruins

Overview: Boston has $30 million in projected salary-cap space in 2021- 22, but the Bruins have some high-end unrestricted free agents they’re trying to bring back. For starters, there’s Taylor Hall and David Krejci, and then there’s goalie Tuukka Rask, and also don’t forget they’ve been linked to the Eichel rumors in Buffalo. Boston appears set at right wing with David Pastrnak and Craig Smith, and the Bruins have a more pressing need on left defense. But if they can’t get the top-six talent they’re after, perhaps Tarasenko becomes an option.

Potential trade package: 2021 first-round pick, center Trent Frederic

Rutherford’s thoughts: The Blues would make this deal yesterday. The Bruins’ first-round pick is No. 20, and with the Blues already possessing the No. 16 pick, Armstrong would have two of the top 20 selections in the draft. I’m assuming the Blues would be retaining salary in this proposal, but even if they’re off the hook for some of the $7.5 million, it would allow them to spend that money on another position. Meanwhile, they’d be adding some sandpaper in the St. Louisan, Frederic, and it worked out pretty well the last time a player put on the hometown uniform (Pat Maroon).

Pronman’s thoughts: Boston doesn’t have a lot of premium futures unless they part with Jack Studnicka, which seems unlikely, so using its first- 1217310 Vegas Golden Knights In 2017, Dansk was entering unrestricted free agency after his rookie contract with Columbus expired. After one season with the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate in Springfield, Dansk was loaned to Rögle BK in Sweden’s SHL. He played two seasons in his home country before accepting a Oscar Dansk on his time with the Golden Knights, his move to the KHL one-year deal from the Golden Knights. and a road trip with William Karlsson He signed on July 3, 2017, before the team had set foot on the ice. It was only a few days removed from the expansion draft, but Dansk pounced on the chance. By Jesse Granger Jul 12, 2021 “I thought it was another one of those times where you just don’t say no,”

he said. “I was offered another chance. A chance I didn’t think I would get Former Golden Knights goalie Oscar Dansk landed in Moscow, Russia, again, honestly. I didn’t even think for a second, much like the feeling I on Thursday. He signed a two-year contract with Spartak Moscow of the had now with Spartak.” Kontinental Hockey League, which is set to begin training camp in the At the time, Dansk knew little to nothing about the city of Las Vegas, or coming days. about the NHL’s newest organization. Dansk has visited Russia in the past for junior hockey tournaments, but is “I had no idea, to be honest,” he said with a laugh. “It was around the attempting to settle down in a country he’s never lived, in a city he had time William (Karlsson) got drafted in the expansion draft, so that was never set foot in. about as much as I knew. I had only been to Vegas once, for a classic “It’s been good but I’ve been busy trying to get in here and get Vegas weekend. But in my gut, it just felt like the right thing. I was pretty comfortable,” Dansk told The Athletic over the phone from his Moscow nervous, but from day one I was treated with the utmost respect by hotel room. “I still have some work to do, finding an apartment and stuff, everyone. I felt like I was part of the family once I landed there and ever but it’s coming along. It’s my first time in Moscow and it’s a little bit of an since.” adjustment for sure.” Baptism by fire Dansk’s hockey career has led him through Sweden and North America. Only four games into franchise history, Fleury was knocked out of action He’s played in small cities such as Erie, Penn., and Springfield, Mass. with a concussion. His backup, Malcolm Subban, filled in but also injured He’s also played in larger cities like Stockholm, Chicago and obviously himself in only his third game. That left Dansk, who had never appeared Las Vegas – but nothing like Moscow. in an NHL game, sitting on the bench at T-Mobile Arena as the only “It’s a very big city. I think it’s the biggest city I’ve lived in,” Dansk said. option late in a game against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 21, 2017. “Stockholm and Vegas are decently big, but this kind of tops it. The “I just remember looking up and Turk (Gerard Gallant) looking at me like, buildings are very big and majestic. There are a lot of cars and traffic. I ‘What are you waiting for?’” Dansk said. “He told me to have fun and then haven’t explored that much yet but I’m sure I will over the course of the I was in there all of a sudden. I remember trying to look up into the next two years. It’s pretty sweet. I’m sure it has a lot to offer so I’m stands, but it was quite surreal. I was trying to soak it in, but there’s not excited.” much time. The refs want to get the game going.” Dansk played in the Golden Knights organization for the last four The first shot Dansk faced in an NHL game came from Alex Pietrangelo, seasons, appearing in six NHL games and 106 AHL games. He recorded with whom he practiced as teammates this season. Pietrangelo’s one- the first shutout in franchise history in 2017, helped lead the AHL timer sailed past Dansk and into the net to tie the game, but Vegas won Chicago Wolves on a run to the Final and practiced with the in overtime on a goal from Karlsson. Dansk started the next two games, Golden Knights nearly every day during the past season. stopping 61 of 63 shots and earning two more wins. During his time with Vegas, Dansk developed as a goalie and as a “It was a lot of fun to have that kind of responsibility,” he said. “I person, and now eagerly looks forward to the next chapter of his career remember feeling surprised, but in a good way, to have that kind of with Spartak. His signing was made official on July 5. responsibility by the coaches and management. It was only a few games “They reached out to me at an early time, and obviously the (KHL) before I got injured but I was super honored to have that responsibility season starts earlier here so it makes sense,” Dansk said of Spartak. “I because as fast as I got thrown in, I could’ve easily gotten thrown out for felt like especially with the year I’ve had, not playing much, being able to somebody else. That’s the reality of it. I had no experience in that get offered a contract by a team of this standard, and obviously this is a league.” really good league. This team has a rich history, and they’re willing to Dansk also recorded the first shutout in franchise history on Oct. 27, offer me a good role. At the end of the day, I thought it was the right thing 2017, helping the Golden Knights beat the Avalanche 7-0 in an afternoon to do.” game while celebrating a state holiday. After serving as the top goalie in the AHL for the past three years, Dansk “That was a fun game,” Dansk said. “It was Nevada Day, I remember. It spent nearly the entire 2020-21 season on the Golden Knights’ taxi was a 3 p.m. Nevada game, which was awesome. I remember that day squad. New roster rules due to the compacted schedule allowed Vegas pretty well. Then afterwards we went to dinner. Me, Will (Karlsson), Lindy to hold three goaltenders, so Dansk backed up Marc-Andre Fleury and (Oscar Lindberg) and a couple friends. I had a lot of fun.” Robin Lehner on most nights. Golden Knights players congratulate Oscar Dansk in 2017. (Stephen R. He entered this offseason as an unrestricted free agent and didn’t Sylvanie / USA Today) hesitate at the opportunity to sign in the KHL, where he’ll have the opportunity to play much more regularly. Road-tripping with Karlsson

“I felt like trying out the (NHL) free-agent market for me, personally, Dansk was beloved by his teammates in Vegas. His quiet, amiable wasn’t really an option,” Dansk said. “I felt lucky to have a team like personality, combined with his work ethic, made him a locker room Spartak to reach out and be interested in signing me. It’s an opportunity I favorite, but no one was closer with him than Karlsson. The two have definitely didn’t want to pass up on, because I feel like I’ve been in a role known each other since they were 10 or 11 years old. Their fathers were in North America for a while where I have limited exposure to be able to friends in Sweden. They played on the same junior Swedish national show my potential. Spartak is giving me this opportunity and showing team, and met up again in Columbus when Dansk was drafted by the trust in me, and I’m very grateful for that and excited.” Blue Jackets and Karlsson was subsequently traded there from Anaheim. The familiar face helped Dansk adjust to Las Vegas when he arrived. Dansk played well in his limited chances with the Golden Knights. He went 4-1-0 with a .906 save percentage, and helped earn victories in “Whenever you get put into a new place, especially a different country, tough circumstances nearly every time he touched the ice. The Athletic having somebody that you can speak your language with is great, let caught up with Dansk to look back on his time with the organization, and alone someone you’ve known for a while,” Dansk said. “It was huge for to look forward. me because coming into a new team, organization takes time. As a person, I feel like I’m more of an introvert, so having someone you can at Signing with a team that had never played a game least lean on, helps a lot.” The two initially were roommates at the Red Rock Resort and Casino The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 during the Golden Knights’ inaugural training camp. They were roommates again in 2020, under much different circumstances.

“I ended up flying out there (to Las Vegas) when the pandemic hit, and I only planned for a couple weeks because I was living in Chicago,” said Dansk, who ended up living with Karlsson and his fiancé, Emily Ferguson, for nearly the entirety of the league’s pause. “I was very fortunate to have them as friends, because this pandemic at its lowest point was pretty gruesome for some people not having family nearby, so I was very fortunate.”

The vast majority of Dansk’s belongings were still in Chicago, where he was playing for the AHL’s Wolves. He made a trip back to gather his things, and Karlsson volunteered to join in.

“We ended up flying to Chicago, throwing everything in my apartment that we could fit in my car and driving back to Vegas,” Dansk said. “So he joined me on that little road trip. We drove 24 hours with a packed car.”

What was the best part of the 1,747-mile drive across the country with one of his closest friends?

“I would have to say the fast-food stops,” Dansk said with a laugh. “There was not just one of them. You stop in the middle of some midwestern prairie, and there’s a gas station and a McDonald’s. We had fun. But it was beautiful driving through Colorado. I had never done that before.”

Just about anyone who has stepped foot inside the Golden Knights’ locker room knows Karlsson loves singing – specifically, belting out ballads by ABBA and other rock bands from that time period. That combination could be troublesome on a long trip, but not for Dansk.

“If he sings, I’m going to sing,” Dansk said. “We are both songbirds. We both have similar taste in music, and it’s a lot of 70s and 80s disco. I love the Bee Gees. We also bond over a lot of 80s rock ballads. You don’t meet a lot of people nowadays who strictly jam to 70s and 80s ballads. So it’s kind of fun. We probably get it from our parents. We always enjoy listening to music together.”

Dansk ended up staying with Karlsson until the NHL season restarted and the team traveled to Edmonton for the playoff bubble.

“We had a good thing going there,” he said. “It was fun to work out and just hang out together. I’m very fortunate to have them at that time, because I know a lot of people didn’t have it as good. Being able to be with your closest friends is awesome.”

The next chapter in the KHL

Dansk proved to be a reliable backup goalie in the NHL, and an excellent starter in the AHL during his time in Vegas. He also played in only 12 total games in nearly a year and a half, due to working on the taxi squad. And as much as he has appreciated the opportunity to practice with the NHL team all season, like any player, he wants to prove himself in games.

“We all want to play and win,” he said. “I think as a kid you don’t grow up dreaming of practicing hockey, but you get put into roles and I’m very grateful to have been a part of the taxi squad we had in Vegas. I was able to be around players like Marc (Andre Fleury) and Robin (Lehner). If you told me when I was a kid that I’d be spending time with some of those guys, I wouldn’t have believed it. So I tried to really pick their brains and watch. I feel like there’s always something to learn no matter what role you may be in, so I wanted to make the most of it.”

He’s now champing at the bit to show what he’s learned in game action, for Spartak Moscow. Dansk leaves Vegas as a better goalie, primed to carry a team if needed.

“I’m looking forward to playing in this league,” Dansk said. “There are a lot of great players. I’ve been playing in North America mostly for half of my life, whether it’s youth hockey, junior hockey or pro hockey. I’ve always been on that side of it. I’m very excited and intrigued to learn how the game works here. I’m sure it’s a little different style but at the end of the day, it’s hockey. I’m excited to see another part of the hockey world.”

The KHL regular season runs much earlier than the NHL, from Sept. 1 to March 1. Training camp starts soon and preseason games are only a few weeks away.

“I’ve never truly played over here that much,” he said. “It’s going to be very exciting and fun to discover it myself and see what it’s all about, because I’ve heard a lot of good things.” 1217311 Vegas Golden Knights

Report: After Keith Trade, Blackhawks ‘In Play’ for Marc-Andre Fleury

By Dan Kingerski

What was dead rose from the NHL trade graveyard. What we thought was off was back on as the Chicago Blackhawks finally dealt defenseman Duncan Keith the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for young defenseman Caleb Jones and a draft pick. That part won’t too much worry Vegas Golden Knights fans, but what followed might affect Marc- Andre Fleury and a Golden Knights trade.

Scott Powers of The Athletic, as part of his trade follow-up and analysis, reported the Chicago Blackhawks are now in on everyone’s favorite smiling goalie, Fleury.

*Read the full story and analysis at The Athletic here (Subscription required).

Fleury will make $7 million this season, but it is the final year of the 36- year-old goalie’s contract. Fleury, who has been rumored in sentiment and past Golden Knights trade reports to his former Pittsburgh Penguins, would immediately be the top goalie in Chicago.

With some irony, it was the Chicago Blackhawks who traded Robin Lehner to the Golden Knights at the 2020 NHL Trade deadline, although two sides used the Toronto Maple Leafs as a third party to eat some of Lehner’s cap hit.

“It came down to us wanting a higher comfort level that we were strong enough at that position. It’s rare a goaltender enjoying one of the best seasons of any goalie in the National Hockey League would be available,” Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said at the time. “Felt this was a way to solidify our team.”

Vegas parted with a fifth-rounder, backup goalie Malcolm Subban, and prospect Stanislav Demin for Lehner, some salary retention, and Martins Dzierkals.

Marc-Andre Fleury, NHL Trade Market

And now Chicago has come calling to complete the circle of life. Chicago is currently without a No. 1 goalie. They have only Subban and Kevin Lankinen under contract.

After the Keith trade, because Chicago did not retain any salary and managed to acquire Jones and a third-round pick, Chicago has a few more dollars to spend. They currently have about $11 million in salary- cap space with 22 players under contract, according to Puckpedia.com.

Chicago also figures to lose another salary to the Seattle Kraken next week, making Fleury’s $7 million even more attainable.

In direct comparison, the Pittsburgh Penguins are slightly over the cap with a significant hole at right-defense and two RFAs to sign.

That certainly makes for an intriguing discussion, and a healthy competition for Marc-Andre Fleury on the NHL trade market only increases the price and makes a Golden Knights trade more possible.

Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217312 Vegas Golden Knights Unfortunately, it is a wonderfully pedestrian draft. 5. Marc-Andre Fleury is traded: 40%

It’s logical. It solves a few problems. And it would tear the heart out of the And away we go. Nikita Kucherov is drinking from the Stanley Cup and franchise, not to mention owner Bill Foley. anything else within reach while that guy in Vegas, who won the Vezina trophy, awaits his fate. The Vegas Golden Knights are on the precipice of And the last two sentences are why it’s not a given. Fleury’s former greatness, but taking that last step is the hardest, so will they hit the NHL buddies make too much sense. They need a goalie with playoff trade market? experience, but one who plays well with others because Tristan Jarry is still their goalie.

Fleury checks all of the boxes, except his $7 million salary, eh? And no Staff other locker room, aside from the Golden Knights, would appreciate “Flower.”

As the franchise honeymoon phase concludes, the maturing team has *Personal note: Thank you for your response to our work over the past salary cap issues, too. two weeks. Vegas Hockey Now just had its best week ever, and we’ll surpass our best month ever sometime this week. Thanks for liking and Welcome to the frustrations of being a hockey fan, I suppose. sharing the content on Twitter and Facebook. It means the world as VHN catches up to the top dogs of the booming National Hockey Now The Golden Knights are kicking the tires of the Ferrari on the NHL trade network, which is now in 10 cities. lot and are not only rumored to be interested in Buffalo Sabres Jack Eichel. They are reportedly so. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.13.2021 The Golden Knights are also on the market to improve their power play, which is often easier accomplished than many other goals. Sometimes, a bit more sandpaper and focus are all it takes.

As Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner await their assignments, Alec Martinez’s agent is about to wear out his cell phone taking calls from what will assuredly be about half the league.

Projecting the Odds of Vegas Golden Knights Offseason Moves

1. Alec Martinez re-signs: 50%

I can’t stress enough, don’t hold your breath on Martinez taking a hometown discount. 33-year-old players signing their last contract have the next 60 years to worry about.

Martinez will likely see a raise north of $4.5 million, probably over $5 million. Chris Tanev was well paid, as were some lesser D-men last fall. His price tag surely isn’t coming down.

Martinez earned the right to see who will pay him the most money. The Golden Knights and GM Kelly McCrimmon also know they will not beat the Colorado Avalanche without a stout defense.

Per our report on Sunday, is a name gathering steam as a top-four LHD.

2. Golden Knights get a No. 1 Center (this offseason): 33%

Believe it or not, those odds are pretty good. I’ve watched too many teams beg, borrow and steal to get a top centerman via the NHL trade front.

Nashville went bonkers when Ryan Johansen was made available for a price they could afford (Hello, Seth Jones). Columbus tried and tried for years; they drafted, they threw money at anything passable, and still no dice until Johansen stuck around for a while, then Pierre Luc-Dubois–but he, too, bolted town.

The moral of the story is No. 1 centers aren’t yet legal to be cloned, and those that have ’em don’t give them up easily. Buffalo wants a ransom for Eichel, who isn’t yet 100% healthy.

Does it make sense for the Vegas Golden Knights to gut themselves for a top center? Well, maybe. How badly do you want a Cup?

3. Salary Dump: 75%

Reilly Smith. Jonathan Marchessault. Even Marc-Andre Fleury. The Golden Knights need to shed poundage from their payroll, and last fall we saw more than a few GMs swallow their pride and cast off good players for pennies on the dollar.

Now and then, everyone has to carry a cherished collectible into the Gold and Silver to make ends meet.

4. Vegas Makes its 1st Round Pick: 90%

Buffalo wants a better pick than 30th for Eichel, and McCrimmon doesn’t need to include that pick to dump salary. The Golden Knights stand to get one if not two solid prospects in the top 36 picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. 1217313 Vegas Golden Knights Because the Vegas Golden Knights do not have their original second- round pick, they cannot offer RFA star defensemen such as Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes. No matter, a player hasn’t switched teams since 2009, though Montreal Canadiens signed Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian KNIGHTS NOTEBOOK/ Key Dates & Decisions for Vegas Golden Aho to an offer sheet in 2019. Knights Offseason Carolina matched it.

No, the big issue here is defenseman Alec Martinez and how to get him By Dan Kingerski back on the blue line but squeeze him under the cap. The current crop of LHDs is pretty thin, though an NHL scout confirmed to VHN that 6-foot-7,

255-pound Dallas defender Jamie Oleksiak has played his way into top- The compressed NHL schedule has become the compressed NHL four defenseman consideration. Oleksiak may be the belle of the ball on offseason, and the Vegas Golden Knights have a few advantages. Even July 28. as general managers across the league are gridlocked waiting for the Fleury/Lehner Seattle Kraken, once the first domino falls, it’s going to be a wild ride that doesn’t stop until mid-August. Will still don’t know what Golden Knights owner Bill Foley and McCrimmon will do with the Fleury and Lehner situation. Sure, they could And then prospects and rookie camp begins in mid-September, with hang on for one more year of Fleury’s $7 million contract, but that seems training camp to follow shortly after. And then we’re into next season. like luxury spending in bad economic times. Key Dates: Three teams will lose a goalie to Seattle. More could lose a significant Current: NHL Buyout window is open. Closes July 27. salary, which frees them up to make a run at either goalie.

July 17: GMs must submit their protected list for the Seattle Kraken As I opined last week–the goalie who brings the most appropriate return expansion draft by 5 p.m. EST. should be the one to go.

July 18: Those lists are made public. No. 1 Center

July 18-20: Seattle Kraken have an exclusive window to negotiate with The UFA market has a list of stars, but none of those players are centers. teams’ unprotected pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). The best free-agent pivot is 35-year-old, David Krejci. Montreal’s light- scoring but effective middle-six center Philip Danault is also a free agent. July 21: Seattle Kraken expansion draft (8 p.m. EST). Not a bumper crop for the middle. July 23: Day 1, Round One of the 2021 NHL Draft. A legit leading center will have to come via trade. The Golden Knights July 24: Day 2: Rounds Two through Seven of the NHL Draft. also have to move salary to make it happen. If not a salary dump, then a blockbuster-type deal with multiple players going one way is the only July 28: The free-agent frenzy begins at noon. RFAs may negotiate with other way to make it happen. other teams. UFAs may sign anywhere. You make the popcorn. I’ll get the drinks. Salary Cap: Will again remain flat as the NHLPA continues to repay losses from the shortened COVID season and 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.13.2021 bubble. It is $81.5 million.

Vegas Golden Knights Stories and Decisions

July 17: The Golden Knights are exempt from the expansion draft drama. They will neither have to submit a protected list or lose a player in the expansion draft.

Just because they are exempt from losing a player does not mean they are exempt from making trades leading up to the expansion draft. Some teams would rather get an asset in return for a player about to depart than lose him for nothing. Nashville turned Viktor Arvidsson into a 2021 second-round pick and 2022 third-rounder by dealing him to the LA Kings.

The scenarios and possibilities are endless for GM Kelly McCrimmon. A two-for-one swap? Picks for a helpful center? Maybe acquire more assets to facilitate a Jack Eichel trade?

July 23: The NHL Draft. The Golden Knights managed to retain their first- round pick and hold the New Jersey Devils’ second-rounder from the Nikita Gusev trade.

Vegas will pick 30th in the first round, but the second-rounder is 36th overall. Those picks should yield two nice prospects, assuming McCrimmon keeps them. *Ahem, Buffalo.

The draft is traditionally a trade-happy affair, but that’s because GMs are pressed into tight quarters and can sneak around the corner for a private chat (I once watched a secretive GM walk across an entire arena for a quiet spot away from prying eyes, attempting to hammer out a deal. It didn’t work).

But the days following the expansion draft could be akin to the wild west. We’re talking Tombstone, Arizona. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning are WAY over the cap. They have to shed players–good players. There will be a lot of talent available and desperate GMs. The Eichel trade has its best chance to happen after the expansion draft, too.

RFAs and UFAs, Alec Martinez. 1217314 Washington Capitals

Why Caps must protect Backstrom, but not Ovechkin from Seattle

BY J.J. REGAN

Amidst all the intrigue and questions that come with the upcoming Seattle Kraken / NHL Expansion Draft, one thing is certain for the Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are not going anywhere.

But just because neither player will be Kraken bound does not mean the team will handle them the same way. When the protection lists are finalized on July 17, you should not be surprised or worried if Backstrom's name is on it and Ovechkin's name is not. In fact, it would be the smart move.

This is not to say that the Caps should move on from Ovechkin. That would be foolish. Rather, there is no need to protect Ovechkin from the expansion draft because he will not be taken.

Let's start with the basics. Each team has two options for their protected list. They can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie or eight skaters and one goalie. It is a common mistake to believe that any player with a no-trade clause must be protected, but this is incorrect. Rather, any player with a no-movement clause (NMC) must be protected, but players with a no-trade clause can be left exposed.

General manager Brian MacLellan does not give out NMCs very often and that proved helpful in 2017 in the last NHL Expansion Draft for the Vegas Golden Knights. That year, the team had no players it was obligated to protect. This year, there are five players with modified no- trade clauses, but only one with a NMC: Backstrom. He is the only player whom the Capitals must protect.

That, of course, is no problem. He would be someone the team would want to protect anyway. The bigger question is why should the team leave Ovechkin exposed?

Ovechkin is not currently under contract for the 2021 season as he just played out the last year of his 13-year deal. This does not leave him exempt from being selected in the expansion draft. In fact, Seattle will be granted an exclusive interview period in which it can speak to a team's pending free agents starting on July 18, three days before the July 21 draft.

But selecting pending free agents in the expansion draft makes zero sense given that free agency opens on July 28.

If a player is interested in signing with Seattle, then it makes sense for the Kraken to wait, select a different player from that team and then sign the original player as a free agent, thus getting two players instead of one. If a player is not interested in signing, then Seattle would be wasting its expansion draft pick by selecting a player who can walk away as a free agent a week later.

In Ovechkin's case, he has made clear he wants to stay in Washington. If taken, the Kraken could then expect Ovechkin to leave as a free agent and simply sign with Washington.

If he has no intention of signing with Seattle, why take him and waste the pick?

That equation changes, however, if Ovechkin re-signs. If Ovechkin were to re-sign with the Caps as of today, then suddenly the team would need to protect him or Seattle will inherit his new contract.

Because of this, it is believed many teams and pending free agents have handshake agreements on deals that they will sign once the expansion draft is over. That way the team does not have to protect the player and the player does not have to worry about getting stolen away from a team they want to play for.

It is widely believed Ovechkin is going to sign a new deal as soon as the expansion draft is over for this very reason. Considering he wants to be back and the Caps want him back, Seattle is holding up any new deal.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217315 Winnipeg Jets among others. The story is the same this July, as Winnipeg’s trades for Cody Eakin, Jordie Benn and Bogdan Kiselevich leave the Jets with just four picks in the 2021 draft.

Andrew Copp trade could allow Jets to solve 3 problems in a single A Copp trade, then, becomes an opportunity for Winnipeg to solve three move. But at what cost? problems in a single transaction.

To be clear, the Jets have no reason to doubt Copp’s quality as a player, given that the 27-year-old Michigan product just scored 39 points in 55 By Murat Ates Jul 12, 2021 games while playing top-six minutes at even strength and on both special teams. There isn’t any reason to cast aside the person who has become

such a well-spoken part of Winnipeg’s leadership contingent, either. To understand why Winnipeg might explore trading Andrew Copp this Copp’s thoughtful articulation of Jets systems isn’t a secret anymore; summer is to understand three separate storylines. he’s become a go-to voice for Winnipeg in all situations and played a role in the NHL’s return-to-play negotiations as well as the current CBA. If he The first is financial, as is so often the case. The Jets are not in the midst signs a long-term contract at a value price — say, four years at a figure of a cap crunch, with $20.6 million to spread over eight roster spots, but not too far above $4 million — then he is a player the Jets will be thrilled Copp is one year away from unrestricted free agency. To sign him for to keep. longer than one season, the Jets will need to offer Copp a long-term deal worth enough money to warrant skipping his UFA payday. Back to the thought of a trade. If a long-term deal can’t be worked out, then a trade built around Copp for a first-round pick — or multiple lower This is the opportunity Copp created for himself in 2019 when he elected picks — could solve multiple headaches in one fell swoop. for arbitration, eventually receiving the two-year, $2.28 million AAV contract that ends now. Copp has arbitration rights once again, and this So what value might Copp have on the market? time, those rights come with a wrinkle: No arbitration award can take a One ambitious comparable is J.T. Miller, whom Vancouver acquired at player beyond unrestricted free agency. If he files for arbitration (and the 2019 draft for a first- and a third-round pick after he scored at Copp’s makes it through his hearing), then next season’s contract will 2021 pace for three straight seasons. That consistency comes with automatically be for one year. This would walk him straight to cachet as a commodity and may thus be seen as the upper limit of a unrestricted free agency — a path Winnipeg should like to avoid, given Copp trade return. In 2016, Chicago acquired two second-round picks how much it has invested in the player. The Jets’ goal will be to sign from Montreal for Andrew Shaw (and turned one of those picks into Alex Copp to a long-term deal now, lest they lose him for nothing next season. DeBrincat.) Of course, there’s no guarantee that any draft pick develops Combine this incentive with Copp’s career year — he scored at a 58- into a player of Copp’s stature; it’s just good to know that a comparable point-per-82-game pace — and Winnipeg’s contract negotiation with player yielded multiple picks. Copp is going to be fascinating. A restricted free agent doesn’t usually Where could the Jets find that kind of package? have the kind of power Copp does now, combining big point production with the ability to force a one-year deal — and thus UFA status next One convenient landing spot is the biggest major city in Copp’s home summer. All he has to do is file for arbitration and let it happen. state.

More directly: put yourself in Copp’s position for a moment. With that kind Whereas the Jets have only four picks in the entire draft, Detroit has two of leverage, wouldn’t it take a generous offer from Winnipeg for you to first-round picks, three second-round picks and two third-round picks. give up your first shot at unrestricted free agency? It’s certainly not a They also have a wealth of cap space, both now and in the future, and “take the first offer you get” type of scenario. room on their expansion draft protection list. The Athletic’s Max Bultman has , Jakub Vrana, Tyler Bertuzzi, Michael Rasmussen, The second storyline is the Seattle expansion draft. Based on Robby Fabbri and Adam Erne as Detroit’s six locks at forward, leaving performance alone, Copp would be well inside Winnipeg’s seven-forward plenty of room for Copp to be kept long after Seattle has its say. protection list, along with Nikolaj Ehlers, Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Adam Lowry. If there is a long-term There are other teams rich in draft picks, too: Columbus has three first- contract to be had, he’s a player the Jets protect without blinking. But round picks. Montreal has its first-round pick plus two second-round what if Copp is, in fact, eyeing unrestricted free agency in 2022? picks, two third-round picks and three third-round picks. The Predators Suddenly one year’s worth of his services may look less valuable to and Senators have an extra second-rounder and Buffalo has a first, two Winnipeg than multiple years of Mason Appleton — the odd man out and seconds and two-thirds. next man up on this protection list. This consideration disintegrates the moment Copp signs a long-term contract — if he signs a long-term Still, Detroit has the advantage of being close to Ann Arbor, Mich., where contract — but this time, put yourself in Winnipeg’s position: if you Copp grew up. thought there was any risk of losing him for nothing, wouldn’t you explore It’s so important that it bears repeating (again): Winnipeg’s ideal scenario the market? would be to sign Copp long-term at a price that makes player and team The third storyline is Winnipeg’s development as a franchise. as happy as possible. All of this discussion is based on Copp’s unique leverage point and Winnipeg’s need to protect itself against a one-year Do you remember when the Jets’ wealth of up-and-coming talent arbitration deal that leads straight to unrestricted free agency. Follow (Scheifele, Connor, Ehlers, Patrik Laine, Josh Morrissey, Jacob Trouba, through from each party’s position and it stands to reason that, at the Connor Hellebuyck and so many others) made Winnipeg a threat to very least, the Jets will want to see what is out there. become a perennial Cup contender? Time has been kind to a very similar trade — Trouba for Pionk and the The Jets’ 2018 run to the Western Conference finals is a distant memory. 20th pick (Ville Heinola) in 2019, when Trouba himself was one year from So too is 2019, when Winnipeg was thought of as a top team in the West UFA status. Copp doesn’t have the star power Trouba had at the time, right up until its end-of-season slide and first-round elimination by St. but he’s scored more than enough to have appeal. Louis. Roster turnover has been a problem, particularly on defence where the emergence of Neal Pionk, Dylan DeMelo and Logan Stanley Could the Jets pull off an encore? has not been enough to compensate for the losses of Dustin Byfuglien, They’ll try, but only if they must. Toby Enstrom, Trouba, Ben Chiarot and Tyler Myers in two offseasons. Byfuglien’s loss was the biggest in every way — the biggest shock, the If Copp plays hardball, pushing for arbitration and the direct route to 2022 biggest impact, the biggest player — and the Jets have been unable to unrestricted free agency it offers, the Jets may be forced to move on from replace any of that enormousness. a good player with a unique skill set on this team. A lot would have to break right to get good value in return but a win-win scenario for player Meanwhile, the single biggest driver of Winnipeg’s elite run from 2017 to and team is not beyond the realm of possibility. 2019 — the drafting and development that gave Winnipeg a roster full of value contracts — has taken a back seat to Winnipeg’s more immediate Two sources told The Athletic this weekend that a trade market for Copp attempts to win. The Jets have made just 16 selections in the last three has yet to develop. The most important date to keep in mind is July 17 — drafts, with only six of those picks coming in the first three rounds — the Winnipeg’s deadline to submit its expansion protection list. Note that price paid for acquisitions of , Kevin Hayes and DeMelo, there is also a trade freeze between July 17 at 2 p.m. CT to July 22 at 12 p.m. CT for everybody but Seattle. Also important is Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. CT — the deadline for Copp to elect for arbitration.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217316 Vancouver Canucks mustered just three shots on goal. Gadjovich isn’t as good a skater but he’s got a harder edge than the former Mankato State captain.

“Surely, they can find a role for Gadjovich on a Canucks’ team this Canucks top 10 prospects: Jonah Gadjovich's bruising play and sweet desperate for goal-scoring. The guy is money in the slot. Body hands are key to his future positioning around the net is top notch. He is also an underrated playmaker, dished some fantastic setups into the slot/crease are, only for Big winger Jonah Gadjovich has still got a big chance to make the NHL his linemates to flub their chances,” he said. given his bruising playing style and sweet scoring touch “He scored more 5-on-5 goals than the next two Comets’ 5-on-5 goal- scorers combined. When he wasn’t hounding the net front for rebound opportunities, he was ripping bombs from the perimeter. His shooting Patrick Johnston percentage was high, but wasn’t that far off from his 2019-20 shooting percentage.”

That the 2020-21 season, even in its abbreviated form, was a total Other than his skating, the big question mark for Gadjovich is his success for Vancouver Canucks prospect Jonah Gadjovich is obvious. defensive play.

In the AHL, he scored 15 goals in 19 games. That scoring success won “He finishes his checks, plays hard and tries to use his stick to eliminate him a late-season call-up by the Canucks, where he played a lone game. space and passing lanes, but could get lost, at times, chasing the cycle. He might have played more but for the Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak Fourteen days from call-up to NHL debut is pretty brutal for a kid who wreaking havoc with their roster and making call-ups for anything other was coming in hot to the NHL,” he said. “Some people might also than injuries difficult. assume Gadjovich was given top-tier linemates, but he actually found most of his success paired with Will Lockwood and AHL depth centre Whatever the case may be, the 2017 second-round draft pick has carried John Stevens. his case forward and is No. 6 on the 2021 edition of our top 10 Canucks’ prospects countdown. “I doubt this kind of dominance would translate to the NHL level, but good to see he and Lockwood have some proof-of-concept of 5-on-5 success.” The big winger still struggles with his skating but rediscovered his scoring touch this past season, a skill that first drew the attention of the Canucks’ Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.13.2021 scouting staff in 2016-17.

It was a difficult transition to pro hockey for Gadjovich, who was a regular healthy scratch in his first AHL season in New York with the in 2018-19, and, when he did play, it was mostly as a spare part on the fourth line.

In his telling, Gadjovich, like many other players coming out of junior hockey, was caught off-guard by the fact that everyone in the AHL is as big and strong. It took adjusting to the truth that in the OHL he was the big man but in the AHL he was just another guy.

“I mean, you go from junior, and I was a big strong guy, and I’m still strong. It’s just when you’re playing against every guy who’s basically your size, then you have to adjust your game and that was something that I was trying to figure out,” he told Pass it to Bulis before 2019 training camp.

And so the off-season heading into 2019-20 proved to be a bit of a gut- check moment. After a hard summer of working on his conditioning and nutrition, he took the step forward both he and the Canucks hoped he would. And even through the weirdness of 2020, he clearly kept at it, with the results shining through this past season, even in a short schedule.

JONAH GADJOVICH

(Prospect No. 6 in daily countdown.)

Age: 22.

Height: 6-2. Weight: 209 pounds.

Shoots: Left. Position: Winger.

Draft year: 2017, second round.

Current team: Abbotsford (AHL).

Outlook: Fourth-line bruiser

Few watched the Comets with as much focus as Cody Severtson of Comets Harvest did, and he thought Gadjovich’s end-of-season cameo for the Canucks, one that featured him getting into a fight after new teammate Matt Highmore was the victim of a cheap shot by Calgary Flames’ Connor Mackey, showed promise.

“He isn’t much of a crossovers guy, so his acceleration can look rather exhausting and clunky, but he does generate decent speed once he gets going. He isn’t an effortless speed demon like Will Lockwood, but with his strength, I feel like there could be some untapped potential there with regards to his skating,” he said. “On an elite team, Gadjovich probably doesn’t crack the bottom six. On this Canucks team? I don’t see why not.”

He pointed to Marc Michaelis as a comparison: the former collegian suited up in 15 games for the Canucks but played fourth-line minutes and 1217317 Vancouver Canucks Even with top prospect Vasili Podkolzin signed to his entry-level deal and all but etched into Vancouver’s lineup for next season, the club will still need at least one additional middle-six forward and ideally two.

Canucks offseason primer: Cap space, trade chips, UFA targets, Kraken The following depth chart excludes unrestricted free agents — including bait and more players like Tyler Graovac and Brandon Sutter, both of whom the club would like to re-sign — and all restricted free agents are denoted by a shade of light blue, while clear roster holes are denoted by a shade of green. By Thomas Drance Jul 12, 2021 Forward depth chart

LINE 1 2 3 The Stanley Cup has been awarded, the buyout window is open and the NHL’s offseason will grind into top gear this week. 1

From here on out, the hockey news cycle will unfurl at a breakneck pace. Nils Höglander By end of league business this week, the Vancouver Canucks’ roster will be frozen, alongside the roster for every other NHL team, as their new Elias Pettersson geographic rival down I-5 selects 30 players for its inaugural season. Brock Boeser We’ve been talking for more than a year about the unique opportunity 2 that expansion presents for a team like Vancouver. And now general manager and his hockey operations group are on the clock Tanner Pearson to take full advantage of it. Bo Horvat The five-day expansion process will drag on, but it only represents the starting blocks of a unique, truncated offseason that will unfold as an all- 3 out sprint. Over the span of less than a week, NHL clubs will go from J.T. Miller managing expansion to the NHL Entry Draft to the qualifying offer deadline to the termination of the buyout window to the opening of the Vasili Podkolzin annual free-agent frenzy on July 28. 4 Time will be short and the Canucks have an awful lot they still need to accomplish. Matthew Highmore

So how are the Canucks positioned? How much cap space do they have Jay Beagle to play with? Who is on the block? And what options does the club have Tyler Motte to realistically improve after a “dismal” showing in 2021? x Here’s everything you need to know about where the Canucks stand on the eve of the NHL’s traditional silly season. Antoine Roussel

Business considerations Marc Michaelis

The Canucks took a major step back in 2021, following their success in Zack MacEwen the Edmonton bubble. With all that the club and its supporters endured in 2021, it’s amazing to think the club’s most successful playoff run since It’s worth noting too that the club would prefer to have other checking line 2011 occurred less than a year ago, but here we are. options that would permit it to play versatile forward J.T. Miller on the wing, as opposed to being a full-time centre. Whether the club ultimately Bouncing back from the calamity that was the 2021 season will take has the cap flexibility to pull that off will play a huge role in shaping this some doing this summer and the club still has a ton of outstanding offseason. matters to cross off its offseason checklist. On the back end, meanwhile, the Canucks only have two everyday NHL- At the very least, the financial taps are back on at Rogers Arena, which is level defenders signed to contracts for next season at the moment in absolutely crucial. At the highest levels of the organization, winning was Nate Schmidt and Tyler Myers. Upgrading the blue line and doing it an afterthought to keeping the lights on and it showed on the ice. affordably is the club’s most difficult task this offseason.

With the coaching staff extended — and augmented, with highly Defense depth chart regarded defensive coach Brad Shaw joining Vancouver’s staff — and Henrik and in tow, the club can be said to be carrying itself PAIR LD RD with some discernible sense of ambition again. 1

That should be welcome news for Canucks fans, even if it’s insufficient Quinn Hughes on its own. It’s going to take an ambitious roster overhaul to get this fitful, messy rebuild back on track. 2

With an eye toward selling tickets and generating gate revenue again in Nate Schmidt the fall, expect Canucks hockey operations to have sufficient budget to 3 be a bit creative and flex some of the big hockey market muscles that have usually characterized how the Canucks have functioned during the Jack Rathbone Aquilini ownership era. We’re still not looking at the sort of unfettered player personnel spend the Canucks regularly relied on a decade ago, so Tyler Myers much as a return to something more closely approximating business as x usual. Olli Juolevi Spending to the cap is assured with how the club is positioned, but a return to considering buyouts, exploring trades for players whose salary Madison Bowey exceeds their cap hit and spending generously, if not quite freely, at the AHL level will shape how the Canucks function this offseason. Complicating matters further, there just isn’t a ton of NHL-ready help on the way internally. Podkolzin will play minutes for Vancouver next Roster: System and depth chart season, and Jack Rathbone starred in his late-season cameo and is clearly ready to play regularly in the NHL. Otherwise, much of the The Canucks enter this offseason with significant needs both up front improvement Vancouver can reasonably count on will have to be sourced and on the back end. And the club’s needs are greater than just fleshing externally not to mention cobbled together on a shoestring budget. out the depth of their group. Identifying needs Let’s go over some of the prime candidates the club could move this month: The Canucks are intent on qualifying for the postseason next year, which means they have to get a lot more from a lot of different spots in their Nate Schmidt: After a disappointing first season in Vancouver, Schmidt is lineup. Among the club’s most urgent areas of need are: on the block. There’s a mutual sense between player and team that the marriage didn’t really work out the way either side had hoped for in Year Middle-six forward: Vancouver is desperate for scoring depth and speed 1. The situation remains professional and amicable, but Schmidt is the up front and would ideally find the type of productive, workmanlike third- veteran Canucks player most likely to be dealt in the weeks ahead. line forward capable of bumping into the top-six for a spell if necessary as a result of injury. We’ve identified 11 options that could help Jay Beagle: Beagle still has utility as a faceoff winning checker, an all- Vancouver win games without breaking the bank. around good person and an experienced professional who has won championships at every level. He doesn’t provide $3 million in value at Third-line centre: A third-line centre who could be an upgrade over this stage of his career, but he might not have to in order to be dealt on pending unrestricted free-agent Brandon Sutter and ensure that Miller the market. Beagle has some signing bonus due to him in the final year remains at first-line left wing would be a perfect piece for Vancouver to of his front-loaded contract and thereafter he’ll be due just $1.2 million in add. Pivots tend to cost a premium on both the trade market and in free salary for the 2021-22 campaign. That might be attractive enough to the agency, so this won’t be easy to accomplish. We identified nine options right organization that the Canucks could at least get off the cap hit. that could be available this offseason. Zack MacEwen: The likeable, hard-nosed forward took a bit of a step Defensive-minded defender (x2): Vancouver’s two highest IQ defensive back in 2021, playing sparingly and appearing to fall out of favour with defenders — Travis Hamonic and Alex Edler — are both pending the Vancouver coaching staff. MacEwen’s value would be pedestrian, but unrestricted free agents. They’re also both at an age where the deal is there are those in the industry that believe strongly that he’s got ability to only likely to provide surplus value for the Canucks if they’re deals of the helpfully contribute using his size and intelligence. short-term, affordable variety. In the event that Edler and Hamonic walk, one of them does, or the club decides to go younger on defence, there Pick No. 9, 2021 NHL Entry Draft: The Canucks’ best trade chip is are some intriguing buy-low options poised to be available and we’ve probably their top-10 pick at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. There has been a identified eight of them. fair bit of locally driven smoke about the Canucks potentially moving that pick, but it’s far more likely that the Canucks will keep the pick and make Juuso Riikola and Loui Eriksson. (Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today) it themselves. Canucks brass is thought to like the top-end of the 2021 Available cap space and Pettersson, Hughes effect NHL Draft class modestly more than the industry average.

The Canucks have limited cap flexibility this offseason, but exactly how Expansion considerations much wiggle room they’ll possess will be entirely dependent on the term, When the Canucks submit their protected list to the Kraken on July 17 at treasure and timing of Elias Pettersson’s and Quinn Hughes’ second 2 p.m. PT, they’ll be hoping there’s an additional name (or two) that’s contracts. been added to it as a result of an ambitious trade that redistributes Pettersson and Hughes are both represented by CAA, and the Canucks assets from a club with an expansion crunch to one like Vancouver that’s have been working on this for a while. Talks have been productive, but it likely to be debating the merits of protecting Kole Lind vs. Matthew would be somewhat surprising at this juncture if the club were able to get Highmore. extensions done for both players prior to the July 17 roster freeze. In our latest projection of Vancouver’s 2021 expansion protected list, we Functionally those contracts are going to take up the majority of had the Canucks protecting Highmore ahead of the likes of Jonah Vancouver’s available cap space this offseason. Gadjovich, MacEwen and Lind:

Modelling out Vancouver’s available cap space with more precision Projected Canucks 2021 protected list requires us to make a few key assumptions — a buyout for Jake FORWARDS DEFENSE GOALTENDING Virtanen, Loui Eriksson’s salary buried below the line in the AHL, Micheal Ferland on LTIR but not Jay Beagle, the bonus overage from Nils Brock Boeser Höglander and Hughes’ performance bonuses — which brings us to an estimate of roughly $22.3 million in space with 14 players signed. Tyler Myers

Even on bridge deals for Pettersson and Hughes, the club will need to Thatcher Demko earmark $14-15 million for those players in the event that Pettersson’s Bo Horvat deal in particular isn’t done before July 28 — since he’s eligible for an offer sheet and Hughes isn’t. Nate Schmidt

The club’s available cap room is severely limited, which doesn’t leave the Canucks with a ton of great options for upgrading their roster in trades or J.T. Miller free agency. Buyouts could help — a buyout of Braden Holtby’s deal would give the club a short-term infusion of $3.8 million in cap space, Olli Juolevi although it comes at the expense of their flexibility in 2022-23 — although, in truth, there are only really two contracts on Vancouver’s Mike DiPietro books (Holtby, Virtanen) that make practical sense to buy out. Tanner Pearson If the club hopes to have the sort of aggressive offseason that could Madison Bowey jump-start a rebuilding effort that looked derailed through wide swaths of the 2021 campaign, finding ways to reallocate cap space on the trade Tyler Motte market over the next two weeks will be an essential first step. Quinn Hughes Trade chips Elias Pettersson So who will stay and who will go? Jack Rathbone The Canucks have cast a wide net, as Benning has explored his club’s options at length with rival general managers over the past few weeks Matthew Highmore and months. Loui Eriksson A deal won’t be easy to consummate for a club short on both cap space Micheal Ferland and expendable NHL-level assets, with enough value to lubricate deals on the trade market. That’s not to say it’s not possible for the club to Jay Beagle make a sharp deal this offseason that benefits the club in the long and short term, but it’ll be very difficult for the club to go big game hunting. Antoine Roussel Jake Virtanen Zack MacEwen

Jonah Gadjovich

Kole Lind

Available

Vasili Podkolzin

Protected

Nils Hoglander

Exempt

Vancouver will be offering slim pickings to the Kraken and will be — in this projection, anyway — protecting several players who are far less valuable than many of the players that other teams will have to leave exposed. There’s an obvious monetization opportunity in this.

In an ideal world, the Canucks will find a way to capitalize on that tension by executing a side deal to convince the Kraken to take on some of the club’s inefficient money. Or, by functioning as a clearinghouse for the sort of useful contributing player that other NHL clubs are reluctant to lose for nothing.

It won’t be easy or straightforward, but this is a scenario that Canucks hockey operations leadership — including Benning — have identified at length in public comments over the past few months. It’s an opportunity the club can’t afford to miss.

The 9th pick and 2021 NHL Entry Draft

The Canucks are going to select a really good prospect with the ninth pick at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

It’s a strange draft class this year, coming on the heels of a season that was cancelled in a variety of jurisdictions due to COVID-19 protocols. We’ve never seen a draft class as under-scouted in professional hockey history.

While that presents teams with significant challenges, it also presents opportunities. Considering their bevy of on-ice needs, the age of their top young players and the delicate stage of this rebuild, it’s an opportunity that’s crucial for the Canucks to seize.

Thankfully for the Canucks, they’re going to be picking in a slot that gives them good odds of getting a valuable piece, particularly with how this draft class is shaping up.

While there seems to be something of a consensus top-four forming in the industry, there’s a ton of divergent opinion on the players that are ranked between fifth and ninth. And oddly enough, there’s almost no divergent opinion on the composition of the top nine. It’s a favourable dynamic for the Canucks, one that gives them better odds of selecting a player they’d have ranked as a top-five talent with the ninth pick. It’s also a dynamic the club is aware of.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217318 Websites soon-to-be-38-year-old Duncan Keith. The Tampa Bay Lightning? Now there’s an old-time hockey team — because they’re good. Ignore Michael Peterson. Certainly ignore Julien BriseBois.

The Athletic / Pierre McGuire’s parting shot about analytics in hockey is a The best example I can think of, as a Pittsburgh-based writer, is how reminder of what we can ignore McGuire treated every shift and every positive impact by the Teddy Blueger line. Blueger, Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev are, very literally, analytics darlings. Their work, 15 years ago, would either be unnoticed, unappreciated or not statistically flashy enough to keep the By Sean Gentille Jul 12, 2021 line intact. Analytics exist to show the impact of players like Blueger, Aston-Reese and Tanev.

The wise move upon hearing the news of Pierre McGuire’s super soft In McGuire’s world (as a broadcaster, at least), the nerds hate Blueger, post-NBC landing — the gracious one, maybe — would’ve been to say Aston-Reese and Tanev. nothing. “No analytics can measure that,” he said on May 20, after Tanev scored After 10, 15, 25 years of chasing windmills, McGuire caught one. He’s a the game-winner against the Islanders. Goals are pretty easy to front-office Hockey Man once more, courtesy of Eugene Melnyk and the measure, actually, and the effort/determination/character that those guys Ottawa Senators. The job title, vice president of player development, is bring to the game shows up as measurable, tangible results in plenty of no small thing. He’s not a general manager, as Pierre Dorion is in Ottawa spots. Tanev in particular is a treat to watch — partially because his at the moment, and as McGuire nearly was in Pittsburgh not so long ago, fearlessness leads to, y’know, good stuff. If he were out there, skating but hey, what can you do? Maybe it works out. He followed his bliss. like a maniac and getting caved in, what purpose would he serve? There There’s something to be said for that. are plenty of sayings about “effort without results,” and none of them are good. Thankfully for the Penguins, that’s not in play with Tanev. Best of luck in your future endeavors and namaste, or whatever. As someone who just spent a too large portion of 15 years watching him on There’s more, though. There always is; you’ve got 15 years of tape to go television, and as someone without any stake in the success of the back on, though I’m not sure why you’d want to do that. We could keep Senators’ player development pipeline, it felt like a win-win. going and maybe fully rehash an argument that should’ve been settled a decade ago. That’d be fun. It still is … but McGuire left us — and “us” here is the coalition of chumps who can’t ignore TV guys who get on their nerves — with one for the So, we’ll leave it here; McGuire can now ride his favorite hobby horse to road. It was, of course, about analytics, which McGuire totally doesn’t the Senators front office. Maybe it’ll work out, and maybe it won’t. It’s not sneer at and totally does understand. Let ‘er rip, baby! Go out the way impossible to imagine him acting as a decent counter-balance in the you came in! room, whenever The Big Debates are taking place. That’s between him, Dorion and whoever else. “It’s not that I hate analytics, but I believe in scouting,” he said. “I believe that there has to be people that are boots on the ground, hardcore As viewers, though, we’re officially spared. Fifteen years is a long time to hockey people that can actually evaluate a player without utilizing listen to a person if they don’t find something new to say. numbers and (decide that) the player passes the eye test. I still don’t The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 know if there’s an analytic equation for heart, for character, for hard work, for fearlessness, for determination, so that’s part of the formula that hardcore, boot-on-the-ground scouting has to be.

“I don’t hate analytics. I think it’s a tool that can be utilized in any kind of evaluation, but I’m a big believer in boots-on-the-ground scouting.”

And thus, a reason to write about a guy changing jobs was borne. It’s too tidy of a mission statement to ignore; this is what we’ve heard from him for years, in the face of facts and logic, and a nice reminder of what U.S. audiences won’t get with, say, standing between the benches on ESPN.

It’s also … kind of weird, right? McGuire knows — he must know — that analytics and scouting, in 2021, isn’t an either/or proposition. NHL organizations are big places, full of different jobs, skill sets and personalities. No team — literally none — is making personnel decisions based on big, noisy mainframes and dot-matrix printouts or whatever goes on in that corner of his imagination. That’s conventional wisdom at this point; the best way to build a team is to cull information from a bunch of different sources, then rely on your people to synthesize it. Teams with analytics departments also have “boots on the ground” scouts. That’s how it works. Cross-disciplinary approaches are good. Arguments are good.

Whether he views data analysts as “hardcore hockey people” might be a more interesting question. The best analysts I know spend more time watching games, tweaking models, learning about the game and closing information gaps than anybody. Maybe even Pierre McGuire.

Whether he actually understands “analytics” is less interesting, because the answer is clear. He doesn’t. He doesn’t understand the work and he doesn’t understand the people who do it. He’s been telling us as much for years.

MCGUIRE ON TSN690: "THE TWO TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT THROUGH ANALYTICS AND THEY ARE BOTH ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS AND EDMONTON OILERS."

— NHL WATCHER (@NHL_WATCHER) JUNE 2, 2021

Ah, yes. The Edmonton Oilers — analytics darlings, because they’re bad. No word on which Computer Boy is telling Ken Holland to trade for a 1217319 Websites was on the periphery of the Norris conversation, that contract might have seemed like a good idea. Now? It’s weighty. The Coyotes have one emerging shining light on the blue line in Jakob Chychrun ($4.6 million through 2024-25) and the underrated Conor Garland up front (RFA this The Athletic / Hold ’em or Fold ’em: Which NHL teams would prefer an summer and due for a raise). But when you factor in too much money for expansion-style reboot over what they currently have? the likes of Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Christian Dvorak and Phil Kessel, the scales tip in the direction of a reset.

The verdict: Fold ‘em. Eric Duhatschek Jul 12, 2021 Boston Bruins

Any discussion of the best value contracts in the NHL would have to Here at The Athletic, we’re always looking for a good hypothetical to include the Bruins’ entire top line — Patrice Bergeron ($6.875 million), chase down the rabbit hole and today, we’re going to explore this David Pastrnak ($6.66 million) and especially Brad Marchand, who this question, in the context of the Seattle Kraken entering the NHL as its year finished third in the NHL points race and is signed for an extremely 32nd franchise. reasonable price ($6.125 million) through the end of 2024-25. If you’re an NHL team and faced with a choice of either starting your Historically, the Bruins have been able to convince a high percentage of entire franchise over from scratch, as Seattle is about to do, or press on their core players to accept hometown discounts in order to keep the with your current lineup and depth chart — which would you do? whole band together. The biggest misstep might have been committing $5.25 million per year to after one effective playoff. The Stay the course, on the grounds that even the weakest teams have some Bruins’ window to contend for a championship could shrink in three or so nice pieces in place? years down the road, but the core still looks effective right now.

Or jettison the entire lot because nothing would be better than all the The verdict: Hold ‘em. overpaid, underachieving somethings that you’ve been accumulating over the years? Buffalo Sabres

And we’ll make it an either/or proposition. You can’t cherry-pick one The Sabres are a mess on so many levels, but the one that’s basically player — Miro Heiskanen in Dallas or Trevor Zegras in Anaheim, for beyond their control is the state of Jack Eichel’s health, which sounds example — and then dump all the rest. precarious. He has a neck issue and at the moment, there is a divide between the players’ camp and the organization over how to treat that You’re either the Kraken, starting fresh, or you’re prepared to muddle going forward. Eichel is a rare talent, which is why the Sabres originally ahead with the good, the bad and the ugly on your current roster. committed $80 million to him over an eight-year span. They also have arguably two of the most untradeable contracts in the NHL right now (Jeff Procedurally, Seattle will make its expansion draft selections on July 21, Skinner, $9 million AAV until 2026-27 and Kyle Okposo $6 million until choosing one player from each team except the Golden Knights, who are 2022-23). When you factor in all the losing and all the mediocrity in the exempt. The Golden Knights are also exempt from this particular bottom half of the lineup, even the idea that you’d be jettisoning younger exercise. bright lights such as Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens, you’d have to One of the Golden Knights’ most successful strategies was to weaponize think: No one needs a complete, top-to-bottom makeover more than the its salary-cap space. They entered the NHL with a clean financial slate, Sabres do. which allowed it to help cure other teams’ salary-cap headaches — at a The verdict: Fold ‘em. price. In turn for taking on bad contracts, the Golden Knights received either player help or draft-choice consideration. Calgary Flames

Think of this exercise as the NHL equivalent of sitting down at a poker Whenever a discussion of general manager Brad Treliving’s strengths table, and the dealer gives you two choices. You can either completely and weaknesses occurs, the one thing that almost always falls into the discard a bad hand without penalty or stay with what you’ve got. plus-category is his ability to get players signed for fair market value — and sometimes, even great bargains. Elias Lindholm would fall into that Two choices: Hold ‘em or fold ‘em. category — when he came over from Carolina in the Dougie Hamilton Any veteran card player will tell you there are no guarantees the new trade, he signed for an AAV of $4.85 million until 2023-24 — there may cards will be any better than the old ones. On the other hand, if they’re not be a better value contract in that under $5 million-per-year price awful to start, how much worse can they get? range in the NHL. The highest-paid player on the Flames roster is Matthew Tkachuk, at a bridge contract at a $7 million AAV that takes him So, let’s take a look and assess every team and conclude with a verdict. to the end of 2021-22. The biggest anchor is popular dressing-room Then we want your take on each situation as well. There’s a poll to vote presence Milan Lucic at $6 million for the next two years. More than for each team and we’d love for you to share your thoughts in the anything else, the Flames need some of the reasonably priced players in comments. their core to have better seasons next year. This is one of the many Anaheim Ducks teams that falls into a mushy middle — with the good outweighing the bad by enough that you’d probably lean toward … If you did this exercise two years ago, the Ducks would have been at or near the head of the class when it comes to turning all their cards in. But The verdict: Hold ‘em. this summer, a combined $13.5 million in contracts (Ryan Getzlaf and Carolina Hurricanes David Backes) comes off the books, which leaves Adam Henrique, at $5.825 million through 2023-24, as the priciest overpay. John Gibson When Tom Dundon joined the NHL’s ownership ranks, he was described hasn’t played like a $6.4 million goalie in a couple of seasons now, but as a “disrupter” and mostly when that term was applied to him, it was there’s no reason to think that as the Ducks improve he can’t return to meant negatively. Well, who’s laughing now? Dundon questioned some the form he demonstrated earlier in his career. But the best news in longstanding assumptions about value in the NHL. The staff, led by Anaheim is that both Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, in this year’s general manager , has done a nice job of blending players NHL cameos, showed significant NHL upside. Along with a slowly coming through their developmental pipeline (Sebastian Aho, Andrei maturing young core, the Ducks look poised to inch back into NHL Svechnikov, Martin Necas, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce) with those significance without too many salary-cap impediments holding them arriving via trades (Dougie Hamilton, Vincent Trocheck, Nino back. Niederreiter). The net result: A team that contended for the Presidents’ Trophy with the 27th-highest payroll in the league, according to The verdict: Hold ‘em. CapFriendly. Impressive.

Arizona Coyotes The verdict: Hold ‘em.

The Coyotes explored trade options for Oliver Ekman-Larsson last Chicago Blackhawks offseason, but found the going difficult because not only is he signed until 2026-27 at $8.25 million per year, he also has a full no-move clause, If you scroll through CapFriendly and get to the Blackhawks’ long-term which limited Arizona’s potential trading partners. When Ekman-Larsson injured reserve, you’d have seen five names there for this season, totalling $25.3 million — salaries for Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, Draisaitl for four (which, for comparative purposes, is just slightly more Andrew Shaw, Zack Smith and Alexander Nylander. The Blackhawks are than Dallas will pay Seguin and Benn, who’ll earn a combined $19.35 hopeful (but unsure) if Toews is coming back. Seabrook and Shaw aren’t. million over roughly the same term). This isn’t difficult. You’ve got the last Smith comes off the books this summer. For Nylander, it was essentially two Hart Trophy winners signed for decent dollars and term, plus a lost season. On the plus side, Patrick Kane remains a driving force, but emerging star Darnell Nurse. The biggest salary-cap headache they’ve he commands $10.5 million through 2022-23, so he represents fair- got is James Neal, two more years at $4.65 million, which, if necessary, market value, but not a bargain by any means. Kirby Dach is on his can be bought out. entry-level contract and is probably their most exciting prospect. But the idea of shedding all that salary and starting over without paying for past The verdict: Hold ‘em. performance would likely please the organization’s accountants to no Florida Panthers end. We know how they’d vote. The Panthers would be neck-and-neck with the Oilers in this ranking, if The verdict: Fold ‘em. not for one glaring contractual error — committing $10 million a year to Colorado Avalanche goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for five more years after this which, even if he were a Vezina Trophy contender, would be too much. Consider that The best bargain in the NHL right now is arguably Nathan MacKinnon, Bobrovsky, by himself, earns just slightly more than the combined with two years remaining at $6.3 million and easily in the top five of NHL salaries of Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau — who make centres. Colorado showed a willingness to pony up for market value $5.9 million apiece. Both players are stars and, along, with MacKinnon, when it gave Mikko Rantanen an extension averaging $9.25 million, and Mark Scheifele and a handful of others, deliver as much bang for their they have three key players — UFAs Gabriel Landeskog and Philipp salary cap buck as any two stars in the league. MacKenzie Weegar’s Grubauer and RFA Cale Makar — up for new deals this summer, so GM emergence this year for a $3.25 million AAV is more, great under-the- will need to trim and pare elsewhere to keep his core pieces in radar value. Imagine where the Panthers would be if they could shed place. But with quality youngsters such as Alex Newhook and Bowen themselves of Bobrovsky’s money (not to mention the $2.33 million Byram coming through the pipeline, the Avalanche has a great blend of buyout payment to Scott Darling or the $1.092 million cap recapture today and tomorrow to offset the money they owe a couple of yesterday’s payment for Roberto Luongo). You’d have up-and-comer Spencer Knight heroes (Erik Johnson, the most notable drag at $6 million for two on his entry-level salary, plus the means to extend pending UFA Chris additional years). Driedger for modest dollars. Still, it’s an easy call.

The verdict: Hold ‘em. The verdict: Hold ‘em.

Columbus Blue Jackets Los Angeles Kings

The Blue Jackets began shedding assets at the trade deadline, adding Just as with Chicago, the Kings paid a heavy financial price for their two extra first-rounders for Nick Foligno and David Savard. They might also Stanley Cup championship teams, rewarding their core players with be obliged to trade franchise lynchpin Seth Jones in the offseason, to massive pay raises that currently either match or outstrip their on-ice maximize his asset value and so as not potentially lose him as a UFA in contributions. Both Anze Kopitar ($10 million until 2023-24) and Drew 2022. Zach Werenski is a valuable piece, but he’s RFA following this Doughty ($11 million through 2026-27) had good seasons for the Kings, season, coming off a $5 million AAV bridge contract. Patrik Laine had an but they certainly didn’t outplay their contracts. Nor did Jonathan Quick underachieving season after coming over from Winnipeg and he’ll need a ($5.8 million) or Dustin Brown ($5.875 million). The Kings do have a lot of $7.5 million qualifying offer to retain his rights as an RFA. Goalies Elvis youngsters in the developmental pipeline, but probably only Quinton Merlikins and Joonas Korpisalo are both UFA after 2022, so decisions Byfield projects as a front-of-the-roster candidate. It probably won’t sit need to be made there as well. On the plus side, the Blue Jackets aren’t well with some members of Kings Nation, but we’re going to opt to … boxed into a lot of salary-cap corners and as they remake their roster to reflect the post- era, there is some valuable trade bait on The verdict: Fold ‘em. the current roster. So, a little tentatively, but … hold ‘em. Minnesota Wild

The verdict: Hold ‘em Kirill Kaprizov may be the most exciting player to join the Wild since Dallas Stars Marian Gaborik, and he’s ultimately the tipping point in this discussion. On one hand, the dollars tied up in aging stars such as Zach Parise and Arguably, no team is harder to assess than Dallas because, on the one Ryan Suter ($7.538 million AAV until 2024-25), other pricey deals for hand, they have around $38 million tied up in five players that are either Mats Zuccarello and Matt Dumba ($6 million AAV per player) and even aging, injury-prone or both (Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, the $7.574 million committed to heart-and-soul captain Jared Spurgeon Alexander Radulov and goaltender Ben Bishop). On the other hand, they weigh heavily on the organization’s payroll flexibility. On the other hand, have some quality young talent that’s attractively priced and has some the Wild developed some chemistry around worker-bee contributors such upside, beginning with Miro Heiskanen, Calder finalist Jason Robertson as Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway, and the plus goalie of the future Jake Oettinger. They are supported by Roope upside of Kevin Fiala does not look to be fully tapped as yet. Also, the Hintz and Denis Gurianov, who are both young and entering their primes. goaltending tandem of Cam Talbot and rookie Kaapo Kahkonen returned To unload all the salary cap anchors would also mean discarding a a lot of value for a combined salary total of roughly $4.3 million — more decent young nucleus. I changed my mind on the Stars about five times, than many teams pay for a starter. In the end, you’d have to lean toward before grudgingly deciding on what will almost certainly be an unpopular … conclusion. The verdict: Hold ‘em. The verdict: Hold ‘em. Montreal Canadiens Detroit Red Wings Both Carey Price ($10.5 million AAV) and ($7.85 million The Red Wings are another team that two years ago would have gladly AAV) are signed through 2025-26. It wouldn’t be a problem if both were started from scratch, given all the dead weight they were carrying on their still in the absolute primes of their careers, delivering performances that payroll. But time has a way of fixing that. Now you’re really down to only had them in the Vezina and Norris Trophy conversations for many years. one terrible contract — Frans Nielsen at $5.7 million — and that Until these playoffs, they hadn’t played to those levels in a while — and disappears after next year. The Red Wings have a select few building those contracts will force the Canadiens to jump through the salary-cap blocks already in place — Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Zadina and hoops until they expire. That’s a lot to ask for from a team that also has a Filip Hronek — and have a few more coming, including two high-end few fairly priced contributing veterans (Jeff Petry, $6.25 million; Brendan draft choices from 2019 and 2020, and Lucas Raymond. In Gallagher, $6.5 million), one bargain in Tyler Toffoli ($4.25 million) and 2019, the Red Wings would have happily started over. Now? No. $5.5 million committed to Jonathan Drouin. It would be an easy decision if it weren’t for the presence of three youngsters: Nick Suzuki, Cole The verdict: Hold ‘em. Caufield and Alexander Romanov, two of whom were absolutely Edmonton Oilers sensational in Montreal’s unexpectedly deep postseason run. Even though the goal of the exercise is to think long-term, big-picture thoughts, You have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their respective primes, we can’t completely rule out the value of having the collective whole signed for a combined $21 million, McDavid for five more years and come together as effectively as it did in the recently completed playoffs. The verdict: Hold ‘em. The Flyers are caught a little betwixt and between because, on the one hand, they have a quartet of players (Kevin Hayes, James van Nashville Predators Riemsdyk, Jakub Voracek and Shayne Gostisbehere) earning way too Nashville’s salary-cap situation was even more complicated a few years much money for their levels of production. But on the other hand, they back, but then the Predators traded P.K. Subban, bought out Kyle Turris also have enough good young pieces (Carter Hart, , Joel and now just have to figure out what to do with Ryan Johansen and Matt Farabee) and players coming through the pipeline (Cam York, Morgan Duchene, who each count $8 million against the cap and are signed, Frost) plus a wild card in Nolan Patrick that more than offsets the pricey respectively, until the 2024-25 and 2025-26 season. Neither is producing high end of the roster. Starting from scratch means discarding too many anywhere near the numbers those contracts imply. Nashville does have players with upside. one of the NHL’s top talents in 2020 Norris Trophy winner Roman Josi The verdict: Hold ‘em. ($9.059 million AAV). Also, Eeli Tolvanen finally looks like an NHL contributor (especially on the power play) after a longer-than-anticipated Pittsburgh Penguins minor-league apprenticeship. It’s hard to quantify how much the Predators’ improved second-half chemistry would factor into the decision. The Penguins built two great dynasties by absolutely cratering at the Because if it was strictly based on contractual commitments, you’d have bottom of the NHL standings and doing it at a time when generational to say … players (Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin) were coming down the pipeline. They may have to do it again — the question is the The verdict: Fold ‘em. timing. The timing isn’t right now, not after a year in which they won a regular-season divisional title and squeezed another fabulous year out of New Jersey Devils Crosby. He’s still just 33 and has always played on a below-market In June, the Devils were at the absolute bottom of the salary-cap charts, contract ($8.7 million per season) and has a decent supporting cast still and that’s even with Subban counting $9 million against the cap for in place. Once Malkin and Kris Letang’s current deals come off the books another season after this one, at which point he will be UFA. The only ($9.25 million and $7 million, respectively, both expiring at the end of core player signed for an extended period is ($7.25 million next year), there may be a need to reassess. But now? No. through 2026-27) and Hischier had a miserable season, punctuated by The verdict: Hold ‘em. injury and illness. Most of the young building blocks, including Jack Hughes, are on entry-level contracts. The reality is the Devils are already San Jose Sharks close to Seattle in terms of having their own, relatively clean financial slate. It’s unlikely they would turn that in, after nabbing two No. 1 picks Ding! Ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Even if all 29 other since 2017, plus a goaltender with a decent upside (Mackenzie teams beyond Vegas ultimately decided to stay the course, there is no Blackwood). No, they’ll play this hand out. chance that the Sharks wouldn’t completely avail themselves of our opportunity for a do-over here. Consider the evidence: On defence, Erik The verdict: Hold ‘em. Karlsson, $11.5 million AAV until 2026-27; Brent Burns $8 million AAV until 2024-25; Marc-Edouard Vlasic, $7 million AAV until 2025-26. In New York Islanders goal, Martin Jones, $5.75 million AAV until 2023-24. Up front, Logan The Islanders have two salary-cap anchors, Andrew Ladd and Johnny Couture, $8 million AAV until 2026-27; Evander Kane, $7 million AAV Boychuk (currently on long-term injured reserve) that they would gladly until 2024-25; Timo Meier, $6 million AAV until 2023-24. At every price discard if they could. But otherwise, they’re managing the payroll and experience point around the NHL, there is better value than what effectively and have some youngsters with an upside that would be San Jose is getting from its core. ALSO: It’s not as if the Sharks have any difficult to part with: Goalie Ilya Sorokin, defenceman Noah Dobson and franchise-defining, history-altering prospects in the pipeline. Some of forward Oliver Wahlstrom. GM Lou Lamoriello traditionally likes an these calls are difficult and nuanced. This one is not. experienced lineup, so while the opportunity to go all young and fresh The verdict: Fold ‘em. might appeal to many of his peers, it probably wouldn’t suit his style or personality. St. Louis Blues

The verdict: Hold ‘em. Only two years removed from a Stanley Cup championship, the Blues have made some unusual spending decisions, signing both Justin Faulk New York Rangers and Torey Krug to contracts with identical AAVs ($6.5 million) for terms The Rangers are in a good place — in part because all the promising that may not age well (both are on the books until 2026-27 seasons). young talent they have in the system, from Adam Fox (still on his entry- Jordan Binnington’s extension kicks in this year at $6 million and it’s level deal for one more year!) to Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko — uncertain if Vladimir Tarasenko has made a full recovery from the can offset the money allocated to Jacob Trouba ($8 million per season shoulder surgery that limited to 24 games this past season or if it will through 2025-26) and to Tony DeAngelo, who is at $3.725 million and hinder his performance or trade value, which isn’t great when you’re on figures to be a buyout candidate this offseason. And while Artemi Panarin the books for $7.5 million. The best value for dollars spent in St. Louis has been an exceptional fit as a UFA, which happens so rarely that it’s probably lies with three players: a $7.5 million Ryan O’Reilly, a $4 million worth pointing out here, he does eat up $11.642 million per season in and a $5.5 million Colton Parayko. St. Louis’ straight-set salary-cap space. That’s probably fair-market value for Panarin, but a playoff exit to Colorado might muddy the waters a little, but the Blues bargain it is not. But when you factor in the youthful depth in goal, the have enough pedigree and experience to compete for the foreseeable upside looks quite promising. future, which sways us to the side of …

The verdict: Hold ‘em. The verdict: Hold ‘em.

Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning

It wasn’t so long ago that the Senators were an NHL laughingstock, with Ever since trading J.T. Miller to the Vancouver Canucks at the 2019 draft, players fleeing the market in droves. But Ottawa maximized its return on the Lightning have deftly managed a tricky proposition — keeping a a fading Erik Karlsson and its young core was fun to watch in the second championship nucleus intact that features a lot of players earning a lot of half of a season, where they proved to be a tough out most nights. money. How much longer can GM Julien BriseBois keep up the Houdini Thomas Chabot was the first of Generation Next to cash in — he’s act? Well, one way or another, he’s done it for two years running and so signed for $8 million per season through 2027-28 and Brady Tkachuk it’s possible he’ll pull another rabbit out of the hat this coming offseason. (who along with Drake Batherson) is a restricted free agent this summer, Brayden Point is paying big dividends at an AAV of $6.75 million, though who will similarly cost a lot of dollars to lock up. So far, the only real his pay cheque next year comes in at a cool $9 million in the final year of financial misstep has been giving Matt Murray a four-deal deal at a $6.25 a bridge contract. The best values here are Victor Hedman ($7.875 million AAV, which didn’t return a lot of value this year. Maybe next million until 2024-25) and Mikhail Sergachev ($4.8 million until 2022-23). season will be better. Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy are priced about right for players of their respective statures and accomplishments ($9.5 million each) and The verdict: Hold ‘em. if we were ever to remain healthy, few would begrudge Steven Stamkos his $8.5 million. There may come a time when it all explodes in a salary- Philadelphia Flyers cap mess in Tampa, but that hasn’t happened yet. There’s just flat out no way you could move on from this group at this time, not with a chance to In the beginning, when I first conceived the concept, I thought up to half go for a threepeat next season. the league might take advantage of that rare opportunity to start fresh, maybe because I’ve heard so many people complain, since Vegas joined The verdict: Hold ‘em. the league, that the Golden Knights had an unfair advantage and were Toronto Maple Leafs gifted their Stanley Cup-contending team.

Toronto’s salary-cap commitments and machinations rival those of Personally, I don’t think it’s nearly as easy as people believe — and the Tampa Bay’s as a leaguewide example of what to do and what not to do. Vegas management team, when injected with truth serum, will confess On the one hand, Toronto tied up about $40 million in four players: that it went far better than they originally imagined it could. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander. In the end, there were far fewer fold ‘em options than I predicted in my One could argue that three of the four are delivering value for what own head. they’re earning. The strategy of flowing in cost-effective youngsters and aging role players — some of whom were lured by the simple pleasure of For two-thirds or more of the teams in the league, the tug of a small, but playing for an iconic franchise — has kept them competitive for the last attractive young nucleus overrode the big-picture attraction of starting number of regular seasons. You can quibble with how GM Kyle Dubas from scratch. got here, but there’s no way you’d turn your back on a team with this sort of young core, even after this year’s playoff stumble. The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021

The verdict: Hold ‘em.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks’ future is tied to three young pieces — Elias Pettersson at forward, Quinn Hughes on defence and Thatcher Demko in goal — and they’ll all eventually break the bank on some level if their development arcs continue. Demko is signed already (five years at $5 million a year seems reasonable). The goal, in the meantime, is to dig the team out of its salary-cap hole that prevented them from retaining, among others, Tyler Toffoli and Chris Tanev last year. The good news? Three of their better forwards (Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller) are all signed for contracts that also begin with a five and the better news is that, in one year’s time, both the final year of Loui Eriksson’s contract and Roberto Luongo’s cap-recapture penalty come off the books. There’s really no other conclusion here, other than …

The verdict: Hold ‘em.

Washington Capitals

Washington’s Stanley Cup window may be closing fast, but the Caps stubbornly, year after year, make the playoffs and play an entertaining brand of hockey, yet tease you into thinking that they’re a contender. Nicklas Backstrom’s ticket — $9.2 million per season — is pricey. And $7.8 million is too much for what Evgeni Kuznetsov currently brings to the mix. Alex Ovechkin will probably get a small raise this summer after his groundbreaking 13-year, $124 million contract expired. There really aren’t a lot of prospects to get excited about in the Capitals’ pipeline, but this is still a fun team to watch that looks as if there’s still some tread left on the tire. When the time finally comes to bottom out, that’s the year they discard the aging remnants of a squad that’s pleased a lot of fans for a decade or more. In the meantime, we’re keeping them around for a while longer.

The verdict: Hold ‘em.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have managed a neat trick; they’ve been getting a lot of talent signed at reasonable numbers for the long term while operating in one of the NHL’s smallest markets. The latest value proposition? Adam Lowry turned down a chance to go to market this summer for a five-year, $16.5 million extension — pretty good value for what he brings to the Jets’ mix. Nik Ehlers ($6 million AAV until 2024-25), Kyle Connor ($7.124 million to 2025-26), 2020 Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck ($6.16 million until 2023-24) and especially Mark Scheifele (a huge bargain at $6.125 million until the end of 2023-24) leave the Jets with a stable core of young vets either in — or just entering — their respective primes. Blake Wheeler, at $8.25 million, is a little costly and they have another year to assess Pierre-Luc Dubois ($5 million next year, until he becomes a restricted free agent) to work out a long-term arrangement or perhaps explore a deal. But still, this is a good team, with a bright future.

The verdict: Hold ‘em.

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So that’s how it shakes out. 1217320 Websites Logan Stankoven, C, -WHL Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle-WHL

Stiven Sardarian, RW, CSKA-Russia Jr. The Athletic / Best skaters? Top puck skills? Corey Pronman ranks the NHL draft-eligibles by skill Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-VHL

William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden-SHL

By Corey Pronman Jul 12, 2021 The gap between Johnson and the rest of the group here is quite significant. His skill level is rather special.

I remember watching him in the BCHL and it was like watching a one- Who in the 2021 NHL Draft has the best skating, the best hands, the best man highlight reel every shift. He’s an extremely creative player who is hockey sense and the best compete level? able to pull off unique things with the puck. We’ll rank the players via those skills and use video to highlight them. This is one of my favorite plays I’ve seen by any draft-eligible this Along the way, we’ll try to settle some debates on who should slot higher season, where Johnson does a between-the-legs pass from behind the in which category. net across the slot. For further reference on the players, here are my top 151 prospects and Lucius is known as a goal-scorer for good reason. He scores a lot of my most recent mock draft. goals. But for me, his puck skills are just as impressive as his scoring Guide to the 2021 NHL Draft ability. With his great hands and reach he can be dynamic with his stickhandling displays in how he gets around checks. Best skaters Some examples of Lucius’ skill: Luke Hughes, LHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL Clarke is a true offensive threat on defense and his hands truly pop. He’s William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden-SHL not a rush threat with his speed but his one-on-one play will allow him to create a lot of chances. Justin Robidas, C, Val-d’Or-QMJHL Here are a couple of plays showing Clarke’s hands: Jimi Suomi, LHD, Jokerit-Finland Jr. I’m sure some prospect fans are reading through this list recognizing top Victor Sjoholm, RHD, HV71-Sweden Jr. names and going “Know him, know him, know him … who?” when they Colby Saganiuk, C, Erie-OHL get to Sardarian. I don’t know if Sardarian is going to get drafted because he has a lot of flaws. He’s a wonky skater, not great off the puck, but his Miguel Tourigny, RHD, Blainville-Boisbriand-QMJHL one-on-one skill is fantastic. There was rarely a shift you’d watch of him where he wasn’t trying to pull off a difficult deke and usually executing. Carson Latimer, RW, Edmonton-WHL He’s committed to playing college hockey at New Hampshire. Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea-SHL Best hockey sense Dmitry Zugan, C, CSKA-Russia Jr. William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden-SHL Luke Hughes is not a perfect player, particularly with his defensive play Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-VHL and at times risky turnovers, but he’s a dimensional skater particularly at his 6-foot-2 frame. You could drop him in an NHL game tomorrow and his Sean Behrens, LHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL skating would separate from the pack. It’s the combination of great speed, and unique edgework that his brothers Jack and Quinn also share Owen Power, LHD, Michigan-Big Ten that makes his skating ability special. Ryder Korczak, C, Moose Jaw-WHL Here are a few examples of Luke Hughes’ skating: Olen Zellweger, LHD, Everett-WHL Eklund’s skating isn’t explosive in terms of his straightaway speed, which Ryan Ufko, RHD, Chicago-USHL is still good, but his edgework and ability to evade pressure in tight is high-end. Jack Peart, LHD, Fargo-USHL

Here’s an example of his great edgework and agility: Miguel Tourigny, RHD, Blainville-Broisbriand-QMJHL

Here’s an example of his good, not great speed, but you see the edge Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda-Sweden Jr. play again in how he’s able to cut through the neutral zone: Eklund and Chibrikov are the two dynamic skilled/playmaking forwards Robidas, Suomi, Sjoholm, Saganiuk and Tourigny all are undersized you should know about in this draft along with Johnson but they are more players but bring a lot of quickness with Robidas being the only top pure passers. prospect of the bunch. Eklund can make some difficult plays and do so with pace with his Whenever I inquired out west and ask about who’s a guy who benefited above-mentioned skating making him a truly dynamic player. Here are from the WHL having a short season teams hope people are sleeping on, some examples: the name “Carson Latimer” came back several times, among some others. His skating is the main reason scouts are excited about him. Behrens is one of the most dangerous defensemen in the class inside the offensive zone due to how good a passer he is, but he’s an Fabian Lysell is a dynamic player and a possible first-round pick due to undersized player without a ton of speed. his high skill level combined with a top gear that will be dangerous in the NHL. Power is a smooth, highly intelligent passer which, along with his size and mobility, is why he will likely go No. 1 in the draft. Best puck skills Korczak didn’t have the best season but he looked like a playmaking Kent Johnson, C, Michigan-Big Ten dynamo in his underage year with Moose Jaw due to his skill and vision. His size/skating/compete are issues but his ability inside the offensive Chaz Lucius, C, U.S. NTDP-USHL zone is NHL quality. Brandt Clarke, RHD, Barrie-OHL Zellweger, Ufko and Peart aren’t among the very, very top defensemen in Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax-QMJHL the class but because they have the high-end brains teams crave from defenders, they give themselves a chance to be good NHL players, Sasha Pastujov, RW, U.S. NTDP-USHL particularly since Zellweger can skate very well too. Best compete level

Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan-Big Ten

Alexander Kisakov, LW, Dynamo Moscow, Russia Jr.

Tyler Boucher, RW, U.S. NTDP-USHL

There are three players I felt distinguished themselves in this class in terms of their compete.

Beniers is a known player among many NHL fans already as one of the top-ranked skaters in the class, in large part due to his elite motor and how strong a two-way player he is. Kisakov is an undersized winger, but he generates a lot of offense through his great skill and his great work ethic. He shows no fear playing around the net and generates a ton of chances around the high-percentage areas due to his courage. He’s also a physical player. Boucher is the physically punishing player of this class. He plays every shift looking to make a difference with his physical play and gets in the faces of opponents constantly with his hits and chippy play.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217321 Websites “He’s a dual threat. He can score, he’s got a really good shot, but he can also make plays and set guys up. He was the catalyst of that team offensively. He was always the guy.”

The Athletic / How Francesco Pinelli’s Slovenian hockey experience They eventually picked him 13th, even though his Red Wings head added extra maturity to his 2021 NHL Draft profile coach Angelo Catenaro says there were “at least seven teams that would have taken him before that” after his people and his agency, Octagon, made their desire to be in Kitchener (closer to home) clear.

By Scott Wheeler Jul 12, 2021 “There were teams that were ready to take him in the top five,” Catenaro said.

In his rookie season in Kitchener, Pinelli earned a top role out of training TORONTO — Francesco Pinelli is half-dressed in his hockey equipment camp and was quickly slotted onto the Rangers’ first line (he played the when he sits down on a plastic chair 6 feet from Shane Wright and majority of his first year, on a talented Kitchener team which won 40 of 63 Brennan Othmann inside Toronto’s Westwood Arena. games, in the Rangers’ top six). When the year was done, he’d produced The dressing rooms are closed as part of the COVID-19 protocols, which once more at the top of his age group, with 41 points in 59 games, third allow for them to be here, so their sticks lean against the Rink 5 glass among under-17 players behind only 2022 prospect Wright (60 points) and their bags have been unfurled in the narrow space that runs around and 2021 prospect Mason McTavish (42 points). the boards. Several of the 12 other top NHL prospects who’ve joined And he did it while making the move from his natural centre position, them spill into the hallways and benches that have been pulled outside which he always played growing up, to the wing. into the concrete alleyway behind the arena. “He did really well as a 16-year-old,” McKenzie said. “You never know It is the hottest day of the year so far, locally, with temperatures eclipsing how guys are going to adapt with so much on their plate at 16. It’s their 34 degrees Celsius and a humidity index that makes it feel much hotter, first time away from home, new school, new billets, new level, playing but the stickiness of outside has faded away inside, where Pinelli is all against older guys. But we always have the mentality, especially with our smiles as he gets ready for an 11 a.m. session at Power Edge Pro’s first-round picks, that we want them to show us they can’t do it rather (PEP) three-day July Toronto camp. The 15 players here for this skate than they can do it. That was one thing we talked to him about right away (the second of three) are joined by five coaches in branded masks and a was really giving him a chance to play with some older guys in our top couple of other staffers who check the players in. At a table outside, PEP group. And he just ran with it.” sweaters, workout shirts and hats are being unpacked for the players to take home when they’re done. Francesco Pinelli with the . (Kevin Sousa)

Pinelli, Othmann and Wright discuss when their OHL clubs have asked So what happens when that linear path hits an unexpected fork in the them to report, rattling off dates at the end of August. Pinelli informs them road? rather formally that today is a big day, because Italy (Pinelli’s parents, Frank and Daniela, are Italian) is playing Denmark in the Euro 2020 Pinelli had to figure that out for himself when the OHL’s return for his semifinals. Nick and Joe Quinn, who own and operate PEP, one of draft year began to look less and less likely into this winter. hockey’s leading skills consultancies, greet them, laughing about how In search of somewhere — anywhere — to play, Pinelli eventually got long it has been since they’ve seen them. lucky when a Slovenian-Canadian connection who was once his Wright and Othmann are best friends from their minor hockey days as neighbour told him that he knew the general manager of a pro team in linemates with the Don Mills Flyers. A couple of years ago, Pinelli took the , a professional league with teams in Slovenia, them on in the OHL Cup final as the captain of the rival Toronto Red Austria and Italy. Wings. Now they’re all close, having played together for Team Ontario at Anze Pogacar, that general manager with HDD Jesenice, had no idea the Canada Winter Games, Team Canada at the recent U18 worlds who Pinelli was when he fielded the call from their mutual acquaintance. (where they captured gold) and in local training sessions like this one. “Hey, I know one guy who is a big talent and he wants to play hockey Nearby, Jets first-rounder Cole Perfetti, the Wild’s Ryan O’Rourke, the because he needs games and there aren’t any in Canada,” he was told. Oilers’ Ty Tullio and top-ranked 2021 NHL Draft prospect Owen Power are reuniting for similar conversations as they prepare to take to the ice. “OK, send us his name,” Pogacar said, promising to watch some tape. There to watch are KO Sports agent Cam Stewart and Oshawa Generals owner Rocco Tullio, Ty’s father. After watching some of Pinelli’s games with Kitchener, and really liking what he saw, Jesenice decided to give Pinelli a chance and invited him to For each, this is their normal again, after a year that has been anything their small town just south of the Austrian border. but. For Pinelli, who has just finished a season that took him to a town in the Slovenian alps at 17 years old, that rings particularly true. “Why we picked him was because he was a big talent who had a chance to go in the first round in the draft,” Pogacar said. “We wanted to show all “My draft year was definitely different,” Pinelli says, laughing. of our players who are about his age how they have to work and how good they have to be if you want to be somebody at that level.” Until this season, Pinelli’s young hockey career had travelled in a straight line. And so in January, with his paperwork in order, Pinelli got on a plane in Toronto and made the day-long journey across seven times zones to the He was raised in Stoney Creek, a community in Hamilton, Ontario, as the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, and then on to his apartment in Bled, a middle of three rep hockey and rep soccer-playing brothers. After scenic town of 8,000 people 15 minutes from Jesenice at the seat of the beginning in Hamilton’s minor hockey association, he and his brothers Julian Alps. were invited to play for Detroit Compuware’s AAA team, and the entire family moved south of the border for a year. The move took him halfway across the world and completely out of his element. In the first week and a half, he acknowledges, there were a lot From there, he was recruited by several GTHL teams, eventually of phone calls to his mom, who he credits as a much better cook than his selecting the Red Wings, a program he helped turn from a middle-of-the- dad, for cooking lessons and cleaning questions. standings team to one of the province’s best. Though most of his teammates spoke passable English, the move also In his OHL draft year, he registered 114 points in 71 games (as well as came with a language barrier virtually everywhere that wasn’t the rink. He 14 in seven at the year-end OHL Cup to play himself onto the tournament also became reliant on team staff for drives — because he was too all-star team), good for third in the GTHL behind Wright and Othmann, young to rent or drive a car — to Podmežakla Hall, the team’s 4,500-seat the eventual first and second picks in the 2019 OHL draft. arena in Jesenice, a mining and steel town of a little more than 13,000 Throughout that year, the Kitchener Rangers took a keen interest in him, people, where Kings star Anze Kopitar is from. ranking him among their top five or six skaters in the draft from the first Eventually, though, he started to get into a rhythm in life on his own. tournament of his minor midget season right through to the OHL Cup. During the days, he kept himself busy by spending a lot of time at the rink “We just really liked his blend of hockey sense, his compete, and his skill or on road trips through the Austrian alps or into Italy to towns and level,” said Rangers general manager and head coach Mike McKenzie. destinations he called “incredible.” Though the area and the arena were locked down when he first arrived, Added the source, “If I had to guess, though, I’d guess he goes between which meant no fans in the stands and limited things to do, he tried to 20-31.” see the sights on his days off, which included a trip to Ljubljana and a visit to the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Maria, a Catholic Quinn says his client, whom he has trained since his Red Wings minor church and local tourist destination on an island at the centre of Lake hockey days, has come a long way. Bled, near his apartment. “He was pretty raw in minor hockey, and he just had the strength and the “We went all over the place,” he said. “The scenery was amazing. I’ll power and he would just blow by guys. And now when you watch him out never forget that.” there with how he moves pucks to space, all of a sudden he can think it and his hands and feet are moving at the same time. And when a player When his days were over, he got into the habit of FaceTiming his parents like that ties it all together, it’s exciting,” Quinn said. “I think whoever at night in Slovenia so that it was in the afternoon back home. picks him is going to get a really good player.”

From January through to his last game on March 11, Pinelli made 15 Most of all, though, Quinn credits Pinelli as one of his easiest clients to appearances with HDD Jesenice in games split between the Alps Hockey work with. League and the Slovenian Ice Hockey League. The 6-foot, 176-pound forward posted 12 points in those games, helping the team to its fourth “(Pinelli’s) one of those kids that you don’t have to tell anything. He just Slovenian Cup since its founding in 2014. does his thing and goes about his business quietly. And then he’s one of those kids that comes up to you and thanks you at the end of every Though he didn’t get to see their Alps Hockey League season through practice. He’s really just a dream to work with as a coach. If you could because he had to return to North America to play for Canada at U18 have 15 kids like him at every practice, you’d be in pretty good shape as worlds (where he posted 11 points in seven games to tie for fifth in a coach,” Quinn said. tournament scoring), Jesenice finished the regular season in second place, with 74 points in 30 games and an 11-2 record in the 13 he played Catenaro also credits Pinelli for his demeanour. In his time with the Red in. Wings, Catenaro said Pinelli worked as hard to become a go-to penalty killer and leader as he did on his offensive tools, something he called Though he registered just one point in his first six games with the team uncommon for a top prospect. When he wasn’t in the dressing room, he as he adjusted to his first games in a professional league, he exploded knew that Pinelli was in there functioning as a coach on his behalf. for 10 in a five-game point streak before he left and regularly played over 20 minutes a game. “He’s going to be a very good pro. He already lives like a pro. He trains well, he’s not putting junk in his body, and it’s not just about hockey for HDD Jesenice, who started him at centre before moving him to the wing, him, it’s about the whole package on and off the ice. Stats are stats. You wished it could have kept him longer. Pogacar said he became one of the can tell he can score and put points up. But I can’t say enough about the team’s best forwards and never backed down from his opponents, some kid because he’s a great kid No. 1, but he’s also a kid that is very of whom he joked were twice Pinelli’s age. dedicated to do what he needs to do to excel,” Catenaro said. “I think he’s got lots of upside.” “There are only good things that I can say about him. He was like not 17 years old, he was like 25 or something. He got better and better with McKenzie, who’d planned to use Pinelli at centre as a 17-year-old and each game. We were really happy with him, his work and his mentality. I was excited to see him take his next step in Kitchener this season, was think for a 17-year-old guy, he believed in himself and showed he had fully supportive of his decision to go to Slovenia. hard work plus talent,” Pogacar said. “I think it was a really good opportunity for him. He had to live on his own “I was also surprised that he wanted to do what was best for the team, as a young guy, cook his own meals, and do it all while playing hockey in not just himself. He wasn’t some selfish player who just came here to a foreign country where he didn’t speak the language. And he didn’t have score some goals.” any other people over there with him, either. It wasn’t like him and another teammate went over and they could chum around,” McKenzie Though most NHL teams elected to watch Pinelli from afar on tape, he said. “Maturity-wise, it was great for him. He was always a mature kid said three or four came to watch him play in person. Detroit Red Wings and I knew he could handle something like that, but it was really good for scout Vladimir Havluj even watched multiple games and followed up with him to go over there and play a different style of hockey.” phone calls to Pogacar to ask how he was doing. McKenzie describes Pinelli as a polite, respectful, quiet and serious — When it was over, Pinelli called his unconventional draft year — and its but confident — person who he expects to be among the OHL’s top month and a half in Slovenia — a transformative one for his life and his forwards next season. Though McKenzie says Pinelli has work to do to game. get a little quicker, he also calls his top pupil an “underrated skater” who “I’m not going to lie, it was a challenge. It was kind of difficult at times,” has everything else he needs to become an impactful NHLer. Pinelli said. “I was there on my own. I was playing against older guys. We “He may not be real explosive off the mark, but he’s super slippery and were playing on the Olympic ice. The language barrier was difficult. It deceptive, especially with the puck. His strength is his offensive ability: was really competitive. But I really enjoyed my time there and I’m proud his shooting, his scoring ability, the accuracy of his shot, his hockey of how I played, so I have not regrets at all.” sense. He’s a really smart player who understands the game and really VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAM knows where to go to create offence,” McKenzie said. “And I’ve always been really impressed with how good his off-ice habits are, which is rare A POST SHARED BY FRANCESCO PINELLI to see for a kid that young. Usually, that’s an area that needs a lot of (@FRANCESCO.PINELLI71) work, but he was pretty dialled in at 16 and seemed to be ahead of his age in terms of the maturity of his training and all of that stuff that comes Back inside Westwood Arena, Pinelli is trying to build on the progress he away from the rink.” felt he made in Slovenia, which left him as NHL Central Scouting’s 15th- ranked North American skater in the 2021 draft class. Othmann, who refers to Pinelli as one of his closer buddies and has spent time at his cottage, believes his friend will get back on that linear As Ontario has slowly reopened, he has resumed skating four times a path after a winding year. week and training in the gym, where he has placed his focus this offseason on his skating and his shot. “He’s a big centreman who is just a good hockey player,” Othmann said. “He’s got a good shot, he can skate, he’s hard to knock off the puck. He’s When he’s asked how he sells himself to NHL clubs over their Zoom a just very good hockey player.” calls, he rattles off a list of different skills he feels are strengths: his vision, his hockey IQ, his ability to process the play at high speeds and Though Pogacar didn’t know who Pinelli was seven months ago, he understand where his teammates are, his level of competitiveness and plans to watch him closely from here on out. his character. “I wish him all the best. We will be very happy to watch him get picked,” One NHL source agreed with that assessment and said that there was Pogacar finished. “He’s going to be really good.” “an outside chance he gets picked in the teens and an outside chance he gets picked between 32-42.” The Athletic LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217322 Websites One more thing: If not Keith, Holland needed to sign a second-pairing LD as a free agent. That would come with much more term than two years.

Take a look at the list of UFA left defencemen. It is thin. Sportsnet.ca / Hip to hate Oilers' Keith deal, but the veteran defenceman • So, did the Oilers pay too much? can still play Some fans are screaming for more AAV retention by Chicago, which

Holland did not secure. That is a legit concern. Mark Spector However, in taking the entirety of Keith’s two years at $5.5 million per, Edmonton only owes him $3.6 million in actual salary — total.

EDMONTON — It’s hip to hate on the Duncan Keith deal. I get it — fans could care less about owner Daryl Katz saving some cash. But managers — and owners who have lost millions these last two Tragically, the only Hip going on in my world is coming out of my seasons — care a lot. And that salary savings may make a Neal buyout Bluetooth speaker. more tenable. If that happens, there’s the cap space fans wanted.

The Edmonton Oilers upgraded their second-pairing, left-side As for Jones, on the ice Keith replaces him times 10. He is a better, more defenceman position Monday by trading 93-game NHLer Caleb Jones experienced defenceman, who brings copious elements to the table that and a conditional third-round pick for three-time Stanley Cup winner, Jones does not. Jones may turn into an every-day NHL defenceman, 1,200-game, two-time Olympic team defenceman Duncan Keith, as well something he is not at the moment. But with Evan Bouchard, Broberg, as forward Tim Soderlund. Dmitri Samorukov and William Lagesson all within two seasons of being regulars, the Oilers won’t feel the loss of Jones. Keith turns 38 on Friday. Jones is 24. • Finally, you have to remember that building a team in Edmonton isn’t No salary was retained by the Chicago Blackhawks, though a pertinent the same as in other markets. When you get a player like Keith — or aspect of this deal is that the Oilers only owe Keith $3.6 million in actual Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — who wants to be here, that has major value. salary over the next two seasons, despite a remaining cap hit of $5.5 million annually for two seasons. Why have so many free-agent deals failed in this market? Because the good UFAs who have choices choose warmer locales with better tax Also, Edmonton could not include overpaid backup goalie Mikko situations. Edmonton, Winnipeg, and to a lesser extent Calgary, get the Koskinen in the trade, a form of salary retention that Oilers general ones who come for the extra term and dollars that must get offered to manager Ken Holland proposed to Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. entice players to our cold winter climate. The Blackhawks win the deal financially. Edmonton, in trouble with Oscar American free agents prefer to stay south of the border, generally. Guys Klefbom’s injury situation, makes this trade to win on the ice right now. who have played in warm weather cities like to keep that action intact, Remaining Time -0:41 usually.

How much does Duncan Keith have left in the tank? Keith wants to be here, and Edmonton needs experience, some winning pedigree, and to fill a big hole on left defence. If you are someone who decried the fact that Holland wasn’t “all in” at the last trade deadline — that he must be “all in” as long as Connor McDavid No trade is perfect, but I am OK with adding Keith for just two seasons, in and Leon Draisaitl are in their prime — then you should like this deal. a deal for the now.

Because it is about today. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.13.2021

Let’s dig in on this trade:

• The only way these trades work, when a team acquires a 38-year-old player who brings with him the intangibles that Keith does, is if the player still has chops. He HAS to be able to play.

Well, Keith can still play.

He still holds the blue line, he attacks the play, he skates the puck out of his zone effectively and he can get back to transition pucks effectively. This Sportlogiq piece digs in on his numbers.

He’s not Milan Lucic, whose feet failed him in Edmonton. He’s not Loui Eriksson, whose skills didn’t allow him to keep up in Vancouver. He’s not James Neal, who couldn’t play the role the Calgary Flames wanted him to play, and wasn’t happy in a lesser role.

He’s not Joe Thornton or Jason Spezza, former first-line centres with deteriorated foot speed who are playing in depth roles with depth players for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Keith goes from being Chicago’s No. 1 defenceman to Edmonton’s second pairing. Less responsibility, sure. But he goes from playing with young, inexperienced partners like Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist, to slotting next to Adam Larsson (who will be signed), a steady, veteran defence-first righty who will allow Keith to worry about his own game.

I expect Keith’s analytics to improve markedly, knowing that if they do not, folks will be feeding this line back to me on Twitter for years to come.

• Positionally, remember that Klefbom’s status remains somewhere in the range of never playing again, to playing half a season, to playing for a while and being injured again, to playing 82 games. Keith’s acquisition softens this process considerably.

Either Klefbom works in with less responsibility/minutes due to Keith’s presence, or he doesn’t play at all and the Oilers have their second- pairing left defenceman. And two years from now, when the Keith deal expires, Philip Broberg should be your second LD long-term. 1217323 Websites position and is a “bit light” on depth and talent on the blue line. He likes the Senators’ goaltending depth.

As he has remarked many times on Ottawa sports radio in the past, Sportsnet.ca / Senators hoping that Pierre McGuire really does 'know McGuire feels the Senators “stole the draft” in 2020 by selecting forward everything' Tim Stützle as well as defencemen Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven.

McGuire can be intense in his broadcasts, and he admits he was extremely so as a young coach in the league. He said he has learned to Wayne ScanlanJuly 12, 2021, 1:03 PM “take a step back,” and be a little more calm in his appraisals and communication. While he has sometimes been at odds with the analytics

community, McGuire says he doesn’t dislike analytics, but feels they Pierre McGuire has always had a sense of unfinished business in don’t measure “heart, character and fearlessness,” in the way that “boots Ottawa. on the ground” can do.

A member of the Senators' coaching staff in 1995-96, McGuire was part Social media in Ottawa is already all over the map as far as liking this of the hockey operations group swept out the door when general hire, and not. But no one can dispute that the Senators' hockey manager Randy Sexton gave way to Pierre Gauthier in the middle of that operations staff is lean, and could use another pair of eyes, another season, Ottawa’s fourth as a franchise. strong voice.

More than 25 years later, McGuire has returned — Pierre hired to assist Dorion said he plans to tap into McGuire’s hockey expertise in all facets yet another Pierre, Dorion. Long live the managers named Pierre in the of hockey operations, from player development and scouting to trades. Senators organization. “Having watched a lot of NHL games, he is definitely going to have a lot On Monday, Pierre McGuire, 59, was named senior vice-president of of input as far as player movement, player transactions,” Dorion said. player development to support current GM Pierre Dorion. Henceforth, to “But at the same time, he’s done some scouting. He’s been at a lot of avoid Pierre confusion, they shall be known internally as PM and PD, we world juniors, he’s seen a lot of college hockey over the last few years, suppose. The hire was made by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, in so I think he can have input there also.” conjunction with Dorion. Remaining Time -1:02 “This is something I’ve been looking forward to, in terms of joining this Senators want McGuire to bring an unbiased view to the team family (again) for a long time,” McGuire said via Zoom call Monday. “I’ve always had a real drive toward Ottawa, the people there, the community, The GM added that McGuire will be based in Ottawa and “very present” the hockey passion that people have. It’s meant a lot to me to have this in everything we do, including input with coaches, scouts and players. opportunity.” Dorion likes the fact that McGuire comes in as an impartial voice on the Senators' staff, without favourite players he might have drafted or traded Remaining Time -0:33 for in the organization. Pierre McGuire describes his role with the Ottawa Senators In the chain of command, McGuire will report to Dorion, who is entering McGuire, known to hockey viewers throughout North America as the the final year of his contract. analyst voice on NBC broadcasts since 2006 is fired up, to say the least, Dorion dismissed any concern that he may have hired his replacement. to get back into team management again. It’s been a while since he McGuire, who has been interviewed for numerous GM positions over the worried about who got the two points at the end of the night. years, is believed to have a three-year deal with Ottawa. “I love it,” McGuire said, clapping his hands at a question about being “I think and I hope to be here for the long-term and I hope that Pierre partisan again. “Ever since Mr. Melnyk told me that I had the position and McGuire is a part of my team for the long-term,” Dorion said. I’ve been talking with Pierre Dorion, every day has been like a Game 7 for me. I’m just so excited about it.” “We all want ambitious people, people that are driven, to work with us, and there’s no denying the fact that Pierre is ambitious and driven,” McGuire was a scout and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Dorion said. “And I think that only makes us a better team and makes me the early 1990s and was part of a Stanley Cup winner in 1992. He later a better general manager. served as assistant coach, then assistant GM and head coach of the now defunct Hartford Whalers. “The one thing is that I never worry about my contract. If you start worrying about your contract and what decisions you’re going to make, Not only does McGuire feel the transition from between-the-benches then you’re not helping the organization.” broadcaster to management will be seamless, he is expected to tap into his famous communications skills by being a strong voice for the Melnyk, who recommended McGuire to Dorion in early June, has had organization, which has missed the late Bryan Murray’s constant several conversations with McGuire over the past month. communicating when he was a senior manager with the club. Dorion said what most viewers know to be true, that McGuire’s passion Working between the benches has been just as valuable as working for the game is both evident and contagious. He called it a “no brainer” to behind one, according to McGuire. hire McGuire.

“You get to see a lot behind the scenes of what works with each The two have had several meetings by phone and spent four hours in organization or league and what doesn’t work,” McGuire said. face-to-face conversation over the weekend at Mont Tremblant, where McGuire has a home. “What players are trending up, what players are trending down ... one part of working in the media that works if you’re doing it properly is that “I love talking hockey, and I think Pierre McGuire is the same way,” you do it with an unbiased eye. You don’t care who wins or loses or care Dorion said. “He loves talking hockey, loves talking players, loves talking about what the fans or GMs care about. You’re watching with unfettered about our plan. So, I think the dynamic is going to be exceptional.” access and with an unbiased eye.” Since the announcement, McGuire said he has heard from a myriad of Remaining Time -1:11 NHL players and executives wishing him well, including Brian Burke, John Davidson, Luc Robitaille and Bob Nicholson. McGuire thinks Ottawa Senators are 3 players away from contending A native of Englewood, N.J., McGuire has spent a good part of his life in That is about to change in a big way. McGuire sees his role as “multi- Quebec and is bilingual. He earned an English degree at Hobart College, dimensional,” working with amateur and pro scouts and the Senators’ where he competed in hockey and baseball, and later coached. NHL and AHL staff. He is also expected to work with the coaches in Ottawa and AHL Belleville, D.J. Smith and Troy Mann. McGuire and wife, Melanie, have two children, Ryan and Justine. Justine is a competitive college rower and Ryan, who has played hockey in the McGuire is bullish on the Senators young talent — led by Thomas USHL and BCHL, will play Division I hockey for Colgate University in the Chabot and Brady Tkachuk — and feels the team’s future could be fall. exceptional. He notes the team could use more depth at the centre For the past several years, the McGuires have called Connecticut home. Now, for the first time since 1995, home is Canada’s Capital.

McGuire once did a wide-ranging radio segment in Ottawa called "Pierre Knows Everything."

McGuire would be asked a quirky general knowledge question and then inevitably, almost magically, provide the answer — which listeners may or may not have believed was an inside job.

Hockey-wise, the Senators would love to find out that Pierre really does know everything.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.13.2021 1217324 Websites 10 per cent of draft picks are used on goalies, a number that’s been consistent in the modern era (post 2007).

Here’s a second factor. Universally, the hockey community – front TSN.CA / The opportunity cost of using a high draft pick on a goalie offices, coaches, fans, you name it – have a better relative understanding of talent at the skater level than at the goalie level. (Significant data Every team in the NHL would love to find the next Andrei Vasilevskiy or limitations and the effects of team structural play in front of goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck, but can they afford to take a goalie with a high pick? are surely two of the biggest reasons for the lack of clarity.) Travis Yost looks at the numbers to see just how risky that strategy might be. Let’s increase our threshold to look at regulars only – guys who were drafted and have made a long-term impact (playing more than 50 per cent of future regular- season games from the time of their draft year for skaters, and just 25 per cent for that of goaltenders, a lower bar to clear By Travis Yos due to longer developmental time). Then, let’s break it out by draft pick value:

With the Stanley Cup back home in Tampa Bay, organizations have For forwards and defenders, you basically have a one-in-two chance of a turned their attention to a major milestone in the hockey off-season first- or second-round pick becoming an NHL regular player. Compare calendar – the approaching NHL Entry Draft on July 23, 2021. that to the likes of goaltenders, where you have a 1 in 5 chance of that occurring. There are at least two interesting wrinkles with this year’s draft class. The first is a relative consensus of higher uncertainty surrounding prospect But sometimes examples are better than the data. Let’s look at the 35 evaluation, the byproduct of less scouting and intermittent league goalies selected with premium picks over the 2007-15 timespan. You will schedules borne from the pandemic. note that 25 per cent of goalies taken in this range have still yet to play a game. So, what makes up the rest of the group? The second is a fascinating Swedish goaltending prospect in the form of Jesper Wallstedt. TSN.CA LOADED: 07.13.2021

Wallstedt – playing with Luleå HF in the Swedish Elite League as an 18- year-old – has emerged as the best goaltending prospect of the class. It should be noted that Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Sebastian Cossa is close behind Wallstedt and is also projected to be selected in the top half of the first round, which would make this an extraordinary draft year for goaltending prospects.

Wallstedt has always played above his age group through his developmental years, and his first taste of high-level professional competition saw him turn in a 90.8 save percentage in the 2020-21 season.

At last check-in with TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Wallstedt was ranked 10th on the draft board, opening up the door for the possibility of a team using a high draft pick on a goalie.

Teams have been increasingly gun-shy around goaltenders for a while now – less likely to use valuable picks on them, and certainly less likely to offer lucrative contracts to them when they are active NHL players.

Though every team wants to get their hands on the next Connor Hellebuyck or Andrei Vasilevskiy, most are looking for successful goaltending tandems that are also friendlier against the salary cap, preferring to use important capital on skaters whose performance may be more predictable long-term.

On Sunday, I was following along an interesting conversation about the possibility of the Ottawa Senators (selecting 10th overall) using their pick on Wallstedt. It’s a fascinating idea, perhaps more so in the light of Matt Murray’s struggles in Ottawa this season. TSN’s Shawn Simpson rightly pointed out that the organization shouldn’t be cautious drafting a goaltender (and a position of need) in this window for two reasons: he may be the franchise cornerstone you are looking for, and other players present risk as well.

The second part of that argument is worth exploring because it flies in the face of what organizations have increasingly done at the draft. One of the big reasons we have seen teams shy away from drafting goaltenders (and perhaps more specifically, drafting goaltenders high) is that the opportunity cost is extraordinary. You aren’t just fighting the possibility of a certain goaltender developing or busting early; you are also fighting the math of what else you could have done in that spot.

And here is the math problem for goaltenders, simple as it may be. It’s awfully tough to crack an NHL roster as one long-term. Consider eight years of draft data (2007-15) for one moment, and pay attention to the goaltender position in relation to skaters:

A big portion of the opportunity cost factor is simply a numbers game. Most NHL teams are carrying 13 forwards and seven defenders over the course of the season, with any number of call-ups to displace them due to injuries or performance.

On the other hand, most NHL teams will only use two or three goalies over the course of the year. Organizations know this, which is why only 1217325 Websites

USA TODAY / Senators add NHL TV analyst Pierre McGuire as senior VP of player development

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The Ottawa Senators named Pierre McGuire as the team's senior vice president of player development on Monday.

McGuire is a familiar face to NHL fans as he was a hockey analyst for NBC Sports since 2006. NBC's broadcast rights deal with the NHL expired at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, and the league is turning to ESPN and Turner Sports moving forward.

McGuire also spent time as an assistant with the Senators during the 1995-96 campaign.

"On behalf of the entire Senators organization, I would like to welcome Pierre McGuire back to Ottawa," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said. "We are excited to add Pierre to our hockey management group. His experience will be instrumental as we continue to build an elite team. Pierre's knowledge of the game and its players is highly regarded and I am confident that he will positively assist our team as it progresses to the next level."

The 59-year-old McGuire has experience as a scout and an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins and was on the coaching staff when they won the Stanley Cup in 1992.

McGuire was also an assistant coach, assistant general manager and head coach with the Hartford Whalers. He lasted one season (1993-94) as head coach as the Whalers finished next to last in the Eastern Conference.

“The biggest thing is just bring my experience and knowledge of the league," McGuire told The Ottawa Sun. I’ve been in the league for over 30 years. Over the last 23 years, I’ve had pretty much unfettered access to the league in terms of players and management decisions. That’s something that’s pretty helpful."

The Senators finished this past season with a 23-28-5 record, missing the postseason for the fourth straight season.

USA TODAY LOADED: 07.13.2021